The Legend of Zelda: Zelda's Honor

Chapter 1 - The Choice

Link woke up with a start, lightly perspiring as he looked around the courtyard for any perceived threat. After confirming nothing was amiss, he slowly laid back down in the grass placing his hat over his face to block out the rays. Relaxing in the palace courtyard soaking in the sun tended to be one of his favorite past times in recent days.

It had been many months since Link came back from the portal in the Temple of Time to warn Zelda of Ganondorf's treachery. He was initially thought to be an assassin sent to kill Princess Zelda and was immediately detained. It wasn't until Zelda vouched for him did they set him free. The news was brought to the king and although he was initially distrusting, Link's persuasive tale helped sway his opinion. Ganondorf was arrested and tried in court. It was found that he had orders on him from some unknown villains who went by Koume and Kotake to seek and find the royal family's ocarina. With Ganondorf in the Hyrule dungeons and border patrol along the Gerudo pass increased. All things seemed to be at peace.

At eleven years old, Link had seen many amazing things in his young life. He had traveled through time, destroyed a tyrannical dictator with the power of the Goddesses; he had explored a new alternate dimension ruled by masks with an ill-fated town under the shadow of an evil moon. He had long since failed in his objective in finding his dear companion Navi, the first and last fairy he would ever have. Long were the days where he would frolic and run through the forest with his Kokiri friends; spending many hours sleeping up against a protective tree in the pouring rain with his best friend Saria. The journey to recapture his youth was met with failure.

These days Link spent his time residing in the castle with Princess Zelda, his newly appointed friend much to the chagrin of her father (who always kept a watchful eye on her whenever Link was around). Most days Link would feel dejected and confined to the brick and mortar of the castle. The more he slipped out to the inner courtyard gardens, the better. It was some semblance of normalcy in his world that had flipped completely upside down.

Zelda would come to see him daily and would listen raptly to his stories about Gorons, Zoras, fairies, evil moons, giant fish and more. Despite her listening intently to him, he never did quite feel that she ever truly believed him. Gone were the great fairies of the springs he used to visit, gone were the fantastical creatures he would describe. Whenever he was finally allowed to take the princess on a field trip, the places he showed held none of the glamour and charm that had once been. Zelda would simply look at him, smile and give that small giggle that made him blush so. Over it all, at the king's request, a person would always be in the shadows making sure they were safe.

Zelda had gotten it into her head to make a hero out of Link and appealed many times to her father at the good he had done in service of their kingdom by revealing Ganondorf to be the traitor he was. Unable to protest with his daughter's earnest nature, he relented and allowed Link to become an honorary knight in the Hylian guard. At first Link enjoyed the lessons taught to him in swordplay by grandmasters of the art, but the more he delved into his role as a knight the more he realized he was becoming something he was not. He was blending into the normal life of the royal family and he began to loathe it.

The castle was abuzz with preparations for the royal feast that would be held at Lon Lon Ranch the next day for the yearly celebration of the Goddesses and to pray for another fruitful year of harvest. It was a joyous occasion where dignitaries of neighboring lands would attend. The multitude of races from Goron to Zora would send emissaries to the event as a sign of good faith and partnership. Link had never personally been to the festival himself and really wasn't looking forward to it; just another excuse to dress him up in another one of those scratchy outfits that served no purpose but to look ridiculous.

"Link, are you out here?" came a voice from the courtyard entryway.

Link sighed and grimaced under his hat as he heard the voice of Zelda calling for him. He didn't expect to get caught wearing his Kokiri garb with her again. He had only put it on to feel comfortable in his own skin and enjoy the morning sun. The knight's raiment was simply unbearable to wear and made him sweat something fierce. Just prior to his knighting, he had his Kokiri tunic taken from him as it 'wasn't proper' attire befitting a knight of Hyrule, much less of the royal family! He hadn't wanted to let Zelda know he had snuck the clothes back just yet.