Post T.A.A.H
Siegfried had been prepared for many an obstacle he thought would come his way. He planned, he prepared, and he predicted, but all of that had been for nothing.
The fight of his life was nothing like what he had thought it would be. It was not against a monster in his mind or an opponent on the battlefield. It was in the eyes of an Elvin princess. One who had staked her claim long before he had.
Post T.A.A.H
Link was the epitome of the word courage. Anyone who heard his name knew to associate that wonderful rare trait with his presence. By now the two were synonymous to the point where one could no longer be without the other. To a good portion of the world Link was courage personified. If not so grand a comparison, he was, again, their picture of what courage should be.
He was Siegfried's as well, for more reasons than one, and not necessarily for the reasons painfully obvious to those of the general public.
His fans thought him brave because of every dangerous mission he took on, regardless of the survival rate, for his friends and people. His admirers believed him to be fearless because of his ability to meet powerful villains face to face, weapon to weapon, in close range combat, and come out victorious. Even his critics had to give him points for his blatant disregard of the consequences when he publicly rejected Zelda's marriage proposal during the third Smash tournament. However, these reasons, while decent in nature, were not what made Link brave in Siegfried's eye.
Sure, the elf was ready to undertake the most dangerous tasks at a moment's notice, but doing so was mostly thanks to pure adrenaline and pride. Sure, he saved the day from villains far and wide. Though noteworthy, it was mostly out of what he felt was his responsibility. Sure, he publicly rejected the princess even though it could prove fatal, but that felt a bit more life self preservation than courage. Maybe a tad bit of self defense.
No, what made Link courageous was not his strength, his defiance, or his sense of duty. It was his willingness to let those he considered dear to him into his heart. It was his willingness to allow them to have the chance to break him when time and destiny could not. It was the willingness to make himself vulnerable by letting himself love and be loved in return.
That was Link's true courage.
Fang: Too… much … fluff.
Mistress: I think it's sweet.
Fang: I think I'm going into sugar shock.
Mistress: Oh ha ha ha. Very funny.