Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda world and its characters belong to Nintendo.
Author's Note: Enjoy, and thanks for reading! I appreciate every review and enjoy knowing what you guys think, so please keep them coming! I appreciate everyone's patience as I have become somewhat inconsistent with the timing of posting my new chapters. I still love this story, and every time I think I need to end it soon, more inspiration and ideas come. I hope you are all happy with the pacing of it. Constructive feedback is welcome. In my Fiction classes through the years, I have learned to outline and plan my longer works, but I admit to pants-ing the last few chapters of this one. It makes me feel a bit guilty to not go by a process, but at the same time, it is very fun. It also means I publish a little faster, because I do tend to get hung up and agonize a bit more when I outline.
On an unrelated note, I just got Breath of the Wild and I am lost in the abundance of it. What a beautiful game! So that may also account for my tardiness. I hope you guys can forgive me.
Link was dreaming. He was in Hyrule Castle, except it was dark and full of monsters. The castle was nowhere near as elegant as it had been when Princess Zelda and her family lived there. The art adorning the walls was gaudy and pictured evil things – creatures that lurked in the darkness, waiting for blood; portraits of Ganondorf in a crown; a painting of what seemed like a fairy fountain, but full of blood and skeletons. As Link turned to go up a staircase in search of his foe, a giant, golden clock materialized and began to chase him. Speeding up, Link knew he had to avoid it at all costs, that something bad would happen if it caught up to him.
Then he was awake, Ruto gently shaking him by the arm.
"Wha—when did you get here?" he asked, trying to shake away the fog of his deep sleep.
"After everyone else was asleep. Like I do every night." Ruto snuggled against him, her arm around his middle. "You seem to have a lot of nightmares." Concern was etched in her gaze.
Link, uncomfortably aware of her proximity, her pretty scent and smooth skin, felt a wave of desire move through him. He moved away, rolling onto his other side.
This upset her. She sat up. "Should I go?"
"No. Please don't. I…"
He felt like the awkward boy who had come to deliver the letter from Ganristian just before chaos struck Hyrule. He could feel his face going red as he struggled for the words to describe his feelings.
Ruto put her hand on his middle again, prompting him to turn and look at her. Her breath was taken away sometimes by how handsome he was. He was so different from the first time they had met. She had noticed as he handled his sword how his arms had grown more muscular; his body was filling out. And those deep, blue eyes of his made her want to kiss him…
She gasped softly as Link placed his hands on either side of her waist and pulled her on top of him. He pulled her down for a deep kiss, his hands exploring her skin in ways he hadn't dared before. While Ruto knew that they shouldn't, that someone could wake and walk in here, she did not want him to stop. She pressed her fingers into his hair, which was surprisingly soft, and kissed him back. Instinct took over, and she moved herself against him. She was pleased when a moan escaped his throat, but he pulled away from their kiss.
"I'm sorry. That was wrong of me," Link said after he'd caught his breath and his heartbeat had slowed back down to its normal rhythm. "Can you forgive me?"
Now she looked at him, dazed, torn between wanting to continue and feeling disappointed that he had stopped. She understood why he had, but she hated it, all the same.
"If you love me, then it isn't wrong," she answered.
There were times that she startled him with her words, and this was one of those times. He knew she was far from a demure princess. But it was that word love that often threw him.
Link knew what it was to be a friend, to be loyal. He knew companionship with Navi almost constantly by his side. He knew a longing for his parents, after he had learned of his lineage from the Deku Sprout, but he had nothing to liken feelings of love to. He imagined it was something like what he felt when the morning light came, with the noises of Hyrule as a day was just getting started, the smell of fresh bread and meat being smoked over a fire. He imagined it was something like what he felt for the realm he had sworn to protect, but even then, was that the same as loving a person? He would protect Ruto and pay for her life with his, if need be, but if it came down to choosing her or saving Hyrule…
"Link? Hello? Please don't make me pay another Rupee for your thoughts."
He apologized again, and she climbed over to straddle him once more.
"Do you love me?" she asked.
His instinct told him that caution was needed here. "I think I am still learning what it is, to love," he answered. "All I know is, I am having a hard time doing what I should."
"And what is that, exactly?"
He swallowed. "Leaving. Continuing on with my mission and my promise to Princess Zelda."
"If you really need to go, then go," she finally said. "All I ask is that you tell me the truth. Why can't I go with you?"
There were so many reasons. Link helplessly threw the first one he could think of. "Because you might get hurt."
"I am a healer, and I can take care of myself. Plus, I can learn to fight. Next."
"Because Ganondorf might realize you're close to me and capture you. Or use you to get to me."
"I guess that concern is a fair one." She paused, considering. "So are you going to avoid all your friends so that Ganondorf can't use them? Do you not think people can be as loyal to you as you are to them? Are you just going to be alone forever?"
He threw a hand over his eyes in frustration. Ruto reached down to pull it away, then leaned down to kiss him.
"You're making this impossible, you know," he whispered.
"That's the whole point."
He could feel himself becoming aroused, his desire growing against her bottom.
"You can't be alone forever. I know you think you're supposed to, but it's not true." She leaned down again, this time kissing his neck.
She was completely torturing him, and she knew how to do it well. Her hands went to the bottom of his tunic as she intended to lift it up and over his head, but he placed his hands on her forearms, stopping her.
"Just give it some time," he said. "I don't want you to do anything you may someday regret."
Ruto drew in a breath. This whole chivalrous knight thing of his was making her feel crazy. Hearing movement outside their room, she froze. The footfalls were familiar – Honu.
There was nowhere for Ruto to hide properly, so she didn't try. She straightened up and sat in a chair next to Link's bed before Honu entered, her gaze sleepy and confused.
"Princess?"
Link closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
"Yeah, you caught me," he heard Ruto say.
Honu's look was suspicious as she regarded Link, whose chest rose and fell steadily in his apparent sleep. "He has nightmares," Ruto told her. "I didn't want him to be alone." It was a half-honest answer.
"Oh, Ruto." Honu sighed and went to pull the Princess from her chair. "I hardly think your father would be okay with this." She glanced back at Link. "He seems nice and all, but…" Trailing off, it did not take her long to confess the real reason she disapproved. "Jireto is utterly heartbroken. Have you even checked on him lately?"
A high-pitched caw of laughter left Ruto before she could stop it. "Do you honestly think that my checking on him would make anything better? And for the record, I have said hello to him and tried to get him to walk with me by the lake, but he refuses."
"Well, don't you worry about it. I just checked where he normally sleeps, and he isn't there. Or anywhere."
Ruto gave her a sharp look. "You went looking for him before me?" Not that she wanted to be found, but it stung all the same.
Given that both of them were being loud now, Link didn't think he could be convincing if he kept up his ruse of sleep. He shifted in his bed and began to stretch.
"Look, you woke him up," Ruto hissed at Honu.
"You were being just as loud as I was," Honu argued. "Princess," she added, curtsying a little. Some may have taken it as a sarcastic address, but Ruto knew her well enough to understand that it wasn't. No matter how cross Honu felt with her king's daughter, she would always try to pay the proper respect. The two quarreled like sisters at times, but Honu never forgot her place.
"Huh—what's going on?" Link said, trying to sound sleepy.
"Aside from the fact that you seem to be corrupting our Princess," Honu replied, as Ruto threw her a dirty look, "Jireto is missing. Would you happen to know anything about that?"
"How would he know anything?" Ruto interrupted. "I've been with him since… well, a while. Jireto was around then." Confessing to Honu exactly how long she had been here could only lead to more trouble.
Link only blinked at both of them. He did not wish to be further interrogated or accused by Honu, and Ruto seemed intent on speaking for him.
"It figures," was all Honu said. She turned and stalked off.
"Wait, where are you going?" Ruto called. She began to follow, then turned around and muttered a quick apology to Link before continuing on her way.
Disturbed now, Link turned on his side and tried to resume actual sleep. Again, he could not shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
Link managed only to fade in and out of nightmares for the rest of the night. The sounds of the day getting started in the Zora Domain took some time to fully rouse him. Ruto would be at her lessons by now. He reached around his bed and found a folded piece of paper beneath his pillow – a note. This time, there was only one line of her elegant script. He felt a slight pang of disappointment.
Please don't leave without at least saying goodbye. – R
His heart sank further as he processed her message. She had resigned herself to his leaving her, and somehow, that made him feel more reluctant to do it.
Navi, sensing his sadness, flew around his head, her movement causing a light breeze to ruffle his hair. Link gave a slight smile in acknowledgement but found himself lacking words.
Was love pain?
He stood up and equipped his bag, scabbard and sword, and shield.
Link walked from the privacy of his alcove and into the main area. Honu sat by the waterfall, glaring at him, but made no move to assist him or offer him breakfast. Not that he expected it, and he wasn't hungry anyway. He nodded politely to Honu and decided not to take it personally when she did not return the gesture. Turning, he walked toward the room where Ruto usually studied. Zephyra glanced at him in surprise and agreed when he asked for a moment with the Princess. "But only a moment," Zephyra told him. "The Princess has many letters to complete today."
Ruto was silent as she walked toward the water with him. She knew what was coming.
They paused next to the pool, and in a gesture that shocked Link, Ruto wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her forehead to his. She had never been affectionate with him in public before. Now that the engagement with Jireto was clearly off, he supposed it was safe. He returned her embrace and closed his eyes.
Love was pain. He felt it clutching at his heart, pulling at his eyes, his throat.
"Ruto, I…"
But what he wanted to say was cut off by a disturbance at the entrance.
"In the name of Good King Ganondorf, we demand the boy, Link, who is under your protection! Give him to us, and we will not harm you!"
"Oh." Realization coated the word as Ruto spoke it, and it left bitterness in the air. "So that's where Jireto went." The Zora people stared, motionless, as the guards' armor clanked in their approach. Link was not yet in their line of sight, but he soon would be.
Honu shouted, "Here! He is here!" The sounds of armor and now swords being drawn grew louder.
Ruto gave Honu a look of hurt as she pulled away from Link, grabbing his hand. "This way. Hurry." Honu did not bother looking in her direction.
She had no time to process the betrayal of one she had thought of as her best friend.
If she got Link out in time, she could do that later.