Cinderella, but it's Breath of the Wild

Letter From The Palace

When Zelda arrived home, everyone in the house had already woken up and started going about their own business.

Upon opening the front doors that led to the living room, the first thing she saw was her other stepsister, Mipha, reclining on the sofa with a book in hand. Hearing the doors open, she looked up.

"Oh, good morning, Zelda!" she said, her voice as soft as ever. "Riju told me a child got caught in the fence?"

"Morning, Mipha...yes, that's true," Zelda chuckled sheepishly, "It was a rito fledgling. Luckily, I was able to return him home with his father so all's well now."

Mipha smiled and nodded.

Zelda often wondered how it was possible no one had asked for her sister's hand in marriage yet; she'd make the most wonderful partner. Her heart was gentle and pure.

Unfortunately, their rather pleasant conversation was cut short by a familiar, brooding, woman.

"Ah Zelda! Thank heavens your back," Lady Tremaine exclaimed, sashaying into the room.

From the corner of the servant girl's eye, she could see Mipha tucking her face in her book

"Wherever have you been?"

Tremaine drew up the pitch in her voice on the word "been", adding a false sweetness to her dry tone.

Zelda quickly readjusted her posture and smoothed down her skirt in an effort to make herself look slightly more presentable.

"Oh, well you see, stepmother, I was uh... out feeding the chickens," she explained, praying that perhaps Riju had carried out her excuse.

The corners of Lady Tremaine's lips curved upwards into a conniving smile.

"Is that so?" She asked, the false sweetness still very much present. 

Zelda could only nod her head.

"Then how come you came through the front door? Isn't the coop out in the back gardens?" Tremaine continued to wonder, seemingly satisfied with the lie she'd managed to catch.

Mipha uncomfortably shifted positions on the couch while Zelda swiftly scoured her brain to come up with an excuse.

"Oh, yes, I er...took the liberty of bringing the laundry down to the village," she explained, figuring it wouldn't hurt to tell the truth so long as she didn't reveal she was careless enough to let some rito child get caught in their fence.

"Did you now? How responsible you are, my girl!" Tremaine replied, her somewhat joyful tone confusing Zelda, considering how sour she'd been earlier in the day.

"I wasn't even going to ask you to take it down until tomorrow, this must mean you've got more room in your schedule! Perfect timing, honestly, I felt almost sorry asking you to clean the rafters," she said, crushing her stepdaughter's short-lived dreams of free time.

"You can go do them after you mend Mipha's dress!" She went on, walking over to her and handing her a pink satin gown she held in her arms.

The smile that had begun to blossom on Zelda's face quickly withered away. Her stepmother on the other hand was positively beaming, as she turned on her heel and made her way out the doors.

The room was filled with a moment more of silence before Mipha dared squeak a response.

"I'm so sorry. I can mend it if you'd like; it's only a small tear," she said, getting up from the sofa and walking over to her stepsister.

Zelda couldn't help but find it rather amusing how both she and Riju tried their best to make up for their mother's disdainful actions. She gently placed her hand over Mipha's before she could reach out to grab the dress she held.