A/N: This is the first LoZ fic I ever wrote seriously. It actually was started about three years ago and has been finished on and off after having survived through three hiatuses and a serious consideration of scrapping. But I decided to give it another chance, and am actually quite pleased with the results. Rated PG-13 for violence and Link's surprisingly dirty mouth; warnings include angst, sadness, violence, Link/Zelda pairing (no citrus), and alternate realities. The timeline I'm basing things on is a quasi-alternate-reality of my own creation: I base most if not all of my Zelda fanfiction on the idea that all the deeds done and chronicled in the Zelda games (with the exception of the Wind Waker for obvious reasons) were the deeds of one brave young lad chosen by Destiny and the three Goddesses as the Hero of Time, the Legendary Hero. Oh. And I don't own Linky (more's the pity) or Zelda or any of the game's other characters. They are copyrighted to Miyamoto Shigeru-san and Nintendo, the lucky bastards. I own, however, sole copyright of each and every one of my original characters. Steal them and I will hunt you down and break your elbows. Remember: A vague threat is no one's friend.
-Act V-
Restoration
3
The coronation had gone even better than expected. Link had been beside the throne during the entire ceremony, the hood to his cloak drawn close to hide his face, as Zelda had decided to shock the people with double the good news. He'd been unable to hide the grin at that idea; her wicked sense of humor had always been something to make him laugh.
And when he'd dropped the hood, the huge hall had echoed with the cheers and shouts of the people. The Hero of Time had returned, Hyrule's rightful Queen was on the throne once again, and the King of Evil was gone, never to return.
After the coronation was over, Zelda went back to her apartments and set the crown in her dressing table's drawer, a spot set aside for it.
There was a knock at the door. Zelda opened it to find Link standing on the other side. He smiled and held up one hand, in which was a white rose. "You were perfect up there," he said, and an impish grin stole across his face, making him look like the little boy she remembered sneaking into her private courtyard so many years ago. "When I put my hood down I thought the entire room was going to have a collective heart attack." He paused, as if picturing it. "It would have been funny. For a minute or two." He held the rose out to her.
She accepted it, blushing at the compliment. "Thank you," Zelda said with a laugh. "What kind of Queen would I be if I didn't shock the life from my subjects once in a great while?"
That made Link laugh in return. "Good point, Majesty."
She huffed, stomping one dainty foot on the floor. "How often must we go through that?" she asked, feigning irritation.
"Through what, Majesty?" he asked in too-perfect innocence.
She scowled at him, jabbing the rose in his face. "That "Majesty" thing. I've told you a hundred times you can use my name."
He smiled, just shaking his head. "And I have countered just as often that it isn't my place."
"Oh, bullshit," she snapped, and Link nearly fell over in shock. She'd been around Impa for far too long, in his opinion. "Your place my ass, you've saved my life more times than I can count."
He grinned faintly. "We're up to five," he informed her.
She scowled again. "Stop that," she grumbled. "You're ruining my rant."
He held up a hand. "My Queen, I would do you a disservice by speaking your name so casually."
Her eyes showed the hurt. "You hurt me when you don't," she murmured, the irritation draining away.
Link fell silent. His eyes went to the ground, and he kicked himself mentally. "I am sorry, Zelda," he said, testing the name hesitantly. When he looked up, she was smiling.
"I don't think I've ever liked how it sounded before," she murmured. "But it could work out after all. Come on. Let's go walk in the gardens. John and Kate are going to meet us there for a midnight picnic."
He offered her an arm. So much more he wanted to say had died on his lips. It would never work; what could he offer? Link was but a nameless warrior; no land or goods to call his own, nothing he could possibly give could match what she already had. He still saw himself as the unknown kid who belonged back in the forest with all the other unknown citizens of Hyrule.
He didn't know how much Zelda saw in him.
-Act V-
Restoration
3
The coronation had gone even better than expected. Link had been beside the throne during the entire ceremony, the hood to his cloak drawn close to hide his face, as Zelda had decided to shock the people with double the good news. He'd been unable to hide the grin at that idea; her wicked sense of humor had always been something to make him laugh.
And when he'd dropped the hood, the huge hall had echoed with the cheers and shouts of the people. The Hero of Time had returned, Hyrule's rightful Queen was on the throne once again, and the King of Evil was gone, never to return.
After the coronation was over, Zelda went back to her apartments and set the crown in her dressing table's drawer, a spot set aside for it.
There was a knock at the door. Zelda opened it to find Link standing on the other side. He smiled and held up one hand, in which was a white rose. "You were perfect up there," he said, and an impish grin stole across his face, making him look like the little boy she remembered sneaking into her private courtyard so many years ago. "When I put my hood down I thought the entire room was going to have a collective heart attack." He paused, as if picturing it. "It would have been funny. For a minute or two." He held the rose out to her.
She accepted it, blushing at the compliment. "Thank you," Zelda said with a laugh. "What kind of Queen would I be if I didn't shock the life from my subjects once in a great while?"
That made Link laugh in return. "Good point, Majesty."
She huffed, stomping one dainty foot on the floor. "How often must we go through that?" she asked, feigning irritation.
"Through what, Majesty?" he asked in too-perfect innocence.
She scowled at him, jabbing the rose in his face. "That "Majesty" thing. I've told you a hundred times you can use my name."
He smiled, just shaking his head. "And I have countered just as often that it isn't my place."
"Oh, bullshit," she snapped, and Link nearly fell over in shock. She'd been around Impa for far too long, in his opinion. "Your place my ass, you've saved my life more times than I can count."
He grinned faintly. "We're up to five," he informed her.
She scowled again. "Stop that," she grumbled. "You're ruining my rant."
He held up a hand. "My Queen, I would do you a disservice by speaking your name so casually."
Her eyes showed the hurt. "You hurt me when you don't," she murmured, the irritation draining away.
Link fell silent. His eyes went to the ground, and he kicked himself mentally. "I am sorry, Zelda," he said, testing the name hesitantly. When he looked up, she was smiling.
"I don't think I've ever liked how it sounded before," she murmured. "But it could work out after all. Come on. Let's go walk in the gardens. John and Kate are going to meet us there for a midnight picnic."
He offered her an arm. So much more he wanted to say had died on his lips. It would never work; what could he offer? Link was but a nameless warrior; no land or goods to call his own, nothing he could possibly give could match what she already had. He still saw himself as the unknown kid who belonged back in the forest with all the other unknown citizens of Hyrule.
He didn't know how much Zelda saw in him.