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January 3rd.
Two days after New Year’s Day.
The man in front of the Queen’s office didn’t need to glance down the hallway to know it was empty. He was intimately familiar with every square inch of the castle corridors. From janitorial shifts to diplomatic visitations, he was aware of it all. That being said, he knew there wasn’t one person that needed his charge’s audience. The slow traffic was an annual expectance that followed the start of parliament’s two week recess.
He blew out a soundless breath, pulling back his sleeve. A part of him winced as his cufflink clinked against his watch. A thumb brushed over the face, checking if it had been scratched – it hadn’t. Still, he chastised himself to be more careful. The time told him that it was barely noon. Another sigh planted itself in his chest. He leaned his weight on the back of his heels and did a subtle routine check of his equipment.
A 9mm weighed down the inner pocket of his suit jacket, another pressed into right calf. His trusty Gerudo Army Knife in his breast pocket and his phone in his pants pocket. When it was busier, he’d wear a light-weight vest underneath his clothing, but he tried to avoid the sweat-inducing armor at all costs.
All in all, his person was light and the time of year allowed his thoughts to wander to the wall behind him. Unlike her peers, Queen Zelda kept herself busy.
“It’s the perfect season for charity work,” she had mentioned to him on a whim. The Queen had a certain passion in all things, but the shine in her eyes spoke tomes of where her heart was. It was during an early morning after Midwinter when she asked him if he needed more vacation time. He didn’t, but returned the question. “Besides,” she had gone on, “it gives me time to map out my year.”
She was a workaholic, even if she would never outright admit it. And he, a very much self-aware workaholic, could sympathize with her discomfort in how blank her schedule was. Nothing about her changed, even how formally she dressed for work despite not seeing anyone of importance.
So, when the door opened and he saw a tee shirt and jeans instead of a white blouse and black skirt, he was promptly thrown off. For a small moment, he thought someone had snuck passed his guard until the height and stature checked out.
“Your Majesty?” he said unsurely as she quietly shut the door behind her.
Zelda moved with hesitation, barely acknowledging his presence and took long glances down the hallway. She was jumpy and when jade eyes met azure, he saw the light pull on her lips.
“Link, I must ask a favor of you.”
The giddiness in her smile made him raise an eyebrow. “Yes?”
She worried her bottom lip between her teeth and it made him remember the trip out to Akkala when she visited a Sheikah excavation site.
“I want to go to the zoo.”
The gears in his head paused and he watched as she noticed immediately. Link’s confusion only seemed to deepen. “Um, okay.”
“It’s for research,” she reasoned quickly, “I want to see if the funding is being allocated appropriately. The only way to assess this with upmost care is going myself.”
“Okay,” he repeated, this time with a slight nod. The premonition of what she really wanted started to manifest itself to him, but he wasn’t paid to assume so he kept it to himself.
“A short and simple trip. An hour max, I promise,” she went on, misinterpreting his lingering puzzlement.
“The drawstring bag constitutes an hour diversion?”
The Queen’s self-consciously gripped the straps and a rosy glow met her cheeks. It made him crack a grin, “I’m joking, Your Grace. If you wanted to go on an outing-”
She cut him off, “A business trip.”
“-a business trip, then you should have put it down on your calendar this morning.”
“No, you misunderstand me. This is very top secret,” she emphasized. “The zoo industry is incredibly shady.”
He blinked at her unwavering concentration, “My sincerest apologies. I had no idea.” Link watched her chastely nod before lamenting, “I suppose this is an undercover mission?”
A rare glimpse of amusement caught her eye. She was humored.
“Indeed. If you don’t mind me asking, would you happen to have another change of clothes?”
The Queen had a point, a suit would be rather unbecoming at a zoo.
“I do in my car,” he thought aloud. There was a set in his gym bag. “If you wait here, I can call up a car while I’m down at the lot.”
He waited for her to head back inside, but she stayed in the hall with no intention of moving.
“Can we take yours?” she asked and was swift to amend with, “A vehicle with state plates coming from the castle can… cause suspicion.”
Link tried to stop his frown from showing. The reality was that he wouldn’t mind taking a car he owned. The issue arose around the type of car it was. State cars, particularly Her Majesty’s fleet, were reinforced with bullet-proof windows and were even capable of withstanding small explosions. The most important aspect was that it gave him peace of mind.
Parliament’s recess was one thing. The gossip mongers were a completely different story and he could tell their activity played a large role in her seclusion. Nothing was forcing her to stay and every media outlet was waiting for a story they could twist to make it seem like Hyrule’s monarch was using state money for her own personal enjoyment.
There was a phase early on in their professional relationship where she would religiously scour countless articles of herself into early hours. At first, he accepted her dismissals like any other. After all, it was a great privilege to be at Her Majesty’s side and he swore to remain faithful to every beck and call. Then, Link saw her in a light that was all too human and the circles under her eyes darkened to such an extremity that he threatened to take it up with IT and block every tabloid from the network.
Never did he see such blistering anger from Hyrule’s sweetheart. Link withstood dozens of threats that ranged from demotion to permanent banning from any government branch, all of which turned out to be empty. Eventually, she did succumb after a well-needed nap and an intervention administered by Impa.
“With all due respect,” he said slowly, and she mirrored his expression. “I’m unsure whether that’s a sound idea.”
On her green graphic tee was a character from an old cartoon, the leafy Korok seemed to mock him as her mood soured. Her Majesty’s nose wrinkled in a way that suggested that she was trying to think of an alternative. Then, she tilted her head with a calculating gaze, “Surely there is a feasible solution. Let’s be frank, am I such a disagreeable person?”
There it was. Link could time that line down to the second. The innocence that seeped from her words could weasel its way through the sense of any man on her detail – but he wasn’t just any man.
“No,” he said dryly, “but your title may be to some.”
The calculation in her face fell into a scowl. Right when he thought she would drop it, she melted into dejection. A deeply born sigh came from her and she blinked up at him, “Please?”
Oh, that’s new. It almost made him think about reconsidering.
“No.”
“Link.”
“How about this,” Link stared over her head, mulling over anything – anything – that could take this woman to the zoo happily. “I’ll permit taking the diplomat transports.”
They weren’t as fancy as her typical vehicles as they were only used to take ambassadors to and from the airport, but they did have bullet-proof windows and it was better than his old clunker.
“But they have state plates.”
“They’re grey sedans and could be mistaken easily for an unmarked police car.”
He let it simmer for a moment as she weighed her lack of options and then she simply resigned to, “That’s fine.”
“Do I not pay you enough?” Zelda questioned across the small road behind the gardens. It made him bristle as he stuffed his car keys in his pocket. It had only been fifteen minutes since he saw her, but the distance made him hurry to throw on a long sleeve and jeans faster than he thought was possible. Link had thought she was talking about the wrinkle in his clothes until he followed her line of sight to his car.
The vehicle’s locks clicked into place and he spun to see where she had snuck up on him. His charge grinned when she saw his miffed face and she brought a hand up to mask it, “I’m joking… but do I?”
Her overemphasized interest in his car made him weary. It was an older SUV with noticeable dents in the bumper. Link stifled the urge to roll his eyes. With an even inflection, “I get paid more than enough.”
Before she could press him further, a car rolled up on the road between them. As the window rolled down, Link heard Daruk speak in his gravelly accent, “This what you needed, kid?”
Daruk cursed under his breath as he pulled himself out of the seat and met Link with a firm handshake. “Yeah, I appreciate it,” his tone was strained with the Goron’s grasp on his hand.
Zelda leaned onto the roof with a smile, “Good afternoon, Daruk.”
“Your Grace,” he demonstrated his trademark bow that always made her smile harder without fail. “Always a pleasure to see such a radiant face. Can I ask where you’re off to?”
Right when Link opened his mouth, the Queen cut him off. “It’s top secret, sir.”
“Ah,” the Goron’s brow hiked high on his forehead and glanced at Link who shrugged. “I see. Well, I wish ya luck.”
Daruk lumbered off towards the gardens and as Link was readjusting the driver’s seat, he could feel her stare. The sound of the car shifting into drive sparked her waiting words.
“I didn’t know you were such a bad driver.”
Link almost choked on his spit as she drew her accusatory gaze away from him with a shrug, “Your bumper looked like a mine field, my goodness.”
“Allow me to assure you, Your Grace, that that was not my doing.”
Amusement danced in her eyes as her shoulders bounced with silent laughter from his alarm. “Oh?”
Link squeezed the wheel and chastised himself for not replacing it early, he had the money but the time was a rarity. “My little sister has been using it for the past year,” he mumbled gratitude as the guard at the gate waved him through.
“You cannot tell me that precious Aryll is the catalyst to that,” she feigned offense for a girl she’s never met. The woman faced away from him, leaning her head on her hand and watched the castle grounds turn into the bustling streets of Castle Town, passed the tourist busses that stopped in front of Hyrule Castle.
He was smiling solely on the fact she recalled Aryll’s name. After all their time together, he was still surprised when she remembered details about his home life; not that it was essential to carry out his job. “No worries, I got her a car for Midwinter.”
“That’s so sweet,” Zelda mused. They were passing the Main Street Theater now, even in the daytime the sign lights were stunning. “Are you scared about her driving? Mother made Rusl drive with me for a year after I started.”
“Only for the people around her.”
That made her laugh. They eased into a stop and it occurred to him that he brought his black hoodie with him for a reason. “Here,” Link said, handing it over from his lap. “You can wear it.”
“Oh, it’s fine. They said that winter’s let up enough on the news.”
Yes, but she will always catch a chill until spring comes to an end. It doesn’t matter if Castle Town only had snow in its later months, but he didn’t want his intentions to sound like he was undermining her. The hand that held the jacket emphasized it, “It’s for the mission.”
The hoodie was relinquished with a light hum, “That’s fair. I suppose that means I’m quite agreeable to be so easily noticed.”
The Queen wasn’t the only one that wanted to go to the city zoo that day. Its parking lot was so full that they were lucky to find a spot three sections down from the main entrance. When they climbed out of the car, it was immediately discovered that the new garment was too large, however all Her Majesty did was shrug when he expressed his concerns.
“You’ve never been here?” he asked when she asked for a picture. Zelda shook her head with an aloof smile as she took a position before a large overhead sign that read “Castle Town Zoo”.
If her intentions weren’t clear before, they were now. Zelda waved him on without bothering to double check his phone photography and he had to engage in a partial jog to catch up.
After a ten-minute wait to get tickets, they finally reached the teller.
“Two adult tickets, please,” Zelda nudged him aside but he already slid 40 rupees through the window. It caused a glare. It hadn’t dampened her mood, though, and she pushed him towards the entrance. Once they braved the crowds and the Queen had grabbed a map, she procured a pair of sunglasses.
“Incognito,” she said as if that would be the element to deter anyone from recognizing her. “Is that not what they say in the military?”
“No, but yes if that makes you happy.”
A retort was about to pass her lips, but her attention was sharply cut off as they neared the first set of exhibits. It was an elaborate series of bird cages that lined the path and they stopped at nearly every species’ plaque. Soon, the walkway turned to a bridge over a crocodile pit and Zelda nearly ripped her bodyguard’s arm off with each tug for his attention. Then came the bears, wolves, and tigers. All of them in their respective environment.
And, of course, he took plenty of pictures.
“I heard they have a petting section,” Zelda said as they walked through an enclosed building for the smaller reptiles. “With goats.”
Link hummed in response. The wind chill had made her nose turn a rosy pink and it was just now settling back to its pale color. Her sunglasses were long gone, but she hadn’t needed them. When she did her own makeup, it wasn’t as striking as when she would be in front of cameras. Instead, her features were softer and he doubted anyone would recall her stately image with the hood halfway up in the first place. The busyness gave them relative anonymity.
“What is your assessment so far?”
“It is,” she trailed off to spy a sand crab digging its way into its enclosure. “It is very decent. The animals seem well taken care of and I see the staff is maintaining the crowd proficiently. Don’t you think the predators seem a little lethargic?”
“There’s no prey to catch,” Link spied the sign above that read how the aquarium was up ahead and the restrooms were through a small hall. “I’d be lazy too if I never had to worry about my next meal. Do you need a break?”
The green glow of the reptile exhibit and the blue light of the aquarium crossed where they stood. Zelda shook her head and gestured to the small sitting area that lined the wall, “I can wait.”
He didn’t show it, but his voice betrayed him. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, “It’s not a national conference and it’d be nice to rest my feet.”
For a short couple seconds, Link weighed his options. No, she was right, they weren’t at an event that needed his undivided attention. But…
Zelda gave him a look that said “Get on with it!” and his bladder had a large stake in this fight. Hesitantly, he handed over the drawstring from his shoulder and assured her that he would be right back.
“Hurry, I want to see the sharks.”
When the door shut behind him, she was on her phone and perfectly safe. But, it wasn’t like him to leave her under any circumstance. As lathered his hands up with soap, a notion born of pure paranoia struck him. What if someone was taking advantage of his unusual absence? His rationality reassured him, but he ended up walking out with half-wet hands.
The view of the series of chairs was directly across from the bathrooms and in the blue-green light of the building, he saw Zelda’s blonde hair. Relief flooded his chest. Then, when he fully turned the corner, another person stood beside her. Immediately, Link’s guard flew back up and he forced his heels to grind into the thin carpet. It wasn’t until the sound of her light laughter stopped him from doing anything rash.
Still, he approached cautiously, and analyzed the man for anything lethal.
It was a male Hylian, late twenties or early thirties, about a head shorter than Link. Dark hair, blue eyes, a solid frame. He wore a heavy jacket that could easily hide a fairly bulky handgun, much less a blade. Link licked his teeth in thought, he could take him.
“So, um,” the man ran a hand through his shaggy hair, “Can I get your number?”
Zelda’s eyes shot to Link and he crossed the small space to reach her. “There you are! You took forever,” she was downplaying her accent. The Queen stood with a grin, wrapping her arms around one of his and pressed her body into it.
“It was so nice to meet you, Robin,” she said with a stale smile.
The supposed Robin glanced at Link. His brow raised in realization along with Link’s own. “I’m so sorry, man. Had no idea this was your girl,” he fumbled around for words and gave him a lame fist bump.
Link let himself soften a bit, even offering a small smile. “It’s cool,” he spared a look for Zelda. “I don’t blame you.”
The man nodded his leave with a mumbled goodbye and left towards the reptile section. Link was thankful he wasn’t heading for the aquarium. Once he was out of view, he tilted his head and met Zelda who separated his arm from herself.
“Should I ask?”
A noticeable amount of red was on her cheeks despite the warm room.
“I apologize,” she barely met his eyes, “It’s been a while since I had to turn a man down.”
It made him smile, genuinely this time. He took the drawstring from her shoulders. Laughter tinged his speech, “Don’t. I’m here for you, Zelda.”
Without fail, she matched his smile.
The sun hung heavy in the sky, casting a gold glow in the Queen’s office. Her Majesty’s bodyguard was swiping through his phone and selecting pictures of his charge. The Queen, herself, was pretending to be writing up a report from their mission when they both knew she was really playing Chess on her desktop
“How many pictures do you want?” Link said from the chair in front of the wide desk.
“All of them, please.”
She fell into a yawn.
His swiping finger stopped on a picture he took as she was staring into a tank of sharks. He had been behind her and if you looked closely in the glass, you could see the familiar silhouette of her face in the reflection of the glass with green eyes full of astonishment.
And if you looked even closer, you could see her bodyguard’s own reflection who stood with a phone in one hand with a silent look contentedness.