My Silent Knight

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Zelda's POV

Apparently, news travels fast in Hyrule. By the time we arrived back to the castle, the servants, residents of Castle Town, guards, and almost everyone else was already busy preparing for a royal wedding. Link and I rode through Castle Town, some residents cheering, some crying, some overwhelmed with many emotions. Many villagers threw Silent Princess petals through the air as we smiled and gave our appreciation to the those who saw us riding through.

As much as I wanted to have my horse quickly gallop through the town's streets, I let my horse trot through allowing me to see everyone. 100 years the people of Hyrule have gone without a royal family and it has been even longer since there was a royal wedding. They deserved the excitement and happiness, so we joined them in celebration. When we finally did reach the castle's gates, we turned back to wave once more to the emotional villagers of Castle Town and then had our horses trot on through the large gate. 

Impa, Paya, and Cardan parted ways a while back on the journey home, going back to Kakariko. I was tempted to go for a day to see the village again but I was ready to begin a new journey here in my own castle, a place I truly never thought I would want to be at. It has also been a while since Link and I traveled alone, without having to rush and be terrified of every turn. We were on edge, of course, every few moments we would look around to check for anyone around us. Most of the journey, we were calm and shared light conversation, reminding me of old times when I was first getting to know him, when I first heard him actually speak a full sentence. 

Now, being back at the castle, it felt as if we had all the time in the world. When the horses were taken to be sent to the stables it was just... him and I. Excitement merely explains how I feel in this moment, walking through these grand halls with him. All of this was his now as much as it was mine, this was our castle and our kingdom. No more would he be my faithful knight, but my faithful king. As we walked, various helpers stopped to ask if we needed anything and each time we politely declined. I wanted no one else but him by my side, as selfish as that may be.

I cherished the feeling of his soft hand in mine, my thumb sometimes caressing the scars that marked the back of his hand. The last time I saw these halls I was using all my strength to carry him in my arms after he was stabbed, my body filled with fear and fury. In this moment as I held his hand in mine, my body felt calm and happy. I stopped and turned to look towards a window, outside villagers danced in the streets. I remembered the night I danced in those exact streets with him.

"I feel as if this is all a dream that I will soon wake from." I mumbled back to him as I took a step closer to the window. "Tell me this is real."

"It is real. Unless we are having the same dream." His hand released from mine. I almost reached back for it, craving his touch but stopped my movements when I felt it rest on my lower back.

"After everything this kingdom and the people have gone through, do you believe we will be able to correct it all? Over a hundred years worth of destruction?" I leaned back into his warmth.

He paused, thinking on my words. I soaked in his peaceful silence until he spoke again. "The people of Hyrule have faced many trials. Some knowing nothing else except for the ruined Hyrule we see today, others knowing of how it once was before the destruction. I believe they all share the same thing, Zelda."

"What is it they share?" 

"Hope. For their future and for the kingdom. When I awoke from the shrine and made my journey through Hyrule, I met many different people. No matter what, they all continued to find ways to survive and live amongst the Calamity and pushed on for a better tomorrow. If they had no hope, they would've given up a decades ago."