Link and Zelda looked around at their new surroundings. They were on an island contained within a small lake. The island contained nothing more than a small hut that looked to be in disrepair.
"The terrain must have shifted in the Sacred Realm" said Zelda. "This must be an offshoot of Lake Hylia that somehow expanded into the area where Hyrule Castle should be located. I don't expect to find many Zoras here though. The waterway connecting this lake to Lake Hylia doesn't appear to be very wide, just a trickle. The problem we face now is getting off this island. We are close to land but I don't think we should try swimming, especially not with all of our supplies."
"I didn't bring a bunch of supplies with me when I was going after Zant" said Link. "All I brought was a sword, a shield, a bow, some arrows, some bombs, a dominion rod, two clawshots, a slingshot, a spinner, a lantern, some empty bottles, a fishing rod, a boomerang, a pair of iron boots, this weird device called a 'hawkeye', a horse whistle, two extra suits of armor, a ball and chain, and some rupees."
"Wow, you were roughing it" said Zelda. "Clearly, I am spoiled. I suppose we may have to make do with less."
"Or not" replied Link. "Maybe we can find some things to build a raft with. It doesn't look like that hut has been used in ages. Maybe we can tear off a wall and use it as a raft."
They ended up doing exactly that. The door to the hut had already fallen off the hinges so they grabbed the door to use as a raft. Unfortunately, they quickly discovered that the makeshift raft wouldn't support their weight. Even Zelda alone couldn't get on the door without it sinking.
"OK, new plan" said Zelda. "We put our supplies pack on the door and then we will just have to swim alongside the door. We will be soaked but at least our supplies will stay dry."
Link nodded. "Yes, it looks like that's what we will have to do. I'm an experienced swimmer, but do you think you will be alright?"
"Of course" replied Zelda. "I have enjoyed swimming since before I could walk. I will be fine. Let's get this part over with so that we can plan our next move."
The water was ridiculously cold. Link didn't remember Lake Hylia in Hyrule being nearly that cold. They swam quickly across the lake so that they could get out of the water before they caught hypothermia. When they reached the mainland, they were both shivering.
"C-C-C-Come On" said Zelda. "We need to go somewhere warmer."
"Death Mountain" said Link. "Or whatever the equivalent is here in the Sacred Realm. Maybe we won't have to make it that far. Maybe Kakariko Village has a counterpart here too."
Zelda couldn't summon the words to her throat to reply so she simply nodded. They walked briskly in the direction of Death Mountain. They didn't have to walk as far as they had originally anticipated. Lake Hylia wasn't the only terrain feature that had expanded. There were large deposits of igneous rock running from Death Mountain all the way to the outskirts of Hyrule Field. In some places, there were small pools of lava. These deposits eventually started getting closer to the lake. Near the focal point was a vast expanse of hot springs.
Link and Zelda practically ran towards the hot springs. Zelda fumbled with her belt buckle. She had wisely chosen to wear traveling clothes instead of a dress befitting a queen.
"My fingers are numb" she sputtered. "Help me with my belt, please."
Link also struggled with her belt buckle but was quickly able to get a few fingers under the flap to undo the buckle.
"Thanks" said Zelda wearily, her lips already a shade of blue, as she rushed to remove the rest of her drenched clothing. Link stripped just as hurriedly and then jumped into the hot spring. In retrospect, he realized that he should have tested the water first to avoid scalding his skin off, but luckily for him, it was hot enough to provide instant relief without being dangerous. Zelda slid in beside him.
The water only came up to Link's chest, so he bent his knees until the water was touching his chin. He suddenly burst out laughing, more out of relief than out of humor. Zelda joined in with his laughter.
"This feels sooooo gooooood" Zelda said, practically purring. "I thought I was going to freeze to death out there." She backed up until she was pressing her back up against Link's chest. Link wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.
They stayed there in the hot spring in relative silence. Eventually, Link got over the icy grip of the cold lake and began to turn his attention to other bodily needs. He could feel Zelda's firm buttocks pressed up against his crotch, and he couldn't help but become aroused at the contact. This didn't go unnoticed by Zelda.
"I see you're feeling better" she said. "Fortunately for you, so am I. Let's dry off and then lay down a blanket from our pack. This time, I want you to decide how we do it."
The position Link chose was for Zelda to lie on her back with her legs spread while Link was facedown on top of her. Zelda informed him that this was the "deku baba" position. Link hated the carnivorous plants known as "deku babas", but he thoroughly enjoyed mounting Zelda. He looked into her eyes as he was thrusting slowly inside of her. Her eyes were glimmering with affection as she gazed back at him. She wrapped her legs around him and put her hands on his back as she guided his thrusting just the way she wanted.
Zelda's whole body was rocked by the wave of pleasure that enveloped her as she climaxed. Link finished closely behind her. He rolled over and rested beside Zelda.
"I have a question for you" said Link. "And I apologize if it's inappropriate or I seem like I'm asking too much."
"Link, you can ask me about literally anything you want to know. No more secrets. I'm an open book for you."
"Well, I don't really know much about how royalty behaves, but I had been under the impression that unmarried princesses and queens were expected to be... well, virgins?"
"Yes and no" replied Zelda. "Marriage plays a significant role in politics, especially where royalty is concerned. It's becoming less and less of an issue as political power becomes more and more centralized under my dynasty, but it still matters. Virginity has a tangential role in all of this. It's kind of hard to explain because I'm not sure I fully understand it myself. Basically, the giving of oneself fully to a marriage partner is symbolic of the alliances it represents. If a queen has had sex before with someone before marrying someone else, some people read too much into that as an omen of sorts."
"So is that going to cause a problem for you?"
"I sure hope not" said Zelda softly. "Link..." she started. She was now trembling slightly. "I am so nervous about bringing this up to you. I'm Queen of Hyrule but I'm nervous about saying this because of how important you are to me. I'm not going to engage in vague hints anymore. I'm going to be perfectly direct with you because I owe you that much. Losing my virginity to you would only matter politically if I were to marry someone else later, but I don't want to do that. I want to marry you and only you."
Link kissed her. "Done" he said. "Say no more. I will marry you, Zelda. I'm not a nobleman or a military officer or a foreign dignitary, but if you will have me, I want to be your husband."
Zelda smiled and pulled Link close in a loving embrace.
"You know what this means?" she asked, smiling as she wiped tears from her eyes. "You will be the first person in the history of Hyrule to go straight from goatherder to King."
"As long as you're my Queen, I will be happy" said Link.
"I will always be your Queen, Link. Always."