Ok, im sorry if this chapter is a little slow to get to the point, i just don't want to rush through the story too quickly. Anyway, read it, and if you like it, (or if you don't) please review. Thankyou to building 429, your review made me happy.

Chapter Three: Fate


The day had passed to night just as quickly as the previous; Zelda wondered where it had all gone. She sighed, looking down at the handful of invitations, hand-written arrangements, letters and other enveloped appointments she hadn't the motivation to open; she felt overwhelmed. Her day had been full with lessons, her usual duties and other mindless formalities. When she thought about it, it was actually quite sad. Besides the odd comment to her father or thanking a quick complement from one of her father's advisors, she actually hadn't spoken to anyone in quite a while. If it wasn't for Impa, she would be afraid of suffering intellectual solitude, but even she seemed to have her own problems lately. She loved her father, but he was no companion for her, he was always off doing his own thing, too busy to provide a decent conversation. The past few days she had barely even seen him. To an extent she was use to being alone.

She sighed and made her way over to her balcony to pull closed the curtains. The night had fallen cold. The soft wind blew the sheer curtains gently; they were animated as if they were emersed under water. She stared through the thin material and into the paint pallet which was the evening sky- beautiful rose pinks and coral reds were smudged across the horizon, blending into the dark blue heavens. Several stars were already visible; they twinkled like the jewels in her crown when caught in the sun. The night was so beautiful, so enticing, but its effect on her was nothing more than saddening. It reminded her of all the things in life she could not do, all the places she could not see. She was restricted to as far as her window would allow her to view the world. She was sheltered by a stone prison, keeping her away from all the evil and negativities in the world, doing her a 'favour'.

She crawled into bed a few minutes later before falling into much needed sleep, she welcomed her dreams, they were her place of refuge, her chance to truly live, even if it was all only in her mind, it was as close as she could get to true happiness.

The next few days seemed to drag on forever; she had been called to Kakariko by an old friend of the family, Zelda only knew her on a first name basis, but apparently she use to look after her from time to time when Zelda was young enough not to remember. She found no pleasure in the visit and was rather glad after a few days when it was over. She had learnt over time not to argue with her father's wishes; if he required her presence somewhere, then that's where she would be, no matter how much she disagreed with it. Sometimes she could get away with more than she should, but times like this when he got into one of those moods it was better just to do as he said; for as long as he was ruler of Hyrule she had no claim over her own actions.

The thought that with her eighteenth birthday, came also her right to the throne, both saddened and delighted her. It was more than a tradition, almost an unwritten law, that the oldest son and heir to the throne will inherit the crown along with complete power to govern the land upon their coming of age; and since her mother died before she could parent a son, and was without any direct male relatives, Zelda was entitled to the crown. Zelda was a natural leader, always wanting to make a difference, and put everyone else's needs before her own- the way a true ruler should. Her potential was beyond anything the land had ever witnessed before; she had plans to bring Hyrule into a new age, she was glad she would finally be heard.

On another level her emotions were conflicted, she did not want to leave her childhood behind; she treasured her earlier years like nothing else, carefree and at ease, but no matter how much she wished for those times she could not turn back time; maybe it was better she didn't; times so precious should be cherished for what they were, not what they still could be.

She made her way back up the stone stairs through the castle gardens, closely followed by her father's well assigned guards who attended her back from Kakariko. She must make sure to thank her father when she next sees him, she thought dryly. She could hear the distant and familiar sound of the sentry, commanding the gates to be closed behind her. The horses were taken and returned to the stables. The cocoos were crowing from a far.

She was met by two sentry standing guard in front of the main castle entrance. They quickly and gracefully bowed in her presence then took a door each, hauling it open then stood aside to let her enter. The familiar shadowy entrance hall bid her welcome as she made her way back up the elegant stone stairs, deliberately choosing a quieter path to her chamber; she was not in the mood to be disturbed.

She resided on the third floor of the expansive castle; it took her at least ten minutes to make her way to this floor. She was use to its vastness; the castle was well over a thousand years old and over time had undergone many modifications and additions to its structure; fortifications during the darker years, renaissance during the years which followed. Linking every floor to the next was an elaborate and ancient stone spiral staircase; it originates from the ground floor and reaches right to the observatory, the highest place in the castle. It was said to be the oldest and only original part of the castle still intact since its construction. It winded like a snake around a large stone column; its original carvings had ebbed away with the passing of time.

When she reached her room in worse spirits than when she arrived back home, she knew there was only one thing she could do to calm her mind. Grabbing a change of clothes under one arm, she quickly headed back out her door and across the corridor before beginning to ascend the stairs once more. The higher she climbed, the brighter it became; light flooded through the stained-glass windows, serving as a colourful skylight. The light cast beautiful patterns across her skin. When she reached the next floor she stepped off into the silent walkway, following it down to the familiar wooden door. She had greeted the beautifully carved Zora motif many times before. Twisting the brass handle she pulled open the door letting heavenly steams of light welcome her.

It had been a while since she last took time out for herself and relaxed amongst the soothing waters in the elaborate bathroom. The room was gigantic and constructed completely out of stone, spanning nearly the size of their second largest dinning room. The mosaiced roof towered far into the heavens above her. The walls hindered halfway between the floor and the ceiling; instead, stone ropes were extended upwards for support, letting the early morning sun stream through and naturally heat the sparkling water. The room was designed to look more like a manmade pond than a giant bath. She kicked of her shoes and dipped her feet in the shallow section; the water soothed her sore feet.

She quickly discarded the rest of her clothes and fully emersed her self in the crystal water. She opened her eyes below the surface; the suns rays penetrated the water, fully illuminating the beautiful marble basin below her. Her golden hair floated around her face, personifying the sun itself. As she swam into deeper water, the familiar gargoyle fountains began to appear. The wall was lined with their stone faces, mouths open letting more water flow through into the room.

It was an hour later before she finally left the room, feeling rejuvenated and relaxed she decided the day was too beautiful to waste in doors. Clutching a book under one arm she headed through the front courtyard.

She was glad she decided to remove herself from the castle, the day was so agreeable, the weather was so comforting, the breeze was gentle and her mind was at ease. She sat on a wooden bench seat; the large branches of the Agora tree sheltered her skin from the sun's emissions leaving her with only its warmth. In the distance a division of the Hylian army practiced their arm to arm combat and horseback skills; for those with their bows outstretched, a row of boards were set up in the middle of the field, targets painted on their sides. However, most were with swords; she shook her head as she observed a crowd of soldiers laughing as a pair of more light-hearted guards mocked a battle. The first pretended to die as the other pretended to weep; the group was in hysterics.

She brought her eyes back to her book, flicking it open to her current page she began to read, ignoring the faint echo of clanging swords from the distance.


After finishing the next two chapters in her book she decided to take a break from her reading. The bright sun was now directly above her, thankfully she was still loyally shaded by the thick foliage of the tree. Placing the book down on her lap she reached her hands above her head to stretch out her arms, yawning, she brought them back behind her head to support it as she stared off into the distance.

She noticed most of the horses were being returned to the stables, having become too hot for the soldiers to continue their training. A few guards were retiring to the shade but most remained out there. She enjoyed watching them train, especially when they were unaware of her presence. She sometimes wished she could be trained in such arts, as defence and attack. Impa use to teach her how to master a bow when she was younger, but when her father found out, he put a stop to it straight away, it was not a girls business to be acquainted with weapons of brutality and violence, he had told her; she had to be preserved as the purest gem in the crown that was the royal family. Impa tried to justify her training to her father, explaining that she had to be prepared for the unplanned; times aren't what they use to be. Her reasoning fell on deaf ears.

She leaned back against the bench seat, the smooth satin material of her dress felt cool against her body. She watched as a few men lined up their bows, aiming with such concentration for the targets in their distance. As they released their grip their arrows shot through the air so fast she didn't even see them until they landed. Only a few hit the board reasonably, the rest skewered the grassy fields around it. After a few more minutes of practice, a soldier from behind them shouted something out to the rest. She couldn't make out what he said, but it caused the men to step aside as he unlatched his bow from on his back and raised it in ready. She saw his lips moving, instructing the men. As he let the arrow go he continued to follow it with his eyes until it hit the board perfectly. He turned his back to her and continued to talk to the men in front of him, obscuring her view of his face. Most still kept their eyes on the arrow in disbelief, others gave up, and by the look on their faces weren't too happy with his performance.

After a moment he turned around and began to walk in the direction facing her. He bent over to pick up a fallen quiver; as he straightened up, he flung the quiver over his shoulder before turning back.

If she wasn't so dumb-struck she would have slapped herself in the face to awaken her from what could only make sense as being a dream. She felt herself sinking with the sudden wave of realisation that spread over her. She nearly choked on her thoughts as she sat there in revelation.

No! She thought.

NO! She screamed.


If anyone finds any spelling mistakes, incorrect grammer or just anything that doesn't make sence, feel free to tell me. : )