Favorable side

  Favorable side

  Gladys Garcia

  As the queen of Hyrule, the last thing she wanted to do was let her citizens down once more. Already public opinion of her was low amongst many common circles, and this was

  something she knew as a fact. There were most likely many in the kingdom who did not believe the princess worthy of taking the throne, and yet it was those people

  who she wanted to prove wrong the most. She had vowed long ago that her highest mission as queen was to improve the lives of the common people, something that

  she was especially resolved to do after the past few days she had spent among them in Castle Town with Link. It wouldn't be easy, but Zelda was convicted to do

  everything in her power to ensure that her people were safe and content. After all, that was all she really wanted.

  But even despite her firm resolve, the princess was still anxious. She was about to take quite a large step in her life, and after today, nothing would ever be the same for

  her again. In just a few hours, she would move from the title of princess that she had always known, to the regality of a queen, the sole high ruler of Hyrule, the one who

  everyone looked up to and depended on. It was certainly an intimidating thought. And yet, Zelda felt some comfort in holding onto the promise that the hero had made to

  her the previous night, that he would stay be her side and give her support when she needed it most. Merely thinking of Link brought a small smile to the princess's

  trepidations face, setting her worries to ease and her thoughts to peace as she glanced out the window at the white snow still falling upon the land, covering it in a lush,

  fluffy blanket. As she prepared to head down into the grand hall for one last rehearsal, the princess couldn't help but wonder how the hero was faring with the Twilight

  Princess, especially considering the obvious tension and distain that had seemed to be between the previous night, before she left them to sort out their differences. And,

  Zelda also wondered if Link had received the final gift that she had sent intended to him, a small part of her unable to wait out of excitement for seeing him with it later

  that night.

  "So, you say you've been lost without me these past several months?" Midna asked Link teasingly as she sat and watched him practice a few sword techniques, as was

  his practice to do nearly every day. Since the coronation was not for several more hours, the two of them had relatively little to do, and so they had kept to the guest

  room the hero was staying in, casually conversing and catching up as a way of passing the time.

  "I never said I was 'lost' without you," Link retorted, rolling his eyes at her. "All I said was that I missed you. You've always had a bad habit of twisting my words around,

  you know."

  The Twilight Princess chuckled in amusement at this, leaning forward as she watched him practice. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to stand a

  chance against Verona," she said with newfound seriousness in her tone upon seeing his rather slow swing. "Looks like you're a little rusty after all these months…"

  "Well, Hyrule's been at peace for the past several months," the hero said with a frown, though he continued to focus nonetheless. "It doesn't really need a hero

  anymore."

  Midna was silent for a moment upon noticing the hint of bitterness in his tone. "Who told you that?" she asked softly, realizing that this was certainly yet another sore

  subject for him.

  "No one," Link answered truthfully, a small sigh of weariness escaping him. "I just know…"

  "Well, you should know that's not true," the Twilight Princess said with firm reassurance. "Even in times of peace, a kingdom still needs its hero. Especially in times such as

  this, when an attack might very well be on its way even as we speak."

  "Speaking of which…" the hero said as he placed his sword aside for a moment to turn to the Twilight Princess. "Why is your cousin so set on taking over the Twilight

  Realm and Hyrule anyway?"

  "Well, the Twilight Realm was simply so she could get back at me…" Midna admitted with a cross expression of ire for Verona. "Like Zant, she thought that the throne was

  rightfully hers, but when she tried to take it using our tribe's forbidden magic, she was exiled. But Hyrule… I don't know what she really wants with it… If anything, I'd have

  to guess that she just wants control. She wants to dominate everything in her path and she thinks that she has enough power to do so. She's crazy, and she needs to go

  down."

  "Then we'll take her down," Link said with confidence and courage. "Together."

  The Twilight Princess smiled softly upon hearing his resolve, knowing that even after everything that had changed, his unwavering determination that she respected so

  much about him had not. However, before either of them could say anything else, a sudden knock on the door interrupted both of their thoughts. At first, Link believed it

  to be Zelda, but Midna was quick to stop him before he could freely open the door, knowing that the princess was certainly far too busy to come calling upon them now.

  "Wait!" she hissed, her voice a cautious whisper. The hero was quick to catch onto what she was implying as she sent him a warning glare, both of them knowing that

  Midna did not want herself to be seen by any of the people of Hyrule, exactly as the case had been during their initial travels together.

  Link simply gave her an expectant look, as if wordlessly telling her to hide. The Twilight Princess let out an exasperated sigh before rising from her seat and heading over

  his way, before using her magic to vanish out of sight, slipping away into his shadow just as she always had done before.

  "I thought you could only do that as an imp," the hero whispered to her, glancing down at his shadow with an impressed grin.

  "Come on," Midna said with a slight giggle as she remained concealed in the darkness. "You really think I can't do all that and more in my true, beautiful form? Just you

  wait and see, my little wolf," she teased, calling him by the nickname that she had come up for him long ago, one that he absolutely hated, but tolerated nonetheless.

  Once the Twilight Princess was silent, Link finally proceeded to open the door, only to find that no one was there. However, as he glanced down, he noticed that something

  had been left right in front of the door, a bundle of items that were no doubt meant for him. The hero took the tied-up bundle in his arms and closed the door, allowing

  Midna to rise from his shadow and show herself once more as they both examined this package together.

  The first thing that Link noticed was the small card lying on top of the pile, the hero's name penned on the outside in the princess's curved, graceful handwriting. Before

  anything else, the hero set the other items on the desk for the Twilight Princess to sift through as he opened the card and read the short note that Zelda had left for him

  inside:

  To my noble, honorable hero, Link,

  It is with the highest regret that I wish I could have delivered this parcel to you personally, but as you likely already know, I've barely even had a single moment to even

  think this morning, much less pen this note to you. And yet, I knew that I would be completely remiss if I did not offer you one more gift, one that I encourage you to

  accept, even despite the humble nature that I have come to know you by. I know that it is not much, but it is given as a labor of gratitude for your agreeing to remain

  here with me (though if you have had second thoughts on the matter, I would understand as well), as well as the wondro
us time you have shown me over the course of

  our week together. You might have already noticed that I have included the Ordon Sword that you bequeathed to me in this package. Please understand that I do not wish

  to reject your gift; I simply would feel much more secure if you kept it with you at least for this evening's festivities, just in case we are faced with an attack, so that we

  may be better prepared to handle it. However, the other pieces of it are yours to keep. These heirlooms have been passed down by the royal family for generations, and it

  has oft been said that they belonged to Hylian heroes of the past. Much like the Ocarina of Time, I believe that it is your right as our newest hero to take them into your

  possession as well. Once more I would like to thank you for all you have done for me, Link. I look forward to seeing you later this evening.

  Princess Zelda

  "Ooo," Midna cooed as she read the note over Link's shoulder, ripping it out of his grip before he even had time to think over it. "Looks like I was right after all!"

  "Right about what?" the hero asked with a confused frown as he glanced down at the three items of the table, one of which was the Ordon Sword as the princess had

  said.

  "You and the princess have a thing for each other, don't you?" the Twilight Princess asked, giving him a knowing grin.

  "W-what?!" Link stammered, his eyes growing wide upon hearing this question. "No, we don't! We… we're just friends!"

  "'Just friends', huh?" Midna asked, not believing him for a second. "Then why'd she call you her noble hero, then? Sounds to me like she has a little crush on you…"

  "You're crazy," the hero scoffed, even though his cheeks were quickly growing red in embarrassment. "We've only been hanging out for a few days. There's nothing going

  on between us."

  "Say whatever you want, but there was no denying how the two of you looked at each other last night," the Twilight Princess said in a sing-song voice. "Even I noticed the

  hint of affection the two of you were showing towards each other. But don't worry; I actually think it's kinda cute. You and Zelda would make a nice couple."

  "We're not a couple!" Link argued, even though he knew that Midna was just trying to goad him as she always did.

  Midna simply giggled impishly, even despite the elegance and grace of her true form, showing that her playful personality certainly hadn't changed. "Alright, fine," she said

  with a shrug, even though it was clear that she still didn't believe him. "You're not a couple. Now, why don't we see what she got you?"

  Though still somewhat aggravated with her, the hero nodded in agreement and turned to the package, which was wrapped up in brown parchment. Upon tearing it off,

  they found that the package consisted of two items: a long, flowing crimson cape, made of very old fabric and yet there was very little signs of wear and tear to it, and, a

  set of sturdy golden shoulder armor to go with it.

  "Very fancy…" the Twilight Princess mused with an impressed smile as she snatched the cape away from Link, just as she had the letter, and held it up against his back. "I

  guess Zelda and I agree on the fact that you could stand to look a little more heroic, and this will definitely do the trick."

  "Give me that," the hero said with an exasperated laugh as he took the cloak back from her, draping it over his shoulders overtop the mantle to see what they looked

  like. Indeed, Midna had not been wrong; they both did make him look more heroic, going in perfect conjunction with the hero's tunic he wore, the sturdy, expensivelooking

  red fabric of it somehow suiting him perfectly. Link couldn't but grin a little at his reflection in the mirror as he looked at the cape, thinking of how Zelda had decided

  to give him such a thoughtful gift out of the kindness of her heart.

  "Still think the princess doesn't like you?" Midna asked coyly, as if she had been reading his thoughts. The hero was half-tempted to argue with her once again, but for

  once he didn't. Instead, his smile grew slightly at the thought that the Twilight Princess might actually be right. Maybe Zelda really did like him after all, and perhaps, as

  strange as it was to think, maybe she even liked him as more than just a friend.

  The grand hall of Hyrule Castle was seated to the brim with people; hundreds of guest, royal and otherwise, had been invited to the coronation of Hyrule's new queen and

  the long sanctuary was packed to its full capacity as a result. Many nobles and officials from other nations had come to represent their lands to the kingdom's young ruler,

  as well as to establish goodwill with her, as was customary when a new leader was appointed. Officials from the various regions and races of Hyrule were also in

  attendance, as were many members of Hyrulian high society and aristocracy. However, the upper class and well-off were not the only ones present; Link and Midna, who,

  not wanting to miss out on seeing Zelda be crowned, had opted to stay out of the shadows, but instead conceal herself carefully with a long cloak, sat towards the back

  of the hall, which was as close as they could get considering the hero's status as a commoner rather than a royal. But neither of them were too upset about this; after all,

  they could still see the front of the sanctuary, where the bishop stood ready for the princess's entry, and since they were on the inside of the aisle, they would get a clear

  view of Zelda as she marched in.

  The rumble of conversation in the room soon died down as the trumpeters began to play their instruments, a solid fanfare echoing throughout the walls of the room. Their

  song died down as the voices of the choir took over, singing a gentle, elegant tune, the song of the royal family, as the large wooden doors at the back of the sanctuary

  slowly creaked open, and the princess herself entered the room.

  The entirety of the crowd was stunned into silence as Zelda slowly walked in, her steps careful and graceful. All eyes were on her as she kept a firm, yet benevolent

  expression as she walked, already carrying the air of a queen in all of her royal elegance. Link admittedly found it difficult to breathe as he stared at her with wide,

  captivated eyes, totally engrossed by her immaculate beauty. He knew well that she was lovely already, but now, she looked as though she was one of the very

  goddesses she had told him of a few nights prior. Her gown looked as though it was spun of pure gold as it shimmered in the dying light of the day that was streaming in

  through the large windows of the hall. It cut off at her shoulders, though its sleeves were ruffled and silky. The beautiful dress flowed all the way down to her feet as it

  brushed across the floor as she walked, the banner hanging from the violet sash around her waist bearing Hyrule's emblem proudly. She wore a pure gold necklace

  bearing the crest of the royal family to match her Triforce-shaped earrings, and her long white gloves were accentuated with curved, golden designs, just as the rest of her

  outfit was. From her back flowed a long white cape, going a ways past her feet as it gently dragged across the carpeted ground. Her auburn hair hung free and long,

  without a single piece out of place as it seemed to shine even more than usual. Her already beautiful face was relatively free of makeup, save for the lavender eye shadow

  and slight hint of pink lipstick. And as she marched down the aisle, she appeared to be the very image of perfection and regality itself, which was why it shocked the hero

  so much when her light azure eyes met his for just a moment, a small, pleased smile gracing her lips as she gave him the slightest nod of greeting before moving past

  him.

  "She looks incredible…" Link whispered to Midna in awe after the shock had worn off, though his eyes did not leave Zelda for a single moment. The Twilight Princess

  grinned slyly to herself, knowing that he was just confi
rming what she had teased him of earlier, but she decided not to say anything at the moment, knowing that if

  something was bound to happen between the princess and the hero, it would happen soon enough.

  As she made her way down the aisle, Zelda felt admittedly calm and confident, two things which certainly radiated from her as she came to stop before the bishop, the

  choir's song quieting, but continuing softly in the background as the ceremony began. Since the princess would be the one to give a speech to her people later at the ball,

  the official started with the most important part, the bestowal of the royal crown itself.

  Zelda watched as the bishop took the beautiful, glistening tiara from its pillow, holding it high so that the entire company could see its radiance and symbolism. The crown

  was a relatively simple piece, composed entirely of the purest of gold and rumored to be handed down to the royal family by the goddesses of old themselves. Its central

  feature was the emblem of the Triforce cut into its crest, each piece of the holy relic displayed in a different sort of gemstone: a ruby for Power, a sapphire for Wisdom,

  and an emerald for Courage.

  Knowing her part perfectly, Zelda lowered her head as the bishop placed the tiara upon her head, allowing her to clasp it into place herself. Raising once more, the official

  held out the royal orb and scepter, both composed of the same gold and gemstones as the tiara, out for the princess to take. Zelda's mind was completely clear and

  unafraid as she reached out and took the items into her hands, taking in a deep breath before turning to face the masses behind her, all of whom stood in respect and

  veneration to her.

  "Olim in ordine regum Hyrule," the bishop said in a loud voice, speaking in ancient Hylian as was the custom for a coronation. "In honoreom dei nostri superbe patriam

  pulchram, et numina prisca nomina et aurea: Din, Nayru et Farore…" The bishop paused for a moment before speaking in current Hylian once more so that everyone could

  understand his most important statement. "On this day we crown thee: Zelda Sayre Nohansen Hyrule the Fiftieth, Queen of Hyrule."

  Zelda's eyes widened ever so slightly as she heard this, realizing that in one mere moment alone, she had just gone from princess to queen. Her heart was racing with