"Those are the day's tidings, milady."
Zelda sighed. "Very well, then."
Try as she might, she could not help but have let her mind wander as she heard the day's events. Nothing of it was particularly important; some of the townsfolk were complaining of being taxed too harshly, some of the council of nobles were complaining that the townsfolk were not being taxed harshly enough, and of course there were requests from suitors interested in her hand in marriage. Zelda would reject them outright, of course, as she was a woman with a particular gift for being able to size up any man in an instant, and to this day she had met no one who was anyone near what she wanted for a husband.
She glanced out the window of her spacious, luxuriously-appointed bedchamber, wishing for a moment that she could transform into a bird and fly away from the castle. But that was a foolish thought; Zelda was the ruler of Hyrule and it would the most shameful of things for her to abandon her great responsibility. But there were times when that burden seemed almost too much for her to bear alone, and there was endless worrying over whether or not her decisions were the right ones. There were mornings where she wanted nothing more than to find one of the old heroes' sagas from the castle library, lock herself in her bedchamber, and read it all the way through. But what sort of example would that set? No, she was the one everyone in Hyrule looked to. She could not afford such indulgences.
The days' tidings were already fading from her mind, save for one thing. There was a mention of a gift of tribute from Ordon village, given by the mayor himself. Normally such news was unremarkable, especially for such an insignificant place as Ordon, but Zelda had good reason to remember it, for Ordon was where Link had come from.
The moment his name crossed her mind Zelda felt her spirits sink. She did not know why thinking of him always made her sad, and it was not as though they had spent any great deal of time together. When they fought Ganondorf together, there was one brief second where she realized how truly strong they were together; far stronger than either of them alone. Her mind began to imagine how things would be different if he were at her side. No more would she have to be alone with her burden, and at the very least she might have a friend...
A friend...In all her life Zelda never had anyone she could have called a friend. Her mother and father were gone, and there was no one with whom she might confide in. It was a miserable state, but what could she do? As a ruler there was always a distance between her and everyone else, and it was impossible to make friends with anyone when they were all so intimidated by her presence that they could utter nothing but vapid pleasantries. Worst of all, she was painfully aware of how alone she had been unable to resist the invasion of Hyrule by the Twilight king, and the more thought she gave it, the more she wished Link were here now.
I would have Hyrule's greatest hero and champion at my side. Just then, she had a thought, remembering how she had turned away so many suitors in the past. Perhaps others might disagree or disapprove, but taking that hero of legend as her husband suddenly seemed the most logical choice. Why had she not noticed it before? As the ruler of Hyrule it was her duty, her very purpose in life, to protect her people, and how much better she might do that with someone like Link at her side! Zelda knew that his dedication to their kingdom was strong and true like hers, and that his strength and courage was greater than that of anyone else. There was simply no one else in in Hyrule that had done as much for Hyrule as he.
But she sighed when she realized that, like so many of her desires, it seemed impossible to satisfy. From what she knew of Link he was hardly to sort to embrace married life, especially in a place like Hyrule Castle. Then there was the question of whether he even wanted to marry someone like her, which she doubted very much, or if he was already betrothed to another woman. Yes, she might use her royal authority to force him to accept her offer of marriage, but Zelda was loath to make any such imposition on him, especially if it would make him unhappy. But wanting him as her husband was not some selfish desire on her part. No, it was a matter of Hyrule's future and safety, and if there was a better way, she had no choice but to take it.
But how? How could she get him to marry her, and moreover, how would she make it acceptable to the people of Hyrule that she was marrying a man who herded goats?
Zelda noticed her sword hanging on the wall, and suddenly she had an idea. For all Link's humility she knew he was sure to take umbrage at the thought of someone being a greater swordsman than he, and if he were challenged he would not back down.
Yes, the plan was already coming together in her mind. It was a ridiculous strategy, of course, and in all probability it would fail miserably. And even if it did work, there was no way around having to coerce Link a little. But Zelda was certain that, when he learned that it was in the best interests of Hyrule that he would readily accept...
Don't forget the flour!
Ilia's words kept ringing in Link's ears as he set foot into Ordon village. At first he had set out only to buy a few things for himself, but when spoke to Ilia she had talked him into buying a few more things for her, and yet more things and more still until there was no way he'd be able to carry it all back to Ordon.
Why does she need flour anyway? She can get it herself from the mill.
Oh, but it costs a few rupees less in town! We'd all be doomed if we let those few rupees go to waste, wouldn't we?
Ilia was a woman who couldn't stand the thought of one single rupee being misspent, and was always trying to find things the cheapest no matter how much effort it took. More often than not that effort fell upon him.
She'll be angry I didn't bring the flour, but there's no way I'm carrying a heavy sack of flour all the way from town. If she wants it so badly, she can get it herself.
As he walked into the village, he saw a man sitting atop a horse, carrying the standard of the royal family. This in itself was highly unusual; no one in Ordon ever get word from the royal family, and Link immediately wondered if something were amiss. Everyone in the village was beginning to gather around the man, and Link quickened his pace until he was among them.
"Her royal highness Princess Zelda has issued a challenge!" the man cried. The very mention of the princess immediately brought forth a flood of memories Link would have rather kept buried. After his struggles against Zant and Ganondorf it had been so easy to slip back into his old life, and after nearly a year and a half it was almost as though none of it had happened.
"She is most dismayed with the lack of any men of valor in this kingdom, and so she offers this challenge: If there is any man who can best her highness in a contest of arms, and she has so far defeated all comers, than he shall win her hand in marriage."
The messenger then looked over the Ordonian villagers and a scowl came across his face. "But I see I wasted my time coming here, because there are clearly no men of valor here!"
There was much murmured whispering amongst the villagers, and the man continued to berate them.
"What a lot of wretches you are! Obviously there cannot possibly be any heroes of renown in these parts! Not a one! Why, I'd wager none of you could even lift a sword!"
There was silence, and then the man's eyes met Link's, and he pointed straight at him. "You there, young man! You look like you have some bravery in you! Would you accept her highness's challenge?"
Link was taken aback by his suggestion. "Oh, no...no that's alright."
The man gave a contemptuous grunt. "I guess you have no courage or greatness in you!" He then looked back the rest of the villagers. "I am just so disgusted at the pathetic lack of anyone with any skill at arms altogether in this village! If I were looking for some great hero of legend, then this village is surely the last place I'd look! Well if any of you louts find some courage in you, then be in Castletown square at noon tomorrow!"
The man rode off, leaving confused glances in his wake. "What was that all about" Ilia, frowning.
Ilia was a woman who almost exemplified Ordon itself. She was rather plain in both dress and appearance, but being the mayor's daughter she held herself a little higher than the rest of the villagers. Though she was generally kind and considerate, she also had a petty and shrewish streak to her that only got worse in times of stress. In spite of all that she and Link had been friends since childhood, though Link's childhood had been exceedingly lonely and unhappy and he preferred not to think of it. Now that Link had grown into full adulthood, Ilia's father Bo had been subtly hinting that he and Ilia should get married, but Link had stubbornly refused to give an answer on the question. It was not a lack of caring towards her, but Link was not ready to settle down just yet, and he was not sure if Ilia was the one he wanted to spend his life with.
"What a stupid way to find a husband!" she continued. "That princess is going to end up with some brute as her man, and then where will she be?" Ilia then saw that Link had not brought back a sack of flour as she had requested.
"Link, you forgot the flour!"
"I'm not carrying it all the way back here," he said, annoyed. "Besides, you can get it from the mill here."
"But you know I save five rupees a sack buying it in town!"
"Well, then just go to town and buy it yourself, then!"
She put her hands to her hips. "Link, I don't like this stubbornness that's gotten into you. If we get married it won't do us any good if you won't listen to me."
He stopped. "I didn't say we were going to get married."
"Well when are you going to make up your mind, then?" she said, crossing her arms. "Honestly, Link, I think you enjoy being difficult! And besides, it's not like there are any other women waiting for you."
Link knew she was right, but it only saddened him. There were no other unmarried women of his age in Ordon and he doubted very much that any woman in Castletown would want a simple goat herder like him. There seemed only two choices before him now, either marry Ilia or be alone the rest of his life. He certainly had no desire to remain alone forever, but he could not shake the nagging doubt that he would not be happy with Ilia, either. He had grown up knowing her as a friend and only that; for her to become a lover was a leap he wasn't sure he could make.
He returned to his home, and no matter how unhappily the day had gone he always found solace in being back in his house. Everything he needed was here, which wasn't much, and it was here that he could be away from the world. When evening came he tucked himself into bed, his mind going back to the princess's challenge.
That is a pretty silly way of picking a husband... Merely being good enough to best her with a sword was no guarantee that one would be a good husband to her. Before he drifted off to sleep he wished the princess well, hoping she wouldn't get a husband that was too unpleasant, and wondered for a moment if he would be able to best her in a contest of arms.
Of course I could, but I wouldn't want her to have the dishonor of being married to someone like me, was his last thought before sleep overtook him.