Chapter 9

Zelda sat in the chair across from her father in his library. She looked anywhere but to him as he gave her an icy glare. "Zelda, I shouldn't have to say how disappointed-"

"I haven't cared about you being disappointed in me for a long time, and I'm not going to start now." Zelda cut him off.

"I just want what's best for you, and by extension the kingdom. You are forbidden to be in any sort of relationship beyond knight and Princess with that boy. It will only distract you from your training, and you are already far enough behind." King Rohan snapped.

Zelda scowled at him. "What about what I want? Do you really think I wanted to be part of all this? I never asked to be the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia and all the other Princess Zeldas before me!" She shouted back.

"Zelda, you are being selfish! Hyrule needs you to fulfill your destiny, this is not about you nor is it your choice!" Her father retorted.

Zelda stood up abruptly. "Why won't you just let me be happy?!" She screamed, fighting back the tears that began pooling in her eyes. "Have you ever considered how this affects me?! How much pressure I have been under? I haven't had the smallest amount of joy since this all began, and now that I have you want to take it all away again! Do you even care about me anymore?!" Zelda stared down as her father's expression shifted from anger to concern.

Zelda stormed out of the room before he could say anything. She collapsed on her bed. Moments later someone opened the door and sat down next to her and placed a comforting hand on her back.

"I'm sorry, Princess. I intent was only to do what your father would want me to." Impa spoke softly to the teary girl. When she didn't say anything, she started talking again. "Nevertheless, I am very happy for you. I think you deserve to have love, especially considering all that's happened to you in the past few years."

Zelda lifted her head up, only showing her face to Impa partially. "Why were you so angry then?" She asked.

"Oh, Princess, it was just..." Impa sighed. "Ever since Lady Urbosa started being your friend, I've felt that you haven't needed me as much anymore."

"What do you mean?" Zelda sat up and looked the Sheika woman in the eyes.

"I saw Urbosa leaving the courtyard,"

-Earlier that night-

Impa sat at her window, unable to sleep, gazing up at the starry sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone walking down below. Curious that anyone would be out at that hour, she pulled on some clothes and literally jumped out of her window, landing softly and effortlessly down below.

She then located the midnight walker, surprised by who it was. "Lady Urbosa, I thought you left hours ago?"

Urbosa spun around, not expecting the sudden interaction. "Oh, it's only you, Impa." She said, relieved that it was just her. "I just had some business to attend to, nothing more."

Impa nodded and looked on as she left. "Strange..." She thought and decided to investigate the area for any possible clues as to what she had been doing.

-Now-

"When I found you, I knew Urbosa had something to do with it. I knew that... You had confided in her instead of me." Impa looked away from Zelda.

"Oh, Impa. Are you... Jealous that Urbosa and I are close?" Zelda asked.

Impa nodded. "I'm not proud of it, but that was my mindset at that moment. You used to talk to me all the time, you told me everything." She sighed sorrowfully. "Legend says that the Princess of Hyrule always had a guide with her when darkness threatened the land. That guide is supposed to be me, and yet... I feel as though I've failed that duty."

"But you haven't, Impa. You have taught me almost everything you could, and you're helping me now to unlock my powers." Zelda gave the taller woman a hug, startling her. "The truth is, I've always seen Urbosa as a... Motherly figure." She said sadly. "She filled the hole that my own mother left behind, and that's why I've always been so close with her. That doesn't mean that you are any less important to me than you were before."

Impa smiled early and hugged Zelda back. "Thank you, Princess."

Suddenly, Zelda realized something. "Wait, Urbosa was leaving the courtyard?!" She shot straight up. "She told me to meet her there but never showed up..." Zelda started to run to the door, but Impa stopped her.

"It's very late, Princess. You can talk to him tomorrow." Zelda nodded, realizing how tired she really was and climbed into bed.

"Link!" Zelda called as she ran down to the training yard the next morning. She greeted him with a hug and sat down on a barrel nearby. "Did you happen to speak with Urbosa last night?"

"Yeah, she sat down with me right before you got there." Link answered.

"Did she say anything to you?" Zelda asked.

"Uh... She asked me about... Stuff." He answered invasively. She raised an eyebrow at him. "... She asked me if I... Had romantic feelings about you."

Zelda smirked. "So she asked you if you loved me." He nodded. "And you're still shy about saying it aloud?" She teased.

"I mean... You're the Princess... It's still a little intimidating to know that I, out of every man in Hyrule, am who you, the most beautiful and amazing person in the entire kingdom, chose to love back." Link said. Zelda's playful smirk faded away into one of complete awe and her face picked up a pink tone.

"I'm... No one has ever said anything so wonderful to me... I love you." She finally said. The two embraced once more.

"You really are happy, aren't you?" Zelda pulled away from Link to see her father standing there.

"Whatever it is you have to say, I don't care to hear it." Zelda said with a slight edge to her voice.

"But you will care to hear that... I am going to allow you to continue this relationship, as long as it makes you happy." Zelda's eyes widened in surprise. She lunged forward and hugged her father.

"What changed your mind?" She asked him after her joyful tears stopped flowing.

"Impa talked to me this morning. I was already on the fence, considering how upset you were last night, and she convinced me. In the end, it's all worth it to keep my sweet daughter happy." He told her.

Link stood off to the side awkwardly, not knowing what to do. King Roham then turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Link, I know that you are a good man and that you'll be good to my daughter. However, if you step out of line or hurt her in any way, I will make sure that the rest of your life is an endless cycle of torture."

Link nodded, afraid to say anything as the King looked like he would snap his neck if he did. Despite the fear he felt of the King at that moment, Link couldn't be more elated. Now, he and Zelda were officially together.

Urbosa sat down in the hot springs of Eldin with Daruk. "You wanted tell me something?" Daruk asked.

Urbosa grinned. "Our mission is a success."

"Does that mean..?" He asked.

Urbosa nodded. "Princess Zelda and Link are in love."

Almost at 10 chapters here! I haven't thought about how long this is gonna go on for, I'm thinking of going into post-game but I'm not sure. Oh well, I guess I'll figure it out soon.