Chapter 8 - Ally
"I'm sorry Master Link, but I cannot allow sudden visitors to see the princess. She is holding court today and has asked to not be disturbed, no matter who" said the Royal guard.
He wore an ornate set of half-plate armour, decorated with gold trim. Link imagined wearing the suit must have been difficult for an extended amount of time.
"When will she be available?" he asked dryly.
"Two days from now, she will hold an open forum. I can pass a message to her, but even I am not permitted within the court's chambers."
The guard, though well composed, was looking embarrassed at having to deny Link of all people.
He thought about asserting his reputation to demand passage, but the soldier was only doing his job. He couldn't fault him for it. Plus, there was always a chance the soldier would be reprimanded if he let Link through.
Link sighed, burying his frustration underneath it.
Too much time would be lost and there was no guarantee the guard's message would shorten the amount of time it would take to see Zelda.
"Very well. I'll return at a better time." he said with a polite bow. The guard smiled and thanked him, returning to his position.
Walking back towards the bridge that connected the castle to the main town, Link slipped away from sight. He tucked himself into a shaded alcove that hid him amongst some hedges.
Two days of waiting was far too much. He hadn't even figured out how to find the pieces of the Triforce of Power. Still, Ghirahim had mentioned it was worth speaking to her and as much as Link hated himself for agreeing, he would certainly be seeing her today.
The castle grounds had undergone major restorative works since Ganondorf had been killed. The gardens had been neatly trimmed, the flowerbeds bloomed in a rich variety of colours and the paved walkways almost gleamed in the sun. Link wished he had time to spare to just sit in the courtyard. He promised himself that he would as soon as he had a good chance.
Meanwhile, he thought of his best way into the castle. He racked his memory, trying to remember if the was any particular room that looked like a court. One came to mind, that had bizarre fire traps in it at the time. He recalled that the room looked important enough to host diplomats and the like.
He sat quietly for a while, racking his mind. He couldn't remember where it was. The last time he had been in the castle, Ganondorf had been in control and Link was too preoccupied with surviving to remember specific routes.
After a few more minutes, he started pacing around. He was getting more wound up as he came up with no foolproof method of infiltrating the castle. If only Ghirahim hadn't given him such a time limit, he thought bitterly.
Realising he wasn't getting anywhere, he started walking along the castle gardens, hoping to spot some way in along the way.
Even in his frustration, he was relaxed somewhat by the decorative flowers and plants lining the entire courtyard. As he looked along the grand display, he finally noticed something that could help him.
One of the turrets of the castle had a small bridge connecting it to the main structure. The body of the bridge had thick ivy vines growing over it.
Link smiled. There was only one thing left to do. Make sure he could get in unseen.
Observing the area carefully, he saw a guard atop the turret observing the area ahead of it. A pair of guards were patrolling the gardens ahead of Link, walking towards him.
Beyond that, no one else seemed to be nearby.
Link let the excitement control him. He walked towards the guards, who saluted as they passed. He returned a polite nod to them but carried on. They seemed to be patrolling the length of the extensive garden in a back-and-forth patrol.
Walking a little more slowly, he placed himself right beneath the overhead bridge and looked around one more time. The two guards were now further away with their backs turned. The only other one was in the turret and looking away.
Link took out a claw shot, aimed straight up and fired it. The noise it made was only audible in a short range thankfully. Dismayed though, he saw the range of the chain was just a little too short as it failed to clasp onto any of the thick ivy vines.
"Need more height..." he whispered to himself. Looking around quickly, he settled on a new idea.
After making sure he was out of the guard's line of sight, he ran to the wall of the main castle. Jumping with all of his strength, he planted both feet on the wall and then kicked off of it just as hard. At the apex of his extended jump, he fired the readied claw shot straight up again.
The claw clasped onto a thick bundle of vines and he felt himself being pulled up. It was always disorienting when the ground flew from him, but he had felt more and more exhilarated each time.
Adjusting his grip on to the vines, he put the claw shot back into his pack and then started climbing up the side of the vines. Climbing up an overhang was exhausting despite the short distance it was. But as his arms started to burn with the strain, the climb became much easier as it became vertical.
Clambering over the wall, he landed on solid stone flooring. Without the threat of Ganondorf, it was much more of a serene view this time. Shaking his head hard, he snapped himself out of his wonder. Daring to peek over the edge of the wall, he saw the two guards were on their way back. Hopefully, they wouldn't think twice about him not being there any more.
Wasting no more time, he made for the door that led into the castle interior.
As he stepped onto the upper walkway of the main hall, he was amazed to see the transformation since Zelda had taken back the throne. Even this high up off the floor, the walls and windows were spotless. Banners hung from the walls at regular intervals. The royal crest was emblazoned with gold thread over a deep purple background, seemingly silk. The grand room was decorated with healthy and tall plants. Red rugs contrasted with the cream-coloured marble. It was stunning, if exorbitant.
Link didn't dare think of how much a single banner would have cost to produce. Ignoring his wandering mind, he looked around again.
He recognised the doors somewhat and remembered the rooms beyond. He hoped.
There were no guards on the upper floor, they were all posted in the grand hall below. Still, one curious look up would expose him so he moved away from the banister and stayed near the wall as he began to walk around. As he neared a door on the other side, he slowed his breathing and closed his eyes.
As he stood listening, he caught the sounds of agitated conversations. All of the muffled voices seemed to carry a level of authority, but he could hear Zelda's calm and commanding voice over them all. Before he could decide what to do, his eyes snapped open as he heard footsteps from the ground floor.
Silently, he prayed they were going outside or somewhere else on the ground floor. His hopes sank as he heard the dull thuds get slightly louder. Someone was coming upstairs. Panic setting in, he looked around quickly whilst trying to figure out what to do.
There was only an exposed walkway behind him or a bannister to his left. Jumping over it was out of the question and the way ahead only went downstairs, right into the sight of several guards. The only way was through the door he was listening in to.
"Damn it..." he whispered.
He would have to improvise, only a lot harder than usual. He hoped his reputation would buy him some time at least, if nothing else.
Quickly, he slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. Silence. The once agitated voices were all still now. Link also felt all eyes on his back. No sense hiding now, he turned.
Before him, there was a grand table that stretched the length of the room. On each side, there was a member of what Link assumed was the Hylian government. Twelve men sat at the table with piles of papers. Each wore luxurious robes and regarded him with baffled looks. At the head of the table sat Zelda. She looked composed and dignified as always. Looking at him with an eyebrow raised, Link felt even more exposed.
Before he could think of anything to say, Zelda quickly winked at Link. Relief hit Link as he knew all he would have to do was play along.
"Welcome to the Hyrule Council, Link. Thank you for joining us."
Composing himself, he did his best to keep calm. He realised his sudden entrance could have made Zelda look very foolish for not even knowing he was going to show up.
"A pleasure, your majesty. Please forgive my late arrival" he said, bowing slightly.
The older men relaxed after the two brief sentences, Link considerably more so. He supposed she had a range of freedom with her bluffs.
As he wondered what to do next, Zelda saved him once again.
"Join us" she said as she gestured to an empty seat at the opposite end of the table.
Nodding again, he took the seat. The leather-bound chair was soft and comfortable beyond belief. As his tension melted away, Zelda began to explain the meeting.
"We have not long been in discussion but I trust you have memorised the agenda for today?" she asked, raising her eyebrow slightly.
"Of course, Princess."
Smiling slightly, she steered the conversation once more.
"Councillor Merrin, please reiterate our discussion so far, so our distinguished guest can come up to speed."
A portly man nearest Zelda stood without missing a beat. He bowed to Link and with a soft voice, began to explain the meeting.
"Welcome, master Link. We are humbled to have you with us today and hope your insights could help us solve several problems. First, we discussed the matter of funding for the royal army..."
Grateful that he could learn the purpose of the meeting as well as avoid having to explain himself sneaking through the castle, he listened intently as the Councillor explained. The other councillors looked grateful for the break in the proceedings and poured themselves water from expensive looking decanters.
Merrin talked for some time and Link did his best to listen. Ilia, however, remained at the forefront of his mind. As the explanations came, Link grew more and more uncomfortable. He suppressed it though. He had at least managed to get to see Zelda. He would have to endure.
It turned out that the royal army was over its capacity. There had been an enormous drive for recruitment in the aftermath of Ganon being defeated. The entire council bowed low before Link, thanking him for his service to the realm.
However, since there was no need for such a large army nor the threat of war or ancient evils, the vast majority of the armed forces were left to train, patrol the city or take ceremonial roles such as guarding the castle.
Several councillors backed up Merrin's explanation, saying that many of the soldiers were growing idle and bored. There had been instances of insubordination, petty theft as well as on duty drinking.
During a break in the explanation, Link pushed for further information.
He learned that a lot of the soldiers were stationed in Castle Town itself, leaving the countryside and the surrounding domains empty.
"Why do no soldiers patrol the fields or routes to Death Mountain or the Zora's Domain?"
"Because the fields are so expansive that our patrols would be ineffective. The Gorons and Zora, they are independent nations. We do not see any reason to extend our troops to their realms when they have had no issues themselves" said one of the councillors casually.
Link was taken aback.
"No issues?"
He raised one finger.
"Yes, the fields are enormous. This means it's far too easy for hostiles to disappear into them and emerge later to kill the innocent or rob them. Recently, a merchant was attacked by three brigands. He had his throat cut and only one hired mercenary to protect him."
Then a second finger.
"The Gorons single-handedly defended Kakariko village from enormous waves of Bulbins during the Twilight crisis. Their mines, their only source of income, were forced to close when the enemy infiltrated them. There was no Royal army to assist back then."
Now a third finger raised.
"As for the Zora? They guard the only source of water in the entire realm. Their queen died at the hands of the enemy during the same crisis. Again, no Hylian soldiers to help... "
He put his hand down and looked around the room. The councillors appeared unsure of what to say.
"How can you say there are no issues if there are no soldiers to find such issues?"
His retort was more hostile than he had intended, but he didn't regret speaking it. The royal army was nowhere to be seen during the crisis. Even though Link had repelled evil at every turn, he wished he had had some kind of additional support.
Councillor Merrin looked shocked but hid it quickly as he tried to muster a response. Zelda however, was quick to prevent wounded pride from turning into a directionless argument.
"You are correct Link. Having our forces deployed to these routes and areas would be a prudent decision. As for their inaction during the Twilight crisis, they were disorganised and far fewer in number than they are today. We had let years of peace fool us into maintaining a smaller armed force. Now, at the trailing end of Ganondorfs failed reign..." she paused to look coldly to all of her councillors, "...we overcompensated."
Several of the councillors hung their heads slightly. Link knew that Zelda had been indisposed for a lot of the crisis as a prisoner of Zant. About halfway through the crisis, she had given her power to Midna in order to help her survive being cast into the light realm. If not for her, Link realised that his journey may never have succeeded. He would be eternally grateful for her sacrifice.
"Princess Zelda, the people of Castle Town are our greatest treasure. They are the means by which we have a strong economy. If we cannot defend them from threats, then we have no right to call ourselves councillors. I bade the armed forces available to me at the time to guard the people and the town. If they had fallen during the crisis, then when Link defeated Ganondorf, we would have had an empty town to govern. That is why I did not deploy them to the outer edges of the realms."
The councillor looked plainly at Zelda. Link saw the wisdom in what he was saying but also saw that keeping the armed forces in one area limited what they were capable of. Thus allowing the enemy to operate unchecked.
"Councillor. I've said my piece. I'm not here to look for justice for what happened during the crisis. These days, with more forces than you know what to do with, I see two options." Link said, letting frustration empower his voice a little.
"One, you reduce the numbers. Reduce the armed forces budget and remove non-essential roles."
Link allowed a pause. The councillors needed to act if they were to solve their issue. Also so that he could finally speak to Zelda privately.
"Two, you deploy this extended force around the realms. Soldiers on the roads, patrolling the fields, escorting merchants and the like would have immeasurable benefits. People would feel a great deal safer, trade between the other races would increase and as a result? So would the reputation of Hylians all over."
He hoped his suggestions wouldn't result in more debate.
The councillor who seemed to prefer inaction sat still for a while. Several whispers broke out between the others as they seemed to be evaluating the possibilities. How they could not see such basic resolutions surprised Link. He had always imagined governors to be more proactive.
"As the Hero of Hyrule, your words carry gravitas and I appreciate your candour. I will take your words to heart and deliver a resolution to our princess by our next meeting." said the councillor.
Link was about to retort, but he was cut off by Zelda this time.
"I am grateful, Councillor Nellan. I understand that mobilising an entire army as described would not be a quick task to perform. Let me know your progress as soon as possible."
Nellan nodded politely whilst Link felt embarrassed. He had been seconds away from getting up and demanding faster results before Zelda had explained something basic to him. He was too used to operating independently. He could move far quicker than he had realised. Riding out with Sergeant Hol had been a tedious effort but only because there were more sets of gear to inspect and more horses to keep fed and watered.
"With that, we shall break for lunch. Please return within a half hour." Zelda said. Had she noticed his impatience? Or perhaps she already knew he would show up with dire news. He had barged in unannounced after all.
The twelve councillors all rose, put their papers away and filtered out of the room.
Link still felt full from Telma's large breakfast. He wondered if he would be hungry ever again.
As the door closed, Zelda let her shoulders slump as she sighed and started rubbing her forehead.
He was surprised to see her lose her composure. She always seemed so determined and regal.
"I take it you have to attend enough of these meetings to make the average person lose their mind?" Link asked.
She chuckled, somewhat hopelessly.
"There are times when I think that maybe just letting Ganondorf have the throne wouldn't have been so bad."
"Ah, so you've already lost your mind." Link said, praying she wasn't in the mood for beheading people.
The two looked at each other, letting their minds process the absurd idea. A moment later, Zelda laughed genuinely, along with Link.
Standing, he walked over to her and she rose from her seat too.
"Sorry I've been away for so long... And for showing up without an invite... And for being rude to your council..."
Zelda smiled. She seemed much more relaxed than Link had ever remembered.
"Please Link, it is a pleasure to finally see someone who can speak their mind. The councillors do good jobs, but they feel they have to tread so carefully around royalty. I mean, they are right, but it slows every single thing down."
Her eyes faltered slightly.
"I assure you that being a princess is anything other than enjoyable or carefree."
She looked exasperated. Link could only guess at what being royalty entailed.
"You've got a nice house at least?" he said, grasping for any straw he could.
She smiled again.
"Thank you. But honestly? I have such little time for friends or just to sit and read a simple book. I look back at wielding the light bow and firing divine arrows into Ganondorf, as the only interesting time of my life."
Link was surprised at how open she was being with her frustrations. She had always been enigmatic when he had spoken to her in the past. Then again, with the threat of Ganondorf gone, peace had settled over the land and routines became established once more. He felt bad for having to bring her bad news, but perhaps something to focus on would be a welcome distraction.
As he thought of how to explain his predicament to her, his gut started tensing. The memory of Ilia and his child being captive brought him back to reality.
"Well...that's part of the reason I'm here. I have news. Bad news." he said, regretfully.
Zelda sobered up and sharpened her posture. Her eyes focused on his own and she listened intently.
"An agent of Ganondorf survived...or was always there... I'm not sure" he explained.
"He calls himself Ghirahim. I've already fought him and it ended in a stalemate. Me, needing to be patched up by the healer Renado again. Him, with an arm destroyed. Now...he has Ilia...and my child held captive."
Zelda's eyes widened a little, her mouth open slightly. She did not interrupt though.
"Beyond that...there's also some incredible things I've learned about my piece of the Triforce."
He explained everything from when he heard about the fire spreading through the Ordon Woods. How he managed to empower his boomerang to help clear a path in the forest, how he had found Ordon frozen in time, breaking the strange spell by using his piece of the Triforce again. Before he could explain his meeting with the old Hero of Time, the governors came back into the room, intending to continue their slow meeting.
Link deflated as they came in. Fatigue turned to surprise however when Zelda told them to leave and that she would send word for them later.
Link felt as if he could hug her, but he carried on. As he explained his time in the sacred realm, Zelda looked attentive and absorbed every word. When Link described how he trained to use the power of the Triforce of courage, Zelda spoke.
"I know this power. It is what I used to heal Midna when you brought her to me in the Castle Tower."
Link felt as if he should have assumed as much when he witnessed it in his wolf form. Still, Zelda had knowledge of how to use the Triforce and didn't share the information at a time when it could have been more helpful. He imagined his journey would have been a great deal easier if he had known.
Before Link could say anything on the matter, Zelda held her hand up.
"I realize that sharing this information, about using the Triforce, would have been helpful. However, at the time, we were in the realm of Twilight. The usurper king, Zant, would have noticed this as the rush of radiant energy it releases can be felt far and wide. He did not notice me as I dissolved and then diffused my spirit into Midna. I technically did not exist when I did that. Thereby, Zant would not have known what would have happened."
Link stood still for a moment. He was encouraged that Zelda embodied wisdom and foresight. However, he did wonder what she would have been like if she had never received the Triforce of Wisdom.
Seeming to read him like an open book, she spoke again. "I imagine you wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn't had the Triforce of Wisdom?"
Did her insight know no bounds?
"How... can you know what I'm thinking before I've even spoken?" he asked, immensely curious.
Zelda laughed softly. "Forgive me for answering your question with another. Link, what do you think wisdom is?" she asked openly.
Link buried his curiosity. He would find out soon enough, he thought. He spent a minute wondering over Zelda's question. He had never needed to define it but felt there was a reasonable answer.
"Doing the most sensible thing, I imagine" he said.
Zelda smiled and nodded.
"Basically, yes. It is defined as having experience, knowledge and good judgement. Owning the Triforce of Wisdom empowers these traits within me. I can retain knowledge from books in one read through for instance" she explained.
"As for 'knowing what you were thinking'? I merely have to look at your facial expressions and assume what you were thinking based on what we were talking about. My intuition is rarely incorrect."
Link felt as if he should have realised this. He was much more expressive than he used to be since his adventure, so it was a natural fit that he could be read fairly easily. The mere thought however worried him.
Anyone who had the mind to could easily manipulate him if they could see what he was thinking. He told himself he would try to wear a more neutral face.
He continued his story. Link explained leaving the sacred realm and arriving at the temple of time, where he first met and fought Ghirahim. He spared no detail describing how quickly he moved or how well balanced he seemed to be. He tensed as he explained the wounds they had exchanged in the fight. Zelda did not look at him with pity, for which he was grateful. So many people already worried about him without realising that it was enough to make him second guess himself.
He explained how he had teleported to Kakariko Village to be tended by Renado once more. Then, upon learning about Ilia and his child, how he stormed into Telma's bar and shouted himself hoarse...at Colin. Hanging his head a little, he was relieved when Zelda did not press him for more information.
Link felt gratitude once again. It was surprisingly relieving to be able to just talk on his own without being reprimanded for being thoughtless.
He then told her about the journey into the woods with Hol and his men. How they had fallen into a trap set by Ghirahim and the ultimatum Link now had to contend with.
"Ghirahim was very specific. He believes that three pieces of the Triforce of Power are scattered about Hyrule. I am to retrieve at least one piece and deliver it to him within nine days...or he'll...hurt Ilia."
Speaking the words made it all the more real to him. His stomach knotted with worry. How could he have rested at Telma's Bar? He had wasted an entire day. As he turned his frustration inwards, he clenched his fists hard. The thumb he had broken in the desert pained him, making him more wound up.
Zelda, seeing the hero succumbing to hopelessness stepped closer to him. She took his hand and held it daintily in her own.
"Then we must act."
Link snapped out of his misery quickly. His fists unclenched and he breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't proclaimed it would be too dangerous nor insisted he sit still and think. Here she was, ready to take action.
He smiled in an instant. How could they progress though?
"We cannot let Ghirahim take the Triforce of Power. Raising the dead is an act of power so it is entirely possible that Ganondorf instructed Ghirahim on how to use it to bring him back from death. I assure you, I want this to occur even less than you do."
Zelda released his hand and began to pace about whilst keeping her hand to her chin.
Link's irritation was now long gone. Perhaps Ghirahim had underestimated just how helpful Zelda could have been.
"It may be possible...No, that would not work." she said quietly.
She paced around more, her eyes intense as she mentally calculated unknown risks and gains.
Link wanted to help somehow. He didn't like making other people solve his problems.
"Well beyond anything else, we could at least do with knowing where the pieces are. I have no idea how you look for holy relics though..."
Zelda smiled but carried on pacing.
"That should be no problem. Searching for answers is an act of wisdom, so I shall be able to help you with that. But allow me to think for a moment. Please, eat or drink if you like. You will find the next room has ample provisions. Come back in when you are ready" she said.
She resumed pacing around and was mumbling quietly enough for Link to miss what she was saying.
Perhaps a drink couldn't hurt, he thought.
He wandered into the next room and saw ornate platters and jugs laid neatly on even more lavish tables. The wood was dark and well-varnished. One table would sell for a high enough price to feed someone for months in Ordon village. Ignoring his musings on the distribution of wealth, he grabbed a plate of fruits and bread and made quick work of them.
A few moments passed as he washed down the meal with water. The light meal perked him up, helping him feel more ready to face his dilemma. As he closed the door behind him, he was surprised to see a glow of golden light illuminating the room. Zelda had her hands pressed together and her head bowed. Her brow was furrowed slightly.
Before he could wonder any further, Zelda opened her eyes and smiled.
From the tip of her fingers, a golden orb materialised. Floating effortlessly, it span gently around her hand. A moment later, it began to move towards a large and unusual looking map of Hyrule hanging from the wall.
The golden orb settled on a point across the map. Zelda walked over, took a smaller map from the stand under the grand rendition of the world and made a mark
n it, copying what she saw.
Link however was more interested in the larger and far more detailed map. He saw a strange pattern of abstract shapes on the map where he knew hills and mountains had to be, but it didn't make any sense to him.
"What are these patterns on the map?" he said as he pointed them out.
"Ah, those are a recent innovation by the cartographers guild. Instead of drawing a picture of a mountain, these lines represent changes in height from the ground up. So the largest shape you see would be the bottom of a mountain whilst the smaller ones inside those larger shapes are rises of around ten feet."
She paused a minute, taking some time to admire the map.
If Link understood her correctly, the map was more accurate than any previous one that had ever been produced. He looked over at the area where Kakariko village should have been. Sure enough, the strange shapes seemed to outline the valley that the village was nested in. Though small, he also saw the path leading up to Death Mountain. He noticed the shapes seemed to outline a climbing slope as he went further north on it, towards Death Mountain.
"This... this is incredible! I never thought you could have such detail on a map before."
"Then I shall let the cartographers know of your praise. I imagine it will spur them on to improve their methods further. They call these shapes 'contours'" Zelda said happily.
"For now, let us proceed. We have three locations. I believe the nearest one would appear to be at the very top of the Snowpeak mountain range" she said, gesturing to the map.
Sure enough, one of the golden orbs had positioned itself directly over the smallest contour in the Snowpeak area. It looked to be fairly close to the enormous slope where Link had first met the giant Yeti, Yeto.
"If I'm reading this right, I may already know how to reach this area" Link offered.
"Well, this is excellent news! I believe we will have enough time to retrieve the fragment of the Triforce and get back to Ordon Village." Zelda explained excitedly.
Link was taken aback.
"We?"
Zelda looked at him, expressionless.
"Yes, we."
"But...wha..."
"I already have combat training, magic and some of the finest equipment available to me. As for my motivation in this?" she said whilst allowing Link some time to process what she had said.
"I believe I told you that being a princess is far from enjoyable? That is when it is at its best. Now, imagine being kept prisoner whilst your subjects and realm fall victim to a despot from another dimension. I have never felt so impotent as I did as Zant and Ganondorf's captive."
She looked increasingly displeased and Link knew exactly why. She had been powerless to act, yet wanted to do everything in her power to halt the twilight crisis. Still... court duties were not related to battlefield prowess, Link thought.
"You must know that we would likely be facing incredible dangers during this. What of your royal duties? What of your experience in battle? Could you face a foe ten times your size and not flinch? What about..."
She held her hand up, more firmly this time.
"I am not helpless nor inexperienced" she said sharply. Link was taken aback. She raised a clenched fist.
One finger raised. "Part of my duties include learning self-defence. I have been given extensive training in hand-to-hand combat."
Two raised. "I may have royal duties, but there are perfectly capable councillors who can manage the affairs of the castle and lands for a time. Delegation is still an option."
Three now. "I cannot say if I would flinch or not before a foe as tall as you suggest. However, I do believe I have enough skill to defeat someone very skilled when faced with swordplay. Namely, you."
Links pride was stung. How could she possibly know this? He didn't doubt she would have had extensive training to defend herself. There was no substitute for all of his battlefield experience though. Could she truly defeat him? The idea raced around Links's mind and then a sliver of excitement came over him.
"You...think you can best me in swordplay?" Link asked, bewildered at the implication.
Zelda nodded silently.
"If you wish, we could spar together. If I do defeat you, then I would go with you to help retrieve the fragments of the Triforce. If you defeat me, then you can pursue the task alone and I will remain here to fulfil my duties. Although, I must admit it would leave a bitterness within me."
Link had seen great beasts, killed scores of Bulbins, navigated incredible hazards and survived countless wounds during the twilight crisis. He felt nothing could faze him. Now, he was feeling a twinge of unease once again. However, the sliver of excitement hadn't disappeared. It was growing stronger within him.
It took him a moment to rationalise going on an adventure with the princess of Hyrule. She would not be able to lead or govern. The people would likely miss her public addresses. Nobles would not have her judgment over civil matters. Furthermore, she would be in danger.
"Let's do it!" he said, with the excitement completely ruling him.