For a few days, Zelda and Link stayed at the castle. He ran into the princess a few times and they exchanged a small amount of words.

Somewhere, deep down, Link had wished to see her more often. During those days at the castle, he had nothing to do and was quite bored. Seeing the girl around certainly brightened his days. He was excited to travel with her more. Anything was better than sitting around a massive, empty castle with countless confusing twists and turns.

One evening, on his way to his room, Link ran into Zelda. He bowed.

"Oh h-hello, Link..." She looked distracted.

"Good evening, princess."

"Will you be ready to leave tomorrow? I plan to head toward Eldin."

"If that's what you wish."

"Alright, then it's settled. Go get some rest; we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

And with that, Link watched her float off, as if she were some beautiful otherworldly creature.

That night, as the princess slept, she thought about the appointed knight. She had easily been able to avoid him for the past few days, but now they would have to travel together once again.

Why was he so quiet? Even with another person following her around, Zelda still felt terribly lonely. He never attempted to speak to her, only watched her with his curious eyes. She wanted to know what it was he was thinking. She wanted to know what he thought of her. He probably thought the princess was some sort of joke. After all, he was the wielder of the Master Sword, and she was some pathetic excuse for "Goddess blood" royalty. He had already seen her lose it once. And that wasn't as bad as it could get. Nobody should have to see her like this...

~

"...From here we'll make our way to Goron City. Then, we'll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible. He's figured out how to get it to move..." Zelda spoke, mostly to herself. The appointed knight simply followed, his watchful eyes focused on the princess.

She loved researching the ancient technology. It was simply fascinating to her. Years and years ago, people had created and controlled those things. And now the people were able to harness their power once again. They were so advanced, too...

That is what Zelda would be doing all of the time, if it weren't for that cursed power. It was a duty she couldn't get rid of. A chore. A burden. As long as she had to try to unlock it, she was trapped. And she just wanted to be free. The princess wanted to be happy for once. Free to do whatever she wanted, without the weight of a kingdom on her back.

If only she could fulfill her destiny as Link was fulfilling his.

She thought about the hero. She thought about the ancient legends and the sword on his back.

Her walking slowed. Suddenly, Zelda's mood changed.

"Tell me the truth... How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back?"

No words. Just his solemn gaze.

"Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet... hero?"

Zelda glanced back at him. When he caught her eyes on him, the knight just looked to the ground. She sighed.

"I-I'm sorry I said anything. Let's just keep going."

Link couldn't find his words, as usual. He just found it so much easier to be silent. Already, he had many things we would have liked to say to the princess. But he could never really find a way to say anything. He couldn't mess up that way.

Maybe he would get there one day. Maybe Link would be able to speak with Zelda and be happy and at ease. He hadn't opened up to anybody since he lost his parents. What about her could change that? He shook his head. The princess didn't even like him very much at all. It was better to do his job and leave her alone. With so much pressure on him, he had to remain strong. He would never have to deal with words that were never spoken.

That night, they stayed at Eldin Stable. The next morning, they'd meet with Daruk and then head back to Hyrule Castle.

Zelda realized that she was growing tired of this accomplice. He didn't even do anything! It bothered her to think that her father deemed this the right decision. Link was just there to do two things: invade her personal life and remind her of her failure.

It didn't matter that there was someone constantly following her; she felt lonelier than ever.

~

The next day, Link and Zelda departed from Foothill Stable. They took some gear with them, figuring they'd need it to combat the extremely high temperatures of Goron City.

After a half hour of walking and climbing, Zelda caught sight of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania.

"Look!" She said excitedly, "There's the Divine Beast! Isn't it just fascinating how it works?"

Link looked up at her and gave a halfhearted nod. He wasn't sure what to say and most of the time it seemed as if the princess wasn't even talking to him.

Zelda coughed. "Let's continue."

They hurried to Vah Rudania, where the champion Daruk was already waiting.

"Hello, Princess! Hello, Hylian Champion!" The Goron waved cheerfully, giving each of them a strong handshake.

"Good morning, Daruk! I was wondering if I could make some adjustments to this Divine Beast, so you'll have an easier time piloting it." Zelda said, a sudden smile on her face.

"Of course! Let me just show you inside and then you can get started."

As the Goron and the princess headed toward the giant mechanical lizard, Zelda turned back.

"Link... just stay here."

A few minutes later, Daruk came back out.

"Well hey there, little guy!" He greeted Link.

Out of all of the Champions, Daruk was one of Link's favorites. The Goron was a kind, cheerful man whose only hatred was for Calamity Ganon. Daruk was almost like a father figure to Link. He was very welcoming and had faith in Link, unlike Revali. The knight felt protected when with Daruk.

For a few minutes, the two of them chatted about the Divine Beast, the princess, and a few other matters.

Daruk reminded Link that it was a big honor being the appointed knight of the princess, but he didn't really feel so lucky. Zelda was very beautiful and polite, but she seemed to have something against Link. He wished to be given a chance, but that didn't seem very likely.

A few hours later, Link and Zelda were leaving Goron City. As they walked, she glanced back at the glowing embers drifting through the air. Just like where they lived, the Gorons were a warm and friendly people.

Zelda had made some significant improvements to the Divine Beast, so the one Champion that was having troubles would surely handle it with ease. She was pleased with her work.

Link, on the other hand, felt uneasy. Daruk had acted a little strange toward the end of their conversation. He seemed confused and concerned, musing about something being unusual. The Hylian Champion knew that this was not a good sign.

Zelda decided that the two of them would sleep at a stable that night, then return to the castle early the next day. When they arrived, the princess and knight carried out their usual routine.

As the girl sat and brushed her hair, she felt Link's watchful eyes on her once again. She knew that it was his job to protect her, but she could not get used to the feeling it gave her. It made her nervous. What was he thinking all of the time? Why didn't he ever try to talk to her?

She sighed, unsure of what to think. She was sure that he saw her as a joke, a disappointment and nothing more.