"I miss them, Zelda…" Link said suddenly, leaning back against the wall. The Princess glanced up at her guard and quirked an eyebrow.
"You miss who, Link?" she asked. They were in the throne room, Zelda on the throne itself and Link leaning on the wall beside her.
"The others. Red, Blue and Vio. And even Shadow, to a lesser extent." he said wistfully. Zelda put down her sewing and gave him her full attention.
"It's been three years Link. I thought you'd gotten over that." she said. He sighed and looked away.
"And anyway," she continued. "They're still with you, aren't they? You just became one person." she finished reasonably. He nodded.
"Yeah, I suppose." he said doubtfully. The Princess smiled and went back to her sewing.
The conversation clearly over, Link returned to his normal pastime of princess-watching. She wasn't exactly an interesting study, he mused. She did very little but sew and sort out matters of importance. And neither interested Link.
He missed the days where he was allowed to roam the streets and surrounding countryside. True, he'd been an apprentice of the guard and therefore had duties, but they'd taken him interesting places. As the Princess's guard, he was expected to stay with her at all times.
He shook his head slightly. He ought to be honoured to have been chosen by the Princess to be her personal guard! That was what his father had told him, and Link tried to believe it. It was just hard sometimes.
"What are you thinking about, Link?" the Princess asked, her voice amused. Link blinked and stood up straight.
"What?" he asked intelligently. Zelda laughed.
"You looked like you were concentrating very hard on something, and I wondered what it was." she said, smiling at him. He shrugged awkwardly.
"Just… thinking. About stuff. Nothing important." Link said glancing away from her. She frowned briefly.
"It must have been something." she argued. He shrugged again. Letting out an impatient sigh she turned from him, clearly annoyed. Link winced. It wouldn't do for the Princesses personal guard to have annoyed her.
"Look, Princess…" he said eventually, in a small voice. She turned back curiously.
"Yes?"
"It's not that I don't like being your guard and all, it's just I miss being able to go wherever I like all day." he muttered staring at his feet. She frowned again, but this time it was not annoyed.
"Well, why don't we go for a walk in town? It's allowed as long as I have my guard with me. And you happen to be my guard." she said, smiling. Link looked up at her, surprised.
"But, don't you have things to do? I know you have some people visiting in a little while." He protested. She shrugged.
"So? I haven't been outside in ages. I'm the Princess, they'll wait for me. And I thought you wanted to go outside?" she sounded hurt. Link waved his hands.
"No, no! I do want to go outside, it's just…" How could he explain it? He didn't want to go out as Zelda's guard; he wanted to go out as himself.
"It's just what?" she sounded on the verge of tears. Link sighed.
"It's nothing. I'd like to go outside Princess, thank you." he said. She smiled triumphantly and stood up.
"Let's go then. You can show me the interesting places in Castle Town." She practically skipped down the steps leading to her throne.
He pushed himself off the wall and fell into step beside her. He dutifully followed her as she walked down the winding corridors of Hyrule Castle.
A few of the many maids of the castle gave the pair an odd glance as they passed. It did look rather strange, Link thought. A cheerful Princess accompanied by a sullen man in the garb of a guard. He smiled slightly but wiped it from his face as the Princess turned to him.
"Why so glum?" she enquired. "We're going outside. I thought that's what you wanted?" She stopped walking and stood in front of him. He smiled weakly.
"I am happy, Princess." he said. She pouted.
"Stop calling me Princess! My name is Zelda. You used it earlier, and you used to use it all the time." she said, a tinge of irritation colouring her voice. Link flinched from her sharp tone.
"As your guard, it isn't appropriate for me to call you by your first name." he explained hurriedly. It had been the first rule his father had taught him when he became the Princess's guard. It wasn't Zelda and Link anymore; it was Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and her personal guard. Zelda sighed angrily then grinned.
"I can order you to call me Zelda, can't I?" she asked wickedly. Link sighed and nodded.
"Yes Princess. As your guard you can order me to do anything." he said quietly. Zelda nodded thoughtfully and smiled.
"Well then, I order you to call me Zelda, not 'Princess'." She crossed her arms triumphantly and looked up at him. He tried to smile and was surprised by how bitter it felt.
"Of course, Prin- Zelda." he said, trying to arrange his features into a more sincere smile. The Princess nodded a final time and turned away from him. He sighed inaudibly and resumed following her through the rich maze of corridors.
He was surprised at the bitterness he felt towards her. They had been good friends when they were younger, and stayed friends even as they grew up.
But she had taken his freedom, however much of an honour it was to serve her. And… he probed his darkest thoughts on the matter.
She had been the one who'd made him seal away his brothers, however indirectly. And they were his brothers, even though they were technically one person.
He'd always been an only child and it had been nice to feel part of a larger family. And then, on her command he'd sealed them away. He hated himself and her for this.
Zelda's impatient voice broke through his sour thoughts.
"Link! Hurry up; it'll be dark before we get outside at this rate." She was standing beside the huge oak doors leading to the outside world, her foot tapping. Link gave a start at how far he'd managed to fall behind and ran to stand beside her.
"Sorry, Princess." he said automatically. She scowled at him and he realised his mistake.
"I- I mean sorry Zelda." he said. She smiled sweetly and nodded to the guards on the door.
With a barked command from one of the men the door creaked open and the expanse of the castle grounds was revealed. Beyond that, the rooftops of Castle Town shone in the afternoon light.