[Blade Unlimited]

"You sure she lives in this place?" Tatl dinged in Link's ear, balancing precariously on his shoulder while they stared up at the door to what looked to be a very old and decrepit household. It was very off the beaten path from the rest of the households in brightwing; fairly out of the way for a home someone was living with. Despite being given the approximate location, the hylian still needed to go around asking for directions a good few times before they finally reached the place. Tatl wasn't even sure it was the right place, even still... Link not far off. "We're talking a princess, right? What kind of princess stays in a lonely, little place like this?"

....She did raise a good point. Hesitantly, the child straightened his shield on his back; adjusting the weight of his scabbard and sword before raising up a fist to knock just under the door's external handle. Another irritating thing that came up fairly often for Link's list: Being a short child again meant that most doors had handles which were just high enough that they were mildly inconvenient to open.

Anyways, after knocking once or twice, the boy took a step or two back, waiting for some sort of answer. Hopefully, Princess Zelda was home.... and this was her home.

"...Yeah, no matter how you slice it; this ain't a princess' place, Link."

"Not helping, Tatl."

"Well it's true!"

[Mari]

...Now who would be knocking on her door, of all houses in the life sphere? Zelda was peering through the peephole, but she couldn't really... see anyone. She did, however, hear a muffled voice from the other side. "...Yeah, no matter how you slice it; this ain't a princess' place, Link." ...A phantom pain shot through Zelda's heart. No, no it wasn't. It was the tomb of a fallen one, however. Or at least, that's how it had felt for the past who knew how many years. She vaguely recognized that voice however, and promptly shifted to open the door. Zelda was clad in her black cloak as usual, her perpetual mourning having no end in sight. She offered Link a weak yet inviting smile. "It's good to see you again." she softly greeted, offering to step aside so that he could enter. It was a very humble home, with only basic furnishings in it. Even on the inside, it didn't seem fit for a princess. There were at least a few things that hinted at her true nature, however. A triforce on the rug, a candalabra in the shape of the goddess' crest. That sort of thing.

[Blade Unlimited]

Link instinctively took a step back as the door creaked open, his gaze shifting up in response. On initial glance, the black cloak made the Hylian believe for a moment that he'd truly gotten the wrong house before the woman's face came into view. It was a face that the child could never forget... and yet at the same time, one nearly foreign to him. It was the face of Princess Zelda, the very same he'd met on a mission not long ago.

As soon as he released the breathe Link didn't even realize he'd been holding, he dropped onto one knee with his head bowed before the fallen royal. "Princess Zelda-- Oh Brother." Tatl interrupted, rolling her eyes to her companion's gesture. Seriously, she did not get what all the hype was for. Since when did some lady in a dingy cloak qualify for a princess? At least someone like Peach fit the part, in her mind.

Undeterred, the hylian did his best to brush past the fairy's rudeness. "I'm sorry for coming unannounced... B-But I was hoping to seek your guidance." He explained, eyes still glued to the floor out of respect. It was all a formality, including the talk, that Link hid behind... Because, in all honesty, just talking to her was kinda freaking him out. The last he'd seen "Zelda" like this was back in the future, so seeing someone that was practically a brunette twin of someone so near and dear to him made his throat tighten up. Was it her? Was it not? He was too afraid to just ask outright. "I-If it wouldn't be too much trouble?"

Ever so slowly, Link lifted his gaze once more; unable to stop himself from glancing into the princess' revealed abode. To call it unfitting would be an understatement. Hell, if it weren't for the few items bearing familiar designs to that normally found in the Hyrule homes, there's no way Link would have thought it to be some random person's home! That wasn't even to mention the princess' choice of dress... Did something happen that caused her to take on such a lifestyle? Yet another thing for him to grow wary of asking.

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule (TP)]

Zelda felt unworthy of the respect. She did notice Tatl's disrespect, though. Perhaps she'd already figured out what she'd done to deserve such scorn. “...Of course. You're always welcome. Come in.” she softly replied. Stepping aside to grant Link entry, she beckoned him inside and offered him a chair to sit in, pulling out another chair from a desk to sit with him. She then pulled back the hood of her cloak to reveal her full head, wishing to be respectful to both Link and the spirits of the dead she'd failed at once. She took a deep breath, clearing her mind and offering Link a weak smile. It lacked conviction, but it wasn't entirely fake. “Link... Tatl. I do have tea brewing, if you need anything to drink.” she politely greeted, slipping her hands out of her cloak to fold them in her lap as she sat down. You can see that she is wearing a very nice pair of evening gloves underneath, a hint of proper princess attire. Zelda glanced away for a moment in thought. “...What can I help guide you through?” she hesitantly asked, broaching the topic at hand.

[Blade Unlimited]

Link's feet dangled a few inches off of the floor as he took a seat. Those small legs weren't quite long enough to reach the ground while he was sitting... the many inconveniences of childhood and adult-sized furniture. As they sat down to converse, Tatl meanwhile decided to hover about the princess' home; inspecting the room with mild curiosity while keeping an ear open to their conversation.

It took a few seconds for the Hylian to work up the nerve to speak, especially when under Zelda's direct gaze. He stared at his knees and bunched up his fists on his legs, sitting in silence for a while before finally clearing his throat. "Do you.... know me?" Link asked, finally looking up with hopeful eyes. "I-...You're Princess Zelda, right? Do you remember me?" It was such a weird thing to ask. Of course she was Princess Zelda! He'd heard her name spoken before, she looked so similar to the princess of the future that he remembered... and yet, at the very same time, something about the way she acted rubbed Link the wrong way. There was so many things he wanted to ask, so many burning questions in his mind, but this was one that he couldn't wait any longer to hear. He needed to know the truth!

[Blade Unlimited]

Continued in Discord. Logs attached below!

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