Chapter 20

Link

Link felt alive! His heart beat strongly and every couple of deeper than usual breaths he caught a whiff of Zelda's sweet, intoxicating scent. His brain had long given up thinking, he didn't need it right now anyway.

They were walking sheepishly from courtyard to courtyard, her right hand in his left. Only once they were forced to pass through a gateway guarded by two soldiers. Zelda's hand had twitched, as if she had reflexively wanted to pull it away. But in the end had remained in his. She even pressed it firmer as they passed between the guards, like she had made the decision that she didn't care who saw them like this. Link could understand her apprehension… for him, walking through the inner castle compound with the princess and actually touching her in this familiar way… he almost felt like he was committing treason. When he felt her choice not to hide their mutual affection, he had a frisson of excitement. She had decided to be with him, to even show herself with him, whatever the resulting difficulties might be. He had to resist the urge to hug her tightly right then and there. That, despite everything, would probably still land him in the dungeons.

Zelda led him through lowly frequented paths towards the gardens. He noticed that she seemed to know her castle and its hidden corners very well. Once again he realized that this wasn't a girl who would idly sit in front of her dressing table, vapidly looking at herself in the mirror. No, this was a girl who sneaked out of the safety of her retinue to explore a smithy and get her hands dirty. The kind of curious girl that wanted to investigate each and every corner of her home, especially the ones that were off the beaten track. She had probably bothered every worker, every cook, every stonemason with her inquisitive nature, but he imagined that, from a girl as breathtaking as she, the working men and women had quite a high tolerance for being bothered.

He glanced sideways at her. She noticed, of course and looked down, bashfully. Whether from the front or in profile, her features were stunning. Even her long, pointy ears were just the perfect shape. His gaze wandered lower. Her smooth, delicate neckline… Link was on the wrong side, so he couldn't see, but he knew that there was still a tiny pink line where the assassin's knife had cut her. A painful blemish on an otherwise perfect skin. For the first time he really noticed that, today, she wore a light summer dress, not the usual plain ones with their collars buttoned up high. Today she showed just a tiny bit of skin lower than her collarbones and a bit of shoulder. Tiny, but quite enough to send both Link's imagination and heart-rate into overdrive. He swallowed. Then he ran headfirst against a doorframe.

The resulting smack resounded in the entire courtyard.

"Goodness! Are you alright?" Zelda asked, first shocked, then rather amused. Link, holding his head felt both pain and a healthy dose of humiliation. He had ogled her for at least 20 seconds and the divine wrath of the doorframe had punished him for his insolence. Goddess bloody damn it, but he was an idiot!

"Serves you right for staring, you!" she said happily between giggling. She stood on tiptoe, took his head between her hands and bent it gently downward so she could see the chastised spot on his forehead. Link blushed furiously as she brushed his hair away to reveal whether he had actually hurt himself.

"Nothing! It won't even leave a bump." she said softly, her expression still full of slightly malicious glee.

"Well good. I couldn't stand the notion of you having to spend time with someone who looks like a Hinox has sat on his face. What would the people think?!" he asked dramatically.

"Probably 'Wow, he must have run face-first into a doorpost while not keeping his eyes to himself!', I'd imagine." She was having altogether too much fun while making him feel like an idiot. 'Which I undoubtedly am…' Link added in his thoughts.

"I seem to remember a certain young lady eyeing my rather scantily clothed frame unabashedly… where was decency at that moment, I wonder?" He said, with a lopsided grin. His forehead still hurt, but he was thoroughly enjoying her soft hands on his face. For all he cared, such administration was definitely worth a little headache. All too soon Zelda lowered her hands. Her left brushed lightly against his chest and arm on its way down… coincidence?

She returned her gaze to his eyes. Now she at least had the decency of flushing somewhat, Link thought, amused.

"Someone who admits young ladies into his room should have enough decorum to at least clad himself properly." She retorted.

"Else he deed not be surprised that he is the focus of attention." Zelda added with an impish smile. Link sighed audibly. It was the cutest little face that he had ever seen. It also gave but the tiniest inkling of what might lie behind her outward innocence. Link's tired brain threatened to melt with the stress of trying and simultaneously not trying to think of the implications. He was suddenly once again very aware of how close she stood. Once again he noticed a detail he had previously been unaware of. Around the bridge of her nose she had just a few, tiny, adorable freckles. He immediately fell in love with them.

He was staring again! Last time the doorframe of retribution had smitten him for his procacity… what new divine punishment might he incur if he kept making the same mistake?

'Why'd the Three make her so unbelievably captivating, then?' his thoughts asked the world in general, exasperated.

With sheer force of will he turned back towards where they had been going and timidly offered his left hand again.

She took it with only the tiniest hesitation and interlocked her fingers with his.

He racked his exhausted brain about what she had said last. It had been only playful banter, but he couldn't just let her take the victory that easily.

… ah yes, focus of attention!

"What, then, is the purpose of all my training if I am not allowed to enjoy the attention of young ladies? Especially if they give it so willingly?" he asked slyly.

She hmph-ed. "So this is the reason for your training, then? To be a mere object of desire for willing women?" she asked, not quite able to hide her embarrassment.

"It very much depends on the woman in question. With some the stares are so much sweeter than with others…" he asserted, hoping that he wasn't going too far.

She turned the tables on him. "Well, since you have been complaining earlier, I undoubtedly fail to fall in that category. I will, in the future, abstain from ever looking at you again, as it apparently pains you." Zelda said coolly.

To his slightly addled brain she acted so well, that only the fact that her hand was still in his betrayed her insincerity. For a moment he had nearly panicked.

As if she'd sensed his brief insecurity, she graced him with a brief roguish grin and a soft squeeze of her hand.

He calmed, but thought 'So that's the way you want to play? Fine!'. He couldn't just let such a challenge go unanswered.

"I would be most grateful. Some young ladies don't seem to know their place on the social ladder." he sniffed dismissively. He liked the complete absurdity of the comment, since she was of so much higher standing than he. But, he thought, inequality can go both ways.

She laughed her genuine, high laugh that seemed let the sun shine brighter whenever it was heard.

"Well, in that case I'll have to painfully hoist you up then. Or, possibly, dig deeeeeep down to whatever depth filth like you calls its home." she retorted, her tongue sharp like a rapier.

Link exhaled sharply, then laughed. For anybody else he would probably be mortally offended. But she hit just the right balance between scalding wit and good-natured humour, so he knew there was no insult meant whatsoever. He had to admit, he loved the way she teased him, always finding the right spots to poke, which she did with deadly accuracy and affectionate, silky smoothness.

A dreadfully appealing combination!

"You little scamp!" he exclaimed, flabbergasted. "If you enter my ditch, I hope you don't plan on leaving again. Once you've been to these dismal depths, you won't be able to turn back."

"Why? Because you will keep dragging me further down?" she asked curiously.

'Time to go all out!' Link thought, without quite thinking it through. What good has thinking done him anyway?

"Possibly, but mostly because you will be so enthralled with what you find that you will cast virtue to the wind and stay gladly." He purred, stopping his pace and so forcing her to look into his impish face.

She returned the look with a healthy mix of scepticism and amusement. With a cooked smile she uttered a dry: "Hmm… that remains very much to be seen!" then turned away and strut forward. Link looked at her beautiful back for a moment, grinning, before following her. 'I am looking forward to every second of it!' he thought to himself.

They arrived at the main garden. Hyrule castle throned on a rather steep hill in the midst of the city. The gardens were at the stronghold's backside, and were nestled atop natural cliffs. The view here was certainly amazing, looking over the sprawling city below. The garden itself, however, was not, in Link's opinion. His mother had always dreamed about seeing the royal gardens, plant-enthusiast that she was, but he doubted that she would have liked it all too much. It was so… designed! Every tree, every bush, every flower was planted to fit some architectural plan. Hardly any shrub was allowed to grow naturally. Link seemed to recall that the odd practice of cutting plants to resemble shapes was called 'topiary'… whatever it was named, he had no liking for it. He hadn't really thought about what to expect, but he was still rather disappointed with this unnatural product. They were standing on the stone-panelled middle lane of the park, overlooking the whole thing. Zelda led him closer to the edge of the cliff, which was of course secured with a hip high stone wall. On the way she halted at a few different trees or flowers and gave a brief but passionate lecture on their origin and, mostly, their uses. Link kept silent, except for the occasional interposed question. He greatly enjoyed listening to her explaining her seemingly extensive knowledge on these plants. She apparently was in her element. Link noticed the occasional stone statue encompassed by hedges, but they seemed of no interest to her as she just walked by without even a glance.

In the end they reached the edge. They both looked at the city with its criss-crossing streets and bustling activity for a long moment. You could her a gentle murmur of people milling about here, with the occasional louder sound like a shrill laugh or the chopping of wood. They took in the impression silently.

Link could tell that Zelda liked this view. She looked upon her city and all its peoples with a proud gentleness. More and more he felt fascinated by this girl and her strength.

After a couple of minutes, Zelda turned around to face back at the park and the castle.

"What do you think?" Zelda asked. Link wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't know how much of the place was Zelda's doing and he certainly didn't want to insult her.

"It's very nice!" he said, sounding about at convincing as if he'd told her the sky was purple. He rallied a bit. "I like the structure of the whole place. It's very orderly."

Zelda looked at him, nodding seriously for a moment, then breaking out in a spluttering giggle. Link didn't quite know what the joke was, but whenever she laughed he couldn't help but feel gleeful himself.

"Your face!" she said breathlessly. "It looked as if you'd just been forced to eat a whole basket of lemons!" She continued giggling, since whenever she looked back at his face another wave overcame her.

When she finally calmed herself again she wiped tears from her eyes. "You really aren't a very proficient liar." she said jauntily.

Link thought about this. "Actually, usually I am. At least with harmless fibs." he answered, pondering.

She gave him a sly smile. "Well, not with me, you're not. I can see right through you." she threatened.

Link had no doubt that she actually could. Zelda seemed much better at reading him than he was at reading her. Strangely, that didn't worry him at all… he found it intriguing!

"But, yes, you've caught me. These gardens feel so… constructed. All naturalness is gone. It's what a stonemason with a sliderule would design if he'd leaned about plants from a book. I am sorry to admit that it is not to my liking." he now said honestly, hoping that she wouldn't be offended.

She just nodded, surveying the park sternly "Neither to mine. This place is kept like this because of tradition only. But!" she said conspiratorially. "There is another place. Come!" she ordered, grabbed his hand and practically dragged him away.

They crossed the entire breadth of the park – thankfully nobody was out frolicking at the moment – and Zelda pulled him through a hedge… somewhere… he had rather lost his sense of direction. Now they were standing in front a flight of stairs, 15 or so, leading downwards. They ended at a rickety wooden gate in a stone arch.

Now this looks mysterious, thought Link.

With a last gleeful grin at him she skipped down the stairs and waited for him at the door. Link didn't hesitate to join her. The wood of the gate was grey with age and it looked as if merely looking at it could get a splinter stuck in your skin.

With a roguish expression, Zelda produced an ancient looking iron key from somewhere in her dress. "I actually nabbed that from the groundskeeper." she confessed, only a tiny bit ashamed. "I don't think he knows to this day where it went."

She carefully unlocked the door, gave the warped wood a kick at the right spot and pushed it open. By the practiced manoeuvre Link could deduce that she came here frequently. This place got more interesting by the minute.

They stepped through. The stairs continued by about ten more steps. Right at the bottom started what appeared to be a virgin forest. Link could barely tell that, long ago, a curved, cobbled path had led through but now it was nearly completely overgrown, with roots bursting through the earth between the stones. Nature had reclaimed this part.

Link could smell the thick aroma of wild woods and it gave him a vivid flashback of home, when he, Ric and Mart would prowl through the forest.

He sighed involuntarily and descended the last steps. He approached the closest tree and gently caressed its gnarled bark. With excited eyes he continued into the thicket along the nearly invisible path. Zelda didn't hesitate, picked up the hem of her dress and followed easily. When the path got a little bit wider he stopped, looked around, then closed his eyes.

He had to smile widely at the flood of impressions, views, sounds, smells. "This is wonderful!" he almost whispered so not to disturb the mood.

Beside him he could hear Zelda exhale. It sounded happy, almost relieved.

"I hoped you'd like it. It's just a small terrace in the rock, but its nearly completely overgrown." she explained excitedly. Then she lowered her gaze a little. "I come here when I need to get away from… myself. I… have never taken anybody here, except Sally. Ever." she mumbled and looked at him with a tiny shy smile.

Link was speechless. Her stunning eyes, just for a moment, had betrayed a lot of sadness. Hers was a world without privacy, without the possibility of being herself to just anyone. She constantly had to be the princess, with all her duties, all her social obligations. Nobody was interested in the girl, it was all about the heir to the throne. This meant perpetual disguise. And loneliness. Possibly… probably the only person she could just be Zelda with was her cousin.

And now him! She had led him to this, her most private place, the location where she wasn't surrounded by expectant nobles or sycophantic supplicants. Here she dropped her defences. Here she could was herself.

And she had invited him to join her.

Link was speechless.

She still looked at him with those bright, trusting eyes, her head held low. He had known her for such a short time, yet she confided in him with this special place so close to her heart.

He slowly stepped closer, with his heart in his throat. He looked down to her magnificent face, bordered by her straight, golden hair. For a second he followed a playful strand dancing in the breeze. With a tiny touch of amusement he noticed by now completely dirty and green-stained hem of her dress. The sounds of the tiny forest around them – the rustle of leaves in the wind and the occasional crackling of critters in the underbrush – were the only things audible apart from their own breaths. He could feel her warmth radiating from her immaculate skin. He could see her crystal blue eyes darting from his own to his mouth and back.

He bent down slightly and took both of her hands in his, smiling softly. He caressed the smooth skin on her palms and, for a moment, regretted that his own were so chafed and rough. He looked back at her anxious face.

Nothing needed to be said. Nothing would do this moment justice.

He took yet another step and felt her dress touching his legs. His heart nearly exploding from nervousness, he closed his eyes and bent down.

Their noses touched, then their lips.

And time stopped.