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You were walking through the palace corridors with a big stack made of papers and books, barely able to see ahead, trying to make your way into the palace library. Where the fuck were the palace couriers to help you when you needed them? You were mumbling to yourself.
In the midst of your internal mutterings, a sudden collision jolted you, causing the contents of your armful to cascade to the ground in a chaotic disarray. Frustration welled up within you as you looked up to see who had been the unfortunate target of your clumsiness, and unsurprisingly, it was none other than Princess Zelda herself, daughter of the ruler of the realm of Hyrule.
“Woah, you have such a scary look on your face, please mercy oh the mighty scholar!”
The princess spoke with a feigned shock in her face as she mocked a gasp, then burst out into laughter as she started to help you collect the papers on the floor, much to your shock.
“Zel! What are you doing? What if somebody sees you?” you whisper shouted at her as you scanned your surroundings.
Well, it was just Zel to you, when nobody else was around.
You also started to collect the papers and kept motioning for her to stand up. You locked gazes with her for a moment, drinking in the sea that was her blue eyes. Your eyes couldn’t help but drift near her cleavage, making a flush of redness creep onto your face. You really hoped she thought it was because of your earlier fit of fury. You bit your lip.
She just softly smiled at you, and continued speaking.
“It’s okay, I spoke to Impa and this wing of the castle is cleared due to ‘ceremonial purifications’ that’s going to take place,” she smirked at you as she airquoted the words. You facepalmed. That explained why the courier was not there to help you when you arrived, and how you were sent to pick up some scrolls during such an odd time, with no palace courier in sight. The King was visiting the neighboring Zora’s domain and it was known that the princess also had “religious duties” due to her ancestry. Her personal attendant Impa, one of the few people who was aware of their friendship, was of course in on it as well.
And since Zelda was practically in charge when the King was gone, she pulled stunts like this every now and then, so you could hang out in peace.
You didn’t even protest anymore as you sighed and then chuckled, there was no point. You just adored her smile when she looked this happy, the way dimples appeared in her cheeks, which was a rare occurrence nowadays.
The two of you had been inseparable since childhood. From your early days as the daughter of the palace scribe to your current role as the palace historian, you were always there when the princess received her education. You were the closest thing she had to a “classmate” since she wasn’t allowed to go to school like the rest of the children. The King, seeing how happy his daughter was with a friend like you, allowed you to attend to her during her studies. Over the years, you were always there for each other, sharing secrets, spending time, and learning new things together.
Much to the dismay of the other nobles, of course, especially after Zelda’s 15th birthday. Scholar or not, you were just a commoner that lived in the palace, even worse, in their eyes you even were a bad influence (when you were kids) to the princess, making her sneak out of the palace to play with weird kids .
Hah , as if it hadn’t always been her idea in the first place. Plus, Impa always kept a watch on you both.
You were guessing it wasn’t only because of the child shenanigans, but the way you looked at Zelda as well. Even though you tried your best to conceal it and most likely were oblivious to it, the other nobles and the castle folk had a keen eye for the lingering glances, the subtle smiles, and the genuine warmth that colored your interactions with her.
Of course, she didn’t have a gloom of air around her back then.
Your thoughts lingered on that vivid memory, etched deep within your soul. It was a day when a forest-clad boy, garbed in resplendent emerald green, had ventured into the palace courtyard. Princess Zelda had watched with unblinking fascination as the Gerudo chief, Ganondorf, exchanged words with her father, the benevolent King of Hyrule.
It was a child, but one bearing an uncanny foresight that sent shivers down your spine even now. He had delivered a grave warning, one that would alter the course of history, saving the kingdom. And you and Zelda had been there, witnesses to his proclamation.
Since that day, you had been there for Zelda, especially during the trying years that followed. You had watched as her once-vibrant spirit underwent a transformation, first gradually, then with ever-increasing intensity. After that fateful encounter, she had started experiencing visions—glimpses of both the past and future. Visions that didn't seem to belong to her personally from now or ever , but were undeniably hers. A future of horrors that did not happen. She told you all about it as she cried on your shoulders. Your heart broke.
Recalling those turbulent times, you couldn't help but feel the weight of her burden. It was a burden she had borne with grace and strength, even as it gradually eclipsed the cheerful girl you once knew, leaving behind someone who carried the weight of destiny like a heavy cloak. Yet, you still admired her, perhaps even more now, for her resilience and unwavering determination in the face of a lineage that came with burdens she didn’t choose, but embraced with unwavering resolve. And even though you knew she could put on a facade of cheerfulness for you, you appreciated the moments when she allowed her true self to shine through the cracks of her burdened existence.
So yes, you were going to shut up and let her do whatever for now. Even if it was as silly as making up a faux ceremonial purification ritual for the whole wing of the palace.
Ever since she came of age, the palace nobles, and even the King, had become overly sensitive about your friendship with her. You vividly remembered a time when he had nearly reprimanded her for being too familiar with commoners, a far cry from what was expected of a princess. Even if Zelda didn't realize it, the nobles were certainly aware of how you looked at each other, how you looked at her, even when it remained unspoken between the two of you.
After that incident, her schedule became inundated with temple duties. You had also decided to keep a low profile and let Zelda handle her royal responsibilities for now. However, given your proficiency as the palace historian, you still found ways to cross paths with her. But the formalities were now taken to the extreme, with a constant presence of chaperones ensuring everyone stuck to their roles. Sneaking into her room late at night or arranging brief meetings between guard shift changes had become the norm. To an outsider, it might have seemed like the meetings of secret lovers rather than two friends trying to share a conversation. Oh, the irony never escaped you.
Occasionally, opportunities like this arose when the King was absent, and Zelda took charge of so-called ceremonial affairs. It allowed you to convene in the tearoom of that secluded wing, with Impa discreetly keeping watch to ensure no unexpected guests interrupted your meeting.
“You know somebody is going to notice at some point that those purifications are just us purifying our throats with tea and gossip,” you mused as you brought the teacup to your lips.
Zelda chuckled softly, her eyes meeting yours over the rim of her teacup, as she hummed. How you wanted to be that teacup right now.
"Oh, I'm sure they already have their suspicions," she replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes, as she leaned down a bit more than usual towards you to pick up the piece of sugar. You gulped, you didn’t dare to ask what she meant by suspicions . "But it's the palace, and gossip is a currency as valuable as rupees. Besides, I think they secretly envy us at our little tea gatherings."
As you laughed in the secluded tearoom, you and Zelda shared a moment of respite from the world outside. The unspoken bond between you had always been a well-guarded secret. The palace's nobles frowned upon your friendship, and your secret meetings had become a necessity to maintain the facade of formality that royalty demanded. If they had known your true feelings, it would have probably been worse.
Yet, in these stolen moments, you couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the princess's public persona and the genuine warmth she reserved for you. Outside, she exuded an air of regality, concealing the weight of her royal responsibilities with practiced grace. But with you, there was no need for pretense. She was herself, her true self, a side of her that was never meant to be revealed to anyone else. You didn’t want anyone else to see it either. Her perfectly heart-shaped face, deep cerulean eyes, and lovely blonde locks that shone like the sun, only highlighting them—how you longed to be able to call them all as your own. Being able to call them your Zelda’s eyes.
The tea room's tranquility was disrupted by the knock of Impa, and you knew your time was running short. With a reluctant smile, you set down your teacup.
"It seems our tea time is coming to an end," you remarked, your tone betraying a hint of disappointment. Each time, each time this happened, something cracked in you. One day, it was going to break, you thought to yourself.
Zelda nodded, her eyes holding a mixture of gratitude and longing. "Until next time, my friend, " she replied, a softness in her voice that was reserved only for you. You raised an eyebrow for a moment as your lips formed a line. Friend , of course. No way it could be anything more.
What you didn’t notice was that Impa was right behind you as Zelda was forced to speak the last two words.
___
As night descended, you returned to your room with a sense of relief, knowing that tomorrow would bring a much-needed break. The King was still absent, and Zelda, once more, had exploited her authority to declare a "day of rest" for certain staff members, yourself included. You couldn't help but sigh, knowing that her actions would catch up with her one day.
As you laid back on your bed that night, you couldn't help but feel a tinge of red creep up on your cheeks as you recollected the moment when you accidentally dropped the books. The glance you got to her bosom. It wasn’t anything you haven’t seen before, you had been in her room many times as the maids dressed her for special occasions. From the panic of the moment and then lured into the sweet conversation, you haven’t thought about it until now. Her newfound boldness and openness had left you pondering their significance. What did all that mean?
You reflected upon the day once again, pondering. Beneath that dress, she wasn't wearing a corset. And then in the tearoom she was leaning in a way that-
Oh. Oh.
How dense were you? But that surely wasn’t intentional, was it? She even called you friend.
That didn’t stop you from imagining what you could have been doing instead of drinking tea in that room. Cupping her face, pulling her closer. Making her straddle you on that sofa. A warmth spread to your core. Could have would have should have…
It was unbearable. You wanted to tell her, you wanted to feel her close.
What was different tonight? The way you dared to have a glimmer of hope this evening, astonished you.
You knew anything between you and her would have no future. She had her duties to the kingdom, responsibilities, and if word ever got out, you'd have to depart; if not punished for your indecencies.
That didn’t stop you from imagining what could have been, even if on the most superficial layers between you, feeding the desires of flesh even if not the heart.
“Goddesses…” you sighed deeply and your hand slowly went down to your thighs under your short nightgown, which was barely covering your hips, towards the bundle of nerves you had between your legs.
It wasn't the first time or the last time you have done this, picturing her. It was going to be another lonely night, where you seek release to sleep, imagining yourself in her arms and her in yours.
Tap tap tap
Maybe an hour or two had passed after you finally went to sleep. You opened your eyes as you heard your window… getting tapped? As the haziness of sleep was still with you, it took you a moment to realize it was Zelda, in her Sheikah clothing. Impa, a Sheikah herself, sometimes trained her in the ways of her tribe and showed her how to defend herself. Of course, this was also one of the things that was hidden from the king and rest of the palace folk. You sighed.
The clothing for this training was quite particular, covering her body tightly, with a mask covering half of her face. You licked your lips, thinking about what you have been doing before she arrived. You composed yourself once again.
“My my, if it isn’t Sheik,” you teasingly whispered, looking at her figure perfectly highlighted by her outfit under the moonlight shining through your window.
You occasionally made fun of her, naming her “Sheik”. You clumsily got out of your bed and silently opened the window, letting her in.
"Ah, hush," she retorted with a playful smirk, removing her mask as she stepped further into the room. The moonlight painted her features with a soft glow, accentuating the beauty that had always captivated you. As she half threw herself on your bed, her legs still touching the floor yet her upper body flushed, you panicked internally, hoping she wasn’t close to the mini damp spot you might have caused on the sheets…A hint of a blush touched her cheeks, partially concealed by the shadows. Her eyes met yours, and for a moment, it felt like time itself had frozen. You decided to not give in to your paranoia, and realizing the gloomy state she is in, decided to try to cheer her up instead.
"Couldn't sleep?" you teased, a playful smile tugging at your lips.
She hesitated for a second before responding, "No, I... I needed to talk to someone."
“You know I’m here for you, always” you said softly “Come on, get cozy!” you continued as you moved onto the bed as well, making her put her legs up as you leaned to the bedframe and placed her head on your lap. You started caressing her hair as she closed her eyes, as you always did when she felt down. She didn’t know how you were melting inside, to her, it was surely a friendly gesture, you guessed.
“Is it those weird vision dreams again?” you asked.
The gentle motion of your fingers through Zelda's hair seemed to relax her as she nodded slowly. "Yes," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "They're becoming more vivid, more real. And they're not just glimpses of the past or a future unlived anymore; I feel like I'm living someone else's life in those moments."
You couldn't help but admire how her eyelashes cast delicate shadows on her cheeks as she spoke, her vulnerability drawing you in even further. You'd been friends for so long, and yet, tonight felt different, like the air was charged with unspoken emotions.
"Have you told anyone about this, you know to the priestesses, that they were getting more intense?" you inquired, your thumb idly yet gently brushing her cheek. Your finger hesitated for a moment, you thought maybe it was a bit too… intimate. Yet, she didn't protest.
Zelda sighed and opened her eyes, her gaze meeting yours. "No, I can't. They already think I'm strange enough as it is, with my overindulgence in scholarly pursuits and all."
You couldn't resist a teasing grin. "Well, I happen to like your scholarly pursuits…” Thanks to them I see you a little bit more, you wanted to say but stopped yourself. Instead you continued “They're part of what makes you so..."
You stopped yourself short, realizing you were about to tread on dangerous ground. But Zelda's curiosity was piqued, and she raised an eyebrow. "So what?" she prompted, her lips curving into a small, playful smile.
Your heart raced as you met her gaze, the unspoken tension between you growing more palpable with each passing moment. "So... captivating," you admitted, your voice barely a whisper.
Zelda's smile widened, and she let out a soft chuckle. "Captivating, huh? I'll take that as a compliment."
"It was meant as one," you replied, your fingers still gently caressing her hair. The room felt smaller, the air warmer. Was her smile magic?
She shifted slightly, now sitting with her knees on the bed, her eyes never leaving yours. "You know," she began, her voice a low, sultry murmur, "you have a way of making me forget about everything else when you're around."
Your heart skipped a beat, and you leaned in closer without realizing in the dimly lit room. Her tone of voice supplied you the courage you needed. "Funny," you whispered, "because you have a way of making me want to forget about everything else too."
Zelda paused. Did you go too far? The residual wetness between your legs from an hour ago was making itself known once again as the distance between you and her was a little bit less than before. You were painfully aware of the short nightgown you were wearing, rubbing your now slightly more sensitive buds over your breasts. Zelda visited you like this every now and then but something was different today.
Something was different tonight.
“ Indeed, there are things I’d rather forget about, especially now…” she repeated in a whisper. You became aware where her gaze was. She was staring at your… lips? Her cheeks were a lovely shade of pink, making her look even more enticing than she was. One of her hands very discreetly and hesitantly found itself near your leg. Too close.
The atmosphere in the room was electric, charged with a potent mixture of desire and longing. Zelda's presence, her nearness, was intoxicating, and you couldn't deny the magnetic pull between you two. With her hand inching closer to your leg and your lips mere inches apart, the tension in the room reached its breaking point.
You both knew that crossing this line would forever change your friendship, but it felt inevitable, like the culmination of years of unspoken emotions.
“Zel…” you whispered as you slowly felt her gaze on every single part of your body, making you shudder. “We.. we can’t, you are the princess and…”
Zelda's fingers, now just a breath away from your leg, trembled slightly. Her eyes met yours, and you could see the turmoil of emotions within them. The vulnerability and longing were unmistakable, but so was the understanding of the complexity of your situation.
“Tonight, I'm just a Sheikah warrior…” the words somehow got out of her, you could feel her tears coming, barely audible. Your heart shattered, and as Zelda's hand brushed against your thigh, whatever self restraint you had then had just been thrown out of the window.
You closed the distance between you, and pulled her hesitantly into a soft kiss. Her lips were so soft, inviting and warm and she actually responded eagerly. Her fingers were tracing delicate patterns on your thighs as your tongue traced a gentle line on her bottom lip.
The world outside faded away, leaving only the two of you, lost in a sea of sensations and emotions.
When you finally broke the kiss, your breaths were heavy, and your hearts pounded in unison. Zelda's eyes met yours, and in that moment, all the unspoken words and hidden feelings were laid bare. You didn’t want to talk, you didn’t want this moment to end. She understood.
Because when tonight ended, you didn’t know if you could still face her again and live in the castle, knowing you would never be able to have her in the manner you wanted.
She would be married to another noble to produce more royal heirs, and you would slowly wilt away in the royal libraries.
You wouldn’t be able to live like that.
So for tonight, you just wanted to feel her. Drink in her essence.
For tonight, you clung to each other, finding solace in the knowledge that, in this stolen moment, you could be together, if only in the most intimate and ephemeral of ways.