Do I love her?

"Yeah, I had some questions." Explained link.

"A-alright." Stuttered Paya with a gesture for a link to go outside with her.

Link obliged and moved back through the door into the midst of the village.

Paya followed and walked right next to the hero.

"Well, what was it you wanted to talk about." She wondered.

Link thought for a moment, "May we go somewhere less.. crowded?." He asked.

Paya seemed a bit confused, but she didn't question it.

Both of them went up the small hill towards the large hole that led into the depths.

About halfway up Paya couldn't hold still any longer. What was it that Link, her Link, wanted to tell her in private? Could it be?

"L-link, please do not keep me waiting any longer.. what is it that you need to discuss."

Link stayed silent for a moment. What he wanted to say should be thought out very well.

Then he looked into Payas large eyes before looking up in the sky.

"Paya, did you ever feel love?" He asked, fully knowing the answer to his question. It almost seemed rude to start his conversation this way, but it still felt right.

Paya's heart stopped for a second before beating much faster. She felt her cheeks warming up.

"Li- I mean you could say s-so." She responded hastily.

Link sat down on the grass at the edge of the path, letting his feet dangle down into the village.

Paya carefully went to sit next to him. They both looked into the housing forest below.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" He asked.

"What do you mean? L-love o-or the village?"

"Both, I suppose," he said, still looking into the distance.

Paya also tried to look away. What was it with the link today?

"You know Paya, there is someone I know, that has feelings for me, but I do not know if I do so too."

Paya squirmed inside. Was this real? Could this be real? This surely must be someone else.

"A-and you want to ask me right now, if - if you love this — person." Paya interpreted

"I do."

"Well, that's mostly a question reserved for yourself, isn't it?" Paya assumed.

"I mean if you'd ask me I couldn't tell you, since i cannot explain to you what love is." He sighed.

"W-well how do you imagine it feels like?" She asked.

"I assume it's a deep connection, like a feeling of being responsible for something."

Paya thought. Did this apply to her? Was Link talking about her?

"Well, did you ever imagine how I would be to be with her?" She wondered

"Quite often... I mean how couldn't I? She is beautiful smart, I mean maybe a bit clumsy."

Paya melted inside. She was filled with hope. As they say, hope is stronger than disbelief.

"Well link, you can't explain love. I mean someone as - thought through like you maybe searches for a reason in everything but at the core, you just feel."

"But how do I know that feeling is love?" He pushed

"You just do. When you see her you just know, that that is the person. That is hi- I mean she."

Link finally looked at Paya.

"Aren't woman's emotions differently motivated than men's?" He asked.

"Very much so, I believe." Returned Paya.

"Well, maybe it's not you I should be asking, right?" He assumed

But as Link tried to get up, Paya held him by his arm. She didn't want him to leave. What if it was her he was talking about? She couldn't let the opportunity go to persuade him to maybe —

"Link, the fact that you asked me means, that you only need confirmation, but deep inside you already know the truth." She hasted.

The night stopped. "Is that so?" He stopped.

"Link, tell me, if you didn't have to talk to that person, would you still do so?"

"Yes quite definitely."

"And if she asked you out on a d-date?" she asked bravely. She took together all her courage. Her breathing stopped and she waited.

Link halted mentally. He looked at the sky to make it easier for him to think. He watched through every scenario in his head but always came to the same conclusion.

He would.

"I - I would." He concluded.

"Well, what are you waiting for then??"

Link looked deep into his own eyes. How could he be so ignorant? Paya was right. He would he does and he will.

"Thank you so much, Paya." He said need to lie down to compress some of that information.

His head touched the soft grass that arose from the dry dirt right under it.

Paya had never had so much hope before. If this was it. If this was the moment she needed to ask it. She would blame herself if she didn't.

"M-may I ask who this special someone is?"

The link looked up again. In that moment he again realized what he has just done. He just now had the power to destroy the hopes and dreams of the person right next to him. But Link doesn't lie, does he?

He sharpened his lips before blowing out some air through his teeth.

"I really shouldn't be telling you." He responded.

Payas questioning Look went from intrigued to dead in a matter of seconds. Her features dissolved in links words.

"It is Zelda isn't it?" She asked with a deep pain in her voice.

Link felt a deep Stich in his chest. He could see the damage he had done to her in her voice. Did he really need to ask her for this? Was it better with her knowing it was over?

Tears started forming in Payas eyes. She slid to the ground. The memory of what she had just heard sailed across her eyes.

Link became uncomfortable. What should he do? Should he leave? Should he stay?

A wordless moment passed but was broken by Payas voice calling out to the man that had just stabbed her.

"Fuck of link!" She screamed.