As soon as the two of them finished at Hyrule Castle, Link and Zelda went North to the Great Hyrule Forest. She had one memory to show him before they headed down south to Faron.

The dynamic between the two of them was noticeably shifting; they felt much more comfortable with each other like it had been a century ago. When they met eyes they would both blush and smile instead of looking away. The princess also found herself absentmindedly intertwining her fingers with his, or resting her hand on his back. It all felt so natural and perfect that she didn't even think about it. And every time she did, the knight would grin a little and thank the goddesses that he finally let her in.

When Link looked at her, he no longer saw a sad princess who was watching him die, or crying because she had failed. Her eyes didn't hold the haunting reflections of his departed friends. He would never forget any of them, but he had learned acceptance. He realized that he had nearly lost everything, even his own life. And his devotion to Zelda was not why he had failed. That was just what happened, and nobody could change that. No one had known that the Beasts would turn against them.

She was not a reminder of the bad things, she was a gift left to him. Without her, he would truly have had nothing. Yet, she cared for him enough to make sure he got a second chance at life and went through hell waiting for him. And she had suffered again when he could not realize what he had right in front of him. When he finally did, though, she still cared for him when he was in need, despite her own problems. He did not deserve her.

He learned to never take her for granted, and he swore to himself that he would show her how much she meant to him.

~

Zelda felt the cold of the misty forest biting at her face and she felt thankful for the tunic that she wore. She and Link stood at the entrance to the forest and she felt her memories of the place coming back. Last time she visited, she was all alone, broken down, and empty. That was one hundred years ago.

"This is where we first met." Link looked at her, cocking his head to the side in confusion. He had never really wondered exactly where it had been, but he hadn't expected this place.

"I thought we knew each other through our families." He stated.

"Well... yes, sort of. We had seen each other, but never properly met. I had been praying to the Great Deku Tree and I got lost on the way back. I was cold, alone, and terrified. Somehow, though, you were here. You had actually just pulled the legendary blade. You helped me back to the castle. Then, two years later, you became my knight."

Link nodded, finally recalling the sight of the shivering, weeping princess. With every new moment he remembered, he felt a bit more like his old self. And he was ready to be back to normal.

~

A few days later, they arrived in the Faron province. Their first stop was the Spring of Courage. The two of them trekked deep into the woods, surrounded by lush greenery. It was early in the morning when they reached the serpent's jaws and the world around them felt fresh and new and welcoming. She looked at the statue ahead, remembering what had happened here before.

"Here I had my first, but not last, outburst around you," She chuckled, "I had not succeeded with my prayers and I was frustrated and jealous of you. I thought your life was so perfect, but I never took the time to try to get to know you. I was being selfish..."

As she spoke, he heard the sad princess from a century ago, the one who was worn down and dejected because of a path she could not follow.

Zelda turned back around. She looked at Link, then her eyes wandered to the sword on his back. All of the sudden, it began to cause her immense pain and stress to look at. She felt herself starting to lose control.

Then she snapped.

"Fine! Nothing happened! Is that what you wanted to hear? You would never understand, would you? You're doing everything right! How would it feel to have one purpose and not even be able to fulfill that?" She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"...Because that is my life every day. The fate of the entire kingdom is in my hands. It's in the hands of a failure." She turned and walked away from him. Link tried to say something.

"I-"

"Let's go home." She said quietly.

~

Next, Zelda took him to Lurelin Village. As they strolled in, the sun was setting. Many of the inhabitants greeted Link, as he had visited a few times during his travels. She felt a sense of familiarity as they strolled on the sand, just as they had in a distant memory.

"In the past, we came to visit here for a night. It was my idea-- I was discouraged and wanted to forget about my troubles for a bit. It was peaceful back then too, and I felt much better that evening."

"How do I look?" Link smiled, astonished by her.

"You're beautiful." Zelda's cheeks turned slightly pink as she tied her long hair back into a braid. The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky brilliant shades of orange and pink. The light sparkled on the ocean, which stretched out as far as they could see. Palm trees surrounded the village, their leaves green and lush. They noticed that many of the villagers were all sitting around a fire and eating. The princess approached, tugging Link along behind her.

"Do you mind if we join you all?" She asked politely. The people unanimously invited them both, handing them each a fish skewer to eat.

They sat with the villagers and listened to them speak and tell stories. Zelda even told a few of her own tales. As the darkness drew nearer, the princess leaned against the knight, placing her hand on his. Without thinking, he gently kissed her forehead. One of the residents, an older woman, smiled knowingly at them.

"So the rumors are true, then." She said to the knight and his princess. Link smiled and nodded in response.

"And then, we went out there." Zelda pointed to Eventide Island on the horizon.

"Zelda, where are we going?" Link asked her. She pointed at the island.

"We're sleeping out there." She simply replied. Link frowned, but he went along with it. Zelda hastily found a raft that had been tied up. She and the knight climbed aboard and she sat down, clinging onto the middle. "Take us there, Link!" In almost no time, they were sailing across the water, the air blowing in their faces as they went. Zelda laughed, her heart pounding with excitement. She felt purely happy again, if only for that night. Shortly, they arrived at the island. Link climbed off of the raft and tied it up, then extended his arm out and helped the princess up.

"Want me to...?" He began, motioning to a nearby raft. Zelda nodded, her hands on her cheeks in an attempt to cool them down. Link quickly set up and then helped the princess onto their makeshift boat. She sat, smiling and breathing in the salty air, the sun slipping down over the horizon but still bathing her in warmth and light. She looked up at Link, who was standing and sailing. His determined eyes were set on the water ahead of them and his long hair blew in the breeze. She would never get tired of looking at him.

They arrived in almost no time, climbing off of the raft. She took him by the hand, leading him to the spot from one hundred years ago.

"So, after Lurelin... I made you come with me out here with me." She remembered the peace and warmth she felt that night. The one time she felt like she was okay. "I fell asleep in your arms here. It was a rare time that I was just happy."

Link nodded. As he looked at the shore and the way the stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky, he remembered.

"Link... I just want you to know that the times I have spent with you have been some of the happiest times of my life. Thank you for that."

"The same goes to you." Link responded. The two of them sat in silence for a moment. Then, the princess looked up at him, and he met her gaze. She leaned up to kiss him, and he met her lips.

Zelda leaned into him, having run out of words to say. Instead, she gazed at the night sky and felt the warm air on her skin.

She asked Link to hold her. Maybe, she could fight off her worried and fears if she felt his arms around her.

And soon enough, they fell asleep right there.

He glanced at Zelda, who was looking at him nervously.

"Do you remember...?" She asked softly. He nodded in response, still staring straight ahead. A smile crept upon her lips; she was glad to share that moment with him.

"It's getting dark..." Zelda stated, "shall we call it a night?" Link agreed and started to set up camp. As he sat on one of the bedrolls, the princess approached him and settled next to him.

For a little while longer, the two of them sat on the beach, in front of a crackling fire. They simply talked and enjoyed each other's company. Every time he met eyes with the princess, Link felt himself getting lost in the glimmering greens of her irises. He felt entranced by her. He was falling in love with her again.

Eventually, Zelda had let out too many yawns and decided it was time for her to rest. She looked at him, his face close to hers. She waited for him to lean closer, not wanting to make the first move in case he wasn't ready. He looked unsure, and she pulled back.

"I should probably sleep." She announced brusquely. Link coughed, agreeing with her.

Except, that night, he mentally chastised himself for not doing what he so desperately wanted to do. He had let that anxiousness take over, but he swore that wouldn't be the case from then on.

No, starting the next day, he was officially ready to make up for all of the time he'd lost with his princess.

~

A/N: here. This is. That. There