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The first time Samus saw Zelda,, her breath was taken away.
Whether it was the curtain of golden-blonde locks that cascaded down the princess' back, or the way Zelda's cheeks dimpled when she smiled, or the way she carried herself with a regal yet elegant confidence, Samus Aran didn't know. All she knew was that she had fallen completely head-over-heels in love with Princess Zelda.
The first time they met each other in combat, the bounty hunter was surprised at the sheer prowess that the dainty princess exhibited with her magic. It took most of her considerable skill to even beat Zelda, but Samus was smitten even more by the end of it, more so by the fact that the princess needed no guardian to fight her battles for her.
In fact, the very day after their fight, Samus had gone to see Zelda to confess her love to the princess. The bounty hunter wasn't sure that the blonde princess of Hyrule would accept her love, but she would never know if she didn't try. So when she heard a male's voice as she arrived outside the princess' chambers, Samus froze. She could pick out Link's voice before Zelda cut in.
"Link, I know I already helped you seal away Ganon, but what you're asking of me is impossible", Zelda stated, her voice slightly muffled through the oak doors of the bedroom.
"But Princess Zelda, what if this was what the prophecy meant? We were destined to fight off the darkness together. We've already done that, but in the process, I've fallen in love with you", Link replied, his voice even and steady.
Samus' knuckles turned white as she listened in on their conversation, and she had half a mind to just barge in and separate the two of them. But she knew that if she did so, she would expose herself to eavesdropping on the princess and Zelda would never return her love.
"Zelda, you know this to be true", Link added, his voice soft and almost unheard through the thick wood of the doors.
There was a moment of silence before Zelda whispered quietly in reply, "I can't love you, Link. Not now. Not after what happened the last time I loved someone".
"Then let me help you heal, Zelda".
There was a long and pregnant pause and Samus strained to hear what was going on. She heard the small gasp coming from Zelda as Link spoke again.
"Will you marry me, Princess Zelda of Hyrule?".
That question thundered through Samus' ears and she was about to storm through the doors, when she heard Zelda's words, the words that would break her heart from then on.
"Yes. Yes, I will.marry you, Hero of Time".
Shocked, Samus could only storm away and back to her own room, tears streaming down her cheeks as she slammed the door to her room and cried her heart out. She wanted to forget all about her childish love for the princess.
But try as she might, Samus Aran could not forget about the lovely Princess Zelda. Or her smile. Or her confidence. And so, she resolved herself to being Zelda's silent guardian, a watcher from the distance.