*Almost a month afterwards*

Zelda slipped her tiara onto her head and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked pregnant. Her bump had become large enough that anything she wore showcased her baby curves, even the loose white maiden's dress that she was wearing, having just returned from the Spring of Power, no longer hid her bump under its natural flow.

"Fifteen weeks, Zelda, twenty-five more to go." She told herself, then rubbed her belly. "Think we can do that, Little Hyrule?"

"I don't know, Little Hyrule may not be able to wait that long to meet you." A familiar voice replied, Prince Link. His sideburns had been straightened somewhat, his dirty blond hair, now adorned with a diadem that somewhat matched Zelda's tiara, was put nicely into its usual ponytail. Even though he wore a stunningly formal white suit with the Royal Emblem and Triforce emblazoned on it, his usual blue earrings were still present in his ears. He bent down to Zelda's stomach, rubbing it. "Is Momma giving you a hard time?"

"I am not. If anything, good Sir, you are giving us both a hard time." Zelda replied in a mockingly regal voice.

"Little Hyrule, Momma's being mean to me..." Link playfully whined to their baby.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "You're such a child, Link."

"No, this is a child." He replied, patting Zelda's bump gently. "I am a goofy husband-slash-man-servant." He threw in an overdramatized bow.

"You've got that right!" Zelda laughed.

"Alright, you two, play nice." Urbosa jokingly called. "You don't want the baby to think that is how you interact with everyone."

"I suppose not." Zelda replied, looking behind her at Urbosa.

Link rose slowly, standing close to his wife.

"My, don't you two look fancy?"

The royal couple turned to the mirror. With Zelda in her tiara and Link in his matching diadem, both in pure white outfits, they looked downright divine.

Link grabbed his wife's hand, only strengthening the image.

"The Prince and Princess of Hyrule Kingdom." Zelda breathed.

He leaned close to her ear. "Man, really makes me wonder whether you've got a boy or a girl in there."

"We'll just have to wait five more months to find out."

Urbosa chucked. "When you two are done being adorable parents-to-be, His Majesty wants to see you both down in the ballroom."

"Oh?" Zelda asked. "So soon? ...Well, let me change and then we can be off."

~~~~

"Oh, Princess!" High-ranking guests marveled as they saw the obviously pregnant Princess Zelda. "Congratulations!"

As it was customary for a woman of Hylia's line to publicly wear white while pregnant, Zelda was now in a long white dress that had been tailored in a way that made up for the lack of a corset, walking slowly alongside her husband. She waved back at as many guests as she could, always keeping her right hand on her bump, but it wasn't long before she became overwhelmed.

"That's enough!" Link told some, waving them away before Zelda got overstimulated and reacted either in violence or by becoming ill.

"Thank you, Link." Zelda whispered, he held her left hand tightly and nodded as they walked further into the ballroom and up to a banquet table with King Rhoam, all the Champions and a few of their dignitaries seated at it. "Father." Zelda bowed her head monotonously as one of her father's guards pulled a chair out for her.

"Zelda. Link. Welcome." Her father replied with the same monotony. "It's a pleasure you could make it."

They bowed their heads once more.

"Your Highness Princess Zelda," One of the Gerudo began to address which non-enthroned royal she was referring to. "You look particularly radiant tonight."

"Thank you, Esosu, you're quite kind."

The night was filled with soft silences, eloquent formalities, their resulting gratitudes and small discussion on affairs of each kingdom. Zelda, for the first time since finding out she was pregnant, was able to stay through the entire banquet, which pleased Rhoam. As the banquet settled down and moved into the dance, everyone was allowed to speak more openly, moving onto the airy pavilions.

"Is the baby here yet, tiny princess?" Daruk asked, still not fully understanding the whole concept.

"Has it been eight months since the wedding, Daruk?" Revali asked snarkily. "Does Zelda actually look like she's had her baby?"

"Uh... no?"

"Then that's your answer."

Zelda placed a hand on her stomach again, now holding it at about her peak. "Now, please, there's no need to argue."

"I'd thought you've learned some respect by being a Champion." Khosha remarked, her figure swollen in a way that resembled Zelda's. "I guess I was mistaken."

"Great. Is this the 'all high-ranking pregnant women turn against a Champion' part of the night?"

"Maybe you wanna be nicer to Khosha and Zelda? One packs a punch and the other's your wife." Daruk suggested.

"I have to be nice and civilized all day back home, I just want to have a nice, pointless duel and let loose a bunch of words and arrows to get it all out of my system."

"I know how you feel." Link admitted, surprising everyone.

"You wanna go one-on-one?" Revali patted Link's shoulder.

"No!" Both their wives protested. "I refuse to let either of you partake in such gratuitous violence!" Zelda declared. "It is improper for the Champion of the Rito to engage in such childlike behavior against a member of the Royal Family!" Khosha added.

"Aww, but honey..." Both Link and Revali whined.

"How about a compromise?" Impa asked. "The dads-to-be need to blow off steam and... not be dads-to-be for a moment, but I agree with Princess Zelda and Lady Khosha, such senseless brawling should not take place; all on account of your statuses, location and this last fact: your wives are pregnant!"

The husbands and wives looked at each other for a while.

"I know you've set aside so much to take care of me, and I know you must let out your frustration and energy somehow... but you two almost hurt each other terribly the last time." Zelda shook her head out. "I'd worry myself sick for the both of you..."

"We get it." Khosha said, almost remorsefully. "You're both warriors, chosen for a great battle... and that burden is hard to handle... we're hard to handle..." Khosha closed her beak and turned away, her head feathers flying in the breeze like Zelda's hair and dress. "We're pains in the neck... we know..."

"Neither of you are pains." Revali consoled, Urbosa reacting with surprise. "You're both blessings from Hylia herself."

"We consider ourselves blessed in that regard. Not every warrior has a strong wife to go home to." Link walked over to Zelda and cupped her face. "It's been tough, having to go from country knight to regal prince in nearly the blink of an eye... but I love you. So, if it would hurt you, I'll find some other way to let off steam."

Revali went over and hugged Khosha as well, which no one expected. "A Rito man is raised as a warrior, but sometimes I forget that warrior is still a man, someone who must lay down his arms to tend to his songbird."

Watching the dual tender moment made tears spring to everyone's eyes... including the expecting moms.

"My apologies..." Zelda began, voice cracking as she and Khosha fanned their teary eyes, but only succeeded in breaking down further.

"Stupid hormones..." Khosha finished, sobbing.

"Don't discount yourselves just because you're pregnant." Urbosa told them. "Your feelings are still just as valid."

"But we don't actually feel this way, we just can't stop!" Both of them wailed.

"Come here." Link pulled Zelda close.

"I-I thought this was... supposed to stop..." Zelda sniffled out.

"Your hormones are probably gonna be a hot mess until the baby's born... the only thing that was supposed to stop after three months was the nausea." Link massaged her back.

"If you need me to take her while you and Revali go blow off steam, I can." Mipha offered.

"I think we're gonna stay here until they're alright. If we leave when they're still high off hormones then we all end up hurting worse later. Found that out the hard way with Mrs. Divine Beast there." Revali added. "Plus, we're not in any rush... this time."

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Khosha insisted, able to stop her tears.

Zelda stuck her face into the crook of Link's neck, breathing deeply for a few seconds. "Okay..." She backed away. "I'm fine now."

"Sure?"

She nodded, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. "I'm just fine... I promise this time. How about I call an escort to take you and Revali down to the training arena?"

"Hmm, not a real fight like I had in mind, but it'll also let me go crazier, so why not?" Revali replied. "That good with you, Prince Knight?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Call me that one more time and you're nothing but Ravioli."

"At least my insulting nicknames are clever, I don't know why you all decided on that asinine one."

"Goddesses." Impa muttered. "Will you two please save it for the arena? You've shown little respect for the dignitaries or Her Highness by bickering!"

Urbosa nudged Zelda's shoulder. "Go ahead and call a guard, little bird, it's obvious they wish to go down."

She nodded, then dragged Link and Revali off to where a knight was standing guard. "Sir Knight, if you would please escort my husband and Champion Revali to the training arena please."

A look of surprise flashed across his face, he got onto one knee clumsily. He nodded while bowing before rising to his feet, nodding at Link and Revali before they headed out.

Heading back, she looked back at the hall they had walked into and gripped her stomach with both hands.

"You've done a brave thing, little bird." Zelda snapped her head back to Urbosa. "I know it's hard letting him go off, but it's the right thing for him and you know it."

"Why is it so hard?"

"Because he's been your shadow for almost two years now, you two haven't spent much time apart, especially in the last month." Urbosa touched Zelda's hands. "And carrying his child doesn't make it any easier."

Zelda nodded and they headed back to the group.

"Are you feeling any better, Zelda?" Mipha asked.

"I'm not sure right now."

"It's alright, Princess." Khosha assured, wrapping her wing around her. "If I wasn't so used to me and Revali being separate forces I would feel the same way."

"...Thank you, Khosha."

She patted Zelda's back. "No worries, momma." They smiled at each other.

"I don't believe I ever asked, when are you due to lay?"

"Not long at all..." Khosha's eyes rolled upwards as she did math in her head. "Actually, it's the week of your birthday."

"That is soon."

"When is your little one supposed to come along?"

Zelda looked down at her stomach. "Well I'm fifteen weeks now, so... getting close to halfway. Link said I'm close to five months... he understands the math on this better than I." She chuckled in embarrassment. "About four and a half months, perhaps?"

"How sweet... have you felt them move yet?"

"No, not yet... although I don't believe I'll be waiting much longer."

"You don't look like it."

"Your Highness!" A female voice called out.

"My apologies, Khosha."

"No worries."

"Purah? Is something the matter?"

"Oh, there you are! I had seen Linky but didn't see you around... aaanyways, your father would like to speak with you in private."

Zelda moved the hand on her stomach in a rubbing manner. "Yes, Purah."

"Something the matter?"

"I am just fine."

Purah nodded and they walked to the pavilion where the King waited. "Good luck, Your Highness."

Zelda's frown became a little deeper before walking inside. "You requested my presence, Father?"

"Ah, Zelda, yes." Her father turned towards her, then seemed to take notice of both her hands being placed on her stomach. "Are you in a manner of discomfort?"

Zelda's eyes widened in surprise.

He was asking her how she was feeling?

"I am well," She began after a stunned silence, stammering slightly at the beginning. "just tending to the bond between me and my little one."

King Rhoam sighed. "Zelda... you are becoming great with child, a life other than your own is impacted by your decisions."

Zelda's hands tightened over her bulging belly. Was he seriously trying to harp on what she was doing wrong during her pregnancy? He had denied for almost three months that she was pregnant, then berated her in front of the whole kingdom for being so... now he was scolding her for not rolling over in pain?

"Where's your husband?" Rhoam asked in a judgemental voice. "Several guards have spotted you away from him."

She took a deep breath to calm herself down before her reply. "Father, he needed a moment away. He had reached his limit on formalities and became quite rowdy. I sent him to the Knights' Arena with Champion Revali to reset before he made a fool of himself."

He gave her a highly disapproving look, which hurt her and made her panic. "Zelda..." He began in a tone Zelda was familiar with, she knew she was due for another round of scolding. While she was certain he wouldn't hit her, for it would likely kill Hylia's next descendant, she knew what she was in for.

"Father, what else was I to do?!" She took her hands off her stomach to begin shaking them in a pleading manner. "Link was about to get into a fistfight!"

"You married that man."

She touched her chest with one hand, letting the other drop to her side. "But I am not his mother! He is older than I!" She shook her head a few times before looking back at her father. "I am the mother of his child, not him!"

"Enough with the excuses, Zelda! Every time you've enough excuses to justify Calamity Ganon! How long do you plan to run from your duties, as Princess and now as mother?"

Zelda clenched her fists, but she made a vow that she would not strike him as he had done to her. "I'm doing all I can to fulfill them, I have told you this! How long do you plan to ridicule me? Ever since Mother's death, you've looked upon me as if I'm defective!" She made a wide motion to her pregnant belly. "Look at me! Do I look defective?!" Her breaths became loud and labored.

"A prostitute could bear a child!"

"Then do you call this descendant of Hylia the child of a mongrel?! I am not defective! I'm trying everything I can to awaken this power!" She stomped her foot on the ground, feeling the weight she'd gained within the last month or so shoot down her leg. She suppressed a grimace.

"Princess Zelda of Hyrule Kingdom!" He snapped. "Stand down immediately!"

"No more!" She hollered before storming out, her breaths loud and odd while her gait strange due to her rounded stomach. She swung her arms in an overaccentuated motion as if she needed more momentum to keep herself going.

The knights standing guard at the entrance, her father's personal guard, gasped and got onto their knees as she passed, then stood and shrugged once she had left.

Quickly, she headed towards the Knights' Arena to find her husband, the only person in all of Hyrule who would be able to talk her down.