Chapter 17

Link shot out of bed, landing in a tumbled heap on the floor. Adrenaline surging in his veins drowned out the screaming complaints from his muscles as he scrambled to his feet, knocking against the staircase in his haste and slamming bodily into the wall next to the door as his hands fumbled with the latch. He could barely keep his feet underneath him as he took off around the side of the house in a drunken run, grabbing onto the wooden pole supporting the awning next to the pond as his legs threatened to give out completely. His eyes desperately searched for any sign of Zelda or what may have happened after he blacked out. Did his sword strike land? Did the lightning hit her as well? Or did the Yiga take her and leave?

"Link!"

He jerked his head around at the familiar voice, registering the hollow sound of quick and heavy steps pounding on wooden planks at the same time. Zelda was running across the bridge, her arms full with linen and looking very worried. "Princess!"

She quickly closed the distance between them, her face flushed. "Are you all right!? You shouldn't be up yet- what are doing out here!?"

Link shook his head, brushing aside her concerns. "Are you alright? What happened to the Yiga!?"

Zelda snapped her mouth shut, blinking wide eyes. "Yiga? What are you talking about?"

"The Yiga were here! They found out about my condition and they- You were right here, and I- And the lightning-!" Link broke off with a gesture to the pond, his words unable to keep up with his racing mind.

Zelda was staring at him with a peculiar expression. If the Yiga had found out about Link's condition, either his malice affliction or his current state, it stood to reason that they would have already attacked. And what did lightning have to do with anything? "I...have no idea what you're talking about, Link," she said slowly, drawing his panicked gaze back to her. "Did you, perhaps...have a nightmare?" It seemed to most logical conclusion, given the swordsman's odd behavior.

Link just blinked at her dumbly, taking a few second to process her words. "Nightmare?" he repeated, playing through the encounter once more in his mind. The Yiga standing over him had been rather chatty, more so than usual whenever he had encountered them previously. And for all that they tried to kill him any time they crossed paths, there was almost a certain amount of honor in their actions. Their members may be spread across the country posing as travelers to catch him off guard, but they'd never involved any civilians in their schemes- either as hostages or otherwise. And they always identified themselves before attacking. It was a strange sort of code, but a code none the less. Forcing him to kill Zelda himself seemed far too cruel, even for them.

The vividness of the events in his mind refused to let his nerves settle, battle instincts honed over months of waking up to a monster attack demanding he take action. His eyes darted around, searching for any evidence of the encounter. Neither the grass around the pond, nor the tree next to it, were disturbed and Zelda didn't look like she had been in close proximity to a lightning strike. Still, he had to ask. "...I didn't attack you?"

Zelda slowly shook her head. "Not since Lakeside Stable."

Link nodded, taking a deep breath try and calm himself. "Oh. Good." Adrenaline finally ebbed as his 'fight' instinct grudgingly returned to dormancy, allowing the complaints of his body to take center stage. He let out a pained grunt as he all but crumpled to the ground under the sudden onslaught of throbbing aches all over as his muscles violently protesting his mad dash.

"Link!" Zelda tried to catch him, only succeeding in dropping the bedding as she was dragged down with him.

"It feels like I've been trampled by a hinox," he groaned, face contorting as he tried to remember anything that would account for the bone-deep stiffness plaguing his body. "What happened?"

"The final elixir was from the thunder dragon, I believe. The electricity...well, let's just say all of your muscles are probably strained after yesterday," Zelda explained, wincing in sympathy. Her own aching arms gave her a glimpse of what he must be going through and she didn't envy him at all. "Come on, let's get you back inside. A nice, long soak in the tub should help."

Link managed to regain his feet with much gasping and panting, completely spent. Between the extreme soreness of his cramping muscles and the utter lack of energy, he had no idea how he had made it outside under his own power. He was too worn to even feel embarrassed when he had to lean heavily on Zelda as they slowly walked back into the house.

Zelda lead him to the wash room, helping him sit on the edge of the tub as she started preparing the bath. The ruby glowed softly once it was activated, heating the water as she pumped it into the basin. It took several long minutes before it was halfway full and Zelda let the handle fall back down, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Meat," Link muttered, eyes closed and face still drawn in discomfort. "And rice."

"Pardon?"

"What?" Link opened his eyes and turned toward her slightly, wincing as his muscles protested.

"You said meat and rice. Are you hungry?" Zelda paused slightly then shook her head. "What a silly question, of course you would be. You haven't eaten for the last few days."

Link blinked. "Did I say that out loud?"

"You did. I assume you have the ingredients on hand. Is it difficult to prepare? I could make some while you bathe, if you like."

"Uh, it's not hard to make." He hesitated, not wanting to burden the princess but knowing he probably couldn't stand long enough to cook it himself at present. And he was starving. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

Zelda shook her head. "It would give me something to do, at the very least. And I'm afraid I've gone through the rest of your prepared meals," she said a bit sheepishly.

Link brushed her apology aside with a shrug and a wince. "It's fine. Not really in the mood for any of those, anyway."

Zelda could see why, if he was craving meat. All the dishes she'd eaten consisted of various fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. "All right, meat and rice it is. Would you walk me through how to make it?"

The directions were simple enough and the princess left Link to his bath while she started cooking, every now and then asking a question through the door.

Link took his time, letting the hot water work its magic on his strained muscles. While not quite as good as the hot springs around Death Mountain, the bone-deep soreness gradually faded; leaving him feeling refreshed and restoring some of his spent energy. Though his body still ached by the time he got out, it was far more muted than before and something he could ignore with little difficulty. The hunger gnawing at his stomach was another matter entirely.

Zelda was biting her lip as he exited the bathroom, stirring a pan over the fire. She looked up as he entered, an apology already on her lips. "I'm sorry! I think I burned the rice."

Link carefully stepped over to her, not moving quickly so as to not aggravate his relaxed muscles. It certainly didn't smell burnt, but it also didn't smell right, either. He looked down into the pot, blinking as his lips twitched with a suppressed smile. "Well, the good news is that it isn't burnt," he said, taking the spoon from her and scooping up some of the heavily swollen brown grain. The individual pieces slowly slipped off each other and over the spoon, the remaining liquid between them more viscous than water had any right to be. "The bad news is this is wheat, not rice."

Zelda's wide eyes darted between him and the pot of boiled wheat, her jaw working soundlessly for several seconds. "I- I'm so sorry Link, I thought that I-" She shook her head, red spreading across her cheeks in embarrassment at not being able to tell the two apart.

Link chuckled, grabbing a dishtowel and moving the pot to the table next to the plate of grilled strips of meat. "It's not like it's inedible," he assured her, plopping a scoop into one of the bowls she'd laid out for the meal. It landed with a wet-sounding splat, the grains oozing out to fill the area as Link added more before laying a generous helping of meat over the top. "It's just...a little different." And he was starving.

Zelda reluctantly followed suit, dishing a smaller helping for herself. "But it's not what you wanted."

He waved away her comment, already digging into his own meal. "It's fine. And wheat and rice do look kind of similar. I should have clarified, so that's my fault."

Zelda sighed, disappointed she'd managed to botch the meal he'd requested. Link didn't seem to mind, given the speed with which he was emptying his bowl, so she took a tentative bite. "Hm. 'Edible' seemed to be a generous way to describe this," she said with a grimace.

"Well, it could be worse." Link spoke in between bites, making quick work of his own bowl. Food was food, and his stomach wasn't in the mood to be picky about any of it at the moment.

She stared at him practically inhaling the food, vaguely remembering how much of a gluten he could be at times. "Are you even tasting it?"

Link paused briefly, considering whether to lie before shrugging. "Honestly, I'm trying not to. It's not the worst thing I've eaten, but it is pretty bad." Not even hunger was seasoning enough for this dish.

"...I'm almost afraid to ask what meal may have been worse than this." She pushed the lumpy mess around with her spoon for minute or two before braving another small bite. Chewy with an almost earthy flavor and a crunchy center, as if it hadn't been cooked long enough. It certainly tasted nothing like bread, though Zelda didn't know any other dishes that called for wheat. She shook her head, sitting back slightly and pushing the bowl away. "I don't think I'm very hungry at the moment."

Link shrugged again, finishing his bowl before filling it with the remnants from the pot along with the last of the meat. While not ravenous anymore, one serving was not enough to satisfy him.

"Are you seriously going to finish that?"

"Better than throwing it out."

Zelda's response was interrupted by a knock at the door, drawing both their gazes. "I wonder who that could be?" she mused, starting to rise as Link did the same. "No, staying sitting Link. You still need to rest. I'll get it."

Link sat back down, though his eyes remained on the door as he turned so he'd be able to lunge out of the chair if needed. He'd never spent much time here during the last year and thus never had anyone knock on the door before. While not truly expecting trouble, he couldn't guess who might be knocking on it now.

Zelda opened the door, smiling at the aged researcher standing on the other side of it. "Hello, Purah. Come in," she invited, stepping back. "What brings you here today?"

The old woman's eyes gave Zelda a quick once-over before doing the same to Link as she crossed the threshold. "I thought you might be home when I saw the horses grazing," she said by way of greeting, accepting the seat Zelda offered her. "How goes your quest for the cure?"

"I'd say it was a success," Zelda said. Her eyes drifted to the pile of rags and feathers in the corner that she hadn't gotten around to throwing out yet- all that remained from Link's bedding after multiple purifications. "Link should be completely malice-free."

"That's good, that's good." The old woman nodded, giving them both a speculative look. "I assume you didn't go through Kakariko?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow, glancing at Link. They'd argued about coming back through Kakariko or not after getting the shard from Naydra, but there shouldn't have been any way for Purah to know about that. Was there some other reason Link had wanted her to go there, aside from concerns for her health?

Link blinked back at her, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"No, we took a different route," Zelda said, settling her gaze back on Purah. "Why?"

"I see." The old researcher nodded again. "I suppose it's my fault. Impa sent a letter asking if I had seen the two of you. She was worried as there had been no news since the fall of the Calamity. You were gone when I came to the house, so I assumed you were headed to Kakariko and sent word to her. That was about a week ago. As it only takes two or three days to travel there by horse, you can imagine how worried she is."

Even though it wasn't her fault, Zelda still felt a bit guilty. "Please send word that we're all right and that I'll visit her soon."

"Thank you, princess. I'll pass that on." Purah noticed the discarded bowl, leaning forward to inspect its contents. "A bit of culinary experimentation?" she asked, directing her gaze toward Link.

The swordsman's lips quirked slightly, as if he was trying not to smile. "Something like that."

"Any good?"

"...it's edible."

"So, no." Purah sat back, shaking her head. "How could you think to feed the princess something like this?"

Link had managed to regain control of his lips, schooling his features into a very serious expression. "You're right, it's absolutely unforgiveable." He turned to Zelda, who had buried her face in her hands. "Princess, how can I ever make it up to you?"

"I'm sorry," Zelda said, her exasperated voice slightly muffled behind her hands.

Purah's eyes widened in surprise as she also turned to the princess, seeing a bit of red staining her cheeks. "Princess? Were you the one who..."

Link laughed as Zelda dropped her hands, still looking embarrassed with a hint of irritation. "I admit it, it was my mistake."

"While I can applaud an inquisitive mind, why don't you keep the experimentation out of the kitchen until you're a bit more experienced?" Purah suggested, a smile playing about her lips. "Wouldn't want to poison poor Link here, would you?" She eyed his mostly-eaten bowl. "The boy seems like he'll eat anything you put in front of him."

"It wasn't an experiment- I simply can't tell the difference between wheat and rice!"

The good-natured ribbing petered off as the conversation continued until Purah excused herself and headed back to the lab with a final reminder to not keep Impa waiting too long. Zelda closed the door behind the researcher, the question she'd meant to ask Link the day after they'd reunited weighing heavily on her mind. His affliction was gone, along with everything that tied him to her. What would he do now?

She moved back to the table, sitting down opposite Link. "I...suppose I'll be heading to Kakariko then."

"I need to make food for the trip, but we might be able to head out tomorrow." Link's eyes roamed over the dirty dishes still sitting on the table even as he mentally went over the ingredients still in the slate. While Zelda's help was appreciated, he felt they'd both be happier if he took over the cooking. He didn't have much energy for it now, but perhaps in the morning...

"You would come with me?"

He blinked, the odd question completely derailing his previous thoughts. "...do you not want me to?"

"It's not that, just..." Zelda sighed, shaking her head. "I said it before. Your duty is done. Your life is yours to live and I don't want to tie you down if...you'd rather be somewhere else."

Link watched her running her fingers over the whirls and knots in the wood, studiously avoiding his gaze. He had put a bit of thought into what to do with his life when he saw Zelda at the Outskirts Stable, wondering if she still had need of him after the Calamity had been sealed. The question had been brushed aside in the wake of her discovering his aliment, leaving it to stew in the back of his mind. Now that she had asked what he wanted, there was really only one answer he could give.

"I can fight. Might not be much of a soldier anymore, but I can fight. Unfortunately, that's about the only thing I know how to do. When I was waiting for you to wake up that first morning, for the first time in as long as I could remember I didn't have a clear goal in mind. Almost from the time I woke in the Shrine of Resurrection, I knew I had to defeat the Calamity. With that threat gone, I honestly didn't know what to do with myself. If you didn't need me, I'd probably have just kept wandering around the country, taking out monsters. Not that the monsters don't need culling, but that type of life...lacks purpose."

Link rubbed the back of his head, having difficulty finding the right words to adequately convey his meaning. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't mind staying with you. You've got a lot of work to do if you want to rebuilt the monarchy and you can probably use all the help you can get- even if it is just in the form of protection from monsters on the road."

"I think we should start with rebuilding the kingdom first," Zelda said, the numerous ruins they'd passed since sealing the Calamity flashing across her mind. Without the individual cities and towns, as well as safe passage between them, there would be no monarchy. She shook her head, re-focusing on the current issue as she looked up to meet his eyes. "Do you mean it? Do you really want to dedicate your life to me once more?"

Link returned her solemn gaze with a grin. "If you think you could use like another knight like me."

"No, not a knight." Though she often still referred to Link as such in her thoughts, she didn't want someone who walked six feet behind her. "My protector, someone who stands at my side as an equal."

Link shrugged, not really seeing the difference. What he was called didn't matter as long as he fulfilled his role well. "As you wish."

Zelda smiled, the uncertainty that had hovered at the back of her mind over the last few weeks finally gone. The Calamity was gone, Link had healed and wanted to stay by her side, to face whatever came their way together. For the first time in what felt like forever, the future was looking bright.

The End

Author's Note: This took years to write. If it was worth your time to read, please leave a comment and tell me about it.