Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, moved about her bedchambers. It was a vast room with grey stonework walls and old furniture that had been in the royal family for generations. One corner held a grand writing desk where she often carried out her research into ancient relics late into the night. Affixed to the wall above were her most treasured research notes.
The princess was dressed for bed, her thick golden hair in a protective side braid, but she wasn't feeling too tired, her nerves shot by the day's earlier events. It was the first moment of rest she'd had all day. She had been constantly in the presence of Impa and the knight her father had assigned as her guard. The knight, who she'd learned was named Link, was odd. He barely spoke a word, yet Zelda couldn't disregard that he had saved her that day when a large Guardian that had been unearthed at the Breach of Demise had activated somehow without warning. This, along with the increasing number of monsters throughout the kingdom made their trip to the Royal Ancient Tech Lab an arduous one.
Zelda turned over many thoughts in her mind. How the little Guardian that seemed so attached to her had traveled from a Hyrule of ruin. Her father had seemed so vexed by the Guardian's appearance, although Zelda was not surprised that he would try to discern whether the Guardian could be trusted. The little one did feel somehow familiar in a vague way…. But perhaps that was a trick of the mind since she had studied so many different types of Guardians over her many years of preparing for and trying to understand how to oppose the Calamity.
A heaviness descended upon the Princess, feeling even more drained and consumed with doubt than a moment before. Impa's sister, Purah had managed to extract visual data from the little Guardian's memory—true-to-life images that showed the devastation the Calamity would bring to her kingdom. Zelda had taken a cursory look through a few images but had quickly become overwhelmed. This was the destruction that would befall all of Hyrule should she not be able to harness her divine power. But, perhaps the pictures might also hold clues on how the Calamity could be averted.
She powered on the Sheikah Slate, wanting to give the visual data a more thorough analysis before turning in for the night. She scrolled through the horrific images of destruction, this time not having others around whom she had to put on a brave, composed face. As much as she loathed wallowing in self-pity, she had at least managed not to break down earlier in front of the others. The princess had sensed the understanding of her plight in Impa's voice earlier as they looked through the images together. Zelda could tell that the Sheikah advisor had remained calm if only for her sake.
In the images, Hyrule Castle Town was burning. The sky was ominously darkened. Strange archaic leaning spires surrounded the castle, appearing to have risen out of the earth. There was a menacing presence swirling around the castle, but given the still nature of the image, Zelda couldn't make much sense of it.
I can not allow this to come to pass… I'll do everything I can to stop this… But without the power, how will I ever be enough?
Despair and dread were starting to set in as they often did more and more over the years. She'd already tried everything she could up until now, and still, the power that should have come so naturally seemed to be impossible to find within herself. And the longer her power remained dormant, the more frustrated and cold her father grew.
Zelda shut her eyes, holding her hand over her face, trying to calm herself, but it was too late as the tears she'd been holding back for hours broke forth. She let them fall in silence, not wanting to alert the attention of any of her attendants who might be near.
She was still softly crying as she scrolled to the next image and there was not a location, but a picture of an enigmatic man.
Her eyes widened and her breath hitched. She couldn't help but stop and stare. Her green eyes moved over his image slowly.
There on the Sheikah Slate was a hooded man in a tattered purple robe, but she could tell he was very handsome, even if not by typical Hylian standards. He was very pale and had dark, collarbone-length hair. He had two long braids. One hung in front of his left eye and was tucked behind his ear, while the other adjacent braid was decorated with gold beads. He wore a gold circlet and a thick gold collar that draped over his shoulders that reminded her of jewelry worn by Gerudo royalty, although this man clearly wasn't Gerudo. No male had been born to that tribe in ages. There was an oddity about the circlet though, in that the red stone had what appeared to be a stylized yellow iris painted on it - sort of symbolizing a third eye.
Who was this mysterious man? He must have been on the slate for a reason. The slate's screen went black, and she realized she'd zoned out. Her mind was flooded with so many questions and speculations. Could someone like him really be out there, somewhere? He looked more like he belonged in some distant past foreign to her. Were they destined to meet? Should she seek him out? She didn't know, nor did she know how to raise the subject to anyone else. Her father, dear sweet Hylia, her father….would almost certainly chastise for wasting her time with images discovered on Sheikah technology which had been banned up until the recent past instead of dedicating every waking moment in prayer to unlock her dormant power. But to Zelda, this felt as crucial as researching relics, perhaps even more so. And then it occurred to Zelda who she could confide in - Urbosa. Based on the jewelry the man wore, maybe she might know something.
And just like that, the heaviness that had pushed her to the edges of despair had lifted, even if only a little bit. Zelda laid the slate on her nightstand before climbing into her stately canopy bed. She found she was able to drift off with relative ease, all things considered. Tomorrow, she was sure, would be another demanding day, and she was eager for the respite sleep would bring.
In her dream that night was a woman in a resplendent white dress, and Zelda sensed she was connected with her. Was this Hylia, the Goddess whose blood was said to run through her veins? The Goddess smiled to herself in a dreamy way, absorbed in her song as her fingers moved along the strings of a small harp. The Goddess appeared to be singing as her lips moved silently, Zelda not being able to perceive her words. Perhaps it was a lullaby. Zelda wished she could hear her song. The goddess seemed so passionate about…. something, but all she could do was watch and hope this dream to be a harbinger of good things to come.
oOo
His harbinger turned and left, having imparted to his chosen prophet how it had come to be and how it planned to counter what its 'twin' from a ruined Hyrule had set out to do. It was fate that Ganon's hatred had followed that Guardian through time to possess the one from this era.
And now, Calamity Ganon's will can be fulfilled in this time as well… The Prophet of Doom thought. This was all a part of Lord Ganon's plan to annihilate his enemies absolutely, leaving no room for victory, even in a separate path in time.
That Guardian by the princess's side had the means to set this path on a different course, and the prophet knew he couldn't let some meddlesome piece of junk alter fate's rightful course. He would subdue the princess and her newfound ally. Admittedly, the thought of destroying the Guardian had already crossed his mind, even before Lord Ganon's new directive. Now he just had to make those two degenerate, banana-eating goons do his and Lord Ganon's bidding.
The prophet was elated that he could now receive such clear directives and revelations from Lord Ganon. The harbinger was proof to potential allies that he had indeed been chosen and could know the will of Calamity Ganon, not just interpret it through the constellations or prophetic dreams.
Gaining the trust of the Yiga Clan didn't feel like much, but things were coming together. The Calamity would return and reign down its hatred on Hyrule, and the kingdom would come to its end, at long last.
He strode confidently into his hideout, laughing to himself.
oOo
"I have selected the candidates to pilot the Divine Beasts. Zora grace, Princess Mipha; Goron vigilance, Daruk; Rito confidence, Revali; and Gerudo spirit, Chief Urbosa. You will go meet with each and explain their role to pilot their respective Divine Beast." King Rhoam's voice carried through the Sanctum from his place on the balcony.
Zelda looked up at her father and responded. "Yes, I suspected as much… I will meet with Chief Urbosa first. I am... looking forward to seeing her again."
Rhoam nodded. "Understood. It has been some time since your last meeting with her." The King's voice held a respectful tone, perhaps thinking of his late queen who had been close friends with the Gerudo chief. His gaze moved to the little Guardian, and his voice became cold. Zelda stiffened as the words left his mouth. "And? You're taking this relic with you, I presume?" Rhoam narrowed his eyes at the small Guardian that was currently hiding behind his daughter.
Zelda could sense an admonishment incoming, yet she managed an explanation. "Yes. After talking to Purah and Robbie, we thought it would be best."
Rhoam lowered himself back onto his throne, considering this. The Guardian moved out from behind Zelda as if emboldened by her voice.
"I will remind you once again. Above all else, your duty is of the utmost importance. Are we clear?" Rhoam said, sternly.
For the briefest moment, the image of the hooded man flashed through her mind, but she didn't let the destruction show in her response. "Yes, we are clear. I understand... And I will honor my duty."
It wasn't a lie, per se…. Zelda thought, feeling a twinge of guilt. But her heart just wasn't in it anymore.
After all I've been through, who can say what honoring my duty looks like. Prayer hasn't worked. I've spent over a decade dedicating myself to it. If I could just focus my attention elsewhere, perhaps the power will find me in a way nobody could foresee.
Zelda, accompanied by Link and Impa, departed the castle with the new Guardian in tow. The Princess breathed a soft sigh of frustration as she felt her father's eyes boring into her, which didn't go unnoticed by Impa and Link. But, in time the feeling passed, and the three were laughing and bonding over the little Guardian that acted as if it were a knight in the princess's service.
A/N: I've wanted to write BotW Zelda ever since the game came out, and now I finally have the perfect reason to write her!
Prometheus17: Thanks for joining me for another story! Have you had a chance to play BotW or AOC? It always feels strange to think that someone reading my story might be first experiencing a character through my writing rather than the canon source. Either way, I look forward to your thoughts on how I write botw Zelda and/or Astor. As for your question, all I will say is that its going to be a rough road ahead. For myself, for Zelda, and yes even for Astor...
Faylain: Thanks! I never thought I'd be writing a story with Master Kohga in it, but here I am... and he's surprisingly fun to write for. My heart really broke for Astor. I can relate to Zelda's struggles, but in the end you know everything is going to go well for her. Astor on the other hand had one of the cruelest fates I've ever seen in a Zelda game. He and Zelda really are like foils to each other. I wonder how intentional it was on Nintendo/KT's part.