Work Text:
A lot of words could describe Ghanti:loyal, honest, immature...but Link never saw her being motherly.Yet it's this adjective that came to the young hero's mind when he saw his friend giving an apple to a frail orphan."Here, take this, it will give you strength. I know what I'm saying!" the former thief advised the child. She turned to Link and gave him a smile.
When Ghanti left him in the dark world it was like if Link had lost one of his senses and when he discovered that the monster he had just stroke by his sword was actually a turned Ghanti he felt as if his insides had been torn out by the vile Agahnim. He was only moved by his hate for the wizard and the disguste at himself for hurting Ghanti! At the moment the corruption of the dark world turned him into a monster but at the time he couldn't care anymore, all that mattered for him was his friend's lying body and his wish to hurt Agahnim as much as Ganon's man hurt Link's loved ones. But as Link was losing himself a white hand toutched him to bring him back to sanity: Princess Zelda. The heir to the throne helped the former bandits to get back on her feet and told her the truth about her origins: Ghanti is the daughter of knights of Hyrule, her destiny is to protect the Triforce alongside Link and Zelda. The three eventually succed in killing Ganon, putting an end to his reign of terror. Zelda had saved them both , Ghanti and he. Since the first time he saw the wise princess the young man felt that he had a link with her. But it wasn't love; at least not the same kind of love that he had for Ghanti. With Zelda they were like twins; they instinctively understood each other. With Ghanti it was different, the thief and the hero weren't always thinking in the same way, they had to build from the ground their relationship. And it was to her that he wanted to dedicate his intimacy.
The two knights of Hyrule who had been just knighted say one in front of the other and unpacked their lunch cooked by Link. The young man started the conversation "For now the kingdom is being rebuilt and as knights of Hyrule it's our duty to assist the queen in this task, but thanks to the wish I made to the Triforce the kingdom will be at peace for a long time, we will soon be free with our lifes". The young woman, in her thoughts, replied in a voice much calmer than usual: "When I was a bandit I was never thinking about the day after as my life could meet its end at any moment. My sole concerns were surviving, helping my friends to survive and..." She hesitated for an instant before finishing in a confident voice, "...avenging my parents". Ghanti and Link generally avoided this subject but the young Hylian knew that his companion was disturbed by the reveal that all her life she believed a lie and considered Link as an enemy because of this lie. She continued "When we arrived in the dark world I simply saw helping you on your quest as the extension of those concerns, but when Zelda revealed to me who I truly were I understood that I was there to protect the Triforce... like you." Link stayed silent, looking at Ghanti. She never told him about those feelings before! She explained: "I am a knight of Hyrule, but I know that this destiny cannot be my only horizon. I want to help those who have to steal to survive; I consider this a part of my duty." The other nodded to say that he understood. "I want a simple and honest life" Concluded Ghanti. Link, looking her in the eyes and smiling, replied in a soft voice, "After the reconstruction of the kingdom, I could tend the apple orchard I've always dreamed of. I want to work with you, Ganty, and I also want to start a family with you." His partner, happy and surprised, confessed, "It's also what I want." That day definitively marked the end of Ganty's life as a bandit. She and Link served Queen Zelda for the rest of their lives, tending their orchard alongside their other duties. Despite these two commitments, they had no trouble dedicating time to the children they had.