Chapter Text
Zelda wasn’t sure how long she sat there, hands in her lap, eyes unfocused. The desert air was dry, making it even harder to swallow the growing lump in her throat. The pounding in her chest drowned out the sounds of the world around her. The reality of what happened that day was finally starting to sink in.
A brazen assassination attempt from the Yiga in broad daylight. Had her knight—had he not shown up when he did—she’d… she could have…
Zelda shook that thought from her mind, a shiver running down her spine. Without thought she placed her hand on her chest. She was safe. She was alive. Thanks to him. Thanks to her swordsman.
Sitting on the bed at the inn at the Kara Kara Bazaar, for the first time since she’s met him, Zelda found her knight’s absence unnerving. She had a brief memory of him bringing her here, checking her over for injuries and then…
On shaky legs Zelda stood to her feet, stumbling before finding her balance. Against her better judgment, she stepped into the sun, her eyes adjusting to the light outside of the inn. There, she spotted her knight, knelt before a cooking pot. His eyes have lost that heated glare that pierced the Yiga almost as mercilessly as the legendary sword he brandished. For a moment Zelda wondered if she imagined the entire encounter. Her shaking hands would remind her otherwise. Meanwhile, he—her knight—was so still, so calm, yet her heart was a wild, beating mess.
Slowly, after a shaky breath, Zelda made her way to the cooking pot, and immediately, his eyes were on her (were they always that intense shade of blue?). She swallowed thickly, expecting a scowl. Of course, if she were in his shoes, she’d be livid. It’s not like she made his job easy on him, sneaking out of his sight. Only this time her stubbornness nearly cost her life.
When she finally built up the courage to meet his gaze and found no trace of anger or judgment her body relaxed. But then, when could she ever read his expressionless face?
Clearing her throat was a bit unnecessary—her knight’s attention was on her the moment she stepped into the sand. Perhaps she only did it to clear her own nerves.
“I, um…” she wasn’t sure what to say. Should she say anything? Not once had she ever heard her knight speak. Sometimes she wondered if he could. Still, this was her mess, and she was determined to clean it up. “I’m sorry… for running off.” She stole a glance at her knight—no change. “And… thank you… for saving me.”
She didn’t expect much out of that. They would sit in silence into the cold of night before going to bed, as they did most nights away from the castle. Her knight peeked into the cooking pot, picking up the ladle, scooping orange liquid into a clear bottle. The nights grew cold in the Gerudo Desert, and it looked like her knight was stocking up so they wouldn’t freeze in their sleep. When he was finished with that, his attention shifted to his travel pack. Wrapped in banana leaves, Link handed her a chilly veggie rice ball. And, she swore she saw the smallest hints of a smile. Perhaps the heat was getting to her because when she blinked, at a second glace, he was staring at her with that same stoic expression that irritated her only hours before the Yiga’s attack.
“Th-thank you,” Zelda took the food in her hands, averting his gaze.
Not for the first time, she wondered what was going on in that head of his. Maybe she had imagined that ghost of a smile. Perhaps he truly was upset with her. How was he meant to train for the Calamity if he were stuck here, babysitting the useless princess?
Breathing out a sigh, Zelda took another bite of her food. She’ll have to make it up to him—make things up to Link.
She couldn’t think of what to do to make things up to Link because she didn’t know Link. He was quiet. And diligent (almost frustratingly so). And he was around her age… Or was he a bit older?
Zelda frowned as she tapped her pen on her diary in her study. If the rumor was to be believed, he pulled the sword no more than five years ago. So that would make him no older than seventeen. She let out a frustrated sigh. At least she knew his age. Back to square one.
She didn’t know a damn thing about him. Guilt pricked at her conscience like a sewing needle, and she let out a sigh. As she stood to her feet, she closed her diary and exited her study, and went for a walk through the halls of the castle. As she did so, she gave quick glances to the knights standing guard. Perhaps she could gift him something useful to a knight. Like a sword! But then no weapon could measure up to the Legendary Master Sword. New armor perhaps? But nothing would be more prestigious than the champions tunic he wore, proudly parading the royal family’s blue and hand stitched by the princess’s own hands.
She let loose a frustrated sigh, realizing her feet had brought her to one of the balconies overlooking the knight training grounds. They seemed to be practicing combat on horseback that day.
On days like this—when the sky was clear, the weather calm, wind breezy and smelling of wildflowers—she wished she could jump on her horse and ride off with no target destination in mind, and no one to stop her. But then she remembered the Yiga clans near assassination attempt, the sounds of their sickles slicing through the air, their laughs loud, arrogant and mocking as they chased her, and her skin grew clammy. Being alone suddenly didn’t seem so inviting.
A laugh, this one unfamiliar, yet was full of so much warmth, and soft as a whisper, pulled Zelda out of her anxious thoughts. Immediately, her eyes searched for the source, her eyes landing on her knight. The chosen hero’s face was glowing from sweat, his cheeks almost as red as the apple he held in his hand. His horse greedily took it, nuzzling her muzzle into the palm of his hand, eliciting another soft chorus of laughs so sweet and unexpected it made her breath hitch and her cheeks flush. She had never heard him laugh before. Didn’t even know he could make such a sound. Intrigued by this new discovery, Zelda tried to focus on the sound, tuning out the noise around her to the best of her abilities. It was taught in scripture that Hylians had such long ears so they could hear the voices of the gods. She couldn’t help but inwardly roll her eyes at that fact. If only it were truly that easy, then she wouldn’t have to waste any more time praying in freezing temperatures and making herself sick with fever standing in waist deep cold springs in a strapless, thin white dress.
To her dismay, she couldn’t hear Link’s laughter anymore, but she did manage to catch a glimpse of a toothy smile as he brushed his horse’s mane. Another thing he never seemed to do around her. Frowning to herself, she couldn’t help the guilt that pierced her heart at that realization. She wasn’t that bad to be around, was she?
More guilt struck her like a viper, its venom seeping into her thoughts as every memory she had with Link played itself over and over in her head.
Perhaps her assumption that he hated her wasn’t too off.
And yet, he still risked his life to save her. Still ran to her aid even after how coldly she had treated him.
But that’s his job, a bitter voice that sounded too much like her own echoed in her head.
She watched as two other knights approached Link, their conversation lost in the noise and distance. Whatever it was they said, Link gave them a curt nod before leading his horse into the stables, effortlessly setting down a fresh bale of hay before leaving his horse with a pat on the neck. As he slowly closed the gate, he paused for the briefest of seconds, before his eyes looked up and met hers, a curious expression appearing on his face before replacing it with that same stoic look she had grown so irritated by.
Zelda quickly backed away from the balcony, her back against the wall, as though hiding herself would somehow erase the fact that he had seen her at all. Letting out an irritated sigh, she massaged her temples with a groan.
Did she imagine his smile again? It was so hard to picture now, that stone cold expression of his so fresh in her mind’s eye. Never had she ever imagined her knight behaving so… casually. She didn’t know he could be. But now that she did, she couldn't help but want to see more.
To see more of that easy going smile. To hear more of that light, carefree laugh.
But for that, he would need to let his guard down around her. And she had given him more than enough reason to dislike her.
Straightening her back, her head held high, Zelda marched her way to her study. It was a familiar kind of determination. The same kind she felt whenever she made a new discovery when experimenting or tinkering with the Sheikah Slate. Only now, Link was her new subject of interest. A new formula she wanted to solve.
They didn't need to be friends (nothing in the legends ever said they needed to be, after all), but perhaps trusted cohorts would suffice. That at least would be good enough for her.