"Stop thinking so much. You'll stress yourself out so much that you'll be unable to breathe. You have to let your body relax and only see what's right in front of you. It's easier said than done but you have to learn to lose your thoughts. They only hurt you in the end. You'll judge yourself for everything. It won't build you up." Link said, making eye contact with me. He doesn't pressure me but he tells me things that I need faster than I can even process in my head. He knows about everything that I need. Even if he doesn't, he figures it out eventually.
"Hey! You're doing it again."
"Right, sorry!" I said, smiling a bit to myself. Looking at all the flowers in front of us, finding them somewhat interesting. I pointed to a blue diverse flower before changing the subject.
"You see that flower? It's called a sylleblossom. It's used for perfumes. It smells kinda sour yet, the smell draws you in somehow. It has an interesting effect on the people who smell it. They often get dizzy or find it hard to breathe. The fascinating fact about this flower is when it's turned into a perfume, the person wearing the fragrance is unaffected by the smell of the flower yet it affects everyone else around them."
"I've never heard of that before. I've seen a lot of flowers cause they're used for various potions but I thought this was just a normal flower-"
"There's no such thing as normal anything! Everything has a purpose. There's one... and another! Each flower is used for a specific purpose. No flower or anything for a matter of fact is useless." I said before spotting a flower that I held very dear to me. I gasped when I saw it. I had never seen one this close before.
"This one here is called the silent princess. It's a rare and endangered species. Despite our efforts, we can't get them to grow domestically yet. The princess can only thrive out here in the wild... All that we can hope is that the species will be able to prosper on its own." I knew I was ranting but I also knew Link didn't mind it. He was just as fascinated with this stuff as I was. Somehow... the flower reminds me of you. I know almost nothing about you still but you continue to show up in different ways. You're not what I thought you were. I spotted something move out of the corner of my eye, looking at it quickly to see a little frog hopping around. I lunged for it, somehow catching it! I hurried over to Link so he could see it better.
"I don't believe it but I actually caught one! This delicacy has been known to have very, very potent effects under the proper circumstances! Tada!" I opened my hands to reveal the frog that I had caught to Link. His expression said so many words but it mainly was confusion.
"Research from the castle shows that ingesting one of these can actually augment certain abilities. We wouldn't be in a controlled environment out here but with your level of physical fitness, you'd be the perfect candidate for the study." I was more excited than Link could possibly guess. He seemed confused by my statements but he was about to know the research I had done to prepare for this moment.
"Go on! Try it!" I said, holding the frog closer to his face, getting closer each time Link moved away. He was horrified and clearly had no clue what to do in this situation. Sadly the frog hopped out of my hands before Link could try a bite of it. You chose this time to run away? Rude. I almost had a successful experiment for once. Link suddenly burst out laughing... but it was a real laugh. I had originally thought he laughed for real but in reality, this was him truly being happy for the first time.
"You're crazy! Couldn't we have cooked it first?" Link asked, continuing to laugh hysterically. I sighed slowly.
"Research also says that tampering with the specimen could make for a failed experiment. We shouldn't cook it if you were to try and eat it." I said, smiling at him. He slowly stopped laughing, smiling at me in return. It's strange when you look at me like that. You give me so many mixed signals. You love me, I'm your best friend, you care about me... this never ending cycle of confusion. I want to know what you're thinking but it's almost impossible to tell what's on your mind. Link sighed quietly which caught my attention almost immediately. He was frowning at the ground, staring off into space.
"Is everything alright?" I asked, watching his every move, trying to read him.
"You... worry me sometimes. You're always thinking. You get this type of facial expression when you do and it scares me. I don't know what you're thinking or if I just torment you that much but I want to know. You ask... about me all the time. So... who is the princess of Hyrule?" That's just it, Link. I ask about you non-stop and I never get answers. You push me away even though I know what happened. I want to know you but are you willing?
"You know more about me than I know about you. I've talked on multiple occasions. I ask about you more because I've just barely touched the surface of your past, your trauma, your struggles. You haven't given me a chance at all so... it's hard to open up to a stranger still." Link frowned at my statement, staring back at the ground again, playing with the grass around him, thinking quietly like he always did.
"I... can't tell you anything yet. It's all... too much for me still. I can't take a chance yet as much as I want your friendship. I'm sorry." Link said, looking at me, trying to read me. I didn't want him to see right through me. He would have known immediately that he had broken me then. I want him to understand how I'm feeling. I want him to feel safe around me but no matter how hard I try, I never get far enough. He's hurting so much. Something is eating away at him and he won't admit it. He acts like he's strong but soon his walls will crumble... What will happen when that takes place?
"Zelda-"
"I know I'm not the best person but I know when people are near the edge. You... don't strike me as someone who's happy. You have something that you're holding onto for dear life. You can't get a breath of fresh air because of this one thing. It's hurting you... killing you inside, making it near impossible to reach out to you. Only you can make the decision to let someone in. I... let you in and now... it's your turn to let your walls fall. Tell me... everything that has plagued you for years, tell me your struggles, your pain, anything at all." I said, looking at him expectantly. He shifted a bit in the grass. I knew he was uncomfortable and didn't want to talk but I wasn't going to let him know everything about me and not know anything about him in return. Link sat there for a couple minutes before responding.
"What do you want to know?"
"What hurts you the most? What's causing you to shut down so easily?" I asked softly.
Link breathed in as his breathing paused for a minute.
"The feeling of being responsible for everyone and everything. You say... that my job is easy but I can't even think about myself while I'm doing this job. I have to be focused at all times. If anything were to happen to you or Hyrule, it would be my fault. I have the master sword so I have to use it wisely. I'm responsible for any death that takes place. They... die... because of... me." Link shakily breathed out, struggling to keep eye contact with me. Something in me decided to take over. I was tired of feeling useless and I knew what he needed... what I wanted so badly. I moved closer to him, gently pushing him down so that his back was on the ground. He was very anxious and I knew he was questioning me but I didn't care. He needed this more than he would ever admit. I gently laid on top of him, resting my head on his chest, surrounding him with myself, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. His heart was beating so fast once my head met his chest. He was beyond nervous but I didn't care. He had to know that he was safe and this was the best I could say something like that to him. Words aren't enough for him. Actions speak volumes. My body leapt out of its skin when I felt Link wrapping his arms around my waist, resting into me so I only became closer. He held me so gently and yet the way he held onto me conveyed his stress and anxiety that plagued his thoughts and actions. He needs someone to know him... to see him and all of his flaws. He doesn't need someone to watch over or protect because he has no time to think about himself or his needs. He needs to be loved.
"Nothing has to stay a secret forever. Whatever you're hiding, however you're hurting, I'm here for you. If you need a hug like this or a time to talk openly and not be judged, I want you to know that I'm right beside you." I said, cuddling into Link feeling the heat of his body against mine.
"You can't... fix everything. You're not-"
"I won't because that's not what you need." Link paused at my statement. I knew he was thinking but it was different this time. He wasn't emotionless and didn't freeze up like he always used to. He was working through things and figuring out what he wanted to say instead of dismissing the conversation.
"I won't fix anything because you just need to be listened to. I can't change the past or the world around you but I can hear you. I know what it feels like to be neglected or even ignored. My father never let me have my own opinion. I would often try to speak my mind but he would never hear me. We share... similar struggles but we both don't open up to just anyone." I said, feeling Link sigh under me.
"My past is... beyond me. If you wanted me to tell you everything, I wouldn't be able to because to be honest, I don't remember anything else but the bad things. I envy you in a way because you had parents that were there. I... My father was always working. He never had any time to just come home. He was always out somewhere. My mother was always worried sick because we wouldn't hear from him for months and then suddenly we would get a letter about where he was and what he was doing but he never talked about anything else. He would just... talk about the things in front of him and not about how he actually felt. He only cared about himself. He never asked if we were okay or if we still had some place to stay. When I was fourteen, I received a letter. My mother handed it to me and asked what it said. The letter was written by your father actually. "I regret to inform you that your father has passed." The letter went on to say that I can't talk about the death to anyone. I still don't know why that was a rule but I followed it anyway. I never told my mother what happened to my father. Eventually after we stopped receiving letters from my father, my mother worried herself sick and died of a... heart attack." Link paused then. I knew why he did. I had frozen when those words came out of his mouth. He didn't watch her die... did he? He must have.
"Are you okay? Should I stop?" He asked, worry clear in his voice.
"Yes... No. I... didn't expect... that I guess." What should I say to him? I can't fix that. I want to but how? Link pulled me deeper into his chest then, making my heart race. He's so close.
"Sorry-"
"Don't apologize. You're perfect...ly fine." I said, catching myself. What am I saying?! I've lost it! I must be too hot. My head is foggy and I can't figure out what I should even be doing at this point! Link laughed a bit.
"You're perfect? Has the princess caught feelings for her knight-" I sat up so fast.
"No! You're just paranoid!" I said, hitting him gently. He laughed a bit at me in response.
"Hey, those were your words not mine!" Link countered.
"I said perfectly! The heat is bothering me and I have a headache!" I said, pushing his arm slightly, lying to him. He grabbed my arm then, pulling me onto him but the impact was greater than we both knew was possible. In less than two seconds, we were rolling down the hill faster than we both could process. We both held on for dear life and it didn't hurt at all. Once we reached the bottom we couldn't stop laughing at what had just happened. He lifted himself slightly off of me but remained hovering over me, smiling at me softly. My heart was pounding out of my chest. What... am I feeling? Was it because I rolled down the hill or was this... more? Link pushed a piece of my hair behind my ear then before getting up, holding out his hand so he could help me up. I hesitantly took it, feeling very dizzy. I have to be sick right? I can't have... Link moved so he could see my facial expression.
"Are you okay? You seem a little off." He said, squinting a bit trying to get a read on me.
I've been lying to myself... I've fallen for you.