Chapter 3

Zelda was in the castle's strategy room, hunched over the map spread out on a round table. Her eyes wandered over the yellowed surface, looking for something that would help her. As of now there was no place in Hyrule that the Sheikah or her knights had not searched, no forest through whose green expanses they did not wander, no village they had not questioned the inhabitants in. She needed a success, albeit a small or an insignificant one.

She could still remember the day they had discovered the Master Sword in the Lost Woods, how her heart had filled with hope, how she, for a few weeks, had felt as if she had taken a step forward. Since then, there has been no more successes. Since then, the days and weeks and months and years had passed without her getting one step closer to her goal. Some days she actually thought about giving up, about quitting the search. Face the evil on her own, without the hero. She was pretty sure of her fighting skills; she was strong, and she was brave. If the goddesses were gracious with her, maybe she might even make it.

Still, she knew it wasn't going to happen that way. She could be the strongest warrior in the land, but she couldn't wield the Master Sword. The holy weapon tolerated her presence, let her near them and sometimes Zelda could have sworn she could hear a crystal clear voice from within it without understanding the words behind it, but she could not use it. She had tried, put her hand around the blue handle and pulled, planted her feet deep in the ground and tensed her arms as far as she could manage. Her palms had burned there, as if she had reached into a lightning bolt and she felt as if the sword was hungrily draining her life force. It hadn't moved an inch.

Zelda hated this powerlessness and sometimes she even hated the hero who did not come to fulfill his fate. She knew, of course, that her hatred was completely out of place, immature and childish and not worthy of her position, but she still felt it hot in her heart. Some days this burning was so hard to bear, she was forced to withdrew and weep like a little child in the sanctuary where only the sword could see her. After that she always felt worse, weaker, more unworthy, not like the princess she was meant to be, but like a simple girl whose burden was too heavy to bear. She buried this weak thing deep inside her so no one could see it, but with each passing day it became harder and harder to do so.

"Princess" Impa approached her. Zelda hadn't noticed the Sheikah entering the room. Of course, she didn't, Impa was a master in her field, a shadow, a breath of wind, invisible and hidden from all eyes.

"Are there any news?" asked the princess hopefully. For a tiny moment she could feel that tiny spark of hope flare up inside her, that ray of light that grew smaller and smaller with each passing day.

"No, Princess" Impa shook her head and leaned over the map next to Zelda "There is a rumor in the area of Hateno about a strong swordsman"

"Look into it" Zelda nodded and her eyes found the small village in the eastern part of Hyrule.

"I sent a few Sheikahs there" replied the woman. Of course, she did, as she had done countless times before. Impa chased every rumor, no matter how small it was.

"There had been increased monster-sightings in the Hyrule field in the last few days" continued the Sheikah, pointing to some places on the map. Each of them was near farms or horse stables that were dotted along the streets "they still stay away from people, but I don't think it will last"

"Send a troop of knights" the Princess decided "they should patrol along the inhabited areas, but not approach the monsters unless necessary"

"Aye" Impa straightened up, bowed to the princess and left the strategy room.

For a few minutes Zelda was alone. Then the door opened, and Minister Vesryn entered. It was didn't happen very often, one of the ministers visiting her in the strategy room, as they always preferred to stay away from the search for the hero as they favored to attend to the affairs of the kingdom. Zelda was extremely grateful to them; she would probably get nothing done if she didn't have their support. Let them take care of the leadership of the kingdom while she saved it.

"Minister Vesryn" Zelda nodded to him and straightened up from the map "I heard you had an intruder last night. I hope nobody was hurt" she said politely. During these times she found it difficult to have polite conversations with the courtiers. When she wasn't looking for the hero, she prayed by the Master Sword in the sanctuary or read legends to her sleeping father with the childish hope that her voice alone could lead him out of the depths of his endless slumber. If Impa hadn't reported to her this morning, she wouldn't know anything about this break-in. Wasn't it the custom to say something like that after such an event? She didn't really know. Should she send out troops to look for the thief? No, she needed her troops elsewhere and no thief could be more dangerous than the evil that threatened them all.

"My pregnant wife nearly died" the minister said indignantly "these thieves are getting bolder these days!" maybe she should suggest anyway. She was able to do without some men for some time after all.

"That's terrible, it is a blessing nothing happened to your wife. I'll send some soldiers out to look for the thief" she added hastily. Yes, that should be enough.

"Don't bother, Your Highness" the man declined "I've already sent my own men out to finally get this dirty little rat..." he broke off, his full cheeks flushed with anger "but that is not why I came to you today" he changed the subject, visibly embarrassed by his outburst "It has been a few months since you turned seventeen, Your Highness"

"Indeed, it is. The dress you sent me was beautiful, I was very happy about it" Zelda lied politely. It had been a pretty dress indeed: lilac with gold ornaments and woven from the finest silk you could buy for rupees. But, she had no use for pretty dresses, a dress wouldn't help her save Hyrule or her father. In a dress she could not fight and would not be able to protect anyone and this was more important to her than anything else in the world at the moment. Everything that dissuaded her from this task was out of place and therefore to be avoided. She hadn't worn a dress in four years.

"I am delighted to hear that" Vesryn smiled, broad and false "but that is not the reason for my visit either. You are seventeen now, wouldn't it be finally time for you to think about your own happiness? You sacrifice yourself for us day after day without wasting a single thought to yourself"

"I will thing about myself when the time is right" Zelda said, an inkling of what her opposite was getting at. Since she was sixteen, her ministers and other courtiers came to her one by one and introduced her to candidates for her hand. It was almost a competition. Which of them will propose the right candidate? Which of them will decide who the new king of Hyrule will be?

On some days Zelda thought about giving in. It could be liberating to have another soul to openly share her burden with. Someone she could rely on, someone who would catch her should she ever fall. Someone to tell her she has done enough to stop chasing after the hero's ghost like a headless chicken. But so far none of the candidates had convinced her. They were all arrogant and so self-conscious that they would never be able to see the big picture.

Should she actually take one of them as her husband, there is a very high probability that he would exercise his rights as her husband and forbid her to continue her search. Or he would push her back into the background, back into her pretty dresses and she would become a doll that lives in utter powerlessness. No, none of the young men whom the nobility presented to her were suited to take action against the evil with her. Furthermore, none of them would be willing to at least try.

"The good of our kingdom comes first" she added, hoping Vesryn would give in and leave her alone.

"You are right, of course, Your Highness" the man nodded hastily "but you don't have to do it all by yourself. Wouldn't it be nice to have a man by your side to take this burden off of you?"

"No one can take this burden off of me" replied the princess firmly. No, she wouldn't give this burden for anything in the world, she would share it, but never give it up "and now excuse me, there are urgent matters waiting for my immediate attention" she hurried to the door and was about to step out in the hope of finally escaping this unpleasant conversation, but someone was standing in the door frame. He was tall and, if Zelda was honest with himself, quite handsome, a few years older than herself. He raised a straight, dark eyebrow as he looked down at her, then his questioning gaze wandered to Minister Vesryn.

"This is my nephew, Vamir" the minister hastily introduced him. It was probably not the way he wanted to introduce his candidate: in a doorway with a questioning look. That was new, thought Zelda, slightly amused, even if, as usual, she showed no emotion. Normally, these performances were more pompous, more dazzling, they took place in the throne room or in the garden of the castle surrounded by flowers and scents that should make an impression on her girl's heart.

Once one of the nobles even lured her to the lake on the castle grounds with a lie once. It had been sunset, the water had been covered with red reflections like a flower bed and if Zelda had not been Zelda, then she would probably have melted like a snowflake in the spring wind. This, on the other hand, this was ... ridiculously clumsy, he didn't even have flowers in his hands.

Well, he was handsome, probably the prettiest they'd ever put in front of her. A striking face with straight, symmetrical features, bright blue eyes and a thick mane of hair the color of fresh chocolate, plus the size and broad shoulders ... and a look so arrogant that underneath it she felt like a sacrificial lamb on an altar. No, he didn't frighten her, she was relatively sure that she could easily defeat him in a duel, easier than it was to take the candy away from a toddler. He did not behave like a warrior, he would know how to hold a sword in his hands and how to strike, but he would still not be an opponent. He looked down at her as if she were an object, a trophy, a mindless thing whose only reason to exist was to look pretty. It was perfectly clear what he wanted: her as a toy and the kingdom as his new playground.

She took a step back from him and gave him a look as cold as an icy blizzard. A mask slipped over his face, wiping the arrogance from his gaze like a cloth would a stain. The lips formed a kind smile and he bowed more deeply than was customary. He was good, thought Zelda, had she not opened the door so suddenly, then she would probably never have seen his real self, at least not before it was too late.

"It is a great honor for me to make your acquaintance, Your Highness" he said, his head still livered in a bow "I've heard stories of your beauty, but no word can ever do you justice"

"The pleasure is mine" Zelda replied politely, without actually meaning these words "you may rise"

"Well, I'll leave you alone" Vesryn smiled happily and pushed past his nephew through the door. Zelda waited a few moments until the figure of the minister was lost in the darkness of the corridor and spoke calmly and decisively:

"I will not marry you"

"If you only would give me time…" Vamir started, but the princess cut him off.

"I will not marry you" she repeated sternly "now go" a shadow crossed his face after these words, dark and angry, but it was gone before Zelda could see what it was.

"As you wish" he bowed again and disappeared, the door slid shut behind him and Zelda was finally, finally alone again. She sighed deeply and returned to her map.

"The young man who left this room did not look particularly happy" a voice said. Zelda whirled around, her hand already on her rapier, but it was only Adviser Aiwin. The girl relaxed again and allowed a smile to slide onto her face.

If she hadn't had Advisor Aiwin...she didn't see how she would have survived those long, terrible four years without him. He had grown older over time, the first silver of old age had crept into his already thinning hair and yet his eyes were still just as vigilant as if the goddess Nayru herself had touched his mind. He had a gnarled stick in his hands on which he was leaning heavily.

"Whose relative was it this time?" he asked amused.

"Minister Vesryn's nephew" was Zelda's answer. Actually, she didn't really want to talk about this uncomfortable encounter, more than that, she wanted to forget it as soon as possible and never see this man again.

"Well, this one was at last handsome" the advisor shrugged his shoulders and sank into a chair in front of the table with a groan. His legs were probably causing him problems again, even the brightest mind couldn't outsmart age.

"He looked at me like I was nothing more than a mindless thing" Zelda complained. He was the only one Zelda could complain to, the only one she could talk about her problems with, the only thing that came close to being a father.

"Then it is a good thing you chased him away"

"Do you think, I should marry?" asked the princess softly, timidly and at the same time in fear he would say yes.

"Do you want to marry?" Aiwin asked in return.

"I don't have time for this" Zelda shook her head.

"That's not what I asked" Aiwin put a warm, protective hand on hers "do you want to marry, princess?"

"No" Zelda closed her eyes, because no, she didn't want that. It was clear to her that as a princess she had no right to love, she had to take a husband who suited her status and whom her father would choose for her. Princesses did not get married out of love or affection, they married out of duty. Her own parents had barely known each other before their wedding, and yet they had been happy together. Over the years they'd spend side by side, the sense of duty had turned into respect, and eventually love.

That gave her hope, hope that she too would be lucky when the time finally came, that she would marry a man who would appreciate her as her father had appreciated her mother. But if she had the chance to postpone this moment, then she would do it. She would allow herself that tiny spark of selfishness, this one time, because after all, the rescue of her kingdom did not depend on her marriage, at least not yet.

"Then you shouldn't" Aiwin said "do what you think is right" it was like a permission and she was as happy as a little child about it. Yes, she could allow herself this selfishness a little longer, only on this one matter.

Since the map of Hyrule changes from game to game, I decided to use the one Breath of the Wild as a guide. For certain reasons it will not be one-to-one the same, but the key locations such as Kakariko, the realm of the Zoras or the death mountain are in the same place as in BotW. The reason for this is that, firstly, it is the largest map and, secondly, I know my way around it the best. I finished the most quests, I don't have all the Korok seeds yet, I only had around 300, then I didn't feel like it anymore, but I've been everywhere. So it was only natural to use this map. The story takes place long before BotW and also before the prehistory of BotW, i.e. before the titans were built for the first time. So at least 10,000 years ago, but after Zelda the Adventure of Link.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Any kind of criticism is, as always, very welcome and highly encouraged.