Forgotten Instincts

by farore-or-less

Having been torn from Hylia and her sealing power, Zelda travels with Link as a companion to appease the corrupted Divine Beasts, but she must hide her identity because his memory is gone & mentality hanging by a thread. She has to live under an alias until his memory of her returns, even if that means he's falling in love with the woman she's pretending to be. (POV Link & Zelda)

6. The Sheikah, the Bard, & the Wardrobe

Summary: Link and Zelda reach the village and the Princess's secret identity is at high risk to be revealed. Is this the end of Azella the traveling Archer, or will Zelda have to go ideeper/i undercover to assist Link in a whole new way?

Content Warning: violence, depression, and sexually explicit content.

---

Zelda is a nervous wreck.

She tries to keep her face calm and composed, but this isn't the first time he had looked over to her atop both their horses loafing side by side to ask if she was okay. They had spent the majority of the day around the stable again and Zelda had been grateful for that. After breakfast that morning, they sold the jewels they discovered within Misko's cave to buy extra arrows, travel utensils, more glass phials, and several bars of soap she had desperately wanted. One thing she misses about being royalty is bathing in hot clean water with luscious salts and oils, dowsing her body in luxurious pampering and having a relaxing hygienic routine. That, and her monthly Gerudo spa and wax treatments. Goddess did she long for those.

Throughout the late morning, Link went hunting while she washed her body and clothes in the river, then flowed through her physical exercises and meditation while he attempted to tame a wild horse again. Before he tried, they had bickered that Link should just buy a horse from the stable like how she purchased Jassa, but Link held up a hand to silence her and said "I got this." So that was the end of that.

Zelda had been in one of her favorite poses; spreading her legs wide like a triangle, folding her upper body over her front pointed leg and twisting her waist to the sky when she heard the clomping of hooves coming up to her. She unfolded to stand upright and saw Link riding bareback atop a beautiful white and tan speckled mare with an ombre of dark browns cascading down to each hoof and a bright white mane and pink snout.

"She's gorgeous!" Zelda said, expression exuberant.

"Isn't she?" He smiled wide and directed his new companion around her. Link and Zelda shared one another's ecstatic excitement, and even more so when he introduced her to Jassa, and they watched as the horses bumped snouts, sniffed each other's necks, then Jassa licked her cheek.

"They're perfect for one another," she smiled so brightly, clasping her hands over her chest in admiration as she watched the two horses show each other affection. When Link didn't respond, she looked over to him and he was blushing so unabashedly at her that it made her cheeks tint scarlet, too.

"What are you going to call her?" Zelda had asked to break the veiling silence, and her question seemed to pull him from whatever distracted thoughts he had been thinking of. He placed his index finger over his chin and thought for a long moment.

"Pinto Bean?"

"What?" She smiled. "Absolutely not."

"Lady Hoofington?"

She shook her head.

"Al Capony."

"No."

"Hermoineigh."

"Try again."

"...Horsey McHorse?"

"What? No. Link, where are you even coming up with these?" She laughed and Link shrugged smugly—satisfied he was able to make her smile with such stupid puns.

"Whatever you choose, it should compliment Jassa because there's no way we can separate them now," Zelda suggested as they both watched their horses sniff and nudge and nuzzle one another.

"Sasha," Link said after a while.

She smiled at him again, but this time it was in agreement. "Sasha and Jassa. I like that."

"Me too," he said and nodded to her.

After Sasha was registered at the stable, Link dove into the river to clean himself off as she tried, but failed, to keep her eyes off him. She sat a little ways away along the river's edge, tapping at the slate's screen aimlessly. From where she sat it was far enough away to give him some privacy, but close enough to watch his bare back muscles shift and move in the bright warm sunlight.

He was so skinny now compared to back then, when his muscles were lean and rigid, used often and built to the fullest—when he ate plenty and was healthy. He had never been a large man, just toned—except in the colder months when the definition in his abdomen waned and he ate even more, which she adored just as much. Although Link had gone through some major losses during his slumber, he was still Link. It was still his body she was attracted to, no matter the shape. He had caught her only once (out of the several times), when she snuck a glance at him while he was shirtless standing in the waist-high waters with the soap and wet linen in his hand, scrubbing away at the only shirt he owned. When he saw her stare, it made his ears turn bright red, but the smile that teased along his lips was worth every ounce of guilt she felt.

Soon, they were on their way to Kakariko, stopping a few times to search for Koroks, forage for ingredients, and to aid Hestu. They took down the bokoblin camp together; Zelda had climbed the rock to act as a sniper while Link sliced and jabbed and stabbed until they received the maracas. Link was still breathing hard with adrenaline when they walked back to Hestu, but he voiced his thoughts to her anyways.

"We work well as partners," he spoke low, but confidently.

She looked at him and smiled. "Yes, we do."

But now, Link is watching her again with a concerned frown—his left eye almost completely healed besides a soft tint of blues and yellows around his cheekbone. Their horses return to walking side by side one another after crossing single file over the narrow wooden bridge at the entrance of the village. The late evening sun is draping the whole town in charming hues of soft browns and reds, lanterns coming alive with light as the farmers finish their evening chores. Zelda catches the glances of a few individuals but they quickly leave her to stare at Link instead. He's the one with the Sheikah slate strapped to his belt, the one that legends and tales announce of his arrival and return. He's the one with all the attention... but she can't help but feel so nervous.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, you don't have to keep asking," she sighs. The last time she had been to the village, the sky was dark and dreary, raining with malice, and the stench of burning corpses wafted over the entirety of Hyrule while Link's limp body was being carried by two Sheikah scouts to the Shrine of Resurrection. "I'm completely fine," she lies.

"That makes one of us," he murmurs into his chest.

She looks over to him and Link's face grows tight with worry. He expresses himself so much now; when he's concerned—it shows. When he's upset, she can see it. If he's angry, confused, embarrassed, or happy—she can read all of it. Back then, she had to use an abundance of her mental strength just to read him, had to study his controlled demeanor just to be able to find the slightest bit of emotion. Merely four days ago, before Link descended from the Plateau, Zelda had been worried that she'd have to learn his face all over again—like relearning a lost talent—but she couldn't have been more wrong.

"Can you come with me?" He asks, catching her gaze.

Zelda's defense almost breaks by the sweetness and vulnerability in his words. "You know I can't, Link." She takes a deep inhale. "The conversation you'll have with Lady Impa is... is too regal for a commoner to listen in on."

This had been the excuse she resorted to when he asked her the same question earlier that morning. It's not like it is untrue. That was how the world had operated when she knew it last, and perhaps it continues to in any societies that's left still clinging to the remains of a feudal system. For a commoner that is unsophisticated and title-less to waltz into the house of the Chief of the Sheikah unannounced at supper would be an act of irreverence in the very least.

"I'm a commoner, too," he argues.

"You're so much more than that. You are the last knight of Hyrule. You have a title and I'm just—" but she doesn't finish.

They stop their horses by the campfire in the courtyard just below Lady Impa's house. He slides off Sasha quickly and walks over to Zelda to assist her. Perhaps that's one noble mannerism she selfishly enjoys that Link still carries with him—his chivalry.

"A knight's squire," he says as she takes his hand and slides down from Jassa's large frame.

"Pardon?" She asks, raising her brow at him.

"Doesn't a knight usually have an apprentice?"

"Are you trying to title me, sir knight?" A smile creeps along her mouth.

"Not really. However..." he counters and releases her hand, "you have been assisting me a lot lately."

She places a hand on her hip. "If you think I'm going to hold your weapons for you, you can forget it."

He matches her flirtatious smile. "I seem to be doing all the holding now, don't I?" He says, unlatching the Sheikah slate from his belt and wiggling the tablet around in the air.

Zelda is about to sneer and flirt with him some more when they hear the sounds of gasping nearby. They turn to see the two guards standing astute in front of the stairs leading up to the Chief's house, gawking at Link—their eyes are following the slate as he halts its movement in the air.

Link turns back to her and sighs privately, but on his next inhale he stands a little taller, re-latches the slate to his belt, smooths out his wrinkled old shirt, and looks at her.

He signs. "Promise me you'll still be here when I'm done."

She nods, a little uncertain. Doesn't he know by now that they're partners?

Courtly, he nods back, trying to hide his emotions, but his poker face is nowhere near as impressive as what it used to be. Link turns and starts walking across the way, then speaks quietly with the two guards and they let him pass a moment later. Her eyes never leave him as he ascends the creaky wooden stairs and up to its veranda.

There is only one person in this entire village that could be able to recognize Zelda, and she's just on the other side of those doors. She waits anxiously for Link to enter the Chief's house—to release the breath she's been holding so that she can finally feel as though she had gotten away with concealing her identity, but then a young Sheikah who had been scrubbing the deck rises to her feet in front of him. Even from where Zelda stands in the courtyard she can see the girl is flustered to speak; head bobbing nervously, hands shaky, and the remaining sunlight is just bright enough to see her face blossom to an adorable fuchsia color...until the girl's eyes fall on her. Zelda's heart starts to race when she holds her gaze a little too long. Slowly, the girl turns back to Link and he bows to her awkwardly, pushes both swinging doors with new found bravery, and enters into the dark lit house.

The girl's eyes never leave her as Zelda builds their campfire.

The girl is still staring when Zelda feeds their horses a few apples from the nearby tree. Still watching her when she sits by the fire and opens her notebook, pretending to busy herself in the pages although her eyes are glued to one spot at the crease of its binding. Every time Zelda looks back up to the girl, she doesn't turn away—it's almost like the girl is in shock, and that concerns her tremendously. She tells herself that she shouldn't worry about it, but there was something about the girl's poise and focused stare that reminded Zelda of her past Royal Advisor... and that familiarity is just a little too close for comfort.

After an hour, the village is blanketed in the night's velvet darkness and Zelda's stomach begins to grumble. As if Link had heard the call of hunger himself, the sound of the Chief's wooden doors creak open and he enters into the lamp light. And he's alone—thank the Goddess. Zelda rises to her feet, waiting for him to descend down the long staircase, but as Link grabs for the handrail, the young girl taps him on the shoulder. He turns back and she attempts to speak to him, and from where Zelda stands in the low light, she can only see their silhouettes shifting against the lantern's luminescence, but then the girl does something that makes Zelda's heart drop to the pit of her stomach.

The girl points at her.

Link's head follows the direction of the girl's hand and now they're both looking at her. Zelda doesn't know what to do, or if she's even breathing anymore. She just stands there, frozen like a marbleized statue with jumbled thoughts shooting through her mind, wondering what the girl could have possibly said to him, and what he'll say back.

Zelda starts to feel her breath return to her lungs as Link turns to the girl and shrugs nonchalantly, says a few words, and eventually the girl dips her head low to him. He turns and continues down the long staircase, and the girl then finally enters Lady Impa's home—but not without staring at Zelda one last time.

She will eventually ask Link what the girl has said to him, but now is not the right time. He has an enormous journey and a destiny to fulfill and he just spent an hour learning everything. He must be absolutely exhausted mentally, and by the way he trudges towards her across the courtyard, her assumption was correct. As the lighting of their campfire begins to reveal his face from the shadows, Zelda can start to assess the mental damage of the serious conversation he just had, and it's worse than she expected.

He looks like he's in a trance; feet moving mindlessly underneath him as his darkened blue eyes stare into the ground that's closing in between them. She's afraid to say something—scared any sound might trigger a breakdown or a panic attack filled with anger, confusion, or sadness. He has so many emotions on his face she can't even read them all. She doesn't want to nudge him or hurt him or make him jump, but he hasn't stopped walking towards her and in a second he'll be clashing right into her and she's so desperate to help him she can't take it anymore.

"Link?" She asks, voice quiet and genuine.

Without warning and without stopping, Link steps into the final space between them and slides both hands around her back swiftly, perhaps thinking that if he slows or hesitates for a second, he'll either lose his nerve or she'll refuse him, but he must have known somewhere deep within his mind that she wouldn't dream of it. As he pulls her into his arms, her breath hitches and the sudden closeness makes her release a quick gasp against his neck and she can see the goosebumps that trickle across his skin by the sound. He wraps her into a tight embrace; one arm spreading farther across her mid-back as the other slides over her hips, and every touch he makes seeps through her skin and burns into her core with such fire and emotion that she has to force herself to breathe.

This unpredictable behavior from him is so new, so shocking, that for a brief moment Zelda doesn't know what to do. She stands there with both hands pressing gingerly atop his shoulders trying to remember how acquaintances typically embrace one another. If this was a century ago, she'd claw her fingers through his hair and brush her lips against his ear, but that's surely overstepping now. She just feels rigid against him, body tense with surprise, but it isn't until she feels Link take a long breath into the crevice of her neck that her tension finally starts to dissolve and she forgets to care about what is appropriate between them anymore.

Zelda begins to melt into him and slowly wraps her arms around his neck, draping them across both of his sagging shoulders. Tenderly, she coaxes his chest to hers until their bodies are flushed against one another and he responds by squeezing his hands tighter around her back; firm but gentle—just how she remembers his touch. She knows this embrace is for him, that he's searching for comfort after such a life altering conversation, yet she can't help but soak up every last bit for her own needs. She angles her face into the side of his neck, nose tickling into his hair, closes her eyes, and breathes him in. His scent is inebriating and she lets herself be weakened by the nostalgia that engulfs her memory because he smells exactly like how she remembers. It's like walking through the harvest months of wheat and barley and humid sunlit evenings. Like breathing in the sanctuary of a forest grotto with soft notes of autumn leaves, pine, and leather. He has the scents of the wild running through his veins and it takes every ounce of her restraint not to lose herself to him.

The moment is over too soon as she starts to feel Link's arms loosen and pull away from her. All the muscles in her body are refusing to let go, but she does so anyways. Pulling away slightly, she opens her eyes to find Link refusing to meet her own—angling his face away from her, but even in the dim light of the campfire she can tell his face is wet. Then she feels the moisture on the seam of her neckline and collarbone. He's crying.

She has never—no one has ever—seen the Hero of Hyrule cry.

Zelda tries to say something, anything, but she chokes on her own sympathy for him. What words of comfort could possibly help him anyways? There's a part of her that sincerely hopes he won't shut down again like he did back then, when he placed an insurmountable amount of control on himself due to the same burden that plagues him now. As much as she adored the stoic man he used to be, she couldn't deny that this Link standing in front of her now, full of emotion, vulnerability, and expression, is beginning to mend the pieces of her heart that have lain broken within her chest for over a lifetime.

It's at the same time Zelda gains the courage to place a gentle hand on his cheek that he decides to pull away from her entirely. Before she gets too close to his face, he begins to step back and the movement is fast enough that he probably never even noticed what she was trying to do. He sniffles loudly and blinks rapidly, trying to regain some composure.

"I'm—I'm going to um... make us something to eat," he points nervously with his thumb towards the cooking pot.

"I can help—"

"No," he responds immediately, but his tone is soft and kind. "No, j-just stay here by the fire, I—I'll bring it over when it's ready," he says sweet and shyly, scratching at the nape of his neck.

"Fair choice. I would accidentally burn the dish anyways," she says, trying to lighten the mood and it seems to help a little.

He chuckles briefly through his nose and crooked smile, but he still can't meet her eyes and it dawns on her that Link is probably nervous by how intimate they just were. She wants to shake him, to yell and let him know that they've been so much closer than this, but she can't and it's also rather charming to see him get so bashful around her again—like he used to when they were first falling for one another.

He turns and walks to the cooking pot, takes the Sheikah slate from his belt, and starts pulling out ingredients. She doesn't even realize she'd been smiling at him like a fool until he looks up from slicing mushrooms a few minutes later. He sends her a warming smile in return and it makes her cheeks suddenly hot, so she turns hastily back to her seat at the campfire. Goddess, what's wrong with me? She says in her head, and pulls out her journal so she can aimlessly stare at the crease again. Maybe because Zelda is witnessing Link's feelings for her blossom slowly, coming into fruition, she's able to experience those first new, electrifying emotions all over again, too.

More than half an hour goes by until Link's soft footsteps could be heard approaching her side. She looks up from her journal to see him bent over slightly with two steaming bowls in his hands, one extended down to her, and she gleefully takes it from him. He sits beside her as she stares delightedly into the bowls contents; he's cooked an assortment of greens and mushrooms, salted together with the fresh game he hunted that morning. She wafts in the hearty scents of the dish before she starts to scarf it down and Link chuckles softly at her.

"What were you eating before I met you?" He asks.

"I honestly can't remember," she says with a mouthful of food and quickly swallows. "Nor do I want to."

He seems humbled by her response, smiling contently into his bowl as he eats. His face isn't flushed or encased in a shroud of dread anymore, but his eyes look a little swollen.

She does all the talking during their supper, sharing the few things he had missed while he was talking with Lady Impa. She tells him how she caught Sasha nipping Jassa's ear, and that the two horses stole a couple apples from the stone statue offerings which made him laugh. Zelda mentions the hiding spots of the two young girls playing hide and seek, and then the argument she overheard between what seemed like a wife and husband. How cuccos were apparently ruining their relationship.

"I swear to Hylia I heard her say 'you haven't nocked an arrow for me in ages,'" Zelda says as she places her empty bowl on the ground.

"What do you think that means?" He asks.

"Well, it uh—" Zelda's cheeks are hot again and it isn't from the heat of the fire. "It's like when you fit an arrow into a bowstring, but the double entendre indicates that—"

He coughs to interrupt her. "I just got it."

"Okay good," she breathes in relief, "because I really didn't want to explain it."

They both sit in silence for a moment with large smiles on their faces. Link stretches his legs towards the fire and Zelda repositions to tuck her knees into her chest. She tries to sneak a glance over to him, but she finds that he's already looking at her.

"Thanks, Zel," he says, catching her eyes.

"For what?"

"For distracting me—letting me forget about what I have to do for a little while."

"Wh-what is it that you have to do, exactly?" She tries to sound as naive as possible.

Sighing slowly, he looks into the fire, eyes glossing over with worry. He takes a moment to collect the proper words, and he begins.

Link tells her everything that Impa has told him almost verbatim; the history of Calamity Ganon, its tangled fate with the Royal family, the four Divine Beasts and their Champions, and how the Princess and the Hero work together to seal the darkness. Impa has kept her promise to Zelda all these years, instructing Link to conquer the four Beasts before he aids her—no, Hylia—in the castle with Ganon. It's hard to keep her face composed, but what he's explaining would be harsh for anyone to listen to. When he finishes his story, they both take a long exhale to feel the weight of his words.

"But there's one thing I just don't understand."

Zelda looks at him with a furrowed brow and waits for his explanation, afraid to speak just yet.

"Impa told me Ganon is to be sealed by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero. But I'm—" His voice breaks so he starts again, only quieter this time. "I'm not a hero."

Zelda takes a long breath while she watches him, and he feels her heavy gaze and looks away, trying to hide whatever's written on his face. She has never heard him be so unsure about himself, never witnessed him show any sort of doubt at the greatness he's capable of, but she's seen this type of behavior before; full of uncertainty, worry, and doubt that the legends had chosen the wrong person. She'd seen it in herself.

Softly, she speaks. "Maybe that's exactly what a hero would say about themselves."

"But you've seen me Zel, I can barely swim across a river without drowning," he says into his shoulder.

"I refuse to believe that has any correlation to the type of soul you wield," she counters. Link turns back to her and stares into her eyes, trying to find some deception to her words but finding none. "Besides, you've only been awake for what? —two weeks? You have to give yourself some time."

"I had time, a hundred years of it."

"That was revitalization. What you need now is restoration—time and patience to gain your strength back." She crosses her ankles over one another and places a palm on the ground between them so she can lean towards him. "Have you ever considered what it must have taken to keep you in the shrine for that long?"

"I— well, I just—" He stutters and repositions himself as well; planting his heels into the ground so he can prop his elbows atop his bent knees.

She leans towards him more when he gives up on forming words. "Judging by the battle scars on your chest, it must have taken a whole army of Guardians to bring you down."

Slowly, he starts to examine all the healed cuts and markings on his forearms, tracing over a few that Zelda can remember the stories behind. When he fought a myriad of monsters by himself in Eldin, a bite from a wolf during their journey to Akkala, and one time he tripped over an ancient ruin protruding from the ground in Faron. His elbow broke his fall, landing on a sharp piece of stone and left a nasty, but somewhat humorous scar. He hadn't been watching where he was walking because she was changing out of her priestess garb behind a rather thin tropical leaf that she realizes now—he was probably able to see through. She smiles at the memory.

His hand slides over his chest, feeling the outlines of more forgotten scars through the thin cloth of his shirt. Then his movements pause and a smile forms wickedly across his lips.

Link looks at her, eyes mischievous. "So you were looking." He states bluntly—recalling the moment when he was washing his shirt in the river earlier.

"Hm?—What?—Come again?" She straightens her back, retracting away from Link so he doesn't see how embarrassed she feels, but between the anxious behavior she just displayed and the smug look on his face, it's undeniably obvious. She clears her throat and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't know what you mean," She says slowly, regaining her composure.

"Sure." His eyes are wide with sarcasm.

They watch the flames dance in the campfire for a bit. Eventually, Link adds another log then starts to speak over the crackling sounds of the fire.

"I think I'm going to stay in the village for a while. You're right, I need to regain some strength before I can do anything." He draws one knee into his chest and fiddles with the loose strings at the hem of his pants. "But I also want to start figuring out who I am. I know I can battle enemies with pretty much any weapon, I'm sure I learned how in the Knights' Garrison, and because of you I know I can sign and cook really well, but... there has to be more to me, right?" He asks honestly though he doesn't wait for an answer. "I have to be more than just a fighter, Zel. I don't even know the type of person I am, or what my interests are. For all I know, I could be a painter or a musician or maybe I like being around children, or maybe I can't stand them—I have no idea. Hell, I could even be Hyrule's greatest mathematician and I wouldn't even know."

"I'm quite sure that you're not," she smiles, "but I see your point."

Link tilts his head as his eyes meet hers and he matches her smile, then his attention slowly returns back to his fingers still fiddling with the loose strings. He has lost everything besides his scarred body and basic instincts, so he absolutely deserves to understand himself better, but she realizes that she doesn't even know that much about him. Unfortunately, upon his appointing to become her personal knight, he had to sacrifice a lot of his personality to his duty and country, and it took Zelda almost the whole expanse of their relationship just to be able to learn a few things about the person Link was, and not the warrior he became. But those few interests and quirks were enough for her back then, so she's secretly a little thrilled as to what new traits he might come to discover about himself.

"I think it's a wise choice to stay here," she adds. "There's a plethora of activities available so you can see what interests you, and at the same time you could train solo, or find some Sheikah scouts willing to practice with you."

He nods, but his eyes seem a little strained. She sincerely hopes he wasn't expecting her to train with him. Aside from using a weapon no larger than a dagger and her talent in archery, that's as much as she could offer him. Link fans his knee out towards the ground and yawns before he speaks.

"Plus, I should be able to find some work around here so I can actually afford to buy things." He pokes a finger through a rip in his pants. "I really need some new clothes."

"That fact is evidently clear," she taunts.

He laughs and sighs quietly, expression soft and sweet, but it quickly turns into another yawn. He starts reaching for the bowls between them, but she grabs them first.

"I'll clean the dishes, Link. You unfold the bedrolls and get comfortable."

He nods, but before she rises to her feet, he places that extended hand on her arm.

"Thanks for coming with me." His blue eyes seem to shimmer like the ocean in the firelight.

"It's my pleasure, sire," she jokes and he laughs.

After Zelda rinses their dishes by the Goddess statue and returns to the campfire, Link is already asleep in his bedroll, snoring through his nose and lying on his stomach like he usually does. She smiles adoringly down to him before placing the clean bowls back in the slate, pulls his blanket over his shoulder, then tucks herself into her own bedroll across the fire from him.

---

They never technically discussed traveling together after reaching the village, but Link tells himself he should have foreseen the way the conversation was bound to happen; starting in an argument, then one of them getting angry and stomping away, but inevitably ending with a very large smile on his face.

They're sitting across from one another at a table on the deck of the High Spirits Produce store, just past the cooking pot. It's another beautiful spring morning; he can hear the trickling of the waterfall and warmth of the sun on his back, but inside he's feeling pity for himself again. She's leaving him today, he just knows it.

He took the longest time making breakfast, trying to hold onto her company for as long as possible. While he was cooking, Zel busied herself around him—never straying too far and he was thankful for that. She restrung and tuned her bow, then did her physical exercises that were in sync with her breath. He had already memorized her practice—committing her movements to memory so he could try it himself one of these days, and because of the way her body flexed and stretched, he couldn't keep his eyes off her even if he tried. When he had almost overcooked their meal because his attention was elsewhere, he begrudgingly announced that breakfast was ready.

"I'm guessing you'll want to leave after you eat," he grumbles into his meal.

"Say that again Link, I'm sorry, I wasn't listening," Zel says lazily—still not paying attention. She has one hand on her fork, the other tapping at the Sheikah slate that's propped against her bag on the table. He allowed her to have it this morning, assuming that she'll want to take her stuff out. The way she had been talking last night concluded that he'll be on his own from now on, or that's what he told himself. After learning his destiny from Lady Impa, there's just no way a humble traveler like her would want to journey with him across this vast land to conquer four insane Beasts. Even with her keen interest in ancient technology, he could never ask that much of her. The challenges that await him will be too dangerous for someone to just tag along to fill the void of his own loneliness.

"It looks like rain later, so you'll probably want to hit the road after breakfast." He doesn't even know what he is saying.

"Where... where am I going?" She asks, finally looking at him and raising an eyebrow.

"How should I know? You're the one that goes where you're needed."

"I'm sorry," she says, long and drawn-out and clearly not sorry. "Have I missed something here?"

"Just make sure you don't take my stuff in the slate." Perhaps if he's mean enough, he might not feel so upset about her leaving.

She scoffs at him. "How dare you think I would take your stuff without asking."

"Wouldn't be the first time," he mumbles under his breath.

"What?... What?!" Her voice is shrill and she rises from her seat to tower over him.

Link stabs at his omelet with his fork. "You grabbed the slate off my belt once."

"Yes, because you were being impossible and acting like a child. Exactly like how you're behaving right now." She leans across the table towards him.

"Whatever," he tries to dismiss her. "I appreciate your help getting to the village, Zel, but you won't have to worry about interruptions with your research anymore. I won't be there to bug you." He's definitely aware of how passive aggressive he sounds.

"Why are you saying this?"

"Because!" He yells. "I've got a duty to Hyrule, like I told you, and you've got shit to do, places to be, so..." the power in his voice falters, "so you can leave now. Maybe I'll bump into you on the road or something." He waves rudely but it comes across as more of a shooing gesture.

They're both quiet for the longest time, the air thick around them—half the village must have heard their quarrel. Eventually, she takes an obnoxiously loud inhale through her nose and straightens herself up from the table, snatching the slate but leaving her travel bag.

"I'm so upset with you right now that I have to go hit something. Maybe there's an unfortunate bokoblin trespassing nearby, or maybe I'll test out my bomb throwing radius, either way—" Her free hand clenches into a fist and her emerald eyes are threatening. "If you're trying to push me away Link, it won't work. As much as I am infuriated with you right now, there's just no way you're going to do this without me. You and I are partners from now on, like you so elegantly articulated yesterday, and I have a role to play in saving Hyrule too, even if I have to create it myself." She takes another inhale, making her next words more powerful. "I can't believe you thought I would just... just abandon you like you don't even matter to me, but before we travel any further, you and I need to make something perfectly clear." She points at him rather aggressively. "You need to stop using me to throw your frustrations out at, and—and pull yourself from whatever pity-party that's going on here." She lowers her hand and swivels on her heels to stomp away.

Link just sits there, eyes wide and jaw agape, hunched over his breakfast and watching her walk away until she pauses mid step and turns around again. He's feeling a lot of things right now, but the biggest thing he's feeling is fear. His heart pounds faster with every step she makes back to him, wondering what other kindle she's going to throw onto this fire.

When she gets to the edge of the table, she places a hand on her hip. "And for your information, I wasn't dividing our stuff in the slate. I was trying to override the system so there would be more slots for your weapons. After Hestu's enchantment and your pathetic 'knight's squire' comment yesterday, I thought I would try to manipulate the slate to hold as much as it can for us."

He tries to respond, to disagree that his flirtatious banter wasn't that pathetic, or even a simple 'thank you,' but she doesn't wait for him. She huffs and her short hair twirls high around her head as she turns away quickly, hops down the steps of the deck, and is out of sight.

Link finally feels the breath return to his lungs and tries to swallow even though his mouth is dry from hanging open for so long. It ends up taking Link several breaths to process what she just said to him, but when he does, his face starts to soften. How could her words be so mean, so truthful, yet exactly what he wanted to hear?

Zel is going to be traveling with him. She wants to save Hyrule together.

—And he matters to her.

It doesn't even phase Link that she's so angry at him because of how happy he feels knowing he won't have to do this alone. He'd rather have her storming off than leaving him because he can fix an argument. He's done it once, he can do it again, and he'll do it a million more times if it means she'll still be there when the dust settles. The simple thought that Zel will be by his side every step of the way makes the biggest, most ridiculous smile spread across his face.

He finishes the rest of his meal slowly, allowing some time to pass before he attempts to find her. He already has a plan on how to mend the tiff between them but he'll have to go through her travel bag and use her rupees in order to do it. In all fairness, she did the same thing to him when he got kicked by a horse a couple days ago, so he's assuming she won't be too upset.

After an hour Link's plan is ready, and he decides to follow the direction where she stormed off towards. He walks down the road exiting Kakariko Village, heading west to Sahasra Slope, but he doesn't have to go very far. He finds Zel just around the bend, knelt in front of a treasure chest in the middle of the path, trying to wriggle the lock open. From the rubble beside her, it looks as though she blew up a pile of heavy boulders, and discovered the chest buried within a shallow cave.

When she notices him, her expression doesn't change, but her movements pause briefly. She huffs and goes back to wriggling the lock with more force than before. Link strolls the last few steps, humming quietly, and stops to stand beside the trunk.

"Hey," he says softly.

"Hey," she repeats, except with mild irritation.

"...What are you doing?"

Her hands drop from the lock and her eyes meet his with an annoyed look. "I'll give you one guess."

"Quilting?"

She tries to hide her smile by chewing the inside of her lip, but he caught it.

"Here, let me help," he says gently and waves his hand at her to stand back. She grumbles, but does so anyway.

Link kicks the side of the chest with just the right amount of force and it pops open immediately. She stares at him half perturbed, but the other half—he can tell she's slightly impressed. He smiles and reaches inside the chest, pulls out the bundle of arrows, and offers them to her.

"For you, my Lady."

She's hesitant at first, possibly by him risking the odds at calling her a Lady. He wasn't joking or being sarcastic, he's trying to show just how much respect he has for her, and by the sly smile that spreads across her face, he's succeeded. Zel takes the arrows from his extended palm and courtesies with the most graceful movements Link has ever seen.

"My lord." She replies, imperial and feminine, and whether it's the equivalent title she just used on him, or the way she said it, it sends a shiver down his spine.

He straightens as Zel tucks the arrows into her quiver, and Link doesn't allow a silence to fall between them.

"Come on, I have something for you."

"Me?" She asks, her charming diffidence returning to her voice.

"Who else?" He looks around sarcastically, then nudges his head back towards the village. They begin to walk beside one another and it takes a little while for Link to conjure the strength to speak again.

"I'm sorry… about earlier. What I said, I—I didn't mean to push you away." He wasn't as smooth as he wanted to be, so he takes a long breath and starts again. "I had it in my head that you were going to leave because I told myself your rejection would hurt more if I asked you to stay."

She makes a soft sound in her throat, somewhere between sympathy and understanding.

"It's alright, Link," she sighs, "I guess that maybe, perhaps, we should have discussed our… relationship."

Link's ears turn bright red and he starts stuttering. "Ou-our relationship? What um… what exactly did you want to talk about?" He's been so smooth up until now.

Zel smiles and looks at him out of the corner of her eyes, almost like she's proud her enticing choice of words had ruffled him. "Well, I've been so caught up with my own plans of traveling together that it never occurred to me if you actually wanted me to come along—"

"I do. Goddess, of course I do, it's just—" But they've reached the cooking pot and Zel starts to sniff the air around them.

"What is that amazing smell?" She looks at him curiously.

Placing a gentle hand on her back, he guides her up to the deck where they were eating their breakfast earlier. Both their bowls are on the table covered with an upside down plate to conceal its contents. He looks at her even though his cheeks feel hot and his hand instinctively goes to scratch the nape of his neck.

"You already know that I don't have much to offer you, but I...I wanted to express that you matter to me too—and since I made you upset before you could finish your breakfast, I just thought, well—" He lifts the plate off her bowl and she squeals delightedly.

"Honeyed apples!" The expression on her face makes the whole village seem a little brighter. If they ever have another argument that he needs to apologize for, he knows the exact route to her heart—and it's through her sweet tooth.

"Thank you, thank you Link." She looks at him as he looks back at her, and the moment feels like it lasts for so much longer than it actually does.

"Partners?" He asks when the silence starts to fall.

Her emerald eyes seem to glimmer albeit there's no twilight or campfire to reflect them, and she places a gentle hand on his face. Her thumb grazes along his cheekbone and the caress does something to Link that he hasn't felt since he woke up to this world, and he can't quite describe the feeling just yet.

"Partners." Her cool hand feels so refreshing against his blushing cheek.

They sit together as they eat the delicious food he's made and their second meal is so much better than the first. All of her attention beams towards him and nothing else—no calibrations on the Sheikah slate nor any distracted thoughts that seem to cloud her vision sometimes. He apologizes for going through her travel bag, that he had to buy the honey with her rupees because all of his were in the slate, but she doesn't care in the slightest, and he figures it's only a matter of time until all their rupees are combined anyways. When they're eating their last few bites, Zel reverts back to their original conversation.

"What were you going to say earlier?"

"About?" He asks with a mouthful of apple.

"You said that, 'of course you wanted me to come with you, it's just...?'"

"Oh," he swallows, "it's just that it will be dangerous to come with me." He says quietly, and looks at her under his eyelashes.

She just smiles at him and counters.

"It's dangerous to go alone."

» . «

It's been a week in Kakariko and Link can't remember the last time he has felt this content and relaxed. He's picked up work anywhere he can find it and unfortunately the first place he found was with Cado and the cuccos. He spent the first day almost held hostage inside Cado's kooky house, listening to him discuss every last detail about these 'fantastic and majestic birds.' In exchange for Link's company, however, Cado paid him fifty rupees just to sit there and take it. When he was finally allowed to leave, Link and Zel stayed up half the night trying to figure out exactly when Cado's ex-wife, Rola, flew the coop.

The next day he helped Cado clean the cucco yard but that led to absolute mayhem. All the cucco's escaped and Link had to herd them back into the picket fence, which he was pretty thrilled about because he discovered cucco's could be used like a paraglider. Before he found all of them, he made Zel watch as he glided down from the roof of the Enchanted shop, holding onto a frantic and terrified cucco. She wasn't all that impressed but Cado was—he paid him one hundred rupees that day.

He found some work at the Curious Quiver with Rola and that was even more awkward than the time spent with Cado. Rola asked him to light all the lanterns around the Goddess statue and he did with relative ease, but then Link's face was in total blush mode the rest of the morning. She would ask him to move boxes and new shipments aimlessly back and forth just so he would have to bend over in front of her, and Link could feel Rola's predatory eyes burn through his already thin clothing. When he told Zel about it on their lunch break she returned with him back to the store—assuming that she wanted to buy more arrows, but she didn't. She swayed into the shop, lacing her arm with his, and didn't let go until she was able to send a threatening glare at the older woman. She then said "bye sweetie" in a very lofty and flirtatious voice on her way out. Rola left him alone after that.

He didn't return to the Curious Quiver, but instead was able to find work with a couple farmers and their gardens. He helped plow rows to turn over the soil, cleaned beds of weeds with a scuffle hoe, and planted seeds for the warmer season ahead. He learned a lot in only a couple days and came to realize that he actually enjoyed gardening. The farmers couldn't pay much, but between the fresh produce he received and the rewarding work spent in a garden, it was his favorite job so far.

Throughout the week in Kakariko, Zel has been making even more money than he has. It had been raining on their second night in the village so they ventured into the Shuteye Inn to purchase beds only to stumble upon a huddle of vagabonds playing cards, drinking and smoking heavily in the dim lighting. Link felt a little intimidated, but Zel wasn't. He watched as she strolled confidently up to the group and threw all her rupees onto the stack in the middle of the table. She bested the best of the card players over and over again, outsmarting everyone until the dealer eventually slid the whole deck of cards across the table, along with her earnings, and said "just take it." Every night since, she's taught him a new game, trick, or how to count cards. His favorite so far is juckerspiel and he looks forward to when he's good enough to be her partner in an actual game.

Quickly, Zel had found work within the Enchanted shop as a tailor, and Link had been surprised to discover she knew how to sew, at all. Zel spends most of her shift in the back room repairing and embroidering clothes, and it's his favorite part of the day when he enters the store with their packed lunch in hand and he gets to watch her intricate focused stare turn into pure excitement when she sees him.

Her job at the shop has helped him tremendously. Zel had been able to get him a discount and he purchased a new pair of boots and trousers almost immediately. On the fifth evening, she gifted him a bluish green long sleeved shirt, chainmail under armor with a burgundy Hylian tunic she embroidered herself, and leather armor for his chest, forearms, and shoulder. He couldn't control how happy she made him and had swooped her into a tight embrace, her feet leaving the earth as he twirled her around in his arms. When the blush spread across his face moments later, she simply threw her head back, laughed at him, and said "you're much sweeter than I remember," which confused him, but Link couldn't form any words at that point.

Every morning before breakfast, Link joins Zel in her physical exercises. She helps him understand the basics of using each breath to flow into the next movement, and she'll occasionally adjust his stance or gently press his body deeper into a pose. The exercises make him feel strong and powerful, mindful and focused, and every day he gets a little closer to touching his toes in a forward fold.

"Where did you learn how to do this?" He asked after bowing to her the way she taught him; hands in silent prayer at his chest and whispering to each other 'I bow to you' as a sign of gratitude and respect. They were facing one another, sitting cross legged in two different variations; Zel's feet tucked into the crevice of her thighs in what she called 'lotus pose' and Link was flexible enough to get halfway into it.

She was quiet for a moment as her gaze eventually fell onto the Chief's house. Link contemplated asking again, but then she answered quietly.

"Many years ago, I had a kind friend who taught me this ancient ascetic discipline. She thought the breath control and deep meditation would help… awaken something in me."

"Are you two still friends?" He asked, stretching his legs out in front and trying to touch his toes. He's almost there.

Sighing, she met his eyes with a faint smile. "One of the last times I saw her we got into an argument, and things weren't exactly the same after that. As surprising as it might be, the argument was actually my fault—"

He snorted. "That's hard to believe, Zel." The two weeks he's known her, she has never been the one at fault. He has.

She smiled at him weakly and uncrossed her legs to hug them into her chest. "Well, that time I was wrong and I never got to tell her how sorry I was. How sorry I still am."

He watched Zel for a moment, waiting for her to elaborate, but he quickly dropped the subject. He could tell it was a painful conversation for her and he didn't want to pry. They have been getting along really well lately—the most arguing they've done was bicker about what kind of tree Hestu is. Based on the past couple quarrels between them, Link has come to learn that Zel is very forgiving, so he can only imagine the burden she carries hoping that one day her old friend will forgive her.

In general, things have been relaxing and content for Link. He just wishes he could say the same about Zel.

She's at ease whenever they're alone together; in the early morning when they enjoy their breakfast or late in the evening when it's just the two of them around the campfire or inside the inn —but the daylight in-between seems to keep her on edge, especially when Paya is outside. It didn't take long for Link to notice that Paya stares at her constantly, and he can see why Zel gets so flustered. Whenever the innocent young girl walks out from the Chief's house, Zel will quickly excuse herself—suggesting they practice archery on the prairie of Sahasra Slope, or will see if Claree needs help at the shop. They did eventually discuss the moment when Paya pointed to her on their first night in the village.

When the topic came up, he shrugged leisurely. "She just asked who I was traveling with."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I said your name was Zel and you helped me get here, that's all."

"Then why does she stare at me like she's seen a ghost?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," he answered. He wanted to suggest that Zel just ask Paya what her problem is, but based on how nervous and shaky Paya gets in his presence, Link assumed she was probably envious of Zel in some odd way.

In their down time they hunt for game, forage for fungi or herbs, and mine for minerals—selling everything they think they don't need, and between that, Zel's job at the Enchanted clothing shop, her late night card games, and the miscellaneous work he's found around the village, they soon had a hefty pile of rupees between them.

Link would also train every day. Him and Zel created a couple training dummies out of upcycled materials they found around the village and he would practice with them any chance he could get. Soon his training gained the attention of a couple Sheikah scouts that eagerly wanted to test Link's own abilities, and it didn't take very long to realize he has been vastly underrating his own talent. This whole time he had thought that taking down bokoblins and chuchus were easy because they were simple and slow moving creatures, but Link was quick and agile even compared to the highly trained scouts he bested.

When he feels strong enough, he enters the Ta'loh Naeg shrine atop the hill overlooking the village and he's happy to discover it involves more training. He takes his time practicing with the Guardian scout, avoiding hit after hit with side hops and backflips, trying to practice as much as he can until he finishes it off completely. He gets some pretty neat gear from it, too.

Materializing outside the shrine, it's in the late afternoon on their seventh day. The weather in the village has been typical spring conditions; hot sunny days mixed with cool rains and chilled nights, and today has been the brightest and warmest of them so far. He jumps from the cliff and descends into the courtyard with his paraglider. Zel should be finishing her day at the Enchanted shop soon, so he decides to pray at the Goddess statue before she returns.

He walks across the small wooden deck and bends down on one knee in front of the statue. The late spring lighting seems to highlight the stone, enshrouding it with a divine halo like when he prayed atop the Plateau. He admires the humble image that is the great Goddess Hylia; with her delicate wings of purity, divinity, and faith, her soft motherly features and her swollen belly, expressing creation and fertility, representing childbirth and the cycle of growth. The Goddess of Hyrule encapsulates strength, power, and wisdom—the three traits Link prays she bestows upon him. He bows his head to her and closes his eyes.

After several minutes of silent prayer, Link hears the sound of quiet footsteps approaching him, and he doesn't have to look up from his devotion to know that it's Zel. She doesn't break or interrupt his focus, but instead sits beside him on her shins and waits patiently until he's done.

He finishes his worship with a soft parting on his lips in much the same way Zel has taught him to end their physical exercises. Link raises his head to gaze at the statue once more, then turns to look at Zel, but she's already watching him under her thick eyelashes, a soft smile blossoming along her lips when their eyes meet.

"I've never seen you pray before," she states, voice calm and low.

"I've never seen you pray before," he repeats and for some reason, his response makes her laugh. He raises an eyebrow at her suspiciously.

"My apologies." She coughs out a couple innocent laughs but her eyes start to strain. "Sometimes I forget we've only known each other for a couple weeks." She looks down at her lap and fidgets with the strings on her corset. He feels humbled by her confession; that she feels like they've known each other for longer because… it feels that way to him, too.

"I used to pray for hours every day," she adds shyly.

"Really?" He honestly couldn't see her as highly devotional, but she nods, her gaze resting on the Goddess statue in front of them.

"Do you know about the different aspects of the Goddess?" She asks, changing the topic slightly, and Link shakes his head. "Some believe there are three stages a Hylian goes through in their life cycle; the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. This could possibly stem from the belief that the many faces of Hylia can be seen within the moon's phases; waxing, full, and waning… then the dark moon allows the cycle to repeat."

Link nods, showing that he understands so far.

"The Maiden represents strength. She is youthful and confident, bright with new life and potential. Then we have the Mother who is pregnant with abundance, she represents power. She is the giver of life and manifestation, who allows all of Hyrule to thrive. The last is the Crone, full of wisdom. She is a woman of prophecy and vision in her older years. She's there to help guide us and acts as a reminder that death is a part of the life cycle. Combined, these three archetypes make up the divine feminine."

He processes her words, then speaks. "I never realized it was so complex."

Their eyes meet and she smiles at him. "Well, there are many ways of interpreting the Goddess and one way is not necessarily more correct than another."

"What do you believe?" He asks, and the question makes her eyes gloss over.

"I've spent most of my life trying to understand Hylia," she sighs, "but I do believe that a piece of her can be found in everything and everyone." Then she drops her face into her chest and murmurs. "Everyone except me."

He couldn't exactly hear her last few words, but he contemplates the rest of what she said and Link realizes he believes that, too. When he prayed just now and on the Plateau, he felt something deep within his soul—like the Goddess statues were exchanging the spirit orbs he received from the shrines with a new energy. Whether that energy came from within him, or his surroundings, it made him feel healthier, sharper, and stronger—even if it was only a little bit, he still felt it.

"What phase of the Goddess do you think you're in?" He asks just to clear the heavy silence.

She raises her head to smile at him playfully. "Well, the Maiden is sometimes portrayed as a mighty Huntress, so what do you think?"

"I can see that." Link winks at her and he admires the way her cheeks tint pink in response. "And what about me?"

"You're in the Crone phase, certainly," she jokes.

"What? Why?" He pretends to be insulted.

"You're over a hundred years old, Link!" Zel laughs. "You should have wisdom pouring out your ears."

"That is true," he says laughing, "I am much older than you. So does that mean you have to listen to me?" He flirts and leans over his bent knee towards her. She mirrors him—placing a hand on the ground between them, and leaning so close Link can smell her spicy floral scent.

"Not in the slightest," she teases. Link looks down to Zel under heavy eyelids and he can feel her breath on his lips. His eyes scan over her features, lingering on her mouth and eyes, and he discovers the light trickle of freckles that appear on her face when her cheeks are flushed and rosy. She releases a soft sound against the cascading silence, caught between a whimper and a sigh, and it does something in Link's groin he's not particularly comfortable with yet.

He clears his throat abruptly, losing his nerve and ruining the moment. Link rises before her, offering his hand, and she takes a hold of it confidently as she stands. Each day they're getting more comfortable being around one another, but her touch still sends a wave of goosebumps across his skin.

They turn to walk over the shallow wooden deck—the evening sun placing them in the light shadows of the village—but they both become frozen on the spot. Paya stands just on the edge of the other end of the deck, hands clasped over her chest and blushing uncontrollably at them. Link can feel Zel's body go tight as the girl's eyes flicker back and forth between them. They both wait for Paya to speak first.

"M-mm...Master-r Li-Link. I-I apologize for the in-intrusion, b-but Lady Impa r-requests to sp-speak with your...with your p-p-partner." Paya breathes nervously as her stare falls onto Zel.

"Me?" Zel asks, placing a hand over her heart like she's trying to keep it from pounding out her chest. He's never seen her more anxious.

"Y-yes, Your Grace." Paya bows to them slightly.

Zel twists her head to him quickly, her face in a full panic. Her eyes meet his desperately, like she'll be able to find some way out of this if she just looks at him hard enough. It's remarkable how uncomfortable she is; being noticed and summoned by an authoritative figure like Impa, and Link thinks it's possibly due to months or even years spent out in the wild, free and alone.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No." Zel says immediately, voice shaky and tense. She closes her eyes and takes a long inhale through her nose, trying to calm her nerves. "No, I'll be fine. She asked to speak to me, she's already spoken to you."

In response, he places a hand on her shoulder for comfort and smiles at her reassuringly.

He decides to sign. "Crones aren't so scary. I'm a Crone and you talk to me just fine."

She smiles softly, and it's as genuine as she can be in her high anxiety. She squeezes his bicep before she sighs to herself privately, turns to Paya, and starts walking with the girl towards the Chief's house.

---

She has dodged the very real chance that her true identity would be revealed to Link, but she couldn't avoid speaking to Impa altogether. Zelda's heart is racing faster and faster with every step she makes up the stairs to her house, mind panicking with a flurry of reactions and scenarios on what will unfold before her in only a few short seconds. Perhaps Impa won't even recognize her. Zelda certainly doesn't feel like a Princess anymore, let alone look like one. She hasn't brushed her hair in weeks, it's even a slightly lighter golden than before, and freckles have started to form across her face by all the sun she's getting without the typical sunblock lotion that was available to her when she was royalty. Even her figure looks different; she always felt sickly and frail as Princess Zelda, but now that she's been Azella the Archer for almost a month, she feels and looks like a stronger, curvier woman.

—But Zelda isn't sure what she prefers; to be recognized, or hide in plain sight under the eyes of a friend she hasn't seen in one hundred years.

She tries to steady her mind by focusing on the sound of their shoes on the last few remaining steps, but she can't seem to hear anything besides the pounding of her heart, not even the peaceful waterfall beside her, nor the children playing tag with Link in the courtyard. Their sweet little giggles and his soft, raspy tenor voice should be able to reach her, but they fall away in the midst of her panic because they've reached the veranda and Paya pushes both doors open.

"Your Grace." Paya bows timidly and ushers her inside.

Zelda takes a long inhale through her nose and bows her head in return, letting her short hair cover as much of her face as possible. In that second, she's decided to gamble the odds and hide from Impa. If Hylia told her to conceal her identity from Link, it's only fair to try with everyone. She might be able to get away with it by keeping her face concealed by most of her hair.

She keeps her back hunched over, head tilted down towards the hardwood floor as she enters into the dark lit room. It smells like nag champa incense and a musty ancient aroma that she hasn't smelled since the last time she and Impa practiced pranayama breathing together. If she wasn't so nervous, the deep sandalwood scent might actually help to reduce her stress, but she's too wound up. She walks into the room until she's standing in the middle of it and she doesn't have to look up to know a small elderly lady is sitting atop a few cushions right in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see the large wicker hat she's wearing—a garment Zelda recognizes all too well.

The two wooden doors close and Zelda listens to the soft patter of footsteps the girl makes around her. Paya positions herself to the elderly woman's right side, now standing diagonally on Zelda's left… and then the silence falls.

It's so quiet, Zelda can hear the Chief's hoarse breathing and the sound of the house settling. Then it occurs to her that Lady Impa is waiting for her to speak—to hear the familiarity of Zelda's voice.

"'Mum" She says in her best common accent and bows deeply. This is her last remaining lifeline to avoid detection.

The quietness feels like it's strangling her, but then she hears the bells of Impa's hat jingle.

"Don't think you can fool me so easily Princess Zelda of Hyrule. If my memory serves me right, I was the only one to ever beat you at a game of cards. I could call your bluff across the entirety of this forgotten wasteland."

Zelda sighs to herself in defeat, but a smile teases at her mouth underneath her bowed head and short, messy hair.

"As I recall..." She says, revealing her melodic imperial accent, unfolds her back, and rises to finally meet the eyes of her old Advisor. "You hadn't had anything to drink that night, and I had." Zelda stands proud and elegant, powerful yet graceful—the way she used to stand in front of her suitors, crowded ballrooms, or the Royal court. She hears the young Sheikah girl gasp loudly by Zelda's sophisticated reveal and collapses to her knees, hands spreading out in front with her face, smothered against the hardwood floor.

"I must insist that you rise. There is no need to bow for a monarch that rules over ruins," Zelda states firmly, and she watches as the sheepish girl peeks out from under her hair. She stares at Zelda, quivering slightly, then looks at Impa who eventually nods in approval. The three women remain silent until the girl is hunched over, but standing again.

"My granddaughter has recently expressed to me that there is a woman in the company of the Hero that resembles the Princess from the stories I have passed down to her. It seems she was not mistaken."

"Granddaughter," Zelda breathes out the word. "Impa...did you—?" But her voice breaks. Her Royal Advisor—one of her closest friends—not only survived the Calamity but had—has a family. She looks over to the girl and the resemblance is now uncanny, but her eyebrows are shorter and her jawline is sharper, resembling someone else Zelda once knew. "D-did you and Domero...?"

"I'm afraid so, Your Highness." Impa's aged eyes grow weary. "Though he left shortly after our son was born to travel with his apprentice."

She scoffs weakly. "That seems likely of him, from what I can remember." She smiles nostalgically at her old Advisor, though the smile is not returned.

"He loved you until his last breath." Impa blinks slow.

Zelda's smile turns into fractured pieces, then all at once her words come crashing out. "Impa, I'm so sorry, I never knew how you felt about him. I was just so naive and—and angry at everyone. I pursued him simply because I could, and I never thought about the consequences. I should have never—"

Impa holds up a hand to silence her. "No need for apologies, especially not to me. Whatever childish wrongs you have made in the past, you have paid for them with your life." Her hat jingles as her head twists towards Paya. "The world has been kind to me, Princess. It has gifted me with a long life, a son, and devoted granddaughter. Sadly, the world has not been so kind to you."

Zelda's hands clench into fists, nails digging into her own palms. She drops her head and squeezes her eyes shut, holding back her tears. If she and Link defeated Ganon all those years ago, perhaps they would have been gifted with a family of their own, despite how secretive or difficult it would have been. They could have lived long and healthy lives together, but instead they were both frozen in time, and lost to one another.

No… this world has not been so kind to her.

After a brief silence, Impa speaks again. "So Your Highness," her voice creaks with age and wisdom, "you are not where you should be."

Zelda takes a long inhale and pushes her emotions away so she can meet the Chief's eyes again.

"That is true Impa, but I am exactly where Hylia has told me to be." The two Sheikahs draw in a loud breath simultaneously, speechless by her words.

"The Goddess spoke to you?" Impa asks simply, but by the tone in her voice, it's clear she has a million more questions.

"More or less." She states simply. Impa's stare intensifies, eyes squinting more than her old age typically allowed, as if she's trying to understand before Zelda even starts to explain, but after a brief moment, she speaks.

"Paya, please boil some water for tea. It seems the Princess's story will not be a short one."

Zelda sighs, preparing herself for a long conversation ahead. "You may need to find something stronger than tea, I'm afraid."

Impa eyes her for a curious moment, then smiles. "Fetch the umeshu, my dear."

In a few short minutes, Impa's granddaughter retrieves the plum wine, two clear glasses, and a plush cushion for Zelda to sit on. The two century old women wait for Paya to fill their glasses with the bright orange liquid, and Impa takes a quick sip from her glass before Zelda begins her story.

She describes how she felt Hylia's presence for those hundred years; coming and going in waves. Zelda would feel her comfort strongly during the blood moons, and then the next moment she'd be so distant she could hardly feel her at all. It was as though Hylia ventured into another realm of existence that Zelda's mortality couldn't follow. Zelda would be left alone with the sealing power and Ganon during those times, and they were the hardest to endure. She wasn't sure where or why Hylia would leave, but Zelda has contemplated this for almost a month now and she believes it must have had something to do with Hylia's resulting plan of separating from one another. She tells the two Sheikah women the moment when Hylia announced Link was finally awake, and it was then that the Goddess told her everything that must be done, what Zelda must do to aid him. She leaves out the gruesome details of the torment she experienced when Hylia tore herself from Zelda, but Impa could read right through her, she always has.

Impa speaks when Zelda becomes lost for any more words. "From what I have gathered, your soul has been ripped in half. Are you not in pain and agony, Your Highness?"

Zelda's breath catches in her throat. There has been a painful emptiness in the pit of her being despite how strong, powerful, and focused she has felt since their separation. No matter what gifts the Goddess' granted her to aid Link on his journey, there is no denying the pain from the hole Hylia has left.

"Constantly," she breathes.

Impa exhales loudly and places her empty glass on the ground beside her. When Paya goes to refill it, Impa holds up a hand to stop her, then meets Zelda's eyes.

"There must be more to it," she says.

"What do you mean?" Zelda lets Paya refill her own glass.

Impa reiterates. "Hylia must have foreseen that Link will require more than just the aid of survival from you. The Goddess wouldn't have sacrificed the entirety of the Royal bloodline simply for you to mend his wounds."

"Isn't his life important enough?" She's a little shocked to be hearing this.

"Of course, Your Highness. However, for him to deal the final blow with the Master Sword in his hand, he must connect to that same power he wielded a century ago."

"I don't follow." Zelda shakes her head weakly.

Impa's eyes soften by Zelda's naivety. "Legends speak of a spirit that resides within the Sword. It is She who connects herself to the Hero and listens to his command, but the Hero must first prove himself worthy."

"Yes, I am aware of that." Zelda takes a sip from her glass.

Impa leans towards her. "So then. Have you ever wondered how Link was able to pull the Master Sword from its resting place in the Great Forest?"

Zelda nods. "He's the chosen one, it was his destiny."

"That is correct, Your Highness, but even chosen ones have their trials to complete before they are cast to their role." Impa slaps a hand on her knee, like she just had an epiphany. "He did not have the shrines back then to achieve his power, so what do you think he used in their stead?"

"I—I don't know."

Impa smiles and blinks with certainty. "You, Princess."

"Me?" She breathes, placing a hand over her chest. "But we… we barely knew each other before he became the Hero." Link had achieved the title of a prodigy as young as four years old. She, and everyone else, always assumed it was his strength that allowed him to remove the Master Sword from its pedestal—becoming the Hero he was destined to be. Now Impa is implying it wasn't his strength, but the very same feelings she used to unlock her own power. That can't be true... can it?

Impa nods. "That must have been all it took, Your Highness. Whether he realized it or not, his feelings for you had proven his worth to wield the Master Sword… and that power is still lying dormant within, waiting to be unlocked once again."

Zelda processes her words, but still is unconvinced. "How could you possibly know this? How can you be certain?"

"Research, Princess." Impa smiles. "And because I have had many, many years to ponder it. Do you think with my own tangled history that I've reached my Crone phase without a great understanding of love?"

"Love?" Zelda almost spits. The sound of that word feels foreign on her tongue. She's always had a problem with saying it and is still not comfortable with using it. "You think… that is what allowed him to become the Hero?"

"Based on the fate that has befallen upon you and Hylia… yes." Impa nods confidently. "Link must contain that same feeling, connect to that same internal drive in order for the spirit residing within the sword to recognize him, or else the sword will not budge from its pedestal. I assume this is what Hylia foresaw he will have to do to become the Master of the Sword once again, to achieve unconditional love despite the challenge… and what better person to help him with that than you, Princess?"

Zelda looks down into her lap and stares at her trembling hands. This is much more complicated than assisting the Hero with simple physical injuries. All this time, she had been willing to accept she might need to push her feelings aside in case the new Link who woke wouldn't be attracted to her anymore. She told herself just looking after him and guiding him as he journeyed was going to be enough, but now she has to help him awaken similar emotions that she struggled to unlock with her own power all those years ago. To give in. To trust. To help him fall—

"You saw the state he is in, Impa." Zelda looks up from her lap to meet her Advisor's eyes. "He remembers nothing."

"That is true, Princess, it will not be easy without his memories… but does he need them?" Impa asks rhetorically.

"But how am I supposed to help him when I cannot tell him who I am?"

"If I recall correctly, he did not know who you were when you first met, either."

Zelda's gaze grows distant and she ends up staring at the tapestry behind Impa on the wall. She was right, the first time she and Link spoke to one another, it was filled with sparks and chemistry and a flurry of jumbled feelings she never felt before, even when neither of them revealed their names for fear of the others' judgement. Zelda's smile grows fonder as she plays out the memory in her head. She hasn't thought about that memory for a very, very long time.

"Do you still love him, even now?" The sound of Impa's elderly voice interrupts her nostalgic thoughts.

Zelda hesitates. "You know the answer to that question more than anyone," she says sheepishly, avoiding her eyes.

Impa smiles wickedly, and leans towards her. "Even more than yourself?"

"No, Impa," Zelda says harshly and without hesitation and stares straight into her eyes. "Not even in your wise Crone years could you possibly know better than myself."

Impa releases a quick laugh and sits up tall, satisfied with Zelda's reaction. "Then the fates are at work again, not just with the battle of Calamity Ganon, but for the Hero to find his true purpose once more."

Zelda closes her eyes and drops her shoulders. Suddenly, she feels so exhausted that she could fall asleep on the cushion she's sitting on. She wants to help Link in any way she possibly can, but is she able to do this? Are they both able to find each other like they did back then, without manipulation or persuasion? She feels less and less confident as she lets this new burden weigh heavily on her shoulders. The sound of Impa clearing her throat makes Zelda open her eyes again.

"How long do you plan to remain in the village, Your Highness?"

She blinks a few times, trying to come back to reality. "I'm uncertain. Perhaps a few more days until we set out for Zora's Domain." They haven't talked about it much, but she simply figured since Zora's Domain is the closest, they would start there.

"I had suggested to Link during our conversation that he try to repair the Sheikah slate at Hateno Village before he ventures any farther. However, he had informed me his travel companion was going to fix the slate. At first I was worried to hear of this, but now that I've learned he was, in fact, referring to you, I have no objections… although you may want to visit the village yourself, Princess."

"Why is that?"

"Because Purah resides there, and she might have more information for you than what I can provide. You were always more comfortable with scientific explanations than my theological ones." Impa smiles warmly.

"P-Purah is… she's alive?" Zelda is honestly shocked she didn't go down with her research when the Royal Tech Lab was burning to smithereens.

"Yes, Your Highness. I will send a trusted messenger that she should be expecting the both of you."

"Thank you, Impa." She nods courtly and rises from her seat. It's getting late and she could tell Impa looks just as exhausted as she feels.

"I will also have Paya make accommodations for the two of you to take residents in the Royal Suite of the Shuteye." Impa turns to Paya but Zelda holds up a hand.

"That is not necessary. I—"

"Nonsense," Impa hisses, "I will not be having the last monarch of Hyrule sleeping in the mud of the courtyard beneath my house."

Zelda sighs, knowing she can't argue. "Yes, mum." Impa merely huffs at her.

"And brush your hair," she says in such a motherly way, and Zelda can't help but laugh. "Farewell, Princess." Impa smiles so kindly that Zelda can see the young woman she used to be behind her wrinkled face. "Take care of our Hero, for he will need your help in more ways than one." She winks, but it doesn't help how weary Zelda feels.

"That is what I'm afraid of," she speaks her thoughts, but bows to her Advisor as Paya leads her towards the wooden doors. Zelda turns on her heels gracefully, and follows.

"Paya?" Zelda says the girl's name before she reaches for the door handles. Their eyes meet and Paya immediately blushes.

"Y-yes, Your Grace?"

She starts to speak slowly because she's a little embarrassed. With all the heavy burdens that were just added to Zelda's shoulders, the weight of physical existence still lingers in her thoughts. "If it's possible, I was wondering if you could, perhaps, help me to obtain some… menstrual pads. I—I haven't had my moon cycle since I've returned and I assume it will be coming soon." She hasn't had this conversation in awhile, but Paya surprisingly doesn't seem uncomfortable by such a personal request.

"Oh, of c-course, Your Grace. I will—will leave a s-supply for you in the Royal Suite."

"Thank you, Paya." She smiles sweetly and the girl returns the soft expression. Paya pulls the wooden doors open for her and bows as she begins to exit Lady Impa's house, but then she hears the bells of Impa's hat jingle behind her so Zelda pauses in her step.

"He is not the same, you know." Impa speaks loudly across the room.

Zelda places a delicate hand on the wooden door frame, and twists her head over her shoulder to say what needs to be said before descending down the staircase.

"Neither am I."

---

One Hundred Years Earlier

Zelda had started to stir.

Her head was throbbing slightly, vision a little blurry, but a smile broke along her lips as she came to her senses in the comfort of her own satin sheets. She was positioned on one side of the mattress, not in the middle where she usually slept, because he had decided to spend the night with her. It certainly wasn't the first time she had a partner in her bed, but this was the only time someone had dared to sleep through the whole night—and the first time she let them. In all fairness, Link was typically the one to wait outside her chambers in the morning anyways, so it didn't make too much of a difference, but still.

Thankfully, Zelda had scheduled to keep the morning free of any plans because she knew she'd be out late the night prior—she just never expected it to end this way; with the smell of him lingering all over her pillows and sheets, intoxicating her more than the Hateno honey mead she had been drinking at the tavern. She could only compare this feeling to the first time she had ever given herself away to her first partner, and Link didn't even do anything last night. She did all the work, but then again...she wanted to.

In the darkest hours of the night, when their increasingly lascivious actions resorted to her bed sheets, he had argued with her between the extremely fresh sensation of their lips meeting that he wanted to pleasure her just as much as she wanted to satisfy him, but she wouldn't allow it. She wanted to savor him, explore their sexuality together slowly, something she never tried with any one before. The short time she had spent with her last partners would always end up boring and predictable almost as soon as it began. But for some reason, she didn't want that same routine with Link—so she had pushed away his needy hands groping for her own belt, pulled his pants off, and pinned him down onto the bed before another protest could escape his lips. After that, he quickly began moaning on his back, eyes shut tight, and thrusting into her mouth without another objection. He'd have his chance, she promised.

Inhaling sweetly, Zelda tore her gaze away from the stone ceiling, looked over to him, and the view she saw was better than any dream. Link was lying on his stomach with his bare arm tucked underneath the pillow, his scarred elbow bent towards her, and bulging bicep peeking out from the red satin duvet. His face was undisturbed and peaceful, though the whistling sound that escaped his nose almost made her chuckle. His cheek was pressed against the pillow case and his shoulder length hair a mess—draped everywhere it could reach like he already owned that spot next to her. He had wasted no time becoming a part of her personal space, the same one she had shared with two other people before him… and her bed had never seemed more comfortable.

That was when Link took a long sated inhale, and Zelda watched as his arm flexed slowly, and he nuzzled his face into the pillow. Link's mind and body had started to be pulled from the realms of twilight, and she caught and committed it all to memory. For a man who fought and dodged as fast and nimble as Link, his drowsy event of coming to his senses in the morning was like he was moving in slow motion.

Then the softest masculine moan Zelda had ever heard escaped his throat, and she wondered what it would be like to wake up every day to that sound. His pure and natural behaviors were so genuine, so honest, so irrevocably Link, that it made her breath leave her throat involuntarily. No one has ever stolen the breath from the Princess like this before, especially not without them even trying. Not Clara. Not Domero. Not anyone.

Oh no. Zelda thought.

She never stood a chance.

Link's eyes cracked open then, just barely—just enough to shift his brow line up to his shaggy bangs, and to discover she had been watching him. It was only a quick second until he registered her and the smile she wore found its way onto his own lips. He closed his eyes again, took a deep inhale, and his whole body went through an extensive and unhurried stretch before he attempted to speak.

"So it wasn't just a dream," he whispered into the pillow.

"No, it wasn't," she found herself saying.

He looked at her again, eyes lethargic and his mouth half hidden by the pillow case, but he grinned wider.

"Your hair is still red."

"Yes." She took a deep inhale. "I'll have to apply the inhibitor to return my hair to its proper color. Please don't let me forget."

"That's asking too much of me I'm afraid," he joked lazily and turned to hide his face into the pillow.

"Then what good are you?" She chuckled softly, turned over to her side, and closed the distance between them.

He laughed into the bed, voice muffled and low. "I would've showed you last night, but you refused me." He turned his head to look at her again. His face was a little strained, but the first brush of her fingers against his bare shoulders sent him reaching for her as well, and pulling her in.

"You can show me now, if you'd like." The words left her mouth before she could comprehend them. She had told herself, had told him, she wanted to take their time, but this new feeling—waking up with Link—she didn't think she would ever grow tired of it. Ever grow tired of him.

"Do you really mean that, Princess?" He asked softly, and kissed her even softer. She met his lips and melted into him, releasing a light whimper into his mouth. His lips were softer than she ever thought they'd be. She expected them to be rough and calloused, brash and reckless, used with force and possessiveness like the way he fights with his sword and shield, but they weren't. His lips pushed into hers with a tenderness she didn't think he was capable of. Used with respect and diligence and restraint, but the way he kissed her felt like he was trying to tell her something. A pleading message locked and hidden somewhere deep—as deep as his devotion to her. She wished for Link to remove the shackles and chains from whatever control he placed on himself, so she kissed him back almost desperately, trying to locate the keys.

"Please," she breathed and pressed into his mouth more forcefully, demanding the same treatment she had given him the night before. She could feel the smile across his lips as his hands started to pull at her lacy blue chemise, drawing it up past her waistline.

He was slow moving and sweet, tongue teasing along her lips and fingers ghosting across her skin—from the knee she had draped over his legs all the way up to her waistline. With her chemise now hiked to her abdomen, they were both bare beneath the blankets, and she could feel his erection on her thigh, pressing against her with a slow mindless roll of his hips again and again. The intense need for him hit her so fast she couldn't stop herself after that. She sent her hand slithering down between their bodies urgently to grab for him, to express how much she wanted him now—hoping with every tingling fiber of her being that he'd submit to her demand, guide himself between her legs, and take her right then and there, but he reacted quicker. He gripped her wrist with dominance before she even got close, using a force he hadn't expressed to her in this way yet.

"But—but Link, I—" Her voice sounded so pleading and pathetic, but she didn't care anymore.

"No, Princess." He pulled away from her lips and started to create a scorching trail of kisses down her neck. He didn't speak again until he felt her body give in, then released her hand, and his mouth met her collarbones.

"It's my turn." He branded his lips onto her skin.

He rolled her onto her back and settled between her legs, erection pressing against her belly, but he made no attempt to guide himself into her. Link was a pillar of self-restraint and he made damn sure she knew that. He was the first partner she ever had that told her no, and his refusal just made her craving even stronger. Still, she couldn't deny how thrilling and exciting it feels to explore each other's bodies one at a time, even if she was ravenous to know what it felt like to have Link deep inside her, where hard and stiff met soft and wet, to be grinding and rolling her hips against his as they buck into each other over and over, chasing his climax just as much as her own. But Link was right… it was his turn to explore her.

He shifted his body further down the bed, lips meandering and wandering between the twin hills of her chest. He placed a hand over the thin fabric of her chemise still covering her breasts, kneading and squeezing as he's sighing and kissing, and Zelda could feel the reigns of his control loosening like they did the night before. His other hand slid all along the side of her body, starting at her knee, up her hips to the dip of her waist, and didn't stop until his hands were parallel to one another on her chest. He paused and rose above her to watch the moment he delicately pulled her chemise down, exposing her breasts to him. Link's blue eyes turned darker, becoming hungry and aroused and utterly mesmerized by the sight of her. He circled his thumb around a nipple, making her moan as she tilted her head back to the animalistic desire it gave her.

"Goddess Zelda." Goosebumps sprinkled down her body at the sound of Link breathing her name. "I can't believe I can have you this way."

Her laugh got stuck in her throat and came out husky and somewhat distracted. "Get used to it, Link."

"I don't think I ever will," he breathed before darting swiftly down to her breasts and closing his mouth on top of her.

She yelped playfully by the quick movement he made and the feeling of his tongue swirling over her. His hands went everywhere across her body; grabbing the widest part of her hips, cupping a breast when the other was in his mouth, pulling her knee to graze along his own waist, constantly feeling every natural curve and dip and roll that was her, and she suddenly became as astonished as he was that Zelda could have him this way, too.

Then she watched underneath heavy eyelids as his body slid lower and lower, pried her legs wider—kissing every inch of her belly and hip bones that sent another round of goosebumps cresting across her body like tides on a shore. When he was low enough, their eyes met briefly and he chuckled cunningly, yanked the covers over, and was out of sight.

It was all feeling after that. No longer able to watch or hear him over the rustling of blankets and her own heavy breath, she felt Link's firm grip along her legs, felt his hot breath against her inner thighs, kissing painstakingly slow, and it made her quivering sighs resort to merely shakes and tremors. Her eyes fluttered shut and she arched her back in wanting. His foreplay felt like it was teasing and dawdling with languid kisses that lingered too long in places too close, but not close enough. She snaked her hands beneath the covers, trying to claw them into his hair so she could direct him exactly where she wanted, but she felt his own hands bat her away. His commanding action and her own impish pestering made a flighty laugh escape her, but she soon began groaning deep into the pillows when she felt his lips brush the crevice of her thigh, but then idled there too long for her liking.

"Who knew the Hero of Hyrule was such a tease," Zelda sighed frustratingly.

She felt him laughing against her sensitive skin, feeling every jagged breath he made until he sent a delicate snowfall of kisses atop the apex of her thighs, making her groan. He slithered his hands along the backside of her legs, grabbing for her lower back, angled her better against his face, then dragged his mouth down.

The first brush of his lips sent her gasping harshly like she hadn't been expecting it, but it soon turned into a devilish moan. His work on her started off slow and meticulous, exploring across her like the traveling they've done all over Hyrule. He pressed kiss after kiss, each one more hot and lewd and wet than the last, licking and tasting her until his tongue started to work into her harder, and she could see and feel his head bobbing up and down beneath the covers that it made her so aroused, she needed to squirm around in his hands, but his grip tightened along her backside—stabilizing her—controlling her. Between his tongue curling and flattening, drawing spirals and wet lines all over the slit of her body and Link demanding she be completely at his mercy, a heat began to form deep within her body that was only getting hotter.

He groaned into her loudly—so loud she could hear it muffled beneath the duvet, could feel the vibration coursing up every vertebrae so deeply that she began to see stars form behind her closed eyes already. Zelda couldn't even fathom how he was doing this; keeping his tongue broad and pliant, but working at her so intricately, shifting and circling over her clit then back down again. And then his tongue pressed inside her and she started panting, only to find she was already. Had she been chasing her breath this entire time?

"Fingers. Please," she begged. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted fingers.

"No," he mumbled and shook his head into her—nose pressing back and forth against her clit as his hands gripped even tighter.

She gasped and gripped the sheets for leverage, nails clawing and wrinkling the satin fabric—his force sending a hot shiver trembling down her spine and surging into her groin. "Why?" She whined.

His lips left her skin momentarily to answer, and she could feel his breath against how wet and slick she was.

"Don't need them." And he was right.

His tongue found just the right spot and she immediately started to feel the build of her climax coursing through her entire body. She began bucking into his face shamelessly, and Link let her. Zelda felt every choice he made; his moaning and slurping, lapping and swirling, making her utterly filthy beneath the blankets as his fingers dug into the cushion of her backside so hard they left bruises, but if they were the cause of Link's tongue between her legs, she didn't care at all.

He held her there, right on the edge of her peak for what felt like an eternity —lips and tongue coaxing her towards her inevitable orgasm, but as slow as he possibly could. He liked this, she thought. He actually enjoyed the satisfaction of pleasuring her, making her squirm in his hands until she moaned his name in ecstasy, and he was trying to draw it out for as long as possible—but her breathing started to escalate, her movements became more erratic, and all his tongue needed to do was graze over one more perfect spot and they both knew it.

"Link, Link...I'm gonna —Gods, Link—"

A loud and urgent sound was then heard across the room… someone was banging at her door.

Rising to his knees, it was only a split second of Link's figure looking like a ghost beneath the blankets until he flipped them over, revealing himself again. His face looked dizzy and inebriated, mouth glistening and eyelids heavy—lost in a carnal trance. He was yanked from such a deeply pleasurable sensation almost as much as she had. It was obvious he had been enjoying his focused work on her judging by how hard he was, but the fear flashed across his face when the banging on her chamber door continued.

"Your Highness." The familiar voice rang between the pounds. "I need to speak with you right away."

"Impa." They both whispered at the same time.

In a split second, all limbs fumbled to find their way off Zelda's bed, making the blankets and sheets more disheveled than they were already. She stood up and reached for the folded handkerchief on the night stand at the same time that Link got tangled in the bedsheets and tripped over himself as he tried to make his way back to standing.

"Here." She turned to hand him the small thin cloth. "For your...mouth.." but her words trailed off as soon as she saw what he was doing.

Link had already sprung onto his feet again, and was licking his lips like he just ate a delicious meal. The sight of him standing naked and collecting the last lingering taste of her on his face made her chest flush more red than the trail his lips made earlier. When her movements stopped, his eyes met hers.

"What?" He shrugged although his face was blossoming in color as she stared at him. "You taste good."

She told herself she shouldn't be too surprised. She had seen him eat rock roast before (and actually enjoyed it), and that one time he didn't even realize a beetle flew into his stew until he ate half of it.

"Princess!" Impa knocked on her door harder.

"Coming!" Zelda yelled in response and it tore them from their blushing moment. She ran to grab her blue satin robe, fixing her chemise as she darted across her bedroom, and Link tried his best to collect all his clothing as fast as possible.

"Where's my other boot?" Link whispered with his white buttoned down shirt in his hand, and crouching down like the more he did crouch, the quieter his voice would be. She found it underneath the bed and tossed it to him. Seconds later, he had all his clothing bundled in his hands but Impa was becoming even more impatient behind the locked door.

"You know I can pick your lock, Zelda." Impa's voice sounded nasally and monotone and increasingly irritated.

She quickly turned to Link "Okay, you need to hide."

"Where!?" He whisper-shouted in a panic. She thought for the quickest of moments until her eyes focused on the furniture right behind him, and she had the answer immediately.

"In there." She pointed to her wardrobe. Link looked over his shoulder quickly, but then slowly turned back to her with a glare.

"You can't be serious."

"Very," she said as she pushed him towards the tall doors of her wardrobe.

He didn't resist her nudges as she backed him towards her wardrobe, though his voice was nervous and jittery.

"I may be shorter t-than you, Princess, but honestly, can't we—"

"Do you have any other ideas?" Zelda asked wildly as she opened the door for him. He'd be able to fit if he just twisted and hunched over a little...

He stared at her for a second, then blinked in defeat. "No."

"Then shut up." She smiled and kissed him recklessly—all tongue and teeth biting his lower lip, making him moan—before she pushed him in, and shut the door.

Zelda jogged across her bedroom, tying her robe around her waist hastily, and tried to compose herself. She got to the bolted door and took a long breath in and exhaled calmly out her mouth, then opened the door with the fakest of smiles.

Dressed in her typical Sheikah garb and painted grey-blue symbol on her forehead, Impa had just taken out her lock picking devices and was bent over slightly when their eyes met. She straightened and huffed at Zelda, she did not seem very amused to be kept waiting. Impa strolled right into her bedroom without even an invitation—not like their friendship called for one anyways.

"Good morning, Impa," Zelda said sweetly as she closed the door behind her with a soft click.

"What took you so long?" Impa raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously.

"I was still in bed..and I was...sleeping naked," she covered more of her bare blushing chest with her shimmering robe.

Impa glanced at the state her blankets and sheets were in, but disregarded any questions that may have risen because of it. Zelda was about to ask why she just barged in here unannounced so early in the morning, when Impa placed a hand on her hip and met her eyes.

"I just learned some interesting information about Robbie's engagement party last night."

"Oh?" Zelda's bold demeanor suddenly faded and she turned her back to her Advisor, walking over to her nightstand to grab for her hair brush. She needed to keep her hands busy or Impa would easily notice just how shaky she still was. Between the orgasm that was ripped from beneath her and having a naked Link hidden in her wardrobe, Zelda wasn't exactly calm.

Impa made a humming sound through her closed lips as she nodded. "Would you like me to share that information with you, Your Highness?" Impa asked sarcastically and Zelda immediately saw through the veil in her words.

A new nervous shiver rained down her neck, realizing what Impa was so distraught about. "Um. No, not...not particularl—"

"Why did I have to learn from my sister that you and Link kissed?" She threw her hands up in the air, making Impa's presence tower over her. To be fair to Zelda, Impa had left the tavern before the events between her and Link unfolded, so it wasn't really her fault—she would have told her eventually. And why was it such a big deal anyways? Zelda wasn't the first Royal Hylian to have a lover in her bed. There were even old rumors about her grandmother falling in love with a woman in the Royal Guard.

"It's not that big of a dea—"

"What are you playing at, Princess?" Impa interrupted her again, and Zelda was taken aback by such a straightforward question.

"What do you mean?" Zelda's eyes narrowed and her agitation started to grow.

She huffed. "Are you just going to throw Link aside when you're done with him like you did with Domero?" Impa never spoke this way unless she was truly upset with her, but Zelda's character was being questioned and she didn't appreciate that all too much.

"I beg your pardon, Impa," Zelda jabbed, "but what does Domero have to do with anything?" Zelda hasn't considered him in almost a year, and still Impa was bringing him up regularly. She had been trying to figure out the truth behind Impa's constant reminders of the Court Poet for months now, and she had a nagging suspicion of what it might be.

"Nothing." Impa said skittishly, losing her nerves. "It's just, I don't—" She looked away from her. "I don't want to see Link get hurt by you."

"Hurt him?" Zelda almost laughed. "What in the Goddess are you even talking about?" She's so confused. Link was absolutely unbreakable. How could a Princess that is considered weak and frail possibly hurt the chosen Hero?

Impa's features softened a little, caught between understanding Zelda's naivety, but still upset with her anyways. "For the person that all the rumors are about, you sure don't listen to them, do you?"

"That's completely insensitive of you, Impa. You know more than anyone that if I listened to all the gossip, it would eat at me more than it already does."

"Then you should ask him yourself so you don't repeat what happened with the Poet." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared.

"Ask him what!?" Zelda thundered, now infuriated and frustrated with such an encrypted argument.

"How he feels about you! Goddess," she sighed loudly, "do I have to spell everything out for you? Half the bloody kingdom already knows."

"I—" Zelda stopped and couldn't help herself to stare at the wardrobe. How he felt about her? He didn't say anything the night before. But then she remembered that look—that look he gave her during Robbie and Cherry's speeches. She should have known.

"Why are you..." Impa followed her eyes until they landed on her wardrobe as well. "Princess, where… where is Master Link?" She asked, heavy with new found suspicion.

When Zelda didn't speak, Impa snapped her eyes back to her quickly before she started charging for the wooden doors of her wardrobe.

"Impa, no!" She shouted, but it was too late. Pulling both doors open, there he was—caught red handed and buck naked between her hanging clothes. He stood frozen, his back hunched to fit into the cramped space and holding his abandoned trousers over his privates even though the side of his hip and butt cheek were exposed to them. He smiled back at Impa, showing his teeth sheepishly like he was a child that had just been caught with his hands in a cookie jar.

"Hi Impa," he said, drawing out the words long and nervously—perhaps thinking that if he said the words long enough, Impa would just grow impatient and walk away.

"Sire." She replied courtly but Zelda heard the sarcasm in her voice. "I can almost see your Master Sword."

Link cleared his throat and shifted to cover more of his body—his chest and cheeks turning more flushed and speckled in embarrassment. Impa turned back to her with a glare more powerful than before, making her next words more hurtful than what they already were.

"What you do in your own bed is your business, Your Highness, but as your Advisor, it seems to me that you're starting an unhealthy habit that's hard to break."

"Keeping naked knights in my wardrobe? That was one time!" She said mockingly and gestured her hand to Link who was struggling to pull himself out of the cluttered wooden closet. Neither Impa nor Link seemed amused by her sarcasm.

"I'm just saying," Impa held up both hands innocently, "if you do the same thing you did to Domero it will… it'll be hard for me to be friends with you."

"Why?" Zelda almost spat, she was so mad. "Because you're secretly in love with Link too?—"

"No!" Impa yelled, honest and defensive.

"Just Domero then?"

"...No," but Impa's voice fell flat. Zelda crossed her arms over her chest in pure victory, a smug smile tugging at her lips. Impa had confessed her feelings for the Sheikah Court Poet whether she realized it or not, but Zelda's triumph was quickly squashed by the new expression forming on Impa's face. She had never seen her Advisor more hurt and angry and betrayed. Before Zelda could even apologize and comfort her friend, Impa inhaled sharply and composed her face once more, making her features stern and unfriendly.

"Your father wants to speak with you after breakfast, I assume it's about yours and Master Link's journey to the Spring of Wisdom next week. He seems in a cheerful mood since he's meeting with a new suitor of yours this afternoon to discuss the Duke's family's lineage, which seems promising, but I truthfully wouldn't get my hopes up." Impa glanced back to Link who was still standing behind her at the wardrobe, then returned her eyes to Zelda. "Your Highness." She said, excusing herself from her bedroom and the whole excruciating conversation. She bowed to her civilly with no warmth or fondness like she usually did, then hastily walked to Zelda's chamber door and slammed it shut on her way out.

Zelda sighed, a wave of exhaustion cascading over her. She really didn't like arguing with Impa, and even though they were both strong willed and hot headed women, they rarely clashed or argued. But Zelda had struck a nerve with her Advisor just as much as Impa had unknowingly done to her. Zelda would have possibly succumbed to the truth behind Impa's words; that she was going to grow bored of Link just as easily as her past lovers, but it was untrue… and Zelda knew it.

"You don't need to worry about me, Princess." Link's raspy, gentle voice pulled her from her culpable thoughts. He was already dressed in his trousers and boots, buttoning his white dress shirt up his front. She wanted to close the small distance between them and fix his messy hair, but decided against it. They were still new lovers despite how long or well they knew each other, and adoring affections like that seemed too forward, too domestic for her liking.

"Why do you say that?" Her hands were still crossed over her chest so she gave herself a comforting squeeze.

Link's eyes fluttered to her briefly before clasping the last remaining buttons on his chest, his fingers slowing momentarily. "What Impa said is wrong and so is the gossip." He sighed and went to refold the cuffs up to his forearms. "She shouldn't believe everything she hears."

—but he lied, and it wouldn't be until the night before the Calamity when he confessed to everything.

---

One Hundred Years Later
Present Day

Zel hasn't been the same since she spoke to Lady Impa, and it's already been three days. That uneasy evening, Link had waited for her at the bottom of the stairs when she finally exited the Chief's house, and she immediately informed him they'd be bunking in the Royal Suite of the Shuteye Inn on Impa's behalf—which he was pretty excited about. Surprised that was the first thing she said, but excited to not be sleeping on the ground anymore. He didn't even know the village had a suite designated for royalty and was ecstatic to be treated as such when they waited for the inn to get their room ready, but the feeling wasn't mutual with his partner. He had quickly picked up on just how uncomfortable Zel became whenever respected attention was placed on her, like she wasn't used to it or felt it unnecessary. When they eventually climbed the stairs up to the Royal Suite to discover there was only one bed in the whole room, Zel didn't even hesitate.

"I'll sleep on the floor," she said and when he tried to argue with her, she shut him down so fiercely, he barely knew what hit him.

Link could count on one hand all the times when Zel had actually smiled since her conversation with the Chief. The first had been that night when he walked into their personal bathroom to discover a large basket of feminine products on the counter. Hesitantly, he strolled back into the bedroom with the full wicker basket in his arms. Zel was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring aimlessly out the window wearing just her white tank top, brassier, and riding pants when she noticed him.

"Wou—would you like to store these in the slate?" He asked earnestly, and his honest question just made her chuckle softly, or maybe it was the sight of half his face hidden behind a large basket of menstrual pads.

"No, that's okay, Link. I can keep them in my travel bag." She said, walking up to him and gently prying the basket from his hands. "I… might need them soon." Those bashful freckles appeared across her cheeks again.

He held onto his elbow with his opposite hand when his arms were empty. "Well, whatever items you don't...use...you should store them in the slate for safe keeping."

She looked at him curiously, still smiling as she set the basket down on his bed. "That wouldn't make you uncomfortable?"

"Of course not," and Link realized it wasn't a lie. His partner is a woman and many women have monthly bleeding cycles, although now he was thinking about Zel's body a lot more than he used to. Before she could catch him, Link glanced down quickly and he did notice her breasts seemed a little swollen. Goddess, what's wrong with me? He thought immediately afterwards. Has he looked at them so often he could tell that by now? He called himself a creep in his head and walked back into the bathroom to splash cool water on his suddenly hot face.

The next time she smiled at him was when they helped Pikango up the hill to visit the Great Fairy Fountain. They hadn't even ventured that far yet themselves and their quest seemed to perk Zel's mood a little. Link explored further along the path as she stayed with the older gentleman near the shrine, offering him their waterskin as he was panting and trying to catch his breath.

The decision to free Cotera was an easy one, paying one hundred rupees for the Great Fairy to reveal herself. He had been able to enhance the clothing Zel gifted him, though the way Cotera did it made Link extremely uncomfortable. When he turned to leave the fountain, he discovered Zel standing on the path with Pikango's arm draped over her shoulders as she half carried him the rest of the way, both staring at the fountain in amazement. When Link and Zel walked beside one another back to the village, Link finally asked how long they had been standing there.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Long enough to see you get nervous when Cotera enhanced your trousers."

"She had to kiss me to do it!" Link said defensively, growing flustered again, and dragged a hand down his face.

Zel hummed. "Maybe I should get some clothing enhanced as well." Her tone was deep and sensual, the same tone she uses on him when their conversations grow playful and flirtatious. He eyed her for a long moment as they continued down the hill until he almost tripped on a tree branch. Eventually, he found the courage to ask what had been repeating in his mind since her last comment.

"Zel, are you...uh, attracted to...men or—?"

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled. "I'm attracted to what I'm attracted to," she stated easily with a minor shrug to her shoulder. "But if your real question is; am I attracted to men at all..." Her green eyes met his and a jolt of electricity ran down his spine. "The answer is yes."

He was at a loss for words then, but she continued. "Have you considered what you're attracted to, Link?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He blurted before he could catch the words escaping from his throat.

"Yes," she chuckled, "you are definitely attracted to feminine figures...however.."

"What?" He asked, growing concerned.

"Well...the Knights of Hyrule weren't exactly known for being as straight as their swords, if you catch my drift."

He did, but he didn't know how to answer. He hasn't really met that many people yet to test his sexual attraction spectrum.

"I guess I'm not sure." Link spoke after a while. He was oddly comfortable with being uncomfortable about his own sexuality.

Zel had been wrong about the question he wanted to ask because the real question—which didn't dawn on him until that night when they were alone in their shared room and he watched indulgently as she combed her fingers through her hair—and that question was; 'are you attracted to me?'

Besides the few moments when Zel had smiled genuinely, her mood has been dreary and melancholy, expressed with such a faraway gaze he wondered where she went sometimes. Her eyes were so distant when she looked at him, as though she was seeing right through him—like he wasn't there at all. She hasn't even tried to recalibrate the slate or dismantle the pedestal of the shrine like he assumed she would. He'd usually find her just sitting alone in silent contemplation, and times when he'd actually try to come up with topics of conversation, she would answer him with small comments that quickly allowed an uncomfortable silence to settle between them.

When he asked if something was bothering her, she denied it. Then he started worrying that Impa had said something to Zel that frightened her, but she denied that as well.

"Did Impa threaten you?"

"No, of course not, Link." He was expecting her to argue with him or grow defensive, but she behaved just as distant as usual.

"Well, did she say something to you that is making you question our partnership?" He swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

Zel sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm his obvious distress. She met his eyes, but she wasn't seeing him. It was as if she was trying to see someone else, through him.

"Please don't ever trouble yourself about that. You will never have to worry that I may change my mind, I promise." He believed her words and her promise, but he didn't believe she was alright.

It's the third day of Zel's strange behavior and he can't take it anymore—he has to do something.

Link suggests they get out of the village for a bit. Perhaps she was starting to miss being out in the wild, and he had to admit he felt the same way. He's been examining the map details of West Necluda, but he wants to see what lies east of the village, past the Great Fairy Fountain.

They both saddle up their horses and Zel's movements are a bit sluggish compared to his own; taking long exhales, clutching spontaneously at her belly just above her hip bone, stretching her neck, and rolling her shoulders like she's in some kind of discomfort. He figures it's due to her moon cycle more so than her recent despondency, because she seemed almost giddy when he recommended this trip. As giddy as she could be right now.

They venture out of the village early morning, stopping only a couple times to forage for ingredients, hunt for game, and mine for deposits. It's not long until they reach a three way crossroads with a traveler standing alone at its intersection. Zel halts Jassa and Link does the same with Sasha, then she turns to him with a soft smile. Her eyes are still seeing through him, but at least her mood feels more relaxed.

"I'm going to see if they have any arrows to trade or sell. I won't be long," Zel says.

He smiles back, nods, and watches as she slides off her horse, readjusts the bow on her back, and walks the distance to the stranger.

He soothes Sasha for as he waits for Zel, musing in the soft whinnies of his horse enjoying his touch on her bristle-like mane. He exhales peacefully, breathing in the wild scents around him as he contemplates which path to head down, the north path on his left or the south on his right, until his attention darts back to Zel because the sounds of a monstrous, evil laugh starts echoing against the tall cliffs around them.

Eyes quickly shooting back to his partner, he sees the remains of a dust cloud dissipating and a mysterious figure dressed in black and red, charging straight at Zel, frozen in shock and with so much fear in her eyes, he can see it from where he's positioned on his horse. Before he can begin to bring himself down to the ground and sprint to her aid, Link witnesses the enemy's weapon make contact with Zel's skin even as she angles away—panicking and dodging, trying to avoid getting sliced by a wicked blade, but she's not fast enough. The sickle in the enemy's hand slices along her right thigh, ripping through her riding pants and starting a flow of red hot liquid down her leg. She shrieks and collapses in the grass by her own dodge and the enemy's blunt force.

Link doesn't allow any time to react; to gasp or scream her name. His movements are faster than he ever remembers moving as his feet touch the ground and start sprinting towards the fight, taking the bow from his back and drawing an arrow, ready to fire, but then the figure disappears. He looks around frantically as Zel clutches at her leg, blood seeping through her shaking fingers and hyperventilating, trying to put enough pressure on her fresh wound as Link jogs the last remaining steps between them, still searching for the enemy, waiting for them to reappear so Link can strike. Before the silence settles, a loud bang and a stunning quake rumbles the ground around them and Zel screams. The figure reappears right over her with the sickle raised high in the air, ready to strike her again, but Link is quicker.

His arrow sings powerfully through the air and it doesn't have to go far until it lodges into the enemy's neck. The blow is so strong, Link is actually shocked by the distance the limp body flies—inevitably landing on the ground with a choking gurgle and loud thud, then disappearing into a cloud of malice—leaving a few rupees, the bloody sickle, and a bundle of bananas, but Link doesn't care about any of that.

He almost collapses onto Zel as he falls to her side, sitting on his shins, breathing heavily and hands shaky. She's lying on the ground in the dust and dirt, propped on her elbows and trying to stabilize her breath. He doesn't know what to do or how to help, but he can't stop the movement of his panicked hands fluttering around her open wound and his senses start to cut out. He can't hear or see or feel anything besides the hysteria rising in the pit of his stomach, but the sound of Zel's voice returns back to him like a muffled whisper until he realizes she's actually yelling.

"Link!" She says his name for the third time and his eyes snap to meet hers. "The Sheikah slate."

"Right." He unlatches the device from his belt and starts tapping away, then he realizes he doesn't know what to do next. "What—"

"I need a sterilized bandage." She says in a panic, but still trying to remain calm. She hisses at the pain when she tries to bend her wounded leg to a position that allows a bandage to wrap around, seeping more red liquid as she moves. "Quickly."

In a matter of seconds he pulls out several bandages and the sight of them helps Link return to his instincts. He doesn't even pass them to her—he folds a few over the wound instead and presses his hand firmly onto it, halting the flow of blood. She gasps at the pain but doesn't resist him, and quickly her hand darts over both of his to hold them steady. Her fingers curl over his knuckles and Link looks back into her eyes again.

"You're going to be just fine," he says, strong and reassuring, but her face crumbles by his choice of words.

"I know." Her voice cracks and she tries to regain control of her quivers and unstable breath.

When the bandages are soaked crimson but the bleeding has subsided, Link inspects her wound. It's much deeper and in a more vulnerable spot than the elbow injury caused by the Stalnox they battled together. Before Zel can instruct him on what to do next, Link sanitizes his hands with the disinfectant then meets her eyes with a deep seriousness.

"Ready?" He asks. She nods weakly and her hands clench into fists.

He drizzles the blue liquid over her gash and she wails loudly, throwing her head back as a couple small tears form at the corners of her eyes. Link lets the medicine seep into her wound, cleaning and cleansing the exposed quadricep muscle before he begins to drip the pain reliever. When he does, her leg begins to soften, the throbbing pain leaving her body the second the green liquid starts to take effect. She finally has better control of her anxious breathing, and he's rubbing the oil around her wound when she's ready to speak again.

"So much for me assisting you." Her words sound like a joke, but her tone tells Link she's more upset than she's letting off.

"Hey," Link says gently, his hands leaving her skin, "if you weren't with me, I'd be alone on the ground with a gash in my leg." He exchanges the green phial for the red healing oil. "Hell, I'd probably be dead by now."

She exhales loudly but a small smile teases at her lips and she rises from her propped elbows to a regular upright position. He's not sure if she's going to say something clever in response because he wasn't done with his thought just yet.

"And you're not assisting me," Link states firmly, "you're too… free to be the assistant of anyone. We're partners, remember?" He meets her quivering emerald eyes. "So I mend your wounds because you mend mine."

She looks at him, and truly looks at him. Her eyes dart back and forth, focusing between his own. She blinks slowly as her smile grows wider, breaking their shared stare to look down at the ground between them, and she places a hand on his thigh.

She decides not to say anything—letting his words hang in the air as she smiles into her chest, so Link goes back to addressing her injury. He applies the healing oil and wraps the bandage as slow as he can because her thumb has started to graze along his trousers absentmindedly, and the soft leisurely movement helps to calm both of their nerves.

He helps her onto her feet and carries most of her weight back to Jassa although her limp isn't too bad—thanks to the pain reliever. The medicine will possibly heal the wound completely in the next twenty four hours, although due to the large trench it made into her skin, it'll most likely leave a scar. Link doesn't get onto Sasha until he's made sure Zel is properly on her horse and able to ride.

They both decide to head east down the trail towards Rabia Plain, past the mysterious orange glowing platform, and stop at the cliffs by the single ancient tree. Zel points out a new glowing shrine in the distance to the south—the colossal dam of the Zora looming above it. They start venturing down the valley towards the isolated shrine, trotting slowly atop their horses for fear of Zel's wound opening up again if they go any faster. They reach the ruins by early noon and Link strategizes a plan to clear the area of lizalfos. Zel works defensively atop her horse with the remote bombs and her bow as Link fights offensively, slashing the monsters at close range. The plan works smoothly for the most part; he keeps the enemies attention on him as she fires at the lizalfos leaping far enough away from Link so she doesn't accidentally hit him instead. Soon the area is clear of vermin, and Link has a couple cuts and bruises speckled over his body along with a nasty smack on his neck by a lizalfo's tongue, but it's nothing that a little healing medicine won't solve.

Zel slides off Jassa with his assistance, and they set up a small camp within the crumbling ruins overlooking the Rucco Maag shrine. She gets a small fire ready as Link pulls out a couple skewers and ingredients from the slate. The silence between them is relaxing and sated, and Link marvels at just how easy and somehow correct it feels to fall into a routine with her—working and traveling and battling together on their journey. He glances at her every so often as he cooks their skewers of seasoned meat and mushrooms, simply happy he doesn't have to face this world so hopeless and alone.

They enjoy their roasted meal together, speaking casually, sitting beside one another with their backs against the same crumbing stone wall. Link asks about the masked figure that injured Zel since he's never seen an assassin like that before, but unfortunately she has. She tells him all about the Yiga Clan, or what she has researched and experienced about them anyways.

"Was that the first time you've encountered a Yiga member on the road?" Link asks, chewing on a charred piece of meat.

"Like that, yes. I assumed there were always Yiga spies amongst the vagabonds of Hyrule, but I've never seen them attack like that before. They usually fight in groups, not individually."

Link sighs, half perturbed he has another enemy to look out for, and because he just finished the last of the skewers. "I wonder why they attacked you."

"Well..." Zel draws out the word as she reaches for the waterskin. "They did say 'any friend of the Hylian Champion is an enemy to the Yiga,' before they burst into a cloud of smoke and charged at me."

"Who do you think the Hylian Champion is?" Link asks naively and absolutely unaware so Zel pauses her movements; freezing the waterskin at her mouth, and looks at him. She places it back down on the ground and stares for a long second, then her eyes soften.

"You, Link." Her shoulders sag slightly. "They were talking about you."

"Oh."

He looks down into his lap and fiddles with his fingers. She was attacked because of him.

He tells himself he should have seen this coming; that there would be enemies on the road, looking for him, hunting him down, instead of just monster camps and random octoroks positioned at inconvenient places. He was willing to accept that he'd have to look out for more enemies, but now that Link has seen just how Zel's life was in jeopardy because of his own existence, he couldn't help but feel tremendously guilty.

"It's not your fault." She must have read his mind.

He lost his voice so he signs instead. "It is though."

"Link," she says his name, lofty and full of breath. Between her voice and her hand reaching across his face to frame his jaw, he's completely out of words, thoughts, or worries because her hand has reached his face and thumb grazing his cheekbone, and he just knows she's waiting for him to meet her eyes and when they do, his mind is completely blank besides one word repeating over and over again; closer.

"It's not your fault," she repeats and he believes it this time. He breaks their stare to glance down at her parted lips and notices the top of her chest starting to turn rosy as her cleavage rises and falls with her increasingly deeper breaths. His eyes shoot back up to hers, and in response her fingers push further into his hairline until they're past his ear and creeping towards the back of his neck, and the feeling it makes within his groin is stronger now, demanding to be noticed and needing to be felt.

Images pop into his mind that are all hands and limbs and disheveled clothing. Her wide and curvy thighs spreading and settling onto his lap as his hands pull on her back and push on her front, touching and cupping with eagerness and wanting, but the image that steers him back to reality, snapping him from his sinful thoughts, is Zel grinding down with her hips against his own and saying his name while she's moaning.

His body jolts abruptly, and the startling movement makes Zel retract her hand and gasp loudly. Link takes a sharp inhale to realize he hasn't even breathed in several seconds, so now he's panting—chasing his breath, and the same hand Zel placed on his face moments ago claws through her own hair and they're both clearing their throats to steer away the awkward silence.

"Sorry, I—I'm sorry," Zel stutters, leaning away from him and breathing heavily. Link could almost see her body growing tight with the same nervousness he feels.

"All good," he signs, springing to his feet and staring up at the sky, pretending to fixate his eyes on an interesting cloud. He suddenly wants to excuse himself, to be alone for a second, because he hasn't had thoughts like that since he woke up to this world and it's all a little too much for him right now. Thankfully, the guilt he felt about the Yiga attack is gone, but a new guilt has formed and nestled its way into his mind. He fears it won't ever leave him now.

Link stares into the fire and signs again. "I'm going to enter the shrine. Will you be okay here?"

"Yes," she nods, but her voice is shaky, and Link wonders if she had just been imagining the same lascivious scene that was playing out in his mind, too.

Nodding courtly, Link tries to hold onto his last remaining nerves, then clumsily swivels on his heels and marches towards the tall grass and maze of spikes. He holds onto the last of his composure until he's fully inside the shrine and able to see the ridiculously meticulous puzzle before him, but he doesn't try to start solving it straight away. He leans his back against the wall, and takes as many deep breaths as he needs to stop the blood flowing to his groin.

For the past month since Link's been awake, he has been growing increasingly worried about the lack of activity occurring between his legs. No morning wood. No random erections. No sudden hardness throughout the day. Nothing. But now as he and Zel grow closer, words that speak of carnal desires, insatiable thirsts for skin on skin, and a deep animalistic hunger—they're starting to creep into his thoughts and trousers more and more every day. And now he's imagining them. He's definitely grateful that the thought of her riding his lap helped bring back a small rush of activity to his groin, even if it was relatively minuscule, but that's his partner. He can't be starting to think about her like this so early on in their journey, or else it's going to be a long road ahead for them.

Unless… she's thinking about him that way, too.

After his mind and nerves have calmed almost completely, Link spends the better half of an hour trying to figure out the puzzle, but he's just not getting it. His thoughts keep plaguing and distracting him, but the main thing he keeps coming back to is how he just left his partner alone on the surface of Hyrule while he buried himself underground because of how embarrassed he was. He has to face her eventually, has to make sure she doesn't feel uncomfortable with what just happened between them. So instead of leaving with a spirit orb, Link figures out the best way to finish the shrine that requires little from him and more of Zel, and he knows her well enough now that she appreciates it when he makes her feel useful and needed.

Leaving the shrine in almost the same state as when he entered, Link walks back to their camp and turns the corner to find Zel still leaning her back against the same wall as before, sharpening her skinning knife with a palm sized rock. She's completely gone mentally; the physical movements of the stone in her hand scraping across her blade so automatic and inattentive as she stares down at it. He almost chooses to walk away, to refrain from pulling Zel from her thoughts and just let her daydream about when or what or who, but then her head snaps towards him and she jumps, startled to find Link watching her quietly. He walks up to her with a large smile, trying to contain the laugh that climbed up his throat when he gave her a jump scare, and before she can say anything, he extends his hand down, making a gesture for her to come along.

"Wha—" she starts as she grabs his hand. "Where are we—"

"I need your help, I can't figure out the puzzle."

"We're going in the shrine?!" She sounds more anxious than excited, but he hears the thrill in her voice nonetheless. Link just nods and pulls at her hand, and she doesn't refuse him. They walk slowly because of Zel's limp and stand close to one another as they descend down the transfer tunnel, and Zel's face might be permanently stuck in an expression of pure wonder. He tries to hide the smile that's formed on his mouth by tucking his chin into his chest and letting his hair cover his face.

The platform that transferred them down to the main room stabilizes, and the moment it does, Zel is almost running into the room. She doesn't say anything and she doesn't wait for him either, but Link can tell by her excited behavior that the decision he's made to bring her down into the shrine is rewarding on so many levels. He waits quietly with a soft smile as she walks around the room entirely, and she notices he's already opened the two treasure chests that he cleverly knocked down from their wooden platforms by firing an arrow through the flames of the main puzzle. She doesn't comment on them though.

When she comes back around to where Link is standing near the device with the large diamond buttons, she places an index finger on her chin as her other hand finds her hip. He speaks first, explaining the device and its function. He concludes that all the torches have to be lit in order to finish the trial, but he can't seem to grasp the remote functions. She nods without speaking, though Link has assumed she's already figured out how it operates. After a long silence of the gears clanking around in her head (or what Link imagined they were doing), she takes out her bow and nocks an arrow through the stale air, hitting the bottom orange diamond, changing it blue, and making the large puzzle rotate. She picks up the used arrow from the ground, and her head twists slowly back and forth between the remote and main puzzle.

It's several minutes until Zel decides to nock another arrow at the remote. She's taking her time, not wanting to make any mistakes, but Link doesn't operate that way. She's a perfectionist, he's realized, and waiting for a perfectionist to finish a puzzle is testing the little patience he has. He yawns as Zel hits another button, but she shushes him and says "I'm concentrating."

He rolls his eyes along with his shoulders as he idles there a little too long for his liking.

The next time Zel lets another arrow fly, Link leaps across the water and grabs ahold of the unlit torch that's about to rotate to the top of the black square. He pulls himself upright when it stops rotating, and looks around the room, inspecting it at a higher and new angle. He eventually looks down at Zel with a smug expression on his face and hands on his hips, but even from up there he can see her eyelids flatten as straight as her mouth, showing she's not impressed. He shrugs a shoulder and looks around again.

"Honestly, I could probably just use a couple bombs and fling myself into the monk's room." He says, gazing towards the tall walls that seal the monk's blessing beyond it. He glances back to Zel, wanting some response from her, but he soon learns the response she's making isn't going to be with words. His mind processes the rapid movement of the skinning knife in her hand as it makes contact with the glowing button just above her, and suddenly Link feels the floating block he's standing on rotate once again, tilting him and making him slide, losing his balance and he inevitably falls into the waters below. He lands with a big splash and the sound of it muffles Zel's laughter.

He stands next to her as she finishes the puzzle for him, soaked… but patiently waiting.

They finish the puzzle, collect the monk's spirit orb, and they exit the way they came for the very real worry of Zel not being able to re-materialize with him at the surface. They stand close to each other as they huddle into the moving platform and Zel's shoulder grazes against his but he's not phased by it. He's growing increasingly more comfortable with their soft and innocent touches and he wonders briefly just how close they'll end up getting on their journey.

When they're halfway to the surface, Zel's voice breaks through the soft buzzing of ancient technology. "That was amazing."

He chuckles sweetly and glances down at his boots as he clicks them together. "I thought you'd like that."

"Thank you," she says, and Link feels her body leaning towards him, but she isn't stopping. Her shoulder presses firmly against his as she twists and angles and suddenly her lips are on his cheek, branding his skin with the smell and feel of her, and even though it's a sweetly innocent and friendly peck, the feeling lingers on his face for days. The kiss doesn't fluster him, surprisingly. Doesn't transform him into a jumbled pile of stutters and uneven heart beats. It makes him feel appreciated and cared for. That she wants to make him feel good just as much as he wants to do for her, because they're friends now. Partners. His only one in the world, and he considers that she's probably as happy as he is that she doesn't have to face this world so hopeless and alone either.

"Will I get one of those for every shrine?" He speaks quietly, his mind still chasing the sensation of her lips meeting his cheek. Sometimes Link can be the shyest guy in Hyrule and sometimes he can be charmingly smooth, and he wonders what kind of guy he used to be; bashful and diffident, or confident and flirtatious. Perhaps he's always been somewhere in the middle.

"Are the spirit orbs not rewarding enough?"

"Hardly," he says and she laughs.

» . «

Link and Zel make their way back to Rabia Plain to set up camp for the night so they can inspect the strange glowing platform more tomorrow. Their horses trot faster through the tall grass as the sun hangs low in the sky beside them, casting the luscious green meadow in soft pastels of yellows and oranges with spring buds on the trees and migrating birds singing through the air. Since the attack on Zel earlier that morning, she's been more present with him and Link is satisfied to see she's pulling herself out of her recent depressive episode.

Whatever discussion that transpired between her and Lady Impa must have been extremely serious for a strong woman like Zel to cave into herself so tremendously. Perhaps the Chief simply repeated everything she had told Link; about the Beasts and the fallen Champions and what he has to do to save everyone. That, debatably, shook him even harder—to the point he actually cried onto Zel's shoulder—and if it wasn't for him and Zel forming a partnership to work through it all, he'd probably be behaving in much the same manner even weeks later—

—but there must have been more to it because he told her everything that first night in Kakariko and she was fine. It's been eating him alive that Zel hasn't told him yet, hasn't shared with him the exact information that made her sink into herself for three whole days because he just knows it's about him… what else could it possibly be?

Link says her name without really registering that he's spoken, and Zel looks at him atop their horses trotting side by side.

"What did Lady Impa say to you?" This is the first time he's asked and the only time he wants to.

She sighs, but she's been expecting him to finally voice his curiosity. "Impa, she… questioned me, and my identity. She wanted to make sure the Hero was in the company of someone worthy."

"And what did she think of you?"

"She thinks that..." Zel takes a long inhale, "that I can help you awaken the power you need in order to become the wielder of the Master Sword again."

Link has been racking his brain with different scenarios for days, but he never thought of something like that. Impa barely spoke about the Master Sword when they talked, but based on the legend she recited, it's clear that he'll have to use a specific sword to deal the final blow on Ganon. Except, now he has to awaken a forgotten power in order to wield it?

He sighs, allowing the heaviness of her words to sink in. "What kind of power?"

"Um..." Link looks at her and Zel's face is bright red, redder than he's ever seen it. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and actually turtles into herself; shoulders climbing up to her ears. "That part wasn't very clear," she says in a higher octave, almost like it's a question, like she has some idea, but due to any embarrassment or shame, doesn't want to voice it.

He's absolutely baffled by her behavior—she's usually so calm and composed compared to him. It makes him wonder about the role the fates have decided to carve out for her and how she's having a hard time accepting it. To be fair, it does seem like such a large responsibility that was dumped on her shoulders so suddenly, especially after she had made the spontaneous decision to tag along with him on this journey. Maybe this is more than what she bargained for.

The clearing of her throat pulls him from his thoughts. "Actually, Impa suggested we go to Hateno. She thinks the tech lab might provide some more answers for me and I'm very interested in seeing how the lab functions anyways... Would you—" She turns to him. "Would you mind if we went there first?"

He just smiles and nods, and she does the same.

As if on cue, the sound of a musical instrument carries through the air, settling into their troubled minds. Looking ahead, they see a colorfully tall Rito standing beside the orange platform, swaying away to the soft tunes of his accordion playing. How did he get there? Link wonders. He wasn't standing there before. Their horses slow to a leisurely walk as they get closer and the music gets louder and the transient musician hums softly to the melody of the music as the sun sets to the west like he's playing for the wild creatures and forgotten spirits of this peaceful plain. The welcoming music drives itself into a cavernous part of Link's mind that it makes him smile uncontrollably. He turns his head to ask his partner a question, but she's already answering.

"I know that song," Zel smiles softly, "but it's a little different than what I remember."

"Should we trust them?" Link is still cautious about strangers, especially with a healing wound on Zel's thigh.

"Yes, I think I—" She turns to him. "I think I know who that is."

They let their horses graze the plain as they approach the nameless musician and when he notices them, his warming smile can be seen more in his gentle eyes than his stiff beak. He introduces himself as Kass the traveling bard, and he's a little surprised to find he's not alone in such a beautiful place, though he's glad to be sharing it with someone. He carries the humble grace of a nomad; with a white scarf and bohemian trinkets, bangles on his talons and sheets of music strapped to his worn belt like it's his weapon of choice, and Link comes to the conclusion quickly that he's not a threat in any way. On the contrary, Link admires him almost immediately and finds Zel doing the same although the bard's eyes linger on her longer—in an intriguing way—not predatory or deceitful, but curious and perplexing.

Kass becomes ruffled slightly when he notices the Sheikah slate strapped to Link's belt, but he quickly composes himself again. Having gotten used to that type of response, the reaction doesn't phase him. It's a strange device most people have never seen before, so he doesn't think anything of the bard's brief fumble.

"I know a song about this place," Kass's voice floats delicately through the air. "Would you care to hear it?"

The notes are higher and longer than the song he played earlier. It's soothing and majestic and Link closes his eyes to take it all in. He doesn't pay much attention to the lyrics Kass sings, just enjoys the moment the bard is gifting them.

The song is over too quickly and Link finds himself wanting more—not just because of the way Zel sways to the music or how the sounds seem to give new meaning to such an empty, forgotten world. The reason being somewhere caught between the day they've just had, the musical friend they've just made, and the lighting of the setting sun painting everything golden and otherworldly. It lifts his spirits and builds his confidence, allowing him to feel free of judgement, duties, and burdens, and in this moment, all Link wants to do is enjoy the warm spring evening, to fill it with music and laughter. When the music fades away, Zel claps softly and he opens his eyes.

"Kass, do you know any jigs?"

"Oh," the bard seems slightly ruffled, but his eyes dart between him and Zel, then nods kindly. "Yes, I know many, but for the two of you... perhaps something more modern?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

Kass chuckles softly. "A request for music is never troubling, my friend."

The three of them stand on the jutting rock that acts like a stage beside the orange platform, and the bard takes a sheet of music from his belt to review it quickly, letting the sounds of nature return back to their ears for a brief period. Unlatching the slate from his belt, Link takes out a tall amber bottle of plum wine that Zel had won during one of her late night card games when her opponent ran out of rupees to gamble away. He remembers her words from weeks ago; how she enjoys the taste of booze when she's surrounded by music and warm company—and he wonders when the last time that was for either of them before he offers her the bottle, and she takes it with a smile.

"It's been ages since I've listened to music," she admits and takes a large gulp of the plum wine.

"Can you play any instruments?"

"Yes," she nods. "I had harp lessons for years. I've also dabbled with a lute for a while and I loved it." She has another sip and passes him back the bottle. He takes a long drink—maybe a little too much—but he doesn't mind the soft buzz it brings to his addled mind, heating his cheeks and lungs.

"Maybe the three of us should form a musical caravan."

Zel laughs and meets his gaze. "And what would you do in our hypothetical band?" He takes another drink and hands the bottle to her again.

Smiling wide, he itches his chin in thought. "I'm not sure… do you think I can sing?" She drinks from their shared bottle, then answers.

"Only one way to find out."

Kass's song starts with his feathers creating a pounding beat against the side of his accordion, and it sounds much different than the ancient notes he was playing before. When the accordions' sound cuts in, Link can still hear the beat and the rhythm and his foot automatically starts tapping along with it. The bard starts singing and Link pays attention to the lyrics this time. The song is about an alluring archer with white and gold feathers who can never be in one place for too long. She's carefree and wild, and the writer of the lyrics has fallen madly in love with her, but she's transient. A drifter. Taking flight whenever she feels the need to fly again. The lyrics are fast and jutting through the jig and beat, but Kass's accent and practiced voice allows the song to be stimulating and catchy and Link suddenly can't hold still any longer.

He re-corks their half empty bottle and places it in the grass by his feet. "Let's dance."

Her short hair twirls as she snaps her head to him. "What?—I mean, why? I can't—"

But he's already swaying to the music as he stands next to her—the plum wine giving him an extra boost of courage. "Why not?"

"Because I have two left feet."

Link laughs. "Well, I probably can't either, but," he extends his hand to her, "...try with me?"

Staring at his open invitation, she brings her own hands to her chest. Her shimmering eyes meet his quickly then slowly traces the line of his hand. She looks timid and shy when Link feels confident and brave, and whether it's the alcohol, ambiance, or his own energy, she places a hesitant hand into his and he guides her down from the rock they're standing on to the orange platform so they can use it as their own personal dance floor. He turns to her, and they link hands as Kass rolls his voice into the chorus.

My gone away girl traveled 'cross this land,

But she flew away with a Hylian

Blew her a kiss though it got lost in the wind

I yelled "baby when are you coming back?"

My pretty little gone away girl

My my my my my, gone away girl.

Zel is stiff and tense though her expression is soft, and she nods weakly to the beat. She lets her head fall in the space between them, her eyes following the path their feet make—possibly so she doesn't trip over them. Her right palm rests lightly on his shoulder; elbow jutting out at an odd angle which tells him she's not as comfortable with this as he is yet. The fingers of her other hand are entwined with his, and his free hand finds her hip as they begin swaying in unison.

It's a bit awkward at first, like they're two pubescent teenagers trying to leave as much distance between their bodies as possible, but halfway into the instrumental verse, Zel's tension begins to dissolve and she sinks deeper into the moment before he does. She takes a small step towards Link and he mirrors her, until his hand on her hip is angled weirdly with the shorter distance between them.

Taking a gamble, he slides his arm farther along her lower back and the touch sends a wave across her body that's so stimulating, he can almost see it and in response, her head rises from staring at the ground between them. Her eyes are closed and she takes a big inhale, filling her lungs with the evening air, taking in the scent of fresh spring blossoms, the plum wine lingering on their lips, and him. Then a new smile spreads across her mouth; satisfying and blissful, filled with pleasure and sensation and then her eyes open to meet his and, without thinking, he pulls her in even closer.

"I never knew my knight could dance," she smirks.

A soft smile spreads over his lips at the joke of Zel calling him her knight. "Maybe I was appointed because of my dance moves."

"I don't think that's it."

"My dashing good looks then?"

"Getting warmer."

Kass flows into the second verse as the uplifting beat continues. Link takes the lead, his confidence growing as responsibilities fading and his world gets just a little bit smaller. He glides and moves and guides her body through the easy dance moves, even if he's just making it up as he goes. He has no reference besides his forgotten instincts, has no idea if they look ridiculous or like they've been dancing for years, but he doesn't care in the slightest because he has music in his ears, liquid courage in his veins, and a beautiful woman in his arms. He keeps his hold on her firm yet gentle, and by the smile on her face and look in her eyes, it's exactly the type of touch she wants from him. He just knows now that Zel is enjoying this as much as he is because she's starting to laugh softly and it's only a matter of seconds until he realizes so is he.

Then he hears the familiar crescendo of the chorus about to unravel, so Link persuades his partner to take a spin. He releases his hold on her hip as their entwined fingers reposition, allowing her whole body to extend out from his, gliding away with her hair twirling again around her long ears, all the while still holding onto his hand. She's filled with grace and clumsiness, practiced yet unpracticed at the very same time, and he wonders briefly when was the last time she's allowed someone to touch her this way, if ever or at all. No matter the case, he feels lucky to wake one hundred years past his own time just to be able to dance with her. It's this thought that makes him pull her back into his arms, and she comes willingly.

She spirals back into him with more intimacy this time—returning to the same positions their hands were in before, but with new found boldness between them. Her arm drapes over both his shoulders with ease, coaxing and persuading him to move closer, just as much as he's doing with his arm pulling on her back, and their bodies are so close that their thighs are touching and her chest grazes against his during certain dance movements. Kass sings the chorus that Link has already memorized and he feels his courage rising, figuring that now is the perfect moment to see if he can sing as well as he can dance.

Link closes his eyes, throws his head back, and spontaneously harmonizes with the singing bard. He doesn't know what sound is actually going to come out of him; maybe something angelic or talented, or possibly something terrible like a screeching bokoblin—but he wants to try singing at least once, and now is a better time than ever.

"My my my my my, gone away girl."

His voice sounds more raspy than usual, but melodic, sweet, and well tuned. He must have sounded better than he expected, though. He was imagining an obnoxious laugh or snort from Zel, but the face she's making is one he's only seen when he's showing her a new function on the Sheikah slate or when they just entered the shrine earlier today; utterly astounded.

"You can sing!"

"I can?" He asks sincerely as they continue to dance together, but she can only nod in answer. Her green eyes are filled with pure amazement that makes his cheeks warm, and her mouth hangs open in a wide smile.

He goes to sing again as the same lyrics circle around and repeat, but he grinds his voice this time—making it harsh and scratchy on the my then rhythmic and level with the drawn out gone away girl. The notes that leave his lips do something to Zel that makes her control shatter almost completely because he can feel her grip tighten on his shoulder, can feel her thighs and chest grazing against him more easily as she lets the rhythm and beat loosen her mind and body. He can feel her succumbing, surrendering to the moment between them, so he twirls her again, watching her as she spirals out and away once more, but when she returns to him, he repositions them both and she doesn't protest on the choice he's made.

When her body meets his, Zel's back presses against Link's front with her shoulder blades rubbing across his chest and his nose tickling against her ear as Kass continues to play his song. She pushes back against him confidently, the awkwardness between them long gone and completely forgotten, and perhaps along with the fact that they've only known each other for a few weeks because Link's hands have started to wrap around her body before he could even stop them. His hand finds her hip bone and slides across it gently, nudging and welcoming her to move closer against his hips and abdomen, and she does. His other hand slides across her leather corset until there's nothing but clothing between their bodies, and Zel places her hands over both of his and tilts her head back until it meets his shoulder. He can feel the curve of her backside pressing against his groin but neither of them find it unsettling. She's grinding into him harder with the sway of their hips to the rhythm of the music, and the choices she's making with her body against his own isn't bothering him or making Link imagine her positioned any other way because all he wants is this. Right. Now.

Slowly, then all at once, despite how loose and comfortable Zel has become throughout their dance, Link feels her body melt into his. Her hair falls against his neck, her temple meeting the side of his face, and suddenly she's there—with him. Lost in the moment as much as he is. She's no longer distant, gone and away, thinking about the ghosts that haunt her memories. She's sharing that same time and space with him, and nothing else.

They're both in the present with arms so full of gratitude and pleasure and one another's wanted touch, and the feeling of her so close to him in so many different ways hits him like a blazing arrow, bringing a new thought to the forefront of his mind that makes him unabashedly nuzzle his nose into the crevice of her neck, shutting his eyes tightly, and breathing her in.

Oh no, Link says in his head.

He never stood a chance.