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The Sword that Seals the Darkness was pulled from the sacred pedestal in front of the Ancient Deku Tree when she was eleven. There was no fanfare, no celebration. Not even the boy who was now wielding the legendary blade was worth noting. Just a son of a Royal Guard who had just graduated the Knight's Academy - the youngest graduate ever at the age of twelve.
Alright, so he was worth noting in only the slightest of ways. Aside from his possession of the fabled Master Sword, that is.
Zelda had seen this boy before, once, on the day of her mother's funeral five years ago. He had been with his father, Captain Larkin, and kept his head bowed until her father told them both to rise. Ser Larkin's eyes were kind when he told her to remain brave, and his son's eyes were impassive and unreadable. Goddesses, he barely looked at her except when he bowed in farewell and then rose his eyes to her. It was then she saw the blue vastness of his gaze, and the desolate rage of loss filled her.
She did not cry in front of the stranger boy, and now she is glad she didn't then.
He arrived back at the Castle two days after the graduation ceremony, one she barely paid attention to, with the Master Sword's scabbard strapped to his back over traveling clothes. Larkin presented his son to the King with a stony face of disapproval and disappointment, and soon the whole world would know this boy's name.
Link.
Her father had been subdued in his elation, but she knew from the twinkle in his eyes that he was excited of all things about the Sword that Seals the Darkness being claimed, by a prodigal swordsman, no less. With the fortune teller's prophecy and the slow uncovering of the ancient Sheikah relics from the past, it was only a matter of time.
Once more, Link was kneeling and finally rose his eyes to meet hers, and her stomach dropped.
There was no denying it now: she was to be the Goddess-Blood Princess to face the Calamity, with this Hero Chosen by the Goddess Hylia by her side.
Unfortunately, that did not deter the feeling of disgust and shame that boiled in her stomach.
After that, it was hard not to see him. There were no outward changes in Hyrule, so Link was expected to fill his post as a knight until his duty called. His father was a Captain in the Royal Guard and Link was steadily climbing ranks, expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a commander of a squadron by the time he was twenty.
She chose to ignore his steady blue eyes from under his helmet when she passed him in the halls. It was harder when he was promoted to the pressed and prim uniforms of the Royal Guard when she was a few days shy of fourteen.
When she was fifteen, the first Divine Beast was uncovered. Vah Naboris was excavated in the Gerudo Valley, and soon Vah Ruta was found in the Lanaryu Great Spring. Once Vah Rudania and Vah Medoh were discovered on their mountains and all four seemed to regain functionality, it was only a matter of time before her father assigned Champions to pilot them. After all, if the Divine Beasts were operating, and the Hero's spirit heard the call of the Master Sword, Calamity Ganon's resurrection was sure to follow swiftly, as the fortune teller had predicted.
Now only if her power could be unlocked, as well.
The Champions from each race were chosen to pilot the Divine Beasts, and Zelda was tasked specifically with requesting their allegiance. While she was the Princess to lead them all, Link was already tasked to being the Hylian Champion at her side, ready to face Ganon together. She let the others know, each impressed with the Divine Beasts and the responsibility placed on their shoulders, and soon they had their six ready to take on the threat to Hyrule.
Two days before her sixteenth birthday, Robbie brought a Guardian over from the Royal Tech Lab to show off to her father and some of the other courtiers and generals. She watched discretely from her balcony - where she was supposed to be praying and training - and witnessed the Guardian malfunction. Quickly - too quick for her eyes to fully register - Link came out of nowhere, brandishing a pot lid of all things and deflected a rogue blast that was heading straight for her father and aimed it right back at the Guardian's all-seeing eye, causing it to explode into broken pieces. Robbie's irate shouts at Link were lost in the ruckus, as were whatever words her father said to him.
The next morning, she understood what had transpired afterwards.
"You cannot be serious, Father," she intoned with despair. "It's one thing to have me protected by the Royal Guard when outside of the central kingdom, but having a single knight assigned as my protector regardless of where I go? I find it unreasonable."
Rhoam was a man of few smiles, and today was not a day for grins. "Zelda, Ser Link is an accomplished swordsman, the chosen Hylian Champion with the Sword that Seals the Darkness, and yesterday he only further proved his merit by taking on that Guardian so fearlessly. We know you two need to stay together for the sake of being able to take on Calamity Ganon together, so in a way this is hitting two Ritos with one stone."
He paused and seemed to muse aloud something she absolutely dreaded to hear, "And perhaps he can awaken some measure of your power, by being in proximity of the Sword that Seals the Darkness. The decision and his assignment have already been made."
As her stomach rolled, Zelda all but huffed and stood from her seat. "I have felt my freedoms stifled enough in the past years, Father! I refuse to allow it any further."
Rhoam stood as well, slower than her until he was towering above like he always did. "Hyrule is becoming more and more dangerous. As long as the threat of Ganon continues to rise, you will remain under heavy protection when you leave the Castle. It is for your safety, and by extension the safety of Hyrule itself. That is final."
Zelda's heart had lodged itself in her throat, with her stomach right underneath. Her breathing, now deterred by the displaced organs, faltered and she could not reply. Rhoam saw her silence as compliance and continued, "Now, go get ready for the inauguration ceremony. The Champions will need their garb before the festivities are set to begin."
His words had a sharp finality to them, and soon Zelda was slumping out of the room without actually slouching and making her way to her chambers. She had tears welling in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall and further prove how worthless she was. As she climbed the stairs to her tower, she thought over her more pressing task given to her. Urbosa had already received her sarong, and Mipha her sash, that morning before she met with her father. Daruk was set to arrive any moment now and he would receive his bandana when he did, and Revali informed her he would be flying in at midday, and then he would receive his scarf.
All that was left was Link, and his tunic.
She sent for a servant to fetch him, and soon she was waiting in her study for his arrival. After all, he wasn't set to be her shadow until after the ceremony with the other Champions. Her eyes lingered on the tunic, the way the sacred color was unique to the Royal Family, how she knew that it would match Link's eyes impeccably. The embroidery was delicate and practically perfect, and her fingers still throbbed with the memory of hours of stitching to get the Master Sword at the collar just right.
A knock at her door caused her to turn in her chair. Link was standing in the doorway, the sunlight coming through the opening behind him and casting shadows over his angular face and the hilt of the Master Sword. He was quiet - in fact, she had never heard his voice - as he waited for her to allow him to enter, and she sighed before standing and walking to him.
"This is for you," she claimed as she handed him the folded garment. "A sacred symbol of your position and duty to the Kingdom of Hyrule. Do your best to keep it in good shape."
As it was dropped into his grasp, Zelda darted her eyes up to gauge his reaction. He was staring at the embroidery at the collar, a careful look in his eyes as his thumb ran over the mimicked handle there, and almost too quick for her to see his lips quirked in a small smile before he smoothed his features and bowed respectfully to her.
"The ceremony starts in a few hours," she added as she turned away, trying her best to remain cool and calm in the face of her mounting frustrations at him. "Don't be late."
She didn't hear him leave, but she knew her study was bereft of his overwhelming presence as soon as it was gone.
After the ceremony - and a little, quiet moment between her and the Champions - there was to be a banquet. For the first time since she was young, the table for the Royal Family was filled with others. The Champions, that is. Zelda filled the spot typically for the Queen - as the Princess, sole heir, and the one set to have the powers of Hylia, it was only natural - and Urbosa was to her left. Link sat to the King's right, a position typically for the heir. But tonight, typical seating arrangements were clearly forsaken for the ceremonial purposes of looking united in the face of Ganon's threat.
Mipha sat next to Link and from over her father's bushy beard, Zelda could see her speaking to him in soft tones. It even appeared he was conversing with her, but over the hullabaloo of the banquet she couldn't hear a single word.
Daruk was to Urbosa's left and leaned over the Gerudo Chief to capture Zelda's attention. "Pst, tiny princess!"
Zelda begrudgingly tore her attention away from the stoic knight and Zoran princess to smile politely at the Goron. "Yes, Daruk?"
"Since the little guy is set to be your appointed knight and all, shouldn't you hold that blessing ceremony that you showed me in that one book from before?"
Zelda's stomach fell, as did her polite smile, at the memory of a sacred text Daruk had seen her reading earlier that day when he came to receive his bandana. Essentially, it was a depiction of what had transpired 10,000 years prior, when Ganon had last made his roaring appearance. In the text, the Goddess-Blood Princess had anointed the Chosen Knight and the Master Sword with a Holy Blessing, which was said to have protected him from harm during the battle. Daruk seemed so besotted with the idea of fate, destiny and tradition, and said it was incredible.
And now he was testing her patience.
Urbosa's eyes twinkled and she said softly to Zelda, "It wouldn't hurt, little bird. Get us all on the right footing before facing our destinies."
Revali, who was sitting all the way over by Mipha, somehow heard their conversation and said in a boisterous manner that can only be attributed to him, "A blessing ceremony? I guess our little knight could use as much help as he can get."
Mipha actually glared - an expression Zelda could not believe Mipha was capable of making, with her soft and kind demeanor - at the Rito before looking over Rhoam and Link to smile at Zelda. "I think it's a wonderful idea."
Outnumbered by all the Champions, Zelda shrank and looked down to her barely-touched plate of food. Not a word had come from her father, so she assumed he agreed with the Champions. And, as expected, Link neither accepted or rejected the idea, so the neutrality of the two men to her right had ended any sort of debate into the matter.
She barely slept that night, worrying about how much she was going to muck up the blessing. As she mucked up everything else.
When morning arrived, Link was waiting at her door when she stepped out with her handmaiden, Anju. The girl in question saw the knight, flushed red as her hair, and ducked her head to scurry away. Zelda sighed as the girl vanished and then turned her attention to the man in question. His eyes met hers, flickering from where they were pinned to the wall, and she felt her lips screw into a frown.
She realized at that moment that his posting as her appointed knight would severely deter any nightly private excursions into the wilderness, or even other parts of the Castle.
With a huff, Zelda began walking towards the front of the Castle, where she would traverse through Castle Town and to the Sacred Grounds where it was believed Hylia herself once had blessed the land.
She blocked out the blessing itself, sure to wipe her memory of the hissed words between the Champions as she botched her practiced phrases. Link knelt dutifully at her feet, never raising his head or eyes to her until her hand was lowered and the blessing finished. As he rose to his feet, his head remained bowed and he placed his hand over his heart.
No words were uttered, but she could feel his acquiesce to this post, to this assignment. He had earned the highest honor in the guard, yet the price was becoming her babysitter. Alas, Zelda felt nothing but dismay as it was cemented into fact and he was stuck as her shadow until her powers were unlocked and Ganon showed his face.
Hopefully in that order.
Once the Champions made their way back to their homes, Zelda was left with Link in the Sacred Grounds. She stared at the motif in the center, the Triforce and the symbols of the Golden Goddesses, then up to the knight that held the sword her predecessor created and blessed millennia ago. He met her gaze, blankness lingering in his too blue eyes - she was right, the shade matched the tunic perfectly - and she fought the way her chest tightened with anger and frustration.
"I intend to go to the Royal Tech Lab today," she declared as she moved past him and back to Castle Town. "Since it is so close, I do not need an escort. You can use the day to get settled into any new accommodations."
She heard Link following her, and her stupidly hopeful heart made her think that he was only following her because he was going back to the Castle, as well. But alas, he accompanied her all the way to her rooms, where she quickly changed into her pants and boots, and was waiting outside her door when she was finished.
"I..." Zelda swallowed and frowned. "Certainly you heard me correctly?"
"I have no reason to leave your side, Your Highness."
It was the first thing he had ever said to her, in the years since he pulled the sword and joined the Guard, and it made her stomach do something strange. His voice was... not unpleasant. In fact, it was low and soft with a gravelly edge that spoke only to her of lack of use. It was his words, too, that made her pause.
"But - " She stopped herself and frowned. There was no fighting it, was there? She studied his face, waiting for the patient mask to slip to reveal his true feelings. Disdain, likely. For a princess without the powers of Hylia. Impatience, for her lack of cooperation. Hatred, even. She deserved it with her many failings. "Very well. However, from now on I will not need your presence when I am here in the Castle or traveling nearby."
Unfortunately for her, this did not come to pass. Link had been ordered by her father to protect her. Only the King of Hyrule had authority over the Princess when there was no Queen, and Link took his duty and orders very seriously. He was quick to pick up on her typical daily habits, going as far as remaining out of her sight or at least out of her way, but as soon as she deviated he was right behind her once more, following her like an oppressive shadow.
This dynamic remained for weeks into months, in and out of the Castle, up until the moment she shouted at him for finding her after she had thought to have stealthily stolen away in the early morning hours when she knew he had to report to the Commander of the Royal Guard.
After all, she had spent the better part of a week memorizing his schedule as to understand when he had his eyes away - truthfully not often, to her disappointment - and she could escape his guard.
Believing she could flee to Tabantha on the back of her horse was foolish and she was surprised Link had not reported the incident to her father.
Two weeks later, she tried again and this time she fled all the way to Urbosa, where she knew Link could not follow. The Chief of the Gerudo, her mother's dear friend, welcomed her with warmth and comfort as she allowed Zelda to make an excursion into the desert to study the shrines hidden in the dunes. By the time the sun was setting, Zelda stumbled into Vah Naboris and fell asleep after eating a light dinner at Urbosa's side.
Link's sudden appearance jarred her enough to make her scream at him, stomp away and ignore them both for the rest of the night. His presence outside her sleeping area made her sick to her stomach.
Urbosa's barking laughter did not help the matters, at all.
He was constantly going against her wishes, disobeying her direct orders and reminding her of every little mistake she had made up until that point, and she wanted to vomit on him.
The morning after, before the sun had even risen over the mountains, Zelda left the Divine Beast to march back to the stable outside of the desert, with full intent to ditch the knight as soon as she could. He was nowhere to be seen, but she assumed it was because her angry words at him the night before had finally run him off.
Good riddance.
Urbosa had left Naboris in the dunes near the bazaar, and the walk there was long and tedious enough that Zelda had passed through the tents and oasis by midmorning. Link still hadn't shown his face, but that meant nothing.
After all, as soon as the sounds of the oasis water lapping on the shore after bubbling up from the underground spring were no longer intelligible from the sounds of wind and shifting sands, she could hear footsteps.
Those footsteps in the shifting sands told her he was following, but then, as the sun started to heat her just enough that sweat started to break on her brow, she remembered something crucial: she could never hear Link's footsteps unless he did so on purpose. He wouldn't want her to hear him now if he knew she was trying to flee. Out of the corner of her eye, a shift of dark against the sun-bleached sand caused her heart to lurch.
Yiga.
And Link wasn't here to help her.
No thoughts entered her mind except run and she turned on her heel and fled. The bazaar had several Gerudo warriors. They could defend her. They could drive away the defected Sheikah. They could ensure her safety until Urbosa or Link could come to her aid.
Or perhaps not.
There were two more waiting between her and the bazaar, blades raised and ready to strike. She knew they were out for blood. After all, she was the main obstacle stopping them from successfully resurrecting Calamity Ganon. Urbosa confirmed that herself the last time Zelda had come to Gerudo Town to ask the Chief to pilot Vah Naboris.
Zelda's foot caught on an outcropping of rock and she fell to the ground.
She was going to die.
She was going to die and her father would be devastated and there would be no one left to face Ganon and the line of Hylia would officially end.
The one that had first cornered her and had been chasing her down was towering over her now, blade held aloft, and bringing it down.
As she squeezed her eyes shut, her mind went to Link and prayed that he would be able to defeat Ganon well enough that the entity of darkness would be too pummeled to need to be sealed.
A clash of steel and the sound of flesh being spliced before falling to the ground beside her caused Zelda to open her eyes.
Link. He was here! He had come! He was between her and the other two Yiga Clansmen, poised to strike, and at the relieving sight of him, Zelda forgot how to breathe. In a flash, as one Yiga feinted to the left, Link struck the other and then took out the first, leaving three traitors to molder in the sands of the desert.
She was so stunned by Link's sudden appearance, the dead bodies, and the fact that she was alive, Zelda barely registered him helping her to her feet and assisting her to the bazaar. He paid a Rito for something, one who knew him by name, and the Link led her to the north side of the bazaar where they were hidden by the rocks and sand.
"Are you alright, Princess?"
She shook herself and met his eyes, surprised at the genuine concern in his voice. His hand was on her elbow still, keeping her steady, and his eyes were scanning her body.
"What?"
"Are you harmed?" he reiterated. "You fell when you were fleeing."
Zelda couldn't think past the fact that he was speaking to her again. "I... I, well..."
Something registered in his eyes and he quickly, yet gently helped lower her to the ground. "You're in shock."
It was a statement, not a question.
"I just sent word to Urbosa. She should be here soon with Naboris. You can hide there until I can assure safe passage for you off the trails."
Something in his words made her pause and she blurted, "Surely you intend to remain with me?"
Her question made Link start, his eyes widening only fractionally, and he smoothed his features after a long moment. "Of course."
In an interesting turn of events, Zelda felt herself calm at his reassurance and followed his lead as soon as Vah Naboris and Urbosa arrived near the oasis. That night, after Urbosa had calmed her tirade and had shown Zelda a place to sleep, the princess vowed to amend her behaviors towards her appointed knight.
To Link.
In a short span of time, Zelda's opinion on Link did an about-face. Not only did she learn that despite outward appearances, he worked incredibly hard and struggled to gain the skills he utilized as a knight, his father had heavy expectations forced on Link's shoulders that mirrored her own. With the additional burdens that being the bearer of the Sword that Seals the Darkness held for him, he bore those burdens and struggles without complaint in order to maintain the appearance of being a strong knight, capable of protecting the Goddess-Blood Princess and Hyrule itself.
Zelda never felt more guilty about her prior treatment, considering this new information.
They traveled the length of Hyrule together before the seasons turned, and in time Link became someone Zelda could trust implicitly with her life. He proved his worth as a soldier and as a friend without much effort, the latter being a pleasant surprise as they sat in front of a fire in the wild or walked the trails. She revealed her deep insecurities regarding her powers, he revealed his anxiety over the fate of the realm.
Zelda found a kindred spirit in her protector, and soon they were practically inseparable.
Winter came and went, and soon spring was starting to arrive, as did the looming date of her seventeenth birthday. After a confrontation with her father, Zelda fled the Castle with Link in tow, with the Spring of Power their destination. They took the long way, taking several days as opposed to only a few, and soon she was praying fruitlessly in the tepid waters.
Her faith in the knight at her back was the only thing keeping her standing.
Afterwards, when a heavy rain started to fall and they hid in the ancient hall that had once led to the spring from what Zelda theorized had been a temple, Link once more let her confide in him.
"This power... It is eluding me and it vexes me so."
Link hummed and handed her a bowl of stew. "Perhaps there's a reason to the power not awakening?"
"I had no teacher," Zelda remarked after she took a bite. "I have to go off my mother's example. She prayed, so I will pray."
"Forgive me, Princess," he started as he set down his bowl and turned to her, "but have you considered there is nothing to train for?"
Zelda stared at him, her eyebrows raised. "Pardon?"
"If I overstep, please tell me - "
"I always value your words," she cut in quickly, causing him to smile. "Never hide your thoughts around me. Maybe not where someone else can hear, but your thoughts and words are important to me."
Link nodded and continued after a long moment of contemplation, "The legends say every Princess that faced Ganon had the power, and memories from the Master Sword shows me each Princess could harness different aspects of the power... All while leading or even ruling Hyrule. There's never a King or Queen in the legends... What makes you think the power is something you have to pray for or train for when it is a birthright?"
She frowned and looked at her stew. "I... do not know."
"And for that matter, Ganon is not here. There's no need for your power, right?"
Zelda then shook her head. "My mother had the Golden Power, as did my grandmother. The presence of Ganon does not predetermine the presence of the power."
Link stared at her for a long moment and then nodded. "I know it's not something I know about, but perhaps the praying and dedicating your whole life to submission to the Goddess doesn't seem possible or probable in the grand scheme of things."
Zelda held his gaze, mulling over the harsh truth of his words. She felt it deep, achingly so, that he was right, and that she had essentially wasted her life in prayer. But she had no choice. If seeing her mother pray and her grandmother pray were the only examples she could follow, it was what had to be done. Especially when ordered by the King.
She sighed and told him of this, and a dark look crossed his face.
"Link?"
He shook his head and took her empty bowl. "Get some rest. We can leave in the morning. If we get out of here early enough, we can make it to the Castle by twilight."
A clear dismissal, but not cruel like she had been so callously dismissed by her father. By the time she had cleaned herself up and gotten into her bedroll, Link was sitting outside the tent, dutiful in his guard of her sleep, with a look that foretold of his deep thought.
The next morning, when the dew was still lingering on the grass, they rode out from the quarry and made their way through Akkala back to Greater Hyrule. A few stops, with their toes dipped in a pond or her knees digging into the dirt to find seeds, they didn't quite make it to the Castle by twilight. In fact, they only reached the Goponga Village when the moon was lighting the sky.
At least she was better able to explain the different breeds of frogs and their ability-enhancing qualities this time.
"Oh, well," Link hummed as he steered them to the inn on Mercay Island, completely unbothered.
Zelda smiled at the mischievous look he gave her, and soon they were boarding their horses and getting a room for the night. As always, he guarded her sleep, but this time rest was alluding her. She watched as the moon crested in the sky, and started to set over the trees.
"The King will not forgive me if his daughter collapses from sleep exhaustion," he murmured, causing her to sit up and turn to his voice. Like in most inns, there wasn't a separate area from the fireplace for her to sleep, so Link had been guarding her sleep in an arm chair by the fire. He must have noticed her lack of resting.
"The King does not care much for his daughter's wellbeing, unless she is progressing in her powers."
His cross look was not lost upon her. "How about you rest for my sake?"
She couldn't stop from smiling, her heart warmed by his concern, and she rolled over so she was facing him fully. "Will you leave it alone if I nap when we return tomorrow?"
Link seemed to think it over, then shook his head. "No. Do you need a sleeping draught? I'm sure I have some safflina somewhere in my pack - "
"No, that won't be necessary," she sighed as she sat up. In the wild, she slept in her trousers and blouse. Here, in the inn with the roaring fireplace and tepid winds outside, she opted for just the undershirt instead. As a result, shivers rolled up her arms and she grabbed her robe from the edge of the bed. "The sun will be rising soon. I take a draught and I won't wake until supper."
Link gave her a sympathetic look. "Is there anything else I can do?"
"Short of asking the Master Sword what I need to do to unlock my power, no."
"Already did that," he replied, causing her to choke a little on her spit. "The Sword knows not what you can do. Every iteration of the Goddess's blood has already known Her power."
Dejected, Zelda allowed herself to sink into the armchair opposite Link and gaze endlessly into the fire. Lost in the dancing flames, she barely registered time as it passed until Link was shaking her shoulder, bringing her attention back to life, and telling her it was time to go.
The room was already packed of their sparse belongings and as soon as she was dressed, they headed out into the cool morning and made their way back to the Castle.
She did not hear from her father at all upon her return, aside from a note telling her they were not going to be celebrating her birthday this year and she would need to plan her trip to Mount Lanaryu instead.
Link was, as always, a comfort for her. When she needed to get away - under the pretense of training or studying the Goddess, of course - he was there with her. On the eve of her birthday, as she confessed once more her apprehension of the coming day, Link took her hand and bowed at her feet, just as he had done the day she mucked up her blessing.
The flagstones here were a little more smooth, and the sun was hitting his hair and his eyes differently, and Zelda could see his thoughts this time. He was going to be right beside her as she faced her destiny, proudly.
And she was in love with him.
They rode out the next morning at dawn, bypassing all decorum and cutting through Kakariko with brief hello's before riding through the Lanaryu Promenade and sending their horses back by the time they reached the Eastern Gate. She changed into her prayer dress behind an outcropping of rocks, and together they toasted with warm elixirs before making their way up the mountain.
Halfway up, Link told her the Champions were going to be meeting them at the bottom, ready to celebrate her birthday and her success.
Her tears were dried up by the time they reached the Spring of Wisdom at the top.
Unfortunately, nothing happened. Just like what had happened at the other springs, Zelda felt nothing but water as she waded in, and hopelessness consumed her as she collapsed onto the submerged stones. Link dragged her out, getting soaked in the process, and he gave her another elixir before they made their way back down in frigid silence.
When they turned the first curve on the ancient staircase, Link took her hand. Zelda watched as his half-gloved fingers wrap around hers and give her a gentle squeeze. Her eyes dragged back up to him and met his gaze, where the endless blue shone with hope and support.
"We'll figure it out," he said, calmly. Confidently. "I'm sure of it."
"How?" she managed, after stumbling in her steps and letting him lead the way through the snow. "How are you so sure of something that hasn't shown any sort of promise? Not even after this?"
Link gave her a soft smile, one that made her defeated heart do a funny jump in her chest, and he replied, "Because there's no other option. Your power will come at the right time. I guarantee it."
She chose not to fill the silence for the rest of the trek down the mountain. By the time they reached the tapering slopes and into grassier areas, Link finally let go of her hand.
Like when he first left her study all that time ago, she was bereft of his presence and it was immediately felt.
He let her lead the way and in shame and silence she did so. When they reached the Champions, who had been waited for them like Link said, she told them the truth. When Ganon exploded into clouds of evil above her home, she ran with the knight who had all of his faith in her.
When he fell at her feet, slumped halfway in exhaustion, her desperation and love spurred her to risk it all.
Just for him.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened, yet she still had to question it. It was still too good to be true.
However, that feeling didn't last long. The sound of Link's body hitting the mud and his life starting to leave him once again spurred her into action. She had no hope, not without him.
She couldn't do it alone.
Like she had been when she was a child, she met Link's eyes. Instead, she saw his sorrow, his own pain, and - dare she say it - love. She saw him, and she was losing him.
But unlike then, when his eyes left hers and slipped shut, she let her tears fall.
Those tears didn't heal him like other princesses in fairy tales she had read as a young girl. Zelda knew her kiss or her golden light wouldn't stop the bleeding, or the brokenness that he had become.
But a voice, singing in a melody of a thousand voices, told her that she could save him with the one thing she had put most of her faith in - besides Link, of course.
And as the Sheikah warriors carried Link to Purah and Robbie, who would then take him to the secret Shrine of Resurrection, Zelda found her resolve and her new destiny.
The life she knew may be in ruins, but if she could stave Ganon's attack for long enough for Link to be repaired, some of it could still be saved.
As her hand rose to Ganon's malice, she saw with Hylia's eyes Link being laid in the cocoon of technology and water, ready for a long rest that would end with him rejuvenated and repaired.
And ready to end this new battle.
fin.