Chapter Text
Her lips were soft, that was the first thing he could think of.
The second was how stiff he was in her arms. Zelda pulled away with a look of concern in her eyes.
“Oh no, did I-? Is something wrong?”
“No, no, not at all,” Link said, although his words came out more like a sigh than he’d intended. “You just took me by surprise.”
“So… You didn’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
Zelda visibly relaxed and a smile lit up her face. Link smiled in return, putting his hands on her warm cheeks. He leaned in to finally kiss her in return. He slid his fingers through her soft hair and she sighed against his lips. She rested her forehead against his, and Link could almost feel how she was smiling.
“I’ve actually wanted to do that for quite some time,” she told him, her voice almost a whisper. It felt almost more intimate than the kiss.
“Can I ask how long?” Link asked. He took a small step backwards so he could look at her properly.
Zelda chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. “You know… I’m not quite sure actually. Just. A long time.”
“Mm. Me too, to be honest.”
“Then why didn’t you?” Zelda raised her eyebrows a little as she spoke.
“It’s not exactly my place, is it?” he said. “I can’t go around kissing the princess just because I want to.”
Zelda smiled, a pink blush blooming across her cheeks. “Well, you can now. If you’d like. Perhaps just… not in public.”
Link reached out to take her hands in his. “Perhaps I will,” he said with a wry smile. He raised one of her hands to his lips to give it a kiss, and Zelda let out an honest to the Goddess giggle. Link couldn't suppress a laugh.
“Don’t laugh at me!” she chided him, though she was still smiling.
“I didn't take you to be someone to giggle ,” he said.
“You would too if- well… if,” she made a vague gesture towards Link, as if that was a good substitute for whatever she had wanted to say. Her cheeks had turned bright red and she looked pointedly over at her desk instead of at Link. “You know.”
“I’m sure I would.” He glanced out of the almost snowed over window. “It’s getting late. I should go so we can leave early tomorrow.”
A look of disappointment came over Zelda, though Link could tell she tried to hide it. “Oh, yes, I suppose you’re right.” She turned to blow out the candle on her desk. “Let’s go.”
The walkway between Zelda’s study and her room was completely snowed over, save for a narrow path along one side where the wind had cleared away most of it. The weather seemed to be clearing up though, with only a few snowflakes whirling past them as they made their way back inside. Zelda’s bedroom was warm and brightly lit, if not a little devoid of personality. Link had figured out quite early on that the Princess kept most of her personal belongings and knick-knacks in her study.
Zelda stopped just short of the door to the rest of the castle and turned to look at Link.
“You don’t have to go to the dorms if you don’t want to, you know,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind you staying here for the night.”
Link felt his cheeks flush. “I’d like to,” he said, “but people would talk.”
Zelda grimaced. “Damn. I’d forgotten how castle staff loves to gossip.”
“Giggling and swearing? I’m getting to see a whole new side of you tonight,” Link said with his voice full of mock surprise.
She gave him a light smack on the arm. “Just get out will you?”
He laughed and put his hand on the door to push it open. Before doing so though, he turned and gave Zelda a kiss on the cheek.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said quietly.
She smiled and put her hand against the side of Link’s face.
“See you then,” she said and leaned in to kiss him properly.
Once the door closed behind him, he found it hard to stop a smile creeping its way onto his face.
Morning brought with it a bright sky that looked so pale it was almost white and a biting cold that seemed to seep its way in through the thick stone walls. Link shivered despite his extra layers of clothing as he sat down in the dining hall for breakfast. He helped himself to a large serving of omelet and somebody handed him a cup full of steaming warm milk, which he gratefully took. He stirred a spoonful of honey into the cup; something he had done since childhood. His father always insisted that honey made him feel energized. Maybe he just had a sweet tooth. Link chose to believe the former.
The food and drink made Link both feel a bit more awake and a bit warmer. While his hands and face were still cold as he made his way to Zelda's room, he no longer felt frozen to his core. He knocked on Zelda's door and found himself surprisingly taken aback when one of her attendants opened the door.
“The Princess is not quite ready yet, sir,” she said. She sounded more apologetic than Link thought she should.
“Sorry,” he said.
“Is that Link?” Zelda’s voice came from somewhere further inside the room.
“Yes, your Highness,” the attendant said.
Zelda peeked out from behind a screen wall in the far corner. Link didn’t know where to look, even though he couldn't see more than half of her head.
“I’m almost ready,” she said, “Could you see to it that we can leave as fast as possible once I’m dressed?”
“Of course, Princess.”
“I’ll meet you by the stables in half an hour.”
Link nodded and raised his hand good-bye to the attendant before turning around to go back to the lower floors of the castle.
Despite breakfast being over for most castle residents, the kitchen was bustling with activity. The whole room smelled pleasantly of herbs and spices and the air felt pleasantly warm from ovens and stoves.
“Good morning Link!” one of the cooks, Elida, shouted over the clanging of pots and pans. Link raised his hand in greeting. Elida made her way from the stockpot she had been stirring in over to him.
“Didn't you just have breakfast?” she asked as she handed him a large carrot.
Link smiled a little. The entire kitchen staff knew him by name, and most of them had a tendency to hand him an extra bread roll or fresh fruit whenever he came by the kitchens — Elida was no exception.
“Her Highness and I are going on a little trip. I just came by to pick up our provisions.”
Elida smiled and pointed to a bag on one of the preparation tables. “It’s right over there. Just needs one last thing.” She darted off into the kitchen and snatched up a small, garnished loaf that Link recognized as nutcake. She wrapped up the cake and put it among the rest of the food in the little bag.
“Fresh out the oven,” she said as she handed the bag to Link.
“You're too kind.”
“Have a safe trip, kid. Keep the princess safe,” she said before shooing him out of the kitchen.
From the kitchens, Link made his way to the stables. Scrap greeted him with a loud meow, and the stablehands gave him a friendly wave. They had very kindly started preparing the saddlebags for him. With a small word of thanks, he took over to do the last of the packing.
The sun was still rising as Link and Zelda exited the castle gates, on their way to the Akkala region and the Spring of Power in the east.
“I spoke to Father this morning,” Zelda said as they rode through the still quiet streets of Castle Town.
“What about?” Link asked.
“The usual, I suppose,” she answered, “Though he still seems upset with me. He was quite… terse.”
“I see.”
“It actually feels like a relief to go somewhere. Being in the same room as him right now… I can’t stand it.” She sighed. “I don’t know how I will fare during the Coliseum fights once we get back. Father and I sitting next to each other for hours on end. I feel itchy just thinking of it.”
Link chuckled. “I take it you don’t enjoy the tournaments much?”
“They’re… fine,” she said. “I would just prefer to go of my own volition.”
“I always liked them.”
“Of course you do,” Zelda said with a laugh.
The day went on with idle chat, and as Death Mountain came into view, the air started getting warmer. Along with the volcano, the towering fortress that was the Akkala Citadel loomed on the horizon. Link had been to the citadel once during his training. He already felt like he could smell the musty air of the dimly lit underground tunnels and walkways that made up the bulk of the citadel. Link had not particularly enjoyed his stay there. A constant marching of feet through the corridors and the boom of cannons had made it hard to sleep, and the windowless walls had felt like they were constricting, closing him in.
He tried to ignore the feeling like he’d swallowed ice. Breath in. Breath out.
“Are you all right?”
Zelda’s voice brought Link back into the present.
“Huh?”
“You look a bit tense. And, you know, glassy. Your eyes.”
“Oh, uh, it’s nothing. I’ll be fine.”
Zelda reached her hand out toward Link, beckoning for him to take it. Her fingers pressed firmly against his and she gave him a close-lipped smile.
“You don’t always have to be strong, you know,” she said softly.
“Yes I do,” he said, staring unwaveringly at a point somewhere between his horse’s ears. “If I’m not, then… I don’t know if I could be strong again afterwards. It’s easier in the long run to just bear it.”
“Is it?”
Link felt Zelda’s fingers squeeze his hands a little as she asked. He wasn't sure if it had been a conscious gesture, but it sent a little jolt of warmth up his arm nonetheless. She looked at him expectantly for a few seconds.
“I don’t know.”