Hi there!

Sorry about the late update!(I mean, it was supposed to come in yesterday or the day before I think) but yea last week was chinese new year, and I'm still in the holiday mood so I haven't exactly been writing much, but thank you for all the favs/follows!

As I have mentioned a lot earlier, this story is much heavily focused between Link and Zelda, and yea many of my chapters will focus on these two, so I do hope you enjoy this kind of things instead of all the action-based stuff and politics and stuff!

Please do give constructive criticisms(or you know, review that you like it cuz support is always appreciated :) ) and tell me what you think in the reviews HAHA

Enjoy!

Edit: I typed this chapter out pretty late, and realise that there's plenty issues with this. Read through this once again and updated it.

~Kuntakintae


Zelda

The first thing that Zelda was conscious of was the excruciating headache that throbbed painfully within her head.

Her eyelids felt like they were made of lead as she tried to open her eyes. The piercing rays of light that immediately attacked them caused her to wince and her already painful headache to worsen a notch.

She tried to lift up her arm to cover her eyes, but found that she couldn't. Her arms felt like they weighed a ton, and her entire body felt weak and numb- as though it had not been active for a substantial amount of time.

For a heart-stricken moment, she thought that she was back within calamity Ganon- trapped and stuck in endless limbo, unable to move or feel- and a surge of panic erupted inside her.

The panic was quashed almost immediately after, however, when the fact that it was due to light that she could not open her eyes.

Light was never present when she was within Calamity Ganon.

Her next assumption- she was dead, and she was already residing in heaven.

She then thought sardonically that if being in heaven still gave her such horrible headaches, she would rather just never wake up.

But, as tempting as it was to sink back into the peaceful lull of unconsciousness, she forced herself to stay awake, to keep her eyes open. She had to know exactly where she was, and had to know what exactly was happening.

Slowly- painfully slowly- her eyes adjusted to the light, and it took a full five minutes before she could open her eyes fully without feeling as though the blinding light would burn right through her irises.

The first thing her eyes laid upon was the very source of the light. A huge, square window- and also the only window in the room- revealed the sun burning proudly and brightly high in the sky. Seeing the clear blue sky from her angle, whatever panic she and fear she had felt before leaked out of her- she was evidently still alive, and on earth.

A frown appeared on her face as she tried to recall what had happened. Her mind was still sluggish, and her thoughts were agonizingly slow. The images in her mind were all blurry and fuzzy, while her memories were in a mess.

Finally feeling the smallest amount of strength trickling into her body, she groaned in effort as she propped herself up on one shaky hand, barely succeeding in bringing herself fully upright before her arm lost strength and she collapsed against the wall behind her, knocking her head lightly in the process- which felt like a boulder crashing into her skull.

After a full minute of gritting her teeth and tightly shutting her eyes while clenching her fists, the pain in her head subsided into the throbbing headache it was before. It was still a horrible feeling, but at least it was barely bearable.

She then opened her eyes and observed the room, moving her neck as little as possible as her eyes roamed around the small area, trying to take in as much detail as usual.

Blue, coral-like walls, with unique designs that seemed very similar to the Zora's personal artistry. Soft, glowing blue pearls that were attached to the four corners of her bed- a luxury design, considering that these pearls were extremely rare and could only be found by the Zora. The heavy scent of marine nature engulfed the air as well.

Even the dress she was wearing- a pristine white, silky, sleeveless night gown that went down to just below her knee- screamed Zora, if the precious, pink pearls that were used as buttons had anything to say about it.

Her eyes widened as the memories suddenly gushed into her mind, like a dam had been holding it back and it was now open. She was in the Zora's domain. She had met the king, and the chancellors, She had faced the scorn of the elders, the hatred or Muzu. She had been trying to mend that...

And then she saw Mipha.

All thoughts and worries of how the king would react, of how the elders would think of her, of how the entire Zora race would think of her could not impede or stop the gush of grief and pain that had swept through her.

Mipha had been a huge part of her life- she had been one of the pillars of support she heavily relied on. Mipha held a special place in her heart- Link was her best friend, while Urbosa was like a mother to her, but Mipha was someone she could really relate to. They had been under similar circumstances, experiencing similar things.

If she was to say who had understood her the most a century ago, she would have named Mipha immediately, without hesitation.

In the end, it had been herself that failed Mipha as well.

The tears slid down almost immediately as she stared into blank space.

She did not try to wipe her tears, nor did she try to stem the flow. She let the tears flow freely, flowing steadily and slowly from her eyes, down her cheeks, and finally dripping off the tip of her chin to the bedding.

Not a sound escaped her lips- not a single sob or sniffle escaped her lips. Her body showed no signs of shaking or trembling. She was too exhausted for that- both physically and emotionally.

Gradually, her tears stopped flowing, and her cheeks dried. Yet, she did not move, opting to stare into blank space as the raging emotions that she was experiencing slowly whittled away in the form of her crystal-clear tears. All that was left was an even more exhausted mind, a tired heart and an emptiness in her chest.

The room was still and silent- safe for the constant swaying of her golden locks and the sound of a gentle breeze whistling softly against her ears as the sea breeze came in through the window.

Zelda leaned against the bed frame behind her, and leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes as she tried to take advantage of the peaceful and calm period of time to sort herself and her emotions out.

Mipha was painful, and it hurt, but Mipha was- Zelda winced as the words went through her head- of the past, and Zelda had to look to the future.

But no matter how much she tried to organize her thoughts, no matter how much she tried to calm her emotions and will her mind to think about how to handle the politics with the Zora- which was already in a disastrous state due to her recent breakdown and blackout- she could not.

The whispers trying to get her to focus on the issue at hand were completely drowned out by the roaring of accusatory and grieving voices, and the emotions she tried to push away were like an immovable wall that refused to budge.

The sound of the doorknob turning entered her ears, completely surprising her. She had been too dazed, too deep in the bottomless pit of negative emotions and thoughts that she had not heard the footsteps that had stopped right outside her door.

Her hands, with a sudden burst of energy, shot up to her face as she tried to to clear away the tear tracks desperately. Her eyes glanced at her own condition, and her heart sunk- she knew that she would not be able to look presentable by the time whoever it was at the door entered the room.

Due to her struggling, her nightgown was very obviously crumpled. Her hair- which had been untied and unbraided- stuck to her tear-streaked face and was pretty much messy in every way. Even a dark patch could be seen on the white bedding just below her chin- no thanks to the tears from before.

She prayed to the goddess that it would not be anybody of importance, that it would not be any of the high-ranking Zoras or even worse- the king himself. Her heart started to thump against her chest hard, and at a rate that could only be described as unnaturally fast.

Clearing her throat softly, and forcing herself to sit up straight and place her hands on her lap, she stared nervously as the door opened, ready to give her best performance- even if her head was throbbing once again and her body felt like it was on fire.

As soon as she saw who it was, however, all the tensed muscles loosened, and a wave of relief crashed into her. She- in lack of better words- deflated back into her previous position, not withholding the groan that came out of her mouth.

Her neck turned into Jelly, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she prepared for a whole world of pain as her head made it's way towards the wall behind.

The pain never came, however. Instead she felt a soft, gentle yet firm hand wrap around the back of her head, preventing her skull from crashing into the wall.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Link asked, and she could see the burning concern in his usually emotionless eyes, as well as relief- lots of relief that warmed her heart. He must have been plenty worried when she had fainted. She smiled back tiredly, allowing him to slowly rest her head back against the wall.

"I have felt better," Zelda replied softly. Link's face softened a little as he stared at her, and she felt a tinge of happiness seeing that, as well as a slight hint of embarrassment- but she was too exhausted to even bother about those emotions.

At that very moment, all she felt was relief and happiness.

Link was, perhaps, the only person in the current world that she would allow to see her in such a sorry state. A wry smile emerged on her face as she thought and realised that even in the past, the person who had seen her in her most sorry state was also Link, though he might not remember it yet.

"How long have I been...asleep?" She hesitated before asking, unable to find better words.

"Five days," Zelda's eyes widened in shock when she heard the answer, and she almost wanted to shoot right up before Link placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her as he shook his head. He didn't say anything, but Zelda understood his intention. After a brief moment of hesitation, she relaxed her tensed muscles, and a burning soreness shot through her body, causing a small grimace to appear on her face.

"I brought you water," Link said, grabbing a shining silver cup from the cupboard beside the bed and making a motion to pass it to her. When he saw her shaking hand, however, a frown emerged on his face.

She saw his body stiffen for a moment, and a flicker of hesitation appeared in his eyes, but it was immediately washed away by the determination that replaced it.

"Let me help you," he said, bringing the cup to her hand, and then encasing her hand before guiding her hand to her mouth. Her cheeks started to flame, and she tried her best not to show the shame and embarrassment on her face.

She had always been an independent woman, and ever since she turned five, no one had ever fed her ever again.

However, she couldn't reject Link's aid, as she herself knew that she was ridiculously weak at that very moment, and the very second that Link's hands left hers would be when the cup of water slips out of her fingers.

Furthermore, even though she would never admit it, she felt a little sense of satisfaction when it was Link aiding he. Her cheeks turned to an even darker shade of red, and she forced the thought out of her mind.

Once the embarrassing ordeal was over, and Link had placed the cup back onto the cupboard, a silence descended between them. Zelda had no idea what to say- and she was still reeling from her shock and blackout- so all she could think of doing was to avoid Link's gaze, and stare out of the window.

Strangely, the silence turned out to be not-so-awkward, and into something more of a contemplative silence. She was aware of the fact that Link knew how she had been before he entered the room- it was pretty obvious, judging from the state he had caught her in.

Even if it wasn't, Link would still be able to tell.

The corners of her lips upturned ever so slightly as she thought about it. In the past, when she had been distraught, downtrodden, grieved or disappointed, Link had always known what to do. It was as though it was an instinct to him- he knew when she needed a comforting touch, when she needed a peaceful silence, when she needed a good fruitcake to cheer her up.

It seemed that that particular instinct had not left him. She appreciated the silence he gave her, as well as the comforting presence he exuded.

Sometimes, all that was needed to comfort someone was a moment of quiet, and the presence of someone who genuinely cares.

The silence lasted for a very long time. No words were spoken- they weren't needed. There was a tacit understanding between them- one that time and memories could not get in between, evidently.

"Thank you, once again," Zelda whispered, almost inaudibly with the gentle breeze blowing against their ears, but she knew that Link could- and would- hear her words.

There was a short silence, and she could see from the corner of her eye that Link was struggling about what to say.

"It is my duty," Link's answer pierced straight though her heart, and she could feel a knot of disappointment form at the pit of her stomach. She had known that would be what he would say in the end, but she still wished that he would say something else.

She steeled herself, telling herself in her mind that Link had not recovered all his memories yet, and that was the reason why he was still so formal around her, why he still called her 'Princess', why he still felt like a knight simply serving his ruler.

But it still hurt, and it hurt alot.

Link brought her the greatest relief and comfort in this new era, but also the greatest pain and suffering.

She almost wanted to tell Link not to say that, not to say those accursed words that kept on reminding her that he was not the Link she knew- not completely.

But what good would her words do? Even if she did say it, Link could not simply just transform all his feelings with a mere sentence. If he tried to act differently, it would not be genuine, and it would probably do more bad than good.

Not for the first time, she wondered why fate was so twisted.

She winced as a particularly painful throb attacked her head, and coupled along with the complete mess of emotions she was feeling at that very moment, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Are you alright, princess?" He asked, his voice carrying concern. He then came forward and placed his palm gently on her forehead- his skin cool at the touch. Zelda looked at his worried eyes, and the slight furrow that was plastered on his face, and once again, the conundrum of emotions battered at her heart like a wrecking ball into a steel wall.

"Don't call me princess," Zelda said before she could even think, and her eyes widened a fraction as she said that. Link- judging by the surprised look on his face- was not expecting it as well. Zelda bit the bottom of her lip slightly, and berated herself silently.

She wanted to blame it on the fever she was currently having- and to be fair, it was to a certain extent- but she also knew that she would not have said it if she had not been so bitingly affected by the fact that Link treated her more of a princess and less of a friend.

She wanted to explain, to take back her words, but she had no idea how to. What should she say, what should she do? She could try to make excuses- examples being that she was no longer a princess as there was no longer any kingdom- but she knew that Link would see right through her facade. He had one of the sharpest minds she knew.

Both Link and her knew what she had meant when she said that statement, but neither really knew how to respond to that completely out of place words that inadvertently came out of her mouth.

An awkward silence ensued, and Link retrieved his hand slowly. Zelda's eyes were stuck to the soft blanket covering the lower half of her body, and her arms were just itching to clasp together- something she tended to do when she was extremely nervous.

A small tinge of fear snaked its way into her heart- a fear that her comment would drive a wedge between them, a fear that her statement would completely destroy whatever relationship they had been slowly rebuilding the past few weeks.

The more she thought, the more the fear grew. She should have controlled her mouth, should have stopped those god-forsaken words from escaping her lips. Link should be feeling very awkward now- or even worse, annoyed. Annoyed that she wanted him to become someone he could not, annoyed that she kept pushing him to step across his comfort zones, annoyed that she-

Suddenly, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders gently, halting her train of thoughts. Her eyes shot up, and she met Link's ones straight on. There was something unreadable in those eyes of his, but she could tell that her statement had not done anything that she had feared. He was not annoyed, and neither did his eyes hold a hint of being distant or uncomfortable.

Instead, she could see the obvious worry and concern that shone within them, and her fears drained out of her.

"You need to rest," He said, before helping her gently to lie back down on her bed. She immediately wanted to protest, to say that she had things to attend to- the king to meet, the elders to convince, Muzu-

But the moment she opened her mouth, her eyebrows arching as she wanted to protest, Link shook his head firmly, fixing a severe stare at her- one which she had not seen for a long time.

"You are running too high a fever. The King and the elders can wait- you will not be able to have a proper meeting with them in your current state." Link's firm voice quashed the protests that had threatened to spew right out of her mouth. She resignedly nodded- his words made sense, no matter how unwilling she was to admit it.

Carefully, he placed her head on the comfortable pillow before bringing the blanket right up to her chin. An image flashed across her mind almost immediately.


"You are sick. Please do rest," Link's voice held a hint of exasperation as he stood at her doorway, not allowing her to leave the room.

"Link, I have many things to attend to. Calamity Ganon is right around the corner, and I have not made a single progress in my prayers! I need to get to the praying room-"

"You need to get some rest. It would be the greatest irony if you fell to a high fever before the calamity even strikes," Link replied steadily, before sighing and grabbing her arm- gently- and bringing her to her bed.

"Link-" She tried, but a short, serious stare from her protector cowed her- if not for the moment.

"Rest," He said shortly but firmly, before helping her into her bed, and then gently pulling the sheets up to her chin level, making sure she was well insulated from the cold that plagued the winter's night.

Then, he walked back to the doorway, and turned back one last time, saying-


"Rest well, Zelda," Link's voice- a little deeper but also a little softer than the one in her memory- floated through her ears, and her eyes shot to the doorway in shock, but said man had already disappeared behind it.

As the astonishment that had sparked within her settled down, and the shock that hit her like a tidal wave trickled away, a small smile crept up to her lips, and she closed her eyes.

Sleep found her easily after that.