"Then I see you standing there wanting more from me, and all I can do is try."
-Nelly Furtado
They had been friends once, when they were children. But things had since changed, and they no longer shared the openness that childhood's innocence allowed for. It seemed, though their lives had grown to become delicately intertwined, that they themselves could grow only apart.
He had pulled her from burning castles, saved her from countless nightmares, monsters, and men. He had rescued her, time and time again, defending her life with his own, all to ensure her well being.
And for every time that he selflessly put himself in danger to safely remove her from it, it drove a stake of guilt deeper down into her heart. She had been the one to set him up for a life of grief. She had caused his pain and despite all her good intentions had paved his road with hell; making her ultimately responsible for every moment of suffering he had to endure.
She owed him more than her life and sought to thank him for it, time and time again. But each time she endeavoured to award him, he pushed her away. He hated her, she was sure of it, and did not blame him. She bit her tongue and told herself that she deserved whatever cruel coldness he directed at her, she would suffer it, no matter the cost.
She owed him that, because more than he was a hero, he was her hero.
Always without her noticing, he etched her face into his mind, terrified that someday she may disappear for good, and his memory of her would vanish into the black stuff his nightmares consisted of. He obviated her medals and honours; he didn't want Hyrule's admiration. He wanted hers. But she would never give him that, he knew, so it seemed she aimed to give him whatever else she could. It stung each time she tossed the obligatory recognition his way. She was not his princess, and she never would be. The well-meant medals only highlighted this painful fact.
So he stayed just peripherally at her disposal, and she allotted him the distance.
The princess left to walk alone, hoping to find someplace to hide the guilt that weighed her down. Her mind spun with thoughts. And today, animosity had been thrown into the bitter mix, though it only served as an instigator for further guilt. If he hated her so, why didn't he leave and forget about her? Return to wherever he wished and leave her to whatever miserable fate was to be hers. She fought against the anger, but too much time pent up with sorrow gave it too much fuel for her to douse. And in a flash of sudden fury, she screamed all her rage to the heavens, falling on her knees and sobbing into her hands in the middle of Hyrule Field.
The hero of course, observed all this from an obscure place, just out of her sight. He watched as she let out a frustrated cry of hurt and felt a pang of longing wash through him. He knew the frustration she felt, and he wished very much to wrap his arms around her and protect her from it as well, as if what tormented her could truly appear in the form of a beast to be slain.
In a moment of forgetfulness, he stepped out of his covering. She turned her head and caught sight of him. Then she stood immediately, blushing and wiping her eyes.
"Link?" she asked, clearly embarrassed and wondering if he'd seen her outburst.
He moved towards her, but didn't speak.
"What are you doing here?" she asked with a hint of acidity.
"You left the city." He had noted the acid.
"I don't need to be chased after like a kid." she answered shortly, "You don't need to protect me all the time,"
He smirked, the irony of that statement tugging on the corners of his lips. "It's my duty."
A series of emotions flashed in her eyes to fast for him to register. "Don't consider it your duty anymore." She bit the words off. "You don't have to. In fact I don't want you to. You should just go."
He was shocked, and hurt. It morphed into anger as they stood in uneasy silence.
"Fine. I'll leave at once, your highness." He hissed in a cool tone rivalling hers.
She didn't miss it. It caused her to flinch. He turned to stalk away while he still had his cool.
Something was terribly wrong with the situation, she realize as she watched him go. But it was too late for her to say anything more, if he left now, he had a shot at forgetting her and maybe finding a little happiness. So she didnt say a thing.
Good. Go. Don't look back.
As if he had read her mind he stopped dead and spun on his heel, his face dark with anger as he stalked back towards her. Her stomach did a tiny back flip seeing him like that, and she took a step backwards form his advancing form.
From his pocket, he pulled out several crests and badges, all that she had given him. He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled out her hand, slapping them into her palm. She stared at him with a mix of fear and incredulity. Then he turned again and continued to stalk away.
For Zelda, this was the breaking point. Her face flushed and she squeezed the medals till they hurt her hand.
"Fine!" she screamed suddenly. He stopped but did not turn to look at her. "I'll toss the damn things into Lake Hylia! You can bloody well forget about them and me too while your at it!"
He spun around, temper flaring. She didn't care anymore. Let him be mad. "And why would I want them in the first place, hmm?" he snapped, "A bunch of meaningless pins to commemorate my heroic deeds."
That one stung. They had been anything but meaningless. "I guess it just seemed fitting, meaningless pins to accompany my meaningless presence in your life." She retorted.
His eyes flashed dangerously. "Is that what it was?"
She disregarded him. "You know what baffles me, Link? Why you bothered to stick around so long. Why endure the hellish burden that I am on your life when you could just leave? Your sense of duty can't be that strong."
At this he threw his arms up in a mixture of frustration and bewilderment.
"Hellish burden? Sense of duty? Farore, Zelda! I barely see you anymore! You couldn't be around enough to be considered even the mildest irritation!"
"Well do forgive me." her sarcasm was thick. "I can only spend so much time with a person who so clearly despises everything about me."
She levelled her eyes with his, and was surprised to find them swimming with confusion.
"I do not, and have never, hated you." He said slowly, all anger apparently having evaporated from him.
That threw her for a loop. Everything was spiralling into confusion faster than she could keep track of, she just wanted to crawl into a little black hole and forget it all.
"What do you mean?" Half of her grasped at this glimmer of hope, the rest of her scorned the idea, not wanting to be opened to any more hurt. "Have you been faking hating me for amusements sake?"
"Of course not, Zelda! I… well I've… you just…" he trailed off with a deep sigh.
She shut her eyes. "Please, Link." She sounded very tired, "Just get it out there, I can't stand this."
She was surprised to feel his hands pinning her arms to her body gently. It made her want to cry because once, she had wished for nothing more than to have him hold her. Somewhere along the line she had let go of that hope.
"Zelda, I don't protect you out of duty, and you have never, ever been a burden to me. Please, believe me."
She wanted to, very badly.
He sighed again, mustering his confidence. "I've stayed here so long, because…" he paused. "cause I love you." he finished quickly.
Her eyes snapped open in shock.
Was she going crazy, or did she need an ear-horn?
"What?" she managed to stutter.
He released his grip on her arms, ready to walk away. There. He'd done it. Now he was going to walk away before the cold hand of rejection could slap him too hard.
Then something funny happened. She reached out, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him down to her face. She pressed her lips to his, and in an instant, they were tangled together, caught up in a wordless embrace.
He pulled back, a mixture of intense relief and fire singing through his veins. He opened his eyes to see tears streaming down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb, as her chest rose and fell quietly. She burrowed her face into his warm chest, and they stood cradling each other for a long time.
"Zelda, I'm so sorry." he mumbled. She smiled, he had long since been forgiven.
"Me too," she murmured into him, and then, "I love you."
He pondered the weight of that phrase.
And a delightful thought occurred to him.
He had always been her hero, but he only now had realised that she had always been his princess.