The Princess of Destiny
A Fanfic by Kaori-chan
The King's face contorted into a look so horrible no words could describe it. Hatred, wrath, and even enmity twisted themselves into a creature that was no longer my father. In his place, upon the sacred throne of Hyrule, as so many deemed it, sat a thing so menacing, so full of animosity and bitter anger that the guards in the room turned and fled.
"YOU DARE TO QUESTION MY AUTHORITY?!"
The throbbing boom of that voice ricocheted back and forth between the stone walls of the hollow throne room. Impa, however, maintained her focus and barely even blinked.
"Of course not, your HIGHNESS," (here she placed an almost sarcastic emphasis on the word), "But rather I act only upon the concerns of your DAUGHTER that I have had for some time now. She needs to know the truth. And she needs to know it now."
"THAT LITTLE BRAT DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING! SHE'S UNFIT TO RULE AND UNWORTHY OF THE TITLE AN THE PRIVELIGES I HAVE GIVEN HER!"
"So that's how you see me, is it?" I asked from behind Impa.
"Who said that?!" demanded the King.
"I did."
With that, holding on to Impa's hand (more to keep standing than anything else), I stepped out into plain view. I could feel my eyes blazing as I glared at him, feeling such anger as I had never felt before. He didn't care. He never had, and probably never would.
Judging from Impa's grip on my hand, I had acted upon the one precise moment in which to strike the blow: it hit him like a smack in the face. I spoke.
"I'm nothing more than a useless doll to you, am I? Just like she was."
The King's expression at that moment was quite something. Judging from his face, he was caught between rage, horror, and some unknown emotion that was tearing him apart from the inside out. His face was contorting so hideously that he could barely speak.
"Wh-who?" he stammered, in an almost threatening manner.
"You know of whom I speak," I said coldly, but my voice was rising, and so was my temper. I couldn't hold it in anymore. All the anger, pain, and confusion I had been holding in all these years exploded out of my heart.
"You killed her, didn't you? YOU were the reason she went to Kakariko that day! YOU are the reason the Sheikah are barely more than legend! YOU are the one who brought all this pain upon us! It was YOU! ALL OF IT WAS YOU!"
With that last word, I tore my left hand away from Impa and pointed directly at the King with my right. My chest was heaving, my lungs were burning, my vision was blurred, and I was bordering upon the point of hyperventilating. Other than that, all else froze.
Silence.
Nothing happened. The King sat silent, a look of utter shock and horror written across his once noble face. Impa grabbed my hand again and held on tight. I put down the pointing hand and straightened myself up. My breathing calmed.
Then, something very strange happened.
The King leaned over. He stood up and toppled down the small staircase that elevated the Throne above floor level, landing in a crumpled, shivering heap at my feet. I looked down at him, trying to keep my eyes focused on something.
"It's true!" he sobbed. "It's all true! Everything you said is the truth!" He continued sobbing at my feet.
"Then why?" I asked.
He looked up, tears in his eyes.
"Why did she leave?"
He didn't answer.
"I need to know," I insisted. "Why did she go that day? What made her leave?"
"Zelda, I-" began Impa.
"Please," I interrupted. "I need to hear it from him." I turned my gaze back upon the broken man at my feet.
"Why?" I asked again.
"I wouldn't know where to start." he stammered.
"At the beginning, of course."
~ Continued in Chapter 15 ~
The King's face contorted into a look so horrible no words could describe it. Hatred, wrath, and even enmity twisted themselves into a creature that was no longer my father. In his place, upon the sacred throne of Hyrule, as so many deemed it, sat a thing so menacing, so full of animosity and bitter anger that the guards in the room turned and fled.
"YOU DARE TO QUESTION MY AUTHORITY?!"
The throbbing boom of that voice ricocheted back and forth between the stone walls of the hollow throne room. Impa, however, maintained her focus and barely even blinked.
"Of course not, your HIGHNESS," (here she placed an almost sarcastic emphasis on the word), "But rather I act only upon the concerns of your DAUGHTER that I have had for some time now. She needs to know the truth. And she needs to know it now."
"THAT LITTLE BRAT DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING! SHE'S UNFIT TO RULE AND UNWORTHY OF THE TITLE AN THE PRIVELIGES I HAVE GIVEN HER!"
"So that's how you see me, is it?" I asked from behind Impa.
"Who said that?!" demanded the King.
"I did."
With that, holding on to Impa's hand (more to keep standing than anything else), I stepped out into plain view. I could feel my eyes blazing as I glared at him, feeling such anger as I had never felt before. He didn't care. He never had, and probably never would.
Judging from Impa's grip on my hand, I had acted upon the one precise moment in which to strike the blow: it hit him like a smack in the face. I spoke.
"I'm nothing more than a useless doll to you, am I? Just like she was."
The King's expression at that moment was quite something. Judging from his face, he was caught between rage, horror, and some unknown emotion that was tearing him apart from the inside out. His face was contorting so hideously that he could barely speak.
"Wh-who?" he stammered, in an almost threatening manner.
"You know of whom I speak," I said coldly, but my voice was rising, and so was my temper. I couldn't hold it in anymore. All the anger, pain, and confusion I had been holding in all these years exploded out of my heart.
"You killed her, didn't you? YOU were the reason she went to Kakariko that day! YOU are the reason the Sheikah are barely more than legend! YOU are the one who brought all this pain upon us! It was YOU! ALL OF IT WAS YOU!"
With that last word, I tore my left hand away from Impa and pointed directly at the King with my right. My chest was heaving, my lungs were burning, my vision was blurred, and I was bordering upon the point of hyperventilating. Other than that, all else froze.
Silence.
Nothing happened. The King sat silent, a look of utter shock and horror written across his once noble face. Impa grabbed my hand again and held on tight. I put down the pointing hand and straightened myself up. My breathing calmed.
Then, something very strange happened.
The King leaned over. He stood up and toppled down the small staircase that elevated the Throne above floor level, landing in a crumpled, shivering heap at my feet. I looked down at him, trying to keep my eyes focused on something.
"It's true!" he sobbed. "It's all true! Everything you said is the truth!" He continued sobbing at my feet.
"Then why?" I asked.
He looked up, tears in his eyes.
"Why did she leave?"
He didn't answer.
"I need to know," I insisted. "Why did she go that day? What made her leave?"
"Zelda, I-" began Impa.
"Please," I interrupted. "I need to hear it from him." I turned my gaze back upon the broken man at my feet.
"Why?" I asked again.
"I wouldn't know where to start." he stammered.
"At the beginning, of course."
~ Continued in Chapter 15 ~