Author's Note: This story isn't based on any particular game, but is set in its own universe which takes elements from multiple games, chief among them "A Link to the Past", "Ocarina of Time" and "Breath of the Wild".

Chapter 1:

A Chance Encounter

Daring to peek through her hiding spot in the empty wagon, Zelda saw a little town appearing on the horizon and smiled.

While this was far from the first time Princess Zelda had attempted to escape the castle she was never allowed to leave, it was the first time she had managed to make it this far.

The plan had been a success: wake up early, have breakfast, act completely normal as the maids help you get dressed. Walk to the library, the place in the castle everybody knows you like the most. Use the secret passageway there that nobody else (not even Mother) knows that exists. Get out of the castle. Hide inside one of the empty wagons that bring food and other supplies to the castle (vegetable and produce, judging by the lingering smell. Zelda should count herself happy it wasn't fish) just as it's about to make its way back to its point of origin.

There were absolutely no cracks in her plan. I mean, sure, she was going to earn a dressing down and a punishment from Mother once she was found or when she decided to come back (she was hoping to spend at least the whole day in this town exploring it) but she was already used to those.

Once the empty wagon entered the town and she made sure that there was no one nearby, the princess quickly jumped off the vehicle, deftly landing on her feet, and continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"Okay, if the last sign was correct, this should be Merale Village…" Zelda muttered to herself, as she began to look around.

This little village couldn't be more different from Castle Town. There were no roads or pavement, just grass and dirt roads made by the constant walking of people and carriages; the air smelled of grass and manure; people dressed in simple clothes, mostly green, brown and beige colors. The racket from Castle Town, which could be heard even from her own bedroom, was absent here, replaced by the murmurs of conversations here and there and the occasional cry of farm animals.

So deliciously quaint!

Adjusting the hooded cloak she was wearing to conceal her identity, the incognito princess walked across the town.

Oh, there were so many things she wanted to do! She wanted to see what kind of shops they had here (perhaps buy some of their wares as a memento, even if Mother would have them confiscated), talk to the people, see the sights, inspect their surroundings…

"Okay, where could I begin- oops!" she yelped, hiding just as she caught a glimpse of metal, realizing that two armored men were walking down the streets. Soldiers, here? Had she been found so soon? But she only just got here! "No, calm down. They're probably just town guards on their usual patrol. Just act natural," she told herself.

Pulling her hood down even further, Zelda continued walking as casually as possible. Okay, even if those guards probably wouldn't recognize her, she'd better avoid them. She needed to be on high alert, completely aware of her surroundings, keeping an eye out for anything that might reveal her true identity-

"Ooof!"

Zelda was so aware of her surroundings that she'd neglected to be aware of what was in front of her, as she accidentally bumped into a boy carrying a large wooden box. Both of them fell to the ground and so did the box, spilling its contents - lots and lots of nails - across the dirt.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" Zelda was quick to apologize after getting back on her feet. The boy, still lying on the ground, didn't say anything and began to pick up the dropped nails and put them back in the box. Zelda did the same. "I'll compensate you for this!"

"It's okay," he said, sounding surprisingly nonchalant. "You just made me spill some nails, you didn't kill my family."

"Still, it was wrong of me. I should have been looking better at what's in front of me," she quickly said, completely flustered.

"It would be a good starting point, yes," the boy replied.

As they gathered the spilled nails, she took a good look at the kid she had crashed against. The boy in question was probably twelve, like her, maybe a bit younger (it was hard to tell since he was on the shorter side), with fair skin, blue eyes and dirty blond hair. He was wearing a green tunic with a cap of the same color, a red leather belt and brown boots.

"But again, no need to," the boy in green said, putting the lid back on the wooden box once all the nails were put inside.

"I insist," Zelda replied.

"It's not-"

"It is!"

The boy sighed. "Very well. If you want to do it so badly… how do you plan to compensate me, then?" he said, before picking up the box and continued walking towards wherever he was going.

"Er… well, it's past noon, right? How about if I treat you to lunch?" Zelda offered.

"If you're offering, sure. Saves me having to go hunting again," the boy said with a shrug.

"You… have to hunt your own food?" Zelda asked in astonishment, her eyebrows practically flying into her hairline.

"Sometimes, whenever I don't have any food at home," the boy casually replied, before grinning at her in a taunting way. "I bet you must find this surprising, being a rich girl at all."

That surprised her even more. "How do you know- I mean, why do you think I'm rich?"

"Those jewels you're wearing don't look cheap. For an untrained eye, they may look like an imitation or that they're just bathed in gold, but I can tell that they're pure gold," the boy explained. "Either that, or you're a thief. But you don't look like a thief to me."

Feeling incredibly self-conscious (not to mention embarrassed, how did she overlook such an important detail?) Zelda muttered a curse and quickly removed her Triforce-shaped earrings and her jeweled necklace, putting them away inside one of the cloak's hidden pockets.

"Don't worry, people around these parts are pretty honest. They won't rob you," the boy reassured her.

"It's not that. I don't want to be recognized," Zelda replied.

"Why? Don't tell me you're really a thief," the boy asked with mirth in his tone.

"If I were a thief, I wouldn't have helped you pick up those nails, right?" Zelda asked back. "I would have robbed you and fled."

The boy took a second to think those words before nodding. "Okay, sounds about right."

"So, what about you? Are you a blacksmith or something? With how you recognized my jewels as pure gold, and carrying those nails…" Zelda said, hoping to shift the topic of the conversation onto him. The less they talk about her, the better.

"Assistant. My uncle is the blacksmith. I help him whenever I can, both in the forge and making deliveries," he began before he suddenly stopped in front of a house. "Ah, here we are!"

Zelda saw that it was a carpenter's workshop.

"Mr. Mutoh, it's me, Link I brought you your nails!" Link shouted.

The door of the workshop opened, revealing a bald middle aged man with a white moustache, wearing a blue jacket over his bare chest.

"Ah, Link! Thank you, just in time!" the carpenter, Mutoh, replied, as he took the box from the boy's hands, and put it on a table inside. He then gave Link a red rupee. "There you go, you can keep the change!"

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Mutoh!" Link, happily replied.

"You're welcome! By the way, who's your fancy little friend? I don't think I've seen her before," the carpenter asked.

Fancy? Even without the jewels, people could tell she was high born? Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized that both Link and Mutoh were staring at her, and the dawning realization that she had never told him her name hit her like a hammer.

"Zel-Celia!" she quickly amended before she could blurt her real name. "My name's Celia."

Mr. Mutoh smiled. "Well, I hope you enjoy Merale Village, miss."

"I'm sure I will, Mr. Mutoh. I was talking with Link about a nice place to eat together," Zelda said.

"In that case, may I suggest Larissa's Lounge? One of the best places to eat in the whole town," the carpenter said.

Link looked like he was thinking about it, before shrugging and saying "sure."

Ten minutes later, they were at the so-called "Larissa's Lounge". While it wasn't as fancy as the pubs or taverns of Castle Town, it was rather cozy looking. There was a middle aged Hylian woman with brown hair styled in a bun working at the counter (Zelda assumed she was the Larissa in question) who greeted Link upon entering the place and offered him a table.

The two kids took a seat facing one another, and made their orders: she ordered a pumpkin stew with sliced mushrooms, while Link asked for meat pie with potatoes. For drinking, they'd be sharing a bottle of milk.

Zelda took a second to let the aroma coming from her food invade her nostrils, and upon liking what she smelled, she dug in.

"So, how is it?" Link asked, also taking a bite from his meat pie.

"Pretty good, actually. Almost as good as the food I get at home," she admitted.

"Heh, good to know that our townsfolk here can match rich people's chefs," Link laughed.

"Better not, or else we rich folks might take all of you to the big city with us" Zelda teased, following his quip with one of her own, which he thankfully laughed at.

The joke was followed by a moment of silence as Link looked around, as if to make sure that the rest of the patrons wouldn't hear them. "By the way, may I ask what you are doing here? Not that I don't want you to be here or anything but… well, rich or not, I don't think any parent would leave their kid in a town on their own."

Oh right, she was an unsupervised twelve year old. Another crack in her infallible plan. No doubt she always got caught. How did she keep overlooking these crucial details? Maybe Mother was right when she said that Zelda wasn't as smart as she believed and that one day things would take a turn for the tragic.

Zelda sighed. No point in lying then. "Well, the truth is… I kinda ran away from home."

Link raised an eyebrow. "You… 'kinda' escaped?"

"Yes, I mean… not forever? I plan to return home. But I felt that I needed to get out. Between all the lessons, Mother becoming more and more intolerable…"

Link looked a little uncomfortable. "Does… does your mother beat you?"

That question caught Zelda by surprise. "What? No! No, no, no! I mean, sure, Mother can be a pain sometimes, but she'd never do that. It's, well, between how much she pressures me with my lessons and how she never lets me leave the cast- our home," she quickly amended, hoping that Link hadn't caught her faux pas, "I felt like I needed an escape."

"So you came here?" Link asked, as if implying that there were better destinations for somebody of her status.

Zelda just shrugged, as she stabbed a mushroom slice with her fork and brought it to her mouth. "It's a place as good as any other. I just wanted someplace different where I could relax, and your little town looks both peaceful and pleasing."

"I'm glad that our little town made such a good impression on you. We have plenty of peace, yes," Link said, taking a sip from his milk. "By the way, what kind of lessons do you take? Reading and writing? Numbers?"

"Well, yes, but those are pretty basic," Zelda replied. "My lessons include math, philosophy, history -my absolute favorite subject-, etiquette, music, geography, languages, archery, fencing…"

"W-Wow… just hearing about all those things makes me dizzy…" Link said, sounding as if he had a headache. "And you do all of that every day? You must be like, super smart! If I were in your place, I think I would have escaped from home as well!"

Zelda couldn't help but smile when he called her smart. "It's a bit tough, yes, but you get used to it. Though some days, like today, I just need a little vacation," she admitted, drinking from her glass of milk.

"Wait, you said you also do fencing?" Link asked, as if only realizing that now.

"Yeah. Surprised that a highborn girl would know something like that?" Zelda asked in a teasing manner.

"No. I assume your parents must want you to know how to defend yourself," Link reasoned. "Anyway, I asked because I'm also training with the sword as well. Next year I'll be thirteen, and thus old enough to join the Hyrule Army."

Alright, that was enough of her. A golden opportunity to shift the focus of the conversation back on Link had presented right in front of her.

"Oh? So you plan to be a soldier? Not a blacksmith like your uncle?" Zelda asked.

"My uncle used to be a soldier," Link corrected her. "He had to retire due a leg injury that didn't completely heal, so he became a blacksmith after that. He has been training me in combat, and says that I have a good sword arm."

Link had mentioned his uncle a couple times already, but no word on his parents. Even if she felt curious, she also felt it was better not to ask about that.

She was also missing a father, after all.

"But I won't stop at being a soldier. I'll be a knight!" Link proudly declared.

"A knight, uh? Only the best of the best get to be knighted," Zelda told him, almost as if challenging him. "Do you think you're that good?"

Link met Zelda's grin with one of his own. "Why don't you test me yourself, Celia?"

Zelda almost made the stupid mistake of asking why he called her that, but thankfully caught herself before slipping up. "What are you suggesting?"

"Come with me and we'll have a spar. I have a couple training swords at home. You said you know how to fight, right? I'll show you how good I am," Link challenged her.

"Challenge accepted, Sir Link," she said, enjoying Link's mildly annoyed look when she added "sir" to his name. "But don't think that I'll be an easy opponent just because I'm a highborn girl."

After they ate and paid (which added another embarrassing point to Zelda's scoreboard; despite the bill only ascending to sixteen rupees, Zelda found out she only had silver and golden rupees in her money purse, meaning that a frowning Larisse had to give her a lot of change. Link's constant snickering didn't help) the duo headed towards Link's house, at the outskirts of the little town.

It was a one story house made of stone bricks with a straw roof and, like most houses of this town, built on slightly elevated terrain. A massive chimney was attached to one side of the house (Zelda guessed that that's where Link's uncle had the forge. A single tree grew next to it, and there was a bunch of chopped logs piled just outside the entrance.

"Wait here," Link said, as he quickly rushed inside. Less than a minute had passed when he returned, holding a sword in each hand. He handed one to her. "Here, these dull swords are the ones my uncle and I use to spar, so no risk of accidentally hurting each other.

Zelda took the offered weapon, and gave it a couple of testing swings. A little heavier and wider than the rapiers she was used to training with, but it would serve her. "So, where are we going to spar? Here?" she asked, looking around the front yard.

"Yeah, I'd say it's big enough," Link said, expertly twirling his sword in his hand. "Ready?"

Zelda was going to nod, but then an idea formed in her mind. "Say, how about if we make this more interesting?" she suggested.

"More interesting? Like a bet?" Link asked, scratching his temple.

"Yes, but we won't be betting money or anything like that," Zelda assured him. "The loser will have to do something the winner tells them. Does that sound good?"

"And let me guess, you are planning to make me eat something like a bug or a frog if I lose, right?" Link asked.

"You have quite the imagination. But no. Let's put an exception on gross things, okay?" Zelda suggested. "Now, ready when you are, Sir Link."

Link nodded, and the two began their duel, trading testing thrusts and blows that they parried or dodged in order to gauge the other's level of skill, before increasing the pace of the fight.

As they traded blows, Zelda had to admit that Link wasn't just bragging when he said that somebody with combat experience had trained him. His footwork was good, his movements quick, his swings precise and he wasted little energy. When she increased the pace of her attacks, Link was able to follow her perfectly.

Much to her frustration, though, she was starting to realize that not only could Link keep up with her, but he was even starting to push her back. Despite being a little shorter than her, he was clearly the stronger of the two, and she was finding it increasingly difficult to parry and block his attacks.

"Come on Celia, is this the best you can do?" Link taunted her.

She left his comment unanswered, if only verbally, as she was planning to make sure he ate his words. Biding her time, she continued enduring Link's relentless assault, until the boy finally made a misstep, giving Zelda a window to counterattack.

"HAH!"

Sidestepping one of his thrusts, Zelda prepared to deliver an horizontal swing that would end with her blade on his neck, securing her victory. However, Link proved to be nimbler than he looked, and in the last second, he managed to duck out of the way, her sword only grazing his cap.

Taking advantage of her wide open position, Link delivered a single strike at Zelda's wrist, causing the girl to drop her sword to the ground. Link grinned as he pointed his own blade at her.

"You're pretty good, but I believe I win," Link declared.

Zelda sighed. So much for making him eat his own words.

"Fine, you win," Zelda conceded. "Okay, now what do you want me to do? Please make it quick."

But Link's grin only widened, making Zelda a little fearful. "Quick? Oh no, you're not getting off so easily."

When Link returned to his home only to show up with a pair of bows and matching quivers full of arrows, she initially believed he now just wanted to have an archery contest (much to her relief, since it was an activity that she was also proficient at), but instead took her to the nearby forest, Faron Woodlands, for their next activity together. And the activity in question?

"You want me to help you hunt?" Zelda asked, mildly appalled.

"Didn't you hear what I told you before? I don't have any food at home, so I need to hunt some," Link reminded her.

"Can't you just buy it? I saw many shops here that sold meat and vegetables," Zelda pointed out.

"We try to hunt our food if we can, that saves us money. Plus, I think the food you caught yourself tastes even better," Link told her. "Now, this area has quite a few rabbits and venison. If you see any of those, shoot. If you see a boar, better turn back. The arrows I have will only make them mad, and you don't want to be at the wrong end of a mad boar."

Zelda was tempted to offer to buy him food instead, but had the feeling that he would refuse.

"Fine. I'll do as you say," Zelda reluctantly agreed.

As they walked into the forest, Zelda looked at the sky. Based on the position of the sun, it had to be close to five in the afternoon.

"Huh, I've been here for quite a few hours, yet still no sign of people looking for me," Zelda privately noticed. "Perhaps they don't even know that I'm here."

"So, what do you think? Think I'll make the cut?" Link suddenly asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? What cut?" she asked back.

"You know, to be a soldier?" Link asked again. "I know you don't just go and enlist, you need to pass a training course and they'll kick you out if you're not good enough. "

"Oh, that! Um, well, it's not like I fight against a lot of soldiers, so I wouldn't know how you'd stand against them," Zelda truthfully answered. "But, uh, I think you're pretty skilled! The way you turned my feint against me like that, it was marvelous!"

"Hehe, thanks!" Link took the compliment with a proud smile. "It's an old trick from my uncle! Let the enemy think that they have won, then strike them when their guard is down!"

"Speaking of which, where is your uncle?" Zelda asked. "Because it didn't appear like there was anyone at your house."

"He went to a ranch in the western Hyrule Fields to deliver a box of horseshoes," Link answered matter-of-factly.

"And he isn't back yet?" Zelda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a long journey, even on horseback. Plus, he will spend a good time there since he's the one who puts the new horseshoes on the horses. I think he'll be back by dinnertime. I promised him that I'd hunt something good for dinner, so you'd better help me keep that promise."

Zelda felt tempted to ask how his uncle was okay with leaving him alone for a whole day, but she could imagine the answer. Something about how Link could take care of himself, and if he couldn't, he could ask the townspeople for help.

Then again, this rural village had an air of… familiarity that Castle Town lacked. The way people greeted each other, how they stopped to talk beyond the mandatory exchange of pleasantries, how they shared jokes and anecdotes, like they all knew each other as if they were family. She saw people entering and exiting their homes, and they didn't even lock their doors, completely unafraid of their houses being robbed.

No wonder Link's uncle felt comfortable leaving his ward and nephew alone for a whole day.

Zelda couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the unfettered freedom this boy enjoyed. Jealousy that she forced herself to repress by reminding herself that she enjoyed many privileges that Link lacked, like not having to hunt for her food or worry about money.

But she couldn't help but wonder, if she were to exchange her life with Link's, would she be happier, or would she realize that all the freedom in the world meant nothing without the luxuries and safety she had always taken for granted?

Zelda was again snapped out of her thoughts by Link, this time not by a question, but by a shoulder tap. She was about to say something, but Link's expression pretty much demanded silence, so she complied. The boy in green pointed in one direction, and saw a brown rabbit standing next to a tree.

"Okay, you said you were good with a bow, yes?" Link whispered. "Go on. Show me."

"Fine," she whispered back.

She was about to take aim, but from this distance, she wasn't sure if she would hit it, so she decided to take a few steps forward. Yes, the rabbit wouldn't notice if she got a little closer-

SNAP!

Zelda looked down, and realized that she had stepped on a twig. She looked back at the rabbit, who was now looking at her.

She smiled sheepishly at the critter.

The rabbit disappeared among the shrubbery.

Link groaned as he ran his palm down his face.

It took them half an hour until they found another rabbit. Zelda was ready to make up for her blunder from before, but Link declared that it was now his turn. Silent as a shadow, he got close to the critter, nocked an arrow, pulled the bowstring and then let it loose. The arrow flew with a whistle, piercing the rabbit before it even had time to react.

Attaching the dead animal to his belt, they continued the hunt. Twenty minutes later, they found another one, and thankfully Link let Zelda handle this one. This time, she made sure that there were no twigs in her path.

Too bad, though, that she didn't notice the pinecone on the ground, which she accidentally kicked, alerting the rabbit of her presence, which naturally ran away.

"Oh, come on!" Zelda whined.

Another half an hour later, they found another rabbit. Like he did before, Link was able to kill it with a silent and precise shot.

"Okay, I think two rabbits is enough for tonight and tomorrow," Link said, attaching the second carcass to his belt next to the first one. "Let's go back."

"No. I want to hunt at least one rabbit. Let's continue," Zelda protested.

Link shook his head. "We only have one more hour of light at best. It will be impossible to hunt then. Not to mention dangerous."

"I started my day by bumping into you, making you drop those nails. Then I embarrassed myself in that restaurant by paying a small bill with a silver rupee. Then you beat me so thoroughly at swordfighting. And I've been nothing but dead weight here! Please, I need to do something right today!" She practically begged.

Link crossed his arms, as if mulling over Zelda's plea.

"Half an hour. Then we go back," Link conceded, much to Zelda's joy.

Thankfully, it only took about fifteen minutes until they found another rabbit.

Zelda took a deep breath to calm herself, and walked towards the animal. No twigs in her path. No pinecones or pebbles that she could accidentally kick. Once she judged that she was close enough, she nocked an arrow, pulled the bowstring, took aim…

…and nothing interrupted her when she let the arrow loose. She watched with bated breath as the arrow flew towards the critter, impaling it like Link's arrows had done before.

"I did it. I did it!" Zelda cheered, raising both arms above her head.

"You did it, rich girl," Link said, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder as he walked past her. "Today, you'll dine on food that you yourself hunted. You'll see how it will taste better than anything you've eaten before."

Yes, she did it! She finally hunted something, all on her own! This day hadn't been a complete disaster, after all. She didn't care about the dressing down that was waiting for her at the castle, for this experience was something no one would take away from her.

That moment, she felt a feeling of dread wash over her, as if something dark and evil was stalking them. Looking at Link, she saw that he was attaching the dead rabbit to his belt with the others. Above him, on a tree branch, something moved. Something big, with many legs, and many eerie red eyes.

Something that was about to pounce upon the boy in green.

"Link, watch out! Above you!" Zelda warned.

Link looked in time just as the huge, multi-legged monster descended upon him with an unholy screech. Thanks to her warning, however, he was able to jump back, avoiding the creature.

It was a huge arachnid with black fur under a large, bone-like shell shaped like a skull. While Zelda had seen this creature many times in bestiaries and monster compendiums, this was the first time she'd seen one in the horrible flesh.

A Skulltula.

Link wasted no time, quickly pulling an arrow from his quiver and shooting it at the arachnid. The Skulltula hissed angrily as it angled its body so the arrow only hit its macabre carapace. It then tried to lunge at Link, but the boy was able to knock it back by swinging his bow at the monster as if it was a blunt weapon.

"Celia! Run!" Link warned her.

And run she did. But contrary to what Link probably meant, she ran towards him and the spider, rather than away.

"What are you doing!? I told you to flee!" Link said, as he quickly shot another arrow at the Skulltula, which once again harmlessly bounced off of its shell.

"And leave you alone with this thing!?" Zelda fired back.

However, all her bravado evaporated the moment the monster noticed her and lunged at her, baring its fangs dripping with venom. Zelda let out a squeal of terror as she stumbled back, but thankfully Link was able to hit the spider again in the face with his body, forcing it back.

"Well, it's not like you're helping much!" Link protested, as he nocked another arrow.

"T-That won't do anything! A Skulltula's weak point it's its belly!" Zelda weakly pointed out.

"Also the head! But this one's smart and moves a lot!" Link replied, as he struggled to aim at the arachnid's exposed head.

Yeah, shooting it in the head wasn't going to cut it. They needed to knock it on its back so its belly would be exposed. But even if the two of them worked together, there was no way they were going to do that without at least one of them taking a nasty venomous bite in the process. No, they needed to do something else.

Only one option left.

Zelda took a deep breath to relax her body, if only a little, cupped her hands together, and called for the ancestral power that lay within her.

"Come on, blood of Hylia, don't fail me now," she whispered.

Particles of golden light began to gather between her hands, merging into an glowing orb of the same color that began to grow at a steady pace. By the time it became as big as an apple, Zelda found herself unable to draw more power.

"Maybe the Great Fairy is right and I need to practice more," she groaned, looking at the orb between her hands. It definitely wasn't going to be enough to kill it, but it would hopefully suffice to knock the Skulltula out. "Link, move!"

Zelda thrusted her hands forward, releasing the golden energy in the form of a projectile.

"What are you-WHOA!" Link yelped, jumping to the side in order to dodge Zelda's blast of holy magic. It thankfully hit the Skulltula, resulting in a small explosion of golden light that briefly illuminated the area, drawing a screech of pain from the monster, the force of the impact knocking it on its back just as the princess had hoped.

Link didn't need to be told to act now, as he wasted no time shooting one final arrow at the Skulltula's exposed belly. The projectile pierced the soft flesh, drawing green blood. The eight legged monster let out one final screech of pain, its legs curling upwards as it finally died.

There was a moment of silence as the two kids watched the felled beast.

"It's… it's dead?" Zelda asked with bated breath.

"I… I think so…" Link replied. Then he turned to Zelda, his expression between startled and amazed. "What was that!?"

"Uh, well, that-"

"You can use magic!?" he yelled.

"Y-yes, didn't I say-"

"Oh my goodness, that was so cool!" Link loudly gushed. "I've never met anyone who could do magic!"

"Well, on behalf of all magic users everywhere, I'm glad that I managed to make a good impression on you," Zelda said, dusting her clothes a little. She then looked at the Skulltula. "You didn't tell me that this forest had monsters."

"Because they often stay away from the town," Link said, looking at the direction they had come from, where the edge of the forest could still be seen. "I don't remember a monster getting this close to the town before."

"Maybe I should have listened to you and left already," Zelda mused.

But Link just shrugged. "Eh, it's okay. Like we say here, all's well that ends well. Plus, we managed to catch an even bigger prize!" Link said, motioning his arms at the dead Skulltula. "Come on, help me carry it back to the town, I don't think I'm strong enough to do it by myself."

Zelda's already pale face turned even whiter. "You… you want to carry that thing? You… you aren't planning to eat it, are you?"

"What, is a Skulltula too much for your delicate rich girl palate?" he mockingly asked.

"That's… that's disgusting!" Zelda said, appalled. Did people in rural towns have so much trouble gathering food that even a Skulltula was considered an acceptable meal?

However, before her horror could grow any further, Link snorted loudly, trying to stop himself from laughing, but failing anyway.

"Oh boy, your face! Hahahaha! You should have seen it! Hahahaha! So precious!" Link continued laughing so hard, he pretty much had to bend over, much to Zelda's annoyance (though there was a feeling of relief over the fact that rural people didn't eat disgusting spiders). "You just believed I'd eat a Skulltula?"

"I'm… okay, I've grown up a little sheltered!" she admitted, her cheeks turning pink. "So I may not know a lot about how people outside of my hometown live!"

"It's okay, it was just a little joke," Link reassured her, finally stopping laughing. "But taking the Skulltula to the town wasn't a joke. So come and help me."

"What do you plan to do with it?" Zelda asked, as she walked towards the dead arachnid. It was starting to let out a putrid smell that made the girl grimace in disgust.

"Sell it to the apothecary. They use its parts for making potions, and they pay well," Link explained. "Come on, if we hurry we'll catch him before he closes!"

While carrying the Skulltula carcass to the apothecary's building took longer than they thought, they did manage to catch him just minutes before closing. The apothecary accepted the Skulltula, but not without warning that kids shouldn't go hunting dangerous monsters in the dead of the night. Link promised him that it wouldn't happen again, and the two of them headed back to Link's house.

"Twenty nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two!" Link said, counting the money the apothecary had given him for the Skulltula. "Three rabbits and all this money! Best hunting trip ever! And it was all thanks to you!"

"You're welcome," she replied with a genuine smile.

"Anyway, here you go," Link said, extending his hand at her.

Zelda stopped in her tracks to look at him. "Er… what is that?"

"Your share of the reward," Link stated. "You know, for helping me kill that Skulltula? It's only fair that you get half of the money."

"You can keep it all. You need that money more than I do," Zelda told him.

"It's not about needing or not needing, it's about being fair. So please take the money," Link insisted.

"And it was my fault that the Skulltula attacked you. Me helping you take it down made us even, so the money should be yours," Zelda countered, pushing Link's hand that held half the rupees back to him.

Link groaned. "Gracious goddesses, you're stubborn...I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

"I'm a spoiled rich girl that's used to always getting what she wants, of course you won't," Zelda replied in her best fake haughty impression. "Plus, I'm going to have dinner at your house, you can't expect me to accept money on top of that."

"We're going to eat a rabbit that you hunted, so it's not like you'll be mooching off me," Link countered.

"You're going to cook it, and will have to use other ingredients to do so," Zelda fired back.

"Okay, fine, I'm done arguing with you," Link said in exasperation, holding his hands in defeat.

"Because you know I'm right," Zelda proudly replied.

They reached Link's house and this time, the boy invited her inside. Following him, she took a good look at the inside of the house: it was a bit small, if cozy. There was an old rug on the ground, a few pots here and there, a bookshelf with a few books, swords and shields hanging from the walls (Zelda had to remind herself that this was the house of a former soldier turned blacksmith), a wooden table with four chairs around it, and a couple old armchairs. There was also a small kitchenette, a door that Zelda assumed led to the workshop, and stairs that probably led to the bedrooms.

"I'll begin preparing these," Link said as he unhooked the dead rabbits from his belt. "Make yourself at home."

Zelda found herself with nothing to do while Link got the rabbits ready. She felt tempted to help him, but she had never set foot in a kitchen, and her attempts to be useful might end up doing the complete opposite. If there was one learning experience that she could get out of this escapade, it's that if she ever stopped being a princess, all the skills she had developed through years of lessons across her short life wouldn't take her very far.

While it was frustrating, it was quite eye-opening as well. Though, she wondered what would have happened had she not run into Link. Perhaps somebody less morally upstanding might have tried to take advantage of her. Steal her jewels or even kidnap her for a ransom. Though Link had assured her that no one here would do that.

"Celia?" Link asked while skinning the rabbits.

"Hm?"

"It's kind of late. Do you have any place to spend the night?" Link asked.

Drats. Another point to the list of things she had overlooked. Yeah, there's no way she was going to hitch a ride home at this hour.

"I saw a couple inns here. I guess I could sleep at one?" she asked.

"Will you be okay? A rich girl sleeping alone might draw attention," Link pointed out.

"I thought you said all the people in this town were honest and morally righteous," Zelda reminded him.

"They are, but from time to time seedy people pass through our town and spend a few days here. You might run into some," Link told her.

"Awww, are you worried about me?" Zelda asked, feeling both amused and touched. "Where else would I sleep? Do I assume you're offering me your house?"

Link took a few seconds to answer. "I mean, yeah? If you want."

"Do you have a spare room?" she asked.

Once again, Link took a moment to answer. "No," he admitted. "But you could sleep in my bed and I'd sleep on the floor."

"Thanks, but there's no way I'd force somebody out of their bed," Zelda told him. "Not when there are more options available, like inns."

Link didn't say anything in return, but for some reason Zelda felt he was disappointed that she had turned down his offer.

After some time, she could hear the crackle of flames, followed by a pleasant aroma invading her nose. Her stomach growled, and she prayed to Hylia that Link hadn't heard that.

"Dinner will be ready soon!" he said between chuckles.

Why had Hylia abandoned her?

That moment, the front door opened and a man walked into the house. He was tall and portly, with a head full of black hair (even if it was receding) and an impressive moustache, dressed in a simple blue linen shirt, brown breeches and dark brown boots. He was carrying a large wooden box under his arm marked with something she didn't recognize.

"Link, I'm home! And boy, I could smell from the outside that dinner you're cooking, hehe!" the man said, before he locked eyes with Zelda. "Oh, hello. It seems we have a guest, Link."

"Oh, yes, that's Celia! She's from Castle Town!" Link shouted. "She kinda got separated from her parents and ended up lost."

Zelda silently thanked Link for coming up with a backstory that wouldn't raise too many questions.

"You did? Oh well, until we can get you back to your parents, you are welcome to stay here as long as you need, lass!" the man in question, which Zelda assumed was Link's uncle, offered with a smile.

"Thank you sir, though I prefer not to, as I'd hate to impose," Zelda earnestly told him.

"Nonsense! What kind of monster wouldn't help a little lady in a tight spot?" the man said with a dismissive hand wave before placing the box on the floor. Judging by the sound it made, it looked like there was something made of glass inside it. "Oh, and call me Alphon!"

"Alright, dinner's ready!" Link announced, bringing three plates of rabbit stew to the table.

They all sat at the table and began talking about their respective days. Alphon was extra interested in learning how Link and Zelda met each other, so Link told him how she had bumped into him at noon while he was on his way to deliver Mr. Mutoh's box of nails, and everything they did after that, with Zelda interceding here and there to add some details or correct Link on others.

While Zelda would have preferred if Link hadn't mentioned the Skulltula at all, at least he didn't say that she had used magic to defeat it, something she appreciated.

"Well, compared to what you guys have done, my day is going to sound pretty dull in comparison, hehe!" Alphon heartily admitted. "Funny, one of the few days I leave you alone also happens to be so eventful!"

"Well, what can I-"

Link's sentence was interrupted by a loud thundering noise as something slammed against the front door, ripping it off of its hinges. Zelda screamed in shock as Link and Alphon jumped to their feet. A quartet of armored soldiers rushed into the house, immobilizing the two men and holding them at swordpoint, while another quickly grabbed Zelda.

"We got her! We got the princess!" the soldier grabbing her said.

"You have no idea in the mess you got yourselves into!" the soldier holding Alphon shouted. "The penalty for kidnapping a member of the royal-"

"Release them, boys," a female voice Zelda knew said.

Everybody turned around as the source of the voice walked in with sure strides: a silver haired Sheikah woman in her late fifties with red eyes and red marks on her face, one shaped like a stylized eye in her forehead, and two red lines that ran down her cheeks. She was wearing a beige robe under a dark blue bodysuit, leather vambraces and greaves, and she was carrying a katana on her back. "These two are no kidnappers."

"But Lady Impa-" one of the soldiers protested, but Impa raised a hand to silence him.

"If they were truly kidnappers, they'd have the princess bound and gagged in a hidden place, they wouldn't be sharing dinner with her," Impa explained. The soldiers seemed to mull over her words as their hold over Link and Alphon loosened.

"Princess…?" Link repeated.

"I'd even say they didn't even know they had the princess of Hyrule under their roof," Impa said, shooting an accusatory glare at the girl. "So please, release them. I doubt this blacksmith and his kid are the devious kidnappers you think they are."

Thankfully, the soldiers complied. They helped Link and Alphon back to their feet, though no apologies were offered.

"Now princess, before we leave, I believe it would be appropriate if you came clean to these good people that have given you food and shelter, don't you think?" the Sheikah asked.

Zelda nodded, and turned towards Link and his uncle.

"I…I'm…" she began, her voice quivering. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, and spoke again. "My name is not Celia, but Zelda, and I'm the princess of Hyrule. I'm… I'm sorry for lying to you. Thank you for everything you did for me. Today has been one of the best days of my life."

As Zelda was preparing to leave, Impa fished something out of one of the pouches she had attached to her belt, and placed a golden rupee on the table.

"Sorry for the door. Hope that's enough to cover the cost of a new one," she said.

By the way Link's uncle was looking at the golden currency, it would cover it and then some.

Zelda gave the still-confused Link one last look before Impa led her out of the house.

Character Bios #1: Link & Princess Zelda

Name: Link

Age: 12

Race: Hylian

Height: 1.44 m

Profession: Blacksmith Assistant

Background: Link was born at the beginning of the Moblin Wars, the latest conflict that laid waste to Hyrule. Hailing from a countryside village close to the borders, his hometown was one of the first ones attacked by a band of pillaging Moblins, who burned the place to the ground, with Link being the only survivor thanks to his mother hiding him in their home's basement. After Link was rescued by Hyrulean soldiers, he was sent to his last family member: his uncle, a retired soldier that now works as a blacksmith in Merale Village.

Name: Princess Zelda Hyrule the 33rd (1)

Age: 12

Race: Hylian

Height: 1.51 m

Profession: Hyrule's Crown Princess

Background: Like Link, she was also born at the beginning of the Moblin Wars. Despite growing up in a much safer environment than the boy, she was no stranger to loss either, as her father the King Consort was one of the many lives the conflict claimed, losing his life in a battle that proved to be decisive for Hyrule's eventual victory. Zelda lives a very stressful life, as her days are filled with lessons to prepare her for her eventual ascension to the throne, and has to contend with a severe and overprotective mother that forbids her from ever leaving the castle.

Author's Note: Thanks a lot for reading so far! If you liked what you read, please drop a review! I abosultely LOVE seeing reviews from my readers!