There was little Link could do, he knew that much.

He also realized that though he had played a big role in Hylia's decision to forgo her status. It was also him who had given her happiness and reassurance.

Him. As if that made sense.

Link sobbed in Hylia's lap and all he could think of was that neither his shame nor his guilt had gone away, but a new feeling overpowered the others. Longing. The same he had felt as a child desperate to find a family.

Was it just that the chance was given to him and he was aching to be able to take it?

Was it something else?

Did it matter?

His mind was still too numb from guilt, and his heart still hurt from her pain, so his tongue felt heavy and the only thing he could do was whimper. "I'm never leaving you," Hylia caressed his hair and Link felt too much. "Never," he promised again.

Link wondered whether this would spook Hylia, his desperation. His faithfulness. But Hilya was smiling with her lips slightly raised, with eyes that shone too bright and with a tightness that betrayed a secret.

But Link didn't ask.

And so he begged.

"Please, don't leave me."

It had been Link's idea. After a couple of weeks of what Hylia could only call a dream, Link had started to look to the skies and the forests with longing.

She had thought adventure had whispered to his ear. But once again, he had surprised her.

A heart so big. A soul so strong.

It was just no wonder she had fallen in love.

Link's eyes glistened like the times she had seen him train with Orca. His strides were strong and his hands were warm and at night he would gather her into his arms and whisper about everything he knew.

Whenever he stopped over a hill, sweeping his gaze to the distance, looking, searching, he would turn to her with a smile and a shake of the head, "Maybe farther along."

The land was filled with monsters and empty of Hylians. But Link would just plunge his sword into the enemies and smile whenever he turned.

"Maybe farther along," Hylia reassured.

Farther along became farther along. And then, even farther. Link had stopped looking to the distance and he would only talk about those memories that weren't his.

About the memories Rhoam had gifted him and Link had treasured so much. About the flowers, and the sons, the daughters and the wayward wife who were always there.

The distance shortened and Hylia could only grab Link's hand as support. How much she longed to pull his heart closer to her. To soothe his worries and whisper loving words to his heart.

Link was starting to realize how much this meant to him. How important it was for Rhoam to be all right. For his struggles to mean something.

For there to be a tether to what seemed reality.

Hylia squeezed his hand and Link started to fear.

"What if no one's there?"

Hylia furrowed her brows but said nothing.

"You can't feel him, right?"

Hylia shook her head no, "I no longer feel-"

Link nodded, "Yeah, that's right, I know..."

Link started to walk again, helped Hylia go over a tree's root, "I know," he repeated.

Link had seen nobody else in their journey. He knew, in the back of his mind, that the chances of finding Rhoam were slim. He talked endlessly to Hylia. Asked and shared, pointed and explained, talked and talked.

Because his brain was trying still to fight against this knowledge.

The moment Link stood in the middle of the road in front of Rhoam's house his legs wobbled.

Link took a deep breath and felt Hylia at his back, warm and calm, and he gave a step forward, and another.

He knew he had made an attempt at calling Rhoam, he knew he made an attempt to keep on walking to the front door, but he was in between Hylia's arms, his head hidden in her neck and all he knew was that he was hiperventilating.

The door had been left open and the flowers were dried and dying, no children were running around and no wife nor Rhoam was waiting with a smile to welcome him.

Hylia cooed Link till his breathing was normal, and though Link walked around the house sharing with her pieces of information he remembered, his tears never stopped falling.

That night, Zelda caressed Link's hair till he fell asleep, and when he turned once to press his forehead to her chest, she said, "I'm sure they are safe somewhere."

Link bit down a smile and a joke, 'Goddesses aren't supposed to lie'.

Link and Hylia spent the next couple of days fixing Rhoam's house, when night came they would camp outside and look to the sky.

Link always slept better if he imagined Rhoam living in the island in the sky. Soon enough, his mind was set that that was the best outcome for this story. It wasn't that he didn't know better, he just simply chose to believe that, even though the back of his mind fought back.

The day they decided to go back, while Hylia was sitting in between Link's legs and the night was falling upon them, Hylia shot her head up and fixated her eyes to the distance.

"What's wrong?" Link asked. Hylia turned to him and then pointed to the sky.

"Don't you see that?"

Link squinted his eyes in the direction Hylia pointed, but saw nothing. "Where?"

Hylia put her hand down, "There," she said.

And Link could see a long, shining monster surfing the sky. His first instinct was to grab Hylia and put them both under a heavier patch of trees, so the monster wouldn't see them.

But Hilya put one hand on Link's knee and the other grasped his hand, "It's all right," she was calm, "It's a God."

Link eyed the God, going up and down the clouds, "Okay," he breathed.

Hylia looked at it till it was gone and Link felt something stirring inside him.

Hylia walked through their house barefoot. The flowers were blooming, their house was bigger and now Link would sneak kisses in between goodbyes before sleeping.

And it was time for her to tell him.

If he wanted to stay after that...

"Link?"

Link raised his head from the flower bed he was taking care of.

"Do you have a moment?"

Link flashed a smile, "I always have a moment for you."

Link was sun-kissed and his blonde hair only shone brighter. He was more bold with his words and his actions and Hylia was starting to hope for a future with him.

"Do you want me to go inside?" Link dusted his pants and put the towel he used to clean his face and hands on his neck.

Hylia stepped outside, where was the best place to tell him?

"I don't know if it will change anything, really," Link had his head cocked to the side and walked to her, "it's just..."

Link frowned, "It's important," he realized.

Hylia grabbed one of her arms and nodded. Link jogged the last steps to her.

"It's all ri-"

Link's reassurance died the next moment, as Link heard the whistling sound of an arrow coming their way. It was pure reflex, his arm shot up to cover Hylia and the arrow nested in his shoulder.

Hylia only heard a dry sound, her head was on Link's neck and then she was looking at his back.

"Go back inside," Link growled and the next arrow hit his right arm.

Hylia felt her heart shot up in her chest, but her worried voice calling for Link was drowned by him pushing her to the door and him grabbing a rock and throwing it to the forest.

Hylia was frozen in place the moment Link ran to the woods. Her hands were shaking and Hylia loathed her frozen feet and her frozen mind.

Link dodged the next arrow and broke the arrow on his arm. Before his attacker loaded again, Link jumped on him and pierced his throat with the broken arrow.

The man gurgled and touched his neck with desperation.

"Shawn!"

Link grabbed the dead man's quiver and bow and in a movement shot the man who had screamed.

The man wobbled but raised his sword and gave a step forward.

Link pierced his throat with a shot and walked to the corpse to grab its sword.

Link breathed out and looked around, tried to hear unnatural sounds.

And arrow shot nearby and Link dodged and ran.

"Get him out of there!"

Link saw a man in between the house and the forest and jumped immediately to the clearing.

The man saw Link and laughed, "Nice to see you worried, lad!"

Link jumped and slashed at the man. The man widened his eyes but managed to block, a grunt left his lips.

Hylia stood in front of the door, too worried to remain inside but too anxious to go out and burden Link.

"Stay inside!" Link slashed the man's leg and the man fell with a scream.

Link turned as he heard rustle.

"Go get him!"

Two archers and three warriors. Link cursed under his breath, if only he had his shield.

An archer fired and Link dodged to the side, one warrior plunged forward and met blades with Link. The next arrow flew near Link's torso.

Hylia had one hand over her mouth and the other grabbed the door. Link shot arrow after arrow to the archers and hit one.

The soldiers charged and Link had to throw away the bow.

"Give me a clear shot!"

Hylia could feel her heart in her mouth, "Link!"

Link grunted but managed to fight them off, "Hylia-!" He had wanted to reassure her but an arrow hit and he bit his lips.

Hylia drowned a scream and felt her hands tingle.

Link grabbed one warrior and shielded himself from an arrow.

The remaining two warriors looked at each other and to the archer.

"I'm not dying today, bastards," as if to prove his point Link slashed the man's throat but kept the body to shield himself.

In between looks, the archer retreated and the two warriors grabbed the man hurt in the leg and fled.

Link remained alert for almost half an hour after. Hylia didn't dare move.

When Link appeared in front of her, Hylia raised her arms and hugged Link.

"Everything's fine," Link tried to control her sobbing, "I'm all right."

Link woke and turned on the bed.

Hylia sat immediately at the end of the bed, "How do you feel?"

Link blinked and smiled, "I'm all right."

"Does it hurt?"

Link shook his head, "It just stings."

Hylia had stayed by his side throughout the night, grabbing his hand and making sure that he was comfortable.

Hylia looked at her lap, "What if they come back?"

Link got closer to her, "Then we'll fend them off."

"Link..."

"It's all right, come on, we can handle it."

"Maybe we should go and find a settlement."

Link nodded, "If that's what you want."

Hylia looked at his bandaged body and remembered what she was supposed to tell him.

"Link."

"Yes."

Hylia sat closer to him, hugged him with care.

"Hylia."

"Yes?"

"What is it you're worried about?"

Hylia closed her eyes, felt his heat and heartbeat.

"I'll tell you later."