Chapter Two
Neyleen apprehensively opened her eyes as she slowly came to her senses. All she could remember was that flash, and then nothing. She then noticed that she was on a bed, in her bedroom she hoped. Then, when Neyleen blinked, the moment flashed before her eyes: Her mother; she touched the queen's hand. Her father; the king was shouting, telling her not to touch her mother.
She gasped softly, sitting up. She looked over and saw that this was her bedroom, and her sister was sleeping peacefully on the other bed. Aleera was facing her sister, her eyes closed. Neyleen's gaze rested on her sister's left hand. It was glowing faintly. She then glanced at her own right hand. The triangles were glowing faintly, too, but the bottom right one was slightly brighter than the others. Her eyes snapped back to her sister when she heard a moan.
Her twin yawned and stretched her arms up. Aleera looked at her sister. She grinned and waved.
"Hi-"
"Shh." Neyleen said just above a whisper, raising a finger to her lips.
Aleera stared, confused. Then, they heard soft voices outside of their door. The twins quieted, listening to the voices.
"How are Zelda and Link?" They heard Kallen ask.
"Fine, both are still sleeping." Kaleb answered. "And the girls?"
"I was just about to check on them."
The twins quickly lay back in bed, closed their eyes, and slowed their breathing. The door was opened and a crack of light moved, resting then on Aleera's face. She squeezed her eyes and turned onto her other side. The door slowly closed, and the light vanished. The girls sat back up, continuing to eavesdrop.
"I'm worried." Kallen said, her voice even more muffled than before. "They've been like this for almost a week."
Aleera suddenly stood on her bed, opening her mouth. Neyleen jumped from her bed and onto her sister's. She covered her twin's mouth right before Aleera was going to exclaim something.
"Shh!" Neyleen hissed.
Aleera muttered something behind her sister's hand.
"-normal. At least that's what Impa said." Kaleb said, but more distant this time.
"I still don't like it…"
Their voices faded away. Neyleen removed her hand and jumped off of the bed. Aleera slumped down onto her bed, and then crawled to the edge. She let her legs hang off of the edge.
"A week? We've been sleeping for a WEEK?" She cried. "Why?"
"Because of this." Neyleen said.
She traced the Triforce on her hand. Aleera frowned down at her left hand.
"What happened?" Aleera muttered.
"I just touched Mother, and poof! We now bare this mark."
"What's so special about it-?"
"Aleera, you idiot! This is what you get for not reading!" Neyleen snapped fiercely. "It's the Triforce!"
Neyleen sighed when her sister stared blankly at her. She moved back to her bed and pulled something out of her pillow cover. It was a book, the book that contained legends. Aleera moaned as her twin opened the book and started to flip through it. Neyleen placed her finger on the page and began to read:
"Long, long ago, before there was any life on land or in the sea, the three golden goddesses came down to the chaotic land of Hyrule: Din, the goddess of power, whose strength lay in fire, which she used to forge the red earth. Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, who bathed the land in her wisdom and brought order out of chaos, and Farore, that goddess of courage, who protected that order and, from her great heart, brought life to the world. When these tasks were completed and it was time for the three goddesses to return to heaven, they left behind a golden pyramid-the Triforce-and surrounding the land, became the sacred realm."
She closed the book with a snap of her wrist. Aleera had a sense of realization, her confusion gone. Neyleen nodded and securely put the book back in her pillow case. Her eyes rested on her right hand, seeing the three pieces-
Then, the princess paused as a sudden fear came over her. She started to nervously pace in between their beds. Aleera sighed and watched her twin. Neyleen started to mutter to herself, trying to figure out who could be the other bearer...
Gerudo Desert
The young queen gasped as she awakened from her slumber. She sat up in her bed, suddenly feeling hot to the touch. A guard rushed in the room at the sound.
"Your Highness! You're awake!" The guard cried.
"I, uh, yes I am." The queen muttered, gazing at her right hand.
"Do you need something-?"
"I need you to leave." The queen snapped.
The guard blinked, startled at her queen's outburst. She quickly composed herself and bowed. When she left the room, the young girl jumped off of her bed. Her wicked grin spread into a smile as she realized what had happened. She looked up at the portrait hanging on the wall. It was of rather scary looking man, his orange eyes almost glowing.
"Finally, Father." Dezaia whispered. "It has happened."
Hyrule Castle
Neyleen's train of thought was suddenly cut off by a racket outside their door. There came an eruption of voices. The princesses jumped onto their beds, starting to "sleep" again. They kept quiet, to listen to the voices.
"No! I am seeing my girls!" A voice yelled.
Both girls sat up at their mother's voice. She was okay! Aleera started to get out of the bed, but Neyleen shook her head.
"Zelda, they are still sleeping!" Kallen said softly.
"What? So that means that I can't see them?" The queen snapped.
Kallen was probably going to say something else, but the door opened. Light flooded into the room. Zelda then rushed into the room, with her siblings at her heels. The queen smiled, relieved. The twins hopped off the beds and into their mother's arms.
"You're all right!" Neyleen cried.
"And so are you two!" Zelda said.
Aleera then pulled away, her smile vanished. Zelda frowned, confused. Kallen slapped Kaleb's arm, then she gestured to the door. The Lady and Lord of Hyrule left the room with Kaleb rubbing his sore arm.
"What is it, dear?" Zelda asked worriedly.
"What happened, Mother? Why did you and Father-Father!" Aleera suddenly realized.
Aleera ripped out of her mother's grasp, running for the door. Zelda managed to catch her daughter by the arm. The princess slid to a stop.
"Your father is fine, Aleera! Let him rest!" The queen assured.
Aleera looked to the door with longing. The queen reluctantly released her arm. The princess didn't move. Zelda sighed and rubbed her temples.
"I already told her what happened, Mother." Neyleen offered. "Of course, she wasn't listening. I told her that we are the new bearers, whether we like it or not."
Zelda grinned at her daughter as Aleera plopped back on her bed. The queen brushed her fingertips along Neyleen's cheek. Neyleen almost cringed away, and she felt a pang of guilt. What was wrong with her? Her twin also noticed this, but decided it better not to point it out. Zelda thought she noticed it, but she thought she was seeing things. She hoped she was.
"We know who received my piece." Zelda murmured. "Wisdom."
Aleera glanced between her twin and her mother. The bearers of Wisdom; New and old. She got off of her bed slowly. She unconsciously touched her left hand. Zelda looked at her, and then took Aleera's hand.
"Just like your father…" Zelda said, mostly to herself.
"What do you mean? Do I have Father's piece?" Aleera asked softly.
"Yes." Zelda answered with a nod. "Courage."
Zelda sighed and dropped her hand. She almost flowed to the window. The queen opened the blinds with a flick of her wrists. The twins squinted and looked away, startled by the sudden flood of light. Zelda grinned at her daughters, laughing at their expressions.
"Come on now, get changed." She ordered them. "I imagine that you would want to change, seeing how you've been in those dresses for a week now."
Neyleen looked down at her dress in disgust. Aleera looked down at hers and shrugged. Zelda walked to the door, about to close it.
"Why do you want us to change?" Aleera asked.
"Well, you two need to learn a few things. Meet me in the library when you're finished. And hurry, you two have a guest as well." Zelda said with a grin.
The twins stood there for a second, but Neyleen then went to their dresser. She bit her tongue when she saw the damage of the drawer she clawed a week ago. The paint was chipped while the wood was splintered. She quickly opened it, as so not to draw attention so that her twin would came and see what she was gawking at.
"Guest?" Aleera suddenly said, making her sister jump. "Who could that be?"
"I don't know." Neyleen answered, pulling a dress from the drawer.
Aleera caught the light pink dress in her hands. A look of loathing appeared on the princess's face. She walked up behind her twin.
"Pink? Really, Nellie?" Aleera scoffed.
"Oh, sorry. That's for me." Neyleen said, taking the dress and trading it for a light purple one.
Aleera was going to question her sister, but there was a knock at the door. Aleera sighed and went to open it. She opened it a crack, seeing how she was still in her underclothes. Neyleen's jaw dropped as she saw her sister's outfit. She yanked her sister back and took her place, since Neyleen put on the light pink dress.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Oh, good." A male voice said. "I was told that you two were awake."
"Alec? Yes, we woke up this morning." Neyleen told the young guard. "What's been going on with the outside world?"
"Uh, nothing really? Look, is Aleera okay?" Alec asked impatiently.
"She's fine. Would you like to-?"
"No! I gotta go, anyways."
And with that, the young boy vanished. Neyleen opened the door completely, looking down the halls. But Alec disappeared. She shrugged and closed the door. Aleera was pulling the dress over her head.
"That was Alec?" She asked with her voice muffled.
"Yes, I asked if he would like to talk with you, but he ran off."
"Again?" Aleera muttered as she adjusted her dress.
Aleera and Alec have always liked each other, but ever since her sixteenth birthday, Alec has avoided her. Aleera was heartbroken. She thought that she loved him, and she thought that he always felt the same…He did, though, talk with her about a year ago. The scene played in her head like it was just yesterday:
"Aleera, you are a princess." Alec repeated. "I'm just a guard. I'm not good for you!"
"No! You are perfect for me!" Aleera cried, taking his hand.
Alec looked away, ripping his hand from her grip.
"Good–bye, my princess." He said as a single tear raced down his cheek.
"Alec, no!" She whispered, tears cascading down onto the courtyard.
He kissed her forehead, turned, and vanished into the night. Aleera cried out, falling onto her knees. Her face fell into her hands-
"Aleera?" Neyleen asked.
She gasped and opened her eyes, which were wet. Neyleen frowned, worried. Aleera ran her arm across her face, wiping up the stray tears.
"I'm fine. Come on." Aleera murmured.
Aleera rushed out of the room, leaving her sister in the room. Neyleen blinked, and then followed her sister to the library.
