POV Zelda

"Shall we go, Zelda?" says Paya, waiting for me to descend the stairs toward the village.

Trying to ignore the feeling that Impa wanted to get rid of me too quickly, I nod and follow her. "So, you're Impa's granddaughter, right?" I ask, trying to start a conversation. "The last time I saw her, she was still a die-hard spinster," I joke. In those dark times, no one thought much about romance, and she was too busy being my bodyguard alongside Link, I recall, feeling bad again.

Paya nods timidly. "Yes, I am... After the Calamity, Grandma became the leader of the Sheikah because of her position in the royal guard. Since many had died... she, despite being young — about 25 years old, if I'm not mistaken — was the most suitable option." Paya suddenly pauses and looks at me in alarm. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

I wave my hand dismissively. "Don't apologize. You're just telling what happened," I say, though I do feel constantly guilty about my delay. A delay that was responsible for the deaths of thousands in the kingdom. "So, what happened?"

"Well..." she starts cautiously. "In the first two decades after the Calamity, she made many trips around the kingdom to at least reestablish contact between the tribes and identify which cities remained. On one of these missions, she got involved with a man she met."

Paya pauses, and I have a bad feeling. "And what happened?" I ask.

She takes a deep breath and looks at me, slightly scared. "Have you ever heard of the Yiga?"

My blood runs cold. Of course, I have. I was almost assassinated by them once... if Link hadn't stopped them at the last second. For a moment, I get lost in that memory.

It was a hot day. We were on a mission in the Gerudo desert region. As always, I was accompanied by Link and Impa. We were going to meet Urbosa, the leader of that tribe... and a mother figure to me as well. My heart aches to think she also died because of my incompetence.

In those weeks, I was still acting like a rebellious brat. Link had just been appointed as my bodyguard after saving me from a malfunctioning Guardian — a giant robot like a tank, built to protect us from Ganon — that almost hit me. Seeing him fulfill his duties so easily — even being chosen by the Master Sword as a child and on the way to fulfilling his role in the prophecy — while I had no idea how to access my powers, despite trying since I learned to walk, filled me with hatred. His success only served to highlight my failure.

For this reason, drowning in self-pity, in a spark of rebellion, I took advantage of a rare moment when he was distracted, fetching water for us at the Kara Kara Bazaar oasis, and went out into the desert alone. It wasn't the first time I went to Gerudo. And he couldn't enter the city anyway — only women were allowed, so he always had to wait outside.

It took less than 10 minutes before I realized I was being followed. It was a group of three Yiga clan members, dressed in their usual red and black uniforms. Seeing that I noticed their approach, they charged at me. Panicked, I started running back to the bazaar, desperately wishing I could access my powers at that moment. But they were much faster and more agile than I was. When I tripped over a stone and fell to the ground, I was ready for the end. One of them, the closest, approached slowly, raising his scythe. At that moment, terrified, I heard running footsteps, and Link intercepted him, using the Master Sword to disarm — and kill — him. He then positioned himself in front of me, his back to me, shielding me from the other two, who, after a moment of hesitation, fled.

It was that day that my feelings for him began to change. I could blame the adrenaline, the feeling of being rescued, or even his courage and physical shape. But I know it was when he, after ensuring there was no more danger, looked at me with the most concerned gaze I had ever seen in anyone and simply said, "Are you alright?"

There was no judgment. No yelling questioning why I ran away or how I caused the situation in the first place. Just pure, genuine concern. Any hatred or resentment I had ever felt for him turned to dust in that second, and I spent every moment since then trying to make up for my previous bad behavior.

Not that he ever complained. He never complained about anything.

"Princess?" asks Paya worriedly, pulling me from the memory.

"Sorry. What happened then?"

"Well... as you may have guessed, the young man Grandma got involved with was a Yiga. He seduced her to infiltrate the clan and discover their strategies after the Calamity. Grandma was always very wise, but you know how love is... it blinds us. When she found out, it was too late... by then, she was already pregnant with my mother," Paya concludes.

I deeply sympathize with Impa's suffering. "I'm sorry," I say. "And your mother, what happened?"

"Well... it turns out that my mother, upon discovering her origin, rebelled during her adolescence. She ran away to Gerudo and joined the clan. She stayed there for many years and eventually got pregnant with me. The Sheikah live much longer than normal Hylians, as you know — but even so, she never imagined she could have children after turning 60. She never wanted to be a mother, and as soon as I was born, she left me at Impa's door with a note explaining who I was. I never met her. I don't even know if she's still alive. But Grandma took me in immediately, and I grew up here in the village and... well, I guess that's all," she concludes, embarrassed. "Sorry, I talked too much."

"Don't apologize, Paya. I'm sorry for what you both had to go through."

"For me, it was nothing, Princess, really. I never even met my mother. I had a normal life. Grandma suffered much more, I imagine... But today, we're all fine," she finishes with a smile.

I notice that during our conversation, we have circled the village and are approaching Impa's house again. The guards remain vigilant at the base of the stairs.

"Young ladies," one of them greets us. "Princess Zelda, I apologize for my reaction earlier. I didn't imagine you had spent the last century battling Ganon... I thought you had died in the Calamity."

"Don't worry. What's your name, sir?" I ask.

"Cado, Your Majesty, at your service. And this is Dorian. We are responsible for the village's security."

"Nice to meet you," I say, nodding.

"The pleasure is ours. Are you spending the night here in the village? It's getting dark, and even with the Calamity controlled, it might not be safe to be on the roads at night," says Dorian.

"Oh, come on, Dorian! She's accompanied by Link. She won't be in any danger. Remember when he retrieved the relic the Yigas stole from the village?" comments Cado. "Paya was so scared by the theft that he even had to spend the night watching over her!" he adds, laughing.

I freeze upon hearing this information. Paya, desperate, tries to justify herself to me.

"No, Princess, there was nothing improper!" she says, distressed. Not that it matters. The bitter taste of betrayal invades my throat. "What betrayal?" my rational side tries to say, only to be overwhelmed by the anger slowly invading my veins.

"He just spent the night in my room because I was very scared by the theft! A Yiga invading our village, my house... I was terrified. And it was my responsibility to take care of that heirloom. We just talked all night while he stood guard to ensure there wouldn't be a second attack and..."

"Don't worry, Paya," I cut her off coldly. "I understand," I say, though I understand nothing. How could he spend the whole night talking with her and barely deign to utter a few words to me in the past 48 hours? Or in the years before the Calamity?

Immediately, I feel the need to leave that place. Where I will go, I have no idea. The mere thought of sleeping in his cottage again nauseates me. But perhaps I can stay the night at Purah's house or even at the inn in Hateno. In any case, I can't stay another minute near Paya, or Link, or even Impa — who dismissed me so quickly even after reuniting with me after a damn century.

I force myself to act with a calm I definitely do not feel at the moment. "Actually, I believe Link is still resolving some matters with Impa," I say. "I agreed with him that I would return to Hateno first, as I want to discuss some things with Purah today," I lie. "She wants to run some tests regarding my trance period before I forget the details."

Dorian looks worried. "Are you sure, Princess? The sun is about to set, and..."

"Yes, I'm sure. I know how to defend myself, thank you for the concern," I say, mounting my horse. "Please apologize to Impa for me, for leaving without saying goodbye. I've really lost track of time and don't want to break my commitment with Purah. I'll be back soon, goodbye," I say briefly and ride off without looking back.

I leave the village through the same entrance we arrived. Not wanting to risk getting lost, I decide to return along the trail we came. Since we were silent during the entire journey, I was able to pay some attention to the places we passed.

Initially, I keep the horse at a faster gallop. Feeling that I've distanced myself enough after a few minutes, I decide to slow down. The sun hasn't set yet, though it's low. I believe I have another hour or two before it gets dark. I decide that, in the worst case, I can stay overnight at the inn I remember seeing halfway.

My horse seems comfortable and follows the trail alone without me needing to guide it. So, soon enough, I find myself reflecting on my recent discoveries.

Apparently, the silent Link has recently been opening up quite a bit to anyone but me. Somehow, this fact eats at me much more than the detail of him spending the night with Paya. She seemed very distressed while reiterating that there was nothing "improper" between them, and for some reason, I find myself believing her.

But what she doesn't know, not knowing him, is that he doesn't talk to anyone. Never. Hylia knows how much I tried to get him to open up to me for so long. And then he wakes up with no memories and in just a few weeks opens up to the first person who crosses his path.

Even without knowing what was said between them, the irrational anger that invaded me in Kakariko doesn't dissipate. The content of the conversation doesn't matter. The mere fact that something was said is enough to infuriate me.

How many monologues did I have to give, in a desperate attempt to capture his attention?

How much empathy did I need to not resent him for only responding to me with short, clipped sentences?

With a single sentence, Cado managed to taint one of my happiest memories with Link: when he finally explained why he was so silent and reserved. Was it all a lie then? Or was it simply because I wasn't the person he wanted to open up to?

Amidst my fury, I realize I have passed the fork leading to the inn where I planned to stay. I look around and see that I am near Fort Hateno — where the last battle of the Calamity took place, where Link almost died, and where my powers awakened in a desperate attempt to save him.

All the Guardians I disabled at that moment still lie scattered across the fields before me, like a sinister graveyard. I get goosebumps at the sight, and a bad omen chills my insides. I stop the horse and ponder whether to return to the inn. The sun has already set, and while it's not completely dark yet, in a few minutes it will be pitch black. If I go back, I'll soon reach it again.

I make my decision and turn the horse around, but at that moment I am so startled that I almost fall off. Panting, I look more calmly and see that it is just a young woman standing before me, whom I hadn't noticed passing.

"Oh, good evening!" I greet her. "Sorry for my reaction. I didn't realize anyone was around. Nice to meet you, what's your name?"

The young woman stares deeply at me, but her eyes are empty and slightly glazed. A slow, disturbing smile spreads across her face.

"The Calamity was contained, not eradicated," she says, with no emotion in her voice. My heart races and I'm filled with an urge to flee, but at the same time, her words freeze me in place.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, distressed. "Who are you?"

"He still lives, and soon he will awaken."

"Who? When? Who are you?" I ask angrily. "I demand answers! You stand before Princess Zelda of Hyrule! I eradicated Ganon just yesterday! Peace has finally come, and it will not be broken!"

"Princess Zelda," she repeats my name as if savoring it, making my stomach churn. "You may have contained the Calamity, but you won't be able to stop him when He returns. Especially since... you die today," she declares and immediately disappears in a cloud of smoke. I then hear a noise right behind me and see she has transformed into a Yiga warrior. In a terrible flashback, I watch as she charges at me with her scythe.

Without a second thought, I spur my horse forward at high speed. However, I'm not fast enough and feel her scythe miss my throat but cut my shoulder, opening a deep wound and knocking me to the ground.

Replaying my memory in Gerudo, the warrior advances on me slowly, seeming to revel in the idea of killing me.

"Quick or slow...?" I hear her ponder. "After so many ups and downs, it can't end so easily, right?" she says, getting closer and closer.

The pain in my shoulder is intense, and I can't move my right arm to even try to use my powers to defend myself. And we are too far from the inn for my screams to attract anyone's attention.

She crouches, putting her masked face nauseatingly close to mine. "Slow it is," she sentences. "Which limb would you like me to remove first, Your Majesty?"