“There’s been another attack,” Zelda said as she came in the door and shut it behind her.

Liesl turned from the stand that held the ball gown for the evening, and her hands dropped away from flitting over the last few details. She had already been in a sour mood, having to prepare the thing knowing she wasn’t allowed to attend the big event. Now this latest bit of news finally turned her neutral expression into a scowl.

“Another? Where?” Liesl would’ve liked it if the attack on the Zora were the only one that occurred in the few weeks before the ball. Unfortunately, reports kept rolling in from along the fringes of the kingdom.

“From the west this time, along the mountains just south of Goron City. We just received word this morning from some scouts.”

Scouts? Despite the bad news, Liesl couldn’t help but take a step closer and tilt her head inquisitively. She knew what she wanted to ask, but the words simply wouldn’t form in her mouth. Especially since she feared one of the answers above all the others.

Zelda must’ve picked up on the hesitation because she closed the remaining distance and reached out for her hands to squeeze. “No, it wasn’t from Calla. We still haven’t received word where she is.”

How many months had it been since she left? Since the attack? Goddesses, almost half a year. Liesl thought her friend would’ve turned around as soon as she received word, but no one had heard from their scouting party in all that time. Most assumed she had been captured or killed by the sudden appearance of the attackers, but that simply didn’t feel right. It seemed much more likely for her to go silent than be defeated, and Liesl could only pray that it was the case.

“No, I suppose that would be too much to ask for.” Liesl shook her head thereafter and squeezed Zelda’s hands back as she took in a deep breath. “But the Goron? That makes almost all the major peoples, right? With the attack in the north last week on a Gerudo caravan?”

“Well, except the Ruto,” Zelda added. “They’re even farther west, so they either haven’t been targeted yet or we haven’t heard.”

“Hopefully neither.” But Liesl knew that wouldn’t be the case, not after so long and so many incidents. It seemed only a matter of time.

“Well, that’s what my father wants to prevent,” Zelda started again before using Liesl’s hand to bring her toward the dress. “He’s going to dispatch parts of the army to our borders to try and catch them sneaking into the kingdom. The remainder will stay nearer the capital.”

Deploying the army, huh. Well, that made this all feel more…real. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“I’m not really sure,” Zelda admitted. “I understand the King’s desire to feel like he’s doing something. The people want to know they’re safe, and news of the attacks is spreading even without his help.”

Liesl only hummed her agreement before letting the matter drop. She didn’t know anything about tactics or troop deployment, but she would definitely ask Rowan what he thought when she got the chance. That man had an opinion on everything, and this would surely be no different. Lately, that opinion had been trending negatively, making her feel like this wasn’t the good idea the King thought it would be. But again, she had nothing to base that feeling on, and so she pushed it aside. Besides, there was something much more pressing at the forefront of her mind. The ball.

“At least the dress looks nice,” Zelda said before dropping one of Liesl’s to reach up and run a few fingers down the neckline. “And I think that’s where the positives end for tonight.”

Liesl snorted her amusement, but otherwise, it was hard to disagree. She knew Zelda would look beautiful in that dress…it was only a shame she had to watch her walk away in it for the evening. “Well, let’s focus on the positive, then? And get you ready for the evening.”

At that, Zelda couldn’t help but smile before dropping Liesl’s other hand so she could lift her arms. “Very well, undress me.”

Liesl’s mouth hung open for a moment before her eyes dropped and she blinked a few times. When she looked back up, Zelda still had her arms open wide, but it was clear by the way her face contorted that she was trying her hardest not to laugh.

“Oh! Y-you are just messing with me!” Liesl’s expression turned into a pout, and she crossed her arms and looked to the side. “I ought to make you get that damn thing on by yourself, now.”

“Nooo,” Zelda whined before dropping her arms and coming back forward to grab at Liesl in an attempt to keep from trying to slink away. “There are so many layers, I’ll never make it!”

“Well, you should’ve thought about that before you teased me.”

Liesl heard a huff from off to her side, and then she could see the Princess’s arms come up in a shrug. “Very well, I suppose I’ll just have to bathe myself, then. Could take hours since I have no idea how to do it on my own.”

“It probably would,” Liesl said in agreement before Zelda started moving toward the bathroom without so much as a backward glance. “ Fine. I’ll help.” Liesl followed soon after, catching up to and surpassing her friend, who only giggled and hurried after her. She was definitely only helping her with the bath because she didn’t want Zelda to be late. If she were, the King would be mad with her handmaiden. They couldn’t have that, so…yes, Liesl had to help. No other reason….

And it was a good thing she was there because Zelda seemed interested in just about anything other than finishing up and getting out of the bath. She was similarly whimsical when it came to getting on her slip and sitting in front of the armoire so Liesl could dry and brush her hair.

“What is going to take for you to let me get you ready?” Honestly, it was like dealing with a child!

“Whatever do you mean?” Zelda asked, and for her part, she actually managed to look like she had no idea that she was being painfully slow. However, when Liesl did not relent or play further into her little game, the Princess took in a deep breath and exhaled. “Fine, fine. I see you want me gone quickly so you can…I don’t know, do pushups or something.”

“What? No! I don’t want you gone.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

“Do you…want to watch me exercise?”

“Maybe I do sometimes,” Zelda mused. “But if I’m getting something special for my cooperation, then I want it to be bigger than that.” Bigger than that? Something special? Oh, what had Liesl gotten herself into…

“A kiss,” Zelda ultimately said before tilting her head back until she could capture Liesl’s eyes from where she sat. “On my cheek for a change.” Oh, thank the goddesses she added that qualifier!

Zelda’s pecks had been coming with more regularity but always to Liesl’s cheek or forehead or chin, and always when they were about to drift off to sleep or step out the door into the wider world. That, combined with the fact that they left Liesl so stunned, meant that she hadn’t reciprocated.

Okay, that was a poor excuse, and she knew it. They just always made her heart flutter so hard and her mind go blank! But she loved getting them, and shouldn’t Zelda get that feeling too? So, even though her heart already started to beat harder, she nodded.

“You’re so cute when you get flustered like that,” Zelda said before smirking and letting her head drop back forward.

“That’s not helping!”

With the promise secured, Zelda subsequently allowed Liesl to get to work in earnest. And yes, she was right, there were so many damn layers, and it took the better part of the afternoon to sculpt the picture that was Crown Princess Zelda Hyrule. From the updo to the dress, gloves, and pristine white flats, she was absolutely perfect, the very image of elegance.

At first, Liesl feared she wouldn’t fully appreciate the gown after helping Zelda put it on, but she couldn’t have been more incorrect in that assumption. Once she stepped back, she drank in the sight of her friend, her love, and couldn’t help but wear a wide smile as a result.

“Do you know the one reason why I like getting dressed up in all this?” Zelda asked, interrupting Liesl’s silent moment of reverie and bringing her gaze back up.

“I don’t know, why?”

“To see the way you look at me, like I’m the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.”

“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Liesl whispered. “With or without these dresses.” Scratch that, when Zelda smiled brightly following the compliment, now she was the most beautiful thing she’d ever gazed upon.

A tear even formed in the corner of Zelda’s eye, and Liesl worried it might be from their impending separation. However, the princess bit her lip and huffed something that sounded very much like amusement instead of sadness. “You’re really something else,” she said before stepping up and planting a tender kiss on Liesl’s cheek. “That’s a thank you, and so you don’t forget me while you’re here in our room.”

Their room. Liesl’s mind hadn’t fully caught up from seeing Zelda in her whole getup, not to mention the soft impression of her lips on her cheek, only to be hit with that assertion. Of course, she’d caught herself thinking of it that way, but to hear Zelda say it? That was something else entirely.

“No chickening out now,” she continued. “Or do I need to give you another as an example?”

“What?” Liesl asked as she was drawn from her mind by the question.

“The agreement, silly. You owe me a kiss, remember?”

Oh! Their agreement! Apparently, she had been too distracted and was now moving much too slowly for her impatient princess. Her eyes dropped to Zelda’s cheek, but she didn’t move just yet.

“Better muster your courage, my brave warrior, or I’ll be late for the ball…”

Liesl’s cheeks heated at the insistence, but then her gaze did something unexpected and moved to Zelda’s lips. Those soft lips that had kissed just about every part of her face. Without really thinking about it, Liesl knit her eyebrows and stepped forward, ignoring the quip and, yes, mustering some courage.

She brought her hand up to rest under Zelda’s chin following her step, who then looked surprised at the touch. But Liesl ignored that too (even if it was a little satisfying) and tilted Zelda’s head up slightly so that when she dropped her face lower, their lips just barely brushed together. It wasn’t really a kiss, more like an exploration. As if she were scared to fully press them together.

But even from the brief contact, she could tell Zelda’s lips were even more delicate than she imagined. Goddesses, did she ever want to chase that softness. So, it was only another moment before she fully pressed their lips together. Liesl lingered there for a moment, then two, basking in that warmth and the slightly sweet taste she found. At least, right up until the realization of what she was doing forced her to break their connection and lean back out.

Zelda’s eyes fluttered open a moment later, and that surprise had exploded into something more profound. “You–” She whispered the single word before her cheeks began to turn as red as the tomatoes she loved to eat. “T-that was…”

“Okay?” Liesl asked before starting to worry that she might’ve gone too far. That hadn’t been the agreement, after all.

“Okay?” Zelda said with a snort of disbelief. “Liesl, that was wonderful. And I want more!”

Goddesses, Liesl should’ve known better. “More? But you’ll be late for the ball if we stay in here kissing all night.”

“I don’t care,” Zelda said before hastily cupping her face and bringing their lips back together. Her kiss was a little more insistent, and she even tilted her head so their faces fit together better. It felt magical, like fire erupted from where they touched. Liesl’s pulse quickened in response, her heart filled with warmth, and she also couldn’t help but want more and more.

“Ugh, I can’t believe you did that,” Zelda said after separating, most likely due to lack of air, if Liesl had to guess. Her own lungs burned from the lack of breath, after all. “Right before I have to go!”

This time, it was Liesl’s turn to smile and shrug, even though she felt that same undeniable pull. “Well, I just wanted you to have something to remember me .”

“As if I won’t be thinking about you the whole time already!”

Liesl couldn’t help but chuckle despite the situation, and just so she didn’t break their deal, she leaned forward and placed a kiss on her princess’s cheek. “There, now our promises are kept and you can be on your way.”

“I suppose,” Zelda responded with a sigh before taking a step back. Whereupon she came to a stop again. “You’ll wait up for me, right?”

“Of course,” Liesl said with a nod. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“You better. And you better be awake…”

It took a few more, slow seconds for Zelda to finally gather the will to make her way to the door, not breaking eye contact until the solid wood did it for them. But Liesl just stood there and even brought a hand up to put her fingers to her lips, where the warmth was quickly fading. However, the furious thumping in her heart and the knot in her stomach persisted for much longer. She’d kissed her, kissed the woman she loved! The Crown Princess! Oh, the King would hate that if he knew…

But now that Zelda was gone, Liesl would need something to distract herself from that thought. Doubly so because of what she’d just done. And what better way than making sure she was ready to take up the sword when the King’s plan failed? Because, even if he wanted his daughter to marry someone else, it would be Liesl who ultimately used it…right?

So, Liesl turned from the door and started walking further into the room while reaching behind her to start undoing her dress. It would only make things more difficult, anyway. Once it was traded out for a tunic and pants, Liesl began stretching and loosening up in a routine that had become so second nature her mind could wander freely. Right back to Zelda, of course. She’d probably arrived by now, had been introduced, and the first brave soul was perhaps even trying to chat her up or get her to dance.

Having to watch it all play out at Zelda’s birthday ball was awkward and painful to watch, and Liesl wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse that she didn’t have to do so again. Not after everything they had been through and what they’d admitted to each other. The one thing she did know was that this time it filled her with a low, simmering anger in addition to her anxiety. Ugh, she had to work out this negative energy! Pushups, pullups, anything she could do to build a little muscle that didn’t involve swinging a practice sword she didn’t have.

Not for lack of trying, though. A few weeks ago, Liesl attempted to use a broom handle for practice, but that didn’t go so well. It met its unfortunate end when she misjudged her distance and broke it in half on one of the bedposts. After that little incident, Zelda forbade her from trying again with any other objects in the room. Oh well, Liesl didn’t much feel like practicing her swordsmanship right now, anyway. Not when she knew others would be touching the Master Sword in a vain attempt to wield it. Not when someone else was touching Zelda.

Her thoughts remained frustratingly unchangeable, and Liesl even lingered in the subsequent bath, hoping the hot water would melt those feelings away. In reality, she only imagined all the times they had been in this room, and she’d seen Zelda in this tub. Oh, that made her heart race in ways that were shameful. I mean, she was only meant to be helping, not stealing glances or thinking back on her friend in the water. But the confessions had changed that, hadn’t they? Things they had been doing for years now began to feel…different.

When no solace came, and with her body clean of the sweat and the grime of the day, Liesl sighed and stood from the water before reaching for her towel. After stepping out and wiping enough of the water away, she made her way back into the room without a care. Zelda shouldn’t be back for another hour at least, and Liesl had been too distracted to bring her nightgown into the bathroom with her.

However, when she dropped the towel in their room, she couldn’t help but notice her reflection in the vanity’s mirror. Goddesses, was that her? How long had it been since she’d seen her whole body on display like this? She let the towel hang at her side, then took another few steps toward the reflective surface so she could get a better look.

Hmm, there was definitely a hardness to her body now that hadn’t been there previously. Liesl had always been lean from her “games,” but now there was more definition. Not only that, she could see the faint outlines of the very muscles that were sore at the end of each day. At least when Zelda was too tired to melt those aches to nothing.

What would she look like in one year? In two years? Would it be more than new muscle that she saw in the mirror? Would there be scars, too? Ones that not even Zelda’s magic could erase. And more importantly, what did Zelda think? She must’ve noticed the change, right? When they cuddled in bed, or when she managed to coax Liesl into the bath while she helped. But she hadn’t said anything…

With a sigh, Liesl turned from the mirror and finally got dressed before sitting, drying, and brushing her hair. Hmm, it had been a long time since she’d had to do this on her own, hadn’t it? A smile curved at her lips then as she wondered when the last time Zelda had brushed her own hair. Years, probably. Unless she was doing it when Liesl wasn’t around.

Time passed a little more easily with something to focus on, and Liesl even moved to braiding her hair once it was tamed. Anything to keep her mind and fingers busy. She’d almost reached the end when she heard commotion from outside the door, and her fingers paused to try and listen. But then the door opened, and in marched the princess looking…distracted.

“Zelda?”

“You have no idea what you did to me,” she started before turning and closing the door. “Do you know where my mind has been this whole time?”

Well, Liesl had a guess, but she was still so surprised she didn’t form the words in her mouth. Because as soon as the door clicked closed, Zelda turned and made a beeline for her. Liesl only had time to turn in her chair and knit her eyebrows in confusion as she tried to stammer out a question. “Why are you b–”

However, it was cut off when Zelda made it to her side and leaned down to press their lips together once more. The kiss was almost frantic, and she repeated the earlier movement as she tilted her head so their mouths could slot together better. The suddenness of the gesture made Liesl drop the ends of her braid, and it began to undo itself as it fell to the wayside. Which didn’t matter; nothing mattered but Zelda.

“Up,” Zelda commanded in a whisper that blew warmth breath over Liesl’s lips in the momentary pause that was just long enough to speak it.

And though Liesl didn’t immediately understand what she was commanding, the tugs on her nightgown were enough of a clue. So, she didn’t hesitate or ask questions, and as soon as she stood from the chair, Zelda was on her again. She even came up on her tippytoes and wrapped her arms around Liesl’s neck to drag her down closer.

Liesl’s arms wrapped around the puffy dress in response, partially to support her back, but more because she absolutely did not want her to move away. At least, not until Liesl’s neck began to ache from the position and they had to once again break the kiss.

At first, Zelda only stared up into her eyes while her breath came in heavy, but a few soft shakes of her head soon followed. “I thought about you every second I was gone, ” Zelda admitted. “And I craved that, almost as much as getting back to you.”

“Yeah,” Liesl said in agreement. “Me too.”

Zelda shifted again, but instead of pressing their lips together, she turned her head and let it rest against Liesl’s chest. “That’s what I like to hear. And I’m glad you’re still up because you owe me a dance, you know.”

So, that was why Zelda made that request! Liesl should’ve guessed as much, even if she figured there was now another reason in play. “Can’t end the ball without one,” she said in agreement, even if she very much wished that they didn’t have to end in secret dances. Dances, yes. But being hidden away from the world was just so damn frustrating.