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You are free, she has to repeat to herself. Every morning she wakes swarmed in darkness, the moon shining pale outside, and she can still hear the unnatural thrums of the Malice as if it surrounded her still. You are free, she repeats in continuous whispers like a prayer. She is free, but it doesn’t feel like it in the stifling silence that echoes the noise of her thoughts.
--
When she was still trapped, only one thought mattered- keep the Calamity at bay, keep it trapped until Link is strong enough to defeat it. There was not a single instant to spare for what would happen to her, what had happened to her during these long 100 years. But when her feet landed on the fresh field grass, face to face with the Knight once again, the glimmer in his eyes made her feel how much time had truly passed.
He had never looked- no. He had never been so happy. The heavy burdens that marked his features a century ago had melted away. She had seen the evidence of his lost memory as she watched over his journey to reclaim his strength. The fear that gripped her heart as her first thought “does he remember me?” faded away when he beamed at her and let her hold him as tight as she could.
It was all over - the Calamity, the destruction, the senseless deaths. But as the day turned to dusk and she could finally think, the sudden realization of the truth made her heart sink. The world knew of the princess of legend that fought the Calamity for over a century. But no one knew about Zelda. All but few of those she had loved were dead, her home was in tatters, her people scattered. The truth was, the kingdom of Hyrule was no more. There was no overarching monarchy, no royalty, no crown princess. There was just her. Just Zelda. And this world had forgotten her.
--
It was after watching their first sunset of freedom that Link suggested travelling around before returning to Kakariko. The fire was bright and warm, and Link had made them a hearty stew that reminded Zelda how long 100 years without food or drink really was. She had wolfed down the meal, grace be damned, and acquiesced between gulps. She wanted to see for herself what had changed, like the now active shrines scattered across the land. She expected that as soon as they went back to Impa, things would somewhat go back to what they had been a century ago. They would expect the Divine Princess Zelda to walk in, Holy guide of Hyrule, incarnation of the great Goddess Hylia. But Link was offering her the chance to stay away from that for as long as she could make excuses for. There was no way she would pass it up.
She felt the first few days were amazingly hard. From what she recalled of Link’s journey, his travelling methods could quickly become… unconventional. On multiple occasions he offered to adapt, get horses, scout ahead so they could avoid monster ambushes and the like, but she insisted on learning his way of doing things. The Sheikah slate wouldn’t warp both of them at the same time, and there was only one paraglider, so they were stuck riding or walking anyway.
Her dress weighted her down, her sandals were shredding her feet and the clunky jewelry chafed at her wrists and neck. As soon as they stopped for supplies and it appeared Link was a bit short on rupees, she slid the golden bracelet and necklace across the counter and told the shop keep they’ll fetch a nice price. When questioned about where it all came from, she shrugged dismissively and said they were old family heirlooms. Technically not a lie.
A warm tunic, travelling pants and boots later, Zelda braids her hair back to the best of her ability, and with a thumbs up from Link she assumes she did a pretty good job with it. He hands her a bow and arrows, and after a moment of thought, adds a small dagger. He explains that all weapons and gear of that sort gets replaced often, but it’s a start. She stares in turn at him and the knife in her hands. This never happened before and never would have. She knows how to shoot decently, but only on still targets, and can only imagine how one would use a knife. She grips it hard in her hand, the blade aligned with her forearm as it points down, but Link reaches out and gently corrects her. Always keep the pointy bit away from your body, keep your wrist supple and free. The tension ebbs away from her fingers, yet the dagger remains strongly held in her hand. She realizes how long the way to go is, but it’s a start.
--
“I still can’t hear her”; she confesses to him one night. They’ve been walking for about two weeks now. She lit the fire they are huddled close to. It took a few tries, but getting the spark going warmed her almost more than the flames now did. She remembered it when she caught herself thanking the Goddess for Link and his patience. He taught her how to climb safely, so that they were free to move around as they please. Every time they found a new form of tool or weapon, he’d show her how they could use it, and let her hold and train with it until she could safely and confidently employ them.
But most importantly, he was letting her push physical limits as far as she saw fit. Fighting was something she had never been prepared for. Link had grown strong and enduring during his preparations for the final fight, but he had already been trained before everything. Zelda had been confined like the dainty princess she was, only allowed to gain the essential knowledge until eventually all had been surrendered to the hope of awakening her divine power. But what she still lacked in stamina, she made up in dedication.
She couldn’t deny how different Link was now. Not only was he not stopping her, he was encouraging her to try out new things and train until she fell over in exhaustion. It was almost infuriating, how her own muscles would violently complain, while after full days of travel he still seemed spry as a deer. But why did he let her do all this? Was it because it was necessary? Unlikely. He had been more than capable of protecting her in the past without her assistance. Did he simply feel that they were both freer now that the Calamity was gone and Hyrule no more? Did he not want her to feel like a burden otherwise?
She decided that none of these questions mattered, so she kept them to herself. The thought of the Goddess brought back in waves all the memories associated with the holy figure. The unmoving and silent stone statues, the cold of her feet, the cramping in her hands. The sorrow, the fear, the despair. The brilliant light, the burning sensation in her hand and arm that made her want to scream one moment and was gone the next. The thrum of power under her skin that felt like little but ended up being everything.
When she was younger, she had imagined how that moment which would undoubtedly change her life would be like. Warm light would wash over her, and she would gaze upon a figure far too bright to fully discern, but unmistakable. The voice would be soft yet strong, delivering upon her blessings and wishes for the future. She would diligently receive the divine power from the hands of the Goddess and gladly thank her for her benevolence, putting it to use on banishing evil for good.
If she saw the Goddess now, Zelda was rather sure she’d spit at her.
…Maybe it was a good thing that the voice in her head remained her own.
--
Link had insisted for them to visit Zora’s domain first. Despite his enthusiasm when describing his many friends, namely the now grown Prince Sidon, Zelda remained apprehensive throughout the journey. Zoras had noticeably long lifespans. Most that now lived in the Domain already did a century prior. King Dorephan still ruled, and with this knowledge she feared that what she was essentially fleeing from by avoiding Kakariko was waiting for her with jaws wide open there.
She did her best to remain inconspicuous, but had either underestimated Link’s observation skills, or he had refrained from mentioning any of it before. A few hours before they reached their destination, he made them stop to rest, and the breath she let out betrayed her. She had grown stronger and more resistant over time and was glad that days of continuous walking barely tired her out like they had in the beginning.
Link remarked how tense and fidgety she had been since they set their course towards the Domain. For a split second she considered lying, but his eyes were of a blue clearer than the skies. She understood he’d see the lie and ask her about it until he got the truth. So, she did her best to explain herself, and as soon as the words were out she felt stupid. So much more stupid than she remembered. Those fears of hers were so stupid, now that she was hearing it out loud she couldn’t believe it, she was still supposed to be Princess Zelda, supposed to keep up with being Princess, her feelings on the subject be damned-
Your feelings matter.
That cut her short on the rant she hadn’t even realized she began.
It felt so simple. She searched her mind to find that the thought had barely occurred to her this whole time.
She waited in stunned silence as Link assured her that things wouldn’t be like that unless she wanted them to be, and that he could have a word with the King to explain. In terms of facts there wasn’t really much to explain, but since it was the first time he’d be going back after defeating the Calamity, he expected there would be quite the party. With a wicked grin, he added that no one parties quite like the Zora.
Afterwards she feels much lighter than she had in a while, and they simply continue onwards together.
--
As soon as a guard caught sight of them as they approached the Domain, Zelda realized how tragically she had underestimated how loud the Zoras could shout. Despite the distance, they recognized Link immediately, and in record time the entire Domain was an upheaval of cheers.
Prince Sidon, the dear little brother of Mipha, was now grown, and rather tall in comparison to the two Hylians’ short stature. But he exuded such enthusiasm and showered them both with so many compliments she found herself thankful she could simply duck her head to hide the red tinge that crept all the way to the tip of her ears.
After a week of wild partying (Link was right about it) and another few days to just sober up and recover, Zelda finds herself on a balcony overlooking the reservoir. Divine Beast Vah Ruta rested there, its head close to the surface, many of its structures glowing a soft blue. She had been more or less aware that after their first defeat against Ganon, the spirits of the Champions had been trapped within the corrupted beasts. But now that the Calamity was slain, she could not help but wonder.
What had happened to her friends? Their task complete, did they simply pass on to now be at peace?
On one hand, she told herself she wished that was the case. She had never wanted them to die, least of all suffer an entire century because of her failure. But this smaller, scared part of herself that had been growing steadily louder simply wished she could have said goodbye.
--
The next morning, she resolved to ask the King for access to the Divine Beast. She felt quite out of place, however, as it would be the first time she spoke to him directly since they arrived a few days earlier. Despite Link and herself having spent most of their time with Sidon, the King hadn’t sought them out beyond loudly announcing the beginning of the celebration in their honour.
The fears she had expressed to Link before they’d arrived clutched with renewed grip on her heart as she ascended the steps to the throne room.