Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

While this is a Link x Reader, romance is only half of the plot. The other focus (Y/n)'s journey of self discovery and realizing what her true purpose in life is.

This story includes aspects of Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity, and lots of unique ones as well.

There are side characters that are from/inspired by characters and locations from other Legend of Zelda games, as well as original characters.

I read Creating a Champion to try to keep things accurate to the in game lore, although I've deliberately changed a few things. If there are events that are inconsistent to the canonical timeline of Breath of the Wild, this is most likely the reason.

With the addition of the Zelda Notes for the Nintendo Switch 2 versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, I also have a lot of material to work with and include in the story! Which also makes it a good thing I started rewriting this... I first began writing Twin of Wisdom over on Wattpad whenever we were still calling Tears of the Kingdom "Breath of the Wild 2."

Suggestions and grammar corrections are welcome!

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Text

I've always felt as if I was...

...simply an accident.

Despite Mother's wishes, Father always insisted on hiding my identity from the public, insisting chaos would ensue from the fact that the firstborn princess of Hyrule has a twin sister. It's a good thing we aren't identical, though— I can go out and not have a striking resemblance to Zelda.

Despite my identity being a secret, a select few know. The only ones who know are the Sheikah, the highest ranks of the Royal Guard, castle staff, and Urbosa: the chief of the Gerudo and my late mother's best friend. Everyone who knows I have royal blood has sworn under oath to keep it a secret.

Zelda and I have our similarities and our differences. We both love studying the ancient Sheikah technology, learning ancient languages, and spending time learning about the history of Hyrule. However, she's the one who's attendance is mandatory when it comes to governing and praying. She's the one who is supposed to one day rule the kingdom...

...not me.

However, she's had no luck in unlocking her Sealing Powers, and unfortunately, she has no one to teach her.

When Zelda and I were barely six years old, Mother was killed. When she was on the way home from visiting Urbosa one day, her and the knights who accompanied her had all been slaughtered by what we believed to be none other than the Yiga Clan. Her death saddened the both of us and Father deeply. Even without a mentor, Father immediately instructed Zelda to begin working to unlock her sealing power, and despite him still loving me all the same, it felt as if the circumstances turned me into an afterthought. Meanwhile, I vowed to never let something like Mother's death happen again as long as I could control it. I wanted to protect people, even if I would never be able to rule over the kingdom that I had a blood connection to—even if I was never even going to be considered an heir.

I wanted to do something for our kingdom. In search of that that could be, I found the idea of being a knight and wielding a sword fascinating—but it was all because of him.

By him, I'm referring to a boy who's only a little bit older than me. The best knight I've ever had the honor to witness wield a sword. The best companion a princess-in-disguise could ever ask for.

Link.

I would watch the knights train—specifically Link. I was so intrigued to find a young boy besting knights at least five times our age! Of course, I timidly approached him one afternoon after the knights finished training and everyone else had dispersed. He didn't have much to say, but I'd like to think he was happy that someone around his age was also interested in knighthood. After that, we became best friends.

Link opened up to me and told me about his family. His skilled father, the now-retired Royal Guard Captain whom he respected even more than the King of Hyrule—my own father—was who he learned all of his skills from. He told me that quietly, as if another knight would hear and punish him for uttering such words. I had just giggled and went along with his words, finding ironic that he didn't know who my father really is. He also has a little sister Aryll, who's around four years younger than him. Later on he would tell me stories about her, like how she befriended all of the Cuccos in Hateno Village and how she constantly went to Hateno Bay to play beside the ocean. He even had to go down there to defeat a camp of Bokoblins after she ran home crying about how the beach had been taken over. Link also has a very large dog named Hero, who sounds very sweet and cuddly. Hero is very protective of his family, especially Aryll. However, like me, Link's mother died quite some time ago. She had died giving birth to Aryll, so Link didn't have very many memories of her given that he was only around four years old at the time. The ones he did have, however, seem to be very fond ones. Link's quaint little family is so important to him, and I bet he is making them proud. I've never met them in person, although if I did, I wonder if his father would recognize me... surely not, seeing as he retired a couple of years before Mother died. I don't even know if I had ever seen the man in person or not, seeing as it was so long ago.

After many meetings and practices, Link not only became my best friend, but he taught me everything he learned about being a knight. My skill with all weapon types became second to his own. After I was sure I had the skill, I had finally asked Father if I could join the ranks.

He protested the idea at first; however, after seeing the results of my hard work, he eventually agreed on the conditions that I don't let anyone other than the Royal Guard find out about my identity. He approved for me to join the ranks and told the Royal Guard to say nothing of it.

The day came when I had officialy joined the knights. To say everyone was surprised when they saw me for the first time was an understatement. Not only was I the new youngest member of the ranks, aside from Link, I was the only girl. At first, no one wanted to duel with me because they only saw me as a little girl.

That is, until Link somehow convinced someone to. And that first real duel was my first victory.

However, Link still doesn't know that I'm a part of the royal family. I never told him because I thought he would become more distant and treat me differently. He becomes rather stoic as he bows and shows respect whenever he is in the presence of either Zelda or Father, and I like the Link that laughs and converses with me.

I just don't want to lose the Link that I've grown rather fond of.

Yes, I will admit, Link grew rather handsome rather quickly, and I found myself developing romantic feelings for my best friend once we got older... but I decided to not tell him about any special any feelings that I hold for him. I would never want to lose my closest friend, and I'm not sure if I could keep such a secret from him for an entire relationship. I wouldn't even know where to begin about telling him the truth about my bloodline...

Aside from spending time with Link and fulfilling my knightly duties, I put my love of knowledge to use by studying with Zelda, her royal advisor (and future Sheikah Chief) Impa, and two other Sheikah researchers, Purah and Robbie. Zelda and I work on research projects regarding the Sheikah technology whenever I have spare time. Lately, we have been researching more about the colossal ancient Sheikah relics known as the Divine Beasts. As the Divine Beasts have been revealing themselves over time, other ancient relics of many different types have begun to be unearthed as well. This, along with larger hordes of monsters making themselves known... These signs indicate that the events from ten thousand years ago will repeat themselves soon. We are very unprepared for this event where we stand now. Little to nothing is known about the ancient relics found all over the land of Hyrule, we have yet to appoint four people as the Champions who will pilot the Divine Beasts, the knight who shall wield the Sword that Seals the Darkness has yet to make an appearance, and Zelda still hasn't unlocked the Sealing Powers that she is supposed to possess.

But still... even with all of the information we do have, I'm still so confused. Quite frankly, it's something I've been confused about my entire life.

It seems like there's a role for everyone around me to fill. But where do I fall into place?

Am I really just an accidental princess? Or do I have an underlying purpose?

...

I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder, and I give a side glance to see who is luring me from my thoughts.

"Oh, hey, Link," I say to the dirty-blonde boy as I watch him take a seat beside me on the bench that I'm sitting on.

"Something's on your mind, (Y/n)... I can tell," he says to me quietly. As of late, he hasn't been using his voice much, so to hear him speak to me brings always brings a small smile onto my face.

I keep my hands on my lap and look towards him, gazing into his piercing, cerulean eyes. How I wish I could just open up to him and tell him about everything... but I'm scared of how he would think of me afterwards. Would he be ashamed for allowing himself to get so close to someone of royal blood? Would he hate me for hiding something this important from him?

...

"I'm alright, Link. Really, I am," I add as I see him raise an eyebrow at me.

Seemingly hesitant, Link gently rests one of his hands on my arm as a comforting gesture. "Not only as a fellow knight, but as your best friend, you can tell me anything. You're even more closed off than I am," Link admits.

I hate to say it, but it's true... Link doesn't share anything personal with any of the other knights, even our friends who are only a few years older than us; and I'm not much better when it comes to having secrets.

"Thank you... but really, I'm fine. I promise," I say to him with a smile.

Link gives me a small smile and gently takes his hand off of my arm. "Alright. I guess you'll also insist that you can walk back to your home by yourself if I offer to accompany you?" he asks me, yet his voice holds the smallest amount of hope.

I sigh, feeling terrible that my whole life is a lie. I had told Link that I was a Castle Town orphan who wanted to join the army to make a living after he questioned why I didn't move into the barracks. There's a children's home there that I told him I lived at, and once I turn seventeen, I'll have to claim to work there instead.

"I apologize, that is correct. But I'll walk back to the barracks with you, if that would make you feel any better," I say to him, smiling as I offer my presence.

He nods and follows as I stand up from the bench, and we begin to walk to the barracks together. Having said everything that needed to be said, we just walked in silence, enjoying each other's company.

Once we arrive at the barracks, I smile once more and look Link in the eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, Link," I say to him. He nods and heads inside without another word, looking at me for a moment before doing so. Even before I turn away, I can hear some of the other knights that we're friendly with loudly begin to speak to him.

With my bulky armor already off, I have no reason to stay any longer. I make my way to the castle entrance, making sure nobody can see me, where two members of the Royal Guard are stationed. They know who I am, so their natural reaction is to slightly bow as I walk by. I smile and wave at the both of them, as turn and walk down a long stretch of decorated hallway, the echoes of my footsteps bouncing off of the walls.

Further down the hallway, I hear Zelda and Father having a conversation—most likely Father telling Zelda she needs to focus more on unlocking her sealing powers. I continue to walk down the hallway until their voices become more clear.

"—do not need a knight to follow my every step." This piques my interest.

"Zelda, I'm doing this to ensure your safety. If you will be traversing Hyrule to appoint the four Champions, you need a skilled knight watching over you to ensure that no harm comes your way."

Zelda? Receiving an appointed knight? As if. She would never agree to let Father pick a random knight for her!

So... what if I went instead of a random knight? Exploring Hyrule with Zelda under the alias of her appointed knight would be the perfect idea! That way, I won't get questioned about who I am or what my intentions are whenever I am with her.

Perhaps that's exactly the role I'm meant to play?

As I reach the end of the hallway I'm currently walking at and turn, I'm met with the sight of my father and sister.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I would gladly stay with Zelda as an appointed knight while she visits the Champion candidates," I say to Father.

Zelda gives a sigh of relief and smiles as she looks at me. "Thank you, (Y/n). Father, you know how skilled of a knight (Y/n) has become. She's climbed through the ranks more quickly than most. I would be more than comfortable traveling with my own sister instead of some knight I've never even spoken a word to," she explains to Father.

I walk over beside her, both of us facing our father. He sighs before looking at me.

"(Y/n), I've see how skilled you are. I know that you could be trusted as an appointed knight. But not only are you a great warrior, but you are also one of my daughters. This could potentially end up being a more dangerous task than you've received before..." His voice trails off. I know he's thinking about what happened to Mother.

"I know, Father, but this is the perfect opportunity to go out and see the kingdom with Zelda without having to worry about people finding out about my identity. I believe if I'm there as a knight, I will not be questioned regarding being in the presence of my sister. I would gladly accept if you were to offer me as Zelda's appointed knight... "

Zelda nods at my words. "I know it's a dangerous job, (Y/n), and I would never stop blaming myself if anything happened to you, but I believe in you. I know you are perfectly capable," Zelda says to me. I look at her and smile, appreciating her words of approval. I smile to myself as well before returning my gaze to our father.

He is silent for a moment, taking careful consideration into our words, before speaking.

"I'll allow it."

I fight the urge to punch the air in celebration, but I let a smile take over my expression.

"One one condition—" Father adds. My smile fades a bit, and Zelda looks as if she's fighting the urge to groan.

"I want another highly skilled knight in your presence. It's only for extra precaution, seeing as both of my daughters will be traveling together."

Zelda looks down, knowing this is the only way I would get to travel with her. She knows that I want to go out and see Hyrule. Of course, I've been to places with her such as Kakariko Village and the Royal Ancient Tech Lab under the disguise of a fully armored knight along the way. I've also been to Akkala Citadel and even Zora's Domain for knightly duties on rare occasions.

Other than that, I've had no reason and no way to go out and about to see things. I've never even stepped foot into the far corners of our own kingdom!

Zelda knows just as well as I do that there is so much to discover everywhere.

But my eyes light up as I suddenly remember another skilled knight that I would like to travel with as well. Before I can ask, Father does first.

"However... you may pick who will be assisting you."

I smile, and Zelda raises a brow at me.

"I already had someone in mind. His name is Link... I'm sure you know of him," I explain.

The King, my father, nods as I speak. "The previous Royal Guard Captain's son. I've heard many great things about him... I'll have arrangements made." He looks at both of us once more before he turns and walks away.

"(Y/n), are you really siding with Father on this?" Zelda questions when Father is out of earshot.

I begin to speak as we start to make our way to the hallway that our chambers reside in. "Link is my best friend, and the one who taught me everything I know. He's the reason why I'm in the higher ranks with him. Plus, you know that cooperating with Father is the only way that I could possibly go with you."

Zelda sighs. "I know. But... if you recommend him, I'm sure he's decent. Plus, I've heard of him. A lot of the maids are always gushing over his skills. And looks," Zelda doesn't notice, but her mentioning... well, that, causes my face to heat up. "I suppose he'll do... As long as he's not annoying." Zelda gives a slight laugh, and I laugh along with her.

"He doesn't speak much anymore. He talks to me, and to our commanding officers when necessary, but that's about it." I explain to her. She simply nods.

"Does he know that you're...?"

I shake my head. "No, he doesn't. I believe it's in my best interest not to tell him. I do not wish to be treated any differently."

Zelda nods understandingly. As the two of us reach our bedrooms, we turn to part ways for the night.

"Goodnight, Zelda," I say to her as I walk to my door.

"Goodnight, (Y/n)," I hear her voice respond as she goes through her door and shuts it.

As I walk towards my door, I see one of the maids standing beside it. This particular girl has recently been hired to be my personal maid after the previous woman had retired. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything the castle staff does for Zelda and Iー however, I really don't feel as if I'm important enough to have people wait on me or call me Your Highness like they do to Zelda.

However, with the new girl, I don't mind sharing her company. I don't know her very well yet, but what I do know is that she's from one of the islands outside of the kingdom's borders. Her home had been hit by a disaster some time ago, so her, along with many other people who used to call the island home, were welcomed into the mainland with open arms.

She's also very prettyー Her long, red hair reaches down to her waist and her eyes are a gentle brown color. Every time I see her, she sports a different type of flower from the gardens in her hair. She doesn't look much older than Zelda and I, despite recently becoming castle staff.

She seems very sweet... I think I'd like to befriend her.

"I went ahead and drew a bath for you, Your Highness. The water should still be warm," the girl says with a slight bow.

I smile, knowing she means well. "Thank you, Marin. By the way, there's no need to worry about such formalities, so feel free to call me (Y/n)." I see Marin's eyes widen a tad bit in surprise, clearly not expecting me to be so friendly towards her.

"Of course, (Y-Y/n)! Have a lovely evening," A smile shows on her face. She gives a shy bow before scurrying off.

I walk into my own spacious room. It's roughly the size as the ground level of Zelda's room, although I do not have an extra study connected to it; one of the corners of the room is dedicated to research instead. I have several stacks of journals, boxes of ancient materials, and large bookshelves with all of the books I would ever need. My desk is covered with neatly organized papers and a small jar with a couple of quills. A drawer in my desk houses small bottles of ink which have began to collect dust over time.

I walk into my room's bath chambers. After stripping down the sweaty clothing that I wore under my armor, I add some soap to the warm water. I step in the tub, and the water immediately begins to soothe the soreness in my muscles that I didn't realize was even there.

After relaxing and cleaning myself thoroughly, I go back to my bed chambers and slip into a soft, silky nightgown. As I lie down onto my bed, which is considerably too big, I begin to think of how much fun adventuring throughout Hyrule with Zelda— and possibly Link— is going to be. Perhaps Impa will even get to travel with us as well if her and her team aren't too busy.

Maybe I'll finally get to visit Gerudo Town with Zelda and Urbosa... maybe Link will have to dress as a girl to get in.

I blush and giggle like a child at the thought of Link in traditional Gerudo garb, turning over and closing my eyes. As my excited mind dies down, I allow myself to drift to sleep peacefully.

Chapter Text

"Your Highnessー I mean, (Y/n)! Are you awake?"

I rub my eyes and yawn, sitting up in bed as I'm awoken from my sleep by a familiar voice on the other side of the door. "Yes, Marin. You may come in," I tell her from the other side of the door. She opens the door, gently closing it behind her. She goes to my wardrobe to take out the tunic and pants I'll be wearing, carefully draping them over the changing partition in my room.

"Princess Zelda is set to leave in an hour. There is food waiting for you in the dining hall, although since it's still early most of the staff will still be there," Marin says.

It's been a week since Father first mentioned wanting Zelda to have an appointed knight, and now Link and I have both been appointed as such—at least temporarily, until the hero wielding the Master Sword shows themselves. There wasn't a grand ceremony, for that will be saved for whoever that hero shall be.

Today, we'll be traveling around Hyrule, starting with Zora's Domain, to begin meeting with the four people that we have decided seem the most fit for the role as a Champion. After visiting Zora's Domain we'll visit Daruk of the Gorons, make a quick detour for Zelda to speak to the Great Deku Tree in the Lost Woods regarding her powers and the state of the Kingdom, and then we'll likely continue our journey to see Revali of the Rito and then Urbosa of the Gerudo.

However, the first soon-to-be Champion we're speaking to is a friend of Link and I. Her name is Mipha, and she is the daughter of King Dorephan of the Zora. We don't get to see her very often, so I cherish the time that I get to spend with her and her little brother Sidon. That's why I'm glad Zora's Domain is our first destination.

There is one thing I'm worried about, however...

I'll have to be formal when speaking to Zelda. We aren't usually formal with each other because we're siblings, but Linkーalong with the rest of the kingdomーdoesn't know that. I'll have to refer to her as her title and watch the way I speak to her. I know she doesn't mind, but if anyone else hears, I fear that I'll be considered rude and disrespectful.

I stand up from my bed and after a quick stretch, walk over to grab the clothes Marin had laid out for me. "Do you know when Link will be here? I don't want him to see me exiting the castle... he doesn't know anything about me living here."

Marin clears her throat for a moment before speaking. "Sir Link should be getting here around ten minutes before you're set to leave. Princess Zelda already planned ahead, so the message that was sent to him says a time that you would already be there waiting."

Thank Hylia for her quick thinking. I nod, stepping behind the changing partition. I slip off my nightgown, replacing it with undergarments before changing into the clothes.

"Forgive me for prying... but are you close to him?" I hear Marin ask as I finish slipping the tunic over my head. I feel my face heat up a tad bit upon her question as I step out from the partition to see Marin with the various leather padding that I need on my tunic. She smiles upon seeing my flustered face before instructing me to turn around as she begins putting the various armor pads and straps into place.

"We've been best friends since we were children. Why do you ask?" I answer, probably a bit too quickly.

"I've seen him before. He's rather handsome, isn't he?" She must have felt me stiffen upon her comment, so she gives a small laugh. "I was wondering if you had feelings for him. Don't worry, I won't tell him. The two of you would make a lovely pair, you know—everyone thinks so." She finishes doing the last strap on my tunic, all of the padding in place. She then grabs a hair brush, brushing out all of the tangles from when I was sleeping.

"E-everyone?!" I look back, bewildered and flustered. Does everyone seem to know that Link and I are close friends?

She laughs a bit. "A lot of the maids seem to fancy him, but they all automatically assume his heart belongs to you. They all favor you enough to quietly give their best regards, despite their infatuation."

I let my shoulders relax. Marin seems to basically see right through me, so there's no point in hiding anything from her. I just shake my head. "It's not like he'd ever see me like that anyways. Besides, even if he did, it's not like I could hide my true identity from him forever... right?"

"What's so bad about him knowing? The two of you have been close for quite some time, right? I doubt he could see you any differently," Marin tries to reassure me as she begins to tie my hair up. "Plus, if the maids can keep their gossip within the castle walls, I'm sure Link finding out wouldn't cause word to spread." I just sigh.

"It's not that I don't trust him with my secret... in fact, he would be one of the ones I know I could trust. It's just that... well, he's so closed off to everyone. He's strictly professional whenever he's in eyeshot of anyone of importance—immediately kneels down, stays absolutely silent, wouldn't dare get close unless it was to protect someone's life, the whole bit—I don't want to risk Link closing himself off and our friendship completely dissolving just because of my bloodline..."

"Hmm... I think I understand now." Marin nods, not saying anything else. As she finishes doing my hair, she steps back and gives a small bow. "Safe travels, (Y/n)," she says with a smile before turning to make my bed.

Waving goodbye, I walk towards the door, grabbing my weapons I had prepared as I slip my boots on. I hear them click against the hard floor as I walk out of my room and into the castle hallway. I make my way down a staircase into the dining hall where some of the castle staff are eating their meals but it's early enough to where nobody else with a higher title is present.

As they see me make my way to the table, most of them get up from their seats and bow. However, one familiar face stays put.

"Hey, Princess. Early to breakfast this morning, I see," a Sheikah boy says. The court poet, Kasuto. Even before becoming the court poet, he spent quite some time in the castle given his status among the Sheikah—he's the younger cousin of Impa and Purah. Being only a year older than Zelda and I, we became friends with him. He used to accompany us on surveys of ancient Sheikah ruins whenever we were younger.

Although he calls me Princess, it's more of a nickname than a title, so I'm glad there's at least one other person who hasn't always been so formal when speaking to me. I remember the times when Impa would scold him for not being polite enough, saying that their family especially is meant to serve the Royal Family—another reason why she still refuses to go on first name basis with Zelda or myself.

"Good morning," I say with a smile as I grab a napkin, rolling up a buttered bread roll for myself. Now that I think about it, I do usually get breakfast much later than the castle staff does. I'm sometimes still asleep around this time; it's barely even day time right now—the bells signaling the start of the day haven't rang out yet. "I had to make sure I had time to grab some breakfast before I have to leave. I'm going with Zelda around the kingdom."

Kasuto's face turns into a goofy grin once I mention Zelda. He makes no effort to hide how in love with her he is from me, and I find it quite endearing. He sighs longingly before speaking. "Aren't you one lucky Princess..." He puts his chin on his palm, leaning on his elbow on the table after taking a bite of his breakfast.

"Are you ever going to confess to her?" I playfully tease him as I finish wrapping up a few biscuits for Link and myself.

"Are you ever going to confess to that knight?" He gives a sly grin, and laughs when I narrow my eyes at him. I never had to outrightly tell Kasuto about how close I am to Link. He always just seemed to know about it, but with Marin's earlier words... I wonder how obvious my feelings truly are. Kasuto laughs before sighing, gazing off into the distance. "...I might confess to Her Highness one day. I'd write a song for her, serenade her under the moonlit sky, and end the night with a tender kiss—"

"Okay, Cupid, no matter how much I'd love to listen to your romantic fantasies all day, I really should get going soon," I say as I roll my eyes, cutting off his cheesy daydreams.

"Fine, fine. Can't be having your knight in shining armor spot you walking out of the castle, I get it," Kasuto raises his hands in defense. "Go have fun." I smile and wave before turning away to leave the dining hall out into a main hallway in the castle.

I reach the end of a hallway, looking outside for any sign of Link before exiting the castle. I give a sigh of relief upon not seeing him anywhere. I continue to go outside, walking a bit before stopping at the gate where Link and I are set to meet Zelda and Impa to leave.

This gate has recently been constructed in preparation for the Calamity. Sheikah researchers and skilled Goron blacksmiths worked together to make a solid gate that would protect those within the castle.

I've only been standing here for a few minutes before I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around a smile, seeing Link walking towards me. I reach for the rolls I had gotten from the dining hall, unwrapping them as Link stops in front of me. I open the napkin, holding out the rolls to him.

"I brought my breakfast with me, and grabbed extra for you," I say to him. Link smiles, grabbing two of the rolls and stuffing one of them into his mouth. I hear him attempt to say something as he chews, probably a 'thank you' or something, but his mouth is too full for me to understand. I laugh before taking a bite into one of my rolls.

Unlike Link, I have manners when it comes to food. I finish chewing before speaking up. "Are you excited to get to go to Zora's Domain? It's been so long since we've last seen Mipha and Sidon! I wonder how much he's grown," I think aloud. Link swallows his food before nodding.

"I am. Knowing everyone there, they'll be happy to see us. You especially," he adds with a smile.

"You flatter me, Linny," I say to him, putting emphasis on the nickname the Zora have given him. "They all like you so much, they've given you a nickname."

"Even if the Zora do like me, they all love you. They've got good reasons to..." Link mumbles that last part under his breath as he stuffs the second bread roll into his mouth. At least, that's what it sounded like...

What did he mean by that? Or perhaps I misheard...

After I finish my roll, I start to speak again until I notice Zelda and Impa walking out of the castle entrance. Link's expression turns into a serious one, the normal face he makes when nearly anyone else is around besides just us.

Zelda smiles at me, and I return the smile back. While she glances at Link, she doesn't give him the same familiar smile. I know she would rather him not be here, but Link is better than some other old knight following us around.

"We best be off. I'd like to be ready to leave Zora's Domain and on the way to Death Mountain by sundown, if that's possible," Zelda says as she swiftly walks by with Impa at her side. Impa gives me a smile, one that I return once more.

Link and I step into place a bit behind Zelda and Impa, giving them space yet still having enough room to properly survey the area. As we walk, the castle bells ring out, signaling the start of the day. The familiar tones chime for the people in the castle and of the town to hear.

Zelda and Impa start their own conversation as we head towards the stables. Link and I share glances towards each other every once in a while, but no words are said yet.

Once we reach the stables where mine and Zelda's horses stay, we each go to get our horses and their travel packs ready. Impa's horse is already here, seeing as Zelda's given her permission to a while back.

"Hey, Astarte," I talk to my steed as I gently pet her. "We'll be on an adventure for a while, girl." I smile as I open the gate into her stable and gather her reins.

"I didn't know you kept your horse up here," Link says to me quietly.

Oh no... he wasn't supposed to know.

"Oh, yeah... I was given permission recently," I quickly lie. "I'm sure you will too. The Princess will probably allow you to keep Epona here." Since Zelda and I share the stables, I can easily allow Link to keep his own horse close to Astarte. Of course, he doesn't know that I have a say in the matter.

Link nods, presumably thinking my response was reasonable. He backs away as I lead Astarte out of her stall, gently petting her in the process.

"Since Epona isn't currently at these stables and the Princess wants to leave right away, we'll have to share a horse. If that's alright," I say to Link. He nods and climbs up first onto Astarte, then reaching his hand out to help me up.

I know I'm perfectly capable of mounting a horse on my own, but I still accept his help either way.

Link adjusts himself on the saddle to leave room in front of him for me to sit. As I adjust myself on the saddle, I take the reins into my hands and reach forward to soothe Astarte.

"Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount..." I begin to say to myself, quoting part of the advice that Link gave me long ago. His bond with horses... it's unnatural, to say the least. But unnatural in a good way.

"That's the only way it will know how you truly feel," Link finishes his quote quietly, practically whispering in my ear, sending a small shiver down my spine.

I had told Zelda what Link had said to me at one point. She had been struggling with Storm, so I decided to help her out a bit. I remember her asking me where I learned to be so great with horses... I just told her that I guess it comes naturally.

Since everyone has their horses ready, Zelda and Impa take the lead. I lead Astarte to follow shortly afterwards, and soon after we're making our way through the gates of the castle and into Castle Town. Despite the day only recently starting, the town is already awake.

I've always loved Castle Town because of how lively it is. The bustling markets, the street performers' lovely music, children running and playing...

It feels so... normal. A normalcy that perhaps I was supposed to be a part of.

The further we get into town, the more townsfolk notice us. Some people move out of the way out of respect, while some are waving or bowing. I glace over at Zelda— her stoic expression staring blankly ahead.

These are the people that she has been told all of her life that she is meant to protect, and she feels as if she is letting them down. Every day that passes causes her to feel worse and worse, knowing that the countdown to the Calamity's attack is approaching and there's little she can currently do about it.

Link is probably as stoic as ever behind me. As we pass by the people of the town, some of them stop to look at us. While I hear a few of the murmurs speaking of how handsome Link is, which isn't surprising to me by now, I hear a few new murmurs as well.

"A female knight? She looks as young as that boy, how impressive!"

"Mommy, look at that other pretty lady! She's a soldier! Isn't that cool?"

"So the rumor about a woman making it into the ranks was true after all. That's a nice change."

I didn't realize it would be such a big deal, me being a knight and all. I've been out of the castle before, but I guess nobody really noticed me since I had all of my feminine features covered with clanky armor. But now, without a helmet and especially traveling with Zelda, everyone's attention will be focused on us.

I think I understand how Link feels now, not speaking much around a lot of people. Should I put on an act and act as serious as him?

...

Oh, nevermind being all stoic and serious. I see a child staring at Link and I in awe, and I turn to smile and give him a small wave. The child grins and waves back, bouncing on his toes. I can already picture him going to his mother or father, telling them he wants to be a soldier when he grows up too.

I hear a few snide comments, such as me doing men's work, but I shouldn't let that bother me—people like that have nothing better to do than to stir up trouble anyways.

As we leave Castle Town, I look around. It still amazes me just how beautiful our kingdom really is. To the northeast, Death Mountain stands tall over everything else, and I can even see the silhouette of the newly-excavated Divine Beast Vah Rudania from its peak. Hyrule is covered in all kinds of beautiful mountain ranges, just waiting to be explored.

As I look around in awe, I feel Link's arms go past my waist. I look down and he's grabbing the reins. I smile, knowing that he probably wants to have a hold on the reins so I can look around. I know I should be focusing on scouting the area, being one of Zelda's knights and all, but even I can't resist the temptation of sightseeing.

Luckily, Link doesn't have to do much work when it comes to guiding Astarte. Since horses are intelligent creatures, they follow the paths automatically.

As we travel east, the only sounds that are heard besides Zelda and Impa's conversation are the hooves of the horses hitting the ground, the birds chirping in the distance, and Link's soft breathing behind me.

We soon pass over the Orsedd Bridge crossing over the Hylia River. I look out at the tranquil water, watching the ducks swim on the surface. I smile as I see a fish jump out of the water and land back in, causing ripples to break the surface of the water.

I decide that Link will make me focus if something goes wrong. I just focus on the scenery around me, taking in a breath of fresh air.

Chapter Text

The ride to Zora's Domain went quite smoothly. I'd estimate that it took us a little under four hours to reach the domain. We left the castle at around eight in the morning, but from the position of the sun, I'd guess it's now somewhere closer to noon.

Every time I come here, which isn't very often, I can't help but to become fascinated over the architecture of the domain. The luminous stone used in the numerous statues and lampposts glow dimly throughout the day as well as the night, the water beautifully reflecting off of the surface of the stone.

In the distance, I can see the large Divine Beast that was unearthed in the area, Divine Beast Vah Ruta. Even with the dam and the mountain rages, I can still see its large size standing in the East Reservoir Lake, no color taking over its ancient parts due to the current lack of a pilot. It's my first time seeing one of them this close, I've only been able to see some of the Divine Beasts off in the distance.

On one of the many pathways in the domain, Link and I are walking with our dear friend Mipha, Princess of the Zora. Zelda already spoke to Mipha about piloting the Divine Beast, but she is speaking to King Dorephan to receive his final blessing. She said she was capable of speaking to him alone, so Link and I were allowed to go do as we please for a little bit as the Zora guards watch over her.

Personally, I'm glad Zelda allowed Link and I run off for a while. I get to spend some time with Mipha while we're here.

"The two of you have grown quite a bit since the last time I've seen you," Mipha says to Link and I as we walk with her. "Yet neither of you have really changed."

"I guess not. Other than the fact that we're the Princess's appointed knights, I suppose nothing much has changed," I say to her.

"I'm quite proud of the two of you. The both of you really do make a... wonderful duo," Mipha says, although for some reason, I think I hear a bit of sadness in her tone towards the end of her sentence.

Link and I share a glance, and I smile at him. He gives me a shy smile and looks away, looking at the high mountain top near the domain.

Mipha notices where he is looking, and speaks up. "Up there, on Ploymus Mountain, there is a Lynel. We've had to keep the children from adventuring up there, or else the Lynel would terrorize them. It's a shame, there's such a lovely view up there," she says sadly.

I see Link furrowing his eyebrows, but before he can make any rash decisions, I decide that I'll go up there. I've always wanted to fight a beast that size, not just something as simple as a Bokoblin or a Lizalfos.

"I'll take care of the Lynel," I say.. Link looks at me in shock and shakes his head, while Mipha's eyes widen in surprise.

"(Y/n), stay here. I'll take care of the Lynel," Link says with a bit of sternness in his voice. I see Mipha looks back at his words, becoming more surprised at hearing his voice for the first time since he's been here.

"Link, I am more than capable of slaying a Lynel," I say as I begin to walk away towards the mountain, but I stop when I feel a hand gently grab my arm.

"I know you are. You're strong, but doesn't mean I want you to go up there by yourself..." Link says, not looking at me.

I can feel myself slightly blushing at his display of concern. "Link, we can't both go up there. Someone has to stay in the domain with Princess Zelda."

"Okay then, that's why I'm going. I'll be quick, and please don't follow me," Link pleads.

I sigh, knowing that even I can't convince Link to do something when he has his mind set on something else—especially when it comes to protecting people. I gently pat his hand that rests on my arm with my free hand. "Fine. Just... be careful." He nods and lets go of my arm, taking a moment to look at me before he quickly rushes off towards the mountain.

After a moment, Mipha sighs and speaks up. "How brave... but I understand why he kept you here. Even I would have tried convinced you to stay here, as selfish as it sounds."

"Mipha, I appreciate the concern. However, Link and I are both strong. I can't see why he wouldn't allow me to go," I say with a slight pout.

Mipha gives a small laugh as she continues to speak. "Strong, brave, and reckless. I remember when I would heal both of your wounds, minor or not." I nod, and for a while, a comfortable silence is shared as we walk a little more. A small amount of time passes before Mipha speaks up again. "You know, (Y/n), I really did mean it when I said that you and Link make a great duo. The two of you really do look after each other quite well," Mipha says with a small smile on her face.

"What can I say? Link is one of the people that I care about the most in this world..." I say, feeling a smile grow on my face as well as a small amount of blush.

"Well... he also seems to be very comfortable with you. It seems as if he has become rather quiet since I've last seen him. I believe that was the first time he had spoken any words since you first arrived at the domain," Mipha points out.

"Yes, he has become rather closed off as of late. I'm just grateful that he's comfortable talking to me like he always has." I really am. He's not once ever made me feel shut out or anything like that.

A moment goes by without anymore words until Mipha speaks up again. "...I see the way he looks at you. It seems as if he... really cares about you as well." Mipha says, her voice becoming smaller as she speaks. The way he looks at me? There's something special about it? I'll just disregard that thought for now... Mipha seems down.

"Mipha, are you alright? You don't seem very lively today," I tell her. I've noticed that she seems a bit down about something.

"Oh, I'm fine! I apologize if it seemed that way to you, (Y/n)," Mipha reassures me.

"That's great to hear. But if there's anything you want to talk about, you're welcome to speak to me about it before I leave. We are friends, after all— even if we haven't seen each other in quite some time," I say to her as I smile.

Mipha gives me a genuine smile. "You're right, (Y/n). Thank you, I appreciate your words."

...

"(Y/n)?" Mipha speaks up.

"Yes?"

Mipha is quiet for another moment before continuing her question. "Do you have feelings for him? For Link?"

My eyes widen and I look down in embarrassment. "W-well..." I begin to stutter, "I have known him for a long time, a-after all, so naturally—"

Suddenly, a couple of Zora guards swiftly walk towards us from the center of the domain, interrupting our conversation and making our attention shift to them instead of the subject at hand.

"Princess Mipha, your father requests your presence," one of them says.

"Wait... where's Prince Sidon?" The second guard questions as he looks around. "We... we thought he was with you."

"Sidon is missing?" Mipha frantically says, her eyes widening in concern.

If Sidon is not with King Dorephan, not anywhere to be seen in the domain, and not with us...

"Mipha, you don't think..." I look towards Mipha, a dreadful thought appearing in my head.

"Little Sidon was so excited when I told him you and Link would be arriving today. He might have wanted to impress the two of you..." Mipha says dreadfully, having the same thought as me.

"If Sidon went to the mountain, Link should be able to protect him. I trust that he is in good hands," I try to reassure her. She takes a deep breath and nods at my words.

"You're right. There should be nothing to worry about. Thank you," Mipha smiles as she looks at me. I return her smile and turn to the guards.

"After Lady Mipha informed us of the Lynel that resides on top of Ploymus Mountain, Link rushed off to slay it. If Prince Sidon went to go confront the beast by himself, Link should be getting there by now. I trust that he will be safe."

The guards give a sigh of relief upon hearing my explanation, knowing that they can trust in Link's skill.

"That's great to hear. I know Linny has everything under control," one of the guards say, using the nickname that most people in Zora's Domain refer to him as. Both of the guards turn around to rush back to King Dorephan.

"Mipha, if you would like, I can go with you to see your father," I offer. "This is most likely concerning your promotion of sorts."

"That would be great, thank you."

A moment of silence occurs as we walk back to the center of the domain, and I remember the conversation we were having earlier.

"...And yes, I do have feelings for him." I admit timidly.

"I see..." Mipha gives a small smile before looking away.

As Mipha and I make our way to the throne room where her father, King Dorephan, resides, my mind can't help but to drift back to what Mipha had said just a little bit ago.

Link looks at me in a special way? I wouldn't be surprised if he was just more relaxed around me, seeing how he's always so stoic and serious around almost anyone else. But the way Mipha had put it...

Perhaps Link sees me as more than a friend?

No, of course he doesn't. He would never! With an infinite amount of beautiful girls in the Kingdom that would more than likely fall head over heels for Link, him holding feelings for me would be out of the question. Even men fall in love with Link! He could literally have anyone he wanted.

Once we arrive at the throne room, Zelda and Impa look towards Mipha and I.

"Where is Link?" Impa questions as she notices his absence. "Don't tell me he ran off somewhere..."

"And ran off he did. Link went to go slay a Lynel that had been bothering the Zora on top of Ploymus Mountain. I tried to go instead, but he insisted on me staying here," I say to Zelda and Impa. Zelda's eyes widen out of surprise, but I can't tell if it's because Link went to fight the Lynel by himself... or if I almost went to fight it by myself. "He should be back soon, Princess," I add, turning to Zelda. "He'll return before we have to leave."

Zelda sighs and nods before turning to the Zora King as Mipha walks up to stand beside Zelda. I make sure to stand a comfortable distance behind, just like any normal guard would do.

"Mipha, my lovely daughter..." King Dorephan says slowly. "You shall pilot the Divine Beast. At first I was reluctant of giving my blessing, but after heavy consideration, I shall allow it. We all share this beautiful kingdom of Hyrule, after all, so we must all do our part to protect it."

"Yes, Father," Mipha says. She has a content smile on her face, and I know why. Mipha has always loved helping everyone in any way that she can, so I know she sees this as a huge opportunity to do so.

"But promise me one thing. After everything is said and done... please return to us safely."

I can't tell what is going through Mipha's mind right at this moment, but regardless of whatever it may be, she doesn't hesitate to answer her father's request. "Yes, I will."

From the corner of my eye, I see Link walk up the steps leading into the throne room. Although now he has the little Zora Prince at his side.

"Sidon!" Mipha hurries closer to her little brother as he runs to her. She gently picks him up in a hug, relieved that he is okay.

When she places him down, she gently puts her hands on his little shoulders. "Sidon, that was dangerous. You could have gotten yourself hurt," she tells him. He has a sad look in his eyes as he looks down.

"However... I am proud. I have such a brave little brother. Next time, we can go against a smaller monster together, and you can work your way from there." Sidon looks back up at Mipha and gives her an adorable smile. I find myself smiling at the sight as well.

"Thank you for your time and your blessing, King Dorephan

"Thank you for your time and your blessing, King Dorephan. We must be on our way shortly since we still have a ways ahead of us," Zelda says to the Zora King as she gives him a slight bow out of respect.

"It's my pleasure. You're more than welcome to visit our domain anytime you please, Princess Zelda," King Dorephan tells her. Zelda thanks him and looks at me. I can tell she's eager to leave and get back on the road again.

As Zelda turns to leave the throne room, Impa pays her respects to the Zora King as well. Before leaving the room, she comes to speak to me.

"(Y/n)," She says, visibly cringing at not being able to use call me by my technical title, "Congratulations on becoming one of Princess Zelda's appointed knights. I don't believe I ever got the opportunity to tell you that," she says to me.

"Thank you, Impa. Now we can all travel together," I say with a smile on my face. I see Link walking towards me, so I hurry to finish the small conversation. "This is a great excuse for the three of us to go out and research as well," I add, lowering my voice a little.

Impa's smile grows at my words and she nods in agreement. She begins to walk out of the throne room and I shortly follow after Link is beside me. I wave goodbye to Mipha and Sidon, and they both wave back.

"Safe travels, my friends! We'll meet again soon," Mipha calls out to us.

As we leave the throne room, I look over at Link. "You didn't get hurt, did you?" I ask him. He simply just shakes his head.

"I didn't expect to find Sidon there. The little guy sure was brave, trying to face the Lynel all by himself," Link says.

"We found out that he was missing right after you ran off to go to the mountain. Mipha and I both realized that Sidon would most likely be up there as well. We were worried... but I knew he would be fine since you would be the one to save him," I say to Link with a small smile on my face.

Link shyly scratches the back of his neck. "You think too highly of me."

"That is not true. I'd be useless if it wasn't for you. You taught me to be a knight, to ride a horse, to cook an edible meal, and even how to shield surf," I say to him, laughing at the last thing on the list. I remember crashing so many times, and Link always feeling bad afterwards. I still have a scar on my elbow from when I tumbled and slammed into rock a little to hard once. "Really, I owe a lot to you."

Link just tries, but fails, to hide a grin as he looks away from me. As we leave Zora's Domain, a lot of the residents wave us goodbye. I smile and wave back since I know most of them. "Goodbye Linny! Goodbye (Y/n)! Safe travels!" These are some of the many things that Link and I hear.

I call out my goodbyes to some of my Zora friends as we walk along the large bridge leading out of the domain.

"I didn't know you guys were so popular in the domain. Have you been here before?" Zelda turns to Link and I. I simply nod.

"Only a couple of times, yes, but all of the Zora guards are delightful to be around. Mipha is also a great friend, and her and Sidon are fun to spend time with."

"I see," Zelda smiles. "I'll have to come back more often as well. In the meantime, out next destination is Death Mountain to speak to the Goron Elder Daruk. We will try to get as far as we can, but we will have to stay at a stable for the night," Zelda says. "We will also need quite a few Fireproof Elixirs to handle the intense heat. The stable at the foot of the mountain should sell those."

"Princess, is it even safe to stay at a stable?" Impa speaks up as we near the end of the bridge where we kept our horses. "I understand that it's better than simply camping somewhere, but I'm still not so sure..."

"We'll be safe at a stable, I'm sure of it. I just hope that there are enough beds for the four of us," Zelda responds as she climbs up onto her horse. Impa mounts her horse as well, and Link climbs onto Astarte just like before. He reaches his hand out, silently insisting on pulling me up into the saddle once again.

As I adjust myself in the saddle, Link once again slips his arms past my waist to try to take the reins and guide Astarte; I take the reins first this time, wanting to guide my own horse by myself this time.

Not only does this whole mission allow me to spend extra time with Link, but I finally get to go out and explore with Zelda. If only the cause of our travels wasn't the impending Calamity...

I'd love to go out like this for a while.

Chapter Text

The four of us have been on the road for a couple of hours again, and we are close to arriving at the stable near the foot of Death Mountain.

Death Mountain is not only the largest mountain in Hyrule, but is also Hyrule's only active volcano. Lava constantly pours from the mountain's peak, changing the landscape and making the temperatures unbearable without proper protection.

The Divine Beast Vah Rudania must be heat resistant, for it was unearthed due to a bigger eruption quaking the earth. It has since rested on the side of the mountain, waiting for someone to pilot it.

As we travel over a hill, I see the stable getting closer. I know some stables have livestock, but this particular stable has some of the cutest Hylian retrievers that I've ever seen!

There are several people crowded around a cooking pot outside, most likely cooking dinner for themselves. Speaking of dinner, I sure am becoming rather famished... but I'll worry about that later once we get settled.

Unfortunately... the stable seems rather busy. I was hoping that there wouldn't be too many people here tonight, but I suppose this was bound to happen; although near the stable, I see a donkey that's carrying satchels, most likely bearing all sorts of wares and goods. This means that one of those people around the cooking pot is likely a merchant. Hopefully, there are some Fireproof Elixirs included in those goods.

After traveling on the rest of the path, we finally reach the stable. The people at the cooking pot are looking at us in awe. They definitely were not expecting to see the Princess of Hyrule visit the stable in the same night that they are, especially way out at the foot of Death Mountain.

Their reaction upon seeing us is similar to that of the people in Castle Town. They whisper a bit about Zelda, and then take notice to Link and I.

Link hops off of Astarte quickly, holding his hand out to me. My eyes shyly dart away as I take it and hop out of the saddle, my feet landing on the ground. One of the dogs—a cute, tricolored fluffy thing—trots up to me, immediately trying to stuff its snout into my hand to be pet. I laugh to myself, ruffling the dog's ears a bit, before taking Astarte's reins and leading her to the front of the stable.

By now the stable worker behind the desk, a rather young man, has definitely realized that his newest patrons are none other than the known Princess of Hyrule and her allies, so he looks as professional has he possibly can.

"We would like these three horses to be taken into the stable's care, please," I politely tell him, referring to mine, Zelda's, and Impa's horses.

"As you wish. We'll make sure that they're under the best of care," the boy behind the desk tells me. He smiles, but his eyes widen a tad bit once Zelda walks up beside me. "Your Highness, it's an honor to have you at our stable. Will you and your party be staying here for the night?" he asks her politely as he gives a small bow.

"Yes, we will. We shall be inside of the stable shortly," Zelda tells him. Now, our three horses are being moved by someone who works at the stable. Link has gone to help the staff member since he is alone.

There he goes... always so helpful. One of the many things I admire about Link.

"Take your time, Your Highness. Although... tonight will be an unusually busy night here at the stable. I think there may be only..." He looks back towards the interior of the stable, probably to count the amount of beds that will be in use. "... three beds left. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"I can stay up tonight to keep watch, Princess. Even if we do have a roof over our heads, it's still good to be careful," I tell Zelda, being extra careful to use her title.

Zelda smiles at me warmly. "Thank you, (Y/n), but if you keep watch all night, you will only end up exhausted during trip through Death Mountain. Plus, I'm sure we'll be safe here—but if needed, you and Link could shift through guard duties so the both of you can sleep, unless other arrangements are made."

I nod. "I'll tell him about the situation when he returns. He went to go help put away the horses," I say to Zelda. She nods, and walks back over to Impa.

I smile to the boy at the desk once more, getting ready to turn away, before he speaks up. "You're one of Her Highness's knights, correct?" he asks me.

"Yes, I am. So is the other boy who arrived with us," I tell him.

"Okay, I was just checking. You know, word around Hyrule is that there were two incredibly young—and very skilled—knights among the ranks. I didn't think one of them would be a lady. I'm impressed," he says to me with a smile on his face, a certain tone present in his voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Oh, really? I, uh... didn't know people knew about us," I say shyly, scratching the back of my neck. There were bound to be rumors through Castle Town, but I didn't realize word got spread all the way out here. Plus, with that last comment... I'm not sure whether to feel flattered or uncomfortable.

"Of course we do! Even in these parts, word goes around fast," he responds with a small laugh. I can't argue against that, I know well enough that gossip throughout the kingdom spreads like wildfire.

"Well, thank you for your compliments. And it's nice to meet you as well," I say, putting a smile on my face. The young man leans on the counter and continues to talk, despite me being ready to go.

"So, what's your name? My name's Riko. My dad owns this stable," he says me with a grin on his face until his eyes widen a small bit. Before I can look back to see what he's looking at, I'm startled by a hand on my shoulder. I see Link standing next to me, a blank expression on his face as he looks at the stable propertier.

"O-oh! Hello there sir, I was just g-getting your arrangements written down! H-have a nice day..." Riko turns around and goes to organize some papers on a desk beside him. Why did he seem all scared all of a sudden?

"I wonder what his deal is..." I say as Link and I walk away from the front of the stable. "Anyways, Link, you won't believe what the stable propertier just told me. Apparently, the two of us are somewhat famous throughout the kingdom."

He raises his eyebrow in curiosity, a signal that I should elaborate.

"He told me that the kingdom talks of two incredibly young and skilled knights. He was even more surprised that one of them is a girl. I never really have given it much thought, but I guess I did break two records," I say with a small laugh. Link smiles a little as he nods.

Link would be the youngest knight to ever enlist, but I am younger than him by only a few months. He's already turned seventeen earlier this year, but I'll become of age in only around a month.

And currently, I'm the only female knight in the ranks. I'm sure everyone will find out sooner or later if they haven't already, since the entirety of Castle Town knows. Rumors spread fast throughout the kingdom, so if one settlement knows, everyone knows.

"Well anyways, there are only three beds that are currently unoccupied. I offered to stay awake to be on lookout, just in case, but," I emphasize, seeing as Link was about to object, "the Princess proposed the idea of the two of us alternating guard positions. That way, we both get rest."

"Would we really need one of us to keep watch?" Link quietly speaks up. I thought the same thing, but being at an unfamiliar place, I'm not sure how safe it is here.

"It's just for extra safety. Plus, what else would we do? Share a bed?" I ask rhetorically with a small laugh.

"I wouldn't mind that..." I hear Link mumble to himself. I'm a bit surprised by his words, and I can't help but smile. I personally wouldn't mind that either... but I would feel embarrassed. Not only because it's Link I'm sleeping next to, but also because Zelda would tease me about it for days on end.

"Oh really?" I laugh a little bit and playfully nudge Link's arm as his eyes widen in surprise. Obviously, I wasn't supposed to hear that. "Anyhow, I'm feeling rather hungry. Luckily, I know a world class chef that would absolutely love to cook for us tonight," I say, playfully poking at Link. "I'll go pay for the beds and the Fireproof Elixirs. I'll consider any food from you a payment," I say with a smile.

"I'm not going to let you—"

"Pay for everything?" I finish his objection, knowing he would say something. "Don't worry Link, I can't let you handle everything. Like I said, you cooking meals for all of us is enough of a payback for... a week at a stable. And I'm not exaggerating."

Every time I taste Link's cooking, it makes me want to forget what everything else tastes like and only eat the food he prepares forever. Sure, he taught me some of his secrets, but even my food cannot compare to his.

"Surprise me," I say with wink as I turn to go pay for the beds first. I see Zelda and Impa conversing off to the side.

I walk into the stable and Niko once again greets me behind the counter.

"O-oh, hello again! Ready to pay now?" Niko asks, yet he is much more shy than he was earlier. I do wonder why his demeanor changed all of a sudden, but I choose not to ask about it.

"I sure am. That will be how many rupees for the three beds?" I ask him, reaching for the pouch I keep my rupees in.

"Sixty rupees, please," he states.

I hand the stable owner three red rupees and thank him. Next, I walk back out of the stable. The merchant must be done with is meal, for he is standing near his donkey. I walk up to him, and when he notices he waves.

"Hello, miss. How might I help you this fine evening?" The merchant asks me in an eager voice.

"I was wondering if you had any Fireproof Elixirs among your goods. If so, would you happen to have enough of them for four people?" I ask him. We'll definitely need to make sure there's enough for all of us.

"I do happen to have some in stock, yes, but the quantity that you need depends. How long are you planning on staying up in Death Mountain for?"

"Hmm... perhaps a little less than half a day? Probably not even ten hours. How long do the effects of the elixir last?" I inquire.

I'd love to look into the properties of these kinds of elixirs. I've never had to taste one myself, but I'm sure they aren't the most... appetizing thing in the world. I know cooking food with certain ingredients grants the meal the same magical attributes, but you don't always have access to a cooking pot. However, a small vial can fit in almost any satchel.

Maybe I can do my own research sometime to alter the taste of an elixir without ruining the effects. That's a project for another time, though.

"Each Fireproof Elixir is guaranteed to protect you from even the most intense heat for up to twelve hours. One for each person should suffice. Say... you traveled here with the Princess, did you not?" The merchant asks me.

"I did. Why do you ask?"

"I won't ask any further questions, but I'm assuming your trip is important. Because of that... I'll sell each elixir to you at fifty percent off. How does thirty rupees each sound?" The man offers. My eyes widen at hearing such a great offer. It's like I'm basically stealing!

"Well, if you're certain, you've got yourself a deal," I say eagerly as I fish out the required amount of rupees; although with the discount, I still had to pay over one hundred rupees for all four bottles. I know that Link's payback meal will be tasty, so this is definitely worth it—especially if he continues to make meals for us on our journey.

I hand the merchant my rupees and he tucks them away in a satchel. He turns to his donkey to get the elixirs. He hands me each vial of the deep greyish-purple goop one at a time as I carefully put them in a pouch. I hope they don't break and spill...

"Thank you, and have a lovely evening," I say to the merchant as I begin to walk away.

"Thank you for your patronage!" I hear him call out to me.

I wonder how the meal that Link is cooking is going along. I walk over to him as he's stirring what seems to be vegetable risotto... delicious and energizing. A wonderful choice, and with the correct ingredients, it could have boosted properties- and it happens to be one of my favorite meals that he cooks... I wonder if Link did that on purpose.

"How's the food going, Link?" I ask him as I stand next to him while he sits beside the pot.

"It's almost finished. I... had enough ingredients to make one of your favorites," Link shyly admits from beside me.

He did make it on purpose... I'm probably grinning like an idiot right now.

"Thank you. I honestly don't know how you remember these things," I say as I ruffle his hair.

"You would be surprised. I tend to remember a lot... especially the important things," Link says quietly.

"So knowing my favorite food is important?" I ask him, teasing him a little. He doesn't say anything but he does nod, causing me to giggle a bit. "I'll go get the Princess and Impa and let them know that the food is almost ready."

Link looks at me and smiles before I walk over to where Zelda and Impa stand. Zelda notices me walking towards her and speaks up.

"Oh (Y/n), did the merchant have enough Fireproof Elixirs for the four of us?" Zelda asks me.

"He sure did. He said that the effects of each elixir lasts for twelve hours. I also got a discount for each one as well... how lucky is that?" I say excitedly. Zelda laughs at my excitement, and I can't help but grin as well.

"I'm not sure about the two of you," Impa speaks up, "But I'm starting to become rather hungry. It has been a long day, after all."

"Link is cooking food for us, and it will be done shortly," I say to the two of them, motioning to the boy at cooking pot behind me.

"Is Link a good cook?" Zelda asks, her face falling a bit at the mention of him. She must still be attested to the idea of another knight. "Not that I'm picky or anything... it's just I want to eat an edible meal," she says. However, with Link being our chef, she has nothing to worry about.

"A good cook? He's the best! Trust me Zelda, his cooking is better than anything you can get from the castle. And that's saying a lot, given the fact that we used to sneak into the kitchen quite often when we were younger," I say with a small laugh, not worrying about formalities since no one is in ear shot. "I don't know where he learned to cook, but even I'm jealous."

Zelda gives a sigh of relief. "That's great to hear. Also, you know you don't have to call me Princess in front of everyone, right?" she tells me. I just sigh.

"I know, and it feels weird to do so... I just didn't want anyone to suspect anything, or think that I'm rude," I let her know. I know it's unlikely, but I'm afraid that if I act too friendly with Zelda, everyone will be suspicious of me for some reason.

"You calling me by name could mean anything, they would never know you already know me personally. They'll just think that we're close since you're a girl. It's perfectly reasonable," Zelda says. "A princess has the right to have friends just as much as anyone else."

I suppose she's right... The kingdom will just think we've become close friends.

"If it feels weird to you to refer to her with her title, Your Highness, just take a moment to think about how I feel. I feel like I'm being disrespectful not being able to address you correctly in front of everyone, " Impa says to me. "usually, we're either in the castle or out researching when we meet. Not in front of... well, everyone."

"You're not being disrespectful at all, Impa. In fact, I think I've told you that you didn't have to call me by any title at all on multiple occasions. I've long since given up, though," I laugh. "Anyways, Link should be done with the food by now. Let's eat."

We walk over to where Link is as he is dishing up portions of the vegetable risotto on the plates that the stable was generous enough to let us borrow. He looks up as we all sit on the now empty wooden stools around the cooking pot. he silently passes each dish to me as I pass them down as well. After we all have our food, it's no surprise that Link is the first one to start eating.

Zelda takes a bite of her meal as well, and I watch in anticipation. Will she like it?

Of course she will. Link made it!

After Zelda finishes the bite of her food, she speaks up. "Link, the food is delicious. (Y/n) wasn't lying when you said you really are the best chef," she says as she looks at me with a smirk on her face. I roll my eyes, not letting the fact that she literally called me out bother me.

Link becomes a bit embarrassed and he shyly scratches the back of his neck, most likely not expecting me to compliment him.

"Link, you know it's true. Honestly, I would be perfectly content with you cooking for me for the rest of my life," I say, taking a bite of the gift from the heavens in front of me afterwards.

Link mumbles something under his breath, yet this time, I can't hear him. I wonder if it was something cute like just a while ago...

Maybe... Maybe Mipha is right. What if he does feel the same way about me? I'll... try to share my feelings with him after we return from appointing the four Champions. For now, I should focus on this task, unless the perfect time arises.

The four of us eat and share conversation, apart from Link, who only either glances at me or nods every once in a while. I know that it's normal for him not to speak much whenever anyone else is around... but I enjoy hearing his voice. I don't want to push him out of his comfort zone, though.

When we're all almost finished, it's almost dark. Link is the first to finish eating, and the rest of us finish shortly afterwards. I smile at Link in thanks as he takes my empty dish, along with the rest of them, to take back to wherever he got them. Impa bids us goodnight and goes into the stable, only leaving Zelda and I outside.

"So..." Zelda says to me quietly with a rather mischievous grin on her face. "You mentioned Link was your best friend, not your boyfriend. Spill."

"Boyfriend?" I say in a hushed voice. "What makes you think that? There's nothing going on between us," I tell her, no matter how much I wish her words could be true.

"So you don't have any sort of feelings for him?" Zelda asks me. I can't just lie about it—she'd pester me forever and eventually get a straight answer out of me anyways. I sigh, knowing that it will be easier to tell her the truth.

"I.. never said that..."

Zelda's smile grows at my words. "Aha, I knew it! I'm honestly not surprised. I'm just guessing the two of you have never talked about anything like... that," she asks me. I shake my head and she sighs. "I can tell by the way he looks at you he likely feels the same way. The look in his eyes... it's similar to how Father had always looked at Mother. A look filled with nothing but love and pride."

Here we go with the look once more. I sadly smile, remembering just how in love Mother and Father were. They were lucky to be able to get married for love and not just convenience.

If Zelda's words have truth to them...

Goddess, I bet I'm the luckiest woman in Hyrule. I have to talk to Link about this at some point.

"I'll speak to him about the matter soon enough. For now, I think we should go inside and get some rest. It's getting dark, and we need to get going early in the morning," I say. Zelda nods and the two of us walk into the stable to get ready to get settled into bed. Before waking to her own bed, she turns around to speak to me.

"You better talk to him someday. Preferably soon," she whisper shouts to me. "Goodnight, (Y/n)."

"Goodnight, Zelda," I say as she goes to lay down in her bed. I sigh and sit down on the third bed, facing towards the wall as I begin to remove some of the leather pads on my tunic and arms.

The fact that Link could possibly hold the same feelings for me as I hold for him... I probably won't get any sleep tonight.

But even if Link does have the same feelings for me, what happens next? Do I just hide who I truly am forever? I'd feel guilty doing that.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Link walking up to me. I look up at him as he takes a seat on the bed next to me.

"Are you okay?" Link asks me in a quiet voice.

Was I making it obvious I thinking too hard about something? I probably was...

"Oh, yeah! I'm..." I pause for a second... should I just tell him about my feelings here? But there's other people around... what if Zelda's not asleep, and she over hears, and just teases me? Do I even want to talk about this yet?

"I'm fine," I decide to say.

Almost immediately, Link's face becomes a tad bit more serious. "No. You're not, I can tell. Do you wanna talk about it?" he asks me.

I think about it for a moment before making a decision. I don't think I'm ready to share my feelings yet. This isn't the right time. I shake my head. "It's nothing really, I'm just tired is all."

Link is silent for a moment before nodding and sitting against the wall. "Well if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

I not and get under the blankets, trying to get comfortable so I can fall asleep easier.

I feel bad for not being honest, but right now just isn't a good time to talk about my feelings. I want to be in a place where we can be alone.

But for now...

I'm tired.

"Goodnight, Link," I quietly say under the blankets, peeking at him through semi-closed eyes. I see him smile a bit.

"Goodnight, (Y/n). Sleep well."