Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Link woke up in comfortable bed, far more than the one in the barracks and far more better than the ones in the training camp. Opening his eyes a throbbing was felt on his thigh but it wasn't at all bad, he glanced to see that it was all bandaged up with a hint of red but it didn't feel like he was bleeding at all. He wiggled his bandaged leg, while there was a slight ache, it didn't feel that bad.

"I see you're doing just fine" a woman's voice said. Link turned to see Captain Ashei "if you're looking for your father, he left ten minutes ago, he was here the longest, he could barely leave your side." Ashei smiled at him. "We haven't been properly introduced, I'm Captain Ashei your commanding officer and Princess Zelda's last Royal Guard retinue, I also really have to go for now, unfortunately you'll still have to stay here, the doctor said you won't be cleared until tomorrow, and for me, as your captain I have to assign your chambers, and since you and I are the only ones in her highness' security detail, you'll make do as my lieutenant." Ashei took the cap on Link's side table and replaced it with another cap, one with a full red loftwing.

"I don't understand, what do you mean you and I are the only ones in her detail?" Link asked "she's the Princess isn't she? Shouldn't she need more protection than just two Royal Guards." Link started to regret asking her, Ashei's face filled with grief "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

Ashei shook her head "no...no...it's fine, and yes the princess did had a full dozen with her but...there was an accident." She almost shed a tear...almost, she pulled out a small book from her person and set it right beside him "I have to go now, study everything in that handbook."

She said nothing more as she walked away. Link felt bad, it was just the first day and now he had just made his commanding officer uncomfortable. He looked around the hospital wing and saw that there  was only himself and a small handful of patients all of them were sick and not injured like he was. His mind flashbacked to the fight earlier that day and how he got that scar on his thigh. After a series of dodge on his part and attempts to squish him by the Hinox, Link attempted a somersault that failed when he landed on an uneven part of the arena the Hinox created. He tripped and fell on a sharp fragment of a rock from the Hinox' rampage. At the spur of the moment he didn't have enough time to pay attention to it and so when the Hinox sensed Link's vulnerability, Link rolled to the side and stabbed its hand. He gripped the sword when the Hinox retracted its hand as it felt the pain, the sudden rearing of its arm launched Link's entire body to the air and Link stayed focus. Landing on his feet were out of the question, luckily enough, the Hinox' eye was fixated on him and so Link had a clear landing spot. Sword first right in the eye. The Hinox screamed in pain and was crashing on the walls before it finally slumped down and its body crashed to the floor, Link had lost his grip and landed...or rather crashed next to the Hinox. He received a scrape on his head that bled and the minor scar on his thigh he received raptured.

Now he was here bandaged up and recovering, he may have been knighted in the sanctum but the arena was where he had to be inducted and proved to stay. There were a great many times during the fight that he thought he should just forfeit it all, "you've done well". There it was again, the same ethereal voice that stayed him from throwing the match. Then it hit him he was now charged with the heir of Hyrule's safety so many things could go wrong in this position, he might as well go over with the handbook Ashei gave him.

Link took it, and read the title on the cover.

Royal Guard Protocols and Regulations

Reading word for word, there were sections for both Castle Security and Appointed Guards, a section for the King, Queen and the Princess

He paid very close attention to the Princess' section but as he got to that chapter he something scribbled, outlined and heavily emphasized, presumably by Ashei, DON'T LET HER GET TO YOU!!!. What did that even mean? Was the Princess mean? Does harass her guards? What could Ashei be implying here? In the end he disregarded it, this was probably some for of mental hazing for a newbie. Flipping the page he read all sorts of rules he needed to adhere.

-Inside the castle, a contingent of no more than three guards are to stand five feet behind the Princess as to not cramp the hallways.

-If only one guard is present said guard is to be no more than three feet. 

-Outside the castle, the princess is to be accompanied at all times by her security detail.

-Dining alongside the Princess is only acceptable outside the castle, when not in range of any military installments or any settlements or shelters.

-Hair length reaching the shoulders are to be tied into a pony tail, if not, cut until it reaches the desired length.

-Call time starts every five thirty in the morning at the captain's quarters.

-Bathing twice a day is mandatory, taken at day and night, unless outside the castle.

-Unless there are female guards present male guards are NOT! Permitted within the princess' chambers without cause for emergency.

-When Outside the castle comfortable beddings are reserved for the Princess' priority.

There were many other rules that he read then and there, most of it pertains to his conduct and his behavior while in her presence. It seems that all this handbook is meant to make sure he doesn't cross any lines with his ward. He flipped the page once more and once again he came across a set scribbles, and judging by the handwriting earlier this seems to be also written by Ashei.

FOR LINK!!!

-secure your clothes.

-when asked for her toiletries be sure there is a barrier between you and her.

-when offered a drink of any alcoholic variety refuse after only one glass.

-pack an extra sleeping bag, two or three just in case.

-tighten belt buckle as tight as possible.

-when asked to join her for tea, politely decline especially!! when she is in company of other noble ladies.

-DO NOT let her borrow your cap.

-DO NOT let her touch you.

-DO NOT be in anyway shirtless in her presence.

-DO NOT eat any frogs she gives you.

-DO NOT lay next to her when camping (Sleep outside or have a barrier between you and her, best option is to sleep in separate tents.)

The more he read the more these rules keep getting more and more ridiculous, then his cheeks blushed when he read a section about any female undergarments being left in his chambers. He snapped the handbook shut and placed it on the side table, slumping his head back to the soft pillows, he decided to let his leg heal. His physical injuries were bad enough, he didn't want to overload his head as to why Ashei would find it necessary to add inquiries about the Princess' underwear. It just seems ludicrous that she would find the need to add something like that for him to read.

"Had a good fight?" A voice on his right said, Link looked towards the it to find a blue haired girl with a happy little smile plastered on her face. She was a beautiful young woman probably around the same age he was perhaps a little older "I'm Lana a maid, I also work in the medical wing as a doctor." Link sunk into his pillow deeper when her face got closer to his. His face must've looked like a tomato when he felt blood rushed towards his head the girl giggled at him. "You had a nasty scar but I fixed it in no time."

"Beautiful" he thought, sadly not in his head as he didn't realize that he had spoken it out loud "I'm sorry I didn't-"

She was laughing "don't be, it's flattering. I have to tend to the other patients, get well soon." when she got far enough she muttered under her breath "he's finally here, finally." Once Lana turned the corner, she met her sister there, with her elbow propped against the wall and her knuckles against her cheek "Cia" she said.

"Lana, you really are a such a minx, I'd say even more so than me." Cia said.

"Sweet sister, don't compare yourself to me, I wanted to heal, you would have slaked your lust by the time you got your hands on him." Lana said.

Cia giggled and cover her mouth with the back of her hand "you know me all too well" Cia peeked around the corner and observed him "so it's him isn't it" she said looking over the blond teenager. "It tells you a lot about the goddess Hylia, she seems to favor pretty young men" Cia said, that earned a cynical scowl from Lana. "Has he bore the mark?"

"Not yet, although I feel it will be real soon." Lana said, walking pass her sister "and have you learned more about the hidden archives?"

Cia followed her "to no end I'm afraid, I swear this castle is a maze I open a door it leads to three more doors, I go back where I came from and now two doors, I pick one, it leads to the main hall. I go back in and suddenly I am in the first gate house. The king of the age of twilight spared no effort in hiding the archives away. With that said, King Rhoam has given us new orders, the archives can wait for now, the priority is to watch over Link and Zelda" Cia said.

"We won't be the only ones" Lana said.

"That is Impa's problem" Cia replied. They began walking away from the infirmary all seemed normal until Cia voiced her thoughts "can I see him?"

"No" Lana said and Cia pouted "he needs to heal, your 'talk' will result to reopening the wound."

"A shame that you got to undress him before I did" Cia said. Lana choked and blushed, "the inner thigh was it? no doubt you had to take off EVERYTHING he was wearing."

"IT WAS NECESSARY!" she shouted in a hushed tone, her face becoming beet red "if I hadn't treated him right away he would have lose too much blood, anyway you're not meeting him just yet so stop it."

"Fine I'll drop it if you answer my last question."

"What?"

"How big is he?" all of a sudden Lana lost her voice, as i her face couldn't get any more red she turned around and refused to look her sister in the eye. Cia walked around, facing her, before Lana could turn Cia grabbed both her shoulders and said "fine, fine, don't say anything just shake or nod." Lana looked up a bit, still bashful as ever, Cia let go of her shoulders and held out both of her hands forward in a parallel line "is it like this?" Lana shook her head. Cia put a bigger gap between her hands "how about now?" again Lana shook her head. Just before Cia extended the gap longer Lana held her wrist and widen the gap on her hands. Cia's eyes burst at her sister's estimation, it came to half the length of her forearm. "A-Are you s-serious?"

"YOUR THE ONE WHO ASKED!!" Lana said running up the stairs so fast Cia couldn't catch her.

Cia chuckled one last time as she looked back at the entrance of infirmary and sighed "soon, our king, we await you on the throne."