Well folks, it took like almost a month, what with college and INTENSE writer's block for this chapter and Hyrule Warriors distracting the heck out of me, but I finally did it! I finally forced myself to write this chapter (which might explain why its so subpar, but perhaps I should stop comparing it with what's to come...) Anyway, this is mostly just an establishing chapter, kinda bare-bones and basic and a little lacking of much substance if you ask me, but needed to set up the relationship between Link and Zelda, so yeah... I can promise that the next several chapters after this focused on them will be vastly more interesting. Thanks to Aiko33, Jarvis R. Yeriel, hopscot, Zelda the Wise, Corlink14, Unanimously Anonymous 42 for following/favoring! Now onto the reviews (and there we quite a few, thank you!)!

CupcakePride101: I'll start with your review on ch. 2: Firstly, I have to say your kinda right about the nightmare thing... but I also have to say that its not what you think... ;) And yeah, I don't mind Illink that much, but I really do prefer Zelink out of any Zelda paring. And believe it or not, there was a time that I wasn't really going to ship Zelink that much here, since I had a hard time picturing TP Zelink working well, but in the way I'm gonna write it, I think it might just work out! As for your second review, I don't mind if you skip W&C, though there will be some major spoilers for it here so be warned! And as for Verona, yes one of her goals is both the Twilight Realm/Hyrule, but she has something else that she's after as well, which will ultimately help her accomplish her goals in the long run... ;)

Zelda the Wise: Thanks! I'm glad that your excited and I love TP as well and I can't wait to write more within this world! And yes, I prefer Zelink over Ilia/Link as well... ;)

Lovely girl 10: Yeah, I don't mind Ilia that much as a character (I know some fanfic writers really bash her when they write TP Zelink, but I don't plan on doing too much of that) And yeah, I do think TP Link has gone through more too, which will certainly show here (the bulk of it being the fact that Midna left, but there are other things too)

GO ZeldaXLink: Yeah, I was a little annoyed. After all, Zelink is my favorite above all other ships! XD

RandomButLoved: I can't wait for chapter 14 either! I'm so excited to get into the bulk of this story! Especially the foreshaowing! (mwahahaha!) And while I don't know if there will be any flashback to Ganny, I know that there will be some flashbacks here in a few chapters, you can bet on that!

Clover: Thanks! Me either!

TheJediAvenger: hahaha I know just how much you hate her XD And indeed ZELINK IS LOVE ZELINK IS LIFE (and apparently all other ships are wrong, except for Link/Cia lol)

explodingbunnies52: Thanks! I plan on taking things quite far in every single way... ;)

Jarvis R. Yeriel: Indeed there is a contrast. I did find it rather boring to write (and this chapter I feel the same about), but chapters like those are needed for development, so if I can just get through them, then we can finally get to the good stuff. And as far as where Verona got all of her power, largely it came from studying Veran's forbidden magic, which is stronger than even the magic that Midna wields as the Twilight Princess, making her a very deadly opponent indeed. But anyway, good luck on your books! :)

Alright, so with that out of the way, let's get started!


Chapter 3: Confidant and Counselor

"You don't forget the face of the person who was your last hope."
-Katniss, The Hunger Games

Zelda let out a long, exhausted sigh as she shuffled around the seemingly endless stacks of paper piled up on the desk of her study. Of all of the royal duties that were expected of her, paperwork had to be her least favorite. And yet, since her coronation was so close, there was a great deal of it needed to be done: invitations needed to be sent out, proclamations were begging to be signed, and most of all, her coronation speech needed to be written. Of course, all of her work vied to be the most important and the most attention-worthy, but even the normally-organized princess was having a difficult time staying on top of it all. It was safe to say that she was worn out, over-worked and over-stressed. There was so much to worry about, from the smallest details of her coronation, to the bigger picture of what would come after it. Zelda knew that her peoples' opinions of her were not as encouraging as they could have been, but she hoped that she could make up from the mistakes she had made several months ago and prove to everyone, including herself, that she was the best ruler Hyrule could possibly have.

It would take nothing short of a miracle from the goddesses themselves.

Such troubling thoughts were the only things that Zelda seemed to be able to focus on, even as she continued the every-busy work laid out in front of her. What she wanted more than anything else at a moment like this was some sort of relief, a way for her to get her mind off of her pressing concerns and the immense stress that kept her up every night. After all, she was only eighteen, mush too young to be dealing with the pressures and responsibilities of running an entire kingdom on her own. She knew that overworking herself the way that she was certainly could not be good for both her physical and mental health, but as much as she wanted a break, she knew that she had no time for one. Her kingdom depended on her, and she could not start slacking off on her duties when she was only a few days away from being crowned queen.

A sudden rapping on her office doors broke the princess out of her deep thought, causing her to lift her eyes away from the set of invitations she had been penning, but only for a moment. "Enter, please," she called somewhat absently, resuming her writing as the door creaked open and one of her attendants slipped in, but not before respectfully bowing to Zelda. As was customary, the princess nodded her head to her servant as a sign for them to rise, though she was still consumed in her urgent paperwork.

"Your highness," the attendant began. "I apologize for the interruption during such a busy time."

"Oh, it is quite alright," Zelda said with a patient smile as she finally glanced up towards the attendant, though a part of her hoped that whatever he was here for would not take up too much of her fleeting, valuable time. "I have a feeling that my schedule is only going to become more laborious from here one out, and as such I must learn to balance my time properly and be ready for anything that may come my way. What is it that you wish to tell me?"

"Ah, yes," the attendant inclined his head as he continued. "I came to tell you, as per your request, that the Hero of Twilight has arrived in response to your invitation. However, if you are currently preoccupied at the moment, I can tell him to wait until you are available to meet with him at your earliest convenience, your highness."

This information immediately caught the princess's attention from the moment her servant mentioned the hero. She had only sent her message to him via a messenger hawk yesterday morning, and yet he had already responded and came to see her, something that she had not been expecting in the slightest. She had figured that he would have been too busy with other important affairs to come simply to have an audience with her, and yet he had. And the last thing Zelda wanted to do was be a rude host and make him wait for her to finish her mountains of work, since most of it would likely never get finished anyway.

"Actually, no," she said as she began to organize her paperwork into neat, more presentable piles on her desk. "I shall meet with him now, if that suits him best. You may send him here to me whenever he is ready."

"Are you quite certain, your highness?" the attendant asked with a frown, stealing a glance at all of the work Zelda still had left to do. "I am sure the hero would understand if you are too busy at the present time to meet with him."

The princess simply shook her head, giving her servant a kind, yet authoritative look to show him that she was serious. "I am certain," she affirmed. "Whatever work I need to accomplish, I shall finish it in my own time. Far be it from me to keep such a distinguished guest waiting."

The attendant merely nodded in response and bowed before he exited the room. "As you wish, your highness."

Once the attendant shut the door behind him, Zelda once again let her thoughts wander to the hero and how little she knew of him. She was admittedly excited about seeing him again after all of these months, about hearing more of his journey across Hyrule and about what he had been doing in the aftermath of it. And aside from that, she wished to know more of him, of his background, his personality, his interests, his values. What exactly had prompted the goddesses to choose him as their hero, out of every other person in the world? There had to be a reason, and it was something that Zelda simply couldn't wait to find out.


Link was silent yet observant as he followed the royal attendant down the castle hallway towards Zelda's personal study, admittedly still surprised that the princess was willing to see him so soon. He had only just arrived at the castle less than an hour ago and already he was about to receive an audience with the princess herself. He had expected to wait at least several hours, if not even a few days before speaking with her, but sure enough, as the attendant had told him, she had requested to see him as soon as possible, though the hero hadn't the faintest idea as to why.

Yet at the same time, even Link had to admit to himself that he was feeling much better now than he had when he left Ordon that morning. Throughout much of the ride through the vast Hyrule Field, he found that his thoughts had been dwelling on Ilia and their parting kiss, something that he still wasn't quite sure what to make of it. And yet, upon arrive in Castle Town a while ago, he found that he was finally able to take his mind off of it and instead take in the sights and sounds of the bustling town, a place that was so different from sleepy little Ordon Village. Such things were welcome distractions and filler as opposed to the natural silence that he was often surrounded by in the forest. Perhaps getting away from home for a little while was what he had been needing after all.

Upon arriving at the castle, the hero found that he was actually looking forward to his meeting with the princess, even if the two of them were little more than acquaintances who had been brought together through circumstances that were beyond anyone's control. He wasn't exactly sure how their first real conversation would go, but he had a feeling that the rumors of her being nothing more than a cold, stoic, unipersonal ruler were untrue. After all, if they were, why would she have been so instant on seeing him, even though her coronation was but a few days away?

The attendant finally stopped before a pair of ornate wooden doors and turned to face Link before knocking. "This is the princess's study," the servant said, motioning towards the doors. "When you enter, do not forget to show her majesty the proper forms of respect and etiquette that we have discussed. Do you understand?"

The hero simply nodded, remembering the briefing on manners and pleasantries that he had been given before heading towards the princess's office. He remembered most of them, but for someone who had never had to use such formalities before in his life, Link could only hope that he wouldn't end up offending Zelda in some way simply because of his own lack of experience.

"Very good," the attendant said in his stately tone before turning towards the door and knocking.

"You may enter," the princess's voice, clear and smooth, sounded from the other side of the door, prompting the attendant to open it.

Before Link could even look at Zelda for two seconds, the attendant began announcing him, which, as the hero remembered, was a sign for him to bow in respect. "The Hero of Twilight, Link of Ordon, your highness."

Even though he could hear Zelda's footsteps approaching him, Link did as he had been instructed and kept his head lowered until she came to stand before him. "Greetings, Link," she said, her voice warm, inviting and admittedly melodious, the very sound of it making the hero forget about the etiquette he had been taught and prompting him to glance up at her without even thinking.

For a long moment, both of their minds suddenly went blank as their eyes met for the first time, allowing them both a change to finally get a good look at the other. Link had known Princess Zelda to be beautiful; after all, her regal, lovely appearance was widespread throughout the kingdom. But this was the first time he really noticed it. She wore her classic royal gown, an ornate, elegant outfit accentuated with golden shoulder plates and glimmering jewelry to match the tiara resting on her head. The blonde highlights in her long, light brunette hair seemed to shine in the early-afternoon sunlight that spilled into the room through the large window behind her. Her eyes were a striking shade of icy blue, a color that somehow captivate the hero as he couldn't help but stare into them, completely forgetting that she was royalty and he was not. Her skin was pale, yet flawless and fine, to the point that it almost seemed to be glowing, and her features, both of her shape and her face, were fine and gentle. However, what amazed Link the most about her was that her soft, full pink lips were soon drawn into a soft, easy smile, an almost unreadable smile that the hero had never seen in his life and was too stunned by to return.

At the same time, Zelda could do little else but smile, even if it was as coyly as she was, when she took in Link's appearance for the first actual time. She had no idea how she had not have noticed that he was as handsome as he was during their earlier meetings, but now she took careful note as she studied his face, taking in every tiny detail as she did. The first thing she noticed were his eyes, a very dark, deep shade of blue, with a hidden depth of ferocity and wildness in them, something that drew the princess in even more. His dark blonde bangs swept across his forehead from underneath his forest green cap, which, of course, matched the historic hero's tunic he was wearing perfectly. Even though he was bowing before her, Zelda could tell that he had a strong, lean build, perhaps even a bit muscular, though she wasn't able to particularly tell because of his clothes. But all the same, she found that it was hard for her to take her eyes off of him, having never seen a young man who had managed to catch her eye in such a way and make her mind grow strangely dizzy, but she finally did break her tight gaze on him when they were quickly interrupted by the disgruntled sigh from the attendant who still stood nearby, disapproving the fact that Link had broken royal protocol already.

Shaking her head to clear it, the princess turned towards her attendant and gave him a dismissive nod. "Thank you," she said to him. "You are free to go and carry on with your duties."

The attendant raised his eyebrows at her, taking a brief glance between her and the hero still kneeling before her. "But… your highness…" he began, questioning the young monarch's choice to be left alone with a young man she barely knew. But Zelda, not wanting to hear it at a moment like this, simply shook her head, giving her attendant the final sign to leave, which he reluctantly did, shutting the door and leaving the princess and the hero in the privacy of the room.

"Please, you may stand," Zelda said to Link once the attendant was gone, extending her hand out to him to help him up. The hero hesitantly took it and stood, though he made sure not to hold onto it for too long. The princess smiled at the hero more formally now, noticing that he stood only a few inches taller than her, making her wonder if he was older than her or not. "I apologize for my attendants. They are trained to ensure that everyone who comes to see me is well informed on the proper mannerisms, even if I care little if someone uses them or not. Please, do not feel as though you are obligated to treat me as if I am any different from anyone else, alright?"

Link continued to stare at the princess in awe for a moment, realizing that all of the rumors of her being stuffy and pompous were furthest from the truth. Even though they had barely exchanged any words, he could already tell that she was down to earth, even if her behavior was still polite and befitting of royalty. "Um… alright," he stammered, already scolding himself for not knowing what to say to Hyrule's princess of all people.

"Come, sit," Zelda said as her cordial smile widened. She led the way to the opposite end of the large room, taking a seat behind her desk and motioning for Link to sit in the chair before it. "Would you like some tea?" she asked, pouring herself a cup of the steaming hot liquid from the teapot she always kept on hand in her study.

"No thank you," the hero declined respectfully, though the question did jog his memory as to what he had brought along to give to the princess as opposed to her trying to give something to him. "But that does remind me… I… I mean, my village sent me with a gift to give to you as a tribute." Unsheathing the Ordon Sword strapped to his back, Link lowered his head and presented it to Zelda, something that he should have really done months ago, before disaster struck the land.

The princess smiled graciously as she took the blade into her own hands, examining its simple, sturdy construction with admiration. "Thank you," she said sincerely, looking to the hero once more. "It is lovely. I gladly accept this blade from Ordon on behalf of the royal family of Hyrule and I greatly thank you, Hero of Twilight, for delivering it to me."

"Oh, you don't have to call me that, your highness," the hero said before he could think about stopping himself for the sake of formalities. "You can just call me Link."

Zelda didn't seem to mind this second break of protocol, but rather invited it, glad to finally meet someone who was not solely focused on whether or not they would offend her. "Very well then," she said, still smiling as she put the Ordon Sword away. A beat of somewhat awkward silence filled the room as both of them tried to figure out where to really start this conversation, but fortunately for Link, Zelda was the one who got the ball finally rolling.

"So, Link," she began, folding her hands neatly in front of her on her desk. "How have you been since the last time we encountered one another? I imagine that you were able to recuperate well from the injuries that you sustained during your battle with Ganondorf, yes?"

Link frowned upon the mention of that dangerous battle but nodded nonetheless. "Uh, yeah," he said, though he knew it was something of a lie. He had indeed recovered from his physical wounds, but that didn't mean that all of the scars of his journey had healed. "I've been good, for the most part. Um… what about you?"

Zelda sighed and shook her head, a bitter smile covering her elegant countenance. "I have been quite busy, to say the least," she said truthfully. "As my letter to you stated, my coronation is only in a few days' time and I have been running around in circles day in and day out trying to prepare for it. Sometimes I feel as though I am already queen, even if I do not have the title or the crown yet."

"It's a tough job, isn't it?" the hero asked, though he had never really thought about the task of ruling a country as being as tasking and demanding as the princess was making it sound.

"I suppose it can be at times…" Zelda said with a slight shrug. "But I manage somehow. And besides, my work for this kingdom is in no way any more important that the great service that you have done for this land. I do not know what would have become of Hyrule if you had not stood up to save us in our hour of need. And so I would like to thank you, Link, from the bottom of my heart, for all that you have done for me, my people, and Hyrule itself."

"It was nothing," Link said with a shrug, even though he had nearly died on a number of occasions while trying to liberate Hyrule months ago.

"You don't have to be so modest, Link," Zelda said, her warm smile still present. "After all, if not for you, Hyrule would have fallen into eternal darkness. Now, thanks to your efforts, this kingdom knows peace and prosperity once more. You should take pride in all that you accomplished. You have earned that right after all you went through."

The hero said nothing in response to this, but he found that he finally returned her smile, finding some truth in her words. He had indeed done much to save the land, but up until now, he had not received a single word or act of gratitude for most of it, aside from a simple thank you r the like. And yet, the princess was showing him nothing less than the most sincere thankfulness, for she was perhaps one of the only people in the entire kingdom who actually understood just how grave the circumstances had been, and just how close Hyrule had been to collapse.

"Of course, I have not asked you to come all this way simply for me to offer my thanks," Zelda continued a moment later. "I have selfish reasons for inviting you here. As my invitation said, I would be very honored if you would stay as my honored guest until my coronation in a few days, but that is not all. I would like to go even a step further and honor you publicly, so that all of Hyrule may know what you have done for us, though I haven't quite figured out how yet. I have thought about knighting you, or perhaps appointing you to a high-ranking military position, but neither of those seem truly fitting for the Hero of Hyrule. And so you may have to give me a little time to think of a tribute worthy enough for you, if that is quite alright."

"Oh, you don't have to do anything special for me, princess," Link said, even though he was somewhat flustered over the fact that Zelda wanted to go to such great lengths to show her gratitude to him. Such a thing showed him just how selfless and kind she certainly was, for why else would she be lauding over him as much as she was? However, at the same time, he knew that he was not cut out for either of the positions she had mentioned, be it a knight or in the military. He already knew that such things would restrain and restrict him even more than he already felt in Ordon, which were the last things he wanted as he was still trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

The princess gave the hero a curious look for a moment, surprised at how modest and humble he was. Of course, she had not expected him to be pompous and haughty, and yet he came across as very down-to-earth and self-depreciating, things that intrigued and amazed her greatly. "Yes, I am aware that I do not have to honor you in such a way," she said, with a hint of levity in her tone. "I plan on doing so because I want to. I know that you have struggled much, and because of that, you deserve to spend the rest of your days in both comfort and honor. Do you not agree?"

"Well, maybe," Link partially agreed, though he still wasn't sure if he deserved the acclamation she wanted to give him, though he was starting to become more open to the idea. "But who knows? Anything could be a nice change from doing nothing like I've been doing ever since Midna-" The hero stopped himself short the moment he said her name, knowing that this was the first time he had spoken it aloud since she left him months ago. But even simply uttering it now reminded him of all of the remorse he had been feeling ever since his once-constant companion abandoned him.

Zelda frowned, noticing as Link averted his eyes from her and took on a morose expression. "Since Midna returned to the Twilight Realm, you mean?" she finished his thought for him, reading the hint of grief clearly showing in his dark blue eyes. He only nodded, and said nothing more on the subject, hoping that the princess would leave it be, though she had no intentions of doing so. Like Link, Zelda had known Midna well, though in a very different way. When the Twilight Princess had been on the verge of death from overexposure to the light of Hyrule, the princess of Hyrule had temporarily given up her life essence to revive her, knowing that Midna was too important to Link's quest and to the Twilight Realm to be lost. Of course, once everything was said and done, both princesses were alive and well, but during that time, Midna and Zelda's souls had bonded together in a unique way. Though the Twilight Princess had not known it, the Hylian princess had come to know of the former's struggles and trials through that bond, and in a way, she had also come to know of what the hero had gone through as well. And even more than that, it allowed her to sympathize well with him now that the one who they had both come to grow so close to was gone out of their reach.

"You miss her greatly, do you not?" the princess asked gently, and once more, the hero only nodded in response, knowing that there was no use trying to hide such a fact from her. Zelda sighed as she glanced down, wishing that there was something she could do to ease the sorrow he was no doubt feeling. Instead, all she could do was attempt to comfort him the only way she knew how. "Believe it or not, I understand well how you are feeling," she began, prompting Link to look up at her in confusion. He didn't want to call her out on it, but he was beyond confused at her statement. How could she possibly know what it was like for a dear a friend as Midna was to him to leave without barely saying a word? "When Midna departed for the Twilight Realm, I was also quite distressed, though most likely not anywhere near as much as you were," Zelda continued, her tone still cautious yet sad. "Midna and I… Well, in the simplest way I know how to explain it, when I imbued my life essence to her, I bonded with her heart in a way that allowed me to know all of her sorrow and grief, to discover all she had lost and everything that had been torn from her… And… it allowed me to see just how close she was with you."

"If we were so close, then why did she leave?" Link finally asked, unable to hide the bitterness and hurt in his tone. "Why didn't she at least explain to me why she was leaving, instead of just doing it without barely saying a good bye?"

"Link…" the princess said with a sigh as she closed her eyes, understanding his position well, though she also understood what Midna had been thinking at the time that had caused her to sever the connection between the realms of light and Twilight. "I can see that this has been troubling you, most likely for quite some time now. But you have to understand that what Midna did, she did for the sake of both of our worlds. The Twilight Invasion was not the first time Hyrule and the Twilight Realm had clashed in a violent confrontation, but thanks to her, it will hopefully be the last. By destroying the Mirror of Twilight, Midna ensured that both her world and ours would remain safe for years to come. And yet, as she was leaving, I could tell that a part of her did not want to; a part of her would have rather stayed, left the connection open, anything so that she would have been able to stay with you. But she knew what she needed to do and so she made her own sacrifice, even though she knew it would hurt you both. And, if she was here today, I am certain that is exactly what she would say to explain herself."

"I know…" the hero sighed. He had quickly realized after Midna had left that her heart had been in the right place, but that didn't make things any less difficult for him. "But I still miss her… Sometimes I wish I could just talk to her one more time and tell her just how important she was to me, and how I couldn't have been able to do any of what I did without her, and how… how much of a wreck I am without her now…" he trailed off somewhat hopelessly, finding it strangely easy to admit such weakness and pain to the princess, despite the fact that they hardly knew each other. And yet, at the same time, it seemed as though she was the only one who understood, who empathized with him and who listened to him with open ears and an open mind. She did not judge him for his feelings of grief and frustration, but instead she offered herself as both a confidant and a counselor, both of which were things that he knew he needed greatly.

"If only the world was so kind…" Zelda said with equal weariness. "I know that it hurts to lose someone important to you, and that sometimes, that grief does not leave you easily. But at the same time, you must not allow that grief to rule your life. You must find ways to move on with your life and push your sadness aside so that you may find joy in the world once more. Certainly you have friends and loved ones back in your village who can help you do so, do you not?"

"Well, yes…" Link said with a frown, though at the same time he recalled his conversation with Ilia the previous day. "But I doubt that any of them would understand…"

The princess was silent for a moment as their eyes met once more, this time a mutual, unspoken empathy being conveyed by their gaze instead of awe or admiration. Indeed, the Twilight Invasion and the subsequent departure of the Twilight Princess had left them both scarred and pained, both in different ways. And yet at the same time, they both began to realize that they were not alone any longer. For so long, both Link and Zelda had been keeping to themselves about their respective struggles. The princess hid away from the rest of the world how she had been held a prisoner in her own castle, and had been possessed by the King of Thieves and used as little more than his puppet against the hero. At the same time, the hero had grown to be reclusive and distant, hardly speaking a word to anyone about his rough travels, of how he had been forcibly transformed into a wolf, almost killed many times in a number of different ways and at the end of it all had lost the one who had come to be his closest friend. But now, as the two of them began to let their pent-up inhibitions go, they were beginning to realize that they had more in common than perhaps anyone could have guessed. Which was what prompted Zelda to smile softly at Link, hoping to reassure the hero who had saved her and her kingdom that he did not have to be alone now that his journey was over. "I understand," she said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear.

The hero stared at her for the longest time, completely forgetting that she was the princess of Hyrule and instead seeing her as someone who was just as remorseful as he was, for many of the same reasons. He saw someone who could be there for him in place of his friends and neighbors in Ordon who tried to support him, but could not know what he had gone through to save them all. He saw someone who he could finally talk to openly, someone who he could tell everything, someone who would understand and listen. And in return, he would be there for her, to support and listen to her as well, and return the great service that she was doing for him simply by giving her the same solace she was offering him. After all, it was the least he could do.

However, before Link could even thank Zelda, a knock on the door sounded loudly throughout the room, breaking the tentative silence between them. Their long-held eye contact finally broke as the princess glanced towards the door, though the hero could detect the slightest hint of distain in her voice as she commanded the person who had knocked to enter.

The same attendant from before stepped inside, causing Zelda to frown in subtle frustration, for she already knew what was coming. "I am terribly sorry for interrupting, your highness," the attendant said, giving her a slight bow. "But I am afraid that some business concerning your coronation has come up, and it requires your immediate attention."

"Ah, yes," the princess said with a sigh, rising to stand up from her chair as she turned to the hero once more. "Link, I am terribly sorry that I have to cut our meeting short, but I am afraid that I must attend to this matter. However, I trust that you plan on staying for my coronation, right?"

"Yes," Link answered almost immediately, almost as if it was on instinct. He found that a large part of him not only did not want to return to Ordon so soon, but that he also wanted to spend more time with Zelda, even despite the fact that she was clearly so busy and that they had only really had one actual conversation. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to part ways with the princess who had graciously invited him to meet with her, who had offered to bestow riches and glory upon him in response to his quest, who had allowed him to speak about his feelings openly and honestly, and who had given him the wisdom and assurance that he had not had for so long.

"Very well then," Zelda said, clearly pleased to hear this. "I shall have one of my attendants set you up in one of our guest chambers for the next several days. However, I do hope that we will be able to speak more before my coronation."

"Me too," the hero said with a small smile as he also stood, before bowing before the princess once again as he had been instructed. She acknowledged his bow with a small smile and a formal farewell as she headed for the door to leave, but not before glancing behind her at him and giving him one last kind smile, one that left him with a lingering good feeling that he could not explain.

Even despite their vastly different social classes, it was already becoming clear to both the hero and the princess that they were already starting to form a bond, as new as it may have been. Already they both knew that their hearts were torn in similar ways, that they had both lost someone who had been very important to them both and that they had sacrificed much to protect the land they both loved. But even beyond that, there seemed to be something else between them, something that neither of them was able to explain yet. But for now, both Link and Zelda knew that, in light of all they had gone through and all they had seen and done, and the fact that they only knew each other on a surface level, both of them had already started to take a liking to the other, even if it was only on a base level. And because of that, both the Hero of Twilight and the Princess of Hyrule knew that they could now easily call themselves friends.


Ok, so like I said, kinda boring, but this sorta stuff establishes things for later on. As for the next chapter, things will become more interesting as we tackle some important lore along with some more bonding for Zelda and Link, this time on an even more personal level! So yay! But anyway, before I go, I'd like to do a little self advertising and direct you towards my newest project, a detailed novelization of Hyrule Warriors (my new greatest love)! If you want to check it out, feel free to go to my profile and find it if you haven't already. You won't be sorry! But anyway, as always, don't forget to follow/favorite and of course, REVIEW! Until next time!