A/N: Hi everyone! Just a quick note that I am having connection issues with Fanfiction that I am not really sure how to fix. I am crossposting on Archive of Our Own. If I am unable to update here, I will still be uploading about once a week (ish) there.
Link had a full day off to rest, per Urbosa's orders. On his way to his next shift, there was a spring in his step, apples in his pocket, a whistle on his lips, and a barely formed thought in his mind of a glowing, grinning princess. He instead found the worried face of Sir Bertrand.
He nodded quickly to him and asked, "Eventful shift?"
"Actually, no. The princess hasn't woken up at all."
Link thought carefully. She had just fought and sealed the Calamity away, which was a tiring feat all on its own. Never mind that she had barely slept in the days before the Calamity making every preparation possible before it arrived. "Please get a healer quickly. It may be nothing, but…"
Sir Bertrand didn't even bother with the formalities of the changing of the guard and bolted down the hallway.
Link took up his post, his fingers turning white on his sword as he imagined the worst-case scenario and begged Sir Bertrand silently to hurry it up already!
He rounded the corner a moment later with Mipha in tow, and Link turned on his heel immediately to knock on the princess' door. After a breath with no response, Link shoved the door open and led the way into Zelda's room.
Nothing seemed out of place.
Mipha rushed to Princess Zelda, who seemed to be peacefully sleeping in bed. Link took up a position with his back to the bed and stared out the door to prevent him from thinking of the curl of her hand next to her face and the strands of gold spun across her pillow. He dismissed Sir Bertrand, who thankfully, hadn't stepped into the bedroom. And then, he waited.
He surveyed the bookshelf in his line of sight. Much larger than any bookshelf he'd ever seen, it filled the entirety of the south wall. She had all sorts of books there, fiction, history, science… anything her brilliant mind took an interest in. He wondered if she had a book on flowers and scanned through the shelves.
He heard a small cough behind him and decided that meant he was allowed to turn around. Mipha closed the curtains around the giant, four-poster bed so that Zelda was concealed.
"How is she?"
Mipha smiled gently. "Please do not worry. She simply overexerted herself in the past few days. She will need about a week of rest and at least one good-sized meal every day. She'll need to be woken up every morning to ensure she eats. The rest of the day, you may let her rest as needed."
"I am on day shift this week. I'll see to it and report to the king on her progress."
"Please, if there is anything else you need, come to me right away. I will be spending much of my time in the infirmary with the wounded. We are running low on supplies, so I am afraid my Grace is more needed than I would prefer." Mipha lowered her head and shook it. "Princess Zelda should wake shortly. I'll send for breakfast to be brought up. In the meantime, I must be on my way."
"Take care of yourself, Mipha."
"You as well, Link." Mipha gave him a gentle pat on his shoulder and a smile as she left.
Link exhaled a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He moved quietly to wait outside the door when he heard the sound of the curtain being drawn back. "Sir Link?"
"Good morning, Princess."
"...Why are you in my bedroom?"
Link flushed. "I apologize, Princess. You slept for nearly two days and I called for a healer to check on you. I was standing guard from my position inside the door. Mipha just left and I was about to."
"Two days?"
"Yes, Princess." He let a moment of silence hang between them before blundering on. "A-anyway, Mipha says you're just really tired and that you need to rest. But you also have to eat at least once a day and they're getting you some breakfast now."
"Oh."
"Are you hungry now? I have apples."
"That would be lovely, if you would care to join me. But, first, please allow me to dress."
"Of course, Princess." WIth a righteous amount of restraint, Link walked straight through the door and closed it without another word.
A soft tap on the door let him know she was ready. He turned as she opened the door in an invitation. "Please, join me for breakfast. I trust that you are hungry?"
"Always, Princess."
She laughed and sat down on a comfortable-looking red velvet chair. Link dragged its twin slightly over to the side, so he could keep watch on the length of the hallway, then pulled out his apples to share.
"Thank you very much," she said, biting into the apple. "Could I ask you a favor?"
"Yes, Princess?"
"Would you mind, when we're alone, if you could just call me Zelda?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," she said, emphatically. "I would prefer to think that after all we have endured together that we might be friendlier beyond royal titles and obligations?"
Link noted the careful way she structured her words. Not friends, just friendlier. Which could mean that she had little regard for him at all or it could mean that she was hoping, one day, to be more than friends. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but friends don't normally kiss each other on the cheek!
"I-if it's too much to ask, please do tell me. I don't want to presume anything-"
"No, no, it's fine…Zelda. Thank you for thinking so highly of me." She smiled again at that, a beautiful, blinding smile that made Link's heart jump. He dropped his eyes to his apple with a quick smile of his own and a deep blush. "Um… Could you please also call me just Link?"
"Of course! It would be my pleasure, Link."
Link's eyes darted out at Zelda, then at the hallway, then back at Zelda. "So… how are you feeling?"
She sighed. "I feel so tired that I think my arms could just fall off and I wouldn't even care. I'm terribly heartbroken with the losses we have suffered. And yet, I cannot deny that I am thrilled that I awoke the sacred power and we were able to accomplish our mission."
"Makes sense."
"I think my next research project will be rebuilding dear Terrako."
"That's a great idea, Zelda."
"If I built him before, when I was much younger, I should still have the ability to build him again. The most important thing is to make a list of supplies and find them all, and then work with Robbie and Purah on putting him back together again!"
Link chuckled gently. "Pr- Zelda, I am impressed by your drive and work ethic, but please remember that you need to rest for the next week. Take it easy for now and we'll all pitch in to help."
"But there are so many other things that are in more desperate need of attention. We have rebuilding and wounded soldiers to care for, and I couldn't possibly-"
"Your little robot saved our lives. Speaking purely practically, I'm sure he can be of more use to us in the future than we realize. What do you need for him?"
In no time at all, Zelda was happily scribbling away at a list of supplies and chattering animatedly. "Unfortunately, since Terrako is so much smaller than other guardians, we will have to find the particular pieces that were used to make him in the first place, then repair all the pieces as needed, and finally, assemble them all together again. I have the blessed screw we need already-"
"What's a blessed screw?"
"Oh, it is similar to a regular ancient screw, but there is some sort of energy that we do not yet understand that emanates out of it," she said, moving to her writing desk and pulling out a glowing screw. "This activated Terrako when I built him the first time, so there must be something that inspires sentience as part of the energy, but-"
A maid rapped on the open door.
"Oh, apologies, please enter."
"Good morning, Princess, Sir Link. Here is your breakfast," she said. "Lady Mipha requested a variety of different foods for you this morning to help you regain your strength."
"Thank you very much. Please set it down on the table."
"Of course, Princess." The maid curtsied and left.
Zelda returned to her seat and grabbed a roll and butter. "Anyway, as I was saying, there is not a lot we know about the ancient technology; and I have yet to see any other blessed screws, so progress on researching its purpose will be very slow. All that is known at the moment is that it is absolutely essential for Terrako to function properly."
"I see." Link carefully poured her tea and she nodded, thanking him.
"You should have some too. You said you're always hungry."
"Eat whatever you want to eat first, you need it more!"
"Link, I am exhausted. It is impossible to finish this whole meal before I fall back asleep and I would much rather keep your company while I have it."
"I'll stay with you, but I won't eat."
Zelda huffed and shoved a fresh roll and some jam at him. "There, you've touched it. Eat."
Link sighed and began to very, very slowly pick at the roll. He had a suspicion that Zelda would try to force him to eat more if it appeared he didn't have any food. She'd probably claim it was rude of her to eat in front of him if he wasn't eating or something like that.
"What do you think will happen next?" Zelda asked, reaching for some cut fruit.
With a shrug, he responded, "Probably a lot of celebrations and banquets, if the other knights have anything to say about it."
"Yes, most likely. I assume they will begin in the next week or so - once the most pressing issues have been tended to. Father will need my help planning the events held at the castle, so I will need to meet with him today."
"Maybe save it for another day. You'll be too tired. I'll let him know you request a meeting when I report to him tonight about your health."
"You will report to him about my health?"
"Mipha said to."
"Do not blame this on Mipha!"
"She's a healer! And he needs to know!"
She huffed again. "What will you report to my father?"
He met her eyes, green as the plains they had traveled together. "U-uh, well," he quickly averted his gaze. "That you have exhausted yourself in the line of duty and are required to take a week of rest per Lady Mipha's orders. And that you'll need a maid to bring you breakfast every morning and wake you to ensure you eat."
"Anything else?"
"Do you want me to report anything else, Princess?"
"Zelda."
"Right, Zelda." He glanced back into her eyes again and found her staring at him with a slightly pink color in her cheeks. "Um, did you want-?"
"Nothing about last night, correct?"
He felt the heat rising in his face again. "You make it sound so scandalous."
"Link, please do not report it to my father."
"If you don't want me to, I won't," he said, glancing nervously at her. "I just hope it's not because you regret-"
"Oh, no, not at all. It just feels…early, I suppose. I prefer to spend more time with each other before making anything known to him."
"Then let's do that. I'll probably be escorting you once you're ready to travel again, so maybe we can do some activities together along the way."
"That would be lovely. I shall look forward to it."
Half an hour later, Link stood guard outside Zelda's room with a new, soft spot on his cheek.
His grin hadn't faded.