Summary: Link growing up in Castle Hyrule, loses his memory of ever traveling through time and why he was even named the Hero of Time. Instead his time growing up is spent with discovering new family, falling in love with a princess, and becoming a Hyrule Captain. When everything seems at peace a new enemy emerges and Link will one day be forced to face those horrific memories that were stolen from him.
Categories: Fan Fiction Characters: Link (OoT & MM)
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 12 Completed: No
Word count: 34855 Read: 48919
Published: Jul 30, 2005 Updated: Oct 26, 2008
Knighting by Tory Jessica
Author's Notes:
Chapter Five! WOO I'm glad to be back. This is just the knighting Ceremony for Link and Aleron. Hope you enjoy. More to come soon.
Link assembled his next day's wear, placing his cane next to it. All though he had been expecting this for a while now, he was still nervous. What was he to say? What was he to do? He had never even seen a knighting ceremony. Was there some special procedure, or was he just going to be told what to do? Either way, it had finally come. This was going to be last day as just Link, soon to be Sir Link of Hyrule.
Chills crawled down his spine and he shook his head. Nervousness was getting the better of him.
"It won't be that bad Link, come on," he said to himself. Sighing, he grabbed his clothes and placed them neatly in a cushy chair. Yawning and stretching he returned to his bed and climbed in and stared up at the ceiling for a while. It was pitch dark, but that was just the blank openness that allowed Link's mind to wonder. He thought about various things, from the ceremony, to his father, to food, and Zelda.
Finally, sleep did come to Link, but as fast as the darkness came, so did the light. Link woke up with a jolt as he felt a large amount of bouncing all over the place. Zelda, garbing a light blue gown, was joyfully jumping on Link's bed.
"Get up! Get up! Link! Wake up," she said almost laughing," It's the day to be knighted!" She stopped suddenly and in a deep, joking voice said," Your time has come, hero... This is your destiny!" Link couldn't help but laugh.
"You're such a dork Zel," he said smiling. She shrugged and hopped off the bed and raced over to the chair containing his day's outfit.
"Oh! So THIS is what you are going to wear!" she said staring at the formal white outfit," You know that they will give a shield and some armor too right?"
Link looked at her in disbelief.
"What? I have to wear it all the time?" he asked in panic. The idea of wearing heavy plated armor all the time just because he was a knight, especially during hot summer days, did not please him for a second.
"Just for the ceremony, and whenever you are called for a mission or something. I don't assume daddy would request anything of you until you are older, but you never know," she said. She turned around and stared at him with a concerned face.
"What's the matter Zel, I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining or anything I'm sorry," he said quickly afraid he offended her.
She shook her head.
"No it's nothing like that Link. I'm just worried. What if something bad happens and you do have to fight?" Zelda said raising her hand to rest on her shoulder. Link walked up to her.
"Don't worry Zel, no matter what happens, I'll be here to make sure nothing happens to you," he said.
Zelda shook her head.
"No Link, I'm not worried about me.. I'm worried about you!" she said looking at him with despair.
Link lifted his head slightly, closing his eyes slightly, but smiled.
"I'll be fine I promise," he said looking into her eyes.
Zelda nodded, knowing she couldn't argue.
"Come on let's go eat," she said. Link nodded, a good meal on his stomach would do well for him.
* * *
After breakfast, Link met up with Aleron to go over the knighting ceremony.
"You don't have to worry, all you have to do is say "I do" Whenever someones asks something of you and at the end it's common courtesy to say thank you to the king and all of Hyrule and lastly to the Goddesses, kind of a formal speech, but not too much. Short, simple, sweet, and to the point," Aleron said whilst polishing his sword.
Link nodded, absorbing every word, thankful for the advice and relieved. Link oiled his boots with fancy show shiner, the smell was odd. It was so odd in fact, Link couldn't help but try to smell it even more.
"You know, you keep doing that and a Goron is likely to be able to fit in your nostrils," Aleron said staring at his son's odd expressions.
Link laughed, slightly embarrassed.
"You think so?" Link said and then raised his, flaring his nostrils out even wider. Aleron laughed.
"You remind me so much of your mother Link," Aleron said looking away, distracting himself with his sword polishing.
Link looked slowly at him with concern in his eyes, however he didn't ask any further, growing to learn his father's stubbornness.
So they both sat there, doing their knightly chores before the ceremony. With that father son comforting silence lingering on the air.
* * *
Link sat in a stuffy tent with his father and some twenty solders.
"Ugh, WHY does it have to be so crowded and stuffy in here?" Link moaned and complained.
"Well the solders are going to go out after the naming of the knight's, and we will follow shortly after. I never understood why we have to be hidden until we're called forth, but it's tradition, and it's tradition at it's best," Aleron explained. Link shrugged.
"I'm just so unfamiliar with all these complicated formal procedures. Why can't things just be simple, I remember in the Kokiri forest..when," Link paused, feeling a tug at his heart. It had been the first time in a while that he thought about his old home. It still hurt, having to leave. No doubt he was pleased where he was, but the cool shady trees of the forest, the beautiful play of the light and shadows casted down by the golden sun, the morning mist that glowed in the morn and cooled your skin, the music of the animals that lingered through the quiet wood, was all too soon gone for him.
Link had been so distracted in his thoughts they he barely realized that the set of twenty solders had left the tent and Aleron stood ready at the exit, having a glowing sense of pride radiate off of him. Link looked up his father admiringly. His fancy red and gold clothes suited the strong built hylian, and the cape the flowed from a the white pendant on his collar bone, added a sense of elegance. Despite all the heroic things Link had done before, he stilled didn't feel like he could live up to his fathers noble image.
Aleron turned and looked own at his son and nodded.
"It's time to go," he whispered. Link nodded and followed his father out of the stuffy tent.
Link was greeted by afternoon breezes, which ruffled his hot head, relieving him of an oncoming headache. Link smiled and proudly followed his father, who lead him between the twenty solders, who stood on each side in two rows of ten holding up their swords crossing to allow them under. People sat in chairs outside the rows of solders watching in awe, or with smiling expressions. Looking ahead, Link saw Damadais and Zelda waiting for them. Zelda looked adorable, wearing a light dress gown made for the summer heat. In detail it was laced with patterns of roses on the top and on the short sleeves. Her hair had been tamable, but still waved in the breeze. Damadais still wore heavy kingly clothes of red and gold.
The slow walk down the aisle of solders ended. Aleron presented himself first, saying the formal "I do's" after a few short speeches from Damadais. Aleron bent down on one knee as Damadais raised a sword over his shoulders, saying some commemorating words in Aleron's honor, after which Zelda put a fancy gold Knight's Crown atop his head. Aleron nodded his respects to them both and stood up, turning around to the audience that watched in respectful silence. He began a short simple speech, like he had told Link to do, and then stepped aside.
Link stepped forth and greeted both the King and Princess. Damadais nodded.
"Link, you have shown great valor and courage in your actions. You are strong and wise in your decisions and you show only kindness in your eyes. You prioritize yourself to the needs of others, and do not hesitate to put your life on the line for the sake Hyrule and her people. You are strong leader, yet gentle at heart. You are the true image of Hyrule, the True image of a Knight. Do swear to continue on your righteous path to protect Hyrule and the Royal Family?" Damadais said.
Link nodded and replied, "I do."
"The goddesses have truly blessed you young warrior. Through out many hardships you have been granted the gift of courage to pull through it, and you use that power to it's fullest extent, yet only for good. Do you swear to continue following the path of goodness, set down to you by the Goddesses of Creation?" Damadais continued.
"I do."
"And finally, do you swear that your heart is in the right place, and your mind in the right set, to truly be a knight of Hyrule? Also to follow that heart, that which is right, and to think thoroughly with the mind that is set correctly? For a knight of Hyrule must be knight for his people and his King, not for his own benefit, and certainly not at the expense of others," Damadais said almost finishing.
Link stared into the King's eyes with solid affirmation.
"I do." Link said proudly.
"Then do I, with my authoritative power, do state that you now and forever more until death or voluntary leave a Knight Of Hyrule," he said.
At this point Link kneeled as the King rose a sword over his shoulders.
"You are brave, yet not arrogant, young, yet wise, and strong, yet kind. You are a true Knight, Sir Link of Hyrule," Damadais finished. Zelda walked up and place a gold Knight's Crown atop Link's head. Link stood up and as he did Zelda stepped back.
Link gulped slightly nervous. He turned around and nodded at the audience. He wasn't sure where to begin.
He heard Zelda whisper," You can do it."
Link closed his eyes, taking in the comforting words.
"I would like think the King, for this great honor, as well as Princess Zelda," Link said," And I would like to thank the people of Hyrule. So much I have learned and still much I will learn from the many unique individuals of her land. I pray thanks to the goddesses. Din,for her mighty strength, for which I will need on swift wings to protect Hyrule, Nayru, for her wisdom, which I will use to think wisely on my decisions, and to Farore for her courage, which gets me through any situation and which will keep me level headed in battle, or on mission, or just everyday life."
Link paused and the crowd slowly began to clap, but Link continued.
"I would like to thank my Father Aleron, for being brave and the traits of which he passed down to me...and to my mother, who is not with us.. who was with me for a short time.. For always being there for me in spirit," he said bowing his head. He wasn't sure where that last part had come in, but he couldn't help but putting in there.
Damadais turned for a moment and grabbed two shields.
"These shields are presented to you as gifts from me," he said," Use them to protect what you believe in."
He turned around once more, carrying a fair sized object which clanked in his arms and passed it to Aleron, while Zelda carried a smaller one and passed it to Link.
"This the armor of Hyrule, where it with pride, and it will be proud to protect you," Damadais finished.
Two solders came up and carried Link's and Aleron's things away for safe keeping.
The crowd, after waiting several moments, began to clap and cheer. Link stepped aside and smiled.
"See it wasn't so bad, and good job at the end there... Thanks for that... It really meant something to me, and I'm sure it meant something to your mother as well," Aleron said whispering, putting his had on his son's shoulder. Link nodded, signaling his silent thanks.
Damadais stood up.
"So! Let the festivities begin," he said over the crowd in a booming joyful voice," Theres food for everyone and these two new knight get first pickings. The guards and solders here themselves have prepared and planned the meal just for these two."
Link's face brightened at the mention of food. He followed his father to the large tables. Link almost teared up, overwhelmed by the large amounts of overwhelming delicious aroma of meats and vegetables and warm sweet deserts.
"This is the best day ever," he said to himself.
End Notes:
Time Skip. Upcoming chapters will be a few(not many) years ahead as Link continues to grow up. Link and Zelda, being teenagers are beginning to get themselves in trouble, of course being teenagers. Will their relationship last under the pressure of teenage drama?! Aside from the love story, something is brewing in Hyrule. The Zorans and Gorons are having conflicts and an all out war over territory and land rights will soon break out. The sneaky Gerudo want to take advantage of that and pillage what they can. The hylains are becoming weary and afraid of their hostile neighbors and economy is falling due to trade failing of imports with the land of hyrule. It's up to the King and his ambassadors to help. Can Link and Aleron with the king's influence be able to stop an all out war? Find out in the upcoming chapters!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.