Chapter Text
It had been some time since Link had last seen Mipha.
Or any other of the Champions for that matter.
He had just been offered a place amongst them, as well as an invitation to take part in Hyrule’s Royal Guard; both invites were dealt by none other than King Rhoam himself.Link had been notified by a Sheikah warrior that “someone” was urgently expecting him in the castle’s docks. He would have never imagined that with “someone” the Sheikah had actually meant “His Royal Majesty”. Strangely, the King was not wearing his usual formal attire, and had chosen a peculiarly shady location and time to meet with him.
Turns out Rhoam wanted to make sure his proposal was as discreet as possible, with only he, his daughter and the other Champions being aware of it; he didn’t wish for social pressure to cloud Link’s judgement and force him into an answer, whether it were yes or no.
Besides, if people were to find out that he had rationally declined an invitation to join the Champions… Well, no other possible uproar could be more assured.
The early morning rays glistened in the sword’s surface; Link had just finished polishing it, a task he was accustomed to repeat every day. Seeing his work completed, he swiftly equipped it, strapping the sword into his back. It was just the beginning of a challenging day.
Link had given no small amount of thought to his new possible jobs. Such positions were amongst the most honorable and respected in all of Hyrule. He knew, however, that accepting either offer implied burdening his shoulders with a great responsibility, one that he just wasn’t ready to live up with.
Or that's what he told himself anyway. Link was no stranger to big responsibilities, and he knew it. A part of himself was sure that deeper, subconscious conflicts were the culprits to his hesitancy, conflicts that he had yet to consciously face.
Although… Link did have some idea as to what those conflicts could be related to.
He wasn't keen on revisiting those memories, though.
There was a mess in the chest laid open before him, his belongings scattered everywhere; he annoyingly began looking deep into the insides, hastefully deciding what was best to take for his trip. There was no time to lose.
Goddesses, how much he hated being in such a position. He prefered facing physical threats by a long shot; they involved less thinking and more acting, reacting.
"Heh..."
A wistful yet strained laugh came with this thought; maybe he was finally beginning to understand why Mipha had so playfully -and repeatedly- called him "a rash, impetuous boy" in the past. His dear Zora friend would have a blast if she knew that he was starting to realize just how inadvertently reckless he was.
Link played the scene in his head: “Well, it took you long enough” would be her answer, said with a sarcastical yet delighted tone, her eyes looking directly into his soul, his real him; her ice-melting smile shining even whilst hidden behind a single, gracious hand; her radiance naturally harmonizing with the beauty of the Domain. An absolute and supreme magnum opus, as far as he was concerned.
“GAAH!”
His idealized world instantly fell apart when he felt a sudden, numbing pain in his left hand; he himself had just stupidly crushed his fingers while closing the chest.
He quickly shook both his pain and his fantasy world away. Link knew that his was a decision that needed to be made with absolutely no mistakes nor second thoughts, and so no distractions were allowed into his mind.
No matter how heartwarming they may be.
Or painful.
He carefully inspected the bags now resting on the bed of his quarters. A cloak, several cooking utensils, a map, ropes, a knife, flint, a blank book… Yes, he felt ready to go. Time to close the bags and carry them outside.
But deciding whether or not to join The Champions and the Royal Guard was not a decision to be made in a rush. He was aware that such a monumental dilemma would take some time to be solved, more time than he was willing to admit.
Thankfully, His Royal Majesty must have noticed his surprise and hesitation towards his proposal, for he had not given Link a precise date nor a deadline as to when he had to deliver his answer. "I am aware of the magnitude of the proposition I'm offering you, but we are in dire need of a Champion of our own, and recent events have made clear that you out of all the Knight Captains I possess on my disposal have the greatest potential to fulfill the role of both a Champion and the Captain of the Royal Guard. I’m willing to give you plenty of chance to think about this." The moonlit monarch then switched to a more stern voice. “But I’d much rather prefer for you to give me your answer sooner than later.”
The troubled knight had hoped to quickly come up with an answer, one that took into account both his feelings towards the offer and -more importantly- the rest of Hyrule's wellbeing. That is what mattered most to him.
He had always been a truly selfless person. He was very used to suppressing his own opinions and feelings towards certain jobs or tasks for other people's sake -mainly for the Royal Family. After all, he was a knight. And that's what knights do… right? "Put their own matters into hold, first doing things for the greater good, inspiring a sense of justice and self-righteousness into the hearts of all the inhabitants of Hyrule."
Or that's what he liked to believe, anyway. It could sound a bit childish and way too idyllic to the average person, but it comforted Link. It made being a knight much more enjoyable. That isn't to say he disliked it, though; he was enamored by it! ...There just were times when being a knight was incredibly challenging. Mentally and physically.
Waking up was the worst part. There were some early mornings where he could barely get off of bed, the aching of his muscles begging him to come back to the sacred haven that were his pillow and sheets. He always thought it was funny how that was the hardest part of being a knight.
He would never admit it, obviously. If asked, he surely would give another dumb, idyllic answer, something along the lines of "keeping all of Hyrule's safety".
And everyone would buy that, surely.
The Sun had now fully risen, extinguishing all of the remaining pink and orange tones from the early morning. Link walked all the way from his quarters to Hyrule Castle’s stable, carrying his fully loaded bags in an unintentionally impressive display of strength. His mind was paying little to no interest to his surroundings, though; a seemingly endless surge of thoughts was numbing all of his senses.
Thinking back and reliving all of his past life in a blink of an eye, Link concluded that he actually liked being a knight. A lot. It would be very hard for him to give up that life, even if it meant he'd undoubtedly become the Hylian Champion.
Most importantly, though... Being a knight was a way of honouring the memory of his father.
After all, he was the reason he became a knight in the first place.
Link had no idea as to who or where he'd be without his primogenitor's guidance. It had been his salvation, his only light in a fog-infested life. Well, his second light.
He needed to repay him somehow. He had to show him his gratitude. Even if he was no longer around to appreciate it.
It truly was a harsh coincidence for the King's proposal to have been made so close to his father's birthday. The Champions and the Royal Family would have to excuse him, but Link wasn't going to postpone or cancel his yearly visit to his old man's grave. Not even if it got his phenomenal offer cancelled.
Not even if it endangered his current relationship with His Majesty and the Champions.
The vigorous galloping echoed through the castle’s entrance; even Link looked down to his horse in awe, making sure to pet her affectionately, caressing her silky mane. She definitely was going to get her fill of apples and endura carrots.
He soon was out of Castle Town; the green, lushy grasslands of Hyrule Field never failed to amaze him. He knew he’d have plenty of sights to behold in the coming days; he found no small amount of comfort in this information. Whilst Link continued to take in all of the beauty expanding in front of him, his trusty steed kept directing him straight South.
Taking into consideration rest time for his horse, minimal monster encounters, time for sleeping and much needed meals, Link estimated that he would be back in about fifteen days -if he was lucky. He couldn’t possibly predict nor control random events like bad weather or accidents.
He just hoped for everything to go perfectly.
Sadly, the reality is that hardly anything went that swiftly when it came to him. He had never possessed the best of luck.
Facing the wilderness with his eyes closed, he sent out a silent prayer to the skies.
Perhaps today someone would answer his plea and concede him a bit of fortune.
Goddesses, he needed it now more than ever.