A/N: This story takes place about 5 years after the events of OoT; therefore, Zelda is a little older, a little wiser (and way paranoid). To be honest, TP Zelda is my favorite Zelda, so I definitely gave this Zelda a little of that flavor, especially useful to contrast the bearer of Wisdom with the other pink princess of Nintendo.
Also, hopefully it's clear enough, but since Zelda and Sheik live in the same body and share the same mind, they don't really need to speak aloud to each other, unless someone slips out of habit. (Kind of like talking to yourself, sometimes you realize you just said it out loud.)
Enjoy!
"And when I opened my eyes again, I must have been here in…umm…"
"Hyrule. You were found in the Lost Woods, in the Faron Province," Lady Impa explained from an armless blue chair stationed around a long table inside the dining hall inside Hyrule Castle.
Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, peered at her from the end of the table, eyes narrowed and lips turned downward in a frown. Sheik…what is the meaning of bringing this girl here? So careless…
"Was I to leave her in the Lost Woods? She surely would have perished if left on her own."
Zelda brushed her brownish-blonde hair behind her shoulder. You didn't have to bring her here; I'm certain the town guard could have taken responsibility.
"Doubtful, without access to the Jabber Nut, they would have never been able to understand her language."
It wasn't your concern!
The dust of construction had barely settled and the echoes of workers' hammers could still be heard though the white marble passages of Hyrule Castle. The lessons of Ganondorf's invasion were written all over the castle exterior. Thick grey slabs of Goron granite to protect from trebuchets and arrows, a drawbridge and reinforced Dekuwood doors to bar enemy troops and horses, if they ever made it past the fortified city walls.
The palace interior boasted the latest Hyrulian technology, like counterweight lifts that harnessed the power of water, as well as the world's finest modern luxuries, like chandeliers, which combined masterful glass and metalworking techniques and required a small army of servants with long reaching poles to light all the candles they held.
Rich rugs and tapestries covered some of the cold marble to provide a sense of warmth to the palace; but every guard wore a stoic stare instead of a smile. Hylian servants hustled to polish dull silverware and iron creased linens for the oft-neglected royal dining table. The area was abuzz with gossip of a foreign guest. How long had it been since the last one? Zelda was notoriously not fond of visitors; she preferred her privacy and usually took her meals in her room. A rumor among the servants was that Zelda never actually ate, as she managed to keep her svelte, muscular figure without any visible exercise and most had never seen her take so much as a nibble of food in their presence.
The two princesses and shadowy guardian picked at their salad greens, the terse pecks of forks versus plates echoing off the marble walls of the oversized chamber. Scarcely a word was uttered between the three of them; perhaps a quick compliment on the quality of the meal or the table setting or this or that, followed by susurrus of agreement before silence settled back on the table.
Impa broke the silence once more, "Something about your story concerns me, Milady. Please tell us more about this King Bowser who chased you to this land."
"Oh, him," Peach frowned, "How can I put this? Bowser is…a menace to my kingdom and its people. He has a heart of ruthless evil and he will stop at nothing to claim more power. He has his sights set on my throne and regularly attempts to kidnap me and force his way to power. He's extremely intimidating and none of my Mushroom Guards are effective at stopping his advances. The only one who is able to defeat him is my champion, Mario, and even then Bowser always seems to return, stronger than ever."
Zelda's eyebrows rose; it all sounded so familiar.
"Do you suspect this King Bowser followed you into Hyrule?"
Peach shook her head. "I can't be certain he didn't, but I didn't see him in the Lost Woods and he's pretty hard to miss."
Impa pursed her lips, clearly not satisfied with the answer. "Very well."
Zelda looked down hard at her plate, utterly fuming at the possibility of sharing her castle, her space, with this…other. She glanced at Peach, who was taking deep and careful breaths, eyes glancing back and forth between Impa and Zelda, waiting for either of them to say something.
Zelda looked down before Peach managed to catch her eyes; she did not want to accidentally reassure her. No, she should feel nervous; she is not welcome in these lands, and certainly not welcome in my palace.
She rolled her eyes inwardly. Of course, Sheik had already begun to doze off, as he usually did when he was not in control of her body. Typical, sleeping the day away while Impa and I fix the trouble he has caused. Some Sheikah guardian he is.
She glanced up at Impa, who was unreadable as ever, entirely focused on her plate. At some point during the war, Impa had made a habit focusing on every meal as if it might be her last, eating slowly and mindfully, and mentally recording every flavor and texture. Impa noticed the royal staring at her and swallowed.
"Quite a story. A princess from another world, chased by evil forces, inadvertently falls into a portal into our world while evading attack. If her tale is genuine, it would mean she is a political refugee." Impa noiselessly whispered into Zelda's mind.
I am suspicious. Though I have not sensed any malicious intent from this woman, there is always the possibility that she may be an unwitting pawn of Ganondorf or his people.
"Have you sensed him getting stronger?"
No, but as long as his servants live, it is too dangerous to rule out the possibility. With two pieces of the Triforce missing, it would be all too easy for the world to fall into chaos once again.
Zelda furrowed her brows.
In addition, I do not like the idea that there may be portals allowing such easy trespass of our lands. Although today there may be so-called 'foreign princesses' dropping into Hyrule, tomorrow it may be dark forces. Already this girl admits she may have accidentally lured a being of evil into Hyrule, does this not concern you as well?
Impa nodded, "I agree, I believe an investigation is in order. Shall I organize a search party to investigate the Lost Woods for evidence of portals?"
Zelda thought for a moment, not sure if she wanted to commit valuable troops away from the protection of the castle. If this girl turned out to be a fraud, it could be a trap to weaken the castle's defense.
Peach sneezed, causing everyone else at the table to jump. She whispered an apology.
Sheik brightened, butting into the conversation from the back of Zelda's mind, "Hey, don't we know someone who knows a fair bit about otherworldly portals?"
Zelda frowned. She would rather not get him involved in this. Still…
Impa smirked, "Yes Sheik, perhaps it would be wise to consult with the hero before we commit any troops to the matter. Princess Zelda?"
Zelda sighed. Understood, I will send a summons to him this afternoon. In the meantime, what do we do with…the girl?
"As a royal political refugee under Hyrulian protection, the only legal place for her to stay would be…"
Zelda widened her eyes in shock, visibly agitated. Surely you jest! You don't truly think she should stay here in the palace. It would be far better to house her at an inn!
"I am quite sincere and the law is clear upon this matter. For what it's worth, in the palace we can keep a closer eye upon her."
Zelda slid her chair backwards and stood abruptly, throwing her cloth napkin down upon the seat.
"Please excuse me," she said, before turning on her heel to exit, slamming the Dekuwood doors behind her.
You caused this disaster and now you will take responsibility!
Sheik mentally shrugged his shoulders from within Zelda's mind, "I'm at your command, now and forevermore," he droned.
The dark of night had crept over the hills and valleys of Hyrule, and Zelda had shut herself in her chambers, but she could not shut the door on her discomfort. The stranger was still here, making herself comfortable in one of the palace guest rooms. Her very presence was a disturbance, an invasion.
"Although, I don't understand why you can't just check on her yourself."
Zelda did not respond.
Sheik mentally rolled his eyes, but was secretly grateful for the chance to sate his own curiosity about the newcomer. "Fine, I'll assist with your espionage."
Using the power of the Triforce, Zelda's satin dress melted into Sheik's exoskeleton in a dull flash, her gloves replaced with bandaged fingertips, and her once blue eyes shone a fiery crimson. The power of the Triforce of Wisdom helped Zelda to sustain two minds in one body and provided the energy necessary to perform the Sheikah art of transformation of appearance. Unfortunately for Sheik, underneath this magical wardrobe change, the body was still Zelda's: thin, frail, and undeniably female.
Sheik slinked down the torch-lit hallways toward the guest room's doorway. He felt his heart begin to beat faster upon approach, his hands lightly shaking. Sheik smirked; the adrenaline rush was the best part of the sneaking experience; it had been so long since he felt it.
He crept along the wall and melted into the shadow at the threshold of the closed door. He slowly extended his hand to grasp the brass doorknob, bandaged fingers tingling…
The door swung open without a noise revealing…an empty room.
"Empty!? Where is she?" Zelda roared.
Shh. Sheik heard the sound of soft, echoing conversation come from nearby. Thinking quickly, he jumped into a large wicker laundry hamper just before Peach and a maid rounded the corner and entered the room.
"Thank you very much,' Peach said, accepting a bundle before closing the door behind her.
Trapped. From within the wicker basket, Sheik could barely see Peach's outline as she lit each sconce on the wall, then moved over to the bed to set something down. She was humming to herself again, distractedly. He took care to breathe quietly and remain perfectly still.
"Hmm hmm hmm…it's a boom-bassa-boom…festival."
Sheik paled as he heard the sound of running water nearby, soon to be coupled with the uncomfortable doom of a rose-like fragrance wafting through the air. He heard a rustle of fabric, and then another.
Oh no…
He felt, as he knew he must, a bundle of pink fabric fall upon him, still warm from the body it was covering a second ago. Sheik squeezed his eyes shut as he felt two smaller pieces of fabric pile on top. This was a mistake…
"Oh grow up," Zelda hissed.
He heard the soft slaps of her bare feet against the tile floor of the attached bathroom a few feet away. He tried not to imagine her body sliding into the bathtub as he heard the water swish and drip. He heard Peach pull the curtain, now safely in the tub and, he presumed, covered by bubbles.
He pulled the pink dress off his head and peered out over the edge of the basket. Time to go…
He waited for Peach to dunk her head under the water to wet her hair before gingerly sneaking out of the basket, tip-toeing onto the floor. The sconce flickered from the wind of his swift motion.
Peach sat up and grasped the edge of tub with one hand, wiping soap bubbles away from her eyes with the other. "Hello? Is someone there?"
Her voice echoed off the walls of her empty room.
Link had packed up his things, closing his chest of drawers with a kick and a sigh. The no-longer hero of Hyrule looked around his Kakariko home with a tinge of regret. This land was changing, possibly for the better, but there was no room in such a place for someone like him.
He slung his quiver over his shoulder. He had given all he could to Hyrule and its royal family, and now he could only feel it was time to leave. He opened his front door noiselessly and shut it gently, leaving the door unlocked. Nothing that was left inside the house meant anything to him, and with any luck he would never return.
He walked briskly to the stables to release Epona when he heard a shout cut through the midnight silence.
"Hey! Mr. Link, Waaaiiiiit!" The postman came running up to him, his red hat perched upon his perpetually sweaty head. "I've got a letter delivery for you."
Link sighed as the postman dug the paper out of the bag. The letter was from the castle. It seemed his midnight escape would have to wait.