Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own Legend of Zelda or any of its characters – they belong to Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto. GrimGrave does not make money for writing fiction.

Legend of Zelda –Yuri Chronicles

Chapter 1

A Knight in Shining Armour

Hyrule Castle Town brimmed with life in the early evening sun. The reddened sky reminded few of the perils that had occurred only a year ago, the incident of a forgotten realm hidden within the shadows, and a usurping evil.

People went to and from all over the city, the constant sound of voices overflowing the air accompanied only by the bards that sang common Hylian tales, lyrics of ancient times being recited in their wake. Gorons exclaiming their rare goods from the mountain through waves of cheers and few Zoras traded supplies and fish near the central fountain as the sky began to slowly set in the horizon. Everything was well in the land and city of Hyrule.

Cafés and pubs remained open for the crowds of people that sought their good time after a hard day's work, laughing and cheering as a result of the beverage and/or the good company of friends sharing their joy.

One such bar was Telma's Bar in the southern portion of the town. Sized enough for a small gathering to fit, the bar was a popular place to go due to it being in a remote area where most of the city noise was cancelled out, and because of ever so gracious host, Telma.

Telma filled up yet another tankard with mead, the most popular drink she had in her arsenal of beverages which always earned her a good amount of rupees, which was a good compensation for her damaged ears that had to put up with the roars of boisterous laughter from her patrons.

Tonight was not much difference, though the lower number of patrons was bliss in disguise behind the equally low number of rupees.

Telma sighed tiredly, polishing a wine glass with her steady hand holding a handkerchief. "Every night these days… People seem to have fallen back to their usual habits without a care in the world…"

"It's only natural, you know." A voice at the far end of the room said, beckoning Telma's attention. The barmaid chuckled as she glanced over at the person, leaning onto the counter to further engage the conversation. "If the people see the soldiers act without a care in the world, then it's only natural that the people follow, feeling more at ease so to speak, yeah?"

Telma chuckled again. "A tad bit harsh dear, but such is the truth. Not everyone can be heroic."

The other person raised her glass, carefully sipping the reddened wine as she threw the barmaid a glance with her hazel eyes. A small smile grazed her lip.

"Thinking about him again are we?" Ashei teased, smiling slyly at her friend who chuckled warmly back. "Honestly Telma, if you're that bent of bagging him, you should force him to drink that mead of yours. It seems to have an immediate effect on your other patrons…"

"Language young lady." Telma joked. "And are you suggesting I can't win him over while he's sober?" She quickly caught herself. "Not that … Not that I'm interested in him like that… A bit of age-difference I'm afraid…"

Ashei smiled to herself, a stifled laughter escaping her throat. "Whatever you say Telma, yeah?"

"TELMA!"

The bar owner rose back up from the counter, a puzzled look in her eyes as she turned to face the door when she saw her; and her face lit up with joy, prompting her to wave her arm in said joy.

For Telma, this was a moment of happiness, a reunion of past memories that created a friendship that wouldn't be forgotten.

But to Ashei, it was a moment of genuine curiosity that lead to a spark of interest; a spark that was slowly kindled at that precise point. Running up to the bar owner, a young girl with blonde hair that reached to just below her neck in a nearly a crescent moon shape hugged the older woman. Her features beamed as she did along with a girlish giggle. She wore clothing that would be considered "poor" or "plain" compared to the usual choice of wardrobe within Hyrule Market Town, but that's what made her stand out that much more.

Ashei observed her form her seat, occasionally sipping her wine as she did. There was something about the stranger that caught the female knight's interest with the way she talked, and her body language as she talked with Telma.

They suddenly turned towards the raven-haired knight, catching her unprepared as they walked over to the table. "Ashei dear, this is a friend of mine. During the incident last year she ended up near the town without a single memory of who she was…"

"And Telma took me in and cared for me." The girl finished. "I'm Ilia, a pleasure meeting you" She extended her hand towards Ashei, who remained caught in the young girl's ocean-green eyes.

´She's… so pretty. Feminine… unlike me.´ Ashei thought, still staring at the radiant eyes of innocence until she noticed the extended hand. "O-Oh, yes! M-my apologies, I'm Ashei," She carefully took Ilia's hand with her gloved one, shaking it lightly. "A pleasure meeting you as well Ilia."

Telma and Ilia shared a light laughter until the bar owner, still smiling, patted the girl on the shoulder. "Ilia here is a close friend of Link, she's also from the Ordon village." The redhead almost smirked when Ashei's eyes, directed at her, widened at the statement. "Speaking of Link, is he here by any chance?"

Ilia giggled. "Yes, but he went to the castle though. He said he had to visit someone…But he told me to tell you that he would drop by later tonight."

"Did he now?" Telma replied with a smirk. "That sounds wonderful. Until then I guess I will be stuck behind the bar counter… Do take a seat honey, I'll bring you something to drink – Ashei, be a sweetheart and keep Ilia entertained!"

"Alright Telma, yeah." Ashei replied, taking another light sip from her wine as Ilia sat down in front of her, smiling.

That smile.

It kept Ashei's attention the whole time.

It was just that beautiful, especially on her face, her person.

Ashei's lifestyle had taught her many things at the hands of her father, including the fact that she never beat around the bush. No time was spent on doubt or theories – she was straight to the point.

Ilia were very pretty. Captivating in her own right, with her girlish features and youthful charm that seemed to loom around her like a fragrance.

It lured the knight in. As she finished the last of her wine, the empty glass was put aside on the round wooden table and she leant forward with elbows supporting her arms upright, fingers conjoined under her chin.

Her gaze was sharp, but cool.

And Ilia smiled even more.

"So what's your story, Ilia?" Ashei suddenly asked, earning more of Ilia's attention who shifted her bright eyes at the knight. "How did you end up in these distant provinces, yeah?"

The girl sighed lightly, her smile vanishing as she did. "I was kidnapped… abducted by those monsters and locked away at their compound… Though it's all a hazy memory… It all happened so sudden…"

"You've told me more than enough." Ashei said plainly, not particularly affected by Ilia's tale. The young girl must've picked it up, if her light frown was of any indication, but at the nick of time Telma had come back to the table, a mug of juice for Ilia in one hand and bottle of wine to refill Ashei's glass in the other.

"Don't mind her dear, Ashei just don't know the meaning of common courtesy." Telma said with a chuckle, giving the knight a playful wink. "Here, some fresh fruit juice, on the house."

"Oh, thanks Telma!"

"Don't mention it honey." Telma replied with her usual smile. "Now if you excuse me, I will be tending to some noisy patrons…" She sighed and went back to the bar, something she clearly didn't want to do – noisy patrons or not, they were Hylian soldiers who had dared returning to the bar, much to Telma's dismay.

With an added scowl directed at them from Ashei, the raven-haired knight turned back towards the girl in front of her, who happily chugged down on her juice. It was like watching a child.

A very adorable child.

"I suppose I should apologise if I, uh… put you off, yeah?" Ashei said, breaking the silence between them that had loomed for a good while. Ilia giggled at the remark, her wonderful smile beaming at the knight.

"No need, I'm sure you have your reasons for not being courteous." She said with a teasing wink, mimicking Telma nearly spot-on. She had definitely been hanging out with the bar-owner. "So what about you Ashei? You… you're wearing armour…"

"I am a knight." Ashei plainly replied again. "My father raised me as a son, taught me everything he knew about the sword. Hence the lack of courtesy."

Ilia's face lit up. "You're a knight?! Wow, that's so cool! Then you must be like Link right?!"

A small smile kindled on Ashei's lips; she could feel her face gradually increase in temperature, in particular around her cheeks. "Link… I suppose I am, in a way. Though he is one of a kind I'm sure… But we're similar, that much is a fact."

"I've never met a female knight before…" Ilia said, leaning onto the table. The other patrons in the bar shouted and laughed in the background, wooden tankards knocked together in celebration. "That's so cool."

That did it. Ashei couldn't look Ilia in the eyes any longer, her cheeks weren't cooling down either. It was just something about Ilia's face that kept beckon for Ashei's attention yet she couldn't bring herself to maintain the eye-contact. "T-thanks, I guess… It's not half-bad…"

"I didn't think you would be the modest type." Ilia said with another giggle.

"I'm not shy…"

"Ashei, I don't want to be rude but I can see how red your cheeks are from here…"

"Yeah?" Ashei replied, a single eyebrow cocked on her usual stoic face. "Then you might want to take a closer look… I'm not blushing."

"I didn't say you were blushing, I said your cheeks are red. Could be for any reason really." Ilia lifted her mug to her lips, the cold juice slipping through her petite mouth. "But now I know."

"… Clever little girl, yeah." Ashei replied, vaguely smiling. "Still, it's your fault. You and your comments, yeah."

Ilia put down her mug, licking her lips free of the droplets that might have clung onto them. "You're not used to be the centre of attention… regarding such things, I take it?"

Ashei cocked her eyebrow back up. "What things?"

"Uhm.. I guess, appearance? I know I said your cheeks are red, but you got a beautiful face Ashei… if you don't mind me saying."

There was a silence between them, a silence that drowned the noise of the other patrons as Ilia's words left her mouth. Ashei simply stared back at her, but her eyes were narrowed into thin slits – almost as if she was expecting something following.

As the seconds passed with nothing happening, the knight finally sighed, her eyes now averted. "It's… It's alright, yeah. You're quite good looking yourself, Ilia."

The Ordon girl smiled, even more than she had already done, and averted her eyes as well with a light blush, though Ashei wouldn't know. "T-Thank you…"

They dwelled in the silence between them. Seconds turned into minutes of fidgeting with glass or mug respectively, a light sip occasionally occurring along with a subtle glance.

Brown eyes watched green eyes and vice versa.

"Alright everyone, time to get out and head home!" Telma's voice, strong and loud reached the entire bar and earning her everyone's attention. "The bar is closing for tonight!"

The patrons groaned out loud in unison, some quickly finishing their respective beverages before getting up and leaving the small bar, to Ilia's and Ashei's surprise. Ashei more than Ilia, since never once had Telma forced people out of her bar so suddenly – at worst, she always claimed "last order" and allowed her patrons to leave peacefully, something that definitely wasn't happening now.

Ashei watched the patrons, a large group consisting of citizens and soldiers leaving the bar with groans and murmurs until her eyes caught sight of something green, standing at the side of the crowd. It all made suddenly sense.

Smiling, the young man waved over at Ashei who smiled and waved back. As the last patron closed the door behind him, Telma discarded her handkerchief as she hurried over to the young man.

Ashei rolled her eyes. "Looks like I'll be off as well…"

"You're leaving?" Ilia inquired, to which Ashei nodded. She opened her mouth to speak when Telma, dragging the Hero behind her, walked up to them in her merry mood.

"Sorry about that," she began. "but the bar will be closed for tonight. Ilia dear, I have a guestroom you could sleep in if you like. It's not too big, but-"

"I'd be happy to." Ilia quickly replied, to which Telma smiled back. "Wonderful! It's on the right side at the end of the corridor." She dragged the young man after her through the door behind their table. Ilia appeared to be clueless – curious but clueless, while Ashei rolled her eyes again.

´She only has one spare bedroom…´

"Ashei?"

Her hazel eyes blinked open. "Yeah?"

"I'll be staying here for a few days since I'm visiting Telma, but… will you be here too?"

Silence.

Ashei smiled lightly at the girl, getting up from the table as she did. "I will."

Ilia smiled, at the knight, getting up as well almost a bit too quickly. "Then I'll see you tomorrow then! I-it was a pleasure meeting you Ashei!" She extended her hand towards the female knight, who eyed it with interest.

As Ashei slowly reached out for the girl's hand, she remembered something. She didn't know why the thought came back to her, but strangely enough it fit into the situation in a way. She had seen other knights do it, that particular gesture when faced with a noblewoman.

They would gently take their hand, caress it as they did, and treat it like it was the most valuable and fragile object on this earth.

Then, they would lift it up to their lips, and a gentle kiss was to be placed on the skin of their womanly knuckles.

Why not?

She dared herself to look up, hazel eyes meeting ocean-green. The girl's face was sporting a strong red shade, but the expression was contrasting in a way – it was acceptance.

As Ashei's lips withdrew from the flawless hand, she smiled. "The pleasure is mine, Ilia. Sweet dreams, yeah."

Ilia gasped lightly, breathlessly replying. "Y-You too…"

They parted ways, lingering looks being shifted between them until the knight closed the front door behind her. She smiled, greater and longer than she had ever done before, the whole way back through the cobblestone streets of the town.