The Silent Princess

Hateno Village

Link had never been the type to speak, he was afraid of it. Afraid of saying something stupid, afraid of saying something that he would regret. He had been taught by his father, who had been taught by his father before him, to fight. To block, to parry. Ever since the shrine of resurrection, he had felt lost. It may have been seven years ago, but he never forgot how helpless he had felt. Vowing to never feel like that ever again. But it did. It did happen again, his arm being torn and ravaged by the gloom, by Gannondorf. Waking up without knowing where to go- though, this time he at least knew who he was.

He didn't think it was selfish of Zelda to remain in that forgetful state. The state of being a dragon. If he had known that was her wish, he wouldn't have interfered. Rarou and Sonia had instructed him to reverse the spell that had trapped her mind in that peaceable animal.

He had wished something similar, at first. He had wished that he had never been saved, someone else could finally take the mantle of defeating Gannon, allowing him to rest. Never needed, never forced to fight. He didn't enjoy fighting. It made him feel violent, even though he wasn't. He had only ever become a Royal Guard because of his father, because of the expectations. The needs of others. He wanted only one thing, for Zelda to be safe. If that required him to take the sword, take the hit, take the blame. He would do it. He would give his life for Zelda, she was his only concern, which is why he had taken her to Hateno, where he had grown up.

He had hidden her sleeping, drowsy body under his cloak, covering her head and body in the hood. Taking her to his home, the one he'd bought while preparing to save her. It took weeks for him to get everything ready, the Divine Beasts, once angry and pained machines, became docile once their Blights were banished back to their master, Ganondorf. 

Link walked into his bedroom, looking into the darkness, and seeing Zelda curling up against the tannish sheets. He was holding a bowl of rice and meat, one of the recipes that he had discovered that she had made. It wasn't anything special, it was easy, simple even. He wanted to see if she would remember it.

He didn't speak as he set it down on the nightstand, sitting on a nearby stool as he gently nudged her shoulder, trying to get her to wake up. He didn't want to startle her.

"mm... Link..." she whispers, lifting her head as she looks at him, Link could see the pain in her eyes. She'd gotten close to no sleep, now feeling bad about waking her. But since he had her here already, awake and somewhat sane in mind, he picked the plate up again and offered it to her. 

"Oh." She says, holding her hands out to take the plate, looking it over carefully, sniffing it. a look of recognition on her face as she picked up the fork Link had provided, jabbing the prongs into one of the chunks of meat, bringing it to her mouth to chew. "Thank you... This is amazing- I can't remember the last time I ate," she groaned at the taste, chewing it quickly before taking another bite, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Link couldn't help but smile, he was glad she enjoyed it. She looked hungry, he was glad she felt good enough to sleep. Link watched her eat, he didn't know if he should stay or if he should go, not wanting to make her feel abandoned or uncomfortable with the staring. He couldn't bring himself to speak again, so he stood up.

"w-wait." she swallowed a bite of the food, grabbing his wrist, before just as quickly letting go "Have- have you eaten yet, Link?" she asked, frowning as Link shook his head "Do you want some of this? I'm sorry I should've asked before I started to eat, I must look like a wild animal." she sighs, watching Link shake his head more, refusing to eat what she had, not letting the plate get pushed back into his hands. It was his job to care for her, not the other way around. He pushed the plate back down onto the nightstand, taking her fidgeting hands and squeezing them. Trying to get her to breathe and calm down. She was panicking far too much, she was safe. No one was after her.

"You need to stop! Stop treating me like I'm a child!" she tore her hands away, crying as she covered her face with them, hoping that he wouldn't stop her from that. It was a luxury to cry.

Link let her cry, he couldn't stop her. So he stared, which also made her angry. Why was she so angry...? What had he done to deserve this...?

"WHY?!" she shouts, screams, cries to the sky. "Why couldn't you just leave me to Ganondorf?! You should've left me to die, Link! Stop staring at me, stop looking at me like that!" She inhaled before screaming, causing Link to flinch. He didn't want to leave her alone, he didn't want her to cry. He wanted her to understand why he did it, but with every word he knew he'd mess it up, ruin it. He couldn't say a thing without breaking every rule he had ever given himself. He opened his mouth to speak, and say something that might be helpful to the dire and uncomfortable situation. People would be flocking to his home at any minute, asking why someone was screaming bloody murder in his home, he couldn't stop her. Every second of silence was ten seconds of screams and curses and sobs. 

Link didn't blame her for her reaction.

She hadn't felt anything in so long he doubted she could differentiate pain from sadness, happiness from fear. She had been an immortal dragon for longer than she had been a Hylian. She was an immortal being with no flaws. One who had started to die the moment she had been turned back into a Hylain, after generations of peace of mind, and forgetting. She remembered. 

Every century poured another memory out of her body, coiling into a tear. A memory. A memory that she now forgot, a memory that evaporated from her mind as easily as it fell from her eyes.

Just like the death of her friends. Urbosa, Revali, Mipha, Daruk. All gone from her memory, dripping from her mind like rain. Slowly singing its way through eternity.

Slowly dripping back into her mind like a plague.

"ANSWER ME." She shouts, Link blinking. He had stopped listening, he yelled at himself internally at that. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?"

He hadn't done this to her- not directly. Sonia- and Rarou! They'd-

"Stop looking at me like that and say something!" Zelda stood up, her hand moving to hit him, but as quickly as his hand was raised, it was grabbed. Link took her wrist, making sure she couldn't use it against him.

"You never deserved any of this." he said, "You deserve to be happy. I will support your decision no matter what, princess."

Link looked up at her, his voice slightly raspy, his hand releasing her wrist. that wasn't the answer she had been expecting.

"no." she stuttered "No, no, no!" she cried "You cant be saying that now! it forbids it! I- I- I was a dragon! I was FREE, Free from him- free from being Princess of Hylia- I just- I wanted-" 

"To start over." Link says, sitting down again, watching the Princess sit back in the bed, startled again. It reminded him of himself, he didn't have time to think of this. What if he had gone and had a normal life? Convincing himself he was crazy...

"I can't." she choked, now she understood.  She couldn't. She was bound by fate, by Hylia to be the one to hold back Gannon if he ever came back. If he ever wanted to take over Hyrule again.

"We can." Link says, taking her hand, "I promise."