Work Text:
The sound of laughter and cackling noblewomen faded as their slow evening stroll took them further into the castle gardens and away from Zelda's apparently-not secluded hiding place deep within the shadows of the surrounding greenery.
Their slow parade was excruciating to wait out. But Princess Zelda had a fair share of playing hide-and-seek with her Knight for these past few months. Her doing the hiding, him doing the seeking. Naturally, he won most rounds of their game (their being her's) but there were odd days where it took her Knight until it was nearly sunset to locate her at her newest hiding place. But as their relationship thawing from her initial coldness, sometimes she wonders whether he intentionally gave her the day all to herself. A moment of privacy, and maybe some childish victory for her to tally. Although there's not much on her side of the scoreboard to boast about.
There was one particular day when she just decided to hang out in his old room at the knight's barracks. Armed with a handful of ancient Sheikah scrolls and books, Zelda didn't mean to lose herself deep within the informational texts. Time had unnoticeably slipped by, and she nearly jumped as the door to her Knight's room slammed open. Her Knight initially didn't noticed his bed was apparently occupied by the currently missing princess. His footsteps were loud and heavy with stress and his heavy armor rattled with agitation. Tossing his shield to the side, her Knight dragged a single gloved hand down his face as he let out a tired groan of frustration, before cupping the same hand behind his neck, no doubt kneading the sore muscles of the area. His head had lolled to the side and Zelda could clearly see his knitted brows and – for once – an unhappy frown that had adorned his tired face. His eyes were shut and he let out a sharp exhale through his nose like an irritated bull.
His eyes opened and was immediately met with her's.
There was a brief pause of time where both of them didn't dare to move, speak or dared to even breathe. But Zelda had to blink before her eyes watered and the moment was broken. Her Knight simply turned around, closed his door shut and his steps moved just towards the end of the hallway. A muffled conversation was heard as Zelda pressed her ear to the door before not a moment later all the outside commotion (how she had not heard the guards hollering outside she would never understand) had ceased as the castle staffs breathe out relieved sigh that their Chosen Knight had located their Princess who was safe and sound. Scrambling to her feet when she heard his footsteps shuffling closer to the door, Zelda dived back onto the bed, waiting for her Knight's next course of action.
Her Knight then entered his room, before quietly shutting the door. His face a blank slate and none of his earlier distress. Zelda steeled herself of being kicked out. She deserved it as after all she did invaded his space and privacy while causing unnecessary panic for her usually calm knight.
But he simply dropped rather ungracefully on his back at the other end of his bed, feet still splayed on the floor. Lifting his right arm to cover his eyes, he breathed in deep and slow. Zelda eyed the calm rhythm of the slow rising and falling of his chest, before slowly realized at that moment he was simply calming himself from probably a heart–stopping, panic inducing day. Heavy stones of guilt settled at the bottom of her stomach.
Slowly – just so she doesn't startled the poor man from her sudden movements – she placed one of the sweet buns she had been snacking all day on top of his open left palm, placed just mere inches away from her tucked knees. He lifted the treat to his face. With his hand no longer shielding his eyes, they pierced when they landed on her own. But instead of the expected anger and disappointment, the fire in his eyes were dancing from something else entirely. But Zelda doesn't recognized this new expression. Certainly not from her stoic Knight. He then took a huge bite from the sweet bun and closed his eyes before chewing, and she knew she was forgiven.
Now, she was wasn't hiding from her Knight but rather from the King of Hyrule himself. This also included the entire staff of the castle. Some exception was made especially during her day lessons, where she faced her tutors or when she showed up during dinner time, which she desperately wished to skip and take them in her room instead. But she had already been skipping all the other meals just to get away from his Royal Majesty. Zelda can't risked angering him further, for fear he would find something else precious to her to forbid her from. She clutched the slightly wrinkled paper in her hands. Her father had already taken so much from her lately. In the end, what was there of hers left?
The ladies that passed by her hiding spot were loud and oblivious. Too engrossed with their gossiping to pay any attention to their surroundings. This always worked in favor for Zelda, for she simply had to hold her breath for a moment and stilled her muscles to lessen any noises she might emitted. She never payed too much attention to their topic of conversations. Court gossip was the same as it's ever been. A scandal here, a rumor there. Nothing extraordinary. People going about the Princess and her failures regarding her dormant powers were also nothing new. It's all they would love to talk about really. One news would take up the spotlight for a few days before it died down and the Princess's failures were brought up once again as their favorite main topic of conversations to bond over tea.
But this time...
...stuck up, spoiled little girl...
...pretty face with a foolish heart...
...tainted, her blood must be tainted...
...dumb airhead blonde playing scholar bossing the Sheikahs around...
...the heir of nothing...
...nothing but failure...
This time it felt different.
Something ugly and vile clawed up her throat, threatening to spill over her mouth and bleed onto the grass underneath her feet.
Her hands were shaking. Why were they shaking?
Her eyes skimmed over the words inked on the paper she was clutching the whole evening, seeking something else to distract her racing mind. But there weren't the familiar diagrams of Sheikah technology or her messy scribbles of long and complicated calculations. Instead it was words of prayers in her neat penmanship her tutors had her written down this morning. Something for her to memorized and etched deep within her skull as part of her training.
She was apparently being neglectful of her training. Her duties were always her first priorities but it wasn't enough. There's too many distractions occupying her time.
So the King had ordered it to be removed.
Zelda didn't speak nor protested when the Royal Guards marched into her room one morning, crossed the bridge towards her tower and entered her private study room. Her Knight walked in not a moment later, his face pulled taut and jaw tightly clenched. Seeing the Princess made no moves whatsoever to stop the guards, he made his way to stand beside her. Though still at a respectable distance, Zelda saw his back was ramrod straight, coiled with tension with his hands behind his back curled into fists.
The knights in her study were methodical about their tasks. They neatly stacked her papers and books before putting them away in the wooden crates they'd carried with them. Her experiments, glass vials filled with various colorful concoction and even her plants were all confiscated. In just a blink of an eye, her study was completely bare saved for her lonesome table.
As the knights finished up and set to carry the crates out of her room, the King strode in. He nodded at the ones that passed by. Otherwise he observed the scene with stony silence. Impa made herself present too, but her mouth was shut, her expression flat.
When the last of the knights left her room, the King finally turned towards his daughter. Exhaustion settled deep within his weary bones as he let out a tired sigh. The Princess however kept her gaze forward towards her barren study. Eyes blank and not a single tear cascading her cheeks. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her dress, absent of her usual jitteriness. She was still like the goddess's statue.
"Zelda." The King said.
She doesn't acknowledge him. She continued to stare and stare and stare at her once beloved place of sanctuary that was now stripped away. And there was nothing in her power she could've done.
"Zelda." The King found his voice had risen in anger, tired of this childish tantrums. The Princess's Knight – who had kneeled at the King's presence – twitched his head slightly at the sudden change of the King's tone. Other than that one miniscule movement, he made no other.
It took an awful moment before the Princess finally turned her attention towards the King. To say he was a little taken aback at her expression was an understatement. The King was familiar with his daughter's fiery spirit and determination to study the Sheikah technology. It was in her brilliant bright green eyes greedily studying blueprints, ancient scrolls of texts and books; in her sure steady hands taking ancient cores apart and putting them back together; in her confident strides every time she entered an excavation or reasearch site, joining the Sheikah researchers immediately to catch up with new updates of information. She wanted so badly to play scholar.
Calamity was approaching. There's no time for playing.
"No more games Zelda. Understand me?"
Her eyes were dull green as she stared back, void of her usual excited self. For a moment the King thought she's purposely ignoring him. A spark of irritation flared but she soon replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. Understood."
The King nodded, satisfied. He turned to exit her room, offhandedly reminding her that her morning classes shouldn't be skipped and headed towards his own private study.
Impa waited a few moments and, confident that the King's ears were far enough to hear their conversation, she said to the still Princess, "I'll keep your belongings safe with me Your Highness." She patted her shoulders to show comfort before darting out of the room.
Zelda doesn't remember the details of her following days after that because it felt like she was trudging through her daily routines with her head drowning deep underwater. Her limbs moved and reacted automatically. Her senses felt dulled and muffled. She would wake up, let her maids dressed her for the day, ate a tiny corner of her toast before pushing it away and went to meet her tutors for a whole day of studying. There's prayers. There's meetings. Meals in between but now mostly none since she hasn't had any appetite. She stroll around the garden on some days to soak the evening warmth. Nighttime would arrive and she would joined the King for dinner in cool silence before retiring for the night. Sleep thankfully claimed her easily. Rinse and repeat.
Zelda doesn't keep track for how long since her belongings were confiscated. But she noticed the gradual icy silence blanketing the castle atmosphere. It was suffocating that made everyone seemed to be walking on edge with each other but most didn't quite understand why. The invisible grey clouds hovering the castle were sombre and depressing. Everyone knew it had something to do with the Princess. With her sudden compliance for her schedules and none of her usual disappearancing shenanigans. A picture perfect Princess.
Of course, this doesn't stop the conspiracies to bloom and placing the blame on her. Maybe she wasn't meant to save Hyrule, but born with a curse of failures and false hopes of the future.
The shadow at her peripheral vision shifted slightly, causing Zelda's heart to nearly stopped for the fear of being caught. But when the light reflected off the ethereal glittering from the Master's Sword pommel, her heart slowed down. She had forgotten her Knight was here with her. After making sure not only she was well out of sight, but he himself was hidden well enough to not alert others of her whereabouts, they basically spent the rest of the evening away from the public eye together in a somewhat comfortable silence. There was enough distance between them that he had given to her to give her her much needed privacy.
Nevertheless, after hearing those cruel jabs from noblewomen, Zelda doesn't want to sit around here anymore. She doesn't understand. Normally, their words doesn't bother her. Sometimes she scoffed out loud and easily brushed them away with nonchalant flick from her fingers like dirt clinging onto her sleeves.
But their cruel words echoed inside her head, suffocating her heart out. The papers she's clutching are the wrong ones than what's she desired. Her fingers were neat and clean, no longer inked stained. One side of her hip felt too light, the absence of the Sheikah Slate was glaringly obvious. Instead her fingers grabbed onto the silky flowing material of her dress.
She stood up carefully, well aware of her legs had fallen asleep. Her Knight tilted his head in her direction, no doubt he had heard the slight sound of grass shuffling from her shoes and skirt. He poked his head for a quick peek of the surrounding area, before turning around, his body halfway facing her and waiting for her next action.
She gathered her stuff in one hand. There's not much to begin with and she missed terribly the weight of heavy ancient books that strained the muscles of her arms. Her Knight offered once to carry them for her after having spent all day perusing the library. She disliked the empty feeling in her hands immediately and took the books back. But she always let him carry at least one book every time, just to chase away the concern pinching the corner of his eyes.
Here, Zelda could see his brows were furrowed in concentration, eyes darting to every exit options no doubt having it mapped clearly in his strategic mind to avoid anyone the Princess wished to evade.
Heart growing heavy at every second, Zelda sucked in a calming breath, and prayed her voice doesn't wobbled when she speak, "The stables, please."
Her Knight nodded. He surveyed the area once more, and when he's satisfied with the lack of people, he signaled for them to move.
They moved silently. Darting into shadows of dark hallways and behind tall columns of the building. Sometimes they ducked into the shrubs but otherwise remained undetected. Zelda allowed herself to follow along mindlessly. Her eyes were watering, threatening to spill and she's concentrating hard not to let them drop whilst she's still within the castle walls.
Low murmurs caught her attention when she realized they'd arrived at the castle stables. Her Knight was already giving out orders to the stable boy to prepare their horses. Zelda left him to it.
Her dress was not appropriate for riding, a thought suddenly registered into her mind. But before she could apologize to her Knight for them to turn back, he firmly grasped her hips and lifted her up to side saddle her horse. He let go and stepped back just as quickly.
She ignored the warm tingly sensations left by his hands and nudged her horse to a slow trot once her Knight was also seated on his own horse.
Some guards called out when they past the gates but with a wave of her Knight's hand, they left them alone, clearly confident with the Princess's safety in the hands of their Hero.
As the distance from the castle grew, the hole within her chest grew relentlesly larger. Everything in front of her was a kaleidoscope of large blotchy blurry of colors. The air out here was fresher and crisper but her lungs refused to take in long deep inhales, but short abrupt gasps. Zelda looked down and saw small droplets of water fell onto her pale hands that's tightly grasping the horse reins.
They stopped at a grassy field with a lone tree on a small hill. As Zelda prepared herself to get off her horse, her Knight was instantly there. His arms already out, ready to catch and steady her.
So she slide down carefully into his arms. She let her hands lingered on his strong shoulders, but she doesn't dare to lift her eyes, fearing for whatever pity she might found in his. Pulling away, she crossed the grass field and sat back beneath the tree.
The dam finally broke and the Princess's tears that flowed down her cheeks were silent and relentless.