The clear turquoise waters of Zora River gleamed in the sunlight before him, but Link was too annoyed to be fully present with his surroundings. The three spiritual stones were still in his pack, and he could hear them humming. That part of his pack was warm when he reached into it. He was ready to take them to the Temple of Time to fulfill his promise to Princess Zelda, but today, he had an errand for another princess.

A stranger in Hyrule Field had stopped him, begging him to take a letter to Ruto. It was from his daughter. The two were evidently good friends and had much to catch up on since Link had rescued her from Jabu Jabu.

Link had been taught that if you were too big to do the small things, then you were too small to do the big things. He had agreed to carry the letter to Ruto, but it was not without some grumbling once he was safely out of the man's earshot.

He made his way past the magic bean salesman and the Octoroks that were waiting for him. The grass was soft under his Kokiri boots, so it was easy to approach quietly. Link no longer feared most of the creatures that hunted him. He had gotten as used as he could to goring most of the big ones that were truly a threat to himself or Hyrule, but he tried to avoid killing when it was possible.

He knew he was getting stronger, as he was not winded when he finally reached the platform with the Triforce symbol at the entrance to the domain. The water roared after he played Zelda's Lullaby, and he felt the mist on his skin and hair as the door came into view. Link went through, surprised to find Princess Ruto waiting for him there. Usually, she stayed close to her father's chambers. Someone must have tipped her off that he was approaching.

Her violet eyes held pure joy behind them when she took in the sight of her Hero. She had just seen him days ago, and yet, it felt like ages. "Link!" she greeted him. "I hoped you might return to see me soon." She refrained from adding, After all, I did give you my most precious possession, and I am a princess. Her mentors had taught her manners, though she sometimes neglected them when she was excited or fearful.

He froze for a moment, unsure why this sudden shyness overtook him. He had felt this when their faces were so close as they were on the log outside Jabu Jabu's altar. Clearing his throat, he forced himself to remember his own manners and gave a slight bow. "Your Royal Highness."

Ah, so he did remember and respect her status! Ruto gave a giggle of delight. "If we are to be married someday, you really must drop the formalities. Please, call me Ruto."

This only gave him cause to freeze up again, and he felt his face getting hot. "I… I… I…"

Ruto stifled her giggle this time, taking pity on the poor boy. He was not the first to be bewitched by her beauty and magnificence. Maybe he was good at slaying monsters, but he had a lot to learn about women. "Link! Since you have come to spend the day with me, what shall we do?"

He straightened up and shrugged his pack from his shoulders. "Actually, Your—… Ruto," he corrected himself, "I came to deliver a letter to you. I met a man in Hyrule Field – he said his name was Ganristian. His daughter was excited when she heard of your return and wrote this for you." He reached past the humming warmth of the three stones for the folded piece of parchment, hearing its rustle before he felt it. Drawing it out of the bag, he offered it to her.

Ruto's face fell, and Link was momentarily taken aback. Was this Ganristian's daughter actually an enemy of hers? "Ruto, what's wrong? This man said his family was friendly with yours." He had known the song of the Royal Family, further convincing Link. "Is this not true? Has he hurt you?"

"No, no, we are great friends." Hastily, she grabbed the letter. "I just hoped… oh, but it would be wrong to share with you why I…" Ruto inwardly cursed her openness, her inability to hide her emotions.

Link found himself torn. Torn, because he had opted to rest for some time before going to the Temple as he had promised Zelda he would. It had taken almost a day and a half to rid himself of the fish stench from being inside Jabu Jabu despite bathing several times. He'd had to wash his clothes repeatedly as they were covered in some mucous-like substance that stubbornly clung to the fabric. And he had been exhausted. The fairies had been able to restore him from his physical wounds, but there was no substitute for rest. Now he was tempted to stall again because he did not want Ruto to be upset. He couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with him.

"Well, you had better get on with your mission, Link. You shouldn't keep Princess Zelda waiting," she said, turning away from him. I bet he likes her more than me, anyway. "Thank you for bringing the letter."

Before he knew what he was doing, Link reached out to touch her arm to stop her from walking away. Her skin was soft and smooth, like the underside of a leaf. He found himself saying, "I can stay a while. Do you want to show me around? I mean… I think I've seen everything here, but I didn't have a guide before."

"Oh." Her smile returned, and she glanced down at his hand that had touched her briefly. She reached out to entwine their fingers together. Link's skin was warm and getting warmer, but the feeling was so nice. "Yes, I can show you around. Where would you like to go first?"

Link swallowed his anxiety this time, although he couldn't hide his red cheeks. He did not let go of her hand, although it was his first instinct. He understood swords and monsters, mysterious places, and how to protect himself and those he cared for. He had no idea how to handle the feelings this small gesture stirred in him. "I don't know. How about to the lake?"

"Good choice. It's so beautiful there." She refrained from saying that it was a great spot for a first date. He was like a nervous horse that she had to take care not to startle. With their hands still entwined, she pulled him toward the water so they could swim down to the doorway that led to Lake Hylia. Other Zoras watched them, seeing them holding hands, but merely smiled to themselves and remained silent. They already knew it was better to avoid telling Ruto's father about this.

Once they emerged on the other side, Link took a deep breath and glanced up at the fading sun with a slight feeling of guilt. The day was already nearly gone. He would make up for it with haste tomorrow.

Ruto treaded water close to him, studying him. "What are you thinking about?"

He turned to look at her, noticing how the sunlight made her eyes more vibrant. He noticed how her irises seemed to have a border, an outline that was a deeper purple than the rest. "Hyrule. I was thinking about Hyrule," he said slowly. Mentioning Zelda did not seem like a good idea. He kept that part to himself.

The princess was not used to caring so much about what was left unsaid. She was not used to thinking about how her words and actions might affect another, although her governesses had always said it was important. All great queens needed to possess genuine kindness and empathy for others; otherwise, they would be poor rulers, unable to understand the needs and concerns of their people.

She was a princess, and for the most part, she had always gotten her way without having to think about it so much. But this was different. Link was different. For the first time, she even felt a little scared. Had she unwittingly given her heart away to someone who had no keeping for it?

"Do you see those islands over there?" She nodded in their direction. "Let's head for that one."

Before waiting for an answer, she began to swim toward it. Link lagged behind her, not having the natural swimming ability of a Zora. Once they reached the piece of land, Ruto lay down in the grass, closing her eyes as she basked in what was left of the sunlight. Link followed her lead and lay down beside her, finding that the swim had helped to calm his nerves.

"Won't you dry out if you stay in the sun too long?" he asked, hoping it was not an insensitive question.

"Only if I were to lie here for days on end," she said. "Zoras need sunlight as much as they need water."

Satisfied with her answer, he was not sure what to respond. They lay together in silence for a time. He felt her smooth touch play at the tips of his fingers and looked over to see her staring at him. He had lost all concept of how much time passed. He could have been there with her for minutes or an hour. She broke the silence between them.

"This time, a Rupee for your thoughts?" she said.

Link hesitated. Again, he had different thoughts and feelings pulling him in all sorts of directions. By now, he had resigned himself to waiting another day to make good on his promise and see Zelda again. He was wrestling with uncertainty about how to tell her that he had no idea what to do and wanting to touch her again, though he was afraid. Perhaps if they had only started as friends, things would feel more natural to him. "I don't know what I'm thinking," he answered.

She looked at him for a few more seconds before bursting into giggles. "That's silly. How could you not know your own head?"

"You might be surprised…" he said quietly, only causing her to erupt further into laughter. This pleased him. It was much better than her sadness of moments earlier. He wondered what else he could say to make her laugh. But before he could come up with anything, she inched closer to him. When he turned his head, he realized he could bridge the gap between them easily if he just touched his lips to hers.

He leaned forward, and Ruto said, "Wait."

He blinked, waiting.

"We can never tell anyone about this. My father…"

"Will drown me if he finds out?" Link finished for her.

"Yes." She frowned and wrinkled her nose for a moment. "I fear he has a political match in mind for me. I will talk him out of it someday. But… that's why I told you to keep it our little secret, about my stone."

Link continued to wait in case there was anything else. Ruto prompted him by saying, "Now kiss me, you idiot."

It was his first kiss. He had no idea what he was doing, and he tried to ignore the fireworks along various parts of his body. His heart raced as he pressed his lips to hers, and he wasn't sure what to do with his hands.

It was not a long kiss, as he had sometimes seen the two lovers in Hyrule Town do. They usually embraced while they kissed, but that was awkward here, since they were both lying down. All Link could do was stare at her in wonder once they pulled apart. Ruto was not giggling at him, at least. Apparently, he had done it right.

"Link… the sky, it's getting so dark." This time, it was Navi that spoke. He had nearly forgotten she was there. Ruto and Link both looked up, seeing the black clouds that had completely blocked out the sun.

It did not feel normal. It had come on much too quickly for an ordinary storm. It was silent around them. It was as though the lake, normally teeming with life, had caught on that something was wrong, too.

"I have to go," Link said, standing. "I have to get to the castle."

"Don't go yet." Ruto stood too. "I have to tell you the truth."

They heard a great boom in the distance that did not seem like an ordinary thunderclap. Link's sense of urgency increased. Perhaps he had already delayed too long. "Truth? What is it, Ruto?"

"The letter – it was all planned. Ganristian is like another father to me, and he is my father's friend. He often comes and visits. I can tell him things I can't tell my real father, and… well, I told him about you, and that I wanted to see you again. I'm sorry, Link. I'm sorry I deceived you. I just… well, I wanted to see if you would come, if you wanted to be with me like I wanted to be with you."

It was all too much. Link couldn't come up with a response that seemed adequate. He only said, "I have to go make sure Princess Zelda is okay."

His words were like a knife to her heart. She felt gutted, like some of the poor fish in the lake sometimes were when Hylians made meals of them. Only this was much worse because she wasn't dead. She had to live with these feelings.

"Please get back to your father's side and stay there until the danger is past. I have the strangest feeling." With that, he left.

Ruto remained there, watching him jump into the water and until he swam out of her sight. Intuitively, she understood why he had not escorted her back to the safety of the domain, but it still hurt. It hurt that Zelda was his priority. The darkness was effective in convincing her that he had not meant his kiss, that they would never marry.

What if there was real danger, something worse than what they had seen inside Jabu Jabu, and he was hurt? What if she never saw him again?

She couldn't let herself spiral into those thoughts. He would love her someday, and next time, she would not need to deceive him to see him again. Diving into the waters that were now black as the sky, she made her way back to her home and her father.