The courage to find me - The fate of us: Part I

Chapter 3: He did what?

POV Zelda

"Shall we go, Zelda?" says Paya, waiting for me to descend the stairs toward the village.

Trying to ignore the feeling that Impa wanted to get rid of me too quickly, I nod and follow her. "So, you're Impa's granddaughter, right?" I ask, trying to start a conversation. "The last time I saw her, she was still a die-hard spinster," I joke. In those dark times, no one thought much about romance, and she was too busy being my bodyguard alongside Link, I recall, feeling bad again.

Paya nods timidly. "Yes, I am... After the Calamity, Grandma became the leader of the Sheikah because of her position in the royal guard. Since many had died... she, despite being young — about 25 years old, if I'm not mistaken — was the most suitable option." Paya suddenly pauses and looks at me in alarm. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

I wave my hand dismissively. "Don't apologize. You're just telling what happened," I say, though I do feel constantly guilty about my delay. A delay that was responsible for the deaths of thousands in the kingdom. "So, what happened?"

"Well..." she starts cautiously. "In the first two decades after the Calamity, she made many trips around the kingdom to at least reestablish contact between the tribes and identify which cities remained. On one of these missions, she got involved with a man she met."

Paya pauses, and I have a bad feeling. "And what happened?" I ask.

She takes a deep breath and looks at me, slightly scared. "Have you ever heard of the Yiga?"

My blood runs cold. Of course, I have. I was almost assassinated by them once... if Link hadn't stopped them at the last second. For a moment, I get lost in that memory.

It was a hot day. We were on a mission in the Gerudo desert region. As always, I was accompanied by Link and Impa. We were going to meet Urbosa, the leader of that tribe... and a mother figure to me as well. My heart aches to think she also died because of my incompetence.

In those weeks, I was still acting like a rebellious brat. Link had just been appointed as my bodyguard after saving me from a malfunctioning Guardian — a giant robot like a tank, built to protect us from Ganon — that almost hit me. Seeing him fulfill his duties so easily — even being chosen by the Master Sword as a child and on the way to fulfilling his role in the prophecy — while I had no idea how to access my powers, despite trying since I learned to walk, filled me with hatred. His success only served to highlight my failure.

For this reason, drowning in self-pity, in a spark of rebellion, I took advantage of a rare moment when he was distracted, fetching water for us at the Kara Kara Bazaar oasis, and went out into the desert alone. It wasn't the first time I went to Gerudo. And he couldn't enter the city anyway — only women were allowed, so he always had to wait outside.

It took less than 10 minutes before I realized I was being followed. It was a group of three Yiga clan members, dressed in their usual red and black uniforms. Seeing that I noticed their approach, they charged at me. Panicked, I started running back to the bazaar, desperately wishing I could access my powers at that moment. But they were much faster and more agile than I was. When I tripped over a stone and fell to the ground, I was ready for the end. One of them, the closest, approached slowly, raising his scythe. At that moment, terrified, I heard running footsteps, and Link intercepted him, using the Master Sword to disarm — and kill — him. He then positioned himself in front of me, his back to me, shielding me from the other two, who, after a moment of hesitation, fled.

It was that day that my feelings for him began to change. I could blame the adrenaline, the feeling of being rescued, or even his courage and physical shape. But I know it was when he, after ensuring there was no more danger, looked at me with the most concerned gaze I had ever seen in anyone and simply said, "Are you alright?"