Chapter 2

After the Ball is Over

"I don't care!" yelled a man's disembodied voice from the shadows, his cry resonating within each suit of armor in the Champion's Hall. "But Calamity Ganon will not wait for us!"

I shuddered, retreating behind the curtain that concealed my hidden doorway. The cacophony of clanking sheet metal sounded like the return of Calamity Ganon himself. I didn't know if this man's voice was merely loud and the room naturally cavernous, or if he was a sorcerer capable of breathing life into inanimate objects with his words. But the stupor of champagne that still clouded my brain urged me not to stick around long enough to find out.

I peered around the velvet curtain, grasping it as if it were a shield. I squinted, but saw no one. A misty darkness shrouded the upper balconies of the Throne room. Only a few golden antiques glimmered in the faint torchlight, and even the golden embroidery of the royal carpets was nearly indistinguishable from the stone tiles. But I glanced to the right as a resounding thud punctuated the hollow silence, likely the man's fist slamming against a wall. His curses joined the echoing metallic laughter.

A second figure, a woman visible only by her silver hair and the gleaming folds of a taffeta gown, appeared beside him. Her golden bangles flashed and jangled as she grabbed his arm. "Robbie, stop," she said fiercely, her voice oscillating between a whisper and a yell. "If you're not careful, you'll destroy the few stupid artifacts that the Hylians have actually preserved." The bracelets hummed again as she gestured wildly to one of the axes mounted on the stone wall to her right. "They say that's the very weapon that the Champion of Vah Naboris used to battle Ganon."

The man, Robbie, protested again, but she pushed him against the wall, the hall resounding with a metallic clanking once again.

I could barely hear her threat through the din, but it caused Robbie to stop resisting. "And if you don't sit down, I might just use it on you."

The pair shuffled further away from me, with Robbie being guided toward a step on the spiral staircases that climbed upward to the observation room and the Bell Tower. Once the silver-haired woman moved away from him, I realized that Robbie's shimmered silver-white too. Were they Sheikah? My mind resonated with a thousand facts about Sheikah—a history of distrust, assassins, a village to the east, the ancient weapons. Were they Sheikah researchers tasked with finding the ancient technology?

I could no longer hear their conversation but the woman's voice—commanding yet compassionate—grew more familiar. Was that Impa, I wondered, suddenly placing her silver hair and the high top knot into which her hair was gathered? I had never been introduced to her, but I had seen her many times. Although she was young—only a few years older than me—she was well-respected and was one of my Father's most trusted advisors.

I continued to mull their words in my head. I had heard "Vah Naboris" earlier in the night, something Urbosa mentioned casually when talking over dinner—"last spring I oversaw the excavations of Vah Naboris, but the dust storm nearly stopped me from reaching the Gerudo Canyon." Years after my Father had recruited several Sheikah scholars and begun his search, it was the first piece of ancient technology discovered. Since then, they had discovered three other massive creations slumbering in the ground across Hyrule.

Desperate to learn more, I extricated myself from the curtain and stumbled silently closer. I still seemed no less clumsy than I had been on the dance floor. But, first gathering the velvety billows of my ballgown and its many underskirts into my arms, I managed to crawl toward the stone balustrade that contained the opening of the Throne Room's ceiling. But trying to distinguish any word from their hushed conversation was like trying to unravel the thickly-woven wool carpets beneath me from a single loose thread.

The two couldn't see me as I sat against the balustrade, hidden in shadows. Surely, any noise I, or they, made was obscured by the murmur of the crowd below and the music drifting upward in distorted melodies and disembodied chords. The haze that had clouded my mind during the dance, as thick and as sweet as a humid summer garden, was dissipating. But every time I blinked, the sight of golden hair and gleaming blue eyes filled my si—

"—but it has to be in the shadow of Mount Hylia"

"It will be," Impa hissed. "I mean, it is."

"But even the papers aren't sure."

"I just know it is. And Rodolfo knows it is. And when have either of us been wrong?" she continued. "I'll convince the King first thing in the morning. He'll understand that the Beasts cannot be controlled without it." Before Robbie had even began to speak, she held up a finger to silence him. "He will understand. He's not as unreasonable as he seems."

I slowly peered over the edge, tightening my grip on the thick stone banister as the brightness and the height of the drop shocked me. The dancers continued to twirl across the floor of the Throne Room, though they were now the size of mayflies. Although a couple of blue-capped Royal Guards stood as sentinels beside every entrance and others paraded through the crowds of guests, I couldn't see him. Music and laughter and frivolity continued on without him. Without us.

"I promise you that we will unearth the technology in in two days time. Then we can finally awaken the beasts and find suitable—"

A sudden clatter of loud, hurried footsteps ascended the staircase behind me.

"Zelda! Where are you?" Urbosa yelled, her worried voice rising with her footsteps.

Startled, I rose. The Sheikah vanished, like two flames extinguished in the darkness, leaving behind no evidence of their flickering existence.

"I'm here Urbosa," I answered, still staring at the spot where I last saw them. "I'm fine. I needed some fresh air, so I wandered up here."

Within a second of her leaving the staircase she embraced me in a hug and began peppering me with motherly questions, "I was afraid you were lost, or that you had run off into the gardens, or even that you had run away from the castle into the night." She paused, holding me at arms length. "Are you looking for him?"

"No, I'm not." I replied, far too quickly to have actually answered the question.

Urbosa stared at me, raising her eyebrows, before leaning over the balustrade herself. The colors of the Throne Room illuminated her face and the dancers mirrored themselves in her watchful amber eyes.

"You should say goodnight to your father before you excuse yourself. You don't want anyone to worry." Whipping her red hair behind her, she once again fixed her eyes and a playful smile on me. "Unless you do want him to send the Royal Guards out looking for you…"

"Urbosa, stop!" I cried, brushing past her to the stairs before she could notice my blush. But as I descended the stairs I prayed that Urbosa's words would predict the future, or at least, that I would spot Link on the dance floor.

When I had returned to the dance floor, the staccato rhythm of Urbosa's heeled shoes following me, the air was hotter, as if the passion of dancing couples had inflamed the air. The orchestra played another romantic waltz, and I couldn't help but smile. I didn't want to leave. If I simply loitered around for long enough, circled the dance floor and the tables and the band in a thousand orbits, until the moon set and I was the only one left in the room, perhaps then I would see him. But leaving the room and retiring to bed was admitting defeat. I was surrendering all chance of romance.

As I dodged swirling tulle skirts and careless arms, a desperate sadness seemed to encroach upon me. It tread on my dress with heavy boots and clouded my eyes with a burning heat. Yet in the midst of this tempest of laughter and violins and tulle and arms, I was alone. I questioned my parasitic need for knowledge. Why had I left the party earlier, abandoning my chances of finding him? Yes, I had overheard the Sheikah, and tomorrow morning I would search the castle for them to learn more of their plans. But would that lead me anywhere? Was overhearing a snippet of conversation better than finding Link again?

"Do you want me to accompany you upstairs?"

"No, I'll manage by myself Urbosa."

"I'll be departing south early in the morning," she said, once we had freed ourselves from the ever-changing labyrinth of dancers and drink-toting guests. "But I hope to see you again soon."

She pulled me close to her and hugged me again, "And if you ever find yourself anywhere near Gerudo Town, let me know. I will do anything I can to help you, little bird." With a flick of her red hair, she twirled and vanished into a crowd of dancers, a desert mirage of silk and jewel-encrusted golden jewelry.

I turned around and glanced up to the throne, where my father sat, surrounded by richly-dressed attendants, courtiers, and foreign dignitaries. The golden tri-force shined above him, reflecting the crimson hangings on the walls. Standing up straighter, I strode calmly up the stairs toward him. Four Royal Guards bowed to me as I approached the throne. The rapid beating of my heart mutated from nervousness to excitement. But, as I glanced at each of their faces as they rose, none were Link. Nervous again, I felt a vein pulse against my golden tiara.

"Ah Zelda! That was quite the magnificent dancing earlier," father said, rising to his feet with an uncharacteristic jollity.

The flock of dignitaries around him murmured in agreement, golden necklaces and earrings glittering and jingling as they nodded. I noticed Impa, standing like a shadow behind the throne in her pale gown, talking to Master Grom, one of the history scholars who tutored me when I was younger. How had she moved so fast? I glanced around at the people standing on the dais. The tall man standing closest to Father was a respected knight, the stately woman on his right was the Chief of Lurelin village. I was quite sure that none of them were involved with research of the ancient technology.

"I'm quite glad that the dancing lessons have made you a competent dancer," father said. My eyes flicked back to him.

"Thank you Father."

"Are you alright, Zelda? You seem distracted." He twiddled with the ring on his finger as he fixed his eyes on me. "Did you have too much to drink? I'll admit that the sipping brandy was rather strong."

"I'm feeling fine," I lied. "I didn't try any of the brandy. But I do think I'm not quite used to champagne yet. I was hoping to excuse myself from the dance and retire for the night."

"Of course." He nodded and leaned forward to take his golden goblet in his hands. He raised the glass into the air and quietly said, "Happy Birthday, my daughter."

He took a sip. His eyes smiled at me from over the goblet. "Good night, Zelda."

"Good night Father."

I nodded to the Guards and dignitaries bowing around me and descended the stairs from the dais.

Feelings of disappointment, regret, and disbelief echoed in my head as the room once again faded into a phantasmagoria of colors and laughter. Violins chased me and thin tendrils of laughter ensnared me as I trudged through the dark hallways. But as I moved further away from the dance, the thick carpets and vaulted ceilings muffled their sounds.

I stumbled into my room, slamming the door shut behind me. Alone in the darkness, the champagne returned and taunted me, conjuring phantoms in the mirrors and window panes. I stared, transfixed at the moonlight dancing on my floor.

I forgot how long I stood there, watching the moonlight while humming dancing melodies to myself. The shadows lulled me into a trance and time melted into the darkness.

But as the drawings of ancient princesses and fashionable dress patterns fluttered besides the windows, I realized that I needed to write about the night before I forgot about it or before I succumbed to sleep. I picked up my skirt and waltzed over to my desk, turning around about an invisible partner. I blushed, remembering the heat of his body so close to mine, the way his boots silently stepped across the floor. A warm evening breeze played with my hair and I imagined his hands cupping my cheek and that stern face kissing me. Looking up at the imaginary figure, I realized that the Guard must not have been much taller than me.

I sat down at my desk and extracted my diary from a pile of botany books. Grabbing a quill pen, I poured every memory of the night I could onto the blank pages. My hand cramped and twisted but I kept writing—sloppily, desperately—about everything. How the stone room sparkled and shimmered. The way he bowed to me and danced with me and left me. The unquenchable joy blossoming within me that I could only imagine was love.

Once my hands and several pages of the diary were stained with splotchy ink, I fell onto my bed, tossing aside my dress and slipping a night dress over my weary arms.

In the faint light, the dim embroidered stars twinkled in the blue silk sky of the canopy. A distant bell tolled the time. It was already three in the morning.

I hugged my pillow close, imagining, just for a moment, that someone lay besides me. I remembered again the feeling of warm hands encircling my waist, his fingers grasping mine, muscled arms supporting my back.

Although my eyes flickered closed, I struggled against sleep as one would struggle against waking, holding onto the day as one would hold tightly to a lovely dream. I refused to shut my eyes, unless I could imprint the sight of him dancing onto my eyelids,

I turned my head on the pillow and the Royal Guard led me into another lovely dream.

I winced as I opened the wooden door and stepped into the sun. Although the low-hanging grey clouds dimmed the morning sun, the light from the overcast sky was enough to set my eyes ablaze. Even the sight of the castle walls and the dull green hills of Hyrule field made my eyes ache.

This pain, and the nausea I felt when putting on my stiff-ribbed shirt, must be part of the hangover that the books had warned me about. Why did I have so much champagne last night? Never again would I drink so much. I grasped the banister tightly as I descended the staircase with my eyes closed, tentatively lowering one foot at a time down the stone steps. I would consult with the library's medical anthologies again to see if I could concoct a medicine of my own, perhaps some herbal remedy. And, if I were lucky, I might find some Sheikah researchers in the library.

By some luck, or perhaps the intervention of the goddesses, I found myself largely uninjured as I pushed open the door of the library. Although I had stumbled through the gardens and tripped once on the cobblestones of the western courtyard, my head didn't hurt any more than it had before. In fact, my headache lessened as I stepped into the subterranean room. I opened my eyes a sliver to cautiously look about, but no fires raged in the torches and only a few flames flickered in the candelabras. Heavy woolen curtains were drawn across most of the large windows lining the upper floor, blocking the eastern sun. But perhaps it was the welcoming smell of beeswax candles and dusty parchment that eased my headache. Ahh the incense of learning. I always thought that these aromas, combined with the towering stone pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling, transformed the room into a cathedral, perhaps into one of Nayru's Temples. She had always been my favorite of the goddesses. As a girl, I had always prayed for knowledge and wisdom.

My eyes scanned the book filled shelves and the wooden research tables as I paced to the wall where I had found the medical texts, located in the furthest corner from where I had entered. I cringed as each of my hurried footsteps clacked against the marble tiles and echoed in the cavernous space. Each footfall reverberated against my aching head as well.

Once I reached the bookshelf, I crouched down and began running a quivering finger over the fraying fabric spines, contorting my neck to read the horizontal lettering. I quickly rejected Abscesses and What to Do About Them (ick) and Adolescent Development (double ick) before skipping a shelf and finding Common Ailments and Their Cures. This should do nicely, I thought to myself, as I opened the book to its table of contents. I ran my fingers down the Table of Contents until I found "Alcohol impairment" and began turning pages in clumps. The page itself was dogeared and spotted with stains, reeking of some pungent disinfectant.

But each "cure" seemed less trustworthy then the last. One instructed me to drink water, explaining that alcohol was a diuretic. The next paragraph advised me to sleep until I "felt all traces of pain leave my body," although the footnote at the page's bottom suggested that this process could be expedited by ingesting a small amount of ground willow bark. The subsequent paragraphs each listed other possible panaceas: foods with sugars, a strong cup of tea, meat, milk, and most surprisingly, another glass of brandy.

I shook my head and snapped the book shut. The fact that the entry itself contained such contradictory information suggested that none of these treatments would actually cure my post-alcoholic malaise. But it wouldn't harm me to stop by the Dining Hall before seeing Father. Tea and fruit cake would do me well regardless. I shelved the book and dusted off my skirt, making my way across the tiled floor to the stairs.

On the way I paused, peering over the balcony at the large research desks below. A Sheikah man sat stooped over several teetering piles of books, the candlelight illuminating his silver hair. I walked faster, nearly galloping down the staircase. But as I neared him, my footsteps echoing loudly, I realized that he was the only person, let alone the only Sheikah, in the room.

But no matter. I had developed another plan that wouldn't rely on fortuitous eavesdropping.

"Mount Hylia. Mount Hylia. Mount Hylia," I muttered, reminding myself of my mission and my eventual destination.

Last night, Impa had mentioned that she and Robbie would be traveling there in "two days time"—the day that was now tomorrow. And all I needed was an excuse to travel with them. I ran to one of the reference desks in the center of the library with its stacks of atlases, and bound volumes of obscure maps. As I traced my finger over a now-faded book cover, a shadowy voice hummed a tune to my right. It was the Sheikah. I glanced over at him. His eyes were closed but he waved his hands as if conducting an orchestra. I smiled. It was one of the waltzes played last night.

I traced my finger along the roads of Southern Hyrule, finding the mountain near the middle of the map. I grinned as I looked to the North.

Just as I had suspected.

Mount Hylia was on the Great Plateau.

My heart was racing by the time I arrived at the ornate double-door at the end of the window-lined hallway. The fruitcake filling my stomach had transformed into butterflies, which had since freed themselves from my stomach and were pounding their wings against my chest. Unconsciously, I rubbed my palms against my pale blue skirt. I then fumbled with my black belt, straightening its silver buckle.

I paused for a second, hearing an unfamiliar voice talking with my father from within his study. Feeling the eyes of the Guards on me, my hand hovered for a few seconds, but I couldn't extract a single word from the muffled conversation. The polished walnut door was too thick.

Carefully placing my hand in between the iron studs, I knocked on the door, rapping my knuckles twice.

One of the two solemn-faced Royal Guards besides the door announced loudly, "Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda is here to visit you, sir."

"Come in."

The voice that answered back pierced the wood, quite in contrast to the muffled chat of a moment before. He must have been having a private conversation. The two Guards opened the doors, soundlessly pulling them open.

My eyes widened. A figure stood in front of the desk, blocking my view of Father. The man, with his golden hair gathered behind his head, turned to look at me before bowing.

It was Link.

He was wearing the same uniform that he wore last night, as if he were about to extend his arm and ask me for a second dance. I tried to stop thinking about the muscled arms covered by the navy epaulets.

The butterflies once again struggled to escape, begging permission to leave my body. If I released them, then surely a kaleidoscope of iridescent lights and music would fill the dark, book-lined study. But I closed my mouth and inhaled the scent of incense and new parchment through my nose.

"Zelda! You've come at the right time. I just finished discussing some important matters with young Master Link of the Royal Guards here." He paused to gesture at Link before a scheming gleam lighted his eyes and his lined face contorted itself into a smile. "I would introduce you two, but it seems you've already become well acquainted with one another."

I stepped past Link, refusing to let a blush spread across my cheeks. Ignoring him, as well as my father's quip, I met my father's gaze.

"Father, I'm taking a pilgrimage to pray at the Temple of Time." I said it just as I had practiced. I made a pronouncement, not a request.

"A pilgrimage?" he asked, one white eyebrow slightly raised.

"Yes," I replied, Link's presence making me hesitate. I didn't want to divulge the reasons for my constant pilgrimages to him. "I … I feel inspired to pray there now that I am the same age of the Hero of Time. If I can't yet visit the Spring of Wisdom, I may as well seek out all the other sacred sites of Hyrule."

My father remained silent as he stared out the window. I couldn't resist it, I glanced at Link from the corner of my eye. He remained stoical, expressionless.

I continued. "A group of pilgrims is departing from Castletown in two days time. I was hoping to accompany them."

"Your timing is quite fortuitous Zelda. You should meet with Impa, so that you can accompany the Shiekah caravan to the Great Plateau."

"Impa?" I asked feigning ignorance, although the butterflies began fluttering in excitement. "Your advisor, the one in charge of the ancient technology research?"

"Exactly the same," he answered, betraying no emotion or additional information as he fiddled with a brass instrument on his desk. "She and several other researchers will be traveling to the Great Plateau tomorrow. They are searching for … some important pieces of ancient technology."

"I'm merely hoping to pray."

"Well, I'm certainly not asking you to join the research efforts." He fixed his eyes on me, and they critiqued each of my childhood pleas to spend additional time with tutors rather than praying. "However, if you travel with the Sheikah researchers, rather than joining the pilgrimage, the Temple will be empty. You'll be sure to have at least one day to pray alone."

He rose from his desk chair and paced toward the window. "At your age you should know more about the stories of ten thousand years ago. Sometimes I've wondered if you've learned enough. I've ensured that you've been taught all the ancient legends and our nation's history, but perhaps there is yet more you require."

He paused a while before continuing rather wistfully, "I remember when you were young and you became so enthusiastic each time I told you about the relics that the researchers unearthed. In time I may have you oversee part of the research and defense efforts." The reflected light gleaming on his face erased all his features when he turned to me. "You will be Queen one day, after all."

He turned back to his desk, and the light, as well as the mournful intensity in his eyes, vanished.

"Link, you're dismissed," he said, waving his hand casually, as if to emphasize his directive. But a sudden twinkle gleamed in his eye before Link had even turned away from the desk.

"But before you return to your post, could you accompany my daughter to the guest quarters where the Sheikah researchers are residing? And if Impa is not there, please arrange a detail to escort her to the Royal Laboratories."

He nodded. "Sir."

The quiet word was the first I had ever heard him say aloud. I wasn't quite sure if I had imagined all the words he had whispered to me at the dance. At the thought of walking alone with him, the butterflies burst through the papery chrysalis that was my heart.

"Thank you, Father," I said, biting the insides of my mouth to keep myself from smiling. "I will be sure to see you before we depart."

Link watched me as I turned to depart, but my father's words stopped me before I could reach the door.

"Zelda, two Royal Guards will accompany the excavation as well. Impa has hired several mercenaries, but I will take no chances if you are traveling with them."

He turned to Link once again. "Link, please arrange for that as well."

As I seized the worn iron door handle, Link bowed deeply to my father, his cap tilting perilously on his head. How did it manage to stay put, I wondered.

The Guards besides the door bowed as I strode past them. Crossing my fingers in the folds of my gown, I began to hope that the Sheikah were not in the castle and that Link would need to escort me all the way to the Royal Laboratory, on the far western banks of the Castle moat. If that were the case, he would need to arrange a small boat for us, or I would ride horseback with him across the Carok Bridge and through the Breach of Demise. Perhaps I would see him defend me from a vicious wolf or a roadside assassin. I imagined him holding me close as he swung his sword at fearsome enemies.

Link's fast footfalls were muffled by the carpet as he maintained a respectful distance of several paces from me.

Although I was smiling, the butterflies were now clogging my throat, preventing me from speaking. I had no idea where Impa was and I would soon be leading Link in desperate circles around the castle if I didn't tell him soon. I exhaled several times, hoping the butterflies would soar out an open window. I laughed nervously, "to be honest, I'm unsure of where the Sheikah researchers are quartering now. I don't know where we're going and the last thing I want to do is waste your time."

Without answering he nodded and increased his speed until he was walking ahead of me.

Although he was leading me, he didn't rush me with a fast pace, quite unlike the brisk march of most Guards. And while I was annoyed he didn't speak, something about his silence seemed respectful. Perhaps when we were properly alone, outside of the castle, he would speak to me. Yet I hoped I could prompt him to join a conversation. But how? I barely knew anything about him, except for the rumors I had heard for years, "the youngest Royal Guard" and "the mysterious boy who wields the sword that seals the darkness." A compliment seemed like a good start.

"You're quite a talented dancer," I told him holding my breath in anticipation of his response.

I glanced at him, hoping the weight of my stare, or the resulting silence, would prompt a response. But his face betrayed no emotion or internal response. Maybe I hadn't actually articulated my thoughts, and had only repeated the statement to myself in my mind. But my mouth still hung open from when I had spoken.

He didn't reply until we had walked the length of the corridor and he had ushered me down a staircase. As he stood before the doorway to let me pass ahead of him, he glanced at me. The butterflies froze, transfixed by his blue eyes and the desperate fantasies blossoming in my mind. Anything could happen. His eyes briefly met mine.

"Thank you."

Like at the dance, his voice barely distinguished itself from the silence. But as I realized he wasn't going to say anything else, I let him pass ahead of me on the staircase. There was no use in talking to him now. I was hoping to discover whether he had enjoyed the dance, but now I'd failed to discover whether he was even pleased to have been complimented. Perhaps he was obeying protocol by not speaking to me while on duty. Or perhaps he had overstepped his boundaries by dancing with me last night and Father had been reprimanding him.

What if he was older than me and Father was concerned because I was only sixteen? How much older was he? He looked to be a teenager. And, knowing the average age of the Royal Guards, it would be unlikely for him to be over twenty.

He continued to pace ahead of me, the sword strapped to his back being the only feature that distinguished him from the rest of the Royal Guards. Nothing about his bearing or his appearance suggested that he was unusual in any way. But the sword that seals the darkness was the same sword that the hero of legend used ten thousand years ago to defeat the calamity. If the Calamity returned tomorrow, this boy was already prepared to fight the beast. Unlike me.

A hundred questions filled my brain. Where did he find the sword? Did the goddesses lead him to it, speaking to him, yet failing to teach me to access my sealing powers? When did he find it? How old was he? Would he ever speak to me?

But as I wandered in this labyrinth of thoughts, he stopped suddenly, knocking on a plain door to his left. I barely prevented myself from careening into his outstretched arm.

From within a woman yelled, "What is it now? We're leaving tomorrow and we have important preparations to make, I don't care if our mercenaries are wanted criminals in four villages, they do the job just fine."

Link maintained his silence, so I responded, "I'm not here about the mercenaries. His Majesty the King sent me."

Someone scurried to the door, unbolting it and violently opening it. Impa stood there, her elaborately coiffed silver hair swinging above a high-collared blue shirt.

"Your Highness!" she cried, giving a clumsy curtsy as several people who had been lounging behind her suddenly jumped to their feet. "How can I assist you?"

"Impa, please let me accompany you on your excavation!" I cried, forgetting all manners and formality.

"Please come in," she said, motioning me inside with a shocked look on her face. As she held the door open with one arm, she craned her neck to peer around me.

"Master Link, do you need anything? Please tell me you aren't here about the mercenaries," she said, concern twisting her face into a frown. "I promise they have no criminal records, that was just my sister joking."

I hadn't realized that Link was still lingering behind me. He sure was persistent. Surely he knew he had fulfilled my Father's orders by escorting me here. Any other Guard would have excused himself, silently bowing and leaving, just as Link had done at the dance.

I turned around to face him, a signal to prompt him to speak. Again, he looked at me without speaking.

"Link, I'll be talking with Impa for a while. Unless you need me for something, you can go."

Without saying a word he nodded at Impa, bowed deeply to me, and turned around to leave. I watched him as he departed soundlessly.

"That boy never changes," she said, sighing and turning around to face the flames blazing in a redbrick fireplace. I turned with her and took note of the room. Blue banners hung on the plaster walls, dark ceilings of polished paneled wood loomed low over the room. Stacks of books rose from the floor like stalagmites in between clusters of assorted antique furniture, giving the space a cave-like feel. The Sheikah must have converted unused Knight's Quarters into their dwelling within the castle.

"Is he always this quiet?" I asked.

"That sword on his back does all the talking in most situations." She paused, stroking her chin as if lost in thought. Then, her memory returning, she gestured to the young Sheikah man on her right.

"Your highness, this is Robbie. He's one of our lead researchers, he focuses on studying the ancient mechanized forces known as the Guardians."

The tall man nodded, his golden bug-eyed goggles bouncing on top of his spiky silver hair. "I'm Dr. Robbie, but please call me Robbie."

"This is my older sister, Dr. Purah," Impa continued, pointing to a bespectacled girl with short silver hair. "She's studying the energy that powers the ancient technology."

The shorter girl flashed a smile and curtsied, her colorful petticoats flouncing beneath her skirt.

Impa turned to me. She was a rather stately woman, who appeared just as regal in her research clothes as she had in her gown last night. "You probably know me, but I doubt we've ever been formally introduced. I'm Impa, Advisor to the King on all matters regarding ancient technology. I also represent the Sheikah people and Kakariko Village in the Royal Court."

I smiled politely smiled at all three of them, waiting for Impa to say something else.

"It's wonderful to see you here, but may I ask why you've come?"

"My Father believes that I am undergoing a pilgrimage to the Temple of Time, and so he instructed me to accompany you to the Great Plateau, rather than waiting for a pilgrimage group."

The three of them nodded, understanding the logical progression of my request. I glanced nervously at them and inhaled deeply, bracing myself for the rejection that would follow my request. "But truthfully, I want to join your excavations and your research on ancient technology!"

"Your highness, w—"

"—Please call me Zelda." I interrupted.

"Zelda," she addressed me, fixing her red eyes on me and almost smiling. "We cannot promise that we will be able to provide you with the accommodations that you are accustomed to in the castle. Our travels will not be comfortable, nor a journey befitting a Princess"

"I don't care," I said, urgently. "I must help this country prepare itself for the Calamity's return. I will do anything necessary."

"Well then, sit down, Zelda." She said, smiling, gesturing to a wooden stool by the fire. "You have much to learn."

"You mean you'll let me accompany you tomorrow?"

"I can't refuse the Princess," Impa said laughing. "But I want you to listen to Purah first."

I bounced over the old rug and sat down on the stool, pulling it closer to the three Sheikah.

"I suppose we can start with the prophecy," Purah said, leaning forward in her yellow velveteen armchair to rest her forearms on her knees. Firelight glinted in her glasses, concealing her eyes. "The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground."

"That's the fortuneteller's prophecy."

Robbie glanced at Purah, whose eyes were still obscured by flame.

She hesitated. A log cracked and collapsed into a shower of sparks, sending ash fluttering to the fringe of a Gerudo carpet.

"Yes, it is," she said. "After your Father heard it, he sent an emissary to the Sheikah people. Although the bond between the Royal family and the Sheikah had long since dissolved, the rumors and fears of millennia spoke of the Sheikah burying the power of gods beneath Hyrule."

She slid out of her chair and knelt by the table in front of her, searching through a pile of books and tossing several over her shoulder. She continued her hunt as she said, "In the fight against the Calamity, ten thousand years ago, the Sheikah built amazing ancient technology, the four Divine Beasts, which four talented Champions commanded. They also built the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. As you know, the Hylians and the Sheikah looked for this power, and so excavation began."

Having found the parchment she was looking for, she stretched it on the table, placing books and an inkpot on each of the corners. She pointed at one of four detailed ink illustrations, a creature that looked like a Camel, consisting of ornate skeletal segments and a featureless face.

"In the Gerudo Desert we found one of the Divine Beasts, Vah Naboris." She then drew her finger across the three other drawings, an elephant of sorts, a giant eagle, and a lizard. "Since then we have found the three others, scattered across the land."

"Then we searched for the Guardians." She grabbed another parchment and pointed at a finger at a spider-like creature. "We've found a few buried beside the Divine Beasts, but we know that there are innumerable others hidden beneath the castle and scattered throughout the land of Hyrule."

"These all were buried underneath Hyrule?" I asked. "And yet no one found them during that ten thousand years?"

"Well, only the Sheikah knew precisely where and how they were buried." Impa said. "Of course, rumors of cursed Shiekah technology persisted, but that only discouraged people from searching for them."

"Anyway, to catch you up to our current research mission," Robbie said, as if anxious to redirect the conversation, "we're still searching for a way to activate and control the Divine Beasts and the Guardians."

"As well as the Guidance Stone that I found," Purah added. "And, eventually, the ancient towers and the shrines."

"We believe that there is a piece of Sheikah technology on the Great Plateau that will do that." Impa explained. "All of the ancient riddles say that it was hidden in the shadow of Mount Hylia. And as Mount Hylia is on the Plateau, we hope it's there. But without it we cannot hope to defeat Ganon."

I watched the three of them, all now huddled around the book-laden table. I rocked on my rickety stool.

"So the legends are true, then?" I asked hesitantly. "The champions, the divine beasts, the princess with her sealing power?"

"Of course!" Purah exclaimed, with passionate exasperation. "You sound just like your father when my mother first met with him nearly fifteen years ago. Did you not think this was real—"

But Impa silenced her with a glare and began talking over her.

"—Yes, Zelda. The Calamity, the evil beast known as Ganon, has existed since Hyrule's beginning."

Robbie slouched forward and mumbled something to himself as he began tracing shapes in the carpet.

Impa continued.

"As the spirit of evil, he has returned in many forms during Hyrule's long history. Yet each time he has reappeared," she said, now looking at me, "the goddess and a warrior have returned as well. And each of their many reappearances has created a new story, a new legend."

She gestured to one of the book stalagmites to her right. "So many legends are woven into the fabric of our nation and our people. And almost all of them are true."

Of course. I was part of that legend. I was supposed to hold the power of the reincarnated goddess. Yet Father had let me wander in confusion for so long, unsure of what was myth and what was real. All my life he had tasked me with preparing for the Calamity's return. I've known that it was an imminent threat. But after hearing so little from the goddesses, sometimes I've wondered if he was leading me on a wild goose chase. Impa however, was telling me everything was true. That the power was real. That the fight against the Calamity had been fought so many years ago, just as Father had described.

One of the parchments on the table showed the story of ten thousand years ago, painted in vibrant, bold brushstrokes. The princess in white, the calamity—made of swirling darkness and flame—and the hero, holding a sword aloft.

"Thank you for telling me all this." I told the three of them. "I'm sure that I was not the only Hylian child who was told that all these stories were nothing more than fairytales growing up."

Impa nodded. "That's why I wanted you to know the basic story. We'll be sure to tell you more about our excavations with time, but it's important for you to know the truth about the technology's origins."

"Will it just be the three of you on the excavation team tomorrow?" I asked. "Or will there be other Sheikah researchers?"

"Well, given that we don't intend to unearth any more hundred-ton divine beasts, the three of us will suffice for this excavation. However, Sir Rodolfo will also be accompanying us, although he's conducting some of his own research."

"Oh Rodolfo's coming too?" Purah asked, giggling. "This will be interesting."

Impa rolled her eyes. "I'll warn you now, though. Tomorrow's journey to the Plateau will be a bit of an ambling tour across Central Hyrule. We've been hearing recent stories of robbers on the Eastern roads, and Robbie needs to stop by the Exchange for a few more supplies."

I nodded. "Father said that he would be ordering an escort of two Royal Guards for the expedition. But I believe Master Link is arranging for that."

"Maybe we'll be making a stop at the Garrison too." Robbie grumbled, counting the number of stops on his hands.

"Meet us tomorrow at noon by the Royal Stables in Western Castletown." Impa said, standing up and pacing toward the door. "We intend to reach the Great Plateau by sundown."

Robbie and Purah followed her. I slowly rose from the rickety stool and smoothed the pleats in my skirts. Robbie yanked open the door and held it open for me.

"It was wonderful to meet you, Zelda." Impa said, bowing to me. Purah smiled at me.

"I'm so happy I finally got to meet you as well," I said. "I can't wait to see you all tomorrow!"

I bowed to the three of them and began the walk to my room, feeling the unavoidable urge to skip. But I stopped and twirled around when I heard Purah call out to me.

"And be sure to dress practically, Princess!"

When I had returned to my room, I paced in front of the empty fireplace several times before turning to open the door to the small balcony. Once outside, I leaned against the stone balustrade. Three hawks loftily lazed on the thermals, far above the castle. The breeze wafted a few thin wispy hairs across my face and the afternoon sun warmed my exposed neck.

I had never doubted the existence of the goddesses or the legends, but the distance of several thousand years had always dulled their reality in my mind. I rubbed a small divot in the ancient wall with my thumb, feeling how those millennia had polished and smoothed even the roughest edge. Yes, even this wall connected me to the world of ten thousand years ago. The castle itself, and everything I stood on, was a bridge to the past. The Sheikah had embedded the ancient technology within the castle's very foundations, after all. But, to discover that the fairytales I had read when I was younger were not legends but rather the country's history…

"It's all real," I whispered to myself, hoping that the tangibility of speech would further anchor this discovery in reality. Yet, however real my divine sealing powers were, my failure to access them was also real.

The chittering of a few Royal Guards walking beneath the balcony turned my thoughts to Link.

Link was the chosen hero. I smiled at that thought. I marveled at the stunning luck and coincidence that had resulted in us dancing together. Or perhaps it was destiny.

His ability to use the sword—that sword—assured me that we would see each other again. However, my slight smile melted into horror. We would fight Ganon together, whether or not I was prepared to battle him. Our destinies ensured that. But did Link know that I couldn't access the sealing power? What if Father had been discussing me when I interrupted their conversation earlier?

I swatted away a fly that had landed on my neck. I was sure Father hadn't discussed that. Besides, I had so many chances to manifest my powers. And perhaps my prayers would finally prove fruitful tomorrow. At the very least, I wouldn't be standing in a frigid spring.

I had read that the goddesses often only bestowed their blessings and powers upon those who had reached certain ages of maturity. Even the Hero of Time was put to sleep for seven years so that he was old enough to wield that powerful sword. According to legend, he slept until the age of sixteen. Maybe, now that I had reached the same age, the goddesses would finally look favorably on me. But enough of philosophizing. I had a journey to prepare for.

I made my way inside and knelt before the wooden chest. I sifted through puddles of scratchy woolen blankets until I found my old carpetbag. The last time I had used it was for my trip to the Spring of Courage at the spring solstice. I pulled it out and threw it on the floor, stuffing one of the thinner and less-scratchier blankets inside.

I then moved toward my wooden armoire and opened it. Inside, my new ceremonial prayer dress was displayed, hanging alongside my other formal dresses.

I unbuttoned the front of the pale blue dress I was wearing and let it fall to the floor. Then I pulled off my starched collared shirt before slipping the silken pearly-white dress over my head. It passed over my shoulders like water and the skirt settled on my hips.

It fit surprisingly well. Father must have had one of the seamstresses tailor it to my measurements.

This was the third white dress I had worn. The first, the one I began wearing when I was seven, had long sleeves, being modeled after the oldest drawings of the goddess Hylia. The second had a silvery shawl and flutter sleeves which always felt like mosquitos nipping at my arms.

I looked in the mirror. Reflected back to me was an old portrait of my mother. This third dress had belonged to her.

I tugged at the dress, feeling it sliding down my chest. Surely there was something else, a belt or additional straps which could help it stay put. I looked back into the armoire and found a second piece of white fabric, alongside a golden belt. I slid the second piece of fabric over my shoulders and let it settle on my waist like a bustle. I then fastened the belt as a girdle of sorts, positioning the triforce insignia to my front. Thankfully the top of the main dress was stiff, almost like a corset. And the bustle would provide additional cover, the next time I prayed at a spring.

I contorted my arms and clasped the dress in the back. I looked at myself in the mirror. I suppose I looked more regal then I ever had. I looked more like a woman then I had in the puff sleeved dress I wore last night. It was truly such a lovely dress, but I wish I didn't have to wear it only for such a task. The pale fabric would glow in the moonlight like the lilies and the moon flowers.

I blushed as I imagined Link running a hand up my bare shoulders.

The feeling of his hands faded quickly.

I had more work to do. Grateful that this new dress's hem stopped well above my ankles, I walked down the steps toward my bookshelf.

I extricated a large empty notebook from between a Hylian dictionary and an anthology of translated Rito poetry. This would be perfect. I hurried back to my desk and twisted open the lid of an inkpot. I sat down and turned the cover. Selecting a goose quill pen, I inscribed the book, "Zelda's Research Notes."

I turned another page and scribbled the date, before writing my first entry:

Today I met with Impa of the Shiekah tribe and began my research into the ancient technology in the earnest. Impa introduced me to Purah and Robbie, other respected members of her tribe. Tomorrow I embark on an excavation with them to the Great Plateau. We hope to find ancient tech with which to operate the Guidance Stones.

As the gleaming emerald ink dried, I smiled to myself. Even if it took me years to develop my sealing powers, I would ensure that Hyrule was protected against the Calamity by aiding the research effort.

But, as I lifted up my quill and set it down on the desk, a drop of ink spilled on my dress. It spread like a fungus engulfing a rock or a flame consuming parchment. It spread like a plague.

Cursing, I ripped off the dirtied dress and hastily buttoned the starched shirt and my blue dress, running out the door and down the hallway toward the seamstresses and the laundry maids.

Author's Note

Hello readers and thank you for reading this story! I was hoping to finish this chapter about a month ago, but then fifteen thousand words happened and I ended up dividing this chapter twice. So expect an update in the next two days. Plus, once I finally got the Creating a Champion book, I had to change up most of the chapter to keep it canon. As I'm still figuring out how works, here's my first author's note.

I'd like to thank my lovely sister, who's a ballroom dancer herself, for providing some pointers on Chapter 1's dance scene and also for being a great beta reader.

The song that Zelda and Link dance to is Kass's Theme on the 2018 Zelda concert CD. You should give it a listen if you love Kass and/or music that sounds like it belongs in Howl's Moving Castle. The title of this chapter comes from a song I heard in one of my Music History classes, Charles K. Harris' 1893 banger "After the Ball." Give it a listen if you're into slightly bizarre yet heart-breaking old songs.

Stay safe kiddos, and keep wearing masks!