Disclamer: I don't own the rights of The Legend of Zelda
Chapter 4: Child Hero Timeline
Majora's mask
Link was beginning to be desperate. He couldn't and wouldn't accept it, but the harsh reality was imposed again. His friend had disappeared without saying anything to anyone, not even him. Link's pain from that fact was greater than he wanted to admit.
His lost friend was Navi, a fairy who, following the orders of the Great Deku Tree, accompanied him and helped during his travels through Hyrule and his battle against Ganondorf and his army of evil. If he was able to leave the Kokiri forest and survive in the outside world, it was partly thanks to Navi.
After Ganondorf's defeat, princess Zelda sent them back to their timeline, but upon waking up at the Temple of Time Link saw that he was alone. Navi was completely gone.
Link searched her tirelessly throughout Hyrule and even asked her friends, who were legendary wise men on the other timeline in case they knew anything. Unlike the rest of the world, they did retain their memories of those seven dark years lived under the yoke of Ganondorf.
ooOoo
"Maybe her initial mission, taking care of you, is over and that's why she left," Saria tried to explain. "After all, only the Kokiri have fairies as partners for life."
"Sorry brother, but I haven't seen that brave fairy," Darunia assured him. "I wish I could help you more but I don't know how."
"No, I haven't seen her, nor do I know where she can be," Ruto said with a shrug. "By the way, do not forget that I am no longer a sage, so when you and I grow up we can get married."
"I fear that my power is useless in this situation, young Hero," Rauru confessed. "Have you thought that maybe, Navi had a good reason to leave without saying anything? I don't know if you should continue your search..."
"Sometimes, Hero, there are mysteries and questions whose answers are better not to know," Impa said very seriously. "Certainly Navi's actions can be painful for you, but you will always have the memory of the friendship you shared."
"So you've searched all over Hyrule, huh?" Nabooru asked thoughtfully. "What if Navi isn't in Hyrule? You know, since it is a fairy and has wings, it may have flown somewhere else."
ooOoo
Nabooru's words gave Link some hope. Maybe his friend was somewhere else. Even so, he would return once more to the Kokiri forest and from there he would go to the lost forest. With luck you could reach another kingdom and continue your search. Before that he told Zelda his plans, with whom he maintained a strong friendship.
"Then, will you travel through other kingdoms?" Asked the former Time Sage, without being able to hide the sadness of her voice.
"Zelda, looking for Navi isn't the only reason I want to go to other kingdoms," Link confessed as he wrapped his little hands with his own.
"W-what do you mean?" The princess asked blushing.
Link looked her in the eye for a few seconds before telling her the truth.
"Zelda, I know you keep the memories of the other timeline and also your feelings towards me."
"That's right," the young princess said fervently.
"Me too," Link said, though his gaze reflected a great inner sadness. "However... I'm just a child out of a magical forest."
"A child who became the Hero of Time," Zelda replied affectionately. "Do not forget that thanks to you we are all safe."
"But only you and the sages know that," Link said, frowning. "Nobody remembers that I am the Hero of Time or what I did, because they simply have never "lived" those seven years of darkness."
"But thanks to you, Ganondorf, our Ganondorf, is locked up and will spend the rest of his days in a prison," Zelda said quickly.
"Or he will be executed," Link added. "But that's not the issue, Zelda. If Ganondorf is rotting in a prison, it is thanks to your father's confidence in you, not in a child who knows nothing."
"I don't know where you want to go with all this, Link," Zelda confessed. The girl was very upset about the way Link was looking down on himself after everything he had accomplished.
"I want to say is that ... I am nobody. I have no land, no titles or money. "I could never court you when you are old to get married."
"… Would you want to woo me?" Zelda asked confused and excited at the same time. She knew about Link's feelings towards her, but she was always afraid they weren't as intense as her for him.
"And why wouldn't I want to?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow. "That is the other reason for my trip. I want to become more than a child. I want to make a name for myself. I want to be able to return to Hyrule with more than enough strength, so that no one can say that my chances of courting you are void."
Zelda felt small tears fall down her cheeks when she heard that.
"And I'll be waiting for you, because I don't think there's anyone better to share my life with."
"Thank you," said Link, gently kissing the princess's hands.
For external ears, that conversation between two children could be most strange. However, they had matured much faster than they should because of the experiences. Their immature bodies contained the mentality of two young adults.
After that Link spent a few more days in the Citadel in the company of Zelda. The two enjoyed walking through the streets and participating in various games. Impa always watched and looked after them from the shadows, although the two children were more than capable of taking care of themselves.
Finally, the day of departure for Link arrived.
"I'm sorry my powers don't help you find Navi," Zelda said. "Even so, I would like you to stay with my ocarina, I am sure it will be of great help in the future."
"Thank you Zelda," Link said with a big smile on his face. "With your ocarina by my side I know that I will not fail in my mission."
"If you have it, Ganondorf will never be able to access the Sacred Kingdom," said Zelda, becoming serious, although a tender smile appeared again through her childish face. "Before you go I want to show you the Song of Time."
"The Song of Time?" Link repeated curiously.
"Yes," Zelda nodded. "It will help you travel in time. So if something happens to you, do not hesitate to play the melody and ask for help from the Goddess of Time."
ooOoo
The first land he visited, almost by accident, was the mysterious, dark and somewhat depressing Termina. It was in Termina that he faced a Skull Kid he met years ago and Majora's terrible damn mask. Luckily he had the help of a pretty bossy fairy named Taya.
Taya reminded Link of his adventures with Navi, but nostalgia did not stop him from stopping Majora's plans and saving Termina. In that adventure he saw how Skull kid just wanted to recover his friends the giants. He did not want to accept that he was left because of his responsibilities as guardian gods of Termina. Skull Kid, manipulated by Majora, was about to make the moon collide with Termina, but Link was able to prevent it in time.
"A true friendship always endures in time, Skull Kid," Link explained when all that madness ended. "That your friends leave doesn't mean they don't love you anymore. People have a life and responsibilities. Many leave and others come, but real friends always remain in your heart. You shouldn't get depressed just because you won't see them again. Sometimes… you have to let friends go because that's the way to make them happy."
"B-but I ... I don't want to be alone," Skull Kid crying.
"And you aren't, you have Tatl and Tatl," Link said with a small smile. In addition, now you also have me in your heart, because we are friends.
"… Really?" Asked Skull Kid hesitantly.
"Of course!"
Skull Kid began to laugh and jump enthusiastically at the news as Tatl and Tatl fluttered above him.
"Hey, listen!" A loud voice cried suddenly in Link's head. "Maybe you should follow the advice you have given Skull Kid."
"N-Navi?" Link looked everywhere very confused. When he didn't see the fairy, he believed that everything had been a thing of his imagination.
ooOoo
After that he continued his search in other kingdoms. During his travels he always kept in touch with Zelda through letters. The princess read with excitement, fear, worry and pride the adventures of her hero, as she grew up and became a beautiful and wise woman.
Seven years later Link finally returned to Hyrule. Upon arrival, many congratulated him and cheered as his exploits had reached everyone's ears. He was greatly admired by the people and the army of Hyrule. Some even considered him a hero.
The king strongly asked him to join the army and train his soldiers. Link accepted the first proposal but with the second he had his doubts since he didn't feel comfortable teaching others his battle techniques. Anyway, the only thing that mattered to him in those moments was being able to be close to his beloved.
In three years Link became general, the best general that had had the army of Hyrule according to many. Even so, many nobles didn't find it acceptable that a commoner, no matter how skilled and intelligent, rose in that way in the hierarchy. The king and the princess were responsible for making them shut up immediately because their protests had no basis.
That did not prevent his detractors from taking charge of defame him whenever they could or tried to ridicule him in public. Luckily for them, Link never held grudges or sought revenge. "To damn with faint praise," the young warrior used to say.
ooOoo
"What is wrong, Link?" Zelda asked one day. The young princess was very worried to see the sad look of her fiancé.
"It's the soldiers," Link sighed. "Everyone is still begging me to teach them my most powerful techniques… but I find myself incapable of it.
"And why is that?"
"Even though it seems silly, I don't feel any of them are worthy of learning my secrets. And for some reason, I think I will die without anyone inheriting my techniques."
"Please Link, don't say that," Zelda asked as she hugged him from behind. "I don't want you to have such dark thoughts when we're so close to getting married."
"You're right, my life, forgive me," Link said, turning around to kiss his princess. "I don't know what I would do without you, Zelda."
"Me neither, Link," she replied as she corresponded her kisses with fervour. He never thought that such a simple gesture that he had seen thousands of times could be so wonderful if one experienced it, especially with the person he loved."
ooOoo
-Denial-
Zelda knew it. She knew it but she didn't want to admit it. Her husband was not coming back. He had left her alone.
"Zelda ... You can't stay locked in your room," Impa said. "It also hurts me to lose Link but you can't afford to keep it up."
"Link isn't dead," she lied to herself. "He's only on one of his trips, he'll be back soon."
"Zelda…"
"He is not dead," she said a little louder.
"Zelda please," Impa put a hand on her shoulder. "Someday you will be named queen of Hyrule. You have a duty to fulfil. Your people need you ... and also your son."
Zelda put her hands to her bulging belly instinctively. If it weren't for that life she had inside her, she would surely have met without hesitation with her beloved, wherever he was.
"Link will come back," she thought desperately. "He always come back, no matter the time. This time won't be different."
-Anger-
Zelda listened to what Impa was telling her and did her work, at least for the first few days. Impa, having taken care of Zelda throughout her life, knew how to predict what was going to happen so she took her to Kakariko. There the princess could unleash all her rage. Luckily, all the inhabitants promised not to tell anything about what happened that week.
"Are you better yet?" Impa asked the princess. They were in an area free of grass, trees, rocks and insects, all thanks to the magic of Zelda.
"It's their fault," the princess whispered. She seemed to be in a trance state and hadn't been sleeping well for days. Impa worried that this was counterproductive for the baby.
"The fault of who?"
"Of those damn gerudo!" Roared Zelda furiously. "The war, the monsters and demons that ravaged our kingdom ... If they hadn't tried to free Ganondorf from his prison Link wouldn't have died!"
"Zelda…"
"Birova, Ganondorf ..." Zelda said with hate. Impa was scared to see her in that state. "We should exterminate all the gerudo, so that Hyrule never again suffers because of them. They are nothing but a plague."
"Calm down, Zelda, you're not thinking clearly!" Impa yelled. She quickly approached her and forced her to look her. "Those gerudo were just an extremist faction that supported Ganondorf. You cannot make a genocide against innocent people just because you are not able to overcome your pain!"
Zelda seemed to calm down a little when she heard the harsh words of her ex-nana.
"I don't care," she replied suddenly coldly. "Thanks to Link, we won the war but his body is rotting somewhere in the lost forest ... And all because of those gerudo!"
Zelda didn't see the smack that Impa gave her. The princess put a hand to her aching cheek. Her gaze was total disbelief because she never thought the day would come when Impa would have to slap him.
"Zelda, are you not able to see the darkness that is growing in your heart?" Impa said. Zelda was surprised to look up and see tears falling down the face of the sheikah. "I miss Link too, we all miss him ... What do you think Link would think if he saw you this way?"
"… He would be very disappointed, but he would still forgive myself because he had a heart bigger than this kingdom," Zelda said. Without realizing it, she had also started crying.
"True," Impa laughed, though her face regained seriousness immediately. "Right now there are many people like you who are wishing to exterminate the gerudo, whether innocent or not. You can't afford it Zelda. The gerudo are a very important part of Hyrule and you, as a princess, must defend them. And even if they weren't part of Hyrule, attacking them is not right and you know it."
"You are right, forgive me Impa, please forgive me," Zelda sobbed as she thought of the gerudo Nabooru, with whom she shared a great friendship. "May the Goddesses forgive me for my words too."
"I have nothing to forgive you, my girl," Impa replied affectionately as he hugged her and stroked her hair. "And I'm sure the Goddesses either."
ooOoo
-Bargaining -
"Link won't come back," Zelda told herself. She was facing a mirror, watching her bulging belly of eight months. "But I have you. If you are a girl you will be called Zelda but if you are a boy I will call you Daphness. You won't have your father but I will make sure you know the whole truth about him. The true story of the Hero of Time."
Numerous princes and nobles had asked for her hand in marriage but she had flatly refused. She would never love another man like Link and the offspring to the throne were assured so the king of Hyrule didn't insist on that issue. Zelda was very clear that when the time came, she would not share her power with anyone other than Link. Therefore, she would reign alone.
With much regret, Zelda changed rooms and ordered to close the one she already owned. She didn't see herself with the strength to get up every day in the double bed, believing that all this was a nightmare, believing that Link would be at her side when she woke up.
"It's time for you to wake up to reality," Zelda thought as she moved away from her old room. The soldiers and servants who saw her couldn't help feeling like a chill ran down their backs. The princess didn't look like a hylian, she reminded them too much of a lost soul.
ooOoo
-Depression-
Some months later...
Zelda entered the stables and went straight to Epona, the noble and faithful mare of her beloved. According to the caretakers, the mare had changed dramatically since the loss of her master. He didn't let other horses or mares approach her. She had become sly, aggressive and seemed to have lost the force to live. To avoid her death, Zelda visited her whenever she could and together they used to go for a walk.
"You miss him too, don't you, Epona?" Zelda said in tears.
The mare let the princess hug her and together they silently lamented the loss of the Hero of Time. The two had come to know him very well and their lives had changed dramatically because of it. Even so, they would never regret that their fates had crossed with Link's.
ooOoo
Lon Lon Ranch, run by Malon, a friend of her and Link. Following the advice of Impa, Zelda had decided to visit her friend.
"Hi, Malon," Zelda said with a somewhat forced smile when she saw the farmer coming out of the stables. Not that she didn't like her, but her ability to smile sincerely had long been scarce.
"Zelda," the red-haired farmer said surprised. She could see that after giving birth, the princess looked like a lost soul. It was surprising that with how thin she was she could stand up. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Me neither," she admitted. "But it seems that Epona really wanted to see you."
"Epona is a very good girl," Malon said with a tender smile as she stroked the mare. "Do you want me to bring you something to eat?"
Epona whinnied enthusiastically upon hearing that. Malon laughed slightly.
"Wait a few minutes and I'll be right with you."
Malon left to finish her work. When she returned the two ate inside her house while Epona enjoyed a good serving of carrots and apples.
"How is the baby?" Malon asked.
"…Very good. I'm almost always with him," Zelda said. Her muted eyes shone very slightly as she remembered her offspring. "Today Impa takes care of it."
"I would have liked to see him."
"Next time I'll bring it," Zelda promised.
"I've seen Epona very thin," Malon said somewhat worriedly. "Don't they feed her well in the castle?"
"Yes, but since that day...she barely eats what she is given," Zelda said with her voice about to break.
"I'm so sorry I brought up the subject," Malon apologized right away.
"No, it doesn't matter." Zelda put a hand on Malon's to reassure her. "Someday I will have to overcome it."
"... I ... I have never been married, but after seeing my father I can understand that something like this is never overcome."
Zelda closed her eyes as a tear fell down her cheek. Malon got up from her chair and hugged her tightly.
"You don't have to be strong with me, Zelda," she whispered affectionately. "We are friends. You can cry all you want."
And that was what Zelda did. She was crying in her friend's arms for what seemed like hours. When she finally calmed down, Malon gave her several handkerchiefs and a glass of water to hydrate.
"Thank you," Zelda said once she was recovered. "I'm sorry I put you in this commitment."
"Don't even think about it!" Malon replied without giving any importance to what happened. "I have already told you that we are friends. Whenever you need a shoulder to cry here you will have me."
"Malon, you're one of the best people I've ever met, I'm not surprised that Link held you in such high esteem," Zelda said with a small smile. Although the smile was immediately erased. "Sometimes I think if Link had married someone like you, he would still be alive."
There was a time when everyone claimed that Link and Malon would end up together. The farmer was fond of the Hero of Time, which was not denied by anyone, but there was nothing to indicate that there was something else between them.
Even so, there were many who insisted that they would be an ideal couple, so many that even Zelda ever thought about it. Luckily neither she nor Link were easily influenced people.
Malon grabbed her shoulders sharply and stared into her eyes.
"Never say that again, okay?" the farmer ordered the queen. "Link only had eyes for you and anyone who knew him knows that. I don't want you to think again that your love was a mistake."
Zelda, somewhat intimidated, nodded quickly.
"Perfect!" Malon exclaimed, separating from her. "Now I will pray to the Goddesses not to execute me for having dared to give an order to the queen."
For the first time in a long time, Zelda laughed. And it was a wonderful feeling. She must remember to thank Impa for her suggestion to visit Malon.
ooOoo
At night, alone in her room, Malon cried for hours remembering her dear friend. She also cried for the wife, offspring and friends he left behind.
"W-why, Link?" Malon sobbed. "Why did you have to be a hero until the end."
ooOoo
-Acceptance-
The sacrifice of the six sages, the expulsion of the Gerudo from Hyrule, the failed execution of Ganondorf and his subsequent banishment to the Twilight, the birth of the infant Daphness, the death of the king of Hyrule, the reign of Zelda VII the Wise ... Many things could happen in a century, especially considering the longevity of some hylians as members of the royal family.
Daphness had heard a lot about his father. His mother and the inhabitants of Hyrule talked about his military exploits and how he was just an army in one man. His father never became king, but he would go down in history as a great warrior ... Or maybe not, because there are always people more than willing to manipulate history, especially if they hold a great grudge in their dark hearts, but that story it should not be told here or now.
ooOoo
It was on a full moonlit night when Daphness went to his mother's room. He wanted to knock on his door, but stopped when he heard a voice he didn't recognize.
"So, is this the endgame?" The old ex-queen asked enthusiastically.
"Yes, my love," said a strong, masculine voice, but at the same time, affectionate.
"You don't know how long I've waited for this moment, Link."
Daphness opened his eyes wide as he heard that one. Link? Like his father? Had his mother lost her mind?
"I'm so sorry for everything I put you through."
"Don't say that," Zelda replied, laughing slightly. "It has cost me a lot to live without you, but in the end I found a reason to move forward."
"… Our son?"
"That's right," said Zelda. "The soul birth from our love."
Daphness didn't know what was happening and was increasingly nervous. He wanted to enter but something was preventing him.
"Together in a new adventure" that masculine voice said.
"The biggest adventure of all ... And this time I will be able to accompany you, without tricks, costumes or time travels" Zelda replied happily. "Just you and me."
"Only you and me, my love."
Daphness couldn't take it anymore and quickly entered the room. His surprise was capital, when he saw that his mother was sitting in a chair in the middle of the balcony. She was no longer breathing, but she had an expression of happiness on hee face that he had never seen in his entire life.
Daphness released a couple of tears as he hugged the body of, in his mind, the best queen and mother in the world.
"Mom ... I don't know if what I'm thinking is true, but if so, I hope you and father are very happy wherever you are."
Twilight Princess
"Sir Link, what do you want?"
"Why do you ask me that question, your majesty?" Link asked confused.
"You have saved two kingdoms and the lives of their inhabitants," Zelda replied very seriously. "Ask me what you want. If is in my power, I will grant it to you."
"I don't need anything else," Link said, shaking his head. "You made me a Hyrulian Knight, that's more than enough. Also, if I did what I did it wasn't for a reward."
Zelda watched Link carefully. That young man had risked his life and yet did not seek any prize. Throughout her life, she had surrounded herself with greedy people and didn't know any nobleman who had rejected an offer from the Queen of Hyrule.
"Every day, I can understand better why you were chosen by the goddesses, Sir Link," said Zelda with a tender smile.
Link's eyes shone with joy as his face flushed.
"What's wrong?" Zelda asked curiously.
"You have a beautiful smile, your majesty, you shouldn't hide it so much."
Zelda blushed at hearing him talk like that. Many nobles and suitors had flattered her for years but unlike them, Link's words were quite sincere and had no hidden motives.
ooOoo
Several months later...
Link stared at Zelda and she soon realized it.
"Don't be afraid to ask me anything, Sir Link," she said with a tender smile.
"Link, you can call me Link, your majesty," he replied with another smile.
"You don't like your knighthood?" Asked the worried queen.
Link shook his head.
"It's not that, I simply prefer that you don't treat me as if I were a noble, because I don't consider myself as such."
"You may not be a nobleman, but your heart is very noble," Zelda assured him. Well, I'll call you Link ... if you also call me by my name."
"B-but majesty ... I don't ..."
"I do not ask you to do it in public, only when we're alone," she explained quickly.
The queen could not help laughing when she saw the hero's blush.
"In addition, it has been a year since we met and I feel as if we had been together for a lifetime. We are friends and friends are not treated with such formality. Am I wrong?"
"Not at all ... Zelda," Link was surprised to discover that it was difficult to pronounce the name of his sovereign, moreover, he enjoyed being able to do so.
"Well, Link? What do you want to ask me?" Zelda asked. She didn't know why, but the fact that Link finally treated her like a friend filled her with happiness.
Link looked at her firmly. His previous nervousness was completely gone.
"I was thinking that maybe you… would like to go to the festival."
Zelda's eyes widened at that suggestion.
"I-it's not a date or anything like that!" Link said quickly. "I just want you to enjoy and see how your town celebrates the holidays..."
"Thanks for the invitation," Zelda said with a smile. "If you are my companion I cannot refuse."
Link's heart skipped a beat when he looked back at the smile that caused him sensations he had never felt before. And that scared him.
ooOoo
During the festival, Link and Zelda participated in several games and ate in bars and restaurants that would give the rest of the nobles a heart attack. For the first time in a long time, Zelda remembered again what fun was.
The blue eyes of Zelda, his contagious and sweet smile, his brown hair being rocked by the wind, how he moved and spoke with elegance, his way of treating with kindness all the inhabitants with whom he crossed...
Link knew very well what was happening to him. That only made his previous fears increase, for someone like him could never be more than a friend to the wonderful queen of Hyrule.
ooOoo
A year later…
When Zelda visited Ordon with Link, it was when she realized that he was completely in love with him. His vibrant and wild blue eyes, his mischievous smile, his athletic body, his humility at the time of speaking, his way of playing with children and telling them stories ... It was at that moment that Zelda realized that he would not mind anything have someone like him by his side ... Being more than a friend.
Unfortunately, Ilia, Link's childhood friend, also realized that. Many would think that she would treat Zelda in a cold and impolite way, since it was well known that the young human had been in love with her childhood friend for years. But it was the opposite. She treated her very kindly and even put effort on her part, so that Zelda and Link had several moments alone.
A while later Zelda would ask her why.
"I could see how Link looks at you when he thought nobody saw him. Every time he does his eyes light up completely, he had never seen him so happy," Ilia confessed. "It may not seem like it, but I know when I lost a war. Link is my friend and always will be, that's why his happiness comes first to me. I love him too much and when you love someone, you look for the best for him ... even if it's not you."
Zelda hugged Ilia, leaving her surprised and flushed at the gesture of the Queen of Hyrule.
"You are a wonderful person, Ilia," Zelda murmured. "That is why I wish you a happy life and that you find someone special with whom to share it."
"Thank you, majesty."
"Zelda, call me Zelda when we're alone."
"Only if you call me Ilia."
Zelda laughed at that comment, because it reminded her of the situation with Link years ago.
When she and his hero left Ordon, Zelda was very clear who would like her bridesmaid to be at a hypothetical future wedding.
ooOoo
Love and be reciprocated. Zelda and Link could now understand that there was no greater happiness than that. A beautiful friendship, social differences and supposedly nothing in common. Those were the barriers that prevented them from going further in their relationship. But they had broken them all. They had discovered that love, especially a love as ancestral as theirs, was a force to consider.
It was not a simple crush on youth, it was something else and they both knew it, felt it in their hearts. They were undoubtedly very lucky because not everyone in the world had the chance to find their soul mate in the underworld. And for that they thanked the Goddesses.
While they kissed and hugged, in a corner of the garden far from prying eyes, their souls were recognized and the red ribbon of destiny became more and more visible to those with the ability to see beyond the material. Luckily for them, only one member of the Royal Council had that ability.
ooOoo
You had to be very stupid not to realize that there was something between the Queen of Hyrule and the Hero of Twilight. Five years had passed since Link defeated Zant, the usurper king and Ganondorf, the gerudo demon. Five years in which the young Hero had left his village to go to the Citadel of Hyrule and help with the restoration of the palace.
In all that time Link had ended up joining the army of Hyrule, he had been appointed knight and personal escort of the queen, he had even been rewarded with land and money, two things he immediately rejected for surprise and relief from the rest of nobles and ministers.
"He is an ignorant, if he rejects such a proposal of her majesty."
"Obviously a goatherd cannot have much intelligence, no matter how hero he is."
"Although the goatherd dresses up as Hero, he is still a goatherd."
Those were some of the insults Link received from the other nobles. However, the young man always ignored them and did nothing that could provoke a fight, to the dismay of his detractors. These dared not go any further, for fear of enraging the queen so there was never altercation. More than one would stir on the ground if they knew that Link had a fortune at all negligible, the result of his adventures across Hyrule.
However, the stupidity of the nobles did not distract Auru from what his eyes told him. The way Zelda blushed when she was with Link, the way they exchanged glances, the way they held hands when nobody saw them...
Auru could be old but he recognized what was happening. On the one hand he felt happy because the queen was like a daughter to her. Seeing her so happy after so many years being an "ice queen" made her heart beat again. On the other hand ... Link was practically a perfect candidate for her, he was a hero and the best knight in the kingdom, even so the ministers would not accept that he was king.
His fears and joys were accentuated when two years ago, Link approached him with a strange request.
"I want to study political science, economics and everything you taught the queen," Link said.
Auru looked at him as if he had grown another head. Why would someone like Link want to study that? Unless...
"Y-you don't have to do it if you don't want to," Link said suddenly. The old tutor could observe the nervousness of the young man when he saw that he wasn't responding.
"Hum ... Teaching you everything the queen knows is impossible, boy," he said, discouraging Link. "But, I can teach you the fourth part, and with that it will be more than enough for you to get the academic degrees necessary to carry out your plan."
"M-my plan?" Link asked even more nervous.
"I'm old, not stupid boy," he replied in a tone that pretended to be severe. "I know why you want to become a scholar. It will be our secret."
ooOoo
Link and Zelda rode through Hyrule's meadow while a gentle wind blew. Both enjoyed the few moments in which they could be alone, in having to hide their feelings for each other, being able to be themselves.
There, in the solitude of the countryside they could share kisses and caresses without worrying about being judged by others. There they could express with gestures and actions what they felt for each other.
"Link ... I ... love you," Zelda said between kisses. Link separated from her only a few millimetres. He was surprised because it wasn't very common for Zelda to tell him that. Not that she didn't show it to him whenever she could, but hearing her say those words filled him with unspeakable joy.
"I love you too," he said as he kissed her again, this time with more fervor. Zelda put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. The happiness that overwhelmed her was such that she felt the happiest woman in the world.
After a few more minutes exchanging kisses, they separated again for lack of air and rose from the ground.
"Zelda, I have something very important to tell you," Link said suddenly. "When I met you, you seemed to me the most beautiful person I had ever seen. And besides, it was the first time I saw someone like me."
"Someone like you?"
"A hylian," he clarified. "A person with long pointed ears ... I felt very ashamed that the princess of the kingdom saw as a beast, but you still looked me in the eye and treated me like I was the most important person in the world, immediately eradicating my insecurities."
"And why wouldn't I?" Zelda asked confused. "I could feel your fears for what seemed good to help you."
"Do you see? You're so good that you help others even if you don't know them at all. To me, to Midna, to your kingdom… You sacrificed everything without expecting anything in return," Link said proudly. "That's why I wish I could share the rest of my life with someone as wonderful as you."
Zelda put her hands to her mouth and held her breath as she watched as Link took an object out of his pocket. A small purple box that had a gold ring inside with the symbol of Goddess Nayru engraved on it. Zelda's heart was going a thousand an hour, she couldn't believe what was going to happen.
"Zelda ... do you want to marry me?"
"... Yes, yes, yes, yes!" She exclaimed, surprising Link, because he had never seen her so excited. Even so, he wasted no time and picked her up while they both laughed and kissed. Tears of happiness ran down the cheeks of both lovers without being able or willing to remedy it.
ooOoo
It was a sunny day and Zelda decided to walk around the Citadel next to Link. The ministers didn't like that they walk alone so many times, but they didn't dare to contradict the queen's wishes. Since she was a princess, she had made it clear to her ministers who was the leader of Hyrule, although that didn't prevent them from always looking for a way to get what they want.
"The ministers are afraid of what people will say, if they know you have such a great friendship with a knight. A knight who was a goatherd from a town far from the eyes of the Goddesses," Auru told her.
When he saw the look her former pupil gave him, he raised his hands. "Their words, not mine. You know that I adore that young man."
"I know, excuse me," said Zelda, sighing. "Right now what ministers think about Link matters little to me. But I will not let them insult the Hero who saved two kingdoms and defeated Zant and Ganondorf."
"More than impressive feats," Auru admitted. "Especially for someone who had never entered into combat until the Twilight invasion arrived."
"Link deserves to be rewarded but he always insists that his greatest reward is being able to be here, helping our soldiers and making Hyrule safer," Zelda said. A tender smile was drawn on his face when she thought of the Hero of Twilight.
A smile that didn't go unnoticed for his former teacher.
"You know, since Link is next to you, you smile much more, majesty."
"How?" Asked the queen somewhat disturbed.
Auru simply chuckled.
"By the way, Link's studies are going very well," he informed her as, to Zelda's relief, he changed the subject. "The young man learns very fast. He does not possess your talent but he does not go far. It has exceeded all my expectations and is mastering in a matter of months what other nobles have years to learn."
"Adventurer, explorer, botanist, entomologist, horse tamer, knight, monster exterminator, hero and now academic," Zelda recited without being able to hide her pride and admiration for that young man. "Is there anything that Link can't do?"
"He is one of a kind indeed," said Auru. "When I am finish with him, he will be a good prince consort."
Zelda turned her head sharply to look stunned at her tutor. Her face was red like a tomato and her mouth was wide open although she could not articulate a single word.
Auru looked at her with a mischievous smile on his face. A smile that ended up infecting Zelda.
"You are wrong," Zelda replied, surprising him. "He will not be a good prince consort, but one of the best kings that Hyrule has ever had."
Auru could only laugh at the queen's firm words. Apparently Link wasn't the only one who was going to exceed his expectations.
Zelda smiled even more. At last she was sure that not only her people and her army would support her in her plans.
ooOoo
"I wish Midna could attend our wedding," Zelda confessed one day.
"Me too," Link admitted regretfully. "If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have become a hero or met you."
"... Do you miss her a lot?"
"Yes, she is my best friend after all, with whom I went through a lot of trouble and overcame many battles," Link said with a sad smile. "I can never thank you enough for everything you did for me."
Zelda felt the same about Princess Twili, with whom she came to share her soul to save her life. Thanks to that, she also knew how deep Midna's feelings towards Link were, but it wasn't up to her to talk about it.
"I hope that wherever I am, I can be happy," I wish Zelda wholeheartedly to the princess of twilight.
ooOoo
The wedding was over and almost everyone had left. The number of guests had been such that it seemed that all Hyrule had gathered in the castle.
Because of his exploits and travels, Link had made many friendships and alliances. Besides that all the inhabitants of Ordon didn't want to miss their hero's wedding.
The coronation of the Hero had also been celebrated that day, for which many noble people of important positions were invited to greet the new king of Hyrule.
Once in their quarters, Zelda didn't want to take a second and began to undress his hero. Link followed in his footsteps and did the same with her. Both were willing to consummate their relationship once and for all.
The kisses that were given were escalating in intensity, for the passion they felt for each other was overwhelming. They said nothing, they just wanted to show their feelings through acts not words
Link took Zelda in his arms and placed her carefully on the bed without undoing the kiss. They were husband and wife, they were king and queen. That night only the Goddesses would witness how they completely reinforced the red bond that united them since ancient times.
Four Swords Adventures
His dark side Dark Link, the wind sorcerer Vaati and the gerudo demon Ganon. No doubt Link could boast of being the incarnation of the chosen Hero who had suffered the worst during his adventures. Or that is what he said to himself.
"I have defeated three of the worst villains in the history of Hyrule!"
"So what?" Valenzuela asked, crossing her arms. You had the help of your "clones" and besides, being a hero doesn't give you the right to enter the princess's office whenever you want.
"I'm his best friend and I just want to see if he's okay," Link complained. It has been two days without leaving.
"-And what do you miss? You have to do a lot of paperwork related to the peace treaties with the gerudo," explained the army general. "Since the reign of Queen Zelda VII the Wise, the relations between the Hylians and the Gerudo have not been very good to say."
"Is that because Ganondorf is always born in his tribe?"
"It's a big part of the problem, yes," Valenzuela admitted. "Having the king of evil as leader of the gerudo is something that does not make anybody funny, as you can imagine."
"And you can't do something?"
"Like what?" Valenzuela asked as she closed her eyes. The most radical Hylians often speak of exterminating all the gerudo but it is obvious that this is not debatable.
When Valenzuela opened her eyes again she saw that Link had disappeared.
"W-but how ...?! Is there not…?" Valenzuela turned her gaze to the door of the princess's office. It was impossible that Link had sneaked in front of him, right? He did not dare to enter and annoy the princess because he decided to think that Link had simply given up.
ooOoo
It was a great luck that only Link and Zelda knew all the secret passages of the castle. That way they used to escape from adults when they were younger, and wanted to go play in the forest or meadow.
Princess Zelda was very busy checking some laws, when she heard one of the secret doors of her office open. She didn't need to turn around to find out who the "intruder" was.
"What do you want?" She asked without looking away from the documents.
"Hello beautiful, I'm glad to see you too," Link said while giving him a soft kiss on the lips.
Zelda corresponded for a few seconds and returned to work right away.
"Link, I don't have time to be with you," she said.
"You don't have or don't want to?" He asked as he massaged her tense shoulders.
"You know the answer," she replied. Even so, she left the papers on the table and closed her eyes while enjoying that free massage.
"Zelda, you can't be working all the day," Link said very worried. "You need to rest."
"But I have a lot work."
"Can't you ask someone to help you?"
Seeing that Zelda didn't answer Link, he thought he knew what the problem was. "Again with those ideas that you have not been helpful to Hyrule?"
"But it's true!" She exclaimed, separating from him. The princess rose from her chair and walked around the office. "I am the ruling princess and I let myself be captured by an old sorcerer! If it wasn't for you, Hyrule would be in the hands of Vaati or Ganon."
"I don't agree at all," Link replied. "As regent princess you have managed to avoid several wars with the gerudo, you have kept the kingdom united and the problems caused by Dark Link, Vaati and Ganon are barely noticeable. And it's all thanks to you and that cute little head you have."
Zelda stared at him while her cheeks turned red.
"What do you tell me if we go out to practice some exercise?" Link suggested. Zelda hesitated at that request. "Come on, I'm sure you need fresh air at all costs."
Finally Zelda nodded and took the hand that Link held out.
"Since we are dating, you have become very daring," she said with a smile. "I don't think anyone likes to know, that you slip into the princess's office to take her from the castle."
"That's why this will be a secret for everyone," Link joked.
ooOoo
"Damn!" Valenzuela spat irritably as he walked the halls of the castle.
"What happens general?" Kaepora Gaebora asked worried.
"High Priest," Valenzuela said as he bowed slightly.
"The maids have told me, that the princess has disappeared from her quarters," he explained quickly. "I bet whatever that Link has something to do with it."
"Surely," the wise man laughed. "And if so, I feel better. I know that Link would protect the princess with his own life."
"I don't consider it appropriate, for a knight, to maintain such a close relationship with the princess," he replied.
"I'm sure many in Hyrule think like you and I can understand it," Kaepora admitted. "But times change and after everything that happened with Ganon, you have surely realized that there are things in which it is better not to intrude."
"B-but-"
Kaepora raised his thick hand interrupting the general.
"What worries you so much, my friend?"
"May their relationship evolve into something else, High Priest. It would not be appropriate."
"I doubt it, because according to the history books it wouldn't be the first time that a regent has a romantic relationship with a knight," said Kaepora, very willing to support the couple if necessary. "Or have you forgotten the queens Zelda VII and Zelda XII?"
Valenzuela had to shut up at the accurate and crushing words of the High Priest. Although he didn't like Link too much because of his somewhat childish attitude, he had to admit that the young man had talent and a big heart. Maybe he should trust this time in the young Hero.
ooOoo
Several hours later...
Zelda handled the foil as if it were an extension of her right arm. Link was surprised and happy to see how the princess had acquired such mastery with only three years of practice.
Link attacked with a vertical pit from above while Zelda raised his foil to stop the blow.
"Bad move, Zelda," Link thought a little disappointed. "I am stronger and my sword is bigger and stronger than yours. A lock is not the best option in your case."
It was too late for Link to stop his blow, plus the princess gave him an unexpected surprise. In the last second, she leaned to the side allowing Link's sword to slide over her and that way she deflected the vertical pit without receiving any damage.
"But what?!" Link thought stunned, because that movement wasn't something anyone could do so easily. Zelda's talent in fencing exceeded all her expectations. It almost looked like another person.
Due to the force of inertia Link fell forward and once on the ground he rolled and rose again, avoiding a descending kick from Zelda. Without a doubt, the martial arts classes taught by Impa were also paying off.
Zelda wasted no time and continued with a series of rapid blows executed with his foil. Link stopped each and every one of them with relative ease, but little by little he was forced to retreat due to Zelda's insistent attacks. By the time he wanted to realize, his back had hit a rocky wall.
"It seems that I have managed to corner the great Hero of the Four Swords." Zelda scoffed, although there was not a hint of malice in her voice. What Link did notice was that the young woman was no longer breathing with difficulty as in the first training they had.
"You have become very strong and yet I underestimated you," Link admitted, closing his eyes to open them abruptly. "And you have underestimated me!"
Without Zelda being able to do anything to prevent it, Link jumped over her, flipping through the air. He positioned himself behind her and placed his sword on his thin and elegant neck.
"I won," Link said with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Tch… smug," Zelda murmured as she lowered her foil.
"It's not true, I just have a lot more style," he said.
"Well?" Zelda said, raising an eyebrow. "What is the advice you are going to give me today, stylish Hero?"
"That you move your foil as if it were a sword and not a flower."
Zelda rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" She asked. "I couldn't expect less from an imaginationless clown like you."
"A clown without imagination that has you crazy, your highness," he said, giving her a deep and intense kiss. Zelda was quick to reciprocate despite having caught her by surprise with that gesture.
"Huuumm ... Maybe I should name you real clown," she said thoughtfully.
"I'm sure my father and Valenzuela would find it very appropriate," Link laughed.
Both put down their weapons and sat on the grass. Their hands entwined as they contemplated the landscape of their beautiful kingdom.
"It seems incredible that only three years ago Hyrule was threatened by three of the worst criminals in our history, according to the books I read," said Zelda suddenly. "I'm glad I'm not as useless as at that time."
Link looked at her sideways. He had always known that Zelda had some guilt complex due to her inability to defend herself if she wasn't using magic, and yet her magic didn't specialize in the area of combat either.
The late king of Hyrule, had never allowed his daughter to train because he said that was something "unworthy" of the high nobility like them. Zelda thought that a good regent should be at the head of his men to inspire them with acts and not just words.
Luckily Zelda didn't always heed his father's advice or orders, otherwise they would never have been friends and then, more than that.
"Have you forgotten that it was thanks to you that we could seal Ganon?" Link said in an attempt to cheer on his girlfriend.
"The other maids also helped," Zelda reminded him.
"True, but you helped me and my "clones" to destroy Dark Link and Vaati."
"And before that I was locked in the Tower of the Winds, as if I were a damsel in distress, waiting for her knight in white armour," she complained.
"More like a maiden, waiting for her four gentlemen of green, purple blue and red." laughed link.
Zelda was infected by Link's laughter, and together they laughed.
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Link advised affectionately as he hugged her. "We all had a role to play and you did yours very well. Or have you forgotten that you were the first to realize that Vaati's seal was breaking?"
"I…"
"You are a great regent princess, Zelda," he whispered in her ear. And someday you will be a great queen.
Small tears peeked through Zelda's eyes to hear the words of her beloved.
"Link ... thanks for believing in me."
"Even if you don't believe it, almost everyone in Hyrule believes in you, Zelda," he assured her, looking her in the eye. "I hope that one day you will be able to see it."
Link wiped the tears from her cheeks and gave her a soft kiss where he put all his love towards her, transmitting with it all that he was not able to convey with words.
When the princess's eyes finally parted, they glowed with a new light.
"I'm glad I came here with you," she confessed as his foreheads touched lightly. "I didn't know how much I needed your words, your love and your understanding."
"Do you see it as I am not always a clown?" Link joked.
"That is very doubtful," she laughed as she stood up and picked up her foil from the ground. "Come on Hero of the Four Swords, it's time for me to defeat you once and for all."
"We'll see that, Seventh Maiden."
From the sky a strange owl watched happily as the couple began their fight again.
"It seems that Hyrule will move forward again thanks to those chosen by the Goddesses," the Owl cheered very happily. "It's always a pleasure to see you together, Hylia and Link."
That said, the owl flew away towards the castle without the couple seeing or hearing it.