-1The sky was clear in Hyrule. From a balcony a young woman stood looking over the castle's training grounds. Her blonde hair streamed down over her shoulder as she watched her fiancé do battle. Everyone marveled at him. To be so young and have so much skill was very rarely seen. Though people suspected it had something to do with the great Goddesses favor and his Triforce of Courage, Zelda knew it was all from experience. When you fight that much from a young age, you become well versed in combat. That was the reason he had become knight lord at age 17, the second highest rank in the Hylian military.
Link was surrounded three fully armor clad knights. He wore a chain mail shirt and green pants. The he held his gilded sword in his left, his Hylian shield in his right. He waited for one to charge. The knights stood at the ready, staring Link down, trying desperately to appear unafraid. One came from behind, brandishing a spear. Link quickly sidestepped, cutting the end of the spear away with a clean swipe. He spun around and slammed his shield into the end of the spear before the man could recuperate, jamming the butt of the spear into the knights chest violently, bending his armor and knocking the wind from his lungs. The other two charged simultaneously. Link quickly reacted blocking one with his shield, the other with his blade. He pushed them off and kicked one in the chest, sending him back. He swung his right arm violently, catching the other in the chest with his shield. He flipped over the man cutting into his helmet. The man cried out in pain as the blade cut into his face and he fell to his knees. The last knight charged again. Link had put his blade away and was watching the man intensely. As soon as the knight was within three steps of Link, Link drew his blade with blinding speed. The strike mangled the knights armor and chain mail, but did not cut the flesh. The man fell backward, stunned by the sheer ferocity of the strike. Link sheathed his sword and smiled.
"That strike done properly can go through bone, if I had been trying to, I would have killed you right then." He smiled pleasantly and walked back into the castle as the apothecaries rushed out with potions to heal the wounds of the knights. One was offered to him, but he politely declined stating they hadn't managed to cut him during the bout. He handed his gilded sword to a squire standing in the hallway. As he held on to the blade his eyes lit up, most of the squires, and even some of the seasoned knights, admired Link's skill and bravery in battle.
"That was amazing Sir Farore!" the child exclaimed. Link smiled, being raised in the forest's of Hyrule, he had no family name and took the name of the golden power that he possessed. However he did not prefer his formal name.
"Link is fine, lad. And thank you. May the goddesses smile upon you." He patted the boy on the head gently as he walked away. He climbed the stairs to his quarters. As he opened the door, Zelda wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips firmly against his. He pulled away after a moment, savoring the sweet caress of her lips against his, his left hand glowing with the bottom two portions of the Triforce. Zelda's symbol shined in the same fashion.
"You fought valiantly today, my love." Zelda said. He smiled sweetly, and wrapped his arms around her waist as he embraced his fiancé. She pulled back from him, letting her hand come down to his. They walked to the balcony together and looked over the castle, hands clasped together. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they looked out over the horizon. After a long pause Zelda looked up at Link. "There was a letter for you today, from Biggoron." Link looked at her.
"What did it say?" He sounded very exited. She blinked, he wasn't usually the excitable type. She found his boyish expression cute. She chuckled.
"It only said two words, 'Its ready.' Tell me, dear, do you know what he's referring to?" Link's childish smile stretched far across his face.
"I requested he make something for me. A bit of armor, that I could fit these into." He pulled from a belt pouch three crystals, each glowing distinctly. "Gems containing the power of the goddesses themselves. With these in my armor I will be able to stand against numerous foes without so much as breaking a sweat." Zelda sighed. She walked toward the bed, Link followed closely behind her. She sat down looking at the floor.
"There is more to life than battle, my love…" Link placed his hand on her cheek, and looked her in the eyes.
"I battle to repent. I battle for you and the kingdom you represent. I must show myself as an example of what our men should be, honorable and virtuous. That is the only way I can repent for what I did all those years ago." Zelda sighed. She hated hearing him lament over something that was obviously not his fault, he felt as if he had been the instrument of their slaughter that fateful night.
"Link, your virtues outweigh your sins, why can't you see that? Yes what happened that night was horrible, but you were used. You didn't do it. Besides, you left that mask in another world, right? It can't follow you here. You're safe from its influence. Please let it go." Link stared at her for a long while. She had never so adamantly protested his devotion to repenting. Her eyes began to well up with tears, and he pulled her close. He hated to see her cry. "Please" she said through choking sobs. Link nodded.
"I will honor they're memories, but I have done enough to repent. I have saved two worlds. I will always regret what happened, but if it makes you happy, I will stop dwelling on it." She looked into his eyes. Those feral blue eyes shone with his resolve, his resolve to make her happy. She knew that he would do whatever it took to make her happy, she had no desire to change him. She just didn't want to lose him to despair or see him live for power. To become the very thing he hated, that is what he feared. But Zelda knew he was incapable of whatever that thing had done. She pushed him onto his back and kissed him deeply, his hands caressing her body. They spent the rest of the night in their quarters, not once leaving the bed.
Link awoke in the middle of the night, his arms wrapped around the naked body of his loved one. He smiled, kissing her gently on the cheek as he, slowly and carefully maneuvered out from under the thin summer blanket. He took a step away from the bed, his foot knocking against something. It began to fall but he grabbed it before it could make any noise. The blue hilt of the blade rested in his hand. Still in its blue and gold scabbard, the Master Sword had an allure to it even with out seeing the blade. Link walked to the window, blade still in hand. He leaned against the balcony's railing, pulling the blade from its sheath. He looked at it. This sword had seen him through a lot, not only on his first quest to save Hyrule, but in his attempt to prove himself worth of serving the King. He was, after all, only a boy when he came to him.
The king looked down on the scruffy looking child. With a small bit of scorn he looked him over. Link stared directly into the eyes of the king, determined to prove himself worthy to serve, for if he could, he could be that much closer to Zelda. The king finally sighed, shaking his head.
"I don't know what you have to offer boy but I don't see how you think some little child who was brought up in the forest has a place in my court" Link stepped forward, he was unafraid of this man's words.
"I can match any of you squires in combat, that much has been demonstrated, I've even taken down two knights, my skills in battle are this advanced and I am this young, train me further and I can surpass them all" The king chuckled at the young boy's outburst. Shaking his head, he replied.
"You are a brave lad, and you are very skilled, but I would need something more to just train a peon from out in the streets." Link scowled. He wanted to fight the king personally to show his strength, but he knew attempting an attack on His Majesty would mean death for certain. He stood thinking. None would believe he was the Hero of Time without proof.
But he had proof. He reached into his pouch, the guards readying their spears, ready for an attack. Link pulled forth the Ocarina of Time.
"I am the Hero of Time. I transcended the boundaries of time to save the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganondorf's destructive hands" The King stared for a long time. His eyes were wide. He bared his teeth and yelled with the ferocious, bestial roar.
"Zelda! Bring me Zelda!" He bellowed. The guards rushed out but Impa had already arrived with the young Princess.
"What do you wish of me Father?" She said. As she looked at him her eyes caught a glimpse of the young boy clad in green. "Link!?" The king looked down at the boy.
"So you know him? Zelda, who is this boy. Do not lie to me. This is very important." She looked at her father, and back at Link. Her eyes pleaded with him. She wasn't sure if she should tell. Link nodded, he knew that she wasn't sure if she wanted people to know what he had done. As she stared into his eyes, she saw his unwavering strength. She felt it flow into her, and she was no longer afraid.
"Father, Link is the Hero of Time, and," She walked over and grabbed his left hand with her right. Their hands both radiated with golden light. On both of their hands the bottom two triangles of the Triforce shone with the radiance of a thousand diamonds. "he is the holder of the Triforce of Courage." The king stared, his mouth agape. For a long time he said nothing. Finally, after a long silence, he closed his mouth and leaned back in his throne. After a long pause he said.
"Hero of Time, eh? Triforce holder, no wonder you showed no fear against my warriors. However!" He pointed at Link, his eyes firmly locked with his. Link didn't flinch. "There is one final test that I must put you through lad. One more, if you pass I shall put you in with my knights, will you submit to this?" Without a moments hesitation, the answer shot forth from Link's lips.
"Yes, your Majesty, what would you have me do?" The king smirked, he stroked his white beard. He rose up from his throne and strode past Link.
"Fallow me and you shall see."
Chapter End
R&R please