Chapter Text
“Wake up, Link. Open your eyes.”
Link ignored the voice that was prodding him away from his dreams. He burrowed deeper into his warm blankets instead.
He heard a sigh, “C’mon, son, we have to get ready to leave. Don’t you remember we’re going to Castle Town today?”
Link groaned and got up. Today was his twelfth birthday, and his father had been trying to convince Link that he should go to Castle Town to see if he had what it took to become a knight.
Link didn’t want to.
Sure, he was good at fighting, and he could hold his own against full-grown adults with just about any weapons (including a tree branch), but Link didn’t want to fight. He wanted to stay in Hateno with his mother and younger sister.
He wanted to be a chef.
Link loved to cook! He loved watching people enjoy his food, and he got a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest every time his cooking was complemented.
Unfortunately, his father didn’t think Link should worry about ‘mundane’ things.
“You come from a long line of Royal Guards and knights, Link. That is what you should be trying to aim for.” Link’s father would always say when Link said he didn’t want to be a knight.
Link knew that this would be his father’s last attempt to convince him to become a knight. Link just had to hold on with his ‘no’ for a few more days, and his father would leave him alone. Link got up; he just had to say ‘no’ a little while longer.
****
Link didn’t like Castle Town. It was too noisy, and there were too many people. He much preferred the small village he grew up in, Hateno. He’d even take Zora’s Domain. At least there was way more open space to do as he pleased there.
Castle Town, though, was too condensed. There weren’t many wild places to explore, and it felt as if nature couldn’t really exist in the town. No, Link definitely preferred Hateno. Just the forest by the little village was enough to keep Link occupied for days.
And, bonus points, he didn’t have to spend a huge amount of rupees if he wanted to cook anything. He could scavenge whatever he wanted for himself and his family.
“Keep your purse close, Link. There are thieves out.”
Link grimaced. Seriously, why would anyone want to live in Castle Town?
His father and Link rode into the castle and veered off toward the knights’ and guards’ quarters. Link watched without much interest as men and women fought with each other in mock duels. Some of the knights were using bows, and others were using dummies to improve their swordplay.
Link didn’t find any of that interesting.
“Captain Ewald,” Link’s father looked up when he heard his name, “it’s good to see you back in the capital.”
Link ignored the soldier talking to his father. Judging by the man’s uniform, he was high up in the food chain.
Mm, food. Link took out an apple and started munching on it, completely out of touch with what his father was saying. Link was surprised when his father handed him a wooden sword. He looked up at his father who was looking at Link expectedly.
“Go on, son, show Lieutenant Harold what you’re made of.”
Link hesitated for a second. He looked up. His father was smiling, his eyes full of anticipation. Link took hold of the sword. He just had to say ‘no’ for a few more days. Link felt a chill run down his spine as his father took him toward the training grounds.
****
“He is amazing, Ewald. Why haven’t you brought him sooner? He could’ve been a member of the Royal Guard by now with the way he fights!”
Link stopped drinking his water and hid behind a barrel. His father and Lieutenant Harold were talking about him. Link didn’t like it.
“I’ve tried to bring him earlier, but he’s stubborn. He keeps insisting he doesn’t want to be a knight, but, c’mon Harold, you’ve seen him. He’s too good to not be a Knight of Hyrule!”
“Seriously? He doesn’t want to be a knight? With his skills, it would be a shame to let them go to waste. Let me talk to the boy. I’ll try to convince him.”
Link left, not wanting to hear more.
Just a few more days.
****
Link woke to a voice calling out to him. He got up silently, not knowing who it was, but he felt compelled to follow it. In an almost trance-like state, Link followed the voice north. Even though he wanted to stop, Link kept walking. He felt as if he was in a dream.
‘Come, Master, come,’ the voice beckoned. So Link went.
He didn’t even hesitate as he entered a heavily fogged wood. He followed the voice. He had to get to that voice. Link didn’t know how long he had walked, but by the time he came to, the sun had come up.
Master, I am here.
Link listened to the feminine voice devoid of emotions. He put his hands around the hilt of the sword and pulled.
His fate was now sealed.
****
“The hero isn’t allowed to be scared, Link.”
After Link had drawn the sword, the Tree that had guard it, the Deku Tree had woken up to tell him everything. Link was the chosen hero; he was meant to stop an evil that could destroy everything and everyone.
And Link was scared.
When Link had walked into the knights’ barracks, his father’s face had gone from worry to anger to a blank slate when he saw the sword that had been on Link’s back.
As soon as he saw the sword, Link’s father had marched him straight into the Sanctum in front of the King of Hyrule. Link had been knighted right there and then.
And Link had been scared.
Link had watched as his father turned from a loving but gruff man to a cold and calculating trainer and commander.
“You have to do better than that, Link. You can’t be slow when the Calamity hits. Everyone is depending on you. Hyrule, it’s citizens, the Princess, they will all die if you fail.”
Link had been forced to train day and night. He got a few hours of sleep and half a day to rest before his father would make him train more. He wasn’t allowed to cook anymore.
“The hero shouldn’t worry himself with such mundane things. That’s why the King pays the servants.”
Link received letters once a week from his mother and sister. He missed them. Link missed his little house in Hateno; he missed being free.
And he was scared.
Link’s father found him crying in a small room. Ewald looked at his son with disappointment filling his eyes.
“Why aren’t you training, Link? You don’t have time to be here, wallowing in tears.
Link gulped. He wanted his father’s comfort, “I’m scared, father.”
Ewald frowned at his son, “The hero isn’t allowed to be scared.”
Link’s tears fell harder. Ewald sighed, and Link felt a stone settle in the pit of his stomach.
“The Hero should never show fear. He is only there to protect the people and the kingdom. Don’t let anyone down, Link.”
****
Wild woke with tears streaming down his face. It took him a while to quiet his breathing. It was then that he noticed a hand on his shoulders. He looked up and saw Time’s and Twilight’s worried eyes on him.
‘I’m sorry, did I wake you?’ he signed.
“No cub, we hadn’t gone to bed yet.”
“Oh,” he whispered. He looked around the small room. Wild and the others had decided to go to Hateno after meeting with Zelda. There had been no reports of black blooded monsters, and the rest of the group wanted to see Wild’s home.
Wild had warned them they wouldn’t have their own beds like they would sleeping in the castle, but they had insisted. Wild suspected they had wanted to get away from the noise and chaos in Castle Town. He didn’t mind; he didn’t really like the noise either.
“You want to talk about it?”
Wild blinked. He had zoned out for a moment.
“No, I’m good,” he said out loud. Twilight and Time looked at each other.
“If you’re sure.”
Wild nodded, “Yeah, I just have to process what I remembered it was…” Wild took a deep breath.
‘It was a lot,’ he finished, signing the last part.
“Okay, just remember that we’re here for you, cub,” Twilight said. He put his hand around Wild’s neck and gave him a quick squeeze.
‘Thanks,’ he signed.
“I’m going back to sleep,” he answered out loud, “Good night.”
“Night, cub.”
Wild couldn’t go back to sleep after that. He stayed awake, listening to the snores of his brothers. He closed his eyes and couldn’t help but see his father’s face. It wasn't disappointment Wild had seen.
All Wild saw now was the fear that had been deep in his father’s eyes.