A Soldier's Love: Tale of a Hylian Guard

1

"Are you aware of the crimes charged against you, soldier?" the king growled angrily.

The entire court glanced in the direction of the defendant, half of them pitying the man addressed.

The guard stood rigidly at attention in the middle of the court, head raised despite his resignation and dread. He saved a person's life! Why would the king sentence him because an act of kindness?

"Did you not hear my question?!" bellowed the king.

Startled, the guard stammered out a response. "Y-yes, Your Majesty."

"Then answer it!!"

The guard gulped, eyes wide with fear. "I am n-not aware of my charges."

The king huffed through his nostrils. "I thought not." He gestured, and a scroll was placed into his hand. "You, a lowly Hylian, have touched a member of the Royal Family of Hyrule." He opened the scroll and read his contents. "And according to this, you even lifted her, shook her, and scolded her."

He angrily threw the scroll at the soldier, but it landed at his feet. 

"Tell me, soldier," he seethed. "What can you possibly say that justifies your actions against us?"

The soldier licked his lips in nervousness. "P-please, Your Majesty, I did not know that-"

"Silence!" The king rose from his throne, descending from his elevated position towards the soldier. "Don't you dare plead to your ruler, plebeian! You have already disgraced the name of the Hyrulean guard and you shall not make any further transgression towards us." His face was now inches from the soldiers'. "There is nothing - nothing - you can say that shall absolve you of your crime."

"Then allow me to speak, Your Majesty!" the soldier shouted. "If I am already a condemned man, what difference shall it make?"

The king's face grew red with rage. He belted him across the face, sending the soldier walking backwards into the court's audience. 

The king stood staring at him, an invitation awaiting a response. 

Angrily rubbing his cheek, the soldier walked back to his place. "Your Majesty, I did not know that the princess was amongst the crowd of onlookers, and her caretaker was nowhere to be found." He paused. "She was so well disguised that I could not recognize her, Your Majesty. I simply didn't-"

" Excuses are worthless to me," the king said through clenched teeth. "Shall I show you what I do to soldiers who form useless excuses?" 

The guard stood still as stone, wide eyes looking into the king's.

I'm going to die as a criminal, thought the guard. There is no honor left for my name. The king must-

"Father! Father!!" 

A young voice called from somewhere in the courtroom. "Don't harm him! He didn't do anything wrong!"

It was then that a young girl ran to the center of the court, standing beside the soldier with fierce indignation. 

She seemed to illuminate the entire room. Stray locks of blonde hair fell from a silk hair cap, and fell on a wide, blue-eyed face. She may have been young, but she had the air of an experienced noblewoman. 

"Zelda?" the king sputtered. "What are you...? How did you-?"

"It does not matter, Father! This man is innocent! Do you even know whether he committed a crime or not?"

The king was speechless , and only after a few moments did he speak. "He had the audacity to touch a member of the Royal Family, especially when we already have our own guard!"

"I know what he did, Father!" Zelda edged closer to the guard. "But as any of the councilors can tell you, he committed no crime under Hyrulean law." 

The whole court was astonished at Zelda's bravery, but most of all was the guard. He didn't know whether to kneel, kiss Zelda's shoes, or both. 

But it seems she was not finished. "Just because we have the privilege of ruling over Hylian citizens does not mean we are any more entitled than they are! This soldier managed to keep me from a horrible accident which could have left you without an heir, and yet you punish him for it?!" She shook her head. "How can you call yourself just?"

The king could only look towards his daughter, stupefied.

She turned towards the guard and grasp his hand. "Please forgive my father for his actions. He continuously forgets that I am not a piece of pottery, neither delicate nor frail." She paused. "Ever since my mother passed away..."

Zelda's speech died away as the entire court fell silent. The guard glanced towards Zelda, then to the king. 

He cleared his throat. "The charges made against you are dropped, soldier. Unless you have any remaining remarks, you are dismissed."

The guard looked towards the king, then Zelda, then glanced around the whole courtroom. 

"Well?"

The guard fell on his knees, head bowed to conceal tears. "My dear princess, if there is anything I can do to repay this great debt-"

"Rise, guardsman," said she. "You kept me from making a mistake which saved my life. It is through today's actions that I repaid this debt to you."

But he remained kneeling. "No, Your Highness. I must serve under you, for I did what I swore to do when I became a Hyrulean Guardsman. You could have left me to die, yet chose not to. I am indebted to you in life."

Zelda began to speak, but she knew arguing against this guard would be pointless.

"If I can serve-"

"You shall serve, guardsman," she interrupted. "Rise for you are now my personal guard."

Abruptly, he stood, drew his sword, and pointed it skyward. "By this sword and by my life, I swear to protect Princess Zelda of any and all harm. I profess my allegiance towards the Royal Family and proclaim my servitude to all of Hyrule. May Farore give me courage, may Din give me strength, and may Nayru grant me wisdom, that I may forever serve under Princess Zelda's watchful eye."

The king cleared his throat.

"...And her father, the king's."

Zelda smiled. "And thus, I proclaim you the first of the Hyrulean Protective Guard!"