LOVE IN A TIME OF CALAMITY
Part 2: After Catastrophe
Chapter 6: Loss

Authors note at bottom.

Warnings: none

The world came to her first in the form of sound. Distantly, she could hear the soft rustling of skirts, then the rhythmic groan and squeak of wood. Her eyelids were heavy with exhaustion, and she was warm and comfortable—a downy softness supported her aching body, and the familiar smooth cotton of the castle bed sheets slid across her skin. Turning slightly to her side, she pulled a fluffy pillow against her cheek to ease the kink in her neck. Oh Goddesses how she'd missed sleeping on a mattress!

Wait—a mattress? Zelda's eyes flew open, heart pounding despite the sluggishness of her mind as she forced herself upright with a gasp, becoming light-headed in the process. Blinking away the darkness that crowded the edges of her vision, she tried to quickly survey the dim, unfamiliar room she found herself in as the sound of blood rushed in her ears. This wasn't right, she wasn't supposed to be here—but she couldn't think of why… Her limbs were shaky and responded slowly to her commands as she tried to use them to support her weight; but she had little opportunity to orient herself before she was interrupted by a strangled shout echoing from her right.

"Princess! Oh, my—Princess, you're awake!"

Zelda jumped at the sudden noise, whipping her head towards the source of the excitable voice. She was greeted by a nurse maid, mouth agape, standing before an empty, still-rocking rocking chair. Knitting lay at her feet and a ball of yarn rolled away across the floor. Zelda blinked, adrenaline buzzing within her mind as she tried to piece together what was going on; she didn't recognize this woman, or where she was—and couldn't recall how she'd ended up here. Wracking her brain, the last thing she remembered… had been her and Link in Hyrule field. It was all so fuzzy. Why had they been in Hyrule Field? It had been so important… Why couldn't she—Ganon! In a rush, everything—the journey to Castle Town, unlocking her powers, Ganon's defeat—came flooding back in an overwhelming tide. Opening her mouth to try and ask one the millions of questions birthed of this revelation, she was interrupted by the maid's flustered rambling as she too seemed to finally get a grasp on the situation.

"Oh, Princess, everyone will be so relieved… I'm just—heavens what would we have done! Hyrule without a Hyrule! They said you would, but I didn't—not after his Highness… Oh, and the council!" Stepping animatedly over the fallen knitting, skirt in hand, she rushed to the door in a frenzy, completely ignoring the baffled Princess.

"Wait—!" Zelda croaked, her voice hoarse from disuse, but the maid was already swinging the door open and stepping hurriedly through. Her footsteps echoed through the open doorway as she ran down the stone corridor at full pelt.

Flabbergasted, Zelda groped for what to do next; The brief surge of adrenalin she'd felt upon waking was already fading and she was beginning to feel the full force of her exhaustion; the prospect of getting out of bed to find someone seemed horribly daunting. Where was she anyway? Looking around she recognized the familiar stonework of the castle, but she did not recognize the room she was in. Closing her eyes momentarily to try and gather her wits, she felt the heaviness of her eyelids and the threat of them remaining that way. Perhaps if she just laid her head back down… The downy softness did seem tempting—to simply fall back into her bed's soft embrace. But could she really stand to wait to find out what was going—what had happened? What of Castle Town? What of the champions? What of Link?

She didn't have long to contemplate, however, before another presence made itself known.

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Link knew she'd finally awoken when he heard the nurse's muffled shout beyond the door. He'd barely had time to consider what to do with this information, however, before he felt a rush of air as the door behind him was forcefully pulled open and said nurse rushed past him, bumping into his shoulder as she ran down the hall without giving him so much as a passing glance. He knew Zelda's rotation of nurses were under orders to notify Impa immediately when the Princess finally awoke, but it seemed this nurse had really taken the command to heart. Glancing left and right down the hall, it was deserted. Turning on his heel, he stared at the partially opened door, his heart thrumming in his ears as he debated what to do.

Should he go in? He wanted to go in. Was that really necessary, though, or even appropriate? After half a week back at the castle it had truly hit home how far beyond royal protocol and etiquette his relationship with the Princess had become. They might have been able to get away with it while on the road, but not here at the center of Hyrule's social and political formalities, as thrown into chaos as it might be. He had no right and no reason to be so familiar with her, and his actions needed to start reflecting that. Goddesses, if some of the council members caught wind of the fact that he'd interrupted her prayers or had spoken to her without using her title, there would be an uproar.

Thus, he'd determined to return to a more… appropriate demeanor, in his dealings with the Princess—or rather, Princess-Regent.

Then there was that. He was about to become the appointed knight to the ruler of the Kingdom of Hyrule. All eyes would be upon him—now, even more than before. When she was just a Princess setting aside royal protocol for a little while, especially when they were far from the castle, hadn't felt like such a malfeasance, especially if it made his job protecting her easier. The fact that he'd enjoyed getting to know her—enjoyed spending time with her, well… that had been a bonus.

His interactions with Impa and some of the other council members over the past several days had jarred him back to reality. He was her protector, her appointed knight, not her friend or confidant—regardless of what the Princess insisted upon. Therefore there was no real reason for him to enter her chambers and see for himself that she'd awoken, or to make sure that she was okay; and that fact was irrelevant to guarding her chamber anyway. But Impa had said not to let her out of his sight… did this really count? He knew standing guard outside her door was as good as standing guard inside her room; there were no other points of entry—she was secure. But it seemed his body had paid no heed to the thoughts in his head. His legs instead chose to listen to his heart, and he found himself standing beyond the threshold, facing the large four poster bed in which she lay.

He felt suddenly nervous as he gazed at her sitting up in bed, the sheets pooled around her waist. She was still dressed in her prayer gown, her golden tresses tousled from sleep. Her eyes wandered the room in confusion until they landed upon him. As her gaze met his, time seemed to stop as, for a moment, he forgot his grand re-commitment to royal protocol, lost as he was in the sight of her. Despite himself, a small smile began to grow, and his heart beat just a little bit faster. Though she looked tired and a groggy, she still shone with her own inner light. She was… she was okay. Everything was okay. He felt a tension he hadn't realized he'd been holding bleed out of him as her bright eyes took him in, softening as she returned his smile.

As suddenly as his decision to enter the room, his actions registered in his mind and he scolded himself internally. This was NOT how he'd wanted to start things off… Attempting to course-correct, he averted his gaze, breaking the strange spell as he slowly took several steps towards her, stopping short halfway to the bed. He held one arm before him and bent forward on one knee, as he would before her father. She was soon to be in the same position, after all, whether she knew it yet or not.

"Princess. It is good to see you awake and well."

Though he kept his gaze glued to the floor, he could hear confusion and disappointment in her voice.

"Link, what—? I… Please, don't."

Link tilted his head up to meet her gaze, doing his best to keep his expression neutral in the face of her undisguised disappointment. He hadn't really meant to enter her chamber, but now that he had he was determined that their brief interaction—and brief he would ensure it was—was formal, as was expected of someone in his position, greeting someone in hers. She eyed him, confusion evident in the furrow of her brow as she gestured weakly with her hand.

"Rise, Link. You needn't ever kneel before me."

At the direct command Link rose, standing tall with his shoulders straight and arms behind his back. Though he felt a firm disagreement with the latter statement, he chose not to argue the point. He'd gotten what he wanted—he'd gotten to see her, now he needed to subtly excuse himself back to his post.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zelda chose to, at least for the moment, ignore Link's sudden strange behavior. More pressing questions gnawed at her mind as she once more glanced around the room.

"Since what I assume was my nurse ran out of the room before I could utter a word, would you mind filling me in on what happened? Where am I?"

Link spoke calmly and concisely, his tone neutral. "We're in the eastern wing of Hyrule Castle—the guest quarters."

"I take it you brought me here?"

He nodded.

"I—what happened? I… don't remember much. I remember… after I sealed Ganon, in Hyrule Field, you were… standing over me. You had a cut on your forehead…" She was lost in the fragmented memory, raising her hand to her forehead as though touching the remembered wound. Link nodded again.

"You collapsed after sealing the Calamity. I brought you back to the castle, but the infirmary was destroyed. The east wing has been turned into a temporary hospital. Healer Ravio treated you."

She absorbed the information slowly, eying him absently. He looked different—cleaner, than what she last remembered of him. "And what of you? You're looking well."

"I was treated after you were seen to."

She eyed him more critically, taking in his rigid stance and unusual formality. He was acting extremely strange. She'd been so happy to see him when he'd first stepped through the door, but now it was like there was a wall between them. It reminded her distinctly of the first several months into his appointment, after he'd saved her from the blades of the Yiga outside of the Kara Kara Bazaar, when she'd tried so hard to breach his stoic demeanor. She didn't like it. Regardless, she would get her answers before poking at this new… problem. Though he did look distinctly better now than she remembered him looking in Hyrule Field, there were still bags under his eyes and a heaviness about his shoulders. She chewed the inside of her lip in worry.

"How are you?"

He looked at her with an unreadable expression for a moment before providing a non-answer. "I'm well, Princess."

He paused a moment, as though debating something. His expression gave away little, though Zelda could hear the faintest trace of some deeper emotion in the gentle tones of his voice when finally did speak. Though it was an innocent enough inquiry, it somehow felt very personal.

"How are you?"

Zelda gazed at her hands resting in her lap as she considered the question. It somehow felt wrong to respond with a platitude, despite the fact that he had done just that. Taking a moment to consider herself, she could feel exhaustion pulling on her limbs like a physical weight. Her brain felt as though a Lizalfos had taken a bite out of it. Thinking was just… exhausting. She exhaled tiredly.

"I feel like I got run over by a hinox; but I'll survive," she added with a wan smile, hoping humor would pull him out of whatever weird mood he was in. She would have no such luck it seemed, as he simply stared at her politely and nodded.

Frustration, disappointment, and an overwhelming sadness settled into Zelda's heart as Link continued to stare at her blankly. The last little bit of her energy had bled out of her with her words, draining her will to fight him. It seemed, she thought bitterly, now that their roles had been fulfilled things would return to their pre-calamity norms—that once again, as before, she would be alone: the oddball Princess, separated from her peers by destiny and ostracized for her unconventional interests. After all, what Princess would go crawling through the mud in pursuit of beetles and frogs? She had hoped that, maybe, he had not chalked their companionship up to a mere crisis-time anomaly. Despite her initial resentments, which she silently admitted to herself were patently unfair, she had grown extremely… attached. Seeing him beaten and battered in that copse of trees facing down a guardian and ready to lay down his life to save hers—willingly and without hesitation—made her realize just how much she truly valued and cared for him. She didn't want to think about what she'd have done if she'd lost him.

Yet now… Now he'd abandoned her name for her title once again, standing at attention and kneeling before her as though he were speaking to her father. His seeming rejection cut her deeper than she really wanted to consider. Was she always doomed to be alone? Well… even if he was determined to place stupid, needless protocol before friendship, at least she still had the friendship of the other champions: Urbosa, Daruk, Mipha and…

Zelda's thoughts abruptly halted and all else melted away. Oh, Goddesses, how had this not been the first thing to occur to her?

Her shoulders went rigid and her eyes widened as anxiety gripped her in its vice. Link eyed her with concern, taking a hesitant half-step closer. She met his concerned gaze with apprehension, fear filling her at the prospect of the answer she might receive to her question. She tried to keep her voice steady.

"Link… what of the Champions? Vah Ruta and Vah Medoh—we never saw them fire."

Link hesitated to respond. A hardness overtook his features and he looked away. Zelda felt dread seep into her gut, heart beating painfully as she awaited the words she knew were coming. His face said it all. When he didn't answer, Zelda prompted him once more, her voice wavering with the sob she could feel already forming in her throat.

"Link, please—I must know."

He exhaled slowly, schooling his expression before turning to meet her gaze. "Ganon, it… wasn't just the guardians it took over. It sent blights to the divine beasts, to defeat the champions and take control of them. Urbosa and Daruk managed to hold them off long enough, but Revali and—Mipha…" His voice cracked almost imperceptibly upon Mipha's name and his shoulders hunched in ill-disguised pain. He dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to maintain eye contact.

Zelda felt as though a bucket of ice water had been dropped on her head. A phantom hand clutched at her heart painfully. They were gone… her friends, they—they were… dead. And it was… her fault; all her fault. Even though she had managed to defeat Ganon in the end, she had still failed…

Zelda felt a sob rising in her throat, and pulled a hand against her mouth in an attempt to keep it from finding release between her lips. Shutting her eyes tightly, she tried to keep the tears back but a tremor overtook her, giving away the depth of her grief.

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"No…"

Her choked sob echoed through the still and silent room. He could tell from where he stood, without looking up, that she was breaking down. As soon as he'd received the news of Mipha's death a day ago, he'd forced himself to shove the pain in a small box in his heart and lock it away. Hearing Zelda's heartbreak threatened to release his own, but he grit his teeth and shoved the rising emotions down. Yet despite his own pain, and despite his determination to uphold royal protocol, her tears were slowly breaking his resolve to stay at a distance. He couldn't just stand here and watch her cry, pretending everything was just fine… it was cruel, especially went he felt her pain so keenly. But he shouldn't. He should never have come to feel as he did in the first place. He just needed to—

The sound of her sobs interrupted his warring thoughts, drawing his head up. That was a mistake. His gaze was immediately met with a very lost, heartbroken Princess sitting upon the bed, a hand over her mouth as tears streamed from anguished green eyes. His mind immediately flashed back to the spring of power, to the copse of trees where she fell in their flight from Castle Town. He hadn't been able to stop himself then, either.

Stepping towards the bed, Link sat down gently on the edge, facing her. Though his instinct was to lay a gentle hand on her arm, he forced himself to keep his hands in his lap. He needed to maintain some decorum, if only so he could tell himself he hadn't failed completely. He determinedly held her gaze despite the turbulent storm brewing within his heart, compassion somehow still shining through. His voice was rough but gentle when he spoke.

"We did all we could; they did too. They died a hero's death and wouldn't want us to mourn their loss, but to celebrate in their victory."

A final tear rolled down her cheek as she gazed into his eyes, heartbreak and guilt plain upon her face. Link felt his heart clench, which he steadfastly tried to ignore. She took a deep, shaking breath, slowly nodding. After a moment she lifted a clumsy hand to wipe the tear stains from her cheeks. "You're right," she said thickly, clearing her throat before speaking again, "You're right—I know. It's just…" she sighed shakily, whispering, "I'd still hoped…"

Link shifted uncomfortably as a weight settled in his gut. He knew she didn't know, and knew she'd want to know—may even be upset he'd withheld the information from her. But was it even his place to say? Should he stay silent on the subject until she inquired directly? Eying her carefully, he weighed his options. He should tell her. Get it all out at once, like ripping off an old bandage. No need to drag out the hurt. But maybe… maybe she was too vulnerable. Maybe now wasn't the time… No, he finally decided, it was too much, too soon.

Once again, however, it seemed his body had chosen to ignore his brain. He spoke anyway.

"Princess…" he started slowly, "I—There's something else…"

At that moment a sharp rap sounded at the partially open door. Startled, Link quickly stood up as he made to stand beside the bed, arms held stiffly at his sides. Stupid, he shouldn't have done that. What if someone had walked in and seen! He, a simple knight, sitting in bed, alone, with the Regent of Hyrule! How would that look to a gossip-mongering maid? Stupid… This was one of the many very good reasons he had determined to keep his distance.

Zelda looked momentarily confused before tracking the sound to the door and attempting to quickly school her expression as she wiped away the last of her tears.

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Clearing her throat she called with an evenness which surprised her, "Come in."

Pushing the door further open, Impa Umbra stepped through, dressed in her traditional blue and white Sheikah garb, her silvery hair pulled neatly into a bun atop her head. A relieved smile graced her otherwise sharp features. Stepping fully into the room she bowed low. "Your highness, it is good to see you awake. We have all been worried." Turning briefly towards Link, her eyes narrowing as she eyed him curiously before offering a simple nod, "Master Link."

Some of her melancholy dimmed as she took in the healthy and uninjured appearance of the royal family's oldest adviser and friend, Link's comment momentarily forgotten. "Impa!" she sighed with relief, "It is good to see you well." Impa offered a brief smile as she moved into the room.

"Thank you, Princess. I found myself fortunate enough to have survived the Calamity relatively unscathed." She slowly approached Zelda's bedside before Link quietly interjected, bowing briefly to Zelda.

"I will return to my post, your Highness."

Zelda felt disappointment settle over her. She'd hardly gotten to speak to him… However, Impa interrupted, waving her hand in Link's direction.

"No, no, stay, you may as well hear what I have to say as well." She then turned back to her, a hint of apology in her features, "I wish I could say my visit is solely a personal one, but I come on behalf of the council."

Zelda sat up a little straighter. Why would the council be seeking her out? She had fulfilled her duty… unless something further regarding the Calamity was amiss? Apprehensively, Zelda nodded for her to continue.

"First, let me say it is a great relief for us all to see you up and well. Healer Ravio were able to attend to your physical wounds, but we were unsure as to when you would wake. It seems sealing the Calamity took much from you."

Well, that explained her utter exhaustion, she supposed. Everything after Link defeated Ganon in Central Square was a bit fuzzy. She remembered Nayru speaking to her, but after that, it was just a jumble of images and emotions. She only remembered bits and pieces of sealing the Calamity away. Perhaps more would come back to her in time.

Zelda's thoughts suddenly stopped short, backtracking to Impa's choice of words; they'd been unsure of when she would wake? How long had she been out?

"I don't know if Master Link has—"

"Wait. I apologize Impa, but I must ask: how long have I been asleep?"

"Three days, your Highness."

Zelda's mouth fell open. Three days?! No wonder people had been worried. No wonder her nurse had seemed so shocked! Suddenly noticing her very un-Princess-like behavior, she quickly closed her mouth and nodded, trying to gather her wits.

"Oh… um, thank you. Please continue."

"As I was saying, I'm not sure how much Link has already informed you of as to the state of the Kingdom. We still have survey teams scouting the full extent of the damage done, but initial reports suggest there will be a great deal of planning and reconstruction needed to facilitate recovery."

Dozens of thoughts arose as she considered Impa's words, one of the most prominent being: why was she telling her this—and why now? Zelda opened her mouth, unsure which of the questions flooding her mind she wanted to ask first, but Impa held up her hand.

"I am sure you have many questions, but they will have to wait. The council has requested your presence at the next council meeting to discuss these matters and help facilitate our next steps, and that is what I came to convey. But at present your most pressing task is recovery. I will return once you're well to help prepare you. For now, please rest. We will next meet at the earliest your health allows."

Zelda nodded slowly, absorbing this information. The council certainly hadn't wasted any time; though something wasn't quite right.

"I understand Impa, thank you. However, I am unsure as to why the council has requested my presence. Is this not a task under my father's purview?"

An uneasy expression colored her normally stoic features, and she hesitated to respond, choosing her words carefully.

"I… had wanted to wait to inform you of this when you were more recovered. The council may disapprove of my telling you so soon, but I feel it is more than your right to know." Zelda felt her chest constrict in anticipatory dread. Not more bad news, not about her father…

"The King… your father, was in the upper levels of the Castle when the Calamity struck, and it is the upper levels which sustained the most damage. When Ganon attacked, he was gravely injured. The castle healers and doctors were able to mend his physical injuries, however he suffered severe head trauma when the roof caved in. Princess, I am so sorry to have to bring you this news, but… your father is in a coma. It is unknown when or if he will wake."

Zelda felt herself stop breathing. If he would wake? She was upset about the loss of Revali and Mipha, yes, they had both become dear friends; but her father… he was the only family she had left! A knot formed tightly in her throat, and Zelda could feel her breathing become fast and shallow, on the verge of hyperventilation. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing, attempting to even out her intakes of air. No, it couldn't be… not him… Repeatedly she tried to push the news from her mind, to put distance between herself and the painful reality, but her efforts did little to ease the desperate panic seizing her heart. Seeing her expression, Impa hastened to amend her statement.

"Much is known regarding the healing and treatment of physical wounds, but healing the brain is a less understood field of healing magic. The healers assure us that recovery is possible, but if he does wake it could be a week from now or a month from now. This is why the council has requested you—law states that in the event of the incapacitation of the ruling monarch, the next-in-line shall take their place as regent until such time as said monarch recovers enough to competently rule. There is so much that needs to be done, and done immediately; I'm so sorry you must bear this burden after enduring such an ordeal, but Hyrule needs your leadership, Princess."

Not that long ago, she had been scrambling to unlock the sealing power necessary to defeat Calamity Ganon, and in such a short, chaotic span of time she not only accomplished that seemingly impossible task, but also battled and defeated Ganon as well. She was exhausted physically and already emotionally wrung out; and she'd been asleep for three days, for Nayru's sake! Now she was expected to just pick herself up and rule the Kingdom? Her whole life had been about her training—she knew next to nothing of how to rule; knew so little of the intricacies of Hyrulean law! And that was ignoring the fact that for all intents and purposes she had just lost her father! It was too much. She was reeling, wide eyes fixed on no particular point behind Impa's head as her mind buzzed with everything and nothing at the same time.

Her overwhelmed expression did not go unnoticed by Impa, and her voice was gentle as she offered reassurance. "Princess… Zelda, please, do not fret. You are young and inexperienced and the council knows this; no one expects you to be a perfect leader. I and the council will be behind you, and we will help guide you; you will not be alone. You can do this."

Zelda refocused her gaze on Impa with difficulty, forcing herself to digest her words; Hyrule needed her. Her people needed her. She may have stopped the Calamity, but it wasn't yet over; she still had more to do. Taking a deep breath she attempted to clear her mind, chanting in her head the mantra she had used so many times during her training when the task felt impossible to achieve: 'One scales a mountain a single step at a time… one foot in front of the other."

With difficulty, she offered a wan smile, her voice barely a whisper, "Thank you, Impa."

Impa returned her sentiments with a reassuring smile of her own. "Have faith, Princess. We will get through this, together." She then bowed, "And rest well. I will come see you again soon." With a last, reassuring look, she then turned, nodding briefly towards Link as she exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Zelda slumped back against her pillows, eyes shut tight as she battled the storm of emotions within her. If she'd been exhausted when she woke, now she felt wholly and utterly drained. It was just one thing after another, and in the span of ten minutes her world had been turned upside down—again! Moisture prickled behind her eyelids and she struggled to keep the tears from falling.

Goddesses, this wasn't fair! Had she not done her part? Had she not suffered enough?! Did the Goddess delight in tormenting her? But as quickly as her thoughts had turned to self-pity, they also turned to an inescapable fact: a Kingdom full of people, struggling just as much as she, were in dire need of aid. Despite her hazy memory, she did remember the utter destruction of Castle Town—all of those people, they had nothing and nowhere to go. Quietly, she released a shaky sigh. She was royalty; nothing would ever change that fact. This was the very purpose of her life—to lead Hyrule, and to keep its people safe. She didn't have a choice in the matter. She needed to be stronger than this—if not for herself, then for her Kingdom. Squeezing her eyes tightly, she forced the tears back.

Link had seen her cry more than enough for a lifetime, and she didn't need him seeing the soon-to-be regent of Hyrule in hysterics. It wouldn't be proper.

From her right she heard the sound of boots scraping on stone, followed by Link's quiet voice.

"You need rest, Princess. I'll return to my post."

Zelda's eyes snapped open, a strangling anxiety taking hold of her as he turned to move away. Her voice was caught in her throat, preventing speech. Without a second thought for her condition and fueled by an unexplainable fear of his departure, Zelda pulled the blankets off of her and leapt out of bed, reaching an arm forward to grasp at Link's retreating form. As her hand wrapped around his forearm, she felt words finally leave her throat, desperate and hoarse.

"Wait—Please!"

Suddenly spots filled her vision and her head grew warm and heavy, her legs weak beneath her. She tripped on the hem of her prayer gown, stumbling forward blindly. She felt Link's warm hands around her shoulders as her hands grasped his champion' tunic, but her vision was dim and hazy. Link's worried voice came to her distantly.

"Princess!"

Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, she took several deep breaths to try and regain her senses. Slowly she felt the faintness pass. Without lifting her head, she spoke quietly into Link's chest, struggling to keep tears from falling.

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"Please… don't… do this. Don't pretend we hadn't become closer than this. You're the only person… the only person left…"

Her voice was weak. He could feel her shoulders trembling under his fingers, and could feel her fisting his tunic in her hands as her body shook with the force of her distress. Raising her head to meet his eyes, her turquoise irises shone with unshed tears. Her voice shook as she struggled to continue.

"Two of the Champions are gone, and now my father, he's… and you're…"

The tears finally broke and and she looked away, biting her lip and tightly shutting her eyes as she struggled to reign in her emotions. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Please don't leave."

Goddesses, he couldn't do this… Link momentarily closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath. He'd been determined to make his visit brief—just… to see her, to know that she was okay. All of this… It was the very opposite of what he'd intended. He needed to put distance between them. This, whatever it was, wasn't proper—shouldn't be. He, a simple knight, could never treat the monarch so familiarly and get away with it. Before the Calamity, maybe… But he'd been wary then, too. All eyes had been too distracted—none had noticed, and none would have likely cared under the circumstances. But now, when all eyes would be firmly fixed, critically, on the crown? Even if the King did happen to wake sooner rather than later, the scare would undoubtedly spur the him and the council to prepare her for her eventual role as the Queen of Hyrule. No matter what the future brought, there were heavy expectations upon his shoulders; obligations to be met and rules demanding adherence. When he opened his eyes again, she was gazing desperately at him. When she spoke, her voice trembled.

"I've already lost so much; I can't lose you too. You're… you're the only one left, the only one who understands. I can't do this all alone. Please…"

Link felt the last of his stalwart resistance crumble as he looked at her, defeated. The last thing he wanted was for her to suffer or feel alone… But how did he make her understand?

"I—things aren't…" He exhaled a frustrated breath, running a hand agitatedly through his messy blond locks, deciding to, at least momentarily, give up on formality for the sake of honesty, "The Kingdom is in shambles; all eyes will be on you. There are… expectations. Protocols. I can't be overly-familiar with… with the REGENT of Hyrule!" He looked at her intently, begging her to understand. She stared at him, but said nothing.

"I'm not… I'm not high born. I'm just your knight. I was appointed to protect you, nothing more. I shouldn't even be talking to you like this, some on the council would have my head for it. I can't just… just…"

Words failed him and he shook his head, sighing. Though the thought of just leaving her in this state on the floor and walking back to his post went against every fiber of his being, he would do it if he had to, to assert his point; he would… And yet, as she continued to stare at him intently, eyes full of sadness and grief, his feet stayed firmly rooted to the spot. Slowly, a hand released the front of his tunic and moved to rest gently on his forearm. Her brows were furrowed as she held his gaze.

"I can appreciate the position you're in," she said slowly, eyes determined despite the tears which still sparkled within them. Taking a breath, her voice began to steady, "I'm not asking you to break royal protocol, I'm just asking… that you don't act like we haven't spent the last year in constant company, like we didn't just carry this burden together. Even if its only privately, please, just… be my friend."

He stared at her, conflicted, but didn't say anything for several moments; The longer he stared into the depths of desperate green eyes, however, the the more he felt his resolve evaporate. Finally, he sighed in defeat, voice soft as he responded.

"Alright… I'll try."

Slowly a smile, brilliant as the sun, lit up her face. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was… right. To pretend that over the course of this long and painful journey, they hadn't become close was to flagrantly deny the obvious. Despite the rules and expectations of their respective stations, their relationship, whatever it was, simply didn't fit into the roles they were forced to play.

But more than that, he cared, and he was tired of having to pretend he didn't. So he'd try to maintain this balancing act. It would be difficult and it would be risky; and it would go against everything he'd been taught as a soldier and a royal guard. He would be leading a sort of double-life here in the castle. But he would try—for her.

Goddesses, what was he getting himself into?

A/N: Yay, chapter 6 posted on schedule. Go me. Well, It's probably no mystery why I chose to off those two champions out of the four of them; but more to come on that later :D Right now we're building angst and dramaaa! *jazz hands* Hope you all enjoy. Leave me a review with your thoughts!