Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda or any of its characters.
Title: Distances of the Heart
Summary: The ways in which Ilia lost Link to Zelda, slowly, quickly and all at once.
Rating: K+
Warnings: Potentially disturbing imagery
Author's Notes: For some reason, I felt like writing about unrequited love and because Link/Zelda is my current obsession, I couldn't resist writing this. This is inspired by a deviantart drawing Lovers on a Bridge by hakubaikou, which depicts a woman standing in the distance watching a couple on a bridge and it paints a mysterious and beautiful yet sad story. I hoped I was able to convey that same emotion with Ilia, while writing from the perspective of the unrequited love observing the main pairing, where I wanted to cause juxtaposition where the couple are as happy as possible, since Link and Zelda deserve it too.
From what Ilia could see, the hooded stranger had a beautiful face, soft and feminine, with striking grey-blue eyes. Her golden hair was spun into a perfect braid and her simple clothing were impossibly clean and smooth. Compared to this strange yet lovely girl, Ilia abruptly realized how plain she looked.
When the girl spoke, her formal and eloquent accent was evidence of being hailed from the city. And yet, her voice reminded Ilia of the tinkling of bells, light and musical. She was looking for Link, the hero of Twilight, she explained. Perhaps if they would be so kind, they could direct her to where he was?
Her father, quick to help and make his acquaintance with city folk, told her Link was at the ranch. His daughter Ilia could show her the way.
And so, Ilia found herself leading the girl up the hills to the ranch. To break the uncomfortable silence, she asked the girl how she met Link. She replied that Link had saved her life and countless others and she was not given the opportunity to properly express her gratitude to him.
To this girl, Link must appear like a daring and brave knight, arriving out of nowhere to rescue highborn ladies like her. The fact she travelled so far to thank Link was indicative of her feelings for him. The warmth in her otherwise solemn eyes when she spoke of Link was another detail that gave her away.
There was a nagging thought that pressed at the back of Ilia's mind. What did Link think of this mysterious beautiful girl? Did he know she harboured such emotion? Did he not realize? Or perhaps even worse, did he return her affections?
Link was herding a few troublesome goats when they arrived. Releasing Epona's reins for a moment, he stretched out his arms, the sunlight glinting off his sweat-soaked skin and the muscles that rippled underneath. Ilia could not help but appreciate the moment, even as she blushed furiously. And from the way the girl's eyes widened, she too admired the scene.
It ended too quickly when Link spotted them, raising his hand in a wave. He nudged Epona to a trot, only to stop when he recognized the girl's face. As did Epona, who happily snorted in greeting and extended her neck for the girl to pat. Disbelief was written across Link's face and his jaw grew slack.
" Zelda?"
The name shook Ilia to the core as she realized – how could she have been so stupid? - the girl that was walking beside her the entire time was the crowned princess of Hyrule. She immediately stammered an apology, sinking to her knees, horrified she had treated royalty as such.
Zelda, slightly bemused, raised a slim hand, pausing in her caresses of Epona. " Please. There is no need for formalities here. I came not as the princess of Hyrule but as a grateful woman who simply desired to thank the Hero who saved Hyrule."
Her voice wavered slightly at the end as Link dismounted from Epona and approached her, a mere arm's length apart, stepping far closer to her than any regular commoner should have (weren't there rules for such a thing? Ilia thought somewhere beyond the stars).
" You have already thanked me once before, Zelda," Link said, a smile gracing his face. To Ilia's shock, he addressed the princess so casually, so gently. " That alone was enough."
Zelda smiled then. It illuminated her previously grave expression and made her appear even more lovely in form. It was the kind of smile that would make a person stop and stare for a little while, their worries and anxieties gone. The kind that made one smile even wider in return, as Link was doing.
Their gaze was held so intimately that Ilia, half-kneeling, half-frozen in place, felt like an intruder. She was wondering if she should leave when one goat bleated cheerfully as it escaped the barn once again, shattering the moment.
Link and Zelda were startled and began to chuckle, as if suddenly realizing they were not alone. For an unfathomable reason, Ilia was able to exhale freely.
~.~.~
Never had Ilia felt as out of place as she had felt when she and the rest of Ordon were invited to Queen Zelda's coronation and ceremony afterwards.
She, along with the other Ordon villagers who were invited, stood along the wall behind the standing soldiers, gazing at the magnificent palace hall that was now restored to its former glory after the invasion of Twilight. The three golden goddesses watched from above as the coronation proceeded and Zelda approached the throne.
Dressed in a stunning dress and decked in precious jewelry bearing the Hyrule crest, Queen Zelda was the very epitome of elegance and beauty. The pale colours of her dress illuminated her eyes to the most beautiful shade of blue, captivating any who looked into them. She appeared every inch of a queen she was born to be.
There was an ache in Ilia's chest, even as she couldn't help but admire Zelda. There was no way she, a plain and simple farmer girl, could compete against a queen. It was no wonder that Link, along with the rest of the world, was enamoured with Zelda.
No sooner than her thoughts turned to Link, that the man himself arrived, holding the crown that was to be placed on Zelda's head. He had teased and hinted to them he was to play some role during the coronation but they had not realized just how important his role was.
Link was dressed in the hero's green today with an additional long, red cape bound with a golden clasp at his chest, making him appear like the noble knights of old. This was not Link, she dimly thought, watching this stranger make his way towards Zelda. He did not appear to be the same boy she had met when they were children, carousing and sneaking rides on goats when the adults weren't looking, rolling and playing in the mud and rain.
There was an inexplicable expression on his face as his eyes remained focused on Zelda. It was a mixture of adoration, deference and ... longing. Ilia had caught him gazing fondly at Zelda like that upon a few occasions when Zelda wasn't looking at him, always glancing down shyly if she turned towards him. It was an expression Ilia had never seen him wore before, never towards any other girl, never towards her. Only towards Zelda.
Her father nudged her and she quickly realized that Link had already handed the crown to one of the Hyrulian officials who was now proclaiming a blessing while placing the crown upon Zelda's brow.
" I hereby present Queen Zelda of Hyrule. Long may she reign!"
As if that were the signal, Link and the rest of the soldiers knelt in unison facing towards Zelda, one hand over their breasts, silently yet fervently pledging their lifelong loyalty to the new queen.
The entire hall erupted with cheers and Ilia forced a smile and clapped along with the rest.
If she had thought the coronation was stifling, she had not expect the following feast and ceremony to be just as uneasy for her.
Her father was amiably chatting with other businessmen, eager to bring about trade with their tiny village. Rusl, Telma and Renaldo were laughing and catching up as old friends would. Prince Ralis was kind enough to keep her company but at occasion, he was called away to speak with the Goron delegates, leaving Ilia quite alone.
She found herself lingering near Colin and the Ordon children out of habit. They were busy at the tables, stuffing their faces full at tasting such exotic foods. The foods were a delight, she had to admit, as she sampled little bits and pieces. She would have said the palace's foods were even better than the pumpkin-cheese pie her mother once made. Unfortunately, the children were far too young to remember Ilia's mother and the only other person who loved the pie as much as Ilia wasn't nearby.
Link was surrounded by delegates and ambassadors from other faraway countries who was interested and fascinated by the hero who single-handedly saved Hyrule from ruin. Regardless, Ilia knew her best friend better than anyone. She could see from the way he shifted to one side and how frequently he rubbed the back of his head, he was beginning to grow hesitant and uneasy with their questions.
She had half a mind to march up to him and drag him away from those people with the excuse of asking him to dance when Queen Zelda beat her to it.
Zelda was as spectacular and stunning in her lavender evening gown as she was in her ceremonial outfit earlier. There was no man in the room whose gaze did not follow her, admiring her, hoping to speak to her. Including Link.
She exchanged brief words with Link, her pretty eyes never leaving his. And the next thing Ilia knew, Zelda was leading Link to the dance floor.
The crowds parted for them easily as they became the main centre of attention. All eyes were on them as Zelda smoothly guided Link's hands to her waist and the other to her own hand. Then the music started and they began to dance.
It was evident that Link was not accustomed to dancing and he spent a good portion looking at his feet and Zelda's feet, more focused on trying not to make a mistake instead of his partner. His flustered attempts and his embarrassed apologies made Zelda smile. Ilia noticed she smiled the most when she was with Link and no other.
Slowly, Link became accustomed to the motion of his partner and the tempo of the song and together, they moved as one, gliding effortlessly and gracefully across the dance floor, their eyes only on each other. They conversed long, their voices lost within the music, hands and fingers intertwined far closer than the dance required. As the night progressed, neither Link or Zelda sought out any other dance partner but each other, even as different waltzes and dances were performed.
Several onlookers whispered how handsome the Hero looked and how beautiful the Queen was. Others commented with approval that it was a fine match decided by the goddesses. Some fervently wished for a wedding to take place soon.
Each and every one of their words dug deep into Ilia's heart.
~.~.~
If it were not for the several healers' repeated reassurances that Link was recovering well, Ilia would have thought he was dead.
His pale face illuminated his dark eyelashes, the faint pink of his lips and the wan gold-brown of his hair. Despite the slow rise and fall of his chest, Link almost appeared like a statue, frozen in time, never again to waken.
" How is he today?"
Ilia immediately jumped to her feet at the sound of Zelda's voice. She attempted to curtsey but Zelda smiled and shook her head. " Please, Ilia. I have said it before, there is no need for formal protocol here."
Mind befuddled at how casual of a monarch Zelda was, Ilia awkwardly smiled back. But neither of their smiles lasted as they turned towards the unmoving man. " Link is ..." Ilia tried to explain. " Well, he is still sleeping."
Only a week ago, an assassination attempt on Queen Zelda took place by the unruly, malcontent minions of Ganondolf and Zant that remained scattered and few in-between in Hyrule. They seized their chance when she was alone one night in the city citadel, taking a late night stroll and guarded only by one soldier.
Unfortunately for them, that one soldier happened to be Link.
He fought bravely, shielding Zelda from the onslaught of swords, arrows, clubs and axes, taking any hit and damage meant for her with all the ferocity of a beast protecting his mate. But as valiant and strong as he was, even the Hero of Twilight could not have predicted one lone archer who aimed a black arrow towards the two.
By now, the sound of swords clashing and the unholy shrieks of the fallen minions drew a crowd of soldiers.
They had not been prepared to see Link lying unconscious, cradled in the arms of a frantic Zelda with a black arrow buried deep in his chest. At the sight of the arriving soldiers, the rest of the monsters fled back to the darkness where they came from, leaving only the sound of a desperate wail of a heartbroken woman.
Ilia, having heard the news from Telma's bar, had only arrived to the medical wing to hear a grief-stricken healer tell Zelda that the black arrow was coated with a poison that caused the Hero of Twilight to fall into a deep unconscious state and it would be only a matter of time until the poison reached his heart and lungs, eventually causing his organs to fail.
Zelda's eyes were devoid of all emotion as she thanked the healer for his time. She then turned to Ilia, asking her politely to remain with Link until she returned. How long she would be gone for, she was uncertain but she would appreciate it someone close to Link would be there with him if he happened to wake. Ilia hurried to agree.
Later that morning, Hyrule's soldiers were sent out to all corners of Hyrule, hunting down all those who were involved with the attack on the queen. The queen herself proclaimed that this assassination attempt would not be taken lightly and retribution would be swift.
What she didn't say – and what Ilia had suspected – was that those who caused grievous harm to Link would pay for doing such a thing.
Over the next few days, Ilia, who remained by Link's side, only heard from the gossiping servants, guards and healers what had transpired outside the castle walls.
" Queen Zelda had joined the unit at Arbiter's Grounds who said they found those responsible for injuring the Hero of Twilight. She brought her sword and bow with her, like a goddess of war."
" I heard they discovered the archer intentionally drew his arrow not for the queen but for the Hero. As an act of revenge for vanquishing their masters and slaying so many of their kin."
" The queen found the one who shot the black arrow. Some soldiers said they saw her cut his legs and arms apart before shooting her own arrows at his chest and throat as revenge for harming the Hero."
" Someone had found the antidote to the Hero's poison! The queen is riding back alone to the castle to give it to him as we speak!"
Ilia initially dismissed those gossips as rumours and idle talk. But until she had seen Zelda rushing into Link's room, roughly shoving the vial of the antidote into the shocked healer's hands, her golden hair dishevelled and out of place, her boots sending puffs of sand through the air, her sleeves torn and frayed – and was that a smudge of blood at the hem of her skirt? – Ilia might have been inclined to believe there was an element of truth behind those rumours.
But that was three days ago and Link still hadn't woken. Some colour was returning to his cheeks, slowly but surely and his lips were not as blanched. The healers assured that the antidote was working splendidly and they believed the Hero's body needed rest and time to recover from such a heavy injury.
Zelda came when she was able to, when she was finished her duties and concluded those long, tedious council meetings as the head of state, even when everyone could tell she wished for nothing more than to sit at Link's bedside until he woke.
She glanced over at Link, her gaze softening slightly. " Link is strong," she said simply, as if patience alone was all she needed. " He will wake when he is ready."
Ilia wished she had half the amount of confidence Zelda carried. It was hard when hour after hour, day after day, it appeared there was little change to Link's condition. But as she watched Zelda tenderly brush a few stray strands from Link's face, her eyes committing to memory each and every line and crease on his face, she knew that Zelda would have waited forever if that was what it took for Link to wake up.
" Do you love him?" Ilia blurted out. And almost immediately, she regretted the words leaving her mouth.
Zelda did not answer right away. Her hand remained frozen by Link's cheek. " Love ... is a strong word," she finally said, slowly and carefully, as if deliberating how much she should reveal (in itself, her hesitation was the answer Ilia was dreading to hear). " I must confess that I am ... quite fond of Link. He is one of the most admirable and kindest men I have come across, a respectable and loyal soldier of Hyrule whose bravery is unlike any I have seen, and one whom I consider a dear friend and a close companion."
A part of Ilia almost wanted to laugh at Zelda's roundabout confession. For a queen who was so wise, it seemed Zelda was a bit lacking in understanding the concept of love.
It was then that Ilia realized that Zelda's hesitation was not because she did not love Link (Zelda's earlier actions had proven far more credible than her current answer) but because she feared that Link did not reciprocate or that he did (the very thought squeezed Ilia's heart) but did not wish to be tied to the life of royalty. And if Link chose not to bear the weight of being a royal consort, Zelda would have marry another noble to secure the royal bloodline, even if her heart belonged to another.
How sad it was, being forced to put duty and the kingdom before her own heart. Ilia felt a stab of pity for Zelda. She had always pictured how those fairytales would end with the princess and her knight living happily ever after but reality was a cruel reminder that things were hardly that simple.
Zelda sighed. She took to arranging Link's blankets, needlessly smoothing out the creases. " For now, let us concentrate on Link's recovery," she said, with a note of finality in her tone. An implication to let the subject drop.
Heat rose to Ilia's cheeks and she wasn't sure if it was in mortification that she was acting like this in front of a queen or in indignation that neither she or Zelda acted upon their feelings for the same man, and that said man had not acted on his feelings either and were the three of them going to be stuck in this confounding, exasperating cycle?
She opened her mouth, but whatever she was about to say, the words were lost the moment Link began to stir.
~.~.~
" The worst part is that I don't hate her," Ilia confessed miserably. " She is a kind person. Strong, beautiful and determined too. I could see why Link would be smitten by her. If she had been cruel or daft, she would have been much more easier to hate."
Telma, the only one who knew of Ilia's feelings for Link, nodded at her sympathetically. " She is a remarkable woman," she agreed. " But so are you, in your own way. You shouldn't compare."
It was hard not to, when the contrast between the two of them was blatantly obvious. " I just – I just wish I had an excuse to hate her," she muttered, half-hating herself for saying such words. " Is something wrong with me?"
" Oh honey, there is nothing wrong for feeling the way you do," Telma soothed, placing a comforting hand on Ilia's shoulder. " Us humans are meant to have emotions and feelings. Some good, some bad. It takes time to sort things out."
And so, eventually, Ilia found herself grabbing an umbrella and taking a walk in Castle Town, where rain had been pouring down the last two days, to think of other things.
Walking in the city was able to soothe Ilia's frayed thoughts. Here, she could concentrate on the yapping dogs racing around the corners, the shop owners calling to the passing people to purchase their goods and the musicians blaring out their songs despite the rain.
Today, she came across a different path, one that led to the outskirts of Castle Town's famous botanical gardens. Most people would rather see the numerous blossoming flowers and rare exotic plants located in the main central area but Ilia wanted to see the bridges and streams where the rain would dance across the waters, certain that the sight would be calming.
For a little while, Ilia walked along the pathway, drinking in the colours of the tree leaves that stood out vibrantly against the rain and fog. Until she saw in the distance, a familiar couple standing upon a bridge.
It was Link and Zelda, each holding an umbrella, bathed in the raindrops. They had been spending even more time together since Link made a full recovery, hardly apart from each other. When they took their many strolls together, Zelda often took Link's elbow, looping her own arm around, using that as the excuse of allowing their arms and shoulders to touch. When Link greeted her or bide her farewell, he gifted Zelda with a tender kiss to her offered hand and if he believed no one was looking, he would sneak a second kiss to her knuckles.
Were the goddesses mocking her? Out of all the people she could have seen in the city, she ran into the two that she was most reluctant to encounter. She should have left then, turned back where she came from, but some odd reason, she found herself transfixed on the two of them.
Ilia could not hear what they were saying, but it was intimate and profound, judging from the way their gaze was held with such strong emotion, how Zelda's hand slowly trailed over to grasp Link's fingers, how Link shifted closer to her, the distance between them almost non-existent.
Then, before she even had time to prepare or even conceive of the thought, Link bent down, cupping Zelda's chin and lifting it to press a kiss to Zelda's lips.
Zelda dropped her umbrella which fluttered to the ground, almost swept away by the torrent of rain and wind. But neither her or Link noticed, for they were deepening the kiss, Link cradling Zelda's head, pulling her closer to him and Zelda reaching her arms around Link's neck, her fingers running through his hair. The second, third, fourth and several more kisses were just as passionate, intense and euphoric.
It was so hopelessly romantic and perfect, just like in those stories.
What appeared an eternity later, Link and Zelda finally broke apart, gasping for breath, their faces flushed with heat, delight and exhilaration.
It was then the two of them realized Link too had let go of his umbrella and now both Zelda and Link were drenched in the rain, their hair and clothing soaked to the skin, tasting the rain that ran down their cheeks.
They began to smile at the incredulity of it all. In a rare, unrestrained moment of emotion, Zelda laughed, pure happiness shining in her face. And without a moment's hesitation, Link picked her up and swung her around, his ecstatic laughter mingling with hers. For there was nothing more sweeter than knowing a love was returned and reciprocated a thousand times over.
At long last, Ilia was able to tear her eyes away from the scene. There was a wetness on her face that she knew did not come from the rain. A part of her told her she should have expected it. For Link and Zelda had been falling in love these many months and she had been watching it happen and did very little to prevent or intervene between them. Another part venomously declared she should interrupt and ruin the moment between the couple right now while the other part felt horrified at such thoughts.
Even as she hurried through the tree thickets, breath cutting short and her chest burning, she could still hear their laughter ringing in her ears and still see their kiss lingering in her mind, wondering why, why it couldn't have been her that Link was kissing and not Zelda.
She wasn't sure if she would ever receive an answer for that question.