Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, well, Link and Zelda would have been married ages ago.

"Body Double" is rated "T" for language and adult themes.

Body Double

A Legend of Zelda Fanfiction

Zelda was not happy.

What was her father thinking? Was he out of his mind? Why on earth would he arrange a marriage for Link of all people? Link was not his biological child. Sure, the King of Hyrule cared for Link like his own son, but still.

Five years ago, Link finally returned to Hyrule after three painful years away. Zelda was more than overjoyed to see him again. Ecstatic, even. So the Princess of Hyrule had a little crush. She was a girl. She was allowed to fall in love.

Very few people knew exactly what Link did for Hyrule. Nine years ago, Link traveled through time to defeat the evil lord Ganondorf. When Zelda sent him back to his original time, his deed was unknown to the majority of Hyrule's population. The only ones who knew the truth were the Sages, Zelda, and Link. That was it.

Zelda never imagined that sending Link back to his own time would be hard on him. Sure, he went from hero to zero overnight. That had to be a little tricky. He couldn't see anyone the same way again. Friends he made on his journey were now strangers. Still, it was something Zelda had to do. Not only for Hyrule, but for Link. During his adventure, Link's body was sealed away in the Temple of Time for seven years. She couldn't waste seven years of his life because of her foolish mistake. That wasn't right.

When Link left, Zelda understood. She was hurt, but she knew why. They were only kids. Nothing seriously romantic happens when you're nine years old. She still remembered the adult feelings she harbored for him as a teenager. Judging by the way he looked at her, she bet he felt the same way.

But he returned. That was the happiest day in her life. Sure, he was thirteen and was going through that awkward puberty stage, but he was still absolutely adorable. She personally witnessed his growth from a boy to a man. Because he was growing up, Link couldn't bring himself to return to Kokiri Forest. Instead, he used the rupees he collected over his travels and bought a modest little place in Castle Town. One day, Hyrule Castle was invaded by bandits. The specially trained guards were defeated. Because it was peacetime, Hyrule's standing army was very modest. Even though the bandits were buffoons, they came in overwhelming numbers. It appeared that they were about to win when fourteen year old Link arrived and single-handedly obliterated the rogue army. Impressed by his sword skills and grateful for his help, the king took Link in and trained him to be Hyrule's next general. Now eighteen, Link was the youngest general in all of Hyrule's history.

The king was quite fond of the boy. Zelda didn't blame him. She was fond of Link too. Link was positively charming without even trying. He was kind and polite to everyone. He was humble and asked for very little, if he asked at all. Link spent his spare time training, developing strategies, and napping in the castle courtyard.

For the past five years, Zelda and Link lived in the castle together. Occasionally they'd talk about the battle against Ganondorf. Usually, they talked about trivial matters. Zelda often vented her frustration about the pressures of being a princess to him. He was a great listener. He loved hearing her rants, no matter how ridiculous they were.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's funny to see you so off-guard."

Link was the only person Zelda could truly be herself around. She didn't have to watch everything that she did. She didn't have to give false praise and word everything diplomatically. So what if she sat in an un-ladylike position. So what if she gossiped. Zelda was a teenage girl. Sometimes she wanted to act like one.

But then the king just had to ruin it. Her father just had to set up Link with the daughter of the neighboring country's general. Apparently the girl's skills were unparalleled. Rumors claimed she was a bit of a beauty, too. Didn't the king care about Zelda's feelings? Was he stupid or something?

Well, he was a man. Men are pretty oblivious, and that included Link.

Yeah, sure, her father was trying to help Link. Link was eighteen. It was time for him to start thinking about marriage. All the nobles married around eighteen. It was just how things were. Link never really cared about romantic relationships, so the king was giving him a nudge. Besides, their marriage would strengthen the relationship between the two neighboring countries. All of it made sense.

Sure, it made sense, but that didn't mean Zelda had to like it.

Zelda glanced outside her window. Hmm, judging by the position of the sun, it was almost time. Link was due to meet the fair maiden soon. Zelda was supposed to be working. How could she work in this situation? The love of her life was about to discuss marriage with some other girl.

Maybe she'd prep Link for his meeting. If she told him the wrong things about girls, maybe he'd make a fool of himself and she wouldn't be interested. Yes, that was a good plan. Zelda was his best friend. Link was gullible enough to believe everything that she said. She hated to take advantage of his trustworthy nature, but this was serious business. The kiddy gauntlets were coming off.

Zelda jumped up from her seat. She waved the guards away, saying that she was attending to her feminine needs. That always worked, especially after she got her period. Whenever she needed to be alone, she just dropped a hint that she was on her monthly. That terrified all the men real quick.

She knocked on Link's door. He better be up and getting ready. Link loved to sleep and overslept all the time. He couldn't be late while greeting a lady, now could he?

Well, he could. Actually…

Zelda shook her head. He had somewhat of a reputation that he needed to uphold. Besides, she wanted to see him. Was that illegal?

"Link! Wake up!"

"I'm coming," Link responded. Huh. Something was wrong with his voice. Zelda shrugged. It was his hoarse morning voice. He must have just woken up. Again. Could he never wake up before noon?

Link opened the door, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Zelda blushed furiously. Link was half dressed. He was wearing his sleep shorts and his sleep shirt was half off, revealed his toned muscles. His hair was in a poofy tangled mess. Most men wouldn't dare to appear before the princess in such a state. Link was either unaware or unashamed to be dressed in his sleep clothes in front of the princess.

Not that Zelda minded. It was a shame that his sleep shirt wasn't completely off. Was he in the middle of undressing? Link always slept in an oversized sleep shirt, so his right arm was currently through the neck hole. It showed off a nice bit of chest.

"You shouldn't look so informal in front of a princess," Zelda teased.

Link yawned, still half asleep. "So? It's just you."

'It's just you', huh? He shouldn't be thinking like that. What was she, chopped Cuckoo? Still, that sentence gave her butterflies in her stomach. He didn't see her as just a princess. He treated her as if he would any other girl.

It was nice that at least one person in this world thought like that.

"It's just you?" Zelda repeated, putting her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrow at him.

Link sighed in defeat, realizing what he just said was a mistake. "I'm sorry, I-" he was cut off by a violent coughing fit.

Wait, what? Zelda had never seen Link sick. Concernedly, Zelda entered the room and started rubbing circles on his back. As his fit quieted, she closed the door behind them and led him back to his bed. She laid him gently in his bed, tucking the blankets back around him and propping his head up with a pillow.

"Are you all right?" she finally asked, sitting beside him and placing a hand on his forehead. Link was burning up.

Now that she thought about it, Link sneezed three times more than he normally did yesterday. Yes, Zelda noticed that. When you spend a lot of time with someone, you tend to pick up on certain habits. He was an extremely busy man. Being the Hyrule's top general was hard work. He not only trained himself, drew up strategies, but he was also in charge of recruiting. He overworked himself.

"I'm okay," Link insisted, brushing her hand off of him and trying to sit up. That only triggered another coughing fit. Zelda practically shoved him back down.

"Rest. You're in no condition to get up," she ordered sternly.

"But…" Link started between coughs.

"No buts. You need to rest. You're sick. Let me go fetch a doctor for you…" she started to get up, surprised when Link grabbed her hand.

"Zelda…the meeting…"

Ah, yes. That damned meeting.

You just had to bring that up, didn't you, Link? You have a legitimate excuse to miss it, you know.

Zelda looked at Link, who was still clinging onto her sleeve. She could see the desperation behind those beautiful blue eyes. Link really wanted to go to this meeting. Zelda wasn't a mind reader, but she guessed it was more for the king's sake than his own. Not showing up could be problematic.

But, they were nice people. Surely they'd understand. All Zelda had to do was ask them to wait another week, explaining that Link was very sick. She'd even let them see him as proof.

Wait a minute.

This could work in her favor.

A mischievous grin spread across Zelda's face. Yes, that's what she'd do. This was perfect. Things couldn't be going any better.

"I'll take care of it," she assured Link, giving his hand a slight squeeze. Link opened his mouth to protest, but Zelda shushed him. His eyes started to close from exhaustion. As he drifted off to sleep, he mumbled a quick thanks.

Zelda smiled. Link was adorable when he slept. He looked about twelve. She was a bit worried that he fell asleep so quickly, but at least he wouldn't have any of those retched coughing fits. After placing a damp towel on his forehead, Zelda gave his hand one last squeeze before heading over to his closet.

Very quietly, careful not to wake Link, Zelda opened the closet doors. How many green tunics did he have? There were at least twenty. Oh, look, there were a couple red and blue ones too. His ceremonial outfits were crammed in the back corner, probably wrinkling something fierce. Glancing back at Link's bed, Zelda assured herself that Link was asleep and carefully took one of the tunics. She reached down and selected the cleanest pair of boots. Tunic and boots in hand, Zelda quietly closed the closet doors and tiptoed to his chest of drawers. Perfect. Zelda selected an undershirt and a pair of tights. How did Link wear tights on a regular basis, anyways? Okay, clothing was set. Now all that was left was the sword and shield. Moving quietly as a mouse, Zelda gently picked up the sword and shield that were always by Link's bedside. At least he didn't sleep with the sword. Some soldiers did that. It was also good that he no longer wielded the Master Sword. That would be problematic, seeing as only the Hero of Time could touch it. Zelda thanked the Goddesses for her lucky favors.

With Link's traditional outfit in her arms, Zelda sneaked out of his room. It was time to start the first phase of her plan.

Zelda observed herself in her mirror. Not too shabby.

Her hair was in a loose messy bun, concealed by the floppy cap. No one would be able to tell that she actually had long hair. She styled her bangs so they fell loosely around her face, like Link's. Sure, her bangs weren't as thick as his, but that was a minor detail. Link's tunic was actually a pretty good fit. For once, Zelda was glad that she and Link were about the same size. She hid her chest with the tape she used from her Sheik disguise. She never thought she'd have to use it again, but hey, it worked the first time. Really, if people didn't know better, they'd think she was Link. For a final touch, she replaced her Triforce Earrings with Link's small silver hoops.

Perfect.

It amazed her how similar she looked to Link. It wasn't just the blonde hair and blue eyes. Yes, this would be perfect. She might even be able to fool some Hylians with her disguise. Not that she was going to chance it. She would sneak out of the castle and meet the lovely lady herself. Thankfully for her, neither the general nor his daughter had seen Zelda or Link before. They knew his general description, which Zelda currently matched, and that was about it.

Okay, preparations complete. Time to get this show on the road. She left a note for her father in case he came looking for her and left the room.

Good thing Zelda didn't let Link conduct this marriage interview.

The girl was gorgeous.

Zelda was a little bit jealous. Just a wee bit.

Boy, was she built. Zelda would kill for her figure. It was clear that the female warrior worked out. Beautiful and deadly with a sword. What a killer combo, literally. The girl's name was Jadea. Her beautiful, long curly auburn hair laid gracefully on her shoulders. She had hair most girls would kill for. Enough volume but not too much. Tight curls that actually did what you wanted them to. The color, oh, the color. What a gorgeous shade of red. To top it all off, she had lovely green eyes…

Some women have it all.

"My knight," Jadea bowed politely.

Time for phase two.

"Hi," Zelda said disinterestedly, staring at her fingernails. She made no motion to offer her hand to the young woman. After she was done messing with her cuticles, she sighed loudly and walked over to her chair. She leaned back in her chair, placing her legs on the table and crossing them. Too bad she didn't have gum. If she would she would smack in loudly.

Jadea seemed a bit puzzled. "My knight?"

Hahaha. Zelda loved the sound of pure confusion.

"You are going to sit, aren't you? I don't have all day," Zelda continued in her bored voice. She yawned and stretched, exaggerating the motion for good measure. Hey, it wasn't every day she went against every rule of etiquette in the book. She was going to enjoy it, damn it.

Still looking extremely bewildered, Jadea bowed politely again and took her place opposite Zelda at the table. She sat politely in her chair, delicately intertwining her hands and clearing her throat gently.

Zelda was too good at this game. Jadea was clearly offended by Zelda's behavior. Good, that was the intention. Even though she didn't do anything to openly express her dislike, her body language told it all. One only cleared their throats if they were annoyed.

Zelda brushed her bangs out of her face, chewing at one of her fingernails. She slowly bit the nail off, spitting it across the room for an added effect. After another huge exaggerated yawn, she tossed the papers of the marriage agreement across the table.

"The king wants me to sign this."

No polite tone, no suggestion that Zelda may actually be interested. She was blunt, spoke in a rude manner, and let her body language clearly show that she wasn't about to actually sign that thing. Normally, even if you're doing something against your will, you always show the utmost respect and you would never actually admit that you didn't want to be there.

Jadea paused, unable to process what was happening. Zelda could see the gears in her head turning as she tried to diplomatically solve this problem. Whatever respect she may have had for Zelda was out the window. Zelda could see Jadea's confliction. Jadea wanted to please her father, but she sure as hell didn't want to go through with this marriage.

Zelda almost pitied her. She'd been in Jadea's situation one too many times. Maybe they could be friends some day.

Just never try to steal my man, okay?

"Um, milord…" Jadea started. She was obviously trying to hide her obvious disgust with the situation.

Zelda forced back a grin. She had her. There was no way that Jadea would ever agree to marry her. And in not agreeing to marry her, she wouldn't marry Link. She felt a little bad embarrassing and disrespecting Link, but oh well. He'll be blissfully unaware for ages. If he ever found out, he could use some of that patented charm and the bad gossip would be gone in a flash. Everything was going perfectly to plan.

"Milady, I apologize for this misunderstanding," a hoarse voice interrupted.

Uh oh. Zelda knew that voice. It was the last voice she wanted to hear at this moment.

Jadea turned around towards the door, eyes wide open in shock. Sure enough, Link was standing in the doorway.

Zelda gulped. Link? What was he doing here? How did he know about this? Wasn't he supposed to be sick in bed?

"Milord?" Jadea asked. The girl must be thinking that Hyrule is made up of a bunch of loonies.

Not like that wasn't completely accurate…

"I am the real General Link," Link continued. "I apologize for all of this. As you can see, unfortunately I am quite ill. Because of this, I was unable to make the meeting on time."

"It's no problem," Jadea said. She seemed relieved. Zelda could tell what she was thinking. Jadea was hoping that this Link was actually normal or at least knew some etiquette.

Zelda feared for her situation. Link was obviously not happy. Well, he had every right to be, even if Zelda was trying to help him. She was going to get it, bad.

"It's my sister. When she heard that I was going to a marriage interview, she got jealous. You see, she can be pretty possessive," he said with a small, embarrassed chuckle.

Hey now. "Possessive" was going a bit too far. And sister? Really, Link? Is that the best you can come up with?

"It's okay," Jadea said with a giggle of her own. The giggle was partially due to amusement and also to relief. "My little brother would probably do something similar."

This was horrible. Not only did Zelda make a fool out of herself, Link and Jadea were connecting. This was not good. This wasn't good at all. How the hell did Link find out?

If she ever found out someone told him, she was going to make that person's life a living hell.

"Excuse me for a moment while I reprimand my little sister," He said, pulling Zelda up and pushing her out the door. "I'll be right back."

Link dragged Zelda down the street, pulling them into a side alleyway. He was completely red, most likely from the humiliation and the fever. His breathing was still fitful, although he was doing his best to stay functional. When he was convinced that no one was around, he sighed.

"What the hell are you doing, Zelda? You're damn fortunate that she doesn't know you're the princess."

Well, how was she supposed to answer that? 'Oh, sorry Link. I'm completely in love with you so I couldn't let you marry another girl'. Yeah, that would go over real well.

"I…" Zelda started, fumbling for words. For one of the first times in her life, she was at a loss for words. She was admittedly a bit embarrassed for resorting to something so childish. She never wanted to embarrass Link. She didn't want to ruin his reputation.

She just didn't want him to marry that other woman.

Link knew this was pointless. "Forget it. I'll deal with you later. Right now I have to go fix the mess you created."

Zelda nodded. Link coughed twice into his fist, leaning against the wall as he regained his breath. Zelda rubbed circles on his back. Well, at least he wasn't so mad at her that she couldn't touch him. After a brief moment, Link stood up, stretching slightly and walking off without another word.

Zelda could only hope that he would come back.

Zelda sat on her bed feeling miserable. She hadn't even changed out of her Link disguise. This was awful. This was pure hell. Not only was Link mad at her now, he was going to marry another girl.

Who wouldn't want Jadea? She was beautiful. She was skilled in combat. She was smart. She was kind. She was everything. She was a killer in the bed. Zelda was nothing compared to her. Given the choice, any man would pick Jadea over her.

Tears slid down Zelda's face. She buried her head into her pillow, crying despondently. Things would never be the same between Link and Zelda again. What if he moved to Jadea's kingdom? What if she never saw him again?

Zelda almost lost him once. She wasn't about to lose him again.

"You know, I'm supposed to be crying in this situation, not you."

Link. At least he came back. Zelda refused to look at him, face still obscured by her pillow.

"Hey, quit it. You know I hate it when you cry," Link continued. Zelda felt the bed shift as Link sat down next to her. He rubbed gentle circles on her back as she had done for him earlier in the day. After Zelda still didn't quiet down, Link took off Zelda's cap, releasing her hair from the ponytail and stroking it gently. He always played with her hair.

Zelda still couldn't bring herself to say anything. What could she say? What could possibly make this situation any better?

At least he was still talking to her.

"Why shouldn't I cry?" Zelda finally whimpered, voice muffled by the pillow. "You're getting married and you'll probably leave me forever."

Link laughed lightly, although it turned into a cough. Zelda frowned. This wasn't exactly the time to be laughing, Link.

"Pardon me," he said quietly, still chuckling gently. "Zel, whatever gave you the impression that I'd accept the marriage proposal?"

Uh, the fact that she was gorgeous? The fact that Link is fiercely loyal to Hyrule and would do anything the king asked? Of course he'd accept the marriage offer. He was going to marry her, and Zelda's life was doomed.

Wait a minute…

Zelda peeked out of the pillow at Link. The way he said that almost made it sound like he rejected the marriage offer.

"What did you say?" she asked tentatively.

"I told her that I had nothing but the utmost respect for her. She's really a very lovely woman. She's intelligent, skilled, polite, and very beautiful, if I may add. Then I said that I hoped our kingdoms could continue to be powerful allies."

Diplomatic stuff, Link. Zelda hoped he said that. That wasn't what she asked and Link knew it. Get to the point. Did he accept or reject?

Link smiled earnestly, brushing Zelda's bangs out of her eyes. "I told her that I wished her the best in the future and that she finds a husband that she rightfully deserves."

Hold the Cuckoo. Diplomatic language aside, that most definitely sounded like a rejection.

Link rejected the marriage proposal?

"You rejected the marriage proposal?" Zelda gasped, sitting up suddenly and grabbing Link's shoulders.

"Of course I did," Link said. "I had every intention of rejecting the proposal from the start. The meeting was merely a formality."

Zelda's mouth dropped open. What kind of man was he? How could he turn down something that perfect?

"What the hell were you thinking?" Zelda shouted, shaking Link feverously. "And you call yourself a man. She was gorgeous! She was talented! She was smart! Your sex life would be amazing! She had everything!"

Link put his hands on Zelda's to steady her and to stop the shaking. Zelda collapsed against his chest. Link pulled his arms around her, stroking her hair gently.

"She is a wonderful woman," he agreed. "That is why I hope she finds a man that she deserves."

"She's perfect," Zelda mumbled into Link's shirt. "Who would turn down perfection?"

"Perfection is a matter of opinion," Link rested his head on hers, speaking softly.

"It's common sense," Zelda huffed childishly, still clutching his shirt. This wasn't the first time they hugged, but boy did it feel good. Zelda loved being in Link's arms. He carried such a comforting presence. He always knew how to make her feel better.

"It's an opinion," Link corrected. "Besides, why would I ever marry someone else when I have the perfect woman right here?"

Perfect woman? Zelda? Now that was a laugh.

Even if it was false, it was still nice to hear. Especially coming from him.

"I'm not perfect."

"No," Link agreed with a soft chuckle. Zelda felt his body shake as he repressed a coughing fit. "You overreact at every little thing, you're awfully bossy, and you're extremely possessive. Even still…your flaws are what make you special. Anyone can act diplomatically. Anyone can look and act 'perfect'. That's not what defines someone. What defines someone is their heart. Zelda, there is no bigger heart than yours."

Zelda nodded, waiting for Link to finish coughing before he continued.

"Do you know why I came back?" Link asked. Zelda shook her head. "I came back to be with you again."

Zelda smiled. She had never heard Link talk like this. As a matter of fact, they rarely talked about their relationship. They were always afraid to take a step further, both of them. For the past five years, the two didn't want to ruin what they already had.

"But I thought you'd accept," Zelda protested. "You're loyal to Hyrule. You know this is in the country's best interest…"

"I'm loyal to you," Link corrected. "I will always be loyal to you. If you leave Hyrule, so will I. I will follow and protect you for as long as I live."

Zelda's eyes filled with tears of happiness. Was she dreaming? Was this real life? Was Link truly professing his deep love for her? Bah. They'd already talked enough. No more diplomacy. Time to be blunt and just get it out there.

"I love you," Zelda said. It was nice to finally say it aloud.

"I love you too." Link kissed the top of Zelda's head, pulling her back so he could look at her in the eyes. With one of his adorable smiles, he leaned down and kissed Zelda on the cheek.

The cheek? Really, Link?

"Really?" Zelda asked aloud.

Link grinned. "Hey, do you want to get sick?"

"What if I do? Then I would finally get a few days off."

Link playfully flicked her on the nose. "Later," he promised. "When I'm healthy, we can kiss properly." He reluctantly released Zelda, kissing her on the cheek one more time before starting to leave the room.

"I love you," Zelda repeated. Why did he have to leave? Curse that damn illness and its bad timing. Hey, Zelda couldn't hate on the illness that much. In a way, that was what brought them together.

Sure, she may have acted recklessly and childishly, but everything worked out in the end, right? She and Link were now a couple. Her father would certainly approve. Then she and Link could spend the rest of their lives together. They'd make some fine babies, that was sure.

"I love you too. You're beautiful, don't let anyone make you think differently," Link said, blowing her a kiss. "I have to go rest or I'll never get over this damn cold."

"I'll come take care of you soon," Zelda promised.

Zelda gleefully hugged the pillow to her chest. Life was good. It was a wonderful day.

"Oh, and Zelda? I have a favor to ask you."

"Anything," Zelda said. Anything he wanted her to do, she'd do it. It was the least she could do for him. He was always sacrificing himself for her. She'd make him a nice big bowl of homemade soup and spend the night with him. That would be nice. Things were finally out in the open.

"Never pretend to be me again."

A/N

I hope you enjoyed "Body Double"! I've had this idea for awhile and I'm on a writing binge, so I decided to write it for you all. I usually write in Link's POV, so it's fun to write Zelda's.

Sassy Zelda. xD It was fun to write this side of her.

Please leave a review! It would make my day. :) Thank you everyone for your constant support on all of my stories! I'm deeply grateful and I love posting new stuff up for everyone.