This is my 'Romance' entry in fishylishy's Zelda Fanfiction Contest.
Letters
Dear Link. Life around here is still hectic. I can't believe it's almost been a year since our adventure together finished. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes I miss those days. Living as a princess doesn't help. Everything is done for me, and I never get to do anything exciting any more. Even though it was dangerous, you have no idea how excited I was when I finally got to help you. I still have dreams of riding Epona with you, shooting light arrows.
I bet you think that sounds silly, but it's true. Still, I'm glad we still keep in touch. I get rather lonely here in the castle. After all, there are duties that a princess must fulfil here, and most of them take a painstakingly long time. They don't let any of my friends in, and I'm never allowed to leave for too long. Luckily, my royal vacation will be starting in a few weeks, so I hope I can fit some rest and relaxation into my life. It's not bad here at the castle, just boring. There's nothing to do here, ever.
On a lighter note, I look forward to seeing you here in the next few days. Hyrule Castle Town is holding it's annual archery contest, and I just know that you would win it if you tried. Please try and get the day off to come here. I really am looking forward to seeing you compete. I'll be there even if you don't go, it's another one of my royal duties to attend. Still, it would be simply marvellous to see you again Link, and if you win, I have to present you the trophy.
Well, it's getting late, so I'll tell a servant to give this to the postman and hopefully hear back from you soon.
Yours sincerely, Princess Zelda.
--
Dear Link, or should I say, Champion.
I just knew that you'd win, I just knew it! It was amazing seeing you today. I don't know how you manage to aim so perfectly, but I suppose it's another perk of being a hero. Did you see the looks on the other contender's faces? The moment you fired your first arrow, they knew they were beaten. I still can't believe you did so well. Did you see me blushing when I handed you the trophy? I swear, you're the only man in Hyrule who wouldn't boast and gloat about winning a contest like that.
There is something else that I've had on my mind lately. When you replied to my last letter, you said that if life was dull here, I could stay with you for a week. Well, I don't know whether that was a sarcastic joke or a genuine offer, because it could have been either.
Anyway, if it was a serious offer, I would be delighted to visit Ordon village and stay with you. I've always thought there was a peaceful, tranquil essence to living the simple life, and I'd be overjoyed to experience it.
However, if you were being sarcastic, you don't have to pretend that you made the offer in seriousness. The last thing I want to do is intrude upon your life, so please get back to me soon to tell me whether or not you really meant it.
It was lovely seeing you today.
Yours sincerely, Princess Zelda.
--
Dear Link.
Do you really mean it? I know it was a long shot of me to ask, but… if you really mean it, then yes, I'd love to come! My advisors love the idea too. They say it will improve my princess image by making me look 'in touch with the common people'. Frankly, I couldn't care less what they think about it, but it's nice to have them on board. I'm so excited about this, I don't think you realise how great it makes me feel to live the simple life. Sometimes I get so bored of being a princess, and I just wish I could live like you. A nice job, a cosy house, some close friends, that just sounds perfect to me. I know I must sound ungrateful, but if you're a princess, you can never do anything fun!
Speaking of which, if I do come down to your house, please don't give me any special treatment. I want to go fishing with you, I want to see you at your job, I want to live normally for once. I do believe you're the only person in all of Hyrule who knows how I feel. I might even try and organise another archery contest in Ordon village while I'm down there. After all, you of all people should know that I can be lethal with a light arrow, and hopefully this time you can present the trophy to me!
Sorry for getting carried away, I'm just too excited about this! Please write back soon!
Yours sincerely, Princess Zelda.
--
Dear Link.
I can't believe this is happening! By the time you get this, I'll be arriving in a few short hours! This is the most exciting vacation I've ever had. I can't wait to see you again, and meet all of your friends. I've even heard that you set up an archery contest, just for me! That's so sweet of you, I just can't wait for my carriage to be ready. If the postman works slowly, I might even arrive before this letter!
I've already packed my cases. I know that your house isn't exactly as big as my castle, so I'm only bringing two. One is for clothes, the other has a few other things I might need, including my archery equipment. I'm warning you Link, I won't go easy on you in this contest.
I'm only fooling around, I'm just too excited! Thank you so much for letting me stay with you, I just can't wait a moment longer! In fact, I think I'll head to bed early so I can wake up earlier and see you quicker.
Yours sincerely, Princess Zelda (Thank you!)
--
Link.
I am writing this while you're asleep, and by the time you wake up, I will be gone. I just want to get out of here, this holiday has been horrible, and I've only been here for a day.
I'll admit, the arrival wasn't too bad. I guess you did make an effort, gathering all the villagers together, but the moment I stepped off the carriage, everyone was treating me like royalty! I told you I didn't want a fuss! I suppose it couldn't be helped, but what you did later was just arrogant.
I am referring of course, to the archery contest. For once in my life, I could have proved myself to be more than a princess, but you just wouldn't let me! I even got a bullseye once, and what did you do? You set your arrow on fire and then shot it, so it hit the target, and burnt my arrow off. There was no need to show off Link, and I have to say, that's cheating!
Fishing with you was just terrible. Why you thought it was a good idea to let me hold the rod, I'll never know. You knew I had no idea what to do, and when that fish pulled me, it felt like you made no effort to stop me falling out. I felt humiliated! I'm the princess of Hyrule, and yet today, thanks to you, I was soaking in the middle of the lake. Do you know how long it takes for something like that to die down? I'll admit that you offered me some spare clothes, but they looked terrible! I'm a princess for Hyrule's sake, didn't you have anything fancy?
Again, I know that I asked for nothing special, but you could have at least cleaned up! Your house is a complete pigsty; I could have sworn that I even saw a spider in here earlier. When I accepted your invitation, I didn't realise I would be spending the night in a dirty shack!
It looked like you made a tiny effort with the dinner you set out, but I just can't stand it here. The bed you set out for me looked simply horrid; there was only one pillow, two blankets, and a single sheet protecting my back from the ragged, flea-bitten mattress. Even my servants live better than this, Link.
I've sent word to Impa to organise a stagecoach back to Hyrule Castle Town. By the time you read this, I'll have left. I feel awkward writing to you while you're asleep, but I have no other choice. Goodbye Link, I hope you're happy.
Zelda.
--
Dear Sir Link.
Link…
It's been a few months, and I've been expecting an angry/hurt letter from you for a while. I know I would deserve it. Over time I've thought about what you've done, and I realise that I should have been more open-minded. I'm sorry Link, I really am. Please get in touch. Even though I knew that if I received anything from you, it would probably make me feel ashamed and guilty, I've still been anxious to hear from you. I just want to make sure I didn't ruin everything. I really do love your letters, they're the only things that make me feel like a normal person.
I didn't mean what I said about your house, I just hadn't had time to get used to it. You really did make me feel welcome, and I suppose it wasn't your fault that I fell in the lake. You probably didn't realise that your archery shot would annoy me, and I regret taking it so seriously.
I apologise for everything Link, just please get in touch.
I miss you…
Yours apologetically, Zelda.
--
Dear Link.
I'm guessing you've been too busy to write, or just haven't gotten around to it, or…
Or you haven't forgiven me.
Link, I'm as sorry as I can be. I can't bear the guilt of having you mad at me. Please get in touch, your letters were so charming and uplifting. I must have read through your old ones a hundred times by now, I simply need to hear from you. Please write back soon.
Yours sadly, Zelda.
--
Link!
Please! I know you must be angry, but there's no need for this! It's been almost half a year and I still haven't heard from you. You have to forgive me, I need you back in my life! You have no idea how much I miss you…
You don't have to be mad any more. Your friend Ilia went to one of the newspapers here in Hyrule Castle Town, and now the story is being spread everywhere that I'm a stuck up cow… Please, please, please get in touch.
I miss your letters. I loved them.
I miss you… I love…
I…
Link…
Write back. Please.
Yours sincerely… no, scratch that.
Love Zelda
--
Dear Link.
I know you're probably wondering what's going on. It's not every day that you come home from work to a candlelit dinner, but I just had to see you.
I don't know if you've heard, but I know that the papers have been going crazy about my unexplained absence for 4 days. I didn't realise how long it would take to walk all the way down here in disguise. I just had to come here, and not even my royal duties could keep me from that.
This whole dinner is just my way of saying sorry. I realise that I really did screw up, and I'm truly as sorry as can be. I know it seems weird that I wrote you this instead of just saying it to you. If you can't tell, I was behind the door when you came in. I'm behind you now, still as nervous as can be. If you really don't feel up to this, I'll leave, but I just had to know whether it…we… our relationship was all over. Please, Link. Please forgive me.
Love Zelda
--
Dear Zelda.
I hope you're not panicking because of my silence, but I've just become more accustomed to writing to you over time. You know I've never been a great speaker.
I can hear you behind me, shuffling nervously, so let me start this note by telling you that I do forgive you. You've obviously gone to a lot of effort to do this for me, and… I was never really that mad at you in the first place. I just couldn't bring myself to write to you because I was scared.
I know what you're thinking. I'm the Hero of Twilight, and I have the Triforce of Courage, I'm the last person you'd expect to be afraid of anything, but it's true. I was terrified of writing to you. Part of me still is. The whole problem is just… I really like you Zelda. A lot. I love you. I was really excited that you could come to stay with me, but when you didn't like it, I took it pretty hard.
I didn't blame you. I just took your words a bit too seriously. Even when you apologised, I just felt embarrassed. I don't know if Fado told you, but I even took a week off work. I was just moping around, and I felt pathetic. I'd had one chance to impress the Princess of Hyrule, the woman I loved, and I'd ruined everything. I didn't talk to anyone or even go outside until I needed food. That's why I didn't write back. I was terrified that if we kept talking, something like that would happen again, and I really didn't want to be left feeling like that.
But I'm glad you came here. I missed you too, I was just too scared to do anything about it. But, now that I see all the effort you've made, I can really tell that you didn't mean what you said, and… I think I'll be ok.
I can hear you behind me. I guess I've been writing for a while. You're even sniffing a bit. I really hope you're not crying.
Well… there's nothing more really left for me to say, so I'm going to put this note down, turn around, and give you a hug just to show you that everything's alright. I have no idea where we'll go from here. All I know is that there's a candlelit dinner set out, and we probably have a few hours before the Hylian guards catch you.
Thank you, Zelda.
Love Link