CHAPTER 1

Things didn't have a dreary atmosphere, but usually, things have been completely different.

The early morning breeze came in through the open balcony doors. I walked out into my balcony, overlooking my kingdom, somehow wishing I wasn't born Queen and the reincarnation of the Goddess.

The burden on my shoulders got heavier each day. Ruling Hyrule was difficult to do on my own, despite the assistance of the Royal Council. I needed a King. And soon.

"What the hell am I supposed to do…"I buried my face in my hands and sighed in frustration. Just because I was a queen didn't mean I always had to keep composure. I had stress, too.

A knock at the door pulled me from my train of thought.

"Your majesty?" a muffled voice said from the other side of the door. "There is someone here to see you."

Someone? This early in the morning? "Who wishes to see me?"

"We don't know, your majesty. They wear a cloak and they refuse to remove their hood. By the tone of their voice and height, we concluded it was a man."

Strange… "Alright, I'll be down in a moment."

I changed into my royal attire, braided my hair, and put my tiara upon my head. I traversed the long halls and made my way towards the throne room.

As I descended the grand staircase, I observed the hooded man awaited me at the bottom.

As I reached the final step, the man bowed before me. "Your majesty."

I nodded my head in acknowledgement. "You wish to speak with me?"

"Indeed I do. My queen, would you accompany me to the entrance? I assure you my visit is short and to the point." He continued to look down.

I debated for a moment. "Sir, you have come to me early in the morning, masked your face, and have not given me a name to address you by. As a queen it is my Royal obligation to accompany you to the entrance, but as a person, I would like to know who I am speaking to."

The man chuckled. "Your majesty, with all due respect, you will soon know who you are speaking to. Now please, accompany me to the entrance of your lovely home." He offered me his hand and I took it hesitantly, but kept my composure, as a queen should (in front of other people).

The strange man led me to the entrance, not speaking a word. I kept my shoulders squared and my chin high.

We finally arrived at the doors and the man took of his hood.

I gasped. "Rusl! Wha…what are you doing here? I thought you were-"

"Dead?" he interrupted. "No, my queen. Far from dead. But I'm afraid Master Link is in need of your aid."

Link! My mind shouted. Link! Link! Link!

"What is wrong with Link? Did something happen to him?" I tried to disguise the alarm in my voice.

He spoke to me in a low voice. "Your majesty, Master Link went on another journey to find a way to find Lady Midna. He failed with no type of success and is injured terribly…"

My heart ached at the sound of Midna's name.

Link had been away from Hyrule for more than a month, and there were rumors he had been adventuring around from place to place, but rumors didn't mean anything special.

He hadn't spoken to me properly since the Twilight Realm incident, even if it had been years since then. He blamed me for never being able to see Midna again. From time and time again, he would say he went on a journey to find another way in to the Twilight Realm, but always came back empty handed.

"Where is he now?" my voice was rising noticeably.

"He is resting in my home as of this moment."

My chest heaved. "Take me to him."

Rusl nodded in agreement and put his hood back on. "I will ready the horse, milady. I shall await your Majesty by her window while you prepare yourself."

I agreed and headed back inside.

Link was injured terribly. And he needed my help. And I was to leave as soon as possible.

A guard approached me. "Your majesty, is there anything the matter?"

"Nothing is the matter. The man just needed some assistance and I gave it to him. I shall be going to my chambers now." I hurried up the stairs and ran to my room.

I gathered some of my belongings and removed some red potion from the stash in my wardrobe and threw it in a leather satchel. I locked my doors, put on a cloak, and threw on my satchel. I climbed out of my window and all the way down to where Rusl awaited me.

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Milady." He mounted the horse, and then hoisted me up. I gently wrapped my arms around the man and we galloped into the sunrise, towards Ordon village.

Rusl's horse came into a full stop at his hut, and I could feel my heart race as we neared the doorway. He jumped off the horse, and then helped me in getting off. I adjusted the skirt of my dress and put my hood over my head, to avoid any commotion over my identity.

Rusl pushed open the door, and Colin ushered towards us.

"Father, good thing you're back." Colin looked at his father then his eyes slowly trailed towards me. "Is that..?" He trailed off.

I removed my hood and smiled at the boy. "Hello."

Colin blushed and bowed his head. "Your majesty."

I bowed my head in acknowledgement.

Rusl cleared his throat. "Where's your mother? Your sister?"

"They're both asleep."

"What of Link?" Rusl's tone got quieter.

Colin sighed in frustration. "He's been restless, and he keeps bleeding. I tried cleaning the gash, but he won't let me." Colin glanced at me then back at his father.

Rusl turned to me. "Milady, if you please." He led me to the room Link was staying in and pushed open the door.

There on the bed lay Link, with a blanket covering him up to the neck, and beads of sweat rolling off his forehead. His face was sickly pale, and he winced with pain. When he heard us come in, he opened his eyes.

He glared at me, then at Rusl. "What the hell is she doing here?"

Rusl sighed. "You know she is the only one-"

"I told you I didn't want her here, dammit! She-ah!" he winced in pain again and clutched his abdomen.

Does he really hate me this much? I thought.

"Link…I'm only here to help you." I gulped, hoping I wasn't being too much of a burden.

His nostrils flared, and he didn't answer.

I then addressed Rusl. "I will tend to his wounds."

He nodded gruffly and walked out of the room, closing the door behind himself.

I ran my hand over my face and approached the side of the bed, and knelt down. On the floor were a towel and a bowl of water.

Link glowered at me then turned his face to the other direction.

I inhaled deeply. "Link, I'm going to clean your wounds, alright?"

He ignored me.

"Can you please show me your wounds?"

His jaw clenched, and he slowly removed the blanket from his upper body, wincing at each movement.

His chest was bare, with bandages wrapped around his abdomen, and blood seeping through. I got a knife from my satchel and gently cut through the bandages.

I gasped audibly, and put my hand to my chest.

There was a deep, three in gash extending from his side to his belly button.

It was a clean cut.

I dipped the tip of the towel into the bowl of water and little by little cleansed the wound. He grimaced and writhed in pain, but managed to keep still enough for me to get the wound disinfected.

Once I finished, I took out red potion from the satchel.

"Drink it," I demanded. "You'll be better in a couple of hours."

He refused to look at me. "I don't need that."

I groaned inwardly in frustration. "Would you mind acting like the twenty five year old that you are? Your stubbornness will not get you anywhere."

He turned and glared at me. "Really, your majesty? I seem to recall that your stubbornness got you where you wanted."

I stared at him in disbelief. "I realize I am well acquainted with you, Link, and I have known you for a very long time as a friend. But you seem to forget I am still your Queen and you owe me a sense of respect. I don't know what I did exactly for you to treat me in such a manner, but I traveled all the way from Castle Town to aid you. So if you could do me the great honor of drinking this for your own health, I would be happy to be gone from your sight, as long as I know you will be alright."

I shoved the red potion into his hand and stalked out the door, slamming it closed behind me.

I suddenly realized my calm composure had slipped and let Link get to me. I took a deep breath, and then walked slowly, heading outside.

"Your majesty?" Rusl spoke behind me as I was turning the knob.

I smiled at the man. "Master Link's wounds have been tended to, and I have given him some red potion to restore his health. I would like to go to his home and bring him some of his belongings while he recovers. Would you mind if I took your horse?"

He exhaled sharply. "Your majesty…with all due respect, I don't believe you should be riding to the suburbs alone. Territories such as these are not safe for a Queen. Master Link has everything he needs here…"

I reconsidered. "Then I will go for a short walk."

"Yes, your majesty."

I walked out and closed the door, putting my hood over my head as I did.

The end of day was nearing, and I prayed to the Goddesses that Link would be all right.

I wandered around, not really going anywhere but admiring the small village and the simplicity that they lived in.

Why couldn't I live this way?

Why did I have to be entrusted with such a heavy burden?

I never wanted to rule Hyrule. I never wanted to be entrusted with the Tri-force of Wisdom, let alone the fate of my country.

I wanted to be normal.

As I was walking back to Rusl's hut, instead of going inside I climbed a tree and sat on a branch. It wasn't Queen-like to sit on a tree, but I needed the height to clear my head from all of my worries.

I took my harp from the satchel and began to strum the strings to the lullaby in my head. I sang along, and soon a beautiful melody filled the twilight of day, and the sun set with a golden crisp along the horizon.

I stared out into the night, and asked what in the name of Hylia my fate was destined to be in this life.

"There have been many Zeldas before me," I told myself, "and they all coped one way or another. They all had to deal with the exact same thing as you."

I looked up to the sky. "Ancestral Mother, if you can hear my plead, please guide me to the path I should lead my life in. I can't do it on my own…"

"You don't have to."

Surprised, I fell out of the tree and landed hard on my back.

I looked up, confused.

"Sheik?"