A/N: There's been some confusion on why Link sometimes calls Zelda "Zelda" and sometimes "Princess" or some other formal title. At this point of the story, Link calls her Zelda when there are few/no people around them, and it's just the royal family. If there's people around him, or a chance of people hearing him that aren't connected to the royal family, then he calls her something formal, to maintain propriety in public. Basically Zelda=Private and Princess=Public. If there are any inconsistencies in this, it's usually because I didn't catch them when I was proofreading. With that out of the way, lets begin!

Chapter 5

Link pushed the horse to its limits in his rush to get to Hyrule Castle. The pain in his shoulder, though sharp initially, had begun to die down into a dull, persistent thud. Aside from that, Link was unharmed.

Zelda, on the other hand, was not faring well at all. Soon after his fight, she seemed to lose all sense of balance, and Link had had to move closer to her to ensure she would not fall off the horse. Her skin was cold to the touch, and she was breathing quite fast, as if she had run a marathon. She was trembling like crazy. He had seen this once or twice in some of the weaker recruits when he was training as a soldier.

Shock Link thought with alarm. Zelda's body was shutting down from the traumatic events. He needed to get Zelda to the infirmary as soon as possible.

He blindly rummaged through the lone saddle bag on the horse, looking for some kind of blanket or thick fabric to warm Zelda. Link grimaced. Nothing. The only thing he could do was press her closer to him, trying to keep some of the heat from escaping her.

As the castle came into view, Link could see soldiers guarding the drawbridge, which was raised shut. They too noticed him, and braced their spears against the ground in case of an attempt to charge through. Link drew closer.

"HALT!" a soldier of rank shouted to him. "Identify yourself!" Suddenly, the soldier noticed the passenger huddling close to Link. "Her highness…?" he whispered to himself. Taking another look at the approaching person, he suddenly recognized the new Lord Guardian's uniform, and stood to attention.

"OPEN THE GATES!" Link shouted to them, and the soldier signaled to his companions to comply with the order. The drawbridge began a slow descent.

Link brought his horse to a standstill. "I need some kind of blanket or coat that provides warmth, NOW!" he ordered to a soldier on standby. The soldier saluted, and rushed inside the gatehouse. Link turned to the other soldiers. "Gerudo rebels attacked Castle Town. They cannot be intimidated. If you see them, use extreme caution!" he yelled. "SIR!" they barked back. Just as the drawbridge had fully lowered the soldier re-emerged and handed him a thick wooly blanket.

Link grunted a hurried thanks before spurring his horse onwards towards the infirmary. He wrapped the blanket around Zelda as tight as one could on a moving horse, and prayed he could make it in time before she suffered anything too serious.

The infirmary was open, and Link could see many soldiers being tended to, far too many for usual castle accidents and sicknesses. The rebels must have attacked Hyrule Castle's walls as well he thought to himself. Link pushed his thoughts aside; right now, he needed to find a healer.

Link leapt off his horse, and began to carry Zelda through the busy infirmary, his arms underneath her head and legs. It didn't take long for him to find an assistant and explain the situation. They quickly showed him the Princess' personal room in the infirmary, before running to find a healer to treat her. Link propped her up on the bed, placing her back against the bedstead. Her shaking had at least stopped, and it seemed her breathing had slowed as well, but Link had no way of knowing for sure.

Link's hand involuntarily curled into a fist. He wanted nothing more to comfort Zelda, but the look she had given him after the battle was fearful and angry. He doubted he could do much at this moment.

He began to pace back and forth. Where is that healer?! he thought impatiently to himself. He had half a mind to go /out and drag him into the room. No sooner did the thought cross his mind when the door opened, and a woman dressed in light blue with green hair ran into the room. Immediately, she rushed to Zelda's side.

"What happened to her Hig-"

"She's going into shock," Link interrupted. "In fact, she was already showing signs when I rushed her over here. She may already-"

The lady shook her head hurriedly. "No, she's fine," she said, cutting Link off. The woman smiled, and grasped both of Zelda's hands, rubbing small circles on them with her thumb. "Zelda," she began in a soft voice, "you know me, right?"

Zelda looked up into her green eyes. After a while, she whispered "S-Seres…" Zelda's eyes seemed to regain some lost light.

"Very good, Zelda," Seres exclaimed softly. She sat next to Zelda and put an arm around her, drawing her close. "You're safe here, with us," Seres murmured, rubbing Zelda's shoulder. Zelda leaned into her. "Deep breaths now, Zelda," Seres continued. Zelda complied, inhaling deeply before exhaling shakily.

After a few minutes, Seres turned towards Zelda, who seemed to have regained some of her former self. "Do you want to talk about… whatever happened?"

At that, Zelda made eye contact with Link. Link froze; he could still see her fear of him, and her shock at what he did reflected within her sapphire gaze. Slowly, she shook her head, and began to softly weep into Seres' shoulder.

Seres looked up at Link, not missing Zelda's glance. He knew his presence was what prevented Zelda from speaking, and Seres seemed to have the same idea as well. He quickly left the room.

As he shut the door behind him, his shoulder flared to life again, making him wince. It seemed, in his worry, he had completely forgotten it was injured. Well, Zelda is in safe hands… Link thought to himself. Nevertheless, before he went to get his shoulder treated, he called two soldiers from the front to stand guard outside of Zelda's room. An attack within the castle itself was highly unlikely, but it was in Link's nature to be cautious.

Some time later, as his wound was being dressed and treated, Seres stepped out of Zelda's room, and seeing him, made her way towards Link. Before she had a chance to speak, Link blurted out, "Is she alright?"

Seres simply nodded. "She's sleeping as we speak, milord." Sighing in relief, Link began to put on his tunic and uniform again.

"She told me everything. The attack, how you took that arrow, how you… saved her from those assassins."

Link winced, but continued dressing himself. "My saving her is what really caused her shock, I think," he murmured. "But I didn't believe I had a choice. Her Highness was in danger."

Seres remained silent for a few seconds. "I think that, deep down, Zelda recognizes you were in a difficult situation… I don't think she blames you."

Link glanced up at her, fixing his tunic. "Every time she looked at me, she looked so afraid. How can she NOT blame me? To her, I may as well be a monster."

Seres shook her head. "No, I don't believe so. Zelda was never one to hold an irrational grudge."

Link scoffed. "From the very beginning, she was opposed to me becoming Lord Guardian."

"An, knowing her, she must have warmed to you quickly," Seres countered.

Link paused, and glanced up at Seres. "You speak very familiarly about the Princess, and yet in my short time next to her I have never once met you."

Seres smiled. "Zelda and I are quite close, actually. Before her duties as Princess, and mine as healer, we used to talk and play amongst ourselves for ages." She looked wistful. "Nowadays, we hardly have enough time for ourselves." Then, gaze hardening, she turned towards Link again. "Zelda doesn't hold grudges; but she's vehemently opposed to anyone trying to impose something on her. I imagine that is why she reacted so harshly to your appointment."

Link stood up, and began putting on his scabbard. "Well, you are right. The Royal Family has been very kind to me, the Princess included, not long after my appointment." Link sighed. "But now, I fear I may not even be able to perform my duties if her Highness cringes in fear every time she lays eyes on me."

Seres shook her head again. "Give her a few hours, let her gather her thoughts. Then, you'll find her different."

Just then, Link heard a commotion outside the infirmary. Turning, he saw the King rush inside, and every able body kneeling in respect as he passed. Link, as Lord Guardian, turned and gave the customary salute, with his right fist over his heart. The King didn't even need to tell Link why he arrived; Link knew he wanted his daughter. Link lead the way, and they soon arrived at Zelda's door, where the soldiers still kept vigilant watch.

When they saw the King, the soldiers kneeled in respect. The King barely gave them a passing glance; he flung the door open and rushed inside. Seres followed after him, presumably to give him the news. As the door shut, Link dismissed the soldiers, and stood guard outside the door. Feet spread, sword tip resting downwards, and hands on the hilt, he stood.

It seemed Link stood guard for ages outside, resolutely looking for any threats. Presently, Seres opened the door. "They wanted to speak with you, Lord Guardian."

Link slowly turned, preparing himself mentally for whatever awaited inside. Zelda must want his title of Lord Guardian stripped from his name after what happened.

Link stepped inside the room, sheathing his sword as he did so. Zelda was sitting on the bed, visibly in much better spirits and health than before. Beside her sat the King, who looked exhausted, but relieved that his daughter had recovered. The King stood to greet Link, while Zelda continued to sit, staring at the floor.

"My boy…" the King began, before pulling Link into a bone crushing hug. "Thanks to you, my daughter is alive and well. I thank you, Link." Releasing a shocked Link, the King then patted him on the shoulder. "I shudder to think what may have happened without your skill."

Link, shocked, could hardly mumble a coherent "thank you." The King continued, "Zelda has told me everything. You saved her from the rebels, and you brought her here as soon as you saw… well, bad memories do not need to be retraced." The King coughed, seemingly uncomfortable bringing up Zelda going into shock. "Even more shocking, your injury did not stop you at all. I truly cannot thank you enough."

By then, Link had regained some semblance of thought, and he saluted the King. "It was my duty, your Majesty. I would go through far worse to ensure her Highness' safety."

The King nodded, satisfied with his answer. He turned to his daughter. "Zelda, forgive me, but there is much to do now. I must meet with Nabooru and Aveil quickly, and request to see their Queen. This new situation does not bode well for either of us."

Zelda slowly nodded. "I understand, Father," she whispered. They embraced a final time, before the King exited the room, quickly becoming surrounded by his personal guard, who had arrived earlier. Seres followed soon after, leaving Link and Zelda alone.

Silence pervaded the room, so thick Link swore he could cut through it with his sword. The seconds stretched out into minutes. Still, not a word was spoken, though Zelda's hands were clasped tightly together and were shaking slightly. Link sighed; though he did not mind silence, this one was best cleared up before any more harm came.

"I… am sorry, your Highness."

She looked up to meet his gaze. "…For what?" she whispered.

Link sighed again. It was difficult to put what he was thinking into words. "I am sorry that… through my attempts at protecting your life, you were put into even more harm…" Exhale, Inhale thought Link. "I'm sorry that, because of my actions, you fear me. If you wish, I will resign fro-"

"I don't fear you, Link," the Princess interrupted.

Link stopped abruptly, and stared at Zelda. She continued. "I… recognize that you had to make a difficult decision at the time. I was behaving irrationally, and… yes, I suppose I was afraid of that side of you, Link, when it came out.

"But, after I arrived here, and spoke to Seres and my Father, and truly realizing what you went through to protect me…" she let out a shuddery breath. "I realize you would never hurt me, Link

"Yet, I do not agree at all with you abandoning Castle Town and its citizens to save me," said Zelda, some fire creeping into her voice. "Such actions do not sit well with me at all. Is that clear, Link?"

Link simply stood in place. That was a rollercoaster of emotion, and he needed to digest it all. On one hand, it seemed the Princess had forgiven him, and understood why he did certain things. On the other hand, she seemed to be condemning him because of some other action. Well, at least she was calling him by name, not by "Lord Guardian" like before.

"Princess… No, Zelda, if I may." He glanced up, and saw Zelda nodding. He gathered his courage, and pressed onwards. "Zelda, I am glad you find it in your heart to forgive me for my actions against those rebels. However…" Link paused, unsure about how this would be received, but continued anyways. "However, as to my decision to leave Castle Town in Commander Russell's hands, I would do it again if it meant saving you." He glanced up again, and was unsurprised to find Zelda's lips pursed in disapproval. "I may be leaving citizens of Hyrule to die, but as painful as that may be, you are my duty. You hold this kingdom together, and I will protect you, no matter the cost. Plus," he continued, "I have complete faith in Commander Russell. A lone warrior like me would not have made much difference in that chaos."

Zelda let out a long sigh. "I cannot in good conscience abandon my citizens, Link."

"And I cannot in good conscience allow the Princess of Hyrule to risk her life."

Silence again. They were at an impasse, one that seemed impossible to cross. Each person was unwilling to budge on their position, and each believed themselves to be in the right. Link decided to break the oppressive quiet.

"It is late, Zelda. This day has taken a toll on us all. Shall I escort you back to your room?" he extended his arm.

Hesitatingly, Zelda took it, and Link helped her up. She still seemed unsteady on her feet, but whether out of nausea or tiredness, Link could not tell. "Yes, let us go," she said.

Link opened the door and allowed her to go through first, before following. However, no sooner did Zelda step out when she suddenly grabbed the wall, greatly off balance. Link stepped towards her and, after making sure Zelda did not fall, hesitatingly held out his arm for her, as if leading her to a ballroom floor.

Zelda stared. Link, trying his hardest not to blush, said "it's either this, or I carry you the entire way to your room. You cannot walk properly in this state."

Smiling, Zelda looped her arm around Link's, and used her other arm to support herself as well. "Scoundrel. Exploiting a poor maiden in need to boost our own ego."

Link blushed harder at that, and stammered out "I-I would never do something as low as that! How you could even sugge-"

And suddenly he could hear that beautiful sound again. The peal of laughter being emitted from Zelda. At that, he too began to laugh, out of happiness, relief, all the emotions from the day leaving them in a fit of laughter, shared between two friends. Link's heart beat a rapid tattoo against his chest at their closeness, and he hoped she could not fell it.

They arrived at Zelda's room, though at that point Link doubted Zelda herself was even awake. She felt heavy on his arm, putting her entire weight on it, and it was all he could do to make sure she remained upright. He knocked on her door, hoping that her servants had waited for her.

Unfortunately, it seemed they had decided to retire for the night, apparently under the impression that her Highness was to spend the night in the infirmary. Link sighed, and shook Zelda slightly. "Zelda…?" he whispered. She mumbled an incoherent reply. Link groaned; there was no way she would be able to find her bed in this state, especially with her balance the way it was.

Nothing to lose now, I suppose Link thought to himself, and slowly pushed the door to Zelda's private room open. It was quite large, larger than his own room, and had another large area quite separate from the room as a bathing room as well. At the far end was a bed lined with drapes. Quickly, Link dragged Zelda over to the bed, and pulled back the covers. He removed Zelda's arms from his, and she sat down on the side of the bed for a moment, before lying down. Her eyes were shut, and Link would not be surprised if she was truly asleep. He pulled the covers over her prone form. I hope she doesn't remember this Link thought worriedly. She may kill me if she found out I was watching her sleep in her room, even if for a few seconds.

He turned to leave, but her face entranced him. In sleep, there were no worry lines, or pursed lips. In sleep, she truly looked at peace, and… serene. That's the word Link would use. She was beautiful.

Shaking his head, he hurried out of the room. I better not be falling in love with the Princess of Hyrule he cursed to himself, otherwise I'll have a real problem on my hands whenever she starts looking for suitors… Among other things, of course.

Yeah, getting involved personally with your charge as a bodyguard could spell disaster.

Or you might not be able to control yourself around those suitors, and get exiled from every known kingdom for your rash actions.

Or maybe she actually retur-

Link viciously shook his head again as he closed the door. When you start having conversations with yourself in your head, you know you're tired.

Unfortunately, it seemed sleep was the last thing Link would get. Whichever imbecile that ran the castle guard seemed to have neglected to post soldiers in front of the Princess' room. Groaning, Link hurried to his room, found a clean uniform (one NOT stained with blood), took a quick shower to cleanse himself, and returned to Zelda's room. He slowly opened the door to make sure Zelda was still there, alive. Sure enough, she was sleeping peacefully. Nothing in sight, and most importantly, no assassins in sight.

Sighing, Link closed the door and sat down in front of it, laying his sword across his lap. It would be a long night ahead of him, but if it was to protect Zelda, he'd do it.

His mind drifted to the day, and he began to worry about Rauru and Aryll. Did they survive? Were they injured? Link had planned on sending a courier to the Temple of Time as soon as possible, but none had come to the infirmary, and he dared not leave the Princess. Tomorrow, however, he would ask Shad. Surely Shad had to know the status of the Sage. Perhaps, even the Sage's adopted daughter.

Link, the Lord Guardian, sat the entire night, protecting the Princess. Protecting Zelda.

Some of you may notice this chapter was uploaded twice. I fixed a few typos and made it so Seres left the room along with the King. Nothing major. Also wrote responses to more reviews below because this was opened, so why not?

A/N: You may notice that Link called Zelda "Princess" even in private for a little bit. This is because Link thinks Zelda is angry with him, and so he deigns to use a more formal tone to distance himself and not offend Zelda.

So what's up? BotW is lit, got addicted, then I had life, so this story definitely took a backseat, I wont lie. Also, I want to start another story alongside this one, but it wont be a Zelda one, it'll be a Fire Emblem one, and I'm going to try and multitask; we'll see how that goes. For now, on to the reviews!

Oh yeah, thanks to everyone that favorited and followed even when this story wasn't getting regular updates, that was really cool.

Awakening5: Hey, yeah I wanted them to conflict morally, and though you may think they resolved everything in this chapter, they didn't. Link just wanted to settle it another day.

KDRDEADMAN: Oh yeah, TP is epic! Thanks for the positive feedback!

reading turtle: Aryll working for the assassins? Nah, I could never do that to such a cute character! Also, thanks for the feedback, biggest thing is I realize that yeah, he does seem to be floundering in the water in terms of his duties, but that's just my writing, in reality, Link is very well trained to be Lord Guardian, a fact I will try to make more apparent as time goes on!

minutmaidman: Yup I was gone from the world for a loooooong time because of BotW hype!

Guest: Hey, thanks for that!

BoyishGriphon: Thanks for that compliment. Update soon? ... Idk about that lol but I will try to update whenever I can haha

Matt Cyr: Ha yes it was. Actually, it was at that point where I sat back and decided to write a FE story (coming soon!) because I needed a fix of epic one-liners and LoZ isn't really the place to saturate those with.

KDRDEADMAN (X2): Thanks again man! I just read alot, so I take alot of cues from other authors. Enjoy your day too!

AnonymousStalkerFriend: Thanks!

TAAAAAAAACOOOO: Yeah, definitely plan to have this story finished, but I don't really know when... Thanks for the positivity!

Thanks again, and I'll see you guys when I see you guys again!