Zelda gritted her teeth as she fell onto the smooth pavement. Link had been trying to teach her how to ride a skateboard, but so far she had done more falling off skateboards than riding them. Though he insisted that it was easier to learn on a longboard because it was larger, Zelda thought he was just messing with her, teasing her as he skated in circles on his penny board, which was barely big enough to hold both of his feet.
"You almost had it that time," he smiled and jumped gracefully off his board. He reached down to give her a hand up, but Zelda was having none of it. She yanked on his hand causing him to tumble to the ground next to her.
"This is impossible," she huffed, ignoring Link's protests.
"At least it's not a horse," Link crossed his arms, preparing to be just as stubborn as his girlfriend. She had tried to teach him horseback riding the previous day, and despite growing up on a farm, Link had not taken to the animal at all.
"Oh come on, Link," Zelda rolled her eyes at him. "Riding a horse is so much easier than a skateboard."
"What?" Link yelled. "A skateboard doesn't even think for itself. How can you even compare that?"
Zelda huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes, "Maybe you just weren't trying hard enough."
"Like you're one to talk," Link teased, poking her in the cheek. "Zelda Nohansen Hyrule about to give up on skateboarding after only twenty minutes; I'm shocked."
Zelda stood and glared down at the laughing Link, "And I would have thought a farm boy would have known how to ride a horse."
He threw his hands up and stood with her, "It's an orchard. You don't need horses on an orchard, especially in the mountains."
Suddenly, Zelda began to giggle. All of Link's irritation seeped out at the sound, and a crooked grin spread across his face.
"What's so funny?" he chuckled, falling into his girlfriend's contagious laughter.
"If this is as bad as our fights get, I think we'll be fine," she answered in between giggles.
They continued to skate, or attempt to skate in Zelda's case, in the castle gardens until one of the maids called them in for dinner. Zelda was glad Link was making fewer rude faces at being ordered about. It was his first time staying at the castle, and he wasn't used to following a strict schedule for meals and activities.
Despite Link's authority issues, Zelda was glad he arranged with his parents to stay an extra week in Hyrule after the spring semester ended. She enjoyed sharing her childhood home with Link. She showed him all of the different secret passages that had been built in when the castle was expanded over 900 years ago, just before the fabled Era of Twilight.
Of course, once Zelda mentioned the Era of Twilight Link's eyes grew wide in wonder, and he demanded to know everything about the strange war that plagued Hyrule for almost two years.
"We don't have awesome legends like that in Calatia," Link exclaimed as Zelda guided him to the Royal Archives. "It must be so cool knowing you're descended from the King who ruled in that era."
"Queen," Zelda corrected. "Hyrule is a matriarchal monarchy, remember? The title was passed down from mother to daughter. And if I remember correctly, the Queen of that era gave the title of Prince Consort to her husband."
"How would you know something so specific about a Queen that ruled, like, a thousand years ago?" Link asked.
"Most Queens by the name Zelda kept a journal of some sort during their lives," Zelda shrugged. "Queen Zelda, oh I can't remember the right number now, but the Queen during the Era of Twilight was named Zelda, and her journal is very interesting. She knew the Hero of Twilight very well."
"The hero of what?" Link's eyes bugged out. "There was a hero? That's so cool!"
Zelda sighed in fake exasperation, "There's so much I need to catch you up on. The stories of the Hero of Twilight and a few other heroes of legend are told to kids as bedtime stories."
So naturally, Link insisted Zelda bring the dusty Books of Mudora up to his room so she would read the thrilling history of Hyrule to him as a bedtime story. The Queen of Hyrule at the time had penned all of the Hero of Twilight's stories and adventures, and Link loved all of them.
"I can't believe there is a whole Realm of Twilight just beyond our own," Link said in awe. "Do you think it's still there after all these years? I bet they tell stories about the Hero of Twilight to their kids just like Hylians do."
Zelda couldn't help but chuckle at his imagination, "Most scholars now think that the 'perpetual twilight' was caused by some freak natural disaster like the Death Mountain volcano erupting. A neighboring kingdom could have easily taken advantage of Hyrule's weakened state and invaded."
"Yeah, but how does that explain the Hero's ability to turn into a wolf?" Link asked skeptically. "And the Twilight Princess, Midna, what about her? She was just made up?"
"Link, the magic was added to enhance the story," Zelda explained. "Everyone knows magic isn't real; these are all just fairy tales."
"Fairy tales are always based on some grain of fact," Link retorted. "The Queen herself wrote down these stories. Why would she embellish the original recording of what happened? Especially in the Books of Mudora?"
Zelda frowned. Link had a point, and the Queen at the time was known for her impeccable wisdom.
"I don't know, Link," Zelda sighed. "Maybe they just wanted to perpetuate the fairy tale version since it sounded more exciting."
"Interesting how the Queen would do that," Link murmured.
"Well, she loved the Hero of Twilight, didn't she?" Zelda whispered.
"Really?" Link asked. "You think so?"
"The way she writes about him in her journal," she continued with a small smile. "You can tell she felt something strongly toward him. And though it doesn't ever explicitly say, I'm ninety percent sure he's the man she marries."
"Can we read her journal next?" Link asked eagerly.
"It's almost one in the morning, Link," Zelda laughed getting up off his bed. "We'll read it tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," he agreed with a sleepy smile.
They spent all afternoon the next day in the rose garden just outside the library. Zelda read her predecessor's journal out loud to Link, excitedly pointing out her favorite parts and apologizing for how sappily romantic it sounded at times.
"I knew not what to say. He had the approval of my council and the adoration of the populace. Yet, the Hero, so humble, kind, and gentle… I was plagued by strange spirits that whispered his unsuitability, his insecurity, his unwillingness to stand by my side as my husband. What if he did not wish to become Prince Consort of the Queen? What if he left the castle to escape the pressure of the people's desire to see him on the throne? I dare not think such perilous thoughts," Zelda read.
"She was scared he wouldn't think himself good enough?" Link asked. He ran his fingers soothingly through her hair.
"Yes," Zelda sighed. "He was so humble in his actions. Apparently he didn't even want to take credit for his role in stopping the Twilight Invasion. But the Queen insisted, and he stayed at the castle as her personal guard and protector."
"And she fell in love with him?" Link asked. It sounded like a cheesy rom-com plot to him.
"Just listen," Zelda giggled.
"Twentieth of July, the Second Day of the Festival of Din. The Hero confessed to me as we walked through the rose gardens at night. He began by telling me what he knew of the rumors flitting about and the fantasies of the people who wished to see us married. 'I will not declare my love for you,' he said. 'For my love, much like yours, belongs to Hyrule. But I will declare that I am yours. From the moment I laid eyes on you all those years ago, I was yours, and I would be honored to stand beside you as your husband, if you would have me.'
"Never before had I felt so speechless, so overwhelmed. I never dreamed that the Hero would have any affection for me besides that of a soldier to his sovereign. He did not press the matter, knowing my need to think through each situation. That instinct that would have me act without thinking was overjoyed at his confession. Yet, I know not my own emotions. I am a Queen governed by reason and wisdom; I never entertained the thought of selfishness, of sincerely obtaining that which I desired. Do I desire the Hero? I admire him, this I know, but do I love him? It seems that only time will tell."
"She needs to learn how to put herself over others sometimes," Link said after Zelda finished reading.
"I feel like that's what the Hero ended up telling her," Zelda laughed. "Would you like me to continue reading?"
Link nodded and began running his fingers through Zelda's hair again.
"Fourteenth of October, the First Day of the Ordon Village Harvest Festival. Much time has passed since I have been able to confide myself in this journal. What of importance shall I pen in these papers? My twenty-third birthday celebration passed without the expected engagement announcement, though my council is content that I am silently courting the Hero. He has brought me to the annual harvest festival in his home village of Ordon. It has been some time since I have been to the quant little village, and I was happy to travel for such an occasion. The Hero insisted I carry the guise of a commoner and use the name 'Hylia' so that the villages would not know I was the Queen. It seemed trivial at first, but now I understand his desire. He wished to know his friends' honest opinions of me without the predisposed notion that I was royalty."
"Smart," Link said. "I would have done the same if you weren't world famous or anything."
"So I'm world famous, but you couldn't recognize me when we first met?" Zelda teased.
"Obviously I lived under a rock," Link rolled his eyes.
"Or up a mountain."
"Just keep reading."
"I am certain only Mayor Bo and Rusl truly recognized me, but it appears they are privy to the Hero's ruse. I soon met all of the villages the Hero grew up with. The children have grown since I briefly saw them at the Hero's Knighting Ceremony. The oldest, Ilia, brightly presented her engagement ring to us all. The Hero seemed pleased that his good friend had found happiness. The other girl, Beth I believe was her name, continually asked questions about my relationship with the Hero. Unfortunately, my hero was too busy sparring with some of the boys to come to my rescue."
"Wait, 'my hero?'" Link asked. "Since when does she call him 'my hero?'"
"Since just then," Zelda replied. "She doesn't comment on her slip-up though, which I find very interesting."
"She doesn't?" Link carefully tugged the journal from Zelda's hands. "Look at it though. Whenever she says 'the Hero' it's capitalized, but 'my hero' isn't. That doesn't make any sense."
"I think you're reading into it too much, Link," Zelda took the journal back. "Similar mistakes happen in the journals of other Queens. I wouldn't think too much of it."
Link simply humphed.
All too soon, it was time for Link to head back to Calatia for the summer. Zelda rode with him to the airport with Keira in tow.
"Text when you can, okay?" she said nervously fingering the undone buttons of his shirt.
"I will," Link rolled his eyes in fake exasperation while his lips hid a smirk. He looked down at his Princess. "I'll be back for the Festival of Din in July, and then sophomore year will start before you know it."
"I know it's just," Zelda looked up into his electric blue eyes. "I'll miss you."
Link kissed her forehead, "I'll miss you, too, Zelda."
"You better go," Zelda gave him a wavering smile. "You'll miss your flight."
Link nodded with a sigh, and hefted his bag onto his shoulder, "Love you." He flashed that winning smile that made Zelda's heart beat a little faster.
"Love you, too," she called after him.
"Take care of yourself, Link," Keira called.
Link glanced over his shoulder and held up a peace sign before disappearing into the security line.
Later the next week, Princess Hilda of Lorule dropped by for a surprise visit; surprise as in there was only four days' notice for the visit instead of the usual ten days. Zelda was undeterred, however, and arranged everything for her longtime friend's visit.
"Zelda, sweetheart," Hilda smiled as she greeted the Hyrulean Princess. "It has been far too long, dear. You must tell me everything about your freshman year and this boy I keep seeing with you in magazines. He is too cute for words, by the way. I don't know where you found him, but I want one, too."
Zelda laughed as she led Hilda up to her personal guest room, "Only if you tell me about a certain Lord's son who, rumor has it, has been attempting to woo the Preeminent Princess of Lorule."
Hilda rolled her eyes, "I still hate that moniker. Why couldn't I get something sweet like you? The Darling Princess of Hyrule can do no wrong, but the Preeminent Princess of Lorule has the weight of the world on her shoulders, and Din forbid she entertain the thought of breaking a sweat."
"Hilda, you are expertly avoiding the subject," Zelda said as they climbed the last flight of stairs.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Zelda dear," Hilda waved her hand dismissively. "There is absolutely no basis in these rumors concerning Lord Kaufman's son. Whatever he was trying to do was certainly not in the realm of wooing."
Zelda laughed, "Now I need to know the details."
They reached Hilda's room, and Zelda helped Hilda with the few bags they brought up with them.
"Only if you tell me about this boy you met in college," Hilda's maroon eyes twinkled mischievously.
"His name is Link," Zelda smiled involuntarily. "And I met him in my Intro to Federal Government class first semester. He's really sweet and very considerate of my position as Princess and just so enthusiastic about everything."
"He must be good if he can make your eyes light up that way just by talking about him," Hilda gave Zelda a small, genuine smile. "He doesn't happen to have any brothers, does he?"
Zelda laughed, "I don't think so. Link was adopted as a baby in Calatia."
"Calatia?" Hilda asked. "I thought he was Hylian?"
"He is," Zelda nodded. "Shall we get some lunch?"
Hilda nodded before asking, "So when do I get to meet him?"
"He's coming back to Hyrule for the Festival of Din in July," Zelda answered. "You could meet him then, but I want to know about this son of Lord Kaufman."
"Oh Ravio is nothing to concern yourself with," Hilda waved her hand dismissively.
"Ravio?" Zelda gasped. "You mean that clumsy little boy that would play with us when I visited Lorule?"
"Yes," Hilda rolled her eyes. "And let me tell you, he is just as clumsy and bumbling as when we were children. There was one time he spilt wine all over my dress at the Independence Day Ball." Hilda continued to complain and rile against Ravio while they finished lunch and then retired to a parlor, but Zelda felt that her scowl was a little too forced and her gestures a tad too exaggerated. During one long winded anecdote about how Ravio had single-handedly ruined some spring festival by somehow killing all of the flowers on presentation, Zelda could have sworn the light Hilda had said was in her own eyes when talking about Link had lit up her fellow Princess' maroon eyes.
"He sounds practically incorrigible," Zelda smiled.
"He's utterly helpless," Hilda sighed as she reclined on the parlor sofa. "I don't understand how the council chose him as my top suitor. Do they really expect him to be a competent King?"
Zelda nearly spit out her drink, "He's your top suitor? I can't believe it."
"He's the noble closest in age to me," Hilda sighed dramatically. "The next youngest lord is twenty-eight, and the council wants the crown to stay firmly in my control. Apparently marrying a lord older than I would compromise that and blah blah blah."
"I'm glad I don't have to deal with that," Zelda giggled. "I'm free to date grungy skater boys I meet in college."
"Just rub it in, Zelda," Hilda stuck her tongue out childishly.
"I'm sorry my country decided to abandon absolute monarchy three hundred years ago," Zelda moved to sit with her friend. "I really do admire your strength thought, Hilda. You're going to be amazing Queen someday."
"Oh something else I shouldn't tell you," Hilda smiled knowingly. "The council has confirmed with my father that I will be Queen by the time I'm twenty-five."
"Only five years, Hilda," Zelda's eyes widened. "Are you going to be ready?"
"Of course I'll be ready," Hilda laughed. "I've been trained for this since I could walk."
"I hear that," Zelda lifted up her glass for a toast, which Hilda gladly reciprocated.
Princess Hilda had left three days before when Zelda got a call from Malon. She had become fast friends with the red-head over the school year, and Malon had insisted they hang out at some point over the summer months. They arranged to spend a long weekend down at Lake Hylia toward the end of June, which Zelda couldn't wait for.
In the weeks before her mini-vacation, Zelda had been stressed helping her father with a new foreign affair policy with the small kingdom of Arcadia. The Crown Prince Facade spent the majority of the time flirting with her rather obnoxiously, and Zelda was 200% done with the pompous idiot. Once they reached Lake Hylia, Malon had put up with her hours of complaining like a trooper. But now the two girls were sunbathing by the lake shore, sipping frozen margaritas.
"This is the life," Zelda sighed. "I should move the castle to Lake Town when I become Queen."
"Or you could just install a pool," Malon smiled. "Isn't there plenty of space in the castle grounds?"
"You wouldn't believe how often I asked my father to put in a pool as a child," Zelda laughed. "He always said no on the grounds of not seeming entitled and blah blah blah."
"So the poor Princess has to travel all the way to her private lake house for a dip in the water," Malon fake pouted. "I don't know how you made it so long."
"The struggle is very real, Malon," Zelda took a sip of her drink while trying not to laugh.
Like clockwork, the two flipped onto their backs so that their tans were even.
"How is Link?" Malon asked eventually.
"I think he's bored in Calatia," Zelda sighed. "He never says it, but we video chatted the other day, and you could just tell."
"Awe," Malon cooed. "He probably misses you, huh?"
"That may be part of it," Zelda smiled shyly. "But I think he just embraced Hyrule so much as his native land, you know? I mean, he is Hylian, but he grew up surrounded by humans. They just don't have the same culture and history that we do, and I think he misses Castletown a lot."
"And by extension you," Malon lowered her sunglasses to give the Princess a pointed stare. "You miss him too, don't you?"
"Of course I do," Zelda sighed and flipped onto her back. "I've, he's special and I never, I mean, it's,-"
"Oh you've got it bad, girl," Malon laughed. "But it's probably best, because he's head over heels for you."
"Enough about my love life though," Zelda turned to face her friend. "How are things with Sheik?"
Malon humphed. Zelda had spent a majority of the spring semester trying to set the two up. They had gone on a few dates, but that was all Zelda knew.
"I don't know how to deal with him sometimes. He treats me like a Princess, no offense, but that's just not what I want," Malon confessed as she rolled onto her back.
Zelda nodded. Malon grew up on the Lon Lon Ranch and was every bit of the boot-wearing, country-dancing cowgirl one would expect of a ranch girl. She would never want to be treated like a Princess or Din forbid, as anything less than equal to her man. Sheik was ever the gentleman, and the Sheikah's inherent protective nature would put him at odds with Malon's strong-willed attitude.
"So I don't know if it'll work out," Malon sighed. "But he's just so cute, I'm hesitant to end it because of such a trivial reason."
"How he treats you isn't trivial," Zelda said sternly. "And I think if you just explain to him what you want, he'll accommodate you. Sheik is really sweet like that."
Malon smiled, "Yeah, he is really sweet. Maybe I'll keep him around for a while."
Zelda laughed.
"What are you girls gossiping about?" Keira asked as she came over with another round of drinks.
"Just the mandatory boyfriend talk," Zelda answered as she reached for a drink. "Speaking of, how is Dover? I haven't seen him at all this summer."
"He's going through some special training over the summer," Keira winked as she laid herself out on a chair next to Zelda.
"Special training for what?" Malon asked curiously. Keira and Zelda exchanged a look. Malon still didn't know about the Sheikah, and Sheik insisted on being the one to tell her. So the girls had to be discreet when they talked about Sheikah business.
"Training for an internship," Keira lied smoothly. "He wants to go do some marine research. You know, dolphins and such."
"He is a little obsessed with dolphins, isn't he?" Malon giggled.
"Yes, just a little," Keira suppressed her laughter by taking a drink.
"I hope he does well," Malon sighed.
"Me too," Keira readjusted her sunglasses. "This is a huge opportunity for him."
"Will he be back for the Festival of Din next month?" Zelda asked as she took another sip of her drink.
"Yes," Keira giggled. "He wouldn't miss an opportunity to see his best friend, now would he?"
"Wait, his main reason for visiting is to see Link?" Malon asked incredulously. Keira and Zelda nodded, and Malon started laughing so hard she almost choked on her drink.
"The greatest bromance the world has ever known," Zelda rolled her eyes. "I swear, if they didn't have Keira and I, they would date each other."
"Oh my Goddess," Malon shrieked with laughter. "I would pay rupees to see that."
The girls continued chatting and laughing about everything and nothing until dinner. After watching some sappy chick flicks and snacking on popcorn and chocolate bites, the girls retired for the night.
Zelda took out one of the old journals from the past Queen Zeldas. This particular Queen, Queen Zelda the Fourth, had lived almost fifteen hundred years ago. It was all Zelda could do to understand the Old Hylian writing, but the stories the Queen wrote of had the young Princess enchanted since she first read them. Tales of a Hero whose adventures were lost to time, stories of a Princess in disguise trying to save her people without getting caught by the Evil King, thrilling fights and dungeons and sages. However, none of these stories were written in the Books of Mudora, and the Queen had written that she remembered none of these adventures despite knowing that it was indeed she who had participated in them.
Zelda had always dismissed the stories as imagination or a child's play games that had been recorded for sentimental reasons, but ever since she had read some of the old journals to Link earlier in the summer, she had begun rethinking what was written in all of the records. Magic had always seemed fanciful and somewhat childish to her, but what other explanation could there be if she was to believe these stories were true? But magic? It was ridiculous! Zelda humphed as she read. None of the journals after Queen Zelda the Tenth's mentioned anything remotely magical in nature. So what had happened?
Obviously they got rid of the magic somehow, Link's voice flitted through her mind. Yes, he would think that. He would have some spontaneously thought of theory of how the magic needed to be hidden or eradicated from the world for the safety or peace of the people. Zelda could see his wide, excited grin in her mind's eye. She rolled her eyes at the thought. How could magic be hidden from the whole world when it had obviously been widely prevalent the generations before?
Zelda froze. But there was no such thing as magic! She buried her head in the journal she held in her hands. Link's imagination was getting to her if she was believing magic was prevalent across Hyrule.
Such a silly thought, she mused as she gently put the journal up and snuggled up to sleep.
(A/N) Lorule was once a province of Hyrule until they gained independence some 500 years before the events of this story.