Chapter 1

Link stood patiently on the steps of the Altar of Stones. Whole crowds were gathering in front of the temple for the event that was to take place that day. Already, the inside of the temple was full, with the front rows being reserved for nobles and dignitaries, and the rest of the rows for the people of Hyrule. It seemed no one wanted to miss this historic event in Hylianu history.

Link was dressed in some royal armor that he had been gifted specifically for this event. It must have cost quite the price; the pauldrons he wore on his shoulders and arms were gold plated, as were his boots. His body plate had gold on it, as well as a beautiful sapphire near his neck. The fabric that extended to his thighs was a deep royal red. His head was framed with a golden ornament, and from it a cap of a similar red color as his tunic extended. His left hand rested on a ceremonial sword, and his right hand hung at his side. Truly, the royal family was very generous.

Link sighed to himself, and glanced over to his right side, where she would be in a few moments. It seemed just yesterday he was a soldier in the Grand Army of Hyrule. Now, his dreams were finally coming true. Suddenly, the door to the inner sanctum of the temple flew open, and out came the Sage, Rauru. The Sage was an honorific title given to the head priest, one who had clearly shown his devotion to the Three. The chattering crowd slowly grew quieter as the Sage descended. He did it with such grace, that Link wondered whether or not he was really floating through the air.

The Sage stopped in the center of the Altar of Stones. Quickly and silently, he murmured a prayer and touched each of the sacred stones resting in the Altar; the Kokiri Emerald, the Goron Ruby, the Zora Sapphire. Each had played an important role in an ancient war, and each day people came to pray and touch these holy relics of the past. But today was not the day for somber remembrance.

Rauru glanced up and made brief eye contact with Link, giving a small, almost imperceptible smile, before simply staring at the front of the temple, where throngs of people still crowded. The man had raised Link and his sister, Aryll, when they were orphans, and he couldn't help but be proud of Link, and for his future with the Royal family.

For a few minutes, there was silence, as the audience waited in anticipation. Even Link could feel the butterflies wreaking havoc within his own stomach. Suddenly, the crowd outside of the temple parted, and horns were heard blowing their royal music, signaling the arrival of the King and…

The Princess Zelda! Link feverishly thought. It's almost time. The orchestra behind him broke into a slow song, and Link didn't need to turn around to know that the King was walking his daughter up the aisle towards Link. He kept his gazed fixed forwards, refusing to give in and look behind. Rauru kept smiling. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Link saw the Princess, in all her glory, standing next to him on his right side, staring straight ahead as well. She was in a beautiful dress of white and royal purple, with golden pauldrons adorning her shoulders and a tiara gracing her forehead. Her long brown hair was braided on two sides, and the rest flowed down her back. Her gloved hands were clasped, and rested near her navel.

On his left side, Link saw the massive body of the King move around him and the Altar, and stand beside Rauru. The King was dressed in a royal coat of red, with a white collar of fur around his neck. His coat contained intricate gold designs near the fringe that caught the light whenever it moved. His sword and crown were made of beautiful gold, and didn't seem to give the man any trouble at all. Link got the sense that he was a great warrior in his time, before letting himself go.

Silence. The King murmured a prayer to the Three, and touched each stone, similar to Rauru earlier. The Sage stood up and walked to the right side of the temple, allowing the King to stand unopposed behind the Altar, and now all eyes were upon the King. "People of Hyrule," he began in his booming voice. "The time has come for my daughter to make an important decision.

"As you are all aware, the Princess has reached an age where she must choose someone to stand by her side, to protect her, and be her staunch ally." At this point, he turned and smiled at the Princess. "I, not only as the King of Hyrule, but also as her father, do trust her judgement in this matter."

Link stared straight ahead, not daring to move an inch. The King turned to Rauru and beckoned. The Sage came forward and kneeled before the King. The King drew his ceremonial sword from the scabbard on his left side, and handed it horizontally to Rauru, who graciously held it on the palms of both of his hands. The Sage stood up, and the King now took his place on the right side of the temple. "Kneel, Link of Ordon" Rauru solemnly said. Link knelt.

"Do you, Link of Ordon" the Sage's voice boomed "promise to protect the Princess of Hyrule from all dangers, with your life?"

"I do" Link stated, with as much confidence as he could muster.

"And do you promise to remain at the Princess' side as a staunch ally, through fortune and evil?"

"I do"

"Can the Royal Kingdom of Hyrule count on your service, Link of Ordon?" Rauru thundered.

"It can."

Happy with these answers, Rauru made his way over to the Princess of Hyrule, who had turned to face him. Kneeling, he offered the sword to the Princess, who grasped the hilt of the beautiful rapier and turned to face Link.

"And do you, Link of Ordon" the Princess asked in her melodious voice, "trust me with your life?"

"I would follow you and your commands to my last, your highness," said Link solemnly.

The Princess raised her sword and brought it down upon Link's right shoulder, then his left, and then his head. "Then I hereby grant you the title of Lord Guardian: bodyguard, protector, and trustworthy companion of the Princess."

The crowd stood up and erupted in applause. The nobles were more civil, but most of the people of Hyrule were hollering and jumping for joy. Such an event was truly momentous. Link finally cracked a smile and exhaled; he'd been able to get through the ceremony without a single hitch. "Arise, Link of Ordon" a voice said. Link glanced up and saw the Princess smiling down at him, seemingly happy with how the people reacted as well. Link rose and turned to the people, left hand on the ceremonial sword at his side, and waving with his right. The people seemed to go even crazier at that.

"I'm proud of you, Link." Link turned and saw Rauru standing beside him. Not much for physical displays of affection, Rauru extended his arm, to which Link grasped. "I'm glad you could be here with me, Rauru," Link said. That made the Sage chuckle. "Of course, they can't have one of the most important ceremonies in Hylian history without the head Sage!" They both began to laugh, releasing the tension that had built up within them.

The King and his daughter had begun to move back to their carriage. Link made his way over to the Princess' side, where he would now remain permanently. People all around were crowding around them, trying to get a chance to touch the Royal Family of Hyrule and their new hero. The soldiers were doing a good job of keeping everyone in order however, and they soon made their way to the carriage. The King boarded first, with the Princess directly after him. Link shut the doors, and took his place next to the driver of the carriage. "Congrats, sir," the driver said as Link sat down next to him. Link, a bit shocked at his title, simply nodded his thanks to him. As the carriage made its way to Hyrule Castle, Link turned to the driver. "Y'know, Link is just fine with me."

The driver didn't say anything to that, just gave Link a strange look. Link shrugged and leaned back in his seat, yet remained alert all the same. Just because this was Day 0 of his new job didn't mean he could slack off. The journey back was peaceful however, and they arrived within a few minutes of leaving. Link jumped down, wincing as the heavy ceremonial armor made its presence known on his knees and shoulders, and opened the doors of the carriage. The Princess exited first and stormed out of the carriage, pushing past Link. He stared at her receding back, shocked. She seemed angry at something. Link turned back and saw the King exit as well, face red with fury, although he attempted to maintain his composure. Link turned to follow the Princess, as his new job dictated, but the King stopped him. "Lord Guardian" he said. "I wish to see you in the throne room as soon as you have changed and are in your daily attire."

Link saluted, and made his way to the castle. He strode confidently through the doors and made his way into the castle, before arriving at his room. As a candidate for the title of Lord Guardian, he had to memorize the entire layout of the Castle, and actually spent time within to better understand how daily life worked within the massive structure. His room, which was actually the residence of the previous Lord Guardian eighteen years ago, was in the same hall as the Princess' quarters, by the very nature of the job of course. Link strode in and quickly changed clothes into the customary green tunic, green cap, and chain mail of the Lord Guardian, before hurrying towards the throne room. He wondered what the King had planned for him.

A/N: So this is my first fan fiction. I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and I just found the time to try and put it to paper. I have no idea how long it's gonna be, but I am determined to finish this story, wherever my mind takes me. With that out of the way, reviews would be very helpful, if only to gauge whether or not people like how I write and/or the story. Thanks to everyone taking the time to read this!

Also, there were a lot of people who inspired me to write this story. I've been lurking and reading a bunch of stuff, and really I just wanted to say thanks to the following authors, even if they never see, because they really inspired me to write:

Lyxie

light-will-endure

CrazygurlMadness

crownedcrusader

Thanks again!