Link POV

We walked out into the lovely afternoon and made our way back on the road to the castle, walking side by side in a comfortable silence. I knew Zelda was still thinking about the temple. I had my hands behind my back and looked over and her, a small grin on my face.

"So.?" I prompted.

She looked at me a little confused, but I said nothing.

Zelda laughed softly, "Alright, I really enjoyed that detour." She admitted.

I looked out to the road again, "Thought you might." I closed my eyes and lifted my face slightly, enjoying the suns warmth. I hummed happily.

We walked up the path and the guards opened the gate that separates the road between the castle and Castle Town. It was feint, but the sound of moving water could be heard off in the distance.

"We are getting closer to our next stop."

"Where would that be?" Zelda asked

I gave her a smile, "It's just up ahead." After a few more minutes of walking we got to our destination. A river. "The river goes right past the castle, the water is as clear as it gets, but it's pretty cold. There's a particular spot I like," I pointed down the river, "under that tree. You get shade, it's a ways off the road so you don't get too much noise, and you have might hear some birds chirping and the nice sound of running water. It's a great place to go when you're trying to sort things out in your mind." Zelda didn't say anything, but I knew she was listening.

"Do you want to go feel the water?" She looked over at me and nodded.

We walked farther off the path and over to the river bed and Zelda stuck her foot in.

She yelped and looked over at me, "You weren't joking. The water is really cold."

I couldn't help but laugh at how she was partly pouting and partly smiling, "If I ever go in, it's for a quick cool down, it has to be an extremely hot day and I only jump in and get out as quickly as I can."

She nodded her head, "I can see why." She shook her foot to dry it before slipping her worn down shoe back on. I made a mental note to get her new shoes soon.

"Next stop?"

We made it into the inner walls of the castle, passing a few guards; I took Zelda to one of the gardens.

"This is my favorite of the three gardens we have."

I saw Zelda with her eyes closed her face lit with a smile.

"It smells so nice here." She said

"That's why this one is my favorite. There's a catch though, it's the most dangerous garden."

Zelda looked at me then, and raised a brow, "Dangerous?"

"Uh-huh. This garden has the most flowers, that's why it smells great, but since it has a lot of flowers there are a lot of bees."

She laughed. Not a soft chuckle, but a full blown, loud laugh.

"Bees? I thought there would be moblins at night or something scary, I wasn't expecting bees."

"Hey! Bees can hurt you! Whatever you do, do not swat at them. They get mad."

Again she raised an eyebrow at me, "Trust me, just don't do it. Personal experience."

I saw her trying to hide a smile. I grumbled under my breath and walked off, assuming she would follow. I plucked a flower on my way out, twirling it between my fingers.

Zelda POV

I noticed Link walking off, and walked a little faster to catch up to him. I saw him playing with something in his hand but I couldn't see what it was from where I stood.

"Where are we going next?"

"To a clearing." He mumbled.

I did my best to stifle a laugh, he was clearly not too happy I had laughed at him. I knew he wasn't actually mad, but I wanted him back to being cheery.

We walked in silence for a few more minutes and I was trying to think of a way to make him happy again. I had an idea.

"Hey, Link?" I called out to him, he didn't answer but I continued anyway, "How old is Epona?"

I saw a falter in his step for a moment; he kept walking but looked over his shoulder briefly, his brows knit together.

"She turned seven a few months ago." He narrowed his eyes at me, "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." I smiled and he was facing away from me again. "Is she a good horse?"

"She's." I could see his body straighten out, he wasn't moping anymore, "She's the best horse in all of Hyrule. She's smart, loyal, loving, brave." He spoke with such admiration and fondness, that it made me smile "Epona is strong, and has incredible amounts of endurance, she has this intuition and an amazing spirit." He stopped walking and looked over at me with a smirk when I caught up to him. I tried to give him an innocent smile, I don't think it worked.

"Come on, we are almost there." He said. He was definitely in a better mood now.

Satisfaction flooded me, I knew it.

We rounded a corner and Link walked into a circular clearing surrounded by the castle itself. It was covered in grass, small flowers made a lining against the castle walls, and a single tree towards the back of the clearing.

"Similar to the spot by the river, this is also a nice place to think. It's quiet over here, the guards only pass by every so often, there is only one tree so there aren't too many birds here, but you'll find plenty of butterflies. They seem to like the little pink flowers the most." There was a bench towards the back of the clearing, a few paces to the side of the tree. "This is one of my mother's favorite spots. When I was younger she would bring me here. Sometimes we would talk, or she would give me some sort of lesson, teach me something new, and other times we just sat in silence." He seemed fond of his mother.

There was a rustling in the tree and I tried to suppress my surprise. Link seemed unfazed. Impa dropped down from the tree; she stood from her crouched position.

"Link." She called out, "The Queen is close to returning. Your father would like for you to be with him when she gets back."

Link stood up from the bench, "Thank you Impa, I will be there with him shortly."

She nodded, "He will be waiting for you in the throne room."

I looked at Link and when I looked back, Impa was gone.

How does shedothat?

Link turned to the bench and put his hand on it briefly before heading back to the entrance to the clearing. I began to follow him out but looked back at the bench. There was a white rose lying on the wooden bench where he had sat before. I turned back and caught up to Link and walked towards the throne room.

As we got to the throne room the king was talking to one of his knights, the man was middle aged with snow white hair in the form of a Mohawk, he had a very athletic build for his age, Link noticed him as well and smiled at the man obviously knowing something I did not about this man.
As we proceeded to enter the room, Link stopped before motioning me to bow which I had done without hesitation.
The King noticed us "Ah Link, my boy, your mother will be arriving shortly, I want you to wait with me here until she arrives." The King then looked at me then back to Link "and please dismiss your friend, for the time being, as I must speak to you before your mother arrives."
Link looked to me with sad eyes, I smiled and placed my hand on his "Don't worry Link, we will have plenty of time to catch up later, besides I need to make your gift, so this is the perfect time."
Link gave a playful sigh before dismissing me. I looked back before leaving to see Link smiling back at me I gave a slight blush before heading down to the hall back to my room.

I was almost back to my room when someone called out to me.

"Zelda!" I turned to see Nora; she had a friendly smile on her face.

I folded my hands in front of me and smiled at her, "Hello, Nora."

"How was your morning with the prince?"

The smile on my face grew and I could do nothing to stop it. "It was very nice, thank you."

"That's good to hear. I hope you will come to like it here. By the way, there are a few items that were dropped off at the front gates for you; there was also a note with it."

"Oh! Thank you, Nora." I couldn't wait to get back and start Link's gift

"Will you need help with anything?"

"I don't think so, but will you be somewhere specific where I might find you if I do end up needing help?"

She nodded, "I'll be in the washrooms getting the linens ready for tonight, there are others helping so if you need me, they won't miss me too much."

"Thanks again, Nora."

"You're welcome, now go on. I'm sure you have plenty to do."

With that I rounded the corner to my room. There on my bed was a large package with a note on top. I opened the note first.

In a strong but elegant print it read,

My Dear Zelda,

This package has the fabrics and threads, along with a few tools to help you with your little project. Your dress will be on its way later and Daena will be there to help you with it.

My best wishes to you

~Arlyn

With a smile on my face I opened the package and I started Link's gift.

Link POV

I stood beside my father as he sat on the throne, when I felt a hand on my arm.

"How was your morning, my son?"

"Impa worked me hard today, but I wouldn't have training any other way."

"Yes, very good very good, you are becoming a fine warrior."

"Thank you. After that, I took Zelda into town and then showed her around the castle, and here I am now waiting for mother to return. It has been a very enjoyable morning."

"Mmm, good. How do you like your new servant?"

"Father, she's a friend. You know how I feel about servants."

"Yes I do, how is your friend adjusting here?" He said with a soft chuckle.

"She's still unsure of things, but I think she is warming up to me."

My father stood and turned to me. He stood taller than me, but not by much. "Link," his face and voice were very serious, "are you happy?"

I was definitely shocked. It was a question I wasn't expecting and my voice caught in my throat.

"Y-yes, I am. Why do you ask, father?"

My father looked out across the throne room and out towards a window with a view of Castle Town.

"I named you my successor, Link. Someday, you will be king. There will be times when you have to make decisions that you will not always be happy with, but that are for the good of the people. I'm sure there will be times when you will question the decisions you make, but you must trust yourself. It is a heavy weight to bear, however stressful or dreary it may be at times, it is also equally rewarding."

"Father? Why are you saying this? What brought all of this up?"

Before my father could answer a guard came into the throne room.

"My King, Your Highness," he bowed to the both of us, "The Queen will be here momentarily."

And as the young guard said, a few seconds later two guards walked into the throne room followed by my mother, along with her small entourage trailing behind her. My mother was a stunning woman; slender while still full bodied, her golden hair cascaded down to her mid back, flawless lightly tanned skin and her bright emerald green eyes could light up any room she entered.

I spared a glance at my father beside me, his eyes locked on his wife and a small grin growing the closer she got, his face showed nothing but the love and adoration he had for his queen. The two guards walking in front of her branches off to her right and left side, her staff that followed her in stopped where they were and took a knee. She continued her way to us; the guards stopped and took a knee at the base of the steps to the throne. The Queen walked up the few steps, held her hand out and curtsied, all the while holding my father's gaze. He took her hand, "My King." She said with a smile.

He bowed to her, and pressed his lips to the hand he held, "My Queen."

I bowed to her, "Welcome back, mother." She moved over to me, a beautiful smile directed towards me.

She stood a few inches shorter than myself and reached her hands up and placed them on either side of my face, "I only wish I could have come back sooner, it's nice to be home." She gave a soft tug with her hands and lightly kissed my cheek, "Happy birthday, Link." My mother turned to those who escorted her into the throne room and gave them a curtsy and thanked them for traveling with her, then kindly dismissed them.

The three of us stayed where we stood until all had left the room. When we were alone, save a few guards stationed at the doors, my father wrapped his wife in his arms, holding her close and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I missed you, my love." His voice was a soft rumble and my mother hummed happily. I tried to keep my eyes to myself, but I couldn't help but glance over as their love for each other radiated throughout the room. I tried to stifle a chuckle, it didn't work very well.

"Hm? What are you laughing at, boy?" My father said playfully.

My full attention was on them now, my mother had her face towards me but leaning against my father's chest, her arms wrapped lazily around him as his arms circled her back and waist. My face flushed from the embarrassment of getting caught. My mother must have noticed as I heard her laugh quietly.

I scratched my head and smiled at my parents, "I couldn't help but hope that one day I find a love as honest and true as the love the both of you share." I could feel my cheeks heat up again as I spoke.

My mother looked up at my father, confusion gliding across her features before fading away with a warm smile as she looked towards me. She reached out and placed a hand on my cheek, her thumb moving across my skin, "I am sure you will find it, my son."

My father cleared his throat lightly, "There are still a few things to be taken care of before Link's dinner tonight."

My mother pulled back enough to look up at her husband fully, she pat his chest and stepped out of his arms, "Yes, well I wish to catch up with our son first. I will meet with you in a bit to finish up the arrangements." He nodded, placing a chaste kiss on her lips before walking out.

My mother motioned for me to step into the courtyard, as I did I saw mischievousness twinkle in her emerald orbs
"So my son, how has your training with Impa been going? I hope she isn't pushing you too hard."
I groaned and scratch my head in embarrassment hoping no one was looking "Aww mom, I'm fine. I am your son after all, and from all those stories about how you and father used to fight side by side on the battlefield, I have a lot to live up to."
My mother had a faraway look before shaking her head at me "Well I worry about you, honey. You are my only child and I don't want to see you hurt; it's a mother's job to worry."

My mother can be fierce warrior when the time came but other than that she is the best mother anyone could ask for. I respect her as much as I respect my father, and I am fortunate to have been found by such great people.

Remember what I was going to tell her I coughed to get her attention "Hey mom, I need to ask you something."

She turned her full attention to me I could see her warrior spirit in her eyes which was kind of intimidating but at the same time comforting like a wolfos protecting her cubs from any danger

Blushing a little I told her about my new friend and servant Zelda "Well the Gerudo Princess brought me a birthday gift in the form of a servant girl named Zelda, and I know this may seem totally unreasonable but I have a strong connection with this girl, it's not love but I think it might be more than friendship and I am not sure what I am supposed to do. This girl is very kind, she's a bit shy but once you get her talking you'll find she is smart and is very considerate, she's wonderful, mother, and she genuinely cares about me and well... I was hoping to make her my guest for tonight. I know father will probably not approve, but I pray to the goddesses you might side with me one this and convince father to give me this as my birthday present. We had such a great time in the market today and I bought her a dress so she could come with me tonight." as I finished I was out of breath and on the verge of wheezing (hey there is a reason link doesn't talk in the games you know)

My mother had a shocked look on her face but it quickly disappear to be replaced with a loving smile "I will see what I can do Link, but as you know your father can be a stubborn man." My heart sank as I knew she was right, my father would neve- "But as you know, I can be very stubborn as well." My mother said winking at me showing she supported my wish.

My heart began to flutter with all kinds of emotions, but the most potent was love for my mother and her understanding personality.

I ran up to her and hugged her smaller frame into my larger one. She returned the embrace before letting go "Well I am glad you told me so I could help you enjoy your birthday, after all it's not every day my boy becomes 17. You are officially a man now Link, I am so very proud of you."

I smiled down at her before bowing "Thank you, Your Grace." I said out of respect and sheer happiness.

My mother scoffed playfully "Come now son, you know as well as I, we do not like those silly titles" she said before we shared a laugh

"I am glad you are home mother, I've missed you." she smiled lovingly before kissing me on the forehead

"And I have missed you...my baby boy. Now off with you, go find your friend and prepare for your party, I must speak with your father before your special night."

I nodded before waving to her and heading into the castle archway.

I was in my room trying to figure out what I would wear tonight, I had three options laid out on my bed when Nora walked in.

"Hello, Link."

I nodded my hello to her but still looked at the outfits before me, "Nora? Which one do you think I should wear?"

"Mm?" she walked closer and looked around me. "I like the blue one. By the way, the Queen wanted me to tell you, 'Yes.'. That's all she said. Hope you know what she means."

"Oh, okay." I wasn't paying full attention to what she had said and then it hit me, "OH!" I spun around and hugged Nora. "This is a really good day!" I nearly shouted, I hugged her and ran out, leaving a confused woman standing in my room.

Zelda POV

I had begun working on Link's present immediately. After a while, my fingers seemed to go a bit numb, but I didn't mind. I had a mission to finish his gift before tonight. I was fortunate enough that Arlyn and Daena were able to give me Link's measurements. Time seemed to blur as I worked. I was almost done, just finishing the small details. There, done! I held out the tunic, and was happy with my work. There was a loud pounding on my door and I nearly yelped. I placed the gift on my bed and opened my door.

"Oh!" I was surprised to see Link standing there, well not standing, he was hunched over with one hand on his knee and the other against the doorframe to keep himself up. He was breathing heavily but had a goofy grin on his face and a glint to his eyes.

"Zelda!"

"Yes?"

"I know if please dinner tonight." Link has speaking between breathes.

"You are really out of breath. Did you run all the way over here or something?"

"Yes I didn't answer my question." He was still huffing, but stood up straight.

"Oh, right. Um, so your guest at dinner. Your dinner. Because it's your birthday. And you're a prince."

Link was staring at me and my mind went blank. "Correct."

"Is that allowed? I'm just a servant." My voice trailed off.

"Don't worry about that." He waved his hand, and then looked at me seriously. "Look, Zelda. Yes or no." Those blue eyes again, staring straight at me, "Will you be my guest tonight?"

"Yes." No hesitation.

"Great!" He looked like he might jump with joy. "I will come by here in a few hours to take you over to the main hall." I nodded. He spun completely around once and then turned and started walking away. I smiled at his back, he walked away very happy. I closed the door and noticed the tunic on my bed. I ran back to my door and poked my head out.

"Link!" I called out to him. He turned around and looked at me curiously. I grabbed his gift and by the time I opened the door again he was just a few steps away.

"Yes?"

I had the tunic behind my back, "I wanted to give you your gift."

"You got me something?" he looked pleasantly surprised.

I nodded and held the cream colored tunic out to him. He looked at it with wide eyes.

"Wow. This is really nice. Where did you get it? When did you get it?" He gently took it from my hands and was looking over it.

"I, um, made it. I got everything to make it when you were talking with Malon."

Something I said caught his attention and he looked at me in astonishment, "You made this?" he held up his gift and I nodded, "Woah. That's amazing. This is amazing." He put the tunic in my face and I laughed. "Maybe you should open up a shop in Castle Town; you are really good at this kind of stuff." He returned to marveling over the tunic. It was an off white, cream colored, tunic. The sleeves and bottom were trimmed with a gold embroidered pattern. The upper left portion of the tunic was, in the same gold stitching, the triforce being held above a golden bird.

Link turned to me again, "Thank you." He said very earnestly and I smiled at him. "Well, I'll be going, rest up. I will be back in a few hours." He waved and walked out. I lay down on my bed and attempted to nap. I was tired; I had worked hard to get that tunic done. I don't know how long I was asleep, or if I was asleep, I didn't dream but my eyes opened when I heard a knock at my door. I was feeling very popular today with all the visits from people. I got off my bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and went to open the door. Daena stood there holding a number of things in her arms. I invited her in and she almost immediately got to work, I was very awake now.

3rd Person POV

The dress itself was a cream colored strapless silky satin that fit wonderfully. It matched the color of the tunic that Zelda had made for Link almost perfectly. Zelda couldn't help but think that the tailors had picked the fabric color to match purposefully. Daena helped Zelda into the dress and smoothed it out before pulling Zelda over to a mirror. The fabric was form fitting from her chest to her waist where it then loosened up and fell freely with a small train in the back. Zelda was slowly beginning to panic, the dress was dazzling but it was showing far too much of her marred skin. She was about to speak up when Daena pulled out a few more pieces for the outfit. The first was a pair of long gloves that ended just past her elbow; they were the same off-white color as the dress. The second piece brought a sense of ease through Zelda. It was a shawl, very light blue in color. Daena put it over Zelda's shoulders, and the younger woman felt much more secure with it on. Daena pinned it to the back of the dress, to keep it from moving up and exposing any old and unwanted injury, and pinned it in the front just under both of her arms, so that it would stay over her shoulders. The shawl was loosely pinned and still had some movement, but not so much so, that she would have to worry about someone seeing the scars or bruises.

"Well, there you are dear." Daena said happily, she had gotten Zelda situated in the dress and helped do something with the younger woman's hair. Her has was partially pulled to the back and pinned, keeping it out of her face while still letting her golden hair stream down her back. She just stared at her reflection, she was speechless.

Zelda turned to the tailor, "It's perfect."

Link POV

I put on the tunic Zelda made for me, which fit incredibly perfect, and put on the blue coat, from the outfit Nora picked, over the tunic. After straightening myself out a few times I left my room and made my way over to Zelda. I stood outside her door for a while before knocking lightly. Zelda didn't answer the door, but rather Daena did. I was surprised to see her at the door but I quickly recovered and said hello. I couldn't see anything in Zelda's room with Daena standing in the doorway.

The woman cleared her throat and gave me a funny look, "I present to you, your guest for the night, Zelda." With that Daena moved to the side and I saw Zelda walk towards the door.

She was absolutely stunning. I was probably standing there with my mouth hanging open, but there was nothing I could do. My brain wasn't functioning correctly. All I could think about was the gorgeous woman walking towards me. She saw that I was wearing her gift and her face lit up.

"Thank you for wearing it."

I tugged at my coat and tunic, "It fits wonderfully, thank you for making it. I love it." I was starting to really like that smile of hers.

I held my arm out for her and she placed her hand at my elbow. We walked through the corridors and made our way over to the main hall. As we were walking I told her a few things to expect, and how we would be announced before entering. We were waiting on the other side of the closed doors and I could feel Zelda fidgeting. I smiled and looked over at her, "You're beautiful." I definitely just blurted that out. She looked up at me, her eyes wide and there was a definite blush covering her cheeks.

She looked away and muttered out a shy "Thank you." I probably just made her even more uncomfortable. I was about to say something to try to calm her down, but just then the doors opened and I could immediately feel Zelda tense up and her grip on my arm tightened. I spared a glance over at her, her eyes wide, brows pulled together slightly in worry, and her lips pressed in a tight line.

"Just hold my hand, keep your eyes up. Don't look around, just focus on the King and Queen." I said quietly. I bent slightly and put my lips close to her ear and I noticed her body stiffen again, "Don't worry; I'm right here with you. Relax." I quickly whispered before we started walking in.

I gave her hand a squeeze and she looked up at me. I saw the worry in her eyes, she was nervous. I flashed her a smile and was happy to see some of the worry fade away and a partial smile from her in return. We walked down the middle of the hall, I kept my smile up, not that it was particularly hard, it was a good day. I nodded to various people as we walked. We were before my parents now, I bowed and Zelda curtsied, we then took our seats. I sat to my father's left, my mother to his right, and Zelda to my left.

3rd Person POV

"Tonight we have gathered here in celebration as the Prince of Hyrule takes the next steps in life and ventures into adulthood. I remember the day he turned ten years old and I named my son, Link, my successor." The king turned from the guests to his son, "It has been seven years since then, and not a day goes by that I am not proud to have you as the next king of this kingdom. You have grown into a wonderful young man, and I know, without a doubt that you will be an excellent ruler. I am blessed to have you as my son and I thank you, Link, for all of the joys you have brought." He turned back to the audience, "And I thank each and every one of you for joining us tonight in honor of my son, Link, the future king of Hyrule." With that there was a cheer and clapping. The king raised his glass and all followed his lead by lifting their glasses in the air. Link took his glass and looked over to his guest of the night. She could tell he was looking at her and she turned towards him to see him smiling warmly at her. They tapped their glasses together before taking a drink, the red liquid warming the pit of their stomachs. They had a lavish dinner and a few more speeches were given by nobles that felt they had a connection with Link, even though he felt they only did so in order to try and weasel their way closer to the royals; although, a couple of people did seem sincere and for their toasts, Link was grateful. The night went on and as dinner ended, more socializing continued. Nobles and others from town came by to congratulate Link, or to just get a few words in with the prince. When someone asked about his guest, Link would kindly introduce them to his friend Zelda and when more personal questions started being asked he smoothly changed topics, and for that she was very appreciative. Zelda had been nervous about the night, hoping she could act how she should and say the correct things when they needed to be said. Luckily for her, Link was quick on his feet and often held the conversations between himself and the other guest. After talking with various guests, Link began to move to the center of the room. Zelda's eyes widened when she realized what he was trying to do.

He was holding her hand and guiding her to through the people.

She started to tug back, "L-Link, I can't. I've never-" He turned towards her, his left hand still holding her right. With his right hand he moved it under her left arm and lifted his arm so that her arm moved up where her hand rested on his shoulder. Moving his hand to her lower back, Link pulled her closer to him, he leaned down and she could feel his warm breath at her ear, "Don't worry, I would never let you fall." He began to twirl them around the room; others were already dancing, and more joined when they noticed their prince moving fluidly with his partner. Link held Zelda's gaze with a brilliant smile on his face, while she had a small smile of amazement. Link made dancing seem easy; she followed his movements and didn't worry about anyone else. The few time she stumbled, Link would just pick her up slightly and continue dancing, making it look as if it hadn't even happened; and each time he picked her up, he tightened his hold on her and pulled her closer to himself. Link lifted his eyes off of Zelda for a moment and noticed the King and Queen. His mother looked on at him with a knowing smile, while he noticed that his father kept a blank face. Link and Zelda continued to dance for a large portion of the night, taking breaks to catch their breath, rest their feet, or get something to drink. Zelda had relaxed a bit, she was no longer thinking about all the people; her main focus on the two of them. During one of the breaks they spotted Arlyn getting something to drink. Zelda made her way over to him, wondering where his wife was, but to tell him how much she loved the dress and to express her appreciation for him and his wife helping her.

"Are you enjoying yourself, my prince?" Link tore his gaze away from Zelda and looked over at Impa standing next to him.

"I am having a wonderful time."

They were both looking out at the crowd of guests when Link turned to his guardian. "You know, Impa, I'm not sure that I verbalize it very often, but I wanted to thank you, for everything you have done for me. I can only hope that I reflect some of your teachings."

She smiled at him, "You don't need to speak your thanks, watching you grow and become the wonderful young man that you are, is reward enough for me."

"I wouldn't be the same without you, Impa."

"You mean that in a good way, I hope."

"I mean that I wouldn't be this 'wonderful young man' that you say I am."

"Then I have done something right." She said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes moved from Link's and he followed her gaze, landing on a certain beautiful blonde. She held her arms out just a little and spun around letting the tailor look at the finished dress. Arlyn grabbed both of her hands and both Imp and Link could see him saying something to her, but neither could hear what he said. The young woman looked like she was laughing whole heartedly. "Be careful, Link." Impa's voice brought him back.

"She won't hurt me." He said playfully, trying to think how that would even pan out if she were to try something on him. "With all your training I doubt she would even get near me."

Impa chuckled and shook her head, "Not what I meant." He looked at her questioningly, "Be careful with her."

"Oh."

Link stood just beside his father's chair and addressed the guests, "I thank you all for gathering here tonight. I am honored to have you all here to celebrate the seventeenth anniversary of my birth. I am now to retire to my room. But please, my guests stay and eat and drink and dance, enjoy yourselves." With Link's goodnight speech he bowed to the guests then turned to his parents and spoke to them. He kept his voice to a more personal level so that only those close around him could hear, rather than the whole room. "Thank you both, for this life you have given me. I am blessed to be your son. Though I am not of your body, I am certainly of your spirit. Goodnight, mother, father." Link shook the king's hand and gave him a hug.

"I am grateful to be your father." The King said as he embraced his son.

Moving to his mother, Link brought her into a hug and gave her a kiss on the side of her head. She pulled back slightly and put a hand on his cheek, smiling up at him. "Happy birthday, Link." She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, "I want to talk soon." When Link moved away he saw her give him a knowing smile, he nervously laughed and went to back to his guest.

After a long night, Link walked Zelda back to her room. Zelda turned to face Link, her back facing the door. They both stood there for a moment, smiling at each other. Zelda's right hand moved up to adjust the shawl over her left shoulder while still looking up at Link, the gesture reminded him of something he noticed earlier in the night and his smile faded. She noticed his change of face, her right hand sliding down her arm and stopping at her elbow.

"Zelda?" His voice soft, "When we were dancing and I spun you around, I um.I saw part of your back."

She held her breath, she didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want him to know about it. What would he do? She saw the sad look in his eyes, she didn't want his pity. There was nothing he could do about it now; she just wanted to move on. He reached out and grabbed her left hand lightly, like he might hurt her if he held it too tight.

"It's nothing, Link." She looked away and tried to pull her hand free from his.

He held on, and his face hardened slightly, "That's a lie. You were hurt. That is not nothing."

She looked up at him, holding his eyes "Look Link," Her voice a bit stronger than before, but still partially weak, Zelda pulled her hand back, "I'm fine. I'm not some broken.thing that needs to be fixed."

His face softened again, "No, you certainly are not a thing. You're not broken either; I think you are much too strong to ever be broken. But just because you aren't broken, doesn't mean you're not hurt."

He was picking away at the walls she put up, whatever he was doing it was working; whether it be his soothing voice, sincere words, simple gestures, or worried eyes, he was doing something that made her want to trust him, something that made her want to talk to him.

"I want to help you. You're my friend and I want to do what I can for you, whether that be me simply being with you or pulling some strings as the prince, just know that I'm here for you." He spoke kindly and encouragingly. "Something more important than that though," Zelda wasn't sure if it was just the lighting, but his eyes seemed to darken a little, "I want you to know, that no matter what happens, I will never hurt you." With that her walls were crumbling, they were almost gone.

She bit her lip, "It's just that I am wary to put my faith in people. It's nothing against you specifically, it's just."

"Hard." She nodded, "That's understandable."

She stepped back until he was up against the door and while still facing Link she reached back to open it. He saw her take another step back into her room.

"Zelda, wait!" He wanted to move towards her, but he didn't want to push her too far either. She stood there, holding her door open, her eyes on the floor.

" in for a moment." She said quietly.

Link walked in and Zelda closed the door behind him.

Zelda walked in front of him and faced the wall, her side to him. She unhooked the shawl and placed it on her bed. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she moved her long hair out of the way and stood there. Link moved behind her and looked on in horror. The dress didn't have a particularly low back, but it was strapless and showed enough skin for him to see. His fingers lightly trailed over a few scars. There were pale lines all across her back which was also spotted with old yellow bruises and newer bluish purple bruises.

"Are there more?" Link's voice was tight. Zelda nodded and he dropped his hand. The prince closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. He stood there quietly trying to calm himself long enough for Zelda to get curious about his silence. She looked over her shoulder to see his face filled with emotions: pain, anger, sorrow.

"This happened when you were with the Gerudo." He said between his teeth. It should have been a question, but it wasn't.

Zelda let out a soft sigh, "Let's just say it was how I was taught to be a good servant." She could have sworn she heard him growl when she said that.

"I swear to you that will not happen here." He seethed. He opened his eyes and immediately got caught in her gaze. His eyes drained of their rage and were filled with sorrow. She dropped her eyes, she didn't want him to feel sorry for her, she just wanted him to treat her normally.

His fingers skimmed over some of the scars again, the light touch sending shivers through her body.

"Did it always hurt?" his voice was hardly above a whisper.

"It was a pain that someone never got used to."

"Does it still hurt?"

"Yes." She said quietly, "Though this pain is something that I've somewhat gotten used to. It's a constant dull ache that I tend to not notice." Zelda turned to face him, and she saw how sad he looked, as if he blamed himself for what happened.

"How much is there?" It took her a moment to understand the question.

She kept her eyes on anything but Link, she couldn't look at him."The bruises are mostly all over my back and my sides. The scars . A majority of them are faded but still visible, arms, legs, back, front." Her fingers were playing with the material of her dress.

"I know this isn't helpful, but I am so sorry. I am so sorry, Zelda."

She stayed quiet, not knowing how to respond.

"Thank you for letting me know." Link said.

"Thank caring."

He smiled softly before making his way to the exit of her room.

He stopped in her doorway for a moment, "Listen, Zelda. I was thinking." His voice was back to normal.

"Yes?"

Link turned around to face her and closed the door. "I have a request to ask of you."

"Oh, okay." She was a little skeptical, but let him continue.

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled almost shyly. "It's sort of a longer term thing, almost like a job. I wanted to ask if you would be ."

"Watcher?" She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Mm, I don't really know what to call it, there's no real title that I can think of, but someone to keep me in line. Someone who will tell me when they think I'm stepping out of line. Someone who will not withhold their opinion on the things I do. Often times, people shy away from telling me their true thoughts because of my title. In all honest, it's not very helpful. I think hearing what people have to say is important and it would be refreshing to have someone that would speak their mind freely with me."

"That sounds . You would have me do this for you?" Zelda felt truly honored, but was slightly confused, "You don't even know me, but you would ask me to be this watcher?"

He smiled a bit, "I'd like to get to know you," He was burning her soul with his eyes, those bright blue eyes, those eyes that made her mind fuzzy "I trust you, I recognize that I just met you and hardly know you, I don't know why, but I do. You haven't given me a reason not to, and for some reason I just trust you. My father's watcher is my mother, and sometimes Impa, though she is more formal that my mother with her opinion. I'd like someone to speak freely with me. Someone who isn't afraid to yell at me for doing something completely idiotic, someone that will keep me grounded and not wandering aimlessly in anything I do."

"I don't know."

"I understand if you aren't comfortable with it, and you are fully able to decline my request. If you do accept, it doesn't have to be tomorrow or the day after, but if you feel comfortable enough with me that you can forget titles and ranks and just be Link and Zelda, and you accept, then I would be truly grateful."

There was a silence for a few moments before Zelda spoke up, "I , that you are asking this of me. Right now, I don't think I can be this 'watcher' that you want me to be." His heart dropped, "But, I think that maybe, maybe, I can be sometime in the future." She said with a soft smile, a smile that he graciously returned.

Link took in a deep breath and let it out, "Thank you." He said happily. Link took her hand and bending down a little he pressed his lips to her hand, all the while keeping his eyes locked on hers. He straightened but held her hand just a while longer, "Goodnight." He said as he turned and walked to her door. Zelda whispered out a goodnight as he was walking through her door. Both of them with a smile on their faces as they tried to find sleep.

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