Work Text:
“Princess! To what do I owe the pleasure today?” the blacksmith said, then turned and snapped his fingers to get the blonde man’s attention, who turned then his eyes went wide and he dropped to one knee. “Not every day we get to gaze upon our beautiful Princess Zelda.”
Zelda, currently dressed in flowy dress of pure whites, pastel pinks, and muted greens with long white gloves and a small yet elegant crown, smiled brightly. She had a small white cloak wrapped around her as well with the hood down, making her look like a snow princess from a cottage somewhere, even though it was only now November. “Master Boris, you’re too kind. I wish I could say this was a social call, but I have been asked to inquire about that special commission my father made of you.”
Boris’ eyes lit up. “Of course! It’s just been wrapped up for delivery. Link…” he said, turning to his apprentice. “Please go get the commission.”
Link nodded and smiled, then stood and turned, heading into his house. In truth, he was glad to go. His relationship with Zelda, while still strong and friendly, was getting strained. It had started ever since he turned sixteen, her seventeen, and hadn’t really stopped. Now here they were, 20 and 21 respectively, and he just felt awkward around her. It was something about the way she looked at him. It was different from when they were kids.
He shook his head to get the thoughts out and dug around, running his hand through his short, tousled blonde hair. He left it here somewhere. It was supposed to go out today and if he doesn’t find it, he’s going to be in a world of…
He turned and rolled his eyes. Of course he left it on the desk. That was the logical place to leave a package. He picked it up and looked around his home. The home he’d lived in since he was five. A hearth, two beds, all in one room. His grandfather had raised him alone all of this time. He was probably ready to have his forge and life back by now. LInk frowned, thinking about how he could go about opening his own forge, or better, letting his grandfather retire and taking over the business himself. Something to ponder as he headed back outside.
“…take him to the festival, just bring him back to me in one piece!” Boris said with a hearty laugh, leaning against an anvil as Link walked back outside.
“What about a festival?” He asked, pausing and looking at Zelda, who was decidedly looking everywhere but him. Link wasn’t a fool, and his frown started to deepen.
“Don’t worry about it!” his grandfather said, walking over and placing his hand on Link’s shoulder, a smile on his face. “Zelda was just telling me that this commission is a prize at the festival this evening, so I wanted you to deliver it personally.”
Link looked at Zelda again, who had turned and was looking out at the nearby river. He frowned, then turned back to his grandfather. “Okay, I can do that. Who’s it go to?”
“Princess Zelda knows, yes?”
She turned back. “Sorry, yes. I can take you to him.”
Boris nodded. “See, but not dressed like that, you aren’t. If you’re going to escort the princess, you gotta look nicer, son.”
Link sighed and set the commission on the anvil. “Fine,” he said, turning and stripping his shirt off as he went back inside. So what to wear? Honestly, he knew there was some kind of festival in Castle Town today, but he had no idea where it was. It’s not like Mabe Village had any other people his age, and he didn’t want to go to them alone so other than the few times he’d been to festivals with his grandfather when he was younger…
He was overthinking this. Okay, you just gotta be nice to present the commission and make the Princess look good, right? Piece of cake. That he could do. He knelt down into his chest and pulled out clothes, undressed, then pulled on a nice, black pair of rugged trousers, a loose white linen shirt, and a dark leather jerkin with a belt.
Added to that, he put his hammer, a small knife, and his finishing tools into a pouch on his belt in case he needed to make any last minute adjustments post delivery, then pulled on his high, hard leather boots. Finally, he slipped a simple, unadorned sword into a frog at his waist. The first steel sword he’d ever made, and it was fairly serviceable. Finally, he stopped and looked at himself in the mirror.
He toyed with his hair, giving it a bit more texture than “Rolled Out of Bed” and finally stepped back out of the smithy, where both his grandfather and Zelda were waiting. Zelda raised her hand to her mouth and smiled, and his grandfather grinned. “There he is! Now you’re lookin’ proper!”
“How dashing. You’ve become quite handsome, Link.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks,” he said softly, a light pink gracing his features, then paused near where they hung up the aprons and grabbed his own cloak. It was nowhere near as nice as Zelda’s. It was old, for starters, something that belonged to his father, and now him. It was a deep, forest green with a hood, which he kept lowered, but he pulled it on and clasped it.
“Shall we?”
“Hold on!” His grandfather said, going into the house. Zelda stood next to Link, waiting patiently before his grandfather came back out with a purse and offered it. “Some pocket money. Consider it a bonus for all the good work you’ve been doing. I’ll see you when you get home.”
Link took the purse with a smile then hugged his grandfather before retrieving the parcel. “I shouldn’t be gone long.”
Boris shrugged. “You know, Link, I’m not worried about it. Go have a good time, and you’ll get home when you get home. You’re an adult now.”
Odd, but okay. They waved to his grandfather before they both turned and started down the road, Zelda slipping her arm through LInk’s out of habit more than anything. She breathed in deeply, then let out a contented sigh.
“You could have sent a messenger,” he said, nudging her slightly.
“I could have, but I hadn’t seen you or your grandfather in a few months, and I felt like paying a visit. Does it bother you?”
Link shrugged. “Not really. It just seemed strange. That and you walked all this way. Did Storm get hurt?”
She laughed. “You worry too much. It was a nice day, it’s an hour long walk from here to Castle Town, I felt like walking. There’s not much for me to do since everyone is preparing for the festival, so I took a day to relax.”
He frowned, setting his right palm on the pommel of his sword. At rest, not an aggressive gesture. He wasn’t gripping it. “What is this festival? I knew it was Boar’s Night, but I didn’t know they celebrated it in town with a festival.”
She placed her other hand on his bicep, gripping his arm and leaning into him, enjoying the companionship. “Of course we do. It’s the one night a year where you can scare the life out of anyone you want, children are expected to yell at adults for free candy, and we celebrate the fact that monsters like Bokoblins and Moblins no longer exist. How can we not celebrate that?”
He smiled. “The trouble we used to get up to.”
“Used to?” she asked, her eyes sparkling. “I’m fairly certain that if we were to spend any appreciable amount of time together, we’d both be disowned.”
He shrugged. “Don’t tell me that. I was relying on your station to talk us out of trouble.”
She snorted. “Yes, okay. We’ll pretend that I’m not the mastermind that’s always covering for you.”
They both chuckled softly, reminiscing as they lapsed into content, companionable silence. On Link’s part, he was remaining focused. He wasn’t an expert with a blade by any means, but he wasn’t a novice either and was acutely aware of the Princess he was traveling with. The only reason she was here alone was because she had managed to duck her guard. She’d been doing it for years. They hadn’t gotten any better at watching her. That meant that if any trouble did come calling, it would be up to him to keep her safe. He was keeping an eye on nearby thickets, trees, anywhere that anyone or anything could be hiding.
As for Zelda, her train of thoughts were an absolutely tangled mess. She had been lucky so far with convincing his grandfather on board, but this entire plan was shaky at best. Link wasn’t an idiot. If he was silent, he was thinking and watching, and she knew good and well that he knew something was up. Could she keep stringing him along though? Could she actually go through with this?
She touched the small, triforce shaped locket at her throat, the simple, golden pieces surrounded by the three Golden Goddesses. She closed her eyes. If she was certain of anything, it was that she was going to try. He was that important to her, and she couldn’t just say so. That was what caused her to come up with this entire scheme in the first place.
They mused on their own thoughts as the sky darkened, and when they arrived at Castle Town, the Festival was in full swing. The drawbridge was down and the entirety of the battlements over the drawbridge was lined with lanterns and balloons. The balloons were the heads of moblins, lizalfos, bokoblins, just cute little designs for the holiday. This is what Zelda meant. When Castle Town held a festival, the whole town got involved.
“It looks so lovely!” She said, looking around as they stepped onto the drawbridge.
“It looks busy,” Link said as they approached the Town Square. Town Square was right past the drawbridge. A huge clocktower dominated the center, and all around the square during the day were booths, stalls, and people yelling, hawking their wares. They’d have anything from fresh produce to Sir Bolson’s new electrolight, easily powered with water wheels in your home. At night, it was generally peaceful. Gas lamps lined the square but the stalls were quiet, allowing people to enjoy the large park that spread out from the clock tower, a miniature Hyrule Field in the busiest part of Castle Town.
Every day, it smelled of fresh baked bread, the newest craze of Gerudo coffee, and nature. It was a work of art. It was beauty.
Tonight, it was very claustrophobic.
They had brought in a bunch of stalls and booths for games that were arrayed around the park, with the thicker section of the park roped off to serve as “Ganon’s Forest,” the newest spooky attraction. Instead of fresh baked bread and coffee, the stalls were selling the autumnal foods like pumpkin pie, turkey roast, sweet potato, and a newer thing from some neighbors far west of the Gerudo called paprikash. There were people everywhere, from the stalls to tables, participating in a pumpkin carving test, and the children were acting like little devils, dressed like monsters and running around, screaming.
Link swallowed. What a nightmare.
“This looks so cool!” Zelda said, her eyes sparkling.
Link looked at her and frowned, but he didn’t keep the frown. It was soon replaced with an awkward smile and rubbing the back of his neck. Zelda turned to see what he was looking at, then quickly let go of his arm and put her hands behind her back, smiling as King Eldrin Alaric Hyrule, Zelda’s father, approached, a glower on his face, and Zelda’s guards with him.
“And just where were you off to, dear daughter?” He asked, motioning for her guards to come forward. “Because these two told me that you had somehow caused a commotion in the streets with a horse, and while the guards told you to stay and went to investigate, you decided to sneak out of the back of the bakery.”
“Well…” she began.
He raised his hand. “Zelda, please. Spare me the fanciful stories. These men are for your protection. I understand that you may feel restricted but if anything were to happen to you…” He paused and shook his head. “I already lost your mother. I just want you to be safe.”
Zelda turned and grabbed Link’s hand, tugging him forward. “And I was, Daddy. Link was with me the whole time. I was safe. If you remember, I had tried to tell you about some pressing festival concerns, and you told me that it wasn’t important.”
The king crossed his arms. “I’m fairly certain those were not the words I used.”
“Zelda, if you can handle it yourself, I must ask you to do so. I am in the middle of something and can’t step away,” she said in a hilarious and completely unbelievable impression of her father’s booming Basso. She even mimicked his hand movements. Link would have laughed had she not been subtly mocking the king, and was likely the only person to ever get away with doing so.”
His glower deepened. “You know what I meant.”
“Yes, but since it was to pick up a delivery at Mabe Village and I was going to see Link and his grandfather, I knew that I would be safe to travel there on my own. We have the shield, by the way. I did handle it.”
The King harrumphed and crossed his arms. Zelda smiled. “Oh Daddy,” She said and stepped forward and got on her toes, kissing his cheek. He turned red and looked down. “I understand you just want me to be safe, but I’m also an adult and I have to live my life. I promise that I’m not taking unnecessary risks. I just need you to relax your grip a little.”
King Eldrin sighed deeply, then turned his gaze onto Link. “Link, is my daughter safe in your care?”
Link was stunned that he had been spoken to and flapped his hands, which was definitely embarrassing. “Uhh, as houses, sir.”
Eldrin frowned in confusion. “Meaning?”
Goddess man, get a hold of yourself. Link cleared his throat and took a deep breath, centering himself. “I’ll protect her with my life, Your Majesty. You have my word.”
Eldrin’s face softened and he looked to Zelda. “Perhaps I may be a tad… overzealous. If you are in town, I don’t see the need for a guard so long as you aren’t alone. Is that acceptable?”
Zelda smiled. “Yes, Daddy. Far better.”
He raised his finger. “However, if you leave Castle Town, full compliment. I’m done asking nicely.”
“Okay, I understand, but Link will be with me at the festival, so you two can take the day off.” she said, pointing at the two guards.
“Link will?” Link asked.
She turned. “Well, I mean, you did come all this way and I wanted to participate in the festival anyway, so why not? We can have a date!”
“A date?” King Eldrin asked.
“Zelda…” Link said in a warning tone. “I knew you were up to something.”
She grinned, then turned to her dad. “A playdate. Now I think you’ve doted on me enough. Go be a king. Kiss a baby or something.” She said, shooing him away. King Eldrin laughed, his fears assuaged, and turned, walking back into the throngs of people.
“I’m so upset with you.” Link said.
She turned. “No, you’re not. Your grandfather agrees with me. You work too much. You need a day off. What better way than to spend it with your best friend at a spooky festival?”
He rolled his eyes and turned, and she followed him, reaching out and taking his hand, but he wasn’t too mad. He squeezed gently, and she wrapped her arms around his again, leaning into him. “So where am I taking this?” he asked, eyeing the shield in question.
“Oh, right,” She said, then waved him forward, leading him to a free drawing. The shield was one of the prizes on display, alongside a golden egg that was neither real gold or a real egg, and a small, well made cloak. Finally, the delivery was made, now maybe they could relax. They perused the stands, lingering at the handmade wooden masks.
“Oh, this one is scary!” Zelda said, picking one up.
“That, my dear lady, is a Lynel,” the stall owner said. “Rumor has it that it was one of the fiercest creatures in Ganon’s army. All we have from those days are drawings, but what a mighty creature, even this interpretation is vicious.”
She turned to Link. “Want to be my pet Lynel for the evening?” She asked, pushing the mask towards his face but he caught her hand. “I think maybe calling me your pet might not be wise given your station,” he said, taking the mask from her. “But it’s well-made. You do good work.”
“Thank ya, young man. We all try our best.”
Zelda dragged him to another stall. “You’re no fun.”
“Because I don’t want to wear a mask?”
She rolled her eyes. “Can you at least pretend to have a good time?”
He stopped and crossed his arms. “It’s not personal, Zelda. I just don’t like big events. There’s too many people. I’m having a decent time, and I get to have it with you, which is still a win. It’s just not perfect.”
She frowned. “Then what would make it perfect? Show me how to give you a perfect night.”
“It’s not about that…”
She waved her hand. “No, I brought you here, Link. I want to make sure you have a good time. It doesn’t have to be at this festival. That was my idea.”
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, then started looking around and smiled. “Want to cause some trouble?”
“LInk no,” Zelda said, a small smile spreading across her features.
“Oh come on. It’s a little bad, not a big one. Just convince the guards that we need to be on the city walls.”
“What?”
“Just do it.”
Zelda sighed, then shook her head and started towards a gatehouse. Link smiled and followed her.
“Captain, I need to get on the walls, please.” Zelda said when she approached.
The captain, a guard with a strong jaw and a rugged face turned to her. “Pardon?”
“I and my compatriot need access to the city walls, please. My father wanted me to check on some of the decorations, but I need the battlements to be unlocked.”
“Oh!” the guard said. “Seems weird, he checked ‘em hisself less than an hour ago, but I’m not about to gainsay His Majesty.” He offered her the key. “Just bring it back when yer done, Your Highness.”
“Thank you captain.” Zelda said, then took Link onto the walls. “And we’re up. Your plan?”
He smiled, then reached down and took her hand, and Zelda’s heart skipped a beat. They had held hands before. They had known each other since they were children, but Link had never been the one to initiate contact, and the mere interaction sent tingles across her chest.
He led her by hand along the walls, his boots and her sandals clicking as they traversed the hard stone. Before long, they stopped, and Link walked over to the parapet, overlooking the festival. From here, they could see it from a distance and from the top, and see all the lights and all the people going around having fun.
“This is how I want to participate, Princess. I’ve never been one for the spotlight.” He said, turning and leaning against the parapet. “I’d much rather watch the people I care about have all the fun. That makes me happiest.”
She smiled and turned to him. Then frowned and looked down, fidgeting with her nails. “I… Link, I’m afraid I haven’t been completely honest with my intentions this evening.”
He frowned. “Well, yes. You had me attend the festival.”
She closed her eyes. “That’s not what I…” She sighed deeply. “I feel like our relationship has… changed.”
He stood. “Yeah, I noticed too. I can’t figure out why.”
She nodded, then took a step forward, then reached out and grabbed him by the front of his jerking, pulling him into her. He stumbled, wrapping his arms around her, and she placed her hands on his chest, meeting his eyes. “It’s because I love you. Do you… Do you love me too?”
He looked down and bit his lip, then inclined his head ever so slightly.