Chapter 3: Memories of the Queen
AN: Hi everyone! Still going through the motions on all this. Thanks for being patient with me as I write. Another chapter's up so I hope you enjoy!
***I don't own anything in this story, so please don't sue me.***
Darkness surrounded them. In every direction was pitch black and her sight couldn't see in front of her. She couldn't even see Genny and she was holding her in her arms.
"Sam!" Genny cried out and Samantha gently tightened her grip around the girl which caused her to scream in fear.
"I'm right here Genny. I'm holding you. You don't need to scream. I'm right here."
"I'm scared…" Her voice cracked and she sniffled.
"Me too, honey. We'll…" Samantha gulped hard and looked around. "We'll be ok. Take a deep breath and don't let go of me." She felt Genny's arm wrap around her neck and continued walking aimlessly in no perticular direction. Suddenly, she saw a bright light and smiled.
"Sam! Look!" Genny exclaimed with excitement.
"I see it." Samantha smiled. She was looking at a glowing red door and walked up to it. Once she reached the door, she carefully placed her free hand on it and tried pushing the door open; unfortunately, it wouldn't budge.
"Come on…you…ugh!" Samantha groaned as she couldn't push it open. She turned her back on the door. "Genny, hold on…this might get a little rough." Samantha slammed her back against the door. "You ok, Genny?"
"Yup." Genny replied. Samantha did it again and made sure Genny was unharmed again.
"Come on…come on…" Samantha gritted her teeth and slammed her back into it once more. This time, the door gave way and Samantha fell through it back first. The momentum carried her backwards and before she could react, she hit her head and everything went black once more.
"Chrom, we have to do SOMETHING." A female voice spoke up.
"What do you propose we do?" A deeper male voice responded.
"I…I dunno…" The female voice spoke up as Samantha opened her eyes. She noticed a man with dark blue hair and a younger female with golden blonde hair.
"I see you're awake now." The man spoke.
"Hey there!" The woman said cheerfully.
"There are better place to take a nap than on the ground you know. Give me your hand." Samantha did as she was told and he helped her up. Immediately, she looked around and noticed Genny wasn't around her.
"Genny! Where's Genny? Genny!" She called out and pushed the man out of the way and saw Genny sitting on a rock, eating the jelly sandwich she had packed. Genny waved at Samantha and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sam, how are you feeling? Let me check to see if you're ok." The woman grabbed her arm and pulled her to a rock nearby.
"I thought you weren't sure what to do?" The man teased.
"Well EXCUSE ME for not knowing what to do when someone falls out of the sky? You dolt!" She exclaimed with anger.
"Li-Lissa?" Samantha asked with a bit of confusion.
"That's right!" She smiled. "Do you know you he is?" Samantha looked at the man who just smiled at her. "He's…um…Chrom, right? Current…no. Former ruler of Ylisstol." Another nod came from the young woman.
"She doesn't have amnesia. So there's that." Lissa smiled and ran a few more tests with her. "And Chrom, why do you always find people in fields?" Lissa joked.
"That's merely a coincidence." Chrom replied as he sat across from the young girl. She held out her sandwich to share, but he shook his head.
"You found your wife in a field." Lissa pointed out. "And when she hears about this-"
"She won't." Chrom cut her off.
"You sure about that?"
"Lissa-"
"I know, I know. C'mon, let's take you back to camp." Samantha picked Genny up and they began walking back to their kingdom. As they walked, another small group was walking towards them.
"It's Robin, Lucina, and Morgan!" Lissa announced.
"Lissa, I'm serious-" Chrom muttered but she either didn't listen or didn't hear him.
"Hey Lissa." Robin said with a smile.
"Aunt Lissa!" Morgan said with excitement. "I picked up a few new-WOAH!" He tripped and fell face first onto the ground and his books went flying. Luckily for him, he wasn't seriously injured.
"Morgan! Are you alright?" Chrom asked with a slight hint of worry. Morgan stood up and laughed.
"I'm fine. I just…lost my footing." He brushed the dirt off himself and started collecting the books.
"What's Samantha doing here?" Lucina asked.
"Chrom found her in a field." Lissa said before running from her older brother.
"LISSA!" He said with anger and tried to grab her, but she moved too quickly.
"You have an unusual pattern in finding people in fields, darling." Robin smirked at her husband.
"I just…well…it's an embarrassing story."
"Nonsense." Robin brushed it off. "But Lucina is correct. What is the princess of Hyrule doing in a field outside of Ylisstol? If she were arriving, surely we'd know about it." All eyes turned to the Hylian princess hoping to ask if she had an answer.
"Um…there…there was this red door." Samantha gulped hard as she didn't feel like she came off confident.
"A red door?" Chrom asked. "There wasn't a red door anywhere near you."
"But I'm serious!" Samantha pleaded. "I'm not making this up."
"No one is saying you're making anything up or doubting your story. We're just saying we didn't see a red door anywhere near you." Chrom explained. "Come on. Let us bring you to Ylisstol before we ask more questions. I'm sure Emm will want to speak with you." The group walked into town where Samantha smiled as she saw the people of Ylisstol interacting with the royal family. Whether it was telling a joke for giving them gifts, it reminded her of home and how the people treated her and how she had fun with the people. Her expression turned to sadness.
"Sam?" Genny asked as she snapped out of her trance.
"Huh? Oh, what is it, honey?' She asked.
"Can I fly?" She asked with hope that she would say yes.
"As long as you promise to stay where I can see you." She set Genny down and the young girl flapped her wings and took to the sky. She flew upwards, but made sure to stay at a distance where Samantha could still see her.
"She's beautiful." Morgan said with a smile. "She's…um…what's the word? La…um…" Morgan scratched his head and snapped his fingers. "Laguz! I got it! She's laguz."
"She is." Samantha said with a smile. "I'm trying to find her parents, but I've run into a dead end." Her disappointment crept back. "I've got no leads to go on."
"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that." Morgan said with a frown. Samantha weakly smiled at the prince.
"It's alright." She replied.
"Can I ask what happened to your mother?"
"I'd rather not talk about that." She said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.
"I'm just curious if-"
"Morgan." She said with restrained anger in her voice. "Just drop it."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad or anything." Samantha sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"No, it's…Morgan...I..." Samantha sighed. "I've had a rough couple of days. My mother died, then my husband, then my mother-in-law. The last few days have not been kind and I'm just a little stressed out." Samantha decided to just watch Genny fly through the sky. Up, down, loop-de-loops, Genny was laughing and having fun flying through the sky. One thing Samantha noticed with everyone around, they either had significant others or they were out with their parents; Samantha couldn't help but feel a little envy with everyone. Eventually, the child flew back to Samantha and she held the child in her arms once again.
"We're almost there." Chrom said as they approached the castle. He walked in and the others followed. Sitting upon the throne was perhaps one of, if not, the most beautiful woman in all of Ylisstol; the exalt herself, Emmeryn. She was reading some kind of book, but as soon as Chrom entered the castle, she looked up and he waved to her.
"Hello Chrom." She said warmly and walked down to hug her younger brother.
"Hey Emm." He said with a warm smile as they broke the hug. Lissa then ran into her sister and almost knocked her over.
"Emm! You missed it! Chrom found Sam and he-" Lissa continued talking, but her voice was muffled as Chrom had his hand over Lissa's mouth.
"Nothing too important happened today." Chrom said as Emmeryn began laughing.
"Milord, Is there a reason we have the princess of Hyrule in our kingdom with no warning?" A gentleman in shining blue armor stood behind the exalt.
"She says she entered through a red door…however, we are unable to find it." Chrom scratched the back of his head. "Still, we cannot abandon her."
"I'll see to it that we have a room arranged for her." He said as he bowed his head.
"Samantha, do you remember me?" Emmeryn asked.
"Of course, Lady Emmeryn." Samantha bowed her knee to the exalt. "I could never forget you or your kingdom. I…um…I have nothing to pay you with, but I assure you that once I return home, I can reward you for your generous service."
"That won't be necessary. I shall not accept payment from you." Emmeryn smiled while Samantha looked confused. "I have heard stories of the incident at the stadium-"
"Just stop. I really don't want to get into that again." Samantha dismissed the rule of Ylisstol in a rude manner.
"You dare speak to the exalt in such a manner? I order you to apologize immediately!" The man from before stepped forward, but Samantha's temper had overcome her patience.
"No, I really don't want to get into this. So drop it."
"This will be your final warning!" He boomed.
"Sam! Stop!" Genny cried out and covered her ears with both hands. Before Samantha could retaliate, Emmeryn stepped between the two.
"Frederick, that's enough!" She said with a stern voice. His anger quickly dissipated.
"I…but…your grace-"
"Let me speak with her. Please, go see to her room." She asked. He bowed his head and glared at Samantha before leaving.
"I apologize for that. Frederick is…passionate about my family." Emmeryn said quietly.
"No…I should apologize. I'm just….I don't want people to continue apologizing for that. My mother is dead…I need to stop thinking about it." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "No matter how difficult it might be."
"Samantha, I owe your family a great debt…I owe Zelda even more." She looked down in disappointment as the two walked to the dining room. They took two seats and she glanced over at Chrom.
"I'd like to speak with her in private." Emmeryn insisted. Chrom and his family left the three alone in the dining room.
"Before we begin, may I ask who this sweet girl is?" Emmeryn waved and smiled at the girl. She buried her face in Samantha's shoulder and Samantha smiled.
"Her name is Genny. She's a lost, lonely girl I'm watching over until we find her parents." Samantha explained.
"It warms my heart to know Zelda's kindness and compassion lives through you." Emmeryn said as she cleared her voice. "Anyway, I shall begin with what I was going to say. I assume you know about the chaos that occurred at your parents' wedding?"
"Yeah…" Samantha smiled as Genny squirmed around for a bit. "What's wrong, honey?"
"I wanna go play." Genny whined and Samantha stood up.
"Lady Emmeryn, if I may-"
"Of course." Emmeryn smiled as she stood up. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"Just a glass of water for me, please." Samantha said as she quietly left the dining room. Lissa was nearby sitting on the throne and pretending to be her older sister. When she saw Samantha, she immediately stood up.
"Don't tell Emm I was sitting in her seat." Lissa rubbed the back of her neck and her face turned light pink.
"As long as you watch over Genny." She held Genny out and Lissa carefully held her.
"What's wrong with her?" Lissa asked.
"She is bored. I was hoping you'd know some kids she could play with or something. Lady Emmeryn needs to discuss something with me and I can't play with her right now." A big smile grew on Lissa's face as Samantha spoke.
"I know exactly what to do. Come on, Genny. You want to play with other kids?"
"Yeah!" Genny clapped her hands and smiled. She looked back at Samantha and waved. Samantha did the same and returned to Emmeryn. A glass of green tea was in front of her seat and Emmeryn was sipping on a teacup.
"I apologize for that inconvenience." Samantha said as she pulled her seat back.
"It is nothing to worry about. So you remember the wedding?"
"Well, not entirely. But I know my sister was born during the reception. Mom's water broke and she gave birth to her in her bedroom."
"Did she tell you what happened after the wedding?" Emmeryn asked. Samantha shook her head as Emmeryn cleared her throat again.
"In the time that she was in the hospital, I was still trying to remember certain individuals. I had finally memorized most of the people who fought with us against the fell dragon, Grima. Your mother made a promise to help me when she was released from the hospital." Emmeryn took a deep breath and sighed. "She spent the next nine months helping me remember the royal families of our neighboring kingdoms."
"My mother…d-did that…?" Samantha asked quietly as Emmeryn nodded.
"I owe her more than I can afford to repay her and I wept when I heard the news. She pushed me when I wanted to give up. She strived and continued working through the most difficult times while raising Virginia. I offer my most sincere apologies for your loss and I know all I can offer are words, but I will offer you and your family what I can." Emmeryn smiled weakly at the princess. The exalt's eyes began to water as she took a deep breath and exhaled. "You are a strong woman…just like your mother."
"I…um…" Samantha cleared her throat and closed her eyes. "Th-Thank you ma'am." Samantha's voice squeaked. "I-I mean your highness. Er that is, your Grace." Samantha curtseyed for the exalt and she smiled as she left. As she left, she saw Genny running away and giggling as a young boy close to her age. She was cornered and she began flying upwards and away from him.
"No fair!" The boy called out before looking around and chasing another young girl with bright red hair. The girls exclaimed loudly and ran away laughing. Lissa was sitting on the steps watching them and making sure they were safe. Samantha exited the castle without being noticed by Genny and decided to take a little time for herself. She walked to the town and looked at all the shops nearby. She saw beautiful jewelry and smelled wonderful foods being made from various cooks. She then saw a young boy snag a loaf of bread and take off.
"Stop! Thief!" The man yelled and chased the boy. He continued running in the direction of Samantha, but the man grabbed his wrist and the boy struggled to escape his grasp. He removed the loaf from his hand and pushed him to the ground and walked back to his shop. The boy rubbed his arm and winced at the pain he felt from being pushed to the ground. He stood up and started walking away before Samantha stopped him.
"Wait here." She said as the boy looked up at her. Samantha walked back to the man and bought two loaves of bread and then walked back to the boy.
"Why did you steal that loaf?" Samantha asked softly.
"I…I was hungry." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down.
"Here." She handed him the two loaves.
"R-Really?" His eyes lit up and he smiled. "I…I can't pay you back."
"Don't worry about it." Samantha smiled and the kid ran off.
"That was very nice of you, Sam." A voice spoke from behind her. Samantha turned around and saw the man who spoke to her.
"Hey Owain." She smiled and ran a hand through her hair. Owain was a bit older than her; but she had always thought he was cute. She felt like if she was not already married to Marcus, and he was not already married to the princess of Nohr, Elise, they could've been a really cute couple.
"You know, we're having a sparring session with one another…you want to join us?" He asked.
"I…um…I would, but I recently had an…ah…altercation with Gannondorf and-"
"What?! Gannondorf is here?! Now?!" Owain asked a bit frantic and a bit determined. "We must act quickly!"
"He's not here. I fought him on Corneria."
"Oh…" He said as he calmed down a bit. "How'd it turn out?"
"Gannon almost killed me." She said as she blew a few strands away from her face, folded her arms, and looked away.
"Geez! Are you ok?" Owain asked a bit worried and Samantha hid her blushing face before regaining her composure.
"I'm fine…but thanks…it means a lot to know that you care."
"Well, yeah. You're my friend." He said as he calmed down.
"A-Anyway. I'm supposed to take it easy for the next few days. I…" Samantha cleared her throat and took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. "I'm going to try and stay here, but I have a bad habit of getting people killed."
"Like your mom?" Samantha turned and glared at Owain. "Yeah I heard." He continued with his back to the princess. "Sam, you can't blame yourself for that. There was no way you could've stopped…whatever that was." There was a long pause between the two. "Do you want to go somewhere private and talk?" Samantha nodded and the two headed into the woods to be alone and talk. They continued walking until they came to a small, quiet area that had a giant lake and plenty of rocks to skip. Owain grabbed a few and skipped them while Samantha watched him for awhile. Neither one said a word until Samantha broke the silence.
"Do you know what it's like to lose a parent?" She asked quietly.
"I do." Owain said softly as he skipped another rock. "Yes! Twelve skips! A personal best." He smiled.
"No you don't. Lissa is at camp. She's perfectly healthy and-"
"Sam, you forget that I'm not from this timeline." Owain reminded her and skipped another rock. This one only went six skips. "I do know what it's like and I know what you're going through. We all do, in fact. Lucina, Kjelle, Inigo, Severa, Cynthia, and the others know. Our parents left us and died. We came back here to change that and we did. Our parents refused to let us leave the kingdom, so we stayed.
"But if you're here, where are you in this timeline?" Samantha asked.
"You've already seen him." Samantha looked up at him in shock.
"That boy? That's you in this timeline?" She asked in disbelief.
"No, not him. Did you see that kid playing with Genny?" He asked. Samantha remembered a young boy chasing Genny; giggling and laughing as she ran away from him.
"That…that kid is you?"
"Yeah. That's little Owain. And the girl? Well, you'll meet her later."
"I feel so helpless…I can't help Genny, I can't help my family, I can't help my kingdom…"
"Don't worry so much." Owain said as he skipped one last stone and turned around. "You're so worried about things you can't control and you're so determined to find that girl's parents that you're not enjoying yourself."
"How can I enjoy myself in a time like this? The world is in chaos-"
"True." Owain agreed.
"I ran away from home-"
"Also true."
"And I'm going to go down as a bigger failure than Queen Rachel Elizabeth Hyrule."
"What did she go down for?" Owain asked.
"She heavily taxed her people while they suffered and…" Samantha gulped hard. "…they…well…karma's a bitch…"
"I see. But you're not taking money from the poor. You're not throwing lavish parties for yourself. You give more than your parents do and that's saying a lot since they have pretty much made Hyrule a wonderful place."
"Yeah…we've barely got any complaints." Samantha smiled.
"We're having a bonfire tonight. You're coming." Owain decided.
"Wait. Hold on, I need to watch over-"
"Don't worry about the kid. Mom's got it covered."
"If…If you're sure." Samantha hesitated before agreeing to attend the bonfire.
"You're going to love it." Owain smiled ."We should be getting back. It's close to dinner and I'm getting a bit hungry." Samantha did think about it, but she was getting a hungry herself. The two went back to the castle where the guards were setting the table and getting ready to serve dinner for what looked like an army.
"Lady Emmeryn, may I ask who will be eating with us?"
"I have extended an offer to those who have assisted us in the war. Many kingdoms, including Ferox Roxi would love to meet with the princess of Hyrule. Though I must apologize for Basillio in advance. He…does not mean to insult, but it may come off as such."
"I understand." Samantha nodded. Samantha looked down at Genny, who had been playing with the other kids and she was almost covered in dirt.
"Genny!" Samantha exclaimed with surprise. Genny turned to her and smiled.
"Hi!" She said with a big smile.
"Child, you're completely dirty. You need a bath." Samantha picked up the child and turned to Emmeryn. "Lady Emmeryn, I hate to make such a request but-"
"Oh goodness!" She covered her mouth in surprise as she how filthy Genny was. Her surprise quickly turned into a smile. "Turn right at the end of the hallway. It will be the third door on your right."
"Thank you." Samantha said and she began walking away from the exalt.
"I will have fresh clothes waiting for her when you are finished." She called out before Samantha turned the corner. She set the water at the right temperature and gave the young girl a bath. After a short amount of time, she grabbed a towel and dried the young girl off.
"All clean!" Genny declared as Samantha smiled.
"Nice and clean." She said with a smile on her face before she heard a knock on the door. She carefully opened it, and Chrom's oldest daughter, Lucina, was sent to deliver clothes for the child.
"Um…here are…some clothes for...the two of you." Lucina cleared her throat. Though it had been many years since she fought side-by-side with her father, she was still getting accustomed to acting like royalty in front of other kingdoms.
"Thanks." Samantha said and she shut the door so the two could change. First, she changed Genny. She changed her into a long sleeve robe that was white with gold trim on the ends and small leather sandals. The clothes Samantha received were larger, but the same as Genny's. Samantha exited the bathroom and handed Genny to Lucina.
"Hey Lucina, can you entertain her while I freshen up?" Samantha asked. Lucina looked at the young girl and then back at Samantha.
"I…suppose." She said with a nod before walking back to the kitchen.
"Sam!" Genny cried out and reached for her. Samantha quickly caught up to the two and she held Genny's small hand.
"I'll be right back. I promise." She smiled.
"Ok…" Genny quietly said before being carried away by Lucina. Samantha went back and showered before dressing herself and returning to the dining room. When she arrived, she was amazed by all the people who were talking and hanging around. The children running around or playing little games with each other; the adults drinking alcohol and conversing about many different topics. Samantha looked around and found Genny playing patty-cake with another child close to her age. She took a seat in a chair nearby and Genny looked up and walked over to her.
"Sam!" She reached up as Samantha picked her up, set her on her knee, and kissed her cheek.
"Hey Genny. How was your day?" She asked.
"I had fun!" Genny said with a smile. "I got to fly too. And I went fast."
"That sounds fun." Samantha leaned back in the chair just as a man with an eye patch sat near her.
"Hey girl." He said with a deep voice. Samantha placed one hand around Genny's waist, closed her eyes and sighed.
"I'm not in the mood for flirting." She said calmly.
"Flirting?" The man started laughing. "I want to fight you." She opened her eyes and gave the man a confused look.
"Fight me?" She asked.
"You're the firstborn of Hyrule. I want to see how strong the Hylian bloodline is." He smirked and Samantha shook her head.
"We don't fight. Hyrule settles our disputes with words, not fists." Samantha began stroking Genny's hair.
"You would rather cower in fear-"
"We do not cower." Samantha said while glaring at the man. "Lady Zelda handles our disputes with words, and Lady Samus can apply pressure if need be. But if we were to fight, rest assured that I would mop the fucking floor with you." There was a few seconds of silence before the man bellowed with laughter. "I fail to see what is funny." Samantha pointed out.
"The first time I met with Samus, she had fire in her belly and passion in her heart. She wouldn't hesitate to defend her little girlfriend and I'm glad to see you have the same fire." He smiled and took a sip from his drink.
"I…I'm sorry, but who are you?" She asked.
"My name is Basillio. I am the khan of the west and my other half…" He grumbled as he gently shook his drink to stir it up. "…is Flavia. Khan of the east. In fact, I remember a few years back, your parents fought against one another in the Feroxi tournament." Samantha's jaw dropped.
"W-What?" She asked with shock.
"Basilio, are you behaving yourself?" A woman asked standing behind him.
"Of course, Flavia. I was telling the kid about her parents fighting in Feroxi." The woman laughed and took a seat next to him.
"That was a fun fight." She nodded her head. "I'm Flavia. Khan of-"
"The east, yes I know. Basillio has already informed me of that." Samantha looked down at Genny who was now reaching for one of the other kids. "Go play, honey." Samantha set the girl down and she quickly ran off towards the other children.
"She's cute. Is she yours?" Flavia asked.
"Of course not, the child has wings. The kid doesn't. And she's loyal to the blue fox."
"Marcus…" Samantha said quietly and cleared her throat in an attempt to correct the man who was much bigger than her, but Basillio didn't seem to hear her.
"Forgive me for asking, you big oaf." Flavia huffed and looked away with silence for a few seconds afterwards.
"So, anyway…" Samantha chirped in to change the subject and cut the tension. "About my parents…fighting for Feroxi…"
"Ah yes…" Basillio smiled and stroked his chin. "What did happen during that match?" He asked with a great deal of sarcasm in his voice.
"You tell her." Flavia said with bitterness in her voice.
"D-Did I offend you? I'm sorry, I'm just curious." Samantha said while quickly trying to backtrack.
"No, it's fine." Flavia sighed. "I'm just…well…you tell her. I know you want to."
"It was everything I had hoped for!" Basillio almost yelled. "Lon'qu was sick, unfortunately, and Zelda had already volunteered to represent the east. I needed a combatant quickly. Samus volunteered and smacked that bitch acr-" A hard slap to the face cut his sentence short; but it wasn't from Flavia, it was from Samantha.
"Don't ever call my mother a bitch!" She said with fire in her voice. The entire room stopped and fell silent upon Samantha's statement and for the first time, she saw what she thought was concern.
"I…" Basillio cleared his throat. "Sorry. That was…ah…" He shifted uncomfortably and tried to put a few words together, but was failing to do so. Flavia burst out laughing.
"That…was wonderful. Thank you for that." She stood up and nodded. "Maybe that'll teach you to put a sock in it." Samantha looked around and now noticed everyone staring at her.
"Uh…I…" Samantha now realized she may have stepped beyond her boundaries as Hyrule's representative. She quickly ran outside and tried to distance herself from the rest of the party.
'Shit. Nice going, dumbass.' She thought to herself as she ran. Eventually, she came to an empty part of Ylisstol where no one was around; it was just her standing in front of a beautiful lake; the same place where Owain took her earlier. There were no clouds, a full moon, and empty silence. Samantha sighed and picked up a few rocks before sitting on a nearby rock. She started skipping stones across the last and watching the ripples.
"So, this is the future of Hyrule." A voice called from behind her. Samantha looked up and couldn't make out who it was due to a lack of light. The individual stepped closer and Samantha could make out characteristics of the person. They wore mostly grey except their arms and legs were blue. They had blonde hair and Samantha could only see one eye and some kind of design upon their chest. It looked like a ninja of some sort. Samantha just scoffed at the person.
"Are you here to kill me?" She asked.
"No." The person said. "What are you doing out here?"
"Does it matter?" Samantha lowered her head and shook it. "Hey, if I gave you money…would you kill me?"
"Why would you make such a request?"
"Because I'm a fucking idiot who just embarrassed the entire country of Hyrule." She skipped another stone. "And I'm scared that the people of Hyrule will hate me for abandoning them."
"You didn't abandon anyone, Samantha. You are scared and alone. It's understandable." The person said calmly as Samantha looked up.
"Who are you anyway?" She asked.
"I am Sheik. The last living member of clan Sheikah." The person folded their arms and Samantha threw a stone into the water. It hit the water with a loud thunk and a splash.
"Fuck you. Clan Sheikah died out years ago."
"And yet, here I stand. I know everything about you, Samantha Grace Hyrule. Firstborn of Hyrule, future queen to the kingdom. I know everything there is to know about you."
"Prove it. Name something that only my family would know."
"You have a diary with Twilight Sparkle on the cover and though you'd rather not admit it, 'My Little Pony' your favorite cartoon." There was an awkward silence before Sheik continued. "You own every season and every movie. You took your mother to see the most recent movie during opening weekend and you, personally, have seen it five times in theaters." Samantha's eyes grew wide as she was at a loss for words.
"Um…O-Ok…you're…pretty good." Samantha slowly said. "But I'm not convinced…and you still haven't told me how you got here."
"You won your first championship by defeating Samus Aran. And before that, when you were a child, you slept with a stuffed monkey named Lulu. I could do this all night. And how I got here should not matter. For I am a ninja." Sheik said in a cool, calm manner, but Samantha gave her a look of doubt. Sheik sighed. "There's…a door over there." Samantha glanced over and sure enough, a red door was hiding behind some trees.
"Ok…maybe you know a lot about me. But if you're here…does mom know…" She trailed off and skipped another stone.
"Yes. Lady Zelda knows of my existence. Samus does too." Sheik said quietly.
"Why wouldn't they tell me, then?" She asked with anger.
"I…I'm sure they had their reasons." Sheik admitted.
"It's not like it mattered…I don't think I lived up to mom's expectations." Samantha said with a somber attitude.
"What makes you say that?" Sheik took a seat next to her.
"I sleep late, I'm not careful when I eat, I'm messy, I curse…I'm not ladylike. A queen must be elegant and professional. I'm neither."
"And you think Lady Zelda doesn't accept you like that?"
"Well…ok look, the last memory I have of her was dying. She screamed at me to run and I just stood there…like a goddamn coward. I was helpless to save her then because I lack the courage. Ginny wouldn't hesitate to run in and save her…" Samantha's eyes started watering. "I never got to tell her how much I love her…how much I need her. I'm so scared and lonely…plus I'm taking care of a young girl and…" Samantha wiped away her tears. "…fuck I don't know. Mom was so good with people and I feel like I'll never learn to be like her. I wish she were here with me." She sniffled and wiped her nose before rubbing her eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm prattling on about my mom and you probably don't care to hear all of that shit."
"It's alright. I enjoy hearing stories about Lady Zelda. She's a wonderful woman and though it might seem silly, but your mother is always with you." Sheik touched Samantha's heart and she weakly smiled.
"Yeah…" She sniffled. "I know." The two just stared out at the water and sat quietly. "It's so peaceful."
"There are times I enjoy the silence." Sheik said as she stood up, grabbed a stone and skipping it. The stone skipped further than Samantha had ever skipped it.
"Woah…that's like…what? Ten hops? Twelve?" She asked with amazement. "How'd you do it?"
"A woman never reveals her secret." Sheik said and Samantha was almost convinced she was smirking.
"Wait, you're a woman? I thought you were a guy."
"I get that a lot."
"Come on, you've got to tell me how you did it. Please?" Samantha asked.
"It's a matter of strength. Here, bend your knees." Samantha stood up, and followed this woman's instructions. "Shoulder width apart…there you go." She said and then backed up. "Now get low, and let it glide across the water." Samantha skipped it and the stone hopped across the water.
"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" She exclaimed with a big smile on her face. "Oh man, that was cool!" She said before noticing Sheik wasn't celebrating with her. "I…um…" Samantha cleared her throat. "That's um…unprofessional."
"It's fine." Sheik brushed it off. "I'm happy for you."
"Why didn't you cheer?" She asked and a pause fell between the two women.
"I don't…normally cheer…for anyone or anything."
"Oh come on, it's good to cheer. Mom used to cheer all the time. Just one small hooray or something…I won't tell anyone." Samantha reassured the ninja.
"…hooray." Sheik said in the most flat tone Samantha ever heard.
"...good enough, I suppose." Samantha ran a hand through her hair.
"Sam! Where are you?" A voice called out from behind her.
"Sam, I must go." Sheik said as she started walking towards the door, but Samantha grabbed her wrist.
"No! You could stay! I'll make it work. You, me, and Genny."
"Sam, I'm sorry, but I need to leave." Knowing that she couldn't convince the ninja woman to stay she sighed and let her go. "Sam, never forget who you are. You are more than a princess. You are more than the firstborn of Hyrule. You are Samantha. Daughter of Samus and Zelda. You are your own person and your parents will always love that about you." Sheik gently cupped her face and gave her one final hug before walking through her door. The door slowly disappeared until there was nothing left. The bushes behind her shook as someone was trying to find her, but Samantha just stared off at where the unknown ninja had left.
"There you are!" The voice that Samantha heard was Owain's. "We've been looking everywhere for you. You ok?"
"Yeah…" Samantha said softly and cleared her throat. "I'm fine." She lightly smiled as she thought about Sheik's words. "Never forget who I am…" She said softly in a whisper. She turned around and bowed her head. "I'm sorry about that. I just…I'm very protective of my mom."
"No, I get it. Basillio overstepped himself. Chrom had a talk with him and boy was he pissed." Owain smirked. "But hey, we're getting ready for our bonfire? You still in?" He asked.
"Sounds fun." She smiled and the two walked back towards the castle. They made their way towards the backyard area where a bunch of other people where sipping drinks and conversing.
"Ugh! You brought her?" A woman with red hair scoffed and glared at Samantha.
"Be nice, Severa." Owain said calmly. "She our guest and we must treat her right." Severa rolled her eyes and went back to her drink.
"Ooooh I know you! You're, like the best fighter in all the worlds!" Another girl squealed and shook her hand, but instead shook her entire arm from sheer excitement. "I'm Cynthia and I'm trying to be the greatest hero of all. Evildoers beware!"
"You certainly have…quite a lot of energy." Samantha noticed with a smile and she took a seat on a log.
"Yup! And More importantly, I'm-waaaah!" She seemed to trip over nothing and fell right on her face.
"You ok?" Samantha asked with a great deal of concern. Cynthia sat up with a bloody nose and she shook her head.
"Yup! That happens sometimes. I'm ok though. Mom says I get it from her." Cynthia explained while a young man knelt next to her with medical supplies.
"Cynthia, yer gonna need to take it easy." The man sighed as he cleaned up the blood and went to stop the nosebleed.
"So that's Brady. He's the healer of our merry little group." Owain said as they continued on to the others.
"You know, you don't look so tough." Another girl spoke up. Samantha turned and noticed a woman just a bit older than her. "A kid like you? I'd knock you out in a minute, tops."
"I don't normally back down from a challenge, but there's no way you could beat me. Need I remind you that my mother is the legendary Samus Aran?"
"I know her too!" Cynthia called out with cheer and excitement in her voice.
"Damn it, hold still!" Brady yelled and the whole group started to laugh.
"It doesn't matter. I could still wipe the floor with you."
"I would seriously doubt that." Another girl said without taking her eyes off the book she was reading. She looked like the youngest of the group and she seemed content reading her book.
"What do you know, Nah? I could take her on and-"
"Lose. That's what would happen." She said as she turned the page. "You're a strong fighter, Kjelle. But if we're talking about a straight up fight, Samantha would beat you easily."
"What say you?" Kjelle asked. In situations like this, Samantha usually declined engaging in such battles because of her title as a princess and being the firstborn, but after reflecting on Sheik's words, Samantha's eyes narrowed and she decided to have a little fun.
"I accept." She said and Kjelle's eyes narrowed as well.
"Sounds fun, but it's not like we can fight now." A young man spoke up. "It's nightfall and we're not here to fight. At least wait until morning." He insisted.
"Inigo is right. C'mon let's try to have a good time." Owain insisted.
"You're mine tomorrow." Kjelle smiled.
"You're going to eat those words." Samantha smiled and continued walking with Owain.
"Don't mind her. Kjelle is a natural born fighter. Just like her mom." Owain told her as they walked over to another young girl who was roasting marshmallows over the fire. "Hey Noire, how ya doing?"
"Oh! U-Um…H-Hi Owain…I'm just…making smores. D-Do you want one?" She asked.
"I'm good. I'm just introducing Sam to everyone here."
"You remind me of my sister." Samantha said with a big smile on her face.
"I d-do?" Noire asked.
"She's my best friend in the world." Samantha said and her words help Noire smile.
"I-I'll make you a special smore."
"No hexes or curses, Noire." Owain said calmly.
"I…N-No. That's not wh-what I meant." Noire's smile quickly faded and she tried hiding her face.
"I'll come back for it." Samantha reassured her new friend. Noire didn't look away from her marshmallow, but she smiled once again.
"Noire is…she's very shy. But she has more heart than any of us. Sometimes, I envy her." Owain said as they moved on to a young man who didn't quite look like anyone else; in fact, he looked more like an animal.
"Laguz?" Samantha asked as the man. He looked around.
"Where?" He began sniffing. "I don't smell any other tribe."
"I think she means you, Yarne." Owain said calmly.
"Oh. I'm afraid not. I'm taguel." Yarne told the princess. "But I do smell laguz…from…I'm not quite sure. But it's laguz…definitely laguz." He looked around.
"It's probably Genny." Samantha said.
"Genny?" Yarne asked.
"She's a little girl I'm watching over." Samantha said. "She's this incredible little girl and she has an incredible imagination and the best smile and…" She stopped as she realized she was rambling. "Sorry." She quickly apologized. "She has a big heart and she's so adorable. That's really it." Yarne smiled and nodded before sitting down and leaning against the tree. Owain continued walking around as Samantha finally noticed someone standing away from everyone and watching the fire.
"There's Gerome. He doesn't care for idle conversation so good luck trying to get a word out of him." When Owain finished, another young man came through the woods and sat down on a tree stump with a fairly large book.
"And finally, that is Laurent. You'll usually find him in some book or whatever. He's also a bit cold when it comes to meeting new people."
"I see." Samantha said as Owain turned to her.
"Sam…about Genny. You know having a kid is a big responsibility. I'm not going to lecture you on all this, but if you want to adopt, I'll make it happen. Get Genny home and come back. Uncle Chrom and Auntie Emm won't have any quarrel with that request."
"And what if they do? What if they say a single mother can't-"
"Then I'll argue your case. You know, just in case you want to." Samantha smiled at Owain's kindness. She hugged him in response to his offer.
"Thanks. I really do appreciate it."
"Well, you're here. Make a smore, kick back, and relax. We're all friends here." Owain smiled. Samantha nodded and walked back to Noire and grabbed a stick.
"Your smore is almost done." Noire said as she was carefully watching the marshmallow cook. The stick she was holding unfortunately snapped and the marshmallow plummeted into the fiery abyss.
"Oh no!" Noire called out before turning to Samantha. "S-Sorry." She nervously added.
"Don't worry about it. Here, how about you make one for me and I'll make one for you?" Samantha started cooking two marshmallows and handed a stick to Noire.
"Figures you'd make friends with the freak." Severa rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"I don't get you." Samantha chimed in without taking her eyes off her marshmallow. "You act like you're some kind of big shot when all you really are is some spoiled little bitch."
"Oh my gawds, are you serious?" Severa stood up and folded her arms. "My parents…in my timeline…are dead. And-"
"My mother, my mother-in-law, and my husband all died within hours of each other. I'm taking care of a little girl I met two days ago, I was almost killed by some guy named Gannon, and I just found out that there's still a member of Clan Sheikah who is still alive. But hey, your parents died. That's rough…" There was a moment of silence between the two girls and she quietly sat down.
"You can cry if you want." Inigo mentioned.
"Excuse me?" Samantha pulled the marshmallow out of the fire and blew on it to cool down.
"If you want to reflect on the good your mother did, you can cry. We won't judge." He smiled. "I remember the first few months after joining Chrom's team, she cried almost every day."
"I-I did not!" Severa said as she huffed and turned away from him.
"She would huddle in the corner and quietly sob for a few minutes a day." Inigo laid on the ground and curled up into a ball before sniffling. "M-mommy…d-daddy…" He sniffled and the group chuckled.
"W-What about Owain? He c-cried too!" She pointed at him.
"Yeah, but that was mostly for show." Owain admitted.
"For show? You were over the top if I recall." Another voice spoke up and the group turned to see Lucina and Morgan walking towards the group.
"Lucina! Morgan!" Cynthia cheered.
"Sorry we're late." Morgan apologized. "But mother asked us to help clean up." He then sat next to Cynthia and his smiled faded. "What happened to your nose?" He asked as she pulled the small towel from her nose and put it back.
"I tripped. It's ok though, I'm ok!" Cynthia smiled and sniffled.
"Be still, my heart…" Lucina began with an overdramatic tone in her attempt to mimic Owain. "And bless this day! For my mother lives once again! And if death shall come knock at her door, may the gods-"
"May the gods take my life in place of hers!" Owain cut Lucina off and proceed to fake his own death in front of the group. Everyone laughed at his foolish demise before he got up and sat back down. "In fact, your mom has helped all of us in some way or another as well." Owain added.
"My mom…really?" Samantha asked.
"She spoke about how wonderful you were as a child." Nah said. "She spoke with compassion and pride about how much joy you bring to the castle." She smiled.
"She told me that I'd be the kind of hero that puts fear in all the bad guys and bring justice everywhere I go! She's so cool!" Cynthia raised one arm in the air and pointed to the sky.
"She took care of Minerva when I was ill." Gerome said as he stepped closer to the group and sat down.
"Minerva?" Samantha asked.
"My wyvern. Well, it's my mother's wyvern…" He admitted quietly.
"She knew all kinds of spells and stuff. She always liked putting on a show of fireworks and bright lights and all that…it was really fun." Noire smiled as she grabbed one full graham cracker and some chocolate. "She…kept her distance from mother though…I never knew why." Noire added as she rubbed the back of her neck as she finished making Samantha's smore. She handed it to the princess and Samantha happily took a bit of the gooey, chocolaty, marshmallow treat.
"She…" Severa cleared her throat. "…did my hair a few times…we went shopping and she's fashionable, I guess." Severa sounded sincere with her statement and a small smiled crept onto her face.
"Zelda took the time to show me how to excel at ballroom dancing." Inigo said. "My mother was actually jealous about how elegant she looked." He laughed and sighed. Samantha, with Noire's help, she made a single smore and handed it to her.
"Zelda would often test my hand in combat. She helped me become a better fighter and helped me win my first trophy." Lucina said with a big smile on her face.
"She told me stories about the past kings and queens of Hyrule." Morgan said while looking at the stars. "Her stories were the best."
"Yeah…" Samantha said as her eyes watered. "I miss her stories…" She chuckled as she wiped her eyes. "It's a stupid thing to cry about, but…fuck, I don't know. I just miss her."
"Stories are great!" Morgan said. "They open the mind to the world of imagination…" He chuckled quietly. "You're mother told me that once."
"It sounds like something she'd say." Samantha rubbed her eyes and sighed. "I think my favorite memories are when I curse and seeing her reaction. She'd always get so angry, and then my mom would curse and…" Samantha started laughing. "She'd end up hitting both of us." Samantha could feel her heart warm just talking about her mother. Remembering what a good woman and an even better mother she was. She spent the next hour or so engaging in conversations with the other people; laughing, smiling, telling jokes or stories. But eventually, it was time to turn in.
"I suppose we should call it a night." Owain stretched and yawned. "I'm pretty tired myself.
"Mmmhmm." Lucina nodded. "I agree. This was a good idea though."
"We should do this again soon!" Morgan exclaimed.
"Agreed." Nah said softly.
"But I'm not tired! I'm still wide awake." Cynthia stood up and grinned before her eyelids almost close and she almost collapsed on the ground. "Ok…maybe I'm a little sleepy."
"I…thank you for a wonderful night, everyone." Samantha smiled. Everyone walked back to the castle and went to bed. Samantha looked around and realized she wasn't sure which bedroom Genny was in.
"One floor up, fourth door on the right." Lissa's voice said behind her.
"Lissa! I…um…"
"She was asleep the last time I checked, but maybe you could pop in and see how she's doing." Lissa winked at the princess before taking a glass of milk with her to bed. Samantha walked towards the room and yawned before carefully closing the door behind her.
"…mommy?" The young laguz child quietly asked with her head slightly raised.
"No, honey…it's Sam…"
"Sam…" Genny said, now more awake than before. "I have…I have a secret." She said with a big smile.
"Oh do you?" Samantha asked with a smile of her own as Genny patted the bed next to her. Samantha had a feeling Genny had no secret; she just wanted someone to be there for her and she trusted Samantha. Samantha sat down on the blanket and leaned in to hear her secret.
"No, you gotta be under the covers." Genny informed her friend. Now, Samantha knew she was right.
"I don't know…" Samantha said in a sarcastic tone.
"Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Genny pouted.
"Oh alright." Samantha said after a long pause while pretending to think about it. As soon as she pulled the covers over her, Genny quickly moved closer to Samantha and snuggled up next to her.
"Gotcha!" She exclaimed before she started giggling.
"Oh dear! Whatever shall I do?" Samantha said with a little drama in her voice. Genny giggled again and she quickly went back to sleep. Samantha thought one last time of her mother.
'Mom…I don't know where you are…but I miss you…' Samantha thought one last time before rubbing her eyes and yawning one final time before falling asleep.