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Zelda paced anxiously across her room, one hand twisting the fabric of her nightgown. Her morning so far had been an absolute nightmare, and the sun had only been up for nearly two hours. Usually, she would be heading to a morning meal, escorted by her handmaidens, knees sore from kneeling during her morning prayers at the temple. But today- today everything was going wrong.
For as long as Zelda could remember her life had been meticulously planned. There was always a task for her to complete, the same routine day in and day out, like a ritual she could never escape. Never before had she deviated from this carefully crafted schedule, save for when she was sick; but after a tumble from her horse, all her plans had been disrupted. Her arm now lay bound and secured by a strap around her neck, a fractured bone rendering the limb useless. Already she had missed her usual morning prayers, and if she didn’t manage to get dressed she would miss breakfast too.
Zelda had requested assistance nearly an hour ago, and yet no one had come. She was beginning to grow frantic, eyeing her dress and wondering if she could fasten it herself. The small clasps and delicate lacing were difficult to manage with two hands, let alone only one. Zelda sighed, fist curling at her side. If she became desperate she would have to manage. Every morning she ate breakfast with her father and she was already going to be in enough trouble when he found out she missed morning prayer. She couldn’t afford to miss this too.
Crossing the room, Zelda flung open her bedroom door, looking wildly down the corridor for any sign of a maid.
“Is something wrong, Your Highness?”
Zelda jumped in surprise at the soft voice, eyes swiveling to land on the blonde knight stationed outside his door just like he always was. “Ah,” she murmured, not sure what to say under Link’s piercing gaze. She was tempted to say no and brush aside the question, to simply return to her pacing- but she couldn’t. Her father was strict about her daily routine. She could already feel his heated gaze looking down at her as he berated her for missing her morning prayers, the usual words of belittlement and disappointment on his lips. Desperate times call for desperate measures, she told herself with a grimace.
“No, actually,” she told him curtly, “I need your assistance.” Zelda grabbed his arm with her uninjured hand, the knight’s eyes wide with surprise as she pulled him into her room. It was quite scandalous of Zelda to drag her personal knight into her chambers like that. She was by no means fond of the idea, and by Link’s reddening face she assumed he found it quite odd too.
“I need your help getting ready,” she told him, trying to keep her voice even and head held high as she grabbed the dress waiting for her on the bed.
“Pardon?” Link stuttered, his feet rooted not even a foot from the door.
“I need you to help with these clasps,” Zelda shook the dress, nodding to the elaborate stitching that lined the back, “I am still capable of putting it on myself,” she quickly added when he glanced warily towards the door. From what she could tell of him he had a good character, at least he was always praised for being everything a knight should be; brave, loyal, and a gentleman through and through. But it didn’t lessen the tension in the room or ease her tensed muscles.
Zelda scurried behind the ornate privacy screen, her heart pounding even though she was sure nothing could be seen from the other side. She kept reminding herself why she was doing this as she let her nightgown slip to the floor, her father’s disappointed scowl a constant reminder if she allowed her day to spiral into more chaos. Her embarrassment did nothing to help as she struggled into the thick fold of her dress, the process already hard enough with one arm. At one point she nearly tripped and knocked over her screen when Link sneezed, the noise startling her. Her nerves were already on edge and her pride was severely hurt from having to drag her knight into this. Oh, what he must think of her now- a fumbling princess who couldn’t even manage to tie her own dress in the morning.
After many failed attempts, Zelda managed to worm her way into the dress. she rounded the screen again and draped her discarded nightgown on the bed, Link staring intently at the floor, not having moved even an inch.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Zelda instructed, pulling her hair over her shoulder and turning her back to him, “I simply need you to fasten in the back.”
He didn’t respond at first, only stared blankly for a moment while his hands tugged the edge of his tunic nervously. Zelda heard him take a few cautious steps forward, no doubt the protocols and rules he’d learned running through his head and screaming at him that he shouldn’t be in here.
The room went silent and Zelda almost feared that he had left, his stubborn sense of duty winning out. Again she began to panic, her already ruined day seeming to crumble around her. She started to turn around, determined to either drag Link back in or grab the first maid she spotted. The movement was stopped short though when Zelda felt the strings on her dress grabbed and a warm hand brushing against her back.
Link paused when she flinched, his short intake of breath audible to Zelda’s ears, “Is something the matter, Your Highness?” he asked.
“No,” Zelda assured, releasing the tension from her shoulders, “I was simply…never mind now. Please, continue.”
Link was once again hesitant, slowly drawing the strings snugly around her waist, “Is that too tight, Your Highness,” he asked timidly.
“That’s quite alright,” Zelda assured. He had been gentle when tightening it, considerably more so than any of the maids- or even when Zelda fastened it herself. It was snug but far from uncomfortable, and allowed for easy breathing.
Link continued on with his careful work, lacing the string through the appropriate holes. His work was slow, pausing often as he mumbled under his breath in confusion. Zelda waited patiently, the soft tug as he tightened each new layer as gentle as the last. She could feel the warmth from his hands, and the soft brush of his skin against hers when he pushed the thread through the next clasp. It was an oddly comforting sensation. One that Zelda had never expected or dreamed of feeling, but now found herself almost longing for when it disappeared.
Her shoulders tensed at that thought, and she shook her head, as if the physical movement would clear her mind. The desperations she’d felt that morning was was getting to her head. Link had simply been there to help her, the knight chosen by the goddess who could do no wrong. He was simply fulfilling his duty, and no matter how lonely or desperate she became could she forget that.
“Is something wrong?” he asked again, hands frozen where they were.
“No,” Zelda jumped to assure, cleating her throat, “please finish.” She screwed her eyes shut, chiding herself for causing him to pause again while his warm touch was still so near. The sooner he finished the better.
She kept her eyes tightly shut until she felt the dress tightened for the last time and the string tied. The last she felt was his hand against her waist as he inspected his handiwork before he pulled away. His warmth lingered for a moment, then was gone.
“Is that all, Your Majesty?”
“Yes quite,” Zelda quickly stepped away and took a seat at her vanity, letting her hair fall so that it covered her reddened cheeks. She kept her head low and stuck out a hand, waving him towards the door. She prayed he understood her vague gestures. Her mind was too flustered to use her voice properly.
He didn’t say anything else so Zelda assumed he’d left. She sighed and grabbed her brush, glaring at her own frustrated expression while she struggled to comb through the knots. Every simple task had become impossibly hard now, and for all of her maids either sick or needed elsewhere…
Zelda heard a sigh, then saw Link step behind her in the mirror; apparently, he had never left. He took the brush from her, her hand hanging in the air as she watched his reflection in awe. It didn’t take long for him to untangle her long blonde locks, never once pulling too hard or even nicking her ear.
“If you do it yourself it’ll take ages,” he murmured when she didn’t look away. Their eyes met for a moment in the mirror, his eyes bright like the sky. He didn’t gaze at her with pity in his eyes, or even an expressionless stoic mask, but rather… amusement?
Zelda wasn’t sure what to do when he set down the brush and ran his fingers through her hair, grabbing small sections before beginning to weave them together. He seemed to know what he was doing as he plated the hair, never pulling it too tight but still making sure it was secure. Zelda was once again surprised by how gentle his touch was. She had only seen his hands wield a sword, his fingers calloused and grip firm from hours of training. It was strange to watch his hands move so carefully, her golden hair left in an intricate braid.
“I know it may not be my place to say,” Link spoke up, surprising Zelda from her musings, “but you really shouldn’t be so worried. You’re injured after all. There’s bound to be some changes to your daily routine to allow for healing.”
Zelda didn’t know what to say. She tried to meet his eyes but he kept them purposefully downcast, hunching further over his work. His words seemed innocent enough, spoken by a dutiful knight looking after his charge, but Zelda couldn’t shake the feeling that his statement held a deeper meaning.
“I’m not worried,” Zelda lied, the quiver in her voice doing nothing to help the statement, “I simply have a duty that can’t be held back by something so asinine as a fracture.”
It was the best she could do to translate her thoughts into words. How was she supposed to explain her desire to fulfill her duties? Even if she was pretending, at least she could follow her strict regime and feel as if she was doing something.
Zelda could tell by Link’s face that he was far from satisfied with her answer. He frowned, but didn’t respond. She thought he’d drop it and carry on, unbothered as he usually did- but this time he didn’t keep all his thoughts to himself.
“I just mean, it’s your life… not anyone else’s. You don’t have to work yourself to the bone and push yourself through the day like it’s some sort of sick ritual you have to perform to make your father notice you.” He clamped his mouth shut and frowned, clearly regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he apologized without skipping a beat, his voice back to its usual monotone, “I spoke out of line.”
Zelda sat in stunned silence while he finished her hair, not sure what to think of his little outburst. It was surprising, to say the least. Never before had she seen or heard so much emotion from him, and in that moment he’d seemed like so much more than a silent and dutiful knight. She found herself wanting to see that side of him again.
“Thank you,” she murmured politely when he tied off the long plat. Link bowed in response, face devoid of emotion. “For everything,” Zelda added, a smile crossing her face when she saw something light behind his eyes, “I…I really needed to hear that.”
Zelda stood and turned on her heel, a faint plan beginning to form in her mind, “Quite an impressive job,” she noted, giving herself a few more moments to think clearly, “might I ask how a knight such as yourself has such skill? Perhaps-” she cleared her throat, “ you learned for a…lady you fancy?”
To her surprise, Link didn’t seem flustered by the question. He simply smiled and shook his head, “No, Your Majesty. I help my sister when I’m able.”
Zelda nodded, surprised by how relieved and warm her heart felt. “I’m going to skip breakfast this morning,” she declared, Link looking pleased before concerne washed it away.
“Ah, Princess, you shouldn’t skip me-”
“We’ll grab something from the kitchens,” she added, her heart beak quickening as her rebellious plan began to become a reality, “I’m going to go out to Kakriko Village,” she confirmed.
Link nodded, then glanced at her arm, “Are you sure you should be riding?”
Again Zelda cursed her injury. “I’ll…” she grasped desperately for a solution, her smile nearly radiant when she managed to catch one, “I’ll ride with you.”
Link couldn’t hide the surprise from his face, something Zelda felt silently pleased about. He nodded a moment later before bowing, the movement not quite hiding the smile that had made its way onto his face. “I shall go prepare my horse then.”
He hurried away, face always turned away from her- though Zelda had a sneaking suspicion it was to hide his radiant smile. She could still feel her own face slip in a grin, mind racing and stomach turning as she finalized her decision. Link was right- this was her life. Not her father’s, not Hylia’s- her’s.
Zelda turned and admired Link’s handiwork one last time in the mirror. She blushed when his soft touch came back to mind and promptly covered her face in embarrassment. It was like he’d been a completely different person today- not that she minded though. Apparently, he’d been just the wake-up call she had needed to snap her from her ritualistic and monotonous life.
Maybe this fractured arm of hers wasn’t such an inconvenience after all.