Redemption and Royalty

A/N: I. Am. Mad!!!!!! I have to stop with the new stories!!! Asdkjfka eisdka $!! 3 dlsa;!!! Ahem… sorry for the random letters and symbols o.O Well, this is a new story (no really? Okay I'll stop complaining now, it is my story after all) and I hope you enjoy it! It isn't set in any game really so I just used the characters from all of them (mostly from TP and OoT) Also, the beginning part of this chapter is boring, I admit it, and it gets better near the end. Trust me. SO READ ALL THE WAY!!!

Chapter one: Accused

Zelda let out a long sigh as she pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. The sun was at its highest point in the sky and it beat down on her. Sweat rolled down her face and she clenched her calloused hands. She grabbed the field plow that stood next to her and she continued on with her work. The mules that pulled the plow heehawed and continued to walk slowly down the fields, Zelda pushing from behind.

"Zelda!" called a voice from behind her. The voice came from a man named Rusl, a middle-aged man who was rumored to have helped train the Prince himself. But, Zelda thought that it probably was not true. Rusl ran towards her, careful to not step on any of the growing crops. "Fado said that you can take a break for today, he said that he might have Talon finish up." Rusl smiled at her and she laughed.

"Talon?" she asked, good-humored. "Well, let us thank our Goddesses if that lazy man even gets up to milk a single cow, no, we should thank them even if he gets up once!"

Rusl laughed and nodded. "Well, you better hurry up, girl. Your father was also calling for you."

Zelda nodded and began to turn the plow around. Rusl saw her do so and snorted. "What?" she asked.

"You are quite strong for a girl of your size. Well, I have to hurry up. I am departing for the castle tomorrow."

"Oh! That soon, well, I wish you luck!" Zelda called to the man as he ran through the fields. She bit her lip as she headed back to the stables with the mules. She was strong for a girl. That was why Fado had her plow the fields while the other villagers did something different. She shook her head. Why was she thinking about that? It had to do with nothing.

Zelda let out a stifled yawn when she reached the stables. Her back was sore along with her hands. When she returned to her house, she would make sure that she had a bath.

"Hello Zelda!" called Malon. She sat on a hay bale with the back of her head resting on a fence. Malon was Zelda's most trustworthy friend and forever had they been. Even as children. "You are done early."

"Fado is allowing me to take a break."

"Lucky…"

"Malon!" Zelda said with a gasp.

The redheaded farm girl jumped up in surprise. "What? What?!"

Zelda put her hand to her mouth, trying to keep from laughing at her friend. "Calm down!" She paused and shook her head. "All you ever do is sit in the stables and tend to the animals. It isn't exactly hard labor."

"Well, I'll have you know, just because- well- Oh, never mind. I've got nothin'." Malon walked over to Zelda and took the reins of the mules, leading them into their stalls. She then grabbed a bucket of chicken feed and threw it on the ground in the gate-enclosed chicken coop. "Would you like to have my job?"

Zelda wrinkled her nose. "Malon, I don't love animals as much as you. Remember that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She sat back down on the hay bale and looked at Zelda curiously. "Why do you wear a headscarf? Your hair is very pretty."

"My mother always used to wear her hair like that and…" she said, beginning to trail off.

"Okay! Enough of that then." Malon jumped up once more and grabbed Zelda's hand. "One of these days we have to travel! Go further than the lands known to us! It will be great!"

Zelda smiled at her ranting, energetic friend. After awhile, Zelda grabbed her shoulders. "Malon, calm down."

"Fine, fine. But don't you have to hurry home to your dad?"

Zelda's eyes widened. "Of course! Bye Malon," she yelled over her shoulder to the other farm girl.

Zelda ran to the village, her feet pounding against the dusty trail. The village was decent sized and it went by the name of Ordon. Ordon was known for its well-grown crops -thanks to Zelda, Fado, and a few others of the village- and its fine horses -thanks to Malon, a girl close to Zelda and Malon's age name Ilia, and a greedy man named Ingo. But, Ordon wasn't the only place of farming. There were two other farms but they were mainly ranches and they went by the names of Romani Ranch and Lon Lon Ranch. Zelda was told that Malon, Talon, and Ingo were originally from Lon Lon Ranch, to the north, but they came to Ordon and left there ranch to become ruins. Romani ranch was to the south but Zelda had never met anyone from there.

Zelda entered the village and headed to her home. Opening the door, her father came up and hugged her tightly. Her father was a large man, with a thick, graying beard. Zelda often teased him how he would have to shave his beard and put it on his head so he had actually had hair. "Fa-ther…" she choked as she squirmed from his steel grip. She managed to escape and ran behind a table. Her father laughed and smiled.

"Go get cleaned, daughter. Remember, we have to begin preparing for the Mid-summer Festival tomorrow."

Zelda nodded and headed down the hall to prepare her bath. She peeled away her dirty clothes and took out her headscarf, allowing her golden hair to slide out and reflect all light that hit it. People seemed to adore her hair that was why she always wore her headscarf, not just because her mother did. People would say how pretty she was, so she began to hide her hair from all sight.

Zelda stepped slowly into the tub and let out a long sigh when she hit the cold water. She leaned back and watched the dirt and filth rise to the surface of the water and she frowned. There was no point in taking a bath when you sit in your own filth, but, there was no other way. And she was thankful for what she had.

After she was done, Zelda dried herself and slid on a white dress. She brushed out her tangled hair and put on a blue headscarf. She tipped her head to the side and wandered outside. She moaned in annoyance when a blast of heat hit her and she suddenly wished she were back in the tub. Well, now she had a half a day to spend doing whatever she pleased. But what she was to do remained a mystery.

Zelda ended up spending the day assisting Uli -Rusl's extremely pregnant wife and the mother of a boy named Colin- with house chores. Cleaning, washing, drying, cooking… Things like that. The woman was delightful to be around for everywhere she went; a smile was on her face. Not once had Zelda seen that woman frown. Of course, she occasionally would be upset, but she would always smile gently no matter what.

Zelda stayed with her until the sun had set and everyone was in the comfort of their own homes. She was in the midst of patching one of Colin's shirts when Uli walked over.

"Zelda," she said, her voice soft and tired, "you may go home now if you wish. I thank you for everything."

"It has been a pleasure, Uli. I will make sure that I stop by tomorrow when I have time free from preparing for the festival."

"You do not have to…"

"It is not a bother. Well, goodnight Uli!" she called as she walked out of the small home. She nodded to Colin as she passed him with a pot full of water for drinking to bring to his mother. The blond-haired boy smiled in return and hurried inside.

Zelda looked up at the sky as she walked along. Not a cloud in sight, that promised good weather for the upcoming days. Shining stars dotted the sky, numerous constellations visible to the farm girl. She smiled and prayed to the Goddesses of Hyrule that all would be well for the next few days.

Zelda's eyes opened wide in fear as she heard a loud crash in the night, waking her from her sleep. Outside, shouts and screams could be heard from the villagers. She ran into her father's room to see if he was awake. Seeing that he was not, she sprinted outside, not caring that all she wore was a simple, thin cotton nightdress. Her eyes widened when she saw smoke curling and flames licking at the sky. They were coming from the farm and ranch.

She looked around wildly at the village where no one was found. They must be up at the spring, getting water, she thought. Well then, she would- Zelda froze suddenly. "Malon…" she whispered fearfully. Her redheaded friend had not returned to the village that night. She must have fallen asleep in the stables. "Malon!" she cried as she ran down the dirt trail to the farm and ranch.

Appearing at the gate, the flames seemed to now be reaching the heavens where the Goddesses rested. Zelda gasped, now paralyzed at the flames that quickly spread throughout the fields. She forgot how to breathe even and once she began to choke she quickly regained feeling throughout her body and hurried to the stables. "Malon!" she yelled. Zelda ran through the gate and into the stables. She began to cough when smoke filled her lungs. A rafter fell beside her, engulfed in flames and Zelda jumped backwards, falling onto the ground next to a rearing horse. The horse whinnied in fear and was about to kick at her but she managed to crawl away. A second rafter fell and caught her dress on fire. Zelda squealed and stomped it out. "Malon!" she cried again, with no avail.

Zelda coughed and spotted Malon's purple and white dress throughout the smoke. She carefully made her way over and itched at her stinging, smoke filled eyes. She grabbed her friends hand and pulled her up. Zelda let out a small yell of surprise when something jabbed at her leg. Lifting the side of her skirt, she saw a small cut along her leg but no blood was shed. She moved her hand slowly along the ground and came to a dagger. Holding it close, she looked carefully at it. She knew that she should be getting Malon out, but… marking along the flat of the blade reminded her of the storied she was told when younger… And it had the insignia of the Royal Family on it. But that was not what made Zelda freeze. It was the blood, scarlet and dripping, that froze her. And it was not her blood.

It was Malon's.

Zelda's eyes were full of fear when she dragged Malon out of the burning ranch, the dagger in hand. Once in the light of the moon, despite the burning fire not ten feet away, she noticed a large gash in between Malon's breasts. Zelda dropped the dagger knowing that it was the murder weapon of her dear friend that she considered her sister. Zelda shakily stood and picked up the weapon. She held it close to her face and felt tears roll endlessly down her face.

Her friend… Her friend was murdered! So the fire was not caused by the heat, instead, it was caused purposely. Zelda looked down at Malon, whose blood was still flowing, and let out a cry of distress.

"Z-zel-da…" said a voice from behind her.

Twirling around, the dagger close to her chest, she received icy glares from the people of Ordon who carried buckets filled to the rim with water.

"Malon!" cried Talon who ran forward to his daughter, dead on the ground. He grabbed her hand and spat at Zelda. "Y-you bitch! You murdered my daughter!"

No, thought Zelda. No! I didn't murder her! I tried to save her! But, despite her thoughts, Zelda said nothing. The villagers would never believe her. Never. They hated her now.

"Let's throw her into the fire!" yelled Ingo from somewhere in the crowd.

The children were heard agreeing and a few of the adults. "Zelda…" whispered her father. "How could you?!" Her father gasped when a horse came bolting out of the flaming stables. Probably the only living animal left.

The horse was mad; it ran around, kicking out at the village people and whinnying. "Calm that horse!" Zelda heard Ilia and Ingo yell. Ilia then did something, Zelda didn't know for everything was moving so fast around her, and the horse calmed down. She must have fainted then, for everything around her went black and the voices faded around her.

When she woke up, her body ached and refused to move as she attempted to sit up.

"Well, well, well. Look, Bjorg, our little murderer is awake."

"What do you think her punishment'll be, Wmonyd?"

"Well, I can think of many reasons…"

Zelda opened her mouth to speak but then choked from a gag placed in her mouth. She tried moving her sore arms that were held upward, but they were shackled to a wall. "Mhph… Kphm!" she said, trying to speak with her guards. She kicked out angrily and squirmed about.

"Woman, you are not getting out any-" the guard named Bjorg stopped talking when a door screeched open, permitting light into the dark, musty dungeon. He slammed his spear against the hard ground in salute to someone.

A robed figure appeared in front of her cell and he gave an awful sneer. "Since the Royal Council has no other prisoners, you will be presented to the Council later today for the crime you have committed."

Zelda mumbled through her gag again and the man laughed at her pathetic attempt.

"As soon as you are presented, the sooner we decide your punishment. Which most likely will be execution. Anyways, good day to you! And no talking to the prisoner." The man turned around with a swish of his robe. The door slammed shut behind him and almost complete darkness came once more to the dungeon.

"Good day to you?" asked Wmonyd. Bjorg must have shrugged for there was a slight clamor of armor. "That man has problems…"

"Well, woman," said Bjorg, his head peeking into her cell. "You have only an hour at the most… until you die that is." The two guards laughed and Zelda shook her head angrily.

She was being blamed for something she did not even do! Goddesses, please, please give the power, wisdom, and courage to guide me through my troubled times, she prayed.

Lightwolf8: Tahs Dahs! Well, that is my first chapter of Redemption and Royalty. I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please tell me in a review, and if not, suggestions are highly welcomed! And, I do accept flaming unlike most authors. So… review please and I'll update as soon as I have time.