Scattering petals

Link & Zelda

Chapter 17: Prelude of a visit

When glory begins to peak Hyrule's horizon

Author's note: We shall have some Link character development in this chapter along with another one of the scenes I was hoping to write soon. This is taking a slow path despite making mid-length chapters, but I don't want to rush the storyline. Honestly, I think I had never taken the time and dedication to create a slow burn so prepared. With The Legend of Zelda I didn't happen to have as many ideas for several fanfics as in the other fandoms, so I guess it is reflected in the work of this long story.

I don't know for how long the inspiration will continue flowing, but I will take the maximum advantage of it as I can.

Enjoy this week's chapter!

Much to her dismay, the burned incense hadn't achieved to calm her nerves. Despite the numerous properties that the special mixture possessed, Princess Zelda couldn't feel them in her system. In theory, swift violet was supposed to awaken her mind and clear the storms that had been troubling her head lately. The warm safflina, on the other hand, should surround her with a feeling of comfort that would end up slowing her heart rate, inducing a deeply relaxed state. And, last, the local touch of Hyrule herbs should cleanse her energy and vanish any trace of negative energy. Plus, with the blessed intent of the fortune-teller, it should have an extra pump that boosted the effectiveness of inhaling them. For whatever reason, her senses just wouldn't give in to grant her a much-needed rest.

Maybe it was the drumming of her heartbeats echoing in the sanctum, or maybe the insufferable presence of the hero's shadow behind her. Either way, the princess couldn't help but sigh as discreetly as she could.

"Princess Zelda." Her father spoke out loud. At the first sign of his presence, Link kneeled down slightly behind her as a sign of respect to the king. "Today's time went by swiftly, didn't it?"

The daughter nodded softly in response, quite unsure of what to answer. She believed that her father spoke in an ambiguous way to not allow others to know how much information he had about the situation. With Zelda, it wasn't any different. His strategy caused her to wonder if the king knew about her escape from the western wing of the castle or the unauthorized trip to Tabantha's ancient ruins. What she did know was that Link had been by her side all day and despite it upsetting her, at least she was certain that he couldn't have reported her acts to the king. In fact, if she wasn't wrong, he still had the sheikah slate in his possession, hidden under his uniform.

"It has been a weary day indeed." Princess Zelda continued and begged Hylia for her father not to notice the stains of the earth on the ends of her royal attire.

"The poet has reported your presence in the sacred grounds of the Temple of Time." It was at that moment when the princess thought her father would have her head on a silver platter. Instead, he kept speaking: "Despite being unaware of your outing, I must ask before anything else: Have the prayers been fruitful?"

The question hadn't been as terrible as the one Zelda thought the king would ask. The answer to it, however, wasn't easier to admit either. She almost preferred being questioned about her disobedience rather than admitting out loud in presence of the hero that she was a failure. But it was true, she hadn't awakened her sealing powers yet. And she started to think that maybe she would never accomplish her sworn duty. When her mother, the queen, was her age, she already had full control of the magic emanating from inside her. And yet, she was still stuck in somehow triggering her birthright.

"Nothing has awakened yet." Zelda admitted, her eyes locked on the red carpet. "Though strange dreams have been plaguing my sleep lately. The fortune teller advised me to document them in my journal."

Link remained silent and kept to himself the mystical experiences that unconsciousness brought to him often: trees that spoke, godly voices, prophecies… If he could get along with Princess Zelda, he would maybe find enough courage to speak to her and ask if she was going through something similar. But that wasn't the case, so the knight found no other option than to keep his thoughts to himself and carry the burden alone. The weight of the master sword on his back seemed to increase with each second he spent kneeling down.

"Trust the sages' judgment as they are the closest ones to Hylia at the moment." The king reminded her and, in a way, was also telling her to follow their example. "So, all in all, the visit wasn't useless, hm?"

"Of course not, Father." Zelda tried to sound convincing. If Irel had told the king that she had been spending the afternoon in the sacred lands, she better put up a good explanation.

But as contrary, as the princess believed, the king left the topic aside to address a much-unexpected topic. He motioned for the guards to open the main doors to the sanctum, allowing entrance to a group of royal counselors. Among them, Impa was also present. They remained at the west of the room, not before bowing respectfully to their king.

"Emissaries have returned from Gerudo Valley today. They also brought with them a letter from their matriarch." The king announced. The news were so refreshing at the moment that Princess Zelda glanced at Impa with a surprised expression meaning 'you shall tell me all the details later in private.'

"Urbosa requires your help if she wants to consider the possibility to be the pilot to Divine Beast Vah Naboris." Despite the good news, King Rhoam didn't seem as joyful as his daughter did. The princess had to make an effort to suppress a big smile from cheek to cheek. "All traces of sheikah technology have been unearthed and hold a great potential to aid in our war. I believe this is the perfect opportunity for you, Princess Zelda, to oversee the results of the experiments in the Gerudo desert."

There was no way to suppress the bright shimmer sparkling in the princess' eyes. She was given the chance to deal with technology with the king's authorization once more. And in Gerudo Valley nonetheless, even better. Surely Urbosa had something to do with the petition of her presence in her lands, Zelda could sense it. There could be no other person in all of Hyrule capable of convincing King Rhoam of something he strictly prohibited before. It was thanks to the matriarch's former friendship with the queen, in fact.

Chieftain Urbosa was the matriarch ruling over the Gerudo Region. She had been promoted at a very young age, following strict instructions from the former council to become the best leader she could be. Zelda didn't know much about her past friendship with her mother, but she had knowledge of her parents meeting Urbosa in a council almost twenty years ago. The visits to Hyrule since the queen passed away, sadly, went decreasing with time due to the Yiga clan and the threat of Calamity Ganon on the horizon. But now it was her turn to visit the western lands of the Gerudo desert and go into political duty. Princess Zelda had only been there twice and was excited to rediscover the terve as a young adult on her own. Her day, or night more accurately, had just improved within a few seconds.

"I will make sure our troops are ready to leave the castle this weekend." The princess sentenced.

"Not too fast. The troops won't be accompanying you. Sir Link will be by your side to perform as your appointed knight during the trip." Zelda's expression darkened for a moment, but she managed to control her emotions. "And by escorting you, I mean he is not to leave your side at any moment. I am sure Sir Link understands that as well."

"Yes, Father."

Link nodded in agreement much more convinced than the princess did. Her green eyes searched for Impa's gaze, but she found her evading look flying away to stare at the triforce symbol above the throne. Zelda immediately knew that she had something to do about it. Well, at least she had been lucky and her father's wrath hadn't tainted her day. All thanks to Irel's witnessing.

"You are dismissed." Only then, Princess Zelda allowed herself to sigh with relief. "Rest well, my daughter."

The heiress to the throne nodded and swiftly proceeded to exit the sanctum. She heard from behind how her father summoned the royal counselors plus Link to continue talking in private. The guards closed the main gates behind her figure as soon as she walked out of the sanctum. She would have tried to eavesdrop but it was impossible with the knights posting the entrance. For the moment, she let that possibility go and reminded herself to ask all of the details of the conversation to Impa.

"A word, Sir Link?" Impa called him after the brief meeting with King Rhoam.

The mention of his honorific title still sounded weird in the mouth of others. He just couldn't get used to it yet. Maids, fellow knights, guards, and other staff in the court also began to call him 'hero' or 'master'. Even outside the castle walls, where his reputation had preceded him, sometimes people recognized him. To be fair, the sword on his back also gave a hint to the crowd. He had never been instructed to be a public figure like Princess Zelda or King Rhoam and he would probably never be ready to hold the pressure of being the Chosen One. So he preferred to be silent even with people like Impa from the royal council. Or the princess. Words often brought problems his way and training to be a skillful fighter was enough struggle for a young boy like Link. People often forgot that fact: he was just seventeen years old.

The sheikah counselor, likewise, also seemed to be young. Impa surely looked her part with the tribal tattoos and the traditional makeup of Kakariko village, but her facial expression couldn't hide the absence of experience. Based entirely on her looks, Link could guess she was around her mid-twenties, just entering young adulthood. Her stance in court, nonetheless, gave her a wiser aura that made her look older in some way. She had the capacity to transform herself outside of the royal counselor's duties and reinterpret her role as a woman her age. The knight felt healthy jealousy towards her capability to switch energies.

They walked together through the exterior of the castle, staying close to the princess' tower. The lock in the gates of her study had been removed, they noticed.

"I think I know who told the King about Princess Zelda's use of sheikah technology." The sheikah counselor revealed, catching his attention in the process. If she was right, surely their theories might agree. "And about your late arrival at the castle after the trip to the Goron too."

The suspense was kept in the air for a while as they observed Princess Zelda praying to the moon. With all of the formalities and meetings, night had swallowed Hyrule's sky. Impa frowned at the thought of the princess skipping dinner.

"I know only of a person that remains awake at night, gawking outside the castle." The sheikah counselor carried on, developing a bit more her theory with Link. "After speaking with the usual personnel around the castle, it's the only option I find possible."

The hero frowned with suspicion at Impa before directing his vigilante eyes back to a meditating Princess Zelda. She had acknowledged their presence from the west tower but remained concentrated on her duty. The glacial light radiating from within the satellites gifted her figure with a unique gleam that made her stand out among the scenery. And didn't Hyrule's castle already possess a breathtaking sight itself… Link had to end up darting his blue sight back to the counselor to erase the sight from his mind.

"Nevertheless, I shall warn you before sharing the identity." Impa continued, worry tainting her voice. "Princess Zelda mustn't know about this. She already has trust issues with the court members. This would break her heart."

"I didn't know the poet was so important to her." Link mindlessly commented though the counselor detected a strange tone she had never heard in his voice. His words had distracted her enough.

"Irel isn't meaningful to her but-... Wait, how did you know it was him?! I hadn't told you yet!"

The knight had to suppress a sarcastic giggle at Impa's incredulity. He was the princess' appointed knight, after all. Of course he had detected the poet's eyes on them as soon as they crossed the castle walls that night. With time, his training had taught him to remain alert and detect others' presence, being a stealthy sheikah or not. Their meeting in the Temple of Time just confirmed his suspicion. Link hadn't witnessed or eavesdropped on King Rhoam's conversation with the poet, but he didn't need to. There was no doubt that he had been the snitch.

"You need to tell me everything, Link." The royal counselor demanded in an almost childish way. "Why do you think Irel did it? He is fond of the princess, after all."

"He is not fond of me." Was the knight's immediate answer.

Link didn't believe Irel had denounced the princess' use of sheikah technology because of her. Despite not liking him, the knight could see the spark of love in the poet's eyes. Nobody in their right mind would plan to set up their beloved one. Much less if it was an unrequited love. The only explanation for Irel's impulsive acts was not Princess Zelda but him. By informing of the princess' direct disobedience, logic dictated that he, her escort, would also end up wronged for not remaining loyal to the king. That's what the poet had been trying to achieve. However, the dirty play had been detrimental exclusively to Zelda.

And she, despite having proved his loyalty, had blamed him before even considering other possible suspects.

"You knew and still kept silent for Princess Zelda's sake?" Link nodded at Impa's question. "You are truly honorable. I owe you gratitude in name of the princess."

The royal counselor clasped her hands together and slightly bowed before Link. In the sheikah tradition, that gesture was a way to show utter respect to the elderly or teachers. All in all, Kakariko's culture appreciated judgment based on wisdom. In Impa's eyes, the hero not only proved his values but also the courage to bear any burden silently. There was no doubt he was Hylia's chosen one to embody that aspect of the triforce.

"We must keep protecting her." The knight reminded and Impa nodded, sealing the secret of the poet's treason between them.

"I will go check on her." The counselor sentenced, staring at the stairs that ascended to the princess' tower. "You should probably rest. Today's events were clearly wearying."

For her own health, Impa preferred not to ask where Princess Zelda had fled after her outburst that morning. All she knew was that both had returned safely to the castle. In the end, that was what mattered. King Rhoam was right about his daughter's escort: he was the key to Hyrule's success.

All in all, Link wasn't fond of speaking but he indeed was a man of his word. Impa wished the princess could also see that soon too.

That day, the sun's rays caressed their bodies until darkness fell upon the wilderness. Right beside them, a discreet silent princess shone among the meadow's grass right. Its petals emitted a slightly flowery scent that filled the air, contributing to making the scenery completely magical. As soon as night began, sunset fireflies plagued the landscape with their melodic screeching. All sort of magical creatures abandoned their hideouts to enjoy the nocturne breeze. A bluepee crossed the land hopping with energy right before the flying koroks that had appeared from glowing fairy dust. The spirits of Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra flew together in the sky, illuminating the clouds around them.

Zelda was witnessing the view from the floor, leaning on someone's chest. The calm breathing, however, didn't awaken distress in her. She couldn't recognize the identity of the person who was warmly embracing her, but the sensation itself was soothing. Someone that felt so good sharing time with had to be out of that world. Moments later, she realized her mind had entered a vivid dream once more. She didn't have any functions in her body and, while being unable to move, it was impossible to see the face of the person she was cuddling with.

"Leaving Skyloft to live in the land was the best decision we could make." A familiar masculine voice spoke. The vibration of his vocal cords echoed in Zelda's head, so the person speaking could only be the one holding her.

Strange energy resonated inside her. Then, her own voice echoed as if trapped inside a dwell. Despite the distance of it, the princess was able to recognize each one of the words:

"Even long before after we've passed into the spirit realm, will you still remember me?"

Only then, a gloved hand lifted her chin so her sight was no longer lowered. She thought the face of the mysterious man would be revealed by then, but her eyes didn't allow her to see with clarity. All of sudden, her visual field was blurred. She tried to focus and blink, but it was of no use. She could only see shades of greenish tones and a kind face of a person her age.

"I could never forget you, Zelda."

She felt her body move upwards, guided by the boy's fingers. His masculine scent was every time closer, bringing their faces together to meet in a kiss. Zelda could no longer resist the burning sensation on her core and closed her eyes, fading the strange memory to black.

She woke up covered in a thin layer of sweat. As if she had been drowning, Princess Zelda felt as if she ran out of air in that vivid dream. The tingling sensation on her lips was still present. Her body, somehow, was convinced that everything she had seen really happened. She could swear those fingers were still cupping her chin…

The heiress had to shake her head and get up from bed to erase the feeling. Realistic dreams had been chasing her for several months now. And usually, there was always an ethereal woman present, likely some kind of ancient spirit or deity. That night, however, she had witnessed a different protagonist: a boy. It had never happened before. In fact, Zelda knew that the main gods in Hyrule's mythology were women. Then, why was she dreaming of a male partner? Why was she engaged in such an intimate ambiance? Why did that dream feel so real? And most importantly, why did he know her name? Was it a mental trick her subconscious orchestrated?

She tried to banish the thought from her head and sneaked out of the tower.

Immediately, Zelda regretted not wearing her silk robe before exiting her quarters. It was pouring outside and as a result, Hryule's temperature had decreased considerably. On another occasion, she wouldn't have risen from bed, but the butterflies in her stomach didn't allow her to sleep. She was tingling with nerves, first because of the dream. But soon she compelled herself to try and forget and think about the upcoming trip to Gerudo Valley.

Princess Zelda was convinced that Urbosa wrote to her father because of her, not Vah Naboris as she claimed. The Gerudo matriarch had always been like an aunt to her and the only source open to share memories of her mother. Maybe as a child, she hadn't given much importance to her temporal presence on the court, escorting her process of learning to meditate. As a child, Zelda had been deeply confused by her mother's passing away. It had been all so sudden her head wasn't even able to process it before offering her being to Goddess Hylia. The mix of faces in the court, the instruction to be a princess, and the spiritual journey were too complicated tasks for someone her age. A seven-year-old princess wouldn't have remembered her mother's best friend if Urbosa hadn't kept writing frequently to check on her. Now as a young adult, though she hadn't occasion to meet the matriarch very often, Zelda treasured her friendship with her. She couldn't wait to meet her again.

Before she could even notice, her feet had reached the bottom of the stairs. Her muscular memory brought the princess to the beginning of the tower. She didn't know her destination until a familiar growl echoed in her stomach. Of course, she had skipped dinner and now was hungry.

"A midnight snack won't hurt anybody." She muttered, heading to the royal kitchens.

The staff was out of service at such hours though, as a princess, Zelda could summon them whenever she wanted. Despite that, she appreciated some time alone to clear her mind. That would also grant her the freedom to eat something without being scolded for skipping the last meal. Impa was usually the one in charge to do so.

Once she reached the entrance to the kitchens, Zelda immediately noticed she wasn't alone much to her dismay. The sound of some cooking pots reverberated from inside the room, giving knowledge of another soul looking for food in the middle of the night. Or an insomnia victim in the castle. Or probably both.

The princess tilted her head to discreetly spy on whoever was cleaning out the kitchen. On a sad note, Zelda discovered that Link was the person having a 'snack', to put it into words. The cooking pot before him was emitting an exquisite smell that made her stomach growl loud enough for the knight to acknowledge her presence. As soon as he heard, the princess hid behind the edge of the door, closing her eyes in hopes he hadn't heard her. That was just not her luck.

"Show yourself." The escort commanded followed by the metallic sound of his sword unsheathing.

There was no escape from the situation. The courtyard was too long to run and manage to escape from a boy with high levels of physical fitness. He would overtake her in a fraction of a second. He was just so insufferable that Zelda was left with no choice other than reveal herself, coming out of the temporal hideout to apologize for the intrusion.

"I didn't mean to-..." The edge of the sword met her neck and she almost yelled in panic. She took a few steps back and stared at the knight's surprised face. Zelda couldn't suppress an outburst on her part. How could he be so careless with the master sword. "What kind of enemy do you think would sneak into the kitchen?!"

Her holler was enough for the knight to take a few steps back and holster his weapon. Nevertheless, no excuse came from his mouth. Instead, Link just shrugged and replied:

"A starving one?"

The princess had to restrain her own hand. If she didn't, she would have ended up face-palming herself or, even better, her knight for the disrespect of the moment. Her stomach, however, growled loudly once more. Zelda placed her hands over the thorax to try and restrain the sound. She couldn't help but feel ashamed for showing up in pajamas and hungry at those hours. Only because of that, she was willing to forget the knight's disrespect.

"What are you cooking?" The words left her lips before she could notice it.

Link, on the other hand, stared at the princess as if he had seen a ghost. She had been shouting at him and now was just shyly asking for food, he guessed. The fact that she was only dressed in a light blue nightgown also contributed to making his fingers feel numb all of sudden. The pale lace on the edge of her neckline was creased of the toss and turn in her bed, he guessed. All in all, the princess at the moment was a view he had never guessed his eyes would get to witness. He had to return to his focus in order to find words:

"Stewed beef with Kakariko's pumpkins."

As if nothing had happened, Princess Zelda entered the kitchen and stood beside him to examine the content of the cooking pot. She couldn't hide her appetite as her stomach growled again.

"I made two portions." He added.

She seemed to consider the offer. It was a copious snack for just having a bite, but the smell was enticing. The knight could see how her jade eyes sparkled while staring at the stew. Then he remembered what Impa had said about the princess skipping dinner to avoid the king. She had been lucky enough as she managed to dodge her father's scolding. All because of the poet, Link thought bitterly. Zelda swore she could see a momentary shade of green envy on her escort's face. In a blink of an eye, it was gone, though.

"The sword incident will be bygone." She finally agreed, driven by her hunger.

Link nodded and continued stirring the pot. He felt Zelda's glance nailed on his back while she got a seat in the center island of the kitchen. She looked intrigued while observing the process of cooking. The knight tried to not mind the sudden attention in order to carry on with his current duty. He had to put in all of his efforts, especially now that the princess would have a bite from his recipe. Her paladar surely was demanding as she was used to the service of the best cooks in all of Hyrule.

Quite the contrary to Link, who found company in food, the princess started to feel the weight of silence's awkwardness on her frame. For a person so talkative as herself, remaining mute in someone's company was a hard task. There was an impulse that was encouraging her to speak even if he didn't reply. Zelda started searching for conversation starters as he added a pinch of goron spice to the stewed meat. If he were alone, he would probably be humming joyfully while stirring the content by now. His mind traveled back to Arryl -his sister- while remembering that she was the one that originally had that habit. Soon enough, he forgot about the princess' stare.

Zelda, on the other hand, took the possibility to apologize to Link into account. Her recent talk with Impa made her think that maybe blaming her knight for her faults was a mistake. But seeing him working so focused on the counter while carrying the master sword behind his back made Zelda wonder what she was doing wrong. Why was he so carelessly gifted with Hylia's blessing on him? Why she, instead, was burdened with years of useless prayers and holy rituals that made her sick in the end? The hero had been chosen by pure chance on a silly adventure through the Lost Woods, independent of his dedication, which in fact was non-existent. The princess, instead, had been gifted with a birthright to claim as it had been passed down for generations in the females of the royal family. And despite her efforts, no result reflected the amount of dedication she offered to Hylia and the ancient spirits tied to Hyrule. The comparison with Link made Zelda's blood boil with a mix of bitter anger and sadness. It wasn't fair. But it wasn't his fault, was it? That was what Impa said earlier… For some reason, even her counselor had begun to get attached to Link. That made her wonder out loud:

"Where did you get those pumpkins from? Kakariko has a limited production of exemplars like these."

"Impa brought them." He simply replied.

She did, now? Zelda just confirmed her suspicions about the previous bonding between her escort and her counselor and had the slight sensation that she was trying to convince her to befriend Link.

The sight of the delicious dish appearing in her visual area made Zelda return to the earthly realm. She had been so immersed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the knight serving the stew before her. Link was already seated on the edge of the center island, half of his body facing her as he enjoyed the meal. The princess observed him as he had an expression of joy on his face. She had never seen him so pleased. Who could have guessed he could be so glad just because of food?

The knight discreetly gazed at Zelda, searching for a reaction when she tasted the stewed meat and pumpkins. She brought the spoon near her lips, softly blowing the heat off it. For a second there, Link had to remind himself to maintain his manners. The mere fact of them eating together in the royal kitchen at midnight without permission was improper enough by itself.

Suddenly, the agitation that had been tormenting Zelda with nightmares and nerves disappeared with the first bite of Link's dish. The pumpkin melted in her mouth along with the tender beef, making her insides twist with more hunger than before. The food was more than pleasing to the palate, worthy of the royal kitchen's staff. If someone told her the usual chef was the one that made the stew, the princess would perfectly believe it.

"Well?" The knight asked with curiosity.

Honestly, after tasting the dish Princess Zelda felt like waving a white flag at her escort. But she wouldn't yet give him the pleasure of thinking their clash was over. She still was annoyed at Link's constant shadow following her.

"Splendid." And though she just used one word, it was more than enough for the knight.

Both basically devoured the entire meal in a few minutes. While Link did with gusto and gluttony, the princess tried to maintain the etiquette. She couldn't help but quickly finish the dish eventually. The perfect mix of salt and spice was balanced and made the vegetables, an ingredient she deeply despised as a child, the most appealing food. And not to mention the jelly sauce that added an unbelievable texture… Was it honey? The sweet notes on her tongue made it seem like it. She couldn't deny it, Link was a skillful cook. When did he even have time to practice such abilities? He was always cupped on his work, training and escorting her, after all. Those kinds of questions would continue plaguing her for several days as she wasn't willing to ask and give more conversation than what was strictly necessary.

As the knight finished eating way earlier than Zelda, he got up to wash the dish and try to leave the kitchen as he found it. He didn't think the royal cooks would scold him if they found out he had been using the equipment though he didn't want to risk it. They had spared him enough after sneaking multiple times to steal food since he had been assigned a room in the castle.

When the princess approached to deliver the empty dish, Link suddenly remembered the sheikah slate still attached to his belt. He took advantage of the proximity and handed the piece of ancient technology back to Zelda. She seemed to have forgotten that he possessed it. In fact, he had been keeping it since Irel interrupted on them at the Temple of Time. The princess still couldn't comprehend his reasons for hiding it all of sudden, but she was glad to retrieve the slate. Was this action incited by the king's commands?

"Did you tell something to my father?" The princess asked, confusion printed on her face. She had been allowed to continue with the research, but still didn't fully develop her actions to not risk the chance of visiting Urbosa at Gerudo Valley.

"I said nothing." He simply swore, shrugging off the question.

If he had been more talkative, Princess Zelda would actually have tried to engage in conversation. Maybe she would have suggested going for a walk if it weren't raining outside. Luckily, they would spot sunset fireflies. Or maybe they would find traces of glowing petals in the air. But it wasn't the best-case scenario, so she remained silent and tried to think what to do to make dinner less copious for a midnight snack.

"You can't sleep, I presume." Link gave her a confused gaze so she clarified. "You are still awake. Is your new room too cold for autumn?"

He seemed to deeply think about the answer: "It doesn't feel like home yet."

Bringing up that topic made Zelda wonder what was his hometown like. She knew Link belonged to a respected lineage of knights, but he had been the first in his family to step up as a royal guard. Probably, it had been because of his family's modest origin lacking nobility status. Hyrule still had a classist system that divided people based on social relevance. Knights born in Castletown were most likely to ascend and become appointed to royalty. The ones recruited from peasant families, however, had no chance to accomplish making it to the royal guard. Princess Zelda had heard some conservative members of the court criticize the hero's origin. Honestly, she didn't care. It even awoke curiosity within her.

"Where are you from, Link?" Zelda dared to ask, engaging in casual conversation while he washed the dishes. He seemed used to domestic tasks though knights didn't have that kind of obligation.

"Hateno Village." The answer didn't surprise the princess, who had heard that part before. Besides, she recalled the quality of the blue cloth he gifted her when she fell ill after the trip to the spring of courage. Such material could only be from Hateno, the town that specialized in fabric and coloring. But Zelda was interested in something else as the image of the embroidery in Link's handkerchief still haunted her. And so, she kept asking:

"Is there someone waiting for you back home?" After hearing those words, the escort gazed at the princess with an intensity she had never witnessed before outside the battlefield. She hesitated and felt the awkwardness of holding their gaze together now that the conflict was gone. "If you don't mind me asking, of course." She added.

"My little sister: Aryll. She takes care of our small farm." Seeing such attention in the princess' eyes, Link continued, assuming she didn't mind the speaking. "We have cuccos. And, well, Epona was there too but I brought her with me when I became a knight."

"I see."

So the 'A' embroidered on the handkerchief was for her sister. Aryll, was it? Despite her existence, Princess Zelda felt as if his family were small. Normally, peasants had more heirs after marriage. That boosted another round of questions.

"And your father is also a knight?" The princess already knew the answer to that but Link had become her most recent object of study. She just couldn't help asking and wondering.

"He was destined to Fort Hateno." The knight finished washing the plates and used a towel to dry them now. "It was for the best so my sister won't be alone."

The shine in Zelda's jade eyes brought with anticipation the next question. She had asked about his sister and father. It was inevitable in the end for the matter to appear. Link braced himself to silently bear the next words.

"And your mother?" Somehow, the princess sensed a strange switch in his energy as the topic of the family was discussed so her question came softer than the previous ones.

"She passed away after Aryll was born." And despite the sadness of the sentence, Link achieved to say it as stony and stoic as ever. For a moment, Princess Zelda envied the control he possessed over his emotions.

"I'm sorry." She quickly replied. "I know how it feels to grow up without a mother."

This time, there was no solution to remediate the awkwardness between hero and princess. Link managed to leave the kitchen as he found it: completely shiny. Meanwhile, the princess took advantage of the ticking of time and swiped through the sheikah slate, simulating that she wasn't actually waiting for her escort to finish. There was something inside her that didn't allow her to look like she cared for him… Not talking to her knight was actually a great effort now. Why did she feel the need to? She didn't care about him, or did she?

Seeing the princess still beside him, slightly leaning on the counter, made Link wonder about her reasons. He cleared his throat in contrast with the thunderous storm outside. She gave him a slight glance and despite the lack of emotion on her face, her actions made it seem as if she waited for him to say something.

'Shall I escort you somewhere, Your Highness?"

And suddenly, the name of her title on his lips made a shiver run down Zelda's spine. She discreetly shook her head, wiping the sensation off her body.

"I might return to my quarters, actually."

"Allow me to come along."

And without her noticing, she nodded to allow it almost instinctively.

He took the liberty to walk beside her as he was off duty. Zelda didn't say anything so he continued posting on her left side. They went upstairs with only the light of the sheikah slate to guide them. Eventually, a sneaky thunder illuminated the courtyard, managing to frighten the princess. She let out a yelp and tried to hide it uselessly but Link was nobody to judge. He remained with indifference on his face.

"I enjoyed our talk." He told her once they reached the gates to her dorm.

"Hm… Thanks." She didn't know if what they had could be considered a conversation as the knight only replied with monosyllabic sounds most of the time but it was something.

"Goodnight, Princess."

And so, Link got on his knees to bow before her. Zelda observed, too surprised to react when he got a hold of her palm and slightly leaned his forehead against it.

As he felt her icy skin against his own, the princess blushed. She had been shown respect before. Some members of the court, Irel for example, even kissed her hand on occasion. Nevertheless, Princess Zelda had never felt such thunder piercing her core before. The sensation struck her senses to the point of eclipsing the storm outside the palace walls. Despite the warmth on his face, she felt as if her body had frozen. She was unable to react properly, not even to reject his touch as she would normally do.

It was strange to admit it but she didn't want to grow apart from the touch.

When Link left, Zelda felt as if it were raining in her frame.

Irel was the one that told King Rhoam about Zelda and Link sneaking into the castle with the sheikah slate! Did you expect it? Did you have any theories? Please, let me know what you think. I read all of your reviews, you can tell me. I want to know if the way I develop the characters reaches you as I think it does. Also special thanks to TacosNBrownies for its reviews! They make my day! Thank you so much for your kind words.

Now, what kind of Zelink fanfic would this be if I didn't write a scene of Link cooking for Zelda? If I have to be honest, I was writing this last scene in the office at 12 am and I kinda got hungry too.

Have you noticed that Zelda is going through the five stages of grief? Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In which state do you think she is right now?

Until next week, dear readers!

Stella.