Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda in any way. The only thing I own are the characters and plot that I have developed.

Title: Capricious

Rating: T

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Full Summary: Zelda is a rude, snobby, arrogant princess. Link is a polite, charming, and humble peasant. Initially, the two absolutely hate one another when they first meet, due to their contrasting personalities. And when a villain named Ganondorf, King of Evil, begins to make his ascension to power, Link and Zelda are forced to travel together through the land of Hyrule on a journey to find the Spiritual Stones and the Seven Sages who can use the Stones to summon the Goddesses for help. But if the two can't even stand to be in the other's presence for a minute, how can they succeed in their quest to defeat Ganondorf? Can they learn to deal with each other–maybe even be friendly towards one another? Or more?

Author's Note: To my readers of The Legendary War of Hyrule: I am so sorry for beginning to write this story, since that means less updates. Don't think I'm not going to continue that fanfiction; I'm going to be writing it to the end, maybe even beyond that in a sequel. I've been toying with this story idea for weeks and it wouldn't stop bugging me until I sat down and typed it out. Thank you for taking a look at this story!

To my new readers: thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

For everyone that's reading: Okay, so obviously, this is an AU story from what I've told you so far; Zelda isn't quite a rude, snobby, arrogant princess in the games… However, this is set in the Twilight Princess version of Hyrule, and the basic quest is derived from Ocarina of Time. Elements from both storylines will be included, but the plot in my story is quite different from those in the games. There are also other things I'll be adding in, such as a King of Hyrule and other OCs. Old characters in different Zelda games will exist, so watch out for them!

Read this chapter, see if you like it, and tell me what you think in a review.

In the clear sky was the moon, shining brightly above the vast Hyrule Fields that night. It cast an eerie yet beautiful glow onto everything on the fields, including a certain lone figure. Atop a brilliantly white steed, this figure rapidly rode towards the Hyrule Castle Town. A long black cloak obscured the person's form from view, and a hood and scarf prevented the face from being seen. One could guess that this person had cleverly dressed so that no one could guess whether the person was man or woman, slim or stout. But as the person urged the horse forward with a gentle kick of the heels, the uninteresting clothes began to billow wildly behind him/her, and the scarf was moved by the wind so that the person's pale face could be seen. Alas, it was a lady, and quite a fair one at that. Her midnight blue eyes pierced the landscape around her as her stallion raced forward.

As she approached the Castle Town, she eyed the grand building that was the majestic Hyrule Castle, a gleam in her eyes. Letting out a weary sigh, she pushed her scarf back into its original place to conceal her beautiful visage. She patted the horse as she dismounted. "Go off to the stables, Storm," she murmured to her noble horse, stroking his snout. The stallion observed her with intelligent dark brown eyes. "I'll come to the stables later to visit you," she smiled at him. Storm whickered softly, and as a goodbye he rubbed his snout against her cheek before trotting away towards the stables that Storm had been trained to sneak in and out of by the woman herself.

She sighed, watching her horse gallop away. She couldn't help but feel a warm feeling in her heart as she watched the graceful animal canter into the distance. She had raised Storm since he was but a foal, and her horse was one of those few that she could say she loved. Most were observed with disdain by the young woman; Storm would be worth more to her than a civilian in the Castle Town. No one could hope to match the lady's arrogance, not even the King of Hyrule, who in truth wasn't very arrogant at all.

The young lady sighed and turned away from the direction Storm had ran off. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath, and began to walk across the lonely bridge to the East Entrance to the Castle Town. Getting past the guards without getting caught would be a chore tonight, ever since those assassination attempts became numerous.

She slipped through the creaky wooden door, looking left and right to watch for any guards with a practiced eye. Seeing none, she promptly crept forward as stealthily and silently as a cat stalking its prey would, wasting no time. Other civilians watched her gait suspiciously, wondering who this sneaking stranger could be, but the woman coldly ignored their stares. They were mere bystanders, easily manipulated sheep. Royalty could control them in any way they wished, and they would never object or question their leaders. Her presence attracted more and more audience still until a strong arm constricted hers while she was streaking past the fountain in the town square.

"Let go of me this instant," she snarled, twisted her arm away expertly, a hand already on a hilt of a sword. She was used to being grabbed like that by now, and could easily worm her way out of any grip, weak or strong. She stared at the man who had attempted to grab her so callously. Oddly enough, he wore a cloak too, one strikingly similar to hers, with the hood up so that his face was hidden by the hood's shadow. Glancing at those who were spectating uneasily, he neared the woman again, who threatened acidly while stepping away, "Don't you near me, scoundrel, or I'll report you to the authorities for harassment!"

"Zelda, put away the act," the man chuckled in amusement, stepping near and speaking in a low voice so that none would hear him. "I've come to your rescue, not harassment. And you are authority, Your Highness. Besides, you shouldn't even be here, and you're reprimanding me?Sneaking out of the castle when I'm not watching, then accusing me of a crime?" He raised his hands in innocence. "I'm the innocent one here, Zelda, and you're the one breaking rules."

Immediately, her fierce demeanour dissolved away into sheepishness. "Oh, damn it all," she cursed. Then she laughed melodically at the situation. "I should've known it was you, Sheik."

Sheik was another one of the few she could say she loved and cared for, and both of them knew their friendship would never go beyond what it was now. Romance between them was strictly forbidden, both by the rules and Zelda's own boundaries. Sheik wasn't and wouldn't ever be a lover to her, but was rather an elder brother, a protective one. And he had been the personal guard of hers for five years; it would be blasphemy for them to be romantically involved. Though Sheik was a lowly servant, Zelda couldn't help but build a friendship with him, as they spent so much of their lives together. And Zelda couldn't deny that knowing one of the last Sheikah was something to be proud of. The mysterious race was slowly fading into extinction; less than five people in Hyrule could claim that they had full Sheikah blood. Sheik was one of them. "Yes, now that I look at it, I definitely should have deduced it was you. No one else here would be… bold enough to grab a stranger like me, the empty-headed fools that they are," she sniffed with distaste as she strode towards the Castle gates, her cloak trailing over the concrete of the Castle Town.

Sheik's face hardened as he caught up with his master. "It would do you good to lower your voice," he murmured into her ear, looking at the commoners around them who were still watching them curiously, some of them angry at the words that Zelda had spoken.

"Well, Sheik, not good," she scolded him playfully, a smile in her voice.

"Fine, Zelda, it would do you well to lower your voice," he snapped. "Great Goddesses, Zelda, are you even capable of dropping your know-it-all personality in casual conversation?" Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "You are to be crowned Queen of Hyrule when the time comes, and you already play a great role in politics as Princess… To be able to rule successfully, you must have the trust of your subjects. To have them trust you, you must trust them. Haven't you learned any of your lessons? They actually have some merit to them, if you haven't noticed."

"Of course I have," she defended, affronted. "I just don't see the use in gaining the trust in these useless fools. All I'll need are a few useful, loyal people like you and I'll be fine."

Sheik sighed, shaking his head. "You can't afford to have a large group of people offending you and your leadership," he warned, unfazed by her compliment. "Just don't whine at me when they kick you off your throne."

"Thanks," she muttered, her face burning with embarrassment and anger.

The two continued on to the Hyrule Castle gates, and Sheik stopped her from proceeding with a muscular arm. "We won't be able to make it past the guards ahead. There are too many for you to be comfortable when you sneak out now, after those attempts of murder on your father. And when you do sneak out, do so in clear conscience that the assassinations might be directed at you. Without me to protect you, how would you fare then?" His voice was creased with the characteristic worry of an elder brother.

"I can take care of myself, Sheik," she sighed, not willing to use the last of her energy to argue heatedly with Sheik like they had so many times. "I can wield a sword with confidence and I have unerring aim with a bow. Protecting myself is something I'm capable of, thanks."

"But what if there are too many for you to handle? Safety comes in numbers, Zelda," he told her severely, "and when you sneak out, the number is one."

The two had stopped to argue on the road that separated the Castle Town and the Hyrule Castle Gardens, where Hylian Knights constantly passed by. Zelda was sure they would get caught if they continued to talk here. "I am enjoying this argument thoroughly, sir, but if we tarry here any longer, I fear that we might be caught by the Hylian Knights," she said in a formal manner, in the way she was supposed to speak: like a princess. Although she enjoyed being at the top of the social classes, she couldn't bring herself to act or talk like a princess, though her arrogance exceeded that of a normal princess's arrogance – whatever normal was.

Sheik bowed graciously to his master. "Then we shall continue this pleasurable argument elsewhere, within the safe abode that is Hyrule Castle. Shall we?" he spoke in an elegant manner, offering her his hand. Zelda laughed and nodded, taking his hand and hurrying with him towards the secret entrance into the Castle to their right.

The young princess shook her now disgusting black cloak off, revealing her usual attire. It consisted of a white dress that reached the ground topped with a purple vest. Golden shoulder plates were worn by Zelda, as well as long white gloves reaching above her elbows. On the skirt fell a tapestry-like cloth that showed the emblems that could only mean the proud land of Hyrule. And of course, along with Hyrule's insignias came the symbol of the golden Triforce. Three triangles joined at their tips to form a larger triangle, though with a triangle-shaped hole in the middle. Zelda looked proudly at the left triangle, as she knew that that section of the Triforce belonged to her: the Triforce of Wisdom. The symbol also existed on her right hand, the Triforce of Wisdom the brightest. Looking at her vanity mirror, she adjusted her dress and properly tied her long brown locks into a braid at the ends.

"Thank the Goddesses we have these cloaks," stated Zelda to Sheik as she tossed the cloak down the laundry chute. "If we didn't, I'd be caught immediately, and my dress would be absolutely filthy! That is one of the worst ways into the castle, I swear to the Goddesses."

Sheik rolled his eyes. "Yes, but you shouldn't have to useit so often. If you didn't, your royal dress would be free of those sewers forever," he spoke pointedly. He proceeded to remove his own cloak and let his cloak join Zelda's. Underneath the black cloak was his typical Sheikah outfit. Sheik's head was completely concealed by a cloth wrapped about his head save for his crimson eyes and a few tresses of blonde hair, and he wore a form-fitting blue outfit. Cloth was wrapped about certain sections of his limbs, and white fabric draped down from his neck and shoulders, bearing the Sheikah emblem: the red eye with a tear below it.

"Oh, yes," Zelda cocked her head to the side. "If you'd still like to get back to that argument, I'd be happy to now."

"Not now, Zelda," he frowned. "Right now, we have some matters to deal with. Your father told me before you sneaked out that he… had to speak with you about… certain things."

Zelda's eyes narrowed with suspicion, her lips tight. "What certain things?" she asked carefully, watching his expression.

Sheik's eyes quickly became sorrowful and apologetic, and immediately Zelda knew that she would be going through hell for the next thirty minutes. The royal type of hell. Well, Zelda thought grimly to herself, at least it isn't commoner hell.

"Are you ready?" Sheik asked her, ignoring her question. However, the expression in his dark red eyes was answer enough. "There isn't anything else you need to do, is there?"

"Let's just get this over with," the princess muttered, grabbing Sheik and dragging him out of the room.

"Daughter, what has taken you so long? I called for you over thirty minutes ago," the King of Hyrule said sternly as his daughter entered the room, followed by her guard. It was a large, spacious room constructed for private conferences. The walls of the room, Zelda had heard, were built so that only the shrillest, loudest scream could be heard from those outside of the room. A long rectangular table stretched across the room accompanied by chairs. The King himself was a rather proud man, though he couldn't ever bring himself to be snobby and hateful of commoners, like his daughter was. He was oddly fond of his subjects. His stout body was enfolded in luxurious crimson clothing, and the frown upon his strict face looked quite angry indeed. Her father was probably the third and last person she could say she loved. The King was a caring parent, but his duties always managed to keep the father and daughter slightly distant.

Zelda took a seat across from her father with ease as she replied, "I've had some inconveniences with some commoners in the castle," she lied smoothly. Ever since she had begun to sneak out of the castle, her skills of both lying and sneaking out had begun to increase amazingly. Perhaps she could develop her lying skills to the point of pretending that she cared for the people outside of the castle. Sheik, standing beside the princess in her chair, shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry for being so late, Father" – that was another lie – "but I couldn't get them out of my hair," she sighed, rubbing her temples.

Her father's frown eased away, and his eyes became humourous as they swivelled to Sheik, who cringed visibly. "Fear not, guard," the King spoke in a regal tone, amusement colouring his voice. "I turn my gaze to you not to rant at you, but rather applaud you. Your job is one of the most taxing in the world, yet you never cease to excel at it. Fetching my daughter when she sneaks out of the castle every time she leaves is like trying to tame a Moblin."

Sheik bowed, saying, "It's a great honour to be regarded so highly, Your Highness." At the same time, Zelda frowned, trying to channel a confused attitude, "Father, what are you talking about?"

The King turned back to his daughter, the mirth still shining in the dark blue eyes Zelda had inherited from him. "My dear Zelda, I know that you won't stand to be in the presence of the good people outside the Castle for over thirty minutes. So spare the theatrics, and let's get down to business."

"Yes then, Father, what is this business?" Zelda demanded, using anger to conceal her embarrassment.

"Would you like me to be blunt, or would you like me to drag on the telling of the news?" her father said haltingly, suddenly uneasy. Why would he be uneasy? Zelda wondered. Was it because she was angry at him, or because the news was so horrific? No, it was probably the latter; her father should have been used to the fact that Zelda was constantly holding a grudge against him.

"Surprise me," she spoke in a bored tone, her left hand holding her head, her right drumming her fingers on the table.

The King folded his hands over the table. "You see, Zelda, I believe the Gerudos have become… more power-thirsty," he began cautiously.

"Gerudos?" Zelda snorted with derision, jumping out of her boredom into anger. "Those female slatterns deserve to stay in their desert and wither in the dry sands. It's already enough that they come to the Castle Town to lure foolish, lustful men into bed with them!" Indeed, the Gerudos were known for being a solely female race, and therefore they had to find men from other races to let their race grow, namely the Hylians and Humans. Zelda found a deep hatred for the 'wenches,' as she so graciously put it.

"Zelda," her father spoke sternly. "You will not speak of any race so badly from here on out or else you will be confined in your quarters with Sheik. Three warnings you'll get, and at the last the confinement is official. Am I clear?"

The arrogant young princess only sat back in her chair in answer, arms crossed.

"As I was saying, the Gerudos are becoming more demanding," the King said sadly, speaking to his hands. "There are reports of sights of Gerudos murdering Hylians and Humans in great numbers, and this leads me to infer that they are the ones launching the assassination attempts. Though each assassin's face is covered, their fighting style is similar to that of the Gerudos, and the way they easily escaped our Knights' swords seems to resemble them also. I have every reason to believe that they are the ones behind the killers." He sighed and continued quietly, "So we sent a large group of our Knights to the Gerudo Desert, to ask them what they wanted from us. They went under a banner of peace, yet they came back being carried by the Gerudos, quite literally, to the Castle. They were all injured, bound in ropes. They dropped our men onto the floor, drew their curved swords, and gave us an amount of information, followed by an ultimatum."

"I'll bet you anything that this ultimatum has to do with me," Zelda spoke to Sheik. Her guard only smiled sadly back at her.

Her father continued as if this exchange hadn't taken place. "They told me of how their race is entirely of females. Of course, we already knew that, and sadly, here I am forced to confirm your information as valid, Zelda. They do use men in our Castle Town to grow their race. But they also tell a legend in their race, about how every century one man who is destined to be crowned their king is born into the Gerudo tribes. They claim that the legend has come true this century, and that that is the reason why they are becoming so dangerous to us."

Those whores, Zelda cursed with narrowed eyes, not daring to speak it aloud.

"But there is more. I asked them calmly why they would threaten the Royal Family if their legend became valid. It is because their new king, Ganondorf, has demanded that they conquer us. In other words, their king is corrupted by thirst for power. And the Gerudo eagerly carry out their sovereign's orders, happy to obey their leader."

"How dare they?" Zelda exclaimed, banging her fists on the table for emphasis. "We've been under a truce of peace for millennia! And just because they have a new king with an ugly name doesn't mean they can just stroll in here and try to destroy us! I bet those strumpets only obey that corrupt bastard to seduce their king! After all, what better is a life for a man to be completely surrounded by admiring, wanting women?" Every word that fell from her lips were full of contempt, dripping with anger.

The King's words became stern once more, but his eyes only told amusement. "Peace, Zelda. Second warning. By all rights, I should be confining you already."

"Your Majesty, I truthfully believe Zelda would enjoy a confinement. I certainly would," Sheik said with a smile. Zelda glared up at her guard, who grinned back, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

"I know you would, Sheik," the King laughed. Then he sobered when he came back to the conversation at hand. "And after that came the ultimatum." At this, his eyes became miserable and unspeakably sad. Zelda hadn't ever seen him like this since her mother had died, years and years back.

"And this is when my doom draws near," Zelda sighed to no one in particular.

"They gave us a choice between conflict and peace. The assassination attempts come in greater numbers and war becomes imminent, or…" Her father hesitated, probably knowing that Zelda would explode with anger. His fingers became spontaneous to him again.

"Spit it out, Father. You know I'll be angry at you either way, so just say it," Zelda demanded.

The King raised his sorrowful eyes to Zelda's furious ones.

"Or, Ganondorf becomes part of the Royal Family of Hyrule." The King slumped in his chair, making him look completely devoid of life. "I hope you'll forgive me, Daughter… I remember my promise to you, but… I cannot risk your safety, or the safety of those in the town right outside the Castle. What am I expected to do?" he spoke, the depression clear in his voice.

Zelda had yet to understand what was being forced upon her. "Part… of the Royal Family? How is that even possible? He wasn't born into the family, so–" Zelda stopped herself short. She looked frozen, her pale face looking even more white than usual. A horrible feeling washed over her, making her every bone and muscle feel weak. A searing pain seemed to reverberate through her body like an echo.

Then she spoke two words: "Damn it."

And suddenly, commoner hell didn't look so bad after all…

"Oy, Link! Thanks for roundin' them goats up today!" shouted Fado to the young ranch hand before he headed in for the day. "It seems they're givin' a rougher time to us these days. Poor Epona must be stingin' right about now, with the way that stubborn ol' goat charged 'er. I oughta be ashamed to make you two do this work, bud."

The young man named Link smiled charmingly at Fado and said politely, bowing his head, "It's never a problem, Fado, I'm always willing to help you, even if the goats are getting a little rebellious. And don't you worry, Ilia will be all over Epona before you know it." And both the statements were completely true. Completely.

"Ah, I appreciate it much, Link, old pal," Fado grinned back at the humble man. "Well then, I guess that's it for the day," he spoke as he opened the door. "You'd best go home and wash up. The fall from that horse seemed to have dirtied up your clothes. Good luck washin' those stains out!"

Link observed his layered villager's attire, checking his different coloured sleeves, his white breeches, and the slightly worn fabric of his shirt. He winced as his eyes told him that nearly all of his clothing was stained by the grass. "I certainly should do that," he chuckled to himself. "I'll need that luck, Fado, if you don't mind."

Fado laughed, "Well, g'night then, Link! Much obliged!"

Link waved merrily to the rancher, watched as the man strode inside his modest home, and turned to Epona. The beautiful chestnut mare whinnied quietly, complaining a bit about the wounds that the goat had given her. Frowning, he ran a hand through his sandy coloured hair before saying to her, "Let's see that wound, Epona." He bent down and took a look at the wound. Just below Epona's kneecap was a coat of blood that constantly grew out of a cut-open bruise. Link patted her fondly, murmuring comforting words, and began to lead her slowly down to Bo the mayor's house in the village, where his daughter Ilia also lived.

"Wait! Link! I forgot about somethin'!" Fado's voice rang out as he rushed out of his house. Link turned to him questioningly. "I forgot about it till now, bud, but Rusl says he'd like you t'meet 'im before you head back to your house for shut-eye. Judgin' by the way he said it, I'd say it's pretty urgent, bud. I suggest you go let Ilia take Epona to the spring first, then go ahead to Rusl's."

He thanked him warmly for the message, and they both gave each other good-byes again before he and his horse walked down the slope to the village. Fado watched as they left the ranch before saying to himself as he stepped into his house, "He's a good lad, a very good one. I only wish I could repay 'im for his work somehow."

Link stopped Epona in front of Bo's house, letting Ilia handle her rage as she realized that Epona was injured. While Ilia thundered down the stairs inside, Link decided to preoccupy himself for the moment by shutting the gates to the ranch. He had just heard the gate click closed before he heard a familiar stomp of the young woman.

"Link. What. Did. You. Do?!" her voice ground out through clenched teeth.

The goat herder attempted to suppress his smile before turning to see Ilia standing by Epona, furious to the point of glaring. Ilia was a young woman of about sixteen years of age. She was wearing her usual outfit: a long cream coloured shirt, brown leggings, and a purse that wrapped around her waist. Her piercing emerald eyes blazed at his cerulean ones with anger. Ilia was the one person that he could talk absolutely freely with. With everyone else, even the laughing, innocent children of the village, he was more refined and polite, never speaking a rude word, never offending others. However, Ilia had known him since… well, ever since they could remember. Since they were around the same age, they naturally became close friends, and Link was absolutely comfortable with making fun of her. Ilia was close to just about everyone in the village, whereas Link stayed polite yet slightly distant. After all, Link always believed that giving offense would do no good, so politeness was naturally his highest priority, along with dignity. But sometimes Link wondered if he felt something more than friendship for Ilia. "I just asked you, Link. What happened?" she asked in a low voice, slow but menacing.

Link let his head turn downwards, trying to look ashamed. However, he knew he was failing miserably. He hoped Ilia could not see his smile as he said, feigning weakness, "While I was herding the goats back this fine night, one of the goats decided to rebel against us two for once, for all of the goats we had herded against their will. He faced Epona and me, reared back, tossed his massive horns, and–"

"Okay, Link, you don't have to describe what happened like you're describing the Hyrulean Civil War," she hissed at Link. Link kept his head bowed in fear that she would see his grin. "A simple 'a goat charged at Epona' would've been fine." She turned away from him to stroke Epona affectionately, talking to her in comforting tones. Link was left to control his facial expression. With a last pat on the muzzle, Ilia took hold of Epona's reins. "I'll be taking Epona to the spring, of course," she said to Link. "And you won't be taking her anywhere! You can herd the goats without Epona for once! Epona has to have rest too, you know!" With that, she turned back to the mare and spoke softly to the horse, leading her out of Ordon Village and later through the Ordon Woods into the Light Spirit's spring. Ilia was extremely close with nature (and Epona), and Link knew that she'd rather spend time in the wild than stay in the village.

Link sighed heavily, shaking his head. Still the smile remained on his face; Ilia never ceased to fuss over Epona. He made to go off to Rusl's house, where he lived with his wife and son, Uli and Colin (with another family member approaching from Uli's womb), but before he could take a step, Ilia called over her shoulder casually, "Oh, and wipe that silly grin off your face." Then she proceeded to the village's exit as if she hadn't said anything. Link simply laughed to himself and ran to Rusl's house.

Before Link could raise his hand to knock, the door opened quietly and slowly. Link found himself face-to-face with Uli. "Oh, hello, Link… You've come to speak with Rusl, haven't you?" she asked in her quiet voice, sounding rather absent-minded.

"Yes. Is he here now?"

"Not right now," she answered. "I think he went to your house to come find you. Maybe you should meet with him there?"

"I think I'll do that right now. Thank you, Uli," he spoke with a smile before turning to leave.

Just outside of Ordon Village stood a lonely wooden house sitting upon a hollowed-out tree. The house was made of the wood taken out of the tree, thus not wasting any of the tree's bark. Link had made the small but charming house by himself. Link found Rusl in front of the ladder to his house's front door.

Hearing the sound of Link's approach, Rusl had turned to see who the visitor was. His face brightened as he realized it was Link. "Ah, Link! I had wanted to speak with you today." Fifteen years ago, Rusl, as a mere child of nine years of age, had found another younger child, about two years old, with pointed ears in the Ordon Woods alone, presumably abandoned. Rusl had taken the child to the village in his childish innocence and carelessness, where the mayor decided it was safe to let him stay, and thence the child was named Link. Rusl and Link remained friends over the years, Rusl acting as a cross between a father and a brother to him.

"What's the matter?" Link asked, curious.

Rusl replied, "Why don't we talk about it in your house? It is getting cold out now, and a fire would be nice to warm up our chilled bones." Link agreed and the older man headed up the ladder first, taking his time. Link followed promptly and quickly. "I bet you would prefer ladders to stairs now, the way you climb up and down that thing," Rusl chuckled as he lent a hand to Link to get up the ladder.

"Any type is fine for me, as long as it provides exercise," Link grinned as he entered the house.

The house was small with a few pieces of furniture and some ornaments hung on the wall. Link strode to the hearth to start a fire up, gesturing for Rusl to have a seat at the table. Within moments, Link and Rusl were sitting across from each other, the warmth of the fire already filling the room.

"So," Link began, rubbing his palms together, "I heard from Fado that this was quite urgent."

Rusl laughed, then said with a smile, "It is urgent alright, but it is completely your choice whether you want to or not. After all, the very prospect of heading past that bridge by the spring and entering the land of Hyrule is frightening, really. Even more daunting is the image of yourself presenting a humble Ordon Sword to the Royal Family of Hyrule."

Link paused, and he took a second before he processed what Rusl was saying. "You… you mean for me to go to Hyrule? And deliver a weapon to the castle as well?!" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, it was a task set to me by the mayor, but... would you go in my stead?" the man asked him. Link could only stare blankly at Rusl. "You are from Hyrule, remember? It would be nice if you revisited your homeland. You should know what it is like in Hyrule, the land you came from. Ordon pales in comparison to the astounding beauty of Hyrule. After all, it is hardly like the great fields that you could explore for days, or the giant cities like the Castle Town. Lake Hylia is a place I would definitely recommend you to go. And you should see the Zora's Domain, the Death Mountain, the million other sights in Hyrule. There are even other races. For example, you are a Hylian, and the rest of us in Ordon are Humans. But in Hyrule, there are two other major races called the Gorons and Zoras, who lived in harmony alongside the Hylians and Humans. It's an amazing place to go, much more lively than our quiet little farming community. If the adventures are to your liking, perhaps you could even explore the lands outside of Hyrule! The Snowpeak Mountains, the Gerudo Desert!" He told Link this information with vigour and clear admiration for the land.

"But Ordon is great already. Although I would agree that a person should know their birthplace, I don't remember anything of Hyrule, and therefore it would be strange for me to go. I would be so out of place in those fancy cities and such," Link argued. Indeed, his villager's attire would look very strange in the populated places, and people would immediately judge him negatively.

Rusl shook his head. "You don't understand. Why I want you to go is because visiting Hyrule is such an amazing experience! And everyone deserves to see the Castle and its surrounding town. Who would object? No one will throw you out of the Castle or the town because of your clothes. Whoever thought of such a thing?"

"Why must we present a sword to the court of Hyrule anyway?" Link wondered aloud. "Surely the nobles of the Castle can forge any weapon they'd like, as monetary matters are absolutely no problem to them. It isn't understandable to me why they'd demand a sword out of us when Hyrule holds the greatest blacksmiths in her cities."

"It's a gift to retain our peace, Link," Rusl said more quietly, more gently. Obviously this was a more delicate subject. "If we weren't so friendly with those in Hyrule, Ordon Village wouldn't exist. The authorities would force us from our homes to live in the towns in Hyrule, where they can reach us. Right now, we could be breaking the Hyrulean laws and they wouldn't know. We need to live peaceably, and so every year we send the finest sword forged in Ordon to the Castle to tell them that we want peace, not conflicts."

Link pondered Rusl's strong words. He never had any knowledge of the possibility of Ordon being torn down to keep the power in Hyrule's hands. And Rusl's descriptions of Hyrule were beginning to appeal to him. Perhaps the adventurous lifestyle would suit him, but Link sorely doubted it. He doubted he could just leave Ordon Village, the only thing he had ever known, behind to wander the fields of Hyrule.

"All right then," Link announced, suddenly decisive. "I suppose I should go if you insist, and I must say, your description of Hyrule intrigues me," Link admitted, causing Rusl to chuckle. "But I need to get Ilia to let me take Epona. I won't make a mile without her, and I can't take anyone else's horse."

Rusl laughed at Link's words. "Do not fear, Link. You forget the importance of the gift. Bo will get Ilia to calm down, one way or another." Then he pushed the chair back and stood, stretching slightly. "Speaking of Bo, I'm going to head down to his house and tell him the change of plans. You should leave tomorrow morning; you'll have more time to reach the town. And within a day of your leave, you'll be in the grand halls of Hyrule Castle. I think it is a good thing I have given this task to you... If you are lucky, you may even get to meet Princess Zelda! Ah ha ha!"

Link laughed with him, thanked him for talking, and followed Rusl to the door. Suddenly, Rusl paused and turned back to Link. "Link, have you been practising your swordplay lately?" he asked. "You never know who – or what –you might encounter on the way to Hyrule Castle."

"Of course," Link grinned at him. "My sword or my skill hasn't dulled from our last spar, you know."

"Then perhaps I will rise you early tomorrow for a final spar before you go." Rusl clasped his shoulder. "You can't be too careful nowadays. Well then, have a good night, Link! Sleep well!" he waved as he opened the door and headed outside, closing the door behind him.

As if Rusl had taken the energy along with him, Link suddenly felt dreadfully tired and weary. He slumped into his chair again. How did I get into this? he wondered to himself. I'm going to Hyrule, and going to the Castle! He shook his head in disbelief. But along with the initial excitement came a very strange sense of foreboding, like that of a tempest approaching. He tried to shake the horrible feeling away, but the tenseness wouldn't go. Sighing, he climbed up another wood ladder to the second floor to prepare for the next day.

It certainly would be a long one.

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