LOVE IN A TIME OF CALAMITY
Part 3: Letting Go
Chapter 20: Revelations
A/N: Next chapter out a month later, as planned. Yay me! Unfortunately, however, life exploded again so I don't think this chapter will herald the return to weekly updates. I don't think I'll be able to get back to weekly updates until probably January. But I will get the next chapter out by the end of next month, I think (hope). For now, enjoy, and don't forget to fav and review! ^^
Warnings: Spoilers for the DLC
Zelda took a quiet, shaky breath in an attempt to maintain her composure. King Dorephan, well known for his stoicism and strength, was sobbing uncontrollably over the blue sash she had just presented him; and as soon as his tears began to spill, every Zora in the throne room—elders, guards, and even brave little Prince Sidon—had burst into tears as well. She knew the Zora to be a very forthright people who wore their emotions on their sleeve (so to speak, for a race which wore very little clothing), but even she had not expected such a reaction.
Upon her arrival the evening prior she had encountered few Zora aside from the usual guards posted around the Domain. After formal introductions with Muzu, she had retreated to her quarters and gone to bed early, in preparation for the difficult day ahead; however, that left her with little indication of the heartbreakingly somber mood which had befallen the normally cheerful city.
She bit the inside of her cheek, turning her face down to stare at her hands when she could no longer maintain the mask of polite empathy she knew to be the appropriate and expected response in a formal reception such as this. The necklace resting against her breast beneath the neckline of her royal gown hung, now, like a weight—as though gaining mass with each echoing cry. She had brought it with her in the hopes that perhaps it might provide some comfort; that maybe, in some way, it would serve as her own, silent tribute to Mipha's sacrifice. It had, after all, been a gift from the Zora Princess—a token of good will upon her acceptance of the role of Zora champion. It bore the mark of the Zora royal family: cast in polished silver, and hanging elegantly from a fine silver chain. Back then it had given her hope—reassured her of the unbreakable strength she hoped a union between all five races of Hyrule might possess. Now, with the sobs of a father who survived his firstborn child echoing in the cavernous throne room, it served instead as a stinging reminder of her failure.
Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to join them—to let her tears flow alongside the King; but that did little to convey the image of a strong and collected monarch—an image her people desperately needed, to guide them through this tumultuous time. The thought fleetingly occurred to her that such an approach could be wrong—that perhaps her father's early lessons in social politics were misguided; maybe such a show of vulnerability would not be viewed as weakness or a violation of decorum in such a setting. But… it did not matter. Her instincts, honed by a lifetime of rigorous training in royal etiquette, would allow her no such impropriety as tears. She had not cried at her mother's processional—she would not cry here.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Barlow struggling, his pudgy jowls quivering with the effort of keeping himself restrained. Link, on the other hand, looked completely numb. His eyes were glassy, staring blankly ahead, posture as stiff and rigid as the day he stood before Ganon.
However, before she had decided how to best to tactfully and courteously proceed in the face of such an outcry, King Dorephan spoke, his voice wavering uncontrollably.
"Th-thank you, Princess. This… this is a v-very dif-difficult time for all of us in the D-Domain." He sniffed twice more, several large tears leaking from his eyes before lifting a hand to wipe them away. Clearing his throat, he continued in a steadier voice. "I want you to know… I do not blame you or Master Link for what happened. Without you two, we all would be lost, not just my… my dear, s-sweet Mipha."
Zelda offered a stiff nod. Though she felt heartened by his words, she couldn't help but notice the scowls which adorned the faces of the Zora elders in the room—especially Muzu. Not everyone, it seemed, was in agreement.
Returning her gaze to the puffy-eyed king, she cleared her throat, pushing past the lump which had formed there. "Thank you, your Grace."
Pulling the sash closer against his chest the King spoke, the waver in his voice returning. "We… we will be unveiling a statue in her honor this afternoon. We would be honored for you and Master Link to join us in celebrating…" the King trailed off and he shut his eyes against the pain momentarily before continuing, his voice rough and expression anguished, "In celebrating her m-memory."
Zelda swallowed thickly. "Of course, your Grace. We… we would be most honored to attend."
The King sniffed, his grip on the sash tightening.
"Thank you… for your kind words, and for the honor and recognition you have given my daughter's sacrifice. Your courtesy means a great deal to us all."
Zelda nodded, throat too tight to speak.
"However, if you wouldn't mind, I should like some time alone before the unveiling."
"Of course, your Grace. I thank you most sincerely for this audience. May—" Zelda felt her chest tightened. Taking a small, steadying breath, she pushed herself on. "May the Goddess be with you, and all of Zora's Domain during this difficult time."
Slowly, she curtsied, ignoring the knot forming in her throat which threatened to break into a sob. She just needed to hold it together for a few minutes more, just long enough to make it back to her quarters—she could release her grief there. Raising herself, she offered a faint and, she knew, very false smile.
"I will take my leave."
Turning, she forced her shoulders back and head high as she made for the stairway. Behind her she heard Dorephan order the room clear, the sound of a dozen slapping footsteps following his words as the Zora in the room turned towards the stairs as well. Her thoughts were just beginning to turn to her chamber, and where in her bags she had packed away Link's tea when the King's voice called out after them.
"Ah—one last thing, Princess. If it is of no inconvenience, may I speak with Master Link before you depart? Privately."
Surprised, Zelda turned to face the King, then glanced quickly at Link. She knew he and the Zora royal family to have a close relationship, and as such she supposed it was not an entirely unexpected request—but judging my Link's nonplussed expression, he had not anticipated it any more than she. What, then, could the King wish to see him about? She eyed Link questioningly, and after a moment of unsurety he responded with a subtle nod of assent.
"Yes of course, your Grace. Link—please return to the guards' quarters when you are done," Zelda answered, with more confidence than she felt. Link offered her a brief but firm nod before turning from her, heading back into the throne room as Zelda and Barlow proceeded in the opposite direction. As she began to descend the large stone stairway, her fingers twisted where she held her hands before her waist. Though she couldn't place why, the King's request left her feeling uneasy.
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Link approached Dorephan slowly, coming to stand before him as the last Zora filed from the room. Though he kept his posture rigid and face impassive, inwardly Link was roiling—grief and sorrow and anger and despair all warring for dominance in his heart. This had proved a far more difficult meeting than he had anticipated. He had expected tears—expected grief; but seeing the King—a man he had known since childhood to be a pillar of strength and poise, and who had for over a year now treated Link as family—express his grief without restraint and with such fervor… It had done irreparable damage to the dam he'd built to keep his own grief at bay.
But he could do this. He was the Goddess' chosen—a pillar of strength in his own right. Whatever the King wished to speak with him about, he'd make it through, then return to his quarters where he could privately distance himself from the rawness of his own pain. He would rebuild that dam brick by brick if he had to.
The King kept his eye on the exit, watching as the last Zora disappeared beyond the slope of the stairs. Once the room was entirely vacant save the two of them, he finally turned to Link.
As their eyes met, Link noticed Dorephan's gaze held a new emotion—one he had not expressed earlier: regret. With a shaky sigh the King slowly stood from his throne, sloshing softly as he moved through the water, blue lines of reflected light dancing on the cavernous ceiling. Gripping tightly to the sash, he rose from the basin and walked toward a small table in the corner of the room, gently folding the blue cloth atop its surface beside a package wrapped in delicate Fleet-Lotus paper. He spoke softly as he stared warily at the neatly wrapped object.
"Link, my boy."
Link felt a stone settle in his gut. He had known Dorephan long enough, now, to know that this was not a tone of voice which ever accompanied good things. He swallowed, squaring his shoulders—and his heart—in preparation for a heavy blow.
Dorephan picked up the package—comparatively small within his large hands, then began a slow return to the throne. Stepping into the basin and sloshing his way to the submerged seat, he sat down heavily upon it. After several silent moments, he finally lifted his head to meet Link's gaze once more, eyes tired and his expression laced with grief.
"Have you ever heard the story of the Miracle of the White Scale?"
Link tried not to look too surprised by the question, forcing his mind to focus on the king's unexpected inquiry. The title sounded familiar—perhaps a story he'd heard in passing during his many years in Zora's Domain—though Link did not remember the story's content. He shook his head.
"No, your Grace."
"Our scholars say that in the distant past… Zora's Domain had a king with no special talent for the art of war. However, what he lacked in skill with a blade he made up for in love for his people, and especially love for his queen. One day, news reached the king of a horde of monsters gathering in the Zodobon Highlands. The king steeled himself for war to protect his people, but the queen knew how ill suited for the task he was. Worried for his life, she wove one of her own scales into his armor, hoping that her love would protect him in battle."
Link listened attentively, despite his confusion at the direction the conversation had turned. He had no idea why the King was interested in imparting Zora history at such a time as this—or why he needed to speak with him privately in order to do so.
"It seemed, for a time, that the tide of battle favored the Zora and that all would make it safely home. But the cunning Lizalfos general saw an opening and seized it, driving the king's forces into a corner. Just when the general's sword was ready to crash down upon the king, a miracle took place. An errant sunbeam reflected from the scale on his armor blinded the Lizalfos, stopping the deathblow from falling. This was the chance the king needed to rally his forces and turn the tide, taking down the general and securing victory. This came to be known as the Miracle of the White Scale, a scale that only female Zora possess."
The King then looked down at the package in his hands, his voice becoming hoarse as he continued tremulously. "And… it was this miracle that began the tradition of Zora princesses crafting armor for their future husbands."
Returning his gaze to Link, he cleared his throat, then gestured with his free hand for him to approach. "Please—come."
Link stepped up to the edge of the water, still just as flummoxed but taking pains to keep his expression as neutral as he could under the circumstances. He supposed everyone had a different way of grieving… though he couldn't puzzle out the logic behind the King's expression of it.
The King silently extended the package, which Link took in hand with a great deal of confusion.
"Mipha crafted this for you. She… had intended to give it to you, next you returned to the Domain."
Link pulled back the wrapping, the delicate crinkle of fine paper echoing faintly in the cavernous throne room as a folded garment was revealed within: a dark blue scaled tunic with a single white scale embedded in the chest, and adorned with the mark of the Zora royal family. What…? Link looked back up to the King, brow furrowed in confusion, his brain struggling to put the pieces together. Mipha had crafted him armor…? Why would she…
His eyes blew wide. Like having the wind knocked from his lungs by a suprise blow from a Hinox, the truth came crashing suddenly down upon him. The story… the armor…
Mipha… she was… she had…
"I suspected you didn't know how she felt." The King's hoarse voice sounded distant, as though spoken from the other end of a long tunnel. "Mipha… she was always such a shy girl when it came to these things." He sighed heavily, a mournful, weary sound as though a wheezing sob. "She—she loved you… so very deeply."
Leaning forward and raising a large arm, he placed it gently upon Link's shoulder, a gesture the boy scarcely noticed amid the rapid drumming of his heart and the rush of blood in his ears.
"I—I want you to know…"
Link was scarcely able to lift his wide-eyed gaze to meet the the King's watery orbs. Though directly in front of him, somehow, Dorephan's voice sounded so very far away.
"I want you know that I—I will always think of you as a son, even if fate robbed us both of the opportunity for such a thing to be."
Link dimly registered the King's words, his hands tightening reflexively on the armor folded neatly in the half-opened paper. Trembling—his hands were trembling. The King sat back in his seat, gazing worriedly at Link.
"I imagine this is a shock for you. I—I'm sorry it had to be this way; but I wanted you to know. Mipha…" the King paused, gaze briefly turning aside as a single sob escaped from his throat. "M-mipha would have wanted you to know."
With effort Link tore his gaze from the King, glancing back down at the armor—at the single white scale which adorned the breast plate. Mipha's scale—a scale only she possessed; the only thing left of her… He could feel the shaking in his shoulders, now. 'I suspected you didn't know how she felt…' Mipha, she… she was in love—had loved—
Something inside him cracked.
He thought that he could hide all of his pain and sorrow and rage in that box in his heart and close the lid forever. He thought he could accept that she was gone, even if it hurt like hell. But now… memory after memory flashed through his mind, tinged with the excruciating pain of this new understanding. Turbulent, violent, powerful emotions began to erupt inside him, overwhelming his awareness; overwhelming his heart. His whole body shook and his vision blurred with the tears which pooled in his eyes. And though through the fog of his anguish he was barely aware of it, he felt his throat burn as he released a strangled cry, falling to his knees—his meticulously maintained control finally disintegrating like char between his fingers.
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Not ten minutes after returning to her chamber, Zelda found herself pacing circles on the blue stone floor, her hands twisting in agitation. Barlow had retired to the guards quarters above her own, seeming as distraught as she, but doing his best to mask it. Once she too had settled in her chambers, however, the tears had not come to her as she thought they would. It seemed her sorrow would instead manifest as restlessness. She was on her tenth trip around the room, and seemed due for ten more.
Passing before the window once more on her circuit, Zelda caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. Pausing in her stride and turning, she saw young Prince Sidon standing halfway down the bridge connecting the royal quarters to the Domain, staring with determination at her door, hands clenched into firm fists at his sides. Upon noticing her curious gaze out the window, the young Zora seemed momentarily to shrink in his resolve, but soon squared his little red shoulders and marched the rest of the way down the bridge, stopping just outside of her door. In short order, she heard a knock.
Curious as to what the young Prince was so resolved to see her about, and eager for anything to take her mind off her restless agitation, she crossed the short distance to the door and pulled it open. Sidon's cherubic face greeted her, any trace of his earlier sorrow gone and replaced by stalwart determination.
"Hi Princess," he greeted with charm, offering a flourishing bow. "I was hoping you might have a moment to speak wif me."
Zelda had to suppress a smile, the first she'd felt all day. The young Prince appeared serious about whatever he wished to discuss, and she did not want to seem condescending, regardless of how adorable his pink cheeks were.
"Prince Sidon! Of course, please come in."
The young Zora crossed the threshold, moving toward the window and jumping up onto the cushioned window-side bench, his tiny legs dangling high off the floor. The boy wasted no time getting to the point.
"I… was hoping to aks you a question, Princess."
Zelda closed the door and crossed the room, taking a seat beside the young Zora.
"Yes, of course."
The Prince seemed to struggle a moment before the words came. "Do… do you 'member when you came to aks my sister to be Ruta's pilot? On toppa the waterfall?"
Surprised, Zelda nodded. "Yes… yes, I do."
"I—I just… wonderd…" Sidon's already tenuous courage seemed to seep out of him with each word. He turned from her, looking down at his lap where his hands fidgeted. He took a shuddering breath, squaring his shoulders before finally returning his gaze to hers. His eyes shone with unshed tears.
"Did she know she wasn' gonna come back?"
The startling question echoed momentarily in her mind before she fully processed what he was asking. And when she did, Zelda felt her expression fall and her heart break. Mipha's necklace hung heavier than ever against her breast, and a resurgent tide of emotion crashed over her.
She knew exactly what he was asking about. The day Zelda had come to receive Mipha's answer, she had been teaching Sidon how to swim up the waterfall. He'd been nervous, unsure of how to proceed and so Mipha had dived down, kindly swimming up with him on her back so he could get a feel for it. Once at the top, where she and the Zora Princess had been discussing the matter, Mipha knelt to his level, looking him squarely in the eye and imparting an important message.
"Sweet, Sidon; should fate ever part us… I'm counting on you to protect our beloved home from harm. Understood?"
"I believe in you."
And now, she was gone. Fate had parted them, just as she'd said it might and now, here he was, a younger brother keenly feeling the loss of a loved one; and a young prince, feeling the weight of the role his older sister had left behind—just as she had with her father not that long ago; still was, in many respects. Her throat tightened as she took in his large, glassy eyes, desperately imploring her for some sort of answer.
"Oh, Sidon…" she whispered.
Several responses passed through her mind. She could answer with a simple 'I don't know'. That was the easiest answer, even if it wasn't strictly true. She could give him cookie-cutter words of sympathy, the kind of response she so often received after her mother's passing.
Or… she could be honest with the young prince. He certainly deserved it, given the sacrifice he'd been forced to make because of her failure. And though perhaps it wasn't exactly the most virtuous motivation, after the emotional meeting she'd had with King Dorephan she wanted to release some of her own rawness somehow. She'd originally hoped to find time to talk to Link or write in her diary—or maybe both. But Link hadn't yet returned from his meeting with the King, and she hadn't been able to sit still long enough to put her thoughts to paper. Though Sidon was young, and probably didn't quite understand what the Calamity actually was, maybe… maybe she could find some kinship with his sorrow, and maybe he could find kinship in hers. She took a steadying breath.
"That is… not an easy question to answer," she said softly, "But I will try to answer honestly."
Sidon nodded, settling in his seat, attention rapt upon her. Despite herself, she felt the familiar weight of guilt pull upon her heart.
"The Calamity… we all knew it was coming, but no one really knew what it was, whether it would manifest as a Hylian, or a Zora, or a monster, or… something else. All we knew was that it was a force of great evil, and that if given the chance it would destroy Hyrule. Your sister…" Zelda felt her throat constrict and swallowed it down, pushing herself to continue. "Your sister was chosen to Pilot Vah Ruta because she was special. She was gifted, and brave, and selfless, and only such special people are capable of piloting the divine beasts. She knew this, and wanted to help her people and the Kingdom of Hyrule, so chose to accept that responsibility."
"Though we did all we could to prepare, we had no guarantee of victory. The last Calamity happened 10,000 years ago, and few records remain. For all of us, all the Champions—myself and Link included—there was a chance that we would never come back." She paused. "Your sister also knew this, and still chose to pilot Ruta."
Sidon's lip began to quiver, and without thinking she reached forward, grasping his tiny hands in her own. Despite her efforts to maintain her composure, she found her voice wavering as she continued.
"To answer your question, yes, she knew there was a chance she may not return. But please understand, it was not an easy choice for her to make. She loved her people, she loved Hyrule, and most of all she loved you—and she wanted to protect all that she loved, even if it meant risking her life."
By the end of her impromptu speech, Zelda found her sight blurring with unshed tears, Sidon's own watery expression distorted by the moisture in her eyes. She felt Sidon's hands grip hers tighter, his soft voice quivering with grief.
"I'm happy she helped save Hyrule. But…"
He paused, lips puckering with the effort to keep from crying. "I miss her."
The tears finally slid down her cheeks as she met the young boy's eyes, the lump in her throat causing her voice to come out barely a whisper.
"I miss her, too."
Without warning, Sidon launched himself at her, wrapping his arms around her waist, unable to hold back his sobs. Zelda felt the last of her willpower crumble as well, wrapping her arms around his small frame and holding him close, the last little bit of Mipha that was left in this world. Silent tears streamed freely from her eyes as she shared in the grief of the young Prince, their sorrow finding comforting release in each others arms.
A/N: And that's that! I know, left off on kind of a cliffhanger. But bear with me guys! The next one will be worth the wait!
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Review Responses!
Nekotoko: Thank you! Hopefully good break not bad break. And it will cheer up soon, promise! Once we finish with the Zora's Domain arc (4 more chapters), the cuteness and ZeLink will be out in force. Thanks for sticking with me!
Ultimate blazer: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed.
ninelanterns: Aw, I'm sorry! Hopefully its good crying? And thank you! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Nightwing2013: Thanks! Lots of angst in this arc since, you know, they're in Zora's domain so it's all about the Mipha. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
lordrednight: Your pun was a delight! You can probably tell I'm fishing for jokes though... ;D Our dear Link will be getting very thoughtful in the next few chapters. There's a lot of good stuff in store, actually, this was a pretty fun arc. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Guest (10/24): Thank you so much! I'm delighted my story is bingeworthy, that's like... high praise. Yay. Thanks for the encouragement, I'll keep trying my best!
avengersassemble1099: Ah, thank you so much!
Samael: Thank you! I've been somewhat neurotic about the lore, because, I don't know, I wanted it to help with immersion? Glad it's adding to the story :3
starspangledfeels: Thank you so much! When I got your review in my inbox I was like, eeeeee! I love it when someone takes the time to make a long, thoughtful review. It just absolutely makes my day. I love that you're loving the slow burn, and I can say we have some good ZeLinks coming up soon (about 3-4 chapters from now), that hopefully satisfy the itch. And thank you for the kudos on lore! I'm trying my best :D The Zelda Wiki and Hyrule Historia are my best friends. As for Freder, I can't really address that without giving away too much of the plot, I'll just say that I have aimed to make him more 3-dimensional, and hope you like what I have in store! As for the chapters from other characters POV, well, kind of the same situation-I don't want to give too much away-but basically I wanted to tell parts of the story that affect Link and Zelda but don't really make sense for them to be so thoroughly aware of at the time I want the reader to know about it. It's also how I'm building the supporting cast. It'll all come in to play more later on. Thank you for commenting, and I hope you enjoy my other stories and enjoyed this chapter!
Thanks everyone! Until next time!