To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 6 – Recognition

Zelda walked towards the exit of the garden, leading a dirt-smeared Link behind her. The hero still didn't know his way around the castle very well, so the Princess took it upon herself to lead him in the right direction. She figured it was better to do it herself rather than risking Link going off on his own and getting lost. Or, heaven forbid, tripping and falling into another flowerbed.

This unfortunately meant that Zelda's original plan of taking a relaxing walk through the garden had been cut short, and she now had no hope of finishing it. As it turned out, Link had proven himself to be far too big of a distraction. But Zelda honestly didn't mind very much. Even now, as she walked alongside Link, she held a small smile on her lips. It was odd, but it seemed that she found spending time with the hero clad in green to be just as relaxing as a trip to the esteemed castle garden. She couldn't help but wonder why. However, she didn't ponder this thought for long, as they were quickly approaching the garden's exit.

Zelda glanced back at the hero. "First things first, we'll need to get you cleaned up. Do you have a spare set of clothes?"

Link nodded. "Yes, in one of Epona's saddlebags."

"Good, then we'll give your current attire to the maids to have it properly washed, and in the meantime, you can bathe in the guards' bathhouse."

"That sounds nice. It's probably best to clean this stuff off before it becomes permanent," Link said with a laugh. He then stopped when he noticed Zelda was staring at him with an amused expression. He stared back for a few seconds in silence, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Er…What?"

Zelda just shook her head a bit. "It's nothing. I just don't think I've ever witnessed a person who was covered in as much filth as you are now."

Link smirked back at her. "Yes, I imagine that you don't see people wearing this particular ensemble—" Link paused, pulling on his dirt-smeared tunic with both hands "—at the castle very often."

Zelda giggled. "No, we don't. In fact, I daresay you wouldn't even be allowed inside of the castle halls in your current state."

Link blinked a bit, seeming surprised. "What? You'd deny me entry?"

Zelda just nodded. "I'd have to. Otherwise, I'd no doubt receive an earful from Fost about the endless tracks of mud in the halls."

"Ah, I take it the good Minister likes things to be kept clean and tidy?"

"You have no idea. Oh, and by the way, Link, you shouldn't let Fost see you like this. His opinion of you might change drastically, and not for the better."

Link noted the light-heartedness in Zelda's tone, as well as her amused smile, but he still took the warning to heart. "In that case, I should get cleaned up as soon as possible."

"Agreed," Zelda replied.

Just then, as the two of them were about to reach the garden's exit, they spotted the head gardener himself stepping inside. He seemed to be returning from another part of the courtyard, and he was currently carrying a potted plant in his hands.

It didn't take long for Ernest to notice Zelda. He set his plant aside and gave a quick bow. "Ah, greetings again, Your Highness. Taking your leave, I presume?"

"Ah, Ernest," Zelda said in a pleasantly surprised tone. "I was just on my way out, but I was hoping to speak to you first."

The gardener raised his head. "Of course, Your Highness. Whatever do you-" Ernest suddenly paused, his eyes focusing on the dirt-smeared hero standing behind her. His expression soon soured into a glare. "Ah, you again! And following the Princess on her way out, no less? I should hope that you have finished fixing what you destroyed before you tried to sneak away, scoundrel!"

"Sneak away?" Link repeated. What was he talking about? All Link had been doing was walking alongside the Princess. It wasn't like he was trying to hide or anything.

Speaking of the Princess, she soon cleared her throat in an obvious attempt to grab the gardener's attention. "Ahem."

Ernest jumped a bit before turning to face her. "Ah, apologies, my Lady. I was distracted for a moment by the sight of your company. I see you've also had the misfortune of coming across his presence today. This garden-destroying, flower-crushing miscreant." As he said these words, he threw another glare in Link's direction. "But I'll deal with him in just a moment. What is it that Your Highness wished to discuss with me?"

Zelda frowned as she stared at the man with her suddenly strict sapphire eyes. When she spoke, her tone was completely serious, and it sounded rather displeased as well. "Actually, Ernest, this 'miscreant' is the very thing that I wished to speak with you about."

Ernest quickly bowed his head once more. "Apologies, my Lady. Did he offend you?"

"No," she replied, her voice still sounding stern and unamused.

"Was it the ruined flowerbed? Because I did try to warn you-"

"No," Zelda repeated, abruptly cutting him off. Once the gardener was silent, she gestured to Link. "Ernest, please tell me, do you have any idea who this man is?"

"Of course I do," Ernest said with a small nod. He then glared at Link again. "This is the oaf who foolishly ruined a corner of the castle's garden!"

Link winced a bit at the constant criticism coming from the gardener, but Zelda remained resolute in her serious demeanor without batting an eye. "While that may be true, that simple fact does not compose his entire identity." She soon gestured to the dirt-covered man behind her. "Ernest, please allow me to properly introduce you. This is Link, the hero who recently saved our Kingdom from the threat of the Twilight Invasion."

Upon hearing this, Ernest raised a single eyebrow in curiosity before glancing over to Link. A second later, he immediately burst out laughing with surprising enthusiasm. He soon doubled over as his eyes were forced shut from the humor of it all. "Bwa ha ha ha! Th-This bumbling fool is the hero who saved Hyrule? Ha ha ha! That's…That's very amusing, Your Highness, very amusing indeed, ha ha!"

Link just uncomfortably stared at the man who was howling with laughter. What was so funny about what Zelda had said? Was it because he was still covered in dirt and didn't look much like a proper hero? Link soon opened his mouth, feeling he should say something. "Um…"

However, Zelda quickly forced a hand out in front of him, as if she was issuing him to remain silent. She was still staring at the gardener with a stern frown, even as he continued to laugh. She didn't make any attempt to silence him though. She seemed insistent on waiting for him to compose himself.

The moment came just as the man's laughter was petering out. He finally opened his eyes and realized the Princess's expression was still unchanged, looking as severe as ever. Upon noticing this, Ernest quickly shut his trap, with a look of both horror and realization on his face. He soon stood up straight. "Oh, you're serious…"

"Oh yes, I am being incredibly serious," Zelda replied in a tone that was still free of joviality. "Why would I ever jest about something like this?"

"I, um…" Ernest suddenly seemed at a loss for words. He began nervously rubbing his hands together. He then took another glance at Link, as if hoping to see him in a new light. "Th-This man truly defeated the evil tyrant Ganondorf?"

Zelda gave a curt nod. "Yes, I witnessed it with my own eyes. He is the brave hero of our Kingdom, a man of great renown. Someone who should be treated with the utmost respect."

"I…I see…"

"So I'm certain you can imagine my surprise, when I stumbled upon him in the garden, and discovered that the head gardener of the castle had assigned him to work there," Zelda said in a tone that sounded both disappointed as well as upset. "Tell me, Ernest. Does the hero who saved our Kingdom deserve to be toiling around in the dirt and mud, simply because of a careless mistake?"

Ernest looked like he had shoved a foot in his mouth. Well, multiple feet, to be exact. He seemed to have realized that his fate was sealed. "Er, no, Your Highness…I'm afraid this was a misunderstanding on my part."

Zelda nodded, seeming to approve of his words. "I see. Then I assume that this is something that can be undone?"

"Of course, Your Highness. I'll take care of the flowerbed myself."

Zelda finally allowed her frown to loosen, her lips just gently curving into the smallest of smiles. "Very good. Now I believe an apology is in order."

Ernest bowed. "My sincerest apologies, Your Highness."

"Oh no, not for me, Ernest," Zelda was quick to correct him. "I believe the one to whom you owe an apology is our young hero here."

Ernest quickly rose from his bow, looking completely embarrassed. "O-Of course, Your Highness!" He then turned to Link with the utmost awkwardness, even taking a second to clear his throat. It was clear that he was caught off guard by this sudden change in direction. "A-Ahem, Sir Link, was it? F-Forgive me for not recognizing you earlier, and for addressing you in such an unfriendly manner. Please disregard what I said to you. You can, uh, leave the garden be for today and resume your normal activities…And er, thank you for your service."

Link couldn't help but shrink back a bit, even though he was the one being apologized to. Just seeing how uncomfortable this man was made him feel a bit uncomfortable too. He nervously rubbed his neck a bit. "Um, don't worry about it…"

Zelda allowed her smile to widen, feeling satisfied. "Very good. Now it seems that this matter has been settled."

"I-Indeed," Ernest agreed. "Will you be requiring anything else, Your Highness?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you, Ernest."

"Of course, my Lady. Now if you'll excuse me, I do believe I have some work to attend to." The gardener then walked away as soon as he was able. Link couldn't help but notice that he still looked a bit embarrassed as he did so. No doubt the man was probably feeling ashamed after receiving a scolding from the Princess. Link couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic for him.

He soon turned to Zelda. "You didn't have to be so hard on him."

"I said what I felt was necessary," she replied in an unflinching tone.

Link looked towards the ground as he rubbed his neck a bit. "But I feel kind of…bad. I mean, it's like he got in trouble because I didn't say anything in the first place."

Zelda smirked a bit. "Goodness, Link. Do you feel guilty for every little bad thing that happens around you?"

"Er…Well, no…"

Zelda soon giggled at his expression. "Don't worry. I should think that Ernest will survive a scolding, especially one as meager as this. I'm hoping it will at least teach him to be a bit more patient and forgiving of others, and to not worry so much over trivial matters."

Link just stared at Zelda, studying her for a moment. "You never seem afraid to speak your mind," he noted.

Zelda soon returned his gaze with a thoughtful expression. "Of course not. Especially when I'm defending someone who is important to me."

Once again, Link's cheeks began to turn red behind the mask of dirt on his face. It felt strange to hear the Princess talk about him in such a manner. To know that someone of her status considered someone like him to be of importance…Well, it was a little overwhelming, to say the least. And to think that he had once been just a boy who did nothing other than herd goats around a small ranch. He had come a long way, and he was still getting used to it.

"Come on," Zelda called, suddenly pulling Link out of his thoughts. "I'll show you to the bathhouse. We can talk more after you're cleaned up."

Link just gave a quick nod and followed behind her as she walked off. "Right."

Zelda waited on one of the castle's terraces, staring down into the courtyard, as well as out towards the town that lay beyond it. The sun had started to dip towards the horizon as evening was approaching, providing a calm, quiet atmosphere. Zelda took a moment to breathe deeply and relax. Being royalty, moments of quiet were not often available to her, so she made sure to treasure them every chance she got. Especially after the various events that had taken place that day, between both the infirmary and the garden.

Zelda just smirked a bit as this thought crossed her mind. Why did it seem that men were always such troublemakers?

Shaking her head, she walked over to a small round table, surrounded by two opposing chairs. The Princess took a seat here, and then continued waiting for her company in silence. Fortunately, it did not take long, for a maid soon arrived, leading the expected guest in tow.

"Princess, I've brought him here, just as you asked."

Zelda gave her a smile and a nod. "Thank you, Rita. I appreciate it."

The maid known as Rita gave a small curtsy before taking her leave. As she did, she revealed Link standing in her place, now free of dirt and wearing a fresh green tunic. He walked out onto the terrace slowly, almost as if he was a bit hesitant. However, after scanning the scene and seeing that the Princess was his only company, he seemed to relax a bit. "It's just us?" he asked.

Zelda raised an eyebrow as she watched his behavior. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

Link smiled and waved his hands. "No, no, quite the opposite, actually. When I found out that a maid was escorting me, I became worried that you might be introducing me to a bunch of Ministers or something."

"Oh? And what would be wrong with that?"

Link scratched his head a bit. "Nothing. It's just…I think I'd get nervous if I had to stand in front of a bunch of important officials. Like I'd be worried about embarrassing myself or something."

Zelda smirked a bit. "Really? Our brave hero who faced the likes of Zant and Ganondorf is frightened by the thought of meeting mere council members?"

Link crossed his arms. "I can fight just fine," he stated confidently. "It's when I have to think about what I should say and how I should act in front of high-ranking figures that I start to get nervous."

Zelda gave him a curious look. "Does that include myself?"

Link looked startled, and suddenly started backtracking with his words. "Er, well, no…Not really. I know you well enough by now that I can relax when I'm around you."

"You don't seem very relaxed," Zelda noted with a smug expression.

Link just stared at the floor. "It…It comes and goes," he mumbled.

The conversation fell silent for a moment, but then, to Link's surprise, Zelda gave a small giggle. "Yes, well I suppose after that display you gave in the garden earlier, your fears have proven themselves to be worthy of concern. After witnessing that, I have no doubt that the risk of you potentially embarrassing yourself at any given moment is quite high."

Link started blushing as he continued to stare at the floor. This is not the message that he had been trying to convey to the Princess, but she seemed all too willing to accept it. Even now, she was still playfully smiling at him. For the second time in recent memory, Link felt like he was spending time with Midna instead of the Princess.

However, Zelda soon subdued her smirk and spoke up once more. "But alas, I encourage you to relax and forget your fears for now, for your only noteworthy company tonight shall be myself, and I promise that I shall not judge you or your actions. Well, not too harshly, anyway." She then gestured to the chair opposite her. "Now Link, come and have a seat. You and I have much to discuss."

Link still felt rather embarrassed after the Princess's teasing, but he did as she requested and took a seat opposite her. He sat there in silence for a moment, waiting for Zelda to speak up again, but it seemed that she was being closemouthed as well. Eventually, Link gave in and glanced up at her, only to be surprised to see a small frown on her face. For some reason, she seemed kind of…disappointed. Was it something he had done?

Zelda soon sighed. "Link, I was hoping we could put this incident behind us, but as I sit here and look upon you…Well, I still feel a bit regretful, and I believe that an apology is in order. This time, from myself."

Link just gave her a confused look. "Um…What are you talking about?"

"The incident in the garden earlier," Zelda clarified. "I'm truly sorry that we were not able to give you a proper welcome to the castle. Especially after you've been away for so long." Zelda bowed her head as she apologized.

Link squirmed in his seat a bit, feeling uncomfortable as he received these words. "What? You don't have to apologize, Zelda. If anything, it was my fault, remember?"

Zelda raised her head, and smiled a bit, but her expression still showed a trace of remorse. "That is very kind of you to say, Link, but I insist on apologizing. As a member of the Royal Family that rules this castle as well as the Kingdom of Hyrule, it is a stain upon my honor to know that our young hero was treated so rashly and improperly."

Link just shook his head, trying to get his feelings across. "No really, it's fine. I didn't need a 'proper hero's welcome' or anything like that." He then paused before smiling a little. "Besides, I can hardly say that this is my worst trip to the castle. I'd much rather take what happened today instead of having to storm the castle and face Ganondorf again."

Zelda seemed surprised at this response, but she soon released a small giggle. "I see. That is a fair point."

"Compared to that, being covered in dirt hardly seems like something to complain about."

Zelda smirked at this, suddenly recognizing the very words that she had directed towards the head gardener earlier that day. However, this time it seemed that they were being used against her. Leave it to the hero to help put things in perspective. "Your benevolence is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Link."

"It's no problem," Link replied with a shrug.

Zelda took a moment to study the hero. It honestly felt refreshing to see him again after all the time he had been away. "I must say, you look much better without that layer of filth covering you."

Link laughed a bit before replying in a sarcastic tone. "What? You're telling me you didn't like it?"

"I'll admit it had an amusing charm to it."

Link spotted it again. That playful smile of hers. A smile that Link was honestly starting to appreciate, for it always let him know that he didn't have to be nervous around the Princess. It was a smile that told him that he could simply relax and treat her as nothing more than a like-minded companion. And of course, he knew that she would be completely satisfied with that.

Zelda soon spoke up again. "So tell me, how was your return to Ordon Village? Did it go well?"

Link nodded. "Yeah, Rusl and I managed to get the kids back home without any trouble. All the parents were finally reunited with their children. They had been gone for quite a while, so it was pretty emotional, to say the least."

"Of course," Zelda agreed. "I can only imagine how relieved everyone was."

Link nodded again. "But things seem to have settled down since then. Everyone's returned to their daily activities. You know, farming, ranching, fishing…Meanwhile, the kids have happily returned to playing and goofing off, which is good. The way they behave, you'd never guess that they had all been kidnapped just a short while ago. It's been nice to see things return to normal after everything that happened."

Zelda gave him a curious look. "And what about you, Link? How have you been spending your time since you returned home?"

"Oh, me?" Link asked with a frown. For some reason, he felt like it was a bit awkward to give the Princess a full report on his daily life. Would she really care about such mundane activities? He soon gave an honest answer anyway. "Well, I did take a trip to the Sacred Grove so I could return the Master Sword to its pedestal, but aside from that, I've been taking it easy for the most part. I still help out around the village where it's needed, whether it be herding goats or harvesting pumpkins. I play with the kids sometimes too. They always enjoy watching my swordplay, so I still manage to stay in practice. Epona is also happy to be home again. She especially enjoys visiting her favorite spring on warm sunny days, where the light trickles through the leaves of the trees and bathes everything in a bright shade of green."

Zelda just smiled as she listened to him. "The way you describe the village, it sounds very peaceful."

Link nodded and found himself smiling as well. "It really is."

Zelda's smile then curved a bit, giving her a somewhat curious expression. "And yet in spite of that peaceful life, you have returned here."

Link seemed a bit surprised at this sudden accusation. "Well, yeah. I promised that I would."

"Yes, and I appreciate that you have kept your promise," Zelda replied with a smirk. "As I stated before, I believe that your talents and connections will be very useful in assisting the Hyrule reconstruction effort, so I'm glad to have you here."

"Of course," Link replied. "I want to help in any way I can."

Zelda gave him an appreciative nod. "How long are you planning on staying?"

Once again, Link seemed surprised. "Here at the castle?" Zelda nodded again. "I haven't really thought about it…However long you need me, I guess?"

The Princess soon posed another question towards the hero. "I see. And what if I said that your talents were required here indefinitely?"

Naturally, Link froze again. He looked both surprised and dismayed, and he hesitated to give an answer. "Oh, well…I do want to be helpful to you and to Hyrule. But…I would also like to be able to return to Ordon at some point. It is my home, after all, and I don't care to be away from it for long periods of time unless I have to."

Zelda seemed to catch the hidden meaning in his words. "Ah, do you still feel protective of your village?"

Link looked away with a sheepish smile. "Well…yeah."

To his surprise, Zelda just nodded in approval. "As you should be. Even though the Twilight Invasion has come to an end, we are still in tumultuous times. You never know when a new threat might choose to rear its ugly head, plunging us all into chaos and danger once again. And should such a thing come to pass, I'd hate for your loved ones to be in the path of its destruction without you there to protect them."

Upon hearing this, Link felt a bit confused. Was she telling him to return to Ordon Village? But if he did that, then… "Er, does that mean I won't be able to help out with the recovery effort?"

Zelda just smiled at his confused expression. She soon shook her head. "Forgive me, Link, and allow me to clarify. That question I posed was merely meant to test your resolve, as well as identify your priorities. I never had any intention of confining you to the castle indefinitely. There will certainly be times where your presence is needed, but they will not be terribly frequent, and you will still have plenty of free time to do as you please. Naturally, that includes returning to your home in Ordon Village."

Upon hearing this, Link breathed a small sigh of relief. "Oh, well why didn't you just say so? I was starting to get worried that I would have to choose between staying at Ordon and helping out the rest of Hyrule."

Zelda's sapphire eyes turned curious once more as she stared down the hero. "I see. And what would you have chosen, were that the case?"

Link flinched a bit. Once again, he felt caught off guard by the Princess's questions. He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Um…I don't know. I would've had to think about it."

Zelda continued to stare at the hero, as if pressing him for an answer, but she soon shrugged and let it go. "A wise enough response, I suppose…Or at the very least, not a careless one."

The conversation went silent for a moment after that. Link ended up glancing over to find that the Princess was still staring at him with a somewhat inquisitive gaze. It was as if she was studying the hero, potentially trying to figure him out. Link just shrunk back some more, feeling a little uncomfortable. He awkwardly tried to speak up again.

"Er…So now that I'm here, what will I be helping out with, exactly?"

Zelda suddenly blinked, as if snapping herself out of her own trance before giving a small nod. "Yes, I suppose I should finally get around to properly explaining things, shouldn't I?" She paused, taking a moment to adjust her position. She sat up straight in her seat and clasped her hands together. She now appeared more formal and ready for a serious discussion. "Allow me to take a moment to catch you up to speed. Ever since the Twilight Invasion ended, the Hyrule Council has been very busy coming up with numerous plans and strategies for the sake of achieving two main goals. The first is the reconstruction of Hyrule: trying to repair the damage left behind in the wake of the Twilight Invasion and restoring things to their usual order. The second goal is to strengthen Hyrule to something beyond what it was before: a more unified and capable Kingdom."

Link nodded as he listened. "I recall you saying something like that before."

"Yes, the Hyrule Council, as well as myself, feel that the second goal is necessary for the sake of preventing a situation like the Twilight Invasion from ever taking place again. The main idea being that we will strengthen the Kingdom enough that it would not collapse should one uppity Twili man decide to encroach upon these lands."

Link quickly raised his eyebrows at this. He had not expected to hear the Princess simply refer to Zant as some "uppity Twili man", and yet she had done so without batting an eye. Talk about making light of a dire situation! Although, having met Zant personally, he couldn't necessarily deny the claim either…

Zelda soon continued. "Truth be told, in order to achieve our first goal, we will likely have little need for your talents. The general reconstruction of the Kingdom will mostly just require time and resources; something that the Hyrule Council will have to organize. The only thing that might require your abilities would be in the case of a spontaneous monster outbreak. There are still a good number of them roaming around after the Twilight Invasion, and there is always a chance that they might attack an unsuspecting village. Should that happen, we could use you as a defensive measure, sending you straight to the battlefield to fight and quell the danger."

"Sure, I could do that," Link agreed. After everything he had been through on his journey, he felt pretty confident in his fighting abilities, and he was sure that he could handle just about any monster that came his way. Not to mention, he was a kindhearted hero that liked to protect the innocent. If someone was in danger, he would gladly be willing to step forward and do everything in his power to save them. "You can rely on me," Link assured her.

Zelda gave a small nod. "It is nice to see that our hero has not lost his bravery. However, your combat abilities would only be required as the need arises, and I sincerely hope and pray that we should never have the need for such a thing. I expect that our days of danger are behind us, but you can never be too careful." Zelda let words hang in the air for a moment before choosing to continue once more. "Nevertheless, my point is that you will not be heavily needed for our plans to restore Hyrule. Instead, we believe your aid can best be used for our second goal: the strengthening of Hyrule."

Link gave her a curious glance. "How so?"

"The Hyrule Council has agreed that of your many qualities, there were two that stood out as particularly valuable. The first being your connections. While on your journey, you met a number of significant individuals and forged relationships with them. From Kakariko Village, to the Gorons at Death Mountain, to the Zoras in their Domain, to even here in Castle Town. Not to mention Ordon Village, as well as the Twilight Realm. I daresay you are perhaps one of the most well-connected individuals in the entire Kingdom."

Link's eyes widened in surprise. It felt shocking to hear that from a Princess of all people! But he had to admit that she did have a point. He had met a lot of people throughout different parts of the Kingdom, and after everything he had been through, he even considered some of them to be good friends of his. In fact, he probably wouldn't even be standing here today if it weren't for them.

"That's true, I guess I do know a lot of people," Link admitted with a small smile.

Zelda simply nodded and continued once more. "The second quality being the experience of your adventure. You've traveled across the lands, seen many things, and fought many adversaries; all of which are things that most people could not claim to have done themselves. After going on such a journey, it is undeniable that your basic understanding of the Kingdom as a whole is quite impressive."

Link found himself slowly nodding at this. "Well, I don't know much about history…" he admitted with a somewhat embarrassed expression, "but it is true that I was able to see a lot of the Kingdom as I traveled."

Zelda giggled a bit at this. "Fortunately for you, it seems that the Hyrule Council were not basing their assessment on your lack of historical knowledge. They claimed that the two qualities I have mentioned made you more than capable of accepting the role we have in mind for you." She paused for a second before smirking. "Of course, it also helped to know that you were the hero who defeated Ganondorf and saved the Kingdom. That certainly seemed to seal the deal."

Link continued to nod absentmindedly for a few seconds before he suddenly froze as he realized something. He quickly sat up straight with a quizzical expression. "Wait a second. Did you say that the Hyrule Council was making this decision?"

Zelda returned his surprised expression with one of her own. "I did."

"So they were the ones who were judging my capabilities?"

"Yes," Zelda answered with a slight nod. "Is there a problem with that?"

Link frowned. "Well, it's just…It feels weird to know that they were judging me, when I haven't even met most of the people on the Council. I mean, hell, I don't even know who is on the Council to begin with! And yet they decided to just accept me for a position?"

Zelda blankly stared at him for a moment before a naturally amused expression took to her lips. "Ah, are you growing nervous again?"

"A little!" he admitted with a huff. "I mean, how could they know what I was capable of if they've never even met me?"

In response to his sudden panic, Zelda addressed him in a calm and relaxed manner. "Truth be told, it didn't matter much. The tales of your exploits, as well as a firsthand account from myself, seemed to convince them that you were suitable for the position."

Link blinked at this. "Wait, you spoke up for me?"

"Of course. Why are you so surprised? I am a member of the Hyrule Council as well, which means that I was also heavily involved in this decision. And I was not alone either. Minister Fost, having made your acquaintance before the meeting, was also more than willing to speak in favor of your capabilities."

"Oh, I see…" Link said quietly. He then sat still for a moment, processing her words. "Well, hearing that does make me feel better, but I still feel a bit uneasy about the whole thing…"

Zelda just raised her eyebrows. "Goodness, Link, what is the matter? Do you think I gave a poor description of your exploits and achievements?"

Link quickly shook his head at this. "What? No…"

"Would you have rather stood before the Council yourself to give a full account of your journey?"

Link shook his head vehemently, as well as waving his hands back and forth. "N-No!"

"Then what has you feeling so uneasy?" Zelda pressed him. "From my perspective, the Council made a most wise and well-reasoned decision. I daresay that the only person who has a problem with it is yourself."

Link shrunk back a bit, suddenly looking a little apologetic. "Er, I'm sorry. I just…I wanted to make sure that the Council wasn't overestimating me just because of the stories they might have heard. If they met me in person, they might…well, they might be disappointed to know I'm just a ranch hand from Ordon…"

Upon hearing this, Zelda just stared at him, dumbfounded. She held this blank gaze for a few seconds before eventually sighing and closing her eyes. She even brought a few fingers up and rested them on the bridge of her nose. "Goddesses help me. Only you, Link, would be so stubborn, so modest, so nervous, and quite frankly, so low on self-esteem that you would consider yourself, the hero who saved this very Kingdom, to have potentially been overestimated by the Council."

"It's…It's not that I think I am incapable!" Link shot back, trying to defend himself. "I just wanted to make sure that they weren't expecting something…you know, more."

Zelda just sighed again. "Goodness, Link, what am I to do with you? All this conversation has proven to me is that your excessive humility really does do you more harm than good."

Upon seeing her exasperated expression, Link felt apologetic again. Maybe he was being a bit overdramatic, but this was a genuine concern of his. "I'm sorry, Zelda. I know I've gone on an amazing journey and even saved the Kingdom, but I…I still don't feel like I'm used to it yet." He hung his head in shame as he finished.

Zelda eyed him for a second before giving him a soft smile. "I appreciate the sentiment, although I feel it is unnecessary to apologize for simply being yourself. I can't exactly fault you for that, can I?"

Link continued to let his head hang as he shook it again. "I don't know anymore…It feels like I've caused you more trouble than it's worth."

Zelda released the smallest hint of a giggle. "Oh, cheer up, Link. It's not that serious. Trust me, I've overcome much greater troubles than something as trivial as this."

Upon hearing this, Link slowly raised his head and glanced towards the Princess. She was still smiling at him with a look of encouragement. He had to admit, seeing this did make him feel a little better. He almost felt like apologizing again, but he soon thought better of it, and instead just replied with, "Thank you, Zelda."

Zelda nodded towards him before turning away, glancing out over the balcony and down into the castle's courtyard below. "Still though, I feel that we'll need to have something done about those nerves of yours. I also would like for you to come to terms with your current position as a hero who saved the Kingdom. Seeing you act like this, as well as witnessing the garden incident earlier today, has made me realize that you are sorely in need of some proper recognition." She paused before turning back to Link once more. "Fortunately, a solution has already come to mind."

Link raised his eyebrows at this. Recognition? Something that would help him accept his position as a hero? What was she talking about? Even as he stared at the Princess, he noticed the faint trace of a mischievous smirk appear on her lips. Uh-oh, that meant she was planning something…

"Wh-What are you going to do?" Link asked, almost fearing the answer.

Zelda just stared at him, with an expression of confidence and even subtle amusement. But whether she was amused with herself or with the hero, Link couldn't tell. "Oh, it's nothing much. I'm just going to do something in order to make sure that everyone knows just how capable you truly are."

Link just frowned, still feeling hesitant. "And that is…?"

Zelda soon flashed him a grin, her mischievous features suddenly becoming more prominent. She then spoke, in a plain, matter of fact, tone.

"I'm going to bestow you with a proper title."

I hope I didn't make Link seem too nervous here. I know he's a brave hero who recently saved his entire Kingdom, but this is kind of how I feel he would naturally react when he is suddenly thrust into a "higher level" of society. He is a man of humble origins, after all.