She sat slumped over the paper scribbling a few final details. Her hand swept gently across the finished product.
"Done." she whispered satisfied. In the distance, guards could be heard from the front of the castle shouting orders at one another and assigning posts for the new recruits. As the noise in the distance continued, Zelda's heart began to race, her cheeks becoming pink.
'Link's first day…' she thought dreamily. Excitedly, Zelda jumped around her room squealing, overwhelmed with happiness. As she continued with her childish giggling, there was a knock on the door. Quickly her face went blank and she stood silently.
"Come in." She answered in a care-free voice. Her mother peeked from behind the wooden door. "Hey honey. Are you ready to go greet the new guards?" Xena asked softly. Zelda nodded and couldn't help but smile. Her mother returned the smile and motioned to the hallway. Taking a deep breath, Zelda consumed her anxiety and walked with her mother down the long corridor.
x~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~x
Link stood in the long line of newly recruiting men. Consisting of most in their early twenties, then a few clumsy teenagers like himself. Across from the line of clueless newbies stood the senior guards who they'd be replacing, his father included. Though he wasn't old, he felt that he could contribute much more to the town that by sitting in front of Hyrule Castle all day waiting for something to happen.
The young boy's mind began to wander as they waited. He would get to see Zelda practically everyday. A slight smile crept across his face as stared into the endless sky.
'I wonder if she's changed at all…' He thought. Link hadn't gotten to talk to Zelda much over the past several years. He'd seen her many times in town and in the temple but much hadn't gone farther than a smile or a simple hello Link was excited to get to know his old friend again.
From the large stone entryway emerged two female figures. Walking gracefully, their long flowing robes followed behind them. The mother and daughter looked upon the people as if they were friends, not subjects. Each man bowed their head as they passed. As Princess Zelda passed by Link, their eyes met. Link blushed slightly and bowed politely. Zelda looked away shyly. She tried to return her thoughts back to the ceremony but her mind seemed to keep thinking about Link.
'I wonder if he's changed…'
x~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~x
After Fifteen minutes of continuous speech, Zelda's mother finally began to finish.
"So Thank You. Congratulations to our new Hylian soldiers. But before we fully conclude, we would like to honor the youngest additions to our little family. The young men who've chosen to protect their beloved home in placement of their summer and final year of schooling. To announce those, please give a warm welcome to Princess Zelda." _ pointed her arms toward the young princess, and everyone began clapping. Her hands grew clammy and she could feel herself becoming nervous. No matter how many times Zelda had spoke in public, she'd always had a streak of anxiety that hit her before a speech.
"Good afternoon my fellow Hylians." Zelda proclaimed confidently. "I-I'd like to personally greet our young guards…uhm…" She stammered as she frantically attempted to open the list of names.
"Groose Saitei, Mido Gokai, and Link Kokiri. If you could please join me on stage." The three boys walked up on the platform. They did not match each other, their different personality's stood out greatly. The first boy approaching was very large and had dark red hair that flung upward in the front, he strutted with false pride. The next boy was a little Kokiri boy, who (being a Kokiri) still looked twelve, though he was seventeen. He followed with a serious look on his face, but who could take a face like that seriously? He stumbled up the large stone steps, which was pursued by quiet cackling from the large boy with red hair. Last up was Link. Tall, lean, and muscular.
Link walked up, focused, and didn't have much of an expression on his face. He was always good at hiding his emotions. They all lined up in front of the Princess.
"You three shall be put to a small test." Zelda spoke. The boys each exchanged odd glances. She smiled.
"Since this year my personal guard, Wiebe, will be retiring, it will be through a test of wits and strength in which my new one will be decided."
The boys each slightly nodded, accepting their forthcoming task.
"Congratulations to Groose, Mido, and Link!" Zelda announced loudly. "The Contest shall commence at noon tomorrow. See you all then."