Zelda pulled her cowl over her nose, her eyes filled with disdain.
She agreed to meet the king, but regret had already been settling in her stomach as soon as she stepped out of the Shiekah camp.
Impa sat a ways ahead dutifully watching the guards on patrol.
Zelda felt restless. She longed to run, to feel the wind on her face…but she couldn't. They had to stay hidden. That was the one condition of this meeting. Zelda's identity needed to stay hidden. Ganondorf had spies everywhere.
She felt the presence of her two other guards and sensed their unease as well. It was only the four of them after all. They could be walking straight into a trap.
Zelda scowled again. She had to admit she was a bit jealous of this Link. His castle was beautiful and right at the heart of Faron woods. She had travelled all over and seen the destruction that Ganondorf had caused, but Orden seemed almost untouched.
Zelda glanced at Impa. Her limbs felt numb from squatting. She wanted to get this over with. The patrol's clanking armor was steadily growing fainter. Zelda slightly raised herself
The group of Shiekah took off in a flash. Zelda felt adrenaline pumping through herself, as she followed Impa. There was a gap in the patrols, and they only had a small window to reach the garden.
Some guard, Zelda though as the group reached the garden.
A women stood in the center surrounded by newly planted rose bushes. She quietly played an orcarina.
Zelda felt her breathe catch.
She was playing her family's song, A lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was a child.
Impa moved forward. "Saria," she bowed.
"Impa! Good, you're here right on time!" The girl put her orcarina in her cloak. "Where is the rest of your party?"
Zelda felt her stomach drop as the other two Shiekah melted out of the Garden's shadows.
"Is the princess…?"
Zelda landed gracefully beside Impa startling Saria. "Here". A loud gasped escaped the women's lips, as she clutched her chest in surprise. A small chuckle erupted from the Shiekah.
A blush formed on her cheeks. "Please follow me." Her voice shook and Zelda felt a pang of guilt.
She led them down a dark deserted hallway. Cobwebs stood in almost every crevice and the dust was beginning to make Zelda's nose twitch.
"The king is waiting in his chambers." She reached a dead end where a statue of the goddess Farore stood. Saria placed her hands at base of the statue. Zelda felt a surge of magic fill the air. The sound of rumbling of stone filled the hallway. A winding stair case appeared behind the goddess.
Zelda smiled. This passageway reminded her of home.
The group followed Saria. The passageway was eerily quiet. The silence allowed Zelda's thoughts to stray. She was nervous again. Despite Impa's reassurance that Link wasn't some ruffian with a pretty title, Zelda still felt apprehensive. Her thoughts put her on edge and made her feel shallow and petty. What if his breath stinks? What if his nose is too big?
She crashed into Impa when they reached the end of the staircase.
"Sorry," Zelda whispered. She felt her cheeks redden and was grateful for her cowl. Impa simply gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"We're here." Saria gave the stone wall a push as the buzz of magic filled the air. Zelda felt like she was going to burst. Her hands nervously tried to straighten her tunic and smooth out her hair.
This was it. The door was open and on the other side laid Zelda's future.
"Zelda, go."
"Impa I can't. Not by myself." Zelda clutched her chest. Her breaths were shallow and panic was setting in.
"You can. You can. And you will" She whispered the words with an almost religious fervor. Her crimson eyes bore into Zelda's. Impa tugged at the cowl on Zelda's face. "Go."
The door was wide open. Nothing standing in her way. Impa was right, she could do it alone. She would for her family and her kingdom.
The room was dimly lit and a lone figure stood at the window. It was so quiet. Zelda wasn't used to quiet. The Shiekah camp was always busy and filled with the sounds of wildlife, but this was actual silence. Except for the pounding of her heart. She feared he might be able to hear it but that was short lived.
A smirk formed on her lips, let him hear it. Zelda thought. This way he knows I am alive. Alive and thinking.
Her future husband was dressed in a simple green tunic. Something slightly unbefitting for a newly crowned king.
"Princess?"
The door closed, sealing away any chance of running. His voice was oddly calming and his eyes kind but fierce. His shoulders were set and a hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his hip.
Zelda placed her right fist on her heart and bowed in a traditional Shiekah greeting.
"My King, it is truly an honor."
He would do.