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Zelda had assumed everything was going fine. Calamity Ganon had been defeated and Link had gotten some of his memories back. But she couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. But right now the main thing she was focused on was getting to Hateno village.
“Link?” Zelda called out.
He had gone to scout for monsters to make sure it was safe, but he had been longer than she was comfortable with.
“Link?” She called out again, louder this time.
She continued up the hill in the direction he went. She turned around a tree and saw him.
Her eyes went wide. He was- he was hurting himself. With his master sword. The sword that had been used to protect so many people so many times, was now being used to harm Link.
She ran to him and took the sword out of his hands.
“Link what are you doing!?” She said in horror.
She looked at his arms, they were covered in cuts, some older and some with blood pouring out of them.
“Zelda? Why did you follow me?” He asks, barely above a whisper.
“That doesn't matter now, come on.” She says, pulling him back to their horses.
They get back and she sits him down and wraps his cuts.
“Link, please tell me what's wrong, what's going on in your mind?” She asks softly.
He doesn't answer.
“You know I'm here for you. Can you at least tell me when you started?”
“Before or after the calamity?”
“Wha-?” This broke her heart, knowing Link had been suffering for that long, without talking to anyone, without any help. Why was her main question, but she also had so many more.
“After the calamity.” She answers.
“After I got my final memories back,” he answers.
“Why Link?” She whispers.
“I failed. I didn't save Hyrule the first time. I caused the death of so many people, of my friends, and almost of you. I failed so much after that too. I should've saved you faster, I should've defeated him the first time. But I didn't, I failed.” He says.
“Oh, Link. You didn't fail at anything.” She finishes wrapping his arms. “Calamity Ganon did something none of us were expecting him to do, it isn't anyone's fault, and it most certainly isn't yours. You aren't a failure, you've achieved more than so many people in Hyrule.” she says.
He looks at her, there's no light in his eyes, no joy, no nothing. How had she not realized this sooner? How had she let it get this bad?
She sighs. “Let's sleep, shall we? We can continue this tomorrow, when you're more rested.”
Link shakes his head, “I have to keep watch, I can't let any monsters hurt you.”
“Then let's find a stable, the horses need rest too anyway.
Link opened his mouth to object, but then decided to just nod his head.
Link stood up and reached for the sword sitting beside Zelda.
She quickly picked it up before him and shook her head, "I'll be keeping this unless we see monsters.”
Link didn't like this very much, but he didn’t argue.
They got on their horses and started towards riverside stable.
They didn't talk the entire way, but Link was anxiously looking around for monsters the entire way.
They arrived at the Stable and checked their horses in, and went to go get themselves a bed.
“Two beds please sir.” Zelda requested.
“I apologize, princess but unfortunately there is only one bed available.”
“Oh uh, that's fine sir, I'll have that one.” Zelda replies.
“20 Rupees please.” the worker says.
Zelda hands him the money and goes outside to where Link is sitting.
“They only had one bed so we have to share, is that okay?” Zelda sits down next to him.
“No, it's fine Zelda, you can have it.” Link mumbled.
“No, either you get it or we both share it, there's no other option.” Zelda insisted.
Link sighed, “Fine.”
“Good, now come on.”
They made their way inside the stable and to the bed that they bought.
“Just go to sleep, nothing can hurt us here.” Zelda says as she lays down.
Link follows her lead and lays down. But it's obvious he doesn't want to take up any room, as he is basically falling off the bed.
“Link.” Zelda whispers.
“mhm?”
“You're allowed to take up room, you know that right?”
He doesn’t respond right away, but then he nods and repositions himself to have more room.
It takes Zelda a bit to fall asleep, she's worried about Link. What happened today was so unexpected, but at the same time she feels like she should have expected it. Was it obvious? Were there signs and Zelda was just too busy to see them?
Zelda is awoken in the middle of the night to a worker shaking her.
“Sorry to disturb you Princess, but your knight left in quite a hurry and left you a note, so I thought I should alert you.” The worker whispers.
Zelda shoots up in the bed.
“Thank you for alerting me sir.” Zelda says as she quickly grabs the note that is set in the place Link was hours before and rushes outside.
She looks around and sees Link on top of a hill tying a rope that is attached to a tree around his neck.
She stuffs the note in her pocket and runs up the hill.
“Link!” She yells.
Link turns around, horror plastered on his face.
“Zelda?”
“Link! Please think about this!” Zelda begins to come closer to him.
“No! Don't come any closer!” He screams.
She stops, “Okay Link, I won't. I'm going to stay right here, promise.”
“Link please talk to me, tell me what's wrong. Or at least don't do this, we can get you help.”
“It's no use Zelda, there's no hope for me. And either way, there's no point in living anymore. I did what I was ‘destined’ to do. And now, I'm just a shell, there's no longer a point to me existing. You will get another knight. Probably someone better than me, someone who doesn't make as many mistakes.”
“You don't need a destiny to live, Link. Maybe your new purpose is to just be happy. And I don't want another knight. I want you.” Zelda insists.
“Why?”
“Because you're smart, funny, strong, brave. Everything a good knight is. And haven't you ever thought that you'll find love one day? that you'll get married and have kids? Don't you want that?”
“I already have, but I can't have her so there's no point. It was wonderful being your knight Zelda.”
He goes to kick the rock.
“NO!” Zelda rushes to link and grabs him before he can.
“Link you have so much to live for. We can get you help, we can help you be happy again. Just please, don't do this.” Zelda begs.
Link laughs a little.
“What-?” Zelda asks. This is no time to be laughing.
“The one I can't have- is you.” Link confesses.
Zelda stares at him wide eyed.
“Wait, I don't get it, why can't you have me?” Zelda asks, confused.
“You're a princess, Zelda. And I just happen to be your knight. If I wasn't, I would just be another common person. I'm no one special.”
“Link, you are the chosen hero by the goddess herself. You are like- the most special person I know.”
“Okay, but even then, you don't like me, so I can't have you anyway.”
“And who says I don't like you?”
Link shrugs, “You haven't given me any signs.”
Zelda scoffs. “I literally compliment you everyday. I hug you, give you gifts. Are those not good enough signs?”
Link stops, “So you do like me?”
“Oh my goddess link yes, yes I do. I love you.”
Link doesn't say anything.
“Now can we get down now? And can I help you get better?” Zelda asks.
Link nods, accepting that he's not going to die tonight. “Yeah, we can. Can we just leave though? It's almost morning anyway.”
“Yes, yes we can.”
Zelda takes the rope off of his neck.
“I love you link, but I think we should wait to make anything official until you're more mentally stable.”
Link nods, “I love you too.”
Zelda wraps her arms around him and they hug for a bit.
They get back to the stable and gather their stuff, making sure to get the master sword. They check out their horses and continue on the road to Hateno. Zelda hopes link will get better. She doesn't want to lose him, he means too much to her.