Preface
This is an AU crossover/fusion fic between The Legend of Zelda and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. While reading Pride and Prejudice for school, it struck me as very similar to the many Zelda AU shipping fics that are on this site. Thus, here is Pride and Prejudice, retold with characters and settings from the The Legend of Zelda series. This fic will exactly follow the structure of Pride and Prejudice, with each chapter in this fic corresponding with the respective chapter in Pride and Prejudice (though, naturally, there will be major changes within each chapter). Therefore, there will be exactly 61 chapters in this fanfic, the same as in Pride and Prejudice.
Though Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has a similar premise, I have not actually read it. The title and cover for this fic are inspired by that work, but otherwise, any similarities between these works are purely coincidental.
At the end of each chapter where characters are introduced, there will be a note about where these characters came from (which game, inspiration, etc.). Throughout this fic, unless otherwise mentioned in these notes, the first names of characters will be from Zelda, whereas the last names will be preserved from Pride and Prejudice. I should mention that the geography of Hyrule is based on the Twilight Princess version. I have not played Skyward Sword, so there will be no reference to that game. There may be elements from any of the other games, but not necessarily all of them. (At the time of this writing, Skyward Sword is the most recent Zelda game, though a sequel to A Link to the Past has just been announced.)
In terms of my updates, I'm not going to give a strict schedule, but most likely, I'll update with a few chapters at a time, hopefully once a week, but I may also go a few months without updates without warning. Since this is my first real multi-chapter fic that I'm uploading to this site, I'm not entirely sure how it will go. I have already written a very rough draft of the first half of the book, so the first half may be updated quicker than the second. Or they might both be updated painfully slowly; we'll have to wait and see.
So without further ado, here is the first chapter.
Chapter 1
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Knight of Hyrule in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
However long he has since given up the title, and however little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a city, this truth is so well-fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that he is considered as the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters.
"My dear Daltus," said the Queen of Hyrule to the King of Hyrule one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park has finally been rented out?"
King Daltus Bennet Hyrule replied that he had not.
"But it is," she said. "Impa has just been there, and she told me all about it."
The King made no answer.
"Don't you want to know who has taken it?" his wife cried impatiently.
"You want to tell it to me, and I have no objection to hearing it."
That was invitation enough.
"Why, my dear, you must know, Impa says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the South of Hyrule. He came down on Monday to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed immediately to start renting it before the end of next week."
"What is his name?"
"Bingley. Link Bingley."
"Is he married or single?"
"Oh, single, my dear, to be sure! A single man, formerly a Knight of Hyrule, who continues to receive a large fortune from the army; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"Our girls? How so? How can it affect them?"
"My dear king," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
"Is that his design in settling here?"
"Design? Nonsense! How can you talk so? But is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must send for him as soon as he comes."
"I see no occasion for that. Maybe you and the girls should go to his new house to see him."
"Us, the Royal Family, seek him out? How improper!"
"Propriety, dear? You think too much of propriety. In fact, why don't you just send the princesses there alone, breaking all traditions of parental protection? That perhaps would be even better. After all, if you were to go with the princesses, Link Bingley may like you best of the party, for as you are as handsome as any of them."
"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a queen has five grown-up daughters, she ought to stop thinking of her own beauty."
"Usually, such a woman has not much beauty to think of."
"In any case, my dear, it is out of the question for the girls to visit Netherfield. You must indeed go and invite Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighborhood."
"I'd rather not, I assure you."
"But consider your daughters, the princesses. Only think what a joy it would be for one of them to go with him. Captain Piratian Lucas and Lady Ambi Lucas are determined to visit him, merely on account of their unmarried daughters Din, Nayru, and Farore, for you know they would not otherwise visit any newcomers. Indeed you must, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, as the Royal Family."
"Nonsense. Why, if you do so, I daresay Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you. I will even send him a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls—though I must throw in a good word for my little Tetra."
"I wish you do no such thing. Tetra is not a bit better than the others, and I am sure she is not half as handsome as Zelda, nor half as good-natured as Agitha. But you always give her your preference."
"The others have nothing for me to recommend," he replied. "They are all silly and ignorant like other girls, but Tetra has something more of quickness than her sisters."
"My king, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You must delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my nerves."
"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at last."
"Oh, stop teasing me. You do not know what I suffer."
"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into Castle Town."
"It will be no use to us even if twenty such men should come since you will not meet with them."
"Depend upon it, my queen, that if there ever are twenty, I shall personally visit all of them."
King Daltus Bennet Hyrule was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of twenty-three years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. The Queen's mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get the princesses married; its solace was visiting and news.
Character notes: The King's name, Daltus, is from The Minish Cap. I thought about using the name Daphnes (from Wind Waker), but Daltus seems to be an underrecognized king in Zelda fics. Still, like King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, I chose to have two last names, the latter being the name of the kingdom, and the former being imported in this case from Pride and Prejudice. The Queen is unnamed, simply because there has never been a Queen of Hyrule in the games. The King replaces Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudce; the Queen, naturally, replaces Mrs. Bennet. Note that the Bennets in Pride and Prejudice are not royalty by any stretch of the imagination, whereas the King and Queen in this fic obviously are.
Places aren't characters, but I feel that it is important to address them here, as well. Hyrule Castle Town replaces Hertfordshire, and Hyrule Castle itself replaces Longbourn. Netherfield Park, however, has retained its name from Pride and Prejudice.
We will meet the princesses in the next chapter, so I'll talk about them then. Link Bingley, Captain Piratian Lucas, and Lady Ambi Lucas will be properly introduced later.
Published May 20, 2013