CHAPTER 2 - The Princess Releases Her Knight

Zelda

Impa somehow caught onto my intention to leave before I even stepped down the stairs into the gathering room the next morning. "Where will you and Link be headed?" She asked before I greeted her. Paya sat beside her.

I froze in place. "How did you—?"

Impa laughed. "We saw you two talking outside in the moonlight last night, all romantically," she said. Paya clasped her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment at her admission of spying on us and stepped out of the room.

"Oh, Impa! You watched us?" I sighed in exasperation. If one thing hadn't changed, it was Impa's keen senses of my feelings towards Link. A hundred years ago, she had claimed she knew I'd develop a crush on him even when I still despised him for holding the Master Sword. Ironically, her granddaughter, Paya, seemed to be exponentially more shy than Impa at the same age.

"I was disappointed I didn't see a kiss, but maybe he hasn't quite caught up with you yet," Impa smirked, and I felt my face heat. "So… where are you two going?"

"Hateno Village. I have been convinced to take a rest before starting my duties," I said.

Impa hummed. "Hateno, huh? You might not be resting much if my sister gets wind you're there…" She pointed to a small plate of scrambled eggs on the table and I sat down across from her.

"We will only be there a short time. However, I have faith that the Sheikah can begin cleaning up the castle without my presence..." I said between bites of egg. My stomach immediately protested at the presence of food but I managed to keep it down, thankfully. At least Paya remembered to only prepare a small amount for me.

"I will see to it, Your Highness." A hint of sorrow touched Impa's smile. "I should have known better than to direct you back into the castle so soon. I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "No need to apologize. It's important to begin as quickly as possible but I…" I trailed off, unsure how to put my feelings into words. I'd always been shot down quickly by my father when voicing my opinion on the running of Hyrule in the past.

"You are lucky to have him looking out for your health," Impa said quietly, referring to Link. "He has always looked out for you, even before the calamity."

I nodded as I finished up the breakfast, and Paya stepped into the room. She held out something folded in her hands. 'Your Highness, these are yours."

I gasped. It was my old field research clothes. A hundred years ago, I had stopped at Impa's home to change into my prayer dress before traveling to Mount Lunayru before the calamity. I couldn't believe they were still intact, and Impa had kept them in perfect condition over all these years.

"I always had faith you would return victorious, and then want them back," said Impa with a grin when I went to hug her.

I found Link outside the inn tending to his horse. He'd seemingly stuffed the saddlebags with as much produce from the shop as possible. His eyes looked tired—I hoped he hadn't stayed up all night on guard. "Good morning," I said. "Did you sleep?"

"Enough to ride. Are you ready to go, Your Highness?" He asked. I frowned, wondering if he had stayed up keeping an eye out for monsters all night. He tightened a belt on the horse to secure an impressive spear—one of his spoils from the castle, no doubt. "Epona can hold us both, though I'm willing to walk to give her a break every so often."

I patted the nose of his horse as it turned its head to me. It was a slightly larger beast than his old horse. A pain shot through my core as I remembered that my beloved horse was most likely yet another casualty in the calamity. Link's horse seemed to sense my change of heart because she nuzzled into my hand.

"I'm ready," I confirmed.

After thanking Impa and Paya for their hospitality, we set out on the southern path. I had never ridden with Link on the same horse before. Before the calamity, we used to ride around on our horses together, exploring Hyrule between my training sessions—only after I had warmed up to him, of course. On those days in the wild, riding around with Link, I felt free from my burdens.

It felt… familiar to be alongside him again. It was just the two of us, riding through the lush, quiet mountainside to the rhythm of Epona's drumming hooves. We passed over the Kakariko Bridge and I watched sunlight dance on the water surface below.

I wrapped my arms tightly around Link's torso to steady myself as Epona trotted up a steeper hill, and I was a little surprised at his slenderness. Perhaps he'd lost a lot of weight during his slumber, or maybe his knight armor had always made him appear larger than he was in actuality.

"You are quiet, Your Highness," said Link.

Admittedly, I was still incredibly tired which lent to my abnormal quietness, however I was still taken aback with his comment. "I guess… I'm not yet used to the idea that you're much more conversational now."

"I just seem to remember you speaking a lot in the memories I do have, Your Highness, even if it was a one-sided conversation."

I scoffed. "What is that supposed to mean?" I couldn't hide my giggle when I heard Link chuckling. That was a rare sound to hear… Or was it, now?

Initially, it horrified me to think about how his personality could change and he could grow to resent me after his restorative slumber. Robbie and Purah had explained, upon the shrine's discovery and excavation, how the facility would deprive patients of their memory, and its restorative powers should be a last resort. I had no choice when he fell, and the spirit of his sword told me it would save his life.

Yet, he still returned to me with a smile, and though he acted a little different around me now, I decided I did like this new, more relaxed Link.

I eyed the Master Sword, still on his shoulder, and I wondered if he should return it to the Lost Woods to slumber, now that the calamity was over. Its spirit hadn't spoken to either of us, as far as I knew, since the calamity. Perhaps we would need to visit the Great Deku Tree soon.

I bumped lightly into Link's shoulders when his horse stopped. I looked around in confusion as we had not yet reached Hateno Village. The damaged remains of the gate to Fort Hateno sprawled ahead, and a plain littered with Guardian corpses spread around us.

I inhaled sharply. "Blatchery Plain," I breathed. My chest felt heavy. "Can we stop at the wall? I would like to pay my respects."

Hundreds of decaying Guardians, frozen in time, destroyed by the Hylian soldiers and my own awakened power, were spread across the field. I crossed my arms as I looked out at them from where we stood. The tall grass that fluttered in the wind revealed piles of rubble and small graves decorated with flowers from loved ones hidden around them every so often. The damaged wall of Fort Hateno was covered in moss and vines, unkept and left to the elements over years of abandonment.

This was the state of the once great Kingdom of Hyrule. Ruined.

...Because I only found the secret to unlocking my power too late.

I dropped to my knees and made no effort to stop the tears from flooding down my cheeks as I sobbed. Link stood beside me and held his sword to the ground. I had no idea how long I sat there and cried, looking over the battlefield, and letting the remorse wash over me.

Link stepped away behind the wall for a few minutes at one point. I paid him no mind, figuring he'd gone away to relieve himself or something. However, I was surprised when he returned with food in hand. Cooked food.

"Where did you—?" I gasped, wiping tears away when I saw the cooked bird leg he offered in front of my face.

"There's a cooking pot outside a cabin back behind the wall. Try to eat. You need to build up your strength," he said.

I nodded and dried my cheeks before accepting the meat. I bit into the flesh, surprised to find he'd seasoned it with some salt and spices. I had never seen Link cook in the castle when he was just a knight, so he must have learned in the wild.

He seated himself beside me and leaned back against the stone walls, gnawing on a bird leg of his own. I ate about half of mine until I felt my stomach twist and decided against eating further.I offered him the rest and he took it without protest.

Link stared down at the grass. His eyes glossed over. "This is where fell—where I failed you."

"Link…" I whispered and rubbed new tears away from my eyes. "You protected me to the last moment. I could not have had a better Hero."

Link exhaled and I saw him staring at one of the guardian corpses from afar—possibly even the exact one that had prompted me to unlock my power. I wondered what he was imagining in his head. "Your Highness, I will attempt to live up to the knight I once was to you…"

I offered him a small smile. "Just please try not to jump in front of a laser for me and die again, if you can help it."

He clicked his tongue. "If I have to do it again, I will," he said. I blinked, feeling my face flush even though his sentiment should not have been a surprise to me at this point.

We arrived at Hateno Village late in the day. I had fallen asleep against Link's shoulders shortly after we passed under the Cliffs of Quince, and I only woke once I heard the high pitched giggle of a child as we trotted into the village. Link waved at a villager hunched in a field of bamboo that called out to greet him. I sat up in the saddle, attempting to look more presentable, but the villager paid no special mind to my presence. Two small children bolted by us, waving at us as they passed before continuing on. I waved back at them before Link directed his horse down another path. Another person sweeping the area outside her house greeted us briefly before continuing her work.

I'd never experienced this feeling of… anonymity? No, normalcy, perhaps, before. No matter where I traveled in Hyrule as a child, the people always knew who I was. If not for my royal clothes, then because of my entourage of knights or accompaniment with the King. A hundred years later, with no formal entourage, none of these villagers knew my identity yet. In their eyes, I was probably just a guest of Link's.

It was...strangely refreshing.

We passed over a bridge that led to a cozy looking little cottage. Link stopped the horse in front of the door. "This is it," he said before helping me down. As I stretched my legs out, he unlocked the door with an old key on his belt, and ushered me inside. "Welcome, Your Highness."

I stepped inside as Link fetched his groceries from Epona's saddlebags. It was a humble home in size, yet the lofty ceiling impressed me. On the walls in the dining area were various weapons and shields hung on simply crafted display racks—more of Link's spoils. The kitchen occupied one side of the space. A small sofa looked towards the fireplace on the far side of the room. Stairs to the right led up to a lofted area. Link slipped through the door behind me and lit a lamp on the wall.

"This is lovely," I said. I wasn't sure what I expected from the house of Link, a bachelor knight of Hyrule, but it was certainly a lot nicer than what I imagined many of the knights had in the barracks. "Is this the same home your family once owned? Your father's?"

Link froze mid-movement as he packed fruits away into the cold storage below the stairs. "I…. I'm not sure," he said very quietly.

"Oh…" I realized I may have struck a weak point in Link's memory. I remembered Link's father, a knight of the royal guard for my father, originally hailing from this village before moving to Castle Town. I wondered… Did Link even remember his own family?

My thoughts drifted to my own family. My mother, who passed away of sudden illness when I was seven, and then my father who cared so much for Hyrule and always pushed for me to train… Regret of leaving him under bad terms and never reconciling before he was killed by the calamity clawed at my soul.

Link stepped over to me and the floorboards creaked under his steps. "I'll start the fireplace," he said, then he put a hand to his head. "Oh, I am such a bad host. I do have tea somewhere, I think, from Gerudo Town..."

His fretting flattered me, though I was just glad to be in a peaceful place away from the castle now. Link started up a fire in no time which warmed the house to a cozy patter of rain on the roof above us signaled a shower had blanketed over the area. I sat at the table while he warmed a kettle and watched him as he gathered up ingredients to presumably cook later. I'd never seen him be so… domestic before. It amused me.

Once the kettle whistled, he poured us each a cup of tea. He handed me the ceramic cup. "Your Highness…" He said.

I took the cup. "Link, there is no need for such formality with me. In the past, we hardly used them with each other outside of the castle, and there is no Kingdom of Hyrule at the moment, anyways. Please, just call me Zelda," I said.

He stared at me and raised an eyebrow. I wondered if I had somehow offended him as I wasn't used to his new expressiveness. Finally, he spoke. "As you wish… Zelda," he said. He grinned when he said my name, as if the word was sweet on his tongue.

I felt a hard beat in my chest that I hadn't felt in… quite a long time.

We sipped our tea quietly for a few minutes, listening to the rain hit the terracotta roof above. I was unsure what to speak about with Link. The horrors of fighting the Calamity were so fresh in our minds, I'm sure neither of us wished to discuss it. Link seemed content to lean back in his chair, and listen to the rain, as if the sound grounded him to the moment.

It wasn't long before I once again felt the pull of exhaustion on my eyes and my head nodded. Link stepped up into the loft above for a few minutes. When he returned, he held out a hand for me. "If you would like to head to sleep, I just put new blankets on my bed. It's all yours while you're a guest here. I can take the sofa down here."

I let out a nervous laugh. "I apologize. I know it is still early to retire for the night, I just…"

"Nonsense, you haven't slept for the last hundred years."

Link beckoned with his fingers and I accepted his hand. He led me up into the loft. It was small, only large enough for a small bookshelf, a desk, and a single-sized bed in the corner of the room. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It's uh... not fancy, and probably not anything like your old bed at the castle but… I always found it comfortable enough on nights when I was able to sleep here."

"It'll be perfectly suitable, Link, thank you," I said as I pulled back the quilt.

He nodded before going back to the stairs. "Sleep for as long as you need. Whenever you're hungry, I'll be glad to cook something for you. Good night, Zelda."

I nodded in gratitude as he stepped down out of the loft. I wrapped myself in the comfortable blankets, and quickly fell asleep as exhaustion once again took its hold on me.

I must have slept through the evening and the entire night, because when I awoke again, early morning sunlight spilled into the window. I sat up, disoriented by the unfamiliar walls, and blinked a few times before I remembered I was in Link's house. My stomach growled for the first time since I sealed Ganon.

The whoosh of a sword splitting the air outside caught my attention. I crawled to peer out the window by the bed and looked down below. Link was outside already, practicing his swings. I smiled as I watched him. One thing that hadn't changed was his dedication to routine training. His style was different though: rougher than before. He raised the Master Sword in a slow arc around his head, until he faltered to the side. I tightened my lips in concern. It had to be the injury on his arm. I decided to go down to see him.

Sparkling drips of water fell from the eaves above as I emerged from the cottage. I looked across the bridge towards the village beyond. Children played as adults whistled, carrying goods on their shoulders. It was such a lovely, peaceful town, completely untouched by the calamity.

I shifted my gaze back to Link, who hadn't noticed me yet. The villagers had welcomed him here so warmly. Who wouldn't want to live the rest of their life in peace here?

I was the tie keeping him away from such a peaceful future. As long as he was with me, he would follow me into political situations, battles, or anything else that came with being involved with the Royal Family. It was not a passive lifestyle.

My heart ached for the suffering Link had gone through. His scars were only the tip of the pain he'd endured. I couldn't force his duty upon him any longer, after his incredible service to Hyrule.

"Good morning, Zelda." He'd finally noticed me. I stepped over to him as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

"Good morning, Link."

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

I nodded. "I do feel much better than yesterday."

He sheathed his sword and placed his hands on his hips as he smiled at me. I had no idea where he picked up that stance after his restoration but it amused me. "I'm going to clean myself up inside, but how does breakfast sound?"

"Excellent. I do feel hungry now," I said. When he moved towards me, I noticed dark circles under his eyes. "Didn't you sleep at all last night?"

He hesitated. "Yes." It was a short answer.

"...Link?"

"Yes, Zelda?" He said again, and stopped to turn to me.

I folded my hands as I considered how to put my words together. "Seeing this lovely little village, I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to stay here for the rest of your days to live peacefully. I… I want you to...not feel pressured to continue as my Appointed Knight now that our sacred mission is over. You have given Hyrule incredible service. I want it to be clear that you are released of your duty, if you wish."

He stared at me, speechless, as an incredulous look appeared on his face. A songbird fluttered overhead and landed on the roof above us. Then, he laughed as if I had told an incredibly funny joke, holding a hand to his face. He stepped closer to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Princess, I'm not leaving you any time soon. Wherever you go, I will be by your side, for as long as you allow."

I blinked, not expecting him to refuse my offer. "But…?"

He grinned. "If memory serves me right, you're my friend… I can't just leave you now when you still need so much help, especially after I went and died for you once already." He patted my shoulder and then re-entered the house.

My eyes dropped to the ground and I laughed to myself as my cheeks warmed. How silly of me to think my friend would ever leave me alone.

We decided to visit Purah's lab after breakfast. Link had changed out of his dirtied champion tunic into a Hylian styled red tunic with leather braces and armor. When I complimented his new outfit, he beamed. I still wasn't used to his new expanded range of expressions.

We reached the center of town when Link told me to wait outside one of the shops for a minute because he wanted to surprise me with something. I'd taken the sheikah slate from him and was playing with its camera feature as I waited. Link soon re-emerged from the shop and handed me something. "What's this?" I asked as I belted the slate and took it from him.

"It's a hood. I have one too in the house. It's good for traveling," he said. I unfolded the hood. It had a pattern on it that resembled a flower. He rubbed the back of his head. "I thought you'd like that design better than the one I have, since you really like flowers—if I remember right."

I smiled. It was a lovely gift, and the Goddesses knew I needed new clothes since mine probably all burned up in the castle. "Thank you, Link," I said as I threw it over my shoulders. My long hair caught up in it a little bit but it still fit. I twirled around, feeling like a schoolgirl showing off her new outfit. "How do I look?"

Link smiled. "Great!"

We continued up the hill until we reached a curious looking building: the Hateno Ancient Tech lab. I frowned as I recalled the violent destruction of the Royal Ancient Tech lab. Thank the Goddesses that Robbie and Purah made it out alive and were able to migrate their work to safe locations...

Link was about to knock on the door when he turned to me. "Oh, I should probably tell you…"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the door flying open. "LINKY!" A child's voice trilled. "I KNEW YOU WOULD DO IT!"

A small girl rushed into Link's legs, embracing them tightly as she squealed. I tilted my head in confusion. The child had the signature hair of a Sheikah, and even wore their traditional clothing—though sized down considerably. But it was her red glasses and hair accessory that gave her identity away to me. I could never forget her signature style... but why was she—?

The child noticed me and gasped. "P-Princess Zelda!? You've come too?" She turned her head back to Link. "She looks so weak. Linky, aren't you taking good care of her?"

Link's cheeks reddened in embarrassment at her chiding. I was fairly certain I was not mistaken by the child's identity now. "Purah? Is that… you?"

She grinned. "Yup, it's me. I guess I have to explain it to you now. Come on in and let's catch up! Click, snap!"

We entered the lab and I was introduced to Symin, Purah's current assistant, before she sat us down at the table. She snatched the sheikah slate away and placed it on the Guidance Stone nearby, stating she had an update for it. As it loaded, she informed me about why she had reverted to a child-like form, and how she'd been continuing research over the last hundred years. I glanced around the lab and my eyes drifted to her shelves of books about ancient civilizations and sheikah technology: my past passion. She noticed my attention drifting to the shelves and laughed. "Princess, you're welcome to come study here any time you'd like."

When the slate's update was complete, she handed it back to me. "I've created a feature where you can check the operational status of the Divine Beasts in real time, remotely. It should make studying their efficiency much easier."

"Thank you Purah, this will be incredibly helpful in managing them," I said, tapping the screen to view the new functionality. Link poked his head over my shoulder in curiosity. All of the Divine Beasts were currently functioning at full capacity, though their most powerful lasers were still recharging from blasting Calamity Ganon a few days ago.

"Fascinating," Link commented.

We chatted a little longer about our current plans and the Sheikah's order to begin clearing out the castle. I instructed Purah and Symin to continue their research, as there was still much to learn about the ancient technology and how we could prevent it from being corrupted by malice again. We left the lab, and I continued to fiddle around with the slate.

"You've missed tinkering," said Link as we walked through the village.

I nodded before I opened up the camera feature again and snapped a few pictures of some textiles on display outside the clothing shop. We passed beneath a shrine looming on the cliff above, and I snapped a photo of it.

"I should show you the inside of one of those shrines sometime," said Link.

I gasped. "You would take me?"

He nodded. "Only once you've recovered, of course, and as long as there aren't any guardians inside."

I smiled at him and felt more motivated than ever to regain my strength. I placed the Sheikah Slate at my hip once more. Only much later would I notice a cloaked figure peering at us from behind the shrine that I'd captured in the photograph.