"The dinner almost starts," Princess Zelda said nervously, "why is Rhiannon taking so long? She better not be trying to pull something off."
"Calm down," Link said, "I'm sure she's almost ready."
"I'm ready!" Rhiannon said. She walked into the throne room wearing one of Link's old knight suits. "Rhiannon! What did we talk about this morning?!" Zelda gasped. "Oh, come on!" Rhiannon groaned, "What's wrong with this? If my father could wear it, why can't I?"
"Go change into your gown right this instant!" Zelda commanded, "Our guests are almost here!"
Rhiannon spun on her heel and headed back to her room. "I knew she would come up with something," Zelda muttered, "Link, why did you give her your old outfits?"
"She insisted," Link sighed, "throwing them away didn't feel right, anyway."
"Princess Zelda, the guests are here!" a maid said. "Rhiannon! Hurry up!" Zelda shouted, "Please let them in."
When Rhiannon walked back down, she noticed the guests in the throne room. "Rhiannon!" Link called, "Come and greet our gue--"
"Link! It has been quite a while, hasn't it?" The first one to greet him was Prince Sidon, "You have not changed one bit!" he ruffled Link's hair, "Oh, this here is my pride and joy, my dear daughter Zya!"
Princess Zya was a red-coated Zora, slightly as tall as Rhiannon. "Well, this here is our daughter, Princess Rhiannon," Zelda smiled, "Rhiannon, say hi."
"Hey..." Rhiannon said awkwardly. "Hey, Link," the next was Yunobo, chief of Goron City, "you remember me, right? Yunobo? I helped you with Divine Beast Vah Rudania?"
"I remember you," Link replied. "Oh, thank goodness," Yunobo sighed in relief, "oh, this is my son, Kolibun."
"Hi..." Kolibun said shyly, he was an orange Goron with a blonde mohawk, "Y-you can call me Koli...n-nice to meet you, princess..."
"Likewise, I guess..." Rhiannon said. "Hey," the next in line was Teba, general of Rito Village's army, "it's been a while. You remember Tulin, right? You showed him how to shoot, he loved seeing you."
Tulin was a tall Rito with grey and black feathers. "Wow, you've certainly grown!" Link gasped. "People say I've grown to be like dad!" Tulin said excitedly, "I hope to one day become a skilled warrior like him!"
"Me too!" Rhiannon said, "My father and I have been practicing sword-fighting!"
"What? Link!" Zelda gasped. "I couldn't resist!" Link chuckled, "I missed practicing sword-fighting!"
"I guess we've left the best for last," the final guest in line was Lady Riju, chief of Gerudo Town, "in case you've forgotten me, which I don't know why you would, I'm Riju, chief of the Gerudo. This is my daughter, Aya."
"Whoa..." Rhiannon gasped. Lady Aya was a tall, muscular Gerudo young woman with long, flowing, fiery red hair. Her sun-kissed skin made her blue eyes stand out like fireflies on a night, making Rhiannon's heart beat faster. "Rhiannon? Rhiannon!" Zelda snapped her fingers. "Huh? Oh, sorry..." Rhiannon said. "Hylians..." Aya said under her breath.
Once in the dining hall, Rhiannon would often look over at Lady Aya, her beauty becoming a distraction to her. Whenever she caught Aya's eye, she would rapidly look away embarrassed, waiting for Aya to look elsewhere. After dinner was over, Zelda asked Rhiannon to show her new friends around Hyrule Castle. "And this here is the garden my mother so much likes," she sighed, "ignore the decaying Guardian husk, it's so buried on the ground that no one has been able to remove it."
"No modern Sheikah technology has been successful," Dori sighed, "there's plenty of these around Hyrule, just polluting the ground."
"Quite unfortunate," Aya sighed. "Wow, her voice is so... deep," Rhiannon thought, "why am I feeling this? Stop it!"
"Princess Rhiannon," Zya said, "how does it feel?"
"How does what feel?" Rhiannon asked. "Excuse me if I sound a bit too intruding," Zya said shyly, "but how does it feel to be a ruler and a soldier?"
"Oh, well," Rhiannon sighed, "it feels good, you know? I can defend myself, I don't need anyone to save me. I'm skilled in sword-fighting, archery, horseback battles, and I know some forms of martial arts."
"Archery?" Tulin asked, "How good would you say you are?"
"Well, I'm no expert at it," Rhiannon replied, "on a scale from one to ten I'd give myself a seven."
"When I was a kid, your dad used to show me how to aim!" Tulin said, "My dad helped him taim Divine Beast Vah Medoh, so in return, Link agreed to give me some archery lessons!"
"Oh, yeah, he told me," Rhiannon said, "I mean, my father used to know Champion Revali in the flesh so--"
"Whoa, really?!" Tulin gasped. "So, it is true," Aya said, "both your parents are over 100 years old."
"Yeah," Rhiannon replied, "my parents knew the original champions."
"I know," Zya said, "my dear Aunt Mipha was in love with Champion Link, for what my father said."
"Excuse me?" Rhiannon gasped, "What did--You know what? I don't even want to know."
"Now that is some hot tea," Dori giggled. "Sorry, who are you again?" Aya asked. "I'm Dori," she replied, "I've been here all evening. I'm Princess Rhiannon's best friend, we've been friends since we were in the womb."
"And, you come from the Sheikah tribe, right?" Zya asked. Dori nodded in response. "I don't know why you are all so surprised," she added, "the Sheikah have always been close to the Royal Hyrulean Family."
"Right," Aya rolled her eyes as subtly as she could. "Need a big strong Goron to move that Guardian?" Koli asked, "I can do it--"
"Don't touch it!" Rhiannon shouted, "Those are silent princesses! They're my mother's favorite flowers and Hylia help me if something happens to them!"
"The silent princesses have grown around the Guardian husk," Dori explained, "to remove it, it would mean we would have to remove the flowers, something I'm sure Princess Zelda would not appreciate."
"Oh, then, I'll leave it there," Koli said shyly. "Anyway," Rhiannon said, "I've heard that some of you here are related to the Champions, right?"
"More or less, yes," Aya replied. "I wish I could've met Aunt Mipha," Zya sighed. "Me too!" added Koli, "I wish I could've met Champion Daruk! He could have taught me to be less awkward..."
"My mother is a descendant of Champion Urbosa," Aya said, "I mean, the resemblance in my family is uncanny."
"I also wish I could have met Champion Revali," Tulin sighed, "my dad always talks about how much he wants to be like him. Revali left a lot of records that haven't been unbroken to this day!"
"Say, princess," Aya added, "Lady Urbosa's diary mentions that she was close to your grandmother, the queen of Hyrule."
"Oh?" Rhiannon gasped, "My mother doesn't talk about Grandmother a lot, she died when she was six years old. My father doesn't talk about his family a lot either."
"Link doesn't talk a lot, does he?" Koli asked. "My father's pretty non-verbal when he's around people he's unfamiliar with," Rhiannon replied, "my mother said it took him a while to establish communication with her and the Champions. My father also tends to forget to show emotion. I mean, give him a break, he's been training to become a knight since he was a child."
"And you chose to take his path as well?" Zya asked. "Indeed," Rhiannon said, "I prefer to be a knight than a princess. I've been training to be both my entire life, but sometimes I just want to ditch the stupid tiara."
"Is that possible?" Tulin asked. "What about the sword that seals in the darkness?" Koli inquired, "Does your father wield it?"
"Yeah!" Rhiannon replied, "My father never leaves without it. When he is not using it, he places it on a special shelf inside my parents' bedroom! Nobody is allowed to get near it, not even me."
"Do you think that as a direct descendant of Link, you can wield it too?" Zya asked. "My father has never mentioned something of that sort," Rhiannon replied. "It's not like he can pass it down like some family heirloom," Dori explained, "the Master Sword chooses its user, and this time it chose Champion Link as its wielder. The only way Princess Rhiannon can inherit the Master Sword is if the sword chooses her."
"What did she say?" Koli whispered to Zya. "As I said," Rhiannon added, "not even I'm allowed to get near the Master Sword. My father is very strict about it."
"Link? Strict?" Aya gasped, "I would never imagine those words put together."
"Yeah?" Well," Rhiannon scoffed, "I would never have imagined my father would have fans falling to his feet. No offense to Champion Mipha, Princess Zya..."
"It's alright," Zya smiled. "Oh, the elder of Kakariko Village was one of them," Dori giggled, "I read her diary the day we laid Lady Impa to rest. Rhia, if you're not busy this week, you should swing by! We can read it, Lady Paya will never know!"
"Bet!" Rhiannon exclaimed. "Can I read it too?" Zya asked, "I can bring Aunt Mipha's diary!"
"Please do!" Rhiannon laughed. "You are all so insufferably childish," Aya scolded. "You wanna read them too, don't you?" Rhiannon giggled. "No, as a matter of fact," Aya replied. "Girls," Tulin and Koli sighed. "Stupid little Hylian," Aya thought, "and she complains why her parents treat her like a child. She acts like one!" she eyed Rhiannon from afar, "...she is kind of cute, though..."
By the end of the night, the guests had returned to their homes. Rhiannon sat at her desk, her study located across her bedroom. She looked at the blank page in front of her. "I wonder what she thought of me..." she sighed, "Ugh, she probably thinks I'm some sort of moron. Am I...? I guess I might be... I mean, it runs in my genes that for some reason I make girls swoon, but boys have never been my thing..."
Rhiannon took a deep sigh. "I guess I might be," she sighed.
Dear Diary--
"No, that sounds stupid," Rhiannon said, crossing out what she had written.
Rhiannon's Diary #1
Today, my parents summoned people from different parts of Hyrule: Gerudo Town, Goron City, Rito Village, and Zora's Domain for a special dinner. My best friend from Kakariko Village was there too.
Diary... I think I might be into girls... When Lady Aya's eyes met mine, I felt my heart melt. I've heard before that Gerudo women were beautiful, but I never imagined they would be that beautiful. Lady Aya has stolen my heart, but I'm afraid of what my parents will say, or what Aya herself will say...
I'm a moron,
Rhiannon Amatola Hyrule.
She closed the diary and placed it on a high shelf next to a vase with a silent princess, then went back to her bedroom, throwing herself into the bed. "I'm such a mess..." she sobbed, "I want to stop existing for one day...."
Meanwhile in Gerudo Town, Aya paced her room from left to right. "I barely met her today," she whispered, "there is no way... there is just no way a Hylian vai, of all people, had an impact on me... There is no way I'm developing feelings for a vai. No, I must marry a voe and continue the Gerudo tradition..."
She threw herself on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "...But... Do I?" Aya asked herself, "If I had a rupee for every woman that has been wrong by a man... I don't think I'm meant to be some man's housewife. I hate cleaning, I'm bad at cooking... besides, Princess Rhiannon and I are royals, aren't we?" she cracked a soft smile, "We would rule Hyrule like no one ever has. Now that I think about it," she giggled, "maybe catching feelings for a Hylian vai isn't that bad... My mother must not know."
"Father, may I confess something?" Princess Zya said shyly. "What is it, my beautiful coral?" Prince Sidon asked. "I... I think I have feelings for someone..." Zya replied, "t-that someone being...Princess Rhiannon..."
"Oh, Zya!" Sidon said, there was a mix of happiness and concern, "That is wonderful, my dear!"
"Really? You do not think it is weird?" Zya gasped. "Of course not!" Sidon replied. "I think falling in love with a knight runs in the family," Zya chuckled, "remember when you told me Aunt Mipha had fallen for Lord Link?"
"Oh, Zya, you did not mention that at the dinner, did you?" Sidon asked, "I do not want it to cause any trouble with the Royal Hyrulean family!"
"Do not worry, father," Zya lied, "I did not mention it at all."
"Well, I am glad you have feelings for someone, my dear," Sidon smiled, "just...do not be upset if Princess Rhiannon does not feel the same, okay?"
"Yes, father," Zya sighed.
"Rhiannon! It's 7am!" Zelda knocked at the door, "It is time to wake up, my dear!"
"Good morning, mother," Rhiannon opened the door. Zelda noticed that so many things about her daughter were off. "Um, are you okay?" she asked. "Yes, I'm fine," Rhiannon chuckled, "why do you ask?"
"Um," Zelda stuttered, "you look like you were crying... Are you sure everything is okay, my little bird?"
"Hmph," Rhiannon chuckled, "you haven't called me that in a while..."
"Well, you're certainly no longer little," Zelda sighed, "you grew up so fast..."
"Oh, mother," Rhiannon groaned when Zelda began sobbing, "save the waterworks for my funeral or something, can you? I'll always be your little bird."
"Yes, you are right," Zelda sobbed, gasping lightly to calm herself down, "it's just that...you just turned 18 last week... it feels like yesterday when I carried you in my arms--"
"Mother!" Rhiannon interrupted. "Right, apologies," Zelda sighed, "well, your father and I will be waiting at the dining hall for breakfast. Please do not take too long."
"I'll see ya there!" Rhiannon said, closing the door. "Ya?" Zelda scoffed. After getting ready as fast as she could, Rhiannon headed towards the dining room. She walked there reluctantly, her body was heavy it felt like she had been thrown off a horse. Her eyes struggled to remain opened, no matter how much she forced them to open. During breakfast, Zelda and Link noticed that Rhiannon was not acting as her usual self. "Rhiannon, is everything okay?" Link asked, "You've barely touched your food..."
"I'm not hungry," Rhiannon sighed, "can I go back to bed?"
"Are you sure you're doing okay?" Zelda asked, "I am rather concerned..."
"I'm fine," Rhiannon replied, forcing food into her mouth. "Maybe, you just need some fresh air!" Zelda suggested, "We could go--"
"Mother, I know what you're trying to do," Rhiannon said, "you're tricking me into going into the springs."
"Of course not!" Zelda gasped, "...Okay, I will admit it."
"Give it up, mother," Rhiannon said, "we've tried it multiple times. Maybe I just wasn't born with that inner power."
"Well, we can always try," Link said, "third time's the charm, isn't it?"
"Whatever," Rhiannon sighed, "it's not like I care, anyway. Which one will it be? Courage? Power? Wisdom?"
"Well, your father and I decided to take you to the Spring of Courage this time," Zelda answered. "Great! Fantastic!" Rhiannon gasped, "Let's get fried on our way there by the countless armed monsters there!"
"Rhiannon!" Link scolded. "It's true!" Rhiannon said, "Can't wait! I should go get some electricity proof elixirs since there is nothing there but lightning!"
"Enough, Rhiannon!" Link raised his voice, "You will be going to the Spring of Courage with your mother!"
The Spring of Courage was located in a lake deep within the Faron region, covered entirely by the jungle. The entrance was shaped like the head of a giant reptile. Zelda and Rhiannon entered the spring, kneeling in the waters. Link stayed at the entrance with his sword in hand, looking out for them. Rhiannon stared momentarily at the statue of Goddess Hylia in the middle of the spring, she could hear her mother mumbling the same prayers over and over. Rhiannon looked down at her reflection in the water, closing her eyes. She tried to be patient, repeating her mother's prayer. Hours passed, nothing happened. "This isn't working!" Rhiannon shouted, "We've been here for hours! Accept it, mother! I wasn't born with some special power!"
"We just haven't tried enough yet!" Zelda said, "We should give it another go!"
"I refuse to do it," Rhiannon hissed, "I have no inner power. Unlike previous royal daughters, I'm not special. Something should have happened by now!"
"Mine took a little longer, we just have to be patient!" Zelda exclaimed. "Give up, mother!" Rhiannon sobbed, "I'm not like previous princesses! There is nothing special about me!"
Link wanted to intervene, but he decided not to. "I'm not going to sit around and wait for a miracle," Rhiannon said as she stood up, "I'm sorry, mother, but I quit."
"Rhiannon!" Zelda called, "Please come back! Just give it another chance!"
"Don't you get it?!" Rhiannon shouted, "I don't have any inner power! There is no such thing!"
She then walked away, heading towards her horse. "I hate to admit it, Zelda," Link sighed, "maybe she's right... I feel like it's my fault..."
"No, Link," Zelda said, "you are not responsible. I know that Rhiannon has an inner power, every royal daughter has! We cannot lose hope, Calamity Ganon can rise for revenge at any moment!"
Instead of heading towards Hyrule Castle, Rhiannon rode Sapphire towards Kakariko Village. "Lady Paya, someone is at the door," Dori said. After the passing of Kakariko Village's former elder, Lady Impa, her granddaughter took over. "Let them in," Lady Paya commanded, "I can sense someone is in distress."
Dori headed towards the door to see Rhiannon standing outside. "What on Hylia's name are you doing here?" she gasped. "Can I come in? Please?" Rhiannon asked. "Who is it, Dori?" Lady Paya asked. "It's Princess Rhiannon," Dori replied. "Lady Paya, I apologize for the sudden interruption," Rhiannon bowed. "No need for apologies, princess," Lady Paya smiled softly, "you look overwhelmed, I can feel you are in despair."
"My mother has been driving me crazy!" Rhiannon said, "We were just at the Spring of Courage and she made me pray for hours! She's convinced I have some inner power, but I know there is nothing inside me! I'm not special! I'm just lucky enough to be born into royalty!"
"Dori, go prepare some tea for the princess," Lady Paya commanded. "On it!" Dori obeyed. She returned a few minutes later with a cup of tea for the princess, then one for Lady Paya. "Well, Your Majesty," she sighed, "what is it that afflicts you?"
"My mother!" Rhiannon exclaimed, "We've been to all the springs, nothing has changed! She's convinced I have some kind of inner power!"
"Inner power?" Dori asked. "It has to do with all that Triforce stuff," Rhiannon replied, "again, nothing has appeared. Maybe Goddess Hylia didn't want me to have that power. Maybe she wanted me to be a fighter, like my father."
"Even then, Link has an inner power of his own," Lady Paya said. "What? Really?" Rhiannon gasped, "Am I the only one from my family not born with something?"
"Goddess Hylia has something for everyone, princess," Lady Paya smiled, "I am sure that she has something for you, it will show up when you least expect it. According to my grandmother, that is what happened to your mother."
"Do you still have feelings for my father, Lady Paya?" Rhiannon asked curiously. "Oh, goodness, not anymore," Lady Paya blushed, "as time went on, I grew out of those feelings. I always knew his heart belonged to Princess Zelda... However, who told you about that?"
They both stared at Dori. "Fine," she said, "I may have...read your old diary..."
"Dori!" Lady Paya gasped. "It fell from the shelves and it opened!" Dori said, "I didn't even get that far in!"
"Whatever, I prefer being a knight," Rhiannon said, "if Calamity Ganon returns, as my mother so fears, I'll be ready to fight."
"I recognize that spark in your eyes, princess," Lady Paya said as Rhiannon stood up, "it's the same spark your father had 25 years ago..."
"One day, I'll be a great fighter like him," Rhiannon sighed, "that's the only thing that I'm good at, fighting."
She walked out of the door, heading back out and reaching Sapphire. Taking a deep sigh, she headed back to Hyrule Castle.
"Dori," Lady Paya said, "can I confess something to you?"
"It doesn't have to do with Rhiannon's father, does it?" Dori asked. "Not at all, no," Lady Paya sighed, "is it just me or is the Hyrulean royal family falling apart?"
"You think so?" Dori gasped. "I have the feeling that Princess Rhiannon may not be an ordinary princess," Lady Paya sighed, "something tells me she will be her family's demise."
"You're exaggerating!" Dori shouted, "Rhiannon is not that bad of a princess, she just doesn't want to follow her mother's path! You're delusional!"
"Dori!" Lady Paya scolded, "Save me the second-hand embarrassment of telling your mother about your uncouth behavior, will you?"
"Apologies," Dori sighed, "I didn't mean to raise my voice at you, Auntie..."
Upon arriving at Hyrule Castle, Rhiannon headed towards her bedroom. She locked the door behind her and crossed over to her study. Sitting at her desk, she opened her journal with a violent slam.
Rhiannon's Diary #2
For the first time in 4 years, my parents forced me to visit the springs again, starting with the Spring of Courage. As before, nothing happened. My mother is stubbornly convinced that I have some inner power within me. I am more than sure that I do not have such a thing.
The only thought that has been in my mind all day is Lady Aya. When I remember those gorgeous eyes of hers, I feel like I've been struck by lightning....in a good way, of course... I cannot let anyone figure this out, which is why I keep this journal hidden.
I'm still a moron, though
Rhiannon Amatola Hyrule.