Zelink Week - 2025

by Shadowofadoubt517

Summary:

One shots that correspond with the prompts on Tumblr. Chapters will be labeled with where they fall into the lineup chronologically. All prompts will be Twilight Princess universe. Enjoy!

Notes:

This prompt is chronologically 3rd in the line up.

Chapter 1: At First Sight

At first sight –

If someone were to ask him when he had fallen in love with his wife, Link would have relayed to them a grand tale of her spectacular heroics against the evil of Ganondorf and his minions, his motions mounting with every detail of her splendor.

Zelda would then gently smack at his hand to bring him back to reality and cease from his grandiose retelling of their final battle against their greatest foe. He knew that deep down she was flattered by his revelry about the situation, a hint of smile touching the corners of her lips and a tinge of pink decorating the tips of her ears.

However, not even the princess knew the amount of restraint it took her husband to hold back the truth hidden within his stories. If Link were to be truly honest, he had fallen in love with his princess much sooner. Much, much sooner; and the day the truth was finally revealed had started with a dog of all things.

 

---

 

The last thing that Princess Zelda had expected when her kitchen staff had mentioned a severe disturbance was a puppy of all things. She stood in the doorway in all her finery from her most recent conference with her advisors, looking at a mess of flour, broken eggs, and a myriad of other ingredients scattered about the kitchen floors including several members of the staff groaning in pain or frustration she couldn’t really tell.

“Here! Take the mongrel! I don’t want to see hide nor hair of ‘im ‘round my kitchens again!” Illona the head Chef stated, dumping the filthy dog into the hands of a younger member of the castle staff. The boy looked like he had no clue what to do with the creature, holding it out as if his tongue that couldn’t stop licking spread poison instead of saliva.

Zelda cleared her throat, successfully getting the attention of every staff member and causing the Illona to attempt a hasty explanation of the situation she saw before her.

“I just told Col here to get rid of that monster so there should be nothing else to worry about your Highness,” she explained, bowing low.

“I’ll take him,” the princess said without missing a beat.

“B-but your Highness! He could have fleas! Or Rabies!” Illonaattempted to dissuade the monarch but her mind had already been made up, her hands stretched forward to receive the puppy from the boy.

“I-if you insist you Highness,” Illona said with another bow,Zelda drawing the animal close to her chest and ignoring the stares that she felt on her back as she left the room. She began the trek up towards her chambers, her new companion having yet to keep from licking at her hands and face, causing her to giggle at the affection he so willingly gave.

“Now stop that!” Zelda said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably when she laughed right afterwards, opening the door to her chambers. The sound of her voice reverberating throughout the room caused the sole occupant to look in her direction with a fond smile on his face.

“And who do we have here?” Link said, startling Zelda as he approached her and began to scratch behind the pup’s pointed ears, his tongue trying to lick the man’s hand despite the awkward angle.

Link laughed jovially as he continued to bask in the newfound affection he received from the dog, his pink tongue seeking out any part of Link’s hands that reached out to touch him. Zelda could feel her cheeks growing warm as she watched her husband brushing his hands through the puppy’s fur regardless of the flour and bits of dough stuck there.

“He is going to need a bath, Link,” Zelda said, trying to dissuade her husband from his loving ministrations to her newly acquired pet.

“I figured you didn’t want him to continue sporting the ‘ready-to-be-baked’ look,” he replied sarcastically, a smirk lighting up his face.

Zelda rolled her eyes playfully and swatted his hands away, pulling a wad of dried batter from the puppy’s fur. The expression on his furry face reminded her of something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“He looks just like you did the first time I met you,” she told Link once the recognition dawned on her, immediately turning to baby talk as she spoke to the puppy and petted him between the ears.

Link’s gaze rose from his work for only a moment before he spoke. “He loves you,” Link replied, not even missing a beat.

Zelda paused in her adoration, her eyes rising to watch her husband as he continued his uneven stitches on his tunic. She looked back to the small canine, watching with rapt attention as she realized that what shone in those dark eyes was indeed adoration. The comprehension descended into her stomach like a pile of bricks, butterflies fluttering about and her chest tightening with a newfound endearment for her husband.

“Dear?” Zelda asked, watching as Link missed a stitch and had to backtrack, his tongue sticking out in severe concentration.

“Yeah,” he responded absentmindedly, poking the needle through the tan fabric.

“Does that mean that you,”

Link’s attention was torn away from his current project at the understanding that his wife now knew. She had figured it out.

His face grew too many shades darker too quickly for his liking, his words stammered out as he tripped over his tongue and his feet simultaneously trying to get out of his chair.

Zelda raised a brow at her husband’s theatrics, the pup in her hands still very interested in the taste of her skin. Eventually he freed himself from the confines of the chair and the strangle hold that his sewing had instigated against him, finding himself face to face with his wife. Both of them blushed at the close proximity, Zelda absentmindedly scratching the puppy’s ears.

Link sighed, resigned to his fate as he rubbed at the back of his neck in the nervous tick that Zelda secretly found adorable. “I’ve loved you since the moment I first laid eyes on you. It didn’t matter to me at the time that I was a beast while you were a human, I still thought you were the most beautiful being I had ever seen,”

“Why have you never told me?” Zelda asked, her voice soft.

Link shrunk into himself, his wife’s disappointment send a wave of shame through him.

“I was too embarrassed about it. Can you imagine the rumor mill getting their hands on information like that? The Legendary Hero fell in love with his wife while he was a wolf?”

“I didn’t ask why you didn’t tell the public. That’s rather obvious. I asked why you never told me,” Zelda clarified.

It was as if the puppy could also sense the princess’s displeasure with her husband as his ears drooped slightly and a whimper came from his muzzle.

“It’s still embarrassing Zelda!” he said indignantly. “I was a beast! A monster! A creature that shouldn’t – couldn’t - have feelings that powerful about anyone, much less the princess of the kingdom!” Link yelled, running his hands through his messy hair in frustration. “If I’m not good enough for you now, how could I possibly be good enough for you when I was transformed into a creature?”

Zelda blinked at her husband, unaware of the turmoil that he undergone for years. The feeling that he wasn’t good enough for her even after being married for a year brought a fresh wave of empathy towards this man.

She reached out a hand and cupped his cheek, drawing his eyes towards hers. Without a word, she pressed a tender kiss to his lips, Zelda feeling the tension melt away from his body the longer they held the kiss.

“I’m sorry that you feel that way but I hope you know that if anyone sees you that way, I am not included in that number,” she said, leaning her forehead against his. “I love you, Link. I love you because of the man that you have become and if some of your journey was spent as a wolf, then so be it. You are stronger for the trials that you have travailed against and I harbor no ill will against you for your struggles. I apologize if I made you feel as though you couldn’t speak to me about this,”

Link sighed, stroking her hand that was still resting against his cheek.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said sweetly.

“I feel that I do actually. I don’t want you to think that you are not good enough for this kingdom and even more so, not good enough for me. Those statements could not be farther from the truth,”

Link almost shied away but Zelda kept him rooted to the spot. “I also want you to know that despite what you may have believed about your wolf form, you were still quite handsome then as well,”

Link raised brow, curiosity knocking through his mind.

“I may not have fallen in love with you at first sight, but I will freely admit that I did feel a great deal of fondness for you that soon developed into the love that I have for you now,”

He shrugged his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest, the puppy squirming between them.

“I promise Zelda, I will try to be worthy of the love that you give me every day,”

“And I, yours,”

She leaned in again to capture his lips in a much more heated kiss that was interrupted far too quickly for Link’s taste by the puppy leaping up to lick at their faces.

The couple laughed at his antics, Link wiping off a smudge of flour that had ended up on Zelda’s cheek from the puppy’s fur.

“Would you like to help me bathe him?” the princess asked while the animal in her arms attempted to make a daring escape from her grip.

Link glanced over at his now abandoned sewing project before turning his attention back to his wife and shrugged his shoulders in acceptance.

“He’s going to need a name you know,” he said while Zelda began to prepare the bath, a smile stretching across her face as she watched Link play with the puppy in order to keep him occupied.

“I suppose we shouldn’t refer to him as ‘pup’ forever, hmm?”

The princess pondered for a moment, stirring her fingers in the water to make sure the temperature wasn’t too cold.

“What about Atlas?” she suggested, Link handing the puppy over to her once she motioned for him to do so.

“Atlas? Why Atlas?” Link asked curiously, tilting his head in question of her choice.

“Because it means to endure; and there is no one I know who has endured more than you,”

Link smiled sweetly at her admission, his gaze softening as he placed a kiss on her forehead. 

“Besides, it sounds quite royal, don’t you think?” 

Link was about to affirm her observation when when the subject in question shook out his fur and reminded the couple what they had originally been doing.

”I think Atlas needs some attention!” Zelda laughed goodnaturedly.

Link laughed with her, a little more of his anxiety melting away from his frame at the jovial moment the two shared.

Perhaps it wasn’t so embarrassing to fall in love with your wife while transformed into a wolf. After all, if she could look at a troublemaking puppy with such love and affection in her beautiful eyes, then why couldn’t she do the same for the beast who would inevitably rescue her from her plight? 

Zelda laughed again as Atlas shook water all around the bathroom and he was berated rather kindly by her as he did so.

Link’s smile grew by leaps and bounds as he lended a hand in rangling the rambunctious pup, he and Zelda both enjoying the unexpected blessing that had been thrust into their laps today. 

Link watched with an unbridled affection for his wife as she dried off the puppy and realized maybe perhaps she just saw the best in someone even when they themselves may not; and maybe that’s why he fell in love with her.

And that was far from embarrassing.

Chapter 2: Wish

Summary:

First chronologically of the prompts.

Wish –

Zelda’s heels clacked against the stone floor, her gait quick and her posture immaculate as she made her way to the throne room. Her advisors had been quite clear that she was to be present for today’s meeting no matter what she may be involved in at the time.

She took a deep breath into her lungs, preparing her mind for a battle of wills even though she had no idea what the topic would be today.

Zelda steeled her nerves as she pushed open the double doors, her entire council ceasing their urgent conversation as she entered. She practically floated as she crossed the room to her seat at the head of the table, folding her hands on the table and signally with her sturdy gaze that she was ready to begin.

“First order of business; the reconstruction of the south wing,”

The princess had expected this somewhat. Reconstruction projects had been top priority ever since Ganondorf’s defeat, but how Owlen had sounded, it seemed as if her presence at this meeting meant that something a little more substantial was to be deliberated. The men droned on and Zelda did her best to listen to each word uttered, but it began to grow rather difficult as time continued to drag on.

“The next order of business would be the marriage of Princess Zelda,”

Now that got her attention.

“Pardon me?” Zelda interjected.

“With the rapid approach of your eighteenth birthday your Highness, we discussed it beforehand and deemed it best to have an arranged marriage in order to keep things simple for the kingdom. As we all know, you cannot ascend the throne as Queen as an unmarried woman,”

Zelda’s blood turned to ice in her veins. She knew one day that she would have to marry being the only heir to the throne, but she hadn’t expected her advisors to debate the matter without her present. All of her council were old men, their cynicism outweighing the wisdom that they might have had instead and it send a surge of rage through her.

“So if I have heard you correctly, you have all decided my fate before asking me. Is that correct?”

The assembly all nodded their heads in confirmation, the princess’s heartbeat quickening.

“With all due respect your Highness, we decided the fate of the kingdom of Hyrule. As the sole heir, I’m afraid that luxuries such as choosing a husband were forbidden from the moment you were born,”

Zelda tried not to slouch in her seat, knowing that if she did her father would roll over in his grave and her mother most likely would have been disappointed also. She still didn’t find her councils decision to be respectful. Not one bit.

 

---

A normal day for Link consisted of a morning filled with training soldiers, a weapons inspection in the armory, and of course a visit to Epona during the early afternoon; and at the end of it all, Zelda would share her evening meal with him and they were ruminate over many a topic while they dined on roast Lon Lon or cuckoo. However, his consistent and predictable schedule was very suddenly interrupted when he noticed the princess stomping towards the training grounds with a stern look on her face. To any normal observer, it would seem that she was sporting the expression she always did around the palace, her stoic mannerisms and precise posture unwavering. However to a trained eye like Link’s, it was quite apparent that she was – to be ever so blunt - ticked off.

“Let’s stop there for the day,” Link told Ashei, ending their heated spar but an unspoken thought of “We’ll finish this later,” crossing their faces.

Ashei nodded, bowed and left the arena, adjusting her armor as she went. Link turned toward the princess who had started to pace in the corridor that led to the training grounds.

“If you keep frowning like that, your face will stay that way,”

Zelda was startled out of her pacing, a blush breaking across her cheeks at the embarrassment of not noticing the Hero’s approach. Her color deepened once she noticed that Link’s tunic was absent from his frame, his torso showing the signs of earlier exertion.

Link apparently hadn’t noticed her predicament and only made it worse by wiping her forehead with a rag from the pocket of his trousers and in so doing, rustled up his already drenched and messy hair.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“Nothing,” Zelda defended, turning her gaze away from the young man and only cementing in his mind that something was indeed amiss.

“Zelda,” he said sternly, hands on his hips and his head tilted to the side.

She tried to avoid staring at his chest but it proved to be progressively harder the longer they stood there, his muscles only accentuated by the perspiration from his previous battle with Ashei.

“Zelda,” Link’s voice brought her mind back to the present which now included a pair of raised eyebrows to join his stern expression.

“Fine,” the princess huffed, folding her arms petulantly. “My council made a rather significant decision without my consent,”she explained.

“Well, that’s not very surprising. They make decisions without your approval all the time. What makes this time any different?” he asked, retrieving his sword that had been abandoned earlier and sliding it into the sheath hanging from his belt.

Zelda’s eyes followed him as he walked around the arena cleaning up what had been leftover from his sparring time. He grabbed a simple grey tunic that had been tossed upon a nearby barrel and pulled it over his head.

Soon the skin that had been deliciously displayed to her royal highness was covered by simple fabric and she bemoaned the fact. “Such a shame,” Zelda thought as the fabric slid down over his frame.

“Can we walk and talk? I need to check on Epona,”

She nodded in reply, taking the hand that Link offered her to assist her with the uneven steps that descended into the training grounds. The pair made their way to the royal stables, Zelda undetermined about how she should explain her predicament to him considering that they had grown quite close in this past year since the Twilight Invasion and this news could be as devastating to him as it was to her. She hadn’t thought about his feelings at first when she sought him out, but now she was quite self-conscious about it.  

They arrived at the stables sooner than she would have liked, Link’s face lighting up at the sight of his noble steed as he spoke to her in a soft, warm voice, dripping with affection. He scratched behind her ears to which she let out an approving knicker, her hoof pawing at the ground.

“Care for an outing?” Link asked the princess, his eyes shining at the prospect of taking both ladies out of the castle grounds. “Epona seems a bit antsy and a nice long gallop would do her good,”

Zelda could hear a twinge of his Ordonian accent slip through as he spoke, his excitement transparent.

“An outing does sound rather nice. I would be honored to accompany you, Hero,”

Link rolled his eyes at her use of his title but smiled nonetheless, retrieving Epona’s saddle and blanket from the tack room. He shushed her as he threw the blanket and then the saddle over her side, settling both and then going around to buckle it into place. He spoke words of kindness to her as he slid the bit of the bridle into her mouth, careful to avoid her teeth as he did so. Once everything was to his satisfaction he led Epona out of her stall where he mounted her with the ease of a practiced equestrian, his hand reaching down to aid Zelda in mounting as well.

The princess was well versed in horseback riding and could have easily performed the task without any help, but she was nothing if not gracious so she willingly took ahold of his hand. He hefted her up behind him on the saddle with ease, her arms instinctively going around his torso to provide stability for the ride.

Link clicked his tongue to get Epona to start moving. She shook out her mane and pawed at the ground, moving forward slowing after.

They travelled through castle town at a slow pace so as to not deal with anyone underfoot and people from all over paused to honor their ruler as she passed by. The princess nodded her head, smiled and waved to her subjects, especially the children whom she rarely got to see what with her duties as princess.

Once they had made it past the gate, the wood of the drawbridge sounding hollow against Epona’s hooves, Link encouraged her to break into a canter which quickly turned into a gallop.

Zelda relished the feel of the wind through her hair and the sunon her skin, the freedom the riding provided unrivaled.

Eventually they drew near to a grassy knoll and Link pulled Epona to a stop, a nearby apple tree providing shade and an abundance of fruit that looked like a good place to Link for a little bit of rest. He helped Zelda to dismount before he followed suit, releasing Epona from her bridle and allowing her to graze freely.

The pair settled down on the grass, Zelda not caring in the least if her gown ended up dirty with the action. She absentmindedly plucked at the dandelions that were growing around her, their down tufts blown away in the wind to spread more of their kind in the valleys of Hyrule.

“Oh to be free like a dandelion seed,” she mused, Link watching her with interest.

“So, what is it that the council brought up today that has made you so dour?”

Zelda sighed, laying the flower that she currently held in her hand down on the grass.

“They brought up the subject of marriage today. My marriage,”

“Well, that’s not so bad,” he admitted, plucking at a strand of grass and twirling it between his fingers.

“My arranged marriage,” she emphasized, Link’s face freezing at her admission. “I don’t even need to marry someone for love. I simply wish to be married to a man that I have at least met and somewhat know,”

The sun shone through her dark hair bringing out the natural strands of caramel that resided there, her eyes glowing with the fading embers of light.

“In Ordon, Ilia and I used to wish on dandelions. Then we would write them down in secret hoping that they would come true. Why don’t you make your wish, an official one?” Link suddenly asked her, holding out a dandelion for her to take.

Zelda’s fingers brushed against his as she grasped the stem in her hand, her eyes meeting his. The golden light haloed around his head, stealing her breath as she gazed at a man who had risked everything for her and her kingdom. His beauty and his bravery truly knew no bounds.

She closed her eyes and breathed out, blinking to watch the feathery seeds danced away on the breeze. There went her wish. Hopefully it came true.

 

---

 

The first day that the princess was supposed to meet her betrothed was her wedding day and she dreaded the moment with every passing hour. Before she wanted, the day – her wedding day – had arrived and she stood before a full-length mirror in all the finery that a princess was ought to have. It was a magnificent gown that she truly adored, layers of lace and tulle embracing her figure and accentuating her natural beauty. Her hair had been pinned up into an elaborate bun with a few loose tendrils framing her face.

A knock at her door informed her of her Maid of Honor’s entrance. “Ready?” Ashei asked, looking lovely in her own lavender gown despite her complaints earlier.

Zelda nodded slowly, her handmaidens entering after Ahei and assisted her with the veil, resting it in front of her eyes. The walk to the temple was slow going, but still far too short for Zelda. The double doors opened with fanfare, her steps methodical as she made her way down the long aisle to what would be her betrothed waiting at the end.

She wasn’t able to see him through the gossamer fabric anyway, but she refused to look in his direction all the same, her chin lifted in defiance but still proper for one of royal blood.

The couple went through the motions of holding hands and repeating the words of the priest in harmony, Zelda feeling a strange sense of familiarity with this man.

“You may now kiss the bride,”

Zelda hadn’t even realized that they had made it to that point in the ceremony, her mind completely functioning off of reflex. She shuddered and lowered her head for her betrothed to lift her veil, the first view of him being his well-polished boots and white trousers.

“This would be much easier if I could see your face, Zelda,” the voice the spoke was one she had grown so accustomed to, the tone smooth and easy with a slight drawl that she could place anywhere.

Her head jerked up with so much speed she was personally surprised she didn’t get a crick in her neck.

“Wish granted?” Link said, his voice nervous despite the smile that lit up his face.

“Link? You were my betrothed? Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked, affronted by his tightly sealed lips.

“I couldn’t. One of the terms about the arrangement was that I was forbidden to tell anyone about it, otherwise it would be considered null and void,”

Zelda stood speechless as the man that had saved her from the Twilight Invasion was standing before her, saving her yet again. She grabbed his meticulously pressed dress jacket in her hands and pulled him forward, pressing her lips to his in a heated kiss.

Her words were heard only by her new husband, the entirety of the building bursting into cheers at their freshly married princess and Hero.

“Wish granted,”

Chapter 3: Forget Me Not

Summary:

2nd in the chronological order of these one shots

Forget me not –

The breeze played among the blades of grass in a type of dance that had grown quite familiar to Link, his lungs filled and likewise contented with the fresh air as he relaxed serenely into the knoll that he currently resided on to watch as Epona chewed on the bounty that Hyrule Field had to offer.

His blue eyes were drawn away from his steed to gaze upon the equally relaxed woman by his side, her nimble fingers performing some kind of activity with the flowers that were laid down by her primly folded ankles.

He leaned across on his elbows to try and get a better view, but to no avail, the woman’s hands far too swift.

“You may see it once I have finished it as I have said before,” she replied, raising her nose into the air in a defiant manner.

Link huffed indignantly, rising from his elbows to stretch out a kink that settled into his shoulders.

He thrummed his fingers against his thigh and watched the birds chase each other through the clouds in an attempt to pass the time, listening to the jovial humming of his companion.

“There. All done,”

Link was startled out of his thoughts by tender fingers against his brow, the pads of Zelda’s fingertips soft and warm as they settled something there.

He lifted his hands to his blonde hair, feeling delicate flower petals underneath his fingers. He turned to Zelda with a question that died upon his lips once his vision landed upon her. Atop her own head, replacing the gold and jewels that she was known for exhibiting, stood a ring of dainty blue flowers that contrasted gorgeously with her dark hair and matched her icy blue eyes. His slacked jaw brought a giggle from Zelda’s lips, a rare sight indeed but a welcome one nonetheless.

“What kind of flowers are these?” Link asked curiously, plucking one that grew by his foot from among the green surrounding it and fiddling with it between his fingers.

“Forget-me-nots,” she replied, her eyes drawn toward the horizon and a solemn look upon her face. All traces of the girl that had giggled mere moments ago had vanished, pushed down deep beneath a royal façade that she had perfected after eighteen years. “I wanted to treasure this moment, cherish it as a keepsake for the rest of my life,”

Link tilted his head in a question. “Why would you want to cherish something so mundane?” he asked, continuing to play with the flower between his fingertips.

“I suppose because I value the peace that surrounds us here. No titles, no royals, no expectations realistic or not. It’s just you and me,”

She looked at him then, placing her gentle hand upon his own calloused and battle-hardened one. A whiny in the distance brought a chuckle from both of them, Link’s faithful mount shaking her mane out as if to remind them of her presence.

“And Epona,” Link added teasingly.

“Yes. And Epona,”

Zelda’s grip tightened around his hand, Link gladly welcoming the embrace.

“Don’t forget me Link. Please?” her gaze was sad yet wistful as she stared off at the horizon. “I know that for us happily ever after is rather bittersweet since we know that someday, our descendants will go through tribulations like we have. It is both a blessing and a curse to know that this will all be repeated over and over again,”

Link’s expression softened at her words, his fingers tightening around hers in reflex.

“I could never forget you Zelda. Not even in a million lifetimes,”

Zelda looked at him then, her expression filled with hope and wonder at his positivity. Link reached forward and gently tucked a strand of hair that had escaped from her simple braid behind her ear, his fingertips tenderly skimming against the skin. He leaned forward, his lips pressed against hers in a chaste kiss, Zelda drowning in his touch.

She leaned forward and placed a warm hand on his cheek, drawing him into the kiss a little more as if to cherish the moment a little longer.

Soon they parted, but not before Link placed another quick peck to her lips. They laid back down in the grass, the warm smell of summer flowing about them on the winds and embracing them in its comforting feel.

Link started to play with the loose tresses of her hair, Zelda’s head nestled comfortably into his strong shoulder.

In this moment, adorned with their simple flower crowns and surrounded by the sweet smell of summer, they felt truly at peace; the future and all it had in store for them could wait.

Chapter 4: Intertwined

Intertwined –

I really wanted to do a modern one shot and I felt that this prompt would be perfect for it! So, enjoy!

 

Zelda loved October.

With it came bonfires, the changing of the leaves, cozy sweaters, and of course seasonal drinks from local coffee houses.

So when her closest friend Midna had called her and asked if she would be able to watch over the manor while she was out of town conducting some business for her company, Zelda leapt at the chance to enjoy her favorite month in her favorite small town. She also looked forward to house sitting for Midna for weeks because it meant that she could spend time out in the glorious weather without fear of undesirable characters stalking after her like she would have to worry about back home. She admitted that having some time to herself with no summits or business meetings to attend for her father’s political standing was an added bonus.

Finally the day had arrived and she loaded everything up into her silver suv, double checking her list before setting off on the three hour drive.

She had just pulled up to Midna’s family manor on the outskirts of the small town when she was surprised by a large, German Shepherd that practically knocked her back into the car door that she had just closed.

“Well hello there. Who might you be?” Zelda asked, scratching the large dog behind the ears.

“Fira! Get back here!”

Both the dog and Zelda turned to see Midna standing at the top of the grand staircase that led into the manor, one hand on her hip and the other holding the limp form of a dog leash. The redhead stormed down the stairs and marched right up to the dog, practically wrenching it off of Zelda and snapping the clasp of the leash to a matching collar around its throat.

“You are in big trouble young lady! Bad dog!”

The dog crouched low and let out a whimper upon the harsh scolding from Midna.

The woman took a deep breath to calm herself before she turned to Zelda with a smile and gave her a warm embrace.

“So glad you made it safe, Zel. Sorry about her,” the redhead said, indicating the dog now laying at their feet. “She bolted the moment I opened the door,”

“Don’t worry about me!” Zelda replied, kneeling to give the shepherd a pat on the head. “What’s your name pretty girl?”

“Her name’s Fira. She had been dropped off at the local shelter with a busted back leg. They were going to put her down because the surgery was too expensive and no one wanted to pay for it, but when my friend Telma told me about it I had to step in and keep that from happening. I paid for her surgery, nursed her back to health and here we are; and what’s the thanks I get for that?” Midna glared down at her dog, who licked adorably at her hand.

“Alright, alright. I guess you’re forgiven,” Midna said, smiling as Fira sat up on her haunches and panted happily.

Midna ushered Zelda inside, her butler taking care of the brunette’s bags despite her protests that she could handle them herself.

An hour later they had settled into the living room nestling cups of hot cocoa while they caught up about the things going on in each other’s lives.

“But I appreciate being able to have this break from all of father’s meetings and appointments. It grows rather exhausting being the daughter of the Governor of Hyrule sometimes,” she said with a sigh, taking a long sip from her mug.

Midna clinked her mug against Zelda’s and took a much larger swig of her cocoa. “Now I know it’s a lot to ask, but I was hoping that you would be willing to watch Fira as well? I know it’s short notice,”

Zelda raised her hand with the poise her position would expect. “Say no more. I’d be happy to watch Fira. She simply needs a healthy outlet for all of her energy!”

As if summoned by the sound of her name, Fira appeared at Zelda’s side, the woman scratching at the thick fur behind the German Shepherd’s ears.

“I hate to be such an inconvenience. That last thing I wanted was to spring something like this on you at the last minute, but the kennel I typically board her at is packed the entire time I’m gone,”

“Inconvenience? Midna, dog sitting is far from an inconvenience! Do you know how long I’ve been looking forward to this week? I don’t think there’s anything that could be troublesome enough to ruin this week for me!”

 

---

 

She took it back. There was absolutely something that could ruin this week for her and if she could reach the panting pile of fur that was Fira, she would have rung her neck; but currently she was tied up like a pretzel with Fira’s purple leash twisting her frame in an extremely uncomfortable position tangled up with a very handsome stranger who was a far too close for comfort.

Zelda had decided her second day in town that it would be nice to go for a walk in the afternoon to get a lay of the land and see what restaurants were still open at seven when she would most likely be wanting dinner. She had also thought that leaving Fira at the manor was far too much of a punishment despite the fact that she had practically kicked Zelda out of the guest bed the previous night, so she hooked the German Shepherd up to her leash and proceeded to be pulled around by the canine.

She had been looking at the sandwich board menu of one of the local coffee shops when she was rudely yanked by Fira across the street, Zelda’s own stretch no match for her brute force and sheer determination. In fact, the brunette was startled by the fact that they hadn’t been run over by an oncoming car in the process of Fira’s escapade.

The brunette held on for dear life as she saw the object of Fira’s attentions, a husky walking by with a young man who was none the wiser to the crazy canine running across the street.

Zelda let out a scream as she barreled directly into the young man without any other warning, Fira chasing the husky about in circles around them and effectively tying the pair of owners up in their leashes.

“Aengus! Heel!” the man’s voice rang out above the cacophony, instantly causing the husky to stop abruptly.

Once the husky settled down, Fira wasn’t far behind, sitting next to him and panting happily at having caught her new playmate.

“I’m so sorry about this! I have no idea what got into her! Is there,” Zelda’s words died on her lips as she looked up into the face of a man who could rival some of her celebrity crushes from her youth with his chiseled features and Bright blue eyes that were framed by dirty blonde bangs flopping against his forehead so effortlessly it should be a crime.

Zelda didn’t even dare to breathe with their close proximity, her limbs effectively useless and tongue feeling lick a lump of useless cotton in her mouth.

“It’s alright,” the man spoke, filling the empty space. “Let me just see if I can move my arm,”

He shifted his shoulder to the side, which created a little more wiggle room for the pair. He continued to give instructions to Zelda and very kindly explained what he was about to do before he executed said movement.

Zelda glared at Fira as she rotated her body to the right per the man’s coaching, said dog licking the cheek of the husky without a care for the predicament that she had put her dog sitter in. Their efforts were rewarded ever so sluggishly as they continued to untangle the leashes from their bodies’ inch by unbearably slow inch.

After what seemed like an eternity, they had finally freed themselves from the clutches of the leashes, the man gently assisting Zelda in removing her foot from the final loop.

She practically lunged at Fira, but she yelled and jumped out of the way, tightening her leash and tripping Zelda up in the process. The man steadied her, bracing himself with a step backwards and wrapping his hands around her forearms to keep her from tumbling to the ground.

“Whoa there!” he said, sounding strangely like a cowboy. “You alright?”

Zelda cleared her throat and willed her blush to die down, brushing off her purple sweater from imaginary dust.

“Yes, thank you,” she said, finally smiling at the man. “I appreciate all of your help. And I do apologize for Fira’s impromptu attack there. I suppose she saw a playmate and couldn’t hold back,” She sent a pointed glare at the German Shepherd which she ignored in favor of nuzzling the husky.

“I guess Aengus just can’t help being attractive to the ladies. Isn’t that right, boy?” he said as he scratched beneath the husky’s chin, his tongue lolling to the side in enjoyment.

Zelda hid her laugh behind her hand politely. She couldn’t help it; he was adorable with his dog.

“I’m Link by the way,” he said, turning to her with his unoccupied hand outstretched.

“Zelda,” she supplied in turn, shaking his hand with a sturdy grip.

“Quite the grip you’ve got there Zelda,”

“You need a strong grip when you father’s chosen profession is politics,” she replied honestly.

“Ah! I see,” Link said, showing his hand into the pocket of his dark wash jeans. “Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee, Zelda? To apologize for this little entanglement,”

Zelda could feel the heat rising on her ears, detecting a slight drawl when Link said the word ‘entanglement’. It was very charming.

“Oh no! I couldn’t let you pay when it was Fira’s fault that she accosted your dog!” Zelda said, shaking her hands in front of her as if that would keep him from paying.

“I insist. It’s Aengus’s fault for having such a magnetic personality,”

Aengus barked as if he agreed with his master and Fira joined in with him. Zelda felt a chill race down her spine as a sudden gust of cold October air brushed past them.

“I suppose a vanilla latte would be nice right about now,” Zelda admitted, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to generate a little heat.

“Great! Ladies first,” Link said, gesturing toward the sidewalk.

“What a gentleman you are! Thank you,” she teased, tilting her chin up and smirking at him.

A scattered blush appeared on his face to which she giggled, leading the way towards the coffee shop that she had been so rudely kept from earlier.

This was certainly a better outcome than she had expected from being tied up against your will to a total stranger by your best friend's newly acquired pet with far too much energy for her own good; and i made Zelda think that perhaps she wouldn’t end up strangling Fira after all: and if she ended up with an extra treat after dinner tonight, well then that would be their little secret.

Notes:

I just HAD to do a modern au of some kind and I was inspired by 101 Dalmatians when I saw the prompt for this day. I think that one of my favorite tropes in romance is a meet-cute and I adore any that have to do with dogs too. I chose names for the dogs that had nothing to do with any of the other characters from Twilight Princess because I thought it would feel weird to have a known human character be a dog - just my thoughts. Fira just sounded like a name Midna would choose, and Aengus is a blue-eyed -hence the husky- god in Celtic Mythology and is known for his charm which is why I thought it worked perfectly for him wooing Fira. Also, Epona is named after the Celtic godess of horses so I figured I'd keep the them going. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: In a Bind

In a Bind –

“You know this could have been avoided if you had simply listened to me,”

“Not this again,” Link sighed, rolling his eyes.

“I saw that! Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me!” Zelda yelled angrily across the dimly lit room. He could hear her pulling against the chains she was bound with, but whether they were the ones around her wrists or her ankles he couldn’t tell.

Link rolled his eyes again, his fingers working nimbly as he tried to work on the lock of the cuffs imprisoning his wrists above his head; it was rather slow going though, and his wife’s bickering was not making things any easier.

“I told you not to go barreling in,” Zelda said, yanking at her chains for emphasis. “And look where your disregard for personal safety has gotten us,”

Link let out a relieved sigh as the shackles finally loosed from around his wrists, falling to the floor with a clatter. He rose from the ground and regretted instantly how quickly he chose to do so, his muscles protesting in the effort. He stretched out his shoulders and rolled his feet around to bring some feeling back into them.

Once he had blood flowing to his limbs again, Link carefully made his way over to Zelda, feeling along the walls of the cell to make sure he didn’t trip over any unsavory obstacles that may be scattered across the floor.

She let out a startled cry when she felt his hand land on her shoulder in the dark. “Link! Don’t frighten me so! I thought you were a bokoblin!” she protested.

“Hold still. This will only take a minute,” Link ordered her, more bite in his tone than he meant for there to be.

“You don’t have to be snippy with me,” Zelda bit back.

Link growled under his breath as his wife’s shackles proved to be more difficult to remove than he had anticipated.

He was finally able to get them loosened enough that Zelda could remove them the rest of the way, Link turning his attention to the binds around her ankles next. The chains around her ankles had been quickly locked and therefore were much easier to unlock, so that the moment he had released her from them, Zelda tossed the ones around her wrists to the side with a loud crash.

“Zelda! We don’t want our captures to know that – Mmph!”

Link’s warning was abruptly cut off by his wife slamming her lips against his in a searing kiss, stealing his breath away with its intensity.
“Just like courage cannot thrive without wisdom tempering it, wisdom cannot survive without the courage to enact it you insufferable man,” she told him once they had parted.

“I only wanted to,” he began, Zelda cutting him off by placing a soft hand against his bruised cheek. Those bokoblins were going to pay for what they did to him.

“I know,” She replied, warmth seeping back into her voice. “Now, shall we take our leave of this horrid place?”

Link smirked despite the fact that he knew she couldn’t see his face in the darkness.

The couple made their way through the dungeon with relative ease, only coming across two patrols as they meandered through the labyrinthine tunnels. They were able to locate an armory along their way, retrieving rather crude sword and shield for Link and a bow and quiver of arrows for Zelda.

Finally, after far too long, they emerged from the dark and dank nether regions of the stronghold, the sun shining like a beacon of hope.

“Shall we show these malefactors that they captured the wrong royal couple?” Zelda said, nocking an arrow to her recently acquired bow.

Link was breathless as he looked upon his wife, the sunlight brilliantly shining behind her and capturing the bloodline of the goddess Hylia in a way so astounding it almost brought tears to his eyes. Battered, bloody, bruised; and yet she had never looked more gorgeous than she did now.

“Let’s” he replied, unsheathing the sword from his back.

Zelda climbed the stairs like the warrior Queen that she was, her teeth gritted in determination and her hands itching for a fight. Link could positively say that he had a similar feeling deep in his bones.

“No one imprisons my husband and gets away with it,”

Notes:

I wanted to do a prompt with a little bit of Zelda being epic and also showing a smidgeon of the fear she feels at losing Link. Also, an argument because their marriage wouldn’t be all sunshine and rainbows.