Taro kept Link's secret, until he didn't.
Link was sixteen when the barracks could put a face to a name.
He had woken up early that morning, not to train but to prepare to go on watch. They had started him on it when he was fifteen because he was capable of defending the gates, but now that he was a year older and had some prior experience, they were giving him full shifts.
He left the barracks without stopping in the commissary. Link was buzzing with energy already, excited that he could finally contribute to the kingdom, but irked that he would be wasting training time.
He had improved vastly in the past year. He could defeat several of the captains in combat, and was sure he could win against the rest, but it appeared no one really wanted to try against him. His father had no such qualms and spent one or two early mornings a week sparring with him. Neither of them had gone full out. Link genuinely wondered whether or not he could win against his father, but he wasn't eager to try. He knew he'd get the chance someday.
Hylians in the barracks tended to stay away from Link. The only two he regularly conversed with other than his captains were Taro and Blythe.
For the better part of the last year, Blythe hated Link vehemently. She glared at him, and whenever the captains had the squads spar with each other, she was worse than violent--she was out for blood. She fought with integrity when sparring with others, but if she caught sight of Link she would flush red with anger. It stumped Link. He couldn't fathom she would hate him so much over losing a small bout.
She was close with Taro, though, and that's why she eventually came around. Link hadn't been searching for friends when he enlisted, but he seemed to find one in Taro, who wouldn't leave him alone. Blythe must have seen them together often enough she decided Link wasn't worth avoiding if she wanted to be friends with Taro.
She began conversing with Link over watch one day. They'd been paired together a couple of times, though now Blythe's shift was shorter than his. While before it looked like she was physically restraining herself from moving to throttle him, now she was almost shy.
He wondered if she was just naturally that way.
"Link!" Taro called from behind. Blythe followed him. She looked anywhere other than at Link but still uttered a greeting. It was an improvement, for sure.
Taro was carrying a bowl of something that steamed in the crisp air. He thrust it out to Link. "You didn't eat breakfast this morning."
"Oh," said Link as he took the bowl. "Thank you."
Taro grinned, and Blythe only glanced at him.
Link still wasn't accustomed to Taro's kindness. No one else had made the effort that he had to extend a hand to Link despite Link's silence. Link wondered what in the world Taro found in him that was interesting.
Other than the sword, at least. But Taro didn't ask much about that.
In fact, the only question he had asked about the Master Sword was if Link planned on using it casually. When Link said he'd prefer people not to know, Taro accepted it without a beat, and proceeded to gush about the detail on the blade. He never asked to hold it. Link was grateful--he didn't think he would have let him.
He wouldn't let anybody, except maybe his father and Mipha. His father was, well, his father, and Mipha was the kindest, honest, and most gentle person Link had ever met. He knew she would take it delicately, treating it like it would break. She would never try to hide it from him.
But as much as Link liked and appreciated Taro, he didn't know him well enough.
It turned out it was a wise judgment to make.
Link began feeling ill around half an hour after he ate the grits. In hindsight, none of the commissary's food was hot enough to steam.
It hit Link right away what had happened. Whether he was jumping to conclusions or naturally untrusting, he didn't know, but he couldn't risk anyone getting to the sword. He turned to the man he was stationed with and breathed out some half-hearted excuse as to why he had to leave. He abandoned the man at the gates, ignoring his protests. Someone would replace him in a moment. He had to get to his father before he passed out and someone took the sword.
He was almost to the Captain of the Guard's quarters when his legs buckled out from underneath him. He struggled to breath, his vision going black at the edges.
Link spotted a couple of crates in the corner and dragged himself behind them, using the last of his consciousness to hide himself.
Link woke later to the sounds of fire crackling and wooden beams crashing to the ground. His heart leaped into motion and he jackknifed upwards, wincing at the pounding in his head. His head went light and he swayed. He pulled himself up against the wall to prevent himself from passing out again.
Flames burst before him, close enough now that the crates he was hidden behind were beginning to catch fire. He scrambled away from them, willing the muscles in his legs to gain some strength. His body was tired and heavy. Link had no idea how long he had been out.
Anger filled him with his own foolishness in trusting Taro. Just because someone was kind didn't mean they were genuine. He should never have admitted to having the Master Sword.
His fury gave him what he needed to struggle to his feet. He walked along the stone wall of the barracks, using it to keep him standing. No one ran past him, nor did he hear any shouting. It seemed that everyone had enough notice when the fire started. Link debated heading to his father's quarters, but he doubted his father was still inside.
Link was on his way out, his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword, when he heard footsteps and voices.
"Quick! We haven't searched this way." Said a female voice.
A male responded, "If he's that way he's dead. We're better off looking through the crowd outside with the others, at this point. I don't think there's anyone left in here."
A third voice growled, "The Master should have captured the princess already. Soon enough the boy will reveal himself to us."
Link flushed cold, his heart hammering against his chest.
He couldn't be seen.
But it was too late for that. They rounded the corner and halted at the sight of him.
Three Hylians in red garb with an upside down Sheikah eye stared him down. They had masks over their faces, concealing any expression they made, and also hiding exactly when they noticed the sword at his side. However, one of them smacked the other on the shoulder and pointed; Link took that as his cue to get the hell out of there.
He took a deep breath and bolted in the opposite direction, toward the castle. At some point the wooden beams would disappear, replaced with stone pillars, and the fire would stop. He just had to get far enough inside.
Link's stomach was churning. He hoped he didn't throw up.
He was slower than his pursuers, but they weren't very fast themselves. They seemed to argue with each other about how they were going to kill him better than they could run.
Link took turn after turn, hoping to miraculously lose them, but to no avail. It was when he made it to the castle wall and was stopped by a locked gate that he turned around. Sweat clung to him.
The three approached him slowly, vicious sickles out and ready to cut him up into pieces.
"What'd ya got there, boy? Is that a sword? Looks a little big for you, doesn't it?" One of them hissed. Link couldn't tell which.
He glanced down the hallway on either side of him. It was abandoned. Things fell to fire and the flames raged against the wall they couldn't destroy.
He drew the Master Sword. He didn't have much choice. He could chance running down one of the hallways and discovering an unguarded and unlocked door to the castle, but by that point he could fall to the fire. Already he was coughing, unintentionally inhaling the smoke.
He'd prefer to insure his and other's safety than chance his and their deaths because he let these people go. They were prepared to kill him, who else would they strike down?
Who have they already struck down?
Link couldn't confirm Taro was behind this, but the only other people in all of Hyrule that knew where the Master Sword was, would never tell. Not except for this boy Link had only just met, one he wasn't sure he should have trusted.
Then he wondered, did it matter? At some point, and Link was hoping it would be when he was older, everyone was going to find out who he was. He just wanted to be ready.
But was anyone truly ready for anything? He certainly might never be.
He just had to be prepared to lose; he would walk towards the fight no matter what.
Link couldn't see their faces but he could sense their grins. They inched towards him eagerly.
"Look," one of them hissed, once again pointing at the sword.
Link didn't give them the opportunity to attack him. He disarmed the closest one and dispatched the other two in a quick series of movements. The first one choked on whatever he was going to say as he scrambled to get away from Link.
"Who told you where the Master Sword was?" Link asked.
"N-none of your business!" The man stammered.
Link sighed. "Very well." He took the man's sickle and threw it as hard as he could into the fire. The masked man hurried to his feet and sprinted away from Link down another hallway. He would tell the other masked people that the sword had been found. Link hoped they wouldn't harm anybody else.
Link turned and looked at the lock gate behind him. They were after the princess, and Link had no idea who knew about it.
He raised the Master Sword above the lock on the gates and swung it down, destroying it. The gates swung open with a small creak, and Link entered the castle.
The hallways on this level of the castle were run down and sparsely decorated. Link had to work his way up to the royalty wing, where the princess was most likely to be found.
It took far too long for Link to find the first staircase, considering there was no one around to direct him. He shot up, finally hearing shouting when he reached the main level. The staircase ended there. He would have to find another one.
Guards were running in all different directions, captains shouting directions over the organized chaos. Someone saw Link and pointed outside. "Go join the others at your station, the Yiga have infiltrated the castle!"
The Yiga? Link had heard the name before but he didn't understand why they were after the sword. As far as he understood they were a group of Sheikah that scorned the royal family and disappeared into the Gerudo Desert.
Link ignored the man that had called out to him and went up to one of the captains.
"Sir," he said. The captain nodded his permission for Link to speak. "Sir, the Yiga are after the princess."
The captain's brows shot down. "The Yiga aren't after the princess, boy, they're after--"
He looked down then, and saw what Link was holding.
He had completely forgotten to sheath it.
The captain's eyes were wide. "My gods, boy, you're the one they're looking for!"
Several heads turned, and Link could see the recognition in their eyes as they saw the sword.
Link felt panic rising in his throat and struggled to keep it down. "The princess," he emphasized.
The captain could only stare at him, speechless.
Link growled and tore off in the direction of the royal wing.
Through the floor to ceiling windows in some of the hallways he was able to see the princess's tower. He would check there first, because that's where the Yiga would go.
It took him far too long to finally locate the stairs to the royal wing, and when he did, there were two royal guards stationed on either side.
He made to walk between them, but they blocked him with their spears.
"Let me through," he demanded. "I'm a soldier here."
"Even if there weren't Yiga in the castle, we wouldn't let you through," one of them said. "And the Yiga can disguise themselves. How do we know you aren't one?"
Link held up his sword. Their faces and weapons fell slack as they registered the blade.
They did nothing as Link darted up the curving staircase.
When Link reached the landing above, he turned towards the direction the princess's tower was in.
There were a few royal guards in the hallways but they gave him almost no attention. Link thought they relied far too heavily on the guards stationed at the stairs. Link could be anyone.
He contemplated asking where the princess was but Link was confident they wouldn't humor him. Not with his uniform, anyway. He didn't have the clearance to know the princess's exact location.
He would just have to find her before the Yiga did.
Link reached the tower and met two more royal guards stationed at the entrance to the princess's room.
"Halt," one of them called.
"The Yiga are targeting Princess Zelda--is she inside?" Link rushed out.
The guards frowned. "You are not privy to that information, boy."
Link felt his frustration rising. "Look, if she's in there, just go inside and make sure she's safe. The Yiga are after her."
"The Yiga are after the Master Sword, not the princess. Besides, it's not like she has the power to stop the Calamity--right now the only thing that can hold it back is that sword."
Link raised the blade in front of them. "This one?"
One of them dropped his weapon and the other dropped his jaw. "You-"
"Is the princess inside, or not?"
The man picked up his spear. "N-no. Lady Impa was bringing her to the library."
Link tore off in the opposite direction. If she wasn't in the library yet, she could be seen through the floor to ceiling windows in the hallways leading to it. Link prayed that whoever Impa was, she could protect her.
Link had never seen the princess before, only heard stories of her long blonde hair. It was the only thing he had to go by to recognize her.
He was halfway down an outdoor walkway when he spotted two people through the windows of a hallway a level down.
And a Yiga, perched on a tower, a bomb arrow pointed directly at the woman with hair the color of the sun.