zelink; botw; Zonai AU; my submission for @zelinkweekofficial day three: rainy days
Part One | Masterlist | Zelink Week List
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They were supposed to get married on the next full moon. Link had spent two years living with the Zonai, learning their customs and culture with the help of the princess he’d been long since engaged to, and he could not be more convinced that he was where he belonged. He did not have to be the center of attention here, and he did not have to speak when he didn’t want to. He was never expected to be anything other than himself, and it was such a relief that he didn’t think he had much of a shell to grow out of anymore. Where Zelda was concerned, he had never been more sure of anything; he loved her, and he could not wait to call her his wife. He already had the privilege of waking next to her every morning, of cradling her in his arms at night. It would only get better from here, and when it was already absolutely wonderful, could anyone blame him for being so excited?
“You are eager,” she would tease him when they were curled together beneath the starlight. He was; he was happy as could be, yet he could get happier, still, when their promise was fulfilled. Of course, they already ensured that in their regular day to day lives. His happiness was not hinging on a ceremony, but the day he could reference her as his wife—that would be the best of them all.
“Don’t you want me to be your husband?” he would joke in return, freeing her from his arms for the sake of poking at her sides. She was a ticklish thing; she would yelp and try to squirm away from him, but he would pull her close and kiss at her until she relented, laughing all the while.
“Yes,” was all she would reply, her smile bright as the sun, and that was all he needed.
What he wouldn’t give to have that for the rest of his life. It was already such a treasure. Would it feel any different once they were wed? What about when they were woken by a child or two? It had started as an arrangement for the benefit of his kingdom; would it have all gone the same had he not run off and chosen this for himself? There was no obligation outside of the ones here wanted, and gods above, did he want this. He wanted it so badly.
summary: A criminally short Zonai!Zelda and prince!Link piece.
BotW - AU
@zelinkweek2021
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“Hylian.”
The single word sent his heart rate skyrocketing. He whipped around to the source of the voice, wondering just who was brave enough, or maybe stupid enough, to wander through the woods at such a late hour. Or what, because he always heard stories of why he should never look closer into the call of darkness, yet here he was. He raised the lantern in his hand higher, squinting like it would help, and a hand latched around his wrist just firm enough to make him want to scream.
Link tried pulling his arm free, using every ounce of strength to not drop his only source of light.
“Hylian?” the voice repeated. It came from the owner of the hand, a figure topped with a skull he didn’t recognize. Very little covered the person’s body by Hyrulean standards, and what was left uncovered was decorated with swirling smears of paint. He assumed the person was a woman.
Maybe his flustered and surprised silence was frustrating the stranger, because she squeezed his wrist tighter and nudged her helmet aside to stare at him. Even in the low light, he could tell her eyes were a vibrant and endearing shade of green, marvelously reflective of the foliage encasing them. They were studying him, staring into his soul, looking over all of him, and he couldn’t understand what she seemed to be waiting for.
“What is a Hylian doing here?” she asked. It was heavily accented, but her common tongue was impressive—or maybe he just listened to the gossip in the castle too much. Link cleared his throat and tried to step back, but she followed into his space again.
“I-“ he tried, but what could he say? He was being carted off to marry the Zonai princess and had escaped when his travel party had their backs turned. How could he explain that? She’d never believe him. “I ran away.”
Something in her eyes softened, as did her grip on his hand. She seemed to consider him for a moment, then let go entirely with a frown.
“Bad life,” she said, sounding a little unsure of her words. Link shook his head quickly.
“No-“ he defended, and she cocked her head.
“Why do you run?” she asked. Link furrowed his eyebrows. As if he could be this open with a stranger.
“Are you Zonai?” he questioned curiously, thinking it would be both a long shot and quite the coincidence. To his surprise, or maybe not, she nodded.
“And you are Hylian.”
An astute observation.
“Do you know your princess?” he asked, feeling awkward and stupid and everything inbetween.
An amused smile crossed over her features. She did not give him an answer and instead took his hand, threading her fingers with his.
“Come,” she said simply and he had little time to protest before she was walking, dragging him alongside her.
Link made a noise of refusal before considering his options. He didn’t know where he was, and it was either getting kidnapped by this strange Zonai woman, or married to someone he’s never even seen before. Kidnapped it was, so he stopped trying to break free and just followed along. She led him through the trees, over a babbling creek, deeper into the heart of the forest.
“Do you..have a name?” he asked when he became too unnerved by a towering statue to stay quiet. She looked back at him with a sly smile and Link tried desperately to make sense of why it sent his heart racing.
“Yes,” she replied, but she said no more than that.
“Mine is L--”
But she’d turned on him and pressed her hand over his mouth, her eyes shining with something between a warning and amusement. Had he not been raised in a castle, he might’ve bit her.
“We do not speak our names to the woods,” she said, her laughter evident behind her words.
“Why not?” he asked curiously.
“For the same reason you do not look too closely at the things you think you see.”
She did not speak again and he found himself too afraid to ask any more questions until they reached a civilization carved into the towering walls of lush plateaus. He would be a fool not to acknowledge how lovely it was.
It was here that he learned her name: Zelda, and she learned his. The Zonai were surprisingly kind, accepting him as one of their own, and Zelda turned out to be adventurous and curious and all things inbetween. She had a knack for roping him along with her until he gave in and joined her barefoot in the water, or agreed to face a set of Moblins, or ran hand-in-hand through a lightning storm. His life had gotten far more interesting than it ever had been in the castle, and he no longer worried about the arranged marriage or any of his duties. What he did instead was let himself fall head-first in love with the Zonai girl that had found him and brought him here, where he felt most at home.
He followed her, even to the edge of Lake Hylia in the middle of the night, dodging patrol guards that might’ve been looking for him. When he asked where she was taking him, all she said was that it was a surprise. He was partial to disbelief until he saw it emerging from the water, making its way towards them with a grace that was almost terrifying.
Never before had Link been so close to a dragon. It was far bigger than he could even comprehend, larger than life, and it was right in front of them. He couldn’t help shuffling backwards, but Zelda was just behind him and she didn’t let him get far.
“Farosh,” she greeted, the name sounding far more natural on her Zonai tongue than it ever would on his. “She says hello.”
“Can—you understand her?” Link whispered, afraid if he spoke too loud he would somehow scare the ginormous beast away.
“She would not be here if she was not curious,” she replied quite simply, then nudged him gently with her elbow. “Reach out your hand.”
“What?”
“Like this.”
In demonstration, she held her palm out to the dragon, her fingers steady as if this was no more than a Hylian retriever. He hesitated, but her green eyes were ever patient and understanding, and he trusted her. With a breath, he copied her movement, fighting to keep his hand from shaking.
“She is gentle,” she assured, and Farosh lowered her head. “Touch her.”
“Touch-“
But she placed her hand on top of his and he felt the other just on his shoulder. He looked back at her in utter surprise, but she only smiled in return. What made him look away from her was the feeling of rough scales beneath his hand and a tingling sensation, almost like static, shooting from his fingertips to his toes. The mighty dragon was under their hands, rumblings softly but low enough to vibrate his entire body. Link laughed in giddy disbelief.
“This--I… It’s incredible,” he whispered, utterly amazed.
“She likes you,” Zelda whispered back. He could hear her smile.
“Wow. What does that mean?”
“It means she approves.”
Link turned to look at her with furrowed brows, and Farosh ascended slowly above them to return to the water.
“Approves of what?” he asked.
“You,” she replied, lacing their fingers together and leaning her forehead against his.
“I don’t understand.”
“You ran away from something they decided for you.”
“From--yes, from the marriage that they sent me off for.”
“I am the Zonai princess,” Zelda said quietly and Link took an abrupt step back to stare at her with wide eyes. “It is not forced if you choose it yourself.”
He should’ve been upset that he hadn’t known that before, but he found that he couldn’t be angry with her at all. He’d fallen in love with her regardless of any arrangement, and it was she who gave him that opportunity. How could he be angry at that?
“Do I choose it?” he asked, a smile spreading across his face as he pulled her against him.
“It would be quite the issue if you didn’t,” she replied, brushing her nose against his. “Farosh thinks you should, by the way.”
Link laughed, giving her hands a gentle squeeze as he said, “Then I guess I do.”
And Hyrule’s missing prince kissed the Zonai princess, his soon-to-be bride, under the moonlight on the coast of Lake Hylia.
