Warning: depiction and references of sex, depiction and references of emotional/physical abuse, underage drinking (but what even is the drinking age in Hyrule?) and other angsty stuff.
"Your Highness, I apologize – "
"You have nothing to apologize for."
"But – "
"Hush," the Queen says with haughty regality. "I always knew she was incapable."
Zelda sits at the desk where she had just finished hours of testing. Outside the doorway, her stepmother, the Queen, speaks with her tutor. Though their voices are soft, neither tries to prevent Zelda from hearing their conversation.
She feels her hair sticking to the back of her neck. Although the palace is always comfortably cool, she feels unbearably hot and dizzy. Is it from the stress of the test? Even now, with it finished and failed, the dates of battles swarm around in her head, forming new patterns that become words in Ancient Hylian that, try as she might, mean nothing to her.
Or is it the heat from the summer sun that burns the side of her pale face, taunting her with beautiful weather and life that's just outside the palace walls, if she could only be allowed to leave?
Or is it her stepmother, watching with a permanent scowl as Zelda fumbled with answers she had always known but suddenly slipped her mind?
Outside the doorway, the Queen sighs and looks to Zelda.
"I have learned to only expect failure from that girl."
.
A grey mouse scurries across the floor, just missing Link's foot. He watches it leap under the couch and out of sight.
Downstairs, glass shatters.
Link instinctively holds his breath, though he knows it doesn't matter. His uncle will be too drunk to make it up the stairs tonight. Tomorrow morning, Link will find him slumped along the bottom steps, drool dripping out from between his yellow teeth and down his prickly chin. He will clean up the broken glass, recycle the bottles, and leave a cup of water by his drunken "guardian." Each morning Link will try to be inconsiderate, to let his uncle wake up confused and alone, but right as he will be leaving, something will make him turn around and do this one small act of kindness. It leaves Link feeling oddly sick though. He thought kindness was supposed to feel good, but all it does is twist his insides.
He hears the heavy trudging of drunken footfalls begin to ascend the stairs. Although he tries his best to remain calm, his heart skips a beat and his body tenses. Instinctively, he looks to the door again. Still locked. Just in case.
The man takes a few more steps but, like most nights, he lets out a frustrated sigh and slides down to the floor.
Link lets out a slow breath and counts backwards in an attempt to calm his heart, but he doesn't feel relaxed until he hears the snores.
.
Zelda sits on her bed with her arms wrapped around her legs, begging time to move faster. She watches the hands of her clock slowly rotate. Two more minutes.
Her heart begins to beat faster and she can't help but smile. The Queen calls her dimwitted but Zelda has never had an issue sneaking out of the castle. It is only a matter of timing her departure with the Queen's unchanging daily routine and then slipping past the security cameras. Maybe she cannot pinpoint the location of every pond, valley, and hill in Hyrule, but she can tell you where to move and when to duck to escape the castle undetected.
A distant temple bell rings, signaling that midnight has finally arrived.
Hood drawn, Zelda leaves her room.
.
Zelda tries not to notice the bags under Link's eyes, the rip in his shirt, the unruliness of his hair. Despite his apparent exhaustion, he smiles at her just as brightly as he did when they were little. Her heart already feels lighter with just his presence, and her stomach tightens with something she has been trying to ignore for months.
Link jumps the railing and plops beside her on the gravel. Kolomo Park is forgotten, unkempt, and nearly empty. Under the stone bridge, hidden from the world, this desolate park in the outskirts of Castle Town has always been the perfect meeting spot.
Link removes his worn backpack and opens it up. Smiling at Zelda with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he asks, "What are we having?"
"The strong stuff," Zelda replies eagerly.
Link smirks, expecting as much, and pulls out a bottle of cheap tequila. He passes it to Zelda, who immediately unscrews it and takes a swig. She ends up coughing and holding the bottle away, saying how horrible it is but grinning all the same.
Link laughs and takes a sip as well. He feels it rush down his throat and warm his body. Summer is ending and the nights are getting chilly again, so he's grateful for the rush the cheap tequila gives him.
Link watches Zelda take another swig and gag right after. He smiles, but it's a sad one. He knows that when she wants the strong stuff it means life isn't going well. Part of him feels bad for providing the alcohol, which he knows isn't a good idea for them – hell, he witnesses what it can do to a person nearly every night – but he could never say no to her. Besides, she doesn't drink it to black out, or even to get drunk, she just likes the burn of the liquor running down her throat and the feel of the cheap plastic under her hands. It's her way of rebellion. She could easily nick some of the world's finest liquor from the palace and nobody would ever know, but she likes drinking what the peasants drink.
And if Link said no, when would he see her otherwise? He hates to think about it too much, but he worries that she only sees him because he provides her another chance to rebel. What would the press say? What would her parents say? To see her drinking cheap tequila under a bridge with a boy with no title, money, or family to his name?
He had asked her once, what would happen if the King and Queen found out? She had grinned wickedly and said, "They'd lose their shit."
Now they sit as they always do, staring at the water that trickles past stones and litter as they pass the bottle back and forth. They talk late into the night, words becoming more honest with each sip they take. They lie side by side, the gravel uncomfortably digging into their bodies, but they don't mind. At first, their elbows and knees brush, but gradually they move closer so their shoulders and legs are pressed together. Zelda turns to look at him as he talks. His warm breath brushes over her face and she can smell the alcohol on him. She finds that incredibly sexy.
An hour ago she had placed the bottle down beside her, knowing it was time to stop. Link wants it again though, and reaches across her to grab it. He does it slowly – she wonders if it's on purpose – so that his face lingers closely to hers. They stare at each other, and for a moment Zelda thinks something might happen, but then he is back on his side taking a sip of tequila and she feels a coldness seep over her.
It's when she feels such a strong urge to reach over and – kiss him? straddle him? – that she stands up and decides she needs to go home. She stumbles a bit, the alcohol still affecting her, and Link reaches out to steady her.
She feels the blood rushing through her body when his cold fingers brush against her warm neck. It makes her stare at him helplessly as he puts the bottle away. When he looks back at her, she snaps her gaze away. She hopes she's not acting as obvious as she's feeling.
They make their way out of the park, walking purposefully slow so that they might sober up enough before they split apart again. By the time she feels capable of sneaking her way back in, it's just past five in the morning and the birds have already started singing.
Link smiles at her as she walks away from him. He wonders if the next time he sees her will be at their meeting spot again or on the news in some other horrid story about her. She seems so different on camera. He thinks it's probably because of the extravagant dresses and hair. When she's with him, she always wears a black hoody and jeans with her long hair down and tangling with itself. He thinks she looks beautiful in the dresses, like a real princess, but she never looks comfortable in them.
He likes her better in jeans.
.
On Zelda's tenth birthday her mother collapsed. The children at her party were unconcerned, all except for one.
Link had been her best friend ever since.
.
"I told you we should have left her."
Zelda watches the Queen as she circles around the room, pointedly not looking at Zelda but speaking loudly so that she hears every word.
"She has been nothing but a failure from the start," the Queen rants, her sharp blue eyes blazing with fury.
Zelda stares at the ground as she tries not to vomit. Although she watched herself last night, she drank too much and feels a bit hungover today. It didn't help that the Queen dragged her out of bed at seven in the morning and brought her right to the King's study, only to start berating her.
Zelda brings her gaze to the Queen and studies her brunette hair. Pulled back in an elaborate bun, the Queen's hair never moves. Each strand is where it should be. Each a beautiful, rich brown. The crown rests on her head and shines brightly in the morning sun. Her cheekbones are high and sharp, her nose small, and her pale lips stretched thin.
"She's too inept to learn the basics, too improper to engage with our allies, and now, she's the royal whore," the Queen snaps, slamming her hand on the tabloid once again.
Zelda feels her face redden with embarrassment and tries to hold back tears. She looks at the picture and longs to be there again. She must have been too drunk or too distracted by Link to notice somebody taking pictures. The photo is grainy, but it clearly shows her lying on her back as a boy leans across her body and grabs a tequila bottle. In the photo she looks so besotted that she's embarrassed to think what Link must be thinking, let alone the rest of the world.
Though it's obvious what everybody else is thinking. Princess Engages with the Common Folk: How Many Has She Charmed Already?
"But you'd know all about whores, wouldn't you?" The Queen grumbles, quietly now but still loud enough for the room to hear. "You just had to sleep with that woman and – "
"That's enough," the King interrupts with a deep, rumbling voice as he glares at his wife. He shifts away from her and rubs his wrinkled forehead. Everyday it seems his hair gets whiter and grayer. Although early in the morning, he is already dressed in an expensive suit and his beard is neatly trimmed. He takes his reading glasses off, mostly so that he can't read the rubbish tabloid anymore.
"Zelda," he starts, looking at his daughter with sympathy. He himself had loved a commoner, and the consequence of that was standing right there before him. "I am sure you can understand how negatively this affects your image, and the image of the Royal Family. I ask that you refrain from seeing this boy, or any of the locals for that matter."
Zelda tenses as a rush of anger runs through her.
"So who am I supposed to talk to?" She snaps. "You don't let me talk to any of the noblemen or foreign dignitaries – "
"You'd only embarrass yourself," the Queen grumbles.
"What am I supposed to do then?" Zelda continues, glaring at the Queen.
"You are supposed to study," the Queen quickly rebukes, striding up to Zelda to look down on her. "And I would advise that you add regular pray to your routine. Hopefully the Goddesses will bless you with some intelligence."
"Enough," the King says again, but this time he goes unheard.
"Why the hell am I even here?" Zelda yells. "You only took me in because you cannot have any children and it looked good in the papers that you took your husband's bastard child, but then you lock me up in the library all day…" she flounders for words, frustration overwhelming her. "If I am supposed to be the future Queen, then why hide me from the people? Why make me so miserable?"
"Enough!" the King yells as he rises from his seat. Both women fall silent but their fury bubbles within them like lava.
Sighing, he turns to Zelda and says, "From now on we will have one of our guards monitor you. They will be outside your door and will escort you to your studies." She attempts to protest but he gives her a pointed look. "You failed another test yesterday, Zelda. If you can raise your scores, then maybe we will allow you some more freedom."
Zelda feels a deep helplessness within her. She clenches her fists and tries to hold back tears, but she is too overwhelmed to stop them. She flees from the room.
How will she see Link now?
.
At school, Link tries to pay attention to the lessons but he's exhausted and can't help listening to the students' conversations. The picture is everywhere now, but thankfully his face is turned in the photo and nobody recognizes that it's him. Nevertheless, the rumors it spread are unflattering and make his stomach churn. They call her the Trash Princess, the Scandalous Child, the Unworthy.
He worries about her. Constantly.
.
When Link returns home there are many men in the kitchen. The smell of alcohol and smoke fills the entire house and it makes his stomach churn.
"You think the Princess likes older men?" One of the men asks as Link tries to head to his room as fast as he can while going unnoticed.
"Don't care, I'd pound her any chance I got," another responds with a chuckle.
"I'd love to feel those tits…bet she makes some great noises – "
Link makes it to his room, but pukes right into a trashcan.
.
Before she was ten, Zelda never knew who her father was. She had never asked either. For some reason, she never cared.
After her mother's death, life was a blur for a couple of months. She met the King of Hyrule – her father – and was brought to a palace. She became a princess with a crown and dresses and maids. It was every girl's dream.
But she missed her mother every moment. Her father was distant and strange. The Queen despised her. She was never allowed to wear the crown outside of photographs.
She felt ashamed and ungrateful for missing her old home. It was a tiny apartment on a loud, crowded street. There were bugs and mice and ripped furniture and noisy neighbors. She had spent many days wondering the streets with her mother until they would collapse at the park and split an ice cream from a street vendor. They had nothing fancy, but it was a loving home.
She quickly lived up to her name of The Scandalous Child. She did not know the proper etiquette for any event, insulted many of Hyrule's finest men (though the news did not mention how they had insulted her first), and accidentally knocked over an ancient vase at Hyrule's Historical Museum. Disaster seemed to follow her wherever she went, and with it brought a great shame that made her feel unwanted and despised.
Link is now her only connection to her previous life. For the past seven years she has managed to keep him a secret because she knew that the Queen and King would never approve of her seeing anybody, let alone a commoner.
Now she doesn't even have him.
.
Link makes a simple dinner of cucco and rice while his uncle lies on the couch watching some talk show. He's not paying any attention until he hears Zelda's name, and then he can't look away. They talk about how she's ungrateful and undignified, and wonders if the Prime Minister can intervene in any way. They laugh cruelly at her mishaps, wonder how many boyfriends she has, and belittle her lineage.
Just as he is about to turn the TV off, the power shuts down. The stove turns off before he is able to boil the water.
His uncle remains asleep in a drunken stupor while Link tries to calculate how much more money they need to pay the electric bill.
.
Zelda sits on the bathroom floor as she sobs. She has never felt so alone. The Queen took her phone away so that she cannot communicate with Link. Actually, the Queen asked for the phone to inspect what she had been doing, but Zelda threw it out the window so that the Queen wouldn't know of Link's identity or their conversations. It only made the Queen angrier, but Zelda doesn't regret it.
In addition to removing her phone, she scheduled guards to always watch Zelda. A man in a suit is constantly outside her bedroom door, and one walks with her to all of her tutoring sessions. They prevent her from going anywhere she shouldn't, so she is stuck in the library all day and then in her room all night.
She's unable to see what the news is saying about her now. It's probably for the best, but Zelda has always been curious. If they are tarnishing her name, she wants to know how.
She cries in the bathroom. It's the only place she has privacy anymore.
.
In the library, Zelda gazes out the massive window. She looks past the steep roofs of the castle, past the courtyard, past the Iron Gate, to the city streets below. Her tutor looks at her with disdain. She should be studying harder now that she has failed, but she has lost the will to please her people or the Queen or the King. What would it matter? Even if she knew all the dates and all the names of the ministers and dukes, she would never fit in.
She watches a car run through a red light. She dreams of moving that fast, that recklessly, without any plans or schedule, just a goal to run.
.
Link lies on his bed with his door locked, listening to the sounds of his uncle stumble drunkenly up the stairs. This is a rare occasion where he manages to make it all the way up to the second floor and to Link's bedroom.
Link's heart is racing even though he tells himself he'll be fine. He's stronger now, older too. The door is locked. He'll be fine.
His uncle tries to turn the doorknob and yells when he realizes it's locked. He kicks at the door and Link begins to panic, praying that he doesn't break through. Thankfully, his uncle loses interest and stumbles away.
Link falls back on the bed and releases a deep breath. He says he doesn't believe in a higher power but he finds himself praying constantly.
.
On Friday night the Queen enters the library. Zelda immediately feels a rush of loathing and forgets what she had just been studying. The Queen is wearing one of her finest gowns of gold that glitters elegantly in the light of the fading sun. Her crown reflects the sunlight and it shines into Zelda's eyes, making her squint.
"Take her to her room," the Queen orders the guard. "Make sure she doesn't leave. We have important visitors and she cannot be near them."
She turns to Zelda then and, with a sickly sweet smile, says, "Poor Zelda has picked up the flu and she's too sick to come down."
Zelda wants to hurl her pen at her and just barely keeps the urge down. She doesn't even want to talk to stuffy dignitaries, but she's furious all the same.
Back in her room, Zelda opens the window and feels the cool night air on her hot skin. The lights of Castle Town glimmer like stars and she hears the distant sound of music.
She feels tears coming, but this time she pushes them away. This time, she does something about it.
.
Link lies awake in his bed. It's late and his room is dark, yet he can't fall asleep. He closes his eyes and counts his breathing, but his mind remains alert and every sound startles him.
He listens to the tree branches scrape the outside of the house, to the occasional car rush down the street, to the sigh of the wind, and to the distant footsteps of a pedestrian.
He snaps up in bed. The footsteps are coming closer. He wonders if he's over reacting, and then he's panicking that one of his uncle's friends is back and who knows what he will do.
There's a shadow outside of his window now. Link jumps up and grabs a baseball bat from under his bed. He spins around, prepared to fight, but his body goes limp with relief when he sees a familiar face in the glass.
Pushing the window open, he asks with a smile, "Why in the world is the Princess of Hyrule all the way out here?"
He steps aside as she pulls herself in and lands gracefully on her feet. She flicks her hood back and lets her long golden hair spill along her back. Even in a black hoody and jeans, she stills looks beautiful.
"I'm not a princess anymore," She replies, and though she's smiling Link can tell she's full of anxiety.
"What? Did something happen?" He asks as he shuts the window.
"Yes," she replies. She lifts her chin and places her hands on her hips, something she does when she wants to seem confident. "I am, simply put, running away."
Link looks at her incredulously. "The Princess of Hyrule can't simply run away."
"I don't see why not," she replies defensively. "It's simple. I leave, they find a new heir who they like much better anyway, and then everyone is happy. The Queen, the King, the people, and, most importantly, me will all be better off."
"Zel," Link starts, using a name only he ever calls her. "You can't just run away – "
"I can and I am."
"Where would you even go?"
She shrugs and crosses her arms. "Anywhere. I've never been outside of Castle Town. I'd like to see Hyrule. Then maybe beyond."
Link is flabbergasted. He knows she is incredibly stubborn, and he's worried at how sure she is now. "How did you even escape?" He asks.
She smiles. "It was actually rather predictable. I tied my sheets and clothes into a rope and climbed out the window."
He stares at her dumbly for a moment, and then notices the large backpack she's carrying. She's serious.
"Zelda," he starts but she holds up a hand.
"I am going no matter what you say," she says proudly, almost regally. "I came here to see if you wanted to join."
Link blanches, his mouth hanging open in shock. "You want me to runaway with you?" He clarifies slowly as he tries to wrap his head around it all.
She shrugs again, trying to act casual but he can tell she's close to begging. "I want you to come with me. What are you even staying here for? You deserve so much better, Link. And we can find something better than this. We can see the world."
He doesn't respond, just stares at her with his mouth still agape.
She moves past him towards the window and opens it. Looking over her shoulder, she says, "I'm going with or without you. So, are you coming or staying?"
.
Two hours later they buy two one-way tickets on the last remaining night train. It isn't until the train begins to pull out of the station that Link looks at his ticket and sees that they're headed to Hetano.
Link knows that this can't end well, but he follows her anyway.
.
All of Link's doubts disappear once they reach Hetano in the early morning. Zelda stands in the warm sunlight and takes a deep breath as the summer wind brushes her blond hair out of her face. She looks healthier and excited about the day. Link hasn't seen her like this since she was ten.
.
Although Zelda is eager to explore the small country village, she knows they need to find lodging first. Link checks them into the only hostel using some of the money Zelda brought with her. After paying for the room, he looks at the sum of money and tries to estimate how many days they'll have before it's gone.
A wave of unease washes over him. This amount likely won't even last them the month, let alone an extravaganza around Hyrule. But when he looks at Zelda admiring the mountains in the distance, her face free from its usual exhaustion and stress, he doesn't feel so heavy anymore. They'll figure something out.
In the hostel room, they secure their packs in a locker and freshen up from the overnight train. They are both brushing their teeth when Zelda suddenly stops to stare at herself in the mirror. Her expression is unreadable when she says, "Can I borrow your knife, Link?"
He grabs it from his bag and hands it to her, never one to say no to her. She gathers her long hair in her hand and cuts it just above her shoulders. She drops the severed hair unceremoniously into the trash. Link's surprised by his own disappointment. He had always loved how her long, golden hair blew in the wind and tickled his skin, but when he looks at her, still beautiful as ever, his distress vanishes.
With a smile, she admires her cropped blonde hair and runs a hand through it, marveling at its length.
"There," she sighs pleasantly. "I don't look like a princess anymore, do I?"
.
Although Hateno is one of Hyrule's oldest settlements, the village hasn't expanded much like any of the other ancient cities of Kakariko or Lurelin. It remains a predominant rice-farming village with modest homes on the hills and uneven roads that form to the earth and twist around at unexpected places. Zelda and Link stroll through the village and let themselves get lost in its unplanned streets.
It's too hot for jeans and sweatshirts, so Zelda walks around in denim shorts and a white tank. With her long hair now cropped, Link can see a pattern of freckles decorating her bare shoulders. She wears large, dark sunglasses to move about unnoticed, but nobody in this small country village looks twice at them. Who would expect the Princess to be out of the castle?
Link looks at newspapers and magazines whenever they pass any. So far there seems to be no news about Zelda's escape.
"Do you think they're looking for you?" He asks as they stroll up one of the village's largest hills.
Zelda shrugs and reaches up to brush her fingers against some dangling leaves. She smiles at the pink blossoms that drift down around her face. After a moment, Link realizes that's the only answer he'll get.
At the top of the hill they sit on the grass and look out to the ocean in comfortable silence. Link has never been out of Castle Town either, and he's amazed by the vastness of the sea. He wonders how far he'd have to swim to find land again. There's an inexplicable need in him to jump in and start, even though he knows it's impossible and insane, but it's like the feeling he gets when he stands on the edge of a cliff and feels such a strong pull to jump. He's never been close to doing it, but the rush the thought gives him makes him feel so alive.
Beside him, Zelda says quietly, "From now on, I want you to call me Tetra in public."
Confused, he turns to her to see her looking incredibly pleased with herself. "Tetra? Like the pirate?" he asks.
"Exactly."
.
The train rattles as they depart Hateno and travel south. They sit in silence, both enthralled by the passing landscape. They watch it become more tropical and urban with every minute. Quaint country homes become crowded houses that become apartment complexes that form the city of Lurelin. Hills of green gradually sharpen to rocky cliffs with long palm trees that reach high towards the sky.
As they roll into the station, Link is struck by a sudden sadness. "My parents are from here," he whispers, almost to himself but Zelda hears. Link never talks about his family and Zelda knows nothing about them, but the only reason Link doesn't talk about them is that he knows nearly nothing too. His uncle has avoided Link all his life, too ashamed with his drinking and his misbehaving fists to speak to his nephew for longer than a few seconds. Link can't remember their faces or voices, but his heart aches to imagine what would have been if they had survived.
Zelda doesn't know what to say, so she places her hand on his and feels heat spread through her body. After a moment, he threads his fingers through hers and she feels her heart tighten with affection and something else she tries to ignore.
The train lurches to a stop and they stand up, their hands reluctantly falling away from each other.
.
The beaches of Lurelin are overcrowded with people squeezing their sweaty bodies onto towels and chairs to collect sun and sand on their oily skin. Zelda prefers the view of the ocean from Hateno's grassy hills, so they avoid the waterfront and stroll through city. It's as crowded as Castle Town but it lacks the rigid structure; buildings are stacked on top of each other to become haphazard towers that overflow with life. Children race through the streets, laundry hangs on lines and blow in the breeze like flags, and colorful graffiti decorates the alleys. Zelda ducks in to admire each one and runs her hand across the painted wall, her fingers tinted black with grime and soot.
She has thoroughly studied the cities of Hyrule, memorizing the names of its leaders and landmarks, but the country never felt real to her when it was all just lines on a page. Feeling the heat of the jungle on her skin and the sound of the music in her ears makes her finally feel engaged with the country.
At night they go to their hostel and meet a few students traveling before university begins. Zelda proudly introduces herself as Tetra. The students assume that they're traveling for a romantic getaway, and though it makes Link's face red with embarrassment, neither corrects them.
They briefly head to the hostel bar afterwards. Link reminds Zelda that they can't spend too much money on unnecessary outings, but she insists they need to try the local drinks to properly explore Hyrule. He gives in and they split some fruity cocktail that Zelda loves. Unlike the cheap tequila under the bridge, they drink for the taste and the sense of sophistication they feel rather than to escape for the night. They sit close together at a table in the corner, and Link's fingers unconsciously brush her thigh just once. Neither mentions it, but the memory stays with him for days.
The hostel is much worse than the quaint one in Hateno. The stained sheets and noisy roommates makes Link feel homesick, but he doesn't know why. He doesn't miss his uncle or the crumbling house they lived in. It's an odd feeling to be homesick without a home to miss.
.
The train station is sticky with heat from the jungle and from the mass of people moving against one another. Zelda squeezes between people towards a food cart to grab them some breakfast while Link makes his way towards a kiosk to buy a train ticket for Gerudo Town. He weaves his way through the crowd but knocks shoulders with a large man in a suit. Link apologizes, but when he properly looks at the man his blood runs cold. He's wearing sunglasses, an earpiece, and a somber, intimidating expression. He walks alongside another man dressed similarly. Neither pays Link any attention and though Link has never been even close to the Palace before, he knows.
Zelda is nibbling on a pastry beneath a clock – their designated meeting place – looking relaxed and content. When she sees Link urgently pushing through the crowd though, she feels a sense a dread wash over her.
He grabs her wrist and starts pulling her towards a side exit that nobody else is near.
"They're here," he whispers into her ear as they hustle through the crowd. "They're looking for you. We need another way out of town."
"What?" Zelda gasps as she twists her head around to peer through the crowd. She catches a glimpse of the two men and gasps.
They push through the side exit and Link leads them away from the station. He has no idea where to go now, but he holds her hand tightly and obsessively checks over his shoulder.
Neither of them understands how the Royal Guard managed to find them. They had been using cash and fake information. They had nothing electronic on them. Did somebody report her? Were they just checking all areas of public transport and it was mere chance?
Once a block away, Zelda manages to look past her fear and gather her thoughts. "We need to get out of the city," she says, mostly to herself as she thinks aloud. "They'll be looking at the trains and buses, so we can't take public transportation."
"There is no way we can afford a taxi anywhere," Link interjects and she hums in agreement.
"If we stay here though, they'll find us…we need to leave."
And that's how they end up standing on the side of the onramp to the highway with their arms outstretched and thumbs in the air. Nearly an hour passes before a truck driver finally pulls over. His truck reeks of fish but his eyes are kind and he smiles pleasantly.
They squeeze into the truck with Link in the middle and Zelda by the window. The driver is heading to Lakeside Village, which Link has never heard of but Zelda pretends like that's in the direction they need to go. Zelda spends the whole four hours chatting with the driver, asking him questions about his family, his fish, the scenery, and anything else she can think of. She makes up a story about how her and her brother are traveling home but lost the money for train tickets. She's charming and endearing, and Link hasn't ever seen her so excited to talk to somebody beside himself.
He tries to stay awake to be polite, but now that they're leaving the city he feels relaxed again and he can't help drifting asleep on Zelda's shoulder. Even in the sticky heat of Lurelin, she smells of flower blossoms.
.
The truck rumbles down the uneven roads. Link's head rolls across her shoulder with every lurch, but he stays fast asleep. Sometimes his hair will fall into his eyes and Zelda will gently brush his bangs away.
.
Lakeside is a tiny, crumbling town that rarely receives visitors. The driver says the place to be is the city on top of the mountain by the waterfalls, but neither Link nor Zelda want to return to a city anytime soon. They like the solitude of the small village.
There are no inns in the village, but there is a woman with a small garden who has a barn. She lets them sleep in the hay in exchange for some manual labor. Link spends the afternoon helping her husband move rocks out of a future garden patch while Zelda helps the wife pluck weeds. It's hard work that makes Zelda's back ache and her body glimmer with sweat, but she enjoys her breaks when she gets to watch Link work. He had removed his shirt a while ago, and now she unabashedly admires the way his muscles tense with every movement and how the sweat drips between his shoulder blades.
He catches her looking at him, but she doesn't look away.
.
In the barn there is only one blanket atop a pile of hay. Neither of them speaks about it as they lie side by side. Exhaustion over takes them and they fall asleep instantly, their bodies pressed together and their hair tickling the other's face.
.
The next morning they sit inside the barn and watch the rain pour over Lakeside. It's heavy and loud and forms deep puddles that leak into the barn.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Link asks suddenly. "If there were no restrictions or obstacles, what would you want to do?"
Zelda bites her bottom lip as she mulls it over for a moment. "I don't know…I always liked learning about chemistry and biology, but those subjects weren't really part of my studies. Maybe a doctor? A vet? A marine biologist?"
Link smiles as he imagines her up to her waist in the ocean, digging through the sand and collecting shells that she would later analyze in a dusty old lab that smells of the sea. He likes that idea.
"What about you?" She asks.
"Honestly," he replies. "I have no idea."
.
They spend the next few days hitchhiking and taking buses along the southern road of Hyrule. The towns here are small and rundown and the locals eye visitors warily, but they never ask questions. At the motel, Link pays in cash and the clerk doesn't say a word.
Neither of them mentions that Link bought them a room with only one bed.
After checking in and dropping their stuff off, they head to a pub down the road to get a heavy, satisfying meal for once. Zelda knows she should order food with lots of nutrients, but the pub doesn't have any of that and she craves a fatty meal anyway. They stay late at the bar eating burgers and fries. The waitress doesn't bother to check for IDs when they order beers, and by the second round they're already pleasantly buzzed.
A small band made up of three old, tired looking men play in the corner. Neither Zelda nor Link recognizes the songs, but it fills them with contentment. People from the bar begin to dance slowly to the music in a small space that has been cleared away.
Feeling satisfied and relaxed, Link stands up and holds his hand out to Zelda. She blushes and smiles sweetly as she follows him to the dance floor. They wrap their arms around each other and sway to the music like all the other couples in the bar. Their warm breath puffs against each other's face as their fingers lightly run over the other's skin. Zelda feels light headed in the best possible way.
The people in the bar eye the strange couple but say nothing.
.
When Link opens the door to their motel room, he doesn't turn on the light. The door shuts and the room is cast in a pale blue tint from the moonlight that streams in through the window. Link turns around and stands scandalously close to Zelda, making her tilt her head to look up into his dark eyes. For a moment they just gaze at each other, both knowing what is about to happen but neither making a move.
Then Link's hand reaches up to delicately cup the side of her face. Her breath catches in her throat as he presses his body against hers so that she's pinned to the door. She closes her eyes as he bends his head down to barely brush his lips against hers. He's tentative, but she wants him now.
She grabs a handful of his shirt and tugs, bringing their bodies even closer and his mouth presses harder. She licks at his bottom lip and slips a finger under his shirt, skimming the ridges of his tense stomach. Soon a tentative kiss becomes something tantalizing and heated as his tongue slips into her mouth and his other hand pushes her hips harder against the door.
The next few minutes are a blur of hands sliding across heated skin and bruising kisses that leaves their minds buzzing. Zelda rolls her hips against Link's and she feels him gasp against her mouth. His fingers slip through her silky hair as his other hand slides up her body to feel the swell of her breast. They stumble away from the door and haphazardly tug the other's clothes off. There isn't a pause until Zelda falls back onto the bed and Link hovers over her, the light of the moon making his eyes impossibly blue.
They're both breathing heavily as they gaze at each other with their naked bodies agonizingly close but still apart. He knows they're on the brink of something more, but he's not sure if they should jump. The light illuminates the delicious curves of her body and her green eyes are dark, drawing him in. He thinks that maybe they should talk about it, but when she reaches out to run fingers across his chest and moves down, down, down until they brush against his achingly hard cock, he forgets all about that.
He lowers himself and begins kissing her slender throat as she continues to run her hand along his length. Groaning with pleasure, Link slides his hand along Zelda's breast and gently plays with her nipple. She lets out a delicate sigh as her body arches into him, rubbing their skin against each other in a way that makes their bodies tremble with anticipation.
She grabs his face and brings him back up to kiss her again. Her legs fall apart and he lowers himself even further until his cock is teasingly close to her opening. She's suddenly nervous but her body craves him in a way she never imagined. Reaching her hands down, she grabs onto his hips and tugs him closer. They're flushed together now and Link has to pause to regain his breathing.
She kisses him sweetly as he steadies himself against her and lines himself up. They move slowly now as he presses into her and her breathing quickens. She winds her arms around his neck and spreads her legs wider despite the way it aches. Kissing her neck again, he inches in agonizingly slow even as his body begs him to start thrusting. For an aching moment he's wondering if he'll even be able to enter her when she's this tight, but then something gives and he slides easily in.
They both gasp and Zelda clings to him, breathing heavily into his ear. He stays incredibly still and strokes the side of her face, placing delicate kisses along her cheek and neck as she gets used to him. She's breathtakingly tight and beautiful and he wants so badly to move, but he keeps still until she finally nudges her hips against him and his stomach coils dangerously with desire.
He begins to move in and out of her slowly, his hips sinking deeply into her each time he returns. She loves the weight of him, how his body pushes her into the mattress with every thrust. Her body rocks with him and she pulls at him to bring them impeccably closer. He tries to keep a slow pace for her but she's kissing him hungrily and rocking her body against his. Between kisses, she mumbles, "Faster."
Soon his mind is blissfully blank as his hips snap rapidly against her and her hands twist in the sheets above her head. She distantly registers the sound of the bed knocking against the wall, but doesn't care to stop it. He reaches beneath her and palms her ass, bringing her hips closer to him and sliding impossibly farther in. Something deep within her begins to coil and soon she's gasping against him and her legs cling to his sides. Her body snaps forward and she tightens even more around him. Link holds her close as her body is overwhelmed, and soon his rhythm is uneven and he's mumbling her name against the nape of her neck as his body shakes with release.
Somehow in the ecstasy he manages to withdraw before he comes. She watches through lidded eyes as it stains the sheets while Link presses his trembling body against her.
They're still again. Zelda runs her hand through his hair as he breathes heavily beside her. She feels his hot breath tickle her neck, and when he finally moves away to clean the mess, she longs for him again.
They're too exhausted to talk about it, so they slip into bed without a word and huddle together. Their legs tangle and their heads loll against each other. He kisses her cheek just before she falls asleep. He's never slept so well in his life.
.
After Zelda moved to the castle, her and Link wrote letters to each other regularly. They were nothing more than childish stories and thoughts, but they kept her sane as she grew older.
Once they both had phones, they texted constantly and late into the night. Then they would correspond secret meetings where they would share secrets and drink cheap liquor.
Once they've run away together, they spend the days traveling and stealing kisses, holding hands, knocking knees, and sharing smiles so bright everybody notices.
.
Zelda pushes Link against a bookshelf, the many tomes rocking with the impact, and overwhelms him with needy kisses and wandering hands. He gasps into her mouth as she slips a hand down the front of his pants and grips his already hard length in her hand. She bites his neck and gives an exquisite pull on his cock. His mind is scrambling to keep up, his body arching with her touches and his heart pounds faster with each flick of her wrist. He reaches out to touch her but she quickly steps away. The emptiness between them feels infinitely vast compared to the intimacy moments ago.
Zelda grins wickedly at him at walks down the row of books as if nothing has happened. She looks over and says teasingly, "Please, Link, not in a library."
Link takes a deep breath as he tries to regain his composure. He knows then that this girl will be the death of him.
.
They're hitchhiking with a middle-aged woman who talks too much when the first sign of trouble comes. They pull off the highway for gas and Link and Zelda go inside the store to buy some snacks and use the bathroom. As Link is paying for the snacks, his eyes wander around the store. Behind the cashier, he notices a list of faces and suddenly he sees his own staring back at him.
It's his school photo from last year followed by a list of bullet points. 5'8", blonde with blue eyes, last seen at his home in Castle Town.
For a second he feels a horrible sense of guilt. He wonders if his uncle is worried, and Link regrets not leaving some kind of note to let him know he's fine and that he left on his own accord.
Link doesn't even know how many days they've been gone.
.
Zelda doesn't know how to feel about Link's missing person report. It's not that she's worried that he's been registered as missing, but more that there has been no news about her own absence.
She's conflicted. She wanted to disappear and be left alone, yet she feels horribly invisible.
.
Link is hanging up their clothes to dry above the motel's cheap radiator when he hears the bathroom door open. He mindlessly turns to look at her, but his breathing stops when he sees her.
Her face is pink from the steam of the shower and her hair is dripping from the water. He watches a droplets slide down her bare shoulders and past the towel where he imagines it continuing to travel down between her breasts. She looks at him with a smirk, fully aware of what she's doing to him.
He hadn't even been remotely aroused a moment ago, but now he's pushing her against the wall and tugging the towel away. She giggles as he licks her nipple, pleased at how well her plan worked.
.
They're just leaving the motel when the receptionist grabs Link's shoulder and spins him around. The man is flushed with curiosity and excitement as he asks quickly, "Are you Link? This missing boy from Castle Town?"
He holds up the report to compare the picture with the boy in front of him, and he doesn't need Link to respond to know he's right.
Zelda steps between them with a fifty rupee bill her hand. "You saw nothing, understand?" She says with confidence even though her heart is pounding with fear.
He hesitates, clearly at a moral dilemma. Slowly, he plucks the rupee from her hand and they're immediately off. They walk briskly away from the motel, and though they had planned to spend the day exploring, they decide to leave town immediately.
.
By the time they reach Lake Hylia, they have five rupees left to their name. Without enough money to buy a room at an inn, they have nowhere to sleep tonight. Link imagines lying out on a city street with Zelda in the cold, exposed to both the elements and to strangers.
He shudders. Zelda cheerfully bids farewell to the family that drove them here as Link frets over what to do next. He knows that they need money, but they also need food and shelter and all they have are five rupees, a couple of granola bars, and one small blanket they stole from a motel. Summer has ended and autumn is already making the nights uncomfortably cold.
They wander the streets at random and Link pops into stores and restaurants, asking if he can help in exchange for a place to sleep. With incredulous looks and sneers, they shoo him out and tell him to go home. The only offer they get is at a shady bar and the man only wants Zelda to work, not Link. Something about him makes Link repulsed and nervous, so he lies to Zelda and says the restaurant didn't need any help.
By midnight their feet ache and their eyes are drooping as they trudge through the streets. Zelda tugs on his sleeve and tells him that they can rest out in the park, just for the night.
They sit on a park bench beneath a flickering lamppost. Zelda snuggles into him and falls asleep quickly. The wind ruffles her hair and dying leaves fall down around them. Link covers her with a blanket to stop her shivering. He tries to sleep as well but every sound wakes him and the darkness looms around them like a heavy shroud.
He doesn't sleep at all that night, and by morning his head is aching with exhaustion. Zelda's cheeks and nose are red with the cold and she snivels a bit upon waking.
She notices his hollow eyes and unease. With a peck on his cheek, she tells him to rest while she finds food and work and a place to stay, whichever comes first.
He's too tired to stop her, so he watches her saunter off into the unknown city alone. He cries with shame and fear. Zelda deserves better than this, and he's not sure if he can give it to her.
In the early morning light, exhaustion overtakes him and he falls asleep.
.
Zelda thinks she only gets the job because she must look pitiful in her fraying shirt and overly large coat, but she's never felt prouder once she receives the offer. She promises to return in the afternoon and rushes away to tell Link.
Despite the good news, he's weary and groggy as they make their way back to the bar. He looks pale and his hands are clammy, but Zelda hopes the accommodations she secured will be enough to cheer him up.
They enter a small pub down some narrow back alley and meet a busty, confident woman named Telma. She offers them a place to stay in exchange for work at her bar. She wants Zelda to bus tables and Link to wash dishes, and they can keep any tips they receive. It's the best deal they've gotten yet.
She then brings them to her apartment above the bar. There's a small room that's meant to be a walk-in closet, but she's managed to squeeze in a twin-sized bed. A tiny window looks out to the alley below, and though it's meager, Zelda is thrilled to have it.
Once Telma is gone, Link collapses onto the bed and curls up in the sheets. Zelda kisses his forehead, which feels sickeningly warm to her. She strokes his hair and listens to his breathing fall into the pattern of sleep.
She tries to distract herself from her worry by organizing their meager belongings. She rinses their clothes and blanket in the sink and hangs them on the bars in their room to dry. She takes a long shower and turns the water to scorching hot because she likes the steam and burn on her skin. It makes her feel cleaned raw.
When she's done, she crawls into bed beside Link and wraps her arms around him. He shifts but otherwise remains in a deep sleep. She strokes his hair and feels his back rise and fall with his shallow breathing. Her stomach rumbles but she ignores the hunger pains, knowing she'll be able to sneak some snacks at the bar.
.
"Cute new worker," a regular at the bar comments to Telma as she pours him another glass. "Kind of looks like the Princess."
Telma chuckles and passes him his drink. "Trust me," she says, eyeing Zelda as she wipes the perpetually sticky counters clean. "She's no princess."
.
They spend the next few nights working at Telma's bar and handling her small yet loyal customers. The work is tiring and messy, but Zelda likes how it keeps her brain occupied. She also likes chatting with the locals and learning more about Hyrule in ways she never had through her studies.
During the day she uses their small amount of tip money to purchase food for her and Link while he sleeps restlessly. He only wakes for food, but after a few bites he claims he is too queasy to eat anymore. She becomes increasingly worried about him until one morning she wakes up sweating because his body is hot as a furnace beside her.
His face is ashen and his hair sticks to his sweaty skin. She berates herself for her naivety and incompetence, to think they could live like this without any consequences. For the first time since she has runaway, she worries that she's made a mistake.
.
"He's definitely got a fever," Telma says with a sigh as she feels Link's forehead. She stands up and smiles gently at Zelda, who is biting her nails with anxiety. "But don't worry, he'll be fine."
Telma places a cool towel on his forehead and gives Zelda some medicine.
"Make sure he drinks plenty of water when he wakes up, and give him a good helping of this medicine," she instructs on her way out. "And don't get used to my donations. I'm not your mother."
She says it with the intent of sounding stern, but both women know it's not holding any weight.
"Yes, thank you so much," Zelda replies eagerly. "I really appreciate your help."
Telma smiles again and says, "He can skip tonight, but I expect to see you to work still."
"Of course," Zelda nods and Telma leaves her room. Despite their meager living situation, Zelda feels oddly proud of herself as she adjusts the towel on Link's forehead. She's working, earning decent tips, and now taking care of Link. She just hopes it will be enough.
.
When Link's fever breaks, he sees Zelda in an extravagant tiara and a crimson dress that's so long it flows out the door. She dances with many men, all wearing gold suits and crowns that glitter impossibly bright. They all look at her, but she only looks at him.
.
Telma takes a liking to the two now that one isn't in a feverish hell and the other isn't fretting about the fever. They laugh and talk throughout work and Telma fills them in on the gossip of her regulars. She provides them breakfast and dinner, but it's always "just this once" or "I accidentally made too much and it won't keep well."
When they wake up slowly in the mornings, Zelda slips her hand beneath Link's shirt and runs her fingers along the ridges of his ribs. His skin tingles as the fog in his brain quickly fades away. She straddles him, the large shirt she wears to bed riding up to the top of her thighs. He runs his hands between her legs, making her shiver.
Their bodies move against each other, each graze of skin eliciting soft gasps and muffled words. They try to keep quiet while their bodies snap and dissolve with pleasure, but the bed creaks and Link can't help whispering "I love you," each time he pushes in until they're the closest they will ever be.
.
The bar closes early on Sunday nights, so on Monday they feel rested enough to travel outside of the city and to the shores of Lake Hylia. Not one for crowds, they walk past the designated swimming area and hop over a fence to the rocky shores of the rest of the lake. They continue until they're far enough away that the people look like dots and the city pales in comparison to the mountainside.
It's unseasonably warm for this late into fall, and by the time they stop at a small, sandy patch of shore, their skin is hot and sticky.
Zelda unabashedly slips off her shirt and tosses it onto the ground. She looks at Link with a wicked smile as she unbuttons her pants and slides them down.
"It's a bit hot," she says teasingly. "I think I'll go for a quick dip. You coming?"
He shamelessly watches her unsnap her bra and step out of her panties. She saunters into the water and, once she's fully in, she turns to catch him staring. Grinning, he quickly removes his own clothes and swims out to her.
They float a few inches away, their feet just barely touching the rocky bottom. Link's hand brushes her side for a fleeting moment to tease her right back. She steps forward until their bodies are pressed against each other and she captures his lips in a deliciously slow kiss.
They leisurely caress each other's bodies, neither initiating much more so that they can hold onto this intimacy for as long as possible, but then Zelda begins sliding her hand along his erection and the desire in his stomach is overwhelming. He lifts her up, his hands gripping her ass, and walks them back to shore and out of the water. Gently, he places her on the sand and begins kissing her body. He starts at her neck, nipping and sucking while she sighs pleasantly above him, and then works his way down to her shoulder, the top of her breast, her nipple, her stomach, and further until he's between her legs and making her body shudder with every lick.
Afterwards, they lie in the sun and wait for their skin to dry. Zelda lets herself imagine a life here with Link, working nights at Telma's bar and raising enough money until they can afford their own place, and maybe work at normal hours. They'll make love in the morning and have lazy Sundays eating pastries and drinking coffee.
She kisses his nose and whispers, "I love you."
He wraps her in his arms and drags her on top of him just so they can get hot and sticky all over again.
.
Zelda avoids looking at television screens just so she doesn't have to see the Queen or King or hear about the Royal Family and politics. She knows that Link is always checking the papers so he can to keep updated on if there is any news about her. She used to get horribly nervous whenever he picked up a paper, but she's grown comfortable and doesn't even register when Link snatches a paper as they amble back to the bar.
He stops suddenly beside her. His mouth is agape in horror and his hands white from clenching the paper so tightly.
"What is it?" She asks quietly, dread creeping through her like ice.
Link doesn't respond. His mouth has gone dry.
After a moment, Zelda snatches the paper from his hands and her heart drops at the headline.
Princess Kidnapped: Teenage Boy the Suspect in the Biggest Scandal Yet.
She rapidly reads about how the Queen released a statement saying the Princess had been missing for weeks. It explains how the Royal Family had refrained from informing the public because they had thought the Princess had merely ran away in a stint of teenage angst, and they had wanted to settle the matter privately. But then the police made the connection that a teenage boy in Castle Town had disappeared the same night and he looks remarkably similar to the boy in that salacious photograph posted a while ago. With little to go on so far, he's their prime suspect.
His face is on the front page. The Most Wanted Man in Hyrule.
.
As they hurry home, Zelda glances at a TV in a window. The Queen stands before a press conference, playing the part of a distraught mother perfectly.
Zelda thinks she's going to be sick.
.
"Do you two have something you want to tell me?"
Link and Zelda freeze in the doorway of the apartment. Telma stands before them looking furious and betrayed. Her sharp eyebrows rise as she waits for them to respond.
Zelda opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. Link remains silent beside her.
Telma lets out a frustrated sigh and begins to walk down the hall towards their room. "You two need to leave."
"Wait, Telma, please!" Zelda calls desperately as she follows the woman down the hall. "It's not what it seems – "
Telma spins around and towers over Zelda. "I don't know what is going on with you two," she whispers in a distressed, deep tone. "But I cannot have a fugitive staying with me. You two need to leave right now, and don't you dare ever mention my name to anyone."
Zelda feels her eyes sting with the swell of tears, but this time she can't hold them back.
"Please, Telma," she begs as Telma begins to strip their bed. "We have nowhere else to go."
"Don't you have a castle, Princess?" She grumbles.
Zelda chokes on a sob. Taking a deep breath, she whispers, "Please, don't make me go back there."
Telma pauses and stands before Zelda, looking down at the weeping girl before her with pity. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "But you have to leave."
Telma places a couple of rupees into Link's shaking hand, pats him on the back, and leaves them to gather their things.
.
They walk along the streets, staying far away from people and keeping their heads down. Link waits for Zelda's tears to subside and for his heart to calm. She stops crying eventually but his anxiety remains.
.
"You've got to go back," Link whispers. They sit side by side on a park bench, but he's never felt farther away from her.
Zelda shakes her head. "No," she breathes shakily. "I can't. I won't."
"Zelda," he snaps with a bit more bite than he intended, but fear has him shaken to his core. "I am a fugitive accused of kidnapping the Princess. You need to show them they're wrong – "
"No, no," she argues, wiping a tear away. "We keep doing what they doing, and if they catch us, then I can just tell them that you're innocent and – "
"No we can't, Zelda," Link interjects hotly. "We have barely any money for food. We can't keep a job because I'm a criminal, we can't keep a room at an inn or an apartment because I'm a criminal, and we can't take a train because, oh yeah, I'm a criminal."
Zelda remains silent beside him as his panic seizes him and makes the words tumble out of his mouth in a fearful fury.
"We can't go anywhere because our faces are now everywhere and so what are we supposed to do? We can't take a train or a bus or even hitchhike anymore, and there is no way we can just walk across Hyrule! I mean, what will we – how can we possibly continue like this – how did I even let you talk me into this – how…"
He takes a deep breath and tries to blink back the tears but they drop down to the stone below him.
"I'm never going to see you again," she whispers, her voice catching in her throat.
Link looks at her but she refuses to meet his eyes. He has never felt heartbreak before but when it happens his chest feels like a massive hole has opened up and he barely manages to keep breathing. It hurts.
Zelda formulates a plan for how they can still runaway and live a carefree life together. They would just need to leave Hyrule. Unfortunately, the only way out of Hyrule by foot is through the desert, but people have done it before. It may be difficult, but she would do it. They would just have to make it to Gerudo Town, rent a sand seal, and travel west until they hit Termina. Simple.
Link reaches out and runs his fingers through her golden hair. She looks at him and knows that she can't do this to him. He deserves so much better.
.
A block away from the police station, Link and Zelda hold each other one last time. They have spent the day saying goodbye, but now that they're here it still hasn't been enough. They have nothing left to say, but they hold each other all the same.
Link prays to the goddesses. He wants so many things he doesn't know how to articulate them all in his mind, so he just says please.
Zelda presses her lips to his ear and whispers, "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
She finally steps away from him and looks at him for the last time, searing the image of him into her mind. As she watches him slip into an alley, back into obscurity, she feels like her blood has frozen. She only manages to walk away and into the police station because she knows she's doing it for him.
.
Link sleeps under a bridge that night. He lets the sounds of passing cars overhead rock him to sleep. He dreams of another bridge in a different time with a girl that has long golden hair and eyes of ethereal, bright green like sea glass.
He wakes up in the morning stiff and shivering. Frost decorates the ground around him and his breath comes out in puffs of white air.
.
Two days later, Zelda stands before a sea of reporters and adjusts the microphone. The only times she has spoken at a press conference was to apologize for her mistakes. Speaking before the wide, dark lenses of the cameras and critical journalists used to make her nervous, but now she feels calm. She realizes it's because she doesn't care what they think of her anymore, and just having that gives her all the confidence she needs.
Her words are short but honest. She ran away due to personal issues. She brought her childhood friend Link with her. She apologizes for the trouble she caused and for worrying her parents and the people of Hyrule.
The press ridicules her all the same, calling her childish and inconsiderate and ungrateful. People from around the country claim they saw the Princess in their village, but nearly all of them are lying. They call her the Runaway Princess, and though they think of her actions as childish, they admit that she has a new air about her that seems mature and wise.
.
On the TV Zelda is small and pixelated, but it makes Link's insides churn with such intense longing and heartache he has to lie down until his head stops spinning.
.
"So you weren't abducted?" the Queen exclaims as she throws her hands in the air with frustration. "You just ran away like some idiot child – "
"Stop," the King interrupts forcefully, eyeing his wife with coldness in his eyes. "I will speak with Zelda alone now."
In the King's study Zelda can hear the journalists from the press conference milling about outside in the courtyard. They linger on the small hope that more information will come flying out the window or that the Princess will runaway again.
With a huff and a deathly glare to Zelda, the Queen storms out of the study and slams the door.
The King sighs. "Sometimes she's the most childish person I've ever met," he admits with a roll of his eyes, and for the first time in a while Zelda smiles.
He stands up and begins to walk around his desk towards Zelda with the achingly slow movements of an old man. His hair has become much whiter since the last time she saw him.
"Zelda, I must apologize," he begins with his hands clasped tightly behind his back. "All of these years I have acted more of a King rather than a father. I pushed you harder than was fair and withheld my love and affection for you when you deserved much more. I saw you first as a Princess, but now I wish to see you first as my daughter."
Zelda tries not to smile, but she's filled with gentle warmth at finally feeling like she has become something in her father's eyes.
"And as your father," he continues with a bit more bite to his tone. "I must tell you to never, ever run away again. You had me worried sick! You didn't even leave a note? And then the police tell us that you were kidnapped! Do you have any idea how terrifying that is?"
"I'm sorry," Zelda says quietly. She's never seen him so flustered, and though she knows she should feel bad it makes her smile.
He steps forward and places his hand on her shoulder, looking intently into her eyes. "I am so sorry that you felt the need to run away, and I know I am to blame. The Queen lashes out at you when she's actually upset with me, and I am sure you can understand why…but I should have intervened. You mean so much to me, Zelda. I hope you know that now."
She gives a small nod. This King before her is different from what she has seen for the past seven years, and though it may take some time for her to trust him again, she's glad.
"So, Zelda," the King starts again as he steps away to lean against his desk. "What do you want? How can I make my daughter happy?"
"Honestly?" She asks.
"Honestly."
"I don't want to be a princess anymore."
.
Link gathers the glasses from the table and tries to keep his head down, but no matter what he does he can still hear their whispers. Although his name has been cleared, many claim that he still kidnapped the Princess but she fell madly in love with him. If anything, it's the other way around.
Once the charges against him were dropped, he returned to Telma's where she accepted back him with a long, painfully tight hug. He had hoped to live in obscurity, but word got out that Zelda's kidnapper/illicit lover was working at a bar in Lake Hylia, and the place has been crowded ever since. A couple people have tried to ask him about it, but they are only met by stony silence. Despite the great business, Telma feels the money is tainted and pities the boy who looks worse than when he had the fever.
His days are monotonous. He wonders what he will do now but he doesn't have the energy to look farther than tomorrow.
In the kitchen, Link scrubs at the dishes and lets the scorching hot water burns his hands. He hadn't realized how loud the customers were until they all fall suddenly silent. Curious, he stops the water and tries to hear if something has happened. A few seconds pass and then the kitchen door swings open.
He's expecting Telma, so when he sees a young woman with golden hair and sea glass eyes, his shock makes the tumbler slip from his hands onto the floor where it shatters into a thousand shards.
Zelda giggles and helps him gather the pieces.
.
Surprisingly, abdicating the throne was the least talked about scandal of Zelda's life. People quickly become occupied with the Duke of Eldin, the next in line for the throne.
"He's a bit of an ass," Zelda admits to Link. "But that makes him perfect for royalty."
.
Zelda is of course accepted to the top university in the country, but she decides to wait a year. Together, they finish their mission and explore Hyrule.
.
At university, Zelda forgoes the courses on history and political science, which everybody had expected the ex-princess to take, and instead becomes deeply involved with chemistry, biology, physics, and other areas of the hard sciences that makes Link's head spin.
When she announces that she's thinking of taking a class on marine biology, Link smiles but doesn't say anything more.
Wow, hello again. Like many other dormant authors post BOTW, I have come back after years of sleep to write again. It's literally been over 4 years since I last wrote anything narrative or fictional, so this has been a strange time. I finished the game and wrote this so fast that when I was done it felt like waking from a dream. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, especially this feels so different from my previous work, both in terms of style and content.
I've always wanted to write a runaway fic ever since reading augustbird's "Us Against," so you could say this is a mix of that and "What a Girl Wants."
Also, please let me know if you think the rating and warnings are appropriate. I'll be happy to change them if you think they're incorrect. And I can never post anything without typos, so if you see any let me know.
Anyway, I'm going to hell now. Bye!