The world should have stopped allowing anything else to happen. As Midna woke up the next day to see the sun peeking through the curtains, making the dust in the air sparkle, that was all she was able to think, that it was not right that she would have to go outside again, making it so that she had to leave Zelda.
But no matter how many times Midna might have whispered just that to Zelda as she reached out, wrapping her arms around her, the world did indeed continue. The visit from one of the maids who had decided to stay, blushing madly as Midna hurried to jump out of the bed, almost falling over, having momentarily forgot everything about the reason for why she had been in Zelda's bed in the first place, was enough to confirm that.
Looking directly down at the floor, the emblem that was not hidden by her pinafore the way it had been for the maid Midna had met back in Hateno Village but instead sitting proudly on her dress, right where everyone could see it, meeting Midna's gaze rather than the woman herself, she had mumbled something about how the Resistance would like to ask for the two of them to allow them gather to discuss what they could do to secure the future of both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm.
That, the fact that the maid had not hesitated before referring to it as two kingdoms rather than simply Hyrule, was the reason for why Midna did not have to think twice to agree, both with the idea itself, but also as the maid requested for them to also be present during the meeting.
"You know what this means, don't you?" Zelda asked as she tried to smooth out the creases in her dress before giving up.
"We will try to work together to form a new kind of peace?"
"Yes." but although Zelda nodded, everything about the way she looked out of the window, almost like she was hoping that she would find the answer about what they should do next written in the clouds out there, said something else. "We might be able to create peace. But," she turned around, looking directly back at Midna as she shook her head, "we might also make everything worse. If this—if this fails, I don't know what will happen."
Midna could answer that question for her. If they failed to figure out a way to re-establish the Twilight Realm, if they went to the meeting and sat still, letting others decide for them, there was a risk that all of this would repeat, that they would see the Twilight Realm rise only to be pushed back down again. The thought was enough to make her shudder, the fact that, despite how she might have been able to lie to both herself and Zelda, Midna knew that it would not be enough to change what would happen if they wasted this chance.
But still. That should only mean that they would have to attend the meeting fully prepared to fight for the Twilight Realm, so although she felt everything but brave in that moment, Midna pushed her shoulders back and forced herself not to seem nervous. "Well, in that case, I suppose that I should just be thankful for the fact that you will be there as well."
When Zelda did not answer, instead looking down at the floor, her mouth settling into an uneasy line that was not at all able to hide the fact that, despite her usual optimism, she was scared, Midna crossed the distance between them, slinging her arms around her to pull her in for a kiss. "Hey, you are going to be fantastic," Midna whispered, keeping her head so close to Zelda's that their noses almost touched, "I know you are going to be amazing. As long as I know that we fight for the same thing, everything is going to be all right."
And maybe Zelda could hear that Midna was not just trying to repeat what she had told her so many times, that she actually believed in what she was saying, for she looked up at her, a smile tucking at her lips, making the frown disappear a little. "In that case, we should be fine."
Though Midna did not answer, she nodded at her, hoping that they would be right.
When Midna entered the room, Zelda walking next to her, wearing a mask of complete calmness, everyone in the room rose from their seats to instead stand next to their chairs. The walk through the room to the two chairs that had been left vacant at the end of the table felt like it lasted for a far longer time than what it really should have done, Midna walking past so many smiling faces, some of them being people she was able to recognise, but so many of them also being people she had never seen before in her life. But even if Midna did not know the names of any other people in the room, as she walked past a tall woman, her uniform letting them know that she was a captain, who had bandages covering most of her arms, little scratches still peeking through, Midna did not have to ask anyone to know that she must be Nabooru, the one Raven had claimed had been responsible for trying to keep the civilians from being able to place themselves directly in the line of fire by entering the hangar.
Finally, they reached the end of the table where Ashei was sitting in the chair directly to the right of the seat Zelda claimed, leaving Midna to take the chair at the end of the table, sitting next to Raven. She sat down, forcing herself to remain calm, not to begin to breathe faster even though the situation felt everything but safe considering the amount of people who were all looking towards her, making it seem almost like they were waiting for her to say something, waiting for Midna to rise and tell them that she had figured it all out, that she knew what they would have to do to create peace. If that was what they were expecting, Midna did not know how they would react once it would become so clear that she had no idea about what they would have to do that they would no longer be able to ignore it, leaving them with no choice but to realise that, just because they had idolised her, letting Midna and her past become the symbol of the rebellion, she still had no idea about how they should try to create a better world for everyone.
Midna could not have been more grateful when Nabooru finally rose, saving her from being put in a position where it would appear that they were all waiting for her to begin speaking.
"Now that we are all here," Nabooru said, looking around the table, "I think it is safe to say that it will be best if we are all completely honest about the reasons for why we are here. We have to rebuild the kingdoms." sending a not at all discreet look in Midna's direction, Nabooru moved her hand just enough to let them all see how she had placed the little emblem on top of the bandages. "But it is more than just that. We can't just declare that the Twilight Realm to be independent once again. Even though we now know that all the stories about how the queen survived, escaping and giving birth to a daughter, making it so that we at least do not have to worry about who will take the throne, are true, it will take more to stabilise the kingdom, securing its continued independence after all of this. It will take more for us to ensure its continued existence after today than just to say that it is so. If we truly want to say that we are changing things, that we are making it so that there can be a possibility of both of these kingdoms existing without risking the integrity of either one of them, we have to make sure that we will remain close to each other. This," Midna did not miss the way Nabooru looked between her and Zelda as she continued, the gaze she sent them being enough to make the meaning crystal-clear, "is also why we asked you to participate in this meaning. Of course, given everything you did during the battle, the sacrifices you both brought, it would have been impossible to imagine not having you here, but to tell the truth, we needed you to be here. You Royal Highness, given how Ganondorf is now dead and Zant has been caught by the members of the Resistance, you are the next in line for the throne. As such, we have to ask you to please remember everything that has happened during these last couple of weeks during the rest of your reign. We ask you to make sure that there will be the possibility of a close bond between the kingdom of Hyrule and the Twilight Realm."
As silence settled around the table, all the people turning in their seats to look towards Zelda, Midna could almost see how it was not so different from the meetings that had taken place back at the base. If she just ignored all of the splendour, the paintings that decorated the walls, the tall windows that let the sunlight into the room, she could almost pretend that she was really back there again, having to try to argue for the plan she knew would be able to lead them to victory. Only, now Midna knew that, as important as it had been for her to win the argument back then, this was enough to make it all seem like a petty argument between friends.
By all means, that thought, the fact that Midna was not able to stop herself from being intimately aware of the fact that, if she failed now, if she did just let things happen around her, she might live to see the Twilight Realm crumple a second time, should have scared her. But, before she got the chance to let the fear of failure overwhelm her completely, Zelda had reached out, taking her hand beneath the table.
With a little smile in her direction, barely enough for Midna to notice it, making it so that she was almost completely confident that no one else had noticed it, Zelda pushed the chair back, moving to stand up. As she stood there, placing her hands on the table, Midna looking over at her and seeing how the rays of the sun hit her from behind, making it almost seem like Zelda emitted light, the fear did recede a little. It was not nearly enough for Midna's stomach to stop aching, not enough for her to not be aware of just how quickly her heart was beating against her ribcage, but it was enough for Midna to be able to sit there, not to flee, not to give in to the instinct of fleeing from the situation, as Zelda spoke.
"Thank you, Nabooru," Zelda said, confirming what Midna had already known deep down, that the woman had really been Nabooru.
She did not get much of a chance to revel in the fact that she had finally done something right, that she had actually been able to correctly guess the identity of one of the people she had not meet before, as Zelda only hesitated for a split second, the duration of the time she had to take a deep breath to calm herself surely being so little that Midna was the only one who noticed. Even then, she was fairly certain that, had it not been for how she knew that Zelda was doing her best to remain calm, the two of them having discussed exactly what Zelda was going to say next in the hours they had spent waiting for the meeting to take place, she would not even have noticed at all.
That was how quickly Zelda was able to stand up straight, erasing all traces of fear and doubts from her face, allowing her to instead look exactly like the queen she had rightfully become the moment her father had died and her brother had fled the kingdom and the consequences of the years of tyranny even if she had not yet officially received the title. "I, as I am sure is the case for each and every person sitting in this room, have spent these last few weeks thinking. Not only about what has happened, but also about what we will have to do next to ensure that both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm will be able to heal after the ordeal those in power have put the citizens of both countries through. My father was a tyrant, that much is true, but, we should not forget that the reason he was able to claim so much power, the reason he was able to create an army to send to the Twilight Realm, spreading the rumour that it had all just been a way to protect the kingdom from the effects of a coup d'état, was that we had given him that power. He was the king, and as such, he was able to do almost anything he might have pleased, simply because he had been born with more power than most people would ever be able to find on their own. If he had not been the king, if he had not received a position where he could make everyone obey him just by pointing towards the goddesses and reminding the people who spoke out against them that the Hyrulean royal family is said to descend from Hylia, then I doubt anyone, both the people within this castle but also those outside it, would ever have been able to ignore what their consciences told them to do for so long." pausing for a moment, Zelda searched for Midna, the two of them exchanging a silent look.
Midna did not have to say anything, nor did she wish to do so, not when she could hear that Zelda was in control, shining as she stood there in front of the rest of the people who had played some of the biggest roles during the battle. A gleam that Midna was not fully able to comprehend made Zelda's eyes look almost like they sparkled for a moment, letting Midna question whether Zelda had really acted only for herself all those months ago when she had sneaked onto the Shadow, or if there had been some larger meaning to it, something even Zelda had not been aware of until much later.
Midna supposed she would have to ask her about it later, for now, as Zelda redirected her attention back towards the fact that the room had become so silent that Midna could have sworn that she was able to hear the exact moment Zelda decided to jump, to let go of everything and suggest exactly the future that she and Midna had agreed would be the only way to achieve their dreams for how Hyrule and the Twilight Realm would be able to exist next to each other far into the future without risk of seeing everything that had already happened continue to cast shadows over them, everything else came to an end, leaving Zelda's voice as the only thing in the room
"This is also why both Midna and I have agreed that we will abdicate. We will not hold the title of queen, not even for a single day."
They had predicted that the suggestion could cause uproar, but even then, Midna found herself taken by surprise by the sheer scale of it all. While she knew that it could have been far worse, aware of how, all things considered, she should be grateful for the fact that they had allowed Zelda to finish presenting her suggestion rather than interrupting her the moment it became clear just what she would say, she still found herself tightening her grip on Zelda's hand, Zelda doing the same.
In the end, it was a tall woman sitting towards the other end of the table who was the first to break through the discussions, raising her voice to make herself heard. "You are saying that you do not wish to inherit the throne?" she looked over at them, everything about the doubtful look in her eyes telling them that she was halfway expecting for Zelda to shake her head, to try to explain that she had misunderstood, that of course that was not what she had meant.
But Zelda only nodded. "Yes. I realise that it would be unlike anything that has ever happened before, but Midna and I have discussed this. Not only do we both agree that we are not fit to govern, that I have spent too much of my life inside this castle, blind to the suffering of those around me to receive the burden of being responsible for the lives of everyone in Hyrule, and that Midna has not been raised to accept that fate, but this, the way we have allowed for a single person to hold the full extent of the power, it was what made all of this possible. Conversely, the reason we have won this battle, the reason we have to believe that we will also win the battles that are still taking place around the kingdom, is that the Resistance was constructed so that there was not a single person who was able to give orders to everyone around them. Am I not correct?"
After everything Midna had seen and heard about the Resistance, after she had been able to look over at the woman sitting in the cell located on the other side of the hallway and see how the months of imprisonment had not been enough to break Ashei, after she had walked into the room to see what price Nabooru had had to pay for being able to keep the civilians from placing themselves exactly where the danger was at its greatest, she would not have thought that they would ever have been able to say something that would make the people in the room look away from them, all of them looking like the only thing they wanted to do in that moment was to disappear, to not have to answer Zelda's question. And yet, that was exactly what happened, Zelda casting a short glance at the people sitting at the table, only to be met with total and utter silence.
Something began to stir in Midna's stomach, the fear that they might have made the wrong choice, that their visions of how they would be able to create a better world would really be what brought it all to an end, making Midna have to fight to maintain a calm façade, sitting on her hands to keep herself from giving in to the temptation of leaving the room, of sprinting away and fleeing from it all. If they had really failed, if this would be all they would ever be able to achieve, this heavy silence, then she did not know what would happen next.
Arguably, the same was the case for Zelda, or at least, Midna could tell how, despite the fact that she was significantly better than her at keeping up the illusion of being calm, somewhat able to keep her anxiousness from manifesting as anything other than her hand shaking underneath the table, Midna finding herself unable to keep it from happening, in that moment, Zelda was also doing everything she could possibly have done to hide the fact that she was feeling far from confident in their plan.
They were saved by Renado. Sitting between Shad and the woman who had asked Zelda to clarify what she had meant, almost making it seem like he had been hiding from them, he finally came to their rescue, rising to stand up as well. Midna did not miss the way Shad looked up at him, unable to hide his surprise, but the next second, Renado brought a merciful end to the silence, and Midna could not have cared less about any of that.
"I believe that the princess' plan could work," Renado said, speaking clearly and loudly, making it so that there was not a single person in the room who would have been able to miss even a single word as he continued, "What she is saying, the observations she is making—they are all true."
"Perhaps." it would appear that the fact that Renado had brought an end to the silence that had followed Zelda's suggestion had been what gave others the courage to do the same thing, for Renado had barely made it to the end of his sentence before the woman next to him spoke up once more. "But we cannot ignore the fact that, right now, what both of the kingdoms need more than anything is a promise of stability. We need to ensure that there will be people there to rule, people who will be able to begin the process of rebuilding everything that has been destroyed, both what had to disappear during all these years, but also to take care of the fact that, right now, people are frightened and confused. I saw it first-hand in Castle Town. People are afraid, they are unsure about what will happen now. More than anything, they need to know that there are people here who are willing to handle this. The last thing they need is for us to push that responsibility away from us, leaving the kingdoms without a ruler."
"I understand." Zelda had begun to fall back into her old way of arguing, Midna could both see and hear it as she pushed her shoulders back, looking every bit as determined as she had been when she had been able to make Midna throw away her own fears of what would happen if their plan failed, following Zelda to the castle with nothing but the hope that they would be able to win to keep the fear from overwhelming her. "And, believe me, Telma, no one here wants to see all we have fought for fall apart. But you should also be able to see that the only way to ensure that all of this will be able to last for longer than just our own lifetimes is by making it so that we will not leave the kingdoms vulnerable when we die. Let us pretend that Midna and I claim our places and sit on the throne of the Twilight Realm and Hyrule respectively. While it is true that we would wield more power that way, it would only last for as long as we are both alive. Once we are gone, we have no way of knowing what will happen, who will take the power after us, what kind of people they will be. But," Zelda reached out, gesturing for Midna to stand up, and although she wanted to stay where she was, letting Zelda confront the people in the room on her own, Midna rose. It was only right, especially given how Zelda had accepted having to face the task of being the one to actually have to make the suggestion. Barely pausing for a moment, just enough to tilt her body a little closer to Midna, Zelda continued, "if we make sure that the people will also be able to control whom they want to represent them, then we will lower the risk of someone being tempted by power and being able to take it all for themselves."
The silence was deafening. As she looked around at the people sitting around the table, trying to gauge what their reactions would be, Midna had to admit that she honestly had no idea about whether or not they had been able to convince them, if they might have been able to change anything at all.
But then, slowly, almost like he did not want to speak up and risk other people turning towards him, Shad raised his voice. "It could work—or, at least, it has worked before."
"But how?" Telma looked away from Zelda, instead staring down at Shad. "So many towns are in ruins, the battles are not yet over in the remote corners of the kingdom. How are you planning to implement a change this big?"
"We are not suggesting that we will just leave everyone to fend for themselves. All we say is that all of this, the fact that the people did rise up in the end, should be a sign that they do want to decide for themselves, that they are more than capable of deciding whom they want to rule the realms for themselves. And, yes, we are not so blind to reality that we are not aware of the fact that this change will not happen from one day to the next, nor are we trying to claim that it could. No, what Midna and I have discussed is the possibility of forming some kind of council that will be able to rule until we are able to figure out a method to let the people chose whom they want to sit on the throne." Zelda made a little motion, barely moving her hand. That was Midna's cue to step up, to support her.
Clearing her throat, fighting back against the urge to look directly up at the ceiling to not have to see how everyone in the room immediately looked over at her, Midna tried her best to remember everything they had talked about. "Uh, yes," she began, her stomach feeling like it was coming dangerously close to making her empty its contents as Midna saw how doubt was written across the faces of practically everyone in the room. But she had to continue, so, forcing herself to look towards Shad, focusing on the person in the room she was sure would support their plan, she did just that, "as Zelda said, we do believe that it could work. It will require time and it will be a large change to adapt to, but, given everything else we will have to change to bring back the Twilight Realm, I am sure that we can do it."
"How?" Nabooru's question was not exactly dismissive, but she also did not look convinced either. "How are you planning to let the people decide whom they want to sit on the throne?"
"Elections. Everyone will be able to apply for the position and then the people will vote."
The sound of scattered murmurs was not exactly calming, but at least Midna could not hear how the wall of doubt was threatening to bring an end to all their plans anymore. Daring a glance towards Zelda, she sent a little smile her way. Maybe this could be the end. Maybe if they just made sure not to let down their guard, not to feel too confident, they would be able to leave the room, having gained their freedom. But it was more than just that. This morning, Midna could have sworn that the only reason she would support Zelda's plan was that it was the only way they would be able to gain their freedom without also putting both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm at risk of someone else seizing the power for themselves, but now, as she looked at the room and saw how each and everyone around her were discussing the suggestion, Ashei looking over at Zelda, a thoughtful look in her eyes as she drew her brows together, Midna was not so sure anymore.
It was Ashei who was the first to speak. Looking directly over at Zelda, but taking her eyes off her for a moment to make sure that everyone could see that the question was also meant for Midna, Ashei spoke slowly, making it so that not a single person in the room would be able to miss what she said. "And then what about you? If Hyrule and the Twilight Realm aren't monarchies any more, then what will you do?"
That was the exact question that had also created the end of their discussion about what to do, both of them knowing exactly what they wanted to happen next while also waiting for the other to say it, making it so that they would not have to let themselves to vulnerable, instead able to hide their own wishes behind a façade of rehearsed politeness and the pretence that they really did not wonder what would come next.
As Midna looked over at her, it was exactly that, the kind of unwillingness to put what they were both thinking into words that shone in Zelda's eyes as she shrugged lightly. "I must admit that I am not sure about that. But it should not matter either. The moment Midna and I give up our titles and the power that comes with it, we will not be important for the future of Hyrule and the Twilight Realm anymore."
But Ashei only shook her head. "Maybe not officially, but you must both know that you will never be able to escape the fact that we have you two to thank for the fact that we are able to sit here, that we won the battle of Hyrule Castle."
Ashei might not have said it, but it could not have been clearer that she was thinking about how Ganondorf had ended his life, killed by his daughter inside his own ship. Despite the fact that Midna could hear how she had tried her best to sound gentle, not to bring back the memories, Zelda froze, her eyes becoming shiny as she opened her mouth, searching for something to say, before closing it again, bowing her head in defeat.
Immediately, Midna could feel how the doubt returned, how so many of those she had thought they might have convinced began to whisper to the person sitting next to them. They were losing control. If she did not say anything soon, then Midna knew that they might not be able to regain any of it, that the meeting would end with the two of them forced back into their old positions, Zelda once again being trapped within the castle.
Almost like she knew how the despair was moving towards Midna's heart, slowly making her unable to even imagine what she could try to say, how she could ever hope to win their freedom, Nabooru sent a long look in the direction of Zelda, a gleam in her eyes that Midna did not know how to read.
Finally, she spoke. "Ashei is right. The only reason we are able to sit here today, the reason we have been able to open up the castle to the people from the town, is that they finished the fight for us." as Nabooru turned towards the rest of the table, Midna could feel how the hope bloomed in her chest, all her attempts at telling herself not to give in to the temptation of giving it nourishment by letting herself believe that Nabooru might say what she hoped she would failing, something that only worsened when Nabooru gestured towards her and Zelda, a little smile making Midna instantly trust her even though she had known her for less than an hour. "Do they have any reason to suggest something that would be harmful to the kingdoms after everything they have done to save us all? No, they don't. If they believe that this is the best way to continue on, to lead the kingdoms into an era of peace, then I trust their judgement, especially if Shad thinks the same. Shad?"
When the attention of the people in the room turned towards him, Shad jerked a little, the motion that followed making it obvious that he would have preferred it if he had had a book to hide behind. But even then, he still looked back over at Nabooru, meeting her gaze. "Yes?"
"You said that what they are proposing has been done before, did you not?"
Shad nodded. "It has. It—it was a long time ago now, but it has been done before. We could make it happen again. As long as the people would trust us enough to let us make the preparations for the first elections and to give us the task of making sure that the countries will not crumple before we are able to elect someone, it could work."
That was exactly what they needed, someone to finally take their side in all of this. Hoping that Shad was able to see the little smile she sent his way, Midna raised her voice, making sure to make herself heard above the whispers that came to fill the air the moment Shad fell silent again. "I am sure that if we just make it clear that we support this decision, then the people will trust us. After all, the Resistance has used the idea of my existence as a way to gather support for years, is that not right?"
No one looked like they wanted to answer her, most of the people around her suddenly seeming very concerned with the table in front of them, none of them able to meet her gaze.
In the end, it was Raven who answered for all of them. "That is true. We did cling to the idea of how the late queen might have escaped, that there might be a true heir to the throne out there. But, Midna—"
She held up her hand, brushing the apology that was about to roll off his tongue aside. "I am not trying to blame anyone for any of what has happened. All I am saying is that the fact that you made me become a symbol makes it so that we will be able to convince almost everyone to trust us. Imagine it, you have allowed me to become the human form of the idea of the rebellion. If I express support for the idea of this new way of ruling a country, they will follow us."
"Are you certain?" Telma did not exactly look convinced, but at least Midna could see how she was no longer as opposed to the idea as she had been before.
"No," Midna said. There was no use in lying, not when she knew that each and every person in the room would be able to tell if she tried to say something that was any less than the truth, "no I am not. But I do know that it is the only way we will be able to have a chance of bringing peace to both the Twilight Realm and Hyrule without risk of one of them crumbling the moment we look away. And is that not what we have fought for? To create peace?"
She could almost feel the shift in the atmosphere around her as she let the last word ring out, hoping that it would have the desired effect. And, one by one, at first slowly, but then faster and faster, the rest of the people who had been given the honour of participating in the meeting began to nod to themselves.
Midna could have cried. She could have laughed, have jumped up and down with joy, have pulled Zelda into an embrace, have sprinted out of the room and tried to find a ship that would be able to take her far away from everything. But she did none of it.
As the rest of the makeshift council the people in the meeting formed moments later, swearing to do everything within their power to protect the interests of both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm until they would be able to organise elections, one by one voiced their support for Zelda and Midna's plan, Midna only smiled, hiding the sigh of relief that escaped her. The moment Zelda would show them the document they had drafted together, Zelda having told her what to write, how they were supposed to yield the power they had received through their titles to a council that would only rule until it would be possible to let the people elect their leaders, they would be free, both from any tyrants that might still be left in the world, but also from the almost crushing weight of knowing that even if they would be able to overthrow him, their burden would only become heavier as it would then have placed them alone on the throne.
Really, as the meeting progressed, everyone signing the document immediately with Midna trying her best to make her signature seem as intricate as Zelda's, the subject instead shifting to have them discuss what they could do to help the members of the Resistance who were still fighting the last battles in the distant corners of the country, how they had received news that Labrynnan soldiers had arrived to help the Resistance along the southern border, making the battles there end only a few hours after they had arrived from the capital, allowing them to win without any casualties, Midna moved away from the centre of the discussions. It was better that way. Despite what all the people who came up to thank her as the meeting was adjourned might have believed, Nabooru shaking her hand with respect in her eyes as she told her about how they might be able to rebuild towns soon, clearly under the belief that Midna had any idea about what she was talking about, fact was that she had just been in the right place at the right time. She had not planned for any of it to happen, and, although it was a selfish thought, if Midna was being honest with herself, she knew that if it had not been for the fact that she had felt threatened by Ganondorf, had known that he would never give up until he had ensured that every single person who had lived in the base was dead, she might never have left the safety she had been granted by the mountain.
However, as Midna was finally able to excuse herself, pushing past a couple of leaders from the Resistance, a mumbled excuse about how she was tired being enough to make them move aside, walking out into the hallway to see how Zelda was standing in front of the window, looking down at the courtyard below, she was not so certain about that anymore. While Midna would never admit that she might have come to care about the people in Castle Town, she was not able to deny the fact that even if she had been absolutely certain that they were safe inside the mountain, she might still have done all of it again, had Zelda asked her to. Of course, she would not tell her, not when Midna was easily able to picture the way Zelda would lit up into a bright smile, convinced that she had been right all along.
But she could walk over to her, leaning towards her, the fact that Midna was a head taller than Zelda instantly rendering her attempt at resting her head against her shoulder hopeless. Still, it had been enough to catch Zelda's attention, making her turn around to look at her.
They had been inside the meeting room for far longer than Midna had thought at first, making it so that the sun was beginning to set outside. As Midna tried her best to pretend that she had yet to notice the way Zelda was looking at her, instead keeping her gaze fixed on the horizon, she gave herself that short moment to do nothing other than taking in the sheer beauty of the sight that met her, the way the sky was painted orange. But despite the beauty, she could not ignore the sheer scale of the destruction, the way large parts of the town walls had become rubble where the cannons had missed their marks, instead falling towards the ground.
Although her mind tried its best to wander towards the rest of the damage, the loss of life that had been the result of the fight that she had, albeit inadvertently, been the catalyst for, Midna forced herself to only look at the wreckages of the battleships that lay strewn throughout what little of the town she was able to see from her spot inside the castle. If she first began to let herself imagine the horror that must have erupted, trapping the people who had been caught in the middle of a battle they had never asked for, she might not be able to continue on.
"It is horrible, isn't it?"
Tearing her gaze away from the window, Midna found that Zelda's expression was a reflection of the feelings flying through her mind in that moment. She tried her best to find something to say, Midna really did, but no matter how many different words she tried to picture herself replying with, she could not find anything that was more fitting than nodding, two short words filling the air between them. "It is."
"Do you—do you really think that things will become better now?"
Midna did not answer immediately. Both she and Zelda would have been able to tell if she had given her the answer that she knew Zelda wanted to hear. But that did not change the fact that Midna told the truth when she answered. "I think it might become better. As long as the council is able to rule without the individual members gaining too much power, it should be possible." when Zelda continued to look doubtful, Midna let out a chuckle, almost managing to surprise herself as it did not sound even halfway as forced as she had expected for it to do. "Given the way they acted at the mere idea of how we were suggesting handing our power over to them, I am certain that everything will be all right now."
That elicited a little smile from Zelda, the gesture still not able to hide the fact that she was exhausted. "Ashei used to tell me stories about all the things I would be able to do as a queen when I was younger. I remember once—goddesses, I must have been, what, about twelve—when our ship was attacked and she brought me into the safety room, telling me that as long as I was quiet, she was sure that I would become queen one day, that I would be able to make it so that no one would ever be unhappy again. Back then I remember thinking that it would be impossible to make a law that said that no one would ever be allowed to feel sad—"
"You did?" Midna had not meant to interrupt her, but as she tried to picture it, a little girl with the same kind of optimistic belief that the world was fundamentally good trying to imagine how she would be able to make a law declaring it to be illegal to be unhappy, she could feel the words rising to the surface.
Luckily, Zelda only responded to the interruption by laughing, shaking her head at the story. "I did. I was… I would not say dumb, but I was certainly sheltered back then. Truly, I think that I am still a bit sheltered even now." she sent Midna a long look.
It took Midna a few seconds too long to figure out that she was waiting for her response. Already feeling how her cheeks were surely becoming red, Midna smirked at her. "Well, I will not say that you are not still among some of the most naïve people I have ever met, but you have certainly learnt a lot more about the world since I met you. Or at least I doubt that you would sneak onto a pirate ship today."
Cocking her head, Zelda sent her a grin. "You never know!"
"No, I suppose I don't. But at least I now know why you can be so stubborn in your belief that I am a good person. You were, after all, literally taught to think that way. Really, with how you were apparently spending a lot of time around core members of the Resistance while growing up, it would not surprise me if you had been able to tell who I was from the second you met me."
Midna had expected for Zelda to smile at the little jab, but she simply looked down at the carpeted floor, moving her shoes a little, avoiding the blotches of blood that had yet to be covered up, as she spoke. "Yeah, I have been wondering about that as well. Midna, I—I just want you to know that I really had no idea about who you were back then. I mean, of course I began to grow suspicious when you refused to tell me anything about yourself, but, for the most part at least, I decided that it might all just be explained by the fact that you had lived out there for so long."
"I know." suddenly, it felt incredibly important for Midna to try to take back her words, and, holding her hands up in front of her, almost like she was trying to defend herself, she added. "I was just trying to lighten the mood a little—I didn't really mean anything by it."
But it was not enough. Midna could tell that from the second Zelda shook her head, bringing her arms in front of her, not folding them, but also not looking as open as she had done mere moments before. "No, I just wanted you to know that that—well, that no matter what, I did not stay there with you because I had any suspicions about how you might be the princess of the Twilight Realm. I stayed because I wanted to, because you made me want to stay."
She was making it so easy for her, practically inviting Midna to mention the fact that she had not returned to her little bed in the infirmary, having instead stayed in Zelda's room for the past couple of days. They both knew that Zelda's excuse about how it would be best for them to remain close to each other while trying to figure out how to achieve the kind of peace they wanted to leave behind them, Midna had to believe that. Zelda, with all her lessons in the art of speaking, would never say all of this without being aware of just how it would come across.
However, if there was one thing Zelda had a habit of forgetting, it was the fact that Midna was a coward, so, instead of finally reaching out, Midna just shrugged. "Oh. Well, I am happy to hear that. The fact that you stayed, it—it meant a lot to me as well."
Zelda waited for her to continue for a moment, but then her disappointment was also obvious, the sigh that escaped her sounding loud even as Midna knew that it had barely been audible. "I suppose so," Zelda mumbled, turning to look back out of the window.
All it would have taken for Midna to make it all right again was to move, to open her mouth and say what they were both thinking, but she could not bring herself to do it. Each time she was almost convinced that she had mustered up the courage to finally say it, she looked over at Zelda, the way she was trying her best not to meet her gaze making her stomach feel heavy. It was that kind of heavy feeling that made her choose the easy way out, realising that she had to say something if she wanted the silence to end.
Moving her weight from one side to the other, Midna nodded towards the window. "What do you want to do once all of this is over?"
So much time passed before Zelda answered that, for a couple of seconds, Midna was almost certain that she would not receive an answer. It would have been understandable, of course it would, but that did not change the fact that Midna had to fight not to let out a sigh of relief when Zelda bowed her head, a look in her eyes that almost made it seem like she was fighting to keep back the tears.
"I… I don't know. I was hoping that maybe… no." Zelda shook her head, and just like that, she was looking back up at Midna again, the perfect smile in place. Only now, Midna having come to know the difference between such a smile and the real thing, the way Zelda's eyes could sparkle when she was happy, it was apparent how there was no joy in Zelda's voice as she continued. "I was just being silly." before Midna got the chance to assure her that, no matter what she might have been thinking, she was sure that Zelda had not been silly, Zelda moved the focus over onto her. "And what about you?"
"I think that I want to travel. See the world, you know? I mean, I spent so many years inside the base, unable to leave the safety of the fortress without constantly having to be careful not to be seen by any of the soldiers on patrol, so now that I finally have the ability to do so, I want to travel, to go see the world for myself."
"Huh." Zelda let out a low chuckle, shaking her head a little. "Before I sneaked onto your ship, all I knew about the world had come from the pictures in the atlases in the library of Hyrule Castle and what little I had been able to see whenever my father would bring me along for visits to other kingdoms."
"Really?"
"Yes." Zelda nodded. "Once, I tried to convince some of the guards who were with us to let me walk out onto the deck while we were on our way to Holodrum, but they just told me that it was too dangerous."
"Oh, so really, your rebellion already began the moment you walked out onto the deck back when you boarded my ship?"
"Yes, that sounds about right." the smile Midna was finally seeing grace the room with its presence disappeared moments later, the exact same moment that Zelda moved closer to her, placing her hand on her arm, the touch feeling as light as a feather. "Midna, I was actually just thinking about… well, if you want to leave to go see the world, aren't you going to need your ship?"
"I am indeed."
Zelda drew her brows together. "But is it not back at the base?"
"It is, but Raven has promised to fly me back so that I will be able to get it."
"Oh…" Zelda swallowed a couple of times before continuing, "are you… are you leaving soon, then?"
It was obvious what she really wanted to say, how she wanted to ask her if she could not stay for just a little longer. And maybe, if Zelda had just asked, Midna would have told her that of course she would stay. But as neither of them was willing to be the first to say it, Midna could only shrug, pretend that she had not already spent hours wondering the exact same thing, halfway fearing, halfway waiting for the moment when Zelda would ask her. "Well, I will have to leave soon, but I will come back here again, even if it just for a short while."
"You will?"
"Yeah, I might not have got a lot of time to just listen to what the guards tell me about what is going on within this castle, but with how much time Link spent in the infirmary, sitting next to my bed, I can understand that there are some who are talking about how we should celebrate our victory and that Ilia will not forgive me if I disappear without having at least experienced that."
There was not any humour to the way Zelda laughed. "Yeah, let's try not to upset Ilia. But… Midna, do they know that you are thinking about leaving?"
Truth to be told, Midna had found herself asking the same question so many times during the last few days that she was almost not sure anymore about what the answer was. She had not told them, that much was certain, but then again, with the way Ilia had sat, leaning in over her, looking almost mournful when Midna had woken up, she had to question whether they really did not know. Midna wanted to believe that they had no idea, that she would be able to pretend for a moment that she was not going to leave, but she could not deny that, as the days passed, as she walked past Ilia more and more times, she was beginning to doubt whether that was really true, the feeling only growing each time she would look at her.
But there was no need for Zelda to know any of that, so, feigning nonchalance, Midna looked out of the window. "No, I don't think they do. So if you would please—"
"Don't worry." Zelda looked up at her but all traces of the smile were gone from her eyes. "I won't tell them. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go find Nabooru. I have to talk with her about… something."
Midna watched as Zelda turned around, walking away from her. She moved so slowly, taking small, even steps, that Midna would easily have been able to catch up with her. It would be as easy as breathing to just walk over to her, to tell her that, really, Midna wanted nothing more than to just be able to ask her if she wanted to join her, to ask if she would ever be able to convince Zelda to come with her, to grace her with her presence on her journey.
But Midna remained where she was, looking at Zelda as she moved away from her. It did not feel right to ask that much of her, to beg Zelda to leave everything behind, especially when Midna knew that she would do it without hesitation if she just asked her. So, even as everything in her screamed at her to run over to her, to apologise for how distant she had been and ask her, Midna did not do any of it.