A/N: Hey! Thanks to everyone that have been reading. I appreciate it.
Zelda – Rules
The walls of the Principal's office are a horrible yellow color that reminds Zelda of vomit, which is what exactly Zelda want to do at the moment. She felt like her stomach was rebelling against her. She wanted to sink into the metal chair she is sitting on and let it swallow her whole. But the chair is hard and uncomfortable and it doesn't look like that is going to happen anytime soon.
The principal is thin, wiry, old man who is hunched over with age. He doesn't formable and instead just looks tired and overworked. He gave up his leather chair to let the guard sit there. Zelda wondered if that was protocol or something. She also wondered why the guard followed her here, but she doesn't voice it. The Principal is left to tap his fingers nervously on his table.
The secretary, a bubbly but stout women, poked her head in. "Her father has been informed, he should be here in about fifteen minutes." She said, "Would anyone like coffee?"
Zelda's blue eyes widen. "Why was he called?" She gasped as she leaped to an upright position.
They basically ignored her.
Her principal declined coffee, but the guard asked for black coffee with a thin grimace that showed way too many sharp teeth. When the second the secretary left the guard turned his gaze to his think snake like eyes to her.
Zelda sunk lower into her seat.
"Now, Miss Wynn." The principal started, "do you know why you're here?"
"No," Zelda muttered becoming very focused on the blue vase in the left corner on the room. She has never been in actual trouble before. She didn't really want to face it or them.
"So you didn't realize what you just did was treason?" The Guard questioned.
She refocused her gaze on him; the man looked overly satisfied with himself. "What?" She squawked, "What's treason?"
"Treason, the betrayal of country, Hyrule, by you." The guard growled, voice growing louder.
"Uh," Zelda stuttered, "I-I'm sorry?"
"You're sorry?" The man sneered, "Do you know what that name stands for?" When Zelda didn't answer him, he stood up, slamming his palms on the table. "Do you?"
Zelda flinched in her seat, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She didsn't understand what is happening or why the man is so angry.
The principal sighed heavily. "She's a child, Sir Cole. A second year, she probably doesn't understand what is happening." He rubbed two thing fingers against his temple.
Zelda almost protested against being called a child. She took a breath, ready to speak and then stopped herself. Did she really want to argue against her principal's defense?
Sir Cole turned his glare to the principal, and spat "A child's defiance is often a product of their parents."
Zelda felt her stomach drop. "It's not my parents," she protested, trying to sink further into the chair when Sir Cole's narrowed eyes fall on her. "I… I just don't understand what's wrong with my name." She managed to whisper out.
"I'll put this in a way a child can even understand it." Sir Cole sat back down with a twisted smile. "The name Zelda," he spat, "is a reference to the late Queens of this country." He produced a knife from his belt begin playing with it. Zelda's eyes widen as she watched. "As you should be well aware there is a new government, a new beloved King. By keeping the name Zelda you are honoring the tyrannical government we worked so hard to overthrow." Sir Cole gave her one of his thin smiles. "Understand?"
Sir Cole looked at Zelda expectantly, and Zelda realized that she was supposed to respond. "Not really." Zelda muttered.
"Oh?" Sir Cole raised an eyebrow.
Her Principal coughed and shot Zelda a meaningful look. It was the same type of her mother gave her when she wanted Zelda to stop talking and just agree. It was an odd look to see on the face of an old man.
She sunk lower into her seat. Could the ground just swallow her whole? "But it's just a name, right? What should it matter if I keep mine?"
"Nobody needs reminders of that old failure of government. Plus everyone corporate into changing their name… But you." He slammed his knife into the desk in front of him, ignoring the Principal moan of protest and leaned over the desk glare down at her. "What would the dear citizens of the country if we let you keep yours? It would do nothing good, I tell you." He showed her his sharp teeth in his grin, "It would incite rebellion, and we don't need that."
Zelda gulped, and stuttered over a reply she didn't have, eyes glued to the knife handle deep in the desk. Was he allowed to do that?
She was saved from answering by the Secretary popping her head through door. "Got your coffee," she deadpanned, "And the girl's Father is here."
The rest of the time was a blur to Zelda. She was told to sit outside and wait, and the Secretary gave her apple juice which she didn't drink. She was nervous, tapping her sandals on the tile floor, and nearly jumping at anything that made noise. Her Dad walked out of that room after what seemed like hours to her, ashen faced. She jumped up and hurried over to him.
He grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze. "Come on, let's go home."
"But schools not over yet," she said, hesitantly.
He gave her a weary smile, "Yeah, well, both the Principal and I agreed that you could use the day off." And with one last glare over his shoulder he tugged her out of the room.
"Bye, Sweetie." The Secretary called after them, and Zelda gave a small wave.
They walked in silence to his car. Zelda wondered what sort of rumors her classmates were going to come up with about her absence.
She fidgeted in their car. "Am I in trouble with you too?" She asked, upset with the whole experience. She had a feeling she wouldn't be able to stop herself from crying if he said yes.
"No," her Dad sighed, running his hands through his dirty blonde hair. "And you're no longer in trouble with the school, either okay? But we do need to talk."
"Okay." She replied, slightly relived.
Her Dad started the car. "You do know why your name can't be Zelda anymore?"
"Because I was named after the old Queen?" She questioned.
"Actually, you're named after your great-grandmother. But she was named to honor royalty." He gave her half a smile. "It is tradition for Royalty to name their first daughter Zelda, and it became common for others families to do it as well." He paused. "You know, you always complained that there were other Zelda's in your class, I'm sort of surprised that you so set upon this name."
"Well, it mine!" She pouted. "Or well, was mine. I guess I just- I wanted other people to change their names, but I never thought I would have to change mine."
"Oh yeah. Have everyone else change, but not you?" Her Dad teased.
Zelda made a face at him.
He paused and got a bit more serious, "Did you not like the name Tetra? you know we probably have enough time to try and change it again."
"No, no." Zelda sat up straight. "I like the name Tetra, it's just, I wanted to keep my name… That didn't work out, did it?"
"Not really," Her dad conceded throwing the car into gear, "Maybe we should of stressed what was going on to you earlier, so you could understand it." He shot her a quick look, "I wanted to tell you, you know. Your mom didn't."
"Should of told me anyways." She said, crossing her arms.
He snorted. "You know how your mother gets."
She pouted looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Um." She turned to face him as he kept his eyes on the road. "What, happened? I mean, the guard inside sort of yelled it at me but, I didn't really," She paused for half a beat, "He was mean."
"Yeah he was." He father replied, readily. He then gave a heavy sigh, "There, there was an uprising, okay? And all the Royal Family is either gone or dead nobody really knows. Now, there is a new King, King Ganondorf."
She wrinkled her nose. "They can do that?"
Her father laughed dryly. "They apparently just did. It's all just really unstable at the moment. Nobody knows who really is in charge. That that guard was so panicky, they don't know whether or not Ganondorf can keep the throne."
"Is the family really dead?" She plucked at a few threads in the car seat.
"Most are, some might have escaped." He exhaled, "Really we can talk about something else."
"What about the kids, they were my age, right?" Zelda spoke up, not letting her father change the subject. She could see them clearly in her mind's eye. The children of the royal family were rather shelter from the media but she say them the television every time the annual festival came around and she would watch them dance and laugh and mingle, doing little five minute interviews. She thought the oldest boy was quite cute. But she knew they had a daughter named Zelda as well. Huh, would Princess Zelda have to change her name too?
Her father pulled the car off to the side and faced her. "The boys might be alive. Princess Zelda and her mother and father are known to dead."
"How do you know," She started.
"They showed the dead bodies on the news, that why mom would let you come into the living room Saturday night. She didn't want you to see it." He looked her in the eye. "By the way mom, doesn't know I'm telling you all this."
"That's awful, though," She stared at her feet. She could remember the King's and Queen's faces. The King had a big white mutushas and was always smiling, the Queen on the other hand was usually frowning, unless the King said something particular funny, and the Queen would cover her mouth with her a dainty hand as she tried to withhold a giggle. The Princess Zelda on the other hand, she "But the Princess was my age."
"Yeah, but the way this played out, there is no way Ganondorf would of let them live."
"But-" She didn't really know why she was protesting. Nothing could be done about it anyways.
"He couldn't let them live because it would undermined his power and his claim to the throne." He paused. "Remember all those betimes stories mom used to tell you? About Princess Zelda reclaiming her throne?"
"Sort of." She said. The car shook as other cars passed them.
"Well, they have a small grain of truth in then. It is said that whenever Hyrule was in trouble Princess Zelda and her Hero would save the country." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "That why there is a tradition to name the first daughter is named Zelda. But that all gone now, and the new King doesn't want anyone getting ideas about trying to take the thrown from him."
"Seems silly," She mentioned. "It's a still a story."
"Maybe. But idea and stories are powerful." He replied. "That's why he ruled nobody to be named Zelda, or have the name Zelda."
"Yeah. But I don't like it." Zelda sulked. "It's stupid and proves he's mean." She kicked her feet up onto the dashboard and slumped in her seat.
"You are not to call Ganondorf mean. Or stupid. Things like that would get you into more trouble then you got into the today." He groaned, staring at her.
"Yeah, I know." She frowned. "Are things going to be different?"
"Yes, you'll get used to it."
Zelda had no response. She leaned her head back against the seat. Huh. Her father watched her with his light green eyes.
"Tell you what. You still have to be called Tetra, but when it's just you and me, I'll call you Zelda."
Her face lit up. "Really?" She paused, eyes narrowing. "What about when it just us, and mom?"
"Your mom is a bit high strung about all this. She wants you to get used to being called Tetra. She worked for the old government, ya know? Just minor stuff, but she might not be able to keep her job. There doing intense interviews to see how loyal they are. That sort of thing would stress her out." He sighed, it would also mean getting an earful from her. They were already going to get one when she found out Zelda was sent home from schoo.
"Is she going to be okay?" Zelda asked.
"Your mother is a tough women. It's just a stressful time for everyone." He looked her in the eyes. "No more stunts like this, okay? From now on, your name is Tetra and you keep your head down, promise?"
"Yeah." She said. "I promise."
He started up the car, and headed back onto the road. Zelda looked out the window and watched the sceney pass not really seeing it. She thought back to all the times she'd scene Princess Zelda and her family on television, in much too pretty of a dress. Zelda had always been a bit jealous, with her perfect hair and bright smile. Now she was dead. It was odd to think about it. Now, the whole family was dead.