Eight Years Later

"Link?" If he heard him, he was not showing it. "Link!" the young man kicked his fellow novice on the foot, jolting him awake. Link sat up straight, grimacing. His ears were immediately blasted with a barrage of horses trotting and wood grinding against cobblestone.
"Pippit?" Link groaned, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"
"Almost afternoon, that's what! We're almost there!" Pippit scolded. As his vision cleared, Link noticed all the knights-to-be sitting around him. The sun was shining surprisingly bright through the fabric of the carriage. Made at a surprising size to accommodate two dozen people, the interior's size was spacious enough to allow single file walking up and down between the seats. Realising he had slept in, something he had done quite often and developed a reputation for, Link hastily brushed down his uniform and patted down his hair into slightly less of a mess. Although he had spent all his teenage years on intensive training, from physical exercise to hunting and sparring, Link remained quite skinny in comparison to the others, his dark-blue uniform and chainmail almost hanging from him. This was but one of a few barriers that Link saw between himself and his comrades.
"Aw, leave him be." A voice to Link's left chided in. "Little fella needs his beauty sleep." Groose. A surprisingly large fellow with a snarky attitude Link could not help but take an immediate dislike to when they met. Although they had become quite civil with one another over the years, Groose could not seem to help but make him feel small, both literally and mentally. If it were not for his silly feather-like hairdo, Link would have found him intimidating. Pippit said nothing in response to Groose's teasing, but he still shot him a brief glare, silencing him. Average in build and very by the book, Pippit carried himself as though he were already a knight, somewhat mentoring his fellow trainees. He also seemed to have developed something of a daily tradition of scolding Link whenever he slept in, which is to say every morning. There were other novices here, all determined to become knights of Hyrule through whatever trials their years of training demanded of them. And Link, much to his own embarrassment, could never remember their names. He primarily talked only with Pippit or Groose more than the others, enough to learn that both their families boasted past generations of knights over the centuries. Groose once, Link remembered, boasted that he was named after an ancestor who fought alongside a great hero in the distant past, one chosen by the goddess Hylia herself to slay the Demon King Demise in the distant past. But this was not a day for recounting old fairy tales. Right now, the novices were on their way back into Hyrule, for they have passed the trials and proven their worth after eight long years. Today, they would be knighted.

"Within her chambers, Zelda remained quiet while her mother brushed her waist-length hair. Despite her silence, the Queen noticed her unease. She was fidgeting her fingers, biting her bottom lip and had maintained a generally distracted expression all day.
"You seem a bit on edge." Zelda almost jumped as her mother finally spoke. "Is something wrong?" As she had not stopped her brushing, she decided not to look around.
"I'm fine." She replied. "I'm just…a bit nervous, that's all."
"About your birthday?" the Queen asked, to which the princess nodded. Tomorrow was her eighteenth birthday. Within a matter of hours, her daughter would officially be a woman. Naturally, she suspected, this had no doubt set turmoil in her mind.
"It doesn't feel quite…real yet." Zelda started. "I don't feel any different from any other day, but I feel as though I should." This was not the full story, and the queen knew it.
"You don't feel ready?" She asked. "Is that what you mean?" Zelda hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"I'm just not quite sure if I'm prepared enough for what comes after." She paused for a moment, structuring her explanation in her mind as she went. "Diplomatic duties, the kingdom's infrastructure, responsibility for the wellbeing of Hyrule's citizens."
"Sounds more like a politician than royalty." Her mother commented.
"And suitors." Zelda added. "I'm not looking forward to that." There was a moment of silence before she realised her mother had stopped brushing her hair. She turned around to face her.
"There's really no need to worry yourself with such things yet." The Queen told her. "You may not be a child anymore, but you're not Queen yet."
"I know, but…" Zelda was cut off before she could say anymore.
"You really shouldn't have to stress yourself over such things." She continued. "Tomorrow, just enjoy your special day. I promise, when the sovereignty becomes yours, you will be ready." She placed her hand on her daughter's cheek, caressing it with her thumb. For a moment, she felt as though she was looking at a precious newborn, smiling widely with a mischievous gleam in its green eyes. The Queen smiled and hugged Zelda, who returned it. "I'm so proud of you."
"Mother, please." Zelda muttered in embarrassment as they separated. "If you keep that up, I might cry."
"So would I."
"Perhaps we should stop?"
"Agreed." They both stood up as the Queen proceeded to leave the room. "I had best be joining your father anyway. He is honouring the new knights." Zelda's eyes widened in surprise as something clicked in her mind.
"May I ask who they are?" She asked, trying to conceal her excitement.
"I cannot say." Her mother answered. "Their helmets would conceal their faces as a symbol of their shared devotion as they pledge their allegiance to Hyrule. Whether they reveal them is up to them after the ceremony." Her eyes narrowed. "Why do you ask?"
"Just curious." Zelda avoided her gaze, and so missed her growing smile.
"You still have it, don't you?" She asked. "The token he left to secure his promise." Zelda finally resumed eye contact and nodded. "I thought so." The Queen displayed no surprise, but a small measure of pride and even something resembling admiration. Finally, the Queen left her alone in peace with her thoughts. Once she had the room to herself, Zelda opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. Within lay a baggy green hat, mildly restored by Hyrule's tailors to repair what damage time had inflicted, but otherwise unchanged since it fell into her hands. Zelda picked it up and could not stop herself smiling as she looked at it. If her suspicions about the knighting ceremony were correct, this hat's owner would soon be returning to reclaim it as promised.

Within the courtyard of Hyrule Castle, surrounded by a crowd of nobles, the novices stood side by side in a single line. All stood at attention, their faces hidden beneath their shining metallic helmets. Although they could see clear as day out of the narrow slits made to permit their vision, even their eyes could not be seen from outside. Link was barely able to keep himself composed, though he suspected he may have trembled slightly when the King entered the courtyard. He was flanked by a pair of knights, the Queen and a strange woman Link could not recognise from eight years ago. She was tall, thin and wore robes adorned with symbols, some of which resembled an eye and the triangular formation Link had come to learn was known as the Triforce. Although she did not seem old, she had tied-back white hair and hardened eyes that reminded Link of the knight instructors.
"Initiates." The King began. "You are here because you have chosen to devote your lives to the service and defence of the kingdom of Hyrule." Link almost began to fidget nervously, but forced himself to stop when he glanced at his fellow novices, all standing perfectly rigid as though they were statues. He was grateful for the helmet hiding his embarrassment.
"Do you swear" the King continued "that with the power of Din, you will fight for this kingdom against any and all who threaten it?"
"We swear." The novices all responded in unison.
"Do you swear" the King's voice resounded once more "that with the wisdom of Nayru, you will safeguard the culture of this kingdom and represent the finest the Knights of Hyrule have to offer?"
"We swear." Link suddenly noticed something about the King's companions. There was someone missing. Out of nowhere, Link's anxiety gave way to concern.
"Do you swear" the King asked one final time "that with the courage of Farore, you will safeguard this kingdom at any cost, including your very lives?"
"We swear." The novices answered without a hint of hesitation. The King nodded in apparent satisfaction.
"Then by the grace of the goddesses, I welcome you, Knights of Hyrule." As the King spoke these words, the knights knelt as one without a word. Link dared a glance upwards and could have sworn the strange woman was looking directly at him. He looked down again, hoping she had not noticed.
After a moment of kneeling, the knights were dismissed and began to exit the courtyard in single file. No regard was spared for the applause of the lords and ladies spectating the ceremony. As professional as they may have thought this looked, Link strongly suspected that Pippit would be the only one maintaining such a demeanour once they returned to their quarters.
"Knight?" Link froze as he heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned and found himself face to face with the Queen. To Link's surprise, she did not seem much older than he remembered. "May I ask that you remove your helmet?" Reluctantly, he obeyed.
"I suspected as much." The Queen stated. "There was something about your bearing. And your size." Link almost reached up to scratch the back of his head, but restrained himself. He already felt awkward enough. "May I have a word with you in private, Link?"
"Yes, ma'am." Link replied without thinking. As the Queen led him away, he glanced back at the other knights. None of them seemed to acknowledge his absence. As they left the courtyard, Link noticed the King and the strange woman in hushed conversation. He put it down to his imagination, but he felt as though they were looking at him.