A Hero's Reward

Zelda had been dreaming for months about him – even before Ganon had kidnapped her and smashed the Triforce. She’d never before met him, but she knew him as soon as he kicked open the door where she’d been imprisoned.

“My name is Link,” he said, “I’m here to rescue you.”

“But Ganon—“

“Is dead,” he assured her, “He won’t poison this land anymore.”

He scooped her up in his arms like she weighed nothing. His arms and chest were lean and toned – she could feel the muscles flex through his tunic as he ran - *ran!* - with her out of the stronghold on Death Mountain. With their master dead, the horrors that had populated this foul place cowered away from the blond Hylian hero. Zelda relaxed in his arms, savoring his mingle scent of sweat, grime, and masculinity – not at all like the pampered, perfumy scent of any of the royal men she’d encountered. No – this young man worked hard for his rewards, rather than having them handed to them as privileges of rank. And obviously he’d worked very hard indeed to find and rescue Zelda.

Such hard work deserved an equally generous reward…

*****

Once they’d reached Castle Hyrule, Link turned to go.

“Wait,” Zelda said, and he stopped and glanced back. “You saved not only my life, but all of Hyrule. Would you go without a meal or a chance to rest after your long journey? Or even a reward?”

He hesitated, his guileless blue eyes watching her.

“Of course,” she said with a playful smile, “I could always command you to be my guest, and you would have to obey me.”

He smiled in return. “No need to twist my arm, Princess. I’d be grateful for the privilege.”

She ordered the palace servants to feed him, and he ate as though he would never be full. She watched him meditatively as steamed fish, roast cucco, and shanks of beef disappeared down his throat. He had the table manners of a starving moblin, tending to use his sleeve more often than he used a napkin.

“When you’ve finished,” she said as the carnage slowed, “My servants will show you where you can have a hot bath, and once you’ve washed I’ll reward you properly for saving me.”

“All of this is reward enough,” he protested.

“No, I have a far worthier reward in mind. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“In that case, the sooner I tidy up the sooner I can be rewarded.”

Even under his light conversation, there was a certain solemnity to him – though he couldn’t have been much older than herself (and she a maiden of eighteen), she saw in his eyes a bravery and wisdom far beyond his years. He smiled at her as he wiped his mouth (on the napkin this time) one final time, and she felt her breath quicken and her pulse start to pound. As he followed the servants deeper into the castle, she rose and darted through another door before she betrayed herself.

*****

It was by far the most spacious bathroom Link had ever been in, and already the huge basin – big enough to swim laps in – was filling with hot water from the gaping mouths of six marble lions. His muscles, tired and sore from his adventure, cheered at the thought of such luxury. He needed no further convincing. He shrugged off his backpack and let it fall to the floor. He unbuckled his belt and pulled off his boots, setting them aside. Next he pulled off his hat and yanked his stained tunic over his head. He tugged off his riding gloves and tossed them by his belt and boots. Finally he peeled off his undershirt and leggings and, naked, stepped into the steaming, soapy water.

Zelda, meanwhile, watched her rescuer disrobe through the stained-glass eyes of a rearing gryphon statue, sitting safely in an alcove on the other side of the hollow façade. She knew he wasn’t trying to seduce – he hadn’t the guile for such, she saw – but watching each part of the well-toned Hylian appear – from under clothing, from under dirt and grime – forced her to concentrate harder on her training. Impa had told her that this day would come – that in order for peace to truly reign in Hyrule there would have to be a joining of the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom. After all, wisdom without the courage to act upon it was nothing, and courage without the wisdom to guide one’s actions was mere carelessness.

She had wisdom, and he courage… and so much more…

Her hand idly caressed her clothed breast, almost unaware of what it was doing. She wondered what it would be like. She’d always imagined it would be beautiful and mystical, hardly taking any effort at all… but Impa told her that the road to peace might well be difficult. Surely it would be a simple matter, all things considered. But she would have to be patient a just bit longer. She left the alcove and returned to her vanity table to let her handmaidens finish combing her hair.

As the water shut itself off, Link took a handful of scrubbing sand from a tray at the edge of the tub and started scouring his skin, washing away the layers of grime that had collected during his quest. He worked the sand through his hair, trying to ignore the way the water clouded as he rinsed. In the end his skin was raw and red, but at least he was clean, and with a bit more work he would be presentable enough for the princess’ reward. Now, about a comb…

He turned to rummage through his backpack, but he was startled to see Princess Zelda standing there watching him. He instinctively grabbed his hat to cover himself, even though there was little chance she could see anything. She smiled kindly, not embarrassed by his state but also not mocking his discomfort. But she was a Princess… she wasn’t supposed to… see… this. Was she?

He was a Hylian commoner. A hero, to be sure, but a commoner all the same.

And she was a princess. She’d cleaned up a hundred times better than he had, her dirty and disheveled hair now glossy and falling in golden waves over her shoulders, held back from her face by the royal crown of Hyrule. Her face, which had been stained with dirt and tears, was scrubbed clean and was, he saw, pale and beautiful and solemn. Her dirty and torn gown had been replaced with clean clothing, a white gown that was slit up both sides to the hips, revealing her slender legs.

And… yes. She was a babe. There was really no getting around that.

What reward could she have waiting for him?

Rupees? He’d collected his share of the gemstones during his travels, and didn’t feel he needed any more.

Food? That would be silly – he’d already eaten until his stomach was fit to burst, and food was a reward given to a trained dog, not someone who saved your life.

Some sort of title? He wasn’t sure if he could handle being a noble.

Then what…

“I have come to offer you the final part of your reward, Link,” she said, and there was something a bit strange about the tone of her voice. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but then again he didn’t pretend to know all there was about royalty and their ways.

“Well, where is it?” he asked, when there seemed to be nothing further.

“Right here,” she replied, spreading her hands slightly, “I offer you myself.”

Link was floored. “What? But… but… why?” he sputtered intelligently. He had no idea what she was getting at, but it sounded like she was offering herself as a servant – and he couldn’t possibly…

“In order for peace to reign,” she said, “Wisdom and courage must come together in a divine union.”

“Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Courage,” he said, nodding, “You have Wisdom, I have Courage, and Ganon had Power. But we got the Triforce of Power… so everything should be fine – right?”

“Ganon desired power, but he was a coward and a fool. In order to truly unite the three Triforces, one must have courage and wisdom as well. You are courage, and I am wisdom. Do you understand?”

“I… think so?” He did not move from the bath, not noticing that the dirty water had already been recycled out and replaced with fresh water.

She closed her eyes and sighed, gathering her remaining patience. By the three Goddesses, why did Link have to be so dense? She decided, finally, to try the direct approach.

“Link, come here.”

He glanced down. “But—“

“Now.” He looked up sharply at the note of command in her voice.

“Yes, my Princess.” Still holding his hat to shield himself from female eyes (for no woman had ever seen him naked since his mother bathed him as a small child), he stepped out of the bath and walked over to her, leaving a trail of dripping water in his wake. He bit his lip.

She regarded him critically. Whenever the Oracles spoke of the Hero of Time, they described him as though he was some untouchable paladin made of rainbows and sunlight and not subject to things like fear, anger, hatred, or lust. But it was clear to Zelda that the Hero of Time was, in fact, a mortal man, crafted of flesh and blood – and what flesh it was! While he still had the natural leanness of late adolescence, he was not overly gangly. While she knew not a thing about him, his well-built physique spoke of an early life in the country, his sinewy arms shaped just as much by slinging bales of hay as by swinging a sword. His shoulders, though not as broad as those of more seasoned soldiers, were square and firm, and his strong chest segued smoothly into a stomach that had been coaxed by hard living into a tidy muffin-tin of abdominal muscles.

She stepped closer and touched his shoulder, caressing it lightly. She lifted her other hand, brushing his dirty-blond forelock back from his brow – and then lightly brushed her fingertips along the length of his pointed ears, making him gasp and shiver at the unexpected sensation of pleasure. When she was sure she had his full attention (as if she’d had anything less than that since he’d noticed she was in the room) she leaned in and softly kissed his mouth. His eyes widened briefly in surprise – but then realization dawned. He might have been unschooled in such things, but he was neither naïve nor a fool, and he now had a fair idea of what all her hints meant for him. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the sensation, tasting her mouth, feeling her lips against his…

She broke away briefly. “Touch me, Link,” she breathed.

“Where?” he asked huskily.

“Anywhere you like.”

He looked at Zelda, her pale cheeks now flushed pink with excitement and need.

“Yes, my Princess,” he whispered.

He fastened his mouth on hers again, and within a few seconds he felt her tongue probe inquisitively at his teeth. He opened his mouth, losing himself in the curious salty-sweet taste of her tongue. He pulled her close, pinning his hat between them and allowing his battle-roughened hands to explore her, sliding round her slender waist to the small of her back and feeling the mesh of lacing that held her gown in place and, between the lacing, the smooth skin of her otherwise bare back. He quested upwards and readily located the knot that held the laces closed between her shoulder-blades. He tugged experimentally at a loose end, and the bow gave way in an instant.

She stepped back from him momentarily, pulling her gown off her shoulders with a deliberate slowness that she knew would raise his anticipation, the silky fabric teasing at her hardening nipples. He marveled at her small breasts when they were finally exposed, as an explorer would marvel at any priceless treasure once he has found it. He cupped one reverently, brushing the pad of his thumb across her pink areola and the pebble of her nipple in a way that made her gasp – he might not be a seasoned lover, but there was something to be said for instinct! He bent and started fluttering light kisses over the firm orb, working his way in a gentle spiral towards her nipple, and upon reaching it he closed his mouth over the pink flesh and suckled at it. She moaned softly, feeling his tongue flickering at the very apex of her nipple within his mouth. He released her nipple but continued tracing its outline with his tongue, at this point vaguely aware that there was really no further need to hold his hat in place, as it hung tidily from his swelling erection.

His hands slid around her hips, venturing under the skirt of her gown to cup her tight buttocks, unencumbered as they were by whatever underwear he might imagine princesses wore under their clothing. She clutched at him, tweaking the sensitive tips of his ears between her fingertips

“Take me, Link,” she moaned as he seized her nipple between his teeth and pulled lightly at it.

He did not bother to reply now, not even with his previous affirmations of obedience to her, but glanced around briefly until he found a divan not far away. He picked her up easily, wrapping her thighs around his waist so that she could feel his hardness against her eager sex through the delicate fabric of her gown. He traversed the few steps to the divan and lay her down on it as though she were made of porcelain. She tweaked her skirt aside to reveal her mysterious core, surrounded by a patch of silky silver-blond that only served to tantalize him further. She drew her knees up and spread them to show the swollen clit guarding her secret entrance. He knelt before her and lowered his head to her throbbing bud of flesh, smelling the musky odor of femininity that surrounded it. His tongue snaked out and flickered at her treasure, rewarding him with Zelda’s cry of pleasure and a gush of fluid from her innermost slit. He slid two fingers inside her, feeling her fleshy walls contract around them as she writhed in ecstasy. He continued licking and suckling at her clit, sliding his now-wet fingers in and out of her until she crested and climaxed with a high-pitched whine of pleasure, her sex clamping down so hard around his fingers that he wondered if he might ever get them back.

She slumped back on the divan, gasping for breath. “By the three Goddesses,” she panted, “Where did you learn to do that?”

He shrugged. “It seemed right at the time,” he offered, finally withdrawing his fingers.

She sat up. “But it’s not right that I should have all the reward. After all, you are the Hero of Time, and a hero deserves a hero’s reward.” She saw that his erection was still going strong, and she got a devilish smile on her face. “Stand up, Link. I want you to receive your reward on your feet.”

Conscious of the throbbing in his groin and the hard branch of his erection still sheathed almost comically within his hat, he got uncomfortably to his feet. She knelt on the floor in front of him and whipped the hat away, tossing it unconcernedly over her shoulder as she regarded his hard cock and the companion balls that hung beneath that seemed to tighten slightly under her scrutiny. She wrapped her hand around his erection, hearing him gasp in response, and slid her tongue around the smooth, slightly purplish head. His knees almost buckled as she licked her way up the length of his shaft from balls to tip, and he gave a hoarse moan when she took him into her mouth. His length was such that she could only take in half of him before she started to gag, but he didn’t care – what she was doing was beyond anything he’d ever felt before. She suckled at his balls, taking them into her mouth one at a time and then, teasingly, releasing them, as her hand continued to stroke his shaft with a rhythm that was making his hips respond, thrusting to meet her strokes until he could barely stand it anymore, and all the while her fingers danced across her sex, flicking her thumb across her clit and sliding two fingers in and out of her entrance.

“I want you,” he growled hoarsely, almost savagely, “I want you now.”

“Yes, my Hero,” she whispered as he drew her up to her feet, pressing her close to him so that she could feel his pulsing organ press against her abdomen. He reached down, slipping a hand beneath her skirt to probe at her center with his fingers. To his delight, she was still wet and, to judge by her moan of response, ready for him again. He sat her astride the divan and pulled her skirt aside, guided his cock to her sodden entrance, and with no further hesitation, thrust inside of her. She cried out hoarsely, both in pleasure and at the brief pain of her maidenhead breaking. She could feel him inside her like a dagger in a wound – but so, so much better! He slid out slowly until he nearly left her entirely, and then thrust suddenly back in. She arched her back in pleasure, wrapping her legs around him and shifting her hips to meet him as he continued his thrusting, slowly at first but increasing in tempo.

It was exactly right – exactly as the prophecy had ordained! Her core was filling with fire, her fingertips crackled with sparks of magic as she cried out with every glorious perfect stroke inside of her – Wisdom and Courage in a fiery union that would spell the end of war within Hyrule! His fingertips dug into her thighs hard enough that they would certainly leave bruises behind – but she didn’t care. She only wanted more – more of this great hero who saved her and her country.

She felt it coming, at first like her previous climax but soon proving to be much more powerful – It was the Sign, the proof that the union was the true one. There was no stopping it now, any more than there was any stopping the primal rhythm that had begun in the bath chamber, each stroke tearing a raw cry of pleasure from both their throats until, at the cusp, Zelda’s eyes snapped wide, glowing white with the pure fire of righteousness as her inner muscles tightened around him, driving him over the edge as well. She felt his fluids spurt within her as she was rocked, again and again, with what seemed like a neverending series of orgasms before they fell, gasping and exhausted, into each other’s arms on the divan, their sweat mingling together.

It was done. The spell had been sealed, and with it Hyrule’s destiny was ensured.

Link finally slid out of her and rolled aside to lie next to her on the divan. He looked pensively at the ceiling for a few moments, and then glanced over at Zelda.

“I’d like to apologize in advance, Princess,” he said gravely.

She gave him a startled look. “For what?” she blurted, “That was wonderful! It was perfect, in fact!”

He looked concerned. “That’s the problem, Princess. I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to do that again.”

There were a few moments of silence, and then Zelda burst into a fit of helpless giggles.