A Fallen Princess

Who do you ship my muse with?

Poor Helios... why does he shackle himself to this frowny woman?

helios sliding in on his knees with flowers for his wife

you can’t just make ALBW Zelda and now include HILDA.

♬ = singing to them

His voice surprisingly soft. Smooth, lyrical, a trained tenor that Hilda never would have expected from him. Ghirahim was... a strange man. Clearly he wasn’t human, but he was a valuable adviser nonetheless, for no one else knew the history that he did.

Hilda never thought she’d heard him sing, though. 

Maybe it was only because he thought she had fallen asleep in the library, that he now sang in a language she didn’t understand as if she were a toddler who needed to be soothed. 

Despite the aching reminder he had been cast out from the castle, he couldn’t shake the regret that came with actually having left knowing well enough Yuga had instigated that decision. “It wasn’t really you though. I know that.” After all, he had opposed the whole idea they had concocted. What had he really expected to happen? Yuga had already sunk his claws in too deep by then.

A light flush of red burned in his cheeks and ears as Hilda rested against him. It wasn’t a common act, by any means, but having her so close gave him a refreshing sense of relief. He had passed every day since he had left with worry masked with smiles and jokes. But now he was finally back where he belonged; faithfully by her side.

But her last words struck him hard. So hard in fact he couldn’t contain himself any longer. He didn’t deserve those words. Thin streams of tears finally ran freely down his face as his arms wrapped around Hilda’s shoulders and pulled the princess closer. While he still didn’t feel much like one, he would do everything within his power to make sure he lived up to being her hero.

”And I always will be..”

After a few moments he finally pulled away from the embrace and brushed back stray strands of dark violet hair from her face. A bright grin stretched across Ravio’s lips as his emerald gaze met with her ruby red eyes.

“I will always be here for you. No matter what. I promise.”

His tone was sincere and soft. This was his vow. One he would refuse to ever break. The young adviser slowly stood from his place as he extended a hand to help Hilda back to her feet and offered her a steady arm to lean on. “Come on. We still have a lot to do.”

All Hilda wanted to do was stay there, wrapped up in his arms. She was so tired, and for the first time in so long, the world was actually stable. She actually felt safe. 

The princess sniffled as Ravio pulled back and arranged her locks of violet hair back into place. He smiled and stood up, taking her hand to pull her back to her feet. Hilda lifted one hand to adjust her circlet, making sure it was still in place. Ravio was right, they had many, many things to do. It was hard to know where to start, but... Lorule finally had hope again.

“Yes... you’re right,” she spoke quietly, looping her arms around the one he had offered her. 

      “Hilda…” There’s something of a reproach in his tone, but his concern outweighs it by tons. He knows there’s nothing he can tell her that she hasn’t heard before, though that doesn’t keep him from wanting to repeat it. And it doesn’t keep him from ignoring the fact that scolding her makes him a hypocrite.

      “Is something wrong? Are you having trouble sleeping?”

Talking about it was difficult, but she had already admitted to the insomnia. It was... difficult to pretend everything was fine now. Link might not push her too much to open up to him, but he wasn’t an idiot.

Hilda hesitated, pursing her lips together and shuffling her stance a bit.

[ @sisyphia  ❤ ‘ ]

Never had he thought that he would end up here again. After everything that happened and after he and Zelda had returned to Hyrule again, he thought that it would’ve been the last time he would see Lorule. However, somehow he had still end up waking up in an unknown place, only for him to realize where he was. He had been traveling through this place on his search for the seven sages, so he knew somewhat where he was. It didn’t help, though, since his question was still unanswered. How had Link even ended up here? 

So his first idea was to go and visit Princess Hilda, hoping that she might know about something. Maybe there had been something that caused him to appear here again? Although Lorule seemed really calm, he would be carefully about where he went. 

It didn’t take him long and he finally arrived at the castle. A small sigh passing his lips as he made his way to the princess.As soon as he arrived in the room where the princess was, he couldn’t help but smile a bit. Things did seem to have become better than before and Link was more as just glad to see that. 

 “Princess Hilda?”

There was only one other person Hilda would have been more embarrassed to see, and she tended to wear pink. But given the castle’s state of low-staffing and practically no security at all, it wasn’t so much a surprise that Link could make his way right to her office, and more a surprise that he was here at all.

Ravio had made sure Link and Zelda got back to Hyrule. The ancient bracelet had shattered afterward. They shouldn’t have been able to re-open any portals...

“By the Three...” Hilda gulped, her brows pursing in confusion and the self-consciousness that came from facing someone you tried to fight.

“Remember all of those. Every time you hear him.” Ravio moved to take a seat beside her, a bright smile tugging at his lips. “Even my lame jokes.” He chuckled.

“I want you to be happy.” Even with Yuga gone it pained him to think the damage he had caused still lingered… and how much longer it would continue to haunt them. He knew it wouldn’t all go away overnight, but he felt the small reminders would help her overcome it all someday. “And I want you to let me know if you need anything. Anything at all! You’re not in this alone.”

His pinky finger hooked around hers, as he gave it a quick, gentle squeeze. A childhood ritual he had always done as a way to solidify his words.

“NOW! We can’t have you going hungry.” In one swift motion Ravio hopped off of his perch and made his way back towards the boiling pot. It wasn’t long before he returned and set a steaming bowl full of soup down carefully in front of Hilda. “We’re gonna go do something fun, so eat up!”

Hilda only listened as Ravio explained his method. Think of the things that made her happy. Drown out Yuga’s voice in the back of her head. It was a simple answer, which only served to make the princess feel a bit foolish for never thinking of such things on her own. She never did, though, she often missed what was right in front of her.

In the brief moment Ravio hooked his pinky finger around hers, Hilda squeezed it. There were fond memories in that. Of her only friend promising he’d play hide and seek with her again tomorrow. Of her adviser promising he’d help find a solution to save Lorule. 

But it was gone, and he went back to the soup before Hilda could keep him there.

“You... can do the same,” Hilda offered, as she took the bowl of soup Ravio presented her with. “If you ever want to talk, that is...”

She wasn’t very practiced at gestures of friendship, she had been spoiled as a child, but for Ravio she would try.

bold what applies to your muse and repost.

THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER: paper dolls. rain against a windowpane. fish for supper. silent communications through eye contact. a tiny tin heart. cobbled streets. deep rivers. open fireplaces. well-loved toys.

THUMBELINA: water lilies and lily pads. red and yellow tulips. sun reflecting against water. iridescent beetles. singing beautiful songs. swallows. butterfly wings. dresses made from flowers.dark tunnels. stories about summer.

LITTLE MATCH GIRL: bitterly cold winds. sound of a match striking. falling stars. the most beautiful dream. tiny flickering flames. fat snowflakes. the feeling on New Year’s Eve. ignored by all but one.

THE SNOW QUEEN: shattered mirrors. early morning sled rides. rose bushes. crows. dancing shadows. robbers and thieves. sleeping with a knife. reindeer. ice skates. tears of joy. northern lights.

THE LITTLE MERMAID: strings of pearls. warm, soft sand. church bells. lost voice. dripping wet hair. fireworks. thunder storms.

“... I’d want my kingdom to be happy. I’d... I’d want for the land to be healed completely, so that everyone could rebuild and eat again, and Lorule would finally have its time to thrive.”