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The first rays of the morning sun interrupted the torn curtain that hung over the window next to Link’s bed. He grumbled, sitting up and getting out of bed immediately. He had no predetermined discipline, all he did was remind himself of his job. The job passed down through a family of knights, to protect the royal family–more importantly, Princess Zelda.
She was in a room just down the hallway of Link’s quarters, either in a deep sleep, or writing down notes in her journal, or research notes. She wouldn’t yet be in her study–she was too afraid of the dark for that.
Link put on his shirt and armour, buttoning both up. Then, he sheathed his sword on his back, and walked down the hallway, knocking discreetly on the Princess’ door to announce his arrival. “Do come in!” She shouted from within. He opened the door and walked in, but as she set her eyes on him, her face morphed into one of disappointment. “Oh. It’s you.”
He bowed, then crossed over to sit in a chair by her desk, as she sighed. Link could always tell Zelda didn’t appreciate his presence, and sometimes he ached to tell her it was just his job–he would never invade her personal space in any capacity, but then he was reminded by his cruel mind of his place.
The princess continued to write in her journal, hand covering the words she’d just written, in case he would look, even though Link never recalled a time when he had. “You’re very quiet.” She said, “Usually, it would be nice for some peace. But, it doesn’t help me to figure you out in any way.”
Her words were quiet, and Link thought for a second that she was talking to herself, until she turned in her chair, looking at him, closing her journal. “Why is that?”
Link didn’t answer. He just looked at her. The gift of an answer was something he rarely gave.
“I command you to speak.” She said firmly, but her voice trembled at the end. Link’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he spoke nonetheless.
“It is just the way I am, Your Majesty.” He said, concealing the tremor in his voice, and there was a hoarseness to it, too. She looked at him, then turned back to her desk, opening her journal again. Link could probably count the amount of times he’d spoken in the princess’ presence on one hand–talking just wasn’t something he did, and if he thought too much about the reason why, he’d negate the task at hand; protect the princess of Hyrule at all costs.
“My father suggested that I should go out more.” Zelda said. “By myself.” If Link knew how to, he’d scoff. The king was overly protective of his daughter–he’d never let her out of Link’s sight under any capacity. But, Link nodded. “I’m heading out later in the day. I am requesting for you not to join me.”
Link said nothing, and Zelda got up, opening the door. He bowed, then left her room, returning to his quarters. She hadn’t specified when she was leaving, but it’d probably be around midday, when the kingdom was at its brightest. She’d bring a pocketknife, and her horse, and wouldn’t head to the desert or the Rito–not by herself. The princess hated Zora’s Domain–it was so slippery, and disliked the stuffiness of the area surrounding the volcano where the Gorons lived. And, even if she chose one of those places, she’d know that the champions would send her right back to the castle, with Link, of course.
There were a few stables Zelda enjoyed being near, and she stayed away from the lakes. Her horse could only take her so far, and she was wary of most bridges, aside from those she knew were sturdy.
Link sighed, leaning on the edge of his window. He’d just have to follow her when she left—he had no time to be wondering where she’d go, he’d lose her by the time he went one way and found out it wasn’t the way she’d gone.
For the time being, he went down the castle, outside to the training dummies, and practised. Some could argue that he practiced enough, but he refused to listen to them. He would only have practised enough when he could save the princess while asleep, which he hadn’t yet been able to test, so he decided for himself that he wasn’t yet ready.
And then, as the sun reached its peak, a girl with blonde hair ran past his peripheral vision.
Link pretended to carry on training, but as he heard Zelda quiet her horse and set off, he ran to the stables, getting on his own horse and following her.
She travelled west, east from the castle’s view, to Tabantha. If she was going to the Rito, she wasn’t wearing the right clothes for it. So, it was safe for Link to assume she’d only be just crossing the border of the Tabantha region.
When she looked behind her, Link moved to the side, acting as if he was just another soldier patrolling the road. She looked forward, and Link continued to follow her.
Over the Tabantha Great Bridge she went, and he followed her still. Then, she disboarded her horse, and started climbing up a cliff, finding notches on her way. Link stayed back, moving his horse behind a clump of bushes so he could stay easily hidden.
Zelda yelped as she slipped, and Link almost jumped out, until she regained her footing, pulling herself up again, moving her legs over the top of the cliff before the rest of the cliff.
She stood up, smiling, then walked out of Link’s view.
He gave his horse an apple, then ran to the cliff, jumping up and climbing the cliff, much faster than Zelda did. Then, there was a flash of steel, and Link’s hand went to the hilt of his sword, about to unsheath it, before he heard the sigh he was so used to. “Of course you followed me.”
He looked up, and Zelda was looking down on him, her pocketknife pointed at his forehead. He looked at it, then at her, and she pulled away, turning around.
Link frowned, then climbed up the rest of the cliff, getting to the cliff. Zelda turned, and he bowed, and she sighed again. “Why are you so insistent on following me? You never say a word unless I command you, but the silent knight is relentless.”
He locked eyes with her, and she stared at him for a while. “Stay here. I want to be by myself.” Link’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded nonetheless. A few minutes on her own wouldn’t cause the end of the kingdom.
On second thought, it might.
Link did give her space, but he made sure she was always in his line of sight, always where he could find her, and if she ever dipped out of it, he soon found her again. She gasped as a butterfly fell on her finger, a childish smile upon her face as she looked at it, which soon turned to a scowl as it flew away.
Zelda sighed, sitting cross-legged in the grass, staring at the castle in the distance. Her home, and Link’s new place of residence. To him, it was not a home. It was a confining omen, reminding him daily of his one goal, the oath he had taken.
“Do you like the castle?” The princess asked. Link looked at her, but she wasn’t looking at him. He walked out into the small patch of grass she was sitting in, and tentatively sat next to her, then shook his head. “Why?”
Link looked at her, and she finally turned her head to look at him. “I mean, it’s…better than your old house, isn’t it? It’s a castle, after all.” He looked at the grass before him. “...You can talk to me.”
He sighed, looking back at the castle. “A house isn’t a home.” Was all he said, and he looked at Zelda, who blankly looked back at him, silently demanding an explanation, in the kindest way a princess could. “You make a home. A house is always there. It’s the building around you. The people around you make it a home.”
Zelda pursed her lips, then looked back at the castle. “Sometimes it feels like a prison. Can a home feel like that?”
Link shrugged. “Princess, I’m not really the person to ask about homes.”
She looked at him, and laughed. He looked at her, as she threw her head back, laughing more, in the same accent she always had. Link’s eyes narrowed, and he looked at her quizzically. “That wasn’t supposed to be a joke–”
“I know!” She shouted, her hand on his shoulder as she regained his breath. “Oh, I don’t know, it was just so silly to me that I asked you such a question! As if you–” She stopped, pursing her lips. “As if you’re like me. Which you’re not.”
Link looked at her, something he’d been doing a lot recently. She looked back at him, with a conflicting expression. “Why don’t you speak?”
“Do I need to?” Link asked. “To carry out my duty.”
The wind swept past them as Zelda looked at him, her eyes wide. “It’s nice to have a voice.” She said, before she got up. “It’s getting cold. Shall we head back? It’ll be sunset by the time we do.”
He nodded, standing up, going ahead of her as they walked. “Link?” He turned, looking at her as she spoke. “I want a home. Not a house.”
He stared at her, and, for once in his life, knew what to say. “I’ll do my best, Princess.”
“Zelda. My name is Zelda.” She smiled, and walked past him, as Link held back the smile that threatened to cross his face.
“I’ll do my best, Zelda.” He whispered.