AUTHOR'S NOTE: A quick reminder that I'm basing the TP map on the one from the GameCube. I only ever played on the Wii, but later found out that the map and Link's controls had been flipped for the Wii remote when the developers reformatted it to be a launch title. The original map for GameCube actually fits with the notion that OoT, TP, and BotW are all the same Hyrule.
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Title: Dawn's Early Light
Chapter 9: Redamancy*
Author: Sailor Song
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REDAMANCY (noun): an act of loving the one who loves you; a love returned in full
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"I think we're lost."
"We're not lost," he replied for the tenth time.
They had left the Lanayru Promenade, only to emerge not far from Hyrule proper. After crossing at the smallest gap in the river - thank the goddesses she had learned how to swim - they encountered a troop of soldiers on the road. They had been warned about forked roads, but in the chaos they had lost track of whether they were taking a left-right-left, right-right-left, or some other combination. They seemed to be on a one-way path, but where they were going, she had no clue.
Link climbed up a rock to get a look. "Zelda," he called down. "I think we're lost."
She smiled. "Can you at least see a good place to set up a camp? It's going to be dark soon." He disappeared for a moment, and she wasn't sure if he'd heard until he slid down to join her.
"You have to see this."
He led her on the path as they followed the river to its source. There, she knew exactly what had surprised him. The ruins of a civilization, abandoned for centuries, lay sprawled out before them in the waters of the lake surrounded by mountains.
"Is this…" she breathed in awe. She had heard the stories, how the Zoras had abandoned their home when their great deity had disappeared and the war came to their shores, but she had thought the ruins had been forever lost to time.
"Zora's Domain of old?" Link asked. "Their home now is in the northern mountains, susceptible to the freezing. I wonder if they'd return if they thought it was safe to do so." He looked around one more time before dropping his bag. "It seems sheltered enough for us, at least for tonight," he said as he started to build a campfire.
"It would be nice to restore relations with them. At the very least they would improve the waterways around Hyrule," she said. "They were once brilliant at irrigation and…" She stopped suddenly as she realized. "Daltus."
Link's expression quickly shifted to alert as he tensed and looked around, then back at her in confusion. "What about him?"
"How protected are they? The Zoras?" she asked, hearing the panic rising in her own voice.
"It's not easy to reach them, not without magic anyway. Why?"
"He was always fascinated with the Demon King. 'The Scourge of Hyrule' he called him once as he gleefully told me about the genocides Ganondorf attempted by trying to wipe out the Hylians, Gorons, and Zoras. He nearly destroyed his own people as well with his war for Hyrule."
"Ganondorf is gone," he said gently.
"Daltus isn't," she whispered. "He's focused on locating us right now, but even the worst public execution he can dream up for us won't be enough to sate his bloodlust. Link, he can't be left to rule."
This time, he didn't respond and went back to working on the fire. After a few moments of silence, he said in a quiet voice, "There is only one way to remove him from the throne. Are you prepared to do what it takes?"
She didn't have to ask him what he meant by that, but the gravity of it hit her all the same. Daltus had become king. He would kill anyone to keep the crown, or as it would seem, to get it. If she challenged her brother to the throne, one of them would not survive. And if she died, so too would… Turning to Link, he continued to look at her with his gentle gaze. Decisions she made now no longer affected only her.
"I love you." There. She had said it. The moment wasn't right: there was no fanfare, no romance, and at the same time, Hyrule didn't come crashing down around them. It was in the moment, when she thought of losing him, even if it was seconds before her own death, she couldn't bear the idea that he wouldn't know.
He didn't respond, in fact, he didn't move, and she wondered if she'd even uttered the words. "I love you," she said again and again as she felt a tear run down her cheek. Words she hadn't said to a living soul in so long, and now, she couldn't stop.
Link still didn't say anything back, but he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply. All this time she had been worried about saying the words, but now she realized the sentiment could be expressed in nonverbal ways. His gentle touch, his smile; the special way he would look at her, and only her. She knew he loved her too, and she wondered how long it would have taken her to realize it if they hadn't been pushed into marriage so suddenly.
She let out a moan, but became embarrassed before realizing there was no one around for miles. An idea struck her. After breaking the kiss and seeing his confused look, she leaned in again and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. She did this, making her way closer to his ear and leaned in to whisper, "I want to try something. Specifically, I would like to do something for you. To you."
"I'm yours," he replied, before letting out a groan as she moved down the sensitive flesh of his neck. Unstrapping the buckles around his tunic was troublesome, but that was fine. Her target was elsewhere, lower.
She continued to kiss his neck as her hands moved down until they found the drawstrings of his pants. There was a bit of fumbling, but he did nothing to help her, and when she succeeded, that made it all the more sweeter. With one last kiss planted on his lips, she slid her hands into the band of his trousers and underpants and pulled them down as she dropped to her knees.
As *it* stared back at her, she had to focus on her mighty banana lessons in an attempt to keep herself from breaking out into a fit of nervous laughter. "You can't bite down," Naboo had cautioned her after the first banana broke, "or else neither of you will enjoy the experience."
Zelda pushed down her nerves and moved forward. She touched him first with her hands before letting her mouth begin work. It's just a mighty banana, she reminded herself as her lips parted slightly to take him into her mouth. For a brief moment she became very self-conscious until she heard the sweet sound of him moaning her name. Wanting to give him more pleasure, she continued on suddenly becoming very aware that she was no longer just practicing on a fruit.
She focused on increasing his enjoyment as she continued, delighting when his strangled voice called out her name. They found a comfortable rhythm and continued until she could sense a change as he began to reach his inevitable climax. Naboo had been very clear about what would happen, and had provided her with options: pull away and help him finish or allow him to finish in her mouth and decide what to do with the fluid.
"I...can't," he tried to warn and tried to pull away. Even in this state, he was thinking of her. She wouldn't have it though; this was about him, and so she remained. "Zelda, I'm-" he attempted again, but gave a strangled grunt as he began to release. She helped him through it, trying to ignore the strange new and salty sensation filling her mouth, until finally he pulled away and dropped tiredly to his knees. "You… can… spit… out," he panted as he fell against her, exhausted.
As she swallowed, she found she enjoyed the feeling of his warmth flowing into her, filling her. Holding him as he recovered his energy, she marveled at the power she possessed in this moment. The hero, who had faced down terrible dangers and had beaten incredible odds to save the land and people of Hyrule, was now completely under her control.
She eased him down onto the cool grass, taking care to cradle his head before grabbing one of their travel packs to use as a makeshift pillow for him. After a quick look around to make sure they hadn't attracted any unwanted attention, she slid down beside him.
Link turned to his side to look at her, raising his hand to brush away a stray lock of her hair that had fallen across her face. "That…" His thought floated unfinished through the air before he tried again. "How does a princess learn to do something like that? Oh..." Realization hit him, and he gave a little laugh. "Naboo, is that right?" She nodded. "I was curious why she wanted all of those bananas."
"Was it-" What should she ask? Was it good? Okay? Horrible? "Have you ever done that before?"
Goddess, no. Why did she ask him that?
He looked at her and gave a small smile. "I have," he replied. Her face must have registered a shocked reaction because he quickly followed up with, "Should I have told you the truth?"
She nodded. "You know about my past, or mostly lack thereof. I'd like to learn more about yours, or, I mean, whatever you wish to tell me."
He sat up. At first she thought he was angry and about to leave, but he only seemed to want to cover himself as he quickly returned to her side. "It was a little cold," he explained. "I will tell you anything you want to know about me, as long as you *want* to hear it."
"Yes, please." Whatever the truth was, it would be far better than everything she was imagining right now. Suddenly though she was seized and unable to think of what to ask.
"I had a sweetheart back in my village," he began. "We grew up together, and as we got older and our bodies started to change, we became intimate. We never went all the way - just touching. Her dad is the village leader, one who could wrestle Gorons, and I didn't want to die." She remembered meeting the Ordon Chief at their wedding, and she could understand what he meant because the man was huge. She also remembered meeting his daughter, the sweet girl - Ilia wasn't it? "The village young'uns almost caught us near the spring one day, so she and I decided to take a break to figure out what we wanted. And then it was mating season for the goats, and then the Twilight descended and everything changed."
Zelda remained silent as she waited to hear more. She realized that she still had much to learn about her husband. Perhaps someday she would have the opportunity to visit his village, to get to know the people who helped to raise him in the absence of parents.
"You're very quiet," he said. "I can stop if you'd like me to."
"No. You can continue."
"There is nothing else so intimate in my sexual history, if you were worried," he said. "As you know, after we returned from the desert, I left to restore the sword to its pedestal and make sure there was nothing left unsaid between Ilia and me. Once I was certain all loose ends were taken care of in Ordon, I rushed back to the castle and entered into the military."
This she remembered well. The first day of his training, there was a huge commotion outside. Nearly everyone in the vicinity of the castle had rushed to the training grounds to watch the new recruit fighting several of the highest ranked members of the king's guard. All at once.
The general approached her after about a week, offering to resign in order to give up his position to the Hero of Hyrule. It took Zelda by surprise at first, since, per Link's request, she had not spoken about his deeds. However, it had not mattered. He had saved so many that all of Hyrule knew his name and what he had done for them. "Do not resign," she had told him. "Give the Hero whatever he wants." Within days, Link had been stationed in her personal guard, typically on the evening shift.
"Some of my fellow guardsmen were eager to take me out drinking once they found out who I was," he continued, "and they insisted on thanking me by hiring the services of a woman, who turned out to be a very lovely lady."
"Was that the night I sent you away after you found the secret passage?"
"No, it was very early on, shortly after I enlisted."
"Did you two…" She couldn't finish the question. Oh goddesses, Zelda, stop asking questions.
"She was very willing," he replied, seeming to know what she was going to ask. "I had apparently saved her family from a pack of bokoblins, so she was enthusiastic to thank me. We went into a private back room and everything happened very fast. She had barely touched me, we were both fully clothed, but still I…" His face reddened up to his ears. "My lack of experience was quickly evident to her, she offered to do more when I had recovered, but I turned her down by telling her I cared deeply for someone. We spent the rest of the time together talking, and then she gave me a lesson on female anatomy so I would be prepared for my first time."
"So you had never been with someone before me?" Her heart felt lighter suddenly.
"No. Not in the way you mean. My first time was with you and was witnessed by most of Hyrule's nobility."
She blushed as the embarrassment of that moment washed over her once more. "It was always going to be like that for me, but if things had been different, how do you imagine our, I mean, how would you have preferred to…"
"I imagined many things," he replied, "so much so that I had to stop myself from thinking about it whenever I was around you. There was one time, right after we were married and we were being kept away from one another, that I thought about running away with you to a hidden temple in the woods where time stands still. There we could have spent hours, days, weeks making love, and time wouldn't pass for the world outside."
"That sounds amazing. Why didn't you?"
He kissed the top of her head. "I could never bear to take you from your father," he said softly. "I can promise you this, someday, when everything has calmed down and we aren't being sent on a quest, I will find a place for you and I to have a true honeymoon together. Alone."
"Oh?" she giggled. "Well, we're alone now."
He made a show of looking around and grinned. "True. How about I give you a preview of what I have in store?"
… … …
The next morning, rather than risk traveling the heavily guarded roads, the pair decided the safer option was to climb over the protective cliffs surrounding the ruins of Zora's Domain. It took some effort, but once they had made it down, they found themselves in sight of the Akkala Citadel, positioned on the border of Hyrule and the neighboring kingdom of Akkala.
They were able to navigate Akkala with relative ease and anonymity, since the people of this land were Hylians in all but name, but they still took the cautious approach of keeping their cloak's hoods up. After asking around in markets, they were directed to the back streets where the dirt path was lined with rotting wooden stalls and shops. Both Link and Zelda stood in silence as they took in the atmosphere of the bustling, vibrant market. For Zelda, she had never seen a Rito before, and the sight of the winged beings delighted her curiosity, though she maintained her decorum. The sight of the Gerudo women would have been a source of fear and fascination had it not been for her building relationship with Naboo.
Realizing the shops went on further than the eye could see in both directions, she looked to Link to ask where they should start. There was something in his face, and maybe it was just darkened by the hood he wore, but whatever it was, she was unnerved by how angry he looked. She was about to reach out, to see if he was okay, when she felt a tug on her hand. Turning, she looked down to find what was touching her was a small, pale hand attached to an arm that disappeared into a full-length, child-sized cloak..
"This way," the figure said in a strange accent, before pulling her towards the crowd.
Zelda wasn't sure what to do but to follow, grasping out for her husband. Relief filled her as she felt his warm, calloused hand tightly grip her own. Weaving their way in and out, the figure stopped before a darkened shop, pointing for them to go inside. For only a couple of seconds, Zelda peered inside and then turned back, only to find the mysterious being had disappeared.
"What just happened?" she asked, looking back to Link, who had shifted to a cautious, alert stance that she was more accustomed to.
"No idea," he replied, still looking around, "but I think this is what we were looking for."
She looked again towards the shop, and as her eyes were able to adjust and see what was inside, she realized he was correct. With his hand on the small of her back, she allowed herself to be gently guided up the rickety wooden stairs and inside.
"Hello?" she asked, looking around at the overwhelming supply of clothes all around.
There was a low, rumbling noise accompanied by clicks on the wooden floor. From a small hallway peered out a long beak. "Ah, I did hear someone. What do you need?"
"Pardon us," she said, attempting to keep her composure while completely in awe of the being before her. "My husband and I are seeking clothing that will allow us to traverse deep into very cold temperatures. We were hoping you would be able to help us, and if not, could you please direct us…"
The Rito emerged fully, and Zelda's breath caught when she saw that attached to his thin leg by a chain was a metal ball. Slavery was illegal in Hyrule, but there were no policies in place to stop trade with other countries who did allow it. She had seen slaves before when dignitaries came to visit, but never ones who were fettered in such a way.
"You are not from here, are you?" he asked.
"No," she whispered, her back pressing against Link for some sense of reassurance.
"It's obvious," he said and walked back into the room from which he had emerged.
Zelda turned to look at Link, whose blanched face revealed what she too was feeling - a mixture of confusion and horror.
"Link," she said, and when he did not respond, she pulled on his sleeve and repeated his name.
"This is… Zelda, this should not be happening. Not so close to home. Not at all in this day and age."
"I agree with you, but we are guests in this land," she said, seeing he was becoming upset. With a gentle hand, she touched his jaw, pulling his gaze towards her. His face betrayed what he must be thinking, and seeing the raw emotions made her almost cry.
"We could do something," he said. "If only for one of them."
"We can do something for them all if we retake the throne. Right now, if we attempt to do anything rash, we'll very likely be caught and returned to Daltus."
He agreed that she was right, but even his reassurance did not relieve the weight on her heart, even as the Rito returned.
"Follow me," he said and disappeared again into the back.
Zelda gave a cautious look back to Link, who could only shrug. Seeing his hand reach into a pouch where he'd hidden a dagger, she felt a little more confident as they navigated their way through the tight and clothing filled hallway.
"My name is Nekk, and my wife and I make clothing for our master which he then ships around the continent," he explained. "What you are seeking is not something that's normally requested; therefore, it will need to be made."
Zelda put her arm around Link's waist, and felt his muscles tense at her sudden touch. He reached down with his hand and grasped her own, giving it a slight squeeze.
"We have some money, but not a lot," Link said.
"That is no issue," Nekk replied as they entered a small living space that was dimly lit by a tiny window and a few candles. "We just need a day or two in order to add the necessary materials to an article of clothing of your choosing."
"That is so kind of you-"
"We don't do it out of charity, ma'am," the Rito replied. "I overheard you in the shop. You two should be a little more careful about what you say. You may not be in Hyrule, but there are plenty of bounty hunters who would love to get their hands on the ransom being offered for you both."
Instinctively, she grabbed her husband's arm as he raised his dagger.
"Let us leave, and I won't harm you," Link said, throwing his other arm back to protect her.
The Rito seemed unphased by the threat. "Did you mean what you said before? That you would change things if you retake the throne? Can you make a difference here in Akkala too?"
A chorus of "Yes!" rang out from both Link and Zelda, to which she added, "Whatever is in our power, I would try."
"That's royal talk," Nekk said. "Politicians always make empty promises. Tell me something real."
Link looked back to Zelda. She anticipated him jumping in, he was more of the people after all, but instead, he gave her a reassuring nod and put the dagger away.
"I… we owe our lives to a Gerudo refugee named Naboo. We wouldn't have made it this far without her help. She is more dear to me than a sister, and I want to do all I can to free her people and make amends for the tragedies of so long ago."
No one said anything, and the silent pause began making Zelda feel a bit anxious.
"Come now, Nekk, you've made them suffer long enough." It was a female who entered, her golden plumage shining somewhat in the dim light.
"Medli, I told you-"
"Hush. They are not a threat to us or our eggs," she said before turning to them and extending a wing. "I'm Medli. We would be happy to fill your request and would like to offer you a place to stay while you wait."
"Oh, no. That's very kind, but we wouldn't want to impose upon-" Zelda began, but Medli kindly interrupted her.
"Dear Princess, forgive me, but you two don't seem to have anywhere else to go."
END NOTE: Thank you so much for reading and supporting my writing. :)
END NOTE 2: Oops! Forgot to edit this! There is a scene censored for this sight, but the full version is available on AO3.
