The Downfall Timeline
Book 1
Chapter 19: A Part of Her People

Late Morning, January 24, 610 GK, The War of Imprisonment, Day 192

Hylian Army Camp, Lake Hylia

As the marshal's team departed on their mission, Princess Zelda watched them from the lakeside. Wrapped in a white fur cloak and mittens, she had insisted to Impa that they leave the temple and watch the men go.

"They are going on my orders and they may not return Impa. I... need to see them off." She explained.

Her attendant had been watching her curiously since the end of the council meeting.

"Your Grace, are you sure everything is alright? I sense there is something you are not telling me." Impa gently prodded.

Zelda drew a deep breath and considered telling her matron about the vision. Turning and smiling to her advisor, She answered, "It's nothing Impa, I am fine! I just... needed to get out of the temple. The Zora are very kind to shelter us here, but I needed the open air for a while."

The minister smiled and nodded to the princess, but continued to watch her carefully.

Growing uncomfortable under her warden's eye, the young woman began to walk around the lake and through Lake Town. As she passed, off-duty soldiers would kneel and townsfolk would bow in reverence.

Each time, she would bid them, "Please, please rise." with a warm smile and a wave of her hand.

Impa too would smile and greet the Hylians they passed, but once she and the princess were alone, she attempted to correct the young sovereign: "It is important for a monarch to be seen as regal and majestic your grace. While you are undoubtedly kind, you must be careful not to be seen as weak."

The naïve Zelda frowned at her, "My people are cold, starving, and afraid Impa! If all I can do to ease their grief is stop them from kneeling in the freezing snow, then I will do it!"

The minister -shaking her head- gave her the same look her father would give when he believed she was being a child.

"You are their strength, your grace. They take heart knowing that their royal family is strong and will be there to protect them! You must learn this!" she urged.

Too frustrated to continue arguing, the princess returned to their walk. After a few minutes, Impa brought the princess back to a topic from the council meeting.

"There is concern, your grace, that the outer kingdoms are... losing faith in the crown. The sudden loss of the capitol to a band of Gerudo thieves and the... departure of their majesties have left the kingdoms fearful that Hyrule cannot protect them."

The royal orphan felt a rush of anger at how simply she had described the events.

"Gannondorf was a fearsome sorcerer!" she shouted at her attendant, "My father was trying to take a chance for peace!"

Impa, seeing the worried glances and awkward stares of the Hylians around them, tried to calm the girl quickly, "Please, your grace, I only meant..." but Zelda continued,

"And the only reason why we've lost the castle is because he managed to take the Triforce! How are we supposed to fight that?!"

Alarmed, the sheikah ushered the princess forward, "I know, your grace, I know. But these people were not there. They have no idea what has transpired at the temple. They only know that the Kingdom has fallen and its princess is relying on their support. It frightens them. And... it should frighten you as well, your grace!"

Quickly moving away from the crowd and between two small houses, the princess looked up at her attendant suspiciously.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Impa let out a deep sigh. She did not want to tell the princess this, but matters were turning serious with the council and now there was no other choice.

"Not long after you were born, the lesser kingdoms rebelled and attempted to break away from Hyrule." She explained, "Publicly, they proclaimed that they were doing it for the good of their own people, but secretly... they were in league with Gannondorf and the Gerudo."

Zelda's eyes widened with shock; her father had never told her this.

The minister continued, "Many on the king's council were certain that if Gannondorf had been victorious, he would have gifted large portions of eastern and southern Hyrule to these kingdoms for their help. The fathers of the governing households were imprisoned and quietly executed in the dungeon beneath Hyrule Castle on your father's orders, your grace."

The princess' hand covered her mouth - her father was capable of that?

"Now the sons have taken their father's places. The king hoped that reconciliation could be made and a trusting peace established in the years to come, but… he is gone and these men are in command of the outlands - The very lands that are keeping us alive, your grace."

Zelda's eyes turned and wandered around the camp. How many of these men came from the outlands? How many would betray her when they had the chance? She wondered.

"We are at their mercy, your grace, and I'm certain that they have realized that. We must do what we can to strengthen their allegiance and guarantee their support going forward." The minister finished.

"How will we do that?" the young woman asked fearfully.

"I am not certain yet, your grace, but I am sure it will be... unpleasant for all of us." Her minister answered grimly.

They returned to their walk in silence. The princess, feeling the weight of the crown and the looming menace of Ganon's cloud above, desperately looked around herself for any distraction.

They came upon a wagon team unloading supplies for the camp and the princess noticed that among the soldiers, was a very frail old man - who struggled to carry baskets of food to the nearby tents. Ignoring Impa's sputtering objections, she quickly walked right up to him.

"Excuse me, kind sir-" she began, as he recoiled in surprise.

She tried her best to calm him with a smile and warmly said, "It's alright, don't be alarmed. My name is Zelda-" but the old man quickly fell to his knees and bowed his head.

Rapidly, he began to babble his apologies, "F-f-forgive me m-m-my lady - YOUR HIGHNESS! Forgive this old f-f-fool! I was not watching where I was g-g-going."

For a moment, the girl was not certain what she should do. The other soldiers and workmen stood frozen nearby, staring at them. As she glanced at each of them, they quickly bowed their heads and backed away reverently. The poor royal was stunned at how afraid of her they seemed to be.

"Please, please it's alright, you may stand kind sir!" she said, turning back to the old man.

Very slowly - and nervously -, he returned to his feet, but continued to avert his eyes away from her.

After a few awkward seconds of silence he muttered, "H-how may I serve your highness?"

Zelda's heart was beating very quickly against her chest and her cheeks became quite red with embarrassment. In the past, her father and mother would receive the reverences of the people while she trailed behind, hardly taking notice. When soldiers or noblemen bowed to her, it was never with such an uncomfortable air of fear – they always smiled at her and called her "her little highness".

"I-I was..." she stammered, frantically trying to think of something to say, "I was wondering if... if you had any apples?"

She knew the answer was yes, as she could plainly see several baskets of them in the nearby wagon, but the flustered princess needed something to diffuse the tension. The old man briefly raised his eyebrows in disbelief as the soldiers traded confused glances.

"I'm rather hungry you see." finished Zelda awkwardly - trying her best to smile sweetly.

"Y-yes... of course!" began the old man, as he rushed back to the wagon. "You are in luck your highness! We've just brought in the late-harvest from Necluda!"

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief; the old man was smiling now and eager to please her. Still, she did not like how afraid he seemed to be around her, but at least now the tension had passed.

"A very good year this, your highness! A very ample harv-" but the poor man was not able to finish.

As he was rushing back to her, his foot caught upon a stone hidden beneath the snow. He now lay sprawled in front of her, with the basket of apples cast all over the ground around them.

"Fool." muttered Impa under her breath, as the princess rushed forward.

"Oh, you poor man! Please, let me help you!" she said as she reached to help him up.

Zelda gently grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"Oh, thank you, thank you your highness! I am not worthy-" he began - overflowing with gracious embarrassment - but his voice was slowly growing quieter.

As she held his arm, she could see his lips moving, but his voice drifted away into silence. Soon, all sounds from the lake-side town had gone and the world seemed to grow dark again.

Zelda was kneeling now, with her head bowed. Slowly, she became aware of the company of soldiers gathered around her. Beneath her knee, the floor was covered in a crimson carpet, trimmed with gold.

Her heart was beating very fast, "Goddess help me! Don't let me mistake the oath!" she earnestly prayed as she waited for the captain to finish speaking.

This was the moment she had waited years for! At last, she was going to be granted the sword and made a soldier in the king's army! She raised her head slightly and saw the captain standing in front of her, holding his sword out over her head:

"Do you Baelin, son of Gaelin, of the province of Necluda in Greater Hyrule..." But the officer's voice faded away and the gathered host disappeared.

A jarring flash of red-orange light and a sudden blow to her chest carried the princess to some far away battlefield. The Gerudo were attacking the Manhala Plains. Lord Aryn -whose house guarded the Gerudo pass- had sent urgent pleas for reinforcements. The young lieutenant had doggedly marched her company without rest for three days and two nights to reach them.

Here on the third night, the Hylians clashed with the Gerudo invaders.

Surrounded by fire and the screams of battle, Zelda - collapsed on top of a mass of corpses - looked down at her own chest. Her breastplate was rent and a terrible gash spewed bright red blood over her armor.

"Goddess... help me..." she groaned as she felt her strength slipping away.

This world too now slowly faded, just as another soldier near her cried out, "Captain Baelin!"

Looking up into her apple trees, the princess smiled as she spotted several bright red, meaty apples waiting to be picked.

"It's going to be a very good harvest this year son!" she said as they worked their way higher into the tree.

"I can't wait for the pies!" exclaimed a sandy-haired boy nearby.

For a few minutes, Zelda marveled at the land around her. The peace that had come over Hyrule had been very good to Baelin's farm and his son was growing into a fine young man. Suddenly, a branch snapped under the boy's foot and he tumbled out of the tree and landed hard on the ground below.

Zelda was now dashing back to the farmhouse, carrying the unconscious boy in her arms.

"Goddess Hylia, mother and protector of Hyrule and its people, hear my prayer!" she urgently whispered, "Protect this child from harm and deliver him once again to strong health... please... I beg you!"

Tears were streaming down her face as she crashed through the farmhouse door.

Again, the dream faded and returned. The young royal was now standing in the high hall of the King with her son kneeling before her. He was clad in shimmering plate armor from the neck down. The gathered host was dressed and ordered into ranks for the ceremony.

His majesty nodded to the Lord-Marshal, who smiled and placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder. She drew her old, notched broadsword and rested its point on her son's shoulder.

"Do you, Taelin, son of Baelin..." She began, reciting the knight's oath as her heart overflowed with pride.

She was watching her own boy join the ranks of the King's Knights – a feat never before reached by a member of Baelin's family. The King had been gracious enough to allow the old father to administer the oath to his own son.

"... and by the Sovereignty of this crown, I name thee 'Sir Taelin of Necluda', a Knight of the Realm of Greater Hyrule!" his majesty finished.

Cheers roared through the hall, as the Lord Marshall and Knight-Lieutenant Alfon cloaked the new knight and welcomed him to the brotherhood.

"Goddess... watch over him... keep my boy safe." Zelda silently pled to Hylia.

A cold wind suddenly hit the girl's face. She found herself lying on her back in the snow, shivering, as Impa desperately implored her to speak.

"Your Grace! Your Grace speak to me! Are you alright?!"

Slowly, her senses and memory returned and her attendant pulled the princess' arm around her neck and helped her back to her shaking feet.

"What did you do to our princess?! ANSWER ME!" a voice cried nearby.

After blinking several times, the girl's vision cleared enough to see the frail old man cowering against the wheel of the food-wagon, with the point of a soldier's spear to his throat.

He was trembling from head to toe with an expression of complete bewilderment on his face.

"It's...it's ok" she mumbled, weakly, to the soldier, but he did not hear her.

"I'll skewer you old man! I swear... by the Goddess... if you've harmed her!" the guard threatened.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! STAND DOWN SOLDIER!" shouted Zelda, her strength quickly returning.

The surprised man lowered his spear and backed away as the princess approached the terrified elder. With Impa still hovered over her, Zelda knelt down and looked into Baelin's face.

"Where's Taelin?" she asked, "Where is my-... your son?"

The old man's eyes widened further in complete shock. For a few moments he stared at her in bewilderment.

When she softly asked him again, tears welled and he covered his face with his hands. The young woman - who had just partaken in his memories - wrapped her arms around the grieving father, and wept with him.