Work Text:
Zelda might technically be 117, but she hardly ever felt it. In fact, she still looked and felt like a teenager, despite a century of war. She usually looked in the mirror and laughed at the thought. She didn’t even have any wrinkles!
However, sometimes she looked in the same mirror and saw all her flaws. She saw the worry in her eyebrows, the uneven skin, and the small marks by her mouth. She was afraid others could see them, but usually pushed that thought away and tried to access happy thoughts again.
The other night, Zelda had gone into a shop while Link was showing some children how to smash hydromelons. She got all the spices her boyfriend had requested, and, while paying, spotted a discarded newspaper on the ground. She could just barely make out the words ‘PRINCESS ZELDA’ on the cover, and asked the shopkeeper if she could have a copy.
Back at home, she found the section and began to read. She felt her heart drop to the floor as she made her way down the text.
‘Our darling Princess Zelda has not been looking so great recently! Sources say she’s been spotted in a small village with her handsome knight – more on that next week – and that she has been looking worse than ever. The wrinkles around her eyes and mouth have been more prominent than ever, her clothes are a mess, and her hair is in shambles. What a disgrace! Interviews with other civilians have only confirmed these observations…’ and it went on with heartless comments from what seemed like a million Hylians. Zelda threw the paper on the ground and ran up the ladder, crying and trying to figure out what to do about her ugliness.
“Zelda, I’m ho--” Link walked in, dropping his dirty boots by the door, startled by the sobbing sound up the stairs.
“Go away!” Zelda yelled, continuing to prod and smoothen out her skin. She was determined to kill her reputation of being a disgrace.
Link rolled his eyes and made his way up to the loft. He was shocked to see his lover with tears running down her face, staring in the mirror while touching her skin.
“What’s wrong?” Link said softly, raising an eyebrow and sitting down next to her.
Zelda gulped and hid her face in her hands. She took a few deep breaths before replying, “I read a section in a stupid newspaper and… and everyone in Hyrule thinks I’m an ugly disgrace!”
Link began rubbing her back, trying to calm her down. Back when he had really bad nightmares, Zelda used to do this to comfort him, and he wanted to return the favor.
“Hey, Zel,” Link said, pulling one of Zelda’s hands away from her face to make eye contact. “Stupid newspapers are really stupid. I’m sorry that people said that about you. One time in the Gerudo village, a paper went around that my sandals didn’t match my top. What bastards!” Zelda giggled, wiping her eyes and smiling a bit at her knight.
He waited a few seconds, reveling in the look of her smile. He continued, “Zelda, you’re so beautiful, no matter what people who don’t know you say” and kissed her cheek.
“But… Really?” Zelda asked shyly, blushing and looking down at the floor.
Link cupped her cheek and kissed her. “Yes.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Later that night, Zelda remembered the night before she turned 17. She and Link had gone to pray once more, and she asked if they could lie in the field and just look at the stars. With some coaxing, she had her knight on his back, no weapons on his person, and touching her shoulder. She turned her head to look at him, surprised to see him already staring back.
She held his gaze for a moment before saying, “You know, Link, you don’t need to save me…” she trailed off, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers. “But… If we could… Would you run away with me?”
Link replied almost instantly, “Yes.”