Just as it had been in the early morning, the night air was a cool breeze that brushed gently against Zelda's skin. The moon shone brightly in the sky, with the occasional cloud covering it's reflection on the pond that surrounded the marble pavilion. The flowers that surrounded it added a sweet and calming scent to the air, perfect to fall asleep to. And considering Zelda was seating on the very edge of white marble railings lined against columns that held up the pavilion's bird cage dome, with a lily pad pond next to it, falling asleep could only end in disaster.

Alas, the lullaby of  crickets and leaves, the sweet scent of spring, and the soft fabric of the blue nightdress she wore overpowered her will to stay awake, and she was lulled into a light sleep. The book on her lap, the one Ike had given her, struggled against the breeze, but it lost its battle too. It slipped down her lap and into the pond with a plop! Some water landed on her lap from the splash, startling her awake. She was so startled and unaware of her surroundings that she fell from the railings, though thankfully it was on the side the pond wasn't in.

"Ow," she hissed. From what she could see there were no cuts, only a couple scratches. She was certainly going to get a bruise on her hip, though, being that she landed on it. She patted around her legs for any further injury, and that's when she noticed she no longer held possession of the book. She looked around herself in hopes that the worse hadn't occurred, but even once she stood and spun in all directions, she knew she was doomed.

Sure enough, as she leaned over the railings, she spotted the book floating off in the distance on the pond, open and pages down. She groaned and sunk a bit, "Oh, curse me. What do I do now?"

"What's wrong?"

Apparently, her spatial awareness had still not returned, for she had not noticed the tall figure leaning down on the railing beside her. She jumped slightly as she turned to face them, only to feel guilt at the sight of Ike. He had rid himself of the suit he previously wore, now only dressed in a white poet blouse with black, high waisted pants and equally black boots. The shirt revealed a bit of his chest -from which she could see hair riddled over it- and his pants hugged his waist quite nicely. He looked at her in such a way that made her heart flutter just by looking at his smile.

Still, she looked away from him guiltily. "I didn't notice you were there."

"I'm not surprised, really. I arrived a few moments ago after wondering around for a bit, just in enough time to see you spin around like one of those toys they sell at the market," he said. His voice was deep and clear, it blended with the wind and resonated inside her ears. "So, what happened?"

She cleared her throat. "I've made a mistake."

"You mean about the book?"

"...Yes. I'm sorry, I fell asleep and didn't realize-"

"There's no need to apologize," he said, standing straight. He placed his hands on his hips as he looked on to the pond, focusing on the book. Zelda, meanwhile, had to fight every urge to stare at him, so she looked at the book as well. It was floating on the other side of the pond, far from the pavilion. By now, the pages had surely been ruined, which was such a shame because it was a wonderful book. It contained everything she liked, history, little side notes about every little detail, pictures to show the intricacies of the spells. But now, it was nothing but waste thanks to her own foolishness. Now that she thought about it, there may be one way to save it...

Before she could suggest her idea to Ike, however, he had taken a few steps back and jumped over the railings, sinking his boots into the muddy ground of the pond. Zelda yelped and held her hands up to keep water from splashing all over her, then looked as Ike trudged through the pond.

"What in the world are you doing?!" Zelda said.

"I'm getting the book!" Ike shouted. The further in he walked, the deeper the water became, until it reached his waist. "Even if it's ruined, it's nice to keep it as a memory!"

Zelda couldn't find anything to say. Why would he go this far for a book? A book that he gave to her and she ruined within the first couple hours of having it. She knew he was a kind person, but still, this was too much. What if he got sick? Gods knew how long that water had been there, she guessed months, years even.

Despite her worry, she couldn't help the thumping of her heart against her chest. "Please be careful," she said quietly.

"Don't worry!" Ike said, taking hold of the book and trudging his way back to the pavilion. "Not the first time I've walked through deep water. I know how to make my way around here!" Just as he said that, he happened to step on a rather slippery piece of mud, and like sweet, sweet karma, he slipped and fell in the water, face first. Before he did, he threw the book at Zelda so it wouldn't be fully destroyed.

She caught it with ease, but immediately threw it to the side. "Sir Ike!" She was about to jump over the railings and go to his aid, but he emerged from the water rather quickly and completely unscathed. He spat out water, coughing and heaving as he regained awareness of his surroundings.

He wiped away the hair that covered his eyes and forehead. He looked a little spooked, but he offered her a smile and thumbs up. "I'm fine! Just, uh, a little wet," he said, a cascade of water dripping from his clothes. His shirt stuck to his skin, the translucency of its cloth allowing some of it to peak through, and despite having just emerged from the water, he was already shivering.

Zelda, who was halfway through jumping the rails, stared at him for a moment, agape. Then she sighed, placing a hand on her chest, and reached into a pocket of her dress. "Come here," she commanded. And he did so without being asked twice. He put a hand on the railing, to balance himself, and leaned in close to her. She took out a handkerchief and gently placed it on his cheek, wiping away the drops of water.

"I could've used my magic to get the book out, there was no need for you to go in the water," Zelda said.

"I know, but," Ike said in a low, husky voice. He glanced at her lips. "I didn't want to see you be sad anymore. I couldn't think of anything else in the moment."

Her heart beat loudly in her chest. She hated the idea of him getting hurt because of her, and yet the fact that he was willing to put himself in danger for her made her feel special. Like she was someone of importance to him. And she loved that. She wanted to be someone special to him, just as he was special to her.

The light of the moon shone brightly in his eyes, which observed her with adoration. She continued to wipe away the water on his face, slowly, gently, so that they could stay together, even if it was just a few seconds longer. She wiped his cheek, his forehead, his downturned lips. Every so often, her thumb would touch his bare skin, and each time she felt it and her body burn with yearning, the yearning to hug him, kiss him. They had talked quite a lot during the afternoon, so much so that Marth had to drag Ike away once supper had ended. She wanted to hear him talk more of his homeland, of all the places he's visited, of all the things he had learned. He always looked happy when he talked about that, she wanted to see more of it. She wanted to see his dimples whenever he smiled, his eyes brighten at the mention of something new, his ears perk up as he paid close attention to whomever was speaking. He was perfect, in every way, and she wanted nothing more than to stay by his side.

"Princess," Ike said quietly, lovingly. He himself was resisting every urge in his body to pick her up and carry her in his arms. Unfortunately, if he did that, she would get wet, and he didn't want to ruin her clothes or possibly make her sick.

She took in a deep breath. "I should be going now, Peach will surely come looking for me if I'm not in my room in a few minutes."

"Must you go?" Ike said, eyes pleading her to stay.

"We will see each other tomorrow, won't we?" She smiled sadly. She got off the railing, side opposite of Ike. She took his right hand and placed her handkerchief on it. "It won't be of much help, I'm sure, but do try to dry yourself more with it. You've been in that pond for a while now, you must change your clothes once you get to your room so you don't get sick."

He nodded, though he looked less spirited then before. She offered a regretful smile as she picked up the waterlogged book that had been abandoned earlier. Truthfully, she had forgotten all about it. She heard Ike walk out of the water and back into the pavilion, his wet boots squeaked loudly on the marble floor. She turned to face him, noticing his forehead was covered by his hair once again. He was a handsome man, really, she could feel his defined jawline and sharp cheekbones through the cloth of her handkerchief. But to her, his eyes were the most mesmerizing part of him. That, and his smile.

He gently took and raised her hand up to his lips, placing a small kiss on it. "Good night, Your Highness, may you have sweet dreams."

Zelda stared at him for a bit, before snapping back into reality. "Good night, Sir Ike, I will see you tomorrow." He let go of her hand, and she walked away without looking back, because she knew if she did, there was no way she would go back to her room tonight.

He looked at her as she went, his heart aching with both pain and yearning. He looked at the handkerchief in his hand, noticing just how small and soft it was. He lifted it to his face, and past the scent of pond water, he could smell a touch of vanilla and a hint of lavender. It was intoxicating, it, combined with the lullaby of crickets and leaves, made him feel calm, just like she did.

***

"Oh, what should I do, Peach? I've fallen in love!"

"You've known each other for a day."

"I know!"

Zelda groaned and covered her face with her hands, Peach, meanwhile, rolled her eyes and glanced at the man that laid beside her, who looked just as confused as Zelda did.

"So you're cheating on me?" He said.

"Shut up, Link," Zelda glared.

"Worth a shot," Link shrugged and turned around so he laid on his back. Peach sighed and looked back at her naive older sister. The three were laying in Zelda's bed after she had suddenly called for them for advice. It was very unusual for her to ask for help, so of course they were more than willing to help her. Who would've thought it would be related to love.

"So what do you like about this guy?" Peach asked.

Zelda moved her hands away from her face, a light pink tinting her cheeks. "Well, he's kind-"

"That's the bare minimum."

"-he's handsome-"

"He is kinda hot," Link agreed. He turned back on his stomach, undoing the ponytail that kept his sandy blond hair back and winking. "But I'm hotter."

The two princesses ignored him. "Is that all you like about him?" Peach asked.

"Of course not, I just don't know how to explain it. He makes me feel a kind of way I've never felt before, it's strange yet... exciting."

Peach smacked her hand on her forehead. "Oh dear sister, you're so naive. But fine, I'll help you get the man of your dreams." She jumped off the bed and sprinted her way to Zelda's closet. "You and Link are gonna show him around the town tomorrow, right?" The two nodded. "Then you must dress appropriately and cutely."

Compared to Peach's, Zelda's closet was the same size, but far less full. Most of the dresses were so casual they could be mistaken for a commoner's clothes if it weren't for the high quality fabric and the intricate details of the dresses themselves. The most grand dresses were reserved only for balls or parties, in other words, there were no dresses for small outings, not in Peach's eyes anyway.

"I need to drag you out more often," Peach murmured. She slammed the closet doors closed then rushed to exit the room. "I will be back!"

Zelda and Link looked at each other once Peach had left. "So when will you confess your undying love for her?" Zelda asked.

"Har, har," Link rolled his eyes, though a light blush tinted his cheeks. "I'd still like to bother you, so not yet."

"I've rejected you about ten times over the past three years."

"And there's more coming!" Link said, extending his arms out and flipping onto his back. He put his hands behind his head and sighed. "But to be honest,  I'm scared. What if she rejects me?"

Zelda didn't say anything. After all, there was no one as foolish as Link. He had been her personal guard for about six years now, after he had been promoted from knighthood. He was a skilled swordsman, he was calculating and was able to predict his opponent's moves with ease. Truly one of the best knights the kingdom has ever had. The downside? He was stupid in everything else. His only redeeming quality aside from his ability with the sword was his cooking. He could make amazing dishes without so much as looking at a recipe.

"You should bake her strawberry shortcake and write 'I love you' on top with icing," Zelda suggested.

"Not a bad idea," Link hummed.

"While you're on that, make me some lemon chamomile cookies, would you? It's been so long since you've made me some."

"They're so difficult to make, though."

"Lazy bum."

"Hey!"

The doors slammed open and in came Peach, carrying a long, white dress, with a layered cavalier-styled corset and long, puffy sleeves. Peach looked quite proud of herself, which worried Zelda. "It's casual but elegant, cute but sophisticated, and most importantly, it'll make you look hot. Since it's my dress it'll probably be too small for you, but we can adjust that."

"Overnight?" Zelda asked.

"Overnight," Peach nodded. "Now come, I'll help you try it on so I can make adjustments."

"You can do that?" Link wondered.

"I may be a pretty little thing but I'm a smart pretty little thing," Peach smiled. "Besides, back when mom and I were still in the Mushroom Kingdom, customizing dresses was one of my favorite hobbies."

"Ah yes, you must be so good at that thing you haven't done in ten years," Link said sarcastically. Peach glared at him and he shut his trap. She dragged Zelda out of the bed and behind a wooden screen, and just as quickly as that happened, Zelda's blue nightdress flew right over it. The two princesses argued back and forth for a while, something about how this was a bad idea and something about how it wasn't, or whatever. Those two always argued about something, so often that Link had decided not to butt in anymore, not after the Supper Disaster of Two Years Ago, as he liked to call it. Still, as much as they argued, they always had each other's backs. They didn't grow up together, being that Peach's mother and Zelda's father married once the princesses were ten and eleven respectively, and it was tough to get used to each other, but with Peach's impeccable social skills, and Zelda's dutifulness, the two were able to make up in what the other lacks, and became best friends rather quickly. He was proud of them, even if they were a little irritating at times.

"Where's your handkerchief?" he heard Peach ask.

"I gave it to Sir Ike," he heard Zelda respond.

"Are you crazy?! Giving a handkerchief to someone you're not officially in a relationship or don't have a super close relationship with means you wish them horrible luck!"

"I didn't know that!"

"With how many books you read I assumed you did!"

"I don't read romance books."

"It's not romance, it's basic tradition!" He heard Peach sigh. "Let's hope that brute doesn't know that, otherwise you've ruined your chances with him."

"Oh, what have I done?"

At times like this he really wondered what they would do without each other. Well, if he had to guess, Zelda would be more of a shut-in than she is now and Peach would be late to every event she was invited too. He cared for both of them dearly, one more so than the other, but they would be disasters if they didn't have each other to depend upon.