Rusl stood before Dorian and King Roham in King Roham's office. It wasn't hard to find the sword, thrown casually in Link's closet against a pile of clothes. Rusl had retrieved it that morning once he and Aryll left for school, and he spent the majority of the rest of the morning staring at it. It was surreal to see the legendary sword sitting there on his kitchen table. Though he had known for years that this moment would come, he thought he had more time. For the love of Hylia, Link was only sixteen. How could a boy barely passing high school be expected to save the world? He would fail miserably and die trying. Why couldn't the war wait just a few more years? Rusl could have sent Link to join Roham's army and got some proper training and discipline. At least then he would have had a fighting chance.
Perhaps, then, Uli was right. Of course she was right. He should have better prepared his son, or at the very least been forthcoming about his destiny. If he knew, maybe then he would have taken life a little more seriously.
But all he wanted for him was a normal life. A normal childhood. He couldn't be faulted for providing him that.
He was no closer to accepting his son's fate as he stared at the sword on the king's desk.
"You knew this would happen," Dorian said carefully. His eyes narrowed on Rusl. "You can't stop him from fulfilling his destiny."
"Well," Rusl started, "I changed my mind."
"You can't change your mind," Dorian sneered.
"He's going to get himself killed," Rusl hissed.
"I'm sorry, Dorian," King Roham started. "I've got to agree with him. We live in different times, now. If Ganondorf does rise as you predict he will, we have other, better means of defending Hyrule from him. There's no sense on relying on two sixteen year olds. It's irresponsible. I won't put my daughter in danger like that."
"It is their destiny -"
"And yet I've seen no mark of the Triforce on their hands," King Roham snapped.
Rusl turned his gaze to his feet as the two of them argued.
"Whether you've seen the mark or not is irrelevant," Dorian said. "They are the only ones who will be able to stop Ganondorf. Only the Master Sword can defeat him. Only the Chosen Hero can wield the sword. And only Zelda's power will be able to seal him away once more."
"How archaic," King Roham sneered. "Listen to yourself, Dorian. A sword? We have modern weaponry that will do more damage than a mere sword." When Dorian tried to argue, he put a hand up, silencing him. "Bring him here," he said simply. "He has no business with that sword. They will not be involved in this war."
Rusl met Dorian's angry gaze briefly before Dorian let himself out of the office. When they were alone, he turned his attention back to the king. King Roham's face softened as he spoke.
"I know this can't be easy for you," he started. "And I know your relationship with Dorian is strained. But he is a Sheikah. They are set in their ways. They cannot adapt to our changing world."
"But what if he's right?" Rusl asked.
King Roham met his gaze. "Do you believe he is?"
Rusl hesitated. It would have been foolish to say he didn't believe Dorian. He had heard - even seen - Hylia herself. He knew long before Link was born that this would be the fate of his son. Still, he could not bring himself to believe it, even with the Master Sword lying in front of him as proof. The truth was, he wasn't ready. He thought he'd have more time. He thought he could shield his son from his own destiny for just a little longer.
He chose not to answer the king's question. To his relief, the door opened behind him, offering a distraction, but he did not turn to see who entered. He kept his gaze instead on the Master Sword as his stomach twisted sickeningly.
"Dorian," the king said in greeting. "Thank you." He gestured to a seat beside Rusl. "Link. Have a seat."
Link stepped forward slowly and made his way to the chair. Only then did he recognize the man that stood before the king; his father.
Link narrowed his eyes on him, but Rusl did not turn to look at his son. Link moved his gaze to the king, but did not sit. "What is this?" he asked. "What's going on?"
Rusl did not answer his son. The door behind them opened, and Link turned to see Zelda enter, clearly aggravated with her father. Her mouth was open to speak, but it snapped shut when her eyes fell onto Link.
"What is the meaning of this?" she said, her gaze narrowing on her father, but he ignored her.
The king gestured towards a man that stood to his left, and the man stepped forward, placing the Master Sword on the king's desk. Link's eyes moved to Rusl once more, then to Impa and Paya standing by the door, over to Zelda, and back to the king. "Where did you get that?"
"Your father brought it to me," the king said. "And it seems my advisor, Impa, has gotten to you first."
Link turned his gaze to Impa once more, but her cold eyes were fixed on the king's, and she did not try to hide her disdain as her lips twitched at the corners.
"Father," Zelda started. "It is just as the legends say. The Master Sword has been hidden for all these years, but it called to us."
"You are foolish, Zelda," the king hissed at his daughter. "The legends are from an ancient time. A time where civilization was not as advanced as it is today. If any war is on our horizon, it will not be stopped my a rusty old sword." He turned his eyes back to Link. "You and my daughter will have no part in these legends. You have no business fighting in any war."
"Ganondorf and his army cannot be stopped by modern weaponry," Impa hissed at the king. "It is in their blood to fulfill their duty to Goddess Hylia."
"They are children," the king snapped at his advisor. "I will not send my daughter out with a fool and a sword to fight against a villain from a damned movie."
"I guess I'm the fool?" Link muttered.
"We're not children," Zelda shouted to her father. She opened her mouth to speak further, but stopped as Impa's hand rested on her shoulder. She was, however, visibly fuming at her father's stubborn behavior.
"You will have no part of this sword," the king growled fiercely. "That is an order."
Zelda held her ground angrily a moment longer before turning her attention to Link. She pulled at his arm and spun on her heels, leading him out of the office.
Rusl brought his gaze back up to meet King Roham's, and the king sighed.
"She won't let it go so easily," Rusl said. He was sure Link wouldn't, either. He never felt more powerless than he did in that moment. He couldn't stop his son from following his destiny. But the least he could do was give him every advantage that he could.
"No, she won't," King Roham confirmed softly.
"I'm coming back," Rusl said in an even tone. He felt Dorian's eyes on him as he met the king's gaze. "The Yiga will become active again. They will do everything in their power to get this sword. If I can't stop Link, the least I can do is prevent the Yiga from getting their hands on him."
King Roham nodded. "Fine," he said simply. "You've always been an asset to my army. I won't turn down your offer."
"You're retired," Dorian sneered.
Rusl turned to Dorian. "Afraid I'll show you up?" Rusl said with a grin.
Dorian's lips curled into a snarl. "Stay out of this."
Rusl laughed. "Come on, Dorian. I've been a part of this my whole life. Give it a rest." He turned and left them alone in the office. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he strode down the hallway. When he rounded the corner, his gaze landed on his son, though he continued walking without uttering a word.
Link jogged down the hallway to catch up with him. "What the hell? Do you plan on telling me what you think you're doing, snooping around my room?"
"It's my job to snoop," Rusl said simply.
"Find anything good?"
"A pitiful collection of porn under your bed."
Link ignored him. "Why did you take the sword?"
"Because it's not yours."
"I've heard otherwise."
Rusl stopped suddenly and faced him. "That thing is garbage. Forget about it." He hesitated a moment before continuing out of the building. Link watched him for a moment, then broke into a jog to catch up to him again.
"What do you know about it?"
"Nothing."
"You're lying." Link stepped in front of him and Rusl stopped walking. He held his gaze on his son for a moment.
"What do you want?" Rusl sneered.
"The truth."
Rusl hesitated. "Fine." He let out a short breath. "I know the legends. I know everything. And I knew that my son would be Hylia's chosen hero. I knew this well before I even met your mother. I knew that you would come into the world, destined to find the Master Sword and stop Ganondorf."
Link practically choked on the air. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He stared blankly at his father as he desperately tried to put the pieces together. "How did you know this?"
"The same way you figured it all out, I'm sure."
Link raised a brow. "A rusted sword hidden in some woods called to you in a dream?"
"Something like that."
"So, someone told you that your son would save the world, and you felt it in your duty to fuck the next woman you saw, bring that poor bastard into the world so that he could clean up everyone else's shit? I bet you feel real fucking proud, huh?"
"Is that what you fucking think?" Rusl hissed at him. "I did everything I could to keep you away from that life. I knew you found the sword, and I brought it here to destroy it once and for all."
"Who do you think would save the world then?"
"The sword is ancient technology," he said. "It's obsolete. We have other means of stopping any enemy should they rise."
"Do you really believe that?"
"You will have no part in this."
"It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice."
"The king has made his orders." Rusl turned away from his son and walked towards his car. "And you have a test to study for."