Disclaimer: As I have said before, I do not own Legend of Zelda. This story is purely fan-made and shared for enjoyment. Also, as a little side note, am I the only one who thinks it's weird that the name is Legend of Zelda, but most of the time, you see her perhaps three times in an entire game? Although it does sound better than Legend of Link. Anyways. Thank you all for your support!

Chapter one

Thorns

The King was furious.

All of the debates of the day had gotten to him, and weary, he had returned to his rooms only to be disturbed an hour or so later by an urgent message. The soldier bearing it had insisted upon relying his message directly to the ruler, and for a good cause as well. Hyrule was a large country, and often, it took several days on horseback to reach the capitol city. The message had been a cry for help from a small village near the desert, nestled at the foot of the Goron mountains.

Five days ago, Kakariko village had been raided. Though the villagers in themselves had only been hurt if they showed resistance, their attackers had left them to a much, much worse fate. What little food they had in their granaries had been pillaged, their fields, burned, and their fowls and bovines, either stolen or burned down, tied within the fields. The attack had lasted one night. It had been quick, precise, and with one goal. To utterly cripple a village.

The Goron tribe living within the mountain had quickly gathered all the villagers they were able to find, but, being a tribe that eat rocks and stones, they had very, very little food to offer to the distraught refugees. Although it did not mean that the Gorons would sit and watch their neighbors die, they were not skilled enough to feed a tribe for what could possibly last months, and they had no fields to speak of. They were, after all, a tribe living just over a volcano, and the heat made it a little difficult to grow common plants.

Eight days. It would take eight days for the people to receive help from the palace, provided the weather was on their side. Sending a whole caravan meant that the horses would need rest, and the weather could turn any road to mud and the wheels could break. Eight days at best. Had the rider been alone, he could have cut through the fields, as the soldier had done. Eight days. It was the minimum, and the only thing he could do, being so far from his people.

There little else he could do, the village being so far to the South. The food would be fresh when it was sent, but it would not stay so during the travel either. And no village surrounding the area had the resources necessary for this big of a village. Kakariko was, after all, the last important village, in front of the desert. It was that one who used to have the reserves. And thus, all the surrounding villages would suffer from this invasion.

Politics at this late hour always made his head spin.

An urgent knock at his door made him raise his head. While he had already ordered for rations to be gathered from the granaries, he didn't think it would be so quick. Instead, one of his daughter's maids quickly bowed to him and made him know his daughter was on her way to see him before vanishing out the door again, no doubt hurrying back to help the Princess get dressed.

A sad smile crossed the King's lips. He could still remember the tiny blond child his daughter had been a few years ago. When she was still carefree. When she was still his adorable little princess, and he still had that special way of calling her that was just light and full of love. When she was still "Zelda" and no one else. When she had not been chained by responsibility like he was, and now like she was as well.

A knock came to the door again. This time, her maid announced her within the room, as proper etiquette stated. The Princess walked in, back straight, graceful steps and head carefully covered with a lavishly decorated veil. The law stated that women within the court could not show their hair within the presence of higher being. It was a symbol of respect, but also to say that they were not very influential. No woman was allowed within the council. It was the Law, again, that stated this.

"Father." She curtsied, and waited to be allowed to speak. When she was, she went straight to business. "I have heard that a messenger has come. Pray tell, what news did he bring?"

"Well, Princess, he has told me of dire news, but none that should concern you. A village has been pillaged of all food. It will take time to send them help seeing they are to the extreme South limit, but we shall manage. Now, there is no reason for you to stay up this late. Go back to sleep, Princess. You have to meet with your tutor tomorrow, do you not?"

"Yes, I have. Sir Rauru decided it would be a good idea for me to go and meet the Zoras, who watch over the water network of this country. He implied their Queen had wanted a word with me." The Princess then curtsied, and walked out the door.

Meanwhile, the King was left to ponder his daughter's words. He had heard of no such outing, but it didn't matter at this point. A new plan was formed, and it quickly gained importance. The Zoras were, after all, much more resistant than human beings, and would endure more distance than horses. There was no drought during these late summer days, and the road would be much, much more straight forward. The Zoras were also known to have a very compassionate heart, and a fair few of them knew the ways of healing.

Yes, the more he thought about it, the better it seemed. Asking the Zora tribe for help would even cut away almost half the travel time! There were just too many upsides to actually wait for the council to awaken and decide later. Instead, the King quickly wrote a letter, and immediately called for a messenger. Soon, a new message, this time going to the Zora tribe's Queen was sent.

-LoZ-

Sir Rauru was an old man. Maybe a little too old to be still working for a whole kingdom. Even his bones creaked in the morning, and his back hurt when it rained. Most ailments were taken great care of, but none quite knew the cure to old age, and thus some pains lingered. Still, he remained year after year, and for a simple reason at that.

He knew Zelda.

It was she who kept him at his post constantly, and not by order. He supposed it was not quite friendship, and yet it was. None was really Zelda's friend, and all were at the same time. She was their Princess, and it was somewhat expected that the life she would have, sheltered from hunger and danger, would also leave her with very little people to talk to.

Being one of her tutors, he knew her better than most. He sometimes could even know how she would react to different actions or events. But the morning a footman barged in his room and inquire what he was doing in bed when the Princess was waiting for him down by the stables, he wondered which of the three goddesses he angered. Still, he hurriedly prepared and rushed to the stables, not really knowing why.

"Good day Sir Rauru!" The Princess called to him. "Will it not be the perfect day for a ride?" She noticed his baffled face, and frowned. "Have you forgotten it already? We were to go see the Zora tribe, to the North-East. Have you even eaten breakfast yet?"

The Princess was currently in total control of the situation. She passed him a cup that she had already prepared for him, a mixture of herbs and plants to give him a little more energy, which she had learned to make under the wing of Siroc. She also had an escort already waiting, consisting of the seven Blade brothers, and Pina and Brocco had already fought over what lunch they would make. Five of her personal maids would be with her as well, ready for any case of emergency.

"Why?" He found himself voicing.

The Princess simply looked beyond him, where many servants were going to and fro with bags of grains, fresh vegetables, and many, many woven baskets. He didn't know what had gone wrong, or what had happened, but he knew that the Princess had helped things along a bit. He shook his head. Princesses were not allowed any political opinion in this kingdom. Yet this one defied the law again and again.

She would make a great Queen. But the council will never allow her to be one, unless married.

The old man sighed, grabbed the reins that were given to him and mounted his horse. He would support the Princess as much as he could.

There! Done! Sneaky, sneaky Zelda! Siroc (the elder of the Wind Tribe), Blade brothers, Pina and Brocco are all from Minish Cap. Rauru is from Ocarina of time. Just saying because in a few chapters, it's going to get confusing, with characters from various games mingling and everyone going "Who's that?" Two weeks a chapter. Sounds good? Gives me enough time to work on this through work hours and what not,while still being quick enough that you don't think I've died. Beta read by my mother. Without her support, you wouldn't have this story to start with.