Zelda took Link's words from the previous night to heart, soaking in every moment she had with him. Her painful memories weren't even given a second thought the entire day. She smiled, soaking in the feeling of their closeness while they rode the paraglider together in the direction of the glowing shrine. They finally touched ground, to Zelda's relief.

Link put away the paraglider and stepped forward onto a large stone platform near the edge of the cliff. Suddenly the ground began to rumble. "Ari, run!" He knew it was a Stone Talus from one he encountered on the Great Plateau and narrowly escaped, and the first sight of it at the time triggered his memory of the giant rock monsters.

Zelda shouted a warning and hid behind a large boulder where she could still see them. "Link! Hurry and get behind it, and let it chase you away from the edge of the cliff!"

"Okay, you stay down behind that rock. I want you to be safe. I want to try battling it on my own this time!"

Fear gripped her heart, but she would try to let him have his battle. At least he's getting stronger and more confident.

Link dashed away, allowing the massive stone monster to follow him a safe distance away from the cliff's edge. He quickly ran behind the massive stone monster that seemed to be pieced together like a snowman, only with a much larger and wider middle for a body and a few smaller rocks on each side for arms and on the bottom for legs. A black sparkling ore deposit was on its head, which was its weak spot. Hitting the ore over and over again would eventually kill it, and gems would spill out from the broken mineral deposit.

Link climbed the back of the Talus while it tried to turn around and throw rocks and punches, to no avail. Link emerged onto the top of it, striking the ore deposit several times with his Silver Longsword until he fell off. Zelda screamed, but he had drawn his paraglider and landed unharmed. A rock hurled by the Talus nearly slammed into him, but he dodged it and ran behind it again, climbing it and hitting the black oversized mineral deposit on its back a few more times. This time he hung on to the ore while the rock monster desperately tried to shake him off by kneeling down to the ground. It stood up, and Link was able to smack it relentlessly.

Link lost his sense of direction when he ran around it again, and instead of running to the back, the Talus was facing him. Confused, he didn't run away fast enough and the Talus hurled a large rock at him, hitting his arm hard and sending him hurling onto the ground.

"Nooo!" Zelda shouted, drawing her bow at lightning speed and striking the ore easily with with her ice arrow set free.

"Ari, I said please let me try! I've got this!" She was so relieved to hear him speak that she didn't fully process what he said. She took aim again while Link sprang to his feet and ran around it, and she hit it with another ice arrow.

"Ari! Stop please, I want to try!"

Zelda was desperate, wanting to get rid of the stone menace as fast as possible, but she heard the annoyance in Link's voice and put her bow away.

Link once again climbed up the Stone Talus to the top of its head, beating the ore until it exploded into a shower of two rubies, a sapphire, several pieces of amber, and some rock salt.

After collecting the gems and minerals it dropped, Link walked over to Zelda and sat down next to her and sighed. His voice wasn't raised, but she could tell he wasn't happy with her.

"Ari, why didn't you let me try defeating it on my own?"

"I'm sorry, I panicked. I thought you were really hurt and I couldn't just stand there and do nothing." She was starting to tear up. Her love for him was only growing, and she needed to protect him.

He sighed and looked directly into her eyes, clasping her hands in his.

"I appreciate your concern for my safety, Ari. Really. But remember, my life force is stronger now, and we both have three fairies. I can take a few more hits."

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't accept help when needed."

"Yes, when needed. I don't feel like that was needed. I may have been slightly injured, but I had it under control. If I was hit repeatedly I would understand, but you can't panic every time I get a little bit hurt."

She hung her head, and he gave her a hug.

"Look Ari, all I'm asking is that you please let me try on my own sometime. I need practice and experience if I'm to rescue the princess from Hyrule Castle and defeat Ganon."

Zelda flinched at his mention of the princess, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I'm sorry Link. I'll try not to be so nervous. I just saw you get thrown to the ground and I thought the worst. Ever since I watched you…" She almost said "die in my arms" but caught herself. " ...get hurt by that Yiga footsoldier, my mind immediately jumps to the worst case scenario."

He kissed her forehead and the tears that were now slowly rolling down her cheek. "That's understandable. I forgive you, Ari. Just please give me a chance to try a battle myself sometime soon, okay?" She nodded, and he helped her to her feet and gave her a hug. They finished crossing the water and made it to the other side.

"Now, let's see that arm," Zelda said. He smirked at her as he took off his Soldier's chest piece, revealing nothing but bare skin underneath.

"Remember Ari, eyes up here," he said, grinning as he stood in front of her, shirtless. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, and they sat on the ground together. She gently took his arm, laying it across her knees to examine it. A large purple bruise was beginning to form on his bicep where he got hit with the thrown rock.

"Nothing a little Bruise Balm can't fix. I imagine it hurts?"

"Nah," he answered, wincing in pain as she gently held his arm.

She rolled her eyes and spread a layer of Bruise Balm gently over the large contusion, and finished with some Pain Balm, even though he insisted he didn't need it. He relaxed under her touch and the quick-acting effect of the medicine, and once the pain lessened he reached for his armor again and started to put it on.

Zelda tried to hold back a smile. "Too bad the weather is cooler here. I would have asked you to leave that off. Oh, excuse me, did I say that out loud? My mistake." She knew he loved it when she flirted with him.

He blushed and grinned at her, then abruptly changed the subject.

"Before we make camp I'd like to get the Spirit Orb from that shrine over there. It shouldn't take long." Rain was beginning to fall, and neither of them wanted to be out at night.

They quickly made it to the Soh Kofi shrine near the Inogo Bridge, the beginning of the path to Zora's Domain. Before Zelda knew it Link had emerged with a new Knight's Bow, a Guardian Sword, and an Ancient Spring, in addition to the Spirit Orb. Zelda was thrilled he got to practice his combat skills on the Guardian Scout he told her about in the shrine that was much less formidable than a Stone Talus, and he seemed to be in better spirits, too.

The ancient structure was newly glowing with the familiar light blue color that had become increasingly more common than the orange ones over the last several moons. Link was definitely getting stronger and better able to fight at top intensity for longer periods of time—Link just wished she could see that.

Right next to the shrine there was a grouping of tall, lush trees that provided shelter from the rain, so they set up camp there for the evening. Link soon had their fire built under the shelter of the trees. The light of day was quickly disappearing.

"Dinner, my lady?" Zelda nearly jumped out of her skin when he called her that again.

"What? I should start acting like a knight if I am one, right? Why do you jump every time I call you that?" He was trying to hide a grin, knowing she loved it.

"Dinner sounds great," she managed to squeak out, ignoring his question. They chose their meals and enjoyed them together by the fire. He kept his meals well-stocked, thanks to his love and passion for cooking.

"Hey Link, I'd like to make you something for dessert."

His eyes grew big. "What? You? You're going to cook for me?"

"Don't act so surprised! You've been teaching me and I'm getting better. This is something my father taught me how to do when I was a child." She tried to keep the tears that were about to form from appearing in her eyes upon remembering the good times with her father.

Link watched as she removed two apples from the slate and placed them next to the fire.

"Wait, a Baked Apple? That's what the old man gave me! They're delicious!" Link exclaimed.

"They're my favorite," Zelda said, with slight sadness in her voice.

Zelda suddenly smiled at him. "An apple warmed by the fire makes for a succulent treat."

Link stared at her for a moment. "The old man said that to me, too."

"He taught me the phrase…when I met him on my travels," Zelda answered.

She plucked the apples away from the fire and allowed them to cool, then tossed one to Link. They enjoyed them together while they sat by the dancing flames, then Zelda set up her travel bed.

"Link, I wish I had another one of these beds for you. I don't want you sleeping on the cold, wet ground." She paused, then turned toward him. "Um, would you...want to share it with me?" She tried to hide the nervousness in her voice and hoped this wasn't a mistake on her part. She wouldn't even allow him to sleep under the covers with her when he held her through her nightmares, and she insisted on asking Bolson to install two separate beds at their home in Hateno Village, much to Bolson's confusion. She wanted to avoid temptation, with her excuse of "taking things slow." She realized living in the moment with Link was only increasing her feelings for him.

Link's heart rate quickened at her invitation. She, who was firm on them sleeping separately most of the time, was asking him if he wanted to sleep intimately close together in a one-person bed?

"Ari..." He took a deep breath and tried not to let his mind wander. "...I would be honored."

Link's stomach was in knots at the prospect of sleeping the whole night so close to her in cramped quarters. He desperately wanted her, more than he let on, and he was afraid she would continue pushing him further away if she noticed. He retained enough early memories about his own upbringing to know he was raised with the knowledge of how to treat a lady, and he was a gentleman. He was adamant that most activities were strictly for the marriage bed, and he would never push her to do anything she didn't want to do. He still couldn't help asking questions in his mind. What is she wanting out of this? The last time anything started becoming more serious between us she told me she wanted to slow down. This doesn't feel slow.

Soon it was nearly pitch black around them, aside from the bright blue light of the shrine beside them. They continued laughing and talking into the night until Link removed his chest piece and put his more comfortable Hylian trousers on behind the shrine. Zelda's pants were already dry from sitting by the fire. They avoided making eye contact with each other while they awkwardly squeezed together into the tight quarters of the travel bed.

They were so close together Link could easily hear and feel Zelda's heart pounding. She seemed to be just as nervous as he was, but he kept his resolve, despite how much he was enjoying their closeness.

He turned to face her. "Ari, are you okay? If this is making you uncomfortable I can just sleep on a blanket in the grass."

She was trembling slightly and her voice was shaking. "No, please...stay with me." She melted into the closeness of him, and her heart could no longer handle not acting on her love for him. She gazed into his gorgeous big aqua blue eyes reflecting the light of the campfire, and she slowly brought her lips to his, giving him a deeper kiss than they had shared since they were in Kakariko Village the first time.

Oh, how good it felt for him to have her tongue on his once again! The warmth and the softness and the feelings he had for her emboldened him to slowly move one of his hands around to the back of her head as he continued kissing her deeply. The sweet flavor of the Baked Apple was still on her tongue, and now his heart rate matched hers as he continued gently exploring the feeling of her mouth as she kissed him back, savoring every moment of it. He had been wanting this for a long time.

Zelda stopped to look into his eyes, and she was slightly breathless. "Link…I think I'm ready to take our relationship to another level, if you are. I mean, not more than this. I'm not ready for anything beyond this. I hope you understand." She was blushing profusely, and she was glad the shadows of night hid the color of her face. The truth was, she was ready for more, having loved him for a century, but she had no choice than to suppress those stronger feelings.

He held her close. "Ari, I remember enough about how I was raised to know how to treat a lady. I would never dishonor you. And you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say you want a relationship with me. I won't ever rush you into anything you're not ready for."

He gazed into her large green eyes with the same look he gave her at Dueling Peaks, and she passionately kissed him again, then pulled away. Link was speechless and breathless for a moment then found his voice.

"Just the feeling of your lips on mine is enough to sustain me for a thousand moons."

Her heart swelled at his words. Her once mostly silent knight was now a hopeless romantic! She couldn't help herself and leaned hard into him to kiss him once more. She couldn't hold back the passion from escaping her slowly crumbling resolve—raw passion only for him that had been building up in her heart, mind, and soul for a hundred years, even though Hylia's and Impa's warnings were still in the back of her mind. She had missed Link so much, and he was here, and she needed him. She pulled him on top of her.

Link savored the sensations of her so close to him. Oh, sweet Hylia, why does this have to feel so good? He was really enjoying the feeling of her underneath him, and to his delight she pushed her body slightly more against his as they kissed, and he slowly pushed back.

Link pulled away slightly from her face with desperation and love in his eyes. He looked into her beautiful dark green eyes with the flames of the fire reflecting in his, and he was breathless, his voice husky.

"Ari, I'll never push you into anything you don't want...but I'm finding it incredibly difficult to...control certain physical reactions. If it makes you uncomfortable, please tell me and I'll move."

She knew what he was talking about, and she secretly loved it. She had only felt him against her like that one other time, and that was a century ago, during her archery lessons with him. She was a virgin maiden and intended to stay that way until marriage, but the compromising position they were in was making that prospect seem nearly impossible. She reluctantly had to put a stop to it. What she said next pained her to say, but it was necessary. "Yeah, maybe it would be a good idea if you rolled over next to me onto your side."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Don't apologize, Link. It's okay. I was the one who took things a little too far."

He rolled so that his back was to her front, and she held him close for a while with one arm across his chest, feeling his steady breaths as they raised and lowered her arm.

Link was lost in his thoughts. His mind drifted to the moving images of the princess King Rhoam had placed in his mind, and how Ari's voice sounded so similar.

"Ari, um…you know how I mentioned that your voice sounds really similar to the one of the princess that King Rhoam projected into my mind?"

Her heart rate quickened. "Yes?"

"I hope you don't think I've lost all my acorns for saying this, but as I was waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection, I heard that same voice call to me at first. Then the voice changed to the same voice I hear from the Goddess statues."

Zelda's stomach flipped. She needed to think fast. "Oh? That's interesting, Link." She could hardly contain her excitement and her heart was pounding again. He's still getting closer to remembering.

"I just don't know what to make of it. Then again, the Shrine of Resurrection did weird things to me."

Zelda silently sighed with relief as he seemed to let it go. She knew he wasn't ready to remember her, if what Impa said was true. He first needed to be the "warrior he once was," and he wasn't there yet.

Link rolled over to face her once again. "Is everything okay? Your heart is pounding."

"Yes Link, more than okay. You just...have that effect on me."

"Ari, listen to mine." He rolled onto his back and she rested her ear against his bare chest, and she could hear his fast-beating heart. "You have that effect on me too," Link whispered.

"Link, I want you to know...I love...spending time with you. I never want our time together to end." Zelda had been so close to telling Link she loved him, but she was afraid of what might happen to her slowly eroding self-control if she did, especially since she already knew he loved her, even though he hadn't said it yet. She couldn't afford for him to be distracted by her, especially if things got more serious between them.

With a gentle nudge he lifted her head so she could meet his gaze. He looked into her eyes with a deep love that he hadn't ever felt for anyone else; he was sure of it. He desperately wanted to tell her, but he was too afraid. "Ari, I'm so happy to hear that. I want you to stay with me for as long as you wish. I'm honored to have you with me."

"I never want to leave you, Link." She kissed him passionately once more, then rested her head back onto his chest. Nothing about them lying next to each other so close felt awkward anymore - it just felt right. Zelda rested sweetly on his chest as they fell asleep together above the Inogo Bridge, the place that marked the start of their journey to Zora's Domain.