Until That Day

Glazed Seafood

Link

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Her face was only inches away from mine. I started to memorize her features, noting how perfect she was and how stunning she was. She matched her gaze with mine. Her eyes were endless emeralds, and I knew then that I wanted to look into them forever.

Taking my hands down from behind my head, I inched towards her. She moved not one muscle, but I heard her breath catch.

I stopped, not wanting to pressure her into anything she didn't want. After a couple seconds, she herself started to close the gap.

I can't possibly be thinking about kissing the one I've sworn to protect, it wouldn't be right. She's a princess and I'm her knight, I can't put her in this position.

As much as I wanted to, like really wanted to, I couldn't let her do this. I couldn't do this to her.

I quickly sat up and pretended to fix my hair. "Tell me more about the Silent Princess?"

Zelda's expression hinted at extreme irritation as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Let's stop by the ancient technology lab and let them know we didn't make it to that shrine. I'm sure they have time to investigate it themselves."

I nodded as Zelda squinted.

"What?"

"Enough nodding. Feel free to elaborate, Link."

"Fair enough." I responded.

I helped her onto Storm and I jumped on Epona and we rode down to the ancient lab. Once we got there, Robbie flew the door open. "Like my new door camera?" He pointed towards the stalled guardian next to the door. "I managed to connect the seeing device with a monitor, actually after the slate design itself. Now I can see anyone outside."

Zelda nodded. "We just came to let you know that the visits to the shrines weren't super successful. Nothing new, really."

Robbie seemed disappointed but not surprised. "Very well. Thank you, princess."

Zelda turned and started to walk back towards the horses. The sun had started to set, and the color of the sky turned brilliant shades of pink and orange. I couldn't help but stop and take it in for a moment.

Zelda

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Link had stopped halfway across the bridge and was looking out toward the horizon. When I followed his gaze, the sun had dipped away for the day leaving behind a spectacular pink and orange sky spread across the land.

He appreciates the little things.

I remembered us together watching the sunrise the first time all that time ago, when I had caught him looking for a good place to watch the sun come up. He had looked like a small child getting themselves caught trying to steal cookies. I laughed a little to myself, realizing how amazing Link really was. Though our burdens were heavy, sharing them with each other surely made them a lot easier to carry. I could only hope he felt the same.

I went and stood next to him, letting our arms slightly brush together. Link smiled, and we watched the horizon grow dark.

"Want to make a campfire tonight?" I inquired. "Change things up?"

Link laughed. "We can if you would like."

"Okay, I know just the place."

After a riding for almost an hour, we reached Lake Hylia. "I thought this would be a fun place to camp," I prompted.

"I mean, sure." Link started to unpack our things. Once camp was set up, I started a fire to cook some things.

"You cook?" Link inquired.

I gave him a face. "Of course, I can cook!"

Link chuckled. "Hey, just thought I'd ask. If someone had always cooked for me I wouldn't necessarily be good at it."

He has a point, and I was no chef that was for sure.

"Would you like to try, then?"

"Sure, you like glazed seafood?"

Glazed seafood?

"I can safely say I'm not sure, considering I've never had it."

"Well you won't be able to say that for much longer then!" Link pulled out fish and coarser bee honey. He then put fish on two sticks and glazed them over with lots of honey. After setting them by the fire for a long period of time, he pulled them away from the flames and handed one to me, hot and steaming.

"Plenty more where that came from too," he added. "Careful, it's quite hot at the moment."

"For dessert I brought fruitcake?"

Link's face lit up, and we both dug our faces into the meal.

Holy Hylia, this is amazing! I feel so energized too, after eating this!

"Link, this is amazing! How do you know how to cook so well?"

"I really like food, it's one of the things that hasn't changed much throughout my lifetime. That, and my mother always let me watch her cook, and she never made a bad meal."

"That's really sweet, Link. She sounds lovely."

"She really was," he added bittersweetly.

Oh no...

"I'm so very sorry for your loss, Link."

"It's alright, it happens. She died shortly after my father did. They were very close, and once he was gone she was too. Sorry to give you all the sob stories about my family, Zelda."

I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder. "It's still very hard to lose a parent, let alone two. I'm still not over my mother's passing and that was almost a decade ago now."

"She meant a lot to you, it's understandable."

Ilooked at Link and smiled. "That she did. That she did."