Link looked around in awe at all the ancient tapestries hanging on the walls in Zelda's chambers. Each one depicted its own part of the story of the Royal Family of Hyrule.

He sat on the edge of the bathtub as the water filled and Zelda fetched him a clean towel for after. He was surprised she had invited him in her chambers at all, and now she was offering him a bath and even to share a bed with her.

There was no way he could share a bed with a princess! He could find a couch in her billiards room. He would be just fine with that. Link looked towards the door and he heard the shuffling of feet approaching.

"Here is your towel," Zelda said, her eyes lingering on his now bare chest.

"Thanks," Link said as he stood with a smile. He walked over to her and took it from her. He stood before her and looked at her face, memorizing every detail. He noticed a darker spot on her right cheek, but did not mention it. She kept her eyes on the towel, carefully making sure her eyes didn't wander. What was this attraction between them? He could tell Zelda was fighting it, but Link didn't want to. He had never felt like this. Not with Ilia, not with any of the girlfriends he had growing up. But with Zelda, he wanted to be by her side at all times. He wanted to protect her.

"I will call for Impa and have her bring some of Hyrule's finest-made garments for you. I'll leave them just outside the door," Zelda said, still looking at the towel that was now in Link's hands.

"Thank you, Princess. I am grateful for the kindness you have shown me," Link said as he looked into her eyes, although she would not meet his.

"Of course," she said with a bow of her head before turning around and leaving the bathing chamber, closing the wooden door behind her. He sighed and finished undressing before stepping into the hot bath.

Being an archaeologist he was used to getting dirty, but he had never felt as disgusting as he did now! No wonder the Princess wouldn't look at him, he was a mess! He had no idea he could get so dirty just by sleeping on the ground for a week. But then again, he hadn't been allowed to clean himself, so it made sense.

Link scrubbed at every inch of him until he felt clean, but by then, the water was dirty. He pulled the plug in the drain, reached for the towel as he stepped out of the tub and dried himself off. He opened the door a crack and reached for the garments Zelda had left outside. He closed the door and examined the clothes.

She had left him light-tan coloured cotton pants and a green tunic. He put them on, hung the towel over the side of the tub and left the bathing room. He walked around her chambers and found her sleeping on a chair in front of the fire in her sleeping chambers. Link smiled and walked over to her. He gently lifted her from the chair in his arms and brought her over to the bed. Carefully, he put her down. Her eyes flickered open and she smiled at him.

"What is the time?" She asked.

"Last I heard were six strikes of the clock tower," Link answered. She slowly sat up. "Is there anything you need?" Link asked her.

"No, and please, you are not one of my servants," she said sternly as she looked him in the eyes. Link's eyes wandered to the spot on her cheek again. He brought his hand up to it and gently ran his fingers over it. Zelda cast her eyes down.

"What happened to you?" Link asked with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," Zelda said as she moved her head from his fingers and stood up. She made to leave the room, but turned around first. "Feel free to have the bed. There's some pajamas laid out for you on it."

"Where will you sleep?" Link asked.

"I can find somewhere. You are a guest of the Royal Family and my father hasn't done a good job to show you hospitality. Have a good sleep," she finished with a smile as she made for the door. She stopped at the threshold. "Impa has located your sword," she said without facing him, "she will bring it here in the evening."

"Thank you," Link called as Zelda left the room. Link looked at the large bed and retrieved the pajamas. He put them on then climbed in, feeling loneliness creep up on him that he had never known before.

Zelda made her way to the bathroom and retrieved Link's discarded clothing pile. She quietly walked into her sleeping chambers and tossed them in the fire. As she made her way out she allowed herself to look at Link. He looked so peaceful as he slept. She walked over to the bed and picked up his new Hylian clothing, folded them, and placed them on the bedside table for when he woke up. With one last glance at Link, she turned from him and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.

She walked to the dining room and sat down. Why did she feel like this towards Link? She hardly knew him yet she felt as if she'd known him her entire life! Whenever his blue eyes met with hers she found that her heart quickened and she found it difficult to breathe. But she was the Princess of Hyrule. Even if Link felt the same way about her, her father would never allow them to be together.

Zelda stood and walked over to the window. The sun was rising over the town surrounding the palace. Although she had only slept around five hours, she was not tired. She couldn't bring herself to go to sleep. She feared that the guards would seize Link if she were to succumb to sleep. She felt alert. More than anything, she felt the Goddess's magic scoring through her, and that gave her unfaltering energy.

She went into the bathing chambers to ready herself for the day. She expected Link to sleep for more than half of it so that gave her plenty of time to convince her father that he truly was the Hero of Time. She knew her father would feel guilty for hitting her for a while, and although it was wrong, she could use that to her advantage. She no longer felt the pain, but had a feeling it would bruise.

After her bath, she made her way into her dressing room and chose a simple purple gown. She then did her long brown hair, tying ribbon into the front portions as Impa had taught her to do long ago. Last, she placed her headpiece atop her head. She smiled at her reflection, something she hadn't done in quite some time. She found some brown boots and slipped them on her feet before leaving the dressing room. Then, she went to the dining room where she had left her sword and retrieved it, securing the belt around her waist.

With one last glace at the bedroom door, she grabbed the key for the main door into her chambers, opened it, then locked it behind her. She slid the key into her boot and made her way to her father's chambers. She knew he would be up. He was probably up all night battling with his thoughts. She was determined to convince her father that Link was the Hero of Time. She knew he was. Why couldn't he see it?