"incredible... We're at a point now where we can actually control them..."
The King and the Princess barely spoke to each other now. They had come to a mutual agreement that when she was not looking out for a powerful husband, she was to continue her training. Link saw her grow distant and sorrowful, so he decided to take her out to the castle grounds that afternoon. He heard that the Sheikah were experimenting with the Guardians that day, and he knew how much Zelda lived being surrounded with new stuff to study! She came out of her private study and was looking over the wall, down to where Hylians and Sheikah were carefully monitoring an activated Guardian as it moved around the grounds.
Zelda was gleefully smiling down at the research team, before she looked back to Link, her smile still broad. This was the happiest he had seen her since her father's... Interruption...
" At the current rate, we'll soon know all we need to know about the Guardians and the Divine Beasts..." She looked up at Link.
"And, should Ganon ever show himself again, we'll be well positioned to defend ourselves." The smile got even bigger.
"What are you doing out here Zelda?"
Her head snapped round to see the King walking towards her. Oh no, Link thought... This was not going to go well. He got down on his knees and bowed his head respectfully.
I... I was accessing the results of the experiment with the Guardians. These pieces of ancient technology could be quite useful against the-"
"I know that. They're essential to Hyrule's future and our research demands that we keep a close eye on them."
"However, as the Princess, you currently have a crucial unfulfilled responsibility to your kingdom."
"Let me ask you once more... When will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?"
That pained Link to hear that, he knew that Zelda took her job very seriously, and she never treated it as a game. She was the only one who really knew what it felt like. Zelda gulped.
"I'm doing everything I can. I'll have you know that I just recently returned from the Spring of Courage where I offered every ounce of my prayers to the Goddess-"
"And now you are here waisting your time! You need to be dedicating every moment you have to your training. You must be single-minded in unlocking the power to seal Calamity Ganon away!" The rage could almost be seen in his eyes.
"I already am." She looked on the verge of tears.
"Don't you see - there nothing more I can do! My hope- my hope is that you- that you'll allow me to contribute here in whatever way I can!" She protested.
"No more excuses, Zelda!" He roared, "stop running away from your duty! As the King, I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on and command you to focus on your training!"
Link felt like something had stabbed him, even though it was aimed at Zelda. She absolutely loved researching the technology and it was the one thing that could cheer her up.
The King moved over to the wall and looked down at the Guardian that was being studied. It's legs moved in harmony as the Sheikah bounded around taking notes.
"Do you know how the gossip mongers refer to you? They are out there this moment, whispering amongst themselves..."
Zelda could feel tears in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. There was gossip now? She started to feel she had before she met Link, closed, isolated and failing.
"That you are the heir to a throne of nothing... Nothing but failure..."
"It is woven into your destiny, that you prove them wrong. Do you understand?" He turned to her.
"Yes. I understand."
With that, the King turned around and walked back into the castle, leaving Zelda streaming silent tears down her cheeks. Link got up from his kneeling and put a hand in her shoulder.