Happy Echoes of Wisdom release weekend everyone! I've been playing it nonstop in the two days it's been out and it's sooooo good! Please give it a chance if you haven't already, I promise you won't regret it ;) Now, on to the 50th chapter!


To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 50 – Broken

Kanora and Leena were gone for a few minutes, but the passage of time did nothing to lessen Zelda's anger. She kept her arms crossed and marched back and forth across the tent, pacing furiously. She could not believe what had just transpired. To think that someone as innocent and righteous as Link had been treated in such a way. Oh, it just made her blood boil!

Meanwhile, Link eyed her from his bed, feeling more than a little concerned as he watched the Princess's typically calm face contort with rage. Eventually, he decided that he couldn't take it anymore.

"Zelda?" he called out.

"Yes, Link?" came her blunt response.

"Would you please calm down? You're honestly worrying me."

Zelda glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and found that he truly did seem more than a little concerned. She soon sighed and allowed her expression to soften. She was still far from calm, but she supposed that she could try to relax for his sake, if nothing else. She took a seat in the chair next to his bed.

"Forgive me, Link. I am just upset that you have been treated so indecently," she admitted.

"It's fine," he tried to assure her. "There was no harm done. Not after you came to my rescue, at least."

Zelda couldn't help but smile at him. "Of course. It was the least I could do after all the times that you've rescued me."

"I'd rather not keep count," Link replied, also smiling.

Okay, Zelda had to admit it. Hearing the Hero's encouraging words and seeing his positive smile did help douse the fire in her heart, if only a little bit.

"Can you tell me what happened?" she asked softly. "How exactly did you find yourself in such an awful situation?"

"Well, I didn't orchestrate it, if that's what you're suggesting."

Zelda's smile turned sorrowful. "Of course not. I know that you would never make love so shamelessly. Or betray Ilia like that."

Link blushed a bit. He never thought that he'd hear the Princess speak of such things so casually. And especially not regarding himself!

"So what happened?" Zelda pressed him.

"I don't know if I want to talk about it," Link said, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Zelda just stared at him for a moment before reaching over and squeezing his arm. If the situation had been less serious, the Princess might have been shocked by her own actions, but as things stood, she was just far too concerned for the Hero to care about anything else. "Please, Link. If I'm going to defend you, then I need to hear your side of the story."

Link was quiet for a while, but eventually he sighed and gave in. "Okay, but just…please don't tell anyone that you don't have to. Especially not Ilia."

"I promise," she assured him.

And with another sigh, Link began to summarize the situation. He explained how Leena had shown up out of the blue and introduced herself. How she explained it would be a great honor to bear his child. How she came onto him despite his protests and how he was unable to fight back because of his wound. It all concluded with Zelda and Kanora running into the tent and ripping the naked woman away from him.

Zelda initially believed that she could be cool, but it turned out that she was sadly mistaken. Upon hearing the story in its entirety, Zelda felt the blaze within her threaten to erupt.

"Oh, I am going to kill her," Zelda muttered through her teeth. She soon rose to her feet, but Link clamped a hand around her wrist to keep her from storming off.

"Zelda, wait. At least talk to Kanora about this first."

Zelda just raised an eyebrow. "Who did you think I was referring to?"

"Zelda!" Link exclaimed in shock. "Don't tell me that you plan to punish her too!"

"Link, I made it very clear to Kanora that you were not to be touched or approached in such a seductive manner. Her Tribe broke that rule. Now there must be repercussions."

Link sighed, keeping his hand on her wrist for fear of what she might do if he let go. "Zelda, would you stop, please? If anyone has the right to demand repercussions, it should be me. So please don't do anything without my approval."

Zelda gave him a long, hard stare. Eventually, she snapped her wrist out of his grasp, but only so that she could cross her arms once again. "Link, you are far too merciful for your own good," she said in defeat.

Link produced a defensive look. "I just want to talk things out before doing anything…drastic."

Zelda frowned. She looked like she had more to say, but she found it hard to argue with the Hero. Here he was, displaying his kindness and humility as he always did. And of course, they were some of his most charming qualities. How could she possibly tell him to be more stern? More furious? That just wasn't who he was.

It was around this point that Kanora entered the tent, looking positively tired, but she managed to produce a smile all the same. "Well, that's one conversation down. Who'd like to be next?"

"I believe that would be me," Zelda said adamantly. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Kanora shamefully hung her head, but still nodded. She turned and beckoned the Princess to follow. "Yes, yes, come along then. We'll speak outside."

Zelda pursed her lips before following after her. However, one final call kept her back for a moment.

"Zelda…" Link said in a low, pleading voice.

She sighed before giving him a nod. "I know, Link. No punishments. You have my word."

"Thank you."

The Princess finally made her exit and followed Kanora a few tents down where they would be out of earshot of Link. Both women had a feeling that the Hero would not be keen to hear their exchange.

"All right, Kanora," Zelda said coldly as she crossed her arms. "Tell me, what is the meaning of this? I told you that Link was unavailable for courtship."

Kanora gave a patient nod, showing that she understood the royal's wrath. "Of course, Princess. Please understand, we would never wish to seduce the Hero without permission."

"You have a funny way of showing it," Zelda pointed out.

"Oh, Princess, please do not be so short with me," Kanora begged. "Can you not see my sorrow and shame? And I was led to believe that the two of us were friends."

Zelda rolled her eyes. She did not care for this "innocent act" of hers. "Kanora, please, this is a very serious offense."

"I know," Kanora said. "And believe me, Princess. We would never wish to steal your man away from you."

"I…" Zelda paused, her mouth hanging open at such an unexpected remark. Although, when it came to Kanora, Zelda supposed that no comment was really all that surprising. "I've already told you, he isn't my man," she reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time.

Despite her shame, Kanora couldn't help but smirk. "Hmm…your cheeks say otherwise," she replied thoughtfully. "And that's not all. Do you recall whose name he was shouting to come to his rescue? I seem to remember that he was specifically calling for you."

"That doesn't mean anything," Zelda insisted. Although, she couldn't deny that her cheeks had turned more than a little red at this information.

"Are you sure?" Kanora asked, raising a single, suggestive eyebrow. "He truly cares for you, you know."

Zelda frowned deeply at the woman. She honestly did not care to discuss this at the moment. Besides, there were still pressing matters to attend to. "Enough. Let's get back to the topic at hand. Why are your women wandering into Link's tent and trying to seduce him?"

Kanora sighed. She had enjoyed distracting the Princess, but she knew that it was time to answer for the actions of her people. "Yes, yes, trust me, I understand completely. And it was never my intention to allow one of our own to make love to him against his will. But Princess, I want you to understand. For our people, we spend much of our lives trying to attract a man who can help us bear children. It is completely necessary for the proliferation of our people. If we did not attempt to attract men to our side, we would eventually die out. And what a tragic future that would be."

Zelda remained silent, trying to exercise patience as she listened to the woman. "I understand that, Kanora, but as I already stated when we first met, Link is strictly off limits."

Kanora closed her eyes and gave a small nod. "I know, Princess, I know. And I explained as much to my Tribe upon your initial arrival, but it seems that not every girl understood just how serious these instructions were. Hence, our mischievous young Leena tried to have her way with him. But I assure you, she will be properly punished and educated on her wrongdoings so it does not happen again."

Zelda was silent for a while longer, considering her words. Eventually, she bowed her head in acceptance. "I should hope that it doesn't."

"I promise it shall not," Kanora assured her. "I have already scolded Leena once this very night. She was not happy, but she knows what she did was wrong. I'll have her make a formal apology to Link in the morning."

"Perhaps it would be better if she didn't," Zelda said scornfully. "I think it might be wise to keep her as far away from Link as possible."

"Oh, Princess, please do not be like that," Kanora said sadly. "How are we ever to make amends if you will not allow us to?"

Zelda frowned for a while, but eventually uncrossed her arms and looked away. Perhaps she was being a bit harsh. "Fine, she can make a direct apology. But only if Link is comfortable with it."

"Thank you, Princess," the Chief said with a bright smile. "Now…are we on better terms?"

"I suppose," Zelda answered halfheartedly.

"Are you and I still friends?"

"Yes, we are still friends."

"Oh, joy!" Kanora finished by clapping her hands together and grinning wide. "That's the beauty of friendship. When it's true, nothing can tear it apart!"

Zelda smiled a bit in return. Admittedly, she was glad that she was able to patch things up with the Gerudo, considering that she had only journeyed to the desert to form bonds with them in the first place. Nevertheless, Zelda still felt that there was one request that needed to be answered in order to make everything right.

"Kanora, one last thing, if you will."

"Oh, yes, Princess?"

"Please, step closer."

The Chief did as she was asked and stood right before Zelda. The Princess then reached up, grabbed a fistful of Kanora's red hair, and gave it a sharp yank.

"Yeowch!" the Gerudo cried before cradling her head. "Whatever was that for?"

Zelda simply smirked. "Consider that the punishment for all the trouble you've caused my heart these last two days. Believe me, you've earned it."

Kanora just flashed a bewildered expression before she eventually began to smile again. "Hmph, fair enough, Princess."


"So it's all been settled?" Link asked after Zelda had returned to his tent.

"More or less," she answered with a shrug. "Kanora has assured me that it will not happen again. I suppose we should pray that her words ring true."

Link smiled, relaxing a bit. "Thanks for taking care of that. And for not being too harsh."

Zelda smirked in return. "You speak as if I am cruel and merciless."

"Yes, well I did notice that you had quite the temper earlier. And don't deny it."

"Hmph," Zelda mumbled, impressed by his gall. "Since when have you learned to speak to me so bravely?"

"Since I realized that you need someone to rein you in from time to time."

"And you believe that you are capable of this?"

"I like to think I'm better at it than Fost."

Zelda couldn't help but snort in surprise. She wasn't sure that she had ever witnessed Link act so cheeky with her before. Not that she minded, of course. If anything, she found great amusement in it.

"Well, I'm just happy to know that you're safe and this situation is behind us. I suppose I should let you get some rest." Here, Zelda paused and released a heavy, tired sigh. Her shoulders even slumped a bit from sheer exhaustion. "What a day this has been. I think it's time that I find my own rest as well."

Zelda soon turned and prepared to wish the Hero good night, but his voice ended up cutting in before she had the chance.

"Zelda, wait."

She stopped, glancing back at him.

"Um…" Link looked down, suddenly appearing a little shy. "By any chance, could you actually…um, stay here tonight?"

Zelda just blinked, stunned by his request. "You want me to stay by your side? But…what for?"

Link kept his eyes glued to the floor, looking incredibly sheepish as the next words crossed his lips. "I…I just really don't want to be alone…you know, if any more Gerudo decide to come and pay me a visit in the night."

Zelda simply stared at him, still trying to make sense of this. "But Kanora assured me that this shouldn't happen again. You can rest without worry."

"I know she said that, but after the earlier events of the evening, I don't feel like I can be too careful."

The Princess was silent for a while. "So you want someone to protect you?"

"I just want someone to watch over me and make sure nothing…bad happens."

"And you want me to do it?"

"You're the only one I can trust," Link pleaded, finally raising his eyes up to meet hers. "I can't count on any of these Gerudo to guard me. They might just as soon attempt to pull what Leena did!"

"And what of the guards we brought with us from the castle?"

"Well, no offense, but I don't exactly have the utmost faith that they won't be distracted by our hosts."

Zelda frowned. She had to admit, Link probably had a point here. The Hylian men were no strangers to ogling any beautiful women that passed them by. She could only imagine what they had been up to when they weren't on duty here.

"So I'm the only one you can trust?" she reiterated.

"The only one," he said with a nod.

Zelda felt her heart melt a bit at his faith in her, but she couldn't resist sharing a playful thought that had just come to mind. She soon smirked at her wounded Hero. "You know, you must think quite highly of yourself if you think that every woman in camp is willing to climb into bed with you."

Link gave her a blank stare before closing his eyes in exasperation. "Zelda, I'm the most popular man in a camp full of women obsessed with romance. Do the math."

Again, Zelda snorted from sheer astonishment. How did the Hero manage to come up with such witty and sarcastic remarks like this? Truly, he had talent. "Very well, Link. I understand your predicament as well as your concerns. So…if it makes you feel better, I suppose I could stay by your side, just for tonight."

Link breathed a sigh of relief before flashing a grateful smile. "Thank you. I promise that I'll return all of this kindness to you one day."

"I'd rather you not worry about that," she replied sincerely. She soon took a seat in the chair next to Link's bed. She leaned back, trying to get comfortable.

"Will you be all right sleeping there?" Link asked, suddenly looking guilty.

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "It's at least better than sleeping on a cold dungeon floor. Now please, just focus on getting some rest."

Link just watched her for a while, numerous thoughts running through his head. He had always been aware of it, but it seemed that it wasn't until this precise moment that he realized just how much Zelda did for him. She was such a kind and considerate person. And even more so, she was such a wonderful friend.

One of the best that he had ever known.


The final day of their stay arrived, and the time came for the Hylians to say farewell to their gracious Gerudo hosts. All of the women gathered around the center of camp to see off their guests. Many of them waved and bowed and some even blew kisses to the men they had grown fond of. Surprisingly enough, the Hylian chef in particular seemed to have garnered quite a few fans from this female troupe.

Link was also very popular, being showered with compliments and farewells, some of which were even tearful. Link wasn't quite sure why the Gerudo felt the need to be so excessive, but he tried to stay positive and part with them on a good note. He even promised that he would stop by again sometime, which only led to an unprecedented wave of swooning women. After this, Link learned it was best to just keep his mouth shut.

Naturally, the final farewell took place between Zelda and Kanora, the two highly respected leaders of their peoples. They both warmly smiled and shook hands, but then Kanora shocked everyone by pulling the Princess into a hug. When she released the royal, she smiled coyly.

"I hope that was not too forward of me."

Zelda sincerely smiled back and shook her head. "Of course not. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yes, yes we are!" Kanora cheered happily. "And I eagerly look forward to visiting the castle and working alongside you."

"As do I," Zelda said with a firm nod. "By the way, did you manage to contact Telma?"

"Yes, she assured me that she would reach out to this 'Rusl' of yours and let him know to meet you at the castle."

Zelda gave her an appreciative smile. Since Link was still injured, he was in no condition to ride Epona. He would have to accompany Fost in his carriage for the journey back to the castle, and after that, he would still need a means of getting back home to Ordon Village. Because of this, Zelda decided to ask Rusl to pick Link up in a wagon and escort the Hero home. Fortunately, between Kanora's and Telma's connections, they had easily managed to arrange it.

"Thank you," Zelda said with a bow of her head. "For everything. Admittedly, our stay here has been rather hectic, but it was very enjoyable too. You have been such gracious hosts. In return for your kindness, I want to wish you all a warm welcome to Hyrule. As your monarchy, I promise that our Kingdom will serve, aid, and protect you throughout all hardships. May our bonds be blessed by the Goddesses themselves, and last for centuries to come."

The Princess's speech was met with a resounding applause. The Gerudo were simply inspired by her words of welcome and hope. Kanora grinned as she applauded along with them.

"I knew we made the right decision to return to Hyrule as soon as we met, Princess. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. We too hope that we can work harmoniously for many generations."

After another applause and a round of farewells, the Hylians packed their things and journeyed across the plains of sand once more. As expected, it took a day of travel before the marvelous sight of the castle came into view. From here, it was a smooth trek along the wide green fields of Hyrule until they finally reached their destination.

The horses and wagons came to a halt inside the castle's courtyard. The men dismounted and soon began unpacking. More guards approached from the castle and came to lend a hand. Things proceeded quickly and efficiently, just as any well-organized castle should.

As for Zelda, she chose to approach the carriage, and more specifically, the injured man stepping out from it. At this point, Link had recovered enough that he was able to move on his own, but it was still a slow and delicate process. Even now, he winced and clutched his side as he carefully descended the carriage steps.

Zelda produced a sympathetic smile and offered him a hand. "Here, let me help you."

"Well, aren't you a gentleman?" Link asked playfully. However, Zelda just shot him a glare and he quickly took it back. "Sorry, you're a very kind lady."

"Hmm, how thoughtful of you to notice," she mused.

He just laughed before accepting her hand and making his way to the ground. Once there, Zelda released him and allowed him to continue on his own. It was obvious that each step was still painful for the Hero, but he managed it well. He truly was courageous when he put his mind to it. And stubborn.

Zelda stood by Link's side as they watched the guards sort through all the luggage. Eventually, they managed to deliver the Hero's belongings to his feet. Now all that was left was to wait for his escort to arrive.

"Would you like me to fetch you a chair?" Zelda offered. "So you don't have to keep standing?"

"No, I'm fine for now," he assured her. "But I appreciate the thought."

"You're welcome."

Link went silent as he eyed her for a moment. "You know, you don't have to wait with me if you don't want to."

She just shook her head. "Nonsense. I won't leave until I know that you're safely on your way back home."

"You sure?"

"Of course."

Link just smiled to himself as he continued to stare at her. After a bit of hesitation, he spoke up again. "Zelda, can I tell you something?"

She turned to him with innocent eyes. "What is it?"

Again, he fell silent, and appeared a little bashful. "I just wanted to say that…I really appreciate you. In the time we've known each other, you've done so much for me."

Zelda blinked, surprised at this heartfelt expression of gratitude. She wondered why he was saying this out of the blue. "We've done a lot for each other," she reminded him.

"That's exactly my point. I know that we constantly support each other, and that this probably goes without saying, but I truly want you to know just how grateful I am."

Zelda watched him for a while before smiling. "Of course. You don't have to say it, Link. I understand perfectly. After all, we're friends, aren't we?"

Upon hearing these words, Link gathered his courage and smiled back with confidence. Somehow, the Princess had easily surmised what he was trying to tell her. "Exactly, we're friends. The two of us will always be friends."

And then it struck her, like a clock marking the hour. Zelda felt her lips part open, as her eyes grew a bit sad. Unbeknownst to the Hero, that one single word had wedged its way into her heart, and now only served to torture her.

Always

They would always be friends. Nothing more and nothing less.

"Zelda?" Link asked, suddenly looking a little concerned. "You okay?"

Zelda blinked, realizing that she had been looking rather distraught while she was stuck in her daze. She quickly went to apologize, but her words didn't even get the chance to soar before the Hero's attention was lured away.

A horse-drawn wagon pulled into the courtyard, with Rusl holding the reins. He rode right up to where Link and Zelda stood before coming to a halt. He flashed a meager smile down at the two of them.

"I heard someone got a little hurt," he said, almost in a tease.

Link just smiled back. "It's nothing I haven't survived before," he assured him.

"Glad to see you're still in one piece," Rusl said proudly. "And I hope you don't mind, but there's someone who insisted on tagging along to collect you. She's been-"

"Rusl, are we here?" a frantic and feminine voice interjected from the wagon. Before long, a blond head with beautiful green eyes appeared over the side. "Where's Link? Is he-"

Ilia froze, her eyes falling on the Hero below her. With a big frown and eyes that threatened to tear up, she hopped off the wagon and tackled him into a tight embrace.

"Link!" she cried. "Are you okay? I heard you were hurt. Oh, please tell me that you're all right."

Link grunted from the force of her hug, but he soon laughed and smiled a bit. "Oof, I guess someone missed me, huh?"

"I was worried sick," Ilia clarified before squeezing him harder. "Now will you please answer the question?"

Link winced at the pressure being applied to his middle. It suddenly felt very difficult to choke his words out. "Yeah, Ilia, I'm fine, but…you need to…not so tight!"

Zelda had been watching this reunion from the side, content to keep her thoughts to herself. However, for the Hero's sake, she felt like she ought to step in at this moment. "Um, Ilia, try to be gentle with him. Link's wound is on his chest."

Ilia didn't respond to her. Instead, she just furrowed her brow before pulling back a bit. "Show it to me," she said, abruptly and adamantly.

"Show it to you?" Link repeated.

"The wound. Show me your wound."

"Ilia, it's already been bandaged up."

"Show me," she pleaded. And at this point, she really was on the brink of tears.

Link sighed, and for the sake of not causing her any further distress, lifted his tunic. Ilia just gasped as soon as she spotted his bandaged chest, and even worse, the faint spot of red where the wound was located. Even after a few days, the blood continued to leak.

"Link," she whispered, feeling lost as she gently ran her fingers over the white strips. "Oh, you poor, poor thing…"

"I'm fine," he tried to assure her again. "It was just a small stab. It wasn't even that deep."

"You're wrong," Ilia replied, sounding surprisingly bitter. "It's not fine. Not at all."

Link just gave her a curious look. He wasn't sure that he had ever heard her sound so distraught before. "Ilia, what's wrong?"

The girl simply shook her head, forcing her eyes to the ground. She soon clenched her fists, and it was clear that she was bottling something up inside.

Zelda bit her lip, wondering if she could say something to help lessen the girl's stress. "Ilia, listen. Link was very brave and he was only trying to help-"

"How could you?"

Everyone went silent. The words were cold and icy, and in addition to an emerald glare, they were cast directly at the Princess.

"How could you, Princess?" Ilia murmured before taking a daring step towards her. "You…You keep putting him in these dangerous situations! You keep thinking that everything will be okay, but it's not! I already told you, he's not invincible! He still hurts. He still bleeds…"

Zelda felt her mouth fall open. She didn't know what to say. "Ilia, I…"

But the girl just gave a curt shake of her head. And it was at this point that a single tear finally managed to spill out of those beautiful green eyes of hers. When she spoke again, it was perhaps the most heartbreaking thing that Zelda had ever heard.

"You broke your promise."

Zelda closed her mouth, her eyes as wide as a frightened deer's. She had nothing to say.

Ilia appeared as if she still had more bottled up inside. Her fists shook at her sides while her lips quivered. Nevertheless, she chose to hold her tongue. She soon shook her head for the final time before turning back to Link. "Come on, let's get you home so you can rest," she said, quiet as a mouse.

Link just blinked, glancing from Ilia to Zelda and then back again. By his expression, he had no idea what had just transpired between them, but he felt incredibly guilty about it. He tried to catch Zelda's eyes so he could give her an apologetic look, but it was no use. For Zelda simply stared off into the distance, looking sorrowful, ashamed, and filled with remorse.

She had never felt more like a traitor in all her life.


That's kind of a somber note to end our 50th chapter on, but hey, this is just that sweet, delicious drama that I'm sure we all love so much. Eat it up while it's fresh folks! And don't worry, we've got more coming right up ;)

Anyways, wooooooo, I managed to make it to 50 chapters! Talk about a big milestone! Not only am I very proud of myself for making it this far, but I am incredibly grateful too. Thank you to all of you who have joined me on this journey. Thank you to all who read consistently with every new update. To those of you who share your thoughts in heartfelt comments. Your support honestly means the world to me, so thank you thank you thank you!

Also, apologies for making this story so dang long XD I mean, we're 50 chapters in with no end in sight. This kind of feels like a problem, doesn't it? Well, I want all of you to rest assured, and trust me when I say that I have everything from here to the end fully planned out! And I've even written out a number of future chapters too! I truly have every intention of finishing this story, and giving it the most natural and happy conclusion possible. So, if I could make the smallest request, it would be to humbly ask you to continue on this journey with me. I promise to deliver us all to the Zelink at the end!

Anyways, that's enough rambling from me lol. Thank you all again, and have an awesome day!