Soon after her outburst, Zelda was off inspecting the Divine Beast of Gerudo Desert. Her father and her had finally come to an agreement: Link would escort her to the desert, then return to Hyrule Castle. Zelda would be without an escort while visiting Vah Naboris. She would be safe in the hands of the Champion Urbosa, and males were not allowed in Gerudo Town, so Link would not have anywhere nice to stay if he went.

She felt guilty, instructing the young man to stay away, but this was a rare chance for something close to freedom. She had to do it. Besides, she still could not bring herself to be around him after what she had done. His presence always reminded her of her own failure and imperfections. She wasn't ready to cope with that.

The day she arrived, she busied herself with research and making notes and adjustments. For that whole day, Zelda felt content. When she was able to forget about her worries and do what she loved, she was happier. Unfortunately, that was rare for her. It seemed as if she were constantly plagued with duties and fears.

After many hours of work and being in the heat of the desert, Zelda was exhausted. She met with Urbusa on board of the Divine Beast.

Out of all of the Chamipons, Urbosa was Zelda's favorite. She was almost like a mother figure to the younger girl, which was something the princess needed since she had lost her own. The Gerudo was fierce and strong, but had a soft side for Zelda. She felt safe and knew Urbosa would protect her.

Almost immediately, Zelda fell asleep on the Champion's shoulder.

Meanwhile, Link had been sent to go retrieve the princess. They would find a place to sleep and then return to the castle. Zelda, of course, was the only one not informed about this. So, she was not expecting the knight's presence at all. He got to the desert as quickly as he could, and then approached the Champion and sleeping princess. The night was peaceful and calm.

Urbosa turned, sensing him as he approached. She spoke to him, informing Link of the day's activities. Then, she asked how he and the princess were getting along. When he didn't reply, she just chuckled. She could tell that it had been difficult, even if Link did not want to admit it.

"...She gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on your back."

Could that be why she seemingly despised him? Because he was the chosen hero? It wasn't his fault! He didn't know what he could possibly do to fix that.

"It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her own destiny." He remembered at the Spring of Courage, when she had said something about that. Suddenly, he felt guilty, realizing that maybe she didn't hate him, and it was just pent up frustration. He wished there was something he could do about it.

Urbosa sensed his uneasiness.

"Don't worry; it's not like you carry any blame in this... It's unfortunate. She's put in more than enough time. Ever since she was a young girl, she's gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication... She once passed out in the freezing waters trying to access this sealing power."

Link looked down. He figured that there was something going on that he didn't know about, but he never imagined that it was like this. He felt terribly sorry for the girl, and resented himself for not being able to help.

"...And she has nothing to show for it..."

Link could tell that Urbosa cared a lot for the princess. The way she spoke of Zelda, and the protectiveness she displayed. Thanks to her, the knight now had a better understanding of this sad situation. He only hoped he could do something for the princess.

After a moment, Urbosa woke the princess up with a loud crash of thunder. Zelda jumped up immediately. Her eyes were filled with fear and alarm. When she saw Link, her confusion doubled.

"Wait, what--how did you--what are you doing here!?" Urbosa just laughed, knowing very well what she was doing. The Gerudo wanted the best for the princess, and she knew Link was the best. She was going to make sure their relationship grew stronger, and it was going to start there.

"Link, take her somewhere safe for the night. I know the king wants her back tomorrow. And take good care of her." Zelda hesitantly followed him off of the Divine Beast. As they walked together, Link kept his distance, fearful of disturbing her any further.

They came to a stop as they reached the bazaar.

"We shouldn't continue to the stable.. I can set up camp here, though. It's not ideal, but..." He said quietly.

"That will be fine." She replied, eyes on the ground. Without another word, they began to set up a fire and rolled out a mat for her to sleep on.

That night, the princess slept soundly. Link, on the other hand, stayed awake. It was his duty to watch over her and make sure nothing happened as she slept. And he handled it with grace.

~

The next morning, Zelda announced that she was going on a walk. She wanted to clear her mind, and take a small break. To her surprise, Link did not try to follow. He wanted to leave her be so that she would be at peace. Zelda did not know this, and figured that he was finally tired of her attitude. Great job, she thought to herself. Now she had truly ruined things.

Then things took a turn for the worst. All of the sudden, three members of the deadly Yiga Clan appeared, seemingly out of thin air. Zelda shrieked and ran as fast as she could. Her heart pounded with fear. She knew she couldn't escape all three of them. This was all her fault. She had driven Link away with her anger, and now he was not there to help her.

Luckily, Link had heard her scream. He knew that she was in danger. The knight grabbed for his sword and headed in her direction. He was determined to prove himself here, and to finally do his job right.

The princess kept running, but the Yiga were catching up. She was utterly hopeless. Two of them jumped in front of her. And when she turned around, there was one more. She was trapped and terrified. This was it. She dropped to the ground as the tall figures slowly approached her. The princess felt sick. This was all her fault. If only Link were here now...

One of them raised his weapon, about to strike. Zelda screamed, wincing and closing her eyes.

Instead, she heard the clanging of metal and the sound of a grunt from a familiar voice. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the clan member on the ground behind her, and the Hylian Champion defending her, his sword in front of her, ready to strike anybody who came close.

How had he found her? And why? After the way that she had treated him, she expected to be left for dead. She exhaled in disbelief. Link held his ground, causing the two other enemies to back away. Her eyes stayed focused on the brave knight. He stared ahead with a look she had never seen on his face before. He was telling the two Yiga to back off, that if they hurt her at all they would be dead in an instant. Standing there, he looked so strong and fierce.

Zelda frowned, feeling a wave of new emotions overcoming her. Without even as much as a thought of his own life, he had jumped in front of her. Even after her past actions...

She realized she had no real reason to blame him for any of this. Perhaps she was wrong the whole time. Perhaps they were meant to work together, and get along.

She knew she had to apologize soon. She had to open up to him, and let him open up to her. She felt so angry at herself for letting her own frustrations affect their relationship. From now on, it would be different.

In that one moment, everything had changed. Zelda felt something new for him, and there was nothing she could do to stop it...