Chapter 11

Upon returning to the castle, the captain allowed Link to go to the guard house and put his things away. But as soon as Link was done, and before he even had the chance to wash his hair, he was summoned to see the king.

Alone. Like a prisoner awaiting his sentence.

He should have been nervous, but he let himself believe that all his interactions with Master Gehrik prepared him for this very moment. Surely, the king wouldn't be as intimidating as his old Master. Just because he was the king, it didn't mean he was scary. Or so Link hoped.

As he followed an escort into the Throne Room, he could hear horn music faintly down the hall. He could only guess that some trumpeters were practicing, though for what, he didn't know. Hopefully not for him—he really didn't want a big event around his pulling the sword. He hoped it would reach as little audience as possible. But, knowing how important the Goddess and this relic were to the kingdom and the royal family, he doubted. A big ordeal would result from it, whether or not he wanted it.

He finally stepped into the Throne Room, and his escorts closed the door behind him. He walked into the red-carpeted room, always in awe at the massive walls and decorations in the room. The king was seated on the throne, and the princess sat in her chair next to him. Link went to the centermost part of the carpet, and knelt in front of the king.

A guard near the throne announced him. "Your Majesty, here is Link, the knight you summoned."

The king cleared his throat. "Good. Please," he beckoned, "come forward."

As Link straightened and did so, the room seemed to get warmer and smaller as he closed the distance between him and the king. He'd never been this close, and he didn't realize how big and intimidating the king really was. Link and the princess seemed like young children compared to the king. Not only was he on the more rotund side, but his fluffy white hair and beard didn't do him any favors. His robes weren't as extravagant as Link thought they would be, but he still had royal emblems along his chest and gold trim along the edges. They must have been his more casual garb. If the king was commanding with this set of clothes, Link didn't want to know what he would be like with his most fancy robes.

Link gave a small bow once he was about ten feet away, then he stood at attention.

"Knight," the king addressed him. "Do you know why I called you here?"

Link shook his head slightly. He knew why he was in the castle. He knew what his assignment was. But that wasn't what the king was asking: what made him capable of pulling the sword, and if he knew his importance as a piece on the royal family's board. "Not entirely, Your Majesty."

The princess closed her eyes and took deliberate breaths, as if attempting to hold back her emotions. She was still in her travelling clothes. Link guessed she had just as little time as he did to settle before being summoned to sit beside the king.

"Only the Hero Reincarnate has been able to wield the Master Sword," the king answered. "It is not only an honor, but a divine responsibility. On top of becoming the designated one to help seal the darkness, there are also associated royal duties. From this day forward, you are no longer simply a knight. Directly, I henceforth name you Knight Protectorate."

At this, the princess gave her full attention to the king. She sat up straighter and gripped the arms of her chair. "Are you sure, Father?" she asked quietly.

He briefly turned his head towards her, but continued speaking to Link. "With the position comes an assignment. You are to protect the princess at all times. In your position, you will be ready to aid her when Calamity Ganon comes again." And then, with disappointment apparent in his voice, "She will need all the help she can get."

She looked down in shame and knotted her fingers together in her lap. This voice was not foreign to her, and her resigned acceptance was prominently displayed. This was obviously a matter she didn't want to believe.

If Link was honest with himself, he didn't necessarily want to be her protector, either. It certainly wouldn't help with his ambitions and assignment of moving up in the ranks of the army. How was he supposed to lead an army when he was stuck guarding the princess? He supposed he could try to thwart her sealing power from coming to her, but he knew its mechanisms even less than she did. Perhaps he could convince the king to let him lead an army while he was protecting her. It would be a significant demand on his time and skills, but he could make it work. At this point, his fear of disappointing Master Gehrik was still stronger than his fear of disappointing the king. But he would try to stay in both of their good graces, even if it left him ragged.

"I can sense you are ruminating on this new opportunity. You are young, Link. I know it will take time for both of you to grow in your roles. Unfortunately, this is non-negotiable. In this position, you will report either directly to myself or to Captain Louie," the king iterated unforgivingly.

Guess I don't have a choice. "Of course, Your Majesty," Link replied with a small bow.

"May I have a look at it?" The sword.

Link stepped forward and unstrapped the sword from his back. It still surprised him how hefty yet balanced it was. But perhaps the heft was more emotional than physical. He stepped forward, unsheathed the sword, and presented it flat across his two palms.

The king refrained from reaching out to touch it. "Indeed, the paintings do not do it justice. And to think after all these years, it still looks brand new. Thank you, Link."

Link sheathed the sword again and stepped back to a more proper distance.

"It must receive a proper sheath. Luckily, because it is both a holy relic and a royal relic, we've had the sheath in our vaults for hundreds of years at this point. I will summon for its sheath momentarily, so that when it is not in use, it can rest in its rightful home. Speaking of rightful homes, you have been staying in the guard house, yes?" The way he said it, it sounded like a rhetorical question, so Link didn't answer him. He was right. "Regardless, a room in the guest wing will be made for you, and you will stay there for the foreseeable future. It is much closer than the guard house to the royal quarters, which would prove vital in an emergency. You must be ready."

Those were familiar words to Link. He'd heard them practically every day growing up, and had spent nearly his whole life preparing. "Yes, Your Majesty. I swear that I will be ready at all times." After all, being ready was his strong suit. You didn't make your way up the ranks of the army without being ready, after all.

"That is good to hear," the king replied pleasantly. Then he got serious again. "But know this, Link. You will be around the princess at nearly every waking moment. I expect no funny business between the two of you. Both of your tasks are of extreme importance, and I don't need either of you getting distracted. I hope I don't need to explain myself further."

The princess's face turned bright pink, and she gaped in surprise at her father. Link was sure his face made an identical reaction, appalled that the king would even broach such a subject. Master Gehrik's warning about servant girls reentered his mind as clear as day. The princess was far from a serving girl, but the point was as poignant as ever. "Understood."

The king studied Link for a few seconds, as if determining his trustworthiness. But Link's impassive expression didn't give him much to go off of. "I see. Well then, in that case, I believe we are done here. Your first task is to get settled into a guest room, and then find Captain Louie. You should have met on the journey to the forest, so am I right in assuming I don't need to introduce you?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Link hadn't actually met the captain formally, but he knew who he was and could find him easily. Or the captain would find him. One way or another, they would likely be in constant proximity to the other. Starting today, everyone around the castle would know him. Everyone in the world. Everyone back home.

It wasn't what he had in mind when he ventured out on this assignment, but he would have to make do.

"You are dismissed," the king finally said. Link bowed one last time and turned to leave. As he did so, he saw the king and the princess give each other a knowing look. It seemed Link wasn't the only one with a lot on his plate.

"This is the one, sir," the guard said. He opened the door for Link, who stepped inside. His new private room in the guest wing. For royalty, it wasn't all that exquisite, but for Link, it was much larger than anything he'd ever need. All he had with him was what he could carry on his body — his weapons, his armor, and his pack of extra clothes and some rupees. And now he had another sword to worry about, which he kept strapped on his back.

Link nodded his thanks and closed the door behind him. The room had a small, canopied bed in the middle of the back wall, with a side table on each side. A dresser and closet panel stood on the front left corner of the room, and a desk and chair sat on the opposite front corner. The walls were mostly bare, save for a few banners of the Royal Family Crest. Rugs on the ground gave his feet some respite from the cold, hard stone. The small window by the bed looked out onto another castle wall with some grass two floors below—not the best view, but it did give him privacy. In the growing evening, the window let in what little light the sun could give.

After he had packed up the rest of his things from the guard house, he had been led straight to this room in the guest wing. At first, he looked forward to having more solitude. But now that he was here, he didn't know what to do with it, since he would be stuck with the princess for the next, well, forever. He set his things down on a side table and took his pack of extra clothes over to the dresser. Arranging them neatly inside, he found a minute amount of solace in the organization.

A handful of knights from the guard house had already heard the news, so as he'd walked by them on his way out, they stood in awe and respect. It was honestly an odd feeling. Not that it was bad. He had just hoped that the respect would come from his leadership and command, and not from simply having picked up some special sword. They'd stood to the side, letting him pass with ease. As he passed them, he was positive that all eyes (or at least ones from those who knew) were on the sword on his back. He had turned around slightly, gave them a sad smile and a wave, and was on his way. He was positive he'd see his bunkmates again, but no longer in the capacity he wanted. It was a shame, because he actually got along with some of them. Unfortunately, he now had other duties that didn't include them.

One day, he might get the luxury of worrying about his original assignment to move up the ranks. But now his duty was to the princess and the sword. And as much as he was sure she now hated him, he would fulfill that duty with the utmost care, even if she thought she didn't need him.