#ch.28

When they got to the clearing, Zelda climbed down of her horse and ordered her guards to stay there. Link followed her actions and gave a small glance to the guards before going to her - one of the guards was talking to the other about a new pastry shop in Castle Town while the other made a disgusted face and started to talk about an anecdote about him and an expired cake.

Zelda was walking down the hill, Link left Epona in between the guards and them - though the guards were already looking the other way, looking distracted and comfortable. Zelda was waiting for him midway, "You can relax, they are trusworthy, I handpicked them myself."

"I thought-"

"You have done a great deal to improve your public image," too much, for some, they argued Link was doing so only to fix people's opinions of him, "they like you," Zelda made a head gesture to the guards, "one of them offered himself because you helped his niece."

Link looked back to the men but only nodded, "I see."

"People are starting to believe you are just nice."

"Is that good?"

Zelda kept on walking towards the bottom, "The common folk are starting to see you as one of them, so I think it is."

Which was true, Link remembered, people were seeking him out, "I wasn't doing it to- you know, make them like me. It's just..."

"You've been having too much time to think?"

Zelda took off her shoes and walked to the shore of the lake. Link stood away.

"Yes. What about you? Feeling better?"

The water was gleaming with so many colors Zelda was mesmerized for a second. "I've been thinking a lot, too. But no, I don't think I'm feeling better." Zelda looked up, "Afraid of the water?"

Link snorted before kicking his boots off, "I'm trusting you won't push me to the water."

Zelda feigned horror, when Link took a step into the water Zelda said, "You know, my offer still stands."

Link sucked in a breath, the water bit his skin, "It's cold," he complained.

Zelda looked down to her own feet, "Really?"

Link walked around, feeling the ground beneath, "What offer are we talking about?"

Zelda twirled to follow Link's movements, "Not an offer, if I think about it... just- the thing I told you about-" Link was focused on a submerged flower, "I want you with me." Link looked up immediatly, "I want you to be near me, but-"

Link frowned, "But?"

"I can't help but feel that people are just doing things because they think I'm ordering them to. I mean, sometimes I do give orders, I have to, but there are times were I want people to do things, but they are free to tell me no, you know? Even if it would make me happy for you to come back, you don't have to. You are free to tell me no, you are aware of that, right?"

Link felt a sigh leave him, Zelda was grabbing her skirts too tightly, "You do know that I know that, right?"

Zelda shook her head, "It's just-"

Link sat on the shore, he let his legs stretch into the water. His pants were starting to get wet, "Do you know how my life would've played out if nothing of this would've ever happened?"

Zelda let go of her skirt, the hem floated around her, it was getting wet but she seemed not to care, "You wouldn't have met me," she started.

"Actually, no," Zelda had a slight smile on her face, as if she was expecting Link to tell a blatant lie to help her cope, "I was ordered to bring a sword to you from Ordon as a tribute, sure, we'd have just seen each other that one time, but maybe I'd have gotten into trouble and you'd have helped me."

Zelda nodded, "That sounds about right, yes."

Link snickered, Zelda gave a step towards him, the water made ripples that touched him. "I would have been a farm hand for the rest of my life, I would have never left my village for too long and I believe eventually I'd have gotten married to Illia and settled down there."

Zelda remained silent.

"I think..." Link looked at his hands, fingers buried under the sand, "I think I loved her," Link looked up at Zelda, "not like I don't now, but before-"

"You saw a future with her. Romantically."

Link shrugged and smiled, "Yup."

Zelda didn't dare move in fear Link would stop talking. But Link was fixated on the sand, so Zelda prodded. "And now?"

"I feel weird, Zelda, I feel like I'm an imposter, I feel like I've robbed Illia of her Link." Zelda hugged herself. "And Uli," Link's voice was angry, "And the kids, and the village, really. Everything I was-"

"You still are," Zelda kneeled next to Link, his eyes were clear, haunted.

Link grabbed his chest and snarled, "But under so many layers of fucking dirt. If I spend enough time with them they'll see right through me, and-"

Zelda could feel her own heart being squeezed, Link started to breathe with strenght and he saw no exit to any of his feelings so she grabbed his head and let it rest on her shoulder, "You can't have that," Link grabbed her arm and nodded.

"I'm terrified they'll hate me." Link could still see the flower from here, it swayed with the breeze, "And it disgusts me when they smile at me. And yet-"

"It would kill you if they left you."

Link let out a a huff, felt his tears down his cheeks, "So it's the same with you?"

Zelda shrugged, "Pretty much. Oh, and hey, you can always come to me when you feel like this, we can be partners in crying."

Link laughed and moved his head to look at Zelda, her eyes were red, "Yeah, that's great because General Tim already asked me to come train his soldiers, I asked him if he had talked with you already but he waved me off."

"Looks like he's sure I'll take you in."

"Yeah, crazy."

Zelda cleaned Link's tears off his cheek, "Yup, crazy."

Zelda's hand was returning to her lap when Link took it, "Hey, do you think- Do you think you could go back to Ordon with me? Sometime? Like, I wouldn't mind waiting months, even."

Zelda felt Link tremblings, the way his eyes were still but nervous, the way he held his breathing. "That would be lovely, don't you think?"

Link cocked his head and gave a boyish smile, "More than lovely, you'll have a great time, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that." Link held her gaze and then let himself fall back with his arms stretched. Zelda remained kneeled.

"Hey, now that we are in honesty time, do you think you could hear a story of mine?"

Link turned to her, "Of course."

Zelda breathed in and steeled herself, "I take it you understand that this will be personal and you can't, under any circumstance, talk about this with other people."

Link nodded, "I swear."

Zelda cleaned her throat, looked up to the horses, "Well, this story is about a girl who wanted to be Queen, desperately so."

Link smiled, "Sounds familiar."

Zelda bit her lip, "The girl didn't really know why she wanted to become one, she just knew she had to, everyone talked about it and her father talked about anything but that, so, you know-"

"Yeah, I know how it goes."

"Eventually the girl hurt one of her very dear friends. You see, she was buddies with two commoners, and that is a big no no for a future Queen, so her father had one of them exiled to teach her a lesson, and, well, the girl did nothing." Zelda looked at Link, "He was a child," as if asking for Link to blame her, too.

"So were you."

Zelda pouted and lay next to him, her stomach to the ground, "It doesn't excuse me, though, I could have said something. Anything."

"Well, it's quite difficult to say no to a parent, right? I'd say that doubles, at least, when your father is also the king."

Zelda sniffled and nodded, "You could say that."

Link turned to his side, "Your friend..."

"It's William, good ol' William." Zelda wiped away a tear, and then sighed with drama, "You know, I think I loved him, too."

Link cushioned his head with his arm and waited for Zelda to continue, but she only looked at the grass in front of her, "And then?" Link asked.

"He went on with his life, studied a lot. I remained at the Castle, kept on pressing so I could become Queen someday. But someday never came, William came back with a vengueance, or so he said, but it only took him a couple of days to feel sorry for me, my father died a year later, my dream to become Queen just became farther away, and then the invasion happened and I-" Zelda shook her head with disgust, "I just can't find it in me to steel through anything. Why? What for? I don't really want to be Queen... I think."

Link snickered, "I'm sorry for that."

Zelda gave him a really big shrugh, "Can't complain, I'm still Princess and I'm coddled and loved," Zelda raised a finger to add, "Mostly, so, you know, I'll get through this." Zelda grumbled and closed her eyes with pain, "I wish I could just go with you to Ordon for a weekend, at least."

Link sit like lighting, "You want to? I could kidnap you."

Zelda laughed and slapped his arm, "Yeah, and you would become the most wanted in all of Hyrule."

Link gave her a soft smile, "It'd be worth it."

Zelda forgot how to breathe for a second. Link opened his mouth and Zelda, too, sit like lighting, "You know, I have a gift for you."

Link cocked his head.

"Since you won't be here for your birthday, I'm giving it now."

Link was embarrased, "You didn't have to."

"Of course I had," Zelda rummaged through her skirts and took out a green handkerchief.

Link took it with care, as Zelda was handling it the same way, and looked at her.

"You can open it whenever-" Zelda started, but Link interrumped her and looked inside.

A gleaming, reflective piece of a mirror, Link could feel the edges against his skin, still sharp enough to cut, "Thank you," Link breathed.

"It's nothing."

Link could see his reflection on it, could see little carvings with symbols he didn't understand, he broke into a smile, "You think if I whisper into it I could bother Midna enough to make her come back?"

Zelda snorted, "If you try hard enough."

Before they went back, while Zelda walked in front of him, before Link could feel the atmosphere leave them both, he stopped and asked for Zelda's attention.

"I know I already received a gift, and I really liked it, but, can I ask for one more?"

Zelda turned and nodded, "Of course. Anything."

Anything. Link felt a shiver run down his spine. "A hug."

Zelda gave a step to him, "Excuse me? I didn't get-"

"A hug," Link repeated, he wasn't looking at Zelda, "and you know you can say no, right?"

Zelda was blushing, but she walked to him and nodded, "Of course you can."

Link was in line with her neck, and before he could say anything to make him feel less suffocated, Zelda rounded her arms through his torso and let her head fall into his shoulder. Link felt a fire on his face, but his hands found each other in Zelda's back and rested his forehead on her shoulder.