Chapter Text
Link was born out of convenience and necessity, not love. His mother and father have an arranged marriage. A contract signed saying only two kids were needed. In hopes of a boy. Being the first born and male his mother tried to get out of a second child, but the contract didn't allow it. His father being the current wielder of the master sword forced him into having an heir and a spare. Someone to carry on the duty of wielding the sword and serving the royal family. The kingdom of Hyrule was magic based, and the royal family, to ensure another wielder was born, made the contract with magic; forcing them together until complete.
His mother, not wanting another child, pushed it off for years. His father never being home, on knight duties for the king, never pushed for another child either. He was alone, born out of convenience and necessity of the kingdom. His mother didn't love him, her family was paid for this, and she hated them for it too. His father didn't care about anything except his work. He was alone, the maids raising him, his mother refused to be near him, were equally as distant. He was taught how to talk but he never did. He didn't see the point. Why would he talk to people who didn't want him? He grew up resentful and alone.
After he turned seven his mother fell pregnant with the second child. He felt pity for the unborn soul. They would grow up the same way as him. This time though, there would be no mother. After this, his mother was leaving.
He was the first one to hold the baby. The nurse gave her a name since the mother refused to. Aryll. He had a sister. He didn't know how to feel. He never had to feel before, but he didn't want this innocent baby to grow up like he did. He knew his father wouldn't care, and his mother would be gone. The maids always switched out, none wanting to deal with him, or him getting attached to them. He didn't know how to care for anyone. So he couldn't, could he?
As he looked down at his little sister he promised to care for her. Not just give her food and clothes like everyone in his life, but play with her, help her with things that aren't just necessities. He would be there and wouldn't be distant, he would allow her to get attached to him, he's not sure if he can be attached to anything, but he promised her that he would be there for her. She was his sister, his family. He might not need any adult but she was so little and innocent, she would need someone, maybe not an adult, but her big brother.
He kept his promise. Over the next couple months you wouldn't see one sibling without the other. He was wrong though, he was able to attach himself to one thing, and the one thing was smiling at him. No one ever smiled at him like that. Polite smiles or fake ones, but that smile was filled with pure joy, directed at him. Maybe he could love, no one ever loved him and he never loved anything before, but he's willing to learn, for her.
Since the day Aryll was born her brother was there with her. There when she woke up, and still there when she closed her eyes. He even learned a lullaby for her. He hummed it for her every night. One time a maid kicked him out of the room before he could finish the bedtime routine and she screamed all night, until he was allowed back and finished the song. She only listened to her brother, even though she wasn't even one yet, everyone who saw knew she was extremely attached. If she couldn't see her brother she would scream until he came back in her line of sight.
The same could be said for Link. He got extremely aggressive when separated from Aryll. He also never spoke. The only time people heard him anymore was when he was talking to his sister. Anyone who got anywhere close to the siblings saw that they were conjoined at the hip.
They never left their family estate, but people came over sometimes looking for their father. If people cared enough about the siblings they may have tried to separate them a bit, but in the end no one did. The mother left as soon as she could, the maids never cared more than their job description, and their father only cared about his job. His children were just his legacy, nothing else, just something to carry on his name. He didn't care more than that.
Aryll was five months old when she said her first word. No one was surprised about it, or they wouldn't be if anyone but Link was there to hear it.
"L-" he was talking to her, he only talked to her. He explained what he was doing constantly. Just so she would learn to talk. Not like Link who said his first word after his first birthday. No one talked to him, no one taught him to speak. After she made that sound he turned all his attention on her.
"What were you going to say?" He didn't know he could get this much adrenaline from such a small thing. Wait he heard one of the maids talking about being excited about something. Was he excited? He would need to learn these things if he wanted his sister to be better than him. She deserved to know all of these things.
"L- Link!" She clapped when she did it. Extremely proud of herself. Can babies be proud? Didn't matter, he decided.
"That's right!" He didn't know he could smile that big. "That's my name, Link. Your big brother Link!" He was happy. He didn't know someone could be this happy.
"Link! Link!" She was also smiling. For the next week that was all she would do. He never got tired of it though. Everytime she said it he was filled with so much happiness he could explode. Link also spent the entire week giving her everything she wanted, more so than usual at least.
For the next few years that's how it was. Wherever one was the other was there as well. It only got worse once Aryll could walk. She would follow him like a baby duckling followed their mother. And if anyone was unfortunate enough to ask about the other, the one they were talking to sang praises like their sibling was The Goddess Hylia.
Their entire lives revolve around each other. Each believing the other was the sun and them just a planet orbiting them. Link was ten and Aryll was three when their father came home. He was never home. When he announced that he was going to train Link to become the next swordmaster, they almost lost it. Neither wanted to leave each other, but they didn't have a choice. That was the entire reason for their existence. To be the next wielder of the master sword.
"Brother! Promise you won't leave like Dad!" She was on the verge of tears. They retired for the night and we're both in Link's room. He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek, leaning his forehead against hers.
"I would never leave you," and he meant it. He would rather burn the entire world to the ground before he let his sister get hurt. "If I have to go somewhere I will fight tooth and nail for you to come with,"
Aryll hugged her brother. Letting only a few tears fall. "I love you,"
"I love you too," and with that they fell asleep. Promises to never leave their family. To them they put their family first, even though it was only the two of them. They didn't need anyone else.