Dreams of the Kingdom [Link x Male!Reader]

Chapter 10 - Victim of Fashion

(Kakariko Village (Day) - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

There was something invigorating about waking to a Cucco's cry. You awoke to sunlight streaming down through the inn's rafters. Your mind was a mess this morning. Sure, you now knew what to do with the pieces of the Triforce, but the rock the Yiga found still made no sense. That was nothing compared to the unsettling dream you had the previous night. Regardless, the day waited for no one. You slipped into your Sheikah armor. It wasn't necessarily that you needed stealth, but keeping your identity slightly obscured from other travelers could prove useful.

Kakariko Village was serenely beautiful as always, even with the recent changes. When you heard ruins had fallen on the village, you hadn't quite expected the equivalent of an entire temple. That said, it didn't seem to interrupt life at all. "Good morning, Prince [Y/n]!" Koko called from her makeshift stall. "Do you want to buy a ring garland?"

"Oh wow, they're so pretty! Sure, I'll take this one," you said, tossing her a blue rupee.

"I hope everyone else likes them too. We're supposed to get a lot of travelers coming next week, so I've got a lot of work to do," Koko said. She gave you the garland and a quick hug. "Thanks, Prince [Y/n]!"

You said goodbye and headed to the largest ring ruin, wedged between two mountains. Nearby, Paya and Tauro studied the ancient remains. "It's quite the mess," Paya sighed. "We're lucky that no one was hurt."

Tauro on the other hand was overjoyed. "There's so much to investigate! Think of all we can learn from these ruins!"

"Good morning," you said, giving them a wave. "It's steady, right? The ruin isn't about to collapse?"

"It's stable as far as we can tell," Paya said. "All the same, probably for the best Princess Zelda ordered it off limits."

"I'm sorry, what? When?"

"About a week ago?"

You groaned. "Most likely a fake Zelda. Consider that order countermanded." Tauro nearly jumped for joy, but you cut him off. "With one restriction. Please take some time to shore up the supports. Last thing we want is anyone getting hurt."

Tauro looked like a kicked puppy but nodded. "Yes, your majesty," he sighed.

You patted him on the back. Paya linked her arm in yours. "Your majesty, a moment?"

You barely were able to say "Of course" before she whisked you away to the chief's house.

Paya had certainly grown more confident in the past few years. She ascended to the position of chief just a few months ago, and while it was a little shaky at first, she was settling into the role nicely. Paya led you up the steps and into her home. She took off her hat with a sigh. "I never expected how heavy this would be."

"Literally or figuratively?"

"A bit of both," she said. She turned to you with a slight blush. "I'm sorry to snag you away. I was hoping to ask for some advice." She started rattling off a long list of questions, from budgets to helping with personal problems to supplies to even the correct way to wear her hat.

Finally, you took her hands in yours, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Paya, no one is a natural-born leader overnight."

"But, you make it look so easy!"

"I'm really just stumbling through it too; though it does get easier with practice. Let's take these one by one."

The list took some time to work through. It was well past noon by the time you finished, so you and Paya decided to get some lunch before you left. As you waited for your food to finish cooking, Sharpe's song was stuck in your head, and you hummed along.