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Summer
The grass was soft under her fingertips, the small flowerbed alive with insects and fauna. The sun was high above her in the sky, beating down on that little Hateno Village in East Necluda. Zelda relished in the way the sun felt upon her skin, how the breeze swayed in the afternoon, its tendrils tickling her face. It had been months since she and Link had defeated Calamity Ganon on that fateful day in the Hyrule Fields, and since then, Zelda took no small thing for granted.
She supposed she hadn't known what to expect following one hundred years of constant battle against the Calamity. She had plenty of time to mull it over, plenty of time to imagine and dream of what she would do once the battle was over. Yet, she never did expect that Link would practically throw her onto Epona's back and whisk her away to one of the far corners of Hyrule, to a small little quiet village, with no agenda, and no expectations.
Zelda adored it.
She had no obligations, no commitments, no duty. She could argue that after one hundred years of sealing Calamity Ganon in the sanctum of Hyrule Castle that she was well due for a break: and so break she did. She found herself falling into a lazy sort of schedule: she would wake late by mid-morning to the smells of Link cooking breakfast in his – their – kitchen, and would quietly observe him from over the railing until he noticed her. He always got this big, goofy grin on his face every time he saw her for the first time in the morning. It was a look she wanted to permanently etch into her memory. After breakfast, she would change into a smock, and would go to the market for groceries, or make a trip up the hill to see Purah, or lay in the yard doing absolutely nothing, and she found the peacefulness and the slowness from Hateno Village to be absolutely delectable.
Some days, on days much like today, Link would join her in the yard, either tilling in the garden, fishing in the pond, or with her, rolling around with her in the grass like two idiots in love: for that they were. Despite their relationship prior to the Great Calamity, things between them came naturally – easily. It had started as a practicality: Link had not connected the dots that by bringing Zelda to his Hateno home, he would need to contract Bolson to bust out the wall under the loft to construct a second bedroom with furnishings. When he had admitted this to Zelda, he looked almost sheepish, claiming that with everything going on and storming Hyrule Castle, he just forgot. Of course, this was completely understandable to Zelda. She had always been a practical woman, and seeing as his bed was large enough for two, she merely suggested that they share his bed from the loft.
You should have seen how red the tips of his ears got at that.
But he agreed – and as the proper gentleman he was, he made sure to give her plenty of space in the bed, making sure not to touch her, as he slept on the very edge of the bed.
As you can imagine, that didn't last long.
The next morning had found him migrated towards the center of the bed, with a warm and very real Zelda tucked under his chin, her hands fisted in his tunic, their legs tangled together. His arms were wrapped around her, feeling her gentle inhalations in the dewy Hateno morning.
It was heavenly.
So began a nightly ritual between the two where, try as they might, they were both doomed to migrate towards each other in the night. After one hundred years separated from each other, it was surprising that they could even resist at all.
So then it should come as no surprise to you all to hear of the day Link, Farore's Champion, somehow mustered up his courage and kissed her.
They were walking back down the hill from the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab; Zelda made frequent visits up the hill to visit Purah and to let her tinker with the Sheikah Slate, and from time to time, Link would make that trip with her. This was one of those trips, and it was a trip that ended up bearing fruitful results: Purah had made a breakthrough with the runes, and she had learned of a way to upgrade the camera rune to include moving pictures, with sound qualities as well. She was still programming the Guidance Stone with the right information, so she gave the two of them explicit instructions to come back next week with the slate to download the camera rune update, which found them shoved outside the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab with a slammed door in their face, both trying hard to keep their cackling down lest Purah hear them.
A heavenly glow was cast upon Hyrule in the evening dusk, casting shades of magenta and orange and cerulean blues. Much of Hateno and Necluda was hidden in the shadow of the Dueling Peaks and Mount Lanayru, and thus most of Hyrule was hidden from view. It was their own little slice of heaven, a world without the constant reminders of their loss and struggles. Despite this, as she looked across Hyrule – her Hyrule – a blossom of pride and joy bubbled up from within her: this was what she was fighting for. This land of hers, glowing softly in the sunset, finally at rest, was what made one hundred years of fighting worth it.
That, and having the man next to her made it worth it, as well.
She had paused under an apple tree, gazing over the land, and only realized just then at some point in their trek down the hill, Link's hand had ended up placed in hers, their fingers intertwined: a perfect fit.
She sighed, gazing over the land, rubbing her thumb across Link's hand, "Beautiful, don't you think?"
"I do."
But Link wasn't looking out over Hyrule. He was looking at her, his eyes intense, yet soft, never wavering. Zelda looked towards him, realizing this. Gently, he cupped her face with his free hand, moving closer, his hand holding hers coming across the small of her back. She wasn't breathing, her lips slightly parted, as she looked into his eyes with the same sort of intensity, waiting for the next moment.
"Zelda," he breathed, "What would you say if I told you, right now, that I love you?"
He could be so oblivious sometimes.
"I would say that I love you, too," she nodded fiercely, fisting his tunic in her hands. He leaned down and pressed his lips firmly to hers, melting into her.
They shared that first kiss in the perfect sunset glow overlooking Hateno Village, hands soft and learning, tender and sensitive. They shared their second kiss with Zelda pressed up against the outside of their front door, Link fumbling with his key as Zelda's hands were frantic, stroking over every plane and crevice of his arms, his torso, his back. They shared their third kiss tangled in the sheets of their bed atop the loft, clothes being tossed and strong arms pining her down, their kisses messy and passionate, just the two of them in the moonlight.
That was a few weeks back, nearing the end of that spring and transitioning into summer. Zelda sighed, amidst the flowers and the wildlife, placing a hand on her lower stomach. She was in love with Link, and him to her. She couldn't think of a more blissful way to live her life. And thus their routine continued: Zelda found herself the next morning right where she always was, quietly observing Link from the loft, waiting until he noticed she was awake. He stood with his bare back to her, quietly cooking breakfast in the kitchen below, the smells making their way up to the loft and filling Zelda with a sense of home.
Zelda, in that second, realized she wanted to remember that moment forever. A thought occurred to her, and she quickly grabbed the Sheikah Slate from the desk nearby and snapped a photo from the loft. It was a simple picture, just their quaint little kitchen with Link standing over the stove, the profile of his face showing slightly, a small content smile adorning his features. Upon hearing the snap of the Sheikah Slate, Link perked up, turning around and facing her, with that goofy grin he always had on his face every morning when he saw her.
She snapped a photo of that too.
Link still didn't remember much from before the Great Calamity, not that it mattered much anymore, but perhaps they could create new memories; memories of him, her, and their little Hateno home.
Autumn
Link had, indeed, ended up contracting Bolson earlier that summer to bust out the wall beneath the loft to make a room for Zelda. Bolson had just finished construction on the room itself as the hot summer winds transitioned into the cool winds of autumn, the leaves around their Hateno home turning a vibrant mix of orange, red, and yellow. Although it was clear that Zelda would not have need of the room – she was quite content to share the loft with Link – it came not a moment too soon.
One autumn morning found the two of them tangled in each others arms, their kisses lazy – skin hot against each other in the cool Hateno morning – with Link gently caressing the small, but telling, swell of Zelda's stomach.
The new room downstairs would be made into a nursery for the little one on the way. Link had suggested that he gather some wood to build a crib for the baby. However, Zelda protested, asking if he had ever built anything in his life. Link said yes, and Zelda suggested he go to Bolson to construct them a new crib. Link then asked her if she thought he would do a poor job at building one.
Link was good at everything he did; of course she knew he would make a fine crib.
So the two of them compromised and Link left the home to go to Bolson to contract him on building a crib.
And thus began a new pattern of 'compromises', and more time for Zelda to have Link all to herself.
The days were getting colder and shorter, and Zelda was enjoying her afternoons spent under a tree, either reading a book, or cataloguing different species of plants, or testing the new 'video' rune on the Sheikah Slate that Purah had upgraded.
It was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was already incredible that the Sheikah Slate could create real to life still images that were more accurate than Hyrule's finest painter, but now, she could record moving pictures complete with sound. It was almost like she was really there, reliving that memory.
Her first video that she recorded with the Sheikah Slate was up at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, just moments after Purah had handed her the slate and asked her to test it out.
She had pressed a little red button on the screen of the slate, and then it flashed in red letters 'recording' on the screen of the slate.
What do I do now? She had asked, moving the slate around. The camera on the slate moved side-to-side, capturing views of the upper walls of the tech lab.
Point it towards Link, Purah said, off screen, Have him say something into the camera.
The camera moved towards Link, capturing him in its lens. Even from the camera, it was clear that Link's cheeks were red, and he was almost embarrassed.
Link, say something! She heard her own voice say off camera.
Well, I don't know what you want me to say, Link said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Say anything! Anything that comes to mind! She heard Purah's voice say off camera.
Link stared into the camera lens for a moment, a contemplative look in his eyes, before in a flash, he reached out, and the camera shook.
Hey, what are –! The camera stilled and it was facing Zelda, an appalled look on her face. Though the smock she was wearing did well to hide it, if you were looking for it, you could see the small baby bump rising from her dress. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. She was glowing.
I want to have it documented, recorded, transcribed, whatever it is that this does, Link's voice was off behind the camera now, though you could hear the smile in his voice, that this woman right here is the most beautiful, most stunning, most radiant, and the strongest person I know… and she's mine.
You are such the romantic, Zelda admonished, a smile on her face, as she reached forward to grab the slate back from him. The camera angle turned, and was now face down, showing an aerial shot.
Link was laughing. Hey, give that back! Zelda was jumping beneath the camera, trying to grab it from Link's outstretched hand.
Not unless you kiss me first, Link said, grabbing her around the waist with his other hand. Zelda's cheeks and ears went bright red.
Link, turn off the camera, that would be indecent, Zelda said, squirming.
You know what would be indecent? Link said, his voice dark and rough, a naughty look in his eyes, as he leaned down and whispered something into Zelda's ear. You wouldn't be able to hear in the video what he said, but she squeaked, turning the rest of the way red as she squirmed out of his grasp and grabbed the slate from his hand. The camera shook, the sounds of Link laughing maniacally in the background before the camera stilled completely, the end of the recording.
She found herself replaying that video over and over again; not for the things he whispered in her ear, she was still blushing over that, but for all of the things he said about her. He said she was beautiful, stunning, radiant… and the strongest person he knew.
And he called her 'mine'. It evoked a very possessive side of him, and she had come to realize that she didn't mind that so much.
Because she was just as possessive of him as he was of her. She found herself craving his touch, and wanting to be near him always; and he found, too, that he didn't mind that so much. They found themselves less just Zelda and less just Link: they were a pair, a couple, a team.
And that team had to somehow work together to make a cake for Link's birthday.
It was a cool autumn day, and though it was too cold to comfortably be outside, it wasn't yet cold enough to start a fire in the fireplace. Which meant Link and Zelda wore layers upon layers inside the little Hateno home. Link would have gone about his day as normal, had it not been for Zelda grinning like an idiot at him since they woke up.
"Zelda, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Well, because today is a very special day!"
"…why is today a special day?"
"It's the Autumnal Equinox, Link!"
"…Okay…?"
"And you know what that means, right?"
"We're halfway to winter?"
"Link, today is your birthday!"
Though Link couldn't remember when his birthday was, Zelda remembered.
Though Link couldn't remember how old he was turning, Zelda remembered.
So naturally, she was going to light the cake ablaze with one hundred and twenty candles.
She had asked Link what kind of cake he would want, knowing that one hundred years ago, his favorite cake was a vanilla cake. It came as a surprise to her, then, that he responded with a chocolate cake. A little part within her was hoping that he would respond with wanting a fruitcake, which was her favorite kind. It had been over one hundred years since she had last had the dessert, and she would have committed atrocities to have that sweet dessert grace her palate again.
So she went out to the market to gather the ingredients for the cake, only to walk in and stop frozen in her tracks.
She hadn't the faintest idea on how to bake a cake.
Thus, you can see how Link got dragged into baking his own birthday cake.
He went back down with her to the market, explaining all of the things she would need to bake a cake: Tabantha flour, milk, eggs, sugar, goat butter, and chocolate.
Zelda at least got the chocolate part right.
They headed back up the hill towards their little house, and laid out all of the ingredients onto the table. Link explained that first, they had to measure out the flour into a bowl and then mix the eggs and milk into it. She went ahead opening the flour while Link put the chocolate into a pot, placing it over the fireplace to melt.
She poured the flour into the bowl, a little too quickly at that, and as it landed, a cloud of flour puffed out from the bowl, coating her face in a thin white layer. She coughed, a small white puff emerging from her lips. She squinted her eyes, the flour coating her eyelashes.
"So once you get the flour into the bowl…" Link turned around from the fireplace, facing Zelda and noticing her face.
In his defense, he at least tried to hold himself together.
That lasted about two seconds until he was doubled over, laughing.
"Zelda," he managed between laughs, "How in Hylia's name did you manage to get flour everywhere?
In response, Zelda flicked a chunk of flour in his direction, landing on his neck and tunic.
"Like that," she responded.
Thus began the first of many 'food fights' in their little Hateno home, and soon, their little kitchen was covered in a fine dusty layer of flour, and it would be months before either one of them could truly admit that their kitchen was clean. There was flour on the floor, on the table, the counters, in their hair, their clothes, their faces.
And the two were laughing like idiots in love, holding each other up as they both doubled over on themselves.
Zelda stood up, wiping a tear from her eye, "Hold on, I want to take a picture of the mess you made."
"The mess I made?" Link started, dusting himself off, "You're the one that couldn't get the flour into the bowl."
Zelda was laughing as she was running up the stairs, two at a time, leaving dusty footprints in her wake. She grabbed the Sheikah Slate from off the desk and leaned over the railing with it, opening the camera, "Smile, Link!"
In response, Link placed his hands on his hips, staring at the camera, an exasperated, but amused look on his face. She snapped the photo of that, smiling softly as the picture generated in front of her.
She placed the Sheikah Slate down, and headed back down the stairs. Link was dusting himself off, and had a peculiar expression on his face, "Okay, what next?" Zelda asked, turning back towards the bowl of flour. Or perhaps what had once been flour: hardly any remained.
"Well," Link smirked, "We will need to get more flour, all of what we had is currently on the floor and in our hair. Speaking of which…" He leaned in close, a dark look now in his eyes, "We should probably get cleaned up."
Zelda met his gaze, and her cheeks flushed, "Well, what did you have in mind?"
He grinned, leaning close to her ear, "If I told you, you would think it was positively indecent."
Zelda squeaked as Link scooped her up in his arms, laughing as he carried her out into the cool Hateno air, his long strides taking them towards the bathroom around the corner of the house, practically tossing her in and joining her, closing it shut with a firm click.
Winter
Zelda never remembered winter being this cold. She sat, bundled as she may be in layers and blankets, next to their roaring fire in a rocking chair, shivering, as Link stoked the fire, willing the room to warm up. She had a cup of hot chocolate on the side table next to her, steaming and cooling down. They were lucky that they had gone to get firewood when they did, or they would have been stuck inside during the blizzard with no firewood, no heat, and scarcely any light.
A blizzard stormed outside their little Hateno home, the winds whistling and deafening against the windows and the walls. It felt like it had been storming for days, and Zelda briefly wondered just how much longer the storm could hold up for.
A few weeks prior had found the two of them in the bitter cold, one week until the winter solstice. The temperature was dreadful, biting to any exposed skin, and somehow between the two of them, they had failed to realize that they were out of firewood.
With that, Link had donned his Snowquill tunic, a woodcutter's axe strapped to his back, and was about to head out when:
"I'm coming with you."
Link did a double take, as Zelda was just finishing lacing her snow boots, a red ruby circlet tied around her head, and winter coat strapped around her growing belly.
"What? Zelda, no," Link protested, "You can't come with, not in your condition."
"Link, I'm pregnant, not dying of the influenza," Zelda rolled her eyes, "Besides, I can help you carry back firewood. We'll be able to bring back double what we could if you just went alone."
"Zelda, it's below freezing outside. I don't want for you to get sick."
"That's why I'm wearing this," Zelda pointed to her circlet, "and why I'm wearing a jacket and boots. Besides," she crossed over to the door, opening it, and a strong gust of wind burst into the Hateno home, "you know as well as I do that it's dangerous to go alone."
Zelda led the way outside, with Link following behind, grumbling under his breath. As she stepped outside, she very nearly regretted her decision, the bitter air penetrating through her layers, making it seem like the circlet was doing nothing.
She stepped behind and allowed Link to lead, following him across the bridge and into the center of town. The wind here was ruthless, billowing in from between buildings, coming from the north at Mount Lanayru. The wind took a slight turn, and suddenly, she saw little white flecks dancing across the air in front of her, landing on the ground and in her eyelashes.
It was the first snow of the season, and her first snow in one hundred years.
Zelda smiled.
They took a left and made their way down the hill towards the Ginner Woods, both of them visibly holding their hoods closer to their face. Looking back, Hateno Village glowed softly in the snowfall, its little houses on the hill glowing with small fires burning in each fireplace. A steady stream of smoke billowed from each chimney in soft, frothy waves.
You have to really see it to understand the splendor that is Hateno Village at dusk in the wintertime.
They reached the woods and Link took the axe from off his back, and without any preamble, he swung it at the nearest tree, powerful muscles moving as he downed the tree in one swing.
How he managed to do that was beyond Zelda's comprehension. She was constantly in awe of this man.
Very quickly, Link had created a substantial pile of firewood near the road. Clearly, he was creating a stockpile to last for all, if not most, of winter. There was something about the way that the air nipped at Zelda's red nose and cheeks that told her that this winter was going to be one of the coldest in the books.
Satisfied with his handiwork, Link sheathed the axe back onto his back, and bent down to grab a small pile of wood. Gingerly, he transferred that pile of wood back to Zelda, and he took the rest off the ground into his arms.
The snow was beginning to come down harder as they made their trek back up the hill into Hateno Village. The skies were dark, a promise of a heavy snowfall. Zelda noticed off handedly that the little houses glowing on the hill were harder to see in the snowfall, seemingly dimmer and softer.
It made Hateno Village all the more beautiful.
They made their way to the little bridge in front of their home, and Zelda got excited for warmth as she saw their house glowing from across the way. She couldn't wait to get inside to warm up, as she wiped at her nose running from the cold.
They took the wood and placed it under a small shed on the left hand side of the house, Link setting his down first and then grabbing Zelda's load from her, before setting that down as well. From there, it didn't seem that they could get inside the house fast enough. The snow was falling at an alarming rate, and there was already a pile of it formed at the front door. The two of them barreled inside, Link shutting the door behind them, the sounds from outside dulling at that.
Zelda practically threw her jacket and hood off, now wet from the melted snow, and chucked it into the storage room. She heard Link laugh softly at that, as she nearly ran to the fireplace, sitting directly in front of it, warming her red fingertips.
"I told you, you shouldn't have come with," Link laughed, grabbing her jacket and hood from the storage room and climbing up the stairs to the loft. He hung the wet garments from the railing upstairs.
"Aren't you freezing?" Zelda chose to reply, jaw clenched as she willed her shivering away.
"You forget," Link said, coming next to her now, placing a blanket over her shoulders, "that my Snowquill tunic comes from Rito Village, where their clothing can withstand temperatures that rival the Hebra Mountains. Your coat and snow boots from Sophie's down the street ain't got nothing on it."
"Well then, the two of us will just have to make a trip to Rito Village before next winter, won't we?"
"Not quite," Link said, a soft smile on his face, "This time next year, the two of us will be the three of us," he said, placing a hand gently on her stomach.
Zelda placed her hand over his, and slowly, Link leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.
She sat in the rocking chair, thinking back on that memory, one hand absentmindedly going to her belly where Link had placed his, the other to her lips. He stood up in front of her, the fire now roaring in the fireplace, and sat across from her, smiling at her.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked, a contemplative look on his face.
"You."
"Me too."
He grabbed his book from off the side table and donned his reading glasses; something about seeing him in glasses stirred something deep inside her. She smiled, curling up further in her blankets and reached out, grabbing her hot chocolate. Everything about this winter evening was perfect. It was pure bliss.
She set down her hot chocolate and grabbed her Sheikah Slate from the side table, opening up the camera rune and snapping a picture of Link sitting in his chair by the fire, his glasses slipping down his nose as he read his book, his brow slightly furrowed.
He looked up a quizzical look in his eyes, "Must you always take pictures of me when I'm not looking."
"Not always," Zelda said, and snapped again.
Spring
There was nothing more perfect, Zelda realized, than seeing Link holding their beautiful baby girl.
She was born on the first day that spring that the snow had completely melted, small flowers beginning to bud and animals coming out of hibernation. It seemed fitting that she was born in the spring. It was the beginning of a new generation, a generation that would never be born into a world where Calamity Ganon held its malicious reign.
Link sat at the little stool next to their bed, Zelda being propped up by pillows as he held his little girl. Time seemed to stand still for them.
It was crazy to think that this time last year, Link was still freeing the Divine Beasts, and she was still locked in her one hundred year battle with Calamity Ganon. So much had happened in a year. Their lives were so different now. All of Hyrule was at peace, seeing an era of wealth and prosperity that only the oldest generation remembered from prior to the events of the Calamity. And Link…
Zelda had never seen Link so gentle before.
The way he held their baby girl was seemingly not with the same hands that wielded the Master Sword, not with the same strength that destroyed enemies, not with the same command that she had seen enemies quiver under his gaze. He held her as though she were a delicate flower, with a tender adoration in his eyes that could only be described as unconditional love.
Zelda realized she loved him even more than she had before.
"She has your eyes," Link murmured softly, looking up at her with an almost boyish glee, "She's beautiful," He breathed, bringing his gaze back towards their daughter.
Nothing in her one hundred and seventeen years of life could have prepared her for this day. Nothing could have prepared her for how perfect this moment was. Her life was absolutely brimming with joy, she and Link finally getting the peace they deserved. All was right in her little land of Hyrule.
She looked down at her baby girl, the soft coos coming from her lips bringing bubbles up from Zelda's stomach. Her breath hitched; they did it, and in that moment, Zelda finally felt like she had won.
She didn't realize she had been crying until a rough hand cupped her face, a calloused thumb wiping the tears away. She looked up at Link and saw that he was crying too. Gently, he captured her lips with his, a chaste, tender kiss on a beautiful spring day.
She knew she would never forget this day, but found herself opening the Sheikah Slate to the camera rune, setting it to self-portrait mode. It was their first family portrait, and though both their faces were covered in tear streaks, the two had never looked happier.
She snapped a photo of them, and reflecting back was a beautiful portrait of Link, Zelda, and their beautiful daughter from the loft in their little Hateno home.
Zelda took their daughter back in her arms, smiling as their baby girl's face scrunched into a tiny yawn, her big green eyes gazing back up at her mother.
Not much could make this moment better.
Not much, except one thing.
"Zelda," Link breathed, a small sparkle in his eye. He almost looked nervous, but his eyes were bright. He licked his lips.
"Yes?" Zelda asked, turning her head towards him, only to have the breath taken from her lungs as she saw Link on one knee beside the bed, a small sapphire and diamond ring in his hand. He gently placed it over her left ring finger, shining softly in the cool Hateno sunlight.
"Marry me."
And as you can see, that moment did get better for our princess and our hero.
fin.