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erikaember · 7 months
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"Dreaming" - A 7-page Zelink comic
(...so I said it'd be a 6 pager, but... then I got distracted, and... then I had another idea...)
After being plagued by nightmares about the Calamity, Zelda has found that she sleeps better when Link is nearby. Link is more than willing to do so for her, but having him simply sit by the bed or sleep on the floor doesn't feel right to the princess, so she gathers the courage to ask if they could simply share the bed until they find a better solution. After all, the hero of Hyrule deserves to get good sleep as much as the princess.
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erikaember · 8 months
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Link and the dragon princess, a fairytale AU fanfic (with pictures!)
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(big ol' spoiler warning for Tears of the Kingdom, specifically about the Light Dragon)
Inspired by the retelling made by Overly Sarcastic Productions, this story is based on the Norweigan fairytale, "Prince Lindworm".
Plenty of things are changed to work better with the Zelda universe (and to be more fun to write), but there's still a small warning for a scene that involves steel brushes and fragile skin... but it won't be in crazy detail. Oh, and two guys die, but no crazy detail there either.
...and of course, because I'm an artist and can't help it, I made some refined sketches to make this post a bit more interesting. :D
Let's go!
Once upon a time, there was a benevolent king and queen of Hyrule. They had great friendships with the tribes living at the corners of the kingdom, their people safe and happy in their care. But sadly, the king and queen suffered from an unfortunate predicament. They were unable to have children. The queen desperately desired a child to raise with love and care, and the king needed an heir to secure the future of the kingdom. Sadly, no doctor or healer in the kingdom could help them.
To spare her court from her moments of depression, the queen would go into the Lost Woods, following the secret path that led to the Korok Forest. There, while no longer a child, she could sense the childish little spirits of the woods laugh and play. While she had spoken to the Great Deku Tree before, he had already given her his wisdom - to not let the despair weaken her, for he believed all would be right in the end.
Then one day, she was praying at the goddess statue inside the Great Deku Tree, when an old woman appeared. Sitting by a small table, drinking some tea, she asked "What weighs your heart so, my queen?"
"It's no use telling you, stranger. No one can help me," the queen sighed.
"Don't say that, you clearly haven't lost all hope yet, my dear," the woman pointed out. "Let me hear your troubles, maybe I can put things right."
The queen sat down by the table. "My husband and I so desperately want a child, but I can not conceive. That is why I come here, this place gives me a sense of peace" she explained to the old woman.
"Such a long way for a queen to travel every time her heart is heavy… this we shall resolve," the old woman drank the last of her tea before looking into the queen's eyes, "Listen to me very carefully, my dear. At sunset, you take your favorite teacup to the northwest part of your garden," she lifted her empty tea cup to cover her mouth, "whisper your heart's desire into it, a prayer for a child. Then, turn it and place it down onto the ground, with the bottom facing the twilight sky," she placed down the cup upside down on the table. "In the morning, you will return to the cup and lift it, two roses will have grown under it. If you eat the white rose, you will have a daughter. If you eat the red rose, you will have a son. But whatever you do, you must not eat both of the roses - that is my one warning, remember it."
"Thank you, wise one. I shall do that," the queen thanked. "Is there any way I can repay you for your aid?"
The old woman waved her hand dismissively, "Oh no, my queen. Just heed my warning, and I'll be at peace knowing I helped set things right."
Despite spending so much time in the Korok Forest, the queen was skeptical of the old woman's instructions. She had witnessed more unusual things as a child, and yet this felt silly. Still, she did as she was told. With her favorite tea cup, she waited for the sunset, whispered into the cup a prayer for a child, and let it rest upside down in the northwest corner of her garden.
The next morning, she was shocked to find the two roses under the cup and was faced with the difficult choice between the two. With her disbelief in the old woman's words, her memory faltered and she was unsure of what to do next. Finally, she settled on eating the white rose. To her surprise, it tasted incredible and she couldn't resist eating the red one too. But then it echoed in her head, the words of the old woman, "But whatever you do, you must not eat both of the roses - that is my one warning, remember it."
It pained her to have failed the old woman, shame preventing her from returning to the forest and asking for help. So she silently carried the guilt, accepting whatever fate she would face.
Nine months later, the queen was to give birth. In a brief moment when the midwives weren't looking, the queen felt herself give birth to something, but it was no Hylian child. To her horror, she saw a long, slender, and pale miniature dragon slither from under the covers by her abdomen. Not saying a word to the midwives, she watched as her bizarre offspring slithered up to hide under her pillow. Understanding that this was the consequence of her failure, she allowed the dragon to rest there as she gave birth to the dragon's twin, a beautiful baby girl.
When eventually left alone, holding her baby girl, the queen found the dragon and whispered to it, "It is my fault you have come to us in this form, I beg of you to forgive me. I fear my people may never accept you, but I shall keep you safe, for you are my child."
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Years went by, the baby girl grew up to become a beautiful princess, and her name was Hilda. Her hair as dark as the night, her eyes as red and lovely as a rose. She was quite intelligent and dedicated to her duties, as benevolent as her mother and father.
When Princess Hilda reached the age of 17, she was old enough to marry and chose to travel Hyrule in order to see more of her kingdom and possibly find good suitors. However, before she could leave Hyrule Field, a dragon blocked her path. The dragon had white and gold scales, a golden mane, horns and spikes shimmering green and blue - a majestic creature but somewhat smaller than the ones she knew from legend.
"Older sisters marry first," the dragon spoke.
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Confused, Hilda and her guards chose to take a different path, but at each bridge crossing Hylia River, the dragon blocked their path with the same words. The princess was forced to retreat to the castle.
With no choice but to confess the truth, the queen explained. The dragon was Hilda's older twin sister, Zelda, whom the queen had raised in secret. It seemed that Zelda had grown tired of her solitude and chose to do what her mother still did not dare, revealing herself and demanding her traditional right to find a husband before her younger sister. Although the queen warned Hilda and the king, Zelda had not been herself for years. The once spry and happy little dragon was experiencing moments where she would not respond to her name, grow angry, and then lose the memory of ever acting that way, almost as if her dragon nature was taking hold of her. The queen warned Zelda may be dangerous if things did not work out well.
While shocked at the revelation, Hilda did not hesitate to accept her sister's demands and started discussing the matter with the court. She arranged for chambers to be built, big enough to house her sister. Then, she worked on finding suitors. To avoid breaking the alliances her parents had worked so hard to build, Princess Hilda was very upfront with the tribes, revealing the true nature of her older sister. While many were concerned about the story of the dragon princess, there were a few brave souls who arrived at the castle with interest.
The first to arrive was a Zora who had seen dragons as a child, loving every memory he had of them. With him so fascinated by the dragon princess and seemingly getting along with her, the royal family approved and the two were wed.
But on the wedding night, the young Zora man learned that the princess was not happy with the arrangement and would pace around the room. He tried to make the best of it, requesting her to speak her mind. She remained silent, like a growling grumpy beast. He grew impatient and started lecturing her for not being a proper lady with manners, but alas, he quickly learned arguing with a dragon the size of a long hallway was not a good idea, her tail slamming into him with enough force to crush him.
Despite the agreement being fulfilled, the now widowed princess was again demanding a groom. While it was already unusual to see a dragon, many felt it strange to have a dragon be so demanding. Just like the queen claimed, the princess' mind was in a dark place, it seemed.
Having learned of the terrible fate of his daughter's zora husband, the king declared that they needed someone more familiar with dangerous creatures; they needed a warrior. Sending word out to all the tribes, a group of warriors stepped forth as potential suitors, among them being a Rito warrior.
The young Rito man was also fascinated by the unusual princess. But more than anything, he was proud of his skills and thoroughly enjoyed the idea of him taming the beast. Despite the queen and Hilda's words of caution, pointing out that the arrangement did not take Zelda's heart into consideration, the king approved it and the rito warrior soon wed the dragon. But just like the queen and the princess had suspected, the rito warrior only made her sister more angry and the second marriage was more brief than the first.
Tension started rising in the castle and the kingdom. With the dragon losing her mind and growing angrier, the court grew anxious as they had no idea how to prevent the princess from becoming a mindless threat to the kingdom. Hilda tried her best to comfort her mother who was stricken by guilt more than ever before, her mistake leading to the death of two, and her cursed daughter miserable and withering away.
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Then one day, the queen was being comforted by Hilda, her appointed knight accompanying her. The queen wept, her heart heavy with guilt and worry. She had returned from the Korok Forest in a desperate attempt to seek the old lady and beg for a way to save her child, but alas, she could no longer even sense the spirits.
"Oh mother," Hilda held her, "stay strong, we shall find a way to resolve this."
"How? How can anyone set this right? The old lady is hiding from me. None of the sages, wielders of magic, or scholars can even suggest a way to buy her more time. She is doomed to wither away in misery."
"I will not give up hope, mother. I know there simply must be something we can do…" Glancing up at her appointed knight, a man she had known for years and trusted with her life, she turned to her mother again. "Father has decided, and I have accepted, that my swordsman, Link, shall be the next groom."
Looking up at the swordsman, the queen felt more sorrow. He was a young boy from a long line of loyal knights, a stoic and quiet soldier with a heart that was good and true - he did not deserve such a terrible fate. "Your knight… has he accepted it?"
"Yes, mother," Hilda assured, glancing at him as he nodded, "we have discussed the matter. He knows the situation better than any other suitor. And I know him well enough to bet he'll make her happy - like he has made me happy." She smiled at the memories, of how her knight would silently carry out his duties with honor, but also kindness. Early on in their companionship, she had a difficult time handling stress and would throw fits of rage, and he'd be there, patiently helping her regain her grace. A valuable skill for an appointed knight - and for a husband.
Letting it sink in, the queen accepted their decision, "I admire your courage, young one, and I pray for your safety."
But before it was officially decided, the queen requested they speak with Zelda about it. Entering her chambers, the queen spoke softly with her daughter.
"My dear Zelda, how are you feeling about our efforts to find you a husband?"
With a low growl, the princess paced around the room, her steps like a thunderstorm, "…hopeless… how could anyone want a monster for a bride?"
"Fate has not been kind to you," the queen sighed, "but this is a challenge we face together. And I tell you, all hope is not lost. We have a new suitor for you, one you have met before. He is loyal to the family, and his heart is good and true. He is one of your sister's loyal guards, Link."
"Another warrior sent by father?" she scoffed with disgust.
The queen shook her head, "No, my dear, I'd never let another man like that even touch you. Deep beneath those scales lies a person with a heart deserving of love and protection… and I believe this man will be good company for you."
With a pause, she turned to the door, seeing his sister peek through, "…tell him to enter."
With a deep breath, Link entered and locked eyes with the princess. Stepping forth, he held himself like he usually did, proudly yet friendly. He did not even flinch as the dragon leaned forward, her bulging eyes looking at him, judging him, narrowing in suspicion.
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He was much shorter than the potential suitors she had previously seen, and she had yet to hear his voice. But something, akin to an animalistic instinct, had her intrigued at the idea of him being her new husband - or rather, her new victim. But the memory of her two dead husbands caused her to suddenly reject the terrifying mindset. It caused her vision to get a bit fuzzy, her balance faltering for a moment.
"Zelda?" the queen worriedly took a step towards her daughter, but in this moment of weakness, the dragon hissed at her mother before stumbling back and falling down to rest on the floor.
Her eyes closed as she waited out the pain, the princess could sense footsteps and felt a presence by the side of her head. Cracking an eye open, she saw the swordsman looking worriedly at her, kneeling down to check on her. With her pain and fuzzy senses, she could barely make out his words.
"Are you alright, princess?"
With no strength to respond, she simply tried turning away from him. How could he possibly want to marry someone who'd be such a bother, she thought to herself. Her ear twitched slightly at an itch that emerged behind it, but she dared not reach for it with her claws for fear of the pain. To her surprise, she felt the swordsman slowly reach up and scratch it for her. No one but her mother had dared to touch her like that before. It puzzled the princess, but the relief was enough to ignore the urge to snap at him for having the audacity to touch her without permission.
The queen and Princess Hilda both watched with a mix of shock and joy. Link continued to scratch behind the dragon's ear, her pain slowly withering away. Finally, the princess opened her eyes again, seeing the swordsman leaning his head to the side, kindly waiting for her to give him a sign of what she would do next.
Looking at him, she felt her heart warm up and her eyes pained by tears. He dared to stay so close to her. What will cause her to hate him? Is he pitying her? She doesn't need someone to pity her or treat her like a misunderstood puppy who merely needed some scratching behind her ear. She did not want to hate or even disrespect a man her kind sister trusted so. Perhaps she could give him a chance, for her sister's sake.
If she wanted to find love before losing herself, this could be as good an arrangement as any.
Getting up, she noticed Link giving her some space but kept his eyes on her, only stepping back as much as he needed to. His courage did not falter. "…fine," the princess sighed, "I accept… the proposal." Studying his eyes as she said that, she couldn't tell if he had any reaction. Nothing in his expression changed. It worried her slightly, that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. But it was done, she had accepted.
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The wedding would be held after one week, and Link wasted no time. Much like the queen, he had spent time in the Korok Forest as a child and had met the old woman before. For him, she appeared - and to her, he opened up about his fear.
"Lady of the forest, I am to wed the dragon princess. But the queen believes Zelda will wither away within the year and live on as a mindless dragon. I wish there was a way I could help, and be a good husband to the princess, even if she only has a year left - that is if I survive the wedding night."
"Fear not, young man," the old woman assured, "just listen carefully to my instructions, and all shall be right."
The day of the wedding arrives. The young Hylian knight had requested a few things be brought to the princess' chambers. A tub of lye, a tub of milk, a bucket, a bunch of steel brushes, and one soft bath brush. While it was confusing for the castle staff, they didn't question it, it already being extremely odd to be serving a dragon.
At the ceremony, Link stood by the altar, waiting for his bride. Dressed in his finest garbs, he stood out from the first two grooms, a beautiful sword strapped to his waist. To the queen, it was a suspiciously familiar blade.
As the dragon princess entered the hall, she locked eyes with her new groom and noticed the sword. She growled, seeing the weapon as a grave insult. However, she seemed to calm down a bit as she got a closer look at him, his eyes not showing any sign of hostility - quite the opposite. He seemed nervous, but not like he'd run away, and it showed why when it was time for the vows. To everyone's great shock, he did not speak a poem about dragons or some promise to tame her - he drew his sword.
Everyone gasped and the dragon lowered her head with another growl, but it got very silent as the groom turned to face the bride and got down on a knee, holding the sword upright in front of him, his eyes never leaving hers. With the hall so quiet, everyone could hear how he with a somewhat low voice made the traditional vow a knight would give to his bride.
"With this sword, I swear to protect you from the evils of the earth and sky. Come sleet or thunder, drought or blood moon, I swear to stand by your side and never falter. Shall metal break or melt, my life will be your sword and shield until the end of my days."
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It was a beautiful vow from ancient tradition, and the bride had her own version of the vow to say as she placed her hand on the hilt of his sword as he held it. But under the circumstances, the bride not aware of this ancient vow or in the mood to say one, Link got up and put away the sword. His eyes still on hers, he could see her expression soften and he smiled faintly, relieved to see her accept the vow.
Leaning to Hilda, the queen asked "His sword… is that not the blade of evil's bane?"
"It is," Hilda confirmed, having heard from Link everything that happened in the forest, including his plan to survive the night, "the old woman of the forest said it was crucial to his survival - but not to worry, mother, he will not use it to hurt her."
The ceremony reached its end, Zelda leaned her head down to receive a kiss on the bridge of her nose from her new husband. Despite the worry for the new husband, and this being the third royal wedding that month, the crowd cheered.
At the grand feast, Hilda noticed that Link was eating a bit more than usual. She always knew him to be a bit of a glutton, and there was no shame in enjoying his wedding meal, but she knew there was another reason for him to stock up on energy.
The wedding night arrived and the newlyweds made their way to the chamber. While quite nervous about what he was about to do, Link kept his stoic expression and went over to where the servants had left the items he had requested, checking so everything was there.
Watching him as she slithered around the room, the princess tried to figure out what he was planning. The lye, the milk, the brushes - what could he possibly be planning? Again seeing the sword, strapped to his hip, she let out a low growl. Why did he bring it to the chambers?
"Be rid of the sword, husband."
With a deep breath, he turned to face her, "Be rid of your own weapons, wife."
Surprised at his demand, she puffed "no one has dared to ask me that before."
"I'm asking you now. As a show of trust and good faith," he tossed the sheathed sword to the floor by the tubs of lye and milk.
Hesitant, but she obliged, her teeth retracted into her gums, claws and horns emitting a bright glow before turning to dust. But as it took plenty of energy to do so, her mind faltered and an evil nature achieved a tighter grip, her eyes narrowing with nefarious intent.
An even lower growl accompanied her next demand, "…lose the armor, husband."
Still, Link remained calm, "shed your own armor, wife."
Even with an evil mind, it was a dragon's nature to be honorable. She obliged his request, her vulnerable skin exposed as her spikes and scales fell to the floor, one by one. And while it occurred, Link removed his uniform until he was down to his undershirt and trousers.
The once grand and intimidating dragon now laid at his feet, writhing in pain at the cold touch of the floor against her bare skin, nothing left but the mane and fur to protect her head. Although she was exhausted, her pained expression barely covered the vile desire to devour him; to taste his blood. This was when he had to act, no matter how painful it would be for either of them.
Before she could arm herself with her teeth, he grabbed the bucket and filled it with lye, throwing the ash-filled water on her bare skin. Having minor open wounds where her scales once were, she hissed with pain, but it was nothing compared to what he had to do next. Soaking a steel brush with lye, he started scrubbing her. She shrieked in pain, too weak to reach him with her feet and push him away. Weak as she was, she could only curl up and scream as he scrubbed her skin red and sore with the lye and steel brush.
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The shriek was loud enough to echo across the entire castle, everyone shocked to hear the dragon in pain. The queen, ever so worried, rushed down the halls to her daughter's chamber, but Princess Hilda stopped her. The queen begged and pleaded for the soldiers stationed by the big doors to stop whatever was happening to her daughter, but Hilda urged her mother, "Failure to follow the old lady's instructions led to this. Do not let the same mistake happen again, mother, or we might lose Zelda. Trust Link and the old lady to set things right."
As horrible as it was to hear her cursed daughter's pained scream, the queen allowed herself to be escorted away, far away enough to be unable to hear even the faintest echo of Zelda's shrills of agony.
Hours passed, the screams growing weaker as Zelda's senses faded. Despite his exhaustion, Link persisted with his work until all the dragon's exposed skin was brushed till it was crimson red and washed with lye. Finally, with the last of the ash water, he soaked the princess' head, the dragon taking one final breath before it collapsed. The whole head slowly sunk as if it was made of nothing but soaked fur. Then, purple slime started to seep up from under the fur.
Remembering the next step, he leaped for the sword, just in time to parry a strike from a miniature phantom dragon. The tiny dark beast quick in the air, glowing purple and red like a creature of malice.
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With the legendary blade glowing bright and his feet faster than the phantom, he struck the dragon until it shrieked in agony, dissolving into dark smoke, which was sucked into the blade. The being that would use the princess' draconification for evil intent was now sealed away.
With the fight over, he returned to where the remains of the dragon's head were. Beneath the pile, he could make out a figure that briefly glowed a golden hue.
Pulling away the mane, he eventually found pale skin. Soon thereafter, he exposed the naked body of a girl with long hair as golden as the dragon's mane. His arms were shaking, his hands sore and covered with small cuts from the long hours of using the steel brushes. And yet, he reached under her form and pulled her out of her old skin, the adrenaline from the battle giving him the extra strength he needed. Holding her close to his chest, his undershirt soaked with sweat and lye, he carried her to the tub of milk.
With the soft bath brush soaked with milk, he scrubbed her clean from the fur that had stuck to her skin. Her pained screams still echoing in his head, he scrubbed ever so lightly in fear of causing her any more pain. As he worked, he couldn't help but admire her beauty.
The old woman had not mentioned that Zelda would become a Hylian, merely describing this part as "what's left of her", which honestly had him terrified of what he'd find. The more he thought about it, the more he understood that it was a test of faith. If he knew this would happen, he knew it would be worth it in the end. His faith in the old lady's words rewarded him with a wife who'd no longer wither away inside a beast.
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When he was done, it was time for the final step. Strapping the sword back on his hip, he then proceeded to lift Zelda out of the bath, carefully stepping over the remains of her dragon form to finally reach the bed in a tucked-away corner of the large chamber. Despite the fact that his bride had been a dragon who could barely fit in that bed, it was tradition to prepare the finest silk and softest pillows for the newly wedded royal couple. Laying her down on the king-sized bed, he wrapped her up. Then, with the sword still in the sheath, he removed it from his hip and held it close as he climbed up to lie next to her. While it was uncomfortable, he kept the sword close, as he wrapped his arms around his wife.
That was right, he realized as the final step was complete - he was holding Princess Zelda, his wife. As he felt exhaustion pulling on his eyelids, he started thinking about how he didn't really know the real her since she was hidden away most of her life, trapped in a dragon form that slowly took over her mind. While there certainly was the fear of him finding himself in an unhappy marriage, he couldn't help but be excited about knowing what kind of person she'd be now that she was finally free to be herself. Whatever happened, he'd keep his promise and be there for her, like the honorable knight he was. And right now, she was safe, sleeping peacefully in his arms. He was free to rest.
Not long after the young swordsman fell asleep, dawn began to break. And just when the sun had risen over the horizon, castle staff prepared for their morning duties. The guards who had guarded Zelda's chambers for the night hadn't dared to peek through the keyhole before their relief arrived alongside some servants. The group of employees began whispering about their worries, and the possibilities of what they would see in the chambers. The night guards, still recovering from the shrill screams of the dragon, explained how it went on for hours on end. And after the noise had died down, they thought they had gone deaf, for they couldn't even hear the creature's presence since. Had she been killed, a few wondered. If she had, as shocking as it was, it made the knight a murderer and a high-priority criminal. Despite the risk, the bravest of the group, a maid, carefully peeked through the keyhole.
The group held their breaths as they waited for the spy to say anything. Suddenly, she gasped and got up to rub her eyes before returning to the keyhole. "By Hylia! I thought he was cuddling up to a piece of her mane, but that's… that's a woman! The floor is littered with scales and fur!" the maid tried her best to keep her voice low but loud enough for the others to hear, "…if only they could do another magic trick and save us the trouble of cleaning it all up…"
After the news reached the royal family, Hilda peeked into the chambers to confirm and she shed a tear at the sight of her sister, alive and sound asleep. She went on to make sure the couple wouldn't be disturbed until they awakened, their night being famously draining.
It wasn't until that afternoon that Link awakened from his slumber. No longer needing the sword to be kept close, he carefully reached to slowly drop it down the side of the bed. But that movement was enough to awaken the petite figure of the former dragon. Casting his eyes back on the face of the one he shared the bed with, he saw how she clawed at the bed sheets, stretching and yawning. As her eyes opened, he awed at the lovely green of her iris, completely unlike the piercing, iridescent eyes she previously possessed.
Her vision blurry, it took a while for the princess to tell the figure before her was the swordsman she married the day before. His hair, which was so tidy and kept in a low ponytail during the ceremony, was now a tangled mane. His face and undergarments damp and dirty, he looked like he had survived a storm at sea.
Despite his appearance, he greeted her with a warm smile.
"You look awful…" she playfully commented, too tired for manners, but not too tired to not notice her new voice. With a gasp, she looked down at where her hands rested and studied them, confirming that they were indeed her own hands. Feeling her face, she felt the face of a Hylian. No horns or scales or fur or spikes, just skin that wasn't painfully sensitive.
Sitting up, she wanted to see more, but her sudden movement caused her a splitting headache and Link quickly reached up to help her slowly lay down again.
"I'm… I'm Hylian? …how?" she gasped as she felt the soft pillow under her head again, and turned to her husband. "…I'm not in a dream, right?"
With a light chuckle, he brushed away some hair from her face, then proceeded to explain what had happened. She did not remember much from last night, only the agonizing pain of her skin being scrubbed away and how her scream had echoed for hours on end. With her old form quite literally washed away, she was now who she was meant to be. He also told her about the phantom dragon, which explained the predator-like behavior she possessed at times, which was unlike the dragons of legend - who were creatures of grace.
Having caught glimpses of his hands, she eventually asked to see them. Seeing all the cuts and bruises, she teared up, remembering the part about how he had painstakingly scrubbed her entire form. She had been a huge beast in need of a custom-built chamber, dangerous and with blood on her hands. And yet he had the courage to wash her entire beastly form with steel brushes. For hours, he had to avoid her powerful feet and tail that - while free of scales, spikes, and claws - were still powerful enough to end his life. Not to mention having to listen to her piercing screams all that time.
"…why, Link? Why did you… do this?" she asked as she failed to hold back tears. After all, he saved her life, not actually knowing he would. He persisted with no promise of a good outcome - let alone a reward for his efforts.
With his hands still in hers, he used his fingers to gently rub her palm, he simply replied "…it was the right thing to do."
Looking at their hands, she again thought about what he had endured, "…so close to a dragon screaming in pain for hours on end… I am bewildered how… you can still hear what I am saying."
A moment of silence, then he replied "…huh, could you repeat that?" he leaned closer, a hand behind his ear.
Confused at first, she soon realized it was a joke and started laughing. Her laughter echoed in the chambers, Link joining her after quickly admiring her gleeful expression.
As they calmed down, a knock on the door was heard and a familiar voice asking for permission to enter. It was the king, and he had the queen and Hilda with him. Sitting up in the bed, Link glanced at their surroundings. While the floor was littered with scales and fur, there was a clear path to the door for them. But glancing around the bed, he caught sight of the bare chest of his wife, the blanket resting on her waist as she had sat up. Following his gaze, she caught on and pulled up the blanket, wrapping it tightly around her naked body. It being her first day as a Hylian, it seemed the instincts to cover up hadn't quite awakened yet.
Now somewhat presentable, Link granted permission to the king and watched as the royal family entered the chambers. They rejoiced at the sight of their princess alive and well, no longer being a monstrous beast. The queen was most relieved of all, the weight of her guilt being overpowered by the joy of her little girl not only being safe but also being who she was meant to be.
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Knowing her sister was not magically provided with a nightgown in her transformation, Hilda gave her one of her own, relieving her of having to hold onto her blanket. With a moment of privacy and help from her husband, Zelda was soon properly dressed and found herself at the edge of the bed, ready to try to walk with her new legs. With Link by her side, her mother ready in front of her like she was watching her baby take her first steps, Zelda placed her soft feet on the carpet below. One, two, three steps, she then hissed in pain and found herself in the arms of her mother.
To see and feel her daughter, her little girl in her arms, the queen couldn't help but hold her closer, Zelda matching her mother's grip. But with her knees so weak and her mother too tired from a lack of sleep to hold her up, they knelt down to sit on the floor as they embraced each other and sobbed with joy. Soon the king and Hilda knelt down and embraced the two, forming a group hug.
Watching from where he stood, Link felt his heart warm up even more than before and smiled at the sight. He was proud of the royal family, it already being an honor to work as a royal guard to Princess Hilda. To aid them in this predicament, his hard work resulting in such a wonderful outcome, it was certain to be his greatest achievement.
Looking up at him, the queen reached out a hand, her gratitude shimmering like crystals in her eyes. Holding her hand for just one second, he was gently pulled down to join the hug. And that was right, he remembered. While it was still unbelievable, him being a mere knight not long ago, he was now part of the royal family.
The weeks carried on, Zelda spending the first few days learning how to walk, Link never leaving her side. And when she eventually managed to walk upright with no problem, it was quite the fun surprise to see how she had her sister's height, which was a few inches taller than Link.
He then cared for her as she was bedridden with a fever for a week. While she was urged to simply rest, she convinced him to bring some books. While her mother had taught her how to read, it had been a while since she last read herself, it not being easy for a big dragon to turn the pages or see the fine text. When her eyes grew too tired, he would read to her until she fell asleep. Once she had recovered, it was like she had unlocked a new level of energy, ready to explore the castle, talk to everyone she met and ask all about their occupations and duties. So much to learn and she loved every minute of it.
It was quite the shock to the castle staff to see the dragon now be an outgoing and cheerful princess, her kindness and curiosity relieving them of the lingering anxiety she had caused. And to the knights who knew the stoic Link, it was a pleasant surprise to catch the moments he'd smile as he accompanied his wife. They agreed that, with his years of being an excellent knight and the terrifying event that was his wedding night, he more than deserved the joy he experienced with the lovely princess.
When they deemed Zelda to be ready to take on her duties as a princess, Link was also officially relieved of his duties as Hilda's appointed knight, joining his wife to be trained in royal decorum. It was often challenging for the princess, her teachers having high standards and often separated the couple to train in different rooms. While they didn't see it as a big deal at first, Zelda soon found herself missing Link and longed to be reunited after their training sessions. Even the teachers noticed how she seemed to focus better when Link was in the same room. Whether it was her feeling safer, or working harder to not embarrass her husband, they could not tell. But it was clear that Link was her support.
After a training session where she managed to impress a teacher for the first time, the couple were preparing for the night. Discussing their day, Zelda thanked him for his support and admitted she felt more confident about her chances to become a proper princess. Proud of his wife, Link couldn't help but surprise her with a light kiss on the cheek. She blushed but smiled warmly. Their marriage wasn't out of love, and Link respected that. He took things slowly, acting more like an appointed knight, keeping a comfortable distance in their bed, and letting their relationship develop naturally. They knew they were expected to fall in love, but it felt clear that they didn't need the pressure. Things were great between them, and she felt more and more comfortable with the arrangement she half-heartedly agreed to.
As their one-month anniversary approached, Zelda was thinking more and more about the ring that was made for her after her transformation. While having a proper wedding band felt nice, it didn't feel right. The ceremony they had, it felt cold and disingenuous now. With her new feelings for her husband, she began to desire a renewal, a ceremony where she can recite the bride's version of that vow he made - and say it with love.
So she waited until they were alone, walking together in the castle gardens, then eventually she gathered the courage to share her thoughts about their marriage. While nervous, she was comforted and encouraged by his warm smile and patience as she stumbled over her words. After confessing that she loved him, he reached for her hands and confessed that he felt the same, and would love to have a more genuine marriage ceremony.
After a light chuckle of joy, she wondered "But what would the castle staff say about it, my fourth wedding ceremony in two months? I must be the most bizarre princess in the history of Hyrule…"
"We could have a simple exchange of vows at the gazebo," he suggested, "…but I think they would love to prepare a proper royal wedding for such a lovely bride. …although, we should probably skip out on traditions that put our dancing skills to the test," he scratched the back of his head, remembering how badly their dancing lessons went for both of them. While they had fun, their teacher wasn't happy with their lack of rhythm and grace.
"Oh Link," she giggled before getting lost in his warm gaze, leaning down a bit as he reached up, the two meeting for a sweet first kiss.
And so, one week later - a whole month since the wedding between Link and the dragon princess - their new wedding was held, now with a more normal-looking bride and with love in the air. The kingdom still overjoyed, the once hidden away princess freed of her curse and welcomed into the castle, subsequently saving the kingdom from the possible wrath of a mindless dragon - they wouldn't have anything but a proper celebration.
Standing at the altar, Link was again dressed in his finest garbs, this time with his family's ceremonial sword by his hip. And as his bride entered, he felt her entrance to be as grand as when she was a dragon. A proper wedding dress, inspired by her previous form, it was quite a sight to behold.
When it was time for the vows, Link drew his sword and knelt down, sword in front of him as he recited his vow.
"With this sword, I swear to protect you from the evils of the earth and sky. Come sleet or thunder, drought or blood moon, I swear to stand by your side and never falter. Shall metal break or melt, my life will be your sword and shield until the end of my days."
Placing a hand on the hilt of the sword, Zelda recited the bride's version.
"With this hand, I swear to care for you on the earth and sky. Come sleet or thunder, drought or blood moon, I swear to heal you, love you, and protect you. In happiness or strife, in darkness or light, my heart will always rest with you until the end of my days."
The ceremony carried on without any fault, the swordsman and the princess were happily married out of love - and lived happily ever after.
The end.
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…kudos to you who know where those vows actually come from. :D (Ferisae's Sky Family, I changed them a lil bit)
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erikaember · 9 months
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Oh my... that was beautiful.
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Inspired by this super cute art by @erikaember! For @zelinkcommunity 's prompt 'in another life'.
Thanks at @bahbahhh for betaing last-minute. 💕
Summary: The three golden rules of a jeweler are discretion, politeness, and subtlety. No big deal for Isha, Gerudo Town's jewelry shopkeeper, but there's one customer who keeps her on her toes.
Warnings: none. Words: ~3k. Spoilers for the dragon tears quest.
Excerpt:
Her head shoots up. The display table makes a sound she doesn't appreciate. Shake, shake, the stone pillar goes on its pedestal and the cushion with the diamond circlet leans dangerously to the left. Isha has a scolding on her lips, but something about his rashness of putting the jewelry back on its spot makes her pause. He's skittish like a sand seal.
"What brings you here tonight? How can I help you?" she asks instead, politeness forced back into her voice by the experience of years of customer service.
"Oh, uhm," he stutters, fingering the tassel of the cushion before he realizes what he's doing and withdraws his hands. "I, actually, I don't know if you can help me. It's a rather unusual requ— I should just go again. Thank you for your time."
Isha puts her hands on her hips and leans forward. "If you don't tell me what it is that you want, I can't tell you if I can help you."
"Eh, right," he says and stands next to the stone pillar as if he wants to beat it in its immobility.
"So?" Isha presses. There's a job hidden behind his nervousness, she can feel it in the scar on her index that she got when her mother still maintained the shop and she was the apprentice. Maybe something for a girl. Or a boy, who can tell?
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erikaember · 9 months
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Aight, Nintendo, now give us the sequel to Age of Calamity - I want Rauru and Ganondorf as playable characters, Kohga with his vehicles, Link with ultrahand abilities, and Zelda's ultimate to include her dragon form!!! Come on, Nintendo!!
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erikaember · 9 months
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She could’ve hidden it anywhere else; the guard’s chamber, in her study, any of the dozen towers, any of the thousands of statues scattered all over the castle grounds - heck, she could’ve hidden it anywhere else in the throne room, like directly below the thrones! It got space for the same kind of puzzle...
BUT SHE PICKED THE ONE AND ONLY PLACE THAT IS MEANT FOR HER AND HER KING!
The fact that Zelda hid link's present on the throne room, a place meant for the Queen and king
Im not saying anything but...
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erikaember · 9 months
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Link and the dragon princess, a fairytale AU fanfic (with pictures!)
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(big ol' spoiler warning for Tears of the Kingdom, specifically about the Light Dragon)
Inspired by the retelling made by Overly Sarcastic Productions, this story is based on the Norweigan fairytale, "Prince Lindworm".
Plenty of things are changed to work better with the Zelda universe (and to be more fun to write), but there's still a small warning for a scene that involves steel brushes and fragile skin... but it won't be in crazy detail. Oh, and two guys die, but no crazy detail there either.
...and of course, because I'm an artist and can't help it, I made some refined sketches to make this post a bit more interesting. :D
Let's go!
Once upon a time, there was a benevolent king and queen of Hyrule. They had great friendships with the tribes living at the corners of the kingdom, their people safe and happy in their care. But sadly, the king and queen suffered from an unfortunate predicament. They were unable to have children. The queen desperately desired a child to raise with love and care, and the king needed an heir to secure the future of the kingdom. Sadly, no doctor or healer in the kingdom could help them.
To spare her court from her moments of depression, the queen would go into the Lost Woods, following the secret path that led to the Korok Forest. There, while no longer a child, she could sense the childish little spirits of the woods laugh and play. While she had spoken to the Great Deku Tree before, he had already given her his wisdom - to not let the despair weaken her, for he believed all would be right in the end.
Then one day, she was praying at the goddess statue inside the Great Deku Tree, when an old woman appeared. Sitting by a small table, drinking some tea, she asked "What weighs your heart so, my queen?"
"It's no use telling you, stranger. No one can help me," the queen sighed.
"Don't say that, you clearly haven't lost all hope yet, my dear," the woman pointed out. "Let me hear your troubles, maybe I can put things right."
The queen sat down by the table. "My husband and I so desperately want a child, but I can not conceive. That is why I come here, this place gives me a sense of peace" she explained to the old woman.
"Such a long way for a queen to travel every time her heart is heavy… this we shall resolve," the old woman drank the last of her tea before looking into the queen's eyes, "Listen to me very carefully, my dear. At sunset, you take your favorite teacup to the northwest part of your garden," she lifted her empty tea cup to cover her mouth, "whisper your heart's desire into it, a prayer for a child. Then, turn it and place it down onto the ground, with the bottom facing the twilight sky," she placed down the cup upside down on the table. "In the morning, you will return to the cup and lift it, two roses will have grown under it. If you eat the white rose, you will have a daughter. If you eat the red rose, you will have a son. But whatever you do, you must not eat both of the roses - that is my one warning, remember it."
"Thank you, wise one. I shall do that," the queen thanked. "Is there any way I can repay you for your aid?"
The old woman waved her hand dismissively, "Oh no, my queen. Just heed my warning, and I'll be at peace knowing I helped set things right."
Despite spending so much time in the Korok Forest, the queen was skeptical of the old woman's instructions. She had witnessed more unusual things as a child, and yet this felt silly. Still, she did as she was told. With her favorite tea cup, she waited for the sunset, whispered into the cup a prayer for a child, and let it rest upside down in the northwest corner of her garden.
The next morning, she was shocked to find the two roses under the cup and was faced with the difficult choice between the two. With her disbelief in the old woman's words, her memory faltered and she was unsure of what to do next. Finally, she settled on eating the white rose. To her surprise, it tasted incredible and she couldn't resist eating the red one too. But then it echoed in her head, the words of the old woman, "But whatever you do, you must not eat both of the roses - that is my one warning, remember it."
It pained her to have failed the old woman, shame preventing her from returning to the forest and asking for help. So she silently carried the guilt, accepting whatever fate she would face.
Nine months later, the queen was to give birth. In a brief moment when the midwives weren't looking, the queen felt herself give birth to something, but it was no Hylian child. To her horror, she saw a long, slender, and pale miniature dragon slither from under the covers by her abdomen. Not saying a word to the midwives, she watched as her bizarre offspring slithered up to hide under her pillow. Understanding that this was the consequence of her failure, she allowed the dragon to rest there as she gave birth to the dragon's twin, a beautiful baby girl.
When eventually left alone, holding her baby girl, the queen found the dragon and whispered to it, "It is my fault you have come to us in this form, I beg of you to forgive me. I fear my people may never accept you, but I shall keep you safe, for you are my child."
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Years went by, the baby girl grew up to become a beautiful princess, and her name was Hilda. Her hair as dark as the night, her eyes as red and lovely as a rose. She was quite intelligent and dedicated to her duties, as benevolent as her mother and father.
When Princess Hilda reached the age of 17, she was old enough to marry and chose to travel Hyrule in order to see more of her kingdom and possibly find good suitors. However, before she could leave Hyrule Field, a dragon blocked her path. The dragon had white and gold scales, a golden mane, horns and spikes shimmering green and blue - a majestic creature but somewhat smaller than the ones she knew from legend.
"Older sisters marry first," the dragon spoke.
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Confused, Hilda and her guards chose to take a different path, but at each bridge crossing Hylia River, the dragon blocked their path with the same words. The princess was forced to retreat to the castle.
With no choice but to confess the truth, the queen explained. The dragon was Hilda's older twin sister, Zelda, whom the queen had raised in secret. It seemed that Zelda had grown tired of her solitude and chose to do what her mother still did not dare, revealing herself and demanding her traditional right to find a husband before her younger sister. Although the queen warned Hilda and the king, Zelda had not been herself for years. The once spry and happy little dragon was experiencing moments where she would not respond to her name, grow angry, and then lose the memory of ever acting that way, almost as if her dragon nature was taking hold of her. The queen warned Zelda may be dangerous if things did not work out well.
While shocked at the revelation, Hilda did not hesitate to accept her sister's demands and started discussing the matter with the court. She arranged for chambers to be built, big enough to house her sister. Then, she worked on finding suitors. To avoid breaking the alliances her parents had worked so hard to build, Princess Hilda was very upfront with the tribes, revealing the true nature of her older sister. While many were concerned about the story of the dragon princess, there were a few brave souls who arrived at the castle with interest.
The first to arrive was a Zora who had seen dragons as a child, loving every memory he had of them. With him so fascinated by the dragon princess and seemingly getting along with her, the royal family approved and the two were wed.
But on the wedding night, the young Zora man learned that the princess was not happy with the arrangement and would pace around the room. He tried to make the best of it, requesting her to speak her mind. She remained silent, like a growling grumpy beast. He grew impatient and started lecturing her for not being a proper lady with manners, but alas, he quickly learned arguing with a dragon the size of a long hallway was not a good idea, her tail slamming into him with enough force to crush him.
Despite the agreement being fulfilled, the now widowed princess was again demanding a groom. While it was already unusual to see a dragon, many felt it strange to have a dragon be so demanding. Just like the queen claimed, the princess' mind was in a dark place, it seemed.
Having learned of the terrible fate of his daughter's zora husband, the king declared that they needed someone more familiar with dangerous creatures; they needed a warrior. Sending word out to all the tribes, a group of warriors stepped forth as potential suitors, among them being a Rito warrior.
The young Rito man was also fascinated by the unusual princess. But more than anything, he was proud of his skills and thoroughly enjoyed the idea of him taming the beast. Despite the queen and Hilda's words of caution, pointing out that the arrangement did not take Zelda's heart into consideration, the king approved it and the rito warrior soon wed the dragon. But just like the queen and the princess had suspected, the rito warrior only made her sister more angry and the second marriage was more brief than the first.
Tension started rising in the castle and the kingdom. With the dragon losing her mind and growing angrier, the court grew anxious as they had no idea how to prevent the princess from becoming a mindless threat to the kingdom. Hilda tried her best to comfort her mother who was stricken by guilt more than ever before, her mistake leading to the death of two, and her cursed daughter miserable and withering away.
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Then one day, the queen was being comforted by Hilda, her appointed knight accompanying her. The queen wept, her heart heavy with guilt and worry. She had returned from the Korok Forest in a desperate attempt to seek the old lady and beg for a way to save her child, but alas, she could no longer even sense the spirits.
"Oh mother," Hilda held her, "stay strong, we shall find a way to resolve this."
"How? How can anyone set this right? The old lady is hiding from me. None of the sages, wielders of magic, or scholars can even suggest a way to buy her more time. She is doomed to wither away in misery."
"I will not give up hope, mother. I know there simply must be something we can do…" Glancing up at her appointed knight, a man she had known for years and trusted with her life, she turned to her mother again. "Father has decided, and I have accepted, that my swordsman, Link, shall be the next groom."
Looking up at the swordsman, the queen felt more sorrow. He was a young boy from a long line of loyal knights, a stoic and quiet soldier with a heart that was good and true - he did not deserve such a terrible fate. "Your knight… has he accepted it?"
"Yes, mother," Hilda assured, glancing at him as he nodded, "we have discussed the matter. He knows the situation better than any other suitor. And I know him well enough to bet he'll make her happy - like he has made me happy." She smiled at the memories, of how her knight would silently carry out his duties with honor, but also kindness. Early on in their companionship, she had a difficult time handling stress and would throw fits of rage, and he'd be there, patiently helping her regain her grace. A valuable skill for an appointed knight - and for a husband.
Letting it sink in, the queen accepted their decision, "I admire your courage, young one, and I pray for your safety."
But before it was officially decided, the queen requested they speak with Zelda about it. Entering her chambers, the queen spoke softly with her daughter.
"My dear Zelda, how are you feeling about our efforts to find you a husband?"
With a low growl, the princess paced around the room, her steps like a thunderstorm, "…hopeless… how could anyone want a monster for a bride?"
"Fate has not been kind to you," the queen sighed, "but this is a challenge we face together. And I tell you, all hope is not lost. We have a new suitor for you, one you have met before. He is loyal to the family, and his heart is good and true. He is one of your sister's loyal guards, Link."
"Another warrior sent by father?" she scoffed with disgust.
The queen shook her head, "No, my dear, I'd never let another man like that even touch you. Deep beneath those scales lies a person with a heart deserving of love and protection… and I believe this man will be good company for you."
With a pause, she turned to the door, seeing his sister peek through, "…tell him to enter."
With a deep breath, Link entered and locked eyes with the princess. Stepping forth, he held himself like he usually did, proudly yet friendly. He did not even flinch as the dragon leaned forward, her bulging eyes looking at him, judging him, narrowing in suspicion.
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He was much shorter than the potential suitors she had previously seen, and she had yet to hear his voice. But something, akin to an animalistic instinct, had her intrigued at the idea of him being her new husband - or rather, her new victim. But the memory of her two dead husbands caused her to suddenly reject the terrifying mindset. It caused her vision to get a bit fuzzy, her balance faltering for a moment.
"Zelda?" the queen worriedly took a step towards her daughter, but in this moment of weakness, the dragon hissed at her mother before stumbling back and falling down to rest on the floor.
Her eyes closed as she waited out the pain, the princess could sense footsteps and felt a presence by the side of her head. Cracking an eye open, she saw the swordsman looking worriedly at her, kneeling down to check on her. With her pain and fuzzy senses, she could barely make out his words.
"Are you alright, princess?"
With no strength to respond, she simply tried turning away from him. How could he possibly want to marry someone who'd be such a bother, she thought to herself. Her ear twitched slightly at an itch that emerged behind it, but she dared not reach for it with her claws for fear of the pain. To her surprise, she felt the swordsman slowly reach up and scratch it for her. No one but her mother had dared to touch her like that before. It puzzled the princess, but the relief was enough to ignore the urge to snap at him for having the audacity to touch her without permission.
The queen and Princess Hilda both watched with a mix of shock and joy. Link continued to scratch behind the dragon's ear, her pain slowly withering away. Finally, the princess opened her eyes again, seeing the swordsman leaning his head to the side, kindly waiting for her to give him a sign of what she would do next.
Looking at him, she felt her heart warm up and her eyes pained by tears. He dared to stay so close to her. What will cause her to hate him? Is he pitying her? She doesn't need someone to pity her or treat her like a misunderstood puppy who merely needed some scratching behind her ear. She did not want to hate or even disrespect a man her kind sister trusted so. Perhaps she could give him a chance, for her sister's sake.
If she wanted to find love before losing herself, this could be as good an arrangement as any.
Getting up, she noticed Link giving her some space but kept his eyes on her, only stepping back as much as he needed to. His courage did not falter. "…fine," the princess sighed, "I accept… the proposal." Studying his eyes as she said that, she couldn't tell if he had any reaction. Nothing in his expression changed. It worried her slightly, that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. But it was done, she had accepted.
---
The wedding would be held after one week, and Link wasted no time. Much like the queen, he had spent time in the Korok Forest as a child and had met the old woman before. For him, she appeared - and to her, he opened up about his fear.
"Lady of the forest, I am to wed the dragon princess. But the queen believes Zelda will wither away within the year and live on as a mindless dragon. I wish there was a way I could help, and be a good husband to the princess, even if she only has a year left - that is if I survive the wedding night."
"Fear not, young man," the old woman assured, "just listen carefully to my instructions, and all shall be right."
The day of the wedding arrives. The young Hylian knight had requested a few things be brought to the princess' chambers. A tub of lye, a tub of milk, a bucket, a bunch of steel brushes, and one soft bath brush. While it was confusing for the castle staff, they didn't question it, it already being extremely odd to be serving a dragon.
At the ceremony, Link stood by the altar, waiting for his bride. Dressed in his finest garbs, he stood out from the first two grooms, a beautiful sword strapped to his waist. To the queen, it was a suspiciously familiar blade.
As the dragon princess entered the hall, she locked eyes with her new groom and noticed the sword. She growled, seeing the weapon as a grave insult. However, she seemed to calm down a bit as she got a closer look at him, his eyes not showing any sign of hostility - quite the opposite. He seemed nervous, but not like he'd run away, and it showed why when it was time for the vows. To everyone's great shock, he did not speak a poem about dragons or some promise to tame her - he drew his sword.
Everyone gasped and the dragon lowered her head with another growl, but it got very silent as the groom turned to face the bride and got down on a knee, holding the sword upright in front of him, his eyes never leaving hers. With the hall so quiet, everyone could hear how he with a somewhat low voice made the traditional vow a knight would give to his bride.
"With this sword, I swear to protect you from the evils of the earth and sky. Come sleet or thunder, drought or blood moon, I swear to stand by your side and never falter. Shall metal break or melt, my life will be your sword and shield until the end of my days."
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It was a beautiful vow from ancient tradition, and the bride had her own version of the vow to say as she placed her hand on the hilt of his sword as he held it. But under the circumstances, the bride not aware of this ancient vow or in the mood to say one, Link got up and put away the sword. His eyes still on hers, he could see her expression soften and he smiled faintly, relieved to see her accept the vow.
Leaning to Hilda, the queen asked "His sword… is that not the blade of evil's bane?"
"It is," Hilda confirmed, having heard from Link everything that happened in the forest, including his plan to survive the night, "the old woman of the forest said it was crucial to his survival - but not to worry, mother, he will not use it to hurt her."
The ceremony reached its end, Zelda leaned her head down to receive a kiss on the bridge of her nose from her new husband. Despite the worry for the new husband, and this being the third royal wedding that month, the crowd cheered.
At the grand feast, Hilda noticed that Link was eating a bit more than usual. She always knew him to be a bit of a glutton, and there was no shame in enjoying his wedding meal, but she knew there was another reason for him to stock up on energy.
The wedding night arrived and the newlyweds made their way to the chamber. While quite nervous about what he was about to do, Link kept his stoic expression and went over to where the servants had left the items he had requested, checking so everything was there.
Watching him as she slithered around the room, the princess tried to figure out what he was planning. The lye, the milk, the brushes - what could he possibly be planning? Again seeing the sword, strapped to his hip, she let out a low growl. Why did he bring it to the chambers?
"Be rid of the sword, husband."
With a deep breath, he turned to face her, "Be rid of your own weapons, wife."
Surprised at his demand, she puffed "no one has dared to ask me that before."
"I'm asking you now. As a show of trust and good faith," he tossed the sheathed sword to the floor by the tubs of lye and milk.
Hesitant, but she obliged, her teeth retracted into her gums, claws and horns emitting a bright glow before turning to dust. But as it took plenty of energy to do so, her mind faltered and an evil nature achieved a tighter grip, her eyes narrowing with nefarious intent.
An even lower growl accompanied her next demand, "…lose the armor, husband."
Still, Link remained calm, "shed your own armor, wife."
Even with an evil mind, it was a dragon's nature to be honorable. She obliged his request, her vulnerable skin exposed as her spikes and scales fell to the floor, one by one. And while it occurred, Link removed his uniform until he was down to his undershirt and trousers.
The once grand and intimidating dragon now laid at his feet, writhing in pain at the cold touch of the floor against her bare skin, nothing left but the mane and fur to protect her head. Although she was exhausted, her pained expression barely covered the vile desire to devour him; to taste his blood. This was when he had to act, no matter how painful it would be for either of them.
Before she could arm herself with her teeth, he grabbed the bucket and filled it with lye, throwing the ash-filled water on her bare skin. Having minor open wounds where her scales once were, she hissed with pain, but it was nothing compared to what he had to do next. Soaking a steel brush with lye, he started scrubbing her. She shrieked in pain, too weak to reach him with her feet and push him away. Weak as she was, she could only curl up and scream as he scrubbed her skin red and sore with the lye and steel brush.
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The shriek was loud enough to echo across the entire castle, everyone shocked to hear the dragon in pain. The queen, ever so worried, rushed down the halls to her daughter's chamber, but Princess Hilda stopped her. The queen begged and pleaded for the soldiers stationed by the big doors to stop whatever was happening to her daughter, but Hilda urged her mother, "Failure to follow the old lady's instructions led to this. Do not let the same mistake happen again, mother, or we might lose Zelda. Trust Link and the old lady to set things right."
As horrible as it was to hear her cursed daughter's pained scream, the queen allowed herself to be escorted away, far away enough to be unable to hear even the faintest echo of Zelda's shrills of agony.
Hours passed, the screams growing weaker as Zelda's senses faded. Despite his exhaustion, Link persisted with his work until all the dragon's exposed skin was brushed till it was crimson red and washed with lye. Finally, with the last of the ash water, he soaked the princess' head, the dragon taking one final breath before it collapsed. The whole head slowly sunk as if it was made of nothing but soaked fur. Then, purple slime started to seep up from under the fur.
Remembering the next step, he leaped for the sword, just in time to parry a strike from a miniature phantom dragon. The tiny dark beast quick in the air, glowing purple and red like a creature of malice.
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With the legendary blade glowing bright and his feet faster than the phantom, he struck the dragon until it shrieked in agony, dissolving into dark smoke, which was sucked into the blade. The being that would use the princess' draconification for evil intent was now sealed away.
With the fight over, he returned to where the remains of the dragon's head were. Beneath the pile, he could make out a figure that briefly glowed a golden hue.
Pulling away the mane, he eventually found pale skin. Soon thereafter, he exposed the naked body of a girl with long hair as golden as the dragon's mane. His arms were shaking, his hands sore and covered with small cuts from the long hours of using the steel brushes. And yet, he reached under her form and pulled her out of her old skin, the adrenaline from the battle giving him the extra strength he needed. Holding her close to his chest, his undershirt soaked with sweat and lye, he carried her to the tub of milk.
With the soft bath brush soaked with milk, he scrubbed her clean from the fur that had stuck to her skin. Her pained screams still echoing in his head, he scrubbed ever so lightly in fear of causing her any more pain. As he worked, he couldn't help but admire her beauty.
The old woman had not mentioned that Zelda would become a Hylian, merely describing this part as "what's left of her", which honestly had him terrified of what he'd find. The more he thought about it, the more he understood that it was a test of faith. If he knew this would happen, he knew it would be worth it in the end. His faith in the old lady's words rewarded him with a wife who'd no longer wither away inside a beast.
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When he was done, it was time for the final step. Strapping the sword back on his hip, he then proceeded to lift Zelda out of the bath, carefully stepping over the remains of her dragon form to finally reach the bed in a tucked-away corner of the large chamber. Despite the fact that his bride had been a dragon who could barely fit in that bed, it was tradition to prepare the finest silk and softest pillows for the newly wedded royal couple. Laying her down on the king-sized bed, he wrapped her up. Then, with the sword still in the sheath, he removed it from his hip and held it close as he climbed up to lie next to her. While it was uncomfortable, he kept the sword close, as he wrapped his arms around his wife.
That was right, he realized as the final step was complete - he was holding Princess Zelda, his wife. As he felt exhaustion pulling on his eyelids, he started thinking about how he didn't really know the real her since she was hidden away most of her life, trapped in a dragon form that slowly took over her mind. While there certainly was the fear of him finding himself in an unhappy marriage, he couldn't help but be excited about knowing what kind of person she'd be now that she was finally free to be herself. Whatever happened, he'd keep his promise and be there for her, like the honorable knight he was. And right now, she was safe, sleeping peacefully in his arms. He was free to rest.
Not long after the young swordsman fell asleep, dawn began to break. And just when the sun had risen over the horizon, castle staff prepared for their morning duties. The guards who had guarded Zelda's chambers for the night hadn't dared to peek through the keyhole before their relief arrived alongside some servants. The group of employees began whispering about their worries, and the possibilities of what they would see in the chambers. The night guards, still recovering from the shrill screams of the dragon, explained how it went on for hours on end. And after the noise had died down, they thought they had gone deaf, for they couldn't even hear the creature's presence since. Had she been killed, a few wondered. If she had, as shocking as it was, it made the knight a murderer and a high-priority criminal. Despite the risk, the bravest of the group, a maid, carefully peeked through the keyhole.
The group held their breaths as they waited for the spy to say anything. Suddenly, she gasped and got up to rub her eyes before returning to the keyhole. "By Hylia! I thought he was cuddling up to a piece of her mane, but that's… that's a woman! The floor is littered with scales and fur!" the maid tried her best to keep her voice low but loud enough for the others to hear, "…if only they could do another magic trick and save us the trouble of cleaning it all up…"
After the news reached the royal family, Hilda peeked into the chambers to confirm and she shed a tear at the sight of her sister, alive and sound asleep. She went on to make sure the couple wouldn't be disturbed until they awakened, their night being famously draining.
It wasn't until that afternoon that Link awakened from his slumber. No longer needing the sword to be kept close, he carefully reached to slowly drop it down the side of the bed. But that movement was enough to awaken the petite figure of the former dragon. Casting his eyes back on the face of the one he shared the bed with, he saw how she clawed at the bed sheets, stretching and yawning. As her eyes opened, he awed at the lovely green of her iris, completely unlike the piercing, iridescent eyes she previously possessed.
Her vision blurry, it took a while for the princess to tell the figure before her was the swordsman she married the day before. His hair, which was so tidy and kept in a low ponytail during the ceremony, was now a tangled mane. His face and undergarments damp and dirty, he looked like he had survived a storm at sea.
Despite his appearance, he greeted her with a warm smile.
"You look awful…" she playfully commented, too tired for manners, but not too tired to not notice her new voice. With a gasp, she looked down at where her hands rested and studied them, confirming that they were indeed her own hands. Feeling her face, she felt the face of a Hylian. No horns or scales or fur or spikes, just skin that wasn't painfully sensitive.
Sitting up, she wanted to see more, but her sudden movement caused her a splitting headache and Link quickly reached up to help her slowly lay down again.
"I'm… I'm Hylian? …how?" she gasped as she felt the soft pillow under her head again, and turned to her husband. "…I'm not in a dream, right?"
With a light chuckle, he brushed away some hair from her face, then proceeded to explain what had happened. She did not remember much from last night, only the agonizing pain of her skin being scrubbed away and how her scream had echoed for hours on end. With her old form quite literally washed away, she was now who she was meant to be. He also told her about the phantom dragon, which explained the predator-like behavior she possessed at times, which was unlike the dragons of legend - who were creatures of grace.
Having caught glimpses of his hands, she eventually asked to see them. Seeing all the cuts and bruises, she teared up, remembering the part about how he had painstakingly scrubbed her entire form. She had been a huge beast in need of a custom-built chamber, dangerous and with blood on her hands. And yet he had the courage to wash her entire beastly form with steel brushes. For hours, he had to avoid her powerful feet and tail that - while free of scales, spikes, and claws - were still powerful enough to end his life. Not to mention having to listen to her piercing screams all that time.
"…why, Link? Why did you… do this?" she asked as she failed to hold back tears. After all, he saved her life, not actually knowing he would. He persisted with no promise of a good outcome - let alone a reward for his efforts.
With his hands still in hers, he used his fingers to gently rub her palm, he simply replied "…it was the right thing to do."
Looking at their hands, she again thought about what he had endured, "…so close to a dragon screaming in pain for hours on end… I am bewildered how… you can still hear what I am saying."
A moment of silence, then he replied "…huh, could you repeat that?" he leaned closer, a hand behind his ear.
Confused at first, she soon realized it was a joke and started laughing. Her laughter echoed in the chambers, Link joining her after quickly admiring her gleeful expression.
As they calmed down, a knock on the door was heard and a familiar voice asking for permission to enter. It was the king, and he had the queen and Hilda with him. Sitting up in the bed, Link glanced at their surroundings. While the floor was littered with scales and fur, there was a clear path to the door for them. But glancing around the bed, he caught sight of the bare chest of his wife, the blanket resting on her waist as she had sat up. Following his gaze, she caught on and pulled up the blanket, wrapping it tightly around her naked body. It being her first day as a Hylian, it seemed the instincts to cover up hadn't quite awakened yet.
Now somewhat presentable, Link granted permission to the king and watched as the royal family entered the chambers. They rejoiced at the sight of their princess alive and well, no longer being a monstrous beast. The queen was most relieved of all, the weight of her guilt being overpowered by the joy of her little girl not only being safe but also being who she was meant to be.
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Knowing her sister was not magically provided with a nightgown in her transformation, Hilda gave her one of her own, relieving her of having to hold onto her blanket. With a moment of privacy and help from her husband, Zelda was soon properly dressed and found herself at the edge of the bed, ready to try to walk with her new legs. With Link by her side, her mother ready in front of her like she was watching her baby take her first steps, Zelda placed her soft feet on the carpet below. One, two, three steps, she then hissed in pain and found herself in the arms of her mother.
To see and feel her daughter, her little girl in her arms, the queen couldn't help but hold her closer, Zelda matching her mother's grip. But with her knees so weak and her mother too tired from a lack of sleep to hold her up, they knelt down to sit on the floor as they embraced each other and sobbed with joy. Soon the king and Hilda knelt down and embraced the two, forming a group hug.
Watching from where he stood, Link felt his heart warm up even more than before and smiled at the sight. He was proud of the royal family, it already being an honor to work as a royal guard to Princess Hilda. To aid them in this predicament, his hard work resulting in such a wonderful outcome, it was certain to be his greatest achievement.
Looking up at him, the queen reached out a hand, her gratitude shimmering like crystals in her eyes. Holding her hand for just one second, he was gently pulled down to join the hug. And that was right, he remembered. While it was still unbelievable, him being a mere knight not long ago, he was now part of the royal family.
The weeks carried on, Zelda spending the first few days learning how to walk, Link never leaving her side. And when she eventually managed to walk upright with no problem, it was quite the fun surprise to see how she had her sister's height, which was a few inches taller than Link.
He then cared for her as she was bedridden with a fever for a week. While she was urged to simply rest, she convinced him to bring some books. While her mother had taught her how to read, it had been a while since she last read herself, it not being easy for a big dragon to turn the pages or see the fine text. When her eyes grew too tired, he would read to her until she fell asleep. Once she had recovered, it was like she had unlocked a new level of energy, ready to explore the castle, talk to everyone she met and ask all about their occupations and duties. So much to learn and she loved every minute of it.
It was quite the shock to the castle staff to see the dragon now be an outgoing and cheerful princess, her kindness and curiosity relieving them of the lingering anxiety she had caused. And to the knights who knew the stoic Link, it was a pleasant surprise to catch the moments he'd smile as he accompanied his wife. They agreed that, with his years of being an excellent knight and the terrifying event that was his wedding night, he more than deserved the joy he experienced with the lovely princess.
When they deemed Zelda to be ready to take on her duties as a princess, Link was also officially relieved of his duties as Hilda's appointed knight, joining his wife to be trained in royal decorum. It was often challenging for the princess, her teachers having high standards and often separated the couple to train in different rooms. While they didn't see it as a big deal at first, Zelda soon found herself missing Link and longed to be reunited after their training sessions. Even the teachers noticed how she seemed to focus better when Link was in the same room. Whether it was her feeling safer, or working harder to not embarrass her husband, they could not tell. But it was clear that Link was her support.
After a training session where she managed to impress a teacher for the first time, the couple were preparing for the night. Discussing their day, Zelda thanked him for his support and admitted she felt more confident about her chances to become a proper princess. Proud of his wife, Link couldn't help but surprise her with a light kiss on the cheek. She blushed but smiled warmly. Their marriage wasn't out of love, and Link respected that. He took things slowly, acting more like an appointed knight, keeping a comfortable distance in their bed, and letting their relationship develop naturally. They knew they were expected to fall in love, but it felt clear that they didn't need the pressure. Things were great between them, and she felt more and more comfortable with the arrangement she half-heartedly agreed to.
As their one-month anniversary approached, Zelda was thinking more and more about the ring that was made for her after her transformation. While having a proper wedding band felt nice, it didn't feel right. The ceremony they had, it felt cold and disingenuous now. With her new feelings for her husband, she began to desire a renewal, a ceremony where she can recite the bride's version of that vow he made - and say it with love.
So she waited until they were alone, walking together in the castle gardens, then eventually she gathered the courage to share her thoughts about their marriage. While nervous, she was comforted and encouraged by his warm smile and patience as she stumbled over her words. After confessing that she loved him, he reached for her hands and confessed that he felt the same, and would love to have a more genuine marriage ceremony.
After a light chuckle of joy, she wondered "But what would the castle staff say about it, my fourth wedding ceremony in two months? I must be the most bizarre princess in the history of Hyrule…"
"We could have a simple exchange of vows at the gazebo," he suggested, "…but I think they would love to prepare a proper royal wedding for such a lovely bride. …although, we should probably skip out on traditions that put our dancing skills to the test," he scratched the back of his head, remembering how badly their dancing lessons went for both of them. While they had fun, their teacher wasn't happy with their lack of rhythm and grace.
"Oh Link," she giggled before getting lost in his warm gaze, leaning down a bit as he reached up, the two meeting for a sweet first kiss.
And so, one week later - a whole month since the wedding between Link and the dragon princess - their new wedding was held, now with a more normal-looking bride and with love in the air. The kingdom still overjoyed, the once hidden away princess freed of her curse and welcomed into the castle, subsequently saving the kingdom from the possible wrath of a mindless dragon - they wouldn't have anything but a proper celebration.
Standing at the altar, Link was again dressed in his finest garbs, this time with his family's ceremonial sword by his hip. And as his bride entered, he felt her entrance to be as grand as when she was a dragon. A proper wedding dress, inspired by her previous form, it was quite a sight to behold.
When it was time for the vows, Link drew his sword and knelt down, sword in front of him as he recited his vow.
"With this sword, I swear to protect you from the evils of the earth and sky. Come sleet or thunder, drought or blood moon, I swear to stand by your side and never falter. Shall metal break or melt, my life will be your sword and shield until the end of my days."
Placing a hand on the hilt of the sword, Zelda recited the bride's version.
"With this hand, I swear to care for you on the earth and sky. Come sleet or thunder, drought or blood moon, I swear to heal you, love you, and protect you. In happiness or strife, in darkness or light, my heart will always rest with you until the end of my days."
The ceremony carried on without any fault, the swordsman and the princess were happily married out of love - and lived happily ever after.
The end.
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…kudos to you who know where those vows actually come from. :D (Ferisae's Sky Family, I changed them a lil bit)
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erikaember · 9 months
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THIS.
Heck, folks can read the Friends wiki about all the exes in the show, get some more realistic but still interesting ideas for an ex.
Here’s some ideas:
They were in love with someone else and either told their partner and ended on good terms - or didn’t tell them and got caught cheating, ending on bad terms.
They tried but failed to get invested in the character’s work and/or hobbies, e.g. sports.
They had personal issues that took a toll on the relationship. They could’ve either called things off so they could work on themselves, or they ended on bad terms. (you can use this to have an ex work on themselves and go find the character only to find them in a new relationship.)
They could’ve gone on some trip and come back a different person after trying a ton of new things, finding confidence and taking it too far. They could take the breakup as a “you can’t handle the new me” or “whoops, I’ll need to find a balance”. (again, maybe they come back to find it’s too late)
They behaved according to the local norms but once the character went with them to their home, they discover a set of norms and traditions that were a big ol’ NOPE. Character could maybe literally sneak out of it, the ex gets a bit pissed for the lack of closure and tries to talk to them about it but keeps getting reasons they see as “weak excuses”. Doesn’t necessarily make them a jerk, just offended with how the character handled the culture clash.
They were a lot older (or age wasn’t even discussed until late in the relationship) and it made it all too weird but they can’t deny that they still loved their time together (like Monica and Richard in Friends).
They were thought to be dead, character moves on, ex returns and things get messy.
Please, folks, anything but the same old manipulative asshole that just “seemed nice when they got together”, those should be reserved for those self-aware comedic dramas and such.
You can have an ex as an antagonist without making them evil!
I'm a bit tired of Zelda's suitors/ex-boyfriends being the asshole type in fics. Wow, does this woman have had taste in men. Or maybe there are only jerks in Hyrule and every single kingdom beyond.
Seriously, we can do better. Women are allowed to say no to a guy just because they are not their type or they simply don't vibe. And men are allowed to be nice, courteous, and caring without being Link ending up as her perfect partner.
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erikaember · 9 months
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Zelda the Lindworm AU
Okay, YouTube recommended it to me and here we are:
Crazy idea for an AU: Zelda as the Lindworm and Link as the shepherd’s kid! I don’t have time to draw it but I am quite tempted to at least write a one-shot.
youtube
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erikaember · 9 months
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"Always with me"
Not my finest quick drawing but I wanted to share the idea of Link carrying a piece of the Light Dragon's spikes or horns.
He would grab one of the shards from her back, take it to Gerudo Town and get the jeweler to make a necklace for him. A way to feel her without having to drop everything to fly up to her every chance I get. 😂
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erikaember · 9 months
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The Breath of the Wild trilogy idea
(SPOILERS FOR THE END OF TEARS OF THE KINGDOM)
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So I've seen some posts about an idea for the next game in the BotW and TotK series involving Link and Zelda having to deal with a Gerudo boy, now that Ganondorf is dead.
I love that idea, so here’s my take:
   Let's have it be a few years into the future, Link and Zelda using their knowledge of Zonai technology to speed up the kingdom's restoration, utilizing the Sky Islands and the depths. And while Ganondorf is gone, the kingdom is still recovering from the remnants of his dark magic, although it’s much more manageable, the military growing in strength and reach.
Enter the news from the Gerudo that a male is born.
...it feels a bit weird to suggest this, but for the sake of drama and a more personal connection to the main characters, let’s say Riju is the mother. It’s some years into the future, Hyrule is rebuilding, the Gerudo would definitely help with military training and I think it’d be cute to have Riju find herself a voe among the soldiers. He could be a guy who wasn’t fit to be a soldier but Riju pulled him aside because she noticed his skills being more useful in strategy. Of course, he’s still training his fighting skills cuz I love the idea of them having a casual duel with a flirtatious undertone.
While having a deep love for their baby boy, the chieftess and her husband fear for the fate of their son, the only remaining history of a Gerudo male being that of Ganondorf. No one would dare to say it out loud but it still reached Riju that her people had whispered about the cruel idea to end the boy’s life before history is repeated, this new golden era being threatened by his mere existence.
Desperate to fight this alleged fate, Riju seeks Zelda’s wisdom and they begin to investigate the matter. Still having her secret stone, Zelda is able to get a sense of the boy’s future but feels nothing evil. So she encourages Riju to simply let the boy grow up and guide him like she would a normal boy who isn’t fated to be evil, and to face criticism with the fact that he will be guided by good people.
But then, when the boy reaches somewhere between 10 and 13 years, he gets some strange dreams and ends up disappearing.
The game will be about Link trying to find him, maybe FINALLY travelling WITH Zelda so she can use her time powers to see the memory of objects and find out what the boy had been up to, seeing him discover something calling to him and how he uncovers a power within himself.
Link had spent quite some time with the boy, exploring Hyrule together. It was a way to grow a love for it instead of a desire to conquer it; seeing things from the perspective of a citizen rather than from the tall position of a leader. So the boy knew his way around the land. But it also meant he had a connection with Link and they knew each other pretty well. Link and Zelda have faith in him and believes he won’t easily be tricked into evil.
And basically, they uncover the deep mysteries of the long forgotten and forbidden sorcery of the Gerudo, the witches Kotake and Koume (who somehow sealed themselves to aid Ganondorf but were too late to aid him in TotK, so they focus on this new boy)
The witches try to convince the Gerudo boy to channel his inherited power and take his mother’s secret stone; become an exceptionally powerful king (perhaps one of his strongest desires being to become someone his people can respect and that’s been so difficult, they try to convince him power is the only way).
...but the twist will be that he had already decided his fate and dives deep in order to destroy the witches from within. ...but the witches knew that and pulled an Uno reverse card and used magic on him, forcing him to fight from within himself. To make him weak against their magic, the witches made him kill Riju (parallel to Sonia, but of course, Riju won’t go down without a fight) and take her stone to amplify their control over him.
He’s tortured with that memory and unable to fight back for a while. When Link and company arrives to battle him, they manage to weaken the control but the witches then sacrifices themselves, entering the stone to amplify their control. Link still manages to weaken the spell enough for the boy to remove the stone (paralleling TotK) and throw it to him, Link destroying the stone and Zelda using her powers to purify the boy.
Happy ending where the Gerudo boy is made chief (because he refuses to be called king after all the time he spent with the “you’ll be a powerful king” witches) and the ghost of Riju expresses how proud she is of her child who defied destiny and proved the strength of the Gerudo.
   The story uses parallels to give the impression of fate being at work, and ancient Gerudo runes talking about the witches’ destiny to resurrect their king to make it seem like it’s set in stone. But the boy’s destiny isn’t mentioned... because it was never written...
And since BotW only had the surface and TotK mainly focusing on the sky islands, this one will focus more on the depths...
I call it... Legend of Zelda: Runes of the Chasm
...oh, and gotta include the fact that the boy will meet Master Kohga who believes the boy is the new Ganondorf, and the boy takes full advantage of that, remembering the stories Link told him about how stupid the Yiga clan are. He’ll send them on fools errands to locations he knows Link will be at, so they can stupidly reveal the boy’s location, keeping Link on the right track.
...also, because I’m a Zelink shipper and this idea involves a time skip of at least 11 years after the events of TotK, I say Link and Zelda are married, Link is the new king, and he’s a bit like Rauru - sneaking out on adventures and has to be fetched by Zelda who gives him a stern but loving lecture. Also, they got a little princess who has her dad’s flair for adventure.
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Thanks for reading! This was based on ideas I already had for an independent Zelda story, I have no plans to delve deeper. This was just my two cents, feel free to elaborate on any of the ideas or even use them for your own take on “Link and Zelda having to deal with a Gerudo boy”. :D
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erikaember · 9 months
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(Work in progress. Zelink comic. Codename: Dreaming)
Curse the nerdy princess and her short king for being so cute together! I was supposed to work on a Fallout cartoon, not a 6 page Zelink comic! 😂
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erikaember · 10 months
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Dunno if anyone else has already pointed it out but... remember -- Link saw that memory!
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erikaember · 10 months
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Zelda: Spirit Tracks - “Train Date” (a Zelink comic)
I briefly return to this blog because the new Zelda game got me motivated to finally finish this old comic I sketched two years ago!
Spirit Tracks is the first Zelda game I played and I freakin love how cute they are in that game! Blushing, being a cool duo, motivating each other, hugging and holding hands at the end?! I may absolutely love BotW/TotK Zelink and Skyward Sword Zelink... but damn it, Spirit Tracks finally lets her be more involved in the adventure and I LOVE IT!!!
Anyway, here’s the rest of the comic:
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Thanks for reading! :D
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erikaember · 2 years
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Hello!😊 I recently watched red shoes and the seven dwarfs, and I came across your 'valentines day thing' I think it's really good! I don't really find a lot fanfics/ headcanons for the other members of the F7 and I just wanted you to know that I really liked and thank you for writing it! 😄 Sorry this isn't an ask.
Thank you, Anon, for your lovely comment!
Just had to answer this because... I swear, I will write the full stories someday! I haven't lost interest, there's so much I couldn't include in the summaries, so this is a promise! There will be more! ...someday!
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erikaember · 2 years
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Blog update
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Yeah... sorry, friends, but this blog will be sorta retired. Just thought I’d make it official with this post.
I’ve lost interest in Miraculous (bet you can understand why) and haven’t done much art that could fit this blog.
My current obsession is with the Fallout franchise, which is very different from what I usually post (the games not exactly being intended for kids), so I figured I’d make a new blog.
In case you don’t mind or would even enjoy some Fallout content, you can find me at @erikageiger​ 
Might dive back in if something interesting happens, but until then, I wish you all a good time!
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erikaember · 3 years
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Right Hand (BotW2 comic)
...this was supposed to just be a sketch, what power does this unreleased, untitled game have over me?!
I recently pondered over Link talking in BOTW2. If he wouldn't talk, then maybe someone would talk for him? ...that glowing hand? ...what if he ends up not liking it?
...and of course, companions like Midna and Ezlo were quite selfish and annoying at first, so I figured I'd make the spirit annoying through a love for puns, make it feel like a... PUNishment. ...sorry. XD
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erikaember · 3 years
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A (slightly late) Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs Valentine’s day.. thing!
So the end credits to this amazing movie was really cute and I was inspired to work on an idea for a sequel, focusing on these three couples. And here’s how the boys get their curses broken! It's still in the works (and I doubt I'll ever truly finish it) but here's basically what I have so far, in case you want to know:
- Rita, the fish girl, was scammed by the sea witch. But she's confident and hopes to find someone willing to kiss her fishy lips so she can get going with her dream to make fashion. Jack admires her hardworking nature (she freakin dove into the ocean to find a pearl and even open it!) and wishes to help her get her dream. But since she can't exactly do that while looking like a half-fish, she asks him if he could kiss her. Since it's only their first "date", he's hesitant if it really will work. ...but he's too much in love to let it stop him. The moral of their story is... not sure, they had a rare "literally love at first sight" scenario and a cute dynamic. I guess their moral can be "don't be afraid to share your dream, you might bond over it."...or something.
- Hans and Talia had met before. She had snuck out from her castle to experience a vast forest when she met Hans who was kind and shared his packed lunch with her since she was starving. When Talia later had insomnia, she went to a doctor who turned out to be the evil fairy who gave her the sleep curse. A prince was destined to enter her overgrown castle and wake her up (his cooking was enough to do the trick), and the rest of the castle would only wake up once she has become a true queen. Hans helps her understand what "true queen" meant, they both not feeling like they live up to their titles (Gretel married a prince which somehow made Hans a prince? Still working on it) but to be "true" is to be honest and she was honestly working on breaking the curse despite not wanting to be royal because she feels responsible. ...so yeah, the moral of their story is how an empty title is yours to fill.
- And lastly, Arthur and Gwen. Gwen is a true werewolf but, ever since her father's death, she doesn't know what to do and refuses to seek the other werewolves' help (among those werewolves were her ex-boyfriend Lance (look, I had to!) and she hates shallow relationships, being a very loyal family pupper who hates whatever "harem" Lance has made with other bitches). She really wants to be rid of her werewolf nature, seeing it as a curse as it had scared away all her human friends. So when Arthur shows up and isn't scared away, she's happy to have a friend and partner in her quest to be rid of her "curse". But instead, after failing her only chance, Arthur helps her accept and enjoy her werewolf side again. Gwen also helps Arthur stop being.. a Gaston and he learns to use his confidence to instead stand up for truth and justice (like defending Gwen from Lance and the bitches). He then earns his kiss after using a wish to grant her the ability to shapeshift whenever she wants, the only thing preventing her from completely accepting her werewolf nature. The moral of their story is.. you may see parts of yourself as a curse, but it all depends on how you use it.
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