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jimmyjims · 10 months

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Day 2: Forbidden

Zelink Week 2023 ~ @zelinkcommunity

Sketch & lettering by @thismousedraws

Lines & flats by @jimmyjims

In the castle library, Zelda was browsing for a book to read for her enjoyment in the midst of her studies. Lyra, the energetic librarian who happened to be Zelda’s best friend, helped her in her search with a book already in mind. During the expansive search, Lyra finally spotted the red binding of the book that could change Zelda’s fate.

“Oooh this book was wonderful!” Lyra suggested with exaggerated enthusiasm. Zelda turned around quickly and grabbed the book from her hands.

“The Lord’s Mistress?” Zelda read, her curiosity coating her tone.

“This book is about the forbidden love between a lord and a farm girl,” Lyra explained.” I read this not too long ago. Their romance made me swoon for sure!”

“Why are you showing me this?” Zelda chuckled. Sure, she loved to read romance novels, but Lyra seemed a bit too enthusiastic about this particular book.

“I just think you will enjoy it,” Lyra lied, shrugging. “It’s not the first you’ve heard of forbidden love, so why not enjoy this one?”

Zelda pursed her lips in concentration as she read the first page of the novel. The story was written from the point of view of the lord, so she felt a sort of connection with him. This would prove to be interesting, she knew. A forbidden love…

“I will read it,” Zelda decided, closing the book. “I will let you know how I like it.”

Lyra gave her a wide smile and nodded. “You will not regret it.”

Raising an eyebrow at her friend, Zelda waved goodbye and headed to her quarters. She was acting very strangely, Zelda noted. Did she know something she did not? Shrugging it off, Zelda opened the book and read as she walked. After the first few chapters, she became enamored with the dynamic between the lord and the farm girl. She did not notice those who walked past her and greeted; her eyes stayed on the pages, and her mind racing with her imagination blocked her away from reality.

Once in her bedroom, Zelda sat in the chair next to her bed and continued reading. For a moment, she wondered what Leon was doing but then remembered that he was helping prepare for the winter season. Satisfied with her memory, she kept reading until she came upon a scene where it was winter and the snow had made the farm girl sick. The lord noticed this and decided to bring her to his estate to receive the best medical attention—and to be beside her as her health returned to normal. Very romantic, Zelda agreed. The next scene caught the most of her attention. When the farm girl finally awoke, the lord helped her walk to the window to watch as the snow fell from the sky. Awed, the farm girl thanked the lord for his hospitality and for showing her that there is beauty within the most harsh season of the year. When she thanked him, the lord noticed that her pupils were dilated as she looked at him. A sign of love, he knew. Upon reading this, Zelda became more self-conscious about the way she looked at Leon. Did her pupils dilate when talking to him? If they did, Leon did not seem to notice nor mind. It was a bit disappointing for Zelda to think about this, but she wanted to be certain. She would devise a plan to instigate a reaction from Leon. There was a risk in executing this, Zelda knew. She would either ruin their friendship or she would create a new beginning.

~~~

Snow glittered the castle grounds, a sight that excited Zelda. She always looked forward to the cold winter days in which she could stay indoors and enjoy the comfort of the fireplace, but she was more excited at the thought of seeing Leon’s face when he saw his first snowfall—and the thought of finally being able to execute her plan. Rushing out of bed with a wide smile, Zelda tied her hair with a green bow and checked herself in the mirror. Her face was glowing with excitement and her cheeks were slightly reddened. She hoped her appearance would not give her intentions away, but she came up with the excuse of being excited for the first snow of the season. Satisfied, the Princess made her way to the door to Leon’s room and knocked. She allowed a few moments of silence before she started to make her way in.

She peeked inside with butterflies in her stomach as she slowly opened the door. Leon was still asleep, thankfully. She knew he wouldn’t wake up so early, but she began to grow a bit weary that he would not be so happy to be woken up at such an hour. Regardless, Zelda was too excited not to give him a glimpse of the snow that was piling up nicely outdoors. When she stood over him, she gave him a few taps on his shoulder.

“Good morning!” she greeted him. No response. Laughing to herself, she shook his arm.

“Good morning!”

Still nothing.

“Leon,” she called with a little more urgency. The sleepy knight shifted slightly, but he remained asleep. Rolling her eyes, she hovered over his ear and shook him as she called his name again.

“Leon, Leon, Leon!” Zelda yelled until he finally opened his eyes and rolled to the other side of the bed, putting himself into a defensive stance. When he realized there was no imminent threat, he lowered his defenses and gave Zelda a questioning look. Tradi flew out from behind him, ready to speak for him.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” Zelda said, putting her hands up defensively. “I know it’s a bit early, but I wanted to show you something.” Leon raised his eyebrows and glanced at Tradi, sharing a look of confusion. Zelda smiled nervously and pointed to the windows. With a slight hesitance, Leon looked over his shoulder and gasped. The windows were covered in intricate snowflakes and the sun was beginning to give the sky a nice gradient. Zelda followed behind him to the windows and they watched the sunrise together.

“Do you want to touch it?” she asked, pointing at the pile of snow on the balcony. Leon looked at her with bright eyes and through the window again, then nodded. They opened the window doors together and immediately regretted their decision.

“Maybe we should have covered ourselves up first,” Zelda chuckled through her shivers. Leon nodded and went to grab his cloak. Zelda turned to go grab her own warm garment but, before she could, Leon placed his cloak on her and smiled. Her heart began to race and she held tightly onto the red cloak.

“Oh! Thank you,” she muttered. “What about you?” Leon gave her a small chuckle and placed a hand on her shoulder as he walked past. His warm hand caused her heart to throb. Maybe he did not need protection from the cold; he was already warm himself. Leon stood before the snow and inspected it. It shone against the rising sun in many colors, its glitter reflecting in his eyes. Zelda watched with a tender smile as he kneeled down and touched the frozen bits of water with his fingers. He laughed in satisfaction and pushed his hand into the snow, creating a handprint. Zelda chuckled and placed her hand into the snow next to his handprint. Leon smiled, his lips parted enough to show some of his teeth, sending Zelda into an internal frenzy. She had to stay focused if she was to pull this off, she had spent weeks making sure she was prepared to pull through with her plan. She began to doubt it and thought herself to be silly for trying so hard to prove the smallest thing for her own desire. Was she really apt in seeking love from her own knight? Was this love not forbidden?

Then, it finally struck. Zelda finally understood why Lyra had recommended The Lord’s Mistress to her. The forbidden love between a lord and a farm girl, Lyra had told her. Zelda felt her cheeks become too warm to bear and quickly covered her face with her hands. Leon turned his attention to the flustered Princess and furrowed his brow.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, Tradi floating next to him as he moved his hands. Zelda feigned a heavy shiver and laughed nervously.

“Do not worry! I just got a bit too cold,” she lied. Leon’s mouth twisted with worry and he scooted closer to her. Sensing her body warming more, and not from Leon’s body warmth, Zelda quickly stood and faced the sun. She heard a small noise escape Leon’s mouth as he also stood, his perplexion feeding Zelda’s anxiety. She took a few deep breaths before she tugged at Leon’s cloak and gathered her courage to follow her plan. She was ready.

Touching her chin with her index finger, Zelda looked off to the horizon with a thoughtful smile. Rubbing the nape of his neck in confusion, Leon followed her gaze, his lips pressed together. Taking one last deep breath, Zelda spoke.

“I read in a book once, that your eyes dilate when you look at the person you love,” she said in the soft, careful voice she had practiced. “I thought that was cute.”

Leon’s head turned quickly and he stared at her in surprise. Zelda glanced at him and made eye contact, her heart stammering.

“What?” she asked in a playful tone as she took in his baffled expression. She first noticed his eyes. His pupils were dilated, almost leaving no room for his blue-gray irises. Then, she saw his face burning redder by the second and his lips parting in shock. This was not the reaction she expected, but what did she expect? Unable to take it anymore, she forced herself to break their eye contact and instead focused on the sun that had finally made its way above the horizon line.

“N-nevermind that,” Zelda stammered. Blowing into her hands to warm them, she avoided Leon’s gaze and tried to regain her focus. Her plan had worked, much better than anticipated. She was sure her pupils had also dilated, so what now? She had taken a huge risk with such a small action. Zelda hoped it was worth it. Ever since Leon was no longer in a relationship, she had started to realize her feelings for him more. She felt guilty for feeling this way, and more so now that she knew their love to be forbidden.

According to what? Lyra had asked her once after Zelda expressed her uneasiness. According to common sense, Zelda had replied after taking a moment to think. Lyra scoffed and shook her head in disagreement as she crossed her arms. It is not the first time this has happened, Zelda. Why do you think Hylia cares for her Hero so much? Lyra retorted. Zelda thought for a moment as Lyra’s question came back to her. Lyra tried to reassure her of this before her plan had been made. Maybe she was right, Zelda thought. Maybe she had a chance to prove that there was nothing forbidden about the Princess’ love for her knight.

Finding her new resolve, Zelda broke away from her thoughts and finally looked back to Leon. He still had panic written on his face, but he looked at her with certainty.

“Can I hold your hand?” Zelda asked confidently. “My hands are very cold.”

This morning, Zelda was identifying new shades of red. The shy knight covered his face, flustered, his tinted ears drooping. Zelda laughed at his embarrassment and patted his back.

“No worries, I can just keep my hands inside your cloak-“

She was interrupted by his quick movements. He was still turned away from her, but he held her hand firmly. His warmth ran through her arm and warmed her heart, causing it to pulse in a new rhythm. Zelda smiled fondly and squeezed his hand in reassurance. She began to feel bad for frightening the poor man, but she also felt proud of herself for having the courage to do what she thought she never would. The last bit of courage she had left was used to intertwine her fingers with his. Leon did not pull away.

Their shared fate was becoming more apparent to Zelda. With their hands clasped together, they began to forge what the princesses and heroes had done in the past, abolishing what is forbidden.

#legend of zelda #zelda au #art #zelink week #zelink week 2023 #zelda ocs #ocs #oc #mini comic #fanfic #fanfiction #ximmyxime #thismousedraws

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hyylia · 10 months

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REVELATIONS IN A TIME PAST ──

totk | rated G characters: princess zelda, queen sonia, mentions of link summary: in the past, queen sonia provides zelda with a revelation--and advice on how to deal with that certain swordsman back home word count: 2988 warnings: totk spoilers!

a/n: for zelink week 2023 - @zelinkcommunity big thanks to @sparklesthefatcat for beta reading this one!

read it below the cut or on ao3 → here

The past was everything Zelda could have ever hoped for. Fully-constructed Zonai temples, towering monuments carved with precision, the first monarchy of Hyrule… After months of correspondence with the Zonai research team back home, Zelda should have been teeming with excitement at the newfound discoveries laying in front of her. Their loose ends had seemingly been tied, and like a real researcher, she was here–in the field with firsthand accounts to dictate.

Yet, as exciting as it all was, it didn’t feel… right. None of it. There was a constant, gnawing ache in her chest. When Sonia spoke warmly of the Zonai people, Zelda found her thoughts clouded and distracted. When she laid down for bed each night, her arms searched for a familiar embrace. Each time Rauru held Sonia’s hand, tears welled up in her eyes.

The past was everything, but it lacked the one person who made her feel safe. Link.

She looked for him everywhere, though she knew she’d never find him. A flash of turquoise blue fabric in the corner of her eye, and her head was whipping around to greet him. The sound of sizzling meat over a fire, and she found herself leaning forward, craning to listen for his familiar hum. Even now, walking the Great Plateau with Queen Sonia, she found her eyes trailing off, as if his form might suddenly appear through the tall grasses. She hadn’t known how familiar he’d become to her in the years since the Calamity–until she’d been unexpectedly torn from his side.

At first, it had been manageable. She’d tried her best to put her feelings aside, determined to help Queen Sonia and King Rauru with their mission. She’d successfully distracted herself by journaling new findings and tinkering with Mineru’s constructs. As the weeks went by and the novelty died down, though, Zelda found her heart aching ever more for her swordsman. She yearned for his smile, the softening of his gaze, his strong arms holding her tightly each and every night. Just this morning, she’d rolled over in bed, half expecting to find his warm body tucked against hers. Instead, she’d been met with air.

She felt miserable. It was all building up, and now, as her eyes trailed back to Queen Sonia, she knew that her ancestor saw it too. Sonia’s eyebrows furrowed with genuine worry as she took the princess in, stopping suddenly in her tracks. Smooth hands bridged the gap to gently take both of Zelda’s, and she turned the princess around to face her.

Her mouth opened once. Twice. Then again, as if cautiously considering her words. Zelda braced herself for the wave of emotions she knew would come with them.

“You seem distracted, Zelda dear,” Queen Sonia noted after some time, carefully searching the princess’s face. “Is something wrong?”

Zelda silently averted her gaze and steeled her nerves. She knew that, if she spoke, she would undoubtedly break.

“I know it must be hard,” Sonia murmured reassuringly, squeezing her hands. “To be far away from home like this. I remember feeling quite the same when I met Rauru.”

At the sudden mention of the King and their first meeting, Zelda’s eyes flashed up to meet Sonia’s curiously. The queen only smiled, leaning forward to brush a strand of the princess’s blonde hair behind her ear.

She continued, “I traveled to meet with the Zonai at his request. He regarded me as a priestess who could help them during a difficult time, and it would have been against my teachings to turn him away. I love the Zonai dearly, and they were so kind and welcoming to me–as they are now–but… Even then, I could not help but to miss my dear friends and family. I’m sure it’s the same for you, Zelda, is it not?”

It was comforting to know that the Queen had experienced something similar, even if the circumstances were different. She nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat, “Yes.”

“So, ah… Who is it that you miss the most, then?”

Zelda’s face burned at the question. It was a basic question, requiring a simple, one-word answer, and yet she felt that familiar ache in her throat as she tried to speak. She pictured him in her mind’s eye: reaching for her with his injured arm, his face marked by both pain and fear. How terrible his wounds must be–all because of his loyalty to her.

“Link,” she choked out, her vision blurred by tears. She didn’t realize she was crying until the tears rolled off of her chin, dripping quietly against their hands.

“Oh, my dear Zelda,” Queen Sonia whispered beneath her breath. Warm, outstretched arms rested gently around the princess as she pulled her into a tight embrace. It felt tender and kind, Sonia’s head resting gently against the top of her head as she sobbed. For a brief moment, Zelda wondered how long it had been since she’d been held like this–like a daughter held by her mother.

“I’m sorry,” she said, but she only cried harder at the thought. It was like a dam broke then; her gentle cries became wails, the queen humming softly beneath her breath as she ran the tips of her fingers along her back.

“Don’t apologize, dear. I should’ve known it was a sensitive question.”

“I just…” Zelda inhaled deeply, lungs burning for air. “I-I miss him terribly, Your Highness.”

Queen Sonia released a breathy laugh at that, her cheeks pinking as she pulled the princess closer. “Ah…” She pressed a chaste kiss to the top of Zelda’s head. “I know that feeling well, too. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t beside myself when Rauru leaves for his hunts. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you.”

“It’s terrible.”

“It helps to talk about it, you know. If you’d like to.” Sonia pulled away just enough to look at Zelda, her hands moving to cradle her face. Her soft thumbs brushed the tears away as she said, “I’d love to hear about this Link of yours.”

It was an invitation that Zelda wanted so desperately to take–but feared. Talking about Link would certainly evoke a multitude of emotions, though given the current circumstance, she couldn’t see how much worse it could get. Her eyes searched Queen Sonia’s as she considered the offer, blinking through the tears. She nodded.

“Link is… um,” she chewed nervously on her bottom lip. “Well, he is very kind, for one. And brave. He’s up for any task, no matter the size, and often takes on more than he’s able to bear. In fact, I have to help him keep track of the promises he’s made to the villagers, because he has a bit of a tendency to get sidetracked by the next assignment.”

“Do you live in the same village, then?”

“We… We share a house.” Sonia’s eyebrows raised curiously. It was an innocent statement, and yet Zelda felt her cheeks burn. “Er–it’s his house, really. It was his family’s home long before… the events of our Hyrule. He paid a construction company to restore it some time ago, and some time later, he invited me to stay with him. It’s quite beautiful despite its age, and Link has allowed me to decorate it as I see fit. We have a collection of items from our adventures together on display.”

“Is there no castle in your time? Though our Hyrule is still quite young, Rauru and I have made plans to construct a larger one for the monarchy.”

Zelda paused, hesitating. Mineru had warned her of the adverse effects of disclosing too much information about the future, though she supposed that being vague wouldn’t make a substantial difference. “There is.”

Sonia tilted her head questioningly–almost playfully–gazing down at Zelda with a smile tugging at her lips. There was a question she undoubtedly wanted to ask, but Zelda knew that Queen Sonia had heard Mineru’s warning as well. Instead, she asked, “What kind of adventures do you take with him?”

Zelda thought hard about it for a moment. Link was always at her side, and she considered most of the things that they did together to be adventures. Even if they weren’t necessarily exciting in nature, he had a profound knack for making them fun and enjoyable. It was difficult to decipher what might be an adventure by Sonia’s standards, so she said, “A bit of everything, I suppose. If I have business to attend to outside of our village, Link is kind enough to escort me. We’ll usually stay at the stables between villages, but on nights when we want privacy, we make camp together.”

Zelda didn’t miss the way Queen Sonia’s smile pulled, as if on the verge of laughter. The queen asked her, a hint of a tease to her words, “And what business might that be, Zelda dear?”

“Well, if the village elders request my help, or if the research team has leads they’d like us to investigate.” She thought of the most recent adventure that had brought her here–the gloom investigation beneath Hyrule Castle–and internally cringed. She jumped to change the subject. “Or, sometimes Link becomes restless in town and asks to take me somewhere special.”

“How close, exactly, are you and this Link, Zelda dear?”

“Oh, we are very close.” She thought of him: how he’d cook her meals over a campfire, how he’d run his calloused fingers through her hair, hum her favorite songs and listen to her ramblings with the utmost interest. She remembered his gentle smile whenever she’d speak about this and that–how contagious it was. He would smile softly, and her face would light up, and his smile would only grow tenfold. “After… the events of my time… we have only grown closer. He is at my side always, though his role as my knight is no longer needed. He is my closest friend.”

“He sounds like the perfect match for you,” Sonia murmured, brushing a loose strand of Zelda’s hair away. “A brave and noble king is just what Hyrule needs in your time, is it not?”

Zelda stiffened beneath her predecessor’s touch. Her hand flew to her chest instinctively, as if it might quell the heart beating furiously against her ribcage. King? Queen Sonia had it all wrong. Link was simply her friend, not… not anything more or less than that. She blushed scarlet, ducking her head.

“Your M-Majesty,” she stuttered. “It’s n-not like that!”

“Oh?” Sonia released her hold of Zelda, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “Am I mistaken then? I was under the impression that, with the two of you living together, and with your… choice of words, that… Well, I thought that you were perhaps courting.”

Courting? Zelda was mortified. She stumbled over herself to clear up the confusion. “N-Not at all, Your Majesty! Link is m-merely my friend.”

Queen Sonia tilted her head curiously again. “Yet you live together, despite the castle?”

“Well… Yes, but–!”

“And he is at your side always? He takes you to special places? You seek privacy with him?”

“I–!”

“Well, surely then, you must have separate beds in the home, yes? Separate tents on your adventures?”

Zelda’s face burned red-hot. “N-Not exactly.”

“So you sleep together?”

Zelda nodded slowly–reluctantly–cringing with anticipation. She knew how it sounded, yet she was also aware that they had never done much more than that: sleep together. Sure, there had been minimal hand holding for comfort when one of them had a nightmare, and on just a few occasions, they had kissed. Nothing more than that had transpired in the five years since the Calamity, however. They’d both been too preoccupied with recovering and rebuilding, though she knew that Queen Sonia might have some trouble believing that.

The queen stared blankly at Zelda for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. It was melodic, beautiful, and embarrassing. “Zelda, dear,” she asked through gasps for air, “what is courting to you–in your time?”

“Well…” She blanked. Really, she had never even given it thought. “I suppose it’s when a woman’s father, um, makes a deal with a man–”

“No, Zelda. Courting.” Zelda didn’t think it was possible to blush harder than she already was–until now. “You truly don’t know, then?”

Zelda chewed on her lip quietly. “No,” she said.

Queen Sonia placed her hands on her shoulders, laughter quietly dying down now. Instead, as Zelda looked up to meet her eyes, her amusement had been replaced by quiet understanding. She smiled softly, caressing the princess’s cheek with a hand.

“When you are with Link, you are happy, yes?” Zelda nodded shyly. “Do you feel nervous around him or–maybe lighter, like you’re the only two people in the world who matter in that moment? Does your heartbeat quicken when he’s near you?” Zelda nodded again–and again. “Do you ever feel compelled to touch him, to hold his hand or to be close to him, or to press your lips to his, maybe?”

“Well,” Zelda hesitated. “We h-have kissed, Your Majesty.”

Queen Sonia’s smile widened. She continued, “He’s taken you to special places, yes? Has he ever bought you gifts, or gone out of his way to do things just for you–just for your happiness?”

Zelda thought of the many occasions where he’d taken her out for picnics or to ride their horses through the fields. She thought of the late afternoons when he’d bring her a handful of silent princesses for her vase, as if asking for her forgiveness, though his absence had been for the sake of helping the townspeople. She thought of their first kiss at the Lover’s Pond: she’d been in the middle of explaining the latest Zonai findings to him, and he’d simply smiled and pressed his lips to hers. She hadn’t recoiled then–had merely accepted it as if she’d been waiting for it her whole life. Zelda paused.

“Queen Sonia!” she exclaimed loudly. “I think–!”

“I know.” The queen laughed softly, shaking her head. She smoothed Zelda’s hair. “I suppose it would be hard to know for certain if you’ve never discussed it?”

“We’ve both been so busy,” she admitted. “I’m not sure that it would have ever come up.”

“There’s nothing wrong with approaching a relationship slowly.” Queen Sonia gently reassured her. “Rauru and I… We let our relationship progress as we became more comfortable with one another, but that is not every couple. I suppose it’s a bit like sundelions.”

“Sundelions?” Zelda didn’t try to hide her confusion.

“In a field of sundelions,” Sonia explained, “some have bloomed, while others have only budded. Each bud unfolds at its own pace–some quickly and some slowly, depending on which timing is most right for that flower. Love is a bit like that, I’d say. Where Rauru and I have already bloomed, you and Link are only just unfolding. Let it unfold naturally–slowly, if it must.”

Zelda considered her words quietly. After a pause, she asked, “And if I… decide that I want to progress our relationship?”

“You simply ask him,” Queen Sonia replied smoothly, taking Zelda’s hands once more.

Ask him. She could do that: initiate a conversation and discuss the unspoken. Though her initial instincts were to shy away from the topic, she knew that it was necessary. Link was her best friend, confidant, research partner and proud participant in all of her shenanigans. If she wanted to keep him as such, Sonia was right. A discussion was certainly needed.

Zelda wasn’t sure when she’d be home again, laying in that bed in Hateno Village with his strong arms wrapped around her, but she knew in her heart that Link wouldn’t give up until she was. She would approach the subject sometime after then. Zelda nodded, mind made up, and spoke genuinely: “Queen Sonia… Thank you–for your insight and your help.”

“It sounds as though you both care very deeply for one another, and that’s all that I could ever ask for you, Zelda dear.” She smiled, squeezing both of Zelda’s hands. “Though we’ve only known each other for a short time now, I feel as if you’re one of my own.”

Zelda smiled brilliantly at that. It was her turn to wrap her arms around the queen’s neck, mustering all of her gratitude into that embrace.

–

Sonia knew it was Link without needing confirmation. Her body was long gone, withered to dust inside of the Forgotten Temple, but her spirit remembered all of the kind words Zelda had spoken of him in their short time together. How much faith and trust her sweet descendant had placed in him–in this hero who floated before her, that radiant light trickling from Rauru’s arm. Yet, as Sonia saw now, Zelda’s faith had not been misplaced. Though her Hyrule had been threatened by a great evil, Link had done the unthinkable to save it–and his princess.

She gave the smallest peek at Rauru from the corner of her eyes. He was silent, but his chest puffed with pride. He gave a firm nod, stiff as he watched what was unfolding before him. It was time. Her hand laid gently on top of Link’s, Rauru’s resting on top of hers, and together, their powers magnified Link’s trickle. In a sudden glow of radiance, the Light Dragon’s curse was undone, and in its wake was Princess Zelda, floating.

She left Link’s side and took Rauru’s hand now. He squeezed it in return, a message that their duty was finally done. In their last moments on this land, they turned to look at one another. In her husband’s eyes, his small smile, she knew what he silently said: Hyrule would be in good hands with this king and queen.

#totk #totk spoilers #zelink #zelink week 2023 #zelink week #yearning #zelink community #my writing #oh my hyylia

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zeldaelmo · 10 months

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And once again, it's WIP Wednesday! @zelinkcommunity 's prompt 'forbidden', this time. Link accompanies Zelda to the school in Hateno so that the kids learn firsthand about the knights of Hyrule. Everything works out just fine until one of the kids remembers the old rule that humble knights and princesses aren't allowed to court... Oops.

"This is a Royal Halberd,” Link explained. “Only the most trusted knights who guarded Hyrule Castle's throne room were equipped with it. Its ornate design was applied by a craftsman in service to the royal family."

A lot of 'ohs' and 'ahs' came from the children's mouths and Zelda giggled into her hand. She would never deny that Link was a sight to behold in his full armor, and these kids had never laid their eyes upon a knight before. It was a shame that Link wouldn’t wear it more often. He only bothered with the full armor when he accompanied Hoz’ Monster-Control-Crew and they had set their eyes on a particularly nasty bunch of enemies. He claimed it was for their morals and not for his protection, but she knew he had become gradually more responsible about his own well-being with every year that had passed after he beat back Ganon.

"How do you know that about the knights?" Sefaro asked, his eyebrows drawn together in a skeptical frown. "I've seen weapons like this hanging from a Hinox's neck. So why would you know that they were given to the knights who guarded the throne room?"

Link made eye contact with Zelda and winked. As always, it made her stomach flutter. Then, he turned back to the kids and leaned conspiratorially closer, all of his armor clinging together. "I was one of them. And Zelda's father, King Rhoam, gave it to me."

"No way!" Aster cried. "You're the weird guy who lives with Miss Zelda in the house behind the bridge! No way you're a knight! You can't even remember the Bolson dance! I bet you just bought the armor in the Ventest Clothing Boutique!"

At these terrible (but not untrue) accusations, all four children jumped from their places and started to inspect Link from close up. They tugged at the gauntlets and pricked at the chainmail, all while Link hid his face in the little stand-up collar so that only his eyes twinkled under the helmet and nobody but Zelda saw him giggle.

#zelink #zeldaelmo writes #legend of zelda #totk spoilers #Totk #botw #wip wednesday #Zelink week #Forbidden

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skyyknights · 10 months

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Ao3 | @zelinkcommunity

The ballroom is crowded and stuffy, filled with lords and ladies and other such dignitaries, all flashing their jewels and silks and laughing with wine-soaked voices. Link watches them with apprehension from the back of the room, his tunic vivid green against the cream-colored walls as he scans the room for any signs of misconduct. Ever since his promotion to captain of Hyrule’s royal guard, one of his primary jobs has been to serve as a silent protector at events such as these.

This event, of course, is especially significant, although the dignitaries here clearly care more about showing off their wealth than paying respect to the princess, who is to be crowned queen of Hyrule at a ceremony tomorrow. Their near-drunken capers across the packed ballroom cause Link’s eyes to roll back in his head. He can’t imagine acting as wild and crazed as they are now– at least in human form. If he were a wolf at the moment, that would be an entirely different matter; he might just send a few tables flying, shattering the champagne-drenched fantasies of the lords and ladies.

The thought brings a smile to his face that is more beast than human, and quickly Link makes his expression go blank again, blue eyes making yet another scan of the room. Zelda has asked him before if he would like to participate in the various balls and celebrations in the castle, but always his answer has been a polite, yet resounding, no. He’s just a ranch hand; he wouldn’t know what to do with himself at events like this. So instead Zelda assigned him to serve as a kind of guardian instead, watching from the edges of fancy dinners and dances in case anything should happen.

He’s not really sure why he was chosen specifically, but he can’t say he minds all that much. Watching over these events gives him yet another excuse to be near the princess, who of course never acts with the wild, frenzied abandon some of her guests often fall into. Instead, she is always calm and serene, mingling with the crowd and making polite conversation, glass of punch balanced carefully in one hand. Every few minutes he looks her way to check that she’s all right, that no drunken lord is attempting anything less than appropriate. Sometimes she meets his gaze and offers a smile; other times as she walks past, she pauses to speak with him briefly. ��Need any water?” she asks him then, and he always smiles and shakes his head.

Sometimes she’ll stand by him for more than a few minutes, watching the crowd with him and letting herself have a break from talking and smiling. During one of these times she even admitted, in a whisper so that none but him could hear, that she actually detests events such as these, that they wear at her energy, that sometimes the drunken capers make her uneasy.

“Princess,” Link told her then, blue eyes dark with the ferocity of a wolf, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She had smiled, dark hair curling against her cheek as she looked away from him across the ballroom. “I know you won’t.”

And since then he has kept that promise with utmost concern and sincerity. Even tonight, as various lords stagger to find a seat with the wine thick in their brains, Link is watchful and ready, sword strapped to his back in case anything should go wrong. The princess is currently taking a rest for the moment, leaning against the far wall of the room and sipping from a glass of water. Even from this distance he can see a few strands of hair have escaped her elaborate updo, framing her flushed face in dark tendrils.

Link feels himself swallow, his mouth going slightly dry.

In the next moment he tears his gaze away from her, mentally kicking himself. Hero he may be, but tomorrow she will be queen of Hyrule. There is no place for him in her story.

And yet, no matter how many times he reminds himself of his own humble background, his eyes return to her again and again, and not just because he’s checking for her safety. If he were merely looking for that purpose, then his heart wouldn’t begin to race every time he saw her. His brain wouldn’t empty of all rational thought every time she stopped to speak with him. His legs wouldn’t feel weak whenever he spotted her laughing at the other end of the room.

Link sighs, gaze dropping to his mud-encrusted boots. How true to form, and yet another reminder of how undeserving he is.

There is no room for a farm boy in the life of a queen.

Forcing himself to be resolute about that fact, Link straightens his shoulders, back braced against the wall. He’s nearly suffocating in the crowded space of the ballroom, sweat trickling down his back as he brushes damp hair from his eyes. He’ll be relieved when the ball is over later tonight, when, free of any further duties, he can slip out to the stables and saddle Epona for a lengthy moonlit ride.

Another sigh heaves from his chest, and he fights back a yawn, allowing himself a brief stretch. What he wouldn’t give to be in wolf form right now, free to arch his back and loosen up his stiff joints. But he’s not, and–

Link freezes, thoughts abruptly stuttering to a halt.

He’s not sure just how he knows, but someone is watching him.

People generally ignore the Hero of Twilight when they find out he was once a simple farm boy; being stared at is a foreign feeling. Although he was a novelty in the first few weeks after Ganondorf’s defeat, now that the excitement has worn off he might as well just be another piece of furniture against the wall. So the sudden weight of someone’s stare sends a chill up his spine, and instantly he is on alert, fingers tensing inside stiff leather gloves. He scans the ballroom, brows furrowing slightly, eyes darting past head after head in a search for whoever is watching him.

The feeling leaves him as quickly as it arrived, and he frowns, shoulders slumping in confusion. It must have just been a lord or lady who’s never seen him before, who wanted a brief look at the legendary Hero but nothing more. Typical. He shrugs to himself, stifling another yawn as he settles back against the wall, gaze drifting to the clock on a nearby mantel. Two more hours until freedom.

“Link?”

Startled, he jumps, banging his elbow on the wall. “Y– your Highness,” he stammers, flustered at her unexpected approach and cringing at the twang of his accent. Zelda slips around a final drunken guest and halts before him, her expression unreadable. Sweat has curled the loose tendrils around her face, and there is a flush in her cheeks as she tilts her head. “Are you all right? You looked rather alarmed just a moment ago.” Concern fractures her voice.

“Oh, yes, I’m fine.” He clears his throat, forcing himself to stand a bit straighter and trying desperately not to stare at her. She is absolutely stunning, radiant in an amethyst-hued dress with gold accents, but as usual she seems barely aware of her own beauty.

“Are you sure? Can I get you some water?” She surveys him with a trace of worry, hands clasped behind her back, characteristic white gloves ending at her bare upper arms. “It’s rather hot in here, is it not?”

“Yes– er, yes, your Majesty. It is.” Link swallows, considering her offer. He’s never accepted it before, but like she said, it’s unbearably hot in here, and he’s not sure he can go through two more hours without a drink. “I guess a drink would be nice, yeah.”

Her face breaks into a smile, something akin to relief mingled with amusement washing across it. “I never thought you would say yes. I’ll be right back, then.” She ducks out of sight into the crowd, swallowed quickly by a handful of nobles.

A moment later she is back, glass of water held carefully in her grasp. “Here you are,” Zelda says, proffering the glass to Link. He takes it from her gratefully, draining its contents in a gulp.

“Thank you, Princess,” he tells her, and she nods, face relaxing into a smile. Link chuckles slightly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “Guess I’ll have to get used to calling you queen instead, won’t I?”

Zelda tilts her head, brushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes. “You may call me whatever you wish,” she says demurely, eyes moving across the crowd before settling on him again. “I have no preference if it is you.”

He finds himself at a loss for words at that. “Um…thank you,” he stammers finally, feeling heat flood his cheeks. He doesn’t know quite what else to say.

She reaches to take the water glass from him, and before thinking Link blurts, “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

The future queen pauses, icy blue gaze taking him in.

After a long moment her lips quirk upwards. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

“I’m glad,” Link answers softly, noticing the way her eyelashes curl at the ends, royally gold eyeshadow shimmering just above.

Zelda clears her throat, fingers brushing his with an electric jolt as she takes the glass from him. “I’d better get back,” she murmurs, “to my guests.” He sees a flash of reluctance on her face before she turns away, lifting her head high with all the grace of a goddess. “Let me know if you need anything else,” she tells him over her shoulder, and then she is gone.

Link’s breath leaves him in a gusty whoosh of air, and he sighs, leaning back against the wall. His gaze follows the princess across the ballroom, longing mixed with emotions he can’t describe.

A moonlit ride doesn’t seem half as enticing now, not if it means he will be away from her.

Link’s gaze drops to the floor. He scarcely notices when the eyes from earlier fall upon him again.

—

The crown upon Zelda’s head is heavier than she is used to. She can feel its weight already burning into her neck and spine, a physical representation of the daily burden she must bear for her kingdom.

The coronation ceremony was just this afternoon, and after a period of rest in her chambers, Zelda is returning to the ballroom for a second, kingdom-wide celebration. Truth be told, she’s not looking forward to it much— last night’s events already drained her of most of her energy. Drunken lords and ladies cavorting about is not her idea of fun, but Zelda had been forced to plaster on a smile and endure it. Hopefully tonight will be better, as many of the villages will be in attendance along with the rich.

And tonight, he will be there again, a silent protector at the other end of the room. A friendly face to look to if she needs one.

A wolf if anything gets out of hand.

She can see him now as she approaches the double doors leading into the ballroom, the rich mauve skirts of her coronation gown sweeping behind her on the tiled floor. He stands flanked by two lower rank soldiers just outside the doors, arms behind his back, sword hanging at his side as always. She’s surprised to see him in something other than his green tunic— instead he wears armor over clothing similar to her own everyday gown. There is even a crown-like headpiece perched in his sandy hair, giving him a regal appearance.

Zelda thinks he looks faintly embarrassed as she halts before him. “Captain,” she greets him cordially, eyes surveying him up and down. The armor is perhaps a little big for him, but overall he looks exceptionally handsome in it.

Zelda’s cheeks flush at the thought, and she swallows. “What’s all this for?” she asks him, gesturing to his armor. The embarrassment on his face increases, and he coughs a little, excruciatingly aware of the sudden interest of the soldiers behind him. “It, er…I bought it during my journey,” he says finally. “I thought it might be fitting for the ball tonight.”

“Tired of your green tunic?” Zelda questions, though she doesn’t think that’s the case. He’s clearly uncomfortable in the flashy armor, so different from the humble hero’s tunic or his old clothing of Ordon.

Link gulps, looking everywhere but at her an d fidgeting just slightly. “No, not exactly. I just thought it might be a little…informal.”

And Zelda may be connecting things that don’t actually fit together, but suddenly she wonders if he wore this armor for her.

But surely it isn’t that. Surely that’s just her own wishful thinking.

“Well,” she finally manages to say, forcing herself to speak casually, “I think you look nice either way.”

She tells herself she’s imagining the red flush in his cheeks as she turns away and raps twice on the double doors of the ballroom. The muted chatter on the other side goes silent, and then a voice announces, “Presenting her Royal Majesty, Queen Zelda of Hyrule!”

The doors swing open, and a thousand eager faces look towards their new queen. She plasters a smile on her face and stands, hands regally clasped, for a moment before entering the ballroom, her skirts trailing behind her. Her citizens bow as she walks past, the awe in their faces clear as she makes her way to the throne situated at the front of the room.

She can hear Link behind her, his footsteps soft and sure as he silently lets the crowd know that the queen is guarded. He will not be by her side for long, but it is a comfort to know that he will at least remain nearby. No harm will come to her while he is around.

She can hear whispers erupting as they pass. The queen is so lovely, some say. Is that her hero behind her? murmur others. And Zelda bites her tongue, but still thinks what she cannot say— that yes, he is her hero, and hers alone.

But he might not know exactly how much he is hers, not yet.

Zelda reaches her throne and settles herself upon it, and Link slips away to stand by a far wall as usual, searching the ballroom for any signs of misconduct. As the festivities resume and lively music once more fills the air, she can’t help but let her eyes linger upon him— a dangerous habit. Last night, he nearly caught her staring; she looked away in the nick of time.

He is leaning slightly against the wall, posture rigid as he scans the ballroom for any suspicious or unruly characters. She barely recognizes him in his special armor, though it suits him well— just not as well as the green tunic of the hero. Nothing fits him as well as that does.

She spots a small group of people making their way towards him— a handful of children, a few adults. There is a blonde girl among them, a girl in a homespun Ordonian dress, and Zelda’s heart twists suddenly in her chest. This must be his childhood friend Ilia. She watches as Link, so stoic and solemn before, suddenly lights up at the sight of the Ordon group, his entire posture changing as he steps towards them.

The blonde girl leaps forward and flings her arms around his neck, and Zelda flinches and looks away. She should be mingling with her people anyway, not pining after the boy whose heart she has no chance with. She swallows carefully and stands, skirts gathered as she steps down from her throne and mingles with the people. Duty and honor. Courage and sacrifice. These are the things a queen must hold to. She cannot dwell on her own self-interests for too long, not that she has any chance with him anyway.

She has never had a chance. She knows this, and so she must let him go.

(He was never hers to begin with).

Link and Ilia— she wishes them well. They will make a good match, she thinks, tuning out the chatter of a mindless noble half-drunk on wine. Yes, they have her blessing, whenever they finally decide to tie the knot.

Zelda ignores the painful lump in her throat and forces herself to laugh and smile and listen to the brainless talk of dozens of lords and ladies. The villagers she speaks to have more intellect, more heart, but the nobles have a way of hemming her in so she cannot talk to anyone but them. She is suffocating, surrounded by their greedy smiles and all-too-familiar hands.

After an hour and a half of talking until her throat is dry, Zelda makes her way to the punch bowl at one end of the room and ladles herself a cup, drinking to ease the soreness in her throat. She refuses to let herself look in Link’s direction— he is probably still catching up with Ilia. No, Zelda does not plan on stopping by and asking if he needs water, not tonight. She will leave them well alone; no interference must occur on her part.

As these thoughts roll through Zelda’s mind, she is suddenly, uncomfortably aware of someone’s presence behind her.

“My queen,” a voice says, thick and syrupy and drenched in false sweetness, and Zelda’s skin crawls as she turns to see a man dressed in garish silks standing behind her. A half-empty goblet of wine is clutched in his left hand, and she can see reddish-purple smeared around his mouth. That, and the fact that he practically reeks of alcohol, alerts her to the fact that he has been drinking all evening— likely far more than he can handle.

“Zelda,” the man continues unsteadily. He steps towards her, stumbling slightly as a menacing grin works its way onto her face. “Our lovely ruler. Might I even say…ravishing.”

Zelda can feel her heart beginning to pound as the man leers at her, slamming his goblet onto the punch table. “I’m told,” the man says with slurred words, “that you’re an excellent dancer.” He smirks, waving a finger at her. “And perhaps you might be excellent in other areas, as well?”

Oh, Hylia—

Were she not in a public setting, Zelda would gladly punch this disgusting slob of a human being into the next dimension, but she is the queen and that is not looked on politely. She bites the inside of her cheek, drawing a deep breath to steady herself as she searches for an excuse.

“It isn’t that hard to say yes,” the man says drunkenly, taking another step towards her. He is so near now she can smell the wine on his breath. “So come on now, be a darling and—”

“Sir.”

The noble stiffens at the reprimand, anger flashing onto his lumpy face as he looks over Zelda’s shoulder.

A moment later, Link stands protectively beside Zelda, close enough that their arms are brushing. His hand rests on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes are narrowed dangerously as he looks at the noble with all the rabidity of a wolf. “Sir,” he repeats, his words laced with venom and lips pulled back in a snarl, “you need to step back.”

The man splutters, looking at Zelda indignantly. “Kindly dismiss your servant,” he enunciates, brow furrowed in outrage. “He has no business here.”

“I would not address him in that manner,” Zelda replies frostily, finally finding her voice. She moves a bit closer to Link, standing just behind him. “He is no servant.”

“Servant, guard, makes no difference to me,” the man sniffs pompously. “Dismiss him, please. I want to dance with my beauty.”

“Don’t speak to her like that,” Link growls, voice low. “She is your queen.”

“I’m very aware of that,” the noble says with a yawn. “Now get away from her, servant, or I’ll be forced to do something drastic.”

“I think you’ve got it the wrong way around,” Link snarls. “If you don’t move, I’ll be the one knocking you into next century.”

“I highly doubt that, pretty boy. You’re not her legendary hero, after all. You can’t do anything to me,” the man returns arrogantly, smirking as Link’s scowl deepens. He shoves Link aside and addresses Zelda again, the leer returning to his face. “Now, my lovely lady, if you’ll just—”

The noble is flying through the air before Zelda can process what has happened. He slams into the floor with a satisfying thud and lies stunned for a moment, staring up in shock as blood trickles from his nose.

“I have a few corrections in what you just said,” Link spits, looming over him with sword drawn. “I am the Hero. I just did punch you. And she—” his gaze flicks to Zelda, softening briefly before he continues— “is not your lovely lady.” Chest heaving with fury, Link leans forward, digging the toe of his boot into the noble’s ribs. “Have you got all that, or do I need to pound it into your thick drunken skull with my fist?”

The noble stammers for words, and a moment later scrambles to his feet and stumbles away through the crowd as Link waves over two guards. “Make sure he leaves the castle,” he mutters. “And double the guard on the queen’s door tonight.”

The soldiers slip away into the crowd to obey his orders, and Link turns to face Zelda, the rage clearing swiftly from his face. “I’m sorry about that,” he says to her, avoiding her gaze as he resheaths his sword. “I know you could’ve handled that easily, but I figured since we’re in here you couldn’t punch him or anything. I, on the other hand—” He grins, eyes crinkling. “I am your captain of the guard, after all. I can punch anyone if I want to. Except you, of course,” he quickly corrects himself, stumbling over his words. “I would never punch you anyway, I just meant—”

“I know what you meant,” Zelda laughs. “Thank you, I appreciate it greatly.” She bites her lip. “I’m sorry if I took you away from— from Ilia. I wouldn’t want to cut in—”

Link stares at her in bafflement before his face clears in sudden understanding. “Oh! Oh, no, Ilia and I are just friends. More like brother and sister than anything, if I’m honest. You weren’t doing anything, don’t worry. She went off a while ago to go meet Shad and Ashei, anyway.” He pauses, clearing his throat. “Um…and you’re never a bother, my lady. I would do anything for you.”

And somehow, staring up into his slightly wolfish eyes, Zelda knows she can believe that.

The hero smiles gently after a moment, his head dropping slightly. “I should probably get back to my station,” he says, voice suddenly rough.

“Wait.” Zelda hesitates, watching as his eyes snag back onto her face. “I…did you know that it’s customary for the captain of the guard to dance the ruler’s first dance as queen with her?”

Link’s eyes widen, and then a shy grin creeps onto his face. “No, I didn’t know that, actually. When was that first decreed?”

Zelda clears her throat, lips twitching. “Just— just now,” she says nonchalantly,

Link laughs in surprised delight. “Well, in that case, my queen, I would be honored.”

He extends his hand to her, and, heart pounding, Zelda slides her own palm onto his, their fingers linking firmly together. Link leads her onto the ballroom floor, where some kind of Hyrulean waltz is playing, and steps haltingly into position. “I’ve never danced before,” he admits, one corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. “Sorry in advance if I step on your feet.”

“I don’t mind.” She knows that to be true as he places one hand on her waist, her own moving to his shoulder. She’s taller than him, but somehow she fits perfectly in his arms. It feels right, she thinks as they whirl away across the ballroom, just the two of them. The people around them melt away, completely insignificant compared to the hero before her.

She might be imagining it, but there is a certain softness in his gaze as he twirls her clumsily, as they weave through the throng of dancers with her skirts sweeping against his legs. She thinks she could lose herself this way, here in his arms.

The dance ends all too soon, the music fading slowly, but Zelda and Link do not step away, still holding on to each other. Zelda meets his gaze. “Thank you,” she tells him with a smile, “for indulging me.”

“There’s no one I would rather have danced with, your Highness,” he replies with a grin, offering her a slight bow. And then, so unexpectedly she feels her eyes widen, he lifts her hand and brushes a kiss to her knuckles.

“I’ll see you around then, Prin— my queen,” he says softly, giving her hand a light squeeze.

The crowd swallows him quickly, but she soon spots him standing again at the wall. Something is different this time, however. Instead of being alert and upright, he is almost sagging against the wall, hands braced behind him, staring almost dreamily into the distance.

It could mean nothing.

But then, it could mean everything.

So Zelda crosses her fingers and hopes.

#sky types words #twilight princess #tp zelink #zelink week #tp #zelink #twilight princess zelink #tp link #tp zelda #link #zelda #legend of Zelda

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keikbird · 2 years

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Zelink Week day seven - Healing

Prints Available!

@zelinkweekofficial

#botw #zelda #link #zelink #breath of the wild #legend of zelda #loz fanart #post calamity #hot springs #zelink week #zelink week 22

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maqiisan · 10 months

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yearning @zelinkcommunity

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aurathian · 10 months

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love me (and leave me to die)

chapter 1: yearning | ao3

For @zelinkcommunity Zelink Week 2023, prompt: yearning. Massive thank you to @hyylia for being my beta and encouraging my delusions

Rating: T

Summary: Princess Zelda is cruelly aware of her destiny, prophesied since a time Long, Long Ago. Though she gives herself to it wholly so that the Future may be peaceful, her destined Hero Link will do anything to save her.

Disclaimer: This fic contains references to major TotK spoilers.

Long Ago was so far away that the Hyrule of Now couldn’t place it in time. Too much had come to pass that they couldn’t decipher whether it was centuries, millennia, or eons, so instead they called it Long Ago. The Hyrule of Now was wary of the Hyrule Long Ago, a Hyrule deemed dangerous and riddled with fragile legends. Parents told their sleepy children bedtime stories of the monsters from Long Ago, history books dared not to address it out of fear of manifesting what had once been, and the Royal Family kept its closely guarded secrets about that time so Long Ago. Long, Long Ago, the king and queen of Hyrule faced a great threat. Its princess was tasked with an insurmountable feat she determined to be the only just solution. Long Ago, she

“sacrificed herself.” The Sheikah tutor rounded the table with a glum look. “In order to drive back the Demon King and support the Hero of the Long Ago, she forfeited her being.”

A small hand rose. The tutor gestured in acknowledgment.

“How?” asked the young, bright-eyed Princess Zelda of Hyrule, blonde curls settling as she tilted her head.

“An ancient mural indicated the princess of The Long Ago became a dragon. Such a feat is not expected of you in that regard.”

Zelda didn’t understand why Impa always looked so sad. When they played in the gardens together (after some begging), her teacher looked perfectly happy. Maybe she just didn’t like the classroom, disproportionately large for only two small desks, one each for the Princess and her Hero. The walls were lined with educational banners–literature, numbers, famous quotes–and one bore a giant chalkboard which Impa rarely wrote on. Princess Zelda wondered when they would finally learn arithmetic like all the other schoolkids.

Another little hand, another gesture.

“Where is she now?”

The voice was very quiet so that even from right beside him, Zelda could hardly hear Link.

In a voice almost equally small, Impa replied, “We don’t know.”

Keep reading on AO3

#zelink week 2023 #zelink week #loz #zelink #zelda #link #impa #totk #botw #its like. thousands and thousands of years after botw/totk #yearning #my writing #purah

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sciencelings-writes · 10 months

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The Fable of the Dragon and the Phoenix

Day 4 of Zelink Week: hosted by @zelinkcommunity

Prompt: Hand in Hand

WC: 4003

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48558865

Summary: In Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol of divinity, power, and royalty, they are immortal creatures with the natural forces of the earth at the tips of their claws, the phoenix is a symbol of transformation and rebirth, the beautiful rulers of the skies, the majestic weaver of flames. Together they are the perfect symbol of lovers, together they are balanced and whole.

Zelda makes an eternal choice and Link learns to rise from the ashes.

Link dreamt of death. For a century he had experienced the relief it provided, the reprieve from the fear and the stress that was so intertwined with his life that not even sleep could shield him from the experience. Every waking moment was spent chasing visions and killing monsters, every moment he managed to sleep was filled with nightmares of fiery eyes and a world covered in blood.

He wanted to blame the gloom clinging to his veins, ever since his body was corrupted he had been consumed with an emptiness that could only be compared to a freezing-cold depression that no fire could thaw. But the same moment had also been the one that he failed to save Zelda. Whatever the cause, they had a similar compounding effect. One that sent him spiraling down a familiar path.

Spiraling like the beach, whose center held the final tear that he had been dreading to collect. Though he knew the vision he would be given would not be kind, he scrambled to the location the moment it had been revealed to him. He was desperate to see a glimpse of her, one that wasn’t an illusion made to take advantage of his love for her.

There was no use running now, the constant allure of adventure had died in its tracks. What was the purpose of visiting shrines and exploring caves when the one thing he wanted to save was already lost? How could he even consider continuing his search when it was uncountable thousands of years too late?

Link’s mind numbly acknowledged his knees hitting the sand. The white, nearly blue glow illuminated his loose hair that fell free in front of his eyes as his head hung low, fixating on one of the many flowers that had appeared in front of him. His name being among her last echoed so loudly in his ears that he was surprised he could hear anything else.

He had cautiously hoped that the worst-case scenario would be that she would be unable to escape the past, but would still be able to live a long happy life, even if he would never get to see her again. She deserved that much, after everything that she’s been through. He never imagined that he would witness her functionally commit suicide only for a sword. To win a fight he couldn’t even bring himself to care about.

Would beating the demon king fix anything? Would it miraculously bring her back? Would a single thing that he has lost be returned to him? Would he ever be free of this curse? It was too much to hope, wasn’t it. That the death of one man held the key to turning everything back to how it was.

Even with Ganondorf dead, what would be left? Zelda would still be gone, he wasn’t sure he would be able to stand the countless reminders of her influence across the kingdom. She was so known and so loved and he had been so happy to simply be referred to as hers. Wherever she wandered, he had always been by her side, to the point that seeing them separated was nearly unheard of. The most frequently asked questions ever since he had emerged from the castle’s crater were always ‘Where’s Zelda? Why isn’t she with you?’

Before he knew it, his cheeks were wet and his eyes burned so badly that he had to squeeze them shut. His chest spasmed as sobs clawed their way to the surface, strong enough that he didn’t even attempt to hold them all back. His tears dripped off his chin into the basin that seemed to be created just for that purpose.

For once, the control of his emotions slipped through his fingers without trying to stop it, he had held strong for so long to reassure everyone else that he would get their princess back, and everyone was convinced that he could do it. There wasn’t really anyone left that he felt like he could express himself with, whether that be because he didn’t want to be a burden to them or he just wasn’t close enough to them to be comfortable with it.

He had so many people on his side, cheering for him from the sidelines, but not a single one deserved to have to deal with him like this. A perfect swordsman now crumpled on the ground in a puddle of pitiful tears.

Sometimes he forgot that he wasn’t what everyone said he was. The valiant hero who defeated the calamity, as if he didn’t nearly die again a hundred more times just to get to the point where he could approach a guardian without his sword arm shaking from sheer terror. Some hero he was, he could never save what mattered the most to him.

A thunderous roar interrupted his thoughts, sending waves of force crashing into him purely from the sound of it. The water around him rippled from the vibrations and the loose sand blew in clouds away from the sound's origin.

Link’s head whipped upwards towards it, and he saw her, or what remained of her. Her scales shined gold and iridescent in the afternoon sun and even in the bright daylight she clearly glowed with a divine power he had only been blessed enough to witness a few times. She was still so beautiful, but he far preferred her in pants stained by grass and ink, with a smile that burned brighter than whatever magic she had sacrificed herself for.

A rock conveniently plummeted down between him and the one he had been searching for since she fell. He had started running at it before it had even landed. He desperately needed to get up to her, he nearly tripped face-first into the water as he scrambled to his magic elevator. He ignored a cut he got from the stone as he tried to climb to the top of it as furiously as he could.

Link was rarely impatient, but the boulder rose from the sky far too slowly. He itched to throw himself at her but he knew if he lept prematurely he wouldn’t be able to make it. So he waited, tapping his foot at a speed that resembled the beat of a hummingbird's wings. Finally, he launched himself into the air and flew onto her back.

He could immediately feel the power radiating off of her, it was a warm and intensely comforting energy that wrapped itself around him like a blanket. For now, the agony of what happened to her seemed to diminish, though not totally, and not forever.

His boots thumped quickly against her scales as he made his way to her head. Even his natural inclination to get distracted by the fragmented pieces of her spikes, which if she were any other dragon, he wouldn’t even hesitate to collect. He didn’t even wonder what they would do, all he could think about was getting to her face.

Maybe he could still fix this. Maybe he could wake her up. Maybe she would recognize him. Maybe it wasn’t too late.

He climbed through her mane of golden hair and passed by the master sword fused with her forehead without a single thought, he already began to lose the tiny drops of hope he had managed to come up with as she didn’t even notice him standing right on her nose.

“Zelda? Hey Princess, can you hear me?” He asked after clearing his throat from the thick feeling coating it. He pushed through how it burned from his grief, and forced a pleasant tone of voice, as if this day of chasing her tears weren’t the worst day of his life, even surpassing the day the calamity rose or the one where he died.

Her ear didn’t even twitch, her eyes continued to dart around the empty sky, focusing on nothing in particular. She did nothing to acknowledge that Link was standing on her nose, that there was anything different about her life at all.

“It’s okay,” he lied, “I’m sorry it took so long, I need to stop making you wait for me.” His hastily placed mask of pleasantness was quickly crumbling, as he was already unable to stop the stuttering gasps one has before breaking into sobs.

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry I didn’t catch you,” He sniffled, “I wish I didn’t send you the sword, I wish you could’ve lived, I bet you were having a blast watching history unfold before your eyes. I bet it was cool to see everything before all that was left was ruins. I bet you got everyone to love you back then too.”

When there was no response, Link found himself sitting on her snout, straddling it like it was the back of a horse. His head low from the weight of everything until it met the short fur between her eyes. He had already cried so many tears, yet more kept coming. He never seemed to run dry.

“I love you, I know I haven’t been able to put it into words, but I hope you knew. I hope you could tell. I’m sorry I didn’t say it when you could remember me. If- when I fix this, that’s the first thing I’ll tell you. You deserve to hear it even if I have been too much of a coward to say it before it was too late.” The ache became too much and what weight he was sustaining with his arms sent him collapsing into her. He instinctually folded his arms to shield his face from the rest of the world.

“I love you when you’re a scientist and you cover our walls in diagrams and notes and you can’t stop talking about whatever is interesting you that day, I love you when you’re teaching the kids and you struggle to simplify complex concepts and end up teaching them about theoretical physics derived from sheikah technology, I love you when you’re gardening and you braid the flowers you had to prune in my hair because you hate just leaving them in a vase. I love you when you decided to reclaim the throne even though it was hard and it scared you, I love that you love your kingdom more than they could ever realize, I love that you can get anyone you meet to love you.”

“I even love you like this, because I know that there's still a little bit left of you in there, even though you’re not rambling about the latest book you’ve read or about how your flower hybrids are coming along, I can feel you in there. You’re still the light that freed me from death and I still feel that light now.”

Link wasn’t sure that he could turn her back, all that he knew about draconification was that it was permanent. People far smarter than he was had likely studied it so many thousands of years ago and banned it for how it destroyed one's mind. It was impossible to say if there even was a way to reverse it, even if there was, any scraps of information that they’d find about the forbidden magic were unlikely to include a cure. It seemed like even Minaru had been convinced that there was no way to undo what had been done.

He would try, of course, he would try, but even now he was already mourning a failure. He would try, he planned to search the depths and dig for any stone tablet that mentioned dragons on it, but he was almost sure that it wouldn’t be enough. He was pretty good at doing the impossible, but this was a curse from a people that had gone extinct so long ago, and he had a feeling he wouldn’t just be able to hold up his hand and ask Rauru about it. The world was never that kind to him.

Link didn’t know how much time had passed before he heard a different sound ring in his ears. It was the metallic song of an object he had started this tragedy by neglecting. The sword was the thing that tied them together, whose broken state was ultimately the reason Zelda chose to sacrifice everything.

For a moment, he despised it with all of his being. From the moment he had been led to pick up the holy blade, his life had been set on a path of misery. Its consequences broke him beyond what any blessed magic could fix. It stole his voice and stole his life and stole his memories and stole countless lives of people he was born to protect, and worst of all, it stole her. It stole the years of life she had left and convinced her to curse herself eternally. Just so a stupid sword could make itself strong enough to kill a stupid guy who killed simply for the promise of power.

It wasn’t the sword's fault it broke, it wasn’t the sword's fault that he was chosen to bear its burden. He had someone with more reason to be angry at, and directing it at a soulless blade was a waste of the burning rage that suddenly coursed through his veins.

When he finally stood, he looked towards the tendrils of scarlet that surrounded the castle. Horrors left behind by a vile creature who believed he could conquer the world and mold it to his own desires.

The Calamity had felt more like a divine force, a scourge of nature with motives far bigger than what could be understood by the likes of the mortals that lived above it. Ganondorf was far simpler. As many times he hailed himself a king or a god, it did nothing to change the fact that he was just a man.

Link had been through things far more terrifying than a mummy with a craving for power. Though neither the calamity nor the experience of death had been as malicious towards him specifically, neither of them toyed with him by parading the ghost of the princess he was chasing or puppeted her around when he was so desperate to find her. Neither of them spoke with her voice to get him to abandon all reason to distract him.

However, not one single part of that scared him. None of that compared to how quickly the castle and its adjacent town were consumed in smoke, or how one by one the divine beasts glowed magenta, turning into moving sepulchers before his eyes. None of that could be compared to running for their lives away from the beast they were born to defeat, or realizing when one injury would be the last one he could take. Ganondorf’s ploy was nothing compared to waking up alone with nothing but a name and having to take on a broken world he knew he had failed.

Link knew fear, and there wasn’t a trace of it when he thought of the so-called ‘demon king.’

His hand wrapped around the hilt of the Master Sword, it was so familiar, so reliable, so filled with golden light that it felt more like Zelda than whatever it had been before. Just like he had done so many times before, he pulled.

What wasn’t like every other time he had released the sword from its pedestal, was the reaction of the ground beneath his feet and the horrible roar she bellowed. His immediate thought was that he had to let go, he was hurting her, how could he hold on when he was hurting her! He forced his grip to stay steady as a violent whip of her head knocked him off his feet.

He clenched his teeth together as she screamed in agony, the pit in his stomach grew even as he found his footing again and continued to force the blade from its home of ten thousand years. He never wanted to hurt her, he couldn’t imagine even trying to justify it, but he had to get his sword back or her entire sacrifice would’ve been a waste.

For several minutes, the sword was nothing more than a handle for him to grab so he wouldn’t be flung off into the sky, he was rarely ever balanced enough to truly pull it like he was meant to. All the while his ears were filled with her deep sirens of pain that he was directly responsible for, and the deafening wind that tore into him physically just as deeply as Zelda’s screams did psychologically.

All at once, the chaos stopped. The light dragon's shrieks grew silent and the force trying to divide them vanished as she led them up into the sky above the clouds. Up there the whole world was golden, with sparking rays of sunlight glowing on the fluffy layer that separated them from the kingdom below. Link was tempted to reach his hand out to touch it, if only to see the water vapor swirl between his fingers and give any movement to the heavenly skies that seemed so still. Between the sudden calmness of the dragon below him and the lack of wind, it was difficult to determine if they were even moving at all.

One more time, his hands positioned themselves on the darkness-sealing sword. He didn’t even have to pull. The spiraling tendrils of fur loosened their grip on the glowing blade and fell back to their origin. She was giving it to him. She was letting it go.

He held onto it as petals of warm light bloomed from the blade's recovered form, he was a little disappointed, the gold was rather pretty. It left behind a bright metal that shined in the pattern left behind when it had been damaged. Perhaps it was fitting that the sword be left with scars just like her master.

Link brought the flat of the blade to his face, so he was looking right at the symbol of the Triforce. For a moment, he bowed his head as if he was sending a prayer to the goddess. He had no words to give her, he didn’t need her quiet well wishes or luck where he was going. Even if Ganondorf’s army was filled with King Gleeoks and armored silver Lynels, it wouldn’t be enough to keep him from tearing that bastard down.

Even demon kings died, and Link took a little bit of pleasure in knowing that he was the one born to do it. Perhaps that would be enough to temper the fury within his bones that shielded him from the grief of Zelda’s sacrifice. Killing him wouldn’t fix everything, but it might.

There was only one way to find out.

***

Link felt like he had come back from the dead, which was a little odd, because he couldn’t remember dying. He could feel his spirit still settling back into his body, like dye slowly mixing with water, starting from his chest and slowly gaining feeling in his arms and legs. He felt heavy, something was pulling at him, but he couldn’t figure out what. He knew he must’ve been dreaming, or… something. There were the ghosts of recent images in his mind that he couldn’t quite decipher, just golden light and ghostly turquoise clouds.

He forced his eyes open and made the discovery that he was falling. With a gasp of thin air, it all came back to him. Rauru and Sonia, being filled with blinding light, turning the slumbering light dragon back into the person he had been chasing this entire time.

Link jerked his head around, searching for her, ignoring the fact that he was plummeting head-first toward the world below. She was nearly a speck of white in the distance underneath him. Immediately, he dove for her. He reached his arm out long before he was even close to grasping her again.

She drew closer and closer until he was worried about diving too fast past her or into her and risking hurting her. He carefully leveled off his body as quickly as he could bear before grasping for her hand that limply trailed in front of her in her unconsciousness.

He was inches away. One more desperate push, and finally, his hand was in hers once again. He immediately pulled her towards him, wrapping his arm securely around her shoulders. The other made its way to the back of her head, threading his fingers through her hair. He could’ve claimed it was to protect her as they dropped, but in reality, he just needed to be close to her again.

The wind swept away the relieved sob he couldn’t help but let slip out as he tucked his head into her bare shoulder. He had done all he could to convince himself that it would be hopeless. He knew how much more it hurt to cling to hope when there was no reason to. He chased memories that were doomed to never return and people who had died so long ago that weren’t lucky enough to linger if only for a single conversation. There was safety in accepting that it was too late, that all attempts were all for nothing.

But she was here, in his arms. Alive and breathing, the sound of her heart beating rumbled steadily beneath the ear he had pressed near the artery in her neck. If they weren’t plunging through the air faster than a burning comet of fragmented stars, he could’ve imagined waking up in their bed in Hateno as entangled as they were.

Link wasn’t afraid of falling, he never hesitated to leap off of high places the moment King Rhoam first gave him his paraglider. He loved the feeling of floating weightlessly in the air, seeing the full majesty of the kingdom he had sworn to protect. He rode the air currents of the dragons without a worry of falling too far, but he had never felt like he was flying.

Now, while plummeting through the skies, he had never felt more like he was soaring. She was his wings, her return was the only thing keeping him from sinking so far into the darkness that there was no hope he could make his way back up to the surface. He had gotten so used to the gloom that infected his veins and the refusal to hope that he would ever see her again that he had forgotten what it had felt like for everything to be right.

He should’ve worried about landing, or about thinking of a way to pull out his paraglider while being able to keep his hold on her. He should’ve at the very least brought his eyes out from their hiding place in the crook of her neck. He didn’t. He trusted that some divine force would save them, perhaps they had earned just one more miracle.

Link held her through reaching terminal velocity through the air, through the sudden impact and submersion into a body of water, through yet another fight for their lives and their world, and even when they were safe on the surface, he hesitated to let her go. Even though his muscles ached and the emotional whiplash had mentally exhausted him, he held her close to his chest and prayed for her to wake up.

Eventually, his exhaustion won and he had to let her down gently into the grass before his legs gave out and she was given a less-than-romantic wake-up call. It took a moment, a second of feeling a steady stream of water transfer from his soaking wet hair down his bare back, of ignoring how the white fabric of her dress had turned partially transparent and clung to her thighs.

In the golden light of the sun, pouring through the fluffy clouds, Zelda’s eyes began to flutter. After countless thousands of years, she was finally allowed to wake up, and Link would be there by her side to wish her a good morning.

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