Chapter Text
Link yawned while brushing his horse’s mane. He had stayed awake thinking about the Keese that slipped into one of the secret passages of the Castle the night before and trying to understand where it came from.
At that moment, while lying on his bed, he wanted to go back to the library and go into the passage to see if there was an open entrance that could mean some danger to the Royal Family, but he knew he needed to have his attention into getting to Hateno Village with the Princess.
They had agreed to go together, and something about showing her his homeland made him nervous. He didn’t know if she would like the food, or if she’d be fine with riding almost all day to get in there. He wanted her to feel comfortable and do her research in the most peaceful and safest way possible. And probably that wish was the most impossible one, knowing how the princess wanted to be in contact with monsters.
He still couldn’t understand the appeal about being in constant danger all the time, about to get hurt, zapped or eaten, but as long as he was close, he could protect her from any harm.
He was so concentrated on his thoughts that he barely noticed Impa walking towards him with two cups of warm coffee.
“Hey, I got you this.” She said while giving Link one, who accepted it with a smile. “Rough night?”
Link took a sip. “Not really, I stayed with the Princess in the library, doing some research about Keese.”
Impa couldn’t help the chuckle that left her lips. “The Princess can be a little stubborn when it comes to her research, but I hope you let her have a proper rest every now and then.”
Link nodded, a half smile crossed his face, while he looked down at his cup. Last night’s discovery was still roaming his thoughts and he couldn’t just keep the information to himself.
“Impa? What do you know about the Castle’s secret passages?”
Impa’s smile faded away and a stern look appeared in its place. “What do you know about them?”
Link sighed. “Last night we heard a thud coming from the bookcases, when I moved it away, a Keese came from a secret passage. I thought it was weird that there was a Keese inside the Castle.”
“Do you know where it leads to?” Impa asked in a whisper.
He shook his head. “I didn’t want to pique the Princess’s interest and lead her to a horde of monsters. Or a Yiga trap.”
Impa stood in silence for a moment, thinking about the information Link just gave her, before he heard the voices of the King and his daughter coming their way.
“I’ll take a look while you’re gone. Thanks for informing me.” She said before turning around to meet the royals.
The King had a worried expression on his face, while Zelda was carrying a couple of bags, with Hugo following her closely, like a little dog to his owner. Link thought that it was heavy luggage for a trip that would last two days, three tops, but he didn’t want to fight with a girl’s sense of fashion or whatever that’s in her mind.
“Zelda, darling,” Rhoam sounded preoccupied, “I don’t know if I feel comfortable with you doing such a long trip, why don’t we talk about it?”
Zelda shook her head while she put her stuff on her horse and Link rushed to help her. “It’ll be okay, father, I have Link and Hugo to protect me. Besides, you’re always saying how you want me to see the kingdom before I have more responsibilities as the Crown Princess. This is a great opportunity.”
“But in such short notice, Zelda, I haven’t talked with anyone in the court about your plans. There won’t be enough patrols to look after you.” King Rhoam looked at Link with a worried frown. “Did you agree on this?”
Link was confused about the King’s question, what could he do except obey the Princess’s commands?
“I’ll take good care of the Princess, Your Majesty.” Link said with a bow. “I promise you’ll see her again without a scratch on her.”
“Not so sure about that, knowing my daughter.” Rhoam replied sardonically, before taking a few steps back.
He looked at Zelda and Link mounting their horses with Hugo in front of Zelda’s lap. Link started to lead the way to the door while Zelda stayed a little bit longer with her father. Probably the King wasn’t used to her doing any kind of trips without him and that’s why he was so protective about her. It made sense, after losing his wife a few years ago.
“I’ll be back in three weeks, I promise.” Zelda said to her father before whipping the reins and leaving Link behind.
Wait, three weeks?
“Princess, wait!”
Link whipped the reins of his horse as well and followed her. Or chased her, in that case, leaving Impa and King Rhoam behind with a lot of worries. Zelda’s horse was faster than his, but Link had more experience riding at that pace, so that gave him some advantage to get closer to the Princess, who was enjoying herself a little too much.
They rode like that through Castle Town, hearing the cheers of the people that recognized the Royal Horse. Link always wanted to hear the kingdom wish him a good trip while accompanying the Royal Family. He never thought the first time they officially did, would be while he was chasing the Princess.
They rode for a while at that pace, and once they were out in the open field and with no one around to look at them, Link reached for her reins and made the horse stop.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you?” Zelda asked him with a scowl in her face.
“Me? What’s wrong with you ?” Link replied with the same tone of voice. “Three weeks?”
“It just occurred to me we could extend the trip, that’s all!” Zelda shrugged her shoulders trying to start riding again, but Link put his horse in front of her. “Move!”
“And it didn’t occur to you that maybe I should know about your change of plans?” Link asked her. “Princess, this is not a field trip like the ones we’ve been making so far, it’s dangerous outside.”
Zelda sighed and rolled her eyes. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“Oh, do you?” Link replied. “I know, Impa taught you how to defend yourself, but have you ever seen a Moblin in action? Or a Lynel?”
Zelda stayed in silence, looking at him with a grown on her face. Link knew he was right at being angry, but still, he felt an ache in his chest he couldn’t quite describe.
He sighed. “We’re going back to the castle.”
Zelda gasped and now was her turn to move her horse in front of his.
“No, Link, please. I need to do this!” She begged.
“This is not a game, Princess.” Link replied with a scowl. “If you want me to be here, you need to be completely honest about your intentions and follow my instructions. Trust goes both ways!”
Zelda huffed and stayed in silence for a couple of seconds before rolling her eyes and looked back at him.
“I guess I should have said something.” She said, reluctantly. “I just… I want to see the world as it is, even with the dangers ahead. Is it wrong?”
Link sighed and shook his head. “It's not, but we are a team. Any plan you have, or any lie you tell, I need to know so I can have your back.”
Zelda stayed in silence for a moment, frowning and looking away. A feeling of dread ran over Link. Was he too rude? Did he overstep the boundaries between them?
Zelda looked back at him and sighed. “I’m sorry.”
Link was sure he saw Hugo’s mouth open in surprise.
“You’re right, we are a team and, as much as I dislike it, you’re the leader in this expedition. I… I don’t even know if I’m riding in the right direction. I’m sorry.”
Link cleared his throat and shook his head. “If I said something wrong…”
“You didn’t.” Zelda interrupted. “Actually, I kind of like it when you speak your mind. It suits you.”
Link blushed hard and tried to hide his face by moving his horse out of her way. Zelda started to ride, this time with Link by her side. He looked at her, how smug she was feeling after getting away from his scolding. He could also feel Hugo’s glare.
“So, would you like to explain what your three-weeks-plan is?” He asked her and Zelda’s face lit up.
“Well, you said last night that there were no monsters in Royal grounds, and a man in Hateno Village who knew a lot about them.” She replied with her eyes fixed to the road. “It got me thinking that, if I want to see monsters, we’re gonna need to be in the wild, away from villages.”
Link didn’t like her train of thought.
She continued. “So, maybe we could pay Hateno a visit to rest and talk with your friend…”
“He’s not my friend.”
“...get any intel we can from him, and then get off and see the monsters on our own, like we did with the Chuchus. But this time, we could camp outside.”
Link sighed. What was the point of fighting the Princess anyway?
“Fine, you win, but you have to grant me two things.” He said firmly, trotting by her side. “First, you have to pretend you’re a common girl again.”
“Got it.” Zelda replied.
Link looked away ashamed. “And you have to hide Hugo.”
Zelda stopped on her tracks the moment Link let out the words. He didn’t want to look at her, and he wasn’t sure the hisses came from the lizalfos or his angry owner.
“No way, I’m not hiding Hugo!” Zelda said, offended. “I’ve never had to before, not even in Castle grounds!”
“I know, but these aren’t Castle grounds!” Link hissed, now looking at her. “People at Hateno, or any other village, don't see the monsters the way they do at Castle Town.”
“Would you care to explain?” Zelda crossed her arms, and as odd as it could be, Hugo did the same.
Link blinked twice before shaking his head. “There’s not a lot of monsters around in Castle Town thanks to the patrols, so when you see one, you run to the knights to protect you from them.”
Zelda kept staring at him, judging his words, but that didn’t stop him.
“But it’s different in the villages. They had to learn how to react when in front of monsters from a really young age.” He looked down at Hugo, almost pitiful. “They won’t hesitate to hurt him, even if he’s that little, if it means to protect themselves.”
Zelda’s frown softened, looking down at Hugo with a worried look at him. Hugo, who had the same expression, climbed up to her arms to console her. Link had to look away, feeling like he was invading their private moment.
“Fine.” Zelda said while embracing her pet. “But in that case, we need to be in a safe place for Hugo.”
Link nodded. “I have the perfect place.”
After a couple of hours riding, with the sunset showing its final shine, Link and Zelda arrived at the gates of Hateno Village.
It looked like everything was the same as when he left the village to join Zelda in her research a few weeks ago. The air still smelled like the apple trees in the forest and the pumpkins that were in the entrance. He could see the dim lights of the houses starting to appear with the darkness of the night appearing on the horizon.
He couldn’t help but think about his first years in Hateno Village. Not as a knight, but as a little kid, with his parents dancing in the kitchen, and him laughing at them and clapping his hands.
All of that before everything changed, and his father had to move with him through the kingdom to escape his demons.
He felt something in his chest. A feeling of sadness and happiness at the same time. Nostalgia, for a place that was barely a home for him now, and for the simpler times when his mother was in the picture.
“Are you okay?”
Zelda’s voice took him away from his thoughts. He looked at her and saw Zelda and Hugo staring at him. He could almost tell Hugo was worried about him, which was the weirdest thing in the world.
“Yeah, I’m alright, it’s just…” Link sighed. “It’s been a while.”
“I didn’t know you missed your position as knight in Hateno.” Zelda whispered, still looking at him.
“Not at all.” He lied, not wanting to involve the Princess in drama she didn’t need to hear.
Zelda didn’t press on it, instead she put on her hood and grabbed Hugo. “Now hide in my cape like we said, okay? Not a single sound.”
Hugo nodded and did as told, as the riders were getting closer and closer to the entrance. Link thought that the plan was ridiculous, just hiding a lizalfos in the Princess’s dress wasn’t going to be enough to fool Thadd, but if they were confident enough, it could work for them.
Just as he was expecting, Thadd was in the entrance, holding his pitchfork diligently. He saw them approaching and pointed his weapon at them.
“Who are you? What are your businesses in Hateno Village?” Thadd asked, a scowl in his face.
Link sighed as he removed his own hood. “Thadd, it’s me, Link.”
Thadd opened his eyes widely and put his pitchfork away.
“Well, look at that!” He said with a smile on his face. “Link, what are you doing here? Did that Sheikah woman fire you already or are you the boss of Hateno Village now?”
Link shook his head with a smile on his face. “None of that, I was asked to escort the Princess’s maid to Mount Lanayru, but I thought we could rest here before facing the freezing weather tomorrow morning.”
Thadd looked at Zelda with a doubtful look, then back at Link.
“Mount Lanayru?” He asked, confused. “Why would you go up there, ma'am? I heard there was another monster plague up the way, lots of ice keese and disgusting lizalfos.”
Link cringed at that word, but when he was about to say something, Zelda interrupted.
“The King wishes to send her Highness to a pilgrimage to get the Goddess' favor, a tradition that goes in the Royal Family from centuries.” She said, with a low voice. “I was asked to cleanse the Spring of Wisdom before the Princess’ arrival.”
Both Link and Thadd stared at Zelda, feeling scared of the somber tone of voice she used. It took him a second, but after clearing his throat, Thadd moved out of the way to finally let them in.
“I’ll inform the Royal Guard you’re here, in that case.”
“No!” Both Zelda and Link yelled.
Thadd looked at both of them suspiciously. Link spoke first.
“We’re not staying with the Royal Guard, we’re going to my place.”
Thadd's surprised expression changed into a smug grin that made Link’s face boil, envying Zelda having to wear her hood to cover her face. He wished he could do that at that precise moment.
“I see,” Thadd said teasingly, “in that case, I won’t make you wait. Enjoy your stay, you lovebirds.”
Link growled at him, but instead of arguing with him or feeding into his delusions, he led the way inside the village. They saw the people returning to their houses after a long day, the shops were closing, the kids were running to their parents. He was kind of glad that they weren’t paying attention to both riders, but still, the nostalgia kept lingering in his chest.
They crossed the bridge and arrived at Link's childhood home. Link led the way to the little stable next to his house, and helped Zelda to unpack her stuff before looking around.
“Okay Hugo, you’re free to go, but don’t go far.” He whispered.
Hugo jumped out of Zelda's cape to the ground and started to inspect the surroundings, trying to catch some green fireflies with his sticky tongue and jumping into the little pond to refresh his body after a long day riding on Zelda’s lap.
Link then moved to help the princess climb down her horse, offering his hand to her, but her foot got stuck in the stirrup, making her trip and fall over him, not crushing only Link’s body, but also the little dignity he had left.
“Oh goddesses, I’m so sorry, are you okay?” Zelda asked, as she moved her hair out of her face and inspected his body looking for some injuries, still on top of him.
“Agh, yes, just… mph… my ribs…” Link replied out of air.
Zelda noticed she was actually crushing his ribs with her elbow, so she moved away, sitting on the grass and waiting for Link to grab some air as he sat up.
Once he recovered his breath, he looked back at Zelda.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
“Yeah, totally, it didn’t hurt at all, I’m so, so, so sorry!” Zelda stuttered, which made Link look weirdly at her, but he let it pass.
He stood up and helped Zelda to do the same, Holding her hands to lift her up, feeling a snap through his spine when he touched her skin. He let go of her quickly, trying to not show the effect she had on him, and looked at the old house, probably dirty from all the dust since he left for Castle Town.
“So, this is where you live?” Zelda asked him.
Link didn’t notice when she stood by his side, but he didn’t mind, as long as they were close, it was alright. That way he could take better care of her, of course.
“Well, I was born and grew up here until I was six.” He explained to her. “I came back three years ago.”
“I think it’s lovely.” Zelda said as she walked straight to the front door and opened it.
Just as he expected, the house was not only filled with dust, but there were also little insects like cockroaches, grasshoppers and flies invading the space. Link’s face was red, seeing the state of his house and thinking how on earth he could have brought the Princess of Hyrule to such a filthy place.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t think that–”
“IS THAT A BLADED RHINO BEETLE?!” Zelda yelled as she sat on the floor and caught the little insect with her bare hands. “This specimen is so strong!”
As Zelda started to babble about the properties that beetles give to hylians when used in potions, Link started to clean up the house. He was even more surprised to see Hugo trying to catch the bugs with his tongue, and for a moment he wanted to believe the little lizalfos was helping him with his chores.
Time flew by and Link invited Zelda outside to cook dinner while she looked around the house. The pumpkin stew was almost done when he noticed her, looking at the Dueling Peaks, and sighing as if she missed something. Or someone.
“Zelda? Are you okay?” He asked her and she looked back at him.
“Yeah, it’s just…” She sighed. “I hate lying to my father. I know he means well, but…”
She looked down, looking ashamed and making Link feel smaller than ever, not knowing what to do or say to calm the princess’s guilt. He knew, deep down, that she had every reason to feel guilty. But he hated not being able to help her.
“If you allow me,” Link stepped closer. “I think His Majesty has a good reason to be worried about you. You’re the most valued jewel on his crown. I’m sure he doesn’t love anyone the way he loves you.”
Zelda smiled faintly at him, but her eyes turned to Mount Lanayru.
“He loved my mother more.” She said, the sound of sadness palpable in her voice. “Last time I was here was ten years ago. I forgot what the village looked like.”
Link counted in his mind. He was eleven by then, living in the Hebra region with his father while he was taking care of a Lynel that was terrorizing the Rito. His training as a squire had started on that journey, when they heard the news about the Queen.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Link said in a whisper.
Zelda smiled at him and looked away.
“She took me to the Spring to Wisdom, taught me how to pray and told me to be kind to all Hylia’s creatures. Next day, I woke up and she was gone.”
Link remembered it all. How his father blamed himself for not being in Hateno when everything happened. The Queen was distracted in the forest, picking flowers for the princess, they said. She had sneaked out from her knights, so she never stood a chance against the moblin that chased her until she fell from a cliff.
He remembered staying in Rito Village alone for weeks while his father left with the rest of the company to pay respects to the Queen at Castle Town. You’re too young, he had said back then. Zelda was younger and he remembered how the knights would talk about her somber face during the funeral and how she disappeared after that.
“We don’t have to stay here.” Link said, walking towards her. “We can go anywhere you want, you just have to name it.”
“No,” Zelda whispered. “I want to be here. With you.”
Link saw the sadness in her eyes and in that moment he knew he would do anything in his power to not see her like that ever again. He knew how she felt. He had experienced the same loss, just a few years before her. It hurt in his chest, to see her so sad and vulnerable.
He wanted to tell her that he understood the pain of growing up without a mother, but he wasn’t that brave to open up like that. or had the words to express what he felt. The only thing he could do was reach out his hand and hold hers, trying to cheer her up, to let her know that he was there for her. Link would do anything she’d ask, he wanted her to know it.
Zelda looked at him, watery eyes and a soft smile on her lips as she squeezed his hand gently. They didn’t say anything, just shared the moment, holding hands while the soft air took their thoughts away.
But then, Hugo started to jump around them and make sounds that broke the peace they were sharing. They both looked down at the lizalfos, and then at the direction he was pointing at with his claws. Behind the pumpkin harvest, there was some kind of balloon shaped tent, with purple and green fabrics and monster skulls as decorations.
“What is that?” Zelda asked, letting go of his hand and walking towards it.
Link sighed. “Put on your hood.”
She did as he told and carried Hugo in her arms, then she followed Link through the bridge and across the village to get where the spooky tent was. Link couldn’t help but groan as he walked towards it, thinking about the ruined moment and blaming Hugo and the monsters for breaking the atmosphere between him and the Princess. He had to reprimand himself in his thoughts. He wasn’t supposed to see her under that light. He could be hanged.
As they got closer to the tent, Link felt tense, sensing a foul smell that started to get worse. He could tell that even Hugo was nervous, even in Zelda’s arms.
A high pitched voice came out of the tent. “Ah yes… I smell something in the air… Chuchu jelly, with keese wings and… Lizalfos’ breath? What could that be?”
“Uh, hello?” Zelda said and a short man with gray skin turned around.
The man screamed in panic and Zelda did the same, as Hugo jumped out of her arms and fell on Link’s, who was also startled by their screams.
The man grasped for air and shook his head before looking at them.
“Girl, don’t scare a man like that! I almost saw Hylia myself.” He said as he wiped the sweat out of his bald head, but stopped when he saw Hugo in Link’s arms. “Well, that’s a curious specimen you have there.”
Hugo snarled at him, and Zelda had to stand in front of them to get the man’s attention. “I’m looking for a monster expert, could that be you?”
“The name’s Kilton, your Highness.” He said as he bowed and walked towards Link, trying to get closer to Hugo with a magnifying glass and Hugo trying to get away from him.
Link scowled at him as he tried to keep Hugo still. “H-How did you know?”
Kilton interrupted him. “Everyone in the kingdom knows about the princess and her dwarf lizalfos, I thought it was a rumor, but I’m glad to know it’s not!”
Zelda and Link exchanged looks.
“In that case, there’s no point in pretending.” Zelda said as she got closer to him and removed the hood from her face. “I’m running an investigation about the monsters in Hyrule, trying to understand them better.”
“You’re not the first one who’s tried that, princess.” Kilton said as he went back into his tent. “In fact, we know a lot about the creature's weaknesses thanks to the expeditions your great-great-great-great grandfather led back in his reign.”
“Well, this time is different.” Zelda said. “I don’t want the monsters to get killed or hunted for our own sake anymore. I believe we can coexist, if only there was knowledge…”
“Your Highness,” Kilton interrupted her. “Do you like monsters?”
Zelda looked at Link, and back at Kilton. “Yes, I do.”
“NOT MORE THAN I DO!” Kilton yelled at her angrily, making Link and Zelda take a couple of steps back, but then his face changed into a sad grin. “I’ve seen the Royal Family send men to slaughter those poor, defenseless creatures, but in the end, it was a necessary evil, we need to defend ourselves as they do in their environment.”
“I don’t want it to be like that anymore.” Zelda whispered. “It doesn’t have to be us against them. I need your help to get closer, in a respectful way, so I can teach everyone how to respect them too. Aren’t you tired of seeing them get killed every time?”
Kilton looked at Zelda with disdain and that made Link’s blood boil. Who did he think he was, looking at the Princess of Hyrule like she was less than him? He would have his head if she asked for it. Deep inside, Link was hoping Zelda asked for it.
“No, no, you’re gonna get me in trouble.” Kilton said as he walked away, to hide in his tent. “Leave before I scream.”
That was it.
“For Hylia’s sake, your Princess is giving you an order!” Link yelled and made Kilton fall on his butt, scared. “You’re lucky she’s not like the rest of the Royals, she actually wants to help the monsters. So now, you’re gonna tell Her Royal Highness everything you know that will help her with her research or I swear to all the gods up there I’ll tie you to the reins of my horse and drag you all around Ginner Woods so you become Bokoblins’ dinner!”
“Fine!” Kilton yelled as he walked back to his tent, mumbling something about how stupid the knights were and how old he was for anything like this.
Link gasped for air that he lost yelling at Kilton, and turned around to see Zelda. She had a surprised look on her face, but he could tell she was happy with the results. Hugo, on the other hand, had a weird grin on his face. Was the lizalfos proud of him? If Link knew better, he’d said so.
Kilton came back with a purple bottle in his hands and handed it to Link, who opened it and smelled it, the scent making him gag.
“This is Monster Extract.” Kilton started to explain. “Just a drop in your skin and the monsters will recognize you as part of their own kind.”
“How does it work?” Zelda asked him as she put Hugo on the floor and started to write in her journal.
“It’s a potion I’ve been working on the last few years.” He explained. “In the beginning it was supposed to give advantage in the battle against monsters, replicating their instincts, but instead, they just wanted to hang out with the user. Works all the time.”
“What is it made of?”
“Lizalfos scales, Bokoblin horns, Hinox fangs, all the monster parts, you name it.” He shrugged his shoulders, but then got defensive when he saw Zelda’s glare. “Don’t look at me like that, I didn’t kill them! I use the little bits and pieces the disgusting knights of Hyrule leave behind after their slaughter!”
“Hey! Watch your mouth!” Link warned him and Kilton shrinked even more, fearing a beating.
Zelda rolled her eyes at him and paid her attention to Kilton.
“Don’t you have anything else?” She asked, a disgusted look on her face. “Something more… Monster friendly?”
Kilton hummed, looking back at his tent, and came back with a pair of old, dusty bokoblin masks in his hands, one black and one blue. Link took a closer look at them and frowned at him when he found out what it was about.
“Are you serious?” He asked, crossing his arms. “You expect the Princess of Hyrule to disguise as a bokoblin?”
“I used them in the beginning of my own research, they allowed me to get closer to the bokoblins pack and make them believe I was one of them.” Koltin said proudly. “They worked almost all the time, seventy-eight percent of success.”
“Seventy-eight?!” Link asked, feeling how he was losing his temper. “What about the other twenty two?”
Kilton grinned. “I hope you’re a skilled warrior.”
Zelda cleared her throat, interrupting their banter. “How much for the masks?”
“You can’t take them with you! They’re my work tools!” Kilton replied groaning, but then looked at Link’s glare and rolled his eyes. “But I suppose that I can make a decent deal with Your Highness.”
Link and Zelda exchanged looks.
“What's the deal?” She asked.
“Let me help with your research, of course!” He said as he walked closer to the princess, closer than Link liked. “We’ll join our studies and when the work is complete, we’ll publish it together! That’ll show those Sheikah they’re not the only ones with knowledge…”
“Wait, just hold on a second.” Zelda said as she grabbed Link by the arm and walked away from Kilton. “What do you think?”
Link stared at Kilton while he kept trying to get closer to Hugo, and the lizalfos trying to get away from him. “It’s too risky, it’s obvious he only wants the recognition, no matter the cost, and we don’t even know if the masks work.”
“I know, but he has tools we don't have to get closer.” Zelda replied looking into his eyes, as if trying to break down his walls. “We’ve only been close to ChuChus and Keese at this point, we need his research, too.”
Link hated to admit that Zelda was right. So far he had been able to entertain her with the weakest creatures in Hyrule, but he knew deep inside her curiosity was only growing and it wasn’t going to fade away any sooner.
If he wanted to help her get to the dangerous ones, he could only trust in his skills. But if there was a monster ambush, they would need a miracle to get out of there alive. So if to keep her safe he needed to trust the madman of Hateno Village, so be it.
“Fine.” He sighed, giving up. “But be careful with the information you give him.”
Zelda nodded and turned around to see Hugo about to bite Kilton. “Okay, this is the deal. You share with me tools and reports you have, and by the end of every week, for as long as this study goes on, we share each other’s perspective of what we found. We can travel together…”
“No, I can’t.” Kilton interrupted. “I do my research at night, I’m allergic to sunlight.”
“Oh, okay.” Zelda replied. “In that case, I can study the monsters and their behaviors in daylight and you’d do the same at night. That way we’ll have different approaches and possibly, something worth showing to the King.”
“Wait a minute.” Kilton shook his head, looking at Zelda with a surprised expression on his face. “Are you showing our research to His Majesty?”
Zelda shrugged. “It’s the only way to stop the raids, to make him understand.”
Kilton took her hand with both of his and shook it really fast, with a grin on his face. “Your Highness, you got yourself a deal! Let’s show everyone in Hyrule how wrong they are about these beautiful creatures!”
Zelda smiled at him and followed towards his tent, where they spent a few hours discussing about monsters, Kilton’s research and ways to approach monsters without being torn apart. All of this while Link and Hugo stared at each other, not being able to believe the odd partnership and trying to not fall asleep on the grass.
The next day, Link woke up as early as he could, having slept on the floor while he gave the Princess and Hugo his bedroom to sleep. He went upstairs to check on her, and when he saw her sleeping not-so-peacefully with her arms wrapped around the lizalfos’ neck, he went outside.
He used the time alone to stretch and work out, enjoying the quiet morning in Hateno, so much different from the noisy Castle Town. But the calmness that he was enjoying so far was interrupted when he heard the little legs of Hugo running down the stairs and coming out of his house only to jump into the pond, which seemed to be his new favorite spot.
“Good morning”, he heard the princess yawn.
Link turned around to greet her, but when he saw her, he had to stop in his tracks, looking at her as she had lost her mind.
“Really, Your Highness? Are you using the Bokoblin mask right now?”
Zelda stared as if the crazy one was him and not her who was wearing the ridiculous black mask that made her head look bigger than it was.
“Why not? We said we were going to see the Bokoblins today.” She shrugged as she walked towards the pond to see Hugo swim.
Link sighed. “Yes, we said that, but don’t you think it’s a little too much? You don’t need it right now.”
Zelda studied him with her big green eyes and Link didn’t know why he was now so nervous with her gaze, not the kind I have a crush on you nervousness that he felt the first time he met her. This time, he felt exposed.
“Are you embarrassed, Link?” She asked him, crossing her arms on her chest.
Yes, he wanted to reply, yes, I’m embarrassed of everything you make me do that goes against all I ever knew.
“Of course not,” he lied, clearing his throat, “I just don’t see the point in wearing that thing here where anyone can see you.”
Zelda took a deep breath and Link could see in her eyes a hint of disappointment and that made him want to tear his skin apart for making her look at him with that look.
“You know what, Link?” She said with a frown in her face. “I know I look ridiculous, that my behaviour is embarrassing and that I’m not the princess I should be.”
She took a step closer, “but at least I know who I am and the things I want to achieve, do you know that about yourself?”
Link felt a blow in his chest with her words and when he saw her walk away with the mask still on and with Hugo following closely, he couldn’t help but grunt.
“Zelda, that’s not what I meant.” He said, walking behind her through the bridge, “yes, I’m embarrassed, but I’m not embarrassed of you.”
He catched up and stood in front of her, stopping her from taking one more step away from him. “Listen, I know who I am, and that’s a monster killer.”
Zelda bristled but he didn’t let her interrupt him, not this time.
“I’ve been killing monsters since I was strong enough to grab a sword, and I’m good at it.” He took a step closer, “but ever since you hired me I’ve been ridiculed over and over again for the simplest, weakest creatures and I’m… embarrassed of my performance in front of you.”
Zelda was silent, examining him like he was another creature of her research and he felt his ears burning.
“You challenge me,” he finally said, avoiding her gaze, “in ways I’ve never been before and that frustrates me.”
Now he was embarrassed, of his words, of his feelings, of his self decrepitation. He was a knight, the Crown Princess’s bodyguard, and he was whining at her like a kid who couldn’t get away with anything.
But then, he felt her hand cupping his cheek and goddess , nothing ever felt better. Her hand was soft and warm against his skin, and he looked up to see her, she was still wearing that stupid mask, but her eyes shone like stars. Really, she could look at him with those eyes and he would do anything for her.
“I know it’s not been easy, Link,” she said with soft words, “and I’d understand if you wanted to quit, but I need you.”
His heart skipped a beat with her words, and if she didn’t notice the red on his ears, now he was sure she could see his blushed face.
“I won’t be able to make it without you,” she confessed.
Link sighed and shook his head. “Alright, what do you need from me?”
Zelda smiled and Link felt a knot in his stomach.
They had decided to leave their horses in his house and walk through the forest with Hugo following closely behind them. Link was looking around, sword in hand and the blue mask on, having lost the fight with Zelda about wearing the thing.
Zelda was following behind him, her mask on and journal in hand, taking notes of their surroundings and whatever that piqued her interest.
“Are we there yet?” She asked him in a whisper.
Link looked over his shoulder, a finger on his lips. “We’re close, but we don’t want to disturb them.”
As soon as he turned his head, he noticed the footprints on the ground. Some were big, the others not so much, but all of them belonged to the same kind of monster.
Link stopped on his tracks and made a sign to Zelda and Hugo to get down. They did as told and the three of them started to crawl on the grass until they made it to the edge of a tiny hill. Below them, there was a pack of Bokoblins, all of different colors and sizes.
“Fascinating,” Zelda whispered as she grabbed her journal and doodled the scene on it, “what do you think the colors mean?”
Link didn’t reply, he just kept staring in silence. There were five red Bokoblins, which were the smallest of the group, surrounded by equally five blue ones, on the other side of their camp, there were three black bokoblins and two whites, all of them holding weapons or eating burnt meat by their campfire.
The red ones were playing between them, or that’s what it looked like. They were pushing and pulling each other while grunting and groaning. One of them, not bigger than Hugo, fell on its butt and started to cry.
Link thought he had never seen anything like this in his life, until a blue bokoblin came over the crying red one and wrapped it around its arms and calmed down its tears. A black one came over and started to make noises that made the red one make weird sounds that sounded like laughter.
“Oh Hylia,” Zelda whispered by his side, “it’s their baby.”
It made sense, the black and blue bokoblins were fussing over the red one and no other creature around. It was like the perfect picture of the almost perfect monster family.
Link felt a knot in the stomach, looking at the way the red bokoblins acted and thinking about all the ones he had killed in the past. Had all of them been that young? Were they some other bokoblin’s babies?
He had to admit, from all the bokoblins he had fought before, the red ones were always the easiest to fight. Was the color a way to know their age?
Goddess, he sounded like Zelda now.
Before he could say or do anything else, another red bokoblin started to smell into the air and walked clumsily towards their hideout. Zelda flinched and Link instinctively reached for the sword on his back, but it took a glare from Hugo to make him desist.
The bokoblin got even closer to them and, instead of attacking or alerting the others of their presence, it did the weirdest thing ever.
It threw its arms up to the air in front of Link.
Zelda stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand while Link looked awkwardly between her and the baby that was cooing at him and jumping on its feet to be carried around.
“Well, Link, what are you waiting for?” Zelda said, smugly.
Oh Hylia, why? He thought as he stood up from the grass and grabbed the bokoblin by the torso with both hands and kept it at arm's length, moving it up and down.
“There, there.” He said, swinging the bokoblin.
He had zero experience with babies, let alone monster babies, so when the bokoblin threw up all over his shirt, he couldn’t help but groan, loudly.
“Oh man, are you kidding me?” He groaned out loud, making the rest of the bokoblins turn their heads towards them.
Zelda stood up quickly behind Link, while Hugo climbed to her shoulder. Link was still carrying the baby in his arms.
“What do we do?” Zelda whispered in his ear, scared, but Link shook his head.
This didn’t look good, not good at all. The least the bokoblins could think was that they were stealing a baby from its pack.
A blue bokoblin walked towards them slowly, with a frown on its face. Link and Zelda didn't move, they just stood there watching how it was getting closer and closer. They were outnumbered and defenseless, so he prayed to all the goddesses above that the ridiculous masks actually worked right now and wasn’t just a scam from Kilton.
The blue bokoblin took the baby from Link’s hands and fussed over it, checking if it was injured, and then looked at Link. It started to smell at him, making him sweat and breath raggedly. With a grunt, it grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him to the rest of the pack.
“Hey, no wait–” He tried to fight but the blue bokoblin made him sit with the rest of the blue ones.
Zelda and Hugo stayed right where they were as Link was led to where the rest of the blue bokoblins were sitting, and sat by their sides. The one that had led the way put the baby on his lap and went to sleep, while the baby kept bouncing and grunting happily, tugging his shit and the mask’s ears.
“Help me?” Link mouthed, but Zelda was too occupied with doodling the scene that she didn’t pay attention.
“Oh, this is so good!” She said in a loud whisper, “I think the blue ones are the mothers, they take care of the babies together!”
Link’s face went pale.
“Wait, you’re saying I’m disguised as a girl?”
Zelda didn’t reply, instead she took a step closer to him, but was stopped by one black bokoblin with a spear on its hand. Link bristled, all his senses on alert, he knew the black and the white ones were the toughest bokoblins to fight, and as far as he knew, Zelda didn’t know how to fight.
He needed to act quickly.
But instead of attacking her or trying to eat her, the black bokoblin gave her its spear and led her to the circle where the black and white monsters were. They made her sit with them, between the white ones, and even made space for Hugo to be with them.
One of the white bokoblins grabbed a woodland boar leg from the fire, howled out loud and bit into it, then passed the leg to the left, where Zelda was. She grabbed it and looked at Link, with a mortified face but he could only laugh, while cradling the red bokoblin in his arms.
Zelda gulped and gave a big bite to the slightly burnt meat, making sounds of enjoying the food and trying so hard to not throw up in front of the bokoblins. Then she handed the rest of the leg to the next one.
Link was laughing, Zelda was glaring at him.
For the rest of the day, Link and Zelda learned from the bokoblins, watching as they cared for the baby bokoblins with surprising tenderness, or creating weapons out of tree branches with unexpected detail. Sunset was upon them, the red baby sleeping on Link’s arms while him and Zelda were sitting in a tree, looking into her notes.
“So, if I’m understanding correctly,” she said, her gaze on her journal, “the red ones are the youngest, then they grow up and change colors.”
“Blue for females, black for males,” Link added in a whisper, while the baby cooed.
Zelda nodded, “and apparently, when they’re old enough, their colors fade to white.”
Link noticed in one of the blue bokoblins a couple of white spots on her legs, and a black one with a big white spot on his head. They were aging, but snuggled together near a bush, ready to fall asleep. He stood up with a grunt and walked a few steps towards them, then gave them the baby, which they cuddled and kissed until the three of them fell asleep in each other's arms.
He sighed and looked back at Zelda, who was holding back her tears and a big smile was showing on her face. He rolled his eyes, but smiled too.
“Shut up,” he said as he gave her a hand and pulled her on her feet.
“I didn’t say anything,” she said teasingly, as Hugo climbed on her arms.
But she didn’t have to, Link thought, to make his chest feel warm and funny. He only needed to look back at the bokoblin family.
Once they were back to the castle, he was going to write to his father.