Zelda inspected a flower closely, it was a rare one, beautiful and blue. There were many rare flowers in the meadow. Admittedly botany wasn't her keen interest, but hanging around Darlas for any modicum of time meant at least some information was absorbed.

Looking up she saw Link sitting on a rock, staring out over into the ravine with it's snowmelt stream. There was only one guardian skeleton left down there, a relic of their first battle with the monster hordes. He looked at home, and at peace in a way she hadn't seen him since, well, honestly since their reunion before she'd found out her family had–

She looked back down at the flowers. Such a nice color they were. Similar to the clear blue of her ring, and to her husband's eyes.

She hoped any children they might have would resemble him in that sense. She hadn't told him that yet. She wondered if they would.

"Do we need to create a new wing to the garden?" Link asked.

"The walls were destroyed during the battle," she replied, looking back at him over her shoulder. "Darlas has already petitioned that the gardens be expanded to encompass more of Hyrule's flora."

"How forward thinking." His grin was infectious, and she found herself matching him. She smiled much more around him she noticed. Real smiles, as he'd call her out now for putting on smiles for him. She'd felt ashamed that she couldn't tell the difference between his real and fake smiles, but he'd only blushed, and after a bit of needling admitted that it was rare he felt the need to fake a smile around her.

How sweet was he? Sweeter than strawberries was her king.

Zelda fell back into contemplating the view of the ravine and the flowers. Their royal tour had gone well, well enough they could afford a proper honeymoon nearly a year after their marriage. The royal tour truly was more work than play. What little private time they had was usually better spent resting than amorous activities.

Not that they hadn't made the most of the night after their coronation. She'd cried, which had scared Link. She felt bad to stress him in that way, as it wasn't his fault she was so prone to crying. Well, it had been his fault, in that she'd been overwhelmed by love for him that caused it.

Caught up in her musing, she was startled by the warm breath against her neck right before a kiss was pressed to it. Pleasant tingles went up her spine and she lifted a hand to affectionately ruffle her husband's long hair.

"How do you still sneak up on me after all this time?"

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he said, "You were looking far too deep in thought. I thought you said this trip was one to have our minds in the clouds."

She had said that. It was just she had so much to think about, especially now that…

"Is there something the matter?" Link asked. He kissed her neck again, the only bit of her body he could really get to with her dressed for the crispness of a Hebra summer.

"No," she answered, "nothing's wrong, per say."

The stubble on his chin scratched her skin and she wondered aloud to change the subject. "Are you going to grow out a beard?"

He laughed and pulled away to stroke his stubble. "Can I?"

"What're you asking me for? It's your hair."

"I don't have to look at me all the time."

Zelda thought about it. Taking in Link's features, she tried to imagine how he would look. If anything, she thought, it would increase his mountain-man-look he had going most of the time. Which, judging from the heat pooling in her was a good thing.

"I think it would be nice to try at least. You've never grown out your facial hair before, have you?"

He shook his head. "Not when how I looked mattered at all, or when it grew evenly. Enough about that, I think we should get back to the cabin."

She leaned into him. "Why would that be?" she asked playfully.

"We've been out here for so long…" he said, trailing his hand lightly up her arm. "Don't want it to be too cold on our way back."

Too cold, she mused. Yes, despite it being summer, it was still rather cold in the mountains, not to mention the biting flies.

She nodded in agreement, and they started to make their way back to the cabin. Noticing an amused glint in Link's eyes, she asked, "What is it now?"

"I remembered another bad pick up line I made up." He snickered and she playfully slapped him.

"Oh, out with it."

He cleared his throat and with sweeping arms said, "Of all of the flowers in the meadow, I think I picked the prettiest one."

She couldn't help but smile at the cheesy line. The cabin they were staying at was a few hours walk from the alpine meadow, giving the couple ample time to talk. Despite her own complex feelings on the topic, Zelda found herself speaking of something she'd been making a devoted effort into not thinking about.

"Link, have you… have you given much thought to uh…"

He held out his hand to help her down a rather steep bit of the path, which she took gratefully. Down safely, he softly prompted her, "Have I thought of what?"

"Children?" she said.

"Children?" he asked back, his expression telling her he had not given much thought to it at all. They'd neither been trying nor not trying, more just enjoying each other. And enjoy each other they did. So much that the thought hadn't occurred to her until she realized she was late. Really late.

Zelda felt it was all happening rather quickly, especially considering how they'd been married less than a year.

"Well, they're something we want, right?" he asked.

"...Yes."

"And, well," he turned red despite himself. "It's something we've been sort of working at."

"Yes."

"Why are you bringing this up now?"

"It might be something else we've succeeded at."

Link, being the lovable air head he could be, smiled at her before the gravity of her words hit him. He looked back at her. "It might be?" he asked.

"I would have to check with the doctor once we get back to know for sure, but…" She avoided his searching gaze. "I've been late or missed periods before, but I've never… well it was never after I'd made love."

"Huh, well, I guess I'd rather it be a baby than something else," he said, "that was what I'd sort of dreamed about when I was younger."

"Being a dad?" she asked.

"Not exactly…" he mumbled, "I sort of… well I always wanted to marry you. If you were still just a princess, all I'd have to do was help make royal babies and look pretty. It was the dream job honestly."

"And now those are just two of your many responsibilities," she said with a smile.

"But this is real."

Zelda couldn't read his expression. When he didn't elaborate, she grew worried. But her worries felt too big to say them outloud. Like verbalizing them would make them more real.

Worries like, if she wasn't actually pregnant, and it was a sign of something else, something probably bad. Or if she was pregnant and something happened. Or the baby was born and wasn't healthy. Or it was born completely healthy and she had to be trusted to raise the next monarch of Hyrule.

The last worry was the one that gripped her the most, as it was the one she had the most control over.

They made the rest of the trek back to the cabin in silence, and the fire was out of their passion. Zelda felt a little bad for dampening the mood. Amorous activities would be a good distraction from the anxiety that she was feeling.

Once in the cabin, Link set to re-kindling the fire to chase out the chill that came with the sunset. She lingered near him, unsure exactly where she wanted to be. She wasn't upset with him, more with herself for being so weak. Being close to him was probably better than not.

Link seemed to realize this and leaned to kiss the tip of her ear, threading his fingers through her hair slowly. He was just going through the motions though, and she could feel his mind elsewhere.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Do you?"

She shook her head. "Not really. But I think we should."

"I'm…" he searched for the words. "If you're pregnant, that means I'm a dad."

"Yes."

"Zelda, you're entrusting the future monarch of Hyrule to me– an orphan who's spent more time living as a hermit in the woods than actually ruling."

"How is that any different than what you were picturing before?" she asked.

He played with her curls absentmindedly, though his voice was dead serious. "I'd just never thought of it in those terms. I don't think I ever really thought much further than… uh…"

"Oh I get it, you were a teenage boy," she said with a huff, sitting down on a chair near the fire. "I'm in the same boat you know. This is all too real. I know my parents loved me, but due to their schedule they couldn't spend much time with me. I was with Impa more than either of them. I never wanted that for my children. I thought since my brother would be king I would be afforded more freedom in that sense."

He crouched next to her chair and took her hand in his. "For the record, most of my worry stems from my own lacking. You'll be fine."

"I'll be fine? You're perfect dad material! This kid'll be able to shoot arrows by the time he can hold a bow."

"You'd allow that?" he asked.

"What makes you think I won't?" she shot back, "the bow and arrow are traditional weapons of the royal family."

"You just have a way of… worrying."

Zelda actually laughed at that. "Oh, I'll worry. I have to, that's my job."

"You are sort of a mother to a nation."

"Well I'm hardly a single mother." Link gave her a knowing look. "Right," she said with a small laugh, "We're in this together."

"We always were."

Zelda looked down at their hands still entwined. Right. From the start they'd been together.

After a beat, Link asked, "Say, is it too early to think about names?"

"My, you're eager now."

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Rauru didn't like talking much about things before they passed, but I'm excited now." He kissed her again. "Expect another panic spiral in a few hours."

"I'll pencil it in," she answered with a smile. "And to answer your question, we know her name if it's a girl."

"Right," Link said, "Is that an actual law or…"

Zelda laughed at that. He was so cute. "So we only need to brainstorm one name."

"For a boy eh?" Link pulled away to think. He looked quite noble in the light of the fire. "How about Zeldo?"

No amount of court training could stop the snort that erupted as she heard him say that. She pushed him, which due to the awkward way he'd been crouching caused him to fall the rest of the way to the pelt covered floor. He wasn't laughing and looked her straight in the eye.

"And just what are you laughing about, Your Highness?"

The twitching of the corner of his mouth betrayed his joke and she threw herself at him in play wrestling. He laughed out loud as she ineffectively pinned him, but let her hold his arms to the ground above his head. "You're right in that it's too early for names," she said, "and it's 'Your Grace,' or 'Your Majesty,' now."

He could think of a reply fast enough to beat her leaning down to kiss him. He moved his hands down to entwine their fingers. She kissed him back fiercely, and decided to feel the joy that had been like a fluttering bird in her chest, that she'd been too worried and guilty to indulge in.

In the morning after Zelda would reflect upon how far both of them had come. A shy boy became a king and a hero, and a weak girl became a queen capable of sealing the darkness. How together they had and would do incredible things.

But for that night she was occupied with other thoughts.