Chapter Six

As soon as she walked into her study, Zelda noticed the large pile of letters covering her desk. She had only been gone for just over a week and it looked as if she had neglected to read her letters for months.

She sat down at her desk and tore one open, reading its contents. Of course, it was a marriage proposal, but it also sounded somewhat threatening. It was different, yes, but not in a good way.

"I heard about what happened." Malyna entered without even knocking. She froze and her jaw nearly fell to the floor. She screamed in horror.

Alarmed, Zelda turned in her chair to face her. "What? What's wrong?"

"What in Hylia's grand creation happened to your hair?!" Malyna stormed over and prodded at her golden locks. "It's... it's horrible!"

"No, Malyna, it's not that bad–"

"This will not do!" With both hands, she forced Zelda to look straight ahead. "I don't know how I am going to fix this, but don't worry, princess, I will get you looking beautiful in no time!"

Although her words stung a little, she knew what her handmaiden was trying to say. It was a little shocking to walk in and see the crowned princess's hair, which had draped down her back all her life, suddenly gone, all that was left was a hack job in its place.

"Don't worry about it too much–"

"Nonsense!" She waved her hand and pulled her hair away from her face. "How did this happen? Did someone come to you and cut it off in your sleep? If it was that knight of yours, so help me–"

"I cut it off myself," Zelda winced as her hair was pulled.

"Right, and I'm the Gerudo Champion."

"Seriously, Malyna. I cut off my own hair." Saying it out loud gave her the same thrill as if she were staring at herself in the mirror with the Master Sword in her hand.

Her handmaiden froze. "Princess... are you trying to pull my leg?"

Zelda laughed. "No! I'm not! I'm being completely serious. I used a mirror and scissors to cut off my own hair."

Malyna grumbled and tugged back on the locks that were usually in her eyes. Zelda smiled wearily, fearing that she had done the wrong thing by telling her a half-truth.

"I can't believe you just... You cut off your hair, princess! It is truly unforgivable! With hair as golden as yours... To think you would..."

"Well, I like it, Malyna." Zelda blushed, recalling the way Link had looked at her when he had first saw. He looked at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "It suits me."

She gasped as her handmaiden tugged on some of her hair, sending a sharp pain through her scalp.

Malyna grunted. "Well, I hope you know that the court is going to be in an absolute fit when they see it so short!"

"I don't care what they think as long as I like it."

A silence fell between them until Malyna finally breathed a defeated sigh. She grabbed a blue barrette from the desk and clipped it into Zelda's hair, keeping one of the small braids in place. Her fingers combed through her hair as she separated three pieces to be used in the next braid.

Zelda reached for a letter and tore it open. For as long as she was going to be sitting there, she might as well get some work done at the same time.

"There you are, princess." Malyna stepped in front and held her chin between her fingers. Her gaze softened. "You look beautiful."

She smiled. "Thank you."

Pressing her lips together, her nursemaid took a step back. "Is there anything else you need from me while I'm here, princess?"

"No, not at the moment."

"Okay, then I will leave you to it." Her handmaiden adjusted one of the braids, tugging on it before she bowed and left.

Zelda reached for another letter. Again, another proposal.

"Zelda?"

"Link," she said once he entered. "I think someone is trying to threaten me into marrying them."

"What? Who?"

Zelda's eyes searched everywhere on the page for a name then scoffed when she didn't find one. "I don't know."

"He didn't sign it?" He slipped the letter out of her hand and read it for himself. "Oh, brother..."

"Now you see what I'm dealing with." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his gaze to her immediately. "It's quite exhausting."

"Have you... considered any of them?" He examined the letter one more time before tossing it onto her desk. Link wrapped his arms around her. "To be able to choose out of a pile like that..."

"I've already burned quite a few of them, but, to be honest, none of them really stand out to me." Zelda rolled her eyes and pulled away, reaching for another letter in the stack, "They all sound the same."

She handed more papers to him to read. Slowly, she smiled, finding his reaction to the words that made her cringe completely amusing. Again he tossed the papers aside and stepped towards her, wrapping her in his arms.

"Zelda," he murmured. "You are strong in ways that I never could be."

Slightly confused, but appreciative of his words, she laughed lightly. "Thank you."

While looking into his eyes, she noticed a white powder that had been smudged over his brow. Zelda giggled and pulled herself away to retrieve her handkerchief. She returned into his arms and gently wiped at his brow.

"Have you actually taken my advice and found yourself a hobby?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck, "Turns out the kitchen needed some help with the dough for tomorrow's cinnamon rolls."

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Once his brow had been wiped clean, she crumpled the fabric in her palm and wrapped her arm back around him.

"I did."

Zelda grinned. "I'm glad. Now you will have to make something for me sometime."

"Any suggestions?"

"Fruitcake," she replied almost immediately. It had always been one of her favourite foods because her mother used to request it on her behalf when she was still a child. "Fruitcake would be nice."

The smile on his face was soft as he gazed at her with love in his eyes. He pulled her closer and took her hand in his, linking their fingers together.

Zelda looked down at their hands, surprised to feel that there was no fabric keeping their skin from touching. He had taken the bandages off of his hands, exposing them to fresh air.

"You took off the bandages..." She lifted his hand and examined his palm. The blisters were not there anymore, but the callouses of his hands had grown harder. Zelda grazed her thumb over the center of his palm, pleasantly surprised to feel how soft his skin was. "They healed up quite nicely."

"While you were resting, the Zora would clean and bandage them regularly."

"So... you are no longer in pain when you swing your sword, I hope."

He shook his head. "No more pain."

Her breath released quietly, relieved. If he had still been in pain, something even worse would have been going on, something within the inner workings of his hands. Zelda moved her hand and pushed up his sleeve until his forearm was exposed.

"Your arm is purple."

Link nodded after flinching. "Shock arrow to the arm."

Zelda recalled the time she had caught him dipping his arm into the water of Zora River. His arm had turned black in a singular spot as if he had been seriously burned by something. Adding this confirmation, she concluded that he had been hit by a shock arrow as they fled the woods.

"Don't worry," he quickly added, resting his hand on her cheek. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Silently, she nodded and leaned into his touch. It felt nice finally feeling his palm against her skin. Unable to help herself, she turned her head and pressed her lips against his palm. Link's fingers twitched.

"From now on, I want to be able to help you. I won't allow you to suffer in silence anymore." Zelda linked her fingers with his. "We are all each other have left and I do not want to jeopardize that. I don't want to risk your life any more than I already have. So, at least let me be a good friend to you and let me help you."

His eyes seemed unable to choose where to look, flicking down to her lips, to their hands, and back to her eyes again. Link's hand squeezed hers before he leaned forward and kissed her.

Eyes shut tight, she tried to ignore how they stung with tears. She hoped that he understood what she was trying to say because she meant it. After the numerous scares they had both experienced over the past week and a half, he needed to know that she was willing to help him if he needed it. After all that he had done for her over the past couple of months, not including what he had done for her during the Calamity, she wanted to do everything in her power to make him feel like he was important too. Because he was. Link was important to her, dearly important to her.

Zelda pulled him closer by the waist and kissed him harder until she could no longer breathe. Her lungs burned, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away.

Goosebumps rolling over her skin, she instinctively pulled away. His fingers brushed the small of her back, just barely touching the bandages that covered the wound she had received from a lynel sword.

Carefully, he touched the bandage, his fingers grazing higher up her back.

Her heart pounded and her breath trembled.

Because of all the care that she had received at Zora's Domain almost immediately after the incident, her back had been healing much faster than expected. It had begun the process of scabbing over, which wasn't pretty, but it also meant that it didn't hurt much anymore which is why he was able to touch her bandages without–

Zelda winced and Link quickly pulled his hand away.

"Sorry..." He said, removing his hand. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"No, it's okay. It didn't hurt that badly." She smiled to reassure him, "It's a little tender, that's all."

The worry in his brows eased and he gently pulled her into his arms, holding her close. Zelda sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, finding extreme comfort in him. In everything about him. The sound of his heart beating strong in his chest, the heat of his body as it pressed against hers, his breath that touched her neck, and the gentle touch of his hand as he stroked her hair and held her head closer. He was alive and well and there was no danger within the immediate vicinity that was going to change that.

Or so she thought.

Zelda hesitantly pulled herself out of his arms, feeling the life drain from her bones almost instantly as she went to answer the door herself.

Malyna was standing on the other side, clutching a letter to her chest. Her eyes looked somewhere behind Zelda before giving her a look. It wasn't of disapproval, but of encouragement.

"A letter, princess. It arrived not long ago."

"Oh?" She took it. "Who was the sender?"

"The Zora Prince."

Zelda's eyes widened and she read the front of the letter. It was addressed to both herself and Link. Immediately, she couldn't help but think the worse.

"Has something happened with the Divine Beast?"

"I'm not sure, I wasn't told anything except to give it to you." Malyna glanced over Zelda's shoulder and gave her a knowing smile. "If that is all you need me for, princess, I will dismiss myself."

She looked away, blushing. "Yes, that's all. Thank you, Malyna."

After giving her a small bow, she left.

Zelda shut the door and hastily tore the letter open.

"Zelda? What is it?"

She quickly unfolded the letter, unable to stop her hands from shaking. Her heart was pounding as she began to read the first line.

"Princess Zelda and the Champion Link, it is I, Prince Sidon who am writing to you to thank you. After I had heard no response from you both for a while, I had worried that my letter was unable to reach you and that it would not reach you in time before something truly catastrophic occurred with the Divine Beast. But, just as I was about to head off to Hyrule Castle myself, I was informed that you had been spotted making your way to the Domain. How ecstatic I was when I heard!

Regardless, I wish to thank you for assisting us. The Divine Beast Vah Ruta has been operating as usual and has prevented any further monsters from wandering near the Domain. So, on behalf of my father, King Dorephin, and the rest of the Zora, I thank you.

If there is anything else you need us to assist you with in turn, write to me and I will relay the request to my father. Our soldiers, resources, and waterways are yours to use whenever you please.

I wish you both well and much happiness in the future.

Prince Sidon of the Zora."

Zelda smiled, pleased. Somehow, she had managed to recruit the Zora's help for anything they may face in Hyrule's future. That alone brought her so much peace that she felt the worry lift itself off of her shoulders.

"See, Zelda?" She turned her head to Link who had been reading the letter from over her shoulder. He was smiling. "You don't have to worry. Now, if the time ever comes where Hyrule has to engage in war, Hylians and Zora will be fighting side by side for their home."

"Oh, Link... I'm so relieved!" Zelda threw her arms around his neck. "I don't even know what I did!"

"You helped them in a time of need," he replied. "You have such a compassionate heart that you willingly dropped everything that you had to do around here to help them."

Blushing, she avoided his gaze. "I couldn't just sit back and watch the people suffer."

"Again, you have such a compassionate heart. You're a princess who loves her people and is willing to protect them no matter the cost."

"I learn from the best." Zelda pecked his lips. "Do you think I should respond to Sidon's letter? To make sure that he knows I received it?"

"Don't do it right now," he replied. "It can wait until the morning."

She met his gaze and found love on the surface of his eyes, leaving him exposed and vulnerable. His armor had come off, and the man in front of her was truly Link.

Stealing Zelda in his arms, he kissed her softly with a passion that made the butterflies flutter restlessly in her stomach and her knees wobble with weakness.

~ END