Chapter 01: The knight

A Hero's Ballad by ArtemisPrince006

I clenched my fists in anger, trying to contain my temper. "Father." I said as controlled as I could, "I do not need a knight. I can take care of myself."

My father sighed, shaking his head at me, "Zelda, we are not debating this. He has been assigned as your royal knight. And that's final."

"But father!" I protested, "I-"

"I said that was final." His voice cut me off and he gave me a stern look, "End of discussion." I bit my lip, anger coursing through me. The last thing I needed was a babysitter. "It may not be ideal, but with the foretold return of Calamity Ganon, we can not take any chances."

"I know that." I replied.

"Do you?" He asked, arching an eyebrow, "Because still you cannot access your powers. You need to work harder, Zelda."

I swallowed hard and looked away, dread filling me. "Yes, of course father. I will try harder."

He frowned at me. "I hope so and this isn't another empty promise."

I clenched my fists harder, holding back the anger inside me. "I will try harder, Father. I promise."

"Good. You are dismissed, Zelda. Tomorrow we will have the knighting ceremony."

I gave a stiff nod and then turned to leave the sanctum, my blood boiling. I stalked off to my room and once I was inside I shed the formal clothes I wore to council with my father... or rather have him order me around. I quickly slipped on a sports bra and a set of joggers, deciding to go for a long run as I needed to get out of the castle and release the pent up anger. Physical exertion always helped me control my temper.

Pulling my long blonde hair into a ponytail, I slipped out of my room and down the hallway. Exiting the castle, I began to jog, easing into the exercise. As I ran along, I passed by the knights training grounds. I gave a quick glance over at the knights training, wondering if the knight that had been assigned to me was there training currently. I grimaced and sped up, wanting to put as much distance between myself and this knight as possible.

Apparently he was supposed to be one of the best knights in the kingdom... Father had said something about being chosen by a special sword, but I wasn't paying much attention as I was too furious to really care. How dare he just assign a knight to me without any discussion on my end. And then he belittled me, accusing me of not working hard enough to unlock these stupid powers I possessed.

I increased my pace as these thoughts raced through my head, the anger fueling me along. I ran across Hyrule field, happy to be alone and away from the castle. No matter how hard I tried, the sage powers that were passed down to me by my mother continued to elude me. Sometimes I wondered if perhaps the powers had died with my mother and I was just an empty vessel, bound to disappoint the entire kingdom.

And that's why I had tried to find other ways to be useful to the kingdom. I had studied hard and had trained even harder. If I didn't have any special powers, then I could at least be knowledgeable on how to lead my kingdom and strategize in battle as well as look into potential technology that could help my people. Father had called most of it a waste of time, but he had thankfully left my education up to me as long as I kept up with my princess duties... which in all actuality mainly involved looking like an obedient daughter and smiling at father's side.

As for the training... Well it was only thanks to mother that I was able to continue with that, albeit father always managed to bring up his disdain for it. She had always said it was important for me to strengthen my body and my mind. And so I had learned martial arts from a young age and eventually took up the bow.

Father had called it unbecoming of a princess, but I did not care. In fact, a part of me kept doing it just to spite him. It was childish, but it was the only power I had in our relationship. Everything else was dictated by him.

Soon the Regencia River came into view and I stopped at the river's banks to catch my breath. I took off my shoes, rolled up my joggers, and waded into the water, the cool water feeling wonderful on my hot feet. I looked up at the sky and sighed as the breeze ruffled my hair. It was a nice day, despite the terrible news. I looked back at the Castle, its looming presence always there. Certainly the castle was gorgeous, but to me it had started to feel like a prison. I felt caged, as if I had to fit into this specific mold my father designed for me.

I hated it.

But I hated the look of disappointment on his face even more. I glanced down at my hands, a frown on my face. What did I have to do to unleash this wretched power? Sighing, I waded back out of the water and pulled my shoes back on. Quickly I returned to a run, headed back to the castle. If I wasn't back before nightfall, I would get an earful.

Reaching the castle grounds, I slowed to a brisk walk. Again, I walked past the training grounds, however all the guards had left, returning home after a long day of training. Looking both ways to make sure no one was around, I hopped over the fence and entered the training grounds. Grabbing a bow and a quiver of arrows, I made my way over to the target range, happy to have the area to myself.

I grabbed an arrow and pulled the bowstring back. It wasn't as smooth as my regular bow, but it would have to due for today. Focusing on my target, I took aim and then released the arrow. It soared through the air and deftly hit the center of the target. Grabbing another arrow, I took aim at the next target and then let the arrow fly, hitting the center of the target yet again. Arrow after arrow I fired, all making their mark. Eventually I switched to moving targets, and even then, my arrows hit true. It was dusk by the time I finished practicing; my anger had abated and I had virtually forgotten about my talk with my father.

I let out a long sigh and stretched, my muscles tired. Grabbing the quiver, I quickly collected all the arrows and then grabbed the bow. On my way to return them to the equipment area, I noticed that I wasn't alone. Over to my right, I caught sight of a knight still in the training grounds, a beautiful sword in his hands that glowed, even in the darkening light. He moved elegantly around the dummy and I couldn't help but admire his skill. He moved flawlessly, as if this was natural to him. But I knew to acquire that skill, one had to train for countless hours.

He came to a pause then, sheathing his blade and grabbing a drink of water. As he walked in my direction, he lifted his head and our eyes met. His bright blue eyes were filled with surprise, but other than that, his countenance was neutral. He had golden hair, most of which was tied back into a short pony, but two longer strands framed his face. He wore the traditional guard armor and despite being covered in sweat and a thin layer of grime, he was handsome.

Swiftly I looked away and hurried to put my gear back. Hanging the bow, I began to leave the training grounds, but at the same moment I was rounding the corner, so was the knight I had seen just minutes before. We bumped shoulders and automatically I said, "I'm sorry."

He gave a slight apologetic nod of his head in return then lifted his head to look me in the eyes. I glanced at the sword hanging from his back and said before I could stop myself, "You are very skilled with a sword."

He said nothing in return and I looked away, feeling embarrassed. Of course he wouldn't talk to me. Without looking at him again, I pushed past him and returned to the castle. I crept up to my room, trying to avoid the castle staff and most importantly my father. I quickly showered and then pulled on a loose shirt and shorts.

"Princess." A knock sounded at my door and I went to open it.

"Myti." I answered, one of the castle maids at my door. "What is it?"

"I brought you dinner." She replied, bringing a tray of food into view.

"Oh." I said, "Thank you."

I diligently took the tray of food. As I did so Myti spoke again, "You're father also wanted me to remind you of the ceremony tomorrow. It will be in the afternoon in the courtyard. He wanted me to emphasize being on time."

I gave a stained smile, "Of course." With that I bid the maid goodnight and closed the door. I set the tray of food down on my desk, uninterested. Instead, I headed to my study, anxious to continue my research. Swiftly I set to work, opening my notebook from where I left off and grabbing several samples. Before long I was lost in my work, fascinated by the discoveries I was making. I could not wait to confer with Purah and Robbie again to discuss what I had found and see what things they had unlocked too.

I worked deep into the hours of the night and scribbled furiously into my notebook, documenting everything I tried and found. Before I knew it, I was opening my eyes, rays of daylight flooding through the windows of my study. Lifting my head, I realized then that I had fallen asleep in my study. I stretched and yawned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

Rising, I made my way back to my room, wondering what time it was. My eyes looked up at the position of the sun... It wasn't too high in the sky, surely I didn't sleep that late. Increasing my pace, I entered my room and began to set my clothes out for the ceremony. I picked at my dinner from the night before, suddenly acknowledging my hunger.

A knock sounded at my door as I took a big bite of bread. "Princess? Are you ready?"

I paused for a moment and frowned. Then with increased vigor, I began to tear apart my room, throwing my clothes off and haphazardly putting on my formal royal blue dress. The knock sounded again and the maid's voice was more urgent now, "Princess?"

"Just a minute." I called, frantically putting on my shoes, deciding to go with my comfortable running shoes since no one would be able to see them underneath my dress. As I smoothed out my dress I looked over at myself in the mirror. Sighing, I quickly began to braid my hair, knowing there was no time to fix it and wear it down.

"Princess?" The maid called again, sounding desperate.

"I'm almost done!" I shouted back, growing annoyed. My conversation with my father came rushing back to me and all the frustration I felt yesterday, I felt all over now. I quickly finished the braid and threw it over my shoulder. I stared at my reflection for a second and frowned. "What are you doing, Zelda?" I asked myself.

"Princess!"

I sighed and made for the door, knowing the maid was growing impatient. Opening the door, the maid gives me a look of utter relief. "Let's go, Princess." She said, "The King is waiting."

I nodded in response. Let's just get this over with. I told myself, not looking forward to it at all.

I stood next to my father, the courtyard busy with people, all excited to see the knighting ceremony; all except me. My father addressed the crowd, but I paid no attention. As he finished speaking, the royal guards stepped forward and then parted, revealing the knight assigned to be my guard. My eyes widened in surprise as they fell upon his face. It was the knight from last night!

He was much more presentable now, his face free from the sweat and grime of training. His hair was still tied back in the pony, but rather than knight armor, he wore a blue tunic and tan pants. Brown forearm protectors were on his arms and the sword I had seen him practicing with last night was slung around his back.

He was my knight?!

I could not deny his talent, but what were the odds? My once neutral opinion of him soured and I decided on the spot that I didn't like him, that he was nothing more than an extension of my father.

The knight stepped before us and his eyes glanced over to me, but I looked away, annoyed. My father formally greeted him and introduced him to the crowd.

So his name is Link... and he wields the Sword that seals the Darkness. My eyes fixed on the sword upon his back and I could not help but be transfixed by it. To be worthy of a sword like that... He truly must be as skilled as they said.

I heard my father call my name, and I knew that it was my turn to step forth and perform the oaths that bind knight and princess. I exhaled resignedly and stepped forward. He knelt as I stopped in front of him and from there I began to recite the ancient rites, the words easily flowing off my tongue, but I hardly even registered them.

As I spoke them, dread filled my heart, however when I finished reciting them, everyone let out excited cries. I felt as if I was a bystander, a silent observer, even though I was the center of attention. Link rose to his feet and gave a soft nod to me. I smiled in return, but it was forced.

As the people around me cheered and began to celebrate, I stepped back, wishing to simply disappear. Several guards came forward and clamped Link on the back, wishing him congratulations. Even my father personally congratulated the knight.

I looked down. I wondered if he would ever give such praise to me. Shaking my head, I turned from the scene, not feeling very much like celebrating. With all the commotion, it was easy for me to slink away unnoticed back to the castle. As I reached my room, I slammed the door behind me, anger coursing through me. I felt tears start to well up in my eyes, but I pushed them back. Pulling the gown off me, I flung it in the corner where it crumpled in a heap. I then made my way to my closet and threw open the door, reaching for my favorite attire... the armor I had specifically designed for me.

In a rush I slipped it on, the armor feeling perfect. I stared at myself in the mirror once I had it all assembled, and I couldn't help but smile, despite my foul mood. The base was sturdy black pants and a navy blue qipao, only slightly modified so it was sturdier to withstand battle and easier to move in. To do this, the sleeves were long and past my waist, the qipao split into two pieces. A black belt was around my waist where long gold and white hip protectors were placed. Upon my feet I wore gold and white armored boots as well as a gold and white breast plate, pauldrons, and bracers.

It felt like this outfit had been made for me... which technically it had been. Grabbing my bow and quiver filled with arrows, I descended the castle and made for the stables. I picked up some training disks along the way and quickly saddled my horse. My beautiful white stallion nudged me with his nose, happy to see me. I smiled at him, "Hey Icefire." I spoke to him, stroking his neck. "Let's get away from here for a while."

He neighed in response and soon the two of us were galloping over the bridge that led into Ridgeland. We raced across the fields and I carefully grabbed my bow, firing arrows at different targets as I rode along.

A tree in the distance neared, and I noticed the bright red of apples on the tree. Taking aim, I fired my bow in succession, and three apples fell from the tree. Stopping Icefire, I hopped off and picked up the apples, giving two to Icefire and eating the other one for myself.

From there Icefire and I walked along, stopping close to the river. Icefire began to graze and I grabbed the practice disks, happy to be away from the castle and in my element. Throwing a disk into the air, I quickly grabbed my bow and took aim, striking the flying disk dead center. As the arrow hit, the disk immediately lost its momentum and plummeted to the ground.

I threw another one, and then another, and another, hitting them all with great accuracy. Once I had run out of disks, I went to collect the fallen ones and then began the process all over again. Hours passed and the only thing that made me stop was the grumbling of my stomach.

Whistling to Icefire, he obediently trotted over to me and I mounted him. With a flick of the reins, we were off, racing through the land. My braided hair flew out behind me and I couldn't help but laugh. I felt so carefree out here... As if I wasn't a princess, rather I was just a normal person who didn't have the fate of the kingdom upon her shoulders.

As I crossed the bridge back to Hyrule castle, my spirits began to fall. The castle loomed overhead and I knew I would have to start my training to awaken my powers again. Tonight I would sit down and lay out a plan. I would travel to Akkala and Faron to visit the Shrines of Power and Courage and perhaps I would stop by Eldin and the Wastelands to visit Daruk and Urbosa. It had been too long since I had seen them last. And they always had good advice for me.

Returning Icefire to the stables, I bid him farewell. From there I made my way to the training grounds to return the archery disks. Several guards were hanging around the training grounds, clearly still celebrating. Their voices were loud and some words slurred, indicating they had perhaps a little too much liquor.

I set the disks back in their appropriate place and then turned to leave. However as I did so, one of the guards called out, making me stop. "Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" He exclaimed, "Why, it looks like the Princess, but she's dressed like she's ready to wage war!" He snickered and one of the other guards punched him in the arm.

"You idiot, that really is the Princess!" He hissed. "Mind your manners."

The man let out a snort, "Princess, don't you know the ceremony was to appoint you a knight, not make you into one!" He laughed heartily.

I turned away from them, biting my lip as I did so, preventing myself from snapping at them. "Oi! Where you going Princess?" The guard shouted as I walked away. "Don't go Princess, I might need saving!" He busted into fits of laughter at his comment.

"Yo, knock it off!" His buddies told him, but he seemingly didn't hear them.

"Help! Help!" He cried as he laughed. "Princess, help me!" He fell to his knees, pretending to be in distress.

Losing my temper, I spun on my heels and in one swift motion, I drew my bow and an arrow. Without a second thought, I let the arrow fly, and it whizzed right past the guard, barely missing him as it sunk into the wooden post behind him.

His laughter immediately died and he stared at me with startled eyes. "I think it's best if you three head home." Another voice called. I glanced over to see the captain of the guards walking over to us, his eyes stern.

The three guards scrambled to their feet, standing tall and alert as their captain walked over. I gave a slight nod "Good evening, Captain." I addressed him.

He smiled at me, but then turned to his subordinates, "Go on, you've had your fun. Time to go home."

"Yes Captain!" They said in unison and then scurried off.

As the three guards disappeared, the Captain walked over to me. His eyes scanned me and rested upon the bow before coming back to my face. "Out practicing?"

"Yes."

"You should have mentioned it to your father. He was worried. Especially when the maids couldn't find you in your room or study."

"I did not intend to be gone this long. I will make sure to inform my father that I have returned safely."

The Captain smiled, "Excellent. And next time you decide to go wander off, it would be best to take Link with you. It is his job after all."

I clenched my teeth at the mention of Link's name. "Right, of course." I gritted out in as pleasant a tone as I could. "Now, I must be going. I should see my father right away."

I turned to leave, but as I did so the Captain began to speak once more, stopping me. "It may not be my place to say this Princess, but now that you do have a knight, perhaps it would be best to focus on awakening your powers. Especially with the rumors about Calamity Ganon."

I frowned and met the Captain's eyes, "I'm afraid you are right Captain." I replied icily, "It is not your place. I bid you goodnight." And with that I left, angry and annoyed but beneath that was the feeling of disappointment eating away at me.

Exiting the training grounds, I saw none other than my knight. He ran over to me and I realized then that father must have sent him out looking for me. A flicker of guilt crept into my chest, but it was drowned out by the rage and frustration I felt at everything; my father, the guards, the captain, and even myself.

Link stopped as he neared me, his blue eyes meeting mine. I clenched my first, all my emotions boiling to the surface as I saw him. Before I could stop myself, I shouted at him, "I DON'T need protection. I can take care of myself!" And with that I stormed off, not waiting for a reply.

I returned straight to my room after that and quickly changed into shorts and a T-shirt. My stomach grumbled, starving after a long day of training. However I remained in my room, not wanting to leave even though I knew I should eat as well as inform my father that I returned. Yet my body didn't move. Instead I grabbed a journal and began to make a training plan.

I needed to unleash the powers within me. I had tried countless times before now and I was honestly running out of ideas as to what would awaken them. It wasn't for lack of effort that they weren't unlocking, as everyone seemed to think... It was just that no matter what I did or how hard I tried, nothing seemed to stir the powers within me. I felt nothing and I had exhausted all my ideas and resources.

As a result, I simply stared down at my notebook, racking my brain for potential ideas as to what I could attempt next... but I had tried so many things. I had prayed for countless hours. I had gone to the Shrine of Power and the Shrine of Courage many times. I had prayed until my skin had become prune-like. I had meditated and faced the elements, pushing my body to the extremes in hopes it would awaken my mind. I had talked with all the great leaders of the land to ask for advice and had read countless books on the subject of Sages and their powers, hoping for some inclination of how to unlock them. But to no avail.

I sighed. I didn't know what would be different about this trip compared to any of the others, but I had to try something. Perhaps I would find inspiration on the trip. Or perhaps I was going insane trying the same things over and over and expecting something different.

Eventually I scribbled something down in my notebook and felt alright about the plan. It would have to do until my 17th birthday and then I could make my way to the Shrine of Wisdom. Perhaps there would lie the answers I so desperately needed. But until then I had to try something.

Sighing I put my notebook down and blew out the candles. Following this I buried myself under the covers of my bed, my body exhausted.

The ground groaned beneath me. Startled, I whipped my head around and found myself deep in the Eldin region, the heat hot upon my skin and Death Mountain roared in the distance. Suddenly, the ground began to shake and unsteady, I fell to the ground. I looked up in fear as the mountain erupted, lava and rocks spewing from the maw of the volcano. The ground beneath me continued to shake with such violence, all I could do was try and hang on. Fire erupted all around me and desperately I tried to climb away from it, but then the quivering ground opened up and I was falling...

Falling until I crashed into ice cold water. I kicked upwards and just as I thought I was going to run out of air, I broke through the surface. The water was turbulent and waves crashed down upon me, pushing me back under the surface. I struggled towards the surface again but no matter how hard I fought, the water pushed me down, drowning me. I felt something grab at me and I screamed, my voice lost in the depths of the water.

As I was dragged along, I suddenly felt myself being thrown forward and I landed on sand. Digging my hands into the dry, hot sand I looked around and found myself somewhere in the desert. Ominous clouds were rumbling overhead and before I knew it, thunder struck just off to my right. The wind began to pick up, lifting the sand. I fell to my knees from the strength of the winds and thunder boomed overhead. My hair whipped around my face and as I tried to make things out through the sandstorm, I could have sworn I saw four shadows looming in the depths of the storm.

Then a deep voice sliced through the storm. "Calamity is coming. Calamity rises, stronger than before!"

I looked up at the sky and shouted, "What do I do? What do I need to do?"

But the voice paid me no mind, "Calamity Ganon is coming. Only the Hero of Legend and Sage Princess can stop it."

"Please!" I cried out, "What do I need to do? Please tell me!"

"Calamity is coming! Calamity rises!" The voice roared again and as it did so lightning pierced through the sky, heading right for me.

In a panic I sat up in bed, my breath heavy. My heart was pounding, the dream had been a little too realistic. Getting up from my bed, I lit a candle and walked outside onto the bridge that led from my room to my study.

I stopped in the center and quickly sat down, leaning against the brick siding. The air was crisp and there was a slight chill in the air, but I did not care. My mind was still racing from the dream I had, unnerved by it. The return of Calamity Ganon had merely been rumors. There had been no solid proof... yet I feared perhaps it was more than just rumors. What if Calamity Ganon was rising as my dream had claimed? What if he was coming now, ready to consume Hyrule in his malice?

We had to be prepared. We couldn't take the chance and ignore these rumors. Something had to be done. Especially if I was... never able to use my powers. We would have to take other measures.

We needed a plan.

Rising, I ran back to my room, grabbed a blanket and my notebook, and sat at my desk. I opened up a map of Hyrule and then I began to meticulously plan, crafting a strategy to prepare for Calamity Ganon. By the time I was done, dawn's light was just starting to shine through my windows. Yawning, I gave a big stretch and walked to my door. I needed to request a meeting with my father.

Wandering through the hallway, eventually I found a servant and quickly asked them to inform my father when he woke that I wished to have a meeting with him in the sanctum this afternoon. The servant nodded in confirmation, and then I slowly made my way back to my room, my eyes barely staying open.

Once I reached my room, I flopped down on my bed and sleep claimed me in an instant.