#botw reader

Their breaths were wheezing, confusing them momentarily as they lay, looking at the clouds as the soft twinkling sparks of magic finally extinguished like the sparks of a fire

-

They awoke in a field, tired and cold, a hand shook their shoulder, and their eyes snapped open, she was alone, in a field, and someone- a stranger- shook them?

Their wordless shout had the stranger withdrawing, muttering to someone they could not yet see, the Knight crawled away from the stranger, looking around and seeing the princess not far away.

In a flash, they were up to their feet, they stumbled, uneasy, and their eyes flicked from the hylian woman in front of them to the strange beast that bent over Miss Zelda's form, sharp teeth exposed and clawed hands reaching for the princess.

It took not a second to drag their sword from its scabbard and draw their shield, both royal guards’ issues that proudly displayed the symbol of Hyrule, the woman looked at them in confusion, but she followed their eye line to the beast and her eyes widened, mouth opening to shout.

The woman called out, and the beast barely managed to see the approaching guard before he sprung back from them, they stood over Miss Zelda, making sure not to hurt her as they kept both assailants away. If the woman knew a monster, she surely wasn't as safe as she appeared.

The beast approached, hands out in a placating matter, the knight snarled, snarled like Link had taught them to scare monsters and people alike, and held their sword at the ready.

The two figures glanced to one another, and in a wide arc, they stepped to eachother. The monster drew the woman behind it, a protective move. The guard grimaced, lowering their stance, the beast was much larger than them, it could easily defeat them, especially with how unsteady they still felt after the strange rush of magic and the fall under the castle.

No matter, they would not allow any harm to befall the princess.

"Your companion-" the woman said, they frowned, before hearing a soft groan, they glanced, panicked, between the princess and the threats, but as the young girl stirred and attempted to sit up, the choice was made.

"Princess!" They cried, shield dropping with a clatter and sword returning to its sheath with a soft *shiiing*, they slid on their knees in their haste to be by the princess’ side, they missed the way that the Hylian woman repeated the word they’d spoken to her beast, confused.

"Please, don't strain yourself." Their hands settled on the princess’s back and shoulder, protectively glancing at the stranger and monster as they helped her sit up, the second they heard feet approach, they scrambled to their feet, pulling out their sword and pointing it at the approaching figures, who paused immediately.

Their blood rushed, making them light-headed, their heart pounded in their chest, gritting their teeth

"Y/n, please." The Princess placed her hand on her knight’s shoulder, they lowered their sword ever so slightly. But still scowled at the two.

"Who are you?" The princess asked, uneasy, the knight placed the sword back in their scabbard, but their hand hovered near the handle, an action that did not go unnoticed.

“Princess..” They murmured, urgent, inclining their head in an obvious suggestion to leave, or at least reconvene, the princess nodded, noting her knight’s apprehension, but kept her eyes on the strange creature and the woman, the princess tilted her head at the strange couple, giving them an opening to speak.

“I am Sonia, this is my husband, Rauru.” Sonia approached the princess, and the guard bristled. An insult almost slipped off the guard’s tongue, one they’d heard not often in the towns they’d pass, a few times thrown at Kilton or his brother, or even, at times, at Hylians who courted other species.

‘Monsterfucker.’ 

The thought stained their feelings toward the woman, and they glared at her beast, visibly startling when it- he? Spoke.

“I am sorry we startled you and your companion, we were only trying to help.” They hissed under their breath, Zelda and Sonia did not seem to hear it, but Rauru’s ears twitched and he glanced to them, curiously.

“I apologize for my knight’s behavior, it is just.. We have never seen anyone like you before, most that look similar to you, are not sentient or kind, but rather monsters who wish only to destroy.” Zelda spoke, her soft voice settled the knight a bit, and Rauru nodded in understanding, his eyes now kinder as he took them in.

“Sorry for my manners, I am Zelda, daughter of King Rhoam and the Princess of Hyrule, and this is one of my personal guards, y/n.” You bowed reluctantly, your metal pauldron clanging softly with the motion as you waited for the conversation to continue before you stood again.

“What a strange and unexpected thing to say, as we are the founders of Hyrule, as far as I know.” The humor in his voice was apparent, but stale, you huffed at the joke, and he smiled, mirth in his eye.

“Wait..” Zelda paused, and so did you, narrowing your eyes as you looked between the two.

“Queen Sonia and King Rauru…” She murmured, you remembered her telling you about them, it was a small part of history, as sadly, details of the oldest history were always the hardest to find, just their names now echoed through your lands, in a long, almost endless line of kings and queens, they barely stood out.

“Where are we?” Your voice was hoarse, and scratchy. The two strangers looked slightly surprised at the quality of it, Zelda did too, but looked mostly worried, she glanced out over the lands.

“I- I don’t know.” She managed, you gazed at the two, they didn’t seem dangerous, but you had to remain on guard.

“Hyrule.” They replied instantly, but your eyes traced upward to the island floating above, you startled, and an involuntary whine slipped from your lips, Zelda followed your eyeline and startled in much the same way.

“What is that?” She managed, confused.

“Oh, that is the great sky island,” Sonia answered sweetly, you glanced at Zelda, then signed a quick question.

‘I patrol perimeter?’

‘Yes, quick.’ she signed back, and you took your shield from the grass, sword out as you started to search the forest for anything, landmarks, a monster hideout, a village, or the castle from afar.

You came upon a cliff, it wasn’t awfully high, but enough so for you to see down into a valley you strangely recognized.

You spotted Hylians, wearing revealing clothes and holding rough, handmade weapons, seemingly made from sticks and stones rather than the fine metalwork you carried, even Lizalfos had nicer weapons than that. You watched the hylians for a bit longer, they seemed to scavenge in the forest for fruits and vegetables.

Zelda called your name, and it didn’t take much more for you to return to her side, taking a dead sprint, still holding your sword as you settled next to her.

“Did you see anything?” You ignored how Sonia and Rauru appraised your weapon, or how you wheezed softly with each breath, you nodded.

“Hylians, not like you and me, like her.” You nodded toward Sonia, and Zelda nodded. “They wear primitive clothes, weapons like a monster’s not like ours, not even like a lizalfos or Lynel.” Again, Zelda nodded, hand to her chin.

“Then it’s certain, we must have somehow traveled back in time, Sonia and Rauru explained to me it could be the stone we found.” She held out the yellow stone, and you hummed, nodding.

“Keep it close, hide it.” You murmured, glancing at the islands above you nervously.

“We should return to the castle, I am sure my sister would be glad to speak to you, Miss Zelda.” You frowned, you’d roughly calculated where you were, near the Temple of Time, by the location of the valley and a mountain that you supposed would become the dueling peaks, but was for now just one mountain.

“How.” You managed, the raspy quality of your hurt throat had Zelda be even more concerned.

“Normally.. We’d teleport, but I don’t think that’ll be possible, if we walk a day, we should reach a town not too far off the route, and there we could get some horses.”

You nodded thoughtfully, chewing the inside of your cheek as you glanced from Zelda to the king and queen, they smiled, but the King's sharp teeth only managed to unsettle you.

"I suppose.. We should start walking then!" Zelda clapped her hands, you nodded, stretching your arms above your head while Rauru began walking, Sonia chattering softly to you and Zelda.

You remained quiet, eyes pinned on the unfamiliar landscape, searching for enemies or threats.

If you really had gone back in time..

Shaking your head, you sighed, surely, it wouldn't be that difficult, if it went up, it went down, if it went back in time.. Surely it could go forward, that's the way time is supposed to go!

A pained grunt echoes through the forest, but it isn’t yours. You crack your eyelids open just in time to see the moblin crash to the ground, an arrow embedded in its forehead, and when you jerk your head around in search of your savior, you find - 

A man, clad in a loose tunic with a length of cornflower hair spilling over his shoulders.

For a moment you’re too stunned to move, your eyes locked on the blond as he lowers his bow. He seems caught off guard by your presence, though you can’t rightly blame him, this deep in the forest.  

The moblin twitches, one last death throe, and the spell is broken. You yelp and kick out at the beast’s snout, hissing as the movement pulls at your injured knee. The blood has already begun to dry, but the pain continues, making you wince as you attempt to pull yourself up from the forest floor.

A hand appears in front of your nose, palm open and fingers outstretched. You glance up to see the mysterious blond holding out his arm to you, his bow strapped to his back and his face cautious.

You take notice of his pointed ears as you grip his hand, though your pain steals the rest of your attention as soon as he’s lugged you upright. 

“Can you walk?” he asks you, his voice low.

You test it, and though your knees ache, you can bear it. “Well enough,” you tell him, though you’re proven a liar when your first step ends in a stumble.

The man sighs and pulls your arm over his shoulder. “I live nearby,” he says, his arm curling around your waist to steady you. “I can tend to you there.”

“There’s no need to - “ you begin, only for your words to be broken by a gasp as pain rockets through your knees. Okay, so maybe there is a need. “Thank you,” you finish instead, chastened.

The man says nothing, but he’s gentle about his movements, taking great care not to exacerbate your pain as he leads you away from the moblin’s corpse. 

You study your companion. He looks familiar, somehow, though you can say for certain that you’ve never met before. His pointed ears give him away as a Hylian and his skill with the bow prove him to be a skilled archer, but beyond that there’s little to glean from his appearance or state of dress.

Who are you? you wonder. 

As if sensing your thoughts, the man’s eyes - a startling blue - flick to yours. You turn your head hastily away, embarrassed, only to find yourself in sight of a modest dwelling, its walls sun-warmed and covered in vines and what appears to be a well-tended garden growing at its base.

You’re led inside and deposited gently on a rumpled bed, the man disappearing from your side only to return moments later with a clean cloth and a crimson-tinged potion. 

“Could you - ?” He gestures to your torn trousers.

You hold in a gasp as you raise your pant legs over your knees, taking stock of the damage with a scowl forming on your face. The torn skin and blood flecked flesh makes your stomach turn.

“This will help,” the man says, pulling the cork from the potion bottle and dumping a bit of its contents into the cloth. “But you’ll be sore for a while.”

“Should have rented a horse at the stable,” you get out between gritted teeth, hissing as the man goes to work cleaning your wounds. “Decided to travel by foot instead. More fool me, huh?”

“You can rest here,” he tells you, the offer falling from his lips with such ease that you’re certain you’re not the first wayward traveler he’s aided. Did he come by them often, out here in his secluded pocket of the forest? 

“Thank you - “ you start, only to falter awkwardly when you realize that you still don’t know his name. 

His eyes flick up to meet yours, and though he doesn’t hesitate, he suddenly feels guarded. “Link.”

“Link,” you repeat, and then you realize - you have seen this man before, in murals emblazoned across Castle Town. His hair had been shorter there, his clothes a distinct shade of blue and the sword of legend strapped to his back. Slayer of Calamity Ganon. The Hero of Hyrule. Link.

He had disappeared after the destruction of Ganon. You had heard the rumors - that he’d fled from Hyrule entirely, that he’d been mortally wounded in the fight with Ganon, that the Princess had sent him on another mission far beyond Hyrule’s borders.

But he’d been here, all this time, living a pretty isolated life from the looks of things. 

You had taken too long to respond. A look of resignation had settled over Link’s face, his shoulders stiffening beneath his tunic. 

“Thank you, Link,” you say, and that’s all you say, refusing to draw attention to the matter of his identity in the hopes that you can ease his guarded expression.

It appears you’re successful - the tension releases from Link’s shoulders, and his expression settles into one of patient curiosity.

“Not many travelers make it this far into the forest,” he tells you, beginning to dress up your wounded knees in clean bandages. 

“Wasn’t my intention to make it this far either,” you admit. “You can thank the moblin for that.”

Link’s lips twist into a wry smile. His movements bely an obvious familiarity with the tending of wounds, and though his hands are calloused from years of sword work, his touch is gentle. There’s dirt beneath his fingernails, you notice. No doubt from tending to his garden. Such a strange contrast, imagining the fabled Hero of Hyrule indulging in such a mundane act. 

Then again, despite his history, the man was just that - a man, and one who had offered you aid. The least you could do was refrain from ogling him like he was some figure from myth.

“You can ask.” His voice has no inflection, perfectly pleasant in that way that world-weary adults all seem to be in the face of a subject they’d rather avoid. 

You know what he expects - for you to ask about the Calamity, the Princess, his century of sleep. 

“What do you grow? In your garden?” 

Link glances up from his work, clearly caught off guard by your question. “Pumpkins,” he eventually answers, and you might be seeing things, but you’re almost certain you catch his lips curling into a smile. “Carrots. Wheat, too.”

“I make a mean pumpkin stew,” you offer, already tasting the dish on your tongue. “It’s the least I could do for you, in return for your help.”

“You don’t have to - “ Link starts, but at the look on your face, his expression softens with amusement. “Fine. If you wish. Now, stop talking.”

You almost take offense, until Link reaches for your face. You stiffen in surprise, an unexpected burst of warmth pooling in your cheeks, before you realize he’s just tending to your chin. You’d forgotten how hard you’d hit the ground until his fingers brush against your skin and the ache blossoms anew, causing you to hiss.

“Easy,” he soothes, like you’re a skittish horse in need of easing. You can’t bring yourself to feel offended at such treatment, not with Link as close as he suddenly is. Cornflower hair spills over his shoulders, framing his handsome face in a way that you can’t help but find pleasing. His tunic hangs loose at the neck, exposing the sun-warmed expanse of his collarbone and chest, and his eyes are very blue. 

You’re hardly breathing as he cleans your wound and applies the potion; when he eases away, seemingly undisturbed by your strange behavior, the breath you release is a strangled thing.

“T-thank you,” you murmur, inwardly scolding yourself for behaving so boorishly. You had been in the presence of handsome men before without falling to pieces, had you not? And yet here you were, your chest pattering away like a colt taking its first shaky steps. 

You retreat to the cooking pot outside, hoping it will allow you some reprieve from the Hero’s presence, but he seems content to follow, dutifully fetching the ingredients you ask for and watching curiously as you slice pumpkin and simmer milk and butter over the fire. 

It’s strange to have Link’s undivided attention while you complete such a menial task, but he seems content to watch you bring the stew to life. He doesn’t talk much, but he answers your questions - you stray far from his life as the Hero of Hyrule, and instead ask about the garden, the forest, the creatures he must see. 

In all the stories you’ve heard of him, the murals and the books and the songs, the Hero of Hyrule had always seemed… distant. Not cold, but withdrawn, the silent sentry at Princess Zelda’s side. And yet here, now, he’s… different. Not exactly talkative or unguarded, but open, once his caution toward you had been eased. Warm. Eager, when the scent of the stew hits his nose. 

Happy, you realize. He’s happy.

“What?” You’ve been caught staring. Link doesn’t seem to mind this time, his caution replaced by simple curiosity. His fringe is in need of a cut, long strands falling in front of his eye, and in a move that surprises even you, you reach over to push them clear of his gaze.

Your eyes lock. For a grueling moment you waffle between freezing in place and jerking your hand back as though burned, but Link merely huffs in amusement and places a roughened palm against the back of your hand, tucking it warmly against his cheek.

“Your stew is burning,” he tells you solemnly, and beneath your muffled cursing and the clanging of cutlery as you attempt to save and ladle out your stew, you can hear him laughing. It’s a soft thing, but it eases the lines from his brow and leaves his lips curled into a smile that sends your heart pattering once more, and when you hand off a bowl, gently-steaming and smelling of sweet milk and spices, you’re almost certain his fingers linger against yours. 

Wishful thinking, you assure yourself, but that doesn’t stop the warmth that fills your belly, a heat that you can’t blame on the broth and sweet pumpkin that you swallow in eager mouthfuls. 

You catch Link’s eyes over the rim of your bowl. He’s smiling, hair falling into his eyes again and a trace of broth glistening on his upper lip. The setting sun casts a golden haze over his shoulders and dyes his hair with amber rays. 

You return the curl of his lips with one of your own.

➵ when revali first meets you he thinks you’re rather ecclectic, but he can’t quite put his finger on why he feels this way. however, he has yet to be introduced to your little friend (and sometimes protector) who you have instructed to wait outside rito village. 

➵ of course, he’s rather intrigued about your unique appearance, as well as energy, so he invites you to roost see what i did there with him in the village and enjoy a cup of tea in the quaint inn. 

➵ quickly he sees why he was so drawn to you, as you entertain eachother, and before long you’ve agreed to meet up again for another cup of tea and perhaps a demonstration of revali’s many talents. 

➵ however, before you leave you have to make sure revali, and the other citizens of rito village, will be as welcoming to your little guardian as they were to you. 

➵ leaving your friend outside the village tucked out of view of the guards saddened you. though, it was only a precaution because of the many times you have scared off or frightened others with your unusual taste in companions. 

➵ when you tell revali you have someone to show him, revali can tell how dearly you wish for him to take a liking to whoever it is. 

➵ upon seeing your guardian friend revali is, admittedly, a bit startled and jumps back in anticipation of an attack, grabbing your arm and pulling you back with him. 

➵ however, revali is a warrior and has a keen sense for the malice and destruction of guardians and other monsters. and as far as he can tell this little guardian is perfectly calm and peaceful.

➵ after you approach the guardian and give it a small greeting and apology for leaving for so long revali comes to realize your connection to the guardian. 

➵ revali questions you as to why on earth you would ever think about having a guardian as a pet, however, eventually gives in and introduces himself to the small creature. 

➵ of course after making sure that the little pet is agreeable he decides that it will be alright for the guardian to have a place in rito village alongside you. 

➵ you might even catch him trying to teach it how to shoot an arrow (make sure to tease him about being a dad) or offering it different kinds of food to see if it will eat anything. 

➵ revali comes to accept your little guardian as part of the family on rito island and the baby birds will often come looking for the two of you asking to have play time with the guardian. 

➵ nevermind if you have already given your guardian a name, nicknames will be flying i know you see that one around rito village, everyone has a different endearing term for the guardian. 

thanks for the request!! sorry it took a little longer than expected to get this out, but better late than never -- hope you enjoy <33

if you would like to request please take a look at my guidelines which outline the genres i write for each character. also, you can find all other works in my masterlists – both guidelines and masterlists can be found on my directory!

You’d been leading the horses down a downtrodden path for roughly an hour and a half, judging by the sun’s position, you breached a hill and finally saw Rauru, Sonia and Zelda, still a bit ahead of you, but you could catch up if you directed the horses into a gallop.

You had not tried a gallop yet.

The mare under you tossed her head, almost hitting you in the face, you could barely contain her as-is, trying to gallop would likely end up with you on your ass and the horse off in the Hebra region.

You were impatient, not having seen Zelda for a few hours as you'd gone off to capture the horses for her and the others to hopefully cut down on the travel time to Hyrule castle. But risking losing the horses you'd worked so hard to acquire wasn't worth the spared time.

You kept trotting until you were right behind the small group, then pulled back on the reigns ttho get the three horses to slow down into a walk.

The others didn’t even pause or look back, Sonia gently steering Zelda to the right of the path to let you pass, you did pass them, walking a few meters so they wouldn’t get hit by a stray hoof and pulled on the reigns, turning and stopping in the middle of the path, your horse’s hooves scraped impatiently against the sand, when you turned to the others, Rauru scowled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Excuse me-” 

“Y/n!” Zelda charged past the llama man, whose face lit up in recognition as he actually looked at you, Zelda rushed over to you, and you got off your horse and wrapped her in a hug.

“What have you been up to!?!” She held you by the shoulders, pushing away from you a bit to look at the three horses, Zelda’s horse stepped forward, nosing the blonde, and you laughed. The flaxen caramel horse you'd picked out for her nickered softly.

“I thought we could cut down travel time.” You smirked, Zelda looked entranced by the mare, you knew how quickly Zelda could get attached to an animal (her father never allowed pets)  and gently shoved her toward the horse. It huffed loudly in her face, causing strands of hair to bounce around and into her eyes. Zelda let the steed approach her hand, gently petting its snout as she turned to you.

“That was so smart of you!” You preened a bit under the praise, gently untying Zelda’s new horse from your mare and handing the reins to her, she smiled, taking the reins before continuing to spoil the mare with pets and scraps of food she dug through her pockets for.

Ignoring Rauru, you set the gelding’s reins into Sonia’s hands, she looked up at the steed, it was very large, you understood her apprehension, but you smiled kindly to her.

“Don’t worry, he’s very polite.” You pat the beast on the snout, out of the corner of your eye, you saw Zelda’s new horse shove her lightly with it’s snout, Zelda laughed, nudging it back, seems they were making good friends.

Sonia approached the gelding curiously, petting his snout, you smiled a bit, but left quickly as soon as Rauru approached.

You helped Zelda into the saddle, got up on your own mare (she would need a name) and waited for Sonia and Rauru to do the same, they did choose share the horse in the end, Sonia in front with Rauru sitting behind her. She clicked her tongue and the steed moved, you kicked your horse’s side and she set off as well, Zelda beside you.

-

“Your guard is.. Very stubborn.” Sonia noted as the horse the young woman rode upon tried to bite her once again, the steed that Sonia and Rauru rode calmed down quickly, and Zelda’s only hesitated a few times, when they had to cross a bridge and once when they had to go through a puddle, but the mare the knight rode was wild in a way that was concerning, every now and then, it’d attempt to gallop or trot when that wasn’t the set pace, and the knight had to contain the horse with their arms and legs alone, often veering off the path as the wild horse bucked and paced backward.

Despite having passed several more herds, even a town and a stable, she did not attempt to change horses, Zelda nodded, smiling softly. Like it was expected.

“Ah, well, yes. But I believe that they chose right, a horse must be strong-willed for a soldier to ride it, if they manage to tame it, it will trust them with its life, and they will be able to do the same for it.” She smiled lightly, and Rauru hummed, Sonia knew he was lightly annoyed with the two’s insistence that danger was around every corner, he took it personally, like they didn’t believe that he, as a king, could keep his people safe.

Later, Sonia and him could talk about it, she’d be able to soothe his worries and remind him these two probably never knew anything else than danger, it wasn’t a reflection on him. They were just.. Surviving, in the only way they knew how.

She did not stop him from speaking though, his low voice caused the knight to tense from where she rode ahead, still in earshot.

They hadn’t said anything in... A while, Sonia wondered if the knight was always this quiet, she noted that the rider was paying attention, every conversation, even as their eyes remained pinned on the horizon, scanning the surrounding forests and paths like something may jump out at any moment. 

“Truthfully, Miss Zelda, there are no threats in Hyrule, you and your companion do not have to fear, or prepare for anything.” The young girl shook her head, a forced smile on her lips.

“Even I find that hard to believe, King Rauru, no offense, but where we come from… It hasn’t been safe in a long, long time. It is unthinkable to travel alone, and a death sentence to let your guard down.” The king sighed, but nodded, seemingly accepting the answer, although a bit reluctantly.

“I hope you will come to believe me with time.” Is all he offered.

-

The ride was quite pleasant, all-in-all, it had been delightful and calm as you led the way over the downtrodden path, eyes set on the horizon. A beautiful forest sprawled to the right, the trees thinning out until it became an open valley that bordered a cliff, it wasn't extremely high, just leading down into another forest, but you were still wary of it.

Despite that, you were quite relaxed, closing your eyes and swaying with your horse's movement, the path was right at the forest's border, meaning the wind wasn't quite as harsh as out in the valley, and soft birdsong carried through the trees. It was an enjoyable ride with a soft ambience to which you could relax.

Or, you had been.

Your gaze cut right, horse halting with a whinny and a snort.

“Princess.” You murmured, eyes still fixed on the forest, you saw something move, a monster? No, you hadn’t seen any yet, and it wasn't the correct shape for any monster you'd expect to be here. only chuchus hung out in trees, and this wasn’t the best place for bokoblins to camp.. It seemed unlikely at all that it'd be a monster.

(It wasn’t because Sonia and Rauru said there were no monsters, and you found yourself believing them for some inconceivable reason. It wasn’t because of that.)

Then that left one thing.

Wildlife.

“Get back.” You hissed, low and focused, you couldn’t see if she nodded or not, but her horse slowly backed away from yours, putting some distance between whatever threat you saw and herself.

Your eyes remained on the treeline, searching, you thought you’d seen it, and it certainly seemed like it was spring in this world, but maybe you’d been wrong..

Rauru cleared his throat, his impatience clueing you in that a few minutes had already passed, you must be feeling paranoid.

Just as you turn to let your horse walk again, you see it, and it sees you, and you see it’s children as well.

“Fuck!” You yell, and your horse neighs, ears pinning back as the boar charges for you.

It might not be huge, but it certainly isn’t small, and those tusks could do some serious damage to your horse and to you.

It charges for you, and your horse, brand new as she is, spooks.

You weren’t focused on her, and for the first time today, she easily bucked you off, sending you soaring until you fall onto your shoulders with a crack, it takes you a few seconds too many to breathe again, that choked feeling that hadn’t left you since you had arrived here not allowing it. At least your head was tucked, or you’d have something much worse to worry about.

Your horse runs off, and the boar goes for you, you manage to slice it with your sword, narrowly avoiding it hitting you, it runs past you, turns, and with a scream, charges again.

It does bowl you over this time, you manage to give it another nasty cut though, enough to garner a shriek from it and for it to bolt back into the woods, your sword slick with blood.

“Lyra! Are you alright?” The princess’ shout came, and Sonia slipped from the saddle to approach you where you still lay in the dirt. Breaths rattling as you surveyed the scene, you horse running away.

You saw your horse’s form still running, panicked, scrambling, you get up, kicking away from Sonia and dropping your sword to follow the steed, afraid she may get hurt.

When you approached her, she reared and bolted again, you followed her, not wanting her to hurt herself in her panicked state.

Maybe little too late, she ran toward the edge of a cliff steep cliff that led down into some forestry, you bolted after her, calling for her, she’d certainly break something trying to make that jump, you heard Sonia and Zelda call for you.

No! Your mind hissed as the horse approached the cliff’s edge, you heard a shout as you took out your bow, hand reaching behind you to pull the cool finish of one of your arrows out, twirling it easily and expertly placing it in your bow. 

A loud shout came, angry or confused, from Rauru, but your arrow already left your bowstring, pursuing your target.

Bullseye.

You heard gasps, but didn't see Sonia pause, Rauru looking horrified from where he sat on his own horse, mouth covered by one of his clawed hands, you didn’t spare them much thought as you ran to your steed.

The horse stood frozen in the plain, mid-run, you ran over, grabbing the frozen reigns and planting yourself in the grass. Out of the corner of your eyes, you saw the others, looking more closely to see the king and Queen looking puzzled and angry, you gave an apologetic smile, realising how it must’ve seemed, you shooting an arrow at the fleeing horse

It didn’t take long for the magic to break, and while the horse’s earlier momentum had been broken, she still tried to pull away, you pulled back, causing her to swing back to face you.

The horse huffed, loud and angry, but not panicked any more, and after a second, she stopped tugging, the reins were taut between you, but you felt safe enough to step forward.

She stepped back, her hoof clattering against the stone under you, she shook out her mane, taking in the scene, her eyes weren’t as blown out now.

You took another step, and she stayed still, enough for you to approach and pet her nose.

Her fur twitched in the way she did when bugs rested on her coat, alright, thank god.

“What was that?” Sonia questioned, approaching you as you returned to the others, you waited until Rauru was in earshot before you answered.

“An ice arrow, it froze her for just a moment, she should be fine, maybe a bit cold.” The horse huffed, following you with her head hung low, maybe exhausted or ashamed.

“Thank goodness, I was so worried when I saw you grab your bow, I’ve seen people using arrows to scare horses and direct them.. But it often goes wrong.” You nodded, gently picking up your blade from the soft grass, wiping it on a mossy tree before seathing it once more and climbing up on the blanket adorning your horse’s back before continuing with a sigh, you led the way, and with the newest adrenaline rush you just felt so, so tired.

-

Eventually, the others stopped you to set up camp for the night, you helped them, cooked with some of the materials you’d scavenged and made sure Princess Zelda was comfortable.

You sat against the side of your horse, who lay flat, maybe just as tired as you after the day, you sat as tall as you could, surveying the surroundings, the moon had risen high above, you felt your eyes close several times, blinks growing longer and longer as your body tried to drag you to sleep.

“Burning the midnight oil?” The soft voice woke you. Your chin lifted, you met the gaze of Sonia.

Your ears twitched, she tilted her head at you when you did so, but didn’t comment, you sighed, glancing up at the sky.

“Someone needs to keep watch.” You replied, voice equally soft, she looked out on the empty plains, the soft sound of crickets and the grazing horses surrounding your little improvised camp.

“I… Know that Hyrule is safe.” She says, you feel a bit more tired, unwilling to have this argument again. “There are no monsters, no beasts who will attack us during the night, at most, a mischievous fox or pack of wolves may try to steal our rations.” 

You want to argue her, to tell her it doesn’t matter what she thinks, that you need to keep the princess safe. But you're exhausted enough to allow her to continue.

“But, I do understand you are afraid, and that these are instincts you must’ve learned for a reason." You hummed, thankful that she seemed to be trying to understand, maybe she'd let you guard for the rest of the night undisturbed.

"But you will not be able to defend your princess while you are dead on your feet.” her voice is scolding but warm, you sigh, knowing she was right. Back when it was just you and Link, you’d switch halfway across the night, and at day, you'd pick up eachother's slack.

But you were the only warrior now. Rauru could certainly help slightly during the day, Rauru’s claws must do something for defense, but, you weren’t about to ask apparent royalty. You were alone, and solely responsible princess Zelda's safety.

“How about this; I’ll keep watch for you tonight, I can ask Rauru to take the reigns tomorrow, you are riding alone, so that’s not an option for you, and I think we still have a day or so of travel.” You nod, you’re tired enough not to question it, and you think Sonia is reliable enough, being a relative of Zelda already puts her in your good books.

If it was Rauru who offered, your answer would’ve likely been very different.

You lay down next to Zelda, keeping enough distance to be respectful (it wasn’t necessary, you’d cuddled with her many a night, but you weren’t sure what Sonia would think, or if Zelda would be okay doing that today, so you kept your distance.)

-

You awoke to a tangle of limbs and blonde hair in your face.

It was very much like Zelda to grab you in your sleep, or maybe it had gone the other way around, still, you woke up warm and cozy, to sunshine on your face, a soft cool breeze and the scent of…

Food.

Your eyes opened, seeing both Sonia and Rauru sitting next to the fire and looking at your and Zelda's cuddle pile, you couldn't quite read their expression, too tired to bother anyway.

Stomach rumbling, you propped yourself up on your elbows, then your hands, spitting out some blonde hair and glancing at Sonia and Rauru, who were now bent over the fire and studying the food they made with a critical eye.

“Lyra?” Zelda asked, sitting up herself and stretching out, she yawned, and you yawned in turn, then Rauru did and you averted your eyes as every single one of his very sharp teeth was put on display.

“Hm.” You murmured, helping the princess up and stretching yourself, your bones cracked in complaint, and you bent your limbs as your heavy armor settled and shifted to fit properly again, apparently having gotten messed up in your sleep.

“Come, Rauru made breakfast.” Sonia called to you. You did come, sitting down next to Zelda, the man in question handed you your meal, you kept your eyes on his claws as he served another plate, then handed it to Zelda, making sure he didn't nick skin.

He settled back down, starting to eat his own meal.

Simmered fruit.

You began to eat, it was actually very well-made, you didn’t want to compliment him, but when Zelda told him the food was amazing, he smiled softly and you felt it impolite not to say anything.

“It’s fine.” You stated, succinct, Link would be proud. Rauru chuckled lightly, not hurt by your statement.

Zelda cut you a look, you shrugged, turning back to your meal. You waited patiently until everyone was done eating before cleaning up the camp.

Sonia looked tired, you were glad she had taken her watch seriously, but felt shame that you’d let the queen take watch for a soldier, your sleep-addled mind hadn’t noted how selfish that had been yesterday, but now you felt it full-force, you didn’t dare look her in the eye.

You had forgotten that your responsibility did not lie only with Zelda, but with the two royals as well. If they got hurt, you'd be in major trouble with the kingdom.

One knight for three royals.

How was that any fair?

-

Rauru did navigate the roads for Sonia, who leaned back against his chest and gazed at the passing scenery.

You shot them a strange look, puzzled, you didn’t understand their relationship, he said he was king but… There hadn’t been a non-hylian king in like, ever.

Actually, there was a bylaw explicitly against it.

He caught your eye, brow raising, and you snapped your head to look forward again, ignoring him. You clicked your tongue and your horse settled into a trot instead, Rauru and Zelda changing pace to keep up.

-

The castle crested over the hills, you sighed, relieved, letting Zelda overtake you so you were next to her, you weren’t there yet, it may be 2 hours until you’d arrive, Sonia was fast asleep against Rauru, your brow knitted together in guilt, still, you led the way in an even trot, making sure to keep an eye out for possible danger.

-

The castle was different than what you recognized. You slowed your mare, she neighed, a bit upset, but listened either way, you let both Zelda and the royals overtake you, following them at a respectable distance, you weren’t their equal, best not act like it.

Rauru glanced at you, confused, but didn’t stop or beckon you over, so you remained where you were, following in the royals’ wake and looking at the soldiers (half naked, with wooden weapons) curiously, they, in turn, looked at you like you’d hung the moon and the stars, with your sleek armor and durable weapons, you felt like something exotic to be gawked at.

Great.

You scowled, straightening your features with a twitch of your ears, the king and queen went ahead through the gates, then Zelda, and you managed to get in before the doors gates closed and locked you out.

Both Rauru and Sonia dismount, you get off your own horse quickly to help Zelda off of her own steed, watching as the horses are quickly led away by some stablehands.

You follow a step behind Zelda as she’s quickly guided away by Sonia and Rauru, you hadn’t paid much attention to their plans aside from the necessary details, Zelda was a distant relative who came to visit, you were her personal guard.

You followed, ignoring the pinning gazes of servants and guards alike, at least you weren’t the only one, Zelda looked just as uncomfortable as you.

“Hey! Mx!!” A young soldier ran after you and Zelda, you paused, stepping in front of Zelda protectively.

The young soldier froze, his eyes flickering from you to Zelda before they widened a bit and he bowed.

“Please rise,” Zelda asked, moving out from behind you, the young soldier listened, straightening and saluting you respectfully. With a sigh, you dropped your defensive stance, regarding the young soldier.

He was frazzled, holding what you recognized to be a wooden training sword, curious.

“I’m so sorry your majesty, I didn’t realize you were busy.” Ah, so he did have manners, he bowed, waiting to be dismissed.

Ah, he did not know Princess Zelda.

“It is alright, what did you need?” Zelda asked, tilting her head curiously, mirth in her eye, she was like that.

“Well, me and some other guards are training, we hoped that your personal guard would be able to join us, as we thought they’d have a different fighting style, but! They are obviously busy! So it’s not going to happen anyway, I’ll return and train as normal.” Zelda glanced at you from the boy, then nodded.

“Well, they’re not actually taken right now, but I’m unsure if they’d be willing.” She turned to you and you immediately nodded.

A chance to whip these soldiers into shape, hopefully, they’d be more of use then, when something inevitably were to go awry.

“Then it is decided! Lead us to the training grounds!” The young soldier nodded quickly, looking to you in amazement as he led the way.

The training grounds was… Between barebones and highly sophisticated.

Strange weapons buzzed as the guards trained, blue light erupting from their shields and swords and solidifying into something which appeared nigh unbreakable.

Zelda looked entranced, she quickly left your side to investigate some of these weapons that had been set to the side, you were about to follow when an older woman approached you.

“There you are! Finally, come to train with us?” The woman seemed to be in her forties, with large ears- just like Sonia’s- ripped and nicked in random spots and her face covered in small scars and one large one that drew from her lip.

A hardened warrior.

Finally.

You nod once, letting her guide you to the largest clearing, smaller fights stopped once they saw you, you set aside your bow and quiver, standing across from the warrior and taking out your sword and shield.

A small ring of spectators sat on crates and around the walls, holding their breaths, you saw Zelda’s golden hair from the corner of your eye.

“I’m Gwen, by the way.” She offered, cracking a smile, you knew the fight could start any second.

“Y/n.” You responded, flipping your sword absently in your sweaty palm, tapping your foot in agitation as you waited.

She was waiting too.

Fuck it.

You lunged forward with a swing of your sword, her eyes widened slightly but she raised her shield just in time, it was too small to protect her anyway, but your sword had a bit too much momentum to stop it now-

The shield lit up in a brilliant blue, much broader than it had appeared, and it stopped you short.

Your eyes widened at the strange light. Just like the swords earlier.

Insane.

Backing off, you had to rethink your strategy.

She lowered her shield, you knew she’d do something soon, you had to act quickly.

Your eyes cut to the small crowd, moreso the crates that they sat upon, your feet kicked off before you even had a full plan, jumping up onto the first crate, a young soldier shrieked and ducked, the next crate was a quick hop, your momentum making you feel like you were flying, a few of the other soldiers fled from the crates, but once you were on the third you knew you had enough ground.

You kicked off the edge of the crate, jumping down from above, sword drawn, the other guard managed to dodge just in time, but the others all gasped and cheered at the move, you barely missed her, after all.

A blue glint caught your eye, and you jumped back from the sword quickly, gathering your footing and avoiding her attacks, it was a barrage, still, you managed to come out mostly unscathed, if a bit more unsteady.

With a few swings of your sword, your opponent backed off, your eyes drew upward when a light caught your attention. Sonia and Rauru stood above, judging you.

Well, you couldn’t let down the king and queen, could you?

With new vigor, you attacked, the other guard parried your swings easily, and the clanging of metal against whatever her swords were forged from was loud, instinctually, after overwhelming her, you left an opening for Link to rush in.

It wasn’t even thought out, just muscle memory at this point, but Link, of course, didn’t rush in, which meant you left an opening for her.

A firm kick was placed to your chest, your breath caught, vision went black for a second.

You were on the ground, in the sand, and you couldn’t breathe, it was a horrible feeling, like drowning above water.

The sand was soft beneath you, a thin layer of looser sand draped over the compacted mass that your fingernails absently scratched. Your eyes raised to your sword where it lay in the soft sand, shield still firmly attached to your arm.

Approaching footsteps, your instincts screamed at you.

You were fighting! 

Quickly snatching your sword, you barely heard the worried “are you okay?” from your opponent, whirling around with your sword in hand, the other nodded and sank back into a fighting stance. You didn’t feel the need to be careful, didn’t feel the need to be kind, instead, your survival instincts took over in full, lunging forward with wild abandon. Your breaths where hitched, short things that didn’t fully complete, just a minuscule bite of air before your lungs hitched and refused to allow more to enter or exit.

It wasn’t even a fair fight anymore.

You hit her shield, and the force of recoil knocked your lungs into drive, you gasped, reveling in the sudden rush of air, but didn’t stop, another strike she had to parry, then a shield bash.

Twirling your sword in your hand, you hit her sword hand with the hilt of your own, she dropped the weapon, not missing a beat before throwing a punch at your face that you couldn’t avoid, your jaw crackled.

This was serious now, the crowd got upset, edging closer to the fight and trying to find a way to split you up.

Another kick to your chest, your breaths rattled as you knocked her shield arm aside and punched her in the throat.

With her caught off-guard, you managed to get her off her feet, she fell backward, arms protecting her solar plexus.

Your sword hung limply by your side, soldiers rushed in to break you two up.

Not that you cared.

You couldn’t breathe.

A wave of dizziness washed over you as the soldiers intervened, pulling you further from your opponent. The world around you seemed to blur, sounds becoming distant echoes, you fought them as best you could, pushing them away when they touched you.

Your chest burned with each attempt for a breath, but it barely hitched before halting fully, and not being able to draw anything in had you in panic’s grip. The fight had drained your energy, leaving you vulnerable and gasping for air.

“Y/n!” Zelda fell to her knees next to you, when had you fallen to the ground? Her hand settled on your shoulder.

“You’re alright.” She promised, drawing you into a hug, your breath hitched again, a panicked, choked noise coming from you.

“Just try to calm down.” She murmured, but her voice was watery and everything was covered in a soft fog. You hacked, coughing, and something wet and cold got coughed up, Zelda pressed a silk handkerchief to your chin, wiping away the residue quickly.

Everything went dark. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You woke up to voices.

Sonia and Rauru chattering loudly, a hand on your shoulder that rubbed gentle patterns into you.

Opening your eyes, you grimaced, a strange feeling overtook you.

Peace.

Some conscious, reasonable part of your mind said you must’ve been subject to magic or numbing herbs, still, the feeling–that you were sure wasn’t your own–was upsetting given the circumstances, you raised a hand to your temple, catching the attention of the others.

Green eyes pinned you.

“Y/n? Are you alright?” The lilt of her accent made you feel loopy, still, you nodded, attempting to sit up, Sonia’s gentle hands pressed you back down.

You stayed down, not wanting to give Rauru an excuse to do the same.

You huffed and noted the concern etched on everyone's face. Sonia's voice carried a tone of worry as she leaned closer. "You scared us, Y/n. That was a brutal fight. Are you sure you're okay?"

Taking a moment to gather your thoughts, the fog in your mind slowly dissipated. The throbbing pain in your chest was still present, but it had dulled slightly. With a soft sigh, you managed to speak, your voice hoarse and strained. "I... I'll be fine. Just need a moment."

Zelda's green eyes softened, and she reached out to place a hand on yours. "Why didn’t you tell us you were injured?” 

You grimaced, unsure what to say.

“It wasn’t relevant, I am your guard, Princess, I had to ensure you and the King and Queen got home safe.” Unhappy with you, Zelda stood a bit taller, frowning.

“You took on way too much! First those wild horses, then the boar- then sparring practice with the new guards!? How will you be in any condition to guard us if you can’t even breathe!” Your cheeks flushed, you knew Zelda didn’t actually care about your ability to guard her, but you only had each other right now, in this strange land.

She didn’t want to lose you.

“I’m sorry, Princess, I understand.” And you did, you really did. She sighed, green eyes softening.

“Well… You better.” She murmured, still a bit upset but with nowhere for it to go, Sonia was the one who broke the moment, setting her hand on the princess’ shoulder and looking at you with her own worried expression.

“Y/n, please tell us.. How did you get injured in the first place? Was it the wild boar attack? When you had to tame the horses?” Softly, Zelda gasped.

“Was it under the castle? When that thing-” She cut herself off, glancing nervously at the company.

“Maybe, but I don’t think so.” You murmured, “I think it first showed when we woke up- I remember feeling out of breath, I thought it was because Sonia and Rauru were there and they scared me, but the more I think about it, the more I think it was something else.” Zelda frowned, then her eyes widened.

“Before you fell unconscious, you coughed up this… Stuff.” She opens a handkerchief, a viscous, black, and red substance lies in the middle of it, it isn’t wet, doesn’t soak through the napkin, but it certainly moves like a thick substance.

“Doesn’t it remind you of…” Her voice lowered, and your eyes widened.

“The beast under the castle!” You hissed, Zelda nodded, glad you now understood. Out of the loop, Rauru and Sonia just looked at one another, then leaned in to see the strange substance.

“I’ll do my best to explain,” Zelda said, turning to the king and queen.

“Before we got transported to this time, my guards and I were investigating under Hyrule castle, and we met a beast, it seemed like something that should have died long ago, but when we approached it... It awoke, Y/n barely fought it before the room crumbled though, I don't understand how it could've gotten to her…" You hummed, considering, maybe, when you had been falling, it had gotten to you. But you had been awake enough to realize something like that… Right?

"Do you think it's some kind of curse? Something it inflicted upon you?" Sonia questioned, eyes dark with worry, you shrugged, hand resting over your sternum.

You nodded, your gaze fixed on the strange substance. "It's possible. That beast... it drained Link. Perhaps this is its way of slowly consuming me." Your pessimistic worldview seemingly got to Zelda, who lightly hit your hand.

“Don’t be like that, I’m sure we’ll find a solution!” You smiled up at Zelda.

“Yes, I’m sure we will.” You hummed, sitting up in bed fully, this time, no one stopped you.

You stretched out, spine cracking from the base to your neck, you noted how Sonia blushed, glancing to Rauru, whose eyes were fixed on you.

“Don’t worry Zelda, I’m not going anywhere, but I’m still your guard.” You reached for your weapons, strapping them to you once more with a sigh, the weight of your equipment relaxed you, Zelda took all this in, sighing.

“You will never be at ease unless you are there to defend me, but please, Y/n, do try to rest more, and no unnecessary strenuous activities.” You nodded, standing and adjusting your weapons so they didn’t sit uncomfortably.

You left in Zelda’s wake, she promised lunch, and in the background, you heard Rauru whisper to Sonia about a ‘Sundelion’. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lunch was an uneventful ordeal, you ate fresh bread with a platter of different kinds of butter and spreads while Zelda nervously chattered across from you, you saw Sonia cross through the gardens once, but kept your eyes on Zelda, conversing pleasantly about the books she'd borrowed from the library, hypothesizing with her about possible ways to go back home, or going for a ride on your newly acquired horses tomorrow.

She went quiet for a while. Glancing at her open palms that lay across her lap. You knew that look.

“Do you think Link is..” You felt a sudden, painful pressure in your chest. Grief choking you, you wouldn't cry, wouldn't grieve, for all you knew, he was alive and well, no reason to grieve him.

“I don’t want to talk about him.” You said in favor of anything emotional that welled up in your chest, refusing to acknowledge the way your eyes shone, remembering how he’d clutched his arm, how he’d screamed.

You supposed your dismissal was an answer enough to her question. She fidgeted with the hem of her new dress, you hummed, thoughtfully grabbing the soft cloth of your own attire.

“Besides being.. Exposing, I do quite like our new attire.” Zelda laughed, appraising your clothes once more.

“I do believe there were plenty of clothes that provided more coverage that you could've chosen, I think you’re not as bothered by this as you say you are.” You smirked at that, mirth in your eyes.

“What!? How dare you! I’m certain that if Link was the one wearing these clothes, you wouldn’t be so mouthy about it!” Zelda gasped in mock offense, blushing.

“That is cheating! Y/n, or shall I bring up how you go weak at the knees every time Purah so much as looks at you? You’re practically as mute as Link when she’s around!” Your face now a matching shade of red, fell into an expression of shock, clicking your jaw shut, you huffed, trying to find something to respond with-

“Oh yeah!? Well, every time you’re near Hateno you just have to bring up the ‘oh dear there’s just one bed’ routine to Link! He knows! You know! We ALL know! It’s your goddamn house, Zelda!” 

“Only cause Link has bad credit…” She mumbles, causing you to snort.

She laughs as well, glad to ignore the strange lands around you, right now, it’s just you and her, teasing one another, even if it's just make-believe, just pretend, it's a moment you two can behave normally, pretend tears don't threaten to fall at the friends you wish to grieve, no, it's just Zelda and her knight, having a teasing girl talk, like two unruly sisters.

You wish the world would fall away forever like this.

But it didn’t. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was an awkward affair, with you pointedly taking the chair next to Rauru, who set at the head of the table., Zelda sitting next to you and chatting casually with Sonia, who sat across from you, the spot across from Zelda being empty.

You refused to eat, eyes focused on Rauru, or rather, his clawed hands, you remained hyperaware of their position on the table, twitching or shifting in your seat whenever he reached for anything near you or Zelda.

Sonia easily wrapped you up in her and Zelda’s conversation, but still, you were aware of Rauru at all times, each part of your body screamed to fight, to defend Zelda, you tried to remind yourself he was a man, a species like the Zora, large and different, but not evil.

But Sidon had never made you this uncomfortable, even his teeth, shark, and of many, were never threatening, forming a perfect, charming smile that he’d use to cheer on his friends or win over strangers, it’s how he won you over too.

Rauru’s teeth were jagged and sharp, more like a dog’s, they didn’t form a sparkling smile, they reminded you of the snapping teeth of a wolf pack surrounding you and your steed. Sometimes, he’d smile or laugh and all you could think of was a Lynel baring its teeth in a predatory smirk before it charged.

“Y/n,” Sonia spoke, and the guard snapped their gaze up to meet Sonia’s.

“I can understand your... Apprehension, regarding my husband, from what you’ve told us, he bears an uncanny resemblance to monsters of your own time.” Your hands rested on your lap, grip tightening around the cloth of your shorts.

“I want you to know that Rauru is not like the monsters you’ve faced in your time.. I understand trust is not easy, all I ask is you try to keep an open mind.” You glance to Zelda, who gives you an encouraging smile.

“I.. Will try.” You murmured in lieu of any promises.

That seemed to be enough to sate Sonia, for the first time in a few minutes, you tilted your head up every slightly–enough to see the glimmer of Rauru’s teeth, and then his eyes, kind as they took you in.

“That’s all I ask.” He answers, and you nod, unable to find it in yourself to be too pleasant with him.

Maybe in time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were not prepared for Mineru.

You met her in the hallway as you returned from a short break after Zelda had surrounded herself with five of the palace’s guards, one of which was Gwen, a woman you now held much respect for (and she for you.).

When you saw her, you jumped back, reaching for your sword. The zonai chuckled at your expression, bending over slightly to make proper eye contact, her hand resting under her chin as she, for lack of a better word, studying you.

“Now now, no need to be startled, you are a visitor, after all, it wouldn’t bring you much grace to kill the king’s sister, would it?” Your eyes widened slightly, and despite your body screaming at you to run or fight, you quickly kneeled for the apparent royalty, closing your eyes in apprehension.

Mineru seemed surprised at the act of submission, if you had been looking at her, you’d see her ears twitch in confusion, eyes widening slightly before she collected herself.

“Ah, rise, knight, there’s no need for such formalities.” You did so, but refused eye contact, keeping your head down, at least the rules within court did not change much in the past, it seemed. 

“I did not mean to frighten you, I understand your apprehension toward my race, and I am sure Rauru probably neglected to tell you of my presence in the castle, my brother can be quite scatterbrained at times..” You did your best to hold in a noise at the proclamation- even you yourself weren’t sure it would’ve been a laugh or a scoff, still, you stayed silent, steadfast. The quiet soon turned awkward, but you weren’t familiar with the rules of this court, so you remained silent.

“Right. I am sorry for interrupting your duties, knight.” She left, and after she was out of earshot, you resumed your return to the princess’ side, relieving the other guards of their duty and taking your place once more. Zelda cut you a glance but didn’t ask why you’d left for longer than usual, normally, it’d just be a bathroom break and some time to eat and drink something small, the encounter with Mineru had dragged it out, but Zelda was always insisting you take more time to yourself, something that finally came in useful for you.

Zelda continued her studies into the ancient realm of Hyrule, speaking out her endless stream of thoughts to you, you hummed and intervened where you thought appropriate, listening along thoughtfully as the princess explained her theories and timelines to you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite Sonia and Rauru’s insistence the kingdom, and by extension, they, were safe, you found yourself often looking over your shoulder, aching to cut the air with your sword, nerves pricking at your skin.

You huff, calming yourself, you stand to the right of the king and queen’s throne, to their left stands another guard you don’t know, but he’s not nearly as attentive as you, while you are practically a statue, he will move and twitch, eyes following visitors or delegates, you frown, hands itching to correct him, but you can’t move, it’d risk breaking your own professionalism, instead, you resign yourself to having to suffer through it.

The king and queen decide to leave not soon after, a stroll in the gardens, they say, no need to fret, they can take care of themselves for that long.

You disagree, following them from a short distance, it takes them a second to place your footsteps, they turn to look at you, Rauru sighs.

“Y/n, I promise we can care for ourselves for the moment it takes us to breathe some fresh air,”

You shake your head, resolute, Sonia and Rauru share a glance.

“Very well.” Sonia responds, continuing to walk, you trail behind them, remaining polite despite your unwanted presence. 

The gardens are wide and expansive, you follow Sonia and Rauru for a while but get distracted when you hear rustling, you frown, separating from the two to investigate the possible threat.

You find a small, cutesy robot, it has only one eye, it is blue and yellow, and its eye lights up as it looks to you.

Then it stretches out and emits a series of loud, urgent sounds that echo through the gardens, alarmed, you take a step back, only to hear more whirrs approaching, the small robot somehow looks smug.

You’re confused until a spear is poked at you by a larger, lankier robot, still small compared to a guardian, but absolutely capable of doing quite a bit of damage.

You jump back from the spear when it is stabbed at you again, hearing a surprised (hylian) call from deeper within the garden, and others from where you thought the castle was.

Surrounded by the strange robots, you pull your sword, avoiding the attacks from both the large, spear-wielding beast and its smaller friends who clutch swords and sticks. One has a bow and arrow.

You dispatch of the bow-wielding one first, a sword driven through its eye does the trick, just like with a guardian, and after it stops struggling under your sword, deactivating, you turn back to the others. You immediately receive a near-disemboweling slash from one of its little friends.

Avoiding the largest to save it for last, you easily decommission two of the small sword-wielding ones, there’s still one more, the one you met originally, clutching a branch, but you find yourself distracted by the lanky one, who now tries to fucking burn you to death with a weapon that spews fire.

You avoid the billowing flames, ignoring the strong scent of ash in the air, and strike at the robot, you manage three hits before it manages to recover, your lungs start to ache once more, you flee from the flames that flow around the trees, ducking and weaving through the gardens as the flames lap at your feet.

Once you finally emerge from the shrubs, you see Rauru and Sonia’s concerned gazes from across the gardens, barely seeing them start to run toward you, Mineru calls from above, you think you hear Zelda, but you’re unsure.

You jump over the flames, carving yourself a path to the strange robot with your shield, you approach again, close enough to strike several times, this time, it does something different, activating its little flame-spitter, and it starts to turn in circles, you don’t have the time to lift your shield, closing your eyes-

“Stop!” Rauru’s snarl causes you to jump, eyes opening, an action you immediately regret when you spot the flames whirling toward you-

Only for them to stop, the robot toppled over like its strings were cut.

You look to Rauru, whose arm is extended, and strange, blue energy seems to emerge from it, his face is a snarl, an expression you hadn’t seen before, you stepped back, apprehensive, and at your move, his eyes move from the dead–deactivated?–robot and then to you, face relaxing and a twinge of guilt in his eyes.

You see that Mineru is running down the stairs from the elevated platform she’d been wandering before spotting your mess, but you can’t begin to prepare yourself for her arrival before a weight slams into your side.

Startled, you easily catch the princess’ hug, preventing the both of you from falling, you return the hug apprehensively as the princess scolds and praises you at the same time, you huff, amused.

“Are you alright? I don’t know why the constructs would-” Sonia starts, reaching to set her hand on your shoulder.

“That’s my fault.” Mineru steps down on the ground, glancing at the deactivated ‘construct’ in slight disdain but mostly fascination, you huff, of course, it’d be one of the two llama people when you’d been trying so hard to accept them.

“Sister?” Rauru asked, confused, the woman scratched the back of her neck.

“I was attempting to program them to defend the castle from intruders, it seems it misjudged our dear Y/n here, it’s my fault, I forgot to enter her and Zelda’s profile into the system, I’ll make sure to fix it before I activate them again.” You frown, about to speak up, ask if one of those constructs would have attacked Zelda with barely-concealed anger, but Sonia did it before you could.

“Mineru!” she scolded. “You should’ve at least warned us! Those things could’ve killed Y/n!” The zonai nodded thoughtfully, humming. 

“Yes, they could’ve, but they held their own, didn’t they?” She gazed at you appraisingly, and you responded with an unimpressed frown.

"Yes, but they have yet to recover from their injuries! They've been on rest for a reason, Mineru, you can't just turn our constructs into murder machines the second we look away!" Mineru gave the other woman a deadpan look.

"Is that not why they were crafted in the first place? To carry weapons and attack?" Sonia stuttered, losing a bit of her anger at the response.

Of course, both Sonia and Mineru knew they were wrong, Sonia may be overreacting a bit, but with the amount of effort they'd put into putting their visitors at ease, this is the last thing they needed. And Mineru knew this hadn't been the best time to experiment on the constructs, with delicate visitors around…

With a sigh, they both calmed enough to realize this wasn't the time to argue.

"Later." They both murmured, Mineru turning to the construct to either remove the new protocol or add Y/n and Zelda to the systems while Sonia moved to check over Y/n.

“Your breaths.” She murmured, Rauru, after making sure there were no other constructs (Aside from the three the guards had found, cut to pieces by the knight.), wandered over to join his wife, noticing the rattling breaths’ return just as Sonia had.

His wife turned to him, he looked at the knight, sighing at the spark of fear in them, then back to his wife, her pleading eyes begging him to do what he rather wouldn’t.

“You promised, it’s not getting any better.” Rauru nodded, calling to a guard to bring it.

“What is it?” Zelda asked, watching the guard run to retrieve the mystery item.

“Something we think may help Y/n, we didn’t want to resort to it, we’re not sure how it’ll react to the.. Stuff in Y/n’s lungs, but I think it’s worth a try.” Sonia scoffed, elbowing him lightly.

“More like I convinced you it’s worth a try, after a lot of back and forth.”

“It’s not my fault I’m careful. ” he murmured, to which Sonia scoffed, glancing to Zelda and her knight with a roll of her eyes. “A little bit too ‘careful’ if you ask me.” She murmured, causing Zelda to laugh softly and Y/n to crack the smallest of smiles.

Before Rauru could combat his wife’s playful statement, the guard returned, holding a warm cup in their palms.

Rauru takes the tea, then gently offers it to Y/n. Who glances at the tea, then to him suspiciously. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You gaze at the tea, trying to weigh your options, option A? Slowly succumb to the mystery infection and die a slow, painful death. Option B? Trust Rauru. You’d obviously choose option A, but the begging eyes of both Zelda and Sonia wore you down, reluctantly, you leaned forward, taking a sip of the tea as Rauru still held it out, he seemed surprised, eyes widening, Sonia blushed, ears twitching ever-so-slightly as she gazed from you to Rauru.

The tea tasted alright, it tasted like.. Like sunlight on a summer morning, it was strange, but you took another sip, Rauru carefully tilting the cup to allow you more access, his ears turned backward, you weren’t sure what that meant, but the soft expression in his and Sonia’s eye definitely made you feel a bit too mushy for a moment were you possibly drank a poisoned beverage. You took the drink in your own hands, Rauru making sure you held it right, his fingers brushing yours as he left you to chug the drink.

You definitely felt much, much better after the tea, humming softly. Sonia noted as much, saying your breathing had steadied.

Rauru still looked nervous, but also proud, a slight smirk playing at his lips, you rolled your eyes, standing up and dusting yourself off.

“Thank you.” You murmured to the King and Queen, ignoring how their gazes softened and they smiled at you kindly.

You turned to Mineru.

“If one of those constructs even looks strangely at Princess Zelda I will not hesitate to shred every single one on the castle grounds.”