On the day of Link's arrival, the entire Hylia estate was filled with a sense of urgency and excitement that Zelda had never seen before. The maids and servants all spoke in jittery whispers and bouts of excited laughter were frequent throughout the manor's walls. Even Impa, usually so stoic and reserved, was caught up in the fervor of the occasion.

"He was a good lad," the old nursemaid confided to Zelda, as they sat outside, waiting with everyone else for the sight of Link riding through the courtyard on his steed. "It'll be interesting to see what he matured into."

It would be interesting to see what Link had become, Zelda thought, privately batting down the butterflies in her stomach as well. She had no idea why she was so nervous, but she found herself unconsciously examining herself in the mirror and brushing her hair until its golden hue was lustrous in the sun.

Perhaps she was just like everyone else – wanting to make her best impression on Link when he returned home after seven long years. When he still lived at the manor as a child, Link had been enormously popular with all the servants: his cheerful attitude and good nature were infectious. Before he had left for Termina, Zelda vaguely recalled the servants fondly referring to him as "Master Hylia." She had only ever known him as Link.

No one was in a greater state of excitement than Aleron, who was practically shaking in anticipation. He was sitting in a large chair out on the patio that overlooked the estate grounds; every few minutes, he would jump from his seat as if he had been electrically shocked, and restlessly prowl the grounds as if his son was hiding amongst the bushes, waiting to be found. After several minutes of searching in vain, Aleron would return to his seat in disappointment, only to repeat the process again a few minutes later. Zelda restrained the urge to laugh at her benefactor's eccentric behavior, and contented herself by making small talk with Impa.

"Can you tell me why Aleron sent Link to Termina?" Zelda asked, as the noonday sun reached its zenith in the cerulean blue sky.

"Well, there are two reasons," Impa replied, swatting some steel-gray hair out of her eyes and reclining back in her seat. "Of course, Link was pretty deep into his knightly training by then – it was said that he was naturally skilled with the sword – and as traditional, Link took up an apprenticeship with a veteran knight to complete his training, hence his journey to Termina."

"What's the second reason?" Zelda pressed.

"Well, this is speculation," Impa said, shifting in her seat, "but I've been around longer than most, so I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime. As you know, Aleron himself was a knight who served under the Royal Family. But Ganondorf took over when you and Link were both babies, and I don't think Aleron wanted his son to be raised as one of Ganondorf's knights. So he sent Link to Termina instead."

Zelda looked inquisitively at Impa, who seemed not to heed her prying glances. Both of Impa's explanations seemed plausible to Zelda – especially since she knew that Aleron had served the original Royal Family and secretly loathed Ganondorf's reign. She couldn't help but wonder how Link would have turned out had he stayed in Hyrule and trained as a knight in Ganondorf's army. She involuntarily shuddered, imagining the sweet, laughing Link from her childhood, and privately agreed with Aleron's decision to send him away from Ganondorf's clutches.

"So you see, old Aleron is pretty crafty," Impa said knowingly, watching Zelda closely. "He might not act like it, but he is very calculating. Has to be, in order to have survived so long in Ganondorf's favor."

"I suppose," Zelda muttered, glancing at Aleron from the corner of her eyes. From first impressions, the slightly eccentric and aloof Aleron wouldn't have alerted her to a particularly calculating mind, as Impa had said. But the old nursemaid had a knowing look about her, as if she knew something Zelda didn't.

"What else can you tell me about Aleron, Impa?"

"Hmm," Impa hummed softly to herself, watching Aleron as well. "I can tell you plenty of things, and I trust you have the sense to not let them slip."

"I won't say anything," Zelda quickly promised, eager to learn a bit more about her enigmatic benefactor.

"Well, let's see," Impa thought. "You know Aleron was a knight, correct? He was a close friend of the king, before Ganondorf pulled the coup that removed the Royal Family from power. And I heard he was an excellent swordsman – must be where Link got his natural skill."

"But I never see him practice with a sword," Zelda said, astonished.

"Yes, well, he renounced his warrior status after the fall of the Royal Family," Impa said. "He's seen some hard times – mind you, we all have – and I think all Aleron wants to do now is live a reclusive and comfortable life in his estate. And see Link mature into a suitable successor."

"I see," Zelda murmured, lost in thought as she vaguely watched the cobblestone road that led from the outskirts of Castle Town and into the Hylia estate. Surely, Link would ride over the crest of the hill at any moment, clad in gleaming plate armor and mounted atop a magnificent steed. But the afternoon sun rose higher, and Link did not come.

"Poor Aleron's going to wear himself out," Impa noted, as the elderly Hylia continued in his hopeful vigil. "After his wife died, Aleron poured all his heart and soul into that boy. Seven years is a long time to be separated from his son."

"At least Link knows him," Zelda said bitterly, before she could stop herself. Impa rested a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Ah, it was careless of me to forget that you've never known your parents. I'm sorry, Zelda."

"Don't be," she replied, trying to make her voice sound a bit brighter. "It's hard to miss what you've never had."

"At least you've been fortunate enough to have a good life," Impa offered. "Imagine if Aleron hadn't taken you under his wing – you'd be suffering in Castle Town."

"Along with the majority of Hyrule's populace," Zelda muttered.

"I know it's cruel," Impa said sympathetically, "but there's not much you can do for those poor souls, not with… well," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "Ganondorf and his minions running wild through this fair country."

"You lived in the Golden Age of Hyrule," Zelda said, remembering some of Impa's old stories. "Tell me again, Impa, what it was like."

"Well, it might not have been a Golden Age," Impa chuckled, "but it was better than the Hyrule you know today. There were no wars to fight, so our country flourished and grew peaceful. Of course, that might have been a bad thing, because when Ganondorf and his legions invaded from the desert, no one was strong enough to stop him."

"How did he gain power?"

"Ganondorf was cunning, very cunning," Impa replied, closing her eyes in pain as if she was hardly able to stand memories of those past days. "He spent several years as a diplomat in King Harkinian's Royal Court, cultivating peaceful relations and luring everyone into a false sense of security. He waited for the right moment to strike, and then toppled the Royal Family with one swift coup."

"And just like that, he captured Hyrule? And the people didn't even resist?"

"As I said, Hyrule had been in peace for many years. The few soldiers we had were unskilled, and the population were quickly terrorized into submission by Ganondorf's displays of violence."

Zelda shivered. Impa had told her once before of Ganondorf's "displays of violence." Public beheadings, executions, tortures – in fact, such horrific events still occurred whenever Ganondorf felt like the citizenry was growing too complacent. She had witnessed a public execution before, and the memory still manifested itself in her nightmares. The stench of blood, so vividly red as it ran freely on the cobbled stones of the marketplace…

She fought down the brief urge to vomit, and turned back in her seat rather faintly. Impa looked over at her in concern, but only a second later, shot up from her seat as if hot coals had been placed on the chair.

"Look!" Impa cried, pointing at the horizon, her eyes alight with excitement.

Zelda turned, following Impa's outstretched fingers, and heard murmurs of excitement break out throughout the manor's inhabitants. Riding alone on the path towards the manor was a single man, clad in shining steel armor.

Zelda's heart leapt ever so lightly, as she watched the rider's progress. Soon, the rider had entered the estate grounds and was heading towards the manor house with haste.

Aleron stood up from his seat, running to meet the rider like a thirsting man sprinting towards an oasis. The rider leapt off of his horse with practiced ease, his booted feet landing softly on the well-trodden path.

"Link!" Aleron hollered hoarsely, rushing forward and embracing the rider with both arms.

The rider tore off his helmet, revealing the face of a youthful, confident, and beaming young man – Sir Link Hylia. Although he had obviously matured, Zelda would have recognized him instantly: something about him still reminded her of the best friend she had known as a child.

"Father," Link laughed, his deep voice sounding remarkably different to Zelda than the high pitched tone he had as a child. She watched as father and son embraced each other affectionately, the long years of separation vanishing in a heartbeat.

The rest of the servants had surrounded Link and Aleron, and very reluctantly, the elder Hylia released his son. Link smiled brilliantly at the clamoring servants, all of them offering him some sort of praise or welcome. He struggled to make his voice heard above the din of voices.

"Can someone direct me to the stables?" he asked, enduring many hugs and handshakes from the adoring servants. "Epona has had a long journey… she must be terribly exhausted."

"I'll take her to the stables," Zelda spoke up, quietly, coming forth and taking Epona's reigns.

Link gave her a charming smile. "Thank you so much," he said simply, before turning away and walking with his father back to the manor, the rest of the servants following in their wake.

Zelda stood, thunderstruck, slackly holding Epona's reigns as the horse pawed the ground anxiously. Thank you so much. That was all he had said. He had smiled at her, but had he recognized her? She couldn't remember. Thank you so much. Did he not remember her at all? Did the years of camaraderie and friendship as children mean nothing to him?

It took Zelda a minute to realize the emotion welling up inside her chest. Hurt. What had she been expecting? For him to throw his arms around her and laugh? At least some sort of recognition of the past bond they had shared. But to just simply ignore her in the way that he did?

"Come on, Epona," Zelda mumbled, roughly pulling on the horse's reigns as she led it to the stables. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she barely noticed the single tear that trailed down her cheek.


That afternoon was a period of rejoicing for everyone, save Zelda. While the entire manor was elated with Link's return, his complete lack of acknowledgement had left her not only hurt, but slightly bitter. After securing Epona in the stables, she had gone about her normal duties in an attempt to appear cheerful; but Link's behavior and the impending gala that night left Zelda rather moody by the time the first guests arrived at the estate.

"Good Goddesses, Zelda," Impa said exasperatedly, "aren't you going to get dressed?"

"What?" Zelda replied absentmindedly, attempting to hide her feelings by burying herself in menial work. She was currently helping Impa bake a sheet of pastries that would be later served as desserts – there was something deeply satisfying about pounding the wads of dough with a rolling pin.

"You're not a servant, Zelda," Impa said, taking the rolling pin away and frowning. "Aleron expects you to attend the ball."

"Of course."

Impa furrowed her eyebrows. "This isn't about Link, is it?" Before Zelda could reply, Impa continued. "Give the poor boy a break, Zelda. He's been travelling nonstop for days. I'm sure he didn't snub you purposefully – you were best friends as children!"

Zelda sighed. Impa somehow was always able to talk some sense into her, much to her annoyance. "I'm sorry, Impa, I know I'm acting a bit childish over Link's behavior – but still! How… how…"

"Rude?" Impa offered, with a wry smile.

"I just thought that he would have at least remembered me," Zelda said, tiredly. She clapped her hands together, sending a cloud of flour wafting up in the air.

"He does," Impa consoled gently. "Just give the poor boy some time to rest. Don't be so hard on him… or yourself, for that matter."

"On myself? What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Now, get out of here! The ball will start soon – shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"I suppose," Zelda muttered, "although you do know that I hate these balls."

"Yes, I know," Impa laughed. "Mind your etiquette, please."

"I will, Impa," Zelda replied, slightly grumpily. She quickly left the manor kitchens, heading up a flight of stairs until she had reached the second floor. As she walked along the landing, she could hear the faint rumble of chatter and clinking glasses from the main hall – obviously, some of the guests had already arrived.

As she strode past Aleron's chambers, the doors flew open, and the elderly Hylia himself stepped out, dressed in a fine black tunic with his graying hair parted to the side.

"Oh, they're already here!" he said in alarm, cocking his head to the side and listening to the rumble of distant chatter. Catching sight of Zelda, he smiled warmly. "Have you seen Link, by any chance?"

"No," she replied, a bit more bluntly than she had intended. "Perhaps he is out in the courtyard," she added, a bit more softly.

"Yes, perhaps," Aleron said, checking his tunic over one last time. "I'll have to look for him before I say hello to the guests. Good Goddesses, Zelda, what have you been doing? You're a mess!"

"I was helping Impa with the cooking," she replied indifferently.

"Well, get cleaned up and dressed, because the gala will start soon," Aleron said, already heading off towards the staircase, presumably to look for his son.


Inside her private quarters, Zelda was surprised to see a dress already spread out neatly on her bed. Aleron had probably ordered the garment for her especially, and for a brief moment she was taken aback by his thoughtfulness. Walking over to her bed, she felt the dress in between her fingers – it was light and silky, colored in cream and a light shade of pink.

It was actually very pleasant, Zelda thought, ten minutes later as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was a very simple design, yet it was light and possessed a certain degree of elegance. She found herself once more touched by Aleron's apparent thoughtfulness, before noticing that her hair was a complete mess.

There wasn't enough time to do anything fancy – no, brushing her hair would have to suffice. She sat down delicately in front of the mirror, grabbing a comb and quickly but carefully brushing her hair until she was satisfied that it would pass inspection. Even from her room, she could hear the growing level of noise and talk – obviously, yet more guests had arrived, and Aleron would be expecting her soon. Best not to disappoint.

Zelda left her room, quietly closing the door behind her, and walked along the banister of the second floor. From her position, she could stare down at the entire main hall, which was crammed with a sea of people. The orchestra was already playing a sweet, lively tune; at least two hundred members of the Hylian aristocracy were hobnobbing in the main hall, while busy servants and butlers scurried every which way bearing trays of refreshments and platters of food. Zelda couldn't help but feel a slight surge of pride: after all, she had organized the entire gala, and the arrangements seemed to be working out well.

As she descended the spiraling staircase down to the main floor, she looked out upon the crowd, and by chance, her eyes alighted upon Link. Unlike his father, he was clad in a rather simple green tunic that nonetheless looked good on him: he was chatting with a pretty red-headed woman.

However, at that precise moment he turned, as if feeling Zelda's eyes on him; for a brief second, their eyes locked and he gazed at her with an odd expression on his face – perhaps recognition – before she flushed and turned away.

Why was she so flustered by Link? Was she truly that bothered that he had ignored her that afternoon? Had she expected anything less? Or maybe she was just disappointed with the fact that they were no longer the friends that they had been in childhood.

Whatever the case, she pushed it out of her mind. She wouldn't be the one to show any sign of weakness by pouting over such a trivial matter.

Impa was waiting at the foot of the staircase, her normal servant's attire replaced by fancier dress for the occasion. "You look beautiful," Impa commented, as Zelda descended the staircase and stepped into the main hall. "Who is the dress from?"

"Aleron," Zelda replied, forcing a smile onto her face in order to keep with proper etiquette. "Do you know when Aleron will make the toast?"

"No, but it should be soon," Impa said. "By the way, have you seen Link?"

"Yes," Zelda answered shortly, not particularly wanting to talk about him at the moment.

"He was looking for you earlier," Impa said quickly, hearing Zelda's abrupt tone.

This statement took Zelda by surprise, especially since Link's actions had made it clear that he had forgotten of her existence. "Really?"

"Yes, but since you weren't available, I told him to wait. He seemed disappointed."

"Hm," was all Zelda said, before the loud voice of Aleron Hylia broke over the crowd like the boom of thunder.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good nobles of Hyrule," Aleron cried in a slightly slurred voice, his cheeks flushed pink with drink and his merriness clear to all. "I thank you all for attending these festivities – really, it's been far too long since this manor has had a proper crowd!"

There was polite applause at his words, although Zelda knew that the backstabbing nobility of Hyrule mainly regarded such social functions as an event to scout out potential opposition. Obviously, the return of Aleron's only heir would have sparked considerable interest in certain power-hungry aristocrats. Still, each noble was well versed in courtly etiquette, and even if their scheming minds were at all working, their haughty and aloof faces certainly did not show it.

"As you may know, we are here tonight to celebrate the return of my dear son," Aleron continued, "after he has spent many long years in Termina. As is customary of young nobles, he has completed his training as a knight, and is ready to serve our beautiful country and… glorious king…!"

At these words, Zelda was sure that Aleron was slightly drunk, for despite his current bluster and exuberance, he always spoke scornfully of King Ganondorf behind closed doors.

Impa seemed to have scented the danger as well. The old nursemaid leaned in close to Zelda, whispering in concern. "Goddesses, I think the man is out of his mind. Do you think we should…?"

"I'm on it," Zelda sighed, praying to the Goddesses that Aleron wouldn't say anything that he would later regret. While much of the nobility were simply concerned with their own affairs, some were completely loyal to Ganondorf, and would not hesitate to hand Aleron over to the Gerudo. They were the dangerous ones: the eyes and ears of the usurper king that had sent countless Hylians to Ganondorf's torture chambers.

Zelda cursed under her breath as she tried to fight through the sea of Hylians that blocked her from Aleron. None of the idiots even bothered making an attempt to move for her as she shoved a path through, uttering hurried excuses and apologies. In front, Aleron's speech was rapidly gaining energy as he took another swig from the bottle of wine in his hand.

"…yes, our glorious king Ganondorf," Aleron was saying, obviously deaf to his own words. "Who is responsible for the current… Golden Age… of Hyrule! It is because of him that we have food to put on our table… and yet, starving peasants litter the streets…"

"Aleron!" Zelda hissed, drawing several curious stares in her direction. "Aleron!"

"Ah, have I introduced this young lady?" Aleron trailed off from his rant, looking at her with a vapid smile on his face. A mixture of terror, humiliation, and disbelief overwhelmed Zelda, as countless pairs of eyes fixed themselves unblinkingly upon her.

"Her name is Zelda… very lovely person… not related, of course, her parents are dead, killed during the war, Goddesses bless their souls… but I promised her father I would take care of her…"

Zelda felt an odd wave of emotion pass through her as Aleron casually mentioned her dead parents in his drunken stupor. The subject was rarely touched upon, even in private; and here, the elder Hylia was freely divulging the information to hundreds of strangers. Zelda felt her cheeks burn.

In the midst of her panic, she searched desperately for a familiar face in the crowd, and once more, her eyes miraculously fell upon Link. She caught his eye, and without a further second wasted, he nodded curtly, jumping out from the crowd and holding his father steady.

"I think my father has had a bit too much to drink," Link said calmly, speaking over Aleron's drunken rambles, and a pitter of laughter burst out amongst the assembled nobility. Aleron chuckled weakly as well, and Zelda melted back into the crowd, filled with both relief and humiliation at what had just transpired. It really had been fortunate that Link had been there… that he had finally recognized her, even in… a less than ideal situation.

"That was close," Impa muttered darkly, as Zelda returned to her nursemaid's side. In the background, Link was making an improvised speech in lieu of Aleron's toast, and it seemed as if the danger had been averted.

"I can't believe Aleron," Zelda mumbled, faintly, as she watched Link talk. "He could have gotten himself killed… just imagine, if he had continued on his drunken rant about Ganondorf!"

"He's just had too much to drink… all the excitement about Link's return, and all," Impa replied, although she too looked disturbed. "I suppose it was lucky that you were able to shut him up before he said anything serious."

"It was lucky that Link was there," Zelda corrected, still upset about the ordeal. The entire situation had been thoroughly embarrassing for her. An odd emptiness settled inside her stomach as she remembered the casual way that Aleron had mentioned her dead parents…

"Are you alright?" Impa asked in concern, nudging Zelda's arm. "You're very pale."

"I've had enough for tonight," Zelda replied curtly, as Link wrapped up his speech to loud applause. She watched emotionlessly as a drunken Aleron was assisted from the main hall by two servants, under Link's watchful eye.

"Where are you going?" Impa asked, as Zelda began to ascend the staircase to the second floor.

"Someplace where I can hear myself think," she replied, casting one last look at the crowd of Hylian nobles that were busily gossiping over Aleron's clumsy social gaffe. "Good night, Impa."