Chapter 1
The last time Link had seen Zelda cry loudly was when she wailed in grief in his arms moments after Hyrule Castle collapsed into the clutches of Calamity. He watched as her body shook into Impa's folded lap, snatched sobs escaping her. He was unsure if it was relief, sadness, or a mixture of both. Impa stroked down the princess's matted locks, a small smile gracing her lips as she consoled the princess from her position in her chief room. "I've missed you dearly as well, my Princess."
The Hero stood in the doorway of the Chief's house- their arrival via horseback was largely uneventful. They spent most of it in silence- it was unclear to Link if there was tension or mere exhaustion that caused the quiet between the two of them.
His mind was riddled with questions- but the usual confident hero was feeling a slight hesitancy around her. She had asked him if he remembered her- and to an extent, he did. There was something nagging in the pit of his stomach with the way she held her head low, her arms folded around her. What was more bothersome was that he could not recall if this was the Zelda he had fallen unconscious to, or if something took place within those hundred years to produce the Princess behind him.
Until they entered through the narrow gates of Kakariko Village. As soon as one town member spotted the golden-hair princess on the back of his horse, the commotion started.
"Inform Lady Impa at once!"
"Master Link has the Princess!"
"Are you both unharmed!?"
It seemed the Shiekah did not forget their princess- even if the majority of the tribe was born generations after the impact of the Calamity. Link felt reassured his Princess was in good hands- but did feel like he was intruding on a special moment between two close friends. Before he could turn to give Zelda and Impa a moment of privacy, the Shiekah Matriarch met his eyes. Hers were glassy, tears welling over as she grinned wider. "You did good, Hero."
Link offered a nod in response as Zelda sniffled, picking up her head to look back at him. Tear streaks created clean troughs amidst the dirt and blood on her face. Impa's gaze fell back on the Princess, tucking Zelda's hair behind her ear as she spoke. "I am most certain this journey has exhausted you both. You, trapped inside the castle," Impa looked at Link again. "And you, for all that you've done
"I am simply relieved and ecstatic to see you both well before me and I simply cannot wait to hear the details of your journey. However," Impa finally lifted Zelda's chin up to face her. "You are in dire need of a bath."
A chuckle escaped Zelda. "Do I smell that bad?"
Impa snorted. "Like a Boboklins foot." She clapped tapped her cane against the wood floor Link heard a small eep and hurried steps trotting down the stairs, from which emerged Paya. She wrung her hands, eyes nervously flitting across the room, lingering an extra moment on Link. Her eyes widened as blush crept over her face. "Oh!"
"Take the Princess upstairs and help her bathe." Impa seemed to snap Paya's attention away from Link. Paya blushed as she hurriedly rushed to the princess's side, bowing awkwardly. "Right away! This way please, Princess!"
Link exhaled a sigh of relief as Zelda appeared to let a small laugh out, her face warming to a small grin. "Please, just call me Zelda-"
"I'm so sorry, Princess Zelda! Right this way, please!" The Shiekah junior grabbed Zelda's hand and as she hurriedly had run down the stairs, she dragged Zelda up with similar haste. Link tried to stifle a chuckle from her weak attempts of protest.
"Link," The Hero's attention was brought back to Impa, an expectant grin on her face. "That goes for you as well."
He blinked twice before pulling his Hero's tunic forward- he didn't think he smelled bad. He took a deep inhale and winced. She was right.
"My grandmother has told me so much about you!"
Zelda winced, as Paya dragged the washcloth, her skin angering into pink in response. The bathroom was filled with steam, an urn with hot water bubbling in the corner. Zelda had no time to fight the young Shiekah off- she essentially undressed Zelda up the stairs and threw her into a wooden tub of hot water all whilst babbling about the history of the Calamity. Zelda would have loved a moment to simply enjoy the warmth soaking her aching body, but Paya had other plans.
Paya did not seem to notice the princess was deep in thought. "She told me the story of how the Calamity had descended, and just when it seemed all hope was lost, you found your power and disabled all the guardians!" She dramatically put a hand over her heart.
Zelda attempted to take the washcloth, pleading, "Please, I can really do this myself-"
"What was it? You must tell me, as the future leader of the Shiekah tribe and history keeper of the Royal family, these details are so important!" Impa continued to blab, ignoring the princess's protests and futile attempts to let her bathe herself.
Before Zelda could open her mouth to respond, Paya ladled a bucket of water and promptly dumped it over Zelda's head. The princess coughed and spluttered as soapy water entered her nostrils, burning the back of her throat. Paya went to work scrubbing her scalp, pushing her deeper into the water as she lathered her hair. Zelda gripped the edges of the bathtub to keep herself from drowning.
If it wasn't the Calamity Ganon that killed her, it was surely going to be this young Shiekah.
"Oh and Master Link- he fought so hard and so bravely." Paya swooned. "Four divine beasts, and then finding the strength and training himself through the shrines!" Zelda turned to look at Paya. She seemed lost in thought, her hands lathered in soap she was working into Zelda's hair. Paya finally met her gaze, eyes wide. "Did you know he went to visit one hundred twenty shrines?! I didn't even know that many existed, and all of them were such challenges-"
"Paya," A stern voice came from the doorway. Zelda reflexively dunked her body deeper into the water, hands instinctively hovering over her chest.
Impa's mouth was set in a hard line as she entered the bathtub and chided the future chief, "Perhaps instead of reminding the Princess of her own story, I am sure she could use some quiet."
Paya gasped, her head bowing, "I am so sorry, Princess!"
Zelda chuckled, turning back to look back, "It is quite alright. I understand and appreciate your-" she paused thoughtfully. "Enthusiasm." Zelda also secretly thanked the Goddesses above for stopping her from a soapy death.
"Paya, please see to it that Master Link has a clean set of clothes and preparations to eat," Impa instructed, ushering Paya out. "I'll take over."
Zelda caught Paya's deep blush and stood up quickly, bowing with a hasty, "right away!" before flitting out. Impa sighed, shaking her head as she sat on the stool at the head of the tub. "That girl."
The princess propped herself on the rim of the tub, her wet hair now fragrant with the scent of cinnamon and pumpkin, a Kakariko specialty. "Impa, seeing your family warms my heart- Paya looks exactly like you." Zelda's smile faltered. "I am only sad I was not there to see it myself."
Impa held out a hairbrush, beckoning for the Hylian to turn around. Zelda did as she was told, facing the opposite wall. Impa began to run the brush through her wet tangles, gently tugging to break them up. She spoke gently to her old friend. "I missed you every day. I tried to visit the castle myself at times while I was still able to. But it was too dangerous."
Zelda closed her eyes letting out a small sigh. "You need not explain yourself Impa- I know."
The two women remained silent, the only sound was the water dripping from Zelda's hair to the floor as Impa brushed through it. Impa broke the silence, her voice hesitant.
"I do wonder though, Princess," She continued to tease out the knots in Zelda's hair. The princess felt the hairbrush falter. "How were you able to do it? How did you find your power?"
Another pregnant pause. Impa leaned forward, finding the Princess' brows knit together, her eyes downcast. That was all she needed to get her answer.
"I see." She nodded, going back to the Princess's hair. She took the bucket Paya had unceremoniously dumped on the princess moments before, carefully filling it with warm water and rinsing the suds out. "Have you told him?"
The matriarch could see her petite shoulders stiffen. Zelda paused before shaking her head slowly. "I get the feeling he does not truly remember me, Impa."
Impa's brows knit together in confusion, leaning over again to face the princess. Zelda met her eyes again, tears welling over.
"I have burdened him plenty for the past hundred and sixteen years." She said softly. Her eyes fell back to the water as she drew her knees up. "I think I'll spare him of this one as well."
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I am excited to dive into the deeper psychological aspects behind post-Calamity trauma. I am even MORE excited to show you how their romance really picks up.