After Zelda had finished at the Spring of Power, she and her knight found the nearest stable and slept until the next morning. When they woke, they both got in their traveling clothes and made to leave.

"Are you ready to return to the castle, Zelda?" Link asked her. She thought for a moment. Then, she shook her head.

"I have something else in mind." She walked over to the owner of the stable. "I'd like you to send a message to the king, please." The man nodded. "Tell him Link and I encountered a slight delay and we will be returning sometime tomorrow. And tell him not to worry, please." She glanced back at the knight, the corners of her mouth curling up. Link raised his eyebrows, asking her 'what is going on?'

Zelda walked back over to him, mounting her horse.

"I'll tell you what's going on. We're heading south for the day. We will return to the castle tomorrow. It's not like we were going to be doing anything, anyway." Their horses began trotting, south like she had said.

"But... why?"

"I figured we could spend some time down at Lurelin Village. It's very peaceful there. Don't you think we need something to cheer the both of us up?" Link shrugged.

"I suppose that's not a bad idea."

~

They arrived in the late afternoon. Zelda had been much more talkative, which Link was thankful for. She seemed to be in a good mood. As they rode into the small village, people's heads turned. The villagers whispered and murmured among themselves, all extremely confused. They bowed as she approached, and finally, one woman spoke up.

"Princess Zelda...? I am sorry there is nothing here for you; we were not expecting a visit from you...." The princess just laughed warmly in response.

"It is alright. All I ask is that you welcome us here for today." The two of them left their horses with one of the villagers. They put their things down as well and began to walk around.

"You were right. It's very calm here." Link said to her, smiling.

"Thank you for coming with me." Zelda took his hand, which caused him to look at her with surprise.

"I thought we weren't going to let this turn into something public for a while..." He said. The princess laughed.

"You haven't heard the rumors yet? People are catching onto us. Apparently we are 'inseparable' and 'never seen without each other'. I think the citizens of Hyrule already have it figured out." Link nodded. "And you know, I'm okay with it. This was going to happen sooner or later."

They continued to walk around the village, poking their heads into all of the shops. They bought some baked goods, some supplies, and Zelda purchased a dress that had been hand-made by a resident of the village. She ducked into a house to put it on. Moments later, she emerged. The dress was a pale yellow with light green and pink designs stitched onto it. It only went down to her knees and her shoulders weren't covered, so much of her soft skin was exposed.

"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.

~

After they finished, Link and Zelda walked along the coast, the ocean water below their bare feet. The sun had nearly slipped under the horizon. As they strolled along, the princess caught sight of an island in the distance.

"Eventide Island..." She said, thinking back to the research she had done on the area. It was supposedly a mysterious place with an ancient secret, but also full of wonder. She thought for a moment, and then made up her mind. "Link, I have another idea. Follow me." She quickly led them back to the village, retrieving a bag with a few things for them. Then, she headed over to where she saw the island.

"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.

"Isn't it beautiful?" The two of them looked around at the moonlit landscape. Colorful trees and flowers were everywhere, making the land around them alive. Stars were sprinkled all across the sky, creating a magical feeling. Though the sun had gone down, the air was still warm against their skin.

Link nodded. Together, the two of them wandered into the area covered in trees. They explored a bit, and then found the side of the island that faced only the ocean. The two of them were completely alone and out of anybody's sight. Link took a mat out of their bag and rolled it out on top of the sand. The two of them sat down together.

"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.

A/N: loud screech. The author is running away, mumbling the words "oh my god" over and over again. You'll have to hold please

Idk how I feel about this chapter............... but whatever it is how it is nxbsjskksks