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The acrid smell of burning coal and the slight fragrance of grass mix in the brisk spring breeze whistle past Link as his train speeds through New Hyrule’s Spirit Tracks. He could never get tired of the smell or the sound of his train chugging through the countryside.
In fact, Link loved everything about what he did as a Royal Engineer. He loved maintaining the train engine when they stopped at a rail yard. He loved helping the animated citizens of Hyrule with their (oftentimes ridiculous) requests and demands. He even loved chasing the local livestock away from the tracks by blowing the train horn rhythmically. This train was his home for most of the year, after all, nearly feeling more familiar than Aboda Village. He had everything he needed in the Spirit Train, but even still, if there was just one thing Link felt was missing…
Link opened the door to the train car and held up a Dragon Scale. Bright sunlight filtered through the translucent scale, diffracting into an almost innumerable different shades of pink. Link clutched the scale in his hand, pressing it to his chest, his gaze involuntarily lingering on the spot above him.
There was nothing there except the clear blue sky and the midday sun. Only a few years ago, Zelda (or her spirit, that is) would have been floating there, hand covering her eyes, looking far out into the distance, and soaking in the sights of her kingdom as Link steered the Spirit Train on their quest to thwart Cole’s plans and get Zelda back into her body.
A small sigh escaped Link.
Yes. If Link had one complaint about his job, it was that it kept him away from Zelda far too long. He had gotten too used to having her around on their adventure, so much so that there was a constant sense that something was missing when he was out on business all alone. The only silver lining was that it made coming home to the Royal Engineer’s residence in Castle Town that much sweeter. He loved nothing more than seeing the sight of the Princess waving at him getting bigger and bigger as the train pulled closer to Castle Town station, and nothing excited him more than being dragged around all of the Castle and Castle Town by an equally excited Princess Zelda on their days off.
Neither of them liked to part ways, but they had to because of the nature of their work. Zelda was needed in the castle as a Princess, and Link had to travel all around the Kingdom doing all sorts of odd jobs for New Hyrule as its Royal Engineer.
Link had unconsciously brought the scale back up against the light while he was thinking about Zelda and was now playing with the pink shard, turning it in his hand. The shard was the latest of Zelda’s going-away gifts. He had pulled it from her letter on his last journey, just the moment he had entered his train cabin. She always told him to wait until he was on his way—so that the letters and small gifts would sweeten his journey. He suspected she was just as embarrassed at the thought of reading the letters in the other’s company like him. Link didn’t want to presume, of course, but he was no fool. He was just about certain that Zelda liked him the way he liked her.
For once, he had managed to wait until well into his journey to open the letter she had slipped him in the morning, but that was just because he had been busy earlier. But now that he had once again failed to keep her from his mind, he could as well read it now.
With slightly trembling hands, Link pried the wax seal off the envelope, nervous about its contents. The letters had started off as little more than good luck notes and well wishes, but they had gradually become longer and more personal.
Link pulled the letter out of the envelope, treating it like a holy object, and unfolding it just as carefully. His heart was quickening in excitement, but where he was expecting the usual long monologue, there were instead only a couple of lines written in her immaculate hand with long, flowing flourishes.
Dear Link,
I’m so sorry that I’ve been too busy recently to write you a proper letter like always. I have much I want to talk to you about on your return from this next job you are undertaking. I sadly will not be able to greet you at the train platform like usual. Instead, please come to the Castle and meet me for tea upon your return. Take care always ♥
Love,
Zelda
A heart? A heart?!
Zelda had scribbled a heart onto the page! This was the first time Link had seen such a thing from her! Zelda had more than once been vulnerable with him in writing, but a heart?
Calm down, calm down…
Yet Link couldn’t stop himself. Link knew he was no fool, but the way a single drawn heart had sent his heart racing even more wildly made him question himself. Link, the Royal Engineer, savior of the realm together with the Princess, now a grown man, smiling ear-to-ear like a schoolboy, all because of a little heart drawn on paper.
Link clutched at his breast pocket, feeling for a small hard lump of treasure he found on his latest trip. This was no doubt a gift from the Spirits of Good.
Suddenly, Link knew what to write and what to give.
***
All the confidence and bravado Link had felt in the train had evaporated when he finally walked through Castle Town. As it turned out, professing the depths of your feeling in writing was embarrassing, to say the least. In his breast pocket was both his (highly confidential!) letter and the present which he would give Zelda. They felt like lead weights on his chest, and he was constantly patting his breast pocket to make sure the letter and his present hadn’t disappeared.
“Link, dear!” A grandmotherly voice called as he crossed the plaza.
Link started at the sound of his name and reflexively clutched at his breast pocket. He sighed in relief when it was just the old florist waving at him and made his way over to her flower cart in the center of the plaza.
“Hel—” He stopped his greeting since she pinched his cheeks like a grandmother. To be precise, she was squishing his cheeks the way someone would play with a marshmallow.
“Hi, granny… Could you please let go of my cheek now?” Link laughed.
“I’m just teasing, dear…” The florist chuckled, squinting at Link as her vision was no longer what it used to be.
“Hmm… You’re awfully red today, Link. Do you have a fever?”
She fussed over Link, putting the back of her hand to Link’s forehead and examining him all over. At this, Link once again chuckled with just a hint of nervousness showing through. “It doesn’t feel like you have a fever… Oh! And where’s the Princess? How odd that she isn’t with you. You two are normally joined at the hip from the moment you arrive from a trip!”
If Link wasn’t already the reddest he could be, he’d blush even more.
“W-w-well, Zelda’s been a b-bit busy! She said so in her letter, s-so I’m meeting her at the castle…” Link stammered, fidgeting with his collar and averting his gaze.
“Ohoho!” She winked. “You sly dog… Come to finally court the Princess, have you? About time you did! The other street vendors and I… we’ve all been waiting for the day to come!”
“Granny! It’s not like”—Link stopped himself at his instinctual denial, and then sighed in resignation—“well, you’re right. It is like that. I just hope she feels the same way as I do…” Link rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact with the old lady who’d just read him like an open book. Still, there was no guile in her teasing. She clapped a hand to his shoulder with a strength that her small, aged frame belied, and Link felt a little reassured.
“Don’t be silly, Link! You’d have to be blind to miss it! Everyone in Castle Town knows about you two lovebirds!”
Link raised an eyebrow. “Is it really that obvious?”
“I couldn’t miss it if I tried! Don’t think I didn’t notice how the Princess looks at you! Or how you look at her?”
Her eyes are just naturally that beautiful, no? And how could I not look at her so sweetly! She’s the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom – no, the world!
The old florist was now counting off the fingers on her right hand. One.
“Last time, I saw the Princess feeding you while you two were walking around the plaza carrying sticks of fried food! You two were wiping sauce off of each other’s mouths and giggling the whole time!”
A dopey grin was forming on Link’s face. Yeah, Zelda’s lips were so soft… even through a napkin. I wish I could have just wiped the edge of her lips with my fingers…
Two.
“And that time you gave her your jacket and conductor’s hat and asked me to hide her from the guards behind my cart because you two completely forgot about her curfew!”
Link raised a hand to his chin and furrowed his brows in concentration as he remembered that day. Yes. She was very cute in my uniform. It’s almost a shame that she’s a Princess for how well it suited her.
Three.
“Speaking of curfews! You two couldn’t be content with just hiding from the guards that one evening! The very next day, you two were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on top of Castle Town’s walls, watching the sunset!”
Link opened his eyes in alarm at that statement. “Wait, wait, wait! We were visible!?”
Now it was the florist’s turn to nod sagely as she answered, “Yes, yes… Quite visible. It must have been to most people in Castle Town’s plaza… Well, in any case, I remember the guards saying that you two being in plain sight was better than not knowing your whereabouts and going on a wild rabbit chase trying to find you.”
Huh… Well, when she puts it that way, I guess it makes sense how the guards were already waiting for us after we descended the walls… Guess I was too busy enjoying Zelda resting her head on my shoulder to worry about that.
Link scratched his head at the very, very belated realization.
Four.
“Ah! Not to mention, the Princess always takes the whole day off when you return from your trips!”
Link’s arm dropped to his side as he gaped at this revelation.
“Wait… Really?”
“Mhm!” The florist nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Did she never tell you?” The florist gave Link a withering look as she planted her hands on her hips. “She’s out of the Castle at the crack of dawn, on the platform before most shops open, and on days that you don’t arrive until the afternoon, she even falls asleep sitting on the platform benches waiting for you! The Princess is always looking out into the distance for the Spirit Train, you know!”
“H-huh…I just assumed that a guard would call for her when they heard the train approaching with its horn sounding off?”
“Oh please, Link, don’t be so dense! It’s quite a walk from the Castle to the platform.” She chuckled.
Link could imagine the very sight of Zelda nodding off on the benches on the train platform, only to be jolted awake by the sound of the Spirit Train’s horn blowing in the distance. Crap, I’m smiling, aren’t I? Oh no, I’m blushing again! He pulled his cap over his face in a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment and the dopey smile blooming on his cheeks involuntarily.
Link felt a hand clapping his arm firmly together with a hearty laugh, and he peeked out of his hat to see the florist beaming at him. Quietly, he lowered his hat and – uncharacteristically meekly – asked, “So you really think I have a chance with the Princess?”
The florist turned around to pick a peculiar flower with white-tipped blue petals and yellow stamens from her cart and tucked it into his breast pocket. Planting her hands on her hips once again, she nodded and beamed at him reassuringly. “Yes! Now go get her!”
The blush dissipated from Link’s face as he swallowed his embarrassment, pressing his lips into a tight line in an attempt to make a tough face fit for a Royal Engineer as he brought his right hand up in a crisp salute.
“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” he bellowed.
She chuckled.
Waving goodbye to the florist and the vendors and peddlers who had set up shop in the plaza, Link made his way on to New Hyrule Castle, letter, gift, and flower in hand.
***
The guards Link passed by on his way to Zelda’s office all greeted him warmly, some of them even stopping in the middle of their patrols to chat with him about his most recent travels. They eyed the flower with knowing looks, some even making eye contact with each other, but nobody said anything.
Finally, Link found himself before the wooden door to Zelda’s office. Though he’d spent a good deal of his time making his way here blushing, he was now surprisingly calm. Three sharp raps against the door, and Link announced himself.
“Princess Zelda! I’ve come to see you!”
Link mentally pumped his fist, impressed and surprised at himself for not tripping over his words. Before he could feel any more pleased, however, the door opened only to reveal one of Zelda’s maids. Peering in, he could see that Zelda was nowhere to be found. The maid bowed to him.
“I’m so sorry, Master Link, but the Princess is meeting with some nobles at the moment. Is there anything I could do for you?”
Neither the flower nor the sigh that escaped Link involuntarily escaped her notice. “Do you have any idea when she’ll be back?”
“Forgive me, Master Link, but the Princess didn’t tell us when they would finish. If you would like, I could leave the flower on her desk.”
He had almost forgotten about the flower in his breast pocket. Link could feel his cheeks heating up in embarrassment again, but he was able to pull himself together this time.
“Sure, that works, and…” He hesitated, but eventually pulled the letter from his pocket. “I’d also like you to leave this on her desk together with the flower. Is that okay?”
He wouldn’t take any chances in case work would keep Zelda away from him until his next trip, so entrusting the maid with the letter seemed the best bet.
“I would be glad to… And it may be improper of me to say this, but I hope the Princess is able to see you soon.”
“Talk about it!” Link chuckled.
Disappointed but not discouraged, he instead breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the leaden weight of the letter in his breast pocket finally gone, leaving only the present. He’d have his time with Zelda, but for now, he had time to kill in Castle Town.
***
“Mmmmrgghh…” grumbled Zelda, hitting her head on the table when she opened the next letter. The unladylike noise earned her a questioning look from her new advisor, Impa. She should get it together — Impa had told her that there were rumors about a ghost roaming the castle grounds because of the sounds erupting from her study!
Zelda had been a disembodied spirit once, but she had never made such noises while she and Link were on their adventure. How ironic that what could now inspire those noises was (of all things!) the tedium of her duties as Princess!
So it was good that she had such capable people around her. If not for them (and for Link, whom she was missing sorely), Zelda would long have croaked from the stress of her work and given credence to the Castle ghost stories that were now making their way around Castle Town.
Impa, despite being from some far-flung island beyond New Hyrule’s borders, was especially capable. She made up for her lack of awareness about much of the goings-on in New Hyrule with diligence and wit. Just the other day, Zelda had realized that her new aide hadn't even heard of the adventures of a certain train-engineer-turned-hero and a princess-turned-spirit to recover said princess’s body and save New Hyrule from a great evil!
But maybe it wasn’t such a surprise. She’d only been in New Hyrule for about a month and the news of the story had worn off after the first few years after the fact. Zelda would fill her in on occasion, but for now, she was satisfied that Impa worked with such efficiency that she never ran out of work, just like today.
What came after addressing matters of great importance to the Kingdom in the mornings were often the more trifling concerns of the nobility in the afternoons. Worse yet, the nobility loved to bother her with their favorite trifling concern of all: her prospects for marriage and courtship.
Zelda was thoroughly unimpressed with the nobles brazen enough to present themselves or their sons to her. This – not the tedious and difficult administrative tasks that fell on her – was her main source of stress lately. Her advisors had told her to take them seriously and maybe even consider a handful, but Zelda knew she would never warm up to any of them anyway. Still — she usually followed well-meant advice and this time was no different.
“Mrrrghhh… Mmmmrgghh…”
“What is it, my lady?” asked Impa, dutiful as ever.
Zelda sighed, too much was too much, no matter how much she valued Impa’s advice. This nonsense had gone long enough. “No more of this! I won’t suffer any more stupid, bumbling nobles and their stupid proposals!” Zelda slammed her palms down on the hardwood desk, sending stacks of paper flying all over the room.
Exasperated even with herself, Zelda slunk back down into her seat and exhaled deeply.
“Call off all my meetings with the nobility if their only concern is courting me. And send back any letters that so much as even mention courtship while you're at it.”
“...”
“Please.”
Impa sighed, conceding to Zelda’s will. “It shall be done, Princess.”
“Thank you. Tell no one I am here. I want to focus on my work without any nobles pestering me about some marriage that will never happen.”
“All of them?” Impa asked cautiously.
“Yes! Every single one of them! I'm tired of everyone seeing me as a pawn to the throne.”
While Impa ducked her head and left, Zelda continued to work feverishly with only one goal in mind. Finish all her work so she can finally see Link…
***
Link’s wrench slipped from his hand, making contact with a dull thunk on his forehead . Despite seeing the hit coming, he was catatonic, not even reacting to gravity’s assault on himself. It was merely another entry on the list of miseries to him.
It must have been a month now since he left Castle Town. A day before he had to leave for his next job, he returned to the Castle to find out a reason for Zelda’s lack of a response to his letter. Even if she didn't reciprocate his feelings, as her friend he had expected an answer. But in the full week since had left the letter with Zelda’s maid, he hadn't seen a single strand of her golden hair, so he had elected to take initiative and seek her out in the Castle.
Everyone in the Castle knew him, and he had doubted anyone would raise any complaints about the savior of the realm dropping by to pay the Princess a visit…
So imagine his surprise when he had been turned away from Zelda’s office by a lady he had never seen in his life, with the curtest explanation he had ever heard.
“The Princess is busy. She has no time to meet with anyone at the moment.”
“But–” he attempted to interject.
“And I believe this is yours. The maid told me as much,” the woman continued, shoving a familiar-looking envelope to his face.
His heart sank at the sight of the letter and he could practically hear his heart shatter into a million pieces when he saw the red ink stamped on the envelope.
Rejected…
Just thinking about it again was enough to cause his eyes to water. The rejection had come so abruptly and so impersonally that he couldn't muster any sort of reaction at the moment it had happened.
It was only when he was finally settled in the Spirit Train the following day, watching Castle Town get smaller and smaller in the distance that the tears finally threatened to spill from his eyes. He pressed his eyes shut to keep them in because he knew they wouldn't stop once they started flowing.
This was how Link found himself nursing the bruise on his head that came from dropping his wrench on himself, fighting back both the stinging pain on his forehead and the tears that once again threatened to spill from his eyes.
Link had been stuck in a weird funk ever since. He'd already had all sorts of mishaps – blowing the train horn at monsters, shooting at livestock, missing stations and having to engage the engine in reverse at an embarrassing crawl to get complaining passengers to their proper destination – there was no mistake he hadn't already made in the past month of going without contact with Zelda.
The incident had made him question his own confidence in his train driving skills, but at least the Spirit Train still ran just fine, chugging along happily as ever. He took comfort in the fact that he hadn't allowed himself to miss any of his usual maintenance stops.
As Link picked up the fallen wrench and was about to return to his work, he reached into his breast pocket for a nut he had placed in there earlier. Instead of a nut, however, he had pulled out a ring.
He’d wanted to give Zelda a ring when they met, but then she abandoned him. Worse yet, it had never even crossed his mind that he might be rejected.
Link would give anything to share just one last train ride with Zelda. He would have at least liked to know why Zelda couldn't bring herself to face him.
He sniffled. Oh… oh no, Link thought to himself as the tears fell, one by one.
***
Zelda had successfully quashed the beginnings of a New Hyrule Castle ghost story and was no longer groaning as she worked. Instead, every exhale that came from her at this time seemed to have come in the form of a sigh.
The castle staff were concerned at the shift from irritation to sorrow with no end in sight.
The reason for her loneliness was obvious to everyone, of course. Link hadn't been seen at Castle Town since two months ago and together with his previous journey, that added up to three months she hadn't seen him.
Her last message to Link had been nothing more than an invitation for him to come see her at the castle. Zelda couldn't think of a reason why Link might have been put off. She'd scrawled a heart at the end of her message but would he really be bothered by that?
It was unlikely, but maybe he found the gesture juvenile… More likely was the possibility that she had misinterpreted their relationship and that he already had someone else he loved and was now too embarrassed to talk to her.
The Princess sniffled at the thought.
While she was lost in her thoughts, she knocked over an inkwell. Impa came rushing to mop up the spill, giving her a worrisome look. Zelda’s heart warmed at her obvious concern for her.
“Princess, it may not be my place to say such a thing but maybe you rejected the letters of the suitors too quickly. You’re at the age where you might find yourself wanting for companionship…”
Zelda didn't even have the vigor to cast a pointed look at Impa for her insensitive suggestion. “I don't want to see anyone at the moment but Link, Impa. Surely you know that.”
Impa wore an expression of equal parts trouble and confusion at this.
“I miss him, you know. I haven't seen him in over three months… He was… is my closest friend in the world.”
What Zelda wouldn't give to feed him again, or hide from the castle guards with him, or watch the sunset shoulder-to-shoulder with him… At this rate, she'd have given up the Kingdom for just another chance to enjoy those idyllic days again.
“I mean, sure, his nails are always greying from maintaining the train and he always smells faintly of steel, and he's always got that dopey grin on his face, but I like those things about him…” Zelda sighed.
Impa’s mouth, however, slowly fell open.
“If he was concerned about being a commoner, he had nothing to worry about… Don't you think a Princess should be free to love whomever she pleases? Least of all, she should be free to love the realm’s hero… and he's the Royal Engineer!”
Impa’s face was now pale as a sheet. “Princess, who is this Link?” she asked as if to confirm something.
Zelda raised an eyebrow at Impa. Just when she was about to start explaining, a very out of breath maid knocked on the office door, interrupting their conversation.
“Princess Zelda, the train just arrived on the platform! Link is here, but he's also leaving today!”
Zelda shot up to run out of the room but before she could even take her first step, Impa scooped her up.
“Impa!? What is the meaning of this!?” she demanded.
“I have made a horrible mistake. Allow me to correct that mistake… I only hope you are able to forgive me.”
Impa ran with incredible speed, Zelda in her arms.
***
Link had dropped off all his passengers and cargo at Castle Town. Now that he'd been firmly rejected by Zelda, there was no reason for him to stay any longer. Aboda Village was only a few hours’ journey away, so he might as well just spend his usual week off tending to the train at the yard in his hometown.
He looked wistfully at the castle in the distance. Its ramparts and towers and the princess flying over them would always be nostalgic to him.
Wait, flying princess? That's not right , he thought.
Link leaned closer over the railing, squinting at the pink object that was now rapidly approaching him. It seemed that it was indeed Zelda being carried by the woman who had delivered his letter back to him. She jumped from roof to roof to the platform.
Panicking, he scrambled back in order to prevent a collision. With a boom that caused bits of the floor under her to split from the impact, she finally landed where he was standing before.
She wasted no time in prostrating herself before him. “Forgive my impertinence, Master Link! My name is Impa, a new aide to the Princess. I truly did not realize who you were!”
Link was now thoroughly confused, but before he could voice any of his own questions, Zelda launched herself at him.
Ahhh, thank the spirits she doesn't hate me, Link thought, tears of relief spilling from his eyes.
***
Impa filled Zelda in on what happened on the way to the train platform which altogether took no more than a few minutes at her incredible speed.
After embracing Link, Zelda herself had cleared up the situation to Link, and now the Princess and the Royal Engineer were both sniffling in front of each other, trying to hold back tears.
“So this was all just a big misunderstanding?” Link asked again.
“I never wanted to be apart from you.” Zelda nodded. “Could you show me the letter, Link? If you still have it, that is…”
Link looked sheepishly at her as he reached into his breast pocket to retrieve the source of their misunderstanding.
Zelda grimaced when she saw just how big, bold and red the stamp was. Gingerly, she opened the letter and read it, though it was much shorter than she had expected.
Dear Princess Zelda,
I'm not as good with words as you are, but please allow me to express myself honestly: I love you. It used to be that the train engine was enough company for me, but recently I find myself feeling lonely without you by my side. If you would accept these feelings, I would love to travel New Hyrule with you ♥️
She smiled at the scribbled heart. Zelda realized that Link hadn't signed the letter because it could only have come from him. Wasn't that the cutest? Tears were beginning to pool in her eyes again, so she wiped them away.
By the time she had finished, Link had pulled out a ring from his breast pocket.
Zelda's eyes sparkled at the sight. Unable to control herself any longer, she threw herself into his arms and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. She knew Link was staring quite intently at her lips, but a kiss on the cheek was plenty. There would be plenty of time later on to let him know just how soft her lips were.
“Oh yes, of course, I'd travel New Hyrule with you!”
Finally together again, Zelda and Link would be spending much more time together shoulder-to-shoulder.