The day was finally here. Link paced nervously in his room as Sidon smiled, laughing at his friend. "It will be fine. I promise."
Link checked his armour again, then his hair, before turning to the Zora prince. He didn't even have to speak and Sidon could see the panic in his eyes; a fear that he was not going able to live up to expectations. "I'm going to mess this up."
Sidon shrugged, remaining calm and relaxed to try not agitate the situation. "Most of us don't really care as long as it happens. But it doesn't matter, I have no doubts you will do great," he said as he got up. He checked a clock and put an arm around Link's shoulders, leading him toward the doors. "Let's get going."
Link took a deep breath as he walked through the halls, trying to ignore the excited and nervous buzz throughout the castle. He'd been kept to one side of the building for the entire day as not to accidentally come across the queen, which was only making him feel worse. She was the one he wanted to reassure him through all of this and he wasn't even allowed to talk to her.
It at least calmed his nerves a little as he watched the soldiers all in perfect form, standing where they were all directed as they stayed in full alert. He stepped out into the grounds just outside the castle, watching the crowds get settled in their seats as Sidon kept him moving forward. Link did his best to count and check every guard was there and in place without moving his head too much, meeting Grax at the bottom of the raised stage area.
"You ready?" Grax asked with a teasing tone. The warning for his behaviour had been fine; Grax had admitted he'd let his frustrations through a little more than intended and would never motivate the guards through fear of him again. Link knew Grax didn't seem the type to take those things personally but he'd still been worried after seeing what he'd managed in one morning with an entire army. They'd all calmed down too; still vigilant and motivated but the fear had settled overall.
"No," Link admitted and Grax laughed.
"Well, you have about twenty-three minutes left to back out. I can work out a path for you to run away safely if you need," Grax teased as he pretended to look at his watch. Sidon laughed while Link tried to compose himself. He wouldn't but the idea of hiding away sounded very tempting if he wouldn't have been hunted down by the entire kingdom afterward for hurting their queen. "If it makes you feel any better, other than her usual fluttering about to make sure everything is sorted and ready, which it is, she's perfectly fine. She was just a little nervous but excited, and looks beautiful. I walked by earlier to make sure she knew that the guard was ready and on high alert, so she had nothing to worry about."
Link felt better knowing that she wasn't stressing herself out. "Thank you."
Grax nodded and smiled. "You just worry about remembering your lines. Leave everything else to us."
Time felt slow as Link tried not to look too jittery with nerves. He moved into position with Grax just behind him to stand guard when there were five or so minutes left, Grax just close enough he could say things to tease and distract him from his worries without anyone else overhearing them.
Music had been playing for a while but it certainly picked up as the crowds all hushed. A priest at the top of the stage stepped forward, projecting their voice the best they could to reach the crowds as the hundreds of people around them listened. "Please stand for the arrival of the Queen."
Link took a deep breath and stood up straight. He watched down the aisle as he could see the guards part to let her through from behind the castle walls, catching his breath as his eyes laid on her. Her white dress was flowing elegantly in the breeze, the veil attached to her crown. It didn't cover her face but it didn't need to; who would want to hide her away when she was already the most powerful woman in the kingdom? Most of all, Grax was absolutely right; she was beautiful.
Zelda tried to breathe steadily and keep her pace. She thought of the planner telling her not to race down the aisle, taking even steps as she looked at the bouquet in her hands. It was only when she turned to walk up the main aisle that she looked up, her eyes meeting Link's as the worry washed away. She couldn't help but smile as she felt a blush across her cheeks while he stared, looking back up to see the expression hadn't really changed even as she got closer and closer.
She bowed before the statue that had been placed on the stage, stepping back to take her place in front of the man she was about to officially call her own. Link opened his lips to speak but not a single sound came out. In its own way, that said even more.
"Your attention, please. Ladies and gentlemen of Hyrule, we gather for a very special occasion today," the priest said as Zelda put out her hands for Link to hold as the planner had quickly and discreetly — well, as discreetly as one could in front of several hundred people — took the bouquet from her hands. For the most part, Link had no idea what the priest was saying. He was listening for the words he knew he needed to respond to but he was too busy staring at the woman he never thought he'd get to marry. He was in the middle of the ceremony and still couldn't believe it was actually happening. His teenage self would have assumed he was dreaming or had gone completely insane.
He took a deep breath as he realised his eyes felt full, blinking a few times to clear them. She was beautiful and this was the best moment of his life but he'd be damned if he cried in front of the entire kingdom. He'd cried on one occasion since he was a child, and that was the moment when he had thought she was leaving him after a misunderstanding. He wasn't going to ruin that streak now, particularly not with an audience. Zelda could tell as she smiled and squeezed his hands, trying not to let her own eyes water at the sight. She turned and looked at the priest as he began the lines they were to pay particular attention to, giving Link's hands another squeeze to bring him back to attention before it became obvious he was still overwhelmed by the moment in general.
"Link, Champion of Hyrule, defender of the kingdom. Former chosen leader of the queen's guard and defeater of Ganon, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
Link swore he needed to practice more public speaking. His tongue felt uncomfortable as he took another breath and looked into Zelda's eyes. He had two words to say and his mouth was letting him down. Zelda smiled as she could see his struggle, not at all concerned by his hesitation when he had a look in his eye that spoke of only love and joy for her. It felt like an eternity but was likely only a couple of seconds, but finally, his mouth complied; "I do."
The priest smiled and nodded. "Your Majesty, Queen of Hyrule, the goddess incarnate, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Zelda paused for a second with a look in her eye that showed she was just teasing him for his inability to speak. It was a moment most missed as they couldn't see them well enough but anybody that did smiled and laughed quietly. "I do."
The priest went off into a spiel about the goddess and her blessing but Link couldn't listen to him. He was too busy staring at her smile as he tried to keep himself together, watching her doing the same as they seemed to set each other off more and more. It was such a serious moment and all they both wanted to do was burst out into giggles at each other's faces as they tried to contain themselves. At least they were rather good at it, only readable to each other and those closest to them. Everyone had warned them about nerves but no one had prepared them for overwhelming joy and laughter.
Link replied a few more times as Zelda prompted him to pay attention with another squeeze of his hand, but he barely tuned in as the most important words were being said. He came in halfway through the priest's sentence. "-nounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss."
Zelda could tell as she pulled him closer with a slight tug of her hands, Link's hands moving to her waist as they leaned into one another. He could feel her smiling throughout the entire thing, eventually separating as they could see the priest beginning to shuffle in anticipation of the rest of the event.
Link's nerves began to set in again as Zelda led him up the stage instead of down it like a normal couple might have done, letting go of his hand as he put on his coat and sat in his throne. Zelda took a few steps to have a couple of staff quickly detach her veil and help her put on her own coat before sitting down in her own on the other side of the goddess statue, waiting patiently for the next part of the event to commence.
This was Link's moment; he really hoped the weeks of practice were going to kick in some time soon because he really feared he wasn't going to remember any of his lines. Muscle memory seemed to carry him through as each of the council leaders stepped forward and prompted him through the process. It helped it seemed slightly less pressured and formalised than Zelda's coronation; it would be different if he was being given all of the power but this was just a step in the direction of ensuring he'd keep the throne if his nightmares ever became true.
Zelda was the last one, unable to hold in her smile as she stood up. The dress had to have been designed with the coat in mind; it moulded over it perfectly as she stood up and moved across the stage. He could imagine the hours she'd spent with the dressmaker as they perfected exactly how it would sit and flow around her whilst looking flawless the entire time.
"Link, Hylian Champion and Hero of Hyrule, as ruler, queen, and representative of this kingdom, I bestow upon you the crown of Hyrule. May it be a symbol of the promise you have made to protect and serve this kingdom," she said as she took the smaller crown that had been sitting in a case to the side, raising it slowly to put on his head. It felt heavier than he'd expected, though he knew he would only have to wear it during formal events; Zelda had already set down that precedent after she decided it did not represent the kind of kingdom she wanted. She wanted no one to view or treat them as superior; it was their job to serve the kingdom, not the other way around. They would never be treated exactly the same but she wanted to minimise the gap over time.
She smiled as she stepped back, giving him a slight bow before turning to the crowd. "Link Hyrule, King consort of Hyrule. Long live the king," she said and it was echoed back from the crowds. Link stood as he listened to the applause, the whole thing a little overwhelming as he tried to keep a straight face. Zelda turned to sit back down as Link followed her lead, sitting in his own seat as he tried to keep his balance just in case the crown moved.
He listened to the final blessings as he wished Zelda was just a little bit closer; it was almost cruel that they were separated just after the ceremony that as meant to bind them both for eternity. It was only a couple of metres but it felt a lot further. At least it didn't last long; they were both back on their feet after a few minutes to begin the walk back down the aisle, taking each other's hand as they began their walk. The crowd was delighted as they applauded them the whole way down whilst trying to remain serious and proper.
It was nice to be behind the walls for even just a few minutes as Grax gathered the guards together that had escorted them back inside to talk about the next steps for when they were meant to reemerge shortly. They were to stay inside while they rearranged the chairs and tables to allow for the meals as to let the staff work quickly instead of dodging all of the people who would be trying to give the happy couple their best wishes.
"If they want to freshen up for a few minutes while we bring a lot of things through the foyer, you could escort them back to their room?" the head of staff said to Grax who nodded, looking at a few other guards.
"We'll all take them up just in case, then I want a few of you to stand by to keep an eye that no one comes in or out without permission. We'll come and collect you when everything is ready," he said and received a nod in agreement. He led the way up the stairs with the head of staff, turning at a corridor that neither Link or Zelda would have. They followed quietly as they trekked through the part of the castle that was meant to be worn down and unusable by guests, noting it looked more than immaculate.
The head of staff had a bright smile on their face as they stopped next to a door at the end of the corridor, two guards waiting at the door to protect it. "A wedding present, from all of the castle staff," she said and Zelda frowned as the guards opened the double doors.
They stepped in and it was beautiful; a wide, open room with a fireplace, plenty of room to sit and relax in privacy and comfort. "This is why you couldn't have rooms for some of the guests?" Zelda asked and the head of staff nodded.
"We ended up completing those just in time, and have moved guests into them over the past few days. However, they're not in this part of the castle as in the designs you last saw," she said and Zelda seemed to be conflicted. She was grateful for such an amazing gift but it had also inconvenienced a number of their guests.
She took another moment to look around. It was a discussion for another day and she didn't want to sound ungrateful. "Thank you, this is really special," she said as she glancing at Link before looking back again. "I hope it didn't cause you too much trouble."
The head of staff smiled. "The most trouble was keeping you away so you wouldn't see it early," she joked as Grax nodded. "The entire staff knew. We told the other villages too when we were telling them about the room delays. Everyone would find any excuse to distract both of you any time you looked like you'd go near it."
To have a secret that was known by the entire kingdom except them was quite remarkable. Grax looked at the guards, pointing to four of them. "We'll get you in position, let the Queen and King look around their room and relax for probably half an hour or so without so much attention while things get sorted out outside, then we'll come back and get you both," he said as he started pointing down the hall. He gave them a look which just confused the couple as he grabbed the doors and pulled them shut.
Zelda began to look around the room at all of the lovely work that had been done, Link taking a completely different approach. He first checked outside a window and then headed to the balcony. He stepped out and Zelda rolled her eyes as she could see what he was doing, stepping out to grab his arm. "Please do not tell me you're doing a security check of our room right now. I'm sure they've handled it," she said and Link couldn't hide that it was exactly what he'd been doing. "They'll have already checked. This is our wedding day; you shouldn't be worrying about it."
Link gave in, letting her pull him back inside. He watched her smile get a little bigger as she adjusted the crown on his head ever so slightly. She had such a happy look in her eyes. "You're beautiful."
She looked down and into his, surprised by his comment. "It still doesn't feel like this is happening."
"I think I missed almost the entirety of what was said during the ceremony," Link admitted and Zelda let out a small laugh.
"I noticed," she said and Link felt embarrassed. "It's okay."
Link still felt awful. He gently brushed a hand through her hair as she smiled at him. He was hers now for all eternity; no one could deny them that anymore. He'd never refer to it the other way around.
Zelda pulled away ever so slightly. "Well, Your Majesty, I think I'd like to sit down for a little while as I know we'll be standing for a lot of the rest of this evening," she said and Link still felt slightly uncomfortable with the term. She stepped backward and gently adjusted her dress and coat before she sat down on the couch that had been set up in the room. Link followed her, sitting down slowly as she pulled him closer for a kiss now they had some time alone. "I think everyone has done really well so far," she said as she held his hand between hers. "Other than one incident I saw during the coronation, there's been no problems. And it was handled very well; I believe it was just a warning."
Link frowned and Zelda could feel his whole body tense. "What incident?"
Zelda sat up a little and looked at him. "Were you that in the moment?" she asked and Link felt embarrassed again. It wasn't like him to miss anything. "A Zora. They were restless up near the back and a couple of guards pulled them back behind the crowds to talk to them before letting them back in. That's why I think it was just a warning. Nothing serious."
Link still felt embarrassed and concerned. "I should have seen it."
"Link, that's not your job anymore. You're allowed to be distracted on your wedding day. It was sweet watching you stare at me," Zelda insisted as she held his hand tighter. "I think everyone would agree with me that this is the one time you definitely get away with it. I think you worried some people when you didn't start talking right away."
Link felt an embarrassed flush across his cheeks. "I just-" he said as he sat up a bit himself. He didn't have an excuse. "You're my only weakness. I hope you know that."
Zelda smiled as she leaned forward to kiss him again. "I think now so does everybody else if they didn't already," she teased as she continued to kiss his lips, enjoying the time alone. They were happy to sit there and talk about all the things that were going well and what was remaining over the rest of the day. After a while, there was a knock on the door as Zelda sat back on her legs, calling out. "Who is it?"
A voice came back through the door. "Grax. Are you ready?"
Zelda got up and straightened out her clothes, Link following suit. She gave him another kiss before taking his hand and leading him to the door. She opened it and Grax looked them over, almost looking disappointed as he shook his head slightly. Both looked confused as Grax put out an arm to usher the way. He walked slightly behind them as he began signalling for the guards waiting ahead to get into positions. "Everything is all ready and we've let the crowds settle a bit. I take it you still want to allow all guests to be able to come and see you for at least the earlier portion of this afternoon?"
Zelda nodded. "Of course," she said as she held Link's hand tighter.
Grax nodded in return. "We've set up an area for you to do so. It is slightly more protected without feeling impersonal," he said and Zelda smiled as she looked at her husband who was showing the same concerns on his face as Grax was. "I know you've heard it before but please be careful. With anyone allowed within such proximity to you, there's not much we can do to stop them from hurting you before we can get to them. We will be watching for suspicious behaviour and confiscating anything that we think is too dangerous while they speak to you. If you feel uneasy with anyone, putting your hand by your side with just two fingers out will be enough for us to know to step in."
"Thank you, Grax," she said as she looked at the staff holding the main doors open for them. They stepped back outside where they could hear all the laughter and joy already, even before their reentrance was announced. Grax led them to where they were to wait for guests to greet them and give them well wishes while the process was explained to the crowds who began to form an orderly queue. It felt like everyone in the entire kingdom wanted to wish them well.
"Please be considerate to others waiting and keep it brief; there will be further opportunities to speak to the Queen and King in future and there are a lot of people who want to share their well wishes with them," a staff member called out. Most were very quick and only took a minute or two, saying their well wishes before Zelda and Link said their own thank yous for the kind words and attendance.
It felt like they'd spoken to almost every person in the kingdom. "You look absolutely beautiful, Your Majesty," Bolson said as he gave a slight bow, Karson by his side. They'd already seen Hudson and Rhondson from Tarrey town as well as a variety of others from the quickly expanding village. "It's an honour to share this day with both of you."
"Thank you very much. You're very kind. It is our honour you'd come so far and share this day with us," Zelda insisted in return. Link was sure that repeating just about the same thing over and over would begin to feel or at least sound less genuine by now but Zelda held just as much sincerity with every guest.
The next guest was familiar and Link could see the way the guards all seemed to pay particular attention to them. It took a moment and then it hit him. "Nyrie," he said as he looked at the Zora, Zelda smiling as she recognised the woman as well.
Nyrie smiled slightly, bowing her head a little. "It's been a very long time, Your Majesty and her knight," she said before she looked up. "I wish Princess Mipha was here to celebrate this special day with you both."
Link could immediately work out what was happening; Nyrie had been a close friend of Mipha's before her death and she was uncomfortable with the idea of him moving on from the friend who had felt so strongly about him. Those feelings had been mistaken as malice. "It's nice to see you again," he said as he tried to leave the Mipha comment alone; he wasn't sure he could think of the right words to say as not to make the situation worse.
Zelda held her smile. "It really is a shame all of the other Champions could can't be here with us today but I trust they are here with us in spirit. They were truly special people to us and sorely missed," she said as she tried to deflect slightly herself. "It's wonderful to see a familiar face, Nyrie. There aren't many of them around anymore."
She was moved on as Link noticed she was walking toward Sidon who was trying to subtly call her over. She must have been in amongst the Zora that had been on the exploration mission King Dorephan had mentioned as Link hadn't seen her anywhere in his travels. They'd spent a considerable amount of time in the Zora's domain and they would have noticed her if she had been around. If circumstances were different, he would have liked to talk to her before the wedding to explain how time had changed things. After all the loss she had already felt and now the sudden peace upon her return, it was likely she was already feeling overwhelmed.
The next person stepped up with a slight bow. "It's much nicer to see you under these circumstances, Your Majesties," Adela said as Link broke out of his thoughts. "Congratulations."
"It's lovely to see you too, Adela," Zelda said as Adela stood up with a smile. "I hope things have gotten better for you."
Adela nodded. "Much better. I've been spending some more time in Kakariko Village where they've been very kind and welcoming to me," she said as she looked down at her own clothes. She was still dressed like a monk, though that was all that she owned. "I've been travelling and tidying goddess statues when I'm not spending time there."
Zelda looked pleased by the news. "Thank you, Adela. That's very kind of you."
Adela shook her head. "My life is dedicated to the Goddess. It's my duty to do so."
She was moved on as Link saw her give a glance in Grax's direction. He could read the glance; she'd been keeping watch for him while she was in amongst the crowds, essentially an undercover agent for them. It was no coincidence she'd been queued so closely behind Nyrie. He gave Grax a very different signal behind his back, one that Grax would know was deliberate to show he'd noticed even if they'd never discussed the signal previously.
They were soon moved away as they ran out of time, quickly rushing through the last dozen or so as not to leave anyone out. They made their way to a more restricted area, leaving the other guests to still watch and celebrate outside of the subtle boundary, or start the trip back to their accommodation. There were a large number of tents in the distance where they'd been allowed to set up over near castle town, with some basic necessities set up for the guests to share and use if they wanted to. Food had been provided for everyone but they understood that it had been a very long day and some didn't want to stay around.
The couple sat down and ate at their own table in front of everyone before there were a couple more formalities. Eventually, they were invited up to the middle of the space, Link taking Zelda's hand as they began to slowly dance. They'd practiced but Link wasn't going to lie; he could move well in fighting situations but that just didn't translate as nicely to dancing as he'd hoped. At least Zelda was forgiving and didn't mind that she had to lead the way as he concentrated on not stepping on her toes or putting his leg in the wrong spot where he was more likely to trip her than move her around gracefully.
He didn't expect to get so swept up in the moment. The dancing got easier as he lost focus on it, looking into the eyes of the woman he could now call his wife. His eyes were beginning to well up again as Zelda put a hand on his cheek. The smile on her face was reserved just for him. "You're determined to make me cry, aren't you?" she said as she took a deep breath and looked down for a second to compose herself.
"I could say the same," Link replied as he took a deep breath of his own. "I don't cry."
"Well, as long as they are happy tears, I don't think anyone would mind," Zelda replied as she couldn't help herself. She wiped under one of her eyes as she had to laugh at herself. After all they had been through, they were finally here. And to think that it had been barely a year since she'd figured out that she loved him — and he loved her — and when she thought she was losing him forever. Where had the time gone? She was so happy it was little wonder it was bringing her to tears.
She kissed him gently, letting the moment take over for just a few seconds until she broke away. It all felt like it ended too soon as others joined them, Sidon giving a slight bow as he took Zelda's hand. Link stepped back as he watched Zelda get swept away. He was invited up to dance a few times but he preferred to stand back and watch the smile on his wife's face.
He stepped back to stand next to Grax, folding his arms to try and look somewhat relaxed. Zelda gave him one short, disappointed look as she knew he was about to start talking work but knew it wasn't going to work. She let herself get swept up with Sidon, Riju and Purah again, the latter of which still acting like she was a child despite the fact she'd somewhat remedied her age a couple of years ago with a new rune to appear closer to fifty. The group had also managed to drag up Paya, Teba and Yunobo, though they were much less convincingly participating from the side.
"No issues is good, though I think anyone who would try while we're all on high alert is an idiot," Grax said as he kept his form perfectly.s
"Tell Adela to stand down," Link said and Grax didn't move.
"I didn't ask her to do anything. She and Dorian started on their own," he replied and Link let the thought sit for a second. "They just want to help. Dorian was the one that warned us about Nyrie and a couple of other restless Zora but didn't do anything more. We handled the rest. Adela alerted us to a few from that village we met a while ago and we put a few more guards there. They didn't come to speak to you and haven't done anything untoward so we've backed off to show faith while still keeping watch, like you and the queen would ask."
"We don't have spies."
"We don't. We have helpful allies who started helping on their own."
"Who are undercover; feeding us information."
"It's not undercover when they're not hiding anything. They're not spies. I've heard you loud and clear; we do not have spies."
"To someone who doesn't understand the difference from the outside, what does it look like?"
"Oh, come on now. If that's your definition of spy, I might as well stop talking to anyone outside of the guard. They're not spies. They're just citizens who want to help that happen to know old Yiga signals so they can be subtle. If they weren't using the signals and went to talk to a guard directly, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"No, we wouldn't. Because then we're not potentially hiding anything," Link replied and Grax took a breath in a way that Link could hear his frustration while no one else could.
He took a second but Link could tell he was just trying to be open and honest about how he felt, not trying to undermine him. "Enjoy your wedding. I'll tell them to stand down," Grax said as he kept still until Link gave him a pat on the arm that would at least imply a lighter conversation, as to time the signal with the movement so no one would notice that shouldn't have.
Link could see it quickly and subtly moving through all of the guards; he knew none of them understood that one — the first clue was he could only guess by context, otherwise he also had no idea — but the two that needed to know did. The guards had been told to copy his hands without raising suspicion, even if they didn't know or think it was a signal. He had no doubts that Grax knew hundreds of signals off the top of his head; the whole art of being an assassin in his previous life had meant not being seen and, even more importantly, not being caught.
He spoke to some more of the guests as he watched everyone having a great time. He slowly made his way toward Dorian who was standing next to the flower-garland barrier and talking to Adela over it. They seemed to have gotten close since they'd last seen them both. "Thank you for coming," he said with all of the undertones of talking about something else.
Adela smiled. "No worries. I hope we didn't cause any troubles," she said as she stood up a little straighter to show some respect. She relaxed when she noticed Link wasn't coming over to tell them off any more than he already had through Grax. "It's been a busy day. I think everyone is ready for bed. Or at least they will realise they are when things quieten down."
Dorian looked slightly over his shoulder at her. "Isn't that the way weddings always are?"
"I guess so," she said as she shrugged. "Mine feels like a lifetime ago now. I just remember falling asleep the second my head hit the pillow that night while my husband was checking the doors and windows were shut so we wouldn't get cold. It was a much smaller event than this. I was still in the Yiga so we didn't have much in terms of friends and family to attend."
Dorian put a hand to his chin as he thought for a minute. "All of Kakariko Village celebrated mine; the last of us all fell asleep outside telling stories around a fire. We didn't get home until the sun was up the next morning."
It was nice to hear stories of other weddings and how busy they had been; it reassured Link that despite the scale, their wedding wasn't so different to others after all. He knew Zelda would like that too. As much as he wasn't sure he wanted the celebrations and good times to end, he was definitely feeling tired after such a long day. "I hope we get to bed long before then."
"Of course you do. I did tell Grax to make sure you and the queen got some time together before the end of the night," she said and suddenly Grax insisting they get time to themselves made slightly more sense. "It's good to have a break and get some time alone before you get absolutely exhausted and want to just go to bed. There's enough pressure on you already."
Link could see there was still pain in both of their eyes as they remembered their respective spouses who had both experienced the same fate. Dorian stammered over his words as Link began to understand Adela was implying more than just the wedding and reception activities. "That's entirely up to them."
"Oh, it is. But it's nice to get an opportunity. It's something I would do differently if I ever was to get married again. I don't regret how our day went but it's stupid to not acknowledge what could have been different and potentially better," she said as she looked at Dorian. Link could feel his face beginning to get hot with embarrassment. So that was why Grax had been so specific with telling them the amount of time and knocking particularly carefully when he'd come to collect them on his own.
Dorian sighed as he looked sorry and Adela began to laugh at the blush on Link's cheeks; she seemed to be more open about the facts of life than most. "Oh, as if you didn't realise that's what everyone was assuming you two will be up to when you go back to your room tonight. You don't have to but that's what tradition implies."
It didn't help the blush at all, particularly when Zelda came up behind him and put her hand on his arms. "It's lovely to see you both here," she said before she looked at her husband's face. "What's wrong?"
"We're just joking around, Your Highness. Nothing serious," Dorian covered and Zelda considered asking again but left it be.
Instead, she changed the topic. "Your girls are gorgeous. Cottla barely has her eyes open in Impa's lap and Koko is determined to keep dancing with Paya until she drops."
"They'll sleep very well tonight," Dorian said as he looked at them both. Impa had always doted on them despite Dorian's best efforts to teach them she was a very important woman who needed to be respected. Cottla was better than Koko but the two loved the old woman like a grandmother and she loved them like they were her grandchildren of her own. "I hope they're not causing any troubles."
"Not at all," Zelda insisted.
The event began to slowly wrap up as Purah came bounding over to the newly-weds with the same levels of excitement as she'd had when she was barely up to their waists. "When you are in Hateno, please come by the lab when it suits you so I can give you the best present you both didn't know you wanted. You can thank me then."
Zelda frowned. "What is it?"
Purah shook her head. "It's a surprise. But I got you the best present. No one else's can compete. I promise."
Link frowned as he tried to work out what she wouldn't have just brought to the castle with her. She grinned as she could see them both wildly thinking of possibilities. "Linky, if you keep frowning like that you're going to start looking like a tough and mean old man with those wrinkles on your forehead soon."
She poked out her tongue as he stopped frowning and instead looked confused, Zelda giggling as she took Link's hand. "Well, we'll make sure to come by then."
"Impa's promised she'll come visit my lab too so maybe we can all catch up and talk about old times; we'll see how confused we can make Symin. All we need is to convince Robbie to come too," she teased and Zelda laughed some more.
"Okay, just let us know when she's coming and we'll organise to come over," Zelda insisted, much to Purah's delight.
The evening wrapped up with a final farewell, Link and Zelda holding hands as they were escorted to their new room. Grax did a quick sweep of the room and it's attaching spaces to verify no one had snuck in while they were busy before wishing them a good night. It didn't matter that he'd just watched Grax do it; Link verified the coast was clear himself once the doors were closed - he at least waited to not give Grax the idea he didn't trust his ability to spot an intruder - as Zelda began to get herself ready for bed.
Link was so thorough that Zelda was ready for bed before he'd finished. "Link, no one is here. We are safe. I can assure you that. The Master sword and your shield has been mounted above the bed in case of emergency but I highly doubt it," she said as Link finally stopped. She was right of course but he couldn't help it. He was paranoid when it came to her safety and now he knew they'd drawn even bigger targets after making him a significant person of interest.
"I'll be a few minutes," Link said as Zelda tucked herself in, dressed in her nightgown. They were both very quickly feeling the exhaustion of their day hitting them and Zelda could barely keep her eyes open.
Link stared at himself in the mirror of the ensuite; he didn't recognise himself with the crown on his head or coat on his shoulders. This was it; he was king. His responsibilities had increased over a hundred fold. All he could hope was the kingdom would be patient as he found his feet. If they weren't then he'd be in a lot of trouble very quickly.
Link took off the crown as he tried to focus on something else. His beautiful wife, the woman of his dreams, was waiting in bed for him where they could finally have some privacy and time together without quite as much judgement. The thought was enough to remind him of Adele's words earlier in the evening; everyone in the kingdom was assuming they were 'consummating their marriage' that evening and Zelda was probably under the same impression.
He took a deep breath as he willed himself to keep getting ready for bed. He opened the cupboards to see what was there - which was the normal toiletries and some spare towels - as he thought about what they might have been given to prevent pregnancy but there was nothing in the bathroom at least. Then he thought a little more; they'd decided to stop preventing the possibility once they were married and now they were. He was potentially about to make himself a father in several months time.
Trying to change his thoughts was not working; he was just bringing himself back to his fears of being inadequate as a leader and not living up to his expectations; throw in a mountain of responsibilities and he felt like he was drowning. With everything that had happened that day, it was little wonder he was focused on what it all meant and how it had changed things. He decided he'd spent too long in his head and it was now time to cherish the time alone with his new wife; he had the rest of his life to worry about how he'd manage the changes after that.
He walked out of the ensuite and around the bed, double checking all of the lights were off except the one beside the bed. He got in the bed and looked at the woman who owned his heart. She was still so beautiful, even as she lay asleep. Exhaustion had gotten to her and she looked so peaceful that he didn't dare wake her up. He turned off the light, feeling some sense of relief the pressure was now off. He knew things were unlikely to go well given how tired they both were and because of his ongoing worries; it was something he was sure he'd be much better equipped to handle in the morning.
The wedding has finally happened! I think you can all guess what is coming next chapter. As always, thank you so much for all of your support. I really do appreciate it. Feel free to let me know your thoughts, otherwise I will see you next time!