Dusk light shone off the banks of the Millenio Sandbar, and the air was filled with the songs of crickets and frogs in symphony. To the east, Lanayru Tower was a beacon against the steep cliffs and azure bluffs that would lead into Zora's Domain. To the west lay Hyrule Field, with its sweeping plains finally beginning to eek through the end-winter thaw. And further afield lay her old haunt - Hyrule Castle - where the lady had entered, and had never left.
At Goponga Village, Ambassador Larella stood on the precipice. Home was so close. She could almost see it through the trees. Half a day's walk would take her there. But when she looked down at her body - bare of jewels, scarred by fine blades and bruised by angry hands - the thought of returning home horrified her. They would laugh. They would shun her. Stupid girl, getting caught! What abuse? What pain? It was all you, girl.
I tried to be strong, she would say. I survived what they did to me.
What for? The voices would ask.
To help, perhaps. She had helped the Shiekah duo escape, carrying them on her back down the Hylia river. They had been a reason to survive. The old researcher had made time pass with the stories of his discoveries and his son Grante - once he had begun to speak again - had contentedly shared with her his travels throughout Hyrule and the strange spoils he had found. But now they were gone, back to their home, and nightfall found her weeping in the rain, huddled against the wall of a ruined hut, her trauma laid bare before her.
She could not go back. But where could she go?
The Castle, she thought. You told Zelda you would be there for her. No. She would never go back there. These wetlands were her home. The crickets that sang her gossipers. The lizalfos that prowled her neighbours. She could never let them see….
"Ho there! Funny! A Zora, all the way out here?" His voice made her jolt, muscles knotted and ready to flee. Another captor. But before she could move he was there before her, emerging out of the dark, adorned fin to fin in fine jewels, a long cloak hanging from his broad shoulders; a crimson-red Zora, tall, and proud, and regal.
"How did you even get here?" he asked, but Larella could not answer. All she could think was, No! Not you!
Her wits returned, and she leapt to her feet, stumbling as she attempted to curtsey. Anyone but you!
"P-Prince Sidon," she managed to say, struggling to regain her composure. "Or... or, King Sidon? Pardon Your Grace, I haven't been home since-"
"Wait…." The Prince took a step closer, amber eyes measuring her make. Larella flinched, wanting to draw away but pressed against the mossy wall. "...Ambassador Larella?"
Her lips parted in shock. She could not meet his gaze. "You remember me? But...I was just an attendant. Just a-"
"Of course! You're alive!" Sidon cheered. He took her hands into his. "Oh, how wonderful! You're alive!"
With a whimper, Larella snatched her hands away, and sprung from the wall, running to the bank of the island, overcome. He had seen her. Someone had seen her. Like this. Like this! She wept and wept, not feeling the Prince's bewildered stare from behind her.
"What happened to you?" he whispered.
"Nothing," she sobbed. She willed him to leave her, and let her disappear, but soon the embrace of velvet enveloped her shoulders as the Prince carefully draped his cloak around her. Larella huddled it tight, shivering, aware of the cold for the first time since she had left the Castle.
"I just want to go home," she told him. Strength be damned. Judging eyes be damned. She wanted to feel marble beneath her feet. Hear the crash of the waterfalls. Cinelgen could take all of her but her home.
Sidon looked at her with solemn eyes that betrayed a sudden understanding. "Home then," he agreed, a measured hand at her back for no more than an instant. "Come. Home it is. Home is best."
Somehow, by some ancient magic, the winter did not reach the Korok Forest. Bountiful, swaying grass lined its winding pathways, flanked by fallen logs and drooping vines that seemed to disappear into the mists that hung above her head. Twisting branches arced overhead, shielding this place from the sun, and in some parts blocking it out all together. She caught glimpses of skittering bugs; fireflies in the twilight, grasshoppers between the blades, beetles clinging to the barks of the trees. And peeping out from the crevices and crags, from the between the leaves and behind the branches, the oaken bodies and expressionless masks of the Koroks greeted her with a muted reverence.
She heard their whispers, though she did not see their faces. Princess. The Sword. She's here. They're here, once again!
Zelda had come here to return the Master Sword. To leave it somewhere safe before her journey. After all, it was not hers. But the voice within had chosen to help her - had chosen to gift her its power to add to her own and cleanse Divine Beast Vah Medoh once, and for all. For that, all she could do was let it rest. But just as she was about to plunge the blade back into its pedestal, the booming voice spoke.
"I think perhaps, you need not do such a thing, Princess."
Zelda looked up at the sagely old tree with a smile. "Great Deku Tree - what a pleasure it is to see you again."
"All the more to you, Princess. You stand before me changed, but radiant as ever."
Indeed she was changed. In outfit and in spirit. We have all changed, and the world with us. Her time in Hebra had taught her that much; bringing the realisation, and the shame, that she had cruelly accosted Link for the inevitable - that he was different, as if he could ever be the same.
Zelda looked back up to the Deku Tree, and its ancient face carved into the rough bark. "I don't understand. Did you say I should not leave the Sword here?"
When the Tree spoke, it felt as though the entire forest shook. "Indeed, the Sword would be safe in this place. But as with all of us, it has a purpose. It must be returned to him. You are going to free him, are you not? Would it not be safest kept with you, Princess?"
"But I am not its wielder. I shouldn't even be carrying it," she tried to protest.
"Perhaps not. But you have proven yourself capable of such a task. And I cannot help but notice the crest on your hand," the Tree spoke with a great warmth. "It is good to see the power used to its full potential."
Zelda raised her right hand, removing her glove to gaze upon the glow of the Royal Crest. "Yes, indeed. It has been the utmost help," she chuckled them, thinking on all the ridiculous feats this power had enabled her to do. "And strangely, I still have no idea where it came from, or what it is."
The Deku Tree paused as if in thought. Zelda noticed the Koroks gathering around her, appearing one by one from their hiding places.
"There is a legend, Princess," the Deku finally said. "Passed down from tree, to tree, and whispered by the children of the forest, the Koroks who stand before you. It speaks of three golden goddesses who shaped the very land you understand today to be Hyrule,"
"I know of this," Zelda murmured. "I was taught it as a girl."
"I would presume then, that you have not heard the rest. Stay, and listen child, to the legend of this land."
Zelda knelt by the pedestal, laying the Master Sword across her lap. Around her, the Koroks formed an audience by the Deku Tree. Together, they sat, and listened.
"When the goddesses departed Hyrule, they left a supreme power to give hope to the mortals of the land. This power represented the virtues of the Goddesses; the courage of an unbreakable spirit, the wisdom to lead with a guiding hand, and the power to rule over all. In times past this power has been split, to be wielded by those who most embodied these three virtues. During these times, the Princess possessed the virtue of wisdom, and Hero the virtue of courage, and a powerful being the virtue of power. But on your hand…"
Zelda looked at the Royal Crest once more, pulsating on the back of her palm. It was a permanent glow now – she could not quieten it.
"Have you considered, Princess, what it means to possess all three?"
"All...three?" The three triangles on her hand. The three triangles of the crest of Hyrule. The three engraved into the sacred grounds. And then, Medoh's words...the Three.
"A great power resides within you," The Deku Tree said. "Hyrule requires that you master it. Your battles are not yet done."
Zelda nodded, returning the Master Sword to its scabbard. "I will. Link and I will end this together. And when I return….it will be with him. I swear it"
"And I have faith you will," the Tree seemed to smile then. "But before you go, Princess. I cannot help but notice the clothes that you now wear. Rito feathers, and Rito rubies,"
"Yes, well, I spent some time with them..." Zelda admitted, fingers twirling through a lock of braided hair.
"There are more legends than either of us have time to speak of, but I will share but one more. A rumour of a chosen people and their winged companions. Such a tradition is lost...but to those of the Royal Family...to those with the blood of the Goddess. It is good to see this tradition live on."
"I...I don't know what you speak of."
"The Koroks see all from their hidden places, and they see true. They see the love you have for that warrior. And for his people."
"Teba!? I-"
The Deku Tree continued on, calmly assuring her. "Love is like the sun, Princess. It shines in many different ways. Hot and bright, subdued by clouds, or clear and crisp through a winter's morning. What matters is that it is there at all. For all will die without it."
The words haunted her as she made the trip out of the Lost Woods. She would have teleported, but Zelda found she needed time to clear her head. Hyrule Castle greeted her just across the river when she arrived at the Rauru Hillside. It was not safe to walk alone; begrudgingly, she pulled out her Slate, locating Sha Wavo shrine on the map.
Teba and his family were already waiting for her at the Flight Range. The warrior was sitting by the ravine and working on a bow, adjusting one of the gears. Tulin was asleep by the fire, while Saki prepared a stew in the pot.
Teba didn't greet her as she sat down. "Why did you hold onto it?"
"The Tree told me to keep it."
"Good," Teba grinned. "I'm glad he did."
Zelda frowned at him. "Another bet against me?"
He laughed – a low rumble, now familiar. "It's a fine blade. Only the strong can hold something like that. I knew he'd tell you to hold on to it." Teba shook his head. "Even if I had, Princess, I wouldn't bet against you. I would bet for you."
Zelda smiled to herself, or perhaps in spite of herself. The Tree had been right. "I'm glad I'm back," she said.
"Nah," the warrior teased, the slightest hint of sadness in the words. "You aren't gonna miss this place. Not as cold down there on that field."
But I will, she thought. Lake Totori was an island at the centre of a stormy sea, an oasis in a blazing desert. She wasn't the Princess here, at least not in anything more than name. She was just a girl, with a bow, a keen eye and a mentor whose people had become kin.
"Oh, I got what you ordered," Teba suddenly said, handing her the large parcel that lay in his lap.
Excitedly, Zelda took the parcel in hand and began to unravel the string. She giggled with delight as the hessian fell away to reveal two, brand new, custom made paragliders. One in red and white, and the other in white and blue.
"Perfect!" he beamed. Link's paraglider had been lost somewhere in Hyrule Castle, forgotten when they had been captured. This would be the perfect coming home gift.
"One for you?" Teba inquired, and Zelda nodded, "I've always wanted to try."
The warrior picked up his bow, and with some struggle he stood from the edge of the platform. With an open wing he pointed towards the ravine, he said, "Go on then. You have your wings after all."
Her first instinct was to protest. But then she caught a glimpse of the crest on her hand. I hold the Three, she told herself. I have nothing to fear.
She handed Teba the blue paraglider, and took her own in hand. Three breathless strides took her out and over the ravine, where the updrafts caught the fabric of her paraglider and launched her high into the air. She screamed, from delight or terror, it didn't matter. The winds kept her afloat, and if she fell, the power would keep her safe.
Soon Teba, and then Tulin had joined her, while Saki watched contently from the platform, occasionally calling out for them all to be careful.
They ducked and swooped, soaring until Zelda's arms were so tired that she had no choice but to retire to the Flight Range, her breath ragged and her face wind-swept. But she could not stop smiling, no matter how much her muscles now ached. And adding to the joy, when she and the Rito were happily tucking into their stew, the colourful Rito bard finally made his return.
"Well, hello there, Princess," Kass said warmly as he landed on the platform. He looked to Teba, who was sitting by Zelda's side. "Am I owed some money, then?"
His heart won't stop, as much as he commands it to. Thump. Thump. Thump. And he's by the sea when he sees her, the blood in his ears having become the roaring ocean.
Porcelain skin. Eyes of stained glass. The red of her open lips. Tears on the cobblestones.
Her voice is a song. Her form divine. A Princess of truest kind. 'I'm sorry to drag you out here with me...this must not be very interesting for you.'
I go where you go, he wants to say. I want to be where you are.
But he cannot. There are binds around his hands. A gold and purple rope, etched in a diamond-shaped lattice. He pulls and feels the sting. Hot breath on his neck. You just aren't enough, it says.
The Princess fades. 'I understand. Your duty precludes your free will, at least until this is done.'
He thrashes against the binds, his skin ripped raw.
'You called it a burden,' the Princess says. 'You needn't keep anything from me.'
Anything but a burden. A burden in its entirety. Bound and unbound. Free in captivity at last. What does he want? What did he want? Is it her?
He reaches out and catches air. The Princess has turned from him.
'Just promise you won't forget me - or us,' she says. 'But I can't read your mind, can I?'
And then she's gone, evaporating as a jolt shoots up from his foot, through his legs, to his open eyes…
Inglis was above him, gently kicking the sole of his boot. "No rest for the wicked," he drawled. You're not a Princess, Link thought as he squinted up at the Akkalan boy, the last of the dream still receding. There was someone standing in his shadow. Link caught a glimpse of golden hair and knew; Aurelia.
He shot up, running a hand through his hair to shake free the dirt of the cell floor. It was morning still, singular columns of light streaming through the high-set windows of the Lockup cells, catching the dust and dirt that clung to the damp air.
He had been here for a week or so since freeing the other prisoners. Thankfully, Cinelgen was too distracted by the notion that Zelda was in Hebra to devote much of his time to Link, and the elusive code. After the spectacle that was the Cleansing of Vah Medoh, all of Hyrule must now know where the Princess was.
According to Inglis, Cinelgen had sent scouts to Hebra - though none of them had yet returned - and had apparently dedicated all of the resources he could to finding her, bar going there himself. He hadn't even had time to assign new guards to the Lockup. Not that he even could. Word of Link's massacre spread quickly through the Castle, and none of the Successors now dared venture down to the cells. Inglis and Link were free to plan their escape - so long as Cinelgen did not find out.
"He keeps the diamond in his study," the Akkalan had explained when they debated how to free Rhoamet.
"And I have no idea how long I'll need to fit it," Link had sighed, fingers tracing the eyepieces of the goggles Robbie had left him. They would certainly be a help, but with no practice in repairing his Guardian proper, Link could not risk an attempt until his captor departed the Castle; something Inglis had been actively working on. But by his own admission, Inglis was little more than Cinelgen's squire. "And Knights never concern themselves with the cares of those underfoot," Inglis had lamented. Only bad ones, Link had wanted to tell him.
It seemed that they had soon hit a dead end, though now the Akkalan had brought a new face to their meeting. Aurelia stood with the right side of her face turned away, a thin scowl slicing her white skin, and a wide bandage wrapped around her face.
"What are you doing here?" Link asked, the question directed more at the Yiga woman than Inglis.
"Aury wanted to talk to you," Inglis explained. "And I have news."
"News?"
Inglis nodded, squatting low on the dirt floor, but Aurelia pushed him aside, and knelt before he could speak. Link nearly gasped at the sight of her. The bandages crossed over the right side of her face, leaving only the left, icy-blue iris staring menacingly out from beneath the cotton. Her eye, he remembered. Rhoamet took out one of her eyes, and destroyed half of her face.
"Aurelia," he breathed. "I'm sorry. I should have-"
Her voice was harsh. Devoid of any patience. She held up a hand and said, "No. Don't apologise. Cinelgen is to blame. He provoked Rhoamet by hurting you."
Just as before, Link could not look away. Her shimmering eye would have been beautiful if it were not so full of hate. "Why are you here?" he questioned.
"The Yiga have had their fill of this Chief," Aurealia spat the title, and licked her lips as if it left a bad aftertaste. "I want you to know that I am on your side. I always have been, in a way."
Link's mind flickered back to that night by the fire, when she had come to him with little more than a robe and a proposition. "Is that why…?" he said slowly.
What Link could see of Aurelia's pale cheeks filled with a knowing smile. "What better way than to secure allegiance," she chuckled. "But I forgot how loyal you are, and who you are. How can the Hero of Hyrule ally with a Yiga?"
He wasn't sure if she was truly waiting for an answer. Could she be trusted? He looked to Inglis and saw the boy's usual, passive plainness of face. It gave nothing, and neither did Aurelia's singular, piercing eye.
All Link could do was shake his head and say, "Who knows."
Aurelia's smile widened. "Perhaps this is how we find out, Champion. Change is coming. With my help, there has been progress." She grabbed Inglis by the shoulder and gave it a friendly shake. "Hylia knows this one won't get you far."
"Oh, piss off," Inglis groaned, shoving her off of him. Aury clapped him on the back, and winked at Link as she stood to retreat to the far side of the cell. Even now her vibrance excited him, Link realised, feeling immediately guilty. His loneliness had come for him at last, it seemed. And the Princess in his dreams made the wanting stronger.
Link pried his eyes away and looked to Inglis. "Your news?"
The Akkalan spoke slowly, each word a hesitation, a sorrowful scowl on his face, as if ready to catch Link's reaction. "A Rito woman arrived this morning. They have Zelda in custody, as well someone named Teba. She made him pilot of Vah Medoh, apparently."
Teba! Link was glad to hear the name. He met Inglis' downcast eyes with a grin. "It's a lie," he said triumphantly. "It must be. Unless they put her in captivity with my sword."
Inglis cocked his head to the side, his frown pressed deep against his features. Aurelia too was bemused, looking down her nose at them furrowed brow.
"The Master Sword," Link explained. "I can feel her near it. She's not in custody. Whatever is happening, the Rito are lying to Cinelgen."
"Are you sure?" Inglis pressed. "Why would they lie?"
"Ah - to throw Cinna off her trail," Aurelia offered, smiling at the notion. "He will go to Hebra and find that she isn't there."
Inglis did not seem convinced. "Then where would she be?" He gave Link an expectant look.
"I don't know," Link said defensively. "If she has the Slate, she could be anywhere. But I trust that she is safe."
"And we're in luck, thanks to me," Aurelia gloated, throwing her hands open as if expecting applause. "He leaves for Hebra on the morrow. I suggested to Cinelgen that he go there himself. Not to waste more time with scouts who get themselves killed in the wilderness."
"Wait - you did that knowing she was in custody?"
Aurelia looked at him innocently, the strength in her eye never faltering. "I said I was on your side, Champion. Not hers. You needed Cinna out of this Castle and I achieved that for you."
Link crossed his arms at his chest, vexed by Aurelia's dismissal. "If you are on my side, you're on hers too."
The Yiga woman was not phased. "There's no need for anger. As it turns out, she will be fine. So you needn't worry."
"Cinna will be gone a week at least, or two." Inglis said, redirecting the conversation back to the issue at hand. "I'll get that diamond for you tomorrow then, we can head to the Gatehouse now to check on Rhoamet if you want."
"No," Link shook his head. "There's a question I need answered before we go."
Both Inglis and Aurelia raised their eyebrows at him. "And what's that?" the Yiga woman challenged.
The questions that had plagued him; what did I do? What did I say? But more than that. The first question, the one he knew he was close to answering. "Do I really remember her?" he said.
Kass brought little good news. Both Zora's Domain and Gerudo Town shut down. Both Sidon and Buliara out of his reach. And a siege underway at the Geldarm Bridge, with further news of fighting along the roads. They could dawdle no longer - and set about enacting their plan to rally their allies. Saki would fly east toward Hyrule Castle to treat with Cinelgen. Zelda would travel even further east towards Lanayru, and then south to Gerudo, to find what had become of her allies and convince them to help her rescue Link. Teba would remain to protect Vah Medoh, and to prepare the Rito for the assault. Simple in theory, but not so much in execution.
Teba saw Saki and Zelda from the Flight Range. He paced along the planks, his head held high and his beak clenched tight. The picture of collected calm - though Zelda knew the truth. "You both have three days," Teba told them. "After that I am coming to find you."
"Let the little Sparrow spread her wings, Teba," Saki chided. "If she is brave enough to do this alone, then she must be strong enough too."
The old warrior grumbled, but under Saki's deftly persuasive eye he could do nothing but concede. "Three days," he repeated sternly, though now he was smiling, a small simper that said, you'll be fine.
"I'll be back in as much as two," Saki promised. Zelda wished she had their confidence. With the Slate in hand and Hyrule before her, she felt neither brave nor strong, and certainly not wise at the prospect of travelling so far on her own. But as she rolled her shoulders, the wings on her coat rising and falling, she remembered; Link is waiting.
"I'm ready," she said, and the Rito returned her words with a pair of steadfast nods.
The trio exchange one last look as Zelda activated the teleport function on the Shiekah Slate. Hebra dissolved into light around her, and just before she closed her eyes, she saw Teba give her a curt, salute-like wave; you'll be fine, we'll see you soon.
Sparkling brilliance met her as Zelda re-opened her eyes, the splendour almost garish after so much time in the wastes of Hebra. Pale marble filled her vision, as did the gentle rush of running water and the hurtling rage of crashing waterfalls. Before her were a broad flight of stairs, leading up to an unseen courtyard beyond. She heard chatter, and laughter; the squeals of children and the sound of a hammer against metal. Zora's Domain. It had been months since she had been here. She had done so much since then. Become so much. Zelda took a deep breath, and climbed the stairs to the plaza.
"A Hylian! There's a Hylian! There's been a breach!"
It was not quite the reception Zelda had expected. She had not been waiting for warm embraces and wide smiles, but she did not think there would be so much screaming.
All-chaos erupted into the plaza of Zora's Domain the moment Zelda reached the top of the stairs. Those that did not stumble away in shock pointed and shrilled for a guard, any guard, to take her away. And a duo of Zora Warriors had begun to advance on her when finally, she was recognised.
"Princess? Zelda?" the woman gasped, clapping a webbed hand to her mouth. She pulled Zelda into the inn and out of sight. "What are you doing here? Why do you have Link's sword?"
"Where is Sidon?" Zelda demanded, not bothering with pleasantries. It was only after she spoke that she remembered who the soft-faced Zora was; Luna, the excitable woman who had roped Zelda into the Prince Sidon Fan Club. Auspicious then, that this is who she would run into.
"I...I'm not sure!" Luna answered, the shock never leaving her features. "With Vah Ruta, perhaps? He spends most of his time there now."
"Aye, and with that woman of his," spat the innkeeper from his desk. There was no time to question. Zelda thanked Luna for her help, wished her well, and pulled out the Sheikah Slate to continue on.
She materialised on Vah Ruta's travel gate to see the broad vista of the Eastern Reservoir before her, its waters so still they seemed like glass. Two Zora, sitting with their legs over the precipice of the platform, immediately turned, springing to their feet to meet her.
"Zelda!" they cheered in unison, before she had the time to even recognise them. But when she did, Zelda felt as though her heart might burst.
"Larella!" she cried, running forward to greet them. "Sidon!"
The Ambassador caught her first, sweeping her into a tight embrace. Sidon's powerful arm around her shoulder came next, nearly squeezing the air out of her. Her cheeks ached from the breadth of her smile, and her laughter echoed out across the reservoir, skipping clean across the still waters. "What are you doing here?!" Zelda finally managed, taking the Ambassador's hands into her own. "I thought you were at the Castle!"
"I was - oh I was," Larella exhaled, a flash of regret on her face. "But Link! He freed me, Zelda!"
Hearing his name almost knocked the air from her once more. "Link is alive?"
Larella was positively beaming, the happiest Zelda had ever seen her. "Yes! Oh yes! You should have seen him. You should have seen what he's done! Oh, but I cannot spoil it for you. Just know that he is alive and well, at the Castle still, and that he is stronger than he has ever been!"
The news almost broke her. She brought her hands to her face, unable to stop the stream of joyous tears. You're alive! We're both alive! The Zora could do nothing but watch as she puddled to the ground, unable to speak from the rapturous glee. "Larella," Zelda beamed up at the Ambassador. "Thank you...thank you so much…"
Sidon and Larella knelt by her side as she regained herself. She murmured her apologies and wiping away her tears. "King Sidon-" Zelda eventually said.
"No…." he cut her off, his shining eyes drooping low. "I am not the King. Not yet."
Another shock, but quickly explained. The Zora recounted the unfortunate business with Muzu and the Council, and how they were working to overturn the decision.
"Help me them," Zelda said once they were done. "The Rito and I are planning an assault on the Castle. If we uproot Cinelgen, we can end the conflict and restore your throne."
Sidon and Larella pondered her words for a long moment, and Zelda steeled herself for their rejection. But then, after seeking silent approval from Larella, Sidon clapped his hands together and said with a toothy grin, "Of course! Anything to help Link. I still have friends here, and Larella has been trying to gather support for me. I will bring as many warriors as I can."
Zelda breathed an inward sigh of relief and held out a hand to the Prince. "Meet me at the Sacred Grounds. No later than two weeks from today."
"With pleasure, my lady," Sidon said, and shook her hand with vigour.
One down. No time to waste. Zelda reached for her Sheikah Slate once more, now with the desert in her sights.
If Zora's Domain was a shock to the senses, then the Gerudo Desert was nothing short of an onslaught.
The ferocious heat hit her in a wave as she materialised at Daqo Chisay Shrine outside the walls of Gerudo town, the sun above and searing sands before her near blinding. As with the Korok Forest, winter did not come for Gerudo, it seemed, and her Rito coat was useless here. Taking a moment to stow it within the Sheikah Slate, Zelda made for the gates of Gerudo Town.
"No entry," barked the two guardswomen, crossing their spears in front of the archway that lead into town.
Just as Kass hard warned; Gerudo Town was closed. And while the Domain had a Shrine within its walls, this place did not. Zelda stood straighter, and recited the words as she had practiced them, "My name is Princess Zelda Hyrule. I need to speak with Lady Riju. She will know my name."
The guardswomen glared at her from underneath their veils, statuesque and unmoving. "Your identity does not matter," one said. "No one enters or leaves who is not Gerudo. Including vai."
Zelda struggled to maintain her composure. "Please, I am a friend of the Chief."
"The Chief is not here," the woman countered. She stepped forward, and placed a firm hand at Zelda's shoulder, shoving her backwards. "You will leave!"
"Where is Riju, then?" Zelda demanded, wrenching herself from the guardswoman's grip. "I only wish to speak to her!"
She felt the woman's indignation, even under the heat. "Begone, vai. Before we drag you from this desert ourselves!"
Zelda reigned in her anger, recognising then the paranoia that pervaded these guardswomen. The guard gave her another shove, "Go!"
"Enough, Mira!" came the call from behind, and both of the guardswomen stood to attention in an instant. And emerging from within the city walls, now dressed in the full regalia of a Royal bodyguard, Buliara stepped out into the sun. "Princess," she said, bowing her head. "What a surprise."
"Buliara," Zelda returned the gesture. "Where is Riju? What is happening at the Bridge?"
The bodyguard sighed, and cast her gaze across the harsh sands, crows feet gripping the corners of her eyes as she surveyed the desert with a scowl. "It will be easier to show you."
This is where the war is, Zelda knew as she looked upon the siege. This is where it must end.
After a precarious ride through the desert by sand seal, and half a day's walk through the Gerudo Canyon, Buliara led Zelda down to the front lines of the Gerudo defense at the Geldarm Bridge. The Zora camp was enormous, perhaps fifty strong, with a dozen manning the entrance to the bridge and the rest either guarding its flank, or having pressed onto the crossing itself. They had settled in for the winter, their camp tucked in under the shadow of the Great Plateau.
The Gerudo side was only half a large, but they manned their side of the bridge as best they could. Guardswomen came and went, carrying weapons and crates, full of supplies and provisions by the wagon. Riju herself was stood with her soldiers, her unbraided hair shifting under the breeze, snowflakes falling on her crown like icing dust. She was taller now too, almost as tall as Zelda, and her face had grown hard. Duty had robbed her of her youth, but not her courtesies. She bowed low as Zelda approached.
"Princess," she said. "We saw your efforts in the west with Vah Medoh. It is good that you return. Is Link with you?"
"No. That is why I'm here." Zelda answered. She turned to look across the bridge. "How long has this been going on?"
"They have been here for almost a month," Buliara explained.
"Every day they inch closer." Riju added. "They demand my head. What I would do to give them Cinelgens."
"Then come with me. Help me fight him," Patiently, Zelda began to explain the situation; where Link was, her plan with the Rito, how she already had the support of Sidon and Larella, and how she now believed that this siege was not Sidon's work.
Riju frowned at the mention of the aquatic race. "I would rather not work with Zora, but if it means destroying Cinelgen, and if you trust Sidon…"
"I do."
The Gerudo Chief cast her bodyguard a questioning glance. Buliara nodded, and Riju exhaled, the decision made, "Then...we are by your side. We cannot spare many. Tell us where to meet you, and we will be there."
Two down. Zelda sealed the alliance with another handshake, and turned once more to her Sheikah Slate. On the map, she found the Shrine by the Flight Range, thinking of the first time she had arrived there. She had arrived alone, with no allies, lost and afraid. And now Hyrule was at her back, just like the Sword. You won't believe it's me, Zelda decided. You won't even recognise me.
Time had taken the splendour and beauty of Hyrule Castle Gardens and turned it into little more than a barren waste. Link only knew it had been here from instinct, from the pieces of memory that he could muster. It was tucked away on the northern slope of the Castle, near the Royal Apartments, where it would sit in the sun all day long. Once, it had been shielded from the weather by a border of high hedges and stone. Now the stone walls were ruined, and the hedges - like the rest of the garden - were dead, and the empty courtyard was battered by the rough winds that blew off of the Hylia River.
Inglis and Aurelia had begrudgingly brought Link to this desolate place, and they paced the length of the garden together, their voices barely any louder than the winds as they chatted amongst themselves.
Link closed his eyes and tried to focus. Tried to latch on to the long spines of memory that he felt tingling against his neck. A red rose. A crying Princess. He could feel her with the Sword. He could hear her voice. Just promise you won't forget me - or us. But I can't read your mind, can I?
It didn't make sense. The words didn't fit together, they were discordant, competing. If anything it was almost as if there were...two voices.
Link's eyes snapped open. Two voices. The wind changed direction, whipping his hair about his face. He was so close. It was almost there. Two voices. Two Princesses.
Mipha? A cry from across the courtyard broke his concentration.
"Link!" Inglis was waving him over. "Come look at this."
Resigning, Link jogged over to where his friends stood, both gaping up at something tucked amongst the dead shrubbery. When he saw what they had found, his mouth fell open.
There it was. Somehow still alive. Or perhaps born anew. A single, red rose, clinging to life, isolated from the rest of the dying bush. Crimson as blood, starkly beautiful - a shock of colour in this dead place.
Link closed his eyes as the memory come back in full.
Rising out of the rose bush within Hyrule Castle gardens was a single, thornless red flower. Link held his hand up to it, gently running his fingertips over the petals. Why is it bereft of thorns? he wondered, distracting his mind from the sorrow that the crimson hue brought him
Zelda gave him the answer, though she did not know it. "So much work goes into these flowers," she sighed. "They would die if left alone. It's a little sad, really."
Ah. This rose is dying. Softened and sundered by time.
Time has softened the Princess too, Link thought as he caught the sight of Zelda in his periphery – a burst of sullen blues and gold subdued in her royal regalia, pondering a cluster of white orchids. A few weeks ago it seemed that she wanted nothing but the absence of her Appointed Knight, but over time her disdain faded. They had begun to talk. He had begun to share parts of himself with her, and her the same.Today she had requested that Link escort her around the grounds of the Castle. Somehow they had ended up in the gardens, watching idly as the flowers bloomed. Link could not complain; he liked the Princess's company. And he liked the sway of her hair and the sweetness in her voice and…
He didn't let his mind wander further. He wasn't allowed to feel anything for the Princess. Not this one, at least. No more than he would feel for a rose in the garden; something to admire, but not something to ever truly know. And he shouldn't…not after…
His mouth betrayed him. "Do you like the garden?" he asked, wanting to hear her voice.
"Not really," the Princess admitted, drawing herself away from the orchids and moving to his side. "What about you?"
Link looked back to the wilting rose. "I think I'd have been a terrible gardener."
Her lips curled into a smile, and she laughed: a small victory. "Why is that?"
"Gardening is waiting," Link explained. "Soldiers don't like to wait."
Zelda furrowed her brows, eyes fixed on the rose. At his side, Link could feel the back of her hand grazing his. He chanced a look in her direction. Had she noticed? "This mustn't be very interesting for you," she said. "I should apologise for dragging you here."
"I go where I'm told," Link shrugged, though he didn't mind it so much now.
Zelda's face fell. "… you called it a burden. When you spoke of being chosen…"
"No," Link blurted out, stunned by his defiance. Anything but a burden. The only thing that wasn't, he'd found.
Their eyes met – a silent standoff. Zelda smiled, and around them the sky seemed a little brighter, but Link could not return her radiance. His guts churned. This wasn't right. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't like this as much as he did. He turned away, feigning the need to keep watch.
"I'm sorry. You can talk to me," Zelda called to him. "It helped you know, when you told me how you felt about...your appointment. I didn't feel so alone anymore." She was at his side then, a hand on his arm. "But...I can't read your mind, can I? If anything troubles you, if there's anything you're thinking about. Oh I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I know you can't talk to me the way you would Mi-"
"I called it off," Link said suddenly. "I told her I wanted to wait until...this was all over."
Zelda sprang away from him, her hand lifting from his arm, and where she had touched him he felt his skin burn. "Mipha? W-why?" she murmured.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have said. That's just….that's what I was thinking about," he kept his gaze fixed on the Gardens entrance, as if anything could threaten them there.
When he turned back to the Princess, she was crying, her tears rolling down her cheeks, and finding the cobblestones below. "So much chaos," she whispered. "All because of this stupid Calamity Ganon, that no one even knows truly exists!" Link opened his mouth to speak, to apologise again, but a voice rang out behind him, high and sweet - the shrill voice of the Royal bard, the Sheikah named Lexo. Link grimaced - he was not overly fond of the bard. But Lexo would sing a song for her, he knew. He would cheer her, in ways that Link could not. He fell in at Zelda's side as the Princess hurriedly wiped away her tears.
The faces of his Hylian companions greeted him when he came to. "You okay? You just kind of...went away, for a bit there." Inglis had a hand at his shoulder, shaking him gently from the reverie, while Aurelia regarded him with silent concern.
"I remember," Link said breathlessly. "I remember!"
The two Hylians exchanged a confused look. "I don't understand," Inglis said.
Link's hand went to his mouth as he remembered the rest. "I called it off….Goddess. I called it off!"
"What are you talking about?"Aurelia urged.
He'd been right. There were two voices. Two memories. The second one came in pulses.
"We were sitting at Vah Ruta," Link began to recount to them. "I couldn't separate the second memory out because I'd done it so many times. All those afternoons when she healed me...and this was the last."
Sitting atop Vah Ruta. Together on the elephant colossus' trunk. The afternoon ending. He had caught Mipha by the arm and said, Before you go, I've been thinking...perhaps we should…put a hold on things for now.
He felt as though he could be floating, or falling, the horror thrumming through his veins. "I was confused," he muttered. "Because of Zelda….I cared about her and I was confused….so I…"
Mipha's voice rang in his ears, the memory unrelenting. Poised and restrained, as always. But now with sorrow intertwined in with the grace. I understand, your duty precludes your free will, at least until this is done. She had said it like a farewell. You needn't keep anything from me. You'll do good by the Princess, I know you will. Just promise not to forget me, or us, Link. The Domain will always be your home.
Inglis shook him again. "What are you talking about?"
"I called it off, Inglis! I ended it with her!" Link cried. The question he'd been asking himself for months; what did I do? What did I say, that she won't leave me be? Well know he knew.
"Who? I don't-"
"Her name was Mipha. She was my oldest friend and I…" the words came out as a sob. "I broke her heart. All because I was confused…." All because of you. "We were all so confused, the Champions, Zelda, all of us. That can't happen again!" He was frantic then, gripping Inglis' arms and shaking him in return. "Not this time!"
"Okay, okay," Aurelia pried them apart, her stern voice diffusing Link's hysteria. "We have a plan, remember? We can start whenever you're ready. None of us here, now, are confused about a thing!"
Link relinquished his grip on Inglis. Aurelia was right. One hundred years ago he had made a mistake – a stupid, ridiculous mistake. But that time was gone. He was here, alive, right now. And Zelda was waiting.
He knew what to do. He turned from the garden, leaving this part of his past behind, "I just have one last place I need to go," Link said, and made for the Royal Apartments.
The study was just as he had left it. Crumbling, like the rest of the Castle, and a glowing Silent Princess arising out of the rubble.
He had told Inglis that there could be notes here that would help with installing Rhoamet's diamond, but it had been a lie. He simply wanted to see Zelda's study before their work truly began. Link knelt beside it, cradling the petals in his fingers. A single flower, rising out of the corruption and decay that had become Hyrule. It's as strong as you are, he thought.
"Hey there, Zel," he said to the flower. "How are you going? You doing okay? What'd I once tell you? I'm okay if you're okay."
Link sat down against the wall where the flower was blooming. He rested his heads against the bricks, feeling light-headed from the memories that swam in his mind. His shoulder was throbbing; it had never fully healed. "I dunno if that's true," he went on, eyes fixed on the luminous flower. "You could be just fine and I'd still be here without you."
He wanted to pluck the flower then. Make it his. But that's how you kill it.
"You probably won't recognise me when you see me. You'll think I'm someone else," And then, a little petulantly. "But you already do, don't you? Well I'm sorry I'm not him. I know you loved him, and I know you wanted him to love you. I know it was him you wanted to kiss by the river. But he died along with the rest of Hyrule."
The flower gave nothing back but a diffuse glow.
"But I remembered something. In the Garden. One thing that never changed. I've always cared about you. I wonder if…if I had said something, all those years go, you would have figured out your power earlier. And since I woke up...all I ever wanted was you. I didn't even know you. I just knew you mattered. And I was so afraid of you those first months after we defeated Ganon, you know that Zel? Terrified of you. And so...confused. But I think I'm getting better. I remembered what happened with Mipha, you know? I really fucked up there. I shouldn't swear but it's true. You should have told me how stupid I was, to do that to her. I can almost hear your voice, I can hear you chastising me…"
He was weeping then, though he did not know it. He couldn't say the rest out loud, he could barely think it. Only feel it. I miss you. Every single thing about you.
Link raised a hand to his shoulder, and for the first time in months, felt the power flow. Under the glow of the Silent Princess, with the gift of the Princess he had scorned, his shoulder was soon healed in full, and he felt stronger than he had in weeks.
"I gotta go. Rhoamet doesn't like being left alone," Link ran his fingers across the petals one last time, and got to his feet. "I'll see you soon, Zelda. I know I will."
The thaw had come at last. The snow clouds broke, and the tepid light of the gathering Spring finally shone upon Hyrule. Zelda wore her Rito coat still, not content to part with it now, along with the Master Sword at her back, and the Rito paraglider at her belt.
She listed off the facts like reciting a poem. Sidon and Riju would meet them with their retinue at the Sacred Grounds. Teba would take the Rito in Vah Medoh. Zelda would teleport into Central Hyrule with the Shiekah Slate.
And adding to their growing army was the most unexpected of additions; a party of Gorons, outfitted for war, led by a youth wearing a Champion's scarf and introducing himself meekly as Yunobo. They had arrived a few days after she returned to Lake Totori - barely more than half a dozen, but all brandishing enormous claymores and thumping their chests enthusiastically at the mention the brawl that would be the assault on Hyrule Castle.
"Link sent you?" Zelda confirmed with Yunobo, confused as to how he could have reached Eldin.
Yunobo nodded, "The boss wants nothing to do with this fighting, but….I couldn't just do nothing! Link needs our help! I brought some friends, as many as I could. I'm sorry it isn't much, but we will do our best to help!" He crossed a fist at his heart, and his Goron brothers repeated the gesture.
Zora. Rito. Gerudo. Gorons. All of Hyrule was ready to fight.
Saki had returned not long after. Her own mission had been a success, much to Teba's relief. And scouts soon spotted the party to the east. Cinelgen, and the Yiga woman named Milagre, and half a dozen of the bandits in their neckerchiefs, travelling on horse towards Hebra.
"If we move now, we could beat him back to the Castle," Teba surmised.
"Take it right out from underneath him," Zelda agreed. She grinned hungrily. "Just like he did to me."
As with so many times before, they stood together on Revali's Landing, Hyrule Castle shimmering in the far distance. It was happening, she realised. They had everything they needed. I hope you're ready, Cinelgen, she thought as she gazed across Hyrule, gripping the railing so hard that she began to shake.
"Hold nothing back, Teba," she told the Rito warrior beside her. "I want there to be nothing of him left."
And in her conviction, in her fury, she did not see; the way Teba trembled, and the apprehension in his voice. "Of course," he said, brows drawn with concern.
Zelda gave the Castle one last look, and took one last deep breath to steel herself. "Time to go home," she said.
A/N: Ch 18 will be up in about a week, as I'm returning to weekly updates for the last 6 chapters of this fic. The end is near! Can you believe it?