“Alright, time to get up.”

“Augh! Daddy! It’s too early!”

“When it comes to training, there is no such thing as ‘too early.’ Now get up, Dawna!”

The morning had come faster than expected for the entire royal family. The palace was dead quiet except for the Queen, the King and now the Princess. Another would wake up soon enough but for now they are asleep. Dawna continues to remain unmoving in her bed, unable to bring herself to get up. Normally she didn’t get up for a few more hours which is why she refused to get out of bed. Her father on the other hand was used to getting up well early in the morning from his days as a ranch worker. When he grew tired of his daughter’s defiance, Link took the covers she was wrapped in and pulled her off the bed and onto the floor. Dawna had yelled in surprise but that surprise turned to complaints soon enough.

“Stop your complaining. It’s not going to do any good, Dawna.”

“Daddy! That hurt! What in the name of the Gods were you thinking!?”

“That’s how I was treated when I was your age at a ranch I worked on. That’s what I was thinking.”

The Twilight princess groaned and pushed herself off the ground. Her pajama dress fell out to her knees and she brushed herself off. Immediately she headed to her dresser and grabbed her clothes before heading into the small dressing room and pulling the curtain across the bar. In mere seconds her pajamas were thrown over the bar and you could hear her belt buckling only moments after. She would come out minutes later while putting her cloak on. Her eyes showed fatigue but it didn’t matter to Link. On the inside he hated treating his daughter this way but she needed to learn. When she was ready Dawna was lead out by Link.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah what is it, Dawna?”

“Why do you and mother care if I harness my powers or not?”

“Every ruler has harnessed their powers before you Dawna. You need to live up to that standard as you’re the newest generation. No matter what others may think of you, you’re just like those before you.”

“But you’re really a hylian! How can I be full blooded?”

“I’ve many faces, Dawna. A wolf, an imp, a twili and my true being, a hylian. I was a twili when you were conceived and your mother is a twili so it only makes you full blooded.”

Dawna brushed her hair back over her shoulder and sighed. She didn’t feel like she was full blooded. In fact she felt more like some freak. She doubted that she’d live up to expectations, let alone even try to. Her parents she knew only want her to realize that she’s wrong yet they don’t see it’s not so easy to change. Pacing down the carpeted halls she passed Iri’s room just as Iri was coming out. The bodyguard caught up with Dawna and Link and joined their group.

Dawna silently looked to Iri and wondered how she ever managed. She knew Iri had a hard childhood due to everyone knowing her origins but how was Iri able to pull herself from that pit of despair and climb to the top like she has? If only Dawna knew how to do this then maybe she wouldn’t feel so useless. Iri’s the daughter of Zant and a legend among the twili, yet despite all the pressure caused from that, she made a name for herself. Where she was not respected and ignored before she was now respected and people paid attention to her. When Iri gave a look out of the corner of her eye, Dawna turned her attention to the path before them. She was embarrassed to say the least.

When she found herself at the training grounds from yesterday, Dawna looked around in a confused manner. There were targets and obstacles set up. Was her father seriously going to make her use these? When Link announced that they’d be spending the day training with limited breaks, Dawna nearly fell off her feet in surprise.

“What!?” She half whined and half yelled.

“You heard me, Dawna. This is training day. Not exactly a day in the life; but it’ll suffice. Don’t you think so?”

“What do I think!? Daddy I think you’ve lost your mind! I’m a girl! I don’t have that endurance!”

“Your gender has nothing to do with your endurance! Look at Ellise, Dawna. Ellise is a woman and yet she has high amounts of endurance. She could work all day if she had to. You will endure your training as punishment for yesterday’s behavior!”

Dawna bit her bottom lip and stepped back. She knew why Link was so angry with her... She insulted him to his face yesterday. She struck a nerve when she had said all light dwellers were... well she didn’t want to recall what she said but she knows it was offensive. Of course she was voicing herself since she considered herself to be hylian to extent, but it had offended her father in more than one way. She had lost control of her mouth last night and Link wasn’t about to let it go.

Iri was called forth to go through the obstacles and targets first to show Dawna how to do it. In no time flat Iri started into the course using her body to dodge, roll around, climb and bound over obstacles, all the while she was hitting the targets with her magic. The attacks struck indestructible targets but had left marks in the dead center of said targets. It showed that Iri was skilled at handling her magic and multitasking in battle. That and the fact she was so flexible helped.

When done the bodyguard brushed her teal and orange hair behind her ears and stood silent. She pulled her jacket down and straightened it out, fiddling with the loose shoulder armor shortly after and fastening it. She did have troubles keeping those secure sometimes. Folding her arms across her chest, Iri motioned Dawna to start in on the course.

Link soon called Dawna up and explained he wanted her to do the same thing Iri had just done. When she was told this, the princess’s mouth dropped open. How could he even think she can do something like that?

Dawna reluctantly started into the training course. She bounded over the small brick wall in her way with no problem then landed and ran. There were targets to her right that she focused on and shot attacks at. Two of eight hit as six missed and combust into nothing. She was too occupied with shooting that she didn’t see the magic spires coming from the ground. They were energy and not at all harmful but she was meant to dodge them in which she did not. Her father called out orders and told her what she was supposed to do, yet Dawna was too hesitant to listen and acted solely out of impulse. She tripped over her feet unintentionally but got back up. Ahead of her was a field of platforms of magic. Each moved in certain directions in a maze. Dawna groaned and jumped up to one. She waited, jumped, waited, and jumped. All the while she was trying to multitask with breaking the targets. Her aim was horrible and her attacks overpowered. She couldn’t focus at all.

“STOP! Stop, stop and stop!” Link called out, “Get down from there and get over here. I’m going to teach you a few ways to focus!”

Dawna felt like crying right about now. She just humiliated herself with something she should have had no problem with. She warped over to Link and stood by him. Iri knew what was up and warped a few sets of bows and arrows into the air before her. Link took the bows, handing one to Dawna and taking the other for himself. Iri strapped a quiver to Dawna’s torso as she listened to her father as he fastened his own quiver.

“Shooting your magic is just like launching an arrow. Both take focus and concentration. You’re about to learn how to fire an arrow from a bow. Now take and arrow and nock it.”

He demonstrated then pulled back on the string. Pointing the arrow to the ground he showed how to take stance then lifted the bow and arrow, shooting the arrow from the weapon. The said arrow cut through the air like it was butter and smashed into the dead center of the target a few yards away. He stood straight and waited for his daughter to try this. He knew it would



'Please go to Original to read rest of the Story!'