Link attempts to give flowers to Zelda, but continuously fails - requested by the-flower-maiden on tumblr
After everything that had happened, jumping between time and space, battling hordes of monsters, facing evil itself, and becoming a hero in his own right, Link realized that he had to brave one more task—one final challenge to face.
The trainees grinned, their eyes lighting up in excitement from behind their helmets. "Go for it, cap'n!" they cheered, throwing armored fists into the air in encouragement.
They seemed so supportive, he thought. They were loyal, good men who were willing to train under the hero who saved them all and led them to victory. Even now, Link, leaping through ranks in a matter of days and aiding in the recovery of Hyrule itself alongside Princess Zelda, still couldn't understand how he of all people ended up in a situation like this.
Link had fallen for the princess.
And there he was, just a knight, with nothing to offer her but his undying fealty and love. And a bouquet of wildflowers he'd picked out in the fields.
He felt so stupid. Really.
Still wearing the tunic of the hero (she once said to him that he looked the part—dashing and brave—and since then, he'd been against ever removing it), he coughed, straightening his scarf as best as he could and approaching the (beautiful, elegant, strong, wise) princess, his strides full of purpose but his posture everything the holder of Courage shouldn't have been.
He knew that on the rare moments of peace—between the repairs and the organization that came with recovery—she would retreat to her courtyard, sitting with her harp and relaxing in the grasses.
But he'd forgotten about how beautiful the gardens were—how the rosebushes and flowerbeds were grown with such care, how the wisteria tree whimsically showered over anyone who stood beneath it, how the petals looked when a stray one fluttered down onto the sweet gold of her hair …
His bouquet of handpicked wildflowers just … paled in comparison to the wonders around her. She was pure and angelic, and he was gruff and dirt-smudged.
The Bearer of Courage lost his nerve, tucking the meek bouquet behind his back and trying to back out of the courtyard slowly and quietly.
But the princess was so aware of her surroundings. She turned to smile in his direction, her sweetness and wisdom radiating off of her like perfume. Standing, she made her way to the hero. "Good afternoon. Is there something you needed, Link?"
Link gulped, nervously chuckling and shaking his head with a blush. He bowed sharply and stood up straight again, keeping his hands behind his back.
He hadn't even felt such anxiety in the face of evil.
But, even through his perpetually quiet disposition, there was no fooling the Princess Zelda. Her smile fell a little and she reached out, pressing her cool, soft fingertips against his forehead. "You seem red … are you alright? Perhaps you should rest for the day; you've been pushing yourself too hard."
Link's face only heated further, her touch caring and gentle despite how he knew just what she was truly capable of. And though monsters never penetrated his brave spirit, her touch went straight to his heart. He inhaled sharply, dropping the wildflowers in a flurry of petals and stems behind him, and dashed from the courtyard.
She blinked after him, then down at the pile of discarded flowers on the ground.
He tried again the next day, this time with prettier roses. But as he approached her as she was bent over the schematics for rebuilding one of the tower keeps in Hyrule Field, he gripped the stems too tightly, piercing his calloused skin. Blood dribbled from his fingers in ugly, ruby streams, staining the green of the stems and dripping onto the floor.
He panicked, shoving the bloodied bouquet into the Goron Captain's arms as he hightailed it out of the room.
Zelda glanced up in confusion. "Captain? Where did Link go?"
The Goron blinked his large eyes and shrugged. "He seemed so stressed!"
After a moment, Zelda smiled, shook her head, and returned to her work.
On the third day, Link was determined to see it through. For better or for worse, Zelda would receive his gift and know how he felt. He summoned all the strength he could to approach her in the halls of Hyrule Castle.
But he stopped as he turned the corner, watching as Princess Zelda graciously welcomed a foreign guest.
The man was of nobility, Link realized, noting the lavish and expensive fabric and the many medals that adorned his tunic. He carried himself with a regal air, and any outside audience could see that the man was rather pleased with the princess's appearance. Link couldn't blame him.
And Link had heard that there would be trade and treaties to be discussed with those of foreign lands as a safety measure—Zelda was certain to not allow Hyrule to stand alone again. The noble's presence in the castle was not unexpected or unwelcome.
At least, to everyone other than Link, the Hyrulean Knight who saved the kingdom.
The lilies in his hands seemed so pitiful.
When he felt a strong hand clap onto his shoulder, he turned to see Impa, her expression stern, but eyes surprisingly soft.
"What've you got there, Link?" she asked, her tone questioning but her eyes absolutely knowing.
Link only shrugged sadly and placed the lilies in Impa's arms, walking away and back to his quarters.
That evening, there was a knock on his door. When Link opened it, his eyes widened, seeing the princess before him.
She was no longer in her armor or crown. Her hair was loose about her shoulders, and she wore a filmy, white nightgown. In the glow of the candle she held in her hands, she was ethereal, blue eyes flickering.
Link didn't know what to say. He should've bowed as propriety would demand, but he was frozen in place.
She only gave him a radiant smile. "Walk with me." Zelda took his arm then, leading him out into the hall. She continued on with her candle in one hand and her other arm curled around his.
Zelda was so close to him. He felt as if his heart would burst from his chest.
When she finally stopped, they were in the courtyard. She led him to one of the flowerbeds and pointed down. "There. You see?"
Wildflowers, bloodied roses, and wilted lilies had all been replanted there recently. He gulped audibly and she giggled at his apparent nervousness.
She was smiling, a light blush staining her cheeks. Her eyes beckoned to him, expectant and all-knowing as she always was.
But Link was never good with words. How could he be now, when she was there before him, smiling warmly and dressed so beautifully, golden hair shimmering in the midnight moonlight. He couldn't possibly think about their difference in status. He couldn't think of how he couldn't offer her anything. He couldn't think of that noble who was currently staying for a visit in the castle.
She was all he knew. And when the princess reached up to caress his cheek and lean in to press her lips against his own, he realized that Zelda didn't need words at all.