Rated T because of adult themes, nothing explicit but it's implied.

The golden rays poured through the window and began to crawl along the floor, slowly illuminating the sleepy room. The light fell across an empty bed; its owner already awake and dressed. Carefully, she pinned her hair, as bright as the sun, away from her face into a loose bun high on her head. Some locks of hair were left cascading down her face perfectly framing her rosy face. Her form boasted health and happiness, her smile brought life and mirth to her face.

However this was not her most captivating feature. Her eyes, the deepest yet clearest violet that ever existed, captivated men from all over the world. It seemed that all men to come across her immediately felt the need to make a fool of themselves by offering an impromptu declaration of their love for her. She had many suitors fumbling and arguing amongst each other.

Yet she knew when she looked in the mirror that her heart could never belong to any other man than that lowly goat herder who used to live in that small village to the south. After saving Hyrule, he was given the choice to live within the castle. He agreed. A few weeks later, he was knighted and was chosen to be her personal protector. They have been living in this situation for almost five years now and she had no doubt this man had become her dearest friend.

She finished pinning her hair and stood to check herself one last time. The sun had risen above the horizon and she knew that it was time to leave her room. She took a final glance at the mirror, and as if on cue, a quiet knock sounded at the door. She greeted the servant with a gentle smile and the young man, only around thirteen years of age, beamed up at her. She knew she had to be careful with her smile; she was fully aware of her power over men and this young boy was no different. He followed her steps to the dining room all the while with a smitten grin across his face. It didn't seem like he could help is reaction and only snapped out of it when his superior called out his name.

Zelda smirked to herself as she ate her breakfast. She knew that the man who held her heart possessed the very same power she had except he could very easily use it on anyone. In his younger days, he was prone to abusing this power to charm to his advantage, whether it was an extra slice of cake or a favour from one of the staff. Recently however, he was more mature, more humble, in his exchanges with others. His brash ways had been reduced to quiet considerate tones; his cheeks had become more defined as prominent angles began to shape his face. Of course, when it came to her, he would continue to express his naughtiness albeit in subtler ways.

From that mischievous boy, he grew into a handsome man. However the wildness that hung about him remained and added to his appeal; unmistakable was that glint in his eye, it was sparked whenever his gaze settled on her. The look that he gave her sent shivers up and down her spine. There was a rawness to it that made her excited and scared at the same time. Whenever he looked at her that way, she felt torn between the strict rules of propriety and her natural urges as a woman.

Her discipline and will power won at the end of the day but she had a distinct feeling it was because he was letting her win. If he wanted it to be, he could make her succumb to his wishes and she would gladly surrender herself before realizing what she was agreeing to. Not that she would complain about it.

She caught herself smiling at forbidden images flashing in her mind and silently reprimanded herself for being so obscene. She couldn't stop thinking about his hard body against hers, the heat between them intensifying. She decided then that she would take a short walk around the gardens near the training grounds to see if she could take a peek at him, hopefully shirtless, while training. Yes it was very early in the morning but he was a goat herder and was always up before the sun rose.

As the young princess walked through her gardens, she admired the plants around her and appreciated the effort and love that the groundkeepers devote to the plants. Flowers of many different kinds and colors bloomed around her and their brightness was pleasing to her eyes. The air was filled with their different and complimenting fragrances and Zelda could not think of a time when she was more at peace.

She walked at a slow pace, stopping every once in a while to bless some late bloomers with magic to help them grow more beautifully when they did open. She picked a dandelion and blew on it. She watched as the spores drifted in the breeze flowing towards the training grounds. Her heart sank when she realized Link was not training as he usually did in the morning. She chided herself for being so outwardly disappointed. A princess must not lose her composure.

She straightened her back and turned on her heels and immediately collided with something solid. She looked up and saw Link grinning at her. "Good morning, milady. Looking for me?" he teased as he gave her a peck on her lips. A blush crept across her cheeks and she peered around to see if there were servants about who may have seen his little gesture.

She thought she heard giggling from a distance and felt her blush deepen but dismissed it when a deep chuckle resounded from his chest as he wrapped her in his arms. "Relax, I asked the councilors if there was any way I could use today to practice a little battle magic and whatnot with you, maybe perfect your technique. They know that you're safe with me so…" he leaned close to her ear and tenderly whispered, "You're all mine."

Zelda melted into his embrace and filled her lungs with his scent. "But I had meetings and appointments and suitors and other such nonsensical things to handle today," she sighed.

"Would you really rather do all those than spend one whole day with me?"

"Yes."

Mock hurt crossed his features and he turned his face away to hide feigned tears. He looked so irresistible when he faced her again and stared into her eyes, "Take it back."

A giggle bubbled from her throat and she took her words back with a peck on his lips. She had a sneaking suspicion that they were not going to practice any 'whatnot' today; she also had a feeling that the councilors didn't think so either. There might be a lot of technique in another area though. She was grateful for their leniency towards Link. Even if he wasn't knighted, she could tell that they would have been just as fond of him as they are now.

She buried her face in his chest and snaked her arms around his torso, her right hand reaching up to stroke his hair affectionately. He planted loving kisses on her forehead and held her for as long as he could. Reluctantly, he pulled away. Zelda moaned in protest but she did not stop him.

"I've got the whole day planned," he whispered, "it would be a shame to let it go to waste."

He took her hand and led her through the gardens to the back of the castle where Epona had been grazing, waiting for her master patiently. A basket lay near her feet and she was happily munching on some apples that were left next to the basket. She whinnied when she saw Zelda; she loved it when she stroked her nose and gave her attention. Sometimes, when the princess' schedule allowed it, she would pick wildflowers and wind them through her hair. The mare adored being pampered.

Saddled and ready to go, Link helped Zelda mount the horse, picked up the basket and mounted Epona himself. He sat behind the princess instead of the usual positioning of him sitting in front. Because they were alone today, he wasn't afraid to wrap his arms around her and to steer Epona, he would have no choice but to do so if he was riding behind Zelda. She had no complaints. She leaned on his firm chest and listened to his steady breathing.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"It's a secret, you'll see when we get there."

"Alright…" She looked around and marveled at the landscape. Months had passed since she had the opportunity to see Hyrule from beyond a window in the castle. She breathed in the freedom and leaned on Link's firm chest. I wouldn't mind living like this everyday. Alas, a princess has duties that she must fulfill. Link, however, was free to do as he wished. He could leave whenever he wanted to. His position as her personal guard was something he could very easily leave. He brought light to her world. Now that she knew what life was like with him, she didn't know how she could live without him.

She must have sighed because he whispered into her ear, "What's wrong, milady?" She had to smile at his pet name. "I was just thinking about living like this, everyday. If I weren't a princess, I would just ride Epona all day with you. It would be like magic," she replied.

"Then why do you look so sad?"

She was silent for a moment before she reluctantly asked, "Are you going away again?"

At this he let go of the reigns and brought his left hand to her chin. He lifted her head to face him and he placed a gentle kiss on her soft lips and released a burdened breath. "I traveled because it seemed to be my only purpose. After Ganondorf's death, Hyrule was at peace and I felt useless," he struggled to find the right words. "Well, of course I wasn't useless, but I couldn't help but think otherwise. Everyone had a place. It wasn't until a few months ago that I realized where mine was…"

Zelda was terrified to ask but she could not stop herself, "Where is it?"

At this point he got off Epona and offered his hand to help his princess down. She was so engrossed with Link's words that she had not realized they arrived. They were standing on the foot of a hill surrounded by trees. He snaked his arm around her waist and lead her to the top. She was disheartened at the fact that he did not answer her question but she plastered on a smile so she would not reveal how much he had hurt her just then.

Soon her smile faded into a look of awe as they reached the top. It was not a hill at all but a cliff that looked over Lake Hylia. The high sun danced across the surface and mingled with the shadows created by the leaves of tall green trees. She was about to comment on the beauty of the scenery when she saw Link standing under a tree with a blanket beneath his feet. Lamps were tangled in tree branches and contained a magical flame that fluttered like fireflies. He waved his hand to beckon her to him and she gladly obliged. Clearly this had been set up before their arrival.

When she reached him, the look on his face sank her heart again. He was nervous. She could tell by the way he bit his lip on the left side. "Zelda," his voice cracked and his face flushed. He cleared his throat, inhaled deeply and tried again.

"Zelda, home is where the heart is, and mine belongs to you. Everything I could ever want is standing here before me. This is where I need to be; I need to be here by your side," he got down on one knee, "it's where I belong. You make me the happiest man alive." He reached into his pocket, "and so, if you'll take me," he pulled out a small velvet box, "I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way." He opened it, "Will you marry me?"

Her heart burst into flames as she leaped into his arms crying 'yes' like a mantra. She showered his face with kisses and he struggled to place the ring because both were trembling with happiness. They locked in a tight embrace reveling in the sensation of holding each other. Zelda nuzzled his neck and felt a deep chuckle rise in his throat. He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her as passionately as a man could and she reciprocated with equal vigor and pushed him down onto the blanket.

*l*l*

The two lay in eachother's arms, idly stroking each other. They were quiet and content. Link was listening to Zelda's steady breathing and she listened to his strong heartbeat. The setting sun looked down upon them with approval and, with a final wink, disappeared over the horizon.

There's a section missing (*l*l*) compared to what I originally wanted to upload because, well, lemons aren't my specialty so I'll be working on that (but I don't know when :s sorry). Without that section, I think it can stand as a story, I just couldn't wait to upload it and see what people thought, yeah. :D
This took me two months of on-again-off-again work on the hour long train trip home from school. As you can see it takes me ages to write a story so I would love any comments or criticisms you might give me that might encourage me or help me write better.
Otherwise, thanks for taking the time to read. :D