Chapter Three
The king stood there in silence as he stared in the eyes of his son. He was so shocked, he could barley speak. But the person that was the most shocked was Link. He never knew for an instant that Zelda had a brother. The king stuttered for a minute, he couldn't get anything out at the time.
So the boy decided to speak out first, "It's so good to see you again father," he said, "Last time I saw you I was only four!"
They hugged each other, but then the king quickly pushed him away from his body to get a good look at him, "Are you sure you're the Kohaku Barrens?"
"I'm the only Kohaku Barrens who was raised by a woman named Della Barrens."
"Della..." said the king, "Ahhh, my wife, the queen of Hyrule. Died such a tragic death. Too bad you were too young to defend her."
"Yes, and that's why I decided to go and train to be a warrior. About five years ago my training was complete. But then I forgot where you lived. I longed to see you. I longed to see Zelda again."
"Yes, Zelda was a little baby, only four months old when you left."
Kohaku looked down at her, "She looks just like I imagined she would look: blue eyes, golden colored hair, very beautiful."
Link felt his cheeks go hot, "I guess she is beautiful."
Zelda gazed at the boy, then to Link, then to the king, "Father, you never told me I had a brother."
The king looked down, "I know. I didn't want to get into that until you were sixteen, when you were old enough to understand."
"I'm old enough to understand everything...especially that I have a brother I never knew of."
The king looked down stressfully as he called upon Impa, "Take her up to her room and tell her I'll be up in about an hour to tell her something."
Kohaku eyed the woman as she lifted Zelda up with her strong arms and took her out of the room, "Who is she?"
"She's Zelda's Nanny," said the king, "And protector. I don't know what we would do without her."
"Nice to meet you."
Impa nodded and preceded, "Bye, Zelda," he said but she only replied a nose that stuck straight in the air. Kohaku laughed and turned back to his father, "I guess she doesn't like me."
"Don't think that, Kohaku," he said placing a hand on his shoulder, "Just wait...in a few days she'll be crazy for you. I'm going up to tell her about it all later tonight."
His face got serious, "You're going to tell her everything?"
"Everything."
"Even about mother?"
"Yes...it's the only thing I can do to make her understand."
"Even though I'm afraid it might turn out to be some tears-on-a- carpet?"
"Exactly. Zelda deserves the truth."
And then Kohaku smiled, "She deserves the whole world."
"Impa..." said Zelda as she looked up from the famous book of art in which she had laid across her lap, "Did you know about this...about me having a brother?"
Impa looked down, "Yes, Zelda. I've known for a long time."
Her face turned vicious, "Since when?"
"Since the day your father learned to trust me; when you were three."
"You knew and you never told me?" her eyes filled up with tears, " I've just found out that I had a seventeen-year-old brother and the worst part is that my very own Nanny had known all along! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"
"I'm sorry Zelda, if common sense didn't exist I would have told you a long time ago. But it does exist and I didn't want to tell you because I wasn't going to be able to tell you everything you wanted to hear. Only your father could do that."
Now her tears were streaming down her face, "Why? Why couldn't someone just tell me?"
Impa walked over to her bed and sat down beside her, "Come on, Zelda. You were going to find out sooner or later."
Zelda turned her body away, "Get away from me! I hate you! I hate father! And Kohaku!"
"And Link..." asked Impa with a questioning look on her face.
" No...not Link. Link is the only one who understands me."
The king pressed the sole of a beer bottle to his mouth and took a long, smooth sip from it. Kohaku did not drink beer. He was sitting about on the couch and every minute or so leaning onto the coffee table and he would take a small piece of candy and pop it in his mouth. Link was only sitting in Impa's rocking chair, listening to the conversation they were having.
"So how has Zelda been doing?" asked Kohaku, chewing on a caramel candy.
"She's been fine," said the king, "But I mostly never see her anymore because she's always hanging out with Link...that boy over there."
Link smiled and then retreated back to rocking in the chair.
"I guess I owe you a thank you, Kohaku," said the king, "I mean you did save Zelda."
"Well I didn't necessarily save her. I really just pressed on her stomach. It's Link who you should be thanking," he leaned closer to the king, whispering to him, "He did the kissing part."
The king shot a glance at Link, who had heard it. He blushed a little and covered his face with his hands, "Come on, Kohaku...don't tell the whole world. And besides, I wasn't necessarily kissing her, I was just performing CPR."
The king shrugged as Impa walked in the room and sat down on the couch next to Kohaku. She nodded at him and said, "Kink, Zelda's a little upset. Really, I don't mean to butt in with your family, but Zelda's thirteen now. I think she deserves the truth."
The king nodded, "Yes...I've been thinking that too. But I'm afraid she won't like the truth."
Kohaku nodded sadly to them, "She won't like the truth. I never did."
Link said something also, because he too had heard the story, "But she demands it...so go and tell her now."
The king nodded and sat up from his chair and started off to Zelda's room, to tell her the truth about Kohaku.
Zelda wasn't at all sleepy. She was sitting up straight, with her face looking cross, and her hand rubbing her tear-streaked face. She sniffled away her sobs when she heard the door open. It was the king, who had a sorry look on his face.
"Zelda..." he began, "I'm sorry for not telling you about Kohaku. I know I should have."
She looked up at him, "You should have, I know," she gestured him to sit down on her bed. He did, "But if you'd like to, you could tell me right now."
He nodded slowly, "That's what I've come up here for. I'd like to tell you the tale."
"And I want the truth...not just half the story, ok?"
"Ok," he said, "Now Zelda, you were only about three months when it happened. And everyone was excited. Kohaku was the most. I could have said he spent every minute with you. He was so happy to have a younger sister. And the bad thing that split us all apart was the night when Kohaku begged me to let him take you for a walk in your carriage. It took me some time to answer but I said he could if he was careful enough because I mean come on he was only four! But we trusted him. He took you out on the square," his voice cracked a little, "It was when he was gone when the Gerudos attacked the castle, looking for valuables. Somehow, they managed to find their way to your mother's room and stole her away. I didn't notice at the time, but the only one who did notice was your brother."
"But how could he if he wasn't there?" she asked, grasping every detail in the story.
" Kohaku has the ability to have feelings about things that are right," he said, "Somehow he got the feeling that something was wrong and he sprinted right over. Then he noticed Della was missing. So he quickly placed you in your crib and set out to find her. It was said from him that he found her, lying at the bottom of Lake Hylia, her body in pieces. And around her neck was a pendant. He took the pendant and turned to go and report the bad news to me and there was a group of thieves surrounding him. He didn't know how to fight them off so he just ran...and I never saw him. But I did hear from him. He wrote me a letter that indicated that he had joined a fighting crew to become a warrior about a year later."
Zelda looked down at the ground, silent and frozen, "Is that really the story?"
"Yes, Zelda," said an unfamiliar voice at the doorway. It was Kohaku, and Link next to him, "And I still have the pendant with me," he drew into his robe and pulled out a necklace with a huge star at the end of it. Engraved in the middle of the star was a blood, red stone. He walked over to her and put the necklace around her neck, "And I want you to have it."
She pulled up the star to her face and examined it, "It's pretty," she said as the king arose from bed (Kohaku taking his place) and then walking out the door, "Do you know where it came from?"
She shook his head, "Not really. I've been trying to figure it out since the day I swiped it from mother's neck."
Zelda let the star drop, "But the thing that's got me all confused is why did the thieves want it?"
"What makes you think they wanted it?"
"Well...as soon as you took it from mother, the thieves were waiting for you as when you turned around."
"So?"
"So I think that means something."
Kohaku thought for a moment, then nodded, "Yes...it does mean something. Perhaps they were after this."
Just as he said that, they heard a crash down the hall. Then they heard glass broke. And Kohaku arose from Zelda's bed within a blink of an eye.
"What is it, Kohaku?" she said, "Is there something wrong?"
"Where did that crash come from?" he said with a scared expression on his face.
"It sounded like it was from the den." She got up from the bed also.
"I have a bad feeling," he said as he grabbed Zelda by the hand and dragged her out the door, "Something's wrong, we have to go." And they scampered away down the hall.
The king stood there in silence as he stared in the eyes of his son. He was so shocked, he could barley speak. But the person that was the most shocked was Link. He never knew for an instant that Zelda had a brother. The king stuttered for a minute, he couldn't get anything out at the time.
So the boy decided to speak out first, "It's so good to see you again father," he said, "Last time I saw you I was only four!"
They hugged each other, but then the king quickly pushed him away from his body to get a good look at him, "Are you sure you're the Kohaku Barrens?"
"I'm the only Kohaku Barrens who was raised by a woman named Della Barrens."
"Della..." said the king, "Ahhh, my wife, the queen of Hyrule. Died such a tragic death. Too bad you were too young to defend her."
"Yes, and that's why I decided to go and train to be a warrior. About five years ago my training was complete. But then I forgot where you lived. I longed to see you. I longed to see Zelda again."
"Yes, Zelda was a little baby, only four months old when you left."
Kohaku looked down at her, "She looks just like I imagined she would look: blue eyes, golden colored hair, very beautiful."
Link felt his cheeks go hot, "I guess she is beautiful."
Zelda gazed at the boy, then to Link, then to the king, "Father, you never told me I had a brother."
The king looked down, "I know. I didn't want to get into that until you were sixteen, when you were old enough to understand."
"I'm old enough to understand everything...especially that I have a brother I never knew of."
The king looked down stressfully as he called upon Impa, "Take her up to her room and tell her I'll be up in about an hour to tell her something."
Kohaku eyed the woman as she lifted Zelda up with her strong arms and took her out of the room, "Who is she?"
"She's Zelda's Nanny," said the king, "And protector. I don't know what we would do without her."
"Nice to meet you."
Impa nodded and preceded, "Bye, Zelda," he said but she only replied a nose that stuck straight in the air. Kohaku laughed and turned back to his father, "I guess she doesn't like me."
"Don't think that, Kohaku," he said placing a hand on his shoulder, "Just wait...in a few days she'll be crazy for you. I'm going up to tell her about it all later tonight."
His face got serious, "You're going to tell her everything?"
"Everything."
"Even about mother?"
"Yes...it's the only thing I can do to make her understand."
"Even though I'm afraid it might turn out to be some tears-on-a- carpet?"
"Exactly. Zelda deserves the truth."
And then Kohaku smiled, "She deserves the whole world."
"Impa..." said Zelda as she looked up from the famous book of art in which she had laid across her lap, "Did you know about this...about me having a brother?"
Impa looked down, "Yes, Zelda. I've known for a long time."
Her face turned vicious, "Since when?"
"Since the day your father learned to trust me; when you were three."
"You knew and you never told me?" her eyes filled up with tears, " I've just found out that I had a seventeen-year-old brother and the worst part is that my very own Nanny had known all along! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"
"I'm sorry Zelda, if common sense didn't exist I would have told you a long time ago. But it does exist and I didn't want to tell you because I wasn't going to be able to tell you everything you wanted to hear. Only your father could do that."
Now her tears were streaming down her face, "Why? Why couldn't someone just tell me?"
Impa walked over to her bed and sat down beside her, "Come on, Zelda. You were going to find out sooner or later."
Zelda turned her body away, "Get away from me! I hate you! I hate father! And Kohaku!"
"And Link..." asked Impa with a questioning look on her face.
" No...not Link. Link is the only one who understands me."
The king pressed the sole of a beer bottle to his mouth and took a long, smooth sip from it. Kohaku did not drink beer. He was sitting about on the couch and every minute or so leaning onto the coffee table and he would take a small piece of candy and pop it in his mouth. Link was only sitting in Impa's rocking chair, listening to the conversation they were having.
"So how has Zelda been doing?" asked Kohaku, chewing on a caramel candy.
"She's been fine," said the king, "But I mostly never see her anymore because she's always hanging out with Link...that boy over there."
Link smiled and then retreated back to rocking in the chair.
"I guess I owe you a thank you, Kohaku," said the king, "I mean you did save Zelda."
"Well I didn't necessarily save her. I really just pressed on her stomach. It's Link who you should be thanking," he leaned closer to the king, whispering to him, "He did the kissing part."
The king shot a glance at Link, who had heard it. He blushed a little and covered his face with his hands, "Come on, Kohaku...don't tell the whole world. And besides, I wasn't necessarily kissing her, I was just performing CPR."
The king shrugged as Impa walked in the room and sat down on the couch next to Kohaku. She nodded at him and said, "Kink, Zelda's a little upset. Really, I don't mean to butt in with your family, but Zelda's thirteen now. I think she deserves the truth."
The king nodded, "Yes...I've been thinking that too. But I'm afraid she won't like the truth."
Kohaku nodded sadly to them, "She won't like the truth. I never did."
Link said something also, because he too had heard the story, "But she demands it...so go and tell her now."
The king nodded and sat up from his chair and started off to Zelda's room, to tell her the truth about Kohaku.
Zelda wasn't at all sleepy. She was sitting up straight, with her face looking cross, and her hand rubbing her tear-streaked face. She sniffled away her sobs when she heard the door open. It was the king, who had a sorry look on his face.
"Zelda..." he began, "I'm sorry for not telling you about Kohaku. I know I should have."
She looked up at him, "You should have, I know," she gestured him to sit down on her bed. He did, "But if you'd like to, you could tell me right now."
He nodded slowly, "That's what I've come up here for. I'd like to tell you the tale."
"And I want the truth...not just half the story, ok?"
"Ok," he said, "Now Zelda, you were only about three months when it happened. And everyone was excited. Kohaku was the most. I could have said he spent every minute with you. He was so happy to have a younger sister. And the bad thing that split us all apart was the night when Kohaku begged me to let him take you for a walk in your carriage. It took me some time to answer but I said he could if he was careful enough because I mean come on he was only four! But we trusted him. He took you out on the square," his voice cracked a little, "It was when he was gone when the Gerudos attacked the castle, looking for valuables. Somehow, they managed to find their way to your mother's room and stole her away. I didn't notice at the time, but the only one who did notice was your brother."
"But how could he if he wasn't there?" she asked, grasping every detail in the story.
" Kohaku has the ability to have feelings about things that are right," he said, "Somehow he got the feeling that something was wrong and he sprinted right over. Then he noticed Della was missing. So he quickly placed you in your crib and set out to find her. It was said from him that he found her, lying at the bottom of Lake Hylia, her body in pieces. And around her neck was a pendant. He took the pendant and turned to go and report the bad news to me and there was a group of thieves surrounding him. He didn't know how to fight them off so he just ran...and I never saw him. But I did hear from him. He wrote me a letter that indicated that he had joined a fighting crew to become a warrior about a year later."
Zelda looked down at the ground, silent and frozen, "Is that really the story?"
"Yes, Zelda," said an unfamiliar voice at the doorway. It was Kohaku, and Link next to him, "And I still have the pendant with me," he drew into his robe and pulled out a necklace with a huge star at the end of it. Engraved in the middle of the star was a blood, red stone. He walked over to her and put the necklace around her neck, "And I want you to have it."
She pulled up the star to her face and examined it, "It's pretty," she said as the king arose from bed (Kohaku taking his place) and then walking out the door, "Do you know where it came from?"
She shook his head, "Not really. I've been trying to figure it out since the day I swiped it from mother's neck."
Zelda let the star drop, "But the thing that's got me all confused is why did the thieves want it?"
"What makes you think they wanted it?"
"Well...as soon as you took it from mother, the thieves were waiting for you as when you turned around."
"So?"
"So I think that means something."
Kohaku thought for a moment, then nodded, "Yes...it does mean something. Perhaps they were after this."
Just as he said that, they heard a crash down the hall. Then they heard glass broke. And Kohaku arose from Zelda's bed within a blink of an eye.
"What is it, Kohaku?" she said, "Is there something wrong?"
"Where did that crash come from?" he said with a scared expression on his face.
"It sounded like it was from the den." She got up from the bed also.
"I have a bad feeling," he said as he grabbed Zelda by the hand and dragged her out the door, "Something's wrong, we have to go." And they scampered away down the hall.