Queen Zelda gazed out the frosty window of her private lounge. The fire crackled nearby, keeping her toasty from the howling winds outside. A large book was open on her lap and her gaze drifted from its pages to the window where she could see the sun setting in the distance. The grandfather clock in the corner of the room read five in the evening.
Zelda glanced at the guards at the door and sighed heavily.
Link was still nowhere to be found.
Link said he'd be here, have faith. She tried to turn her attention back to her book. It was a book on the fauna of Faron.
Though, as interesting as it was, she found herself tapping her toe against the ground, her fingers drumming against the pages with increasing rhythm.
"Is Master Link not back yet?" Impa asked her from the door. She was peeking through the doorway.
Zelda snapped the encyclopedia shut and put it on her small coffee table. "He said we'd spend the evening together." She sighed heavily. She let her head rest in her hands. "What's evening to him? Is that not now?" She asked. Worry began lacing into her voice. "What if he's forgotten?"
Impa stepped into the room. "Your Majesty, has he ever forgotten about you? In any capacity?" She asked Zelda, stepping closer. "I'm sure whatever he's up to, he's racing back to your side as we speak." She tried to comfort her.
Zelda let out a long breath. "You're right… But I can't help but worry…" She muttered quietly. Zelda glanced at her nails and began picking at them softly.
"Rhoam sent me for you, actually. He thinks you can get your mind off things if you come have some food with him." Impa perked up. "It smelled awfully good." She nudged Zelda with her elbow.
"I.. I want to wait for Link before we eat…"
"Well it's not a meal, per say, but think of it like a snack." Impa tried.
"It's awfully late for a snack."
Impa's lips thinned. "At least come have some tea with us. Purah and Robbie are there too, he brought the special eggnog."
Zelda sighed once more. Eggnog sounded nice… but she wanted to enjoy it with Link. If he wasn't here yet, who knows when he'd show up. "I suppose I could have a glass while I wait." She said, slowly rising up from her seat and following Impa.
"Master Kohga, please, I beg of you, I need to get home!" Link called out, putting the sword down. He still had no idea how he'd let himself get dragged into this.
"No! You said you'd finish it, hero boy!" Kohga stomped around and pointed at him angrily. He summoned another big metal ball into the air.
Two weeks ago, Master Kohga had approached Link with an offer to train in Yiga sword skills. Being a master of most weapons he picked up, Link felt a calling to accept such a nice offer from their ally. Building good relations, Zelda had called it after the Calamity had fallen.
Master Kohga had claimed it would be quick and easy, but clearly Link and the Yiga Clan leader had very different definitions of the word 'quick'.
Three straight days in the Yiga Hideout in Karusa Valley did not constitute quick in any way or form.
Link easily parried off the ball and let it crash into the ground behind him.
If it had been up to Link, he'd have left long ago, but Master Kohga had kept the slate next to him for the duration of the training to stop him from summoning anything sneaky to breeze through the training.
There was no teleporting back to the castle to see Zelda unless he wanted to walk back, and that was out of the question. Impa and Purah would both kill him for knowingly leaving the slate in Yiga hands, even if they were allies now.
Kohga ignored him and sent a flurry of kunai towards him.
Link swore and flipped over them as the Yiga were taught to do.
He landed with a huff.
.
.
.
"Master Kohga, what if you'd promised some quality time with the bananas in your altar room and then left them for days on end?" Link attempted to strike sympathy with the Yiga leader.
He'd seen that altar room, and the amount of bananas piled up on that altar was baffling to say the least. The pile was taller than he was and they were all off limits to everyone. According to rumor, the bananas were catalogued by which tree they came from—all of which had names .
He saw a few of the other scouts and footmen glance between each other as if they were actually thinking of his words.
Your obsessions with those damn bananas is both astonishing and terrifying. Link couldn't help but think as the Yiga scouts were whispering among themselves and nodding.
Master Kohga moved out of his stance and looked down at the slate in the neat box. He was clearly thinking it over. "You promised to finish this." He countered back, still looking at the slate.
"I know, but right now, my wife is waiting for me and I promised her I'd spend the evening with her." Link sheathed the sword. "I will be back bright and early in the morning to finish your training, but please, can I go?" Link asked, pointed in the direction of the castle on the other side of the continent.
He couldn't quite hear what Kohga was mumbling to himself behind his mask. He looked up, down, to the slate, to his scouts, to the damn moon, all without making clear his intentions.
"Fine." Kohga grumbled out. He picked up the slate and held it out. "But first, get through them. Then you can go." The scouts and footmen moved into position and surrounded Link, their blades ready.
"Deal." Link readied his blades. He looked up and noticed the sky was starting to turn dark. Zelda was going to kill him for being so late. He readied himself and took up his Yiga-style windcarver. He would get through them all, and then he was going home to his wife .
I should get Zelda a gift to apologize for being late, Link thought, surveying the various shops that were still open. It was nearly nine o'clock at night now, and it was freezing.
It had been a dry winter so far in Central Hyrule. The air was dry and bitterly cold as it rushed down from the Gerudo Highlands, drawing any speck of moisture from Link's skin. His lips were cracked already. A layer of frost coated the ground and any flat surface thanks to the fog that rose from the rivers nearby. Too dry for snow, too wet to avoid slippery ice. The Yiga boots he wore had excellent traction on all terrain, but the insulation of the suit was… lacking. He huddled in his cloak, missing his wool tunics. Master Kohga had confiscated all of them in the name of "cultural exchange" and had promised to give them back only when Link completed his training. At least I didn't wear my Royal gear or my Champion's tunic, he thought.
"A real Yiga lives in the suit! Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! The Queen said you should get the real deal, so here's the real deal," Master Kohga had said. Link wondered if he was being pranked—and desperately needed a bath.
Link ducked into a shop that had recently been opened. He breathed in a sigh of relief as the warm air washed over him. He took off his gloves and sighed.
The proprietress of the shop, a tall gerudo woman, approached. She had rows of braids down her head before they became a scarlet cloud behind her head. Her eyes were a deep shade of emerald green, and she wore pale blue silks trimmed in gold. Faint patterns of Gerudo sigils and lotuses caught the light. The silks were styled in a flowing, luxurious style to accommodate the cold. "Hey, Yiga. We're closed for the ni– Oh! Your Highness," she exclaimed, cutting herself off and instantly switching to a more friendly tone upon seeing his face. She bowed. "Forgive me, I didn't recognize you for a moment." She looked rather embarrassed. "How can we assist you tonight?"
"I know it's rather late," Link began, "but I was hoping to find a gift for my wife. We're supposed to have dinner tonight."
The proprietor nodded, though she glanced at his outfit. "Of course, Your Highness. We have a fresh collection from Madame Isha. It's supposed to go on display tomorrow, but for the Royal Family we would be delighted to make an exception. Would you be interested in viewing it?"
Link nodded, glancing at the time on his pocket watch nervously.
The proprietress emerged from the back with a dark wood box. She placed it on the counter and opened it.
Delicate crystals glinted in the light of the lanterns.
"What can you tell me about these?" Link asked, amazed at their beauty.
"Madame Isha said that she was inspired by the recent archeological finds in Faron, specifically the tomb," she explained proudly. "If the archeologists are right, then this is a near replica of what an ancient zonaian queen wore," she explained, gesturing to the pearlescent crystals and deep green stones. It was a necklace, with conical diamonds interspaced with different beads of various stone types. The beads were inset with tiny shards of luminous stone, which lent them a mystical aura. There was a matching set of bracelets, anklets, a set of tear-drop shaped earrings with large green jewels, and lotus-shaped earrings made from pearl and diamond.
"The crystals look like… teeth," Link remarked.
"The zonai revered dragons, so that would fit," the proprietress agreed. "These are the finest-quality diamonds, mined from Eldin. These pearls come from Lurelin, and the green stone was mined in the Gerudo desert. The thread came from Rito artisans—though don't tell anyone, it's a trade secret," she said with a wink. "They have the strongest thread around."
"And the luminous stone?" he asked.
"Zora's Domain, of course," she explained.
"How many sets did Madame Isha make?" Link asked, amazed.
"Just the one, for now," she admitted.
This is going to cost a fortune, he thought, but Zelda loves archeology… She commissioned that expedition herself. He braced himself. "I'll take it."
"Would you like the bill sent to the castle?"
"Yes, to my secretary," he said with a wince.
The proprietress nodded and closed the box. She wrapped it in paper and then into a larger paper box. "Thank you for your patronage, Your Highness." She handed him the box.
Link noticed the look on her face. "What is it?"
"Forgive me, Your Highness, but I would be most grateful if Your Highness did not wear… that while perusing our wares. I don't wish for my customers to get the wrong idea about the sort of customers I deal with."
Link looked down at himself. "Ah. Right. Sorry," he said, chagrined. The Yiga and the Gerudo have had a bad relationship for decades—almost as bad as the Royal Family and the Yiga! He mentally slapped himself. "My apologies. It won't happen again." Though given Zelda wants to improve relations with the tribe, this sentiment might stymie her efforts, he thought.
.
.
.
Link made sure to change the moment he could when he got back to the castle. The Proprietress was right, he probably shouldn't have been walking around in the get-up to begin with.
He'd made a quick detour to the laundresses' area of the castle and had swiped a clean shirt and pants, choosing them over the Yiga bodysuit faster than he'd ever done so before. He stuffed the red clothes into a bag and made his way up the many flights of stairs until he finally arrived close to his and Zelda's living quarters.
Link held the box with the jeweled sets behind his back and opened the door quietly. He knew his wife wasn't going to be in the best of moods thanks to his absence but he desperately prayed everything would be alright.
"Zelda?" He whispered quietly as he looked inside their bedchamber.
She wasn't there.
"If you're looking for the Queen, she's currently enjoying a tea before retiring." Impa piped up from behind him.
He whirled and saw her glaring at him. Her hands were on her hips and she looked cross.
Understandable…
Link was about to apologise when Impa cut him off with her hand.
"Don't apologise to me, just go find Her Majesty. She's in the East Wing." Impa told him before walking off in the opposite direction.
He ran as quickly as he could. He spared no glances at the posted guards and knights, only determination was pushing him past his stamina to get to the East Wing. He could hear the jewellery jingling in the boxes as he came up to the many parlours of the East Wing. Link didn't need to be told which one, there was only one with two posted guards.
Link acknowledged the guards with a downwards head nod and made his way into the parlour. He smoothed out his hair that had fallen out of place and made his way in, the boxes still hidden behind his back.
Zelda was seated at the far end of the room, her tea and saucer still on the table as she looked outside the window. She was in one of her nightgowns, and her hair had already been unbraided, and her crown sitting casually on the table next to her.
"You're late," she stated loudly. Her words echoed through the parlour. She didn't glance back at him, but he could see her expression against the dark window. She was angry. "What do you have to say for yourself?" She looked at the clock. Almost eleven.
Link immediately bowed his head. He felt that guilt eat away at him. "I tried to leave earlier but Master Kohga got a bit carried away with training. I'm so sorry I wasn't here earlier, you shouldn't have had to wait for me like that."
Zelda turned to face him. "That…That actually sounds about right…" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose briefly before standing.
Link immediately walked over and motioned her back into her chair. He got on one knee next to her chair and smiled. "Don't do a single thing, you relax." he told her. He held hope when he saw her eyes waver with that familiar warmth. He pulled out the large wrapped box and presented it to her. "I found something I hope you'll like."
Zelda's lips pursed tightly. "I do hope you remember you cannot buy my forgiveness," she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear.
Link nodded. Prior to his marriage to Zelda, he remembered the last suitor who'd attempted to buy her forgiveness after a particularly bad tete-a-tete and it had not gone well at all.
Zelda pulled the ribbons free from her gift and lifted open the box lid. She placed it gently next to her crown and made a quiet sound of awe. Her eyes were glossy and her lips parted ever so slightly. She lifted the larger piece out and inspected the necklace.
"Where did you find these?" Zelda asked, looking at each gem individually. "Oh Link, they're breathtaking." She smiled as she cycled to the anklets, then the small bracelets.
Link thanked the Goddesses above that she liked the gift enough to forget her anger towards him. "They're inspired by the jewellery worn by Zonai queens." he told her, rising from the ground and pulling over the other chair. "I know you wanted to dig deeper into the Zonai come Springtime and I thought this might tickle your fancy a bit." He watched her inspect more of the pieces.
Zelda turned her chair towards him and held out the anklet. "They're lovely, thank you." she placed the small anklet in his hands. "The researchers theorise that Queen Sonia of the Zonai, our first Queen, received a similar anklet as a wedding gift from her husband," she recounted. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she began telling him more. Link listened avidly to her words. "We're not yet sure if they were a symbol of marriage yet since most of our records often lack footwear, but in all of our records, only married women wore an anklet of gems."
"Why an anklet specifically?" Link asked. It was an odd place to wear a status symbol for a relationship. The tradition in Central Hyrule was to wear rings, but because he and Zelda used their hands so often, they wore their bands on necklaces.
Zelda shrugged. "We're not actually sure, maybe it was a way to honour their husbands?" Zelda picked up the large pearl earrings from the box and held them up to her ears. "Do you think these would suit me?"
"I think they'd suit you any day." he told her, keeping her gaze. "Is there anything else you'd like to do this evening? I feel bad for keeping you so late." He told her, kissing the back of her hand sweetly.
Zelda's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, but she made no motion to take her hand away. "I'm actually quite tired tonight… Father had guests so I'm a bit drained." she told him. She finished her cup of tea and placed it aside for a maid to come fetch it later. "Would it be bad if I only requested an evening cuddled up to you tonight?"
"You never have to ask me for that, It's always a yes. Stab me if it's ever a no," Link joked with her. He stood up and helped her stand. "If an evening of cuddling is what My Queen desires, it shall be what she receives." He smiles as they made their way to the door. He stopped her a few paces from the door. "I do have a small request." Link whispered quietly.
Zelda looked at him, unsure. "It's just cuddling."
"I know it's just cuddling," Link rubbed the back of Zelda's hand, but he glanced down at the box. "But can we cuddle while you wear only this?"
Zelda turned a bright shade of red. "I said it's only cuddling," she warned him for the third time.
Link gave her a shocked expression. "I know!" He said with mock offense. "I only want to cuddle you while you're covered in Zonai jewels. It's a very nice image in my head."
Zelda sighed heavily, but she had a difficult time hiding her growing smile. "Oh alright, I shall indulge your one and only request."
Link was right. Zelda had been glorious to behold in nothing but jewellery.