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Hyrule was on the horizon, and she was coming home. The shift of the land had changed since her victory at the castle, restoring the king back to his throne. Zelda had become her closest ally - something that was difficult to wrap her head around. Her younger self would've never pictured herself as the warrior that she would turn into. When Link had admitted to her that she needed a moment to leave, the princess had been nothing but supportive. Eventually, she knew she had to come home. Every adventure, every scar, and she was returning a changed woman. She wasn't the same person, and she didn't know how Zelda would react to that. To her great surprise, she was waiting on the beach for her in a plain dress with no signs of regalia adorning her hair. The wind blew around her, and Link couldn't help but smile when she saw her.
The boat pulled into the pier and she took a moment to dock it, tying the ropes with the expertise she'd gain from her travels. Zelda didn't wait for her to get down from the docks. "How was your journey?"
It was such a simple question, and yet she didn't know where to begin. Did she begin with the Wind Fish and her journey through Kohlint to wake the beast or did she begin with her travels through Labrynna and Holodrum? Zelda had partially been there for it, but she still didn't know the full extent of it. Link could remember how the princess looked asleep on the altar where Twinrova had threatened to sacrifice her to bring back the Demon King. She didn't know how Zelda got back home. Either way, Link shrugged. "I understand myself better now," she said, glancing over at the princess. "We should head back to the castle."
"Right," Zelda said softly. She bowed her head - something she did only when she was hiding something from her. Link steeled herself, wondering if she would just have to expect a battle just around every corner. But then she looked up, a smile on her face with a twinkle in her eyes. It just hit Link that while she aged up, so did Zelda. She was no longer the young girl that was kidnapped by Ganon, and Link was no longer the scared child trying to save her uncle. "Did you ever find the Oracles? Are Din and Nayru with you?"
Link nodded, moving to the other side of the boat to knock on the door. The princess had distracted her from completing the task at hand. "Din, Nayru, we've arrived," she said. "Zelda is waiting for us to get to the castle."
The castle had been a distant memory for Link. Hyrule Castle towered over the entire region, and she'd thought that because she'd gotten taller, perhaps it wouldn't feel like it was going to swallow her. Instead, every crevice of the building still felt like it was overgrown and wild - like it hide secrets behind every wall. She had no interest in finding out what it was hiding. She wanted to maintain her sanity tonight. Zelda was safe, and yet it didn't feel like it. It felt like she was supposed to be ready to fight for her life at any given moment. The soldiers smiled at her, and she nearly reached for her sword - she still remembered them fighting her in hopes that she'd die. They didn't remember being Ganon's puppets, but she remembered.
Zelda didn't glance at the soldiers, and Link wondered if she remembered it too. She'd been a young girl imprisoned in her own castle, her own home. How had the princess just return to it like nothing had happened? She'd wanted to run far away from home, putting as much distance between herself and Hyrule, when her uncle had come back. Nothing about him had been wrong, per say, it was just the uncanny feeling of knowing she saw him bled out in the castle's sewers. How did someone consolidate that with the living, breathing man that was back in her home? She didn't know, and she didn't care. All she knew is she'd rather take her chances with the boat again.
Did Zelda have the same nightmares she did? She wondered when the last time the princess had slept, if the bags under her eyes were anything to go by. She had the same ones, admittedly. She couldn't judge. The Oracles had been given room and board in the castle, with an assurance that they'd be safe here. Link wasn't sure how Zelda could make that promise without flinching. After all, it had been within these walls that Link had fought for her life. Ganon had breached it before as the King's advisor. Link couldn't help but notice that there was no longer a royal advisor position. Zelda had mentioned the position had been abolished, and she wondered the long reaching impacts that could have. Insular royalty didn't seem to be that much better of an idea.
Where the princess was leading her, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she wasn't going to take her eyes off the princess. The risk was too great. Would someone steal her away again? Link thought about Marin, and her long red hair as she stared at the princess's own strawberry blonde hair. The flashes of Marin versus Zelda, and it slowly sunk in that the Wind Fish had said the dream had been influenced by Link's own memories. The memory of the princess standing in front of him, and how she was a version of Zelda that she'd never seen before.
As she led Link up a spiral staircase, Link wondered if there was ever a chance to see the princess that was unburdened by life. She'd never had a normal life, and that wasn't entirely her fault, was it? She'd been born into this life. Ganon had gone after her for powers that she'd only just barely gained control of. The confession that she hadn't known she had any of those powers lingered at the back of Link's mind. Had she worked further on those powers? Link's hand was gripped tight on the sword at her hip, suddenly nervous by the lack of explanation that Zelda had given. Where were they going?
They reached a door, and Zelda led Link into a... bedroom? The room was spacious, with an oversized bed with a flowing canopy covering it. Shelves of books lined the walls, and it slowly sunk in that this was the princess's own room. She sat at a table that had a mirror in front of it, and somehow Link was reminded of the mirror that could take her into the Dark World. She irrationally wanted to tell her to step away from the mirror so she could break it. It was an odd feeling, and she swallowed it. "I don't trust the guards," Zelda admitted, as if she was casually suggesting what they should eat for dinner tonight. "I trust you, however. I want you to become my full time guard. I already suggested this to father, and he agreed it was a good idea to keep you around. We would pay for this service, of course, as well as provide you room and board here in the castle so you may stay close to me."
The request was so simple that it nearly knocked Link off her feet. The more she sat with this request, the more she understood why the princess would not trust the guards. Even though they were friendly now, they both had seen them ruthlessly attack Link with a desperation to have her killed. And she could understand why Zelda would consider Link the best chance at survival in a situation should the guards turn on her again. "Of course, ma'am," Link said, bowing to her. "I would be happy to serve my country again per your request, ma'am."
Zelda giggled at this. "Oh come on, Link, no need for formalities when it's just us," she said with a bright grin. Suddenly Link flashed back to Kohlint where she was standing in front of Marin - the smile was exactly the same. "You can call me Zelda if you'd prefer. And... don't worry about answering right away. You can think on this as long as you need. Instead of answering right away... come over here. Tell me what you saw in Labrynna and Holodrum. I want to know everything."
Zelda's eyes widened as she took in the story that Link told her, and over the course of the discussion, Zelda admitted that before Ganon had stolen her away, she'd never left the castle before. Twinrova's kidnapping of her had been the first and only time she'd been past the borders of the country. The idea of getting to leave and travel far away was a strange one to her, and she envied Link's freedom. A princess who was next in line for a throne couldn't just up and leave. All of the stories passed down had a strict definition of what Zelda was supposed to be, down to her name. She almost felt guilty about asking Link to stay with her - almost. She was her hero, and for that reason, the princess felt like she had at least the right to ask her to stay. Every second that passed, her hero grew bolder by getting ever so closer to her.
When Link had taken off to Labrynna and Holdrum in search of the Oracles per her request, she'd been little more than a girl - just like her, really. And yet she'd returned covered in fresh new scars, with a new sort of ruggedness to her. Like her, she'd aged into a full fledged woman that had so much more knowledge of the world around them. She was a warrior, and Zelda would entrust her life in her hands twice over if she had to. No one was more capable than he, and she reached out to take her hand in hers. She could feel every callous in the palm of her hand, every raised scar, and it took so much courage to look into her eyes. Big blue eyes were already staring at her, and there was a similar trust for her in them yet... there was something else in them.
Both of them had walked through hell and back to be sitting in her bedroom in a peaceful Hyrule. Here she sat, wondering if she had any right to claim this warrior for herself. Surely after everything she'd been through... she had least earned the right to choose if she should leave behind this life entirely. When she had sent Link away, she had anticipated that Link would leave soon after delivering the Oracles. She still suspected that she might. Every single moment that passed, she anticipated that her swordswoman would decide her duty was done and leave. Instead, her other rough, battle scarred hand gently cupped her cheek, and Zelda leaned into the touch. How many lives had they lived? If the stories were to be believed, this was inevitable. Did that mean they lacked any free will in this moment? She didn't know the answer, and she didn't want to know the answer. If this was just fate, then at least it owed her this kindness after everything she'd been through.
Then again... was anyone owed anything? Her thoughts were at war as Link demonstrated her courage by making the first move - her lips were captured in a sure kiss that said everything that could've been said. With it, Zelda knew that she wasn't going anywhere. With safety promised and a bright future for Hyrule ahead of them, she allowed herself to sink into this moment. She could picture their future in her head, and she smiled into the kiss. She was eager to lay her claim where it belong - her swordswoman, forevermore.