A/N: Thanks for the response for the last chapter! I wonder whether I should put this story in the drama section again… but I think I'll keep it Action/Adventure, for the future chapters. It's not really much romance either, but I don't like writing romance. I'm not good at it.
shnickers, the poem is from Ocarina of Time, it's what Sheik tells Link right before he's going to enter the Fire Temple. I thought it fit.
I'm sorry for the long wait! But here's chapter 19!
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Chapter nineteen: Return of the King
Link's POV
I'm sleeping, and I'm most likely dreaming. Yet the wind brushing my hair feels so real, the grass is tickling my neck and my pointy ears, and when I open my eyes I realize I can't be dreaming. My sight is all blue, and it takes about a minute for me to realize it's the sky I see. It's clear blue, without clouds, and the sun's position indicates it's late in the afternoon.
Where am I, I wonder? I sit up, and realize I am in some kind of clearing, and the forest is deep and dark around me. The leaves of the trees are rustling softly in the breeze. I stand up, brushing the grass off my clothes, and though I know I can't be, I am in the Lost Woods. It's impossible, but I seem to have been teleported here in some way. Or maybe I'm dreaming. But if I am, the dream is uncannily real!
Then I hear a melody being played. It seems like I can't control my own body, because when I start walking towards the sound, it's not me who's walking. My body seems to be possessed by some power I can only dream of. I think of Zelda. She had a vision… maybe it's what I'm currently having. Maybe I'll meet Nayru herself?
I'm walking faster, I'm almost running now. The song is heard all the time, but now it's louder. A sharp tree branch hits me over the cheek and when I bring my hand up to touch my face, I see the scratch is bleeding. But I don't have the time to care about that now! I have to find out who's playing the ocarina, because I'm almost certain it's an ocarina. It sounds somehow… familiar… I've heard that melody being played before… but where? Now I remember, Saria played it to me years ago. I liked calling it Saria's song…
Now I definitely know where I am. I'm standing before the maze in Sacred Forest Meadow, and the melody comes from the clearing where the ancient Temple is situated. Maybe it's Saria who's playing? Desperate to find out, I start running through the maze. It hasn't changed a bit since I was here several years ago, but now it's empty – the Deku Scrubs are all gone – and I run through it without hesitating. It's right, left, right… ah, there is the path that leads to the Temple! I can feel an intensifying pain in my stomach from the run. I'd like to catch my breath, but I can't, since I'm barely controlling my own body. I'm about to see who is playing the music.
There she is! It's not Saria… this woman is older. Or is she old? I cannot tell how old she is… she lifts her head, lowers the ocarina and looks at me. Her face – I just can't describe it. Her eyes are a glistening green color, and her hair has the same tint. Her mouth cracks into a happy smile. Has she been waiting for me?
She stands up. Her dress is light green, the same color as the grass around us, and it's made of a material I have never seen before. She's long and slim, and looks like a divinity. Now she's walking towards me. Or is she really walking? It seems like she's floating a few inches above the ground, like a fairy, or a ghost.
She's so beautiful, absolutely stunning. And she seems to know me, somehow. Her face is very close to mine now, and I can feel her hot breath. She leans forward. And then she's gone. I wake up.
"Good morning, Princess", Impa said to the yawning Zelda, noticing how puffy her eyes were. The Princess looked as though she'd barely slept at all. She plopped down by the wooden table in the kitchen, picked up a fork and tried to eat her breakfast.
"I wouldn't call it good", she muttered, looking at her food gloomily. "How did you think I'd be able to sleep when I knew what we would to today? I'll fall asleep on the battlefield."
"No, you won't", her nursemaid said and gave her a slice of bread. "What did you and Link talk about last night, anyway?"
"You didn't eavesdrop, did you?" said Zelda mischievously. The Sheikah woman shook her head. "You may be my attendant, but does that mean I cannot keep a secret from you?"
"Oh, I see…" Impa said, the look in her eyes revealing her thoughts. She sighed and passed Zelda the butter. "Why don't you tell me about our plans instead?" the Princess suggested. "If we have any, that is. I don't know anything."
"We do. I talked to Jonathan-"
"Jonathan? Ah, that Jonathan", Zelda mused, remembering him being one of the officers of the Hylian army.
"Yes. What have I told you about speaking whilst others are talking? Jonathan told me that Link and Roy have sent soldiers to the main places in Hyrule - since we have no clue of Rose's whereabouts. There's a good chance that the people in Zora's Domain, Goron City, Kakariko village, Lake Hylia and Gerudo Valley know something. If they do, we'll most likely know it by noon."
"Hmm", Zelda mumbled. "She will defend herself… she won't let us destroy her without putting up a fight…"
"You're absolutely right."
"So… do we have an army big enough? Pass the cheese, please."
"Take a look out the window! That'll cheer you up a little", the Sheikah smirked.
Zelda forgot about her breakfast and did as Impa suggested. The grass of the gardens was not visible anymore; it was completely covered by shining armor. A few minutes passed by without Zelda realizing that it was indeed the Hylian army that stood there, waiting impatiently in the beautiful morning and the increasing heat. It wasn't even nine in the morning yet, but the warmth outside warned everyone what a hot day it would be. The sunlight cast shining, golden reflections in the steel of the armor, spears and swords. Each soldier had a deep blue shield, with three golden triangles and the symbol of the Hylian army at the bottom: a red eagle, spreading its wings to take off and fly away.
Two teenage boys were standing in front of the huge army; one clad in blue and white, the other in green. They were obviously discussing something with a man in the end of his thirties, whom Zelda recognized as Jonathan. He had not changed much since she last saw him, he was still as long, grave looking and impressive as he used to be. He was watching the two youths anxiously, one of his fingers twisting the short, blond beard on his chin. His hair, pulled back into a ponytail, was very resembling to Link's, and his eyes had almost the same color, Zelda knew. Link was obviously trying to explain something to the officer, and Roy was holding a piece of paper, probably a map, pointing at it eagerly.
"Exaggerating a little, are we?" Zelda interjected. "How many are they?"
Impa smiled. "Approximately one thousand and two hundred. So I have been told."
"And they are all willing to do this for… for me?"
"For you, Princess Zelda. For you – and for their country. For justice."
The Gerudo people had no leader. They were cruel, a people who killed the innocent, a pack of evil thieves from the western desert. They considered the childbearing women being the strongest gender – men were weak. According to the desert women, they were only good at one thing. No male could pass by the gates to the women's fortress, and it would remain so.
When the Gerudo people had heard of Queen Rose and her way to treat the Hylians and the other races of Hyrule, they had somewhat changed their minds and united with her. Maybe the Queen was exactly what they needed, a tool through which they could get power and respect. When Rose discovered that the desert women did not object her, she figured she could use them as well.
So when the righteous heir to the throne, Veilla's daughter, appeared out of nowhere, Rose escaped and headed for the fortress, a thing that came naturally. Her mother had, after all, been a Gerudo and when Rose approached the wooden bridge in the valley, she wondered if her mother would be there. She didn't remember her mother's name, less what she looked like, but maybe she would if she met her again.
The now former Queen hadn't been in the Desert in several years and now she had to admit, the sight was impressive. The valley was about one hundred yards deep, and the river streaming ruthlessly in its bottom seemed to be nothing more than a thin silver ribbon, and the sounds coming from the whirlpools were barely audible on the top of the cliff.
On the other side of the rickety wooden bridge was a steady iron gate, with a Gerudo warrior on each side. They were eyeing the cloaked figure and the horse suspiciously as they came closer. The rider stopped the horse and pulled the cloak back, revealing a golden crown and a beautiful face. The woman smiled at the female warriors before her. They bowed quickly, and the former Queen seemed pleased with this.
"It is impossible for me to stay in Hyrule Castle Town anymore", she said. "Therefore, I will stay here from now on, and I expect you to serve me as the subjects you are. Listen carefully. I have come here to tell the Gerudo that we will go to war very soon. And that war will not be senseless for you, my friends, for you will get the reward you yearn for…"
"Your words are certainly clever, Your Highness", one of the warriors said, "and we have no reason to think you're lying. We'll help you… on our conditions."
"About time you woke up! I got up before sunrise", Link shouted, seeing Zelda entering the courtyard.
She smiled at him. "I'm not surprised. How's it going?"
"Well, what can I say? We think the troops we sent will be back in a few hours. Then we'll most likely know where Rose has escaped. And then – we'll go get her."
"And take the whole army with us?"
"I don't know that quite yet. I guess it depends on her whereabouts, that is, how many there are defending her."
"Maybe there aren't any to defend her", Zelda said. "As far as I'm concerned, no races in Hyrule would be willing to help her. Unless she managed to persuade them, somehow, but I doubt that."
"The only ones I can think of are the Gerudo", said Link thoughtfully. "Maybe she was headed for the fortress…"
"That's an option", Zelda agreed. "I don't-"
She was interrupted by the sound of loud voices and a horse neighing, and the uproar was coming from the drawbridge. Zelda glanced at Link, but he didn't seem to have any idea of what was going on. The Princess started to run towards the sounds, so he decided he should follow her. When they reached the area before the drawbridge, however, they stopped dead in their tracks, both of them realizing what they saw. If any of them had been expecting to see anything in particular, it surely wasn't this.
Zelda's eyes got wide with surprise, and partly, shock. The person mounted on the horse before her had been appearing in her thoughts, as well as her dreams, frequently during the years he'd been absent from her life. When she saw him, she realized she had missed him. A lot.
"Dad!" she blurted, making the King look down at her. As he did, the expression on his noble face changed abruptly. The look of rage disappeared, to be replaced by a look of clear surprise, and happiness. He dismounted, muttering a quick order that he wanted his horse to be taken to the stables, and then looked at the young woman before him.
"Goddesses", he murmured under his breath. "I must have gone insane. Is it merely my imagination, or are you really standing before me, Zelda?"
"I am", Zelda said. Then she did something she never expected herself to do. She threw herself into her father's arms, and he did something she never expected him to do – he embraced her, hugging her back, mumbling a faint: "I can't believe it. You have to convince me it's really you."
She smiled at her father. "It is me, Dad." The King kissed his daughter's forehead. "Do I sound too formal if I said I missed you terribly? I thought you were-"
Zelda smiled. "I know, I know. I- I actually missed you, too."
"I never thought I would hear that from you", said the old King sadly, "considering what a parent I've been. I came to a realization when you left me, Zelda. And I want to tell you this before you leave me again. I love you, and I always have."
Zelda took her father's hand, squeezing it tightly. She met his gaze, and that look told him more than a hundred words ever could.
"Who is that?" asked the King, looking at Link, who had kept himself at a distance the whole time. He knew Zelda and her father would have a lot to say to each other, and they didn't want him around. When the monarch looked at him, however, he thought it was okay to introduce himself. He had never seen the King before, for the ruler never came down to the soldiers' quarters, and Link hadn't spent many days in the Castle before he left to go to Kakariko.
"My name is Link, Your Majesty", Link said, hoping it was a response in the King's liking. The monarch raised his eyebrows, studying the youth's face, eventually ending up staring at his boots.
"An unusual name indeed", the King said, looking the young man straight in the eye. "But I think I recognize it… Impa spoke to me a while ago, and I think she mentioned you. I suppose you know Impa?"
"That's right, Your Majesty."
"Link is my… friend", Zelda told her father, receiving a sour look from Link. "We met years ago. I'll tell you everything about it later."
"Excuse me, Your Highness", Link said. "Do you, by chance, know where Queen Rose is?"
King Harkinian frowned, giving Link a strange look. "I suppose my wife is here, at least she was when I left the other day. She told me that there had been trouble by Lake Hylia, but when my men and I got there, it was as peaceful as it use to be. I wonder where she got the idea… why, may I ask, are you interested in knowing where my wife is?"
"I apologize, Your Highness, but she isn't at the Castle."
"We think she fooled you to go to Lake Hylia, so she easily could get away", Zelda told the King. "It's a really long story, but Link and I can explain it all to you, if you like." The King nodded shortly, apparently upset by his wife's obvious betrayal. "Tell me everything you know."
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A/N: I know I promised that this would be the chapter when Rose would be destroyed. But there are a lot of things that I want to develop further, so I'll let the chapter with the confrontation come when I feel it's time. I think it's a good idea to write a few more – I can't tell exactly how many – chapters before I end this story. I have also noticed that a few characters have been 'disappearing', like Tatl and Navi (geez, why am I always forgetting about them?), so I'll get them back into the story, somehow.
I'll get the next chapter up faster than this one, I promise. That's a promise I'll try to keep.
-HH