And you're the only person who can see him!
Replacing her father's, these words had now begun to constantly ring in Link's ears as he glided his hands across the bedspread in order to flatten it against the mattress. The sun had long since risen and Zelda, without saying more than one word in goodbye, had already disappeared to the inn. Not wanting to start an argument and make things tenser than they currently were, Link had chosen to simply let her go, despite his conscience warning him of the traveler that currently resided there. Besides, even he couldn't argue with himself against the fact that it was he who put them there in the first place with a snowball. Still, while this was the case, he couldn't help but still feel a bit irritated.
"I'm the only one who can see him," he mumbled as he fixed the pillows at the front of the bed. "Well, in case she hadn't noticed, I'm the only one keeping an eye out for him…"
He blew air through his nostrils in annoyance as he sat up and inspected his freshly made bed before turning to head down the stairs and out the house into the snow. As vexed as he was, he couldn't help but internally admit that what she said was true; after weeks of passing, he was the only one who had managed to catch a glimpse of what he half-heartedly believed to be the Yiga. The only other times he had seen what he believed to be him that others could see were only when he was believed to be a traveler in disguise, and yet, even this had a flaw he couldn't ignore: the travelers truly seemed like they were actual travelers.
"Are there really just some people in Hyrule I haven't met?" Link asked out loud as he turned towards the stables on the side of the house. "Does it really seem that crazy to believe that I've met everyone?"
He simply couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Each of the unknown travelers were strange. The first one who bumped into Zelda at the inn only stopped by for a moment and then chose to leave in the middle of the night, choosing not to rent a bed. The second one went down to a simple snowball, and regardless of what his lover claimed, a ball of snow shouldn't take out a person that has survived on such dangerous roads. Of course, not every traveler was the same. He had to admit to himself that he had met travelers that weren't the best at fighting, yet they always had their own tricks and skills; something that would help them survive.
"It also just seems a bit too coincidental that all these travelers I don't know want to appear right after I supposedly saw the Yiga here himself," Link mumbled as he went to pat Epona's muzzle. "But, then again… It's also unlike the Yiga to not attack when encountered. They're always impatient, yet these two haven't done anything."
Growling in frustration, he turned away from the stall and kicked the snow. In displeasure, the chestnut mare and the white stallion both whined at the sight of their tense master.
"Sorry… Sorry…" Link sighed as he turned back to his horse. "I know, I apologize to you too, Storm. I'm just… Well, I dunno what I am right now. What I do know is that it's time for you guys to eat."
After stroking his mare's silver mane, he looked over at the side of the stable house, where a pitchfork was leaned up against the wall. Furrowing his brow, he looked down at the snowy ground.
"And we're out of hay," he mumbled to himself. Taking a deep breath, he took the pitchfork in hand. "It looks like I have a morning workout ahead of me. I'll be back, you two."
The horses blew through their noses in response as Link rested the tool over his shoulder and began heading towards the bridge. Unfortunately, the words from earlier hadn't disappeared. In fact, only more of Zelda's accusations from yesterday had been added to his already jumbled mind.
How could you go against me like that?
Those words make me feel a bit nostalgic, he thought to himself as he crossed the bridge and continued into the village. I don't want to lie to her, but she doesn't believe me, just like everyone else, and it's not like I fully believe myself either…
With tired eyes, he looked up into the sky, watching as the darkened clouds overhead slowly floated by. For what he knew wasn't the first time, he wished he was one of the clouds; to fly without a care in the world, enjoying the view of the wilderness below them. He missed it, being in the wilds when he had first awoken from his century-long slumber. Of course, he was happy with Zelda here, and he wouldn't change that for anything the goddesses could offer him. He loved her. But what he did miss was that small bit of time, unable to remember the burden on his shoulders as he rode his horse through the fields and forests of the land he grew to love as he traveled.
"I wonder if I'll ever be able to ride that carefree again…" he mumbled to himself as he walked with his head in the clouds.
"Hey! Where's Princess Zelda!" a voice suddenly shouted in his ear. Link felt someone grab his arm in an attempt to pull him back, yet time had already begun to slow as he began to hold his breath.
How? He thought as he began to turn. How did I not notice them? I couldn't have been that lost in thought!
Quickly shaking his thoughts away, he looked at the person who had grabbed him from behind. It was another traveler, a woman this time. Furrowing his brow and noticing time returning to a normal pace, he began to twirl the pitchfork in his hands, readying it as if it were a trident before trusting it forward.
"Woah!" the woman yelled, side-stepping to avoid the stab before backing up as he brought the pitchfork to the side. "Hey! Wait a second—!"
Before she could finish her sentence, she noticed the pitchfork begin to spin around in Link's hands again. Barely reacting in time, she reached behind her and pulled out a simple traveler's sword that sat on her lower back and with immense struggle, she blocked the oncoming jabs aimed for her torso.
"So, you admit it then?" Link said as he prepared to attack again. "You really are going after Zelda first?"
"Link, it's me—!" the traveler tried to shout again, yet again, they were cut off.
Link once again thrust an attack that the traveler swung to deflect. It wasn't until a split second afterward did she realize the attack was a feint. Halfway through the attack, he brought the pitchfork upwards. The metal slammed against her wrist, causing the traveler to yelp as her blade flew into the air. She stumbled away, now holding her throbbing wrist as Link pulled the pitchfork back. Twirling the pitchfork again, he thrust one last time, except this time it was the end of the elongated handle that was aimed for her.
The rounded wooden point struck the traveler's leather armor in the stomach with a thud, sending her back into the snow. Bringing the pitchfork back, Link raised a hand before wrapping his fingers around the handle of the traveler's sword that had come falling back down. With the blade now in hand, he pointed it downwards at the woman's nose before she could do anything more.
"Wow… You're a great fighter, just as you always have been, Link," the woman said trying to catch her breath as she lay in the snow. "Still, Impa said you might be out of it, but do you really not recognize me?"
"I'll always be ready to— Wait, Impa?" Link asked. Dropping the pitchfork behind him, he rubbed his eyes before taking a closer look at her. "Celessa?"
"Hello!" she said with a bright smile. "It's good to see you, fellow adventurer!"
With a sigh, Link pulled the sword away from her nose before reaching his free hand out to her. When she took it, he pulled her up to her feet with a light heave. Now that she was on her feet and his adrenaline had calmed down, her features had easily become recognizable to him. She was a shorter Hylian woman, only just barely taller than himself. Of all the travelers he had met on his adventure, Celessa always seemed the most prepared thanks to her dangerous pilgrimages. She was dressed in thick, green leathers, decorated with a pair of high-rise boots, a large backpack, and a shield that hung over its side. To Link's surprise, even in the winter, she chose to sport her usual shorts. With a burr, she shook the snow off from her brown-haired ponytail.
"Whew, that snow is cold," she said as she shivered slightly.
"Celessa, what are you doing here?" Link asked as he handed her sword back to her. "I thought you were still on your pilgrimage to visit each of the three springs?"
"I'm here to see Princess Zelda, of course!" she said loudly, which caused his pointed ears to twitch as he winced. "But, actually, I'm glad I ran into you first! I can't believe you!"
"Look, I'm sorry for attacking you," Link grumbled as he picked up his pitchfork from the snow. "You surprised me, I didn't expect you to—"
"I don't care about that!" Celessa said just as loudly. "I'd be more surprised if you weren't on guard with her now living with you, seeing as you were the princess's appointed knight! No, I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
"Tell you what?" Link asked in an unamused tone.
"That you're the princess's appointed knight!" she repeated. "You're the one that got sealed away for healing one hundred years ago! You knew I was studying the past of the Royal Family, and you didn't say anything!"
"Sorry, but by the time we had met, I still hadn't even figured out what that meant," Link said as he threw the pitchfork back over his shoulder. "At least not fully. Besides, would you have believed me, anyway?"
"Yes!" Celessa said as she followed him as he began walking down the path again. "Maybe not at that moment, but I've told you before that I was lucky enough to come into Lady Impa's good graces! She would've confirmed it for me!"
"Yeah, speaking of which," Link said, glancing over at her. "You said earlier that Impa said something about me? And how did you know Zelda was here?"
"I knew because I finally heard the news of what happened back in Terrey Town a few months ago," Celessa explained excitedly. "A rumor that the Yiga appeared looking for the princess who had returned and paid a visit there!"
"Right, Tarrey Town…" Link sighed. "That feels so long ago now, I keep forgetting that's the reason people know she's around now."
"Can you imagine how I felt when I heard that?" Celessa continued. "I couldn't believe my ears! But, it also could have been someone simply claiming to be Princess Zelda or something got misunderstood when passing along the news, so I went to go see the person who would surely know the truth—"
"Impa," Link said lazily, having practically put everything together by now, yet he knew there was no stopping her now that she had started.
"Exactly!" Celessa exclaimed. "And she made me a deal."
"A deal?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow as his interest piqued.
"Yes," she answered. "See, Lady Impa said she hasn't heard a word from either one of you in the last few months. She only got a letter from Mayor Reede saying that you guys are living here for the time being, so in return for confirming Princess Zelda was here for me, I have to return later on and give her an update about how you two are doing."
"Is that so?" Link mumbled. "You came at a… great time then."
"I sure did," Celessa said. "She had an idea that you would be out of it, but seeing those bags under your eyes, I'd say it's worse than she thought!"
"Bags?" Link asked as he brought a hand up to feel under his eyes.
"You look exhausted!" she said loudly. "Still, I don't exactly blame you, since you guys were attacked by Yiga in Tarrey Town, but I also heard that they were all captured! I think you can calm down at least a bit, wouldn't you say?"
So, she didn't tell you everything, Link thought before saying, "well, you know me…"
"Actually, it turns out I don't, mister hero!" Celessa said, allowing her earlier spite to return. "To think I met with Princess Zelda's personal knight, and he didn't say anything!"
"Well, I had a lot going on," said a now slightly agitated Link as they walked up the winding path towards the Hateno Pastures.
"I'm sure you did, you had to be the one to free the princess from her imprisonment with the Calamity," Celessa said. "To think the legends were real! I have so much to ask you about, but first, I have someone way more important to go see! Now tell me where Princess Zelda is!"
"She's busy right now," Link grumbled as they walked off the road and into the fields.
"Busy? What's she doing?" Celessa asked, trying to catch his eyes as he looked out into the fenced-off cow pastures they strolled next to. "Wait! Is she praying? She must be since she now knows how to use her powers, right? She's so amazing and diligent in her—"
"That's not what she's doing," Link cut in. "I dunno if she ever wants to step foot in one of those springs again. No, she's at work."
"At work?" Celessa repeated. "Work as in, she has a job?"
"That's what I said," Link said as they arrived at a few old stalls, now repurposed to hold bundles of hay.
"You're letting the Princess of Hyrule work?" Celessa asked. "She shouldn't have to work! Neither one of you should have to after everything you've done!"
"Well, not everyone actually knows about all of that," Link said as he shoved the pitchfork into hay bales. "Especially not the way you do. Besides, we were given the option to live freely, but Zelda refused for her own reasons. She wants to be a part of the community, not just take it over. She wants to work."
"And what about you?" Celessa asked.
"I… have other things I need to worry about," Link said. "Things you haven't been told. I'd rather not get into it."
"I see…" the traveler mumbled. It was clear that she had only added another list of questions to the ones she already had for him, but with a smile, she nodded. "Alright then, I'll leave it alone for now. Besides, meeting the princess is far more important to me at the moment. Now, if you could kindly tell me where she works, that would be wonderful."
"Nope," Link said as he shifted through the hay.
"What? Why?" Celessa asked, now even louder than before.
"Because you'll be in the way. She's working," he insisted.
"If you don't tell me, then I'll just have to check every store in Hateno until I find her; you'll only be saving me time!" she urged him. "I have so many questions, and I want to thank her for all she's done for us! Come on, Link, tell me where she is!"
To thank her, huh? Link thought as he pulled a good-sized bundle of hay from the stall with the pitchfork. For a brief moment, the image of two older women flashed in his mind. With a pause, he placed the pitchfork over his shoulder once more, allowing a few straws of hay to fall from the forked end. "She's at the inn. She helps out there now."
"The inn!" Celessa shouted before dashing off at a surprising speed.
"Don't get in her way too much!" Link shouted back at her as she sped away. The moment she vanished, he added, "but, thank her properly. She could use it after everything else she's heard these past few months… Even if she's really bothering me right now."
At a much slower pace than his traveling buddy, he began to follow in her footsteps towards the road before stopping to rub his eyes.
Am I really that tired? He asked himself before continuing on back towards his home.
...
"I'm not helping!" a voice echoed throughout the Ton Pu Inn. "You made me help set up last weekend, and now you're trying to get even more! I don't work here, Prima!"
"Come on, Teli," Prima said with a pleading smile as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "I just need someone to clean the stables. It's not that hard of a job—"
"Do you take me for a fool?" Teli asked before bringing the mug in his hands to his lips. After taking a few gulps he slammed it back down on the table with a thud. "I know how that horse-obsessed traveler upstairs treats his rides! I'm not cleaning whatever stall Joute's horse is standing in! I'm far too dashing for a job like that!"
"I should have known better than to think you could be of use," Prima said roughly, dropping her desirous facade as she crossed her arms and leaned against the table's edge. "To think you'd rather let one of the two beautiful girls working here clean that disgusting mess outside."
"This is your inn, madam," Teli growled, glaring up into the clerk's amber eyes. "Not mine. I don't work here, nor do I get paid. I didn't get anything for helping you set up last weekend either."
"I let you drink early!" Prima argued, slapping her hand on the wooden surface. "The same thing I'm letting you do now!"
"And you got a good number of rupees for every drink I've had!" he shot back. "Including this one! I'm trying to enjoy a morning drink before I have to head back out on the road! I have my own business, one that I've chosen to pursue that doesn't include picking up after people's mounts! I don't like taking care of horses, regardless of how beautiful they can be! That's why I walk!"
"And because of that, you're really going to allow Zelda to clean that stable?" Prima asked.
"If you're so concerned about her, then why don't you go clean it?" Teli asked, brushing silver strands of bed hair out of his eyes. "You know, since it is your inn, and it's your job. She's just your help!"
"I—That's—" Prima stumbled, averting her eyes.
"Exactly," he replied before the clerk could come up with an answer. "Just call Joute down and have him do it himself. It's his stupid horse that's being so fussy, and he knows it's like that. Call him down."
"I wish, but Joute's already… wasted upstairs," Prima sighed.
"So drinking this early isn't some special courtesy you give me!" Teli nagged.
"Come on! That isn't fair!" the clerk argued. "He's much more approachable when he's drunk! You know he can't normally interact with anything but a horse! Teli, I thought we were friends! Can't you please just—?"
"No, it's not happening," Teli assured her. Prima frowned at him before turning away.
"Zelda, can you believe him?" she asked, looking over at the woman across the room who was quietly sweeping away. "He really won't help us out with such a gruesome task. Isn't that just awful?"
Zelda didn't respond. With her gaze downcast, she carefully swept every speck of dust from the wooden floorboards. Though her movements seemed focused and diligent, her eyes were glossed over. Prima hummed thoughtfully.
"Is she always like that when she works?" Teli asked before crossing his legs and leaning back.
"No, but the better she's become at cleaning, the more often it happens," Prima answered before saying a bit louder, "Zelda! Are you okay over there?"
Suddenly, light snapped back into the glossed-over emerald eyes as Zelda began looking around.
"What? Oh, y-yes I'm perfectly fine, thank you," she answered. "I'm just a little lost in thought, is all. I promise it's nothing to—"
Her insistence was interrupted by a quiet, yet high-pitched sneeze, one that the bickering duo laughed at.
"You must've kicked up a ton of dust," Teli said after a few chuckles. "You've been sweeping that spot for a while now."
"H-have I?" she asked, blushing as she pulled a handkerchief from her waist pouch. "I'm sorry…"
"It's nothing to apologize for. You're adorable, Zelda," Prima laughed. "You know, they say when you sneeze, it's because someone is talking about you."
"Well, I feel the possibility of someone speaking ill of me is quite high these days," Zelda murmured, yet the clerk shook her head.
"I didn't say they had to be speaking bad about you," she said, pushing herself off the edge of the table. "Is there something going on?"
"Prima, I promise it isn't—" Zelda began after wiping her nose, yet Prima, who had walked over to her, placed a finger to her lips.
"Every time you start off like that, it always ends up being something," she said before lowering her hand. "What's going on?"
Zelda frowned before beginning to sweep again.
"It's… It feels like everything is going wrong, and yet there's nothing there to go wrong," she explained. "Link has been so stressed out about this Yiga, who apparently can only be seen by him, and it really feels like we've been at each other's throats these past few days. I noticed that he won't look at me the same way he did before, if at all. I don't know what to do, and it isn't helping that I was recently reminded of how everyone felt abandoned by my father and I one hundred years ago during the Age of Burning Fields… It's just as I've said, it feels like everything is wrong, and yet there isn't anything actually wrong around, except for the two of us, that is."
"Wow… That's… Well—" Prima began, only for Teli to cut in.
"By the Goddess, for such a girl to have beauty that rivals my own, you have a lot of baggage, don't you?" he asked, only to receive a glare from the store clerk.
"Look, I don't really know how to respond to that last part," Prima admitted with a shrug as she turned her attention back to Zelda. "But, I'm sure I can help with that first one! So, Link won't look at you anymore, huh? In what… regard?"
"It's not exactly my first priority to fix, but, w-well… I've noticed he usually won't look at me when I'm—" Zelda began blatantly before her entire body froze. Her face began to burn a brilliant red, one that gave Prima all the answers she needed.
"Ah ha!" she said excitedly, practically jumping on her toes. "Link won't look at you in a—"
Suddenly, she stopped herself just as her employee had just a moment earlier. She turned and glanced over at Teli, who squinted his eyes in return.
"Oh, so now you don't want my assistance," he mumbled.
Furrowing her brow, Prima quickly took Zelda by the arm and dragged her out the dining hall as Teli yelled, "I am a guy, you know! I feel like my opinion would be helpful in this… You know what? Whatever."
After pulling her into the lobby near the desk, Prima turned around with a grin.
"Okay, just to make sure," she said, continuing on as if the conversation had never stopped, "when you say that Link won't look at you, you mean…?"
"I-I mean that… Um…" Zelda stuttered, spinning the broom in her hands while her face was still glowing a bright red. "I-I've j-just noticed that… that w-when I'm in a less… Um… decent state… h-he now avoids his g-gaze…"
Zelda began to look down at her feet. Prima only grinned even more.
"Compared to…?"
"M-must I really?" Zelda asked, now leaning the broom against her shoulder as she covered her face with her hands. "This is embarrassing, and it's… vulgar. I feel guilty for even wanting something like this."
"What?" Prima laughed. "Zelda, you shouldn't be ashamed of anything you consider vulgar that you wish to do with your lover. He's your lover, of course you'd be interested in that sort of thing."
"B-but, I'm a princess," the employee said from behind her hands. "I'm supposed to be more modest than this…"
"For someone who has shouted to the three goddesses themselves that you don't want to go by that title of yours, you sure do like to use it when you're condemning yourself," Prima scolded, causing Zelda to jolt at the truth. "Look, I'm not sure how it was a century ago, but in this era, being like that is perfectly fine."
Zelda hummed in embarrassment before her eyes finally reappeared from behind her fingers.
"A-as embarrassing as it is, I… I like when he looks at me," she murmured quietly. "He's very cautious about it, and in the beginning, h-he was very careful where he looked, which I did appreciate! But, I noticed as we got closer that he would steal a glance or two at me in certain… situations. I-I liked it, but recently… He won't look at me at all. I-It makes me feel…"
"Lonely?" Prima asked as she leaned against the front desk. Zelda slowly nodded. "Well, that's what many would feel in that kind of situation, but I can't help but ask… have you ever taken initiative with him?"
"W-what?" Zelda asked. "I could never! T-there was an incident with some alcohol a few months ago, but… It's bad enough I enjoy such indecency, but to encourage it? I-I just couldn't! Besides, he's never done anything more than just glance. I-it's possible he doesn't feel the same way I do, especially now."
"Zelda," Prima sighed. "Have you ever considered that Link may be just like you are?"
"What do you mean?" Zelda asked.
"If I understood the rumors correctly, then Link used to be your knight, right?" Prima continued. "I'm not really sure what kind of boundaries were placed back then, but if they're anything like how the elders and yourself describe them, then don't you think that, just maybe, he doesn't try anything more because he thinks you're modest?"
Zelda blinked.
"I-I mean, m-maybe before, but…" she stuttered out after a second of thought. "I-I've told him multiple times I don't want to be treated like a princess though. He's loosened up with everything else, s-so—"
"Zelda, stuff like this isn't like everything else," Prima explained. "It may be okay for you to want it, but it's still an important thing. There are boundaries, and every person has a different set of them."
Zelda didn't reply, contemplating what her boss had just said. After a few seconds, Prima sighed.
"Look, what I'm trying to say is… Let's put it in Link terms," she explained. "If you haven't given him any reason to believe you're interested, then why would he attempt anything at all?"
"B-but, I'd say I've given him a few clues," Zelda attempted to argue. "W-we… bathe together and… and I've asked him to sleep in the same bed as me!"
"Okay… and?" Prima urged. Again, Zelda blinked.
"W-was I supposed to do more?" she asked.
"That depends. Do you think someone like Link will pick up on such minor details when it comes to things such as this?" Prima asked, raising an eyebrow.
"W-well…" Zelda mumbled. Suddenly memories of the past few months came flooding to her: the time he slept outside the house when they first came to Hateno, how hard it was for him to share a bed, the time in the Gerudo Desert, and even now. It was just as Prima was hinting at: when it came to their relationship, Link was very careful not to cross any lines he deemed important. "W-when you put it that way… Now that I'm thinking back, this has been an issue for a while."
"See?" Prima said. "When Link believes something, he's set on it. You have to get through that thick mental wall of his and show him what you want! To be honest, you may have to make the first big move instead of him."
"Me?" Zelda asked. "B-but, how am I supposed to do that?"
At her question, Prima's grin returned.
"You stay right here and watch over the inn," she said mischievously. "I'll be right back."
With that, Prima dashed into her private room, leaving Zelda alone in the lobby before she could argue.
"She was quick to come up with something. What in the goddess's name is she looking for?" Zelda asked herself out loud. She stared at the door frame her employer had disappeared into before feeling her face begin to burn. Again, she covered her face with her palms. "I can't believe I told her… I didn't mean to get so emotional about that; I didn't think I cared as much as I just let on."
She groaned and leaned her back against the front desk, repeatedly going over the conversation she just had in her head. Soon, however, her thoughts completely shattered at the sound of the front doors bursting open, causing Zelda to jump in surprise.
"Where's Princess Zelda?" a voice echoed loudly.
"Y-yes?" Zelda managed to voice out as she flinched against the sudden rush of cold air that blew through the room.
She looked towards the doors to see a woman, dressed for travel despite her poor choice in shorts for the winter, standing in the entrance of the inn. The woman looked around before quickly locking eyes with the green ones that stared at her. She dashed towards Zelda before stopping just in front of her, looking the employee up and down.
"Same dress as Prima, so you work here… Golden hair… Green eyes…" she muttered before her eyes began to sparkle. "You're Princess Zelda!"
"Y-yes?" Zelda said again, still taken aback by the traveler's sudden energy.
"I can't believe it!" the traveler said excitedly as she practically vibrated with glee. "The stories were true! The princess really did survive the Calamity! Was it your power that kept you so young-looking? I always heard you had long hair, did you cut it? What are you working here at an inn for? Did you really choose to work here on your own accord?"
"Y… Yes?" Zelda again said. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but, um… Who are you?"
"Dear me, forgive my rudeness!" Celessa said with a bow. "My name's Celessa, Princess. I'm what you would call a traveler or adventurer in this era. It's an honor to make your acquaintance!"
"Likewise," Zelda said with an awkward bow of her own. "May I ask what you need from me?"
"A moment of your time, Princess," Celessa said quickly, "and a long one if possible! I have so many questions!"
"Questions? For me?" Zelda asked. "Can I ask what about?"
"About you, of course!" the traveler answered. "You see, I've heard stories about you that have been passed down from my family since the generation before them!"
"Stories about me, coming from the generation before your parents…?" Zelda muttered. She swallowed. "Wouldn't that generation have been those who had lived through… the Calamity and the Age of Burning Fields?"
"Those are the ones!" Celessa said with a bright smile, one that made Zelda's heart shatter.
"I-I see," she said quietly, beginning to hang her head low. "I apologize for what happened back then. I let everyone down, and that includes your ancestors. I failed them. I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?"
"H-huh?" Zelda stammered out.
"I don't understand why you're apologizing to me, Princess," Celessa clarified. "I look up to you! I'm in ecstasy just being in your presence!"
"You look up to me? But, why?" Zelda managed to ask, once again stunned by the traveler's words. "People suffered and lost their lives because of what happened back then. The Champions would've had a fighting chance had I managed to unlock my power sooner—"
"But you did unlock it," Celessa said. "I know there were many that were upset with the crown back then because of the losses, but I told you that my family passed down stories to me, right? They were happy to have lived, regardless of how hard life became afterward. They only survived thanks to the knight and the princess that continued to fight for them at Fort Hateno a century ago. They were grateful, and I am as well. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here, and neither would anyone else right now.
"Ever since I heard the story of how you saved people from the horde of evil machines, the fallen knight and princess became my heroes. Once I was of age, I set out on a pilgrimage to learn more about those heroes. I went and was lucky enough to have a conversation with Lady Impa!"
"You spoke with Impa?" Zelda asked, to which Celessa nodded aggressively.
"I did, and I learned so much more about the past," she explained. "From your duties before the Calamity, how hard you worked to try and bring out your power, all that Impa could recall! In your honor, to try and find the same kind of perseverance you did, I too have traveled to the ancient springs!"
"You went to those old springs?" Zelda asked with a frown. "I'm sorry to tell you, but I wasn't really in the goddess's good graces. Those springs never really helped—"
"But you went there regardless, didn't you?" Celessa asked with sparkling eyes. "You kept returning on the slim chance your power would appear. Hours of praying… Impa recalled how miserable you were, and yet you pressed on for us! I've felt how cold those waters were, especially the Spring of Wisdom! You truly did everything you could and then some, having held the Calamity for a century, and for that, there's no bigger hero out there than you."
"I… I think Link is more deserving of that title," Zelda said with an awkward smile. "Besides, my father is the one who never gave up on the springs, not me. I'm not perfect by any means. I unlocked my power thanks to Link if I'm being honest…"
"Everyone struggles! I couldn't imagine bearing what you did. And besides," Celessa smiled. "Even if all that is the case, I can still have my own personal favorite, can't I?"
"What?" Zelda asked with widened eyes.
"Regardless of how, you saved him with your power and your quick thinking, did you not?" she said, causing Zelda's heart to return. "Even with what I could only imagine was a broken spirit and every right to quit when your knight had fallen and the Calamity had risen, you pressed on to fight it alone! I know he saved you and everyone else countless times before, and even fought the Calamity just recently, but you saved him and us, as well. Maybe you could even say he did a bit more, but… Princess Zelda is the one I can't help but admire most for her perseverance. Just a personal favorite I guess. Wait, Princess, are you crying?"
"Eh?" was all Zelda managed to get out. She brought her fingers to her cheek, where a tear had begun to trail down from the corner of her eye. "Oh… Oh dear, I'm sorry. I guess I was just a bit taken aback."
"I'm sorry, did I bring up painful memories?" Celessa asked worriedly as Zelda attempted to wipe her tears away. "That was insensitive for me to do; it must've been traumatic. I shouldn't have—"
"No, no, it's fine, really," Zelda said with a weak, tear-stained chuckle. "It's true; many aren't happy with how the Calamity turned out. Those who remember, unless they were personal friends, usually see it as failure. Those who only heard about it are usually indifferent, but I can only think of how much pain I caused their ancestors. It's not that I care or look for approval, I'm simply happy that some survived. But… I guess, hearing that someone appreciates our efforts, that's of my kind and doesn't just say it out of pity, is just a… new feeling. Thank you, truly."
"Well, I'll gladly tell you how great you are anytime!" Celessa said happily.
"That won't be necessary," Zelda replied. "But, you had a few questions for me, didn't you? I'll happily answer them if you still wish to ask."
"I do wish to ask!" Celessa exclaimed with a much larger sparkle in her eyes. "Can I ask them right now? At this very moment?"
"I-I mean, of course," Zelda answered, "but, I am watching the inn right now as Prima is a bit… preoccupied. You'd have to ask them here—"
"Perfectly fine!" she agreed quickly.
"Then what would you like to know?" Zelda asked awkwardly. Celessa grinned.
"Everything."
...
"So you really didn't like Link when he was first assigned to you?" Celessa asked, watching as Zelda scanned the check-in sheet behind the front desk. The two had been talking for almost an hour, and while the feeling of being questioned about (at least what someone considered) accomplishments was new to her, Zelda had quickly adjusted thanks to the never-ending flow of questions she had promised to answer.
"I was… um… admittedly very harsh with Link in the beginning," Zelda said without looking up, though her cheeks had started to grow fairly red at the memory. "It wasn't quite fair to him and if I'm being honest, I was acting like a child. He was just… everything that I wasn't in my eyes. It took me almost getting assassinated to realize that we weren't actually so different. It's quite embarrassing now that I look back on it."
"Was that your first encounter with him?" Celessa continued.
"Actually, it wasn't, though I had ended up forgetting about the event due to exhaustion," Zelda answered. "Believe it or not, he actually snuck into my room late at night once before he was knighted."
"He what?" Celessa exclaimed, causing Zelda to burn an even brighter red.
"We were young!" she immediately corrected. "Very young! In fact… it was actually on the night before my mother was set to be buried."
"O-oh," Celessa responded. "Impa mentioned that your mother died when you were still young. That must've been hard on you and the king…"
Zelda's hands slowed for a moment, but after a brief pause, she took a quick breath.
"Yes… It was," Zelda replied. "A lot changed after that."
"How… was your relationship with your father, if I may ask?" Celessa questioned nervously. "Lady Impa somewhat avoided the topic, but I could tell that something seemed off about it. You don't need to answer that if you don't want to. I know that might be sensitive for you."
At this, Zelda placed the check-in booklet down.
"You'd be right," she said quietly. "My father and I had a very… tense relationship. Being the king, he was very harsh in his ways, at least to me. He needed me to unlock my power in order to save the kingdom and I just couldn't. No matter how often he made me pray, no matter how long I sat in the spring's waters, it just wouldn't appear, and every time I returned to the castle, I would only be met with what I believed to be a disappointed gaze. It was… demoralizing, and it went on like that for over a decade."
"I-I'm sorry," Celessa said. "That must've been really hard."
"It was," Zelda said, now looking up at the ceiling. "But, I realized a few things now that I've been free for some time."
"Really?" the traveler asked.
"That I again, was acting like a child," Zelda explained. "It's true that he was harsh in his ways, and I do wish he would have been a bit kinder… it only increased the burden put on my shoulders, but looking back, I acted as though he didn't have a burden of his own."
"But… But you were the one who had to seal the Calamity," Celessa insisted. "What burden could he have that could match something like that?"
"The burden of the entire kingdom looking to him for guidance and support," Zelda said slowly. "I didn't think about it back then, but my father was the king. The same way I stressed over my duty because I was the princess, he stressed over his. He was in charge of finding the guardians and the Divine Beasts, he was tasked with keeping his kingdom calm under the threat of impending doom, and he was the one who had to organize the troops and keep people safe from the influx of monsters. All this, while also taking on the regular duties a king would have had regardless."
"That… that sounds like a lot when you put it all in perspective," Celessa said. "I couldn't imagine dealing with all that at once."
"I still couldn't to this day," Zelda said. "I'm not sure how he did it. I can barely keep one knight and myself in check, and keep up with the duties Prima demands of me in this inn. It must've been hard, and I didn't make it any easier on him.
"I think the worst thing he had to do was force himself to prepare his daughter to fight a monster that could be described as nothing but deadly. He didn't have a choice; I was one of two necessities that couldn't be replaced. I once thought it was cruel, that his methods were inhumane, and to a degree, I still believe that. But now I know it was all out of love… and fear; fear that, if you didn't do everything in your power to prepare a loved one for what's to come, you could very well lose them. I was stubborn, and could only see him as a monster."
Zelda sighed.
"I now know what it's like, trying to make sure someone you care about doesn't end up killing themselves trying to do their given duty. If I had understood… I would have tried to make things a bit easier on him. I wouldn't have run away from him to pursue my own interest, something I did rather often. I wouldn't have tried to come up with selfish excuses or yelled at him for being too harsh. I would have tried a bit harder to find some sort of middle ground… I wish I didn't have to learn his true feelings from a book and a letter that he left behind."
With a deep breath, she looked back down at her hands.
"Still, that's in the past now. All I can do now is try and learn from our mistakes," she explained. "I still believe he went about things a bit too harshly, even if I do understand his reasoning. I plan to save my loved one differently than he tried, to let him know that it's okay to rest and that we'll figure this out together, if he'll allow me."
"I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about now, but I believe in you!"
"She is talking about her relationship issues," a voice suddenly said. Both Zelda and Celessa turned to see Prima standing in the doorframe she had disappeared through earlier. "But, I have come with a solution. Also, hello, Celessa."
"A solution?" Zelda repeated.
"Relationship issues?" Celessa repeated. Suddenly, her eyes began to sparkle again as she turned back to Zelda. "You and Link? You and Link!"
"Y-yes, Link and I," Zelda confirmed, beginning to grow red from her questioner's excitement.
"I heard a song about that!" Celessa explained excitedly as Prima began to walk over. "From a Rito named Kass, a song telling of how the princess's love for her fallen knight is what unlocked her powers! So you really did love him!"
"Y-yes, and I still do. I'm also very familiar with Kass and that song…" Zelda murmured. "It's embarrassing. I didn't believe I was that obvious back then…"
"I've said it before, Zelda, you're an open book," Prima said. "Yet, there are times Link might as well be illiterate. So, that's why you'll be using this."
Gently, the clerk set down a pair of folded clothes on the front desk.
"And this is…?" Zelda asked. When Prima simply gestured toward it, she took the clothing in hand and held it up. "Prima! What is this?"
Being held up was a dress, one that was a bit different from the uniforms Prima and herself wore at the inn. It was a dark dress, one that was only slightly shorter than their current ones. While it was decorated with similar features, like an apron and a necktie, it also was decorated with white accented frills around the shoulders and bottom.
"This is how you'll make it obvious to Link that you want him to make a move," Prima explained proudly.
"A maid outfit?" Zelda asked with a furious blush. "I can't wear this!"
"And why do you say that?" Prima asked, raising an eyebrow.
"B-because!" Zelda whined. "T-this goes beyond me simply wanting more intimacy! This is so… provocative!"
"That's the point," Prima said. "You're trying to seduce him so he gets it! He has a thick skull, remember? Besides, these aren't even provocative, the skirt goes past the knee, though you will be acting provocative."
"Prima, I appreciate the support, but is this really the first thing I should try?" Zelda asked, looking the outfit up and down. "I know I want him to look at me more, but we have other issues I feel are more important, like getting him to rest, or properly talking—"
"—and what better way to go about getting him to do those things then?" Prima asked. "Sometimes allowing them to bare themselves to the person they love most is how you calm a person down. What have you tried to do so far?"
"T-talking…" Zelda mumbled, "and I've tried to comfort him to the best of my ability…"
"And what has talking or your whimsical attempts at comfort led to?" Prima asked.
"A-arguing…" Zelda admitted quietly. "But, honestly, do you really think just wearing this will help?"
"You aren't just wearing it, Zelda. You're supposed to be getting him into an intimate mood," Prima said. "Make him finally drop his guard. Let him finally relax and lose himself to your beauty!"
"Oh!" Celessa suddenly cried, causing both the innkeepers to look at her. "It'll be like your roles are reversed!"
"Our what?" Zelda asked.
"Link has been serving the royal family for years right?" Celessa asked. "Again, I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but if you're trying to get someone like Link to calm down and see you as a woman, then there's no way he can turn down a princess offering to serve him for once!"
"You agree with this…?" Zelda asked weakly. Celessa nodded excitedly.
"This is a new time, Princess!" Celessa said, who had ignored all of Zelda's previous attempts to get her to just call her by name. "If Link lost his memory— then even if he got some of it back—deep down, he's probably more comfortable with how things are now. It might also be why he's having a hard time listening to you; he's used to doing things on his own."
"Exactly," Prima said, pointing at Celessa. "That might also be why you're having a hard time connecting with him. As Celessa said, you're old-fashioned, and people nowadays are simply a lot more provocative than before. I mean, look at the Gerudo; initiative is practically their culture."
"They are very assertive, aren't they?" Celessa added. "Look, Princess, man or woman, if we want something, you have to go after it. Intimacy is no exception, and neither are you anymore."
Suddenly, all eyes were on Zelda, who groaned as she shoved her face into the dress.
"Do you two really think this is the best idea?" she asked in a muffled voice.
"To see the princess act as a maid?" Celessa asked.
"To finally see some progression between you and Link?" Prima asked.
The two women looked at each other before nodding.
"Absolutely."