OTP100 Prompt # 86 King
Title: Paths
Word Count: 608
Warnings: None
Characters: Link and Zelda
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda, or any of its inclusive characters or ideas, blah, blah, blah, don't raise litigations on me for this.
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He had no idea what would happen now that he had defeated Ganondorf, or rather, the monstrous Ganon, but he was certain it could not present as much difficulty to him as what he had just faced and overcome. Resting his sword point first in the dark, sooty, ground at his feet, the hero tilted his weather-beaten face to the sky to think. There was certainly the rebuilding of Hyrule to be done, and as its champion, he was more than happy to help in that effort.
And, of course, there was re-installing Zelda as the true and proper ruler of the land once again, along with rousing up all the people that had fled the country to come back to the lives they had left behind. But, what else was there? Especially for himself, was there some other adventure waiting or would he be required to sit around as a cherished guardian? Now that his path was clearly his own, Link wasn't sure what to do with it.
"Link? I am glad that you are alright. I would appreciate having you by my side in the future."
He turned at the sound of her voice, its soft, cool tone carrying to his long ears flawlessly despite the crackling flames from the wreckage around them, responding quietly in the low, smooth tone he had become adjusted to at last.
"Princess Zelda, I would be glad to stand by your side a bit longer. Serving Hyrule and protecting its people is still my duty."
"Yes, but I hope you do not agree to stay only out of duty. There are many roads a man can travel, but the only one he will truly learn from is one that he travels out of his own desire."
Why did she look at him that way? He enjoyed it, to be sure, but it also gave him pain to know that he could never return such an openly admiring look to her, as he wanted to. And he didn't understand quite what she meant in that last bit, because surely she knew he did all of this out of love and his personal desire to make things right in Hyrule again. To make things right for her…His blue eyes jumped to her lighter ones as she began speaking once again.
"Link, listen to me. I want you to be happy, but I also want Hyrule to be safe, and I am afraid the two might become at odds. As the reclaimer of the crown, you alone have the right to the throne as of this moment, and may choose to do with it as you wish."
"What? Princess, no, the throne is yours, I only did this for yo..u.." He trailed off, embarrassed at that admission. They were supposed to be friends.
"I am aware of that, but the only way to put me back on the throne is to give the crown to me. You can do this in an official ceremony when the nobility return, or you can do it by having a holy man bind us in marriage. But Link, remember I want you to be happy, not bound by duties."
It must have surprised her that he laughed aloud then, even more so when he swept her up in his strong arms to twirl her around and down into their first kiss. The first of many, he now knew, as his path was laid before him again. Become king at her side, king of the country he loved as much as the woman he could marry to make his queen? That was certainly no troubling path at all.
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