Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the sun reached its zenith, golden rays of bright light shining through the thick leaves of the Korok Forest, Zelda let out a deep sigh. She glanced over at her comrades, who stood by the platform of the Master Sword. The squires laughed and jeered, daring each other to go first. They’re probably drunk, she thought.

“Zelda.”

She looked up, squinting in the sunlight. It was Dame Aldvar, standing squarely and resting the tip of her claymore by her boots. “Care to take a turn? It’s the tradition, you know. Every young squire has a go at pulling the Sword. Maybe you’d be the one?” she winked, clearly jesting.

“Alright, alright,” Zelda gave in, knowing it was no use to make a fuss. She stood up from the log she’d been sitting on, and the Koroks by her side let out small chirps. Aldvar gave her a cheeky smile, before patting her roughly on the back. The pair strode over to the pedestal, and the other squires moved away, suddenly interested,

“Now remember, Zelda; don’t let it suck out your life force. Just give it a little pull and be done with it. There’s no need to actually try very hard.” Aldvar whispered with her hand on Zelda’s shoulder. Zelda gave a small nod, not actually worried. There was no was she could be the legendary Hero of Courage. She was anything but courageous. Yes, it was safe to say that there was no heroic destiny before her. Now she just needed to get this little tradition out of the way, and then she would be knighted, and then she would serve under the royal guard as long as she could. The land of Hyrule had seen peace and prosperity for the past few centuries, and it would for next few centuries to come. That, she was sure of.

So Zelda stepped forward, brushing strands of hair out of her face. The sword looked beautiful, its precious metal blade as clear as a mirror and purple hilt sturdy as ever. Though centuries old, it looked brand new. She wrapped her fingers around the hilt, feeling a sudden shock run through her body. Zelda could feel the energy leaving her, just as others before her had described. It was a horribly unpleasant feeling, so she wanted to be done with it as quick as possible. She gave a little tug on the sword.

It moved an inch.

Wait.

Could it have…?

It’s probably loose from all the years of being pulled at, Zelda thought.

She tugged gently again.

It moved another inch.

No…

Her body began to feel weak, so she pulled once more.

It reached the tip, so she gave one last tug. The legendary sword broke free with a brilliant flash of light. Electricity seemed the crackle in the air, and a mysterious energy began to course through her veins. Without thinking, she raised it up to the sky and spotted her own confused reflection mirrored on the blade.

Zelda lowered the sword to her side and almost laughed at the incredulity of the situation. I’ve got to be dreaming, she thought. There is no way this can actually be happening right now. She slowly turned around to face her fellow squires, her chest constricting. Dame Aldvar stared at her, an unmistakable look of pure shock on her face. Then she straightened, and immediately knelt, bowing her head deeply to the ground.

“Our Hero of Courage has arrived,” she spoke firmly. The other squires stopped gaping and followed suit, bowing before Zelda.

The words sucked out of her lungs, Zelda could do nothing but stand and stare, the weight of the sword in her hand gluing her to the spot.

This doesn’t make any sense… I’m… I’m the Hero of Courage.

“And thus, I, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, decree you, our Hero of Courage, as the official appointed knight of Prince Link. You are now sworn to him by the blessings of Hylia, and will protect him in the face of darkness and adversity until your dying breath.”

The King gently tapped the sheathed Master Sword on both of Zelda’s shoulders before holding it out to her with outstretched hands.

“Now rise, Hero, and claim the legendary sword that is sworn to you and you alone.”

Zelda slowly stood from her deep kneeling position and straightened her shoulders. Unable to look the King in the eye, she respectfully bowed her head and took the sword from him. She bowed more deeply this time, then rose to face the cheering crowd of Hyrule’s upper courts.

Is this even real? Her head felt foggy, and the scene before her felt distant, as if it had once happened to her in another life before. Zelda glanced down at the sword in her hands. It hummed with a strange energy against her palms, and she swore she could hear a faint whispering, even above the roars of the court. And then, as she finally swerved her head to gaze back at the King, with his intimidatingly unreadable expression, the thought she’d been trying so hard to push away finally surfaced.

...I don’t want this.

Chapter Text

Zelda slammed the door of her personal quarters shut. Breathing heavily, she laid the Master Sword on her bed before sinking to the ground, wrapping her arms firmly around herself. She gasped for breath as panic began to rise in her chest, suffocating her with its tight grip.

I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t do this.

Zelda clawed at her chest, grunting in pain. Bright white sparks dotted her vision, and she began to grow lightheaded.

Why, Hylia? Why?!

She swallowed thickly, trying not to succumb to the panic. Eventually her breathing began to slow, until she sat shakily but much less overwhelmed than before at the foot of her bed. Zelda exhaled deeply, wiping her warm and clammy forehead with the back of her hand.

Suddenly, a loud knock at her door roused her from her thoughts. She quickly stood, pulling the leather strap of the Master Sword sheath over her shoulder. Zelda pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, a nervous tic of hers, before striding over to her door and pulling it open.

There stood the very prince himself, Link.

Already unsteady, she could not keep her composure.

“Y-your highness!” Zelda spluttered.

He regarded her with a look she could not comprehend. Was it disgust? Disinterest? Annoyance? Pity? His ice blue eyes were unreadable.

Pulling herself together, she knelt on the ground, bowing her head and avoiding his gaze.

“So, you’re the one assigned to be my royal escort. Zelda, is it?”

She nodded slowly.

“I’ve come to show you to your new quarters, which are closer to where I currently reside. Follow me, Dame Zelda.” She wasn’t entirely sure, but she thought he sounded bored.

“Yes, Prince Link.”

Without another word to her, he turned around and began to walk hurriedly. She followed, slightly disheartened. Zelda had known their meeting would be inevitably awkward, but she hadn’t imagined it would go quite like this. She didn’t expect to be treated like royalty, but she was at least hoping they could be on good terms together. However, for whatever reason, from his initially cold treatment she assumed the Prince had grown to resent her.

Zelda quietly sighed, but continued following him through courtyards and arcades and long stretching hallways. Eventually they reached a part of the castle that Zelda had not been to before, which she knew was where the higher-ups of Hyrule’s government dwelled. Now, she realized, she would be able to follow Link to anywhere in the kingdom that he requested. That seemed daunting.

Finally, the Prince stopped before an ornately carved wooden door.

“We’ve arrived.”

He turned away from her and pushed the door open, then stepped inside, waiting for her to follow. The room was quaint, but comfortable. It was circular, yet larger than her previous quarters, and had a simple bed in the corner, a writing desk in the other, and a small hearth at the very end.

Prince Link suddenly turned to her, and his icy gaze met hers with such intensity that she nearly jumped.

“Will this be sufficient?” he asked, watching her carefully.

“It is more than enough, your highness,” Zelda said quietly and respectfully. She hoped he would sense her honestly and soften a little.

But the Prince just nodded in response and turned to walk through the room to the door on the other side. She followed quickly, clasping her hands in front of her and ducking her head. He led her through the door and out onto another arcade, which connected at the end with another large room. He stopped in front of the door and turned to her.

“This is my private room. Now that you have become my personal guard, my father…” he hesitated. “... requested that you stay close to me at all times. Is that clear?”

She nodded in understanding. “Yes, your highness.”

“Good. Then, I shall leave you to do as you see fit. Have a nice evening.”

With that, the Prince entered his room and firmly shut the door behind him, leaving Zelda standing out alone on the walkway.

She inhaled deeply, then turned to lean on the sidewall, gazing to the horizon as the sky turned into shades of brilliant pink and orange with late evening. It seems that I should stay out to guard his room as long as possible. Zelda attempted to ponder the days’ overwhelming events, but her brain buzzed with exhaustion and she eventually surrendered to watching the moon rise over the Hebra mountains. Soon the air grew chilly, and she began to shiver through her thin Hylian tunic.

Zelda gave one last rueful look at the Prince’s door before heading back into her own room, where she welcomed the warmth of the embers smoldering on the hearth. She changed into her nightclothes and lay down on the soft bed, letting her fatigue overtake her. But to the young knight’s dismay, sleep never found her that night.

As soon as the first rays of sunlight shone through her window, Zelda rose. Silently she changed into her knight’s uniform and carefully pulled the strap of the Master Sword over her shoulder. She stifled a yawn and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she pulled open the door of her quarters. Out on the walkway, the sky was an unwelcoming periwinkle gray with pale stars peeking through the wispy clouds. A chilly breeze from over the distant Hebra mountains rustled the trees and made Zelda shiver. Winter is coming, and already it’s unpleasant, she noted bitterly.

Rubbing her hands to warm them up, she began to walk over toward the prince’s quarters. I’d really like to make up for yesterday. He seemed so cold to me, and I’d prefer to be on good terms with him. Maybe if I just talk to him, we could get to know each other better.

Reaching the thick oak door, she rapped gently three times. No response. Ah, of course he would not be up this early. It’s cold out here, but I’ve endured worse. I should stand and wait here until he awakens. Zelda sighed in resignation and took position by his door, gazing thoughtfully around the perimeter. I wish I had a cold resistance elixir. But then, I was always rather bad at potion making. The thought made her smile faintly.

As the sun rose higher, Zelda welcomed the warmth that its golden rays brought. The dampness of the cobblestones began to evaporate, and she soon heard the faint chirping of songbirds from the royal gardens. There gentle songs felt like a lullaby, and to Zelda’s dismay, her eyelids began to droop. No! I mustn’t fall asleep! I need to make a good impression on the prince!

Suddenly the prince’s door swung open, jolting away any drowsiness that remained in her. Link strode forward, then recoiled when he noticed Zelda standing stoically right beside his door.

“Oh. Right,” he glanced down at his feet, his expression guarded. “Have… have you been standing here all night?”

She shook her head slowly. “No, your highness. However, I did not sleep, and I assure you I was on high alert at every moment.”

At her words, Zelda thought she saw a faint glimpse of pity in his eyes, but it quickly hardened into the same resentment that she recognized from last night.

“Alright, then. I have a lot of business to attend to today, and I assume you will accompany me?”

“Yes, Prince Link. That is my sworn duty.”

He scoffed, but didn’t say another word before turning away and walking across the arcade. Neither did he ever turn around to check that Zelda was still following him.