The Princess, the Gentleman, and the Country Bumpkin

Chapter 1: The Milkman's Fault

Malon trudged grumpily through the town market, making her way toward the Hyrule Castle gate. It was late afternoon. The square was going to close in a couple of hours, and the shopkeepers had already sold the best of their wares. Only a few folks remained to stroll around the block and ponder over what was left of the day's goods. Malon wanted to take a peek over at a wagon full of trinkets, but immediately decided against it – first, she had to find her father.

She'd asked that kid in the green hat to go grab him a few hours ago, but he turned out to be useless. If she wanted to get her father and the milk caravan back to the ranch before the Stalchildren came out, she would just have to get him herself. Her boots clacked against the cobblestone path as she walked over to the castle gates.

The guard let out a chuckle as the girl approached. "Did your dad fall asleep on the job again?" he asked, a knowing smile on his face.

Malon rolled her bright green eyes. "Yeah," she said. "Mind if I go get him?"

"Go right ahead," said the guard, pushing the gate open for her. She gave him a quick curtsy and made her way up the hill towards the castle.

By the time she reached the top and got to the delivery area, she found the crates of milk sitting outside. At least her father had managed to unload them this time before falling asleep. But there was one thing missing… and that was the man himself. That left one question: if he wasn't taking a nap by the crates, where was he? Had he already woken up and made his way home?

Or worse… had he been arrested for loitering on castle grounds?

There was only one way to find out. If he was in the dungeon, he was somewhere inside those walls. And if she was going to retrieve him, she would have to get in there too, somehow. She walked over to the delivery entrance and tried the door. Locked.

She looked over at the drain pipe. It looked large enough to fit her frame in it, if she were to army crawl her way through. The crates were already stacked in a convenient way. If she just jumped off the top one, she figured she could make it to the ledge underneath the hole. She climbed up to the highest box and readied her stance.

Three… She balled her hands into fists.

Two… She bent her knees and swung her arms back, ready to jump.

One! She leapt into the air, her heart beating wildly. Her flaming red hair flashed behind her as she flew over the stream. Malon landed feet first on the ledge, waving her arms to maintain her balance. She let out a wild, exhilarated laugh, celebrating her victory.

She then immediately slipped and bashed her nose on the brick wall.

"Ow, ow, oww…" she whined, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She didn't think it was broken, but man, did it smart. A couple drops of blood dripped onto her bright yellow scarf, and she cursed inwardly. Great. Now I've got a missing dad and a bloody nose to deal with. She grunted and got down on all fours, shivering as the water soaked into her dress.

The sun would be setting soon, and the air had already begun to cool. She had to get there fast. She pushed her way through to the other side, stood up, and wrung out the bottom of her skirt. She sidled against the bushes and slipped past the guards – good practice, she thought, for when she found her dad and had to sneak him out.

She eventually snuck her way into a beautiful courtyard, surrounded with beautiful flowers and shrubs. She paused for a moment, in awe of the beautiful architecture and landscaping inside the palace walls. This place really was built for royalty, wasn't it?

But the sound of a girl clearing her throat snapped her out of her daze. She turned around, and saw a young girl about her age standing with her arms crossed. She had an almost divine beauty to her, the way the soft fabric of her dress draped over her body. "Strange," the girl said. "I don't remember someone like you being in the prophecy."

"Huh?" said Malon, cocking her head. "No, I'm not here for a prophecy. I'm just looking for my dad. He's the milk delivery guy. You know, big brown mustache, bald head, narcoleptic tendencies… have you seen him?"

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "No, of course not," she said. Then her ice blue eyes grew wide. "You… you do know who I am, don't you?"

Malon smiled sheepishly. "I'm afraid not," she replied. "You're awfully pretty, though."

The girl's cheeks tinged a light pink. "Th-thank you," she stammered. "You're quite pretty too, I think. I mean, I don't get outside the castle walls very often, but…" She swallowed and regained her composure. "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule."

"Oh!" Malon gasped, turning bright red. "Oh my gosh, Your Highness. Please forgive my rudeness." She immediately knelt before the princess, her eyes cast downward.

"Oh, please don't do that," Zelda said, looking embarrassed. "It's all right, really."

"Are you sure?" asked Malon.

"Yes, of course," she said, smiling warmly. "You're the second person who's treated me like a normal girl today. It's nice. I could get used to it."

Malon stood up. "I'm Malon," she said, extending a hand earnestly.

Zelda reached out and shook it. "Call me Zelda," she said.

They sat on the grass and spent the afternoon chatting. Zelda told Malon about the boy from her dreams, the Kokiri boy clad in green with a fairy by his side, and how he had found her just as the dreams foretold. She also talked about the loud crowing she'd heard from a cucco right before he came in, and Malon deduced that the same boy must have awakened her father after all. They laughed and swapped stories, taking comfort in each other's presence and becoming fast friends. Before they knew it, it was almost sunset.

"I'd better get back to the ranch," said Malon, getting up and dusting herself off. "It's pretty normal for my dad to go missing for a little while, but he might get worried if I'm gone too long."

"Very well, then," said Zelda. "I'll have my guardian, Impa, escort you out."

"Goodbye!" said Malon, waving cheerfully to Zelda as Impa led her away. "See you again soon?" Zelda waved back, nodding her head. Malon grinned. Her dad wasn't going to believe this!