Chapter 15 the vow


It was a beautiful day and Dottie was moping.

She let out a weary sigh as she dusted the tops of my cabinets.

I don't know why she was moping. I had asked when she first came in this morning with a frown and she had told me it was 'nothing'. She had been sighing despondently since this morning and I was steadily getting more and more worried.

And as she sighed again I felt my eye twitch and my ears fold back against my head.

At this point I was getting irritated. Dottie wasn't exactly subtle when she was upset.

As she bent over and let out a little grumble and ANOTHER sigh, I snapped my book shut. Clearly something needed to be done.

"Dottie, could you come sit with me for a moment?" I requested, motioning her to sit in one of the large chairs I had next to my bookshelf.

"Of course princess, what do you need?" She said, sighing and walking over to join me in my little reading corner.

I put my book to the side and looked her in the eye, or the best as I could as I was several feet shorter than her. "What's wrong?"

She froze. "What do you mean? I'm fine! Nothing's wrong!"

I snorted derisively, "I'm almost 5, not almost blind. You're clearly upset, so tell me what's wrong so we can work on finding a solution." I stated.

"It's really not that big of a deal, princess! I'm fine!" She attempted to reassure, squirming in her seat like a guilty child.

I gave her my best attempt at Mr. Tommison's soul searching stare.

She wilted in her seat. "It's really not that big of a deal… but my friend Lina just got engaged and I'm…" she trailed off, looking pensive.

I raised a brow (that was the coolest thing I could do with my new face) and gently prodded her to continue. "And you're...?"

"Well, I'm almost 23 and I don't even have a sweetheart! I'm going to die a spinster at this point!" She burst out before burying her face in her hands in embarrassment.

I blinked in confusion for a moment before the new social norms reaffirmed themselves in my head. I keep forgetting that I'm in a pseudo-medieval world with all the different social expectations that come with that. Hylians could live well into their hundreds, but the social expectation for marriage was still that you get married well before you were in your thirties. Apparently it wasn't that unusual for a young couple to get married at nineteen or twenty.

"Well, the first thing I'm going to point out is that you are a strong, independent, intelligent hard working young woman whose self-worth isn't reliant on anyone else, not even a romantic partner." I enunciated, as this was important to get across clearly.

"The second thing I'm going to say is that if you want a partner there isn't any reason you can't get one. You are beautiful, kind, and would make an excellent partner to whomever is so lucky as to have you." I nodded to emphasize my point.

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with a four year old." She muttered into her hands before sighing and finally looking at me. "Thank you for saying all that. But it's not like I get all that much of an opportunity to find myself a sweetheart. I'm here with you every other day, and when I'm not with you, I'm usually picking up shifts for my friends so that they can go out with THEIR sweethearts!" She threw her hands up explosively voice tight.

I frowned, "Well, I have two things to say about that. The first is that you're not obligated to pick up shifts for your friends so that THEY can go have fun. You are not obligated to cover for them even if they are your friends, you deserve time to yourself and to have fun just as much as they do." I lifted my hand to stop her before she could start to protest. "Secondly, what's preventing you from finding a sweetheart here in the castle? I know the head chef is married to our top potionere, there are literally hundreds of servants going in and out of the castle every day! That's not even counting all the knights and squires training right outside!" I gesticulated toward the window where there was a clear view of some soldiers patrolling on a path a few stories down.

Dottie opened her mouth before she paused and frowned.

"You're right." She muttered before speaking again louder, "You're right! There's nothing stopping me from finding a man right here in the castle! I just have to look. Thanks Zelda!" She smiled and ruffled my hair, ignoring my protest.


I seemed to have traded one issue for another, as ever since then Dottie had been zoned out, focusing on finding herself a boo presumably.

Well, at least here in the library I could talk to Jiro.

"Hey Jiro, I greeted him cheerfully, mindful of my volume in respect to the ever vigilant Mr. Tommison.

"Hi Zelda, hi Dalilah," He greeted us with a smiling whisper, before frowning as Dottie didn't even respond.

"Oh don't worry about her," I reassured. "She's decided she's going to hunt down a sweetheart for herself and has been solely focused on that ever since."

"She what?!" He nearly shouted before flinching at the nasty glare mr. Tommieson sent him.

He flinched before throwing a quick "we'll be right back" to a zoned out Dottie and dragging me behind some bookshelves.

"She's what?!" he hissed again, quieter, a strange look on his face.

What was this all about?

"She decided she's going to find herself a sweetheart." I repeated, confused. His face turned white, then green before he shot a glance at the focused Dottie who had started to mutter to herself.

The truth hit me like a truck.

"Oh my god, you have a crush on her!" I gasped, slapping my hands over my lips to muffle the words slipping past my lips.

"I do not!" He hissed back, but his eyes were still on Dottie.

"You totally do!" I nearly crowed with glee, a wide grin stretching across my cheeks.

"I don't!" He protested yet again, finally snapping his gaze away from his lady love, "What's this about her finding a sweetheart?"

"Oh, she just decided that it's about time that she got herself a boyfriend, why do you want to know?" My grin was positively wicked at this point.

"No reason!" He blustered, "I was just curious who she was interested in!" Oh he most definitely crushing on her.

"Oh, no one yet! She just decided she's going to start looking for a partner, you know for someone to woo her. maybe a handsome squire or something." I teased eyes on his steadily reddening cheeks.

"Oh shut up… do you know what she's looking for?"

"Listen well, my young grasshopper, I will teach you the way of wooing a young woman."

"You're like two, also a grasshopper?" Oh shoot, that was an earth reference.

I stammered before finding the right words. "You're so eager and energetic, like a grasshopper! It's cute!"

A puzzled look crossed his face, but he seemed to accept it. "You are so annoying," He sighed.

"Love you too~ now the first thing you're going to want to get is some flowers…"


I had no idea how Jiro had misinterpreted my advice so badly.

"You gave her a RADISH?!" I practically screeched at him. He winced and shushed me, but mine and Granny's glare had cut through the silence of the room he pulled us in.

"Hey! It had flowers attached to it! And it was a HEARTY radish! It was heart shaped and everything! They're really valuable! And tasty! And she was cooking! You said girls like flowers and sentiments!"

"Oh my god!" I muttered despairingly into my hands, as Granny laughed at us.

"She did thank me!"

"This is going to be so much harder than I thought."


"And then he just handed me this piece of flint then ran off! Why would he do that?" Dottie rambled on gesturing with the piece of flint she for some reason still had, as I nodded along with a thousand yard stare.

He had gone on a day trip back to see his family, and I had offhandedly mentioned he should keep an eye out for ore deposits. 'Maybe he could give her a precious stone or something,' I had said. How in the world had he translated that to giving the girl he liked a dusty dirt covered chunk of flint??


This time it wasn't his fault.

How was he supposed to know she was allergic to nut cakes?

It was still a disaster though.


I had no idea how anyone could possibly be this bad at flirting.

I watched in disgust as he rambled on about the merits of different types of fishing.

Poor Dalilah.

Ah well.

From my position hiding behind a pillar spying on the unfortunate pair, I could clearly hear Dottie start to giggle as he started to gesticulate telling the story of the first time he went spear fishing.

At least she's having fun.


"Jiro, grasshopper, when I said take her out to do something fun, I did not mean catching lizards and grasshoppers with you for your turn gathering resources for Grinhilda."

"She said she had fun!"

"I meant to like a party or festival!" I cried, ignoring how Granny was practically crying with laughter in the corner.


I was done dealing with the tragedy that was Jiro's attempts to woo Dottie for now and was going to focus on something else for this week!

Granny's nieces and one of their friends were supposed to come to the castle today!

As it turns out, Granny is actually the younger sister to the chief of Sheikah village!

Apparently, the tradition was that the eldest child of the chief became the next chieftain, whereas the second child went to become the next princess assigned Guard. With a capital G. They became her companion, bodyguard, secretary, liaison, and high priest for the sheika people.

Apparently Granny was my mom's Sheikah Guard and this was to be the official first meeting between my future companion, the future chieftain, the son of one of the chief's advisors and me.

I was… dubious about the whole assigned Sheikah Guard thing. I certainly didn't want to judge another culture's customs or religions, but… well, the lack of choice the Sheikah guard had in this arrangement was worrisome.

This whole thing sounded very… culty to me.

Granny told me it was a great honor, and about how she functions as the religious center and high priestess for her village, and how she had been raised to fulfill this role, but I was still dubious.

Although, it also wasn't like I exactly got a choice in this whole princess thing either, so the whole 'born to a role' thing might just be a running theme in this world. I've decided to withhold judgment until I get to know the situation better.

Anyways, if things are bad enough I certainly have enough resources as princess to help whoever the poor sap stuck with me is out of their situation.

"Zelda, are you ready?" My mother asked, making eye contact with me through the mirror as she brushed my hair. She had declared she would get me ready herself today to help teach me about the ceremonial garb I was supposed to wear.

I was dressed in a loose flowing white dress that came to my knees. It bared my arms and shoulders and was only held up with two tiny little white straps. The rest of me was adorned in gold to match my hair. Tiny little gold arm cuffs and golden bracelets along with a large gold necklace and belt drew the eye, and strangely enough matched my mother's. She even unbraided my hair, leaving it to flow freely.

That wasn't the only piece of ceremony I had to learn for this. Over the last few days, Mother had drilled me in what exactly I was supposed to do in the ceremony. Honestly, it wasn't all that much. I pretty much just had to stand there looking solemn and accept each vow as it was given, before welcoming my future guard into my confidence.

It felt strange, once again being reminded of the large religious role the royal line of Hyrule played.

The blood of the goddess wasn't just some throw away line here.

Smoothing down my dress one last time I nodded.

"Yes mother, I'm ready."


This whole thing was supposed to be very solemn and serious, and it was! But I also just found it nerve wracking.

The ceremony took place as the sun started its path out of the sky, on a platform in the woods just outside the castle, a place where I'd played before.

The ceremony began with the current chief kneeling to both Mother and myself and restating his vows to the Goddess Hylia and her blood, swearing fealty, protection, and devotion. Before we both accepted his vow.

Next his daughter kneeled, and I couldn't help but blink in surprise. It was Purah! From the party!

I hadn't made the connection before simply because of how young she was, how… unformed. The Purah I remembered was bright, cheerful, eccentric, and ultimately settled in herself and who she was, in the way only someone who had come to terms with their life could be. The Purah of now was a child- nothing more nothing less.

As she repeated the vows her father had made, I tried to reassure her by flashing a quick smile in her direction as my mother and I accepted her vow. We were both nervous, we would get through this soon enough.

Soon Robbie too had bowed and said his vows, which had been accepted just the same. Finally it was time for the main event.

Granny stepped forward and bowed, first to my mother, then to me, before presenting Impa.

"My queen and my princess, my sworn and our future, as was before is now. To the Goddess Hylia we are solemnly sworn from our birth to our deaths. We are blessed in Her light from time immemorial, since the sky fell till we once more join Her safely in the light."

She took a deep breath.

"But the world of the triple goddess is not safe, and even in Hylia's light, there are shadows. The Demise of us all nips at our heels, again and again darkness reaches for us, again and again it is stopped."

"Hylia gave Her blood, Her Champion, and Herself to us, and so in turn we give ourselves to Hylia, protecting, advising, and swearing ourselves to Her blood- Her children. As was before is now, we once more have a child willing to take on a task bigger than herself. As was before, I swore to you my Queen, another is now presenting herself to swear their own oath."

I watched, spellbound, as Granny stepped back and Impa stepped forward.

"My flesh is weak and untested, my mind is young and untrained, but my heart is strong and unbroken."

She kneels before me, not before my mother and I, but solely before me, eyes on the ground.

"I cannot swear not to fail, I cannot swear to not falter, I cannot swear to always make the right choice."

"But-" she looked me in the eye now, "I can and will swear to work, to try, to listen. I swear myself to you, my princess, my future queen, and ask only that you accept me. As was before is now, my people have sworn themselves to you, and would all gladly die for you, but I swear to live for you, if only you accept my vow." She looked up to me, expecting me to return her words.

Holy Hylia.

Did- did I just hear all of that right?

This wasn't something to take lightly.

I couldn't just accept this vow blithely like I had expected. This was more than just the oaths of fealty I had dealt with before.

This part of the ceremony is entirely up to me, so lets hope I don't mess this all up.

I took a breath and stepped forward out of my mother's shadow.

"Impa of the Sheikah, daughter of chief Stohga, sister to future chief Purah, I bid you to stand." I offered her my hand to where she was kneeling, smiling as she took it and shakily stood.

"You stand before me with the burden of history on your shoulders, the shadows of your ancestors and your traditions on your path. I ask if you are prepared? Is this the path you truly wish to take?"

I'm so glad that there is traditionally an ask and respond section, one last chance for the child to back out if they wish. Sadly, it really doesn't seem like Impa is going to take that path, if the wonder on her face is any indication.

"Yes, my princess."

"Very well," I nod my head decisively. " I will not ask if your heart for that is yours to give, I will not ask of your freedom, as that is your right. I will not ask of you your devotion, that is not what I need. I will not ask of you to change, that is your decision. I ask of you your blade, I ask of you your shield, I ask of you your wit, I ask of you your loyalty. I ask of you your friendship. Will you accept this?"

She nodded solemnly. "I will."

"I accept your vow and you have accepted mine, as was before is now."

"As was before is now." Everyone chorused in unison as I sighed and stepped back. There, my part of this is over.

"You have all sworn and said each of your piece, I have blessings to give before we all feast."

While I had known that a blessing was going to be a part of the ceremony, I hadn't really realized all that that would mean.

My mother raised her hand toward the sky, grasping for the sun, and as she pulled it down again she brought the sun with her.

The sun still shone in the sky, yes, but in my mother's hands cradled near her heart was a ball of light that shone no less brilliantly.

I couldn't look away. There were spots in my eyes and I could feel myself tearing up, but I couldn't look away.

My ears were ringing and I knew, I knew! There was music playing somewhere and as I strained my ears I could just barely hear a whisper of something.

She gently held the ball of light out to us, where it shone even more brilliantly before dimming and seemingly dissipating.

"To you I give a gift of light, so never more will you fear the night."

She turned then to Impa kneeling and revealing there was still some light cupped in her palms. The smallest of stars hovering barely a centimeter over her skin.

"And to you little protector, the gift of hope, for dark times you will have to cope."

She gently pressed the star into her heart and smiled.

My mother smiled back. "Now let's go eat, I'm sure you're all hungry!"

And just like that the tension and serious air broke, I blinked away my tears and the light hope and awe of Hylia faded away.

Well if one good thing came out of all of this, I thought blithely, surreptitiously glancing at the frozen and awed Impa, at least I have new observations to add to my notebook!

…. Also I possibly have a new friend, we'll have to see how that goes.


Hi guys! Im trying to get onto a monthly update schedule but we'll see how that goes, But for now here's this months update!

In other news I'll be posting tai up on ao3 over the course of November so if you want you'll be able to also find me there!

Spicyarbiter- thanks! And honestly if you saw how I texted you'd realize I'm practicing quite a bit of restrain in my explanation marks right now :p

Dragonmaster150- so glad to have you here! I'm so excited to show you guys all the world building I have planned for this bby! I'll give you a hint now though, sealing magic is different from regular magic because of its source. Most magic comes from internal or spiritual external forces, whereas sealing magic is Divine in origin

Lleu- hi again! Thanks for the compliment! The pumpkin pie scene was not planned it just kinda was like 'oh I'm gonna write Zelda being cute and getting free candy! Hmm where would they sell candy? A sweatshop! What sweets are in botw?' And then that scene just came and stole my kneecaps. (I'll get the etiquette thing when I go back through and edit it, good eye!)

Heitor- don't worry I totally get it! Zeldas past life will affect how she acts BUT I'm trying to establish early on about how these are all people who are alive have free will and make their own choices outside of the movements of the divine, some things are going to stay the same somethings are going to change. Some things are inevitable (like Gannons return) which I will pay with with Zelda, but some things are averted, changed. (Can you tell I really like my tittle :) ) also I beat you to the punch with the review thing sorry (not sorry you got a chapter out of it :p)