The rays of sun that morning cast against a purple sky painted the wispy clouds a bright red. Link stared up at the clouds, and despite how he refused to believe in such imaginary ideas like legends and goddesses, he could not help but feel the pit of a bad omen growing in his stomach at the ominous red sky.
Link was awakened from his deep slumber by his father, who bluntly reminded him of their task that morning. His sleep that night had been far from restful, with vivid nightmares returning to haunt him. The strangest one was about a woman in his room that threatened his life. Of course, when he woke, the room was empty, but he did have a mysterious cut near his wrist. It was not the first crazy dream that left him with a scar.
While most anyone else was rolling out of bed to prepare for the festivities, Link was already in knightly gear, and on his way to the castle. He could play calm and collected all he wanted, but his mind raced in circles. He was not concerned about the mark on his hand, or the possibility of impending doom. No, his only worry was what he would say to her when he saw her. Their visit was meant to be strictly business, but he hoped to charm Princess Zelda even just a little, so that she thought about him all day, not the other suitors.
The castle had a gate at the end of their driveway, to prevent cars from coming and going without being checked first. A guard recognized Horus and his son, and pressed a button that automatically opened the iron gate. The driveway was a loop, so all cars entered from the right and exited to the left. The drive pulled right up to the door. Horus parked the car and shut off the lights. He turned to his son and said, "I will not tolerate any disrespect to the royal family. Their job is to protect Hyrule, and ours is to protect them. I won't have you ridiculing them. Any comments that are out of line will result in immediate grounding for the rest of your life," he warned.
"I get it, Dad. Can we just get this over with?" Link asked, annoyed. He opened the door and stepped out without waiting for an answer. His dad caught up to him and they were escorted into the castle.
Once inside the tall double doors, there were two short sets of stairs to climb that led into the main hall. Crystal chandeliers with dim lights lined the ceiling of the hall that expanded far to the left and right. The square room in front of them was topped with a tall, cathedral ceiling. The balcony of the second floor was exposed, with a set of stairs at each end of the room. The carpet under Link's feet was short and thin, and the color of a dark blue sky. Servants were already bustling about to prepare the halls to entertain the guests, for dancing the night away, and with plenty of food for everyone.
"My, you are here bright and early, Horus. How on earth did you manage to roll your son out of bed at this hour?" asked the castle's steward with a chuckle, as he approached.
"We have an urgent matter to discuss with the royal family," Horus answered gravely. "There's been a development that they must know about immediately."
Horus grabbed his son's wrist to display the Triforce mark. Link avoided rolling his eyes at the concern on the steward's face.
"Yes, I see. I will go and get them. Please wait here, it may be a while," he said, and hurried off.
Link found chairs placed against the wall, like the waiting room in a doctor's office, but more luxurious. His eyes wandered over the intricate swirls and patterns in the white wallpaper. He became transfixed on the ceiling that was painted to sparkle, like it was made of diamonds. He stared down the halls, until he became bored watching the castle's employees run around like crazy cuccos. Link shifted from sitting with his arms behind his head to crossing one leg over the other, until finally he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
After thirty minutes, and dozing off four times, the royal family gracefully entered the room from the left hall.
Link laid his eyes on Zelda, and the world around him dissolved. She was all that existed. He slowly stood up, with his mouth open like he was in disbelief. Just seeing her lifted his spirits and made him smile. Zelda must have seen how foolish he looked because she hid a giggle behind her gloved hand. That was when Link noticed the dress she wore was elegant. It was a pure white that reflected her perfect soul.
Link came out of his trance when he was elbowed in the arm. He grimaced and shot his dad an angry look. Horus gracefully bowed when the royal family stopped in front of them, and Link copied him.
Zelda smiled gently at the boy with the blonde scruffy hair. The uniform the knights wore made him look awkward. The outfit was bulky and uncomfortable, but not as much if they still incorporated chainmail with their attire. The boy seemed uncertain, but he had a look in his gentle, blue eyes that brought her comfort. He also seemed like he just woke up, so she wondered if he was bored or just lazy. Overall, he was cuter than most of the boys she met. They all seemed over confident and over bearing, and teased each other to hide their own insecurities. This boy seemed genuine and kind, albeit a little unkempt. She gave him the slightest wave of her fingers so he would not be as nervous, and he lifted only his wrist to awkwardly wave back. "The mark of the hero," Zelda gasped, her eyes locked on his hand. "That could only be if..."
"Now, Zelda," the King of Hyrule said calmly. "We must not allow this to cause alarm among our people. It is our duty to protect them, which also means that danger be prevented without causing any concern."
"We must keep our heads," the queen agreed. "This mark does mean that he is the hero chosen to defend Hylia, but we are not yet aware of the danger. First and foremost, we must make sure he is properly equipped with the blade to fight off evil."
"The Master Sword?" Link questioned. "But, I like my sword I have now."
Zelda suppressed another giggle, but Horus glared at him. "It is your duty, Link. You must wield it. You are the only one who can."
Link's shoulders sank, but he did his best to be respectful. "I understand." The last thing he wanted was to look like a fool in front of Zelda, or upset her.
"Very well. Follow me," the king requested, and turned toward the back of the square room. Link thought the king was going to walk right into a wall, except he passed through it instead. Link held his breath, prepared to follow courageously, and appeared on the other side unscathed. The hall was lit by the sun pouring in a window at the opposite end of the room. A set of stone stairs descended into a dark basement. The walls were made of stone as well, and the room might have been cold if not for the boiler blocked off behind more stone wall. At the bottom of the stairs the King of Hyrule flipped a switch on the wall which turned on overhead lights, illuminating the Master Sword in its pedestal built into the basement's floor.
The sword had its fair share of wear and tear, but for the most part it was well preserved. The blade had nicks and scratches from battles fought, and the green leather wrapped around the blue hilt was worn from being wielded. Link actually thought he might come to prefer the Master Sword over his current one.
He was certain all he needed to do was walk up and pull the sword from the stone, but he was hesitant. What if it did not accept him? Was that better for him? Or would his father see him as more of a failure?
Zelda confidently approached Link, and tenderly slid her fingers against his palm. He jumped, but upon realizing it was the princess he composed himself. Their eyes locked, and Link was filled with determination. Zelda gave him an encouraging push and said, "You can do it, Link. I believe in you." Her smile was warm and kind. Link's heart fluttered.
"Tell me, princess. Do you believe the legend is true? That the Triforce is out there? That a hero will need to use it to fight evil? Do you believe that evil still exists?" he asked, curiously. The tension that filled the room was thick. Link waited desperately for Zelda's answer, and feared his father might start yelling before she spoke.
"Why do you ask, silly?" she wondered with a patient smile.
"I have nightmares, your majesty. Nightmares that seem impossible. Nightmares of slaying monsters, the likes of which I've never seen. When I tried to tell people, they laughed and said I have a wild imagination, so I stopped believing. I convinced myself they meant nothing," Link confessed. "To this day I have them, even last night. I ask you because I don't believe, but I have to, and I think you are the one to help me understand."
Zelda could see the confliction in his blue eyes, his honesty, and compassion. There was much love to be had in him, but also much confusion. "Hyrule has a dark history, but peace has shined on us for longer than ever before. However, history repeats itself. I believe in the legend of Hylia, because I have seen her. She has spoken to me, and told me that when our hero comes he will need my guidance. Will the same demon that has failed to destroy Hyrule in the past rise again? That, I cannot say. If you choose not to believe in fairy tales, believe in Hyrule. Believe in the power of the kingdom, and with all of your strength defend its people."
Link looked at the floor, feeling selfish. "I just wanted to be a normal kid."
"I wish that I could be selfish and only share my sixteenth birthday with my family," she said, kind but stern. "I was born in a position that makes that impossible. I am also burdened with a great responsibility. It is those with such greatness that provide hope for the people of Hyrule, and why they have no need to remember the legend of the Triforce."
The wisdom of her words opened his mind to a new understanding of the world. Link wanted to be selfish, he wanted to crawl away and wait for whatever fate was coming to pass without his interference, but if he backed down, he feared Hyrule would crumble. If that happened, his life would never be the same. If nothing else, he would fight so that one day he could go back to lazing by the creek with his fishing pole.
Link marched toward the Master Sword and stretched his fingers in preparation. He wrapped both hands around the hilt of the double-edged sword and pulled with all his might.