Scattering Petals

Zelda & Link

Chapter 3: Freezing waters

When princess and knight encounter a dilemma in common

A/N: First Zelink trip, yay! By the way, did I mention this was a really slow and awfully asphyxiating slow burn?

Enjoy!


Above all, Zelda's main worry was not fulfilling her kingdom's expectations. She had been used to all the attention since her mother passed away. The pressure of being the heiress to the throne had no measurement. It was, all in all, a burdening responsibility she honored and would carry to her dying day. However, being royalty was her routine. There were days when she could even forget about her status and enjoy life in a simpler day. Not very often but still.

Whereas, the task of awakening her sealing powers brought her to insanity. She had no way of knowing if her efforts would be someday rewarded. It had been almost a decade and despite her prayers and offerings to the goddess, no sign of divine virtue had blossomed within her. She knew how it was supposed to happen: hearing the spirits, experiencing visions, premonitions in dreams, and, finally, unlocking her powers to beat the calamity. Her grandmother, her mother, all of the royal bloodline had wielded Hylia's gift. Yet Zelda had been lacking everything she was supposed to manifest.

Investigating the ancient technology to aid in the upcoming war helped her feel useful. But whenever she did, her father claimed she strayed from the sacred path. It was yet another reminder of her failures as a princess and divine descendant. No matter what she did, she was unable to succeed and show some proof of her yet hidden power. No sign of progress- It drove her insane to a point she neither knew if she was finally having visions or if she was obsessing over her obligations. Her mind couldn't bear the reality she was forced to oblige. Despite this, princess Zelda believed that commitment surpassed every barrier that could exist. She knew her light had to awaken as soon as possible. They had found all four divine beasts and the hero with the Master Sword. She was the only piece missing on the king's plan to defeat the calamity era. Without her powers, the war schemes would always be incomplete. Time was running against her.

"As I seek your guidance, I am also begging for your blessings. This desperate call for help is all but selfish. Our kingdom needs a grasp of heavenly light to keep its fate afloat. If I could only offer them a sign of your reinforcement it would make our struggles more endurable."

The statue's expression remained still, implacable before Zelda's prayer. She had always felt rejected by the emotionless stone representations of their goddess. As much as she knew faith was necessary, maintaining devotion was challenging. Her figure praying in the spring of courage was far from a sacred representation she was expected to be for Hyrule's sake. The reality was that she was freezing, fighting to remain kneeled despite the stones piercing her legs, and soaked to the bone in the middle of the night.

However, the princess knew she couldn't stop her prayer. The divine light wasn't far from her grasp, it had to be closer. And so, that fact made her commitment stronger. She promised to be doing Hylia's ritual until the morning sun rose. That way her mind would feel at ease whenever her father claimed that she wasn't respecting her duty. Maybe she wouldn't unlock her powers but at least she could avoid having regrets and doubting herself.

"Beloved Hylia, I am only asking for a symbol of your glory. I have been committed to you for many years and my faith never ceased. Please, help me find my way so I can aid my people in fighting the darkness."

Back on the shore, Link was guarding the divine perimeter. He maintained his distance to not disturb the princess's meditation. Despite that, he could feel his sword echo with the spring magical energy. Zelda, on the other side, wasn't having the same luck.

However, Link remained still waiting for her prayers to conclude. Meanwhile, he made himself useful and set up a little camp. He even got enough time to get a fire going and cook some fish he managed to catch at a nearby lake. Then, he busied himself by polishing the edge of all his weapons: bow, arrows, dagger, and, of course, the Master Sword. Whenever he worked, the knight knew duty was above all. But that night, the ticking of time was going by too slow. Everything around him was so quiet that it seemed a mirage. He wasn't used to the peace that filled the spring of courage. Always surrounded by war and struggles, the scenario was a parallel reality he never had the pleasure of enjoying.

Link's eyes darted to Zelda's fragile silhouette on the water. If someone defined the word 'struggle' at that moment, it was her. Actually, the knight was surprised since the last weeks he accompanied the princess wasn't as ideal as he thought. She was pretty busy, demanding all kinds of lessons during the morning, after her prayers at sunrise. It wasn't until past half of the afternoon that Zelda could enjoy some free time, investing it in her discoveries and maybe managing to sneak out of Castletown with her horse. Nevertheless, the real trips around the kingdom were only authorized by King Rhoam, who always sent his daughter to the springs so she could concentrate on her sacred prayers.

And so they were far away from the castle, alone in the middle of the night in some wild woods that hid the spring of courage. The princess had spent hours and hours kneeled in the water and Link could tell by the trembling of her silhouette that she was reaching exhaustion. The knight argued with his inner-self to take some initiative and ask her to finish her prayers, telling her that she would get sick if she continued. Even so, he feared the princess would burst with instability for interrupting her ritual. Despite having the feeling that he wasn't doing the right thing for her well-being, he let her remain praying in the water. Eventually, Link's body started feeling the weight of the hours and he decided to sit down quietly and keep guarding her figure.

A few more hours passed and the knight had begun to drift to sleep in flashes. He felt weak for succumbing to slumber but his body couldn't help shutting down after traveling and guarding his highness. Link tried to betray his own system by walking around and searching for more wood to keep the fire going. Later he even ate some more to remain distracted and gain energy, but nature's call was too strong to deny and his eyelids began to close in a futile attempt to remain awake.

His conscience rested in a dark cave of wild thoughts. He revived the wounds of war and suffered each one of his scars endlessly. His memories were revived from the past, returning in tormenting flashes. His father said goodbye to him for the last time to fight for the kingdom. His bed in the barracks was replaced by another knight after he didn't return. Then he found himself at the feet of a centenary tree, just before the Master Sword pedestal.

"Wake up, Link." The tree spoke between the fog. "Wake up." He repeated more slowly.

A sudden splash made Link react and open his eyes. His body switched on guard to inspect the surroundings, searching for the danger threatening the nocturnal stillness. Turning around to scan each centimeter, the young knight couldn't figure out the reason why his heart was beating with intense adrenaline. Then his eyes darted to the spring, right in front of Hylia's statue.

Zelda was where she was meant to be. Yet her body flowed with the freezing waters, absent of any sign of life.

"Princess!" Link's vocal cords rasped painfully as he yelled, not even recalling when was the last time he had raised his voice with such urgency.

He just threw himself into the fountain, not caring about how cold was or how hard his feet could hit the rocks beneath. The merciless spring welcomed him with frozen daggers of pain as he reached for Zelda, quickly swimming through all of it. Both Link and Zelda were swallowed by the water as the knight attempted to carry both of their bodies out of the water, noticing that the princess had buried her feet on the ground to remain steady during her prayers.

Earth and water swirled around them, each one fighting to regain control over the other. And in the middle of the chaos, Link managed to get a hold of Zelda's arm. His muscles tensed as he used all of his strength to push both of their bodies back to the surface to no avail. Even though the font wished to keep them underwater, Link's hand found support in Hylia's statue and used it to push them out of there.

The knight prioritized his princess's safety over his, so he laid her head on the statue's pedestal and kept her glacial body afloat. He found his own balance by kneeling beside her, using his trembling hands to return her to consciousness.

"Princess Zelda." Link called her once more, shaking her shoulders, trying to figure out if she had stopped breathing after passing out.

The princess's body rested, skin covered in a veil of unhealthy paleness. Her dress's cloth nestled her, resembling an aura of divine pureness as her golden locks flowed along with the spring's course. In fact, it seemed as if her life had been paralyzed by losing track of time during her nocturne devotions. Link's fingers parted her pink lips in search of a desperate sign of air. Nothing brushed his fingertips in return.

A panicked sigh escaped his mouth and Link wished it belonged to the princess.

The knight's fingers ran from her cheek to the crown on her head to push her forward, just right over one of his shoulders. His other arm circled her waist until his palm found the center of her back. It was his only chance to reanimate her since the opportunity wouldn't remain forever, it would be too late then.

"Zelda." He called her and then his palm got ready to strike the attempt.

A loud thud vibed through their spines, sending strong chills down Zelda's core. Her body reacted to the hit and her eyes opened in sudden realization: she had been drowning.

The princess couldn't contain the water in her lungs and coughed to search for fresh air. Her body burned inside out despite being surrounded by chills. Nevertheless, a warm embrace was keeping her afloat, holding her until she managed to breathe on her own.

"Hylia…" Zelda whispered, his throat sore from the icy waters she had swallowed. Her eyes traveled up to the sky to contemplate the moon. The transition between noon and day blinded her weary sight for an instant. The blinding rays of sunrise almost managed to eclipse her, but the steady hand on her back reminded her of how alive she was.

Slowly, Zelda regained control of her senses. Her touch identified her knight's body before her. Link helped the princess adjust her balance for her to sit straight on the statue's feet. The knight observed her confused face as she tried to take in the recent events, examining their postures.

"Link?" He was completely soaked and his once stoic expression now showed deep concern. He was there to aid her.

Her body finally awoke, senses slowly returning to her. The glacial air met her wet skin, and a heavy shiver began to appear. The characteristic sound of her teeth crackling together turned into an involuntary response to the cold. What made her be fully aware of the temperature was in fact the contrast between the coldness surrounding her against the warmth of her escort's gloves. The princess could even feel how small fractals had frozen her eyelashes as her face felt extremely rigid. If she had traveled alone, she probably would have been dead. But there he was, Link.

"Let's get you dry, your highness."

He accompanied her numb body back to the shore as the first rays of sunrise appeared reflected on the water. Its warmth soothed both princess and knight's weary bodies. The fresh grass caressed Zelda's feet until they arrived at the campfire. And despite not being able to walk straight on her frozen limbs, she broke her knight's hold.

"Put on some dry clothes. We will be heading back to the castle as soon as possible." The princess regained her regal form and entered the deep forest to change her soaked attire. Only then, when she was hidden from his sight, allowed herself to stumble upon the ground.

Between flashing breaths and shaky hands, the princess slowly regained control over her own body. Her green eyes traveled back to the springs where her escort was. He removed his tunic as the sun bathed his olive skin, the shadows contrasting over his strong back and arms. Zelda turned her head back and sighed with disdain, rubbing her arms.

Why was Link the embodiment of all the blessings she lacked? Even with subtle things such as the projection of the sunrays, he was always favored. And there she was, cowering in shadows, icy water drops freezing her figure, powers away from her reach.


King Rhoam welcomed his daughter at the feet of his throne. She bowed formally to show respect. At that moment, they weren't acting as father and daughter but as king and princess. The monarch expected news, some progress in his daughter's spiritual journey. For their kingdom's sake.

Behind a pale Zelda, the skillful knight kneeled on the ground. The sheath of the master sword restrained its glow, a symbol of the goddess' gift. The princess, however, was looking down at her feet, disappointed. A clear sign of her yet again failure after a meditation trip to the springs.

"I hope safe travels brought you back home." Rhoam spoke, his strong voice resonating inside the chamber they were in. He shifted in his seat comfortably and motioned for Link to stand up, who obeyed immediately and stood beside his daughter. The king's eyes moved to the knight's. "Did you struggle on your way to the springs?" He asked directly at Link.

The escort slowly shook his head with sincerity. It was true, Hyrule had been calm. No signs of Yiga attacks nor monster hordes in their path. Their road back to the castle had been awfully calm and silent. Their horses had been the ones to make the effort to transport them around. All in all, it had been a regular trip.

The king now glanced at his daughter, who continued staring at the floor. Her hands were tightly intertwined on her lap, a corporal sign of uneasiness. Rhoam knew that Zelda disliked having an escort and he took her rigid form as a way to show her dislike towards his decision.

"And you, princess Zelda, don't you have anything to report?" The father continued.

Only then, the princess raised her head to make direct eye contact with her father. The sunlight illuminated her face, paler than ever. Dark purple circles were present under her green eyes, showing that she didn't rest well during her trip. However, what denoted the most that something troublesome had happened, was her hair. Her golden mane wasn't as relucent as always. The straight cascade that always covered the princess' back was wavy and poorly combed. Aside from the general lack of color on her skin, her lips were almost white, lacking the rosy color that always adorned her mouth. Zelda was the embodiment of the failure she couldn't stop representing to Hyrule.

"Nothing worth knowing, father." The princess' steady voice sounded somehow raspy as a consequence of the extreme temperatures she had endured in the springs. But she had no intention of telling that incident to her father. "If you excuse me, father, I shall retire to meditate for a while in my chambers."

"Hold." The king used his strictest tone, which made Zelda stay in her place. "Are you both sure nothing else happened during the trip?"

Zelda's emeralds met the royal blue in Link's eyes. The knight could swear it was the first time they locked glances equally. Not in a knight and princess role, but as equals that weren't telling the entire story to the king of Hyrule. That spark of complicity materialized in a glance made the king suspect that indeed there was something being untold. He knew his daughter well, she wouldn't enter with details she considered unworthy. However, the knight…

"Speak, hero. What is it that you are not telling me?"

Link felt the princess' pleading eyes on him. He quickly stared at her, making a concerned face. She was begging to keep the spring's events to themselves. However, as much as the knight felt privileged to be Zelda's escort, he had to obey the king's orders above all else. If he lied, following the princess' demand, the king would know. It was too late to hide the truth.

"The waters were colder than the princess' body could stand, your Majesty." Link confessed shortly, kneeling down once more. Even from there, he could hear the princess' defeated sigh and her glance throwing daggers at his back.

"Is that true?" Rhoam now could place all of the pieces together, his attention returned to his daughter. "Then did you finish your prayers or not, princess Zelda?"

"Of course I did, father!" The princess exclaimed with desperation. She never skipped a meditation but her lack of progress made everyone think the contrary. That frustrated her. "I just collapsed for a minute. But I never left Hylia's-..." The king raised his hand, motioning for her to stop rambling.

"This kingdom needs you, princess Zelda. Risking your life is a foolish act even if it is in the name of Hylia." King Rhoam scolded his daughter. Zelda lowered her head and let out a shaky breath. "Above all else, your well-being is a priority. That's why I assigned our hero to escort you."

Zelda felt like a little girl once again. She fought the urge to protest in a less formal way and rephrased her arguments to make them appropriate for the situation. Nevertheless, it was complicated to reduce her worries to minor words. There it was, Link receiving all of the compliments. And despite being the one that risked her life to get a small chance to unlock her powers, her father didn't give her any recognition. Instead, her appointed knight was the one showered in honors.

"Despite struggling to find my path, I'm aware of my duty, father. Yet I've reached a point where I don't know which voices to oblige. I'm told to use all of my efforts to obtain results, to awaken my powers. But then you tell me to not risk my well-being in my meditation." Rhoam remained silent and listened to his daughter's plea. Link remained silent beside her.

"I always interpreted Hylia's devotion as an act made through selflessness and sacrifice." The princess clarified and continued on theorizing. "If I could reach my mother's spiritual guidance somehow, maybe…"

King Rhoam stiffened at the mention of the deceased queen. It was obvious that despite being almost a decade since her passing, the royal family was still mourning. Mentioning the queen was something that rarely happened inside the palace walls. Her sudden death had been a common topic once, however, Hylians nowadays respected her memory silently.

"That matter is out of the question now, Zelda." Rhoam forgot all mannerisms and his expression turned more sincere and personal towards his daughter. Zelda's eyes crystallized as she tried to hold back tears. "Be dedicated but cautious, my daughter, I beg of you."

The princess nodded in agreement and slightly vowed. Her father had shown his concerns towards her, enough proof of his love for her, something that rarely happened. Somehow, that seemed to soothe Zelda's worries away. These familiar interactions helped father and daughter strengthen their bonds beyond the rulership of their kingdom.

"You are to remain beside princess Zelda and ensure her protection." King Rhoam redirected his attention back to the appointed knight. Link nodded.

"All of that said, you are dismissed. You both may retire to your quarters to rest." Was the king's last command.

Link and Zelda made a last synchronized vow. The guards on the gates cleared the path and let the pair exit the throne room. They walked side to side through the hallway, remaining silent. He accompanied her to the royal quarters even though he was not required, just out of courtesy. The princess didn't complain and allowed his company for the rest of the way despite her serious expression.

Once they entered the west wing of the castle, Zelda stepped forward and turned to face her knight. Link remained quiet, hiding his surprise for her sudden stop, standing still. The princess let out a sigh before speaking.

"You didn't need to tell my father about the 'incident'." She said, reconsidering how to mention what happened in the spring. "If something similar happens in the future, don't even bother to mention it."

Despite being a technical request, the princess made that sound as an order. Link suppressed the impulse of raising his eyebrows in surprise. He took a deep breath, considering his words before answering her petition.

"I can't keep secrets from our king. It goes against-..." 'my duty as knight' he would have continued if Zelda had not interrupted him.

"Can't you just make this easier for me?" The princess asked with frustration and a bit of anger. "Not even for my sake?"

Link tried to comprehend the princess' feelings. She was angry at him for telling the truth to the king. But it was something he couldn't just ignore. Her life had been at stake so he aided her. Omitting that part would have been a severe fault as the princess's escort. It simply wasn't right.

"Your safety is my responsibility, your Highness." Link cordially replied. He didn't want to enter the game of emotions she was experiencing. However, he had to be considerate and respectful at every moment.

"Does that mean you have to report everything I do to the king?! You are not my babysitter, I can take care of myself." Zelda spat and turned to walk away, inside her quarters.

The knight remained shocked before the princess's response. He was determined to stay until he made sure she was safe in her bedroom. However, his presence in the hallway irritated her even more. She sighed out loud and turned to face him from her quarters' gates.

"And stop spying on me!" She yelled and abruptly closed the doors with a loud thump before the knight's face.

In the loneliness of the corridor, Link found enough liberty to let out a sigh full of the previous tension. Figures. The princess was now against him because she thought he was there to control her in the name of the king. Yes, in a way he was destined to be the king's eyes towards princess Zelda. However, his role wasn't negative as the princess perceived. He wouldn't expect a 'thanks' for saving my life, but that scolding was out of place.

It was yet, all in all, another bump in the road to their destinies.


I am already writing chapter 8 and I can promise you this is taking a firm direction. Next chapter we will have some separate ways for the greater good. I think Link's will be a very expected surprise for all of you, dear readers.

I actually thought that this was a way more active fandom. I have been writing in some dead fandoms and not receiving feedback. This time, however, I am taking this character development arc very seriously, so I'd like to be corrected if I use some terms wrong since it's my first LoZ fanfic. I just want to make it clear that all sorts of opinions are welcome.

Yours, Stella.