"May I ask... do you really remember me?" Zelda finished, her eyes wide and full of hope, despite the century she had fought.
Link stared at her, finally seeing her with his own eyes, his expression blank in disbelief. Snapping back to reality, he looked down. His hood shaded his face, but the princess could still see the sadness in his eyes as he spoke. "Not... much."
She sighed, and frowned slightly. What else had she expected?
Link looked up again at Zelda, her face shaded with hurt. Link... he was the only one she had left... and he did not remember her.
"But," Link began, and the princess's eyes flicked up with hope, "I recovered every memory I could."
Link smiled lightly
"It's not much... but it's enough." His smile grew. Zelda sighed in relief, throwing her arms around him and laughing lightly. A tear fell rolled down her cheek as she squeezed Link, but she soon realized she had been holding on for quite a while. She let go and let out a quiet laugh. "Sorry, I um, got a bit carried away."
Link rubbed the back of his neck and blushed lightly. "Don't worry. You must be tired." He said with a chuckle.
Zelda nodded in agreement, her cheeks also rosy with embarrassment.
The pair walked to the entrance of the castle and stared for a moment, Zelda staring at the destruction of her old home, mourning those who had lost their lives on that terrible day 100 years ago. Link looked up desperately trying to remember what this castle had looked like prior to the Calamity, and tried to convince himself that it was finally over. Ganon was gone.
Link looked over at the princess, and noticed the bags under her eyes, and the sadness deep inside them. She looked tired and frail, and Link knew that although the king was gone, it was his duty still to protect her. "Don't tell me you're considering sleeping here tonight?" Link questioned, cocking his head slightly to the side.
"Well..." Zelda began, "I have no place else to go."
"You have anywhere else to go. And besides, it would probably be good for you to get away from the castle for a while. Come with me, you need rest. And a good meal."
Zelda brushed the dirt from off of her dress, releasing a puff of dust in the air. Her ceremonial dress was once white and regal, but now it was a light shade of brown, and it was torn in many places.
"Maybe also some new clothes," she suggested, and the two laughed lightly.
Link motioned for Zelda to follow him to his horse, and he helped her on behind him. With one last glance at the castle, they were off. Zelda gripped onto Link's waist as they rode, happy to have an excuse to do so.
"You know, we still have much work to do. We can't just go running around like maniacs, we have real duties." Zelda yelled through the wind as they rode away from the castle.
There she is. Link thought. That sounds like the Zelda I remember.
"Don't worry, princess." He said. "But you deserve to relax for at least a day. We can get to work as soon as you wish."
Zelda smiled. "Just... call me Zelda."
"Done with the formalities already?" Link teased, forgetting for a second that he was still talking to the esteemed Princess of Hyrule, the one he had sworn to protect to the end of his life. But Zelda welcomed it, and playfully shot back. "Oh, so I see someone has learned to talk."
Link smirked. He would say he missed this but... he couldn't remember anything like this. And, based on what he did remember, he doubted it was anything like this before the Calamity, even when they were close.
Zelda, however, was overjoyed. For a moment she forgot the responsibilities she held, as she rode through the fields in the beautiful sunlight, and she was finally in the company of a real friend, let alone another person. And although Link seemed different now, he seemed like... himself. He was free, alive, and Zelda liked this new persona so far, even with the jokes. Old feelings bubbled up again, feelings that had never gone away, even after 100 years. Maybe, she thought, just maybe, he had these feelings too.
