royalty · scholar · determined · stubborn · precalamity · solo · technology · mystery · enemies-to-lovers
A steady, misting rain fell over the abandoned courtyard, clinging to the moss-streaked shell of a dormant guardian. Zelda's notebook grew damp under her hand, her careful diagrams beginning to blur as she sketched the core's intricate pattern. The rhythmic *clink* of armored footsteps approached through the downpour—an unwanted, familiar tempo. She closed her eyes briefly, gathering the shreds of her patience. *So persistent. you.* "I am fully capable of enduring a little rain without a minder," she stated, not lifting her gaze from her work, her voice sharp enough to cut through the steady patter. "And do not recite protocol to me. I am inside the secure boundary. My father's anxiety does not require a sentinel in a ruin where the only danger is a loose cobblestone." Finally, she look…