Chapter Thirteen
Broken Legacy

Three long weeks came and went in Hylia, as the wheel of seasons slowly turned towards autumn. The blistering heat of summer began to fade to cooler skies, with more frequent slashes of pale grey cloud across the sunny sky. Rael's days flitted themselves away like the falling leaves, day by day the same routine; training with the sword at the academy, relaxing in the palace gardens with his four companions, and by night sleeping in the excellent accommodation that the Queen was still providing for them.

Ten days after the party of a thousand soldiers set out to aid the South, a messenger had returned bearing a report of military progress. The information was highly secret, but after a time rumours slipped out. A far larger Kairin army than they had first believed had arrived upon the southern coast, from over the sea. Fifteen thousand strong at least, and some rumours claimed as many as twenty or twenty-five thousand.

This report was poison to Rael's mind. He had tried to estimate how many Hylian soldiers were already stationed in the south. Perhaps five thousand at Baradale? And as many each again Andred and Pergondale, the two nearest cities. Roughly sixteen thousand Hylian soldiers then, spread unevenly across the South.

Daily reports came after that - at delays of two or three days since the events happened - with news that the Kairin were regrouping, that the Hylian soldiers were consolidating as best they could to defend Baradale, which was evidently being targeted. Ralis was still out there, and no word of him had come back. And in all these weeks, his father had still not arrived in Hylia. He feared how long it would be before all three of them were at last re-united.

Now, he once again found himself before a plain wooden door in the upper levels of the palace. He had awoken in his bed this morning to find a folded letter on his side-table, bearing the Queen's seal. The letter summoned him to her office for mid-day sharp, and had done his best to arrive here dead on time. Apparently Zelda had not informed her guards that he would be coming though, for they were suspicious of his arrival, even upon producing the letter. As though he would try to see the Queen without a summons! He may be a 'simple Taraner' but at least he wasn't mad.

He had done his best not to think about what she wanted him for, but thoughts of Sergeant Jaker's words about his father had put all sorts of ideas in his mind these last few weeks. He resolved not to make any assumptions though; like Jaker himself had said, 'who can know why the Queen does anything?' The door opened sharply, and an attendant in red and silver livery ushered him inside.

The Queen's Study looked much the same as it did last time. The walls and arching ceiling inlaid with silver and gold, the windows were rimmed with patterns of ivory and sparkling emeralds, and banners of cities and regions hung from every section of wall not bearing a book case. Soldiers in shining gold armour with purple plumes stood at attention, spears in hand.

Queen Zelda sat behind her desk, flicking through papers and not even so much as glancing at him as he entered. She was wearing a flowing deep blue gown with a low neckline, embroided with thread-of-silver, and her golden hair was gathered atop her head by a hairclip bearing a single blue gemstone. It was unsettling to see her beautiful face so worked with tiredness and worry; she looked like she had not slept in days.

"Your majesty, Rael al'Resh of Taran Kaey," said the servant, as he led Rael up the shallow steps to her desk, "He has come bearing this letter. Though it bears your seal I-"

"That will be all, Winnil," she said casually, not yet looking up. Methodically, she inked a quill and signed a piece of parchment, and melted some red wax onto it, stamping it quickly with a wooden block, "Take this to Colonel Lerune, he will be expecting it." She handed the now scrolled paper to the servant.

"Yes, your majesty." Winnil bowed his way back down the steps, and only turned his back on the Queen when he had taken ten full steps.

Rael noted the sword on the desk, resting with the blade in two small holding blocks. It was Ralis' sword; the thin silver blade with black and gold hilt. Its black scabbard was not there, but he presumed it was somewhere safe. Captivated, he raised a hand to touch it, but Zelda's voice cut him short. "Do not touch it, young Rael. It is warded against thieves and those who might use it against me. If you value your life, I advise you leave it be."

I turned my head to look at her, slowly, meeting her steady gaze with reverence. Her clear blue eyes cut me open like daggers. "Your majesty, forgive me."

"Shall we do away with the formality for a time, Rael? Believe me, being called 'majesty' every waking second does become rather tiresome."

Rael nodded, heart pounding, "Yes, your majesty."

She raised an eyebrow, "call me Zelda."

Rael nodded, but still not daring to say her name to her face.

"You wanted to see me about something?"

The Queen's eyes widened ever so slightly, and he realised that he had spoken to bluntly. Light, he thought, but it was difficult speaking to her properly. "Yes," she said, "I would like to know where your brother is."

"Oh," said Rael, nerves subsiding slightly, "well, I apologise but I cannot say for sure where Ralis has gone to. I last saw him a few weeks ago. He disappeared the morning after you talked to us."

"I thought as much," she replied, "gone away with the soldiers to the South, has he?"

Rael nodded, "Most likely."

Zelda started shuffling through some papers on her desk, speaking off hand to Rael, as though discussing the weather. "But leaving no word of his departure with his brother, or his wife… and it amazes me that he would be able to masquerade as a soldier." Zelda finished that last sentence quietly.

"He is surprisingly capable," Rael said, partially proudly, but partially with regret, "he gets what he wants, usually."

Zelda nodded, "I noticed that about him. Being in my presence threw his confidence off though, and I presume that doesn't happen to him often."

"Never at all, your Majesty."

"Then he has had his mind shaken, somewhat." She sighed, scratched a few more lines across some parchment with her quill, and then gazed at the sword. "Can you be sure that he has gone away with the soldiers?"

Rael shrugged ever so slightly, and replied, "Almost certainly, your majesty."

Zelda nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Rael. That is all."

"Whatever a simple man can do, my Queen." Rael was about to start walking away, but decided to be bold and ask her about the questions that bothered him and needed answers. "If I may, your majesty, may I ask what is important about Ralis and this sword?"

This made Zelda pause, and her eyes flickered on him for a second, before taking a deep breath and replying, speaking in her cool serene tone, "This sword's presence in Hylia is a sign that the Age of Twilight is falling upon Hyrule. It is a minor part of a larger prophecy. This prophecy is not connected to Ralis though, not past being the one who brought the sword here."

"You are keen to find him, though?"

"I want to ask him questions, concerning how he came by the sword." She ran a finger along the silver edge, tracing the ancient runes with a pale slender finger, "I had rather hoped he would come to me willingly, but he has run away… maybe to avoid me. I cannot say for sure. There are many factors and forces at work."

Rael found himself drumming his fingers on the edge of the desk, and stopped himself when he noticed. "Your majesty, if I may be so bold, who did you believe would bring this sword to Hylia?"

Rael suspected she would react a little more that she did, but Zelda merely nodded and glanced over his head at the lines of soldiers by the wall. Then, she made a quick swish of her wrist across the table, and made a circular motion between the two of them. What Rael could only describe as a bubble engulfed them, the air seemed to grow thicker around his ears as though filled with water. It was an unusual feeling. He knew she had cast some sort of magic. "Now we are safe from prying ears."

"What was-"

"What I am about to tell you is secret, Rael. But I trust you, and I sense that you are somehow tied to the events that must follow. Just as I sense Ralis is, and also… Well, just you and Ralis we shall say. You must keep this a secret."

"I swear on my life, my Queen," said Rael, with full sincerity.

Zelda nodded, as though judging how much he actually valued his life. She must have decided he did value it well, for she continued. "A little short of twenty years ago," she said, her voice hollow and resonating inside this bubble of magic, "I gave birth to a baby boy." She eyed the sword again, cautiously, and took a deep breath. Clearly she was struggling to tell this story. "He was my joy, my light, my entire world. But I… Rael, you must understand my life has never been easy.

"Many envy the power and wealth of the Royal Family, but I would gladly be anyone else in the world." She ran her fingers through her hair, curling a tip between her thumb and first finger, "I am one of a few people who have been born into this world with cursed lives. Some would call my life blessed, sacred, but to actually live it is another thing entirely."

"I do not understand, my Queen," Rael let himself slowly fall into a seat beside the desk. He knew he was speaking with the Queen of Hyrule, but somehow he felt at ease with her now.

Zelda smiled, "I do not expect you to understand, do not worry. All you need know is that some people are born with destiny. Well, forgive me, every man and woman has a destiny, but some beings are born with souls touched directly by the gods. Some of us more strongly that others, and this shapes his or her destiny on a level that they can barely comprehend. The stronger a person's bind to the gods is, the more the world will bend itself around that person. Some call it having divine blood…" she laughed, "but I do not see anything divine about it, unfortunately."

"Do you mean the sort of people that legends speak of?"

Zelda smiled, "Yes, that is what I mean. It is their bind to the gods that enables them to do great deeds, be they for good or for evil, and they burn themselves into history like a candle to parchment. Some even burn history out and re-write it. Such is their power. People like Ganondorf Dragmire who burned himself right out of history; people like my childhood attendant Impa who's lives are nothing more than vessels for a higher purpose; people like Link the Hero of Time, who gave their lives to fighting the Dark."

As Zelda spoke those names, the walls of her study seemed to echo with unspoken power and greatness. It chilled Rael.

"And then there is me," she mused, "so wrapped up in divine weavings that not even death will give me escape. Queen of Hyrule, Sage of Time, Guardian of the Seals… can you imagine bearing that responsibility? I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, Rael. And I can share my pain with no-one."

"I never knew how… hard your life is." Rael was captivated by Zelda's words, memorized.

"Then there was the prophecy… about my son."

"What happened to him?"

"I cannot tell you what the prophecy said, but I will tell you this much. For the sake of the entire world I had to give him up. If he grew up at his mother's side, he would never achieve his destiny. My son was born with such a bind to the gods that made my significance petty and small. A soul of almost pure light, and I could feel it; but at the same time, of pure darkness, and unspeakable treachery. His blood was like the Rivers of the Heavens themselves, where water is like molten fire.

"The prophecy declared that my son would shatter the entire world. My son! That he would fail to bring salvation, and break the entire world for his loss. Unmake all creation… I could barely believe it, but I knew I had to do what was right for the world, not just my child and myself. In a desperate attempt to save him from his terrible destiny I was told that I must send him away from me, to get him out of my influence, for it was all I could do to save the world from the darkness that would come when twilight fell. I would not have my precious child destroy the world… and I knew very well that certain prophecies were to be trusted at all costs.

"So I sent him away, to the South. I left him in the care of a young married couple, who despite their longing, had not been able to have a child."

She looked at Rael long, she was aching inside he knew. Those usually cool eyes held tears, and he could have sworn from that expression that she was longing that he was her son, a simple solution to a complex loss. "…The sword?"

"I gave the sword to the couple, to give to my son when he was ready to accept his destiny and return to me. I knew he would have to come back eventually, because the prophecy also dictates that he must fight to save the world from the Dark. Perhaps sending him away from me was foolish, but what's done is done. He was supposed to come back, bearing the sword. You see this inscription?" she traced the runes again, 'Blessed is the Halisarin Blade Master, Prince of Hyrule'."

Rael nodded slowly, but something did not make sense to him. If Ralis brought the sword back to Hylia, perhaps Ralis… No, Resh was Ralis' father, and Yvene his mother. By the gods he was their son. But he found himself asking anyway, "How do you know Ralis is not your son?"

"He is too old. You remember my confusion upon seeing him with that sword, the day you were first introduced to me? I knew something was not right. If my son were ready to accept his destiny, then I would have felt it. This weapon is enchanted. It is nothing more than a simple sword I had made, but… I weaved magic into its forging. It is a bind between my and my one true heir.

"That is how I know Ralis stole that sword. Young Rael, you must help me find my son. But… I believe I have already found him…"

Her cool gaze settled with finality upon him, and for a moment his heart stopped. He tried to speak, but choked, "Y- Maj- I-" Surely she could not mean him! By the light that was impossible!

"I told you of the divine blood bind, with reason. I told you how some people are born with cursed lives, higher destinies. Well, I can sense it in people too… It is a gift. Or maybe just another curse, I do not know…"

"But- I-"

"That afternoon when we first met, I could feel such a tremendous energy surging through this very room. There was a conflict raging in here that none of us could see… But it was there… A silent war between the Light and the Dark. A presence that was of such power… Ralis and his stolen sword became the least of my troubles."

"But-"

"Your friend, the one called Daran."

"I- Daran?" not himself, Daran! "Daran? What are you saying? No, my Queen forgive me, but-"

"You doubt my judgement?"

"Well, no but I- yes! I know Daran's mother she-"

"-Adopted him."

"No! My Queen, forgive me but Daran cannot be a prince. Nor can Ralis, or myself, or Tabett for that matter!"

"You forget your place, young one, take a seat." I had stood up and slammed my fists down on her desk. She had been sitting so still and calm that I not even realised my own actions.

"I am sorry."

"Finding out what has happened with Ralis and this sword is my only chance of finding out what has transpired beyond my sight. I am not used to not knowing things." She laughed faintly, "Here I am getting worked up over such small matters, whilst my kingdom rests upon the edge of a knife. I am such a light-blinded fool. Civil war, invasion, the gathering darkness."

For a time they just sat in silence, the only movement coming from the banners stirring gently in the breeze. At length Zelda sighed, and began singing to herself quietly. He recognised the tune, but could not make out the words. He just managed to catch a few words at the end of the song, "…where shall we be when Twilight falls…"