"I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. If it is not disrespectful to ask so soon, Princess, may I ask your hand in marriage?" A pompous, red-headed duke knelt down before a young woman. Princess Zelda was used to her many suitors. Ignoring her status, Zelda was very beautiful and popular in the eyes of the Hylians. She had deep green eyes that pierced through hearts of her people and hair blessed by the radiance of the goddesses. However, digust was plastered all over her face at the moment as she tried to walk past the large haired duke.
"I am sorry but it is a no from me." Zelda blandly stated, pushing him aside, "I do apologize Groose for the making the fruitless trip to Hyrule." Groose scowled, noticing her sarcasm, and fled the castle, while Zelda rushed to get back to her chambers. Zelda quickened her pace, almost running while the click-clacking sounds of her heels echoing throughout the empty hallways. Unfortunately, her handmaiden Impa caught up to her in an instant with a cloud of smoke. "Damn the goddesses Impa."
"It is improper for a lady to curse, also you should have agreed to marry Sir Groose." Impa hit the back of her head, with force almost pushing her tiara off her head. "Skyloft is rich and plentiful with food and animals. The region is very beautiful..."
"I've read many books about Skyloft Impa, could I ask you to spare the lesson?" Zelda her off with a venomous remark. "Sorry but I refuse to marry this young. I really hope you can understand that I can wait until I actually succeed the throne."
"While I do hate the thought of you marrying, I think it would be best if you chose someone now if goddesses forbid anything were to happen to King Rhoam." Zelda's face grew dark as Impa's mind scrambled to form words to fix the sadness she caused. "Princess do not worry, nothing will happen now. I mean, Calamity will not come for years to come." Impa could not save herself. "Anyways, there's still sometime before the King appoints you a new retainer. You may have some free time to do research if you'd like."
Zelda's rolled her eyes as she quickly waved goodbye to Impa and made her way to the castle's guardian facility. The appointment of her new guard was another reminder that her old retainer, Ashei, was stationed as captain of the Snowpoint guard. That added another thing onto her list of sorrows.
Although, she had more pressing matters to attend to as free time was rare for her days and she wanted to devote that time into ancient research. The guardians had always fascinated Zelda from a young age. After the last Calamity, these mechanical tanks were found deep into the Gerudo dessert. And since the calamity was prophesied to happen in at least forty years, she was born without powers nor special abilities. It's not like she wanted Calamity to strike her kingdom. However, Zelda had nothing to do in the castle except to study her nation's history, and the time left that was meant to dedicate herself to her nonexistent powers was given to researching these ancient mechanical beings.
She walked along the castle's east passage to observe the knights training with a younger version of a guardian. The machine was less harmful than one of the older and larger ones but it was still hard to defeat head on. There were four knights assigned to defeat it today and they were tasked to defeat in at maximum ten minutes. Zelda could not recognize their faces so she assumed they were recently inducted. She peered over the training ground to observe the reaction of the guardian to the knights yet she saw her father observing as well. The King was closer to the battle than she was and was conversing with the captain of the new fleet and. a man she had never seen before. He had fiery hair and skin loved by the sun. He seemed very attractive to the people surrounding him as he presented himself very effortlessly, even to the king. Zelda had never met him yet he seemed very familiar.
"Your highness!" One of the four knights called. The guardian's glowing blue eye suddenly became enthralled with a red hue. It averted it's attention from the soldiers to the king. The man next the the king feigned surprise yet was too in awe to do something. The guardian charged its beam as three of the soldiers rushed to attack it head on, yet they were pummeled away by its free arm and its swordsmanship. The last knight remaining rushed with his Hylian shield and stood in front of the king in a matter of seconds before the guardian fired its deadly beam. Zelda watched as he parried the dreadful beam right back into its birthplace, saving the king and finishing his task within the ten minutes the four knights were given.
The king and his entourage were stunned by his valiance and quickness in the face of the king's endangerment. The king, specifically, was paralyzed until the captain of the guard asked if he was well. He turned to the young boy and asked, "You there! What is your name?"
The knight spoke so quietly that Zelda could not hear from her standing. She turned to the hero, who kneeled before the king's speech, and squinted her eyes to study him from afar. He was a normal Hylian boy who looked a year older than she was. His hair was golden as the sun and was restless against the wind. His face was silent and emotionless.
"Zelda!" King Rhoam called her from below, finally noticing her presence. His call shocked her into a stiff stance and quickly turned her towards her father to avoid getting caught for staring.
"Hello father," Zelda yelled with a gulp as all eyes were on here now.
"You're a bit early but I've just found your new appointed retainer. Despite his ranking, his valiance and skill will serve well for your protection." Her eyes turned back to the knight who saved her father. His eyes were on her now and she felt intimidated by his blue gaze that forever locked onto her from now on. "We will have the ceremony for Link later this evening. Also, I want you nowhere near these mechanical heavens unless he is by your side." With that, Zelda's day became worse.
