Zelda slowly opened her eyes, revealing the faint orange glow from the fire down below. She yawned and sat up from the bed, looking down to see she hadn't removed her dress or even bothered to cover herself with the sheets. She figured she must've passed out from the lack of sleep from the past few days. She didn't bother looking out the covered window, knowing full well she wouldn't see anything that could tell her how long she was out. What she could tell though, was everything seemed rather quiet. Her ears twitched, yet all she could hear was the crackling of the flames and the ever-so-slight creak of the house. The wind outside had ceased, or at least calmed.

With a frown, she swung her legs over and slowly pushed herself to her feet. Walking over to the railing, she peered into the downstairs area. It was the same view she saw every time she looked down: the fire burning on the floor, keeping the place warm while dimly lighting the house, with Link sitting nearby at the table. Nothing had changed.

Allowing her fingers to slip off from the wooden rail, she quietly made her way downstairs before glancing over at Link again. Judging by the bags under his eyes, it looked as though he hadn't slept, at least not recently. She didn't comment on this, knowing full well how the conversation would pan out. Instead— just as she had been doing for the last few days— she made her way to the counter, ready to grab whatever food she could find. It wasn't long before she noticed the unfamiliar bottle sitting on its surface.

She took the bottle in hand. Noticing it was open, she lifted it up and gave it a sniff. The moment the foul odor of flavoring hit her nostrils, she ever so slightly recoiled before looking back at Link. Gently, setting the bottle down, she cleared her throat as best she could.

"H-have you been drinking?" she asked, her voice hoarse from how little she had spoken in the past few days.

"I have," Link answered without looking at her. His gaze was stuck on the wall covered with the century-old weapons, glistening against the fire's orange glow.

"Are… Are you sure you should be—?"

"It's fine, Zelda," he said simply. "This isn't as strong as what Prima made that night."

"B-but—"

"It's fine," he insisted. "I'm of age. Besides, I've only had one cup."

Silence grew between them for a few seconds before Zelda attempted to speak again.

"But there are two cups on the table…" she said quietly.

Link looked away from the weapons, glancing past his empty cup and bowl. He stared at the second empty cup at the other end of the table before looking back at the wall.

"We had a visitor last night," he said simply. "I'm sure you can guess who it was."

"Him?" Zelda asked disingenuously. When Link gave a slight nod, she glanced around the spotless house. Deeming a scuffle had not taken place, she took a silent breath and asked, "and what did he want? He simply came for a drink?"

"He came to challenge me," Link said, choosing to ignore the tone in her voice. "I'll be heading to Hyrule Castle when the snow has cleared enough."

"Even without the slate?" Zelda asked.

"I'll go on foot if I have to. I've journeyed like that before."

Zelda stood still at the counter, staring across the fire where Link sat. He was so close, and yet she never felt so far away from him. As much as she wanted to stop him, there wasn't a point. He was telling her what his plan was, and she knew there wasn't any room for debate.

"If that is what you wish, then I won't stand in your way," she quietly said. "In fact… I plan to return to work soon, now that the winds have calmed. Prima's hands are most likely full with how many people are stranded in the inn. She could use the help."

"I'm sure she could. Just be careful on your way there."

"Thank you, I will," Zelda answered. The emptiness in her stomach had disappeared, having now moved to sit in the depths of her heart. Disregarding whatever snack she would have found, she left the counter and headed back to the stairs. The moment she placed her foot on the first step though, she paused and glanced back at Link. "Do be careful on your way to the castle… please."

"I'll be as careful as I can. Don't worry."

With a slight nod, Zelda disappeared up the stairs, leaving Link alone once more.

...

Days passed and slowly the powdered snow began to loosen up. Though it remained thick and high, with the help of the wind and a few heaves from Link pushing against the door, the wall of snow moved aside, allowing them freedom from the home. With the door now open, Zelda prepared herself the following morning, dressing in preparation to head to the inn. Instead of just her usual dress, she had pulled her old white and furry royal winter gear out from the dresser, choosing to take the cloak to wrap over her shoulders and the pants and boots for underneath the long skirt.

With her tight black pants now hugging her legs and her dress now covering them, she wrapped the furry cloak around her before beginning to tie it. As she tied, she glanced over at the window over the bed. Though most of it was still covered, the snow at the very top had blown away, allowing very faint rays of light to shine through the glass pane. She stared at the rays of light, pausing her fingers for just a moment to watch them glimmer before giving a gentle sigh. There just wasn't much she could do; she knew she wouldn't be the only one leaving the house today.

Finishing the knot on her cloak, she headed down the stairs, stopping when she got to the bottom to look around the room. Just like the window upstairs, the ones on the first floor also had begun to clear, letting the faint morning light in to brighten the room. Thanks to this, the fire had been put out and the place had even been tidied up, though the person she assumed had done the cleaning was still sitting at the dining table. If she hadn't known any better, she would've thought a spirit had cleaned up for him.

"I'll be on my way then," she said. After Link nodded, she went to the door and placed her hands on the freezing handle. Before she pulled, though, she looked back one last time. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"It's not about what I want to do, Zelda," Link said firmly, still staring at the wall of weapons. "This is what I have to do. I hope you'll come to understand that."

"And I hope you'll come to understand why I can't," she replied quietly. "Please… make it back safely."

"I will."

After a second of hesitation, Zelda pulled the door open and disappeared into the snow. She closed the door behind her and rested her back against its wooden front. As cold as it was outside (even with all of her extra clothing), nothing was as cold as the fear inside her chest. After a few more moments, she closed her eyes in an attempt to control the tears forming in their corners before forcing her boots through the thick snow.

From inside the home, Link's ears twitched from the kitchen table, listening to the fading crunch of snow. The moment the sound disappeared completely, he took a breath of his own. It was time. He sat at the table for a minute longer, taking in the sight of the weapons on the wall, etching every detail into his memory before standing. After pushing the kitchen chair in, he headed to and up the staircase.

She hadn't taken the slate with her. She must've known had she brought it out, he would've taken it from her. He knew she couldn't have taken it outside the house; the snow was far too deep for her to go elsewhere by the time she had made the decision to hide it. It had to be here. He slowly walked through the loft, eying every piece of furniture carefully. The writing desk, the dresser, the bed– his eyes inspected them all before landing on the nightstand.

She's hidden things in there before, he thought to himself as he stepped toward it. Just like when I found that letter she wrote to me after Maz Koshia…

He opened the drawer before feeling around the clothing that had piled up inside of it over the last few months. Before he had found a letter there, written to him from Zelda in case she didn't get the chance to see him before his final trial with Koshia. Unlike before, nothing was sitting under the clothes or near the back. Furrowing his brow, Link stooped to his knees and looked underneath the stand's stubby little legs. With a hum, he stood, ready to look elsewhere before stopping. With a final idea, he gripped each side of the stand by the sides before pulling it back entirely. Glancing behind, there he saw the ancient device, sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall.

No one ever looks behind the furniture, he thought as he grabbed the slate and straightened himself. She must've picked that up from cleaning with Prima. I wouldn't have guessed to look there otherwise.

With a tap, the screen brightened. He swiped through its contents before landing on the familiar blue and white accented tunic, still decorated with the leather fittings Zelda had added to it before. Selecting it and in a flash of blue strings, the tunic appeared in his arms. Replacing the one he had been wearing for the past few days with that, he tapped the screen again and began swiping through before his eyes landed on another familiar icon in the weapons tab. Though small, he would always recognize the purple wings of the hilt. He made to tap on it, and yet, he pulled his finger back, instead choosing to turn the slate off.

Attaching it to his hip, he turned and strode his way back down the stairs to the table. He reached out, passing the empty cups and bowl before gripping the handle of the curved blade that had remained on the table's surface. Equipping it to his back, he stared around the dim house once more, staring at the few rays of light that showed through before furrowing his brow in focus.

He hurried out the door of the house, flinching only slightly at the cold around him. Taking the slate once more, he tapped on the icon containing the few remaining spicy elixirs they had left. Downing the bottle that appeared in his hand, he slid his finger across the screen a few more times before tapping on his most recently acquired rune. Blue lights shot from out of the slate and into the air before coming back down to form the mechanical stallion he had driven off a cliff a few months back.

"Alright," he spoke to the machine, placing a hand on its dark-plated neck. "Teleporting into the castle or even nearby could be dangerous, depending on if he set up any traps for me. Epona isn't here, so it's up to you. This is our first journey together, and it's an important one. Don't let me down."

He moved his hand up, gliding it across the stone-line material before gripping the handle. Immediately the beast reacted. Its small circular and long lights spanned across its body and began to shine a bright blue and orange while its organs began vibrating. With the beast now humming with life, Link jumped onto its seat while taking its second handle in hand. Twisting the right bar, the cycle's back wheel began to rapidly spin, spraying snow behind it before shooting forward.

Link raced across the bridge and down the hill, passing the construction house displays before reaching the Hateno Village sign. He twisted the left handle, coming to a stop right underneath it before looking down at one of the gauges between the bars.

"That should be just enough energy to get me to the castle," he mumbled. "Alright, then, Yiga… I'm coming for you."

With another twist of the handlebar, he sped down the path and through the mountains, heading for the castle that sat far in the snowy distance.

...

"Zelda?" Prima asked, stopping her journey through the inn's lobby with sheets in her arms, watching as Zelda forced her way through the large front double doors. "What are you doing here? I wouldn't say it's safe to come out yet if I'm being honest."

"Hello there, Prima," Zelda answered with a weak smile as she closed the doors behind her. "I apologize for coming so suddenly, I just… felt as though I should be doing more than just staying stuck inside. I know it's still dangerous, but I wanted to help wherever I could. If you'll let me, that is."

Prima furrowed her brow.

"And what about Link?" she asked.

"Link is…" Zelda hesitated. She averted her eyes as her fingers gripped the skirt of her dress before relaxing her body as best she could. "He's decided to face his demons on his own. There's nothing more I can do. I'm just… in his way."

The clerk raised her eyebrow, and though she seemed intrigued, she simply nodded.

"Well, you're here now, so you might as well be useful," she said, shifting the basket to her side. "Things have really been backing up with so many people here at once. The kitchen smells awful from all the dishes piling up. If you could handle those, that would be really—"

"Why are you here?"

Both looked up at the staircase behind the clerk, to see two women standing above them. While one of them was waving with an awkward smile, the other (who Zelda could easily guess was the one who spoke up) glared down at the golden-haired girl.

"Jules, I really don't think you should deal with this right now," the awkward woman said quietly. "You're still upset about what happened—"

"Shush, Celessa," Jules said, refusing to break eye contact with Zelda. "I asked why you were here."

"Is it that much of a surprise to you?" Zelda replied, now annoyed. "I work here. I also came to help for obvious reasons. Now, if you'll excuse us—"

"You left him?"

"He left me!" Zelda shouted.

The room grew colder than the air outside. It was as if the air itself had frozen with how thick the aura between them had become. Zelda's breaths had grown heavy from her scream, yet her eyes didn't break away from her assailant. Slowly, Jules began to walk down the stairs, refusing to break the contact between them. Clessa nervously followed behind, glancing over at Prima for support, yet the clerk silently stood in place as she sternly watched the event start to unfold.

"What do you mean he left?" Jules asked as she stepped onto the lobby floor.

"To put it simply, he left," Zelda repeated. "He went to find that supposed Yiga that's been running around."

"You let him leave?" Jules asked aggressively. "Why? Why would you do that?"

"Because I couldn't stop him!" Zelda answered. "He claimed I was in his way! Why does it even matter to you? This is exactly what you wanted!"

"I wanted him to take care of the Yiga safely!" Jules replied. "He clearly can't handle it now! You saw what happened that night—!"

"Oh, so now you're on my side?" Zelda shouted. "I've been saying he shouldn't go after this Yiga at all! I wanted him to rest; to slow down before he did something he was bound to regret! That's what I've wanted! This is absolutely ridiculous! Is nothing I do correct in your eyes?"

"Yeah! Nothing," Jules said bluntly. "Did you not hear what I said earlier? I wanted him to safely go after the Yiga. That's different from you! You've been acting like the Yiga hasn't existed this entire time!"

"There's no one here!" Zelda screamed. "Have any of you actually seen this assassin? Any of you?"

She violently turned her head, glancing at each and every face before turning her attention back to Jules.

"Not a single person has seen him, at all," she continued. "Not one. He's not in the right state of mind! He's paranoid! But you just had to show up and support his sleepless hallucinations!"

"And even though you believe that, you still let him go?" Jules asked."You let him go out despite that?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Zelda asked. "Tell me! What could I have done? His mind was made up, Jules. He wouldn't listen, not anymore. Do you want to know why he wouldn't listen? You."

Zelda pointed a finger at Jules's nose.

"I had him under control. I was doing my best to keep him safe and in the house, and then you came along and reassured this nonsense in his mind," she threw at her. "He truly believes there's a Yiga in this village after him because of you. Riding off of cliffs from lack of focus, throwing snowballs at villagers, swinging around a sword when he should be resting, punching Manny, fooling himself into believing he and that assassin shared a drink—"

"What?" Jules suddenly interrupted. "Pause. What was that last part?"

"Drinking!" Zelda shouted. "He was drinking last night. He had multiple cups out, pretending as though the Yiga had come into our home to share a nice moment with him. He's completely tricked himself into believing that assassin actually came."

"So Link didn't leave to go find the Yiga," Jules put together, "he left to go fight him?"

Zelda paused before furrowing her brow.

"Are you serious?" she asked angrily. "Do not tell me you believe this—"

"Of course, I believe this!" Jules answered fiercely. "He can't fight like that! How could you do that? How could you just let him go?"

"I ask you, again, what was I supposed to do?" Zelda asked. "He won't listen to me anymore! I am powerless here!"

"Did you even try?"

"I did what I could," Zelda said. "But, as I've I told you, he said to stay out of his way. That's what he said, and by this point, that's all I can to do. I can't do anything more, Jules."

"No…" Jules said, balling her fist in fury. "No… Right now, you're choosing not to do anything."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said," Jules said, beginning to pace. "You didn't even attempt to stop him. I can't believe you—"

"And what would you have done?" Zelda asked, moving to stand in front of Jules's pacing body. "Wait, let me make a guess. Tell him that he's right? Play into this fantasy of his?"

"I would have tried to be there for him as best I could!" Jules said loudly. "He's supposed to be your lover, right? You're supposed to be there for him! I thought you were the only one who understood Link!"

"That's not Link!" Zelda screamed. The room grew quiet once more, allowing her to catch her breath. Her body shook as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "That isn't Link… He changed. Something in him changed after the trials— No, after waking up from his hundred-year slumber. Before, it was fine—even great— to see those changes. He was more open, more assertive, and most importantly, he treated me like an actual person. Even though he tried his best to keep his knightly persona, it always broke in some way. But this… This is someone completely different! Those trials did something… The person I understood isn't there anymore. The Link I know wouldn't do this! He would listen and understand that—"

She didn't get to finish. Without warning, she felt something slam against her cheek and chin. She stumbled back, bringing her hand up to her mouth before falling to the ground. Her back crashed against the lobby's front desk, also hitting the back of her head from the force of the fall. With a gasp, Celessa instantly made to move toward Zelda, yet Prima quickly blocked her, placing a hand on the traveler's chest. Confused, Celessa silently questioned the clerk with her eyes, yet the answer she received was a simple shake of the head.

"Sorry," Jules said tonelessly, now massaging her wrist with her good hand, "but I couldn't listen to any more of that."

Zelda whimpered in pain. Keeping a hand on her mouth, she brought the other to the back of her now-pounding head. The tears in her eyes had grown even larger as she tried to hold her gasps in.

"What… What is wrong with you?" she finally managed to ask in a stifled voice. "How could you—?"

"You know, back in Gerudo Town all those months ago… I gave up on Link," Jules continued on. "Remember when we cooked together? When you made that meal for him that morning? It was at that moment I had willingly lost hope for myself. I didn't like you… But that didn't mean you weren't good for him, and when I saw how hard you were trying to make a good dish… I could tell you really cared; that you really loved him. At least… that's what I thought."

"What?" Zelda asked, looking up at Jules's cold eyes as she took a step closer to her.

"Before, I thought I saw someone who was working hard to make the one she loved happy," Jules explained. "But, right now… I don't see someone in love. All I see is a spoiled little princess who thinks of her so-called lover as her perfect knight instead of a person."

"I'm sorry?" Zelda asked, trying her best to recollect herself. "I've always stated I don't go by my title, and I've constantly reminded Link that he isn't my knight anymore! I've said that since we were reunited!"

"And yet, when things get hard, you expect him to act like he still is," Jules said with a dull look. "A person with no fault, even when they're in pain."

"That's not what I'm saying," Zelda said coldly. "You don't understand. That's what I've been saying for—"

"No, you don't understand, Princess," Jules cut in again. "You're comparing him to how he used to be one hundred years ago— heck, even a few months ago. But have you ever seen him when he's struggling? When he's having a hard time? To you, as his princess, he always had to know what to do. To show you, who was always struggling as you love to remind everyone, that everything would be okay. To be there for you, even at your worst… Even during the hardest of times…"

Instantly, the image of a hundred years ago flew into Zelda's mind. The rainy hours past the Calamity's arrival, when she, after tripping over a fallen branch, fell to the ground when they were supposed to be running. When she started bawling her eyes out, Link consoled her, despite needing her to be at her best. Even during Koshia's trials, he still did his best to act as though he had everything under control, even when she wasn't being as helpful.

"You expect him to always come out okay," Jules continued. "That no matter what, he'll find a way to be that perfect knight you remember him being. But now that you supposedly aren't a princess… he's treating you like a real person. He's showing you his flaws… and all you've shown him is you can't handle them."

"T-that's… That's not what I…" Zelda stuttered, still holding her cheek. "I just… I just wanted him to heal… That's all—"

"And the best way you chose to do that was by silencing him?" Jules asked. "He told you his concerns, and yet all you did was call him anxious and foolish. Instead of consoling him, instead of helping, you told him to just sit down and reflect. You've only been ordering him around, expecting him to magically return to what you believe he should be."

"I…" Zelda stuttered again, yet nothing else came out. Her mouth had dried of any words.

"You know, Celessa told me a similar story a few weeks back," Jules said icily. "She told me about a father and his daughter in a similar situation… I guess the daughter didn't learn from her parent's mistakes."

"I did!" Zelda said suddenly. "I wanted Link to rest! To do the opposite of what I was told to do! That's what I was pushing for!"

"And in doing so, you became exactly what you were avoiding," Jules said bluntly.

Zelda's face turned white as the welling tears finally began running down her still-stinging cheek.

"Jules… I think that's enough, don't you?" Celessa spoke up. "I think you're taking this too far."

"I'm not taking this too far," Jules answered without turning her gaze away from Zelda. "Don't you understand? Don't you get what she said earlier means?"

"What are you getting at?" Cellesa asked, yet again looking at Prima, who stood silently next to her. "Prima, why aren't you stopping this?"

"Because she knows," Jules answered for her. "She caught it when I did. Zelda… You said that no one here saw the Yiga… but, you're wrong, aren't you?"

"H-huh?" Zelda managed out. Jules furrowed her brow as she looked down into the watery emerald eyes she had grown to despise so much.

"Link said he saw him, didn't he? At the table… having a drink with him. I wonder what they could have been talking about? Maybe whatever trap the assassin may be leading him to?"

Zelda's eyes grew wide. This had hit her far stronger than any smack from Jules could have. Celessa also stood, her mouth opening in surprise as Prima's brow furrowed even further.

"I-I… I need to go…" Zelda whispered. Suddenly, she began scrambling to her feet, using the desk behind her for support. "I need to get back before he leaves…"

"It's probably too late now," Jules said coldly. "He's probably long gone at this point—"

"No!" Zelda said in denial. "No… No, there's a chance. I hid it… I hid the slate! He could still be home… I.. I can catch him!"

"Zelda, wait!" Celessa again tried to intervene, yet with her balance recovered, Zelda began hurrying to the door. "Zelda!"

Zelda didn't answer. She forced the doors open before running out into the snow, even leaving them open behind her. Everyone stared at the doors, allowing the wind to blow through. Frustrated, Celessa turned to Jules.

"You took it too far!" she said loudly. "This lifestyle, Link's experiences— they're all new to her!"

"She needed a push, Celessa," Prima said. "And if Jules hadn't said anything, she might not have even realized what was going on."

"Y-yes, but… Hey!" Celessa said weakly, yet Jules said nothing. Silently, she headed back up the stairs, ignoring the traveler's calls. Unsure of what else to say, she turned back to the clerk. "Was there really nothing else we could do? I… I don't… I don't know who's right or wrong here…"

"There isn't always a right or wrong," Prima said. "Sometimes there's only the best we can offer."

...

Zelda ran through the thick snow as fast as she could, taking in deep breaths of the icy air. Her lungs froze, her head hurt, and her cheek burned, yet she pressed on. Step after step. Snow fell through the thin spaces between the leather and her leg. She ran to the fork in the road, yet skidded to a stop.

"No…" she mumbled to herself. She looked down at her feet where deep lines were etched into the snow's depth. Her eyes traced their path, watching as they led out the village gate. "No, no, no…"

Allowing denial to completely take over, she sprinted up the mountainside, past the display construction houses, and over the bridge, following the tracks right to the front of her house. She barged her way through the door before sporadically looking around.

"Link? Link?" she called out, but no one answered. Ignoring the burning in her legs, she hurried up the stairs, stopping right at the top. Instantly her eyes found the nightstand, slightly pulled out from against the wall. "Oh no…"

I'll be heading to Hyrule Castle when the snow has cleared enough.

She sank to her feet, repeating the words Link had spoken to her in her still-pounding head. Tears began to fall on the floorboards of the loft as she brought a hand to her chest, gripping the furry shawl that covered her shoulders. Suddenly, she looked down at the fur before angrily ripping it off her body, breaking the buttons that held it in place. With a sob, she threw it away, not bothering to even look where it landed. Unable to control her cries, she leaned over, now gripping her hands in prayer as her forehead hit the floor.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" she whimpered quietly. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Please… Please come home… Please…"

No one answered. No one came to her side. The house was empty, all except for her.