Chapter Text
3rd Person POV for now
Link was exactly where he wanted to be, in a horse-driven carriage on his way to the castle. Of course he never showed his emotions on his face, but inside his emotions were a stew of excitement, fear, and nervousness. What if the princess doesn’t like him? What if the job is too difficult and he’s not able to protect the princess he was sworn to defend with his life?
He stared at his village until it disappeared over the horizon, silently saying his goodbyes in his thoughts, and he finally turned his head to look ahead at the castle, at his future. The huge castle is visible in the distance, as it always is. The castle was specifically built in a location that would make it visible from anywhere and everywhere in the kingdom.
The carriage hits a bump, jolting him out of his deep train of thought. He gasps a little at the sudden movement and resecures his loosened sword sheath around his back.
That jolt of movement somehow made everything feel more real. Link, a small poor boy from a tiny village on the edge of the kingdom, was the one chosen to personally defend the princess. There were thousands of applicants, thousands of worthy knights, but somehow, by some miracle, the king had chosen *him* to protect the princess. It was honor, something he had always wanted to do, but was he *really* ready for it??
He sits in the back of the carriage, his heart racing as he thinks of the princess. What does she even look like? Link has heard the stories of her beauty and intelligence but he’s never seen her before.
After a while he stands up in the middle of the carriage, unsheathing his sword. Link decides a good use of these next few hours would be training, practicing for when he really does need to protect the princess from monsters. The rise of monsters all across the kingdom hasn't gone unnoticed, there's more monsters now than ever.
The sword loudly slices through the air repeatedly, making a ‘swoosh’ sound every time he swings it, straining himself to swing it as hard as possible. He gets many stares from other passerbys, people walking or riding carriages of their own, but he never stops, he needs to be strong if he has any chance at saving both himself and the princess in an emergency.
After a long 5-ish hours of swinging and training he eventually stops and sits down again, quickly catching his breath and admiring the new view. The scenery has changed in the past 5 hours and he barely noticed. They are in a mountainous area now, about to pass by a stable.
As they pass through the Dueling Peaks he sighs, laying down over the seat to take a nap.
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Zelda’s Pov
After casting the messenger away I angrily stand up out of my desk, grabbing my binoculars. ‘How could my father be so stupid?!’ I think as I rush out of the room.
As soon as I step out of the room another servant is quick to accompany me. “How could he do this to me?! He knows i dont want a personal knight and yet he gets me one anyway! I am perfectly safe on my own!” I complain out loud to the servant following me, i feel so frustrated i just cant hold back my thoughts from pouring out.
I stomp down the dimly lit stone corridor, almost growling as I try to comprehend how my father could do this to me, after I begged him not to, after I insisted and proved that I'm safe and fine on my own.
“This is outrageous!!” I growled in frustration, opening the door to step out onto the balcony that is above the castle drawbridge entrance.
“I-I understand, your highness” stuttered the nervous servant behind me “but perhaps your father is just thinking of the recent rise in monster activity” he fidgeted with his hands, clearly nervous to speak to me, as always.
I huff in response, picking up my binoculars and placing them against my eyes. “Monsters or no monsters, I am FINE!” the view in the distance is the usual, the long dirt road starting from the drawbridge door at my feet and extending far out into the horizon in a curvy path over the hills. The grass is bright green and speckled with small flowers that are in season. A bit further in the distance there's a small forest and a royal fountain.
I finally let myself smile as I see the horse carriage that is carrying my personal knight suddenly appear over the horizon, riding along the curvy dirt road that eventually leads to the door I'm standing above.
I focus my view on the knight laying in the carriage and I see him laying there, sleeping, i immediately put down my binoculars and scoff. “How dare he! He’s coming to meet royalty and he's sleeping?” The nervous servant behind me flinches at my angry shouting
I pick up my binoculars again and watch as the carriage gets closer ‘how dare he sleep at a time like this!’ I think, most people are giddy or nervous or at least awake when meeting my family, a royal family, the royal family.
‘If he’s sleeping at a time like this then how will I know he won’t sleep while protecting me?’ I think, angry, ‘how could my idiot father hire some poor idiot to protect me! He can’t even protect himself, a monster could attack at any second and he’s just…sleeping!!’ I huff angrily, lost in thought as the carriage approaches the drawbridge.
I put my binoculars away and fling my long golden hair behind my shoulders. I brace myself by putting my hands on the ledge of the balcony and I lean forward, wanting a good view of this “knight” the carriage passes below me.
I lean over the edge of the balcony, bracing myself by placing my hands over the edge. The servant behind me gasps, audibly panicking and trying to get me to stop, but I just ignore him and keep staring at my new sleeping knight with anger.
I can see the knight has long blonde hair, he’s sleeping with his hands behind his head and legs crossed, laying on his back. This seemingly carefree attitude has makes me even more angry, but I can’t explain why.
I notice how he looks thin but athletic, lean but strong, and even though he’s laying down I can tell how short he is. I let out a tiny short breath of a laugh, finding it funny that my father could really be so idiotic as to hire someone like this as my protector. I laugh again as I think about how he looks as skinny and frail as I do. ‘If my father is worried about my safety then he should be worried about the knights safety too, there’s no way that little boy can protect me’ i think to myself
My thoughts get interrupted by another servant coming out onto the balcony in a rush, panting for breath. I stop leaning over the edge of the balcony, to which I hear a sigh of relief from the servant who’s been accompanying me. “p-princess!! There you are!” Shouts the panting servant who rushed onto the balcony, “Your father calls for your presence in the main hall immediately! Your new knight is soon to arrive, your highness!” The servant tries her best to remain composed but she’s clearly sweating and having a hard time catching her breath, she must have been running around looking for me.
“Alright, thank you, I’ll make my way there immediately” I instinctively respond in a professional tone, a habit of mine.
I stride down the hallways towards the main hall, mentally preparing myself to meet my new knight publicly. Once I reach the big double main hall doors I stop, standing in front of the doors and I let out a big sigh, as if trying to expel my earlier anger and stress. Then I push the doors open, they move loudly, announcing my arrival.