I'm Falling
IV. Revelations
They arrived at the Northern Ice House. Anche, the Gerudo who inhabited the small place, seemed surprised at the number of people coming to visit at one time. When she got a good look at them all, her mouth fell agape.
"Chief Riju, Queen Zelda, King Link, how may I be of service?" she asked.
"We need to borrow your bed, if we may," Riju said. She gestured to the boy in Link's arms. "Their son is running a high fever. We brought him here to help keep him cool and out of the desert sun until we can get a healer."
Anche put her fingers on her lips. "Of course! Lay him down and I'll fetch a few things for him."
Link put Rhoam down on the bed. Zelda sat on her knees beside him, brushing her delicate fingers through his hair. Anche returned with a glass of ice water and cool rag. She handed them to Zelda.
"Here, Your Highness," Anche said. "If you need anything else, feel free to let me know."
"Thank you." Zelda took the rag and placed it on Rhoam's forehead. She worked on trying to get him to drink from the glass.
Riju turned to Link. "Was he showing any signs of illness on the way here?"
"No." Link shook his head. "He was drowsy, but that's not out of the ordinary for him."
"The healer is on her way. Hopefully it's nothing too serious."
The healer arrived after some time. She placed her supplies on the ground and began examining him, Zelda's anxious eyes following her every step. The healer listened to his breathing, felt his temperature, and examined his eyes and ears. She stood up and frowned.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to inform you I can't seem to find what's causing the problem." The healer frowned. "Whatever it is, it's making him severely weak. I'd recommend getting him back to more temperate weather as soon as possible, as the extreme conditions of the desert are no place for him in this state."
Zelda clenched her fists. She held back tears. "Alright. Thank you for coming to look at him."
The healer nodded. "It's my pleasure. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." She took out a palm fruit from her pouch. "Take this. It'll help keep him hydrated during your journey across the desert."
The healer left. Zelda couldn't hold back any longer, and she broke down in tears. Link rushed to her side, and she placed her head on his shoulder. He bit his lip as he studied Rhoam's exhausted face.
"We'll get him back to the castle. Maybe then we'll figure out what's wrong," he whispered as they sat on their knees in front of their son. His heart ached with heavy worry. The journey home would feel like a century.
They made it back to the castle after a long journey, which was only a few days. Rhoam was placed in his parents' chambers, and Zelda called upon all the healers that could manage to get there quickly. She often paced their chambers, her face stressed and cheeks streaked with tears. Link was just as stressed as she was, but he had to stay calm for his family's sake. He took care of many of Zelda's roles as a week and a half passed since Rhoam had fallen ill. Rhoam was only awake a few hours a day, just enough time to eat and hydrate. When Link had free time he trained or paced the front gallery of the castle. One day he received a message from Riju. He opened it and read:
Link, Zelda,
We've continued our research into the monster extract found on one of the Yiga Clan members. We've found that when the extract is ingested, it causes high fevers and severe weakness. I don't wish to jump to any conclusions, but I'm coming to the castle with my researchers. We can conduct a test with a prick of Rhoam's blood to determine if he's ingested any of the extract. Be on your guard, I know this implies far more than I can even comprehend in this moment. See you soon,
Riju.
Link clenched his fists. He full of enough anger to toppel an entire army of Lynels without blinking twice. He took a deep breath. Don't jump to conclusions, he told himself. We'll know for sure in few days. Despite telling himself this, he went to the courtyard and tore five flour sacks to shred with the Master Sword. When he told Zelda, she sobbed, and they held each other close during a sleepless night.
Riju arrived the next day with her researchers. She went into the chambers and frowned at the sleeping boy's figure. She tucked in another sand seal plush beside the one she had given him a few weeks earlier. One of her researchers took a prick of blood her Rhoam's fingertip. The left to use Zelda's lab. They returned and spoke with Riju. She turned around with teary eyes as Link and Zelda stared at her with anxious faces.
Tears filled her eyes. Riju nodded, then shook her head. She covered her face with her hand and took a deep breath, but Link could tell she was crying. Zelda collapsed on the cold, marble floor and sobbed on her hands and knees. Link panicked. He wasn't sure what to do. He was furious, yet heartbroken. He rushed out of the room and down the hall of the castle.
Link pushed the doors to the castle courtyard open. He unsheathed the Master Sword and swung it at a sack he had left from earlier on in the day. His swing was weak, and hardly dented his target. He put the sword away and paced before clutching his hair. He stumbled over to the fountain and fell on his knees. He leaned on the plaque dedicated to Zelda's father and sobbed.
The attacks were a distraction, Link realized. It was to lead them on, to make them expect one thing while devising another plan. They had poisoned his son. Despite Link's efforts to protect him from everything, his enemies had reached him and hurt him behind his preoccupied back.
He had finally fallen head first into the abyss. What good would his sword do if they had already gotten this far? He didn't know what to do next. Link leaned his head up and looked down at the plaque. He prayed to Zelda's father, to his resting spirit in the heavens. Please, King Rhoam, he begged. Please help us find a cure for our son, for your namesake.
Link returned to Zelda at Rhoam's side. Riju had left for the guest quarters to give them the privacy they needed to process their new revelations. Link took a wet cloth with soft soap and cleaned Zelda's tear-drenched face. She took a fresh cloth and did the same for him. They embraced under the moonlight coming through the windows.
Zelda sniffled and rested her forehead on his shoulder. "I want to take him to the Spring of Power in Akkala," she said in a hoarse whisper. "Perhaps there he will get the strength to recover that he needs from Goddess Hylia."
"Okay." Link nodded. He ran his fingers down her back.
"There's nothing else we can do here. We hardly know what the extract's properties are, let alone a cure for it! I'm willing to try anything. I'll take him to every shrine and every hot spring in this kingdom!"
"We'll leave in the morning."
"I know someone did this," Zelda said, her voice sharp and harsh. "We will find them, Link. But for now, we have to try and get him better first."
"They will face my wrath, Zelda." Link swallowed, surprised by his own fervor. He had never felt so motivated to get revenge against anyone or anything. Not even Calamity Ganon.
"I know. I never thought we'd become vengeful people."
"I didn't either. But then we became parents."
