Zelda never knew such bliss could exist. Six months prior, she had married her childhood best friend and hero, Link. With the help of Groose, they had worked hard to build a house and a small, but thriving farm on the surface in the Faron region, overlooking Lake Floria.
Link worked tirelessly to give his bride all that she wanted. Building their home took the daily effort of himself and Groose from dawn to dusk for nearly two months to achieve the standard he insisted Zelda deserved to have. A garden plot was installed by the house, as well as the larger spread of crops. He spent several days digging and setting up a deep well of fresh water.
Zelda hummed to herself while she pulled weeds from around her vegetables. Link had been gone for the day, which had become the standard. Every few days, he would take her with him and they would explore all around the land in all of its various parts. But for the most part, she was content to stay in the Faron Woods.
The first evening of the week was reserved for a visit to Skyloft and dinner with her father, Gaepora. They made it a point to take their share of the cooking responsibilities, thus having it be the highlight of the week for all three of them. But this was the second night of the week, not the first.
A shadow passed over her hood, and Zelda looked up. Link stood over her, wearing that shy, happy smile he always had when there was a secret to be shared.
"Link! I thought you weren't going to be back until sundown!" Zelda exclaimed. She brushed the dirt off her hands and rose to her feet, shaking dust and weeds out of her pink skirt.
"Couldn't wait to see you. I have a gift for you." Link handed her a wriggling bundle of fur.
Zelda cooed in excitement, turning the remlit's face towards her own. "It's so cute! Where did you find a baby remlit?"
Her husband merely smiled and shrugged. "Doesn't matter, does it? That one's a female. Name her what you like. She's yours."
Shining, bright blue eyes met Link's, and she cradled the new fur baby to her chest while she leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you, Link. She's precious."
"Not as precious as you are to me," he replied, with the comment bringing a blush to his cheeks. Even after six months of marriage, the shyness remained. But the compliments rolled from his lips nonetheless.
The rosyness of her cheeks wasn't just from the sun. Zelda was certain of this. She took Link's hand and intertwined their fingers. "What did you do today? Let's head inside and you can tell me all about it while I start an early supper."
"I came from Skyloft, as you might have guessed from your fur baby. Your father had me telling the kids in the school about the monsters we've encountered on the surface. He was as fascinated as they were." Link smiled at her. "You like the remlit? We never talked about having a pet."
"No, we didn't, but I like her very much! She's beautiful, and she'll keep me company on the days I'm spending indoors." Zelda's attention went back to the furry catlike creature in her arms. The cream-colored fur was broken only by dark brown stripes on her tail, and a pair of markings near the remlit's eyes.
"Do you have any name ideas for her yet?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. I want to see her personality before I settle on a name."
Link let out a soft hum of affirmation. "She snuggled tight against my chest while we flew. I think she'll be a cuddler, if you allow her to."
"Of course I'll allow it. I like cuddling close to you, don't I?" Zelda flashed him a saucy grin. "Do you have any preference for what we eat tonight?"
Her blond husband shook his head. "Not especially. Anything you make is delicious."
"Oh, will you pull a few of the carrots, then gather some wild mushrooms? I think roasted vegetable soup sounds pleasant. It is getting cold at night."
Link reluctantly removed his hand from her waist. "I'll meet you inside in a minute."
Zelda blushed at the soft pressure of his kiss on her forehead before he turned and went back to their garden. She hummed softly to herself while she took the young remlit into the house and closed the door so the creature wouldn't try and escape.
"What should I call you now?" she asked the wriggling ball of fur in her arms. The remlit wrestled itself free from her grip and landed lightly on the middle of the floor. It froze and looked around, then dove under the table, scampering around the unknown territory.
"You're rather precocious, aren't you?" Zelda giggled, watching the furry animal's antics. "So playful." She stepped around the remlit and filled half of her cooking pot with water. "Perhaps we can call you 'Lascyva,' which means playful."
The remlit wound around her feet while the blonde hung the pot over the fire she was setting up, then hopped onto the table. Zelda turned around just in time to see a blur of fur fly in her direction. The little creature landed against her shoulder and chest, digging claws into Zelda's pink dress.
"Oh! I think calling you Lascyva is more than fitting!" Zelda laughed. She gently pried the remlit from her clothing and set her on the floor. "I can't hold you while I'm cooking, though. But don't worry. You'll learn the routine here soon enough."
"Is she settling in already?" Link asked from the doorway, kicking the wooden door closed with his foot. "I got extra mushrooms since they came out well last time. Do you want me to clean them and place them around the fire to roast before we put them in the soup?"
"Yes, please."
Link brushed another kiss on her forehead as he passed by her with his hands full of carrots and fresh mushrooms. "Oh, I have something else for you too," he added while he ran water in the sink to clean the dirt off the vegetables.
"For me? But you just gave me Lascyva," Zelda protested. "I lack for little. You've given me all that I need."
"It makes me happy to see you smile," Link replied, peeking at her over his shoulder. He turned the water off and scrubbed the vegetables clean. "I like surprising you."
The warmth was back on Zelda's cheeks. "Thank you," she murmured, cutting up the potatoes, leeks, and wild onions she had gathered in the house. "Will you tell me what it is?"
Link brought the carrots and mushrooms to her. "Not yet. But you'll like it."
She lifted her head from her work long enough to flash him a smile. "I have faith in you, Link. You haven't failed me yet."
"Came close a time or two," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "But I wasn't going to abandon you to the likes of that freak Ghirahim or the Sealed One."
"That courageous spirit is part of what I fell in love with," Zelda reminded him. "You're always looking out for my well-being, and now my happiness as well."
"You're worth it and so much more," Link replied simply.
Zelda set her knife down and stepped around Lascyva to pull her husband close for a hug. "Goddess Hylia as my witness, I love you, Link. Now and as long as we both shall live."
Link tipped her head so he could claim her mouth in a tender kiss. His lips wrapped around hers, silently replying to her previous statement with all the love he could express.
Zelda made a soft sound in the back of her throat before reluctantly breaking the caress to catch her breath. "I don't think I'll ever be able to resist you when you kiss me like that," she murmured. Her fingertips touched her swollen lips and she smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Link's grin was back to being slightly mischievous. "You won't resist kissing me? Even if my breath smells like I've been eating your father's wild onion and liver stew?"
Her nose wrinkled instantly. "I'd shove some mint leaves in your direction to chew before you kiss me. I detest the smell and flavor of that wretched meat."
"Why do you think I made your father think I was allergic to it?" He replied with a wolfish grin. "After all, we all know how my stomach gets after I eat a portion of that stuff."
Zelda's mouth fell open. "I thought you'd actually gotten sick from it before!" she said incredulously. "Link! You didn't tell me!"
He shrugged. "You never asked. I didn't think you'd assume I was telling the truth. Not after I shot you that wink."
"I missed the wink." She pouted and went back to cutting the rest of the vegetables.
"Don't pout. If you pout, I have to kiss you again." His arms were back around her waist, his breath warm on her pointed ear.
"Link! Do you want to eat before the middle of the night or not?" she laughed, ducking out of the embrace so she could put the vegetables in the warm water bubbling over the fire.
"Depends. What are we eating?" he asked innocently..
Zelda felt his gaze on her backside and gave a fake glower over her shoulder at him. "Not me. I'm afraid that you'll shortly have a harder time convincing me to skip meals in favor of spending time in bed."
Link picked up Lascyva and cradled her against his chest, earning him a purr from the remlit. "Why is that?"
"Remember the adventure we went on through the Ancient Cistern awhile back?" She asked, stirring the soup ingredients together.
"That's been awhile, but how could I forget? I nearly lost my hook beetle to the walls of that dungeon after we accidentally dropped the rattle we needed to return to Bertie in Skyloft." Link made a face. "The range on the hook beetle needs to be expanded."
Zelda turned and patiently raised an eyebrow at him, an expectant look on her face.
"Wait. I'm missing something, aren't I?" Link paced while he mused through the parts of the story. His fingers idly stroked Lascyva's fur. "We retrieved the rattle after a great deal more trouble than we should've… went back to Skyloft. You spent a lot of time cuddling Bertie's baby, and told me when we got home how-" His blue eyes went wide, and he stared at his wife.
Zelda simply smiled and walked over to hug him. "How someday I wanted to hold our own baby. It's been a couple months, and I missed my monthly courses for the second time. We're going to be parents."
"You kept it a secret that long?" Link marveled. He cupped Zelda's face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. "I love you, Zelda. With our next child, tell me sooner, please. I would never knowingly put you and our baby in danger like-"
"Like you did in Lanayru? You didn't know, and I trusted you to protect us. Nothing happened. All three of us are just fine." Zeld returned the kisses.
"Life is going to be different, but we'll go through it together. With our love, there's nothing that we can't do." Link embraced his wife, cuddling the remlit between them. Hylia's blessings continued to flow through his wife, and he couldn't wait to see what the future would bring.
Four Years Later
"Gaelin! Don't put that in your mouth!" Zelda scolded for the fourth time. "We don't chew on pieces of firewood, even if your teeth hurt. Why don't you get the rattle Daddy made for you and chew on that?"
Her fourteen-month-old son ignored her, happily gnawing on the rough bark on the outside of the wood. Zelda sighed in mock exasperation and pushed herself up from the floor, supporting her swollen belly. Their third child was due in less than a month, but she had little time to rest with how busy the older daughter and son kept her.
Link's laughter coupled with the high-pitched giggles of Fylia carried through the open window. "Faster, Daddy!"
Zelda plucked Gaelin off the floor before he could grab Lascyva's tail and handed him the polished rattle to cut his teeth on, shifting him to her hip while she peeked out the window. The sight before her brought a smile to her lips.
Link had their three-year-old daughter on his shoulder while he pretended to be a Loftwing, flapping his arms to imitate the bird wings. Fylia giggled and clung onto his hair to keep her balance.
"We're coming in for a landing. Hold tight!" Link instructed, circling a final time before dropping to his knees. "We've now arrived in Hyrule. Thank you for flying today. Remember to be gentle with your Loftwing."
Fylia's heels kicked against his chest. "Again, again, Daddy!"
"Hey, that's not being gentle with your Loftwing, Fy-fy," he chastised.
"I wanna go again!" she whined, wrapping her arms around his head. "Again, Daddy. Please?"
Gaelin chose that moment to throw his rattle through the open window and howl, drawing the attention of both father and daughter to their audience. Lascyva bolted for the bedroom, the shy remlit not fond of the ruckus being raised by the toddler.
"I think it's time we take a break and have some food before Gaelin's cries reach Skyloft," Link decided. He lifted Fylia to the ground and bent to pick up the slimy discarded toy his son had thrown. "How about a picnic by Lake Floria?"
"Yay! Pick-pick!" Fylia cheered, clinging to her father's leg.
Zelda set Gaelin in his high chair with a freshly washed carrot to gnaw on while she worked on packing together a basket. She shifted her weight uncomfortably, looking down at her swollen ankles.
Warm breath at her ear sent a shiver down her spine. "Don't worry. You'll get off your feet when we get to the lake. I'll take care of the kids." Link kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful. The little one been active today?"
"Almost as much as your son," she replied, rubbing circles over the child growing within her. "Was Fylia moving around as much at this stage?"
Link shrugged. "I don't remember. It's been too long. But as long as the baby is healthy, and you're healthy, that's all I care about." He knelt down to press a kiss on her protruding belly button. "You are so loved," he murmured to his unborn child.
Zelda smiled, enraptured by the tender moment.
"Mommy! I have to go poop!" Fylia hollered, bolting past on her way to the bathroom.
"And just like that, the spell is broken," Link laughed, as he rolled to his feet. "Never a dull moment, is there?"
"In this house? Never. But we wouldn't have it any other way." Zelda leaned in for a kiss and let out a contented sigh. Life might not be perfect, but she had her Hero, and their three blessings from the Goddess Hylia. She didn't need perfection. She had love, and that was more than enough.