Scattering petals
Link & Zelda
Chapter 14: Royal Fury
When miscommunication sets a barrier between hero and princess.
Author's note: This and the next chapters are ones I waited so long to write! I think that they have one of the greatest character development in the story so far. Impa, Zelda, Link, Link's father, King Rhoam, Aryll, and even some background on the royal family of Hyrule. Are you ready to learn much more? Then keep scrolling down, to read the chapter!
Also, the release date of Breath of the Wild sequel: Tears of the Kingdom! I hope the fandom revives after this announcement! Kinda missing the activity around here.
Impa had never seen Her Highness spat out such anger from her delicate frame. Her words were poisoned with deep remorse, sharp as stones. Her feminine face was tainted with a reddish shade much different from the one that glowed within her expression whenever she was healthy or felt incredibly flattered, something rare lately. But the amount of rage boiling deep inside the princess' heart had been affecting everyone that surrounded her. The staff from the castle had been whispering since the sheikah counselor had entered Hyrule's walls. But what her eyes witnessed was far worse than she could ever imagine. And her language… Not even the lowest commoner could use those insults and at the same time make them sound royal and solemn. The blue cloth in her hands was suffering physical consequences.
"Curse you." Zelda muttered after the needle stung her finger. One of the handmaids that were changing the bedsheets looked up with utter surprise. Zelda felt those judgemental eyes on her and it was too late for the poor woman. "Leave us alone."
The maid didn't need to ask twice. She commanded the rest of the staff to get out of the princess' chambers to leave Impa and Zelda some privacy. The sheikah girl sipped from her cup of tea as she watched how her highness rose from the seat and left forgotten the embroidery she had been working on all day. Apparently, she had already begun crafting a scarf for the Rito champion, Revali. In fact, Impa had heard that Zelda hadn't left her quarters since her sudden arrival from Goron Tribe. People around Castletown talked about some kind of punishment from King Rhoam to his rebel daughter. Seeing the situation firsthand, Impa no longer knew what to think.
"Princess, may I ask what has been upsetting you?" Impa finally gathered the courage to speak. Luckily, the princess lowered her guard instead of snapping at her. A sad look was hidden behind her apparent anger, it was written all over her face. "You've been locked up in your room for days now, your highness. What happened after your return to Hyrule's castle?"
The mere mention of the morning after her arrival caused the appearance of thin wrinkles on Zelda's forehead. Her fists curled up in tight bones that blemished with her nail's pressure on the palm of her hands. Her jaw was also tightened, sharpening her facial features in a more slender and, at the same time, threatening image.
"I used the sheikah slate every single day of the journey. My father didn't possess the slightless bit of clue until we returned." She put special emphasis on 'we'. Impa didn't know if it was because of all the years she had spent beside Zelda or because of her sheikah senses, but somehow Link had to be related to it, she theorized. Besides, Link had been the target of the princess' lashes whenever she was pressured.
"Did he hear you had the slate in your possession?" Impa continued wondering out loud.
"Not only did he hear. He was told." The last word sounded harsh and rough on her peachy lips.
There it was. There was some kind of disappointment in her olive eyes. Somehow her pupils were rounder and deeper as if something inside the princess' heart had changed along her journey. Her fists loosened, leaving crescent marks on her palm from her fingernails. To avoid Impa to notice it, Zelda ran a hand through her hair, combing the lower half of her golden mane. With a sigh, she tried to let go of the tension and relax her numb muscles. Embroidering, knitting and crafting the champions' clothing, in general, had been torturing her fingers. While looking at the mirror, however, her reflection seemed as regal as never.
"By who?" Impa finally dared to ask, snapping the princess out of her trance.
"Link." Another low tone growled in the princess' voice. A chill ran up the royal counselor's spine.
It couldn't be. Impa reached the conclusion that the poor boy was too frightened and intimidated by the place he had been put in that he wouldn't betray the hand that fed him. Quite literally. She didn't know Zelda's appointed knight that well, it was true. But she was good at reading people and Link wasn't the type to remain silent to betray a person's trust afterward. She lacked details to reach yet a final sentence, but her ears couldn't believe it. There had to be an alternate explanation or at least a good reason if Link did as the princess suspected. All in all, the princess' conclusion seemed hasty, a thought induced by her altered emotions. And the confinement in her tower, also.
"Are you sure, your highness? Did you speak with Link?"
"He's certainly spoken enough."
The princess' words were sharper than stones. If Impa kept talking about the topic, she would end up being lashed by a rough reply. If she considered the fact that the sealing powers of the princess were yet to awake and her supposed knight's betrayal, it was more than understandable that she was angry. Plus all the days she had spent locked up in the west wing of the castle… There was no other solution than investigating the topic herself. If her highness couldn't leave the west wing and Link was nowhere to be seen since she was already protected in her chambers, Impa was the only one who could enlighten the conflict. She had played her part as royal mediator before and she considered that Link and Zelda getting along was crucial for some strange reason. At least that was what she told herself and what she sheikah culture had always been taught. The hero and the heiress had to work their way together to unlock the divine potential within their linked souls.
Impa would never admit it out loud, but she believed that if Link and Zelda achieved to establish a bond, Hylia would favor them both in the war against Ganon. The inscriptions on the walls of the shrine of resurrection hinted at it though she still had much to decipher yet. Knowing the meaning of her land's original legends, she couldn't stand by and do nothing. Impa would solve the problem on her own if it was necessary.
"Worry not, your highness. I'll seek the truth."
"There's no truth to find nor alternatives to search for." Zelda spat with desperation. "Not only did father know that I had been keeping the sheikah slate. He also was aware of our unauthorized arrival at the castle. No other knights could have revealed those details since they stayed behind until the next morning."
"So Link is the only one who could have spoken." Impa finally tried to assimilate the information yet there was something that didn't quite fit the puzzle. "Yet it was impossible to confirm so yet. Or did perhaps King Rhoam reveal the name of the person who told him about your noncompliance?"
Zelda shook her head in negation. Truth was that when she faced the king, everything felt like a bucket of frozen water. She had also seen Link exit the throne room before she was summoned and they crossed a weird glance. Of course, she didn't know what her father's concerns had been yet. However, the answer to all of her questions was remitted to Link. Who else could have betrayed her trust? He knew about the sheikah slate in her power despite being specifically ordered not to deal with sheikah technology until her powers were awoken. Link had also witnessed every action during their trip and he had even expressed his disagreement whenever she aided on the battlefield with the slate. And last of all but most importantly, he was the only one capable of telling king Rhoam that they had snuck after midnight into the palace. There was no other possibility, it had been Link. And for that, Zelda felt hurt, betrayed, and stupid. Not because of her actions but because of merely thinking that maybe Link was more than a pawn to the kingdom.
Personally, Zelda thought that dedicating more time to investigating the matter was a waste. However, if Impa wished to be her eyes outside the west wing of the castle, so be it.
"I'll leave you to your correspondence." The sheikah counselor revealed a bunch of letters to her highness. Maybe reading would ease her mind. Among the senders, there were two champions. Surely hearing news from outside would enlighten her mood. "And I'll get to it."
Impa's wink before leaving the chambers soothed Zelda's mood. Having some time to disconnect from the confection of the champions' clothing was also a blessing in her situation. The elegant calligraphy of Urbosa, the Gerudo chief, in one of the envelopes was another positive fact. The princess was looking forward to leaving the castle walls and going to visit her mother's old friend for once. Though she guessed it would be a long time since she was allowed to leave her chambers.
Link was returning from Fort Hateno with Epona while enjoying the calm breeze. He had been sent there under the king's orders until he was needed again as the princess' escort. Luckily, his father was posted in the same location and the coincidence allowed them both to spend some father-son bonding time together. Sharing knighthood duties with his father reminded Link of his oldest expectations. His father had become regal and solemn in his purpose as protector of the fortress. Seeing him in action brought some childhood memories back from when both Link and Aryll saw their father as some sort of savior. Not that he wasn't. Some new battle scars adorned his arms, a result of an orchestrated Yiga attack last month. Apparently, the pro-Ganon clan was affectionate towards bananas and the walls had to be cleaned after the mess they left. The young hero reminded himself to be aware of the suspicious fruity smell around the princess in case they planned to strike Hyrule castle.
Despite training endlessly on a daily basis, Link's father always surprised him with some lesson in stance, form, or defensive pose. The room for improvement his father offered made him realize that despite being the so-called hero, he still had much to learn. Of course, his skills in combat and archery had led him to his role as the princess' appointed knight, but it was no excuse to forget training and learning new techniques. The wielder of the master sword had to be worthy of that honor.
Speaking of which, father and son had tested if the mythic sword also lit up with a knight's touch. Apparently, it only shone with Link's touch. Some of the knights that approached him to see with their own eyes the weapon of the legends also checked the theory and the result was the same. Somehow, the master sword was only meant for Link to possess. The constant attention on him had left Link exhausted, so he took advantage of his trip back to the castle to enjoy the loneliness with his mount. He also had collected some apples as a snack for the journey.
As he bit on the fruit, Link remembered the surprising past of his father as the captain of the royal guard. Despite now being the one commanding Fort Hateno, he had been once the queen's appointed knight. That was right, Princess Zelda's deceased mother. In fact, he had told his son of the immense joy the queen irradiated along with the newborn princess seventeen years ago. Apparently, Zelda had been a cheerful and affectionate child with a natural glow that had mesmerized Hyrule's court. Later on, the queen would fall ill and slowly extinguish her life. It had been a slow and agonizing sickness that had saddened the king and the princess deeply. According to his father's account, the queen's passing away was the point of no return for the royal family of Hyrule. From that moment on, King Rhoam adopted more restrictive rules for his only child, Princess Zelda, who missed her mother as any hylian would miss the sunlight. Time had forged an introverted and insecure heiress to the throne, disoriented without any help to awaken the sealing powers of her mother.
After hearing the whole story, Link comprehended better the background of Zelda's childhood and to some extent pitied the princess. Without his father's example, he couldn't imagine his path and training years as a knight. Yet knighthood was way less complicated than awakening mystical powers that nobody else in Hyrule possessed. Though in some sort of way, Link knew the sword in his hands had an unlocked potential he could only discover. But that was his mission to figure out. He still hadn't heard voices nor seen spirits since he claimed the sword. The legend said he was supposed to. At the moment he had only sensed strange energy emerging from the sheath once in a while. It also could be a side effect of all the stress. If he was going through all of that, he couldn't imagine what the princess was experiencing.
You should remain patient and attentive. An escort witnesses every detail of royalty's life. Not all of it is pleasant. Even though with time it is rewarding. Getting to share unique moments with the ruler of a kingdom has some benefits you will discover in its moment.
Those had been the wise words from his father's mouth. Link decided to put his trust in the many years of his parent's experience in the royal guard. Truth be told, his daily routine had been way more interesting than the life of a regular knight. He got to travel and meet other people, taste delicious food and get into fights that didn't kill him to boredom. It was true that sometimes human interactions were overwhelming, but living on the edge of the thrill was preferable. Having a room for his use alone was also a privilege he never got to enjoy until now. The quality of his sleep allowed him to perform better in his duty. The difference between sleeping in shared bunk beds or on a single mattress was noticeable. The sensation of the sun's rays caressing his face at dawn was also the best way to naturally wake up. Also not to mention the individual shower with steamy warm water. And the food, oh the cooking of the castle's staff…
"What in Hylia is this mighty creature?"
The words of a male sheikah traveler made Link's instincts snap at the danger. With a single motion at Epona's reins, his mount knew where to run off to. The apple he had been previously chewing fell to the grass, forgotten by its owner.
The princess's bodyguard recognized the golden lyre falling from the sheikah's hands. The loud thump of the land made some sparkly notes sing along the wind. He had also heard the music from that instrument previously inside the castle. The man being attacked by a blue chuchu monster was the court's poet. Lin didn't quite catch his name when Zelda first introduced him. The arrogance and compliments filling his mouth didn't allow space for his ego. In fact, that personality did remind him of the Rito champion in some sort of way.
Despite his personal thoughts on the court's poet, the hylian knight hurried and jumped from Epona to strike the chuchu jelly monster from upward. The edge of the sword made the monster explode in round pieces that could later be useful for creating elixirs. Or maybe the staff of the royal lab could find some use for them at some point.
Meanwhile, the knight collected the shattered pieces of jelly in the ground, Irel gawked at him as if he were some kind of freak. In reality, the sheikah boy believed he was. In his eyes, Link behaved like a feral beast, gathering dead parts of a gelatine creature of evil. He didn't even greet him or exchange words despite saving his life. His throaty sounds were worthy of an animal. His silent demeanor awoken more mystery and left space for doubt about his status. Either way, Irel thought that Link, with or without master sword, was not worthy of carrying the honor of accompanying the princess of Hyrule. Around the lands, a lot of people talked about the heroic acts of the knight. But the court's poet had seen his behavior and concerning attitude while being on duty. He left a lot to be desired. As a court member, Irel hadn't shared his opinion, but he was sure of it: the princess deserved a better man to guard her magnificent presence. He wasn't regal enough to be at her highness' height.
A part of him was speaking from the envious side of his person since he wished fervently to spend the same amount of time beside the princess as Link did. Zelda was an ethereal creature of gold mane and sacred touch. Irel had fallen in love at the moment his eyes laid upon her figure at a royal ball. Any male who dared to spend time with her was an immediate threat. Link wasn't an exception.
"Your skills precede you." Irel finally said, glancing at the knight's full bag with pieces of monsters. Simply disgusting.
Link didn't reply but approached to return the lyre to the poet. There were some rests of jelly staining the golden metal on the musical instrument that Irel quickly whipped away with one of his sleeves. The triforce insignia inscribed on one of the edges reminded him of the part of the myth the hero was supposed to represent. He looked at Link's blue eyes and didn't see any trace of it. His lips didn't cross a word with him either.
"But bravery alone is not enough." The poet continued. In comparison, he found Link uncultured and barbarian. "Sometimes etiquette is also required. Especially inside the walls."
It was like speaking to a wall. His theory gained strength. The breeze filled the silence.
"Are you growing used to living in the castle? I get the feeling that you are not the social butterfly type."
Again, Link just nodded and distracted himself with the sheath of the master sword. He turned his eyes to the castle, thinking about what to do next. But Irel wasn't done yet with his monologue.
"However, not being fond of speaking doesn't mean you are harmless." At this point, Link had to lock eyes with the poet. What exactly was he implying? "And because you are the princess' escort, I must warn you: If I get the slightest notice of the princess being upset on your account, I will not be as polite as the standards dictaminate."
The knight remained stoic at the poet's accusation. Without even bothering to reply, Link returned by Epone and with a little push got on the seat of the mount.
"Are you getting through this?" Irel continued, following behind the knight and the horse by foot. "I'm talking to you!"
If Link knew how Zelda felt about him… He would be over.
The governess had been the first victim of Impa's questioning. She had been taking care of the princess' needs for a long time and at the moment was commanding the handmaids that assisted Zelda every morning and noon. Whenever her highness left the castle, they were left with no duties, so Impa thought they would have noticed any presence in the west wing. It wasn't the case, but because of the princess' presence back in the castle, the rest of the maids were busy. The king insisted every now and often for his daughter to have a polite and regal presence inside the castle walls. Whenever those requirements were needed, it was best for the handmaids to aid the princess in her routine to get ready even though this time was just for staying in her room all day.
"With time I had to develop keen senses to attend to Princess Zelda. I would have noticed if someone else had stepped onto her quarters." The governess assured with total confidence. "Though I have to say her knight knows how to be silent. He has the stealth of a sheikah."
Impa giggled at the teasing and thanked her for the time she spent answering her interrogation. The counselor found the necessary trust in her to explain the case that was worrying the princess. She explained how someone had denounced the secret princess' arrival along with her unauthorized use of the slate and how she had been assigned to discover the identity of the person who had betrayed Zelda.
"I wouldn't want to behave imprudently though I feel the need to ask." Impa nodded to give permission for the chief maid to continue with the question. "Who does Princess Zelda make responsible for her penalty?"
"Who do you think?" The counselor felt the need to be sarcastic.
"Ah, poor boy." In fact, they didn't need to reveal his name to assume it was Link indeed. They hadn't started with the right foot and their relationship had been going up and down since he had been appointed.
"I don't believe he did it either." Impa shared his thoughts. "He could have informed the king earlier. The princess had been using the sheikah slate long before they left for the Rito region."
On the other hand, the governess had grown fond of the appointed knight. Of course, she was fonder of the princess since she had become an important figure during her childhood after the queen's passing. Despite that, the constant conflict between her and the knight wasn't pleasant to watch. Whenever they did, Zelda would struggle to fall asleep and the maids had to burn some herbal incense to help her conceal some rest for the night. In fact, that scenario had been recurrent lately, so she had to visit the princess' quarters almost every noon.
Since Princess Zelda came back from the diplomatic journey, the mood around the west wing had changed. Everybody in the castle had heard about the conflict with the king, who reprimanded the princess' disobedience. The argument had awoken an internal turmoil in the royal heiress that difficulted each task of her daily routine locked up in her quarters. Whoever dared to enter her area witnessed the caught-up emotions that caused her anxiety. She had also got back the bad habit to bite her nails. That same day the staff in the care of the princess' well-being made a salve with flowers and dry herbs to avoid the nervous vice. The thing was that remaining inside her room had increased the irritability of her highness. The governess made sure to inform Impa since she was one of the most trusted people in the princess' circle. But neither of them came up with a practical solution since King Rhoam had forbidden every other activity rather than praying and crafting the champions' clothing.
After a nice talk, the royal counselor had to say her goodbyes to continue her research. The castle was filled with rumors and Impa was good at eavesdropping due to her sheikah habilities. The identity of the telltale would be known soon if she was lucky.
I had been waiting for this chapter long ago. Impa's perspective is way more neutral than Link or Zelda's point of view. It is easy to empathize with her as a reader, and eventually as Zelink shipper. But we will see more of this story in the next chapter.
I will provide fictional shipping material next week. Even though I have time in my job to write whenever I am done with work in the office and despite being considered quick in writing stories, I still take my time to update. I swear it is for this story's good!
Until next week,
Stella.
