It took Link and Rauru nearly a week to arrive at Hyrule Castle. They continued their daily routine. They would spend the day travelling, stop a few hours before nightfall, train for a bit and then hunt for dinner. Rauru had gotten to see a lot of Hyrule during this time and was still mesmerised by how different it was to the desert. The only thing that changed throughout their journey was where they slept. While they often camped outside, if they were ever close to a stable, they'd pull up and stop there for the night. Rauru liked staying at the stables, because it gave him a chance to meet a few people. As predicted the Hylian's seemed a little more accepting of him and asked him a lot of questions about Gerudo Desert and what it was like being Link's son. These were questions Rauru was happy to answer, particularly because his father had gone back to being quiet and only giving short answers.
So far Rauru was feeling more accepted among Hylian's then he was among Gerudo. There were a few Hylian's who stared at him suspiciously, but they were pretty rare and when they were nearby, they kept their distance. They'd also run into a few travelling Gerudo, who also kept their distance. The most they would do, would be to approach Link to show respect to their Chief's husband. Unfortunately, they still refused to make eye contact with Rauru, some would even refuse to acknowledge his existence. This saddened Rauru, as it reminded him of the rejection, he regularly faced in Gerudo Town. What lifted his spirits was the knowledge that they would soon arrive at Hyrule Castle. And if the Hylian's there were anything like the ones he'd met at the stables, Rauru had a feeling many of them would accept him for who he was.
While this lifted Rauru's spirits, they were still being dampened by his dreams. Every night he was visited by the same man who continued to try and temp Rauru with the promise of power. Thankfully, Rauru kept resisting no matter what the man promised. He woke up at least once every night in a cold sweat. Thankfully, he'd been able to avoid waking anyone else, even when he and Link were staying at the stables. Rauru was thankful for this, because nearly every time he woke, he would see the same energy escaping from his body. Rauru had a feeling if anyone saw this, they would start fearing him just like the Gerudo did. This was only an issue if Rauru woke up in the middle of the night. If he slept through the night, he woke up without any energy surrounding his body. Even so, the site of the energy troubled Rauru, who had a feeling he should talk to someone about this sooner rather than later.
After travelling for what seemed like an eternity for Rauru, they finally arrived.
They approached Hyrule Castle Town, the town which surrounded Hyrule Castle.
"So good to see this place lively again," smiled Link.
"Didn't you tell me it was completely abandoned until you defeated Calamity Gannon?" asked Rauru.
"Yeah, it wasn't safe back then. It was crawling with monsters and corrupted guardians. Trying to get close was a death wish," stated Link. "They were in the process of rebuilding over the next few years, but the return of Ganondorf brought it to a halt. Thankfully after his defeat, Zelda was able to help return the town and the castle to its former glory. It might not look exactly how it did prior to the Age of Calamity, but I'm very happy so many people can call it home again."
Link led the horse to a stable at the entrance of town. Link knew they would have to walk the rest of the way, so would need to have his horse housed until they left.
"Sir Link, so good to see you've finally returned," said the stable master.
Link nodded in agreement.
The stable master then looked at Rauru.
"And this must be your… son," said the stable master with an air of disgust.
Rauru could immediately tell this was one of the less accepting Hylian's. Nevertheless, they had the horse bordered and entered the town.
Almost immediately Rauru noticed that people were staring at them. Link noticed this and decided to tell Rauru something that would make him feel better.
"It's not you they're staring at Rauru. It's me," said Link.
"Well, it's been a while since the Hero of Legend returned to Hyrule Castle. You must be the must-see attraction of the day," joked Rauru as more and more people stared.
"Perhaps, but I hope you understand I didn't become a knight for attention, I did it so I could help Hyrule," stated Link.
"Is that why you get angry at me when I show of during training?" asked Rauru.
"It is, because a warrior must not only be brave, they must also be humble," answered Link.
They walked through the town and approached Hyrule Castle. Upon arriving, Link and Rauru saw there were a few people at the front of the castle. Queen Zelda had come to greet them and she was surrounded by a few royal guards.
Link stopped a few feet in front of Zelda and knelt before Hyrule's Queen. Rauru had never had to do this as he was royalty himself. Nevertheless, after seeing his father kneel, Rauru followed suit.
"There's no need for that Link. Please stand," requested Zelda.
Link and Rauru stood.
Zelda began to approach them but stopped when one of the guards spoke.
"Your majesty are you sure that's wise, that boy is a…" the Guard was cut off by Zelda.
"I know what this boy is. I also know what you're insinuating by mentioning that he's a male Gerudo. I'm only going to say this once, I don't want to hear any of that nonsense while these two are visiting or after they leave. Sir Link and his son are our guests, and we will treat them with the respect they deserve. This is your first and only warning, so I suggest you stay quiet or there will be consequences," Zelda threatened.
The guard stepped back and went silent.
"I also suggest you pass on this message to the rest of the guards to ensure they don't say or do something they shouldn't," instructed Zelda.
The other guards nodded in agreement.
Zelda approached Link and Rauru.
"It's so good to see you again Link. You've barley come back to Hyrule Castle since you got married," stated Zelda. "But I can understand that. Above all else your main duty is to your family."
Link nodded in response.
"Still as silent as ever I see," chucked Zelda who then turned to Rauru. "And Rauru, look at you, you've grown so big since I last saw you."
Zelda had made many visits throughout Rauru's life, but her last visit to Gerudo Town had been close to a year ago.
"Sorry I haven't visited much lately, I've been very busy with royal duties," said Zelda.
"That's ok, ruling takes up most of my mother's time and she rules a much smaller place then you," said Rauru. "I can only imagine how busy your day is with so many citizens to rule."
"Very observant. You're quite smart for your age," complimented Zelda. "I also hear you're quite the young warrior. Is it true you've managed to beat every guard in Gerudo Town?"
Remembering Link's advice about being humble, Rauru only nodded in response.
Zelda smiled and caressed Rauru's cheek.
"You really are your father's son, but I guess Gerudo children do grow up quickly and I don't just mean in terms of size," Zelda chuckled as Rauru was already as tall as she was. "Please, come inside."
They followed Zelda inside the castle. She dismissed all the guards as she knew Link was more than capable of defending her.
Looking around the castle, Rauru was just as mesmerized as he had been by Hyrule's Landscape.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked Zelda who had noticed Rauru's curiosity.
"Yeah, definitely not what I expected," answered Rauru. "Granted that's probably because Dad's mostly told me stories of this place during the time of Calamity Ganon and Ganondorf."
Zelda stopped in her tracks.
"Those were dark times. Times that'll take a long time to forget. We may have removed the destruction and rebuilt the walls, but the memories are still there," stated Zelda. "I know I'll never forget them. While your father was recovering in the Shrine of Resurrection, I spent over a hundred years preventing Calamity Ganon from consuming Hyrule."
Rauru was aware that through different methods, Link and Zelda were actually over a hundred years old, as they'd been held in stasis for a century. It then occurred to Rauru that Calamity Ganon was probably a sorer subject for Zelda then it was for Link, as Link had been frozen for the entire one-hundred-year period, while Zelda had spent the entire period defending Hyrule. Rauru was also aware that after Ganondorf's return, Zelda had gone back in time to the early years of Hyrule and spent thousands of years as an immortal dragon, as it was the best thing, she could do to ensure Ganondorf's defeat in the present. Because of this, Rauru had a feeling Zelda wouldn't want to discuss these events in the same way Link had.
"I'm sorry for bringing that up your highness, I'm guessing that's the last thing you want to talk about," apologised Rauru.
Link had advised Rauru to address Zelda formally while they were guests at Hyrule Castle.
"It's ok Rauru. While most of Hyrule wants to forget these tragedies, I think it's important we remember them. It'll better prepare us for tragedies that happen in the future," stated Zelda. "That being said, I hope the people here treat you well despite the memories they have of these events."
"You and me both your highness," said Rauru.
"Rauru, there's no need to be formal around me. Call me Zelda," the queen requested.
She gestured them forward and they continued to follow her through the castle. They eventually stopped at a door.
"As requested, I've arranged for the two of you to stay at the castle," stated Zelda. "I hope you don't mind sharing a room with your father Rauru. I had this room made up for two, because something tells me your mother wants your father to keep an eye on you while you're here. I hope this is enough space."
Zelda opened the door and gestured the two of them inside. The room was very large and had two luxurious beds.
"I don't think space will be a problem your highness. This room is bigger than both my parents and my room back in Gerudo Town combined," stated Rauru amazed at the size.
"Well as I said, you two are our guests, so I wanted to make your stay here as comfortable as possible," stated the Queen. "And again, call me Zelda."
"Sorry," said Rauru embarrassed.
"I'm guessing your father lectured you on being respectful around royalty," accused Zelda looking at Link.
Link nodded in embarrassment.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Link always showed respect to Hyrule's Royal Family," stated Zelda. "Anyway, I should let the two of you settle in, but I want to see you both at dinner tonight."
"We'll be there," said Link speaking up for the first time since arriving at the castle.
Zelda nodded and left.
"I know you guys go way back, but I didn't think she'd be this accommodating," stated Rauru.
"The queen is a kind and generous woman, and this is her way of showing her gratitude to me and my services to the Kingdom of Hyrule!" Link explained. "She shows the same accommodation whenever your mother and I make diplomatic visits."
"Kinda wish I'd asked you more about your visits here. I probably would've begged to come on one," joked Rauru.
"We considered it, but your Mum and I would've been too busy to keep an eye on and something tells me you wouldn't have wanted to sit in on diplomatic meetings all day," stated Link.
"Isn't that what I'm gonna have to do when I become Chief?" asked Rauru.
"That's true actually," said Link. "I'll ask your mother what she thinks when we go back to Gerudo Town."
"How long are we planning on staying here?" asked Rauru.
"About a month, but we can head back earlier if you don't like it here," stated Link. "What do you think so far?"
"I think it's great, so much bigger, and livelier then Gerudo Town. Wish there was a bit more dirt though," joked Rauru. "I just hope the people are a bit more welcoming. We met a lot of people while travelling. Some seemed ok with me, but… not all of them."
Link sighed and patted Rauru on the back.
"We'll worry about that later. Let's just enjoy the castle for now."
"Sure. What are we going to do while we're here?" asked Rauru.
"Whatever you want," said Link. "We can go sightseeing around Hyrule Field, I can show you around town. That being said, I don't want you to slack off while we're here, so we're going to dedicate a few hours every afternoon to training. We can skip that today though because I think we're both tired after such a long trip."
Rauru took one last look around the room.
"Could you show me around the castle?" asked Rauru.
"Sure," answered Link.
They spent the afternoon exploring Hyrule Castle. Rauru still couldn't believe such a large building existed. This being his first time outside Gerudo Desert, the biggest building Rauru had seen was the home where he and his parents resided.
"Why does the queen need such a big house?" asked Rauru still in awe of the castle's architecture.
"Well, technically it's not just her house," answered Link. "She owns it, but she's not the only one who lives here. Her advisors live here, her royal guards live here, along with many others who help perform royal duties."
"Did you ever live here?" asked Rauru.
"I did, a long time ago, but I moved to Gerudo Town after I fell in love with your mother," answered Link.
"No disrespect Dad, but why did you move from this giant castle to, well, we're we live?" asked Rauru.
Link chuckled at this.
"Rauru, you'll understand some day that people do crazy things for the people they love."
"If you say so," stated Rauru.
They continued exploring Hyrule Castle, with Link showing Rauru a variety of different rooms. They also met a few castle residents. Like with the people they had met on their travels, many of the castle's residents showed no ill will towards Rauru, but there were still a few that looked at him with caution. Rauru was hoping this would all change once their time here was over.
"How can anyone live here without getting lost?" asked Rauru, who was sure they'd walked through the current room already.
"Don't worry Rauru, people get lost in here all the time. I myself took multiple wrong turns when I was younger," stated Link.
"I think I can understand why you chose to live with Mum in Gerudo Town. Her place might be smaller, but at least it's easy to navigate," joked Rauru.
"That it is Rauru," laughed Link patting him on the head.
Suddenly, a guard came round the corner.
"Sir Link, the Queen is requesting you both come to the dining hall," stated the Guard.
Link nodded and they followed the guard to the royal dining hall.
Zelda was sitting at the head of a large table, which had many plates of food.
"Link, Rauru, thank you for coming. Please have a seat," gestured Zelda to the two chairs on either side of her.
Link took a seat on one side, while Rauru took the seat on the other.
"I know how much the two of you like to eat, so I asked the cooks to prepare a special meal just for the two of you," said Zelda warmly.
"Thank you, but you didn't have to go to so much trouble your highness," said Rauru.
"It was no trouble at all and besides, the land of Hyrule owes your father a debt that we'll never be able to repay, but we'll do everything we can to try," joked Zelda.
"Don't sell yourself short, Dad told me you did just as much as he did to save Hyrule," stated Rauru.
Link decided to speak up.
"And it wasn't just us. Many in Hyrule were crucial to its survival. Rauru's mother, Sidon of the Zora, Tulin of the Rito and Yunobo of the Goron, they all played a crucial part in Hyrule's survival. Not to mention the work conducted by Purah and her team. Without them, we may never have saved Hyrule."
Zelda chucked.
"Still as humble as always Link, why am I not surprised? But you were always willing to help those in need, even if doing so distracted you from your main quest and that is what made you a true hero."
They started eating. Rauru eagerly ate the meat and fruit, but he stared at the vegetables with great confusion.
"Is something wrong Rauru?" asked Zelda.
"Not a lot grows in the desert," interjected Link. "The only things you can really grow out there are desert fruits and mushrooms. I don't think Rauru's ever had vegetables before."
"I see. Sorry Rauru I should've thought of that," said Zelda with a bit of guilt.
"No, it's ok. You've probably got better things to worry about then what does and doesn't grow in the desert," said Rauru.
"Still, why don't you give them a try, you never know you might just like them," suggested Zelda.
Rauru did try them and to his surprise he found them delicious.
Before long the meal was finished.
"Thank you, your highness that was delicious," stated Rauru.
"Don't thank me, thank the cooks," joked Zelda. "And for the last time, just call me Zelda. You were never this formal when I visited Gerudo Town."
"Sorry, Dad made me practice referring to you as your highness for most of the trip," admitted Rauru.
Zelda sighed.
"You know Link there's such a thing as being too respectful."
Link didn't respond to this.
"At any rate, I'm sure the two of you are tired, but before you turn in for the night, I have a small favour to ask of you Rauru," requested Zelda.
"Sure, name it," said Rauru.
"I was wondering if you'd be able to train with some of the students at the Knights Academy tomorrow. I've been told by the head teacher that they're producing a lot of talented soldiers, but I want to see if that statement is true!" explained Zelda. "I was originally going to ask your father if he could spare with a few of the students, but I think we can all agree they'd be at a significant disadvantage."
They all laughed at this.
"I'm guessing these students aren't kids though," stated Rauru.
"That is correct. You'd be training with the senior class, so they'll all be at least seventeen," admitted Zelda. "However, from what I've heard from your father that shouldn't be a problem. You've defeated Gerudo Guards who are bigger, stronger and more experienced than any student at the academy. Furthermore, I'd like to see how the castle's future knights compare to someone whose strength is comparable to that of a Gerudo Guard. If they can't defeat you, I'll be certain we need to push the students at the academy a little harder. But if it makes you feel better, you won't be much smaller than most of the students there."
Rauru was unsure about this. His recent defeat at the hands of his father had taught him that despite his great strength and skill, there was still much he had to learn about being a warrior. If he challenged the students and defeated them with ease, he feared he might return to the arrogant attituded he'd had after defeating all the Gerudo Guards.
He turned to his father to see what he thought. Link merely nodded to show he approved. Despite this, Rauru felt he needed help to ensure he didn't fight dishonourably again.
"Dad, will you come down and watch the training?" asked Rauru.
Link nodded again.
"I'll also be there to observe the training," interjected Zelda. "Like I said, I want to ensure the teachers are being truthful when they say they are producing great warriors. Not only that, I want to see if your skill is as great as your father claims."
"Alright, I'll do it," declared Rauru.
"Excellent, we'll head down first thing tomorrow morning," stated Zelda.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think, all feedback is greatly appreciated. I'm particularly keen to hear what people have to say about Zelda's first official appearance in this story.
The next chapter will follow Rauru challenging the students at the Knights Academy. How will Rauru fare against these knights in training? Stay tuned to find out.