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It was remarkably cool outside for a mid-summer morning. Hyrule Field glistened with dew under the first light of day. The birds were just getting up to start their songs, and if one were stealthy enough, they could still catch a glimpse of sleeping wildlife within the nearby woods. Zelda loved this time of day when the world was almost perfectly still; it was such a contrast from the constant and ever-growing stresses of her daily life. In that stillness, she could take a deep breath, in and out, and imagine, just for a moment, that the only two people in the world were her and her appointed knight.
The princess sat on a dry log beneath a tall tree and watched in admiration as Link practiced with her sword. Her swings and jabs were quick and precise, surely deadly had they been performed against a real opponent. Yet, Link moved with the grace of a dancer: light on her feet, elegant, and confident in a way that made Zelda’s heart race. She always imagined a rigid dichotomy between brute strength and gentle beauty. That was before she met Link: the embodiment of both.
Noticing Zelda staring at her, Link lowered her weapon and offered the princess a shy smile. Zelda felt her face flush and turned her attention back to the Sheikah Slate. She still had yet to unravel all its mysteries, and the technology could be vital to the future of her kingdom! Yes, her Sheikah research and her quest to unlock her darkness-sealing power were absolutely her top priorities.
But then the knight curiously tilted her head, Link-language for is something bothering you, Princess? , and Zelda nearly melted. This was becoming frustratingly common now that she and Link were growing closer. Though initially put off by her persistent silence, the princess now delighted in learning to read her knight’s expressions and body language. She quickly realized that Link was not nearly as stoic as she first appeared, that she was just expressive in her own way. Zelda adored that about her.
Sealing powers. Sheikah Research. Calamity Ganon. She reminded herself.
“Oh, I’m alright, just deep in thought,” she said.
Link returned her sword to its sheath and joined Zelda beneath the tree. Her blonde hair caught the sunlight at the perfect angle and Zelda tried and failed to withhold a small gasp. Link was gorgeous. That was simply an observable reality. Anybody would stop and stare if they saw her like this. It’s only natural to enjoy looking at beautiful things.
So then, why does Zelda always feel so guilty about the way she looks at Link?
When her father first introduced her to her newly appointed knight, Zelda took one look at the peasant girl kneeling before her and felt nothing but disdain. Back then, Link was merely a symbol of her father’s oppression. Zelda was nearly fully grown and did not need a babysitter, thank you very much!
Then, after weeks of being cold and at times downright cruel to Link, she saved Zelda’s life from the Yiga Clan. Of course, she immediately felt terrible about the way she’d been treating her knight and began apologizing profusely. Link, humble as she is, calmly and wordlessly assured the princess that her apology was neither wanted nor needed, but Zelda nonetheless continued expressing her regret all the way home from the desert.
So, was that the source of Zelda’s guilt? She thought so at first, yet the feeling still overtook her whenever she gazed into those brilliant blue eyes long after she had already forgiven herself.
No, this was something far deeper, and far more unnerving, than regret for past mistakes. Though she loathed to admit it to herself, Zelda knew exactly why she was so taken with Link’s beauty, why the girl beside her held her gaze longer than the loveliest flower or the most radiant diamond ever could. She knew the reason, and it terrified her beyond belief.
Link nodded at her with an encouraging look on her face, Link-language for you can tell me about it if you’d like. Zelda sighed. She knows this, of course. One of the perks of having a companion who doesn’t speak is that she’s an excellent listener. On one hand, Zelda knows rationally that if she confessed these… feelings… to her, Link would not only keep her secret, but she wouldn’t lose any respect for her princess either.
On the other hand, how could she possibly tell Link, who is supposed to be her knight and servant, that she feels constantly tempted to reach out and hold her hand? That she falls asleep each night to the thought of those strong arms holding her, keeping her safe and warm in an embrace? That she longs to kiss every battle scar on her knight’s toned body, taking her time and slowly working her way up to taste her lips at long last? It would simply be inappropriate to express such desires, and the last thing she wanted was to make Link uncomfortable.
Zelda knew she was taking too long to respond, and quickly tried to think of something to save face.
“Ah! Well, um, you see, I’ve just been so perplexed about how…” think of something! Look around! Her eyes landed on a patch of flowers near the trees.
“...how the… properties of the blue nightshade could be so different from those of other Hyrulian flowers! I mean, they’re bioluminescent! How did that happen?!” she said at last with a little too much enthusiasm. Link gave her an unimpressed look that one didn’t need to be fluent in Link-language to understand meant that she could tell Zelda was lying.
Oh Hylia, why have you cursed me to feel this way? Zelda silently prayed. Surely her face was bright red at this point.
“Link, there’s something that I- oh!” She was cut off by the shock of Link experimentally covering Zelda’s hand with her own, weaving their fingers together and gently squeezing it. Noticing the princess’s reaction, the corner of Link’s lips curved into a subtle smirk, and she inched closer to the flustered girl beside her. She brought her unoccupied hand to brush a strand of long, golden hair out of the princess’s face. Zelda nearly wept at the action. She gasped as Link chuckled softly and began to lean in.
“L-Link! I- oh dear, w-what are we doing?!” Zelda stammered out. At that, Link’s formerly blissful gaze turned wide and she jumped back as if she’d been swung at. She kneeled before Zelda, forehead to the ground, pleading forgiveness for having insulted a member of the royal family.
Zelda’s heart was beating wildly and she could’ve sworn she forgot how to breathe. Her entire body felt red hot.
Oh my… Link… the way that she… how bold!
With that, the guilt Zelda had been harboring about her feelings for her knight disappeared. Miraculously, Link desired her as well!
“Link, you did not offend me. You merely startled me,” she reassured her knight as she knelt in the grass. “Please, there is nothing to be forgiven.”
Link tentatively met Zelda’s gaze, her blue eyes wide with uncertainty. The princess smiled sweetly and rejoined their hands.
“Where were we?” Zelda whispered. Link lit up again instantly, but quickly coached her overjoyed smile back to her sly grin from before. Zelda giggled, because how can someone so devastating on the battlefield possibly be so adorable?
This time, when Link leaned in to kiss her, Zelda met her halfway. That first touch of their lips felt like a puzzle piece falling perfectly into place, and the princess finally let herself cave, swooning at her knight’s touch and deepening the kiss.
Soon, they needed to break apart for air. Link’s confidence was fully back in swing and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. Before Zelda could begin to tease, Link was playfully pushing her back onto the grass beneath them. Zelda threw her head back in laughter while Link climbed on top of her, kissing her forehead softly before reclaiming the princess’s lips.
For a moment, Zelda wondered if she had somehow died and ended up in a blissful afterlife. Or maybe she hadn’t woken up yet and was still dreaming? Either way, the plush grass underneath her and the girl above her, gently running her hands through Zelda’s hair and kissing her like she was made for it, was paradise.
“SCREEEEEECH!”
In the blink of an eye, Link was on her feet, her sword and shield drawn. A group of sword-wielding bokoblins emerged from the bushes, snarling and mean. One lunged at Zelda, only to be swiftly parried by Link and defeated.
The princess simply sat and watched in awe as her knight expertly fought off the monsters that so rudely interrupted their moment. She was confident that she was completely safe with Link protecting her. When the last bokoblin fell, Link turned to her with the same shy smile from before.
“Well done, my love,” Zelda beamed. Link blushed, adorable, Zelda thought, and put her sword and shield away.
Despite the monster attack, Zelda was still reeling from their kiss. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about the feeling of Link’s lips against hers. She wished more than anything that they could pick up where they left off and stay just a little while longer, but…
“I’m afraid my father will be wondering where I am soon,” Zelda relented. Link nodded and whistled for Epona.
It was then that Zelda looked down at her formerly pristinely clean clothes, now covered in wet grass stains.
“Oh no, how will we explain where we were and what we were doing?” She asked, slightly panicked. She was supposed to be in the castle right now, not sneaking off with her appointed knight for a secret make-out session.
Link looked around for a moment before slipping quietly into the woods, returning with a jar of sunset fireflies for a pair of sneaky elixirs. Zelda laughed. What her father doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
Link helped Zelda onto Epona’s back and, with a firm “Ha!” set off back to Hyrule Castle. The princess wrapped her arms lovingly around her knight from behind and leaned her head on her shoulder. She knew she had a long, grueling day ahead of her, but that didn’t matter right then. Come what may, she still had Link, her Link. The memory of that morning, and the anticipation of being alone with Link again in her bedroom that night, was more than enough to drown out the king’s lecture on tardiness.