"Princess! Slow down!"
Zelda giggled as she leaped over roots and loose stones. It wasn't uncommon for her to play in the woods surrounding Hyrule Castletown, but she had never been quite so eager to run off.
A white orb of light buzzed around her head before zooming away, hiding behind a tree only to reappear.
A fairy! A real fairy!
She yanked her long skirt above her knees and ran as fast as she could.
They approached a clearing. The sunlight was blinding compared to the shadows of the woods. Zelda squinted in the hopes of spotting her new friend.
But it was not a fairy who greeted her.
A young boy, bloodied and bruised, rested in the tall grass.
The princess gasped and hurried over to the child. She smoothed dark blonde hair beck from his forehead. His eyes opened, meeting hers before falling shut once more.
"Impa!"
Zelda's nursemaid appeared behind her, flanked by two additional members of the royal guard.
"Milo," Impa ordered, "take Princess Zelda back to the castle immediately. I will deal with the boy."
Milo lifted Zelda into his arms and carried her towards the woods.
"No!" Zelda cried. "Wait!"
Impa crouched beside the boy and rested her hand on his forehead. That was the last thing she saw before the trees enveloped them.
Zelda stood outside the infirmary. She had changed into a new dress, as the other one had been covered in dirt and grass. Her legs had also received a good washing from one of the ladies who awaited her return from the woods.
Impa exited the infirmary and turned her eyes to the girl.
"Will he be alright?" Zelda asked.
Impa nodded. "His wounds are severe, but I am more concerned about his mind than his body."
Zelda frowned. She walked under Impa's arm and ducked her head into the infirmary.
"Princess, please do not disturb him."
Ignoring her nursemaid, Zelda entered the room and stood by the small cot where the boy rested. He turned his head toward her. This small action appeared to be almost too much for him.
"Hello." She smiled. "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule. What's your name?"
The boy blinked a few times, lips slightly parted. Zelda jumped when Impa's hand landed on her shoulder.
"He does not speak," Impa explained.
"Maybe he just doesn't understand us."
Zelda tried a few of the languages unique to Hyrule Kingdom, even cycling through the ancient dialects of the Gorons and the Zoras. This only seemed to confuse him more.
"I believe he can understand us," Impa said. "He simply does not talk."
"Oh." Zelda pursed her lips. "Then I suppose I will have to give him a name."
"Princess, you cannot just change a person's name. It's who they are."
"We have to call him something. And besides, if he ever does speak, he can tell us and we can change it back. Now, let me think."
The boy's eyes were closed. The dark lashes created a shadow across his cheek bones. There was one long scar along the left side of his face, but the other cuts looked new and not as deep. She thought back to that morning when she had first laid eyes on him and shuddered.
And then, her eyes widened with realization. "Link. His name is Link."
"Where in Hyrule did you come up with a name like that?" Impa asked.
Zelda giggled and turned to her nursemaid with a large grin. "Because he's the link between me and the fairies."
Impa suppressed a smile.
"You can go now," Zelda informed her. "I will care for him from now on."
The princess stroked Link's hair. She anticipated Impa to protest, but to her surprise, Zelda heard the door close softly behind her. It was the first time she had been alone with a boy. Perhaps Impa figured he was too injured to pose a threat.
"Link, I won't let anything bad happen to you ever again. You have the princess' word."
His breathing grew heavy. Zelda watched the rise and fall of his chest with adoration. The next time she looked out the window, she was met with a view of the night sky. She counted the stars but noticed that one appeared brighter than all the rest. In fact, it seemed to dance.
The princess smiled to herself, for she knew that it was not a star at all. It was a fairy.