To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 9 – Royal Introductions

Link's mind felt like it was racing. He couldn't believe the news that Zelda had just delivered to him. As the Hero started to tense up, Zelda just stared at him, seeming rather amused at his surprised reaction. Link didn't pay her any mind though. He was too busy trying to frantically come to terms with what she had just announced to be bothered by anything else.

The King had requested an audience with him?

During Link's many visits to the castle, he had met a number of important figures, but he had never had an encounter with the King himself. And honestly, why would he? The King was arguably the most influential figure in the entire Kingdom, after all. Why would he ever set aside time to talk to someone like Link?

And yet, according to Zelda's words, he had done exactly that. "Er…why does he…um, I mean, why does His Majesty want to meet with me?"

"'His Majesty'?" Zelda repeated, nearly snorting as she did so. "You don't have to address him so formally, Link. He may be an important figure, but my father is still just a man, the same as any."

Easy for you to say, Link thought with a frown. The last thing he needed to do was start referring to the King on a first name basis. If Zelda even suggested such a thing, he would vehemently refuse. He was already nervous enough as it was. "Why does he want to meet with me?" Link repeated, this time sounding more tired.

Zelda smiled at him. "For the same reasons as everyone else. He just wants to get acquainted with our Kingdom's new Hero."

Link wanted to ask, "What for?", but he refrained. Now that he had a title, it was harder to deny that he was a figure of great renown, especially since even Kings were apparently requesting audiences with him. Link silently prayed that he wasn't getting in over his head with all of this.

Zelda soon led the Hero into the castle halls. "It's this way. He's resting in the castle infirmary."

Link gave a small nod. He had heard about the King's unfortunate condition. "Is His Ma—I, mean, is your father still sick?"

Zelda nodded back. "Yes, I'm afraid he's still recovering. The doctor says he is improving, but it is a slow process."

Link gave her a sympathetic frown. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he recovers soon."

"As do I," Zelda said with a sigh. "Perhaps if he took his health more seriously, he could actually make some meaningful strides towards a recovery. But alas, he tends to just brush my concerns for him aside." The Princess then paused before giving Link a thoughtful look. "Hmm, maybe you could mention something to him."

Link just blinked. "What?"

"Yes, when you're meeting with my father, would you mind telling him to take things easy and focus on his recovery? After all, who knows? If he hears the same message from enough people, he might actually start to consider it."

Link gawked at her before slowly shaking his head. "You can't be serious…"

Zelda glanced at him. "Hmm? You don't want to?"

"O-Of course not!" Link shouted. It was a little louder than he intended, but he was far too startled to control himself properly. His nerves were firing on all cylinders already, and now Zelda was trying to throw this on him too? "Wh-Who am I to tell a King what to do!? And in our first meeting no less!"

Zelda just shrugged, as if she was unconcerned with his sudden outburst. "You never know. He might treasure the opinion of an outsider more."

"More than his own daughter!?"

"Perhaps. My father is a rather interesting man, as well as a stubborn one. I almost have reason to believe that he doesn't fully listen to the instructions of the castle doctor."

Okay, now Link knew for sure that he was getting in way over his head. "But why me? Surely someone else could talk to him about this?"

"Believe it or not, Link, my father does have a great interest in meeting you. You are the Hero of Twilight that saved our Kingdom, after all. Your words may hold more weight than you think they do."

Link's shoulders slumped as he let out an exasperated sigh. "But…But for someone like me to give the King a direct instruction…"

"Think of it more as just giving him a suggestion."

"Still…"

Zelda just gave him a pleading smile. "Won't you at least consider it?"

"Zelda, I don't know…"

The Princess then stepped closer, staring at him with her gentle sapphire eyes. "Please? For me?"

Link soon felt forced to look away. He couldn't withstand the pressure of that soft, innocent gaze that the Princess had seemingly conjured out of nowhere. He soon sighed again. "F-Fine, I'll think about it…But I won't promise anything."

Upon hearing this, Zelda gave him a bright smile, and to Link's surprise, she even added a quick wink. "I appreciate it."

As she turned away, Link just shook his head. What had he gotten himself into? Suddenly, guard duty didn't sound so boring anymore. He'd give anything to be back in one of those dusty hallways, waiting for nothing to happen. Yes, nothing would certainly have been better than enduring this anxiety, as well as whatever came next…

"We're here," Zelda soon announced.

Link looked up to see that they were walking into something that could only be described as a medical room. Link had passed by this place a few times while exploring the castle, so he was already somewhat familiar with it. Still, walking into the room lined with empty beds just filled him with an uneasiness. They had reached their destination far quicker than he would have liked. So much for having time to prepare his thoughts.

"I've returned, Roswald," Zelda said, greeting a man that Link could only assume was the doctor.

Roswald in turn greeted her with a smile. "Welcome back, Princess."

Zelda soon gestured to Link, who was awkwardly standing beside her. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Link, a man who I'm sure you've heard plenty about."

"Ah, yes," the doctor said with a look of sudden recognition. He soon walked over and extended a hand towards Link. "So this is Hyrule's newest Hero. It is an honor to meet you, Sir Link. I'm Roswald, the castle doctor."

Link accepted his handshake and gave a bashful nod. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Roswald insisted respectfully. "Should you ever need medical attention, please stop by. Although to be honest, I hope that I never see you in here."

Link just reeled back a bit at this. The doctor didn't want him in the infirmary? Why, had he done something wrong?

Noting his confused expression, the doctor just smiled. "It's just a joke, Sir Link. I'm saying that I wish you good health so that you never have need of my medical practice."

Link eyes slowly lit up with realization. "Oh…right." The Hero then laughed. Awkwardly, of course. He then shook his head as he inwardly cursed himself. What a fine mess this was. His nerves were already sabotaging his ability to think before he had even met the King! He was definitely not looking forward to what was soon to follow…

Meanwhile, the doctor just turned back to Zelda. "I assume you've come to visit His Majesty?"

"Yes. Father has requested an audience with Link."

"I see. Go on through then. I'll be up here in the front if you need anything."

"Thank you, doctor."

Zelda gestured for Link to follow her, and she then led the Hero to a separate room at the back of the infirmary. As they walked, Link just took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. At this point, his anxiety was just holding him back. He told himself to forget about such things and just focus on trying to make a good impression. That was all anyone could ask for, right?

The two of them pushed past a curtain, walking into the back room, where King Caius sat upright in his bed. There, Link was able to lay eyes upon him for the first time. Truth be told, what he saw there surprised him. The man definitely carried the air of a King; even at a glance, Link could tell that he was majestic, handsome, and proud. However, Link also took in the other side of him: the sickly, poisoned man that was currently confined to his bed. A man who was no more than a sick patient on the slow road to recovery. As Link gazed upon him, he couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy, as well as guilt. Here was a King that had been reduced to a lowly state. Link could only imagine that a man of his stature was not pleased with being viewed in such a way, and yet here Link was, walking into his room to witness him in all his frail glory. Link was starting to feel like this meeting was a terrible mistake.

However, it was too late to back out now. Upon hearing the two of them enter the room, Caius turned to face in their direction.

"I've brought him here as you've requested, father," Zelda said with a smile. "This is Link, the newly-named Hero of Twilight and savior of our Kingdom."

The King's gaze immediately fell on Link, who despite his attempts at composure, just froze in place. The King seemed to be studying him with sapphire eyes that matched Zelda's own, but his face eventually cracked into a welcoming smile.

"Greetings, Link," Caius said in his deep, majestic voice. "It is an honor to finally meet you at last."

Link just stood there for a second, waiting for him to continue. He then realized that the King was actually waiting for him to respond. He quickly managed to throw some words together. "Um…It is an honor to meet you as well…sir." Link then paused, before fumbling into a bow of sorts. Damn, his nerves were already through the roof!

To his surprise, he heard the King chuckle a bit. "Well, don't just stand there, boy. Come closer so we can greet each other with a proper handshake."

Link's eyes went wide. He only just now realized that he was still standing in the doorway, having not even fully entered the partitioned room yet! He was so stunned from this fact alone, that he didn't even have time to process the fact that the King wanted to shake his hand. Instead, his body just numbly walked over and extended a hand without even thinking.

The King grasped the Hero's hand and gave it a firm shake, only to follow it up with something surprising. He soon reached over with his other hand and placed it on top of Link's. He was now grasping Link's hand with both of his own. Link just watched in stunned silence as the King then did something completely unexpected. He bowed his head in prayer.

"I give thanks to the Goddesses above, for sending us this Hero in our hour of need." Caius then raised his head, staring at Link with grateful eyes. "And I give thanks to you, Link, for everything you have done for this Kingdom. Words cannot express the depths of my gratitude. You have done a great service to me, as well as the good people of Hyrule, and you have earned my utmost respect. Thank you, Hero."

Link just gave the man a blank stare. He honestly had no idea what to say to this. In the end, he just blurted out, "Er…no problem."

With a warm smile, the King soon released his hand, and gestured to a chair by his bedside. "Please, have a seat. I've been eagerly awaiting our chance to meet, and I believe we have much to discuss."

Link glanced over to Zelda, wondering what she thought about all of this, but she just gave him a reassuring smile. Somehow, he found the courage to sit down and face the King once more.

"My daughter has told me many stories about you," Caius said with a proud grin. "It sounds like you and Princess Midna went on quite the adventure together."

Link smiled awkwardly. "Yes…"

"And your efforts led to the defeat of the Usurper King Zant as well as the evil tyrant Ganondorf. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Those are very impressive feats, I must say."

"Th-Thank you, sir."

The King then paused, before staring at the Hero with a quizzical expression. He seemed to be studying him again, but this time with an intense gaze. Link just cowered back a bit in his tiny chair.

Eventually, the King posed a question. "Link, is something the matter? You seem very unnerved for some reason."

Link just froze. Once again, he didn't know what to say. He tried to fumble around for an excuse. "Um…Forgive me, Your Highness. I just, uh…feel a little nervous, I guess…"

"Oh?" the King said in surprise. He then blinked before turning to Zelda with a surprising look of guilt. "Goodness, was it something that I did?"

Zelda just laughed at this. "No, father. I've learned that this is just how Link is. He gets a little shy when he's in front of nobility."

"Seriously?" the King asked incredulously. He turned back to Link with his mouth hanging open in pure astonishment.

Link could feel himself start blushing at this point. So much for not making a fool of himself in front of royalty. "I'm very sorry, sir," he mumbled.

There was silence for a moment, before the King suddenly burst out laughing with a loud, hearty chuckle. Link just looked up with an incredibly confused expression as the man continued to cackle. At one point, a coughing fit almost threatened to overtake him, but his laughter persisted and seemed to win out in the end. Still, it didn't save him from receiving a small scolding from Zelda.

"Father, please compose yourself. Laughing that hard can't be good for your health."

"I'm all right, Zelda," he insisted, releasing a few final laughs. "I was just so startled is all. Here we have a Hero that fears no battlefield, but cowers in front of nobles and royalty? What an interesting man indeed!"

Interesting? That's certainly not how Link would have described it. Pathetic and disappointing sounded like much more accurate words to him.

"He's only nervous at first," Zelda clarified with a sympathetic smile. "He has no issues dealing with me or Midna."

Link blushed some more as the Princess defended him. He was honestly surprised that she hadn't just abandoned him to his fate. Hadn't he screwed up enough already? Still, he appreciated her assistance in this matter, even if he felt like his current situation was far from salvageable.

The King ended up laughing a bit more before suddenly reaching over and giving Link a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You can relax, dear boy. I'm not here to judge you, and it is not my intent to make you uneasy. I wish for you to be able to speak freely and openly in front of me."

"Right…I'll do my best," Link promised, although his conviction sounded weak.

The King frowned for a moment. He then looked away as he mindlessly began stroking his beard. "Hmm…It is not uncommon for those who live outside the castle to get a bit nervous upon their first meeting with royalty. It's actually a relatively common occurrence. Still, I fear that our conversation won't progress very smoothly if you aren't able to relax around me."

Link hung his head a bit. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't mean any offense."

"No need to apologize, Link," the King said with a smile. "I was just wondering if we could possibly do something to help ease your anxiety."

Link raised his eyebrows at this. "Er…that's kind of you to offer, but what exactly do you have in mind?"

The King smirked, stroking his beard some more. "Perhaps you'd feel a bit calmer if there was less company around, hmm?" He then turned towards his daughter. "Zelda, would you mind stepping out of the room? I'd like to speak to Link alone."

This time, Zelda was the one caught by surprise. She stood up straight with wide eyes. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me," Caius replied, a hint of commandment in his tone. "I'd like to speak with Link in private."

Zelda's eyes stayed wide as they glanced back and forth between Link and her father. "But…whatever for?"

"I believe that Link might be able to relax if it's just the two us having a discussion, free of any distractions."

Link just frowned as he listened to this. He actually felt like this idea would have the opposite effect on him, only making him more nervous as he faced the King in a one-on-one discussion. Having Zelda in the room with them actually made things feel a bit more comforting, if anything. It was just nice to have a familiar presence around. However, Link had no intention of speaking out against the King's suggestion, so he simply remained silent.

Zelda, on the other hand, was quick to protest. "A distraction? Myself? What nonsense is this!?"

Caius just addressed her in a calm manner. "Zelda, please. I'm only doing this to help out our young Hero here. And besides, do I not have the right to meet with one of my subjects privately?"

Zelda soon scowled, giving the King an expression of pure skepticism. It appeared as if she was trying to figure something out; trying to potentially discern some ulterior motive from her father. Eventually, her gaze flickered to Link for a second, before returning to Caius once more.

"Zelda, I am asking kindly," the man said with a hint of impatience.

Zelda's eyes narrowed some more, but she soon turned away. "Fine," she said with a sigh. "If that is what you wish, then I will oblige." Zelda then started walking towards the partition, still scowling the entire way. Once she reached the curtain, she glanced back for a second and addressed them in a purely formal tone, free of affection. "Let me know when you have finished, and I'll come back to collect Link."

And with that, she was gone. Link watched her go with a frown. His only lifeline in this nerve-wracking situation, having just walked through the curtain. Well, there was nothing to be done about it now. He would just have to summon his courage and forge onwards, even if he was alone. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face the King once more.

To Link's surprise, he found Caius shaking his head with a small smile. "That daughter of mine…I hope she doesn't cause too much trouble for you, Link."

Link blinked at this. "What? No, of course not."

The King gave a small nod. "That is good to hear. She has been very helpful to you, I take it?"

Link just blinked again. Was he being serious? "Of course. Zelda was a big help to me and Midna when we were on our journey. She even aided in the final battle against Ganondorf. I doubt I could have defeated him without her assistance."

"Yes, I have heard, and I am incredibly proud of her for that." The King then paused, taking a moment to glance at a vase of flowers resting beside his bed. "I know better than anyone that she is capable of some truly amazing things."

"Yeah, she is," Link agreed with a small smile.

The King then turned back to Link, brightly smiling himself. "One of those amazing things being able to get you to open up. I can't help but notice, as soon as we started talking about her, your nerves seemed to have disappeared."

Link blinked yet again. Wait, was that really true? Maybe it was, for Link had just managed to string together more than a few sentences without stuttering or making a fool of himself. "I guess so," he agreed sheepishly. "Only because I felt the need to speak in defense of her."

"Yes, I do appreciate that the two of you look out for each other," Caius said with a thankful smile. "I imagine our Kingdom will have a bright future with the two of you working together."

"I…I'll try my best," Link replied, trying to sound more confident. Maybe this one-on-one conversation with the King wouldn't be so bad after all. The Hero felt like he was finally finding his footing in this discussion.

However, the conversation took a sudden and surprising turn as Caius stared at Link with a curious expression. He smirked a bit as he gently stroked his dark beard. "I'm truly glad to have made your acquaintance, Link. Now that we finally meet face to face, I'm certain you can see where my beautiful daughter got her good looks from."

Okay, this threw Link for a loop. He just eyed the King with a look of confusion. Was he being serious? In the short time that Link had known the man, he had not imagined him to be quite so vain. Still, the statement had been made, and now the King seemed to be expecting a response. What was Link supposed to do? He wasn't certain, but he definitely wasn't about to disagree with the man, that was for sure.

"Ah…yes," Link replied awkwardly. "You, uh…look quite handsome…Your Highness."

Caius just stared at the Hero for a moment, before frowning and shaking his head. "Oh no, not myself, Link. I was actually referring to her mother."

Link instantly froze. Wait…what?

"Yes, it seems that my daughter inherited her beauty and charm from my late wife. Meanwhile, my features are certainly nothing special…" Caius then paused, before flashing an amused smirk towards Link. "However, I'm glad to know that you find my appearance so appealing."

Link just sat there with his mouth hanging open. What was happening? Did he really just make such an embarrassing mistake?

Suddenly, the curtain to the room snapped open, and Zelda quickly stormed in. The scowl from earlier was still glued to her face, and she seemed to be directing it towards her father. Link just watched in stunned silence as she marched right up to his bedside, her hands on her hips. She seemed rather upset and disappointed. And was she also…pouting?

"Father!" Zelda said in a strict tone. "What exactly is going on in here?"

The King just looked at his daughter with mild surprise. "Zelda, were you just eavesdropping on us?"

"Of course I was," Zelda replied bravely. "I heard every word, from just outside the curtain."

Caius frowned at this. "You said that you were going to allow us to speak alone."

Zelda soon crossed her arms. "And leave Link at the mercy of your silly jokes? I could never be so cruel."

"Silly?" the King repeated, as if offended. "I'd like to think it was fairly clever."

"Father," Zelda growled, her disappointment still evident in her tone.

As parent and child continued to bicker, Link just sat in his seat, still stunned and trying to process what exactly had just happened. Why did it seem like the King had been trying to trick him? It was like he was trying to make Link slip up and assume that he was referring to himself. And when the trick inevitably worked, why did the King seem so pleased with himself? As if that had been his goal?

Unless…

Link's eyes went wide as he slowly connected the dots.

No…Was it possible? Did the King also have a mischievous streak, one that rivaled Zelda's own? And Midna's too for that matter? Did he have a playful nature that insisted on teasing Link for his own amusement? Was he really that much of a trickster?

Link just inwardly groaned as he forced his eyes shut. He felt like he already knew the answer…

This father and daughter were going to be the death of him!

Is there anything worse than misinterpreting someone's words in such an embarrassing manner? Sorry, Link, for putting you through that lol.