Chapter Text
Skirting the lake around from Kakariko to the Hateno Village should have been something of a chore, but Zelda was reminded of the past traveling with her knight. They fell into a familiar routine; Link took the lead, Zelda barely a step behind, watching the way he scanned their path and kept a hand close to the hilt of the Master Sword. Thanks to his trained eye, any enemies along the way were met with zero surprise and dispatched quickly.
The only way to explain Link's movements was to liken them to a death waltz; he took the extra second to tuck her away somewhere safe, leaving her with a dagger or the Slate to tide her over. And then his dance partners were caught up in the crossfire before they could collect their bearings. Bokoblins were suddenly airborne, their comrades fleeing in a moment of wisdom. They didn't get very far either.
Frankly, the way he returned to her with a hop in his step was nothing short of comical. Sure, he was still Sir Link and took his duties just a seriously as his title required, but there was a certain youthfulness about him that was lacking before. Maybe it was Calamity Ganon’s fall. Maybe it was that they were en route to touch base with close friends and making more along the way. No matter--she entertained the thought that it was their new journey together. This new journey that was also them discovering each other anew, making up for lost time.
Zelda tried shaking the thought from her mind to no avail. It stuck like Chuchu jelly, unwarranted, but not entirely unpleasant.
“If only the rest of the world would see what an absolute oaf you truly are.” She couldn’t say it without laughing, and link was similarly affected. His smile returned with a prolonged, welcome stay.
“I would prefer to keep that fact between ourselves, Princess.”
Yes, please, keep it coming. More for her mind to wonder and slave over.
Head tilted back to measure the sun’s position in the sky, he deduced, “Let’s keep moving. We’ll be kept up twice as much as soon as we hit dusk.”
“Very well. The stable should be fine for lodging tonight. That way we can collect Storm and Neri.” Two birds, one stone.
At his curt nod, they fell back into position and set off again. They passed the next hour in silence, save for the wildlife and sparse passerby that stopped to chat. Zelda began to notice the vast population of birds on their trek, particularly a fat variety of pheasant. Inspired by this observation and the pang in her stomach, she fished around in her pack and was pleased to find all of the ingredients for one of her and Link’s favorite dish: poultry curry.
Watchful as he was, Link watched her pull aside the ingredients and was reaching for an arrow to knock on his bow right when she voiced the idea to him. They quickly settled a rendezvous point, and he slipped into the canopy without a word. Zelda hid herself by a small rock outcropping to wait, scouring for herbs and tucking them away for later use. She had picked some rather useful healing specimen by the time Link called for her. Ducking out of her sanctuary, Zelda brushed herself off and whistled. Four plump pheasants hung from his belt, their plumage a vibrant gold with just a dash of blood.
The corners of his mouth twitched at her expression. “Can’t you wait until we get to the stables? They taste better cooked.”
…Did he just make a joke?
“Think you’re funny, do you? I should make you a jester for all of your snark.”
Link’s nose wrinkled with distaste, but she caught the tail end of a smile as he turned away. “I guess you’ll have to learn the bow and sword yourself then, Your Highness.”
The only response Zelda could manage was a baffled guffaw that would have given her father a heart attack, the undignified thing it was. But her knight couldn’t hold that carefully manicured mask in place, and he broke composure to cough-laugh into a fist.
They walked on in good spirits, picking up the pace for the lost time. The sun, however, was merciful; it was scarcely winking over the horizon before the pair arrived at the stables.
“I am famished,” the Princess groaned, sitting down hard on a log close to the fire, readying a pot for the rice. Link situated himself across from her over the fire, plucking the feathers of the first and largest bird. They sat working in silence until, unavoidably, a stable dog appeared from the darkness, all bouncing paws and lolling tongue. Link brandished his knife in the firelight, as if he'd shank the poor thing if it misstepped.
“Come here, you,” Zelda crooned sympathetically, searching her pack for an apple collected earlier in the day. The retriever was at her side in seconds, pheasants all but forgotten. She tossed bits into the air, watching him leap for them. After the last slice was devoured, her marked their friendship by laying his head across her legs and receiving a good pet.
“Be careful how much you coddle him,” Link warned, still watchful. “Stable dogs have been known to be keen on passerby. We don’t need an extra mouth to feed.”
As if on cue, the dog shook himself and rose, trotting to Link. The latter had neatly shaved the meat off the bird, setting aside the bones in a separate pack and shoving it between his feet. But the dog simply sat next to him, tongue out and big brown eyes gazing.
“Don’t think I’m not aware of your weakness for dogs, Link. I’d be more worried about you taking him with us.”
As the words left her mouth, the dog was on its back and Link was patting its belly with a sheepish look on his face. He said nothing, simply throwing the meat into the pan and watching Zelda spice it for a moment before returning to his new friend. Under his breath, she heard him say, “Probably can’t register a dog at a stable, huh?”
Zelda’s stifled laugh turned into a gasp as Link tossed out three juicy cuts of mountain deer thigh. The dog alighted upon the meat the second each hit the ground, saving no time for Zelda to snatch them back.
“Link!” She spluttered, halfway between amazement and disgust, “What was it you just said about feeding extra mouths?”
But he paid her no attention, rising from the fire. The traitor trotted out into the darkness, following the dog’s receding form. Zelda suddenly felt a lack of affection for both of them and turned back to their dinner, grumbling to herself. They couldn’t have gone far anyway; Link would never let her out of sight.
True to her thoughts, the said man returned without an ounce of remorse—in fact, he seemed quite prideful of the chest he threw down next to her.
Her eyes flicked between him and the supposed treasure. “Where did you manage to snatch all of that?”
A cut of ruby the size of her fist; a Savage Lynel’s Bow; countless bundles of arrows; ancient Hyrulian tack for one horse, and a pouch that bulged with what was likely explosives what with how Link handled it.
“While you were gawking at the dog, I followed him to a hidden treasure chest,” he declared, spreading out the goods on the ground. The dog hovered nearby, eyes glittering.
It was hard to maintain the repartee, so Zelda simply did not. Instead, she set to inspecting each object as he laid them out, and lingered a second longer on the tack than intended. It truly was a work of art, and in perfect condition. Instead of the royal purple that her horse of the past Indra wore, the leather was a midnight blue gilded with silver. The crest of the royal family would be worn across the horse’s chest and down the forehead only, with blue tassels adorning the flank and shoulder pieces. A blanket emblazoned with the age-old prophecy of the Hero, the Princess, and Calamity Ganon laid out underneath it all, pulling it together into a regal piece of work.
“We can put it on Storm in the morning. This saddle has a locking mechanism meant to help stabilize the rider in combat situations, so it’ll be a trick to get started with. The Sheikah designed it, of course. This is a one of a kind find.”
When all she could manage was a wide-eyed stare, Link continued, his amusement melting away.
“I know you’ve been wanting to learn the sword and bow. Even as we made light of it earlier today, I'm aware it's been something you've fought with your father about in the past. Is it still something you would pursue?”
Zelda folded her hands in her lap, eyes flickering between Link’s and the Master Sword upon his back. How heavy it must be, but she knew that Link would never admit to it. The Hero has been known to carry the burdens of the entire world, quite literally, and to do it silently. If she could lessen that burden, even just a little bit, it would leaven her heart as well.
“I should be prepared for any situation, and be equipped to support you, not handicap you. If you are willing to be patient with me, I would gladly learn the sword and bow.”
The warm smile she received was more than sufficient an answer.
“You are never a handicap, Princess, but I will gladly abide by your desires."
“And you as well, Link,” Zelda shot back before she could think twice about it. “I would be honored to know the desires of your heart.”
Although she couldn’t quite read the look on his face, she felt emboldened by his gaze nonetheless. She placed a hand on his arm bracer, ignoring the eyes of passerby.
“I am your friend before anything else, so please do not feel like you have to restrain yourself around me.”
For some unspeakable reason, Link’s expression snapped shut like a book, and he turned back to pack up their goods. He freed himself of her touch by reaching for their dinner, removing it from the fire before it could burn, and neatly portioning them onto two plates he procured from his pack.
“Make sure to eat slow. This is the first heavy meal we’ve had in a while.”
Unperturbed, Zelda tucked into the meal. The pheasant meat fell apart the second she bit into it, and the curry bursted with flavor upon her tongue. It had been too long since she tasted such a rich, heady meal. She scooted away from Link when he swatted at her fork in motherly fashion.
“Quit shoveling it down like that,” he barked around a mouthful. “I’m telling you, Princess. It’s gonna come back up.”
Luckily, even after ignoring him and devouring seconds, Zelda did not puke. But her stomach did get close to overcapacity, and after a scolding Link handed her a dose of elixir. She was all leaden bones and drooping eyelids by then, only able to sit in the warmth of the fire and watch while Link set up bedrolls for them. The elixir had a stronger affect on her than expected; she remembered nothing beyond the fire biting at the air and Link's back.
The night brought no dreams to her, and she rested peacefully.
-------
The sun was just barely beginning its climb over the mountains on the horizon, casting a pale light into the valley. The air was still save for the occasional snort and stomp of the paddocked horses, and their fire was reduced to red cinders. It was all very nostalgic, and Zelda allowed herself to lay and take it all in. She also considered the night before and her dreamless sleep, and how she teleported to her bedroll.
That elixir was a strong one; Zelda wasn’t one for tossing in her sleep, but she had managed to throw herself off her spread and into Link’s. When she attempted to shift and felt bare skin against her own, her heart almost stopped. Her eyes snapped open and there was Link's back in all of his glory, her legs entangled with his. Thank Hylia they had set up camp behind the horses, or she would have died from embarrassment.
Amazement at the fact that Link was still asleep replaced her shame. Even as she picked herself off him to tend to the fire—and to blame its heat for the corresponding redness across her cheeks—the man refused to stir. The smoothness of his face remain unchanged in sleep.
“Can't let your poker face slip even in sleep, huh?” Zelda whispered, leaning over his back. Long, golden tendrils escaped from behind her ears and slipped over his skin. Before she could do a thing about it, Link’s eyes were open and locked on hers. She vaguely realized that his hand had crept upon the Master Sword and then back to his side when he realized a Bokoblin was not tickling his shoulder. His other hand was busy threading through the hair that fell around his face, taking a sweet pause before brushing it out of the way. Zelda sat back on her haunches and allowed Link to rise. Wordlessly, she got on with the fire again, muttering something along the lines of, “Good morning.”
Just then, Beedle staggered into existence and plopped down next to the fire like it was his own. The man had a funnily assorted face; his nose was burnt to oblivion from sun exposure and rose proudly from his face. Two tiny eyes accented the large thing, but they were kind eyes that smiled at her.
“Well then, Link, I only came over to say hello, but it looks as if you’re occupied!”
So much for a save.
“Not at all, Beedle,” Link said with a welcoming grin, pulling his Champion’s tunic over his head before joining them by the fire. “I would ask you to mind your manners. We're in the presence of an esteemed lady.”
“M'lady," the tradesmen drawled, bowing in a show of respect.
Zelda had begun to glare hotly over the man’s head at her knight, but Beedle surprised her by taking her hands in his own and fixing tearful eyes on her face.
“This might be sudden, but I can't help myself. Has anyone ever told you how greatly you resemble the princess? It truly is uncanny."
They spent the following hour consoling Beetle and cooking up breakfast. Zelda did her best to come up with a fake name and background to sell to their friend, but it didn't take too much convincing. And, despite the awkwardness of their situation, Zelda couldn't help the hope budding her chest as she watched Beetle weep and praise the Royal Family's name.