The first day [Zelda] [FLASHBACK]

[Nightmare Darklight]

"An army of one man, but the right man for the job."

This was his first day at the academy, and truth be told, Alexander was hating it. He hadn't exactly been all for being sent all the way from his home to be trained in the academy. His parents told him it was for his own good. Oh sure, he had been trained to fight, but they still sent him. It wasn't even a case of being sent to military school because Alexander constantly misbehaved, he was very well behaved. They just felt that he could use some more training. He was skilled as is, but it never really hurt. He could understand their willingness to get him some skill, as he was a dragon, and dragons, once outed, were hunted. It was only a matter of time before someone figured him out.

That was another thing that he had been told. It was a very specific instruction that he had been given by his parents. Namely, under no circumstances was he to ever show his true form during his stay at the academy. This one he could at least understand. Knowing that a dragon was amongst them would probably spook the cadets... and the knights... and the royal family. Yeah, he figured if he ever revealed his true form, that he would probably end up dead in a couple of minutes, and then his family would be targeted to wipe out the rest of the scourge, as the Hylians considered them. The world saw the dragons as two things; a symbol of pure terror, of all evil, and magnificence incarnate.

So here Alex was, fifteen years old and standing outside in the courtyard with the rest of the new recruits, a couple dozen in total. A rather sunny day, at least making it comfortable. The instructor had told them all so stand and they did. Of course, this had been going on for about twenty minutes while the instructor explained the basics. However, mid speech, the instructor interrupted, catching Alexander's attention. Great, what else could be happening? He figured though that if it got the instructor to stop talking that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. However, he realized what it was when the instructor informed the new recruits that the King and his daughter were on the way, and to look sharp.

Well, this would be interesting.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Zelda]

you make me feel like i'm living a teenage dream

let's run away and don't ever look back

Zelda's stomach flipped and flopped as she followed her father through the castle, although you could never tell from her expression; a serene smile graced her lips, and a calm light shone in her bright blue eyes. They were visting the new recruits in the academy, her father told her; it was high time she learned about what went on in war councils, and the best way to do it would be to learn the same things their military was learning.

She held a fold of her dress in her hand so she wouldn't trip over the hem as they turned down another hallway, nodding in response to her father's offhand comment of the recruits being close in age to herself. Her heart swelled a with hope at the thought; in all of her thirteen years, she had never once made a real, true friend other than Azler. Maybe this would be her chance!

When the Princess and the King finally made their way into the courtyard, escorted by two guards, Zelda finally felt her stomach settle. Now that she was here, she wasn't nearly so nervous; and it was something she had to do, after all. This was just another one of her lessons, so she could be a good ruler when Father... well, she didn't want to think about that.

Zelda brushed a lock of dirty blond hair out of her eyes and smiled in the general direction of recruits, her hands clasping in front of her as her father began speaking with the instructor.

[Nightmare Darklight]

"An army of one man, but the right man for the job."

The young Alexander kept his posture as the king arrived, accompanied by his daughter and their two guards. He had to admit, the king definitely had a regal air about him. It was no wonder that people actually respected him. Then again, he was king of Hyrule, he had to be respected either way as that had to be a tough job. Not to mention that in order to last that long as king, you had to at least be knowing what you were doing. He couldn't help but wonder where the queen was, or if there even was a queen. Though that might have been a personal issue that might not have been wise to talk about.

But at least he got to look at the Princess. She was cute, that much was true. She didn't seem to be that much younger. She was definitely younger than him, he knew that much, though he wasn't entirely sure just how much younger. Alexander was curious as to why she had come here. It didn't seem like she would be all that into this kind of stuff, but then again, he didn't really know her. He noticed that the instructor was still discussing things with the king, who motioned over to the boys. He wondered what was going on. Speaking of those boys, Alexander started to feel a little out of place. Why was that?

Alex looked at the other recruits, noticing that a lot of them were... acting rather strangely with Princess Zelda nearby. A lot of them were waving, some had goofy smiles on their faces. Were... they supposed to be waving? Alexander looked around and examined the other recruits as most of them waved at the young princess. Sure, there were some that weren't, but if the majority were, then wasn't that what they were supposed to do? Reluctantly, trying to make sure if this was the right thing to do, the young Alexander started waving at the princess, at least he hoped that he was getting this whole thing right.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Zelda]

you make me feel like i'm living a teenage dream

let's run away and don't ever look back

As her father conversed with the instructor, Zelda just stood to the side, not entirely sure what to do. What would a princess be doing in this situation? Mingling with the people, she supposed; some of them seemed friendly enough, as they were smiling and waving at her. There were some who weren't, and one -- a blond boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen -- who was rather awkward about it, but eventually he waved too. Zelda hesitated a moment, then waved back, her serene smile becoming just a little brighter, her gaze unintentionally falling right on the awkward blond boy.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the King's turning from the instructor to his daughter. "Zelda," he said, and she turned to face him, her hands clasping together again. "You will stay here with the new recruits today, and learn what they learn." Her father turned again to face the instructor, and nodded at him. "I will be taking one of my guards with me. I entrust my daughter's safety to you and the remaining guard." The king then raised a hand in greeting to the recruits, gestured for one of the guards to follow, and departed the courtyard.

The princess blinked and looked from the instructor to the recruits, and never forgetting her courtesies, dipped into a slight curtsy. "I will be joining you today, then," she said lightly, her hands still grasping the cool silk of her dress.

[Nightmare Darklight]

"An army of one man, but the right man for the job."

Slowly, his waving stopped as the king and his bodyguard left, leaving the Princess with everyone else. Alexander raised an eyebrow at her announcement that she would be joining them. The fact that her father had actually gave that order seemed a little odd, but he wouldn't fight it. If her father felt she could handle it, and apparently the instrusctor did too, then there likely wouldn't be much, if anything to worry about. He wasn't sure what was supposed to happen beyond that though. Were they supposed to go easy on her because she was the princess? Well, if they did any sparring anyway. This was the first day, chances were they would just be a guide as to what the next few years of their lives would be. Maybe he'd get a chance to talk with the Princess.

However, the response to Zelda joining them was definitely... varied. Some were all too happy to let her join in, and even offered to partner up with her personally. The only catch was that as far as Alexander knew, there wasn't anything requiring a partnership just yet. The other was probably something you would consider a little more immature. Namely, expressing dislike for the fact that a girl was going to be joining them today, which Alexander didn't really get. If her father and the instructor wanted her here, then it was ok, right? The instructor certainly thought so, as with a simple shout of an order, they all shut up.

In what seemed to be practical bi-polarity, the instructor then turned to Zelda, and softly instructed her to take her place with one of the recruits. From there, as the boys all lined up, standing at attention, the instructor paced back and forth from both ends of the group. "Today is a big day, for all of you. Today starts your training to become a soldier in the military. You will be taught various methods of combat and other skills needed to survive. This castle will be your home for the next three years as we shape you into the finest Hyrule has to offer. Your life will be organized, but not brutal. Despite what various folk would have you believe, we are not..." The instructor continued on and on, with Alexander at least trying to keep his attention on the instructor.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Zelda]

you make me feel like i'm living a teenage dream

let's run away and don't ever look back

Calm, composed, precise, she told herself. She could never allow her head to whirl, nor could she ever lose her temper. The meaning of her words could never be confused. She was a princess, and the only heir to the throne -- Zelda just had to get this right.

She wasn't exactly sure how to respond to the boys' offerings of partnership, so she only smiled some more. Think, Zelda. Use your brain. You've got it for a reason, right? Thankfully, she was saved by the instructor telling her -- gently, she didn't fail to note -- to take a place amongst the recruits.

Even as a child, Zelda had a peculiar insight to what other people were thinking. It scared her as much as it intrigued her, but it was infinitely useful, especially in an occasion like this. That awkward boy from before -- he didn't seem all too happy that she was joining them today. Father always did tell her that she couldn't make everyone happy, but she might as well try, right? So with soft, quick steps, she slid into an empty space next to the blond boy, and tried to pay attention to what the instructor was saying.

[Nightmare Darklight]

"An army of one man, but the right man for the job."

Alexander noticed that she positioned herself next to him. Honestly, he didn't mind that he did. If anything, he was wondering why she did it in the first place. Out of everyone here, she chose to stand by him. Did he happen to have something on his face? His hand reached up, and starting to touch his cheeks and his lips, even reaching his forehead. He couldn't feel anything so he doubted that he really had anything on his face, so he wondered what it was. However, that train of thought moved on towards the fact she was wearing a dress, for what could be considered actual training. Wasn't this something that would put her at a sore disadvantage?

The young boy felt that he should probably make sure this was corrected as soon as possible. Alexander raised his arm, finger outstretched in an attempt to catch the attention of the instructor. It wasn't to register a complain, but simply to bring up an issue. If Zelda was going to be training with them for today, then wouldn't it technically be extremely uncomfortable, not to mention impractical, for her to be wearing a dress? He figured that if she was going to be working with them, then she should at least be better dressed for it. He opened his mouth, ready to speak, and hopefully not get yelled at for bringing up to be a valid point.

"Excuse me, Miles, but shouldn't the Princess be properly dressed if she is going to be taught these sorts of things?" The remaining guard chimed in. The instructor looked at the guard for a moment, before seeming to realize he had a point. Miles nodded, remarking that he would be back soon to get a uniform, leaving the recruits with a suggestion that they could relax for the moment, but once he was back, that things would resume. With that, he left everyone in the courtyard with the remaining guard as he hurried off to what Alexander assumed would be the barracks.

Alex lowered his hand. "Beat me to it." He muttered.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Zelda]

you make me feel like i'm living a teenage dream

let's run away and don't ever look back

Well. Now she just felt silly. Why hadn't she thought of that before? She couldn't exactly run around in a dress and still look somewhat dignified, after all. A light blush rose to her cheeks, embarrassed that the idea of a change of clothes hadn't even occurred to her. What kind of ruler would she be, if she couldn't even think of something as simple as that? Insecurity welled up in Zelda's heart; at least, until the boy next to her lowered his hand and muttered under his breath.

The princess blinked, somewhat startled out of her reverie. Beat him to it -- oh. The guard's comment. It took Zelda a moment to realize, but once she did, she felt oddly touched... and even sillier than before. She had to start thinking of these things herself!

She turned to the boy with a smile. "Thank you for thinking of me," she said warmly, but her bright blue eyes betrayed her insecurity. "Truly, I should have thought of that myself..."

[Nightmare Darklight]

"An army of one man, but the right man for the job."

The young boy only watched as the instructor walked off after telling them to relax for a few minutes. He figured that order wouldn't fall apart here, considering that Zelda's bodyguard was still here. Then again, he really had no intention of causing trouble, and he doubted the other boys wanted to as well. Though it was kind of something that already made the day unexpected, what with the Princess of Hyrule deciding to talk to him and all. Not that he felt he was a loser, but he was sure that there were other people around here she could talk to. Though he didn't mind. If it meant making a new friend, that would work for him.

Alexander was touched by the fact that she was thanking him, though he couldn't fathom why she was so thankful to him. Regardless, he nodded in response to her. "It's not a big deal." Regardless, it seemed to be a big deal to her. Sure, she seemed thankful, but he could notice by the tone, and her eyes, that there was something lying beneath that. "Don't worry about it. If the instructor didn't catch it, then it probably wasn't an obvious thing." He was trying to reassure her, though he wasn't all too confident in the job that he was doing.

He figured that he should at least change the subject, though he was wondering why she was even talking to him. But, perhaps an introduction could help ease things. "Your name is Zelda... right?" He had heard of her before. His parents told him that he would probably run into her. They even made jokes about the two, but Alexander just ignored it. He figured they were just being parents. Truth be told, he had never expected his stay here to be all that eventful. "... My name is Alexander. Alexander Sorel." He knew the name had some weight to it. The Sorels had been serving Hyrule for quite a long time.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Zelda]

you make me feel like i'm living a teenage dream

let's run away and don't ever look back

Zelda didn't have many friends. She had Azler, and that was it; there were people she talked to and people she learned from, but there was hardly anyone she truly connected with. Deep in her heart, the princess suspected that her father had left her with the recruits as a social experience as much as a learning one, but she would never voice such speculations. How could she? She had to be calm, composed, and precise. The meanderings of her mind were hardly any of the three.

She let out a soft sigh, somewhat relieved by the boy's reassurances. She had plenty of time to learn, right? She would get better at this. As Zelda grew, she would learn and become wiser, and things wouldn't just fly over her head anymore. Hopefully.

The princess nodded in response to his question, marveling at how... casual this was. She was so used to 'Princess this' and 'Princess that', it was rather refreshing to have someone other than her father address her as simply Zelda. And instead of having to use 'Chancellor' or 'Sir' or 'Mister', she could call this boy just... Alexander. Which she quickly proceeded to do.

"A pleasure to meet you, Alexander," she said. Sorel, Sorel. That sounded oddly familiar... surely the Sorels were one of those families who had been in the service of the realm for quite some time.

That wasn't truly a point of interest for the princess, though. After an offhand comment on her father mentioning the Sorels a few times before, she turned to a topic she was much more curious about: why he was here. "So, Alexander Sorel, why did you join the academy?"

[Nightmare Darklight]

"An army of one man, but the right man for the job."

He nodded. "Likewise." He spoke in a strangely professional tone. Though, he heard her murmuring about the Sorels, and that her father had mentioned them. Alexander found this pretty amusing, and while honorable, he knew that it would end up being an ego boost. "Oh dad would love to find that out." He remarked in his own mind. He was wondering just how close the Sorels were to the military, or how many connections they had. He knew that the military would likely be expecting a lot of him, that was for sure. After all, his family still had a history with the military.

Alexander found her question not all that odd, but something he should have expected nonetheless. Why was he in the academy? Well, his parents told him it was that he needed to get better and train but... "My family has served the royal family for generations via the military. I'm just next in line." He was certain that was the real reason. He was descended from a line of dragons, but ever since they had joined the military and managed to survive, they found that it wasn't that bad of a niche. Ever since then, each male in the family was groomed for the military, and they were always good at it. It did give them a pretty good reputation.

Considering he had introduced himself somewhat, Alex sat himself down on the ground. He figured that if everyone was supposed to be relaxing, then he might as well be too. He patted the ground, inviting the princess to join him. Though really, he wondered if she would. That was a nice dress. Though she was the princess, and her father did leave her here, then surely he wasn't expecting her not to get the dress a little dirty, right? Though he wasn't sure how the mindset of a king worked, especially one that wanted their daughter out here, training with all the new recruits. Should he ask a question then? "If you don't mind me asking, are you actually looking forward to this?" It was an odd question.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Zelda]

you make me feel like i'm living a teenage dream

let's run away and don't ever look back

Next in line. That gave her a funny feeling, something she couldn't quite describe. She was next in line too, but that was different. At least, it felt different to her. She almost wanted to ask him if that was what he actually wanted, but that just felt wrong; she had only just met the boy, after all, and that seemed an awfully personal question.

Funny enough, she didn't think it was personal at all when the same question -- well, same premise of a question -- was posed to her.

Zelda gathered her skirt so it wouldn't pull as she sat, folding her legs beneath her. She didn't really care about getting it dirty; only a a year or two ago had the princess sneaking out of the castle every moment she got, purposely getting into the dirtiest, messiest trouble she could find. She was more tame now, but she had long since gotten rid of the stereotypical fear of dirt. That was what soap and water and maybe a bit of magic was for, after all!

The princess looked at Alexander, her head tilting slightly. "Of course!" she said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. "Father told me it would be a good experience, to learn about what goes on in a war. Besides..." Her volume dropped and a light blush rose to her cheeks, as if she were ashamed of what she was about to say. The smile on her lips, though, never wavered. "I always did wonder what it was like to hold a sword or a bow, and be able to use it correctly." Her gaze dropped to her hands, those soft, delicate little hands. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be very good at swordsmanship, but archery sounds fun. What about you?" she asked suddenly, her gaze snapping back to Alexander. "What are you looking forward to?"

[Nightmare Darklight]

"An army of one man, but the right man for the job."

"We're starting out by covering wars?" That was something that Alexander wasn't really ready to find out. Of course, he knew that when this was over, he would have to fight in any war that Hyrule managed to drag itself into, but he didn't think that the recruits would end up going over what went on in a war on their first day. Then again, it would probably be best to let them know what they were getting into for a good chunk of their lives. Alexander looked around at the recruits, starting to realize that a good chunk of them probably wouldn't even live to see 20. He only hoped he wasn't one of them.

Though it was nice to hear what she was looking forward to. And it was nice to know that she wanted to learn how to properly use a sword and a bow. He rather enjoyed the fact that she seemed to be a bit of a tomboy after all. But what was he looking forward to? Well, he supposed there was some things he could draw from this. "Well, I'm looking forward to the archery, and I'm hoping to figure out horseback riding too." He had never really used a bow before, but he figured that it wouldn't be hard for him to pick up. And he had never really ridden a horse before, but he definitely wanted to learn.

But still, if she didn't know how to use a sword, or feared that she wouldn't even figure out how to use one right, then he could help her, right? After all, if Alexander was going to be here for the next three years of his life, then he should probably start making friends in order to make this bearable. "Well... I've been fencing since I was six, and I've been trained in unarmed combat since that age too." He informed her. He definitely had some skill. He might not have had the actual combat experience, but he did have something that he could work with. "Maybe I could teach you those?"

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Zelda]

you make me feel like i'm living a teenage dream

let's run away and don't ever look back

"I... don't know." It would make sense, teaching the recruits warfare on the first day, but... "I think it has more to do with knowing what the soldiers on the field are going through." Her smile dimmed, the look in her eyes showing a wise intelligence far beyond her years. "If I know that, then I won't be so quick to declare war when..." When what? When I take the throne, when Father dies? Move to something less depressing, please.

"So, riding?" Her smile bounced back as she purposely shifted her thoughts from the future to horses. "It's hard at first, but once you get it, it sticks with you. And it's definitely worth knowing!" It occurred to Zelda then that maybe she wasn't exactly being... ladylike. How many princesses talked about warfare and swords and horseback riding like it was nothing? But then, her father did leave her here for that purpose... she just hoped that no one would think badly of her for it. She truly did want to be a good ruler someday, and if that meant giving up even what little hobbies and freedoms she had, she'd do it in a heartbeat. The people come first, her father always told her, and she would live by that rule. The people come first.

But right now? She was thirteen, willful, and presented with the opportunity to fight, to wave around a sword or throw out punches like the knights and heroes she heard about in stories.

Needless to say, she was delighted.

"Would you really?" Zelda asked, close to with enthusiasm. "That would be amazing! And, if you want, I could help you with riding! I've been riding horses since I was a little girl, and... well, I can stay on, at least." She was practically beaming at this point, utterly thrilled with the opportunities in front of her.

[Nightmare Darklight]

"An army of one man, but the right man for the job."

Alexander could at least see the logic behind it now that she explained it. It was a way to show them what the soldiers were going through at this moment, and what was going on in the military. Not to mention show them all what they were going to have to be getting involved in. That would work for him, as he felt that while he didn't want to end up getting killed, he at least felt that he would have a decent chance of surviving, as he had years of training before this, so he figured that if thrown into a combat situation, he would survive. But still, he figured that on day one, they would just go through their routine, but whatever.

The Princess was willing to teach him how to ride a horse? Well, that would certainly be something that could keep him entertained. But he supposed that it was meant to be a fair trade. After all, he was teaching her swordplay and unarmed combat, and she was going to teach him horseback riding. Though her teaching him wasn't necessary if she didn't want to do it, he was going to learn it through his time here at the academy anyway. Then again, she did offer of her own free will, so it would be somewhat rude to turn her down, right? Alex wasn't really sure what to do. He had never interacted with royalty before.

Slowly, Alexander nodded. "Alright, that sounds like a deal." He agreed. He had to admit, this was going to be fun. Plus, the idea of a princess being able to use a sword and beat people with her bare hands would be a good one. Plus, it was a great chance to make a friend. Considering that they were going to be spending a lot more time together, they could get to know each other. It was actually nice to know that he wouldn't be a loner here at the academy, and that he would likely end up with a friend.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Zelda]

you make me feel like i'm living a teenage dream

let's run away and don't ever look back

Oh, how wonderful this was going to be! Not only would the princess learn sword fighting and fist fighting, she'd learn it from... well, a friend. At least, she hoped Alexander would be her friend. She truly was a bit of a hermit princess; she didn't get out of the castle much, and didn't have a whole lot of experience in the 'friend' department. Zelda just prayed that she wouldn't mess up or say anything wrong. She felt oddly comfortable around this boy, which was something she wasn't quite used to. If she wasn't careful, she might become too comfortable and end up saying something that offended him, and then no one would be happy.

Happy people meant good things, right? Right.

Zelda was about to say something to Alexander when the instructor came back in, a uniform draped over his arm. The princess could see even from there that it would be slightly too small on her, but she supposed that too small was better than too big. At least there was no fear of tripping over the hem of the pants if they were a bit too small. The instructor called for her, and she stood up, brushing dirt - imaginary or otherwise - off her skirt. She smiled gratefully at this boy who might be her friend, and she dipped into a slight curtsy, her formality coming rather close to teasing. "Pray excuse me for a moment, Mister Alexander Sorel. A proper lady must never get her skirts dirty, after all."

Completely disregarding the rather large patch of dirt she had conveniently missed in her brushing, Zelda went off to go change, her spirits soaring and a light smile on her lips.

[EXITUS.]

[Nightmare Darklight]

Rupees given. Thread locked and moved.