-II-
OF THE CHILDREN OF THE KING

Thus it was, in the fifteenth year of his reign, Nivolö, the Ninth Great King of all Hyrule, wished to take a wife. According to noble tradition, he was to pick a girl from the upper echelon of Hylian society.

The one he chose was named Rowena, the beautiful redheaded daughter of a wealthy baron. Among our people, Rowena is often called Most Radiant, for she was like the morning spring of our race, with skin the color of white ivory and hair the many hues of the red morning sun, and it is said that she was a manifestation of the Crimson Goddess, who is Din, and who is both beautiful and terrible(see Lamentations: The Cry of the Ninth King / The Old Ones and Their Manifestations).

The King began to court her, and though he was spurned more than one, Nivolö was persistent, and they fell deeply in love. A short month after meeting, they announced their intentions to marry.

Their wedding was the largest ever seen in Hyrule, with over twenty thousand in attendance at the ceremony, which was held in front of Hyrule Castle.

Several weeks later, the whole kingdom was later filled with joy at the announcement that the Queen was with child. Many months passed, and as the time of birth drew near, the doctors and midwives knew that something was amiss. Her Majesty had grown much too large to be carrying a single child. Lo and behold, fraternal twins were born to her when she finally did deliver!

"They are the joys of my heart, the sweet blessings of the Goddesses," Rowena was heard to have said. "I shall love them all the days of my life."

Unfortunately, the Queen would never be able to live up to that promise. She had poured all of her great essence into the creation of her progeny, and so she did die in the arms of her lead midwife after much struggle in the birthing of her mighty children. King Nivolö learned of his beloved wife's passing shortly afterward and was thrown into a terrible pit of loathing, and for many days he would see no one, not even his newborn children.

Grief swept over the kingdom in a few short days. Thousands of wailing mourners were present at her funeral, including Nivolö and the two newborn members of the Royal Family.

Their names had finally been decided on after much debate.

The little prince, who was the elder by a minute or so, was given the name Tarquin.

His sister, the tiny princess, was to be called Zelda.

In a world that knew only sadness, they were shining beacons of hope. Life had to go on without Rowena, no matter how difficult and trying it would be.

Life did go on, and the years began to tumble by. Nivolö grew older and wiser and gray of hair, while Tarquin and Zelda grew tall and healthy. The royal children were everything the people had hoped they would be. They were intelligent, resourceful, kind, levelheaded, wise, courageous, and powerful.

Prince Tarquin was almost the spitting image of father when he was a youth. The boy had the same light brown hair and the same bright blue eyes that Nivolö once did. He was the heir to the throne, the crown prince, and was tended to and pampered all the days of his life, for the day would come when he would be the Tenth King. Groomed from an early age to be a leader, he was boisterous and promised that he would one day be the greatest of all the Kings of Hyrule.

On the other hand, Princess Zelda was more akin to her mother; graceful, very pretty, and possessing a quiet wisdom. She had the same color eyes that her brother did, but her hair was a deep shade of red, much like Rowena, her mother. Zelda was the apple of her father's eye, and she confided all of her troubles in him, and vice-versa.

The bond between brother and sister was strong, so it is said, and they were rarely parted from one another, save when they took lessons in separate parts of the castle.

However, the happy times were to be replaced by times of woe as dark storm clouds of mysterious change began to appear on the horizon.

Fifteen times the new year had come and gone, and as the country prepared to celebrate thirty summers and winters of the King's sovereignty the chain of events that brought about the world we know today was set into motion.

Enoc, the prophet who had traveled the world preaching about hell fire and repentance of sins, visited Hyrule(see Oracles: A History of Getting it Right). The old King welcomed the oracle and listened intently to what he had to say.

"The time shall shortly come, the Golden Times will pass away, and a New Era is dawning! My King, seek the Wise Men and set them at their divine task!" said the great prophet.

And so it was that the King decreed that Enoc should find the Wise Ones. The prophet would do this with the help of Raru, the High Priest of the Goddesses. Five sages were then chosen from several of the races of Hyrule: Sheikah, Goron, Zora, Kokiri, and Gerudo alike(see Sages: Now and Then).

When they had been assembled, Enoc brought them to a spot one hundred paces from Hyrule Castle told them that the days of peace were numbered.

"This age is coming to an end," he said. "Turmoil and demise will overwhelm Hyrule. Your people will all change, change or die. The works you perform in your lives will serve as beacons of safety for future generations."

Great temples were to be built in preparation for the coming darkness.

The first had been built, and rebuilt, and fallen, and then rebuilt again from the beginning days of the Kingdom of Hyrule. It would be called again, the Temple of Time, and would be the gateway to the Sacred Realm of legend.

From Hyrule City, many masons were conscripted, and they set about building the temple, but seven months into construction, the first of the great catastrophes befell the land of Hyrule.

Nivolö, the master of his country for three decades, passed away one night in his sleep. His doctors examined him thoroughly, but could not determine the cause of death. Foul play was suspected, and the King's advisors and those who were around him last scrambled to clear their names. The nation was mortified that someone would kill their benevolent ruler, and that horror quickly turned to rage. Riots broke out in Hyrule City. People looted merchant's stores and started fires, trying desperately to act out the pain they felt at the loss of their great king.

Amidst all the chaos and the mourning for Nivolö, Prince Tarquin, at age fifteen, was proclaimed to be the next King of Hyrule.

He promised his subjects that his father's murderer would be found at any cost.