ironbanded | ❧ INFORMATION

Princess Zelda
Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Timeline: Zelda comes post game and post a_trialbyfire

Personality:
Princess Zelda may well seem like something straight out of a fairytale at a glance. She is virtuous and righteous to an extreme, good, kind, noble - as well as intelligent, reliable, and wise. She is proud, but never conceited. Logical, but never detached. Just, but always compassionate. She possesses a wisdom and clarity beyond her years, and is level-headed and reasonable regardless of what turn the circumstances around her take.

When forced to surrender her land to the Usurper King, Zelda does not give up. She is confined to a single room - a glorified cell - and yet maintains her dignity, even a level of pride. She does not renounce her place, nor do we see her cowed by what's happened. She is, first and foremost, a ruler - and she strives to be the best possible monarch she can be. She lives selflessly, devoted to others rather than to herself, and would never hesitate in carrying another burden, another weight, if it would spare someone else's shoulders. Soft though she may seem, soft though part of her may be, there's a diamond-hard core in there, and her strength is sometimes overlooked by those willing to dismiss a young woman with pointed ears. Adversity is approached with dignity, with an unfaltering determination to see things through. Zelda does not lose herself to despair, or to anger, or to bitterness - for one thing, she is a ruler, and such things are not hers to give in to. And, most importantly, Zelda genuinely believes that there is always hope.

With this in mind, Zelda can appear idealistic, or naive. In some ways, she is - she remains young, after all, but scant though her years may be, they have taught her a great deal, and her idealism is tempered by her wisdom. World's End, too, broke down black and white into shades of grey - Zelda became a sharper mind there, more wont to consider something from different aspects then to risk a poor judgement. Rooted in logic as she is, she can appear cold and impartial - such things are necessity, arguably, and she can be sharp-tongued and aloof when the situation calls for it. She does not tolerate fools, nor those who would treat her as such.

In her determination lies tenacity, too, and though she will do her best to avoid a fight, if needs must, she will stand by what she believes in until the last. She is more than willing to involve herself in dangerous situation if she deems it necessary - and, admittedly, there's a bit of an adventurer's spirit in there somewhere. World's End drew it out somewhat - no longer was Zelda cooped up in a castle, and no longer was she expected to generally sit back and watch the world go by. She enjoys new experiences, and for all her intellect, feels that one is never finished learning. Composed and graceful as she is, it's not unheard of to find her slightly giddy at the prospect of, say, being carried over rooftops by a daring Persian.

Zelda can be prone to strong feelings of guilt, something she seems to display when she is met throughout the game. When things turn ill, she often blames herself first and foremost. Even in her wisdom, there is a sense that the responsibility is hers. As stated, she never shies away from a burden. A great weight hangs on her brow, one she is almost constantly adding too, and her solemnity and wisdom do often make her seem older - but those who become friends may soon realise that her laughter and smiles are distinctly girlish. She may not be quick to show her true emotions, often favouring a more prudent, diplomatic response to things, but in her dedication to her people and her willingness to save Midna we see that she is, ultimately, a kind, loving woman - someone who seeks to serve those around her to the best of her ability. A leader, after all, is there to serve. She is seemingly eternally patient, polite, and considerate. She loves easily, and with all her heart.

Wisdom need not go hand in hand with cold, and the princess is a prime example of this.

History:
The plot of Twilight Princess can be found here. Her RP history follows.
She arrived in a city named Purgatorium imminently following Ganondorf's defeat. Based on two levels, Zelda found herself in a drab grey place, unable to see the sky, and being penalized for her apparent sins. The circumstances, her canon point, and the uncharacteristic actions of the Midna she found there weighed heavily on her mind, but she found a place to stay and worked as a tailor for Misa Amane.
Her enemy from Hyrule, the one who first usurped her throne, turned up. Her wariness of him gave her a more solid footing and a focus. She turned from despairing over what was lost to looking ahead.
Purgatorium was destroyed in a war between the gods, tearing the city into ruins. Much of the population died or vanished - Zelda was one of the survivors. With her powers now returned to her, she set about doing what she could to help the others still trapped there, as well as the newcomers that continued to arrive.
Because of the work she was doing, as well as her attitude to the situation, Zelda was able to begin strong alliances. She was disliked, however, by the 'evil' god, Atra, and also made an enemy out of Albert Wesker due to his judging her a hopeless princess.
From some of the renovated buildings, Zelda began to build a Sanctuary - somewhere to offer peace and safety to her fellow refugees. It was also the place where she did the majority of her healing. (Over the course of her time in World's End, the Sanctuary was upgraded to contain a block of apartments for people to stay in, was fully renovated after a world event, and was warded with magic against harmful forces).
After rallying a group together to rescue Zack Fair from being one of Wesker's test subjects, Zack pledged himself to her service. This was the formal beginning of her Queensguard, which over the course of time saw a variety of members - Sheik, Riqis, Prince, Nina, Itachi, Link, Naoto, Impa, and Angeal. She had a strong network of friends and allies, and on more than one occasion had a prophetic dream, loosely foretelling a number of deaths as well as the appearance of the wizard's rainbow.
Well-respected and looked to as a spiritual leader by many, Zelda was elected the city's foremost governor. She was given a crown - a simple band of dark, silvery metal, engraved with the words Lady of World's End.
Zelda began to develop romantic feelings for Prince, which would not be uncovered ~~despite it being obvious as all get out~~ until a lowered unhibitions event. She would eventually be betrothed to him, despite their knowledge and intent to return home one day.
Though Rufus had always been an ally - even a friend - after an altercation consisting of her wanting to ensure he was unharmed after a death, he ceased supporting her and often spoke out against her. He was one of the loudest voices in insinuating that Zelda was attempting to take over the Task Force, a rumour largely discredited thanks to her network of friends.
At one point, during an AU event, Zelda became the pirate, Tetra, from the Wind Waker game. During this time she was captured by Alex Shepherd, also affected by the event, and upon returning to her own form, she was brutally murderered. Though some of those close to her were willing to take action against him, Zelda forgave the man who was a friend of hers, given the circumstances.
Zelda continued her work, even becoming a sister or mother figure to some of the city's residents. She did a great deal to organize resources, renovations, and the set-up of a seperate medical centre.
She returned to Hyrule suddenly, after over a year in World's End - whilst there, the memory of that place was like a vague dream. It was not too long, however, before she returned. Her recollection grew stronger and the knowledge began to come back to her - and then she was taken from World's End once more.
A month or so after this, she would arrive in Demeleier.

Abilities:
As the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda has a few notable abilities she can call upon.
Zelda possesses a wisdom beyond her years, and a considerable clarity even when the odds are stacked against her. Though this is not entirely the doing of the Triforce, it does help to keep her grounded and make just judgements. It also enables her to get a better 'sense' for the people she meets - she won't know immediately good from bad, but she might get a better idea of the type of person she's speaking to.
Presence - Nayru gave her wisdom, but also love. Her presence is noteworthy in that it can be almost unfalteringly calming, even soothing. This makes it easier for her to placate people in strenuous situations.
Barriers/Wards - Zelda is capable of crafting shields to keep out things that would mean her or her allies harm. They can vary in power, with the strongest generally being the shortest. For long-term use they need frequent renewing. She can also break many barriers crafted by others.
Healing - An ability refined in World's End, Zelda is a skilled healer, and is able to fix a great deal of damage done to a person. The process can be a taxing one, however, and it's important that the healing is timely.(This does not really emerge in canon, but it seems like a suitable application of the power she'd have given what little we do see. In OoT, Zelda creates hearts to heal Link, which I see as being a form of healing, and in TP, of course, she is able to heal Midna at great cost to herself - though this is largely dependant on the Triforce itself, it seems.)
Clairvoyancy - this power is not nearly as well developed as it has been for some of Zelda's ancestors and descendants, and occurs rarely and at random. Usually, it only manifests in precognitive dreams. It is possible that Zelda could hone this ability and vary it, but such would take time to be reliable. (Again, it isn't seen in TP, but it seems to be recurring in other princesses of the series such as in ALttP and OoT.)
(The following four are taken from Super Smash Bros.. While not canon, I think it's a reasonable stretch.)
Farore's Wind - Allows Zelda to warp over a short distance.
Din's Fire - An offensive spell allowing Zelda to either conjure a ball of flames she can then control, or a dome of fire that grows around her.
Nayru's Love - A temporary shield that appears as a trandparent blue diamond around her. Nothing can get through it, but the time span is very short.
Other magic - Zelda can, if necessary, call upon a little light magic, or energy, either in the form of a ball or as something to charge her movement, such as a slap.
Weapons:
Archery - Zelda is a skilled shot with a bow, even on horseback.
Swordsmanship - She is capable of using a sword if she must - though not a great strength, she honed this ability somewhat in World's End. Her physical strength, however, isn't much to speak of, and she is very inexperienced.
Other:
First-aid. Zelda learned this in World's End, and has passable medical skill even without her magic.
Zelda also learned a bit about cooking and cleaning, both things she'd had no previous experience with.
She is a skilled rider.
She can sew, though her practise was always based more in embroidery than tailoring.
She can play the harp.

Inventory:
Zelda will be arriving with little. She'll be wearing her diadem, a copper bracelet, and a cloak over her clothes, but will be unarmed. However, I'd like her direwolf, Sahar, to show up too. Sahar was acquired in World's End as part of an event, and as the direwolf is based on ASOIAF canon, shares a special link with the owner - particularly sensitive to potential dangers and feeling.