A/N - Hey everyone! I'm bringing you a brand new LOZ multichap! It takes place right after breath of the wild (But the SECOND ending, if you don't know what i'm talking about... finish the memory quest :]) Hope you like it!

The wind was blowing at impossible gales, the temperature was hovering nearly below zero, and both Link and Zelda were seriously not dressed for the weather.

The trek through Necluda had started innocent, they had a traveling plan in mind, and after scourging the remains of Hyrule Castle for whatever was left of Zelda's things that they could salvage- set out for the dueling peaks stable.

Of course, Link hadn't anticipated the sudden temperature drop. He had given Zelda his tunic gifted to him by the Rito and a potion to attempt to warm her up while he snuggled down deeper in his warm doublet, but it was the sort of cold that sunk inside the threads of your clothes and deep into your bones. His teeth were chattering, and he could hear Zelda's own mashing back and forth as they trudged forward. Their conversation was kept to a minimum as to try and conserve any body heat they could. Why in the name of Hylia was it so damn cold?

"I – I- I think this must have something to do with the divine beast Vah Ruta." Zelda stammered, "S-s-snow's just frozen water."

Link rolled his eyes but slowed down and took her hand anyways as he pulled her along gently, "I know." He said quietly, voice shaking with cold. "I just don't un-understand where it could've gotten all this cold air from."

Zelda shot him a look, "A-After all that just happened, you're questioning the b-biology of the weather?"

"Zelda, save your energy for until we get to the s-stable."

She smiled, knowing that she had him when it came to this little weather debate, but she had to admit that the sound of her name without the title sounded good coming out of his mouth. Perhaps Link had been asleep for too long, she had to remind him whom he was indeed talking too.

Hyrule's landscape had changed drastically in the last couple of hours. A blanket of white had dusted most of the surface. Walking along the road, they could feel the ground harder than usual under their boots. Zelda worried her bottom lip between her teeth, and Link rubbed his hands together furiously, trying to warm them up. The sky turned gray and the vegetation around them looked as if it had been taken by surprise, leaves weighed down by the snow.

As they continued walking through, she regretted not waiting a while to rest and recuperate until they set off towards the duelling peaks stable in the direction of Zora's domain. Zelda was antsy to speak to Mipha's father – the Zora King, so they can examine the divine beast and be assured their worries are for nothing. But in the bottom of her heart and deep in her gut, she knew that she couldn't just push aside this qualm. However, Zelda began to feel the exhaustion creep into her body as the weights on her eyelids dragged her down; they could rest for a while, couldn't they?

"Zelda!" She heard her name being called, and she realized she let go of Link's hand, "Zelda! You can not f-fall asleep!" He sounded panicked and pushed the bottle of potion to her lips. Link himself was running on only one bottle of potion himself and one warm meal. She had to make sure to apologize to him later.

"I'm okay, I'm o-okay." Zelda whispered, "Just a little tired, that's all."

"Would you like me to carry you, Princess?" Her view snapped to his and saw his eyes full of concern, but there it was – obligation. She became irritated; did he continue to view her as an assignment after all they'd been through?

She snapped out of it, and slapped her hands to her cheeks, getting some colour to them as much as she could. "No, I will walk thank you." Zelda decided then and there as soon as they got to the stable, she was going to have a talk with Link. Forget the damn title. She's no longer a Princess since Hyrule's monarchy no longer exists.

She trudged through the snow that was quickly accumulating, annoyed with Link and with the weather. What kept Zelda going was the promise of a nice warm bed and some form of hot liquid in her belly.

Link on the other hand- sighed and threw his hands in the air exasperatedly, a rare show of frustration he usually kept guarded. But since there was nobody around to see them and judge him, he voiced his opinions gladly. What had he done now?

Zelda thought Link was insensitive, Link thought Zelda was too sensitive, in actuality – Link was just clueless and Zelda didn't understand he was.

They continued their chilly charade, as the promise of shelter from the storm seemed to become a reality. The shelter from the peaks of both mountains could either provide much-needed relief or a devastating wind tunnel. Link hoped it was the latter, but knew there was nothing he could do if it was the former. If only he could control the wind somehow… maybe in another lifetime.

Crossing the bridge where an abandoned camp once filled with monsters stood, Link quickly worked his way in front of Zelda, sword drawn just in case. He knew rationally that with the fall of Ganon many monsters would have vanished, but he was still antsy one might surprise them.

Seeing no threat and realizing the coast was clear, the pair crossed the bridge. Zelda questioned if a shrine would be a good place to take shelter, and Link said that it would be no point, since the storm could very well get worse, and they would have no idea when it would let up, if it did.

Making their way to the base of the mountain, both were relieved to find that the towering rock provided them with shelter from the blowing wind. Once safely behind the rock, both took a moment to collect themselves. Zelda regarded Link; rosy-cheeked and teary eyed, and he smiled kindly at her. Any annoyance she had at him evaporated instantly, as it usually does. She grabbed his hands, and removed his gloves, he yelped for a moment at his hands being so exposed in the cold, but Zelda had her suspicions that his gloves weren't really doing anything to keep his hands warm, and she was right. She frowned at how red his skin was, and switched her warm Rito gloves for his Hylian leather ones. Her hands were considerably colder, and he was about to protest, until she shook her head and smiled at him.

"Don't, we're a team. You wear these for the last half of the way, I'll manage. I'm sorry for snapping at you." She said, her breath billowing out in front of her.

He shook his head at her, "It's okay. I'm sure you'll tell me why later."

She smiled back at him; he knew her better than she gave him credit for.

Zelda all but ran towards the stable as the lanterns on the outside became visible in the distance. Link was hot on her heels, and when they burst into the door, shivering and noses running they all but collapsed.

The stable was bathed in low light, and coming out from the stark white environment outside it looked almost too dark to see. Link had to wait for his eyes to adjust before taking in the entire room. Beds circle the perimeter, all encased in the same earthy colour scheme.

Link walked up to the innkeeper at the counter across from him, "Two soft beds please, and a warm meal if you could."

He nodded, "sixty rupees."

Link fished out the money and slung them across the counter to the innkeeper, hands numb and at the point where the warmness of the room was just starting to affect them, making the skin feel hotter than it was.

The innkeeper handed Link two stacks of sleep clothes and two pairs of slippers. Link thanked him and walked to the corner, where two soft beds out of four were left unoccupied. Thankfully there was a curtain surrounding the bedframe, so there was a small degree of privacy.

Link changed first, and when he exited wearing the rather depressing looking blue and white outfit, he saw Zelda hesitating. "What's wrong?"

She blushed, "This might sound foolish of me, but would you watch the curtains just in case someone tries to yank them open?"

Link watched her eyes flicker quickly to a group of men in the corner, looking less interested in their card game and more interested in the blonde girl in the room. Link scowled at them, but nodded to Zelda anyways. "It's not foolish, I'll be here." He whispered to her.

She looked thankful and slipped behind the curtain drawing it closed. Link heard the sound of clothes ruffling, and when it ceased, stepped back from the curtain. Zelda poked her head out timidly, and Link smiled warmly.

"The food should be here in a minute." He told her, "It's not palace worthy, but it's good."

Zelda smiled sadly, missing a home that no longer existed.

"About that, can we talk for a minute?" She asked him.

"Sure." Link drawled, waiting for her to continue, but he looked back at her and realized that she hadn't come out from behind the curtain yet. "Oh, oh" Link jumped, finally getting what she meant, "You mean, in private?"

Zelda nodded and used her arm to usher him behind the meek privacy twenty extra rupees bought them. Zelda was leaned back against the headboard and its pillows, her blue and white ensemble making her look rather out of place, but cute. Link sat cross-legged at the end of the bed, arms crossed.

"So?" He prompted, waiting for her to speak.

"I have a couple things to say." Zelda started, "First, how we address each other."

Link nodded, warily but understanding what she was about to say.

"Drop my title when you talk to me. I'm just Zelda."

Link let his mouth drop open a little bit, that's not what he was expecting at all. He was expecting his Zelda to be a little more regal, a little more snobby. The whole act of 'I'm a princess, thank you, I don't need an escort!' he could feel was hanging heavy on her tongue, or so he thought.

Zelda continued speaking, "I figured since the world we knew died with us a hundred years ago, we mind as well reinvent ourselves as well as this…place."

She looked thoughtful, but also a little sad. Zelda realized that their journey now was not as princess and knight, but as partners. They couldn't be a princess and a knight to a kingdom long dead and long gone. Zelda was more than the princess prefix, and she was going to show Link that.

"Second," She continued, "What exactly is our game plan?"

Link considered her question, and was only interrupted in thought when there was a knock on the bedpost. He stuck his head out and was greeted with two plates of a chicken/mushroom medley. The colours and smells of the food making him feel as if he hadn't eaten in years. Link then realized that Zelda probably hadn't. He took them both and brought them inside their little camp, much to Zelda's delight. He watched her as she took the plate delicately from him, and took the first bite. The old Zelda would have cared that she was eating on her bed, but the new one looked happy enough to even have one.

They discussed their plan as they ate, they would get to Zora's domain – fix the divine beast so that it was no longer so freaking cold, and the rest. Well, they would figure it out.

Link could tell Zelda was still musing the thought of whether or not to resurrect the Kingdom. After they had finished with the divine beast, Link thought it was worthwhile to bring up going to Kakariko village to pay Impa a visit. Perhaps the older woman could give Zelda the guidance she needed. Link wouldn't lie though, at the same time- the idea of leaving old Hyrule behind and starting from scratch was appealing.

As the darkness crept in, their eyelids crept closed. It wasn't long before Zelda's mindless chattering Link was listening too ceased, and as he took both their plates back to the counter for cleaning, he tried his best to ease the woman under the covers of her bed. Making sure none of those crooks were skulking in the corner waiting to pounce, he pulled back the covers of his own bed; getting into it and welcoming the softness of a real mattress underneath his back.

"Link?" he heard Zelda whisper.

"Hm?" He called back, drifting already.

"I'm sorry I pushed you to get here so quickly, forgive me."

He shifted, trying to speak to her without sounding like he was already drunk on the idea of sleep, "Nothin' to forgive. S'okay." He murmured.

He waited a few agonizing moments, and when she didn't say anything more, let sleep finally take him.

Waiting for dawn to break, Zelda and Link both slept soundly for the first time in a hundred years, and much to both their relief- they could wake up to a morning of a calamity Ganon free world. Divine beast be damned, they had made it through worse.

A/N - Chapter 2 coming soon :)