Warning: Smut Chapter

The clopping of Epona's hooves echoed through the stillness as they descended the path on the butte where Lover's Pond remained secluded. The moment she reached the sand, Link tugged slightly on the reins, pulling her to a stop. After sliding off the saddle, he held a hand up to Zelda, who allowed him to help her safely place her soles in the sand.

"Why thank you, sir knight," Zelda said playfully, curtsying with her Lurelin wrap.

"Of course, my dear Princess," Link said, bowing in response, her hand still held in his.

The two laughed before starting their walk down to the shore, their arms swaying in synchrony.

"It's so late, and yet my body feels as though the night is still young," Zelda said, looking up at the large moon above them.

"Even after hearing your lullaby? I'm surprised I didn't put you to sleep," Link teased, causing the princess to furrow her brow, miffed.

"Excuse me, but last I checked, I am not Riju's age," she retorted. "A lullaby won't force me to sleep like in my younger years."

"Right, right," Link chuckled as he nodded.

Zelda fumed for a moment before giggling again, humming the tune of her lullaby as they continued their walk.

"The beaches of Faron really are gorgeous when the moon is out, aren't they?" she mused. "I didn't pay much attention to them at night during all the preparation, but it truly is a sight to behold."

"Why don't we enjoy it a little longer then?" Link asked, coming to a stop in the sand. "I have some extra dishes from earlier stored in the slate. We could have a little late night snack if you want."

"A snack? Like a little late night picnic?" Zelda asked. "You don't think we'll get sand everywhere?"

"There might be something in the slate we can place down on the sand," Link said. "Besides, we ate in Lurelin and didn't have a problem."

"I suppose that's true," Zelda said. Suddenly, her eyes lit up before averting them toward the ocean. Bringing a finger to her chin in thought, she began to mumble, "actually…I am of age now, aren't I? Is that why she gave me those…?"

"Zelda?" Link called gently. "Is something wrong? If you really think the sand is an issue, we don't have to eat out here."

"Hm?" Zelda hummed, looking toward Link with glassy eyes. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality. "Oh! No, that isn't it. In fact, a little late night picnic is a lovely idea. I may even have something of my own to contribute to it."

"Really? What would that be?" Link asked curiously.

"You'll…see," Zelda answered simply. "For now, why don't we find something to sit on? I find it hard to believe we have anything in the slate we can use, though…"

"Um," Link hummed, taking the Sheikah Slate from his hip. After tapping its front to brighten the screen, he began swiping through the menus. "I think I can make something in here work… What about this?"

After a final tap, followed by a flash of blue, a large, dark cloak appeared in his hands.

"How about this?" he asked. "It's an old cloak of mine. I guess it's a little small to use as a blanket, especially on the beach, but it's what we have."

"I think it's perfect," Zelda answered with a smile. "Truthfully, it sort of reminds me of home."

"Home? Our house in Hateno home?" Link asked. Zelda nodded.

"Small, and a little worn out," she said, reaching out to brush the cloak with her fingers, "but it does its best to get the job done. We've never needed much to be happy together before, have we?"

"You mean other than the festival?" Link chuckled. "It felt like we kept trying to show each other up tonight, looking back."

"It wasn't the intention, but I suppose it does look that way," Zelda giggled. "But, yes…other than the festival, or my birthday, this reminds me most of how we do things together."

"Do you miss home?" Link asked gently, watching as the princess took the old cloak into her hands.

"I do. A lot, actually," she answered, gently rubbing the worn threads between her fingers. "It was nice being on the road, traveling with Celessa and Paya, seeing our old friends, and even planning for Hyrule's restoration, but… Nothing will ever be better than living in our house, together with you."

"I feel the same way," Link replied after a small chuckle. He raised a hand, brushing a few loose strands of golden hair out of Zelda's eyes and behind her ear. "Soon, we'll be back home, where we can live together in peace—at least for a little while—before reconstruction really kicks off. For now, why don't we lay this out and enjoy our time here on the beach?"

With a sentimental nod of agreement, Zelda handed the cloak back to him for it to be spread out over the sand. Adopting his knightly persona, Link placed an arm behind his back and held out his free hand again. Giggling, the princess curtsied once more before placing her fingers into his palm, allowing him to assist her down on top of the old cloak. Realizing he hadn't joined her, she looked back up at the knight with confusion, at which he simply smiled.

"You have a choice of leftovers for tonight, Your Highness," he said in his proper knightly tone. "We have the slightly spicy, well-cooked fish, or the spicier crab meat. Which would you prefer this fine evening?"

"Well, what a lovely set of options I have," Zelda giggled. "If I had to choose… I'll take the well-done fish—not that big of a serving, if that's alright."

"Of course, Princess," the knight said with a nod.

Turning on his heel, Link spun around in a circle, quickly taking the slate into his hands to tap on the screen while his back was to Zelda. In a flash of light, two dishes appeared in his hands the moment their eyes met again. The princess giggled again, clearly understanding she was supposed to imagine that he had made the dishes appear from thin air without the slate.

"What a magical chef and server you are," Zelda played along, taking her dish from him. "As a fellow server myself, I'd love it if you could reveal your secrets to me."

"Secrets? I dunno what you're talking about," Link chuckled. "I'm just that good."

"Oh, of course. I see," Zelda nodded. "It seems as though I'll just have to try harder at work then, to match your skill."

"I wonder if having the Sheikah Slate at Prima's inn would actually slow things down," Link laughed, dropping his fancy tone as he openly tapped the Sheikah Slate's front again. "She's already pretty fast in the kitchen. I've never had to wait long for a dish or something to drink."

"She's incredibly fast. It's honestly fascinating to watch her work," Zelda said, watching as another dish appeared in his hands, this time a small plate of the crab he had cooked earlier. "If she had access to the slate's storage, I'm sure she'd be even faster. Not that she needs the boost."

"Prima really is one heck of an innkeeper," Link said, taking a seat next to Zelda on top of the cloak, "and she had an amazing waitress to help her."

"Are you referring to me? If anything, I'm sure I slowed her down considerably," Zelda said, but Link shook his head.

"Maybe in the beginning, but you picked up speed as time went on. Knowing her, she would've given you the boot if you hadn't," he said. "You're pretty incredible yourself, Zel."

"Why, thank you, Link," Zelda giggled again. "Your words are kind."

Smiling together, the two began to eat, enjoying the gentle ambience of waves breaking upon the shore, the chirping of crickets in the distance, and the slightest whistle of the light breeze caressing them. They sat close, their shoulders brushing against each other as they did so. It was clear to them both that while the cloak was rather small and they had to compact themselves, they each simply wanted to feel each other's touch, even in the slightest of ways.

"You know, we haven't really had a chance to properly talk until now," Zelda suddenly spoke up. "The festival was so busy, we both got swept up in it all. We barely had time to sit together during dinner."

"That's true, now that you mention it," Link said with one of his cheeks filled with crab meat. "I ended up cooking, and then there was the ceremony. Was there something you wanted to ask me?"

"I just wanted to know how your journey was," said Zelda, "on your way to the forest, that is."

"The journey itself was fine," Link said. "I was a little sore at the beginning from the wounds the Yiga gave me, but it wasn't too bad. I stopped by the Domain to help Sidon with a hinox, then Death Mountain afterward to heal in the hot springs. That's what really helped the healing process."

"They do; Celessa, Paya, and I stopped at the springs as well during our journey," Zelda giggled. "It was a wondrous experience."

"Aw, I missed your first hot springs experience?" Link asked with a frown. "I was hoping to take you to the hot springs myself at some point."

"Oh, Link, you still can," Zelda said, gently nudging his shoulder with her own. "I'd love to go to the hot springs with you."

"But it won't be your first time," Link pouted.

For a moment, Zelda looked guilty, only realizing a second later that he was teasing her again. The knight laughed.

"I'm glad you had a good time," he said genuinely. "How did Paya do climbing the mountain? Or did you all simply teleport?"

"We did try to climb the mountain, and Paya…did her best," Zelda said, thinking back to that day. "In the end, we did have to teleport after a guardian attack."

"A guardian?" Link asked, his tone becoming grave. "Right, there's one at the base of the mountain path that always returns."

"It was quite terrifying," Zelda said with a nod. "It would've been the end of us had Yunobo not saved us. Honestly, we should've teleported the first time, for the guardian wasn't the only thing that attacked us—an ostrich did as well."

At this, Link burst out laughing.

"An ostrich?" he asked, returning his focus to his food. "I wish I'd been there to see that. Those feathery guys are something else. They attacked me a few times on that mountain, too."

"I'm sure you would've had an even greater laugh had you been there to witness the encounter," Zelda huffed. "It was quite a show before the guardian arrived. In the end, we returned to Akkala, stopped by Tarrey Town to rest, and then simply teleported up the mountain. Actually, speaking of Akkala…"

Noticing her change in tone, Link looked over to meet Zelda's austere eyes.

"What?" he asked before taking another bite.

"When were you going to tell me about Kilton?" Zelda asked. Link choked on his food.

"You met Kilton while you were out there?" he asked.

"And Hoz," Zelda clarified. "I'm sure you saw him in Lurelin during the festival."

"I did. I wondered how he ended up there," Link murmured.

"You know, when he and I first met, he had poor Kilton by the throat," Zelda scolded. "He claimed you had shown him a picture of Kilton under the pretense that you would help find him and put a stop to his 'evil,' only for you to then become said evil's primary patron. Why did you not return and inform Hoz that Kilton was, in fact, not an evil man?"

"I…completely forgot about Hoz's goal," Link admitted in a low tone. "It was when I first woke up, so I wasn't all the way there mentally. Man, I feel terrible if that's what ended up happening."

"I figured that was the case," Zelda sighed. "Still, I thought telling you what had happened was the best decision, in case there are any other situations like these…?"

"I'll check my notes in the slate later… I hope I haven't forgotten anything else," he wondered aloud guiltily, setting his cleared dish down on the cloak. "Did anything else happen while you and the others were on the road?"

"A few things," Zelda remarked. "Hagie will be funding our reconstruction efforts going forward."

"Really? Hagie?" Link asked incredulously. "How'd you manage that?"

"His child wasn't feeling well, and his wife asked us for help. We managed to recreate the monster cake you made for their child," Zelda said. "You really should have given them the recipe after you helped them the first time."

"Yeah, that would've been smart. I wish them luck trying to find Kilton to buy the monster extract," Link said. "Though, Hagie could use a few more things to do."

"Other than that, we gained the support of each of the leaders of every race in Hyrule. Traysi ended up accompanying us. She's quite the person, that one is," Zelda giggled, "and then the rest of our time was spent in Lurelin to prepare for the festival. The only other noteworthy event that occurred during our travels was when Celessa fell off a cliff."

"Celessa fell off a cliff?" Link repeated in shock.

"We had to be saved yet again, that time by Teba and Tulin," Zelda replied guiltily. "I don't want to think about what would have happened had they not been out hunting."

"I don't either. I've had my fair share of tumbles off cliffs, so if Teba hadn't saved her… Oh boy," Link said. "I'm glad she's alright."

"You know, when you say stuff like that, I truly am relieved you're still alive and here with me," Zelda said. "I hope you didn't have any similar occurrences during the rest of your journey? We were supposed to be talking about you, after all."

"Not really," Link said. "Death Mountain to the forest was pretty straightforward. After the forest, I went to Kakariko, where Impa told me I needed to wait a little longer. I went to Rito Village to learn to play your song, and then to Gerudo Town to finally honor my promise to Riju and tell her stories. I didn't think I'd end up seeing everyone so soon after visiting them, though. It's good to spend so much time with them."

"I'm happy your journey was so peaceful," Zelda said with a gentle smile, though it didn't last. Her expression somewhat somber, she hesitated before continuing. "If I may ask… What happened in the forest? How were the trials with the Master Sword?"

"The Master Sword? I guess I never got to really tell you what happened in the forest, did I?" he asked in response. When Zelda shook her head, he hummed and looked up at the moon. "It's a bit hard to explain, now that I have to put it all into words. The sword's trials are…different from Maz Koshia's. It transports me to some weird place, where it gives me all sorts of challenges—"

"A 'weird place,' you say?" Zelda asked. Link nodded.

"I'm not really sure what it is. When I try to remember what it is exactly, my mind gets…foggy. It's like, I should know more, but I just don't," he said. "Maybe it's the sword's doing—Zelda, what's wrong?"

While in thought, Link had glanced at Zelda to get her thoughts, only to find her face surprisingly blank. After a pause, Zelda took a breath, realizing she was being stared at.

"Oh, nothing. I apologize," she said, shaking her head. "It's just…what you said about trying to remember that place feels oddly familiar. How you described it is exactly how I felt after I was freed from the Calamity and couldn't quite remember all that had transpired during that century."

"I wonder if they're the same place," Link mused. "Once I'm there, I go through a set of floors, each a little harder than the last. Usually it's monsters–sometimes weak ones like bokoblins, or stronger ones like lynels. Even guardians are in there, and I'm given scraps to fight with—"

"You fought guardians? With scraps?" Zelda asked in awe. "I hope you don't mean sticks and such!"

"Sometimes, yeah, I would only have sticks," Link nodded. "I'd take weapons from the monsters I fought, and I'd be given clothes occasionally—"

"You didn't have any clothes?" asked an astonished Zelda. When Link nodded again, she added, "That seems incredibly harsh, even if it is a trial from the Master Sword…"

"They were tough," Link admitted, "and I still have one more trial to go."

"You never finished?" Zelda asked dejectedly. "You didn't stop just to come here, did you? Is that okay—will there be any consequences?"

"I did stop in order to come here, but also because I needed a break," Link said. "The Great Deku Tree said it was a wise decision to take a step back for a bit in order to prepare for the final trial, and I owe that praise to you. Don't worry; being here with you and enjoying the festival was the best way to relax."

"I see. I'm glad," Zelda said as relief washed over her face. "Still, I wonder what it is you're getting out of these trials.

"Hm?" Link hummed in question.

"Surely there must be more to these tests," Zelda explained. "Of all the things to test you on, was fighting the most necessary? It's what you're most proficient at, especially with a sword. Even Maz Koshia's trials had a purpose, as foolishly intense as I found them to be. It seems redundant to test you in such a…simplistically dangerous way, wouldn't you agree?"

"Um… It's sort of hard to make an argument when you phrase it all like that," Link chuckled. With a calm breath, he leaned back, looking up at the moon again. "Yeah, the fighting itself seems a little strange. I know how to fight, and though the challenges are hard, I don't know what I'm really learning. Still, it feels like I'm learning something."

"Something?" Zelda repeated. "Is that it?"

"It sounds strange, but it's like what we talked about earlier," Link shrugged. "It feels like there's something I'm forgetting from the trial, something that's been blocked, and yet… I feel like I've come out better than before. I feel calm—like the world makes sense again."

Zelda remained silent, completely focused on Link as he took a pause, trying to find his next words. Finally, they came, and they weren't what she was expecting to hear.

"I didn't treasure you," he said, his demeanor still calm. Immediately, Zelda began to protest, but Link simply shook his head. "I didn't. The sword helped me see that.

"I fought for you as your appointed knight. I protected you as a close friend. I loved you as a lover should. But…I never treasured you as someone I could one day lose, whether it was because of my own actions or by something we couldn't control. I was under the assumption that we would simply always be together, but as much as destiny may push us together, it won't force us to love each other."

Link looked over to meet Zelda's eyes, who was currently processing his words. He continued.

"My actions during our time in Hateno could have pushed you away from me. Maybe they even should have," he said. "I never want you to see me like that again. I love you, not because fate dictates it, but because I grew to love everything about you during our time together, from the moment we met to now. Going forward, I'm going to make sure to show you that, and love you as if I could lose you tomorrow."

"Link…" Zelda said. "Did the Master Sword truly help you come to such a conclusion?" she asked.

"I'd say the sword helped, but it wasn't the only thing," Link answered. "Sidon, Teba… Everyone helped me come to this conclusion during my journey."

"If that's the case, then the same goes for me," Zelda said. "Celessa, Paya, and everyone else on my journey helped me make sense of the world again, as well. I learned to appreciate things, just as you have."

Reaching out, she took Link's hands into hers, to which he sat up in response.

"I want to make something very clear: I'd love you no matter what," she said, gripping his hands tightly. "I was never close to leaving you; I hadn't even considered that an option. If anything, you had every right to leave me. If you didn't treasure me, then I certainly didn't treasure you. I too wish to treasure you, as if I could lose you at any moment. "

Link stared at her for a moment before returning the grip on their clasped hands.

"Heh… I guess we both needed help seeing things a bit clearer, didn't we?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, someone told me once before that even the strongest need assistance every now and again," Zelda said, returning his grin. "We're lucky to have such good people around us—people we can call friends. It's why I want to rebuild our kingdom. I want to give them everything I can, and give them the life they deserve after helping us so much."

"And I'll be by your side every step of the way," Link agreed, slowly leaning toward her. "We'll rebuild Hyrule together."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Zelda said, her voice trailing off as she closed her eyes in anticipation.

Their lips met and gently pressed together. Zelda could feel her soft lips caressing his slightly rougher ones. Her senses had become so sensitive, she could feel the shifting of the sand beneath her body and the cloak as she and her knight leaned into each other. After minutes of strong connection, they finally pulled away, slightly breathless. Suddenly, Zelda frowned sadly.

"If you have a third trial, then that means after we leave here, you'll have to head back to the forest, won't you?"

"I'll have too, yeah," Link said with the slightest bit of regret showing on his face. "This time, though, I was hoping you'd come with me to the forest."

"You want me to accompany you this time?" Zelda asked.

"Every second with you counts," Link said, "and I think you seeing me off would be a nice wish of luck, truthfully. I may be good at fighting, but those floors were still really hard to get through."

"I tried to wish you farewell during your first trial," Zelda said, catching Link by surprise. "I arrived right as you were fading away into light."

"So I did hear your voice that day…" Link thought. "Then, maybe that's why I got through everything. I suppose you will come see me off again then, right?"

"Absolutely," Zelda said with an emphatic nod. "Honestly, I would've come had you asked me to or not."

"Great," Link chuckled. With a deep breath, he looked up at the moon again. "It's really getting late. Maybe we should start heading back."

"Already? Are you sure?" Zelda asked as Link began to stand.

"It's about an hour past midnight," the knight answered as he dusted himself off. "I'm surprised you aren't tired after such a busy day."

After stretching his back, he heaved a relaxed sigh before looking down at Zelda, noticing the disappointed look on her face.

"Zelda?" he asked, clearly finding it strange that she didn't want to go back, especially given how late it was. "What is it?"

"I… Um…" Zelda hesitated, averting her eyes from him. "There actually…was one other thing I thought maybe we could do together…"

"There's more?" Link asked surprised. "We really do keep finding ways to one-up each other, don't we?"

"I wouldn't exactly say it was my idea this time around," Zelda admitted, a red glow forming on her cheeks. "It's more so something that was gifted to the both of us, something that I decided to keep to myself; that is, until just now."

Slowly, without looking at him, she held a hand up to him. Instantly understanding, though still clearly confused as to what she was going to do, Link took the Sheikah Slate from his hip and placed it in her palm. After tapping the screen a few times, a river of stringy blue lights rose from the slate, coming together to form a pair of bottles. Link's eyes slightly widened.

"Are these Prima's drinks?" he asked, taking a seat back down on the cloak next to Zelda. The princess nodded sheepishly.

"She must've remembered my birthday was coming up," she said, "and had Celessa deliver these to me as a surprise. I figured that since I'm now of age, and that we're both in much better head spaces then that of the last times either of us drank…maybe we could enjoy these together?"

"You want to drink with me?" Link asked, still somewhat in shock at Zelda's suggestion. Again, Zelda nodded bashfully. "Huh…You always find ways to surprise me, Zel."

"What's that supposed to mean—?" Zelda began to ask, finally looking toward him, only to pause when she saw him smiling as he reached out to take a bottle.

With one in his hands, he pulled the cork out, where he immediately flinched at the acidic scent that reached his nostrils.

"This one is definitely supposed to be mine," he chuckled.

Returning his gaze to Zelda, he held out a hand, to which the princess (somewhat reluctantly) gave him the other bottle. Pulling the cork out of that one as well, he handed it back to her. With both of them now holding their respective bottles, Link tilted the opening of his bottle toward her.

"Happy birthday, Zelda," he said.

Though her face still glowed, Zelda tilted her own bottle toward his.

"And a happy festival to you, Link," she said in return.

The tips of their bottles clinked together, before each took a sip of their contents.

...

"—and she kept asking all of these questions!" Zelda said suddenly, her voice higher pitched than usual. Her cheeks were a different shade of red and her posture was far more relaxed than before. Hugging her bottle, she fumed to herself. "To think, we managed to get Traysi into Gerudo Town and into the palace, yet she still had the gall to say she didn't believe I was the princess! How could she?"

"Mhm," Link hummed simply in response, taking a sip from his bottle. His dilated eyes were fixated on Zelda, taking each of her words and engraving them into his soul.

"She went on asking me all of those questions repeatedly for days after we left the desert," Zelda continued, her brow furrowed in frustration as she swayed somewhat left to right. "You should have heard it all—it was constant from morning to night! It took me having to drop her off the Master Cycle Zero to get it to stop, and even then, it wasn't for very long at all."

"Mhm," Link hummed again, still staring at her unblinkingly.

"And let me clarify," Zelda said, raising a finger toward him. "I actually dropped her. The cycle returned to the slate, causing her to fall right into the dirt. It didn't stop the flow of continuous questions, but it felt nice to stand up for myself."

She smiled widely, placing a hand on her chest in pride. After receiving another basic hum in reply from Link, Zelda frowned.

"Link? Are you even listening to me?" she asked. "I'm trying to tell you about my adventure and yet you aren't saying anything!"

"I'm listening," Link said simply, his eyes locked onto her frustrated ones.

"Then what am I talking about? Go on, tell me," Zelda demanded. Link finally blinked.

"Something about Traysi," he said confidently after a brief pause.

"Oh, so you were hardly listening then," Zelda fumed, crossing her arms as best she could with the large bottle in her hands. "Here I am telling you about my travels, and you aren't even paying attention!"

"I'm sorry," Link said guiltily. "It's just, the sound of your voice is so pretty. I got sucked into it, as if I were listening to music…"

"O-oh…" Zelda said, taken aback by his reasoning. Suddenly, she burst into a fit of giggles. "Oooh, Link, you appreciate my voice? I don't believe you've ever said that before!"

"I never had a reason to," Link said simply, taking another sip from his bottle, though his eyes still remained squarely on Zelda. "Or, I guess it's more honest to say I couldn't bring myself to say it. It felt somewhat…wrong."

Still giggly, the princess scooted closer to him, pressing her shoulder heavily against Link's.

"Are you still on about being proper around me, even after being romantic for so long now?" she asked curiously. "What else have you been keeping from me? Surely, there must be more thoughts you've had, are there not?"

"There's a few…" Link said, finally averting his gaze. Zelda grinned.

"Liiiiike?" she practically sang, urging him to continue. "Didn't you say you were going to treasure me? Come on, now, start treasuring."

"Hm," Link grunted, still looking away. It wasn't until after Zelda had repeatedly shoved herself against him multiple times that he finally gave a proper response. "I've…always liked your eyes."

"My eyes?" Zelda repeated curiously.

"They're so large and full of wonder," Link explained. "They sparkle when you're interested in something, and get so wide when you're surprised. It's cute, just like now."

He had looked over at her, now staring into her widened emerald eyes. Zelda gasped lightly and raised her free hand to cover her eyes.

"Don't do that. You're not allowed to turn the tables on me…" she said shyly, turning her back toward him. After a few moments of squirming, she added, "What else?"

"I love your hair," Link continued, reaching up to take the ends of Zelda's golden hair between his fingers. "It shines in the light, and I really do love the shortened style."

"Are you saying you didn't like it long?" Zelda asked without turning around, slightly jolting when Link took her hair. Link chuckled.

"I loved it long too," he assured her. "No matter what style, it'll always look pretty."

"That's such an easy answer to escape with," Zelda said. "Keep going…"

"Your skin is soft," Link said. He released her hair and took hold of her free hand. "Touching you is always so comforting, whether we're holding hands or holding each other in bed."

"Do you mean that?" Zelda asked quietly with her back still turned to him. "You truly enjoy embracing me?"

"Of course I do," Link said, frowning slightly as he lightly squeezed her hand. Noticing the shift in her tone, he watched her carefully as the ends of her hair fluttered in the breeze.

"Then…why don't you do so more often?" Zelda asked, finally turning back around to face him, revealing her sparkling eyes again.

"Huh?" Link asked, surprised at her sudden flinty tone. "What do you mean? We're always touching each other, like when we're in the bath, or in bed—"

"Yes, but you've never really touched me, have you?" Zelda clarified. Her cheeks were glowing red, and whether it was because of the alcohol or her embarrassment was unclear. "You don't ever try to make me yours. You always hold back, as if it's still wrong of us to do so, but it shouldn't be, right? The kingdom is no longer here, and the decrees for our new kingdom will be ours to write. So why do you hesitate so much?"

"I… Um…" Link stammered. "I just…didn't know if you were ready—"

"How could I not be ready?" Zelda asked impatiently. "All of the baths, the maid attire Prima gave me, even our moment with that armor of yours… How can you see me as not ready?"

"Well, you did stop me when I had the barbarian armor on…" Link mumbled, but Zelda violently shook her head in disagreement.

"Because we had to go to the inn shortly!" she said. "We lived together for so long… Are you avoiding it for another reason? It isn't…my body, is it?"

"What? No, of course it isn't!" Link answered quickly. "I lo—erm…"

"Don't stop," Zelda said, leaning toward him. "Say it. Please."

Link hesitated again, averting his eyes from Zelda's, yet he could still feel her intense gaze on him. He closed his eyes.

"I…love your body," he said quietly.

"Prove it to me," Zelda responded. "What…about my body do you like?"

"Zelda—"

"Link."

Link opened his eyes and looked back at the princess, whose gaze was somehow even more overwhelming than before. He swallowed.

"Your legs…" he finally said, allowing his truth to seep out of the soul Zelda's eyes were prying open. "Especially your thighs. They're really soft. It's a lot of the reason I like when you wear my tunics with nothing underneath, because I can see them properly. Your skin glows, making your legs even prettier."

"Only 'a lot' of the reason?" Zelda asked. "What's the rest of the reason you like me wearing your tunics with nothing?"

"I…Like your… Um…" Link hesitated again, a fierce blush appearing on his cheeks. Suddenly, Zelda grinned again.

"Celessa was right," she said quietly as she began inching toward him. "You do like my behind. That's why you encourage me to sit on your lap so often!"

"Celessa was the one who figured that out?" Link asked, lowering his head in mortification. "I thought I hid it well…"

"Apparently, she put it together during your birthday party at the inn a month back," Zelda giggled. "I guess it's a good thing I chose not to try to lose weight—"

"You wanted to lose weight?" Link blurted out, causing Zelda to grin even wider.

"I thought maybe my thighs and behind were rather too large," she admitted. "But I see you seem to like them."

"I…do," Link continued to admit. "I love both…and your trim waist, and your chest… I love everything about you. You're beautiful, Zelda."

"Then why are you still holding back?" Zelda asked softly. She placed her bottle in the sand nearby, before getting to her knees. "This isn't a century ago, Link… This isn't wrong."

Raising her arms, she placed her hands on Link's shoulders and moved her legs. Gently, she placed herself onto Link's lap, her thighs hugging his waist as her arms wrapped around his neck in embrace.

"I'm yours," she whispered into his ear, her slender fingers running through the locks of his hair behind his head, "so won't you finally mark me as such?"

Though her words were quiet, it felt as though they slammed against Link's internal fortress of self-control, the walls cracking and echoing just as the waves nearby crashed upon the sandy beach. While Zelda passionately held him, Link once again looked up at the white moon above them, its glow reflecting in his still-dilated eyes. Finally, he set his bottle down next to the bottle the princess had set down and wrapped his arms around her lower back.

"Right here?" he asked, matching her quiet tone. "Right now?"

"I feel as though you'll run away again if we don't," Zelda answered. "Besides, what's more romantic than this? Being on the beach, under the moonlight after a nice celebration, with just the two of us here and no one to interrupt us. Unless you really don't want to, that is…"

"I've always wanted to," Link said, holding her tighter. "I just wanted to make sure it really was okay. I might not be able to stop once we start."

"I wouldn't want you to," Zelda whispered. "Do you think I would quit halfway after waiting for so long?"

Pulling his gaze away from the moon, he looked down at the woman straddling him. From their positions, he could only see her backside and legs, yet this alone made his heart pound. Her back was somewhat arched, the bare skin of her lower back exposed by the Lurelin-styled top she wore. The slit in her skirt was stretched to reveal both her bare thighs, her pale skin luminous in the soft glow of the moon. Her hourglass figure was enhanced by her posture, the shape of her behind emphasizing how large it was compared to her waist. The tighter Zelda hugged him, the more he could feel the softness of her chest pressed against his own.

It was far too stimulating…but that's what Zelda was trying to be, right?

His arms began to slide across her soft skin, moving from her lower back down to what rested firmly pressed against his lap. The lower he went, the softer she felt, until it seemed as though his fingers were sinking. He heard Zelda give the lightest gasp as her arms and legs tightened around him, forcing their torsos together so firmly that his pounding heart could feel hers. Her breathing grew heavy, her warm breath fanning his neck as she pressed her face into him.

This was a sight Link hadn't seen in quite some time. When she was last like this, she had dressed herself in a maid outfit while sick, and the time before that was when she was drunk beyond comprehension; however, this time her heat wasn't caused by a fever or even overconsumption, but purely from her body in preparation for what was expected to happen. It was a side of her Link secretly wanted to see more of and now was his chance to indulge.

He began to rub his hands around in circles along the thin fabric of Zelda's skirt, feeling her softness manipulate under his palms. The more he felt, the more Zelda began to squirm. He felt the hand she had on the back of his head gripping his hair tighter, her legs now properly wrapping around his lower body before locking them. Her breaths became slight squeaks, all different tones depending on if he rubbed or squeezed her down below. It was all so enchanting.

"Are you alright?" Link asked, still trying to keep some semblance of control. "You don't have to push yourself—"

"What did we just discuss?" Zelda asked from the crevice of his neck. Though her tone was unyielding, her voice was far higher pitched than usual. "I'm…just not used to being touched in such a way."

"Then—"

"But, just because I'm not used to it, doesn't mean I don't enjoy it," Zelda finished, her tone lowering just slightly.

At this, Link removed his hands from her rear, using them now to clamp on her hips. To Zelda's surprise and displeasure, he pushed her away, yet neither of those emotions lasted for more than a second, for Link's lips were instantly pressed against her own. He pulled on her waist, forcing her closer to him again as they kissed, the intensity increasing after each short breath they took in between.

Eventually their tongues began to entwine as the intensity of their passion increased even further. Keeping a strong grip on her waist to keep her secure, even though her legs were still tightly locked around him, Link began to guide Zelda down, laying her back on the cloak beneath them as their lips remained pressed together. As the princess's body rested on the fabric, the sand beneath her shifting to accommodate her shape, Link pulled his lips away, placing one hand next to Zelda's head in order to push himself up and allow them to catch their breath.

"Are you enjoying this?" he asked, bringing a hand up to place on one of the thighs still clinging to his waist.

With her chest rapidly rising and falling, all Zelda could bring herself to do was nod. With a gentle grin, still gripping her thigh, Link lowered himself down again, planting a light kiss on her lips before moving to her neck.

"You like burying yourself in my neck," he said, breathing heavily against her skin. "I wonder what that's like…"

Pushing himself into her neck, he began to kiss her, causing Zelda's voice to escape her control again. She tightened her legs around his waist again, pressing her lower half against his. Link grunted, feeling himself being forced deeper between her thighs. Through the thin, loose outfits they'd been given, he could easily tell this was where she was hottest. He also hadn't realized just how hard he got down there until the moment he felt himself slightly bend as he pressed against her melting crevice.

The more Link kissed and sucked on her neck, the more Zelda moaned and squirmed. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his body, her nails digging into his back as she tried and failed to hold her voice in. Finally, Link raised his head again, looking down at a slightly-disheveled Zelda beneath him. His eyes traveled from her glittering eyes, down to her parted lips, to the neck he had slightly bruised, until he found himself gazing at her collarbone and chest, which was still covered by her top.

After staring for a few moments, he looked back into Zelda's eyes.

"Is it alright?" he asked. Still breathing heavily, his princess nodded.

Slowly, he slid his hand away from her thigh, traveling up her waist and midriff before arriving at her top. Link felt his own breathing growing heavy again, his heart pounding even harder than before. Why did this feel so intense? They took baths together all the time, so what made this so different?

Knowing full well it was in anticipation of what they were about to do, Link gently pulled the top down, the fabric sliding against her skin before revealing Zelda's bare breasts, which slightly jiggled the moment they were freed from their confines. Time seemed to freeze for the knight as he stared down at the princess's exposed chest. Every time they had revealed themselves to each other, he had always tried to avoid looking at that part of her body out of respect, but now she was completely, openly visible to him.

"Do you…like them?" Zelda asked quietly through her breathing. "You only mentioned these in passing earlier, unlike your love for below. Are they…alright?"

"Of course they are," Link said huskily. "They're perfect."

Every word he spoke was the truth. They were perfectly round, her skin pale and lustrous with moonlight, with small pink nipples and areolas, hardened in the light breeze. Reaching his hand up, he gently caressed one of them and gave it a light squeeze. To his surprise, they were even softer than the rest of her body, and far more sensitive. The moan she let out was louder and higher pitched than any that came before, one that made her release her grip on his back in order to cover her mouth.

Noticing this reaction, Link lowered his head, kissing the nipple of one of her breasts. Again, this caused Zelda to moan again from under her palms. He continued to kiss them, adding in the occasional lick, before deciding to suck on them.

"A-are you a baby?" Zelda asked in a muffled voice from behind her palms. Link chuckled.

"Sorry, was that a bit too much for you?" he asked, yet Zelda's brow furrowed the moment his mouth left her chest.

"I didn't say to stop," she commanded, her hands still covering her mouth.

Though he was a little taken aback by her sudden demanding response, he smiled and leaned back down, covering her breasts with his mouth once more. He continued to suck on them, even giving the occasional nibble on her small nipples, something that made the princess gasp in surprise at his sudden brazenness. She continued to squirm, her movement causing her nipples to be pulled on even tighter by his teeth.

Finally, Link pulled away again, leaving Zelda's breasts covered with his saliva slowly drying in the breeze. He looked into her eyes, yet they were glazed, clearly processing the pleasure that had been coursing through her. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Link pushed himself up, Zelda's legs still wrapped and locked tightly around him. Suddenly, he felt a tug at his shirt, to which he looked down to find Zelda's trembling arm pulling at the hem.

"I want to feel more of you…" she said.

Understanding, Link nodded, removing his shirt in one swift motion and tossing it into the sand beside the cloak they were sprawled on. Still a little dazed, Zelda reached out, touching his chest before gliding her fingers down and around his abdominal muscles, finally reaching the Lurelin-style pants he wore. Traveling down the waist, she reached the bulge that was pushing against the inside of the fabric—the bulge that had been pushed against her only a few seconds earlier. Link twitched.

"Hey," she said, gently rubbing the tip of the tent with her fingers. "You've been like this for a while now…"

Raising a finger, she hooked it against the top of his pants and pulled, feeling resistance once she made it to the bulge. Giving a slightly stronger tug, his member was revealed in full. Letting go of his pants, she placed the tip of her index finger upon the top of his member, pulling it back to reveal a long string of clear, sticky liquid. Again, at this touch, Link jolted just slightly.

"You don't seem all that embarrassed by this," Zelda said, apparently regaining some of her composure.

"Well, I did do some pretty strange things when I first woke up," he admitted, causing Zelda to frown.

"Has anyone else seen this?" she asked, pressing her finger against the tip of his member again.

"Not unless you count Yunobo that time I went to the hot springs, if he decided to look that closely."

"I'd like to believe that doesn't count," Zelda giggled.

While her ankles were still locked together, her thighs relaxed, allowing her legs to spread. They spread so wide, the slit in her dress rose up even more, revealing her precious folds, glistening with so much of her essence, it had flowed onto the cloak beneath her. Taking his member into her hand, she lowered it down, until the tip was poised at her entrance.

"Are we ready?" she asked in a whisper.

"I think we are," Link whispered back, lowering himself down. He let his body lightly lay on hers, allowing their heat to transfer between themselves, the softness of Zelda's breasts flattening against his solid chest while she guided his manhood inside of her. The moment he felt her lips part, he gave his waist a gentle push, causing her folds to spread as he slowly pierced her.

With a light moan, Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck and tightened her thighs against the sides of his waist again as he pushed deeper inside of her, slowly enveloping himself within her. The sounds of their joining as he moved blended with the ocean waves while the raspiness of both their breathing could be heard over the gentle breeze, yet nothing could match the ever-increasing warmth shared between the two Hylians right then and there.

Once he was halfway in, Link paused, and through his ragged breaths, he began to speak.

"Are you…alright?" he asked, trying to keep whatever was left of his self-control in check. "Does it hurt?"

"Not…as much as I thought it would," Zelda managed to reply, her breathing much faster than his. "You don't…have to worry about me…"

"I can't do that," Link said, looking deeply into her eyes. "I'm always going to worry about you. You're my princess."

"Link—"

"No," Link said. "You're my princess. I'm always going to think about you and how you feel."

Taking in his words, Zelda's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red than they already were, before giving him a warm smile in return. Removing a hand from behind him, she placed a hand on his cheek and gave him a light kiss.

"Though it may hurt just a tad, I've never felt more connected to you than in this moment," she said. "I'm feeling pleasure beyond anything we've done tonight. So please…go deeper, and claim me the way I told you at the beginning of this all."

"Zelda…" Link managed to say before lowering his head past hers.

Bringing his arms up , he covered her, placing one hand on top of her head and slid his fingers through her golden locks, the other getting under her shoulders as he tightly embraced her. With another soft push, he continued to enter her, right until he felt his waist press against her inner thighs. At his depth, Zelda pressed her face into the crevice of his neck, both her arms once again around him as she held him tightly.

After taking a few moments to adjust, Link slightly pulled out, feeling her moist walls caress the skin of his member before moving back inside of her. With each thrust, Zelda gave a moan in response as she tightened not just the grip of her arms and legs, but the walls inside of her as well. Every inch—every vein—was being massaged, as if Zelda was trying to suck everything out of him. He felt his mind starting to go blank as he continued, pumping her harder and faster with each motion.

The faster he moved, the faster she moaned, the call of her voice reverberating in his eardrums. If he were moaning himself, he couldn't tell. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing alone: exploring every inch inside her. The sand continued to shift as they moved even rougher than before, the cloak beginning to bury beneath the coarse sand which could now be felt beneath Link's arms and Zelda's back.

"L-Li–Link…" Zelda moaned between her increasingly loud gasps of air.

"Zel…da," Link replied, tightening his own grip around her.

It felt as though he were pushing her down, trying to make her take him even deeper if possible, an idea she seemed to relish as her legs clamped down on him even harder than before. Link could feel his veins beginning to pulse, the blood pumping toward him as his member began to twitch inside her, something the princess seemed to be able to feel.

"Are you…about to finish?" she managed to ask. "Please…come. Just like…this…"

While she had formed it like a question, whether he wanted to pull out or not didn't seem to matter, for Zelda's legs had become so strong, there was no way even Link could pry them open. After a few more thrusts, Link gave a gasp. With the arm beneath Zelda's back, he pushed her against him even tighter than before as he released everything inside of her, all his emotions, all of his juices, all of his love—all of it was pumped inside.

At every pump, Zelda twitched, still pressing him down with her legs in order to keep him as deep as possible inside her as he released, moaning and gasping at the feeling. Finally, Link's strength gave out, allowing his weight to fall onto Zelda's small body, and his face to bury itself in the sand. With a soft giggle, Zelda began to stroke his hair.

"Thank you," she said softly in his ear as they both caught their breath. "This was a wonderful first time. You did so well. I hope I was a good first for you as well."

"You were," Link said in a muffled voice. "No question about it."

"I'm glad," Zelda replied happily.

The two rolled over onto their sides in the sand, with the princess's legs still entwined around her knight's. They stared into each other's eyes, still feeling the extreme warmth from below as Link's softening member still remained inside of Zelda's now leaking folds. Slowly, they leaned in, sharing one final kiss under the moonlight.

Slowly clopping down the moonlit path, Epona carried her two riders into Lurelin Village, passing under the entrance and into the sand. While the horse's owner appeared calm, his smile had a somewhat goofy and satisfied aura about it. His lover, on the other hand, who sat in front of him in the saddle, had her eyes closed and an uncomfortable frown, one that twitched with each of Epona's steps.

"Link… Don't ride so fast…" Zelda complained as she adjusted, trying to find a comfortable sitting position as she leaned against Link's chest. The knight chuckled.

"Any slower, and we won't reach the inn until sunrise," he said gently. "It's just a little further to go, I promise."

At this, Zelda hummed in disapproval.

"Doing it in the sand was a terrible idea," she said, now lying lazily against him, accepting there wasn't a comfortable position. "We got sand everywhere… I hope none got inside me. Ugh, I can already feel the chafing beginning to affect the insides of my legs."

"Well, you did say we had to do it right then and there," Link laughed, yet this only made Zelda grumble.

"It's not my fault I had become so desperate," she fumed. "You should have taken me ages ago. Now look at what you made me do…"

"You're right," Link chuckled. "I'm sorry, Zel. I promise, next time I'll make it a lot easier on you."

"Do you mean that?" Zelda asked suddenly. Noticing the sincerity of her words, Link looked down to find the princess had opened her eyes to look back at him. "You… You're open to doing it more often? You won't hold back any longer?"

"Zelda…" Link said quietly as a pang of guilt struck his chest. Removing one hand from the reins, he brought it up and placed it on the back of her head, pulling her closer to him in order to kiss her forehead. "I'm sorry I pushed you to such lengths. I'll make sure to show you how much I desire you from now on."

While Zelda was taken aback by his sudden show of affection, his words seemed to ring in her ears. She nodded.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she huffed through her reddening cheeks. "Oh, finally—the inn."

With a tug of the reins, Link brought Epona to a stop near the inn's entrance. Sliding off the saddle, he held a hand out to Zelda, who gratefully accepted the assistance to dismount, flinching and groaning with each slide and step.

"Do you think you'll be able to walk inside?" Link asked while still holding her hand.

Though Zelda nodded, with just her first step, she jolted.

"My thighs… they rub against each other…" she said weakly. "It burns…"

"Right. Hold on," Link nodded.

With one swift motion, he scooped Zelda up into his arms. While Zelda secured herself by wrapping her arms around his neck, Link walked up the stairs and carried her into the inn, where the innkeeper surprisingly still stood at the desk.

"So, there's the princess and her knight," she said cheekily as Link came to a stop before the check-in counter. "Or should I say, there's the two lovers. Let me guess: you did it in the sand, didn't you?"

"How could you tell?" Link asked simply while Zelda hid her blushing face in his neck. The innkeeper giggled.

"Please, you think you're the first couple to make that mistake?" she asked. "Sure, it seems like the most romantic setting at first, but it comes back to bite you—almost literally. You're not the first one who needed to be carried inside this inn, Princess."

All Zelda could do in response was awkwardly hum.

"Is it still twenty rupees for a bed, Chessica?" Link asked, yet the innkeeper waved his question away.

"The princess already has her bed booked alongside her companions," she said. "I assume you plan to share a bed with her, so if that's the case, it's already paid for. Just go right on in. I wouldn't recommend getting busy again in that bed though, the others will most certainly hear."

"I don't think Zelda's in any shape to do it again—" Link began to say, only for Zelda to suddenly pound hard against his chest. "Oof— Sorry, sorry… I'm still a little drunk. Goodnight, Chessica."

After receiving a giggly wave in return from the innkeeper, Link quietly carried Zelda through the inn, passing the beds of the sleeping Celessa, Paya, and Trasyi, until arriving at the empty bed his lover had pointed out to him. Softly and as silently as he could, he laid Zelda onto the sheets before climbing in next to her.

"This is going to feel like a nightmare in the morning," Zelda whispered as she snuggled closer to Link.

"Maybe there's something we can do in the morning to help the burns," Link suggested quietly. Maybe a fairy, or something…"

"I believe that would be worth looking into," Zelda sighed.

"Do you regret it?" Link asked.

"Of course not," the princess answered. "Just because I'm not enjoying the aftereffects, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the moment itself. I'll cherish this night for the rest of my life, because it's the first one where we became one…"

Gently, she brought a hand up and placed it on the fabric of his shirt.

"Nothing could ever make this memory a bad one," she said. "Not even this."

At this, Link smiled.

"Good," Link said, closing his eyes, "because I feel the same way."

"It's probably easier for you," Zelda said. "You're far less chafed than I am…"

Link gave a tiny chuckle in response before wrapping his arms around his lover, pulling her in close for an embrace.

"I love you, Zelda," he said, closing his eyes as sleep began to wash over him. "Thank you for throwing this festival for me, and for making this night even more amazing than it already was."

"I should be the one giving you thanks," Zelda admitted, yawning before continuing. "Thank you for making my birthday a special one, learning my lullaby…and then showing me just how much you love me."

In response, Link began to hum the notes of her lullaby, right up until the two of them fell deep into slumber.

...

...

...

Technically smut isn't allowed on ffn by its rules, but that is broken all the time. In case this story does on the off chance get taken down for this chapter though, you can read it on AO3 and Wattpad, where it has art and everything else under the sun!

Kenny