The Fabricated Kingdom
!Link Hateno Village

Tonight has been the most insufferable night of my existence.

I should start by saying that all of this is my fault and only mine. I told Y/N we would stay at my house. After hearing her panicked reaction to having one bed, I naturally let her have it. I slept on the floor of my living room.

Or I intended to sleep. The thought of Y/N asleep beneath the same roof as me corrupted my thoughts.

I found myself outside, cooling off the indecent fantasies in my mind with some late-night training. The blood moon taunted me with every swing of my sword. There was a secret above me in the sky, and a secret above me in my home, sound asleep.

As I settled down from training, I lit a fire. I had hoped its radiant warmth and soothing crackling could lull me to sleep.

Until Y/N found me outside.

It was over a friendly game of truth and dare that she asked me a frightening question.

Although I must admit that I found it more frightening that she never once chose "dare."

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Purah removed her wide-rimmed eyeglasses. She began to polish the lens with a small cut of cloth that sat amongst her Shiekah Slate on the table. "Let me see if I'm understanding this correctly. Majora's Mask, an article believed to be possessed by a diabolical entity, was locked away in the cellar of the castle, and the queen discovered it was missing during the power outage at the coronation ball. And you think whoever stole the mask is manipulating the moon with it?"

"Not in so many words." Link defended. "It can't merely be a coincidence that the blood moon has risen three nights in a row and this peculiarity has begun the same night the mask went missing."

You sat in silence, observing Purah and Link's back-and-forth banter. Sure enough, Purah challenged Link with another viewpoint. "Are we even certain the mask went missing that specific night? How often does Queen Zelda go down to the castle catacombs? Not often, I'll bet. And who can blame her? Who would want to see their father's gravestone, a constant reminder of the man she couldn't save."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. Link flinched, clearly scathed by Purah's statement. As if her words were a hot burner, she forced Link to hold his hands over. "I couldn't save them." He countered bitterly.

The intense hurt that radiated from him made you shift in your seat. Who were 'them'? The champions? You weren't sure if Link was displaying a deepened anguish over the loss of lives during the Calamity or if he was trying to absolve the Queen from her responsibility of awakening her powers.

The rumor throughout Hyrule was that her highness's powers, invested in her by Hylia to seal Ganon, were awakened when Link almost died.

She really does love him. You felt guilt nibbling away at your inner feelings. But a crush was harmless, wasn't it? Did you even have a crush? Or was it just your Hero of Time infatuation?

Yes, it had to be that. Nothing more.

Besides, how awful of a person would I be if the queen assigned me to recover Majora's Mask and I'm over here crushing on her knight.

"Wait," you chimed in, "What about the missing pages from the books in the library?"

Purah turned to you, clearly bewildered. "What books, Y/N?"

"Link mentioned books in the Royal Library missing pages in relation to the Hero of Time's account of Termina and the Mask." You felt the need to prove yourself to Purah. She was much revered amongst the Shiekah, and you also needed to impress her, as you were a reflection of Robbie and Jerrin.

"Purah," you began, your voice unwavering in its confidence," I help Robbie and Jerrin refurbish guardians throughout the kingdom. But I am also a self-studied historian. In the Hero of Time's account of Termina, a skull kid stole the mask of Majora from a wandering salesman and was able to corrupt the moon to crash into their kingdom within 72 hours. The Hero of Time, living up to his namesake, was able to revert time through the Ocarina of Time. He would send the kingdom of Termina back every 72 hours before the moon collided with their land. By doing this, he was able to save their kingdom and defeat Majora."

Purah shook her head. "Now let's see, maybe the pages missing in the books are something harmless. Y/N, what happened with the Hero of Time after this supposed kingdom was saved?"

You frowned, your heart aching for what you would say next. "He was declared mad. He managed to find himself back in Hyrule and told the kingdom of his travels in Termina. No one believed him. They believed the corruption of time somehow messed up his nervous system and his brain. They thought he hallucinated the whole thing." You slammed your hands on the table, pissed.

"But if he hallucinated, why did the royals have Majora's Mask locked away? Why-"

"Why is the Ocarina of Time locked away with a relic of great evil?" Link interrupted, his face grave.

"WHAT?" You and Purah both erupted in unison. "The Ocarina of Time is locked away beneath the castle?" A chill managed to cascade down your body. You caught a slight shiver traveling through Purah also.

Link held your eyes, as if he knew what your next question would be. "Zelda warned me I was never to touch the Ocarina of Time."

Purah grimly advised "I hate to say this, Linky, but with the patterns of the rise of the blood moon, it may come to going against the Queen's wishes. Something is going on here, and I do not like it."

"So, Purah, what do we do?" You looked at Link, whose lips were slightly parted. You had stolen the question from his mouth.

"The first matter of business is that we must find out if Termina is real."

"That should be simple," you mused sardonically. "How hard could it be to find a kingdom in an alternate dimension from centuries ago?"

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"This is it." Link announced, as you both walked through the door of his home. A plain teakwood table sat in the center of his den. The placement was no odder than the fact that there was no other furniture to be found. The interior's dark mahogany wood would not provide much light even during the day, so it didn't really matter how dark the night sky was.

"This is... charming." You lied through clenched teeth. I can't believe he would live here instead of in the castle.

The walls were barren, except for a few weapons that were affixed and on display. You walked over toward them, instantly enchanted. You saw a trident, a bow, a scimitar, and some type of blade that resembled a hammer.

The trident glimmered, inviting you to reach your hand out and gently feel its smooth steel beneath your fingers. Until another hand wrapped itself around yours, gliding your hand down its shaft. The feeling of Link's chapped hand over yours made your breath snag in your throat.

Link softly vocalized from behind you. "Mipha's lightscale trident."

He kept his hand wrapped around yours, guiding you toward the bow. Taking your finger and strumming the bowstring. "Revali's great eagle bow." Next was the scimitar. "Urbosa's scimitar of the seven."

Then the final weapon, the strange hammer blade, only instead of Link speaking, you whispered, "Daruk's..."

Link finished, "boulder breaker." Your eyes met his, and even in the absence of emotion in his voice, his eyes were swirling with grief.

He didn't elaborate on the champions, nor did he tell you about the battles of glory committed with each of their weapons. He gave you a curt parting. "The bed is upstairs on the loft. The linens on it are clean. I will sleep down here. Good night, Y/N."

You wanted to ask where exactly he would sleep in his desolate downstairs, but you decided to let him be. His downtrodden mood was contagious, and you found yourself absorbing his sadness.

You walked upstairs to his bed without responding to him. Your hand still felt warm from the feeling of his own holding it.

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"Hyaaa!!!"

Link had been outside for the past hour, training. He was completely ignorant of your prying eyes watching him from the window above. Watching him train was absolutely mesmerizing. From the look of determination carved into his face to the spins and twirls of his body, you couldn't pull yourself away.

No wonder he's a good dancer.

There was one particular move that seemed to anger him. It was the move he made when he dropped on his knee after rescuing you from your attack. Every now and then, he'd throw his sword down and ruffle his bangs while he stared at it in disgust. Then he'd glance upward at the blood moon's watchful glow.

You let out a hefty yawn, wondering when sleep would pay you a visit. But how could you? There were so many questions running through your mind and so many feelings plaguing your heart. You saw Link plop on the ground, striking up some wood with flint.

You watched a fire begin to blaze before him. He sat absentmindedly, watching the flames dance. His lips pressed downward in a hard scowl.

If we are both awake, why don't we keep each other company?

You weren't sure if it was a good idea with Link's sour, sulking mood. But you padded down his steps anyway and made a beeline for the yard, where the lonely knight sat.

"Link?" You tiptoed up to the fire, hoping your voice was loud enough to declare your presence.

"Y/N? Why in Hylia's name are you up at this hour?"

"I could ask you the same thing." You sat down beside him, not too close for comfort but not too far out of respect.

"I suppose there is a lot for us both to think about. Is the bed to your liking?" Even through his depression, he was still worried about your comfort.

"Yes, Link, everything is fine. I just... thought you needed a friend."

He said nothing. You wanted to bring back the Link who was excited over the porgy. The Link who was joking at the ball. You didn't like this Link. In a shameless manner, you blurted out, "What was it like waking up naked in the Shrine of Resurrection?"

Link's eyes shot over at you. You had your hands over your mouth as you corrected yourself. "I-I mean, what was it like in the Shrine of Resurrection? The nude thing is a rumor. Unless you did wake up naked. But that isn't the question; what I meant was-"

Then Link laughed in a manner that competed with the roar of the fire's obnoxious flames. "Y/N, I say this with the utmost respect, but you're not very good with men."

You were instantly wounded. "Hey! I'll have you know I have quite a lot of experience with men! How dare you!" This only coaxed Link to spill out with laughter harder than before.

"Besides," you contended with another defense. "I'm sorry I'm not as enigmatic and as popular with the ladies as the great silent knight."

Link shook his head, wiping a tear that trickled from his eye. "Silent Knight? Where did you get that name from? Also, I must correct you. Do you think that a man who was put to sleep for 100 years and awoke to a land on the brink of destruction had much time to date?"

You huffed, chewing the inside of your cheek as you fought against the feeling of foolishness. Until Link gave you a daring grin. "I'll answer your question if you answer one of my own."

"You act as if you want to play a game of Truth or Dare."

He looked baffled as he repeated, "Truth or Dare?" You forgot you were speaking with a man who just jumped into a pond and man-handled some fish. "Truth or Dare is a game. Its name is as it implies. If I answer truth, I must answer your question with only an honest answer. If I answer dare, then I must comply with whatever your request is."

"You must comply with my demands, then?" Suddenly, the heat from the fire was too much now that it was mixed with your own body heat.

"Yes..." You answered, your chest fluttering.

"Splendid." Link turned toward you slightly, so that his eyes bore into you. "Ok, since you asked me that question, I will go along with truth. Though I am not sure what you intend to do with this information. Yes, I did indeed wake up in the Shrine of Resurrection, mostly naked. I did have men's shorts on. And no, I do not know how I was undressed or by whom."

Before you could respond, Link eagerly asked, "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"What are your exact feelings toward the Hero of Time?"

"I'm not sure how to answer."

Link inched slightly closer to you once again. "Tell me what's in your heart. When you speak from your heart, no matter if it makes sense or not, it is the highest level of truth there is."

You nodded, knowing that this man was the reincarnated Hero of Time. The thought made your heart pummel into your chest. "Well, I first read his tale as a child. I used to sneak into the Shiekah's village as an unruly child. They ended up letting me stay in their village until Robbie and Jerrin adopted me as their own. Anyway, I read his tale in a book in their village. He reminded me a lot of myself. A lost soul in a cruel world. Even more so when he never got the recognition that he deserved. I was so enamored with his tale that he inspired me to become a historian. I hope I can bring his tale to justice and give him the recognition he deserves."

You held your hand over your heart, closing your eyes, as you were overcome with a burst of deja vu. You had to keep your eyes away from Link's. "I just feel like he was someone special to me. Someone I had lost that I know I'll find again someday."

"Through the pictures you've seen, did you find him attractive?"

Your eyes opened, and you saw Link with a wicked smile on his face. "No, it's my turn to ask the questions!" You couldn't help but smirk. Since Link was being brazen and playing dirty, you decided to do the same.

"Oh, alright, but Y/N." Link's lips returned to their former ghost of melancholy. "I can't remember even the people from this lifetime, but I would reckon if this hero's soul lives within me, he would keep fighting for you the way you choose to keep fighting for him. And..."

He scooted closer one final time, both your faces so close, you had to look away. It reminded you of when you first formally met. The lust between you both was so intoxicating, and you wondered why the Queen would allow you both to be alone together.

The Queen. Hylia's chosen owner of his heart.

"And I will fight for you too, if it means anything."

Your eyes returned to his. They were boiling over with a passion so intense; your heart hurt thinking about the fact that Zelda would be the one to look into them every day.

Every life, even.

"I choose truth." Link whispered.

The inebriation of passion propelled the question on the tip of your tongue to be released. "Are you and the queen a couple?"

The primal energy that had been wedged between you both slowly dissipated into one of lukewarmness. Link frowned at you, as if your question was foul.

"I'm not sure. Also, we really should try to sleep."

His uncertainty was all the answer you needed.

You nodded in agreement, trotting back towards his home, leaving him and the flames in each other's company once more.

Edited:7/1/23