Frankly, Zelda was ready to get this ceremony over with. She had spent too much time holed up in her study, memorizing the blessing she was to give to the swordsman. She wouldn't have had to if some of the Champions hadn't insisted on it. The princess was a bit resentful for that.

Begrudgingly, she headed to the sacred grounds to complete the ceremony as quickly as possible.

~

"Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness.." She knew very well that there was no enthusiasm in her voice at all. She also knew that she wasn't enthusiastic about this event. The Champions might have been bored, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment.

"...and have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia.."

She studied the young man kneeling before her. It was painful to see him, the chosen hero, fulfilling his destiny as he should be. Why couldn't she? What was she doing wrong? Why was she such a failure? And why did it have to be him, always there to remind her?

"Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight..." Zelda had heard many tales of the old heroes of legend, the boy in green with the spirit of the hero. And now it was Link's turn, and he was on the right path...

Every time, there had been a Zelda accompanying him. And every Goddess-blood princess had been brave, wise, and powerful. She had heard the legend of the creation of Hyrule, how the goddess Hylia herself made a sacrifice and became human, how she then slept for thousands of years, just to protect the earth from evil. Then, another princess had disguised herself to aid the hero on his journey, being brave and putting herself at risk. Finally, another princess sacrificed her kingdom, so all of the people could live. When that was not enough, she sacrificed herself so that the hero and his companion could rise.

So, why couldn't she be more like that? Where was her bravery and kindness and selflessness? Why couldn't she harness this power, despite how hard she tried?

"..and we pray that the two of you will grow stronger together as one." She took a deep breath, looking at the hero who knelt before her. He simply kept his eyes focused on the ground. Link was being extremely respectful, so what right did she have to think so poorly of him? She simply couldn't help it..

As she continued to speak, she could hear the rest of the Champions chatting quietly. She kept on with the ceremony, because it would be finished more quickly that way. And frankly, she was not sure she wanted to know what they were saying.

Normally, the hot tempered girl would be bothered by this, but she could not find it in herself to care at this moment.

Zelda's blessing had finally been finished. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the hero again. He continued to look down. The princess frowned. It took so much not to look at the sword on his back.

Other than the blade, she saw his soft brown hair swaying in the gentle wind, his long eyelashes cast to the ground. He looked graceful and regal, but that was so difficult to focus on...

~

Link wasn't too thrilled about all of this either. Ceremonies were not exactly exciting for him. He would have rather been out in the vast world, doing anything else. He knew it was a great honor to become this high in rank, and that not everybody became the princess's own appointed knight. What really bothered him was the blatant disinterest of Princess Zelda. She did not even bother to try to hide the fact that she was bored out of her mind and was not the least bit enthusiastic to have an appointed knight to protect her.

He wasn't sure how he was going to do this.

Link was very conflicted. After all, it was a huge honor. He was extremely grateful for that. And, the princess was quite beautiful. But, she did not seem to like him at all. He predicted challenges between them in the future.

His hope was that things stayed strictly informal, and that it was all business. Nothing more.

~

Zelda had decided that she wanted to set out to inspect all four of the Divine Beasts. The machines fascinated her. She ached to simply research and observe and study, and not have to deal with an ancient power. But instead, she had to turn her focus away from what made her happy.

Despite that, she was off to make adjustments. She had finally convinced her father by agreeing to go to the Spring of Courage as well.

She decided that first, she would head to Divine Beast Vah Medoh and see how Revali was handling it. She hoped she would not have to speak with the Rito Champion very much. He was powerful and skilled, but he was also quite full of himself. Zelda often found herself becoming exasperated speaking to him. Perhaps she would have Link take care of that.

When everything was ready, she decided that she and her appointed knight would leave the next morning. Zelda had asked the king if Link could just stay at the castle, but that was certainly not an option. It had been worth a try, though.

~

The next morning, the princess rose early. Eager to inspect the first machine, she nearly jumped out of bed and dressed herself. After about an hour, she and the knight were on the backs of two horses, ready to set out.

"It should be around a day's journey. We will have to stop for the night, though." Zelda announced awkwardly. She was not sure how she was to survive an entire day traveling with this young man she hardly knew. She kept her eyes in front of her, not daring to even glance at him.

"Alright. And... just let me know if you need anything, Princess." He replied softly. Zelda realized she had never really heard him speak before. It came as a shock. His voice was gentle and kind. Not the sort of voice one would expect a fearless hero to have.

As she looked at the land around her, she felt a feeling of calm wash over her. Hyrule truly was a beautiful kingdom. The early morning sun poured sweet, warm light on her skin and everything surrounded her. The grass was unbelievably green and dotted with colorful flowers, both of which gently rustled in the soft wind. The lush trees grew to be tall and strong, lining the horizon in front of her. The fresh, clear water from a nearby stream bubbled as the birds chirped and animals scurried about. The princess loved the outdoors. It was where she belonged. In the wild.

~

The rest of the day was rather quiet. A few times, she and Link exchanged a small amount of words. But, it was so difficult. All the princess could think about was the sword on his back. And she could tell that he was not very invested in the conversation, either.

As the sun began to set, the two of them were fortunate enough to come across a small stable. Of course, the owner was shocked to see the Princess of Hyrule and the Hylian Champion before him, but Zelda insisted that no special treatment was needed. She settled with just the small luxury of a soft bed, rather than the ridiculous things the owner was offering. As they set their things down, Link looked at her.

"Are you sure this will do, Princess?" She sighed.

"Yes, this is quite alright." Her eyes stayed focused on the wooden floorboards. The two of them then ate a simple meal, almost in complete silence. There were only a few others at this particular stable, which they supposed was a good thing. All of the attention would have made the journey much more difficult.

After the two of them had finished, Zelda went to go change behind a dressing screen. Link took this opportunity to sit down and clear his head. It wasn't going as badly as he had expected, but he would rather be somewhere else. He scolded himself. What could have possibly gotten into him? This was his duty now. And it was an honor. He realized that he was going to have to snap out of whatever he was in.

His thoughts were interrupted when the princess emerged from behind the screen. There was something about her, standing in the soft purple nightgown, the glowing light from the fire shedding warmth onto her. He couldn't help but look for a moment. She looked so beautiful and pure.

Zelda went to sit on her bed, a red stain on her cheeks. He supposed he should have tried to look away. After all, it's not like everyone got to see the Princess of Hyrule in her nightdress. But this was just the way his job was going to be, as her appointed knight.

He looked over at her again. Zelda's back was to him and she was gently brushing out her long blonde hair. She truly was fit to be a princess. Although she hadn't seemed to take a liking to him, this made him hope that it could get better. He just needed to give it a chance.

The tired princess turned back and looked his way.

"I'm now going to bed. Be ready to leave tomorrow morning." She stated. But, the way she spoke made it sounded like she was trailing off. Like there was something else she was trying to say, and she just wasn't sure what it was. Link nodded.

"Sleep well, princess."

Relieved that he did not have to stand guard that night, Link began to get ready for bed himself. And soon enough, he was fast asleep on the soft mattress of the stable, his mind clear and thoughts peaceful