Authors Note- Hey, this is my first fan fiction, and my first published writing of any sort, so constructive criticism would be helpful, no flames please. Thanks, and enjoy!
I walk through the graveyard.
Silence pervades the resting pace of so many souls, loud as an ocean, yet quiet as the wind.
My young body feels as if I have been on this place for centuries
Bones feel sore and brittle
Muscles resist movement, begging for rest
And my mind calls for permanent rest, to join these souls and never rise again.
I climb the last incline to the graves of the Royal Family.
Standing tall and serene
Marking the bodies of monarchs and rulers.
My tired eyes, once sparkling blue long faded to a dull navy, travel down the list of names
Centuries of rulers
Scores of names
Until my eyes rest upon the one name that holds meaning to me
Zelda Harkinian
Laid to rest 4 years ago, but I still feel her last breath leave her
Her lifeblood spill onto the floor
And my hands that held her as she left this world.
Zelda Harkinian
I still feel the rage and defeat as her killer escapes, never to be seen again.
An assassin for the neighboring kingdom of Termina.
Zelda Harkinian
The name burns into my heart, my soul
Repeating endlessly
Her blood is on my hands.
It was my job, my duty, to protect her
Not only as a job, as a friend
A lover.
Her blood forever stains my soul, forever weighs me down with guilt and sorrow.
Zelda Harkinian
I fall to my knees, choking on my grief
"I failed you."
My sword leaves it scabbard, it rests in front of me, bare.
It raises, tip pointed, ready to take the life of the one who once wielded it with prowess and pride
It rests on the chest of the once strong Hero
I hesitate
A failure to the one he loved does not deserve to live on
Thus decided, my muscles contract, preparing to deliver the blow
"But one who truly loved her would live on for them both"
Startled my blade drops, now spun to face the intruder.
But there was none.
It had come as a thought, a statement in my head
A statement that was not my own
"Do not fall to your false feelings of guilt"
The voice in my head… It comes from the grave
"You were not to blame."
It radiated with warmth and love, a feeling almost alien to me
""Be strong."
My eyes scour the grave once more, resting on the ultimate source of the warmth
Zelda Harkinian
"Yes my love. I still reside with you. Waiting for you to join me in the Sacred Realm."
The presence lost some of its warmth, cooling to a mellow
Longing and want filled the gap
"I wish for you to be here with me more than you could ever comprehend."
Confusion formed within me. She pleads for me to live, but wants me to be with her."
I speak. My voice carries the hoarseness and weakness usually associated with the elderly or those who will soon pass on.
"Then I will join you. If that is what you so desire my love."
A Feeling akin to a forlorn smile filled his mind.
"No my love. As much as I wish it, it is not your time. You are still needed in the mortal realm."
Frustration builds inside me. Does she not know how much I have suffered since her death?
"You are needed here as well! You were the only heir to the throne, and I… I still need you"
My voice breaks
Tears form in my eyes.
The longing warmth returns, accompanied by swelling pride
"I am not the only heir to the throne. You have royal Hylian blood flowing within you. Take my place on the throne. And know that I will always be with you, my love. I will always be here."
The presence leaves.
Silence fills the sudden emptiness in my mind.
I sheath my sword.
I am filled with a new purpose.
To live, not for me but for my lost love.
I walk out of the graveyard.
Silence fills the cemetery once more.
Momentarily broken by a longing sniff from the Royal Family's grave.