The next morning, Link was the first to be cleared, meaning he was also cleared from the orders King Rhoam had given him. The night before, he had been escorted from Princess Zelda's room in secrecy for obvious reasons.

He had left reluctantly, a pang in his chest at the sight of his dejected princess but, knowing they'd gotten somewhere in the progression of their relationship, he knew they'd definitely have time together again.

It didn't take him long to realise that Zelda hadn't been cleared that morning, which confused him because she seemed fine, but who was he to argue with a doctor who knew what they were doing?

And because she hadn't been cleared that morning, it only meant one thing for Link.

Royal Guard duty.

He glumly sat at his desk in his office, stacks of papers in front of his face from the many days of it had piled up dust, waiting for him to read and sign off on them. There were about three stacks tall enough to start falling over without support and Link was almost certain his priority files wouldn't be big enough to sort the massive load.

He was happy on the other hand about hearing the other captains having picked up a few of his tasks, meaning they could take care of the papers relating to any lessons they'd taken over, lightening his load significantly.

Upon first stepping into the office, he'd seen the stacks immediately and had walked out of the room, going to the kitchen and fetching a teapot and filling it to the brim with coffee for himself, leaving with the maids looking at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"It's too early for this," He groaned as he pulled his mug out of his desk and poured himself a cup, staring at the papers as he took a long gulp of the bitter drink.

Eventually, he started going through the stack, looking for anything that may have been his top priority and eventually came across a letter with Lady Impa's name written across the front. It was dated the day before, hidden between different stacks.

He grabbed his letter opener and cracked open the envelope, skimming over the neat handwriting. It went over in brief detail about the things Impa had said and agreed in his stead: supervising potential recruits for the Guard, a dancing lesson for the end of the week –Link groaned when he saw that one– and a very apparent outlier of the list, a one-on-one with the King for when he was cleared.

"Oh no…" Link could already feel the stress coming back to him. Why did Rhoam want to talk to him one-on-one? It was obviously an informal request, but he had no idea why. Was it involving Zelda? Was it something he had done to displease him? Had he disrespected some noble by accident and didn't realise it? Did he somehow find out about how he'd mated with Zelda and wanted to give him a piece of his mind? Did he hear an unsavoury rumour involving him and the Princess? Regardless, he reminded himself that it was time-stamped to later that afternoon, so he had time to mull over the possible reason for such a meeting and could let the stress build up overtime.

Is it too late to go back to Zelda and pretend I didn't read this? He knew the answer but it didn't stop him from remembering the pure bliss he had felt over the last four days. Now that ecstasy had turned into a faraway dream when he'd been slapped in the face by the enormous load on his desk.

Taking another sip from his cup, he shook the stress from the King from his head and got to work sorting through the first pile, hoping to rush through for any time to himself before the eventual talk.

He was glad to be able to discard many of the papers as already completed; the reports from Arn and Randy regarding training his underlings had been properly filled and only waited for his signature. Knowing the girls he'd trained had kicked the Captain of the King's guard's ass had been a very welcome start to his morning, a humorous little touch added by the side note clipped to the page asking where he had picked up such skills and tactics.

As if I would ever tell you that. He snorted as he read the training notes both captains left for him. Both were heavily implying that they wanted to know where he'd picked up some of his obscure sparring knowledge, wanting to use it for themselves.

One particular note he'd been especially proud of was about his newest recruit, Marian, having sparred with Randy in hand-to-hand and throwing him to the ground so hard he'd needed a visit to the infirmary to confirm if he'd received a concussion from the beat down.

At the base of the report, he took notice of Arn's added note to Randy's report stating that the other captain did not in fact have a concussion, but it was just a very painful bruise of the back of his head, along with a small red rupee and a congratulatory note.

Keeping the note aside to look at later, he continued through the papers, sorting them by level of emergency until finally, when most of his pot of coffee was gone, all three stacks had been sorted. It was halfway through that he had come across a letter, the numbers '0012081411'. He had put it aside in order to get to it after his sorting.

Link raised a brow and pulled out a small leather bound booklet from the bottom of his drawer and cracked open the letter carefully.

"0012801411,

30151350-8017..2118705014020-185017215019020..259070010..239002080-00185080141940-0020"

Link snapped the booklet shut, shoving it below all the documents in his drawer before grabbing the letter and walked to the small fireplace and let it burn. I didn't even need the damn book… He watched the page burn and disintegrate in the flames. I wonder what they found, It's been a while.

He thought about his schedule to see if there were any openings and realised the only time he had was tomorrow. After lunch it is then. He knew he wouldn't have long at that time, but an hour should be good enough.


"Ah, Link, Come in, don't be shy." When Link stepped into the office, he was greeted by the King sitting in his comfy armchair near the fireplace, a glass in his hand and waving him over.

He wasn't entirely sure what he did, but the way the king was relaxed gave him hefty amounts of unease.

Across from Rhoam was another armchair and an empty shooter sitting on a coffee table.

Am I… having drinks with the King? Link took a tentative step closer, unsure of if he should kneel, bow, or take a seat. He glanced at the guard who did nothing to appease his worries but smiled and gave a nudge to move to the chair.

"Come in, my boy. Take a seat." The King looked over his shoulder and motioned him over to the chair for him to take a seat. "Sir Zorn, leave us for the hour." As Link took his steps carefully towards the chair, the guard at the door exited, leaving them alone in the cosy study.

Link took a seat on the chair across from Rhoam, his motions stiff and unnatural. An hour? Great Goddess… It was a comfortable chair but Link resisted the urge to lay back and enjoy it to its full potential.

"Would you like a brandy?" The king offered him a crystal rock glass in hand with two ice cubes sitting in it. He could see a decanter sitting on the coffee table between them filled with the amber coloured alcohol.

Link gulped, taking the glass hesitantly. "Just a bit, Your Majesty." He hoped it would actually be only a little bit, he wasn't the best at holding his alcohol and he was deeply aware of that fact.

"Please, Rhoam will do." He poured a sizable amount, the dark amber flowing over the cubes of ice. Link could smell the strength in the mixture without having to lift it to his nose.

"Thank you, sir." The king closed the decanter and sat back in his chair, sipping his own glass as Link hesitantly took a small sip from his, resisting the urge to grimace at the strong burn in his throat. How strong is this stuff?

"Link, do you drink?" The King didn't look his way while he sipped the drink.

"Only on special occasions, Sir."

"I can see it in your eyes." Rhoam smiled as he sipped his glass. "This is a special blend of Akkalan apples." He told him, swirling it around. "Stored in oak barrels for twelve years before they're unsealed."

Twelve years, holy shit. Link was decently impressed, he didn't know too much about alcohol, but he continued to listen to the old man talk.

"If my memory serves me right…you're twenty-two now?"

"Twenty-three as of the end of Mid-Din season, Sir."

"A fine age," He could see the nostalgia seeping into the King's eyes. "By your age, I was already organising my betrothal to the late Queen Zelda." He sipped his brandy. "Say Link, have you anyone in your life like this?"

There it is. Link dreaded this conversation. "No, sir."

"No one back home? Nothing casual?" He could see the amusement in the man's eyes.

"None, sir."

Link groaned internally at the dedication the King had in interrogating his love life. Link sipped the drink and remained quiet as the barrage continued. "Is there not someone you care for?"

Your daughter.

"Your dedication to my family is truly impressive, I do not think I know anyone more chivalrous than you." The king was quiet as he looked past his glass and into the flames. "A man such as yourself should be settling down with a wife by now while your youth is still vibrant."

Link wasn't too sure what to say so he sipped his drink and ignored the ice cube freezing his lip. He noticed the faint note of vanilla hit his tongue, the drink very smooth. "My apologies sir, marriage is not something I think very much about."

"Don't apologise my boy, I understand." Link made sure to keep his relief hidden away as he took another tentative sip. "There are many things that preoccupy our time these last few weeks, and I know you've been burdened by quite a few. But if I may ask, you don't want to be a personal attendant for your entire life, do you? Any aspirations in life apart from fighting?"

Wow, way to go deep. "I enjoy what I do. I'm very content with being a captain and Her Royal Highness' guard."

"But forever? Don't you want some land to call home?"

What are you getting at… "Hyrule castle and Hateno Village are places I consider home."

"Surely you want something for yourself that is a bit smaller? More intimate?"

This sounds like you're offering me land or a wife… Is it bad I can't tell which? Link kept himself quiet as the king continued, his eyes still glued to the fire.

"I wanted to apologise about my orders the other day, I did not mean to add to your workload."

Huh? Link took a long slow sip as he listened to the king continue. He could feel the fire in his stomach spreading around from the brandy as he consumed it steadily.

"I've never seen my council so riled up like that before." The king chuckled and threw back the remainder of his glass. "I should have allowed you your leave, do forgive me Link. I do hope your week hasn't been terrible."

It's been fantastic! "It was pretty great actually." He said, a smile formed on his lips involuntarily.. "I kept myself occupied pretty well."

"Oh? That's good to hear!" Link nearly dropped his glass when Rhoam patted his shoulder roughly. He didn't notice his glass slowly emptying itself, but the king had and offered to pour more from his crystal decanter while Link accepted wordlessly. "Tell me, are there any of the court ladies you've had your eye on? Any Lady or Duchess? Baroness even?" Rhoam watched him happily. Link eventually grew the courage to allow himself to sink back into the chair.

"None really. Court ladies aren't really my thing sir." Link studied the liquid in his hands, swirling it around. This shit is good, I might ask for a bottle. "You said twelve years right?"

"Yes, twelve years… Or something along those lines, I'm not quite sure."

"Nice." Link muttered and swirled the liquid around and watched attentively as the liquid swished around over the ice cubes.

"Link, listen. If there are any fine ladies in court that catch your eye, do tell me. I would be thrilled to introduce you."

"Nah," Link muttered. "Not really my thing. None are really my type, you know?" his eyes never left the liquid sloshing around the crystal glass.

"Oh, is it the high maintenance or the dresses? I understand, too many gifts and attention, truly a struggle if you do not have the time." The king gave a jolly laugh before refilling his glass.

"Could be part of it," Link felt no resistance with his comment, leaned back fully and crossed a leg over the other. "Just not my type."

"I remember your father, always a looker. Always had a taste for music and I remember, this was his favourite time of the year." The king trailed off and sipped his drink. Link remembered that it was currently the social season for the nobility, often getting together to gossip or do business together. "Say, if none of the court ladies catch your eye, then who might?"

Link should have probably thought before answering, but frankly, he didn't quite have the energy to stop and think. "She's smart."

"One of those scientists, I'm sure. They are quite avid in their work."

"She's really passionate about her stuff"

"Will we see this passionate soul at Princess Zelda's birthday ball? I would be honoured if you would introduce her,"

"But sir, you already know her, why would I have to introduce her?"

"Oh I see. Be sure to pass my regards then."

"Will do!"

It was about two hours later when the guard finally returned, this time with a guest.

Princess Zelda had finally been cleared to leave her room and, having looked around the castle for her knight, she sighed in defeat and had decided to go pay a visit to her father that evening instead. Of course, she hadn't expected to find her knight with her father, clearly heavily inebriated.

The first thing she had noticed that was different about her knight, however, was the King's golden circlet sitting atop his head, and her father sat in his favourite chair, fascinated at whatever story her drunk lover was telling him.

"Quite fascinating! And it just fell?"

"Yeah! With one nice slice, I killed that lynel!" She watched Link pretend to swing his sword, arm smacking dead into the bookcase behind him. "Ow…" She withheld the laughter that bubbled in her chest from the sight of Link clutching his wrist in pain.

"I must see a demonstration of this. Where do they keep the lynels?"

"I don't know, I just find them outside."

Oh yes, talk about the damn things like they're apples. You just 'find them outside'. Zelda watched the two men interact avidly, the two clearly having drunk more than enough liquor. She knew for a fact that Link was going to be suffering from a massive hang over the next morning and her father would be mostly fine.

She stood at the door, hands sitting on her hips, as she waited to be noticed, the guard beside her also having gone unnoticed despite having introduced her out loud. She must've stood at the door for almost twenty minutes, for she had gotten to witness a fake battle demonstration from her lover wielding an invisible sword, and her father gasping at every confident swing of the non-existent weapon.

The conversation eventually devolved back to court things, this time specifically music where she eventually learned something fascinating about her lover.

"Oh I am a fantastic singer! Just don't tell Zelds, I don't want 'Bosa to make me sing again."

Too late, I know now. She wanted to facepalm as hard as she could, they still hadn't noticed her nor the guard.

"My boy, your secret is safe with me." Rhoam promised, making the sign to seal his lips and throwing away the key. "Soldier, poet, what are you not?"

"King apparently!"

Okay, I think that's enough. She approached quietly while her father and Link laughed wholeheartedly together. As much as she enjoyed seeing the bizarre scene before her, it was freaking her out more than it was amusing her.

"Father?" She finally spoke up, grabbing the two men's attention immediately, breaking their laughter.

"Zelda!" She pushed down the desire to go stare at the absolute glee in her lover's face and ignored him.

"How was your week, dear?" her father asked, turning in his chair slowly to look at her.

"It was fine, father. May I ask what's going on here?" She knew exactly what was going on, but she let her father and knight humour her regardless.

Her father took a small sip from his rocks glass and placed it back down. "I'm enjoying an evening drink with your knight, dear. He's quite fascinating." Zeelda held her smile back as her father patted Link's shoulder affectionately. "Did you know he's gone and got himself a bird?"

She felt herself pale at the statement, wondering just what Link may or may not have let slip. "Oh? Who might this woman be?"

"Zeldaaa~ you know who it is, it's y-" She unsubtly slapped her hand over Link's mouth, cutting his sentence midway before he could continue.

How drunk are you, you absolute dingus?!

"You know already? It's such a shame that my own daughter doesn't tell me these things anymore." Her father lamented quietly in his chair.

"Father…" Zelda trailed off quietly as she held her hand firmly on Link's mouth. "I promise, I'll tell you more later— Hey!" She pulled her hand away from Link's mouth with a grimace, grossed out by the wetness that lay on her palm now. "Did you just lick my hand?"

It was the little smirk that told her that, yes, he had indeed licked her hand. "I can do other thi-" She didn't quite care how much he licked her hand, but she slapped it back on, not wanting to hear whatever dirty words were about to come out of her otherwise gentlemanly knight.

"You're never drinking again." She told him sternly, helping him out of his chair as he stumbled lightly. "Let's get you to bed." She made the mistake of unclasping her hand from his mouth to help support him.

"Okay…"

"Give him some water, dear, I don't envy him in the morning." The king chuckled drunkenly, shooing them away.

"I-I'm sorry Sir King. My princess has commanded me to sleep." He moaned out, trying to string along a coherent sentence. "Zelda?" He let the final vowel of her name drag on.

"Yes Link?"

"Are you joining me? 'Is too cold alone." He muttered quietly as he tried to lean on her side.

"Shut it you, come along." She scolded him quietly as she ignored her father's drunk chuckles in the back. She heaved quietly, trying to get his arm around her shoulder. She was glad he was around her height, but she was baffled at how heavy he was for such a small person. "Help me out or I'm dropping you."

"Y-Yes ma'am." It wasn't very much, his attempts to stand on his own were laughable at best, but at least he was trying to take a few steps on his own.


"So you just… let those two mate, did you?"

"How was I supposed to know Jeff would get taken out? You're the prophecy man!"

"It seems as low as my expectations of you were, I had too much hope."

The pair of Yiga looked to the cloaked man who stared them down from his end of the room, standing as if he ruled their clan.

"What was the plan we discussed again? Please, refresh my memory, I seem to have forgotten." Master Kohga and Sooga remained quiet at their ends, studying the man. "Oh yes, it was to infect the hero with the brew I gave you, but no, rather you decided that letting hero and goddess potentially bond was a brilliant replacement." The seer took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh. "Yes, rather than extinguish the holy bloodline, let's extend it, shall we? What a brilliant plan!"

"In our defence, he's tougher than he looks."

"Silence!" Astor roared, slamming his hand on the table. "It seems I overestimated your abilities. It seems I may have to do it myself."

"Pardon my intrusion, but if you have knowledge of the future, you should have known the hero is not so easily disposed of, Seer." Astor turned his head to the tall Yiga known as Sooga and glared at him silently.

"This is not your first encounter with the Hero, if I am to understand you?" Sooga nodded, allowing the seer to continue. "Then you should be aware of his weaknesses if you truly spy on him as you claim you do."

"His only real weakness is the girl, and she's always by his side."

"Then use her to your advantage, I don't think I should have to make myself clearer." Astor snapped back calmly, looking the leader in the eyes. "The sooner either of them are disposed of, the sooner we can revive the Calamity."

"Easier said than done…" Master Kohga muttered under his breath, ignoring the glare the Seer sent his way.

"I don't care how you do it, just get it done before the end of Farore's season or so help me."

"That's so far away! Don't worry about it."

"You say so but I find it difficult to believe." The seer remained quiet as he looked at the small robot sitting on the altar, glowing and seeping out red smoke. " If all goes according to plan, be ready to head to the Breach of Demise soon. Intercept them before they reach the Temple."

"The Breach of Demise? Why there of all places? Nothing is down there." the leader argued back.

"There is an artefact lying deep within the temple that will give them unimaginable power. Do not let them get their hands on it. Do I make myself clear?"

Both Yiga acquiesced and vanished into thin air, leaving the seer alone in the meeting room with the possessed guardian. He himself had no idea what the artefact was, and he couldn't even begin to imagine it, but he remembered vividly the past in which their return from the temple had both Knight and Princess more powerful.

What the artefact was, he wanted it. He couldn't allow such an item to fall into their enemies hands again.