A/N:
This story is the second (and final) part in a larger series. Check out the first part, Meeting Link, on my profile before reading this! Or don't. I won't stop you.
Link…
He had been asleep for a while now. There were patches of blood and burn marks on his tunic, and his mess of hair was splayed out on the grass. His blond color was only a little darker than her own. She felt too clean for what she had been through, even with the soot under her nails and the stench that hovered over them.
Zelda reached for the Sheikah Slate. It was a familiar motion, and one that she had performed countless times before. Even so, when her hands touched the stone, she relaxed her fingers and pulled back. It wasn't hers anymore. She would have to wait for him to wake up, however long that took. At least this gave her valuable time to think.
She had so many questions for him. It was rare for someone to make her feel this way—like she was overflowing with curiosity and a desire to learn more. Those emotions were previously reserved for ancient and novel pieces of technology in Purah's old lab or the research directives she worked towards in the field. Was she allowed to touch him? They didn't touch often before the Calamity, and only in serious situations that required contact. He used to check her over for injuries and cover her when she was cold. Now, she wanted to fix his hair so that it didn't cover his eyes. What was the harm in that?
When he woke up, would it be different? What did she even mean by that? Of course things would be different… It had been a century. Ganon was gone for another ten thousand years. The champions were dead. The battle was a little hazy in Zelda's mind; she remembered losing her hold and the Divine Beasts firing, and how she and Hylia became one for the briefest moment in time. She would have to ask Link what he remembered from the fight. And she realized.
She would have to ask Link what he remembered.
The urge to pick up the Sheikah Slate returned, but Zelda kept her hands firmly planted in her lap. Realistically, he must have gone to Impa and seen the pictures. She reminded herself that Link was not the kind of person to leave a job half done. Photographs, though, could not carry a lifetime of memory on their own. The documentation left with the Shrine of Resurrection was vague, and a sinking feeling inside Zelda told her that its effects may be permanent. The thought was distressing, to say the least. Zelda looked to the sky and let out a small sneeze. It sounded more like a sniffle.
It was then that Link woke up. Zelda gingerly offered a hand for him to grab, and together they pulled him upright. Link gave a few forceful blinks and rubbed his eyes. She had so rarely seen him wake up like this. He never used to enter a deep sleep when watching over her. Zelda prepared to say something, but her courage left her the moment his eyes met hers. Do you really remember me? The words were at her tongue, but Zelda bit her lip.
"Hello," she squeaked out. It was the first time she had used her voice in one hundred years.
"Zelda," Link said. His voice was raspy and tender.
She gasped and flushed a brilliant crimson. The last time he used her name rather than her title was at Kara Kara Bazaar.
"Is something wrong?" Link asked.
"No." Zelda shook her head and smiled. "Nothing is wrong."
"We really need a bath." Link pinched his nose.
Zelda's first (royal) instinct was to scoff at his bluntness, but she couldn't help but laugh at his words instead. It was the kind of laughter she would feel in her belly and cheeks later, laughter she hadn't been able to experience in as long as she could remember.
The best part? Link laughed too.
…
They were on the same horse. It shouldn't have been a big deal, Zelda insisted to herself, but it was something they had never done before, never been allowed to do before. The Princess of Hyrule and her knight were on the same horse.
Apart from the nerves, though, it wasn't all bad. In fact, travelling with Link was probably the thing she wanted to do most after being freed from the castle. She would need an escort around Hyrule, and there was no guard more suited for the task than the one she had a century prior. Everything was different, but Link had seen what the world was like both before and after the Calamity. He could help her adjust. She hoped he still wanted to help her. He was one of the only familiar faces she had left.
"Where are we going?" Zelda asked.
She wasn't aware of the plan, and that was unlike her. Link had guided the horse south from Hyrule Field toward the Great Plateau, but then turned gently to the east. Nearly all of the landmarks Zelda once knew had become ruins or were obliterated entirely. She was lost in her own home, and that fact distressed her. Link stopped the horse.
"Let's take a break here. This is Lake Kolomo." Link looked at Zelda with searching eyes, as if he was trying to gauge her reaction.
"Where's the garrison?"
Link gestured toward a few piles of stone across the water. Ah.
"Here," Link grunted and dug around in his pack. "I'll leave some clothes out for you to change."
She was grateful for that. Her royal white dress was filthy and terrible on horseback. Link stripped down himself and took a dip in the lake. He was bathing in front of her. If her father could see this…
Zelda dipped a toe into the water, her clothes still very much on, thank you. The water was cold, but not unbearable by any stretch. It would be really nice to wash up, but she could never be as nonchalant about the process as Link was being at that moment. Thankfully, he appeared to sense her apprehension.
"Privacy," he muttered, almost inaudible.
Link grabbed the Sheikah Slate from the shoreline and smiled at her. How did he not realize he was half naked? One tap of a finger later, a wall of ice sprung up from the water. It gave just enough cover for Zelda to have a small alcove to herself to disrobe and bathe. It was very convenient, and the fact that Link did it almost effortlessly with Sheikah technology was incredible.
"Thank you," Zelda said, a little surprised. She hoped her voice sounded genuine enough.
"I figured we could retrace my steps." Link's voice travelled over the wall of ice and answered her question from earlier. "You want to see Impa and Purah, no?"
"I would… like that," Zelda confirmed.
"We can't reach Kakariko before sundown." Link seemed to search for his next words. "I have a few friends at the Dueling Peaks Stable, if you don't mind staying there for the night."
Link's voice felt a little vulnerable in his last sentence, and Zelda wanted to understand why. It made sense that Link had met new people after waking up. Was he nervous because of her? She supposed that it would be odd for him to introduce her, a stranger for all intents and purposes, to new friends that he made in a post-Calamity world.
"If I'm not a burden," Zelda resolved herself and replied.
"You are never a burden, Zelda," Link said with an air of finality.
He used her name again. She would try to return the favor.
"Thank you Link."
Once their conversation came to a natural stop, Zelda had finished washing herself and putting on the clothes Link had purveyed for her. She was slightly shorter than him, but the red and green tunic still fit her comfortably, as well as the black pants that came with it. The boots definitely had more wiggle room than was strictly necessary, but Zelda could not complain.
It was only when she and Link climbed back atop the horse that Zelda realized something. Her clothes smelled like him. Oh goodness.
…
The sky was fully orange by the time Link and Zelda emerged from underneath the Dueling Peaks. The stable was slightly further down the path, and Zelda could make out the glow of a cooking pot beside the main tent. Her stomach rumbled into Link's back, and Link let out a small noise as if to let her know that he understood. She appreciated the fact that they could communicate nonverbally. It had been quite the day.
"Link!" A girl's voice called out as they approached the stable.
Her shouting attracted the attention of some other stable residents, who poked their heads out of the tent to greet them. Link grabbed one of Zelda's hands, still facing forwards.
"You don't have to do any talking," he murmured softly.
The roles were reversed, Zelda noticed. Link addressed the stablehands once they got closer.
"Tasseren, Rensa," he said. "Can you prepare a couple of beds for us tonight?"
"Sure thing, Link," the taller one responded. Zelda wasn't sure which was which.
Link dismounted the horse and helped Zelda down as well. After handing the reins to the other stablehand, he turned to the cooking pot.
"Food."
"Food." Zelda agreed.
While he cooked, Link introduced her as "Zel" to the girl who shouted out to them earlier, whose name turned out to be Sagessa. Link told a white lie: he found Zel while traversing Central Hyrule and the two decided to travel together since they were headed in the same direction. Sagessa didn't seem to buy it completely, but the three of them had a sort of silent agreement to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary. Sagessa was happy to see Link, and that seemed to be enough for her. Zelda could understand that.
Link's food was delicious. The boy evidently did not forget his cooking skills. Hunger may have also played a role in making dinner taste that much better, because both she and Link ate enough to feed a fully grown Zora adult.
"That was the best food I've had in one hundred years." Zelda cracked a joke and smiled brightly.
Link tried to stifle his laughter unsuccessfully, which resulted in an uncharacteristic giggle. She made him laugh! Sagessa merely looked on, visibly confused and chuckling along. Eventually, their laughter subsided.
"Bedtime?" Link asked.
"Bedtime," Zelda finished.
…
When Link and Zelda got out of bed, most of the stable's occupants were still fast asleep. The sun was only just starting to rise, but the previous night's early bedtime made for an equally early rise. Zelda liked to count her firsts since getting out of the dreadful castle—her first steps were in the grassy plains of Hyrule Field, her first true meal had been at the cooking pot last night, and this morning was the first time she wearily rubbed her eyes stepping out of bed. She was grateful that her mattress was comfortable. Link must have had something to do with that.
Her breakfast was a small omelet, courteous of Link. She never had a large appetite in the mornings. Did Link remember that, and therefore give her a smaller portion? It was hard to tell coincidence from cause and effect. It was around this time of morning that Zelda would begin her dawn prayer routine, and she would have continued the habit if she couldn't still feel embers of Hylia thrum in her chest. Why search the skies when there is a Goddess within? One hundred years did wonders for her confidence in her powers.
Zelda made her way to the nearby shrine while Link did some cleaning and prepared their horse. Stopping just before the pool of water surrounding the shrine's steps, she kneeled. If prayer was off the table, she could at least use the time to reflect. Zelda heard some footsteps approaching, too clumsy to be Link's. His steps were more practiced and fluid. Zelda's shoulders tensed, but she reminded herself that she was safe. Link was only a few dozen paces away.
"Hi," the stranger said. It was just Sagessa.
"Hello." Zelda looked up and smiled politely.
The other girl joined Zelda by dropping to her knees and gazing over at the blue light of the shrine.
"You know," she began, "when Link came here for the first time, he talked a lot less."
"Is that so?" Zelda asked. Neither of them took their eyes off the shrine.
"We were lucky to get more than three words out of him at once," Sagessa chuckled.
"He had changed greatly." The words left Zelda's mouth before she could stop them.
Sagessa raised an eyebrow, but let the comment slide.
"The shrines… all scattered across Hyrule, sometimes concealed, but always present." Sagessa's voice grew a little wistful. "They watch over you and they make you feel safe. There are so many mysteries within them to discover. The whole idea of it is romantic. I told Link as much, before he walked right in." Sagessa nodded her head toward the shrine in front of them.
"I realized," she continued, "that Link has a similar presence."
"What do you mean?" Zelda was confused, but oh so intrigued.
"Ever-present. Watching over. Mysterious. Safe. Romantic."
Finally, Sagessa turned her head to Zelda.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about Link and romance, would you?" Sagessa's eyes bored into her own.
"I'm not sure what you're referring to," Zelda squeaked.
"I know he did something with the Calamity. We all saw the clouds over Central Hyrule. But I haven't figured out where you fit into the picture."
After a moment of silence, Sagessa's expression softened, becoming something more friendly and less incisive. She sighed.
"You'll figure it out. You got this."
Link, always the king of timing, chose that moment to stroll over to the girls, horse and pack in hand.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
"Yep!" Zelda replied.
She hoped her blush and her panicked eyes weren't obvious. Perhaps she could pass it off as the heat of the sunlight? Luckily, Link deduced nothing and focused on helping her up onto the horse.
"Come visit again soon!" Sagessa grinned and waved goodbye.
Link smiled back and Zelda gave a weak wave of her own as he kicked the horse into a trot.
The ride to Kakariko was peaceful on all accounts, if Zelda's inner turbulence did not count. She had to wrap her arms around Link if she wanted to stay on the horse, did she not? Why did it feel so different than the previous day? Sagessa was teasing her, and Zelda had been mocked and teased throughout her entire life. She was the Princess of Hyrule who awakened her sealing power and vanquished Ganon. Tragically, that did not make her feel any less vulnerable.
"Are you ready to see Impa?" Link asked, as they slipped under the gate to the village.
The question was a nice reprieve from her thoughts. Link never initiated conversations during his time as her guard, and only spoke first when cautioning her about some potential danger. She liked that he talked more now, and it wasn't just because it let her stop wallowing in her own head. Oh, right. She had to reply.
"I am as ready as I can be." She tried to keep her voice level, and she mostly succeeded.
It was early afternoon by the time they arrived at Impa's doorstep. The guard at the bottom of the steps had wide eyes watching them pass, but he said nothing after a hand wave from Link. At the door, Link placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder. The meaning was clear: you can do this. He had such a way with silent gestures.
Zelda knocked, and heard swift footsteps rumble from inside the house. The door swung open to reveal…
"Impa?" Zelda wondered aloud.
The Sheikah woman in front of them sputtered briefly and flushed, and Zelda realized her mistake with horror. This wasn't Impa. That was impossible.
"I'm… Paya," the girl said breathlessly. "Her granddaughter."
"Forgive me." Zelda looked at the floor.
Link's hand returned to her shoulder. That made her feel slightly better. Paya recovered quickly and ushered both of them inside, where Zelda got her first look at the person she was looking for. Impa was old, for lack of a better word, and Zelda knew that the Sheikah Master would scold her for even suggesting such a thing. Courtesy alone, however, did not erase the marks of age that covered Impa. She had shrunk since Zelda last saw her, and her face was adorned with wrinkles developed over a century of time.
"Princess." Impa's voice was gravelly, yet her smile felt the exact same. "It is good to see you again."
Zelda got to count another first. She cried for the first time since her feet set down in Hyrule Field, with bittersweet tears at seeing her old friend in such a state, alive. Their conversation lasted hours—at some point, both Link and Paya left the room to give them much needed space. If Impa's body had aged tremendously since Zelda last saw her, her mind did not suffer any decay. Impa was still as sharp of a Sheikah as she was before Ganon struck, and Zelda found herself reminiscing about old times, celebrating their victory, and asking the older woman for advice. Periodically, Paya served tea and snacks to keep them sated, and it was time for supper when they inevitably chose to pause their chatter. It was the most at-home Zelda had felt, again, since leaving the castle.
During the break before dinner, Zelda joined Paya on the front porch at Impa's behest. It made sense, and Zelda didn't mind getting to know another woman her age. What was her age? Did it even matter? Zelda distracted herself from more pestering self-reflection by watching Link sneak around Kakariko.
"What exactly is he doing?" Zelda asked.
"Hide and seek," Paya replied.
An excited scream brought Zelda's attention back to the game, where she saw Link chase a little girl around a bush by the village plaza. She had heard stories from before the Calamity that Link was always the children's favorite, back when Zelda still hated his guts. She didn't believe them then—she didn't want to believe that the boy had one more positive quality over her—but she felt a warmth inside her seeing evidence for the claim in front of her eyes. He knew how fast to chase the girls, and when to throw in a dramatic growl to keep them running. He pretended to be unaware when their hiding spots were painfully obvious, only to stage a surprise strike when the girls let their guard down. Zelda would have watched them play for longer, but dinner called.
The rest of the evening was slow, in the good kind of way. It let Zelda catch her breath after a wildly emotional day. Link correctly intuited that she wanted to visit Hateno Village next. Purah had set up her laboratory there, and the researcher inside Zelda couldn't resist the prospect that created. Her excitement and her nerves kept her up arguably too late, but just like one hundred years ago, Link kept his eyes on her.
"Are you doing alright?" he asked her on the back porch of Impa's home.
It was about midnight, if Zelda's guess was to be trusted, and the light of the moon was positively comforting.
"Yes." Zelda nodded, and it was the truth. "And you?"
Link took a little longer, but he nodded twice back. "Yes."
Zelda was sure that there were hundreds of little things that they didn't say to one another, due to nervousness or apprehension of any sort. That was okay; nothing had to happen tonight. They would have plenty of time to talk on the trip to Hateno the next day, and they would share the weeks beyond that as well. Sagessa's words from that morning bounced around Zelda's head, but they did not diaquiet her in the way they did earlier. She could wait. Link could too. Zelda quietly thanked Impa for the advice.
…
The villagers were staring at her, and Zelda stared back. When she was a little girl, Hateno was a small settlement on the outskirts of Hyrule, nested comfortably in the Necluda region. It's remote location turned out to be an advantage: when all of the larger Hylian towns were wiped out by the Calamity, Hateno was far enough away from Central Hyrule that it hardly suffered damage at all. Of course, the noble sacrifices of the royal soldiers at Fort Hateno had a lot to do with how the village was spared. The Akkala Citadel wasn't so lucky, or so Zelda had heard.
Link prepared her for this. He told her on the ride from Kakariko that people would be curious. The villagers respect me, he said, and Zelda knew Link well enough to see that as a tacit admission of being a local legend. Naturally, his admirers would want to know about the girl who had her arms wrapped around their hero on horseback. There would be gossip, but Zelda was familiar with gossip. It was just a little further through town until they started to climb toward the tech lab. They were almost there.
Purah, Zelda was obliged to admit, had selected a wonderful spot for an ancient technology center. The lab sat on top of the hill at the back of Hateno Village, overlooking the Necluda sea and with a pristine view of Mount Lanayru to the north. Out front was the perpetual blue flame that Zelda recognized from the Royal Ancient Lab that was now a pile of ruins. The chimney of Purah's home let out some pleasant white smoke, a mechanical arm dangled precariously over the roof, and a leaning spire stood tall with what looked like a tiny room on top. The whole assembly was cobbled together haphazardly, but it still looked homely. It was all very Purah.
Link found a nice nook to tie the horse, but stopped at the door before knocking.
"Purah will be younger than you might think," he whispered, and then his knuckles rapped the door frame.
There was a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. What could that possibly mean?
"Coming!" screeched a shrill, high pitched voice.
Zelda felt a gust of wind as the door swung open rapidly, and a girl who was half her height stood before her.
"You did not," Zelda stated plainly.
"Oh but I did! I knew you would recognize me," the girl, no, Purah, shouted again.
After Zelda had gotten over the initial shock of seeing her old research mentor in the body of a six-year-old, talking with Purah felt just as easy as it had with Impa. Where Impa was collected and sage, Purah was wild and crazed. Link was quickly forced to give up the Sheikah Slate, and the two research partners got right back to work. It was like the Calamity had never happened. Well, except for Purah's reverse ageing.
At some point in time Link must have grown bored of watching the two girls go at it, because he was not there when Zelda looked up from the pedestal at which she and Purah were stationed. Purah's assistant, Symin, explained that Link was likely checking up on his house. That revelation stopped Zelda in her tracks.
"Link has a house?"
"Yep," Purah replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She didn't even look up from the slate.
That was interesting. It made sense, she supposed, that Link would have wanted somewhere permanent to stay. She never would have guessed that he purchased a home, however. For some reason, the idea of Link being a homeowner was off-putting to her. Did he not plan to travel any more? Was Hateno their last stop together?
"Check out the Compendium," Purah nudged Zelda and handed her the slate.
Right. They were still working. As Zelda scrolled through the Hyrule Compendium she noticed pictures that she hadn't herself taken, many of dangerous monsters and rare materials that she never found before the Calamity. It was remarkable—she remembered leaving the Compendium not even half completed, and now it looked to be almost ninety percent finished. While Link was out slaying monsters, he must have taken a great number of photographs as well. He was never into research. So why did he slave away at the encyclopedia in his slate?
It was getting darker; travelling from Kakariko and spending an afternoon with Purah made the day fly by. Zelda noticed her stomach growling, and scolded herself. She too often forwent meals while absorbed in her studies.
"We have an extra mat if you'd like to sleep over!" Purah offered.
Zelda's face fell a little. A slumber party sounded nice, but she wasn't sure that she wanted the day to end in that way.
"Or… you can stay with Linky?" Purah tilted her head.
Purah normally teased her relentlessly, so Zelda was grateful that the Sheikah was more sensitive in that moment. She did want to stay with Link. The question was, was he okay having her? Symin helped her untie the horse Link left at the lab and sent her off with the slate and directions to Link's home. There were fewer eyes pointed at her on the ride back through the town, thankfully. Zelda needed to straighten her back and hold her head high. She needed the courage to say what she wanted to say to Link.
The house was an old one in a hidden part of the town. It was separated from the plaza by a small bridge over a river, and had a cooking pot and apple tree out front. Zelda wanted to ask how he managed to afford a home, and what he planned to do with it. She wanted to talk about the Compendium, and any other things he did after waking up about which she hadn't the faintest idea. But before all of that, Zelda had to knock on the door.
Knock knock.
She tapped on the door in the same way Link used to knock at her study in the castle. Would he remember that? Link opened it up. He was wearing an old shirt, similar to the one they left with him in the Shrine of Resurrection, paired with the pair of Hylian trousers he was wearing earlier. Zelda didn't have to ask to enter. He lightly grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.
"I made enough dinner for the both of us."
Zelda smiled. That was good. As they ate, she scanned the main room, whose walls were adorned with all sorts of fancy weapons and shields. Mipha's trident hung on a rack, joined by Urbosa's scimitar and Revali's bow. Daruk's boulder breaker was too big to be mounted, but spotted it leaning against a corner in the room. Link noticed her staring.
"It reminds me of them."
His sentence was worded vaguely, but his meaning was clear. It gave Zelda the chance to ask the question she had been dying to get out for days. She had to know: was he the same Link she grew close to one hundred years ago? Was he someone else entirely?
"How much do you remember?" she finally asked.
Link waited before responding.
"I got little flashbacks from visiting the champions' homes. The pictures you left me helped too, and I know a lot of what happened in the year leading up to the Calamity. Nowadays, a few pieces trickle in, and they're always…" Link trailed off.
"They're always what?"
Link stopped twirling his spoon around the bowl of stew in front of him. He looked up at Zelda, eyes soft.
"I have a gift for you," he announced.
Link grabbed a piece of clothing out of a drawer. He unfolded it, and presented it to Zelda. It was blue. It was a very familiar blue.
"I tried to remake your old field gear," he explained, and placed a pair of black paints on the table next to the top. "I asked my friend Sayge to help—he runs the dye shop in town."
The shirt before her was designed after the one she would wear while travelling before Ganon. The royal seal was missing, and some of the more intricate golden designs had been simplified, but it still looked nearly identical to her old outfit. Zelda was stunned, and she looked back up at Link with wet eyes. Without thinking, she rushed forward and wrapped him in a hug.
"Thank you."
Link froze for a moment, but brought his arms around too.
"All of my memories," he mumbled in her ear. "All of the memories that come back now. They're about you."
It didn't matter if this was the same Link from before. The Link from before and the Link from now were different, but they were also the same. What mattered was that the Link in her arms was here, alive, and real.
…
They kept travelling. It was an unspoken, mutually beneficial agreement between them: Zelda wanted to see more of how Hyrule had changed, and Link presumably wished to keep an eye on her, like he always had. His gift of her replica field outfit had gone a great distance to calm her fear that Link would want to settle down. Its message was evident. He was giving her clothes to wear on the road.
Link suggested they go to West Hyrule first, but kept his motivations a secret. Their first stop was the Tabantha Bridge Stable, where Zelda met an eccentric old Shiekah painter named Pikango. Zelda held a canvas portrait in her bag thanks to the friendly artist. Next, they turned northward, sights set on the spire of rock making up Rito Village. With each day that passed, she and Link spoke more about their experiences. Zelda attempted to explain how it felt to use her sealing power, and Link gave hints about the sword that never left his side. They exchanged more words in those travel days than they did in the entire seasons before Ganon struck, and Zelda had never felt less stressed on the road. It certainly helped that their destination was not a holy spring at which Zelda would once again fail to unlock some crucial power.
Rito Village was delightful. Zelda never ceased being surprised at the number of connections Link had made while she was in a constant war inside the castle. After stopping by a weapons maker's hut where Link grabbed some arrows and a bow, they had dinner with a lovely Rito family. Zelda couldn't remember all of the children's names. Notts, Cotts… Kheeli? Regardless, their parents Amali and Kass were great company. Kass was a musician as well, and sang everyone a song about the story of a Hero and a Princess. He definitely knew.
"We need to get you a Snowquill set," Link said on the day they were set to depart.
Where were they going where she would need warm clothing? When she asked him, Link just looked toward the Hebra Mountains to the north. They would not end up scaling the Hebran summits, thank the Goddess, but she and Link spent a good amount of time gaining altitude nonetheless. He had a couple of friends who lived in these parts, remote and nigh uninhabitable as they were. Zelda might have complained more if these friends of his didn't turn out to be so welcoming.
Their names were Selmie and Pondo. The former was a professional shield surfer, a sport which Zelda did not know existed before speaking to her, and the latter was a pleasant old man who had a bowling hobby. Zelda marveled at how well the two of them got along with Link, and she felt a small pang in her heart for it. She wished she could tell Link about the friends he used to have, but she didn't know them any better than he remembered. She told herself that he probably didn't want to know anyways.
The highlight of the day was Link and Selmie trying to teach her how to shield surf. Zelda face planted more times than she would have liked to admit, but it was fine! She was never that athletic and had come to terms with that fact, even if she was a tad envious of the ease with which Link and Selmie glided down the slopes. While those knuckleheads had fun, Zelda talked a bit with Pondo, doing the best she could to hold a conversation like a normal person and not the former Princess of Hyrule. She thought she did a good job—it was kind of easy when they spent the majority of the time discussing Link. Pondo was rightfully curious about him, and Zelda answered all the questions she could without exposing too much. Zelda gushed a little bit; it was hard not to.
"You really like him, don't you?" Pondo asked.
"I enjoy travelling with him," Zelda said curtly.
When it was time to leave Tabantha, Zelda asked if they could go to the Gerudo region next.
"I don't have to go inside Gerudo Town if you don't want me to," she clarified.
Because of its rule forbidding men from entering its walls, Gerudo Town used to be Zelda's favorite hiding place when she couldn't stand her personal knight breathing down her neck. Understandably, that frustrated Link back then.
"No," Link stammered. "That's fine."
They stopped at a few stables and shrines on the route to the desert. Zelda made Link promise that he would help her climb a Sheikah tower eventually, and that satisfied her research instinct for the time being. They reached the sands late afternoon one day, perfectly between the scorching hot midday and freezing evenings. Kara Kara Bazaar was a useful stopping point between the desert entrance and Gerudo Town, and it was where Link and Zelda would spend that night. The sands were still familiar one hundred years later. The layout of the Bazaar had changed, but Zelda could still point out the places she would walk with Urbosa, and the spot where she was nearly killed by a Yiga soldier. Link must have felt a similar way, as he looked more concerned than he normally was.
Zelda learned the following morning that Link's concern was for a different reason.
"How did you even manage this?" Her question sounded more like a cry.
In front of her, Link was dressed in Gerudo outfit designed for Hylian women. Of course, it all made too much sense. Link had to get into Gerudo Town somehow to speak with the chieftain and free Divine Beast Vah Naboris. She figured he would have just been exceedingly stealthy, not openly crossdress! Zelda laughed aloud after her surprise. The funniest part was that Link looked great. She would have had no idea who it was behind the veil if she wasn't so good at recognizing his eyes.
Once he donned the getup, Link lost all of his apprehension.
"Ready to head on in?" he asked cheekily.
What followed was one of the best days of Zelda's life. Link introduced her to Riju, the shockingly young Gerudo chief, and her personal guard Buliara. Zelda felt an immediate kinship with Riju, as the two of them knew what it was like to have the spotlight thrust on them so young. Buliara's protective nature was fierce, but reminded Zelda a little of Urbosa. The older Gerudo flushed when Zelda told her as much. Neither seemed to care much that Link snuck around the town as a voe. Apparently, he had done so much for them that to protest his presence would be unjust.
Riju kindly invited them to ride around the desert on sand seals. Unlike shield surfing, Zelda had done that before, so she was far more in her element holding the reins of a sand seal than she was tumbling down a snow hill. When she first asked Link to head to the desert, this was secretly what she was hoping for. Sand seals were one of her favorite carefree activities before the Calamity. Once her father cracked down on nearly everything that could be described as fun, it had become harder for her to find the time. Now, though—now was nice.
After racing around the sands, Zelda had one final wish. It wasn't that she wanted to make Link stay in that Gerudo outfit any longer (well, maybe she did a little bit), but Zelda wanted to have a night like the ones she would spend with Urbosa. The Gerudo Champion used to take her to the Noble Canteen in the late evenings where Zelda would drink away her problems, responsibly of course. Urbosa, despite her arguable recklessness in letting the underage Zelda drink, always made sure to force moderation on her. Zelda had never gotten black-out drunk—it wasn't something she wished to try, either—but she did enjoy the feeling of being tipsy now and then. Urbosa would often call her vurish, but she never actually told Zelda what that meant.
Riju had confirmed the existence of The Noble Canteen earlier that day, as well as its signature drink, the Noble Pursuit. Zelda didn't have Urbosa to sneak her in anymore, and that definitely stung. Maybe, though, Link had a few more connections he could exploit?
They did in fact get to the bar that night, and it was everything Zelda remembered. Riju stopped by briefly to say hello, but didn't stay for so long. Even as the chief, she was too young to order a drink. Zelda spent half the time begging Link to have something, whether or not it would be a strong concoction. Yes, he had saved her from harm more times than she wished to count, but he could benefit from being a little less responsible sometimes! This was the first time in their lives that they didn't have some dark specter hanging over their heads with the collective eyes of Hyrule trained on them too.
Link did capitulate after a while, promising Zelda that he would have one drink. It was a small victory, but it was one that Zelda would celebrate. She was deep enough into her own Noble Pursuit that the royal accent she'd been suppressing snuck out in every other sentence, and she discovered just how much she enjoyed smiling at Link. It was hilarious. She would look at him, grin, and he would find literally anything else in the room to look at. Zelda was mildly inebriated, but she knew that he was blushing even in the low light of the Canteen.
She wanted to touch him. The desire arose in her seemingly out of nowhere. One moment she was happy to talk and drink with him from across the table, and the next she was leaning forward and placing an arm on his. If the smiling had him embarrassed, then that contact had him absolutely flustered. What were they even talking about? It was so hard to focus on anything but the way his forearm felt under her fingers. Pondo was right, Sagessa was right, Impa was right… She did like him. And no, she wasn't fully drunk; she was simply in a heightened state of emotion. The walls inside her brain were ever so slightly shorter, short enough for Zelda to peer over and witness the ocean full of feeling on the other side.
"Link… Can you carry me back?"
It was a request she knew he wouldn't refuse. It wasn't that late. She wasn't that drunk. The Bazaar wasn't that far away. Zelda drifted in and out of sleep on Link's back. It wasn't her fault that his shoulder was better than all of the castle's pillows. She remembered him setting her down on some bed, and that was it.
Zelda woke up inside the inn of Kara Kara Bazaar. Yes, it was the room they had booked. A few feet away, Link sat up on the other bed, tying his hair in the same ponytail he always wore. Zelda grew a little concerned about the events of the previous night. She remembered the whole thing; seriously, she wasn't that drunk. She just hoped...
"I'm sorry for the way I acted last night," she said. "I hope I did not make you uncomfortable."
"You did nothing wrong. I'm glad I was able to take care of you."
Zelda broached the next topic as she changed and tied her boots.
"What do you want to do from here?"
"I know a big tree who wants to see you," he said cryptically.
Korok Forest! That was what Link was referring to, and the idea wasn't bad at all. The circumstances behind her last visit were abysmal, so she did not get to fully appreciate that landscape of the Lost Woods. Going back would be a nice trip, especially with Link at her side.
"I'd like that a lot."
Zelda smiled, and this time Link did not look away.
…
Korok Forest was fantastic. Getting there wasn't the easiest of tasks, sure, but once you made it through the lost woods—well, nothing else in Hyrule truly compared. The Great Deku Tree, as Link said, was pleased to have Zelda as a guest. The little forest spirits shared that sentiment, and expressed it in all sorts of fun ways. There were always half a dozen Koroks floating around her and Link at any given moment. They prepared a place to stay in the navel of the Deku Tree, had set up a small store selling foodstuffs and elixir ingredients, and even had a small Goddess Statue to overlook the woods. Moreover, a giant Korok named Hestu had somewhat imprinted on Link. Apparently, Link had recovered Hestu's magic red maracas, and Link owed his increased weapon storage to the budding Korok musician.
Throughout their visit to the forest, Link periodically glanced at Zelda from the side of his eyes, as though he was studying her. They had both been here before: Link, undoubtedly, had been here numerous times since he first pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal. Zelda was the person to deliver the broken sword back here when Link fell in battle one hundred years prior. She wondered if his curiosity had something to do with her own power, or if it was something else entirely. Their dynamic had changed slightly since their night in Gerudo Town, but Zelda could not put her finger on the exact differences from before.
Either way, it wasn't all-important. Zelda had resolved herself to take herself more seriously, and to decidedly grapple with the events of the Calamity. She had lived a century, virtually alone, locked in a battle against the beast that was Ganon, and that had given her some amount of time to process what happened to her family, friends, and home. In retrospect, however, the time she spent in the castle was more like a dream: she wasn't entirely conscious and aware throughout, and any waking energy was immediately exhausted fighting against malice incarnate. Now that the battle was over and she was out and about, she had time to grieve.
Some days were better than others. That was how many others felt grief too, Zelda presumed. There was always some part of her days that reminded her of her father or Urbosa, and her guilt at the champions' deaths surfaced sharply and randomly. Link usually noticed when Zelda felt in those ways. He was so observant, that boy. That must have been why he was not surprised when Zelda asked to return to the castle.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Nothing in his face or voice suggested that he was caught off guard by her request. It was quite the opposite, in fact—Link was prepared and ready to support her in case she wasn't yet ready. Zelda was ready, though.
The Great Hyrule Forest was close to the castle. They made it there with good pace, and opted to take the long way around in order to see Hyrule Castle as it was meant to be seen, from the Sacred Ground in the south. She didn't want to go back inside. She probably wouldn't want to for another one hundred years, or at least that was how she felt at that moment. Looking from a distance was enough, and it would have to be enough. They sat against a tree by the place where she appointed the champions what felt like forever ago.
She talked with Link about what she missed. It was a long list, including big things like her father and the champions, but also the day-to-day feelings of the castle. She missed the hustle and bustle and the constant stomping through the halls. Even the liveliest parts of Gerudo Town didn't compare. There were so many people who were lost, and Zelda lamented that she couldn't know them all, that she couldn't say their names once more. She missed how Castle Town was the center of it all. There was no other place where every species lived and worked together, where Zora and Rito walked the streets side by side, with Gorons pulling carts full of Gerudo jewelry. Castle Town was the only place besides Kakariko where the Sheikah would show their faces, and the dense Hylian population was the glue that held the town together.
She told this all to Link, and he held her when she cried. He was a great listener, but an even greater companion. So when he said that they would go to Akkala next, she would follow him.
…
Zelda guessed that they were going to see Robbie. Purah mentioned back in Hateno that Robbie operated an ancient tech lab of his own in the deep recesses of the Akkala region. If they were following the pattern of visiting the survivors of the Calamity, then Robbie would be the next logical step. Oddly enough, however, Link took an early turn east before the ruins of the citadel. Zelda was familiar enough with Akkala to know that this path was the long route on the way toward northern Akkala. Link said that he wanted to pass by Akkala Falls, but that reasoning was unlike him. He was planning something, but Zelda could not figure out what.
They turned the corner one morning to see Lake Akkala after camping a night by the waterfalls, and Zelda finally got the answers she was looking for. On the rock island in the center of Lake Akkala sat numerous, colorful buildings. This did not exist when Zelda walked into the castle. It was completely new. It was—
"Tarrey Town," Link said.
As they neared the settlement, Zelda was arching her back and sticking her head up to try and get a better view. She could make out a central fountain and plaza once they were on the bridge to the island, and the welcoming platform did indeed have a sign that read Tarrey Town. Link, of course, wore a smug look on their entire approach.
"Link!" yelled a hefty Hylian man. "You're just in time, son. And I see you've brought a plus one?"
A plus one? What exactly was happening here?
"This is Zel," Link gestured, using the same nickname he told Sagessa. "And I would never miss your wedding, Hudson."
Hudson—that was his name—let out a hearty laugh and turned to go greet what were presumably the other guests. Zelda snapped her head toward Link and gave him a panicked glare.
"You didn't tell me there was a wedding! We don't have any formal clothing." she whispered sharply.
"Relax," Link said, the worst thing you could say to a nervous Zelda. "Look what Hudson is wearing."
Zelda looked over at the groom and took the time to look at his outfit. Link did have a point; Hudson was wearing a white vest with no undershirt with a bow tie wrapped around his bare neck. It was not traditional, to say the least. But that still didn't explain the fact that she was his additional guest!
"And I thought you would have liked a surprise like this," Link continued.
Zelda sighed and nodded meekly. She was still mad at him for not telling her there was an entire new settlement in Hyrule, but it was a good surprise. She also didn't mind all that much being Link's plus one, as Hudson said.
"Attention everyone!" A tall Gerudo woman shouted above the small crowd. "The ceremony will begin in less than thirty minutes!"
"That would be the bride, Rhondson," Link informed her.
Zelda just nodded. She had many names to learn, and she got to work. She and Link wandered about the plaza while the ceremony was being prepared, talking to all sorts of Tarrey Town inhabitants and visitors. There was a Rito merchant, Gerudo mining brothers, a Zora priest, and even a typical Hylian family who had chosen to raise their children up in Akkala. The construction company head who sold Link his Hateno home was there as well. They were all kind and friendly faces, and none of them knew who Zelda really was. It was humbling, but it was also a feeling Zelda wished to indulge in more.
The ceremony was beautiful in every sense. The vows were short and heartfelt, and every guest seemed genuinely happy for the new couple. Zelda had attended many a wedding during her time as Hyrule's Princess, but those were all very stiff and traditional. Tarrey Town had no longstaying tradition. On the contrary, Tarrey Town had only existed for…
"How long has this town been here?" Zelda asked Link.
"He didn't tell you?" but in the voice of a Goron, whose name Zelda recalled as Greyson. "Link helped us build it all!"
Zelda turned wide-eyed to Link. Was that true? Link scratched his head.
"You did all the heavy lifting," he said. "I just brought some materials."
"No way!" cried the Goron. "You're as much of a brother as the rest of us."
Greyson slapped Link on the back. It reminded Zelda very much of Daruk. Link had made so many new companions since he awoke from the shrine. Without warning, the blare of a horn rang out, followed by a sequence of drums. Hudson had hired musicians, and that signal meant it was time to dance!
As soon as Link mouthed the words have fun, Zelda was swept away. She didn't focus too much on the dancing. Her muscle memory could help her there, with her countless hours spent moving to music in the castle banquet hall. Dance partners came and went, ranging from as large as a Goron and as small as a little Hylian girl. She smiled and laughed with them all—how could she not? She was so happy. And her happiness, Zelda reflected, stemmed from one source.
"I forgot to tell you," Link said, once they finally returned to each other on the dance floor. "A silent princess bloomed in your old study at the castle. It's your favorite, right?"
His question was so earnest, and his eyes were so warm. He remembered.
"Yes," Zelda replied breathlessly.
Zelda's cheeks hurt too much to smile any more, but she was sure her eyes were glowing. It felt like her whole being was glowing, and she was almost worried she'd let a little of Hylia's power slip out into the plaza. No one would bother them now; Zelda would make sure of it. They stepped in time to the quick pace of the music, but she was determined not to let Link leave her sight.
"I want to stay with you longer," she said. "Can we do that?"
Link gently nodded. His eyes were still so bright. Of course we can stay together, they said. The music slowed and softened, their hops turned to gliding steps, and their sharper movements turned to sways. They rocked together, and Zelda thought back to Mipha's advice.
What I think about when I'm healing… What usually goes through my mind… It helps when I think—when I think about…
The bright core of power inside Zelda shined, and The Deku Tree's words floated to the forefront of her mind.
Now then… Words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of your voice, don't you think?
Sagessa, Pondo, Impa, Purah… Mipha… Urbosa… The realization hit Zelda harder than Ganon's rage ever could.
You'll figure it out… You really like him, don't you?
She looked up at Link. Their chests were pressed together now, and Zelda let out a small whine.
"Are you okay?"
Link was studying her, and she stared back. His eyes were full of worry, care, and something else she could feel even if she couldn't name. He glanced at her lips, his mouth slightly ajar.
She wanted to pull him even closer. She wanted to tilt her head further up.
She wanted to lean forward. And… and...
THE END
Endnote:
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