To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 52 – Weathering the Storm

After a brief moment of silence, Zelda found the courage to speak up again, this time in a lighter tone. "Well, if you won't let me apologize, can I at least inquire about your recovery?"

Link just laughed, letting any tension drain away from the conversation completely. "I've been doing well. Thanks for asking."

Zelda couldn't help but smile. "Are you still in pain?"

"It's not as bad as before. The bleeding has stopped completely and now it really only hurts whenever I move around. Thankfully, Ilia has been coming by to check up on me every day. And slowly but surely, I'm getting better."

"I'm happy to hear that," Zelda said with a sincere nod. "I hope you continue to recover smoothly. Oh, and Link? Please don't feel like you have to rush your healing so that you can make a swift return to the castle. I want your health to come first and foremost."

Link just frowned. Admittedly, he had been hoping to speed up his recovery so that he could return to his heroic duties sooner. However, he had never mentioned anything of the sort out loud. He wondered how Zelda had picked up on that.

"What if I'm needed?" Link asked quietly.

"There is nothing that needs doing until you are fit to make a proper return," Zelda assured him. "And should anything come up in your absence, I will gladly handle it myself."

Naturally, Link was quick to argue. "But I don't want you to be burdened-"

"It will be my pleasure," Zelda said with a firm shake of her head. "And trust me, Link, I think you've done enough for this Kingdom to have earned yourself a little time to relax. Take care of yourself and continue to focus on your recovery. When you have completely healed, I will happily call on your talent once again."

Link frowned some more, looking a little displeased with this outcome. Nevertheless, he soon sighed in defeat. "Very well. But please don't overwork yourself trying to cover for me. Then I'd have to recite your own speech back to you."

Zelda playfully smirked. "Hmph, and when have I ever needed a taste of my own medicine?"

"You're joking, right?" Link asked flatly.

She simply giggled. "Perhaps we'll just leave it at that then."

The two of them sat there in silence for a moment, content to enjoy each other's company. However, the moment was soon torn asunder as a great crash of thunder roared overhead. Link and Zelda froze in unison before glancing out the window. By this point, the sun had set, and it was pitch black outside. They couldn't see a thing, and yet, for all the lack of vision there was certainly no lack of sound. The wind was tearing through the trees, bellowing a ghostly wail as it passed. The rain was coming down in droves, pounding the windows like a never-ending drumbeat. And of course, the horrible thunder continued to growl and curse the very skies.

"The storm's begun," Link noted quietly.

"Oh shoot," Zelda cursed as she rose to her feet. "I was hoping to find lodging before it got this bad. Oh well, there's no avoiding it now."

Link just shot her a curious look. "Wait, you're not thinking of going out in that storm, are you?"

She nodded as if it was obvious. "Of course. Mayor Bo said that he'd be happy to house me any time that I choose to visit Ordon, so I was planning to stay there for the night."

This time, Link stared at her as if she was crazy. "Zelda, don't be ridiculous. Bo's house is on the other side of town. You can't go out into that fierce storm and walk all the way there."

Zelda simply shook her head before making her way to the door. "It can't be helped. It's my fault for staying here so long. And oh, I should've thought to bring my cloak…"

Link clenched his teeth and rose to his feet in frustration. He hissed a bit as the pain in his side flared up, but he ignored it. Instead, he focused on grabbing Zelda by the wrist, halting her before she did anything foolish.

"Zelda, stop," he commanded her. "You can't go out there."

"But Link-"

"You can stay here tonight."

Zelda froze, her eyes growing large. She had not expected him to say something like this, and with such conviction no less. "You…You wish to host me for the evening?"

"Of course," he said, finally letting go of her wrist. "I have plenty of room here, and besides, it's better than letting you walk out into that storm where you'll only get cold, drenched, and possibly sick."

Zelda bit her lip as she hesitated. She had to admit, he had a good point. "I…don't want to be a bother," she said sheepishly.

Link just rolled his eyes. "What did you say earlier about not needing your own medicine? I swear, sometimes you're worse than me."

Again, she realized that Link had a point. "You're right," Zelda admitted. "Forgive me. I'd be happy to stay here if you'll have me."

"Ah, even the most stubborn of horses manages to see reason," Link said, playfully quoting one of their conversations from long, long ago. Zelda shot him a look, but he just laughed and turned away. "Come on, I'll build up the fire so that we can warm up. And if you're hungry, I can make you something."

"No, I'm fine, thank you," Zelda answered modestly. "Is it okay if I sleep on your couch?"

Link just paused before glancing back at her. "What? Don't be silly. You can take my bed."

Zelda paused as well. She soon frowned and waved her hands in dismissal. "Oh, no, Link, I couldn't possibly do that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You're my guest. By the rules of common courtesy, the bed is yours."

"But Link, you're still injured and recovering," Zelda reminded him. "I couldn't possibly take away your comfy bed from you."

"But I'm insisting upon it."

"And I'm politely refusing."

Link and Zelda simultaneously shot each other a frown. In an instant, they both realized that their time of arguing was far from finished, and that they likely had a long night ahead of them.

"You're royalty," Link said with a furrowed brow. "You deserve a proper place to rest."

"The couch will do fine," she answered back.

"The couch is hardly comfortable."

"All the more reason for me to take it instead of you."

"Zelda, I can fall asleep just about anywhere. You take the bed."

Zelda crossed her arms as she allowed her frustration to boil within her. She may have conceded many arguments today, but she was not about to lose this one. "Link Ordona," she seethed. "If you think that I'm about to take an injured man's bed away from him, then you're out of your mind."

Link just scowled at the use of his full name. "And you're crazy if you think that I'm going to let a Princess sleep on that old couch."

"As if that's such a big deal. You asked me to sleep in a chair next to your bedside at the Gerudo camp."

"All the more reason to not have you do it again. I owe you for that time."

"You don't owe me anything. I was doing you a favor."

Link clenched fists and teeth alike. Much like Zelda, he was reaching the end of his rope, and he was not about to take no for an answer. "Listen to me, Zelda Hyrule, and listen well. This is my house, and as long as you're staying here as my guest, then you're getting the bed. And that's final."

Zelda nearly stomped the floor as she balled her own hands into fists. Link was being particularly stubborn tonight, and she was far from pleased. On the cusp of losing her nerve, a sudden idea came to mind. One that just might be drastic enough to settle the matter entirely.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Zelda scoffed. "Keep your bed. I'll just go to Bo's house after all."

Link gave her a grave look. "Oh no you're not."

"Watch me." Without another word, she turned, nearly whipping the Hero with her braid as it snapped behind her. She then strode right up to the front door and wrenched it open.

She regretted it almost immediately.

An icy gale tore through her, flying into the humble home and rattling Link's possessions. The Princess had to raise an arm up just to brace herself against it. Then came the rain. So powerfully was it flying at her that it almost felt as if she were standing at the deck of a ship, challenging massive waves and sea spray. Her arms and face quickly became damp.

It was apparent that this storm was not one to be fought, but the Princess was nothing if not stubborn. She soon brought her foot forward, trying her best to take a shaky step against the terrible wind and wet. But it was no use. The gale was so powerful that it actually forced her to take a step back, and Zelda soon had to raise both arms just to shield herself from the never-ending assault of droplets.

It was at this point that the wind suddenly changed direction, running perpendicular to the entrance. Naturally, it was no less powerful, and Link's old wooden door began to rattle; shaking so hard that it threatened to break free of its hinges until it unexpectedly and resolutely slammed shut. Right in the Princess's face, no less.

The house fell silent. The storm was trapped outside once again.

Zelda finally lowered her arms, and dared a glance back at Link. The Hero just stared at her with the most smug "I told you so" look that she had ever seen.

"You were saying?" he asked casually.

Zelda was at a loss for words. She let her shoulders fall as she turned back to the door. She could hardly believe that it had slammed shut before she had even been able to take a single step forward. How was she supposed to argue with that? It was almost as if the Goddesses themselves were forcing the Princess to remain here. And if that was the case, then who was she to contend with their will?

"I guess I'm spending the night here," Zelda said in defeat.

"I guess you are," Link agreed with a grin. He then allowed his expression to soften with sympathy as he gazed upon her. He could see that she was still wet from the rain that had assaulted her, and she even seemed to be on the verge of shivering. "Come on," he continued. "I'll build up the fire. You just pull up a chair and get warm."

"Okay," she agreed weakly. It seemed that the full force of the storm had practically doused the fire in her heart. She no longer had any fight left in her. Following Link's instructions, she drew a chair up and watched as he threw a few logs into his fireplace. The flames grew big and bright.

Once that was done, Link handed Zelda a towel to dry off with. He then took a seat in the chair next to hers and allowed himself to warm up. As they sat in silence, the storm continued to rage outside. But this moment was peaceful regardless. Here, there were two friends, watching the orange flames dance the night away.

"I'm sorry," Zelda eventually mumbled. "I shouldn't have walked away from our discussion like that."

Link smirked. "Well, it was brave, I'll give you that."

"Brave and foolish," Zelda clarified. "Nobody in Hyrule can face that storm head-on. It seems that we're both stuck here tonight."

"So it seems," he agreed. "So I suppose that we'll have to finish our discussion and determine who is taking the bed."

The Princess slowly nodded. Once again, she didn't feel like she had the energy to fight anymore. However, if there was one thing that she did have, it was cunning, and she was not afraid to play this hand of hers. She subtly smirked, but only to herself.

"How about a compromise?" she suddenly suggested. "I want you to take the bed and rest until it's time to retire for the night. After that, I'll take it for myself."

Link eyed her warily. He was certainly cautious of her change in tone, almost as if it contained some sort of trickery, but he was more curious than anything else. "You want me to take the bed first?"

Zelda gave him a strong nod. "I'll feel better if I know that you're getting some rest. Even if it's only for a couple of hours."

Link stared at her for a moment longer, but soon frowned and shook his head. "Come on, that's not really necessary. I feel perfectly fine just sitting here."

"Please?" she pleaded softly. She even went out of her way to flash her bright sapphire eyes at him. "I can't stand the thought of causing you discomfort. Not when you're still injured. So will you please accept my compromise? It's my only condition."

Link frowned, and quickly found himself cracking under that sincere gaze of hers, just as he always did. "You'll take the bed after me?" he asked seriously.

"As soon as you're done with it," she replied, choosing her words carefully.

Link sighed, but soon smiled. At last, they had reached a conclusion. "Okay. I'll agree to it."

Zelda gave him a warm smile, one that hid a sliver of triumph beneath it. "Thank you." She then rose to her feet, and gestured to the loathsome bed that rested a few feet away. "Now go ahead and climb in. I don't want you to waste a second of your well-deserved comfort."

Link playfully rolled his eyes. "You're exaggerating, you know that?" But he stood as well and cradled his wound until he finally reached his mattress. There, he gratefully lay down and began to relax again.

Zelda just gave him a soft smile before grabbing the blanket and bringing it up to his chest. She wanted to make sure he was nice and cozy. Which, admittedly, he was. Link released a long, content sigh as he allowed himself to sink into his sheets. This honestly felt so good. He was still close enough to the fire to feel its warmth, but it wasn't overwhelming. And the softness of his bed did wonders for his wound, which had ceased its aching as soon as he ceased his movement.

Zelda stood over him, watching as a protective mother might. "Are you relaxed?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he admitted.

Her smile turned playful. "Then how about a proper 'thank you'?"

"Thank you for your generosity, Zelda. This is really nice."

"You're welcome, Link."

The Hero continued to rest while Zelda returned to her seat in front of the fire. But they were still rather close. Close enough to touch, should they desire such a thing.

Link turned to her without raising his head from the pillow. "I'm happy you decided to stay tonight."

Zelda smiled pleasantly. "Me too."

Link then laughed to himself a bit. "It's funny. Between here and the Gerudo camp, it feels like you and I have been sleeping together a lot lately."

Pure, utter, horrific silence. One that lasted far too long before the Hero realized what exactly he had just said.

"Er…sorry, that's not what I m-"

"Forget it," Zelda mumbled, blushing just as much as he. "I…know what you meant."

"R-Right," he stuttered awkwardly. Man, he could be such an idiot sometimes.

For the sake of moving on, Zelda cleared her throat and stood once more. "Ahem. If it's all right with you, how about I make us a pot of tea?"

Link gave her a blank stare. "Oh, that's okay. You don't have to do that for me."

"I want to," she insisted quietly.

"But Zelda, you're my guest. If anything, I should be the one-"

"Shhh," she silenced him with a soft hiss. "Link, it's a simple pot of tea. I think I can handle it. And besides, I want you to keep relaxing. Now please, this will just take a moment."

Link wanted to argue, but he found it hard to do so against the sheer kindness of his close friend, so he simply said nothing. Zelda took that as acceptance, and moved into the small kitchen area next to the fire. It didn't take her long to get a kettle boiling over the flames and she soon added the tea leaves. Within minutes, the concoction was steamy and smelling delicious. Zelda grabbed two mugs from Link's cupboard and set them on the counter. She then filled each mug to the top with the lovely warm beverage.

However, she hesitated to serve the drinks, for she was not completely finished. Not quite yet.

With a mischievous smirk, Zelda bowed her head and closed her eyes, all while nonchalantly swirling a hand over one of the mugs. As always, she beseeched the Goddesses to lend her their power.

Oh, great golden Goddesses above, please aid me in providing our Hero with the rest that he does not want but desperately needs.

She soon felt the magic leave her palm, a surefire sign that the spell had taken effect. She dared a glance back at the Hero to ensure that he hadn't noticed anything. Fortunately, he was staring at his ceiling, none the wiser. Zelda had to fight hard to conceal her smirk before grabbing the mugs and turning around.

"Here you are," she said, making sure to hand the Hero a very specific mug.

Link sat up, taking the steaming cup in hands. "Thank you," he said with a grateful nod.

"Consider it thanks for letting me stay here tonight."

"It's no trouble," Link said before blowing on his tea. Zelda did the same, eyeing him closely. It wouldn't be long now…

After the tea cooled a bit, the two friends brought the mugs to their lips and took a hearty draught. Zelda smiled as the beverage warmed her up from the inside out. Link, on the other hand, grimaced before barely managing to swallow.

"Mmph," he grunted, furrowing his brow and looking displeased. "Um, Zelda?" he asked slowly.

"Yes, Link?" came her innocent reply.

"What kind of tea did you brew, exactly?"

"I just used what you had on the counter. The generic Ordon tea."

Link's brow fell harder as he stared at his mug. "This doesn't quite taste like Ordonian tea."

"Really?" Zelda asked, keeping a perfect poker face. "I think mine tastes delightful. Maybe take another sip?"

Link seemed hesitant, but he figured it would be rude to refuse her. After all, she had went to all the trouble of making it. He braced himself and took another sip, but he just cringed once more as he swallowed. It tasted bitter, almost like a foul medicine. And it was hardly comforting.

Still, he watched as Zelda happily continued to sip her own without issue. And surely she had poured their beverages from the same kettle. Perhaps he was simply overreacting?

Third time's the charm, he thought with a daring shrug. He forced another mouthful down his throat.

Okay, this time, he was convinced. There was something seriously wrong here.

Link raised his eyes just in time to catch Zelda glancing at him, although she quickly looked away, as if playing coy. Link grimaced some more as he ran his tongue over his teeth, trying to determine what exactly had happened to make this brew so ghastly. And of course, he was growing more suspicious of the Princess by the second.

"Zelda, did you put something in this?" he finally asked.

"Whatever do you mean?" Zelda replied, as quietly and innocently as possible. Link could've sworn she even batted her eyelashes too. A surefire sign that she was hiding something.

"You put something in this, didn't you?" he challenged again. He then paused, feeling his movements slow and his eyelids grow heavy. An involuntary yawn escaped him. With lazy yet frustrated eyes, Link suddenly realized what was happening.

"Zelda…don't tell me you…you…"

He couldn't even get the words out. Zelda just smirked as she watched the Hero's eyes close completely, and he swayed for a bit. Using her agile reflexes, she reached over and swiped the mug out of his hand just before he fell backwards, his head landing on the pillow with the softest thud imaginable.

Link was out like a light.

Zelda grinned her victorious grin, and happily walked back to the kitchen to pour the "poisoned" remnants of the Hero's beverage down the drain. She finished off her own tea before setting the mug aside and returning to the foot of the bed. There, she admired her success. Link would be getting a full night's rest in his comfortable bed, whether he wanted to or not.

The Princess simply beamed with pride. She really was clever sometimes.

Zelda took a moment to brush some of Link's hair out of his face and readjust his pillow. She made certain that he was properly tucked in as well and wouldn't be left desiring warmth. Once she was satisfied, she moved around the home, dousing the lamps one by one until only the light of the fireplace remained. After such a successful ploy, it was time for her to retire as well.

Zelda fetched a spare blanket, kicked off her boots, and relaxed herself on the couch. Sure enough, it was fairly rigid. Hardly comfortable at all. And yet, she knew it would suffice.

She would do anything to grant her Hero this kindness.

As time passed, the fire died down, its orange glow becoming faint and soft. Outside, the rush of wind, rain, and occasional thunder reminded the Princess of the storm's presence, but she paid it no mind. In this moment, all she could think of was her time spent with the Hero, and the countless words they had exchanged.

Naturally, her mind drifted to the most contentious discussion of the night. She recalled how badly they had bickered back and forth, both being too selfless to allow the other to suffer something as mild as discomfort. Zelda couldn't help but smile to herself. As if the two of them hadn't endured far worse during the Twilight Invasion. But then again, they had both fought hard to prevent that too.

Still, it was odd, Zelda thought. She was fairly certain that she and Link had never bickered with each other before. Argued? Yes. Teased and made playful comments? Absolutely. But never bicker.

Strangely enough, it had almost felt…kind of fun.

The next morning, Link opened his groggy eyes with great difficulty and forced himself to sit up. He blinked a few times, glancing around his home. It was currently dawn, and the golden sunlight was streaming through his windows. The birds outside were happily chirping their morning song. It seemed that the previous night's storm had finished passing them by.

But Link didn't care about any of that. Instead, his tired blue eyes lasered in on his mischievous guest, who was happily sitting at his kitchen table, enjoying a piece of toast.

When Zelda noticed his glare, she greeted him with a bright and casual smile. "Good morning."

Naturally, Link wasn't having any of it. "Why aren't you in my bed?" he asked bluntly.

Zelda raised her eyebrows as her smile turned playful. "Oh my, what a question to ask a lady…"

"Stop speaking like the Gerudo," Link snapped. "You know what I mean."

This time, Zelda tried to appear innocent. "Well, Link, I couldn't just move you after you dozed off like that. And you appeared so comfortable too…"

Link produced a grumpy frown, throwing his blanket aside before rising to his feet with a grunt. Cradling his side as always, he stormed over to her, feeling as powerful as the previous night's typhoon. "That wasn't fair," he hissed through his teeth. "You told me that you would take the bed after I was finished."

"And yet you never finished."

"I-" Link paused, feeling incredibly frustrated. How had he been fooled so easily like that? Then again, he should've known who he was dealing with…

With a defeated sigh, Link shook his head and collapsed into the chair across from her. He crossed his arms as he continued to eye the femme fatale in question. "That was a dirty trick you pulled last night. I'm not even sure what you did, but I know it was dirty."

Zelda shrugged, as if unconcerned with his accusations. "I suppose I'll just have to keep my methods a secret then."

Link scowled as his thoughts drifted back to that bitter tea of hers. "Fine. But just know that I'm never drinking anything that you've prepared ever again."

"Fair enough. But how about some toast?"

When Link's stomach growled, they both knew that this was the sign of total defeat. Link dropped his glare. Uncrossed his arms. His shoulders sunk low. There was basically nothing left to be said.

"I'll get you back for this," he mumbled before accepting his breakfast.

"We'll see," was all she said back.

Once breakfast was finished, the time came for Zelda to take her leave. The Princess fetched her white mare, who seemed more than a little pleased to see her rider. Zelda giggled at her surprisingly enthusiastic approach.

"Sorry for leaving you out in that storm, Reina," she apologized. "Did you and Epona keep each other warm at least?"

Reina snorted. From somewhere behind her, the chestnut mare whinnied. Zelda giggled again. Both Hero and Princess were fortunate to have such wonderful steeds.

Zelda made sure that she had all her belongings and soon mounted Reina. The time had come to make the long journey back to Hyrule Castle. However, before she took off, she glanced to her side to find the Hero standing at the landing in front of his door. He had his arms crossed and was leaning against the frame, but opposed to his earlier expression, this time he was smiling.

Zelda chose to smile back. "Thank you for hosting me for the night, Link. It was a pleasure."

"And thanks for coming to visit me," he replied. "Although, I think you might have caused me more trouble than it was worth."

"On the contrary, I believe you awoke this morning looking more refreshed than ever before," she pointed out.

He just shook his head while she laughed. He refused to give her any more satisfaction than what she had already plundered.

"If you don't mind, tell all of the villagers that I said 'hello'," Zelda requested kindly. "And of course, give Ilia my warmest regards."

"I will," he promised, still intending to smooth everything out between them. "Oh, and Zelda?"

"Yes?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"

Zelda simply blinked, surprised by the sincerity in his words. She couldn't help but feel a little bashful as she glanced down. Sometimes it was difficult to accept just how well he knew her. And how he always seemed to know which words she needed to hear at just the right time.

"I won't," came her eventual reply. She then raised her head resolutely. "I'll…see you again soon."

The Hero softly smiled. "Yeah, see you soon, Zelda."

With a final nod, Zelda tore her eyes away from him and snapped the reins. Reina took off, leaving the Hero and his home behind them. And throughout the entire journey to Hyrule Field, Zelda simply could not stop smiling to herself.

She had originally come to Ordon with a heavy heart, but now she felt as light as a feather.

The journey back to the castle took up most of the day, but Zelda managed to arrive by late afternoon. The guards allowed her to ride through the front gate and she proceeded to drop off Reina at the stable. From here, she slowly made her way back to the front doors, all while releasing a sigh. After riding all of yesterday and today, she was rather tired. She hoped to spend a quiet evening in her chambers before diving back into her Princess duties tomorrow.

However, her dream of a quiet evening alone was shattered as soon as she entered the castle's halls. One of the guards immediately recognized her, and almost appeared as if he had seen a ghost.

"Pr-Princess Zelda!" the man stuttered while his spear rattled in his hand. "You've returned! Minister Fost, come quick. The Princess has returned!"

Zelda gave the man a curious look, but her confusion only grew worse as the mentioned Minister ran up to her from the edge of her vision, looking pained and out of breath.

"Pr-Princess," he gasped between breaths. "Thank the Goddesses you've returned. Where have you been?"

Zelda continued to eye him for a moment. She wasn't surprised that Fost had been concerned for her whereabouts, but something about this encounter felt a little…off. Almost as if he was being a bit more serious than usual.

"I journeyed to Ordon Village for a night," she explained patiently. "Is something the matter?"

Fost managed to get his breathing under control, only for his expression to turn grim. He produced a soft yet sad frown. "Yes, I regret to inform you of this, but I'm afraid it's very serious. You see, in your absence, there has been an emergency."

Zelda felt her heart sink. "An emergency?"

"It's your father."

This chapter was so much fun to write. I love it when Zelink is stubborn. And they look out for each other more than themselves. And when they have to resort to trickery to get their way in the end. It's always such a pleasure to write something so sweet and fun for these selfless fools :)

Oh, and feel free to ignore that last line. I'm sure it's nothing…