Author's Note: This story is a spinoff from my original story, "The Legend of Zelda: The Circle of Destiny," which you can find here on It is set in the world which I created in that original story, several hundred years after Link and Zelda's rule, and it follows their descendant, Amichen. This story doesn't actually feature Link and Zelda, but rather it is a tale of what happens in the world in between their appearances. I strongly suggest that you read the original story first because this one will make more sense in light of it.

"At least you have a pretty figure," the queen said as she watched her eldest daughter being dressed. Or maybe it was more like being manhandled. Amichen was holding her long silk robes closed at the top while her lady's maids were jerking on the cord of the corselet that wound around her middle. The silk corselet was reinforced with glue-stiffened canvas, giving it some rigidity, and it was fashionable to cinch it as tightly as possible to give the wearer a defined waist.

But Amichen already had a very defined waist. In fact, she was as tall and curvy as her ancestress, the first queen of the Tiger Dynasty, Anne-Marie. Pulling her corselet tight was merely a formality; it did little to enhance her already-perfect figure.

Unfortunately, that was the only thing Amichen had going in her favor. Otherwise, she was something of a disgrace to the family—as her mother pointed out all too frequently. She was the first human child born into the Tiger Dynasty and people were still not quite sure what to do with her.

Even her eyes weren't blue. Everyone had anxiously watched her eyes after she was born, only to be disappointed when the muddy grayish color grew darker, finally settling into a brown so dark, they were nearly black.

The queen reportedly declared her no better than one of the peasant children and promptly set about trying to make a replacement.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the next princess was born Hylian and her eyes were the proper shade of blue from the very first day. Tiger-Lin even had the appropriate attitude; she grew up fierce and assertive while Amichen was quiet and meek. Amichen was so awful at swordplay and archery, she had been excused to study exclusively very early on—which suited her perfectly; she much preferred staying inside and reading than going out in the sun and getting hot and sweaty.

But she still watched her little sister's exercises in the courtyard with some wistfulness, wondering why she had been fated to be such a disappointment.

It had come to no surprise to anyone when the queen announced the succession would go through her younger daughter. Amichen had quietly accepted that she would spend her life closeted out of sight in the castle, a spinster with her nose stuck in her books. Perhaps her sister would use her as a Counselor.

So Amichen had been rather shocked to learn that one of the younger princes of Hyrule was on his way to Shi-Ha to take her as a bride. For the first time in her life, people were making a fuss over her. She had been bathed and scrubbed until it felt like she had no more skin left. Then her long, straight black hair had been combed and oiled until it was as glossy and smooth as an obsidian mirror. Now, she was being dressed in the finest silk robes, lavishly embroidered with bright colors and gold thread.

They put her most formal crown on her head last and carefully adjusted it. It had a wide band of gold that ran across her forehead and strings of gold beads and pearls that crisscrossed over the top of her head in an intricate pattern. There were more strings that dangled down in front of her ears, while in the back, the woven pattern was repeated in loops of beads that hung halfway down her back. On top of Amichen's jet-black hair, the crown looked very rich indeed.

The maids finished their work and stepped back, lowering their heads in a bow—leaving Amichen alone under her mother's fierce gaze.

The queen looked at her for a moment, then rose from her chair and strode across the room.

"You have assets," she said, smacking Amichen's hand away and pulling her robes apart so that the top of her bosom could be seen. "Let's let the prince see what he's buying." She bent down and pulled the bottom part of the robes farther apart so that there was a gap high enough to show Amichen's thighs.

Amichen's face burned with shame. "I'm not a prostitute, Mother," she said, uncharacteristically defensive.

The queen took Amichen by the chin and forced her head up into the proud bearing that she and Tiger-Lin wore so easily. "No, you are a princess of the Tiger Dynasty and my daughter. And your task is to help us renew our alliance with Hyrule. It has been several generations since our families last intermarried, and if this goes on much longer, I'm going to think they've washed their hands of us. We are, after all, rather poor relations; they'd much rather marry their Erenrue cousins."

Amichen was surprised to hear her mother admit any fault or weakness in Shi-Ha. "Why would they see us as poor relations?" she asked.

Her mother snorted. "Wait until you're in Hyrule; then you'll see."

There was a brief, hurried knock on the door, then one of the Counselors stuck his head in without being invited. Such was Amichen's status at court: no one cared if they walked in on her naked. Her feelings didn't enter into consideration at all.

"Your Majesty, the prince and his ambassadors have arrived in the city," he announced. "They're making their way here."

"I'm on my way," she said, striding towards the door. "Keep Amichen out of sight until I signal for her. I think she will make more of an impression if she comes in after he does."

The Counselor bowed low. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Amichen was unceremoniously shuffled off to a side corridor to wait in the dim interior light for her cue. Then she would be paraded around before the prince just as the stableboys paraded horses in front of the queen. And just like the queen, it would be up to the prince to decide whether to accept or reject her. Yet again, her feelings didn't enter into the equation.

She stepped closer to the door, eavesdropping, as she heard the muffled voice of the herald announce the arrival of Prince Naissus and the Hyrule delegation.

"Aunt!" someone—presumably Naissus—said, greeting the queen. Amichen worried nervously if this was a good thing or not. It was customary for all the royal families to refer to each other as cousins or aunts and uncles—even if they weren't actually closely related—so it could be a good sign that he acknowledged their kinship, even if it had grown rather distant. On the other hand, Amichen couldn't imagine anyone greeting her mother with anything less than absolute respect, bordering on fear and worship, so she wasn't sure how her mother would react to such a familiar greeting.

She listened tensely, unable to hear the words being spoken, but then there was a woman's laugh, and she was pretty sure it was her mother laughing—although the sound was rather foreign to her ears—and she breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently the queen had received his greeting well enough.

After a few more minutes of what sounded like typical pleasantries, she heard her mother's voice more clearly. "Let me introduce you to my daughter."

That was her cue.

The Counselor quickly pulled open the door and Amichen walked in, trying to carry her head high—despite the fact that she could feel a rather cool draft around her legs. She had to trust that she wasn't revealing too much when she walked—although she was careful to walk slowly across the hall and take moderate steps instead of the long strides characteristic of the rest of the royal family.

Even as she was worrying about her dress, she was scanning the faces in the crowd, worrying that the prince would be old or ugly or—worst of all—scowling with dislike when he saw her.

Her eyes finally lit on a young man—not too many years older than herself—who was standing a little in front of the rest of the delegation. He was about her height, slender-built, and had messy sandy-blond hair that nearly obscured the small crown that he was wearing. His face was fair and rather starkly white—not the yellowy-tan complexion that everyone else in Shi-Ha had—and he had bright blue eyes of a kind that no doubt made her mother envious.

He wasn't old and he wasn't ugly—he was, in fact, rather handsome—but she couldn't gauge his facial expression. He was silent and looked rather stunned, but she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. She hoped that her mother had told him that she was human so that wasn't a huge disappointment to him. But if she already had the marriage arranged and the deal sealed, she might have "forgotten" to let him know that little fact in advance.

Amichen stopped in front of him nervously and inclined her head politely. "Cousin," she said, deciding to be familiar with him since he had already been familiar with her mother.

He continued to stare at her for a moment, then he bowed and held his hand out.

She put her hand in his. Or, rather, she put her sleeve in his hand. Formal robes at court had sleeves that were much longer than the hand. They were both a status symbol—in being completely impractical—and they kept the nobility from accidentally bonding with someone undesirable, like a servant . . . not that Amichen had to worry about that. As a human, she could never bond with anyone.

She felt the prince grasp her hand through the sleeve—it was a firm grasp, not the weak, barely-touching hold that was common at court—and he bent down to kiss the back of her hand. She could feel the press of his lips through the sleeve—yet another strange feeling, since the kiss at court was symbolic only and no one ever actually touched their lips to the sleeve.

She rather liked it—the feeling of being touched.

He looked up at her. "I am loathe to call us cousins," he said, "because that implies I must somehow be related to such an exotic beauty, and I know that could never be the case."

Amichen didn't know what he was talking about. She actually turned around to see if her sister had come into the room behind her. But there was no one there—not even the Counselor.

"About whom are you speaking, sir?" she asked, turning back to him.

He looked at her for a moment, stunned, then he laughed. "I'm talking about you!"

"Me?" she said in utter disbelief.

The prince turned to the queen, who was seated on her imposing golden throne carved with tigers. "Is such beauty so commonplace in your kingdom that it goes without notice?" he asked her.

"Amichen has always been modest about her looks—and she is quite attractive," the queen said, "but it's true that she is not prettier than her sister. Tiger-Lin is the beauty in the family."

Amichen looked down. Even now—even when she was meeting her fiancé for the first time—she couldn't escape the knowledge that her sister was still the best in the family.

She heard her mother clear her throat in a rather telling way. She glanced up and saw her mother looking at her sternly. Then she lifted her chin.

Amichen took the hint and reluctantly lifted her head. She noticed Prince Naissus was looking at her with something amounting to pity. She couldn't stand to see that look in his eyes, so she cast her gaze upwards, above his head, and stared at nothing.

"Well, I'm sure both of your daughters are very lovely," Naissus said politely. "I would expect nothing less from a woman of your beauty."

The queen laughed—and it almost sounded genuine. "You are a charming thing. I think you will make a good son-in-law."

He bowed to her a little. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

She rose from her throne and gestured to him. "Come, let us make the final arrangements."

Amichen glanced at Naissus and was pleased to see that he looked as horrified by that thought as she did.

"Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, but I wasn't under the impression that we would be finalizing anything so quickly."

The queen looked surprised. "Does she displease you?" she asked, gesturing to Amichen.

"Not to look at her, no."

"Well, then, if you don't find her lacking, then why not settle things now? You can rest from your journey while the wedding preparations are being made. In fact, some have already begun," she hinted.

Amichen knew what her mother was doing: she was trying to back the prince into a corner and make him feel that he had no choice but to marry her daughter.

But the prince wasn't easily cornered. "That the princess is beautiful is beyond doubt, but that's hardly foundation enough for a marriage," he replied.

The queen's eyes narrowed. "You are waiting to see if you like my younger daughter better before you make up your mind," she accused. "But we would have to completely renegotiate the terms from scratch. Tiger-Lin is worth so much more; she brings a throne with her."

Naissus looked affronted. "Your Majesty, I assure you I have no such aspirations—either to your younger daughter or your throne. The simple fact is that, in our kingdom, we marry for love. And while our parents may introduce us to someone they feel is a good match, in the end, the choice is ours. And I will not marry a woman I do not know—although I am quite happy—and even eager—to get to know Princess Amichen better."

The queen looked as if she had been bowled over. In fact, she had to sit down again. "You . . . marry for love?"

"Yes."

She suddenly burst out laughing. "How silly! Love first!" It took her a full minute to regain control of herself. In the meantime, Amichen's face burned with shame again and she purposefully didn't look at Prince Naissus while her mother laughed at him.

"Love is something that develops over time," the queen said, using the same condescending tone she used on Amichen so frequently. "If we waited for love to develop between the two of you, Amichen would wait out her best child-bearing years. After all, she is only human; she will die young."

Amichen wished the marble floor would open up and swallow her whole.

"Perhaps that's a difference between our peoples," Naissus said with a carefully-controlled voice: "we in Hyrule can fall in love relatively quickly. If I develop feelings for Amichen, and she is at least inclined towards me and willing to marry, then we can marry and allow the full measure of our love to develop within marriage, as you suggest."

"What a strange way of doing things," the queen said.

"Well, isn't this proposed marriage—at least in part—about the exchange of our two cultures? While I respect your traditions, I wish mine to play a part as well."

"Very well. You may take whatever time you feel necessary to make your decision. And in the meantime, we can talk and exchange cultures."

"I would prefer to return to Hyrule before making my decision."

The queen looked shocked. "You . . . do not wish to stay?"

"It's not that—"

"You don't want to marry her and you're trying to find a way out of it," the queen accused, cutting him off.

"On the contrary; I intend to take Princess Amichen with me."

That brought the queen up short. "I . . . don't understand."

For once, Amichen was in complete agreement with her mother; she didn't understand either.

"If Princess Amichen is to leave her family and country behind, shouldn't she at least know where she's going?" Naissus asked. "I would not feel comfortable arranging a marriage if she didn't know what she was getting into. She may find our ways too strange. She may be too homesick. I would never want her to be miserable."

"She is a princess," her mother argued. "Even if she will not inherit my throne, she knows her duty. She will accept your kingdom and culture; she need not like it beforehand."

"Call it another cultural difference," Naissus replied, a bit firmly, "but I want to make sure she will be happy before either of us commits to marriage. As is commonly said in our land, 'An unhappy wife makes for an unhappy life.' I don't want to be unhappy, nor do I want Princess Amichen to be unhappy."

"So . . . if I understand you," the queen said slowly, "you mean to take Amichen back to Hyrule with you—without marrying her first—and then . . . what?"

"If we mutually decide to marry"—he seemed to put emphasis on the word 'mutual'—"then I or my parents will be in contact with you to make arrangements as to when and where. If we are to have the wedding here, then we will come back. If not, then we will stay in Hyrule."

"And if you don't mutually decide to marry?" The queen said the same word with derision.

"Then I will escort Amichen back here."

She scoffed a little. "No offense, but no one will want to marry her if you take her home, try her out, and then bring her back like defective merchandise."

Amichen saw a pink tinge high on Naissus' pale cheeks. Apparently he did take offense. "I never said anything about 'trying her out,'" he said, his carefully-controlled voice slipping just a bit as he snapped off his words. "I would never dream of insulting her or you in such a way, nor would I dream of ruining her future prospects if I wasn't what she wanted in a husband.

"It is my proposal that Princess Amichen accompany me back to Hyrule as my cousin and as a guest and ambassador at our court. She will be treated with every courtesy that a princess and emissary of Shi-Ha should be afforded. Her honor will never be compromised—nor will anyone be given any reason to think it might have been. My mother will personally vouchsafe her honor, and oversee our courtship, as it may be. And, as you can see," he said, gesturing to his entourage, who were standing a respectful distance behind him, "we will not travel alone.

"And furthermore, I can assure you that no mention of marriage has been made outside my family—simply because it is customary for us to pick our own spouses. If you have not told your people that you intend for us to marry, then there is no reason for anyone to know that this goodwill trip may result in a marriage. For all anyone outside this room knows, I am merely here to be friendly and renew our family ties. If Amichen and I do not decide to get married, there will be no face lost—no shame. She will come home from a successful ambassadorial visit and then you can put it out that it's time to start thinking about her marriage.

"So, I ask you, if our kingdoms are on friendly terms, and we are cousins, as we say we are, then what harm is there for me to escort my cousin back to my kingdom? What's wrong with us visiting, as we used to do? There is no risk to anyone in doing so."

Amichen was impressed; he had turned the tables on her mother and backed her into a corner. If she insisted that it would be wrong for her daughter to go with him, then it would imply that they were not on friendly and familial terms—that it was out of the question for a member of the royal family of Shi-Ha to go and visit the royal family of Hyrule.

Instead of renewing alliances, her refusal to allow Amichen to go would further strain their relations—maybe to the point of breaking.

Amichen could see her mother mulling all of this over with her cunning and brilliant mind; no possible outcome would escape her notice. She was always playing chess several moves ahead.

"Very well," the queen said at last. "But I will send a chaperone with Amichen . . . for the trip," she added. "Of course I trust the queen, your mother, to see that everything is proper when Amichen is at court, but she will need a maid on the trip there anyway, and I'm sure she will be more comfortable not being the only woman in your party and having someone familiar from home, as well."

Naissus bowed slightly. "I think that sounds very wise, Your Majesty."

She rose to her feet. "Good. Then we will see you off tomorrow."

Naissus looked surprised. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes. Why wait? Besides, I had already begun preparations for Amichen's departure; it won't be hard to hurry it along." She looked at him. "Or do you need time to rest and recover?"

He looked at her oddly, but when he responded, his words were polite and emotionless. "No, I'm used to riding and traveling; I can leave tomorrow."

"Good. Now, let me have someone show you and your companions to your rooms so you can freshen up and then we'll have supper."