A/N: For those of you asking when Ellis will die, I'm not sure if he will yet, lmao. I know he's a textbook jerk, but it's fun to write him that way. We all know a fuckboy (or girl) in our lives that we can compare him to. Anyways, if you're enjoying the story, please leave a review and let me know! Or if you're not, that's okay too, I still want your input. Enjoy this little zelinky tease.


The halls of Hyrule Castle were airy and open. The walls were painted white, and large windows that ran from the ceiling all the way down to the floor lined the corridor Link was currently walking through. For a building that was still undergoing major construction, the interior of the castle was already quite beautiful.

Link reached the end of the hall and faced the large double doors that were on his right. Two guards were stationed on either side of the entryway.

"Do you have some business with the princess?" The guard on the right questioned.

"Yes," Link said. "I was sent here by Impa." The guard nodded.

"The princess is expecting you, Sir Link," the soldier said, turning slightly to knock on the door.

"Your Highness, Sir Link is here to see you," he said loudly to the closed door in front of him. Zelda's voice echoed through from the other side.

"He may enter!" Her voice was light, but commanding nonetheless. Both guards took hold of the door's handles, and opened the path to Princess Zelda's study. Link thanked the soldiers and proceeded through the doorway.

Zelda's study was larger than the room Link had previously been in with Impa. It had far more bookcases, along with cabinets, chairs, and other furniture against the walls. In the back of the room was Zelda's desk, where she was currently sitting, looking over some papers. She looked up when she heard Link's footsteps approaching.

She stood up quickly, nearly jumping out of her chair.

"Link!" she shouted, running out from behind her desk towards him. She looked happy to see him.

"Your Highness," Link said respectfully, bowing his head. Zelda frowned.

"Link, please. There are no need for such formalities here. You are my dear friend."

"I'm sorry, Princess," Link said. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to get mad at you if you don't only refer to me as Zelda from now on," she warned, but Link could see the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Sit down!" she said, animatedly gesturing to the sofa on the other side of the room.

"You left so quickly yesterday that we didn't get a chance to catch up," she said, plopping onto the couch and patting the empty spot next to her. Link sat down beside her and thought about how he should explain himself.

"Yes, well, I had left, uh, Epona, uh by herself and I didn't want her to, you know, get lost," Link managed to come up with.

"Well don't worry about that!" Zelda quipped. "From now on she can stay in the stables with the other horses. She'll be well taken care of there." she assured him. She smiled at Link and reached out to squeeze his hand.

"I'm so glad you're back, Link," she said earnestly, looking into his eyes. Link didn't respond, and shifted his gaze away from hers. He cleared his throat.

"I told Impa that I'd work with the Army's general for a month, shadowing him. After that, I'm leaving." he said flatly.

Zelda's happy disposition all but vanished. Her face looked pained. Link hated himself for making her look so sad, but he knew that this was his fate now.

"Leaving? But you just got here," she said sadly. She turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze.

"Last night you said that you'd never leave again."

Her words stung as he was reminded of the promise he made her no more than twelve hours ago. Was he really the type of person to go back on his word? Especially when Princess Zelda was involved? Link sighed.

"Zelda… I'm not sure why I came here. Ever since you sent me back in time, I've felt out of place. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with the rest of my life since there were no more bad guys to chase. I was just living my life as best as I could, trying to take one day at a time. Believe it or not, you and I were actually friends in that timeline…It's so weird to think about."

Zelda was looking at him now, though she still looked hurt.

"As soon as I arrived in the Temple of Time, Navi left. I was alone. The first thing I did was go straight to the castle - straight to you. I told you everything that happened - the spiritual stones, Ganondorf, the sages, everything - and you believed me. Together, we told your father and prevented all this from happening.

"For a while, everything was great. You and I remained friends. I used to sneak past the castle guards a few times a week to visit you in the courtyard. I would find different flowers, insects, and fish from around the kingdom and bring them to you. And you would teach me about Hyrule's history, telling me all sorts of legends and stories you learned in your princess classes. It was nice."

Zelda was astounded.

"This is all so…surreal," she said, shaking her head.

"To think of my other self…out there, somewhere….she was friends with you. She was best friends with you. I feel connected to her, in some way. I feel as if I've known you my whole life, Link," she said, looking at him with a melancholic expression. Nostalgia swept over Link as he thought of the memory of his other Zelda, the one who came to him in a dream and taught him the Song of Time when he was in Termina.

"But you do know me, Zelda. In this world, and the other. You may have been disguised as Sheik, but you were still you. We may not have spent much time together, but we'll always be connected by our experiences."

Link could see Zelda searching his face, but he wasn't sure what she was trying to find.

"Then why are you leaving, Link?" she said helplessly, dejectedly.

"Why are you leaving again?"

"Because, Zelda, I made a mistake in coming here," Link said.

"There was a reason you sent me back in time. Hyrule doesn't need me anymore. The kingdom is back in the hands of its rightful ruler. And I am not a Kokiri, or even a child anymore, so I cannot return to the Forest. And you…well, you are engaged, Princess. Whether we like it or not, our friendship will not be the same once you are married."

"Is that what you want, Link? For us to have a friendship?" Zelda asked.

"It doesn't matter what I want, Zelda," Link said.

"This is my fate. I made a mistake, and I should have just stayed where I was. But I messed things up, and now I have to fix them. But I am staying for a month, because I made a promise to Impa."

Zelda frowned. Suddenly, she stood up from the couch.

"Yes, and you also made a promise to me, Link." She walked away from him, back towards her desk. When she turned to face him, Link felt as if he were talking to a different person. Her friendly demeanor was gone, replaced by an angry frown. She straightened her back into a rigid posture, exuding poise and professionalism.

"The general oversees the entire army. As a result, he works very closely with me. Tomorrow, you'll be officially oriented on everything. Report back here at 7am."

She paused.

"Or don't. I guess it doesn't matter, since you're leaving in a month anyways. I don't care what you do," she said coldly, sitting down at her desk.

"Impa will show you to your room. You are dismissed."


Link stared at the ceiling of Impa's study, lying flat on his back on the ground. The concrete floors were cold, even through the fabric of his shirt. He covered his face with his hands and groaned.

"Zelda hates me, Impa," he whined. Impa, who was sitting in a large blue armchair on the other side of the room, said nothing. She was reading a book and only partially paying attention to Link.

"The princess does not hate you, Link. Actually, the way she feels about you is quite the contrary."

Link ignored her and rolled over onto his stomach.

"I messed everything up. I'm such an idiot."

Impa sighed and put her book down, realizing that she wasn't going to get much reading done with a lovesick teenager lying on her floor. She took pity on the lanky young man, since at this moment, he looked like he wanted to die.

"You know, Link, Princess Zelda was quite upset when she sent you back to the past one year ago."

Link peeked at Impa through his fingers, which were still covering his face.

"She was quiet and reserved around everyone during the kingdom's initial phases of reconstruction," Impa said calmly.

"This was unusual for her. At first, I thought she was still recovering from the events of the past seven years. Going through what Princess Zelda went through, especially at that age, it takes a toll on a person. But then she started resuming her normal princess activities, meeting with the Royal Council as well as citizens of Hyrule. And I noticed that no matter how many people surrounded her, Princess Zelda always seemed lonely."

Link was sitting up now, listening to Impa attentively.

"During Council meetings, Ganondorf's reign was a popular topic. The Council members wanted to address everything that happened, to ensure that something so catastrophic never occurred again. Naturally, when talking about the battles that were fought and won, your name came up. Whenever the Hero of Time was mentioned, the princess politely excused herself and left the meeting early. Nearly every time. Hearing about you made her sad, Link. I think the princess - your friend - has missed you greatly."

Link played with a loose fray on the sleeve of his shirt, trying not to get excited at the thought of Zelda missing him.

"I usually refrain from getting involved in people's personal lives, Link. But I care deeply for Princess Zelda. It's my job to protect her. And I think you should know that you mean more to her than you realize."

Link blushed, feeling a wave of happiness roll over him with Impa's words. Feeling rejuvenated, he leapt to his feet.

"Thank you, Impa," he said, a wide smile spreading across his face. He ran out of the room and straight to the castle's nearest exit.


Later that evening, Link once again stood outside Zelda's door. The guards informed the princess of Link's presence, then opened the doors for him once he was granted permission to enter. Link took once last deep breath and stepped through the threshold.

Zelda didn't look up from whatever she was doing when he entered.

"What do you want, Link?" she said in a monotonous voice. Link cleared his throat, prompting her to look up. When she finally gazed upon the man standing before her, her anger began to diminish.

Link stood in the center of the room, holding a small bundle of flowers. He had spent the afternoon scavenging through the castle's gardens, picking the nicest flowers he could find. Now, he held the small bouquet out towards the princess, prompting her to take it from his hand. He mentally prepared his speech out beforehand, not wanting to look like an idiot in front of Zelda twice in one day. But he could feel his face and neck reddening with heat, and when he spoke, his voice was not nearly as confident and assured as he planned it to be.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Zelda. Princess Zelda," he said nervously, still holding the flowers out in front of him.

"I was horribly mean to you earlier today. I went back on my word, then acted like it was nothing. You deserve better, and I hope that you can forgive me."

Zelda smiled and stood up. She walked around her desk and met Link in the center of the room. She took the flowers from his outstretched hand and looked up at him. He wasn't extremely tall, but he was tall enough that Zelda still had to crane her neck a little to look him in the eyes.

"Link, I'm sorry, too. The way I behaved earlier was brash and undignified. It was completely unprofessional for a princess to treat the general-in-training that way. I hope you can forgive me, too."

Link smiled weakly down at Zelda. She looked so sad, yet still so lovely. He wondered if he'd ever get to see her carefree and happy again, like she was when they were children.

"I was never mad at you, so there's nothing to forgive. But Zelda, please don't ever worry about being unprofessional with me." Link looked off to the side, too embarrassed to look at Zelda right now.

"Look, I…I know you're going to get married when you turn 18. And to tell you the truth, I still don't really know what I'm going to do with my life. I may stay here longer than a month, but that doesn't mean I won't ever leave. But no matter what happens, I care about you, and you're my friend."

Link thought about putting his hand on her arm, or wrapping himself around her waist. He decided against both of those things. Instead, he settled for just looking at her.

"So, Princess Zelda, will you…be my friend?" he asked sheepishly. Zelda smiled, twirling the stem of one of the flowers between her thumb and index finger.

"Yes, Link, I would love to be your friend." The pair remained there for a moment, smiling and relishing in the fact that their "fight" was over.

"Your Highness, there you are!" shouted a lively voice from behind Link. He turned around to see Prince Ellis, clad in yet another velvet cape - this time it was navy blue - and a bunch of other ridiculous fancy clothes.

"Your guards said you were in the middle of something important and that you weren't to be disturbed. So I did what any good fiancé would do, and told them that one of your handmaidens had died and that I had to inform you right away so that they'd let me in," he said with a cocky smirk on his face and his hands on his hips. It was only then that he seemed to notice that Link was in the room.

"Oh, hey hero," he said, coming to stand next to Zelda and giving Link a once-over.

"I see you've been catching up with my betrothed. Again. It seems you guys have a lot to talk about. I mean come on, why would you want to spend so much time listening to her?" he asked, loosely draping an arm over Zelda's shoulder. She cringed subtly.

"Ellis, you shouldn't lie to my guards. Especially about someone dying," she chastised him.

"Whatever, my princess. It doesn't matter because now I can have some alone time with you," he said leaning in towards her ear. Zelda was now visibly cringing.

"Ellis, please. Link and I were actually discussing important business. Starting tomorrow he's going to be training with the current general of the army." Ellis's eyes widened at this new piece of information.

"Well, isn't that something! You know, as future King of Hyrule, I'll one day be Commander in Chief of the army? So I'll be your boss, hero!"

Link narrowed his eyes at Ellis, his patience slowing slipping from his grasp.

"Yes, Ellis, well for now, Zelda is the reigning monarch of the land, and she is Commander in Chief. She is my boss," Link said, winking playfully at Zelda. She smiled and giggled quietly. Ellis became annoyed with Link very quickly after that.

"Hey, buddy, you shouldn't speak so informally to the princess, or to myself. We are royalty, and you're just a commoner. Her full title is Princess Zelda and my full title is Prince Ellis," he said angrily.

"ELLIS!" Zelda exclaimed, finally having enough of his behavior.

"Link is a hero, and he saved us all. If it weren't for him, the kingdom would have been destroyed and I wouldn't be here right now. You will pay him the respect he deserves and hold him in esteem as high as you would any noble. You may be in line to be the King but I am still the heir to the throne of Hyrule!" she shouted.

Link stood in silence, somewhat shocked. He was not expecting Zelda to blow up like that.

Ellis looked like he wanted to beat someone up. He shook his head.

"Princess Zelda, you're clearly very stressed. I guess your servants messed up the seating arrangements for our wedding reception or something. Whatever it is, I really don't want to deal with you when you're like this, so I'll just see you tomorrow."

He walked back through the door and with that, he was gone.

Zelda pressed her fingers to her forehead, her brow furrowing in frustration. Link couldn't take this anymore.

"Okay, Zelda, I know about how the Council wants you to have a husband and all, but that guy? Really?"

Zelda sighed and shook her head.

"I know how it must look. He is quite rude and selfish sometimes. And the scary part is, he wasn't even the worst one." She walked over to the couch they had been sitting on earlier that morning and sunk into it, throwing her head back and closing her eyes.

"The Council introduced me to three different suitors. They told me that I could choose to marry whichever one I wanted, but that I had to choose one. The first one was about 50 years older than me and had trouble hearing me speak at a normal volume. The second one was quite chaotic, always talking about how he wanted to do away with Hyrule's monarchy entirely, leaving the people to survive on their own 'as they were always intended to by the gods'" she said, shaking her head at the frightening memories of her suitors past.

Link remained standing in the middle of the room, staring out the window as he listened to Zelda speak.

"And then there was Ellis…He wasn't all that bad when I first met him. He was a little full of himself, sure, but I thought he was just trying to seem confident. I think this whole 'future King of Hyrule' idea has really gotten to his head. He's not ideal, but he's the best of the worst."

Link looked at her.

"So why did you agree to marry him, if you didn't love him?" Link asked. Zelda sighed.

"Because I have to get married when I turn 18. It's what the Council agreed upon. There's no getting out of this even if I tried," she said quietly.

"If I remember correctly," Link said, "you don't turn 18 for another ten months."

"Yes," Zelda said absent-mindedly, looking at her feet.

"So… why do you have to be engaged to Ellis?" he asked, trying to hide the sliver of hope from his voice.

"Why don't you wait for someone you'll actually be in love with?"

The princess scoffed.

"Yeah, the chances of that happening before I turn 18…" she trailed off, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"It doesn't matter anyways. Even if I ask for three brand new suitors, it's not like I'll get to be with my first choice. It will always be the best of the worst."

Link was about to respond to her, then he paused.

"Wait, your first choice? Who was your first choice?" he asked.

Zelda froze, her face heating up.

"Uh, no one," she said. "Forget it. It's late, and I don't really want to talk about this anymore."

Link nodded, not wanting to make Zelda anymore upset than she already was tonight.

"I'll see you in the morning, then?" he said, trying to sound cheery.

"Yes, bright and early," Zelda said. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Good night, princess," Link said as he turned to leave. He heard her faintly whisper a good night back to him.

As Link lay in his new bed in the castle, he did feel more comfortable than he had the night before. He would sleep better knowing that Epona was being taken care of, too. He rolled to his side, willing himself to fall asleep so that he could wake up early tomorrow. Link had always had an issue with oversleeping, but he didn't want to be late tomorrow and disappoint his commander.

Eventually, Link drifted off into sleep, with thoughts of who Zelda's first choice could be floating through his head.