To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 11 – Roundtable

Another week came and went, with Zelda finding herself busier than ever before. The time had finally come for the assembly of Hyrule's newly instated council. As expected, important figures from all across the Kingdom were now traveling to Castle Town, where they would meet at the same table and hold a discussion about the ways in which they and their people could aid in the recovery effort.

It was an exciting time, with many people both inside and outside the castle chatting about how interesting it would be to have so many outsiders visiting at once. For Zelda, however, the organization of such an event was tedious. It required a lot of planning in order to get so many people together in the same place at the same time. Zelda had talked to the various council members-to-be over and over, discussing the rearranging of schedules as well as the methods of transportation for those outside the castle. For most of Hyrule's civilizations, Castle Town wasn't exactly just a short trip down the road, after all.

Fortunately, Zelda didn't have to bear the burden alone. Ministers Fost and Enzo were more than happy to step in and help with the organization of the event. They continued communications with the various civilizations, and made sure that everyone was ready for the set date and time. They also offered to send carriages to the leaders' homes in order to escort them to Castle Town, but surprisingly enough, only half of them accepted. Darbus of the Goron Tribe claimed that he could simply "roll" his way to the castle, and Prince Ralis of Zoras insisted that he and his guards could swim the rivers all the way to the castle's moat. Zelda just shrugged when she heard this. It sounded a bit out of place, but she quickly realized that getting a carriage into Zora's Domain probably wouldn't be easy or practical, and there probably wasn't a carriage in existence capable of carrying someone of Darbus's weight and size. Yes, in this instance, it was better to let them do as they pleased.

Which left the other two outsiders, Renado the Shaman and Mayor Bo, to accept the offer of transportation. As promised, a carriage was dispatched to Kakariko as well as Ordon. This is where Link decided to get involved as well, offering to escort Mayor Bo back to Castle Town on the promised day. In the meantime, he returned to Ordon ahead of schedule, and spent a few days relaxing there. Having spent so much of his recent time in the castle, it felt good for the Hero to return home for a while.

But alas, the day had finally come. Zelda now stood at the castle gates, ready to welcome her guests into her magnificent home. Today would mark the official formation of what would formally be known as the Hyrule United Roundtable, a meeting where leaders and Kings would come together to discuss the state of their Kingdom. Zelda had personally decided to refer to it as the "Roundtable" for short. Link had suggested that they could call it the "hurr" (or rather, HUR), but upon Zelda telling him that it sounded ridiculous, he quickly dropped it.

As she stood by the front gates, Zelda smiled a bit as she thought of the Hero clad in green. For some reason, this alone was enough to make her lips curve upwards and her heart feel lighter. Even though Link had only been away from the castle for a few days now, the Princess looked forward to seeing him again. The time they spent together was always pleasant, after all.

Before long, the guests began to arrive. Surprisingly, Darbus was the first, lazily shuffling in though the castle gates on his short, skinny legs. The rest of him, however, was huge. He stood nearly twice as high as the tallest of guards, and his large muscular arms stretched low, almost close enough to touch the ground. With each step he took, the earth around him seemed to quake a bit. One of the guards ended up whimpering and raising a spear in defense, but another guard quickly snatched it and forced it back down with a shake of the head. This Goron may have been the size of a hulking beast, but he was actually an ally.

Small bluish eyes soon fell on Zelda, and a wide grin spread across his large mouth. "Princess Zelda," he said in a brutish, rough voice. "How nice it is to see you! You've grown rather big since last we met."

Zelda smirked a bit, noting the irony in someone of his stature referring to her as "big". Darbus was actually an old friend of her father, so Zelda had met him a few times back when she was a child. "Greetings, Chief Darbus. It is good to see you as well. Thank you for making the trip all the way out here to join our Roundtable discussion."

"Of course!" the Goron replied happily. "My tribe is more than willing to step in and help."

"I am happy to hear that."

Darbus soon took on a more serious expression. "I have heard news of what happened to your father. Tell me, is Caius well?"

Zelda gave a short nod. "He is still recovering from the poison, but he is doing well for the most part."

"Ah, that is good to hear," Darbus said with a grin. "Perhaps I'll have to pay him a visit while I'm here, eh?"

Zelda stifled the urge to giggle as she imagined this giant Goron trying to squeeze into her father's tiny room in the infirmary. Instead, she just gave an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Darbus. I have a feeling that would brighten his day."

Before long, Minister Fost joined them, and offered to show the Goron to the meeting room inside the castle while they waited for the other guests to arrive. Upon seeing the short man, Darbus just released a resounding fit of laughter.

"Ga ha ha! Little Fost, is that you? How many years has it been, friend?"

Fost just frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. Clearly, he didn't like hearing the term "little" applied to him in such a way. "Oh, and here I was hoping you had forgotten that ridiculous nickname…"

Darbus shook his head. "Of course not. All it took was one look at you and the memory came rolling back to me!"

Fost sighed as he led the thundering Goron into the castle halls, all the while scowling at the abnormal amount of dirt that covered him. Zelda just smirked a bit as she watched them go. She had a feeling that this Roundtable was going to be quite the lively event.

Shortly after that, Renado's carriage arrived. Zelda had met him once before, during a trip to Kakariko Village when she was younger. She gladly greeted him and welcomed him inside. Not far behind him was Prince Ralis and two Zoras that accompanied him as guards. Zelda had met him a couple of times before, as he and his mother had occasionally visited the castle. Zelda was surprised at how young he looked though. He was still young enough to be considered a boy, and Zelda knew that he wouldn't be crowned as King of the Zoras until he had grown a bit more. Still, Ralis promised to do his best to aid both Hyrule and his people, and Zelda was happy to have his support.

Last but not least was the Ordon party. Mayor Bo's carriage pulled through the castle gates, with Link riding Epona not far behind them. Zelda smiled as she laid eyes on the Hero once more, but she made sure to properly greet Bo first. She had actually never met this man before, but her father had, and her first impressions of the man were friendly enough. Much like the other guests, she welcomed him into the castle with a smile.

The Princess then turned to find Link approaching her. He gave her a bashful smile. "I hope we're not too late."

Zelda shook her head. "No, you're right on time. It is good to see you again."

"It's good to be here," Link replied in a surprisingly confident tone. "I'm actually kind of looking forward to this."

Zelda couldn't help but raise her eyebrows a bit. She hadn't expected this sort of response from the Hero. "You are? I would've thought that you'd be nervous."

Link shook his head. "Nah. While I was in Ordon, I talked some stuff over with the Mayor and Rusl, and they helped me get excited about this whole Roundtable thing. They really put things in perspective, making sure I understood all the good I'll be able to do now that I'm a part of this. It's kind of exciting…" Link paused, his face suddenly beaming a little. "Plus, it'll be nice to see everyone again. I'm expecting a lot of familiar faces."

Zelda just stared at him, feeling rather stunned. Was this really the same Hero she had known just a week ago? It felt like he had gone through an incredible transformation. Still, Zelda's lips eventually curved into a smile. "That's wonderful to hear, Link. I'm really proud of you."

Link's confidence wavered a bit upon hearing the Princess praise him, but he tried to keep his head held high. "Thanks Zelda. Hopefully I'll be of some use here."

"Of course you will," Zelda assured him. "Now come along. I believe everyone else is awaiting us."

Link gave a small nod of understanding, and Zelda smiled at him. She then made sure to turn away quickly, before their eyes had a chance to meet. For some reason, ever since the two of them had experienced that incident on the stairs, Zelda still found it difficult to meet his gaze. She was happy to see him of course, but the thought of facing his sight head-on filled her with anxiety. She wasn't quite sure why that was the case though.

Fost had already started leading Bo into the castle, so Zelda and Link followed behind them. They navigated the castle halls before arriving at a spacious meeting room, where a large, rounded table sat in the center. Seats were placed at consistent intervals around the table, some of which were already occupied. In addition to the guests that had arrived earlier, the room also held Auru, Ashei, and Minister Enzo. As he entered, Link smiled at each of them in turn, but his view was soon blocked by Darbus, who seemed all too excited to greet the Hero.

"Ah, Link!" he exclaimed, loudly walking over. "How are ya, brother?"

Link just smiled up at him. "Hey Darbus. I'm doing well."

"Good to hear! It's been too long, eh?" Without warning, the Goron then playfully slapped Link on the back, nearly knocking him off his feet in the process.

"Er, right," Link agreed weakly.

"You must come back to Death Mountain to visit sometime. Ever since you were named as the Hero of Twilight, my brothers have not stopped talking about you. They'd love to see you again."

Link scratched the back of his head a bit. "Um, sure. I could probably make some time to stop by."

Ralis soon ran up to join Link's side as well. "You must also come and visit Zora's Domain again, Link. My people would be more than happy to prepare a feast in your honor after everything you've done for us. I can promise you'll have the best reekfish that you've ever tasted in your life!"

Link smiled a bit. "Of course, I'd be happy to stop by sometime-"

"Hey." Link suddenly turned to find Ashei giving him a skeptical look. "For someone who doesn't like to receive a lot of attention, you sure seem to enjoy bathing in your popularity."

Link frowned. "What? No I don't."

Ashei just smirked and crossed her arms. "Are you sure? You're already scheduling feasts and excursions into the mountains. You really shouldn't let your status go to your head like that, yeah?"

Link just gave the Knight a deadpan look. "That's not what's happening at all. I'm just trying to be polite…"

Ashei just smirked some more. "Heh. Relax, Link. I'm only teasing you."

Link just sighed as he stared at her. Why did she have to make things so difficult?

"Still though, if you're going to have a reekfish feast, invite me along too, yeah?"

"Ashei…"

"Ahem," Zelda suddenly interjected, clearing her voice loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the room. Within seconds, all eyes were on her. "I'm afraid you will all have to discuss your friendly visits at another time. Now that everyone is here, I believe we should get this meeting underway."

There was silence for a moment before everyone eventually began to nod and voice their approval.

"Very good. Now let's all take our seats and then we can begin the first meeting of the Hyrule United Roundtable."

With more nods of approval, everyone quickly found their place at the table. Zelda took her place at the head of the table, with Fost sitting to her left, and Enzo to her right. Ordinarily, her father would have taken this position, but given that he was unable to attend these meetings due to his current condition, this place was rightfully hers. Link ended up a bit off to the side of the table, sitting between Bo and Ashei.

Once everyone was properly seated (including Darbus, who was sitting on a durable stool made of stone that had been prepared in advance), Zelda took a second to stand up and gaze around the table, marveling at the sight before her. Her eyes paused on Link for a brief second before continuing.

"What a glorious sight this is," she said in a loud, majestic voice. "To see so many of our people, from different races and locations, coming together to sit at the same table like this. I thank the Goddesses above for allowing each of you to join me here on this day."

"Hear, hear," Fost said with a bright smile.

"Under normal circumstances, my father, King Caius Vesperi Hyrule would be standing at the head of this table, leading this discussion as the rightful ruler of this Kingdom. However, given his current condition, I have volunteered to lead in his place, as the Royal Princess of Hyrule. I promise to do my best in order to lead our Kingdom in a beneficial direction."

Zelda paused, taking a second to glance at the table's reaction. Seeing nothing but their approval, she continued. "Now, I would like to officially welcome you all to the Hyrule United Roundtable. As I'm sure you all understand, the purpose of these meetings is to gather the representatives of the various civilizations scattered across the Kingdom, and unite them at one table. We aim to increase communications between our people, improve relations, and offer aid and assistance where it is needed. Together, we will make Hyrule a stronger, more unified Kingdom."

To Zelda's surprise, her speech was met with a little applause, namely coming from Ralis, Renado, and Bo. Zelda just gave an appreciative nod before clearing her throat and continuing once again. "For the sake of this Roundtable being used to its full potential, I would like to ask that we hold this meeting at least once a month. This will allow all of us to stay up to date on how the Kingdom is faring as a whole, and it will allow us to quickly determine what actions must be taken in order to ensure that things continue to improve. I know that the Twilight Invasion has left scars on each of your homes, and I'm afraid it will take some time to remedy all that has been damaged. However, as long as we stand together, I believe that we can achieve this and much, much more."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Bo said, suddenly speaking up. He then paused as he realized that every face at the table had turned to him. "Er, sorry…"

Zelda shook her head, encouraging him to continue. "No, please Mayor Bo, the table is yours."

The man seemed hesitant for a second, but he soon began voicing what was on his mind. "I was just thinking that so many of us live in secluded locations within the Kingdom. It can be hard to hear news of what is happening in other places around the land. I mean, we didn't even know about the Twilight Invasion until it was right on our doorstep!" There were a few nods of agreement from the rest of the table. "I would be happy to keep up to date on what is happening in each of your homes, and I will gladly share such news with my people in Ordon. This way, we can all understand each other better. And if we have to meet once a month in order to make that happen, then I am more than willing to do so."

"I feel the same," said Renado, nodding at the words of his old friend.

"As do l," said Auru. "I'm sure it isn't easy to organize these assemblies, but the benefits of meeting monthly will surely be worth the effort. History has shown that when the various races of Hyrule stand united, nothing can stop them."

"Well said," Zelda replied with a nod to the wise teacher. "We hope to start scheduling these meetings at regular monthly intervals, so everyone will know the exact date and time they are expected to be here. We'll also ensure a recurring method of transportation for those that require it, so we can all make it here in a timely manner. This should all become quite routine once everything is set in place."

Enzo soon spoke up. "Naturally, Minister Fost and I will personally see to it that the organization of these meetings go smoothly. As long as we keep up to date with our communications, we should be able to avoid any hiccups."

The rest of the table soon nodded in agreement. They all seemed to be on board with the idea of meeting monthly. With a satisfied smile, Zelda soon took her seat once more.

"Now, I would like to open up the table for discussion," she announced, glancing around at the faces that surrounded her. "Feel free to share anything that is on your mind. Any burdens or troubles you are currently facing, or any ideas that you would like to implement. In return, I promise to offer any support that I can."

And with that, the meeting commenced. Each of the leaders took turns describing the current state of their villages, as well as the actions that had been taken to aid in their reconstruction. Most of the civilizations were doing well. Ordon Village and Zora's Domain were relatively safe and unharmed. Castle Town had recently seen an increase in trade and commerce, with more people visiting the market now that the Twilight Invasion had ceased. Darbus mentioned that the Gorons were still trying to clear some monsters out of their mines, but they were fine otherwise.

The only struggle that was worthy of note came from Renado, who claimed that Kakariko was still trying to recuperate after the Twilight had taken its toll. Apparently, many of the villagers had fled back when the Twilight Invasion first started, fearing the dark monsters that lurked in the shadows. Since then, a few of the families had returned, but it seemed that most of them had moved on to other places. This left Kakariko as nothing more than a shell of its former self.

"We have plenty of business opportunities," Renado explained with a serious look. "The Gorons have made sure of that, having opened numerous shops in town. The issue then, is the lack of people. Kakariko requires more citizens if it wants to become a sustainable village. With our current population, I fear that we will only dwindle over time, until eventually no one remains."

"I see," said Zelda, nodding. "So you would like to ask us to send some new faces to live in Kakariko, is that correct?"

"Yes," the Shaman replied. "As I said, we already have a number of Gorons living among us, but we would be happy to accept all races in Kakariko as well. We have plenty of housing available, and it is currently selling for a low price. Would you all be so kind as to spread the word in your own dwellings, and see if anyone would be interested in relocating to our homestead?"

"I will gladly mention it to my people," Ralis said with a smile. "Kakariko has always been a sacred place for the Zoras. A number of our dead are buried in your graveyard, including my own father, King Zora. I would hate to see such a treasured place dwindle away to nothing."

Enzo nodded. "I will put out a notice in Castle Town, letting the citizens know that there is opportunity to be found in Kakariko should anyone have interest in moving there. I'm certain there will be some. You'd be surprised at how many people long for adventure and find the thought of moving to a far-off village enticing."

"I will make the same announcement in Ordon," Bo agreed, before smiling a little. "Although our own population is rather small, so I don't know if I can offer much."

Renado smiled at those around the table, and then bowed his head. "You have my utmost thanks."

Zelda smiled as she too glanced around the table. This entire Roundtable meeting had originally been her idea, so it felt good to see everything finally come together like this, and actually fulfill its intended purpose. Kakariko Village would likely be better off now, as a direct result of these individuals coming together and holding a friendly discussion. To Zelda, it was clear that this Roundtable was a success.

The conversation soon moved on to various other concerns, most of which were rather minor. Ralis mentioned that his people had spotted a group of monsters gathering near the rivers in Hyrule's northern field. In response, Ashei assured him that she would gather a small band of soldiers and go there to investigate. Enzo then mentioned that there had been a missing person reported in Castle Town. He was a young man, by the name of Dolen, who had last been seen heading south. Apparently, he had told his family he was going to look for some "golden bugs" in order to make some quick money from a bug enthusiast in Castle Town. Unfortunately, a week had already passed since his departure, and there had been no word from him.

"I was going to inquire if any of you have seen this man, or heard word of his whereabouts," Enzo explained. "His family is quite worried for his safety."

Bo scratched his chin a bit. "If he was traveling south, he would've eventually ended up in Ordon. But I haven't heard of any young man wandering into our village recently."

A new voice suddenly spoke up. "It's possible he got lost in Faron Woods."

Everyone at the table suddenly turned to face the owner of the voice, which was none other than Link, the Hero of Twilight. However, as the eyes of all who were present fell on the Hero, he just froze. So much for being confident…

His gaze soon fell on Zelda though, who seemed to notice his sudden case of anxiety. She just gave him a warm smile and an encouraging nod. Upon seeing that, Link just paused and took a deep breath. There was no need to be nervous. He was among friends here.

"Um, it's really easy to get lost in Faron Woods if you don't know the area," Link said, trying to sound confident again.

"It's true," Bo agreed. "We constantly warn our children to stay out of the forest. It's too easy to get turned around in there, and the place is also full of devious creatures."

"If that's the case, then it sounds like we know exactly where our missing person has wandered off to," Auru noted with a solemn nod. "He likely entered Faron Woods at some point, and hasn't been able to find his way back."

"In that case, I'll go looking for him as soon as I can," Link said with a determined expression. "I know my way around the forest better than anyone. If he truly wandered in there, I might be able to find his footprints and track him down."

To Link's surprise, his statement was met with numerous looks of equal surprise.

"Are you sure you're up to the task, Master Link?" Fost asked with a frown. "I would hate to learn that you ended up lost in the forest yourself while looking for this young man."

"Nonsense!" Bo said, suddenly grinning wide and patting Link on the back. "Link is right. Nobody knows the forest like he does. If anyone can find this Dolen fellow, it's him."

Zelda nodded. "Fost, let's not soon forget that Link is the Hero who saved our Kingdom from the Twilight Invasion. Not to mention, he has spent his whole life growing up in Faron Woods. I'm certain that he is perfectly capable of navigating the forest without fear of getting lost."

"Agreed," Darbus said, folding his arms. "Little Fost, you worry too much."

Fost just sighed, looking slightly aggravated at his nickname being used again. "Very well. We will leave this matter in Master Link's hands."

"I promise I won't let you down," Link said with a strong nod.

"And don't worry," Ashei added, suddenly flashing a grin. "Even if Link does get lost, I can always go in there and look for him, yeah?"

The table was silent for a moment, but Bo soon spoke up. "But you don't know your way around the forest, do you? Won't that just produce another missing person?"

The table was silent for another second, before Ashei scowled and crossed her arms, muttering something about how she was more capable than they gave her credit for.

Link gave a nervous laugh. "Um, I'll just be careful."

The discussion continued on for a little while after that. Once they had touched upon every topic that they needed to, the meeting was adjourned. Zelda stood up and thanked everyone for coming, and reminded them that they would all meet again in one month's time. Everyone at the table was then dismissed.

All of the members rose from their seats, and some light discussion began to break out between them. It was around this point that Darbus loudly proclaimed that he was going to the infirmary to visit the King, before he swiftly barreled out of the room. This display just caused Fost to jump in surprise before running after him on his short legs. All the while, he was yelling something about how His Majesty was sick and tired and the last thing he needed was for a Goron to barge into his sickroom unannounced. Zelda just shook her head as she watched them go. She would let them sort it out on their own.

The Princess then decided to approach Link, and give him a proud smile. "You did pretty good today, Hero."

Link just stared at her for a second before bashfully looking away. "Oh, you really think so?"

Zelda nodded. "Of course. After volunteering to help like that, I think you've already proven how useful you are to everyone here."

"I just got lucky that it involves Faron Woods," Link replied, scratching the back of his head a bit.

Zelda just raised her eyebrows at this. "Oh? And if someone had gotten lost on Death Mountain, you wouldn't have been able to find them? Or what if it had been Lake Hylia? Or Gerudo Desert?"

Link sighed. "Okay, fair enough. I guess I do know my way around a lot of places, now that you mention it."

"Yes, you do," Zelda agreed. "And I'm glad you were willing to bring your services to the table. Also, I was impressed by your confidence. You really didn't seem as nervous as I thought you would be."

Link laughed a little. "Well, I can't take all the credit there. I was only able to relax because I remembered I was sitting at a table full of my friends. And, well…it also helped to see the encouraging smile you gave me."

Upon hearing this, Zelda just froze. She hadn't been expecting him to mention that. "Oh, I helped?" she said, her voice sounding a little quiet and surprised. She wasn't sure why she suddenly seemed so startled. And for some reason, it seemed like her heart had started beating a little faster too.

"Yeah. I'll admit I almost lost my nerve for a second there, but seeing your friendly face gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going." Link then looked up, staring directly at Zelda with a warm smile. "Thanks for that."

There it was. The gaze that Zelda's eyes refused to meet. She quickly turned away, unnerved at the thought of facing his stare head-on. Her face began to redden a little, and the room suddenly felt a bit warmer as well. Was there something wrong with her?

She soon managed to stutter some words out. "O-Of course, Link. You're welcome."

Clearly, this behavior must have been a little too abnormal, for Link quickly picked up on it. "Um…are you all right?"

"Y-Yes, I am fine," Zelda insisted, although even she herself felt like she clearly wasn't. Still, her mind was telling her to retreat for now. For some reason, she felt like she would have an easier time of composing herself if she wasn't around Link. "I, um, just remembered something that I need to take care of. I'll talk to you again soon."

"Oh…All right," Link said, giving her a weird look before eventually shrugging. He just assumed that the Princess was as busy as always.

Finally free of his gaze, Zelda dismissed herself to the other side of the room, back where she had originally been seated at the table. Here, she took a few deep breaths, and managed to calm herself. The heat in her cheeks slowly began to fade, and her heartbeat slowed as well. Still, Zelda felt rather concerned. What was it about the Hero clad in green that seemed to send her general wellbeing into such emotional turmoil? He had just been smiling and thanking her, so why had she felt so nervous?

Zelda tried to think of a concrete answer, but she eventually just shook her head. In spite of all her wisdom, she was clueless.

Fun fact, I actually came up with a seating arrangement for all of the Roundtable members. I'm not sure if I'll ever fully bring it up in the story so I'll just reveal it here:

Going clockwise, it is Zelda, followed by Fost, Ralis, Darbus, Renado, Bo, Link, Ashei, Auru, and Enzo. I tried to have all of the members who were friends sit closer to each other. And I don't know why, but I had fun coming up with this lol.