Chapter One: Little Town

A haven of town lay on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Hyrule. This town was ruled under it's mayor who represented Hyrule's monarch, unlike Zora's Domain or Death Mountain which had their own rulers who answered to the monarch on important policies.
Anyway, it was a quaint town compared to other towns in Hyrule but bustled with activity unlike many villages. The area was green, filled with trees and flowers, with little houses that appeared to grow out of the landscape, made of clay with little glass-stained windows.

A large tented area lay in the town's centre. The marketplace or the Bazaar as the townsfolk liked to call it. The town also held a university. The University was a prestigious institute, training intellectuals and soldiers in their arts to the finest quality outside of Castle Town. The centrepiece of the town was the statue of the Goddess Hylia, underneath was the town square which held a fountain with paths leading to all areas of the town.

The town was barely touched by the evil vanquished seven years ago, thus it thrived more than most of Hyrule which had been attacked during that time.

This is Skyloft. The little town.

Zelda rushed out of the family house, basket in hand, heading towards the market. Her blonde hair, which under some light appeared golden, was braided in three strands: two framing her face, wrapped in ribbons and the other, a loose plait down her back. Her knee-high pink dress clung to her legs as she ran to the market. At the entrance, she paused, catching her breath. Then, she took a deep breath, standing straight before entering.

"Good morning, Miss Harkinian," spoke the grocer, "May I interest you in-?"

"I apologise," Zelda interrupted, nodding her head in respect, "But I am late and we are well stocked on your fine vegetables. Have a nice day."

She quickly pushed through the crowd away from the grocer and the various other vendors, hoping not to grab any attention.

"Zelda!" cried Pumm, the proprietor of the Lumpy Pumpkin, the town's best cafe and bakery.

"Good day, Pumm!" Zelda greeted him.

"So, where the headmaster's daughter going to in such a hurry?"

"Oh, to the bookshop and then to my father. Oh, I just finished the most amazing story! About little people called the Minish, a talking cap and the Light-"

"That's very nice. Kina! The customers!" Pumm shouted to his daughter in the shop.
Zelda sighed as the man began to grumble about his daughter's lack of attention, her misgivings and stupidity as he walked back into the shop. No one seemed interested on anything she would say that had some depth.

She continued on her way to the bookshop. It was the only building in the Bazaar other than the inside of the Lumpy Pumpkin.
As she entered, she heard a couple muttering how wrong it was for a woman to be intellectual. Zelda frowned - she was only well-read and was taught by her father as a child. She didn't consider herself an intellectual or higher than anyone else, for that matter.

"Zelda!" smiled Horwell, one of the shopkeepers as well as a teacher at the university, "How are you today?"

"I'm very well, thank you! I've come to return the book I borrowed!" Zelda smiled genuinely in return.

"You finished already?" Owlan raised an eyebrow while taking the book off her. He was the other shopkeeper and a teacher as well. Zelda knew them both well from her constant trips to both the shop and the university. Horwell was always jolly and loved animals while Owlan was more dour but was friendly to her - he research plants and taught healing, including the production of potions. They ran the shop part-time as many weren't interested in the books and let Zelda borrow the books as she couldn't afford to buy them. She didn't like using her father's money on things she wanted.

"Well, yes. There isn't really much else for me to do here."

"That is true," Owlan replied as he return the book to it's shelf, "Your father told us that you're having difficulty finding work."

"Yes, well... They only hire girls as waitresses, maids or an extra hand at a stall," spoke Horwell from behind the counter.

"And I want a better job than that," Zelda then gasped, "Are there any openings here?! I wouldn't mind helping here."

"No, Zelda unfortunately-"

"But I could keep the shop open at all times and-"

"Zelda, you are a dear customer and friend to us. It would be an honour to work with you but we would all like you to have a job you'd like," Horwell smiled faintly.

"Ok. Well, may I borrow another book?"

"Of course! And before you ask, we have nothing new," Owlan smirked.

"That's fine. I'll just borrow this one!"

"Ocarina of Time?!" Horwell cried, "But you've read that, Goddess knows how many times!"

"Well, it's my favourite! Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, the princess in disguise!" Zelda replied enthusiastically, "It is also said that the story is true! We have six sages, exactly the same as the book!"

"Yes, but it is a mere legend," Owlan replied.

"Hey, they say the current Prince acted like a Hero of Legend seven years ago!" Horwell countered.

"Yes, but this is a story. He may have been inspired."

"So, may I borrow-"

"You know, if you like it so much, it's yours!" Horwell grinned.

"But sir! I must pay for it to-"

"No, no. We insist!" Owlan smiled.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" Zelda cried hugging the two men in turn, before saying her farewells and leaving for the university.

"Wow, Groose, you didn't miss a single log!" cried Cawlin.

"I know," he replied smugly.

"And not even breaking a sweat! You're the greatest swordsman in Skyloft!" Strich added.

"And soon all of Hyrule!" Cawlin jumped in the air with enthusiasm.

"It's true, you know. Nothing will stand in my way!" Groose deposited his practice sword into a barrel while the others cleaned up the broken logs.

The young men left the training facilities of University, making their way to the Bazaar. They were all different in size and structure. Groose was tall and muscular. Cawlin was dumpy in size, while Strich was tall yet very skinny.

"Isn't that Zelda?" wondered Strich. And there she was, talking to a young lady just inside the Bazaar.

"Hands off her!" Groose cried, pushing him, "She's going to be the luckiest girl in town soon."

"Why's that?" Cawlin queried, scratching his short blue hair.

"Because I'm going to marry her!" Groose proclaimed.

"You? Marry her?"

Groose glared in reply,
"Of course. Zelda and I are destined to be together!"

"Have you been listening to that fortune teller again?" Strich sighed.

"No! I know this myself!" Groose growled, "What is the problem with you two?!"

"Nothing!" Cawlin raised his hands, "No girl would ever stand in your way - I mean, none would say no!"

"Indeed," Groose grinned, stroking his bright red pompadour.

"But there is the problem that-" Strich began.

"She is the most beautiful girl in town!"

"Well, yeah, but-" Cawlin began.

"That makes her the best!" Groose narrowed his eyes at the other lads, "Don't I deserve the best?"

"Of... Of course!" Both boys replied.

"Excuse me now, my friends. Destiny awaits," Groose promptly adjusted his hair again and strolled into the crowd.

"He doesn't know what he's getting himself into..." Strich sighed.

"Yeah. She'll be a tough cookie to crack," Cawlin agreed, "I've heard she's very stubborn. And no one's ever been able to woo her."

"The old women believe she'll be a spinster."

"Seventeen and already a spinster, more like!" Cawlin chuckled, nudging Strich's thigh with his elbow.

"Good morning, Zelda," Groose greeted her with a dashing smile while leant against the entrance/exit for the Bazaar.

"Good morning, Groose," Zelda grunted as she exited, trying to keep as much distance between them.

"Have you had a nice day?" Groose asked, following her out and linking his arm with hers as an escort.

"The day has hardly begun, Groose."

"That is has! What's that you have there?" He pointed to her basket.

"Just some bits and pieces for my father," Zelda replied, "I've also finally gotten myself a book to keep."

"You know, Zelda, it's about time you took your head out of those books and into reality. There is more important things than them."

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes, like me!" He proclaimed, tapping his chest, "The whole town is talking about it! They think it's about time, you bucked up your ideas and got married!"

"Goodness, is that the time?" Zelda feigned wonder as she detangled herself from Groose's grasp, "I better get to my father."

"I'm sure he can wait. Why don't we go to the Pumpkin, for a bite to eat?"

"Oh no, no!" Zelda cried, still acting, "He really needs these supplies. Goodbye!"