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“Oh Urbosa, I don’t think you could possibly imagine how much it irritates me. I swear to the goddess, it is as if I've been personally selected to be subject to some absurd, divine prank!” Princess Zelda sighed in exasperation and at least… trying to allow the soothing cool air of the desert to help calm down her soul.
Urbosa’s sleek, vermillion brows rose in slight amusement at Zelda as she threw her head back and outright laughed. Her voice sounded hoarse, likely due to a long, tedious day of trying to get the hang of the mechanics of Divine Beast Vah Naboris.
Zelda’s mouth opened wide, the betrayal clearly displayed across her face. No amount of exhaustion would be able to make her miss the fact that Urbosa seemed amused by her crisis. “W-why is that funny? This is no laughing matter! Why are you laughing?”
“Little bird, I just find you adorable, that’s all.” Urbosa replied gleefully, apparently not making any attempts to spare any empathy at all…
This was only a few days after that dreadful day where she had requested some alone time from her knight where he had directly disobeyed her order. Skillfully, he tracked her down and found her bent over an ancient shrine trying… and failing… to gain access to it.
“Little Bird, someday, you’re going to have to learn to get along with the boy you know?” Urbosa said on a more serious note. “I sense your frustration, however, I’m sure that the opinion that you have on him right now is not going to help you out in the long run.”
“Urbosa, whose side are you on?!” Zelda cried, shooting an accusatory glare back at her. She couldn’t believe her ears. Was her best friend in the entire world actually defending that… that…boy?! On that day when he had disobeyed her request, he all but stood by, watching over her shoulder as he witnessed her achieve yet another failure in her research. All but adding to the accumulation of other failures she’d already achieved. The Goddess only knows what he thought of her after that.
Urbosa smiled a warm smile that complemented her dark, complexion and shrugged. “I am in no position to pick sides between the two of you, I’m just saying these things to help you adjust to this major development in your life, dear.”
Something that Urbosa had said had triggered something inside her. An intangible ball of fire began growing in size within her. “First, father sends me this stupid knight as punishment for indulging in my favourite activities a little too often, and now I have you trying to play the devil's advocate between Link and I. How is that fair!” She cried in annoyance, throwing her hands up into the air.
Urbosa’s eyes softened, at her outburst. “Someday, you’ll see it, Little Bird. I promise. The boy isn’t quite as evil and terrible as you seem to think.” Internally, it cut her deeply to see the princess in such distress. Although she never said so out loud, Urbosa knew that behind all the complaints and blatant distaste towards her knight, stood an extremely insecure little girl who longed to fulfil her given duties. Upon watching Link perform his own so effortlessly, Zelda would inevitably feel much worse about herself than ever.
A small, yet firm gust of wind breathed across the plain, turning over tiny grains of sand in their path. “He taunts me.” Zelda replied quietly. She had her hands in her lap, toying with her fingernails. “Every time I look at him I-” She paused, deciding whether or not she should share her thoughts or not as the now gentle breeze gently filled the silence.
The Gerudo chief waited patiently for the princess to continue knowing well that time and space was the best thing to encourage her to open up.
Zelda glanced up miserably with her green eyes. “Every time I see him carrying that sword on his back… It all but reminds me of my own inadequacies.” She admitted sadly.
Urbosa’s heart hurt to see her thinking so little of herself. “Zelda, you are putting more than enough effort into fulfilling the duties you ought to fulfil. But it will do you little favour to be constantly comparing yourself to Link. Link too is merely a boy who was given a duty to both wield the sword and watch your back where refusal was not an option. If I’m being completely frank. You and him have much more in common than you realise.” She was convinced that he was probably the one person who would be able to understand her the most. Even more so than herself.
Zelda immediately disliked what Urbosa had just said to her, feeling that ball of fire grow even larger, but just when she was about to retaliate, she realised that there was much truth attached to her statement and that her anger seemed to deplete. She hung her head in defeat as her heart flopped like a wilted Silent Princess. “I suppose so,” She replied.
Urbosa let the shifting of sand and the whistle of the wind fill the several second long silence before she continued. “Little Bird, you aren’t going to like this. But I am going to make it my mission to bring you two closer together.”
Zelda’s eyes shot wide open, as she felt her heart fall to the pit of her stomach. “W-what are you planning? No Urbosa, please…. Do not do that to me.” She cried. “Did you not listen to a word that I said?”
Urbosa hated the fact that she was forced to administer tough love to the girl she considered her own daughter, but it was necessary. “I’m doing this for your sake, Little Bird. You must trust me on this. Judging by what you’ve told me, I believe that you could benefit a fair bit from a friendship with the Hero, if you’d just talk to him and hear him out.”
“Are you hearing yourself right now?” She cried hopelessly.
Urbosa remorsefully ignored her outcry and continued. “We are short on mighty bananas at the moment, and my soldiers are in need of them as they keep themselves on their toes against the Yiga Clan. I would very much appreciate it if you and Link would go and fetch a batch from Faron Woods and bring some back.”
“Urbosa! Don’t be cruel!”
“Please Princess. My time is stretched out thin with this Divine Beast as is, and my people must stay in town in case the Yiga Clan attacks. It would be of great help.” Urbosa pleaded.
Zelda rolled her eyes in annoyance, feeling betrayed. However, she didn’t respond with anything else. Well, there was nothing else for her to say. Ultimately taking part in commissions like these was apart her duty
Urbosa smiled sympathetically. “When you two go and travel, why don’t you make an effort to talk to him? Try to get to know him?” Urbosa suggested.
Zelda snickered. “Yeah right…”
“Don’t make all this effort result in nothing, Little Bird.”
Zelda threw her hands up in the air in irritation. “Okay! Fine! I will try! Are you happy now?!”
Urbosa nodded firmly. “I hope you’ll begin to understand soon, Little Bird. You two can leave tomorrow morning. And Not to worry, I will be okay with handling the Divine Beast while you are away. I will arrange a messenger to meet Link in Kara Kara Bazaar to notify him of tomorrow’s mission.”
Zelda looked down sadly and nodded. “Can we just go to sleep now?”
“Yes indeed, You’ll need all the rest you can get.”
)()()()()()()()(
Urbosa had woken up long before the Sun had risen.
She first engaged in her daily morning stretches, got dressed and did her makeup. Once she smeared blue lipstick over her lips, she skilfully put her thick hair into her usual updo.
She hoped to the Goddess that she was doing the right thing for the Princess. It hurt her deeply to see her seem so betrayed. However, Urbosa couldn’t be more proud of her, for at least being willing to accept the mission. She wouldn’t even have been upset if Zelda had outright refused to.
She figured she’d let the Princess rest for about an hour or two and she would head over to the Bazaar to ensure Link was awake and ready for the journey ahead, of which he was warned about the night before. But before she left, she notified her guards to watch over the Princess for the time that she was gone.
With her Scimitar of the Seven and her Day Breaker tied to her skirt, she ventured out into the cool, dawn, desert expanse on her beloved sand seal who got her to Kara Kara Bazaar in no time. Most people who were staying there were asleep but she assumed that because Link was once part of the Hylian Army, that he’d have maintained a habit of rising as early as she had.
Quietly, she ducked into the inn and tiptoed past the sleeping occupants and found the Hero awake, bathed in the light of a warm, dull candle. He seemed to notice her presence long before she entered the inn since he did not look the least bit surprised to see her. He acknowledged her with a slight bow of his head as they both ventured back out into the desert which was slowly starting to get warm.
“I knew I could count on you to be awake at this hour as I am.” Urbosa began, making room for the conversation to flow into the direction that she wanted it to go.
Link replied with a small smile.
Urbosa tsked in response. “I trust that you have prepared everything that both you and the princess will need for your journey to Faron and back?” She queried, the surety of her tone had Link responding instinctively, as a loyal Hylian Retriever responds to its owner.
Link nodded stiffly in response.
“May I have a look?” She asked, gesturing to the Sheikah Slate on his hip.
He nodded again, passing the tablet over to her. She pressed a few buttons and scrolled through their supplies, nodding in satisfaction before passing it back to Link.
“Hero, you are a boy of few words. Which is a fact that I am certain many have observed.“ Urbosa frowned. “However, as you and Princess Zelda embark on your journey, I beg you to make an effort to… Talk to her?” Urbosa added a desperate component to her choice of tone… As if she was pleading with him about this strange matter that had been poorly hidden behind the wraps of such a minor commission.
Whatever Link was expecting Urbosa to say next most definitely wasn’t that. It wasn’t something he expected anyone to ask of him, for he assumed that his silence was something of which most people appreciated of him.
His eyes flashed up in surprise towards her. “M-ma’am? I don’t understand,” he replied quietly, and quickly diverted his gaze towards absolutely anything else.
Urbosa breathed out a short laugh. “For a decorated Hero, you seem to have a hard time understanding simple Hylian. Let’s just say that I am sure that if you spoke to the princess more often, that she would very much appreciate it. “
Link cleared his throat nervously, shifting on his feet. The weight that was dropped onto his shoulders felt a lot heavier, compared to how Urbosa carried out her request with such ease. “I’m not very good with words ma’am,” he admitted shyly.
“Oh I’m sure that the princess will speak enough for the both of you and to be honest, she is a lot more empathetic than you think Hero. But don’t just be a brick wall when she tries to talk to you please? Do try and make an effort for her, even if she might not respond the way you’d hope to begin with.” Urbosa pleaded, bending at the waist to meet his eyes.
Link nodded stiffly. “I-i’ll try ma’am.”
“And please. Call me Urbosa. I detest being called ma’am, particularly by the Hero of Hyrule.”
He honoured her request with a nod. Likewise however, to hear someone refer to him like that made him want to crawl out of his own skin… Not that he’d have the courage to say so.
Urbosa placed a hand on his shoulder. “Look after the Princess will you? I expect you both to come back in one piece okay?”
Link responded yet again with another nod. However, this time it was firmer. He could guarantee that the Princess would return in one piece.
)()()()()()()()(
The three of them congregated once again at Kara Kara Bazaar. The sun was high and hot and the day had officially begun.
Link was squatting before the oasis to rinse some sand off his hand when he spotted the Gerudo Chief, Princess Zelda and two guards on their tail as they approached him.
The Princess had her head bowed, her eyes glued to the sand as they got closer. Link knew that it was probably the sight of him that made the sand so exciting to look at for her all of a sudden.
Link picked up his sword and secured it to his back as he moved to stand.
“Link, I trust that you are now ready to embark?” Urbosa asked. Her added height did nothing to make Link feel any better about this mission.
Link nodded in response. “We must walk to the stable. The horses are ready,” he replied quietly. Suddenly the sand became slightly less interesting as the Princess randomly took an interest in what he had just said. Did he say something wrong? However, just as quickly she glanced at him, she once again forced her eyes to look at anything else.
“Do you have adequate food and supplies with you, including all the resources that I have supplied with you?” Urbosa ensured further.
Link nodded.
“Good. Then it’s time you two get going. I appreciate the initiative and I’lll let his majesty know of your whereabouts. Please be back safely, may the Goddess watch over you two.”
As Urbosa finished speaking, she offered them both a meaningful look, her usual stoic expression giving way to a near amused smile as she watched the two engage in an awkward exchange.
Link’s usually calm exterior is betrayed by the discrete shift of his feet as he adjusted the weight of his sword. Zelda’s eyes flickered briefly towards him again, brushing a stray strand of fine, blonde hair behind her ear before she turned her eyes back down towards the sand.. Urbosa’s sharp eyes caught onto this, but she didn't comment on it, turning her gaze toward the horizon, where the path to the stable stretches out before them.
Urbosa cleared her throat firmly: “Is everything in order?” She asked, her tone firm, but there was a hint of something that was almost apologetic behind it. It was no secret that she wanted to ensure their safety, but it was also evident that she was growing more invested in seeing them work together.
Link nodded again, tightening the straps on his sword. Zelda cleared her throat from beside him. "I—" she paused, unsure what to say next, but Urbosa’s gaze softened.
"Take care of each other." Urbosa said quietly, switching her gaze between the two. It was not a suggestion. It was an order wrapped in nothing but good intentions behind it.
Zelda took a deep, steadying breath, but Link didn’t notice. He was already heading toward the path. Urbosa exchanged a look with Zelda before giving a final nod. "We’ll see you soon. Be safe," she added, signalling the end of their brief interaction.
As the two of them walked off, Urbosa’s thoughts lingered on the moment. Zelda’s occasional glances toward Link hadn’t gone unnoticed. Perhaps, just perhaps, this was exactly what she needed.
)()()()()()()()(
The sun beamed high in the sky as they rode at a rather soothing pace through the windy roads of Gerudo Canyon. Zelda was surely glad to both see and feel the expanse of the Gerudo Desert staying far behind them as they clopped forwards with their horses. Zelda had a strong distaste for the desert experience as a whole. And even though she was rather fond of all outdoor activities, she couldn’t quite get past the blaring heat, the freezing cold nights, and the grains of sand which always opted to cling onto her skin no matter how hard she tried to avoid it.
Link led the way, his senses on high alert, looking out of anything that may try to put the Princess in harm's way. His horse was a strong, dark brown mare and she trotted obediently with her ears flicking reflexively every now and then. Zelda and her pale-coated stallion followed closely behind, she was still unfamiliar with the specifics of horse riding and held tightly onto the reins as the sudden motions of her horse unsettled her.
The conditions quickly changed from the dry heat of the Gerudo Desert into the more temperate stretches of Hyrule and the change in temperature was palpable immediately. The cool breeze brushed against Zelda’s skin, and a chilling shiver ran down her spine and it startled her enough that she instinctively pulled the reins even tighter. Her mare’s ears flicked back, and Zelda’s grip tightened even further as she tried to steady herself.
The absolute last thing she wanted to do was to alert him in any way and have his attention on her. To make her competence seem twice as small as it already was compared to his.
Yet another shiver seized her body, and her hand flew to meet her forearm to rub some warmth into it and as if some impossible trick was being played on her, Link’s sharp eyes flicked back at her briefly and still, he remained mute.
She tried to compose herself, pushing away the embarrassment that tugged at her. It was just a cold breeze—nothing more—but it felt as though he was somehow watching her more closely than he ever had before.
Much to her surprise, Link’s eyes softened with empathy at her discomfort, and slowed his horse bringing himself parallel to her. He made an effort to look her in the eyes and offered a slight smile, although it never quite ignited the glow of his blue eyes. “The temperature drops really low as we approach the plateau, we’re almost there, don't worry.” He assured her kindly.
Rather shocked at the genuine concern ridden in his tone, she stumbled embarrassingly on her words. She hadn’t expected him to pick up on her discomfort, let alone say something about it.
“I-I’m fine thanks,” she responded rather abruptly as she adjusted her grip on the reins. “It is just rather chilly out now.” She paused, reconfiguring her choice of conversation with him. “B-but, I’ll be fine, thank you for your concern.” She reiterated back to him quickly.
His eyes softened slightly as he gave a nod, his attention returning to the road ahead, but for a brief moment, Zelda caught a small flicker in his gaze—a spark of warmth that she hadn’t seen before. She didn’t know why, but it felt different. Almost... comforting and it confused her immensely.
As the road stretched on, Zelda struggled with the awkward silence that followed. The tension between them was palpable. Every moment seemed to push her further out of her comfort zone. She trusted that Urbosa knew what she wanted to achieve by sending her on this mission with her knight, but she found herself wondering every few minutes if it was even worth it.
Was this how their relationship would always be? Silent, tentative, never quite bridging the gap between them even though they tried?
Several minutes ago, Link had picked up their pace and they were quickly trotting along the road now, with the Hero taking the lead once again.
Zelda mustered a sliver of courage within her and urged her horse to match Link’s strides so that they were galloping side by side. She wanted something… Anything to break torturous the silence between them that they’d accumulated over the past few months.
She loosened her grip on her reins and allowed herself to enjoy feeling the cool wind in her long hair, the breeze seeping through the passages of her clothes against her skin.
Link craned his neck towards her, and raised an eyebrow. His body bobbed up and down as his horse galloped rapidly, the coolness of the breeze causing an adorable tint of pink to his ears and cheeks.
“So, uh,” she began, forcing her voice to sound steady and audible against the loud whoosh that crashed against their eardrums, “how much further until the stable? You said we’d reach it soon, right?”
Link shot her a puzzled look for a moment. He had zoned out for so long that he forgot what he’d told her earlier. Zelda held her breath in the moment of silence that Link failed to fill, she hoped to the goddess that she hadn’t said anything terribly wrong.
Her heart sank as her question was left embarrassingly unanswered and Zelda’s mind raced with irritation. “The nerve of this boy! ” Zelda started to think rather quickly. “I ask him a genuine question and he simply refuses to answer! And here I was beginning to think that Urbosa might be right about him!” She thought to herself.
Zelda tried to forget the fact that she’d been blatantly ignored by focusing on the road ahead, forcing her mind away from the sting of his silence. Her grip on the reins tightened as her thoughts swirled in a frustrated beehive. How hard could it have been to just give a simple answer?
It must have been a few minutes before Link finally gave her an answer and while Zelda was busy feeling utterly stupid, Link gave his reply.
He shook his head quickly. “I’m sorry Princess. I meant that we are going to reach the place we’re going to camp for the night soon.” He replied politely, biting the flesh of his inner cheek.
His apology was quick, almost rushed, and Zelda felt a jolt of irritation at the way he swerved having to talk to her by giving her less than the bare minimum. Was he really that disinterested in speaking with her? Or did he think he was that much better than her that he didn’t even want to acknowledge her properly? Zelda couldn't quite tell. She supposed she could understand. He was a skilled, accomplished knight, and here he was, forced to babysit a moody, incompetent and likely cursed princess like her. Urbosa was right. He was more like her than she originally thought.
She didn’t manage to catch herself and the fact that she was beginning to pity him.
Zelda forced herself to respond, though her frustration bubbled just beneath the surface. “I see.” She let out an obviously disgruntled huff, then added a little more softly, “Thank you.”
Link sensed Zelda’s dissatisfaction with their conversation through the tone of her thanks and he felt that he couldn’t properly relax until he explained to her that it wasn’t her or anything about her that caused a delay in his response.
Oddly enough, the silence that stood between them was finally starting to get under Link’s skin for the first time. Normally, he would spend every moment of his day praying that he wouldn’t be put under the spotlight before the princess. Now however, he couldn’t stand the silence. The silence he caused.
Link stared idly at the gorgeous canvas of a sunset that was being painted across the sky as the sun set. The trees, swished tranquilly with the wind as the repetitious and oddly cathartic ‘clip clop’ of both their horses' hooves against the uneven gravel got left a trail behind them as they moved forwards.
The Princess deserved a proper apology, and he couldn’t get past it nor could not rest until he offered it to her. The problem was that he had no courage to spit it out. Some hero he was…
He turned his eyes towards her, opening his mouth to speak but closed it again. Goddesses, he hadn’t thought of what he was going to say! He couldn’t talk to her without something in mind of what to say beforehand!
Perhaps something along the lines of ‘Princess, I apologise for taking a long time to reply earlier, it is not your fault I promise. It is just my own inability to both pay attention and form words with my lips.’
The addition of self deprecation felt a bit much. He feared that if he said something like that, it would lead to more silence that would only torment him further.
‘I apologise, Princess, for my behaviour earlier, I hope you understand that I did not mean to offend you in any way by that.’ Yes. That sounded sensible enough. He remembered Urbosa’s words from earlier that morning “She is a lot more empathetic than you think Hero.” Those words shone like a lamp amongst the clouds in his mind, and he clung to them the more time they spent with each other.
Link rehearsed his apology several times in his head again, gaining confidence each time he imagined himself saying it out loud. When finally, he felt that he had gained enough courage to say what he needed to say, he bravely opened his lips to begin his sentence.
To his horror, all that came out was a quiet and pitiful “I’m sorry.” That was barely loud enough to be heard over the beat of their horses’ hooves.
Link had hoped that Zelda didn’t catch onto it, and he could pretend like he hadn’t even tried, but unfortunately for him, the wise Princess, turned to face him immediately, shooting him a confused look. “My apologies, I didn’t catch that, did you say something?” She asked, the tone of her voice sounding practised and poised as ever.
Link almost shook his head. No. But a quick decision had him deciding against that and his mouth started moving to speak again! “I- I said I’m sorry, Princess.” He repeated himself, a little louder this time. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” He continued softly.
Why! Oh why did he have to apologise like that! It only managed to make her feel terrible for thinking those awful things about him earlier. But he had uttered this apology on his own accord. This meant that he was finally understanding that his silence had a dreadful effect on both of them.
She wondered if Urbosa had a part to play in that.
“Oh. Um. That is quite alright, I know you meant no harm in that.” She replied and finally decided that this was as good a time as ever to address the hinox in the room. “Link. If I may, I really must ask this. Why is it that you are so quiet all the time?”
Did he mention that he disliked being put under the spotlight before the Princess? What caused her to want to ask this all of a sudden? This time he didn’t have time to rehearse!
“Um, I don’t know… It just happened-” Those were the only words that were available at the edge of his brain to reply with. Oddly enough, he started to think that that was somewhat true… His silence simply just happened-
That wasn’t exactly the reply the Princess had been hoping for, however, it wasn’t the worst thing he could have said. He could have said nothing, which would have been far worse in her opinion. “Oh well, Champion Mipha tells me that you were quite a rambunctious child growing up and I suppose I was wondering… What happened?” She asked thoughtfully.
Did Mipha really have to tell her that? Goddesses, how was he supposed to explain it to the Princess now? He locked his eyes onto a spot in his horses’ mane, feeling rather embarrassed by the question. Just thinking of the true answer to her question made him cringe.
“W-well…” He started, realising that the only way forwards was to continue. Link was grateful that the Princess did not try to interrupt, but rather, gave him time to find his words.
“Ever since- Well ever since I pulled the sword, I’ve been under a lot of pressure. It helps to stay quiet.” He explained, the apples of his cheeks and the tips of his ears turning redder with each moment.
Something broke inside her, hearing those words come from Link. Why did Urbosa have to be so right?
“Oh.” Was the first thing she managed to say. She started to feel that it was all starting to make sense now. “I’m sorry you feel that way Link.” She said sadly.
She knew his feelings well. That when an insurmountable amount of pressure had been placed on her, she would resort to other ways to make it appear smaller. Her heart broke a little for her knight.
Urbosa was right indeed.
Her eyes were still locked on his. She noticed his own were searching hers, looking for answers. “Well, I hope that you know that you do not have to be so silent with me.” She declared confidently, hoping her words could offer him comfort. “I am not sure that you can understand how much I relate to you, Link.”
Link locked eyes with the Princess. He couldn’t say that he had ever heard such liberating words in his life. Particularly not coming from the Princess herself. Which was the strange part… He felt as though a switch in his mind had turned on, allowing him to relax immensely.
He smiled softly, “Thank you Princess. I appreciate it. I- I also want to say that I relate to you also with how you feel about everything. Very much so.”
That fact, broke Zelda’s heart indefinitely. It wasn’t a feeling that she would wish on anyone. Not even on her worst enemy. The fact that she knew that Link understood as much as she did, caused an ache in her heart.
The ache in her heart wasn’t the only nagging sensation she was feeling, but a certain discomfort in her abdomen shifted her attention to the fact that she hadn’t eaten since they embarked on their journey in the morning, and now it was nearly the evening. She shifted in her saddle, trying to ignore the gnawing in her stomach, but it was becoming rather difficult as time went on.
At some point, her body began making demands aloud.
Zelda’s eyes widened in horror when she felt and most certainly, both of them heard a loud, deep groan come from her abdomen. She hoped that Link’s astute hearing had miraculously stopped working in just that moment. Quickly, she wrapped her arms around her torso to muffle the painful growls that were echoing through the chambers of her body.
And who was she kidding? Link turned his neck to face her directly, eyebrows raised. She looked down sheepishly, the apple of her cheeks and the tips of her ears growing redder by the second.
And the question she feared the most came from his mouth. “Are you hungry Princess?” He asked softly.
“No! No!” Zelda lunged forwards frantically, pulling her hands off her horses’ reins unconsciously. He did not fancy the sudden tug on her neck and started to protest and whine loudly, as well as buckling his feet leaving the princess in an extremely unstable mount.
Zelda clenched the reins tightly again, trying to hold herself steady as her horse threw a fit. The stallion buckled so strongly that it almost knocked her off her seat causing Zelda to yelp loudly. “Link! Do something!” She cried in a panic.
But Link had already dismounted his own horse and was standing bravely before her horse’s line of sight, placing his hand under its muzzle with one hand and patting its coat with another. He soothed it gradually and eventually the horse calmed down enough that Zelda could begin to relax.
“Shhh you’re alright. You can’t do that to your princess darl, she’s too special for you to be doing that to.” Zelda heard him whispering to her horse and she couldn’t help but feel a little flattered at that, her eyes softening at the sight before her.
Zelda watched in awe as Link continued to stroke and whisper gentle affirmations in her horses’ ear until he had miraculously calmed down completely.
Link looked up towards her and gave a small smile. “It’s important you take the time to soothe your mount princess. It’s the only way he’ll know how you truly feel about him.” Link instructed kindly. “Did you want to ride on mine instead when we leave tomorrow? she’s far less temperamental.” He offered generously.
Zelda nodded quickly, utterly grateful for the offer.
“We’re really close now so we can eat okay?” Link said, with a slight addition of character to his tone, something that you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t looking for it.
“Okay.” She replied. Whatever it was, she found that she really loved to see this side of her knight. She wished he would let it show more often. Perhaps if she could figure out what it was, she could use it to bring it out in him more. She really couldn’t believe it, but she was really starting to enjoy his presence.
They reached their pitstop not too long afterwards. The remainder of the ride was relatively silent, but it was the form of silence that Zelda felt she could tolerate for some strange reason.
The camp was a shallow cave that was like a small dome that had been carved out of the face of a cliff, only a few meters deep. They parked their horses near the entrance of it and Link was busy stoking the campfire for the night.
“Are you keen on eating poultry curry tonight?” Link asked, while busily trying to ignite the flame that he was so close to making.
“Hmm. May I see the Sheikah Slate?” She asked.
Link nodded, pulling the slate from his pocket quickly and handing it to her before quickly returning to her task.
Zelda flicked through the large inventory of meals that Link had managed to cook that morning. “Hm, yes I think a poultry curry sounds delightful!”
Link finally managed to light the flame and an orange light danced to life as it engulfed the sticks and bark that Link had fed to keep it alive.
“Okay I’ll heat it over the fire then. It’ll only take a minute, I hope it won’t be too long.” He said kindly and took the slate from her to pull out their meals and heat it over the fire.
As they ate, Zelda was nibbling with all the proper etiquette and table manners that had been drummed into her since childhood and she was watching in intrigue as Link did quite the opposite… Wolfing down his curry within minutes.
“L-Link, don’t you think you should slow down a bit?” She asked out of genuine concern, hoping he’d heard her between his loud chewing. “I’m afraid you’ll choke or get a stomach ache some time later.”
Link shook his head. “What’d you mean? I always eat like this…” He said quickly before turning his attention back to his food and scoffing down his meal.
“Um… Alright then. Be sure to drink plenty at least.” She said quietly to herself, doubtful that he’d be able to hear her over his obnoxious chewing.
Link had finished eating long before Zelda did. By the time she’d finished her portion, Link had fed the horses, brushed both their coats and had come to sit back down to join her by the fire.
It was then that Zelda realised, as she watched him groom their horses, what it was that caused his personality to light up so. She giggled demurely behind her hand to conceal her amusement in front of him… How adorable … She thought to herself… Urbosa was right, in more ways than one. Link was definitely not as evil as she thought he was.
“Are you full? If you are, I’ll finish it for you.” Link offered suddenly, leading Zelda to realise that she had been staring without actually eating like she was supposed to.
“Link, this is utterly delicious! When did you learn to cook such delectable food?”
Link shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess if you spend enough time in the wild, you’d figure out what tastes good and what doesn’t.”
“Wow, well. I think I’ll only be able to eat a few more bites and I will be completely stuffed. You may eat the rest of mine if you want,” She offered kindly,
“Are you sure?” Link asked, thinking that it was rather rude to be taking the Princess’ food.
“I am positive. I don’t think I could finish this as delicious as it is.”
Link hesitated for a moment, still unsure. But seeing the way Zelda smiled genuinely and held her plate out to him, he shrugged and accepted with a grateful, "Thank you."
His hands, mirroring his behaviour from earlier, picked up her plate and finished what remained within seconds. Zelda watched him. There was something about his calm, selflessness that the topic of food seemed to draw out of him. She had always known he was different, but now, she saw him in a new light—more than just the silent knight who followed orders.
Zelda couldn’t help but feel a twinge of relief. Being alone in the wilderness with something you couldn’t get through could be oppressive at times, its silence overwhelming. But now, having managed to draw Link out of his shell a little, Urbosa’s words echoed in her mind, she felt like the quiet was different—more bearable, even peaceful.
When he finished, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned back to her with that familiar look of determination in his eyes. Paired with the gentle glow of the fire burning before them, still going strong, there was something comforting in the way he met her gaze now, something warmer. Zelda suddenly felt a mix of gratitude and appreciation for him… And something else she couldn’t quite name yet.
“Thank you Link, I didn’t realise you could cook beautifully. Could I see all the other meals that you prepared for us too?” Zelda asked, stretching her arms over her head and feeling a satisfied warmth spread through her body.
Link nodded, his usual quietness filling the space between them and handing the device over to her.
She swiped through the many options with a mix of awe and shock. “Link! There are so many things here, how did you manage all of this in the morning?!” Zelda exclaimed, her mood lifting. "Well, at least I know I can count on you to cook if the need arises."
Link smiled faintly at that. It wasn’t often that Zelda saw him smile like that if ever— it was so… genuine, without the weight of duty or conflict clouding her mind, something that he knew of very well. He could finally see why Urbosa had begged him so hard to engage with her. She not only needed it to mend her mind, but to start mending her heart.
A gasp suddenly escaped Zelda’s throat, bringing Link’s attention back to the present. "Oh Link! Is that a fruitcake?!" Zelda exclaimed with so much excitement that she sprang to her knees, eyes wide at the screen.
“How on earth did you know that it was my most favourite thing in the entire kingdom?!” She cried joyfully.
Link tilted his head in confusion…
She sprang forwards, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, nearly causing Link to fall backwards as she launched herself onto him. “Thank you so much! You’re honestly not as bad as I thought at all! Urbosa was right. You really do understand me more than I ever realised! Thank you for being so thoughtful of me!” She thanked him, over and over, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
Funnily enough. Link didn’t actually remember packing a fruitcake for the trip…