"I wonder what could be taking him so long?"

The morning sun had just passed the top of the Lanayru mountain ranges, bringing rays of light onto the Zora River and the Inogo Bridge where Zelda stood. It was quite the breathtaking sight, the sun glistening off the tall blades of grass, helping keep Hyrule's princess at ease while she waited.

While they waited, she quietly reminded herself. She was never truly alone in her travels across the kingdom; indeed, a quick glance confirmed that Link, her appointed knight and prophesied savior of Hyrule, was at her side as always.

"I mean, not that I'm the impatient type," she continued, "but it's not like Prince Sidon to be unpunctual."

Zelda did not get a reply, nor she did expect one. Link was never one for words, yet she felt something needed to be said lest things fall into silence. They were not awkward silences; she had grown to appreciate the quiet in their travels, like there was little that needed to be said. But right now, she certainly wouldn't have minded the distraction.

As they were on a tight schedule, Zelda and Link were quick to get up and depart from the stable they were staying at. A little too quickly for her, unfortunately, for she had neglected to visit an outhouse before leaving, a mistake she has only further regretted with time.

Their current location was not helping, either. Prince Sidon was a Zora, meaning he would likely be swimming down the river to meet up with them. Zelda had to keep an eye out for him, but that meant staring at the gallons upon gallons of water flowing towards her and listening to its gentle flowing sounds, both constant reminders of something she would really like to take care of soon.

"Um..." came a voice next to her.

"Yes?" Zelda glanced at Link to find him looking at her in concern. It was at this moment she became aware of the tenseness in her face and the fidget in her leg, both of which she promptly corrected.

"Ah, worried about Sidon, too?" she quickly followed up with. "I'm sure he's fine, likely just making sure the trail is safe for us." Zelda looked back at the river. "Though I do wish he would show soon. I'm starting to worry about him, myself."

As if on cue, something in the distance caught her eye. A blue on the water's surface was moving towards them, and quickly at that. She wondered for a moment if she should be worried, but that fell away once she could make out the red color of a certain zora as it got closer.

"Well, guess we don't have to worry now," she quipped.

Right as he reached the bridge, the zora shot straight up from the water and landed in front of the travelers in a stylish three-point landing. He then stood up straight to reveal himself as Prince Sidon, already a bit taller than the other two despite his young age.

"Ah, Princess Zelda and Link!" said Sidon with a smile, "It is good to see the two of you again."

"We are happy to see you as well," said Zelda, performing a small bow.

"I hope you can forgive me for my lateness. I was held up back at our domain by some last-minute business."

Much as her bladder wanted her to say something, Zelda shook her head instead. They had business to attend to before she could deal with her personal business. "It is quite alright. We were just enjoying the view while we waited."

"Well, that's good to hear. I take it you're both here to help us with our divine beast troubles?"

"Yes. Is Mipha still having difficulty getting Vah Ruta to move?"

"Sure is." Sidon rubbed his chin. "It's the darndest thing, too. She had it moving all around the reservoir the day before, and the next, it won't budge an inch. We have no clue what could be going wrong."

Zelda lowered her head in thought. "Hmm, that is a real conundrum. I'm not sure what the source of the problem could be, either." She lifted her head back up. "We will have to visit Vah Ruta and examine it ourselves."

Sidon chuckled. "Good thing we were making preparations for your visit already. If nothing else, I'm sure Mipha and father will enjoy seeing you two again!"

"Yes, Link and Mipha do get along quite well, don't you?" She turned to Link with a smile.

At this, Link glanced away and rubbed the back of his head. Zelda felt like giggling at his embarrassment, but a pulse from below her stomach reminded her of more pressing matters.

"Er, I'm sorry to break the conversation, but we should probably make our way towards Zora's Domain now," said Zelda.

"Oh, of course!" Sidon looked at the two of them. "Er, will it just be the two of you on the trail?"

"Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all, I just expected the Princess to travel with more knights. We're not exactly living in peaceful times, you know."

"I appreciate the concern, but Link has proven himself to be all the protection I need." Zelda then held up the Shiekah Slate in her hand. "And it's not like I'm entirely defenseless by myself. This device has proven to have quite a few tricks up its sleeve. Did you know it can produce explosives made of nothing but hard light?"

Sidon beamed. "Wow! If it's anything like Vah Ruta, I'd be more worried for anyone that tried to attack you." He laughed for a bit. "Well then, I'll head back up towards the domain to make sure everything's ready for your visit. I didn't see any monsters on the way down here, so you both should be fine."

Prince Sidon then flexed his shoulder and flashed a smile that Zelda imagined has made many zora girls swoon. "Until we meet again! Stay safe!"

With that, the prince leapt back into the water with flawless technique and swam back upstream. If not for the splashes tantalizing her bladder right now, Zelda would have likely dwelled on the zora's masterful attunement with water.

"Come now, Link, we should not keep the zoras waiting long," said Zelda as she started walking the trail. Behind her, Link nodded and began following her.

If memory serves me, it should only be a couple hours walk to Zora's Domain, Zelda thought to herself. I have held out for longer before, especially with him right behind me. Surely, I can make it through this just fine.

As it turned out, Zelda was not feeling very fine.

Normally, the peaceful views of Hyrule's nature helped her find some form of tranquility in tough times. Unfortunately, the sights along this trail were nothing but torture for the relief-craving princess. Everywhere she turned, there was either a flowing river, small waterfalls crashing into the rocks, or standing puddles that she had no choice but to walk across, all of them amplifying the signals in her body to make a waterfall of her own.

They were hardly halfway to the Domain, not even reaching Luto's Crossing yet, and her confidence fell into worry as the discomfort in her bladder grew worse. She was thankful that Link decided to walk ahead of her, for it was getting too difficult to hide the stiffness in her walk.

Yet despite her desperation, the solution of simply requesting a quick break was unthinkable to her, and the man in front of her was why. Though she no longer took out her frustrations on him, Zelda still could not help but feel a bit of envy whenever she looked at Link. He had taken to the legendary Master Sword like a rito to the sky, becoming an expert with it in hardly any time at all. Meanwhile, for all of her efforts and pressure from her father, the supposed power she possessed as a descendant of Hylia just would not come to her.

What was Link doing to earn his ability that she wasn't? She had contemplated undergoing the same training regimen as him and see if that worked. Perhaps now was the best time to try this out, and the first thing was holding out until they could come across a bathroom like a proper princess and soldier. Her urine may be begging her to let it out, but she would endure it if it meant unlocking the power that would seal away Calamity Ganon once more.

"Oh!"

If only the seal on her bladder could be just as strong.

A painful wave hit Zelda out of the blue, making her halt in her tracks and grab herself. Even worse, she could feel a dribble of warmth in her undergarments, with the feeling of even more just waiting to slip past her defenses. Fortunately, her resolve proved stronger at the moment, and nothing more leaked out just then, but the sheer fact that this had happened filled her breathing with anxiety.

Link clearing his throat three feet from her did not help, either.

"Oh, L-Link!" Zelda took a step back and stood up straight as she finally remembered his presence. He had to have heard her earlier, she surmised, and now he was checking to see if she was fine. She was normally okay with this, but him knowing of her need for a potty break was too much. She quietly thanked the fact she was wearing dark trousers at the moment.

"Y-you don't need to worry about me," she started, "I, er, was just… h-having some discomfort in my stomach!"

Link tilted his head, the concern in his eyes not diminishing.

"I think it's just part of my breakfast not agreeing with me, that's all." Zelda smiled to try and better hide the actual discomfort she was feeling. "Let's keep going. If it doesn't get any better, I'm sure the zoras will have something to help me with, alright?"

A few agonizingly long seconds passed with Link still standing there and Zelda faking her smile until he finally nodded and turned back around. Once he had gotten far enough from her, Zelda dropped her grin and returned her hand to her groin as she walked behind him.

This is bad, she thought, at this rate, I will never make it to Zora's Domain in time! She looked all around her for an answer that did not involve crouching behind some bushes, but nothing would come to her. Both the pressure of thinking on the spot and the pain from her urge to pee acted as powerful mental blocks. All the while, her worry only grew worse. She shuddered at the thought of Link seeing her wetting herself, the sheer shame freezing her to the spot and haunting her for all time.

Wait, freezing? Time?

An idea popped into her head just then. A poor idea, likely one with little chance of success, but it was all she had.

Zelda grabbed the Sheikah Slate attached to her hip and thumbed through its different runes until she brought up one called Stasis. She knew from testing that it had the ability to freeze an object in place for a little while, even living things like birds and bokoblins. It didn't appear harmful so long as the creature in question wasn't struck by anything, but she had to wonder just how precise she could adjust its locking properties.

Zelda fiddled with the slate until she believed to have achieved the desired result. Now activated, she placed the slate directly onto her distended bladder. It was probably the most boneheaded thing she had done in a long time, but her higher thinking was impaired at the moment, and what was science without a bit of risk anyway?

Throwing caution to the wind, Zelda pressed the button to activate the stasis, bracing herself for any number of things to go wrong. However, she did not expect to feel no change at all downstairs.

Had it activated, she wondered? It had to have; she heard the noise of ethereal chains locking something in place, yet the pressure of so much urine in her was still present.

No, wait, something was different. The discomfort remained, but it did not feel like it was trying to force its way out. She tested this by slightly relaxing the muscles in her urethra. Nothing came out, so she put her hands to her side and started walking normally. Not a single drop spilled, not even when she applied a bit of pressure to try and force a bit out.

Zelda would have danced if she thought it wouldn't get Link's attention. It had worked! She did not know for how long or if there would be any side effects, but it was hard to be concerned at the moment. She now stood a chance of reaching Zora's Domain and finding a suitable restroom, with Link never learning of her plight.

Even better, a look at the map on the slate confirmed that Luto's Crossing was just up ahead, and it wouldn't be long from there to the Domain. They just had to take the narrow, winding trail with jagged cliffs towering above them. She almost couldn't wait for the bridge to come into view now.

Which made it all the more sudden when Link came to a stop and put his hand up for Zelda to do the same.

"Er, is something wrong?" she asked.

Link made no noise, but Zelda could see his hand tensing up into a fist and reaching towards his sword. Whatever it was, he was not taking it lightly. She immediately got quiet and started looking around for anything that wasn't right.

"Raaah!"

It all happened so fast, Zelda nearly did not have time to process it. A lizalfos leapt down from one of the cliff walls towards Link, a spear clutched in its hands ready to skewer. Link, however, was already prepared for such a thing. In one fluid motion, he unsheathed the Master Sword and his shield, knocking away the tip of the spear while striking the monster in the chest, sending it falling to the side.

Zelda gasped at the quick turn of events, but had no time to do anything else. Two more lizalfos jumped down from the walls to join their brethren as the first one got back to its feet. They shrieked and snarled, ready for a fight, but Link only lifted his weapons into a defensive stance in response.

Meanwhile, Zelda knew the best thing she could do was stay out of harm's way, so she ran behind a corner in the rock wall, making sure to look out for any other monsters behind them. Once she was safe, she looked back at Link, who was looking back at her. They exchanged a nod before Link returned his attention to the enemies before him.

The lizalfos began their attack, leaping into battle with their weapons drawn, but Link was just as quick to respond. Despite being outnumbered, his training proved effective at dealing with the monsters as he weaved in and out of their range, dodging and blocking all their blows while landing a few hits of his own.

Zelda had seen him face down several enemies and come out on top before, but it never failed to impress her. His dedication to his duty was something she could admire, even if it somehow produced better results than hers.

Even now, Link was already close to defeating the pack, having already felled one monster. He parried another blow from the second, then leapt into the air and brought the Master Sword down onto its head, ending that one as well. Unfortunately, in his haste, it had left him wide open to attack.

"Look out!" yelled Zelda, but it was too late. The third lizalfos leapt in with a powerful smack from its tail, sending Link tumbling towards the wall. His sword fell out of his grip and onto the ground nearby, but by the time he regained his senses, the monster was already closing in on him.

Link needed rescue, and Zelda knew it. She immediately took out the Sheikah Slate and thumbed over to the stasis rune, ready to cast it but stopping her finger just short. The slate could only handle one rune, one target at a time, and it was still active on her bladder, possibly the only thing keeping its contents in check now. If she were to turn it off now, she had no idea what would happen next.

Zelda shook these thoughts out of her head. Someone's life was on the line; her bladder was the last thing she needed to worry about right now. Without hesitation, she deactivated the stasis and changed its target, aiming it right at the lizalfos. Just as it was about to bring its club down upon Link, a series of magic chains appeared and locked the monster in place, trapping it in a yellow glow. For a moment, Link sat there and blinked, looking unsure as to what had just happened.

"He's frozen! Get him now!" yelled Zelda.

Wasting no time, Link rushed over and grabbed his blade. He then returned to the frozen monster and proceeded to deal a flurry of blows, the Master Sword effortlessly slicing against the flesh, finishing with a strong upward swing just as the stasis expired on the lizalfos. The momentum of so many strikes unloaded all at once, launching the monster through the air and off the cliff behind them. Its shrieking could be heard all the way to the bottom, never to harm another soul again.

The danger had passed, and neither of them were seriously hurt. That alone should have been cause for Zelda to celebrate, not even considering that she helped out for once, but she could not think about that right now. While Link put his weapon away, all of her attention was forced onto the pain and pressure that returned to between her legs with a jolt. She had failed to take into account the subtle forces she imparted on her bladder just from walking building up the kinetic energy inside, and now that the stasis was gone, the overwhelming pressure hit hard.

Zelda whimpered at the renewed warmth in her smallclothes. No matter how hard she tried, she could not completely halt the flow, and so the wet feeling only grew bigger. By the time Link walked up to her, she could feel a trail running down her leg.

"L-Link," she tried to speak to her worried-looking friend, her voice choked up.

It was pointless, and she knew it. Nothing she could say or do would avert her fate, let alone without Link being able to see, hear, and smell every last drop. With deep reluctance, Zelda lowered her head and removed her hands from her groin.

"P-please don't watch," was the last thing she said.

The faintest hissing could be heard as Zelda felt urine soaking her undergarments and quickly making its way elsewhere. Trails ran down her legs both inside and outside her trousers, the dark colors no longer able to hide the accident. Even without that, the multiple drops and broken streams of gold-tinted liquid pouring from the crotch and piddling onto the ground below would remove all doubt from anyone as to what was happening.

As disgraceful, disgusting, and demeaning as it felt to wet herself like a child, Zelda could not deny the pleasure that came with finally letting go of such a discomforting burden. She let out an open-mouthed moan and closed her eyes to take in the bliss working against the gross feelings on her legs and feet. The muscles in her legs grew weak in fatigue and pleasure, and she could no longer resist the urge to not stand anymore.

Zelda slid down to her knees while her peeing continued, resting her bottom on her ankles. While this meant much less of it was going down the legs and into her boots, the uncomfortable warmth now spread to her rump. Multiple drops and tiny streams dribbled from the back of her pants, making the puddle beneath her grow quicker.

It was here that she remained for the remaining minute that her relief lasted, the puddle nearly reaching her knees. As her flow tapered off, the satisfaction of an empty bladder was no longer enough to keep the shame at bay. The Princess of Hyrule and the one who would ultimately seal Ganon away had peed her pants. What would her father, nay, the citizens that depended on her think of her if they knew? What did Link, the sole witness of her accident, think of her now?

A lone tear ran down Zelda's cheek while she stifled a sob. She wanted nothing more than to cry her eyes out and hope it was all just a bad dream, but she couldn't. She was a princess, and she had to carry at least a modicum of grace and strength no matter what.

With that in mind, Zelda slowly stood back up, wincing at the discomfort of her pants clinging to her legs and bottom. Now that her attention was focused elsewhere, she finally noticed that she was staring at the back of Link's head. Seems like he had complied with her request after all. Always at her beck and call, that one.

"Link," said Zelda in a shaky voice, "You may look now."

Perking up, Link turned around, revealing a brighter shade of red on his cheeks than normal. He took no more than a quick glance below Zelda's waist to see the damage for himself before going back to eye contact. Zelda had her hands in front of her groin, though that did little to hide the wetness, which left a shine on her pants in the sunlight.

"I… I owe you an apology for my behavior," said Zelda, unable to look Link in the eye. "You might have guessed by now, but I have not been entirely honest with you. The truth is, I knew I should have said something to you a while back, but I was a little… envious of you."

To this, Link raised an eyebrow.

"Y-yes, you realized your potential with such ease, while I've yet to feel even a bit of the power I supposedly possess." Zelda placed a hand on her chest. "So I thought if I tried to act as strong as you, then I would finally unlock my powers. I realize now that I was going about it the wrong way, and that maybe I wasn't meant to be strong in the first place. Maybe I..."

She looked down and to the side, unable to say the next few words, no matter how truthful they may be. Perhaps they didn't need to be said; surely, Link could see it clear as day now. Could the goddess really have entrusted such a great power to someone still capable of wetting themselves?

She was not able to dwell on this thought any longer. A warm hand gently rested itself on her upper arm, pulling her attention back to Link. He did not need words to convey his feelings to her, only the comfort of his smile and the compassion visible in his eyes.

It was then Zelda remembered the bigger picture of their task. The pesky doubts that weighed down on her faded from her mind, not gone entirely but not as overbearing. For the first time since this morning, she found a genuine smile once more.

"I'm being quite silly, aren't I?" Zelda giggled. "We survived an attack by dangerous creatures, and here I am moping about ruining a pair of trousers. Really, I should be glad we're both not hurt. We still have a chance to fulfill our destinies, after all."

Gently, Zelda reached up and took Link's hand off her arm. As he withdrew his hand, she looked down to survey the damage to her leggings with a frown.

"Hmm, I doubt it would be a good idea if I met with the zoras like this. I suppose backtracking to a pond to clean myself up is in order." She chuckled to herself. "It seems Sidon will not be the only one late for his duties today."

Link let out a chuckle himself and turned towards the trail they had just come from.

"Oh, and Link?" asked Zelda.

He turned around to see Zelda smiling at him.

"Thank you for being with me."

With a gasp, Link suddenly became aware of his surroundings again. He glanced around the trees and mountains that made up the Lanayru region to make sure he wasn't being watched. All that he could see was the occasional bird and lizard going by, so he returned his attention to the spot on the ground in front of him.

It was right here, he remembered; the exact spot where Zelda had her unfortunate mishap after that monster ambush. Time and nature had evaporated any trace of her accident long ago, but the memory was as fresh in his mind as if it had just happened.

He had gotten used to having these flashbacks on his journey, but there was something about this particular memory that made it different from the others. He could almost reach out and wipe a tear off Zelda's cheek right now, maybe even say a word or two to comfort her in her time of need.

Of course, he knew she wasn't there. Zelda was still awaiting him in Hyrule Castle, and so was Ganon and the rest of his destiny. Much as he would like to stay here and reminisce, Link had a job to finish. With his cheeks a little rosier than normal, Link put his Shiekah Slate back to his hip and walked off towards Zora's Domain, letting the scene of her wetting fall into peace once more. Once Zelda was safe, he would have all the time in the world to share memories with her.

Though this was one memory he would keep to himself.