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He didn’t have a good feeling about this place.
Zelda had been excited about this shrine’s discovery, chattering to him about archaeological precedence, the ability to record potentially hidden Sheikah culture, and further her research without her father’s disapproval. In fact, King Rhoam had agreed that Zelda’s research could aid in finding more of these hidden shrines where the princess could pray. Though he had emphasized the temporary nature of this agreement, limiting his daughter to studying only this shrine. King Rhoam did not want another project to take away from her dedication to prayers. Despite the limited nature of their project, the princess was still excited for the allowance despite this and was happier than Link had seen her since returning from the last Sacred Spring. It was for this reason that he said nothing about his misgivings.
Instead, Link focused how radiant her smile had been as he met her at the stables the morning they left from the castle. Her voice had remined light throughout their two-day journey to the Drenan Highlands, and, unlike their previous religious excursions, was hopeful. On their first day, as their initial escort departed back towards the castle, she had turned her smiling face towards him.
“I’ve been looking forward to this journey, the castle gossip has been nothing but how I’m a failure. I hope to prove them wrong this time, or at the very least gain some clue for how to awaken my powers at the Spring of Wisdom.”
Link’s heart had clenched at her recounting the familiar gossip. He knew the princess took what they said to heart, only pretending to be strong in the face of her father and the royal court. If he could tell her what he thought of her without breaking protocol, she would understand how her company had made the burden of the Master Sword bearable. But those always led to treacherous thoughts that, no matter what his wandering mind might like to imagine, could never become reality.
Even if Link’s love for the Crown Princess of Hyrule was the driving force behind his loyalty ever since he became her appointed knight.
Instead, he had returned her smile with a quick upturn of his lips and an encouraging comment as they guided their horses along the worn road. Now, at the end of their journey, he sat by the fire cooking their dinner of meat and vegetable skewers as Zelda inspected the shrine before them. Link spared glances at the princess occasionally, brows furrowed with unease for his surroundings. It was only one more day, one where he stood guard to Zelda’s praying, then he could leave this place.
“Link, look at this, the statue matches the style from the period where the Yiga split from the Sheikah. See, you can tell by the hands,” Zelda beckoned him over her shoulder,
“I had thought every one of these shrines destroyed by the Sheikah in order to purify Hylia’s image throughout Hyrule.”
A chill went down his spine at the mention of the Yiga. It had only been a year and a half since their failed attempt at the Princess’s life. Even if this place had been constructed before they turned against Hyrule’s royal family, any connection to the Yiga only served to grow Link’s misgivings. The Sheikah had not detected them in the months following their attempt on Zelda’s life, security had returned to usual following increased guard rotations, but Link remained vigilant when on expeditions. Ignoring the lump that had settled in his stomach, Link carried a finished skewer to the princess, wordlessly offering it to her as he gazed at the statue.
Link had expected something like the Royal Sanctum or Sacred Springs they had already visited. This looked like a larger version of the homely shrines to Hylia found abundantly in Kakoriko, where apples and other fruits were placed in waiting bowls. No bowl was carved here, instead a stone platform was carved into the stone wall above a small pool of water. A life-sized statue of what he assumed to be Hylia stood on a stone platform hands out as if in welcome, a wry smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. Usually, these places filled him with a sense of ease, a kind of warmth between his shoulders like a motherly hand. Here, the stone stood sharp and cold against the barren rock. Even the water looked harsh and unwelcoming to prospective worshippers.
“It doesn’t look like any of the other springs,” Link said in response to the princess’ expectant look, before turning back towards the fire.
Zelda joined him shortly after, continuing to chatter about the shrine and potential for renewed archaeological projects. Link, silent throughout the meal, wordlessly cleared away the dirty dishes. Zelda only paused long enough to ask if he required help, and when he declined went back to telling him how she planned to report her findings to the Sheikah scholars upon their return. She continued her one-sided conversation, recording notes as she spoke, until after the sun set and she retired to her tent, leaving him alone to with the fire.
Link watched the fire until the logs were nothing but glowing embers, brows furrowed as the unease lingered. The regular flow of their camp dynamic had been broken with Zelda’s attention on the stone alter and enthusiasm for her research. Under different circumstances he would have savored the chance to listen to her speak to him unburdened. However, today, at this supposedly holy place, the sound of her voice had not brought him comfort. She had seemed perfectly happy with the place and would have called him silly had he told her of his feelings. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he continued to hold onto that thought as he smothered the embers and entered his own tent for the night.
As he drifted into sleep, Link thought he heard mocking laughter in the breeze. His dreams were filled with Yiga masks dancing away from the swing of the Master Sword’s blade, the Princess praying at the statue oblivious to their advance.
Morning came too early after a fitful sleep. The sun was dull as it rose above the horizon, the damp chill kept back by the fire. Link prepared their meager breakfast of porridge silently, mixing dried wild berries in since he knew Zelda liked it better that way. The Princess emerged shortly after he finished cooking, her prayer dress covered by a cloak pulled tightly around her shoulders. She sat beside him, his fingers brushing against her hand as he passed the warm bowl.
“I had the strangest dream last night. A voice in the dark whispering ‘You will find what you seek’ again and again,” Zelda’s voice was casual, but her green eyes looked hopeful as they watched his face.
Remembering his own dreams, Link decided against sharing. Instead, he chose to ask her what she thought of the voice.
“It seemed…welcoming, almost as if it was encouraging me. Perhaps it was the Goddess reaching out to me,” Zelda said, a timid hope lacing her voice, “did the Master Sword call to you before you found it?”
Link thought back to his first time in the Lost Woods, how the Koroks had watched from the shadows and the Great Deku Tree’s booming voice welcomed him. Before that day he had never heard voices or seen things no one else could, but that had changed after pulling the sword from the stone dais. However, he was only a commoner gifted with divine blessing rather than descendant of the divine. Perhaps this was the beginning of her powers coming through, her devotion had certainly been long enough.
“Today can test that hypothesis,” Link said smiling, knowing the use of her own scientific jargon would make her happy.
“I can, can’t I? I shouldn’t waste more time than,” with a bright smile directed towards him Zelda began to shovel the remaining porridge into her mouth with a speed that almost rivalled his own.
Link couldn’t help the warmth that spread through him at her excitement. He would rather deal with strange places of worship than witness another tearful breakdown like what had happened at the Shrine of Power. His heart had shattered watching Zelda sob in the water, and he had broken protocol for the first time to pull her into a tight embrace. Her smile had become precious to him, worth the small infractions that had become normal during their travels throughout Hyrule. Even if no one else at court believed her capable of unlocking her abilities, Link never doubted that Zelda held divine power.
He watched as Zelda positioned herself in the shallow water staring up at the statue. With one last survey of the landscape, Link turned his back to the princess and faced forward with his sword dug into the earth. The quiet murmurs of Zelda’s prayers floated through the air, pairing with his silent ones. While Zelda’s prayers followed a set pattern, Link always focused on mundane wishes for the health and happiness of his loved ones and asked for the strength to face the Calamity whenever it appeared. Once he had cycled through his own divine wishes, his mind wandered uncharacteristically.
He had just begun to think about how he would have to polish the Master Sword, when his stomach grumbled. The afternoon sun was high in the sky as he glanced around, feeling strange. Link was better at keeping track of time than this lapse, and a creeping feeling rose along his back that told him something was not right. Nothing unusual stood out in the landscape in front of him and glancing over his shoulder showed Zelda standing still in the water.
Link briefly thought about asking if she wanted something to eat but decided to leave her to prayer. Even though he would normally insist she took a break, Zelda seemed very focused today. She never liked being interrupted in her studies, he would not risk interrupting her now.
Link rolled his shoulders before returning to his original position. Soon his thoughts began to wander again. It seemed as if a fog was creeping into his mind that he could not shake away. It took every ounce of Link’s training not to fall back into his earlier lapse in awareness. A sound suddenly snapped him back, dispelling the fog.
Water dripping on stone behind him was his only warning someone was there.
Cold bled through Zelda’s hands as she scratched his neck from behind.
It shocked him, but her fist hitting his head caused him to snap back into action. Turning, Link caught her by the wrists before she could strike at him again. The princess was pale, and he could see the blue of her veins through skin. Worry shot through him, and he quickly assessed her for hypothermia.
“Princess Zelda are you alright?” Zelda struggled in his grip, teeth bared and eyes hostile.
“Princess Zelda, what’s going on?” Link asked again, hoping her sudden aggression was an act and that she would reprimand him for using titles again.
“Oh Hero, how many times does this pathetic vessel have to tell you to call her by name?”
Zelda’s voice dripped with contempt and her face matched.
Link let go of the struggling girl in shock. Freed from his grip the princess swiped at him again, this time catching him across his cheek. He could feel warmth seep from where the skin had broken. Horror filled him as he realized something must have gone wrong during her prayers and he could only stare as Zelda rose to her feet and reached for his fallen sword.
“I must say, for all that the princess is praised for her scholarship, she foolishly believed a false shrine would awaken her power,” Zelda lifted the sword towards him, “Alas, how could she awaken what does not exist?”
Link sprang to his feet, pulling the sword away from Zelda with more force than needed. Zelda snarled, nails tearing his sleeves leaving torn skin underneath as Link sheathed the sword out of her reach. He tried to get a hold of her again, only for her to press herself to his chest. He could feel her chest heave against him, arms slowly sliding up his body.
“Do you like this?” Zelda asked, sounding like one of his more treasonous dreams. In other circumstances, he would savor the feel of her hands, instead he tensed.
“I know she does, and if you only relaxed, I can show you what you’ve been missing.”
Her hands found his neck, nails digging into the flesh as they wrapped themselves around it. He pushed her away, gasping for breath as Zelda let out an inhuman scream. No, it couldn’t be Zelda, but Link didn’t want to acknowledge that in pitiful hope this was a bad joke.
“Why not enjoy yourself before I kill you both,” Zelda spat, springing back toward him with green eyes filled with hatred.
Link pulled her against his chest, pining her writhing arms to her side. However long it took, he would not let her go until she was herself again. He would wait an eternity if needed.
“I will not let you hurt yourself,” he said firmly, “if you tell me what happened I can help.”
A laughed pierced the air between them, sounding nothing like the joyful sound he was used to hearing from Zelda.
“This girl believed Hylia was speaking to her, and when I asked, she invited me in. Stupid girl, too ready to accept the words whispered at statues.”
A chill ran through him. Of all the possibilities Link had not expected some entity waiting to take advantage of her. Guilt bubbled within him. He had encouraged Zelda after hearing the voice in her dreams, he should have checked on her sooner, if he hadn’t been so distracted during her prayers. Now whatever had taken over Zelda’s mind bucked in his arms, and he could do nothing for her.
Another burst of strength from Zelda released her from his grip, along with the knife at his hip. She grabbed it, flipping away from him to angle it at her neck drawing a thin line of blood.
Anger surged within him. Wrenching the knife away, he pinned Zelda’s body against the stone. Leaning his full weight on her, Link glared into the corrupted eyes and said without thinking:
“You took advantage of her vulnerability and if she let you in, she can push you out.”
Link swore a flicker of emotion crossed her face at the words before the rage returned.
“Such a childish sentiment. How could the Sword the Seals the Darkness have chosen a wielder that believes such foolishness? And this girl is nothing but a failed pawn,” a malicious smile pulled against her lips, “they speak the truth when they say she is heir to a throne of nothing.
“Has she not said as much herself? That she will never unlock those secrets other Zelda’s so easily accessed? All that time spent researching technology that will only prolong the suffering of Hyrule and her people.”
“Princess Zelda has done nothing but devote herself to her duties and help improve Hyrule’s defensive efforts against the Calamity. We would all be lost without her work.” The words tumbled out of his mouth automatically.
It hadn’t been the first time he had to say them, too many members of his fellow soldiers seemed to forget their place. However, it would be him that forgot his place if he ever voiced the same to members of the court. And for him to tell Zelda how much he cared for her beyond any sense of duty.
“Her mind is filled with nothing but self-pity,” the voice was strained now, body writhing weakly in his arms.
“Zelda, if you’re listening, the Sheikah could not have finished preparing the guardians without your help.”
A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face, prompting Link to continue.
“You selected the Champions, oversaw their progress. They look to you as a guide; Mipha, Daruk, Revali, Urbosa, they all believe in you.” Her green eyes darted around his face, recognition briefly coming through.
“You and your father are not as close as you would like, this I know, but he loves you. I know he would want to see you return to him powerless than dead.”
Zelda’s softened features hardened once again at the mention of her father.
“That is false, Hero. She knows her father would rather her dead than powerless.”
Slyly, the entity added, “perhaps he has sired a bastard daughter that could take her place?”
A dark laugh echoed off the stone behind them at his silence. Taunts came hurled between fits of laughs now. How Zelda would be missed by no one, how she was useless, how her powers would never come. All Link could do is hold on as she bucked and twisted beneath him, hoping something of Zelda would break through again.
“Perhaps I could let you have your way with her body before I kill you. After all, you deserve something for putting up with her for so long,” the voice was now filled with false sympathy, eyes batting up at him in another attempt at seduction. It only repulsed him. With no answer from him, the entity continued its taunts.
“Ah, even you would not touch her. I can’t say I blame you; she is so underwhelming after all-”
“Zelda is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” conviction filled his voice as he spoke, no longer caring about propriety, “it is a privilege to even be in her presence.”
Link could see a struggle on Zelda’s face at his words. Another burst of recognition flashed in her eyes. Hope surged in his chest that Zelda was finally breaking through. Suddenly, her brows furrowed, and her head began snapping back and forth with a dull thud against the stone.
Link’s hands twitched, wanting to check for a wound, but he kept his grip on Zelda as he continued speaking. Addressing the entity made it easier to voice what his friend meant to him.
“Ever since I pulled the Master Sword out of the Lost Woods, I thought my life was over. I am the walking embodiment of a looming doomsday, and everyone only sees the knight I trained to become. Around Zelda, I don’t feel like that.”
The thrashing became increasingly violent at his words, her head hitting the stone with increased frequency. Link’s only solution was to pull her into his lap where she continued to struggle against his arms.
“I won’t give up on you,” Link murmured into her ear, speaking directly to her.
He continued to whisper into her ear, pouring out how much affection he had bottled up as he held her to his chest. He told her how he couldn’t face the Calamity without her beside him, even if someone else manifested her powers. How he had loved her long before she warmed up to him. It felt like hours as he sat there, holding her close as he said words of affection, recounted his childhood in Hateno, and how he much wanted to show her his favorite places before Zelda finally stilled.
“Link? I…I don’t know how long…” her voice croaked as if she had been screaming for hours, “I can’t make it stop…so loud in my head…what have I done?”
Gently, Link cupped her cheek, “It’s okay, you’re going to be okay”
“I don’t know how to make it stop…can’t make it go away,” Zelda said weakly.
“Yes, you can, I know you can. I’m right here with you,” he replied, rubbing his thumb along her cheek reassuringly, “just keep talking.”
Zelda nodded, tucked into his shoulder as he pulled her into his lap. Link could feel her begin to tremble and rubbed her back soothingly.
“It feels like I’m swimming in the dark…it wants to pull me under…I feel so tired,” Zelda sounded like she was slipping away with every word.
“Hey, stay awake, okay?” Link tried to keep his voice calm, but panic filled him. Hylia, let him face Yiga, lynels, anything but this enemy he could not fight. All he could do was pray she would pull through.
“Okay…but if I don’t-”
“You will,” Link interrupted with a tone reserved for the most stubborn of trainees.
“I need to tell you…everything you said, how you felt…” Zelda shifted in his arms so that she was looking into his eyes, “I feel the same.”
Link had daydreamed about this moment. Never had he imagined the moment would involve Zelda fighting against possession or the fear that filled him as he could only watch. A fear that only grew as Zelda’s eyes began to once again glaze over. Time seemed to slow down as she began to tremble and droop as though she had been exhausted from praying.
“If that’s true then tell me exactly what you feel,” Link snapped, not minding how harshly he spoke, focused only on getting Zelda to keep talking.
“If you love me as I love you, I need to hear you say those words,” he tilted her upright, so she was facing him again. Her eyes, while still hazy, seemed to him more focused than moments ago.
“I love you…wanted to tell you…ages now…not brave enough.”
As she continued to speak, her eyes became clearer. Link could feel her arms strengthen around his neck and her body tense as she shifted her weight. Never once did he stop looking at her, watching her eyes grow more focused and softer as she returned his gaze. Link barely registered what she was saying with how intently he was watching her slowly come back to herself. When she finally finished speaking, they stared at each other for a long moment.
“I think it’s gone,” Zelda broke the silence after a heartbeat, “I…it’s quiet now.”
The silence stretched again as all Link did was stare at her with a mix of concern and open adoration. Zelda shifted awkwardly in his lap, eyes looking anywhere but his face as she came fully back to her senses.
“What do we do now?” He knew she was expecting his answer to be something about fixing camp for the night or making sure whatever had preyed on her wouldn’t try again, but he remained silent.
“It’s too late to move camp, but I leave final judgement to you.” Zelda said, and he noticed the hesitancy in her voice and the way her eyes quickly darted to his lips. A blush dusted her cheeks as she studied the ground beside them.
He had never been one to hesitate. Bridging the gap between them, Link cupped Zelda’s cheek and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. A moment passed, and then Link felt Zelda’s lips move against his own. It was slow, clumsy, but was infinitely better than anything Link had dreamed of in the past.
The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, the red glow illuminating behind Zelda’s hair in a halo. Link muttered something about moving camp away from the corrupted area and Zelda agreed, but neither made a move. It was only remembering how Zelda had hit her head on the stone that prompted Link to finally stand.
Luckily, she hadn’t cracked her skull or cut her neck too deeply while possessed. Zelda had insisted that the scratches on his cheek be cleaned and bandaged. He allowed her to fuss over him, knowing she felt guilt at hurting him and enjoying how her fingers felt as they fluttered over his skin. It seemed to soon that her hands retreated from his skin, and they began the process of moving camp while the last of the sunlight faded beyond the skyline.
Link thought they weren’t far enough away from that cursed place as they chose a sheltered area to spend the night. They decided it was best to only pitch one tent, the day’s toll finally weighing on them. Despite his fatigue, Link intended to stay awake that night. He wanted to watch over Zelda in case whatever had possessed her didn’t return with a vengeance. She had merely rolled her eyes at his insistence, mumbling about her stubborn knight as she tucked herself into her bedroll.
In the end, it seemed he was just as weary as she was, for he awoke to the dawn illuminating the tent and a weight on his chest. A blanket had been thrown over him in the night, and blonde hair tickled his nose as a weight on his chest shifted. Zelda lay curled under his chin, her arms wound around him firmly. Link had wrapped his arms around her waist in his sleep, and he found himself content to hold Zelda as he dozed in the early morning light.