***ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY**

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In Sotto Voce

By The Wolfess

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Chapter 18

Baking in the heat of a late-afternoon sun, the Sheikah Tribal Leader moved through her steps with deliberate focus. The top half of her jumper hung over the edge of her armor to allow her sweaty skin to breathe. Her chest wraps were hot enough on their own and provided the necessary modesty. She transitioned through her steps like a mirage in the desert, her brow furrowed in concentration. She had to be ready for anything, and she didn't feel prepared enough.

Impa was alone on the practice square that afternoon. For once, no eyes watched her movement or evaluated her performance. She was grateful for the moment of privacy. The Biggoron Sword was new to her, however familiar the style may be, and her body felt slow in handling it. If she was honest with herself, though, the sword was not the only thing driving her to the practice square that afternoon. Her head spun with the emotion and drama of the last few days. She needed a clear head when they started the marc tomorrow. A warrior at heart, Impa knew only one way to bring peace to her turbulent thoughts.

Since her injury in the last battle, there had been little time between her healing and the investigation for individual practice. She regretted that now. There was a release that happened inside when she practiced. Stress, frustration, overwhelming emotions, energy—she let go of everything on the practice square, and in that way experienced freedom. Back when her sole job was to practice and better herself in her training programs, she was able to experience that freedom every day. Now, it was a rarer sensation. She wished that she had made it a daily priority. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so wound up and unprepared.

Elsewhere within the walls of Hyrule Castle, people were abuzz with talk of the feast that night or whispering rumors about their favorite topic—the queen's love life. Even the generals of Hyrule and the leaders of Impa's own tribe would be taking the afternoon off to enjoy themselves. Despite the promise of the feat, however, Impa found her thoughts lingering just on the morning after. She thought not of Zelda's face tonight at the party, but of her face at the head of Hyrule's army marching toward Gerudo Desert. She thought of the queen's golden armor shining in the sunlight, the hero who would ride by her side, and the shadow that waited for them in the desert.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up at the thought of their enemy. They were an enigma, and Impa did not share her queen's confidence that the Sheikah Tribe's presence would make the difference she asserted they would. Kishla was a respected Sheikah at one time. Kishla knew what Hyrule would do, and she knew what the Sheikah were capable of. Impa tried to place herself in the old Sheikah's frame of mind. If it were her that had betrayed Hyrule, she would know that Hyrule would try to make the first move in the next battle. She would have a trap waiting for them, patient as a Venus Fly Trap waiting for its unsuspecting prey to land right in its open mouth.

Impa pushed harder through her routine, throwing out larger and more forceful blasts of water magic than she otherwise would in practice. If Kishla was planning a trap, like Impa would, then the Sheikah Tribal Leader was trying to figure out what that trap would be. They didn't have enough information for her to figure that out, though, and it only served to heighten her stress. They still didn't know who was really leading the enemy forces, or how big their army actually was. They weren't even familiar enough with the layout of the desert to venture a realistic guess at how the enemy forces might be arranged or where their base would be. They were going in mostly blind. Zelda would be vulnerable. They might all die.

Frustrated by the lack of real information and worried about the outcome of a battle that was so stacked against them, Impa decided to just continue practicing as late as she could get away with. If she couldn't anticipate what was coming, she had to be physically ready for anything. Somewhere in that desert, the dragon knight was waiting for his third rematch, and the poe wizard wanted revenge. Impa would be ready. She would protect Zelda at any cost. She would drown the enemy in their own blood if she had to.

~! #$%^&*()

Trumpets played a triumphant and joyful tune across Hyrule Castle's grounds. The sound signaled the official beginning of the feast. Inside the castle, nobles and high-ranking officials would gather in the ballroom to feast, while outside in the camps the soldiers would all be enjoying their own platters of food and live music. It also meant that Impa was late. Practice had gone too long, and Impa wasn't dressed for a feast. As she hurried across the training grounds, into the castle, and through the familiar hallways, the Sheikah warrior figured that she wouldn't miss much. Maybe the official entries and Zelda's opening speech. Not much at all. She had heard that these feasts were usually casual so it would be okay, she was sure.

By the time Impa had bathed, dressed, and made her way to the ballroom entrance, she was truly late. Introductions and speeches had indeed finished, and attendees were seated at long tables around the edges of the ballroom dance floor. Servers in their finest livery circled the tables with large platters piled high with plates of food covered by silver serving domes. These were being placed in front of each guest as rapidly as possible so all could be served before the food chilled. A few less cultured attendees lifted their domes and dug in right away, but most kept their eyes on the head table and waited for the queen and her entourage to begin before them.

Rather than drawing attention by going in through the front door, Impa decided to slip in through a servant's side door between the servers bustling in and out. She walked in the shadows along the wall and observed the work Zelda had done in the ballroom. The more practical iron candelabras that normally lit this room had been taken down and replaced with a series of opulent brass chandeliers that curved upward like flower stems. Bits of glass and crystal hung from them in teardrop-shaped beads that refracted the candlelight about the room like magic. This light illuminated the delicate paintings on the ballroom's vaulted ceilings which told the story of the Royal Family's heritage in airy depictions of winged goddesses, loftwings, and sword-wielding heroes.

On the side of the outward-facing windows, lavish blue and white curtains framed freshly-washed glass that gave a great view of the royal gardens. The night was warm enough that the doors were flung wide open for guests to exit onto the terrace as needed for air or privacy, and small braziers lit the darkness with contained fires. On a raised platform in the corner opposite the royal table, a full orchestra played gentle music as background for the dinner conversations. Queen Zelda clearly brought out all the crown's finest possessions to create a truly lavish feast experience.

As beautiful as the ballroom was that night, nothing outshone the beauty of the queen. In the middle of a long table where all could see her, Queen Zelda sat in a gilded chair that was much too large for her. Her hair was done in an intricate up-style with elegant ringlets curling out of the top. She wore an ornate deep violet gown with a plunging neckline very out of character for her. The Sheikah blushed for a moment before taking a calming breath and looking around the queen. On her left was Ruto, who was chattering out the side of her mouth to Link, and to the right of the queen was an empty chair. Impa grinned to herself, double checked her red and teal jumper to make sure it was in order, and then made her way to the table.

"Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" She asked in a playful tone as she slipped out of the shadows behind the queen. Zelda swiveled around in her chair. Her head was so small as she peeked around the back that Impa almost giggled. The queen looked like a little girl in that chair.

"Well, you look like a rather stunning Sheikah warrior, so I think it was meant for you," Zelda teased. Her eyes sparkled with merriment and wine. By the time Impa sat, the queen had already taken her hand under the table and started chattering away. "What took you so long? I began to fear you were not coming, but Ruto assured me you were. I heard you were sighted on the practice square all afternoon. Did you get lost on the way back?"

Impa tried not to blush under the queen's attention. How much had she had to drink before Impa arrived? "Yes, I suppose I did. I want to be prepared for the march tomorrow."

Zelda waived her hand in the air as if trying to swat away a fly. "Let us not talk about war," she said. "There has been enough talk about the war. We are ready, and you need not worry. No, tonight we are going to dance!"

Impa's eyes widened and she swallowed. "Um, dance your majesty?" Her voice almost squeaked. She thought back to Ruto's assertion that they should not court unless they were serious about it. "Um, won't that be strange for people to see? And it's not like Sheikah warriors are trained in dancing. We are trained to be invisible, not to dance."

Zelda pouted, genuine hurt in her eyes. "Are you turning me down, then?" she asked, disappointment in her voice.

Impa sighed. "For now, yes." The way the queen cast her eyes dejectedly at the table was too much for the Sheikah, though, so she quickly added, "but maybe later. I need some more wine before I can brave the ballroom floor."

This seemed to be enough for Zelda, who perked up like a flower in a summer rain. "Good!" she exclaimed. "I will order more wine for you, and some food, and while you get quite well fed and inebriated, I will dance." She snapped her fingers at the nearest servant and instructed them as to what they should bring the Sheikah warrior. Impa tried to stop her, but it was too late—the servants were already piling platters of food all around her and filling her goblet to overflowing, while the queen took the hand of a nobleman Impa vaguely recognized and let him lead her to the dancefloor.

"I've never seen her this drunk before!" Ruto said, leaning over the queen's abandoned chair to speak to Impa. She was dressed in a pink dress that shimmered like fish scales when the light hit it. It was playful and alluring at the same time. "I must say, I rather like it."

Impa exhaled and laughed out loud. "Great goddesses," she said, shaking her head. She looked around at all the food piled around her and laughed again. "This is ridiculous! What's gotten into her tonight?"

Next to Ruto, Link paused in his consumption of the turkey leg he was working on to shrug. He was wearing a fun light blue tunic with a silver zig-zagging trim on the bottom and tan pants. "Truth be told, she's been like this since the meeting this morning ended. If you want my guess, I think she's just decided that she's going to have fun and not think about the war today. I don't see the harm in that, so…." He shrugged again and returned to his turkey leg, digging his teeth in like a wolf and tearing off a hunk of meat.

Impa mulled over this as she piled some food on her plate and took a large sip of her wine. There was nothing else they could do tonight to prepare for the march and the battle to come. Perhaps letting go and enjoying the night wasn't such a bad idea. As she dug into her food, the Sheikah tried to purposefully relax her shoulders and engage in the conversation taking place. Ruto and Link were deep in a discussion with the people around them about some new fashion trend popular among the peasantry that was gaining interesting in the aristocracy lately. Impa tried to listen, but old habits die hard. She turned a watchful eye on their violet vixen of a queen, ever painfully aware of where the woman was and what was going on around her.

The band finished the song they were playing. Zelda and her current partner bowed to one another. No sooner had the first man left then a different one asked for her hand and a new song started. It was a lively dance, and the queen and the nobleman laughed and clapped their hands as they bounced in their respective lines. It was one of those dances where the men stood in one line, the women in the other, and they met in the middle or briefly exchanged partners with others before the dance returned them to their original partner. The nobleman stumbled with a few of the steps, and Zelda laughed like they had been friends for years. For her part, the queen never faltered in the steps. She clearly knew them all by heart.

Impa watched the display in surprise. She had never seen the queen in a large crowd like this before. The Sheikah had seen Zelda in small social lunches, large official gatherings, studying with her teachers, or just on her own. Based on her behavior in those settings, usually quite reserved, it had never occurred to the guardian that her charge might be an entirely different person in large social gatherings. Here, Zelda seemed open and social. She knew the names of most of the people around her, and as she passed from one partner to the other, she engaged in conversation with them about their lives and their families. It was as if the dancing itself gave her the energy she needed to be more social than she normally was. Then again, Impa thought with a smirk, the wine probably helped as well.

Queen Zelda danced the night away. Eventually, Ruto and Link joined her on the ballroom floor and the three of them seemed to have a laughing good time together. In fact, the queen never stopped dancing. There was no pause to have refreshments or to talk with partygoers. The hem of her long, deep violet dress spun and spun, mesmerizing Impa. The stoic Sheikah felt an unfamiliar twinge in her heart. It was as if every man who danced with the queen was somehow a threat, which was illogical. A generally open person, Impa had never felt possessive over anyone before. Zelda didn't seem to mind the many men who took turns dancing with her that evening. She took each one gracefully in turn and seemed to enjoy their company. It didn't matter who was dancing with her, only that she was in constant movement. Meanwhile, Impa burned with jealousy.

The Sheikah Tribal Leader sipped her wine, watched, and argued with herself. Sheikah don't dance, she told herself. After all, someone needed to be watchful. Anything could happen at any time, couldn't it? There was no way she could go out there and sweep the queen off her feet, as if she even knew how to dance to begin with, which she didn't. Impa agreed with herself and stayed where she was. It was only when someone heavy sat down in the abandoned seat next to her that the guardian finally looked away from the queen's dancing form.

"General Auru?" she asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

The general chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be so surprised, girl," he said. "You're a General of Hyrule yourself now. You'll be seeing more of us than you ever wanted to. Anyway, I thought I'd join you. Those windbags down where I was sitting just want to talk about politics and war all night, and you look like you could use company."

"Thank you, but I…well, thank you." Impa took a sip of her wine to cover the tension in her body.

"So, why aren't you dancing?" Auru asked, the wrinkles around his eyes seeming more pronounced by his smile.

Impa shook her head. "Oh, Sheikah don't exactly dance."

Auru chuckled. "No, that's not it."

"Excuse me?"

The old man gestured to the queen on the dancefloor. "You've been looking at her all night, and when you're not looking at her, she's looking up at you. Ability to dance has nothing to do with it—you're holding back."

Impa looked incredulous. "It's my job to protect the queen. Of course I've been watching her. That doesn't mean I want to dance with her."

Auru scoffed. "It's Link's job to protect the queen, and he's down there doing it. Don't use that excuse. I wasn't born yesterday. I can see what's going on between the two of you. I've suspected it for a long time."

The Sheikah looked away from the old general. "There is nothing going on between the queen and I."

"Nonsense," Auru slapped his hand on the table, jingling the silverware. "Young Zelda is just like her mother. I've seen this play out before." Impa's jaw dropped. Before she could speak, the old man held up his hand to stop her and nodded his head. "Yes, I knew about her mother. Once upon a time, when I was young and the previous queen was just a princess, I tried to court her."

"Really?"

Auru nodded. "Along with every eligible bachelor in Hyrule, I assure you. But Zelda, she didn't have eyes for any of us. Even when we were on our dates, she would be talking about Tikala or looking around for Tikala or obviously thinking about Tikala. Most people chocked it up to them being close friends, but I saw something different. I didn't know for sure until this morning, when you and the young Zelda here confirmed my old suspicions. But back then, I could see how they looked at each other. There was a fire between them."

Impa didn't know what to say. Why was he even telling her this? She opened her mouth to say something to this effect, but he stopped her again.

"Look," Auru said. "I didn't say anything back then, either in support or in opposition—though I never saw anything particularly wrong with it. After all, it has been common in the Sheikah for generations and some say the royal family have some Sheikah blood somewhere in their veins. But that's not the point," he sighed and rubbed his face with his calloused hand. "What I'm trying to say is that I didn't say anything, and I've regretted it. Zelda was miserable. I don't know if saying anything would have changed the way things turned out, but…well, I don't want to see history repeat itself, so I'm saying something now. I can see that same fire when you and our young queen look at each other. If you want to dance with Zelda, then go dance with her goddesses damn it."

Impa frowned. "But what if—"

"Stop. Just stop. Ask yourself this: if you die on the battlefield tomorrow, will you regret dancing with her? Or will you regret that you didn't dance with her?" Impa didn't answer. She cast her eyes down to the goblet in her hand and frowned. The old general sighed and patted her on the shoulder as he rose to his feet. "I don't envy your situation, and I promise that your secret is safe with me as long as you want it to stay a secret. Just…think about what I said."

Impa watched General Auru walk back to his seat with her mouth hanging open. Did that really just happen? After all the potential conversations she worried might happen after the reveal about the late queen that morning, this was a conversation she didn't anticipate. "Will you regret that you didn't dance with her?"

A song was just ending. Impa looked down to the dancefloor to see the beautiful queen averting her eyes from the Sheikah, hiding her disappointment as the first notes of a slow dance were played. A young nobleman with dark hair offered his hand, his smile cockier than it should be. Zelda accepted with a curtsy, and the Sheikah clenched her hand into a fist. Taking one last sip of her wine, she fixed her eyes on the couple and stood. Auru had a point.

"Excuse me," Impa said, tapping the young man's shoulder. "May I cut in?"

Zelda's whole face lit up with joy as she started to pull away from her partner, but the young nobleman scowled and yanked her closer to him. "Wait your turn, Sheikah. This is my dance."

Impa narrowed her eyes. Fire leapt off her fists at her sides. "I'm afraid that's not your call," she said, raising one flaming finger to the edge of his frilly shirt like a dagger of fire. "Queen Zelda is not yours to claim. If she wants you to let her go, you will do so."

He leapt backward and let go of the queen. "Woah! Okay, wow, I'm sorry!" He walked off the dance floor muttering "crazy sheikah…" under his breath.

Impa extinguished the flames in her hands. Smiling sheepishly, she turned to the queen and bowed. "May I dance with you, your majesty?"

"I have been waiting all night for you to ask," Zelda answered.

When Impa straightened, she found Zelda positively glowing. Her cheeks were flush with excitement and her skin shone with sweat from dancing all night. Impa's heart pounded in her ears as she stepped forward and took Zelda's hand in her right hand, placing her left hand on the queen's waist. Butterflies turned her stomach in circles.

"I'm sorry it took me so long."

They were dancing farther apart than was customary for this dance, so the queen moved their bodies closer, bridging the gap between them. Impa blushed again but didn't move away.

"What changed your mind?" Zelda asked, resisting the urge to giggle at the expense of her flustered guardian.

Impa swallowed. She was suddenly very aware of how low the bodice of the queen's dress was cut. Her palms were sweating. "Maybe I just grew tired of seeing you dance with all those young noblemen," she remarked, trying to focus on performing the right steps.

Zelda laughed. "I do think that young man will never ask me to dance again. How will I ever find a suitor if you threaten them all with fire bursting out of your hands?" Impa opened her mouth to apologize for her actions but stopped when she saw the mirth on the queen's face. "My, my, Impa, you are wound so tight tonight," Zelda laughed. She trailed a gloved finger over the bare skin of Impa's left shoulder, biting her lower lip a little. "One might think you were…bothered…by something."

Impa let out a huff of air and laughed, directing her eyes past Zelda's head. "Oh dear Din," she said. "You wore that on purpose, you imp. And here I thought I knew you."

The queen was not successful in getting the mischief off her face. "I was given this by a lady in waiting a long time ago. Now seemed like a good time to try it on. I see that it had the desired effect."

"If the desired effect was to test the limits of my self-control, good job, well done," Impa said. Despite the tension in her voice, she looked back to the queen's face with barely concealed tenderness and desire. The intensity of that look made Zelda's mouth go dry. A blush of her own crept into her cheeks, quite separate from the color caused by her night of exertion. Perhaps she had thought a little too highly of the Sheikah's restraint.

They danced in silence for a while, staring into one another's eyes as if having a silent conversation. The song they were dancing to ended, and another slow song came on. The orchestra was reading the queen's body language well that night.

Trying to cut the physical tension between them, Impa spoke. "I've never seen you in a party like this before. You seem like you're really enjoying yourself. Here I thought you were shy."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I am shy. You do not need to have real relationships with anyone at feasts like this. All the interactions are shallow and pleasant, just like I like them." Impa wasn't sure how to respond to that, but Zelda saved her by adding, "I DO very much enjoy the dancing."

"I think I noticed that," Impa replied, smiling. She tightened her arms around the queen, holding her a little closer. "I promise that at the celebratory feast when we return victorious from this war, I will dance with you all night if it would make you happy."

The queen adjusted her arms to rest them both around the Sheikah's neck and laid her head on Impa's shoulder. She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes. "I do not want to think about the war...but yes, that would make me very happy."

They weren't really dancing the proper steps anymore, and at least half of the room was watching them and whispering, but Impa didn't care. Auru was right. This was the last night they had before the march and the battle. There was a distinct possibility that it might be the last night they would ever have together. She didn't want to face down death weighted down by regret for the things she never did. She would rather face it boldly, drawing on this memory—Zelda happy in her arms on the dancefloor with all their worries like a bad dream they didn't want to think about—to give her strength. If there were consequences, they would face them when the war was done.

Impa and Zelda danced the rest of the night. They were in their own world, oblivious to the people starting to go to bed and filter out of the main hall. It wasn't until the orchestra stopped playing that they pulled apart and looked around them. "Looks like we outlasted everyone," Impa said.

"Even Ruto and Link," Zelda agreed, seeing neither their fishy friend nor the hero present. Link must have assumed that Zelda was going to be with Impa the rest of the night. He was not wrong on that point.

"Shall we take our leave as well?" the queen asked.

"My pleasure." Impa held out her elbow, which Zelda took gracefully.

The young queen looked tired as she allowed Impa to lead her through the gardens on their way to the royal suite. She raised her cornflower blue gaze to the night sky and Impa watched the stars sparkle in the mirror of her eyes. It was such a rush to show affection for the queen publicly for the first time, and it was such a beautiful night. Near a tall hedge with a private little bench, Impa stopped. She pulled the confused queen into her arms, daring to hold her inappropriately close in the moonlight. Zelda's body yielded to Impa's embrace.

Impa moved her hands up the sides of Zelda's violet dress. Her fingers brushed the sides of the queen's purposefully-accentuated breasts ever so faintly, almost as if by accident, before sliding up her bared arms and shoulders. They came to rest cradling queen's face, her calloused thumbs gently caressing the soft skin of her cheeks.

Zelda's face and bodice were flush with excitement, her breathing fast and nervous as Impa stared into her eyes for several moments. Her red gaze searched the blue of Zelda's eyes as if trying to memorize them. The queen's body shook a little, and she wasn't sure if it was the chill in the air or her own nerves. She didn't have long to wonder, however, as Impa finally leaned in and brushed her lips against Zelda's. At first that's all it was—a teasing brush of lips, their shaky breaths mingling in the air. Then Impa's lips pressed a little harder, and Zelda's body responded almost on its own. She arched into the Sheikah as her mouth yielded, opened.

That was all the permission that Impa needed. Her lips moved over Zelda's hungrily. She kissed her as if they had never kissed before and would never kiss again. Both tender and rough, Impa scraped her teeth along the queen's bottom lip, only to suck gently on it afterward. Zelda responded in kind and surprised herself when she groaned out loud into Impa's mouth. This seemed to feed the Sheikah, as her hands left Zelda's cheeks and grasped her hips instead, pressing their bodies together from hip to breast.

Impa's armor hurt slightly, but Zelda didn't care. She slid her gloved hands through the single-shoulder jumper and along the tender skin of the Sheikah's rib cage just below her chest wraps. Impa shivered at the touch and sighed into the queen's mouth. Something deep and painful throbbed within Zelda in response. Her hips thrust forward, her mouth opening to allow Impa's tongue passage. They explored each other's mouths with their tongues, and their hands roamed each other's bodies of their own accord, going wherever they desired.

Inhaling hard through her nose, Impa stopped the kiss suddenly. Her hands were frozen in place—one supporting the queen's back, the other in the process of sliding up her voluminous dress. Zelda's hands were no more innocent as they had somehow managed to unhook the armor plate over Impa's breast and were sliding underneath the wraps in the space between Impa's breasts. They were both breathing hard, neither of them willing to move yet, neither really wanting to pull away.

"I'm sorry," Impa murmured as she pulled her hand out of the queen's dress. At some point Zelda's leg had gotten propped up on the bench behind them to allow Impa's hand better access beneath the stiff crinoline. Zelda lowered it back to the ground now and swallowed.

"Me too," she whispered, removing her hand from beneath Impa's chest wraps. She looked around for the missing piece of armor and found the small triangle sitting on the ground just behind her. Picking it up, she brushed off the dirt that had gotten on it and held it out to the Sheikah.

"Thank you," Impa strapped it back on. They helped to straighten each other's clothing and hair in case anyone saw them in the halls of the castle on their way back to Zelda's room. When they were done, they stood apart and looked at each other with shaky breathing.

"I think I am beginning to understand the night my mother snuck out and went to Tikala's hut," Zelda finally said, laughing weakly.

Impa nodded in agreement, but asked, "are you upset with me? For stopping?"

The Sheikah looked so scared of the answer to that question. Her earlier confidence seemed replaced with worry. Zelda sighed. She reached out and took Impa's hand in her own, squeezing it as hard as she could. "Never," she said. She looked Impa in the eye and repeated herself firmly, just to be sure Impa believed her. "Never. I understand that now is not the right time, and here is not the right place. Thank you for always protecting me, even if it is from myself."

Impa sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her face up toward the stars. "I've wanted to hold you since I first saw you in the ballroom," she admitted. "All night I watched you dance with others, watched their hopeful faces, their wandering eyes, and I felt so…possessive. Like they had no right to look at you, no right to touch your sides or take your hand. I've never felt that way before. It was…frightening. How strong it was. I'm sorry…you're not mine to possess."

Zelda stepped forward, inching close to Impa without fully touching her as they had been before. A breath away, almost touching, she cupped her own elbows with her hands instead and looked at the same stars that so seemed to capture the Sheikah's attention. "But I am, you know," she murmured. "Yours. Even when we were apart and I was trying to hate you, you were all I could think about. Even tonight as I danced with all those men, I only wanted to dance with you. I belong to you, now, Impa." She laughed a little, almost bitterly. "If it were you who was dancing with other people, I do not know if I could have shown your same restraint. I would have stepped in right away and taken you for myself. I would have been public about staking my claim. I am the queen after all. Who would dispute me? And if we decided to separate for the good of Hyrule and you tried to date another girl, I think I would destroy her. I could not stand to see you kiss anyone but me. I am not as generous as you…I think that I will be a jealous lover."

Impa was looking at Zelda now, but the queen was still looking at the night sky. Starlight made her pale face and her golden hair sparkle like a goddess come to earth. Impa could almost imagine her in flight, the wind blowing through those golden tresses, wild and uninhibited. She was a soul that existed to be free, and yet she was born into confinement. A gilded cage was still a cage. Impa knew that she, too, was bound—bound to this golden woman forever. There was no question of who she belonged to, not in her mind. But it sounded as if this assurance was not as firm in the mind of her queen.

"Zelda," she reached out to touch the skin on the woman's arm. The queen looked at her, her expression guarded. Impa just smiled. "If there is any question as to where I belong, or to whom I belong, then I have done you a great disservice. You should know that I am yours. I have always been yours."

Zelda turned into her guardian, pressing the fronts of their bodies together again. She lifted the arm that Impa wasn't touching and cradled the Sheikah's face in her hand. "I know you are," she whispered, "but it is reassuring to hear you say it. Impa, I love you very much. Thank you for this wonderful night. The dancing, this sweet kiss in the moonlit gardens, the promise of your love…I will never forget it as long as I live."

Impa covered the hand on her cheek with her own. "Why do you sound as if you are saying goodbye?" she whispered.

Zelda's eyes were shining, but the Sheikah couldn't tell if it was from the stars or tears. "It has been nice to pretend we are not going to war in the morning," she said. "But it is only pretend. If something happens to you or me in the battle, I want to remember you like this…with moonlight in your hair…and I want there to be no question of where we stood or how deeply our feelings ran. I belong to you, and you belong to me. We are bound in love and in destiny. If one of us does not return, this will be a comfort to us. If both of us do return…then I would like to court you, Impa."

Impa blinked. She couldn't think of an appropriate response. "What?" was all she could get out.

Zelda blushed now, a little of the girl she really was shining through the exterior of the queen. "Like I said, I am a jealous lover. I want the kingdom to know you are off limits. Now is not the time, but if we return from this battle then I do not want to wait any longer. I would like to court you, Impa."

A grin spread on the Sheikah's face. It lit up her entire countenance. "That is not how I saw this going," she said, "but yes. You may court me if you wish."

Queen Zelda returned her lover's grin and bounced on her toes with excitement. "Wonderful! Thank you…I suppose that is what I should say? I might blunder this whole courtship thing up. I was never exactly taught how."

Impa laughed. "I am sure it will be wonderful," she said. "And if you're worried, you might ask General Auru for help. I think he would be more than happy."

Zelda looked puzzled. "Auru? Why would you say that?"

Impa grinned. "I'll tell you later," she said, noticing the queen shivering. The night was growing colder. "For now, let's get inside before you freeze to death."

They walked back to Zelda's quarters in comfortable silence. Some of the soldiers were still up. They gathered around their campfires and talked late into the night, fed and satisfied. In the morning they would all be facing a new world. It would be a world of long, hard marches to hot deserts where unspeakable horrors waited for them. A world where any one of them might not return. But tonight, they were happy. That was the entire point of the pre-war feast, and Impa knew that it had done its job. The queen had planned it well.

"Are you going to come in?" Zelda asked when they finally arrived at the door to her room. "There is a separate bed for you to use," she added.

There was laugher down the hallway from a couple rowdy nobles, but no one dared to cause trouble in the royal hall. They were alone. Seeing this, Impa took Zelda's hands in her own. "I would love to, but somehow I doubt that would be a good idea. You're still wearing that dress."

Zelda grinned, that mischievous glint back in her eyes. "You could help me take it off, you know."

Impa laughed. "Don't tempt me," she teased. "Anyway, I need to prepare myself and my people for the march tomorrow. I will barely sleep tonight before I rise again, and I do not want to wake you. I probably won't be able to see you again until we're on the line."

"I understand," Zelda said, although she looked disappointed. "You need to go and be important, and I need to stay and be important. Unfortunately, in this case we cannot be important in the same space."

Impa chuckled. "You are so silly sometimes," she said. She reached her hand up and tangled her fingers in Zelda's up-style, which was coming loose after the night of dancing. "I'll make sure Link is next door and aware of you before I leave," she promised. Zelda nodded, and they stood together for a moment just looking at one another. Finally, Impa leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on the queen's lips. "I love you, Zelda," she whispered. "Goodnight."

"I love you too, Impa," Zelda said as the Sheikah pulled away. "Sleep well. I will see you on the line tomorrow."

"I'll try not to blush just remembering how beautiful you looked tonight," Impa said. She walked over and peaked her head into Link's room. He was awake and gave the Sheikah a signal that he heard and understood her, so she closed the door and nodded to the queen. Zelda sighed, smiled, and waved a little before going into her room and closing the door behind her. Impa stayed for a moment longer to debate her own decision with herself before shaking her head and walking back to her own chambers. She already knew that sleep tonight would not come easy.

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Author's Notes: Revised chapter uploaded May 2022. Please find original author's note below.

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Hello all! This was a very pleasant chapter to write. Hopefully it was just as pleasant to read. Enjoy, and, as always, thanks for reading.

~The Wolfess