Well, this is a place I never thought I'd be, but what the hell. As many have requested and since the idea and I've grown attached to it, I give you all the sequel to "Desert Embrace". Now to get a few things out of the way, the pairing is Link/Riju and the setting is post-game meaning Hyrule is going through its VERY long reconstruction stage. There will be lemons and adult content so you've all been warned. Now, onto the story!

I do not own anything.

Chapter 1-Life of Bliss

As a Gerudo climbing had been a skill Riju had picked up at a fairly young age in spite of her heritage. As royalty, several had attempted to dissuade her form pursuing such dangerous practices citing her role as a monarch being reason enough to not engage in an activity that could possibly end in her injuring herself or worse. Thankfully, his mother and a handful of other advisers had pushed past all of them and answered Riju's prayers. Indeed, it was dangerous, but the thrill far outweighed the danger; or maybe that was the whole point. They say the closer one flirted with death the more their blood raced, though she was no warrior Riju had to admit there was a grain of truth in those words. Sand seal racing wasn't exactly the safest sport in the world and horror stories were at times told of epic wipeouts, usually the kind that ended with blood splattered over sand and stone. Rock climbing was no different in a way, except she was told the cost of failure would hit harder and faster before death claimed her life for a fatal mistake.

One thing she admired about adventuring and rock-scaling was the breath-taking views often awaiting at the peaks of the mountains and hills. In hot desert a special sight awaited those courageous enough to scale the many rocky cliffs and formations that dotted the landscape. Often it was said painters had risked their lives for the chance to record the dazzling sunrises and sunsets that could be witnessed from the peaks of the high rises. Others merely scaled the terrain so they could prove themselves or engrave what they saw into their memories. Though the times she'd done so were few, Riju had scaled the rocky mountains of her homeland and had been justly rewarded. Still, there were time she wondered what lay beyond the dark-colored sands of her home, what sights could one glean from scaling the fabled snow-covered mountains that stood beyond the desert.

Thanks to one strong, cunning, and most of all, handsome Hylian, her wish had been granted, in spades.

"Woah," Mouthed the Gerudo sending out a cloud of cold air that vanished almost as soon as it manifested. At first, that too had amazed Riju but the sight before her quite literally took her breath away.

Beside her, a male voice chuckled in amazement. "Told you you'd love it. It's no rock and sand, but cold weather has its pleasures, especially if you've never seen any of it before. Just be careful not to trip or fall. Trust me, that's what we brought the shields for."

Only paying half-minded attention to her boyfriend's words Riju continued to stare at the view brought about by climbing to one of the highest points in the Hebra mountains. Snowflakes no larger than the center of her fingers continuously fell from a gray sky adding to what looked to her an eternal sea of powdery white. The first time she'd seen snow it'd been in a book her mother had read to her. She described it as the polar opposite of sand leaving her with a small but burning passion to see it for herself. Years later and thanks to the hand of the blond beside her she finally had the chance. It didn't disappoint.

"This is…incredible, that's…really all I can say." Spoke the queen of the Gerudo holding out her hands to feel the cold wind plow past them. Though bundle up appropriately for the weather a slight chill still raced through Riju's body. Link had told her that was natural, but to her who'd been born and raised in a dry and arid land it felt deeply unnatural. Not even the harsh coldness the desert often brought with it at night could compare to the cold wind battering her body. She took solace in it, especially once she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waistline. "Link," whispered the redhead feeling a blush working its way into her cheeks. "I don't know how to thank you for this, I…I really don't."

"Cuddling time when all of this is over would be nice, but for now the look on your face will do." Whispered the Hylian softly kissing her brightly red-colored hair. In truth, the moment they were sharing in that moment was more than enough for him. Having the woman he loved in his arms, her face one of wonder and awe as they stared at the icy mountains that made up the Hebra region. In the distance he could make out the brilliant shine of the Hebra Tower softly humming with renewed energy. Upon seeing it he'd recalled the tough task of climbing it to activate it, a tale which he told to his Gerudo lover who stared at the distant landmark with narrowed eyes. She'd often asked him what it was like having to climb the Sheikah Towers and his answer was always the same-tough but rewarding. Those times he could teleport the two of them to the top of a tower so they could view Hyrule from up high especially made the "rewarding part" shine bright like a star. "Out of curiosity, how's all this snow and wind comparing to the desert?"

"Heh, while I'll always root for my homeland this place is proving to have its charms. As I suspected, more exists to Hyrule than our merchant town in the middle of 'nowhere'. Hey, think we Gerudo can set up a shop somewhere out here?" Spoke Riju notching her head to the side. "You've been all over Hyrule and charted out most of it. If anything, I should appoint you as some sort of shop scouter."

Smirking at the suggestion, Link stepped back and turned the Gerudo around in his arms. "That actually sounds like a good idea. Not to mention it'd give us the chance to see each other more, provided the elders are willing to let you out." The redheaded beauty rolled her eyes before wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him in close for a kiss. Red-hot fire raced through their respective bodies driving away the coldness that had once tightly wrapped their bodies. Link's clothed arms coiled around the slender waist of his Gerudo lover while his head craned to the side further deepening the kiss. Breaking apart oh so slightly they felt the other's breath tickle their skin.

"First one down to the bottom gets to be on top." Whispered the redhead with a hungry look in her eyes.

It took Link a second to realize what she'd just said, a second and the near villainous smirk on her face. His realization came a moment too late as two hands suddenly pushed him backward sending him into the white snow. Laughter rung in his ears, sweet laughter that made him forget all about the bitter cold wave spreading across hi back. Sitting up right he caught his girlfriend grinning at him. A quick wink proceeded her throwing out her shield then sliding down the mountain slope.

"Riju, you're so going to pay for that!" Happily, shouted the blond looking around for his shield.

"Make me!"

Spotting the custom-designed shield he grabbed it and stood over the ledge. Riju was already trailing down the snow as if she were born to the white substance instead of the hot sand. "Oh, trust me, I will!"

Shield surfing, without a doubt one of the most dangerous activities in all of Hyrule. But also one of the greatest when it came to sheer excitement and adrenaline.

Grinning all the way, Link took off after his girlfriend. His hands remained tightly held to the rim of the round piece of equipment as he swayed from side to side in order to avoid obstacles as well as get a leg up. Peering ahead he was able to make out the shape of Riju masterfully skipping over the snow. Rather it was a sand seal or a horse it seemed when it came to riding mounts and vehicles she was a natural. It was no wonder she fostered a strong desire to see the outside world and was so welling to go with him on his outings when the chance arouse. She wasn't kidding about say in another life she would have liked to have been a racer; Riju certainly had the skill and heart for it.

Cold air whipped at the Gerudo's face as she zipped past trees and rocks. It took a good chunk of willpower to keep from fully losing herself to the thrill that came with sliding down hill. Sand-surfing was similar to this, but the sheer coldness was entirely new to her and had lit a fire within the young chieftain. Almost all of her pores and senses opened as if a key had been turned. A grin plastered across her face she continued her downward decent almost hoping it'd never end.

Both their shields had been custom made for the sole purpose of surfing down rough terrain. In truth, Link had been the one to do most of the design work since he had the most free-time on his hands, not to mention the creative know-how in how to make them durable enough to withstand the kind of action they were putting them through. When he presented her with a stylized Gerudo Shield he'd proudly boosted if she ever found herself in combat it would function just as well as it did as a sled. Link's words had proven true when tested on the sand and rock of the Gerudo Desert, and now they'd been vindicated as she sped down the icy slops of Hebra Mountain. The fact she was leaving her beloved shield's creator in the snowy dust was just the cherry on top to the whole thing. Leaning forward Riju braced herself as she slid over an upturned piece of rock and went airborne.

If rationality had a foothold in Link's mind he would have screamed in horror at the sight of the redheaded Gerudo ascending almost twenty feet into the air after pulling off a jump like that. He had pride in his crafting skills and faith in Riju's ability to stick the landing. After making the same jump as her he found his feelings hadn't been misplaced as she was still sliding along just fine, and still ahead of him. At this rate he was going to lose both the race and the bait. Neither thought bothered him that much, in fact, the second had him giddy and nearly caused him to lose control and wipe out. That said, Link still had his pride and that had to be nourished from time to time. Glancing to the side he realized even with the seemingly increasing gap between him and the Gerudo he could take the lead. Wearing a wicked grin, he pulled to the right.

Riju was pretty sure they were almost half-way down the mountain as she could just barely see the ground coming into sight. Glancing backward she let out a gasp of shock to find her boyfriend missing from her line of sight. Knowing Link. she doubted he'd wiped out somewhere and possibly hurt himself. If she had to guess odds were, he was planning something, something that would snatch victory from her hands. Feeling a sudden tug in her gut she began to somewhat nervously look to the mountain sides as she neared the finish-line.

"HEADS UP, RIJU!"

What happened next nearly made her heart jump inside of her chest. Sounding like a cross between a clap of thunder and a balloon piping she jerked her head to the far right. A pillar of snow and ice had gone up temporarily making it hard to see what had happened. Realizing Link's voice had come from there she began to search the area, glancing upward she saw a thin trail of blue eye and at the end of it was, "Link! What in Din's name are you doing?!" She shouted over the roaring winds.

"Winning!" Yelled the Hylian as he maneuvered the shield so that the front end was directed towards the sky. A blue light flashed then there was a circular-shaped burst of azure energy. Smiling like a loon Link was propelled forward as if he'd been shot out of a cannon. Wide-eyed and mouth open Riju could do nothing but watched as he performed a stupidly cool and insanely dangerous flip in mid-air that ended with him crashing right beside her. Snow was shot into her face and eyes causing the chieftain a moment of discomfort. "See you at the bottom, and I'll be on top this time!"

The lead which had been hers since the race began was now his, and he let her know it by the arrogant laugh that followed him as he sped downward.

Wiping the snow from her eyes the Gerudo glared at the Hylian. "Oh no, no I won't! I'm going on top this time, and winning this race!" Leaning forward she attempted to close the new gap between them to little avail. Gradually, Link was growing further and further away from her and there was little she could do to stop him. That sly jerk! He must have modified his shield somehow! Did he plan this whole thing?! Probably not, given Link's personality he more than likely intended to just show off in front of her. Of course, thanks to her impulsiveness that had changed a little and the bedroom had come into play. Gnashing her teeth, she focused tightly on Link's ever dimming form even as she bobbed and weaved out of the way of obstacles. The more she focused the clearer her image of Link became, almost as if nothing else existed between the two of them.

Link smelt the ozone building in the air and let his combat instincts take over. Without hesitation he zipped to his left; his hair stood on end as a literal ball of light green electricity materialized within feet of him. The cackling mass attracted his hair and released an invisible heat wave that had Link sweating in his insolated furs and coat. As his body sweated the snow beneath the lightning ball melted in seconds as a testament to the power of the instinctive attack.

He didn't look back. Link could already picture the look of horror and surprise manifesting on Riju's face as she quickly realized what she'd just done and how close she came to seriously injuring him. A wipeout while shield surfing was usually bad, but one while the body was spasming from an electric shock? It'd take some serious wooing to calm her down, and get her to realize how proud of her he was.

The race continued as if nothing had happened, for him at least. Riju wished she could stop time itself so she could understand what had just happened. Link never once looked back at her which caused her no end of worry. Was he angry with her? Horrified? The whirlpool of doubt and fear that bubbled upward from within her sucking in all the excitement and frustration that had previously fluttered throughout her body. As the seconds ticked by Riju began to feel it would be better if the race never ended, that way she'd never have to face the possibly breaking off of her and Link's relationship, and maybe even the desolation of their friendship.

Her hopes were crushed when Link passed a set of trees they'd both marked as the "finish line" of their competition. Sliding to a stop he jumped onto his feet then kicked up his shield. Riju swallowed the growing lump in her throat as she passed the tree line as well. Shaking in her skin the Gerudo slowly stood up, her shield-turned-snowboard nervously held in her arms.

"L-L-Link," she began catching his attention. This was one of those rare times his face was unreadable to her, and those times were what scared Riju. "I-I-I didn't mean to-"

Placing his hands atop of hers the Hylian helped her lower the shield. The young chieftain stared in shock at the smiling face of her blond lover. A quick chuckle preceded him leaning forward pressing his lips against hers. Riju automatically dropped the shield and gasped at Link's sides as if he were about to disappear any second. Kicking the shield to the side he wrapped his arms around her slender waist once more. Even if it'd only be for a minute or two they'd been separated from each other for too long.

"You're not mad?" Whispered the younger of the two when they finally broke apart.

"Why would I be mad?" Link whispered allowing her forehead to rest on his shoulder. "You're Urbosa's niece, I always knew you had her magic power in you."

"And you're okay with me using you as an unwitting test dummy?" Giggled Riju basking in her love's warmth. Truly he was a hero worthy of praise, and worthy of her opening herself up to him. "I don't know if you're crazy or just a little stupid, I'm leaning towards crazy because of some of the stunts I've seen you pull off."

"No offense, but that makes you crazy for choosing to be with me." Replied the blond.

Riju pulled back with a coy smile plastered on her lips. "As far as potential suitors go, I'd say you're a pretty good pick. Excellent warrior, one of the original Champions, bodyguard of the Princess Zelda, Slayer of the Calamity Ganon, and Hero of the Wilds. Matter of fact, I think you'd have to be just a tiny bit crazy to earn all those titles. Oh, and boyfriend of the future Queen of the Gerudo."

"Who I managed to talk into sneaking out for some alone time that ended with a reckless snowboard race." Added the adventurer.

"Oh, come on! You know I talked you into coming with me!" Grinned the Gerudo woman. Catching sight of her shield she walked over and picked it up. Though her association with Sheikah technology was minimal she recognized the tech when she saw it, and its growing number of modified variants. What she was looking at was a new issue Ancient Shield, or well, since it was new the word "ancient" probably no longer applied. Up close she could see some sort of pulse emitter, no doubt the feature that had allowed Link to perform that jump he'd used to take the lead. "Cute toy, now then, are you going to be a good boyfriend and share with me?"

"Um, I already gave you one of the latest Sheikah Slats that came out." Nervously laughed the Hylian stepping backward.

"Oh please, I'd have gotten that based on formality." That one, he had to give to her. It'd taken time and a great deal of work, but eventually Purah had managed to crank out the first of the mass produced Sheikah Slats. As the leader of the Gerudo Riju had been given her own slat which hung proudly at her hips. "You know, a shield like yours would make for a good birthday gift or something. That is if you can swipe one from Hateno Village R&D. Better yet, you could just take me there one day."

"Sure you're up for it?" He asked gently taking back his shield. When Purah had gifted it to him she'd made no bones about him personally paying for it were the device seriously damaged. From the looks of things his little trick hadn't put too heavy a dent in the advanced tech.

"I just slid down a snowy mountain, hell, I was willing to come all the way out here for the sake of diplomatic relations." Crossing her arms, she leered at him with a cheeky smile he'd always found attractive. "You know, I could just arrange for a 'diplomatic' visit to Hateno Village and have you show me around."

Watching her kick up her shield and place it on her back Link laughed. "That might be considered an abuse of power, Queen Riju."

"Wouldn't be my first." She smiled back at him.

The desire to kiss one another was strong and evident in the eyes of both youths. Had it not been for their respective Slats blaring their alarms they more than likely would have given in to their impulses. A heavy sigh escaped Riju's green lips as she realized it was time for her to go back to the role of the regal and composed chieftain that was needed of her, and that meant no Link for a while. The Hylian merely gave his girlfriend a bitter sweat smile. He too hated it when they had to separate, but he knew the time would come when they could and would see each other again. Catching sight of his peaceful expression Riju couldn't help but smile and hold out her hand. Link graciously took it.

Nearly two months into their relationship and they were still struggling to make due, but in those struggles they'd found happiness, and that happiness they wouldn't trade for anything else in the world.

Kakariko Village, Late Evening…

"Home sweet home!" Yawned Link stretching his arms toward the orange-tinted sky causing his companion to giggle. "Man, talk about a long day."

"If anyone should be saying it was long, it ought to be me. After all, I'm the one who had to do most of the work while you seemingly disappeared." Softly chided Zelda. "If I ask you what you were doing will you give me a straight answer?"

"Depends, is this a trick question?"

Zelda laughed as she dismounted along with Link to return their horses to the village stables. There were many things she'd had to adjust to since the battle against Calamity Ganon had been won, but probably one of the happiest adjustments she'd made was interacting with her last surviving Champion and bodyguard. When she first saw Link in the aftermath of the climatic showdown she could tell this was a different person then the one she'd last seen fighting tooth and nail to defend her. This Link was ten times happier and more jubilant which warmed her heart. There were a whole number of reasons for the change she was still picking over, but about a month ago she noticed a subtle change in Link's behavior, one that she'd slowly begun to deduce.

"What? You're staring at me; do I have something on my face?" Sounded his voice drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, nothing, nothing you need to worry about. I just tend to notice whenever things start to…slow down you have this tendency to slip away and then reappear almost exactly when needed." Answered the monarch as they began walking through the village. Evening life had begun to set in with children and adults alike bustling from place to place. Again, Kakariko Village was still small, but it was growing at a decent pace. "Am I that unbearable to be around?"

"Wh-What? N-No, never! I take my job as your protector very seriously!" Sounded off the knight hoping he hadn't offended his friend's feelings. "I just…I'm…still having a little trouble putting down roots is all. I-I mean you never know when or where danger could come from so I take the pre-active role of scouting things out." Would that defense work against the astute and learned princess? He doubted it but it was the best Link could come up with.

Zelda seemed to think on his response for a moment or two with a hand pressed to her cheek. "True, but some would argue you'd better serve that purpose staying close to me at all times. Still, you always manage to pull through somehow so I'm willing to grant you some level of autonomy." The tone she spoke in was a queenly one, a mocking one. Link chuckled at it as did she before the two of them were laughing. This was yet another positive change they'd accepted whole-heartedly. In the past moments like this were practically a fantasy, but no more.

It was the second time she'd pried this deeply into his disappearances, Link counted himself lucky she didn't bring up who often disappeared with him. Knowing Zelda, she might be in the process of piecing it all together and when that time came Link didn't know if she'd congratulate him or chew him out for keeping things a secret. In his defense he'd always intended to tell her, but things always went sideways and he completely forgot about it until it was too late. That wasn't really his fault, was it?

Common sense had dedicated that Zelda's home would be right beside Link's. It was either that or have the two of them live together, that option had been hastily shot down by the both of them. Link could still remember that meeting as several looked between the two of them as if they'd just said they'd like a blend of salt rocks and weeds for dinner. He'd seen Impa's face as she silently deduced what the cause of their wanted separation was. For the rest of the week she said nothing choosing to leave them to their own devices. Both Link and Zelda were rather grateful for that choice.

Her home wasn't anything fancy as per her request. As far as she was concerned she was just another resident of the village and wanted to be treated as such, a sentiment Link carried too given his own history and reputation. All that separated her home from others was the seal of the Hyrule royal family carved on the front of her door. Equally so, Link's front door merely had a Hylian shield and sword running through it. The knight and his princess one could say, right next door to each other and should trouble knock on the door of one it'd be heard by the other.

"Link," Began the long-haired blond giving the warrior reason to pause in his tracks. "If something ever comes up or is bothering you, feel free to tell me. Though I…still bear the title of princess I'd like for you to think of me as a…a…friend. One you can talk to." A light blush played at her cheeks as she spoke the words she probably should have told him a hundred years ago. As they say, better late than never.

The Hylian felt as if an invisible weight had had last been lifted off of his shoulders. Ever since the start of his adventure across the wilds, as his memories slowly returned to him, all he could associate Zelda's face with was one of disappointment. There were a lot of things he thought she'd say to him when they'd finally defeated Ganon, yet not one word he'd predicted came through her lips. Instead, all he received was praise, thanks. Steadily, he realized his and Zelda's roles had changed from knight and lady, protector and protected to something a little more…casual. They were now friends.

"Zelda," Link started feeling a light blush creep onto his face. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart…thank you for saying that. I want you to know that…I feel the same way, if you're ever in trouble or need of anything, I'll be here for you too."

In a move that would have been considered a breach of protocol back in the day, Zelda stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Link's neck. Link returned the embrace in a friendly manner, the likes of which he never would have done a hundred years ago. Pulling away, she bowed her head then disappeared behind the door to her home. Link stood there in a moment of suspended bliss. While he hadn't been able to save his fellow champions, he'd at least managed to save his charge, from both Calamity Ganon and her own royal curse.

Maybe you were right, Riju. Thought the Hylian fondly turning the knob to his own home. Once he was inside, he took a second to inhale the sweet smell of his home. Basic and simple, that was what most homes in the village were like and his was no different in spite of his "exalted" status amongst them. Like many other villagers, a sweet aroma filled his house curtesy of an incense burner Riju had given him during one of their dates. The end result was his house gaining another special place amongst the homes of Kakariko Village. When asked about it, he merely played it off as a gift from one of his ventures into Gerudo Town; his lie had been effortlessly accepted by just about everyone save for maybe one person. He could never keep anything from Impa, and he was ready to quit trying. Maybe it'd be alright if I let her know. I mean, she is the village elder and the closest thing I have to a mother-figure.

His boots and bags were put in their proper place while his sword found its place on his weapons rack. Admittedly he'd gained quite an array of weapons on his travels, so much so that Purah and her assistants to design specialized "containers" for him to keep them all. Though he was a self-admitted warrior, Link preferred to keep the containers situated near the back of his home, and the code to open them held nowhere but in his head. Goddesses forbid someone getting access to all the weapons he'd acquired over his journey, and woe to anyone who forced him to show he knew how to use every weapon stashed away.

Turning his mind away from war, he headed to his bedroom where he sat down atop his mattress. Pulling out his Sheikah Slat, he attempted to call Riju. He wasn't disappointed to find she didn't answer. There were a number of things she could have been doing at the moment, many of which required her attention more than he did. She was a queen after all, and unlike Zelda, her kingdom was still very much present and in need of ruling. That said, he knew the toll that it would take on her thus tried when he could to lighten the load. He froze staring at the blue screen as the full weight of was happening hit him.

He was in a relationship, with a royal. Link definitely remembered whispers amongst the palace royals and servants regarding how close he was to Mipha and Zelda, both of whom were princesses who would one day become queens themselves. Obviously, they'd been dead on regarding his relationship with the former. But then calamity struck and everything was thrown out of balance.

From the bottom of his heart, he would have been overjoyed to see Mipha become queen of the Zora. To see Zelda inherent the throne he would have been happy as he could have been given how…distant they were. As far back as then, he could sympathize with the pressure she was feeling and felt with her ascension hopefully some of it would be lightened. At least then she would have proven she was worthy enough to wear the crown.

Riju was very much in a similar boat, perhaps that's one of the things that had attracted him to her. She too carried the burden of ruling on her back, and he knew better than anyone whose image she had to live up to.

With a few swipes of his finger, the image displayed on his slat was one of the last group picture he, Zelda, and the champions had taken. The Gerudo champion who'd mothered them all stood out in bright contrast to the rest of them, who were struggling to process what had even happened. Except for Daruk, he was rather exuberant at the unexpected turn of events. She seemed so happy being there, surrounded by all of them. Link eventually came to realize Urbosa was a natural at commanding, leading, loving. It was no wonder she's still honored to this day as one of the greatest leaders the Gerudo ever had. And his girlfriend feels such an intense need to live up to her image. Sighing, he swept through the rest of the images stored up within his Sheikah Slat. Subconsciously, his attention was drawn to the desert photos. Such a harsh and unforgiving place it was, yet Urbosa and Riju loved it to death.

His feet rose and carried him back to the weapons containers. Passing his right hand over the seal, the metallic lid slid open revealing the prized scimitar and shield of the Gerudo Champion.

Link always felt like he was at a crossroad when staring at the weapons of his former comrades. Though each race had given their blessings, he still felt like he hadn't deserved such things. In the case of the scimitar and shield before him, there was a chance Riju would become able to wield them one day. When would that day come? Would it be in a time of peace or in a time of war?

He hoped from the bottom of his heart it was it was the former, and only for training purposes.

"What? You don't believe my descendent would make for a capable warrior?"

Tipping his lip upward, he almost looked over his shoulder, fully expecting to see to the proud redhead standing over him. If Urbosa had lived, he had little doubt she would have been the one training Riju, in matters of combat and politics. How grand a sight would that have been.

But then they never would have met one another as they did, and begun their relationship. He didn't think he'd ever get used to how winding a road fate could be.

"Would you oppose to me being the one to teach her how to fight?" Questioned the Hylian reaching and picking up the sword. Time had been kind to the gold and jewel decorated weapons. In his opinion, they deserved to be held in the hands of a proper Gerudo warrior. "I mean, I know I may not know all the tricks you knew, but I could teach her a thing or two, couldn't I? Urbosa?"

It wouldn't quite be the sort of date normal couples did, but Link liked to believe he and Riju weren't quite a normal couple in spite of their various attempts. Of course, that wasn't going to stop them from making the best of their relationship, and perhaps it would all work out in the long run. The Gerudo elders would have to give him points for helping train their future queen into a badass warrior queen, couldn't they?

Gerudo Town, late evening…

"I'm not sure which of those old crones I hate more."

"May I place a bet on Lady Sakina?"

Exhausted as she might have been, Riju was able to laugh at her bodyguard's jest. Having practically helped raise her, she knew while Buliara could be stone incarnate, she had her soft points, and what soft points they were. It was one of the reasons why at the end of the day, she could be counted as one of Riju's true friends.

That said, she still kept…certain secrets from her until she felt Buliara could be trusted not to overreact. At the moment, the highest one on the list was the fact she and the Hero of Hyrule were secretly dating.

And they'd snuck away from the delegation to go snowboarding using combat shields.

Risking their lives in a childish show of excitement that would have gotten them chewed out. Well, she would have received worse than that, but that was yet another reason to keep things a secret for a little while longer.

"If I may, Lady Riju, where exactly were you doing the break period of the meeting? Though I heeded your word of giving you your…space, I asked around and I was told you were nowhere to be found in town." To her credit, Riju kept her composure, an art she'd perfected and held pride in. Buliara's eyes, though focused ahead, momentarily drifted to hers', sharp as her sword and ready to pickup anything she deemed out of the ordinary.

"Curiosity got the better of me, sorry." Stopping dead in her tracks, she gave her loyal bodyguard an apologetic bow which earned her a deep-hearted sigh. That was far preferable to the epic rant she would have gotten had Riju told the truth. "I did a little exploring outside of the village and lost track of time."

"Sometimes I think the only way to properly look after you is tying myself to your hip." Groaned the female warrior.

"You sorta already do that." Giggled the younger girl giving her bodyguard a quick wink of the eye.

"Perhaps one of these days I'll drop by Hateno Village and request for Purah to bequeath me one of those Sheikah Slats." Sounded the older of the two with a shake of her head.

Riju laughed nervously, trying to picture how a meeting between her bodyguard and the de-aged Sheikah technician would go. She had only met Purah once, but Link's description of her, "eccentric" had been accurate to a T. There was little doubt in her mind that it'd be quite a scene to. "Let me take a wild guess, you'd want it custom-made and it to have some sort of tracking function installed so you can keep tabs on me at all times, right?"

"Truly, you are becoming quite astute milady." Returned Buliara.

"Except last I checked, you'd need to install some sort of…bug on me to do that." Playfully added the future queen.

"That can be easily done at a council meeting." Answered Buliara in a sing-song voice that stopped Riju's heartbeat. The little girl stared at her with slightly wide eyes. Internally, Buliara took a second to savior the moment; times like this were rare and to be cherished. "Should it be dimmed vital to your safety, I believe they would allow it."

"Then I'd just have to test out my powers as queen and get them to reconsider. I don't need to be followed all the time." Fired back the young redhead. Just the thought of such a thing had her blood boiling a bit. "It's not like I've got anyone actively gunning for me, at least…not like Zelda."

The two Gerudo came to a stop to glance outside a nearby window to the setting sun, a look of deep empathy on her face. When Zelda came to Gerudo Town, she'd been welcomed with open arms, much to her immense shock. From what Link had told her regarding the blonde's guilt in failing to stop the Calamity Ganon a hundred years ago, Zelda had been expecting a less than formal greeting. What she got was the best royal welcoming they could muster headed by Riju herself. It was that day she told the female Hylian she hadn't been the only one carrying the stain of Ganon on them. That had been the starting point of a professional yet somewhat personal friendship between them.

That made the first few attempts on Zelda's life by the remnants of the Yiga Clan particularly hard to stomach. Riju preferred not to think about the clan of renegades, and when she did she tried to see them as little more than an annoyance at best. Though she still held a grudge against them for stealing the Thunder Helm, those feelings had been put to rest when Link returned with her family heirloom, and told her the Yiga's leader had been sent to an early grave. By his own foolish hand no less. That should have been the end of the Yiga, but it wasn't. Instead of disbanding, the group seemed to concentrate their hatred on her secret lover and had made it their new life mission to kill him. With the defeat of Calamity Ganon and freeing of Princess Zelda they had a new goal: kill her as well.

In the near year and a half since that fateful day Link had intercepted nearly ten attempts on Zelda's life. The Yiga, while greatly diminished in power and prestige, were still very much dedicated to carrying out their twisted goals. How long until they were stomped out no one knew, but all around Hyrule, there was a resounding wish for that time to come sooner rather than later if it could be helped.

Buliara certainly awaited that day, if only it would give Riju one less enemy out there and allow the Gerudo to sleep at ease, another portion of their honor restored.

"Milady, with all due respect, the world is still dangerous, and it is that danger we all wish to protect you from." Admitted the guardian, placing a hand on her young charge's shoulder. "Please, do not take such matters lightly."

Glancing upward, Riju gave her long time protector and friend a kind smile. "I never will, in spite of how many jokes about it I like to make. Buliara, I'm just…I guess I'm just trying to be optimistic in believing better days for the Gerudo, for Hyrule, are on the horizon. Do you think that's foolish of me?"

"Not at all, milady, for as queen, you must look tomorrow and make the best of it, that way you may guide us all." She positively responded.

Secured once more, Riju wondered how long she could afford to keep relying on others. While her mother had told her there was no shame in having friends and allies, at the end of the day, a ruler must be able to trust in themselves to make the right decision. She wished so dearly she could have the confidence of her parents and dear aunt.

Buliara protectively planted her sword in the ground as they came to their stop. Riju gave her protector one quick smile of approval before she slipped behind the door then softly closed it shut. Silently, she kicked off her shoes and made way for her stone couch, her face hitting the soft pillows first followed by the rest of her body.

"Talk about one hell of day." From entering the frozen mountains far beyond her realm to a snowboarding match that almost went wrong, to a hours' long conversation with the council of elders, Riju felt well and truly drained of all her energy. She was thankful the day was over as she felt she didn't have much strength left in her. It was her hope the rest of the evening would be hers' and hers' alone. At least then she would have been able to sneak in one last talk with her Hylian lover.

Speaking of said lover, Riju felt the urge to checkup on him. Buliara's questioning of her whereabouts reminded her that Link might have had to endure a similar matter regarding Zelda. Though the blonde princess didn't have as large a protection ring as she did, Link was still expected to be within shouting distance of her at all times. Given that he was secretly seeing someone else that was rather difficult to do, and should word ever get out, it would cause one hell of a scandal. Sitting upright, Riju's face went dark as she automatically began to wonder how the news would play out across the land. It'd be like something of a drama written to entertain nobles and royals. Or worse, it'd sound like one of those crappy novels commonly sold in the market, the kind that she'd caught even Buliara reading from time to time.

Swinging her legs over the edge, she took out her Sheikah Slat and booted it up. A thin smile formed on her face as she found she had one missed call, and from just the man of her dreams. The call was dated almost an hour ago meaning she'd been at the meeting when it happened. Sadly, such a thing was rather common since they started dating in secret, but it made the times they were able to communicate all the sweeter.

"Hey there, handsome." She giggled upon seeing his face come up on the screen. A thin layer of sweat had formed meaning he was more than likely in the middle of training or finished training.

"So, how as it?"

"I wanted to hop on my sand seal and ride as far into the desert as I possibly could." Was her dry response.

"Would you believe me if I told you Zelda envies you? At least you have semi-royal officials to consort with." Chuckled the blond hero while his girlfriend huffed in annoyance.

"She doesn't know how good she has it, make sure to tell her that." Following a quick roll of her eyes, the Gerudo fell back into her arrangement of pillows, feeling rejuvenated from their short exchange. "Have you ever thought about coming down here to teach a class on fighting? Or how to talk to voe? I'm sure you'd have a packed classroom every day of your stay."

"Heh, that depends, would you be able to stand seeing me interact with a long list of girls hour after hour?"

Returning his smirk with one of her own, Riju held up her right hand. In between her fingers jumped arcs of green-colored lightning.

"Does that answer your question?"

A towel was wiped over his sweaty face. The screen turned to a darkening sky with the sounds of footsteps echoing in the background. Riju's blonde lover came back into focus, his face cleaner and with the towel thrown over his neck. What she wouldn't have given for a full-body view of him. "I can try vouching the idea to Zelda."

"Would she suspect anything?" Questioned the Gerudo.

"I think I'm the one who should be asking that of your side of things." Casually replied the Hylian. "There'd be a lot of risk to it." Link waited a full second watching Riju's face darken. "But it'd be worth a shot, one I'm willing to take."

Immediately, the future ruler's expression brightened. Picking up the slate, she hurried over to the window where she placed it down thus giving Link a view of the sunset from her home. "That's good, because I've been meaning to share these with you in person. There are quite a sight you know." Stretching out before them lay the vast expanse of the Gerudo Desert, slowly being dyed in the colors a warm flame while the sky grew a shade darker by the second. The stars were beginning to come out, one by one filling up the darkening sky. "I'll try to see if I can convince the council to make an exception for you in regards to the clothes rule."

"I'd appreciate it." He chuckled enjoying the view. "Don't get me wrong, I like sneaking in, but I'd like to be able to go through the front gate and not have to have Zelda be with me to do it in ordinary clothes."

"Here I was beginning to like seeing you in a dress."

"You know, you've seen me dress in Gerudo clothes, but I don't think I've ever seen you do the same in Hylian clothes."

"Does today not count?"

"I'm talking clothes you'll actually enjoy wearing." Link proclaimed laughing.

"Oh, you're willing to go clothes shopping with me? Great! I've been meaning to update my wardrobe for a while now!" Riju exclaimed. She didn't need to look at the screen to see Link groaning in despair, matter of fact, she could hear it. Oh, how she longed to have him physically at her side. "Link, about what happened earlier, do you think one day I'll be as good as my aunt? I mean, with the Thunder Helm, I'm pretty good, but I wanna be able to stand on my own."

"You will, I know it." Affirmed the swordsman. "If you want, we can practice together."

"Sounds like a date to me." Grinned the Gerudo.

"It does, doesn't it?"

So there it is, the first chapter of my first full-length Legend of Zelda story. Let me know what you all thought of it. I won't lie, this story is going to be straight Link/Riju, but there will be some friendships and interactions with other characters. If you're interested in how their relationship will turn out, then tune in for the next chapter. Until then!