Translated by MissQuestions-LaAmazingNabo
Beta reader: Chameleon Eyes

Thank you for your favourites, follows and reviews. Although I don't have time to answer all the reviews, I appreciate them a lot; they are very encouraging.
In answer to linklover's question: yes, Link won't be king but they can have a heir; it's the same as in the UK, when the queen's husband is not the king, is her consort.

The Legend of Zelda series and its characters are property of Nintendo.

Chapter 7
Day off

It was the afternoon of the day following the ball, a little after dinner time. Zelda was having a meeting in her study with Duke Stain. Just like the day prior, she had opted for a simple outfit, without jewelry, gloves, nor complicated hairdos.

The duke had wanted to meet with her to apologize for his son's behavior, and to thank her for not imposing a harsh punishment on him.

"Do not thank me, Duke Stain," Zelda said. "My duty as a princess is to check and impose laws, no matter how hash they are and how little I like doing so. If I have been benevolent with your son, it is because of Sir Link; it is him you ought to thank."

"I wanted to, but I could not find him all morning."

"Sir Link did not have training with the recruits today," the princess commentated, thoughtful. "If he is not in his chamber, sleeping; it is possible that he was training by himself or something of the like."

"I see, but I believe I must go now," the duke said while standing from his seat. "My family and I must return home and we have a long way ahead of us. I hope that you could thank Sir Link from my part and also apologize for what happened."

"Do not worry, I will tell him when I see him," Zelda replied, also standing.

After the duke left, the princess let herself fall over the armchair and sighed. She was tired and hungry. She had spent the whole morning shut in her study, revising papers, signing treaties and finishing several extremely urgent tasks, and she had barely eaten due to the lack of time. Unfortunately, like every thirtieth of the month, the majority of the service had the day off, and until supper time, there wouldn't be anyone in the kitchen to prepare something for her to eat.

She sighed again, resigned, and stood up. She left her study and headed towards Link's room to talk with him. Link also had the day off, but never wandered far from the castle.

Now in front of his room, Zelda called at the door, but there wasn't a response. She called again. Nothing.

"Could he be sleeping?" she murmured to herself.

She called again, but seeing the scarce success, she opened the door. No one. She entered the room, but there wasn't a sign of him, just a few clothes over the bed. When she was at the door, ready to leave, the princess heard a noise coming from the bathroom. She closed the door again and sat on the edge of the bed, in front of the bathroom door, waiting for Link to come out.

While she waited, she observed the clothes at her side, some dark green pants and a beige shirt. She ran her hand over the shirt, stroking the fabric. It was fine and smooth. She observed the room; it had not changed since the last time she was there. From where she sat, she could see in front of her, towards her right, a couch, a table for tea, some armchairs, and behind them, a folding-screen; at the back, close to the left wall, the bathroom door; in front of it, on the left wall, a dresser with a mirror on top, and besides the dresser, a big chest where she knew he stored his weapons and other objects obtained during his adventure; on the wall at the right, near the folding-screen, was a great wardrobe.

She rose from the bed and approached the dresser, since she had seen Link's green cap over it. She held it in her hands and observed it. It wasn't one of the ones she had ordered to be made, it was the original, the one he wore the first time she saw him in his real form. While she observed all its stitches and patches, she began to wonder how it would look on her. She put it on her head and looked at herself in the mirror.

"It looks good on you," she heard a voice besides her.

She jumped. She was so concentrated on the cap that she hadn't heard Link come out of the bathroom. She turned, embarrassed, towards him, but, in the instant she laid eyes on him, she was left breathless. She didn't know whether to thank the goddesses or curse them for it, for giving her the opportunity to contemplate the cusp of masculine beauty, covered only by a towel around his waist. She began to warm up. She couldn't stop staring at him, from bottom to top and top to bottom.

"I think you will end sooner if you take a pictograph," he said, embarrassed by the intense scrutiny he was subjected in.

Zelda felt her cheeks burn. She wanted to look away, but it was difficult to ignore those drops of water that trickled down his skin.

"It is your fault," she said, finally looking away and redirecting it to his face. "Whomever presents themselves like this before someone?"

Link raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"It is you who entered my room without permission," he replied.

"I called at the door, but no one answered."

"And what are you doing with my cap?"

"I was just curious to see how it looked on me, but it is evident that the hero's cap fits the hero better."

Having this said, she came closer to him and placed the cap on his head. She placed her hands on his shoulders and grinned. Yes, undoubtedly that cap suited him better.

She lowered her gaze towards the scar on his neck, she didn't know why but, ever since she saw it, she couldn't help her eyes fixing over it. She remembered Link telling her that scar had been Ganondorf's work and she couldn't help remember that day. She remembered the young hero standing there, besides his enemy's corpse, breathing with difficulty and covered in blood and scratches. She herself had healed them with her magic. Since great part of the blood was also Ganondorf's, Zelda hadn't known where the most important wounds were, so she limited to use her magic throughout his whole body.

The princess gently touched that area of the neck with her fingers and caressed it.

"You have a fixation for my scars."

Zelda rested her head on his right shoulder while running her left arm down his back, hugging him, and smiled slightly.

"Perhaps I like men with scars," she said in a bit of a jest, to later return to a more serious tone. "Did it hurt much?"

"A little," he said without much importance. "It was not a deep wound and, fortunately, someone was kind enough to heal me with her magic."

She lifted her gaze to look at his face, but he had his gaze lost in some point at the other side of the room.

"I am certain it was the least that person could do to thank you for saving her life."

They remained several minutes like that. Zelda had her mind blank, she didn't want to think of anything, not if it this was proper, or if she was being too bold, nothing. She just wanted to enjoy that contact, that warmth he gave off, his intoxicating scent, the softness of his skin while she absentmindedly caressed his chest and stomach. She felt Link's hand on her hip and heard him say her name with a reproachful tone, nervous, but she ignored him and continued touching him. She ran her hand through his abdomen up to his navel, which she surrounded with her thumb, noting how Link became tense and his hair stood at that contact, to later keep going down until she reached the rim of the towel. She stopped there for several seconds, hesitant. Finally, she dug her fingers to grab it. Before she could do anything, Link grabbed her wrist, forcing her to let go of the towel.

Without noticing, she had gone too far, again, but she did not regret it. She lifted her gaze and saw Link's serious face, looking at her with reproach. The princess moved from him a bit and looked the other way.

"I was just a bit curious," she said, looking at him again, and blushed when he rose an eyebrow in a questioning manner. "I was curious to see a real man naked."

"I am sorry to tell you, but you will have to wait to the wedding to satisfy your curiosity."

"You are such a prude," she said, pouting and crossing her arms.

"I could be," he said, shrugging and laughing. "But you are not going to deny that you are becoming shameless, and that is not proper of a high-class lady." Zelda didn't respond, she limited to avert her eyes, embarrassed. "Now, if you excuse me, I am going to dress."

Link took off the cap, grabbed the pants that were on the bed and went behind the folding-screen. Zelda observed the whole process, at least it seemed he didn't mind that. When he came out, he now had the pants on and was drying his hair with the towel.

"Why have you come, Highness?" Link asked while throwing the towel over one of the armchairs and fixed his hair with his fingers.

"I need to talk to you about something," she said while looking at him disapprovingly. "Do you always comb your hair like this?"

He looked at her hesitantly to later nod. Zelda sighed.

"Give me a brush," she ordered.

After a sigh, Link entered the bathroom, picking up the towel first. Zelda hurried to head towards the bed, where she sat in the middle on her knees. When he came out of the bathroom, she indicated him to sit in front of her. He sighed again, but did what he was told. The princess began to brush his hair with care. Link's hair was surprisingly soft, very thin, and dense.

"What did you want to talk about, Highness?"

She had been so distracted that she forgot she had to talk with him.

"Duke Stain asked me to thank you and to apologize for his son's behavior," Zelda said while she continued to brush his hair, slowly. "I also want to apologize for what happened. I should have foreseen something like that."

"Do not worry, I was expecting something like that to happen."

There was silence. Even though there weren't any knots left, the princess continued to brush and introduce the fingers of her other hand in Link's blond hair. She leaned a bit to the side to look at him. Link had his eyes closed, a relaxed expression on his face.

"It is very relaxing," he said. "No one has brushed me like this since I was a child. I have forgotten how pleasant it is."

Zelda didn't respond, limiting to continue her labor while smiling. They remained in silence for a good while, until Link spoke again.

"May I ask you something, Highness?" Since Zelda didn't respond, he interpreted that silence as a yes. "Yesterday I realized that there are more honorable and honest nobles than I thought."

"Not everyone is going to be egocentrically selfish," she said after a giggle.

"Then why have you chosen me? It is possible that there are some that meet the qualities you are looking for. What makes me so different, so special, compared to them?"

She remained thoughtful a few instants. She couldn't tell him why she loved him. She wasn't sure if he felt the same and neither could she risk someone else discovering it. She kept still, observing him from behind. What made him so different? Everything. From his origins to his manner of thinking and behave. He was all that her people needed and all she wished for. She set the brush aside and sat beside him.

"Perhaps one of them is all right, but it is not enough," She said, looking at his eyes and holding his hands between her own. "Look at your hands, Link. The noble's hands are cared hands, with perfect manicure, and weak. Yours are rough, hard, and strong." Zelda placed her palms over his. "The hands are the perfect reflection of a person's life. Hyrule needs someone strong. I need, no, rather want someone strong at my side." She lowered her gaze to her hands. "You are the only one whom I wish to spend the rest of my life with."

Silence reigned between both. Zelda didn't dare look at him. She kept her head low, her hair falling over her face. That might as well be a confession, she didn't know how he would react at that.

Through the locks of hair, she could see how Link pulled his hands from underneath hers, saw how they moved towards her face and push her hair aside. He put his hands on both sides of her face and lift it, forcing her to look at him.

Lifting her gaze, she found herself looking at Link's eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes reflected seriousness, and a bit of confusion also. Zelda's heart pounded quickly. She was nervous; she didn't know how well he'd respond at her near declaration.

"Thank you," was the only thing he said.

Zelda blushed at that and the kind smile that he showed her. Luckily, it seemed that the hero was oblivious enough as to not realize what those words implied.

When the princess was about to tell him there was nothing to be thankful of, a sound was heard. It was a kind of growling. Zelda flushed in embarrassment, and Link looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Zelda blushed even more and looked away. Her stomach growled again and Link laughed once he heard it. He stood up, put the shirt that was on the bed on, and turned towards her.

"I think it is best if we go fetch something to eat," he said with a teasing smile.

"But the cooks have left," she told him sheepishly. "They will not return until supper time."

"Do not worry, I shall prepare something then."

"You cook?" she asked, surprised.

"Why are you surprised? When you live by yourself, there is no other choice than to learn how to cook."

Link grabbed her from the wrist and dragged her out of the room to the castle's kitchen. There, she sat on one of the tables while she observed him. Link seemed to know the location of all the utensils he needed, which made her think that it wasn't the first time he's used the castle's kitchen. She saw how he filled a pot with water and put it over the fire, to then go down the basement with a basket under his arm, to grab the necessary ingredients. When he came back, Zelda could see a pumpkin in the basket, but she couldn't see the rest of the ingredients.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"A very special soup," he said as he took a fish out of the basket, and placed it over a wooden board.

"But what is in it?"

"Mainly: reek-fish, goat cheese, and pumpkin."

She continued to observe how he skillfully removed the scales from the fish and then proceeded to clean and fillet it. The truth is that Zelda thought the fish's cleaning process to be unpleasant, but Link didn't seem to have a problem with it. He seemed used to it.

"Whom I learned the recipe from puts the fish in as it is," he said in an amused tone as he rinsed the fish with water. "Be thankful that I bother to clean it."

Zelda giggled. It was true that she wouldn't have liked to find the fish whole, head included, in the soup. So yes, she was thankful.

Neither of them said something else. Link was very concentrated on his work, and she limited to observe him. She liked to see him do stuff when they were alone. When there was people present, he would be a bit tense, nervous, choosing his words, his movements, and actions. On the other hand, when they were alone, he seemed more relaxed and behaved in a more casual manner towards her, much closer. The only thing that seemed to not change was the way he addressed her, always with formal words. Not that it mattered, it was normal when addressing royalty, however, just as he behaved differently when alone, she also wanted him to talk with her with more familiarity.

"May I ask you something, Link?"

"Of course," he replied without stopping as he cut the pumpkin. "You may ask me anything, Highness."

"When we are alone, could you speak to me in a casual manner?"

"What do you mean?"

"I would like for you to speak with me in the same manner in which you speak with your friends."

Link, after putting the chunks of pumpkin into the broth, moved towards her as he cleaned his hands with a cloth.

"So you want me to speak like this?" he asked, changing the grammar and tone with which he spoke.

Zelda nodded, awed by the swiftness and ease in which he could change his manner of addressing her.

"Very well," he said, staring at her intently. "But with a condition."

"What condition?"

"I want you to also speak with me in that manner."

"But I have never spoken in another manner with anyone."

"I know. I know that since little you have been taught to speak in a formal manner, and to even address the service that way." Link rested his arms over the table, putting his face at the same height as hers. "I do not expect you to do it immediately. Think about it and get used to the idea. That way, by the time we are married, you can address me casually."

Although she wasn't so sure, it seemed acceptable to her. It wasn't like she could refuse before that smile he showed her. She nodded. Link took her right hand with delicacy, moved it to his lips, and kissed the back of it. He had maintained eye contact with her, and a small smile on his mouth, at all moment.

"Then we have a deal," he said, still holding her hand.

Zelda felt hot, very hot; above all, she felt her face burning, and her heart was pounding very quickly. What had happened with the shy and withdrawn Link of always? The princess had been noticing for a while that the hero was behaving in a bolder manner around her, but not too exaggerated, since the day he agreed to marry her, there was moments in which he lost his shyness. This moment was one of them. Link stood up and went back to the pot, chuckling.

After a long wait, the soup was finally ready. In front of her, Link had placed a bowl full of soup, which smelled deliciously good, a spoon, a glass of water, and a bit of leftover bread. He sat at the other side of the table, in front of her, observing her as she ate, as if waiting for the verdict. Zelda dipped the spoon in the soup, and after blowing to cool it a bit, tasted it. It was a flavor she was not used to. She was used to eating more elaborate and refined dishes, and that soup was totally different from every other thing she had tried to the moment. And it was absolutely delicious.

"It is delicious, Link," Zelda said in awe. "Who taught you to make this soup?"

"It's Yeto's recipe," Link replied with a grin.

"The yeti that lives in Snow Peak?"

He nodded. Zelda was impressed. Who knew a creature like that knew how to cook something so good?

The princess forgot about table manners she'd been taught since she was a girl, as well as any other refinement, and devoured the food in front of her. She was hungry and it was delicious. She heard Link's laughter. She looked at him, ashamed by her behavior, but he simply smiled contently. She supposed that for him, seeing the princess devour his food without complaint was a compliment, and he wasn't wrong. She returned her gaze on the bowl and continued eating, calmly this time.

"Do you have any plans for this afternoon, Zel?" Link asked her as she was almost finished.

"No, I have not thought of it yet."

"I've been thinking we could go out and ride for a while. Epona needs exercise and I fresh air, and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me. Getting out of here would also do well for you."

Zelda smiled. She felt happy. Not only did Link invite out to ride, but had immediately addressed her in a colloquial manner, too.

"I would love to," she said with a grin, but then remembered something. "Now that I remember, I cannot ride my horse; we need to change her horseshoes."

"No problem, Epona can carry us both. It's not the first time and we won't go that far."

Half an hour later, both were on Epona's back, exiting through Castle Town's east gate. Zelda had changed and wore riding clothes. Link, on the other hand, wore his hero's clothes. He had placed his sword and shield on the saddle so that it wouldn't bother Zelda, who was sitting behind him. They galloped, bordering the northern area, towards the direction of the Bridge of Eldin. They were going at great speed and Zelda had to hold on to Link tightly to not fall. But it was a pleasant sensation, on one side, she felt the warmth that the hero emitted, on the other, the fresh air rocking her hair.

After an intense and long riding, they arrived at the Bridge of Eldin, where they unmounted. Link gave his mare a small pat as a signal to roam, which she didn't take long to do it. Zelda and he sat on an edge next to the bridge, while watching Epona graze freely in silence.

Everything was clam and deserted, save for some insects that fluttered by and a few birds posed several meters from them. Zelda glanced at Link, who had laid his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying from the small breeze that hit his face. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking at her.

The princess shook her head.

"I am just cold."

Of course, that was an excuse. The air was cool, but Zelda wasn't cold. She simply wanted to be closer to him.

Link placed his arm around her, and brought her closer.

"It's starting to get dark, so do you want to return?"

She shook her head again.

"Let's stay here a few minutes more," she said, snuggling against him.