A Hero's Quest

The wind howled madly outside the castle walls. Rain poured in through any open windows and lightning cracked, lighting up the night sky. The beautiful land of Hyrule rarely had nights like these. Usually you could see the stars shining bright above the people's heads, a full moon resting neatly in the sky. Hyrule castle stood in the middle of the night's storm, taking the full beating of the cold rain.

Inside the castle, sat a blonde haired boy in a green tunic, leaning in a chair up against the grey stoned walls. He was playing on a small blue ocarina with the symbol of the Triforce on it. A warm fire blazed next to him, the smell of warm stew wafting throughout the castle.  A door swung open and in walked a plump woman carrying another large cauldron full of stew.

"I thought I heard you down here, Link!" She laughed, placing the pot on a nearby table, giving him a warm, hearty smile. Link stopped playing and returned the smile.

"Good evening, Impa. Am I disturbing you?" He asked politely, dropping his ocarina into his side pouch.

"Not at all, not at all! It's nice to hear something beautiful, what with the storm outside." She replied, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Well thank you. It's been a while since I've picked the thing up." Link laughed, patting his pouch lightly. Impa smiled as she pulled out a small bowl and poured the stew into the bowl with a large ladle. Link eagerly sniffed the air and walked up to Impa, staring into the bowl with hungry eyes. He reached his hand across to swipe the bowl but Impa swiftly smacked him.

"Ouch! Hey!" Link protested, rubbing the top of his left hand.

"Not for you, honey. It's for the princess. She's been feeling a bit stressed lately." She told him, shaking a finger. Link was surprised at this. Since when did Zelda ever get stressed? She was always as calm as a cucumber, even under extreme pressure. Something really must be getting to her…

"May I take the bowl to her?" Link asked eagerly. It had been a few days since he got to spend any time with the princess. Impa raised an eyebrow then just chuckled, putting her hand on her hip.

"Of course." She responded, handing over the bowl. Link smiled brightly then practically ran out of the room. "DON'T SPILL THAT!!" She called out after him. Link quickly walked up the castle stairs and up into Zelda's tower, almost tripping three times.

As he approached her room, two huge wooden doors with large brass handles stood between him and the princess. It was as he reached to knock on her bedroom door that he realized: He'd never been in her room before. Yes, maybe once as a wolf but since when did that ever count? He felt his heart start to pound furiously in his chest and the sweat on the back of his neck. A lump appeared in his throat and he quickly swallowed it. Finally, he exhaled slowly and knocked on the doors. There was a slight pause, some faint rustling then a melodious, "Come in." from within. Link shut his eyes tight and quickly opened the door and walked inside.

As he opened his eyes, he saw her. Her blonde hair down and flowing gracefully over her shoulders and down her back; her ocean blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. She looked at him for a moment then smiled, her white teeth like pearls.

"Good evening, Link. I was expecting Impa tonight so this is a very pleasant surprise." She told him, removing the bed covers from her body. As she got up, Link's face flushed red. She was wearing a sheen, see through night gown that shown a light purple in the white light, her dark silhouette showing every beautiful curve. Link looked away, at loss for words.

"Is something wrong?" Zelda asked, innocently. Link looked back at her to see she was very close to his face now. He jumped in surprise, his mouth still glued together. She laughed lightly as he blushed more.

"I…I um…I brought you something to eat….Impa made it…Smells good…." He finally said, stumbling over his own words. He pushed the bowl into her hands and she smelled it.

"This smells amazing! Impa sure is a talented cook!" She exclaimed. She placed the bowl to her lips and happily gulped down half the bowl. She let out a sigh then sat the almost empty bowl at her bedside table. "Thank you for bringing that to me. You've helped me feel so much better!" Link blushed more and rubbed the back of his head, smiling awkwardly.

Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder when off in the distance, lighting brightening the sky like it was daybreak. Zelda screamed in alarm, tripping over herself and falling to the floor. Link, breaking out from his temporary embarrassment over nothing, quickly ran to her side.

"Are you alright, Princess?" He asked frantically. He'd never seen her suddenly lose composure like that. He put his hand on her back and took her hand. She looked at him, a light blush on her cheeks.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine!" She responded quickly, "I just…was surprised, that's all." Her free hand balled into a fist and she looked away from him. Link raised an eyebrow and smiled a little.

"Are you scared of thunderstorms, Princess?" He asked jokingly. Her blush turned dark red and she ripped her hand away from his.

"Absolutely not!! Why would you think such a thing?!" She snapped. She folded her arms across her chest and huffed, her back turned towards him. Link laughed a little then swiftly picked her up, carrying her over to the bed. "H-Hey!! Put me down!!" She protested.

"I should say not! You can't seem to walk right at the moment. I wouldn't want you getting hurt!" He told her with a smug smile. She opened her mouth to retaliate but immediately shut it, knowing it was pointless. Link gently placed her on the bed and pulled the covers over her.

"Sleep well, Princess." He whispered to her then turned to leave. Suddenly, he felt a tug on the right side of his tunic. He turned to see that Zelda was grabbing him, her eyes averted and her face red again.

"U-Ummm…Link….please…stay with me tonight?"  She asked timidly. He smiled at her and removed her hand.

"Anything for you, Princess." He answered. She smiled as he sat down on the edge of her bed, removing his hat, belts, boots, and gloves. He pushed everything over a couple of feet then joined Zelda in bed beside her. They looked at each other for a moment then Link felt his heart begin to pound furiously again. He was in bed…with the princess!! Princess Zelda!!  

Another loud crack of thunder sounded and she jumped against. Link took her hand and pulled her in close to her chest. Her breathing was short a rapid from the shock but soon slowed. His heart was racing as he felt her breath on his chest and her hand on his arm. He gently brushed the side of her arm, his rough fingertips taking in the cool, silky sensation of her skin. He lightly rested his head on the top of hers, taking in the sweet scent of her hair. It was like smelling a morning breeze in Hyrule fields; the smell of innocence and freedom. He took his other hand and stroked her hair, taking in everything he could about her.

"Link…" She whispered suddenly, breaking his sort of dream.

"Yes, Princess?" He replied. Her blues eyes stared up at him with a sort of wonder and he couldn't help but stare back. A surge flew through his body and he lost control. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. This wasn't a kiss of lust, though, but a kiss of longing. For so long he wanted to tell her how he felt. For so long he risked is how life to save hers. For so long her suffered a pain worse than death, and now, he finally got to express it.

At first it seemed like she was taken by surprise but within the first few seconds, she too reacted the same. She grabbed the front of his tunic with both hand and forced him closer. Link could feel his chest burning like the fires of Hell and it soon felt like he might explode. Soon, he couldn't take it and broke apart. Both were breathing heavily. Link stared at her, surprised with his lack of self control.

"I-I…I'm sorry…I'm not sure….what came over me…" He said in between breaths, fearful she might reject him. Instead, she just smiled back and kissed his cheek.

"Don't apologize." She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. Link wrapped his arms around her and held her close, shaking slightly.

"I love you, Princess. I always have." He whispered back.

"I love you too, Link."