Disclaimer: I don't own the Zelda franchise. I do claim rights over my title, story plot and OC.
Secrets For Lies
The moon lit Zelda's flawless skin and revealed tears calmly collected in her eyes. She stared at the clouded sky, wondering if what was to come to Hyrule was just too much for her kingdom to withstand.
After the loss of Midna, Link had refused to see or help the Hylian princess again. He declined the riches she offered, the prestige of marrying any woman he wanted, and even a throne beside her. He'd lost too much to care for anything other than his horse.
Deep in thought, her eyes focused on the stars above, she questioned what a princess, soon to be crowned queen, could do to save Hyrule from the unavoidable sentence that threatened her land. That new threat, she knew was just as great as the War of Twilight. That new threat, without Link, could end it all for good.
She sighed, repressing a shudder of fright.
"Your grace," a servant began behind her, "your guest has arrived, he awaits you in the throne room."
"Thank you, Isselt." The princess marched with a mixture of determination and hope in her step, past the servants and out of the courtyard.
Left and right her servants bowed and curtsied as the princess walked by saying "my lady," or "your grace," and "your highness." She'd been brought up to accept these formalities as something she deserved, but since the Hylians' fate would soon become her responsibility, Zelda felt unworthy of their respect.
Two guards opened the door to the throne room, and a third announced her arrival to the one-man audience, and he didn't bow.
Upon seeing the disgrace of the man, soldiers were soon running to him, but stopped when the princess held her hand up to dismiss them.
He looked just like Zelda had imagined.
When Zelda was a young child, the king told her stories of a young boy in a far away place, destined to be hero and prince but never allowed to. After she met Link, Zelda was certain he had been the boy favored in the old king's stories.
It wasn't until a fortnight ago that her father told her just how wrong she was. It wasn't until a fortnight ago, that her father delved deeper into the real story of the forbidden hero prince.
His name was Sheik, and he grew up to be a scholar and a warrior amongst the people of, appropriately enough, Sheikah.
The princess kept her gaze on the man and even when she seated on her throne in front of him, he paid her no glance.
"I hope you no problem presented itself on your way here," the princess said softly, and all too awkward.
"Your guardsmen came for me."
The princess smiled apologetically. "I wanted to ensure your safe arrival."
"I thank you for the kindness and care you bestow on a lowly Sheikah."
"I take great importance in my people."
"But the Sheikah are not your people," he hissed, his red eyes shone through his blonde hair. The danger within them was controlled and at ease.
It was true, the Sheikah had long ago stopped being part of Hyrule. Today, the Sheikah was a well-established tribe, sought after by many of distant kingdoms and even some Hylians for their powers and knowledge.
It was also true that Zelda needed the Sheikah. This Sheikah.
"I sent for you, because there are pressing matters that need your attention," Zelda breathed.
"There are many Sheikah scholars with more knowledge than I possess."
"I can want no other to help but you," the princess said, then stood and walked to him.
His name was Sheik, and he was her half-brother.
"Not five years ago did Hyrule survive the War of Twilight," the princess said. "Two fortnights have past since I came upon the knowledge of a doom that will soon dawn on Hyrule." The Sheikah couldn't have cared less and Zelda could tell. She allowed another sigh to escape her, before continuing. "Also on that very night, I gained knowledge of who you are and what you are destined to be."
"I'm just a Sheikah, your grace," Sheik said.
"But you are also Hylian," the princess countered.
The insolent smirk hidden behind his robes faded. For the first time, fear found him; he didn't want what his mother said on her deathbed to be true.
The princess took Sheik's arms and looked into his scarlet eyes. "Sheik," said she, "I called for you because you," she struggled to speak out the right words, "because you are needed by Hyrule. What is coming to my kingdom cannot be stopped by the crown alone. And our hero of light is...indisposed. We need you, fervently."
Sheik tore himself from her grasp. He was no great hero, in fact he just a decent fighter; a scholar is always best kept inside and not out in war. "Need I remind you of the reason that banished my tribe?"
"That was long ago. Too long ago, I don't care for the past. There is a reason you are here, before me," Zelda said, staring hopeful into his eyes, "there is a prophecy that calls for the king's son to free Hyrule from the horrible fate that awaits the kingdom after rising from the twilight." Sheik gulped down, his adam's apple visibly blobbling even through the thick robes. "The king," Zelda went on, "is your father, too."
Shortly after the marriage to the late queen, the king had an affair with a Sheikah living amongst Hylians. The people of Hyrule loved their queen, and the king knew this. The people of Hyrule would hardly (if) tolerate their king to have a lover.
Such an act may have been common in other kingdoms, but not Hyrule.
The Sheikah woman left Hyrule for good, under king's wish. Sheik was born nine months later, as the king's bastard son. A secret known only to the Sheikah woman and the king–until a fortnight ago, when the sickly king confessed to his daughter.
He imagined his confession to be a blessing in disguise. Sure, the kingdom was doomed to suffer another war, and sure Link was lost to heartache. But the kingdom had a prophecy, one that allowed the king to be forgiven in his own eyes.
A prophecy that to him, said he was destined to have a bastard son: the prophecy said the king's son would save Hyrule, not the prince. Ill, and fated dead by the shaman who tried to heal him, the king told his daughter the guiltless secret he'd kept for so long.
Zelda frowned at the memory of that night. It wasn't her fault the king placed too much confidence in prophecies and unknown heroes. She resented her father a little, but upon seeing Sheik, she knew in her heart that he would save Hyrule. Or at least she hoped.
"You are mistaken, your grace," the Sheikah said.
"I am not. My," she cleared her throat, "our father told me your mother would tell you. Can you deny that?"
"I cannot."
"Then you are my brother," Zelda said, opening her arms for an embrace.
"Whatever happened in your father and my mother's past is none of my concern, as is the fate of Hyrule." With that, the forbidden prince turned around and headed for the exit.
The two guardsmen at the doors crossed their Hylian pikes, a signal for the Sheikah to turn back to the princess.
Sheik kept his stride, ignoring the "halt" warned by a guard. The guardsmen frowned at the Sheikah's absurdity. In turn, Sheik pulled the men's pikes and pointed them at their necks in a single, swift move.
The guards froze.
Zelda didn't. She'd seen more violence than what could possibly unfold if she pushed the Sheikah further.
And Arin stirred in her bed; she didn't like how this dream turned out, it made her heart raise in her sleep. She forced her eyes open, and glanced at the alarm clock beside her. It was only four thirty in the morning. She frowned; it was the sixth time that month that she had woken up because of this stupid dream.
A moment of insanity took over and she laughed at herself: she was having dreams about The Legend of Zelda game and they weren't even about Link!
Author Notes: Like the description says, this is sort of a one shot, for the time being. I want to get you guys' input to see if I should continue with the story or not. The complete story would involve my OC, Arin, and obviously Sheik, and at times even Link. Also, before anyone starts flaming this because Sheik is supposed to be Zelda, skip it, 'cause that is one of only two things I don't like in the game.