The first few nights Link stayed at various inns and a few lords eager to house the 'Hero.' He really didn't care for that title, well, except from the princess. When she said it, it felt right for some reason, like it was only natural she'd call him that. When others did it was like he was being praised for something he hadn't done yet.
The whole concept of Ganon was one that would probably psych him out if he gave much thought to it. He avoided such anxieties by avoiding thinking about it. Link supposed he was lucky, all he needed to do to distract himself was some practice or training or exercise. Which also turned out to be the sort of thing he needed to do anyway to prepare for the fight.
One night, while still heading to the mountains, he'd slept under the stars. The air had a bite to it that reminded him of the witch. Of her cold eyes and blue hued skin. He wasn't sure if she had been pure monster, or some creature distorted by evil, but her visage was certainly horrific. And yet, there were times when she was beautiful and warm, like the final stages of hypothermia.
He'd nearly fallen for it. He'd never seen a woman before, not a Hylian one, and while locked in one of her spells she adopted this warm form. It was coincidentally, or more likely through some twisted magic, that this form was what Link imagined a mother would be like.
Rauru had taken care of him, and while Link had never called him such, but father was the role he'd taken in Link's life. Rauru had never liked answering questions that he thought Link could figure out, and mother had been one of them. Beyond the basic biology of it all, it had been through observation of animals, of a mother wolf playing with her cubs, of a wooly rhino nursing her calf, of a moose nuzzling her calf. There was a tenderness, and a fierceness they possessed, that were almost paradoxically linked.
The true tenderness was what the witch had lacted. Even Link who'd been desperate for a kindness in the world after losing his only family had been able to sense the wrongness, the un-mother under the facade. When he'd made that realization something in him had snapped.
All his yearning turned to anger at the deception. The illusory warmth returned to the numbing cold. And he'd slayed her for taking the only warmth he knew.
So, yes, he'd killed that ice witch, it wasn't like he was doing for a particularly heroic or selfless reason. She'd killed the man who'd raised him. It was rather cold hearted revenge. If Princess Zelda truly understood his reasons, he doubted she would still think so highly of him.
He tried to push the princess from his mind, but it was hard. She was most of the reason he'd wanted to stay at the castle. When she'd said she wouldn't be in the castle much in the coming years, his need to stay had lessened significantly.
He hoped she didn't know, but she was really smart, so she probably did. Reba knew, and she'd only been around him for a conversation. The princess didn't have any of those sorts of feelings towards him though, that was plain. It was only natural, he supposed. She was closer to being a woman than he was to a man. But she did care for him enough to consider them friends.
He was happy about that at least. He wasn't sure what he would do if she did reciprocate any of his feelings. He wasn't sure what he could do about it, but for now he was content to just look at the sail cloth she'd made for him.
Some ancient and visceral awoke in him when she'd handed the present to him. It was like the first time he held a sword, or shot an arrow, it was like it'd all happened before, that it wasn't the first time. Which he now knew was probably the case quite literally. They'd done this all before, many times in fact.
The scent of sail cloth was even nostalgic, and it was the first night of his camping alone with the silver fabric to his nose that he realized it smelled like Zelda– Princess Zelda. The thought made him blush, probably so that his face matched his hair, but he wasn't sure how to proceed. Was it… improper to keep smelling it now that he realized it? It wasn't like he was going to do anything… weird. So it was probably fine.
He breathed it in deeply and felt his mind wander to the princess yet again. He was thinking about her less and less as he went further from the castle. There were just more important things to worry about, like finding food and a place to sleep at night. Still though, some nights, when he'd look up at the moon, he'd wonder if wherever she was was, if she was doing the same. Then he would think about the future, and dream of after.
He was going to do a fine job. The finest job. And he'd return and they'd defeat Ganon together along with the guardians and beasts she'd described, and then she'd say yes when he asked her to marry him, and then she'd kiss him. He was taller than her in these dreams, and she would stand on her tip toes. He smiled. Maybe it was just a crush, but in moments like these he didn't mind. He would become a hero worthy of more.