Chapter One

A young, golden haired beauty sat in a field of flowers, touching the delicate stems and caressing the gentle petals. Her curls fell to her shoulders, and her sapphire eyes gazed heavenward. The clear, light blue sky suddenly grew dark and ominous. Thick, gray storm clouds covered the heavens. There was darkness everywhere. The girl leapt to her feet, panic in her eyes. She gazed around frantically, searching for help. Any help. The darkness was suffocation; it was black and encased everything. A shiver ran down her spine, and the young girl covered her face in terror.

The darkness seemed to last for an eternity. An eternity spent cowering, spent with a thundering heart, and fear around every corner. The young girl cried out in misery. She believed this darkness would never go away. Then, a light sparkled, drawing her eyes. This tiny beam worked its way upwards, shooting out of the darkness. The girl outstretched her hand to touch the light, but it was too far away. It was, could it be? The light was thicker now, shining through the never-ending black and expelling it. The darkness vanished, and the sky was at peace again.

Glancing back at the light, she saw that it had come from the forest, where unknown creatures roamed. The light took on a green hue and seemed as though it was moving closer. As the light drew nearer, the girl beheld a strange sight. A figure was beside her, a boy her own age with flaxen hair and startling blue eyes. They were similar to the sky above. He stared gravelly at her, then reached into his green tunic and offered her a glimmering, shining stone that was the color of an emerald. The girl gasped as she took in the stone, and at last she understood. Only then did she notice that the boy had a peculiar light hovering near his head. How strange, she thought. He's followed by a fairy…

"Zelda! Zelda, Princess, wake up!" a stern voice ordered into my ear. I stopped flailing my limbs, having been jolted awake. I was groggy, disorientated. My eyes fluttered open, and I took in the concerned face of my attendant and confidant. Her ruby eyes—customary of the Sheikah Tribe—squinted in concern, her tanned hand smoothing curls away from my forehead. "Was it the dream again?" she asked softly.

I averted my eyes, glancing down at my pale hands. "Yes," I whispered, ashamed to show any weakness. Impa lifted my chin with her finger, and delicately wiped away a stray tear from the corner of my eye. Then, she began to hum a tune softly. It was a melody I had known since I was an infant, and one I could probably pick out in a crowd. Impa told me that it had been my lullaby as a baby, and truthfully, the melody continued to soothe me.

"I think it's time we told the King of this dream, Princess." Impa stood, her arms naturally crossing over her chest. She strode over to the door, facing away from me as I , too, leapt to my feet. I sorted through my dresses, and having found one I knew my father particularly favored, I sighed.

"I believe you're right, Impa."

As I entered the Dining Hall, I was taken aback by the sight of a rather tall stranger. My father was in an adamant conversation with that man, so I walked to my chair quietly. Observing the new guest, I noticed two things in particular. First, the man was obviously a Gerudo, which was odd because everyone knew that the Gerudo Tribe was a tribe of women. His hair was the color of fire, and his skin was darker than even Impa's. He wore all black and held many ornaments scared to the Gerudos. And although he smiled at me father, his face held no joy. It was cold and calculating, his eyes—his eyes!—narrowing. Which brings me to number two. His eyes were evil. They gazed around the hall with greed and lust, and a dark aura seems to radiate off of him. The power of it nearly had me sick to my stomach.

Luckily, I was saved such embarrassment by my father's gaze meeting mine. He beckoned for the man to sit, and then came to kiss my forehead before he, too, took his place. Breakfast seemed longer than normal with our guest, a thousand questions dying on my lips. But one thing I was certain of. This man was no ally to Hyrule. He was evil.

The stranger took his leave after breakfast, but not before my father introduced us. He was, in fact, a Gerudo, the first male in over a century. And his name was Ganondorf.

"Dear Princess Zelda, I'm so very honored to meet you." He had claimed, bowing to me. I had put on my princess face and smiled at him, to which he laughed. But there was no humor in his voice. "I'm sure you'll make quite a beautiful woman when you grow older!"

Once he had departed, I requested an audience with my father.

"Yes, what is it, Zelda?" he asked as we paced through the castle halls, occasionally stopping to gaze out a window.

"I had a peculiar dream last night. And I'm positive it is some sort of prophecy. Father, Hyrule is in danger!" I let out a deep breath, relieved to have finally revealed my dream to my father. But his brows pulled together and he pulled me to another window as I retold the horrific events of my dream. Once I had finished, he gazed out the window over the land and remained silent.

We stood together like that for a long time before he sighed and turned to me. "You look just like her, you know. Your mother. She was lost to me in the war, and I never believed I could love anything again after her death. But my dear Zelda, I was wrong. And you are just like your mother," he smiled fondly at me, memories clouding his vision. "Beautiful, stubborn, compassionate, smart, and brave. But, prone to romantic fancies. Your dream was nothing more than a dream, Zelda. Not a vision, not a prophecy."

"But, Father—"

"No, Zelda. No. I will not hear anymore of this." An attendant ran to our side, hastily bowing while frantically whispering to my father. His eyes widened, and then he groaned. "I'll be along. Zelda, no more." And with that, he strode off with the attendant. I gazed out the window, leaning against my palm.

Hyrule was truly beautiful. I could hear the drifting sounds from castle Town with all the hustle and bustle. I could make out the mountains to the east and the crystal waters of Lake Hylia far to the west. I knew that Gerudo Valley was near Lake Hylia, but it was invisible from my vantage point. Then, my eyes drifted to the forests, just south from the mountains. I imagined what it would be like to live there, among the wood creatures and the trees and the fairies! The forests had been forbidden for Hylians for many years, but no one seemed to know why. It was claimed that a terrible beast lived in the woods, or that any soul who attempted to find their way was lost forever. And fairies were another tale. Tiny beings composed of magic and light, legend said they were all but extinct.

"Whatcha doin', Princess?" I spun around, my curls whipping me in the face. Before me stood a young boy, dark skinned with yellow hair and the tell-tale ruby eyes. He smiled a toothy grin at me and I relaxed, though my heart continued to thump loudly.

"Darn it, Sheik!" I cried, pouting at him. He laughed, running his hands through his hair. I knew that he was an orphan that Impa took in to train, and honestly, Sheik was one of my only companions. I sometimes admired his training sessions from afar, little known to either the trainer or the trainee. And not because I desired Sheik in and particular fashion, but because I was jealous of his freedom.

"So, what are you looking at?" he asked, coming to my side and leaning against the windowsill. I rolled my eyes at him, and then returned to my careful study.

"Just Hyrule." I peered at him from the corner of my eyes, curious. But no, Sheik had come, like most Sheikah, from Karkariko Village, not the forest. And his eyes were ruby, not blue. I sighed lightly then changed my thought process. "Hey, Sheik. Did you see the Gerudo man earlier?"

"Yes," he replied. He looked at me questionably, his hands on his hips. "And I don't trust him."

"Me either!" I whispered. I lifted a finger through my locks and then put on my best smile. "Well, I have more lessons now. I'll see you later, Sheik!" I turned on my heel and headed to my reading room to meet my governess for our daily lesson with thoughts of green, red, and blue on my mind.