A/N: So, uh... here's the second part. I know, I know... this rolled out rather quickly. Well, my pace of work is fairly inconsistent, if you hadn't noticed. Don't judge me. Anyway, this story takes place almost two months after Eye of the Storm. If you haven't read the first story, then... I suppose it doesn't make a difference. Just know that Zelda and Link are lovey-dovey, Link is living in the castle as a soldier, and Impa actually exists in my story. Also, I write this on my iPod, so try not to be TOO harsh about grammatical errors (seriously, it's brutal, sometimes). But I do hope that you enjoy this story, even if you found the previous one to be utterly lame. Enjoy! ^.^

Chapter 1

"It's absolutely miserable," the young man grumbled, crossing his arms as his breath froze in the night air.

Impa rolled her eyes, having a quick glance around the courtyard before quickly pulling up her collar and wiping her nose. "I don't know what you're talking about; it hasn't even snowed, yet..."

He rolled his eyes. "No, not the weather. You know what. It's about her."

The woman's eyes hardened slightly, and she shivered, a few strands of gray hair having fallen in front of her vision. "It isn't miserable," she replied curtly, sniffling, "she isn't miserable. The situation's a bit miserable, but it's nothing new."

Link shook his head. "I don't see how she couldn't feel miserable. Not like she does anything else all day... don't think she's even come outside, lately. Too busy, as always..."

Impa looked up at the sky, wrinkling her nose when she noticed a few clouds rolling in steadily. "It might be warmer if the sun wasn't always blocked..." she remarked bitterly, slouching.

"Why don't we talk inside, then?"

The older woman shrugged. "It was your idea to come outside."

"I just needed some fresh air. You didn't have to come with me, you know."

She snorted. "I think 'fresh' is debatable. My lungs are gonna freeze before we make it inside, at this rate..."

"Let's get inside, then," he insisted, turning to face the entrance to the castle. "You know, before your lungs freeze."

Impa furrowed her brow, following the young man inside. They both instantly relaxed when they stepped inside and the guards closed the doors behind them, the torches on the walls filling the room with warmth. "You want something to drink?" she asked, rubbing her hands together. "I already started making hot chocolate..."

"I'll have some," he answered, nodding slightly. "Thanks."

"And you can take some up to her, too," Impa pointed out, turning towards one of the doors that lead towards the kitchen.

He bit his cheek, muttering something unintelligible as he slowly trailed behind her into the kitchen. Once he got there, Impa was already busy fixing the hot chocolate, barely noticing his presence.

Link leaned on the counter, dully resting his head in his hands. "Need any help?"

She shook her head, mixing something together in a pot. "Almost done, anyway... could you grab some cups, though?"

The young man nodded. "Sure thing," he replied, walking over to the cupboard near the counter. He stood on his toes, reaching up to the top shelf and carefully pulling down three mugs. He set them on the counter beside the pot, and she ladled some of the liquid into the mugs.

"Don't drink it immediately like last time," she advised him, to which he rolled his eyes. "Unless, of course, you'd care to burn off your taste buds again."

"I know," he responded, nodding as he grabbed two mugs and set them on a tray, being careful not to spill the scalding-hot liquid. "Thanks again, Impa."

"You're welcome," she replied monotonously, picking up her mug and sloshing the beverage around a bit.

Silently, Link exited the kitchen, carrying the tray as he crossed through the foyer of the castle. He was greeted by the guards outside the door leading to one of the hallways, to which he smiled, waving good-naturedly as he passed by. He sighed tiredly, balancing the tray as he ascended one of the many flights of stairs.

Link rolled his eyes. Climbing up and down the stairs all day was good exercise, sure, but it was easily the most tedious thing he had to do all day.
Every single day.

Lost in thought, he almost walked straight past the narrow corridor he was supposed to go down. But he stopped quickly, turning sharply and almost spilling the hot chocolate as he continued down the hallway. After climbing up yet another flight of stairs, he finally arrived in another, wider hallway and steadily approached the door at the end of it. He blew into his drink, trying to cool it down a bit as he loudly knocked on the door.

"Oh!" he heard a familiar, slightly startled voice exclaim from the room behind the door. "C-Come in, please!"

He twisted the handle of the door, quietly pushing it open and taking a sip out of one of the mugs. He flinched, nearly spitting out the drink when he realized that it was still boiling-hot. Link glanced over at Zelda, whose eyes lit up instantly when she realized who it was.

"Link," she spoke up, a smile quickly spreading across her face as she rose from the desk that she was sitting at. "I wasn't expecting you..."

"Impa made hot chocolate, so I thought you might want some."

"It looks delicious," the young queen remarked, beaming at him as he set the tray on the desk. She bit her tongue in thought for a moment, scooting the mugs away from the stack of papers on the desk.

Link exhaled through his nose, pursing his lips. After a moment, he cleared his throat, smiling as he took a step towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"You should take a break," he muttered into her ear, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Zelda furrowed her brow and turned around, still encircled in his arms. "I just..." she started, biting her cheek, "I-I have a lot of work to do, Link... I mean, this is a completely new thing that we're working on, and I have a lot to get done..."

"It's still reconstruction, though; it's not THAT new..."

"It's a new phase of the reconstruction process," she pointed out, frowning slightly as she gazed into his eyes. "These types of projects take time, Link."

"So take the time to do it, later," he tried to persuade her, resting his forehead against hers. "You have all the time in the world. And I think you've been working too hard, lately; you need a break. Why don't you just come downstairs, and you, Impa, and I can all cool down for a minute or two?" He leaned forward, planting a small kiss on her lips.

She managed a smile. "Your lips taste like hot chocolate."

He shrugged. "All the more reason why you should take what I say into consideration."

The young queen stifled a laugh, though her eyes still seemed to be a bit worried. "I... there's a lot of paperwork that goes into it, Link, and I-I have a meeting tomorrow morning, so I want to try and get as much sleep as I can..."

"You don't need to finish all the paperwork before the meeting, though, right?"

"It'd give me a head start," she answered, pursing her lips.

"I can always help you out, you know. It wouldn't be such a crime to have someone help... what's the paperwork for, anyway?"

"It covers mostly everything concerning the area that's to be reconstructed," she responded, nodding curtly. "Costs, mostly, but it also extensively goes over local disturbances that the project could create- mostly possible noise complaints from nearby residents- while it also gives a sample list of materials that would be needed for the project, which I also have to provide..." She trailed off, realizing that she'd been rambling. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it's immensely boring to you..."

He shrugged. "I've sat through worse. Why does it take so long?"

Zelda's face practically deflated. "For multiple reasons. Partially because, of all of the reading portions combined, it's like reading a full-length novel. But mostly it takes so long because, in between reading, I have to deal with material costs, which means that I have to make a list of absolutely everything needed, then check in with the teams previously organized to work on the projects to see what required materials are already in our possession. If we're lacking in one of the materials or just don't have it in the first place, then the money comes straight out of my funds and I have to personally order everything we need, which further delays the project, and..." She stopped again, rubbing her forehead. "I'll stop talking, now. You understand."

"I could run some errands for you, you know. It's pretty much my job. In fact, if it means that you'd take a break for a while and come hang out downstairs with Impa and I, then I'd gladly take it upon myself to help out."

She lowered her gaze. "I wouldn't wish to make more work for you..."

He snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm totally fine with work. I mean, it's pretty boring around here when there isn't any work to do, as it is. So I'll have to insist that you let me help out, then."

The young woman thought to herself for a moment. "I still don't know..."

"Come on," he urged her as he stared at her intently, his eyes soft as he twirled a piece of her hair around his finger. "It'd make Impa happy, too..."

Finally, Zelda caved in.

"...Okay," she agreed, giving him a small smile. "I really should spend some time with the two of you... I feel that I've been neglectful, lately..."

Link shook his head, pulling her closer and pecking her on the cheek. "No, you've just been busy. I'm busy too, you know..."

"...Do I work you too hard? Because you can always tell me to lay off, if it becomes necessary..."

He chuckled, finally letting go of her. "I'm a big kid, Zelda," he answered, crossing his arms. "I can do just fine with a bit of work, you know..."

She shrugged, suppressing a smile. "I appreciate the condescension," she started sarcastically, causing Link to grin, "but I was just asking if it was too much. Seemed polite, but whatever..."

Link laughed again, grabbing onto her hands. "Sorry. But I'm doing just fine, you know. Don't worry about me; worry about yourself. Now, come on- and don't forget your hot chocolate."

The queen nodded, smiling as she turned towards the desk and grabbed both of the mugs from the tray. She handed one to Link, who accepted it and took a sip immediately after.

"It's no wonder why you keep burning your taste buds off," she remarked as they walked side-by-side towards the door.

He smirked. "You sound just like Impa. You sure she's not your real mom?"

"For the fourth time, yes, I'm sure. Would you like for me to take a maternity test to prove it to you?"

"Do they have those?"

She shrugged. "Perhaps they're made for the individual who's simply not able to believe that their birth-parents are telling the truth. I'm pretty sure that the birth mother would know whether or not she's had a baby, though..."

"Maybe Impa lied, Zelda. You never know. You have the same nose, you know, so that could mean something more than you think."

"Or it could mean that our nose shapes are a coincidence, I act as Impa does because she was the one who raised me, and you're over-analyzing."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps I just cracked the code. You're welcome, Zelda."

She giggled, leading him down a flight of stairs as she shook her head. "Oh my goodness, Link. You're theories truly are legendary. I'll have to write a book about them, someday."

"I'd read it."

"I'm sure you would."

He grinned, taking another sip of hot chocolate. "Absolutely. So have you been outside, recently?"

Zelda bit her cheek. "Not since yesterday afternoon, for a few minutes. Why do you ask?"

"It's cold."

There was a short silence for a moment before she cracked a grin, and he started to chuckle.

"I guess that's the end of that story," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm so glad that we've resorted to small talk," she replied, nudging him on the arm slightly.

Link smirked. "What do you think we should talk about, then?"

She shrugged. "What do we usually talk about?"

"Work and anything involving small talk. It's no fun, you know? Why don't we talk about how incredible this hot chocolate is?"

"I haven't had any, yet," she answered, pushing open the door leading to the foyer. "I generally don't care to burn off my taste buds..."

The young hero laughed breathily, continuing across the room. "Yeah, yeah... just don't mention it to Impa, alright? She already chewed me out today for tracking dirt into the castle..."

They entered the sitting room where Impa sat on the couch, her back turned to them as she silently drank her hot chocolate.

Zelda knocked on the doorframe, smiling when Impa turned to look at them. "Link convinced me to come downstairs and spend time with you two..."

The older woman wrinkled her nose slightly, glancing over at Link. "You burned your taste buds off already, didn't you?"

He frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Because your cup is almost half-empty, even though the hot chocolate hasn't even cooled down, yet."

"Fair point," he added, nodding as he took another drink out of the mug.

Impa scowled. "You're unbearable, you know."

"You've made me this way. I do this out of spite, you know."

"I know. You make me glad Zelda doesn't have any brothers."

He shrugged, plopping down on the couch. "More love to go around."

Zelda smiled as Impa groaned loudly, obviously aggravated. She took a seat between Impa and Link, taking a sip out of her cup. She swallowed hard, wishing she'd waited a few more minutes. "It's wonderful, Impa. What have you been up to, today?"

She shrugged, slouching in her seat. "Nothing groundbreaking, exactly. I mostly had to deal with your boyfriend, which is a chore, but besides that I just sat around and read."

The young queen nodded understandingly, turning to Link. "And you?"

He shook his head. "Nothing too interesting. I was down in the marketplace for a little while this morning before the crowds came around, but most of the afternoon I just paced around the castle." He paused for a moment, staring at Zelda as she sipped her hot chocolate. "Have you even left that office of yours today since you went in there this morning?"

She frowned. "Not at all... but I've made a lot of progress, so far." She sat up tall, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "We're almost ready to send workers to Kakariko Village to begin reconstruction. But then I got to thinking... what would be the point in solely restoring the village to its condition from just before the Invasion? Why not try to restore it to the beautiful, lively village that it used to be, long before all of this?"

"Because that'll take a lot of time, effort, and money that we don't necessarily have," Impa replied plainly, setting her drink down on the end table and crossing her arms.

"We most certainly have the time and money for the operation," she answered in a firm tone. "And as for effort... we already have several workers willing to aid us in the reconstruction process. If we somehow manage to run short, it would be as simple as having an open call for volunteers. I don't see what the issue is."

"Don't you think you might be biting off more than you can chew?" she asked skeptically.

"Not at all," Zelda responded, not lowering her gaze. "It's just a bit more paperwork to go through, some more materials... but if we put forth the extra effort, then we could easily accomplish such a goal."

Impa shrugged. "All the extra effort is going right on your shoulders, Zelda. I think you should put it off because we barely ever get to see you, as it is."

"I-I can always make time for the two of you," she stammered, frowning. "I'm taking a break right now, so that we can all sit and chat for a while. It's not much, but it makes a difference..."

The older woman's eyes flashed for a moment, and she knit her brow. "You want me to be frank, young lady?" she asked, leaning forward. "You need to make an effort not to focus on work all the time."

She bit her lip. "But Impa, I don't mean to-"

"No, you need to make an honest effort, Zelda," she interrupted bitterly, her eyes as cold as ice. "Because I know that you always try to help everyone, and you think that the way to do that is to get all of these projects done at once so that everything's beautiful and everyone's happy, but it won't happen. Rebuilding a village that only had a few residents to begin with won't help anyone, in short term. You try to help your citizens because you're all about helping loved ones and hospitality towards others, and you end up forgetting about the people right in front of your face who love you unconditionally. Have you completely forgotten the fact that Link stayed behind and decided to live in this castle so that he could help your cause?"

The young man furrowed his brow. "Impa, I don't think that it makes any difference." He gazed down at his lap. "I mean... I hate to see Zelda work all day and night, then sleep for a few hours, just to work again in the morning. But, this isn't about me or you. It's for the common interest of everyone in the kingdom..."

Zelda gazed down into her mug, a guilty look in her eyes. "I'm... sorry for being so negligent," she apologized, shaking her head. "But you know that I love both of you, wholeheartedly. I simply... I spent so much time after the Invasion being careless, not bothering to console any of my people when they needed it the most. I owe it to them to show them progress... it simply wouldn't be fair to them, otherwise."

"But you need to stop being so childishly unrealistic with these goals," Impa remarked, not budging. "You're practically an adult, and you need to remember that not everyone can be made happy. You can spend hours upon hours trying to restore every square inch of Hyrule, but you'll never satisfy everybody. If you have all the time in the world to do these things, then there's no reason to rush through them, because the work will never end. Why don't you just wake up for a minute and try to think logically? I thought that was what you did best."

The young woman stared down at the floor, her eyes tired. She rubbed her forehead, setting her hot chocolate on the coffee table in front of them. Zelda was silent for a moment as she slouched forward, her hands knitted together. "...I'm sorry."

Zelda pushed herself off of the sofa, her hands clasped together as she walked towards the door.

Link tried to stand up, only to quickly be interrupted when Impa firmly placed her hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes as Zelda quietly left the room.

"Why would you say something like that to her?" Link asked, glaring at the woman.

"Because it's the only way I'd ever get her to listen to me."

"Because verbal abuse is always the solution, right?"

She pulled her hand away from him. "I'd hardly call it abuse. I'm being realistic, Link. She always gets in way over her head, and then she ends up shattered if anything doesn't turn out right because she has such high hopes. For some inexplicable reason, Zelda turned out to be an optimist, even though she truly has no reason to see any sort of silver-linings. Perhaps I'm harsh, but it's the only way to get through to her."

"Maybe that's why she's always so afraid of what you'll think of her," he muttered, his eyes still narrowed.

Impa scowled for a moment, only to quickly turn her face away from him as a look of pain began to grow in her eyes. Without speaking, she stood up from the couch, exiting the room in the opposite direction that Zelda had gone in.

Frustrated, Link buried his face into his hands, muttering under his breath. He shivered, shaking his head as he grabbed the blanket thrown over the back of the couch behind him and wrapped it around his shoulders as he gazed up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes for a moment, exhausted as he tried to clear his mind.

It wasn't until a few hours later when Link realized that he'd drifted off in the comfort of the blanket. The young man sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes as he stood up from the couch and shook his head, briskly walking over to the door that lead to the foyer. He silently cursed himself out for allowing himself to fall asleep, when he should have gone to make sure that Zelda was okay. He scurried past the guards, who barely had time to greet him before he had already passed them by and entered the hallway.

Going through his usual route, Link ended up in the same room he'd been in previously. He approached the door, which was cracked open, and he quickly pushed it open and stepped inside. He furrowed his brow, noticing that only the candle on the desk was lit, leaving the room very dark. Link stepped towards the desk through the darkness, his eyes softening when he noticed a figure slumped over it, out cold.

He knelt down to Zelda, exhaling through his nose when he noticed her face buried into her arms with her cheek pressed against the desk, sleeping soundlessly.

Pulling the blanket off of himself, he carefully wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her up into a sitting position. As delicately as possibly, he picked her up from the chair, cradling her in his arms and lifting her from the chair. She barely opened her eyes, hardly conscious as she rested her head against his chest and murmured something that was practically inaudible.

Link blew out the candle on the desk, walking towards the door in the pitch-black darkness of the room. He carried her into the hallway, quietly closing the door behind him and continuing up the spiral staircase nearby. He walked down the narrow corridor and up another set of stairs, stopping when he came to the door of her room. Quietly, he grabbed the handle of the door, being careful not to drop her as he stepped inside the dark room and crossed over to the bed. Gently setting her down on the bed, Link pulled off her boots and circlet before pulling the blankets over her.

The young hero walked around the bed to the other side, taking a seat. It wasn't until he'd gone to pull his own boots off that he felt her stir awake from the opposite side of the bed.

"Link...?" she asked in a tired voice, sitting up and pulling the blanket around herself tightly.

"Yeah, it's me," he replied coolly, looking over his shoulder at her as he pulled off his hat. "Don't worry."

She frowned, shivering as she lowered her gaze. "I'm glad to see you..." she started, sighing as she rubbed her eyes. "Impa's right; I'm sorry, Link."

"Don't listen to Impa," he muttered in reply, climbing onto the bed and pulling the blanket over himself. "She's just being dramatic, as always."

"No, she's right. It's not okay, me practically ignoring the two of you in order to focus on my work... I mean- I'm the reason you're here, she's right about that. I've just been... unappreciative. And it's wrong of me to do that... I'm sorry."

"Listen, Zelda," he spoke up, locking eyes with her, even though she could barely make out his sharp gaze through the darkness. "You're a busy person. You have the most high-stress job in the entire kingdom, and you warned me about it. I understand that you don't always have time for us. I just want you to make sure that you have time for yourself. It kills me to see you work all day and never feel satisfied about it in the end. I want you to be happy, Zelda. I need you to be happy. Just take it easy, alright? That's all I'm asking."

Zelda gazed down at her lap. "Okay. You're right, Link... maybe I take things too seriously, sometimes. I'm sorry..."

He gently placed his hand on her cheek, the moonlight just barely illuminating his soft blue eyes as she looked up at him. "Don't apologize for it," he told her, giving her a small smile. "It's nothing to be sorry about..."

She felt herself melt as she gazed into his eyes, her hand resting on his shoulder. Not knowing what to say, she craned her neck forward, pressing her lips against his.

Link grinned, closing his eyes and pulling her closer to him. He felt her hands against the nape of his neck, and he locked his lips with hers, holding onto the small of her back. "I love you," he managed to breathe out in the short time that their lips were apart, only for her to connect them again as she fell onto her back, pulling him down with her.

"I love you, too," she mustered, her fingers getting tangled in his hair.

She hummed into the kiss when she felt his hands slide down to her hips, and she pressed her chest against his, her hands clasping onto the collar of his tunic.

He leaned on his forearms, being careful not to put too much weight on her. He closed his eyes again, only to open them suddenly seconds later. The young man pulled away, his eyes wide.

"W-What's wrong?" Zelda asked, biting her lip in worry.

"Act like you're asleep!" he whispered hurriedly, pulling himself off of her. "Now!"

Without asking, Zelda closed her eyes, rolling off to her side a bit as Link plopped down on his stomach beside her.

Suddenly, there was the sound of someone grabbing onto the handle of the door and pushing it open with a loud creak. Impa poked her head into the room momentarily, glancing over at the two before nodding to herself curtly and quietly exiting the room.

Zelda waited a moment before letting out a sigh of relief and smoothing her hair back. "You scared me, Link," she told him in a hushed tone, shaking her head. "It truly is unbelievable, how sharp your hearing is..."

He shrugged, rubbing his eyes. "It'd be more useful, if I were better at causing trouble."

"I suppose so. But it's certainly saved us from a number of awkward encounters."

"True. I feel that it'll be any day, now, that Impa tries to give us 'The Talk'."

"Oh, dear Hylia," Zelda groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically as Link stifled a laugh. "Be gracious that you didn't have to hear all of that coming from Impa's mouth, like I did. It's an utter nightmare."

"I heard it from Fado when I was little and he was black-out drunk," he remarked, rolling his eyes and snorting. "There are some things that children should NOT know..."

She wrinkled her nose. "Please don't go into detail."

"I won't. Just imagine the worst possible things to tell a young child and be thankful that you didn't have to sit through THAT."

Zelda shuddered. "It sounds awful. But still... you know how Impa is. She's been like that for as long as I can remember, so you can imagine what it was like to listen to..."

"Ugh. Definitely..." After a moment of silence, he sat up, smirking at her curiously. "So what'd she say?"

She shrugged. "The usual, I suppose. However, you know how Impa is, always trying to intimidate me... to this day, I'm amazed that she didn't insist I wear something similar to a chastity belt."

He laughed. "I guess that is shocking. However, she does know about the two of us, so it's never too late..."

Zelda grimaced. "Oh, I hope you're wrong..."

"I more than you."

She blushed, meekly twiddling her thumbs, even though she was confident that he couldn't make out the color of her cheeks through the darkness. "Link..."

The young man grinned, grabbing onto her hand and planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'm just telling the truth. I'm a guy, Zelda. You can't blame me for thinking like one."

Zelda shook her head, her cheeks flooded red. "I-I'm flattered as always, Link," she managed to reply, biting her cheek and chuckling nervously. "I, um... i-if it's any consolation, I'd never agree to wear anything like a chastity belt. Not... with you around, anyway..."

He smirked, and her breath hitched as he leaned forward, resting his hand on her chin and locking his lips with hers. "I'm flattered, too," he murmured, grinning as he pulled away. Link lied down on his back, stretching his arms above his head. "We don't get enough alone time, really..."

The queen frowned slightly, scooting over to him and resting her head against his chest. "Maybe not... but since you're going to Kakariko Village in two days, you'll have free time afterwards, and then we'll have more time to spend together..."

"Not to mention the fact that your birthday is coming up..."

She lowered her gaze, rubbing the back of her neck. "I generally don't care to take the day off for my birthday..."

Link knit his brow. "What do you mean?"

"I just- I mean, Impa always loves to bake a cake and sing 'Happy Birthday' to me on my birthday. But she always lets me do whatever I want to that day, and I usually just... treat it as if it were any other day."

"Well that's over with," he nodded curtly, glancing over at her. "There's no way I'm letting you work on your birthday, Zelda. It's just not gonna happen."

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I don't know, but you aren't working. I'll take you out somewhere..."

Zelda smiled. "That's sweet, Link... but it really isn't necessary to go out of your way to-"

"It's only fair," he insisted, putting his hand up. "I had a fun birthday celebration, so you will, too."

She raised an eyebrow. "You thought it was fun?"

"...I mean, before we woke up the next morning, yeah..."

"...I suppose so. But you don't have to do anything special, Link; it truly isn't necessary..."

"But I want to, Zelda," he responded, yawning as he fluffed the pillow behind his head. "You're a queen, you know. You should be treated like it, at least once in a while..."

She rested a hand against his chest, biting her cheek. "It would be nice for the two of us to go out..." she stated, still slightly unsure. "If... you truly do wish to go out, then I suppose we could..."

"Only if you're up to it."

Zelda grinned, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "Absolutely. I love going out with you, Link..."

The young man chuckled, running his fingers through her hair. "I love going out with you, too..." He gazed up at the ceiling, pulling the blanket up over the two of them. Giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as he held her closely. "I love you..."

"I love you too, Link..." she replied drowsily, rubbing her eyes and then resting her head against him again, a smile playing across her lips. "I'll see you in the morning..."

"You sure?" he asked, knowing that she usually got out of bed and went down to her office before he'd even woken up.

"I'm positive," she assured him, nodding slowly as she felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy.

"Okay..." he whispered, holding her closely as she began to go limp in his arms. "Good night, Zelda."

"Good night, Link," she mumbled in a nearly inaudible tone, drifting off to sleep.

Not long after she fell asleep, he followed suit, hoping that she would be there when he awakened.

And to his delight, of course, she was.