Title: The Price of Surrender
By: Jadealiya
Pairing: Link/Zelda
Fandom: Legend of Zelda
Theme: #28 Wada Calcium CD3 ("milk")
Timeline: Pseudo/Post Ocarina of Time
Disclaimer: Nintendo's characters, written neither for profit nor gain

Link watched Epona grazing in the early spring grass at the edge of the forest. It wasn't fair, the young man reflected grimly, that she was allowed to be so relaxed. The rest of the Kingdom seemed ready to drive themselves and their hero into an early grave, harassing him with every little detail of the big event. It was a matter of national security, really, that Link find some moment of peace before the ceremony. Otherwise, he might mistake a minstrel for a moblin and do serious damage to his hero image.

Not to mention ruin his wedding.

Leaning back against a tree, Link closed his eyes, letting the early morning sun warm away some of the tension that had been steadily building in the previous weeks. Everything was going to be fine. He and his bride were going to be very happy. Nothing was going to change.

Epona whickered softly in greeting, disrupting Link's thoughts. Someone had found his hiding place, someone the horse knew. Fearing a last minute catering crisis, Link dared to crack an eyelid and assess the disturbance.

Princess Zelda stood by Epona, patting the horse and smiling at Link.

Jumping to his feet, the hero walked over, heart pounding, attempting to brush the bits of grass and dirt off of his worn tunic. The sunlight made the Princess' hair glow and highlighted the embroidery of her gown.

The Princess' smile grew bigger as he approached. "When I heard you had gone for a ride to escape the pressure of choosing last minute flower arrangements, I thought I would find you here. Good morning, Link."

Shaking his head, fully processing the scene before him, Link said the first thing that came to mind. "Zelda! You shouldn't be here!"

The Princess laughed softly. "Oh? Why not?"

"Well, you should be off doing…whatever it is you need to do! And besides, well…"

Zelda looked down at her gown, smoothing out its folds and blushing slightly. "A foolish notion, Link. No ill will come from this outing. Besides, I wanted to see you."

Link looked intently at Epona's saddle, avoiding eye contact with his Princess. A moment, almost uncomfortably long, passed as Zelda studied the hero. When she finally broke the silence, Zelda's voice was slightly strained, a sign of forced levity. "I certainly hope you are not planning to wear that."

Link frowned, looking up at Zelda in spite of himself. "Why not?"

"Most of the kingdom is coming, Link! The bridegroom cannot be wearing a faded green tunic, even if that is the outfit you wore when you became a hero!"

The look of horror on the Princess' face was almost worth continuing the charade, but Link found he was lacking the energy to maintain his humor for any amount of time. "Relax, princess, I'm planning to change. I have plenty of time. If the bride isn't locked up in her room, there's no reason I should be."

Zelda nodded, looking at a spot somewhere beyond Link. "Of course. I know you know better."

Sighing softly, Link ran a hand through his hair, glancing around the clearing. She appeared to have come alone, forgoing her normal entourage of servants and guards. "Zelda…why are you here?"

Zelda studied the ground, the faint blush returning to her face. "I wanted to see you. And…"

Link stepped closer, placing a hand on Zelda's shoulder, his voice sounding small and unfamiliar to his ears. "And?"

Zelda looked up, meeting his eyes. "And…" Standing on her tip-toes, Zelda closed the distance between them slowly, bringing her lips close enough to Link's that he imagined he could taste her breath. At the last moment, the Princess altered the angle of her face slightly, pressing a cool kiss on Link's cheek.

Drawing back quickly, Zelda's face was the picture of impassive serenity. "And congratulate you, since I will not be able to attend the ceremony."

"Why?" Again, Link's voice sounded like a stranger's.

"As you said, I need to worry about those things I should be doing. A ruler's job is never finished. And….well, it doesn't matter. You are right, I shouldn't be here. There are still minions of the Dark King lurking about, hoping to catch me alone." Turning away suddenly, the Princess seemed ready to flee back to the castle at that instance.

Link watched her walk a moment, and then turned back to Epona, ready to escort his ruler back to her guards before returning to the farm and preparing for the festivities. Placing a foot in the stirrup, Link paused as Zelda stopped, glancing back at him.

"Link you mentioned… the bride is similarly distracted this morning? Where is she?" Zelda faltered slightly, her near legendary ability to find the right words slipping for a moment.

Link concentrated on checking Epona's very secure harness, pulling at a strap that had no need of being tightened. "Yeah well…as she told me this morning, wedding day or not, the cows weren't going to milk themselves."

Zelda nodded, taking another step away. Link cleared his throat and called out to her softly, "Princess…it feels like I'm wronging you somehow."

Turning her face away from her hero and blinking furiously, Zelda allowed some sharpness to entered her reply. "You aren't. We've been through this. Whatever may have been between us, Link, we both knew it could never move beyond friendship. My father would never give my hand so cheaply. And you love Malon, do you not?"

Pulling himself into the saddle, Link could feel the tension returning full force. The cost of Zelda's hand was the last thing he wanted to think about today. His short lived courtship of the princess had been an embarrassing disaster, given the force with which the king opposed the match. It was perhaps the only battle Link had ever viewed as hopeless.

In contrast, winning Malon's love had been so simple, and certainly worthwhile. He could picture his bride-to-be clearly. Malon was the picture of perfection; spirited, wild, dedicated to carving a path of happiness for herself and all those she cared about. What man wouldn't love her? Opening his mouth to tell the princess as much, Link found his voice faltered, refusing to shape the words.

After a moment's silence, Zelda continued walking with stiff, hurried steps. Her face was set firmly on the opposite edge of the clearing, but Link heard the sharp intake of breath, saw the faint trembling of her shoulders.

Giving up on speech, Link held Epona in place, letting Zelda hurry off unaccompanied. He had made his choice.

It had been hopeless. He deserved to be happy.

Yet he couldn't help but shake the unease he felt with a single simple fact. Even if the fight had been hopeless…It was perhaps the only fight he had ever walked away from.

The princess now out of sight, Link nudged his horse forward and did his best to leave his doubts behind.