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In a shocking twist of events, everything goes to plan.
Revali almost can’t believe it, but he forces himself to focus as he stands in front of Vah Medoh’s control terminal. “Just like we practiced, old girl,” he mutters to the Divine Beast, taking a deep breath as he pulls the levers to guide her toward the black mass enveloping Hyrule Castle.
From the south, he hears the thunderous cries of Vah Naboris as she kneels atop the highest plateau of the Gerudo Highlands. He can just barely make out the specks of Vah Rudania slithering to the peak of Death Mountain, and even farther in the distance, Vah Ruta’s trunk raised high.
They’re in position. The only thing to do now is wait for Link’s signal from inside the castle.
Revali knows it will take some time before Link and Zelda reach the castle, but he can’t help the restless feeling that sets in after ten minutes. He’s itching to fight, to jump into the fray. He might have a smaller role than he’s happy with but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t fucking excel at it.
A half hour crawls by. Revali makes slow circles in the sky, watching as the Rito in the village down below prepare for battle. He stares at the terminal in front of him, eyes roaming over the buttons he’s seen a thousand times before. Right in the middle is the button that will send the high-energy light beam shooting from Vah Medoh’s beak—it’s impossible to miss, bright red and tucked away behind a glass case so it can’t be triggered accidentally.
Suddenly, something crackles on the control panel, and then he hears Daruk’s voice. So the communication devices installed in the beasts work after all.
“Champions! Is everyone ready?” The speakers amplify the Goron’s voice even more.
“We’re ready!” Mipha chimes in. “Nothing from Link yet, right?”
“Revali’s in the best position to see that,” Urbosa remarks. “Any sign of him?”
Revali shakes his head before remembering that they can’t see him. “Not yet. It’ll take him some time before he reaches the castle.” He’s proud of the fact that his voice doesn’t shake or betray him.
There’s a pause before Mipha speaks up again. “Are you alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, I know you care quite a bit for him, and…well, if I were in your place, I’d be worried out of my mind.”
Revali frowns, ignoring the way the feathers around his neck ruffle up. “He can take care of himself. That’s why he’s leading the attack, after all.”
There’s no other word for it. Daruk starts to cackle. “Are you kidding me? We all know you’ve been seeing each other for months. You trying to hide your feelings is like trying to hide a Lynel in Korok Forest.”
“Just because I don’t broadcast my feelings for all of Hyrule to see, that doesn’t mean I care any more or any less—”
“Oh, give up the charade, will you? We’re happy for you both,” Urbosa cuts in.
Revali opens his beak to make a retort when he spots movement in Hyrule Field. “Holy Hylia, he’s almost there.”
“He’s what?” Mipha says, sounding incredulous.
“He’s almost there. I have no idea how they got there so quickly. But they’re already at the Sacred Ground Ruins.” Revali shakes his head. “I don’t want to know how many haste potions Link must have drank, that imbecile.”
“Stay sharp, everyone. He could be sending that signal any moment now,” Urbosa warns.
Their four-way chatter ceases and the communicator goes silent. For the most part, that is; Daruk must be leaning on the panel, because every so often Revali can hear him snort and blow his nose. Mipha’s surely giggling nervously on her end, but for Revali, it does nothing to break the tension he can feel seizing up his muscles. He needs to stretch his wings, shake some of the stress off, but now is not the time to let go of the controls. So he stands there, wingtips twitching every few minutes, as he tries not to lose his mind. He forces himself to think of banal things—the Flight Range, Koroks, fresh salmon cooking in the pot—to keep his mind from latching onto the one thing he knows it will—and that’s everything that could possibly go wrong.
Suddenly, a bright light shines from inside Hyrule Castle, a golden beam that pierces the blackness surrounding the turrets. “That’s the signal!” Revali shouts.
“Let’s go!” Daruk roars.
Revali doesn’t hesitate. He yanks one of the levers, hard, turning the beast toward Hyrule Castle. Vah Medoh lets out a grating mechanical screech that sends every bird within five miles into the air in a panic. He doesn’t have much time left now. He brings Medoh to her spot atop the central rock tower of Rito Village, hearing the stone crumble as her talons grip the perch.
“I’m in position!” he shouts into the communicator.
“Me too,” Mipha and Daruk say at the same time.
“On my count,” Urbosa says. “One—two—three!”
The moment he hears ‘three,’ Revali smacks the cover open, slams a fist into the button, and sends up a prayer to the Goddess.
~
Revali never imagined feeling relieved to be standing in front of King Rhoam again, but that’s exactly how he feels right now. He’s alive, for one thing—which is no surprise, really—but so are all the other Champions. And most surprisingly of all, so is Link. He glances over to the Hylian, bored just five minutes into the king’s speech, but Link doesn’t catch his gaze. Probably because he and Zelda have the misfortune of standing directly in front of the king. Poor sops.
King Rhoam gives an uninspiring speech about bravery, which is laughable considering he himself did almost nothing to help, and then the other shoe drops.
“You have proven yourselves to be valiant and tenacious warriors, and well-respected in your communities,” he’s saying, and Revali has to hold back a snort at the last part. “So I would like to offer each of you a place on my special council.”
Silence blankets the group as they all process this proposition. After a minute, Mipha raises her hand to speak.
“Your Majesty, I—”
King Rhoam cuts her off with a wave of his hand. “Please don’t feel pressured to decide at this very moment. Take until tomorrow morning, and you’re all more than welcome to stay overnight. Should you choose to decline, we can negotiate something else. I simply cannot allow a single one of your efforts to go unrepaid.”
They’re dismissed, then, and once they’ve gone outside to the courtyard, Revali sees Link making a beeline for him. “Hero,” he greets with a nod, only to be met with an eyeroll and a crushing embrace.
“You can drop the front,” Link mutters to him as Revali folds his wings around him. “King Rhoam’s out of earshot.”
“But we’re not.”
They both whirl around to see Urbosa smirking at them, one hand on her hip. “So what do you make of this offer?”
“I’m not sure,” Mipha says. “I mean...it’s an honor, of course, but I already have my own duties to my people. I’m concerned this may be too much of a commitment.”
Daruk strokes his beard. “Well, for me, it would depend on whether I’d have to move, I guess I don’t really fancy leaving Goron City.”
“Well,” Princess Zelda says, strolling up behind them, “technically, no, you wouldn’t have to permanently relocate. But you would each be given rooms here at the castle should you be needed for more than a day at a time.”
“What about you?” Urbosa looks at Revali, who looks at Link, who shrugs and looks at Zelda.
“I’ll be here anyway,” he says. “Does this council offer even apply to me?”
“It does,” Zelda says with a small nod. “You’d still be my knight, though, first and foremost.”
“And he wants our answers by tomorrow?” Mipha asks.
“Tomorrow morning, yes. For now, why don’t you come with me, and I can have our staff prepare your rooms for you.” She steps away. “And I can tell my father you’re still thinking.”
“That’s a plan,” Daruk agrees, lumbering after Zelda along with Urbosa and Mipha and leaving Link alone with Revali in the courtyard.
Link looks at him, his expression unreadable. “So what are you thinking?”
Revali gives a noncommittal shrug. “You’ll stay here anyway, won’t you? Since you’ll still be Zelda’s knight?” Link nods, and Revali knew that was the answer, but he can’t help but feel a little disappointed all the same. Not that he’d admit it to anyone out loud, but sometimes, just sometimes, he’s imagined courting Link properly, bringing him gemstones and jewelry and building him a house from the ground up somewhere in the Hebra Mountains. Somewhere they could settle, just the two of them, far from princesses and Champions and duties. Somewhere they could make a home.
But as long as they have their duties, it’s just that. A figment of his imagination.
“Don’t take the position just to be closer to me,” Link says, as though he’s reading Revali’s mind. “We’ll still see each other. I mean, Princess Zelda will be on a mission to keep peace among the nations, so I’ll be doing a good deal of traveling anyway.”
“I know, but.” Revali curls a wing around Link’s shoulder, frowning deeply. “I was sort of hoping I would get to be selfish and not share you with the rest of Hyrule.”
Link chuckles, then, and presses a quick kiss to the end of Revali’s beak. “Just think about it. I’ll be in my rooms, if you want to see me later.”
Revali spends the rest of the day alternately flitting around the castle and pacing the courtyard, stressing out over the offer. Urbosa finds him perched on a stone parapet at sunset.
“Still thinking about it?” she asks him.
Revali makes a meaningless hmph noise. “Maybe.”
“What does your gut say?”
“My gut says I’d be useless on a council. I know myself,” Revali says with a shake of his head.”
“Then it sounds like you’ve made your decision. What’s holding you back?” Urbosa takes a seat next to him a few feet away, looking up at the half moon.
Revali hesitates. “I don’t want to be so far from him all the time. But it’s not like the king will let me live in the castle just because I want to be close to Link.”
Urbosa fixes her bright green eyes on him with an almost calculating gaze. “You don’t know, do you?”
“I know lots of things.”
“I’m trying to help you here,” Urbosa chides.
“Sorry.” Revali folds his wings in front of him, sufficiently chastised.
“Anyway. I suppose you don’t know that when a knight of any rank gets married, he moves out of direct service and joins the reserves. And can live wherever he chooses.” She gives him a pointed look.
It takes Revali a moment to realize what she’s telling him. “You mean…”
“I mean.” The tiniest of smirks flashes across her blue lips, and then she swings her leg back over the wall and disappears into the castle.
Now this is an interesting development.
~
In the morning, after breakfast, the six of them assemble in the Sanctum in front of the king to give him their decisions. Revali’s heart has never beaten so quickly in his life.
Mipha goes first, stepping forward to deliver her verdict. “Your Majesty, I am truly honored by your offer, and grateful for the opportunity. However, I fear that my duties to my own people are already too great to allow me to accept this position, so I must decline. But if I may propose an alternative solution…” She clears her throat. “I believe my younger brother Sidon, when he comes of age, would be a sound addition to your council. I ask that you keep him in consideration in the future.”
King Rhoam hums in contemplation, and then nods. “Very well. I will keep your brother in mind when he is old enough. Thank you.”
Mipha inclines her head and steps back to let Daruk take her place, who agrees to join the special council.
Revali goes last, after Urbosa also accepts the offer. Now his heart feels like it’s in his throat, which is just—asinine, really. He’s Revali! The greatest archer of all the Rito! Why is he so nervous about this? He clears his throat and begins to speak, voice tight to keep it from shaking. Just like you practiced last night.
“Your Majesty, I would also like to thank you for this opportunity, but I too will decline your offer. I know myself, and I know I’ll be of no use on a council. I would, however, like to negotiate other terms.”
If King Rhoam is surprised, he doesn’t show it. “What reward would be preferable for you?”
Revali looks from the king to Princess Zelda, and then turns away from both of them to face Link. “Link, I want you to marry me.”
Everyone except Urbosa gasps. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see her giving him a knowing smile. No one speaks, so Revali takes that as a sign to keep going. And do a little backpedaling while he’s at it. “I mean—not that you’re a reward. You’re a person. A person I like spending time with. And I know that you’ll be busy, and you’ll still have your duties even though I won’t, and I know how selfish it is of me but I can’t help it that I want you all to myself, so you can say no if you want. But—”
Link cuts him off with a sharp wave of his hand. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Another gasp. Link just spoke in front of King Rhoam. He’s never done that before. He had told Revali, months ago, that he only felt comfortable speaking in front of a select few. Once, it was only Zelda, and even then infrequently. Then as he warmed up to the other Champions, he allowed them in as well, Revali included. But never King Rhoam. King Rhoam, he’d said, was part of the reason he spoke so rarely, not wanting to chance a show of weakness in front of the man.
“You—what?” Revali sputters eloquently, half surprised that words just came out of Link’s mouth in this company, and half miffed he didn’t get to finish the speech he spent all night preparing. “You will?”
Link nods, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Yes, I will. And your feathers are all puffed up.”
“Huh?” Revali’s hand goes to his neck, where his feathers have indeed ruffled up at some point. Grumbling to himself, he smooths them down.
“I’m sorry to interrupt such a tender moment,” King Rhoam says, not sounding very sorry at all, “but Revali, why have you decided to choose now for your proposal?”
“I think I know why,” Princess Zelda speaks up. “Link is my personal knight, but he’s still bound to the rules and protocols that govern all knights. And the rules state that when a knight marries, he is removed from active service and joins the reserve army. Link is no exception to that rule. Father, Revali’s asking for our approval.”
King Rhoam’s brow furrows, then he sighs. “Is that what you want? Both of you?” he asks, looking from Link to Revali.
“It is,” Link says, voice soft but firm.
“Then I suppose I have all of your answers.” King Rhoam sits back in his throne. “Urbosa and Daruk, I will arrange for members of our staff to meet with you to prepare your rooms to your liking. The rest of you are dismissed.”
The five Champions bow, and Link, Revali, and Mipha all take their leave. Just as Revali goes to close the door to the Sanctum, he hears King Rhoam gasp.
“That knight of yours—he speaks!”
~
On the morning of his wedding, Revali finds himself watching the sun rise from the landing. Revali’s Landing, they’re calling it now, after him. He kind of really likes that. The night before, Link had kissed him before retreating to the inn, with the promise that the next time they saw each other, it would be at their wedding. Their wedding. Holy fucking Hylia, it’s their wedding.
He can’t get a wink of sleep, his mind too busy freaking out about the very idea.
So when he sees the first hints of pink over the Hebra Mountains, he drags himself out of bed and goes up to visit the elder.
“Ah, there you are.” The elder smiles at him. “I was wondering when you’d come to see me.”
Revali just lets out a strangled squawk and flops down on a cushion.
“Cold feet, my boy?”
Revali shakes his head adamantly. “No, not cold feet. I’ve never felt this sure about anything in my life.”
“Not even when you accepted the role of Champion?”
“Not even close,” Revali whispers. “This is so different. I think I just—what if he’s not as sure as I am?”
“He said yes, didn’t he?” the elder asks. “He wouldn’t have said yes if he wasn’t sure.”
“Well, he’s sure now, but what if he’s not sure tomorrow? Or next year, or in ten years? Forever’s a long time, and I know I want to spend it with him, but—”
“But nothing,” the elder interrupts gently. “Revali, you’re the most confident Rito I know. You’re skilled, well-respected, and a hero. For this to worry you so, it must mean the world to you.”
“He means everything to me.”
“Don’t spend your energy worrying about the future. Just let it unfold. But for what it’s worth…” The elder smiles at him. “Link spoke to me late last night. You have nothing to worry about.”
“What?” Revali sputters, but the elder is pushing him out the door without an explanation.
All he can do now is wait.
~
Revali’s been waiting for all of five minutes before he decides waiting is the worst. He’s done more than enough of that. He waited for correspondence from the princess while learning to pilot Vah Medoh, he waited Link’s signal while fighting Calamity Ganon, he waited for King Rhoam’s approval to release Link from his service. And now he’s waiting for a moment bigger than all of those things combined.
He’s standing in front of the elder at Warbler’s Nest, in his best red tunic and a white scarf, with a blindfold tied over his eyes. Behind him is a congregation that includes the other Champions, Princess Zelda herself, and what seems to be the entirety of Rito Village, among others. He’s pretty sure Mipha brought her baby brother Sidon along, too.
His shoulders are shaking minutely, the blackness in front of him making him all the more nervous. Per Rito tradition, the couple to be married stands before the elder, both blindfolded, and when the ceremony begins, the cloths are dropped, allowing them to see each other at the same time. Link had told him Hylians have a custom where one party walks down an aisle among the congregation, but they both decided neither of them wanted to be the one waiting at the end, so they’d gone with the Rito tradition instead.
He just wants the damn blindfold dropped already. What’s taking so long? Maybe Link got cold feet and backed out. Oh, Goddess.
But before Revali can work himself up any more, he hears the choir of Rito chicks begin to sing, and he knows what’s about to happen. He takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly, and once he does, the blindfold is untied, falling to the ground next to him.
Link looks…there’s no other word than stunning. Revali always thinks that, but there’s something different about him today. His blond hair is tied back neatly, the few untamable strands falling loosely around his face like always. The Champion’s tunic has been replaced with a garment Revali’s never seen him wear before, a white one with the Hylian crest embroidered along the edges in golden thread. His usual blue earrings have been replaced with gold ones, and his blue eyes are crinkled at the corners as he beams. He seems to be glowing. “Hi,” he whispers, taking Revali’s hands in his own.
“Shut up,” Revali hisses, already starting to feel tears welling up.
“Never.” Link grins, and Revali can’t believe he’s in love with such an idiot.
The elder clears his throat and begins the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Link and Revali. May the Goddess Hylia bless these two and their home with light, love, and happiness, as long as they both live.”
Revali can’t honestly say he remembers much of what the elder says, too enraptured by Link’s eyes staring back at him. They’re a deep blue like the sky he loves so much, holding the same promise of infinite possibilities. Revali wants every single one their lives will allow them. When prompted, a Rito chick brings up a small pillow with two pieces of jewelry: a ruby ring, wrought by a master jeweler in Gerudo Town in the fashion of Hylian wedding rings, and a diamond pendant. Revali reaches out first, picking up the ruby ring and holding it out to Link. He chose this specifically for its elemental properties, to keep Link warm in the chilly Tabantha region. Deep breaths.
“Link. I take you, as you are, to be my husband. I promise to love you unconditionally, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, in wartime and peace. I will be your life partner in life, in love, in joy and sorrow and ambition, your unwavering support. I promise to protect you, respect you, and to be faithful to you and only you so long as we both shall live. This I swear with the Goddess Hylia as my witness; may she bless us.” They’re simple words, mostly adapted from what he’s read of Hylian wedding vows, but judging from the way Link’s beaming at him, he must have done them right. He slides the ring onto Link’s finger, awestruck at the sight. Something tells him he’s going to develop a small obsession with staring at Link’s hands just because of how the ring looks there.
Then it’s Link’s turn to say his vows. “Revali.” Link’s voice is soft, but steady and clear, no signs of nervousness as he picks up the diamond pendant. “When we first met, I thought you hated me. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me, and I thought I’d be just fine never seeing you again.” Scattered chuckles from the crowd. “I’ve never been so happy to be wrong. Revali, falling in love with you was like falling out of the sky. It happened so quickly, and I didn’t know what was happening, and it was scary at first, but once I accepted it, every moment has been thrilling and exciting and I never want to hit the ground and let it come to an end. I want to spend the rest of my life falling in love with you. So I take you, as you are, pride and all, to be my husband. I will be by your side, through storms, through Calamities, through everything life has to throw at us. I promise to support you and love you, unconditionally. You already have wings to take you into the sky—I promise to be the wings that take you into our future.”
Well, that does it. Revali blinks back tears. “Your vows were way better than mine,” he whispers, no venom behind the words even if he wanted there to be.
Link snorts fondly, standing on the balls of his feet to tie the pendant around Revali’s neck. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that not everything’s a competition?”
The elder spreads his wings over the both of them. “In Hylia’s name, I declare these two bound together in life and love, for eternity. You may kiss.”
The audience bursts into applause, but before Revali can do anything, Link’s cupping his face in both hands and planting a kiss on the end of his beak. When Link pulls back, he looks glassy. Revali blinks again, and the tears start to fall. He hooks his beak over Link’s shoulder, nipping softly at his hair as he breathes in the scent that he’s come to associate with comfort. With home. And now they’re about to build a real home.
~
The reception consists of a feast back in the village, long tables piled with all varieties of fish and meat dishes and guests free to mingle and sit wherever they please. Revali and Link sit in the center of it all, on a soft woolen blanket with their food laid out in front of them like a picnic as guests come by to wish them well. It takes every ounce of self-control Revali has not to steal Link away early to show him their new home.
But finally, finally the reception starts to wind down. Rito return to their nests, the Champions retire to the inn, and the only ones left are Link, Revali, and Zelda, who pulls him aside for a word.
“Princess, thank you again,” Revali says before she can begin. “I—thank you. For your approval, and thank your father, too. I know Link is valuable to you, so it means—”
“Revali, there’s no need to thank us,” Zelda interrupts him with a smile. “It’s clear you mean the world to each other, and I’d never want to keep either of you from finding happiness together. It’s the least we could do after what the both of you have done for Hyrule. I only ask one favor of you.”
“Anything.”
“Keep him safe. Make him happy. And cherish him. He’s…he should know that he’s appreciated and loved.”
“That’s three favors.”
“The Revali I knew before would have jumped at the chance to overachieve. Has marriage made you soft already?” Zelda teases him, before bidding him good night and joining the other Champions at the inn.
And at last, they’re alone together. “Fucking finally.” Revali scoops Link up in his arms, carrying him down the path past the Flight Range, ignoring how Link squirms.
“I can walk, you know,” Link huffs.
“I’m carrying you over the threshold. I read it’s a Hylian tradition,” Revali replies. “The house isn’t too far from here.”
Link stops wriggling just long enough to ask, “So where is it? I know it’s supposed to be a secret, but can’t I at least know about where it is?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
The other traditional part of a Rito marriage is the building of a home. One partner, usually the husband in a male/female coupling, builds a home for the two of them as his wedding present to his beloved. Revali took it upon himself to do the building, mostly because he had more time and he knew exactly where he wanted it. He chose a secluded spot at the base of Rospero Pass, just past the Flight Range. Out here, it’s private, but not so remote that they can’t easily reach the village. It’s snowing lightly by the time they reach the small home, and Link gasps as Revali carries him over the threshold.
It’s not much, really, just a small home with a loft for a bedroom. Revali had built it specifically to be a near-perfect replica of Link’s old home in Hateno Village, and the sheer surprise on Link’s face as he looks around the space tells him he got it right.
“You did all this for me?”
“Of course I did.” Revali carries him upstairs, where they both collapse on the soft bed. Link lets out a sweet giggle as he bounces, curling up on his side and looking at Revali with a soft expression.
The last months have been hard on both of them, there’s no question about that. The physical and mental toll preparing to fight the Calamity often showed in Link’s face—in creases between his brows, in the near-constant line his lips were pressed into, in the exhausted determination in his eyes. But now, with the danger behind them, he looks younger than ever, radiant and relaxed and content like Revali’s never seen before.
“Fuck, I love you,” Revali blurts out. “I—I’m so fucking in love with you.”
Link chuckles again, moving to sit up against the pillows. “I could have guessed, considering we just got married.”
“No, I—I’m being serious! I’m so in love with you and I want everything with you. I’m in love with you when you’re quiet and I’m in love with you when you talk. And I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I’m in love with all the memories we’re going to make.”
For a long moment, Link just stares at him, and Revali mentally smacks himself for being too cheesy. Then the next thing he knows, he’s got Link in his lap and his beak is being covered in soft kisses. “I love you, too,” the Hylian whispers to him. “So much.”
Before long, the kisses turn heated, and as the snow falls heavier outside the window, they tangle up in bliss, bodies and souls and voices entwining as one.
They fall asleep curled up in one another, Revali’s wing covering a snuggly Link like a blanket. And when he wakes at sunrise, Revali opens his eyes to a sleeping Hylian, hair wispy and skin smooth in the first rays of the dawn, and just stares for minutes at a time, wondering how in the world he got so lucky. Link wakes not long after, blue eyes sleepy but soft, and kisses him good morning.
Revali has definitely never been more sure of anything in his life.