As they traveled to help with the castle everyday, attacks by the Yiga Clan were getting more and more frequent. It was obvious they were angry and they weren't going to stop until they got their revenge. Still, Link and Emery didn't fear them. They were all smarter than their leader, but not smarter than the two of them. Sometimes they could be tricky to battle, but it was nothing they couldn't handle. Not for now, it wasn't.

Everyday, Link and Emery were talking more. Even if it was just a couple of words more, it was more. He knew it was going to take her a while to truly forgive him and warm up to him again, but he was just thankful she was at all. After everything, he just missed her so much. Zelda was encouraging him to make moves, and he was. Even if they were just small things like complimenting her or getting her a flower or an apple. Emery was taking notice, too. She didn't know what it meant, but because she thought so lowly of herself she didn't think it could mean what she thought. She opted to not get her hopes up.

Zelda was in Castle Town attending to the people while Emery and Link met with all the brave warriors who showed up to the meeting. Emery was surprised to see how many people showed up. They were of all ages, too. Girls, boys, Gerudo, Hylian, Goron, Zora, you name it. The diversity was incredible. The whole meeting was mainly led by Emery, as Link didn't want to speak. Zelda said a few words, too.

"I'm overjoyed to see all of you showed up. It proves your bravery. Being a part of the royal guard means you must risk your life to protect the people of Hyrule and the royal family. I am the only one left of the royal family, and I do have my appointed knight and archer but you still must be willing to protect me, too. No matter what the situation is." Zelda said. Everyone was silent as they listened closely. "If you don't feel like you can do that, then this meeting isn't for you."

Everyone was silent and remained in their places. Zelda took that as a hint to go on.

"You will learn from Link and Emery, as they will be your mentors. You will respect them and obey them. A true knight knows both of those things. Now, let the training commence." She left them all there in the beautiful, wide open plains. There were practice dummies set up and targets. Everyone grabbed their weapon of choice and began toying around with them, not knowing what to do. Emery cleared her throat and stepped in. They awed as she pulled out the light bow.

"The first step to archery is a perfect technique. You want to make sure your hand is placed perfectly on the string to make for quick and precise strikes. When fighting an enemy, you don't have time to line everything up, so you must get familiar with the feels of a bow before even thinking about battling in archery." She explained, stepping in line of one of the targets. They watched as she drew back the string on her bow swiftly, sending an arrow flying into the dead center of the target in a split second. Everyone was amazed, as the target was so far away some of them couldn't even see it. They clapped and she gave them a small smile. She showed them how to hold it, how to draw it, and how to aim. They were all coming along well already.

She looked over to see how Link was doing with the swordsmen, but saw him with another girl. She let herself get distracted, focusing her eyes on them. He placed his hands over hers on the sword, showing her how to hold it. He wasn't paying any attention to her, but she was only paying attention to him. It was obvious she didn't care anything about being a royal knight, she cared about flirting with the hero. Emery shook her head, turning and trying to ignore it for the time being.

After a bit of training, she took a seat and watched as the archers practiced getting their aim quickly. They were getting quite familiar with the bow quicker than she ever expected. It was a good feeling, and she enjoyed teaching them. Even if it did feel weird. She glanced over to the side of the swords once more. Link was showing the same girl how to do a simple stab. She was embarrassing herself in front of him whether she knew it or not. Her trying to be cute only led to Link knowing she literally had no idea what she was doing and she wasn't meant to be there. Emery watched as the girl reached out and put her hand on Link's chest. What was she even doing? She couldn't help herself as she stood up, walking over to them.

"How's it going over here?" Emery asked, a sweet smile on her face. It was so good, even Link couldn't tell it was fake.

"Good!" The young girl answered in an annoying voice. Just at the same time as Link said: "Terrible..." The girl chuckled. "He's just kidding!! We're making great progress, aren't we Linky?"

He let out a small sigh. "For the last time, my name is just Link."

"Oh, it's my nickname for you! I thought it would be great since we're best friends now." She grinned, swooning over him. It made Emery want to vomit.

"Right..." Link muttered. "Maybe it's better if you focus on bettering yourself with a sword. That's why you're here, right?"

"Uh," She hesitated. "Yes! Of course! I'm here to learn from the best... and the most handsome."

"Okay," Emery began, her voice loud. "It's obvious you're here with no intentions of being a royal knight. This is serious inquiries only. You don't have the maturity it takes to protect Hyrule, so you should leave immediately."

The girl stared at her, blinking a couple of times. It was obvious she was scared out of her mind. She rushed off in the other direction, tossing her sword on the ground. She was hopefully heading back to her home in Castle Town. Emery let out a huff, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ears. Zelda had convinced Emery to let her try a hairstyle on her. It was handy to keep the hair out of Emery's face, but she felt like it didn't fit her.

"Thanks..." Link said quietly. Emery looked over at him, knowing he was just as much a guilty culprit as her. He let her act like that knowingly.

"No problem." Emery muttered, walking back over to the archers. Before long, the sun was beginning to set. The skies were turning the most luxurious ombré of red, pink, and purple. Emery stood and stared at it, the young warriors clearing out for home after a long day. They were going to make a great royal guard.

"Hey," Link approached from behind her, looking at the sky too. She had been thinking about what she was going to say to him for what felt like forever. These last months with him have felt longer than her whole life. Maybe that's because it was filled with the most: heartbreak, terror, knowledge, love.

She turned towards him, painting him the most beautiful picture. She was like a work of art on her own, but the beautiful sky with the whole incredible world behind her was something he wanted to remember forever. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she watched him step back and take out his Sheikah Slate. "What are you-"

"Don't move, please. Stand just like that, and smile. I love your smile." He said. She was hesitant at first, but nonetheless she did as he requested. She smiled brightly, one that actually wasn't fake. Link could tell, and it was the most beautiful thing. It was a rarity, so when he got to see it- it was an honor. He showed her the picture. "It's a masterpiece."

She examined it for a minute. It wasn't such a bad picture after all. At least the sky was gorgeous and took away from her a bit. Even then, she didn't look that bad. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. She had to say something... after all this time she just couldn't hold it in any longer. She stepped back, letting out a long sigh. "Link, I need to talk to you about something."

"You know I'll listen to you talk about anything." He replied. She nodded and cleared her throat. The courage was leaving her body by the seconds. She pushed on.

"I just... I can't keep going on holding this in any longer. I can understand if you feel awkward after I've told you this, but I can't go around acting like I don't feel something for you when I do. I have tried to ignore it and make it go away for the sake of the greater good. I never wanted to mess anything up with you, so I kept my mouth shut. Though, each and everyday my feelings have become stronger for you. So strong I simply can't hold them in anymore, and I understand if you don't feel the same. If you don't, I'd like you to tell me because it will be best if I know, so I don't get any hopes up or anything. If you don't, which you probably don't, I don't want everything to be weird between us either. I won't be upset, I promise I'll understand. I mean, I-" She rambled, all the while her eyes wouldn't meet his. She was cut off when he placed one hand gently onto her face.

He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. Both of their cheeks and the points of their ears turned a deep red. He slipped his free arm around her waist, placing his hand on her lower back and pulling her closer to him. Her hand found his chest, and the other looped around his neck. Sparks flew when their lips met, which was a really cliche thing to say. It was the only way to describe it. Their kiss was truly meant to be, a match made literally in the heavens. For so long, this was all everyone was waiting for. It finally happened, so sparks did fly.

It was natural, despite neither of them having much experience kissing. With the way they were meant to be, they didn't need experience. It all just came naturally, as it should. Finally, they pulled away, looking into each other's eyes breathlessly. The sensation of Link's fiery lips were left upon her own. A surprisingly pleasant tingling danced on her lips. It was an obviously long overdue kiss. She started to pull her arm away, but he grabbed both her hands in his. "I wish you didn't doubt yourself so much, Emery, because you're the most gorgeous girl in all of Hyrule."

"I..." She began, but he left her speechless. She stared down at the ground, her face flushed. He smirked at her once she looked back up at him. "Sometimes I over-communicate and feel too much. I just complicate it when I say too much."

"Then don't say anything at all." He whispered as he connected their lips again. She wondered if this was all a dream, because it seemed too good to be true. She pulled away from him quickly, making him stumble. She giggled slightly.

"I don't understand..."

He smiled. "I have strong feelings for you too, Emery. Why do you think I got so... angry when Prince Sidon was flirting with you?"

She was silent for a moment. "It all makes sense now. I did the same earlier, when that girl-"

"You shouldn't ever feel threatened by anyone. You're the best archer and the most stunning girl in Hyrule. No one can beat you, not in my eyes. I've never met one." He tried to convince her, though he knew she'd never believe him. Maybe one day she would.

"I've never met a guy more handsome than you, either. You're the hero, for God's sake. You're irresistible." She commented, feeling her face heat up once more. He laughed at her.

"You're a hero, too." He replied. Both faced Zelda as she walked out of Castle Town and to the plains they stood upon.

"It's about time you two got it together." She chuckled slightly, beaming brightly at them both. Even though it wasn't ideal to her that Link didn't return her feelings, she was happy for the two she's come to know as family.