Note: It's here! I'm so happy I'm done with this. It'll be split into a 3 part story, everything is already written - I just need to proofread it. :) Enjoy!

The Queen's Tournament

The string was pulled taunt and she steadily aimed the arrowhead above her mark. Feet parted, arm steady, trust your gut and don't overthink. She breathed in slowly and released the string. The arrow whizzed through the air. The arrowhead hit its mark squarely on the bullseye. She lowered the bow to get a good look at her marksmanship and a smile upturned her previous frown.

"You get better every day," a voice said behind her. Zelda jumped; it was nearly right in her ear. She turned to see Link looking at the target past her. She lazily observed him and turned back, her smile thinner now. Link had been teaching her archery among other arts of combat for over a year now. It was a good expenditure of her energy, especially as of late. She shook her head and muttered, "I hate when you do that." Then, she added, "Not good enough."

The early morning sun painted a sky a light pink and blue hue. Link had gone to gather the arrows from the target and was walking back, making note of the dullness of the arrow heads. "Seems like it's never enough. Are you looking to start a war, princess?"

She only took the arrows from him and shrugged without meeting his gaze, "So what? Maybe I am."

Link watched her as Zelda fiddled with stuffing the arrows into the quiver. He was only half-joking. The princess had insisted they practice three times more than they were before. Zelda wasn't acting as she normally did. Her usual excitement to learn dissipated into an odd obligation. It was her only free time away from her court, so it shouldn't surprise Link that she wanted to increase it. Though her demeanor has changed and now she was going out of her way to train without him like a woman possessed. To say that she was worrying him was an understatement.

"I should go," Zelda spoke without raising her eyes. As the sun rose higher the threat of her maids gossiping rose as well. They both knew that. The Hero and the crown princess meeting secretly in the dark – he could see it on tabloid headlines within the next day.

"Can you at least let me know what's troubling you?" Link had almost gone to grab her hand as she turned away, but his reach withered to his side instead.

Zelda paused and turned back with eyes studying the red clay beneath them. They flickered to his for a moment, "You should know. You of all people should know."

Guilt ate at him as he watched her saunter off. Her dark trousers would soon be replaced by an elaborate gown and her long-braided hair with something other. Link diverted his eyes elsewhere, scorning himself for looking at her like that. If anyone had seen him…

No one did. No one was ever out training here unless it was Zelda and himself. Well, now it was just Zelda apparently. A feeling of obsoletion shocked him and he pushed it away, eyeing the off-kilter marks left by Zelda's morning training. It wasn't all perfect. She still had a long way to go. But Link would be lying to himself if he was to say she wasn't a natural. Zelda had talent. All she really needed was a little guidance and muscle memory. Link hummed to himself, a small smile gracing his lips. Once she's done that for herself, then he'd be obsolete. And that suited him alright. It would mean he did his job.

Maybe she'd even dismiss him?

He had helped her defeat Zant. The castle had finally returned to normal. What else was he to do here? Link had offered advice to straighten out her forces and improve defenses. Zelda had followed through without much question. Really, what else was there to do?

Her advisors had insisted she get married. Zelda had resisted each time. When she finally requested that the court ordain her as queen, they were beyond irritated by her resolve. The ministers had compiled a list of suitors and she had rejected them all, so they rejected her request. Goddesses, she had been mad. That night she woken Link up and nearly pulled his arm off with how much she demanded to let her into the armory. He was barely able to throw a shirt on before trying to smooth over her anger.

"You can't just murder your court," he had said, that seemed to get through to her enough where she explained what had happened. It was the first time he had seen her cry. It still made him frustrated to think about it. Zelda had always seemed untouchable, the human embodiment of a queen. Why they refused to even consider her request was unfathomable to Link. She was level-headed, brilliant, and more than capable. In that moment, she was so vulnerable. He wanted desperately to protect her. Shield her from whatever was hurting her. But he couldn't. This wasn't Zant or some formidable enemy threatening her life. It was politics, a world Link wasn't well-equipped in.

Zelda would be forced to marry soon if she wanted the throne. Hyrule was becoming unsettled without an absolute in power and the mourning period for Zelda's father, the King, had long come to pass. And heaven knows the princess was too stubborn to step down from a challenge. So, when the crown princess had come to an agreement with the council in regards to marriage the kingdom was shocked and a heavy sense of burden fell upon the Hyrulian champion.

Zelda was bored.

Her signature started blurring into scribbles as she signed off on a bill. She had been at the same activity for hours now. The door to the office opened and closed to reveal more paperwork. It seems like the lords and ministers were particularly excited about preparations today. Which meant they were spending more of the crown's money. The weight of her head cramped her hand and she made a face at Impa who stood at the side of the room, busying herself with proofreading.

"Don't look at me like that," she said, making a gesture to the princess's desk. Zelda stretched her arms upward, groaning, "Whatever has possessed the bureaucracy to write this much?"

"Your impending coronation. Remember?"

Zelda scowled, "At what cost, Impa?"

"As much as it takes to get you in a white dress. What did you expect when you agreed to that ridiculous competition?" Impa had been resentful since she had learned of the idea. She thought it was patronizing to the family's legacy. Which wasn't completely wrong in Zelda's eyes, but the gears in her head were turning.

"That it will be exciting," another signature and she laughed at her advisor's grimace. "You agree with the rest that I must wed myself to someone. Courting is a spectacle for my court therefore I don't see why finding a capable suitor shouldn't be a spectacle that my people can't ogle at as well. Men from different lands fighting for the honor of being king? It's something out of a theatrical play."

"And you're comfortable with it?" Impa said, meeting Zelda's eyes. The princess squirmed in her seat, feeling exposed. Impa has known her since she was a child, even advising her father for a time. No wonder she could read Zelda like a book. "I never said I was going to attend," Zelda muttered.

"Zelda-!"

"Your highness?"

Impa and Zelda looked at the door in alarm. The squabbling between them squandered by the interruption. Link stood in the entryway in the attire of the royal military. To Zelda, it was still strange to see him with a lack of green. "Is this a bad time?" he spoke slowly, seeing the faces of the Impa and the princess herself.

"No!" Zelda said suddenly before her advisor could speak. "No, it's a perfect time."

Link looked at her for a long moment. He was always more formal with others around. But now, his eyes were soft and she averted her gaze at the small stack of papers he put on her desk. He had a knack of seeing beneath the crown, the jewels, and the gowns. It was a skill she had come to both scorn and adore. "A lord came by and asked that I give you this for approval. I don't remember his name," he muttered the last part.

"Did he say what it was? If it's a revised bill about the candle budget I will march into the House of Lords myself," Zelda flipped through it, pausing at a list of names.

"Ah, no," Link masked a laugh with a cough, "It's the names of who will take part at the suitor event."

Zelda looked up at him in surprise, "Already?"

"Is it not next week?"

She looked back down that the list, scanning over the names and feeling his blue eyes watch her. Some she recognized, most she did not. Nodding more so to herself, "It is… it is." Zelda felt ill. Any of these could be the next King of Hyrule. Suddenly, her plan felt flimsy. So many things could go wrong. The list spanned two pages and she wondered how the few days of competitions could weed out this many people. She dipped her pen into a pot of ink and paused just above the dotted line. Her eyes drew to the last name that seemed to be scribbled in at the last second. Her brows knitted together as she read it over several times just to be sure: Link Forester.

Zelda caught him as he slipped out of the door.

She scribbled her name only the document and handed it over to her advisor with a clouded mind.

Zelda had been far too occupied with preparations that her time to train was suffocating by the day. Despite that, her training was felt to be more important so she practiced in her room and outside in the late hours of the night. It was taxing on her body, but her mind felt at peace. At peace meaning more room for determination than before. The event was publicized to the public as being a romantic affair. The inns around the castle were packed with travelers from abroad for tomorrow's processions. Even if it turns into a worst-case scenario, at least the public's morale has recovered. They were calling it the Queen's Tournament in the papers. The notion brought a smile to her face. So, they did believe her to be the true queen. That was a comforting reality.

Impa had just left after finishing her last attempt to sway Zelda's decision. It was for naught, there was an agreement she signed. Her word was given. Even if she wasn't there in person the tournament would still go underway, which worked in her favor. Zelda approached her mirror and pulled the pins from her hair. Her locks spilled down her back and she waved a hand. Like a mirage, the features her mother passed to her faded into a gruffer appearance. Her skin wasn't as smooth, her hair far darker, and her eyes of a different shape. Zelda was out of practice in her magic. Link had seen her do this once before and his attendance was entirely unsuspected, therefore she would need a different mask. As the thought crossed her mind, she felt overwhelmed – flustered. He did realize it was to win her hand in marriage, right?

Of course, he did. He had to know. The papers speculated who would be in attendance as the list wouldn't be publicized until tomorrow. Cover after cover was gossip and rumors of Link being amongst them. Before she had scoffed and threw them in a bin. But now she stood in the mirror, still jarred by the news almost a week later. Zelda wasn't naive, she knew he was more capable than the rest of the men she saw on that list. That stupid list with his wobbly handwriting on it. Her people loved him for all he had done, all the things he still does for them – for her.

Zelda looked back into the mirror to see her foreign features were fading with her wandering mind. She grew frustrated. No longer was she an adolescent child. She was a formidable mage, was she not? Zelda could wield the power of the Goddess if she chose to. A queen doesn't pine after people. No, she wasn't pining. Princess Zelda was simply taking note of her competition for her own hand.

Perhaps he had been too hasty.

Link being too hasty? No, he was calculated. Precise. Thoughtful.

He stared at the attendant who stared right back. "Link Forester?" Link repeated, unsure if he had heard him correctly. The match in the man's head seemed to spark and he fumbled with his quill, "Right, right. Of course, the Hero of Hyrule."

Link cringed but nodded respectfully. He hated that title. It was all too formal. The man crossed a name out and waved him in. The building was recognized as an outdoor theater, but now it was a coliseum of sorts. The stage was deconstructed, and they were still moving targets into the empty space. It was practical, perhaps the only building in the capital that could house the tremendous amount of people that were expected. He had seen them already lining up in the early hours of the morning. He was led into a holding space that was being used for storing the props over the next few days. Excess targets, bows, and training dummies to name a few. Link felt excited. It had been a while since something serious was at stake. Sure, it would be far better if no one had to marry the princess.

He unbelted the baldric from his hips and set the scabbard against the crate, promptly hoisting himself up to sit on it. The gazes from the men in the room felt demeaning, but he retreated into his own head. Only a couple more hours of this, then he'd do it all over tomorrow.

Zelda said to him that all she wanted was to choose. There was too much in her life she had no control over. Of those things shouldn't be the person she would spend the rest of her life with. Link stared at his hands, remembering when she announced the tournament to the press. Her speech didn't waver, and her head was held high. However, he could see past that. He could see the way her eyes told him she was defeated. They finally told her they would vote her off the throne if not for this silly competition. She was hurting.

So, when the lord was thrown off by Impa's loud voice in the office and tossed his chore to Link it felt natural that he'd write his name in too. Not to win her hand, but to give her the choice she wanted. There wasn't a doubt in his mind, he would win and nothing in the contract said that the winner had to marry the princess.

The door shut loudly and someone else walked into the room. At least the attention was finally off Link. The interest in analyzing his competitors overwhelmed his thoughts and he obliged. There were several lords' sons in the room, not that he knew their names, their clothes betrayed them. They were far too neat and proper to have witnessed any harsh training. Link made a categorized list in his head of the people his eyes met. There was a group of soldiers he recognized, none of whom he interacted with on a daily basis. Then, a Goron and a few odd Zora. Among the rest was a large Gerudo man that sat with some other boisterous men. Link vaguely recognized him as some kind of politician that visited from abroad from time to time. They seemed to have been drinking. Nevertheless no one seemed threatening, but there was a Hylian man that Link kept coming back to. He was set apart and near the opposite end of the room. Dark hair and a thin build. He wasn't anything intimidating, but he was odd. Link felt a sense of distrust.

A bell chimed and the doors opened to the public. It wouldn't be long now until the first event of the tournament was underway. The topic of the day's competition was announced: Archery.

Zelda had snuck her alias onto the list last second and took her seat on the far side of the room. Having the signature of the princess was certainly useful. It was a surprisingly long wait, but soon enough they were all lined up to be introduced to the stadium. Link was two people in front of where she stood and he seemed to have noticed her. She glanced down at her hands, no her masking spell was still strong. Zelda felt giddy. It was amusing to be plain and blissfully normal. Even more so at a tournament centered around herself. No one had outright spoken to her, so she didn't need to exercise an excessively deeper voice. She was never good at voice changing spells and it wasn't the time for a failed attempt.

Link was asking if contestants could bring their own bows. The man handing them out denied it, insisting standard use had to be used. He sighed and set the bow he usually used during our training to the side. Zelda felt somehow touched by the familiarity. She hoped he didn't expect her to be watching in the box with Impa.

"You're not from around here, are you?" The man in front of her laughed as he spoke to Link, who turned just barely. "No. Not really."

She took a bow, trying to make it look like she wasn't interested. It wasn't anything special, they were standard wooden bows.

The man ahead spoke again despite Link's disinterest, "What do you do, kid?"

"I, uh," he started, "I'm a goat herder."

Zelda raised a brow as the guy began roaring in laughter. Link didn't react much, just shrugged his shoulders. The line started moving towards the open doors that led to the open stadium. Introductions were being announced and the crowd was deafeningly loud.

"A goat herder marrying the princess? Hey, at least you're shooting your shot, boy."

Link stepped out into the sunlight and the announcer boomed into Zelda's ear. "Link Forester, the Hero of Hyrule!" The said hero visibly winced at the screaming audience. She knew how much he resented the title but seeing the berating man freeze at the words made her lips form a secret smile. He had been so affected he walked robotically out. The acoustics of the former theater were amplifying.

Zelda's own introduction was small and plain. She was Yoland Romerok. A name she made up at the door. In the least, it was better than Shiek. It was true that she wasn't good with names, goddesses help her children. There were three lines in the sand and she followed the group to the closest, situating herself in front of her own target. A handful of arrows sat in a small barrel an arm's reach away. There were about fifty suitors that lined the edges of the stadium, it matched the list of names. The announcer rattled off typical archery rules for those unfamiliar. It would be rather long. There would be three trials and between each the suitors would be disqualified. The distances of the trials would be as follows: 25 meters, 50 meters, and 90 meters. The time would be set at ten minutes and the competitor would have that set amount of time to shoot all arrows in the barrel until scores were tallied.

The ten minutes began counting down. Yoland eyed the barrel and nocked an arrow. The bow's string wasn't too different from the tautness of her own on the training grounds. The target was closer than what she was used to. A perfect opportunity to try out this bow. The first was off and landed just above the bullseye. She caught her breath and glanced at her neighbors who took their time as well. The man who had taunted Link had missed his mark completely.

The next two arrows hit the eye and the last landed lower than she meant. Zelda smiled but humbled herself with a glance at the next two lines behind her. The ten minutes went by slowly, but eventually the judges walked by making marks. Several names were announced to leave, Yoland not being one of them. The man beside her walked away with heavy steps. There was an applause as a team of people came by to move the barrels and collect the arrows. During this time, she noticed a rather large man. Zelda's stomach sunk. Lord Ganondorf had made the trek from the desert to represent his people. She diverted her eyes when he looked her way and swallowed thickly. He had asked Her Highness for her hand over the span of several years. A chill ran up her spine, she must have missed his name when she grew distracted by Link's own.

The next trial was a distance Zelda felt more comfortable with. All four struck the red bullseye. Another set of men left the field. It made her wonder if they thought this competition was a different form a combat or perhaps simply nerves. The last competitor that separate herself and the hero left quietly. Zelda rubbed her sweaty hands onto her trousers and wondered briefly if Link thought they looked familiar. Speaking of which, she stole a glance his way before the last trial. He was looking past her, up at the stands. She followed his gaze and was met with the box the princess was supposed to sit. Impa was instead standing there, looking rather impatient. Link ran a hand through his hair and pulled the longest locks into a ponytail. Sweat dripped down the side of his face.

Zelda frowned at the increasing temperature of her cheeks and blamed it on the heat. She scolded herself, checked her hands to assure the spell wasn't affected, and turned her attention to the reset time. 90 meters. She had practiced this.

"The last trial commences!" The announcer said boisterously. The stadium roared with the same enthusiasm. With a nocked arrow in her grasp, Zelda reminded herself of what she needed to prove to her court and the ministers that constantly doubted her intentions. She could hear Link already hitting his mark and remembered what he had told her about emotions. Don't let it guide your arrow. Instead, channel it into energy. When she breathed in, she held the breath in her lungs. Her hand pulled the string taunt and she watched the target with indifference.

The arrow hit the edge of the red circle.

The next two arrows hit around the same area. A part of her worried they would knock the first to the sand. Fortunately, that wasn't the case and the last hit above the cluster. Yoland Romerok leaned back to observe the target, then the competitors nearest. An older man hit the edges of the target. Link was already observing her own work, he hadn't done too shabby himself. His gaze at her almost made Zelda want to be smaller. He was staring with a strange look in his eye before he nodded and looked away.

That was weird.

Zelda surveyed the remaining suitors. Fifty was narrowed down to fifteen or twenty. The masking spell was still working perfectly, but the eyes of Impa from above were drilling into the back of "Yoland Romerok". There were a series of announcements to close today. Tomorrow's theme was amongst them.

"As we all know," the announcer shouted through the stadium. It was lucky for him that the structure was built with acoustics in mind because the tremor of shouts and hollers from the people were almost overbearing. "Our princess has a love for horses. What would be a better fitting contest for her heart than chariot racing?"

The princess's heart leapt with the roaring crowd. A chariot race? She was kept in the dark about the competitions just as much as the rest of the stadium. Archery was merely an educated guess and perhaps hand to hand combat.

Horses, however? Her thinned lips quirked upward. This was Princess Zelda's forte, after all.

The cheering was odd. His name in other people's mouth like it was their favorite word. It was, in the least, distracting. It was a hot day too, which added to the sweat. There were several instances where he would wipe his bow off with his shirt. This hadn't happened with Zant. Midna would surely have made fun of him for being overly nervous. Zelda wouldn't have reacted much different, he knew that. She liked to poke at him when she could. He knew she'd do great with a challenge like this. The princess had always had an affinity with archery and only ever needed a little guidance. It was commonly her stress that held her back with focusing on the target.

Link blew a breath out. Zelda wasn't there, which eased his worries. The look she had given him after he had given her that list of suitors was indescribable. He harbored hope that maybe it was a good look of disbelief, not one of realizing a worse situation. Maybe she would understand if he explained. Even when he had gathered up the little courage he had for the situation she had grown scarce. Her days either spent in her chambers or her office.

He followed the rest back to the same room they had left earlier. One of the judges from the archery tournament came by to awkwardly shook his hand, "It's an honor, Sir Link."

Link swallowed and offered a smile, "Oh, thanks."

The man lumbered away and started shouting about what time they had to be there the next day. Once Link began wondering what kind of race would take place the same small Hylian walked by him and towards the exit. He had given Link a weird look during the competition before the 90 meters that rubbed him the wrong way. Obviously, Link hadn't taken a liking with this one. Not that he had given approval with anyone there. Every time he saw a new face he imagined Zelda with a new ring on her finger dismissing him of his duties. Not many of these fantasies included her being happy.

"What's your name?" Link asked. He already knew, but he wondered what the man would sound like. What he didn't expect was for Yoland to jump as if someone had accused him of murder. He looked young, younger than Link.

The man cleared his throat, "Yo-Yoland."

Link raised an eyebrow. He didn't look like this during the tournament. Yoland acted like he had a score to settle with someone, not like a boy being caught stealing.

"What're you looking to do here?"

Yoland furrowed his dark brow, "Same as you."

Link scoffed, "Doubt it."

"What?"

They were interrupted for a moment by shouting, but Yoland looked irritated now. Link went on, frustration bubbling, "You looked angry out there. Who are you angry at?"

It had crossed Link's mind that perhaps someone who wanted to disrupt the crown would compete and end up using the tournament for nefarious reasons. The vetting in the registration process was nearly nonexistent. There was a small competitor fee and an application. That was all. The thought of Zelda having to go through this in the first place already angered him. If she were to be harmed by the outcome, Link would feel at blame. How was he going to protect her when the threat is her husband?

Yoland narrowed his eyes, "I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

Link gave him a long, cold stare. "Look," he spoke lowly, "I don't think you should be here. There's something wrong and I will find out what it is."

Yoland stared back and laughed bitterly to Link's surprise. "Do you do this to all the suitors, Hero?"

"No, just you."

"I'm honored," he spat, turning on his heel. "Good luck."