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Zelda and her horse were huddled in the back of the chasm cave. She shivered, wrapping her arms around her chest, preserving as much warmth as she was able to.

The young queen knew if she would try her teleportation magic, she would not be able to bring her horse with her. Of course, that was not an option. Zelda cared for any animal she came across.

A sharp pain emerged at Zelda's temples. She winced, burying her head in her hands. Her breathing became heavy. There was a slight rasp to the oxygen she sucked in and blew out.

Every animal, except...

~~~

Zelda woke from her slumber, rubbing her eyes gingerly with the sides of her fingers. She yawned, stretching her arms out above her head.

Miriam entered through her bedroom door. "Good morning, princess," she said with a soft smile. "Your duties are to be performed in the town today, if you will."

Zelda nodded her head, pushing her blonde hair from her face. "Yes, ma'am."

Miriam laughed gently. "Darling, Miriam is just fine."

Zelda yawned once more. "Father says I must respect everyone older than me. Men, sir. Female, ma'am."

Miriam walked over to the princess, sitting beside her on her soft mattress. She winked, saying in a hushed tone, "It's our little secret, alright? Miriam is just fine with me, dear."

Zelda giggled. "Okay. I promise not to tell."

Miriam held out her pinky finger to the young princess, waiting for Zelda to wrap her pinky finger in turn.

"I promise not to tell, either," Miriam nodded her head after releasing her pinky from Zelda's.

Zelda knew what her day would consist of already. Being only twelve years old, it was most certainly important for her to make a good impression on the townsfolk at such a young age. She must be seen as mature and sophisticated, although she was still considered to be a child.

Miriam left her room, leaving a set of clothes for her to wear that day. Unfortunately, Zelda was old enough to wear dresses. Only a few years ago, she was able to wear whatever clothes she desired. Now, her dresses were picked out for her each and every day, resembling the land of Hyrule.

Zelda hated her dresses.

Without putting up a fight, the young princess slipped on her dress. Her duties for the day would include meeting some of the village children, discussing Hylian politics with the adults to show her sophistication, and lastly, to visit the people in a small village to the west. The village was a poor one, which no one ever visited.

The day dragged on. Zelda enjoyed playing with the children in Castle Town. She was still young, so she was able to experience the joy of young innocence still. Afterward, she greeted many of the King's associates who came to learn of Zelda's political intelligence.

"Forming allies with these kingdoms will secure a position for Hyrule in which we are constantly under protection and safety," Zelda announced to a group of highly-ranked men. They all stared at the girl in disbelief. Then, they turned to the King with wide eyes.

"She's a genius!" one man proclaimed.

The King beamed. "Thank you."

Zelda bowed.

As her father's associates left the castle, Zelda dusted off her dress. She sighed, already becoming tired. Teardrops lined her eyelids, displaying her exhaustion. She shook her head, placing her small, cold hands against her cheeks in order to wake herself up a bit. "Almost done for the day," she whispered to herself under her breath.

The King walked beside his daughter, taking her hand in his own. He led her outside, where the carriage she would be riding in waited for her arrival. He bent down to the young princess, smiling. "Now, my love, what have I told you?"

"Be careful," Zelda replied, remembering what her father had previously told her about going into the Westward Village. "Do not trust anyone. Fulfill my duties and return home safely."

"That's my girl," he said, placing a kiss on her rosy red cheek. He patted her head softly, waving to her as she pulled herself into the carriage.

The ride to Westward Village was a short one, much like the ride to Rito Village. Westward Village was only a few miles south of Rito Village, and thankfully, Zelda arrived within the hour. She jumped from her carriage, dusting off her dress once again. She looked up at the small, wooden homes of the village she was visiting.

Westward Village. Home to crooks and many corrupt people.

Homes were wooden, and seemingly falling apart. The wood was rotten and dark. Children roamed the streets in tattered old clothes, while adults stayed hunched inside.

"Why did the King send his daughter here?" one coachman asked the other, lowering his voice so Zelda could not hear.

The second coachman shook his head gently. "I have no idea. I know she is a smart young lass, but it will be hard for her to witness what actually goes on down here."

Zelda sighed. "I've been here before, thank you," the princess spoke up. "My father has taken me to this village to meet the people."

The coachmen froze, embarrassed the princess had overheard them. "A thousand apologies, miss. We're just worried for your safety."

Zelda turned to them and smiled. "I'll be alright."

As she entered the village, she listened to the clip-clop of the horse's hooves carrying the carriage away, back to the castle. After spending a couple of hours with the people, Zelda would return home before dark.

She waved to the children as she walked through the streets. "Hello," she said with a soft smile. "How are you?"

A young boy stopped in his tracks, staring at Zelda. His eyes trailed from the bottom of her dress, to the top of her head. He gazed at her crown. The boy was much shorter than her, so he jumped on his feet, trying to grab Zelda's crown.

Zelda giggled. "Hold on!" She kneeled down beside him, handing him her crown.

He held it in his small hands, inspecting it intently. He placed it on his head, grinning. "It's pretty," he whispered.

"Thank you," Zelda nodded her head, holding her hands out for the boy to place the crown back into her possession.

The boy's smile faded. He took the crown from his head, placing it into Zelda's palms. "Thank you," he said sadly.

Zelda ruffled the boy's hair. She returned her crown to the top of her blonde head of hair. "Do you want to play a game, or something fun?" she asked.

The boy's smile returned. He nodded his head, taking Zelda's right hand in his left. He pulled the princess deep into the village, leading her all over the place. As they ran, laughter escaping their mouths, other children began to wander behind them.

A small yelp emitted from somewhere in the village. The boy stopped right in his tracks, then hid behind Zelda.

Zelda stood perfectly still, and waited.

Another yelp.

She began to move in the direction of the strange noise. The little boy held onto the back of her dress, following along. Zelda's footprints seemingly echoed in the silence. Her heart pounded within her chest as she neared an alleyway.

It was as if the sun had escaped this part of town. It was almost pitch black. Zelda told the boy to wait at the entrance, afraid of what lie beyond the darkness.

The yelps grew louder as she went deeper into the absence of light. Soon, she heard maniacal laughter.

"You rotten thing!" someone yelled. "Just die already!"

"This is what you get for killing our chickens! And taking our food!" another cried.

Zelda threw out her hand, lighting the way with her magic. She possessed the Triforce of Wisdom, a symbol of royalty within her family, as well as protection from the three golden goddesses. It was something her mother had told her stories about when she was a very young girl. Her powers were weak most of the time, but the adrenaline pumping through Zelda's veins projected light from her right hand.

Three boys covered their eyes with their forearms as they made something similar to a hissing sound. "What are you doing?" a boy yelled, looking as if he was the oldest in the group.

"What are you doing?" Zelda furrowed her brows. "What needs to die?"

Whimpering sounded from behind the three boys. Zelda looked at the three of them, then pushed by them.

A small, golden puppy lay on the ground, beaten and bloodied. It's crystal blue eyes looked up at Zelda, it's savior.

Zelda gasped. "You were hurting a puppy?!" she screamed. "How dare you!" Zelda leaned over, picking the small creature up. It flinched within Zelda's arms, terrified of the human contact it felt.

But when she turned back to the boys, she realized they were gone.

"Cowards!" Zelda yelled after them.

She looked down at the puppy, tears forming at her eyes. How could they...

~~~

A roar sounded from outside of the cave. Zelda threw her hands over her ears, feeling the rumble of the ground beneath her. The lynel guarded their desired exit, while moblins and bokoblins blocked where they had entered. Zelda was unable to teleport away with her horse. Her mind had drifted, and she had begun to lose track of how long she had been resting in the cave. She sighed, placing a hand onto her horse's mane.

"I'm sorry, dear friend," she whispered sadly. "I wish to get us out of here, yet I've no idea how."

The horse neighed quietly, as if responding to Zelda's words. The horse shook her head, moving away from the young queen's touch.

Zelda tilted her head slightly. "Is something wrong?"

The horse quickly threw her head toward the exit. It neighed again, a bit louder this time.

"I'm not leaving without you," Zelda shook her head.

The horse stared at Zelda. Their gazes locked momentarily.

Zelda began to think. She needed to escape, and she refused to leave her loyal horse behind.

She faced the entrance of the cave, holding her hands out in front of her. She closed her eyes, focusing her magical power. Warmth erupted from her body.

An invisible barrier protected Zelda's horse from outside. No one could enter or exit the cave.

Zelda turned to her horse. "I'll be back, okay?" she said, placing her hands on the side of her horse's head. "I'll return for you. Please, wait for me, my friend."

She closed her eyes, backing away from her horse.

In a moment, Zelda opened her eyes, suddenly feeling a quick rise in temperature. She looked around her, basking in the humidity of Zora's Domain.

"Will he be okay, Lady Mipha?"

Zelda's heart fluttered.

Link.

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