This is my longest chapter so far and... I don't know how I feel about it! A part of me really likes it because I've been having these ideas in my mind for a while, yet another part of me think they're going too fast and it kind of doesn't make sense and kjdnfskn I DON'T KNOW. I considered just scrapping all of this and begin all over, but I had spent so much time on it so I thought it would be a shame... And I think I had a writer's block when I tried to start writing this, sorry for the wait. Just... let me know what you think this time. If it's terrible, I think I'll just throw it away, write a new chapter and pretend it never existed.

Don't worry, we'll get more into Zelda's head in the beginning of the next chapter... I think. I'll proof read again as soon as possible, it's late here... again.

The relief he felt the night before slowly turned into doubt and anxiety the next morning while he got dressed. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like it had been too good to be true, that there might still be a part of the Princess which would look down on him based on what he had told her. But all that anxiety faded away once he knocked on her door to ensure that she was awake and was greeted with a cheerful "Good morning!" when it opened. Maybe it wasn't too good to be true after all.

Princess Zelda seemed chirpier. Her eyes were shining during their quick breakfast in a way he hadn't really seen much of before, she chatted with Daruk until they parted ways and she stopped to examine flora and fauna more often. Link expected her good mood to go away once they were back in the castle, like it usually did, but this time she wasn't as gloomy. She left the laboratory with new documents and heavy books in her arms and entered her study with a determined gleam in her gaze. She focused on her research for hours and occasionally ordered tea to her study while she stayed inside. Papers were spread around her, some were even attached on the wall above her desk, and she went to say her prayers in the evenings to please her father, although Link could tell still a bit unwillingly. She didn't kneel before the goddess statue for hours, like she was capable to, and Link didn't blame her.

They soon departed again for Gerudo Desert, right before Zelda could tell she was beginning to feel the pressure on her inside the castle's walls again. Whenever they stopped for her to take a closer look at a family of foxes or herbs growing in the wild, she shared her knowledge of them like she had done when she and Link were still unfamiliar with the other, but he could tell that the tone in her voice had changed. It was less cool, less reserved and more confident. A part of him wondered if this change in the Princess had something to do with him confessing his thoughts and worries, but he doubted it. Sure, she seemed a bit happier since that night but he figured that anything could have improved her mood. And he still remembered Urbosa's words after she had called for him to Vah Naboris – the sword he was carrying constantly reminded the Princess of everything she had yet to achieve. That fact alone made him doubt that his words could have such an effect on the Princess.
He never made an attempt to remark her good mood and was simply content with having a better travel companion. If she was happier, perhaps she wouldn't try to run away from him anymore.

Memories of how their last visit had ended filled their minds the closer they got to the desert. When they almost reached Kara Kara Bazaar, he caught her glancing in the direction the murder attempt had taken place. But she didn't let her eyes linger too long and turned her head away, returning her attention to the sandy path before them. He carefully searched her face for any signs of discomfort or distress, trying to not be too obvious, but if she was feeling any of those, she wasn't letting him know. She stayed silent until they met up with Urbosa again.

Princess Zelda went to work on Vah Naboris as soon as possible and Link was allowed to come with her and Urbosa inside the gigantic Divine Beast. He stayed silent, as usual, and let them to the talking while he listened and observed the odd metallic walls around them, or walked away to either to start practicing his swordplay again or look out over the long shadows over the desert created by the sun. The view from Vah Naboris was majestic. Almost everywhere he looked was dry but there was something beautiful with seeing the soft, constantly shifting hills of sand, the tall canyons in the distance and hazy air from the high temperature. He lingered at one of the tall windows, letting his muscles take a break for a moment and his eyes take in the view. The beauty he saw from Vah Naboris made him forget to even consider being scared of heights.
Deciding that his break was over, Link turned around and gripped the Master Sword's hilt again. Looking up, he noticed Urbosa observing him and their eyes met. Thinking that she wanted something from him, he lowered the sword and heard her continue discussing with the Princess about the increase of monster attacks. Figuring that she didn't need something from him after all, he resumed practicing.

Once the Princess was done with Vah Naboris, they were being treated with Gerudo cuisine the night before they would leave. They took farewell of the Gerudo chief the same night and left the inn at the bazaar the next morning.

However, the Princess' good mood faded a bit the farther away from they got from the sundrenched desert. Deep down inside, she knew that she hadn't spent so much time on her prayers as she usually did and she knew that her father wouldn't be happy to remind her of her duty once more. And she knew how urgent it was for her to possess that power which was hers to have by birthright. The closer they got to the green hills of Hyrule, the harder did it become for her to push those thoughts away.

So many people were depending on her. All those hours she'd spent on praying even since she was a little girl didn't seem to help. She was doing exactly what she had been advised to do, reciting the same words over and over again, trying to keep nothing but the same thought in her mind as she kneeled before the statues of goddess Hylia. So many people were depending on her and she still had no result from her endless dedication. Last time she and Link had to cross Castle Town to enter the castle, she hadn't seen any signs of her people knowing of her flaw. But, she thought, it was only a matter of time until they, too, knew the truth of their Princess and who knows what would happen then. Would there be feelings of panic and fear? Not unimaginable. Would there be anger towards her once they knew? Her imagination wandered and convinced her mind that she would surely be hated and lynched once they knew that she wasn't capable of protecting them – she had read in textbooks what people could do when they felt powerless and their leaders wouldn't do what was expected of them.

It was on the morning of their third day after leaving Gerudo Desert when Princess Zelda turned to face her knight with a wish and a white lie in her mind.

"Say, you're not in a hurry to return to the castle yet, are you?" He shook his head. "Would you mind if we took a detour? I'm not feeling that keen on having to pass through Castle Town this time… unless it would mean more trouble for you?"

Taking a different path than the crowded streets of Castle Town would make his job a lot easier. "It wouldn't, your Majesty."

"Then, could we go west of the castle? I never got to see much of the vegetation there when I was little, and who knows, perhaps we will find something worthy to take notes of."

"Of course, your Majesty."

She smiled brightly. "Great!" She stopped her horse and picked up the Sheikah Slate hanging from her waist, pressed some buttons on it and stared intensely on its screen. The sun was shining brightly through the sparse clouds and made the screen reflect its rays so she tried to shade it with her hand and tilted the device to see properly.
"So if we…" She looked up and around them and then back at the screen, continuing to mumble to herself. "So if we follow the same road which takes us to Hebra and Rito Village for a while and then turn right… alright!" She looked up at her knight. "If we continue this road north and then cross Carok bridge and make a right turn, we should get to the northern plain. I'm sure we can get there today if we hurry." He nodded once to show that he understood and she urged her horse to start a quicker pace. He followed closely.

Happy that her knight had agreed with her suggestions, she tried to enjoy her freedom to the fullest. It was a beautiful day, the wind played with her golden hair as she rode and for once, it felt like her white horse wasn't interested in troubling her. She found in the end that she didn't really have to try. Their trip went smoothly even when two bokoblins and a moblin were waiting to ambush travelers at the bridge – Link had no trouble with taking them down.

Slightly disappointed that there was not much of interest in their surroundings, Princess Zelda continued a bit farther until she saw a field of wild flowers in full bloom. "Look how beautiful – and so many of them!" she exclaimed. The researcher in her knew that there could be much to learn from them, more than what she had already read in the textbooks back in the castle's library, and came to a halt. Her eyes twinkled and she hurriedly got off her horse to skip over to the blooming flowers. Link got off his mare and looked amused at the excited Princess as he walked over to stand next to her.

She touched the flower petals and reached for the Sheikah Slate. "These seem to be very common, unfortunately… unless I mistake them for something else." She pushed on some buttons to set the Slate's rune on "pictures" and looked up again, this time at Link. "Won't you help me look for something special?" she smiled at him. Honestly, he didn't know much about flowers, he knew more about what herbs to use for cooking, and he thought to himself that he wouldn't exactly be much for help. But despite that, he found his knees bend to lower him to the ground and his curiosity taking over his sense of duty.

Princess Zelda returned her attention to the flowers again. "Oh, but wait- Is it-?" Her eyes grew as she recognized one of the flowers. "There's one!"

Curious in what she had found, Link curiously tried to see what she had found by peeking at the Sheikah Slate's screen but still kept a respectful distance between them. The Princess snapped pictures to save on the Slate and began to eagerly tell him her knowledge. She took another picture and admired it on the screen, making her forget to continue with her small lesson of Hylian flowers. Link tried to see the picture as well but it was hard to when the screen was still reflecting the sunlight.

She suddenly gasped softly after quickly scrutinizing the picture. She looked over the Slate's edge and slowly lowered the device to the ground, as if being careful to not scare something away. Link saw her face go from excitement to a soft smile and she leaned forward to carefully take a better look at a beautiful flower. It was white with a blue center and long stamens and stigma, the petals formed like a lily. A tiny bud was hanging from the stem, ready to bloom in the upcoming days.

She spoke with such tenderness as she told him about the flower that bird song wasn't difficult to be heard and crickets hinted staying hidden in the tall grass. The flower was a rare kind, she told him, one that wouldn't be kept in manmade gardens no matter how hard one would try, and he crawled on all fours to get a better look at it, glancing hesitantly at his Princess to see if she would object him getting closer to her. She didn't. In fact, she didn't react at all and continued describing the flower for him. She reached out a hand to it, the silent princess, wanting to feel it on her fingertips but afraid of damaging it at the same time.

She suddenly moved her hand back and sat up on her knees. She raised the same hand up to her chest and expressed her worry for the flower to go completely extinct.

Her monologue ended and Link, now sitting up as well, watched her back. In some peculiar way, he thought, the thing she had said about the flower only being able to thrive in the wilderness could also be said for this, Hylian, Princess as well. It was really in moments like this, when she would stop to take a closer look whatever it was that peaked her interest and then immortalize them in forms of pictures or notes, when she almost seemed like another person. The Princess he accompanied outside the castle was a brighter version of the Princess he knew within the castle's thick stone walls. Her curiosity was always present, as was her will to learn more, but her passion shone stronger when she didn't have the constant pressure on her from home. And, as Link thought about this, he couldn't recall her ever showing her passion and excitement as openly as she did now.

Suddenly letting out a gasp, the Princess forgot everything about the rare flower and crawled forward so quickly that Link barely had time to register her sudden move. He saw her turning towards him with her hands clutched together and she scooted over to him to get closer. She reached her arms out to soon reveal to him what she kept hidden in her palms and shared her thrill of having caught it.

She quickly opened her palms and in her hands was… a toad. No, a frog. Like the ones he used to play with as a child. It stared blankly at him with its yellow eyes and croaked. He stared back at it. A frog was not what he expected the Princess to show him, especially not after she had told him she was keeping a "delicacy" in her hands.

She brought her hands closer to her face and studied it closely, all the while speaking so fast that he almost found it hard to hear what she was saying. It took a few seconds for him to get what she was suggesting: she wanted him to try it for her. But not here if he understood what she was saying in such fast speed. Something about him being the perfect candidate for some study. To analyze what effects the amphibian had once consumed. He glanced down at the green frog and looked immediately back at his Princess. She looked dead serious about this. She must have seen the confusion and hesitation in his face – on one hand, he thought that he should do what she orders him to do, but there was absolutely no way he was going to eat a raw frog – and she suddenly shoved her hands at him, urging him to take the frog from her and taste it.

He winced by instinct, uncertain of what he should do, and his eyes bulged in surprise when the frog leaped from her hands and landed on his chest. A small "oh" passed the Princess' lips and his hands flew to where the frog had landed on his tunic and cupped it. His hands stayed still until he was sure that it wouldn't escape from him. He looked down as he carefully moved his fingers and palms to cover the tiny creature and slowly stretched his arms out to the Princess. He had made up his mind – he was not going to eat it, trying a rock roast was as far as he would go. Besides, he didn't want to traumatize the poor animal. Or himself.

"Go on, what are you waiting for? Hurry, before it escapes again!" Her eyes were full of anticipation and her hands had formed fists before her. It was really hard to say no to those eyes but he had to. Link shook his head nervously. "No? You won't even give it a lick?" He grimaced at her suggestion and shook his head again, more determined this time. He could see the slight disappointment on her face.

"I… think we should let it go" he said and extended his arms to her. She reached hers out to meet his and Link opened his palms just enough to pass over the frog to the Princess. Their fingers touched briefly and she held it before her and looked at it with disappointment.

"It would be a shame to let it go but I suppose we can't carry it with us in a bottle and bring it to the lab. It would dehydrate the poor thing." She sighed and pouted with her lips in a frown as she lowered her hands to the ground. "Perhaps some other time then. You're free to go, little friend." They watched it skip and jump to hide away in the tall grass and flowers. Link felt a little bad for not doing what the Princess wished of him but he knew he would feel even worse if he had done it. Luckily for him, her disappointment didn't linger for long. He waited for her to tell him what they should do next when she leaned back and laid down on the ground, golden hair spread around her shoulders and butterflies hovering above her and the flowers surrounding them. She was absolutely beautiful as she laid there, looking up to the fluffy clouds with her emerald eyes and with one knee dragged up and Link found himself looking at her a little longer than what he should've. Blinking to force his eyes off her, he glanced at their horses behind them and scratched his neck. He had expected her to continue studying the plants or tell him that they should head back to the castle, not to rest on the ground.

He couldn't possibly just stand there on his knees, looking in another direction until she would get up but he couldn't stay there, looking at or over her either. He shuffled a bit and then made an attempt to stand up and stay with their horses instead when she stopped him.

"No, won't you stay?" Link looked down and their eyes locked. "There are no monsters around so you don't have to look out for any, right?" She brushed a strand of hair off her face and looked back up to the blue sky. "The weather is so nice and the birds are singing so prettily. I wish I could stay here forever."

She said it without smiling and Link could guess what she was thinking of. His eyes left her and he sat down again, moved the scabbard on his back a little so it wasn't hanging uncomfortably and leaned back on his hands to prop him up. He felt like he should say something to comfort her but he couldn't think of anything to tell. Instead, he just stared out at the cliffs in the distance and listened to the bird song. He might as well enjoy moments like this the best he could before the Calamity would emerge.

"Link?"

She was still observing the sky when he turned his head to look at her. Eventually she tilted her head to the side to face him. "What do you think you'll do once all of this is over?"

He didn't answer immediately. "… I guess I'll be joining the guards again."

"Really?"

He thought over his answer. Was that what he wanted? The other guards would surely talk about him more than they already did if he went back, but perhaps he would be able to take their praise by then. That is, if he wouldn't get too injured from facing Ganon so he wouldn't be able to fight anymore. "If that's what your Highness or the King would want from me, then yes" he replied instead.

Princess Zelda thought it was odd of him to not tell her what he thought about it, but figured that he replied with what was expected of him. She was royalty after all – any ill-chosen words could go against him. She just wished he wouldn't hold his thoughts back.

"I'm sure father will want to reward the hero of Hyrule in one way or another. I suppose you could go back to being a guard but he will surely think of it to be unfitting a person like you." She mindlessly let her eyes gaze at the grass around her.

"And what about you, your Highness?"

She blinked and looked up at her knight. "What about me?"

"Wouldn't you be rewarded as well?"

She rolled over to her side, still facing him and reached out a hand to play with the stem of a flower. She thought a bit before she spoke. "I don't know. I suppose I would. I just… never thought of that because… you know." She glanced up at him. "I still need the goddesses to answer my prayers." She watched the flower stem sway as she touched it with her finger. "The only thing I'm certain of is that I will eventually marry someone and make sure the bloodline continues." She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

Link didn't like the way she said it. She made it sound like that was the only thing she was good for. But he held his tongue back for it was not his thing to comment on.

"Imagine marrying a princess who does nothing but pray all day and can still not make the goddesses hear her" she chuckled sadly and rolled over to her other side.

He had to try to say something. "Princess."

She didn't feel like answering him. But he surprised her when he continued nevertheless.

"I know it's not in my place to say this, but your Highness has shown a dedication to the goddesses which would put many in shame in comparison. And you are clearly talented in many subjects which are foreign to most people. If…" He hesitated but decided to go on. "If anyone would fail to see that, they wouldn't be worthy you."

Her depressed mind would normally start to ponder if it really was talent and not stubbornness that made her continue with her duties day after day, but what he had just said was extremely forbidden for any guard, or maid or any other staff, to tell the royal family. It was, like he said, not in their place to voice their opinion on such matters. She didn't mind though – she rather welcomed his effort to cheer her up and his honesty.

She rolled back so she could face him. He looked stiff as if he was expecting her to start scolding him to not say such things and he was facing the cliffs in the distance, not daring to meet her eyes.

"That's very kind of you to say, Link. Thank you." She looked at him and waited for him to do the same. He glanced over his shoulder at her first and then relaxed when he saw her kind expression and met her eyes. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her head on them and took in the view before them. Strands of golden hair glistened in the air as a breeze passed by. "I guess you're right" she added after a while. She continued to think in silence. "But if you could do anything you wanted afterwards, what would that be?" she asked him, trying to go back to the topic. She cocked her head to the side to face him.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Anything?"

"Mhm?"

He didn't wait long to give her his answer. "Honestly? Sleep in in the mornings for as long as I'd want to and just take it easy for a week or two. And eat as much rock roast as possible."

She snorted and her hands flew to cover her mouth to hide her unladylike noise. Naturally, it didn't work and her entire face turned red when she saw Link's lips trying not to laugh at her. He couldn't stop himself from smiling but turned his face away from her. "You did not hear that! Promise!" she said in between laughter and he faced her again, grinning. "Okay, I promise."

He felt so odd speaking to someone so easily but it felt so natural at the same time. Never before had he imagined that talking with the Princess could be so simple, especially not when they had barely exchanged any words up till a few weeks ago. It was something about her manners towards him that had changed which made him feel like he could trust her and she did understand him, although he had to remind himself that she wasn't just any ordinary person. It was just that, sometimes, her voice made him forget about his own thoughts and troubles, letting him step into her world filled with knowledge and curiosity. And each time, he found himself liking it.

Trying to be serious again, and not completely succeeding at it, Link asked her the same thing. "And what would you do, if you could?"

"Hmm." She was now sitting with her legs crossed beneath her, the smile still present on her lips and head resting in her palms. "I think I would like to keep my research. Or maybe learn how to play an instrument. And definitely sleep in without having my maid waking me up, goddesses, I would do anything to have just one morning when I would get up by myself! I don't understand how she can be so energetic in the mornings." She looked at her knight. "Were the wake up calls in the guards horrible as mine are?" she joked.

"Absolutely terrible" he replied but he looked so serious when he said it that his try for a joke was undetectable.

She looked at him in surprised shock. "You have to tell me, I had no idea. I always thought the maids were kidding when they said your commanders threw water on you to get you up."

He looked at her with raised brows in surprise. "They told you that?"

"Well, they- Hey, what are you smiling at?"

He held a hand out in the air and waved it. "Sorry, it's just…" He stifled a chuckle. "Don't believe everything they're telling you, Princess."

She frowned. "So it's not true?"

"Well…" He dragged a hand through his hair and tugged at his ponytail. "It only happened once."

Her mouth formed an O. "Really? Why, what happened?"

"I was on the night shift that time so I'm not exactly sure, but I heard that some of the guards had spent their day off in a bar in town and had a bit of trouble to get up in the morning. I guess that was the only way to wake them up."

She giggled. "Oh no, I bet the commander must have been furious!"

"Yeah, the whole unit was punished the day after."

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't laugh at that." A thought crossed her mind and she became serious in an instant. "It wasn't your unit, was it?" she asked him.

"No, it was the other one. Luckily. For me."

"Lucky you" she agreed and smiled.

And with that, their conversation ended. They enjoyed the peace and stillness as minutes passed and Princess Zelda eventually picked up the Sheikah Slate and began pressing on its buttons. Link didn't try to look at the screen this time – he didn't want her to think he was snooping. He followed a sparrow with his eyes as far as he could until it landed on the large tree behind them. He leaned backwards and laid down in the grass on his back, trying to find the bird again but failed. He could hear it perfectly though. The scabbard on his back was uncomfortable and the world spun for a minute or two, but he didn't mind.
The Princess surprised him again when she laid down too and stayed still among the flowers and grass in silence. When she spoke up in a quiet voice, she repeated what she had said earlier: "The weather is so nice. I wish I could stay here forever."

Link didn't respond, but it didn't take long until she spoke again. "But it would be nice to have something to eat so I suppose we better get back to the castle." She sat up, took a last look at their surroundings and was just about to stand when Link extended an arm, signaling to her to wait. She turned her head to look at him as he stood up instead, stepped over to his brown mare to open a saddle bag and searched around in it before he found what he was looking for and sat down next Princess Zelda again.

"Voltfruits? For me?" He nodded. "When did you get these?" she asked him amused and received one from him.

"… I thought your Highness would like them" was all he said.

She cut the spiky fruit in half and bit into the mildly sweet flesh, feeling her tongue slightly sting from its juices. She shared the other half with her knight.

"Thank you, Link."

April 29th: Hi, I know I'm really slow with publishing the next chapter, but I thought that I should just inform you that no, I have not abandoned this story so do not worry! I deeply apologize and thank you for your patience - the next chapter will hopefully be up sooner than later! Thank you all for reading, I'm so grateful you're enjoying my story!