Author's notes: it's been a while, eh? Sorry about that. Just as a heads up – I am obsessed with Gorons. I really like them, so from this chapter onwards you can expect a lot more Goron as well as more Link/Zelda romance. Enjoy this chapter and please don't forget to leave a review when you're done.

"Leader of the Goron Tribe, Darunia!" Came the cry from the announcer, and Link started a little, relaxing the grip on his sword and bracing himself as best he could in formation. He was long overdue a Goron hug, and it was likely going to hurt...

Darunia entered the throne room, plodding slowly towards the King and Princess. 'He's trying to tread softly,' Link realised, watching how the Goron Leader was walking. It was like watching a drunkard try to slowly and quietly creep around the barracks at night – amusing, but ultimately ineffective.

Darunia had fresh patterns traced onto his skin using clays of green and yellow to signify the transition of the seasons from winter to spring. Whispers began circulating as the Goron walked by – many of the townsfolk had never had the privilege of seeing one in person, and naturally they were shocked by something which to them probably just looked like a living, walking boulder with a face.

Eventually Darunia reached the throne, and he sank to one knee, causing the portraits and Hylian emblems hanging on the walls to shake slightly.

"Greetings, Royal Family of Hyrule!" Darunia said in a loud, booming voice. Link couldn't help but smile – he knew the Goron was just itching to call them 'brothers'. "It is a very great honour for you to invite me here for the reasons that you did." He rose to his feet again, looking around. "I am very glad to-"

The moment happened. Darunia and Link's eyes locked. Link shot him a grin, unable to contain the chuckle bubbling in his chest at the Goron's surprised face. Then, the green and yellow decorated face burst into its own smile, and he cried, "Brother Link!"

Before Link or anyone else could protest, Darunia raced towards him, dragged him out of formation, and hugged the Hylian, hard. He held Link so tightly to his broad chest, lifting him up off the ground. All the while Link was laughing, and he wondered whether he had gone mad or if it was just delirium from the air being squeezed out of him. Darunia held Link at arms' length, not realising he'd pulled the man from his feet.

"Brother Link!" He boomed again, the broadest smile anyone had ever seen a Goron pull, "It is good to see you again, Brother! How have you been? This is just great! We have not seen each other for many of your Hylian years." Darunia pulled him closer, affectionately. Link was still chuckling a little bit, his feet still several inches off the ground.

Darunia then realised just what he'd done, and he turned to face the King and Princess again. Zelda was covering her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh – Impa seemed exasperated by the entire affair, and the King seemed mildly interested. "I apologise for my rudeness, bro- your Highnesses!" He explained in a loud voice which echoed throughout the chamber, "but it has been so long since I have seen Goron Brother Link!"

The King raised an eyebrow as Zelda couldn't conceal the single giggle from behind her hand. One look from him silenced her, and she sobered, composing herself properly. It was just so funny to her, seeing her Captain several inches off the floor and clearly being squished by a Goron!

"No apology is needed, Darunia," he said mildly, "although you may want to put our Captain of the Royal Guard down – I think he needs to breathe."

Darunia started and realised what he'd been doing, and he immediately dropped Link back down to the ground. The laughter of the noblemen rippled through the hall. Weakly, Link bowed to the Royal Family and other nobles before limping back into formation, cracking his back when he did. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face – it truly was good to see the Goron Leader again, and his social mishaps had broken the monotony of the day for him.

When Link regained his focus, the King was addressing his audience.

"... Goron Leader Darunia is our honoured guest for the foreseeable future," the King announced, addressing the entire hall, "he has brought with him ten members of the Goron tribe. They have come a long way from Death Mountain and will be housed..."

Link allowed his focus to wander again. Just why was Darunia here? He frowned. Surely he wasn't one of Zelda's suitors? He almost began laughing again at the thought, and then again when he realised that Darunia was probably the only person other than himself he'd be happy to see Zelda married to. He idly imagined attempting to squeeze Darunia into clothes too small for him for the wedding, suppressing another chuckle as he thought of the ripping cloth.

Despite his size and fearlessness on the battlefield, Darunia was a jolly, friendly soul who enjoyed learning and pleasant conversation with others. He allowed his tribes-people open access to his chambers and made sure that everyone else was served their meal before he was, because he wanted them to know that he thought he was no better than any other Goron – they truly were equals (or 'Brothers', to use the Goron term).

As the Court carried on with its daily business, Link allowed his mind to wander for a moment... again. A lot had happened in such a short space of time, and he was under no illusion that it was a fleeting thing, so he was trying to savour every moment of it.

He had become Zelda's paramour. The first time they met after they consented to it via Impa was when he was guarding her chambers at night...

Zelda opened the door and looked quite flustered. The Captain found himself at bit of a loss as well. He went to say something, but instead laughed nervously. Zelda beamed at him. Feeling a rush of courage, Link reached forward and took her hand in his, smiling as he rubbed the smooth skin of her hand with his calloused one. The Princess blushed again, hoping the darkness concealed it.

They stayed like that for a while saying nothing, until Zelda reached inside the heavy robe she had drawn around herself to protect her from the chill of night and produced a piece of parchment. She pushed it towards Link. "I wrote that for you," she whispered quietly, eyes shining in the darkness of the corridor.

Link frowned and shifted guiltily. He dropped her hand for a moment.

"I... I can't read, My Lady," he said quietly, formally. He looked as forlorn and ashamed as he felt.

Zelda blinked. "You cannot read?" She repeated slowly. Link nodded.

"Only names and places," he whispered back, not meeting her eyes. He was reminded yet again of his inferiority.

Zelda thought for a beat, and clutched Link's hands again in hers. They were a little cold from him standing in the dimly lit, drafty corridor. She waited until his eyes eventually met hers, although they still contained traces of embarrassment and uncertainty. "I will teach you," she said resolutely, "and then you will be able to read it."

Link smiled indulgently, before quickly realising that the Princess was being serious. "Zelda..." he began, but she interrupted him.

"Nonsense. You're in my Royal Guard and I insist that you know how to read and write." She sounded quite authoritative for a moment. She paused, thinking. "We'll start tomorrow. Or later today, when the sun rises," she said, and Link felt a rush of affection for her as her eyes shone brightly with excitement. He grasped her hands more tightly in his own.

"Sounds wonderful," he said, not quite knowing what else to say. Impulsively, he brought the royal's pale, smooth hands to his lips and he kissed them each, and Zelda looked happy enough to burst.

"It's only right," she carried on matter-of-factly. "You're teaching me how to use a bow and arrow. It's only fair I teach you something too." Link gave her another indulgent smile.

"... Captain of the Royal Guard – and Honorary Goron Brother..." The King said with a wry smile, "would you be so kind as to escort Chieftain Darunia to his quarters? You must have some catching up to do."

Link gave a single nod, and stepped forward. He bowed again to the court before escorting Darunia out. He managed to wait until they were both outside before launching himself at the Goron Captain.

"It's been so long!" Link exclaimed, hanging from the Goron's shoulders, and Darunia chuckled warmly, the deep rumble of his laugh vibrating through Link's body.

"It certainly has, Brother," he said, before taking in Link's appearance properly and frowning. "You still have not grown."

An indulgent roll of the eyes. "Hylians don't grow the same way Gorons do."

"Are you still practising every day? Eating your green... greens?" Darunia paused, forgetting the Hylian equivalent to his diet of rocks.

Link nodded again. Darunia considered him thoughtfully for another moment, then nodded to himself as if deciding something.

"You need to wear the Goron markings, Brother. It will bring you good fortune for the season. I am surprised you have not painted yourself already." He paused. "We should do it tonight, Brother. Just before the sun sets."

Link nodded. He had been expecting this ever since he'd seen the Goron enter the throne room, but little could be done about it now. He escorted the Goron leader to his abode for the coming weeks, Darunia's booming laughter piercing through the tranquillity of the palace grounds as they swapped stories.

They were just about to enter the Goron's home – a large shed of sorts that had been decorated for the purpose of the visit – when a young recruit came running up to Link.

"Sir, you must come quickly, there's been a-" The boy stopped dead, gazing in awe up at Darunia. His mouth was actually slack.

Link's eyes narrowed. "You're not watching a play, boy, so stop your staring and tell me what's wrong."

The boy snapped himself out of it, and had the presence of mind to look ashamed. "Apologies, Sir. Anyway, a fight's broken out between the lads again-"

"Don't tell me," Link said with a groan, "Mincke and Sharl?" The boy nodded furiously. Link turned to Darunia, who had been watching this exchange with polite concern. "I have to go before those two end up killing each other," he explained quickly, "but I'll be back. Make yourselves at home. You can paint me later."

Darunia nodded, chuckling to himself as Link sped off.

"He's a true leader, Brother," Andesine, one of Darunia's assistants, said fondly. Darunia nodded again, folding his arms.

"Come inside, Brothers. We will get comfortable before we paint Brother Link this evening."

Link cleared the grounds in record time to see Mincke throwing a punch straight at Sharl's face. Luckily the taller of the two dodged, reaching for the other's neck, and then they were just scrabbling at each other, hoping to at least leave an impressive bruise on the other.

"This ends. NOW." Link yelled above the rabble, and he unsheathed his sword. The two men paused for long enough to look across at him, and for a moment they looked sheepishly towards him, before the complaints started coming in.

"Sir, he was the one who-"

"Don't tell lies, yer waste of space-"

"And then he called my mother a-"

"I never did such a thing!"

"And then he hit me with his-"

"ENOUGH!" Link yelled again, and he glared both of the men down until they avoided his gaze, embarrassed. Quite the crowd had amassed by now, and they watched curiously, waiting for Link's next move. He mustered the most disgusted look he could and kept it on his face as he talked them down.

"You are men of Hyrule. You are among the best fighters in the land. But you lack discipline. You've embarrassed yourselves, acting no better than little boys-" Link almost spat the word, "-if an enemy saw that, what would they think about the finest army in the land?

"You get to clean everybody's kit for the next week. Both of you. Understood?" It wasn't really a question. The crowd, losing interest, began to disperse and the two men stood about a foot apart, breathing heavily and still clearly angry. Link sheathed his weapon and folded his arms, daring them to defy him. "Get to it."

Mincke was the first to move. He perhaps had even mumbled an apology in Link's direction, but he couldn't be sure. Once Sharl had left, too (saying nothing and practically storming off), Link sighed and relaxed. He hadn't really been angry at them, but of course as Captain of the Royal Guard he had a duty to uphold the law amongst his men, and he had to be seen as willing to make an example of even some of the very best fighters in order to keep the rest of them in line. He turned, sighing, guilt settling in his stomach when his eyes met with Zelda's.

She had definitely seen everything. She looked shocked. Link took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. "Princess," he said, trying to ensure that his tone was neutral.

"Captain," Zelda said in response, although her voice rose slightly, as if she was questioning his conduct. Link winced. He hadn't meant for her to see that.

"I had to break it up," he said, trying not to sound defensive. He awkwardly looked around, checking that there were no eaves-droppers before he stepped a little closer. "They're painting me tonight. The Gorons," he added when he noticed that she looked puzzled, "it's going to be good. Come along and see me get permanent paint on myself."

Zelda blinked, this news enough to break her surprise. "Permanent?"

"Well... it'll last about six weeks," Link said with a bit of a shrug. It was something he'd been accustomed to during his stay with the Gorons previously, although after leaving the tribe he'd had no way to decorate himself to celebrate the changing of the seasons, so his skin had stayed fairly untouched since then. He scanned the Princess' features for signs of fear or disgust, and when he saw none he relaxed a little.

"Anyway. Ready for your lesson, Princess?" He asked casually enough, but his smile was affectionate. It made Zelda's worries melt away and she nodded eagerly.

With one thing or another happening recently, they hadn't been able to have their lessons as often as they would have liked. The King had fallen ill since they became lovers, meaning that Zelda had had to oversee more meetings and important decisions in his absence, whilst also trying to ensure that the palace Doctors got him back to full health quickly enough. The King still seemed a little off at times, although he insisted that he was well enough to resume his ordinary duties. Indeed, he'd done more than just that – he'd attended every single counsel session thus far and caused a few upsets, from what Link could garner – but it was good to see him back on his feet. With all that and everything else that had happened, this was the first time they would have been truly alone since their first kiss in the forest.

So with that, Zelda took Link's arm and they walked together towards their private meeting space. They kept their equipment inside Link's magical pouch for safekeeping, as a discarded bow and a set of arrows found could easily be misconstrued as a threat or bad omen if spotted by a passer-by. They passed by the Gorons' quarters as they walked, and although they couldn't see inside, Link could hear Darunia's voice issuing instructions to 'make the place more like home, Brothers'.

Eventually they made their way to the little clearing, and Link produced Zelda's bow from the pouch at his waist. He handed them to her with a smile, resisting the urge to press a kiss to her cheek as he watched her line up her shot. Although they were together, he still felt a slight nervousness about the whole situation. He couldn't just go up to her and kiss her, could he? She was a Princess, not some waitress in a Milk bar. Just what was appropriate behaviour?

... On the other hand, though, Zelda had just hit the target and she looked absolutely beautiful. She was frozen, bow still held upright, lips parted ever so slightly as she realised that for the first time she'd actually been successful.

"I did it...!" Zelda said quietly, lowering her bow. She turned to face Link, a look of triumph and excitement crossing her features. "I did it!" She said again, more loudly this time. She dropped her bow and threw her arms around Link's neck, laughing in surprise and delight at her accomplishment. Immediately she felt Link's strong arms curl around her waist, and she smiled widely into his neck. She felt him press a small kiss into her hair, before he quickly withdrew and held her at arms' length, as if inspecting a precious jewel for damage. His gaze was serious yet intent, as if he was fully prepared for the princess to push him away or refuse his affection.

With a rush of courage, Zelda moved back into her Captain's arms and pressed a kiss to his lips, drawing back long enough to say, "Thank you, teacher," before moving in again for a prolonged, more meaningful kiss. Her hands moved beneath Link's hat and into his hair, relishing the softness between her fingers as their lips moved against each other. Their tongues met and she felt Link pull her even closer, and her stomach flooded with affection and happiness. He smelled a bit like sweat, but she didn't mind.

At length they pulled apart from each other, smiles on both of their faces. Zelda's cheeks warmed as she saw the fondness in Link's eyes as he gazed at her, and she rested her head on his shoulder again.

They stayed like that for a little while, just relishing each other's company. Zelda listened to the sounds of the leaves in the trees brushing against each other in the slight breeze, and the chatter of birds high in the canopy, the secret witnesses to their little tryst. Her eyes closed, feeling completely at ease around her Captain; she trusted him with her safety as well as with her heart. An intense feeling was swelling in her breast, and she chalked it up to supreme joy. The moment really was perfect.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Only an understanding of contrasts allows us to discover impossibly perfect moments like these. Link was the first to pull away, again as if to examine the woman in his arms. His earlier concerns had melted away, and he felt as though he would never possibly have another moment where he was so satisfied with life. So his gaze was intense, taking in every last possible detail so that he could replay the moment perfectly in his mind's eye. Zelda of course was thinking much more practically, and was hoping to create more moments, when the moment was broken.

"It'll be dark soon," Link said softly, as if his voice would shatter the perfection of the moment. "Darunia will be looking for me."

Zelda nodded, although she did not relax her grip. Neither did Link. They nudged towards each other again, lips joining in a slower kiss than before. Though the previous kiss had had the excitement at Zelda's success, this seemed more intense despite its pace. That feeling pulsed and grew in Zelda's chest, and she tried to prolong the kiss even when Link began to pull away. Pride flooded Link's ego as the motion did not go unnoticed. Regretfully however he had to pull away, and stay away.

They walked slowly back into the main grounds of the palace, and true to Link's word, Darunia was standing outside his hut, with three of his assistants milling around, arms full of powder.

"Brother!... and Princess," Darunia added, racking his brains to remember the appropriate form of address for Zelda. He bowed a second later, and the motion was very clumsy. It was very un-Goron-like. Zelda composed herself appropriately and returned the formality.

"I believe you will be painting my Captain," she said, folding her hands across her middle primly. Darunia nodded with enthusiasm.

"That is correct, Princess! Goron Brother Link is a few weeks late in decorating himself. It is tradition for us Gorons to celebrate successful seasons as well as expressing our hope for more of the same next season through art." He folded his arms across his barrel-like chest, proudly displaying his green and yellow artwork. Zelda moved closer to admire the handiwork.

"It's very beautiful," she said approvingly, Darunia turning around so that she could see the intricate display on his back. She lightly traced the scene with a finger. When she pulled her hand away, a greenish residue blemished her skin.

"That shows how we survived the cold winter, Brother," he said, forgetting completely the appropriate way to address the princess. He kept his back to her and his head turned to the side so that he could speak more easily. "We kept the fires burning for thirty days and thirty nights. We enjoyed the hot springs all winter long!

"Then the green shows our hope for a successful harvest. The yellow is for the new flowers and new Gorons, although this year we haven't had any yet."

Before they could get into the intricacies of Goron reproduction, they were interrupted by another young recruit sprinting towards Link.

"H... His Majesty," the boy gasped, clutching the stitch at his side, "He... Wants to see... ceremony... courtyard..."

"His Majesty the King wants to see the painting ceremony?" Link asked, to which the boy nodded. "Alright then. We'll make our way over." The boy ran off, awkwardly rubbing his side as he did so.

They made their way together to the courtyard area. As they walked Link chatted with the three assistants who would be preparing the paints – Andesine, Galena, and Sard. As Chief of the Gorons, Darunia would of course be the one doing the actual painting. He was talking to Zelda, explaining what the different colours symbolised.

"We will use a lot of red," Darunia announced, his loud voice carrying across the grounds, "in celebration of Brother Link's promotion. We will also use a lot of blue so that he will be victorious in whatever he does this season."

"Will you also use the greens and yellows that you have, Darunia?" Zelda asked him, fascinated by this unusual custom. Darunia nodded.

"He will have a different pattern because as a leader it is my job to provide a good harvest for my tribe," the Goron chieftain explained, "but he will have the same colours."

"Do you have other colours?"

"We have some gold for when a Goron decides to raise their own child. It shows that they have my approval before making a child. We also have orange for when the season changes to Autumn... and white for when a Goron crumbles into dust."

Zelda understood what Darunia was trying to say. "That's most unusual! For Hylians, we wear black when somebody... crumbles into dust. To wear white would cause a huge upset!"

"But that's nonsense!" Darunia cried, just as they arrived at the courtyard. They had to push their way through a small crowd to get into the centre and bow before the King, who was eyeing the entourage with interest. "White paint takes the longest to fade. It shows we will always remember the Brother who has crumbled."

Just as Zelda was about to comment on how actually, using white paint was a splendid idea, the King raised his hand, calling for silence.

"This evening we shall bear witness to a Goron ritual," he said in a carrying voice, "Which denotes the wishes of the Goron tribe for the coming season. My daughter, come here to watch this sacred moment with me," he added, extending his hand to her. Zelda quickly obliged and sat on the chair which had been brought out for her by Impa, who was watching the goings-on very closely.

Sard, Galena and Andesine began creating the paints. They worked quietly as Darunia stood before Link. It looked as if they were sizing each other up and were ready to fight, but the Goron elder was merely deciding where and what he would paint.

"Don't worry, Brother Link," Andesine whispered (although, of course, a Goron whisper was much like a regular conversational noise), "this paint will last a long time." Link smiled in thanks.

Soon the paints had been mixed. Andesine took the red bowl, Galena the blue, and Sard held both the yellow and green bowls. They held them up to Darunia for inspection. The Chieftain scrutinised the mixtures for a long time, pressing the substance between his fingers, testing its consistency and opacity. Galena added a little more powder to his bowl. He looked again. All was well and Darunia nodded.

The signal given, Link hesitated for the slightest of moments before shucking his tunic, tossing it to the floor. He heard a few gasps from the ladies present as they saw the huge scar that ran down his back, and did his best to ignore them. He faced Darunia patiently, a little chilly in the evening air, waiting.

First, Darunia swiped his fingertips through the red paste. Then, with surprising accuracy and delicacy for one with such heavy and thick fingers, he began painting the young man. His brow furrowed in concentration as he started on the Captain's face. First, he drew two sweeping lines beneath Link's eyes, and then followed this pattern across his chest. He drew a Goron symbol using the red paste on Link's right and left arm. Andesine immediately hurried to wipe Darunia's fingertips clean with a rough cloth he'd kept nearby before he dipped his fingertips into the blue mixture held by Galena. He drew an arrow-like shape pointing downwards from Link's forehead down between his eyebrows, then mimicked this pattern on his arms. For the chest, he merely dotted the mixture around.

Darunia paused as his fingers were wiped clean once again. His eyes were full of a question he did not want to ask before an audience. Link wanted this done properly, so without a word took off his trousers. That elicited another murmur or two from the audience, until the King barked at them to remain silence out of respect for this ancient ritual. Darunia took the red paint again and created a chevron-like pattern down both legs, front and back. His fingers were wiped again.

The scar tissue on Link's back was covered entirely with green paint. Then he dotted around splashes of yellow, blue and red, symbolising the flowers punctuating the fresh, green meadows of the season. As he worked the night sky was getting darker and darker, and the servants began hurrying in and out of the castle to bring torches so that everyone could still see. The crowd began to diminish as the air grew even cooler, and Link fought off the urge to shiver.

After what felt like a long time, Darunia stepped back and admired his work. He looked extremely pleased with himself. He then worked some sand ground from only the very best Goron rock to dry the paint completely, before hurriedly handing Link back his clothes. The Captain put them back on, restraining himself from rushing the job. He did not want to appear troubled by his public nudity. He then turned to face the King, seeking his approval.

The King began to applaud Darunia's efforts, and the remaining mill of people followed suit. Link snuck a glance or two at Zelda, who seemed a little flustered. Impa was no longer there.

"I give you my thanks," The King said loudly, and the applause immediately died down so that he could be heard. "This is a sacred ceremony not meant for our eyes. But you sharing this moment with us has touched me dearly. We shall treasure this night as the time when Gorons and Hylians demonstrated their love and allegiance to each other." Darunia nodded approvingly.

"This has made us closer," he said in agreement. He clapped a hand on Link's shoulder, almost throwing it out of joint, but he didn't notice.

"Father, you must go inside now. I don't want you to fall ill again," Zelda said gently, tugging a little on her father's arm. The King resisted for a moment before complying with her request. Link couldn't help but notice that she wasn't looking at him, and paranoia plucked at his thoughts. Had she not liked what she had seen? Was she embarrassed? Appalled? Disgusted?

"Brother, let's go inside," Darunia said. "We need to eat."