Link woke up in the guest house to the sound of Malon softly talking in her sleep. He smiled, then frowned, as all of yesterday came rushing back to him. Shaking the sheet off his body Link walked over to the wash basin. Staring into the pool of water, he smiled at the beauty of its stillness, that it was undisturbed. Unlike his life which was now a rippling creek, slowly moving down stream until it would eventually cascade down the waterfall; smashing against the rock. This is how he felt. He only wanted the tranquility-
"Girls suck, don't they Sheik." Link stated as he stared into the pool by the fountain. His azure eyes almost the same color as the calm water.
"Yea,"
"Especially Zelda. Goddesses', her coming her all the time isn't going to make me like her anymore then I do. Girls are boring. I like guys way better," he glanced up to see Sheiks crimson eyes meet his own. "Especially you Sheik," He smiled as Sheiks cheeks grew red, subtlety was never really his thing. "We should run away one day," speaking the thought aloud finally. "We could go escape to another country, explore. Start our own life. Be free of rules and our birth rights."
"You'd do that/ Leave everyone to escape your future and your marriage?"
"Only if it was with you." Link stared into Sheiks' Crimson depths to show the warrior he was speaking the truth. He reached across and placed his hand on the other boys. Squeezing it in his own, Link hoped to convey his feelings. "Just you and I, Sheik. Now and Forever."
Link jumped back and spilled the basin of water all over the wooden floor. He stumbled into the wall and couldn't stop himself from shaking. The memory had been so vivid. He wasn't sure how to feel about it; it only confirmed that they what everyone was saying was true. Deep down he was the Link they once knew, the memory had proved it. It frightened him. If he stayed around Sheik and the Princess, would he eventually remember what had made him forget?
"Link are you alright?" Malon touched his arm and he flinched back. He hadn't even heard her get up.
"Sorry. I-I just…need a moment." He brushed past her and stepped out into the crisp morning air. His breathe came out in little puffs of fog as there was still enough chill in the air.
He walked into the stables and started to saddle up Epona. Riding would be the only thing he knew to do to calm himself down. Swinging his leg over her, he busted through the halfway opened gate and started to ride. Someone called him name out in the distance but he just kept going; never turning around to look.
Epona jumped gracefully over the fence and continued on riding through the vast fields of Hyrule. He didn't bother to lead her, just let herself roam wherever she wanted to. Feeling the wind in his hair a sense of freedom and security came over him. The tension in his body slowly began to uncoil. Eventually he felt Epona start to slow down; coming back into the awareness of his body he saw that they were at the stream she usually drank at whenever Link took her out for long rides.
Dismounting, Epona wandered off to drink the water and graze along the riverbank. Heading over to the stream himself, he slowly stripped down, laid his cloths along the edge of the water and walked in. His skin tightened at the chilliness of it. Regardless he waded into the water and started to rinse himself off.
Trying not to focus on the memory only made him think of it more which was beginning to infuriate him. It frustrated him because now he couldn't deny that they had mixed him up with some other boy called Link…who happened to look just like him. Still with everything they had told him, what about everything they hadn't? What had happened? Why hadn't they looked for him? What exactly was his relationship with Zelda? Sheik? The more he thought about it all the larger his headache started to get.
Wading over to Epona, who had decided to join him in the water, he splashed water along her mane and neck. She whined softly in response to his actions. Eventually he stopped and just stroked along her neck. She turned and placed her snout in his hands.
"Thank you. You always seem to know when I just need to get away." She stamped her foot in the water, cause little wave to rise and hit along his hips. "As soon as I finish washing we will head back. I think I have made my choice." He looked into her brown eyes and smiled, "Hope you like big cities girls, cause that's where we are headed. It was time to get some answers.
Zelda rode alongside Impa towards Hyrule castle. She couldn't believe that Link had actually agreed to come with them. After he'd ridden off this morning nobody thought he would even come back, but he did; asking them if he could come along. Of course she had said yes. It had taken him only minutes to grab his few belongings and get his horse ready. He said farewell to Malon, told her he'd right, and that she wasn't allowed to elope or marry while he was away. He'd tried to apologize for leaving her alone with the farm but she shook her head and wished him well on his quest to discover who he had been.
Zelda had spent a lot of time catching up with Malon. They may have both grown older but Malons' kindness hadn't changed over the years. Malon explained how Link had come to them a few nights after the attack. Her father had been shocked to see Link stumbling around out there, she had just been frightened.
They took him up into the house; Malon hadn't been pleased because her Father placed him in her room. From there they had just made sure he was comfortable and cleaned all the blood and dirt off of his body. Malon explained how Link had this vacant look in his eyes the whole time they were doing so, like he wasn't even in his body. Zelda grew suspicious of the conversation at the point, knowing she had been holding something back but she didn't push.
Links skin had been badly bruised and there were cuts with dried blood and well as fresh blood all over his body. For a while it didn't look like he was going to live, especially since he didn't speak, eat, or drink for days. He just laid on the bed and stared into nothingness or slept. Only his sleep was vastly troubled and Malon remembered shed crawled into bed with her dad because Links screaming had been so terrifying.
Nearly a week later Link snapped out of his daze. He woke up screaming and kicking, but this time they heard crying from the room. When they went to check on him it was if Link was looking at them both for the first time. He asked a million questions, of which they had no answer too, and was frightened by the fact he had no sense of what was going on around him. Malon walked over to the frightened child and sat with him while he went through his hysteria and began to calm down.
When he finished Malon told them what they knew about him. They guessed he had come from the battle that had occurred at the Smith fortress a few nights ago and that he must have escaped and stumbled around aimlessly until he happened upon their farm. They asked him if he wanted to go to the castle to see if he could find anyone he knew but Link refused. He told them everyone he knew was dead and that he was lucky to have escaped. They never pushed it.
After Link had gotten better they fell into a routine at the farm and he loved it. He started to heal both psychologically and emotionally. Malon said she never knew about the ring link had been wearing except when her father had given it to Link. At first he was angry he'd not been told about the ring, but when he saw the insignia on it he understood why Talon had kept it hidden. It bared the royal seal of the house and because Link believed he had been just a serving boy people would assume he stole it-although Malon maintained he took it to keep it safe and eventually bring it back to Hyrule so that the royal family could give it to anyone in that family line.
Link couldn't have been more wrong. The story held some loop holes but she figured Malon was hiding something about Link, but she refused to give it up. Zelda figured it had something to do with why Link didn't remember but she knew even if she pushed Malon would not tell her because it wasn't her place to do so. Zelda had no idea what had happened that night after they had been separated. Sheik refused to speak about it and Link didn't know. Only time would be able to tell, if it told anything at all.
Before they had left the ranch Link had asked her not to mention who he was to the people, at least not yet. He may be the long lost surviving son of a great knight, but he still needed time to process it all. Hoards of people swarming around him, asking him questions wouldn't help his situation and would only make him feel anxious because he had to live up to something he knew nothing about.
Forcing her horse to slow down she fell into line beside him.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, regretting it a second later.
"A little nervous actually, but I am excited. It will be nice to look through my family history and find out who I really am. Plus I've always wanted to come to the city and see what it is like, now is my chance."
"You'll love Hyrule. It's expanded so much since…well the last time you were here. You will have lots of fun and there is so much to do! We can do whatever you like; go exploring, read in the libraries, play games whatever." She forced herself to shut her mouth. She was rambling, something she did all too often and needed to work on.
"That would be nice, but don't you have duties?"
"Yes, but any free time I have I would like to spend with you. And after the tournament it over ill have even extra time to spare. Hey! You should enter the competition; I bet you would do really well."
"I thought only knights could enter," she saw him make a face at his choice of words.
"Yes, knights can enter. But this is a tournament that is held for everyone in Hyrule. Anyone may enter as long as they have a sword." She tried to sound encouraging.
"I don't have a sword." She smiled over at him.
"I think I have just the one for you."
"I don't know how to wield a sword." She frowned, excuses, excuses.
"Oh, I am sure you do. You were trained from birth to wield a blade. Your mind may have forgotten but your body and instincts have not. It's just hidden deep within you. Besides, I am sure Sheik wouldn't mind practicing with you. Right, sheik?" she called over her shoulder.
"Sure."
"Maybe," was all Link said. She could tell he was feeling somber about the whole thing.
"You know," she reached over and pushed him lightly on the arm "I remember you being very competitive when it came to horse racing. The Hyrule gates are just over that hill there. How about some friendly competition?"
"It's not very friendly when you cry all the time for losing." She looked over at him, shocked. She could see that he was shocked at what he had said as well. He was clearly remembering something from their childhood.
"You're right, but you should always let a lady win." And she kicked her horse, leaving Link in the dust.
"Zelda!" she heard Impa call after her. She didn't care, didn't look back. She just wanted Link to loosen up a bit and hoped that he would follow her, accept her challenge. Even after all these years her heart still ached for him. He was still incredibly handsome. His body was long and lean, with a well-toned body from all the manual labour he did at the ranch. And those eyes, it was like drowning in an ocean, they were so beautiful.
Seconds later Link rushed past her and she gave him a dirty look behind is back. She tried to ride faster and catch up, but failed…by a long shot. He was smugly smiling atop his horse as she came to a stop beside him, just outside of the gates.
"Wipe that smile off your face!" she commanded
"I can't. Yours is priceless," and he burst into a fit of laughter. She felt her face heat up in anger and embarrassment.
"Hmph." And she strode past him, which cause him to laugh even harder at her. Clearly the making fun of her part of him hadn't changed over the years. She trotted through the market and people bowed, cheering her name. They lifted up gifts trying to get her to take them.
"Please Princess. Accept out gifts. We pray to the Goddesses for your safety and speedy coronation," an old lady cried out.
"Save the kingdom! Long live Princess Zelda!"
"Long live the Princess!" everyone started chanting around her. As much as she loved her people, she hated the attention she was given when she went through town. She didn't deserve it. Still, as expected, she straightened up and smiled at everyone. When she became queen, without a doubt she would do everything to end her peoples suffering. She would claim back her thrown, claim back her lost lands. She would save her people.