#ch.17

"It's all right, Link, don't be flustered," Zelda had the same warm smile she had donned when he had left. She motioned to a chair, "Do you want to take a seat?"

"Only if you are."

Zelda bit her lip and thought about being with him alone in a room, "How about a walk, then? I have been sitting for far too long, I think."

Link nodded, fighting with the little voice that kept on telling him he was not enough for a princess, especially not for this one.

Zelda got close to him, Link's hair reflected the light that came from the window, his face was open in interest and he was...

Link smirked and looked up, "I had forgotten you were taller than me."

"Only because of the heels," Zelda looked straight to the door, felt Link's presence behind her.

"Still," he continued, "Pretty sure you're taller than me."

Zelda opened the door, frowned, what did it matter whether she was taller or not?

"But I'm still growing," Link said as he passed her by, "just wait a bit."

Zelda blushed and looked at him, he was smiling so hard his face was scrunched up, "Link-!" outside, Ashei was smirking and William had his eyes open like saucers. Link stopped dead in his tracks and tried to control his face.

Zelda was following Link in an attempt to catch him. But Ashei and William were there and Zelda could only blurt out, "We're going for a walk!" She grabbed Link's arm and moved him down the hallway.

William was about to follow them when Ashei grabbed him, "Why don't we go for a walk, too?"

William wanted to ask Zelda too many questions but he couldn't shake Ashei's hand off his arm. He saw as Link and Zelda left whispering to each other.

"What the fuck?"

Ashei guffawed at his question.

Link thought about excusing himself, he had done it in the spur of the moment, maybe he had overstepped... Zelda grabbed his arm and squeezed. Link prepared himself to be told off, but she brought her head to his face and tried to stiffle her laughter with her hand.

"You are too much."

"Sorry not sorry," he excused himself. Zelda regained control and Link felt the need to put a reason behind such actions, "I didn't really think about that, I'm sorry. I used to do that all the time with Midna."

Zelda shook his head, "I know."

"Right," Link remembered Midna's terrified face as she realized Princess Zelda had disappeared, "you were inside her."

"I wasn't there, there," Zelda tried to explain, "I could feel things, I could see things, but it was weird, like I was there and also not."

Zelda was taking him through the hallways, the night was starting to show and the walls in the castle, now more than ever, resembled the times it had been casted in twilight.

Zelda couldn't keep on explaining and she tried to make do with a slight squeeze on Link's arm, "It was weird."

"I've always wondered..." Link stopped in front of a window, a beautiful garden could be seen from there, "When you gave away your light, did you know you were going to get it back?"

Link's eyes resembled now the one's from his beast form, maybe the lights gave him a sharper look, maybe his stance was more feral now, maybe now he resembled the warrior she knew he was rather than the boy she had known first. And Zelda remained silent.

"So you gave away your life that time, huh."

Zelda pointed through the window, "See that garden? It's my favorite. Its real name is the Garden of Farore, since a statue of said Goddess graces its fountain, I've always been torn between that one and the Garden of Nayru, since she is my patron Goddess, but I've always felt more inclined towards this one. Can you guess why?"

Link nodded, "But I don't want to say it."

Zelda saw Link walk away a few steps, he turned around, "Won't you show me your garden?"

Zelda felt her hands tremble, "It's not fair, you know?" Link felt steady to her confused mind, "It's really not fair how you seem to read my mind."

Link huffed, "Zelda, you are not that difficult to read."

And Zelda didn't feel that sentence as the mocking indictment it always was.

Zelda walked to him and Link grabbed her hand, put it on the crook of his elbow, "Also, you have every ounce of Courage you think you lack."

Zelda pouted and shoved Link's shoulder, "Stop it."

Link snickered but kept on walking, the sound of the fountain reached his ear and now he could lead the way, "You make it easy," he whispered.

Zelda tried to fight the urge to push Link away. Away from her and the castle, the nobles and everything wrong with this place. Link kept on walking, his steps sure and his hold soft. When they were in front of the statue, he said "It really is beautiful."

The fountain drowned the conversation and Zelda glanced around to make sure no guards were nearby. Link noticed and stepped closer to the fountain, as if he only was entranced by its beauty.

"Link," Zelda looked straight at Farore, asked for her Courage, "I was almost glad when our letters couldn't reach each other, I think I was too high on winning and saving everyone to remember what it would mean to bring you here. People here are not nice, people here are not noble and just. Not like you. They use each other and betray each other, and... I've done those things, too."

Link sat on the edge of the fountain. Zelda had her hands in front of her lap, her eyes glued to the Goddess' statue. And there was something about Zelda's need of confidence to face him that made Link call out to her, "Zelda."

Her eyes trailed his face, his chest, and they settled on his shoes. 'Don't be scared'. "You know," Link fought the fear that was surrounding him, 'Farore give me strenght', he had been waiting for this. He had been waiting for this. "I've been having nightmares since the day we came back from the Arbiter's grounds," Zelda nodded, her eyes still glued to Link's shoes, Link's sweaty face and white knuckles coming back to her, "I tried to stop them, you know, but nothing's worked," Link sighed, Uli's warm hand caressing his own, "Nothing." Link breathed in and the air came in easier, and Zelda was near and he felt calmer, and, "Zelda," and she finally looked at him, "Things... things become easier when I'm with you."

Zelda felt her burdens pile up, the Kingdom, the people, the future, and now... now this boy's well-being?

... ... ...

Link stood, "It's getting late," he motioned towards an angry-looking guard, "and I doubt he'll invite me for tea," Link frowned at her silence, but didn't pry further, "Am I allowed to escort you to your quarters?"

Zelda took his arm in silence, and they moved through the hallways in silence, and Link was only following her at this point because he had no idea where he was. And Zelda remained silent, because she was trying to understand... to understand why in Hylia's name she loathed whenever someone placed their burdens on her and with Link...

"Have a good night, Princess," Link's tongue struggled with her title, Zelda opened her door and Link waited for her to close it on his face, he had no idea how he was going back to his own quarters, but at the moment that was the least of his worries. Zelda had a blank expression and when she turned she bit her lip. And she didn't close her door.

... Link could ask her to bear the world on her shoulders and she would gladly do it, really.

And she had to tell him. Zelda looked up and Link's face was tinged with worry. 'No'.

"Link," she whispered, because this felt more like a secret than anything, "Link," and Link stepped closer and Zelda grabbed his hand, "You make things easier for me, too."

Link's face lighted up and Zelda felt the corner's of her mouth rise.

"Ze-"

Two coughs, "Sir Link," a guard called, "may I escort you to your quarters?"

Zelda let go of Link's hand, stepped back three steps and covered her mouth with her hand, Link looked at her. Zelda waved, her eyes crinkled, "Goodnight."

Link stepped inside her room, the guard grabbed his spear and walked with decision. "Have a good night, your Majesty," Link grabbed the knob of her door and closed her room.

"Thank you so much for taking me back to my room," Link said.

The guard opened his mouth and closed it, "Yes, sir."