Chapter 2:

A New Beginning, Not Started Well

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The water rippled as she moved, pulling her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Zelda didn't know what to do…

They had finally defeated Ganon, a hundred yearlong battle finally over. They were finally free, both of them, from the heavy duty that sat on their shoulders. Yet, they had failed at first. Death and destruction reined over Hyrule for a hundred years as Link slept.

Still, the people lived on, fought and did their best to survive the apocalypse set upon them.

…and here she sat, feeling awkward and out of place and—had no idea what she was supposed to do now.

After so long being trapped, there were so many things Zelda wanted to do but—she had no idea what or where or how to go about it.

Zelda knew she couldn't stay in Kakariko Village forever, leeching off Impa and Paya's kindness, despite how they said she could stay as long as she liked; Zelda felt like she was intruding.

Link…had been quiet, of course nowhere near as silent as before, just…reserved. Their conversation two nights ago had ended on a note Zelda hadn't expected but really, how couldn't she have?

Why shouldn't she have expected it?

She had been a horrendous person to Link even before she had officially met him; she hadn't spared a thought to how he felt and the weight the nine year old would be going through.

Hylia—he'd been nine.

What was wrong with her?

Why had she been so selfish?

It was inexcusable.

Zelda exhaled, sinking into the hot water to submerge herself. She gripped the edge of the bath as water rushed into her ears and she shuddered at the feeling. Zelda emerged, heaving for a breath as water dribbled down her face.

Not even this hot bath was making her feel any cleaner. She might look it, but her skin still tingles with the phantom feeling of Malice, her scalp and hair greasy from a lack of a bath for a hundred years.…

This wasn't even her first bath.

She wonders how long it will take before her skin finally feels untainted.

Zelda sighed and stood to get out of the rapidly cooling water, she'd been in it for almost an hour now. Zelda's surprised it hadn't gone colder sooner.

She dried herself and her hair off before dressing herself in no hurry whatsoever. Her limbs felt heavy, but she doubts the feeling will fade for a while, she had spent the last hundred years not sleeping but unable to move, in contrast to Link's century of slumber. Her body has to readjust.

…talking about contrast, they had been here three days and she had yet to see Link sleep.

It…worried her.

True as it was that she watched over him, but it was not every hour of every day. With her power so focused on keeping Ganon back, she didn't have much time to spare to constantly watch Link's journey.

But that also didn't mean she was completely blind to his adventure—she'd seen his struggle to readjust, watched his reaction to learning what had happened to him and the world around them.

It was heartbreaking, yet fascinating to see how he learnt and…

Zelda became aware of the voices quietly talking.

"—you're going to need to sleep eventually," Impa scold lightly, affectionately.

A huff and Link answered, "Can't'ven if I tried, plus it's rainin' out."

What did rain have to do with anything?

"Honestly, Link," Impa chuckled softly, "You might find comfort within the wilderness, but sleeping in a bed has perks. Besides, at this rate, you'll pass out from exhaustion. Madius will have both our backsides if I allow that to happen."

"…"

A long beat before Impa laughed, "You're face! So red! How adorable!"

Link grumbled something Zelda could not hear but it just made Impa laugh harder.

Madius…

She had heard that name, seen the ghostly imprint of a man accompanying Link but—no matter how hard she tried, Zelda could never get a clear image of him. White hair and red markings were the only real flashes she caught.

Part of Zelda is not surprised that she was unable to see anyone other than Link otherwise she would have spent her time watching over the others—Impa and Purah and other surviving people through the hundred years.

"—Besides, I have things to do," Link argued as Zelda tuned in again.

"Link," Impa's voice is far more serious now, that playfulness from before gone, "At least try laying down for an hour and if that doesn't work then I will concede."

"…"

Zelda quickly took that as her cue to enter, so it did not look like she had been eavesdropping because to be caught eavesdropping would be embarrassing. She did not know if the conversation was meant to be private or not and she would really rather not do something to get on the wrong foot with Link when they'd already been making, slow as it was, progress.

"Princess," Impa greets and Zelda smiles kindly at her.

"Impa," Zelda felt a burst of warmth at merely being in her presences. A relief that not everything was gone, "Is everything alright?"

She glanced between the two, Link gave a disgruntled noise before sighing, "An hour."

Impa smiled, "Thank you."

Link nodded and stood, checking something on the Sheikah Slate. Zelda felt a flash of…envy maybe? She had worked so hard a hundred years ago to get the thing working and…she never got to use it, not to its true potential.

Link did not seem to be in the mind of giving it up anytime soon by the secure and protective grip he had before tucking it onto his belt once again.

Zelda wondered if he would let her fiddle with it, see what he had achieved with the Slate. It was not like she would be demanding it back—she was curious, was that…wrong?

Link tucked it back onto his hip, "I'll be upstairs."

Then he was gone, the only evidence he was there was the soft movement from above.

She probably should have asked before he disappeared.

"Princess?" Zelda turned back to Impa, who stared curiously up at her, "Is something the matter?"

The former Princess shook her head, "No, no, just…" she hesitated a beat, "Does Link not like sleeping?"

Impa hummed and gestured for Zelda to settle beside her, she did.

"Not so much dislike sleep, but rather has trouble sleeping. Madius has been trying to work on increasing Link's hours from four at most to the average six to eight. It's a slow progress as his body is just too used to such a routine, and we theorised that having slept so long in the Shrine, that his body naturally…disagrees perhaps with the idea of sleep. Subconsciously at least and it doesn't help that Link likes to fight it, he has nightmares you see."

Nightmares, huh? She wonders what he sees, hopes it's not something as horrifying as…as his death.

"Madius?" that name again, she latched onto it—was this the man Link travelled with?

Impa is silent for a long beat, lips pursed. It must be—but why was Impa so hesitant to tell her about him.

"Madius is…Link's father."

Zelda blinked and felt a swell of fondness that someone had gone out of their way to assist Link, come to love him enough to adopt Link as his own. She smiled, "How sweet."

"No, no, Princess, you misunderstand," Impa hesitated again, "Madius is Link's father. I…It is not my place to be the one to tell you who Madius is, but…that man is biologically Link's father."

…Zelda had no idea what the hell is going on—that was impossible, the man must be in his late hundred if that was true, but the man Zelda saw was youthful, early thirties at most.

"That's impossible."

Impa dipped her chin, "Again, I am not the one to explain, it is not my place. It would sound better, easier, coming from Madius himself."

That wasn't the answer Zelda wanted and she slumped in annoyance.

Zelda does not see Link for the rest of the day, lunch arrives and goes. Zelda spends time with Paya and getting her body used to moving again. Then dinner arrives and still, Link has not come down.

Paya giggles at the lack of Link, telling Zelda this happened the first time Link arrived in Kakariko Village too. He's been tired and dead on his feet, Impa had, at first sight of him, gasped loudly, babbling in confusion.

("Baby, you're a baby! Goodness, why are you a baby?!")

Paya had to calm her very confused and horrified grandmother, Dorain and Cado had been just as confused and worried and—why? Then Link was promptly swaddled in a blanket and put to bed in Paya's room.

He fought for all of three minutes before pretty much passing out, snoring softly. He hadn't stirred until lunch next day.

"Sometimes it just catches up with him," Paya comments before giggling, "Madius has perfected the art of Link-wrangling, as Dorian likes to call it."

Zelda latches onto the mention of the man, "Could you tell me about this Madius?"

"O-oh," Paya startled and, much like Impa had, hesitated. Her cheeks flushed a shade of pink, "He's very kind…but stern! A no-nonsense type of person, but perhaps a bit bias when it comes to letting Link get away with things. Link's kind of on the wild side, you know? He's an easy man to get along with, most of the time anyway. May Goddess Hylia help anyone who gets on his bad side."

Zelda's hit with the image of Link shield surfing down a hill and straight into a camp of monsters—she'd witness that one first hand and she dreads the thought of what else he could get up too.

"But who is he?" she insisted, "Impa—Impa said he was Link's actual father, but that's impossible."

For a long moment, Paya said nothing before she slumped slightly, "M-my—my apologises Princess, but, but grandmother thinks it best to hear from Madius himself."

Zelda sighed and bit back the compulsion to pull at her hair in frustration.

Why wouldn't anyone just tell her who this Madius was?!

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Surely Link wouldn't mind if she peeked at what was on the Slate, would he? Maybe Link even had some pictures of this Madius!

Still, as Zelda quietly plucked the Slate from the bedside table,—taking a moment to smile down at Link sprawled out across the bed, still dead to the word—she couldn't help the sudden uneasy feeling that settled in her chest…she knew it was wrong, but…she had to know and surely Link wouldn't care that much, what could possibly be in the Slate that would make Link deny her that chance?

Settling on the floor, back against the bed given to her, Zelda crossed her legs and got comfortable. She took a breath and tapped the screen, it lit up with…an inventory? Oh, how fascinating!

Zelda got a view of the section of weapons Link had stored in the Slate at the moment, the Master Sword was in the first slot, she noted. Zelda wondered if she would get to hear that voice again, wondered if Link would allow her to hold the sword and try.

The next were bows, then shields.

All of the equipment was in different states of durability.

She saw a golden handled Royal broadsword, the stronger-but-weaker other experimental darker version created by the Sheikah in a state of really low health. Zelda wonders absently if Link was taking care of these swords. She had witnessed Link, a hundred years ago, during quiet moments back in the castle where he could become slightly lax, take time and great care in looking after the Master Sword.

The shields she could understand—she'd been witness to some of the crazy stunts he pulled on a regular basis.

Then, clothes—oh! How—Zelda stilled her movements as she took a moment to truly look at all the outfits…it startled her at how feminine some of them looked. Two vai Gerudo outfits, one with trousers, another with a skirt. Lots of jewellery, although Zelda could see most had a unique property—heat resistance, cold resistance…

A set called Child Zonai Barbarian Set—there was another one, Adult Zonai Barbarian Set, that looked, obviously if going by the name, to be too big for Link at the moment, was he saving it for when he grew into it? Seemed pretty logical.

The Rubber Set made her stifle a giggle at how adorable it looked.

But again, there were a few other outfits that looked to be more on the feminine side and clearly for someone of Link's height and age.

Zelda decided she would come back to that later, ask Link why he had such clothes when he was actually awake and coherent to answer.

There were several pages of just random items; food, monster loots, ore…miscellaneous things that would be of use for something else rather than by itself. Then there was three pages full of just—food, it had Zelda's mouth watering at just the images and how delicious they all looked.

Some even gave effects! Speed up, stealth…defence increase! How wonderful! She simply must ask Link to tell her all about these effects and how he got them the work with food! He had elixirs too, plenty of them for quick and easy use, but compared to the food, the time limit—which, amazing! The Slate could register time limit imbedded in each item—were significantly less. Maybe more potent when done with food?

The next page held some different horse gear, a…paraglider? She wasn't familiar with that, she wondered what it did—

"What are you doin'?"

Zelda jumped, a startled gasp escaping as her widened eyes darted to see Link had pushed himself up on his elbows and was glaring at her.

When she didn't say anything—

"I asked, what are you doin'?"

"I—I…" she stuttered, words failing her at that moment.

"Just because you once carried it doesn't give you the right to invade my privacy, your highness," the title was spoken with such venom that it made her flinch.

"I—"

"You what? Thought just because I was asleep you were allowed to snoop?" At this point, Link had stood, fingers curled into fists at his side, "News Flash, it doesn't belong to you anymore. It's mine and no amount of excuses or arguments are going to change that."

Zelda didn't move, frozen, as Link snatched the Slate back, briefly glancing at the screen before sparing her one more glare as he walked out of the room.

The sounds of Link storming away quickly quietened leaving her in silences.

That guilt festered.

She should have listened to that feeling.

…Had she damaged what little progress they had made?