Zelda sat outside her first ever college class waiting for the students of the previous class to trickle out of the lecture hall. She closed her book and walked into the hall down the gentle slope of seats right to the front row. Her first class was Intro to Federal Government, not that she really needed the class, but it was required for all students to take. She pulled out her notebook and pencil and sat waiting for class to start while the rest of the students found seats.
"Alright class," the wizened old professor called them to attention a few minutes later. He began to drone on, writing on the chalkboard the different required texts and other nonsense. Zelda started copying down everything he wrote but felt confident that she wouldn't need more than the required texts. She knew the inner workings of the central government fairly well already.
Just as the professor began to drone on about the after school study sessions offered, the doors to the lecture hall opened with a bang. Zelda whipped her head around like every other student in the class. A tall, blonde guy was gliding down the aisle on a longboard, expertly steering it to the front of the class and coming to a stop beside the only empty seat on the front row. Which happened to be right next to Zelda.
"Young man, you are not allowed to ride your skateboard in the classroom," the professor stared pointedly at the latecomer.
"Sorry, professor," the guy flashed him a winning smile. "It won't happen again." He flipped the longboard over so it wouldn't roll away and plopped down in the seat next to Zelda. The professor continued on his pointless lecture of 'how-to-college' and the outline of the syllabus, and Zelda continued half-heartedly taking notes.
"Hey," the guy whispered. Zelda turned to glare at him. He wasn't half-bad looking with shocking electric blue eyes and a streak of green dyed into his sandy blonde bangs. His long ears were pierced with small silver hoops and a necklace with a guitar pick and a few other charms swung out from his green band tee. "I'm Link."
"Pleasure," she smirked and turned back to the professor.
"This is the part where you tell me your name," she could tell Link was smiling.
Zelda rolled her eyes, "This is the part where you stop talking during class."
"Fine," Link huffed. She heard the sound of rustling fabric and pen scratching on paper. "I'll just get your name after class then."
Zelda scoffed. Who did this guy think he was? "What makes you think I'll tell you at the end of class?"
"Shush," he whispered indignantly. "You really shouldn't talk in the middle of class. It's rude."
She turned to face him, mouth hanging open. His electric blue eyes darted from the chalkboard to her face with a subtle wink. Utterly confused, Zelda tried to force her attention back to the professor and the beginning of his lecture, but her mind kept wondering back to boy sitting next to her. For the next forty minutes of class, Zelda tried to figure Link out. Normally she could read people so well, but this guy was an enigma to her. It didn't help that he was actually quite cute. Maybe she would mess with him a little since he was driving her bonkers on the first day of class.
The professor dismissed class a couple of minutes early, and Zelda moved to pack up her things. She saw Link pick up his longboard out of the corner of her eye.
"So let's start again," Link held up his hand. "I'm Link, freshman biology major. And you are?"
"Now, Link," she said slyly. "Did you really think it would be that simple?"
Link raised an eyebrow curiously and lowered his hand, "Is it not?"
Zelda pursed her lips and turned to leave the room. She heard Link shuffling after her.
"Could you at least just tell me your name?" he asked. "Come on. If we're gonna be in the same poly-sci class all semester, we might as well get to know each other."
"And I must say," Zelda remarked as Link ran in front of her to hold the door open. "You make an excellent first impression by the way. Riding through the class on your longboard is such a great way to impress the ladies."
Link laughed softly, "Is that what you thought I was doing?"
Zelda realized her mistake a fraction of a second too late. What in the name of Din had made her say that? It wasn't like he was personally trying to impress her or anything. She wasn't even impressed by his stunt at all she constantly reminded herself.
"I was just being lazy," Link scratched his hair nervously, brushing his fingers though his long bangs. "I'm not really a morning person. I don't know why I registered for a class that early."
"It was only nine-thirty," Zelda exclaimed as she walked out of the building and checked her schedule for where her next class was.
"Nine-thirty is really early," Link whined. "Will you please tell me your name now?"
"No," Zelda smiled, her blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "Do you know where the math building is?"
"Tell me your name and I'll walk you there," Link grinned. Zelda faltered for a second; his smile momentarily wiped her mind blank.
"If you guess my name, I actually wouldn't mind," Zelda chuckled. Oh yes, this would be a fun game.
Link narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the young woman in front of him. Her long blonde hair was floating on the soft breeze, and her clear blue eyes danced with merriment. She was testing him, trying to see how much he really cared. A crooked smile spread across his face. He wasn't going to give up that easily.
"Natalie," Link said with confidence. She tilted her head and gave him a small smile. Wait, did he actually get it right on the first try?
"No, sorry," she said as she began to walk away. "I'll see you Wednesday, Link."
Link watched her head off toward the math building. Shaking his head, he dropped his longboard to the ground and raced toward his next class. It hadn't taken him two seconds to form a crush on the beautiful mystery girl, and she wouldn't even tell him her name. A smile reformed on his lips. He would beat her game someday, but maybe he would have to raise the stakes a little first.
Zelda sat in the same seat as Monday in her poly-sci class. She was a little exasperated from her first two days of classes. Link was one of the few people who did not immediately recognize her, and she was almost sad she had taken advantage of it. But she would rather have a cute boy pursuing her and attempting to find out who she was than someone either completely intimidated by her or trying to impress her. She was almost grateful that Link didn't know her not-so little secret. He would actually get to know her before finding out, and then maybe he wouldn't think any different of her.
Just as the professor was calling the class to attention, Link slipped into the seat next to Zelda.
"Hey there, beautiful," he gave her a dazzling smile as he pulled his notebook and pen out of his messenger bag.
"Link," Zelda whisper-yelled. The nerve, did he really just say that?
"It's not my fault," he held his hands up defensively. "I have to call you something since you won't tell me your name."
The professor began his lecture, preventing Zelda from arguing any further. She forced herself to simmer down, which wasn't easy as the professor was droning on about the history of the monarchy of Hyrule, something Zelda had memorized before she was ten. Finally, the professor dismissed them, and Zelda packed up her things.
"So are you kind of a history geek?" Link asked as he scooped up his longboard.
"What makes you say that?" Zelda asked. Link stepped forward to hold the door open for her.
"You barely took any notes during class so I figured…" he trailed off, brushing his fingers through his hair nervously.
"I guess you could say I'm a history nerd," Zelda mused. "I had most of that information drilled into me when I was younger."
"From primary school or something?" Link asked as they walked out into the sunshine.
"Or something," Zelda answered.
"I'm not from Hyrule, so all of this is kinda new to me," Link smiled sheepishly.
"You're not from Hyrule?" Zelda asked shocked. No wonder he didn't recognize her.
"Nope," Link grinned impishly. "I'm from Calatia." Zelda nodded. She had visited the quaint country that bordered Hyrule to the east once with her father.
"But you're still Hylian," Zelda reached up and tweaked one of his long pointed ears to prove her point.
"Ow, hey," Link rubbed the tip of his ear, a cute, little frown forming on his face. "Yeah apparently I was dropped off at an orphanage in Calatia when I was just a baby or something. I don't really remember it, but my foster parents adopted me not long after."
"Oh," Zelda felt her face heat up in embarrassment. "I didn't realize. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Link smiled and nudged her shoulder. "Arn and Medilia are great parents. I wouldn't trade them for the world." They reached the math building, and Zelda stopped at the door.
"So, this where we must part I believe," she looked up at him. His electric blue eyes shown in the sunlight.
"So it is, Elizabeth," Link raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Not even close," Zelda laughed and turned to enter the math building.
Friday was a goddess-send for Zelda. Her first week had been exhausting, and all of her professors had not shied away from assigning a mountain's worth of homework. The weekend couldn't get here fast enough. Zelda walked into her poly-sci class, the first of only three classes that day she kept reminding herself. After taking out her notebook, she was surprised to see Link already sitting in the seat to her left. She gave him a surprised look.
"I figured if I got here earlier, we could talk a little more," Link shifted a little in his seat and ran his fingers through his shaggy bangs. Zelda was beginning to really like when he did that. "Plus, I think we need to amend the rules to our little game."
"Our little game?" Zelda repeated sarcastically. "Whatever do you mean?"
"I think if I can guess your name," Link began. "You should go to the Indigo-Go's concert with me next month."
Zelda narrowed her eyes contemplating his offer. The Indigo-Go's were her all-time favorite band, and Link was going to figure out her name eventually. She smiled.
"Sure, but I really hope you can guess my name by then," her smile turned a little mischievous. "I would hate to miss such a great concert."
Link screwed his face into an adorably frustrated grimace, "Rachel?"
"No," Zelda smiled.
"Amanda?" he asked.
"Nope."
"Jessica?"
"No."
"Kristen?"
"You need to try more original names."
"What like, Jillian or something? Laurita?"
"Laurita? That's a really pretty name."
"But not yours?"
"No, keep going."
"Wait, what about Jillian?"
"No."
"Uh…" Link wracked his brain. "Colette?"
"How do you think of such pretty names?"
"Is your name Colette?"
"Nope, sorry," Zelda gave him one last smile before turning her attention to the professor. His was still lecturing about the history of the monarchy, droning on and on about the rich backstory of Hyrule's government. Zelda absently doodled in the margins of her paper trying to not think about Link. He looked especially cute in his green knit beanie hat, and he had small hoops in the piercings at the top of his pointed ear that she hadn't noticed before and found strangely attractive. Goddesses, what was wrong with her? She just met this guy four days ago, and he didn't even know her name yet. When the professor finally dismissed the class, Zelda looked over at Link with a smile.
"One down two to go," she packed up her things and stood up.
"Ha!" Link smirked at her. "I only have one more class."
"What class?" Zelda asked. She liked getting to know Link.
"Bio 101," he rolled his eyes and picked up his ever present longboard. "Such an easy class. I could sleep through it if I wanted."
"But you don't, right?" Zelda raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, no, of course not," Link pushed the door open for her. "But you're headed to math right?"
"Yeah," Zelda sighed. "I am so not math-minded."
"I could help you," Link shrugged. "Math comes a little easy to me, like it's a puzzle or something."
"Oh could you really, Link?" Zelda tugged on his arm pleadingly. "Please? I already feel like I'm going to fail that class."
"Well if you tell me your name…" he looked at her slyly.
"Can I just tell you about myself a little instead?" Zelda offered.
"Fine," he rolled his eyes in fake exasperation.
Her eyes shown with delight, "I'm a freshman political science major looking to go into law school. I'm an only child, raised by my father. My mother died when I was really young, but everyone says I look just like her. Oh and I've visited Calaita before, and I think it's a wonderful country. The mountains are just beautiful in the fall."
"That's what I tell everyone," Link smiled goofily.
"By the way, you have time for a few more guesses," Zelda winked at him and smiled when he blushed a deep red.
"Yeah, oh dang, what names have I not used?" Link ran his fingers through his bangs, and Zelda had to look away to hide her blush. "How about Ashley?"
"No," Zelda rolled her eyes. "More original, remember Link?"
"Oh yeah sorry," he nodded. "So Audrey then."
"No."
"Adrianna?"
"My name doesn't start with A, Link," she laughed.
"Well then what does it start with?" Link gasped.
"Now where's the fun in that?" Zelda smiled mischievously.
"Come on at least a hint?" Link pulled the most adorable puppy dog pleading eyes. Zelda felt her heart melt.
"Okay fine," Zelda wracked her brain to think up the perfect hint that would still confuse Link. "My name starts with the opposite of the letter A."
"So the opposite end of the alphabet, huh," Link put a finger on his chin. Zelda cursed herself. Nayru, why didn't she think of a better clue or something?
"Victoria?"
"No."
"Farore," Link grumbled.
"No, Link, I was not named after any goddesses," Zelda teased as she reached the entrance to the math building.
"Oh no I was,-" Link stammered and reddened again. "Never mind. I'll uh, see you Monday, Vivien."
"Not my name," Zelda shook her head. "I'll see you then, Link."
After a somewhat relaxing weekend, Zelda began her Monday sitting outside her poly-sci class waiting for the pervious class to dismiss. She was a little annoyed and excited that she couldn't wait to see Link and ask him how his weekend was. This was probably his first time in Hyrule, and attending a university in the capital city could be nothing but rewarding culture-wise.
"Hello there, Your Highness," a bright smiling red-head sat down next to Zelda on the floor. Zelda vaguely recognized her as one of the people who sat behind her in class. "I'm Malon."
Zelda held out her hand which Malon shook, "Please just call me Zelda. I'm not trying to be a princess here, just a normal college student."
"I can tell," Malon raised her brow, a knowing smile playing across her lips. "It's kind of obvious with the way you flirt with Link."
"What?" Zelda yelped. "I am not flirting, and how do you know Link anyway?" Her denial sounded fake even to her own ears, so she quickly changed topics.
"He and I are in the same bio lab," Malon's smile widened. "He's a little head over heels for you, ya know? Oh and don't worry; I haven't told him your name or anything." She stated at Zelda's worried glance. "Watching you two together is too cute to ruin the fun. But you realize he's gonna figure it out either today or Wednesday, right?"
"What makes you say that?" Zelda asked as she got up off the ground and walked to the lecture hall door.
"We're going to catch up the modern era of government," Malon followed her into the classroom. "And if we don't talk about the current royal family today, it's going to be on Wednesday."
"Well," Zelda mused as she sat in her usual seat. Malon joined her, sitting in the seat on the right. "He was going to figure out my name eventually anyway."
"But, he's also going to figure out,-" Malon quickly closed her mouth, and her eyes widened. Zelda turned around to see Link with a wickedly cute, crooked smile spread across his face.
"Good morning, ladies," he sat to the left of Zelda. "Having a nice chat?"
Zelda took in a deep breath. The faint aroma of hazelnut coffee surrounded Link. She smiled, "Yes, Malon was just telling me she knew you from lab."
Link's eyes widened in horror. He quickly turned to stare daggers into Malon's skull. Zelda turned to look at the red-head, who had a 'trust me' look on her face. Zelda's head swiveled to look back at Link. He was busy pulling his notebook and pen out of his bag, but Zelda could tell by the red tips of his ears that he was blushing furiously.
"Yeah, Malon's being a buzzkill and refuses to help me find out your name," Link said quickly. "Even though I know she knows it already; isn't that right, Malon?"
"Of course I know her name, Link," Malon giggled. "But there is no way I'm going to tell you and ruin her fun."
"Come on, Link" Zelda laughed. "If you can't figure it out yourself, then you just might have to go to that concert without me."
"Zoey?" Link asked as the professor called the class to attention.
"No but you're close now," Zelda smiled and turned to face the professor as he started his long winded lecture.
Link's head buzzed. If Malon had so much whispered a syllable of what he had embarrassingly confessed during their bio lab, he was going to, to… He sighed. Malon was sweet; he couldn't so much as flick her in the ear if he wanted. He set his frustration for Malon aside and instead focused on his mystery girl's newest hint. He was close with the name Zoey. Did that mean her name started with Z? Or else it rhymed with Zoey? He doubted it was the latter; there weren't many names that really rhymed with Zoey.
The professor continued to drone on, and Link glanced up at the slideshow on the screen above him. He copied down the brief description of the move to constitutional monarchy some three hundred years ago and the subsequent merging of the Nohansen and Hyrule houses through marriage, forming the current Royal Family.
Link noticed his mystery girl fidget in her seat. She was determinedly keeping her face down; though Link doubted she was engrossed in her notes. Link felt confused by her behavior. What had made her so, what was the right word for it, nervous almost? He caught Malon giving the mystery girl a concerned look out of the corner of her eye. Link tried to catch Malon's eye, but she looked forward too quickly. Link glanced up at the screen as the professor moved to the next slide. His eyes widened as he saw a large formal picture of his mystery girl dressed beyond the nines and an elderly man who could only be her father. The caption below read, 'King Rian Nohansen Hyrule and his daughter, Princess Zelda Nohansen Hyrule' followed by the beginning date of the king's reign some twenty years earlier.
Link followed most of the class's eyes to the beautiful blonde sitting next to him. Her face was curtained off by her long hair, but the very red tips of her ears shown in stark contrast to the soft yellow of her curls. Link looked over her head to glance at Malon. The red-head was obviously determined not to look around to the girl sitting next to her. He turned his gaze back to his mystery girl. Was she really the princess of Hyrule? That would make her name Zelda. Zelda started with a Z. Link noticed her ocean blue eyes flick up to his. She had a silent, horrified pleading look across her face. There was no doubt that she and the princess in the photo were one in the same. Did she dread him finding out she was the princess? He didn't think anything different of her; she seemed like a normal lovely, albeit flirtatious, girl when he met her a week ago. This new tidbit of information didn't change that.
Link gave Zelda a weak smile. She returned it and stared back down at her notebook. The professor moved on to the parliament and Prime Minister, and the rest of the class's attention slowly returned to the lecture. But Link's mind was occupied by Zelda. No wonder she was so beautiful. And looking into a law degree. And visited Calatia, probably on some diplomatic trip to visit Queen Seline or something. The end of class came quickly to Link, wrapped up in his own thoughts as he was. He forced his mind to slow down and turned to Zelda with a hopefully charming smile on his face.
"So is your name Zelda?" he asked. He heard a few chuckles around them. Apparently some of the people around them had been following their game. And they probably all knew who Zelda was and all.
She chuckled and swept her long hair behind her ear, "How did you ever know?" Link laughed with her. He scooped up his notebook and pen and deposited them unceremoniously in his messenger bag and reached down to pick up his longboard.
"You thought I wouldn't recognize the princess of a country I've barely spent two weeks in?" Link said in between laughs. "Honestly though, you're too beautiful to be anything other than a princess. Or a lawyer since that's what you're looking to do."
"Actually," Zelda began as she started walking out of the lecture hall. "The law degree is to help me when I become Queen. The title may be more symbolic now than anything, but I want to let the people know I understand what's going on in the political sphere of the country. And with all of the history and politics I was taught as a child, I wouldn't want to major in anything else anyway."
"I think that's great," Link smiled as he held the door open for her and Malon. The red-head waved goodbye and walked out of the side exit while Link and Zelda continued to the main entrance of the building. Once they were out in the sunlight, Zelda turned to Link.
"So you guessed my name, and now you can take me to the Indigo-Go's concert," she smiled. Her eyes shown like crystals in the sunlight.
"Yeah," Link grinned. "It's October 17, and that's a Saturday so I don't want you worrying about studying for tests or homework or anything like that, okay?"
"Okay," Zelda laughed. "I won't plan to do anything else the seventeenth."
Link fished his phone out of his pocket and pulled up a new contact screen, "And since I know your name now, and you wanted my help in math, and I'm probably gonna need your help in poly-sci, could I, uh, get your number?"
Zelda smiled demurely and took his phone. She quickly entered her number and handed the phone back to him.
"Feel free to call or text if you need help with math or something," Link told her as they reached the math building.
"Oh I will," she smiled, a playful glint reflecting in her eye. "See you Wednesday, Link."
"Unless I see you sooner," Link winked and turned around. He hopped on his longboard and cruised to his bio class. He glanced at his phone, which now held the phone number of the princess of Hyrule. He couldn't help but notice she had added a purple heart emoji after her name.
