Despite being a princess, we don’t often see Princess Zelda doing things we traditionally associate with that station (unless you count getting kidnapped by a demonic, pig beast). Perhaps it’s my love of old Disney films, but I’d like to see how Zelda and Link would respond to the equally nerve-wracking situation of a royal ball.
Cleffernotes’ orchestral version of “Kass’s Theme” from Breath of the Wild sounds very regal and like a waltz you might hear at an occasion such as a ball. It causes my mind to imagine how each of the characters would respond to being invited (or forced) to participate. Link would wear his Royal Guard’s uniform that he would probably have spent hours prepping in order to best fulfill his duty to the royal family, and Zelda would wear the formal gown we see in many of the cutscenes. Kass’s teacher would be preparing to conduct but would stop to impart some last-minute words of encouragement to his Rito protege.
The music starts out simply with a few keys from a piano accompanied by the plucking of a stringed instrument like a harp or lute. Zelda would start to dance with someone carefully selected by her father. Her partner would be smiling from ear to ear, overwhelmed with joy at the honor of dancing with the princess, but Zelda’s face would be stoic. She would much rather be going over the latest data on the guardians.
As the song progresses, a new instrument accompanies the piano and lute just as a new partner always joins Princess Zelda. The tiny reverberations of a bell sound like raindrops in a lake as a Zora dances gracefully with the princess. A violin or cello joins, and the lush sounds invite Zelda to dance with a dignitary or representative of the Gerudo. As it’s replaced by wind instruments, you can only imagine Revali or another member of the Rito showing off their elegant plumage alongside the princess. Link keeps a watchful eye on the princess as a Goron does their best to boogie down accompanied by a xylophone.
Just as Zelda is tempted to stand up to her father and refuse to partake in such frivolity when the calamity approaches, Link cuts in. The piano that represents the princess intensifies as she is joined by her knight, and the familiar Zelda series theme plays as both she and Link try to hide the smile sitting behind their lips.
Cleffernotes’ elegant arrangement of “Kass’s Theme” is beautiful in the way that it continuously introduces new instruments to accompany the constant piano and lute. By doing so, it paints a picture of opulence and elegance where all the races in Hyrule join together to celebrate the bonds that unite them all, even in the face of the coming calamity.
