Author's Note: Welcome back everyone to the actual finale of Book I! This would have been up on time on Friday but as most of you here are probably aware, FF went down for a few hours. But here it is now!
I'll say a bit to wrap up at the end as usual but otherwise I don't have any context or explanations to add at the front end of this chapter. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy the latest installment!
Book I - Meeting
Chapter 9 – Family Bonds
Zelda found herself walking alongside Link as they made their way through Hateno Village the next morning. They were heading to the inn to speak with Melo. She had only found out a few hours ago that Ira's brother was a member of the Yiga Clan and had likely been responsible for bringing Sooga to kidnap her. Though she was disappointed by the revelation, it wasn't the biggest shock she'd ever experienced. She had never known him well in the first place and, after the way the day before had played out, it seemed likely that someone had been keeping tabs on her – the timing of her kidnapping had just been too perfect to be coincidence.
She was grateful to Link for not telling her the night before – her mind had been racing with possibilities all morning. She was worried about the villagers and how hurt they would feel by this betrayal. She was concerned especially for Ira's sake. That poor girl had been betrayed by her own brother…it was a feeling she could somewhat relate to.
Not knowing any of this the previous night, however, meant she was able to fully relax and recover the way Link so strongly insisted. He hadn't let her lift a finger at all. He brought her dinner to her by the fire and sat with her, making sure everything was prepared to her liking and that she was warm enough. He outright refused to let her clean a dish even though she tried to insist it wasn't an issue. And he ran her a hot bath before cautioning her to call him if she felt weak or like she was in danger of passing out.
Thankfully, there had been no issues at all and the two had finished the night sitting on the couch together. It hadn't taken long for exhaustion to catch up to Zelda after such a hectic day; the last thing she remembered was falling lightly against Link's shoulder as sleep overcame her. If she had been more alert, she'd never have let herself behave so familiarly with him. But he didn't seem to mind at all. She had awakened in her own bed again a few hours ago, carefully tucked in just like the previous afternoon.
This morning had been special too – it was the first morning Link had asked her to help him with his new hair tie. She was overjoyed that he liked it so much. She had toiled over which was the right fabric to use, how long it should be, how best to present it to him, and whether she should even gift it to him at all for weeks and weeks. To know that he appreciated it so much made her heart flutter and skip several beats.
It certainly didn't help matters that just the simple act of moving her fingers through his long, sandy hair made that heart of hers take off at a dead sprint as if she'd been running for hours.
"Are you sure you want to come with me, Zelda?" Link asked, his voice low. "You went through a lot yesterday; I'd understand if you didn't want to see Melo after everything he caused you to suffer."
Zelda just shook her head.
"No, it's…it's okay. I want to understand…why he did what he did. And I'm curious how he knew about me in the first place."
"I'm wondering that myself. We'll get our answers out of him, one way or another."
Zelda grimaced. She only hoped Link wouldn't have to resort to anything violent to make the man speak. She didn't want someone with as kind a heart as Link to force himself to do something like that.
"Master Link, Miss Zelda!" an all too familiar voice called out in the distance.
Glancing to her left, Zelda's eyes fell on Glenne, of course. He was surrounded by Link's other students, all of them in perfect physical condition once again courtesy of Mipha. The Zora Princess had dropped by once more to tell them that everyone who had been injured was patched up before returning home for her peoples' new year celebration.
It seemed that Glenne and the others were right in the middle of a practice session, their spears in hand, and had stopped to call out and wave to them. Link, smiling apologetically over at Zelda, raised a hand a waved back before quietly addressing her.
"Do you want to go say hello?"
She nodded.
"I do. I…want to thank them."
The two crossed the grassy expanse between them, coming to a stop beside the small group of young warriors. Glenne, unsurprisingly, was the first to speak, his smile bright and his voice energetic.
"Good morning! I'm so glad to see you're feeling better, Miss Zelda!"
"T-thank you, Glenne."
"Glenne," another of the young men hissed, nudging him rather obvious. "That's not how you address a Princess."
She couldn't stop her face from falling.
"O-oh, he…you don't…"
Zelda couldn't find the right words. But before she could collect her thoughts, Link was by her side again, a calm smile on her face.
"Don't worry about that. Zelda would much rather you address her the way you always have. You don't have to be formal with her just because of what that Yiga general told you yesterday."
One of the others she recognized as Toren tilted his head in confusion before speaking.
"But…he wasn't just making things up, right? Zelda really is…our Kingdom's Princess?"
Link opened his mouth to answer but Zelda reached out and placed a hand on his forearm, gazing up at him with timid eyes. She didn't mind him speaking on her behalf at all…but these six people had tried to save her. They had risked their lives for her.
She wanted to tell them the truth herself.
Link understood perfectly and smiled at her, nodding before taking half a step back.
"I…am one of the Princesses of Hyrule, it's true," she admitted at last, making sure to turn her face towards them as best she could.
She felt too awkward to maintain eye contact with any particular one of them so she simply looked between them instead.
"And you're…sure we're not being rude by not addressing you as Zelda-sama?" Toren asked, his voice hesitant.
She shook her head insistently.
"N-not at all. I'd much prefer you keep addressing me…the way you have been. It's a…a long story but I'd feel much more comfortable if you didn't give me any special treatment."
"Well," Glenne interjected with a bright smile, "we won't be formal with you, but you can't expect us not to give you special treatment – you're Master's fiancée after all! You're special just because of that alone!"
Zelda blushed a bit before Link came to her rescue.
"Easy, Glenne. Don't get too carried away and embarrass her."
"Oh, sorry!"
"Or me," Link added as a whispered afterthought to Zelda.
The other students were busy chiding Glenne for his speak-before-you-think attitude and didn't hear Link's quip. Zelda, though, was amused by his words and felt some of her hesitance melt away.
"U-um!" she began, drawing the group's attention again.
"What's up, Miss Zelda?"
"I…probably owe the six of you my life. You all…risked everything to stop the Yiga from taking me yesterday and you delayed them long enough that Link was able to make it home and save me. So…"
Zelda lowered herself into a deep bow.
"Thank you all so much for going to such lengths for me. I'll repay you in any way I can."
"Aw, you don't have to bow like that!" Glenne insisted. "We were happy to help. You're important to us too, Miss Zelda. Even if you weren't Master's fiancée, you're still part of our little family now!"
Zelda rose to her full height again and gazed at the young man in wonder. The other five around him were smiling and nodding too.
"T…thank you."
"Of course!"
"I…feel bad to admit it but I don't know that I've ever been told all of your names. Would you…be willing to introduce yourselves to me please? I want to know the names of the brave people who risked their lives to protect me yesterday."
Link's students went around in a circle introducing themselves. She had already known Glenne of course and had met Toren once as well. The other four went by Nobo, Tye, Fin, and Agus. They all six looked up to Link with admiration and respect, though nobody could quite match Glenne's enthusiasm for idolatry where her fiancé was concerned.
'My fiancé…I wonder if it would be okay for me to refer to him that way someday…'
"Glenne," Link spoke suddenly, "how are Celene and Syd doing after yesterday?"
Glenne gave him a somewhat somber smile.
"They're okay. Still pretty upset about their home, of course, but they're staying with Mom and I until their new place can be built. Celene's taking it really hard but I've made it my mission to make her smile as much as possible and she's had a pretty good morning I think…all things considered."
"I'm glad to hear they're staying with you; that alone will do wonders for their mood."
"You think so?"
The other students began teasing Glenne for a myriad of things, ranging from his excitable personality to what some insinuated to be a potential crush on Celene. Glenne laughed with them and danced around a few questions before Link cleared his throat at last.
"Alright everyone," he began, drawing their attention, "Zelda and I are heading to the inn to check in on the others. Glenne, is Melo still there?"
A few faces darkened but Glenne kept his smile. His eyes betrayed his disappointment, though.
"Yeah, he's there. He told us he's not planning to try making a run for it or doing anything funny to escape…not that he could go anywhere tied up like that. But I don't know if that means he'll offer all the information you want so easily."
"I'll get it out of him," Link muttered, his face set.
"Hey, um, Master," Glenne began, chewing his lip.
"Yeah?"
"Ira is…I think she's a lot more upset than she's letting on. She's been pretending everything's fine since last night. She took it upon herself to kind of unify everyone and take charge of things and asked me and the rest of the guys to round up those Yiga soldiers we captured in the cave last night so they didn't freeze to death. She's got them tied up down in the inn's cellar till the soldiers from Fort Hateno can send a prisoner transport to pick them up. She's kind of become our leader since yesterday afternoon.
"But…she hasn't said a thing about Melo. I don't know if she'll want to talk but I figured if anyone could get her to open up…it's probably you."
Link reached out and placed a comforting hand on the young man's shoulder.
"Don't worry. We'll make sure she's doing okay. It might take her a long time to process what's happened, though, and maybe even longer to want to talk about it with anyone. Don't ever pressure her, got it?"
Glenne gave a strong nod.
"Of course not."
"You're a good man, Glenne. You're going to be just fine."
"Just fine?"
"Don't worry about it," he deflected, averting his eyes.
Though she was certain he didn't need her to, Zelda took it upon herself to divert attention away from Link this time.
"T-thank you all again for what you did for me yesterday. I'll never forget it…not for as long as I live."
"Of course, Miss Zelda! All our egos are a little bruised after that run in with the Yiga so that's why we're out here training! If someone ever needs the six of us like that again, we're gonna be strong enough to take care of things the first time!"
Zelda couldn't help but smile at their tenacity. Knocked down by enemies far stronger than they were yet back on their feet and doubling their efforts the very next morning.
"Y-you are all so admirable. I'm sure…you'll be able to do it."
"You guys hear that?" Glenne shouted, a positively enormous smile on his face. "Miss Zelda thinks we can do it! So we gotta try hard for Master Link and for her! Let's get to work!"
The other five began voicing their excited agreements before waving goodbye and returning to their training. As Zelda fell into step beside Link again, continuing on their trip to the inn, he leaned in a bit closer.
"Sorry about them. They're good kids but they're awfully excitable. I hope they didn't overwhelm you."
"N-not at all. It was very nice to meet all of them after they tried so hard to save me yesterday. I really do want to think of a way to thank them. O-oh, but first I should thank you for helping me through the conversation."
"Let me know if I'm ever overstepping. I don't want to speak for you when you'd rather use your own words."
Zelda's mouth fell slightly agape as she took in his words. Nobody had ever prioritized her opinion so consistently and kindly.
"I've appreciated it every time you've helped me like that," she assured him.
Link gave her an easy smile.
"I'm glad. But don't ever feel bad to let me know if that changes, okay?"
"O…okay. Thank you."
As they made their closer and closer to the inn, Zelda found that her heart was very light despite the confrontation they were approaching. Of course, it was thanks to Link.
Zelda and Link finished their trek to the inn quickly and entered the large building. She had never seen the inside of it before but it wasn't anything too unexpected. There were several rooms on the first and second floors alike. Link had told her that a woman named Karin was responsible for the inn, but nobody seemed to be behind the front desk at the moment.
A quick glance to her right was all it took to find a familiar face, though. Ira was sitting at a nearby table, her head slumped in her hand.
"Hey Ira, you holding up okay?" Link called out, his voice gentle.
The woman's eyes shifted to them but she didn't move otherwise.
"Hi Link, hi Zelda. I'm fine. Just a little tired."
Zelda took a step forward and spoke with a bit more conviction than she was prepared to hear in her voice.
"C-can we…do anything for you?"
Ira's stoic face finally gave way to a smile. It didn't reach her eyes.
"That's very sweet, Zelda. But no, not right now at least. I figure you two are here to talk to…Melo, huh?"
"That's right," Link told her.
"Go ahead. He's upstairs in the furthest room back on the left. That darling Mipha healed him up last night too at Glenne's request so he's fine. Talkative, too. You'll probably get whatever you want out of him."
"Ira…"
"Don't worry about me, get up there and get this whole mess figured out," she assured him, the ghost of a familiar grin appearing on her lips. "The sooner you have your answers, the safer we'll all be, right?"
"I certainly hope so."
"Let me know if you need anything while you're here; I told Karin I'd watch the inn for the day as an apology for all the hell we put her through yesterday."
Zelda fought down a grimace as she remembered hearing that Link's injured students had been taken to the inn to recover. Then a horde of Yiga prisoners had been stored here too. She had yet to meet Karin aside from an exceedingly brief introduction, but she was certain the ordeal must have been exhausting for her.
"Thanks, Ira. We'll be back," Link assured her.
Zelda followed in silence up the stairs of the inn and down the hallway on the second floor. Glenne had been right – Ira was deeply upset by what had happened. She didn't want to admit it to anyone around her and she was trying to pretend it wasn't real by devoting herself to taking care of everyone else. But understandably, she was hurting worse than anyone else…
"We're here," Link murmured, gesturing to the door. "Are you ready?"
Zelda took a slow breath, steeling herself.
"I…think so."
"Tell me if you need to step out and get some fresh air at any point…or just need to leave entirely, okay? I can come back another time."
"I will. I promise."
With that, Link opened the door wide, taking Zelda's hand in his and guiding her inside the room. She was a bit surprised that he had done so yet again but she couldn't dwell on it for long.
There sat Melo on one of the two beds that filled the room, his arms tied behind his back and his ankles bound as well. She thought she even saw his hands tied separately from his wrists too. There was probably a reason for that. He was still wearing that despicable red uniform of the Yiga Clan too.
So it really was true…
"Melo," Link offered in a stern voice, his eyes boring into the man.
"Hi there, Link…you too, Zelda." His voice was…calm. Resigned, perhaps?
Guiding her across the room, Link offered Zelda a seat on the bed opposite Melo's own. She lowered herself to the mattress, noting how much softer her bed at home was and wondering for a brief moment the amount of trouble Link had gone to in order to prepare such comfort for her before she had first arrived.
A second later, Link sat down beside her and took a breath, focusing squarely on Melo.
"I have some questions I need answers to," he began.
Melo just nodded.
"I don't mind. I'll tell you the same thing I told Glenne and Mipha and everyone else last night – I have no more reason to hide anything from any of you. I've made my own bed, so to speak. Time to lay in it. Ask me anything, Link."
"The first thing that comes to mind is 'why?'"
"Why, huh? It's…a pretty standard story, to tell you the truth. When Ira and I were a lot younger, our family used to live out in this tiny little settlement between Gerudo Desert and Rito Village – Tanagar Village. It was right by the canyon. Did you ever hear of it?"
"I've heard the name, yeah."
Zelda spoke up, unable to stop herself.
"I…have studied it in my history classes before. From what I remember…it was destroyed…wasn't it?"
"Sure was," Melo sighed, his eyes pained. "Back when me and Ira were just thirteen and twelve, a horde of monsters came and attacked the village. Set fire to everything. Killed people. The whole lot. Real nightmare scenario come to life, you know?"
"I'm…sorry that happened to you," Zelda offered, her heart aching.
Melo gave her a rather surprised expression before settling back into a sad smile.
"Thanks. Sorry, I'm just a little stunned that you feel any pity for me at all after yesterday."
Zelda just nodded her understanding and waited patiently for him to continue.
"See, we lost our mom and pops in the attack. And after that, the King offered the orphans from the village a safe haven in Castle Town, so we went there. But nobody was really taking care of us. We were lucky to have enough food to get by most times. Ira was…pretty devastated by the whole thing and couldn't do much but I pulled myself together and tried to find work so I could support us. Take care of her. Nobody wanted to hire a filthy little orphan from out west, though."
Zelda frowned. She remembered hearing once that her father had opened Castle Town to victims of a terrible monster attack. It had happened when she'd only just turned nine, right before she had fallen out of her father's graces…back when she had still been somewhat aware of the goings on in the Kingdom. But the fact that he had never guaranteed their survival seemed…cruel…
"M-Melo," Zelda began, earning both his and Link's surprised gazes. It was rather unusual that she address others so readily but she just couldn't let this go without finding out the truth.
"Yeah?"
"Why…didn't my father help you? He…brought you to Castle Town and just…abandoned you all?"
"Honestly…I'm not sure why you'd believe anything I have to say at this point; all I've done since we met is lie to you. But the truth is the King wasn't in charge of taking care of us; he delegated that to someone else. It was some nobleman, Duke Nell or something like that."
Link clicked his tongue but didn't interrupt.
"He was supposed to make sure we were all cared for but he never did. And nobody listened to any of us when we tried to speak up about it. So even though things were terrible for us, the King never knew…at least, not as far as I know."
"Oh…well I'm…still very sorry that happened to you and Ira…"
"Thank you. You're very kind to offer someone like me such consideration, Zelda."
She was a bit too taken aback by those words to respond properly.
"Anyway," Melo continued, "I tried to make an honest living, but eventually I had to start stealing to survive. I was pretty good at it too. Maybe it wasn't the most honorable thing but I'd rather have been a criminal than to let my sister starve. This went on for a while before a man I stole from caught me.
"I thought that was it for me, thought he'd either kill me where I stood or turn me over to the soldiers and have me locked up. But he actually made me an offer. Told me he hadn't seen someone with no training make for such a good thief in a long time and asked me to join him in a special group. He knew a lot about me. He promised if I followed him that me and my sister would always be taken care of, always have enough food, always have enough money. It sounded too good to be true…but I was desperate and I agreed. He wouldn't tell me the name of the group until I said yes, but that didn't make a difference to me."
"He was part of the Yiga Clan…" Zelda murmured.
"Of course. I'm not sure how much you know about the Yiga, but they really do take care of their own. It's pretty incredible honestly…still not quite sure how they manage it. But that man was right – I made a lot of money being a spy for the Yiga. They never asked me to kill anyone, but I was usually expected to spy on people in Castle Town since I lived there already. They paid me real good money for being so close to the soldiers and risking my life like that.
"I'm not proud of it, but I lied to Ira…told her I landed a real good job and I'd be able to take care of her now. We weren't starving anymore. In fact, I found us a nice little place we could stay at thanks to the money the Yiga paid me. She took up some hobbies of her own over the years and eventually got so good at cooking she opened her own restaurant that people loved. But she wasn't really happy in Castle Town – too many bad memories there. I wasn't sure how easy it'd be for us to just up and leave with my responsibilities but I promised myself I'd find out.
"At first, the generals didn't want to give up their point of contact in Castle Town; I'd brought them some fairly useful information about the way the nobles moved and operated. But after Link, your sister, Mipha, and the other Champions destroyed the Calamity, they realized they were a little in over their head to try fighting people like that head on and they backed off. Reduced the size of their operations and all but pulled out of Castle Town for a few years. They told me I could go wherever I wanted as long as I reported back with any information that may be useful to them. There was no getting out of that; once you join the Yiga Clan, you don't ever leave it. I agreed because I knew I had to. They'd have killed Ira if I didn't stay loyal."
"So you moved here to Hateno?" Link inquired, his voice softer than it had been before.
"Yeah. Ira's always liked the countryside. We lived a pretty simple life growing up on our family's farm so to come out here was like coming home again in a way. Only this time, she was such a good cook she was easily able to open a successful restaurant in a new town. I was so proud of her. And impressed too! She really became the glue that held this place together when it was brand new. I learned as much as I could to help her but once in a while, a Yiga general would call me away and ask about things in the eastern region; I'd have to come up with excuses to seem lazy and like I was slacking off so she never caught on.
"Not really sure what the Yiga were looking for out here or if they were just keeping tabs on the Kingdom, but I never had anything to report…not until you moved out here, Link."
"I imagine they'd be interested in where I was, yeah," he conceded.
"Still, they never asked me to try anything with you. The Yiga are a confident bunch but not stupid. You were the man who struck down the Great Calamity with nothing but a sword – to challenge you one-on-one was just begging for death."
"Didn't stop that Sooga fool yesterday," Link muttered.
Melo gave Link a look that fell squarely between a grimace and a grin.
"He was desperate. The plan fell apart completely when the boat didn't show up and all he could think to do was to hide until it did. He said he'd be the one to deal with you if you showed up but…I knew he'd never manage it. He's strong, the strongest of the Yiga Clan except for maybe Master Kohga himself. But there was never a chance he was going to overcome you."
Zelda, however, had latched onto something else.
"S-so, there…was a boat?"
"There was, yeah. Pretty much everybody knows the Yiga are stationed somewhere out in the desert so it's probably no surprise to learn that we don't have ships lying around. But a pair of our soldiers were meant to steal one from Lurelin yesterday and sail up the coast. They were supposed to pick us up before Link got home and we'd make a clean getaway. The storm caused its own hiccups but…even I don't know what really happened. Those two just never showed up. Maybe they got cold feet about sailing into a storm. Maybe they tried and the sea took them. I couldn't tell you."
Link leaned forward, resting his chin on his loosely closed fist.
"That certainly lines up with the things Sooga said in the cave. But let's change the subject – how did you know Zelda is one of the Princesses of Hyrule?" Link asked directly, his eyes intense.
"The Yiga have always known that. I'm not sure how or why but I knew who Zelda was from the day I joined up."
"So they've always had information on the Royal Family then," Link murmured. "Even after they started hiding Zelda and people forgot about her."
A terrible thought had just occurred to Zelda, though.
"W-was there ever a spy…in the Castle?" she managed, feeling particularly cold all of a sudden.
"There was, yeah."
Her heart was nearly frozen now as fear welled up within her. What would happen to her family? Or Beatrice? Or the kind guard who had rescued her from the dungeons as a child? Or…
"Hey, I don't think you have to make that face," Melo offered. "I only said 'there was' – there's nobody in the Castle right now that belongs to the Yiga, not anymore."
"Not anymore?" she repeated, confused now. Her fear did abate slightly, though.
"I was never a big shot in the Yiga Clan; most people don't get to know the inner workings like personnel assignments. But since I was so close to the Castle, they told me there were a few people I could count on if I was ever in trouble. There was a soldier that frequented the Castle who was part of our group. He was probably the one telling them about you from the inside."
"But…why didn't he ever…attack? Or take me away like you tried to yesterday?"
Melo offered a faint smile.
"Like I said, the Yiga are confident, not stupid. If Ganon really did awaken and destroy the Kingdom, they'd be swept up in the carnage. It was in our best interests to wait and see what happened, to hope maybe the two Princesses of Hyrule could stop the Calamity. It also wasn't smart to take one of you when getting out of the Castle after that would be next to impossible. And even if we did manage it, we might just doom the world we were trying to control."
Link finally spoke again, his voice thoughtful.
"So that explains why you didn't try to kidnap Zelda or her sister. But why do you say your contact isn't there anymore? Even if the Yiga downsized, the Castle would probably notice if one of the soldiers suddenly went missing, right? Wouldn't that raise suspicion about the Yiga's activities?"
"Oh, he didn't abandon the Castle on orders; he's dead."
Zelda's face paled.
"W…what happened?"
"I only know what I heard from one of my generals but…I think your sister happened."
A cold shiver ran down Zelda's spine.
"H…Hilda…did something…?"
"This is all secondhand so don't take it as a total fact. But a few weeks after the Calamity, one of our scouts saw him with Hilda going into the Castle one night. We were already starting to back off our plans after Ganon was so swiftly put down…but maybe there was a shot at getting the Crown Princess of Hyrule if he had come into her graces. But…"
"But?" Link prodded, his own eyebrow raised.
"Well…there used to be a few secret spots in Castle Town the Yiga would rotate between when they needed to meet. And the scout found that soldier in one of those meeting places the next morning. He was dead and…it didn't look like he'd had a pleasant death…"
Zelda gagged and fought down the urge to vomit.
'H-Hilda…did that…?'
Link quickly laid his hand on her shoulder again, giving it a comforting squeeze. It was a gesture she very much appreciated.
"And you think Hilda killed him?" Link asked, his concerned eyes watching Zelda carefully now.
"I was never told that for sure but…he definitely died that night and the last person he was seen with was the Crown Princess. I can't say for certain, of course. Anything could've happened before sunrise."
"Then let's not get carried away with what-ifs that'll only serve to upset people," Link proposed. It couldn't have been more obvious he was pushing the conversation forward for her sake but Zelda appreciated it nonetheless.
"Agreed," Melo nodded, watching Zelda with a fair amount of concern himself.
"So tell me – were you the one who masterminded the plan to kidnap Zelda yesterday?"
"Mostly. I recognized her the day you took her over to Lissa's shop. I couldn't believe what I was seeing…but it wasn't hard to get Glenne to confirm what I needed to hear later that night."
"And then you told your superiors and made a plan to have that general from yesterday come to kidnap her while I was gone?"
Melo gave Link a somber look.
"I did. After you told Ira and I that you'd be out of town the night before the new year celebrations, I knew it was probably the only opportunity we'd have. I had already told the Yiga that Zelda was in Hateno. I knew they'd come after me – or worse, Ira – if I didn't tell them you were leaving. Chances were decent they had someone stationed in Castle Town again who would see you and I'd look like a traitor. I just couldn't risk them coming after Ira…"
"So you sent word to Sooga and planned to kidnap Zelda before I came back."
"Yeah…"
"Got it. Well, that about answers my questions," he murmured, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.
"Um," Zelda began, her voice timid. She had finally succeeded in recovering from the shock of Melo's earlier insinuations and a new curiosity had come to mind.
Link just gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her shoulder again.
"Go ahead. If you have anything you want to ask, please do. You deserve answers more than anyone else."
"Thank you, Link." She took a steadying breath before turning her attention to Melo again. "W…why did you want to…kidnap me?"
"It's something the Yiga have always wanted. If they could get their hands on you or your sister, that would give them a way to force concessions from the King. You and Hilda have always been bargaining chips for Master Kohga."
"A-and you were hoping…that having me would be enough to convince my father to accept your demands?"
"Well, I'm not sure exactly what those demands are – I've been given a bit more information than the other grunts over the years, sure, but that kind of stuff is reserved for the higher ups. But yes, I think that was the idea."
Zelda gave him a dejected smile.
"I'm sorry to say…that your plan was doomed to failure from the very beginning. Father would…never have been swayed by threats against someone like me…"
Link took her hand again and held firmly as, to her surprise, Melo's face fell. It didn't look like disappointment either.
"I had always wondered why you were hidden away from the public eye like you were," Melo noted, meeting her gaze. "But based on that comment, it seems that your family is a little cold towards you, huh?"
"That…is somewhat accurate, yes," Zelda agreed, averting her gaze again.
A silence fell over the room but Zelda had nothing else to contribute. She had heard the answer to her last question and was content enough to just let Link handle things from here.
Melo, however, had one last thing to add.
"Link, may I ask you a question before you go?"
"Sure."
"Did you…ever get the sense that I wasn't quite who I led you to believe?"
Zelda felt her fiancé's grip stiffen as he met the man's eyes.
"Not really. Since I moved out here, I've tried not to doubt my fellow Hylians…or at least to doubt them less. I was pretty wary of everyone around me for a time. All the noblewomen who tried to offer marriages to me were doing it with nothing but selfish intentions. Many of the knights around me were jealous of the fact that I had never been counted among their numbers – they resented me because they thought I saw myself as better than them.
"But once I moved out here, I decided to try accepting people for who they were instead of always looking for reasons to be suspicious. When I saw you, Melo, I truly only saw a happy-go-lucky person who wanted nothing more than to support his sister and make her dream of running a restaurant a reality. Maybe someone who was a little flighty and scatterbrained, but a good man."
Melo hung his head.
"I was kind of hoping you'd had your suspicions; it might've made the fact that I'm such a two-faced coward a bit easier to stomach. I'm…sorry I disappointed you…"
"Don't apologize to me," Link interjected, his voice returning to that sterner tone from earlier.
Zelda watched in surprise as he leaned forward and stared hard at Melo before speaking again.
"Apologize to Zelda, who was stolen from the first place she's ever felt safe because you betrayed her trust. Apologize to Glenne, who saw you as the big brother he never had and carried you back to town even after learning the truth. Apologize to Celene and Syd, whose house and possessions went up in flames yesterday because of your actions. Apologize to every single person in this village for lying to them for years and throwing them all away in the end."
Melo said nothing still, but his somber eyes led Zelda to believe he was taking in every word. After a few moments of silence, Link then spoke once more. His voice was softer this time, though.
"And I doubt even you would need me to tell you this but…tell Ira the whole truth. Then get down on your knees in front of her and beg her forgiveness. I know you did what you did to support your little sister and protect her from harm. I might even have done the same if our positions were swapped. But I doubt that dulls the pain and heartbreak she's suffering right now."
"You're right…" he murmured.
Zelda finally found the courage to speak again. Her hands were shaking. She was about to say something…wildly inappropriate.
"Um!" she began, sitting forward and clasping those hands together.
"What is it, Zelda?" Link asked, his voice immediately gentle like it always was with her.
"C-couldn't we…p-pretend that Melo wasn't one of the Yiga members we found when the Fort Hateno soldiers arrive?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes having widened just slightly.
"I mean…nobody…died, right? And I'm still here and okay. S-so…what if we gave Melo…a second chance?"
"You…want to let him go?" Link asked. There wasn't a hint of anger in his voice, only surprise.
"N-not entirely. He should…he should make amends to everyone…for what he's done. B-but…can he really do that…in prison? I…may not always be the best judge of character but…I don't think Melo is r-really…a bad person…"
She was stammering and hesitating a lot more than she'd done with Link lately, but she was scared to say such a thing out loud. She knew he was angry with Melo and didn't want to offend him. Very quickly, however, he proved that she had nothing to be worried about, reaching out and taking her hand as a smile began to appear his face.
"You have such a good, kind heart, Zelda. To be honest…I was sort of wondering myself if something like that might be possible," he admitted at last.
Zelda's eyes lit up and she smiled at him.
"L-Link…"
"You're both very kind to offer such a gracious second chance to me," Melo began, lifting his head at last and gazing towards them, "but I'm afraid that's not possible at this point."
"W-why?" Zelda asked, her face falling.
"The Yiga know too much. They know I'm stationed out here in Hateno. If they sent a scouting party here to follow up and saw me wandering freely through the village after what happened yesterday, they'd kill me for abandoning them. Maybe even Ira."
"B-but…maybe…we could…"
"Even if they never sent a scouting party, even if they gave up on you entirely knowing they can't possibly overcome Link, someday the other five soldiers he and Glenne captured will be released. Or the Yiga will break them out. Or they'll slip away somehow. And those five will feel like I'm a traitor because I wasn't imprisoned alongside them and tell the generals. Then they'll hunt me down even if I fled to the ends of the earth. They'd search for Ira if they couldn't find me. Even if it were twenty years later, they'd still do it. I just can't take that risk."
"Then…what can we do?" Zelda asked, her heart sinking into her stomach.
Melo just gave her a resigned smile.
"I accept the consequences of my actions – that's what we do. You and the others hand me over to the Fort Hateno soldiers along with the group downstairs. As long as I'm in prison with the rest, then I didn't betray the Yiga Clan. They won't ever try to seek revenge on Ira because the plan failed. The boat never showed up and Sooga himself crossed blades with Link and was overwhelmed – sometimes a plan just falls apart. And even the Yiga have a strange sense of honor about them; Sooga will assume responsibility for yesterday's failure himself."
"That's what you really want?" Link asked pointedly.
"Of course not. But ironically enough, the only place where I can protect Ira from harm is a cell in Fort Hateno. Or wherever else they eventually decide to move me. But I can't stay here. I'll just be painting an even bigger target on the village and on her."
"So you'll turn yourself in without a struggle to protect Ira and the rest of us," Link noted.
Melo nodded before meeting his gaze again, a strange determination on his face.
"I will. It's the only thing left for me to do after the pain I've caused everyone. It's the only way I can atone for my sins at this point. Joining the Yiga was a huge mistake and I only realized it years after it was too late…but at least this way, Ira can live a long, healthy life without a knife secretly being pointed at her back. If that's the last joyous thing that ever happens in my entire life, I can at least sleep well at night knowing she's safe. She's the only family I have left; I'd do anything for her."
"Melo…" Zelda murmured, her melancholy growing.
"Besides," he continued, "as long as Link's here in Hateno, I know she'll be safe. Everyone here will be. Sooga learned it the hard way yesterday – nobody in the Yiga Clan has a hope of taking down the hero who felled Calamity Ganon with the Master Sword."
"You're giving me too much praise," Link muttered, shaking his head. "A lot of yesterday's rescue was luck – if there hadn't been a storm or if that boat of yours had actually shown up…I probably wouldn't have been able to save her in time…"
"You'd have been able to save her in the end though," Melo assured him. "I left a map in the cellar of the general store to where our rendezvous point was."
"What?" Link was stunned.
"I…guess I got cold feet after meeting Zelda. I didn't really want the Yiga to take her. So I left a clue for you in case we actually got away."
"Y-you…did that…for me?" Zelda murmured.
"I did. Though I guess it was for you and Link…and a little bit for Mipha too."
"Thank…you…"
"I'm sorry I sold you out, Zelda. I'm really glad Link made it back in time to save you from…us."
Zelda gave him a smile again.
"I…really am too."
Link, who was still recovering a bit from the surprise information, turned his attention back to Melo and gave him a somber smile of his own.
"Thanks Melo…leaving that map shows me your true colors a lot more than that uniform does. And hey, you know as well as I do that the soldiers won't be coming out here on the first day of the new year. At the earliest, they'll come out tomorrow. Mind if I give you some unsolicited advice before that happens?"
"Go ahead, I'd appreciate it."
"Spend as much time with Ira as possible. I know it'll be painful for both of you but…don't leave here without setting things as right as you can."
Melo gave Link a firm nod.
"I won't. I saw her briefly last night…I think she's still pretty shocked by everything. I don't know when she'll want to see me, but I'll try to leave here with as few regrets as possible."
"Um,' Zelda began, meeting his eyes, "I…will try talking to Ira. I'll…I'll send her up here…if I can. She d-deserves to know the whole truth and even if it hurts…I know she'll want to hear it from you and not us."
"Thank you, Zelda. I really owe you."
"N-not at all."
"Well then," Link began, fixing Melo with a complicated expression. It was the exact midpoint between pity and aggravation. "Zelda and I will clear out so you and Ira can have some time to sort everything out."
"Thank you. And I'm sorry again…to both of you."
Link nodded, rising to his feet at last.
"I appreciate everything you did to look out for this village over the years, Melo. I hope you have the chance to turn your life around sooner than later. And I'll put a good word in with the soldiers at the fort. I can't have anything happening to a friend while he's there, can I?"
"Link…" he murmured, almost in disbelief.
Link raised a hand and gave a small smile at last.
"Take care of yourself, Melo. We'll meet again someday, I'm sure."
"You as well, Link. Thanks for looking out for everyone."
"G-goodbye for now, Melo," Zelda added, inclining her head just slightly.
"See you again someday, Zelda. I'm sorry again for what I put you through."
With that, Link helped Zelda up and led her gently from the room, easing the door shut behind them. He was quiet for the walk down the hallway and down to the main lobby of the inn again. She understood some of his feelings. Melo had been a friend for years. And if he had just been an irredeemable monster who had been wearing a fake personality, it would have been much easier to swallow his betrayal.
But Melo wasn't a bad person. He had made some bad decisions…but his heart was good. That was the worst thing about the situation.
As they reached the bottom floor, Zelda noticed that Ira was still slumped over at her table. In fact, it looked like she hadn't moved at all. They'd been upstairs with Melo for a fairly long time too…
"L…Link," Zelda began, meeting his gaze.
He offered her an encouraging smile.
"She's all yours. I'll wait here for you; she'll get more out of hearing this from you than from me."
Zelda nodded, mustering as much confidence as she could.
"Thank you. I'll…do my best."
As Zelda crossed the room, she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. The thundering in her ears was almost deafening, louder with each step she took. The closer she got to Ira, the more nervous she became. Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to turn around and let Link take care of things. Ira didn't need her sympathy. She didn't want to hear useless words from someone like Zelda…
But she had promised she would try to convince Ira to speak with Melo once more. Unlike her, Ira had a family that still loved and cared for her, someone who would do anything for her. And Link had entrusted this task to her. He had encouraged her. He believed she would do a better job than he would.
So no matter how much she might disagree with that, she wanted to prove to herself that, just once, she could live up to the expectations someone had of her. She wanted to prove to Link that he wasn't wrong for putting his trust in her. She wanted to be somebody worth recognizing.
She wouldn't let herself be a failure today.
"I-Ira?" she began, her voice and hands trembling badly.
She squeezed those hands together in an effort to steady them and tried not to flinch away as the slightly older woman met her gaze with tired, pained eyes.
"Hey, Zelda. Is something on your mind?"
"Y…yes…um…I…"
She was breathing hard and fast, trying to calm her nerves but failing spectacularly. Ira, sensing her incredible anxiety, sat up straighter and gave her a gentle smile.
"You don't have to be so worried; I'm just about the most open person in the whole village! You can just say what's on your mind and I won't get upset with you, I promise. It's something about Melo, right?"
Zelda eyed her with wonder for several moments before taking a long breath, forcing herself to do so as slowly as possible. Her heart was still racing but her mind was a bit more at ease now.
"Um…it is. L-Link and I just finished…speaking to him. Um…y-you haven't…spent much time with him…since yesterday, right?"
Ira's smile became sad right before her eyes.
"No. I saw him for a moment when Mipha healed him but…I haven't been able to bring myself to talk to him. I don't…want the brother I've always loved and trusted to hurt me anymore than he already has, I guess."
"Um!"
Zelda tried to force herself to speak but couldn't get the words out. Ira, it seemed, understood completely, waiting patiently for her to calm down and speak again.
"I…know I'm not someone whose opinion should really matter to you…a-and it's terribly presumptuous of me to think that my own thoughts on this matter are important at all…but…I um…I t-think it might help you…to talk to him…"
"How come?" Ira asked.
Her voice wasn't harsh or aggressive at all. That helped Zelda calm down a little more.
"Um…I don't want to speak for him but…there's more t-to the story than you might know just yet. I…don't want you to have to say goodbye tomorrow…without understanding what really happened…"
"Heh."
Ira laughed lightly, some of the familiar sparkle returning to her eyes at long last. Zelda worried that she might yell at her for overstepping her position but…instead Ira rose to her feet and offered a warm smile.
"You're the one he set up to be kidnapped and yet here you are trying to take care of me. You're very sweet, Zelda. Thank you. I just…I guess I'm scared of what I might learn…"
Zelda, her confidence growing just slightly, nodded fervently.
"I understand. Um…not in the same way, but I've been…hurt by my own sister. The idea that someone so close to you…so important to you…could betray your trust and cast you aside…it's awful. B-but…that's exactly why I think you should hear him out. I think…I really think it'll help."
Ira studied her with wide eyes for several moments before letting out a small sigh and nodding.
"You're right. I know you're right. I can't sit down here and be a coward until he's gone; I'll just have questions ripping me apart for the rest of my life. I'll…go and talk to him."
"R-really?"
"Really. If you think it'll help me going forward, then I have no reason at all to doubt you. I know you want what's best for me. In fact, I'm really grateful that you're looking out for me. Thank you, Zelda."
"O-oh, of course. I…just want to help…"
"Well I'm very lucky you're here. Okay…I'll go talk to him. Not like I'm getting any younger," she quipped, some more of her usual energy returning to her.
"Um," Zelda continued, forcing herself to meet Ira's gaze directly, "if you…if you ever need to talk…about this…I r-really do think I can…understand. M-maybe not everything you're feeling, of course! And I'd never presume to relate to your exact thoughts! I-in fact, I may not be able to appreciate the situation at all, p-perhaps I shouldn't have-"
Zelda stopped short as Ira reached out and took her hands, smiling at her.
"Thank you so much, Zelda. I'm still sorting through a lot but after I talk to that brother of mine…I'll come find you sometime and take you up on your offer. I really appreciate it."
Ira's eyes were shimmering, much more vibrant than the look she'd worn when they'd first entered the inn.
'Maybe…I did okay…'
"Link!" Ira called across the room suddenly.
"Yeah?" he answered, stepping forward from his spot against the wall.
Ira grinned brightly at him.
"You take care of this treasure of a woman!"
Zelda felt her cheeks catch fire and her mouth fall agape as she glanced between the two. Ira wore a familiar smile, her expression bright with mirth. Link had averted his own gaze and his own cheeks were a little dark – maybe it was too warm inside for him – but he nodded all the same.
"Of course I will. Yesterday's as close as she'll ever come to something happening to her while I'm around."
Zelda felt her heart flutter at his words. He really was so good to her…
"Okay, Zelda," Ira began, releasing her hands at last, "I'll go talk to Melo. And sometime sooner than later…I'll talk to you about everything too. If you're up for it, of course."
"O-of course I am. You can…come talk to me anytime."
"Thanks. Alright, wish me luck."
With a final goodbye to the two, Ira vanished up the stairs, taking a steadying breath as she went. Zelda knew the conversation would be hard for her…but Melo wasn't a bad person. He had made some short-sighted decisions to protect his sister, but she didn't believe it was anything so awful as to be unforgiveable. Perhaps that would be a comfort to Ira as well.
She could only hope it would be.
"How do you feel?" Link asked as he crossed the room towards her.
"I feel…okay. I hope…I managed to help her some."
Link placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You did. I know it was hard for you to put yourself out there like that, but I also know she really appreciated it. Like she said, Ira's basically an open book; what she told you was the absolute truth, I guarantee it."
"I just hope she'll get something out of speaking with Melo…"
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But even if she needs some time to accept things, at least she has your friendship to count on, right?"
Zelda froze for a moment.
"F…friendship?"
"Of course."
"You think…Ira sees me as a friend?"
Link offered her an encouraging smile.
"I'm sure she does. Being there for each other is what friends do, right?"
Zelda couldn't hide the tiny smile that began to tug at the corners of her lips.
"…r…right!"
As the two started to make their way to the front door, Link suddenly turned towards her.
"Hey, can I take you somewhere for a while? Or are you a little worn out right now? After yesterday I don't blame you if you'd rather head straight home."
Zelda shook her head and showed him what she hoped was a confident smile.
"I would…love to go with you wherever you'd like."
Link smiled brightly at her before gesturing to the doorway.
"Perfect. I'd like to show you a special spot. Stay close, okay?"
"I…will."
Zelda stepped into place beside him and, before she knew it, she was being led out into the bright winter day once more, curiosity fueling every step.
"This view is incredible," Zelda murmured as she gazed out towards the horizon.
"It's my favorite place in the whole village," Link explained, his voice relaxed.
Zelda had followed Link to the highest point above Hateno Village. A winding path up a steep hillside had led them to a large, empty plateau. When she looked out to the west, she could see almost the entire Necluda region, the sprawling expanse of nature captivating her. Mount Lanayru to the north was more foreboding than usual at this proximity and the sea to the east was awe-inspiring to behold. Its sheer vastness took her breath away.
"T-thank you…for bringing me up here," she managed, trying to keep her mouth from continually falling open as she gazed upon the incredible sights.
"Thank you for coming with me. You're not too tired, are you?" Link asked, his eyes concerned.
She shook her head and tore her attention from the horizon to meet his gaze.
"Not at all. I feel much better than yesterday. Thank you…for being so aware of my condition."
"I'm really glad you're doing better today. And I'm still so sorry for what happened to you yesterday, Zelda."
"It…all turned out okay in the end. At least for me…I wonder if Ira will be okay…"
Link gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"She will be. Everyone in the village will be here to help her out going forward. And most importantly of all, she has you by her side now."
Zelda felt her cheeks heat up.
"I…only hope I can make a difference for her…"
"I'm sure you will."
"I…um…"
She trailed off, unsure if she really should speak the thought that had just come to her mind…perhaps it was too presumptuous. But, as usual, Link smiled towards her.
"What's on your mind?"
"Uh…um…I hope…I can make a difference in your life…as well…"
Link's smile grew brighter.
"You already have, Zelda. I meant what I said yesterday about every day being better because you're in it."
Zelda's cheeks flushed even more intensely.
"Um…h-how…do I actually improve your life…if I may ask?"
"How?"
"I just…I don't feel like my presence could really be that special…t-to anyone…"
A light gasp escaped her lips as Link wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her just a little closer to him. It was a different kind of closeness than she'd felt yesterday. After he had rescued her from her assailants, they were both lost in a whirlwind of emotions and had clung to one another as a means of reassuring the other and themselves. Today, however, Link was calm and collected. His actions weren't spur of the moment at all.
That meant…he wanted to do this?
"For now, I'll just leave it at this – you're not just someone I get to share my days with. You're someone I get to enjoy my time with. Someone who brings a light into that little house of mine that never existed there before. You can take all the time you need to trust those words, Zelda; I promise I'll keep reassuring you as much as I can." His voice was gentle the way it always seemed to be when he addressed her.
"I…really manage all that?"
"You do. I really like having you around. And I won't ever let anyone take you away from your new home again."
Zelda felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks burn even hotter. Blessedly, he didn't look directly at her.
"L…Link…"
"Sorry, I'm probably overwhelming you a little, huh?" he offered, withdrawing his hand and giving her a sheepish smile.
"N…not at all. It's…been a very long time since someone has wanted me around though…so I guess I was just…surprised."
"I promise you'll always be wanted here."
There was a time Zelda might have doubted Link's words, punched holes in their sincerity alone in the confines of her own mind. But after the last several months, she knew him far better than to think that was how he really felt. And after the last day, she had a newfound appreciation for just how serious he was when he said things like that.
After everything they'd already gone through together, Zelda knew she could trust Link.
"T-thank you."
"Of course. Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something. Do you mind?"
"Y-you can ask me anything."
"What do you do to occupy your time when I'm out? Making lunch or dinner can only keep you busy for so long. It occurred to me on the carriage ride home yesterday that I don't really know how you spend your free time."
"O-oh! Um…I…just try to make myself useful…"
She didn't want to sound ungrateful for his generosity.
"You don't run out of things to do?" he continued, his voice a little surprised.
"N…no…"
"Because if you were just sitting around the house bored, I'd want to know."
Zelda gasped in surprise as she met his knowing gaze. He continued, probably trying to give her an excuse to speak up if she wanted to.
"It wouldn't be selfish or anything if you were feeling a little lost for what to do. You're still settling into an unfamiliar place, after all. Besides, if you do get bored, I'd love to help you fix that."
"Y…you…would?"
"Of course. I'm less busy in the winter months since a lot of the wildlife is hibernating; I still go out about twice a week, but I'll be home a lot more consistently. So I have plenty of time to help you pick up a new hobby or two if you'd like."
"A…new hobby?"
Link smiled at her again.
"Only if you're actually bored of course. If you really are content at home, then don't let me pressure you into anything."
Zelda considered his words for a long time. He was being so kind to her again. Perhaps she should accept his wishes and tell him the truth…
"Um…"
"Yes?"
"I…suppose I…do tend to run out of things to do…sometimes…"
Link's smile widened considerably.
"I thought that might be the case; in fact, I've been worried it was. Thank you for being honest with me. I know it may not always be easy, but it'd make me very happy if you'd keep doing that with me."
"I'll…try my best."
"That's all I'd ever ask. So, it sounds like we need to come up with something fun for you to do when I'm away, don't we?"
Zelda shook her head quickly.
"O-oh, you don't have to go to any trouble."
"It's no trouble at all," he insisted. "It'll set my mind at ease knowing that you're as happy as you can be at home."
"R…really?"
"Really. So…let's play a game!"
"A…game?"
"You name the first thing that comes into your mind after I say a word, okay? And no thinking about it, just on reaction."
Zelda was stunned by his idea for a moment but quickly pulled herself together.
"O…okay. I'm ready," she insisted, drawing her hands into loose fists as she nodded.
"Delicious."
"Curry."
Link grinned before continuing.
"Dull."
"Etiquette classes."
That comment earned a light laugh from her fiancé.
"Passion."
"Um…history…"
"Sounds like we might have a starting place for a hobby," he insisted with a smile.
"W-well…I suppose I do rather like history…"
A particularly frigid gust of air raced across the plateau and caused Zelda to shiver. She wasn't in her winter coat after all it had been through yesterday so the cold was a bit more obvious than it otherwise would have been.
Link, of course, keyed into it right away.
"It's pretty cold up here, isn't it? Why don't we head back? And we can think of some ideas together on the way."
He extended his hand towards her, his long, sandy hair fluttering in the breeze.
Zelda felt a bright smile slowly spread across her face as she placed her hand in his. He was always looking out for her. Since the day she had arrived at his house, a place that had once felt cold and foreign to her, he had gone above and beyond to make sure she was comfortable. To make sure she was happy and safe and taken care of. It was more than she'd ever thought she deserved.
But after a month and a half with Link, she was starting to believe that he did it all because he really just wanted to. His kindness was limitless. His warmth unmatched. And in the many weeks she'd been with him now, she was even starting to feel welcome within the walls of his house. His home.
Could she…consider it hers too…?
"L-let's…go home."
Link's eyes widened as she said those words but a moment later he lit up.
"Let's."
Zelda had to fight down a terrible the whole time, though – Link didn't once release her hand as they walked together down the winding path leading back to the village. It was the first time in her life she'd ever walked hand in hand with a man who wasn't her father. And even that hadn't happened since she was a little girl.
The feeling was indescribably warm…but she suspected it had a lot more to do with the fact that it was Link holding her hand than anything else.
Lurelin Village was usually a fairly calm little town. It sat right on the beach beside the ocean at the southernmost edge of the Necluda region. Occasionally, the tides would rise higher or become angrier during a storm, but even that wasn't enough to disturb the seaside community's peaceful and placid atmosphere. In fact, nothing ever seemed to intrude upon the tranquil air that surrounded the area.
Which is why yesterday had been such a shock.
Lurelin didn't even get travelers frequently, much less thieves. But it was the fact that those thieves had been from the Yiga Clan that was both baffling and concerning…
A young woman sat alone on a large rock, gazing out towards the calm waves as she pondered those thoughts. Her short, blonde hair danced in the brisk sea breeze as she allowed a thoughtful frown to crease her brow.
"Ah, I thought I might find you up here," came an aged voice.
She turned her head and spotted Armes the Village Elder approaching, a relaxed smile on his face. He was a shorter man with grey hair that now bordered on white, and he moved a little slower than he had even a year ago.
She felt a pang of guilt that he had come all this way just to find her.
"You know, you could've just sent for me; I never mind coming to your house," she insisted, shifting to face him.
He waved his hand and gestured to the ocean.
"I felt like getting out of that tiny little hut anyway. When a friend as grand as the ocean is so close by, it feels a shame to stay indoors all the time. Just because I'm getting older and slower doesn't mean I'm a sickly, feeble old man!" he insisted with a jovial laugh.
She smiled and gave him an eager nod, her guilt assuaged.
"You got that right, Elder! So, what can I do for you? I figure you're here about what happened yesterday, right?"
The old man's face fell somewhat.
"Indeed. I regret the fact that I wasn't here to watch over my own home when rabble like the Yiga so brazenly entered it."
The young woman just shook her head and offered a reassuring smile.
"Ah, don't worry about it! You were attending the Year's End Ball at the Castle! Besides, I took care of 'em."
"That you did, and I cannot thank you enough for doing so. I've been meaning to hear the story directly from you since I returned, though. Would you mind regaling this old man with your heroic tale?"
She grinned at him patting the rock beside her.
"Sure thing, but you've gotta come join me first; you may not be sickly or feeble but I'm not gonna sit right in front of you and hold court while you stand and stare at me!"
The man laughed loudly and made his way closer, lowering himself down onto the large stone slab.
"Point taken! I'd be happy to join you."
"Thanks! So, story time?"
"If you please."
"Well," she began, turning her gaze back to the ocean before her, "yesterday me and the others were just getting things ready for our end of year celebration. Everyone was busy so nobody really noticed what was going on around us except me. I guess I owe it to my dad's training, really. But anyway.
"I saw these two conspicuous people walking through town, a man and a woman. I didn't recognize 'em but I thought maybe they were extended family to someone in the village. So I stopped to talk and they gave a pretty believable excuse – said they were Trott's cousins."
The Elder frowned.
"But Trott doesn't have any extended family."
The young woman raised an eyebrow and let a confident grin spread across her lips.
"Bingo. So I played it off and let 'em go, but I kinda trailed behind and followed 'em to see what they were doing. It wasn't long before I realized they were trying to steal a boat from one of the docks and sail into the storm like a couple of idiots.
"So I tried to stop 'em – thieves or not, I didn't want to let people sail into a storm like that. But then there was a puff of smoke and suddenly they were both wearing Yiga outfits. Can't say I expected that one. Of course, they both came at me and tried to put me down but…well, I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Thankfully so. But why would the Yiga Clan be moving here of all places? There's nothing important in Lurelin."
"Expect a boat. Wonder why they wanted it anyway…"
Elder Armes stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I could only hazard a few guesses and I'm sure all of them would miss the mark of reality. Why were they so determined to sail away into the storm I wonder? Even our most experienced sailors wouldn't dare test the ocean under such conditions; did their lives mean nothing to them?"
The young woman puffed herself up.
"Must not have – they drew their blades against me after all," she snarked, throwing a wink towards the Elder.
"I owe you an enormous thank you yet again," Armes continued. "Since you moved here last year, you've looked out for all of us without fail. I shudder to think what could have happened if one of the others had stumbled across the Yiga trying to steal a boat in broad daylight."
Her confident demeanor faltered for a moment as she frowned.
"I know; I thought the same thing. I know how to take care of myself in a fight but the others…especially the kids…what if they'd been the ones to try to stop them from sailing away…?"
"Well, let's just be grateful this time that no one was harmed. Including you, I might add."
An easy smile overtook her worry once more.
"Nothing to worry about – those two were just grunts. The Yiga don't really start getting dangerous till you climb up the food chain a good few links."
"Speaking of 'links,' do you suppose your brother is aware that the Yiga are operating in the area?"
She crossed her arms and frowned.
"Probably not. For them to send such a small party to Lurelin makes me think they're trying to move quietly. I doubt they'd have been stupid enough to cross his path yesterday…but! I was already planning to visit Hateno in the next week or so after things here settle down again and let him know what's going on. When your brother's the Goddess's chosen hero, it seems like the smart thing to do!"
Armes chuckled again.
"I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you again, as well. It's been quite some time since last you visited him, hasn't it?"
An amused smile stole her lips and she resisted the urge to laugh.
"It has, but he's had a lot going on the last few months. I just wanted to give him a little space for a while so he could adjust without me breathing down his neck."
"Oh? Has something changed rather drastically in his life?"
"You could say that, yeah. But you know, now that we're talking more about it…maybe I will head out to Hateno sooner rather than later."
Armes raised an eyebrow, smiling bemusedly.
"Something's changed your mind, has it?"
The young woman gave him a mischievous grin.
"Not at all! I just miss my dear big brother! Whatever would give you that idea? But…if I just happened to show up and enjoy how socially awkward he gets with new people…well, I'm sure he'd understand in the end."
The Elder laughed again, thoroughly entertained by her antics.
"I'm sure no matter the reason, he'll be thrilled to see you."
"Keep your fingers crossed for me then! I'd say there's about a fifty-fifty chance he hugs me or throws me out his front door depending on how fast I slip up and make fun of him."
"Hah! I do hope you'll regale me with that tale as well once you're back home with us!"
"Deal!"
The two laughed together a while longer before turning their attentions back towards the sea and settling into a relaxed silence.
It had been a while since she'd moved here but the people of Lurelin had taken her in as if she were part of their own family. They were all extremely good people, especially Armes. He was like the grandfather she had lost so long ago. Spending time with him and the others warmed her heart and brought her immense joy each and every day.
'But…seeing how awkward Link is with his new fiancée might bring me just a tiny bit more joy! Ooh, I can't wait!'
Book I – Fin
9/15/2023
Post-Chapter Note: Welcome back everyone! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 9!
Obviously we had a fair bit of resolution this time between several characters which was nice to give plenty of time to focus on compared to the rushed mess it would've been to try squeezing it into last chapter! Zelda finally got to thank Glenne and the other students who tried to save her, we got Melo's backstory and know he's not just a terrible dude who lied to everyone including his own sister, and Zelda's starting to come into her own with some of the people in the village outside of just Link, obviously Ira being chief among them. She's really come a long way in the last month and a half (in story of course, it's only been a month in real life since I started writing this lol), but don't worry, there's tons more to come!
Of course, there was also our new mystery character at the end...not that she's much of a mystery - I outright called Link her brother lol! I thought it might be kinda fun to give a little character hook for the next Book and give you an idea of a little bit of what you can expect going forward from here! It's been a while since this story has had a new, unknown plot arc to follow. I feel like we've been following Zelda's kidnapping for a while now! So as much fun as it was, I'm also excited to get back to them living their normal lives together and getting to know each other even better...with perhaps a few wrenches thrown in from this sister of Link's? I'm sure she means well, though!
So while this is the end of Book I, nothing about the upload schedule will change. No pausing or mid-book projects. Next week, I'll start Book II on the same schedule as I've been posting the ending of Book I - the differences in Books are mostly just to denote which arc we're in. So what's to come in Book II? Stay tuned to find out! Of course, this arc will progress much more slowly than the last one did just by virtue of every chapter being a weekly upload as opposed to the first seven chapters of this arc which were basically posted on a schedule of "how fast can I write an acceptable chapter" lol, but I always try to plan out what I'm going to do very carefully and I'm excited to share with you all what I have planned this time as well!
Until then, thank you all so much for reading the first arc of this story! There's much, much more to come and I hope I can entertain you the entire way through! So for now, thanks again for taking the time to read Stars in the Darkest Night and I can't wait to keep going next Friday! Take care everyone and I'll see you again soon!
