To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 4 – Father and Daughter

A few weeks had passed since Link's departure from the castle. As expected, Zelda's days had become quite busy during this time. She was currently trying to organize numerous plans to aid in Hyrule's reconstruction effort. Naturally, this required a lot of brainstorming as well as discussions with the Hyrule Council, which consumed the majority of her time. Unfortunately, they had yet to put any concrete actions or solutions into place, but Zelda was at least satisfied to know that progress was being made.

In addition to meeting with the Council, Zelda had also made sure to set aside time to meet with her father, the man known formally as King Caius Vesperi Hyrule. Due to unfortunate circumstances, the King was unable to join in on the Hyrule Council meetings, so Zelda took it upon herself to keep him informed. He was currently resting in a bed in the castle infirmary. This was just another reason why Zelda made time to visit him, so she could check up on his well-being. Otherwise, she would often find herself fraught with worry. It was a very serious condition after all…

The King had been stricken with poison. The shocking deed had taken place the very night before the Twilight Invasion occurred. It seemed that someone had snuck a venom into Caius's dinner, and upon its consumption, the King was immediately rendered comatose. From that point on, the situation quickly deteriorated into a fight for his life. Fortunately, the castle doctor was called upon and was able to administer treatment as quickly as possible. It was a hard-fought battle, but with the doctor's attempts to counteract the poison's effects, it seemed that the King's life had at least been spared.

Zelda only later discovered that Zant was responsible for the poisoning. He had ordered one of his servants to sneak the toxins into the King's meal in the hopes that it would remove him as an obstacle, and provide Zant with an easy, uninhibited invasion of the castle. And it seemed his plan had been successful, for Caius remained unconscious for the entirety of the initial attack.

It was for this reason that Zelda had to face Zant's invasive forces alone. With her father out of commission, she was the sole remaining leader that her people could call upon. So she gathered up what men were available and made her stand against Zant, only to inevitably surrender her Kingdom over to him.

Caius had been imprisoned in the infirmary after that. Zelda herself had been imprisoned in one of the castle's towers, so she had no way of contacting him or even knowing if he was still alive. Fortunately, the doctor had also been imprisoned in the infirmary alongside the King, and he was able to continue his treatment against the poison throughout the entirety of the Twilight Invasion.

From what Zelda heard afterward, fighting the poison had been no easy task. The doctor had been forced to work with limited materials, and even then, he was dealing with something that he had never witnessed before. The venom itself was a completely unknown substance, something the likes of which Hyrule had never seen or documented. The doctor could only describe its scent as something that radiated a dark and sinister aura. Zelda assumed that it must have been something that was native to the Twilight Realm, which Zant had brought with him.

During the Twilight Invasion, the King did manage to regain consciousness from time to time, but these moments were only filled with pain and misery. In addition to the forced slumber, Caius also faced a high fever, constant chills, a cough that sounded like death itself, and even hallucinations at times. For the doctor, it became increasingly difficult to determine if his treatment was actually aiding or hindering the battle against the venom. Either way, the King could do nothing other than lie there in agony as the Twilight Invasion ravaged his Kingdom.

Fortunately, once the threat of the Twilight came to an end, things did start to improve. Finally released from his imprisonment, the doctor was able to acquire some much-need medical supplies from Castle Town. This, along with his constantly growing experience of dealing with the poison, allowed him to finally move things in a better direction. Before long, the King was able to open his eyes without groaning in pain, and the first thing he gazed upon was Zelda, sitting by his bedside. Needless to say, after everything they had been through, the two of them ended up enjoying an incredibly happy reunion.

Fast forward to the present, and the King's condition was no longer the worst-case scenario, although it was still far from ideal. The doctor had confined him to bed, believing that taking things easy and continuing to get plenty of rest would be best for improving his condition. His symptoms still consisted of having a nasty cough as well as a great amount of fatigue. He tended to tire easily and only stayed awake for a fraction of the day. Still, his current state was like night and day when compared to how he was initially after the poisoning. Zelda had to constantly remind herself that this was something to be thankful for.

On this particular day, Zelda made her way to the infirmary, a pleasant smile on her lips. She didn't have time to visit her father every day, so she always made sure to treasure the days that she did.

Zelda entered the medical room, where a number of empty beds lined the walls. She soon walked past them and over towards a doorway at the end of the room. This led to a small room that was connected to the infirmary, yet secluded from it as well, to allow the patient some privacy. This small room is where the King currently resided.

Upon arriving at the doorway, Zelda peeked inside. The room consisted of nothing more than a small but comfortable looking bed and a few cabinets lining the walls. As expected, the bed was currently occupied by her father, a middle-aged man with a kind yet stern disposition. His hair was dark in color, with a few strands of gray here and there. His eyes were the same sapphire blue as Zelda's, a perfect match between parent and child. On his chin, the only facial hair to be found was a well-kept goatee. As Zelda gazed upon him, she couldn't help but feel a bit of pride. In spite of his illness, her father still held a majestic air about him. It seemed that even a deadly poison could only do so much to diminish the stature of a King.

Caius was currently up in a sitting position, which Zelda assumed meant that he must be taking a break from his all but constant slumber. As she watched him, she noticed that he was staring out the nearby window, looking at the sunny skies overhead. Her smile widened a bit as she chose to announce her presence. "Good morning, father."

The King soon turned in the direction of her voice. Upon seeing his daughter, his face quickly broke into a smile of his own. "Good morning, Zelda. How lovely it is to see you visit again." His voice was strong and somewhat deep, but it had a steadiness to it that Zelda had always found calming.

"It is good to see you as well. How are you faring today?"

Caius soon flashed her a confident grin, and even flexed one of his arms. "I feel as strong as an ox!"

Zelda just raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? That good?"

He firmly nodded. "Of course. You can't expect this poison to keep me down forever, can you?"

Zelda gave him a somewhat skeptical look as she took a seat in a chair next to his bed. "Well, that is certainly good news to hear…" she said hesitantly.

Naturally, the King caught her tone. "Oh? And yet you don't sound very pleased."

"It's hard to be pleased when I suspect my father is lying to me," Zelda shot back, still holding a skeptical stare. She then sighed a bit. "I should hope that you are not pushing yourself too hard to make a recovery. The doctor said that it will take some time before you are back to good health."

Her father waved a hand at her in dismissal. "I've already spent a lot of time recovering. Who's to say that the Goddesses haven't finally decided to bless my health and send it in a better direction?"

Zelda smiled a bit. "Well, I appreciate your optimism, although I still feel some concern."

"And I appreciate your concern, but I assure you, it is entirely un-" Caius paused as his words caught in his throat. He soon brought a handkerchief up to cover his mouth just as he violently began to cough. His body rocked back and forth a bit as the air was painfully forced out of him.

Zelda just winced as she listened to him. It sounded like he was hacking up a lung and a half. It really was a dreadful sound, and she hated hearing it.

Eventually, the violent hacking started to subside, although the King did still suffer through a few more coughs before it truly finished. Once it was over, he timidly lowered his handkerchief, and took one long, tired breath. He then glanced over at Zelda, and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Well…maybe I'm not completely fine, but I am doing much better..."

Zelda just stared at him for a second before sighing and shaking her head. "This is what I'm worried about, father. You are most certainly not 'fine', not even close. Even 'better' seems to be a bit of a stretch."

Caius scratched the side of his head a bit. "All right, the cough is still pretty bad, I admit."

Suddenly, a new voice came from outside the room. "Aye, you can say that again." Zelda and Caius turned to see the castle's doctor walk through the doorway, his hands resting behind his back.

Zelda greeted him with a small smile. "Good morning, Doctor Roswald."

The man known as Roswald gave a slight bow before returning her smile. "Good morning, Princess Zelda. It is a pleasure to see you as always."

"The pleasure is my own," Zelda said with a nod. "Thank you for always allowing me entry."

"Of course, you're welcome here any time." The doctor glanced over at his patient for a second before facing the Princess once more. "I take it you've come to inspect the health of His Majesty again?"

"Yes, although I find it a bit difficult to gauge such a thing." Zelda paused, giving her father a sharp look out of the corner of her eye. "Tell me Doctor, is he really improving? Or is my father's word not to be trusted?"

The King just gave her a look of exaggerated betrayal. "Oh my sweet, only daughter, Zelda…Why would you doubt your dear father's words?"

Zelda just closed her eyes and crossed her arms, shutting him out completely. "Because he tends to overestimate himself instead of worrying about his health and well-being."

The doctor chuckled at the banter between father and daughter. He then gave Zelda a reassuring smile. "Yes, he is improving, although it is an incredibly slow and delicate process. It seems that the poison is still running its course through him, and when dealing with such a foreign substance, it is impossible to determine when it will completely subside. There's even a chance that he may get worse before he's allowed to get better."

"That's awful," Zelda said with a frown. She turned to her father with a sympathetic look. "To think that you've suffered for so long already, and there isn't even a definitive end in sight."

Caius stared at her troubled expression for a moment before sighing. "I believe this poison should have taken my life on the very night they gave it to me. The only reason I've survived for this long is because of the doctor's good work. I'd like to think that I'm rather fortunate to still be here at all. Don't forget that, Zelda."

Zelda gave a nod as she mindlessly stared down at the bedsheets. "I know…I just hope that your suffering doesn't go on for too much longer."

"It's hardly suffering at this point," Caius assured her. "It's more of a minor inconvenience, if anything."

"Still, I would appreciate it if you started showing your health a bit of concern," Zelda pointed out.

"You should listen to the Princess, Your Majesty," Roswald suddenly interjected, giving the King a stern look. "She speaks with great wisdom."

Caius heavily frowned and gave the doctor a wave of his hand. "Oh phooey. What do you know?"

The doctor just sighed as he shook his head. "Stubborn as always." He soon departed the room, returning to the main section of the infirmary.

Now that the father and daughter were alone once more, Zelda gave him a tired look. She soon spoke up softly. "Father, please tell me, what could possibly be a greater concern for you right now other than your own wellbeing?"

The King gazed at his daughter with a frown. They sat in silence for a few seconds before he eventually sighed again. "I'm not worried about such things. I'm more worried about you right now."

Zelda blinked. "What? Me?"

Caius slowly nodded. "Yes, I'm more stressed out by the thought of how much of a burden has been placed upon you with me in this state. Leading our Kingdom, making plans with the Council, keeping things organized and running smoothly. You wouldn't have to endure such things if I was capable of performing my duties as King."

Zelda detected a heavy hint of guilt in his tone. She quickly tried to dissuade him. "Father, please, it is not as big a burden as you make it sound. These tasks are easily manageable, and the Council has offered me much support. Besides, as the heir to the royal throne, it is my responsibility to be capable of carrying out such tasks. How could I ever expect to lead this Kingdom if I were unable to perform these duties?"

Caius bowed his head a bit. "Yes, but that is not all. You also had to endure the Twilight Invasion, stepping forth to lead when I was unable to."

Zelda frowned. She was starting to understand just how much remorse he felt. "Father, you are not to blame. Even if you hadn't been poisoned, what would you have done?"

"I would have been there by your side, making sure you were safe and free from harm," the King said solemnly. "I still shudder at the thought of everything you had to go through alone."

Upon hearing this, Zelda provided her father with a small smile. "I wasn't completely alone. I did have two companions that I could rely on."

Caius glanced over, allowing himself a small smile as well. "Ah, Princess Midna and the Hero Link?"

Zelda gave a proud nod. "Of course. With them by my side, things were not nearly as dark as you would believe. They provided me with hope and kept me safe through the worst of it."

"I'll admit that knowing that does put my heart at ease…if only a little bit," Caius replied with a bigger smile. "I was able to speak briefly with Midna before her departure, but I have yet to meet our Kingdom's young hero. After hearing of his escapades and accomplishments, I should think that I need to thank him in person."

Zelda nodded once more. "He promised to return to the castle when he has some time. I can arrange for you to have an audience with him then."

"That would be wonderful."

The two of them continued to discuss things for a while, such as recent Council topics and other reconstruction plans. Zelda made sure to inform him of all the current proceedings, and Caius chimed in with his own opinion from time to time. He also instructed Zelda to bring up his comments at the next Council meeting, hoping that they would aid in the discussion. Naturally, she committed said comments to memory and promised to mention them to the other Council members.

Unfortunately, their discussion was cut short when the King experienced another violet coughing fit. Zelda could do nothing more than wince and wait for it to pass just as she had before. By the time the sudden storm of hacking had finished, Caius looked incredibly worn out.

Fearing for his health, Zelda soon rose to her feet. "Perhaps I have overstayed my welcome. You need your rest."

The King looked as if he wanted to argue, but one stern glare from Zelda was all it took for him to back down. Besides, he couldn't help but admit that he was starting to feel rather tired. "Very well. Getting some rest will probably do me some good."

Zelda smiled at his sudden change in attitude. She soon leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the side of his temple. She then took a moment to adjust his pillows and provide him with a comfortable place to lay his head. He soon lowered himself back, allowing himself to relax.

"Thank you," he told her.

Zelda just gave him a sympathetic smile as he lay in his sickbed. "I wish I could do more for you."

Caius smiled back. "Just knowing that you are safe and well does good things for my health. I can't imagine how distraught I would be if you were the one that had been poisoned instead of myself."

"I'm glad to know that my presence sets you at ease. I promise I'll be back to visit soon."

"I look forward to it."

As Zelda turned to leave, she took a moment to scan the room. Her eyes fell upon the window, the only source of light in this otherwise dismal environment. She recalled how her father had been staring at the sunny weather when she had first entered the room.

Zelda turned to her father once more. "This room is rather dreary, isn't it? Perhaps I'll have to bring a vase and some flowers the next time I come to visit, to help liven things up."

Upon hearing this, Caius's face brightened a bit. "That would be greatly appreciated."

Zelda gave him one last smile. "Take care of yourself, father."

"I will," he promised.

With that, Zelda turned around and took her leave. On the way out, she made sure to say farewell to the doctor and thank him for his hard work. She then departed from the infirmary, moving on to other parts of the castle.

Before long, the Princess stepped outside the castle's walls and into the warm sunny weather that her father seemed to have been yearning for. She closed her eyes and brought her face up towards the sun, allowing herself to soak in its warm rays for a moment. This, in combination with the soft breeze blowing her way, put Zelda in a tranquil state of mind.

Perhaps spending some time out here will do me some good as well, she mused with a smile.

Pursuing this thought, Zelda opened her eyes and glanced at a path leading off to the side. She did have some free time in her schedule, so she figured she might as well use that time to relax and enjoy herself a bit. Days like this didn't come often, after all.

Reaching a decision, Zelda began making her way towards her new destination: the luxurious castle garden.

Here we have another new character, the King of Hyrule himself, Caius Vesperi Hyrule. I tried to give him a name that sounded befitting of royalty. I chose "Caius" because I thought it sounded kind of regal, and I gave him the middle name of "Vesperi" because I was told that this means "Twilight" in Latin. Kind of fitting for the King that rules during the age of Twilight, no?

As expected of his stature, I tried to make Caius a mature and respected individual, but I've also given him some fun qualities as well. The same qualities you might expect to see from a young Princess Zelda in just about any of the Legend of Zelda games. I like to think he can be fun, high-spirited, and even playful from time to time. I feel this definitely makes him a more interesting character than if he was just serious all the time, and it also allows him and Zelda to have a more natural as well as loving relationship. I've quickly found that I enjoy writing scenes where these two are together.

One thing that I always wondered about when playing Twilight Princess was what had happened to the King and Queen (I mean, I wonder this same thing in just about every Zelda game, but whatever lol). Zelda is still a Princess, suggesting that she hasn't fully inherited the role of Queen from her parent(s), and yet she is the one that stands up to Zant when the Kingdom is under attack. I've seen some people say that her parents are dead and she just hadn't been officially crowned as Queen yet, but I preferred to take things in another direction. That's why I decided to come up with the story that the King had been poisoned during the Twilight Invasion. This way his absence during the game's events is perfectly explained, and yet he can still be involved in the story that takes place afterward. Win-win!