Thank you to TheChargingRhino, MCFanfics, Nobody, Qwertypip, Black Silverclaw, God, That Guest Again, Anne-Marie Helstone, whitworth5274, Arison Nakaru, MegSkoomaPirate, and InvisableTarget for their reveiws.
Nobody: You asked about magic in Hyrule. The Sheikah can definitely use magic but as of yet, it's not a major part of the story. The Hylians know of and can use magic, though a lot of things pertaining to magic are myths and folktales, like the Great Fairies, Fairies in general, the Great Deku Tree, and even the Sages to some degree. Sometimes a Hylian will wander into the Lost Woods and see a fairy and actually make it out alive, but it's rare.
The military and other wealthy and powerful organizations, like colleges and the religious groups, utilize some kinds of more common magic. Like potions and healing magic. It's hard, time consuming, and expensive to learn magic, so it's only these kinds of groups that can afford the training. Things like Fairy Magic like the spells Link learns in Ocarina of Time are extremely rare and almost exclusive to Link.
There's also combat magic, like the spin attack and the hidden skills in Twilight Princess, which a lot of the Knights of Hylia can use. In fact, one of the things that separates them from the Hylian Knights is this ability to channel their magic through their weapons. However, the hidden skills in Twilight Princess are exclusive to the Hylexia family. Only Christofen, Link, and their direct relatives can use these abilities. (Wow, long answer. I hope this was what you were asking!)
Qwertypip: You've left a lot of reviews, so I hope I answer everything that needs answering. Quan is Link's only uncle excluding Ashyl's husband, but he's not a prominent character. It was Quan who hired the assassin and he does have some pretty shady motives, more revealed in this section of the story, so I don't want to say too much. And I have noticed that Link lies a lot in this story, but he's not the one with the biggest web of lies. And as for the sparing match, check the name of the next chapter! I also appreciate the offer of a beta reader, but by the time the story is ready, I've already edited it enough times to make my head spin. Thank you, though!
TheChargingRhino: Everyone has you to thank for Part II coming out in March. I was actually aiming for mid or late April, but thanks to you're review, I got it ready in time for March.
If I didn't respond to your review it's because I didn't have anything to say. I promise I'm not ignoring you and thank you again for all the reviews.
Part II
The Legacy of a Hero
Years 505 FH
Chapter I
The Death of Trust
Link felt like he was dreaming. He had been getting that feeling a lot lately, though it had been interrupted a few times, like when Quan yelled or he was kidnapped. He had spent so many hours sitting at the piano looking at his parents' portrait and he never, ever expected to see one of them. And then he turned around and there was his father, alive.
Link could have stayed in the sitting room for the rest of eternity holding on to his father and sobbing tears of joy that he had finally been reunited with him, but Christofen stood up and pulled away. Realistically, it wasn't a good idea to never move again, even if they were as happy as they were.
"Where did you go?" Link asked quietly, his voice cracking of it's own accord. He could feel the crushing sensation of abandonment bubbled to the surface, trying to push his joy out of the way.
Christofen almost deflated when he heard Link's question, and the pain behind it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, but he didn't answer.
"Why did you leave?"
"I thought you and your mother were dead," Christofen lamented, pulling Link into another hug. "I thought I had lost everything. I couldn't live with myself thinking you were gone."
"Oh," Link felt bad for asking. It probably hurt to remember what that was like. "I'm sorry."
"No, Link, this wasn't your fault. Everything that happened, you had nothing to do with it. You were just a little baby."
"But if I hadn't've been born, you'd still have Mother and you'd never have left and…"
"Link," Christofen knelt down to Link's eye level, even though it looked like it hurt, and placed his hand on Link's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. I promise you did nothing wrong and I am so very, very happy to have the privilege of being your father."
"Really?" Link looked up at him and saw how happy he looked.
"We lost so much, I know, and it hurts, but we don't need a happy past to make a happy future."
"Okay," Link smiled back at him. Link glanced at the portrait behind his father to check again, just to make sure it really was him and not some imposter or ghost or even a hallucination. When he looked at the painting he noticed the piano sitting under it with its white stained wood and beautifully colored flower carvings. "Father?"
"What is it, buddy?" Christofen smiled at him lovingly. It made Link feel warm inside.
"Can you play the piano? It's just, Quan said you were really good and I've never heard it 'cause Quan doesn't like it and I didn't try myself because I didn't think I'd be any good and I didn't want to make Quan angry 'cause he's scary when he's mad and I just want to hear it."
"I haven't played in almost thirteen years," Christofen turned to look at the old grand piano. Link looked up at his face and saw him glance for a moment at the picture. He was looking at Linandra. He looked so sad. "I used to play for your mother when she was expecting. It calmed you down when you were kicking at night and keeping her awake."
"I didn't know I made her uncomfortable," Link mumbled. "Sorry."
"No. No, Link. It's alright," Christofen ruffled Link's hair gently. "You never made her anything but happy, I promise you that. Quan's kept the piano tuned, yes?"
"I don't think so. He said it hadn't been tuned in a long time."
"Well, let's find out just how long," Christofen went to the piano. "You want to hear it, don't you?"
"Yeah!" Link scampered over to Christofen and stood by the piano. He could hardly believe he'd actually get to hear his father play the piano instead of just imagining it when he couldn't sleep or felt lonely or scared.
"Any requests?"
"I don't know any songs, really," Link said. "None that I think you'd know."
"No folk songs? I know a lot of those."
Link shook his head. "You don't know the ones from where I grew up."
"Well, where'd you grow up? Maybe I do. I've been all over the kingdom, I've probably been there one time or another."
"No," Link shook his head. "Um, maybe, um…" Link tried desperately to change the subject. He hadn't meant to mention Kokiri Forest, even if it was just in passing. "What was Mother's favorite?"
Christofen looked away from Link. He looked sad again.
"I'm sorry," Link whispered. "I didn't mean to…"
Christofen turned to Link with one of the happiest smiles Link had ever seen. He wondered if that's what he looked like when he was trying to reassure Zelda that he really was okay, even if he looked a little sad. "She always told me she loved to watch me play more than she loved listening, but I think she liked the ones I wrote myself."
"You write your own music?" Link said in awe. "That's so cool!"
Christofen laughed and placed a hand on Link's head. "I'm glad you think so. How about a happy one?"
"Okay!" Link smiled.
Christofen turned to the piano and placed his hands over the keys. Link held his breath in anticipation. Christofen fumbled with his fingers for a few moments, trying to activate his muscle memory and pull the right motions from the back of his mind. When he finally started to play, Link felt his spirits rise. He couldn't help but smile contently and let his mind hang on to each cord, each lilting note of the chorus and surrounding melodies.
It started with a simple, repeating melody, with the last note of the first repetition low and the second repetition ended with a high counterpart. After the two repeats were done, the whole song rose an octave for a few bars, this time with a new melody, even more simpler than the first, but no less lighthearted.
Then the main melody, the chorus, repeated once more and the song rose an octave again and a new melody, this one rising in climax and then bringing the song back down. Christofen repeated the song twice, then finished with an ascending arpeggio and then a falling glissando and a big chord, which he held until the final sounds finished vibrating from the strings inside the grand piano and the room was silent.
The song made Link feel like he was in a small village, surrounded by people he knew, trusted, and loved. Nothing bad had ever happened and it was hard to imagine anything ever could, not with such a contented theme playing in the back. Link wished he could listen to the song forever.
Link was about to ask his father to play another song, or play that one again, but their attention was snapped away from the piano by the sound of shattering ceramics and dropped silverware. Ermin stood in the doorway, spilt tea all over the floor, but he couldn't look away from the piano.
"M… m'lord Christofen?" He stammered. "I thought I was just imagining the piano but… oh, gods…" he fell to his knees, holding his hands to his mouth in shock and joy. "Gods, your alive."
"Ermin…" Christofen stood up from the piano, but quickly fell back down, holding his leg and cursing under his breath. "Damn, completely forgot about that."
"Father, what's wrong?" Link rushed to his side, trying to see where he was hurt. What if he was dying? "Are you okay?"
"I was badly wounded in the last battle," Christofen explained through clenched teeth. "It was too badly mangled, they couldn't save it all the way. I'm fine, don't worry, buddy." Christofen held Link's hand in his own and smiled at him again. Link could tell he was still in a lot of pain. He was squeezing his hand a bit too tight.
"Should I find you a cane, m'lord?" Ermin, who had managed to pull himself together enough to not be frozen on the spot. "I think there's one in the…"
"No, I don't need a cane," Christofen pushed himself to his feet, still gritting his teeth. "It will pass."
Link wasn't sure if he should try to help his father to one of the couches or a chair or something. Link asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" Christofen snapped loudly, swiftly moving his hands to his face in frustration. Link cringed. He took a few steps back and raised his arms defensively, expecting a blow, but none came. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you, Link." Christofen looked down at Ermin's feet and sighed. "Ermin, could you get someone to clean that up?"
"Yes, sir," Ermin nodded and left quickly. He looked so happy.
"It must have been the walk here," Christofen explained. "It took the entire month. I should have taken a horse or a carriage but I wasn't in the position to acquire one. I've had a very interesting, very long thirteen years."
"Me too," Link mumbled. He was tempted to make a comment about how Christofen wouldn't believe the shit he'd seen, but he didn't want to back himself in a corner again.
Christofen made his way over to the fireplace to sit down, limping over to one of the couches, cringing with each step. Link wanted to help, but he didn't think Christofen would like that. He really, really didn't want to make his father angry with him, like Quan was. That would be too much to bear.
"I'm so sorry, Link," Christofen said, sitting down heavily, sighing with relief. "This is all my fault. I never should have left you. If I'd have stayed…"
"I don't think it would have mattered," Link sat down next to him and leaned on his chest. "I'd still have been missing."
"I suppose you're right, aren't you?"
Just then, they heard a loud commotion coming from the great hall. Quan had returned home from his errands. Link almost cringed when he realized he hadn't finished his schoolwork, but then he remembered that he wasn't allowed to let himself be afraid of Quan anymore if he was going to find out what he's up to. And now there wasn't a need to be afraid, either. He had his father to protect him and to love him. He didn't need Quan anymore.
"Is that Quan?" Christofen asked quietly, listening to the muffled yelling drifting through the walls. It sounded like Boggs had told Quan the good news and Quan wasn't buying it. "I see he hasn't gotten a lid on that short temper of his yet." Christofen was smiling nostalgically, but Link didn't understand how he could fondly remember how angry Quan could get.
As soon as Christofen finished his sentence, the door burst open and Quan stormed in, no doubt wanting to unleash his anger on Link, because he loved having his scape goat, even if Link ducked under his swings now. But he was stopped in his tracks the moment he saw Christofen stand to his feet, only wobbling a little on his bad leg.
"You're… you were…" Quan sputtered haplessly. He glanced at Link, who was peering over the back of the couch at him, keeping his expression blank, though he did enjoy seeing Quan so flabbergasted. Quan looked like he was assessing how much Link could have told Christofen about him yet. "You're dead."
"Well, I hope not. I certainly feel alright," Christofen answered, a little smugly, but mostly jokingly. This did not calm Quan down at all.
"You were supposed to be dead."
"I'm not, I assure you."
"You smell like cow shit," Quan snapped, desperately trying to pull himself together again. "Where in the name of the Goddesses have you been sleeping, a barn‽"
"That's about right, yes," Christofen chuckled. "I should probably shave." He rubbed his unkempt beard in amusement.
"Take a bath while your at it," Quan scoffed. "You look like a drunk."
"It's good to see you, little brother," Christofen sighed.
"Don't call me that!" Quan shouted, his face turning red. He moved toward his brother with a rage Link hadn't seen in him before, and he'd sent his temper so far off it took days to come back down again. Link ducked behind the couch. "You can't just come back here after thirteen years and expect me to act like I'm still twenty-one! Like I'm still fourteen!"
"Quan, I'm sorry for any hardship I have caused you in my absence, both during the war and after. It was not my intention to…"
"Hardship‽ You think an apology can fix what I've been through? Your gods damn war took everything from me! My mother, my brother, and then Father died of grief. I guess I just wasn't good enough for him. You were dead and I was still stuck in your shadow. You know, near the end, he thought I was you. They didn't love me because of you. I was extra to them, unnecessary. Who would want me when they had you, a prodigy with music, math, the sword, bow, everything."
"Quan, I…" Christofen tried to calm his brother.
"I'm not finished!" Quan shot him down. "I finally thought I was rid of you. I'd stopped hearing about how much I look like you or Mother or how sad I must be, or how proud to be your brother. I had finally built my own life away from you and out of your shadow. And then he showed up."
Link couldn't see from behind the couch, but he knew Quan was pointing at him.
"And then it was nothing but you again," Quan continued. "'Doesn't he look like his father,' 'You must miss him so much'! He's nothing like you were, brother," Quan practically spat the word. "He's a pathetic brat with no respect whatsoever. He doesn't deserve any of this!"
Link cringed and slumped in his seat. He hated it when his uncle insulted him. He hadn't found a way to duck under words yet and they always stung, even after the bruises were long gone, he could hear them ringing in his ears when he tried to go to sleep at night.
Link glanced up at his father, who had been maintaining a neutral expression, waiting patiently for Quan's tantrum to pass over so he could talk some sense with him. But now Link saw a burning fury in his eyes, unmatched by anything Quan could muster. But it didn't scare Link in the least; he knew such a rage would never be turned on him. He was safe with his father.
"You will not speak of my son that way," Christofen snarled. Link peaked out from behind the couch again, just to see how Quan reacted to Christofen defending him.
Quan faltered, taking a step back, his tirade stopped in its tracks.
"Are you finished?" Christofen asked, any evidence of anger gone. Link wondered if he'd ever be able to control his emotions the way his father and uncle could, though his uncle wasn't doing such a fine job at the moment.
"I'll be in my study," Quan left as quickly as he had entered, slamming the door behind him.
"How often did he yell at you?" Christofen sounded so defeated.
Link shrugged, not looking up at him, his face turning red with embarrassment. He didn't want his father to know how much he had suffered. If Christofen hadn't have left, Quan never would have hurt Link and Link didn't want Christofen to feel guilty for that. Link certainly didn't blame him for it.
"He's all hot air, don't worry. He can't hurt you." Christofen sat back down, rubbing his leg.
"Are you sure your leg's alright?" Link whispered. "It looks like it hurts."
"It will pass," Christofen reassured him.
"Father?" Link looked up at him, meeting his gaze.
"Father feels too formal for me," Christofen ruffled Link's hair. "I feel it's only really necessary for you to call me that when we're out of the house or with guests."
"Dad, then," Link corrected himself. He liked that better, too. "Do you think I'll ever be able to… you know… be a duke like you and stuff."
"You don't have to worry about that right now. And you won't have to worry about that for a long while. You don't have any responsibilities aside from being a little boy, alright?"
"Really?" Link wondered if he was right. Maybe it was time he shrugged off the weight of the world. "Are you sure?"
"Do you trust me?"
Link nodded.
"Then everything will be alright."
(1)
The rest of the day went by far too fast for Link. Christofen was perfect. He helped Link with his overdue studies and he listened to every word Link said. He made Link feel so important, but not in the way being the Hero of Time made him important. He made Link feel important just because he was Link. It was a good important.
A few hours before dinner, Christofen excused himself to go to his room and make himself more presentable. Link was worried about him going up the stairs, but Christofen refused to let him worry. That was the only thing he wouldn't listen to Link about. He didn't want to hear anything about his leg slowing him down and he absolutely refused any mention of a cane. If there was one thing Christofen and Quan had in common, it was their stubborn pride.
Quan didn't come out of his study for dinner and Christofen was getting late, so Link sat alone in the dining hall, resting his chin on the table and swinging his legs back and forth to pass the time. Boggs already rang the dinner gong so Link wasn't technically alone because the footmen were there, but there was always that wall made of protocol that Link wasn't allowed to break. He amused himself by blowing his bangs out of his face and watching his hair fall back down over his eyes.
Link let himself drift so far off into day dreams of fishing with his father that the only reason he noticed Christofen enter the dining room was because Mr. Boggs bowed respectfully and greeted him, distracting Link from his fantasies. Link pushed his chin off the table, a little embarrassed that he was acting so childishly, and got a good look at his father when he wasn't dressed as a farmer.
He was wearing a fancy tunic that looked a little old and stiff, but it wasn't in bad condition for how long it had gone unused. He had shaved off all of his beard and it made him look very different than before, but a lot more like the picture, only with more wrinkles. He looked like he had spent most of his time frowning. His hair wasn't loose anymore and was now pulled back into a ponytail, but it wasn't any shorter. He didn't smell bad, not that Link had cared before. He was still getting used to people not smelling like their work. Or, he supposed they did, it just wasn't a work he was used to.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. My beard gave me more trouble than I thought it would, but I think I got all of it. How do I look?"
"Different," Link answered after a moment of thought. "Kinda like…" Link paused, trying to think of someone. "I dunno, just, different. Cleaner, I guess. Not that you looked dirty or anything."
Christofen sat down and the food was served. It was potatoes again, this time they were tiny and baked and looked like little red balls but Link could still tell they were potatoes. Link hadn't really told anyone he didn't like them except Quan and Quan didn't feel like telling Cook not to make them anymore. Link tried not to frown. After all, he was still making a first impression with his father and he didn't want him to think Quan was right about him being pathetic or a brat.
"Don't like potatoes?" Christofen commented light heartedly.
"They taste funny," Link mumbled, pushing one around his plate with his fork.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't like them either when I was your age."
"Really?" Link asked. Link was a little stunned that Christofen wasn't mad at him for not eating his food.
"You know how I learned how to eat them?"
Link shook his head, looking up at Christofen curiously. He hadn't known there was a way to make them taste better.
"Well, if you plug your nose and close your eyes, it doesn't taste so bad, and then after a while, you get used to the texture."
"Like this?" Link did as Christofen explained and managed to eat an entire mini potato. He was right, it didn't taste quite as funny.
"Perfect," Christofen laughed happily. The sound made Link feel so good, like he could do anything as long as he had his father to believe in him.
"Dad?" Link whispered.
"Yeah, buddy?" Christofen answered.
"What's gonna happen now? I mean, you used to be really important and stuff but then you disappeared and now you're back. Aren't things going to change?"
"Yes, I suppose. But things are always changing in some way, aren't they?"
"Yeah, I guess so. The King really misses you."
Christofen sighed deeply. "I'm sure he does."
"Sometimes he visits. He says he wants to be like a father to me, since you weren't here. He'll be really happy to see you."
"I'll go to the castle later this week," Christofen said. "First I want to spend some time with you. Daph's been waiting for thirteen years, one more week won't kill him."
(2)(2)
Over the next few days Link and Christofen were hardly ever apart. Christofen spent most of his time sitting at his old desk that had been taken out of storage and placed in the private sitting room so he could go over the thirteen years of duties he'd missed and to see how Ordon was doing. They talked a lot, but not as much as the first day. Link didn't mind. He was just happy to be in the same room as his father.
Link often caught Christofen looking up at the portrait above the piano longingly. Link was sure he was wondering what it would have been like if mother hadn't died protecting him.
"Dad?" Link asked quietly from the fireplace area where he was reading through one of the workbooks. Professor Barton was away for the month visiting his daughter and granddaughter in Kakariko, but he had left Link a pile of workbooks so that he wouldn't fall behind.
"Yes, son?" Christofen put his pen down and looked up from his papers, like he always did when Link talked to him while he was working.
"Would I have had any siblings?"
"I…" Christofen faltered. He glanced at the picture again, as if he was asking Linandra what he should say. "I think you might have, yes."
"How many?"
"One or two, perhaps. We knew we wanted you very badly, but we never had the chance to discuss another child."
"Do you think Quan'll ever have children?"
"I'm not sure. He doesn't seem like the type who'd want to be a father, does he?"
Link shook his head. "I don't think anyone would fall in love with him."
"You never know," Christofen chuckled. "He might meet someone grumpy enough. They could hate the world together."
"I don't think there's anyone as grumpy as him."
"Maybe I should push someone towards him, get her to crack through that shell of ice he hides behind."
"That wouldn't be fair to her. He'd be really, really mean to anyone who wanted him to fall in love with them."
"You think?"
"I think if you did arrange anything with him she'd have to be meaner than him so he knows what it's like. Then maybe he'd stop being so mean all the time."
"Oho," Christofen chuckled. "Is that a dark side I sense in you? That is some impressive scheming."
"I'm just thinking," Link mumbled. He didn't mind scheming, but he didn't think his idea was that dark. Christofen just didn't know, or he didn't want to realize, just how awful Quan was to Link and probably would be to a spouse if he had one. Christofen loved his little brother very much and Link didn't want to be the one to tell him about Quan. He'd be just as crushed as Link had been to learn the extent of frostbite in Quan's heart.
(3)(3)(3)
The day went on and they spent most of it enjoying being together again. After lunch, Christofen played more piano and Link even got to sit next to him on the bench. They'd had it tuned so now it sounded even better than before. Christofen was teaching Link how to play by playing a song and showing Link how to play the counter melody an octave higher than the rest of the song. Link had to use both hands even though Christofen could carry his fingers over on the complicated parts and play a lot of notes with just one hand.
It was during one of these lessons, with Link sitting on his father's lap, he wasn't very big for a twelve year old so he fit relatively snugly between his father's arms, that Mr. Boggs entered the sitting room.
"Lord Christofen, Lord Link," Mr. Boggs bowed respectfully. He had loosened up a lot since Christofen returned, much like all of the other servants had once it was clear that Quan was no longer in charge. But right now it was hard to read Mr. Boggs' expression. Link couldn't quite tell if he was concerned or happy or upset. He seemed to have a lot of turmoil running through his mind. "The King is here to see you. Shall I show him in?"
"Thank you, Boggs," Christofen answered. He sounded just as conflicted. Link looked up at him from where he sat on his lap to try to read his expression. Christofen caught Link looking up and him and kissed him on the forehead. "What do you think, buddy? Should we keep our little secret to ourselves or let Daph know I'm back?"
"I dunno," Link shrugged, looking down at the keys. "He probably heard the piano so he knows you're here, doesn't he?"
"I believe the King has his hopes up very high, m'lord," Mr. Boggs supplied.
"I can't keep hiding forever, can I?" Christofen rested his chin on Link's head and sighed. "Even if I want as much time with you as possible."
"Sometimes hiding hurts more than not hiding does," Link answered.
"Well, you heard the little man, Boggs," Christofen laughed. "Show him in."
"As you wish, m'lord," Mr. Boggs answered, he left to retrieve the King from the great hall. Christofen sighed again. He placed his hands over the keys in a series of chords but he didn't play anything. Link noticed he did that a lot when he was thinking hard about a subject he didn't like to think about.
"Isn't the King your best friend in the world?" Link asked.
"I suppose he is, yes," Christofen answered, moving his hands from the piano to wrap his arms around Link.
"Then why aren't you happy to see him again? Didn't you miss him?"
"Very much, yes," Christofen answered wistfully. "I've known him since Mother saved Ordon from a monster uprising pouring from the depths of the Lost Woods. They made her Duchess and were quickly annexed into Hyrule. I was nine and he was sixteen. Mother took me with her to the castle for the ceremony and to organize taxes with all the local leaders in Ordon. One of the most boring things that could ever happen to a nine year old. Daph was already three years into his seven year apprenticeship to the previous General and he was wearing his ceremonial armor. Nine year old me was awestruck."
"And you followed me around for the entire day," the King's voice came from the doorway. "If I recall correctly, you thought I was a Legendary Hero and you kept asking to hold my sword."
"Daphnes!" Christofen's head snapped up. Link felt him lurch under him for a moment but he quickly stopped and lifted Link off of his lap before he got up. Link hadn't seen him move so fast in his life, he was usually stopped from running by his bad leg, but he and Daphnes where hugging in seconds. "Brother, I've missed you."
Daphnes didn't have any words, he just cried. "I knew it," He announced after a long moment of holding on to Christofen. "I knew you were alive."
"You've never once given up on me," Christofen laughed. They pulled away finally and shook hands, the biggest of smiles on both of their faces. "You always had faith in me even when I didn't myself."
Link noticed Zelda standing behind them. She looked shocked, to say the least, but the moment their eyes met they both shared a smile just as big as their fathers'. 'He's alive‽' she mouthed to Link. Link nodded. He felt a wave of happiness wash over him and he could tell Zelda felt it too.
Christofen noticed Zelda a few moments after Link did. He looked away from Daphnes, down at Zelda, and then back at Daphnes in disbelief. "She's so big," he exclaimed. "You were five months old the last time I saw you," Christofen put his hands on her shoulders to see if she was really the little baby he remembered.
"I don't remember you," Zelda said. "You're Link's dad, right? Actually Link's dad?"
"I've only got one," Link answered.
"We should…" Zelda ran to Link and pulled him towards the door. "I think we should leave."
"You don't want to meet my brother?" Daphnes asked. He sounded hurt.
"After you two have caught up then we can talk," Zelda announced. "Come on, Link!" Zelda lead him outside eagerly. Link wasn't so eager to let his father out of his sight.
"She's looks just like her mother," Link heard Christofen say to Daphnes as they left. "But she acts just like you, Daph."
Zelda stopped just on the other side of the doors to the yard.
"Is something wrong? He's not lying about being my dad, is he? Is that why we left so fast?" Link asked nervously.
"I wouldn't have left him with my dad if I thought he was lying about actually being Sir General Christofen," Zelda reassured him. "It's just… they were even closer friends than we are. If I didn't know what happened to you for almost thirteen years and then suddenly you were back I would want some time alone with you. My parents and your dad were practically inseparable for a long time and then when my mom died it was just dad left. He had me but he was still really lonely."
"I would be even more lonely than I was before when I was actually alone, now that I know what it's like to have a family and friends like that," Link agreed solemnly. "Dad looked lonely even though he was back. They do need to spend some time together. To shake the feeling of being the only one left."
"You have a nice garden," Zelda said, looking around.
"I think it probably looks better in spring when the roses start coming back and there's no snow."
"Hm," Zelda nodded knowingly.
They stood there for a few moments, looking around the garden. Link rocked back and forth a few times on his heals and swung his arms back and forth.
"So…" Zelda sighed. "You're not an orphan anymore."
"Nope," Link smiled, but it still didn't rekindle any conversation between them.
"That's pretty cool," Zelda continued.
"Yup," Link nodded.
"I'm bored," Zelda announced. "Wanna explore your house now that you're better?"
"Is it even big enough for that? I don't think there are many secret passageways I don't know about. Just the servant stairs and halls but those are just hidden, not secret."
"Maybe your uncle has some secrets he doesn't want anyone to know about hidden in here somewhere where he thinks no one will ever find it."
"He never lets the maids in his study or his room unsupervised," Link brainstormed. "Not even to clean."
"That's fishier than a saltwater zora."
"I've never thought of it like that. I've always just thought he hates people touching his stuff without him knowing about it."
"That's exactly how someone who's hiding something would act, isn't it? Wanna check it out?"
Link narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment. "He's not home so he's not in his study. He's left every day since Dad got back."
"So the vampire's lair is unguarded!" Zelda grabbed Link's hand and ran back inside with him in tow.
"Vampire?" Link exclaimed. "But he leaves in the mornings."
"Shh," Zelda placed her finger over her lips. They stopped when they reached the middle of the great hall. "He's the king of vampires so he's got special powers."
"This isn't a game," Link whispered. "He tried to kill me, remember?"
"I'm just brainstorming ideas for why he's so evil," Zelda excused.
"He's a horrible person and an ass, he's not evil," Link corrected her. "It takes a special kind of hate to be evil."
"Well, he's still a bad guy. Where's his study?"
"This way," Link lead Zelda through the lower west wing where Quan usually locked himself up all day. Link stopped right in front of the door. This was where Quan had first raised his voice to him, the beginning of a very terrifying spiral of abuse. Link swallowed nervously in an attempt to calm down. Quan wasn't in there and Zelda was with him. He could do anything under those circumstances. "The door's probably locked but I bet I could pick it."
"Where'd you learn how to pick locks?"
"I'm really bad at keeping keys," Link explained.
Like he expected would happen, when Zelda tried the door to his study, after knocking of course, just in case he had returned without them noticing, the lock was firmly in place.
"You have any bobby pins?" Link asked. "I've never actually had a lock pick." Zelda reached up to her hair and pulled out one of the bobby pins holding her hair in place and held it out to Link, a very serious expression on her face. She didn't take her eyes off the door. "Thanks." Link took the pin and bent it in the way Tatl, his fairy after Navi, taught him. Navi would never approve.
Link had the lock open in under two minutes, a personal record for him, though it might have just been that locks he was used to picking were in old crypts and had nearly rusted stiff, forcing him to jiggle whatever he was using as a pick so violently he almost always broke a sweat. After they heard the telltale click of the lock, he and Zelda exchanged a nervous glance. There was no turning back now, Link knew. They'd gone too far for Zelda to stop.
Link gingerly pushed the door open and they stepped inside, one at a time, Link and then Zelda. Zelda closed the door shut behind them as softly as she could. Both of them felt like if they made any noise whatsoever their fathers and Link's uncle would be upon them in an instant.
The first thing they both noticed was the neat and orderly desk with no papers on it. Link had never gotten close enough to the desk before to get a good look at it and Quan was always in the way, but it was never, ever this neat or devoid of papers and documents. The only thing left was the ink and pen.
"You think he keeps all his papers in the drawers?" Zelda leaned in close to Link and whispered.
"I dunno," Link answered just as quietly, maintaining their facial proximity. "He gave my Dad a lot of papers involving Ordon yesterday. Maybe there aren't any papers in here anymore?"
"I don't think so," Zelda said. "The desk locks, see?"
"That doesn't mean it's locked or he ever used them."
"Desks never have locks on them. Locks are only put on things that need them, especially on something as small as a desk drawer. So far he's got one locked door and a lock on his desk. I'm betting it's locked."
"I've never picked a lock so small. Maybe there's a key?"
"I'm certain he'd have it on him."
"Here goes then," Link swallowed the lump in his throat, took Zelda's bobby pin in one hand, and approached the desk. It was a thin bobby pin so it fit in the lock. He knelt in front of the desk and jiggled the bobby pin around for what felt like an hour. With every second that passed, Link grew more and more nervous that Quan would come home and catch them red handed. Link was used to breaking a sweat while picking locks, but this was on a whole new level. After the eternity allotted by his anxiety passed, the lock clicked and Link allowed himself to breath again.
"I got it." He whispered.
"Open it," Zelda prompted him.
"You open it," Link stood up quickly and took a backwards step away from the desk, but he didn't take his eyes off of it.
"He's your uncle."
"He can't hit you."
"He can't hit you, either."
Link closed his eyes and quickly opened the door, half expecting some dead thing or a rope snake to pop out and try to kill them, but nothing exciting happened. Link opened his eyes slowly and took a good look at the papers in front of him. The desk was full of very important, official looking documents.
"I thought he gave Dad all the official documents?" Link whispered to Zelda.
"These have nothing to do with Ordon," Zelda took out the top paper. "These are something else. See, look, right there," Zelda pointed to the top of the paper. Link could barely make out the words Floria Province, one of the western provinces that bordered Hyrule's side of the largest lake on the continent. The other side was sparsely settled by pioneers from Hyrule, Lybrinna, Holodrum, and a number of smaller city states Link didn't know much about. Underneath the title of Floria Province was a list of numbers Link couldn't make sense of. It wasn't a financial report or even a complex math problem.
"What are these numbers?"
"I think these are longitude and latitude," Zelda said. "They're plot points for a map. Look, there's more." Zelda placed the Floria paper down and took out even more and listed the titles. "Ordon, Papara, Daltus, Eldin, Tantari, Midoro, Morgue, Lanayru, Hylaina," she said, putting each nest paper on the desk until it was apparent what they were without her having to read all of them. "They're all here. All fourteen provinces in Hyrule each with their own set of numbers."
"Maybe they're the locations of settlements?" Link asked.
Zelda picked up one of the charts, Faron, the shortest list and gave it a closer look. "The top half is different than the bottom half. The first set is separate from the next three, which are separate from the next six. The bottom half has a few more numbers but it's also split in three sections."
"Wait, isn't there one major city in Faron?"
"Yes, the capital, Farorden. And three villages, six hamlets."
"Let's check Hyliana," Link shuffled through the papers until he found the one he was looking for. Sure enough, the three sections matched the demographic. Two cities, Castle Town and Kakariko, all five villages…"
"Lexdow's one of them…" Link interjected.
"… and all seven hamlets." Zelda finished.
"It still fits."
"Eldin," Zelda grabbed the one left on top. "Two in the first section…"
"New Kakariko and Port Town…"
"North Port Town," Zelda corrected. "Six in the second, a match, and eight in the third, also a match. They are settlements. Human settlements."
"Or a very odd coincidence."
"They're towns," Zelda gave Link a look which he returned with a sheepish smile. "Honestly."
"Sorry."
Zelda turned back to the papers. "But what are the ones in the second half for? They don't match. Ordon had one, then two, then three in each section, Hyliana had one each, Eldin had four, then two, then one, which breaks the pattern of the group either staying the same or getting larger each time, and these other ones, the amount in each group seems random. The only consistency is the first three sections match the number of cities, then villages, then hamlets."
"Wait, shh," Link put his hand on Zelda's shoulder. "I hear something outside. From the great hall, I think."
"Is it our dads?" Zelda whispered.
"Shh," Link hushed her again and listened even harder.
He had heard the front door open, that was certain, and the only person who would open that would either be Mr. Boggs or Quan. The next noise Link heard made the blood drain from his face. It was Quan shouting. He always came home shouting and only calmed down when Christofen went to stop him from trying to fire any of the servants for one thing or the other. His temper got shorter with his brother's return, but thankfully it was less destructive for it.
"Put them back, put them back," Link panicked, desperately shoving the papers back into the desk.
"Quan?"
"Who else would come back screaming bloody murder at Mr. Boggs?" Link answered quickly, fumbling to get the drawer shut, but when he turned to see Zelda still holding the Eldin paper in her hands his heart skipped multiple beats. "He's gonna find us!" Link hissed.
"Wait, just a sec," Zelda took a deep, calming breath, making Link antsy. Once Christofen calmed down Quan, he'd head straight for the study and they'd be dead, end of the line.
"What are you doing?"
"I've got a photographic memory, but I've got to focus."
"Hurry, he'll be here any second and if he finds us…" Link glanced at the door nervously. Quan had stopped shouting.
"Okay, done," Zelda opened the drawer, placed the paper back, and they ran out of the room and into the room adjacent, the dining hall. They left the door ajar and peered through the crack.
The moment they entered the dining hall, Quan came down the hallway, his fists and jaw clenched, but he showed no signs that he noticed them run across the hallway. Quan stopped in front of his study door and was reaching for the key in his front pocket when he paused. He reached his hand out and pushed the door open. Link's heart stopped right there. Quan looked down the hallway both ways, but, thank the gods, he didn't look behind him, where two sets of eyes watched him from behind the dining hall doors with baited breath.
"Odd," Quan mumbled to himself. "I"m certain I locked this. Must have been the Chateaus Gats." He entered his study and closed the door behind him. When it clicked shut behind him and the lock behind that, Link and Zelda bolted for the sitting room where their fathers were.
Christofen and Daphnes were standing by the fireplace talking with their smiles no less faded, though their conversation had no doubt been interrupted by Quan's untimely return from whatever errands he had run. As soon as Link could see his father, see his safety, he rushed to him and hugged him as tight as he could without hurting him.
"Hey, buddy," Christofen hugged him back. "What happened to you two?"
"I think we almost died," Link announced, his voice muffled by his father's shirt.
"Zelda, what half dreamed adventures have you dragged this boy into now?" Daphnes chuckled.
"Christofen!" Quan stamped into the room just as Daphnes finished his sentence. "One of the servants broke into my study. I demand an investigation. Now."
"Quan, brother," Christofen broke from Link's grasp and went to calm his brother. "You're overreacting. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for all of this. What makes you think someone broke into your study?"
"The door was open, my desk was unlocked, the documents in it were crinkled and in a different order than when I put them back last night… do you want more proof?"
"Is it possible you just forgot to lock them and what order you put the documents in?" Daphnes asked, supporting Christofen's calm demeanor with his own.
"My desk's lock was tampered with!"
"You have proof of this?" Christofen faltered for a moment. He hadn't expect such solid evidence.
"Yes, I believe it was one of the women," Quan held up half a bobby pin. "I found this sticking out of the lock."
The rate things were going for Link's heart, he was certain he'd die of a heart attack at any moment. He was holding the other half of the bobby pin in his hands. He hadn't noticed it snapped in half while he was picking the lock, he had been so focused on just getting it open. Link quickly tossed the other half into the fireplace when he was certain no one but Zelda was looking at him.
"What was that?" Quan snapped, taking a step towards him. He must have seen Link move from the corner of his eye while he was looking at Christofen. "He just threw something into the fire." He told Christofen.
"Did you?" Christofen asked. His and Daphnes's back had been turned to him.
"Nuh-uh," Link lied, shaking his head. He hoped any tell he had let slip wasn't obvious enough that anyone had noticed.
"He's telling the truth," Zelda defended him. And with her abilities she was the final judge in this matter.
"I know what I saw," Quan grabbed Link's arm. "They're in this together, I'm sure of it. What did you see in my office?" Quan snarled.
"Nothing!" Link pulled against him. "We were outside by the fishpond!"
"I've heard that lie before, boy," Quan shook him.
"Let him go, he's not lying!" Zelda took a step towards Quan, Christofen and Daphnes behind her.
"What did you see!" Quan was so fuming mad, and so sure of himself, and whatever Link and Zelda had uncovered was so secret to him that he completely forgot he and Link were not the only ones in the room. He raised his hand and shouted once more, "What did you see, you lying little rat!"
"Don't hit me, don't hit me!" Link cried, covering his face with the arm that Quan wasn't trying to strangle. He would have defended himself, but he didn't need to. It was better if he didn't, Christofen was more than enough protection against Quan. Quan's temper was protection enough.
"Quan, stop!" Christofen grabbed Quan's hand and pulled him away from Link. "What's gotten in to you‽"
"He…" Quan's face twisted in fear for a moment when he realized his mistake. "I know it was him, he's just not admitting it! You have to have a firm hand with things like him."
"'Thing's like him'?" Christofen snarled. "Quan, have you hurt my son?"
"What?" Quan deadpanned. Link could almost hear his uncle's heart beat louder.
"Quan, is this the first time you've raised a hand to my son?"
"O… of course," Quan stuttered. "I…"
"You have the audacity to call my son a liar and then lie directly to my face‽"
"I didn't have a choice," Quan snarled. "There's no reasoning with you bleeding hearts. He's a street rat, you can't change that with kindness. You have to beat it out of him or there's no hope for him."
"Get out of my house," Christofen practically threw Quan towards the door of the sitting room. Quan stumbled but he regained what he had left of his composure quickly.
"Excuse me?" Quan was starting to really panic.
"You heard me," Christofen pointed at the door. "I want you out of my house and away from my son."
"I'm your brother," Quan all but shouted. "You can't do this to your own brother."
"Oh, don't worry. You are my little brother and I love you but I will not tolerate you mistreating my son, my only child, in the way you have. As long as Link is with me and under my protection, you are not allowed in the same city as us. Pack your things and leave for Lexdow. I want you out by tomorrow afternoon."
"Fine," Quan snapped. He glared at Link for a movement before leaving in a huff. He slammed the door behind him.
Christofen collapsed onto one of the couches, rubbing his face with his hands. "Oh gods." He sighed heavily. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. "Link, did he hurt you?"
Link just shrugged, his face turning red. "I'm okay. He didn't… he didn't hit me this time." Link's voice grew quieter and quieter.
"How could I not have seen this sooner?" Christofen sounded so hurt, betrayed even. He trusted his little brother. "Daphnes, I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Chris, it's alright," Daphnes sat down across from him.
"That must have been hard," Zelda whispered, sitting down next to her father and adopting a similar position. "You really do love him."
"He's my baby brother," Christofen nodded. "I hate to do this to him. But what choice do I have?"
"I'm sorry," Link whispered. He sat down next to his father and leaned into him, wrapping his arms around his chest. He felt like it was his fault that Christofen had to turn on his brother.
"It's not your fault, buddy," Christofen held Link lovingly. "I so badly wanted to trust him that I refused to see what was right in front of me," he lamented.
(4)(4)(4)(4)
Link and Zelda stayed with their fathers for the rest of the day and listened to old war stories. Most of them weren't about battles or feats of prowess, just about silly things. Like the arrow that nearly took Christofen's head off but missed by a hair because he had looked down to button his pants after peeing, or when Daphnes had brought his sheath to a battle but forgot his sword and had to hide behind his shield and Christofen until a scout retrieved it from their camp.
Link eventually built up the courage to start relating silly things that had happened when he was traveling around Hyliana and Faron, but was careful to avoid anything to do with his adventures as the Hero of Time both in Hyrule's dark future and Termina's even darker past. He told them about when Epona shoved him right into Lake Hylia head first with his pants down and then about the biggest fish he ever caught that was bigger than him by at least half a foot. He's dragged it up from a small pond in Faron.
He was just about to start talking about his own near death that he only narrowly avoided by answering the call of nature when they were interrupted by the dinner gong echoing through the mansion.
"Is it that time already?" Daphnes stood up.
"Stay for dinner," Christofen offered.
"I'd love to, but I fear if Zelda and I don't return post haste they'll send the Knights after us. I'm afraid we'll have to go."
"Aw, but I wanna hear this one!" Zelda complained. "I've never gotten him to open up like this before, please. We can leave after."
"It will be something to talk about next time," Daphnes chuckled. He and Christofen shook hands as Daphnes got ready to leave. "Christofen, my offer still stands. I'd love for you to take back your positions in the military."
"I'll have to think about it," Christofen said.
"Tell me once you've thought everything over. I'll support whatever choice you make, you know that."
"I do. Now, quickly, before the Knights break down my doors. I'd like as much time as possible and that would cut it short."
"Come to the castle with your answer."
"I will."
(5)(5)(5)(5)(5)
That night, Link couldn't sleep and instead found himself in his nightgown sitting on the edge of his bed, facing the door. He could just feel the window behind him. It had been like that every night since he woke up back in his bed after being kidnapped. He was almost all the way healed. He only had bandages on his arm where he had propped the lizard's razor sharp teeth. It was kind of like his father's leg. Dr. Shikashi said it might not heal all the way, but he was young and a quick healer. He'd always have the scars and it would give him pain on occasion. He still had the scar on his cheek, too, from where his kidnapper had cut off his gag.
Link glanced behind him at the window. It was covered in curtains, but he could see the shadows of the oak tree's branches waving in front of it menacingly. He used to feel comforted by the familiar sight of branches out his window, but now they looked like hands scraping against the outside of the walls, wanting to break in and strangle him, or carry him off somewhere.
He knew the man was dead, he'd killed himself in his cell, but he still felt like if he closed his eyes for too long, the man would come back through his window and try to finish the job he'd started. Link could only ever fall asleep because he was always so exhausted.
Link jumped off his bed and ran towards the door. He opened it quietly, Quan was in the room over and the last thing he wanted to do was wake him up. Quan'd probably spit insults at him and hit him or grab him by the ear and give him a shake.
Link closed the door behind him just as quietly as he had opened it. The stain glass window above the stairs looked so beautiful in the moonlight and the pale colors it cast over the great hall below glittered silently. Link usually went down to the piano and looked up at the picture of his parents until he fell asleep and Ermin found him and carried him back to his room. Ermin was always so nice to him.
This time, however, Link didn't have to look at the painting to calm down. He scampered over to the east wing, his bare feet pattering against the wood floor. Link stopped in front of his father's room. It was late and he was probably sleeping and he hadn't slept in his own bed since Link was born. Link really didn't want to bother him. But he was too scared in his room and he didn't have to be anymore. He didn't have to fight through his fear and exhaust himself, like he did on his adventures and when he was alone.
Link pushed the door open cautiously and took a few delicate steps into the room, closing the door behind him. He could see his father on one side of the bed, the covers rising and falling slowly over him. Link walked up to him and gently shook him awake, "Dad?" He whispered.
Christofen groaned and rolled over to look at him. "Link?"
"I can't sleep," Link admitted quietly.
"Bad dream?"
Link shook his head. "I don't like my room. It's scary. Can I sleep with you?"
Christofen didn't answer. He just moved the blankets so Link could crawl in next to him. Link cuddled up to his father and Christofen put the blankets down over both of them. He put his arm over Link and kissed his forehead.
"'Night, buddy," Christofen cooed. "I love you."
"I love you too," Link hugged him back and closed his eyes. He was so warm next his father under the blankets. For the first time in a long time, they both slept soundly, without a single nightmare.
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