Link groaned. Out of all days, today had to be the day when his parents had decided to resolve their relationships with the Gerudos. To be honest, Link hated what the desert-dwellers had done to Hyrule, but he understood why his father wanted to create alliances with them.
But today was Link birthday. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the majority of the day in a conference room listening to his father try and convince King Ganondorf that both Hyrule and Gerudion needed this treaty. Link didn't really see why Hyrule needed Gerudion, they were prospering fine, but he assumed it was mostly to prevent another Great War.
The doors opened, and Link lifted his head to see who it was. To his disgust, it was King Ganon himself and his wife, Queen Nabooru, along with several guards and an ambassador. Link's father sat up straighter in his large golden throne, and his mother did on her slightly smaller one, which was to the left of her husband. She motioned for Link to do the same in his throne, which was about three-quarters the size of the King's.
Link sighed, and propped his elbow against the arm of the chair, his chin pressing into the palm of his hand, trying to look as bored as possible in hopes of turning off King Ganon. His mother wrinkled her nose in annoyance, then turned to the two foreigners and gave them a pleasant smile. Link rolled his eyes at her hospitality toward these traitors and stared out the window. Which was stain-glass so he couldn't see anything. Oh well. He would pretend he could see something.
"King Alfon, it is of my greatest honor to see you and your beautiful country in person. I can tell that Hyrule's prosperity is surely a result of your actions." King Ganon said in his deep, smooth voice. His words were practically dripping with sugary syrup, and Link couldn't see how his father could even trust this man to be in Hyrule in itself, not to mention in the castle right under his nose. "Ah, King Ganondorf," the King replied, "I appreciate your efforts to come to this meeting. How was the journey?"
"Oh it was lovely," Queen Nabooru interjected. "The scenery, the goddesses have surely blessed this land. And the people, they looked so, happy."
"Good, good," King Alfon looked pleased. "So please, shall we continue in the conference room?" "Yes, do lead the way." King Ganon answered. The four royals left the room, leaving Link alone.
Should I follow them? Link wondered. Not that I'd have much of an opinion anyway. He decided on enjoying this time to himself, it was rare for him not to have any sort of task to fulfill. However, with his parents occupied he could relax.
He finally chose to visit his horse, Epona. Normally the servants took care of her, but Link always preferred to do it himself. The chestnut colored mare seemed to too. Epona had been given to him on his 10th birthday, and the two had always got along well. Epona was a bit timid at first, but Link managed to bring her out of her shell.
The air was crisp and cool for an April morning. The grassy courtyard was covered in drops of dew, looking like tiny diamonds in the light. Link leisurely strolled through the courtyard, walking in the grass as opposed to the paved walkways. It was much more interesting this way. As a child, Link would often pretend he was in a thick forest, and discover a secret cave with only a lantern to guide him. Or that he was the Hero of Time, slashing at bushes as if they were Deku Babas with a Deku stick for a sword.
Those memories made Link smile. Back when Hyrule was fine, when it wasn't looking for other kingdoms for help. Back when Link's mother would sing to him at night, and when his father would tell stories of war heroes and the history of Hyrule. Link especially liked to ones about the Hero of Time. He was Link's role model, and Link often wondered if maybe he was the Hero himself. But that was only because he was named after him.
At last Link reached the stables. Most of the knights' horses were gone, but a few others remained along with Epona. There were also two new horses, both had a sleek black coat and shaved manes. They did not welcome Link as the other horses did; rather, they snarled and snorted at him. Must be the Gerudos' horses. Link thought. Pfft. Figures.
Epona happily neighed when Link approached her stall. She trotted over and nuzzled her head against Link's outstretched hands. "Hey girl," Link said, stroking her mane. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a carrot. Epona munched on it happily and flipped her tail.
As Link was refilling her fodder and combing out her mane, he found himself talking to the horse. "So what do you think of the Gerudos, girl?"
The horse ignored his question as Link brushed off the dirt on her coat. "Maybe I'm being paranoid," Link continued, "Or overly proud. But I don't want anything to deal with those guys. They always look like they know something we don't, you know?"
Link picked the old hair out of the brush and resumed combing. "And my parents forgot my birthday. All because of their stupid meeting. I was hoping we could do something, as a family, but noooo. Everything has to go their way."
When he finished, Link returned the brush and patted his horse one last time. The horse gave him a look of confusion. "Sorry girl, can't ride you today. I gotta get back to the castle before someone notices I'm gone." The horse neighed in response and Link headed back.
Link walked into the throne room and saw his parents with the Gerudos. His mother was laughing and so was his father. When they caught sight of him, Link's mother noticed his slightly muddy boots and horse hair on his tunic. "Link!" she exclaimed, "You should know better than to sneak off into the courtyard like that! Were you taking care of that horse of yours?"
"Hey!" Link said defensively, "Epona's a fine horse! Besides, I hadn't seen her in a while!"
"Ah, so this is Prince Link, I presume?" King Ganon asked. All eyes turned to him. It was the first time Link had actually taken a good look at him. He was tall, like, really tall, around 6'8 maybe, and had a sturdy build. He wore heavy black armor encrusted with various yellow jewels and red button-like thingies. A strange golden crown adorned his head; it was like a headband, but in the back of his head. Chains connected the crown to a golden sun that covered almost his whole forehead. His orange hair connected to his thick eyebrows, and he had a beard.
Queen Nabooru had her long red hair tied into a ponytail, and she too wore a sun like jewel in the middle of her forehead. She wore a strapless, er, for lack of a better term, bra, and puffy pink pants. Nabooru wore red elf shoes and fingerless pink gloves as well. She wore gold chains and large jewels as well. Unlike her spouse's slate green skin, Nabooru's was a burnt brown.
"Yes, this is my son. Do introduce yourself Link." King Alfon replied.
"Nice to meet you…" Link mumbled.
"If I recall correctly, today is your birthday, Prince Link, is it not?" King Ganon asked. Link's ears perked up. He remembered my birthday? Not even my own parents did.
"Oh yes, I had almost forgotten! Happy birthday Link!" King Alfon laughed heartily.
His mother smiled. "Eighteen years old. We're very proud of you Link."
"Eighteen huh? That's a big year." King Ganon stated. "Bring in the Sheikah!" he shouted.
The doors opened, and two Gerudo guards stepped out. Behind them, a girl, no older than sixteen, was being held tightly by two more guards. Her face was streaked with dirt, and the thin white dress she was wearing was stained with the latter as well. Her hands were tightly bound together. Link couldn't help but feel sympathy for the girl. He wondered what King Ganon planned to do with her.
"Did you say a Sheikah?" his mother asked, surprised.
Everyone knew the story of the Sheikahs. After the Sheikahs betrayed the Royal Family long ago, they were banished from the kingdom. However, the king at the time was wise and fair, and he allowed them to live only in a small village hidden in a canyon, hence the name, the Hidden Village. Every single Sheikah there ever was lived in that Village, and they lived without assistance from any other races. The only time they had interactions with other cultures was when merchants came to trade and when war required them to be drafted.
Unsurprisingly, the Sheikahs were asked to fight alongside Hylians in the Great War. After all, they were a race born for combat and espionage, the ideal police force. But only weeks after the war ended, the Hidden Village was attacked, leaving no survivors.
Well, guess not.
"Why yes, Queen Marin. This young girl was found wandering the deserts of Gerudion not too long ago. Turns out she was a Sheikah, one of the shadow people." King Ganon answered.
"I know, I was shocked too," Queen Nabooru said aloud, "I mean, there should've been a couple left after that scuffle, but I didn't expect to see one in Gerudion!"
The girl lifted her head only slightly. While her bangs covered her eyes, he could almost feel them boring into the Gerudos back, glaring angrily.
"Link, to commemorate your coming of age, you can have her. I think her name was Zelda or something like that. After we took her in I personally trained her to do everything her master tells her to. She will never disobey an order. And even if she does, when whipped this girl will not make a sound. No crying or screams of agony. Quite convenient if you ask me." King Ganon announced proudly.
Queen Nabooru laughed. "Show them honey, show them how good this slave is."
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The guards forced the girl to kneel and then backed away. King Ganon raising the whip above his head. Link stared in horror. The whip came crashing down. All Link heard was the snap of the rope. It echoed in the silence of the room. The girl flinched, but did not cry. She didn't scream in pain. She didn't flail around or rock back and forth in a feeble position. Red began spreading over her back. Link couldn't believe what King Ganon had done, hurting the girl just to show that she wouldn't complain. Just because she didn't complain doesn't mean it didn't hurt!
A round of applause slowly broke out. Link turned around to see the Royal Guards, the Gerudo guards, the maid in the corner, Queen Nabooru, and, his parents! There they were, clapping as if they were watching an act, as if King Ganon only pretended to hit the girl so she wouldn't shriek. King Ganon grinned wickedly and raised the whip above his head to strike her again.
Because everyone wants the Sheikahs dead.
"No!" Link yelled, and sprang forward.
King Ganon froze in disbelief. His whip was now around the arm of Hyrule's heir to the throne. Link had dove in front of the girl just before the whip hit her. The thin but painful rope had curled around his wrist. His arm burned like crazy, and he let out a small gasp of agony. But he needed to stay strong in case Ganon tried to stike her again.
"Please Your Highness, I am terribly sorry!" King Ganon exclaimed as he unraveled the whip from the prince's arm.
"Why would you hit her like that?" Link yanked his arm back, flicking the rope into the king's face. "For no absolute reason other than to prove how awesome she is at being punished? She did nothing wrong, you filthy little…"
"LINK FARORE AVALON! You have just insulted our country's new hope! You might've shattered the alliance between Hyrule and Gerudion!" Queen Marin screeched.
If Link was mad for hitting an innocent girl, his rage was just tripled. "YOU WHAT?" Link yelled. "When did this happen huh? Without my consent? I thought I was part of this family too! Why would you make an alliance with them? What do they have that we need? Well you know what? You can take your tacky little guards and your vulgar slut of a queen and get the hell out of my kingdom! Cause' when I'm king, the first thing I'm doing is burning whatever document says we gotta stick with you for all of eternity! I swear on it!"
Before anyone could say anything, Link grabbed his "slave's" wrist and stormed out of the room. He yanked her through the halls until they reached his room. He led her inside and made sure to slam the door extra loud. Then he released her wrist and slammed his hands on his wooden desk.
The girl stood there, frozen in fear. So much had happened at once, she didn't have time to digest it all. The prince had stepped in front of the whip for her, then he blew up after hearing about the alliance between Gerudion and Hyrule, then he dragged her over to his room. King Ganon would never let her into his room, unless she was delivering something. Not knowing what else to do, she decided on observing her new master.
He had dark blonde hair that was messy and unkempt. He had light skin with a bit of a tan, probably from outdoor sports or something. He wore a green tunic that was more elaborate than the usual tunic, with tan pants and brown boots. His eyes were blue, almost like hers, only hers were more like ocean blue.
"Well? Don't you have anything better to do than just stand there uselessly?"
The girl immediately snapped out of her trance. She saw the prince glaring at her as if she was just some worthless girl that could easily be replaced. Just when she thought that her new master would treat her differently from her old one, he shattered that hope into pieces. The girl turned abruptly and headed towards the door.
She could escape now if she wanted. It would be so easy.
Link instantly regretted it the moment he yelled at her. What little trust he might've gained in her for defending her was gone. "Wait..." he ran up and grabbed her wrist. "I'm sorry…" he said.
The girl gave no response.
"I said I'm sorry." Why wouldn't she say something? He raised his arm slowly...
She waited for the blow. What did she do? She did what King Ganon had trained her to do. Don't move unless told to. Don't speak unless spoken to, preferably, don't speak at all. And she did that! Why did the prince get mad at her? She wasn't told to do anything!
She could've left. Right there. But why did she stop?
But instead, he tilted her chin to the side and stared into her eyes.
Link's eyes softened as soon as he saw her face. Her eyes were streaming with tears. "Oh Farore, I'm so sorry…" Link whispered. Although her face was stained with dirt, he could see her beauty behind it all. She had blue eyes, similar to his own, and long, straight golden hair and bangs. Her skin was fair and soft. And she was crying. That made her ten times as cute. But he made her cry, and that made him feel really guilty.
Link cupped her face with his hands and rubbed off some of the dirt with his thumbs. The girl flinched and shut her eyes tightly. Link as taken aback, but he assumed she saw it as a threat. Poor girl. "Come on. Maybe one of the maids can prepare a bath for you."
After speaking with one of the maids he arranged a new set of clothes and a bath for the girl. He then left the maids to do their job.
The whole time, the girl stayed silent. The water was warm and bubbly, and she was glad to scrub off months of dirt and grime. Her hair now showed it's true color, a bright blonde, almost yellow. She was given a fuchsia pink dress to wear with white leggings, brown boots, a matching belt and another yellow beaded belt. A blue apron hung from the side of her waist with the Hylian royal crest and a white shawl as well. She tied her hair up with teal and pink ribbons and twirled herself in front of the mirror. When was the last time she felt like this? Then she reminded herself why she was here and went back outside.
After what seemed like an eternity, Link finally heard the door of his bedroom creak open. He turned at the sound and saw the girl peak her head out shyly.
"Come sit here." Link patted the carpet next to him. He had figured the girl would only listen to commands at first, so he had to make them in the nicest way possible. Link was right. The girl immediately rushed and sat where Link had told her to, although she tried to remain as far from him as possible.
"So your name's Zelda, right?" He looked hopefully at the girl, but her head was down. She did however; look much more pleasant now that she had clean clothes on. He sighed. "Cause' you know, I'd feel bad if I had to name you if you already have a name already. So it's Zelda right? I heard King Ganon say that earlier."
The girl still kept her head down, but gave the slightest nod. Link grinned. He was making progress!
Now for step two. "Listen, like I said earlier, I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I was just really pissed off at my parents and those Gerudos, so I kinda took it out on you. I'm really sorry."
Zelda didn't respond. Then Link got up real close in her face. "Will you accept my apology?"
Zelda felt the blush creeping up her cheeks. What was he doing? Why was he this close? Link leaned one inch forward. "Please?"
Zelda nodded.
"Alright!" Link pulled back then pumped his fist into the air. He even caught the slightest smile on Zelda's lips, but it was so quick he wasn't even sure if it was there.
Link had the feeling he was going to get to know this Zelda-girl a lot better. He was going to try and bring her out of her shell, whatever it takes.
Hey nakashima0518 here! This is my first story ever, so if its messy, poorly written, uses repetitive words, or just plain retarded than you can either a. GET OFF MY PAGE, b. Kindly explain what I did wrong with a well-rounded review, or c. Accept the fact that I'm not even in high school yet and just bear with me. I got this idea with the inspiration of several other stories, mainly Love in a Hopeless Place by LegendofThunder, It's Yours to Keep by purplefirestarter, and Redemption and Royalty by lightwolf8. (Btw those are all really good stories you should read them) Thing is, I've always wondered why, in most fanfictions, Link is really quiet and cold-shouldered (or boisterous and perverted). Zelda always has to get him to open up, so I decided to give her a break and reverse the roles of our two Hylian heroes. Tell me what you think, what characters you want to see, what I should fix, anything. Thanks for reading!