Scattering Petals

Zelda & Link

Chapter 2: Creeping shadows

When overcoming all fears becomes a daily struggle


It had been years since Zelda had been blessed with such a peaceful ambiance. The sky had no trace of clouds, allowing the sun to pierce her warmly while enjoying the breeze. She felt truly gifted by the mere sight of the scenario around her. Fields covered in grass, rich with Silent Princess flowers all around. The sweet scent lingered in the air as the wind carried the fragrance far away, where the horizon couldn't even be found. She was sitting there, in the middle of eternal spring, unbothered.

Her fingers moved at their own will, following nature's will through music. She was playing Hylia's sacred lyre and despite being the only one in the surroundings, the princess could feel the goddess's company. Zelda could feel her in each ray of sun, in each caress of the wind, in each petal, in each note she played. The sensation itself brought her total inner satisfaction as she had never experienced.

And so, she continued chanting to her divine ancestor. Nails vibrated with each chord she played, accompanied with rich harmonies and her sweet voice. The air replied by caressing her golden locks, getting them out of her eyes. Their coexistence built a paradise, an idyllic kingdom with no conflicts. War was over, the darkness had been sealed away. There was no such place for malice on her land. Not while she became music.

All of a sudden, however, her tones turned silent. Her voice was nowhere to be found as much as she tried to continue singing. Her mouth responded to her commands, but she just seemed to have lost her will to make a sound.

So the same capacity that she possessed to bring peace upon earth was now inverted and turned against her. The sky darkened and the wind started to roar violently, sending frozen chills all around. Princess Zelda dropped the lyre in sudden fear as time swallowed her along with infinite darkness.

Zelda woke up violently gasping out for air. Her lungs ached and her body continued trembling despite being in the safety of her room. Once she lowered her gaze, the princess realized that her fingers were turning white due to the strength she had been using to grasp her bedsheets.

Most nights were this restless for the princess. The moon was still at its zenith. And even though nothing could compare to her dream's peace, she was glad that no chaos was present either. Her body drowned into the mattress, finding comfort knowing that the calamity was just a vision. At least for now. She rather not think about the future.

Insomnia usually hit her hard after experiencing all kinds of nightmares. That night was no exception. Despite her bed's solace, Zelda could no longer close her eyes while the moon watched her. She felt as if she were failing her duty, wasting uselessly her time when she could still be working her way to awakening the sacred power. Each nightmare was a reminder of her unaccomplished duty. She couldn't stay still while knowing the failure that she represented to the royal family and her kingdom's legends.

She was the missing piece that blocked their way to success. Now that the hero and the Master Sword had appeared, she was the only one left to play her part. It only made her anxiety increase as people expected the best of her. That mere thought made her feel dizzy with uneasiness. She couldn't stand it anymore.

From that moment, her body took total control of her actions. She exited her room with swift steps, not caring about her appearance or the late hour in Hyrule. Before reaching her lab, Zelda leaned on the edge of the external corridor to pause. The castle above her seemed twice as monumental as it already was. The sight of the building made the pressure on her stomach twirl again and again.

"Your highness?" His serene voice shattered the loneliness the princess had thought she was immersed in. She turned with astonishment as she realized the fact that her appointed knight was present during her breakdown. Only then she realized that tears had been flowing down her cheeks like rivers. She tried her best to not show them, but it was too late.

How could she forget about the infuriating presence of her own shadow? And of all people in the castle, he had the be the one to see her incompetent frustration. It was more humiliating than everything already was.

Even though he tried to erase all hints regarding his emotions, the princess could see curiosity gleaming in his eyes. He must think she was crazy, Zelda presumed with worry.

"You are here and I- I…" The princess muttered while realizing how unstable she must have looked at that moment. He was there, posting the door that led from her room to her lab. He had to watch that entrance as her appointed knight. And despite being his duty, Zelda felt frustrated by his mere presence, violating every right of privacy. She felt like she was the one that had to justify her presence there.

"You are safe, your highness. You can rest." Link spoke despite his preference for silence. She seemed so unsettled that he found the need to clarify his job. However, that didn't help as she was still there, staring as if he were a stain on her carpet. "If you so desire, princess." He added at last.

Zelda's own breath almost made her choke. How could he even coexist with her in the same hallway and believe he had some kind of right to allow her to exit the room? She was in her own quarters, she needed no permission to walk around freely. As if she wanted to spend her nights walking around the castle and not sleeping at all. His words were insulting despite being filled with utter respect.

The princess could only stand right and return to her bedroom, not even muttering a 'goodnight' or a 'thank you'. That night everything seemed too much, even for her.

Link was left alone with his thoughts.


A guard had replaced him at the princess' quarters as soon as the sun rose, so Link drifted to his own room to rest. After his promotion in rank, he had been given his own room on the lower plant of the castle. He really appreciated having some privacy. It was an important upgrade compared to sleeping along with other knights in the shared barracks. He had no windows and the bedroom was small, but he had his own bathroom and some silence since only a few more royal guards had rooms in the same wing. It had been another privilege conceded by the king for being the long-lost hero that Hyrule much needed.

Link was thankful for everything he had received. Everybody had been treating him better than he expected: the king, his companions, the castle staff, the commoners outside the palace walls… Everyone except for the princess. For no reason at all.

Thankfully, some sleep helped him relax and recover from the stress. He woke up five hours later, ready to train with his sword for half an hour, eat something and then return to his guard until midnight. Both mind and body felt renewed, that day was another fresh start for him on the castle. Due to his new schedules, the places he used to be in were now almost empty. The training room was better that way, desert, so he could practice without mesmerized eyes watching him all the time. The sudden attention was the second fact in his new lifestyle that made his routine a bit more difficult than he was used to. But as long as nobody observed him, Link had total freedom to continue with his life without the unbearing pressure and responsibilities of a mythic hero.

Later on, on his way to the quarters, he managed to sneak into the kitchen and grab some food. Lunch was over so that area was empty too and Link disposed of an entire buffet to pick and choose whatever he pleased. With that and a cold shower, Link had completed his personal care routine with amazing success.

Dressing up, Link had to put on a lot of awkward clothing pieces that consisted of the royal guard attire. He did his best, adjusting the white boots over the pants, which were almost completely covered by the tunic with the royal emblem. He wasn't as tall as the standard royal knights, so the fit was bigger than he would have preferred. But once he put on the cap, everything was in place according to his new rank. He almost didn't recognize himself in front of the mirror. Link still had to take a lot of the recent discoveries in. He was no longer a simple boy, he had a duty to fulfill both as hylian knight and legendary hero.

On his way to princess Zelda's quarters, Link found some of his former companions, who vowed as he walked away. The maidens and castle staff also vowed respectfully at his pace and Link returned the gesture with a small nod if someone greeted him with words. However, nothing in his path disturbed him from his duty. In no time, he was posted in front of the princess's bedroom door. The pair of guards that had been watching the entrance allowed him to knock at the wooden door and rest until someone gave him permission to enter.

"You may enter." A vivid voice replied.

The guards opened the heavy door for Link and he entered Zelda's bedroom. He found the princess and her handmaid talking pleasantly. They sat in the center of the room, having some tea and cookies, the smell which made the knight melt instantly. However, his stoic face remained still and the hunger went unsuspected.

With his right knee on the ground, the hero respectfully vowed before Zelda. He watched how she nodded with a forced smile, motioning for him to rise. Glad to not receive a cold glare, Link discreetly stood behind the chairs in which the princess and her handmaid sat. The table was filled with papers and envelopes, filled with beautiful handmade ornaments and stylish calligraphy.

"Impa, go on, if you may." Zelda spoke to encourage the continuation of their previous conversation. The royal advisor and handmaid cleared her throat before continuing, also not minding the hero's presence.

"This one is a letter from Purah, she says that Robbie has been investigating some ancient inscriptions that mentioned the existence of a chamber inside a mountain somewhere in Hyrule. Apparently, the structure was created to heal and even resurrect fallen soldiers."

"Is that somehow part of Hyrule's war against Calamity Ganon?" The princess asked in awe after taking a sip of tea.

"It seems there are some elements in common with the myth, your highness." Impa nodded while continuing reading. "Furthermore, Purah says they figured out the chamber's location. However, they still haven't found a way to access it yet. When they do, we should expect another letter."

Link wasn't a scholar. During his childhood, he was taught how to write. That was all. If he learned more things from time to time regarding Hyrule's foundation myths it was because of his recent implications with the kingdom. However, that matter seemed to be involved too with the hero and the princess's remarkable battle 10,000 years ago against Ganon. Nowadays, everything was related to that battle. The arrival of darkness was just a matter of time.

"Do you think we should visit the location too?" Zelda asked while holding the letter herself to absorb all the details written down.

"They encourage you to do so. A temporary camp has been built near the mountain, just an hour away from the castle."

"It's worth a try." The women turned to face Link, who just stood at a prudent distance from the table. "You will escort us there, won't you?" The sheikah counselor asked in a rough manner, receiving a warning but at the same time a considerate glance from the princess.

Link nodded with agreement. The attention switched back again to the princess.

"When would you like to leave, your highness?" Impa questioned.

"In three weeks maybe. I'd like to do research on my own beforehand."

The royal advisor nodded and got up from her seat, not before finishing her share of cookies and tea. The princess thanked her for the visit and the minutes they spent talking. It was a noticeable fact that Zelda held the sheikah handmaid deep in her heart as her words were spoken with kindness and warmth. Link couldn't help but ask himself if he was the only one that received cold treatment from the princess. Unlike the rest of the castle staff, he had been the only one to experience strict words. If that was the case, for what reasons did she treat him with harshness?

"Return soon, please, Impa." The princess requested once the advisor crossed the bedroom door. The girl, of course, couldn't deny the petition and nodded with a smile before disappearing behind the slowly closing doors.

Once they were alone, the princess turned and stared at her appointed knight with uneasiness. Link felt her green eyes scanning him. Her brow suddenly twitched when she noticed that the royal guard uniform didn't quite fit him. He had to make an effort to not let his emotions betray him and show discomfort. However, the princess soon lost interest in him and returned to the papers on the table. Among the papers, she realized the presence of a small map stuck on the back of the scientist's letter.

"Do you know where that is exactly?" The princess asked, handing Link the small map. He examined it, pretending he wasn't surprised by the interaction. He immediately recognized the form of the mountains and the views surrounding the spot. Link nodded, managing to draw a smile on her face. "Will you guide us there?"

Another small nod from the knight made Zelda sigh with satisfaction. Her figure was less tense than the other night. She almost looked like a regular princess: perfect form, precise knowledge, good manners, and sweet voice. However, the fact that last night she had exited her quarters with tears staining her cheeks left it clear that the burden was troubling her. Maybe, Link wondered, they maybe weren't that different. After all, both had some expectations to fulfill, a part of them together.

In a blink, Zelda managed to fit everything that was on the table in her hands. The knight had to pay more attention to her actions since she was making her way out the room, towards the corridor that led outdoors. She muttered incomprehensible things by herself and walked with energy until they reached her lab's door. Zelda tried to open the way for them, pushing the wood with her back, the paper mountain difficulting the task. Then Link had to finally intervene and hold the door for her to enter. He received a small 'thanks' in response to his gentle act and proceeded to enter Zelda's lab behind her.

Link could have never imagined that a small tower such as the one they were standing on, could contain such amounts of information. Books, maps, a mineral collection, insects, all kinds of plants… He would have never guessed that a castle tower could contain such knowledge. Zelda sat before her lab's table and continued muttering theories out loud. The knight found a chance to relax and appreciate the surroundings. A small terrarium caught his eye as he bent down to examine the interior. There was a small ecosystem with its own floral species, blue petals with glowing spots shone. Link could tell that he had seen that kind of flower before, not very common though. Afterward, his eyes scanned the specimen of butterflies that were placed side by side on the wall. Besides them, there was also a small piece of paper with drawings and notes about the wing pattern, one for each species. And so on, Link found a decent distraction.

"We can't even imagine how many structures are forgotten around Hyrule. The Divine Beasts, the guardians, the sheikah slate… I'm sure this is only the beginning of our discoveries." The princess continued with her inner monologue with enthusiasm. Then turned to see Link, who was absorbed looking at the fish tanks she owned. He seemed so interested that he didn't notice the girl speaking directly at him. The princess's factions lit up immediately. But it wasn't until she rose from her seat that the knight kept staring at it.

"Do you like salamanders?" Zelda suddenly asked, her expression more serene and formal. She approached next to him and mimicked his posture to stare at the tank. A red and black dotted specimen of reptile was as focused as Link, looking at each other like in a staring contest.

The princess's approach surprised her appointed knight. What suddenly seemed an opportunity to bond was immediately lost by Link's poor expression as he could only shrug in response. The princess noticed his sudden lack of interest and her expression darkened while realizing that she had just misunderstood his curiosity. Not that she cared. She felt disappointed and returned to her work without a single word.

"He must think I'm a nerd." Zelda thought to herself.

The rest of the afternoon passed by with a different sensation, similar to the one he witnessed last night. The princess was able to switch her mood in a blink of an eye. And Link, due to his duty, found conversation inappropriate and simply not necessary. The princess didn't bother to speak at him anymore since all he could do was shrug. The thought made her sigh annoyed, a fact that happened very often while she studied in his presence for the rest of their time together. Zelda guessed she wasn't enough to even be worthy of small talk with him. From then on, a spiral of theories about his supposed dislike towards her continued spinning in her head for the rest of the week.


A/N: At least they are trying, though to no avail. Both Zelda and Link are lacking in communication skills, poor children. To this point, Link sees the princess as an unreachable person with a clear dislike towards him. Meanwhile, Zelda sees Link as a stoic dummy, useless to talk to since he won't bother to show emotions.

Next chapter will cover their first trip! Guess the destination?

Yours, Stella