Couple of the Wild (ZeLink)

Chapter 66: An Affectionate Knight

Zelda's eyes fluttered open, now staring at the sandstone roof above her. The girl furrowed her eyebrows as she blinked a few times trying to remember where she was. The last thing she remembered was being in the pub with... her. She gritted her teeth as she pushed herself up, her head responding with a dull pain. She groaned, closing her eyes as she brought her the palm of her hand to her forehead. She remembered having a few drinks as her and Jules continued to bicker back and forth, however her memory led into nothing but foggy territory. What had happened after their drinks?

The girl took a deep breath, holding her pose for a moment before opening her eyes again. She glanced around the rectangular room, studying the wooden containers and clay pots that surrounded the edges. It wasn't long before her green irises landed upon the purple hilt of the familiar sword that rested next to the front of the bed, leaning peacefully against the wall. Zelda stared at the sword before sighing. She must've had a bit too much to drink, meaning she had once again become a literal heavy weight for Link to carry.

"That wasn't the brightest idea," Zelda muttered to herself as she swung her legs across the bed, allowing them to hang off the side. "Why did I let myself get carried away with that blasted game of hers? If I had gone unconscious... I hope I wasn't too heavy for Link to carry here."

Zelda took a deep breath, forcing herself to push back the pain pounding in her head as she stood. If the Master Sword was here, then so was Link; wherever here happened to be. The girl dusted off her blue Gerudo vai outfit before grabbing the Master Sword, holding it in her arms as she walked out the doorway.

The morning sunlight beamed down, the girl wincing as she was blinded, raising the sword up to shield her from the sun rays. Releasing one of her hands from the sword, she rubbed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to adjust to the sunlight before taking in her surroundings: nothing but a large sandlot with a sand seal sprawled out on its back, apparently sunbathing. Zelda raised an eyebrow as she turned her head, noticing the sandstone staircase that led up to a second layer of a large building. Her face slightly fell, realizing where she was.

She slowly began to walk up the steps, now holding the Master Sword closer to her chest. It didn't take long for her to reach the top, now peering into the large throne room. Zelda's eyes began to sparkle as she filled with awe; the room looked exactly as she remembered it: running water, the jeweled pillars, and the beautifully crafted Gerudo statues lined neatly along the room's red carpeting. The morning sunlight shone through the open wall, shining against the throne and the gold Thunder Helm that sat next to it.

A smile slowly crept up on Zelda's face, memories of the throne room and her time spent with Urbosa inside of it filling her mind. She slowly began to walk in as she looked around, taking in the gorgeous morning scenery as she flowed through her memories, only escaping them when she properly took a glance at the throne; it was empty with only pillows resting at its base. Zelda's face filled with confusion, once again looking around for any sign of a Gerudo, or Link for that matter.

It didn't take long for Zelda to spot a rather small figure standing just outside the western exit of the palace, standing as she seemingly overlooked something. It took Zelda a moment to remember that the barracks had been there once before. If her intuition was correct, then that little girl standing at the top of those steps had to be the current Gerudo chief.

Zelda began to take a few steps towards her, soon exiting the palace and now standing atop the same staircase as the little chief. The Hylian stood for a moment before gently clearing her throat. The long red hair of the short Gerudo turned, her bright green eyes laying upon Zelda who was now subtly bowing. 

"H-Hello, Chief of the Gerudo," Zelda stuttered. "I am-"

"Zelda," the girl finished with almost a teasing smile. "It's good to see you're awake. Why are you bowing, princess?"