To be honest, she didn't see why she needed a knight to protect her. She was a very smart girl, and she thought she would be perfectly fine traveling by herself. But, her father (and everybody else she knew) insisted that she have an appointed knight to follow her around.

And who better than the esteemed swordsman and adventurer, Link? The "hero of legend" chosen by the Master Sword.

The whole thing gave her an uneasy feeling. If the hero showed up now, didn't that mean that something horrible was bound to happen?

And, truthfully, she didn't want someone around her all the time. She didn't want him to see this side of her that few others had seen.

Ever since she was young, Princess Zelda had been trying to access this sacred power. The royal family and all of the advisers knew that she needed to be ready, in case the prophecy did fulfill itself in her lifetime.

She just couldn't find it in herself, though. She had spent so much of her life trying and trying, and she still had gotten nowhere.

If the knight saw the mental state it put her in, she couldn't imagine ever being able to even look at him again.

She hardly even knew Link. His father was also a highly skilled knight, so she had seen Link ever since they were young. He was a few years older than her, and tended to stay quiet and keep to himself. He was not stuck up or too proud, as many of the knights were, and she was grateful for that.

And of course, she had heard many things about him. He was the hero of their time, after all. He was the only one who could pull the Master Sword out of its pedestal, in which it had been resting for thousands of years.

Zelda had heard about his travels and his triumphs, how he adventured all over Hyrule and drove evil out.

And, she would need his help if the Calamity ever struck.

Link had also been the one to take her back home when she had gotten lost two years prior. She had been trying to pray in the Lost Woods and had ended up disoriented, cold, weak, and frightened. It was a distant memory, but she tried not to think about it at all.

Link was fairly tall, with a brilliantly fit figure. He had long, messy hair that he tied into a ponytail and a pair of stunning blue eyes. His nose was pointed and he had a small mouth.

Although she hated to admit it, he was quite handsome. But she wouldn't ever tell anybody that.

~

Link wasn't quite sure how he felt about becoming the princess's appointed knight. It was a great honor, as well as a great responsibility. He would have the chance to use his skills and show what he was made of. He would get to go on more adventures, which was something he looked forward to. But, now he was in charge of protecting the princess of Hyrule with his life. And if he failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He was pretty sure he could handle it, though.

Link just hoped that the stubborn girl would accept his assistance. He had heard many rumors in the past. Hopefully, she was not as difficult as the people of Castle Town made her out to be.

As it turned out, neither the knight nor the princess had any idea what was in store for them.