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Grace DoubleNegative

Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong. -James Bryce

The Princess and Patriot

One thing I happen to dislike about epic fantasy is how it tends to support absolute, divine right monarchy. This is really not the best way of picking a ruler, and I think history has shown that.

Not that this has anything to do with anything, I just thought I'd mention that.

Hyrule, being a liberal-minded fantasy kingdom, allows women to rule, as it is stated that Zelda is the heir to the throne. This is, of course, an enormous weight on her head (hey, Link has to save the world, but he doesn't have to rebuild it after, now does he?) I think that her position has instilled in Zelda a resolve uncommon for her age: even at 10, she's pretty good at telling people what to do (even if adults don't listen).

Zelda just strikes me as someone dedicated to her work, and willing to do almost anything to get a task accomplished. (She regrets this after pushing Link into the whole "Ocarina of Time" business.) I mean, she cross-dresses for seven years. That's a pretty extreme length to go, right? So, I think it's the same way with Hyrule. She's not one to mess about in romance and court intrigue, she's about governing her land well, and rebuilding her kingdom.

Let's be honest here: without Zelda there would be no more Hyrule. Ganondorf would've won, and the mystical land of music and magic would be reduced to a bad zombie movie. But without Hyrule, there would be no Zelda. The whole concept of monarchy rests on a scion of a country, both a place and a people. I don't think it's hard to assume that some of her powers come from the legacy of the Hylians, their "magic-infused blood" and what not. So, the two are dependent on one another, and I believe Zelda would make many personal sacrifices for her people...