"Look at you, living a peaceful life..."
Link's eyes snapped open. He sat up from the bed and looked around, quickly realizing that the girl who had fallen asleep in his arms had disappeared. He threw the covers off his body and jumped to his feet. Standing on the mattress, he furrowed his eyes as anger began to fill his chest.
"The night passes... The day ends... Over and over again..." the shrill voice came again. "And with each passing day, you refuse to hunt me down."
"Where are you?" Link growled as he looked around. "Where's Zelda?"
"So impatient... So angry..." the voice taunted. "Heart so pained... Spirit so weak..."
Link felt a burn on his shoulder. He winced and brought a hand to the searing sensation, only to retract it as the pain moved to his palm. He looked down to see his hand burning with a darkened pink and purple substance. He looked up to see the roof beginning to drip with the thick, disgusting liquid. He flipped off the bed, ignoring the malice beginning to infect his body.
"Anger... Resentment... Pain... Fear... Viciousness..." the voice chanted. "Now you know how we feel."
Link turned around towards the staircase to see a tall, lanky individual. He stood with an arch in his back, a skin-tight black and burgundy suit that clung to his body, and a cracked white mask with the rageful, upside-down eyeball painted in blood red against its surface. An excessively curved sickle hung loosely, yet threateningly, in his hands. Link's eyes began to glow red as he bared his fangs toward the fury-invoking figure before him. The figure's laughter began to echo in his head. He glanced over at the desk near the staircase, noticing the Sheikah Slate sitting on top of its surface.
"I will ask you one more time, Yiga," Link said, ignoring the burning sensation in his hand and shoulder. "Where is Zelda?"
"Why are you asking me?" the Yiga asked, unnaturally bending and cracking his body. "It's your fault. Your fault. Your fault–your fault–your fault–your fault–"
Link listened to the words echo throughout the home before two more words could be heard through the splashing of malice against the floorboards and the Yiga's shrieks: "Please... Link..."
He felt another drop of burning malice land on his forehead, yet Link didn't react. Slowly, he looked directly up above him at the dripping roof. His eyes widened in horror. Stuck with her back to the ceiling and covered in burning malice, was Zelda, still dressed in just her Hylian tunic. Every point on her skin the malice touched was burned and infected. She looked like she was in so much pain, so much that it looked like she would pass out at any moment. Tears and malice dripped from her body, both of which fell onto Link's horrified face.
"L-Link..." Zelda uttered. "Please...it hurts..."
Link violently screamed before jumping up, reaching his hand out to her to pull her down, yet, before his fingertips could reach, her body disappeared into the malice pool above them. The loft shuddered as he landed. Instantly, with bloodshot eyes, he looked at the deformed Yiga in front of him. With another screeching battle cry, Link charged. In immediate response, the Yiga's grip on the sickle tightened. With incredible strength, the assassin swiped, but Link was ready. He leaped over the blade and landed on the writing desk, where he crouched and grabbed the Sheikah Slate. After a few quick taps, Link's palm began to glow blue. Strings of light continued to form before a purple-winged handle appeared. Throwing the slate to the side, Link raised the sword skyward as purple energy began to encase the blade.
He brought the blade down, firing a massive beam of holy light towards the Yiga. The assassin leaned unnaturally far back, allowing the strike to pass by before lunging toward Link with deadly force. Link blocked the sickle, but the force of the attack still sent him flying over the loft's rails. His back slammed against the dining room floor. Link pushed himself to his feet, coughing up purple and pink blood, yet he still stood ready.
He looked up, but the Yiga wasn't up on the loft. He looked around the malice-covered house. The infection burned the wood, allowing pink flames to erupt and spread to the furniture and walls. He saw the Champion's weapons sitting in their item frames before being consumed by the flames.
"Distracted, hero?"
Suddenly, Link felt a searing pain in his stomach. This was different from the burns he had felt earlier. This was a piercing, almost unbearable pain. He looked down to see the tip of a curved blade poking from his abdomen. Pink and purple began to ooze from Link's mouth as the Master Sword clattered to the ground. He slowly looked behind to see the Yiga chuckling.
"You...weren't...prepared..."
Link coughed as he fell to his knees with the handle of the sickle sticking out of his backside. His heart hammered in his ears as his blood boiled. It pounded in his head, knocking repeatedly against the walls of his skull. He could barely hear the echoing of Zelda's voice in his ears.
"Link... Link, please... Please, Link..."
His face hit the floor as the knocking and her calls echoed. He looked at the Champion's weapons, melting and burning away in the bright pink flames. His eyes began to close, fighting and failing to keep them open. He had to keep fighting. He had to stand. He could hear her calling him.
"Link... Please..."
He had to get up. He had to stand. He had to.
"Link, please... Get up... Link. Link, please!"
Link's eyes snapped awake. He stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't on fire, nor was it leaking malice. It was normal, as was the rest of the building. The only thing that remained from his dream was the knocking sound echoing through the home, to which the woman next to him groaned.
"Link... Please..." Zelda pleaded, rolling over next to him as she pulled the sheets over her head. "Answer the door..."
"S-sorry," Link said, sitting up from his pillow.
He rubbed the tired out of his eyes and the sweat from his forehead before swinging his legs over the mattress. He pushed himself up and, with a deep breath, headed towards the staircase. The knocking was almost unbearably loud the closer he got to the door, only stopping once he opened it.
"Bolson, I swear you better have a good reason for this," Link began to say.
He winced as the cold winter air brushed against his shirtless body. He looked out, only to be blinded by the morning sun. It was only when his eyes adjusted that he could make out the person standing in front of him.
"Clavia?" Link asked.
He rubbed his eyes to ensure that he wasn't still dreaming. Sure enough, there was a woman facing him. She was a taller woman with a thicker build, always wearing a dull green dress. She had a wide face with thin, unusually spread-apart eyes. Her thick locks of brown hair were parted as if to show them off. With her almost puckered lips, she smiled.
"Good morning, Link," she said cheerfully. "How are you this fine mornin'?"
"Tired," Link said, still blinking as his eyes burned from the sunlight. "Clavia, what are you doing here so early? You've never come to visit before."
"Well, I actually came with a message," she explained. "Well, more of a request."
"A request?" he asked. "What can I do for you? Need me to explore another mountain?"
"Actually, it's not a request for you," Clavia clarified. "It's for the...princess."
"For Zelda?" Link asked. Clavia nodded.
"My husband wants to meet with her," she explained. "It was hard for us to believe, so he sent a letter to Impa of Kakariko Village, and she confirmed what was true. If Princess Zelda is in our midst, then there are matters to discuss. Can you pass the message along for me?"
"Y-yeah," Link said, a bit taken aback. "Yeah, sure. Thank you, Clavia."
With a nod of the head, Clavia turned around and began walking away towards the bridge that led back to the village. Link closed the door as questions began to flood his mind before returning to the bed.
"Who was it?" Zelda mumbled from under the sheets as he sat down on the bedside.
"Clavia, surprisingly," Link said, still lost in thought.
"Remind me again who that is?" she asked, still half asleep.
"Individually, she's just a lady who spends a lot of her time either reading or sitting on the boardwalk behind Sayge's dye shop," he explained. "Her husband, however, is the mayor of Hateno. You might've met him before; his name's Reede."
"Reede?" Zelda repeated tiredly. "I believe I've spoken to him once or twice. I believe it was when I was using an alias."
"Yeah, well, Reede wants to have a word with you," Link said. "He sent word to Impa, determining if you were the princess or not. She confirmed, and now he wants to chat."
"Oh, that's lovely," Zelda said calmly. After a few seconds, her eyes snapped open before quickly sitting up. "With me? Oh dear, what about?"
"Clavia didn't say," he said. "Look, if you don't want to go, I'll go and tell them that. I know you don't want to be bothered with stuff revolving around your title."
"No, no, no, that's no good, Link," Zelda mumbled, pushing the sheets off her to reveal her bare legs. "I have to go. There's a difference between not using my title and running away from my responsibilities. If the mayor wants to speak to me, then so be it. Honestly, I should have expected this."
"Are you sure?" Link asked as he watched her crawl around him and stand from the bed.
"Positive," Zelda assured him, quickly heading to the desk to brush her hair.
"Well, if that's what you want to do," he said, leaning over and opening the drawer to the nightstand. "I'm going with you, though."
"You don't have to," she said. "Who knows what they'll want to speak to me about. It's just the mayor of our home; it's not like a grand royal meeting like before. You don't need to escort me."
"Hey, we're a couple, right?" Link said, throwing a sweater over his head. "I don't need to be a knight to escort my lover, do I?"
Zelda blushed.
"Well...I can't argue with that," she said with a smile as she began to braid her hair.
* * * * *
Similar to the morning before, rays of sun shined through patches in the cloud layer that blocked the blue sky above Hateno Village. Though thick, the clouds were a fluffy white after shedding its frosty weight yesterday afternoon. Deciding best to take advantage of the nice winter weather, shop owners appeared from their stores to clear snow away from their signs while families began doing their chores earlier than usual, just in case the snowfall reappeared later the day. While the village began to stir, Link and Zelda watched as they walked down the snow-covered roads.
"It's good to see the village busy again," Zelda said with a small smile as they passed shops, waving to shop owners she had bought from in the past. "I'm happy that at least some will still acknowledge me, even if I had lied to them about my identity in the past."
"I told you that most of them don't have any hard feelings toward you, Zel," Link said, waving to the children who passed by and noticeably kept running after seeing who he was with. "Most are just worried that they'll be a bother to you. Don't let those old hags get to you."
"Still, I don't want them to do that," said a crestfallen Zelda. "I miss being treated like a regular commoner."
"That comes with its downsides, too," Link said, still looking back at the children with a bit of frustration. "Me being a commoner didn't stop Amira and Nikki from snapping at me when I first arrived."
Zelda hummed in response, unable to come up with an argument.
Eventually, after passing over the small river bridge and climbing up the lower winding roads, the two climbed up a log and stone staircase before stopping in front of a house. This house was a bit different than the rest. It was surrounded by a large stone wall with an archway that led to the front door. While the building was a similar style to the rest of Hateno's houses, it was a bit wider and much longer than most. It had a large angular tower at its side near the front and a small shed separate from the home in the backyard, though it also had the same awkwardly shaped chimney sitting near the end of the house on the roof.
"Here we are," Link said as they stood under the stone archway. "Mayor Reede's house."
"My, I never noticed how much bigger it is than ours," Zelda said in awe. Link raised an eyebrow.
"Are you jealous?' he asked cheekily.
"Not at all!" she answered immediately, turning to face him. "I'm just admiring the place! I... I like our small house. It...makes me feel closer to you."
Zelda immediately turned a bit red at her words, to which Link cleared his throat.
"S-should we go in?" he asked as his face began to flush a bit. Zelda nodded.
The two continued forward before stopping once again, this time in front of the door. With a deep breath, Zelda raised her hand and gently knocked on the door. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal the same lady who had woken them from their slumber.
"Ah! Princess Zelda! Thank you for accepting our invitation today!" Clavia said cheerfully with a short bow.
"It's a pleasure," Zelda said, returning the bow. "Though please, I insist you simply call me by name alone."
Link glanced over at his bowing girlfriend with a slightly raised eyebrow. She had been so comfortable around him that he had almost forgotten how professional she could be when it mattered. Her face was calm and collected, her smile proper, and she was dressed in her royal winter wear. A sense of familiarity struck him as he watched her, a feeling that he hadn't truly felt in over one hundred years.
"I see Link has joined us as well! Reede expected you'd be accompanying Her Highness," Clavia continued, turning her thin, spaced eyes towards Link.
"Huh? Oh, yeah," Link said, snapping back to reality. "You know me, always sticking my nose in everyone's business."
"Well, seeing as you were her appointed knight a hundred years ago, I believe it has almost as much to do with you as it does the prin–Zelda here!" Clavia said, clapping her hands together. "And we all thought you were crazy when you said you were over one hundred years old!"
Clavia laughed, igniting an awkward chuckle from Link and Zelda as well.
"Well, look at us just standing here! Please, come in!" she said once she calmed down, stepping aside to allow her guest in.
After wiping their shoes against the stone slab they stood on, Zelda and Link stepped into the home. Unlike theirs, this house didn't have a second-level loft. This was a more open space with a tall ceiling and a large open foyer. The area was sectioned off into two spots, designated by the flooring. In one corner was a stone brick floor, where a long dining table sat in the center, and cabinets filled with elegantly painted dishes covered the walls. On the floor against the wall were pots full of different ingredients, along with empty buckets for water fetching. The rest of the open area had wooden floors, where a large work desk filled with thick books and papers sat in one corner, a fireplace sat in another, and the rest of the walls were lined with full bookshelves, dressers for spare clothes, and cabinets for other various daily necessities. On the right side of the house, one wall had an opening that revealed a smaller room, with one wall lined with three beds where the family slept and the opposite filled with boxes and crates for storage. While large, the home was certainly cozy.
"Karin!" Clavia called out, who had kept the door open.
Suddenly, a little girl appeared from behind the bedroom doorway. It was a small girl with a flat face and spaced-out eyes similar to her mother, though her eyes were much wider, and she had thicker, curlier brown hair. She quickly crossed the room before carefully walking around Zelda to stand in front of her mother.
"Dear, can you go fetch your father and tell him our guests have arrived?" she asked. "Then you can go play with the other children. Can you do that?"
"Yes, Mama!" the child said before her little legs quickly carried her outside into the snow. Clavia closed the door.
"Well!" she said, clapping her hands together. "Welcome! Please, take a seat."
Clavia guided them to the table, pulling both chairs out for them to sit next to each other.
"May I get you some tea? Maybe something to snack on?" she asked as she began to head towards the furnace.
"Tea would be lovely," Zelda answered with a smile. "But I don't believe snacks are necessary. I wouldn't want to–"
Link coughed.
"Snacks would be lovely as well," she corrected.
"Coming right up," Clavia said, starting a fire in the furnace before hanging a pot over the flame. "I know it's still early in the morning. I hope a simple fried egg and rice dish will be okay?"
"Absolutely," Zelda answered again, emphasizing the last syllable before Link could add anything. "If I may ask, what is it Mayor Reede would like to discuss? Specifically, I mean."
"Oh, I'll leave all the talking to my husband," Clavia said, removing a few plates from the cupboard. "I wouldn't be able to explain half as well as he does. He may be out on the farms a lot, but he does take his job as mayor seriously. I can assure you, however, that you have nothing to worry about."
"That does make me feel a bit better," Zelda said, allowing only a slight bit of relief to escape into her tone.
"So, did you know Link and I shared an adventure together?" Clavia said cheerfully as she carried a pot of rice and water over to the furnace.
"An adventure?" Zelda asked, glancing over at Link.
"That's one way to describe it," he said casually. "Though, I'd say it was more like I was sent on a fetch quest."
"Oh, but I was there with you in spirit!" the mayor's wife said with a laugh. "I would have gone myself if I didn't have a daughter. You see, it all started with this strange loose letter I found in one of the books I was reading. Now, on the mountain next door are three trees, and the letter said, 'When the three summit trees become one, turn your back to them and head toward the sea. A trial encased in stone awaits you there.' I was utterly stumped! I thought it had to do with treasure, but there was no way I could go. I stood on the dock for days, trying to figure out how to see if treasure was there. Just as I was about to lose hope, you wouldn't believe who showed up on the dock next to me one day!"
"I believe I can make a decent assumption," Zelda said as she smiled and raised an eyebrow at Link.
"Right, you are!" Clavia cheered. "So, I decide to tell Link all about the riddle, and then–"
The older woman continued to tell her story as she cooked, receiving chuckles from the two guests as she served the food. It wasn't long after her story—and Link's plate being cleared—that the front door opened, revealing a man standing in the frame. He was slender, wearing thick clothes that went down to his ankles and a wool vest. He had long brown hair, a short beard, and a mustache that just barely covered his mouth. He smiled in greeting.
"Sorry I'm late," the man said, kicking snow off his boots before stepping into the house. "Seems that Koyin is having trouble with the animals again."
"Welcome home, Reede," Clavia said happily, walking over to kiss her husband on the cheek. "Your guests have been waiting for you."
"So they have," Reede said, walking over to the table Link and Zelda sat at. "Link, it's good to see you again, always a pleasure to have you in the village. Princess Zelda..."
The mayor gave a low bow.
"It's an honor. The elders from when I was a child have told me much about your heroics during the Calamity. You have my thanks for what took place a hundred years ago, even if I myself wasn't alive. If it weren't for you—and Link here—my village wouldn't be standing here prospering today."
"I-I..." Zelda stuttered. She hadn't been prepared for praise. "I don't deserve your thanks. It's you who have done good for our people."
"Nonsense, Princess," Reede said. "Take pride in your efforts."
"Oh, Reede, drop the formalities," Clavia said, patting him on the arm. "You're making her uncomfortable. She doesn't want to be treated as such."
"If that's what you wish, then alright then," he said with a chuckle, taking a seat on the other side of the table. "Well then, Zelda, I apologize for waking you so early, but I believe it's high time we had a conversation, mainly regarding your place in this village."
"What...do you mean?" Zelda asked, trying her best not to let her nerves show.
"When you first arrived, you went under the name Marin," Reede began. "Of course, as intended, that allowed you to live in the village as a normal resident, though, for the most part, you stayed home. I had figured you were just another traveler Link had met. We didn't think much of it, and after a few weeks, both of you vanished from the village for months."
"This in itself wouldn't have been strange—especially for Link—at least until rumors began to spread that Princess Zelda had returned from her sacred battle with the Calamity Ganon. Many believed the princess died back then; however, there are still those who know she had a strange power. Knowing this and hearing of her return, I couldn't help but be intrigued when, a week ago, Manny came shouting through the streets, claiming that Link and Marin had come home and that she claimed that her true identity was actually the princess who was rumored to have returned. Of course, I couldn't just accept such a claim coming from just him. I'm sure my wife has already told you, but I sent a message to the Elder of Kakariko Village, one of the few who can still tell about a time before the Calamity, and sure enough, she claimed it to be true. Princess Zelda had settled in Hateno Village. My village."
"I-I'm sorry for lying when I first arrived," Zelda said, lowering her head. "Please believe me when I say I had no ill intent. There were reasons to conceal who I truly was."
"And I have no reason to believe that wasn't the case," Reede said. "I'm sure you had valid reasons, but with you now actively admitting who you are—despite not going by your title, there is something I need to ask you."
Zelda braced herself.
"Do you intend to take a leadership role over this village?" he asked calmly.
"N-no," she answered. "That wouldn't be fair to you. I would never try and undermine you after the care you've put into–"
"Woah, slow down there," Reede said, noticing the fear in her voice. "You sound as if I'm mad at you. Zelda, I have no issue whatsoever stepping down as Mayor of Hateno."
"W-what?" Zelda stuttered.
"I said, I don't mind stepping down," he rephrased. "If anything, you deserve to take my place as some form of leader, even if you don't wish to be royalty. This land was supposed to be yours, and if it weren't for the Calamity, you would have become its ruler. You saved us. You earned your place as leader of our people."
"I...I–" Zelda continued to stutter quietly, leaning back in her chair in surprise.
"You don't need to feel bad for me," Reede said kindly. "I'm just a guy who helps out. Please...if you wish to take ownership of this village and your people, then do so without hesitation."
Link glanced over at Zelda, calmly observing her as she contemplated. It had immediately dawned on him what the opportunity would bring them. They always knew that being a princess wasn't in the cards in their current position, which was fine since she had no intention of taking the reins as the Princess—or Queen—of Hyrule for the time being. Mayor, however, was a title neither of them had considered. It was a much smaller role, one that could ease the people into trusting her, depending on her choices, regardless of how they viewed her royal status. To put it frankly, it was an easy way of solving their issues. Despite this realization, Link's face remained stoic as he watched silently.
Thoughtful, Zelda looked down at the plate in front of her. It was clear she was thinking similarly to how he had. After only a few moments of thought, she raised her head to look straight into Reede's eyes.
"Thank you for your consideration, Mayor Reede," she said with a slight bow of her head. "But, I can't accept that. While I may be the princess, due to the circumstances of a hundred years ago, I wasn't properly taught how to help run the castle, much less a town or kingdom. Even if you teach me, I'd only be running away from the goal I set for myself. I want to understand life in this new area, to gain the trust of those around me not from my status or place in the hierarchy, but for who I am. If I do ever take any sort of leadership role, it won't be for a while. I'm sorry, but when it comes to governing this town, I believe you're most suited for the role."
"I see," Reede said. "If that is what you want, then that's what we'll do. If you ever change your mind, just say the word."
"Thank you," Zelda said. "I truly am grateful for your understanding."
"Absolutely. And if you ever need any help—or anything—just let me know, and I'll do whatever is in my power to assist," the mayor said.
"Thank you, but for now, I believe Link and I are perfectly fine with what we have," Zelda said, looking over to give Link a smile, who instantly returned it. "T-Though, what I could use is a little bit of advice."
"Advice?" Reede asked as Clavia began to take the dishes away from the table.
"You wouldn't happen to have any tips on getting a job here in Hateno, would you?" she asked nervously.
Reede stayed quiet, folding his arms as he took in her question.
"Hateno only has so many jobs," he said after a moment. "And most are family-run. The best I could tell you is to do your best and stay positive. Though, I must ask, is there a reason you need money? Last I knew, Link made decent money from gemstone collecting and monster hunting."
"I'm...on a break," said a discouraged Link.
"I see, whatever the reason, I'm sure the reason isn't pleasant," Reede said before turning back to Zelda. "You could try your hand at farming, but I'll be honest, I'm not sure you're physically built for such hard labor."
"I don't believe so either," Zelda said with a frown.
"Well, don't worry too much about it," he said. "The people here are kind. Just do your best, and I'm sure something will come from it. Maybe you could even start your own shop!"
"My own shop...? Zelda mumbled. "A shop for what exactly?"
"Well, now that all the important talk is done," Clavia said from the kitchen. "Will you and Link be staying for lunch?"
"Well, knowing Link, I'm sure staying wouldn't be a–" Zelda began to answer, but Link had stood up.
"Actually, I best get going," Link said. "I have a few things to do."
"What?" Zelda said suddenly. "Link, where are you–?"
"Zelda here would love to stay for lunch, though," he said with a grin before looking down at his partner. "You should start really getting to know your neighbors. I would just be in the way."
"Link! What are you up to? What do you have to–?" Zelda tried asking again; however, Link bent down and kissed her on the cheek, silencing her immediately as she turned red.
"Well, I'll be off," he said cheerfully.
Before Zelda could collect herself, Link was already out the door.
"Well then!" Clavia chirped as she sat down at the table next to her husband. "Since you'll be staying, let us tell you some things about the town! Surely that will help you out, right?"
"O-oh... Well, yes, it would, but–" Zelda started to decline, but Clavia had already begun talking.
"So while everyone is kind, there are two ladies you should be wary of, and that's Nikki and Amira. They are known for gossiping about anything and anyone in this little town. I swear there was one day that–"
As she continued, Zelda took a deep breath and relaxed in her chair, understanding well that she was going to be here for quite a while.
Link closed the door behind him before walking to the top of the log and stone staircase. He scanned the village, trying to take note of anything that might have felt off or different. He furrowed his brow.
You...weren't...prepared...
The words continued to echo in his mind before he took a deep breath.
Zelda doesn't understand your kind like I do... Link told himself as he began to walk down the stairs. You won't hurt anyone. Not while I'm here. I'll be prepared.