Chapter 6: Death
Mudora watched from a distance as the carriage passed through the castle gates. He saw Prince Eloan, decked out in full princely robes, rush up to the carriage as his younger sister stepped out. Mudora sighed, wondering how they must feel. Zelda had been very moody since her long time nursemaid and friend, the old Shelin Impa, took ill months ago. Eloan suggested she spend some time at the North Castle, a favorite retreat for her. But a message came telling her to return home at once. For her father, the king of Hyrule, had taken ill as well, and was not expected to live much longer. As Eloan hugged his sister, attempting to console her, Mudora left the two alone, and walked down the dark empty halls of the castle.
As hard as it must be to lose a parent, Mudora mused, it must be worse for the royal family. To be a public figure and have the citizens, as well meaning as they might be, to intrude on one's mourning must be dreadful. And it must be worse for Eloan. He could not mourn completely, for the thought of being king could never be far from his mind. Not only does he face the depressing thought of losing his father, but he also must feel the burden of responsibility as well. Even Mudora felt it. As a Sage, a protector of the Triforce, the significance of the king's death was brought into context. What would happen when Eloan inherited the Triforce? He was only 24, still a young man, could he handle that type of power? But it seemed almost sacrilege to be thinking of that while the king lay on his bed dying. A terrible time, indeed.
Zelda got home just in time it seemed. Three days after her arrival, the king died in his sleep. He was able to say his last words to all those close to him. For long hours would he and Eloan or Zelda talk behind closed doors, as the two said their last goodbyes to their father. He met with all his advisors, including the Sages, giving out his final orders. And then he peacefully died.
For Eloan, there wasn't much time for mourning. The poor lad suddenly realized what it was like to rule a kingdom. Grievances seemed to come second to stately matters. Aides pestered him over the problems of Hyrule, preparations for the funeral and the upcoming coronation, and just plain clamoring for attention. Many thought this was the perfect time to get noticed and promoted, or to get one's own agenda through. Mudora was quick to note that Kaepora Gaebora was one of them. The sage was attempting to get the new king to use the Triforce more than his father. Rather tasteless, Mudora thought, but to each his own.
The pressure continued to pile on Eloan. He wasn't ready. The mere thought of how important he was scared him. And worse, there was nowhere to turn to for stability. His sister had her own problems. His aides thought only of themselves. More and more, Eloan's mind turned to one thing: the Triforce. Perhaps its wisdom would help him. But the coronation was still weeks away, and he had decided earlier not to use it until Hyrule officially declared him king. Yet the strange relic had enraptured the prince, and he could not resist. It wouldn't hurt to just touch it. He wouldn't use it. There would be no problem.
And so late one night, Eloan walked up to the Triforce's chamber. The two guards looked on quizzically as he unlocked the door and entered the room. The Triforce was floating above a marble pedestal, spinning slowly and giving off its radiant light. Eloan stared at it for a moment, and then reached forward.
Mudora couldn't sleep and was aimlessly roaming the castle. Thus, he was quite surprised to see the prince rush out of the Triforce's chamber, with a look of fear in his eyes. Eloan stumbled up to Mudora and showed him the back of his hand. A Triforce mark was embedded into the back of his left hand, the top piece glowing. Worried and confused, Mudora entered the chamber. The Triforce was spinning wildly. It was also split into three pieces, separated, and all spinning separately. Something was wrong, but he wasn't quite sure what it was.
Bagrand awoke with a start. Something was different with him. In the dark, he noticed his hand glowing slightly. To his surprise, the Triforce symbol was embedded on the back of his left hand, the right piece glowing. "Wisdom," he mused. He felt the power of the Triforce within him, although it was not complete. He could sense that the rest of the power belonged to someone else, or more than one person. Eloan must not have been worthy of the Triforce, he thought. This must be its self-defense; it gives part of its power to someone else. Obviously, Bagrand thought, Eloan was not fit to use the Triforce. Something must be done. But before he could collect his thoughts, there was a knock at his door. To his surprise, Zelda entered with a nervous and scared expression on her face. She showed him her hand. The left piece of the Triforce was glowing.
Mudora watched from a distance as the carriage passed through the castle gates. He saw Prince Eloan, decked out in full princely robes, rush up to the carriage as his younger sister stepped out. Mudora sighed, wondering how they must feel. Zelda had been very moody since her long time nursemaid and friend, the old Shelin Impa, took ill months ago. Eloan suggested she spend some time at the North Castle, a favorite retreat for her. But a message came telling her to return home at once. For her father, the king of Hyrule, had taken ill as well, and was not expected to live much longer. As Eloan hugged his sister, attempting to console her, Mudora left the two alone, and walked down the dark empty halls of the castle.
As hard as it must be to lose a parent, Mudora mused, it must be worse for the royal family. To be a public figure and have the citizens, as well meaning as they might be, to intrude on one's mourning must be dreadful. And it must be worse for Eloan. He could not mourn completely, for the thought of being king could never be far from his mind. Not only does he face the depressing thought of losing his father, but he also must feel the burden of responsibility as well. Even Mudora felt it. As a Sage, a protector of the Triforce, the significance of the king's death was brought into context. What would happen when Eloan inherited the Triforce? He was only 24, still a young man, could he handle that type of power? But it seemed almost sacrilege to be thinking of that while the king lay on his bed dying. A terrible time, indeed.
Zelda got home just in time it seemed. Three days after her arrival, the king died in his sleep. He was able to say his last words to all those close to him. For long hours would he and Eloan or Zelda talk behind closed doors, as the two said their last goodbyes to their father. He met with all his advisors, including the Sages, giving out his final orders. And then he peacefully died.
For Eloan, there wasn't much time for mourning. The poor lad suddenly realized what it was like to rule a kingdom. Grievances seemed to come second to stately matters. Aides pestered him over the problems of Hyrule, preparations for the funeral and the upcoming coronation, and just plain clamoring for attention. Many thought this was the perfect time to get noticed and promoted, or to get one's own agenda through. Mudora was quick to note that Kaepora Gaebora was one of them. The sage was attempting to get the new king to use the Triforce more than his father. Rather tasteless, Mudora thought, but to each his own.
The pressure continued to pile on Eloan. He wasn't ready. The mere thought of how important he was scared him. And worse, there was nowhere to turn to for stability. His sister had her own problems. His aides thought only of themselves. More and more, Eloan's mind turned to one thing: the Triforce. Perhaps its wisdom would help him. But the coronation was still weeks away, and he had decided earlier not to use it until Hyrule officially declared him king. Yet the strange relic had enraptured the prince, and he could not resist. It wouldn't hurt to just touch it. He wouldn't use it. There would be no problem.
And so late one night, Eloan walked up to the Triforce's chamber. The two guards looked on quizzically as he unlocked the door and entered the room. The Triforce was floating above a marble pedestal, spinning slowly and giving off its radiant light. Eloan stared at it for a moment, and then reached forward.
Mudora couldn't sleep and was aimlessly roaming the castle. Thus, he was quite surprised to see the prince rush out of the Triforce's chamber, with a look of fear in his eyes. Eloan stumbled up to Mudora and showed him the back of his hand. A Triforce mark was embedded into the back of his left hand, the top piece glowing. Worried and confused, Mudora entered the chamber. The Triforce was spinning wildly. It was also split into three pieces, separated, and all spinning separately. Something was wrong, but he wasn't quite sure what it was.
Bagrand awoke with a start. Something was different with him. In the dark, he noticed his hand glowing slightly. To his surprise, the Triforce symbol was embedded on the back of his left hand, the right piece glowing. "Wisdom," he mused. He felt the power of the Triforce within him, although it was not complete. He could sense that the rest of the power belonged to someone else, or more than one person. Eloan must not have been worthy of the Triforce, he thought. This must be its self-defense; it gives part of its power to someone else. Obviously, Bagrand thought, Eloan was not fit to use the Triforce. Something must be done. But before he could collect his thoughts, there was a knock at his door. To his surprise, Zelda entered with a nervous and scared expression on her face. She showed him her hand. The left piece of the Triforce was glowing.