Chapter Six

Age Old Secrets

A smile was rarely a hard thing for the Zora Princess to find, but on this spring day her grinning felt nearly continuous. It had been well over five months since she had last seen Link and Princess Zelda, and their recent arrival was reason enough to be ecstatic. Of course, she did well to remain as composed and consciousness as she could―old Muzu was a downright stickler when it came to courtly manners―but she was not wholly prim and proper all the time.

No, such things were beyond her, but that was never something bothered Mipha very much. There were of course times to act in a dignified manner, in the name of service to one's people, and then there were times when all one needed was a touch of informality and no small amount of good honest fun. Yes, the Zora Princess relished in these little moments of royal life that were not dictated by such pressing matters such as appearance and custom, even if it gave old Muzu a heart attack.

'A Princess never stops being a Princess, even in the privacy of her own pond,' was what Muzu always said. And for the most part she was happy to play along. After all, a Princess should act on behalf of her people, and that meant performing the part as earnestly and bravely as one could, but who was to say a little fun couldn't be sprinkled in? What harm could that possibly bring?

And so, keeping that in heart and mind, Mipha had set out to make this day as exciting and enjoyable as she could.

The only problem now was that her oldest and dearest friend had grown up to be as glum and reserved as old persnickety river mollusk. Standing with the tips of his boots just shy of the pond water, Link was as rigid and silent as a statue, gazing out endlessly into the churning waters of Zora's Domain; a mute sentry bound to such a position by his own decision or his sense of stoic duty. More likely than not, it was a mixture of the two when concerning Link.

Regardless of that however, the young Hylian did a fine job of always being present and ready to move at a moment's notice, yet he nearly always stood just far enough out as to give Mipha and Zelda some privacy to talk. The hilt of his sword glistened in the late evening sun every so often, when the light caught it just right, and his long hair gently fluttered in the cool spring breeze of the Upper Zorana mountain ponds, but besides that he remained entirely unchanging. His utter and total composure would have impressed even old Muzu if the old badger didn't despise the boy so much. Mipha hated it.

Despite her very best efforts, Sir Link had politely declined every request to swim or even sit down and relax to enjoy the cool mountain breeze. He had become even so much more stubborn than before in that regard, and the Zora Princess had a few guesses as to why. Most of them centered around that blade resting on his back, but others involved his new traveling companion and charge.

At any rate, Link had made his stance perfectly clear: He was to remain vigilant and watch over the Princess as she went about her day, never leaving her side for longer than absolutely necessary. Mipha ignored the dull sting of jealously of that revelation.

Then again, that was his job she supposed. But that didn't mean he couldn't come and wade into the delightful waters of Zora's Domain, did it? Apparently, it did. At least in his mind.

Luckily, there was some good news in all this at least; he and Princess Zelda had been getting along much better as of late, in all manners. The Princess claimed that ever since Sir Link had saved her from the hands of the Yiga they had made great progress towards securing a mutual understanding of one another. Zelda even dared to say―with only some small hesitancy―that they had become good friends. Not close yet, but good friends. Although she had just as hard a time getting anything out of Link as Mipha did.

This had become a reoccurring topic of discussion between the two young women.

"He's especially quiet today," Mipha noted in a near-whisper as she swam over to where Princess Zelda labored to identify and study a cropping of rare water lilies. She stood nearly knee deep in the water, bare-footed and trousers rolled up as to not wet them, Sheikah Slate in hand ready to take as many pictures as she could. The Princess was endearingly interested in all manners of plants and animals.

"Yes, he is especially quiet today," Zelda agreed with a small sigh, lips frowning on one side. "Even by his standards. I believe Sir Link's been very stressed lately."

"Stressed?"

Zelda nodded, returning to her work intently. "Of course, he won't tell me anything," she continued, turning over one of the larger water lilies to examine its underside. "He always insists everything is in perfect order, like any good soldier would." Given her tone, Zelda hadn't meant it in a particularly favorable light, but there wasn't any sharpness to it either.

Mipha glanced out to Sir Link again as if to try piece together the enigma that was the man she once knew well. It was only then that she noticed that he was more often than not fixated on a particular waterfall. A thought occurred to the young Zora then. A rather unpleasant one at that, which she tried to keep to herself.

But, she must have made a sad face, for just as Mipha tried to press it out of her mind, Zelda bent up from her work with a curious tilt of the head and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Its…" Mipha hesitate, worried that she would speak out of line concerning the tragic event that had led Link away from the Domain for so many years. He never spoke of Sir Hamish since the day they both went down the waterfall. In fact, he hadn't spoken much since then at all, and Mipha couldn't say just how much Princess Zelda knew. She would have hated to betray anything Link would rather keep quiet.

The unfortunate thing was, however, was that Mipha was never very good at keeping secrets. They had a nasty habit of just rolling off her tongue without her knowing, and before you could say toad and jump she would have told the whole story in a breath and a half.

"I should have thought of it sooner," she huffed, admonishing herself. "D-do you remember Sir Hamish?" The Hylian Princess's face furrowed with concern, and then after a moment, cautious recollection.

"Yes… yes, of course," she said in hushed tones. "I'm afraid it just slipped my mind for a moment. It's been a long while since I last heard his name, or about how he passed." Zelda looked back over her shoulder to her Knight and found him still fixated on the very same waterfall Sir Hamish fell from. "I didn't even think to ask if coming here would bother him."

"So you know?" Mipha asked. "You know about what happened?"

"Only bits and pieces," Zelda replied solemnly. "I've never had the courage to ask… nor found the appropriate time. Link is a very private man―and I'm usually all for pestering him for even a glimpse of anything that goes on in that head of his―but I didn't want to press him too hard for that memory…" The Princess faltered for a moment, her solemn expression growing sadder. "I understand what it feels like. To lose family."

"Family?" the Zora said confusedly.

Princess Zelda gave Mipha an odd look then, almost a mixture of shock and guilt, and then with a good deal of thinking opened her mouth to speak again. "I thought you knew," she whispered even quieter than before. "About Link's lineage." A long silence grew between them, neither party knowing quite what to say. It took a moment of building courage before Mipha spoke again.

"W-we must know very different things, Princess," she finally replied after some time, swallowing anxiously. "Sir Hamish was only Link's mentor, was he not? And Link his Ward? We all thought it so brave and selfless of Sir Hamish to risk his own life to save Link when he fell down the waterfall… A master giving his life for a servant is no small sacrifice. We were all deeply wounded by his passing."

"I…" Zelda hesitated, eyebrows knotting with meticulous thought. She almost appeared to be speaking her mind out loud than really trying to converse, as if it helped her puzzle out the problem in her head.

"It seems we do know very different things," Zelda continued. "Of course, I had my suspicions. The Hamish family―well, Lady Hamish really―seemed especially keen on blaming Sir Hamish's death on Link, though they would not openly say so… I didn't know the reason he fell from the waterfall was to save Sir Link. We all thought it was just a freak accident."

"Oh it was a terrible accident," Mipha suddenly piped and then quickly clapped a hand over her mouth fearing she had spoken to loud. Luckily Link showed no signs of hearing them at all.

"A horrible accident," she continued. "You see, when we were much younger Link and I always used to go swimming, and one summer Sir Hamish decided to bring his daughter―Lady Arin, if you know her. Link was tasked with escorting her about the Domain. She was quite an adventurous spirit and leapt on the opportunity to swim with us Zora… Link was opposed to the idea at first, he thought Sir Hamish would be displeased if we brought her along… Which he was. Very displeased."

Zelda leaned in to hear better, eyes curious and haunted.

"Yet, he gave in, and we all went to one of the deeper pools just north of here… It was such a merry time for a long while, but when Arin's father found out where we had gone, he grew very cross with Link and ordered him and Arin to get out of the water immediately. Link was standing on an outcropping at the head of the waterfall by that point―he was so very fearless of heights, even as a child―and when Link…" Mipha paused to swallow. It hadn't occurred to her how dry her mouth had become, nor how her heart beat nervously. Visions of that day seemed to flash before her eyes more vividly than they had done in years.

"When Link turned to swim back to the shore, he slipped on a loose rock and hit his head. He lost all consciousness and began drifting towards the falls. I was not fast enough to catch him and…" Shame twisted in chest. "And when he went over, I was too petrified of the height to dive down after him… But Sir Hamish did not waste a second. He dove in after him, taking the perilous fall to the bottom. He survived just long enough to get Link to safety before being drug under by the currents."

Princess Zelda shuddered a breath as if a cold had come over her. Hey eyes ached of a somber sadness.

"The rest… I'm sure you know…" Mipha sank deep into the water, till her eyes sat just above the ripples. All the warmth and joyful feelings of before had seeped away. Remembrance was such a sobering experience. "Looking back now I can only regret not being brave enough."

"This explains much," Zelda finally said sadly. "I'm sorry I've made you retell this, I'm sure it must have been very traumatic for you…" The young Hylian looked back at her companion. "And for him. I can't even imagine."

"You made me say nothing, Princess," Mipha replied, blinking away a faint wetness in her eyes. "I have never been very good at secrets, once I start, I can never seem to stop. But, please, don't tell Link you know. He would know exactly who told him. I… I hate that I betrayed him, I just have such a loose―"

"I won't, Mipha," the Princess assured her, placing a gentle hand on the Zora's shoulder. She felt better then, Zelda had such calming and sincere eyes. "And if it comes up naturally, I will simply lie and tell him I puzzled it together on my own. After all, there have been rumors whispered about the castle ever since Link drew the Master Sword. It's not that outlandish that I would come upon that conclusion."

"Thank you." Mipha had to take a deep breath before her nerves finally settled, but in time she rose out of the water, and sat beside Zelda in the shallows to think. So, Sir Hamish was Link's father? She never would have thought it, though picturing it in her head now it seemed right. They had the similarly shaped nose, if her memory served correctly, and of course his stoical mannerism could nearly rival Link's. Almost. Still, it had come as a surprise to her, and it took the better part of a half hour before she spoke again, asking the Princess, "How do you know Sir Hamish was Link's father? Did he tell you?"

"He told my father," Zelda answered, brushing aside her golden hair from her face. "I don't really know why. I suppose he felt it was the right thing to do. Naturally they chose to keep it hidden, out of respect for the Hamish Family and their name, but many of the King's Council already knew it themselves. Link was conceived illegitimately… They were the ones that found out in the first place, all those years ago."

"Is that why he was raising Link to be their Ward?"

"Yes… Knightly honor requires it… Like a price paid for the crime of infidelity. Sir Hamish either had to provide for his bastard child or face public trial. It would have tarnished his otherwise good name and face."

"I can't believe it," Mipha breathed. "Do you think…"

And on their conversation went till the sun began its slow decline to the mountain peaks, casting brilliant golden light on the land. It had once again become a peaceful spring evening in Zora's Domain. Unfortunately, however, neither Princesses knew that Link had very keen ears.

He of course said nothing, it was wrong of him to even listen in the first place, but there he stood silently all them same, as guilty an eavesdropper as the next. There was no point in being upset about it now, what was said had been said. What sense was there in being mad at Mipha now? She never was very good at keeping secrets anyway, it was a wonder she had lasted this long at all.

With an unheard sigh, Link scanned the mountainside as he had done a hundred times that day, squinting at the intense sunlight. He could only hope the Princess didn't expect him to share his feelings on the matter, now that she knew the full story. Oh, how her endless questions and proddings would be ever so precise and calculated now. He feared she would have him figured out by the end of the year. If the Calamity didn't strike before then, that is.

Link felt a terrified chill pass through him at the mere thought of it… It made his head ache worse.

I'm back, and so is Mipha!

As always, thank you all so much for every single review, its always a joy to receive them, and the feedback is always appreciated. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving (for those in the US) even though I am terribly late to that whole party. Sorry about that. Anyways, here's to a great December, and happy holidays!

Cheers,

-Bold