A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 71: The Rumor Mill

"Good luck, Link, and do your best. I know, whatever it is the sword has prepared for you, you will overcome it all. I love you, and I can't wait to see you once it's over."

Opening her eyes, Zelda picked herself up from the purple-winged sword she had been kneeling in front of. Still clutching the Silent Princess, she stared down at the legendary blade until a small voice spoke.

"You're in love with Mr. Hero?"

"Hm?" Zelda hummed in reply, looking down at the ground near her feet, where she noticed a small creature resembling a bean at her side. She smiled. "Well, hello there, little one. I haven't seen a Korok in quite some time."

"Hello, Miss Princess!" the Korok said cheerfully, bouncing on its stubby legs. "Answer! Answer! Are you in love with Mr. Hero?"

"Mr. Hero? Is that what you all call Link?" she giggled.

"Yes, just like you are 'Miss Princess!'" the Korok cheered before again asking, "Are you two in love?"

"Yeah, yeah! Are you in love?" a few other Koroks asked as they ran to her other side.

"Yeah, are you? Shakalaaaaa!" a much louder voice said from behind, causing Zelda to jolt slightly. She quickly turned to find a Korok so large he towered over her. She had never seen one this size before.

"Oh my," Zelda said in surprise before quickly collecting herself. "Yes, I am. I am very much in love with Mr. Hero."

"Oh! Shalakaa!" The large Korok cheered as the others bounced around Zelda's legs in celebration.

"Are you guys going to get married and have babies?" one of the Koroks asked, making Zelda furiously blush in surprise. "That's what people in love do, right?"

"Oh... Um... Y–you're quite informed, aren't you?" the princess managed to say. "I... Well... I think it's a bit too soon to be thinking about that, but... M–maybe one day..."

"𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬..." a deep, rumbling voice suddenly said from above. Zelda looked up at the Great Deku Tree, his bark creaking as he continued to speak. "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?"

"Yes, I have," Zelda replied, a little guiltily. "I must get back to my friends."

At this, the Koroks around her whined, with a notable "Shakaaaaaa..." coming from behind her. Giggling, she turned back to the little beans—and one large bean—surrounding her.

"I'll return later," she said to the forest children. "I promise."

"Will you really?" one of the Koroks asked.

"Without a doubt," Zelda said.

Though they sounded disappointed, a wave of approval murmured through the group of forest children. Giving them another kind smile, she reached down with her free hand and pulled the Sheikah Slate from her hip. With the screen brightening at her touch, she looked down at the flower resting between her fingers before allowing it to disappear in a string of blue lights. After another tap, her body did the same.

*     *     *     *     *

As snow lightly fell from the sky above, the Outskirt Stable staff continued to do their jobs, whether it was moving hay, feeding the horses, or chopping down the leafless trees for wood to burn and keep the stable warm. While it was definitely harder work this time of year, those who worked at this stable felt at ease, for they were spared from most of the harsher winter winds thanks to being at the base of the mountains that surrounded them. As snowflakes slowly fell around and on the tent-like structure of the stable, the stablemaster—wiping his nose of the mucus that had built up from standing in the cold behind his desk—gazed at the moon, though it was barely visible through the darkening mass of clouds. It wasn't until a woman with long hair as white as the snow falling around them appeared that he finally pulled his gaze away from above.