"Looks like it's going to snow again today…"
While staring up at the grey sky of the early dawn, the cool glass of the window soon fogged up from the man's breath, thus obscuring his view of the white and grey landscape. Cocking his head to the side, he quickly drew a Triforce in the condensation with a quick motion and without lifting his finger to complete the symbol. Stepping back, Link admired his work for a moment until it disappeared. The man grabbed the damp towel he'd just discarded and ruffled his wet hair with the material, his bare chest chilling in the air following his bath. The room itself was warm, heated by the roaring fire in the large hearth that dominated a side of the modestly sized room. Bookshelves, a settee, table, a large wardrobe and a four-poster bed were the other main components of the bedroom but were nothing too extravagant or detailed, just how Link had wanted them to be. Simple tapestries covered most of the exposed stone of the walls to further reduce the winter's chill from perforating the room and thick rugs cushioned Link's bare feet. His bathroom door remained open to help air out any remaining steam and ghostly tendrils of moisture were crawling slowly across the threshold before finally dissipating.
Comfortable being alone in the nude, the hero took his time to dry his hair before he stepped in front of a full-body mirror. Neither was he admiring his nude figure nor succumbing to some sense of vanity, but rather Link turned his torso to be able to see the back of his right shoulder and deem how well a healing cut was doing.
"She's improving fast," he mused quietly with a slight smirk, not referring directly to the wound but rather its source.
The cut was long and thin, from a sword's blade, but thankfully hadn't been very deep when it had occurred, though the sight of blood had been enough to stop any further training from taking place. However, if Link took anything from the experience, he knew that next time he'd be less enthusiastic about practising with the sword shirtless, so really it was his own damn fault he'd gotten cut. Sighing and relaxing his posture, Link was about to continue with his dressing before relenting to his ego and took a moment to look at his reflection. All traces of baby fat or his laxer days in Ordon were long gone from his appearance and had instead been hardened with the muscles of a man. The muscles of his thighs and legs bulged with strength and hours of training and riding, his abdominal muscles were ridged and defined, tight and hard, and his arms were equally lean and strong, though his left was slightly more muscled due to his left-handedness. By definition, Link wasn't heavily muscled, well toned would be a better description, but there was enough of a noticeable change in his physical appearance from when he had first pledged himself to Queen Zelda that a small smile did creep into his lips. Running a hand over his pectorals, scratching idly, Link gazed over the light trail of hair extending from his bellybutton down to his loins. Reaching down to graze a finger across the trimmed brown hair of his groin, a shade darker than the hair on his head, and the man recalled the time of his life when he could turn into a wolf and fur covered his entire body. However, ever since he had drawn the Master Sword from its pedestal, any remaining darkness dwelling within him had been subdued once again and no longer did he crave to howl or growl. Sometimes he wondered if in fact that was why he had struggled so much back in Ordon and with Ilia and perhaps why he had felt so disconnected with everything.
Shaking his head of the past, not wanting to go down that road of thought today, Link gave his naked figure one last glance over before moving away from the mirror and retrieved some pants and undergarments from his wardrobe. Pulling on the clothes, Link couldn't help but recall one of the last things the Hero of Time had told him before he left. The knight had joked that Link had some growing up to do and, as it turned out, the Hero's Shade had been right. Link was now over five inches taller than what he had been when he had left Ordon and no longer could Sir Faris make fun of his height. He was a full-grown man now and running his hand quickly over his chin, Link felt a patch of stubble that he had missed while shaving, but he had no time to deal with it now. Standing and lacing up his pants, the Hylian went over in his mind what needed to be done for the day, snow or no snow. Winters in Hyrule were short and temperate with actual snow being a rarity, let alone sticking on the ground, but this year seemed to be slighter colder than normal. Usually, winters were cool and rainy with the mountain ranges marking Hyrule's borders trapping much of the cold amongst their peaks and the Great Desert ensured Hyrule remained moderately warm even during the colder months. This year had just been colder and a short autumn had brought the winter winds faster than usual. Even so, the snow hadn't caused any major troubles around the country but had transformed the landscape into a realm of mystical whiteness.
When spring arrived in about a month, the season would mark the fifth year since Link pledged himself to Her Majesty, Queen Zelda. From the moment that Link had taken a knee before his queen and became her squire, his life had changed dramatically. That day, he had set out in the morning from Ordon without a destination in mind and by night, Link found himself being invited to live in the very same house as the Queen of Hyrule herself. At first, Link had tried to politely decline the offer, stating that he could stay in the barracks with the other guardsmen, but the queen would not allow it and had said as much.
"I appreciate and respect your humility but a figure such as yourself paired with your deeds, promises you leisure and allowances that if not accepted, I fear that people might question why their Hero is not being better treated. Can you understand my meaning, Link?" Link had understood, or at least tried to, what Queen Zelda meant but he did ask of her that if he did live in the house that he wanted to be treated like a guard and not as a noble.
The Queen promised Link that this would be so and to prove it, as well as to keep her promise that his training to become a knight would begin immediately, Zelda set Link up in a room on the main floor and that his training would begin the following morning under Captain Jerret. In the span of a day, Link had gone from living in a Ordonian tree house to the finest house in Castle Town, which had more riches and finery within a single room than Link had ever seen before in his whole life. The house itself belonged to one of the noble families of Hyrule, for there were seven families in total, and its wealthiest for five generations has been the Gefion family. The family's current patriarch, Euros, had made it clear enough his annoyance of being forced to leave his lavish home and have to take up residence in the town's inn, but was courteous enough to his queen that he referred to the move as "his noble obligation to the Royal Family". Link disliked the man instantly and he didn't try hard to hide his disdain. That first night within the home, Link had just laid awake on a rather soft and luxurious bed in pure disbelief, yet when he finally did fall asleep he found that for the first time in five months he could sleep without waking from nightmares. That in itself ought to have been enough to show that what he was doing was what he was supposed to be doing, that becoming a squire and pursuing knighthood was his destiny, his future. Well, that's how he saw it anyway.
Over the next couple of weeks, Link struggled with becoming accustomed to living with a royal while adjusting to his strict training routine. Captain Jerret's training regiment matched his personality: hard, determined, but softened when Jerret needed to ensure that Link understood an instruction. The pair trained on the grounds of Hyrule Castle, which was under construction by masons and Gorons. At first Link was unsettled with being so near to the place where he had battled Ganondorf, so when he had first come up to the damaged castle, the young man had almost turned around but was stopped by the captain.
"I know what you must be thinking, but you cannot change the past, Link. You should not run from it, but you can learn from it and given enough time it will help you make you strong." The captain had spoken to Link in his deep voice, tone serious and stern, yet guiding, and Link had to take a second look at the captain because what he said was almost exactly what the Hero of Time had told him. It made him miss the knight all the more but Jerret was right, so Link faced the castle undaunted and continued onward. Thus was how their training began.
Link easily excelled through the basic forms and swordplay and their sessions quickly gained audiences with the younger guardsmen who were entranced with watching the Saviour of Hyrule train and display his skills. Rusl had trained Link properly and Jerret reinforced any basic skills Link needed improving on, while the Hero's Shade had taught him the advanced skills that set Link apart from anyone else in Hyrule. Even so, there was still a lot that the captain was able to teach the hero before he could advance in his instruction. Hours of drilling, perfecting forms, learning standard battle plans like how to defend a castle, and overall how to be a Hyrulean Soldier filled the Hylian's days. The more Link became involved with the military, the more he became involved with the universal defence of Hyrule.
Queen Zelda also saw to it that she regularly held an audience with Link to discuss Hyrule's defensive future and took his advice very seriously. A few months after Link began his training he asked the queen why she listened to him when there were far more experienced men like Captain Jerret who knew far more than he did. In response, she told him simply, "True that there may be men more experienced than you are when it comes to advanced military tactics or what to do during a siege and alike. However you, Link, have experienced more than any other man has when it concerns defending Hyrule because you know firsthand what true evil looks like and how it may be defeated. Hence, why your word I hold in such high esteem, at least one of the reasons anyway."
Link didn't entirely understand her but the way she said it showed to him how much Zelda trusted his word and counsel and didn't ask any further.
Within six months since becoming a squire, Link graduated past standard training with Jerret and Zelda enlisted Link to begin training with a true Hyrulean knight, Sir Faris, one of the only knights left in Hyrule following Zant's Invasion. The first time Link was introduced with the knight, who had been recuperating from the Battle of the Throne for the past year, as the initial usurping of Zant had become to be known as, the squire had stiffened. Link gained instant respect for the knight even before the man had said a word to him. Sir Faris, a man of an easy six foot four, with a single ponytail of blond hair extending from the back of his rather bald head and was only accompanied by the knight's thick and blond moustache. The knight was built like a Goron, and probably could wrestle one down without the aid of any Iron Boots, even with his left arm ending at the shoulder. When the knight saw Link staring at him, the man did not hesitant to strike the hero so hard that Link had lost unconsciousness. As Link was later told, during the Battle of the Throne one of Zant's Shadow Beasts had gotten hold of the knight in its jaws and when Zelda had surrendered it had kept Faris' arm as a prize, thus leaving the knight to die. Sir Faris was more tenacious and stronger than that and had managed to escape the castle and find refuge in town but was too weak to be of any further use. It had taken the whole year since Zant's initial invasion for his wound and strength to heal and return but the knight would not tolerate being treated differently or pitied because of the loss of his arm.
"It is not the arm that wields that sword that defines a knight but his heart! If I catch you looking at my stump again, prepare for another blackened eye, boy," Sir Faris had told Link once he had woken up, and that was their first meeting.
Amputee or not, Link soon learned that Sir Faris was not about to let the simple fact that he was missing a limb slow him down. The knight regarded the queen's request for him to train none other than the Saviour of Hyrule as his own way of proving his loyalty to the crown, to Hyrule, and to redeem his honour for not being able to protect Zelda from Zant. That said, he wasn't about to let Link's reputation and fame dictate that he be treated any differently from any other squire and that Link would need to earn Faris' respect through his training. Where Jerret had been stern and patient with his training, Sir Faris was loud, determined, harsh, and strict to the point where sweat dripped from Link's face or he was nearly falling over with exhaustion. At one point Link even dislocated his shoulder during a training exercise and dropped his sword. The knight had no such time for injuries and instructed for Link to pop his own shoulder back in, continue training, and to stop wasting his time.
"Battle has no patience or time for pain or injury so: if you succumb to pain, you will lose the battle and you will die. Plain and simple now get back to it," the knight had said as he watched the young warrior cry out when his shoulder popped back into its socket.
Each night, Link would return to the Zelda and no matter how exhausted he was, he would speak with the queen even if she ordered him to rest. To Link, his training was of high importance but he also insisted that he remain active and involved with Zelda's pursuit for peace and truces across Hyrule, namely with the Gerudo. The tribe of women was cautious and slow to deal with the Hyruleans, though Zelda had at least accomplished with her dignitaries a frail treaty with them. With the help of the Gorons, the Hyruleans had reopened the trail from Lake Hylia to the Great Desert for better access for horses and materials with the tribe. Often, when Link wasn't being bruised and worn down from his training with Faris, the hero would accompany the queen's envoys to visit the Gerudo and help oversee the building of the Gerodo's new fortress. The women visibly were distrusting of the Hyrulean intrusion and aid, but even they would acknowledge that the Great Desert was the tribe's homeland. Their few numbers meant help was a necessity so they begrudgingly accepted. This also meant that to some degree the Hylians also were privy to the design of the Gerudo's Fortress, which could prove useful if relations turned sour. The current matriarch of the tribe, a Gerudo named Nabila, confirmed that while they may be warriors they needed the resources of the Hyruleans and admitted that since their banishment that the tribe's bloodlines were in trouble.
The Gerudo were a tribe made up entirely of women while men were regarded simply as means of procreation. According to rumours, women would 'claim' a man as theirs and thereby the father of any child that may come from any sexual encounters. Gerudo culture has always been shrouded in mystery and guarded jealously by the women, but even from his first few visits to the desert Link noticed that the youngest Gerudo visible were in their adolescence with no young children present. The only true fact that most Hyruleans did know about Gerudo was that only one male was born to the tribe every century and would be their king until his death and Ganondorf had been the last king. Banishment into the surrounding mountain ranges had been hard on the Gerudo with child bearing decreasing to nearly zero children born a year, thus the main reason why they accepted the treaty with Hyrule, and also why no king had been born to the tribe yet.
One particular night, around three months into his training with Faris, Link was having his regular private audience with the queen and by that point, the two had developed a fairly good friendship and Link had become pretty comfortable around the ruler.
"Zelda," he began, wetting his lips to make sure he knew what he was asking,
"Yes, Link?" The queen responded, sitting across from him in her study aside a small fire. Upon her desk were stacks of paperwork waiting to be read or signed but Zelda always set her work aside to be able to focus all her attention on Link, a courtesy that still made the young man blush.
"I was thinking that perhaps after my training with Sir Faris is completed, or even whenever you choose, that I may become a more constant presence with the Gerudo so that they may begin to trust me."
"And what do you think this will accomplish?" the queen asked though not with a disapproving tone, but one of pure curiosity.
"I was hoping that perhaps if I gained the favour of the Gerudo, that one day I might be able to train with them. I have seen them duel and…." Pausing, at a loss for words, Link ran a hand through his hair and shrugged at his queen, causing her to smile. "They are amazing to watch, I admit."
"So, what you're saying is that you wish to learn the art of the famed swordplay of the Gerudo?"
"Yes, if I'm even accepted or if you allow for me to try. Their skills are remarkable and if I'm able to learn from them, it'll only improve Hyrule's relationship with the tribe because they'll trust me better, I'm sure of it. There's so much distrust towards the Gerudo, and with good reasons I'm sure, but maybe I can better help your goal of uniting Hyrule more than me sitting here talking to you. Not that I don't like it! I mean I love talking with you- or, well, maybe not love... I very much like discussing stuff and, ah...""
Zelda just sat there smiling at him, watching him fumble with his words and becoming increasingly red in the face, while she tapped the armrest of her chair and slowly nodded. With a perk of her slender eyebrow, she said, "I must admit, Link, that I had hoped that you would show eagerness with the Gerudo, for I too believe that a better relationship with the tribe must be established. What better way to do this than for the Hero of Hyrule to be our ambassador?"
"Ambassador? I, wait. So… you're saying that…?"
"I'm asking, Link, if you will be our official ambassador to the Gerudo and in doing so, perhaps you just may be accepted into their ranks and be taught their skills. What say you?"
Following a moment of confusion, a wide grin spread on Link's face and with a loud clap he exclaimed, "I say yes! Of course!"
Chuckling at his antics, Zelda held up a finger before saying, "Though your training with Sir Faris comes first."
"Obviously," Link admitted with his own chuckle before Zelda changed the subject and inquired how his training was doing.
Following that discussion, Link's life became even more chaotic with his knighthood training, being Hyrule's ambassador to the Gerudo and Queen Zelda's representative, and then also trying to fit meals and sleep into his day. Captain Jerret had cautioned Link that perhaps he was pursuing too much at one time and that he would quickly wear himself down, but Link wanted to keep busy and to push himself further. Unfortunately, it only took a short amount of time for Sir Faris to begin complaining that Link wasn't performing his best in training and for the Gerudo to take notice at how haggard and rough his appearance was becoming when he met with them.
To Faris, Link only asked to be pushed harder and that the knight would not hear any complaint from him. To Nabila, Link said to her, "I may come tired, bleeding, bruised, or beaten but I never will be too busy to meet with you as promised."
His answers seemed to satisfy and perhaps impress both knight and warrior woman.
With time Link grew accustomed to the hectic and hard lifestyle he had taken on and his skills improved, though the Hylian was not the only person in Hyrule with a full schedule. Queen Zelda had a number of projects that she was overseeing and some of which she often asked for Link's opinion on, hence their frequent discussions. One of the first things that Link saw the Queen have completed that she had commissioned was a monument in memoriam to those who had fallen in the Battle of the Throne and Zant's Invasion, which included those massacred in Kakariko Village and the death of the Zora's queen. The monument itself was a work of art: a grand pyramid of obsidian, ten feet high, to represent the Twilight that had descended upon Hyrule and upon the pyramid was every inhabitant's name engraved in white alabaster. In addition, Zelda had commissioned the creation of a smaller monument in dedication to none other than Midna, Princess of the Twilight, for her involvement in the salvation of Hyrule and her near sacrifice to help protect it from Ganondorf. The reveal of the tribute had brought tears to Link's eyes because it was a sculpture of the complete Fused Shadow, drawn from memory by Zelda herself for the sculptor.
The memorials were well received and it was during their unveiling that Queen Zelda announced that along with the reconstruction of the Castle, work also would begin on the defensive walls that would encompass Hyrule Field from Castle Town's south, west and east gates, ensuring an extra line of defence. In the eastern section of Hyrule Field, a permanent road would be built to connect the path fro Kakariko Village and Death Mountain with Castle Town, promising a secure trade and travel route for inhabitants that would have a constant presence from Hyrulean Soldiers. Zelda continued by announcing the building of a large ranch that would occupy nearly the whole of the eastern field with thick gates being installed on either end of Eldin Bridge.
Such extensive undertakings that the queen promised would be expensive and the nobility complained as much. In response, Queen Zelda ordered the mandatory tax of the noble houses to give up a percent of their gold and jewels while Zelda herself nearly emptied the Castle's treasury to quell any further arguments. While living in Castle Town, Link had quickly learned that he did not like any of the nobility, whom he considered pompous, snobbish, and dangerously conniving. Link preferred to refrain from conversing with any of them, choosing rather to focus on his own training and duties than indulge in gossip or the flirtations from the noblewomen or the endless inquires from the noblemen. It didn't take long for Link's presence in Castle Town to circulate and before he knew it, the hero found himself to be the most eligible bachelor in all of Hyrule. Every noble house wanted him to marry their daughter and even if marriage wasn't on their minds, Link was pretty sure that each woman at least wanted to visit his bed, a thought that both terrified and embarrassed him. Apparently having the Saviour of Hyrule as a son-in-law was a big deal and Link found the politics of it all irritating.
The pursuit of his name and seed only increased when Link finally achieved knighthood.
Under Sir Faris' tutelage Link excelled in his training and just shy of his second year of being a squire, the Hylian had mastered all of the knight's teachings and was told that he was ready to take on his final tests. For days following this announcement, Link continued to train to ensure that he would pass his tests on his first try. Stress was beginning to wear on his mentality and Zelda told him to take a break and have a week to gather himself before he endured the so-called "Knight Examinations." Link agreed and took her advice, taking Epona out and simply traveled around Hyrule, camping out beneath the stars, checking up on the building of the defence walls, and enjoying being out on the move without any duties. Aside from his training and ambassadorial responsibilities, Link hadn't much been able to spend time with his mare, especially given the fact that not long after Link had moved into Castle Town he had found out that Epona was pregnant.
Link had been furious and it had taken Zelda some time to calm the frantic and enraged man down. Once the pregnancy was realized and upon further investigation, it was theorized that when the silver bay mare had been moved from the town's stables to the castle's, she had mistakenly been penned right next to Captain Jerret's charger. The stallion had made short work with the fence and covered Epona. The captain of the guard had seen that those responsible with the horses were punished while Link struggled with his earlier fear of losing Epona of her being in foal and thus being unable to be his mount. It had been Zelda who pulled Link aside and help him see that not only would Epona make a great mother and that any colt she bore would be as legendary as its mother. Additionally, with Hyrule entering a new era of peace and rebuilding a birth would be a fine way to begin.
"You truly are wise, Zelda," Link had said quietly, relenting to her advice upon more reflection that Epona's pregnancy ought not to be perceived as a burden but as a gift of life. Still, it took a good few weeks for Link to get over being annoyed.
When Epona went into labour about eleven months later, Link was present to help with the foaling and even pulled the baby from his mother. The foal was a colt with a black coat like his sire but had inherited his dam's white mane, tail, and feathers. When the queen came out to meet the foal, Link had given her an offer.
"My queen, I mean Zelda… Ah, I appreciate all that you've done for me thus far, I hope that you know that. But you know, when I was fourteen I bought Epona as a filly and trained her myself. I found that there's a certain kind of feeling of achievement and worth from training your own horse and it helped me grow past a few things that were still weighing me down. So now with this colt, I was thinking of giving him to... umm, you actually, if you want him of course."
"Me?"
"Well, yeah," Link said with a shrug, leaning his arms against the temporary fence of the pasture, chin on his arms, as he and the queen watched Epona and her son. "I thought that once that colt's old enough, I could help you train him so he'll become your mount, one you can trust as much as I trust Epona."
Zelda had stared at him for a moment, rousing a blush in Link's cheeks and he pointedly stared forward at the horses, but he glanced at her when he saw her smile in his peripheral. Looking on at the colt, she said, "I'll name him Arion," before she met his gaze, and Link smiled in reply.
Resting his head against Epona's belly, Link opened his eyes and the memory drifted away as he lounged in the grass of Hyrule Field while his mare lay behind him, napping. Zelda had asked him to take a week to prepare mentality for his Knight Examinations and tonight he would be returning to Castle Town. Arion, a yearling now, had begun training with Zelda herself halter-breaking him in and forming a bond with the colt under Link and Jerret's guidance. Zelda had been around horses all her life but hadn't trained one herself and had taken to Arion and his training as a source of escape from her royal responsibilities. Link didn't blame her, the queen worked almost as hard as he did and the hero admired her dedication to her land and people.
Leaning up for a moment to remove his hat, Link set his head back against Epona, rousing a sleepy nicker from the mare, and the Hylian idly looked over the material of his green cap, thinking. He thought of Zelda, of the Hero of Time, all that Sir Faris had taught him, and a dozen other things. His twentieth birthday was in a week and with his graduation into knighthood, Zelda had promised a grand celebration to commemorate his inauguration into the Hylian Knights, as well as Link formally joining the Royal Guard, and his birthday. Link was horrified by this announcement and Zelda had laughed at his expression much to his chagrin.
Exactly what the Knight Examinations entailed was a mystery until Link actually began them. Normally, squires needed to be at least twenty-one to be ready to be knighted but even Sir Faris admitted that Link's natural skill with the sword, his advanced knowledge of fighting, his keen understanding and experience of being able to handle himself in battle, and how fast Link had been able to learn and utilize warfare, siege and military tactics and strategy had impressed the seasoned knight more than once. Link was naturally quiet and when it came to academic stuff, he knew that he wasn't the brightest, but give him a mock battle plan or siege strategy and things just made sense and Link was taking command of the room with a strong voice. Who knew that a boy from Ordon was actually a master tactician? The Hylian found it easy to visualize the movement of battalions, anticipate possible counter-attacks, and memorizing strategies took minimal effort.
The setting of the sun had ushered Link to saddle up Epona and return to Castle Town, nerves in his stomach, for the next day.
Sir Faris had hinted what the tests for knighthood vaguely once or twice, had eluded that they would push Link to his limit and test his every skill, and would be the most arduous task he had ever endured. So, it was safe to say that the moments before the trial Link was fidgety. The Knight Examinations would take place in Castle Town Square, in front of where everyone could see and how the tests remained a secret Link had no idea, but the thought of being in front of all those people was enough for his heart to race. The Hylian sat in the Queen's residence, outside he could hear the roar of the exited crowd, and the comforting weight of the Master Sword and Hylian Shield upon his back was all the young man had to keep him from losing his calm. Finally when Link was called, he took a deep breath, hardened his nerve, stood and stepped outside.
To be met by roaring applause.
The day was sunny, bright and warm, and for a moment Link was stunned by the sharp brightness and the sudden assault of noise in his ears. Stumbling forward in confusion while he followed two of his fellow guardsmen, Link came to a stop when he saw Zelda and Captain Jerret standing there waiting for him midway up the path which lead to the bridge of the castle. Sir Faris, who stood with his one hand upon his sword, grinned smugly down at Link with an expression that clearly read that he was trying not to laugh. In shock, Link took a wary step back and accidentally bumped into a guardsman, who gently pushed him forward to walk with a small chuckle that thickened the blush in Link's cheeks. As it turned out, there were no final tests, no excruciatingly difficult tasks to complete, except to be knighted and the week Link had taken off was long enough for preparations for the ceremony to be made. Coming before Zelda and Faris, Link's expression clearly showed his annoyance, relief and disbelief while his grin expressed his overwhelmingly sense of astonishment.
"You complete and wonderful sonofabitch of an asshole…" Link choked out with a chuckle and Faris just laughed heartily with a mischievous look in his eyes.
When the crowd quieted, Zelda addressed her people and had Link draw the Master Sword and knelt. Sir Faris then had him recite the Oath of Chivalry before Zelda had him take his oath and swear himself into knighthood before she touched each of his shoulders with the tip of a ceremonial sword and when he stood with the rise of the roaring crowd, Link was a Knight of Hyrule and would henceforth be known as "Sir Link". His training had taken less than two years and any 'tests' that he needed to overcome Link did so without knowing, passing them under Sir Faris' watchful eye. The celebration of Link achieving knighthood lasted a full two days, only to be rekindled tenfold on his twentieth birthday and just as she had promised, Zelda publicly accepted him into her Royal Guard and named him, as her knight, the Personal Guard to the Queen. Merriment endured for a full week in Castle Town before life returned to normal and work on the castle, walls and ranch resumed.
Over the next three years, progress continued throughout the land of Hyrule for all of its inhabitants. The Zora saw the marriage of King Ralis to his bride, Rupali, and the royal pair was expecting their first child in the upcoming summer. The Gorons were prospering as well, with their constant presence in aiding Hyrule with the construction projects and having also established a healthy trade route for their goods, like minerals and spring water, to sell in Hyrule Market. Kakariko Village had nearly returned to full operation and had once again become a bustling community with Barnes' Bombs expanding from a booming business, no pun intended, and the grand reopening of the Elde Inn. The extensive walls surrounding Hyrule Field have been completed and gained the title of 'The Fence,' with a width of six feet and a height of twenty feet. Such a feat was due in part with Link himself, whose relationship with the Gorons had strengthened over the years since he freed their Goron Patriarch, Darbus, from a curse of the Twilight. Having been fully embraced as a Goron 'brother', Link has spent many hours with the tribe as a diplomat and friend.
Link's ambassadorial duties with the Gerudo became limited once he became a knight for his true duty was to remain by Zelda's side; however, it was the queen who insisted that he should continue to visit the tribe of women, seeing as how Link still wished to earn enough of the Gerudo's trust in order to train with them. Nabila held a healthy resentment towards the Hyruleans and only tolerated Link's presence for the sake of the treaty. However, his persistence, determination, and strength did impress the woman and steadily she allowed him to begin to spar with some of the women. The Gerudo fought with glaive-like weapons and scimitars, blades Link found difficult to fight against with the Master Sword, mainly due to the Gerudo's famous speed and litheness. The Hylian was more than able to hold his own, but he did struggle and needed to work harder to ensure that his calf wasn't slashed or something. The completion of the Gerudo fortress was met with great celebration for it meant that the tribe could begin to rear children once again. That was a topic of unease and Link was well aware that the Gerudo were hoping for a male child who would mark the arrival of a new king while the Hyrulean nobility were wary of another Ganondorf-like figure. Relations were tense to say the least but Link truly believed, and would tell Zelda as much, that the Gerudo would not face another situation that would have them banished and ranks depleted as had happened with Ganondorf, for the tribe's existence depended on it.
"That reminds me, I need to mention to Zelda that Nabila needs more blankets for the babies…"
Pausing with his long shirt pulled halfway down his bare torso, Link frowned and began biting at his lower lip to hurry up because if he wasted anymore time he was going to be late and the Hylian hated being late. Pulling on his chain mail before his green tunic and belt before quickly pulling on his leather boots lined with rabbit fur for the cold and grabbed his gloves. Tugging on his green cap, smothering his wild light brown locks, he headed for the door and grabbed the Master Sword and shield from their places on a table. Slipping the sheathed blade and shield upon his back, Link donned the thick and large, deep crimson cape that hung from his shoulders but draped low from his neck so he could still easily access his sword while remaining warm in the winter's cold. Slipping on the leather gloves snuggly over his gauntlets, the hero made one final take to make sure he was appropriately attired before exiting the room.
Closing his door behind him, Link's boots echoed down the firelight hall and when he met a guard, the knight would dip his head slightly in greeting and be met by a simple, "Sir Link". Even months after having moved into the now reconstructed, reinforced and fortified castle, Link still found it hard to adjust to being waited on and held in such high respect, though most of that came from being knighted on top of his heroism. Still, having servants, personal chefs, butlers and alike was a completely different world than the one Link grew up in so, if he could help it at least, the hero tried to keep his life as simple as possible. The walls were decorated moderately with portraits of royalty, fantastic scenes and tapestries but the man paid none of them any attention. Link's quarters were within the west wing of Hyrule Castle, along with the queen's, which was understandable seeing his position. As Personal Guard to the Queen and her royal knight, it was expected that the Hylian didn't leave Zelda's side so he was obligated to room near hers but Link had made a stand to prefer a smaller and simpler room. Just because he was living in a castle now, didn't mean he needed to surround himself with finery and lavishness, it just didn't suit Link. The knight came to a grand staircase and descended quickly down the steps, his cape billowing out behind him, he kept his fast pace once he reached the bottom. Down halls and taking turns, speeding up to a jog in places before finally he came to a set of doors that were opened for him by a pair of guards.
With the door open, the winter's chill greeted Link with a cool kiss upon his cheek and a few drifting snowflakes on his hair. Pulling his cape more around his arms, Link proceeded forward down the path, snow and slush scrunching beneath his boots, towards the castle's stables. The sun had yet to fully breach the tops of the curtain walls and the grey day cast a dim glow across the snow grounds. The crimson-cloaked figure of a hero walked directly towards the firelight of the stables situated in the shadow of the massive walls. Waiting for him was a slim figure clad in a long and elegant, light-blue cloak with the hood drawn up to obscure the person's face; the blue-cloaked figure was standing next to a tall and young black stallion and was stroking the steed's nose. Link jogged up with a smile on his face to slide to a stop before the person.
"Morning! Sorry I'm late, I-"
"Slept in. It's all right, I figured as much so I had Epona saddled for you."
Zelda turned to her knight with a smile on her delicate lips and a fine eyebrow arched in amusement. Link chuckled and shrugged with bashfulness and closed the few feet between them to stand right next to her. Arion, Zelda's mount and Epona's son, paid the hero no attention but continued to nuzzle his mistress affectionately, at least until the clops of approaching hooves announced the arrival of his mother. Epona quickly left behind the stable hand leading her and trotted up to meet Link with a nuzzle of her own before turning to greet her colt. Link and Zelda watched silently the two horses meet before the queen turned to face her knight.
"How is your shoulder today?"
"Oh! Fine, really," Link said, catching her eye and emphasized his words by rolling his wounded shoulder. "You really only grazed it so there's nothing to worry about, like I told you yesterday."
Zelda sighed and slightly rolled his eyes, not wanting to engage in the same conversation the pair have had a dozen or more times already in the past, but the smile tugged at her lips loosened her tongue. "Hero, knight, and Hyrulean Soldier, yet you were bested with the sword by none other than your queen."
"Hey," Link interjected, pointing a finger at her with a grin on his lips, "You only won because... well, for one thing, I'm a great teacher, and another being that I was going easy on you. So... I let you win, really."
"Yes, I am sure," Zelda replied meeting his eye and reaching up to pinch his gloved finger between hers, "Though you will have to try harder than that to change the minds of all the men who saw me win, " before she lightly pulled his finger down and patted his hand.
Link's expression was fighting between continuing their friendly spat, laughing, and competitive annoyance before he simply lifted his chin to look down at the woman, sporting a triumphant and stubborn smile to beam down at her. "Fine. Next time I won't go so easy on you and we'll see how well your training is truly going."
A gentle prod to his stomach deflated Link's bravado and he chuckled, dramatically rubbing where Zelda and poked him. For nearly five years the Hylian had spent with the queen, now completely comfortable calling her by name even in proper settings, and the pair have developed a deep and close friendship. Around Link, Zelda was able to act more playfully, casually, and less formally than what would normally be required from her and in return, Link was able to be himself without having to act like a stern, serious, and honourable knight. Basically, if Link dared to call Zelda "my Lady" or "Your Majesty," she either would glare at him, ignore him, or if the moment called for it, hit him gently to emphasize that really she did not like being remained that she was the queen around him. The majority of Hyrule saw their queen as proper, elegant, graceful and above all wise and while she indeed had all of these fine qualities amongst others, she also was a young woman who had a sense of humour and longed for moments of freedom from her gilded cage of royalty. One such outlet that Zelda often enjoyed to get away from her royal duties was a regular ride with Link around Hyrule Field.
On this fine and snowy morning the queen was adorned in warm knee-high boots, brown riding breeches and a dark blue frock coat beneath her cloak with her arms sheathed in the thick material of a white chemise. Her long brunette hair was hanging off her right shoulder in a thick braid and her fair face remained as beautiful as ever even without any jewels or her ornate crown. Simply put, the monarch looked as stunning as ever and Link knew that he would never hear her complain about the weather or if she got dirty or something, for he was very much aware that the slender woman was much tougher than her appearance revealed. In the snowy landscape, Zelda's blue attire subtly stood out while Link's green and crimson were a dramatic comparison. Letting his eyes admire her presence for a moment too long, the queen looked up at him with a curious look
"Ready?" Link asked, turning to stroke Epona's muzzle.
"You were the one that was late." Zelda reminded him before she gracefully mounted Arion to look down at him, "Are you?"
Shaking his head with a chuckle, giving her that one, Link also mounted up and gripped Epona's reins, nudging the mare forward with Zelda falling into his stride. The pair of riders headed out of the palace grounds and crossed the bridge spanning the castle's moat, their horses' hooves echoing on the stone. As they descended into Hyrule Town and passed guards and townspeople, all of whom bowed to their queen respectably. Link couldn't help but wave at a group of children who rushed out to wave and grin up at him in awe before their mother gently scolded them for ignoring the queen entirely. Link only chuckled and glanced over at Zelda, who was smiling kindly to all with a proper seat and posture of decorum. In comparison to such propriety, Link was smiling and laughing like a fool all the way until they came to the West Gate. Upon their arrival, the pair of guards posted at the doors pulled them open before bowing to the queen and Hyrule's hero. Waiting for the doors to fully open, Link kicked Epona forward into a smooth canter with Arion following suit after his mother. The pair of horses made their way over the new stone bridge that had replaced its simple wooden predecessor. Touching solid ground again, Link reigned in Epona to a walk for even in the early morning, a Goron and tradesmen occupied the walled trade road that lead to Kakariko Village and in greeting the Goron called out to Link with a hearty "Brother!" to which Link returned accordingly.
"I thought we could visit Lonna Ranch before heading over the Eldin, then we'll make our around to the West Gate today," Link offered to Zelda while merchants bowed their way past to head into town.
"Wanting to visit Colin are you?" Zelda asked while she was busy adjusting the front of her frock and cloak but her tone knew his intentions.
"Well… I, ah," Link stammered, only ending with a shrug that Zelda may not have even seen. The friends had been together long enough that the woman was well aware of how the knight's head worked and he heard her soft chuckle.
Last summer, Colin had arrived in Castle Town and eventually he was directed to Link who received his old friend in a hearty hug. The boy had grown admirably, gaining a layer of muscle from having taking up Link's old duties are Ordon Ranch but the fifteen-year-old had left his forested home to seek out the Hyrulean capital and his old friend. Through all of the jubilance and catching-up between the two men, Colin admitted a shocker to the knight as to why he had truly journeyed from the safety of Ordon, though it wasn't all that surprising once Link thought about it afterwards. Colin was in love with Beth, another Ordonian, and in order to court her properly the teenager wanted to enlist for a two-year duty with the Hyrulean Soldiers to learn how to fight and save up his wages. He already had a house, his inheritance from Link, he just needed the money to be able to start a life together independent from his parents. To Colin, what better why to achieve this than to ask your old friend and knight of Hyrule to help out? Link had considerable sway understandably with the Hyrulean Soldiers and excitedly set Colin on the right track, even gaining him a position at Lonna Ranch, the brand-new and vastly huge set of stables, buildings, huge pastures and corrals that occupied the eastern and largest portion of Hyrule Field, while being safely surrounded by the Fence. Due to Colin's experience and affiliation with horses, the ranch seemed the best place to send the teen after he had passed basic training.
"I was actually thinking that we could go to Lake Hylia," the queen finally admitted after a moment, looking over at Link and the rider were close enough that their legs nearly touched.
"Well," Link began, glancing up at the sun, "You should've said that while we still were in town, then we would've used the West Gate."
"What? Not up for a longer ride?"
The man blinked and watched his queen leave his side and trot her stallion forward before he grinned and nudged Epona to follow. Soon his mare fell into stride with Zelda's younger steed, which had just reached adulthood but seemed to have inherited his mother's patient temperament while gaining his father's strength. There had been concern from her advisers that Zelda ought to ride a more experienced, more trustworthy mount until the stallion had aged a bit more, but Zelda had politely refused. Having trained the colt herself with the help of Link, Zelda was the only rider Arion would allow, for even Link had a difficult time controlling the charger. Arion was kept near his mother and if or when the younger horse did step out of line, especially with Zelda riding him, Epona had in the past stepped in to discipline her son and maintain an alpha mare composure.
For the next hour or so, Link and Zelda rode in silence as they travelled along the southern edge of the Eastern Field, exited through the gate of the Fence, and continued further south. Once the riders rode out into the wide-open space of field did they slow their mounts to a walk in order to talk comfortably. All around them Hyrule had been saturated of colour and white dominated the mountains, hills, rocks and barren trees. It had been years since the majority of the country had been covered in snow and there was no denying the fact that it was beautiful. The moisture in the air promised more snow, just as Link had assumed that morning and midway through the field did the sky finally gave birth to millions of snowflakes. With little wind to disturb them, the falling snow came down softly in big, fluffy flakes that settled lightly on Link and Zelda's cloaks and their horses' manes.
"Even with such unseasonal cold, beauty persists," Link heard Zelda muse and he smiled in agreement, looking over at her.
"Yeah, it is nice, though all of this snow will make for a wet and difficult spring."
"True," the woman whispered, though her knight caught her subtle sigh as the cold exposed the mists of her breath. "The mud will make planting difficult if we don't get enough heat to dry up the soil and then there's the threat of flooding..."
Frowning, Link furrowed his brow and wet his lips but remained quiet. He disliked seeing Zelda even marginally upset or distraught, preferring the lightness of their friendship, the laughter and the honesty. Being Queen of Hyrule and overseeing numerous projects, citizens, treaties, delegations, the hounding of the nobility, and twenty more other issues meant that there were loads of stressful weight on Zelda's shoulders. As her friend, Link tried his best and hardest to keep her smiling because that's what friends did. The more Link had gotten to know Zelda, spent time with her and earned her trust, his sense of loyalty had matured over the years into a burning dedication that consumed him, ensuring that if any danger dared to threaten her that he, as her knight, her guard and lastly as her friend, would do anything to protect her. Since his knighting, Link had gained the authority to train Zelda himself with the sword to better protect herself and if the wound on his shoulder was any indication, she was a force to be reckoned with in a sword fight.
Riding closer that his boot brushed hers, Link coaxed Zelda to look at him and meet his smile. His grin ever being infectious, Zelda's lips twitched upwards as her blue eyes met his. A moment of connection passed between them and Link's grin softened a bit, but the moment ended quickly when Zelda kicked Arion's sides to make the stallion bolt forward into an easy canter and forcing Link to chase after her across the white landscape.
On such a beautiful and peaceful day, it seemed at the time so improbable that anything bad could happen. Peace had returned to Hyrule and happiness flourished as was shown in the smiles of Zelda and Link, though neither of them could have guessed just how terrible such a wonderful day could become.