With Calamity Ganon sealed, the people of Hyrule rejoiced, and though the kingdom had become so destabilized, efforts to rebuild had immediately been set into action. Countless urgent matters vied for Princess Zelda's attention—arranging a funeral for the late King had been one of the most pressing.
Neither the castle nor Hyrule Cathedral were fit for such a ceremony and wouldn't be for some months. With its central location and brief journey from Castle Town, the Sacred Ground seemed a fitting alternative. The funeral would not be held within the confines of a stuffy and crumbling tomb-like building, but out in the open air of an ancient and beautiful ceremonial site. And given the Kingdom's somber victory, Zelda thought this an apt way to honor her father. Zelda sent word of her intentions and Rhoam's body was transported from Fort Hateno and prepared for burial.
She stood now with the casket upon the central dais, watching as those who had survived the Calamity converged upon the Sacred Ground and the sparsely wooded area that surrounded it. Beams of sunlight peeked through heavy cloud cover, laving the ceremonial site in a golden aura, glinting off the shallow waters that encircled her.
The Champions had taken their places at the four innermost pillars. Their eyes flit over Astor in his regal attire and then away again, almost as if they did not recognize him at first. It was much the same reaction shared by Link and Impa when they returned to the castle to reconnect with Zelda.
"Die the seer of the Calamity or live long enough to become a spoiled royal. Looks like I'm going to have to abide him," Urbosa scoffed lightheartedly under her breath.
She turned her attention to Zelda who was standing a little too rigidly, even given the circumstances. There was a nervousness in her countenance that gave Urbosa pause. She unfolded her arms and approached.
Hearing the click of Urbosa's high-heeled shoes, Zelda lifted her gaze to see the Champion's gold jewelry glinting in the gentle rays of light filtering down through the clouds.
Zelda smiled up at her and gave a nod of her head as a way of greeting.
"Your years-long struggle is finally at its end, and in the late queen of Hyrule's stead, I am relieved—and proud. Stay strong, little bird."
"You're going to make me cry, Urbosa." Zelda returned a retiring smile. "Thank you for all your support and kind words."
"Listen, Zelda, I could not be more sincere when I say this: Just say the word and I will aid you however I can. And please, do not hesitate. No matter the distance between Hyrule Castle and Gerudo Town, nor how much time has passed."
"I will. Thank you."
Prince Sidon was brought forward by an entourage of Zora guards and Mipha came to stand with her brother.
"My father sends his condolences from Zora's Domain. The Zora will continue to stand with the royal family of Hyrule and offer aid in the tasks that lay ahead. Your father was a just king and I can see you possess the same qualities. May your reign bring about a new era of prosperity to Hyrule."
Sidon looked upon Rhoam's body lying in repose with a silent and somber expression, and Mipha scooped up the little prince to offer comfort.
After the Champions had paid their respects, court members and staff approached the dais one at a time or in pairs. Among the mourners was the royal physician, Rumon. He had attended the late queen in her labor and delivered Princess Zelda all those years ago—before anyone knew she was destined to oppose the Calamity.
The man acknowledged Zelda curtly as he stepped forward. "What a terrible shame, King Rhoam's passing..."
"Yes, it is…" Zelda answered stiffly. She couldn't disagree with the sentiment, but there was something under the surface of the old man's voice that left her uneasy.
"What will become of Hyrule without a dignified and adept successor to guide it…" said Rumon in a melancholy refrain.
Zelda didn't know how to respond but reminded herself that the physician was grieving like everyone else and any hostility perceived was only in her head.
Finally, the procession of mourners concluded. Zelda looked out at the faces of those gathered around the Sacred Ground. She hadn't rehearsed or prepared, yet found the knot in her stomach had subsided, and the words came to her with ease.
"My father, King Rhoam of Hyrule, would have been heartened by the efforts already underway to rebuild our kingdom," she began.
The crowd stood still and silent as they listened to the eulogy Zelda delivered, almost enraptured, but none stood as rigidly as Astor, uncomfortable in his new role. He lost himself to the flow of her voice, letting Zelda's words be the only thing he was completely conscious of—half dreading he might hear Calamity Ganon taunting him from beyond its seal. But mercifully, it never did. And he prayed he would never again hear the gurgling of malice.
Zelda finished the eulogy softly, though her words held and reverberated over the crowd.
She half turned her head to covertly glance back at him out of the corner of her eye and Astor couldn't shake the gnawing disbelief that Zelda, who spoke of duty for Hyrule and who outwardly seemed so pure, would want anything to do with him.
Her glance hadn't gone unnoticed by those in attendance, and now their penetrating and confused glances fell over him.
"Who is that man in royal clothes standing among the Champions?"
"I do not recall there being a fifth Champion, aside from the knight who pulled the sword that seals the darkness."
"The Princess must have taken a lover whilst battling the Calamity, but who is this man?
They both pretended not to hear the whispers in the crowd. Zelda took them in, unwavering as she warmly dismissed the crowd, and Astor could only lean on the inner strength she had gained.
oOo
The next few weeks passed in a whirlwind.
Sheikah researchers rounded up broken-down Guardians, bringing the salvageable ones back into operation.
Hylian laborers worked tirelessly, clearing the wreckage from Castle Town's streets, and Zora and Goron emissaries were sent to join the effort, offering their eye for construction and might, respectively.
In Hyrule Castle, priceless tapestries and furniture had been ruined. There was concern that sections of the ceilings and floors had become too unstable and might collapse at any moment. Entire hallways had to be cleared of rubble. But every day that passed showed increased progress.
Reports came in that the Yiga Clan had disbanded and the remaining living members, including Kohga and Sooga, had settled in Kakariko Village, joining Sheikah society.
It was clear that Hyrule was entering a new era of great peace and prosperity.
Astor remained reclusive, he and Zelda taking their meals in her chambers rather than the dining hall, even after it was restored.
There was a time he thought his life purposeless without the Calamity.
But as Astor awoke each day next to Zelda, he could only imagine his former self completely aghast at the sense of meaning he had found after the Calamity was no more.
Life in Hyrule was carrying on, and so was he.
Sometimes, Zelda slipped into terrible nightmares where they were still mortal enemies in fate's design—of his skin blackening with Malice and rotting away—only to awaken relieved and in awe to see him sleeping soundly beside her.
She and Astor spoke at length about many things. Astor shared memories of life in Hyrule before the resurrection of the Calamity was prophesied—back when Calamity Ganon was believed by many to be only a myth. They spoke even more of their experiences with Terrako and the Harbinger.
As the weeks passed, she awaited the first signs that the prophecy would come to be, throwing herself into research on ancient Sheikah technology whenever she grew anxious and had a moment to spare. Her research, for the first time, seemed a true hobby to indulge in, no longer working under the pressure of the looming Calamity.
One day, as she entered her study, a sudden revelation struck her as she recalled a certain incident months ago when she'd arrived to see shards of wood scattered across the floor.
She realized it was the remains of a box that once rested atop a high shelf. There was no indication that the box had ever contained anything. She'd been confused and lost for an explanation at the time, wondering how it had fallen from the shelf on its own. She had merely picked up the splintered fragments and soon forgotten the incident.
But after everything Astor had told her… Could that box once have contained the Terrako that would become the Harbinger?
And if so, that meant Terrako had been so close all along, carefully stored away on that high shelf in her study. She couldn't even recall how the once cherished friend had ended up on that shelf. Had her father quietly returned the small automaton to her as an act of penance?
The thought left her in tears somehow. On the day of her father's funeral, she'd been able to guard her composure. But lately…
Her emotions were getting the better of her, and she reached for an answer why.
There were so many painful memories to live with, of course. But her emotions weren't the only thing off kilter. She found herself exceedingly tired the past few days as well…
What she wouldn't give to crawl back into bed, tell Astor her suspicions, and sleep for a long, long time.
oOo
Zelda sat with Astor before the royal physician in his small office within the castle. The stone walls were lined with meticulously hand-drawn depictions of anatomy, as well as information on potions, their purposes, and their effects.
Astor sensed the small old man's cold and disapproving glance fall over him. Under different circumstances, Astor would have glowered back. Instead, he sat up a little straighter, already knowing what news the physician was about to deliver by his sour expression.
"Your suspicions are correct, Princess. Your test came back positive," Rumon said, his inflection cold and sterile. "It is a boon that Sheikah technology and medicine have survived the ages to help us know these things with certainty at this early stage."
Zelda's joy was at once palpable and infectious, hearing nothing the physician had said after 'positive'.
Squeezing her hand firmly in his, Astor smiled back at her. And though this was the news they had expected, that did not detract from the excitement of the confirmation. He wasn't even that put off by the lack of congratulations from the so-called royal physician, but as he took in Rumon's look of distaste, his intuition told him to be wary.
"You are excited to bring an illegitimate child into the royal lineage, Your Highness?" Rumon asked pointedly.
It was as if all the air had been sucked from the room.
"Illegitimate child…?" Zelda managed after a beat, shaken.
"Am I right to assume this man is the father?" Here, Rumon gestured rudely to Astor.
"I am. What of it?" Astor answered, an edge in his voice.
"There have been many unsavory rumors going around and the court does not like the look of you. This would never have come to pass if His Majesty was still alive."
"My father gave his blessing with his dying breath," Zelda said, bewildered, the memory of her father's passing still raw.
Rumon didn't reply or hadn't heard her.
"All we're asking is that you see to your goddess-damned job," Astor snapped. "Without inserting your loathsome opinion into the matter."
The small old man blinked with callous indifference. "I'm certainly not going to sully my reputation by delivering a bastard into the royal family."
"Fine then. Leave." Astor replied evenly. "You're clearly not going to be of any help to us, so I think you should show yourself out."
"Leave? I've held this position for thirty-five years and I'm not about to lose it over some silly royal affair gone wrong. Tell me, what business does a wretch like you have to court the Princess of Hyrule? Nobody knows who you really are or anything about you."
"I didn't know I required your approval!" Zelda cut in, her words clipped with anger through the hurt.
Unaffected, the physician looked at her as if addressing a very young and dim-witted child. "I can see you lack your mother's wisdom."
"Do I, now?" Zelda responded resentfully. She'd never truly hated anyone before—not even her father with all his scolding or when things had become so strained they went for days without speaking—but now she experienced complete revulsion for the ghoul wearing Hylian skin across from her.
"This would be a blot on the legacy of the royal family. But I can remedy this awful situation if you come to your senses. No one has to know. And it's better if they didn't."
"What..?" Zelda felt cold all over.
Astor regarded Rumon numbly, a faint tinny noise ringing in his ears, eyes wide and pleading not to hear this.
Smirking at Astor's distress, Rumon added, "I'd like to see you back here tomorrow morning without…this man, so we can discuss this further between patient and physician, without his interfering presence clouding your decision making."
"No," Zelda said firmly and with as much composure as she could muster, rising from her seat. "I've heard enough! Now depart my castle at once or I will ask my appointed knight to escort you out post haste. You are no longer my physician."
"You're a fool. And the people of Hyrule will not stand for this!"
"GET. OUT!" Astor and Zelda shouted in unison.
"What is this commotion?" Impa poked her head through the door. "I heard shouting down the hall. Is everything alright?"
"Impa…" Zelda said tersely, "Find Link and have him escort this filth from my castle at once!"
Impa stood in the doorway dumbfounded, perhaps wondering how a simple meeting with the royal physician had managed to go so wrong.
"Your Highness?" Impa blinked. "What happened?"
Zelda didn't respond. She shook her head, her composure leaving her as she began to cry.
"L-lady Impa!" Rumon stammered, his face flustered. "Surely you will see reason…"
Impa raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear what the royal physician had to say.
It didn't take long before Rumon was escorted from the castle grounds, ranting and raving. By that evening, much of the castle staff knew of Zelda's pregnancy.
Zelda went to bed early that night, but Astor could not sleep and walked the empty halls of the castle. The physician had said the vilest things someone could have said to Zelda—and by extension—to him. It was as if the physician's words had shattered her happiness, and for that, Astor could never forgive.
The voices of others filtered through his thoughts, feeling certain of what they would say.
Of Rhoam, almost as a ghostly presence: Astor, you're a lousy prophet and you won't be even half the father I was. You deserve every bit of misery fate throws at you, although I suppose fate is not as immutable or unyielding as you once believed…
Of Kohga: Little lord Malice is going to be a father! I can't wait to tell Sooga. He's gonna have to eat those weird little things that grow beneath a Hinox's chin…or maybe just owe me fifty rupees because I called it! Twins! You see, I ought to be the one to be recognized as a prophet. The only being in Hyrule you brought to their knees was the princess, and not in the way you were expectin'. This calls for a celebratory banana!
Astor cringed to hear Kohga's voice so stark in his mind. Kohga… Even in his imagined presence, Astor hated him—but he couldn't help but smile, even if only a little through his misery.
And then the thought, slowly rising like the sun at daybreak…
I am a father… Me… Of all people…
Now he was crying. Tears of abject awe at this twist in fate rolled down the hollows of his cheeks. At least Kohga wasn't here to see.
The entire course of his life had shifted in such an unexpected way. He wasn't supposed to be alive—had come so close to following Calamity Ganon until his worth had run its course and he met his end. Yet here he was, all for the prophecy of a goddess he once believed had forsaken him, hated him—and had hated and forsaken in return.
Hylia… Goddess of spite. Goddess of love. He could still hear her words so vividly.
Calamity Ganon will be sealed, but you will go on. Zelda will become pregnant with twins… They're yours.
It had all finally sunk in, now safe on the other side of what fate could offer him.
He lost track of time lost to his thoughts. It could have been a few minutes or even hours; he wasn't sure. Eventually, he found his way back to Zelda's chambers.
Zelda stirred and took him in, there in the dark. "I'm alright, Astor. I don't have any regrets. Get undressed and come to bed."
They awoke the following morning, though neither wanted to rise from bed. Zelda smiled and bid him good morning, though the same gloom from the night before seemed to persist over her.
And Astor knew why. On top of everything else, they knew it would only be a matter of time before word got out and all Hyrule began to gossip about the advent of a royal birth.
He placed a hand on her lower abdomen, still toned and flat, for now. "What if we were to announce it to the whole kingdom… Make it clear to those gossip-mongers that we couldn't be happier and we have nothing to hide."
Her features lit up then in a beautiful smile.
"Yes… I'd like that very much… But first… I would like to see them… Could you show them to me, seer?" She said, her voice flirtatious and sweet. She pressed her body against his, draping herself over him in an intimate embrace.
"Zelda…" He crooned, caressing her cheek. "Can I even call myself a seer or prophet anymore?"
She ran her fingers through the ends of his hair. "Calamity Ganon chose you for a reason. And so did Hylia."
He responded to her embrace, at last, giving in to the intoxicating feel of her against him.
oOo
The Princess of Hyrule joyfully announces that she is expecting twins this midwinter. Her Highness hopes that their birth portends a bright future for the Kingdom of Hyrule.
Representatives from the castle spread the news far and wide to the settlements and villages across the kingdom, and within a few weeks, the denizens of the kingdom were buzzing with much excitement.
There was always that sentiment, of course, when a royal birth was anticipated, but it was as if all of Hyrule could sense there was something especially anomalous about this instance that captured their minds and spirits. Perhaps it was the timing, so soon following the Calamity, or that the people knew so little about Princess Zelda's supposed consort.
Twins…
Surely Princess Zelda would name a son after her departed father; and a daughter would bear her namesake, the people mused. But what if both twins were female? Would there simultaneously be three royal females with the name 'Zelda'?
She is setting a bad example for young girls! decried some.
There were the softly spoken prayers and well wishes of those attuned to Hylia.
These two souls, bound by the Goddess…
Their love seems to have overwritten fate itself…
Twins… Astor gloated to himself now, some weeks after word made its rounds. That single refrain had once terrified him, but now he'd made peace with it. It was something even that awful royal physician couldn't have known, and Astor wished he could see the look on his despicable face, wherever he was now.
oOo
Zelda's fatigue and nausea were in full swing. This, however, did not hinder her insistence on traveling to the Royal Ancient Tech Lab. Zelda had been in correspondence with Purah and Robbie the past weeks and Astor assumed the repairs to the little Guardian were complete and that Zelda was eager to be reunited with Terrako.
They boarded the royal carriage for the journey ahead and Link, still carrying out his role as Zelda's knight attendant, followed on horseback.
For Astor, the boy's ever-silent presence was a near-constant irritation—had been since that day in Korok Forest when his and Zelda's fate aligned, but Astor never dared complain—for the guilt he bore was so great. Link had protected Zelda while Astor was still her enemy. And it was Link who had escorted the physician out without question or hesitation. Astor's gratitude went unspoken, unable to fathom he'd receive anything but resentment from the knight.
"I thought he resented me too at first," Zelda revealed one night, trying to assuage Astor's worries.
Their carriage passed through Castle Town. Its doors were adorned with an ornate Hylian crest, attracting the attention of the townspeople going about their day. Merchants and their customers, as well as laborers, all craned their necks to gape, trying to catch a glance at the Princess's mysterious consort.
oOo
Purah and Robbie were waiting outside when the carriage pulled up, standing before the laboratory's walkway with its rows of lanterns bearing blue flames.
Within the carriage, they could see Zelda had fallen asleep against Astor's shoulder, and Purah had to suppress a laugh as she waved to them.
Astor gently nudged her awake and Zelda lifted her head, rubbing her eyes and doing her best to rouse herself from sleep. The persistent hunger and accompanying nausea she'd felt the past few weeks immediately resumed. Never would she have thought it possible to feel so ill on an empty stomach.
Link dismounted his horse and approached Zelda's side of the carriage, opening the door for her. She stepped out of the carriage, greeting Purah and Robbie with a tired smile.
"How's it going, Princess?" Purah intoned.
"Very well, I think," Zelda said, though the exhaustion in her voice was clear.
Astor stood beside her now and laid a steadying hand on her shoulder.
"Alright, follow me," Purah gestured. "Astor, I think you'll be pleased with what we have for you!"
"For…me…?" Astor said, confused. "We didn't come here for Terrako?"
"Hm, the repairs to Terrako are indeed complete, but that's not what Zelda inquired about," Robbie replied.
Astor stood by, utterly lost for words.
Zelda took his hand, meeting his gaze with a smile. "Let's go."
Link waited with the coachman while Astor and Zelda followed the pair of Sheikah into the lab. Robbie and Purah held the heavy wooden doors open and as Astor crossed the threshold with Zelda, his gaze settled upon the relic laying on the pristine and luminous surface of the central workspace—a Sheikah orb, identical to the one he'd had before.
His stomach roiled with a mix of aversion and excitement.
"This is what Zelda requested in her letter. As I'm sure you already know, it is a very rare piece of ancient technology. There are precious few remaining, so take care."
Astor stared at Robbie with a wild look in his eye. "You're just…giving this to me…? After the role I played in all this?"
"It's for both of us," Zelda said, gently.
"So you can view the twins… Malice not included." Purah said, her tone jocular. "It's simply a tool for projecting visions of the future, as the Shiekah originally intended when they created it."
"Of course…" Astor couldn't stop thinking of the cult and the dead disciples of Ganon.
Astor picked up the orb by its outer gear, at a loss for what more to say, feeling nervous anticipation at the thought of using it as Purah suggested.
"By the way, Princess… As mentioned before, Terrako's repairs are complete. It's ready to go home with you," said Purah.
"I haven't forgotten, but…" Zelda began.
She glanced at Astor, seeing a similar disquiet in his expression. Perhaps he, too, could not forget the memory of Terrako's dark 'twin', the Harbinger. How it had chased after them on mechanical legs pumping faster than should have been feasible. Its many blades and the screams of terror from the soldiers of Fort Hateno as they were assimilated.
Noxious anxiety swelled within her at the thought of Ganon somehow returning too soon and settling his dark spirit inside the familiar confines of the little Guardian.
"Purah, Robbie, I thank you for seeing this task through, but I have other priorities now," Zelda said, her fingers grazing her lower abdomen where she hoped she would soon feel the first movement of the twins. "Please, take care of Terrako in my stead."
"Very understandable," Robbie reassured her.
"I'm sure the little one still holds many mysteries for you to unlock. And I will carry on Mother's legacy of studying Sheikah Technology. Don't think this means I'm giving up."
"Don't worry, Princess. We know you will. As I'm sure your children will continue your research after you. Perhaps someday we'll have the privilege of working with them." Purah smiled.
"I'm sure of it." Zelda brightened. "Robbie, Purah, thank you for everything that you do."
Robbie and Purah escorted them back out, and Zelda thanked them again.
Upon seeing Astor and Zelda exit the lab, Link and the carriage driver returned to their respective steeds without a word and made preparations to return to the castle.
Astor opened the carriage door, holding it for Zelda. "Are you certain of your decision? Don't act as if I were unaware you hold that Guardian dear."
She paused, her expression saddened though resolved. "I will not put our children at risk. It's not a chance will take."
Astor waited as Zelda seated herself on the far side of the carriage and then he slid in next to her. He wished he could say something to ease her fears, to convince her to take Terrako back. Terrako had been Zelda's childhood companion and the twins would almost certainly treasure it as well, but…
Fate is fickle…
Sooga's words reverberated through his mind unbidden. Astor could almost hear the Yiga second in command now and his firm voice of reason.
Calamity Ganon's hatred now burns against you as well, prophet…and likewise your descendants. It abhors the life and love they represent.
Astor could imagine Calamity Ganon wherever it was now, languishing in its seal—scorned and plotting to tear from limb to limb the ones that bore the blood of the Goddess and its false prophet.
He gripped the gear that surrounded the orb a little tighter, and seeing this, Zelda reached out to touch his hand. He readjusted his grip, letting the orb rest in his lap.
"We both bear much the same scars…and the same fears, so let's leave it at that… There is no other outcome I'd prefer… This is fate rectified… And we are so fortunate to experience it."
Stirred by her words, he squeezed her hand in his, marveling at how Zelda had changed him. The bitter and lost soul he'd once been—so bent on Hyrule's destruction—was no more. He loved now. He experienced genuine fear now—over so many things because he had much to lose.
They settled in for the trip back, Astor resting his eyes as Zelda nestled against him. Sunlight poured down as the carriage trundled over the baked earth of the Breach of Demise.
oOo
The innate gleam of the relic's constellations layered with the dim glow of the candelabra on the table before them, casting drifting shadows over their features.
Astor released his shaking fingers from the outer rings of the Sheikah orb and it rose, levitating above the palm of his hand. With his connection to Ganon forever severed, would he prophesy ever again?
Zelda moved closer to Astor on the settee. Placing his free hand over Zelda's belly, he intoned. "Show me their future."
Her heart wavered at the images conjured, reflected within the orb's glassy surface. Her lips parted, breathless and at a loss for words. Glistening moisture shone in her eyes, refracting and shimmering.
He held her a little tighter, though his gaze remained fixed on the vision. "Behold, Zelda… Our children."
"What miracles…."
Within, images of a young boy and girl dressed in full blue and white royal regalia played out. Zelda took in their blonde hair and wide ocher eyes—their silent laughter as they played in the castle's courtyard, which flourished with a great profusion of Silent Princesses.
Her heart was beating hard in her chest. Zelda had to stop herself from reaching out. The resemblance was so uncanny.
"I just realized we haven't discussed names yet," she said thoughtfully, not taking her eyes off the scene within the orb. "Our little girl… As a daughter of the royal family, she will, in part, belong to Hyrule. We are free to name our little boy whatever we desire, but all of Hyrule expects her to be named 'Zelda' in keeping with tradition…"
"Who says we must follow royal tradition?" The shadow of a smirk played briefly over Astor's features.
"I wish for her to feel united with her predecessors—yet I feel she deserves a more meaningful name, for all that she is and all she represents." Zelda smiled at him, softly. "Because she is ours."
Zelda's eyes flit between the vision and Astor's slightly parted lips—a look of both untold love and reverence playing across his pallid face.
"Though I can feel my divine power waning, I sense a greater one brewing and overflowing within me. I can hear the voice of the Goddess and the countless voices of all who manifested Her power resonating in my mind. I know I am where I am supposed to be." Her words trailed off, letting her gaze rest on the orb for several moments. "Still another six months to go… I should probably write a letter to Urbosa. I hope my silence hasn't worried her. I'm sure by now word has reached Gerudo Town."
Astor dipped his head in acknowledgment and lifted his hand from Zelda's abdomen. The vision faded, and the relic drifted down and settled into his hands.
She lingered for a moment, her fingers tracing where Astor's hand had been a moment before, still seeing their faces in her mind's eye with vivid clarity. "May the light shine upon them, for all time."