Author's Note: This one's rather long, hope you're cozy!
Chapter Ten
Of Love and Legends Told
When Zelda awoke the next morning, it was to good tidings. A caravan was making its way through the valley, coming from the north. One of the village boys had seen it on his watch, as soon as the sky had begun to lighten. Darius knew the caravan immediately: the Kefei, Sosarian wandering tribes. He'd been expecting them.
Zelda sensed the air of anticipation as soon as she woke, and joined Darius and the others at the Northern Cliff. From there, they could see a blur of wagons winding down the open road. Darius had already sent a rider to meet them. Once they were under cover of the forests, supplies could be brought up the mountain.
The task took an entire day's work, with watches posted north and south of the caravan on the road as well as throughout the surrounding woods. The caravan's leader was Deko, a man of forty or so, and when he came to the campsite with the first of the supplies, Darius embraced him like a brother.
"You've been away from us for too long, old friend. And who's this?" He said as Zelda approached. He bowed dramatically and took her hand and kissed it, all in one smooth motion. "Such a beauty, hidden away in these woods!" Zelda smirked at his flirtation, flourishing words meant for a common girl's ears.
Darius cleared his throat. "Deko, may I present Zelda, Daughter of Harkinian, Princess of Hyrule."
Deko looked at Zelda with astonishment, and said, "Apologies, Princess." He spoke low and bowed in the Sosarian style of restraint, a slight nod of the head and a hand over the heart.
Many a tent circle stayed active with the work of receiving and distributing supplies, as well as accommodating the Kefei as guests, most of whom would make camp up in the woods with the villagers tonight. Zelda spent the day among them and then the evening tending to the horses in the makeshift stables the villagers had made, as long as fading daylight would allow her- and then, as long as she was willing to burn lantern oil. Finally, she gave up, blew the lantern light out.
Echoes of laughter and excited talk could be heard throughout their part of the forest as people lingered in campfire circles, even though it was late. Zelda found Darius around such a one with Deko, Error, and his man at arms, Jascha. She hesitated- they spoke quietly- but Darius saw her, and immediately stood, the others following suit.
"Please sit," and he offered her a hand.
"I apologize for interrupting," She said.
"Not at all," Darius said, giving the others a meaningful look. "We should have included you in our talk."
"And… what was it you were discussing?"
They all looked at each other, unsure of who should speak.
"Princess," Deko finally started. "We were talking about our plans over the next months. The Kefei are a much larger number than you see here. We intend to make our way to Keretia, moving quickly through the valley. We will only stay with you one night, two at most. We will move past the villages, sending scouts near as though we didn't know about the fires, and want to investigate. If we're being watched by the Keretian Mountain Clans, or by Maltuk's men, our behavior must seem as natural as possible. We'll then journey into Keretia, do some trading at the market places of Kurumet City as we do on our southern route every winter, and then head a meandering north back to Sosaria.
"Our people have split into several caravans to do this. In three weeks, another caravan headed by my wife will come through here- perhaps through a different route if we can find one, so stay watchful. Then again in another month, and again and again, until spring."
"How is my father compensating you for your trouble?"
Deko let show half a grin. "Gold, and lots of it. Not to worry, Princess. He has not insulted us nor shamed Hyrule, by asking what he cannot pay for."
Darius spoke up. "I wanted to avoid bringing in soldiers of any kind. Your father's standing army cannot spare the men anyway- not to offend-" Zelda let out a sarcastic bark of laughter, and shook her head. "-But soldiers are not subtle, and Keretia might see a military presence as a threat. We needed a better way to keep the villagers' hiding place a secret, and the Kefei are friends of mine, who are currently having trouble trading and could use the Hyrulean Rupees to lend legitimacy to their dealings. Otherwise cities in Keretia and Ertruria won't barter with them."
"Ah," Zelda said carefully, "A clever plan, that benefits everyone. Curious, though, how Sosaria isn't really involved in this at all, except through the nomadic tribes they don't wish to acknowledge of late, and the fourth prince who is so separated from his family that the daughter of their strongest ally knew nothing of him until two months ago. Tell me, Darius, were you even at court when Hyrule called upon Sosaria for help against Keretia?"
Darius' mouth dropped open. "I- I-" He stuttered.
"Your majesty," Deko tried to put in, but Darius raised a hand and he fell silent.
"You are right in all of this, Princess. I was not at court. My father's advisor sent for me. My father doesn't even know I'm here. For all he knows, it's just another faceless ambassador out here. But I promise you, I carry the clout of Sosaria's name wherever I go- and the weight of her burdens. I'll not fail you, Princess."
He regarded her with an unflinching gaze. The men around him watched them wide-eyed, waiting. Finally, she said:
"Zelda. Call me Zelda."
The others breathed a sigh of relief, and Darius' gaze softened, a hint of a smile on his lips. He gave a slight nod.
"Very well. Zelda."
"So then," she pressed onward, "do the Kefei hope to communicate with Darius' spies once they're in the city?"
"Yes, Princess," Deko answered, "But we're not sure if we'll be able to. It's dangerous, and even if we learn anything, sending someone back here would be near impossible."
"Even sending a carrier pigeon would be too dangerous," Jascha added. "It would likely be shot down." A bolt of worry went through Zelda at that thought, and she saw Bird's beautiful blue plumage against the sky in her mind's eye.
"And what about the Mountain Clans, who so many believe are the ones who actually threw the torches? How do you hope to learn more about them?" Zelda didn't look at Error when she said it, but allowed her gaze to fall naturally to him in the pregnant silence that followed. Finally, Error cleared his throat.
"M'lady, we've been sending scouts to the Lookout Point, west of here. It's a cliff with a path that dips down into a ravine and after a day's journey, brings 'em close to the Mountain Clan's camps. We know their whereabouts and 'ave been spying on them these last two months." Error didn't seem proud that he had hidden this from Zelda, but his words still had a defiant edge. Zelda considered her words carefully.
"I understand why you didn't trust me with this knowledge until now. Tell me though: have you found evidence of their guilt, or that they're planning to attack again?"
Error shook his head. "No m'lady."
"Could it be that they're not involved at all? My understanding was that the worst they'd ever done until the burnings was steal grain and chickens."
"Once of 'em broke me cousin's arm!"
"A boy," Zelda said gently, "who was caught in the act of stealing, and was attacked and was defending himself? Is that the one?"
Error looked away guiltily at that.
"You don't understand, m'lady. Our homes are destroyed. You have a nice warm castle to go home to but our homes are gone. And some'un is to blame."
"I'm sorry…" It would be easy to lecture him about undeserved blame, but Zelda knew it would close his heart to her. She tried another approach. "Let me ask you this. Do you feel, deep in your gut, that they're the ones who did it?"
Error looked pained and angry at the question, but had to shake his head.
"You're right. It's not like 'em. My 'pa, when I was a boy, used to tell it like this: that they kept the old ways of Keretia, before Keretia turned sour. If my 'pa had respect for 'em, must be a reason." He eyed Zelda a moment longer, and finally said, "I'll tell the men to stop tracking the Mountain Clans. It's too dangerous, as it is." Zelda hid her sigh of relief, and could sense the same from Darius.
"A wise idea, Error," Deko said, and patted him gruffly on the shoulder. "Come- let's talk to the men right now. I'd like to come too, if you'll allow. I'm curious about this ravine, and how much the men can tell me about the paths leading around these woods."
"Of course, they'd be happy to help." They stood to go. Deko looked over his shoulder.
"Jascha, why don't you come with us?"
Jascha looked up, surprised. "Why?"
Deko hid his exasperation poorly.
"Jascha. Come."
The young man looked at Darius, then Zelda, took the hint, and bolted up to follow the others, leaving Zelda and Darius alone with the slowly dying campfire.
Darius didn't meet Zelda's gaze, and Zelda watched him with growing amusement until finally he chanced a look at her. Then they both laughed- his embarrassed, hers triumphant. She let Darius stoke the fire a little and gather his thoughts before saying,
"I was ready to allow you to never tell me about your past… but you must know that has changed, now that I know it's affecting your decisions about my people."
"Yes, Princess- Zelda- I'm sorry. I- It's complex. But I should have been more open with you from the beginning."
"Why weren't you?"
Darius looked shocked that she didn't already know.
"You…" He searched for the words. "You were cold to me, the moment you laid eyes on me. Angry- as though my mere presence offended you. Brash in your greetings. My position is precarious enough without sharing my secrets to a hostile ally, friend in name only."
Zelda's mouth opened in protest but no words came out. Suddenly the last months took on an entirely different light.
"I'm so sorry, Darius. I-" but how to explain to him, that being away from Link was like not being able to breathe- that being sent on this mission without him was a special form of punishment- being forced to continue living her life without him- when she had no room left in her heart even for her own life's fortune and happiness.
"I'm sorry. I'm carrying a grief, and it is making me cruel."
Darius regarded her for a long time, studying her- testing the truth of her words against the look in her eyes. Finally, Darius started:
"My father grew up in a time of great peace for Sosaria. Prosperity unlike any that was remembered in the annals or tales of old. But his brothers were not peaceful men. When his father died an untimely death and he took the throne at sixteen, his brothers almost immediately began to plot against him and each other. By five years' end, he had cut one brother down in a duel, and another in a battle that cost thousands of lives. To bring back peace, he did things that were against his conscience. He ended up killing many hundreds to squash rebellions and uprisings. He placed his sisters in two marriages that he knew would be unhappy for them, to bring warmongering lords back into the fold. One of those sisters was beaten to death by her husband, whom my father then put to death. It is believed my father's first wife's death was the result of these horrors, as she loved his sister and grieved a great deal, and her pregnancy suffered many complications. Both she and the baby died. All this tragedy, because his brothers vied for power.
"When he married again, years later, he decided to do everything he could to prevent this happening again, so when in three years, his wife bore three boys, he sought out the greatest minds he could find to 'change a man's brutal heart,' as he put it. He brought philosophers, healers, artists, musicians, poets to court. He brought Deko to court, a boy of fourteen when my oldest brother was born, but already a renowned scholar. And an unsurpassed tenor."
Zelda couldn't help but smile at the image.
"Was Deko of the Kefei at the time?"
"His whole life."
"Truly?"
"You might not think it, but being a wanderer is the best way to develop one's mind. By travelling the world, one may visit all the world's libraries, not to mention see all the many types of people in the world, the many ways in which they live. And because you may never see the same book again, or look upon the same painting, or hear the same song, you learn to recall any passage, any image, any tune of interest."
"Ah- of course." Zelda had felt her share of envy of travelers, reading of Link's many adventures in his letters. That familiar pang rose in her again. She took a breath.
"So your father hoped to change the timbre of court to evoke a different future for you and your brothers?"
"Yes. And it seemed to work. Many great minds were put to the disciplines of agriculture and architecture as well, creating new strategies against the harsh Sosarian winters. As the results of these were felt, the nobles, too, invested in minds that could deliver greater yields of crops and warmer homes and castles. Prosperity was slowly returning to Sosaria. But my father's most treasured triumph was that his sons loved each other and no ambition for the throne lived among the younger brothers."
Darius let the story rest for a while, and they both sat in quiet. Other fires around the camp were being put out, one by one, as the night deepened. The only sounds were bits of low talk on the wind and the pine trees rustling, branches creaking as they leaned to and fro. It was warm for a night this deep into winter. The wind didn't cut to the bone as it did so many nights. Zelda wondered if, in an evening or two, the wind would bring rain with it.
The fire was dying out. Zelda put another log on and waited for Darius to return from his thoughts. When he met her eye, she asked:
"How did the peace end?"
He took a deep breath.
"You have met my brothers, Donalbain, Garethos, Agravaine. The twins are ten years older than me, and Donalbain, twelve. When I was six years old, and Donalbain eighteen, my father invited a Witch to court. He had been out hunting and saw her Sign. I remember her arrival. I remember her smell. She destroyed everything my father had spent decades building, with five words. The only five she spoke, before the hall burst into chaos and she disappeared. She pointed at me, and said, This boy will be King."
Zelda gasped- "No!" And she could feel the chaos of that hall, she could feel Darius' father's world crumble. And Darius'.
"I remember her hair, black and caked with snow- I remember how the red jewel glowed, on her finger that pointed. And I'll never forget the sound of her voice. Low. Melodic. Like a courtesan, seducing away from my father everything for which he fought. You would have thought that the rational mind, which my father had so long cultivated in everyone in that room, would have prevailed. Instead- chaos." That last word dropped to a whisper.
"In the weeks to follow, my whole life was upturned. Everyone's was. Great shouting arguments erupted between those who wanted to maintain order and those who feared defying the Witch's prophesy, as though it were a command. My brother Donalbain even attacked me. Cornered me one night like a common bully, accusing me of wanting the Witch's words to come true. Gave me a black eye and broke my nose. When I ran to my other brothers, they responded with only cold silence, as though this were a punishment I deserved. I remember later that night, my mother found me, brought me back to my father's chambers. She left me in the antechamber with the healer and took her grief to my father- screamed and screamed at him, with the rage of a mother who'd just lost her child. Why did you bring her here? WHY?! She screamed over and over. My father, to his credit, did not lift a hand against her, nor did he dismiss her. Perhaps he knew as well as she did- they had lost me. In a way, they had lost all their children.
"The next day, Deko took me away from court, and ever since then, these past fifteen years, for the most part, I've been traveling with him and the Kefei."
"Have you returned to court at all?"
"Yes- twice. After ten years, when I was sixteen. My mother wept to see me. My father too. The twins were gentle, but Donalbain wouldn't speak to me. More from shame and guilt, I thought, than hatred. But his heart is hardened to me, with the fear he's lived with. I'm a threat to his crown, as long as I'm alive. If only I could convince him, his crown is the last thing I would ever want. I'd die before I took the throne of Sosaria."
"Was it any different, the second time?"
"Yes- and no. Donalbain tried to make amends with me. He told me he finally realized I had no intentions against him. When I asked what changed his mind, he admitted to having me followed and spied on, the entire time I was away from court. It was insult added to injury. I had been waiting for so long, for the day I'd be welcomed back to court. But it had taken him fourteen years to allow the possibility that I wasn't amassing a force against him. But perhaps the worst part is that though he spoke the words and the evidence was plain as day, I could tell he was lying, and sill didn't trust me. I didn't know my heart could be broken again, until that day.
"I correspond with them- I visit my parents when they summer in Keretia- but I'll never return to court."
Silence fell between them, and Zelda took a long time to consider all he'd said. Something still didn't sit right, however. There was something Darius wasn't saying.
"Your father- does he know the Kefei are involved in this plan?"
Darius shook his head. "No more than he knows that I am."
Zelda nodded, not surprised. She crafted her next question with care.
"Exactly how far out of favor with court are the Kefei?"
"Zelda… it's late…"
"I know, it's just curious to me that fifteen years ago the likes of Deko were singing for the Queen and advising the King, and now they're doing the dangerous work of smuggling in a foreign land to get by."
A pained look crossed Darius' face and Zelda knew she found the crux of the issue.
"Zelda…" He sighed, rubbed his face with his hands in sudden exhaustion. "Deko believes…" He struggled for words. "Deko believes that there should not be any kings, ruling any kingdoms at all, in the whole world." He met Zelda's gaze squarely. "And I agree with him."
"By the Three- Darius!" She did not know what she was expecting, but this wasn't it.
"Please, Zelda, keep your voice down…"
"If Sosaria knew we were dealing with dissenters-" she whispered fiercely. "There could be war-"
"It's not as bad as all that. This is my father we're speaking of, and he's known Deko for decades. It is a philosophical disagreement, not treason. My father is a rational man. Most of the time. He will hear me out, if he ever learns of this."
"And Donalbain?"
"Donalbain is not king yet."
"Oh, how reassuring."
"Zelda-"
"Why was it Deko treated me with such deference then, when he learned who I was? Was he merely hiding his disdain for me, for my position?"
"No- that's not it at all. You don't understand. You're different. You're a woman. The most recent to inherit the throne of a dynasty of women. In a kingdom, the women don't rule. They get sold into marriages like my father's sisters. They get their sons taken away from them, lose them in war. Women are the ones to suffer the most in a kingdom. That you are a woman heir to a throne, Deko sees hope in that, and I can't blame him."
"Is that how you see me, as a symbol of hope? Is that why you're here, why you took on this mission? To see up-close your ideal?" Her words were laced with bitterness.
"I-" Darius shook his head. "I don't know." He sighed.
By now, the fire was mere embers, glowing weakly. Only the faintest light reached their faces. Darius tried speaking once again.
"Consider your Hero of Hyrule, for instance, who killed the monster Ganon. Does his killing Ganon give him the right- and the wisdom necessary- to sit on the throne of Hyrule and rule, and his sons after him?"
Zelda blushed furiously at the thought, and hoped the darkness hid her colour. "No- of course not."
"And yet, that's how it started, in the Oldest Days. Two towns or cities or lands would battle, or worse: an evil would arise and try to scourge the land, enslave its people- and a warrior, a hero, would rise up and defend the people, lead them to war to save them. Once the war was won, the people would put that warrior on a throne, and make him a king. But warriors aren't built for times of peace, and in times of prosperity, people govern themselves rather well. There's no need for a king during peacetime. So what makes a king's rule legitimate?"
Zelda shook her head, unsure.
"Another war. There cannot be peace as long as one man has so much power. Either others will covet it and start turmoil, or the man himself will become a tyrant and create his own war in hopes of uniting his people under him, or gaining more land and resources to grow his kingdom. Thus a vicious cycle begins, and there can be no peace. By putting kings on a throne to govern us, we end up destroying that very thing which we have loved, that very thing for which we have fought so hard."
"Do you think a woman on the throne could change that cycle?"
Darius shrugged. "I don't know. I want to think so."
Zelda shook her head, looking deep into the fire.
"You are a learned and well-traveled man. You must know of the Triforce."
"I've heard the word spoken."
"It's the reason a woman has ruled Hyrule, for fifteen generations now. But that power is coveted just as any king's throne is, and Hyrule's history is more bloody, more war-torn than that of all the other lands combined."
"Evil minds, perhaps, see a woman on a king's throne and are more outraged, because it flies in defiance of the culture of war and power."
"And therefore are more likely to want to tear that woman and her kingdom down. I don't see the break in this cycle that you're hoping for, and I can't be your solution. I'm just as trapped as you are, and the price I've paid for my power has been too great."
"Zelda…"
"No! I can't be your emblem of hope! Not when my own has been destroyed."
Darius opened his mouth to speak, but was too shocked.
"I'm sorry…" He finally managed. Zelda stared hard into the fire, unwilling to respond.
"Look, it's very late, perhaps we should discuss this tomorrow…"
"I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm going to see the Witch."
"What? No! Are you serious? You can't-"
She stood suddenly, unwilling to take this any longer. Darius stood too.
"Because you trusted me with the truth of your past, I'll trust you with a truth of my own. My mother died when I was three years old. Since that day, my life has been a living hell in more ways than I can count, and my kingdom completely destitute. She was twenty years old when she died. She'd be 38 this solstice." Her voice dropped to a fierce whisper. "My whole life, I've been working to bring her back. I know it can be done. I have books that detail ways to make it happen, and I've seen it succeed, to an extent. But there are missing pieces. If there's even the slightest chance that the Witch can help me bring my mother back, I have to pursue it. I have to see her." She started to turn away, then turned back.
"Hyrule's peace was destroyed the day my mother died. Ever since, my father and I have failed, time and again, to keep our kingdom from burning. Here I am," She gestured west to where Kakariko lay smoldering unseen. "Failing once more. This is my greatest sorrow. Now you know the darkest part of my soul, Darius. The part willing to incur any danger, even dealings with a Witch, even after all you've told me."
She looked back at Darius, and saw an understanding in him that she didn't expect. A thought occurred to her.
"You said you met me before, once. It was at my mother's funeral, wasn't it?"
Slowly, Darius gave a small nod. "I was six, at the time. I never forgot you, or that day." He sighed. "I'll not stop you, Zelda. But there's more to say, and I don't want you to leave with anger in your heart, if I can help it."
After a moment, Zelda said, "I'm not angry. Just resolute." She turned to leave.
"Zelda-" He called out softly. She faced him again.
"You are already a vision of hope, there's no helping it. But it's because you're gentle, and subtle, and you see right through to the quick of things. No truth can hide from you. Who cannot but hope, witnessing those qualities in their future Queen?"
Before she could answer, he bowed, turned away, and disappeared into the darkness.