A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 3: An Uneasy Restlessness

"Are we even positive she's the princess? Look how young she is!" the second lady questioned. "I wish I had skin like hers. They expect us to believe she's the princess? From one hundred years ago?"

"Those old cucco elders swear on the Goddess it's her," the first lady said in disbelief. "They seem perfectly content with her being around, but they live in the past. This is a new era. She's been quiet this past week, but I'm sure she'll want to make some changes to this place. She'll want to control us even though we've been fine without her royal guidance."

"She hasn't moved from that spot. Do you think she's listening to us?" the second lady asked.

"If she is, then she's just as rude as that lover of hers," the first lady said.

Zelda lowered her head before beginning to walk back down the road, passing the ladies without a glance.

"Exactly," the first lady continued, watching as she passed. "Just as rude."

Zelda continued to walk, doing her best to block out whatever remaining whispers she could hear. She arrived at a fork in the road and turned up the one that headed towards the mountainside. After passing a few box-shaped houses, she stopped, looked up, and smiled with relief. She had arrived home.

In front of her was a crudely built bridge that connected two cliffsides, on the other side of which stood a house. It was an older home, just like the ones in the rest of Hateno,, however, witha few modifications. It had the same crooked chimney mortar falling off to reveal its brick layer, and a wooden shed in the back that connected to the home. Next to the house was a makeshift stable that could hold two horses, and was currently home to a chestnut mare and a pure white stallion. The rest of the wide cliff was a nice patch of land, where trees stood tall and snow covered the usual grassy plains. One of the trees was an apple, which still had fruit dangling from the branches in a fenced-off backyard. Another tree, even older than the apple, had a deep pond at its roots, where Zelda and her lover would regularly bathe.

While it wasn't a tall, elegantly furnished castle nor an expertly carved sandstone palace, this was home. This was Zelda's home, and even though she had been somewhat anxious about returning to the one inside, after her recent encounter with the children and older ladies, she wanted nothing more than to go inside and see the person she had left behind to wait for her. She took a deep, rigid breath before walking across the bridge while wiping her eyes of any frozen tears that may have built up.

"Hello, Epona. Hello, Storm," she said as she stopped to greet the horses in the stables.

Instinctively, she reached her hand out for the pure white horse she claimed as her own. The horse, however, shook its muzzle before her fingers could reach it. A bit startled, Zelda retracted her hand, yet she didn't feel surprised by the rejection.

"Still not too fond of me?" she asked as the horse blew air through its nose. "You're just like your ancestor. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, you know..."

Slowly, Zelda reached down for the Sheikah Slate at her hip before giving it a little tug. She lifted it before tapping a few times on its screen.

"'Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount,'" she said as she gave a final tap. In a growing ball of blue strands of light, an apple appeared in her hand. "'That's the only way it will know how you truly feel.' There, there..."

Slowly, Zelda held the apple out to Storm, who gave it a sniff before gently taking it into his mouth. She chuckled as she watched him chew before attempting to stroke his muzzle again. This time, he did not refuse. She smiled as she stroked his white hair.