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link-eats-rocks · 7 months

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Zelink Day 12: Princess

Delicate and tired; no one asked her what she thought.

Long lashes covering her lowered eyes. Glossy pink lips with just a hint of a frown.

And when each soldier who'd been given the honor stooped to kiss her gloved hand, that frown grew more pronounced.

He wasn't any different from the other young men in that long row. He wore the same royal blue uniform as the rest and his head was bowed low.

So why had she picked him out?

Why had The Princess taken such a risk?

Link rolled over in his stiff, creaky bunk bed and replayed the events of the day for the hundredth time.

Her voice was stuck in his head like a song.

"Meet me at midnight in the grotto," she'd whispered so quietly he wondered if his mind had been playing tricks, "but only if you wish." She'd squeezed his hand in emphasis. "It's not an order."

He pressed his lips to the silk fabric, feeling the heat of her skin beneath and smelling her sweet perfume.

As if taken over by a spell, he'd nodded.

Then she had moved on.

He rubbed his eyes and checked the old clock hanging on the wall in the barracks.

Maybe he'd go early...

He was definitely going. No question there.

Link held up his lantern and took in the large entrance to the grotto. One had to wind all through the garden maze to reach the mouth of this cave, cut through the cliffside that divided the palace from the roaring sea.

He hadn't been to this cave since he was a boy. He'd always thrilled at the way you could hear the waves once you reached the back of it.

Link looked up at the cloudy, starless sky. The light of the moon shone in the middle or the sky. He checked over his shoulder through the hedges of roses and trees. There was no princess in sight.

Was she already inside?

He took a deep breath and stepped off of the grass and onto stone.

It was immediately colder; a different world only a foot away from the outside. Water dripped from the ceiling into puddles and the thump of the droplets echoed against the broad, high stone walls.

The light of his lantern didn't reach the ceiling.

His heartbeat sped up with every step. The rock surrounding him turned from brown to a glittering gray the further inside he went.

Finally, he reached the heart of it. A large, turquoise pond with a patch of land at the other side of the water.

A small, ornate boat sat at the dock on the other side.

Across the water, there were lanterns illuminating the floor and pond, both shimmering. Old sconces and carvings showed the care that had once gone into keeping up this ancient jewel beneath the palace. Now, it was a secret.

Link had wondered as a child if it was just a secret for him and...

His eyes widened.

The Princess sat in the boat with her back turned to him. She was dressed so plainly and hunkered down so small he hadn't seen her at first.

She wore a maids uniform; he could recognize it easily. A long braid hung down her back. She was moving slightly, fidgeting with something.

Link sat down his lantern and placed a hand over his heart, suddenly captured by nerves so intense he wanted to run away.

"Your Highness?" The volume and the way his voice echoed made him cringe.

She looked over her shoulder and the sight of her face took his breath away. She gave him a big smile and at once he knew exactly why he was here. At least, why she'd picked him from the crowd.

"Link, you came after all." Her voice was achingly familiar and alight with childish excitement.

"Of course I did."

She picked up the paddles that were fixed at the side of the boat and she began rowing back across the pond to him. It was a short trip. She looked up at him, her green eyes gleaming amusement as the boat hit a stop against the stone ground. "Even though you didn't recognize me?"

"Princess, I..." He wasn't sure how he was going to manage conversation with this beautiful girl, gazing up at him so sweet and inviting.

She bit her lip. "You do recognize me now, though?"

He wiped his clammy hands on his shirt, suddenly feeling sharply how plain he must look in his stable-wear. It was all he had aside from his uniforms though. "Yes, I do." His voice was shaking. His face heated with embarrassment.

Her smile broadened. "Thank heavens. I was so afraid you wouldn't. Will you go across with me?" She pointed back towards the pretty side of the pond with the statues and bench.

He nodded but made no move to approach.

She waited patiently, staring at him as though she had nowhere else in the world to be.

Finally, he forced his legs to carry him forward. He stepped lightly into the boat and sat down at her side.

Just like earlier, her perfume intoxicated him. It reminded him sharply that this wasn't just any beautiful girl; this was The Princess of Hyrule.

"I'll row," he said hoarsely.

"Naturally. As is tradition."

The heat was stifling. As he picked up the oars, she leaned closer to him, brushing against his side.

Feelings, new and old overwhelmed him, but the enjoyment, the delirium of her company was taking over.

He exited the boat and held out his hand.

She hummed happily and took it.

Sparks.

Neither wore gloves now. Her bare hand against his solidified all the old, suppressed memories of his childhood playmate.

They sat together on the bench. There was a bag beside it that it seemed she'd brought with her. Before she could offer him anything, though, he found his voice.

"You were quite the trickster as a girl. I've been fooled all this time."

She laughed. "It's not my fault you couldn't recognize me in a bit of makeup, Link."

"You'd said your name was Hylia."

"Mm." She clasped her hands and closed her eyes. She bumped her shoulder to his. "Ancient ancestor of the royal family. Do you know your history?"

"No."

She giggled.

The Princess never smiled. Solemn grace was the manner she was known for.

Link wondered if anyone else saw this girlish side of her. "Besides, who would assume it was The Princess that they'd met in a cave? Plus, you dressed like a maid. You'd said you worked at the castle."

She met his eyes, feigning seriousness. "I do work at the castle. You're trying to catch me in a lie but it won't work. I couldn't exactly wear a ballgown in here either."

"That's true."

"My name is Zelda, really though. Of course you know that." She picked at the skirt of her dress, looking almost-shy for the first time that night.

"I'm not allowed to call you that, though."

She looked at him sharply, her smile vanishing. "You aren't allowed to call me anything else, Link."

"But, I—I would—."

"Please."

He swallowed hard. He couldn't possibly turn down a request from the girl in front of him, who was pouting so cutely and invading his space.

"Zelda," he whispered.

She looked as if she might faint. He thought she really might when she swayed towards him. Then her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she kissed his cheek.

He closed his eyes as his mouth watered and his face went so hot he thought he might melt.

"Thank you, Link." She dropped her head to his shoulder. "You must think me mad. I have gone mad, but...it's fresh on my mind; how we used to be. If you don't feel the same..."

He turned suddenly, nose to nose with her as her arms remained around his neck. "I do. I feel the same. You can—We—." He shook his head, trying to regain some semblance of intelligent thought. "It can be however you want it to be."

She gave him a dazed look that made him think this was all a dream and he'd wake up in the barracks cold and disappointed.

"There's a reason I asked you here out of the blue after all these years. When was the last time we came here?"

"I was ten."

"Then I was eight," she said. "Nine whole years. No wonder you didn't recognize me." She dropped her arms from him and folded her hands in her lap.

"Now that I see you up close, I don't know how I didn't."

That brought a small smile back to her lips. "The reason, after all this time...First of all, it was the only opportunity I've had in a long time. Amazing how the knights' training grounds and my area of the palace are a world away. But also, I felt desperate to see you because my father has decided it is time for me to make a marriage of strategic benefit to the land."

"Oh." Strange, how he'd been with her under an hour, after 9 years, yet his heart was already sinking at the thought of her with someone else.

"Link, do you have a family?"

The question caught him off guard. "My father was a knight before me."

Zelda nodded for him to go on as she reached for her bag.

"But he has passed away. My little sister and grandmother live on the other side of the sea."

It seemed he'd given a good answer. As Zelda sat the bag in her lap, she perked up, grinning at him again. Her face even flushed. "Really? On the other continent?"

"Yes, indeed."

"Have you been there?"

He shook his head. "My father saved up money and moved them there before he died. It was safer at the time."

"It's still safer," she said.

He couldn't have said it, but it was true.

Tensions between Rhoam and the Gerudo's leader, Ganondorf, were high. There could be a war any moment, and it had been that way for years.

"Hmm," Zelda said. "Are you hungry?"

He was always hungry. Soldiers rations were pitiful. "Um."

Zelda nodded decisively, as if he'd actually answered, and she unwrapped a baguette and block of cheese from her bag.

"Oh wow," he said excitedly.

Then she got out a a neatly-wrapped brand new hunk of meat.

Link looked at her in amazement and she giggled.

"There's more," she said, elbowing him teasingly. The last thing in the contents of the bag: a bottle of wine.

"Are you sure?"

"It's very old and expensive," she said. "Will you open it?"

Link was thrilled. This would go down in history as the best night of his life. He was eating food from the actual royal palace kitchen and drinking fine wine with the most gorgeous girl in the entire world.

He retrieved his knife from his pocket and popped the cork out of the bottle like he'd been practicing his whole life (although he'd never done it before).

Zelda clapped. "I didn't bring any dishes or silverware so we'll just have to eat and drink like savages."

"Fine by me," he chuckled.

For awhile, they ate and drank in silence.

Maybe Link shouldn't have taken her permission to eat like a savage so literally but he couldn't help it. The meat and cheese and bread were so beyond delicious and normally he didn't get to drink anything but water. In fact, he couldn't recall the last time he'd drank.

Maybe twice with his father. He had no clue how much or at what pace was acceptable but from the amused look on Zelda’s face, he got the feeling he wasn't doing this quite right.

Still, he was sharing and she seemed to be having her fill so it shouldn't matter.

"I hope you won't be sick," she said as Link was slowing down.

"I'm sorry, Princ—Zelda. I haven't had a proper meal in awhile."

She took the wine bottle and held it up to the lantern light. She swished the remainder around and laughed. "You're going to be sick. I'd better finish it off so you won't be alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you didn't drink all this on your own, I suppose." She pressed the back of her hand to her red cheek and clicked her tongue. "Perhaps I should've brought water."

"I have water all the time," he said, annoyed at the mere idea of it.

Zelda polished it off with a wince and set it aside, then packed away the little of the food that was left.

She rested her head on his shoulder and hooked her arm in his. The warmth and her weight against him made Link dizzyingly sleepy. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall.

"Link?"

"Yeah, Zelda?"

"Remember how I said the otherrr reason I wan'ed to see you was because Rhoam wants to marry me off?"

She called her father by his first name. That figured. He didn't seem like a great guy.

"Yeah."

"How would you feel, an' be honest, about going to see your grandma and sister...with me?"

"You're going to see my grandma and sister?" He felt funny, half asleep but not sleepy.

She laughed and nuzzled against his shoulder.

It made his stomach flutter.

"If you take me to meet them. It feels like fate that you have family far away in a safer country, one where I'd never be found." She paused and sat up, making Link lose his balance.

He caught himself by taking hold of her arms.

She put her hands on his face in return. "Pay attention. I'm serious. Run away with me. We'll sneak onto a boat. I'll sell my jewelry and we'd-hic-have plenty to live off of. And we'll find your fam'ly and I'll be a regular girl."

Link blinked at the three Zeldas in front of him. "That's crazy," he whispered.

Her lip trembled and she nodded agreement. "It's okay. It was just an idea. Because I don't want to get married."

"We've already snuck away tonight. And you're dressed like a commoner. We could leave right now."

Zelda’s eyes welled. "I was hoping you'd say that. Look." She held up the bag for him to see inside. At the bottom was a pile of luminous gemstones wound in gold; rings, necklaces, bracelets, broaches, hairpins.

"You planned it already," he breathed.

"Mm. I thought tonight, I'd either see you one last time or...you might join me."

"Zelda."

"I don’t want to be a princess. I don't want to live under my father’s rule. I don't want to be in this country. It's selfish..."

He traced a hand through her hair, tucking a curl behind her ear. All of his nerves from earlier were washed away with the wine. "Who would he have had you marry?"

Her eyes welled with tears and she looked away. It took her a long time to answer. "Ganondorf."

The name sobered him, at least a little. He shook his head. "No. No, Zelda." He kissed her cheek. "No." Her forehead. "No." Her temple. "No." He trailed down her face in kisses while she cried. "No, no, no, no, no."

Holding her face in his hands he leaned back and tilted her chin up. "I'm taking you away. Far away."

She exhaled a laughed through her soft cries. "My hero."

"Let's go." He took her hand.

That stopped her crying. She looked at him with wide eyes and a grin. "Let's sleep awhile and then go. I'm a bit dizzy. Aren't you?"

He'd forgotten that he was; he was so overcome by the need to protect her.

She closed her eyes. "Just for a little while. No one will find us here."

"No one will find us," he confirmed, his meaning more broad and final.

She sighed and her shoulders slackened. "I'm so happy."

"We'll run for the harbor, first thing."

She hugged her arms around his waist. They were nearly the same height, but she sunk down until her head was against his chest. "Thank you, Link. You are saving my life."

He really was falling asleep this time, so drowsy that the stone backrest and seat were comfortable. "I'll be glad to see my sister."

She squeezed him tighter and he ran his hands up and down her back. "We'll have fun."

"More fun than when we were kids."

She laughed against him, sounding close to sleep. "Even more. We'll be free. No more Princess."

"No more Princess."

#legend of zelda #zelink #zelink au #royalty au #princess zelda #link x zelda #link loz #linktober #linktober day 12 #princess #linkeatsrockswrites #this really got away from me #i have no idea what its supposed to mean #just pointless fluff i guess

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