Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with the Legend of Zelda franchise, this story is a work of fiction created by a fan.
It had been a long time since Zelda had had to fight … And it wasn't a pleasant experience. The ruler of Hyrule had become complacent in the face of peace, nothing but a figurehead now, and it had been a long time coming that the Hero of Time would challenge the only other person who could rival him, the only other person who held a piece of the triforce.
Zelda.
They stood facing one another, swords drawn and ready. Circling, each one looking for a chance to attack. Zelda's blue eyes held Link's, neither one moving first. Once upon a time, Link had learned his patience from Sheik – from Zelda's Sheikah alter-ego – so it was no wonder neither batted an eye when playing the waiting game.
"Make your move, Hero," Zelda's voice cut through the silence, sudden but not surprising the green-clad Hylian.
Link flashed a brief smile, replying coolly, "Why don't you make one first, Princess."
Zelda flinched at the title, and Link took his chance, lunging forward as he brought his sword down to meet the other. Reacting quickly, hilts locked together, noses nearly touching. Muscles, unused to combat, trembled against the strain.
"You've grown soft."
Zelda frowned, knowing that Link was holding back. "Don't go easy on me just because –" Pushing back, Zelda swept a foot behind Link's, knocking him off balance.
"Because what?" he replied, sidestepping a stab and countering with a well-timed elbow jab. He stopped short of actually hitting Zelda in the face as she tripped over the cumbersome skirts. He held a hand out to help up the ruler of Hyrule, purely out of respect for the position of power. In any other duel, Link would have gotten ready to strike again, but Zelda was the one ruling the country - the one ruling over the Hero of Time.
Scowling, Zelda knocked away the hand and stood. "Because I wear a dress," replied the other. It was time to get serious. Using the tip of the sword passed down from the late King of Hyrule, Zelda shore off the outer layer of the royal uniform she had to bear at the hip, leaving only the shorter, knee-length slip exposed. Before Link could stop Zelda from further damaging the garment, she cut a slit that stopped just short of flashing Link what kind of underwear Zelda was wearing.
Flustered, Link turned his head. "Princess? Could you … Put something else on at least?" Link had no intention of seeing what was under Zelda's skirts – nor did he want to.
"Fight me like this, or don't fight at all, Hero!" Without warning, Zelda charged in hope of getting the upper hand, but the Hero of Time was too quick. The blow was deflected, and Zelda spun around. Her sword met air, and she realized that Link was below her just in time. Flipping over backwards, the Princess dodged what might have been a death-dealing blow.
Link was only distracted by a moment, fighting the urge to stop the battle right then and there so Zelda could go at least find pants, before he recovered and took a defensive stance against the Princess, just as she jumped forward. Putting her body into it, Zelda locked swords with the Hero of Time once more. Trying her hand at unnerving him like he'd unnerved her, she asked, "You know, I could have sworn that you and Sheik had a thing going … The way you looked at me when I was in disguise was something else, let me tell you." Link surged forward and Zelda realized that she was no match for the hero, unnerved or not. With a cry, the hero unleashed a wave of energy from his blade that knocked Zelda off her feet.
Cool metal touched the flesh of her neck, and Zelda froze in the middle of getting back up. The battle was over, and Zelda had lost.
"I guess they don't call you a hero for nothing." Zelda's voice trembled. Link's blue eyes were so focused, so intent and angry-looking that it frightened Zelda, despite having seen that very look in his eyes many times before.
In one swift move, Link sheathed his sword, the look of intensity leaving his face. "I guess not." His eyes flicked down to Zelda's ruined skirts and he turned away again with an embarrassed cough. "Would you please do something about … That?" He gestured to the fabric on the ground, not wanting to offend the ruler of Hyrule, but also not wanting to leave Zelda in the indecent state she was in.
With a sigh, Zelda gathered up the ruins of the dress and wrapped them around her waist. "You can turn around now, Hero." Zelda couldn't help but feel rejected somehow. Maybe she'd touched a nerve or gone too far when talking about Sheik like that? But she did miss the way the hero looked at her when she was disguised as the young Sheikah boy …
"You called me here for a reason, Princess." Link turned around and took a knee, bowing to his ruler. He kept his eyes on the ground, knowing that if he looked up his face would betray how he felt – it still disappointed him to know that Sheik, the young man he'd met on his journey as the Hero of Time, was actually the princess standing in front of him. When he'd found out, he couldn't help but feel betrayed … No matter how good the reason for it.
Zelda reached out to touch Link's head, but thought the better of it, turning her back to the young Hylian. "I did," Zelda sighed, trudging up the steps to her throne. Gathering her thoughts, Zelda sat down. "I wanted to … Confess something to you."
Link met Zelda's eyes, surprise written all over his face and dread in his stomach. He knew that Zelda had feelings for him … Was she going to ask him to be King? To get married? It was something he'd dreaded for a long time. He just didn't know how to turn her down, how to tell her that his heart belonged to another person.
The Princess put a hand over her heart, feeling a sharp pain there at the look on the hero's face. What did he fear she was going to say? Zelda was nervous, but she felt strangely calm. "You have a right to know … About me, Hero." How was she going to tell him? Maybe it was best to start from the beginning.
"Link …" His name felt strange on her lips, but Zelda pushed on, "You remember that day I escaped from Ganondorf, don't you?" When the Hero of Time nodded, she continued, "I … I went into hiding that day, taking another name so Ganondorf wouldn't find me. I took on a new identity." Again, Link nodded. Zelda knew that the hero knew all of this already, but she kept talking. She had to keep talking or she'd never tell him. "You … You next met me as Sheik."
Link stood, confused. "Where is this story going?" He didn't really have time to listen to her reminisce about the past; he'd been called away from helping out at Lon Lon Ranch at a time when the ranch's milk was in high demand. Whatever Zelda had to say to him, if it was just about some details about his time as the Hero of Time, it could wait.
"Be patient," Zelda's voice dropped lower in irritation, reminding Link of Sheik. "Do you remember when that … Thing escaped from the well in Kakariko Village? You were so scared for me … And," Zelda gave a little snort, "When you ran off to take care of the Shadow Temple, I was so scared you'd left me for good." Her smile faded and a look of sadness took its place. "I … I guess I still am. We haven't been as close as we were since I took off my disguise …"
"Zelda …" Link took a step forward, unable to bear seeing his friend so sad.
The Princess held up a hand to silence Link. "I know that you now only think of me as a friend, hero … But once … Once, you looked at me as something more. And I don't think it's fair that I've been so dishonest with you."
Frowning, the hero crossed his arms. What in the world could the princess hide from him? He knew that the young man he'd met on his journeys was Zelda, and he knew that Impa had changed her to a him so the princess wouldn't be found by the evil usurper king, Ganondorf. She'd already told him all this, so what was left to tell him? Maybe that she was adopted and wasn't really the heir to the throne.
"My … My mother always wanted a daughter, Link. Do you know the story of my birth?"
"No, I was raised with the Kokiri children and I still don't know as much about Hyrule as someone born here."
Zelda sighed and got up, too fidgety to sit still any longer. She was too close now, but all she wanted to do was tell Link to just forget it and go home. "My mother … She prayed to the Goddesses to grant a daughter as an heir, but she died giving birth. She never got to see the outcome of her prayers and offerings. My father … The late King of Hyrule, he wanted to grant my mother her last wish, that she have a daughter, so ... He announced to the people that the heir to the throne was his daughter, the princess. Me."
Link's face was solemn, despite his uncertainty. He wasn't sure any more that he wanted to hear what the princess had to say.
"Hero, when you treated me in Kakariko, you saw what was under my clothes, did you not?"
"Yes, Princess, but I didn't see anything unusual."
Zelda tried to hide a smile behind her hand. "Nothing at all?"
Link's face pinched up in a scowl. "Nothing, Princess. You were a perfectly healthy young m—" Link paused. A young man. Was that what the Princess was trying to tell him?
"Exactly. My mother wished for a baby girl, but she got a baby boy. My father had me raised as a young girl, Hero."
Stunned, Link opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no sound came out. Zelda was … No. "But, you said Impa …"
That same look of sadness from before returned to Zelda's face. "She only changed my eye colour, that's all she had time to do. Magic like that is too complicated and takes too much time, and Ganondorf was right on our tail. So far as he was concerned, I was a girl anyway, so it turned out all right in the end … Did you know he caught up to us, Hero?"
Shocked, Link shook his head. This was almost too much to bear, but he wanted to hear everything she had to say.
"He thought that Impa was trying to pass me off as the Princess of Hyrule because he came in as I was changing clothes. He didn't suspect a thing …" Zelda's eyes closed and she took a deep breath. Without looking at Link, the ruler of Hyrule asked, "Are you alright? It's not too much all at once, is it?"
"No, Princess—Or … Prince?" Link didn't want to admit that he was overwhelmed; he had too much pride as the Hero of Time. He didn't want to acknowledge that this person, that Zelda, was the same person who stole his heart as Sheik, that the only difference between them was eye colour …
"Hero, you may call me anything you like. Maybe you should stay the night, it's getting quite late." Zelda felt like a change in subject was needed, and fast. Face was flushed and heart racing, all Zelda wanted to do was run away.
"Yes … I'd like that."