"Father, that's not fair! Zelda isn't fit for the thrown! Hyrule is going to fall down!"
It was late in the afternoon, the king and his son were quarrelling for the umpteenth time about the successor of the thrown.
"My son it's my decision and I won't change it." Said the king with a hint of annoyance.
The king was pinching the bridge of his nose, he had enough of this discussion.
"But Zelda is a woman! Women are weak…they are incomplete men! They are only good to be wed…You can't do this father please think over it again…Hyrule is going to fall…"replied the son.
"That's enough son!" Yelled the king rising from his chair and cutting off his son. "Zelda is the bearer of wisdom she is chosen by the goddesses to rule over Hyrule, and she will be the only one". « Unless something was to happen to her…then you will take the thrown, but as you might see she is well and ready to be crowned on her 16th birthday which will happen by the end of the summer. » he added.
The prince flew out of the king's private studies, boiling with rage as usual. The king sat back on his chair sighing, he was old and tired, he wanted Zelda to be crowned as soon as possible. The princess had a great knowledge about politics, strategies and the art of war, she has also collected a lot of information about the other kingdoms through the books, and she was a real bookworm.
He looked at the painting of his deceased wife and sighed again « I hope I am making the right decision, my love, I am so tired of all of this and I miss you so much » and then quietly he went to his room to get some well-deserved rest.
The next morning, Zelda was in her room with her servant and the seamstress, she was trying her new clothes for the coronation.
She put a satin white gown and a regal red velvet mantle, and then walked toward the mirror to look at herself, the servant joined her to adjust and arrange the little details of the worn clothes.
"my dear Impa, I still can't believe that the person in front of me on the mirror is myself…"
"Oh my little Zelda, you should, you look just…words cannot express how beautiful, how magnificent you are… The noblemen are going to be thrown off when they will see you, you'll be the one illuminating the whole room perhaps you will even find true love who knows…and then you will be his wife and then you will have lovely children and…." Replied the servant in awe.
"yes, yes…"said Zelda a little annoyed.
Zelda didn't know her mother or only through the paintings on the walls of the castle, or her father talked about her sometimes and some other servants, Impa was an old kind servant who took her role, to teach and cherish the child. As much as Zelda loved her like the mother she never had, she never wanted to talk about men and children.
"Zelda, darling don't tell me you don't like children and handsome noblemen." moaned the maid.
"Well, I am not fond of handsome men especially if they are empty headed, beauty is only short-lived and can die at any moment, answered the princess, and about children I think they are really sweet, adorable and lovely…And then I have a head-ache." Added the princess laughing.
"Really Zelda you're so…"
"Is everything okay with the dress my queen?" Asked the seamstress cutting the servant off.
"The dress is perfect…but I am not queen…yet." Answered the soon-to-be queen.
"Soon enough you will be my dear." Answered Impa. "Only three weeks left, now try the other dress for the ball after the coronation dear."
The ball dress was a gorgeous an A-line layered royal blue and black ruffle Satin dress, sleeveless with a subtle cleavage showing off her beautiful bust, embellished by black Cascading Ruffles Bow. No doubt the princess looked sublime with that dress, cherry on top Impa added a heart shaped royal blue sapphire necklace which belonged to her mother matching the colour of her eyes and the dress.
"My lovely Zelda you look marvellous…if your mother was still here she would be oh so proud of you." Said the maid sadly weeping a tear and hugging the princess from behind.
"It's okay Impa I have you, that's all which import to me right now; are you proud of me?"
"Of course my dear." Answered Impa fondly, forgetting her sadness.
"So…you like both of the dresses?" Asked the seamstress, are you going to keep both of them?
"Yes, answered Zelda, we will keep both of the dresses and I will make sure you are rewarded for your wonderful work."
"thank you, your highness." Said the seamstress beaming.
After trying the dresses and putting everything back in place it was already late in the afternoon, the princess decided to go eat something since she didn't have lunch before going to see her father to discuss politics matter specifically about the letter received from the Gerudo people this exact morning.
After eating an apple pie in the kitchens she headed to the king's room she knocked three times before being answered by a tired "enter" from her father.
"Hello father" said Zelda as she curtsied "come closer child" said her father, she did so and leaned toward the bed kissing her father on the forehead, he caressed her dark brown hair "my dear Zelda, the more you grow the more you look like your mother" "you truly are the fairest of them all" he added, the princess smiled and replied "thank you father, how are you today?".
"Quite well my dear, aged but well".
"Oh father stop it!"
"I am teasing you, child." Laughed the king. "So tell me how you liked the dresses today?"
"They were gorgeous father." Smiled the princess
"Great, I am happy to hear that. However, something tells me you didn't come here to discuss about the dresses."
"indeed father, actually I came here to discuss about political matters, I received a letter from the Gerudo people, their king wants an audience with you, he wants to…"
"Oh goddesses! Why does this barbarian king wants an audience with me?" Asked the king cutting off his daughter.
"father stop treating them of barbarian, they have a different culture; it's true... but to treat them of barbarian is a bit extreme."
"Come now, Zelda, they live in tents, the girls do all men's work and they worship only a non-existing goddess, they call her the goddess of sand, and you tell me they aren't barbarian!?"
"Yes, I would say, again, it's a different culture, besides they call our society misogynistic, saying that we are discriminating women…I don't really agree with it but I see a little bit of truth in it…"
"What do you mean, Zelda?! Are you giving reason to those… those riffraff of the desert! This is catastrophic! Besides what's all this obsession about those people!? You are mostly reading books about them! Besides the cook told me you used the kitchen to prepare a big pot of cactus soup; something only those barbarian eats!"
"Well I wanted to be sure to get a big taste of their dish." Said Zelda blushing, obviously she was lying but she wasn't going to tell the true reason to her father.
"You know what? after your coronation you can invite whoever you want! But now you'll forget those savages and concentrate on your coronation which is more important." Said the father hoping she would forget about them.
"Fine! I'll stop talking about them…for now…"said the princess, defeated as she headed to the door, but soon she was stopped by her father.
"Zelda! dear, wait!"
"yes father?"
"Be careful, don't let your guard down." Replied her father very seriously.
"from what?" Asked the soon-to-be queen confused.
"anything, now go."
Zelda left her father's room defeated and confused, she headed to her room to write the invitations for the noblemen, noblewomen and…Him.
