Link sat in his study. He never sat in the throne room. He just couldn't get used to that huge throne and looking down on everyone. The Hero of Time sighed as he leaned his chin on his hand and stared out the window. "How am I going to tell her?" He whispered to no one in particular. Just then Kellyn came sliding around a book shelf. She had been going at a dead run so that she could do just that. She had hoped to make an exciting entrance except she had misjudge the slickness of the marble floor and she kept right on sliding past the desk. Link watched his daughter as she tried to stop and then brace herself for a very unceremoniously flip over a nearby chair. "Are you OK?" He asked as he came around the desk. Kellyn's legs were still pointed up in the air. "Um yeah. Just a sec!" She said. She then pushed and flopped back over the chair to land on her feet. She leaned against the back of the chair and blew at a stray hair in her face. " I meant to do that." She grinned. With that Link burst out laughing and very nearly fell over. He steadied himself on the desk and looked at her. Kellyn was beet red clear to the tips of her elven ears. "I'm sorry!" He gasped. " I just never know what to expect from you anymore." Kellyn crossed her arms and flopped into the chair she had previously flipped over. She sat in a very unlady like fashion and Link was glad she wasn't wearing a gown for once. "You wanted to see me?" She asked arching a thin eyebrow. Link cleared his throat, "Ahem, ah yes. Yes I did!" He walked over to sit in the chair opposite her. "Your mother and I have decided, well that is we thought......." He trailed off. Why did this have to be so damn hard? It was all his fault, at least that's how Zelda saw it.
"You've treated her like your son." Zelda said. "She has no idea how a princess should act." Link looked at Zelda. "I guess I didn't think we'd ever have a son, I figured she could be both." It had been 16 years since Zelda had conceived Kellyn. Now out of the blue she was pregnant again. While there was no guarantee this child was a boy, there was hope. "I just think that it's time she learned to be a lady." Zelda sighed as she sat heavily on the bed. Link didn't remember her getting nearly this big before. "But why now, don't you think she wants to be here when you have the baby?" Link said. "Of course she does, that's why I think sending her to Princess Ruto now would be perfect!" Zelda said. "The Zora domain is close by and I'm sure Ruto can have her straightened out in no time." "She's not going to like this." Link said more to himself. "I know that's why you are going to be the one to tell her." Zelda mumbled as she fell asleep.
Now Link had to tell his only daughter she was being sent away. "Daddy? Yoo hoo!!!!" Kellyn was waving her arms wildly. Link jolted and blinked. "Sorry, lost myself for a minute." He said rubbing his temples. "What?" Kellyn asked. "As you know your mother is due in a couple weeks." " She has decided that she is definitely carrying a son." Link said taking a deep breath. "Therefore, it's time that you trained to become the princess you were born to be." Kellyn stared blankly at him, her mouth slightly agape. "I've arranged to have you stay in the Zora Domain for a few weeks and for Princess Ruto to train you to be a lady." Link Finished. "You what?!?" Kellyn said standing up. Her face was flushed and her blue eyes were like ice. She trembled with rage. "How could you?" She yelled. Before Link could answer she stormed out of the study.
Kellyn stalked through the hallways. Her face was a mask of rage, her jaw clenched so tight her teeth ached. When she finally reached the courtyard she threw herself down on the bench. She sat there and stared at the ground with her arms crossed. " I just can't believe it!" She whispered. "Daddy always said he loved me just as I was." A tear slid down her cheek. " Now I'm not good enough." She stood up and headed for her chambers. A Plan already forming in her head.
Kellyn walked into her room. It was large and not at all what one would expect. There was a cream colored rug that cover most of the floor around her bed. The bed itself was quite large with 4 posts and a canopy. White silk and shimmering Gossamer curtains hung from the canopy. They were tied to each post with pink silk cords. The coverlet on the bed was a darker pink, almost rose hue and embroidered with gold triforces and cream colored flowers. Next to the bed was a oak night stand it was finished in a light varnish. It held a single oil lamp. In the drawer was her journal and a Triforce Bible. The Bible was covered with red leather and had the triforce symbol on it. It's contents held the history of Hyrule and the 3 Goddesses. Only recently had the story of her fathers deeds been added to it. On the far side of the room stood a chest and a vanity. Both in the same wood and color of the night stand. The chest held Kellyn's weapons, chain mail and other various things for battle. Although she'd never even seen a battle, let alone fought in one. The vanity held what most vanities did. Various scented oils and lotions, clips and ribbons for her hair. A hair brush and hand mirror sat to one side. On the other was a box for her jewelry and other trinkets. Kellyn glanced around her private sanctuary. When was the last time her parents had been in here? Well over a year. She had become angry and resentful as most teenagers do. She may have let her father come in, but never her mother. Her anger and resentment had mostly been focused at Zelda. As was typical with most teenage girls and their mothers. Kellyn strode over to the chest and opened it. She pulled out a knapsack and then started digging through various items and gear. She finally found her gauntlets. She put them on and continued her search. She pulled out a dagger and 2 extra tunics. A blue Zora tunic and a red Goron tunic. Link had gotten them for her after she kept stealing his. She pulled out her scabbard and strapped it over her back. She then strode back to her night stand and grabbed her journal. Then she dropped to her knees and pulled a long thin case from under her bed. She unlatched it and opened it. Inside was a sword that was an exact replica of the master sword. The differences were it's weight and balance. It had been especially made for her and given to her by her father on her 16th birthday, 1 month earlier. This she slid into the scabbard and stood up. She glanced around the room one last time. The she walked over to her vanity and opened the box containing her jewelry and pulled out a gold medallion on a chain. The medallion had a triforce symbol engraved into it. This she slipped over her neck and under her tunic. It was a symbol of the royal family and proved she was a princess. If anything happened she could use it to identify her or her parents could identify her. One last look around the room and then she headed out the door. She took the back stairs to the kitchen where she got a few foodstuffs and a skin for water. Then out to the courtyard to retrieve her cloak and off to the stables.
In under an hour she was on her way. She was riding a mare almost identical to Epona. The mare had been hers since she was 10. Her name was Evony and she was Epona's 3rd colt. The only one to resemble her so closely. Kellyn headed out of Hyrule and across Hyrule field. She wasn't sure where she was going, she just had to get away from Hyrule. She urged Evony into a fast trot and covered the distance to the Desert. She made Gerudo Valley by night fall. Not wanting to alert anyone to her presence She found a grouping of rocks to camp amongst for the night. Kellyn was fairly sure that she wouldn't be missed until morning. After the way she left her father's study they wouldn't have expected her at dinner. She wasn't very hungry but forced herself to eat some bread and dried fruit. As she lay there staring at the stars she found her thoughts wondering to Bryce. Would he miss her? They trained together everyday and he would probably be the first to notice her absence. "I'm sorry Bryce." She mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.
Kellyn was wrong about her not being missed until morning. Link had felt bad about their interaction. When she didn't show up to dinner he went up to her room to try and talk to her. He knocked but noone answered. Hesitantly he tried the handle and found the room unlocked. He poked his head into the darkened room. "Kellyn?" He whispered. No answer. He walked over to light the lamp and tripped over the sword case in the process. "What the..." His voice trailed off as he picked it up. In the darkness he recognized the case. He quickly lit the lamp and looked around. He went over to the chest and opened it. He searched through it and found the gauntlets, scabbard and tunics missing. Terror seized him and he raced to the stables. Evony was missing. Link ran back into the castle and called for his personal guard. He then went to his private chambers to tell Zelda what had happened. "She's gone?" Zelda sat up in bed. "Are you sure?" "Yes, she took all her weapons and Evony is gone." Link said. " But where would she go." Zelda cried. She was trying to get out of bed. Link walked over and gently pushed her back down. "Calm down, this isn't good for you or the baby." He said smoothing her hair. "She can't have gotten far, I'll find her." Link wasn't sure if he believed his own words. He met his guards in the courtyard. " Send a messenger to Kariko village." Link said. " Maybe she's with Bryce." "Right away Majesty." One guard said and rode off. Link was hoping maybe she had gone to Bryce to vent. With that thought he led the way out of Hyrule. The stopped on the field and waited for the messenger to return. He did with Bryce. "She 's not there, Majesty" The messenger said. "Master Bryce insisted on returning with me." Link nodded "I had hoped maybe she came to you." "No Majesty I haven't seen her since our training this morning." Bryce answered. " I will help you find her. She can't have gotten very far." "No probably not, but in which direction would she have gone?" Link scanned the horizon. He half hoped to see a horse and rider. All he saw was darkness. " We need to find her, before anyone with bad intentions does." Bryce said. He had stated the obvious. Noone but a select few knew of an encroaching danger. Rumors of a new evil were creeping over Hyrule. There had been reports of Dark knights from out of the west. The thought of any of them getting their hands on Kellyn enraged Bryce. Link himself wasn't any happier. He knew that these Dark Knights showed no mercy to their victims. Who knows what they would do if they found Kellyn and discovered she was a hyrulian princess. Damn that girl for being so head strong!!!! "I guess our only option is to split up." Link said. "Bryce you go towards Gerudo Valley I'll head to death Mountain." "What about the Zora Domain." Bryce asked. "Trust me if it's one thing I'm sure of she's not there." Link grimaced. This was the reason she had run away in the first place. So they split up each taking two of the four personal guard.
Bryce raced towards Gerudo Valley. He hoped to find Kellyn was alright. Then he was going to throttle her! True enough she didn't know there was any danger, but she still shouldn't have run off like that. He knew he had feelings for her, but he wasn't exactly sure what those feelings entailed. He'd kill anyone that hurt her and he really liked looking at her. But did that mean he loved her? Well he'd sort all that out later. First he had to find her.
Kellyn had camped far into the valley. She hadn't made a fire and being behind the rocks she was well hidden. Evony was also trained to lay down and "play dead" when commanded. When Kellyn heard riders in the distance she immediately whispered "Hide!" Evony laid down at once. The riders were Bryce and the guards. They passed right by her and headed towards the Gerudo fortress. "They found I was missing already?" Kellyn whispered. "Time to go!" She said. Evony immediately stood while Kellyn rolled her bed roll and grabbed her pack. She had intended to go to the fortress herself and maybe join the Gerudos for a time. The Gerudos had a long standing friendship with her parents. Nabooru was the Sage of the Spirit Temple and Link had awaked her. This had forged a friendship. Nabooru had a daughter named Nyru. She and Kellyn were the same age and fast friends. Kellyn had planned to go to her and explain her situation. She had hope to be able to stay with them and train with them until she was of age. Then she would return to her parents. She hadn't expected to be missed until morning and by the time they started looking for her she'd be at the Spirit Temple training. Kellyn followed the riders in the darkness. They were just outside the Fortress. She found another outcropping and hid herself and Evony behind it. Kellyn saw Bryce and her mouth fell open. What is he doing here? She listened to the exchange between him and the Gerudo guards. "I just want to speak with Nyru!" Bryce said. "If you think I'm going to call her or anyone else out here to talk to you, a mere man forget it!" The guard said. "I'm telling you the princess isn't here!." Bryce glared at the female guard. "I'm here on behalf of his Majesty, King Link of Hyrule!" Bryce shouted. "You had better let me speak to Nyru or Nabooru or this will not set well with him!" The guard mulled this over before she signaled to another guard. She whispered something and the other guard ran off into the fortress. It wasn't long before she returned with Nabooru and Nyru. "What is this about the princess missing?" Nabooru question. "The princess has run away and I have been sent here to find her." Bryce said. "His majesty heads towards Death Mountain as we speak." Nabooru chuckled. "So the princess has gotten head strong, a trait from her father no doubt." Nyru stood behind her smiling. "She isn't here, nor have we heard from her." Nyru said. Bryce sighed. He stared into the darkness where could she be? Maybe Link had found her already. "Thank you for your time." Bryce bowed. He turned to go,"If you should see her please send word." With that he headed back to his horse. "Yeah right." Nyru smirked.