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Library Mishaps

Link arrives outside the princess's library. Wanting to appear respectful and well-groomed, he spares a moment to adjust the crease of his collar and pat down his rebellious hair. He then takes a deep breath and composes his thoughts before rhythmically knocking on the door four times. Quite informally, he uses the name of the young princess in direct address.

"Zelda? May I come in?"

Absorbed in a good book on Hyrulean history, the princess is taken out of her concentration by the sound of a familiar voice and looks up and smiles in anticipation.

Zelda answers back in her sweet tones, "Come right in, Link."

Thus welcomed, the young knight enters the room and closes the door quietly. A bit unsure how to show respect, he bows his head ever so slightly.

"Am I interrupting anything?" he politely inquires.

Zelda smiles again, happy to have an excuse to take a break. "Nothing too important." She closes her book and pushes it aside, staring at Link expectantly.

He looks away for a second, almost forgetting what he is even there for. But his embarrassing predicament is soon brought to end when the princess starts speaking enthusiastically again.

"Oh! When I was looking around for a good read, I found this book on the history of Hyrule's Warriors that I thought you'd want to read."

She gets up and walks over to a large bookshelf. Scanning the many ancient texts, she pulls up a chair and steps on it to get a better look.

"It was somewhere over here..." She reaches for a few thick specimens before coming upon the right one. "Aha! Here it is."

After picking out the book she is looking for, Zelda moves to step down off the chair, but unfortunately she trips when her foot gets caught on the end of her long dress. On impulse, Link frantically runs over to try to catch the princess and stop her from falling and hurting herself. He nearly falls over himself as he blocks her body from plummeting to the carpet.

Winded but happy that no harm was done, he lets out a puff of air and asks her meekly, "Are you all right?"

The two of them are left in an embarrassing situation, his one arm supporting her back, and his other hand holding the exposed calf of her left leg. The book that is the cause of the upheaval falls to the ground with a loud thud and lies a few feet away from the close space the two Hylians share.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Zelda assures Link.

She feels her face starting to flush with embarrassment and pulls out of his grip and balances herself. Standing up straight, she dusts off the skirt of her dress and leans down to pick up the tattered book.

Frowning, the princess tells Link with a bit of disappointment, "I ripped the spine." She touches the book where the slit is.

A little nervous, Zelda stands back up to face Link, holding the book out as a belated offer. "I don't know if you still want to, ehm, read this or not..." Her words fall away, thoughts of what just happened now torturing her mind.

Link's voice is a little shaken up from the awkward situation as well. "Um, yes, I'd love to. But should we—I mean—should I glue it back together, or would you rather I just, er, leave it alone?"

Link takes the book gingerly and tries to concentrate on it instead of what just transpired between him and Zelda.

"Yes, yes," the princess quickly consents with an awkward forcefulness, "I'll go get some glue..." She considers where some crafting material might be in the castle and tells him, "I'll be right back."

Zelda exits the library in haste but is careful to pick up her dress to ensure she does not trip and fall on it again.

Momentarily left alone, Link mumbles to himself in a whisper, "For the love of Nayru...I got to get a hold of myself."

Legitimately surprised by his own actions, the young man scratches the back of his head nervously, still thinking about the compromising situation. Within two minutes, Zelda comes back with the glue, but she stops before entering the big doors of her library. Taking a deep breath and straightening her shoulders, she opens the door and sees Link stand up with a nod.

Trying to walk as calmly as ever, Zelda tells him blandly, "Here's the glue." She walks over to her comfortable reading chair and sits in the burgundy red piece of furniture before opening the book flat. "I'll hold the book. Just, ehm, put some glue in between the cracked parts."

Her attempt to stay calm is rendered useless when Link steps forward to help. They are in unusual proximity again. Link's own nervousness is evident as he takes the bottle and tries to aim for the book. With his hands shaking unnaturally, he finds himself unable to continue. He puts the bottle down and interlaces his fingers in an attempt to rub some warmth into them. Feeling more relaxed, he picks up the glue again and avoids eye contact with the princess.

"Okay," he says for no necessary reason before proceeding. He tries to put on a thin layer over the crack in the book's spine without getting anything messy.

Zelda looks at his shaking hands and smiles, perhaps unaware that it is a combination of cold, anxiety, and lack of muscular control that makes his movements so jittery.

"It doesn't have to be perfect," she says in an attempt to calm him. "Don't worry about it."

Still mindful of his actions, Link looks up at her briefly before returning his concentration to the book. Once he finally places some of the glue, the princess holds the spine together with her fingers and ends up accidentally brushing her hand against his. He jerks away suddenly, feeling it an affront to even touch the princess now. Looking down, she bites her lip in embarrassment.

Link backs away and just stands there watching her hold the book in place. His mind is overtaken with the thought of holding that hand he felt moments ago, before he comes to his senses and remembers a past engagement that he can use to change the subject.

"Oh, Zelda, we never had lunch together. I guess we got caught up in other things..." Link pauses, seeing the simple luncheon, which they had casually alluded to sharing earlier, in quite a different light now. "Would you join me for dinner?" he asks before calling himself stupid inside. In a moment of lucidity, he remembers that he had once been a mere farm boy and would not be able to match the princess's royal etiquette.

Zelda regards him with a smile and surprisingly accepts. "I would love to." Before standing up, she tries to blow on the glue a little to make it stay. "Where would you like to eat?"

To an outsider, this cordial relationship between Princess Zelda and Hyrule's Hero might appear quite normal. Considering all that they have been through together, it should be expected that they share a deep bond and want to form some sort of friendship out of their mutual trust and respect. But what is going on in their young minds as they interact in such a way that most individuals would call flirtation? Do they even realize what they are doing or how serious the implications of their actions can be?

Overjoyed with Zelda's answer, Link quickly thinks of a good place to entertain the princess. "How about the courtyard? It'll be refreshing."

It is a strange suggestion, but if there is any one thing the young knight and princess share, it is a love for being outdoors rather than staying cooped up in a dreary castle day after day.

Zelda's brow tilts in amusement from the unexpected suggestion, but Link quickly does his best to cover any issues before she is able to object.

"I can arrange with the castle staff," he insists.

Unable to contain her approval, Zelda beams brightly. "It sounds like a wonderful idea. I'm going to go change so I don't ruin my dress."

The princess is still garbed in a gaudy purple and white gown only fit for one of her standing. However, she knows this dress (though especially gorgeous on her) is a bit impractical. As Link observed earlier when she nearly fell, such pompous clothing is a bit dangerous for an active lifestyle.

Imperturbed, Link is already getting excited to share an evening with her. "That sounds splendid!" he exclaims. "Here, let me hold the book a while longer so you can go." He takes it from her gingerly and continues to hold the seam firmly together. "I'll meet you in, say, half an hour?"

Zelda nods. "Yes, that will be perfect. I'll see you then," she says with the credibility of a promise.

Exceedingly happy to have a genuine friend like Link in her life, she gives him a warm smile before heading to her bedroom. He meets her gaze with his own boyish grin, knowing all too well what a privilege it is to know the princess on such an intimate level.