To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 26 – Hot Springs

Zelda ended up witnessing numerous sumo matches play out throughout the evening. With every pair of combatants that climbed into the ring, the crowd only grew livelier and more energetic. There were loud cheers, applause, and laughter (mostly from Darbus) as Goron after Goron competed for victory. At one point, a few of the Hylian guards even jumped in the ring to have a go at it, but they were only willing to face their own kind. After witnessing Link's attempts at wrestling a Goron, nobody else was keen to try it. Nevertheless, the Gorons kept their elevated enthusiasm, even for the humans that were far smaller and weaker than they were.

Zelda, on the other hand, began to tire of these events after some time. It felt like she was watching the same thing over and over, with the Gorons grunting and pushing and shouting far more than what she considered necessary. Still, she endured every match, giving her subjects the full attention that they deserved and providing a polite applause for each victor.

Eventually, the sumo wrestling came to an end, with the Gorons being too tired to compete any further. Sensing that the evening's events were wrapping up, Zelda stood up and addressed the crowd, thanking them for their lively display of entertainment. She commended the victors, leading the crowd in one final applause. She then dismissed herself, hoping to retire for the night.

The Princess soon made it back to the room that had been prepared for her: a small, rounded cave that was well-lit and furnished. She entered inside, closing the door behind her before she sat down on her bed. She then breathed a long, heavy sigh.

She was tired.

Today had felt incredibly long, particularly because of how much was happening. Honestly, Zelda found it hard to believe that she had just been in Kakariko Village earlier that morning. After that, they had endured a long and exhausting journey up the mountainside, only to be forced into the Gorons' festivities for the rest of the evening. It almost felt like the Princess had hardly had any time to relax. At least she could take solace in the fact that she was alone, and she could now rest and recuperate in peace.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind. Zelda recalled what Gor Amoto had mentioned to Link earlier: that the Gorons had numerous hot springs located here for their guests to enjoy. The Princess couldn't help but smile a bit at the thought of soaking in such warm and relaxing waters.

Feeling a little adventurous, Zelda decided to go and pay the springs a visit. It wasn't every day that she journeyed all the way to Death Mountain, after all. She might as well enjoy everything that the Gorons had to offer.

Zelda began rummaging through her luggage until she found the swimsuit that she had packed. It was a purple one-piece garment, consisting of short sleeves and a frilly middle that turned into a skirt further down. The skirt fell halfway down her thighs and contained a pair of shorts sewn-in underneath.

With a small smile, Zelda changed into the swimsuit, and slipped on a comfortable pair of slippers. She then let her long brunette hair free of the neat braid she always kept it in, before carefully gathering it up and tying it into a bun at the back of her head. She didn't plan to get it wet, so she hoped that keeping it up would help her maintain some level of order.

Lastly, Zelda donned a salmon-colored robe, tying it around her swimsuit for the sake of protecting her modesty. She didn't necessarily mind showing some skin, but she knew that if Fost ended up catching her in such a garment, he would likely have a conniption. "Such a display is hardly becoming of a Princess!" she knew he would say.

Zelda just sighed. Even when the Minister wasn't around, his nagging voice still echoed in her thoughts with precise clarity.

Still, she had no intention of running into him tonight. With a small smile, Zelda snuck out of her room, making her way through the long, cavernous hallway. Eventually, she encountered a Goron, who was more than happy to point her in the direction of the nearest spring. Zelda thanked him and then moved on, grateful that he hadn't asked any further questions.

After navigating through a few more hallways, she finally found an exit leading outside. Surprisingly enough, it was still rather warm out here, even despite the lack of sun. Zelda didn't mind though. She was looking forward to warming up in the waters under the star-filled sky. Wasting no time, she turned a corner and began making her way to the nearest spring. Even now, she could hear the low bubbling coming from the heated pool, as well as the soft hissing of the steam rising above.

However, another sound soon caught Zelda's attention, causing her to freeze in her tracks. It was the sound of her own name being called out.

"Zelda?"

The Princess immediately glanced into the pool, only to spot another occupant already bathing inside the waters. She quickly recognized the figure as none other than Link, but she still remained frozen in place. For while the Hero sat there, enjoying the warmth of the spring, he appeared to be completely unclothed.

As soon as Zelda realized what she was walking in on, she gasped and instinctively turned her head away, all while raising a hand up to block her view. "O-Oh my…!" she exclaimed, suddenly breathless. "A-Apologies, Link. I didn't mean to, um…w-walk in upon you while you were, uh…b-bathing…" By the time Zelda stammered her words out, she couldn't help but notice that she had started blushing quite excessively. Her lips also began to tremble a bit. She was so embarrassed!

Meanwhile, Link just glanced over at her, giving her a weird look. "Um…it's fine. You don't have to apologize."

Zelda still refused to look in his direction, keeping her hand up at all times. "Y-Yes, well…be that as it may, I was not aware that you were h-here, and I shall simply move on to another spring so that you can have your, um…privacy…"

Link just continued to stare at her. "Oh, that's okay. You don't have to go. You're welcome to join me here if you like."

Zelda somehow felt her cheeks turn an even deeper shade of red. "L-Link! What are you suggesting!? Surely you understand the…the impropriety of such a thing! I mean…to bathe with you when you are in such a…such an indecent…" She opened and closed her mouth a few times, far too flustered to continue.

Link just frowned. "Um…I'm not bathing."

The Princess blinked in response. "Wh-What…?"

"I'm not naked in here, you know." Suddenly, Zelda heard the sound of Link slowly rising out of the water. She forced her eyes shut and turned away some more, only for Link to eventually call out in a reassuring voice. "See? You're worried over nothing."

Zelda remained still for a few seconds, unsure if she should trust him. Eventually, she timidly lowered her hand, only cautiously daring to look past it. It was there that she saw Link, grinning over at her apprehensive self. He seemed to be rather amused by her behavior. Daring to look a bit further, Zelda noticed that Link had indeed been telling the truth, as he wore a dark pair of shorts that covered him from the waist down to just above his knees. She eyed them for a second, and once she was completely certain that she wouldn't catch a glimpse of anything untoward, she finally allowed herself to lower her defenses. Nevertheless, she was still fully blushing as she turned to face him again. Even as she gazed at him now, Zelda felt that his sole article of clothing was still rather revealing, although she supposed that this was a better outcome than her original assumption.

"M-My apologies, Link," she stammered, her eyes glued to the ground. "It seems that I may have made some rather…inappropriate assumptions."

Link just laughed at this. "Apology accepted. Besides, the look on your face was priceless, ha ha ha!"

Zelda felt her face redden even more. She felt incredibly embarrassed by all of this. How could she have made such a foolish mistake!? "Y-Yes, well, perhaps I should just move on to another spring anyway…"

This caused Link to shake his head. "Relax, Zelda, I'm only teasing you a little. I'd be more than happy to have you join me in here."

Zelda hesitated to give a response. "I…I don't know…"

"Please?" Link asked softly. "I could honestly use the company."

Zelda winced a bit as she felt her heartbeat begin to quicken. She already felt flustered enough as it was, but Link's soft and sweet voice was really threatening to push her over the edge. Still, how could she refuse his request?

"V-Very well," she stuttered. "If you'll have me."

Link laughed some more. "Of course."

The Hero soon settled back down into the water, the only part of him sticking out being his bare chest. Zelda couldn't help but eye him a bit as he did so. She had never seen what lay beneath his green tunic before, but now that she had, she couldn't deny that his muscular body was looking far more appealing than she could have ever imagined. Zelda felt her cheeks rise in temperature once again, and she had a feeling that it wasn't because of the hot water that surrounded them…

"Well?" Link asked.

Zelda blinked. "Well what?"

"Aren't you going to come in?" he asked with a smile. "You came here to soak, didn't you?"

Zelda weakly nodded. To be honest, she felt quite steamed already, and the thought of entering a hot bath in her current state sounded less than appealing. Nevertheless, the Hero appeared to be encouraging her, so she chose to oblige.

Zelda turned away, removing her slippers before she began untying her robe. Once it was loose, she set the garment on some rocks nearby. She then turned around, now wearing nothing but her swimsuit. To her surprise, she ended up catching Link staring at her, only to watch him quickly look away. This time, his face was the one that was turning red.

Zelda gave him a curious glance. "What?" she asked.

"N-Nothing," the Hero stuttered, looking embarrassed. "You just, uh…you look good."

"Oh," Zelda replied, suddenly realizing what this was all about. She still felt like her swimsuit wasn't all that revealing, but she couldn't deny that it showed off a lot more skin than what her usual outfits allowed. It was only natural that the Hero would gaze at her in such a curious manner. Zelda just chose to accept his compliment, all while trying not to lose what little nerve she had left.

"Thank you."

Wasting no time, the Princess then entered the water, wading in and lowering herself at a spot near the Hero. She was eager to exit his gaze for a bit, and the steam and water provided the perfect cover. She breathed a small sigh of relief once she finally settled down. She had to admit, this warmth felt amazing.

"This is quite nice, isn't it?" Zelda asked, hoping to move on from their previous conversation.

"Yes," Link replied, nodding. "I've actually been in here for over an hour now."

Zelda cast him a somewhat concerned look. "Goodness, I hope that you're not starting to shrivel up."

Link laughed. "No, I'm not planning to look like Gor Amoto quite yet."

This comment caught Zelda by surprise. She honestly had to fight hard not to laugh in turn as she pictured the tiny Goron Elder in her mind. In the end, she still couldn't resist producing a smirk. "Link, that is hardly appropriate or courteous. The Gorons are our wonderful hosts, you know."

"It's just a joke," Link said with a shrug. "I'm sure that if Darbus were here, he would laugh."

"Even so…"

"Fine, I'm not planning to shrivel up and look like Fost then."

This time, Zelda released an unrestrained giggle. She had to admit, that was rather clever, and the short Minister was fair game as far as she was concerned. "Aye, I should hope that you don't."

Link laughed some more as well before shaking his head. "Don't worry. I'm only planning to stay in here as long as I have to."

Upon hearing this, Zelda paused, suddenly recalling why the Hero had come to the hot springs in the first place. She had almost forgotten just how badly he was bruised after his sumo match with Darbus. With a concerned expression, she soon glanced over at him. "Tell me, how are your injuries?"

"Much better," Link said with a smile. "Believe it or not, these springs really do ease your aches and pains."

"I'm glad to hear that," Zelda said, allowing a bit of relief to wash over her. "I feel like I should offer you an apology. If I had known that things were going to turn out like that, I never would have granted Darbus permission to challenge you."

"It's fine," Link replied, shrugging. "I'm pretty tough, and he didn't rough me up too badly."

"Still, I felt a bit panicked when I saw you hit the floor like that," Zelda admitted. "I noticed that a lot of the Gorons looked rather surprised as well. For some reason, they seemed to think that you would perform better than you actually did."

Out of the corner of her eye, Zelda watched as Link suddenly tensed up. "O-Oh, they did?" he stuttered.

Zelda just turned to him with slightly raised eyebrows. His behavior struck her as odd, but she decided to continue her thought all the same. "Yes, they claimed that you had fared much better against them the first time you came here."

Upon hearing this, Link quickly looked away, refusing to meet the Princess's gaze. "Huh…I, uh…I guess I must really be out of practice…ha ha," he finished with an awkward laugh.

Zelda just gave him a perplexed look. Despite Link's best attempts at remaining calm and acting nonchalant, it was painfully obvious that he was hiding something. This, on top of her own curiosity, caused Zelda to question the Hero further.

"You know, the Gorons also said that you were able to best some of their greatest tribesmen in sumo when you visited here before. That's actually quite a feat, as a Goron's strength is typically said to far exceed that of a human's."

This time, Zelda watched as Link started sweating a bit, and she had a feeling that it wasn't because of the hot spring they were currently soaking in. "Is…Is that so?" he stuttered, still refusing to look at the Princess.

Zelda just smirked, amused at his reaction. She could tell that she was getting close to drawing the truth out of him. "Yes, and now that I think about it, that description seems to line up with your performance earlier today. Just a small human being tossed aside by the powerful boulder known as the Goron. So, I have to wonder, if you struggled so much today, then how were you able to best them when you first visited this place? I'm very curious to hear the tale…"

By this point, Link was truly at a loss for words. "Well…I, uh…About that…"

Zelda continued to smirk as she stared right at him. "You wouldn't have happened to use some sort of…underhanded tactic to best them, would you?"

Link finally turned to meet Zelda's gaze with the look of a wild animal that had been cornered. His mouth opened and closed a few times, not sure what to say to her. "I…How did you…?"

Seeing that was all Zelda needed to confirm her suspicions. She soon folded her arms and raised her eyebrows a bit. "Ah, so you did cheat."

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Link suddenly insisted with a loud whisper. He then frantically glanced around to make sure that there were no Gorons nearby to overhear them.

Zelda dropped her own voice to a whisper as she responded, still smirking all the while. "Oh dear. What's the problem?"

Link just shook his head as his gaze fell towards the water. "It's not good. If the Gorons find out what I did, they might get really upset!"

"As they should be," Zelda replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "I would be displeased too if my people had been cheated out of an honorable match."

Link frowned as he turned to her, but soon sighed. "Look, it was a desperate situation, all right? Midna and I needed to get access to the mountain, and the only way that they would let us in was if I proved myself in a sumo match. Like you said, I really had no chance against someone of their stature, but the Kingdom was in danger at the time and every second counted, so I…I kind of just…you know, did what I had to do."

"You cheated," Zelda replied bluntly.

"N-Not necessarily!" Link stuttered back. "If anything, I was just…evening the playing field."

Zelda had to admit, she was very curious to hear the truth of the matter now. "And what exactly did you do? Did Midna help you from the shadows?"

Link shook his head. "No."

"Then tell me, how did you manage to overcome them?"

Link glanced around once more to make sure that the coast was clear. Once he was satisfied, he leaned in closer to Zelda, and continued to whisper. "I used a pair of iron boots. Mayor Bo lent them to me. They were so heavy, I could barely move in them, and the Gorons were no longer able to toss me out of the ring like a sack of potatoes. With the added weight, I finally had a fair shot at beating them, and so I did."

Zelda blinked a bit, surprised at this answer. "Seriously? And they never noticed the heavy footwear?"

Link shook his head. "I guess Bo used to use them during sumo too, but the Gorons have never been any the wiser. And I would prefer to keep it that way, for both his sake and my own."

Zelda soon looked away, staring off into the distance. She took a few seconds to imagine the situation, before she eventually smiled. "Hmm…I must admit, that does sound like it was rather clever on your part. I suppose that there are times where a Hero's wits are just as important as his brawn."

Link blinked a bit, surprised at this response. He had almost expected the Princess to scold him for cheating, but here she was actually sounding rather impressed. This gave the Hero some encouragement, but he decided not to let his surprise show. Instead, he just tried to play it off coolly, as though the Princess's words were what he had understood all along. He sunk a bit deeper into the water, and allowed his shoulders to relax. "Y-Yeah, it wasn't really cheating if you think about it. I was just using my wits, fair and square."

Zelda just gave him another curious look, immediately noticing the change in behavior. "Oh? You sound so much more confident all of a sudden."

"Of course. I didn't do anything wrong."

"Is that so?" Zelda asked playfully, before flashing a mischievous grin. "Then I suppose it wouldn't hurt for the Gorons to learn of your little secret…"

Link's face quickly went pale again, and he splashed back up into a sitting position. "W-Wait, Zelda, you're…you're not going to tell them, are you?"

Zelda just laughed at his quick change in tone. It was clear that he still felt guilty about the whole thing, no matter how much he tried to hide it. "Well, it seems that you only did it with the best of intentions, and the Kingdom was in danger at the time, so I suppose that just this once, I can keep your secret for you."

Link stared at her for a second before allowing himself to relax again. The thought of avoiding an angry mob of Gorons was enough to fill him with relief. "Okay, good."

However, Zelda soon smirked for the final time. "Besides, earlier today, you did get the beating that you were originally meant to, so I'd say that you've already paid the price for your dishonesty."

Upon hearing this, Link just stared at her with his mouth hanging open before eventually rolling his eyes. "Gee, thanks…"

Zelda couldn't help but giggle. In spite of her tumultuous romantic feelings, she still enjoyed toying with the Hero. Besides, she considered it payback for when he had made fun of her for being so flustered just a short while ago.

Zelda eventually stifled her laugh, and turned to the Hero with a genuine smile. "I'm truly glad that you agreed to come along on this trip, Link. You've made things much more amusing than I could have imagined."

Link just frowned. "Why? Because you get to make fun of me so often?"

Zelda shook her head with a small laugh. "No. I will admit that I do get some enjoyment from such things, but that is not what I meant."

Link raised his eyebrows, wondering what she was talking about.

"I'm just happy to spend time with you," Zelda replied, her smile turning a little shy as she looked away. "That's all."

Link blinked in surprise once again, but he soon returned her smile. "I'm having fun too. It's been nice getting to visit all of these places again."

Zelda nodded. The Hero hadn't seemed to pick up on any deeper meaning in her words, but she hadn't really expected him to either. She told herself that it was probably for the best. She still intended to keep her feelings bottled up, and she was not about to start making any heartfelt confessions.

"What about you?" Link continued, interrupting her thoughts. "Have you been enjoying the sights?"

Zelda smiled, looking more confident this time. "Yes, these travels have honestly been wonderful. It's been so nice to be free of the castle for a change. Not to mention, I've loved greeting all of my subjects from across the land. I am forever grateful to know that my family still has their support after everything that has happened."

Link nodded. "I can only imagine. But you know, it shouldn't really come as a surprise. The people of Hyrule have always loved you."

Upon hearing the Hero talk about her like this, Zelda suddenly felt her shyness returning. "Is that so?"

"Of course. I guess you don't always get to hear about it from inside of the castle, but it's true. A lot of people speak of your wisdom and kindness. They've gladly placed all of their trust in you, as well as your father."

Zelda blushed a bit. "You flatter me, Link."

He laughed in response. "Hey, thank the people of Hyrule. I'm just passing their feelings along."

Zelda soon glanced over at the Hero, looking curious once more. "But you agree with them, don't you?"

Link just paused. He hadn't expected the Princess to turn the conversation around to focus on him. "Well, of course. You know that you have my full support."

Zelda smiled. That wasn't exactly the answer that she had been searching for, but she was willing to accept it all the same. "Thank you, Link. And by the way, I hope you realize that the subjects of Hyrule that we've encountered on this trip are not only supporting myself. They're showing support for you as well."

Link paused again, this time looking sheepish. "I know. It's still hard to believe such a thing, but I know."

"Does the attention still bother you?" Zelda asked kindly.

"Not as much as it used to, I think," Link replied, trying to sound confident. "I've started getting used to it over the last few months. And besides, it's easier when you have a Princess by your side, absorbing half of the attention for you."

Zelda smirked at this. "Well, I'm glad to know that my presence has made things easier on you. Admittedly, there are times where I still wonder if my actions have caused you nothing but trouble, but it sounds like you are getting along just fine."

To Zelda's surprise, Link just chuckled in response. He then turned and stared at her with a smile full of gratitude.

Zelda just stared back at him. "What?"

Link ended up bowing his head. "Thanks Zelda."

This just made the Princess feel even more confused. "For what?"

"For everything that you've done for me," Link said sincerely. "These last few months haven't always been easy, but I really have enjoyed them. So thank you."

Zelda felt her heart begin to beat loudly within her chest, but she managed to keep her composure and accept the Hero's gratitude with grace. "You're welcome, Link. I hope that I can continue to count on you for many years to come."

"I hope so too," Link replied with a smile.

The two of them sat there in silence for a moment, save for the soft hissing of the steam rising from the water. Before long, Link released a big yawn.

"I feel exhausted," he announced, blinking a bit. He then slowly rose from the water. "I think it's about time for me to turn in for the night."

Zelda gave him a small nod. "Very well. Thank you for keeping me company tonight."

The Hero smiled at her. "The pleasure was all mine."

Zelda watched as he waded his way to the edge of the pool before stepping out. He then dried off with a towel, before giving a wave goodbye to the Princess. "Good night, Zelda."

Zelda smiled back. "Good night, Link."

The Hero then took his departure, leaving Zelda alone with her thoughts under the star-filled sky.

These last two chapters were a lot of fun. I hope you enjoyed them. Aside from that, I really have nothing else to say, so I'll simply leave you with this public service announcement: Even after ten years, A Link Between Worlds is still one of the greatest Zelda games ever made!

There, now I hope that this information has brightened up everyone's day. See you all next time.