Scattering petals

Zelda & Link

Chapter 7: Royal lament

When duty and sense contradict


Author's note: In this chapter, a new character is making its debut. Any guesses? Read to find out about a romantic with a one-sided love interest *wink*

By the way, thank you so much for the reviews I've been receiving. This fandom is very kind.

Nothing more to say for now. Enjoy the chapter.


The solid rock on his knee made his skin burn. It felt like an eternity when in reality it had been just a few seconds since Princess Zelda left. The silence pierced the room, the tension so thick that it could cut the air. King Rhoam didn't dare to speak until his daughter's steps were inaudible to assure their total privacy. The walls of the throne room would be the only connoisseurs of the words about to be spoken.

"I am afraid my own daughter has grown to hate me." The King made its lament out loud, conscious of the impact of his strict statements on Princess Zelda. However, his intention was not to confess his concern but to expose the situation to Link. "But I am the King of Hyrule above all else. Being Zelda's father is a mere background not compatible with the royal vows."

Link didn't dare to look up, contradict nor assent. The King's justifications were a personal matter he chose to expose. However, a servant of the crown shouldn't speak about those matters unless he was asked to. He knew that behind those words was a greater duty to uphold. The knight was just glad that the king wasn't mad at him for taking the blame for the princess through a lie. Keeping his head in place was enough reason to be content about his situation.

"Because of that, I need you to be the one to supervise her activities to assure her sealing powers awaken soon." The king continued, a serene expression. "When your journey through the other champion's hometowns begins, I need someone to make sure that Princess Zelda keeps fulfilling her prayers. Research is a distraction, so I won't allow it anymore."

Link swallowed harshly. That meant the next few days would be complicated. Princess Zelda wasn't the type to just obey. Knowing her individualistic tendencies, she would try to pursue her wishes to explore and investigate through the kingdom. And if she didn't accomplish so, a bad mood would lurk all around her. That, of course, involved him too.

However, heavier was the weight of being her escort when they departed all around Hyrule to recruit the champions. Link tried to not think about it and silently hoped that the situation was calmer during their travels. Nevertheless, King Rhoam's next sentence assured quite the contrary.

"Your reports must include all sorts of details from now on. That includes Princess Zelda's behavior towards the new restrictions. If she fails to fulfill my orders, I will be informed. Is that clear?" Link did a firm nod and the King took his movement, rather than his word, as a vow.


The days before the scheduled travels to the four kingdoms went by awfully slow. Zelda spent most of the time in the sacred lands of Castletown, including the royal chapel and the blessed garden around it. Cold stone eyes had been surrounding the princess for hours that she had dedicated to her prayers and devotions. She had meditated before all statues and monuments in the area, obtaining no answer from any of them. Not that she hadn't tried before. But at that moment, she preferred to stay under the goddesses' statues rather than be around the palace. The sanctum was the perfect building to assure her stillness and it was the element she required at the moment.

Somehow, the dim light that shone through the stained glass created representations of Hyrule's foundation. There, the first reincarnation of the goddess appeared along with the hero. Zelda hadn't been fond of the sanctum in Castle Town since that image was a reminder of her failure. However, remaining close was her only option while she waited for her travels to begin. The princess didn't lose faith, believing she could actually do as she pleased during the protocolary visits to their allies: Rito, Zora, Goron, and Gerudo. Their countries were also in the stained glass, being the embodiment of the most vibrant tonalities. The sunrays that entered the chapel created stunning shades of the rainbow on the stone floor. The detail seemed insignificant, but a single spark of color was different from the usual scales of gray the princess was used to dealing with. With the passage of time, the direction of the light changed its objective, projecting it into Hylia's statue.

Zelda believed in the power of small actions, so she took the shine as a sign to reconduct her devotions, making her start all over for the fifth time that morning:

"Blessed Hylia, may your guidance lead Hyrule towards a brighter future. I pray once again to ask for your sacred gift and I apologize if my actions involving research have been an offense to you." At this point, the princess believed she had to apologize just in case the king was right about her vocation. Maybe, after all, what she enjoyed was a loss of time. A mere distraction.

Her father had docked the gates to her lab and every single soul around the castle was aware of the new restrictions. Zelda had never felt so incredibly humiliated as the king was treating her like a spoiled child. And that was one big statement since she had been through the public eye negatively many times before. However, nothing compared to having the doors to investigation restricted. All staff had been warned about it and the princess wasn't willing to go through more embarrassment. She didn't even get to eavesdrop on the rumors that had started circling around the palace walls. The princess wondered if her father had ever considered that his lack of trust in her potential was damaging the kingdom in a way too. People were starting to doubt her too, however, it was nothing new for her. If she could rule, a new horizon would be open to Hyrule's citizens. She would be transparent to them, making public all of their plans against the Calamity. It would give hope, much needed around the kingdom. If she ruled...

"Your highness." Impa interrupted, her shy tone echoing around the chapel. Zelda turned her body towards her, feet nailed to the ground. Her counselor seemed very worried for her, who hadn't allowed herself a rest since sunrise. "I'm suddenly very hungry. Maybe we could go out and eat something." The sheikah girl proposed.

Zelda dropped her weak smile. She knew Impa too well to not suspect what she was trying.

"I have to keep praying." The princess simply sentenced and turned towards Hylia's statue to continue with her devotions. She was past hunger or thirst. "Take a break if you need it." She suggested later, not wanting to seem disrespectful towards her loyal counselor and her supposed needs.

Impa let out a long sigh, head dropped at the ground low enough to even mimic Zelda's actions while praying. She was the only one around to care for the princess's necessities. Not even the guards had noticed that it had been hours since the princess had her last sip of water. Her routine wasn't healthy, and Impa was determined to break that cycle. Being so stubborn, she promised herself that she wouldn't stop trying until Zelda accepted going out to breathe fresh air, eat and drink something. Not even the king could deny those essential needs to his own daughter. Not that he had, but Zelda had taken her punishment very seriously. The ones that knew the princess well could tell that she was as strict as the king. However, due to her lack of success, most of the people didn't take her drive seriously.

Impa's glance suddenly stumbled upon the princess's appointed knight. He had been posting the exit of the chapel since the princess came in. If she didn't get a rest, her knight wouldn't either.

"Oh, princess, would you look at that?" The sheikah counselor suddenly exclaimed, pacing towards Link and holding him straight towards the princess. Zelda sighed and turned again, but only because she heard a small grunt from her knight's throat. Impa looked like she was holding him hostage. "Poor Link seems dehydrated too. We can't leave you alone, Your Highness. Won't you join us in a small walk around the market?"

The princess shook her head but actually did leave her ritual aside. Her green eyes examined both expressions, receiving an awkward shrug from Link, who was uncomfortable with Impa's pretext. Not that he wasn't against it, though.

"We won't wander around." Zelda warned, speaking directly to the royal counselor. Impa smiled awkwardly. "Enough to take a bite and we will be back." The princess tried to convince herself.

Impa let out a happy squeak and motioned for the princess to lead the way outside. Zelda sighed and exited the building, being closely followed by Link and Impa. Luckily, the market was just by the corner, so it wouldn't consume too much time. The flags at the entrance were proudly flowing along with the soft spring breeze.

The stalls were filled with all kinds of flavors, smells, and colors. Food, flowers, souvenirs, equipment, clothes, accessories, books, gems… Merchants announcing their business all around. The fountain in the middle invited the travelers to sit on its edge and enjoy the marvels Hyrule could offer. It wasn't the princess's case. Or that was what she thought because there was no way a single soul could possibly ignore what was in front of their eyes.

In fact, Zelda expected a whole different reaction from the peasants around the central market. She felt like she was a complete charade, assuming everyone around her would think the same too. The people, however, gawked with admiration. Not only because she was the heiress to the throne, but because of her ceremonial white robes. Apparently, seeing the princess so committed to her destiny made the spectators revive their belief in her. Not to blame them. Seeing a lady in fine clothing, golden jewels, and blonde mane wasn't the most usual. It didn't take long for the first person to approach and interact with her.

"Your Highness, please, accept these flowers." A young florist begged, offering a rare sample of Silent Princess to the now more cheerful heiress. She guessed the choice had been merely orientated by the name of the species and not by the actual metaphor behind it.

"Any luck cultivating these flowers in captivity yet?" Zelda asked back, taking the flower. Her chest was filled with warmth with the sudden welcome of the merchants. Social anxiety and pressure could get in the way, but anyways she actually enjoyed talking to regular citizens. She was free to greet people warmly, exchanging words or courtesy and listening to Hyrule's needs.

"Not yet, Princess. But we will keep trying!" The maiden replied, more than elated to receive attention from the princess. Zelda tried to live in the present since she couldn't allow such casual visits to a market whenever she ruled, if she ever managed to get past the Calamity...

Eventually, Link and Impa had to take a few steps closer to the princess to not lose track of her among the crowd. Several merchants were surrounding her, offering all sorts of gifts and courtesies. The man from the dumpling store gave Zelda a full basket with samples of all flavors. A bouquet of lilies was also given by a Hylian florist, sweetening the air around the square. Then the woman that sold fresh fruit also dropped by, gifting her with several bottles of fruit juice. So enormous was the number of gifts that Link and Impa ended carrying them to allow the princess to continue conversing with people freely.

Out of the merchants, random citizens started appearing too. An old woman with religious beliefs hugged the princess fervorously, showing the great faith she had in her yet unawakened powers. Next, she held hands with a young girl that stumbled upon the crowd, who apologized instantly to then express how she represented her expectations as an adult woman. Zelda smiled and nodded with content, suddenly realizing how her public image differed from the one she had from herself. Then a kid made his way between the public, pulling the princess's dress to catch her attention. One look was enough for the heiress, who immediately noticed the boy's homework. She bent down to read the attempt at writing and spelling the kid had made in one of the local schools and in reward gave him an affectionate pat on the head.

"Your Highness, what do you think about my omelet? The eggs I use are from my cuccos." A sheikah merchant asked, handing Zelda a sample of omelet.

Link paced forward and blocked the action, considering the princess shouldn't ingest food cooked outside the castle. The risk of getting her poisoned was too high to allow her to taste something unknown to the royal kitchen. Zelda, however, noticed the merchant's saddened expression by the knight's suspicion and decided to do something about it. She had learned to value the public attention and questionable behavior from her escort wouldn't modify the experience for her nor the people.

"I'll buy you three pieces of the omelet, if I may." The princess replied, holding out the necessary amount of rupees to purchase them. The man gladly gave her what she asked for, praying it was to her liking. Zelda redirected the food to Link but she was too busy to notice the look he gave her in return. From then, Link was the princess's official food taster. Not that he wouldn't complain. All of that food smelled amazing.

Once the crowd calmed down, Zelda discreetly motioned for Impa and Link to leave. Eventually, the group managed to avoid every villager. Even a patrol of royal knights helped to get them someplace quiet to eat in peace. They ended up sitting under a tree's shade in the outskirts of Castletown. A pair of guards got in charge of granting them some privacy, blocking the path that led to their temporary hiding spot.

"What's better than a good meal?" Impa asked rhetorically, trying to pick something from the big basket to devour. She was too slow, the knight, for once, left his duty aside and was the first to grab whatever he craved to have a feast.

"Free meal." Link even dared to reply, marveled by the amount of food Zelda achieved to reunite. It was more than enough to feed his permanent hunger. The counselor gave him a childish expression, reminding him of his own sister. Despite the lack of direct interaction, the pair had each other in good consideration.

The princess, however, left the food for her companions, picking only a pineapple juice for herself. Impa frowned at that. But instead of eating, Zelda busied herself with something else. Suddenly taking it from under her dress, she picked the sheikah slate that had been remaining hidden until that moment of loneliness. The sound of the lock screen warned both knight and counselor, who with a sudden motion stopped eating. Link gave a small gesture to encourage the sheikah girl to speak.

"Your Highness, isn't that-...?!" Impa exclaimed, surprised by the princess's defiance. She had managed to keep the Sheikah Slate hidden for several days. Nobody would expect it from her. "If the King hears about this, he will confiscate it."

"Then let's not tell him." Zelda simply replied, her glance locked on Link's for a bit more as if asking him for permission to break the rules. The knight took a silent bite off a dumpling and gave her a dubious nod. It was enough for her to feel free to continue with her research. Not that a dirty blonde boy would stop her anyways. At that point, the princess was willing to take advantage of all the resources she could. Lying and hiding was one of them since her father's restrictions.

"Actually, now that you are here I have something to ask you, Impa." Zelda suddenly remembered, opening the gallery on the slate's menu.

"Of course, what is it, Your Highness?"

"Purah and I found these sheikah writings on the Shrine of Resurrection." Zelda displayed the picture of the carved stones on the slate, showing her counselor. "Since you are an expert in ancient runes, we thought your help would be the key to decoding the meaning."

Impa took the sheikah slate in her hands, closely reading the text. She frowned several times during the process. The ancient carving had been damaged with the passage of time to the point where some words were unantigible. Along the lines, Impa managed to get a general idea of the meaning or at least, the intention of the text. Due to the alphabet's complexion, the message was incomplete and lacked cohesion. With her rough transcription skills, the counselor spotted the protagonism of the hero and the heiress of the powers through the inscription.

"This talks about the prophecy of Calamity Ganon's return. Somehow, the sheikah had managed to predict it 10,000 years ago." Impa focused deeper, approaching the screen at her face as if the meaning was to appear somehow before her eyes. It was of no use. "There are some mentions of your reincarnations, also referred to as Zelda and Link."

The princess stared with wonder at Impa's demonstration of knowledge. All cultures were complex, of course, but the sheikah had always kept a special spot on her heart. According to Zelda, anything unknown to Hyrule's rulership could be useful against the Calamity. The first proof of her theory was the fact that their ancestors already knew about Ganon's return but, somehow, the information got lost through time. If they had discovered the Shrine and its inscriptions earlier, she would have had plenty of time to prepare herself for the battle. Instead, the prophecy had been announced at her birth through a vision. The princess herself wasn't against blind faith despite being the contrary of scientific methods, but evidence of their coexistence. If only her father could comprehend that...

"Actually, the inscriptions don't end here. I have two more photographs of the rest of the wall." The princess revealed with eagerness. She swiped right with her finger to display the remaining gallery.

The sheikah counselor took her time to fully process the obsolete runes. By the time she was giving up, Link had already devoured the content of the food basket. Impa looked up, noticing the princess's astonishment before the knight's gluttony. She even handed him the rest of her pineapple juice, at first he denied the offer but ended up swallowing up all of the bottle's remaining content. He sighed with satisfaction and blushed at the sudden attention Impa and Zelda were giving him. That was some insatiable appetite.

"The aging didn't do any good in this calligraphy, princess. I would need more background to totally comprehend what this explains." Zelda's eyes darkened with disappointment but her loyal friend wouldn't allow it, so she continued. "However, I can compile several archaic rune dictionaries back in Kakariko village. Despite your father's prohibition, it's still research work, right?"

A wide smile lit up the kingdom. And for an instant, anybody could tell by the princess's expression that the Calamity was approaching.


"It has been my pleasure to share today's journey with you, Princess Zelda." Impa had announced she was leaving during the rest of the week. That meant they wouldn't see each other for a while since the princess had to begin her journey through the four realms before the weekend's arrival. Their farewell, however, was only temporary.

"Take good care of her, Link." The knight nodded in response.

The princess broke their embrace and watched as Impa rode through Hyrule's field until her silhouette faded with dusk. Even then, Zelda stood still to allow the wind to brush all of the bitterness away. As the leaves soared, Link observed the frozen heiress contemplate the landscape. Eventually, Link began to blank out along her, enjoying nature's lullaby when the sun disappeared behind the mountains. Only then, the escort returned his attention back to the princess. His blue eyes made her snap out of the nocturne trance, forgetting the stars that were rising above.

"Let's call it a day." The princess sentenced, allowing Link to lead the way.

It was new to him. Having a cooperative Zelda helped getting through the day with ease. His presence no longer seemed to bother her. It took a few weeks but finally, both the princess and escort had grown used to each other's company. She tolerated him and for Link, it was enough. Being able to silently walk across the castle without a passive-aggressive attitude was a blessing.

Sudden swift footsteps echoed through the hallway. The knight got in his guard, sword ready to strike. However, an inoffensive sheikah male ended up showing up, trying to pick up the pace to reach for their highness.

"Irel." Zelda greeted, receiving a kneeled stance from the court's poet. He took the liberty to hold her hand forward and place his lips upon her hand. The princess smiled awkwardly at the gesture.

Link immediately recalled seeing the young man around the castle. He was unmistakable, the court's poet. His white hair tied in a high bun and the eye-shaped ink on his forehead indicated that he was originally from the sheikah tribe. He was one of the youngest the knight had met, being around his age too. That fact seemed to be decisive and the reason why Zelda was willing to allow his company around her.

"Your Highness, I just heard about Impa's departure." He rose from the spot, a firm hold on the princess's hands. "I thought you could appreciate some cheerful company this evening."

"Be my guest." The princess accepted with courtesy and discreetly slipped her hand away from his grasp. Such significant details were crucial for Link to detect the poet's intentions and, in a way, Zelda's thoughts about him too.

Irel, the court poet, was clearly mesmerized by the princess. The knight watched them while the three of them paced through the corridor. Link positioned himself behind them, two feet away just to be cautious. He frowned with suspicion whenever the sheikah man used any excuse to make physical contact with the princess. First, he used small talk to gesture his way to accidentally rub the princess's arm. On the next floor, his fingers dared to caress one of the golden locks that flowed behind the princess. She didn't even notice. By the time they had made it up to the tower, the usually stoic knight had wrinkles clearly staining the edges of his sight.

"Worry not, cherished princess, because Hylia's holy blood runs through your veins." Irel insisted when Zelda mentioned the last failed attempts at praying. She unconsciously frowned. "Speaking of which, I've been composing some chanting. Care to please this mere servant with your blessed attention?"

The princess' focus traveled back to the court poet, gifting him with a thin smile and her approval. Link felt the desperate urge to roll his eyes but held his composure. Irel, instead, did otherwise and didn't worry about his emotional transparency. The sudden enthusiasm of sharing his creation with the princess gave him the necessary courage to reach for her hand and softly guide her inside the room. He even held the door open at her pace, harshly letting go of its weight to follow her, causing the gate to almost slam Link's forehead. The knight's agile reflexes managed to save him from the hit and closely followed the princess' figure.

"And what have you been writing about this time?" Zelda questioned out of curiosity, expecting a narration of the sheikah's travels around the kingdom. However, the poet spoke in such a complicated manner that avoided Link's comprehension. His judgment was left out of the question and deeply trusted to receive some kind of signal from the princess if she needed to get rid of Irel's presence. For some reason, nevertheless, the princess didn't mind his company. In fact, she seemed quite pleased. The knight couldn't understand her reasons.

"The object of my affections, of course." Zelda giggled and rolled her eyes in a playful way. Everybody in the room knew that she wasn't interested in those kinds of stories. "Well, your highness, we all yearn for someone while being far from home. This humble poet is no exception." Irel had a wild blush staining his cheeks while he explained.

"Maybe a little demonstration will help?" She encouraged him, immediately bringing his body to his knees, hand on his chest to solemnly show her his latest creation. An unexpected tenor voice echoed in the room, surprising with rich intonations and keen eloquence. The fanfare that characterized the court's poet behavior left all traces behind, immediately replaced by solemnity. If it weren't for the obvious message the song implied, even Link could find the poet's creation enjoyable.

Upon one summer's morning, I carefully did stray

Down by the Walls of Castle, where all my words lay

Conversing with a fair maid, who lived for her reign

Saying dear Irel, when you go, come back to me again

My heart is pierced by Hylia

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing that can console me

But my lady's loves comfort

Her hair braided in ringlets, her eyes as green as sole

My happiness attend her wherever I may go

From Hyrule Hill to Faron, I'll wander, pray and crawl

All for my holy heiress, until I come back home

An awkward silence replaced the previous sound of Irel's voice. While the poet expected some kind of reaction from the princess, Zelda couldn't quite process the symbology behind the lyrics. She was familiar with the kind of language used in literature but her brain wasn't capable of understanding that the whole composition was a romantic confession in all means. She simply didn't know what to say as Zelda had never received such explicit proof of love before.

"Oh my, is that disappointment I sense? Your indifference weighs decades on this one's poor soul, princess Zelda." The court poet exclaimed with evident anxiety for the princess' reaction but at the same time trying to maintain his polite form.

"O-of course not, Irel!" She replied with an awkward smile, not knowing what to say. "I feel so honored!" Zelda tried to convince herself as well.

"I aspired to awaken something different this time, your highness. Maybe something you had never felt before." The cold sweat running down her back was an invisible reaction that nobody else could ever notice, the princess thought as Irel motioned down.

Zelda's eyes switched from the court's poet to the seat he was about to occupy. The following moments went in flashes before her eyes. She could even hear the shattering of her dreams in advance as Irel's knees bent backward to take his seat. All of the previous feelings were forgotten, the wisdom on her brain taking over. A gasp escaped her pale lips, hand held out frozen in space.

"Careful!" She exclaimed in desperation.

The electronic sound of ancient technology snapped before everybody's ears. Irel had just taken his seat on the couch, the secret hideout Zelda used to hide her forbidden belongings. The sheikah slate was one of them and the simple motion of sitting down had just uncovered her most precious confidence. Irel sat up and examined the source of the noise, noticing a dim blue light under the couch. The princess' hands hurried to retrieve her unknown treasure, revealing the sheikah slate.

"Is that…?" Irel asked out loud, looking at Zelda to examine her worried expression. His curious eyes then traveled to her appointed knight, who kept stoicism on his face and made it impossible for the poet to guess whether he knew about the forbidden possession.

"You've seen nothing, Irel." The princess begged, pacing forward to convince her poet to lie for her. "Please, promise me you won't tell my father about this."

Link observed the same struggle he had been through before now piercing the poet's soul. Duty and loyalty against each other, the vows pressing its witness against the edge to decide what was correct to do. While Link had decided to ignore the rules broken by the princess and remain silent about it, he wasn't so sure the court's poet could do the same for Zelda. It was a situation that could define trust regarding the royal family. And Irel was in a complicated position since he had just explicitly expressed his vows of love towards Hyrule's princess. However, King Rhoam was the head of state and the one which had to receive all reports that could cause trouble to the laws he implemented. What would happen if it was his own daughter the first to break his laws? Would the court's poet respect his vows for the kingdom and report Zelda's disobedience to the king? The situation wasn't neutral and had feelings implied, all of it made the scenario more and more complicated with each second that went by.

"Irel?" Zelda's pleading voice woke the poet from his trance of thoughts. Her eyes begged for complicity but prioritizing it before duty was a fact that could lead both of them to a distasteful demise.

"Your secret is safe with me, princess Zelda." The poet assured her even though his eyes still betrayed a hint of doubt. Link put no trust in his words but his opinion was out of the question.

What beforehand didn't accomplish the princess' praise, this time a single sentence was enough. Her green eyes scanned the poet and desperation brought her silky hands to clasp with Irel's altogether. The chilly touch made the poet's cheeks warm up in a way he never believed opposite temperatures could. His thumb found a soft trace in Zelda's palm, grasped tightly around his fingers too. However, her emerald glow made the attention travel back to her eyes. Even though Zelda's intentions weren't manipulative, the poet fell into the beautiful trap of her glance. In consequence, it made her loyalty twist, swearing his vows to the princess over the king.

"Your promise means the world to me, dear Irel." Zelda placed all of her trust in the poet's words, improving the perception she had about him. Now Irel was closer to being considered a 'friend' rather than a simple member of the court that searched for the royal family's praise to live around the castle and its luxuries. The context of the pre-calamity era, however, had been doing distortions to that lifestyle lately. So the princess had never really considered that the members of the court approached her for approval or out of pure strategy to take advantage of the privilege to be close to the royals. Irel, out of everybody else, was sincere in his praise and never had given a solid reason for Zelda to put distrust in his figure. So there was no hint of suspicion in her eyes.

"I'm here for you, your highness. Always." He reminded her, making his service more obvious than it already was. Irel's devotion was a quality anybody could envy easily.

With no place for mistrust, Link entered a deep cycle of spiral thoughts in his head. Knights like him also served the royal family to ensure their protection and were far more necessary than the poets, who had the finality to entertain around the court. Even though knights weren't allowed to show as much loyalty in public as a court poet, Link couldn't help but compare himself with Irel. Why was the poet being accepted by the princess and instead Link himself had difficulties dealing with her mere presence? He didn't serve the royals in exchange for their praise, however, deep down, Link wished he could be treated more like Irel by the princess.

For the first time in his short life, Link felt jealousy running through his veins. Not in a platonic way, a thing that he would have preferred because relieving such emotion made him feel extremely selfish. But he had trained since he was just a child to reach the place where he was standing, behind the heiress to the crown. Since he was assigned as her appointed knight all kinds of obstacles had crossed their path together: monsters, weariness, sickness, sorrow… And despite all of the effort, the one who received acceptance and praise was the irrelevant court poet, who surely never had sacrificed as much effort as Link did to reach his position.

The poet expressed his duty through empty words while Link had risked his own life to ensure Zelda's protection. Words couldn't be compared to the weight of actions, sweat, and blood the knights like himself sacrificed for the royal family. But there he was, standing in a corner of the room in isolation while the poet was being cherished by the princess just because he promised to keep a secret Link had been hiding for much more time from the king himself.

Deep brown eyes clashed with the wild ocean in Link's glance. Maybe Zelda had already become used to his vigilant eyes but the court's poet didn't. Irel looked at the knight with defiance as if he acknowledged exactly what was going through the knight's mind. A spark of rivalry clashed, invisible through the tangible world. Nevertheless, none of the males did show a hint of their true emotions. Irel was too busy showing his affection facade and Link was too professional to let a single hint of his true emotions show. However, their dislike towards each other was noticeable by just breathing the same shared air of the room.

"Is that the mighty sword from the legend? The one that seals the darkness away?" Irel asked out loud, still glancing at the knight but directing his words towards Zelda.

A spark of rivalry lit the air in the room, igniting in a single crossed glance between the two males. Only time would tell which one's loyalty to the princess would persist through time.


I feel like I have been dropping several foreshadowing about what will happen in the next chapters. I hope you liked Irel's debut. It was necessary for the story to be as loyal to the canon timeline as possible. I would like to clarify that Link is not jealous of Irel's romantic actions towards Zelda, it's just that he doesn't trust so many words that in the end are just meaningless in their struggle against the upcoming calamity. And Irel, by the other hand, is truly jealous of Link getting to spend his days alongside Zelda. The poet really perceives Link as a thread to his romantic interactions with the princess.

This triangle is very, very interesting and I'm looking forward to developing all three characters. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Yours, Stella