Getting to Know You~BotW ZeLink post-Calamity Fanfiction

Part One Section Two: A House not a Home-Zelda

Link opened the door and stood In front of Impa.

"Impa?" Zelda said, stepping forward. Impa looked up slowly. They met eyes, and Zelda almost burst into tears. Her dear friend had grown so old. She still held those wise gray eyes. Impa gave an old and warn out smile.
"Hello Princess."

"I told you," She said "Just Zelda." Impa let out a slow chuckle.
"Yes, that's right, Zelda." She said it as if the name was distant, but the memory was still fresh. Impa slowly turned her head towards Link. He put his hands on his belt, his posture straight as usual. She gave him a congratulative smile.

"Well done hero." She said. She could see a flash of pride on Links face and the corner of his mouth curve up, but it only lasted a short second, because it left as soon as it came. He shrugged a little and looked down at the floor, his foot shifting slightly so it aligned perfectly with his other boot.

"Impa? What's going to happen now?" Zelda stepped forward, as if to get her point across. Impa looked back over to her.

"Now that Zelda is up to you. What do you want to happen next?"
"Well first I don't want to wear this foolish cloak. Shouldn't the people of Hyrule have an understanding that their princess is back?" She said, pulling the hood off her head. Impa nodded.

"You have a point, but it is also not safe. Now that Ganon is defeated there will be less monsters, but the Yiga clan I'm sure will be outraged that Ganon is gone for right now." Zelda sighed and nodded, understanding the risks. "Taking extra precaution is in your best interest."

"What about Link? What will he do now?" Realizing he was being spoken about, Link looked up. Impa looked at link.

"Link. You are the hero of Hyrule, the one who wields the sword that seals the darkness, and you have slayed Calamity Ganon. But I have another quest for you if you're up for it." Impa said. Link looked intent on hearing what said quest was, a look of excitement brimming in his eyes and his eyebrows raised curiously, his pointed ears perked. He was ravenous for some form of adventure, Zelda knew.

"You were Zelda's appointed knight before. Is this correct?" Link nodded, still grasping onto every one of her words.

"Your quest, if you so choose to accept is to guide the princess and show her what's changed over the 100 years she's been fighting Ganon. I want you to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble for lack of a better word." Zelda scowled. She didn't need a knight.

"Only if the princess wishes it so." Link said, giving Zelda a slight bow. Zelda almost bowed back but didn't, instead nodded.

"I agree to this." She said. Zelda knew that it would be foolish to decline. She didn't know anything about her new surroundings and deep inside she wanted at least one person who she knew from the past. Impa smiled, looking at the both of them.
"Perfect. Now, Link, Zelda is under your watchful eye. I'm sure I can trust you with this duty?" Link nodded.

"Of course lady Impa, she's in good hands." He gave her a slight bow aswell.

"Zelda, those clothe are for you?" Zelda looked down at the clothes that she had completely forgot she was holding. Link had abruptly placed them into her hands before they entered the hut. "Go upstairs and put them on then." Zelda walked upstairs to go and try on the clothes.

Zelda smoothed out the Hylian tunic and pushed her hair over her shoulders. She looked over at the cloak on the ground. She picked it up and put it on, she has never worn such common attire before. It was a strange yet very interesting feeling. Like she was free from something, but just for a little because she was sure her royal duties would resume at one point or another. Zelda walked downstairs. Link was nowhere to be found, not in the spot he was standing before. Zelda turned to Impa.

"Thank you Impa." She said, giving her a curtsy. Impa looked her over.

"You look quite ready for adventure Zelda." Zelda looked down at her outfit. She pulled the hood over her head. "Be careful." Zelda nodded

"Thank you Impa." Impa smiled as she left the building. Link waited outside of the door. He examined her once again and straightened matter a factly, starting down the stairs. She followed behind.

"Link, where are we going next?" She asked, getting on her horse like he did. Link looked at her.
"Hateno." He said, she cocked her head.

"Why?"

"I have a house there." He said, looking up into the distance. Zelda thought it curious that he didn't say 'it's where I live'. He didn't say that at all. He probably never spent his time there anyways, so she guessed his words were only the truth. They started to ride along a trail and into a graveyard of dead guardians. She looked around, feeling as if one would come alive and attack her at any moment. Pointing its deadly laser beam right at her head and firing. She urged her horse to go a little faster. By this point the sun had set and a chill made Zelda shiver, pulling the cloak tighter around her shoulders. Link started at a trot, and she pushed Storm to go into one aswell. They arrived at the village, Link crossing over a old bridge to a quaint house on the other side of what could only be described as a crevice. She tried not to look down into the drop below, but she scared even herself, letting out a sigh of relief when she made it across the bridge. Link jumped off his horse and led Epona to a small stable, giving her an apple. The horse whinnied gratefully. Zelda slid off Storm and led him to the stable. Link looked up at the stars that now sprinkled across the sky. His eyes seeming to trace every single constellation. She looked up too, not seeing much except the glittering stars and the crescent moon. But she knew Link saw more, he probably saw a way to track the stars, to tell him which way to go. He probably slept under them most nights and memorized the sky by now. She wondered what he was thinking in this moment. Zelda wondered what he was thinking those nights, when he stared up at the starry night sky. He turned and went to the door of the small cottage. Link opened the door and she looked around. Cozy, warm, but some of that warmth was taken away by the swords that hung on the wall. He shut the door and dropped his sword, shield, and bow on the table. Zelda looked down at the master sword. It had a faint glow to it. As if it held some kind of power. Which it held copious amounts of. Carefully picking up the sword, still in its scabbard, she felt its weight. Zelda felt its power come off the sword in waves. It was much heavier than she expected, and Zelda wondered how Link carried it around all day. She put it back down on the table gently, as if she would drop it if she wasn't more careful. Link watched her every move intently, just like he did 100 years ago. Zelda took off the cloak and placed it down on the table. She yawned, covering her mouth and feeling exhaustion creep in from every nook and cranny. "Follow me." He said, turning and going up a flight of stairs. She followed and was surprised to find a loft. A bed sat there, pushed against the wall, a bedside table with one flower in a vase on top of it. Link stood back watching her. She looked at him, hesitating.

"Thank you, Link." She said, feeling very awkward trying to go to bed with a knight watching her. He suddenly turned a light shade of pink and nodded, turning and going down the stairs. She watched the lights dim a little bit. Zelda sat down on the bed. A bed, a real bed. She hasn't gotten to sleep in one in 100 years and now was her chance. She took off her boots, and pulled off the tunic, leaving her in a light cotton shirt. She pulled back the sheets and slid into them. And as soon as her head hit the pillow, Zelda was fast asleep.