Chapter Nine
Once again, Zelda woke at the crack of dawn. It seemed like a habit, even after a hundred years, the goddesses wouldn't let her shake. Nonetheless, she rolled herself out of bed, walking back to her closet to grab the same dress as the day before.
The night prior she'd struggled to free herself from the corset, but had managed to find Rhondson at the inn despite her own intoxicated state. Rhondson was more than happy to help free the Princess of the corsets confining presence and offered to return in the morning to aid her once more.
Until then, Zelda decided to continue her own morning routine alone. She freshened up in the provided bathroom, followed by taking a seat at the bedroom vanity. With a hairbrush she'd thankfully found in one of the vanity's drawers, she went straight to work on brushing her hair. Despite being shorter now, it was still fairly thick, and knotted easily in the winds of Zora's Domain.
Rhondson was soon knocking on the door, entering once the Princess opened it and took a step aside for the gerudo to enter. A shy zora followed, setting down a plate of food at the vanity where Zelda was previously sitting. She said nothing, bowing, and leaving quickly.
Zelda blinked at the ordeal before looking to Rhondson questioningly. The woman just shrugged, grabbing the first piece of Zelda's dress. "Let's get this over with, yeah?"
The Princess nodded. Relucent. Then the two went to work once again putting on the fancy gown.
"How long are you staying in the Domain?" Zelda managed before taking a sharp breath right as the corset was tightened.
"Probably as long as you are. I'll head back to Tarrey Town after, but I'm learning a lot being here. Where will you go, Princess?"
"Hateno Village if everything works out." She stepped back, holding up her arms to make Rhondson's job a bit easier. "I have an old friend there that may help with the slate Link carries. It'll make everything easier for us both."
"Are you planning to stay at Link's house, then?" Rhondson finished up her job before stepping away, gesturing to the mirror in the room so Zelda could approve of everything.
"I wasn't aware he had a house." Zelda hummed, looking in the mirror before pausing, looking to Rhondson. "Wait, he has a house?"
"That's how he met my husband. Bought a house in Hateno." Rhondson chuckled, reaching up briefly to touch the Princess' hair, "Sit back down. We need to make you look like you're a royal demanding an audience."
Zelda didn't argue, taking a seat at the vanity once more. She politely picked at her food, lost in the thought of Link being a land holder. It changed things. Not drastically, by any means, but if King Dorephan knew Link had become a landowner he would most definitely bring up the fact during a future meeting. Per tradition, all those entering the royal family had land under their belt, and this could become a persuasive argument considering how few hylians still did.
Rhondson, on the other hand, didn't pay any attention to the change in Zelda's demeanor at the fact. She went straight to work, curling the short locks of the Princess' hair and brushing the tight curls into soft, beach waves. It gave her hair more volume, an appearance she was well kept and put together after her time away. She waited for Zelda to finish her breakfast before breaking out the makeup, going straight to work brightening her face, rosing her cheeks and painting her lips.
By the time it was over, Zelda looked far less like a Princess who had no idea of how to approach her future role, and more like a Queen demanding the attention of all around her.
With a deep breath, Zelda stood from the vanity to take her appearance at the mirror herself. She truly felt like a royal when others went to work making her look so.
"Now you look like a monarch I could get behind." Rhondson decided, arms crossed as she nodded her head in approval. "I guess I should let your knight in now, huh?"
"Has he been waiting outside this whole time?" Zelda turned with a gasp, nearly laughing nonetheless, "Rhondson, you devil."
"He would have waited around if I sent him off, anyways," Rhondson smirked, "Besides, I think he ought to be the first to see the real future Queen he saved, don't you think?"
Zelda blushed at that, holding her gloved hands in front of her with the most sheepish of nods. She didn't speak the words, just in case Link was eavesdropping in the slightest.
The reaction of Link, Rhondson decided, was worth her decision to lock him out. The second he stepped in, he froze, looking at the soft curls and warm cheeks of the Princess before him. "Princess, you look-" He swallowed, unable to get the words out.
Zelda smiled, holding the skirt of her dress and spinning around a bit. It was the same dress as the day prior, that much was true, but with her new hair and makeup she felt like it was a totally different garb entirely. "Do you like it?"
"Y-Yeah," Link briefly rubbed the back of his neck before pulling up the sheikah slate. He touched a few buttons, hiding his own blush behind the contraption. "It's just missing one thing." He pushed another button, and a gold crown-like band fell into his hand. The sides looked like golden leaves, the middle of the front holding one large, brilliant diamond. Link took the few steps that stood between him and the Princess, putting it gently on the top of Zelda's head. "Much better."
Zelda took one last look in the mirror, taking the chance to readjust the makeshift tiara, humming in satisfaction at how it looked. "For once, I don't mind wearing a crown."
"We'll get you a proper one once we go to Gerudo Town. A custom one that no one else will have." Link added, standing behind her in the mirror.
Zelda paused, admiring the two of them in the reflection. They truly could pass as King and Queen already, but that was a subject for the future. For now, she had a question to ask him. "Why are you wearing your champion's tunic?"
Link shrugged, seemingly lost in the reflection as well. "It didn't feel right parading around in an engagement gift I don't think I would have ever accepted."
"I suppose you have the right to decide for yourself. I prefer you in champion blue, myself." Zelda turned to him, smiling warmly, "It matches the colour of your eyes."
Rhondson, who still stood by the door, cleared her throat and perked up, "Oh, Bazz, are you here for the Princess? We just finished making her presentable, didn't we?"
The heat immediately greeted the cheeks of both the chosen heroes as they turned to see both Bazz and Gaddison in the doorway. "Oh, yes, I believe we have. Is the King and his court ready to proceed with our meeting?"
"That's why we're here, Princess." Gaddison chuckled, waving her over, "Prince Sidon managed to get out of bed to be there himself, but I think he's already regretting the headache he has from yesterday."
"The poor Prince," Zelda shook her head, starting towards the door, Link following behind her. Three steps away. As always.
"Don't worry about him." Bazz chuckled, leading the chosen duo along with Gaddison, "He's got to learn his tolerance sometime. Better now than at some venue when he's inevitably King."
"What about you, Princess? How do you feel?" Gaddison asked as they continued their way through the Domain.
"Fine, thank you for asking." She glanced around, pausing when they were once again greeted by the stairs leading to their audience. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this."
"Yeah, none of us ever will." Gaddison glanced at her hylian friends, "Just be wary of Muku. He's not in the best of moods today."
"Noted." Zelda nodded, taking a deep breath as the four made their way up the stairs. The second they reached the top step, the attention was turned their way. Gaddison and Bazz stepped to either side of the Princess, taking their stance at the entrance of the room, leaving Zelda to make her way across the floor to the centre alone once again.
Link was troubled, not sure whether to hold back or stay her equal, but decided to join her side, just one step back instead of three. A mental compromise.
The audience was far larger than the private reunion the day prior, but the three at the front remained the same. King Dorephan in the centre, sat on his throne. Prince Sidon to his left, Muzu the advisor to the right, all staring at the Princess as though they could see right through her.
"King Dorephan, I would once again like to thank you for fulfilling my request of an audience with you today. I know you are rather busy rebuilding the Domain now that the Calamity has ended."
"Yes, well, a break of routine is always welcome." King Dorephan hummed back, clearly in slightly better spirits than when she had first arrived the day prior.
"I'm here to request your support in the rebuilding of Castle Town, and the reestablishment of the Hylian Monarchy. I'm aware that the Domain, and many other settlements, have survived on their own throughout the past one hundred years, but without a central trading post, or an overriding leader there is no way to bring back the prosperous nation Hyrule once was."
"And what makes you think we zora care for the other settlements, when we've been doing just fine on our own?" King Dorephan challenged.
"Because your own nation has suffered despite how much you may deny the fact in order to keep the proud spirit of your people alive."
"Princess! How dare you!" Muku spat, taking a step forward, "Must I remind you of your place?"
"If anyone needs to be reminded of their title at this moment, it is you, Muzu." Zelda spoke calmly, looking back to King Dorephan. She ignored the gasp of Muzu and the chatter of the other elders, paying no mind to the gossip soon to spread.
"In order to get to the Domain, Sir Link and I had to travel mainly by foot. It is clear the zora have not kept up the bridges that connect them with the rest of Hyrule. Lizalfos of all ages littered the paths. Previous landslides made some roads nearly impossible to traverse. You cannot possibly try to tell me that the zora staying only to the waterways for travel hasn't put a damper on your trade and tourism."
The room fell quiet then, a few advisors looking the way of their King, expecting him to argue. Expecting him to defend their choices. Instead, the King adjusted himself in his seat. "Is trade all that the other races of Hyrule will provide? We are successfully self sustaining. We have no need for such agreements."
"Trade is simply the beginning. There are roads to be built, connecting people from all over to visit the Domain and increase the economy as a whole. When I would visit prior to the Calamity, there were multiple inns littered all over, but now there is simply one, and it seems to be barely hanging on. The shop, the single one your people can afford to maintain, has little to offer due to the lack of goods coming through to entice buyers. Why would any zora buy a fish they can get by swimming downstream for less than a minute?"
"To close the Domain in the way you intend to continue doing will end the little trade you have left, halt tourism all together, and create a race of closed minded zora in the future. Hyrule was the great kingdom it was because every nation came together. Even during the Calamity, the Gerudo, Goron, Rito and Zora worked together with the Hylians and Sheikah in order to protect the relationship they all shared. And you single handedly have - and intend to continue to - put a strain on such a relationship."
"These are bold words coming from a Princess without a throne to sit on." Another advisor Zelda didn't recognize spoke up, "The heir to a throne of nothing. Wasn't that how the people put it?"
"The people were wrong." Zelda narrowed her eyes at the advisor. "A ruler who needs a castle to implement any sense of power is a failure to their people. A physical throne need not exist, so long as the loyalty and dedication to their people continues. Hyrule has fallen and been rebuilt many times over, and in none of these instances did the true monarchy step down. My ancestors, the past reincarnations of myself, have spent their lives building and continuing to make each Hyrule prosper, and I intend to do the same."
"But without a King by your side, who will give you any respect?" The advisor challenged. Zelda had thought Muzu was bad, but this guy clearly had it out for her.
"The blood of Hylia has never run through that of a King." Zelda stepped forward, head held high, "The Kings were all simply Hylian nobles, none of which still live. The only reason my father had been granted any sense of power was because of my mother's death. Because of her murder. Before that she was the true ruler of Hyrule, as I will be. Married or not. It is my place, as it is written in the history of the nation. In the blood of the Goddess I carry in my veins."
"Clearly the Goddess chose the wrong vessel." Another spoke up, causing a few of the elders to chuckle.
Zelda glared, looking back up at the King once more. "Pardon me if I've simply forgotten, but is it not the King's place to ask questions and the advisors to sit pretty and analyse the answers provided. It may be bold of me to suggest, but perhaps you ought to remind the people working under you of their place in a royal court."
"I agree with the Princess," Prince Sidon spoke up, silencing the elders once more. "The elders of the room need to remember their places. If they continue such outbursts, it will be assumed they are trying to override the decisions of my father, the King, and the proper consequences for such will be dealt following the meeting."
"Thank you, Prince Sidon." Zelda gave a little nod, squeezing her hands together to remind herself of where she was. Who she was speaking to.
"I want to make it clear," She continued, "I do not believe that closing off the Domain in the past was a poor decision. You have done what you had to do for your people, and that is why I ask you to continue to work for them by assisting me in the reunification of Hyrule."
"It's too early to say. You have yet to speak with any other nation, correct? If I was to agree now, and the rito were not, then that would not be of any favour to my people, now would it?"
"Although I believe the other nations will support me without hesitation, I recognize your perspective. If time is all I need to grant you for my desired answer, then so be it. Time is what you will be provided."
"And where will you go next, Princess?" King Dorephan raised a brow, "To find a suitable King?"
"I believe my position on that subject is clear. It is not at the top of my priority list."
"You say that there are no nobles left, but my son stands before you. It is far more traditional for a Princess to marry a Prince in order to benefit both royal bloodlines."
"Father, I must protest-" Sidon started, stopping when the King lifted his hand and stared down at the Princess.
He was testing her, she knew it, and with Link only a foot away it was clear what he was trying to get out of her. "Although Prince Sidon is indeed of nobility, and I'm sure would prove to be a strong King to my people, I have the duty to birth a daughter in order to continue Goddess Hylia's bloodline. That cannot be fulfilled if I marry a zora."
"And why is that?" Muzu spoke up again, angrier than before, "What's being a zora got to do with anything!"
"Biology." Zelda shrugged. "Has a zora ever carried the child of a hylian, or a hylian ever carried the child of a zora?"
The room went quiet yet again before King Dorephan spoke up. "And what makes you think the other nations will agree so easily?'
"I cannot presume they will, but both the Goron and Gerudo rely heavily on trade. The rito, as well, though their abilities do aid them in continuing trade out of the village, it is hard for other nations to bring trade to them. I believe the other nations will look past their lives of the past one hundred years and instead look to the future, for it is what a true ruler should focus on. Living in the past will only provide people so much. Living for the future is what truly benefits our people. Both now and in a hundred years time."
"Are you suggesting I'm not a strong leader?" The King questioned, rubbing his chin.
"I'm suggesting you could prove to be a far stronger leader by letting go of the traditions and situations of the past, and aiding me in creating a future for Hyule and its people."
"Well, Princess." Dorephan clapped, sending a slew of air through the room from his large hands. "Return to me when the time comes. When you have proved yourself to have a following and the means to get the ball rolling. Until then, I will provide you with what you need as far as meals and housing, perhaps even a few members of the zorian military, but I cannot agree to the establishment of the monarchy as it stands."
Zelda looked to him, wanting to say so much before deciding not to. Instead, she nodded at the King's decision.
"You are dismissed." The King waved his hand. "You may all continue your appointed duties for the day. Princess, if you'd be so kind as to let me speak with Sir Link alone."
Zelda was ready to leave, so the words caught her off guard as she looked back to the King and then her knight. She swallowed, her mind racing with all the things he may say to Link, but in defeat she chose to agree. "I will remain with Bazz and Gaddison until you're free from your meeting." Zelda spoke to Link, feeling the eyes of the King on her back.
And with that, she left Link alone with King Dorephan.
—
Once Link was assured it was only himself and the King in the room, he took the place Zelda previously stood. The sounds of the flowing water from the waterfalls surrounding the room filled the empty space, ringing in his mind. King Dorephan had yet to speak, as if searching for exactly what he wanted to say. When he finally spoke, Link had truly wished he didn't.
"Link, my dear boy," he waved Link closer, the same instructions and kindness he'd shown Zelda the day before. "Come closer. I have something I'd like to ask you."
Link spoke nothing, just nodding as he looked up to the King. He couldn't believe he'd ever been fond of being face to face with any of the king's residing in Hyrule.
"I speak as someone who cares about you. You could have been my future son-in-law, if the world were different, so do take my words as those of a fatherly figure."
Link provided yet another nod.
"You are an accomplished knight. A hero. The individual chosen to wield the sacred sword. So why is it you remain by the Princess' side after all this time?"
"It's as you say," Link started, "I'm the hero chosen by the goddesses. I stay by the Princess' side. It's my sworn duty."
"It's an awful weight on you. You could live a life of freedom, or perhaps start a leadership of your own. You could build up your residence in Hateno and start your own line of nobility."
"Princess Zelda has already made my ability to leave her side clear. She let me know the second she was awake in Kakariko. I've had every opportunity to leave. I simply chose not to."
"But why chose to stay by the side of someone who has become nothing but a fairytale."
"My reasons to remain by the Princess' side have nothing to do with you or anyone else. You say I have freedom to choose, and I have. There is no reason to be here in the first place if you're just trying to change my mind."
"If that's your attitude about it," King Dorephan leaned back in his throne, "But if you change your mind in regards to your role, do come to me. I can provide you with the means to start your own monarchy, or perhaps you can become a knight of our guard when you realize what a poor choice you're making."
Link's eyes darkened as he looked to the King. He went to speak, but was stopped by the sound of weapons colliding.
Two of the zoran knights had their staffs up, stopping Gaddison from entering the private conversation. It did no good, of course, considering Gaddison was far stronger than the newer knights and she pushed her way into the room, falling to one knee in a deep bow.
"Forgive my intrusion." She breathed, looking up at Link desperately. "It's Princess Zelda. Please, hurry."
I didn't almost forget to post this because I was playing the demo for Age Of Calamity.