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Chapter Text

The mornings were always cold in Hyrule Castle. The old and gray walls that surrounded the big fortress were as tall as the trees in the Great Plateau, and even though spring had just started, the only warmth inside came from the fires the maidens lit every morning to keep everyone comfortable. 

The routine was pretty simple. The people in service that had stayed up all night trying to serve the Royal Family in case they’d woke up in the middle of the night would go back to their chambers and rest while the people that worked in the morning took their places to serve the family.

The silence, cold and quietness that every morning brought with it, was interrupted when a creature ran into the dining hall, fast as lightning, along with seven royal guards chasing it.

“Watch out! It’s a Lizalfos!”

The maidens preparing the table for breakfast screamed when they saw the reptile creature, not as tall as a raccoon but quick as one of its kind. The little Lizalfos bumped into a wall and was cornered against it. The seven guards pointed their swords and spears, ready to give the final blow to the creature.

“Everyone stop now!”

The princess Zelda’s voice made the guards, the maidens and even the Lizalfos stare at her, stopping them from their fight. She wore a frown on her face. Even though it was early in the morning, she looked like she had run a marathon, with her golden hair disheveled and her forehead pearled with a little bit of sweat.

She looked up and down at everyone as if searching for something, and gasped when she saw the little Lizalfos staring back at her with its big yellow eyes.

“Hugo! I told you to never leave our chambers, come here young boy!”

The little Lizalfos, Hugo, took advantage of the confused looks the guards were giving the princess to run towards her and climb from her leg to her shoulder and snarl a little bit, feeling more powerful now that he felt protected for someone.

One of the royal guards had to clear his throat and put aside his sword, looking ashamed in front of the princess.

“My apologies, Your Highness, we didn’t know it was your pet. We thought it was a dangerous beast that had sneaked into the castle.”

If everyone in the room knew better, they would have thought that the princess had snarled at that comment, just like her Lizalfos had done a few moments ago.

“Hugo is the only Lizalfos in all Hyrule with this size and a lighter green shade in his scales. I suggest you pay more attention to the little details, Sir Ronald.”

The look Sir Ronald had on his face would probably mean that he couldn’t find any difference between Zelda’s pet and the Lizalfos that swam every day in Hylia Lake, but trying to argue with the Princess of Hyrule wasn’t the way he wanted to lose his head, so he kept his thoughts to himself and only bowed before leaving the dining room, leaving the princess, her Lizalfos and the maids alone.

“Your Highness,” one of the maids that wasn’t scared of Hugo approached them and gave the little reptile a cookie before addressing the princess with a bow and a smile. “Would you like a cup of chamomile tea with your breakfast today?” 

“Yes please!” Zelda said with a smile. “And bring breakfast to my chambers, I don’t want Father to see-”

“Good morning, my darling.”

Zelda hissed when she heard her father’s voice behind her and when she turned around, saw his giant figure walking towards her. All the maids curtsied before him and Zelda did as well, not only before leaning in and giving him a kiss on his cheek. 

“Good morning, Father. I was waiting for you to have breakfast!” She said, with a cheeky smile as she followed him to the table.

“Were you?” King Rhoam asked with an arched eyebrow as he sat down on the head of the table, maids getting his food ready. “Because I thought I heard you say you were going to have chamomile tea in your room. Maybe my imagination, or my old man ears.”

Zelda couldn’t help but giggle as she sat by his right, putting Hugo on the floor by her side and letting the maids bring her chamomile tea.

“I didn’t know Hugo was going to have breakfast with us today.” Rhoam said, looking at the creature eating fresh fish from a bowl, then at Zelda with a serious but warm look in his eyes. “You know what I think about monsters in the dining room.”

“I know, I’m sorry, Father.” She said with a sigh in her voice. “I was about to bring him back to my chambers when you arrived, and I didn’t want to leave you alone here.”

“I heard he made a fuss this morning. Try to keep him controlled so you don’t lose a lung next time you have to run towards him.” He said, a smirk and a wink was enough to let the topic aside, to Zelda’s relief. 

They started to have a normal morning breakfast as father and daughter, talking about their agendas for the day, the plans for the kingdom and basically anything that came into Zelda’s mind that made her father either laugh or look at her with a concerned look in his face.

As they finished their breakfast and Zelda prepared to leave the table to continue with her activities for the day, the King grabbed her hand gently, making her stay for a little bit longer.

“Don’t go yet, darling.” He said with a serious voice as he took a deep breath. “I know about your… interest in the creatures that roam our kingdom, but the attacks against our villages have only been increasing since the beginning of last year. Tell me, have you made any progress in your research?”

Zelda had always been different from the other princesses of Hyrule. While they spent their days learning courtly manners and embroidery, she spent hers buried in dusty old tomes, poring over ancient maps and legends. She was fascinated by the monsters that roamed the land, and she saw them not as mindless beasts to be destroyed, but as endangered creatures that needed to be understood and protected.

It was this fascination that led her to her current project. For weeks, she had been studying reports of monsters attacking in various parts of the kingdom. They were violent, cruel, but they never killed anyone unless they engaged into a fierce battle. She knew that she had to investigate further, but her investigations hadn’t given her the results she was waiting for.

Zelda sighed and sank on her chair, feeling so little and defeated every time she had to talk about her current research. She was so sure that monsters weren’t evil creatures that just attacked people for the sake of it, her hypothesis said that there had to be a reason for every monster in every corner in Hyrule to act the way they did. But her research had gotten into a point that wasn’t making any progress.

“No, I’ve been reading every book in our library, every journal, and interviewing every knight in our castle, but I don’t get to determine the reasons for these attacks. If only I could go out and see the habitats of these monsters, maybe I could…”

Rhoam, who was always so calm and patient with his daughter, gave a slam to the table, making her shiver for a second.

“How many times I have to tell you this, Zelda?” He said, voice tired as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “There is no way you’re leaving this castle to go investigate monsters on your own! Why are you so stubborn about it?”

“Father, the success of my research depends on seeing these creatures interact in the wild. What’s the use of hunting them and bringing them here for me to study them if when your soldiers get scared at the first chance they…” She leaned in and whispered the words so Hugo couldn’t hear her. “Kill them.”

Rhoam sighed and held Zelda’s hand once again, a frown of concern on his face.

“I’m sorry Zelda, but you’re the most precious thing I have and I can’t bear to lose you to some scholarship. I’m not letting you wander Hyrule alone, so please obey me.” He said before kissing her knuckles. “I’ll give you two more months to complete your research, but if there’s no progress, I’ll start the raids, are we clear?”

Zelda sighed and looked at their joined hands before putting her free one over them and smiled at her father, nodding with a sense of defeat in her shoulders. Two months weren’t enough to complete her research, but she had to attack fast before any more blood spilled to the land.

“Alright, Father, I’ll do as you please.”

Rhoam smiled and after a few moments of enjoying his tea, he kissed his daughter’s cheek and left to attend some important meetings he had with the Royal Council, leaving Zelda and Hugo alone in the dining room.

Zelda, on the other hand, was feeling defeated and embarrassed of not putting up for herself a little bit more. She knew her father was only trying to protect her from the dangers of the outside world, but she couldn’t help but think she needed to be out there, in the field, not only to prove her point that monsters weren’t dangerous creatures, but also to protect and teach the people of Hyrule how to defend themselves the proper way. 

Even though Hugo was a Lizalfos and didn’t speak the Hylian tongue, he could sense Zelda’s mood and the only thing he could do was climb to her lap to try to comfort her and protect her from her own feelings. And that thought only made Zelda’s gears of her brain start to work.

She stood up, making Hugo stand on her shoulder as he always did and called for a maid.

“Tell Lady Impa that I wish to see her in my studio as soon as possible, please.” She said before leaving the dining room and walking towards that place, her brain started to come up with a plan that would help her achieve her goal and her father’s too.

After a couple of minutes she arrived to her studio, Lady Impa, leader of the Sheikah, entered and bowed in front of her, “Were you looking for me, Your Highness?”

Zelda looked up at her, and let Hugo play on her desk as she got closer to Impa and closed her door.

“Yes, I need to ask something from you and I was hoping you could help me. I need a bodyguard," she declared, pacing back and forth in front of her. "Someone who can protect me while I conduct my research about monsters."

Even though the Sheikah, especially Impa, were loyal followers of the princess over the King, she looked at her nervously. 

"Your Highness," she said hesitantly. "Surely you don't need a bodyguard. You have the Royal Guard and my Sheikah warriors to protect you."

"I need someone who can keep up with me," Zelda retorted. "Someone who can handle themselves in a fight. And I want someone who is discreet - I don't want word of this getting out to the public. Or my Father."

Impa couldn’t help but frown at her declaration. 

“Why aren’t you asking me to protect you if that’s the case?” She asked, feeling a little offended. “Aren’t I good enough to keep you and your secrets safe?”

“Please Impa, don’t take it like that,” Zelda said as she sat in front of her desk. “I didn’t ask you because I’ll need you to cover me here in the castle while I’m outside, you’re the only one I trust that can help me on this, who can help me with my Father.”

Impa nodded reluctantly. She didn’t like anything about Zelda’s schemes, but she wasn’t going to go against the princess wishes. She could only find someone worth of taking care of her.

"I'll look into it, Your Highness," she said, and with a bow, she left the room.

Zelda knew that finding the right bodyguard wouldn't be easy. She needed someone who was skilled, trustworthy, and most importantly, someone who wouldn't get in her way. But as she sat at her desk with Hugo on her lap, surrounded by maps and scrolls, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of excitement. This was the start of a new adventure, and she was ready to embrace it.

Chapter Text

There was peace and quiet in Ginner Woods, just at the entrance of Hateno Village.

Link had been making his way through the forest, since it was his turn to make sure no monster or outlaw got into the village he was supposed to protect.

On days like this, where the chirps of birds living in the trees and the sound of water running across the river were the only things giving him company, he couldn’t help but think sometimes being a knight was really boring. He often daydreamed about being part of the Royal Guard and living in Castle Town. To be part of the rush and the noise. To risk your life in the name of the goddesses and the Royal Family. 

Hateno Village wasn’t too bad. It was a really nice and calm village. The only troubles it had were kids doing pranks on the elders and monsters that arrived in the forest at this time in the year. That’s why he was here now, walking through Ginner Woods, trying to clear out a pack of bokoblins that had been causing trouble in the area, but deep down he was sure the villagers could take care of them on their own.

Yes, he liked Hateno Village. But it was starting to feel below him. 

Link pondered his own thoughts when he suddenly heard the sound of rustling bushes. As he peeked through the foliage, he saw a pack of bokoblins, some white and some black, gathered around a small clearing. They grunted and snarled as they poked at a small fire with their weapons, probably stolen from some fallen soldiers, completely oblivious to who was approaching them.

Link drew his sword and moved towards the bokoblins, his movements quick and precise. The first bokoblin turned towards him with a roar, but it was quickly silenced by a swift slice of his sword. The other bokoblins spun around, their beady eyes glowing with fury as they prepared to attack.

But Link was ready for them. He moved with lightning-fast reflexes, dodging their clumsy attacks and striking back with powerful blows. 

The Bokoblins charged at him from all directions, their gnarled teeth bared and their claws flashing in the dappled sunlight. Link leapt into action, dodging and weaving as he hacked and slashed his way through the pack. Despite their ferocity, the Bokoblins were no match for Link's skill and bravery. The Bokoblins fell one by one, their bodies scattering across the ground as Link fought with a ferocity that was unmatched, his blade flashing in the sun as he cut them down with ease.

As he delivered the final blow and the bokoblins fell to the ground, he felt something creeping up his spine, as if he was being watched by something in the shadows. He was getting ready to attack in case he needed to. But then a voice spoke from the shadows behind him. 

"Impressive," it said. Link turned to see a pair of red eyes, watching him with a sharp gaze from the bushes.

"Who are you?" he asked warily.

"My name is Impa, I’m the leader of the Sheikah and advisor to Princess Zelda,"  she replied, stepping out of the shadows, her presence commanding and powerful. She approached Link, her red eyes scanning him from head to toe. "I've been watching you, Link. You have a strength and skill that would make you a valuable asset to Princess Zelda."

Link's eyes widened, hearing the words of the Sheikah, but unable to understand them, as if something had disconnected from his brain.

"Princess Zelda? You mean, the princess of Hyrule?" He had to shake his head to process his thoughts better. “Wait, how do you know my name?”

Impa couldn’t hold a soft giggle as she started to walk around him.

“The Sheikah has many ways to know everything about everyone.” She riddled him with a smirk. “The princess is in need of a skilled warrior to act as her personal bodyguard. Someone she can trust to keep her safe."

Link considered the offer for a moment. He had heard of Princess Zelda, of course, but he had never met her. He had heard of course of her stunning beauty, through songs and poems about her golden hair, with eyes greener than Hyrule Field and a voice as soft as silk. But he had also heard about her odd behavior. Other knights that had worked before in Castle Town and ended up coming to Hateno Village had talked about how stubborn she could get and how the King allowed her to do almost anything that came into her mind. Taking care of a spoiled girl didn’t sound as heroic as Impa wanted to make it sound.

“I don’t know if I’m worthy enough to be in the presence of Her Highness.” He said, trying to sound as polite as possible. “I need time to think about this offer.”

“Are you telling me that you want to make the Princess of Hyrule wait for you?” Impa replied, a frown in her face that made Link shiver. “She needs a skilled warrior who can protect her in a dangerous and secret mission. I guess you just wasted my time.”

Link hesitated for a moment. He had always been a lone wolf, used to taking care of himself. But there was something about Impa's words that touched a nerve. Maybe it was the mention of danger, or maybe it was the idea of protecting someone else. Whatever it was, he found himself nodding in agreement.

“Wait.” He said with a strong and confident voice. "I would be honored to serve Her Highness in any way I can."

Impa nodded approvingly. 

"Good," she said. "You will have to prove yourself, of course, but I have no doubt that you will rise to the challenge. Come with me, I will take you to see the princess."

“Hold on, you’re telling me I should leave now?” Link asked her as he started to follow her through the forest, walking towards Hateno Village. “I still need to let my superiors know about this, I can’t leave just like that.”

“I’m sure that your captain’s feelings won’t get hurt when he knows that the Princess herself has requested your presence.” Impa said as she made her way into the Village and towards the stable she had left her horse in. “But if you’re so concerned about it, I’ll do the talk while you go home and get ready to travel in an hour. Do you like that idea?”

Link had to take a deep breath. What could be so urgent that the princess couldn’t wait a day or two for him to get his stuff in order? He didn’t like that everything was starting to feel like rushing, but maybe that was the way things were done in the capital of the country. Wasn’t he just thinking about it before Impa appeared out of nowhere? Well, it was time to stop complaining. 

“Fine, I’ll see you here in an hour.” It was the only thing he told her before running towards his home in the outskirts of the village. 

He wasn’t sure how long he would be gone or what would he need for the trip, so he only packed a pair of pants, some shirts and a cloak in case it rained. Also, he made sure he had his weapons with him. He liked to travel light so only brought with him his sword, shield, bow and about three hundred arrows. Just for protection, of course.

Since he didn’t have anyone to say goodbye to besides his captain, he let his neighbors know they could take the spare food he had in his kitchen and made sure his house was in good condition while he was gone. He always thought that saying goodbye to the house he grew up in was going to be one of the hardest things in the world. He almost felt guilty for not being sad about leaving.

And when everything was done, he got up on his brown horse from the little stable by his house and went to meet up with Impa, who was already waiting for him, getting her own horse ready. She looked up at him with a smirk and climbed up as well.

“I thought you were going to back up.” She said with a snarky voice as they made their way through the entrance of the village. “Are you ready?”

Link gave one last look back at Hateno Village, his home, the place that had literally raised him. He made sure to record in his memory every single house, store, tree and person that was out there that morning, to remember the smell of the grass and the dye from the dying shop. 

He smiled at Impa and nodded.

“Let’s do this.”

With those words, Impa led Link out of Hateno and through the green planes of Hyrule. Link had traveled enough in his twenty one years, being the only son of a captain in the Hylian army. He had visited the most hidden corners in Lanayru, suffered the intense heat in the Death Mountain, felt the chill of the Hebra region and suffocated with the desert of Gerudo. And all those travels had never led him to the capital city, needless to say the castle.

Link followed Impa through the road that led to Castle Town, leaving behind the Dueling Peaks, his heart racing with anticipation. He knew that serving as the Princess’ bodyguard would be an honor and a privilege, and he was eager to prove himself worthy of the task. 

It was almost sunset when they finally arrived at Castle Town, Link was awed by how alive it was. Back at Hateno, most of the villagers would be already in their homes, getting ready for dinner and going to bed to start with their routines early the next morning. 

It was different in Castle Town. He could see a musician playing his violin next to a fountain with a crowd cheering for him, a group of kids playing tag around a statue, a couple walking hand by hand as they enjoyed the afternoon. But nothing compared to the first moment he saw the castle.

Its size and majesty was hard for him to describe. Link knew that whatever they had told him about it didn’t do it justice. He had dreamed about exploring the castle one day, unveiling its secrets, now he was sure he would never be able to do it in one day, not even in his whole life.

“I had the same face when I saw the castle for the first time too.” Impa said, making him shake his head to leave his trance, a soft blush in his cheeks.

He followed Impa through the entrance and after leaving their horse in the royal stable, they walked through the winding halls, his eyes darting around in wonder at the wealth and grandeur that surrounded him.

Whatever Impa was telling him about etiquette, how to look at the princess, how to not talk to the princess, was easily unheard when he looked at the paintings of old heroes and princesses that had fought thousands or millions of years before his time. He could only imagine how it would be to serve the Crown Princess in such an important task as saving Hyrule from a great evil. 

Maybe that was what it was about? A new Calamity was coming and he was chosen for his skills? He could only imagine fighting alongside Princess Zelda in a great war that was to come. How glorious would be the day he could pierce the demon king’s heart with his sword. 

As he let his imagination get wilder with his desires of fight, they came to a great chamber, where Princess Zelda was seated in front of a desk, focused on her writing. She looked up as they approached, her eyes bright with curiosity.

He almost froze when he saw the princess in flesh, her beauty was nothing like what the men told him before. Hair golden like the sun, sun-kissed skin with a soft blush in her cheeks and piercing green eyes that were looking at him with a hint of curiosity. Suddenly he was aware that he didn’t bathe or change his clothes to come to see her, that he was sweaty and probably had a funny smell. Goddess, why couldn’t he just have an hour before seeing her? The princess probably thought he was disgusting.

But if Zelda thought any of that, she never expressed it. She closed the leather journal she was writing on and stood up, walking towards them with a soft smile.

“Impa, it took you more than a day, I was starting to get worried.” She said with the sweetest voice Link has ever heard. He almost forgot he had to bow in front of her.

“My apologies, Your Highness,” Impa said after a quick bow. “I was looking for a suitable man for the mission. Allow me to introduce you to Sir Link of Necluda.”

Zelda's eyes flicked over to him, and he felt a sudden shiver run down his spine. She was even more beautiful up close than he had imagined, it was almost breathtaking to be in her presence.

"Ah, yes," she said, smiling slightly. "I've heard about you, Sir Link, about your excellent work at keeping danger at bay in Hateno Village. You have quite the reputation as a warrior."

Link felt a flush of pride at her words. "Thank you, Princess."

Zelda leaned forward, her expression serious. "Impa, you can leave us now, I desire to talk with Link in private.”

Impa just nodded and left the room with a bow. Just as she left, Zelda took a deep breath and she walked to a table with all sorts of desserts and a jar of chamomile tea. She grabbed a cup of tea and started to prepare a tea for herself while Link looked at her, confused.

“We can relax now, Link, there’s no need for formalities now that Impa’s gone.” She said, a mischievous smile on her face as she stirred her cup of tea. “So tell me, did Impa tell you why you were escorted here today?”

Link wasn’t sure if the Princess' proposition was real or just a test of loyalty, so he just decided to stay in his place, firm as a rock.

“I understand you’re in need of a bodyguard, Your Highness.” He said with certainty. “And allow me to say I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

Zelda smiled at him, and Link felt his heart skip a beat. "I know you will, Link. I have faith in you."

They looked at each other’s eyes for longer than a second, making Zelda’s cheeks blush a little, and Link had to clear his throat to not feel like an idiot for staring at the Princess for longer than he should.

“Anyway, I guess I should tell you about our mission.” She said with a smile while she walked back to her desk and grabbed the leather journal. “I have been working on a new project, one that involves -”

But just as Zelda was leaning close to Link to show him her notes, he could see in the brink of his eye some sort of creature running on the floor. 

“Princess, look out!” Link didn’t hesitate to grab Zelda by the waist and move her behind him, as he grabbed his sword and got ready to kill the smallest, weirdest Lizalfos he has ever seen in his life, who was actually snarling at him but didn’t dare to attack him.

“Link, wait!” Zelda moved in between him and the Lizalfos, as the creature climbed up to her leg to her shoulder, still looking at him with hatred. “Please don’t hurt Hugo, I’d be devastated if something happened to him.”

Link looked at Zelda as if something was wrong with her, sword still in hand. “Hugo? But, that’s a-”

“Lizalfos?” Zelda interrupted him as she walked towards a tower of pillows and left Hugo there, giving him a cookie that he enjoyed on his own. “He is one of his kind! You see, he’s almost ten years old and still hasn’t grown more than 25 inches. I believe being raised in captivity has something to do with his development, but that's research for another time, we have other kinds of urgent matters right now. Could you please put your sword away?”

Link stared at her completely confused and it took him more than a second to obey, but he put his sword away as she commanded. 

Zelda walked towards him, her journal in hand as she showed him sketches and notes about monsters. From the annoying ChuChus to some rough and inaccurate Lynels. Link didn’t know if he was impressed or disappointed by the Princess of Hyrule, the most beautiful girl in the world, being such a weirdo. 

“I’ve been studying the monsters of our country, but I fear that my research has gotten to the point where I can’t learn anymore from books, I need to be outside studying about the monsters' way of life." She said as she gave him her journal. “That’s why I need a bodyguard, Someone to accompany me and protect me on my investigations in case I offend the monsters with my presence.”

Link raised an eyebrow as he read Zelda’s journal. He had never heard of a princess conducting her own investigations before, much less one who was interested in monsters. Who on earth would care about a monster's feelings? But deep down he couldn't deny that the prospect intrigued him. Maybe this investigation would help the knights to kill monsters better? But if that was the case, why did she have a Lizalfos as a spoiled pet?

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I don’t think I’m following.” He said, trying to sound the most respectful he could be. “Why would you want to know more about those creatures? Aren’t we, the Knights of Hyrule, doing a good job in protecting your country from them?”

Zelda sighed. “I don’t think it’s the country that should be protected from monsters.”

She walked towards the balcony in her studio, opening the crystal windows and looking at the pink and orange sky and Hyrule Field in all its glory. “Every living creature, from the restless crickets to the mighty lynels, all of them are part of the cycle of nature, and if we kill all the monsters, there won’t be balance anymore.”

She walked back to where Hugo was now sleeping and she couldn’t help caressing his head. ”I need to prove to everyone that they’re not dangerous. They just need help.”

Link didn’t know what to say or how to act. It was like some sort of blasphemy was coming out of her mouth. Monsters were meant to be killed. That’s what his father had taught him when he was six years old and that was the only thing he was good at. And now this princess wanted to change the order of things? It sounded… wrong.

He didn’t express his thoughts but his face probably gave him away, because when Zelda looked at him, there was a frown on her face. 

“I understand if you disagree, but you wouldn’t get paid for agreeing with the Princess. You just have to make sure that I get to make my investigations in a safe, controlled and discrete way. You’d get paid as if you were a captain, your food and basic needs would be fulfilled and you’d get to live in Hyrule Castle like any other Royal Guard.”

So there was no Calamity? No great evil? No big war to fight to win the princess’ heart? Just a spoiled girl who wanted to waste her time trying to turn dangerous monsters into pets? He wanted to say no, to go home and continue his killing spree of bokoblins. But just the thought of disappointing her was killing him.

Link sighed. “It would be an honor to serve you in any way you want me to, Your Highness.”

Zelda beamed and Link thought if it was really a good idea to betray his father’s teachings for a pair of pretty green eyes.

Chapter Text

Link woke with a thud on his door.

After his meeting with Princess Zelda, Impa and another maid led him to his room in the Royal Guard’s dorms. He was given a uniform, a set of armor, then he was told breakfast was at five in the morning before the Royal Family woke up.

He stood from his new bed, feeling restless after such an eventful day and noticed that the sun wasn’t even out. He still couldn’t believe that he had spent the night in Hyrule Castle, nor that he was now the Princess’ bodyguard. And even though the job was a blessing, while he put on his uniform, he couldn’t stop thinking that maybe accepting that job was a mistake.

Princess Zelda’s mission sounded like treason. Or at least that’s what his father would say if he knew what she wanted to research. He still remembered those summers where his father would take him to the edges of the country to teach him how to shoot an arrow, how to hunt, and how to be as silent as you could when you were cornered by monsters. He knew all the tricks already; after all his father was the best monster hunter. 

The second round of thuds on his door made him come back to his senses and stop thinking about his bittersweet childhood. He managed to clean his face and walked towards the door, upset about the person that was rushing him so early in the morning.

“Alright, what is it?” He asked, but a sudden blush came into his cheeks when he saw none other than Princess Zelda in front of him, a scowl on her face. “Y-Your Highness! I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was you!”

Zelda looked at him, head to toe, and he couldn’t help but think that her expression was disappointment. But why? Did he have his zipper down? Had he put the shirt on backwards? What was so bad about his uniform?

“That uniform won’t do.” She said as she looked from her shoulder. “You have five minutes, get in your civilian clothes. We’re going for a ride!”

That’s when he noticed that Zelda wasn’t wearing any dress or whatever princesses wear while they were in their castles. She was in a plain white shirt, brown riding pants and was covering her golden locks with a hood. Like she didn’t want to be recognized.

“Where are we going?” Link asked, confused, still not moving from the door frame.

“There’s a place close to Hylia Lake that I’d like to see, but I don’t want us to get caught.” She said, a playful smirk on her face before she clapped her hands twice. “Come on! We need to hurry before my Father’s Guards are done with the breakfast!”

Link blinked twice and nodded, moving to his dresser to take off his uniform and wearing just a red hylian tunic, a hood and some brown pants, then he walked towards the princess and closed the door of his room, as silent as he could be while carrying his sword on his back. 

He thought that Zelda might have wanted to use some secret passage or anything that princesses did when they wanted to run away, just like he had read in some books about runaway princesses, but she was walking through the halls, maids and knights passing by them but never noticing their princess. Link was really confused by now. They couldn’t recognize their princess even when she was in front of them? Now that was alarming about the security in the Castle.

Zelda stopped behind a pillar and hid from two Royal Guards that were just at the entrance of the stables. Link followed her, looking around in case someone would catch them.

“Come on, where are you…” Zelda whispered as if she was waiting for something to happen. And then Link heard the screams.

“Guards! A Lizalfos in the kitchen!” A woman screamed and the two men left their post to go help the maid that had screamed.

Zelda couldn’t help but giggle and wink at Link. “You can always count on Hugo when you want to escape.”

Link followed her to the stables where their horses were already saddled. He wondered if Zelda had done it herself or if someone else under her command did it in exchange for a bribe. There was no way that the princess was allowed to leave the castle so early in the morning. He wasn’t as surprised that she had saddled the horses as he was at the way she managed to move through the corridors, avoiding everyone as if it was a walk through the market. He decided at that moment that he’d rather be on her good side so he wouldn’t have to look for her if she ever decided to escape.

Zelda walked towards her thoroughbred white horse.She patted its snout and spoke sweet words to it before she leapt onto its back. Link, meanwhile, stayed just by his horse, looking at Zelda with some concern on his face.

“Princess, I don’t know if it's a good idea to leave the castle while it’s still dark.” He said while grabbing the horse’s reins. “Why don’t we go when the Sun is up? That way I’ll protect you the best.”

Zelda rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Nonsense, this is the perfect time to have a morning ride. Besides, I wish to see the monsters’ morning routines, maybe we can learn something valuable today, don’t you think?”

Link stood in front of her horse. “Your Highness, I must insist.”

Zelda scowled. “You can stay if you want, Sir Link, but I’m going to Lake Hylia.” 

And with those words, Zelda whipped the reins and started to ride outside the castle, leaving Link behind. It took him a few seconds to realize the princess was escaping just as he foretold, so he jumped on his horse and followed her as fast as he could. 

He could see Hyrule Castle Town waking from its slumber, the vendors starting to open their stores, the small talks starting to sound in the distance between some early hylians, the smell of bread coming out of the oven at the bakery. It was hard to imagine this scenery in Hateno Village. He wasn’t used to it yet.

The farther they were from the castle, the more the sun rose, illuminating the city, the hills and the Dueling Peaks in the distance. He was at Hateno Village a day ago and he was now wondering if following the Princess was the best idea for a knight in his position. He didn’t have a name, a flag nor a land. Why would she choose him just like that?

As Link pondered, they rode together for about an hour when they arrived at a stable full of people. Travelers were getting ready to start the day with their bellies full of breakfast. He didn’t recognize the smell, but it made his stomach growl fiercely for the lack of breakfast he had that morning.

Zelda dismounted her horse and Link followed her to the stable’s front desk to let their horses in care of the owner before getting inside the tent.

“We’ll stop here for breakfast,” Zelda said and Link blushed lightly at the thought that she might hear his stomach, “then we’ll plan the best route out of the path to go find, I don’t know, anything!”

The princess was still wearing her hood over her head, maybe that was the reason why no one in that stable was paying attention to them as they walked to one of the empty tables. Even when the maid got closer to ask them if they wanted scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, she didn’t even look suspiciously at the girl with the hood on.

The maid gave them two cups of the sourest coffee Link had ever tried in his life and left them to get their breakfast, and that’s when he started to feel awkward. They weren’t alone, but they were. He was sitting at the same table with the Crown Princess in Hyrule, and she was just looking around, like a little kid looking at clouds. What in the world could he talk about with her? Was he even allowed to talk with her? And how should he address her? Princess? Highness? Zelda?

“Link? Did you hear me?” The princess was looking at him and he realized she probably had been talking to him for a while. 

“I-I’m sorry, I was distracted.” Link drank from his cup and couldn’t help the frown that appeared when his taste buds interacted with the coffee. “You were saying?”

Zelda was having a rough time not frowning with the taste of the coffee, so she faked a cough. “I was saying that if we’re doing this, we need some rules. Number one, not a single word to the King. He’s not enthusiastic about my work.”

So, treason. I’m committing treason to the King with the princess of Hyrule. Great.

“Number two, no monster killing. We want to learn from them, not get rid of them. But, if we get into a compromising situation, I hope we can get out of it without endangering them.”

Treason again, now to my father. This is just great.

“And number three, just Zelda.” 

Huh?

Link looked up at her with an arched eyebrow as the maid put their scrambled eggs and toast on the table. Zelda had an amusing smile, making fun of his expression and Link couldn’t help but feel that knot in his stomach again whenever he saw her green eyes. Goddess, he needed to control himself around her.

“So, uhm, am I allowed to not use formalities with you, Prin- I mean, Zelda?” Link asked her and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Just when we’re not in the castle. I know it might take some time, but I’d like you to trust me on this investigation, like I’m trusting you with my life. I just can’t see any other way to earn that trust but trying to be friends.” Zelda held up her hand to him, waiting for Link to shake it. “So, is it a deal?”

Link took her hand. He couldn’t deny anything to those green eyes.

“Deal.”

Just when they let go and started to eat their breakfast, making sure he wasn’t making a disaster with his lack of manners on the table, Link heard the gasp of the maid and looked at the entrance. That’s when he saw three men covered in blue slime, walking shamefully into the stable. Link knew where that gelatinous substance came from and he couldn’t help but steal a glance at Zelda. She was beaming.

“My goddess, what happened to you?” The maid asked them as she sat them down to a table close to Zelda and Link, and started to wipe their slimey faces. 

One of them spit some slime. “Chuchus. We were trying to hunt close to Batrea Lake when those annoying beasts came out of nowhere and started to chase us.”

“Clearly they got us.” Said another one, trying to wipe his face.

The room burst into laughter and Link couldn’t help but join in the mockery. But then he looked at Zelda who was looking at him with an arched eyebrow. He cleared his throat.

Another man, big and with a heavy mustache, stood up and patted one of the men on his back. “Well, that settles it. I need ten strong men to come with me and eradicate these monsters.”

“Link can do it by himself!”

Link looked at Zelda who was suddenly standing on her chair, and the laughter roared again. Everyone in  the stable was looking at her, but this time, Link didn’t laugh but scowled. If only they knew they were making fun of the Princess of Hyrule, he would cut their tongues with his blade.

Zelda frowned at them.

“It’s true! He can take five, no, ten white bokoblins at once!”

Link’s eyes widened. “Zelda, stop.” He whispered.

“And I’ve seen him fight a silver lynel with his bare hands!”

“Careful with what you say…”

“And… And he’s on a quest to find the last molduga!”

The big man couldn’t take it anymore and walked towards them, a frown on his face. Zelda looked like a scared puppy and moved out of her chair to hide behind Link, who was grabbing the hilt of his sword, ready to defend her from that man. 

The man, instead, towered him. “You think you’re so tough, kid? Fine, go and clean Batrea Lake. We'll be waiting for you, right here.”

The man pushed them out of the stable as the rest of the people laughed and cheered up, not giving Link the chance to speak for himself or to defend Zelda. He wasn’t scared of the task anyway. He could handle some Chuchus, but the fact that Zelda had put them in that position was what annoyed him.

He looked at her and saw that she was getting on her horse again, so he grabbed her by the elbow. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

“To Batrea Lake.” She said, looking at him like he was dumb. Maybe he was. 

“No way, I’m going to handle this and you’ll stay here, safe.” He said as he held her horse’s reins, she wasn’t going to let her escape again.

“But Link, I have to go with you! It’s my only chance to get closer to Chuchus!” She said, almost pouting at him. “Besides, you promised! You said you wouldn’t kill monsters!”

Link sighed. “If you didn’t want me to kill them, then why did you say those things in there?” 

“So they would leave us alone and I can conduct my investigation!” She said as she grabbed her leather journal from her bag, the one she had showed him in her chamber. “Please Link, this is really important to me.”

Link looked at her, then towards Batrea Lake. This was a bad idea. If something happened to the Princess he could get hanged, or worse. He didn’t want her anywhere close to monsters, even if they were just Chuchus. But she was practically begging. How could he say no to her? Zelda had hired him for this. He just couldn’t deny her. 

“Fine, but no horses. I don’t want them to get hurt.”

Zelda clapped her hands and squealed in excitement as she started to follow him towards Owlan Bridge, taking her hood off and enjoying the morning sun on her skin. Link had a hard time not looking at her long eyelashes and the freckles on her nose. 

Instead, he focused on the path, trying to see if there was any danger around. “So, you know how to use a dagger, Princess?”

She scowled. “It’s Zelda! And yes, believe it or not, I’ve sparred with daggers and swords before. Impa taught me.”

Link lent her his knife, not because he wasn’t going to protect her, but because he didn’t want her to be defenseless. “Just in case.”

They crossed the bridge without any trouble and as they walked, they came across a patch of grass that seemed to be moving on its own. Link unsheathed his sword, ready for anything to jump at them any moment.

“Stay back.” He said, as he saw how Zelda was grabbing her journal and a pen, right behind his back.

Suddenly, a small blue creature jumped out from the grass and landed on Link's head. It was a small Chuchu who, in its panic, lashed out at Link.

“You damn thing!” Link flinched at the impact and Zelda bursted into laughter. He reached for the Chuchu, intent on striking back.

“Link, wait!” Zelda held him back and carefully plucked the creature off of his head. "It's okay, this little thing was just scared."

Link looked down at the Chuchu in her hands, and he could see that it was trembling with fear. He lowered his sword and watched as Zelda examined the creature more closely.

"I think it's a young one," she said. "And I think it was trying to protect its territory."

“What are you talking about?” Link asked her in surprise as he tried to clean the slime from his hair. Never in his life had he ever heard of Chuchus being territorial before. Not that he cared at that moment. 

Zelda continued to examine the Chuchu in her hands, how it was twitching in her palms, then looked around on the floor, that's when she noticed that there was a small, hidden crevice in the grass.

"See?" she said, pointing to the crevice. "It's just trying to protect its home."

That’s when they saw a bigger Chuchu jumping out of the same crevice with three smaller ones following it. The one that Zelda had in her hands started to twitch harder and finally jumped out of her hands, getting closer to the bigger one.

Zelda gasped. “Oh Hylia, that’s its mom!”

But Link saw that Miss Chuchu was glaring at them and getting closer. Link recognized that look, so he grabbed Zelda’s wrist.

“Well, time to run, Princess!”

He didn’t wait to explain to Zelda what was going to happen when he started running, dragging her with him, as the Chuchu followed them through the forest, trying to get back at them for hurting its little baby. They ran until they were out of the Chuchus’ reach and that’s when he dropped his sword to the grass and fell to it, out of breath. Zelda, on the other hand, was breathing heavily, but looking back.

“We… We have to come back.”

Link glared at them. “Why? Chuchus remember every face, they’ll attack you the moment they see you approaching.”

“They do?” Zelda marveled with that new insight and started to write down in her journal, mumbling to herself about how amazing those creatures were. “Come on Link, what’s the point of being here if we can’t get close and study them?”

Link wanted the earth to swallow him.

A few hours later, they were hiding behind a small hill close to the crevice the Chuchus family was hiding. Zelda was sketching in her journal Chuchus of various sizes while Link fought the urge to take a nap. He tried to remember anything more boring than lying on the grass waiting for Chuchus to come up so the princess could study them, but it was a hard task.

That’s when he heard Zelda sigh.

“This is pointless.” She said, closing her journal. “I need to see their interactions. What makes them so territorial?”

“That’s easy - they’re monsters.” Link said, eyes closed as he laid on his back, head over his hands. “They’ll attack you at the first chance they have.”

Zelda closed her journal and sat by his side. “Yeah, but the little one didn’t attack me. It was scared, but didn’t do anything to hurt me.”

Link shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe it liked your smell.” 

Zelda hummed and Link didn’t like the sound of that, so he opened his eyes just to see her running around, picking up some flowers that were around them, until she made a big bouquet out of Armoranths, Blue Nightshades, Mighty Thistles, and Swift Violets. Then she came back to his side and grabbed her bag to take a bowl out of it. 

“How many things do you have in that?” Link asked, looking at her bag.

Zelda smiled at him, as she started to smash the flowers in the bowl with the help of a rock. “You might be a genius, Link. I usually like to use floral perfumes, similar to the flowers that grow in Hyrule. If your hypothesis is correct, we might not only find a way to not kill Chuchus, but also live alongside them without hurting each other.”

Link looked at Zelda’s bowl, how the flowers were now a dark purple paste that looked gross, but smelled good. It almost smelled like her. Not that he was going to say it out loud. 

But then, she smeared that paste on his face and all the nice thoughts about her dissolved in his mind. “No! What are you doing?!”

“Testing your theory!” Zelda said with a smile. “Now, leave the sword here and go over there so the Chuchus can smell you! I’ll be here taking notes.” 

Link looked at her with a frown on his face and Zelda rolled her eyes. “And I’ll protect you too, don’t worry. Go!”

Link sighed and stood up, fighting the urge to wipe his face and left his sword on the grass. He walked over the crevice and felt the earth rumble when Miss Chuchu appeared again, glaring at him like it did before, but this time, it hesitated between attacking him or getting close to him.

Then the four little ones appeared and moved towards him, attracted to Link since they started to jump around him, as if they were greeting him like a new member of their family. Miss Chuchu wasn’t getting closer, but at least it wasn’t attacking him or glaring at him anymore.

Link felt a twinge of guilt at his initial reaction. He had been so quick to attack in the beginning, not knowing the creature's intentions. He stayed still, smiling at the little Chuchus dancing around him when he heard Zelda running towards them, her face covered with the paste too.

“Yes! You did it! Goddess, this is really amazing!” 

The first Chuchu jumped back at Zelda’s arms and she twirled around with the little thing. There was grass on her messy hair, dark purple paste on her face, and still she was the most beautiful woman on Hyrule. Link couldn’t help but blush.

"You know what this means?" She asked as she kept hugging the little monster. "This is the first step of getting an actual connection between monsters and Hylians! Maybe one day, we won't need to kill each other!"

Zelda put the little one down and pulled out the journal. She jotted down notes as the Chuchus circled around her. Link watched her with a mixture of awe and disbelief. But there was something there, a sense of exhilaration that he hadn't felt in a long time. He was starting to realize that working with Zelda was going to be more than just a job - it was going to be an adventure.

Eventually, the creatures retreated back into their home. Zelda and Link made their way back to the stable, discussing their findings as they went.

As they reached the stable, they saw the men that had sent them to kill the Chuchus, and Zelda couldn’t help but run towards them with a smile on her face. “We did it, we did it!”

The big man with the mustache saw her running and stood up, looking at Link. “Well, is it true? Did you kill all the monsters, boy?”

Zelda decided to ignore the fact that he wasn’t addressing her, as Link stood up by her side in silence.

“No, something better!” She opened up her journal and showed her notes to him. “We discovered a way to stop the Chuchus from attacking us. You see, they’re territorial creatures, but if you smell like the flowers in their habitat, not only will they not attack you, but they’ll also recognize you as their own! Isn’t it amazing?”

The men started to laugh at her once again, looking at her as if she was a crazy lady. This time, Link couldn’t help it.

“No, she’s right! We… We covered ourselves with this flower paste and the Chuchus were friendly!”

“Oh, and then you sang a spring song with them?” Another man said, making everyone laugh at them again.

Mustache man wiped a tear out of his eyes and looked at Zelda. “Thank you for the laugh, girl, but tomorrow morning those beasts are meeting my sword.”

“No, wait!” Zelda yelled. “You can’t hurt them, it’s just a mama trying to protect her babies!”

“And what about our babies, girl? Who’s going to protect them?” The man snarled.

“I am! Zelda, Princess of Hyrule!” She said with a frown on her face. Link swore he heard a hint of pride in her voice, something that he had never heard from her. But that wasn’t enough for the men to believe her.

“Right, a dirty girl with twigs in her hair is the Princess.” The man said as he pushed both Link and Zelda out of the stable. “Go, and never come back here.”

Zelda wanted to fight back, but Link grabbed her elbow. “Zelda, let’s go, there’s nothing we can do now.”

Zelda’s eyes were tearing up. “But, the Chuchus…”

“We can only hope they kick that man’s arse. They might not look like it, but Chuchus can be really tough.” 

Zelda sobbed but there was a small smile on her face, so that made everything worth it for Link. 

They walked to their horses, getting ready to go back to the castle. The guards were likely already aware of Link and Princess Zelda’s absence; her poor little lizalfos pet already in a cage. There was a lot of explaining to do.

“Excuse me, you really are Princess Zelda?”

They turned around and saw a woman, carrying a baby in her arms, while a couple of twins stood by her side, looking up at them with sadness but curiosity in her eyes. Zelda only nodded and got closer to her.

The woman bowed. “Your Highness, I hope it’s not rude of me to approach you like this, but I don’t know what else to do,

“I own a farm in the country. I used to run it with my husband until he died a few months ago. While I don’t have any trouble working the land, it’s hard for me to keep my children safe from the Chuchus that surround our area. Is it true what you said there? That you found a way to keep them at bay?”

Zelda took her journal and began to write in it, then tore the sheet out, folded it, and handed it to the woman with a smile. "Come visit me in the palace one day, I'm sure the King would like to help you. For now, I can only give you this."

The woman grabbed her hand and kissed it, before bowing and leaving them alone. Link stood there, looking at Zelda, thinking about how they were so different. 

“Let’s go home.” Zelda said as she got on her horse and they rode together, back to the Castle.

Chapter Text

As they were getting closer to the gates of the castle stables, Link and Zelda recognized the figure of a woman, standing there with her arms crossed and a tiny lizalfos standing behind her, looking at them as if he had just been scolded.

“Oh, goddesses.” Zelda said as she hopped out of her horse. “Hi, Impa.”

Impa walked towards them, a frown on her face that made Link shiver, as Hugo ran towards Zelda and climbed into her arms. Link swore he could see a frown on the tiny creature too. 

“Where have you been? And why are you so dirty?” Impa asked them as they walked inside the castle. “Your father has been looking for you the whole day. He was about to send a patrol after you!”

“Impa, it was amazing!” Zelda said as she hugged Hugo tightly and walked by Impa’s side. “You wouldn’t believe what we discovered!”

“Well, I’m excited to hear it.”

Link froze when he heard the King’s deep voice behind them. He was being followed by two Royal Guards, taller than him and as stoic as the King himself. Impa kneeled and Link did the same, gazing at the floor as he tried to control his heartbeat. He never thought, not in a million years, that he was going to one day be in front of the King of Hyrule with his face covered with flower paste.

“Father!” Zelda said half scared, half surprised, as she tried to comb her messy hair with her fingers. “How’s your day going?”

King Rhoam walked towards his daughter and scanned her from head to toe. Link could tell by the King’s breathing that he wasn’t amused at the state the princess was in. Twigs in her hair, mud on her face, peasant clothes as if she was ashamed of her royal status. No wonder Link was so scared. The princess was a disaster.

“My day?” Rhoam asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “ Well, my daughter escaped earlier this morning with an unknown young man for several hours, and when she came back, she looked like she was in a mud fight. But forget about me, how’s your day going, dear?”

Link would have laughed if he wasn’t the young man the King was talking about.

Zelda sighed. “Father, I can explain-”

“Not you, him.”

Link raised his head to discover the king was pointing at him with his finger. He stood and dusted himself up. Then he made a bow to the King.

“What’s your name, boy?” Rhoam asked, a frown on his face.

“M-My name is Link, Link of Necluda, Your Majesty.” Link answered, his voice shaking a little.

“Necluda? You’re far away from home.” The King acknowledged, and Link couldn’t help but agree with him. “What brought you to the palace?” 

Link looked at Zelda, who was looking at him with pleading eyes, then back to the King.

“Her Highness hired me, Sir.” He said, feeling a lump in his throat. “I was told Princess Zelda needed my services as bodyguard for her research.”

King Rhoam’s frown deepened and Zelda had a face that looked like she was going to strangle Link. 

“Father, if you just let me explain-”

“I said not you!” Rhoam roared, and looked back at Link. “What research?”

Link took a deep breath. “I… I don’t understand much about it, Sir, but I think it has something to do with medicine.”

Zelda looked at him, surprised.

“Medicine?” Rhoam asked, confused.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Link said, hands on his back so the King wouldn’t see them shaking. “She tried to explain to me about the benefits of mixing some flowers together to create a skin cream, but I’m not a scholar so I couldn’t understand much, I was there just to help her.” 

Zelda’s mouth was open, but there was a smug look in her eyes. 

“And what were the results?” This time, Rhoam looked at Zelda, his anger faded away.

Zelda cleared her throat. “Well, Father, I believe that we can create creams and ointments more powerful than elixirs, without using monster parts. This was my first try. I only managed to create this paste. There’s no effect yet, but it has a nice smell.”

Zelda took the paste she created out of her bag and handed it to her Father. He looked and smelled it. 

“That’s the reason why Her Highness’ face and mine are covered with the paste.” Link pointed out. “She wanted to put her theory to the test.”

“What’s wrong with the elixirs?” Rhoam asked.

“While they’re powerful enough to give us strength, stamina and resistance to weather, the taste is not delightful. And when you try to add flavors, it only weakens them.” Zelda explained, more confident than before. “Besides, we will need a substitute for their parts in our elixirs when you succeed with your raids.”

Hugo hissed at the mention of the raids, making Rhoam look at the four of them, stopping a few seconds on each of them. Link felt he was going to throw up any second now. Being in such a position, he might ask for a raise in his wage. 

“What about your monster research?” Rhoam asked her with a scoff.

“If I may, Your Majesty,” Impa said, standing up. “Princess Zelda handed me her research personally. While it wasn’t conclusive, it gave me and my best Sheikah Warriors an idea of weak spots and their dens. I was going to ask your favor to put them to work in Kakariko and start experimental raids there.”

The King stopped with Zelda, a softened look in his eyes. “Why didn't you tell me about your new research, darling? I was worried about you.”

Zelda looked down, and for a moment, Link thought she was going to confess. “I’m sorry Father, I was going to tell you, but I wanted to have conclusive evidence first. I didn’t want to come empty handed again.”

Rhoam gave her a hug and a kiss on her forehead, not caring that his daughter was  covered with the dry paste. 

“As long as you’re safe.” Then, he turned to Link, a big laugh coming out of his lungs. “Well, boy. Seems like you’re my daughter’s new guinea pig!”

Link didn’t find it amusing, but he faked a laugh.

“I’ll allow these investigations, but I want detailed reports, is that alright?” The King pointed at Zelda, only to turn to Impa. “We can discuss the raids tomorrow. For now I want to have a delicious meal with my daughter.”

“I’ll be there soon, Father.” Zelda said with a smile. “First, I want to clean up and feed Hugo.”

The King nodded and left, followed by his guards. It was like the three of them were holding their breath because, the moment the King was out of reach, they let out a long sigh. Even Hugo looked relieved.

“I owe you one, guys.” Zelda said, as she patted Hugo’s head.

“You owe me twenty,” Impa replied, a frown on her face. “You need to keep it together! If it wasn’t for Link, you’d be in a carriage towards Gerudo Town by now.”

Zelda looked at Link, a warm smile on her lips that made his heart beat faster than when he lied to the King. He was sure he would lie to the King again if that meant he was going to see her smile like that just for brief seconds.

“Link, you were amazing!” Zelda said, even when Hugo was hissing at him. Link didn’t mind. “Why did you do it?”

“You trust me, Your Highness.” He said with a shaky voice, he had to clear his throat. “I won't let you down.”

Zelda beamed at that and for a moment, her green emeralds pierced Link’s heart.

“I should be going. Thank you for today, Link. It was the best day of my life.” She said with a smile as she put Hugo back to the floor, and Link watched them walk away. 

Impa scoffed and Link turned around to see her. She was glaring at him, but somehow, she had a smirk on her face.

“Watch it.” She said, before walking the other way, leaving him alone with his thoughts. What the hell was that supposed to mean? 

Damn Sheikah with their riddles , Link thought before heading to the kitchens. He was starving.

The next few days, Link adjusted to his new routine. 

His mornings were spent training with the other knights to prepare for the monster raids. The King would ramble everyday about the Kingdom’s protection and their duty to the Royal Family. For Link, it looked like both father and daughter had an agenda with monsters.

After training, his next activities involved protecting the Princess. He learned more about Central Hyrule as Zelda looked for special environments where she heard about Chuchus. The electric ones were her obsession now that the rainy season had started in the kingdom.

It wasn’t like she needed protection anyway, she was confident enough to pull off some stunts to get as close as she could to the Chuchus without actually getting snapped. It wasn’t the same luck for him, though. 

He hated her fixations. Every day he would get a new burn or bruise while she looked perfect, even with wet grass on her clothes and hair smelling like Chuchu jelly and mud. It took all of his will to not use everything they taught him in training. Every time a Chuchu hit or electrified him, he wanted to take his sword and slash it. Zelda had stopped him once or twice. 

But it looked like Zelda was making progress with the tiny creatures. She realized Chuchus lived underground because of their properties of the land. Water types lived closer to great bodies of water like rivers, lakes and aquifers. Electric Chuchus, on the other hand, were stronger ones that got struck by lightning. Instead of being killed, they gained the power of lightning to protect their homes. 

Or at least that was something Zelda explained to him while he was lying on the floor after being zapped for the fifth time of the day. 

“If we encounter a blue Chuchu in a large field it means that there’s water underground,” Zelda said while she was writing in her journal by his side, ignoring his state. “That could help us in the dry times of the year. Maybe we can build wells or a sewage system that doesn’t affect the wildlife. Imagine all the ways we can improve the kingdom with this knowledge-”

Link didn’t reply to her ramblings. He was more focused in trying to catch his breath and be alert in case of any other Chuchu attack. While he looked up at the cloudy sky, he reflected on his father. He was the only thing he could think of when he was on his journeys with the princess, or when he was lying on his bed at night.

He looked up to the northeast, where Akkala Citadel was supposed to be. He couldn’t see the fortress from there but he was sure that somewhere, maybe in a tower or at the gates, his father was doing his duty. 

Always do what you have to and everything will work out, Link’s father said to him when he got promoted to guard Hateno Village, three years ago. He kept wondering what he would say about his new position.

Eron was the best monster slayer in the kingdom, but his son was helping the Princess to make him jobless.

While Link had accepted the job because he was wonderstruck for the Princess, he wondered if it was still worth it. The money was good, and it was saving him some steps in joining the Royal Guard. 

Before Impa came to him that day, he was just a knight trying to make a name for himself,  like his father had. It would have taken him a few good years before he would ever be considered to move to Castle Town. If he played his cards right and followed the rules, he could achieve his dream. 

But whose rules should he follow when the Princess and the King had different ways to see the world? Just thinking about it was starting to give him a headache. 

“Link? Are you okay?”

He heard Zelda’s voice and opened his eyes. Her face was just mere inches from his and she was looking at him as if he was a weird creature. Maybe he was, after all.

He grunted and sat up on the grass, feeling a bit sore, but otherwise better now that he had rested. 

“Sorry, Princess.” He said while stretching his arms and neck. “Are you done with the Chuchus, Your Highness?”

Zelda had a frown on her face. 

“I think, I’d like to hear your thoughts about going to Mount Hylia,” she said while doodling on her journal, “if my hypotheses are correct, we should be able to see Ice Chuchus and-”

She stopped talking when a raindrop fell on her journal and both looked up at the sky. Gray clouds were over them and within seconds, rain dropped on them. Zelda beamed and Link immediately knew that she was thinking about more Electric Chuchus. 

He wasn’t going to tolerate it.

“Princess, you’ll catch a cold if you stay in the rain again.” He said as he stood up and helped her do the same. “Let’s find shelter.”

He didn’t let her reply when he grabbed her hand and started to run inside the lush forest. That’s when he noticed a cave hidden among the trees.

Bingo.

As they approached, he heard the sound of fluttering wings and a faint chirping. Link instinctively drew his sword, ready to fight off any potential threats, but when they entered the cave, they found that it was filled with angry flying creatures. 

“Keese!” Zelda yelled, and Link didn’t know if she was thrilled or scared.

They bent down on the ground as the Keese swarmed around them, screeching and flapping their wings aggressively. Link swung his sword, trying to fend off the creatures, but they just kept coming.

“It’s a huge flock!” Link said loudly as he held up his shield, trying to protect Zelda from any attack. “Let me get rid of them, it’ll take me two minutes.”

“No!” Zelda said, grabbing him by his shirt. “Don’t hurt them, we just need to leave them alone.”

Link looked out of the cave, the pouring rain covering everything. Then he looked at the Keese. He just needed a few swings of his sword to make them disappear. Keese were quite weak and Zelda would think he was so strong and brave for protecting her from those horrible monsters.

Except she wouldn’t, he knew better than to believe that.

He sighed and grabbed her hand once again, ready to run away from the Keese in the rain. Zelda had a huge smile on her face as they got soaked. He tried to not think about it as he looked for a place that could shelter them from the rain.

They found a big tree that covered them while they waited for the storm to be over. Luckily, they didn’t encounter any Chuchus, Keese or any other creature that could electrify them. Finally the goddesses were on his side.

“We’ll stay here until the rain passes.” Link said, trying to catch his breath.

Zelda nodded, but her eyes were on the cave. 

“It’s the first time I've seen a Keese in my life.” She said in a whisper. “They’re so… Cute and tiny!”

Link groaned at the thought. “Yeah, and they have sharp fangs that can give you rabies!”

“Fangs!” Zelda said as she wrote in her journal. “They are so interesting! Is there a way we can get closer to them? I’d love to see them in action.”

“Action?” Link scoffed. “That means me being bit by the Keese, doesn’t it?”

Zelda giggled. “Come on, Link. It’s for science!”

The rain began to calm down and Link made up his mind. 

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I think we’re done for today.” He said as he looked around, making sure there was no creature nearby. “If Impa notices you’ve been in the rain at this hour, she’ll have my head.”

Zelda tried to fight back, but a sudden shiver made her think about the warm chimney in her bedroom, so she gave up. “Fine, let’s go home.”

Link led the way all the way back to Wetland Stable before she changed her mind and saw something dangerous that piqued her interest. He didn’t say a word to her during the short walk to the stable where their horses were posted, and it didn’t look like the Princess was in a talkative mood either. Maybe she was tired, or disappointed. 

The trip back wasn’t as silent, though. Zelda shared some of her insights, but she also pestered him with questions about the Keese.

“How much do they weigh? Where do they live? How can you tell a male from a female?”

Link didn’t have an answer to any of those questions, he just wanted to go to the dining room, have a warm soup for dinner and take a shower.

They arrived at Hyrule Castle when the moon was starting to show in the sky, and just as Link had predicted, Impa was there, ready to yell at him for bringing the princess back at night hours.

After Impa’s scolding and a quick, warm shower in the barracks, Link felt the hunger taking over him, so he decided to sneak into the kitchen. Dinner time for the castle service had already passed, but he was sure he could grab a bite or two of whatever the cooks prepared for the night. Maybe even some leftovers from the King’s dinner if he was lucky.

As he walked down the corridors, he noticed at the library’s doors a knight on watch  and fighting the urge to fall asleep. Sir Roland, Link recognized him from training. They shared nocturnal patrols every three days, so he was surprised to find him there when it was his free night.

Curiosity took hold of him and he walked towards the poor man whose eyes were shutting.

“Hey!” Link whispered and shook the knight’s shoulder, startling him. 

“Wha-” Roland grabbed his spear tightly, ready to attack when he saw Link in front of him. “Ugh, don’t tell Impa about this.”

Link shook his head. “What are you doing here? I thought our watch was the day after tomorrow.”

Roland yawned. “It is. I was finishing my last round when Princess Zelda stormed into the library. She said it would be quick, but that was hours ago.”

Link sighed and looked at the doors. He thought about the delicious food that was waiting for him in the kitchen, maybe there was broth, or chicken, or even fruitcake. His stomach grumbled with the thought of the well deserved meal he needed. 

He cursed himself.

“I’ll handle it, you should go to sleep.”

Roland’s eyes lit up as he nodded effusively. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

Link stayed in front of the doors as the guard ran away to his bed. He didn’t know what made him so nervous about going in there, but his palms were sweaty and his heart was beating like a war drum. Still, he took a deep breath and went in.

The library was empty. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated the whole place, but still the light was dim enough to make it difficult for Link to see. There were a couple of large, empty tables, but the one that caught his eye had a couple of burning candles, a dozen books and maps, and a half eaten fruit cake. That should be Zelda’s table.

Just as he was about to call for her, he saw Hugo coming out of one of the bookcases, and the lizalfos hissed at him. Link was used to the princess’ pet’s angry mood by now, so he didn’t pay much attention to him. Instead, he went towards the walking pile of books coming his way.

“Hugo! What are you hissing at?” Zelda asked from behind the pile of books and poked her head to see better. “Ah, Link! I didn’t expect you to be here!”

“Let me help you, Princess.” Link said as he took the books from her arms.

As he walked to the table, he tried to ignore the way his fingertips brushed the back of her hand just lightly.

Zelda didn’t seem to notice as she sat back in her chair. But Link noticed Hugo’s glare as the lizalfos climbed up the table and camouflaged once he was lying on the table.  

“Thanks, I was starting to feel bored”, she said, looking up at Link with a glint in her eyes. “I've been searching around the whole library for books about Keese. There's so little information but I found some important stuff. Did you know that there’s also elemental Keese? Not just regular like the ones we saw in the cave, like Chuchus they can control-”

“Your Highness,” Link interrupted, knowing she was starting to ramble again. “It’s past midnight, you shouldn’t be here at this hour.”

Link noticed she was still in her travel clothes and that probably didn’t have enough dinner, judging from the cake that was on the table half eaten. But also, Zelda’s smile faded away. Instead, there was a glint of  something that Link couldn’t decipher in that moment. Was that sadness? Deception? Was it because he cut her down?

“Ah, I didn’t realize the hour, I’m sorry.” Zelda said standing up and gathering up her stuff. “I just need to put everything back to its place.”

Link looked how slowly she was closing her books, making obvious she didn’t want to leave the place, like a little kid who wants to get her way. He knew there was no use in fighting the Princess’s desires. If she wanted to keep researching until dawn, she would.

“Actually,” He sighed as he pulled out a chair, inviting her to sit down again. “I know a thing or two about Keese, if you’d like to know about it?”

Zelda’s smile came back as she sat down and put everything where it was with the speed of a lizalfos. Link wondered if that was something she learned from her pet, or Hugo chose her cause she looked like one of his kind.

“Of course!” Zelda beamed as she opened her journal and took a feather. Link didn’t notice she was left-handed until now. Another thing they shared.

He sat down on a chair by her side and crossed his arms. 

“Let’s see,” He looked up, trying to remember his childhood days hunting monsters. “I never stopped to investigate why the monsters are the way they are, but what I can tell you about the Keese is that they have weak bodies.”

Zelda’s eyes widened as she started to write down in her journal. “Weaker than Chuchus?”

“I’d say so, yes,” Link replied with a sigh. “Sometimes you would only need a hit or two to take them down, not like Chuchus, that-”

He cut his train of thought when he saw Zelda’s and Hugo’s glare.

“Anyway, what makes them weak is the way their bodies are.” Link grabbed a blank piece of paper and a feather, hunching down on the table to start a drawing. “The body is like… Round and furry… And the little claw on the wing… And the big eye turns red when it’s going to attack you…”

He finished the drawing and gave it to Zelda, who couldn’t help but smile at it. 

“It doesn’t look like anything in my textbooks.” She said while taking a big book and placing it between them. “See? In this drawing they have slender bodies, and legs.”

Link frowned. “No, that looks like a flying rat or something. I’ve seen all kinds of Keese, that’s not one.”

Zelda smirked as she closed the book. “My apologies, the books in the library are way too old and can’t keep up with the way the monsters evolve.”

Link shook his head. “I guess your research has a point, in that case. We knights know the monsters because we fight them everyday, but everyone should know what they look like in case they see one in the wild.”

Zelda shrugged. “Anything else I should know?”

Link thought for a second, a playful smile on his face that made her smile. 

“Well, they’re night creatures and are always flying in flocks.” He said, feeling more relaxed. “That’s what makes them so annoying, a single one can barely hurt you, but when twenty come at you, that’s when you’re in trouble.”

Zelda giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Link wanted to take that hand so he could see her smile.

“What if you see a single one? Or that simply doesn’t happen?” She asked.

Link hummed. “It happens, but it’s rare. My father used to say that it was either a rejected one because it was weak, or a young one who got lost. But I don’t know if that’s true.”

“Your father?” Zelda asked intrigued. “Does he like monsters like I do?”

Link cringed at the thought and regretted bringing him to the table.

“No, uhm, he’s a monster hunter.”

“Oh.”

There was an awkward silence between them, Zelda looking down at her notes while Link looked around, everywhere but the big eyes of the lizalfos on the table that was keeping watch on him. No wonder why Hugo hated him, he was always bringing up the monster killing thing in front of him. He had to make it up for both of them.

“Uhm, Zelda?” He said in a whisper, she looked back at him. “You said earlier you wanted to go to Mount Hylia, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” She asked with a frown.

“There’s no monsters in Royal grounds.” He said in a whisper. “If you want to see Ice monsters, I’d suggest Mount Lanayru, or Tabantha region, but I highly recommend the first one, for your own safety. And Hugo can come too! So he doesn’t feel alone in the castle.”

Zelda kept frowning as she pondered the options, making him feel uneasy.

“Besides,” he cleared his throat. “There’s a man in Hateno Village who has a lot of knowledge about monsters. Maybe he can help?”

Zelda looked at him, like she was trying to figure out the puzzles in his brain. He tried to keep his eyes locked with hers, but she was making him feel nervous.

“Alright,” She finally said after a long silence. “We’ll go to Hateno Village first thing in the morning. We should probably go to-”

A thud in a bookcase made them turn around in that direction. Link stood up, glad that he was carrying his sword at the moment, and drew it. Zelda stood up behind him, and Hugo showed his true colors while snarling in the same direction.

“Who is there?” Link asked in a loud voice, but the only reply he got was another thud.

“What is that?” Zelda whispered while Hugo climbed to her arms.

She took one of her candles and lit up the direction where the sound was coming from. There was nothing in the bookcases, or at least they couldn’t see anything. They started to walk towards the thud, slowly. But there was nothing in there. Just books.

“Maybe it was just a rat.” Zelda said, trying to calm her lizalfos down.

But in that moment, Hugo jumped out of her arms and ran towards one of the bookcases, snarling at it, as if trying to attack. Link noticed it and got closer to the same one, his ear against it. There was a chirping sound and the thud they heard before.

“It’s not.” Link said, walking back. “Get somewhere safe, Princess, I’m going to move the bookcase. Hugo, you have to protect her from whatever comes out of here, okay?”

It looked like Hugo nodded at him and that gave him some relief. A weird thing to think it came from a lizalfos, if Link was being honest with himself. 

Zelda walked away just a little bit, trying to light up the space. It was dark, probably more than an hour after midnight, and no one else was around to aid Link in case he needed someone’s help. 

He started to push the heavy furniture to move it out of its place. He felt how the bookcase moved inch by inch, and a slight gust of wind started to come out towards him. Then, when the bookcase was completely out of place, he heard Zelda’s gasp.

“A secret passage?” She whispered.

Before they could go any further, a single Keese came out of the dark hole on the wall, flying around the library while Hugo chased it, trying to hit it with his long tongue. 

Link put his hand on the hilt of his sword, but Zelda put her hand on his.

“Wait, look!” She said pointing out where the Keese was flying.

It looked like the creature was trying to go through the stained glass, flying erratically, almost like it was fighting to not fall to the ground where Hugo was waiting to give it the critical hit.

Zelda walked towards it, and Link followed closely, still with his hand on his sword. Hugo stopped his attacks when he saw her approach, but kept a close watch like any other guarding pet. 

“Hey, it’s fine, we’re not gonna hurt you.” She tried to talk to the Keese, but it was obvious the Keese just wanted to escape as fast as it could.

Link looked back at Zelda’s table, and the fruitcake that she didn’t eat. It still had wildberries as toppings. He grabbed them and walked to stand by her side.

“Here, Keese love fruits.” He said as he put the wildberries in his palm and lifted his arm, up enough so the Keese would eat on his hand.

The plan worked, because the creature came down slowly, as if it didn’t trust the hand that was feeding it, but once it felt there was no danger, it started to chomp the wildberries. 

Link looked at Zelda. She had a huge grin on her face while she wrote in her journal about everything that was on her mind. She tried to touch it, but Link shook his head.

“Don’t, you’re gonna upset it and it’ll bite you.” He said in a whisper.

“Oh, okay.” Zelda said at the same volume, then looked at Hugo. “Can you open the window? I think it’s time it goes home.”

Hugo obeyed as he climbed up the wall and opened one of the windows inside the library. Just as the Keese felt the air inside the library change and noticed the window was open, it flew as quickly as it could and got lost into the night.

Link and Zelda stood there, looking at the window for a few minutes, until Zelda gave Hugo the order to close the window.

“You think it was a rejected Keese?” Zelda asked Link as they walked back to the bookcase, and pushed it to close the passage. 

Link stayed quiet for a second. “No, it was a small one. I think it got lost.”

Zelda’s face saddened for a moment, but then she gave  a small smile. “Well, I hope it finds its way back home.”

Link found himself wishing the same thing, but didn’t say it out loud. Instead he tried to change the subject.

“Hey, what do you know about this passage?” He asked as they put Zelda’s books on their shelves and cleaned up everything before leaving.

“I didn’t know it existed.” Zelda confessed as she put the last book in its place and carried Hugo in her arms. “Maybe we can explore the passage once we’re back from Hateno Village, would you like that?”

Link nodded, but couldn’t help but look back at the bookcase, wondering how a Keese could come inside a castle so full of knights and Sheikah warriors. At least someone, anyone would hear or see a thing, it wasn’t that hard to find and spot the monsters if they’re getting close to the castle. The thought made him feel worried about the Castle’s protection. Were the knights really prepared to deal with monsters? Were they capable enough?

“Link, thanks.” 

Zelda’s voice took him out of his trance and he looked at her. There was a soft blush on her cheeks, but he wanted to believe it was the candle light that was making her look like she was in a golden halo.

“What you did was amazing, I know you don’t agree with me but I really appreciate that you helped with the Keese.”

Link gulped but nodded, feeling his cheeks and the point of his ears get red.

“Of course, I told you you could trust me.”

Zelda smiled and nodded, before turning around, and leaving him there with his thoughts about the passage, her smile and why his heart was beating so fast again. He realized he wasn’t hungry anymore.

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.