No one had taught her how to love. Not really. Her childhood had been ashes, her adolescence survival, her early adulthood war. But somewhere down the road, with Cassian, she’d learned that love didn’t have to be loud. It didn’t have to come in grand declarations or perfect moments. Sometimes it came in burnt sweet cakes and humming in the kitchen. In a hand held through the dark. In the quiet comfort of knowing that, for once, no one wanted anything from her—except maybe another sunrise.
War is over, is time for Jyn and Cassian to rest.
Hello @dizzy-miss-lizzieeeeee! It's me your Rebelcaptain Secret Santa 🙂🥳 . I'm just here to let you know the first part of your gift is up on ao3. Hope you enjoy it.
Feliz Navidad (un poco atrasada)🥳🥳🎉🎉
Don’t we all fall?
It’s Christmas eve and sometimes not everything turns out the way you wanted it to be, but it doesn’t mean it’s for the worst.
Cassian’s words rang in her mind over and over again, and she refused to let the tears fall from her eyes. How could he give her hope of having something and then not being there to take it with her?
She refused to let him be another person who left her behind. She would fight barehanded with death itself if it could bring him back.
While stranded in a planet, Cassian heals his body while Jyn heals her soul.
While traveling with his older brother, thirteen-year-old Cassian Andor discovers a young girl hiding from the Empire. His decision to help her changes the course of both their lives, leading to nearly two decades of miscommunication, anger, trust—and eventually, love.
Or, Cassian rescues Jyn instead of Saw Gerrera.
CHAPTER 2: BBY 12
Summary:
One year later, Cassian is still getting used to having Jyn around. She's not making it easy for him.
Cassian walked through the tents of the settlement, feeling the sweat running down his temple due to the hot temperatures on the planet, with its lava pits warming the whole place.
He could see his fellow rebels minding their own businesses— cleaning their spaces, dressing their wounds, cooking their meals— while he made a checklist in his mind of all the things he was sure he needed to bring to his next outer world mission.
The mission was simple ; he just needed to go to Jelucan to receive a message directed only to his handler, Jado.
The middle - aged man had summoned him two hours ago to his tent to assign him the mission personally. Jado didn’t trust holoprojectors and commlinks; he had grown paranoid of them lately and believed that anything could be intercepted by the Empire now. This time , he didn’t want to risk it.
“There should be an informant waiting for you in the hangar, a Rodian guy named Ulop,” Jado explained to him, his eyes fixed on the Jelucan holomap in front of him, “ H e’ll give you a comm and take you to a safe house. You’ll wait for instructions there. Easy, in and out, but don’t trust anyone but the voice in the comm.”
Cassian had nodded, already formulat ing in his mind the best travel route, escape tactics, and anything that could be in service for this mission. The fifth one Jado was confiding in him in three months so far.
“Show me that you can handle this, little Andor,” Jado had said, putting his hand over Cassian’s shoulder, “make your brother proud.”
The mention of Haro had made him feel restless. He had been deployed for at least four months now, helping a small planet in the Outer Rim to rebel against the Empire with the little forces they had, and as far as he knew, the battle was getting out of control.
Haro was still sending pulse codes to him, letting him know that he was still alive but not giving away his location or if he was healthy enough. And Cassian supposed it made sense; if he knew where he was, he’d probably fly his way to aid him, but he wasn’t a fighter like that, not yet , at least.
Jado was training him to do other stuff, to get closer to the imperials so fights like the one Haro was could be prevented in the future with the right intel.
So, of course, Jado’s words were enough motivation to make Cassian want to do this mission the way Haro would’ve done it. And Haro, being the control freak he was starting to become lately, liked to do checklists before any mission to cover any possible outcome.
Cassian had to do them as he walked all the way to the hangar where the very few ships his cell owned were stationed.
While traveling with his older brother, thirteen-year-old Cassian Andor discovers a young girl hiding from the Empire. His decision to help her changes the course of both their lives, leading to nearly two decades of miscommunication, anger, trust—and eventually, love.
Or, Cassian rescues Jyn instead of Saw Gerrera.
Chapter 1: Children
Cassian had to land on this planet just by mere coincidence.
He wasn’t the one behind the controllers. If he did, he probably wouldn’t have noticed one of the propulsors of the ship was failing, and he would've crashed on his way back to Lok.
But luckily, it was his brother, Haro, who was piloting the ship so he had noticed the malfunction on the ship, and now they were stranded on this cold, wet planet with high mountains.
Cassian was outside the ship, holding a blaster with both hands and looking at his surroundings, making sure that no one would sneak up on them while his brother worked on figuring out what was wrong with the ship before they had to fly into hyperspace again.
“It’s nothing serious,” Haro said as he came out of the maintenance hatch, whipping his oiled hands on his pants, “there was an oil leak in there, fixed it, but I’m going to need to get a refill.”
Cassian nodded, still frowning, trying to seem as threatening as a thirteen-year-old boy with a blaster could be. He was still trying to assess the perimeter to make sure there was no danger around, so when Haro ruffled his hair, he couldn’t help but groan and move out of his way.
“Hey, stop that!” He growled, but there was a smirk on his face that showed that maybe he didn’t mind when Haro messed with his hair. It reminded him of their father.
Out of Castle grounds, Link and Zelda find an ally and a new creature worth studying.
----------
CHAPTER 5: THE BOKOBLINS
Link yawned while brushing his horse’s mane. He had stayed awake thinking about the Keese that slipped into one of the secret passages of the Castle the night before and trying to understand where it came from.
At that moment, while lying on his bed, he wanted to go back to the library and go into the passage to see if there was an open entrance that could mean some danger to the Royal Family, but he knew he needed to have his attention into getting to Hateno Village with the Princess.
They had agreed to go together, and something about showing her his homeland made him nervous. He didn’t know if she would like the food, or if she’d be fine with riding almost all day to get in there. He wanted her to feel comfortable and do her research in the most peaceful and safest way possible. And probably that wish was the most impossible one, knowing how the princess wanted to be in contact with monsters.
He still couldn’t understand the appeal about being in constant danger all the time, about to get hurt, zapped or eaten, but as long as he was close, he could protect her from any harm.
He was so concentrated on his thoughts that he barely noticed Impa walking towards him with two cups of warm coffee.
“Hey, I got you this.” She said while giving Link one, who accepted it with a smile. “Rough night?”
Link took a sip. “Not really, I stayed with the Princess in the library, doing some research about Keese.”
Impa couldn’t help the chuckle that left her lips. “The Princess can be a little stubborn when it comes to her research, but I hope you let her have a proper rest every now and then.”
Link nodded, a half smile crossed his face, while he looked down at his cup. Last night’s discovery was still roaming his thoughts and he couldn’t just keep the information to himself.
“Impa? What do you know about the Castle’s secret passages?”
Impa’s smile faded away and a stern look appeared in its place. “What do you know about them?”
Link sighed. “Last night we heard a thud coming from the bookcases, when I moved it away, a Keese came from a secret passage. I thought it was weird that there was a Keese inside the Castle.”
“Do you know where it leads to?” Impa asked in a whisper.
He shook his head. “I didn’t want to pique the Princess’s interest and lead her to a horde of monsters. Or a Yiga trap.”
Impa stood in silence for a moment, thinking about the information Link just gave her, before he heard the voices of the King and his daughter coming their way.
“I’ll take a look while you’re gone. Thanks for informing me.” She said before turning around to meet the royals.
The King had a worried expression on his face, while Zelda was carrying a couple of bags, with Hugo following her closely, like a little dog to his owner. Link thought that it was heavy luggage for a trip that would last two days, three tops, but he didn’t want to fight with a girl’s sense of fashion or whatever that’s in her mind.
“Zelda, darling,” Rhoam sounded preoccupied, “I don’t know if I feel comfortable with you doing such a long trip, why don’t we talk about it?”
Zelda shook her head while she put her stuff on her horse and Link rushed to help her. “It’ll be okay, father, I have Link and Hugo to protect me. Besides, you’re always saying how you want me to see the kingdom before I have more responsibilities as the Crown Princess. This is a great opportunity.”
“But in such short notice, Zelda, I haven’t talked with anyone in the court about your plans. There won’t be enough patrols to look after you.” King Rhoam looked at Link with a worried frown. “Did you agree on this?”
Link was confused about the King’s question, what could he do except obey the Princess’s commands?
“I’ll take good care of the Princess, Your Majesty.” Link said with a bow. “I promise you’ll see her again without a scratch on her.”
“Not so sure about that, knowing my daughter.” Rhoam replied sardonically, before taking a few steps back.
He looked at Zelda and Link mounting their horses with Hugo in front of Zelda’s lap. Link started to lead the way to the door while Zelda stayed a little bit longer with her father. Probably the King wasn’t used to her doing any kind of trips without him and that’s why he was so protective about her. It made sense, after losing his wife a few years ago.
“I’ll be back in three weeks, I promise.” Zelda said to her father before whipping the reins and leaving Link behind.
Wait, three weeks?
“Princess, wait!”
Link whipped the reins of his horse as well and followed her. Or chased her, in that case, leaving Impa and King Rhoam behind with a lot of worries. Zelda’s horse was faster than his, but Link had more experience riding at that pace, so that gave him some advantage to get closer to the Princess, who was enjoying herself a little too much.
They rode like that through Castle Town, hearing the cheers of the people that recognized the Royal Horse. Link always wanted to hear the kingdom wish him a good trip while accompanying the Royal Family. He never thought the first time they officially did, would be while he was chasing the Princess.
They rode for a while at that pace, and once they were out in the open field and with no one around to look at them, Link reached for her reins and made the horse stop.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you?” Zelda asked him with a scowl in her face.
“Me? What’s wrong with you?” Link replied with the same tone of voice. “Three weeks?”
Zelda continues her research into the Chuchus and discovers another creature worth studying. Meanwhile, Link adjusts to his new life as a knight, which includes being Zelda’s assistant. This includes him being attacked by monsters more than him attacking them.
You can read on AO3 here
Chapter 4: The Keese
As they were getting closer to the gates of the castle stables, Link and Zelda recognized the figure of a woman, standing there with her arms crossed and a tiny lizalfos standing behind her, looking at them as if he had just been scolded.
“Oh, goddesses.” Zelda said as she hopped out of her horse. “Hi, Impa.”
Impa walked towards them, a frown on her face that made Link shiver, as Hugo ran towards Zelda and climbed into her arms. Link swore he could see a frown on the tiny creature too.
“Where have you been? And why are you so dirty?” Impa asked them as they walked inside the castle. “Your father has been looking for you the whole day. He was about to send a patrol after you!”
“Impa, it was amazing!” Zelda said as she hugged Hugo tightly and walked by Impa’s side. “You wouldn’t believe what we discovered!”
“Well, I’m excited to hear it.”
Link froze when he heard the King’s deep voice behind them. He was being followed by two Royal Guards, taller than him and as stoic as the King himself. Impa kneeled and Link did the same, gazing at the floor as he tried to control his heartbeat. He never thought, not in a million years, that he was going to one day be in front of the King of Hyrule with his face covered with flower paste.
“Father!” Zelda said half scared, half surprised, as she tried to comb her messy hair with her fingers. “How’s your day going?”
King Rhoam walked towards his daughter and scanned her from head to toe. Link could tell by the King’s breathing that he wasn’t amused at the state the princess was in. Twigs in her hair, mud on her face, peasant clothes as if she was ashamed of her royal status. No wonder Link was so scared. The princess was a disaster.
“My day?” Rhoam asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “ Well, my daughter escaped earlier this morning with an unknown young man for several hours, and when she came back, she looked like she was in a mud fight. But forget about me, how’s your day going, dear?”
Link would have laughed if he wasn’t the young man the King was talking about.
Zelda sighed. “Father, I can explain-”
“Not you, him.”
Link raised his head to discover the king was pointing at him with his finger. He stood and dusted himself up. Then he made a bow to the King.
“What’s your name, boy?” Rhoam asked, a frown on his face.
“M-My name is Link, Link of Necluda, Your Majesty.” Link answered, his voice shaking a little.
“Necluda? You’re far away from home.” The King acknowledged, and Link couldn’t help but agree with him. “What brought you to the palace?”
Link looked at Zelda, who was looking at him with pleading eyes, then back to the King.
“Her Highness hired me, Sir.” He said, feeling a lump in his throat. “I was told Princess Zelda needed my services as bodyguard for her research.”
King Rhoam’s frown deepened and Zelda had a face that looked like she was going to strangle Link.
“Father, if you just let me explain-”
“I said not you!” Rhoam roared, and looked back at Link. “What research?”
Link took a deep breath. “I… I don’t understand much about it, Sir, but I think it has something to do with medicine.”
Zelda looked at him, surprised.
“Medicine?” Rhoam asked, confused.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Link said, hands on his back so the King wouldn’t see them shaking. “She tried to explain to me about the benefits of mixing some flowers together to create a skin cream, but I’m not a scholar so I couldn’t understand much, I was there just to help her.”
Zelda’s mouth was open, but there was a smug look in her eyes.
“And what were the results?” This time, Rhoam looked at Zelda, his anger faded away.
Zelda cleared her throat. “Well, Father, I believe that we can create creams and ointments more powerful than elixirs, without using monster parts. This was my first try. I only managed to create this paste. There’s no effect yet, but it has a nice smell.”
Zelda took the paste she created out of her bag and handed it to her Father. He looked and smelled it.
“That’s the reason why Her Highness’ face and mine are covered with the paste.” Link pointed out. “She wanted to put her theory to the test.”
“What’s wrong with the elixirs?” Rhoam asked.
“While they’re powerful enough to give us strength, stamina and resistance to weather, the taste is not delightful. And when you try to add flavors, it only weakens them.” Zelda explained, more confident than before. “Besides, we will need a substitute for their parts in our elixirs when you succeed with your raids.”
Hugo hissed at the mention of the raids, making Rhoam look at the four of them, stopping a few seconds on each of them. Link felt he was going to throw up any second now. Being in such a position, he might ask for a raise in his wage.
“What about your monster research?” Rhoam asked her with a scoff.
“If I may, Your Majesty,” Impa said, standing up. “Princess Zelda handed me her research personally. While it wasn’t conclusive, it gave me and my best Sheikah Warriors an idea of weak spots and their dens. I was going to ask your favor to put them to work in Kakariko and start experimental raids there.”
The King stopped with Zelda, a softened look in his eyes. “Why didn't you tell me about your new research, darling? I was worried about you.”
Zelda looked down, and for a moment, Link thought she was going to confess. “I’m sorry Father, I was going to tell you, but I wanted to have conclusive evidence first. I didn’t want to come empty handed again.”
Rhoam gave her a hug and a kiss on her forehead, not caring that his daughter was covered with the dry paste.
“As long as you’re safe.” Then, he turned to Link, a big laugh coming out of his lungs. “Well, boy. Seems like you’re my daughter’s new guinea pig!”
Link didn’t find it amusing, but he faked a laugh.
“I’ll allow these investigations, but I want detailed reports, is that alright?” The King pointed at Zelda, only to turn to Impa. “We can discuss the raids tomorrow. For now I want to have a delicious meal with my daughter.”
“I’ll be there soon, Father.” Zelda said with a smile. “First, I want to clean up and feed Hugo.”
The King nodded and left, followed by his guards. It was like the three of them were holding their breath because, the moment the King was out of reach, they let out a long sigh. Even Hugo looked relieved.
“I owe you one, guys.” Zelda said, as she patted Hugo’s head.
“You owe me twenty,” Impa replied, a frown on her face. “You need to keep it together! If it wasn’t for Link, you’d be in a carriage towards Gerudo Town by now.”
Zelda looked at Link, a warm smile on her lips that made his heart beat faster than when he lied to the King. He was sure he would lie to the King again if that meant he was going to see her smile like that just for brief seconds.
“Link, you were amazing!” Zelda said, even when Hugo was hissing at him. Link didn’t mind. “Why did you do it?”
“You trust me, Your Highness.” He said with a shaky voice, he had to clear his throat. “I won't let you down.”
Zelda beamed at that and for a moment, her green emeralds pierced Link’s heart.
“I should be going. Thank you for today, Link. It was the best day of my life.” She said with a smile as she put Hugo back to the floor, and Link watched them walk away.
Impa scoffed and Link turned around to see her. She was glaring at him, but somehow, she had a smirk on her face.
“Watch it.” She said, before walking the other way, leaving him alone with his thoughts. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Damn Sheikah with their riddles, Link thought before heading to the kitchens. He was starving.
The next few days, Link adjusted to his new routine.
His mornings were spent training with the other knights to prepare for the monster raids. The King would ramble everyday about the Kingdom’s protection and their duty to the Royal Family. For Link, it looked like both father and daughter had an agenda with monsters.
After training, his next activities involved protecting the Princess. He learned more about Central Hyrule as Zelda looked for special environments where she heard about Chuchus. The electric ones were her obsession now that the rainy season had started in the kingdom.
It wasn’t like she needed protection anyway, she was confident enough to pull off some stunts to get as close as she could to the Chuchus without actually getting snapped. It wasn’t the same luck for him, though.
He hated her fixations. Every day he would get a new burn or bruise while she looked perfect, even with wet grass on her clothes and hair smelling like Chuchu jelly and mud. It took all of his will to not use everything they taught him in training. Every time a Chuchu hit or electrified him, he wanted to take his sword and slash it. Zelda had stopped him once or twice.
But it looked like Zelda was making progress with the tiny creatures. She realized Chuchus lived underground because of their properties of the land. Water types lived closer to great bodies of water like rivers, lakes and aquifers. Electric Chuchus, on the other hand, were stronger ones that got struck by lightning. Instead of being killed, they gained the power of lightning to protect their homes.
Or at least that was something Zelda explained to him while he was lying on the floor after being zapped for the fifth time of the day.
“If we encounter a blue Chuchu in a large field it means that there’s water underground,” Zelda said while she was writing in her journal by his side, ignoring his state. “That could help us in the dry times of the year. Maybe we can build wells or a sewage system that doesn’t affect the wildlife. Imagine all the ways we can improve the kingdom with this knowledge-”
Link didn’t reply to her ramblings. He was more focused in trying to catch his breath and be alert in case of any other Chuchu attack. While he looked up at the cloudy sky, he reflected on his father. He was the only thing he could think of when he was on his journeys with the princess, or when he was lying on his bed at night.
He looked up to the northeast, where Akkala Citadel was supposed to be. He couldn’t see the fortress from there but he was sure that somewhere, maybe in a tower or at the gates, his father was doing his duty.
Always do what you have to and everything will work out, Link’s father said to him when he got promoted to guard Hateno Village, three years ago. He kept wondering what he would say about his new position.
Eron was the best monster slayer in the kingdom, but his son was helping the Princess to make him jobless.
While Link had accepted the job because he was wonderstruck for the Princess, he wondered if it was still worth it. The money was good, and it was saving him some steps in joining the Royal Guard.
Before Impa came to him that day, he was just a knight trying to make a name for himself, like his father had. It would have taken him a few good years before he would ever be considered to move to Castle Town. If he played his cards right and followed the rules, he could achieve his dream.
But whose rules should he follow when the Princess and the King had different ways to see the world? Just thinking about it was starting to give him a headache.
“Link? Are you okay?”
He heard Zelda’s voice and opened his eyes. Her face was just mere inches from his and she was looking at him as if he was a weird creature. Maybe he was, after all.
He grunted and sat up on the grass, feeling a bit sore, but otherwise better now that he had rested.
“Sorry, Princess.” He said while stretching his arms and neck. “Are you done with the Chuchus, Your Highness?”
Zelda had a frown on her face.
“I think, I’d like to hear your thoughts about going to Mount Hylia,” she said while doodling on her journal, “if my hypotheses are correct, we should be able to see Ice Chuchus and-”
She stopped talking when a raindrop fell on her journal and both looked up at the sky. Gray clouds were over them and within seconds, rain dropped on them. Zelda beamed and Link immediately knew that she was thinking about more Electric Chuchus.
He wasn’t going to tolerate it.
“Princess, you’ll catch a cold if you stay in the rain again.” He said as he stood up and helped her do the same. “Let’s find shelter.”
He didn’t let her reply when he grabbed her hand and started to run inside the lush forest. That’s when he noticed a cave hidden among the trees.
Bingo.
As they approached, he heard the sound of fluttering wings and a faint chirping. Link instinctively drew his sword, ready to fight off any potential threats, but when they entered the cave, they found that it was filled with angry flying creatures.
“Keese!” Zelda yelled, and Link didn’t know if she was thrilled or scared.
They bent down on the ground as the Keese swarmed around them, screeching and flapping their wings aggressively. Link swung his sword, trying to fend off the creatures, but they just kept coming.
“It’s a huge flock!” Link said loudly as he held up his shield, trying to protect Zelda from any attack. “Let me get rid of them, it’ll take me two minutes.”
“No!” Zelda said, grabbing him by his shirt. “Don’t hurt them, we just need to leave them alone.”
Link looked out of the cave, the pouring rain covering everything. Then he looked at the Keese. He just needed a few swings of his sword to make them disappear. Keese were quite weak and Zelda would think he was so strong and brave for protecting her from those horrible monsters.
Except she wouldn’t, he knew better than to believe that.
He sighed and grabbed her hand once again, ready to run away from the Keese in the rain. Zelda had a huge smile on her face as they got soaked. He tried to not think about it as he looked for a place that could shelter them from the rain.
They found a big tree that covered them while they waited for the storm to be over. Luckily, they didn’t encounter any Chuchus, Keese or any other creature that could electrify them. Finally the goddesses were on his side.
“We’ll stay here until the rain passes.” Link said, trying to catch his breath.
Zelda nodded, but her eyes were on the cave.
“It’s the first time I've seen a Keese in my life.” She said in a whisper. “They’re so… Cute and tiny!”
Link groaned at the thought. “Yeah, and they have sharp fangs that can give you rabies!”
“Fangs!” Zelda said as she wrote in her journal. “They are so interesting! Is there a way we can get closer to them? I’d love to see them in action.”
“Action?” Link scoffed. “That means me being bit by the Keese, doesn’t it?”
Zelda giggled. “Come on, Link. It’s for science!”
The rain began to calm down and Link made up his mind.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I think we’re done for today.” He said as he looked around, making sure there was no creature nearby. “If Impa notices you’ve been in the rain at this hour, she’ll have my head.”
Zelda tried to fight back, but a sudden shiver made her think about the warm chimney in her bedroom, so she gave up. “Fine, let’s go home.”
Link led the way all the way back to Wetland Stable before she changed her mind and saw something dangerous that piqued her interest. He didn’t say a word to her during the short walk to the stable where their horses were posted, and it didn’t look like the Princess was in a talkative mood either. Maybe she was tired, or disappointed.
The trip back wasn’t as silent, though. Zelda shared some of her insights, but she also pestered him with questions about the Keese.
“How much do they weigh? Where do they live? How can you tell a male from a female?”
Link didn’t have an answer to any of those questions, he just wanted to go to the dining room, have a warm soup for dinner and take a shower.
They arrived at Hyrule Castle when the moon was starting to show in the sky, and just as Link had predicted, Impa was there, ready to yell at him for bringing the princess back at night hours.
After Impa’s scolding and a quick, warm shower in the barracks, Link felt the hunger taking over him, so he decided to sneak into the kitchen. Dinner time for the castle service had already passed, but he was sure he could grab a bite or two of whatever the cooks prepared for the night. Maybe even some leftovers from the King’s dinner if he was lucky.
As he walked down the corridors, he noticed at the library’s doors a knight on watch and fighting the urge to fall asleep. Sir Roland, Link recognized him from training. They shared nocturnal patrols every three days, so he was surprised to find him there when it was his free night.
Curiosity took hold of him and he walked towards the poor man whose eyes were shutting.
“Hey!” Link whispered and shook the knight’s shoulder, startling him.
“Wha-” Roland grabbed his spear tightly, ready to attack when he saw Link in front of him. “Ugh, don’t tell Impa about this.”
Link shook his head. “What are you doing here? I thought our watch was the day after tomorrow.”
Roland yawned. “It is. I was finishing my last round when Princess Zelda stormed into the library. She said it would be quick, but that was hours ago.”
Link sighed and looked at the doors. He thought about the delicious food that was waiting for him in the kitchen, maybe there was broth, or chicken, or even fruitcake. His stomach grumbled with the thought of the well deserved meal he needed.
He cursed himself.
“I’ll handle it, you should go to sleep.”
Roland’s eyes lit up as he nodded effusively. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
Link stayed in front of the doors as the guard ran away to his bed. He didn’t know what made him so nervous about going in there, but his palms were sweaty and his heart was beating like a war drum. Still, he took a deep breath and went in.
The library was empty. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated the whole place, but still the light was dim enough to make it difficult for Link to see. There were a couple of large, empty tables, but the one that caught his eye had a couple of burning candles, a dozen books and maps, and a half eaten fruit cake. That should be Zelda’s table.
Just as he was about to call for her, he saw Hugo coming out of one of the bookcases, and the lizalfos hissed at him. Link was used to the princess’ pet’s angry mood by now, so he didn’t pay much attention to him. Instead, he went towards the walking pile of books coming his way.
“Hugo! What are you hissing at?” Zelda asked from behind the pile of books and poked her head to see better. “Ah, Link! I didn’t expect you to be here!”
“Let me help you, Princess.” Link said as he took the books from her arms.
As he walked to the table, he tried to ignore the way his fingertips brushed the back of her hand just lightly.
Zelda didn’t seem to notice as she sat back in her chair. But Link noticed Hugo’s glare as the lizalfos climbed up the table and camouflaged once he was lying on the table.
“Thanks, I was starting to feel bored”, she said, looking up at Link with a glint in her eyes. “I've been searching around the whole library for books about Keese. There's so little information but I found some important stuff. Did you know that there’s also elemental Keese? Not just regular like the ones we saw in the cave, like Chuchus they can control-”
“Your Highness,” Link interrupted, knowing she was starting to ramble again. “It’s past midnight, you shouldn’t be here at this hour.”
Link noticed she was still in her travel clothes and that probably didn’t have enough dinner, judging from the cake that was on the table half eaten. But also, Zelda’s smile faded away. Instead, there was a glint of something that Link couldn’t decipher in that moment. Was that sadness? Deception? Was it because he cut her down?
“Ah, I didn’t realize the hour, I’m sorry.” Zelda said standing up and gathering up her stuff. “I just need to put everything back to its place.”
Link looked how slowly she was closing her books, making obvious she didn’t want to leave the place, like a little kid who wants to get her way. He knew there was no use in fighting the Princess’s desires. If she wanted to keep researching until dawn, she would.
“Actually,” He sighed as he pulled out a chair, inviting her to sit down again. “I know a thing or two about Keese, if you’d like to know about it?”
Zelda’s smile came back as she sat down and put everything where it was with the speed of a lizalfos. Link wondered if that was something she learned from her pet, or Hugo chose her cause she looked like one of his kind.
“Of course!” Zelda beamed as she opened her journal and took a feather. Link didn’t notice she was left-handed until now. Another thing they shared.
He sat down on a chair by her side and crossed his arms.
“Let’s see,” He looked up, trying to remember his childhood days hunting monsters. “I never stopped to investigate why the monsters are the way they are, but what I can tell you about the Keese is that they have weak bodies.”
Zelda’s eyes widened as she started to write down in her journal. “Weaker than Chuchus?”
“I’d say so, yes,” Link replied with a sigh. “Sometimes you would only need a hit or two to take them down, not like Chuchus, that-”
He cut his train of thought when he saw Zelda’s and Hugo’s glare.
“Anyway, what makes them weak is the way their bodies are.” Link grabbed a blank piece of paper and a feather, hunching down on the table to start a drawing. “The body is like… Round and furry… And the little claw on the wing… And the big eye turns red when it’s going to attack you…”
He finished the drawing and gave it to Zelda, who couldn’t help but smile at it.
“It doesn’t look like anything in my textbooks.” She said while taking a big book and placing it between them. “See? In this drawing they have slender bodies, and legs.”
Link frowned. “No, that looks like a flying rat or something. I’ve seen all kinds of Keese, that’s not one.”
Zelda smirked as she closed the book. “My apologies, the books in the library are way too old and can’t keep up with the way the monsters evolve.”
Link shook his head. “I guess your research has a point, in that case. We knights know the monsters because we fight them everyday, but everyone should know what they look like in case they see one in the wild.”
Zelda shrugged. “Anything else I should know?”
Link thought for a second, a playful smile on his face that made her smile.
“Well, they’re night creatures and are always flying in flocks.” He said, feeling more relaxed. “That’s what makes them so annoying, a single one can barely hurt you, but when twenty come at you, that’s when you’re in trouble.”
Zelda giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Link wanted to take that hand so he could see her smile.
“What if you see a single one? Or that simply doesn’t happen?” She asked.
Link hummed. “It happens, but it’s rare. My father used to say that it was either a rejected one because it was weak, or a young one who got lost. But I don’t know if that’s true.”
“Your father?” Zelda asked intrigued. “Does he like monsters like I do?”
Link cringed at the thought and regretted bringing him to the table.
“No, uhm, he’s a monster hunter.”
“Oh.”
There was an awkward silence between them, Zelda looking down at her notes while Link looked around, everywhere but the big eyes of the lizalfos on the table that was keeping watch on him. No wonder why Hugo hated him, he was always bringing up the monster killing thing in front of him. He had to make it up for both of them.
“Uhm, Zelda?” He said in a whisper, she looked back at him. “You said earlier you wanted to go to Mount Hylia, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” She asked with a frown.
“There’s no monsters in Royal grounds.” He said in a whisper. “If you want to see Ice monsters, I’d suggest Mount Lanayru, or Tabantha region, but I highly recommend the first one, for your own safety. And Hugo can come too! So he doesn’t feel alone in the castle.”
Zelda kept frowning as she pondered the options, making him feel uneasy.
“Besides,” he cleared his throat. “There’s a man in Hateno Village who has a lot of knowledge about monsters. Maybe he can help?”
Zelda looked at him, like she was trying to figure out the puzzles in his brain. He tried to keep his eyes locked with hers, but she was making him feel nervous.
“Alright,” She finally said after a long silence. “We’ll go to Hateno Village first thing in the morning. We should probably go to-”
A thud in a bookcase made them turn around in that direction. Link stood up, glad that he was carrying his sword at the moment, and drew it. Zelda stood up behind him, and Hugo showed his true colors while snarling in the same direction.
“Who is there?” Link asked in a loud voice, but the only reply he got was another thud.
“What is that?” Zelda whispered while Hugo climbed to her arms.
She took one of her candles and lit up the direction where the sound was coming from. There was nothing in the bookcases, or at least they couldn’t see anything. They started to walk towards the thud, slowly. But there was nothing in there. Just books.
“Maybe it was just a rat.” Zelda said, trying to calm her lizalfos down.
But in that moment, Hugo jumped out of her arms and ran towards one of the bookcases, snarling at it, as if trying to attack. Link noticed it and got closer to the same one, his ear against it. There was a chirping sound and the thud they heard before.
“It’s not.” Link said, walking back. “Get somewhere safe, Princess, I’m going to move the bookcase. Hugo, you have to protect her from whatever comes out of here, okay?”
It looked like Hugo nodded at him and that gave him some relief. A weird thing to think it came from a lizalfos, if Link was being honest with himself.
Zelda walked away just a little bit, trying to light up the space. It was dark, probably more than an hour after midnight, and no one else was around to aid Link in case he needed someone’s help.
He started to push the heavy furniture to move it out of its place. He felt how the bookcase moved inch by inch, and a slight gust of wind started to come out towards him. Then, when the bookcase was completely out of place, he heard Zelda’s gasp.
“A secret passage?” She whispered.
Before they could go any further, a single Keese came out of the dark hole on the wall, flying around the library while Hugo chased it, trying to hit it with his long tongue.
Link put his hand on the hilt of his sword, but Zelda put her hand on his.
“Wait, look!” She said pointing out where the Keese was flying.
It looked like the creature was trying to go through the stained glass, flying erratically, almost like it was fighting to not fall to the ground where Hugo was waiting to give it the critical hit.
Zelda walked towards it, and Link followed closely, still with his hand on his sword. Hugo stopped his attacks when he saw her approach, but kept a close watch like any other guarding pet.
“Hey, it’s fine, we’re not gonna hurt you.” She tried to talk to the Keese, but it was obvious the Keese just wanted to escape as fast as it could.
Link looked back at Zelda’s table, and the fruitcake that she didn’t eat. It still had wildberries as toppings. He grabbed them and walked to stand by her side.
“Here, Keese love fruits.” He said as he put the wildberries in his palm and lifted his arm, up enough so the Keese would eat on his hand.
The plan worked, because the creature came down slowly, as if it didn’t trust the hand that was feeding it, but once it felt there was no danger, it started to chomp the wildberries.
Link looked at Zelda. She had a huge grin on her face while she wrote in her journal about everything that was on her mind. She tried to touch it, but Link shook his head.
“Don’t, you’re gonna upset it and it’ll bite you.” He said in a whisper.
“Oh, okay.” Zelda said at the same volume, then looked at Hugo. “Can you open the window? I think it’s time it goes home.”
Hugo obeyed as he climbed up the wall and opened one of the windows inside the library. Just as the Keese felt the air inside the library change and noticed the window was open, it flew as quickly as it could and got lost into the night.
Link and Zelda stood there, looking at the window for a few minutes, until Zelda gave Hugo the order to close the window.
“You think it was a rejected Keese?” Zelda asked Link as they walked back to the bookcase, and pushed it to close the passage.
Link stayed quiet for a second. “No, it was a small one. I think it got lost.”
Zelda’s face saddened for a moment, but then she gave a small smile. “Well, I hope it finds its way back home.”
Link found himself wishing the same thing, but didn’t say it out loud. Instead he tried to change the subject.
“Hey, what do you know about this passage?” He asked as they put Zelda’s books on their shelves and cleaned up everything before leaving.
“I didn’t know it existed.” Zelda confessed as she put the last book in its place and carried Hugo in her arms. “Maybe we can explore the passage once we’re back from Hateno Village, would you like that?”
Link nodded, but couldn’t help but look back at the bookcase, wondering how a Keese could come inside a castle so full of knights and Sheikah warriors. At least someone, anyone would hear or see a thing, it wasn’t that hard to find and spot the monsters if they’re getting close to the castle. The thought made him feel worried about the Castle’s protection. Were the knights really prepared to deal with monsters? Were they capable enough?
“Link, thanks.”
Zelda’s voice took him out of his trance and he looked at her. There was a soft blush on her cheeks, but he wanted to believe it was the candle light that was making her look like she was in a golden halo.
“What you did was amazing, I know you don’t agree with me but I really appreciate that you helped with the Keese.”
Link gulped but nodded, feeling his cheeks and the point of his ears get red.
“Of course, I told you you could trust me.”
Zelda smiled and nodded, before turning around, and leaving him there with his thoughts about the passage, her smile and why his heart was beating so fast again. He realized he wasn’t hungry anymore.
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