Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.
Let's get to it.
Chapter 11- Reunited
The skies over central Hyrule have darkened slightly. Hyrule Castle rises over the land, the chasm below it overflowing with tendrils of gloom. The surroundings of the castle are all but silent and abandoned, including Castle Town, which now stands empty.
The inhabitants of Castle Town have scattered through the various settlements throughout Central Hyrule, or settling in temporary settlements set up on and near the Great Plateau.
King Rhoam has moved to the Great Plateau and is set up in the small village built near the Temple of Time. His guards and advisors had suggested this would be the safest place for the king while the kingdom tried to properly react to the unfolding situation. However, the Great Plateau proved not to be quite so safe, with a number of monsters, and stronger monsters than had ever been seen in recent memory. Thankfully, they had been able to fend off these monsters, and the king was still trying to rally his people from his temporary home.
It's been days since the event known as the Upheaval. Since then, the realm had descended into chaos. Multitudes of monsters had risen up all over the kingdom, and chasms filled with gloom had opened up into the earth. At the same time, rocks had been spotted falling from the sky, and some clouds had begun to disperse, revealing islands in the sky that had been previously hidden. Worst of all, chasms had opened up under the spots where the Divine Beasts had been resting, and the Divine Beasts had disappeared into the chasms. With efforts to explore the chasms only just in the planning stages, they could not be located. Given what Revali and Daruk had said about what they encountered, the king now knew that their greatest weapons against this threat had been lost.
Speaking of which…the king had been shocked when Revali and Daruk had appeared after the Castle had risen into the air, as he feared their lives had been lost in the caves below the castle. At first, he had been pleased, but that joy was turned to fear when he heard of the mummified man they had encountered in the depths of the caverns.
In the time since, the king had tried to search through what books and records he had brought with him for some clue as to the identity of this mysterious figure. He had eventually come across the brief record of the Imprisoning War in the royal family's ancient records. From what Revali and Daruk said of the murals they discovered seemed to match with what the king had read. If this was true, then perhaps this figure could possibly be the Demon King spoken of as the enemy of this ancient war. But he was not certain of this, and until more information could be gathered, all he could do was try to prepare his people for war.
As the king is sitting in his temporary residence, he hears a knock on the door. "Enter," the king declares.
The door opens, and Urbosa and Mipha enter the room, followed closely by Daruk and Revali.
"Your Majesty," Urbosa greets King Rhoam.
"Ah, Champions. Welcome. It is good to see you alive," the king says as he stands up. He walks over to greet them and exchange pleasantries.
"Your Highness, we have already been told by Revali and Daruk about what happened under the castle," Mipha says.
"And unfortunately, we have discovered nothing in our searches of the ruins that we believe can give a further explanation as to what is happening," Urbosa says.
"So, we are at square one," the king says. He pauses a moment, then says, "Very well. You must return to your own lands and inform your people of what has happened. If we are to make it through this, we must stand together as a kingdom."
"I'm not sure that will be so simple, Your Majesty. I have already heard of something mysterious happening in the Gerudo Desert," Urbosa says.
"And the Rito have been swarmed by a powerful blizzard," Revali adds.
The king is growing increasingly worried to hear this. After a few moments, he says, "Very well. You must still return to your people. Work to discover what is happening to your lands, and then send word."
Three of the Champions nod in agreement. However, Urbosa is thinking hard. She knows well that this situation is dire, and that just like the return of Calamity Ganon, may only end with the help of Hyrule's princess and the wielder of the Master Sword. However, she remembers her promises to Link and Zelda, and is hesitant to break those promises. However, she knows what will also happen if Link and Zelda are not able to aid the kingdom against this mysterious threat. She has to tell the king.
"Your Majesty," Urbosa says, pausing again to gather her thoughts before saying, "All is not lost. Recently, I discovered the locations of both the lost knight Link and your daughter, Princess Zelda."
The Champions all look at Urbosa, a bit nervous at what she's doing. King Rhoam just looks at her in shock before he asks, "You know the locations of Link and my daughter? And did not tell me?!"
"Yes. I did so at their own request, as they both gave very valid reasons as to why they had to depart and why they have remained away. But I believe it is time to bring them back. If you wish, I know exactly where Zelda is, and I'm sure she can help us track down Link," Urbosa says. She knows she is fudging the truth a little, but would rather keep the details secret until the king actually reunites with his daughter and sees the truth for himself.
The king is quiet for a moment, relief and hope flooding through him before he begins to compose himself. He looks at Urbosa firmly before saying, "You will lead me to my daughter's location immediately, and then we will discuss you keeping her location secret from me." Urbosa just nods, wondering how in fact the king will react to the truth.
(Link and Zelda's home)
In the living room of their home in the Faron Region, Link and Zelda are sitting in their living room, watching as their son is playing with Terrako on the floor of the living room. However, they cannot take as much joy as they wish in their son's play, because their minds are set on something else.
Despite their relatively reclusive life and their separation from most of the kingdom, they have not been unaware of the Upheaval and its effects. Although there is not a chasm close enough for them be aware of the chasms. However, they have seen the sky islands, and noticed the increased presence of monsters. Link has had to spend more time on watch outside the house in the last few days than the entire rest of their time in this house combined. At the same time, they have heard rumors of things going on in the rest of the kingdom. The two have grown worried that something drastic has happened, and are worried about what is happening to the kingdom.
As Elron runs a short distance away from his parents, encouraging Terrako to chase him for his own amusement, Zelda and Link turn to look at each other. They've tried not to talk about it much, but both know they have to talk about the situation.
"Link…I am concerned. Something truly has gone wrong in the kingdom. I worry about the kingdom," Zelda begins.
"I know. With the amount of of monsters I've slain in the last few days…I haven't seen this since just before the return of Ganon. I'm worried he may have returned much sooner than we ever thought would happen," Link says.
"That is what I worry too. I think…I think it may be time to return to the rest of Hyrule and our duties," Zelda says.
Link knows that Zelda is taking this seriously if she is saying that she thinks its time for them to return. He nods in agreement as he says, "I agree with you, Zelda. I think our kingdom needs us."
Suddenly, they hear a knock on the door. Both of them look at the door in surprise, not having expected any visitors. After a moment, they hear Urbosa's voice call out, "It's Urbosa. I'm here with someone who needs to see you."
Link and Zelda look at each other. Both of them have the same idea, worried that this person may be the king. With what's happening, it's no coincidence that Urbosa has come to them, and they would not put it past her to bring King Rhoam. After a moment, however, Zelda nods, showing she is ready to face this if it is in fact true. Link stands up, then helps Zelda to her feet. He then gently calls to Elron, "Elron, come over here to mommy." Elron sprints over, smiling happily and grabs hold of his mother's leg. Zelda smiles down at him before looking up at Link and nodding.
Link walks carefully over to the door, and with almost no hesitation, he opens the door. Sure enough, there is Urbosa, and standing just behind her is King Rhoam. Link cannot see the other Champions, and assumes they must have stayed behind to help deal with whatever situation was going on.
"Your Highness," Link greets the king.
King Rhoam stares at Link, not having expected to see Link here, as Urbosa had given the impression that Link and Zelda were not in the same location. "Sir Link? What are you doing here?" he demands.
Link is quiet for a moment, trying to reconcile his view he'd always held of the king with the fact that Rhoam is now his father in law. Finally, he takes a breath and says, "Why don't the both of you come in?" He then steps away from the door to allow the two to enter.
Urbosa enters without hesitation. King Rhoams remains frozen for a moment in confusion before he enters the house. As he does, the king looks in the direction he saw Link stepping, and his mouth almost drops open as he sees his daughter standing a few feet away. But not exactly the daughter he remembers. Her hair has been cut a little shorter than when he last saw her, and she has a maturity and air of wisdom about her that she did not before the Calamity. But more than that, she has a toddler standing beside her holding onto her leg, whose shoulder she is resting a hand on. It takes him only a second longer to notice the bump at her stomach, showing she is expecting a child. The final piece of the puzzle is fitted in as the king watches Link step up next to Zelda and take her other hand.
"Father," Zelda says, a few tears in her eyes. Despite her worries about her father's reaction, Zelda feels incredible relief and joy to see her father once again after these years.
King Rhoam is frozen in shock at the sight before him, his mind trying to digest what he is seeing. Finally, after several long moments, he manages to gather some of his jumbled thoughts and bursts out, "What is this? What is going on here? Have you been hiding here with him all this time?!"
Elron's expression changes as he begins to cry and try to hide behind his mother's leg, frightened by the king's sudden outburst. Zelda's protectiveness of her son instantly flares in response, and she responds harshly to her father, "Keep your voice down and civil, father! You are scaring my son, and I do not want his first memory of his grandfather to be one of fear!"
King Rhoam is slightly taken aback by the boldness and harshness of Zelda's response. After a moment, he does feel a bit of shame for scaring the toddler, who Urbosa has already come forward to comfort. Urbosa picks Elron up and takes a few steps away from the family to calm him down.
King Rhoam takes a moment to compose himself so that he will not scare Elron again when he speaks. After a moment, he speaks again, he demands of Zelda, stern but calm, "What is the meaning of this, Zelda? You disappeared without a trace almost 4 years ago, and now I find you here with your appointed knight?"
"Yes, father," Zelda declares firmly. Again, her boldness surprises and somewhat impresses the king. Zelda squeezes Link's hand tightly before she says, "I had grown to love Link, father. And he had grown to love me too. After Ganon's defeat, we decided we wished to be together."
"You pursued a relationship with your appointed knight? Someone so far below the station of a princess?" the king demands.
Zelda's eyes narrow before she responds rather hotly, "I do not care what you think of Link's station life, father. That is why we left, father. We knew you would never accept our love. Despite what you think of him, Link has given his all to protect from day one. He accepts me for me, not for my station. He loves me more deeply than I have ever felt loved in my life. And I would rather give up everything I ever had in life to be with him than to live life without him."
King Rhoam is shocked by Zelda standing up to him like this, as it's quite unlike her usual demeanor. Zelda does not stop, and she says, "I know father, that you have come here for our help with what is happening in the kingdom. We will help, as we do not wish Hyrule to suffer. But we will do so on our terms. And I swear to you on my life, if you continue to protest our relationship, as soon as this situation is resolved, we will leave Hyrule forever! I will never leave Link, no matter what you say. I love him, and he is my husband. And he will always be my husband, no matter what you say. It was my love for him that finally awakened my power, and finally showed me what true happiness is. And I will never let that happiness go!" Link pats her shoulder and whispers in her eye to help calm her down, knowing that since she is pregnant, she has a tendency to get overly heated whenever her temper flares up.
King Rhoam is stunned into silence by Zelda's rebuke. However, as he considers her words, and looks at the pure determination in her eyes, he begins to doubt himself. Looking inward, he begins to realize how badly he has treated Zelda, and that his determination to live up to his position as king and fulfill his duties to his people have come at Zelda's expense. He now realizes that had he treated her better, if all she said is true, then perhaps her powers might have unlocked sooner, and perhaps she would never have left.
Shame begins to fill the king as he realizes the magnitude of the mistakes he had made. And while the traditions of the royal family did say that Zelda should marry someone of nobility rather than someone of Link's social status, in this moment, King Rhoam can see in Zelda's fierce defense of her actions and the expressions the two wear on their faces when looking at each other, that Link and Zelda truly love each other, and Link has clearly tried to provide a good life for Zelda. On top of that, it's not exactly fair of him to act like this when they have clearly been married for years, with one child already in their family and another on the way.
Finally, the king sighs before he begins to speak, "I'm sorry, my daughter. You are right. I…I apologize. I have been so concerned with following traditions and seeing to our kingdom's security and well being that I have failed to truly see the extent of how it was affecting you. And even after losing you for 4 years, I could not bring myself to be happy just to have you back, or happy for your happiness. I am truly sorry, my daughter."
King Rhoam pauses for a moment, then continues, "I promise you, Zelda. I will no longer stand in the way of your happiness, nor push you to do what I think you should. You are no longer a child, and you deserve respect and autonomy that I have heretofore not given you. And…I promise that I will not make any complaints as to your relationship with Link. I see how much you love him, and how much he loves you. I have allowed my fixation on tradition and duty to blind me. And for this, I apologize. I hope that one day you can forgive me."
Silence reigns in the living room for several moments. Link looks between Zelda and King Rhoam, wondering how Zelda is going to react. Finally, Zelda steps forward, releasing Link's hand as she steps towards her father. She looks into her father's eyes before she smiles slightly, reaching out to touch his hand. "I love you, father. I know you only wished what was best for me and the kingdom, even if your actions hurt me. While it will take some time, I hope we can someday rebuild our relationship, into truly one of father and daughter."
"I hope so, Zelda," King Rhoam says.
"As long as you will never once say another word against my marriage to Link, we will return to Hyrule. Not only for its defense in this situation, but forever," Zelda says.
"I will never speak against you two again, I swear. It will take me some time to get used to such an idea, but I will, and I will accept your new family," King Rhoam says.
Zelda feels a tear roll down her cheek, and she embraces her father, filled with joy at being reunited with him at last after 2 years. Rhoam embraces her in return, emotions flooding through him. But one in particular is shame, knowing that he has made many mistakes, and hoping he can atone for them.
Finally, the two separate. Zelda looks up at her father, wanting to say something, but notices that Rhoam has focused his attention on Link. Rhoam looks at the silent knight for a moment before addressing him, "Link, I apologize to you. I judged you unfairly for this, and you did not deserve it. It brings me joy to see my daughter so happy after all she has been through in her life, and to see that you are the reason for that happiness…it does bring me some joy. I hope you can forgive my initial outburst."
"Of course, your highness," Link says, inclining his head.
Rhoam smiles slightly before he says, "As recompense for initial outburst, and since you are now my son in law…you do not have to refer to me by such formalities from now on." Link looks surprised, but nods in response.
"Father," Zelda says to get his attention. When the king looks back at her, she says, "Before we discuss why you are here…would you like to meet your grandson?"
It's at this point that the king remembers the young boy, and also when it hits him that he is a grandfather. The king feels a little old for a moment but pushes that thought aside as he nods to answer Zelda's question.
Zelda smiles as she walks over to Urbosa, leaning down a little to speak quietly to Elron. She then takes his hand and leads him over to Rhoam. As she reaches him, she looks down at the little boy and says, "Elron, this is your grandfather, Rhoam, that we've told you about."
"Grandpa?" Elron asks in surprise. Zelda nods in response, a smile on her face. Elron then turns to Rhoam as his face lights up. "Grandpa!" he squeals before he runs up and hugs Rhoam's leg tiightly.
Rhoam stumbles slightly from the high speed impact of an excited toddler before he chuckles a bit, resting a hand on Elron's shoulder. As he looks down at the little boy, he feels a swell of pride. Zelda had finally begun to make decisions for herself and her own life, and she had built quite a nice life for herself. And because of this, not only was she happy, but he, the king, now had a son in law who he knew was noble and honorable, and a grandson he could look forward to spending time with. Had she come forward with her feelings 4 years ago, he probably would've reacted badly. But with everything that has happened since, and all the self-reflection he has done in the last few years, now, he can accept it.
Yes, he can admit to himself. Zelda made the right decision.
And, I'll end the chapter there.
So, King Rhoam has finally been reunited with Zelda. I hope I did the reunion alright. We'll see more of the king trying to rebuild his relationship with Zelda, and building a new one with Link and his grandson.
So, we'll start getting into the Tears of the Kingdom events pretty soon. Next chapter will show Link and Zelda being informed of what is happening and leaving their home to return to action. Then, we'll get into the Tears of the Kingdom events.
Alright, that's it for today. Until next chapter, please leave a review, and stay tuned!