It had been almost a week since the clerk had given Zelda the old maid outfit. To not much surprise, she had been able to avoid wearing it, adamantly declaring that there wasn't any reason to try something so bold during her usual work week. Though this excuse was able to satisfy Prima and Celessa for the past few days, with Zelda's off time now rapidly approaching (and with her being unable to come up with any other idea to get Link's eyes back on her), trying on the outfit had become unavoidable. With the current work day coming to a close, Prima practically dragged Zelda into her room with the outfit in hand, with Celessa eagerly awaiting their return in the dining hall with a mug of milk in hand.

"Okay!" Prima called out, dashing excitedly into the hall. Celessa, who had decided to run through the gear in her backpack as she waited, looked up from her mess on the table with sparkling eyes. "She's got it on."

"You actually managed to get her to wear it?" she asked.

"It took a lot of convincing, but I did manage," Prima grinned before turning back to the doorway. "Come on, Zelda! Come show Celessa how cute you look!"

"Do I really have to?" Zelda called out from the lobby.

"Come on, Princess!" Celessa yelled back excitedly, practically jumping in her seat. "Show yourself!"

After a light groan, Zelda slowly stepped into the dining hall. The ends of the dark dress billowed above her ankles while the white apron gave a little jump every time she lifted her feet. The frills on the straps of the apron waved as she walked, along with the loose headpiece in her hair. Celessa's eyes (and Prima's even though she had already seen) lit up at the sight.

"You're so pretty!" she cried as Zelda stopped in front of the table.

"Isn't she?" Prima asked with pride.

Despite their enthusiasm, the woman in question couldn't seem to match their tone.

"I can't believe I'm wearing this…" she mumbled with reddened cheeks as she looked down at herself.

"And there she goes, complaining as usual," Prima sighed. "You said it yourself, Zelda; you don't have a better idea, so why are you having such a hard time giving this a try?"

"Because this is embarrassing," Zelda complained. "Why do you have this dress in the first place, Prima?"

"It's an old uniform that used to be worn here," Prima said. "A very old uniform, but from what I see, it's still in great shape."

"Speaking of shape, it feels a little tight around the waist…" Zelda muttered.

"It accentuates your curves. That's a good thing, especially with hips like yours," Prima said. "Besides that, how do you feel?"

"Hot… and like I'm having a hard time breathing," Zelda described uncomfortably as she deepened her breaths.

"Are you really that nervous?" Prima asked.

"I'm not entirely sure… Maybe?" she answered, feeling her face burning. "Is this really the best option?"

"Princess, do you really have that big of a problem with Link seeing you in such a state?" Celessa chimed in. "Aren't you guys in love? Don't you want to be able to show that you can do things for him too? What's wrong with giving him a little service?"

"You do seem to have a bit more of an issue with this than I thought you would," Prima added. "I thought you said you wanted Link to look at you."

"I do want him to look at me, and I don't really have an issue servicing him, though this does feel extremely demeaning," Zelda explained. "I guess I'm just wondering if Link and I are truly ready for something like this. This is so blatantly telling him what I'm after, don't you think? Are you two sure this is the time for something like this with everything going on?"

"I mean, is there ever a good time?" Celessa asked, looking over at Prima.

"Not really," Prima answered. "There really isn't a perfect time for these sorts of things, Zelda, and we've talked about how Link is. You'll be waiting for forever if you don't start really showing it."

"And you said that you wanted him to rest, right?" Celessa mentioned. "It's been said before, but this is a way for you to really get him to calm down and relax! You serving him the way he requests— whatever that entails— sets a mood! Who wouldn't want to stay and spend time with a woman like you when that's happening, especially when dressed in that attire?"

"I'm not sure about that… This is Link we're talking about," Zelda mumbled. "He has a habit of refusing and running away…"

"Well, this time you'll be so upfront he couldn't possibly refuse you," Prima encouraged. "Come on, loosen up! Can't you see this as exhilarating in the least bit? Even in this era, not many get to just have fun like this. Don't you think it would be interesting to see how Link will react?"

"Yeah, Princess," Celessa continued. "Link served you for so long even before the Calamity, don't you think this could be a fun take on things? He's sure to give a nice reaction!"

"I… I guess that would be nice to see depending on how things go," Zelda said, now beginning to sway her hips to allow her dress to dance a little. "This could be fun… I didn't get to do many exciting things back in the castle, especially when it came to stuff like this. Everything was always proper. The most indecent thing I've ever done was bathe with Link, and usually, it's him helping me get stains out of my hair after unpleasant events…"

"Exactly!" Celessa cheered. "Now you're getting it! Live a little and have some actual fun!"

"B-but to go the whole way? That still seems like a bit much," Zelda said as her cheeks began to burn hotter at the thought.

"No one is saying you have to do it," Prima corrected. "Just go at your own pace. Celessa and I are only giving you two a much needed first step."

"A first step…" Zelda repeated thoughtfully as she kept her eyes on her lower half. After a few moments to ponder their words, she gave a slight nod in agreement. "Okay. I-I'll give it a try. It couldn't hurt for Link to see me in a… cute way, I suppose. Right, then I'll tell him tonight that for tomorrow he can truly rest and that I'll be his maid—"

"No!" both the clerk and the traveler shouted. Zelda blinked.

"W-what?" she asked, taken aback by the sudden backlash. "What's wrong? I thought this was what you two wanted."

"You can't just tell him what your plan is," Prima said, bringing a finger to her temple in annoyance. "That ruins the point."

"The way you say it just makes it sound like this is a ploy just to get him to listen," Celessa explained.

"B-but that's part of it," Zelda replied, to which both Prima and Celessa sighed.

"Part of it," Prima repeated. "There's more to it than just that. This is an attempt to fix your relationship and help it progress. Link resting is just a bonus for you, but not one that you tell him. Besides, if you inform him of your seductive plans, then that may ruin everything. As you've said, we know how he is."

"If you tell him what you're going to do, he'll probably see it as something it isn't and not go along with it," Celessa explained. "You're supposed to catch him by surprise."

"Surprise him? But… how am I supposed to do that?" Zelda asked as the gears in her mind began to turn. "This is becoming a lot more complicated than this was originally made out to be."

"Zelda, things like these aren't like planned out and scheduled events, unless, say, you're married and you have children to deal with," Prima said. Both Zelda and Celessa looked at the clerk with the same obvious question in mind, to which she answered, "look, people come to the inn for multiple reasons. I know how these things work."

"Well, she's right," Celessa continued. "It's all a part of what we talked about earlier: setting a mood. Just outright telling him, even if he happens to agree to it, just kind of defeats whatever atmosphere was supposed to be there. You have to catch him off guard; to make him unleash his inner beast by surprise so he can pounce on you! Like a wolf in the wild!"

"T-then how am I supposed to go about doing that?" Zelda asked wearily.

"No idea," Prima answered immediately. "We don't live with him. As much assistance as we can give, you're the one that knows him best. We just have general knowledge. It's up to you to come up with a way to properly set the mood and surprise him."

"She's right," Celessa added. "In the end, this is your relationship, Zelda. We can give you all the idea's in Hyrule, but it's up to you to implement them in a way that you think they'll work. You know what it's like to live with Link, so you need to use that to your advantage and come up with something."

"The best thing I can tell you is that you'd best do it sooner rather than later," Prima said. "You have a day off tomorrow, meaning you've got tonight and however long you want to wait tomorrow to figure it out. The longer you don't do anything though, the longer things don't change between you two."

Zelda frowned and began shifting uncomfortably in place, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"Just do the best you can," Celessa encouraged. "Look, none of this stuff happens perfectly, essentially when you're starting out. As time goes on, you'll figure out what you two like, but you have to start somewhere in order to get to that point. For now, just focus on having fun and try to connect with Link in a way you haven't before."

"That's really the only thing anyone can do in a relationship," Prima said. "I know I said you don't have much time, but really think carefully about how you want to go about things. Though we're advocating for it, you don't have to do this, but if you want things to start progressing, then you need to come up with something. For now, why don't you go get changed and head home? It's getting late."

With a silent nod, Zelda turned and exited the hall.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Celessa asked as they stared at the doorway she disappeared through.

"I honestly couldn't tell you," Prima sighed. "Her and Link's relationship has been strange since the moment they came to the village. While Link is hard-headed, it's not like Zelda is innocent. She's always been a bit difficult when it comes to these sorts of things. I thought it would be fun prying into her love life, but jeez, it's more frustrating the more I hear about it."

"You can't really blame them. They both went through a lot, you know," Celessa said, placing an elbow on the table to lean her cheek into her palm. "From how she acts, and with what she says about Link… I think they both seem a bit stuck in the past, whether they realize it or not."

...

As stars began to slowly appear in the darkening sky, Zelda walked down the snowy path with the dark dress folded neatly in her hands. She stared down at the outfit as her thoughts continued to spin. It was admittedly hard to stay focused and even while in the frigid winter air, her face still continued to burn. She almost felt dizzy even thinking about her new upcoming task of seduction.

I have to surprise him and make him want to pounce on me? How am I supposed to go about that? Zelda wondered as she continued towards her mountainside home. He's always aware and watching. It feels impossible when I'm supposed to hide it from him of all people.

With a groan, she crossed the bridge that connected their side of the mountain to the rest of the village before opening the door to the house.

"Welcome home," Link called the moment she stepped inside.

At the sudden call, Zelda jumped. She looked around before spotting him at the kitchen counter, cooking a meal that supposedly was for dinner. Immediately, with her new outfit in hand, she threw her arms behind her back.

"Link… You scared me," Zelda admitted after taking a moment to calm her racing heart. With a furrowed brow, Link stopped his hands and glanced back at her.

"How? I always cook dinner around this time," he said, "and you can usually smell it before you come through the door. What's different about today?"

"S-sorry, I suppose I'm just not as aware as you are all the time," Zelda responded. "Especially these days."

Link frowned.

"Yeah, I guess so," he grunted before turning back to his meal. Though Zelda mentally kicked herself for being spiteful, she couldn't have him inspecting her too closely. The clothing behind her was supposed to be a surprise. After a moment of silence, Link added, "are you hungry?"

"N-not really, if I'm being honest," Zelda said. "It's been a long week and with my break day coming tomorrow, I guess my body is choosing to shut down. I'm just going to go lay down early, if you don't mind."

After receiving a nod, she instantly turned on her heel and brought the clothing back to her front before hurrying towards the staircase.

"Hey, by the way," Link suddenly called out just as she placed her foot on the first step. "What's that you're hiding?"

"W-what was that?" Zelda asked weakly.

"That thing you had behind your back," he clarified. "What is that?"

"I-it's nothing," she answered quickly. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, at least."

Though she could tell Link wanted to pursue further, thankfully he simply shrugged, though the frustration in his features didn't go unnoticed. With the guilty feeling in her chest slowly rising, she hurried up the stairs.

"I'm sorry, Link," she whispered as she went to the nightstand and opened its drawer. "I promise it'll make sense tomorrow… somehow."

After rustling through all of the clothes that had piled up in the drawer from its ever-growing use, she placed the maid outfit at the very bottom. Before closing it, she pulled out her old faded tunic. Tiredly, she removed the work dress she had been wearing from her body before replacing it with the article of clothing she had just pulled out.

With the dress now in hand, she went over to the writing desk where the Sheikah Slate sat on its surface and after a few taps on its screen. The dress turned into strings of blue light before disappearing, waiting in the slate for when it would be washed in the future. With nothing but the old tunic on, Zelda went over and fell back onto the bed, where she stared up at the wooden beams that held the roof of the house together above her.

"I had such a hard time accepting the dress, yet I can wear this perfectly fine," Zelda thought out loud to herself. "Maybe it's because I know he won't look at me, even in this defenseless state."

With a deep breath, she rolled over onto her side and stared at the nightstand that now hid the maid attire that was given to her. She could still feel the burning in her face and the unusual sense of weariness as she thought of herself in the outfit.

Maybe I'm thinking too hard about this, she thought. I'm supposed to try and have fun with this and worrying won't allow for that. It's supposed to be a surprise… He likes to go outside, so on the high chance that he does, I'll change and ask what he wants done.

Nodding to herself in confirmation, she rolled over to face the window, where stars were barely visible through the darkened clouds that floated above. Her eyes began to droop as the fatigue in her body became more apparent.

Did I really tire myself out that much over this? She asked herself as her eyes slowly closed.

Her thoughts began to drift as memories of the past vaguely appeared in her mind. She remembered the moment she was freed from the castle and saw Link's tired smile from the fight. She thought of the following morning on top of the Sheikah Tower where he made them breakfast, and then the following noon when they explored her destroyed bedroom and he brought the Silent Princess to her. Finally, she remembered what happened later after her talk with Impa in Kakariko, where she chose to leave her life of royalty behind. She vividly remembered the image of Link sitting on Epona, holding out his hand for her to take when he told her he would be staying by her side.

"Come back to me…" she whispered before finally drifting off to sleep.

When Zelda next opened her eyes, they weren't greeted by the darkness of the night nor even the saturated colors of dawn. Confused, she rubbed her eyes and looked closer out the window to see the pale blue sky above, with the sun hovering high above. Suddenly, she was wide awake.

"How is it—?" she asked out loud as she pushed herself up. "I know it's my off day, but I don't usually sleep in this late!"

She quickly jumped from the bed, ignoring the drowsiness in her body, and hurried to the other side of the loft.

"Link?" she called down, peering over the wooden railing to look into the living and dining area. Link was nowhere to be seen. Without a second thought, she moved and hurried down the stairs before opening the door to the house in order to call his name again into the snowy outdoors.

"What?" a voice called back to her. From the side of the house, Link appeared in her vision, confused by the sudden call of his name. "Zelda, what is it?"

"You're here," Zelda sighed in relief as he walked towards her, though this only caused a frown to form on Link's face.

"I'm just doing yard work," he said, failing to keep the annoyance out of his tone. "I didn't run off."

"That's not what I meant," Zelda shot back, forming a frown of her own. Before she could continue, she shivered as a sudden cool breeze passed by them. She looked down to see that she was still wearing nothing but the old tunic she had thrown on the night before.

"You should get inside, it's cold," Link said as he turned to go back to where he was in the yard.

"Y-yes… Of course," Zelda replied as she watched him walk away. Again, she could tell that he was paying her defenseless state no mind. Frustrated, before he could get far, she called out his name again, prompting him to turn around. "D-don't come back inside, at least not until you hear me call for you."

"What?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just don't!" Zelda affirmed. "Just… Just wait until I call for you, all right?"

"Yeah… Yeah, if that's what you want," Link accepted.

Though again he seemed as though he wanted to question her further, he simply returned to the side of the house where he had been working. After watching for a moment to ensure he would stick to his promise, Zelda retreated back into the home and closed the door behind her. With a deep breath, she turned and leaned her back against the door.

Again, he didn't take any note of me, whether purposeful or not, Zelda thought. She glanced down at her lower half, where most of her legs remained bare and completely visible. Allowing her frustration to fester, she furrowed her brow. Fine then. Prima was right, sometimes you just need to give people a proper push.

Allowing her newfound motivation to propel her, she hurried up the stairs where she opened the nightstand and pulled out the darkened outfit. With a few more words of self-encouragement, she pulled her old tunic off and got dressed into the new one. Once the dress had covered her legs and the apron was on she moved to the desk where she prepared her hair, choosing to tie the longer parts back into a ponytail instead of her usual braid in order to give prominence to the headpiece. When she felt she was properly dressed, she stood and twisted her body to examine herself.

This is still extremely embarrassing, she thought to herself. As if it had never gone away, the heat in her cheeks had started to burn brighter and her breathing became a bit heavier. Despite this, she took a deep breath. I will get you to look at me, regardless of how improper it is.

With her resolve boiling in her already hot chest, she turned towards the stairs, however, before she could reach them, she gave a sharp, high-pitched sneeze.

Is it dusty up here? Zelda thought to herself, taking a handkerchief from the writing desk she now stood by to clean her nose. I never got to clean up here after what happened before. I should finish that later on.

After properly wiping her nose, she hurried down the stairs before stopping in front of the door.

Okay. Here I go.

...

Shifting through the snow on the cliffside yard next to the house, Link busied himself with whatever sticks seemed to have fallen from the pondside tree, possibly thanks to the heavy amounts of snow that sat on the branches. He couldn't imagine the horses were having a great time stepping on the splintered wood, hidden beneath the white powder just waiting to pierce through their ankles. Though this was the only thing on his mind when he started, after his recent interaction with Zelda, he wasn't able to keep his thoughts away from her.

She really thinks I'll disappear at any time, huh? He thought as he pulled another stick from the snow, adding it to the bundle he now held in one of his arms. I only went to one place, it was for a good reason, and she doesn't even really know if I went or not… I wouldn't have to hide it—and she wouldn't be so nervous— if she would just listen to me every now and then. Is that so much to ask for?

Though he internally continued to complain, slowly the thought of her standing in the doorway began to appear in his mind. She had been subconsciously propped on the toes of her bare feet in response to the frosty wooden floor, with her smooth legs completely out in the open. The tunic she wore was a tease, just barely covering her lower hips, though it clung enough to her waist to show the curves in her body, though it failed to hide her collarbone. From there, her lips shined at him, and the only thing that could pull his gaze away from them were the large pair of emerald eyes, obstructed just slightly by a few strands of silky, golden hair from the bedhead she woke up with.

Link slightly gritted his teeth.

I feel like she's been exposing herself a bit more than usual, he thought as he moved to another part of the yard. It's getting harder not to look. With everything going on, it doesn't feel right to. But…

"Link!" Zelda's voice suddenly called. "C-can you come inside, please?"

Already? I thought whatever she needed to prepare would take longer; I haven't calmed down yet, Link thought to himself as he looked back at the house. Still, he brought his free hand up and lightly tapped his cheek. "I'm coming! Give me a second."

Heading back to the house, he set the pile of sticks he had collected next to the stable side before brushing any snow that had attached to his sweater off. He walked around to the front of the house and towards the entrance, where he saw the door had been closed. Placing his hand on the handle, he inhaled.

Calm down, now isn't the time for those sorts of thoughts, he said internally as he closed his eyes. Besides, as bold as she's become, she's still sorta royalty. She wouldn't want to jump to those things regardless of how things are right now, so stop it. You've got more important things to worry about, so go in there and deal with whatever it is she has for me and then get back to work.

Exhaling the breath he had been holding he opened the door, only to be greeted by Zelda, sitting on her knees in the middle of the floor, dressed in what he could only guess was a maid outfit. With a bright red face, she gave her best attempt at a smile.

L-Link…" she managed to stutter out after a moment of silence between the two. "W-well, I guess, I should actually be calling you M… M-Master Link, shouldn't I? That's what the mistresses in the castle would call you before, and even Paya if I remember correctly, isn't that ri— Hey!"

The door slammed closed, with Link standing outside in the snow. Expressionless, he stood frozen in place before he brought his fingers up and rubbed his eyes.

Maybe I really haven't been getting enough sleep, he thought. This is what I get for thinking the way I have been about her. It's not exactly fair, but fine, I accept it. Now, pull yourself together.

After taking another second to collect himself, he opened the door again only to find Zelda still sitting on the floor, and though she was still red in the face, her brow was furrowed in annoyance.

"That was awfully rude, Li— erm— Master Link," she said sourly.

"Zelda, what is this?" Link asked tonelessly as he closed the door behind him. Zelda's face started to burn even brighter.

"W-well, it's come to my attention that you've been serving me for quite some time now," she said, averting her eyes as she spoke. "Even as a lover and not as a knight, you still do a lot for me that I possibly don't realize, so, I-I've decided to make an attempt to r-return the favor."

"And you've decided to do that by?" Link urged with a furrowed brow.

"B-by… By s-serving y-you, for o-once…" Zelda stammered out quietly. "A-as of right now, I-I shall be in y-your care."

An uncomfortable silence began to fill the room. With how she was squirming around and averting her gaze, for her it looked as though the air itself had become water. For Link, however, it was as if the air had stopped existing entirely. Though he didn't let it show, every nerve in his body was screaming at him to snatch her into his arms. Despite his inner urges, he held back.

"Where did you get this idea from?" he asked, though he already had a pretty good idea who was behind it.

"T-that doesn't matter!" Zelda said. "I-is that all you have to say? I'm pushing through all of this heat to do this for you…"

"Heat?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow at her as she continued to fume.

"T-this is embarrassing!" she exclaimed. "Extremely embarrassing, and despite that, yet again, you aren't taking any note of my actions!"

"Zelda, what are you talking about?" Link asked, yet Zelda had retreated, closing her eyes and lowering her head.

"I just wanted to do something nice for you," she said after a few more silent moments. "I-I want you to be able to look at me again."

Link frowned. He hadn't realized that she noticed how his actions changed around her. It was unbeknownst to him whether she truly knew the reason behind it, but regardless it was clear that she was trying to do something about it. Still fighting back his inner self, he ran his fingers through his hair.

"You say that, but," he began as he glanced around the house, "you look like a maid, and yet there isn't really anything to do. The house is fairly clean, lunch was already made, and the horses are tended to. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure how much service you could be of, Zel."

"...doesn't have to be…" Zelda mumbled, still looking down at her knees.

"What was that?" Link asked. "Can you stand, please?"

"Is that an order?" she asked, now a bit louder than before. The demon inside Link's chest only grew, with Zelda's next words only egging it on even further. "I-I asked if that was an order, M-Master Link…"

"Are you really going to make me order you around?" Link muttered, yet when Zelda didn't stand, he pursed his lips. "S-stand, Zelda."

That's a weird feeling, Link thought as he watched Zelda obeyed and pushed herself up from the floor. I just mimicked how she would've said it back in the castle before the Calamity, but saying it myself gives a different kind of weight to it.

Once Zelda was properly to her feet, he cleared his throat.

"So, what was it you said a moment ago?" he asked.

"I-I said… I s-said that it doesn't have to be housework," Zelda mumbled, "o-or anything like that. Y-you can o-order me to do whatever it is you w-want."

"I-I…" Link stuttered.

This was becoming unbearable. It wasn't until she stood did he notice how close they really were. He could more clearly make out the redness in her cheeks and how heavy her breathing was. Even now, she continued to squirm, almost shaking as if her legs would give out under the pressure. If he didn't know better, he would have assumed she was ready; she wanted him. Yet, the small piece of his mind that remained strong pushed the thought away. She had to be embarrassed, and that alone.

She had given him way too much power, so much so that his mind had already begun creating multiple ideas, ones he could never express without feeling guilty. He had to return at least some of the privileges given to him, or he would ask for things he couldn't take back. Trying to control his own breaths he managed to continue speaking.

"I-I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what to ask you to do for me," he lied. "If you want to do something for me, then I'll listen to— no— I order you to come up with something to do that you believe would benefit me."

There, Link continued internally. She should still consider it a command, yet I don't have to force her to do anything. If I really gave her an order in this state, I'd put us in a situation that would make me lose control—

"Your muscles," Zelda said quietly as she continued looking down at the floor. Link's heart practically stopped.

"Huh?"

"Your muscles… They're tight aren't they?" Zelda continued. "Now that I'm working, when I clean for long periods of time, I get stiff. While I don't see a lot, I do see bits of what you take care of even when I'm not around. You refill the hay, take care of the yard, and carry most of our necessities. You're always doing heavy labor, so… you must be stiff, right?"

"Maybe? I haven't really been paying attention to stuff like that," Link answered, "Why do you ask?"

"W-well, you're in charge of my actions, so you may refuse if you'd like, but…" Zelda said, now playing with her fingers. "I-It's common knowledge that keeping your muscles tender will allow them to heal and loosen up properly, so… If I had to come up with a way to s-service you then… M-Master Link, may I please massage your muscles for you?"

"You may."

He had answered before he could think about the words coming out of his mouth. Even if he hadn't noticed his body was stiff before, he most certainly became aware of just how rigid it was after realizing what he had agreed to. While his brain continued to malfunction, Zelda (who seemed to be practically melting under her own body heat) nodded in acceptance.

"O-okay, then how should we…?" she mumbled to herself. She began looking around before her eyes landed on the loft above. "R-right, then, I-I believe I know how to… um… go about this— if you'll let me— so, will you please follow me?"

Unable to trust whatever words would potentially come out of his mouth, Link simply nodded, allowing Zelda to take the lead. Slowly, the two began to make their way up the stairs. Following her, he glanced upwards, only to have his eyes immediately land on her hips swaying in front of him as she walked. Internally, he cursed at himself.

By the time the two reached the bed, Zelda's breath had become noticeably deeper. She turned to face Link, with unusual eyes, as if lost in whatever fantasy she conducted while thinking about the plan she had sporadically come up with. Her entire face had become impossibly red as body heat seemed to radiate from her, a sight that Link couldn't help but swallow at.

"T-then, if you'll please remove your sweater," Zelda requested.

"What?" Link asked. "Is that really necessary?"

"I-I wouldn't be able to feel your muscles through such a thick sweater, would I?" she explained.

To Link's surprise, her voice had become much more composed, similar to the tone she put on at the inn during work hours, yet much softer. Combined with the look in her eyes, it was like her brain had turned off as she fell deeper into her dreamlike state, something that he unwillingly felt himself beginning to slip into as well. He began to remove his sweater, pulling it up and over his shoulders before dropping it on the floor. Pushing his surprise even further, Zelda didn't comment on his sloppiness, with her instead just nodding and gesturing towards the bed. Though he had purposefully given Zelda more control over the situation, by the second it seemed like she was completely taking over. Deciding that he couldn't look at her red and continuously radiating features, he climbed onto the bed and laid down on his stomach before pressing his face into the pillow.

"So, what now?" Link asked in a muffled voice, trying to match the same level of calmness his lover currently had.

"J-just… Um… stay there, and don't move," he heard Zelda answer.

She must need to pull up a chair, Link thought as he listened to her shuffle around. Though it was already dark having his face shoved in the pillow, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Thank the goddess, that gives me just a few seconds to get myself under control. If it really is just a massage, then I can handle—

Suddenly, he felt something much heavier than a pair of hands press against his lower back. Though heavier, it was softer and hot. He felt as though his body would melt. A few seconds later, he felt cloth beginning to drape around the warmth that now sat on top of him.

"Zelda, wait a sec—" Link said, pushing himself up to turn around, yet the pair of hands he had expected now pushed down on the back of his head, keeping him firmly in the pillow.

"Don't!" she said loudly, losing the composure she had before. "D-don't… I-if you look at me now I'll… I'll most likely run away out of embarrassment…"

"Z-Zelda, really, you don't have to," Link tried to argue in a muffled voice as she continued to press into his hair. "You don't have to do this for me—"

"Of course, I don't have to!" Zelda said. "B-but… D-do you not like a woman who just wants to do this for the person she loves?"

Don't say that… Link thought.

He gripped the sheets under his hands, fighting to keep control of the raging beast, yet the rest of his body relaxed. Supposedly taking this as a sign that she could safely continue, he could feel her thin fingers pull away from his hair before she began adjusting herself on top of him. He could feel her bare thighs under her skirt, warm succulent moving across his skin, trying to find a comfortable position before settling, where he could feel a much warm spot not pressing against him near the center.

Before he could mentally prepare himself for the thought of what sat on top of him, he could feel her fingers beginning to softly run down his back, tracing every muscle and crevice that made up his strength as if she were studying him. The darkness heightened his senses to an unusual degree, even more so than the adrenaline rush when he fought. Over his pounding heart, he could hear the faint rustling of the sheets beneath him every time she slightly adjusted and the strangely deep breaths she was taking despite her clear attempts to calm down. He could feel her begin rubbing her fingers along more than just his muscles, but now each and every scar that tainted his skin, each a reminder of the pain he had accumulated through his battles.

"I can feel it," Zelda whispered. "The knots in your body, the places where you tense up the most. I wonder if I can truly get them out… I guess there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Stop talking, Link thought. You're making it so difficult to keep it in…

Finally, he could feel her beginning to press down, using her fingers to guide the pressure into his body. It started with simple pokes and light presses until he could soon feel her rubbing her small palms against him entirely. Her technique, in actuality, wasn't the best, and yet, Link felt nothing less than ecstasy at each touch.

With every stroke, she leaned forward to graze his neck before making her way down, trying to find a new route each time in order to cover his entire surface. Every time she started at the top, he could feel her thighs gently clench against his back, trying to stay upright as she found a position to travel down his hills once more. As the seconds passed, his sensitivity heightened. The heat was beginning to become unbearable where she sat and it couldn't have been just him. The longer she sat, the more moisture felt. He could feel every sweatdrop that formed on her legs fall onto his back, yet this wasn't even the worst downpour he could sense. With this working in unison with her touch, it didn't help that Zelda's breaths had become more ragged, giving the impression that she was holding something back as well.

"M-Master Link? Does this feel… nice?" she whispered, unable to raise her voice any higher.

"It… does…" Link managed to spit out, yet Zelda's hands stopped moving.

"Y-you still look so tense…" she said, unable to contain the level of sadness in her voice. "You don't like this, do you? You always keep a fine line between us… I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have pushed this on you. I just…"

Suddenly, he could feel more water falling onto his back, yet he could tell it wasn't from the heat pressing against him. Her already heavy breathing had become more sporadic as it became hard for her to speak.

"I-I'm sorry…" she managed to whimper out. He could hear her rubbing her hands against her cheeks. To his surprise, he felt the weight on top of him beginning to lighten. "I'm sorry… I-I'll move—"

"Hold on!"

Before she could completely remove herself, Link had spun around on the bed. Before his brain could tell him otherwise, he placed his hands on her hips and tightly held her in place. Zelda froze, shocked by the sudden movement and grip now firmly holding her down. Though she had quickly made to get off of him, now she looked as if she wanted nothing more than to stay exactly where she was. Despite this, the moment their eyes locked, she squeaked.

"W-wait!" she said, covering her face with her hands. "Y-you weren't supposed to turn around!"

"I thought I was in charge here…" Link mumbled. Guessing that she wouldn't move even with her current reaction, he removed his hands from her hips and took her by the wrists. "I want to see your face."

Zelda rapidly shook her head, yet Link simply furrowed his brow.

"It wasn't a request," he said sternly. "That was an order."

Gently, he began to pull her hands away to reveal her large, watery green eyes. Her face had started glowing red, allowing for the tear tracks on her cheeks to stand out more so than they usually would have. The longer he looked into her irises, the more he could feel her body begin to shake, and soon, his own breathing had begun to match her ragged breaths.

"I am enjoying it," he said, refusing to break eye contact with her. "I know I've been keeping a line between us, but… I just wanted to make sure you were ready. Plus… We've been going through a rough patch recently. It's been a rough week for you, hasn't it?"

As tears began to fall, Zelda nodded her head.

"I just… I don't know what to do…" she managed to say as tears began to fall again. "I hate feeling so… disconnected from you, in every regard."

"Yeah… same…" Link said. "Maybe we should… talk, later."

"Later?" Zelda asked quietly. "Not now?"

"No," Link said shortly. He released her hands before taking her by the waist. Without warning, he leaned his body back, allowing his head to hit the pillows with Zelda now fully on top of him.

"L-Link?" Zelda said meekly. Yet, the grip on her waist tightened.

"I'm in control, right?" he growled. "And that means I can do whatever I want. Sorry, but I can't control myself anymore. Not after that show. You're prepared, aren't you?"

Gently, Zelda pushed herself up with her arms in order to look down into the eyes of the beast. Slowly, she nodded. The heat in the room seemed to multiply, and most of it seemed to radiate from her body. She carefully began to lower herself, wanting nothing more than to press her lips against his. With his hands still on her waist, he began to wrap his arms around her completely. Link began to raise his head, and in response, Zelda closed her eyes, ready for him to devour her. Yet, their lips never met.

Losing strength in her arms, Zelda crashed back down on top of him, with her chin now resting heavily on Link's shoulder. Confused, he looked over at her.

"What the—Wait a second!" Link said loudly, propping himself up onto his elbow as Zelda lay limply on top of him. "Don't tell me you're tired now! We aren't done here— hey. Hey. Zelda! Are you alright? Hey!"

Zelda's breathing had become even more rugged than before, with her practically gasping for breaths now. Pushing her upright as best he could, Link pressed the pack of his hand to her forehead.

"You're burning up!" Link said worriedly. "You have a fever! How long have you been like this? Here, lay down… That's it…"

Gently he laid Zelda back onto the mattress, resting her head carefully on the pillows. With her back now to the sheets, her breaths had become slightly easier, yet her eyes remained closed. Sweat dripped from her forehead as the red in her cheeks continued to prevail. Link frowned.

"This isn't good," Link mumbled to himself as he climbed out of the bed in order to properly cover her with the sheets. "What am I supposed to do now?"