Link had finally been gently goaded to the barracks over his own rooms, where he remained until dinner. He arrived after the king but before Zelda, and the king cleared his throat as they stood and waited. The two men said nothing, and Link felt a weight on his shoulders, as if he'd let them both down. Dinner was quick and silent, and no one looked at the others, staring down and pushing around the bites of chicken on their plates.

Zelda left first, and as Link did not know how much more of the uncomfortable silence he could stomach, he followed her. They slowed down when they were free of the dining hall. All over again, Link was feeling irritated with himself for failing. All the words he used to encourage himself that it was alright, that he would still be able to at least be a soldier in the castle, was of little comfort. He wanted a fight, to remind himself that he was still good at something. He felt like a dog with its fur stroked the wrong way, making it stand up.

Zelda was watching him carefully, able to see the war going on inside him. "Look," she started. Link glanced at her, trying to be neutral and calm, but he was itching for a fight. If Zelda said one wrong thing, he would not be able to stop himself from starting one right here in the hall.

"Tomorrow, we'll leave the grounds for a picnic again, yes? And then you and I will go get our fitting, and… maybe we can go explore the maze again, for a little while?" She reached out and touched his hand. Link looked over this one-sided conversation carefully, but there was nothing malicious in it, nothing to make him lash out, so he nodded his agreement and kissed Zelda's hand, and she took leave of him, and he went to go fume by himself in his cot.

-

Training went better the next morning; he'd landed several blows, and his annoyance at himself had improved his attacks considerably. At least he would always have his knowledge of battle to fall back on. Progressively, he'd been set up against stronger and more knowledgeable opponents, the captains trying to find where he met his match. Every time they believed they found one, Link would best them within a few days.

He took his time cleaning up, running his fingers through his hair as he washed and wondering if it was getting too long. When he got back to the barracks, he was stopped before passing the door by a guard, and handed a note from the king to see him in his study.

So, having little choice, he went to the king's study, hoping he was dressed appropriately, knocking and all that and being allowed in after a few minutes. The king invited him to sit down, and Link did, and they sat there in silence for several minutes.

"So," the king started, shuffling some papers around. "Though you, sadly, did not perform as well as hoped before, when you were looking over a great number of these on your own, I believe that you would still be useful in looking them over. I can always use an extra set of eyes on looking over proposals, and though it will not be to the extent it was before, I would be proud to offer you the opportunity to work with me once more on these papers."

Link was surprised. He hadn't expected this offer, not in a million years. The king nodded at him, once, indicating he was waiting for an answer.

"I would… be honored to assist you, Your Majesty," Link replied finally, grinning.

"Nothing too strenuous, of course," the king assured him. "An hour or two after lunch."

"That sounds agreeable," Link replied.

"Good, good!" The king smiled and clapped his hands. "Shall we start today?"

Link was going to say yes, but hadn't Zelda stressed that they had things they needed to do in that time? "Uh, unfortunately, Your Majesty, Her Highness has asked me to accompany her to a fitting for the next ball that is arriving."

The king nodded. "Very well. Tomorrow then."

Link stood up to leave with the king's permission. "Thank you for this uh… opportunity, Your Majesty."

"Think nothing of it," the king assured him.

-

Link met Zelda at the doors leading to the stables; she'd not been waiting long, a picnic basket strung over one arm. "I have good news," he said, touching Zelda's shoulder.

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

They got inside, their horses being tacked up. Link glanced around to make sure Epona was being calm before leaning in towards the princess. "Your father wants me to still help him with the daily decrees and stuff."

"Oh does he?" Zelda smiled warmly. Her father must have been impressed with him on some scale, right? "That is wonderful news, I am glad to hear it."

They left the stables behind their horses, climbing up. Link took the picnic basket while Zelda climbed onto her mare, and she took it back when he slung himself upwards onto Epona.

"Let us go near the river today," Zelda told him, smiling.

"That sounds good," Link replied. It was a little farther, but it was cool near the water, and the light breezes that ran over the fields were a little too infrequent for Link's liking.

They thumped out there at an easy pace on their horses, getting to the river's edge. The banks were mostly grass, with a sudden drop off to the river. This was the calm part, where the water took its time curling around the few rocks jutting in its path.

Link helped Zelda dismount, his hands on her waist and her hands on his shoulders. She looked into his face for a beat, until Link turned and got the picnic basket and blanket, which they shook out and laid down together. They set out their plates and food, sitting on opposite sides of the blanket. Zelda had brought along a wide brimmed hat with bunches of flowers along the crown, and put it on to protect her nose and ears from the sun.

"Are you… feeling better? About… things?" Zelda asked him suddenly, looking over. "I heard that you were feeling upset with yourself because of…" She looked at her nails and picked at a ragged edge, trying to smooth it down.

Link thought for a few minutes. "I do, yeah. I was just feelin' so foolish for a while. I got so carried away in thinkin' how easy it'd be that I got overwhelmed." He picked at a stray thread on his boot's stitching.

"Well," Zelda picked at a blade of grass, peeling it apart, "my father hasn't exactly had an even workload. It's something he should be doing with advisors. But he likes… Doing the work keeps his mind off other worries."

Link nodded. He understood the need for distraction once in a while. Zelda looked over at him, staring out into the river. "I never stopped believing in you," she said softly. "Even now, I think that you could be a truly great soldier, a captain, especially. I believe you have what is desired for defending Hyrule. Don't forget that, alright?" She reached out and put a hand on his arm. Link put a hand on hers and gave it a squeeze, and Zelda moved in, kissing him. Link pulled her in with both hands, kissing her back. They stretched out on the blanket, and for a while, they forgot about lunch.

-

They ended up late to their fitting. It didn't totally matter, as Zelda was royalty and the fabricians were, in fact, expected to wait for her all day. Zelda had to reapply her makeup, and Link had to wash his face in the river, and they had to pick up their things and gather the horses, which had ambled off in boredom. So they got there twenty minutes or so after the appointed time, and Link offered apologies to the two women who shook it off. They headed towards the back, Zelda dressing first, and then Link. They looked each other over appraisingly. The cut of the dress for Zelda was a little lower in the bust, and the skirt wasn't as full. It wrapped around her shoulders, leaving her neck bare and plunging in a V down her collarbone, the sleeves tight to the elbow. The color of the dress, that funny celadon green, gave her a bit of an edge, a bit of something dangerous.

Link's outfit was equally as smashing, though quite similar to his first outfit. The lapels were wider, and the collar around his neck folded over with a dramatic point. It accentuated his cheekbones, and if vampires had existed in Hyrule, Zelda might've thought he was one (except for the tan skin and the going out in the sun and the eating of normal food). The accent colors were a steely white and a deep grey; there was a ribbon trim at the hem of Zelda's dress and at the edge of Link's lapels and jacket cuffs, his pants were the grey element.

Zelda twirled around slowly, looking at herself in the mirror. "I suppose I will have to look at some new jewelry again…" But surely she had something that would go?

They'd even cobbled matching shoes for Zelda; Link had plain black boots to wear. After another few minutes of wheeling around in front of the array of mirrors, they all agreed on the look and fit of the outfits, and Link and Zelda changed their clothes one at a time. Zelda thanked the fabricians and they left, heading back to the castle, finally.

-

Because of their long-running lunch, they could not head out into the maze just yet. Zelda spent the afternoon lazily sorting her jewelry for the perfect things to wear. She settled on an elegant choker of artificially aged silver with tiny topaz crystals and diamonds embedded into the chain work, as well as matching earrings of clustered, tiny diamonds. Her maids helped her select from the cases of jewelry, someone setting aside a pair of silver hoops for Link, again.

Now that the time until the ball was starting to dwindle, Zelda was glad for something new to take her focus. She forced herself to worry about the fit of the clothes and whether or not the outfit would stand out as strongly as the last one, and how she should style her hair; in an up-do again or something different this time?

Chatting amicably about such brain-dead subjects with her ladies-in-waiting helped to keep her mind off the knowledge that no matter what they did for now, Zelda would have to marry someone else. At least she was getting to have some fun before then.

Link returned to the king's study the next day and helped him slog through the piles of papers. The king found, to his delight, that Link was a quick learner when he wasn't overwhelmed, and was usually able to find a compelling, sensible reason to deny or accept a claim for land or a law proposal.

They didn't talk about the marriage proposals.

-

Now that his day was full again, Link barely noticed when the month had sped by, and the next ball was only a week and one fitting away. He and Zelda were headed out now, and instead of their usual silence, they were talking.

"The problem is that the one family has owned the land for the past hundred or so years, and has been growing crops on it continuously. The other family claims they hold a deed, however, that grants them the rightful land, and on top of it they want to be paid reparations!" Link looked frustrated by it, his brows knit and his mouth in a frown. "We told them to split the land down the middle, but neither family is agreeing."

Zelda thought for a few minutes. "Why not tell them that, as the land is truly the castle's land, anyway, a split down the middle is the only choice? Or what if they sectioned off the plot of land being disagreed over, and rotated who grew crops in it for the year? It is extra work for them, but if they truly want it so bad, the true owners will agree, I think."

Link liked the idea immediately, and not just because of his bias for the person coming up with it. He would be sure to note to the king that his own daughter had found the fitting solution, so that she would receive the honor and praise.

Speaking of fitting, they had arrived, and stepped inside the cool building. Zelda had brought her selected jewelry with her; she wanted to see the effect of the ensemble and make sure that she personally was satisfied with it. Link changed first while she did a messy job of pinning her hair up and putting in the earrings and putting on the necklace, and she smiled at him after he stepped out from behind the curtain, holding it for her.

Zelda slipped the dress on, carefully, and looked herself over. The effect was surprising; it made her look far more mature than she was. She did a twirl before the mirror, looking herself over with a satisfactory smile. It needed to be taken in just a hair here and there, and soon she was wriggling back out of the dress.

Link's own clothes fit well enough, and he changed quickly, not completely happy with how unrecognizable he was in his own reflection. He looked aggressive, almost a little feral. It was better when he was dressed in his regular duds, and Zelda paid for the fitting and the clothes, the fabricians promising to have it delivered the morning of the ball. Zelda looped her arm through Link's as they ambled back to the castle. "When the time comes, you will make sure my husband is a suitable person, yes?" Zelda asked suddenly, turning her head to him.

"What? O… of course I will." Link looked at her, all surprised at the suddenness of the question.

"You're one of my closest friends. I trust your judgment." The words sort of rushed out of Zelda, like she had to say them quickly to hold something else off. Link squeezed her fingers best as he could, nodding.

They made it back to the castle and parted ways, taking a little time in doing so. Link felt he should say something, but he didn't know what. They took their separate ways, not knowing why it felt as if they were already saying goodbye.

Zelda went to her room and brooded, settling on the window seat in her bed chambers with a book she had no true intention of reading. Though the day was nice and the sun was out, she cursed it. Why couldn't it be a rainy day, a storm to match her misery? Every time she remembered their inevitable parting, Zelda wished to throw a tantrum like a little girl. Why couldn't she have what she wanted?

When they returned to the proper timeline, Zelda was relieved that there was no more danger, that she could go back to the reliable pace of the castle. She was ready to be bored, if it meant she wasn't risking her life, and she eagerly played the part of princess (give or take the nightmares that she eventually worked through). She rested her head against the cool window pane, finding it easier to will away the memory that they would have to give each other up when her eyes were closed.

She wasn't lying that way very long before she heard her bedroom door creak. She opened her eyes and looked around, catching Link halfway towards her. "You shouldn't be in here," she murmured.

Link nodded, smiling at her. "We've been breaking rules all over the place." He scooped her up, holding her close and kissing her. Zelda sighed and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in tight. "Run away with me?" he asked.

"Of course," she mumbled against his mouth. He was warm, almost hot like the sun. He kissed her face, holding it, lingering over her.

"Zelda," he sighed softly, speaking quietly.

"Yes," she said in response.

"Zelda?" he was asking this time. What?

Zelda opened her eyes, really opened her eyes, and realized that she'd been sleeping and now was staring at someone else; one of her maids. The sun was hot on her face from the window, or from embarrassment. She wasn't sure.

"Are you feeling well? It is nearly dinner… if not, I shall bring you a plate." The girl looked seriously concerned.

"I'm feeling quite fine, thank you." Zelda smiled to reassure her. "I will be down for dinner shortly."

-

Dinner was also, surprisingly, full of conversation. Link had spent the time beforehand telling the king of Zelda's idea for the land conflict, and he took to it immediately. Zelda had barely sat down before her father was commending her.

"I certainly have no worries if you were to rule alone for a time, dear daughter. You have always had a sharp mind for the people." Her father beamed at her, and Zelda smiled brilliantly. She was unaccustomed to such praise by way of her intelligence. The dinner, then, passed quickly as they talked and laughed, and finally, after the dessert plates were cleared away, the king gave Zelda and Link leave from the table.

Link's heart felt light and much cheered, and Zelda stroked his arm inconspicuously. They were passing by the wide double doors leading to the maze, and she pushed him gently towards them. The sun had set some time ago, and the maze was bathed in moonlight. Link looked at the princess quizzically, but she only nodded and pushed him again to the doors.

They moved silently and fast, unlocking the doors with hardly a creak of their iron knobs, and walking at a quick pace into the maze. Zelda was leading, and the tips of Link's fingers were on the small of her back. She didn't notice how hard she was breathing; they weren't even going terribly fast.

They made it to the quiet green center before Zelda spun and grabbed Link with both hands, pulling him in and kissing him. Damn any watchful eyes! Link kissed her back, reaching up and curling his fingers in her hair, and they gripped each other tight, pulling each other in and turning their heads this way and that as they kissed. Link wasn't completely sure what had brought this on, but he wasn't going to complain.

Finally, they had to push themselves apart, Zelda taking deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. Link dug his stubby nails into his palm so that the pain would distract his mind elsewhere.

To break the awkward silence, Zelda spoke up: "I thought you looked very dashing in your new coat."

"Oh, did you? I hadn't the faintest idea," Link replied jokingly. There, his heart had stopped rushing, and all of him was under control. Zelda smoothed her hair back out of her face, and Link reapproached her, putting his hands on her shoulders and pulling her close. They kissed again, slower and taking their time. Link stepped backward, pulling Zelda with him until the back of his legs hit one of the little cement benches. He sat down and pulled her with him, both of them sitting together, holding onto each other as if they'd no intention of letting go.

-

After an hour of this, Zelda complained of feeling cold. It was getting late anyway, so after they studied each other's faces for any tell-tale signs of their amorous session. Link wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, and Zelda blotted her lips in a desperate attempt to restain where it would have wiped off as they walked back to the castle through the maze. Their success rate wasn't very high, but there were few faces around when they returned inside, so they chose not to worry about it.

Link took Zelda's arm and walked her to her rooms. He let go and she turned to face him with a little smile. "I will see you tomorrow for lunch?"

"Yes, of course," he replied, nodding. He kissed her offered hand, and watched her walk up the stairs until they curled out of sight, grinning and returning to his own rooms, content and confident once again.