A Tale of Two Princesses

Chapter 4 - Memories, Feelings and The Great Plateau

Chapter 4 - Memories, Feelings, and The Great Plateau

Summary: Link needs a day off, and both he and Mipha privately reflect on their feelings for each other. The next morning, as they prepare to journey to Rito Village, a message from Dr. Purah leads them on a potentially helpful detour.

Mipha had this morning to herself. Her father was taking care of Sidon, and Link had not slept well and felt he needed a day off to recover his energy. He planned to relax and catch up with his old friends, the so-called Big Bad Bazz Brigade members.

Mipha shook her head, thinking about that group. They had been good kids on the whole, but they sometimes crossed a line. She remembered the time they put Hot Footed frogs in one of the slumber pools. One of the guards saw them hiding, waiting to watch the reaction when someone entered the pool. But Link was the only one caught. He had been silly enough to dive into the water with the rest of them to get away and was captured almost instantly. Did he think he could outswim a Zora guard? Rushing into action before thinking again! As punishment, Link had to collect and safely return all the frogs to where they came from and then scrub the pool. But his friends 'volunteered' to help him. She knew who they were and had a word with them, letting them know she would not be pleased if Link had to do all the work himself.

Yes, he had been a mischievous kid, though she had loved taking care of him. But then came that day when he had suddenly stopped being a kid.

She recalled the first time Link returned to the domain after reaching adolescence. It was the early evening after dinner. She was telling Sidon a story before his sleep time when a guard said Link was in the plaza and was asking to see her. She thought it was odd for Link to arrive in the domain in the evening like that. He usually visited during the day. But her father told her he would finish the story for Sidon, and she should go ahead and see Link. She ran happily down the steps to the plaza, expecting to see the boy she remembered from the last time he visited.

But that boy wasn't there. Instead, she saw someone else turn and look up at her. He had the same blue eyes and blond hair. She knew at once it was him. But he wasn't a boy anymore. He was a young man who looked like someone her own age. She hadn't expected that not keeping in mind how much faster Hylians grew. And she showed her surprise.

But the funny thing was when Link turned and looked at her, he seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him, and she didn't think she had changed much at all. He stood staring at her and turned slightly red. Was he embarrassed about his height or something? They exchanged greetings, and she had commented on how much he had grown. And then Link had mumbled something. He seemed ill at ease all of a sudden, and they spoke only briefly.

But Link eventually got over whatever it was that was bothering him. On future visits, he seemed more relaxed with her. They had some interesting talks during their walks together. And it was then they sometimes took Sidon with them on picnics. She enjoyed seeing how well Link fit in with her family, and she could see that he was enjoying it too. He may have grown up, but he was still like a little boy when he laughed. And when he played with Sidon, it reminded her so much of when she had played with him. He was indeed a special friend.

But then that fortune teller's prophecy about Ganon's return started circulating, and Link grew more determined about combat training with the sword that seals the darkness. He would go off alone, seeking out the most powerful enemies he could find. His behavior also became more serious, as was evident when he slew that Lynel on Ploymus Mountain. He seemed invincible. But his fierce determination to fight was driven by his love of Hyrule. He wanted to help people, protect them from harm. He was strong and fearless but also kind and caring. And she fell in love with him.