Chapter 3
The following morning, a team of squires entered Link's new room and helped him into his new armor. It was heavier and bulkier than his soldier's armor but more ornate with gold accents and a navy-blue panel down the front and back with the royal sigil on the chest. Once he was fully dressed in the new armor, he turned towards the mirror brought in by the squires and examined himself. Link was impressed by the new armor but could not help but feel it was gaudy. However, it was a gift from the king and a representation of his new status. He gave an approving head nod to the squires and they exited the room.
Link took a moment to compose himself and breathed deeply. He did not have much time before the ceremony so he made his way to the throne room. Upon entering the room, it was finely decorated with banners hanging from the ceiling and a line of knights along the walls. King Rhoam stood near his throne with Princess Zelda standing at the center of the room holding a royal broadsword. Link pushed his shoulders back and walked forward taking a knee in front of Princess Zelda bowing his head. She was dressed beautifully in her royal gown with a tiara adorning her head.
Zelda lifted the sword and lightly tapped Link's right shoulder then spoke projecting her voice around the room, "Do you swear by mouth and hand, fealty and service to the Crown and the Kingdom of Hyrule, to speak and to be silent, to come and to go, to strike and to spare, in need or in plenty, in peace or in war, in living or in dying, from this hour hence forth?"
Link lifted his head and locked eyes with Zelda. He responded proudly, "I swear my fealty and service to the Crown and Kingdom of Hyrule, to speak and to be silent, to come and to go, to strike and to spare, in need or in plenty, in peace or in war, in living or in dying, from this hour hence forth."
Link noticed a light flush to Zelda's cheeks and she seemed to be struggling to maintain eye contact with him.
"I dub thee once," Zelda said then tapped the royal broadsword on Link's left shoulder, "I dub thee twice," then gently tapped Link's head, "I dub thee knight. From this day forward, let no blade touch you, save that you reply with wisdom, courage, and power. The Crown commands that you defend the weak, seek justice, and maintain the honor of your oath."
"I swear to uphold this oath and accept the penalty of death should I fail," Link stated.
Zelda lowered the sword so it pointed at the ground in front of her and took a deep breath. She continued, "Do you also swear to defend the princess of Hyrule as her appointed knight, to protect her, and honor her in living or in dying?"
Link stared intently into Zelda's eyes and declared, "I swear it."
Zelda clenched the handle of the sword and felt a flush return to her cheeks and spread to her ears. She could not understand why she felt so flustered when Link looked at her.
"Please stand, Link," Zelda spoke softly so only Link could hear her.
Link stood proudly as Zelda finished, "The Crown acknowledges Sir Link, a knight of Hyrule, and the appointed knight to Princess Zelda."
The knights in the room tapped their spears on the ground three times acknowledging Zelda's statement. Link finally looked towards King Rhoam sitting upon his throne. The king nodded towards him and Link returned the head nod.
About a week had passed since Link was knighted. Any time Zelda wished to venture outside of the castle he was obligated to follow her out of duty. If she stayed within the castle then he was free to spend his time as he wished. On this day, Zelda chose to grab some books from the castle library and spend the day in her study. She was hard at work learning about the Goddess Hylia and reading sacred scripture to try and unlock her sealing power. When no one was looking, she grabbed an extra book that focused on plants of Hyrule. She had been very interested in a new flower that had bloomed in Hyrule Field that researchers were calling the Silent Princess.
As Zelda returned to her study, Link wandered Castle Town and happened to pass the stables. The stable hands were struggling to restrain a young mare that had no interest in being saddled. She was a beautiful horse with a reddish-brown coat and silver mane and tail. All four of her hooves had white socks and a white stripe stretched the length of her face stopping at her black nose. Link decided to intervene when the mare kicked a stable hand in the face. The stable hand yelled a string of profanities at the mare as Link calmly approached her from the side so she could easily see him. He had an apple in his pocket that he was planning to eat later but decided the mare should have it instead.
Slowly Link held the apple out to the mare with his hand wide open to avoid losing any fingers. The mare began to calm down and sniffed the apple in Link's hand. She seemed hesitant to take the apple but Link soothed her, "It's okay, girl. You can have it," Link nudged the apple a little closer to the mare's nose, "I wasn't that hungry anyway."
The mare seemed to understand Link's words and accepted the apple happily. Link kept his hand outstretched so she could sniff his hand to get used to his scent, then slowly reached forward to stroke her nose. The mare pressed her face further into his hand accepting his touch. Link smiled and began running his hand down the length of her face.
"Thank you," Link said to the mare, "you're beautiful."
"What the-?" the stable hand cried out, "That mare doesn't like anybody! Why is she being so nice to you?!"
"I gave her an apple," Link stated simply.
"Ugh, we give her apples every day!" the stable hand stood slowly as his eye turned more purple with each second, "Epona has been difficult since the moment she came to this stable!"
"Epona? So that's your name," Link said thoughtfully as he looked at Epona. She looked back at him and it felt like a connection formed between them.
"If you like her so much you can have her. No one has been able to tame her let alone touch her," the stable hand stated as he began tending to other horses.
Link was surprised but grateful and nodded his gratitude to the stable hand. Somehow, someone had tied a rope around Epona's face serving as a makeshift bridle and reins and had her tied to a nearby post. Link untied the rope from the post and began leading Epona out of Castle Town and towards Hyrule Field.
Once enough space was between them and the town, Link decided to mount Epona and take her on a ride. It was challenging without a saddle, but eventually Link sat himself on Epona's back and gave a light kick at her side. Epona entered a trot as they entered the vast Hyrule Field. It was a beautiful sunny day and Link was ready to feel the wind in his hair.
Grasping Epona's mane and reins made out of rope, Link leaned forward to brace himself and gave a hard kick at Epona's side.
"HYAH!" Link yelled as he kicked then squeezed his legs as Epona took off in a full gallop.
Link laughed with joy as Hyrule Field flew by him and Epona neighed excitedly. He could not remember the last time he rode a horse for fun instead of drills during his training to be a knight. It felt incredible as the wind blew through his hair and his muscles clenched Epona hanging on for dear life.
At some point Epona became tired and slowed down to a canter then a walking pace. Link relaxed his body and sat up straight. He slowly came down from the high created from his ride with Epona. He could hear her breathing hard and gently guided her to a nearby pond. Link dismounted as Epona drank water and gave reassuring pets to her neck and shoulder.
"That's a good girl, Epona," Link spoke gently.
Once Epona was done drinking, Link mounted her one more time and lead her back to Castle Town but kept her at a walking pace this time. They reached the castle stables and there happened to be an available stall for Link to house Epona. As Link was placing Epona in the stall, the stable hand approached him.
"That's a fine mount you have, Sir Link!" the stable hand expressed, "What's her name?"
"Her name is Epona, and if it's possible I want to be her sole rider," Link requested.
"We can make that happen. I'll make sure she's fitted for a proper bridle and saddle," the stable hand stated then walked off.
"Thank you," Link said as he removed the rope reins and bridle. Epona shook her head gratefully since the rope was no longer wrapped around her face. Link noticed multiple knots in her mane and tail and grabbed a nearby brush. As gently as he could Link removed the knots apologizing multiple times to Epona since some of the knots were quite stubborn. Epona must have really hated the other stable hands for her mane and tail to be this tangled. Once Link was finished, he gave Epona another apple and some goodbye pets. He exited the stable and returned to his quarters for a much-needed bath.
With the return of Calamity Ganon on the rise, King Rhoam requested that Princess Zelda travel to the four corners of Hyrule and select a champion to represent all the various races. Urbosa, the chief of the Gerudo, was selected to represent her tribe of warrior women. Daruk, a mighty Goron warrior, was selected to represent the rock like race. Revali, a skilled archer, was selected to represent the bird family of Rito. Finally, Mipha, the Zora princess, was selected to represent the long-lived aquatic people. However, the Hylian champion, the one who carries the sword that seals the darkness, had not be chosen. The Master Sword was a sacred sword created by the Goddess Hylia herself, and it can only be wielded by the one who carries the soul of the hero.
Zelda decided that it would be best to travel to the Korok Forest and speak with the Great Deku Tree, for it was an ancient tree that had been around for hundreds of years, and currently served as the guardian of the Master Sword. Zelda planned to speak with the Great Deku Tree and ask for guidance on discovering the Hylian champion. As the princess's appointed knight, Link accompanied Zelda on the journey to the Korok Forest.
Upon reaching the Korok Forest, Link could feel a mystical presence in the air as if someone or something was calling out to him.
Link…
Link froze momentarily when the voice spoke in his head.
Link…
Link looked around frantically worried that someone would ambush them, but the only people in the area were him and the princess. Instinctively, he placed his hand on his sword and prepared to draw the weapon.
Link…
"Link?" Zelda asked, "What is wrong?"
Link made eye contact with the princess and noticed the concern in her eyes. Link silently shook his head and released his grip on his sword. They continued deeper into the Korok Forest in silence.
When Link and Zelda reached the heart of the Korok Forest, they both saw the Master Sword resting in its pedestal waiting to be pulled by the chosen hero. Zelda stepped forward to speak to the Great Deku Tree and quietly cleared her throat. Link felt the presence again when he looked at the Master Sword.
"Great Deku Tree," Zelda started, "I come to you asking for advice. The kingdom of Hyrule has found four strong champions to represent the races of Hyrule, and yet, we still have not found the Hylian champion. Many gifted knights and soldiers have visited the Korok Forest to pull the Master Sword but none have been successful. We are running out of time, and Calamity Ganon could awaken any day. What should I do Great Deku Tree?"
The Great Deku Tree stirred from its slumber and appeared to look down at Zelda.
"Young princess," the Great Deku Tree spoke, "the Master Sword will call out to the one who bares the soul of the hero. Only they can remove the sword from its pedestal."
"But how do we know who the sword is speaking too? How do I find the chosen hero?"
"Hmm," the Great Deku Tree seemed distracted by something behind Zelda, "I think you will soon learn who is the chosen hero."
"But how?!" Zelda appeared frustrated and desperate.
Zelda then heard the sound of Link's armor moving behind her and turned to see Link in a transfixed state walking forward. She followed his line of sight and realized he had been staring at the Master Sword. The sword had an otherworldly glow that became brighter as Link got closer to it. Nervously, Link stood in front of the Master Sword and reached forward placing both hands on the handle. Zelda watched in awe as Link began pulling the Master Sword and gasped when the sword moved up slightly. Link grunted with exasperation as he continued pulling the sword up out of its pedestal. With one last big pull, Link freed the Master Sword from its pedestal and gazed in awe at the holy sword as he slowly turned it upwards and held it in front of him.
"Link," the Great Deku Tree suddenly spoke.
Link gasped as he was pulled out of his trance then looked up at the Great Deku Tree.
"Young hero," the Great Deku Tree continued, "you are the Hylian champion chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It is up to you and the princess to seal away Calamity Ganon with your sword and her sacred power. Only your combined power will seal him away permanently."
Link looked back at Zelda and saw her staring sadly at her hands. He had followed the princess to the Spring of Courage and other holy places within Hyrule and watched as she prayed and studied meticulously to awaken her power to no avail. He felt bad for her when he saw how hard she worked only to obtain no results for her efforts and to be scolded by her father. Link on the other hand was a quick study when it came to swordsmanship and now, he was the chosen hero. No wonder she resented him.
An elaborate sheath matching the Master Sword materialized in front of Link. He bent down to pick it up and then sheathed the holy sword watching as its glow faded away. He slung the sword and sheath over his shoulder and across his back. Link turned towards Zelda and approached her. She continued staring at her hands embarrassed to look at Link.
"Princess," Link spoke softly. Zelda looked up surprised to hear Link speak. He continued, "Please don't give up. You are the princess of Hyrule and you carry the blood of the Goddess Hylia. I know you will awaken your power, and I will be by your side when you do."
Zelda smiled a genuine smile that made his heart leap and said, "Thank you, Link."
The source for the knighting ceremony can be found at this url: . . I took inspiration from it and changed some words to make it match the setting and story.
From here on the events of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom play out as they do in the games. My fanfiction will continue immediately after the story of Tears of the Kingdom.