Chapter 29: The Princess' Gift

\-==/\==-/

Perhaps, Link was thinking as midday rolled along and he slowly eased himself down on a short ledge rising from the trail next to the Princess, it would have been better to stay in Goron City a bit longer.

He despised the taste of fireproof lizards. And the ubiquitous stink of sulfur. And the increasingly persistent - and worrying - offers of a special Goron-style massage.

However, throughout the morning, the pain in his infected arm, broken ribs, and cracked hip bone became harder and harder to ignore. When they paused for a small midday meal, each breath sent daggers through his lungs, and with each step something seemed to grind painfully within his right leg. They had made good progress, but the thought of over four more days of this dragged his spirits down to his toes.

"You're in pain, aren't you?" the Princess asked, studying him carefully. Link felt his cheeks grow warm beneath her soft scrutiny. "Don't deny it. Is there… anything I can do?"

He blinked several times, meeting her gaze and feeling chills break out down his spine. He had seen her kindness before, but never really directed towards him. The power of her heart was overwhelming; he could feel the fears and suspicions about the nature of her change towards him slowly melting away. He hated to disappoint her. "I… don't know, Princess. Probably not."

"Hmm." She looked away, surveying the dark red mountainside around them. "These mountains are rich in iron, you know, and studies suggest that blood contains a great deal of iron. I… I didn't think you'd lost a terrible amount of blood, but perhaps consuming some of this mineral might help...?"

Link nodded along thoughtfully until a startling realization struck him and he couldn't hold back a snort, though it pained his ribs.

She looked at him sharply. "What is it?"

He offered a hesitant, rueful smile. "W-well… it sounds a bit like a Goron's advice."

A grin slowly stretched across the Princess' lips. "Ah, yes, I suppose it does." She chuckled. "Wouldn't Daruk be delighted?"

Link grimaced. "I think I've had my fair share of 'rock roast' for now, no matter how healthy. We'd better not encourage him."

"You mean you actually tried some?" Zelda's eyes were wide with amusement.

"Yeah," Link admitted, grinning. But as memories returned his mirth faded, replaced by a hollow ache deep in his soul. "I… don't think I realized what was going on. It was… an… interesting night."

The Princess' eyes narrowed slightly, confusion stealing the smile from her face. "What happened?"

He forced his features to stay calm. Pounding fists. Flying pebbles. Harsh, swift kicks. Laughs and jeers and pain and tears…

He gulped. Something gave a slight tug in his chest; he suddenly wanted very badly to tell her everything. He opened his mouth, his tongue begging to be freed, his heart pleading for relief, for companionship… "Oh, nothing. I was just tired."

That barrier within him, protecting him, refusing to allow him to willingly make himself vulnerable to her.

The Princess raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical; it seemed for a moment that she was about to question him further, but her features softened, and then once again her left hand settled upon his right. She looked deep into his eyes, her face a picture of compassion. She saw right through that one.

The Princess offered him a gentle smile before releasing his hand and delving into their parcel of travelling food. "Well, in any case, while we're on the subject of food, I must insist that you have something to eat," she said, holding out a small oat cake for him. "We have plenty, and you need this."

Slowly he took the oat cake from her, trying to keep his hand from shaking in the aftermath of her touch. He hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt.

They continued down the mountain not long afterwards, as soon as the Princess was thoroughly satisfied that he had eaten enough. She spoke with him occasionally, much as she had the night before, discussing nothing of much importance or relevance to anything. It gave him something other than pain to focus on, and although he didn't respond often, he was grateful for her efforts. If only I had the courage to say so.

Sunset came earlier than Link had expected; he had almost forgotten - what with the unchanging auburn cliffs of Death Mountain and the havoc he'd been through the past days - that winter was drawing ever nearer, and the days were shortening. They hiked until the last drop of light had been sucked from the world, and then the Princess started a campfire while he tried to find a relatively level stretch of ground to prepare her tent. The mountainside was rocky and uneven, without much soil at all to provide cushioning, but he hoped she wouldn't have difficulty falling asleep.

The Princess stayed up late into the night, huddled beneath a blanket by the fire, writing down notes and jotting quick sketches in her notebook, labelled with strange series of letters and numbers that didn't make much sense to Link when he glanced over her shoulder. A slight ache throbbed in his temples as he tried to imagine what she knew about the world and its workings, and how the little symbols marked on parchment described it all.

It's an incredible thing… Perhaps after this whole Calamity mess is over, she would be willing to teach me.

His heart felt soft as he imagined it, hour after hour spent in her presence, learning from the expansive reservoir of knowledge that she held, seeing the spark in her gaze as she lost herself in all the world's mysteries…

Wishful thinking.

Nonetheless, his thoughts of a future that could never be helped him stay awake throughout the long hours of the night, even as his tired, overworked body begged for rest.

\-==/\==-/

"So… Thyphlo," the Princess said hesitantly as they walked onward the next day, gravel crunching beneath their boots. Link stiffened, his pulse quickening. "I'm… hoping to go there someday. It was built by the ancient Zonai tribe, which disappeared thousands of years ago. The ruins left from their civilization date back to the same era as the Sheikah shrines and Divine Beasts. A few records hint that they may have collaborated with the Sheikah to defeat the Calamity, but… we don't have any proof of that yet."

"There are other ruins, right?" Link asked, fighting to keep his voice steady. He stared intently ahead, fixing his gaze on distant crimson pillars of stone, curving like claws over the trail. "Other Zonai ruins, I mean."

The Princess nodded. "All over the kingdom. Especially in the Faron region."

"Visit those ones," Link said. He clenched his good hand into a fist and resisted the urge to shiver. "Stay away from Thyphlo."

"That's exactly the sort of thing that makes me want to go there more," the Princess grinned excitedly. "What sort of mysteries does it hold? Why is it so perfectly dark almost all the time? Why did the Zonai build it?"

"Some things are better left well enough alone."

The Princess frowned at him disapprovingly, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Is it that awful of a place, that Hyrule's bravest knight doesn't dare return?"

"I'm not the bravest knight," Link muttered with a humorless chuckle. It was getting easier to ignore the accompanying burn in his ribs. "And… yes, it is." He was beginning to feel cold, even though it was a very warm day, given their proximity to the volcano. Nausea stirred in his stomach.

"Why?" Zelda pressed him eagerly. "Forgive me, Link - I've just never met anyone, researcher or warrior, who's been to those ruins. And yet they sound so fascinating! The Zonai were powerful wielders of magic, and the darkness over Thyphlo seems to be the last remnant of their spells. Perhaps it holds the key to rediscovering their lost arts, which could…"

She fell silent, looking away from him, but Link could guess her thoughts. Maybe the magic of the Zonai is somehow similar to her own powers, and knowing more about them might help her.

He ground his teeth together, holding back a sigh, and shook his head slowly. "It was a long time ago, Princess. I don't have any answers - I barely remember the truth of what I saw there." It has long since warped into nightmare.

"Nonetheless, you're all I have," the Princess pointed out quietly. She didn't speak for a long time and didn't mention Thyphlo for the rest of the day, and they continued walking in heavy silence. Link forced his senses outward, focusing on everything but the pain stabbing into his hip and ribs, and the icy recollection of his past chilling his blood. We still have so much further to go...

When they reached Foothill Stable with the long shadows of dusk on their heels, he half-hoped the Princess would insist he get some sleep again. One night's rest, as marvelous as it had been, was not nearly enough to rejuvenate him. Especially after two full days of walking over treacherous terrain, injured as he was.

But the argument for her safety could not as easily be cast aside; Foothill Stable's inn was far more traditional than the one in Goron City, with beds concealed within individual rooms instead of all out in a row. There wasn't a way this time for him to find rest while still ensuring his Princess was safe.

She seemed to realize this and didn't bring it up; however, she once again asked to share dinner with him. They sat across from each other on the rugged wooden floor in her room, enjoying a fresh meal of warm biscuits and baked potatoes. Link forgot all about pain and fatigue then. It seemed that this would become a regular part of their travels, and he couldn't have been more delighted.

These were moments where, as the Princess had said, they did not have to feel burdened by the expectations resting on their shoulders. Moments where he felt at peace. Safe.

"I'll see you in the morning, Link," the Princess smiled when at last he left to take up his post outside of her door.

He turned to her, his heart full. For a moment he took in her appearance, rendered soft by the glow of candlelight, and his breath caught in his throat. There was something utterly agonizing about loving someone and being entirely unable - forbidden, even - from sharing those feelings with them.

On an impulse, he reached out and took her hand. Originally he'd thought that he would kiss it as he'd seen nobles do sometimes, but at the last moment he lost his nerve and instead just gave it a light squeeze.

"Rest well, Zelda," he murmured, gazing deep into her eyes, which went wide as the words left his lips. A slow smile stretched across her face, gentle and alight with joy, and he couldn't help but smile back.

His mistake in saying her true name out loud didn't occur to him until the door was closed, and the light seeping from beneath it had gone out. But in recalling the happiness in her gaze, he couldn't bring himself to truly find fault with himself over it.

\-==/\==-/

The next day's travel brought with it yet another uncomfortable topic as he and the Princess rode on horseback along the Ternio Trail. Castle squires had brought their mounts to the Foothill Stable while they were meeting with Daruk.

"Mipha certainly seems fond of you," the Princess said with a teasing grin, although there seemed to be a shadow over her eyes.

Link felt his cheeks flushing. He didn't know what to say or how to respond; instead he just stared straight ahead, shifting his grip on Choice's reins.

"What do you think about that?" the Princess pressed, not to be deterred. "I've heard quite a few rumors, some of them actually rather scandalous -"

"Don't believe any of them!" Link blurted out desperately, his heart racing. His face burned all the way to the tips of his ears. "Princess, she… she terrifies me!"

"Mipha?" The Princess was grinning widely, clearly enjoying herself. "Are you quite certain we're talking about the same person? Small, shy, quiet, blushes whenever she sees you…"

"You'd be surprised," he grimaced, shaking his head. He thought about telling her what happened and decided that, this time, it would be alright. "One of the last times I went to Zora's Domain, she hand-picked a guest room for me. It didn't have any walls! She watched me, followed me to a lake while I trained, and kept watching while I - er, cleaned up. And - and then she came out and asked to heal my bruises, and the way she touched me -" He shuddered, feeling nauseous at the memory. "Then she kissed me and ran."

Zelda's eyes were wide. "My goodness, I never would have expected anything like that," she admitted, the mirth fading from her voice. "I believe that, as far as first kiss stories go, that may just be the worst."

Link laughed shakily. "I'm not counting thatas my first kiss, honestly. Something like that should be… special. Not anything like what Mipha did." His cheeks quickly warmed up again; he knew exactly who he would like to share a first kiss with. And knew that it could never happen, not in a hundred years.

The Princess smiled sadly. She looked down at her hands closed around Dinraal's reins, a slight pink tinge rising to her cheeks. "I agree," she murmured softly. "So that's… that's why you didn't want her to heal you again, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Link admitted. "I… wanted to run. But she kept saying that we were friends when we were younger, and I… I honestly couldn't remember. I thought… maybe I was overthinking everything, maybe I was imagining all the discomfort."

"If you wanted, I could go with you," Zelda offered, turning her gaze to him again intently. "With someone else there, perhaps she won't be tempted to try anything."

Link smiled. "Thank you," he murmured. "I'd… appreciate that."

\-==/\==-/

They left the horses at the end of the Ternio Trail in the care of stable workers waiting there, with instructions to bring them back in five days. They hiked a little ways further, reaching the Inogo Bridge, and set up camp for the swiftly-falling night. The soothing rush of the river flowing by nearly lulled Link asleep; he forced himself awake by considering the frightening reality of what would probably happen to him once he and the Princess returned.

Come the first day of the year, I'll probably be out in the streets. I'll have to leave Choice, and the Princess. Any hope of anything between me and her… well, that'll be just about dead.

And she'll never know.

He gazed up at the dazzling stars sparkling like jewels in the heavens and thought about the necklace he'd bought for her in the desert. A cold, petrifying idea struck his mind - What if I told her? I'm running out of time, and… she might as well know, right? I'll be punished anyway - there wouldn't be any harm in telling her.

His heart seemed to throb with longing and despair. Or… maybe it'll just make me feel worse.

The next two days of travel were the least bearable for him. The road to Zora's Domain through the Zodobon Highlands and Ruto Mountains was frequently steep and treacherous, difficult enough on two good legs, let alone one. He found himself increasingly more and more grateful for the Princess' offer to stay with him while Mipha healed him; he didn't dare put himself through that any other way, and otherwise he didn't know how he would manage dealing with the cracked bones all the way back to Hyrule Castle. They might be damaged badly enough by now that they can't be fixed naturally, he thought. The Princess had been right, after all - usually when someone broke something in their arm or leg, they were careful not to use that part of their body until they had healed. Link had done just the opposite.

They reached Zora's Domain late in the afternoon on the second day; the incredible stonework of the aquatic city shone a pale, pure blue beneath the strong eye of the sun, breathtaking enough to take Link's mind off of the pain as they crossed the Great Zora Bridge.

"What would you like to do first?" Zelda asked, turning to him with concern clear in her emerald eyes. "Get settled for the night, deliver the message, see Mipha…"

You're letting me choose? His heart hammered; he had grown used to deferring to the Princess' judgement. More changes in her behavior towards him - what could this possibly mean? Why are you asking me?

The Princess shifted slightly, and he realized he had been staring. "I… well, I don't like seeing you in pain," she said quietly. "Especially now that I've… really grown to care about you. I'm leaving this up to you - you know what you can handle more than I do."

He thought he could remember hearing her say it before, but even so, once again hearing that she cared about him filled his heart with gratitude, astonishment, and love. "Thank you," he said at last. "I… I think, then, that… I'd like to get this whole thing with Mipha over with. The, er, healing part of it."

The Princess smiled grimly at him. "Let's find her, then," she decided, leading the way deeper into the Domain, ascending the grand set of stairs leading into the royal chambers.

As it turned out, finding Mipha didn't require much effort. She hurried up the stairs right behind them and rushed past them, when suddenly she stopped short and whirled around. Her eyes went wide. "Link?" she squeaked, clapping her hands over her mouth. "Oh, my goodness! I - what incredible timing; I had just been hoping -" She fell silent, noticing Zelda as if for the first time. Her gaze clouded. "Oh - Princess. Forgive me; I… didn't…didn't know you would be…"

"As it turns out, we were actually looking for you," Zelda explained with a smile, masking her confusion behind confidence. "Link was wounded recently; we'd… really appreciate it if you used your magic on his wounds."

"This is perfect!" Mipha cried out, smiling widely. "Please - join me out on Vah Ruta. This way!"

"Couldn't we do it here?" Link asked, his hip pulsing with pain. Her behavior was making his skin crawl with dread.

"No, no - it must be there," the Zora princess insisted, hurrying back down the stairs. "I, er… that's where I left my supplies!"

Link exchanged an uncertain glance with Zelda. She didn't need any supplies last time. "I'm glad you're with me," he whispered, leaning slightly closer to his charge to ensure only she heard his words. She nodded in agreement, her brow furrowed.

Mipha led them over the eastern bridge out of the city, and Link's heart clenched with dread for a moment as he wondered if perhaps she was taking them to Mikau Lake, where she'd healed him all those months ago. But his spirits dropped even further when she continued past it, leading them towards a zig-zagging set of stairs winding upwards, to the East Reservoir Lake.

He glanced at the Princess, feeling slightly panicked. "I can't make it up all of those," he whispered.

Zelda eyed the stairs calculatingly. "I'll help you," she murmured, holding out her arm. Link's pulse raced and his skin felt uncommonly warm; he gingerly freed his left arm from its sling and tentatively draped it over her shoulders as she tucked her right arm around his back and gently grasped his left hand with hers. She smiled up at him, encouragement gleaming in her gaze, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

He tried not to lean against her any more than was necessary, worrying that he would be too heavy. Not that he was particularly large, of course, but his body was comprised mostly of dense muscle. Hers, well… he blushed, noticing how soft and delicate she felt pressed up against his side beneath his arm. A small, mischievous voice in his mind whispered, At least that's a distraction from the pain, right?

He did his best to silence the voice.

Mipha was so excited that she didn't pause to look back until they had reached the top of the stairs, and when she did a brief look of anguished horror jolted across her features. "Oh," she gulped, eyeing the two of them critically. "I didn't realize - I would have helped you, too, if I'd known!" She twisted her hands fretfully together.

"Of course," Zelda agreed with a patient smile.

Vah Ruta was waiting just offshore, with its trunk lowered to the edge of the water. "Over here," Mipha said with a tense smile. "Link, if you would just sit down right here, on Ruta's trunk; then I can take you up and heal you -"

"I'm afraid Link is forbidden from leaving my side," Zelda interrupted apologetically. "I'll come along, if that's alright."

Mipha frowned, but she nodded slowly. "Oh… very well. Let's… let's get on with it, then."

Vah Ruta was very close to the docks along the western shore of the East Reservoir Lake, its hulking shape not at all out of place among the towering mountain peaks. Its trunk had been lowered and rested lazily in the water, at the edge of a long pier. With Zelda's help, Link managed to step onto the end of the trunk and ease himself down on the raised stone ring at its center. Mipha followed, with the Hylian Princess close behind, and he suddenly felt immensely uncomfortable. Especially when Mipha sat down next to him expectantly and said, "Please show me the wounds now."

Maybe I didn't think this through all the way. He would have to remove his clothing now, in front of both princesses, and of course Zelda's presence as a deterrent to Mipha was immensely welcome, but even so…

This is not a great situation.

"Would you, er, look away?" he asked shakily, feeling his face burning with embarrassment. The two women obliged, and with a trembling hand he fumbled with the buckles of his baldric and belt and cast them aside, followed by his tunic and undershirt. He gulped, his mouth dry. "O-okay."

Much too eagerly Mipha turned around and snatched his left arm; she ran a light finger over his forearm and he stiffened, glancing at Zelda in desperation. She caught his eye and nodded, moving closer even as a pale blush stole across her cheeks. "I'll hold him still," she volunteered, glancing up at Mipha and gently taking Link's arm in both hands.

"That's not really… necessary…" Mipha mumbled, but she shook her head. "Never mind. Er, thank you, Princess."

Link wondered if he had caught a note of sarcasm in Mipha's voice.

But even as healing magic wiped away the pain in his arm and healed his broken elbow, he felt sweat break out across his skin despite the brisk temperature. This is the most uncomfortable thing that's ever happened to me.

He hardly dared to breathe as Mipha continued her work on his wounds. Hers was a touch he did not cherish, although with the Princess so close by she didn't behave with half as much risque as she had before.

She skipped the infected wounds on his right arm and instead took care of everything on his torso before asking about the injury to his leg.

"Can't you do it through my clothes?" Link asked hoarsely, his heart hammering uncomfortably. For once Mipha looked as uncertain as he felt, glancing from him to Zelda and back again.

"Erm… I, uh… I don't think so," she finished quickly, avoiding his gaze entirely. Link grimaced and again looked to the Princess in desperation. She offered an encouraging smile. Warmth blossomed in his heart, and he summoned his resolve.

"Can you try, at least?" he asked, more insistently. "It couldn't hurt."

A pale shade of pink spread across Mipha's cheeks. "I… I'm not so sure…"

"We won't think anything less of you if it doesn't work," Zelda promised compassionately. "Please - just give it your best."

Mipha gulped audibly, her shoulders drooping slightly. "Oh, alright," she said shakily, reaching out. A soft blue light enveloped her hand.

The relief he felt when the stabbing pain that had plagued his leg for what felt like ages was nearly enough to justify the means to heal it. Then a cold understanding dawned on him, and his shoulders slumped. "You… you could have done it through my clothes this whole time?" he asked, gaping at her in disbelief.

"I didn't know it would work!" Mipha insisted. "Zoras don't use clothes much…"

Link was almost inclined to believe her, but he felt too nauseous to fully consider her innocence. He threw on his undershirt and tunic as fast as he could and stood up to leave.

"Wait!" Mipha protested. "I forgot one - your arm!"

"Oh, that," Link said with a quavering laugh, more than ready to be done with this. With her. "It'll be fine -"

"Infections can kill," Mipha reminded him. "I… I don't want that to happen to you! Please, Princess, would you grant me just one moment alone with him to heal this last wound?"

Link looked at the Zora princess in horror. She ignored him, focusing her pleading gaze on Zelda.

"I - I don't know," Zelda said slowly. "I really do feel safer with him - I don't want to risk anything happening -"

"A minute," Mipha begged. "Please! He's - he's my oldest and dearest friend!"

Zelda winced. Link felt a surge of guilt for putting her in this situation in the first place; she clearly felt just as uncomfortable as he did. "It's… alright," he told her quietly. "I… I think I can manage. It'll be alright."

"Yes!" Mipha cheered. "Yes, you'll be fine, Princess! Please!"

The Princess gave him a long, hard look, clearly concerned. He gave a small nod, trying to offer a comforting smile. You don't have to do this for me. You've done so much already. I can only imagine how this would have gone without you.

She looked deep into his eyes and, at last, slowly nodded. "A minute. No less, please, Mipha."

"Of course!" Mipha beamed. "Thank you! Thank you!"

The Princess turned and stepped off of Vah Ruta's trunk back to the pier, and Link felt a slight tug in his heart, watching her go. I'm alone now. Goddesses, please protect me.

On Mipha's command, Vah Ruta's trunk began slowly rising upward. Mipha pushed up the sleeve over his right arm and carefully raised her hands over the three deep gouges. She seemed to shake slightly, and he realized that she was nervous about something. That can't be good.

"I… I was thinking," she said quietly, her previous excitement swiftly draining away. "This reminds me of the time we first met. You were just a reckless child… always getting yourself hurt at every turn." She laughed shakily.

Link couldn't help but feel that she was stalling, putting off some sort of moment that she both dreaded and - and yearned for?It was unsettling.

"Every time, I would heal you, just as I'm doing right now," she murmured, her gaze distant. "I thought it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown-up so much faster than I did. I was… I was always willing to heal your wounds… even back then." She chuckled shyly. "I… really, really enjoy healing you."

The burn of infection released his arm, and new skin closed over the wounds, leaving faint scars. He studied them for a moment, flexing his fingers, and took a moment to revel in the feeling of being completely whole.

"Thank you," he sighed, tugging his sleeve back down and looking around for his gauntlet.

Mipha chuckled softly, turning her gaze to the sinking sun. "I… I must admit, I am feeling… uncertain about our future," she murmured. "If this Calamity Ganon does, in fact, return, what can we really do? We just don't seem to know much about what we'll be up against. But… know this: No matter how difficult this battle might get, if you - if anyone tries to do you harm, then I will heal you. No matter when, or how bad the wound… I hope you know that I will always protect you."

He blinked several times, caught slightly off guard. It seemed she had matured, at least a little, in the time since he'd last seen her. Or perhaps the solemnity of her task with Vah Ruta was finally settling down on her shoulders. It was almost as if her previous episode of excitement had never happened.

She sighed heavily. "Once this whole thing is over, maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young. You know… perhaps we could spend some time together." She blinked several times, holding her hands tightly together. "I'd like that very much."

Link shifted awkwardly, snatching his gauntlet from where it lay beside his boot and stuffing his hand into it. Well… sorry. I don't think I'd like that 'very much' at all.

"I'd like that so much, in fact," she gulped, looking at him with wide eyes, "that I… And well, with the future being so uncertain, there are some things I'd rather not put off, just in case - do you know what I mean?"

He felt a slight shiver of foreboding and stared at her incredulously. What are you trying to say? She was leaping from one topic to the next without any logical transition whatsoever. "Sort of," he answered at last, hoping it was an acceptable response.

"Good," Mipha croaked. "So… then… I have something for you." Trembling, whether from anxiety or anticipation he couldn't tell, she reached down and pulled a satchel from the shadows, where it had hidden behind the ridge on Ruta's trunk. "It's… inside." She held it out to him expectantly, and he took it, letting it rest on his lap.

Dreading what he would find, Link unbuttoned the satchel and reached in, his fingers colliding with something that felt like… fish. What?

Confused, he pulled out what appeared to be a blue shirt made from smooth, probably water-resistant material that really did feel like a fish's skin. Armor was sewn into it - pauldrons and gauntlets, along with an interesting chest piece that would go around his neck and over his collarbone. Beneath the pauldrons and around the back of the shirt was a small vest of chainmail formed by small, overlapping plates of mail like scales instead of the usual interlocking rings.

"It'll fit you perfectly," Mipha assured him, leaning close and studying the shirt. "I got my measurements from Madame Yann herself - she still had them from when the Princess made your Champion tunic." She sounded slightly resentful. Jealous, even.

Link frowned. It doesn't exactly offer much protection for more vital areas - like my heart or gut. Perhaps its purpose is ceremonial, then? And what sort of ceremony would it be used for? His skin crawled, and he swallowed thickly. "It looks… very well made," he told her honestly, hoping she would explain.

"You think so?" Mipha's eyes lit up and she smiled. "I spent hours working on it - in fact, I only just finished it yesterday!" Quite suddenly her delight faded and she looked away, wringing her hands. "So… will you accept it?"

"I…" He frowned, eyes narrowed. Strange choice of words. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled. "What would accepting it mean?"

"Oh, nothing!" the Zora princess assured him much too quickly. "Nothing at all! It's just a gift - just an everyday gift…"

"That's all?" Link pressed, suspicion winding tighter around his heart.

Mipha lowered her head. "Well… there is one thing," she answered timidly, her voice getting softer and softer. "It's… sort of a… a little… tiny… engagement gift…"

He nodded slowly, and then as the full impact of her words struck his mind he gave a slight jump. "What? Engagement? What sort of engagement?" He couldn't keep a note of panic from stretching his voice higher.

"Marriage," Mipha admitted. "To… to me. I was just thinking, you know, I really, really like you, and… and with the Calamity on the horizon, we might not get another chance, so… we might as well, right?"

You're assuming I actually want to marry you! The thought made him feel sick, and all at once he wanted to get as far away as he possibly could. No, no, no, no, this was all wrong; he didn't care for her even remotely the same way, and that was assuming that what she felt was actually love, which he very much doubted by now, and - and he wasn't nearly old enough, for Din's sake!

He moistened his lips nervously. "Erm… Princess, I'm… only sixteen." He offered an awkward laugh. "Hylians don't - we don't get married that young. Sorry." Not.

"But you could make an exception, couldn't you?" Mipha pressed eagerly. "Please? We don't know how much time is left -"

"I'm under orders to protect Princess Zelda," Link protested, hoping more than ever that he would get to continue as her knight and have that excuse not to marry Mipha. "So, uh…"

"Surely you want this just as much as I do!" Mipha exclaimed, leaning even closer and snatching his hand in hers. Slowly Link edged away, gently tugging his hand free.

Goddesses, please - there must be some way to avoid this! "Erm, Mipha, I… I don't think that I'd… ever… that I've ever given this much thought," he finished quickly.

"Well, what do you think about it now?" Mipha asked. A touch of impatience tinged her voice, and Link shifted further away from her. "What does your heart tell you?"

Well, you asked for it. He looked away from her, and then back again, and felt guilt squeezing his soul. "I don't know how to say this, Mipha, but… I just… I don't feel the same way," he admitted, dragging his gaze away once more and focusing intently on the setting sun. "I don't feel at all ready for marriage, and I'm sorry, but even if I did, I don't think it'd… it would be with you." He swallowed thickly. "Sorry."

Mipha was silent for several moments that stretched on and on into eternity. Divine Beast Vah Ruta whirred. Herons squawked, sparrows chirped. The wind rustled the pines far below, almost entirely masked by the gentle rushing of small waves on the lake below them. Then -

"Well, fine!" Mipha huffed, snatching the shirt she'd made out of his hands and shoving it back into her satchel. "That's just fine! Fine, fine, fine!"

Link whirled around in concern; she seemed to be experiencing a painful combination of misery and anger. Tears dripped down her face as she paced back and forth on the end of her Divine Beast's trunk. "I - I really am sorry," he tried, and it was sincere this time. "I just - I don't…" I just don't love you. How can I be sorry for that and not sorry at the same time? I really feel no attraction to you, but that doesn't mean I wanted to break your heart…

If only she had actually tried to see how he felt about all… this. He knew he hadn't hidden his discomfort very well; surely if she had tried, she would have noticed.

Just goes to prove that what she felt wasn't love. "Look, Mipha, are you even sure what you're feeling is actually -"

He didn't get to finish. With an angry squeak she turned around and pushed him with more force than he had thought possible; his feet slipped on Vah Ruta's trunk and he fell backwards with a surprised yelp, off of the Divine Beast, tumbling down towards black waters that rushed up to meet him -

The impact knocked the breath from his lungs and stung his arms and legs, paralyzing him for a brief moment. Shaking the shock from his body, he kicked out against the weight of his clothes and the Master Sword at his back, striking towards the surface. Somehow he had sunk much deeper than he realized; his chest ached for breath by the time he finally felt cold wind on his wet face and he gasped, sucking in deep mouthfuls of crisp air as he struck out towards the docks, where the Princess was waiting.

He couldn't help but smile ruefully. That probably looked pretty funny from down here.