The Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time

Zelda's Lullaby

Link groaned, his head throbbing in rhythm with the fading footsteps. Then something cool pressed against his chapped lips. He pried open his eyelids, wincing at the harsh sunlight. Blinking through tears of pain, he was just able to make out the girl hovering over him.

"What happened?" he tried to ask, but his voice came out as an incoherent moan.

"Drink this," the girl said, a small vial clutched in one hand. "It will make you feel better."

Link drank the offered liquid before it was abruptly taken away.

"I can't give you too much," the girl said gently. She brushed the hair away from his eyes, frowning as she did so. "You're bleeding."

"It's not bad," Navi said. "Just a scalp wound. They usually look worse than they really are."

Despite his throbbing headache, Link forced his eyelids fully open. He raised a hand to shield his vision, his eyes seemingly unaccustomed to the afternoon light as he searched for the girl. She was kneeling beside him, watching him closely.

"Can you sit up for me?" she asked, her voice surprisingly gentle.

Link didn't answer. He was too busy staring at the girl, noticing for the first time just how oddly dressed she was. She wore a pink robe, an ornate silver belt, and a delicate apron emblazoned with the Hyrulean royal crest. A necklace with a dazzling ruby pendant adorned her neck, and her hair was hidden beneath an elaborate headdress. It all seemed excessive, even for winter.

The most jarring detail, however, was her spotless appearance – including her pristine fingernails and unblemished skin. She looked like a porcelain doll dressed for display, like the ones he'd seen in the market. Had she even been outside before?

The girl's smile faltered.

The girl's smile faltered. Oops. Did I say that out loud?

"Of course I have," she replied, sounding torn between amusement and annoyance.

Link tried to sit up, but a wave of vertigo sent him sinking back into the grass.

"Hold still," the girl soothed. "You've got a nasty cut on your head, and I need to clean it."

She dabbed at the cut with a cloth, applying a stinging salve that made Link flinch.

"I said, hold still!" the girl said firmly.

Link grumbled a reply, too dazed to resist.

The girl sat back, examining her handiwork.

"I take care of injured animals when I find them," she said pleasantly. "Here-" she handed him a waterskin, but Link just shook his head, causing spots of light to swim and dance across his vision.

"Are you alright, Link?" Navi asked, flying beside him. "You're lucky you didn't break your neck."

"Fine," Link mumbled, trying to sit up again and pleased that the vertigo wasn't so bad.

Now that the world was no longer swaying, Link got his first good look at his surroundings. He was lying beside a stone path, flanked by brightly blooming bushes that defied the winter chill.

That's odd for the middle of winter, Link thought.

Lush green grass and fruit trees carpeted the landscape, reminding him of the forest, only it was too tidy and far too tame. The rose bushes showed signs of being neatly pruned, and not a single leaf seemed out of place.

Link surveyed the stone path, noting how it meandered around a fountain before continuing on and disappearing behind the nearby wall.

"I'm in Hyrule Castle..." Link mumbled, the realisation slowly dawning on him. He looked up at the towering stone spires, his hopes of a stealthy infiltration dashed by his recklessness on the wall. How would he escape this predicament?