The sky, once brightly decorated with thousands of stars, had become consumed by the darkness of heavy clouds. Pouring mercilessly from the heavens, as though a deity wept, torrential rains had overcome all of Hyrule. Any poor citizens stuck outside at the time of the rain hurried to the nearest place of shelter. The rain was not alone however; lightning periodically lit up the sky, and thunder crashed with a boom. Within the old, stone walls of Hyrule Castle Town, a miracle had occurred. The Queen of Hyrule gave birth to her first child: a healthy baby girl.
"Oh, please, give her here…" The Queen requested, holding her arms out towards her daughter who was understandably upset by the loud thunder outside. She began to fuss and squirm.
"What shall you name the child, Your Highness?" The maid asked as she hurried over to the Queen to pass the child to her.
"The King and I discussed it already. Her name shall be Zelda, like her ancestors. We want her to be as strong as the princesses of legend." The Queen replied as she carefully took the infant into her arms. She smiled, as she looked her beautiful baby girl over.
"An excellent choice, Your Highness. I am quite fond of the name myself. If you'll excuse me, I'll go find the nurse. You and the Princess should be properly attended to. I can tell the nurse to give you some moments alone, if you wish. What a day to be born; while everyone else is celebrating Ascension Day, we are focusing on your new daughter." The maid bowed in respect before exiting the room and closing the door behind her as quietly as she could manage.
Baby Zelda was still fussing slightly, but her mood improved as the Queen started to slowly rock her in her arms.
"Zelda, you are such a special girl: you are a Princess. One day, you shall rule this great Kingdom…" The Queen whispered softly as she lightly ran a finger across the baby's delicate skin.
Several hours passed without a word from anyone, which worried the Queen. The nurse had not appeared, and her husband had not knocked on the door either. Just as she was summoning up the strength to get up and search for someone herself, a knock came through the door and the King quickly appeared in the doorway. At first she smiled at the sight of her husband, but her smile quickly faded. His face was deathly pale. She was worried, but surely his face was not in response to anything wrong with his daughter since the nurse had not spent enough time with the young girl to perform standard tests. Just as she was going to ask what was wrong, her husband spoke.
"…Dear, we need to talk. It is a matter that concerns the safety of this Kingdom." He finally said.
"Is it so important that we cannot even celebrate the birth of your heir? She is perfectly healthy as far as I can tell."
"Therein lies the problem; come with me. The child can come, too. I have already made a decision, but you deserve to voice your opinion on the matter." The King hurried to the bed to help his wife stand. When he observed she seemed to be more or less as strong as ever, he opened the door for her and walked with her to his private chambers. The thing that terrified him the most was that they possibly only had a few hours to devise some kind of plan. The sky was even darker than before; only the King thought the weather was a sign of greater things to come.
Princess… one day, you will understand. The King thought solemnly. He knew the news he was about to pass on to his wife would not be received well, but his hands were tied. At least the plan he was trying to develop gave them time: time to discover what they were up against, time to prepare for the greater threat to come, and time for the Princess. They needed all the time that the Gods were willing to spare; after all, the man who visited the King just hours before threatened the lives of every Hylian living in Castle Town. The King could sense that the man had the power required to follow through with his threat, which is why he felt so unsettled. Who was their mysterious, and dangerous, visitor?
As the King and Queen solemnly walked through the halls together-the King too lost in his thoughts to say anything-the maid who was attending to the Queen earlier hurriedly approached.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness. His Majesty requested that I not reenter the room until he had a moment to speak to you privately. Do you need help? Shall I carry your daughter for you? You must be tired. If you wish, I can get another potion for you. It might help you get your strength back faster."
"I appreciate your help, and all is forgiven. If you could please, make sure Zelda is comfortable and taken care of. I must continue an important conversation with His Majesty."
"Understood, Your Highness." The maid bowed her head in respect as they stopped in the hallway briefly to facilitate the safe transfer of the young Princess Zelda from her mother to the arms of the palace servant. With the Princess secure in her arms, the maid excused herself.
Though the King had not said anything, he did stop walking while the two women were talking about his daughter. With the maid's departure, the King took his wife's hand when he verified that they were alone in the hall.
"My dearest Zarina... I still do not feel comfortable discussing this sensitive matter out loud... the risk of someone overhearing us is great, and I must do what I can to protect our daughter. I am about to use my magic: are you ready?"
"Yes, Daphnes. I am ready." Queen Zarina gripped her husband's hands tightly, her stomach tightening up in worry. What in Din's name was going on? A mystical light bathed the two Hylian rulers, suddenly carrying their bodies away from the hallway.
When Zarina's senses returned to her, she was standing in the middle of the King's study along with her husband. His face was a complicated mixture of remorse, apprehension, and resolve.
"Daphnes, what is going on? Did something happen while I was in labor?"
"... I really do not know how to say this gently; something did indeed happen. While you were giving birth to Princess Zelda, a strange man burst into the main hall. He demanded to see me. I had no idea why someone was demanding an audience with me on today of all days, but I had nothing particularly pressing to attend to because we were still waiting to hear word about your condition so I agreed to hear him out. The man presented me with an ultimatum: either I would hand over Princess Zelda to him, or he would slaughter every man, woman, and child in Hyrule Castle Town." Daphnes did not meet his wife's eyes when he recounted the final part.
"... That... that is absolutely preposterous. Surely you did not fall for the insane ramblings of a disturbed man." Zarina looked at Daphnes questioningly.
"No... you are wrong, Zarina. That man... he is not disturbed. I could sense it within him as he spoke to me: he possesses strong magic that is not of this world. I have no idea who he is, or where he came from, but I fully believe his threat is not a bluff."
"I-Be that as it may, how did you respond?" Zarina was feeling her palms get sweaty, and her heart was racing. What exactly was the King trying to say?
"I told him that I must retrieve the child."
"...! I-In the name of the Goddesses, do you really intend to surrender your first born child?! The child who is to rule this land?! The child whose soul is guided by the Goddesses?!" Zarina's voice quickly rose as she began to panic.
"Zarina, please, calm yourself. I never told him that I was going to give him anything. I made him think that I might heed his demands, but do you really believe that I would surrender the Goddess Princess to him? No. I already came up with a plan."
"W-well, then, what are you going to do about him?" Zarina demanded.
"I am going to tell him that our child died. If he believes our daughter dead, then he has no reason to pursue the matter further."
"How in Din's name are you going to make him believe you?"
"Your attendant from earlier was kind enough to inform me that one of our maids here at the Castle gave birth to a girl just yesterday. But tragically, that baby girl is no longer with us. I was going to request that the maid surrender her deceased daughter to me so that I might present this child to our visitor instead of our own daughter."
"... Okay, so he will think that our daughter was stillborn. Alright. Your plan is sound, my dear."
"... I am sorry, Zarina, but... that is only the beginning."
"Only the beginning? Beginning of what? Daphnes, what are you talking about?"
"... Princess Zelda cannot stay here." Daphnes clenched his jaw when he finished speaking, clearly distraught over something.
"... What in the name of the Golden Goddesses are you saying, our own daughter cannot stay here?! Daphnes, are you mad?"
"Please, Zarina... you must understand... our daughter is not safe here. Think about it: if we tell this man that our daughter is dead, but everyone in the Kingdom sees her growing up here and fulfilling her role as the Goddess Princess, he will hear about it. And do you honestly believe he would forgive such treachery? If we lie to him now, we have to continue the lie... our Zelda cannot stay here. She must be raised somewhere else, living a life far removed from the life of a noblewoman."
"Y-You... you are suggesting... that... that I give up my first-born daughter, to allow her to be raised by some stranger?! You are telling me that I must cast her away, never to see her again?! Never to hold her, never to hear her sweet voice?! I carried this child all this time, eagerly awaiting the time when I could rock her to sleep and sing her lullabies... and you want me to forget about her?!" Zarina looked hysterical now.
"I know... I know, this is an impossible request. But our duty is to protect our people. Our daughter, our precious Zelda, is our most important treasure. But we cannot endanger the entire capital city for her sake. This way is the only way I devised that we could keep both... keep both our daughter and our people."
"But you just said we cannot keep her!"
"We cannot keep her here, no. But our daughter can still be safe even if she is not here at the Castle. I would rather someone who I trust to raise her as opposed to giving her over to the strange man whose powers I am unfamiliar with. I trust not his motives. Surely, his intentions for Zelda are not good. I must keep her away from him at all costs."
"I... I... oh dear Goddesses, please, do not make me do this...!" Zarina violently sobbed as she buried her face in her hands. The King wordlessly guided his wife into a chair, not wanting to risk her fainting and hurting herself.
"I... I will not get to watch her take her first steps... or hear her speak her first words... or watch as she learns how to draw, or play an instrument... all of the pride I could feel as a mother... you are taking everything away from me." Zarina's tear-soaked eyes glared daggers at Daphnes. The King sighed heavily.
"I understand that you are against this. Do you think I want this? Do you think I enjoy this? Zelda is going to be our pride and joy... but we must stop being selfish. We must make this difficult decision for the sake of everyone, including our own daughter."
"Who... who are you going to ask to raise her?" Zarina whispered, looking down at the ground. Her hand feebly clutched at her chest.
"I trust no one more than Torgaz. I believe him and his new wife Lillia are best-suited to this task. They will raise her well, and I trust that Torgaz will maintain an appropriate level of discretion. After all, simply raising Zelda will not be enough. We have to make sure that at all times, we are propagating the idea that our first-born child passed away. There must be absolutely no rumors that exist within these Castle walls, or beyond them, that whisper about the existence of Princess Zelda. Princess Zelda will be stricken from the mind of our people... at least until such a time that she can live up to her name as the Goddess Princess."
"But how in Nayru's name do you expect her to fulfill her destiny as the Goddess Princess if she is raised by Torgaz? Torgaz is not of royal birth, and his own father disowned him. Surely you can imagine someone better suited than he to raise Hyrule's most important soul?"
"Zarina... this is not an appropriate time for this conversation, but Torgaz is a true gentlemen among noblemen. Torgaz is indeed more noble of heart than his father; I do think it a pity that Torgaz has been disowned, because that means that he cannot inherit anything from his father, but the whole affair between Torgaz and his father is going to work to our advantage. Torgaz no longer lives in the city: we will send our daughter to live with him so that she might be far-removed from the public eye. She will not be discovered if she is living in a small, peaceful village, because her enemies will be too focused on the idea that she is a woman of noble birth. They will not pay any mind to people who might be considered of low social status."
"Why... why, Goddesses, are you testing us so? Never before in the history of our people have we been forced to give up our daughter... please, guide us, and guide our dear Zelda. Please..." Zarina was still fighting tears.
"I must excuse myself so that I may set the plan in motion. Please, dear, go say goodbye to Zelda. When I return, it will be time for her to leave. We cannot afford to tarry." With that, the King of Hyrule left Queen Zarina behind. His words were so final; she knew she had no chance of convincing him to abandon his course. Before her daughter was even a day old, she had no choice but to let someone else raise her. She felt so angry, confused, and an unsettling numbness was also growing inside her head. Everything she had been looking forward to was in mere hours ripped from her grasp forever.
Far removed from the part of the castle in which the Queen gave birth, a young woman was alone in the maids' quarters. She held a small, wrapped bundle against her chest and wept bitterly. The baby was still and silent, but the woman kept begging between her tears for the child to respond to her. Suddenly, the door to the maids' quarters opened and the King himself stepped over the threshold. He silently proceeded towards the crying maid, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder when he closed the distance between them. The woman was briefly frightened, as she had not heard anyone come up from behind her, but her fear turned to shock and embarrassment when she turned around and came face-to-face with His Highness Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule II. She clumsily bowed, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Y-your Majesty. I humbly re-request your forgiveness, Sire. I was grieving, and did not hear—"
"It is alright, my child. I understand that you are in pain right now. Some of the other maids told me that I might find you here. I am deeply saddened to hear about your loss, as your loss is also my loss. Your child would have been welcome to work with the Royal Family, just as you have. I can do nothing to make up for the fact that your child left this world so soon after being born, but perhaps I can offer something that will bring comfort to her soul in the afterlife. She will be offered a Royal burial to commemorate her service to my Family."
"C-commemorate her service? But Sire, she was born only yesterday…"
"Yes, I believe that the Gods themselves designed that she was to be born just a day before the Princess was."
"O-oh, that is right, I apologize for not congratulating you sooner on the arrival of the Princess. I trust she is well?"
"She is well, yes, but… I do not wish to put you ill at ease, but she is not safe right now. We are secretly moving her to a different location, away from the Palace. I am going to feign her death, and that is why I must ask if I may borrow your child. I will publicly announce that she passed away shortly after her birth, and we will bury your child as if we were burying my own daughter. If you agree to help me with this, your daughter will be forever honored in the graveyard of Kakariko Village."
"O-of course I agree to help you, Your Majesty. You are welcome to take her. I do not deserve this honor." The woman held out the small bundle to the King, looking at the floor.
"You may rest today and tomorrow. Tomorrow is when we take your child to Kakariko Village. If you would like, you may come with us. I will send a page here to let you know when we are leaving. I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to help me during this difficult time. Your service to my Family will not be forgotten." With that, the King took the child from the maid and left the quarters. Though it hurt him to have to give up his daughter, he was grateful that the Gods had given him all of the pieces to a puzzle that would help him save her and his people from the darkness to come.
As the King traveled through the halls of Hyrule Castle, carefully cradling the lifeless child in his arms, a mysterious, robed figure fell into step beside him without saying a word.
"Golden Goddess, I know it was You earlier who came to our aid. We can never repay the debt we owe You." The King spoke quietly as he continued to walk.
"This is not a matter of being indebted to Us; if anything, We owe everything to Goddess Hylia. Her valiant sacrifice so many ages ago is the key that ensures Hyrule's prosperity... We must protect the Goddess Princess at all costs. We will always be watching over the girl, no matter where she is or what guise she assumes. The day will come when the fate of this very Kingdom will rest on her shoulders, and We must do everything in Our power to make sure that the Goddess Princess remains loyal to the cause of Hylia. If we should lose the Goddess Princess to the Darkness... there will be no hope for anyone in this land."