Author Note: Sorry this chapter took so long to upload, I have pretty much no time during the week so I will try to update at least every Sunday. If not sooner. Thankyou so much to those who reviewed. You made me very happy :)
"We will be staying here for awhile. Daruni has agreed to give us a room" some of the ice left her voice. Impa lifted the sleeping princess into her arms. On the walk to our room. Impa explained what had happened. About the princess's prediction, the three stones, the temple of time, and Ganondorf's pursuit. But what intrigued me most was the young boy she spoke up. He had been raised amongst the Kokoris but was actually Hylian. He had been the one to retrieve the stones at the request of the princess. Apparently Zelda had seen this boy in a dream vision. He had been the one in the dream to recover the triforce from Ganondorf. Link, the one who was to save us all.
The room was very modest after the Goron fashion. Though apparently human's had been considered to a degree. A small table was in one corner and two plush carpets were to serve as bedding. I had seen worse. Impa lighted the torch in one corner with a simple spell. To my surprise there was even a small room attached which contained a chamber pot and crude mirror.
"Impa why did you need me to come with you?" I asked while she gently put the princess onto one of the carpets.
"I will explain later. Now sleep. I have some things to attend to and will not be back until around some time tomorrow evening. This place is save, but protect her with your life Sheik. It is your duty" with that she left the room. I took my place on the other rug, realizing how tired I actually was. I didn't even bother to put out the torch I just let myself descend into sleep.
"Sheik?" a voice called out quietly, but obviously frantic. A sudden hand on my arm had caused me to wake. I sighed, still dazed from being half-asleep.
"I'm here princess". The torch had gone out a while ago, leaving us in complete darkness. The dark didn't bother me, I was trained to embrace it. But the ten year old girl was frightened. I could feel her heart pounding against my chest when she laid beside me. Well, half on me would have been more accurate. To calm her, I put an arm around her small waist. We lay in silence and I had every intention of going back to sleep when she addressed me.
"Where's Impa?". Her heart sped up again.
"She's going to be gone for a day. You're in my care". The princess seemed to think about this for a moment before responding.
"Oh...can you fight to protect me?"
"Yes"
"Are you a Sheikah too?"
"Yes". She relaxed after hearing that. She knew that a Sheikah's sole purpose was to defend the royal family and she could rely on any of them to give their life for her welfare.
"Why do you cover your face?" she asked curiously. I wasn't terribly fond of this new talkative mood.
"It's a matter of rank. I am considered very low on the Sheikah status ranks. It is also symbolic of our devotion to the royal family. It symbolizes that who we are is not nearly as important as our duty." Sheik grimaced at the last part. Sometimes the Sheikah rules seemed almost cruel. I am not my own person .
"Oh. So Impa doesn't wear the outfit because she's a very high rank?". Bravo princess.
"Correct"
"So there are whole villages of people wearing those clothes". It startled me how little the princess knew of the Sheikah culture.
"No. Impa and I are the only ones left" it was painful to think about our race dying out. Sheikah persecution had been rather commonplace over the history of Hyrule. Most people feared us because of our magic and methods of life.
"So your parents were...". I didn't respond. I did not want to talk about that. The silence that ensued was uncomfortable.
"Can I see what you look like without your mask?" she asked abruptly. If it had not been dark she would have seen the glare I gave her.
"No" hadn't she heard a word of what I had said? I wasn't allowed to show people my face.
"Please?"
"No"
"Pretty please?"
"No!"
"Could I order you to do it?". I stiffened. I had to obey an order from my royal charge. But Impa would skewer me if she found out.
"Yes" I answered softly. Regretting my inability to refuse. She must have picked up on my discomfort because she did not enforce the order.
"Can I at least feel what your face looks like in the dark?". Princess Zelda was undoubtably the most persistent person I had ever met.
"Fine" I sighed and pulled down my cowl, exposing the lower half of my face. It felt good to directly breath in the cool earthy air. Delicate fingers trailed over my face, mapping out my appearance and allowing the princess to form a mental picture of my appearance. She traced my nose, eyelids, chin, and lips.
"Are you happy?" I asked after the fingertips left contact with my skin.
"Yes, thank you". I could hear the smile in her voice.
"Goodnight Sheik" she snuggled against me as I replaced my cowl.
"Goodnight Princess" I yawned and let sleep take me.
The morning found us sore from sleeping on the floor and hungry. Impa would not be back for awhile so I took it upon myself to find food. Of course the princess also wanted to come. But I told her she would attract too much attention with people out looking for her. I didn't say Ganondwarf because I didn't want to depress her unnecessarily. But in the end she ended up ordering me to bring her. So I made here remove the silly hat she wore and the outer tabard of her dress that was illustrated with the royal family crest and triforce. Unfortunately there was nothing I could do about the fine silk dress and gloves but the Gorons level of intelligence probably would not recognize her.
We made our way down the floors of the mountain chamber, eventually reaching a shop-type building. A Goron stood behind the counter looking as if he was about to fall asleep. He seemed to perk up as we entered the room. I asked if he had anything in the way of human sustenance. He thought for a moment before retrieving two packages that contained something resembling rice and some sort of meat. I asked for more of the packages, paid him, and left the shop quickly. The fewer people who saw the princess the better. I refused her offer to help carry the supplies. Soon enough we were back in the room and devouring two of the packets. If I imagined I was eating a large tasteless block it was easier not to gag. When I shared this with the princess she began to laugh.
"You should talk more often Sheik, you're funny." she giggled. My eyebrows rose. I had never been called 'funny'. I don't think I had ever made anyone laugh. The experience made me feel strange.
"So what should we do today Sheik?"
"Whatever your highness requests"
"But what do you want to do?". The question took me aback. No one ever asked what I wanted to do.
"Well...I could teach you to play my harp..." I said tentatively, not sure if this would be
acceptable. The princess smiled.
"You play the harp?" she asked with wonder.
"Yes" I replied defensively. Most people found it funny that I played such an instrument. I came off as cold to most and it took a delicate soul to play a delicate instrument. In truth I loved playing the harp. My passion for it's music far exceeded my passion for other people. I could find comfort in the music's constant notes, where as I did not understand people at all.
"I would love to learn" I realized her expression was warm, not mocking. I retrieved the harp from my pack and began to unwrap the protective rags it was encased with.
"It's beautiful" she whispered surveying the fine golden strings and patterns detailed into the base.
"Where did you get it?" Zelda asked running her fingers over the patterns.
"My grandmother made it" I whispered proudly, admiring the instrument as I always did when I took it out. The princess's face portrayed surprise.
"A woman?". I understood her surprise. In Hyrule typically females were not involved with gold smithing.
"Only a woman could make something that exudes such spiritual music" I responded fingering the strings. The princess's smile widened. I played a few notes for tuning purposes before playing a very simple song. At the end the princess clapped. I showed her how to properly hold the instrument and taught her a few notes. After an hour or so of playing it was obviously the princess had no talent for playing the harp. But she seemed to enjoy it and I actually found the corner of my lips tugging up into a smile. By noon she could roughly make her way through a very basic song.
Impa returned sooner than I was expecting. She made her presence known by clearing her throat. Immeadiatly I sprang to my feet in a defensive stance, but relaxed when I saw her.
"I'm pleased to see Sheik was able to keep you out of trouble princess". I restrained myself from glaring at her. Of course I could be trusted with protecting the princess. All eleven years of my life had been preparing me for that exact task.
She dropped a large pack bursting with stuff onto the table in the corner.
"It's time I tell you why I brought you here Sheik. Princess, you need to listen too" Impa's expression was extremely serious. Zelda sat up against the wall, as did I. I had a feeling the explanation was going to take a while. Impa took a deep breath.
"You both know that Ganondwarf is looking for the princess. If he finds her he will have located one more piece of the triforce and eliminate what hope Hyrule has left". We both nodded gravely. I had known Zelda was the guardian of the triforce of wisdom, making her a prime target for Ganondwarf.
"You also probably know that his resources are almost unlimited. Undoubtedly by magic or other means, he will find Zelda". The princess's face paled but she nodded nonetheless.
"So Zelda can no longer exist for him to find". Zelda looked puzzled but I saw where this was going.
"A disguise" I added.
"Exactly right Sheik. But a normal disguise could be too easily found out. The princess must be erased completely. She must become someone else in every aspect. Not a new person, someone preexisting." She waited for me to realize something. A few seconds passed and my eyes opened in realization. This was….unbeleivable.
"Me?" I choked out. Impa looked almost sympathetic for a moment.
"Yes". It took Zelda a moment more to process this before she ventured a question.
"I'm going to become Sheik?" she sounded as surprised as I was. Impa nodded in confirmation.
"But…how? He's a boy. Our voices…our hair, and our eyes are different" Zelda sounded flustered. She was not taking the news well. Neither was I. I had an idea of what the process entailed. Essentially I was handing my identity over to someone else. I would no longer be Sheik. I would be nothing while the princess would be me.