Weeks passed.
Zelda kept herself busy with other things throughout the castle as the snow melted. She began, again, to orchestrate the repairs for the walls of the castle, and builders began taking measurements and calculating the supplies necessary, in case they needed more than requested.
Quite suddenly, one day, the record keeper was found dead in his chair. Zelda immediately appointed Priscia to the position and asked her to select a candidate for a new assistant. She visited families that were still grieving and struggling, she began to organize teams in villages to help prepare the fields for planting when it warmed up a little further. She would keep the soldiers' influence minimal, to emphasize the people relying on their neighbors and themselves instead of the kingdom for everything. If there were villages that lost a significant number of men, then she sent out more soldiers to help, usually trying to send them to villages they'd come from, to be among those they knew.
The stables were clean and in fine condition, though there was still problems with reliable supplies for the horses' feed, but Link did what he could, and instructed the stable hands to help, though they were starting to resent him. Who was he to deliver sharp commands to them all the time, telling them how to run the stable, especially when his own damned horse was so unmanageable! Only because he was riding so snug in the queen's pocket ("All of them", one added in a loud whisper, to which they laughed over their weak beers) could he get away with this kind of treatment.
Food was growing scarce again. Farmers were slaughtering their cows and pigs as they ran out, so at least meat was cheap… for a little bit. Then there was the discovery that too many were killed, that the babies that were left were too young to kill, to young to breed. Prices on meat skyrocketed not long after. They were stuck with the chickens too old to do any good, and the horses that were worth more than anything (if they hadn't already been sold).
They started locking the stables at night, and Zelda started wondering (but did not speak) of selling some of the royal horses, for food or money for food.
Termina was not sharing their wheat shares. Verla did not pay her taxes.
Zelda considered this carefully. Charges, arresting her, then running a trial was too expensive. They might have to let it go. She was calmer thinking that she could let this go, because she already had one over on Verla, and she didn't know it. Like it mattered if her country was collapsing. She met with the accountants often at first. She spent a few hours a day there, talking to them and trying to see how they could coax more money, how they could possibly squeeze every rupee. But as it seemed more and more likely they were stuck with what they had.
She learned, with Odelia's help, to alter her own dresses, and she told the seamstress to sell the fabric she'd bought at the fair, in case someone would want it for a fine garment. The dressmaker hesitated, but agreed to do so. She sold off most of her jewelry except for the few items she truly loved and could wear with almost anything. She also considered selling some of the rarer books in the library, but who would take them?
Odelia said nothing as they sewed, and Zelda tried not to look at her, thinking. They needed money. And she and Link were supposed to be a secret, so she had no reason, besides lack of money, though if she traded up Hyrule as a dowry…
She pricked her finger with a needle and clucked her tongue, putting the sore finger in her mouth to keep it from bleeding all over the fabric. What about Link? How cruel of her it would be to hurt him like that! Choosing someone else over him, again and again. Hadn't he been through enough of that? But if this continued, she might have to consider it.
She burst suddenly into tears, though she didn't know why.
"Your Majesty?" Odelia looked at her in concern. "How badly did you prick your finger?"
She looked away, trying to stop them. It was fall all over again. Odelia was no fool, and she waited patiently for her to explain.
"I wish my problems were confined to a pricked finger, really." She rubbed her eyes with one hand. "I don't know if Hyrule will make it, still, after everything that's been done, every chip saved. And…" she looked around. "I don't know if I can marry your rich duke friend, because…" she leaned in. "I'm in love with someone."
Odelia blushed bright red. "Your Majesty?"
"And he's had too much pain already."
"Oh. Of course, Your Majesty." Odelia folded her hands.
"Why won't you marry him?" Zelda asked quietly. "I know how much you've done for Hyrule, and if he can take care of you…"
"Well, I might have to, eventually, but…"
"Are you in love with someone?" Zelda was glad to have someone to talk to like this, to feel as close as a sister to someone. It was different from talking to Link.
"Yes, but… I haven't a chance." Odelia smiled strangely and looked back to the fabric. Zelda checked her finger, found the bleeding stopped, and sighed, staring at the material in their laps.
"What can I do?" she said quietly. "What else can I do?"
Odelia shook her head. "I don't know, Your Majesty. I guess… wait. Winter is almost over, the ground will thaw for planting, any fruit trees left will start to bloom…"
Zelda nodded. "You raise good points. Thank you."
"I just want to help."
"I know. I appreciate it."
She made a few half-hearted stitches, then paused, considering. "Odelia."
"Yes, Your M—" She stopped when Zelda raised a hand to stop the niceties. "Yes?"
Zelda hesitated over her words. "D… have you… are you still…"
Odelia waited, not sure where she was going with this. Zelda licked her lips and tried again.
"I… with him, this… man, I want to… get… to have… the next, well, we've, ah…"
Odelia thought, frowning a little, her brows knitting together. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure… I don't know much."
"To… prevent…" Zelda domed her hands in front of her stomach, keeping them close. "That."
"Oh…" A light went on in Odelia's eyes. "Oh. Well, let's see. I'm not sure what to do, actually. I don't know many tricks like that. I'm sorry."
"It's alright." Zelda blushed and looked away.
"Um, what if you asked… who was that one woman here? The Gerudo? They have a ton of women out there, right?"
Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it? "You're absolutely right." Zelda's face brightened and she hugged Odelia. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Odelia replied quietly, hugging Zelda tight.
"Now, then, you clever thinker. Work on how to help revive Hyrule for me."
Odelia shook her head. "I don't know anyone who could help with that."
"Pity," Zelda sighed. "Well. I suppose I should write her a letter then. But in a little while."
"Of course. We have to finish taking in this seam. You should really eat more, you know."
Zelda rolled her eyes. "You sound like him."
Odelia laughed. "Well, it's true!"
Zelda shook her head and went back to sewing up the seam, grimly set on her task. How to ask the Gerudo Empress about… preventative measures while being discreet? And what about her bigger, more important problems? Hyrule's dwindling currency and food, their meager savings. She put a hand to her cheek and sighed.
"I don't know how much longer I can work on this, to be honest," Zelda said quietly, still stitching.
"The dress?" Odelia asked, a little lost.
"Yes, that…" She frowned. "I need … more of something."
"Well, I'm sure that in a few months, everything will work out for the best. There is still Cambri and Roldin, to collaborate with?"
"Yes, that's true." Zelda shook her head and went back to sewing, and Odelia, not knowing what else to say, worked along with her.
The dinners were getting smaller. Zelda ate as little as she could and tried to pawn off the rest of the food onto Link's plate, but he pushed her plates back at her and (because there were other people at the table) politely told her he was full and that she needed to eat as well.
"How can you come up with brilliant plans if you're too hungry?" he would goad her, grinning. Zelda shook her head at him, but took the food to please him. And while they acted friendly towards each other during the day, (if a little distant, on Zelda's part) it was quite different at night.
She found an excuse to go to his room almost every night, whether sneaking out after Tilly went to sleep or announcing her intentions and then returning before Tilly awoke and after the guards changed twice. At first, she tried to keep it cool between them; sitting up and talking, still in her full dress with many layers between his hands and her skin. Link was, as always, friendly and warm with her, joking and smiling, trying to keep her cheerful. It was too easy for her to lapse into a sullen silence under the weight of Hyrule's burden. Could he really help her as king? Would he be believable in a place of power? Who would he command? He had so many questions he wanted to ask her.
"So, uh, should we… announce an engagement or something? If we're gonna get married?"
"Oh." Zelda was surprised he was thinking about that. "Well, no, not for a while yet. I'd rather keep it quite under wraps, for the time being."
"Alright. I guess… I'm not really sure then… should I get you a ring, or…"
"I really don't want to go public until Hyrule has more money, and can afford a royal-sized wedding."
"Oh, you want a big wedding?"
She shrugged. "It's expected."
"By who? Surely anyone would understand all the trouble Hyrule's been through."
"Still, we should wait until the child is born."
"Right."
Remembering Verla brought up very unpleasant feelings for both of them, and they both went silent for a bit. Finally, Link brought up, "so then… would you still be in charge? Because I don't know anything about running anything more complicated than a farm."
"I know. I hope you don't mind; you would probably be, essentially, a figurehead king. I would probably do most of the actual work."
"I mean, I'm willing to help with stuff, I don't want to be totally useless."
"And I thank you for that." She smiled, brought back around by his good nature. "I'm sure that we will make a great team for Hyrule."
"Oh, of course. I never had a doubt about that."
Her smile widened. "You're so optimistic all the time, don't you get sick of it?"
"It's a lot easier than being upset, I guess. I mean, we can sit around and cry about the country all day and fret over it, or we can keep thinking that it'll get better and… maybe it will." He shrugged. "I can at least hope for that."
Zelda reached over and took his hand. "I'm glad I have you on my side."
He licked his lips, then leaned over and she went to him, kissing him. "We can do this," he assured her, as he seemed to do often. She stood and got closer, settling in his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. He grinned up at her. "You're my queen," he said quietly. She kissed him, knowing that all the layers of clothes in the world weren't going to hold her back. Not when he acted so deferential. She kissed him again, harder, and he put his arms around her waist to hold her there.
"And you'll be my king?" she asked.
"Absolutely."
She ruffled his hair with a little laugh. "I can't imagine you with a crown. Will you still clean the stables?"
"If it needs to be done, yeah."
"And build the walls?"
"Sure, if they're not fixed."
She kissed him again, pressing against his chest, touching their noses together. "Will you still sneak around with me?"
"Well, we'll be married, we won't have to."
"I suppose, but… it could be fun."
"Hm." He kissed her neck, hugging her tight, barely able to find her waist in the dresses and skirts and petticoats. "Why do you wear so many layers, anyway?"
"What? A girl cannot be cold?"
"Well, I suppose."
She ran her fingers through his hair again, smiling at him. "It's your own fault I wear so many dresses."
"My fault?" He was surprised.
Zelda smiled, blushing. "Well. I like to give you a challenge."
He reached down, trying to find the edge of her dress, then the skirt under that (which showed through the overdress in a large cutout in the front), then a lighter skirt under that to protect the material from the scratchy petticoat, then another skirt under that to protect her legs from the scratchy petticoat, then finally were her legs themselves, wrapped in thin silk tights that, unseen, had a few runs and snags around her knees, from their age. Beyond even those were her bare thighs, and then…
And so it went, almost every night.
\
Zelda had made it back to her room one morning and was waiting for Tilly to finish drawing her a bath when she received a knock at the door. She opened it herself and discovered the royal messenger, holding out to her two envelopes.
"Messages, Your Majesty."
"Yes, thank you." She took them and shut the door again, frowning. One was from Termina, probably Verla informing her that she would not be paying her taxes, and the other was from, she was relieved to see, Jalila. Finally, an excuse! She went to her sitting desk and cut open the first one, reading through it. A wedding invitation, she was glad to see. Apparently Jalila had taken to the nephew from Prin, or perhaps her country was doing that poorly. She would write a response as soon as she read the other letter.
Predictably enough, Verla had written a stern refusal to pay her taxes, as she had no estate or money with which to pay them, was no longer a Hylian, and therefore should be exempt as the law dictated. But wasn't there estate? The ranch? She wrote down to see Priscia about who owned the ranch now, and about taking the money from that. She was ready to toss the envelope aside when she realized there was still a little bit of paper inside, and she fished it out.
It was a tiny, hastily scrawled note.
He loves me, you know
Zelda crumpled it in her hand and swallowed around the dry lump in her throat. Her hands shook a little with anger, and she took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. If only Termina wasn't so far away! She had little choice but to wait on a response from Theo, and in the meantime have the accountants and the lawyers detail another stern letter, that she was of Hylian citizenry at the time the law went into effect, and her estate had been worth such and such, their accounts had been at such and such, and therefore she owed them back taxes that had gone unpaid. Zelda smirked. Perhaps they could include literature about payment plan options? If Verla wanted to throw barbs, she would get them back.
Finally, Zelda sat down, and began to craft an RSVP notice to Jalila, along with a general letter of well-wishing, asking how her country was doing and how she was coping, and, if she could figure out a way to word it discreetly enough, how could she prevent a pregnancy?
\
"Unfortunately, Your Majesty," said Priscia, bowing her head, "the ranch you're asking about is already reclaimed by the castle, as its last owner, a Rik Olfis, moved to Roldin and was unreachable to pay the debts."
Zelda sighed. "Thank you."
"If you want, we could put the land up for sale. I believe many of the buildings are still intact… so hopefully it may draw some attention from those looking for a cheap place to start a ranch business. Of course, if you mention that his Lordship used to live there…"
Zelda nodded once. "Only if he gives his consent to do so." She would have to mention it to him later, along with a few other things of her concern. She turned now to Priscia and nodded her head. "And how are you doing? How is your assistant?"
Priscia smiled. "He is working quite well, for now." They both looked at the assistant, a boy barely in his teen years, slowly reading through some ordinance paperwork and shuffling it in a pile that Zelda hoped would make sense.
"Good, I am glad." Zelda sighed and cleared her throat. "I must go now to attend to some other matters."
"Of course." Priscia bowed her head and Zelda left the room, breezing by the accounting room. It was too depressing to be in there, watching the accountants try to sweat the books, to find an extra bag of money somewhere in the vault.
Sixty-four thousand, eight hundred twenty-two rupees. They'd spent that much on Kerzenacht two years ago, between the banquet and the handouts. It made her heart ache.
\
Link had gone into Zelda's rooms for a change (for something completely innocent, mind; he was only going to ask her about maybe going for a ride on horseback later) and he was idly standing around while Tilly went to go find her, looking around at Zelda's room. It was, as ever, impeccably tidy; books stacked on top of the table in the middle of the room (she'd removed the fertility books, as they only offered ways to improve chances of pregnancy, to her disappointment) and the few letters scattered on her writing desk, its own hulking entity in the corner. He was surprised to see a little crumpled scrap, and, curious, he picked it up and smoothed it out between his fingers.
He loves me, you know
This surprised him. Was Zelda writing it to guilt Verla into paying up? He looked carefully at the muddled writing, and then at the other papers on her desk; accounting pages, scribbled ideas on how to improve their bank accounts (one that was scribbled out hastily was 'rob a bank in Termina', which made him chuckle) and then the letter from Verla, about not paying her taxes, along with Zelda's half-written reply. He looked again at the little crumpled note and noticed that it actually seemed to have been written by Verla. He didn't have to wonder who they were arguing over.
He set the note back down and looked over the papers a little more, not intending to snoop but if she was really serious about him being king someday then he should at least—
The door opened and he looked up, crouching a little until he realized it was Zelda, back with Tilly, her eyes downcast and her back ramrod straight with her regal bearing. She wasn't talking, but she did gasp a little and step back, bumping into Tilly when she saw Link was hiding in the corner until she realized it was Link.
"Farore's hand!" she cried out, going over to him and giving him a light slap on the arm.
"You've done it to me!" he retorted.
Zelda shook her head, but now she was smiling. "What can I do for you?"
"Oh, well, I was wondering if… when the last time you took your horse out for a proper ride was? I don't have much to do in the stables so I figured the least I could do is get yours some exercise."
"Hm. Perhaps a ride could clear both our heads. I shall join you."
"Oh, okay. Great." He smiled back at her. "I will ah… get them ready and meet you there?"
"Yes. That shall work nicely." She turned to see that Tilly was already digging out her riding dress, half-buried in the huge wardrobe. Zelda turned around and leaned in and kissed him. "I'll meet you out there," she whispered to him.
\
She made it to the stables an hour or so later. Link was finishing up brushing Epona's mane, and holding the reins for both her and Cerosa. Link turned when Cerosa tried to pull away towards her.
"Oh! Hey!" He gave her a wave as she approached, tromping through the patchy snow towards them.
"Hello," she replied to him, kissing Cerosa's forehead and talking softly to her. She inspected the riding gear, raising one eyebrow. It had been kept in mint condition and carefully oiled. She glanced at Link, but he was busy brushing the last knots out.
Zelda led Cerosa to the mounting block and climbed on, and Link went back into the stable to put the brush away before hopping up onto Epona.
"Where were you thinking of going?" she asked him.
"Eh, I dunno. Last time I just kinda wandered the perimeter." He gestured. "I just kinda let Epona pick."
Zelda pulled up next to him and extended her hand, palm up, to Epona. The horse snorted at first, but then turned and sniffed at Zelda's palm, disappointed at the lack of sugar, but not shying or attempting to bite her. All in all, good signs, she assumed.
She led the way from the stables and out towards the fields, slipping through the back gate and passing by the gardens. She pointed to them and Link turned to see.
"They've burned a bunch of the plants there. Shrubs that were planted when I was but a child, maybe even earlier. And I can't afford to replace them yet."
He nodded.
"I barely have looked past the castle. I know the towns are repairing themselves but I don't know how far they've been able to get on funds, or if all of them have been using the funds wisely. I don't know if there are towns that are missing funds, I can't track down all of the people who escaped their taxes, despite our best efforts…" She sighed. "There is still so much. And Jalila is getting married in two months, and invited us along."
"Oh… Are we going?" Jalila? Facing her again?
"If possible, yes. It would be good to see her, for the country's sake."
Link didn't say anything. Epona walked along slowly, taking her time and licking at the snow. Zelda was silent for a while, looking towards the gardens while Cerosa waited.
"The ranch you used to live on…" she started.
"Yeah?" Link looked at her, wondering if she was going to say something about the tiny crumpled note, or the letters next to it.
"We cannot get hold of Rik Olfis, the man whose name it was left in."
"Oh."
"And it turns out that… when he left, the ranch was taken by the country as payment on their taxes. So now we have to turn the land around and sell it."
"Oh."
"From there, there are two options. One is that we try to sell the land with the buildings cheaply, so that once it becomes functional we can again begin to cull taxes from it, and hopefully move it soon enough. The other…" she was coiling Cerosa's reins in her hands, and finally Cerosa tossed her head and tugged at them in displeasure. "The other is that we tell them about how you lived and worked there, and take it to auction. This knowledge may drive up the price considerably, but the land may also go useless if someone wants it just to… to have a part of you, in a sense, in their possession."
Link was silent, thinking as they rode. Zelda was hesitant, unable to read him.
"So I wanted to let you know, if you would be comfortable with… disclosing that."
He frowned, but then, reluctantly, he nodded. "Yeah. If it helps Hyrule." He was a little too far away for her to reach out for him.
"If you're uncomfortable with it, please. I'd rather you speak up than be angry or upset."
"I know. It's fine, really."
They continued on, the horses taking their time. Despite the cold, the air was damp and heavy, and there was a thin fog on the ground. Link sneezed a couple of times, and Zelda looked at him carefully, trying to judge if he was becoming ill or not. He sniffed and rubbed his nose, then looked at her and offered a brief grin.
They wandered meaninglessly, letting the horses choose the path. Sometimes Zelda would point to a landmark and explain a little of the history behind it. Link watched her with fascination; her knowledge was endless, it seemed. The horses started up again, and after several paces, they both stopped cold. Epona shied back slightly.
Link and Zelda both felt a chill as they stared at the barren patch of ground. Not even grass was growing, and the snow had melted away in the spot before the rest of it. Zelda sniffed and realized that she was crying, and she wiped at her face, pulling Cerosa back a little bit. Epona kept fidgeting away from the patch, tossing her head, her eyes wide. Link's muscles felt jumpy and he was tense and alert, his heart pounding. He could still hear the roar of laughter. The healed cut on his arm burned, hotter than anything he'd ever felt, and there was cold sweat on his forehead.
"You know," Zelda managed to say, her voice shaking as she tried to keep calm, "I… I don't remember sending anyone out here, to… to…"
He looked at her in alarm, his eyes wide. "Do you think he…"
Zelda shook her head furiously, one hand at her mouth to muffle her quiet sobs, her tears running freely. When she thought she could talk again, she sniffed. "It's… It's impossible, I mean… we watched him die, we saw… we saw his last breath… and…"
It took some work, but Link managed to edge Epona close to Zelda, and he took her hand in his, giving her arm a sharp little tug. "Don't. He has to be dead." He looked so angry that she shied from him, her face blotchy from crying.
"We should go home," he commanded sharply.
"I… yes." She sniffled. "I think I should eat something…"
"Let's get back."
It wasn't hard to turn the horses away and towards the castle, and it took a short amount of time to get there. Link took care of Epona first, leaving Zelda shivering on Cerosa, and then he led her to the royal stables, helping Zelda down and holding onto her for a few minutes, trying to warm them both up. Zelda closed her eyes and put her cheek on his shoulder, hugging him close. Something wet seeped through her dress sleeve onto her arm, and she pulled it away to look, gasping when she saw red, and she looked at Link's arm in alarm. On Link's sleeve was a wide splotch of blood that had soaked through.
"Link! Your arm!" she cried, immediately trying to pull up his shirt sleeve to inspect it.
"Wh—what the hell?!" he cried out, and worked with her to pull off his coat and then roll up the sleeve. The healed cut had reopened and the blood had started to clot. It stuck to his skin and it was painful pulling the material up to inspect.
"I'm calling for the doctor when we are inside," Zelda said, wanting to touch it but not sure if she should. She wiped at her face with her clean hand.
"No, it'll be okay, I can stitch—
"I am calling for the doctor and he will come stitch you up. Do not fight me." She stared him down. He stared back, then he grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall, kissing her hungrily. Zelda fought him at first, only because she didn't know what he'd been about to do, and she was frightened, but when he pressed up against her and put his mouth on hers, she shivered again, in a good way, and she pulled at his shirt front.
Damn the consequences, he thought, he wanted her. She bumped her hips against his and put her hands up in his hair, holding them together.
"Wait," she said suddenly, her breathing heavy. Link stopped and leaned back a little, his face stern in his desire.
"We're…" she looked around, but luck was on their side for a few minutes more; no one seemed to have seen them (from outside, anyway. But it was break time, and a couple soldiers had watched the passionate kiss from the kitchen windows, chuckling and pointing it out to the kitchen girl, the scullery maid at the dishes, then the cook came over to see what all the giggling was about…).
"We need to… to clean up Cerosa, first," she said suddenly, as if half-asleep, looking around with her face bright red from the cold and the intensity of her longing.
"Uh… right." He hesitated, then went into the stable, bringing Cerosa along. Zelda stayed against the wall, rubbing her hands together, then pushed herself off and went to the door.
"I'm going to head inside to have some tea heated for us," she called.
"Alright." Link was working slowly at unbuckling Cerosa's equipment, mindful of his arm.
"And I will send for a doctor," she added with a sharp nod.
"Okay." He sniffed. At least he wasn't arguing with her anymore. Though that too was alarming.
Zelda stood for a second, unsure, then she turned and went to do the tasks she had set for herself.
\
"Highly unusual," muttered the doctor as he stitched Link up. Link was holding the edge of the table and squeezing with each following prick of the sharp surgical needle, sitting very still and silent. Zelda sat next to him, and on the table between them were a few more of the doctor's tools; cleaning rags, disinfectant, scissors, a spool of thread.
"I thought this was healed up? Or is this a new one?" He'd cut the stitches out himself, the boy's skin had knitted together neatly. He knew it was healed.
Link was silent, staring at the table, the knuckles on his other hand white from gripping the edge in pain. It hurt a lot worse this time around.
Zelda didn't know what to say, so she also stayed quiet, her hands together in her lap. She had brought Link to her room and had changed while waiting for the doctor (Link keeping out in the first room while she did so) and handed off their bloody clothes to Tilly to wash immediately, before the blood set in.
The tea had at least warmed them up, but it was of little comfort against the chills they felt staring at his wound or thinking about the bare patch of ground. Zelda had even dry-heaved in panic in her rooms, leaving Tilly to fret over her (was she pregnant?) until Zelda told her to get some more tea prepared for them.
The doctor sighed and finished his work, wiping away the last of the blood on Link's arms and then the little of it that had been on his hand before bandaging the whole thing.
"You know what to do, I assume. Keep it clean, change the bandages when dirty. I will come back in a week to inspect the healing."
"Thanks."
"Thank you, doctor," Zelda said, bowing her head to him.
"Of course, Your Majesty." He bowed as well, and led himself out.
Zelda put her hand over Link's. Slowly, he released his grip on the table edge and flexed his hand, exhaling.
"Are you alright?" she asked him quietly.
"I've been better," he said with a grumble.
Zelda leaned over and kissed his cheek, and he turned to kiss her back, truly starting to feel calm. Zelda scooted her chair closer as he cupped her face, and she put her arms around him, clinging to him.
"Why can't I get enough of you?" Link asked her quietly at a pause.
Zelda massaged his back gently with her fingertips. "I could say the same. There's something about you…"
They started to kiss again, and Link moved his hands downward from her face to her shoulders, then to the front of her dress, looking for buttons with his fingers. Zelda took the hint and also started to undo his shirt, touching his chest and giving him goosebumps as she stroked his bare skin. He had her down to her underdress and started pulling at it, lifting it up enough to get his hands under and start unhooking her corset. He soon had it half undone and he gently touched one of her breasts as they started kissing again, and she let out a high-pitched moan when he pinched at the nipple.
"Careful," she whispered.
"For what?" He licked her lower lip teasingly, and pinched it again, a little harder.
Her eyes sparked, and for the briefest second he felt that tension between them that meant—
"On your knees," she ordered, snapping the fingers of one hand. Link shivered and, haltingly, he did so. Zelda hiked up her skirts and Link watched her, his pupils huge and his body quivering with anticipation. She started to unhook her tights from the garter around her waist, and then she paused, looking at him, and stretched out one leg. "You do it."
He did so eagerly, though a bit clumsy at it, and slid the stocking down, kissing the inside of her thigh as he stroked the back of her leg with his fingers. "My queen," he murmured.
"Now the other leg," she commanded, managing to sound careless and not burning with lust. He did so, kissing her thigh again, and she stroked his hair before pushing his head inward. He hooked his hands around the back of her knees and pulled her legs apart a little farther, and Zelda moaned, leaning back in her chair and slouching a little as he went to work.
"Keep going," she whispered, resting her head on one hand, propped up by the table. He moved one finger carefully inside of her and started to rub, and now she could hardly articulate, her body quivering and her hips arching, straining against him—
There was a knock on the door. Zelda bit her lower lip and half-buttoned her dress so it would not be obvious about her corset, and flung her skirts over Link's head.
"Ah… c… come in," she managed, clenching one hand, oh Din he was still going.
It was one of the kitchen girls, and she stared at her hands, bowing a little.
"Your Majesty, I am sorry to disturb you; will you and Master Link be having dinner downstairs?"
"Uh…" She shifted her legs slightly. Link had slowed down but he was bound to not stop. "Yes, I… think we will. Thank you."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Also, I'm happy to announce we were able to find flour reserves as well, so that um, there will be bread with the meal."
"Excellent. I am glad to hear of it." She dipped her head slightly to indicate the girl could go, and the kitchen girl did, quickly. Luck was with them (for true) in that moment; the girl was so terrified of the queen that she stared at her hands all the while, but if she'd lifted her eyes an inch or two, she would have seen the men's boots poking out from under Zelda's skirts.
Zelda waited a few more seconds for the doors to be completely closed, and then she hissed, "stop! stop!" Link did, and reemerged from her dress wiping his face off on his sleeve. Zelda shook her head while staring at him. "You're a dangerous game," she muttered, rubbing her forehead.
He looked up at her, his eyes still dark. Apparently the near-discovery hadn't bothered him much (at least now that it was over). "What else can I be for you?" he asked her, touching her knee.
Zelda touched his face, stroking his cheek. "Someday soon, my husband, I hope."
Link put his hand over hers. "I want to be your husband, and a good king to our people."
"You will be," she assured him. They kissed, and Zelda straightened. "Well, then. I should change for dinner, I suppose."
"Would you like help?"
Zelda smiled. "Sure, if you're willing to give it."
She unbuttoned her dress the rest of the way and he took it from her shoulders, hanging it up as she lifted her underdress and began hooking her corset back together after loosening the stays in the back.
"What is it you wanted to wear?" he called to her, staring at the dozens of dresses in the walk-in closet.
"Here, I'll choose." He turned to let her in through the doorway, and she wriggled by him, looking around and adjusting her underdress. She picked one item, a lavender dress that buttoned up the back, and he was helping do up the buttons when her room door opened.
Zelda was instantly alert and turned to leave her closet. Link remained lurking in the space, hesitant.
"Hello, T-… Gemma?"
"Your Majesty, if you'd be willing, I'm ready to return to work."
Link held his breath.
"I am glad to hear of it. Are your father and brother faring well, then?"
Oh, so it was her.
"Yes, Your Majesty. They are doing quite well, but... uh…" The maid shook her head. "Nevermind. They're doing fine."
Zelda folded her arms. "They're paying their bills alright?"
Gemma blushed deeply. "Um…" She managed to glance at Zelda's face. "Well."
"I am not amused by your brother and father trying to bill the castle for a psychiatric stay for broken noses. I am also disappointed that you would dare to come back here for work. Because of their antics, you will be working in the kitchen instead, starting today."
"But—Your Majesty!"
"Are you daring to defy me? Is that what you are trying to do right now?"
"No! No!" Gemma was terrified. She'd never seen Zelda so angry.
"Get to the kitchens and work. Your family will need help, I imagine. You should get started right away."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Gemma burst into tears and left quickly. Zelda waited until she was sure the girl was gone and then she sighed. Link peeked out from his hiding place in the closet.
"A little harsh, don'tcha think?"
"No," she replied curtly.
That was the end of that.
\
The dinner table was unusually silent. There was some giggling a little ways down the table, but mostly everyone ate. The kitchen had made tiny little bread rolls, just enough for two bites, perfect for soaking up the gravy from dinner. Zelda was thinking about the paperwork she would need drawn up for the auction of the ranch. Link was enjoying his meal as much as he could. The rest of the table was trying not to look at the queen and her champion and talk about their not-really-secret-anymore lust.
They thought it was hilarious; Zelda acted so aloof, so uninterested in anything but the country, but there she'd been, acting like a commoner for a few minutes and grappling with a lover in the middle of the day in front of everyone. It only cemented everything they suspected for months. Tilly, as she'd promised herself, refrained from participating in the gossip. She was a little disappointed to lose the attention she had for being closest to the queen (and possibly the most knowledgeable if anything was going on), but she needed the money. Everyone did. Which was why they said nothing, but occasionally look at each other across the table and grin, or roll their eyes, or shake their head.
The stable hands were not quite so happy. They (especially Brind) resented Link for taking over what they saw as their job, for giving them commands (and who the hell was this nobody anyway?) and insulting how they did their work. No longer did they care that he saved Hyrule; the castle guards would've taken out Ganondorf soon enough, of course, so Link hadn't done anything special. So why did he get so much attention and leeway, anyway?
Knowing(different from suspecting) that he and Her Majesty apparently had something between them was an explanation for them. And it made them angry.
\
Link woke up suddenly. He sat up and looked toward the clock, rubbing his eyes and trying to focus. It was far earlier than their usual wake up time, but something had pulled him out of his deep sleep.
He heard it again, that sudden sound. Epona was screaming. Not neighing, but screaming in terror.
Link scrambled out of bed and flung himself into his pants, lacing them up as he ran from his rooms. The guards at Her Majesty's door startled awake and called out to him, but he ignored them, going to the nearest secret door that led outside.
From there, he was running to the stables, and he gasped in horror when he saw they were on fire, the roof bright with flames. He hesitated only a second and kept running, going faster than he'd been and flinging himself at the door. It shuddered under him but did not break. He tried a few more times until there was a crunch from his arm and his fingertips went numb, and then he stepped back, panicking and looking at the stable. There were openings at the top of the walls for ventilation purposes, and Link took a running jump, able to grab the ledge with one hand and crying out in pain as he forced his injured arm up to the ledge to pull himself inside.
The heat and smoke was blinding, and he fell through the window onto a pile of scratchy hay that was getting hotter underneath him. Epona was screaming in fear and was very close; he forced himself to stand up and, hacking in the smoke, he made his way to what he believed was her stall, going by her screams.
She bit him at first when she felt his hand, and he shouted at her through his hacking coughs, reaching to undo the lock on the stall door. It wasn't moving, and he frantically traced the design until he realized the lock had been melted shut with coals or something.
There was barely room in the stall for Epona to turn around, and she was pressed up against the door tight to avoid the burning walls. The support beams overhead cracked warningly, and bits of burning wood and roofing were falling down onto the floor and on Link's skin and hair. He coughed and ran to the stable entrance proper, finding a sharp little awl on the workbench and going back, trying to pry the lock's nails out of the wood, trying to keep Epona's head down and out of the smoke as much as possible. Finally, the nails gave and pulled from the door, the latch falling to the ground. Link jumped back as Epona smashed the door open with her hooves and thundered towards the main door, screaming and rearing again when she could not break it apart.
Link stumbled after her, his eyes tearing up and barely able to see, barely able to breathe. He managed to get her turned around, and Epona started kicking hard at the door with her back feet. What his human strength could not do, hers did, and the wood cracked apart and the door was open, smoke billowing out and the cold winter air rolling in at their feet. Link crawled out and collapsed in the muddy snow, coughing and rubbing snow into his face, eating handfuls of it to help his dry throat. Epona also started eating snow, and eventually rolled herself around in it proper to cool her burning skin. Link was still lying there when the guards came running out, pulling him further from the burning building. Epona was hysterical and kicked at anyone trying to get close to her until Link was far enough away, and then she went to him and stood by his side and stamped her hooves in warning at anyone else.
Zelda eventually made it outside; she'd been sitting up late to write out some forms and hadn't gone to his rooms yet. She stared in horror at the burning building. It was so far gone that they had no choice but to let it burn out. After two seconds of consideration she turned and ran towards the royal stables, but they were fine, except for Cerosa in a panic at the smell of smoke.
Link was still hacking on the smoke, soot on his hands and little burn marks on his skin from the floating cinders. Epona settled down on the cold snow on her belly and nuzzled his hair, staying by him protectively, her mane and tail a mess of curled, burnt hair and ash.
Zelda came back and knelt next to Link in the snow, touching his hot skin. Unfortunately, she touched his shoulder and he gasped.
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes huge and panicked. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"It was burning…" he gasped, coughing. "I heard Epona… her stall was… locked, melted."
"Farore's hand," Zelda whispered.
Link turned his head and coughed harder, reaching for his shoulder and gasping in pain. "My arm… I tried to break the door down, and…"
"Don't. Don't hurt yourself." She touched his face. "We'll call the doctor. It might be broken."
Link shook his head weakly. "Get a… a fairy. In a bottle. Free."
"A fairy?" she asked quietly. "Where am I supposed to find a damned fairy?"
He gripped her hand and kept coughing.
"We'll call the doctor. That is that." She looked around, catching sight of the guards who were standing nearby, waiting. "Well? Find the rest of the stable hands. I want to know if one of them had a pipe or something and flicked the ash into the hay. I want answers."
The guards nodded and ran to their tasks. Zelda stayed next to him in the snow, stroking Link's hair. Epona shifted and turned her head and bumped Zelda's cheek with her snout.
"Well?" Zelda snapped, turning her head and glaring at the few maids standing and staring in horror. "One of you grab him a jacket, it's freezing out. Another get the doctor. Quick now!"
Two of the maids nodded and ran off to the tasks; there was little deliberation as to who was to do what. Zelda stayed close to Link, stroking his hair and waiting in worry.
\
The other horses that were usually in the stables had been found milling about in a nearby field. That and the locked stall pointed to the fire being planned, and the other stable hands were unable to be found.
Zelda was apoplectic with anger at what had been done. A new stable would not be cheap, and the royal stables weren't nearly big enough for all the horses. She would at least get Epona in there.
The doctor had come, awoken by a frantic maid at his house door. He declared Link's arm disjointed, told him he would set it on three, and at 'two' he snapped the arm into place, and Link hollered in alarm and flailed at the doctor, almost hitting him in the face, but for a sudden coughing fit that started deep in his lungs and left him curled up and shaking.
"He inhaled a great deal of smoke. This can make someone very sick. He should be better in a few days with clean air and rest," the doctor proclaimed, kneeling in the dirty snow.
"This was intentional," Link growled. "They wanted to get back at me." He insisted on inspecting Epona himself, and aside from some blisters rapidly forming on her flank, she was fine.
"I need a salve for her, to keep these blisters from getting infected," he muttered darkly.
"I'll get some from my stables," Zelda muttered, standing and going to do so. Epona kept close to Link, and she snapped at anyone who got too close to either of them.
The doctor sighed and shook his head. "You attract misfortune, don't you, boy?" he asked Link, standing and patting at his damp knees.
"I… try not to…" Link rasped, his voice getting hoarse from coughing fits.
"At this rate, I may have to charge the castle a special rate just for calls for you." He was joking, but Link shook his head.
"I'll pay you for…" he coughed violently. His stomach ached from it. "For the…"
"It's just in jest. Don't you worry about it." He looked up as Zelda came back with the salve, holding it out to Link. Epona barely trusted the queen, and Zelda doubted it would do them any favors to touch the horse's singed skin.
Link took the little jar and worked his way around to Epona's back, sitting up.
"Hold her head, will you?" he called to Zelda as he opened the jar.
"What?"
"Hold her head. So she can't whip around and bite me."
Zelda nodded reluctantly, then did as asked, stroking the sides of Epona's face and talking soft nonsense to her. Epona whinnied at the first touches, her eyes wild and thrashing her head.
"Calm down, girl!" Link shouted, and the sound of his voice did calm her a little bit, but not much.
The stable collapsed in on itself with a roar, spending sparks and bits of burning wood and cinder everywhere. The guards shouted and everyone too close ran back, scrambling in the snow. Epona whinnied in a high pitch, shaking under Link's arm.
Some of the maids and guards flung bits of melting snow at the wreckage, but it did little against the flames. It would have to burn itself out. Link had soon finished his task and he slowly rose to his feet, directing Epona to do the same. Zelda stood back as Epona lifted herself, slowly, her back legs shaking with pain.
"It's okay girl," he whispered, his hands following along her back as he got to her front end and hugged her gently around the neck. "You're safe now."
Zelda touched Link's hand. "Are you alright?"
"I'm okay," he muttered, shaking his head a little. "I gotta get Epona back inside somewhere."
"Do you think she will tolerate it?"
Link shook his head. "I don't believe so, as much as I'd like to think so." He stroked her mane, careful of the curled hair and the smears of soot and ash. He looked at Zelda sharply, his face flushed from the fire's heat and his anger. "If we ever see those stable hands again, I'll kill them."
Zelda shook her head. "Link. You will turn them over to the castle for their punishment."
"No," he snapped in reply.
"You will do as I say!" she shouted back, and he glared at her before turning away.
"Look," Zelda said quietly. "They have to be dealt with by my court, through the proper channels. I will punish them, but you cannot run off and cut off their heads like a mad man." She put her hand over his. "Please. Promise me you won't."
He sighed. "You know I won't now." He lowered his head, then suddenly he broke into a violent bout of coughing.
"I'm a fool," Zelda muttered. "Come on, you'll get sick if you're out here any longer."
"I can't leave Epona," he replied. "She won't trust anyone now."
"We will put her in my stable, it will be alright," Zelda told him, trying to keep him calm. "I'll post guards around it. They will keep an eye out for the stable hands."
Link didn't respond, stroking Epona's neck, trying to soothe her.
"Come on," Zelda urged him gently, nudging his arm.
Finally, after a few minutes, Link nodded. "Alright."
\
Epona fought a little at first, but after she had a good whiff of the air in the stable and detected no smoke or fire, she seemed fine with being put in a stall, and immediately laid down, curling up. Link kissed her nose and sat with her for a while, coughing sharply now and again. Zelda stood nearby, her hands folded.
"Let us go inside, then," she said quietly, after they'd been there a while. "Please."
Link pulled his coat closer around his shoulders. "I want to stay out here."
"You have to get proper rest. Your lungs need to heal."
"No."
Zelda sighed angrily, trying to keep calm. "She will be safe. There are multiple guards outside now. Please."
He hesitated, then, finally, he relented. "Alright."
Zelda helped him up off his feet and, looking at his sooty, red face and his angry, distant expression, she hugged him, careful of his relocated arm. Link buried his face in her neck and shuddered as he fought more coughing.
"Come on. Let us go lie down," she said quietly, pulling on him.
Link let go of her and followed along, out of the stables and back towards the castle. Zelda paused by the burned stable, the fire almost out. "Please collect as much snow as you can for water. I have a feeling Master Link and his horse will need it for a few days," she instructed the maids. "Take whatever buckets you can find and fill them."
They bowed and murmured their consent in response, and Zelda headed back inside through the kitchens, and all the way up to their rooms with Link in tow. They headed into his room and she sighed, pulling off her boots.
"Go lie down, love," she encouraged him. "I'll sit up with you for a bit."
Link shrugged off his jacket and draped it over a chair and rubbed his face with his hands, smearing ash and soot, but he said nothing. Zelda looked at his dirty face and went into his bathroom, finding the basin of washing water and a rag, and with some effort she lifted it, carrying it to his bedroom and setting it on the table next to his bed. After a few minutes he followed her, sitting on the edge of the bed, his face haunted. Zelda glanced at him and dipped the rag into the water, going over to him and starting to wipe his hands clean, sitting next to him on the bed.
"She's been with me through everything, you know," he said finally, quietly.
Zelda nodded, glancing at him.
"Everything. She never balked, she never shied from anything unless she knew it was too dangerous, and even then if I just talked to her…"
Zelda had finished cleaning his hands and started to wipe away at the ashes on his chest, arms, and face while he talked.
"No one else could ride her. No one else could even get close to her; she was a mean horse, really." He laughed a little. It broke into a coughing fit, and Zelda waited until he was done to continue cleaning.
"Loris, Verla's pa, even wanted to sell her. He had a high price for her, way too high considering no one could get near her. He wanted me to break her, to make her usable for anyone. It uh… backfired, actually."
"How?" Zelda rubbed carefully at a smudge on his good shoulder, looking at his stitched wound. It was healing up slowly again.
"Well, he had some good ideas, talking quietly to the horse, putting clothes with human smell on them in her stall so she'd get used to it, approaching her cautiously and slowly, but he was too impatient for them to work, and he wanted the horse to work for the first buyer to come along. He'd been getting her used to him like this, but he didn't want to keep her, so he told me to do it. Well, she bit me a little at first too, but I just kinda… put a hand on her and told her to stop it, and she calmed down."
"You just… touched her?"
"Yeah. With my left hand on her forehead." He gestured with one finger. "I put my hand on her forehead and told her to be nice, and she snorted a little but then she just kinda stood there and watched me, let me pet her and just gave me a little sniff before deciding I was… alright. Loris was so mad when I was able to ride her bareback in a couple days. And we were inseparable after that. He docked my pay for a while to cover her cost, but I didn't care." He was smiling a little now, proud of his horse. "Did you see her when Ganondorf came riding out to meet me? She reared up and tried to strike him just when they were riding up. She's a fierce girl, that one."
Zelda smiled. "Like I said, she's truly your first lady. I'm just glad she seems to like me as well. At least her I can get along with."
"Yeah, Verla doesn't like you too much, does she."
"It doesn't help that I'm trying to get her to pay up her taxes."
"Yeah, I saw the note from her on your desk."
Zelda stopped. "You did? When?"
"I dunno, yesterday I think? I was waiting in your rooms to go on our ride."
"Oh… were you snooping?" She raised one eyebrow, looking at him.
"Well, not really. I mean, I wasn't trying to. I just saw it on your desk and was curious."
Zelda shook her head. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't do so again."
Link nodded. "Of course."
Zelda finished wiping away the ash and stood up, putting the cloth in the grayish water and ringing it out.
"I… I never told her I loved her, though."
Zelda glanced over her shoulder at him. "What?"
"Well, the note, she claimed 'he loves me more' or something. I never told her I loved her." He shrugged. "I figure… you know, she doesn't have that over you."
"Oh." Zelda turned back to the basin, dipping her hands into the icy cold water. Even though this was … somewhat uplifting information, she hated thinking about that woman, hated any second she took up in their lives.
Link scooted backwards on the bed and pulled off his breeches, climbing back under the covers and staring up at the ceiling. Zelda glanced at him and pulled her hands from the water, shaking them and wiping them dry on her robe.
"Well, good night," she said to him, dipping her head slightly.
"Oh. You're… going?"
"Yes. I have to head down to the accountant office to see how much a new stable will cost."
He sat up, slowly, as it set him in a coughing fit otherwise. "Heck, I'd be willing to help you build it."
"I know you would, and I appreciate it."
"What's wrong?"
Zelda spoke too quickly. "Nothing."
Link looked at her, watching Zelda carefully as she knotted her robe, turning to leave his room. He got up and stopped her, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her close.
"What is it?" he asked, quietly.
Zelda shook her head. "It's nothing."
"You're a terrible liar."
She glanced at him with a little frown. "I just want to set about doing my tasks for the day."
"Have you even slept yet?" he asked her.
"No, but these matters are important."
"Are you pissed off because I mentioned her and that note?"
Zelda swallowed hard. "Yes."
"Well, don't be. Okay?" He kissed her, and Zelda pushed half-heartedly at him.
"Let me go," she asked quietly. He did, hurt and confused by her turnaround.
Zelda hesitated, glancing at him. "Maybe I will come see you later, alright?"
"Okay," he replied, nodding.
Zelda turned away and went to the main door of his room. "Get some rest," she added, before departing.