The song notes of an ocarina echoed through the evening air, breaking the silence of the courtyard. The fog had long since lifted, allowing the light of the low sun to illuminate the area. While the other trainees were making the most of their limited down time, Link sat on the top of the wall overseeing the courtyard between the battlements, playing the fairy ocarina. He felt peaceful, his eyes closed as his fingers move instinctively from note to note as the wind played with his hair. Every few minutes, he would stop, as if waiting from something, before continuing once more.

"You really shouldn't do that." Said a voice behind him, startling him and breaking his meditative state, causing him to emit a shrill sound through the ocarina. He turned to see the Princess and her retainer standing behind him, with the former wincing and rubbing her ears. "Ow." She muttered.

"You gave me a fright Zelda." He paused for a moment. "Sorry, I mean Your Majesty."

"Oh, stop that." She sighed, shaking her head. "I won't have you call me that when it's just us."

Link glanced at Impa. "Are you sure you're ok with me being so disrespectful to the princess?" He teased.

"Excuse me! I-" Zelda began, only to be interrupted by her retainer.

"Regarding informal interactions such as this, I see no issue."

Slowly, the princess turned back to Link. "… See? If you keep doing that, I'll have you thrown in the stocks."

"Oh no." He laughed. "Not the stocks! What ever shall I do?"

"Shush." Zelda pouted, but eventually broke down into laughter alongside him. Despite how many years had passed, at the centre of it all they were still the same.

Link stifled his laughter and brushed the hair from his face. "Anyway, it's good to see you Zelda. Even if you almost scared me to death."

"Impa would have caught you." She responded as she settled into the battlement next to him. "It's good to see you too. How has your training going?" Link's groan caused her eyebrow to arch. "That bad, then?"

"No, it's fine, just…" He shook his head. "I don't know. I feel I've hit a stone wall. I know I can learn more, but I feel like I can't."

"Ah, I see." She nodded. "You're getting bored."

Link frowned. "What? No, that's not what I mean at all." He paused. "I mean, I am getting bored training against the same people all the time, but that's not what I mean."

Impa tilted her head. "You fear being trapped in habit?"

"Kinda." He looked down at the courtyard bellow them. "I know I need to learn to work with these guys when we actually become knights, and they're good people. I just…"

"Have more experience?" Zelda offered.

He shrugged. "Yes, but there's more. I'm used to throwing myself at monsters or magic alone. But when there's other people I need to work with, I can't just fight on instinct. I have to follow commands, cover the others."

Impa tilted her head. "That's not all, is it?" Link looked to her silently. After a moment, he bit his lip and returned his gaze to the courtyard, but he didn't answer.

Seeing her friends discomfort, Zelda lightly pushed her attendant. "Impa, leave him alone. If he doesn't want to tell us, he doesn't have to. He's earned that much from us at least."

"Very well." She shrugged. "I will defer to your wisdom, princess. Though I hope Link isn't avoiding the nature of the question."

Link rolled his eyes. "Thanks ma'am."

Impa glared at him. "Are you aware that, if you fell from this height, you would likely survive, even with your legs completely snapped?"

"Impa!" Scoffed the princess.

"No." Link smirked. "Though I'm not as clumsy as the princess."

"Hey!" Zelda pouted. "Why bring me into this!" When Link offered only a shrug, she angrily crossed her arms. "I've changed my mind. Impa, throw him off the wall."

"With pleasure." Before Link could protest, the Sheikah marched over to Link and grabbed him by the collar and dangled him off the wall.

"Hey, hey!" Link shouted, fumbling with his ocarina. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry Zelda! You're not clumsy!"

The princess paused, delicately placing a finger on her chin in mock thought. "All right, I accept your apology." She said after a moment.

And with that, Impa flung him back over the wall and dropped him on the floor. After he inspected his ocarina, making sure it wasn't damaged, he let out a big sigh of relief and turned to Zelda. "That's an abuse of your standing, princess."

Zelda nodded slowly, hiding her smirk. "It certainly is. Thankfully I'm not queen yet, so I can get away with it."

Link groaned as he stood up. "Damn. I never really think about it like that. Queen Zelda, huh?"

Zelda's smile faded. "Please don't, Link. It's a terrifying enough prospect without other people bringing it up."

"Right. Sorry." He crossed his arms. "It's quiet the burden."

She sighed. "Yes, well, better I carry it than anyone else. But may we please stop talking about future politics?"

Link shrugged. "I won't complain. What do you want to talk about then?"

"How about your training? You're being sent out for a training mission in a village down south, correct?"

"Right." He nodded. "Some bokoblins or bandits down there causing them problems. We're going to guard it while it's defences are built up."

"Scary."

"Ha. There's a reason we're being sent out. They're not a real threat to anyone with some training. Though It'll be nice to let Epona stretch her legs. She's been cooped up in town for too long."

"Riiiiight." Zelda glanced at him. "Epona's the one who's been trapped here."

"Hey, I haven't left here in a year. I think it's fair for me to want to get out."

"Oh, you've enjoyed it. I heard how you went straight to a tavern as soon as you were old enough, right Impa?"

"Indeed." The sheikah confirmed.

"Yeah, and right out of it." He gagged. "I still don't get why people drink that garbage."

"You could have tried ale or cider." Impa suggested. "Why go for the stronger drinks immediately?"

"Malon suggested it."

"Ah, of course." Zelda nodded sagely. "It all makes sense."

Link frowned. "What does?"

"Her plan. Magnificent, really."

"Zelda, just spit it out already."

"A princess does not spit." She smirked. "But, I will indulge you. You see, you've been drinking Lon Lon milk since you two met, correct?"

Link frowned, confused. "Yeah… and?"

"Well, if you tried what those taverns provide and you like it, she could lose a valuable customer."

A moment passed between them. "Seriously Zelda?" He eventually asked. "That's it? You drew that out?"

"You don't have to believe me." She shrugged dramatically. "But your farm girl seems to see you as nothing more than a cash cow."

Link raised an eyebrow, then turned to Impa. "Hey, could you throw Zelda off the wall for me?"

"No."

He nodded. "Thanks." His mind drifted to event earlier in the day. "Hey, speaking of which, I met up with Malon this morning. We had this arm wrestle and-"

"You lost?" Zelda interrupted.

"Have some faith in me!"

"So you won?"

Link paused. "No." Before she could make him further, he continued. "Anyway, we had this arm wrestle, and we put a little wager on it."

Impa arched an eyebrow. "I hope you're not asking the princess for a loan on gambling money."

"No!" Link scoffed. "You'd prefer that."

Zelda leaned forward, intrigued. "So what's this wager?"

"Well, Malon bet that, if she won, I would have to kiss you…" He slowly pointed to the sheikah. "Or Impa." Zelda snorted, trying to contain her laughter, while Impa simply narrowed her eyes. "I think you see my problem."

"No," Impa said, voice laced with scorn. "I don't. You can simply not. Do. It."

"Well, Malon would nag me about it until I'm in the dirt, so…"

"No." Impa hissed.

"Ok, but-" Zelda gasped for air. "But what did you bet?"

Link blinked. "Sorry?"

"If you had won, what would you get?"

"Oh." He scratched his nose. "I would get to kiss her."

With this, Zelda collapsed into a fit of laughter, laughing so hard that she eventually ran out of breath and devolving into a fit of coughing.

"Princess, please, control yourself." The sheikah pleaded.

"Clever boy." Zelda managed through gasps. "Steal a kiss even if you lose! You're morn cunning than I thought!"

Link grimaced. "Not exactly. Because I lost, and now I'm going to get hurt one way or the other." He glanced to Impa.

"No." She responded.

"Would you rather I kissed the princess?"

"No."

"Then I have to-"

"No."

"If I kiss you, you break my arm. I kiss Zelda, you break my neck!"

"Ok, ok." Zelda managed to step between them. "This is getting out of hand. Impa, just let him kiss me and let's get it over with."

"You're highness," She insisted. "you shouldn't lower yourself for the sake of a gambling idiot."

Link frowned. "Thanks for that, Impa."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Come on, both of you. You're making this far more dramatic than it needs to be."

Impa clenched her teeth, and then simply said "Very well, your highness. I will obey your instructions. However…" She paused, dragging out the tension. "I will be telling your father about this." Zelda, however, was not intimidated. Rather, she seemed quiet amused by the notion.

"Well, it's going to be a boring story, but if you feel the need. Now!" She turned to Link. "Shouldn't you complete your side of the bet?" Link, clearly uncomfortable, began to rise, only to be stopped by the princess. "Now there's no need for that, Link." She smirked, presenting her hand to him. Realising this was what he was going to kiss, Link felt a lot more relaxed. Seeing his shift, the princess chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint, but as the princess, I can't just go around kissing random knights."

Feeling he was treading of eggshells, Link chose his words as carefully as he could. "That's… not what I thought, Zelda."

"And what did you think?" She teased. "Did you think we would smooch?"

"What?" Link recoiled. "No! Honestly I didn't think this would happen at all."

"Oh?" Zelda practically sung. "But you hoped it would happen, hmmm?" Link began to fumble over his words, and from the corner of her eye she saw Impa give a thin smile. "You hoped you'd get the chance to snog me, to touch lips and-"

"Zelda?" Link interrupted, his voice completely emotionless.

"Yes Link?" She cooed.

"I hate you."

With those three words, Zelda could no longer keep up the act and broke down into another fit of laughter, hands resting on her knees to stop her from falling over. Eventually, her laughter died down and she looked back to Link, who was wearing an expression that wouldn't be out of place on Impa's face. "Well then." The princess giggled. "Learnt your lesson?"

"Yes, fine." Link scowled. "Gambling is bad, I'm an idiot, and you're evil. Just give me the damn hand." Zelda happily offered her hand once again, which Link angrily took and kissed as quickly as he could. "There. Done. Are you happy?"

"Elated." She replied smugly, only to notice Link's face become even more sour. "What's that face for?"

"Nothing." He growled. "Just feels like I'm in a loop."

Zelda blinked, trying to understand what he meant, then just gave up. "Alright then." She dusted off her dress. "Well, we should get going. Leave you to your ocarina."

Link gave a wave. "See you around, you royal pain in the ass." Zelda, in response, gave him a bow.

"See you around, you hopeless heartthrob."

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked back into the castle, with Impa trailing as close as a shadow, leaving Link once again alone. He sighed, collecting his thoughts, when he heard music. He looked to his ocarina, which was producing a strong of notes all by its self. He smiled, listening to the song, and once it was over, he played it back, knowing that, somewhere far away, somewhere hidden, that someone was listening. And if she was listening, she was safe. And that was all he could ask for, until he say her again.

Kept you waiting, huh?

Seriously though, I am so sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. I know I said it would be before the end of last year, but I didn't, and I don't have an excuse. So, uh, sorry.

Now that I'm finally out of school, I should have more time to write this for you guys! Yaaaay! Though there's still university, and that's caused a lot of problems for me before it's even started, because I'm a fucking idiot and screwed up. But you don't need to know about that. Just know I made a mistake, and it may affect my uni opportunities. Should be fine, though, right?

Ugh, god.

This probably isn't what you were thinking would be next after a half year wait. Jokes about kissing? Worth it, right? RIGHT?!

Anyway, new year, so we'll have all sorts of fun. Except Australia is on fire, the air is full of smoke even though I'm nowhere nears the fires, so many animals are dead, our politicians are corrupt and everything is influenced by a decrepit old capitalist called Rupert that controls the worst news things that created this problem for the sake of money.

But the things are picking up in the story now, and it'll be cool again, I can promise that.

Thank you for your patience everyone. I hope I can meet your expectations.