A Much Needed Hero

Chapter 15: Game

[Zelda]

"Are you sure about this?"

Zelda sighed and squeezed Link's hand. "No, but I'll have to do it eventually."

The pair were standing in front of Zelda's house after a wonderful day spent together.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Link asked.

"No!" Zelda bit her lip. "I mean... thanks for the offer, but my Father doesn't know that we're... um..." She let her sentence drift off because she didn't even know what she and Link were. "Um, I just think I need to deal with this on my own."

"Do you think your dad won't like me?" 

Zelda laughed. "Everyone likes you Link, but my Father doesn't even like me so..."

Link frowned. "Why don't you just come back to my house? We could just pick up your stuff and—"

"I can't." Zelda looked down. "As nice as that sounds and as much as I want to, I owe it to my mom to at least try and fix things."

"But your dad is—"

"Kind of a jerk? I know."

Link rocked back and forth on his heels. "Okay... fine. But if anything happens you come right over to my house."

Zelda smiled. "You've got yourself a deal."

A light flickered on from inside the house and Zelda knew she couldn't stall anymore.

"Thanks for the fun day," She said. "It was an absolute blast."

Link smiled fondly. "It was, wasn't it."

"Except when you almost got us kicked out of the buffet for eating too much!"

They both started laughing at the memory.

"You... you should've... seen the look on the cook's face!" Link said in between laughs.

Zelda clutched her stomach; it was starting to ache from laughing too much. "Oh, I heard enough from the table to understand." She lowered her voice to imitate the cook. "I just finished making this and it's already gone? What kind of glutton are you?"

Link shrugged. "What can I say? She should've seen it coming. That hearty radish soup was to die for."

The two stopped laughing and a heavy silence filled the air.

"Well," Zelda took a deep breath. "Here I go."

"Wait."

She turned back and Link engulfed her in a hug. 

"Remember what I said last night." He whispered into her hair. 

Zelda closed her eyes and drew him closer. "I will."

Link pulled back and grinned. "Well then, go get 'em, princess."

Zelda rolled her eyes trying not to smile. He had been calling her that ever since they had left the playground. She wasn't going to tell him, but she absolutely loved it. 

"l will, my knight," She said, giving him a small curtsey.

Link gave a slight bow, his joking smile giving way to a worried frown. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Zelda turned and, pushing aside her doubts and fears, walked up the steps of her house and opened the door.

Inside she found her father resting in a recliner by the fireplace. He looked up from his newspaper as she entered.