The Legend of Zelda: The King's Sword

Part Twenty-Five: Words

A. N. Heeeere we go, everybody! Final chapter! Can you believe it? I've been writing this book for five years and it's finally complete! Thank you to my readers and my own love, for shifting my perspective and allowing this romance to be that much sweeter.

Zelda's POV:

I descend from my knees to sit on my hip, beside him on the floorboards by the bed. "Hello," I whisper over his shoulder.

"Helloooo...lovelyyy...?" he makes his words long when he's focused. "...How are you?"

"I'm fine," I peek over either of the papers in his hands. "What're you doing?"

"Oh," he stacks the two slips of parchment and looks to the rest of his mess scattered over the floor. "I'm uh...These are my documents."

His mess, however, has logic to it, in arched columns and rows before him.

"I'm trying to put them in order of when I wrote them, but..." he looks between his two papers again. "my memory's all...ugh."

I admire the way his toned forearms look with his sleeves rolled up, then continue skimming the passages, finding repeated words: cold, evil, fighting, her.

"This is your story," I whisper.

"Yes," he withholds a smile. "Hey, was it at the Temple of Time or the...what was it called? The uh, the Lanayru Mine. Where did you give me the harp?"

"Baby, it was the Temple. You remember, he was there." I smirk. "You were not late."

"Yeah..." he stacks the two slips in his hand and reaches across the arrangement to stack them under the third file. "Okay. Now everything is mapped in an orderly fashion in which everything makes sense." Link sighs and collects his diary entries into one. He packs them into an ornate, lacquered chest made in their size, etched with ivy vines and blossoms.

"Now what are you going to do?" I copy his crossed legs.

"I've meant to open these for a while now. I'll show you," he crawls past the box to sift a heavy book from the wardrobe, which is as long as his forearm. "This is going to be our book. Well, at least my piece of everything from the Wing Ceremony to now. I'll write it all down, so I don't forget it."

"-and so they don't tumble around in your head anymore." I trace the leather designs on the cover with my fingernail.

"Yes, so I can breathe them out," he drops the empty pages to the floor and advances on me. "and finally, really, breathe you in."

"Oh..." heat rushes to my face. "I thought you were starting right now."

He makes a tiny giggle, inhaling again and kissing my nose. "I am." he picks up the book and stands to his knees. "This thing's super heavy. Could you bring the box of manuscripts for me?"

"Of course I would, Link," he's caused me to laugh too. "And I'll be sure to be extra quiet while you work."

I should have known how serious he would be about this project.

"How far in are you?" I ask.

"Gosh," he sighs, running his nails through his hair. "This takes much longer than I thought. I've only gotten to when you came to the temple. To sleep?"

"Ohh, Link." I cover the pot of soup and call from the kitchen. "You've made quite a dent."

"Only...three more years to chronicle left, I suppose." he frowns at his books, papers, and candles askew.