Chapter Text
“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”
Link turns around to face the voice, startled. He thought he was alone, here in this…
…Where is he?
It looks like the inside of some kind of tower. The walls and floors are lined with large, moss-covered stone bricks. And in the center of the room, wooden cogs and other mechanical parts wind around, powering something high up at the top of the tower. Perhaps this is a clocktower then. Or maybe some kind of belltower, capable of producing music? Link swears he can hear a melody… but he can’t tell if that’s real, or only in his mind.
He faces the man who had spoken, barely visible in the dim light. The man is tall and thin, with short red-brown hair. He carries a huge backpack with masks hanging all over it. His smile is cold and sinister, and the darkness of the room only adds his eeriness.
Link is a grown man, wearing the sky blue Champion’s tunic.
Strange. He feels like he’s met this man before as a child… But when would he have done that?
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, hasn’t it Hero?” the man asks.
Link narrows his eyes at him.
“Ah, I see you don’t remember me.” The man steps forward, the masks clinking against the buckles of his bag as he does so. But the way he moves looks… disconnected. It’s choppy, lagging, as if he’s teleporting from one movement to the next. “I own the Happy Mask Shop. I travel far and wide in search of masks.”
In the next moment, the mask salesman is suddenly standing much too close to Link without apparently having to move his legs. That eerie smile seems to be permanently plastered onto the salesman’s face. It sends a shiver of fear down Link’s spine.
Link takes a step back. He has to get out of here. Where is the princess? He must be at her side. He must protect her—
“Your princess is not here. Not now.”
Link’s eyes go wide. How… How did he know—
The mask salesman laughs. It is not a comforting sound. “Oh, please. Don’t act so surprised. Here in your dreams, I can see all your thoughts.”
Dreams?
Link’s shoulders settle, his shock melting from them. So he is dreaming again. Perhaps that explains the music, and the mask salesman’s strange movements.
“You understand now, yes?” The salesman nods at him. “Good, good.”
Link’s head feels foggy and dizzy, like he’s not quite in his body. But he’s no longer in a panic, now that he knows what’s going on – at least somewhat.
He looks at the man in front of him and thinks as clearly as he can through his cloudy mind; What do you want from me?
The mask salesman laughs again. “I told you. I travel far and wide in search of masks.” In an instant, he is leaning forward, much too close to Link’s face. “And you have worn many, many masks throughout your lives. Haven’t you, Hero?”
Link steps back again, trying to regain his personal space. He shakes his head; No.
“Oh, yes. Yes you have.” The mask salesman keeps smiling. “You have had many faces, and have been called by many names. Truly, a terrible fate – to have to repeat this cycle time and time again. I do not envy your curse.”
The salesman’s words just make Link feel dizzier. He doesn't understand.
The mask salesman tuts. “A shame. You don’t remember. That is alright. You will remember soon enough. After all, a new story is just beginning.”
Link’s eyes sharpen at that; What do you mean?
That bone-chilling laugh bubbles forth from the mask salesman’s throat again. “I cannot tell you that. It is not my place to meddle with fate. I am merely an observer.”
He steps closer, jutting through the space in his otherworldly way.
Then in the next millisecond, one of his hands is tight around Link’s wrist, and his other hand rests against Link’s face.
Link tenses. He feels frozen in place.
“I wonder…” The mask salesman stares into his eyes. Overgrown fingernails slide down the edge of Link’s jaw. “…What kind of mask will you make this time?”
And with that, Link runs.
He pulls his arm free and runs in the opposite direction. While his mind is still lost and cloudy, his feet seem to know the direction of the exit. He runs through the dimly lit room until he reaches a door. Right, the door that leads outside, into Clock Town. He remembers now. He knows where he is.
He pushes open the door and—
This… is not Clock Town.
The music in his head shifts to a new melody, and vision fills with beautiful, colorful lights – the blues and purples of swirling nebulae, and the bright white pinpricks of hundreds of stars, surrounding him on all sides of this large, dome-shaped room. The lights reflect against the tile floor, inset with the lines of star maps. In the center of the room, above a round platform, there is a huge telescope hanging from the ceiling.
Link stops in his tracks, staring in awe. He’s forgotten about the mask salesman – who, luckily, seems to have left him alone, as he hears no footsteps behind him. He gazes at the beautiful room, his eyes shining in the light.
He is in the Astral Observatory.
But that doesn’t make any sense. He’d need to follow a secret passageway through Termina Field to reach the Astral Observatory. How is he here, when he was just in the…
…Where had he just been?
“Will you gaze into the telescope?”
Link’s head whips toward the voice. There is an old man with long gray hair. He wears a robe as blue as the lights swirling around the room. This is the astronomer, Link realizes.
Link stares at him, uncomprehending.
The astronomer just gives him a friendly smile, deep crow’s feet crinkling in the corners of his eyes. He gestures towards the center of the room and repeats his question;
“Will you gaze into the telescope?”
Hesitantly, Link steps forward, up onto the platform. He leans down and places his eye over the lens of the eyepiece.
Through the telescope, Link sees the moon.
It is huge in the sky – larger than he can ever remember it being before. Then the moon turns towards him, as if it were a head swiveling on an invisible neck, revealing itself to have a face. The moon’s eyes are red and bulging, and its mouth gnashes with teeth like some kind of horrible monster.
Link flinches back, his eye leaving the lens. His vision fills with the beautiful colors of the Observatory again.
He looks back at where the astronomer was standing, but no one is there anymore. Link scans the room.
He is alone.
Then the colors of the room begin to shift. The nebulae of blues and purples fade into an ominous maroon-red. The hundreds of stars remain on the walls, but they too begin to glow red.
Dread pools in Link’s stomach. Frantically, he reaches for the telescope lens again. He looks through it.
Outside, the moon is just as large as it was before. But now it no longer has a face.
Instead, it now is as red as blood.
Link pulls himself away from the eyepiece. He knows what this means – danger will soon come. He has to prepare. He has to find the princess. He has to keep her safe.
He looks around, searching for the exit, but he cannot find it.
When he looks back at the center of the room, the telescope is no longer there. Instead, there is a large hole in the ceiling where it used to be.
The room is empty. Link stands with nothing but the red light and the stars on the walls. The room feels even bigger than it used to be before.
Then there are rumbling, crashing sounds. Dust and debris pour down from the hole in the ceiling.
Link’s dread grows. He wants to run. He is not ready—
Something huge falls from the ceiling. Link can’t make out what it is at first, but then it emerges from the clouds of dust surrounding it. It’s some kind of creature with several mechanical-looking legs, and the rest of its body comprised of what looks like glowing ooze twisted into the shapes of muscle.
The creature turns to face him. Its eyes glow bright red like the stars around them.
Without question, Link knows this is Ganon. He knows, deep in his soul. This is the evil he has fought lifetime after lifetime.
He feels the weight of the Master Sword on his back. He draws it. He has no choice but to fight.
Ganon roars.
The music stops.
And Link wakes up.
—— ▴△▴ ——
Zelda turns to Link beside her. Their footsteps echo down the long, empty hallway of the castle. “Did you hear there was a blood moon last night?”
Strangely, Link seems to flinch at her words. It is barely detectable, but Zelda notices it. She’s spent so much time around Link now that she is getting much better at reading that unreadable face of his.
“I hear they’re showing up more often. My father thinks that they’ll soon show up every full moon – a sign that the Calamity is approaching faster,” she continues. “I might not go out researching today. The land’s sure to be crawling with monsters now. I’ll wait a couple days until their numbers thin out a little.”
They turn the corner and start descending a starwell. Zelda has invited Link to eat breakfast with her this morning, rather than him eating in the soldier’s dining hall like usual. Usually Zelda takes her breakfast in her chambers – that way, she doesn’t have to spend it with her father. But the king is away in Rito Village at the moment, so there is no risk of that today. She hopes occasionally sharing some meals with Link will help her get to know him better, now that they are on friendly terms.
It’s been a few days since Zelda apologized to Link. But since then, Link has still been as silent and mysterious as always. She hopes that eventually she’ll be able to get him to open up a little.
The castle’s dining hall is empty, as Zelda knew it would be. It’s a beautiful room with high, rib-vaulted ceilings, and large tapestries hanging on the walls that depict ancient legends. In the center of the room is a long, thin table. Zelda sits in a tall chair at the very end of it, then taps the smaller seat beside her. “Come, sit down.”
Link gives her a confused look. His gaze flicks from her to the chair.
She tilts her head. “What’s on your mind, Link?”
He does not respond to her right away. Shortly after Zelda apologized, she made it clear to him that if he does not want to speak, he does not have to.
Even so, he eventually answers her.
“I am… I am allowed to sit at the table beside you, Princess?”
“Yes, of course,” she replies. This is so obvious to her that she says the words almost offhandedly. “Now please, come sit.”
After another moment of hesitation, Link slowly steps forward and sits in the seat at Zelda’s right. His posture is as straight as the back of the chair.
Soon, the servants start to bring out the food. They place four large platters on the table, giving a wide array of options to choose from – fried eggs with rice, various omelets with meat and mushrooms and vegetables, chunks of fluffy bread, honeyed apples and other fruits, even a stack of crepes with wildberries and cream on top.
For Zelda, as a princess, this is very normal. Whatever she doesn’t finish will be sent back to the kitchens for the servants to eat in addition to their own meals.
But Link – he is staring at the platters of food with wide, hungry eyes.
Zelda can’t help but let out a small laugh. “Eat as much as you like. It’s not like I’ll be able to finish all this.”
Link looks at her, then back at the spread in front of him. With unsure hands, he picks up a serving spoon and hesitantly puts a modest portion of the food onto his plate.
His polite table manners don’t last very long.
After he clears his plate for the second time, Zelda has to hold back more of her laughter. “You sure were hungry, weren’t you?”
Link freezes while chewing, his eyes flicking to Zelda. He quickly composes himself again and swallows. “I apologize.”
“No, don’t! I’m glad you like it.” She smiles reassuringly.
Link just nods at her and looks away.
They continue eating in silence. It is not quite awkward silence, but Zelda still feels like she should speak.
Eventually, she sees that Link’s eyes have trailed over to one of the tapestries on the wall.
“That depicts the legend of the first Calamity,” Zelda tells him, gesturing over to it with her fork. “It is said that thousands of years ago, the Divine Beasts and the guardians assisted the princess and Hero of that era as they sealed away Calamity Ganon.”
She turns back to her meal, picking at it.
“We’re supposed to do that too one day, y’know.” She chuckles weakly, shaking her head. “I mean, I don’t know how, seeing as I can’t use my magic. But I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
Link doesn’t respond. His gaze is honed in on the depiction of Ganon in the center of the tapestry.
The rest of the day passes by rather smoothly. Zelda doesn’t leave the castle grounds due to the recent blood moon, and instead chooses to spend the day with Purah and Robbie, helping them with their work on restoring the guardians. She also, of course, spends a large chunk of her day kneeling before the castle’s Goddess statue and praying, trying to unlock her powers.
Unsurprisingly, she makes no progress on that front.
But she did manage to help Robbie with some equations to figure out the mechanics of the guardians’ arms. So overall, she considers it a successful day.
As usual, Link was with her wherever she went. He followed beside her as she walked from one room to the next. Sometimes they spoke, sometimes they didn’t. But there was not a single unpleasant interaction between them.
As the evening winds down, Zelda closes the book she is reading and places it onto her desk. She turns in her seat to face Link, who is standing guard by the door of her room – posture straight, eyes alert.
“Can I ask you something?” Zelda breaks the room’s silence.
Link’s gaze shifts over to her, still maintaining his perfect parade rest. He nods.
“Why is it that you don’t speak?” she asks. “Or, I mean why do you not usually speak?”
As she has come to expect, Link does not answer right away. His eyes flick away and his lips flatten. Zelda can tell his answer is difficult for him to say.
“You do not have to answer if you do not want to,” she adds. “I was just… wondering.”
Silence fills the room again. Link’s face is unreadable as ever, his jaw clenched.
Still, he answers her.
“As Hylia’s Chosen, my responsibilities are… immense.” His voice has a certain graveness in it that makes it sound deeper than usual. It rumbles in his chest. “The people of Hyrule look to me for hope. If I don't always look and behave how a Hero should, then that hope dwindles until it is lost.”
And oh, that is a feeling Zelda knows all too well. She tries and tries to maintain her image of being a strong, fearless princess. It gets more difficult every year, as she is no closer to unlocking her powers and her father’s words grow harsher, but she tries all the same.
For her, being under such pressure has caused her temper to get a bit out of control. For Link, it seems to have done the opposite – causing him to stop outwardly expressing his thoughts and feelings.
“If I do not speak, then I do not risk burdening people with my words,” Link continues. “And, I also don’t have to concern myself with always saying the right thing that a Hero should say.”
“I understand,” Zelda responds. “That… That makes sense.”
How did she not realize this earlier? The two of them are more similar than she had allowed herself to think.
After all, they are supposedly the reincarnated souls of the Hero and the princess – the same ones from the legends and tapestries. Their destinies are bound together.
“May… May I ask you a question, Princess?”
Zelda snaps out of her thoughts, surprised that Link has actually initiated conversation. “Of— Of course. Of course you may.”
“Why did you invite me to breakfast this morning?” he asks. “I thought that… you would rather not spend time with me.”
“I told you I was done acting like that.”
“You said you would not take your anger out on me anymore. That doesn’t mean you have to suddenly enjoy that your father has assigned me to be your knight. I understand if it— if it still bothers you.” He looks off to the side, then gives a curt bow of his head. “I apologize. I have spoken too freely—”
“No! No, it’s fine. You may always speak freely with me – if you want to, that is.”
Although, now that Link mentions it, the question is a valid one, isn’t it? In just a couple days, Zelda has gone from trying to push Link as far away from her as she could, to going out of her way to spend more time with him than usual. It makes sense that he’d be confused.
Zelda isn’t quite sure of the answer herself.
“It doesn’t bother me,” she finally says, and is surprised to realize that her words are the truth. It doesn’t bother her that Link is her knight – now that she knows that he doesn’t look down on her or judge her behind her back. “And as for why I invited you to breakfast, I told you that I want to be friends, right? That is why.”
Link considers this answer for a moment, then bows his head again. “I understand… Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Of course, Link.” Then Zelda’s expression grows shier. “…I was hoping that, maybe, you could join me for breakfast again some other day.”
Link nods. “Yes, Princess.”
“Not everyday, of course. I still want some time to myself. And I wouldn’t want to keep you completely away from your soldier friends, either.” Then a thought lights up in Zelda’s mind. “Speaking of which, I wouldn’t mind meeting your friends one day.”
“No.”
Zelda’s eyes go wide at how hurried Link’s tone had sounded. She’s never heard him sound like that before. The look in his gaze is intense.
He almost looks… afraid.
Zelda can’t help but burst into laughter. She smiles, and it is genuine.
“What?” she says slyly. “You think they’ll embarrass you in front of me?”
Link shifts on his feet, grimacing. “I… I do not think you will enjoy their company.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” She waves off his words. “Besides, as the princess, I should be more involved in my kingdom’s military. It’s usually my father’s domain, but I think it’s high time I gave you all a visit.”
Link looks uneasy, but he still answers dutifully, “Yes, Princess.”
Later that night, after Link has left, Zelda turns to her diary once again. She writes about the day – about how Link has turned out to be quite the glutton, how she learned the reason he doesn’t speak, and how she is slowly getting him to open up to her.
At the end of the journal entry, she writes:
“I wish to talk with him more and to see what lies beneath those calm waters, to hear him speak freely and openly… And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare my soul to him and share the demons that have plagued me all these years.”
—— ▴△▴ ——
The weeks go by. With every passing day, Zelda finds it easier to be around Link.
She gets to know him more and more, bit by bit, asking questions here and there;
“How old are you?” she asks him one day at another breakfast.
“Twenty, Your Highness.”
“Ah, same as me. For some reason, I thought you were a little older. Must just be because of how you act.”
Another day, while in the castle’s library, “You’re from Hateno, yes?”
“Yes, Princess.”
“I love Hateno. Such a beautiful village. I would love to visit it more.”
And another day, while they get their horses from the castle’s stables, “What’s your horse’s name?”
Link hesitates for a moment, but then, “She is named Epona, Princess.”
Knowing Link more personally has really helped. Before, it was so easy to be angry at him when he felt like just an extension of her father’s control over her – a silent figure, more symbol than person.
But now, Zelda is able to think of him as much more than that. He is Link, who will always protect her from enemies when they are out on her research missions. Link, who always pets the innkeepers’ dogs whenever they stop by a stable. Link, who can eat three plates of food in one sitting. She’s able to think of him less as ‘O Great Hylia’s Chosen One, he who wields the sacred blade’, and more as just… her friend.
He is still just as quiet and serious as always. But now, she knows more about the man that lays behind that silent mask.
One day, Zelda is once again trying to unlock her powers in the chapel of Hyrule Castle. After praying before the Goddess statue for what must be hours on end, she finally decides that she’s fed up for the day.
She sighs. Slowly, she rises up off her aching knees and stands. She turns around to face Link, standing guard by the door at the other end of the room, as always.
He is staring at her, but Zelda is quick to remind herself not to worry – there is no judgment in those eyes.
She forces a smile onto her face, but she is sure her eyes still look sad. “I’ve decided I’m finished. It’s probably time for luncheon now, anyway.”
Link nods, stepping away from the doorway, allowing Zelda to pass through.
As they walk silently through the hallway, Zelda tries to get rid of the heaviness in her heart that always shows up after she fails to unlock her powers. She wants to stop wallowing in her sadness and self-pity all the time. That is what made her lash out at Link. No, she’s going to try harder to cheer herself up and maintain a positive attitude. There must be something…
“I know,” she suddenly says aloud, looking at Link. “How about after we eat, I can go watch over the Royal Guard down at the training grounds and finally meet your friends.”
It’s barely noticeable, but Link’s shoulders tense. He looks away. His mouth tries to remain neutral, but Zelda can see a faint grimace at the edges of it.
“Oh, come on. It won’t be so bad,” she says teasingly, finally able to smile for real again. “I really want to meet the soldiers that comprise my kingdom’s army. And I want to see how prepared you all are for the upcoming battle against the Calamity.”
After a long moment, Link finally responds, not meeting Zelda’s eyes. “…If that is what Your Highness wants, then it shall be.”
Zelda snickers at Link’s always-so-professional tone. “Yes, it shall.”
During lunch, she persuades Link to join her at the table again. It doesn’t take them very long to eat, and soon they are descending the stone steps of the castle and walking out into the grassy courtyard of the soldiers’ training grounds. The sun shines high in the sky, barely a cloud in sight. It is a rather hot day, and Zelda is glad she’s not wearing all her formal robes.
The Royal Guard are just outside the dining hall building, having just eaten their own lunches. Commander Eagus is there, as well as the Commanders of the other battalions. They are addressing the soldiers, but too far away to be heard.
Zelda approaches her army with her usual confident stride. Link follows behind her, as always.
“Commander Eagus!” Zelda calls out to him. She finds that her smile is still on her face. Yes, cheering herself up like this feels much, much better than wallowing in her failures. Who would’ve guessed.
The soldiers all turn towards her at the sound of her voice, then gasp and start to murmur amongst themselves. One tall soldier with red hair gets a look of completely dumbfounded shock on his face.
Behind her, Zelda can hear Link exhale heavily – in a way that could possibly be interpreted as annoyance. Zelda didn’t know Link was capable of such a thing.
“Princess!” Commander Eagus’s voice booms. “And Link, my boy! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you down to our end of the castle grounds?”
“I thought it was time that I extended my knowledge of armies beyond my history books and the battle maps in my father’s war room,” Zelda replies. She halts in front of the crowd, ignoring their gawking eyes. “I want to stay here for the afternoon and observe your training – if that would be alright, Commander?”
“Of course, of course!” Commander Eagus laughs boisterously. “What an excellent idea. I think you being here will serve as extra motivation for my troops to train extra hard today. Isn’t that right everyone?”
The soldiers respond with a resounding “Yes, Commander!”
Zelda will admit she’s a bit excited to be here. She likes learning about new things. She turns to Link. “How about you introduce me to your friends?”
Before Link can even consider a reply, noise erupts from the crowd. Many of the Royal Guardsmen surge forward to meet Zelda. But the one with red hair pushes his way to the front.
“Right here, Princess!” He swings his arm around Link’s shoulders and embraces him in a tight side-hug.
He’s grinning widely. Link looks completely dead inside.
“My name is Groose, and I am one of Link’s best and most cherished friends!” The other soldiers behind him try to introduce themselves too, but Groose doesn’t give them the chance to. “I’m absolutely honored to finally make Your Highness’s acquaintance. I’d love to say I’ve heard so much about you, but unfortunately I have not. As I’m sure you know, this little guy’s not really a talker.”
Zelda laughs awkwardly, feeling a bit of Link’s embarrassment second-hand. She can see why he didn’t want her to come here now.
Groose lights up like Zelda’s laugh is the greatest sound in the world. Link stares at her with begging eyes, as if he’s saying ‘please don’t encourage him’.
“I suppose then, Your Royal Radientness,” Groose continues, speaking over the other voices behind him, “If we want any real chance of getting to know each other, we won’t be able to rely on Link here telling us, and instead we’ll have to hang out for ourselves. How does that sound? Maybe this weekend, just the two of us? We get rest days from training on Saturdays. I could show you this lovely spot right by Regencia River—”
“That’s enough, everyone!” Commander Eagus finally shouts loud enough over the commotion. “Are you trying to show the princess that you behave no better than a swarm of bokoblins? Come now, do your warm-ups and start your laps. You’re going around the whole courtyard five times today.”
The entire crowd groans. Reluctantly, they pull themselves away from Zelda – even Groose – and start to do various stretches. They still murmur to each other, their eyes flicking over to their princess.
“They seem nice,” Zelda says to Link. She chuckles. “Although I’ll admit, I thought they were all going to be as straight-faced and serious as you. But I guess that’s just how you are, isn’t it?”
Link’s mouth is pressed in a thin line. He still looks vaguely annoyed – not at Zelda herself, he could never be, Zelda knows that now. But she also recognizes something else in that unreadable face of his – that fiercely protective look he usually gets when defending her from enemies out on her research missions.
Why would he be feeling like that now, when they are safe inside the walls of the castle grounds?
One by one, the soldiers finish their warm-ups and run off to do their laps. Link shifts on his feet so his fellow Royal Guardsmen cannot see his face. “I apologize for their behavior, Princess.” His voice is low and very quiet. “They are… not as disciplined as you’ve come to expect from me.”
Zelda is about to say there’s no need for Link to apologize, when Groose’s voice loudly returns.
“Link, did you just speak?! ” With his mouth agape, he shakes the young man doing warm-ups beside him. “Pipit, did you see that?? Link’s mouth was moving!”
“No shot! You’re lying!” The other man, Pipit, whips his head towards them. “Link, did you actually talk?!”
“What did you say?!” Groose adds. “You didn’t say anything bad about me, did you?”
Link goes very red. He tries to return to parade rest beside Zelda, but his shoulders bunch up around his neck and he looks off to the side. Zelda holds back a smile.
“I swear, man! His lips were moving!” Groose keeps shouting. The conversations of the other soldiers around them rises in volume, as they look just as enraptured by this news as Groose is.
“You’re seeing things, Groose,” Pipit finally says. “I’ve known Link for six years now, and I’ve never once heard or seen him speak. Your eyes are playing tricks on you.” Finishing his last stretch, Pipit starts running along the dirt track that loops the courtyard. As he passes by Zelda, he tells her, “Sorry for my friend’s rudeness, Princess.”
“Oh, it’s no problem,” she says back.
Groose grumbles to himself, but his face lights up as he passes by Zelda, starting his laps as well. “See you around then, Your Royal Illustriousness. Stick around for a bit longer, and you’ll get to watch me do my bench press later.”
Zelda snorts, shaking her head and rolling her eyes as Groose runs off. These soldiers are all so different than she had expected. No stoic statues with ramrod-straight postures that she’s grown used to with Link. They’re all just… people. People like anyone else.
She thinks back to what Link told her weeks ago, when she had asked him why he doesn’t speak – “The people of Hyrule look to me for hope. If I don't always look and behave how a Hero should, then that hope dwindles until it is lost.”
She understands now that his fellow soldiers are included in this. They all look to Link as the most skilled warrior amongst them – their Champion, their Hero that wields the Master Sword. They’re able to laugh and joke and be not-so-disciplined because they know Link will be the one leading them to victory when the war finally comes.
He has the weight of all of their lives on his shoulders.
“And what do you think you’re doing just standing around, young man?”
Zelda snaps out of her thoughts to see Commander Eagus is now standing beside her, looking at Link with a smirk on his face.
Link straightens his posture at attention. The red color has almost completely faded from his face, only a little remaining on his edges of his pointed eyes.
“You think just because you’re on duty, that means you get to skip out on training today?” Commander Eagus laughs. “No no no, you’re here on the soldiers’ grounds, which means you have to run laps just like anyone else.”
Link hesitates for a moment. His eyes flick nervously to Zelda.
“Link, the entire Hylian army is here. If anyone somehow breaches the walls and comes to attack, we’ll all be here to defend the princess.” He gestures toward the last few soldiers starting their laps. “Now get started. You don’t want to get too far behind.”
Link’s gaze shifts toward Zelda again. He stares at her, and she recognizes that loyal-dog look in his eyes.
“Go ahead, Link. You have my permission,” she tells him. “Training will probably be more interesting than standing around with me all afternoon anyway.”
Link nods his head, then turns around and starts running to join the other soldiers without a moment of pause—
Almost as if he’s grateful to be doing something else other than standing there, stewing in his embarrassment.
Realizing this, Zelda smiles to herself. It is nice to see more evidence that Link is just a person, too. The same person that pets the innkeepers’ dogs and can eat three servings in one meal.
Beside her, Commander Eagus scratches his back of his neck, looking sheepish. “I really do apologize for my troops’ behavior, Princess. I assure you, they usually conduct themselves much better. They’re just very excited to see you.”
“Oh, there’s no need to apologize, Commander!” Zelda reassures him. “I completely understand. Link warned me something like this might happen.”
“He did now, did he?” Eagus raises an eyebrow. Lacing his hands behind him, he looks out at Link running along the dirt track.
Zelda watches, too. Link’s fast, almost having caught up with his friends already. The sun beats down on them, and she can tell it must be difficult to run in such heat, but he pushes through undeterred – determined, disciplined.
Even at a distance, she sees the defined muscles of his calves, of his arms, his shoulders—
Stop, she tells herself. Stop.
“You must be really special to him, you know.”
Zelda turns toward Eagus again. “Hm?”
“Pipit was right. Link never speaks. And I mean never.” The Commander laughs, deep and rumbling in his large chest. “So if he’s really speaking to you… I wouldn’t take that for granted, Princess.”
Zelda knows this. She was just as surprised when she heard Link speak for the first time. She couldn’t comprehend why she was the one who had the opportunity to hear that voice.
She still doesn’t, really.
“Of course, Commander,” Zelda responds. “I understand.”
—— ▴△▴ ——
Link is glad to be training again.
He hasn’t participated in soldiers’ training for a couple months now, not since before he became the princess’s knight. It’s been a while since he’s had the opportunity to run for this long, or lift heavy weights, or spar against another Royal Guardsmen.
Even so, he has not lost any of his skill.
He is one of the first to finish his laps, despite having started late. He’s always had more stamina than his fellow soldiers, as well as having more experience out on the field than any of them. He slows to a stop at the end of the track.
Groose snickers at him after he catches up, “Showing off for the princess, I see?”
Link just rolls his eyes, trying his best to ignore him.
“It’s no use, y’know,” Groose continues, elbowing Link. “You saw that look in her eye? She’s totally into me. She even laughed at my jokes.”
Groose always tends to be annoying, but it is mostly tolerable – sometimes even funny. That is why he is still Link’s friend. But this – Link hates when Groose speaks about the princess like this. And her showing up here has only made it worse.
Link holds his chin high, staring at Groose with the most piercing stare he can muster, trying to communicate to him with just his eyes alone;
To speak of the princess in such a way, to even think such things, is completely unacceptable.
Groose looks unfazed. He raises his eyebrows tauntingly, crossing his arms over his chest. “What? What is it you wanna say, Link? Why don’t you just tell me?”
Link takes a deep breath in, and out. He focuses on the steady inhale and exhale, rather than the anger bubbling in his chest. He will stay calm, composed – the perfect soldier. He will not show the Hylian army that this is all it takes to make their Chosen Hero lose control over himself.
Why does he even care so much?
“Back off, Groose. C’mon.” Pipit swoops in and gets in between them. “Can’t you see Link takes his job as the princess’s knight very seriously? The king would probably have you banished for making comments like that. Link’s just trying to look out for you.”
“I dunno.” Groose is taller than Pipit, so he’s able to smirk at Link from over Pipit’s shoulder. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say little Link here is jealous of me.”
“Groose, I mean it. Shut up.”
As his friends argue amongst themselves, Link continues to take deep breaths – in, and out. Pipit is right. Link cares very much about upholding proper protocol, especially when it comes to the princess. He cares so much about this because it is his job to care about it.
Jealous. What a ridiculous notion.
His mind thinks back to his dreams – him and Zelda, flying their giant birds into the sunset. I was going to ask her on a date.
He shakes his head, walking away. He must keep his mind focused on training.
Groose has always been like this anyway, that same part of his mind thinks.
Commander Eagus tells his battalion that next up, they’ll be doing their strength training. Link is grateful, because this means he won’t have to interact with the other soldiers. Strength training has always been a time where he could be alone. It’s almost like a kind of meditation, focusing on the ache of his muscles as he worked them to exhaustion.
The soldiers all file over to the part of the courtyard where all the workout gear is set up – pull-up bars, parallettes, and other bars at different heights, all made from iron. There are various weights laid out of all different shapes and sizes. The ground is more dirt than grass, having been tread on by so many people so often. Link finds his usual spot and begins his calisthenics.
He notices the princess is watching him. How could he not notice? After his friends thoroughly mortified him in front of her earlier, he is now hyper-aware of where her gaze his looking.
He tries to return his focus to his training again. He interlocks his fingers and circles his wrists, loosening them up, before lowering himself to the ground to do push-ups. He does a set of regular push-ups, then shifts his position to do archer push-ups. After that, he moves to one of the pairs of parallettes and starts doing a set of 90-degree handstand push-ups, his arms only shaking slightly. His muscles burn, but the pain grounds him here in this moment, rather than his mind wandering off into his turbulent thoughts or the memories of his dreams.
That is something he’s always liked about being a soldier. Here, he is given a task, and he completes it. Simple as that. Doesn’t matter how painful or difficult the challenge is, he is expected to do as he’s told. To follow orders. To obey.
Some days, he can feel so confused, so lost, so dissociated from his own body – but as a member of the Royal Guard, he is able to remedy this. Here, he doesn’t need to think about his dreams or his emotions. He doesn’t need to think about his destiny, or the pressure and worry that come with it. Here, he just has to do as he is commanded. They point him in a direction and he will run there. They give him a target and he will defeat it. They give him the princess and he will protect her. He will obey her.
Here, he doesn’t need to think about being Hylia’s Chosen Hero. He doesn’t even need to think about being a person, and all the confusing feelings that come with that.
All he needs to think about is being the perfect soldier. A weapon, perfectly crafted to be of service to the hand that wields him.
When he rises from the parallettes, he is panting and sweating under the hot sun. His thoughts are solely focused on the aching muscles in his arms. In a second-nature motion he has done many times during many previous workouts, he pulls off his Champion’s tunic, exposing his upper body to the air. He sighs in relief as his skin is immediately cooled down, no longer suffocated by the thick fabric. He raises his tunic in his hands to wipe the sweat off his face.
When he lowers his hands again, he notices Zelda is staring right at him.
And her face has gone very red.
Link had been so focused on his training, that he had forgotten she was there. More than that – he had not noticed that she had come closer to him, now standing right at the edge of the strength training section of the courtyard.
He furrows his eyebrows, not sure why she is looking at him so intently. Does she need something from him?
This seems to snap the princess out of her thoughts. “S-Sorry! Sorry, I’m— I’m staring, aren’t I?” She laughs nervously. “It— It’s just, you— The way your— Your muscles are so— A-And I mean this purely from— purely from a scientific point of view— yes, from a scientific viewpoint on the matter— Your muscles are so defined! It’s— It’s almost like looking at one of my anatomy books.”
Link just stares back at her, silent.
“A-Actually, in fact,” Zelda walks over to a nearby tree, sitting down in its shade. “I think— I think it would be very good for me to observe you while you— while you do your training. For scientific research, of course! For studying and such. Is that— Is that alright with you?”
Link continues to stare at her blankly. He nods, just as serious as ever.
“G-Good! Good.” The princess pulls out her research journal from the pouch on her belt that she keeps it in. “I’ll just— I’ll just be right here.”
Link nods again, then turns around to face the pull-up bar to continue his workout.
When he is sure the princess can’t see his face, he smiles to himself.
—— ▴△▴ ——
Later, Commander Eagus tells them the last part of their afternoon training will be to spar with each other.
“All of you grab a sword and partner up!” he says as he walks through the bustling crowd of soldiers. He continues to instruct them as they all rush toward the giant chest of wooden training swords. “Practice improvising and thinking on your feet. You never know what the enemy will throw at you. Don’t move through your sword motions awkwardly – make sure to flow, connecting each move. And pay attention to your footwork…”
“You wanna partner up, Link?”
The Commander’s voice fades from his focus, Pipit’s voice replacing it. Link finishes pulling his tunic back on to see Pipit in front of him, holding two training swords – one for himself and one for Link.
Link gives him a small smile and nods, taking the sword.
“Great. Let’s find a good spot.”
They walk through the crowd of soldiers until they reach open space. Pipit leads Link to the edge of the courtyard where the trees cast some shade down. The air is much cooler here than under the hot sun.
Zelda is still there, sitting under one of the trees. Although, she is too far away to hear them speak.
“Hello Princess!” Pipit shouts so his voice can reach her. “Mind if we use this space?”
“Not at all!” The princess calls back to them.
Pipit turns back to Link, his voice returning to a normal volume. “Now she has front-row seats to watch you kick my ass.”
Link huffs a small laugh. He shakes his head, waving off his words.
“What?” Pipit says, hitting his sword against Link’s teasingly. “You think only Groose notices? I’m covering for you so he won’t bother you as much, but even I can tell you like her, Link.”
Link’s eyes darken at that. His face falls to look much more serious. He shakes his head again, but this time he means it more like a warning – do not discuss this. It is disgraceful to discuss this.
“Alright, alright. Fine.” Pipit holds up his hands, surrendering. “I get it. You don’t wanna talk about it. All I’m saying is that I saw you doing one-handed pull-ups shirtless while she watched. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you loverboy?”
Link’s mind reels with deja vu. His hand shoots up to hold his head, suddenly dizzy. He sways on his feet. He’s heard Pipit say that before.
“Whoa, Link, you okay there?”
Link steadies himself and nods. He holds his sword out at the ready. His Commander has ordered him to practice sparring, so that is what he shall do. He will not think of anything else. He will only focus on the present moment, on the opponent in front of him.
Pipit chuckles. “I hope you didn’t overwork yourself while strength training, because I’m not going easy on you!”
Their swords clash, and Link sinks into the flow of combat.
This – this is where Link feels most at home. His eyes are alert and calculating as they flick over Pipit, reading his form to see what move he will make next. Link parries the incoming attack perfectly, then lunges forward with his own. His mind is completely zeroed in on the fight. He is in control of his entire body – paying attention to every muscle he moves, keeping his footwork balanced. He keeps his breathing steady, exhaling with each thrust of his sword. He moves so expertly that it’s almost graceful, like a dancer. But at the same time, he swings his sword with such a raw, powerful strength. Even though it is not the Master Sword, it still feels like an extension of his own arm.
This is where his mind is truly at peace – when he is entirely focused on the fight in front of him. He is doing what he was made to do.
It’s not long before he’s disarmed Pipit and knocked him to the ground. He holds the tip of his wooden blade just above his neck.
Pipit smiles. “Was I at least a little better than the last time I sparred against you?”
Link snaps out of his battle-induced trace. After re-processing what Pipit asked him, he nods, smiling politely.
“I feel like you’re lying, but I’ll take it.” Pipit chuckles.
Link moves his sword out of the way, then reaches down to Pipit with his other hand. Pipit grabs his wrist, and Link pulls him up back onto his feet.
As Pipit dusts himself off, another voice approaches them.
“Hello, Princess! Enjoying the show?”
Both Link and Pipit let out groans of annoyance as Groose approaches them, waving to Zelda in the distance. He’s followed by Cawlin and Stritch, who are waving just as enthusiastically.
The princess gives a small, polite wave back. Groose beams at her.
“Groose, Link and I are sparring. Please go bother someone else,” Pipit says.
“Oh no no no!” Groose holds his wooden sword out, pointing it at Link. “You’ve already had your turn. Now it is my turn to challenge Link!”
He is using his overly-dramatic tone of voice, speaking loudly so the princess will hear him. Pipit and Link exchange a look of second-hand embarrassment.
“What? Are you a coward, Hero of Hyrule?” Groose taunts. “Have you realized you are no match for the mighty Groose?”
Normally, Link would just ignore him and continue to spar with Pipit.
But the princess is watching him. He can’t back down from the challenge now.
Link turns to Groose with a determined glint in his eyes. He steps back into a fighting stance.
Groose grins wildly, like he didn’t expect to get this far. “Great! Excellent! Oh, you better be ready! You won’t know what hit you!”
He lunges forward, and the duel starts.
Link lets the rush of battle wash over him again, clearing his mind of anything else other than this fight. He stays light on his feet, moving so fast that Groose can barely keep up with him. His every move is precise and calculated, eyes searching for openings for his attacks – there, at the shoulder, and there, at the legs. Groose is only able to block him half the time, but he is a big man, so he doesn’t go down easily. And in sparring matches like this, the fight is not over until one of the fighters is knocked to the ground.
As the fight goes on longer, more soldiers join Pipit, Cawlin, and Stritch watching them until a small crowd has formed. They all make noises reacting to each move of the duel – ‘oh’s and ‘ooo’s and ‘ah’s. But Link pays them no mind, remaining focused on the fight in front of him.
That is, until he isn’t.
Link makes one particularly forceful attack, and a thought drifts up from the back of his subconscious and into the forefront of his mind – ‘This is what Groose deserves for always bullying me and my Loftwing.’
And dizziness washes over him.
What’s a Loftwing?
His stance falters, and Groose takes the opportunity to swing at him. Link staggers on his feet, but catches himself before he can fall over. The crowd around them erupts into noise, shocked.
Link pushes the thoughts away. He pushes away the strange out-of-body feeling that comes with them. A dream – it was just a dream, he tells himself. He forces his focus to return to the real world in front of him.
No distractions. Follow orders. Perfect soldier.
He ends the battle quickly after that – dodging around Groose’s next attack until he is behind them, then landing his final blow. Link knocks Groose down onto his stomach, training sword clattering out of his hand.
The crowd cheers, but Link doesn’t pay attention to them. Cawlin and Stritch rush to Groose’s side and help him up. He’s moping, wallowing in his defeat as dramatically as he does anything else.
Then something moves in Link’s peripheral vision. He is still alert from the battle, so his head whips around to face it—
But it is just the princess.
Immediately, Link kneels, and the crowd quiets down as they realize what is happening. On one knee, Link bows his head, holding his training sword in front of him so the tip of its wooden blade touches the ground.
In the air’s new silence, Zelda’s voice is clear above him.
“Rise, my knight.”
A shiver runs down Link’s spine.
The princess has never addressed him by his title before.
He obeys her, as he always does. He stands up onto his feet, settling into parade rest.
When he looks up, Zelda is smiling at him.
“It’s almost time for me to have dinner with my father,” she says, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’m afraid this is where I must take my leave. Thank you all for allowing me to watch you train today.”
The crowd all starts to speak over each other, all giving the princess their most heartfelt goodbyes. Groose picks himself off the ground and joins in the noise, but his loss has taken some of his confidence out of him.
Zelda waves to them all and starts walking away. Link follows her, as he always does.
As they get further away, they start to hear Pipit and Groose’s voices behind them.
Pipit laughs. “Now, why’d you do that, man? You knew Link would beat you.”
“Blah blah blah, ‘why’d you do that’?” Groose mocks Pipit back in a high-pitched voice. “Please, a true warrior never backs down from a fight, especially to win the heart of his most beloved!”
“Back down? You’re the one who challenged Link?”
“I’m about to challenge you in a minute!”
“You’re on, then! C’mon! Let’s go!”
There are then scuffling sounds, and the crowd erupts into noise again, egging the fight on.
The princess laughs, aloud and openly.
Link looks over at her, eyebrows raised. She has been laughing more often these days. It is… nice. But still, it is surprising.
“Sorry,” Zelda says when she regains her composure. “I just… I never expected your friends would be so… immature.” Quickly, she adds, “I don’t mean that as an insult! Just as… an observation. Especially when compared to you.”
Link looks over his shoulder, back at his friends. Groose and Pipit seem to have abandoned their wooden swords and are now wrestling on the ground.
He turns back to face forward again, continuing to walk at the princess’s side.
“They can afford to act as they do.” His voice is grave. “Their problems are smaller than mine.”
It takes a moment for the princess to respond. The emotion on her face… is something Link can’t quite place. He hopes it is not pity.
“…Right.” she says. “I understand.”
They walk in silence for a while longer. It is not awkward. They have walked together in silence many times now. They are used to it.
When they have almost reached the castle again, Zelda pipes up again. “May I ask you a personal question?”
Link’s eyes flick over to her. He does not speak. He just gives her a small nod.
“Why am I the only person you choose to speak to?”
Link tries not to tense at the question. His gaze shifts away, keeping his eyes forward again. He straightens his posture, makes himself look more put-together than he actually feels.
It is a rather personal question, but he is alright with answering it – only because his princess is the one who’s asking.
“You and I, Your Highness – we share the same burden.” He doesn’t look at her as he speaks, too nervous to look her in the eyes. “It is both our destinies to defeat the Calamity. I…” He trails off, searching for the right words to express his thoughts. “…I do not need to hide from you.”
He does not look at her. He does not see her reaction.
When she speaks again, he can hear the smile in her words.
“I appreciate it,” she says. “Really, I do.”
He gives a small bow of his head, too flustered to respond with words. He steps forward and opens the castle door.
Zelda does not walk inside just yet. Her gaze fixed on the sun setting on the horizon.
After a moment, Link carefully asks, “Princess?”
“Sorry, I was just thinking.” She looks over her shoulder at him, then turns back to the sky. “It’s going to be another full moon tonight. My father thinks it will be another blood moon.”
Link’s whole body freezes.
The beautiful blues and purples of the Astral Observatory turn blood red. Debris falls from the ceiling. Ganon stares at him with bright red eyes—
“Link?”
He flinches, focusing back into the reality in front of him. His muscles are no less tense.
“I asked if you… if you’d like to join me for dinner tonight.” The princess looks sheepish. “It would be nice to have someone else join me at the table besides my father.”
Link’s mind is still reeling from the memory of his nightmare. He barely even registers the fact that he will be allowed to dine at the same table as the royal family, rather than eat off to the side with the other guards on duty.
“I— I would be honored, Your Highness,” he finally stutters out.
The princess smiles at him, then finally enters the castle.
Link follows her, closing the door behind him. As he walks beside her to the dining hall, his mind can’t help but drift off into his thoughts again.
Another blood moon will surely come with another nightmare, where he will be thrown into another eerily-familiar place and time. Just the thought of it makes him start to feel dizzy already.
What was it the mask salesman had told him before?
To have to repeat this cycle time and time again. I do not envy your curse.
You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?