Link wanted to be in the town square by noon, as he was greatly curious to see the princess face her challengers, but he was late in setting out and arrived in the middle of a bout. He quietly slipped into the midst of the crowd, not wanting the princess to see him. It had been almost two years since he'd last seen her, and yet when he saw her, she was just as stunning as he remembered. Hers was a beauty beyond compare, with her piercing blue eyes, pale skin, and with such finely-formed features she could have passed herself off as a goddess, by Link's estimation. Now she was in mid-battle with a challenger and it was clear that the poor man was outmatched. By the time Link caught sight of Zelda, she had already knocked aside the man's sword, and it was clear he had lost the match.

A man stepped into the square, the same man that had made the announcement in Ordon the day before. "Are there any more challengers?" he cried.

There was murmuring amongst the crowd, which only seemed to annoy the man. "Come on, surely there must be one brave enough amongst you!"

"I challenge you, your highness!" came a voice near Link. A young man garbed in a black robe stepped forward, holding his sword up high. It was a ridiculously ornate blade, complete with a shining red ruby in the hilt, and somehow bearing such a weapon made Link dislike the man.

"My name is Eirikr, and am I here to win your hand in marriage, princess!"

"Very well," the princess replied, her face not showing any emotion. "Let us begin."

With a moment's pause the two flew into battle, and Link could see then just how skilled the princess was with a blade. It came as quite a surprise; from what he saw she clearly had a good teacher and a lot of practice. But the more he watched of her, the more he noticed that her technique was just a little too polished, too perfected, to the point where it was almost predictable. Yes, she had been taught well, but she had too little experience in real battle, which Link possessed in abundance. His mind thought up a myriad of ways in which he might best her, a swift parry there, a swift blow there...yes, Link was certain he could beat her in a fair match. Not that he was going to challenge her, of course. That would be ridiculous.

In less than a minute the challenger had lost, and he wandered back into the crowd with a look of shock and dismay on his face.

"Does anyone else challenge her highness?"

No one else stepped forward, and Link could see the disappointment in the princess's eyes.

"Ha! Then it is proven today, then, that there is no one in Hyrule more skilled with the sword than her highness."

I highly doubt that. If he could only face her, they'd see that he was the greatest swordsmen in the land, but Link told himself that he was not that prideful.

I hope someone beats her, was his last thought as he headed home.

"You should have seen her, Ilia! Everyone who faced her was beaten swiftly, just like that! I've never seen anything like it."

But Ilia remained unimpressed. "I'm sure a princess like her has nothing better to do! I hate how someone like her gets to live in luxury and does nothing, while those of us who toil have so much less!"

Does nothing? Ilia knew nothing of what Zelda truly had done (and did) for Hyrule, but there was no use arguing with her. She did not care at all for royalty and nobility, and would scoff every time Link mentioned them.

"I didn't like how they went on about her being the "greatest swordsman", though. I'm sure I could win in a fight with her."

Ilia laughed. "You? Well, you do waste an awful lot of time with that sword of yours..."

Link returned to his home after that, but as he sat down at his bed he felt it again. It was a feeling that had slowly crept up on him ever since he had returned her from his adventures; a sense of ennui and dissatisfaction that grew day by day. Some mornings he would wake up and despair utterly at the thought of working another day at the Ordon ranch, other times he would be so tired of seeing the same old faces that he would shut himself in his house and refuse to come out. There was a time when Ordon had been like a haven to him; a place that shut out the troubles and concerns of the world outside, but now Link wanted to be a part of that world instead of being kept in this village which was quite insignificant in the grand scheme of things. How he longed for something new, and a sense of purpose! No, he had not had one of those since his adventures, and it was slowly driving him mad.

But where else could he go? His life here was simple and unchallenging, and he could not imagine there being any professions in town that he was skilled at. He had no choice, it seemed, just as there was no choice of which woman he would marry.

With a sigh, Link laid down for bed, hoping that things would change. But he knew, of course, that they most likely wouldn't.

Link was there in Castletown the following day, eagerly awaiting the next round of battles between the princess and her challengers. It went much like the one before, with the princess swiftly besting all comers, much to Link's dismay. He could not believe that there was no one who could beat her, not even the knights of Hyrule themselves, and Link found it troubling for some reason. With every challenger she defeated the man who accompanied her, whatever his name was, would continue to insult and berate the onlookers, saying how there were no great men left in Hyrule and nearly begging for more challengers to come.

The battles continued for the next couple of days, and still there seemed no one who could defeat the princess. The insults were piled higher with every defeat, and Link began finding it very difficult to resist stepping into the square and challenging Zelda himself. He knew in his heart that he was a better swordsman, and it infuriated him how that man kept going about how there was no one better than the princess. But Link restrained himself, knowing that these battles were only for those seeking the princess's hand in marriage.

One day, however, he heard something that he simply could not let stand. It was suggested, after Zelda had defeated yet another challenger, that the people of Hyrule should be greatly worried, as the kingdom would surely be doomed if it were attacked, given the lack of any brave warriors amongst the people, and it was a wonder it had survived this long. It was an insult to all he had struggled for, and he made up his mind that day that he would fight the princess and show everyone that there was someone of courage and skill in Hyrule. At the same time, however, Link was not keen on marrying her or anyone else and he was certain that Zelda would be horrified at the prospect of being married to him.

The following morning Link came up with an idea. He wrapped himself in a thick black cloak and then put on a hood that covered everything but his eyes, so that no one would recognize him. His plan was to challenge the princess, but he would not say who he was, and as soon as the fight was done he'd hop on his horse and flee the town. He picked up his sword, climbed atop his horse Epona and sped off for the town. Fortunately for him Ilia was not around, for he was sure that she would wonder why he was riding off so strangely dressed.

When he reached the town square a fight was already in progress, and Link quietly made his way to the front of the crowd, his heart pounding with excitement.

I'll show them that there's a better swordsman out there!

"Is there no one else who wishes to challenge her highness? If not, we'll be leaving, then!"

Grabbing the hilt of his sword, Link stepped into square. "Wait, your highness!" he called out, trying to disguise the sound of his voice. "Here is a man who dares to fight you!"

Zelda looked squarely at him, but Link did not meet her eyes, fearful that she might recognize him by them alone. "And who might you be, sir?" she asked.

"I...my name is..." Link paused, realizing he had not thought that part of his disguise through. "I am no one important."

The princess frowned. "Well, may I see your face, at least?"

"I...I'd rather you not, your highness. I'd rather just fight you."

"Alright..."

With a steely determination Link flew into the fight, hardly giving the princess time to raise her sword in defense. Yet he knew he would have to be careful, lest he actually hurt her. Over and over their blades clashed, and Link could tell from the look in her eyes that he was a foe greater than any she had faced before. That did not diminish her skill, however, and Link found that she was a difficult opponent indeed. Every offensive move of his she swiftly blocked or evaded, and there were a few moments when she came close to landing a hit on him.

"You fight very well, sir," she said, taking a step back. "Why don't you tell me your name?"

"I told you, I'm no one important!"

The fight continued, with neither of them gaining a clear advantage over the other. But Link's strength and stamina were greater, and he had seen far more battles in his life than Zelda had, so he soon began to notice a pattern in her moves. Her teacher was good, obviously, but there was no substitute for true experience in war.

Then, he saw it coming: a sharp, overhead blow. Reacting immediately he swiftly parried her blow aside with such force that her sword was knocked out of her hand, skipping across the cobblestones. The crowd fell silent, and Zelda stood there with a look of surprise and incredulity on her face.

"Well I think I've proven myself," he said, breathing heavily. "And now I must go." He started moving away from her and into the crowd.

"Wait!" Zelda cried. "You didn't even tell me your name!"

Link gave no answer, and quickly turned and bolted into the crowd, shoving people aside left and right. Zelda called after him again, but his only thought was getting to his horse. Epona stood there waiting patiently for him, and Link hurriedly mounted her and sped off. Behind him he heard a multitude of footsteps, and he imagined that the princess was sending her men after him.

His heart racing now, he galloped through the streets of Castletown until he came to Hyrule Field, and from there he raced all the way back to Ordon, constantly looking back over his shoulder to see if anyone were following him. But no one was, and when he neared his home he slowed his horse to a trot and noticed that his whole body was shaking.

I did it! I beat her! That'll show them.

But his mirth came to an end when he saw Ilia waiting in front of his house, and an angry look came over her when she saw how Epona was gasping after being pushed so hard.

"Link, where were you?"

"I...I was just...in town..."

"You've been riding Epona too hard again, haven't you! I thought I told you to go easier on her! I swear, I need to start locking her up where you can't get to her!"

He dismounted and began walking to his house, ignoring Ilia. His victory over the princess had left him feeling too full of pride to be brought down by her nagging.

"And why are you dressed like that?" she snapped.

Link spun around to face her. "Who says I can't wear something different?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's just that you've worn the same thing for the last two years!"

Ilia gave an annoyed grunt and left, leaving him alone. His thoughts were only of the battle, and he wondered what the princess must have felt when he had beaten her.

No courage or greatness in me, is there? Well I think I proved them wrong! And she was none the wiser!

Link continued to gloat to himself over his victory the rest of the day, and as he went to sleep that night he knew it would be difficult to resist the temptation to boast to everyone in the village of what he'd done.