For the second time that night Mipha could only stare blankly, unsure she'd really heard the words that had just been spoken. "Wh... what?" She blinked. "What are you talking about? And what does that have to do with—"

"It's what she wanted to know." Link opened his eyes. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his harsh, erratic breathing drowning out even the popping of the logs in the fireplace, his complexion still ashen. "Rhoam hasn't told anyone why he picked me instead, so Astor's been snooping around trying to find out. That's what he accosted me about that night a couple weeks ago, and he's been bothering Pipit and Zelda too. She's terrified of what his ambitions might be, and she thought questioning me about why her father changed his mind about who would marry you would help her efforts to stop him. I know, it didn't make sense to me either," he added. "She admitted that too, she's just... desperate and scared."

Mipha's mind stuttered, trying to process this new information and failing. "So... so you told her that..."

"No. I didn't tell her anything." Link shifted slightly, as if to step towards her. "But I'm going to tell you now, because you deserve to know. The only other person that does is Pipit, because he was there that day." He took a deep breath. "When... when I got back from visiting my father in Hateno, the messengers from your father had already come back, and the announcement had been made that Rhoam chose Astor. But... I..." His voice hitched. "I couldn't accept that. I couldn't just let him force you to marry someone like that. So I... I stormed into the throne room and told the king that he'd made a mistake and that I should marry you, not Astor."

Mipha opened her mouth to speak, but the words lodged in her throat wouldn't budge. The harder she tried to think, the more any semblance of coherent thought eluded her, slipping through her grasp like slick river rocks. Somehow, she thought dizzily, somehow I didn't expect that to be the answer.

But if not that, then what had she expected? That it had been an accident? That he had done something inadvertently to change Rhoam's mind? The idea was absurd, for if the Hylian King was anything, it was methodical and reasoned. Whatever his other faults, he was not a man given to capricious whims. Even so, the idea that Link had chosen this marriage, had fought for it to happen rather than being passively bound to it, seemed equally incomprehensible.

Yet how many times did he tell me not to fret about his loss of choice in our circumstances? Becoming more agitated with every broach of the subject? To say nothing of his pain when I referred to him being trapped in this marriage, implying without meaning to that that was how I felt about it. What a fool I am... how many times have I hurt him in my ignorance, while all he's ever tried to do is take care of me and look out for me? I have pushed thorns into his heart at every turn, rewarding his kindness with grief. The real truth here is that I have never deserved him.

"I'm sorry. I should've told you sooner. I just..." He took a ragged breath, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I didn't... I didn't know how you'd feel about it. I believed—I still believe—that I did the right thing to protect you from him, but..." His voice broke. "I didn't know how you'd react to hearing that I imposed myself on you like this, I was... I've been afraid to tell you in case it hurt you, but... now I've gone and done that anyway."

"Is... that..." Mipha found her voice, thin and weak but still alive somehow. "Is that why you didn't tell me you'd spoken to Zelda?"

Link nodded. "It was more of an interrogation than a conversation, honestly, but... yeah." He let out a broken little laugh. "I didn't know how to bring it up without revealing what I'd done, so..." He covered his face with one hand. "I'm sorry."

"I thought... I thought she kissed you." The words ripped out of her in a half-sob. "And then you touched her arm, so..." She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth as her eyes started stinging all over again.

"No." Link let his hand fall, a couple tears trickling out of his wide eyes. "She just has a habit of leaning in close to question people. And I was trying to comfort her because she was upset and scared over what she thinks Astor might try to do. He's expressed interest in marrying her now, and she wants no part of it."

"Oh... then..." Sympathy and revulsion flickered in her, but Mipha pushed them aside. "The rumors about you two... they're..."

"They're complete bullshit." Link grimaced even as he wiped at his damp cheeks. "Pipit mentioned that to me, something about a gossip publication... I guess you know about it too?"

Mipha nodded. "I... saw one of them a couple weeks ago... the day we first sat for our portrait, while you were at that meeting."

"When—oh." Link sighed. "So that's why you weren't feeling well, and seemed upset when I got home."

"... Yes." Mipha averted her eyes, guilt washing over her again. "It was... very upsetting indeed. Even more so when it seemed to be confirmed to be true. Suspecting that I have kept you from being with someone you cared for, and then to think I saw you carrying on with her in a public place where anyone, not just I, could've seen you..."

"No... no, Mipha, please, I..." Now he did step forward, and even started to reach for her, but stopped himself, his arms falling back to his sides. "It's not true. Any of it. I've never had those kinds of feelings for her—she told me she thought I did just because I saved her from an assassin several months ago, but she later realized I was just doing my job." He rubbed his eyes. "You haven't kept me from anyone, and... even if there was someone I wanted, I would never humiliate you like that. I swear. I..." He breathed shakily. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I ever let you think that, that my silence about what I did made you believe those rumors. I don't know who's publishing that trash, but it's not true. I promise."

"No... no, Link, I am sorry!" The glass shattered, spilling all its contents—her pain, her fear, the utter devastation of seeing her love seemingly entwined with another—all over the floor as she rushed to embrace him. Link stumbled slightly as she barreled into him, throwing her arms around him and weeping into his shoulder, but otherwise didn't budge. "I am sorry to have thought so little of you... I should know you better by now, and..." She whimpered. "I didn't know... I had no idea what you did for me... I'm so sorry..."

"You couldn't have known." Link tentatively put his arms around her, and she sobbed. "I was scared to tell you—I'm still—"

"Don't be, don't be." Mipha clutched him tighter. "You... you risked your own safety to protect me, the king could've had you imprisoned or worse for doing something like that, I cannot believe that you..."

"That's why I told you not to worry about it whenever you got upset about me losing my choice in all this," Link said softly. He leaned his head against hers and stroked her tail. "Because I did choose this. I know exactly what Astor is like and I couldn't let you be forced into marriage with him, not when I knew what he's capable of. I had to keep you safe."

"You... you are..." She managed a watery half-laugh. "As reckless as ever... no wonder Pipit said as much..."

"Yeah." Link sighed again. "He's the one that told me who Rhoam had chosen, and he was there when I went storming off to tell him that I should marry you instead because I knew you and the Domain better. He tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn't let him sway me. So that's how he knows."

"That... makes sense." Mipha hiccuped. "But... then... why is Rhoam keeping it quiet?"

"I don't know." He stroked her tail some more, almost making her burst into tears again. "I haven't had the nerve to ask, the few times I've been in his presence. Maybe I will tomorrow when I go talk to him about what happened tonight."

"Tonight has been... what a disaster..." Mipha took a gulping breath. "I am so sorry, Link... I cannot tell you how sorry I am."

"Shh, don't." Link pressed his face to the side of her head. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes, I did, I..." Her breath hitched as she began to cry again. "I saw the look on your face when I pulled away... you were so hurt..." And I did that. I hurt you. You, the one I love the most, who risked himself to protect me. How can I forgive such a thing? I would never forgive anyone else who hurt you, I cannot grant myself that grace either.

"I'm fine," he said quietly. "You believed I'd done something to hurt you, it's understandable."

"But I should never have assumed that of you!" She wept harder, her claws digging into his back a little as she clutched him; Link shivered, but didn't say anything. "How could I jump to the conclusion that you would do that? It is unconscionable..."

"It's been eight years." He ran his hand over her ear fin. "We're still getting to know each other again. And you saw something that looked really bad, after reading a horrible rumor."

"Even so, I—"

"Mipha." Link pulled back, and cupped her face gently in his hand so she would have to look at him. "It's fine. I don't blame you for being upset. If I'd been honest with you from the start, you wouldn't have been so hurt." He hesitated, searching her eyes. "And... it really is okay? What I did?"

"Of course it is." Her lower lip wobbled. "You risked so much, gave up so much, just to keep me safe... I owe you the world for this, I..."

"No, you don't." Link shook his head. "I did what I had to do for my best friend, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had to. Please don't feel like you owe me anything, I don't want you to and I don't expect anything from you. And..." His voice dropped. "I honestly don't view it as giving anything up. If anything I came away from this better off, because I'm married to you and not some snotty Hylian noble Rhoam chose for me." A shudder went through him. "So please don't think of it that way, there's nothing you owe me for."

"But I misjudged you so cruelly," she said in a choked voice. "I saw something I didn't understand, and instead of asking you about it I assumed you were uncaring, instead of realizing just how kind you truly are..."

"I don't blame you for that, though." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "It really did look bad from your position, and you had no way of knowing about what I did. Anyone would make that mistake, it doesn't make you a bad person. So please, forgive yourself. I don't hold it against you."

"It is... hard for me not to hold it against myself, but..." Mipha swallowed. "If you insist, I will try."

Link started to say something, but then froze, his eyes widening in abject horror before dropping to where his other hand had touched something on her arm. She followed his gaze, her stomach twisting as she saw the scorch marks and ruined scales just above her elbow; without even looking, she knew that the other arm would have identical burns. "What the hell is that?" Link's voice shook. "What did that asshole do to you?"

"I... he..." Her breath hitched, her body starting to quiver as the memory of that horrible moment rushed back. "He used thunder magic... I tried to break free, but I couldn't move, I..."

"... I'll kill him." Link breathed hard, his eyes wild with rage and hatred. "I'll fucking kill him, I'll—"

He broke off, turning on his heel as if to go and dispatch Astor right that minute, but Mipha grabbed for him, clutching at his wrist. "Link, no, please—don't, don't go, don't do this, he's not worth it—"

"Mipha, he used thunder magic on you!" Link's voice rose, sounding dangerously close to breaking again. "He knew what he was doing, and—and it burned you, it could've..." He took a sudden breath that sounded like he was holding back a sob. "You could've..."

"But it didn't." Mipha tugged on his wrist. "He has already been arrested for what he did, and this is nothing I can't heal. Please stay here."

"He could've hurt you so much worse." Link turned, his eyes filled with tears and his face screwed up in an expression of utter anguish. "I could've lost you, I..."

"You didn't." Mipha put her hands on his face. "I am here. I am still here. But if you run off and do something rash, I will almost certainly lose you, and I..." Her voice cracked. "I cannot bear that. Please, just stay... stay here with me..."

There was a long silence during which she wasn't sure what he was going to do, and then Link threw his arms around her, holding her tighter than he ever had before as he cried, his tears running down her scales and dampening her sash. "I'm sorry," he gasped after a few minutes. "I'm so sorry... I should've been there with you, I never should've left your side, and I should've told you the truth from the beginning... all I've done is let you get hurt over and over..." Now he did let out a sob, the sound piercing her heart like an arrow. "You deserve better than me. I'm sorry..."

"No, no..." Mipha buried her face in his shoulder, clinging to him as she started crying again too. "Please, please, Link... please don't blame yourself. I wanted you to have a chance to talk alone with your friend, it's not your fault that you got held up by Zelda or that I ran into Astor."

"I had a bad feeling about leaving you." He took several gulping breaths. "When Pipit was done talking I just wanted to hurry back and find you, but then Zelda..." Link sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. I let you down."

"No, you didn't." She hugged him tighter. "None of this is your fault."

"That's not true." He shook his head. "I didn't tell you what I did to make sure we'd be married, so it was easy for you to believe I'd run around with someone else behind your back. I didn't even tell you the truth about me not being Rhoam's first choice."

"Link, I have already forgiven you for that." Mipha pulled back so she could wipe his tears away, her heart breaking all over again at the pain on his face. "And none of the rest needs forgiving, for none it was your fault."

"But I should've been there." His voice shook. "I should've been there to protect you, and I wasn't."

"You did, though." Mipha pressed her forehead to his. "You hit him and got him away from me, just in time."

"No, not just in time, I wasn't able to stop him from doing this." Link gestured at her arms, fresh tears glittering in his eyes. "He hurt you."

"And I will be fine." Concentrating, Mipha called her healing power into her hands and laid them on the burns; within a minute, the damage had been erased as if it'd never happened. "See?"

"I..." He stared hard at her newly healed scales, as if trying to banish the image of the burns from his mind. "That's not the point... the point is that he..."

"I know," she interrupted gently. "But we cannot do anything about it now. Tell the king tomorrow—he will surely do something."

He closed his eyes for a minute. "He'd better."

"He will," Mipha insisted. "He did not go through the trouble of arranging this marriage to avoid war, only to anger my father and the rest of the Domain by allowing Astor to treat me so."

Link laughed, a harsh, hollow sound. "Don't give him too much credit. Rhoam is... I think he means well, but he's not the great, wise ruler people say he is. Your father is the better king by far."

Mipha frowned. "Be that as it may, I think he will still be hesitant to allow Astor's actions to go unpunished. If he has any wisdom at all, that is."

"Probably less than you think," he muttered. "Even if I gambled, I wouldn't bet on this going how I want it to go."

A new fear gripped her. "You... do not think he will punish you for defending me, do you?"

"No, I don't." He pulled her into another hug. "I'm sorry. I just meant I don't have a lot of faith in him punishing Astor the way he deserves to be. He's too caught up in Astor's connections at court to move at anything but a snail's pace where the guy's concerned, apparently—that's why Zelda's so frustrated with him, I guess. But I don't think he'd do anything to me over it. It's not like when Astor burned me; there's too many witnesses and no way for him to spin it as an accident, or something I started. Though I don't doubt he'll try."

She tightened her hold on him. "He will not succeed, though?"

"No." Link pulled back to look at her, and shook his head. "Rhoam's not the wisest ruler, but he's not an idiot either, and there's no way Astor can spin this in his own favor. So try not to worry about it."

"That too will be difficult, but..." Mipha sighed. "I shall do my best."

"Good." Link let go of her and resumed changing clothes; Mipha stood motionless at first, but then walked away to do the same.

Her movements as she shed her jewelry were slow and mechanical, and when she was done she simply sat on her side of their bed with her arms wrapped around herself. A dull ache throbbed at her temples and her eyes burned with exhaustion as she stared into space without really seeing anything. A myriad of jumbled thoughts battled for her attention, but fled when the mattress shifted under Link's weight. He'd finished changing and had untied his long hair; for a moment that seemed to stretch on longer than was advisable she simply stared at him. There was a softness to his features, enhanced by the warm glow of the firelight, that struck her all over again, her hushed breathing becoming sluggish. It was hard not to admire him: the delicate bone structure, those long-lashed blue eyes, that lovely mouth she yearned to kiss. With a face like his it was no surprise that there were rumors flying around about who he was romantically interested in, for she didn't doubt there were many others at court just as enamored with him as she was.

But he is my husband, Mipha reminded herself as she broke free of the spell he'd cast over her. She took the brush from his hand and began to run it through his silky golden locks, pulling a tiny sigh from him as she braced herself with one hand on his shoulder. Not theirs. And he chose to be. He chose me. My heart is content, knowing that. The guilt still stings, but beneath it I am shamefully pleased. Relieved, too, that he is not unhappy with me and doesn't seek out another. Perhaps I have a chance after all? No, I mustn't dwell on that. For unlike the others, I am not merely infatuated with him, which puts me in more danger. The weight of love hangs heavy over me, and I must take care not to be crushed by it.

Link yawned more than once as she brushed his hair; when she was done he turned back to her with a sleepy half-smile on his beautiful face, his eyes half-lidded. He reached for the brush, his fingers lingering on hers as he held her gaze, and the thought came: he is going to kiss me. His lips seemed to part slightly, as if he knew what she was thinking, and Mipha struggled not to let her eyes drop to them, her mind caught in a maelstrom of memories of their wedding kiss and how soft and sweet his mouth had been. But then Link turned away, and doused his lamp after putting the brush down. Restraining a sigh, Mipha turned as well and put out hers before drawing the curtains.

As the darkness settled over them, Mipha reached out and touched his shoulder. In response Link rolled onto his side. "Yeah?"

"Nothing, I just..." She felt around on the pillow, and then laid her hand on his cheek; Link seemed to go still. "I'm sorry, I..." Mipha withdrew her hand. "I was... wanting to hold hands, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." His hand clasped hers, and for a few minutes they simply laid there quietly like that. "Better?"

"Yes." Mipha closed her eyes. "And..." She was silent again for a long stretch. "... Thank you, Link."

He tugged on her hand a little, and then brushed his lips across it in a faint kiss, sending a jolt of electricity straight to her heart. "You're welcome."

It took her a long time to fall asleep after that.

Link left for the castle at mid-morning, right after the formal summons arrived; Mipha held onto him for longer than usual at the door, only reluctantly letting go so he could depart. She watched him walk away, and closed the door when she couldn't see him anymore. Slowly, as if in a trance, she headed back upstairs to their room and sat on the bed.

It had been made by now by one of the servants, but if she bent her head she could still smell Link's scent on his pillow. Mipha breathed deeply and closed her eyes. The hurt look on his face from the previous night flashed into her mind, but she shook her head and shoved it aside, forcing herself to focus instead on the way he'd looked at her just a little while ago. That soft smile as he assured her he'd be fine, that he'd be back soon.

I did choose this.

His words from the night before echoed in her mind, and Mipha sat up, not wanting her tears to leak onto his pillow. She drew her knees up to her chest, her shoulders shaking as more emotion than she knew what to do with overwhelmed her. Link had... he'd willingly relinquished his chance to be married to someone else, someone more his type, just to protect her from Astor. He'd risked his own safety just to try and keep her safe. He cared so much about her, even after eight years of separation, that he'd done that without any concern for himself, had cried helplessly in her arms at the thought of losing her. In light of that, it almost didn't matter that he didn't remember their promise.

Part of me still wishes he did, but... but even just knowing what he sacrificed for my sake makes such a difference. It truly does. I have not been a fool to care for him as I do. Quite the opposite. I could not have chosen a better man to give my love to. His kind heart is even bigger than I thought, and I clearly occupy a special place within it, whether or not it is a romantic one. More than ever, I cannot take what he's done for me and his warm feelings for granted.

Once she'd gained control of herself again, Mipha wiped her tears away and rose from the bed. She had other things to do today besides cry over Link and what had happened the night before, and she needed to get to them.

One such task was writing letters to her father and Sidon. She sat at the desk, allowing herself a minute or so of gazing out the window before opening the drawer where she knew Link kept writing paper. Usually she penned her letters in the library, but right now she felt like staying where she was. Her questing fingers drew out a stack of paper, more than what she probably needed.

And then they went still as she realized that one of the sheets tucked in there felt very different from the others. Frowning, Mipha laid the stack on the desk and began to rifle through it. One of the corners of the foreign sheet stuck out, this strange interloper a bit bigger than the rest. Taking hold, she carefully pulled it out from under the ones atop it.

As it turned out, it was lucky she was seated at the desk, for it slipped out of her fingers and onto the blank sheets as she saw what was on it. Mipha's breath caught, heart skipping a beat as her now-trembling hand brushed the surface of the page.

It was a drawing of her. More specifically, it was the sketch Pikango had done of her in her wedding dress at that first portrait session. She'd thought he'd taken it home with him that day along with the rest of his sketchbook, but it was here. How? Why?

Now that I think about it... I came up here first to change out of my dress, while Link paid him for the luminous stone paint. Could he have also asked for the sketch at the same time, and smuggled it in here? Mipha's mind reeled. He must have... but why? For what reason could he possibly want to keep this, and hide it in the desk? Could it be meant as a surprise for me? That is the only explanation I can think of.

Mipha gazed down at it for a little longer, and then carefully placed it back in the stack of papers. She took a few sheets for her letters, and then returned the rest to where they'd been. It was even harder now to concentrate, but after many stops and starts she managed it, telling Sidon and her father all about the most joyous parts of her life since the last time she'd written to them.

Last night, for all the pain it had brought, had started off as one of those happy things. Apprehension over her first social event in Hyrule Kingdom had melted away as she and Link wandered the gardens together, watching performances and eating dessert and talking to each other. And even at the end, when guilt and sorrow had irreversibly stained everything, she'd still managed to find some contentment. He'd held her after all, bringing comfort to her battered heart, and they'd fallen asleep hand in hand, just like on their wedding night. Not only that, but he'd kissed her hand. Briefly, but it had still been a kiss.

What am I to think of him when he does these things? What am I supposed to think about his feelings when he shows me this affection, when he weeps so over the mere thought of losing me? When there are strange moments where I could swear he means to kiss me but then doesn't? It is so... so very confusing. I hardly know what to do. With each breath I draw I long for him, for his touch and his kiss. The one we shared at our wedding haunts me still. If we were to have such a moment again, alone here in our own house, our own room, what would happen? How would he look at me if I spoke honestly to him, told him of the love I feel growing in me day by day? Do I have a chance at all of having it returned? Sometimes I think I might... but I am never sure, and I fear to risk what we have now by opening myself up to him in that way. Even in my bravest moments I still feel the chill of uncertainty. I want to swallow it down, to let my courage take root more firmly and reveal even a little more to him of what I feel, but... I continue to be held back. All I can do is pray that I will soon find the strength to overcome my anxieties and act.

As he walked through the castle gates Link could still feel Mipha's arms around him, the way she'd held onto him before he left the house. She'd barely spoken, but he'd felt the guilt radiating off her in waves. Guilt and gratitude, in a mix that had to be incredibly painful for her. His own heart ached for what she was going through.

I can't hold it against her. It hurt like hell when she pulled away from me, yeah, but once I knew why it all made sense. It really did look bad from where she was. In the dark like that, of course it would've looked like Zelda and I were kissing. And since she'd already heard rumors about the two of us it was only natural that her mind made the leap. She had no way of knowing that Zelda's an—acquaintance, I guess? I work for her, technically, and her father fostered me, but we've never really been friends. Either way, we'd never really talked about her until last night, so it didn't come up. She can be nice, but... I never had any interest in her and it was bizarre to hear her say that she thought I did. At least she's not interested either, that would've been incredibly awkward, to say the least.

In any case... it's done. Mipha knows the truth about what I did to ensure we'd be married. Not the entirety of my reasons, but... she knows of the action in itself and part of why I did it. It's a relief, honestly. Feels like a huge weight off my shoulders. She has a better idea now of just how much I care about her, which is scary, but at least she knows I wouldn't hurt or humiliate her by sneaking around with someone else.

It'd occurred to him—tempted him—to kiss her, to make clear his real feelings and lay to rest the idea that he could ever have wanted anyone but her. Especially after finding out what Astor had done to her; driven by the terror of knowing he could've lost her, he'd been almost blinded by the need to take her in his arms and express his love. But somehow he'd held back, and been immensely glad he did when she voiced her feelings of owing him. No matter how badly he craved physical intimacy with her, the last thing he wanted was for it to happen because she thought she owed it to him. Just the thought of it happening under those circumstances made his skin crawl. If they were going to share that with each other it had to happen because they both wanted it. Anything else was unfair to her. Some of her recent behavior had given him hope that she might be receptive to his advances if he made them, but he refused to do so.

Not now, anyway. Not till I'm sure she's past feeling obligated to me. And that's going to take time. Time that I'm more than willing to give her. Especially since I'm still not sure she really wants me. I need to keep watching and waiting, and testing the waters with little shows of affection. If we can slowly build on that, and she keeps responding well and showing some to me too, then maybe... maybe there's a chance. But I have to be really careful.

The echo of his boots on the castle floors was a sound he usually tuned out, but given his current line of thought he couldn't help but be reminded of the day he'd stormed into the very throne room he now approached. It didn't help that his business here was eerily similar, in that it involved speaking to King Rhoam about Astor. Of course, the biggest difference was that this time he'd been ordered to go in there, rather than taking it upon himself to tell off his liege about what a huge mistake he'd made.

Rhoam was seated on the throne when Link entered the room; the guards closed the doors to afford them privacy. Link walked forward and knelt. "Your Majesty."

"Rise, Link." He obeyed. "Do you recall why you are here?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Link nodded. "Sir Gaebora instructed me to return today to discuss the events of last night."

"Indeed." Rhoam regarded him neutrally. "Astor's account of it is that you assaulted him unprovoked."

"Unprovoked?" Heat surged through him, his heart thudding in his chest. "He attacked my wife! I saw him put his hands on her and shake her, shouting and threatening her, and when we got home I found out he'd used thunder magic to keep her from defending herself. You know how that affects Zoras." His voice trembled. "The injury done to her was not slight, and could have been far worse. I acted to protect her."

"Yes, the eyewitnesses that Sir Gaebora spoke to afterwards said much the same thing." Rhoam nodded slowly. "Though I was not aware of his use of that magic. And in light of what happened two weeks ago, I find it all too easy to believe that Astor would behave in such a manner again, despite that he'd sworn to me that it was an uncharacteristic outburst and not representative of who he truly is."

"I would disagree with that assessment," Link said, fighting to keep his tone even. "I've noticed over the years that while he behaves one way in public to curry favor and influence others, his true nature is more like what he displayed last night. These incidents show who he really is on the inside, brought out by his feelings of rage at being—in his eyes—slighted by the marriage situation."

"You may be right." Rhoam sighed. "Yet the fact of the matter is that he has many within his sphere of influence. In light of that, I must tread carefully in my dealings with him, in the interest of stability. You understand, don't you?"

No, I don't. Although I get why Zelda's so frustrated. "I cannot pretend to fully understand, Your Majesty, but then, I am not in your position," Link said carefully. "Will you explain to me?"

To his surprise, Rhoam let out a weak chuckle. "I will spare you a lecture on the intricacies of royal politics, however... in light of your awareness of my difficult position, I hope you will not object to the punishment I have decided to mete out on him."

Something tells me I'm not going to like this. "And what might that be?"

"To begin with, he is spending three days in lockup to cool off." Rhoam reached for the goblet that sat on a table beside the throne and drained whatever was in it. "He shall also be banned from all royal events for the remainder of the social season, and in light of your information about the type of magic used against Princess Mipha, I think I will also put him on house arrest for some time."

"That's... pretty lenient," Link said, striving again for neutrality even while his stomach roiled with suppressed rage.

"Yet it is all I dare for now." Rhoam sighed again. "As I have said, he has a great deal of influence within the kingdom, and there are many who take his side in the current dispute and feel that I should have stuck to my original choice for this marriage, instead of handing it to you instead."

"Have you told them of what King Dorephan said at the meeting in Goponga?" Link asked, irritation seeping into his tone despite his best efforts. "Of how he praised you for your wisdom in choosing me as Princess Mipha's husband due to my history with her and the Domain?"

"Yes, however..." Rhoam rubbed his forehead. "The more extreme will not be swayed, believing the Zora to be backwards for their preference of a commoner familiar to them over a more highly-born and well-connected stranger like Astor."

Link's eyes narrowed. "The Zora are not—"

"I know," Rhoam interrupted him, his expression stern. "You do not need to defend them to me—I recognize well King Dorephan's wisdom and intelligence. He and I do not always see eye to eye, and I confess that many of their religious beliefs are very foreign to me; however, they remain a valuable ally and I do not wish to go to war with them. Stability and the well-being of my people are my highest priority, and that is why I went with you in the end for this marriage. However, that also means that for now I must be cautious in my dealings with Astor and his circle of friends."

"And do you think King Dorephan would be pleased with you showing so much lenience to the man who attacked his daughter?" Link clenched his jaw until it hurt. "Do you think this will do anything positive for the alliance, to let Astor get away with what he did to her? What he meant to do to her and would have if I hadn't intervened?"

"I cannot speak for what his intentions were, and neither can you. That is mere speculation." Rhoam's eyes darkened, a storm growing in them. "And he is not getting away with anything. He will be imprisoned and restricted, and that will buy me time to deal more effectively with his supporters and avert internal strife in this land. He will ultimately be punished more severely for his actions, but it will take time to implement safely given his wealth of connections. As you are not privy to all that goes into maintaining peace and stability and avoiding civil war, you have little right to try and lecture me on how to do it."

"I see." Link took a deep breath and let it out, his heart still racing with barely containing fury. "Forgive my impertinence, then." Maybe he's got a point. I don't know. All I know is that none of this sits right with me. I can't imagine Dorephan being okay with this, and I'm not either. The thought of what could've happened to her—what did happen—makes me sick.

"Hmm." He regarded him for a moment. "You are happy, then, in your marriage? No regrets over what your actions helped to bring about for yourself?"

"None whatsoever." He spoke without hesitation. "I am very happy, Your Majesty. We both are."

"Good." Rhoam cleared his throat. "Now, before I dismiss you, have you anything else to say about the situation at hand?"

"I... yes. I have a question." Link stepped forward. "Forgive me if I'm being too brash, but a source of the trouble in both the recent incidents with Astor is his frustration and confusion at the lack of an explanation as to why the decision to use him as Mipha's husband was reversed. If I may, can I inquire about the reasoning behind your silence on the matter?"

"I have been wondering when that topic would come up." Rhoam closed his eyes for a moment. "I recognize that the lack of transparency about my change of heart has caused you and Princess Mipha this hardship, but I stand firmly beside it, and will continue to keep the catalyst for my decision private. I believed then—as I do now—that to make the source of my reasoning clear would only invite further backlash and retaliation. Or do you believe that Astor would leave you both alone if he were aware of your actions in influencing my final choice?"

"... No." Link's mouth went dry. "No, I don't."

"I thought as much." Rhoam sat back in the throne. "In light of that, do you now understand my reticence a little better?"

Link nodded. "Perfectly, Your Majesty."

"Good." Rhoam nodded. "If there are no further questions on your part, then you are now dismissed and free to return home to your wife."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Link bowed. "May the blessings of the Goddesses be upon you."

Knowing that Astor was locked up in the dungeon beneath his feet helped set his mind at ease as he walked back out after giving his testimony to Sir Gaebora as well; nevertheless, he kept his eyes open for anyone who might be connected to him. No one came to accost him, though, and few people seemed to take note of him at all, which was a relief. He couldn't pretend to be overly pleased about the entirety of the situation with Astor, but at least Rhoam believed his story and was trying to do something. That was a small comfort.

Still. It really isn't hard to see the source of Zelda's frustration and fear, if she thinks her father is moving too slowly or doesn't recognize the danger she sees. I can kind of get why she thought interrogating me might help, if she thought there was information connected to this that would be valuable to her efforts. Unfortunately for her, I don't think she'd get anything out of knowing that I demanded her father pick me instead because I'm still in love with Mipha and wanted to protect her from Astor. And I'm sure she already knows what Astor did to me, so that's not new information either. She's got good intentions, she's just looking to the wrong person for what she needs.

Link had just barely closed the front door behind himself when footsteps came rushing down the stairs. Turning, he saw Mipha hurrying towards him; their eyes met, and they both smiled at the same time. He walked forward to meet her, and opened his arms just in time for her to throw hers around him, as he'd correctly anticipated she would. "Hey. Told you I'd be back soon."

"Yes." She pressed her face to his shoulder. "And you are not going to be facing any sort of punishment for what happened?"

"Nope." He leaned his head against hers. "He knows Astor was the one that started it, and that I was only acting in your defense."

"As you have been for so long." Mipha lifted her head to look at him, eyes shining with anguish. "Oh, Link, I... how am I ever to repay you for what you did?"

"You don't need to." Link shook his head firmly. "I don't want you to. We already talked about this— you don't owe me a thing. Please don't feel like you do. I chose to do that, because I thought it was the right thing to do for you."

"Then... why were you so scared to tell me?" she asked softly.

"Because I didn't know what you'd think." He sighed. "I think I said this last night, but I've felt like I was imposing myself on you. I could've asked him to just choose someone else, anyone but Astor, but I insisted he choose me, specifically, because I'd been friends with you and lived in the Domain for six years. I thought—in the heat of the moment—that you'd be happier with someone you knew than with a stranger, even if that stranger wasn't a complete asshole like Astor. And then later I realized how arrogant that was."

"No. No, it wasn't." Mipha touched his cheek. "You were right. Haven't I said so many times that I am happy to have you, instead of someone who cared little for me? I..." Her voice hitched. "Now I see how much it must have pained you every time that topic came up, knowing what you'd done and second-guessing yourself, knowing that I nearly did end up with the monster who left that scar on you..."

The memory of how she'd tenderly kissed it that night came roaring back, and Link had to swallow down a lump in his throat. None of you is ugly or gross, she'd said. How far did that go? Was any of him appealing to her? He ached to know, but lacked the courage to ask. And now wasn't an appropriate time anyway. "I'm glad it's... I'm glad it's okay." He ran his fingers down over her tail. Her scales were so smooth and soft that it made him want to bury his face in them. Was it really that weird to be so fiercely attracted to her? To have fallen in love with her? He couldn't see how it could be. "I really just want you to be happy, and I... if I've made a terrible situation better for you, then..."

I'm glad she won't be left with a scar like mine. I know all too well how it feels to have something like that on you, how it affects the way you see yourself. Bad enough she's had people say awful things to her, she doesn't need another blow to her self-image. It would never make me any less attracted to her, but she'd still struggle with it anyway. I couldn't bear seeing her go through what I have.

"You have. You know you have." She leaned her head against his shoulder again. "I just wish I could do more for you in return."

"You've done plenty." Link closed his eyes. "Haven't you been my friend too, this whole time? That's enough. That's more than enough. I didn't tell you so you'd feel indebted to me, I told you so you could know the truth and not think I'd done something to hurt you last night."

"I know." She sighed. "You are right... it is hard not to want to repay your kindness, but I will try to remember that and not feel like I owe you."

"Good." He stroked her tail some more. "Cause I really don't want you to feel obligated to do anything for me."

"I will try not to." Mipha pulled back and smiled. "Now, are you hungry for lunch? Or is that a silly question from a silly wife?"

"Not silly at all." Link smiled back. "But yeah, I'm hungry."

"Then it was a silly question," she said, laughing as she took his hand and tugged him along to the dining room.

"Maybe," Link conceded. "But you're not silly."

You're adorable, he wanted to tell her, echoing his words the night of the festival. But any time he tried to say things like he had that night, his tongue froze in place and his voice stopped working. Why? Why can I only act like that when I'm hiding my face and she doesn't know who I am? I want to be able to flirt with her, to charm my own wife and try to win her heart. It might even work, if I could just summon up the nerve to do it.

A meal had already been set out for them when they got there, sparing him a wait. Exhaustion settled over him almost as soon as he sat down, though, and he had to fight to keep his eyes open as they ate together. It was no surprise—they'd been up late last night at the party, and it'd been the early hours of the morning by the time they finally got to bed. Which had only afforded him a short, restless sleep plagued by vague nightmares of Astor. After that and his stressful encounter with the king, it was little wonder he was crashing.

"We don't have anywhere we have to go today, right?" Link asked, yawning, as they made their way back upstairs after finishing lunch.

Mipha shook her head. "No. Our fitting isn't until tomorrow."

"Right." A sleepy smile spread across his face as he laid down on the bed, his wearied mind slipping into a sort of contented haze. "I can't wait to see you in your costume."

He got a brief glimpse of her pretty blush just before he closed his eyes. "Y-you really think it will look good on me?"

"Of course. I've..." Link yawned. "Never seen you look bad in anything." You're always so beautiful. How do you do it? How do other people not see it? I don't get it.

"Y-you are too kind..." She sounded flustered. "In—in any case, we are free for the rest of the day, so go ahead and sleep. Last night was very tiring for us both."

"Yeah, I..." Link trailed off as the mattress shifted; he opened his eyes to see Mipha lying down beside him. "Mipha, you don't have to stay here if you have other things you want to do. Not that I want you to go, just..."

"I know." She reached behind his head and gently untied his ponytail before beginning to stroke his hair. "But I do want to. I am tired too, you know."

"Mm." Link closed his eyes again. "I like it when you do this," he mumbled. "Feels good."

"I know." Mipha kissed his forehead, and his heart pounded briefly before calming down. "Just sleep. We both need the rest."

His mouth opened to say something, but a second later he couldn't think of what, so he closed it against. Instead Link reached for her other hand, twining his fingers with hers. Half-formed thoughts drifted through his mind, popping like soap bubbles before they could achieve shape or voice. They all rose from the same pool, however: the love he felt for her every moment of his life, waking or otherwise. Even in his dreams he couldn't escape her, and wouldn't have wanted to; for only in the labyrinth of the unconscious could he feel the warmth of her love shining on his heart. It was a comfort he yearned to have in reality as well, and barely dared to hope for. A feeling had been growing in him of late, whispering that he was luckier then he suspected, and he was torn on whether to listen to it or not. Desire constantly warred with fear, leaving him paralyzed and uncertain. He knew he needed to end this limbo, but wasn't sure how.

Maybe she's not the only one who needs time. Maybe I do too, to build up my confidence and let those inhibitions go again. If I can just do that, then I think... then I think we might be able to move forward, finally.