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Zelda was again triumphant as she and Link stepped inside the Noble Canteen. "This is wonderful!" she said. He smiled at her; even with the veil, she could tell he was smiling from the way his eyes looked. She'd noticed that he spoke even less in Gerudo Town than he did elsewhere; she supposed it was because he didn't want his voice to give him away. Though it wasn't particularly deep, it was still deeper than most women's voices. Just the same, she could tell he was pleased for her. Riju had agreed to send a representative to the council. She said, "I wasn't sure it would go as well as it did. But Riju was very accommodating. That's all the representatives! We have a council!" Link nodded, squeezed her shoulder. She smiled at him, and walked up to the counter.She'd been wanting to do this for a long time. She looked Furosa, behind the bar, in the eye and said, "Two Noble Pursuits, please."The Gerudo looked down at Zelda doubtfully. "Now, aren't you a little young," she started. Zelda knew she still looked seventeen or eighteen, despite all her experience. And a century ago, Urbosa had told her of the delights of the town's signature drink -- which they still served today -- but at the same time, forbade her from drinking. Zelda'd thought that was a little unfair. And now... really, hadn't she worked hard enough and long enough to be able to try one strong drink? And she'd definitely earned the right to celebrate, today. Her clothing should have made it obvious who she was and that she ought to be able to override the rules, but people didn't always notice that right away.So she crossed her arms, frowning, and said, "I'll have you know I'm well over a hundred years old at this point." The woman started, suddenly recognizing her, and said, "Princess Zelda! Of-of course. But your young friend there..."Zelda glanced at Link, and said, "I can vouch for her." Link raised the barest eyebrow at her and remained silent, crossing his arms, too, and giving Furosa a careless look that said, "Of course I'm mature enough to drink"."Of course, Princess," the Gerudo said to them. She set about making the drinks, and that little friction over, Zelda happily slid up onto the bar-stool to watch. Link came and leaned on the bar next to her."Now, Furosa," Zelda said. "You don't have to be so formal with me. I just think that I earned myself the right to celebrate how I wished." The Gerudo looked back at her in between the steps of assembling the drink."You most certainly have, Zelda," the woman said. It was widely known how beloved Zelda had been to Urbosa, though perhaps not the full extent of their relationship. Even if Urbosa had fallen, the Gerudos had reason to love Zelda: the loyalty of their greatest warrior chieftain was not so easily won. So Furosa was willing enough to humor the Princess.Zelda, though she mostly felt confident, began to get a little nervous as she waited. After all, she'd never had a mixed drink before, and Urbosa had made such a big deal about it. Fortunately Furosa was quick to make the drinks and hand them to the two of them. The color was a dark amber-brown, but with some swirls of something rosy, and it was served on ice with a straw. It was actually quite lovely to look at. She saw Link take his and discreetly slip the glass under his veil. He managed to try it first (some kind of old-fashioned idea of testing food for the monarch, perhaps?), and she saw his eyes widen. A little worried now, she quickly took hers and took a big draw on the straw before she could think the better of it.The drink was sweet, and tasted quite good... until the sharpness of the alcohol bit the back of her throat. The only thing she could think of to do was swallow it quickly. The drink burned on the way down, but then left her throat feeling strangely warm. She coughed a little, and Furosa laughed heartily."See, not for the faint-hearted, my lady," she said. Zelda looked at her, not sure if that had been meant in a condescending way. "And *you* are not in the least bit faint-hearted, Zelda," the woman added. Zelda smiled, mollified, and tried to put a few rupees on the counter. Furosa waved them away. "It's worth it to me to see you celebrating, Princess. Urbosa would have wanted your happiness." Zelda was at a loss, but managed to stammer, "Th-thank you."The Gerudo waved them away, "Go on, enjoy the more comfortable seating with your drink. Sitting at the bar is for old bitter people who don't have... company." She looked over at Link and winked at him.Zelda blushed, nodded, and the two of them went to a quiet corner of the canteen.She said to him, after they were reclining and sipping away at the drinks, "It's quite good, really. I *have* had wine, on occasion. This tastes much better than that. The alcohol does smart, a bit, but you get used to it." Link laughed quietly and agreed.They didn't actually have much to talk about; at first Zelda thought she'd want to talk about the Council, but as the effects of the drink started to set in, she just felt relaxed. Probably just as well, she thought vaguely. Wouldn't want to say anything *too* politically inappropriate, in case someone heard. Link started to tell her stories of when he'd been here before he'd faced the Calamity.He told her about a man outside town who had taken a fancy to him, and who had sent him on a quest in exchange for some valuable footwear. In the end, Link had managed to get the footwear and the man had been quite disappointed. Though it was a little cruel, Zelda found herself laughing heartily at Link's description. Link started to laugh too, and then she found herself trying to shush him. "You'll give yourself away," she whispered to him, half panicked and half giggling, and maybe a little less coherently than usual; his laugh was definitely deeper than a woman's. But, she thought, even as she shushed him, she did love to hear it. He'd never laughed, a hundred years ago. And now when he did it, it made her world feel larger than it had the moment before.And the longer they sat there, the more taken she was with Link in the Gerudo clothing. He was attractive, to start with, she thought. That was something she might have even admitted when she'd first met him, though she'd been so negatively inclined towards him at the beginning. Delicate features, but strength in every line. The typically fey look of most young Hylians, but something even more far away, and deep, than most people their age. Well, not *their* actual age, but at least most people their physical age, eighteen or so. He'd had that air about him back then, and adding a century of sleep and all his now-recovered memories only deepened the sense that he was watching the world from beyond time. And humor seen from that perspective felt really reassuring... as if all the trials and troubles of her current circumstances couldn't be as bad as she thought they were. Maybe that's why his laughter made her feel like more things were possible than she automatically assumed. But... it was also just good to see him smiling, happy.And there was something about seeing him in women's clothing that really made him irresistible. They really suited him, and... it wasn't just that. The way he'd been acting was different, too. Softer, somehow. Not weak, but more... conspiratorial. In that way, a little more like Urbosa, in fact. Maybe it was something of the Gerudo culture he picked up when he dressed this way. But it was extremely alluring. And... all that bare skin was... extremely distracting. She was proud of herself that even as she could feel the drink loosening her hold on her self-discipline, she didn't reach out and touch him. But she wanted to, badly. More than usual.She started daydreaming about it as they sat there... thinking about sliding her hands up his sides, slipping the sleeves and the tunic off... stripping him bare and learning everything there was to know about his body and how things felt to him. Eventually, finally, making love to him... though she was fuzzier on those details, she knew enough anatomy that she had a pretty good idea how it worked. She just didn't know how it would feel to actually do it herself, or how it would feel to him. She did know it would be totally different than any of her intimacies with Urbosa.And the drink made it easy to just follow those thoughts, not shut them down like she usually would have. She tried not to look at him too much, afraid she'd give herself away, but there were moments where she did look over at him, and saw him gazing back with the same kind of languid, hungry look that she found herself feeling.The drink was also probably why she was slow to react when a particularly tall Gerudo stepped up to their table, sat on the couch on the other side of Link from her, and said, "So, pretty one, how is your evening going?"Zelda stammered for a moment, and the Gerudo looked over at her. Then back to Link, "Eh? Enjoying yourself?" the woman drawled, very specifically, to him. Link made a non-committal sound, shrugging.The Gerudo leaned a little closer and said, "Any interest in a little change of pace?" She didn't sound condescending or predatory, and Zelda remembered that this was something culturally appropriate, that people might change partners, especially in a setting like the canteen. Urbosa had explained it to her. Gerudo did partner exclusively, and in fact sometimes with voe, sometimes with Hylians even... but that her people were also fairly free in their expression of interest and intimacy. "Not that it's all about free love," Urbosa had said, laughing. "Or anything that someone doesn't want. We have plenty of ways of asking if someone is interested, and ways to tell someone we aren't."So Zelda sat up very straight, leaned into Link, slid her hand down the inside of his arm and twined her fingers into his. "She's here with me," she said firmly.The Gerudo looked a little surprised at this, and looked to Link for confirmation.Link had turned to look at Zelda, surprised, too, but quickly turned back to the Gerudo and nodded emphatically, saying that was true, thanking the woman for the offer, and wishing her a good evening.The Gerudo seemed satisfied, and said, "Well, then. Good evening to you both," and rose gracefully and moved off to a different table to join two other women, who greeted her warmly. They all began conversing avidly, and soon broke out into laughter.Zelda let out a breath she'd been holding, and said to Link, "Well. *That* was interesting, wasn't it?" She turned to look at him, and saw he was already looking at her; she had trouble interpreting what was in his eyes, at the moment; must be the alcohol. She said, "Aren't you glad I got you out of that? Quick thinking, saying you were here with me." She laughed a bit awkwardly.Link inclined his head slightly towards her, but then leaned in and murmured into her ear that he *was* here with her. As he leaned back and their eyes met again, her heart began to race. She'd thought maybe he was joking, maybe it was the drink. It was, after all, technically correct. But in his eyes was the seriousness, the depth she'd come to rely on as an anchor. And also, utterly clear even through the haze around her brain: an intense longing that seemed to mirror her own for him. As she tried to make sense of it -- and the feelings it amplified in her -- she felt him grip her hand more tightly.It was too much for her, in that moment: the wild success of the Council project, the drink, and the heat, and Link, right next to her, their arms touching, fingers twined together. She tried to take a deep breath to calm herself, only partially succeeded, and then squeezed his hand back, and said, "Oh, dear. I do think the drink has become too much for me. I think perhaps a rest at the inn might be in order?" Link nodded, and they got up, her a little more unsteadily than she'd've liked. He kept hold of her hand for balance, but then she let go as they left the table. They found their way to the inn, and she paid for each of them to have a fancy feather bed to rest on. And as she turned to go to her room, she looked back at him briefly, drinking in the sight of him in those clothes, and for just a moment, losing herself in the look in his eyes, before giving him a little wave and wishing him good night. Her dreams that night were... predictably erotic. She wondered if he'd had a similar experience. Not that she was ready to ask. Not quite yet, anyway.