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What sort of man can leave for seven years, without warning, breaking your engagement—an engagement done on a most sacred artifact—right as the whole world goes into chaos, and when he returns… you feel like he hasn’t been gone at all?
In a way, he hasn’t changed a bit. Well, visually, he’s changed a lot. He’s definitely older now, no longer the child I remember who rescued me from the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu, a moment that was so… dangerous, such an unnecessary risk for me to take, and yet, it still feels like a childhood adventure. A fanciful memory, where all the perils were just heart-stopping moments of excitement and not the fear I’ve come to learn, the kind that grips you and refuses to let go. The kind that sinks deep, that freezes inside you and makes you wonder if it’ll ever be warm again. But when I look at him, I feel like… like I’m still that little kid who thought a princess’s word was law and that evil could be thwarted by just getting to the bottom of it and demanding it stop. It’s his eyes, I think, but then again, those have changed too. There’s something… steely and resolute in them now, even if they’ve still got that bright blue, like the waters of Lake Hylia, that makes me feel like the world is a bright, adventurous place…
And not the kind where you watch as your people freeze as their princess can only desperately go to the Temple and pray for salvation. Not that she can do anything, just… just get captured and have to wait for the real Hero to arrive, to save her again.
But…
He offers me his hand, and I take it. Like when he first found me, only this time, when my heart stops, it’s not because I’m about to give him the proper dressing-down only a child princess can deliver, it’s because… because when I take his hand in mine and he, well, he rescues me… it’s because I’m remembering what else only a child princess could do. Order him to… to propose to me.
And now I’m feeling very light headed as he asks me if I’m okay, and all I can think is that he’s always been a man of few words and this is the first thing he’s saying to me in seven years and I can’t think of anything to say to him in return! I take his hand and I marvel at how much it’s changed. His hand is so much larger than mine now, broad and powerful, a swordsman’s grip, and yet, his touch is so gentle. He wears heavy leather gloves now, his equipment far more sophisticated than the slingshot and boomerang and painted wooden board he called a shield. But he’s still in that green tunic that I thought looked ridiculous, even for a Hylian… his fashion sense is the same, I suppose, and I’m hoping this nitpicking helps me get my bearing because I’m starting to feel unsteady on my feet as he leads me from the Temple and if I were to fall or, the Goddesses protect me, swoon, I would find myself in his arms and then I don’t know what I’d do.
How did I get to this? How did I brave the Temple, even when I could feel the corruption that now lurked inside it, and then, after finding myself a damsel in distress, as shameful as it is, I wish to be… even more of a damsel in distress! I want him to carry me, not how he did as kids, the awkward tumbling we did as we braved the belly of the beast together, but to carry me like…
I can’t even think the word. I made him propose to me before I would hand over the sacred stone, I- it’s still binding, really, he gave his word, we swore on no less than the Sapphire, and just because we didn’t have any witnesses and he left me behind for seven years while I thought he was dead, like so many Hylians, it was still… I was still… he was still my… intended.
Narrowly escape with my life in a corrupted Temple and all I can think about is my marital status, really, Ruto, you’re better than this, you’re who your people are counting on, even if you couldn’t save them from the curse. Even if you’re helpless without Link, hey, maybe you can at least marry up and bring someone…
He stops.
He asks if I’m okay.
I can feel the concern in his voice, the way he can practically see the weight I’m carrying on my shoulders, the expectations, the hope that I can be good enough for my people, and all the self doubts weighing upon me. I grip his hand, tighter than I ought to, as I focus my face, tighter than I ought to, to put on the one thing a princess is best at: putting on a pretty face and saying that everything’s okay.
Faore, if you’re listening, give me a taste of your courage so I can keep this up. Because now he's saved me twice and the last time he did that, I fell- I proposed to him and this time feels even more emotionally turbulent. If I was still a child, I'd hide my feelings beneath commands and pronouncements, order him to make an explanation for his absence. If I was truly a grown up, a Zora princess in the fullness of her maturity and womanhood… well, I'd talk to him at the least, which feels even worse because I am an adult, if only by years, and while he can pull off the strong, silent type as he leads me out through the Temple, I can feel every moment that's crying out for me to say something. And I say nothing.
Where's the courage that brought me into the Temple in the first place? Is it his fault? He's supposed to be Faore's chosen as I understand it, so maybe he…
What is wrong with me? Not just my courage deserting me, I'm just a mess of emotions about him, casting about, every which way, looking for excuses to blame him, even as he's still rescuing me! Why am I- why is this so hard? He's holding my hand and we're alone and I just can't-
"Okay," he says quietly, stopping and turning to look at me with those eyes I know too well, "Something's not right."
"It's- it's nothing," I lie, trying to remember if being Faore's Champion gives him any of Nayru's gifts. "Come on, we have to- we have to get back."
I move forward, but he stands firm… so I end up walking into him, right into his broad chest that reminds me that he's not a child anymore… and, as I rebound off of him, that I'm not one either. Not with these on my chest, something we both realize from the immediate, intense blush we both share.
But he collects himself before I do, saying, "The curse is broken, your people are fine if we spend just a minute to talk. And you… you weren't like this when we last met. You didn't hold anything back, so-"
"Oh, I'm different now?" I snap, the worst part of me finding it much easier to pick a fight than do anything honest, especially after he got an up close introduction to my boobs. "Why, why could that be? Do you think it's because Hyrule was conquered? That my people were cursed? That you- you-"
I feel the tears welling in my eyes. Anger rose up too quickly, and now, with my poise cracked and emotions unleashed, I know that my real feelings are coming forth and I know I have to stop, but I can't stop myself. Not when I'm looking into his eyes and feel so much in my heart as I crash forward and declare, "You left me! You promised to marry me, you swore on the Spiritual Stone that you were mine and you left me! Seven years ago, you left me, and the whole world became dark and frightening and I didn't have you!"
I know I'm crying as I say this and I know how stupid this is. I barely know him, we had one emotionally intense moment, one that happened seven years ago, and I've spent seven stupid years thinking he'd swoop in and save me and make the world make sense again, and, and, and…
As my thoughts fail me, I begin to utterly sob, big, ugly sobs right in front of Link as seven years of childish delusion rise up in my mind. As things got scary, as my father could no longer hide his own fear, I just waited and waited for Link to come and save me like he did in Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly and even as I traveled into the Temple as the Princess of the Zoras I thought to myself that I had to be brave like he was, that my faith in him was still alive even after seven years. I shake with sobs as all that emotion pours forth.
That's when I realize his arms are around me.
And I'm against his chest once more.
He holds me tight against him as I tremble, the last gasps of my tears still coming forth as I feel the warmth of his body against me, the slow, steady thump of his heartbeat. His muscular arms enfolding me…
"I'm sorry," he whispers, "I'm so… I'm sorry. I never meant-"
"No, it's- it's stupid," I sniffle. “I- I’m being-”
"No," he says, ruefully, "I- I never, never thought I'd be… away for this long. If I could, I never would have left you."
He sounds so sincere, a note in his voice I recognize too well. Seven years of loss mirrored back at me. He loosens his grip and I pull away, looking back into his eyes through a blur of tears. He… he looks so… so sorrowful, so compassionate, so, so…
I kiss him.
It’s- it’s the stupidest, the most- I should never have-
But my lips meet his. Hylian lips. Rougher, drier than mine, a reminder that we’re not even the same species, but in that moment, there’s no divide between us. I’m kissing him. And he’s… he’s kissing me. And I don’t believe it. Because I can’t believe it, because I’d be an idiot if I did something like this without even saying something first, but I did and I am and I have and he’s kissing me.
Seven years gone without a word only to show up when I’m in the clutches of some fiend and before I can even get back home—much less have a proper conversation that isn't an emotional breakdown—my lips are on his and his arms are around my waist as he pulls me closer and I can’t imagine anything wrong with this. Concerns, relationships, fears, they’re all outside the Temple. Inside, there’s just… the two of us. Me with the boy I’d spent seven years wondering… waiting… pining for.
So my kisses are a little overdue and my passion a little sudden, but he’s the one who’s kept me waiting, so he can be the one dealing with a sudden confusing change as I throw my hands around him and hold his face tight against mine as we lock lips. I don’t know if he’s a good kisser or if I’m a good kisser, cause it’s my first kiss and all, but… Goddesses, it feels wonderful.
I feel the tension inside me go slack as I gently pull away, all my earlier fire now drifting away like so much dust down the river. I look into his eyes with all my maidenly enthusiasm, only to see… apprehension looking back at me.
"We- we're having- having an emotional moment," Link murmurs, "We shouldn't- shouldn't make any-"
But I shake my head. I know what he’s saying and I know what he wants, and I know they’re not the same. He’s worried about me, a fact that makes my heart skip a beat, worried about my reputation and if I might have regrets if he doesn’t hold me back. But he’s wrong, and I’m not going to be deterred.
"I know we shouldn't," I whisper as my hand cups his groin and begins to pull down his pants. This is the sacred Temple of Water, the heart of Lake Hylia and a spiritual source for all Zora. I'm the Princess of the Zora and, apparently, the Sage of Water, two roles who particularly shouldn't be doing something like this in the Temple, but right now, for everything else it is, it's my refuge. The world, with all its responsibilities and titles and fear, that world is outside. We are inside. And that's all that matters.
"But I want to do it. I want you, Link," I tell him, "And I want to make up for seven years without you. Out there, I'm a princess. In here, I'm a woman… with her hands on the boy she's loved for seven years."
Link seems about to object, but then he stops himself. He looks down at me all… soulful and sweet and then… his lips curl into a smile.
"If that is my Princess's command," he whispers down to me as he kisses me once more.
Our first kiss was sudden and potent, but this… this was purposeful. Link's finger is under my chin, tilting my head upwards to meet his lips, and he kisses me gently, teasingly, his lips dancing against mine until I whine for more. My hand darts lower, moving to finally free him off his pants, to feel the hardening shaft in the flesh. I want to know how he feels about me in its most physical sense, and as my fingers close around the grip of his sword…
Link gasps as I begin to stroke. I smirk at him, enjoying that I could remind him that I might be his damsel in distress, but I'm no less able to spar with him. No less able to take the lead. And now that we weren’t children, I had a lot of new ways to assert myself against him. Something he’s reckoning with as my fingers run up and down his length, showing him that an amphibious species is always lubricated as they smoothly glide up and down.
But I don't want to be the one leading him by the… nose. I want to be the damsel, his damsel right now, rescued from her distress. And so I whisper, pleadingly, "Take me… my Hero. Take me and take your Princess’s reward…"
We tumble to the floor as soon as the words slip past my lips. Now he’s leading and I’m caught in the realization of how much stronger he’s become. He always used to be able to pick me up like I was nothing, but now, I feel how much more physical that strength could be as he pushes me to the floor beneath him. I feel Link's hands on my breasts as he takes his place atop me and I moan in pleasure. My legs spread to invite him inside me, but he denies me, the head of his… his organ rubbing against my- oh, hell with it! I feel his cock against my pussy, but he only kisses me. His tongue plunges into my mouth as he pins me to the floor with his powerful arms and- he teases me, delaying, denying, making me squirm before-
Triple Goddesses! I gasp as I feel him enter me without warning, the sudden push as he parts my lips and lets his thick shaft spread me out. I've never felt anything like this, something so big, so filling disappearing into me, inch by inch as he slides in. So big, but… but not unpleasant. I moan, nodding at him to keep going as I can't make any words as I'm feeling like this. Link arches his back to thrust deep into me, making me whimper as I feel how deeply he can reach into me, his sword penetrating me all the way to my core! Surely, he’s not that long, but inside me… it feels like my entire body is being pierced by him as I moan with pleasure. Every thrust, every single motion feels like he’s hollowing me out, completely reshaping my body around him!
But even as I’m staggered by the feeling of his shaft inside me… I find myself getting caught by his eyes. He’ll moan softly as he pulls back and his eyes will meet mine and in that moment, time just stops. Our bodies are entwined, joined together, but it’s when our eyes meet that I feel truly connected to him. There is a bond between us that stretches across a lifetime, through fear and desperation and love and hope. When I look into his blue eyes, when I feel both our bodies pause mid-coitus just to let us see… just see the person we love. The love that endured seven years apart, undimmed, undiminished by time, absence only strengthening my feelings for him.
Something confirmed by how wildly we contort on the floor of the Temple, rutting like beasts as our bodies buck and grind against one another, letting out years of passion I never realized was growing so overwhelming. All my fears, all my hopes, it comes together all at once to seize upon my heart and hurl me down into a state of utter, boundless need. I catch his eyes for a moment and realize the depth of my feelings, then he thrusts and I feel the heat of my lust rise up from those depths! Neither of us can keep up with this, not with how we’re cast about across the full range of our feelings! I hear him moan my name, I think I hear the echo of my voice crying out “Link!” but for all I know, everything’s nothing more than a tangle of love and lust. I feel his hands on my breasts, his muscular back beneath my fingernails, his lips against mine. I know my legs have wrapped around his waist, but I can’t remember when I did that, not when I’m so caught up in this moment!
Freed from all the fear and responsibility that's so dominated my thoughts, I lose myself to the rhythm of our instincts. Squirming, wriggling beneath him, feeling his strong arms hold me in place as he thrusts into me, I feel almost like a fish in the net. But I'm in no mood to escape his grasp, not as I can feel what's building inside me. With every motion, every shuddering thrust, every unrestrained moan I feel my climax drawing nearer and nearer. It swells, crests like a wave, as it builds within me, and then…
It comes crashing down.
I shriek his name, pulling him tight against me, refusing to let him pull out or pull away from me or leave my side ever again. He’s mine, my hero, my fiance, mine, and even if this mad, possessive thought isn’t coming from anywhere rational, it’s not like my mind can really think as instinct takes hold and I surrender to the simple, overwhelming need to have him. Have him in every way, have him in this way, totally and absolutely…
With a great groan, I hear him as he releases deep inside me. The warmth that spreads inside me fills me with such perfect contentment as I feel his seed spill into my womb. Hylians and Zora are capable of having children together… but instead of giving me a shock to my system, it just gives me a feeling of… peace. A sense of tranquility settles over me as I imagine Link's seed finding its way to my eggs, fertilizing them and giving me a clutch of my own…
It's a thought that reminds me of a future that could be a better time. A safer, more peaceful future, a new era of hope for the Kingdom… raising our children together in the Happily Ever After. It’s a beautiful thought, even as it feels… so very far off in the future right now. Now that the moment of passion has passed and the madness has lifted. Which means I remember that we’re still very far from a Happily Ever After.
Lying on the stone floor of the Temple, resting my head on Link's arm as he holds me close, I wonder at what happens next. Obviously, we return to my people, hailed as the heroes who saved the waters, but… I try to picture it. Having Link beside me as we report back to my father, and- and I know that there's much more to still be saved. I was no match for the monster under the lake; he has to fight Ganondorf everywhere. In the mountains, the desert, in every corner of the Kingdom and in the dark castle where the sorcerer still ruled.
Dangers I can't imagine are out there. And there's nothing I can do to keep him safe. I'm just… just a Zora Princess who can't do anything, still just a petulant child who needs to be rescue from the mess she blundered her way into. Just a…
But Link pulls me tight, and I feel… feel how he does need me. Even if I'm no great warrior or magic-wielder, a "sage" in name only, with no great wisdom to offer, I can feel how Link pulls me to him. He needs the comfort I can offer him, he needs this escape from his duties, and he needs… he needs this. Love. The feelings I have for him, the love he has for me… I don't know what Link had been doing for the past seven years, but I know when I met him, he was an outcast from his home in the forest. I can't imagine that, in the past seven years of darkness, things had gotten better for him.
I snuggle him closer. We have seven years to make up for, and I think the best way we can get to that is just holding one another, here in this peaceful moment. And from there… whatever comes next, I’ll be there for him and he’ll be there for me. And that will be enough.