Stars in the Darkest Night

by Jrhall2

The disaster of the Calamity has been averted but Second Princess Zelda and her twin sister, Crown Princess Hilda, have a complicated relationship as a result. To make matters worse, King Rhoam decides someone must marry Link to protect Hyrule's future. A story of self-acceptance, relying on loved ones, and the darkness the heart is capable of succumbing to unfolds in this new era.

16. Acceptance

Author's Note: Welcome back everyone! I hope you've been doing well this past week!

I have a bit of a longer chapter for you this time and I hope you enjoy it! There are a few more scenes in this one than normal, hence the greater than average length, but I think you'll understand why that's the case by the end. Either way, I'm very happy with the way this chapter turned out overall, and I'm excited to share it at last!

Some quick nickname reminders - Aryll calls Mipha "Micchan" (Mee- / -chan) and Urbosa calls Zelda "Ohisama" (oh-hee-sah-mah) - I'll spare you the entier explanation again since I figure nobody's jumping into this chapter that hasn't already read the rest, but if you'd like a refresher those explanations are at the beginnings of Chapter 5 and Chapter 13. Aside from that, everything should be pretty straightforward!

So with that said, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter and I'll see you at the end!

---

Book II – Family

Chapter 16 – Acceptance

It was surprising that the air was so cold when the sun looked so warm. Its golden glow cascaded over the distant Castle Town, illuminating the citizens in its embrace while chasing away the shadows and the gale of winter. It looked like a comforting blanket had been cast upon them. But up here, in the tower, so far removed from the town and its welcoming glow, the world was still frigid.

Hilda leaned against the stone frame of the open window in her bedroom, a crystal glass in her hand. The day was young yet she was more lethargic than she might ever have been. And it wasn't even midday yet – likely an hour still needed to pass before the sun would climb to its highest point in the sky.

"And yet, here I am, indulging in dinner party drinks all by myself."

She raised the glass to her lips and sipped the red wine she had sent for earlier. This was already her second glass. She didn't feel anything.

"Not that I ever really do…"

She watched the horizon in the hopes that she might focus her mind on something, anything really. Looking down from her tower towards Castle Town, it was easy to forget that real people lived in those buildings. For so long, it had simply been a visual reminder of the Kingdom she had been tasked to protect from the age of seven. But it was filled with real Hylians who had been spared a horrible death when the Calamity had been averted, real Hylians who had expressed their gratitude to her for saving them once upon a time.

Things never stayed the same, though, and six years was long enough that people had started to forget the days leading up to the Calamity. They didn't remember that they had once tiptoed around the subject, speaking in hushed tones about the end of the world that was coming. They had cast from their memories the days when they mostly stayed indoors as the monsters grew in number and ferocity, offering daily prayers to the Goddess in the hope that their own Princess Hilda and the Five Champions would be strong enough to fell Ganon.

"Well, they got what they wanted," she murmured, her voice dull and listless. "I did save them. More accurately, I suppose I saved them…with him…"

Two days had passed since Hilda had run into Zelda and Link in the reception hall. When she had seen her sister alone, for a brief moment she believed her dice roll of a scheme had actually panned out and Zelda would return to the Castle. The idea of her sweet vengeance being so easy to achieve had delighted her at the time.

But, of course, Zelda would remain in Hateno Village. It seemed Link really had fallen for her after all and had done everything in his power to keep her with him. It even seemed Zelda had fallen for him in much the same way. And Link had made it fairly clear that he wouldn't let Hilda anywhere near her sister again. She could throw her weight around as the Crown Princess, but…

"What's the point anyway? Besides, he looked like he might really try to cut me down in the middle of the Castle when last we met. Mm…"

After Link had whisked Zelda away from the Castle, Hilda had spent the rest of her night spitting with anger. She had barely slept a wink as his words echoed again and again in her mind, reigniting the flames of hatred and outrage every few minutes. Eventually, she'd given up on rest entirely and paced her tower, trying to find some outlet for her fury. All that had resulted in was one shattered teacup and further enmity that she had to let someone into her tower to replace it.

The next day, though, had seen her anger begin to fizzle out. As Link's words replayed in her head again and again, that rage slowly transformed to frustration. And soon after, it had given way to dull lethargy. She had yet to fully understand why, but for the last day she had barely left her tower or bothered to change out of her nightgown. At least she'd managed to put on one of her standard dresses today.

But even now, Link's harsh words continued to taunt her, unbidden and unrelenting.

"I'm rotten to my very core, huh…? That…worthless hick…"

There was no venom in her voice. There wasn't even a shred of legitimate anger in her heart. Her words were entirely hollow.

"Maybe…he's right. Is that why I feel nothing?"

Before, his comments had baffled her, irritated her, angered her. Now, they almost…stung.

Hilda slumped against the windowsill, sipping her wine again and sighing, allowing her dejection to pour forth in a manner she usually resisted.

"Haven't I sacrificed my whole life for this Kingdom? My entire childhood and the majority of my teenage years? Even without the threat of the Calamity, I still live only for Hyrule, stuck in this tower day after day until I'm eventually expected to inherit Father's throne for the rest of my natural existence. I've given everything I have to this place…so why is she the only one who gets to be…happy…? Don't I…deserve the same…?"

A knock sounded at her door but she couldn't be bothered to turn away from the golden horizon, instead calling across the room in a dull voice.

"You may enter."

The door swung open and she immediately recognized the voice of Aisen as he called out to her.

"Good morning, Hilda-sama. I hope you're well today."

She said nothing, instead raising her wine glass in a mock toast. She silently wondered how he might take that gesture.

"Forgive me for saying so, but isn't it a little early in the day for wine?"

"Who cares?" she murmured, allowing another sigh to pass her lips.

"Are you feeling alright? Is there something you'd like to talk about?"

"No," she responded immediately.

"Ah, forgive me," Aisen continued with a cheery lilt to his voice. "You told me some time ago that you would much rather take the wind as your conversation partner than myself; I'll do my best not to forget that again."

She finally turned her head and met his gaze, her cheek resting lazily against her open palm.

"All that aside, you must have some reason to come calling on me. What is it?"

Aisen raised a few sheets of paper he held in his hands.

"I came to confirm with you the itinerary for our trip to Kakariko Village before submitting it to the transportation liaison. The Elder and the rest of the Sheikah are thrilled to be welcoming a member of the Royal Family to the village for a few days, especially since the Crown Princess herself is gracing them with her presence. Your visit will really stoke the flames of enthusiasm within the Sheikah Tribe!"

'Oh, that's right. Father made me agree to travel to Kakariko as a show of good will and an acknowledgement of the Sheikah Tribe's success and contributions to the Royal Family…or some such nonsense. Couldn't he just go himself? If he loves this Royalty business so much, why foist this waste of time on me instead…?'

"So, with that said," Aisen continued, "shall we sit down and make sure everything is to your liking? Though I will be at your side in Kakariko, I would rather fix anything you might be displeased with sooner than later."

Hilda took a long, slow sip of her wine before waving her hand.

"It's fine the way it is," she murmured without an ounce of enthusiasm.

Aisen's eyes widened in genuine surprise before he collected himself, that all-too-familiar smile returning to his visage as he tried to play it off.

"A-are you certain, Hilda-sama? You always like to make sure things are perfect before you leave on a trip somewhere, right down to the horses you want pulling your carriage. There won't be a problem securing you anything you want; I constantly strive to go above and beyond for you, but especially for such a gracious trip to my humble village."

"I don't care what our transportation looks like. And I hardly know anything about Kakariko Village anyway; we'd be far better off if you just planned it yourself."

Aisen tried desperately not to sputter in surprise. It only half worked.

"Um…I have laid out what I believe to be a decent plan to keep you amused and entertained while you visit my homeland, but that's why I wish to confirm things with you. I would hate for you to be dissatisfied with any of my suggestions."

Hilda went to sip her wine again but found her glass empty. Sighing again, she reached for the freestanding bottle on the little table nearby. Intently pouring more of the red liquid into her glass, she gave Aisen another dull glance.

"I'm sure whatever you've decided is fine; you've been with me long enough to know my likes and dislikes. It's good enough."

"A…and you're sure?"

"Why not? Besides, it's your job to make the schedules and mine to simply follow them, right? I'm just expected to go along with things like I'm being ferried down a river. A Princess trapped in the current of her own life, being dragged downstream against her will, completely unable to influence it."

"Hilda…sama?"

"The itinerary is fine, Aisen," she repeated, lifting her glass and taking another large sip. It wasn't even satisfying. "Just submit whatever you have. I don't care about the horses, the carriage, the coachman, the convoy, the attire, the schedule – none of it matters anyway. In the end, I'll only wind up right back here. So just do whatever you think is best."

Aisen couldn't hide the abject surprise that spread across his face. She couldn't really blame him. He was right that she always approached her trips with intense detail, micromanaging every little aspect of it from the clothing everyone would wear as they left to the timing of each event at their destination.

But this time, she just couldn't find it in her to be bothered with any of it.

"A…as you wish, Hilda-sama. I'll…go and submit this to the transportation liaison then. The, uh…the trip will take place at the beginning of the coming month; I'll remind you of it as it draws closer."

"Thank you, Aisen," she managed, turning back to the window and staring out at Castle Town again. "That will be all."

He hesitated for a long moment before speaking again.

"Hilda-sama? Would you like-"

"You may go," she insisted, her voice still lifeless and devoid of its usual irritation with him. She couldn't even find the motivation to scold him for overstepping his position as Royal Advisor.

"V…very well, Hilda-sama. Send for me if you require my presence at any time."

"Mm."

Aisen reluctantly left the tower, easing the door shut behind him. Hilda, alone with her thoughts again, swirled the wine within her glass and watched it, swapping her focus between the horizon and the gentle whirlpool of alcohol. Neither held her attention for long, but between the two, she could at least pretend. Across the next several minutes, her mind returned to the same subject she had toiled over for the last twenty-four hours.

"I still don't understand why his words have affected me so," she muttered to herself. "Link said…Mother would be disappointed in me. She wouldn't be disappointed in me…would she…? I lived up to my station perfectly. I mastered my Sealing magic the way she always promised I would from the day I was old enough to understand. I saved Hyrule from Ganon, protected the people and the places she loved. I gave all of my freedom to this Kingdom, my entire life and all of my desires. Even if she took exception to my relationship with Zelda, she would still be…proud of who I am. Right…?"

As a familiar sensation of numb emptiness bit at her heart, she brought the sparkling glass to her lips and turned it upwards, focusing on the sensation of tart liquid filling her mouth and trickling down her throat. That distracted her enough to chase the hollow void away for the moment.

"It's been a while since I've felt this despondent," she sighed, scowling at her drink. "Three glasses of this stuff and I still don't feel any better. Is this really wine or was I actually given some kind of fruit juice?"

Hilda watched the shadows beneath her tower slowly shift across the ground as the sun moved. It was all but imperceptible.

"Mother would be disappointed in me, hm…?"

She shifted her focus to Castle Town once again. There were people moving but she could barely make out any detail. They almost seemed like ants from here, tiny, insignificant creatures who could barely affect the world around them. But they were complex individuals with complex lives, people she had saved by her own hand with her own power.

"I…should be happy about that…shouldn't I? I should be glad every day that I'm the savior of this Kingdom, that I was able to spare their lives and give them their futures. And yet…I feel nothing. Nothing positive, at the very least. Even tormenting Zelda yesterday felt devoid of its usual pleasures because of how different she was. She…fought back, even though she was scared. She's…growing as a person, even when she's so unremarkable. She's…leaving this horrible place behind and finding a real life of her own. And here I sit, still trapped in this wretched tower, watching the world pass me by…"

Hilda drained the glass of wine completely after that, intent on using it to fill the chasm that had opened up beneath her feet.

"I won't be falling that low today; I'll swim out if I have to."

She took the bottle of wine and poured another fresh glass. She was starting to run low. Perhaps a servant might need to bring more. She slumped against her hand and stared down at the town of people she'd once saved.

"I wonder…if they're happy. I wonder…if everyone is happy except for me…"

Another knock at the door interrupted her murmurings. Unsure of who it could be this time, she glanced back towards the entrance and called for them to enter. To her surprise, it was Ruli. It had been a while since her closest friend had been able to visit; Ruli's spare time was quite scarce lately due to her search for a suitor, after all.

"Ruli, I didn't know you were stopping by today," Hilda managed. She faked the best smile she could. It didn't come close to reaching her eyes.

Ruli, wearing an extravagant scarlet dress, closed the door behind her and swept into the room with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Hilda! I come bearing wonderful news – my search for a suitable consort is finally over so I should have much more time to spend with you again, my dearest companion!"

"Congratulations. Who will the lucky man be?"

"Agus Oliff, Count Oliff's oldest son. Their house is of acceptable social standing to form a union with House Nell and his reputation is positive and unblemished by scandal. I don't suspect there will be any issue with our eventual union."

Hilda nodded, sipping her wine again.

"He'll likely be a good match for you – very subservient and eager to please, that one. He will obediently support your rise to the position of Duchess as you succeed your father."

"I believe the same, but it's very reassuring to hear you say it aloud! By the way, my darling Hilda – isn't it a tad early to be enjoying wine?"

Hilda laughed, a soft, despondent noise.

"You're not the first person to ask me that today."

"You must be upset," Ruli continued, her face falling. "I deeply apologize that I was unable to grant your request to bring Zelda home. After Father's meeting with she and Link, he was adamant in his refusal to pursue any further action against them. There was nothing I could do to persuade him…"

Hilda shook her head.

"I'm not upset with you, Ruli; it was a poorly thought-out plan anyway. If the fault lies with anyone, it lies with me."

Ruli's eyes widened and she hurried forward, shaking her head as she went.

"Certainly not! Your plans are brilliant, regardless of the circumstances!"

"Hah. Not this one, I'm afraid. All it's done is leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. But enough of that. Come, we have much to catch up on, don't we? We haven't had a leisurely chat in a long time now."

"R-right."

Hilda wandered across the room, wine glass still in hand. As she all but flopped down onto her lavish sofa, Ruli met her gaze with a surprisingly timid expression.

"H…Hilda? Are you okay? What were you doing by the window before I arrived?"

'Hm…she seems worried. Perhaps she believes I was thinking about jumping. It wouldn't be hard, actually; I could simply climb up onto the ledge and leap towards the sky like a Rito taking flight. What irony that would be – the Crown Princess's life taken by the very tower she has always been imprisoned in. It really is the fault of this damned Kingdom that I've never been able to live or be happy…isn't it…? Perhaps Mother would be disappointed by that, after all.'

"Nothing, Ruli," she answered at last, managing a small smile. This time, she faked it well enough to reassure her.

"Just…talking to the wind."

---

Urbosa was coming to Hateno for a visit at long last and Zelda could hardly contain herself.

A week had passed since she and Link had journeyed to Castle Town to respond to Duke Nell's letter and things were much calmer again after being home for several days. The lingering memory of Hilda's cruel words still echoed in Zelda's head occasionally when she found herself lying alone in bed at night, but they didn't affect her as badly anymore as they had the first time she'd heard them.

That, of course, was thanks to Link. He was quick to assure her that she had been the one to ultimately accept that Hilda was lying to her and just trying to hurt her, but Zelda held a silent certainty in her heart that she wouldn't have recovered nearly as well as she had without Link's steady support. Hilda had said things like that to her in the past and they had slowly eaten away at her for weeks and weeks until she finally just accepted it all to spare herself the pain of constantly trying to deny it.

This time, though, her sister's cruel words had been completely replaced by Link's stalwart support and that made all the difference in the world.

They had returned home the day after that confrontation to a letter from Urbosa, who had explained that the Yiga Clan had quieted down at last and her life had slowed enough to safely allow her several days away from Gerudo Town. The journey across the greater expanse of Hyrule would take some time, but she refused to stay away from Zelda any longer. When she had read Urbosa's letter, Zelda almost burst into tears.

It had been so very long since she had seen Urbosa and she couldn't even remember the last time they'd had a moment alone together. In fact, it might be that they hadn't had any time to themselves since Hilda had become hostile towards her. If that were the case, this was a special visit for many reasons.

Zelda was excited to show Urbosa the happiness she had found, the happiness that Link had so lovingly shared with her.

'Lovingly…I need to talk to Urbosa about that, too…'

She hadn't stopped thinking about Link's words, the magical ones he had shared with her at the inn in Castle Town that kept echoing in her memory any time her mind grew quiet. He had all but revealed that he held romantic feelings towards her…and even though she didn't quite know what to do about that, the memory of it made her heart skip and race all at once.

That was yet another reason she was glad Urbosa was coming to visit.

'Someone like her certainly has more experience with romance and love than me. Even though the Gerudo traditionally forbid men from entering their town, Urbosa is a worldly woman. She has long since been a part of Hyrule's greater governing structure and surely she's had her fair share of interactions with men who were taken with her. Maybe…maybe she can offer me some sort of guidance. I don't really know anyone else who may be able to do so…'

And so, on the day of Urbosa's arrival, Zelda sat giddily on the couch with Link. She had barely been able to stay still all morning. She usually had a much better grasp on how she presented herself, but today was, unsurprisingly, very different. It was the same way she used to feel on her birthday when she was a little girl.

"I'm so glad you're excited to see Urbosa again," Link told her with a warm smile.

She was too excited to even blush, instead giving him an emphatic nod.

"I really am! It's been…so very long since I've had the chance to sit down with her."

"I'm happy she took me up on the offer to just come out when she had the time to instead of waiting for an invitation. It takes a long time for mail to get out to Gerudo Town."

"T-thank you…for opening your home to her. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

Link reached out and squeezed her shoulder, a simple gesture that she'd never thought much of until recently. These days, it made her heart nearly jump out of her chest in excitement and uncertainty.

"Anybody important to you is someone that's always welcome here. And besides, it's our house, not just mine."

Zelda's cheeks lit up and she forced a tiny nod.

"R-right. Thank…you."

"Of course. And it'll be nicer for you to have this place to yourselves than anywhere outside; it's still too cold to sit out on the porch and be comfortable."

"To…ourselves?"

"Of course. You don't think I'm going to intrude on your reunion with her all day, do you?"

Zelda sputtered and reached out quickly, taking his hand. It was something she'd become much more comfortable doing recently.

"Y-you don't have to…leave your own house like that just for me! I would never mind…having you share in my reunion with Urbosa."

Link gave her hand a soft squeeze before smiling again.

"Our house, right? And don't worry – you're not forcing me out at all. A few weeks ago, Mipha and I promised Glenne and the rest that we'd have a sparring day with them today. So I'll have plenty to keep me occupied while you have some time alone with Urbosa."

Zelda chewed her lip for a moment before hesitantly nodding.

"If…if you have a promise to keep, then…I suppose there's no avoiding that. Um…thank you, Link. It's because of you that I get to spend time with her today at all."

"I'd do anything to keep you smiling, Zelda."

As if he'd only just realized what he'd said, Link suddenly grew bashful, averting his eyes. Zelda was glad he had – her cheeks had caught fire yet again.

"I…really don't know how to repay you," she managed at last.

"You don't have to repay me for anything. But if you really want to…promise me you'll have a good time with Urbosa today. That's the only thing I want or need."

"I…I will. Thank you."

"Always."

A knock sounded against the door a moment later, almost as if whoever it was had been waiting for the perfect break in their conversation before interrupting. Of course, they hadn't been speaking loudly enough for that to really be the case, but the timing was quite impeccable.

And Zelda had a very good idea of who their guest might be.

Link rose to his feet and offered Zelda his hand. She took it with a bright smile and he lifted her to her feet with very little effort. There were all sorts of little moments in their daily life that reminded her of just how strong he really was, but that was always the most obvious; she felt lighter than air when he did that.

Following Link to the door with an obvious spring in her step, she drew a quick breath and tried to still her racing heart. She was thrilled to see Urbosa but also a little nervous. It had been so long and they had never interacted outside the Castle. Would things be okay? Would Urbosa…even want to see her…?

As Link opened the door wide, though, all of Zelda's worries melted away. Her eyes fell on the face of the woman who had treated her as her own daughter as much and as often as possible at the Castle. Though Hilda had constantly made things difficult, it hadn't stopped Urbosa from doing all she could to help her. And as her eyes finally fell on the warm, caring visage of the Gerudo Chieftain and Champion, all her fear vanished.

"Ohisama, I don't have words to tell you how happy I am to see you again."

Link, with a soft smile, stepped away from the door very deliberately and strolled towards the couch again. Before Zelda even knew what had happened, the tall woman's powerful arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. This was an embrace that never failed to remind her of her mother, the kind of hug she could only share with the imposing yet warm-hearted Gerudo woman.

Years of emotions finally overwhelmed Zelda at once.

"Urbosa…"

Zelda dissolved into tears of absolute joy. She was used to other feelings accompanying her when she cried – bitterness, anguish, heartbreak, fear. But this experience was still very unfamiliar. She had only cried because she was happy and relieved like this a few times before and all of them were with Link.

It felt nice to share this experience with Urbosa as well.

"Shh, just let it out, Ohisama. Take all the time you need – we have all day and I'll be here to comfort you for as much of it as you like."

Zelda hugged her hard and let the tears of joy overwhelm her, her smile so wide it caused her cheeks to ache. She had no idea what she sounded or looked like…but she was probably a mess. Nobody interrupted, though.

Urbosa held her and stroked her long hair gently, unfaltering in her support. It was the same kind of certainty Link always comforted her with, but the intent was markedly different, she felt. She didn't have many sources of comfort in her life to compare to but whereas Urbosa reminded her of her mother, Link didn't remind her of any other experience she'd ever had.

'His embrace…is entirely unique. I wonder…if that means…'

The thought quickly evaporated from her mind as Urbosa held her just a bit tighter. It was such a delightful feeling.

After several minutes, Zelda managed to bring herself back under control. She sniffled and dabbed her eyes on the sleeve of her sapphire sweater before stepping back slowly, Urbosa releasing her hold. She glanced back over her shoulder at Link who gave her a confident nod, gesturing to the sitting area around the fireplace.

With his blessing, Zelda took a deep breath and beckoned Urbosa inside, that enormous smile still eclipsing her face.

"Come in Urbosa, please. This is…this is Link's…u-um, I mean…our house. You are…always welcome here."

Urbosa ruffled her hair, something she had always done from the time Zelda was just a little girl, and stepped across the threshold at last, an enormous smile of her own having stolen her lips.

"Thank you, Ohisama. And you as well, Link. I've never been so warmly welcomed in all my life."

---

Soon, Zelda found herself alone with Urbosa. Mipha had arrived nearly half an hour after Urbosa and, once they'd shared a quick greeting and a few minutes of catching up, the Zora Princess had reminded Link of their promise to Glenne and the other young men in the village. The two had departed, assuring Zelda and Urbosa that they would return, though it might be several hours yet. But Zelda couldn't help but be thrilled at the prospect of spending some real time alone with Urbosa at long last.

She also got the sense that Link might've done this on purpose…but she couldn't really be sure.

They now sat on the familiar couch, the fire roaring to ward off the still-cold temperatures outside. Though they were close to the beginning of the Third Month, the harsh winter temperatures had only slightly abated. It looked like there would be plenty more cold to come but at least they had this welcoming fireplace to rely on.

It made for nice, cozy evenings at home with Link, too…

"You look very comfortable here, Ohisama," Urbosa noted with a warm smile. "I don't think I've ever seen you so relaxed before."

"I…really am. I owe it all to Link. He's gone so far out of his way to welcome me here and make me feel like I belong. The first night I showed up on his doorstep…I wondered if I would last very long here at all before he tired of my presence."

"Well, surely you see the truth now, right?"

Zelda gave her an excited little nod.

"I do. It took me a while to accept that Link's kindness wasn't just out of pity…but he kept reassuring me until I believed it."

Urbosa reached out and ruffled her hair again.

"You seem so happy right now. I am truly filled with joy to see you like this, Ohisama."

"Thank you!" she sang, an enormous smile on her face.

Though she still hesitated to speak sometimes, even with Urbosa, she found it much easier to relax her mind and heart around the Gerudo woman. She had known her since she was old enough to remember, after all.

"Now, we can't just sit on this couch all day! You've described so many aspects of this house to me in your letters – I would love a tour!"

Urbosa rose to her feet and Zelda followed suit, a feeling of excitement welling up inside her.

"And I would love to show you around! O-oh, of course I'll leave Link's room closed. B-but everywhere else, I'd be very happy to share with you."

"Of course," she agreed, eagerly falling into step beside her.

Zelda took Urbosa on a tour of the house, first leading her up to the loft she and Link had spent a weekend sorting through the haphazardly packed crates he'd thrown his extra possessions into when she had been sent to him. She next gave a detailed tour of the kitchen and dining area, pointing out which cooking tools and utensils they most frequently used and explaining for the fifth time she was sure that she happily made lunch or dinner for Link on the days he was busy. It was hard not to blush as she reiterated how Link always insisted he make breakfast for her, though.

She briefly showed Urbosa the generously sized bath that she and Link took their respective turns with in the evenings. They had fallen into a pattern recently of alternating who took their bath first every other day, though she always insisted he go first if he had been out working, regardless of whether it should be her turn or not.

Finally, they reached Zelda's own room, which she ushered Urbosa into and gestured to all the furnishings with a bright smile.

"S-so, that desk by the window there is the one Link had his carpenter friend Syd build right after I came here. He said he wanted me to have a nice place that I could write in my diary and send letters to you. I've met Syd several times, actually – he's a very kind man. After what happened with the Yiga, his house burned down and he and his daughter Celene had to stay with another family. But their home has been reconstructed and it's even nicer than before. I think they're both very happy again."

Urbosa never interrupted, instead watching with a warm smile and following her around the room.

"A-and…Link and some of the other villagers assembled this bed for me before I even arrived here. It was the first thing he did for me, now that I think about it. It's more comfortable than any bed I ever had at the Castle, even up in the tower, honestly. And this rug next to it was something he got for me around the same time as the desk. He…didn't want my feet to be cold on winter mornings and insisted that it was necessary.

"T-then, there's the mirror," she continued, gesturing across the room. "He made sure I had it before…before he ordered all of these wonderful outfits for me from the local tailor, Lissa. I…couldn't believe he'd gone to such lengths to make me feel comfortable here and I ended up crying. But he supported me and never once pulled away until I calmed down again. And he even ordered more outfits for the spring and summer. But…part of me feels very guilty. He's done so much for me but I haven't done a thing for him…"

Urbosa's strong hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"That's not true at all, Ohisama. I imagine you've done a lot more for Link than you even know. Besides, you also made him that new hair tie, right? I distinctly remember you telling me about it in one of your letters."

Zelda's eyes lit up.

"I…suppose I did, yes. I…help him with it each morning that comes. His old one was a ring design that he could easily use but this one is a single cut of fabric. He might be able to tie it himself but…"

"But?" Urbosa encouraged.

Zelda's cheeks flushed badly as she averted her eyes.

"But…he specifically asked me…if I would tie his hair for him every day."

"My, how sweet! It certainly sounds like you and Link have bonded quite deeply over the last many months."

"D-do…do you really think so?"

"I very much do. He already seemed quite invested in you when I met him again at the Castle on the day of the Year's End Ball, but from the way you've been speaking today, it seems like you feel much the same way yourself."

Zelda wrung her hands together before steeling herself and forcing her eyes up to Urbosa's.

"Um…actually…I wanted to ask you about…a few things."

"Oh? You know I'm always happy to answer any questions of yours. What's on your mind, Ohisama?"

"W-well…I…um…"

Urbosa ruffled her hair again before sitting down on the foot of the bed, gesturing for Zelda to join her. She did so, trying desperately to collect herself as she went.

"Just relax and take your time; I imagine it's a fairly personal question, after all."

"Um…it is. I…Urbosa? How do you know…if you're…in…love…?"

The Gerudo Chieftain's face lit up and she clasped her hands together in excitement.

"Ahh, now that's a question I was hoping I might hear from you someday!"

Zelda's cheeks burned and she sputtered.

"U-uh, um, I…I've just been…wondering about things for…for a while now…"

A much calmer expression settled over Urbosa's face and she gave a gentle smile.

"Although my own experience is quite lacking, I'd be more than happy to give you all the advice I can."

"Thank you. T-then…do you know how to recognize something like…love?"

"Hmm…it's not always the easiest thing to quantify. I think it might be most obvious when someone stops feeling like just a friend or acquaintance and starts feeling like an intrinsic and very important part of your life."

"How…do you mean?"

"Well, you've spent months with Link now, right? When you think of him, do you imagine someone whom you're glad to call a companion? Someone who feels like a sibling or a best friend? Or are you starting to feel like your life would never be the same without him? Like your heart is only complete by having him at your side?"

Zelda considered her words for several moments, though she wasn't deciding on the truth – she was debating over how exactly to phrase it. She'd known the answer from the second the words had left Urbosa's mouth.

"I…well, a few weeks ago, we got a letter that Duke Nell wanted to try to convince Father to bring me back to the Castle. We went to Castle Town and convinced him to back down together, but when I first read that letter…I was shocked. And angry. I…didn't really understand why at first but I slowly started to realize…it was because someone was trying to take me away from Link…"

"Mm, that sounds like a sure sign your feelings are already quite strong."

"T-there's more…"

"Oh?"

"I…I've been thinking a lot lately. I…didn't remember how to smile or be happy before I came here. Hilda sent me here thinking that I would be miserable. But…to tell you the truth, Urbosa, I've never been happier. Not only does Link support me emotionally…but he also helps me enjoy my life again. He's the reason I've been able to study the Sheikah Slate and that Shrine near the house. He's the reason I was able to reunite with Impa and clear the air with her. He…he's the reason why nightmares and memories of Hilda don't torment me so often anymore."

"Ohisama…"

"When I think back on everything he's done for me…it really is amazing. He made sure I had comfortable clothing to wear around the house and for the winter months. He took me around this beautiful village and introduced me to everyone as his fiancée without hesitation even when I thought I was so unfit to stand by his side. He told me I should wear my hair down because…he thought it was beautiful. He saved my life from the Yiga and accepted me despite every secret I'd kept from him. He introduced me to his sister and best friend and gave me even more people to rely on. And there's so much more than just that."

Urbosa's smile had continued to widen with each thing Zelda listed. She had only paused for a brief moment to collect herself, lest she become entirely overwhelmed.

"W-when I think of Link…I think of someone who means the world to me. Someone I wish I could give the world in return. A-and…lately I've been…a lot more bashful around him. Before, he would take my hand or squeeze my shoulder or sometimes even hug me…and while it always surprised me, it was always comforting. But these last few weeks, even though it still feels nice…I can't keep myself from blushing and becoming a little overwhelmed every time he does something like that. Every thoughtful word, every kind action, every warm gesture…it makes my heart race and my face flush. And when he kissed me on the cheek the other night…"

"He kissed your cheek, did he?" Urbosa asked, a twinkle in her eye.

Zelda blushed terribly but soldiered on; if she stopped now, she might never find the courage to get this far again.

"O-oh, that's right – I never wrote to you about what happened in Castle Town because you were coming here to visit and my letter wouldn't have reached you in time. I ran into Hilda at the Castle…and she said a lot of things that made me doubt myself…and doubt that Link could ever really be happy with me…"

Urbosa clicked her tongue and scowled, but Zelda continued quickly.

"I-I'm okay now, really. Link was there for me. He promised everything she had told me was a lie and he…he even proved it to me. Hilda said he could never be happy if I were to fall in love with him…but he essentially told me that he already has romantic feelings for me…"

Urbosa's face was calm again, a gentle smile on her lips.

"He did, did he?"

"Y-yes. B-but he also told me that I should…take my time and figure out my feelings without any pressure…that it would make him happy if I did that, even if my feelings weren't the same as his in the end."

"And what are you thinking lately?"

Zelda wrung her hands together again, her face somehow still growing redder by the second.

"I've been thinking…that even though I don't really know what love feels like…and even though what I'm feeling may not even be that…I just don't want to be without him. I want…to be by Link's side f…forever. I don't want to leave this wonderful little village. I want to…I want to hold his hand…and let him hug me…and m-maybe even hug him back…and…"

"That sounds rather telling to me," Urbosa noted with a bright grin.

"C…c-can…I confess something…?"

"Any secret you share with me will stay between us, no matter what."

"T-thank you. Um…the last several nights…I've caught myself…imagining certain things before I sleep…"

"Oh? What kind of things?"

"Things like…h-having the kind of marriage with him that…I've only ever read about in storybooks and fairytales…the kind where we g-grow old together and s-sit on the porch while we wave at children as they race by on their way to the center of town. I even once considered…what it might be like if we ever started a…a…f-f…family of our own…but then I got too embarrassed and stopped…"

Urbosa began to laugh lightly, the delight on her face unmistakable. She wasn't laughing at Zelda, of course – even she knew that.

"Ohisama, I don't think you need my advice on what love is at all. You already know the answer for yourself, quite well from the sound of things."

Zelda's face caught fire in a second.

"I…I-I…do…?"

"Hah! Can't you already tell from that reaction alone? You may not have had the clearest definition of what romantic love is before you met Link, but your heart and mind seem to understand it perfectly now!"

Zelda shrunk into herself from sheer embarrassment…but it also felt rather nice to hear those words. If someone as amazing as Urbosa believed that she could really feel love…then maybe…

"Ohisama," she continued, "I don't think you really need to be able to quantify your feelings. As long as you feel happy with Link, as long as you feel like you can trust him with your precious heart, isn't that enough?"

"I…suppose so."

A teasing grin spread across the Gerudo woman's lips.

"Of course, there are other ways to tell if you're in love, too – do you find him attractive?"

Zelda swore she felt steam pour out of her ears.

"I…I'm…um…he is…a very beautiful and handsome man…y-yes…"

"See? You're showing all the signs of a giddy, lovesick girl!"

"I-I-I a-am!?" she stammered, blushing even more fiercely if that were possible. She was starting to wonder just how much more could she handle before she actually passed out.

"You are! You turn red and trip over your words when you speak of him, your stomach fills with butterflies when he shows you attention or affection, you daydream about a long life and future with him, you feel embarrassed when acknowledging your attraction to him – if those aren't clear signs that you're falling in love with him the same way he's fallen for you, then I couldn't tell you what is."

"So…I'm…I'm…actually in love…with Link…?"

Urbosa ruffled her golden hair again and smiled.

"I think it's pretty safe to say you are, certainly based on all you've told me. And I couldn't be happier for that fact. I think he's perfect for you."

"You…do?"

"Of course I do. Hearing the way he's been here for you and supported you in taking your life back makes me impossibly happy. The only thing that surpasses it is seeing your happiness for myself."

"He…really has changed my life."

"I'm quite certain you've changed his, too."

"In a…good way…I hope…"

Urbosa chuckled again and pulled her into a quick hug.

"I remember working with Link back during the Calamity; he was always very stoic and withdrawn. I've never seen him smile the way he did when talking about you at the Castle. And I've never seen the kind of warmth in his eyes I witnessed earlier when he said goodbye to you. You've absolutely changed his life for the better. For as much as he's helped you reclaim your life, you've helped him open his heart to the world around him. Though, I'd bet everything I have that you're the one he trusts most with it."

"R-really? I…never thought of it like that…"

"That's the way it looks to me, at least. It seems like both of you are completely taken with one another but haven't quite found the right timing to take that next step in your relationship. But don't worry, that time will come."

"Thank you, Urbosa. That…really does make me feel a lot better. I wonder sometimes…if I'm not misunderstanding my own heart. The last thing I would want to do is hurt Link because I didn't comprehend my own feelings properly."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that at all. Trust that heart of yours, Ohisama - it's wiser than you realize."

"I…am so glad I was able to talk about things with you today. I feel much better now, honestly.

"I'm very glad to hear that. But, you know," she paused, a mischievous grin spreading across her lips, "we could always put your adoration to the test just to be certain."

"T-test…? What kind of test?"

"Well, Link and Mipha are training some of the villagers in combat at the moment, are they not?"

"That's right; he's been teaching Glenne and the others for quite some time now. He really is a patient teacher and very supportive of all of them. They've made so much improvement thanks to him."

Urbosa gave her a knowing grin before continuing.

"In that case, why don't we go watch for a while?"

"W-watch?"

"Of course! Nothing sets the heart of a Princess aflutter more than seeing her knight in shining armor in action, wouldn't you say? I'd make a confident wager that you can't keep your heart from racing at the sight of him in action!"

Zelda's ears and neck flushed next, matching the deep red color in her cheeks.

"I…um…well…"

He had looked rather incredible that day he had saved her from the Yiga…gallant and dashing…

"That sounds like a 'yes' to me!"

Urbosa rose to her feet but Zelda panicked, trying to stall her further.

"B-but we shouldn't just go interrupt their training…"

"If they ask why we came to join, I'll just say I was curious to see the students of the man who felled Calamity Ganon. And while we're there, I'll amuse myself…ahem, I'll make sure to watch your reactions closely and tell you exactly what I noticed later."

"Um…uh…i-if…you really think it best…"

"I think it'll be a delightful time! Now come, Ohisama; let's go support your knight, shall we?"

---

Link wasn't quite sure how his training session had devolved into a practice duel with his sister…but here he was doing exactly that.

Of course, there hadn't ever been a training session planned until he and Zelda had returned from their trip to Castle Town. Upon learning that Urbosa was coming to see Zelda, Link had quietly pulled Mipha aside during her most recent visit and asked for her help in coming up with a believable way for them to leave the two alone. He knew Zelda would feel bad if he just left of his own volition so he and Mipha concocted the training day as an excuse so she wouldn't hesitate to enjoy her time with the Gerudo Chieftain. It had worked fairly well, too.

Glenne, Toren, and the others, always eager to train and learn more, had quickly taken them up on the offer for a sparring day with he and Mipha. That had always been part of the original plan and it was something he had mentioned to his six students over the last several days. What hadn't been part of the plan was Aryll showing up in Hateno completely unannounced just before they started.

It wasn't that surprising – even before Zelda had come to the village, Aryll had always made it a habit to drop by randomly without sending word ahead. She might even be able to help he and Mipha with the training exercises, or so he had originally thought. The group of students had met Aryll before but they had never seen her in action; that, of course, sparked their curiosities. All it took was an innocuous question about the weapons Aryll used and an innocent musing from Toren pondering if she was as strong as Link to convince his sister that it was somehow a good idea to issue a challenge to him directly.

For how excited his students were to see he and Aryll duel, he couldn't possibly say no. That still didn't make him thrilled about the idea, though.

"You know, I hadn't planned on getting my own hands this dirty today," he huffed, grimacing across the empty expanse towards his sister.

He twirled a wooden practice sword in his hands. Its weight was entirely different from the Master Sword, of course, but neither he nor Aryll would ever swing their real blades at one another. These dull wooden replicas were what he made his students practice against each other with and they would be good enough for he and his sister too.

"Hey, what can I say – I love a good challenge! I didn't wake up this morning thinking I'd get to go toe to toe with my big brother either, but I have a good reason to beat you this time!"

"Oh? And what reason is that?"

"I have to show off in front of my darling Micchan!"

Mipha sputtered and hid her face nearby.

"A-Ari…" she murmured weakly.

"Sorry, gorgeous," she called out, winking towards her before adopting an overly dramatic voice. "I just couldn't go through with this unless you knew my love for you was what propels my blades forward, even against my own flesh and blood!"

"We're not actually going to be hurting each other," Link scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Aryll pointed one of her two wooden short swords at him – she was used to wielding two blades in combat and had selected replicas that were similar to the straight scimitars their dad had commissioned for her years ago.

"Of course we're not! But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna win!"

"Yeah, yeah," Link sighed. He wasn't nearly as excited about this as Aryll or his students were.

"Good luck, Master Link! You too, Miss Aryll!" Glenne called out, his usual excitement shining as brightly as the smile on his face.

"Hey!" Link's sister called out, a playful scowl on her face. "Knock it off with that 'Miss Aryll' junk – I'm four, maybe five, years older than you. Do you think I look like an old maid!?"

Glenne waved his hands and shook his head quickly.

"N-not at all! I was just being respectful, I promise!"

Aryll gave him a grin.

"Well don't! I'm just Aryll. Or Ari. I don't really care which, but I better never heard 'Miss' in front of my name again, kid!"

"K-kid? Aren't you…only four years older than me, Aryll?"

"Sure am!" she shot back with a laugh.

Link resisted the urge to sigh – this particular conversation had the potential to go on forever if he wasn't careful. Sensing his mild discontent, Mipha gave him a sympathetic smile from across the field before stepping forward and clearing her throat.

"Okay! We'll be following the standard rules for a practice duel set by the Knight's Academy – the first combatant to disarm the other completely or to entrap their opponent beneath what would be a lethal strike with real weapons will be declared the victor. Are these conditions acceptable to both parties?"

Even if Mipha was playing it up for their audience, she was having far too much fun with this – perhaps the general enthusiasm was infecting her, too. Couldn't they just practice spear technique and spar with the students instead?

Even so, the sooner this was over, the better. Link gave a firm nod.

"I accept."

"Me too!" Aryll cried out before grinning over at Mipha. "You make a wonderful referee, beautiful. Will you call the match in my favor if I start to lose?"

Mipha blushed but maintained her confidence.

"Not a chance, Ari. You'll have to win by your own merits if you don't want to disappoint your patron Princess."

Aryll gasped and snapped into a combat stance.

"I'll give my life before I'll disappoint you, my love!"

"You can give it all you want, I'm not taking it!" Link scoffed again, though he couldn't pretend he wasn't having a little fun. Snarking back and forth with his sister was always a good time, if nothing else.

"Very well," Mipha called out again, raising her arm skyward. "Begin!"

Aryll rocketed forward with nearly impossible speed, all but vanishing from his sight. For as unenthusiastic as he was about this whole duel in the first place, Link still felt a small grin begin to creep across his face. It had been a while since he'd sparred with his sister and she always kept him on his toes.

Though Link had no affinity for magic himself, he did have some sort of combat ability he couldn't easily put to words. From the time he had drawn the Master Sword and begun his intensive training with both the Hyrulean Knights and his own father, he had been aware that when he focused with great intensity time seemed to slow down around him. He couldn't explain it well and he didn't really understand why it happened, but it was something he had come to accept and utilize quite effectively over the years.

The truly strange part was that certain others could perceive him doing it. Though many of the Knights of Hyrule couldn't detect any change at all, both his father and sister were capable of seeing the way time seemed to warp around him. The other Champions, unsurprisingly, were also capable of understanding this ability of his. And based on the few conversations he'd had with Zelda about the day she was kidnapped, it seemed she also possessed this affinity.

But Link wasn't the only one who could warp the world through intense focus.

Aryll possessed a similar ability, though it was almost the flip side of a coin when compared to his own. While Link could slow his perception of time down with intense focus, Aryll could speed up others' perception of her. She described it as the world around her moving at half speed while she moved at the same velocity as always, but of course that meant she was effectively moving faster than any Hylian should ever be able to when viewed by someone else. It was effectively the opposite of Link's own focus.

It was odd – Link had always believed the Master Sword and its incredible powers had been what allowed him to utilize such a technique but then Aryll had discovered a version of it for herself through nothing but sheer determination and force of will. Leave it to his sister to turn the world on its head just because she wanted to. Or maybe even because she didn't want him to outdo her. She wasn't jealous or angry that he was the one chosen by the Master Sword and she had always been loudly and unapologetically supportive of him…

But by the Goddess was she competitive.

"Pulling out all the stops right from the outset, huh Ari?"

Link readied his faux sword and felt his mind slip into that familiar state of intense yet nearly effortless focus he had long been able to call on command. As he did so, Aryll seemed to reappear, moving towards him at her normal speed, her twin practice weapons at the ready. She grinned at him as she took a swing; he parried it quickly.

"You're the only person who can stop that little trick of mine in its tracks, big brother."

"You give me too much credit – I can only stalemate it. You're still faster than I am."

"Thanks!"

She twirled and spun around as her twin blades glanced off his long sword. Aryll had incredible speed even without her ability. Her focus had always been on agility and precision rather than strength or even defense. She didn't utilize a shield the way Link did, but she rarely needed to block a hit. The extra weight of carrying one didn't slow her down which helped her stay light on her feet. She even maintained an intense physical training regimen to keep herself as athletic and tireless as she could be. She was the definition of lithe and limber.

Even though Link didn't particularly enjoy fighting, he did enjoy testing himself against Aryll. The truth was that she was probably just a better fighter than him. It was simply the fact that he had been granted the most powerful sword in existence by the Goddess herself that usually gave him an edge when compared to his naturally talented sister.

'In fact, I'd go so far as to call her a genius when it comes to combat.'

Link and Aryll continued their intense duel, Mipha looking on with a smile as the younger warriors stared with mouths agape. They had never even seen Aryll fight, much less go all out like this, but Link was sure he was putting on a bit of an unintentional show as well in order to match his sister. She was still hesitating even, likely due to being unfamiliar with the practice weapons she was using. That might've been a good thing. Despite his confrontation with the Yiga at the end of the last year, it had been a long time since he'd fought regularly. If Aryll really got going, she might just run away with things.

And yet, despite his growing interest in their duel, it only took a single voice to split his focus and draw his attention away from his sister for a brief moment.

"H-hello Mipha, Glenne, everyone."

Zelda.

"Hi, Miss Zelda! Hurry, come watch!"

Why was she here? Wasn't she supposed to be enjoying her day with Urbosa? As if in answer to his silent question, the Gerudo Champion spoke loudly next.

"I was curious to see the kinds of students Link had taken on in Hateno so we came to check on things, but it seems we've walked in on fairly intense duel haven't we?"

"Indeed," Mipha agreed, her voice filled with mirth. "Ari insisted that she and Link have a practice duel for everyone and finally wore him down enough that he agreed to it."

"Hah! Then this must be Link's sister, eh?"

"That's right."

It was Zelda who spoke next, her gentle voice cutting through every other sound to reach Link's ear effortlessly.

"I've…never seen her fight before; she's…incredible."

Somewhere deep in his heart, Link felt a sudden, burning desire to have those words of hers directed at him instead of Aryll. It wasn't jealousy…but it did feel simiarly intense. Of course, Zelda would never have said anything to disparage him and she certainly hadn't meant her comment to be an implication that Link was somehow lesser than his sister – he was very well aware of that. But all the same…he just selfishly wanted to hear her praise him in front of everyone.

That thought was the spark the ignited a competitive fire deep within his core. Whether or not he was out of practice compared to his sister didn't matter any longer. As Aryll crossed blades with him again, he leaned in close and spoke in a low voice.

"I hate to break it to you, sis, but it seems I have my own patron Princess to impress now."

She grinned and pushed against his defense a little harder.

"Hoh? Is that so? Even my calm, confident older brother gets the urge to show off for his fiancée, does he?"

Her teasing didn't get to him this time. He, instead, pressured her own guard, forcing her to take a step back.

"He does today. I'm afraid Mipha's going to have to watch you lose, Ari."

Her eyes flashed and her face settled into a profoundly excited confidence.

"Now that's what I want to hear! Show me what you've got when you're really taking this seriously!"

Their duel took on a newfound intensity as both crossed training swords with everything they had in them. Both Aryll and Link had their own reasons to win now and neither were willing to back down. His sister, of course, wanted to show off for Mipha and Link had to admit that he absolutely wanted to show off for Zelda too. To that end, he added a few more flourishes to his usually strict and efficient fighting style, employing unnecessary backflips and rolls where he otherwise would simply have taken a step or two into the same position he ultimately wound up.

Aryll caught onto his antics and began to match them, vaulting into the air and spinning like a top before unleashing a ridiculous kick that he managed to block with the broad side of his sword. Both of them were taking this to an absurd extent. They would never have fought like this in a real life or death situation, of course…but it was a lot more fun than he had expected.

He stole a few glances towards Zelda when Aryll was forced to retreat and had to remind himself to stay focused on the battle at hand – she was watching with sparkling eyes and a faint blush on her cheeks, her hands clasped together and drawn close to her chin. She was so impossibly cute…

In the end, it was Link who emerged victorious, but only barely. He managed to catch Aryll off guard using his own focused perception in an effort to counteract hers yet again, only this time he had anticipated her movements as well. When she lost her footing and fell backwards, Link followed with a straight strike, the dull point of the wooden practice sword coming to rest gently against her stomach.

Cheers and applause broke out from the small crowd nearby, Zelda clapping rather enthusiastically for how much she usually hated anything involving weapons. Aryll sighed heavily and dropped her training swords before grinning up at him and winking.

"Looks like you win today, big brother. Hope it helps get your maiden swooning over you."

Link was very glad they were so far away from the others; if Zelda had overheard Aryll's comment, he might've died of embarrassment.

He offered his hand and lifted her to her feet again, chuckling as she grumbled aloud.

"Ahh, I thought I had you this time. You've always been a step or two ahead of me somehow."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, I only won because I've seen you in action enough to be able to predict some of your moves. I've told you over and over that I think you're a better fighter than I am if we were on a completely even playing field."

"Thanks! It may not help me win more often, but it makes me feel good to hear you say that! Too bad I disappointed my Zora angel; I'll never recover from such a shameful display in front of her!" she exclaimed in mock heartbreak, raising her wrist to her forehead. She really did have such a penchant for the dramatic.

"Ari, you could never disappoint me," came Mipha's voice. She had just finished crossing the field, a warm smile on her face. "I'm a decent fighter myself but I can't imagine moving the way you do, even being able to control water. You're always such an inspiration to witness; I couldn't possibly be more proud of you."

Aryll actually blushed a little and kicked her foot, a shockingly demure action for his often-tactless sister.

"T-thanks, Micchan. You're so nice to me…what'd I do to deserve the attention of someone so sweet and so beautiful!?"

But she recovered in an instant and went right back to teasing.

As Aryll and Mipha continued their conversation, Link noticed a timid figure appear at his side, her gorgeous golden hair dancing on the winter wind.

"L-Link," Zelda began, a bright smile on her face.

"Hey, Zelda. I was a bit surprised you wanted to watch us duel; I know you don't really enjoy fighting like that."

"It's…not so bad when I know you're doing it for fun. And you and Aryll were…unbelievable. I've never seen anyone move like that, much less two people."

"I'm glad you had fun watching, then. And it seems like Urbosa is having a good time with Glenne and the rest, too" he noted.

Indeed, the Gerudo Champion had begun chatting animatedly with his students. She was currently showing them her curved scimitar and explaining the way she fought to them as Glenne rattled off as many questions as he could get through without becoming tongue tied. Though Urbosa was probably enjoying herself just as much as her face seemed to indicate, Link had a sneaking suspicion she had likely used it as a guise to send Zelda across the field to him without her.

'I owe you one, Urbosa.'

"Link…you were…i-incredible. I know you've saved my life before but…watching you today was like watching a…a…real life legend."

Link couldn't have fought off the deep blush that exploded to life on his face and ears if he'd tried…and he couldn't have resisted the goofy smile that stole his lips either.

"T-thanks, Zelda…" he murmured, sounding quite unlike himself.

"You're…v-very welcome…"

Zelda stepped a little closer and subtly took his hand. His heart leapt and began racing in an instant. She had never done something like this around other people before, even if they couldn't really see what was going on. She spoke again in a tiny voice.

"T…thank you…for setting all of this up just so I could have some time alone with Urbosa. I…really don't have the words to explain how much that means to me."

Link rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, feeling a bit awkward.

"You figured it out, huh?"

"Mipha told me after I asked her. Though…I had my suspicions from the start."

"I didn't want you to feel guilty or think I didn't want to be there with you or anything like that. Besides, I had a pretty good time out here myself."

"I'm…very glad you did. Urbosa and I also had a wonderful morning together…thank you again, Link."

"Always. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed some time alone with her. Do you want some more? We can always keep this training session going for a while longer."

Zelda shook her head, though.

"I…would much rather everyone spend the rest of the day together. I've…never been able to have so many people I care about in one place at the same time before."

Link gave her hand a gentle squeeze, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"Then why don't we have everyone over for lunch? The boys are eating with their own families, but Mipha and Ari promised me the whole day if I needed them for it. Why not make a little party out of it?"

Zelda gave him a breathtakingly beautiful smile before nodding several times.

"L-let's!"

"Did I hear something about a party?" came the familiar voice of Urbosa.

Evidently, she had finished her chat with Link's students; all of them were eagerly swinging practice weapons around, likely trying to employ some of the techniques she'd shared with them.

Zelda turned in Urbosa's direction and spoke with an eagerness he wasn't used to hearing in her voice. What really made his heart flutter was the fact that she didn't let go of his hand even still.

"Y-yes! What if…I made lunch for you today? I've always wanted to cook for you, Urbosa."

"I could never turn down such a wonderful offer! I'd love to try your cooking, Ohisama!"

"Ooh, Zel-chan is cooking?" came Aryll's excited voice. "Count me in! She's such a good chef!"

Mipha gave an emphatic nod beside her.

"She really is. As long as we're not intruding, I would be very glad to join as well."

"You're all invited, of course," Link assured them. "And I'll give you hand with the cooking, Zelda. You're in charge, though – I'll just follow your lead."

"T-thank you. I would…love your help."

The group scattered after that to recollect their discarded equipment and wrap things up with Glenne and the others. Link offered the six a quick apology that their training had devolved into the frankly ridiculous spectacle it had, but they all assured him they'd learned a lot from watching. Toren especially seemed to have taken an interest in Urbosa's brief teachings and assured Link he excited to try them out later.

'At least they got something out of it. Guess I don't have to feel like I completely wasted their time.'

As the group of young men began walking back into town together, chatting excitedly about ways to further improve their skills, everyone remaining slowly started to reconvene. Link approached Zelda again, his desire to be at her side and hold her hand again winning him over easily. As he crossed the field, though, he heard Urbosa call out to Aryll. He glanced over his shoulder and watched with some interest – those two had never met before.

"So, you're Link's sister, right?"

"Yep, sure am! My name's Aryll. And, of course, I already know you're Urbosa, the Gerudo Champion. I never knew Zel-chan was close with you, though."

"We've been like family since she was a little girl. I'm glad I finally had time to come out here."

"It's a real pleasure to meet you! I'm real close with Mipha now but Link always told me stories about the other Champions – you have this air about you that just screams that you're the real deal!"

"Hah! Thank you! Say, I noticed your weapons earlier…would you mind if I examined them for just a moment?"

"My twin blades? Sure, go right ahead," she insisted, presenting them to the Gerudo Chieftain. She studied them for several moments before nodding and handing them back.

"Hm, as I thought. This looks like the handiwork of Gerudo Town's master blacksmith. Have you ever been there? Is that where you got these?"

Aryll returned her blades to their sheathes on her back.

"I haven't personally been, no, but they're definitely from Gerudo Town – my dad had them commissioned for me. You probably remember him; he hasn't been retired for that long. His name's Arn."

"Ah, that's right. It had slipped my mind that yours and Link's father used to be the King's military ambassador to the four regions. No wonder he had a point of contact within Gerudo Town."

"Yeah! Originally, he brought me a pair of scimitars like you use, but I've always fought with my speed first and foremost so curved blades didn't work so well for me since they were harder to aim on the fly when I really got going. But then he asked a Gerudo craftswoman to forge straight scimitars for me to try out and they worked so much better. They've been my trusty weapons for years now! I can't imagine not having 'em!"

"It looks like each blade has a topaz crystal embedded within it as well."

"Yep! I can call on a little bit of lightning magic thanks to those! It takes 'em a while to recharge so it's pretty much just one time per sword, but it's been real helpful in the past!"

Urbosa nodded, a look of pride on her face.

"Well it warms my heart to see weapons forged in my own home be put to such remarkable use by someone as talented as you are!"

Aryll grinned up at her.

"Ah, you're flattering me too much! I still lost to Link before."

"I have a suspicion you're every bit the warrior he is, though. From what little I saw today, I'd be hard pressed to think of many more capable than you, even amongst the Champions."

Aryll finally blushed a bit but maintained her relaxed air.

"Thank you! That's an enormous compliment coming from Champion Urbosa herself!"

"That sounds so formal – how about giving me a nickname too?"

"A nickname?"

"You have nicknames for everyone else here, right? I'd love to see what you come up with for me as well."

"Y-you? I dunno, I feel like I have no right to be giving someone as impressive as you such a casual nickname."

"Hah! Who's the one most skilled in flattery now? Besides, Ohisama – ah, that is to say, Zelda – speaks of you with such adoration and affection. She considers you her treasured friend; I'd love to consider you mine as well."

"W-well…if you insist! In that case, how about Uro-chan?"

"Uro-chan?"

"Yep! I think it's the perfect amount of cute while still maintaining that mystical air you have about you!"

Urbosa laughed delightedly.

"I love it! Thank you, Aryll!"

"Hey, if I get to call you Uro-chan, then you have to call me 'Ari' – everyone does! Except Zel-chan…I'm still working on her."

"If you insist, Ari! And don't worry, she'll come around before you know it."

"I sure hope so!"

Across the field, Link watched his sister and Urbosa become friends almost effortlessly. That had to be some sort of world record, right? For how difficult it was for him to interact with new people, his sister always seemed to manage it without a hitch. It was almost frightening…

In a lot of ways, they really were flip sides of the same coin. But their differences had never caused problems between them. They butted heads sometimes, sure, but Link couldn't have asked for a better sister than Aryll. It was nice to see Zelda and Urbosa become so close to her, especially if he and Zelda would one day be…

'Family…'

Link chanced a glance at Zelda who was gazing across the field watching Urbosa with Aryll as well. Her cheeks were rosy and she was wringing her hands together as she murmured something to herself. Link had to strain to even hear her words.

"Urbosa…was right after all…my heart's…still racing…"

"Zelda?"

She squeaked and jumped, spinning quickly towards him. Her eyes were wide with surprise and her face much redder now.

"O-oh, it was nothing! I was just m-mumbling to myself, that's all!"

"You sure you're okay?"

"P-perfectly fine, I promise."

"Good, I'm glad. Hey, what do you say we head back and get started on lunch?"

Zelda's panicked face finally relaxed and, after she composed herself again, she gave him another dazzling smile. He couldn't put into words how much he truly wanted to see her smile like this for the rest of his life.

"L-lead the way and I'll be right next to you!"

His own cheeks flushed yet again.

'Does she even realize how adorable she is…?'

Link couldn't have been happier as they all began to make their way back towards the house, Zelda very pointedly at his side. The only thing he was really aware of the entire walk back was the fact that he wanted her right there forever, no matter what else happened. It was all he needed to be the happiest person in all of Hyrule.

Though, he had to admit, having Aryll, Mipha, and Urbosa with them was also a delight.

---

A week had passed since Urbosa had visited Hateno and Link was thrilled to see that Zelda had been in a wonderful mood since then. The final remnants of her confrontation with Hilda seemed to have disappeared from her memory entirely and the last many days had seen her intently tinkering with the Sheikah Slate, insisting she make dinner for the two of them even though Link hadn't been hunting at all, and pointedly spending even more time with him during the days.

They had gone to visit Ira a few times since returning from the Castle, who had been doing well lately. One afternoon, they had dropped in on Syd and Celene to see how they were enjoying their new house – both seemed to be quite happy with it. And she had even stopped by to watch another training session he'd had with Glenne and the others, his six students inspired by his duel with Aryll and Urbosa's tutelage. Zelda seemed to have taken quite an interest lately in the way he taught the young men in town how to fight, though sometimes he thought she was exclusively watching him instead of anyone else. It didn't bother him in the slightest, but a small part of him wondered why she suddenly so fascinated with those lessons.

What had stolen his attention a lot more was the fact that Zelda very willingly and regularly took his hand in her own, sometimes without even hesitating. He didn't mind that either, not in any way at all. In fact, he often had the thought that he'd be perfectly happy if she were to do that every minute of every day. A very loud part of his mind kept insisting that it would be the most delightful thing in the world if she randomly leaned over and kissed his cheek the way he'd done two weeks ago, too. But…that was probably still wishful thinking at this point.

Maybe it would happen someday…though he wasn't sure his heart would be able to take it the first time.

Luckily, after the intense excitement of Aryll meeting Urbosa and getting to know her, a blessed calmness had descended over he and Zelda. There were no more schemes to circumvent, no more emotional turmoil to recover from, just a nice, relaxing sendoff to the month.

The Third Month had finally come to greet them, though the cold bite of winter had yet to disappear completely. The days were staring to warm slowly but nights were just as bitter and frigid as ever. And this evening, a fierce storm had even descended upon the little village. An unrelenting deluge, deafening claps of thunder, and brilliant forks of lightning had sent everyone home early for the night, hunkering down indoors until the harsh conditions abated.

Safe and sound inside, Link found himself preparing ingredients for dinner, humming lightly as he did so. He'd been in every bit as good a mood as Zelda recently. He hadn't exaggerated at all during that game of Aryll's – seeing his fiancée happy made him just ecstatic…though now there was a fair bit of nervous anticipation he experienced on a daily basis as well. He had told Zelda to sit with her feelings as long as she needed to figure out if she felt anything romantically for him…

Yet it was almost disconcerting how often he found himself sincerely hoping that she shared his feelings, or at least that she would eventually.

Zelda spoke suddenly, breaking him from his thoughts. She had been out examining the Shrine earlier and, though she had returned before the storm, she had gotten very cold. He'd insisted she warm herself by the fire while he cooked dinner for them. She only hesitated for a few moments before he managed to convince her with a heartfelt 'it would make me very happy if you would.'

"Link, c-can we…take another photograph?"

"With the Sheikah Slate? Sure, any particular reason?"

She blushed a bit but held her ground. She'd managed that much more consistently the last week or so.

"I just realized…we've never taken any photographs while we're cooking and…it's something we do together so often. I'd…love to have a nice memory of it for the visual diary I'm working on."

Link gave her a warm smile.

"I'd love to take a photograph with you, Zelda."

"R-really?"

"Of course."

"T…then I'll go grab the Slate! B-be right back."

She leapt to her feet and scurried off, disappearing into her room to find the object she'd spent so much time studying. Her progress with it was nothing short of incredible. She had a mind that took in unfamiliar information and made sense of it in a way he could never have hoped to. The light that began to twinkle in her lovely green eyes when she started working her way through a mystery was hypnotic and he couldn't get enough of watching her in action.

He hadn't told her that, lest she grow so embarrassed she stop doing it. But he had, of course, taken to appreciating her fascination with the ancient Sheikah technology for many weeks now and it never ceased to be a delightful sight.

His giddy thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a sound that made his blood run cold – a scream. Zelda's scream. In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware of the fact that he had heard the sound of shattering glass at the same time, but nothing mattered but her. Getting to her was the most important thing in the world.

Link dropped everything in his hands and flew across the main room, throwing open the half-closed door to her bedroom and trying to make sense of what was happening. Zelda never screamed like that – something had happened. Had the storm caused something to fall through her window? Perhaps that's what had scared her.

Zelda crashed into him, running from the room in a panic and he caught her in his arms, trying to calm her down. Before he could say a word to comfort her, though, he caught sight of movement in the room behind her and her reaction suddenly made sense.

Rising from the floor was a Stalizalfos. The collection of dull white bones in the shape of the familiar reptilian monster had glowing yellow eyes and held a forked boomerang in its hand. Slowly, it collected itself and tried to gain its bearings.

'Something's attacking Zelda? Or is it here for me? Maybe the entire village is under attack. I can figure out the rest later, though – the only thing that matters right now is keeping Zelda safe.'

"Get behind me, Zelda. I don't know what's going on here, but I swear I'll protect you."

Zelda scurried around him and hid behind his back. She stayed close, her breathing quick and nervous.

"I…I trust you, Link."

One Stalizalfos was easily taken down. Even if he fought the reanimated creature in an enclosed space like Zelda's bedroom, there was no chance one of those things would be able to best him. But his thoughts were interrupted as a thunderous crash exploded into the air outside, the floor beneath their feet shaking. It felt as if something enormous had rammed right into the outer wall of the house. And when several more windows shattered and more Stalizalfos began clambering through the openings, Link began to back across the room, keeping an arm in front of Zelda. She didn't hesitate for a second to follow his lead.

'It's like they're coordinating their movements…monsters haven't acted like this since Ganon was defeated. It's like…someone or something is in charge of them. But how…and why…?'

"Link!"

He snapped from his thoughts as Zelda's panic-stricken voice tore through the air. More of the skeletal monsters were emerging from both his bedroom and the bath, slowly beginning to push them towards the far wall and surround them. There were six in the main room now…

"Just stay behind me. I swear it'll be okay," he assured her.

"I…I know it will be," she managed.

He could feel her hands trembling against him, though. She was terrified and understandably so. But as long as Link drew breath, no harm would ever again come to Zelda.

'I won't let anything happen to her. I'll keep her safe. Focus – it doesn't really matter why they're behaving the way they are. I just need to deal with the here and now. It's just like six years ago; I've done this hundreds of times.'

Another thunderous impact sounded against the front wall of their house. Zelda clung to him tightly but Link felt a familiar sense of certainty begin to wash over him.

It was time to go monster hunting once again.

11/3/2023

---

Post-Chapter Note: Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

So wow, that was a rollercoaster of a chapter to write and I'd bet it was to read too! We went from depressed Hilda to ecstatic Zelda reuniting with Urbosa, brother and sister duel, and finally undead lizard home invasion. I honestly thought about splitting this chapter into two, but I don't have enough extra stuff to add another compelling chapter in this Book I don't think, so I just decided to leave it all together. Hope you didn't get too much whiplash from this one LOL!

Showing a more introspective side of Hilda is something I've been waiting to do for quite a while. She's obviously still a horrible, cruel person, but as I've said before, I never like my characters to just be one-note cardboard cutouts. I love adding a lot of nuance to my characters, especially the main characters, so showing that Hilda isn't always just a raging sadist who sneers and looks down on everyone felt important, and now seemed like the right time to dig into that a little more. Despite her personality and her terrible actions, she's been through a lot herself. It doesn't excuse the things she's done, but there's at least some empathy to be felt there with regards to why and how she became the way she is.

I have to say, I'm rather pleased with how interconnected the middle of the chapter was in terms of Zelda coming to understand more about her feelings for Link with the help of Urbosa. As you probably noticed, this chapter wasn't meant to *focus* on Urbosa, so much as it was to use her character to help further Zelda and Link's relationship. I think I actually managed to do that well with her, especially compared to Impa a little while ago. I still don't think Impa's inclusion was bad, but I do think the focus that time around was more squarely on her whereas this time the focus remained on the main couple, which I'm happy with! It was also nice to have Urbosa in this story without rehashing the ways I've already written her in my last work - it's always nice to use a familiar character in a new and refreshing way as an author!

Link vs. Aryll was a thought I had a while ago and I wanted to do it for a few reasons. First, I wanted to establish that Aryll is basically every bit the warrior Link is, just minus the Master Sword. Having her utilize an ability similar to Link's "bullet time" felt like a fun take on her prowess as a warrior too, and I love the idea that Link thinks she's better than him but he just has better tools usually. Second, it's just fun to have those two bicker and go back and forth, and a mock duel was a wonderful way to let them go all out in that regard lol! And finally, it was the most perfect excuse to get Link to show off for Zelda. Even calm, composed Link wants to impress his fiancée!

And of course, it's been a while since I left you all with a mean cliffhanger like this! That last scene could just as easily have been the beginning of the next chapter, but honestly I felt like it set expectations a little better to have it here. Either way, it's a pretty jarring sudden event to take place, but I thought it was more useful to present it early so you didn't all spend the week thinking "oh, how cute! I can't wait to see what adorable antics they get up to next time!" and then follow that up with immediate monster house party lol! At least this way you're kind of expecting some intensity next chapter and I think that's probably for the best in terms of curating expectations. Plus, cliffhangers are fun and I'm pretty sure I haven't done that since Chapter 6 way back in Book I!

Speaking of books, we're (perhaps obviously) coming up to the climax and then the finale of Book II! I have two more chapters planned for this arc and there basically isn't a single chapter I have outlined from here that I'm not immensely excited to write and share with you! Honestly, Book III might be my favorite plot arc I've ever come up with. I won't tell you any more than that, but I have quite the ride planned for everyone and I sincerely hope that you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed planning it out so far!

So with all that said, next Friday we'll figure out what's going on in Hateno Village and why there are Stalizalfos inside Link and Zelda's house! But for now, that's going to be it out of me. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I can't wait to share the next installment with you! Take care and I'll see you in the next one!