Once upon a time, there was a kingdom scorned. A kingdom that had everything. Health and wealth, power, and most of all, omnipotent favor. This kingdom was known as Hyrule.
And within this mighty kingdom, behind castle walls, sat a young princess in a small garden. She sat hunched on a bench, feet no where near touching the ground, studying a book. Its thick and dusty pages toppled over her lap, and the spine threatened to collapse and slip all the contents between her legs to the floor.
A creak echoed through the garden as a young man opened the door to her right. His long legs strode over to stand in front of the girl.
"Zelda," he asked, dropping his posture to look at the hunched child. "Why are you studying out here?"
She barely offered him a glance before gluing her eyes back to the worn pages. "It's hot in the study room."
"Ah." He quirked a brow at the book that seemed ready to fall off her lap. "I'd imagine having a desk would benefit more than open air."
She pursed her lips and flipped a page. It was an endeavor in of itself, as the book's weight teetered on her lap.
He shrugged and lumbered over, brushing Zelda's blonde hair aside to peer at the text.
"...Brother, do you need me?"
"Mm...nope. I just remember studying this years ago."
He leaned back up, pushing the blond hair back behind her pointy ears. The young girl peeled her eyes away to look at those of her brother's. "...Are the negotiations going well?"
His back straightened, lips pursed and shrugged. "The Goron's leader is...a brash individual. It's going to take a while." He let out a short sigh.
Zelda's gaze fell back on the book, fingers gripping it tighter as she nodded. Her brother scrunched his face in a smile.
"It's fine, Zellie. These things take time."
"Brother, I-" A clock bell stops her.
"Tch. I need to hurry, or else that fool will spout words that will send us a war..." He muttered.
One quick smile later, and the young girl was left alone.
Or, so she thought.
She leaned back, the text losing interest, and her gaze wandered to Hyrule's flag that was plastered on the side of the wall. It was the Triforce with a pair of wings underneath it. This flag was in every room, every corridor of the castle. And rightfully so: It represented balance of power, courage, and wisdom. A reminder that every kingdom needed right now.
Zelda sighed, looking down at the text that she had. It was full of the land's history. Great portions of it were in ancient Hylian, which she was too young to properly begin to learn yet. She did know, however, that in times of trouble and darkness, the next princess born was named 'Zelda'. So when she was born, the name was immediately determined.
WHAP!
She snapped her head up to see a boy tumble out of the rafters and crash into a bush.
"What?! Who are you?" She yelled, heaving the book off her lap and standing up.
No response.
"...Um...are you-"
The boy's head bolted up. His face was a combination of scrapes and dirt pulled into a pout. He stared at nothing for a few moments.
"Uhm…?" Her hand stretched forward, torn between getting a guard or making sure the boy was alive.
His head flickered over to her, half registering her presence.
"..."
"..."
His gaze drifted away from her to the flora behind her. Then, suddenly, his eyes locked on something and he pushed himself up with a yelp. Before the princess could say a word, the strange child dashed to the other side of the room and climbed over the other flower bed. After a few seconds of rummaging, he stood up again with something clasped in his grubby hands.
Zelda stood there, speechless.
The boy carefully stepped down, grinning ear-to-ear. He then looked at Zelda.
"...Why…?" She gaped at him.
It took him a moment to register the princess' confusion. He looked to her, then his to his hands, then stepped closer to her to show what he had just caught.
After a heartbeat, she tentatively looked at his hands.
"A blue beetle? You...you came here for a beetle?"
He nodded.
She stared at him, then the beetle, then to him again. Then crossed her arms.
"You're not supposed to be here."
Both his hands and his head lowered. He nodded again.
"...Why do you need a beetle? From here?" She asked.
He drew his hands closer to his face, touching its wings with a finger.
"...A friend needed it. It's rare."
The boy looked like a puppy being scolded. Zelda let out a slow, meticulous sigh and loosened her shoulders.
"You really shouldn't be causing trouble….um, what's your name?"
"Link."
"Okay, Link. Be good and go home." She paused, turning her gaze over to the door. "...Er, it'd still cause trouble if I just send you out the door…Wait. How did you even…?" She looked over to Link, who was still staring at the beetle. "Oh, never mind. It's more important to get you out now."
Link looked back up at Zelda, as though a realization hit him. He carefully pocketed the beetle in his blue tunic and sauntered over to the place where he fell. He proceeded to climb a tall tree next to the wall and jump back onto the edge of the garden wall's rafters.
"Oh." She stared as the boy promptly waved goodbye and was out of sight.
After feeling the weighty silence of being alone, (though Link was not much for conversation to begin with) she quietly resumed her original position, book and all.
Before she could properly absorb herself in its pages however, she froze.
'A blue beetle...Haven't many of the injured soldiers been talking about it?'
That thought interrupted every attempt she made to study.
She was oddly quiet that night.