Children of the Triforce: Retold

Chapter 5 – Stress

For the next few days, Zelda followed the physician's advice, remaining in bed for almost the entire duration. Link had the servants prepare her meals and bring them to her bedside, which meant that the only time Zelda ever had to be on her feet was when she visited the chamber pot, which was fortunately in a small room connected to her own.

The physician continued to monitor Zelda's health, as well as the developing child's. Every time he visited, he held a grave look on his face, as if he wasn't expecting good news. However, he always left without any major developments to report, which Zelda interpreted as "good news", even if that wasn't necessarily the case. He still insisted that she stay in bed for now though, as if her condition would only worsen if she began moving around more than necessary.

Fortunately, Zelda felt fine for the most part. Her stomach still carried a dull pain throughout the duration, and she did end up bleeding some more, but she endured it as best she could. Link stayed by her side whenever he had the time in his schedule, and he did his best to make sure that she was comfortable too. She appreciated his support, always happy to see that he was willing to dote on her.

Her children, however, were less than friendly company. Zelda loved her kids, of course, but their reactions to her situation usually just left her with a sad and broken heart.

"Mommy, why can't you come out to play?" Cecil asked, rolling around on her bed.

"I can't sweetie," she told him. "I have to stay in bed, remember?"

"But I'm bored!" the four-year-old complained. "And I miss you. Playing outside isn't fun anymore."

Zelda gave her son a sad smile. She hated to hear him talk like this. "I wish I could, Cecil, but I'm afraid that I just can't right now."

"Mama!" her second child cried from her bedside. She jumped up and down a bit.

"Yes, Kristin?" Zelda asked patiently.

"I'm hungry," she said in her tiny, innocent voice.

Zelda felt even more saddened by this. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm sure that your daddy will get something for you."

"I want you," the girl said indignantly. She was honestly a bit harder to please than Cecil. Unlike her brother, she didn't really understand what Zelda was going through. Not in the slightest.

Zelda just felt her eyes threaten to tear up as she looked at her daughter. She wanted to be there for her children. It was her role as their mother. But she just couldn't right now. Not when the life of her unborn child was still on the line.

"There you kids are," a voice from the doorway suddenly interrupted them. Zelda looked up to find Link standing there. She quickly wiped her tears away before anyone had a chance to see.

"Daddy!" Kirstin cheered, running up to him. "I'm hungry."

Link just laughed before picking her up. "Spoken like a true daughter of mine. How about I take you down to the dining hall to get something to eat?"

The girl smiled before giving a big nod. Link then turned to his oldest child.

"Cecil, why don't you come too? You also need to eat."

The boy frowned, as if he didn't want to leave. "Can mommy come with us?"

Link soon frowned as well. "Sorry, buddy, but you know she can't. She's sick, remember?"

The boy just crossed his arms. "Why? Because of the baby?"

Link sighed. He had tried to delicately explain the situation to his son, but being a toddler, he still didn't fully understand it. The hero supposed that it was to be expected, but it still made the situation difficult. "Yes, son. Mommy needs to sleep so the baby stays healthy."

"Why is the baby making mommy sick?" the boy complained as he jumped off the bed. He still didn't look happy.

Link just blinked. "It's not the baby's fault, Cecil." Still, as the words left his mouth, Link couldn't help but wonder where the blame truly did belong. He had yet to voice such opinions out loud, but he couldn't help but wonder if this whole situation was his fault. If he had done something wrong to cause all of this…

"Cecil," Zelda suddenly spoke up, using a soft voice. "Be a good boy and go with daddy, won't you? You need to eat, and I'm sure grandpa will join you guys."

Cecil still seemed unsatisfied, but he soon nodded anyway. "Okay…" He then walked over to Link's side before wandering out into the hall.

"Will you be okay here?" Link asked, turning to his wife.

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "Just make sure the kids are taken care of, okay?"

"I will," he promised. He then flashed her a sad smile. He hated leaving her alone like this, but someone did need to look after their children. With a heavy heart, he turned away, closing the door behind him.

Zelda just sighed, leaning back in her bed as she gently rubbed her sore belly. She hated having to live like this, but she reminded herself why she was doing it. It was all for the sake of her baby. This new, innocent, unborn life. A few days had passed since the night of her horrific nightmare, but Zelda could still recall it perfectly. How terrified she had been to watch Ganon stab his trident through the infant's body. Her infant.

With a determined look, Zelda glanced down at her flat stomach. I love you, she thought, projecting her thoughts towards the baby. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise.

Zelda then paused, wincing a bit. The dull pain that had lingered in her stomach suddenly intensified, growing more painful than it had been the last few days. The sharpness of the pain returned, and Zelda once again felt like she was being stabbed in the midsection. With a tight gasp, she cried out in pain.

"Princess Zelda?" someone called from outside her room. Within seconds, the door was thrust open, and a maid rushed inside, looking alarmed. "Princess, what's wrong?"

"Gah!" Zelda gasped again before clenching her teeth. Another sharp pain tore through her middle. She soon winced as she left a liquid begin to spill from between her legs. She didn't even have to check to know that it was blood…

"Call the physician!" she screamed desperately. "And hurry!"

The maid nodded before sprinting out of the room. Zelda then remained there, writhing in pain as she continued to bleed. She soon forced her eyes shut, praying to the Goddesses above that this wasn't what she thought it was. That this wasn't the end of her child's life.

The physician claimed that the baby had survived, but just barely. It had been another threatened miscarriage, and the doctor ordered Zelda to stay in bed for the next few months at least.

And so she did. It wasn't easy being confined to a bed for so long, but Zelda managed it the best she could. Her family endured it as well, although it certainly put stress on everyone. Her two children had started to accept that their mother was confined to her bed, and unable to spend a lot of time with them, but they certainly weren't happy about it. They constantly asked when Zelda would get better, and unfortunately, she never had an answer for them. She just encouraged them to keep behaving themselves while she rested.

As for Link, he grew more concerned by the day. He knew that Zelda's pregnancy was at risk, but he had a hard time dealing with everything that this entailed. He hated seeing his wife suffer like this. To see her experience such pain and worry. Like before, he continued to wonder if all these issues were somehow his fault. If he had done something that caused Zelda's body to fail.

However, Zelda and the physician assured him that this was not the case. They both claimed that these sorts of things happened, and that there was little that could be done about it. Link wanted to believe their words, but it proved difficult, especially as time progressed and Zelda's symptoms started to worsen.

Zelda continued to occasionally experience the sharp pains as well as the bleeding. Every time she did, she feared that a miscarriage had finally run its course, terminating the pregnancy. However, the physician always rushed to her side for an examination, only to assure her that the baby was still alive, just not in good shape. Zelda continued to worry, but she followed the doctor's instructions as best she could, trying to mitigate any potential risks.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long before a new symptom started. It was a severe case of nausea, and it struck whenever Zelda consumed something. She began to feel sick at every meal, and she had a hard time keeping things down. During her first two pregnancies, she had experienced a "morning sickness" similar to this, but it had never been this extreme. This nausea lasted for much longer, and guaranteed that Zelda retained very few nutrients. It didn't take long for both the sickness and the lack of food to wear on her, draining the Princess's energy dangerously low. The constant bedrest helped to combat this, but it was still a miserable experience.

Finally, to top everything off, Zelda continued to experience her nightmares at a more frequent rate than ever before. They interrupted her sleep multiple times a week, each time forcing her awake with either a scream or a gasp. Naturally, Zelda remembered each vision clearly, and they all terrified her to no end. They typically ended with a dead family member of hers, whether it be her husband, her two kids, her unborn baby, or sometimes even her father. And of course, the shadow of Ganon could often be seen lurking in the background, hauntingly laughing at her.

At times like this, Zelda would just start crying herself back to sleep as Link held her. The stress of everything was weighing on her, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it.

Fortunately, as the weeks passed by, things slowly started to improve. Zelda's nausea began to lighten up, usually only occurring once a day instead of at every meal. The sharp pains and bleeding also began to stop, although Zelda did feel some dull pain in her stomach whenever she shifted around. But by the time Zelda reached the end of her first trimester, she felt much better, even if she was still confined to her bed.

It was on one of these days that Link came to visit her. He had just finished putting their two children down for an afternoon nap, which guaranteed that both he and Zelda would get some proper peace and quiet for a while. He walked over to his wife and sat down on her bedside with a tired smile.

"How are you holding up?"

Zelda gazed back at him with equally tired eyes. "Better," she replied honestly. "I at least feel some strength returning now that I can eat again."

"Praise the Goddesses," Link responded. "Maybe the worst of it is finally behind us, huh?"

"Maybe," she agreed halfheartedly. She certainly didn't sound optimistic. She then sighed before reaching down and rubbing her stomach. Within the last few days, she had started to notice the tiniest curve of a bump forming there. It was the first physical sign of the child growing within.

Link gave her a sad smile. "I still don't understand why this is happening," he admitted quietly. "I mean, Cecil and Kristin's pregnancies were basically no trouble at all. But this…"

Zelda frowned, staring down at her stomach some more. She then felt her lip begin to tremble. Being pregnant, she couldn't help but be a bit more emotional than usual. However, this was something completely different. This was the accumulation of all the worry and stress she had endured within the last few months.

Zelda just brought her hands up to her face as she began bawl, the tears spilling down her cheeks.

Link immediately looked alarmed. "Zelda, what's wrong?"

"It's too much," she whimpered. "It's been so painful and terrifying. And I feel so bad for you, being worried out of your mind. And the kids, having to get by without me. It's not fair, to any of you…"

Link reached over, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Zelda…"

But she shook her head, refusing to stop. Not only were the tears spilling, but also what was on her mind.

"And that's not all! I keep having this horrible, awful, thought…the thought that maybe it would be better if I did lose the baby, and then everything could go back to normal…"

Zelda ceased her words, releasing some shaky gasps as she sobbed. Link tried to rub her shoulder some more, but he honestly didn't know what to say. He understood how she felt, but she almost seemed inconsolable in this moment.

"I do want this baby," Zelda choked out, still bawling. "I really do. But I just keep having these awful nightmares, and I feel like I can sense that something is off…Oh I just don't know what to do!"

Link sighed. At this point, he had finally heard enough. He faced Zelda before grabbing both of her shoulders firmly. He then turned her so that she was looking directly at him, even if it was through tear-stained eyes.

"Zelda, listen to me," he said softly. "You haven't done anything wrong. You've been doing the best you can under these circumstances. You've been under a lot of stress, and it's okay to feel this way."

Zelda's lip quivered some more before she leaned forward, collapsing into his arms. "Oh, Link," she cried.

"It's okay," he told her. "It will all be okay. Things have been rough, but the baby is still with us. We haven't lost the battle yet."

Zelda softly smiled to herself. Of course her husband would compare this to something like a battle.

"You've been very brave," he continued, soon leaning in to give her a kiss on the forehead. "And I'm so proud of you."

"You're too kind," Zelda whispered back to him. "I've only made it this far because I had you by my side, supporting me all the way."

Link gave a hollow laugh. "That? That was nothing. I honestly wish I could do more for you."

Zelda shook her head. "No, you've done more than enough. Taking care of the kids while also keeping me comfortable. On top of helping my father in the court since I'm not around…Honestly, what would I do without you?"

Link released another sad smile. "I still feel like blaming myself for all of this though…"

"What?" Zelda immediately pulled out of his embrace, giving him a concerned look. The skin around her eyes was red and puffy from all of her tears, and she clearly looked hurt. "Link, don't say that. It's not your fault. You know it isn't."

"I'm the reason you're pregnant again though," he pointed out in a quiet tone.

"So? There's no way that you could've known that this pregnancy would be so troublesome. No one did…" Zelda then paused before giving him a small smile. "Besides, it takes two to make a baby."

Link couldn't help but smile back. Despite everything his wife had been through, it was nice to see that she still had a sense of humor. He soon leaned in and kissed her again before running his fingers through her hair.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"A little," she admitted. Surprisingly enough, it seemed that her bawling had actually managed to relieve her. It felt like she had released a lot of stress, and she was now feeling quite refreshed.

"I'm glad to hear that," Link replied, his smile growing wider. "Is there anything I can get for you, my Princess?"

Zelda thought about it. "A glass of water would be nice."

Link nodded before rising to his feet. He returned a few minutes later, handing the cool glass over to his wife.

"Thank you," she told him before slowly sipping it. She made sure not to consume too much at once. She had learned that doing such a thing tended to set off her sickness if she wasn't careful.

The two of them then sat in silence for a moment, simply enjoying the quiet moment of peace that had been provided. Between the kids and the troubles of her pregnancy, it wasn't often that moments like this came around.

"How are the kids doing?" Zelda asked, her thoughts drifting to them. She knew that they weren't the only ones suffering because of their separation. Zelda dearly missed spending time with them as well.

"They're holding up okay," Link said. "Cecil hopes that you'll be out of bed by the time of his birthday next month. Meanwhile, Kristin just keeps asking when you're finally going to feel better."

Zelda smiled at this. In her absence, it sounded like the children had gotten quite good at hounding their father. Still, she missed being able to see them as often as she liked. Because of her condition, there were some days that she didn't get the chance to see them at all, and the separation weighed heavily on her heart. She still wanted to be there for her kids, even if she was sick.

"I should be able to go to his birthday party, as long as there are no further problems," Zelda told him. "The physician said that I can probably be released from bed as long as things continue to improve as they have."

"I don't want you pushing yourself though," Link warned her. "The last thing we need is any more complications."

"I know," Zelda agreed with a nod. "I just…I wish that I could get up and play with our children. I miss having fun with them…"

Link smiled. "I understand, but just be patient. We both know that this pregnancy won't last forever."

Zelda smiled back, appreciative of his encouraging words. She was truly thankful to have him by her side.

"What are you up to this afternoon?" she asked as she continued to slowly sip her water. "Do you have some training with the knights?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Although, I'll skip out on it if you want me to stay here with you."

Zelda just shook her head. She loved having him here, but she didn't intend to selfishly keep him to herself, especially when he was needed elsewhere. "No, go ahead and do your training. I'll be fine here."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Zelda then paused before smirking. "Besides, I like what it does for your body."

Link just grinned before rolling his eyes. "Gee, it sounds like someone is feeling better," he teased her. "But you're right. I should try to work off some of this nervous energy."

Zelda produced a sweet smile before leaning in and giving him a farewell kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Poor Zelda :( But at least Link is always there to support her, no matter how rough things get :)

(And things will get rough, I assure you…)