#miphlink week

“Link?” she offered quietly, and despite how soft spoken she usually was, she was surprised at how quiet her voice sounded.

The figure walked into the corridor where she had hidden, and the lights made him glow as she did. Link looked ethereal all of a sudden, his skin sapped of all its warmth, and Mipha found herself staring longer than she should have. She looked away. Link wouldn’t speak anyway, and she was… well, it didn’t matter. It was rude to ignore him like this.

“Link, I’m sorry, but I have to go look after my troops,” Mipha said softly, turning, when a hand stopped her by her shoulder.

“You’re tired.”

The Zora princess glanced up and over at the Hylian, surprised he’d spoken. His voice was nearly as soft as hers, so unused as it was. She gave a reassuring smile. “I’m okay, Link. I need to heal them.”

“Mipha. You… you have to learn when to stop. When to say no.”

Mipha blinked. Stared. That feeling of wanting to burst out of her own skin intensified. She swallowed, trying to keep her heart rate steady. “I can’t not help them. They’re in pain.”

“You were healing them before. I saw you. You almost passed out. You had to walk away. There are other healers there now. The infirmary is almost empty.”

Mipha felt a fire start to burn within her. It didn’t matter that there were other healers. “I want to help everyone, Link.”

“But you can’t if you’re exhausted.”

“Link, I—what if—I have to be able to help, what good am I if I cannot?”

And oh, the words slipped out faster than she ever intended, they burned as they escaped her lips, easily passing through her teeth like water. Mipha immediately felt her cheeks scald in embarrassment, and she hastily looked away. What sort of a question was that, anyway? How could she ask such a humiliating thing to anyone, let alone someone who gave so much to others? Link was the Hero of Hyrule, the princess’ personal appointed knight, the Hylian Champion, chosen by the goddesses themselves. How could she ever even admit such a thought to someone who gave all the time? What if he assumed she thought he was useless if he wasn’t constantly helping? She felt awful, she wanted so badly to take it back, she—

Link took her hands gently, oh so gently, almost in such a manner that she didn’t notice within her spiraling thoughts until she felt his warm thumbs trace carefully across her knuckles. She carefully looked at his calloused hands, tracing up his damaged bracers (when had they gotten so many chips and chinks in them?), his strong arms, and to his face. He watched her with a softness he didn’t often display, brow furrowed in concern.

“You’re not…” Link said before stopping and swallowing, clearly looking for the right words as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. His hold on her was steady, though. “You’re… you’re Mipha. You’re Princess of the Zora. Champion of the Zora. You’re… kind and gentle and beautiful. Why would you ask such a thing?”

Mipha was caught in a whirlpool of emotions, words trapped in her throat alongside any air she could breathe. Link’s words were simple, beautifully simple and too simple all at once, speaking to her more than any grandiose speech and tearing her down. She wanted nothing but to hear him say it again, and she shoved that thought down as vehemently as possible. It was so selfish of her to wish for such a thing. But… she appreciated it nonetheless.

But half the things he said were what was wrong, wasn’t it? She was a princess, a champion. Everyone relied on her. It was a privilege, it truly was. But…

But what?

“Please,” Link continued. “Take care of yourself tonight.”

“My people need me, Link,” Mipha tried to argue. She gave a small smile, squeezing his hands as her heart raced. “I’ll be quite alright. I promise.”

Link didn’t offer any other counterattack, letting her slip her fingers out of his. It felt wrong to just walk away from him like that. But she had a duty to do. They both did. It was what drove them forward.

It was what kept them apart.

Well. Maybe other things kept them apart. Maybe Link didn’t like her the way she liked him. But that didn’t matter either. Whether he shared her feelings or not, she’d still always love him and protect him. But tonight he didn’t need protecting – her people did.

Wait, why was the world spinning?

The Zora princess found herself eating her words in a short span of time, gasping as she stumbled and nearly toppled over. Steady hands caught her, guiding her to the ground as she blinked profusely and tried to figure out what had just happened. She felt impossibly heavy.

“Mipha,” Link’s voice said above her, his breath tickling her forehead. He sounded concerned, and it was an unfamiliar thing to hear coated in his soft voice. “You need to rest.”

“Oh,” Mipha said breathlessly. She wasn’t sure at this point if her world was spinning because she’d nearly passed out from exhaustion or because she was cradled in Link’s arms. Either way, it was entirely too warm all of a sudden. When the world shifted yet again, strangely heavy and light all at once, and a heartbeat began to thrum softly against the side of her head, Mipha grew alarmed. “Oh! L-Link, I’m—I promise I—”

Well, she couldn’t exactly promise anything at this point; she’d promised she was fine when she clearly wasn’t. But it—she—

She honestly didn’t know why she was arguing anymore. Link’s silence spoke volumes, and her actions spoke even more. She was in no condition to try and heal anyone. Mipha huddled into Link’s hold, feeling ashamed.

“Link, you found her! Great! Bazz’s dad is on guard duty, but I can distract him so you two can get in.”

Was that Rivan? Mipha’s mind screamed to try and get up and insist she was fine, but her weariness won out, and instead she just tried to bury herself further into her friend’s chest and disappear from the world.

The world moved around her as Link walked ahead, seemingly sneaking into the palace.

“This is so silly,” Mipha muttered pathetically, feeling tears to start sting in her eyes. Then her heart froze a second as she realized something. “Link, wait! Please, don’t take me to the sleeping pools, I don’t want to worry Sidon.”

Link paused at her words, glancing down at her. He seemed to be debating the matter, and she was eternally grateful that he was at least considering Sidon in this matter. Her dear little brother would be attached to her ankles if he saw how much she had worn herself out, and she didn’t want the little one to be scared.

Link sighed, turned again and headed another way.

Mipha stared at him, confused. “Where are we going?”

“Guest room.”

Ah. The guest room.

The guest room?!

“L-Link—” Mipha said hastily. “Isn’t that where—where you’re—”

A door opened, and she was suddenly lowered to a bed. Mipha took in her surroundings and, sure enough, she was in the room provided to Link during his stay. She spluttered, “I—I can’t—I mean where will you—”

Link pulled up a chair, plopping into it. The pair stared at each other a moment and then he prompted, “Go to sleep, Mipha. Please.”

“W-well what about you?” Mipha countered. “Link, I shouldn’t—I don’t want you to—please, I’ll be alright—”

“Mipha,” Link cut in. “You’re shaking. You almost passed out. You’ve pushed yourself too much. You need to rest and take care of yourself.”

Mipha struggled to find an argument, and Link took the initiative, continuing, “You… you always try to be there for everyone. To protect everyone. To heal everyone. Let… let me… let me take care of you.”

Whatever words she was going to say were stolen from her alongside her breath, and Mipha stared at her friend long and hard, mouth slightly open. The sincerity in his tone, the worry in his eyes… it caressed and hurt her heart all at once. She couldn’t worry him like this just as much as she couldn’t worry anyone else. Even more so, maybe.

Sighing in defeat, Mipha slid under the covers, feeling the water in the mattress jostle as she settled her head on the pillow. She felt compelled to say something, anything, but just laying there was enough to make her body at last give in to the exhaustion that had been weighing her down all evening. All she could get out was, “Thank you, Link.”