Author's Note: This was a 2 year project first inspired when I was in the depths of writer's block and I was searching around for any sort of inspiration, and I came across 2 things. Firstly was the playlist 'You slowly realise you weren't meant to save the world, you were meant to destroy it'. Secondly was some gorgeous artwork by sebyhale for their Final Cycle AU. Both of them took me down a bit of a rabbit hole. This story is purely inspired by these, and I've not used the characters or story that sebyhale has created.
This was just going to be a huge one-shot, but here we are: 35,000 words later with another 35,000 words of deleted content. I've poured so much love into this story, and it's been a real pain in parts, but we've reached a point where I'm ready to share this with you all.
Updates will be every 2 weeks, with the final chapter posted on Halloween! Finally, before we get into this beast of a story, I want to leave you with the quote that gave this story its name, from Game of Thrones:
"It's a beautiful dream: stopping the wheel. You're not the first person who's ever dreamt it."
"I'm not going to stop the wheel. I'm going to break the wheel."
Content warnings: graphic descriptions of violence, death, and discussions of fertility and alcoholism
"I know why I am here. It's… something only I can do."
—Princess Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom
Break The Wheel
~O~
Part I: The Battle of Castle Town
She'd always loved fire.
It was an odd fascination for the Queen of Hyrule to have, but fire had always allured her. The way the flames would dance and twist around each other, emitting golden embers that spun into the air along with soft plumes of smoke, always seemed to draw her attention no matter where she was. Whether it came from a roaring fireplace she read a book beside or from a campfire she warmed her hands over on her long journeys across the kingdom, fire never failed to warm her heart and captivate her mind.
Even as Castle Town continued to burn around her, she felt no fear as the heat fanned against her skin. As market stalls and roofs collapsed into piles of smouldering debris across the empty square, she thanked the Goddesses that her people had long since been evacuated after her scouts first reported the approaching army on the horizon. Once she was certain that everyone was safe, the queen had gone against her advisors and left the castle to join the fray, only to be cut off by her true enemy before she could reach the battlefront.
Cut off by Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo.
Fortunately, as she was one of the strongest mages in Hyrule, the queen had been quick to summon a protective barrier around Castle Town so that the encroaching Gerudo army couldn't appear and overwhelm her—it was just her and him. They'd spoken little since they'd started battling; she'd seen the way the back of his hand shone and she knew that any conversation was meaningless.
He'd finally transformed into the monster he'd worked so hard not to become.
Fate, sadly, was unavoidable.
The sky was choked with smoke and ash, so she wasn't entirely sure what time it was. The army had been spotted in the early evening and it had taken all night to evacuate both Hyrule Castle and Castle Town. Her appointed knight had been with her throughout, but there came a time when the Hyrulean army needed everyone and anyone to meet the Gerudo army—even the queen's guard.
She'd done her best to reassure him that she would see him soon, though her heart had ached as her gaze lingered on his form as it shrunk into the distance and was engulfed by the sea of soldiers. Through the unique mental bond they shared, she could sense him nearby and feel his heart beating fast, but they had yet to master their bond and so couldn't mentally communicate.
Please be alright…
Though she still had herself to worry about.
"Come on out, Zelda," the Gerudo cooed. She closed her eyes and stilled her breath, crouching behind the broken fountain in the centre of the square. It was a pitiful place to hide, but the queen only used it to buy as much time as she possibly could. Plucking a piece of broken glass from the ground, she tilted it so she could see how far away Ganondorf was from her.
Not Ganondorf, she reminded herself. He's Ganon now…
"It's alright, little bird. I won't hurt you…" Her chest constricted at how easily he called her little bird, both of them knowing fully well that her late mother had often called her that. The Gerudo was trying to use it against her and, despite her best efforts, it was working. She balled her hands into fists until she felt her nails dig into her palms as she screamed at herself to breathe.
When he stalked close enough to her hiding place, she attacked.
The Gerudo king was a towering seven foot and, in comparison to her petite stature, his shadow stretched across the cobbled ground mere moments before she saw him. Channelling her powers, Zelda transformed her gilded rapier into a bow of pure light. It was an incredible spell that she'd honed throughout her childhood, knowing that bearing the Triforce of Wisdom meant that she was destined for great (and dangerous) things.
She nocked her light arrow and, as soon as she laid eyes upon the imposing man, let it fly.
But with the Triforce of Power on his side, he merely raised his hand and caught it. Her heart sank in her chest. If the arrow's piercing light was burning him, he showed no sign of it as he effectively snapped the arrow in two and let its splinters fall to the ground. Zelda watched on with parted lips as the arrow dispersed into a flurry of light before fading away.
He was studying her now, like an artist would its muse, and she realised that there was no more warmth in his eyes. They no longer shone with mirth like they did when he joked about the stuffy councillors she endured every day. They no longer glittered in the glow of candlelight, but instead in the wild flames between them. The man she knew and cared for was long gone, and…
"You always knew this day would come, didn't you?" he remarked. "Even I wished to deny my fate, but you always had faith that I would turn."
"I did. And I always knew that when this day came, I would be right here to stop you."
He chuckled, "Only you, it seems. Your home lies in ruin, your army is being slaughtered in the fields behind me, and your lapdog isn't anywhere to rescue you."
But she knew the Gerudo was wrong. She knew that her forces would destroy the Gerudo army that Ganon had brought with him. As a princess (now queen) of destiny who bore the Triforce of Wisdom, she was quick to begin preparing herself and her people for the inevitable battle between her and the Gerudo king. Even though he'd shown no signs of wanting her dead over the years, she knew that he would one day transform into the King of Evil.
And now she'd make sure that he would never harm them again.
"I don't need rescuing," the queen assured him. "I can end you myself." Ganon laughed—no, howled—at her declaration and raised his arms to beckon her towards him.
"Oh, but you can try, little bird!"
And she did.
Her breathing slowed as she allowed her eyes to flutter shut. It was a gesture that only bolstered the Gerudo's arrogance, but she needed every fibre of her being to focus on the task at hand. Summoning the power gifted to her by Nayru, a golden trail of light followed her hand as she raised it towards Ganon. The Triforce of Wisdom manifested itself before her and a guttural cry was ripped from her throat as its power engulfed her.
Her eyes flew open, and her eyes were naught but golden orbs. She was studying him now, like a hunter would its prey, and he realised that there was no more warmth in her eyes. They no longer shone with joy like they did when she laughed at his jokes. They no longer glittered in the glow of candlelight, but instead in the violet flames sweeping around her as her power was unleashed upon him. The woman he knew and once cared for was gone, now consumed by the power of a god.
Not even the Triforce of Power could defend against her strength.
His form was dragged towards her and trapped within the manifested Triforce between them. His cape billowed in the strong winds until it was torn from his back and his armour physically bent and whined against the immense pressure placed upon it. He screamed before he could even think about stopping himself, his throat burning as the pressure grew and grew until it was close to suffocating him. He found her eyes for the briefest of moments and saw a single tear run down her cheek.
Then his vision went white.
His body was thrown into the nearest building, the sheer strength of her attack obliterating what once was a family home. Wooden support beams groaned as they collapsed, grey bricks and blue roof tiles raining down until only a plume of dust billowed up from the site of impact. If it weren't for the battle raging outside the walls of Castle Town, a lull would've fallen upon the square. But the war continued on, as would her attack.
Glass cracked under her boots as she strode towards the ruins, using her powers to move the rubble aside so that she could easily find her target. He lay there in a daze amongst the smoke and debris, dark plates of gilded armour twisted and cracked. He stared up at the sky blankly until her arrival snatched his attention. He was far from dead, but that could easily be remedied.
Without a moment's hesitation, she raised her rapier high above her head. His amber eyes stared up with an emotion she'd never seen from him before—one she couldn't quite name, but one she almost took glee in—and her weapon glinted in the firelight as she brought it down in one swift motion.
As the flames continued to roar around her, she pulled her prized rapier from his chest and watched on as the once proud Gerudo king crumpled to the ground with an agonised scream. Her viridian eyes never left his amber orbs as he writhed on the ground and desperately placed a hand over his gaping wound as if he could heal it. But hot red blood simply seeped between his fingers and pooled on the stone beneath him. His once fiery red hair now clung to his handsome face and his quivering lips failed to convey anything he wanted to say before death came for him.
She cast her gaze down to his left hand where the Triforce of Power glowed in the firelight and drew up her pretty skirts before stamping down on it with the heel of her boot. A pathetic whimper escaped him, but nothing more. His broken hand fell limp against the debris-covered ground and the last ounces of adrenaline were snuffed out by pure agony.
"Consider this atonement for this thrice-damned curse you placed upon us," she whispered harshly. He coughed and spluttered, but no words came out. She knew he only had moments left, so she leaned in close and murmured, "May we never meet again, Ganon."
"Ze… Zelda…" he gasped, just before the life left his eyes and his face fell slack, amber eyes dull and unseeing as the flames danced in his irises. With the deed done, the princess wiped her blade on the man's clothes before straightening and taking in the world around her.
A golden trail of light followed her movements as she flicked her wrist and, within moments, storm clouds billowed across the skies above and rain began to pour. As the adrenaline from battle wilted away, tears burnt at her eyes as she observed the corpse beneath her. She truly wished that it hadn't come to this, but she would've been a fool to do nothing while Hyrule's greatest threat walked these sacred lands.
But he had once been so kind…
Ten Years Before the Battle of Castle Town
"May I have this dance, Your Grace?"
Her painted lips twisted up into a kind smile as she graciously took the Gerudo's hand and allowed him to escort her into the middle of the ballroom. Although Zelda had heard tales of the famous Gerudo king, this was the first time they'd spoken to one another. She'd been told that he was a savage, yet his moves were graceful. She'd been told he was untamed, yet he wore golden bracers and the finest silks in the land. She'd been told he was a threat to Hyrule, yet she saw nothing but kindness in his amber eyes.
As they stepped into position and the sound of violins fluttered around the room, he led her effortlessly across the flagstone floor as if he'd done this all his life. As a young, naive woman, she couldn't help but remark, "I must apologise, but I did not expect you to be such a wonderful dancer." He chuckled lightly as he spun her out before bringing her back.
"Although we live in vastly different countries, we Gerudo are far from the savages your chambermaids gossip of," he replied easily. Her heart skipped a beat and she feared that she'd offended him, although his smile was genuine. "Do not fret, princess. I only hope that I can show you the true Gerudo behind the legends."
She nodded, "I hope so too."
"And may I wish you a happy birthday, Your Grace." She smiled and thanked him. Reaching sixteen was important to any Hylian as it was when they came of age, but it meant so much more to the then princess. It meant that, should any ill befall her mother (as it had her father the year before), then she would assume the throne and rule the kingdom as she'd been prepared to do all her life.
It also meant that she would finally be officially assigned a personal guard, something she'd been counting down the days to since she'd first gotten to know him.
No expense had been spared for her birthday celebration. Her dress had been specially made for the occasion, layers of pink gossamer rippling in the air with each sweeping movement she made, delicate embroidered flowers highlighting her youth and blossoming power. She dared not touch her hair—an intricate mess of golden curls weighed down by a simple tiara—in case she would ruin what had taken hours to create.
The princess couldn't deny that she'd been incredibly nervous. After all, this was the first proper occasion where the spotlight would be solely on her and not her mother too. From nobles to potential suitors, all eyes were on her that night and she prayed to Nayru that she wouldn't stumble or say something wrong or somehow destroy her reputation.
"As leader of the Gerudo, I hope to make amends with Hyrule after all the tragedies that have befallen it at the hands of my ancestors," the Gerudo mused as they drifted into a reverse turn. "I very much look forward to spending time with you to unite our countries."
She stifled a groan and teased, "I do hope this means you aren't vying for my hand in marriage, Your Majesty." He laughed, perhaps louder than he should have, and ignored whatever eyes flitted over to him.
"Certainly not. I am five years your elder and happily engaged already, though you flatter me." As they slowed into a halt and the music faded away, he assured her, "Though if you ever need to get away from some stuffy suitor, do let me know and I will happily be your escape."
She curtsied to him and he bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"If we are to be allies, then perhaps we could shed the formalities and use one another's names?" he offered. Her lips parted in awe at his forwardness, as it was much too casual to use first names at formal events, but then she nodded and cast aside her worries, holding her gloved hand out to him.
"Very well, Ganondorf," she amended. "I hope we dance again soon."
"As do I, Zelda," he agreed after he kissed her knuckles. "As do I."
And now he was dead at her feet.
Perhaps he was the naive one to believe that he could somehow escape his destiny by working to atone for his tribe's past dealings with Hyrule. Over the coming years, the two had often met and spoke of how treaties could be formed to allow the Gerudo lands to rejoin Hyrule. They'd spent hours in Hyrule Castle and Gerudo Town, drinking wine and talking about the bright future they would make for their kingdoms.
As she gazed down at his corpse, she wished that there could've been a happy ending. But, as a descendant of the King of Evil, they both should've realised long ago that it was simply unattainable.
Ganondorf had always been kind to her, and she'd always defended him against xenophobic nobles who couldn't see past the history books. As bearer of the Triforce of Power and leader of the Gerudo, she knew that he was on a knife edge; one misstep and everything would crumble. Regardless, she had tried to mentally prepare herself for every eventuality—even this one.
Still, the queen knew it was inevitable that he would one day fall into the hands of darkness. A part of her wished that he didn't have to die, but he'd brought an army upon her castle and it was clear that he was no longer himself. She had to cleanse him of that darkness, and she finally had. Zelda knew that he'd forgive her for it one day, of that she was sure.
In the distance, beyond the walls of Castle Town, the horrific battle between her people and his continued to rage on. The Gerudo were a proud tribe and placed all their faith in their king, and Zelda was sure that they wouldn't dare surrender once they knew of his death. They would fight a good battle, but the Hylians had two pieces of the Triforce at their disposal; they'd soon have no choice but to surrender.
She could feel the third bearer of the Goddesses's gift out there now. She could feel his emotions so strongly, even though he was far away. She could initially feel his fierce determination and attributed it to the fight outside the city walls, but then she soon realised that he was desperate to reach her and felt him trying to get her attention.
He must've seen Ganondorf going after her and wanted to protect her, yet she'd barricaded him and everyone else off so she could fight the Gerudo alone. She lowered the protective shield long enough for him to slip through before setting it back in place. Although it brought him away from his duty to the Hyrulean army, it meant that he would be safe, and that was all she'd ever wanted for him.
But then, as if the Goddesses had ordained it, a glimmer of light stopped her thoughts. She snapped her gaze over to its source and watched on in shock as the Triforce of Power was freed from its former keeper and hovered in the air before her. Her breath stilled in her chest at the sight of it and even her mind, once a storm of emotion, slammed to a halt.
She'd talked about this very moment so many times, and now it was here. The golden triangle beckoned her, begging to be bound to another keeper, and she couldn't seem to take her eyes away from it. Someone called her name, but she didn't even register the sound. All that consumed her attention was the Triforce of Power before her.
She'd promised that she would do what was right, should this situation ever come to pass.
But now, as this fragment of golden power floated before her, all she could think about was her original resolve to save them all. All of the arguments she'd had over this very issue were forgotten, nothing but white noise in the dark recesses of her mind, and she felt her hand start to reach out towards it.
This was her one and only chance to save them all and atone for her greatest crime.
Two Years Before the Battle of Castle Town
The once calm and quiet atmosphere of the castle library was now tense as its two sole occupants (aside from a guard or two) stared intensely at the chess board on the table between them. The young princess impatiently bit at her lip as she waited for her opponent to make his next move. After hours of tactical manoeuvres, the princess knew that she almost had him.
But he still persisted, as he always did. She glanced up, but his bright blue eyes were downcast and firmly focused on the game at hand. A coy smile tugged at her lips as he let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. He was about to lose and he knew it.
Although he'd officially been her appointed knight for a number of years, she'd known him since they were both young. In fact, she'd been drawn to him ever since she'd first seen him. He'd been huddled behind the man who was her mother's personal guard. Zelda had pointed out the boy and asked her mother who he was.
"If all goes well, that page will be your protector when you both come of age," she'd explained. Then she'd held up Zelda's hand where the mark of the Triforce sparkled in the sunlight. "He has a special mark like you."
She'd gasped, "Like me?"
"Just like you, little bird. You'll both have big roles to play in the world, and I know you'll protect each other."
And they did. Over those years, Zelda had ensured that they'd gotten to know each other to make sure that they were good friends before any official assignment was given. She'd even followed him around on his patrols between her classes so they both had someone as company. So when they were both finally of age, neither could wait for the day when he was officially appointed as her knight.
Moreover, there was the presence of their mental bond as well. Thanks to their Triforce pieces, they could sense one another's emotions—especially when they were particularly strong—and they were working on being able to mentally talk to each other at short distances (even if they hadn't quite got there yet).
This bond also helped her when it came to chess.
"Stop cheating," he chided lightly when he felt her prodding at their bond. "You won't find out what move I'm about to make."
"Perhaps not. But it'll certainly lead you to make the next move within the next century." She rested her cheek on her hand and huffed, "You're going to lose, Link, so you might as well get it over with." His gaze flickered up to hers for a brief moment and she stifled a laugh at the look he shot her.
"You're so impatient." And then he made his move.
She grinned and he cursed under his breath as she placed his king in check with a delighted squeal, "Check and checkmate! That's three for three, right?" He rolled his eyes but said nothing in response, but that only made her more elated over the win. Since it was well past midnight, she started putting the pieces back in their original places as a silent gesture that they were done for the night.
"I'll beat you one day," Link muttered as he reached across to help her. She snorted.
"The day you beat me is the day the moon falls to the earth."
"Ah," he grinned. "So there's still hope." Her smile soon faded, however, when she looked down at the queen in her hand. Her chest constricted at the sight of it and everything it represented to her, even though she'd used it just fine during their game. When she heard Link asking her what was wrong, she shook her head and decisively placed the piece down.
"I was thinking about what I'll be like as queen." It wasn't like her mother was going anywhere anytime soon, but there was a growing pressure for Zelda to start considering her deeper roles as queen and she didn't like it. "I can feel more eyes on me as each day passes."
He crossed the short distance between them so he could kneel and take her hand into both of his, saying gently, "Whenever that day comes, you're going to be a wonderful queen, and I'll be right beside you all the way."
But her eyes drifted down to their Triforce marks and she croaked, "And… and if calamity befalls us?" He tried to cover her mark to take her mind away from it, but she stopped him and found his eyes. "Neither of us are blind to the fact we've been touched by the Goddesses and what that means for us. What I mean to say is… what if something happens to us?"
"Then we move forward together, as we always have." Though her mood didn't shift in the slightest. "What's brought this on?"
Both of them often worried about what their role in this world would be, but this was too sudden for Link to assume that she'd only just started thinking about it. She hesitated, purposely avoiding his gaze as she gave his hands a squeeze so he'd give her room to rise and make her way over to the fireplace. For too long, her eyes were distant and unseeing as she studied the crackling flames.
"I've… I've been having dreams again," she confessed. "I stand in a land with a sky that seems to stretch on forever, and there's water at my feet. There's a… a creature standing in front of me with an evil aura and flaming hair. It's hard to make out all of his words, but he threatens me with a curse."
"Those like you… those who share the blood of the Goddess and the spirit of the hero… they are eternally bound to this curse," his voice had rasped to her. He'd raised a clawed finger to her and spat, "An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"
"He…" Her voice started to shake. "He points down to the water, and I see you and I reflected back, and hundreds—possibly thousands—more like us."
When she didn't continue, he softly prompted, "And you think it was a premonition?" It was a valid question. After all, she'd been prone to them in the past. But she shook her head.
"Quite the opposite, actually. I think… I've prayed for understanding as to why we were chosen, and I think Nayru finally gave it to me." When she finally met his gaze, her voice faltered as she surmised, "We weren't destined to be reincarnated, but cursed millenia ago."
Link watched as her face twisted as she fought the rising emotions within her and, since they were away from prying eyes, he drew her into a tight embrace. Sobs tore from her throat as she clung to him, uncaring for the tears she shed after she'd finally said her conclusion out loud. She'd always thought that they'd been touched by the Goddesses and tasked with the most sacred of duties. But, in fact, they'd been cursed to suffer over and over again with no apparent end.
"Whatever the reason is, it doesn't change the fact that I'll find you in every lifetime to protect you from whatever is trying to hurt you," he swore fiercely, pressing her face into his shoulder. He tried to hide the fact that he was shaking too, and he thanked Farore that the princess was too grief-stricken to notice. "I'll always be at your side." Her breath suddenly hitched and he felt her trying to pull away. "What's wrong?"
Zelda stepped back and clasped her hands over her heart as she lowered her head. Her heart started beating faster as a terrifying, yet oddly thrilling, thought crossed her mind. It only made Link more nervous as he feared she was about to get more upset, though it was quite the opposite. As she raised her head, a resolve burned in her eyes so strongly that it scared him for a moment.
"Unless… this is our chance…"
He narrowed his eyes, confused, "Chance?"
"What if…" The princess swallowed thickly, then raised her Triforce mark to him. "What if… I saw what I saw… so we have the chance to end this cycle of despair?" He blinked at her.
"Zelda, I—"
"Think about it," she cut him off without meaning to, too amazed by her own words to hear him out. "This monster, the source of our suffering, placed a curse on us so that this cycle of reincarnation—this wheel of suffering—would continue on forever… but perhaps Nayru showed me the past so that we may yet change the future and end this cycle once and for all."
He reached out and took her wrists, unable to keep the concern out of his tone as he breathed, "Zelda, what are you trying to say?" Her eyes shone in the firelight.
"The Triforce may grant a mortal's wishes," she explained, her tone breathless and faraway. "If we can reunite the pieces of Triforce, I could wish for the end of this curse. The Goddesses want to free us from this cycle, Link, don't you see?"
He'd stopped breathing at some point and wasn't sure how to start again. Any sound he wanted to make was lodged in his throat and prevented him from doing anything other than hold her wrists. He stared at her for a long time, but her gaze didn't falter. She truly meant her words, and that alone made his heart pound.
Clearing his throat, Link finally forced himself to speak, "Zelda… you're thinking of trying to stop a wheel that's been turning for thousands of years. Don't you think the Goddesses would've done something if they had the power to?"
"I don't want to stop the wheel, Link," she said firmly. "I want to break it entirely." He stared at her, growing more and more uncomfortable by the unwavering resolve in her eyes. "Besides, only mortals can use the Triforce, and the Goddesses haven't returned to this world since they first created it. This could be our chance to free ourselves. All we need to do is work out how to reunite our pieces…"
"I… we're meant to protect our pieces, not use them."
She broke out of his grip and gazed down at her mark, "Who told us that? The three of us hold the power of the gods, and none of us are using it for the good of Hyrule. Even Ganondorf, our historical enemy, is working for change. Link, this could be our chance to change history for the better!"
But he was shaking his head. "I can't… I can't listen to this."
And he meant it. What his princess spoke of was pure fantasy. And if, by some twist of fate, she was right, then what would it change? Yes, it would free them of this supposed curse, but what would become of Hyrule if darkness rose again and no one was there to face it? Not that he wanted to be used in such a way, but it meant that he could protect those he loved.
Including his princess.
And yet, as he made to leave, Zelda reached out and snatched his arm to pull him into a stop. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she pleaded, "Please, Link. I… I don't want to think about a life without you, but we could finally rest in peace where evil creatures no longer threaten my people—no longer threaten us."
"You can't be sure of that," he countered. "You always say how shadow can't exist without light. If the Goddesses wanted Hyrule to be at peace, then they would make it so. And what's to say that the Triforce could break such a curse anyway? What if it was too strong a wish and it destroyed you in the process? What if your only chance at a wish like that was rejected by the Goddesses? There's… there's just too many risks…"
"But I—"
"Please Zelda… I know it's comforting to think about being free of suffering… to break the wheel like you said…" He reached up and cupped her cheek. "But it's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible to the willing mind," she whispered. "We can do this, Link."
He considered it for the briefest of moments before his heart fought back and he pulled himself from her grip and said simply, "We won't speak of this again," before leaving her in the library. She found the nearest seat and collapsed into it with her head in her hands.
Just because he wasn't willing to try didn't mean that she was the same.
One Year Before the Battle of Castle Town
Tragedy struck Hyrule no less than a year later.
On the outskirts of Hyrule Castle's gardens stood a small estate that only notable staff members knew of. It was a small building with only a few guards posted on the outskirts (never inside) with a tiny yet manicured garden for the estate's occupant to peruse at their own leisure. It was within close proximity of the castle so that, if they were needed suddenly, they were never far away.
And yet, it felt like worlds away to Zelda as she slammed the doors shut behind her and burst into tears.
Her mother was dead.
It was so sudden that no one had expected it. Her mother had been so strong and healthy, but a disease cut through the capital and cared not whether it claimed the lives of the richest or poorest people in the kingdom. One day, her mother had been fine, and within three days she was dead.
And now Zelda had six months until she'd be crowned queen.
As she sank to her knees and wept the hours away, night was falling and she longed for a strong drink and good company, so she set out to obtain both. She sent one of the guards away to retrieve Link and made her way into the small pantry, grabbing the first bottle of alcohol she could find before traipsing back to the dark drawing room so she could collapse onto the nearest chaise and drink the hours away.
She didn't bother lighting the candles and relied solely on the shafts of moonlight drifting in between the gaps in the curtains. Her eyes drifted across the various paintings of her ancestors and photographs of her childhood until the sight of them made a lump in her throat and she lazily threw a pillow at them until she could no longer see them. With every glug, she slipped further and further down the chaise until some of the wine was missing her lips.
Time was merely a concept, so she wasn't sure how much time had passed before the empty wine bottle slipped from her grip and rolled across the parquet flooring. She let her head fall back against the arm of the chaise and simply stared up at the ceiling with a numbness that she both detested and craved even more. On that thought, she unsteadily rose to her feet in search of more wine.
Suddenly uncomfortable by her clothes, she pulled off her overdress until only her navy skirts, cream undershirt and stays were left—she would need to wear black when she returned to the castle. She also tugged her hair out of its intricate style, a series of pins and clips left in her wake as she made her way back towards the pantry. Plucking a bottle of vintage Akkalan whisky from the chamber, she wiped away her tears as she staggered back into the drawing room.
And she found someone there waiting for her.
"Oh, Link, there you are," she greeted, forcing her tone to sound more chipper than she felt. He'd claimed her spot on the chaise and wearily watched her as she slumped into the spot next to him. He'd lit some candles in her absence and she couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in candlelight. Proffering the bottle to him, she remarked, "You have a lot to catch up on."
"I'm not thirsty," was his simple reply, but she didn't care whether he was thirsty or not. She shot him a look and took another swig of her drink.
"I didn't invite you here to be my guard; I invited you here to be my friend. This might possibly be the last time I can get absolutely wasted before I'll be hounded about the coronation," she snapped. "And besides—hic—it'd be rather rude if I toasted to my mother and you didn't…"
To punctuate her point, she raised her bottle and drank to her dead mother before passing the bottle over to him. He gazed down into the bottle's contents and ignored Zelda's remark that the alcohol wasn't going to hurt him, and reminded himself that they were perfectly safe before silently toasting to the late queen and taking a small gulp. It was far stronger than the whisky served in the taverns, though he supposed that the princess could afford the stronger stuff.
"I didn't think you liked whisky," he commented as he passed the bottle back to her.
"I don't," she grimaced. "But I've found that I don't care tonight." As they passed the bottle back and forth, the princess kicked off her shoes and she propped her stocking-covered feet on his lap, leaning her head back and gazing at the chandelier above. "Six months… six months until my mourning ends. Six months until I take the throne…"
"Six months until I get a promotion," Link offered, desperate to keep the mood light. "Finally, I'll get that raise." She scoffed, but she knew he was only joking.
"How very rude, Sir Link. To think that you're only in this for the money… Nayru, preserve my poor heart!" She pressed a hand to her heart and feigned fainting against the chaise. "Is your boss truly such poor company?"
He chuckled and murmured, "It has its perks." Though the princess couldn't keep this charade up for long, so she propped herself up on her elbows so she could be honest with him.
"Well, I for one couldn't be luckier to have someone like you at my side," she said. "And I truly mean that." But he snorted dismissively.
"I'll be sure to tell that to your husband." She groaned and snatched the bottle from him.
"Gods, you sound like the council." Then her voice turned shrill and haughty as she mimicked them, "Oh, princess, you must start considering who you will wed. These are your birthing years and you must provide Hyrule with an heir before you wilt! Clearly, I care more about your sex life than my own!" They laughed and Link loosened his collar, trying to keep his eyes where they should be rather than where they wanted to be.
"Don't forget to ensure that he is of upstanding birth," he added, matching her pompous tone. "We can't have the scum of the earth tainting the blood of the dynasty." But she didn't laugh at that one. He looked over to find her staring off at nothing in particular, not even reacting when he placed a hand on her arm. "Zelda?"
"I'll never marry for love," she whispered. "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to marry the person I want." A pang of jealousy shot through his heart, but he ignored it—now wasn't the time to address that. It wasn't like he'd be able to marry the person he wanted either, but curiosity made him speak before he could stop himself.
"Who would you marry?"
Her glassy eyes drifted over to his and lingered as her voice failed to work. After being in close proximity with the same person for well over a decade, it was almost obvious that she'd feel something for the man opposite her. Naturally, it was inevitable for her to be physically attracted to him (she certainly endured listening to her maids dote on him most mornings), but he was so much more than a friend to her now. She hoped that she was more than just a princess to him, but she refused to indulge that hope. It wasn't like it would get them anywhere.
"I need more to drink if I'm going to divulge those sorts of secrets," was all she said on the matter. Before he could say anything, the princess hopped (rather ungracefully) off the chaise and stumbled off towards the pantry, playfully kicking an empty bottle on the way. She certainly did need a drink, but she couldn't sit in there any longer in case her lips betrayed the secrets she'd forced herself to lock up.
He didn't follow her, and for that she was grateful. As she fumbled down the dark hallways, her breath came out in ragged gasps as she thought about him waiting in the drawing room for her. She wouldn't have asked for anyone else to come here for comfort and support, and she didn't regret a thing. He was always there for her, through all the good and bad times, and it made her heart flutter to think about it.
It wasn't a forbidden fruit thing either. Just because he didn't have a "proper" title didn't make him any more alluring. He was just Link, and that was enough for her.
But that made more thoughts haunt her, especially when she was vulnerable like this. Did she really love him, or did the Goddesses ordain that they'd always been bound to each other no matter what life they were born in? Had they ever truly loved each other, or was it just a part of the Goddesses' designs? Even worse, did they decide to keep them apart just to make them suffer more?
Either way, she could never have him and that was enough to fuel her flight to the pantry. Using the moonlight to guide her, she felt around for the nearest bottle of wine and grabbed it as quickly as she could, though she was clumsy (and drunk) and accidentally knocked another bottle of wine off the shelf. It fell and shattered across the floor, sending glass and red wine across the stone.
In the soft light, she thought about how it looked like blood.
Then she remembered something.
"I watched your pain and felt it like a knife going through my body," a voice whispered at the back of her mind. She hadn't said it, but she remembered hearing it at an opera she once went to as a child. She pictured Hylia mourning over her dead hero and how she rested a bloody hand to his cheek. "I will ensure that your gentle, heroic spirit will live on eternally. And I… I shall shed my divinity. The next time we meet, I wish to stand before you as a mere human…"
"Is everything alright?"
She spun around with a gasp to find Link in the doorway, eyes alert and his instincts kicking in. But she didn't respond. Those words spun around her head as she stared at him. No, not at him, but the first hero of this land. She really had abandoned her divine form for him, and here she stood before him as a human thousands of years after making that promise to his corpse.
Did she really love him? Or was she drawn to him out of guilt for killing him?
"I…" Her voice quickly faded out. She took a deep, yet shaky breath. "I… I'm fine. I just knocked something over." But before he could respond, her vision started to blur and her heart skipped a beat. What was happening? Despite her fuzzy vision, she managed to see Link's eyes widen as he rushed over to hold her upright. That's when she realised she was crying.
He pulled her in close and murmured her name, and she quickly realised that he thought she was mourning her mother. She was in part, but that wasn't the true source of her agony at that moment. She was mourning him too. Mourning how many times he'd died for her, mourning how many times he'd been reborn to suit her wishes, how many times she used him to get what she wanted.
She mourned someone that was still alive, yet had lived and died hundreds of times already.
"Come on," he mumbled into her hair. "I think we're done for the night." Zelda shook her head, the movements wooden and unnatural. Without replying, she peeled herself away from him and took another bottle before silently making her way back to the drawing room.
After all, how could she sleep with all this guilt suffocating her?
He was close behind her, but she didn't bother looking back. She couldn't stand to look at him. As they retook their seats on the chaise, they silently continued passing bottle after bottle between them as the tension in the air became almost palpable. They only moved to get more to drink, uncaring for the growing amount of empty bottles that littered the floor. The alcohol burnt her throat less and less as she drank, and she didn't care; she was numb to it all anyway. She could sense his concern and he could sense her pain, but neither had the courage to bring it up.
As the clock on the mantle struck 2am and she felt fatigue starting to gnaw at her, the princess couldn't bear the weight of her emotions any longer. Link noticed her shifting her weight uncomfortably and pursing her lips, and he knew she was about to speak. He sat silently and gave her all the time she needed, mistaking her silence for overwhelming grief over her mother.
"I remembered an opera I saw as a child," she finally mumbled. He looked at her, but her eyes were focused on her hands in her lap. "I saw the Goddess mourning the first hero and how she promised that they'd be reborn again. That moment haunted my dreams for several years after I'd first seen it, though I'd forgotten about it until now… and now I understand it more."
Her words surprised him, but he remained quiet as she rose to her feet and started pacing. It wasn't what he thought she was going to say, but she'd spoken about the weight of her past before. Although she wasn't Hylia, she was the Goddess reborn as a mortal—destined to be reborn over and over to protect the world and care for him—and added to the nerves of becoming a queen, her confidence was slowly being nipped away.
Still, he did his best to console her, "Just because you're the Goddess reborn, it doesn't mean that you should—"
"Bear my ancestor's guilt?" she finished for him, a fire in her eyes that wasn't from the dying candlelight. "You have no idea how suffocating this is," she spat. "I have the weight of my ancestors on my very soul, Link. Let alone the fact that my mortal ancestors started wars that have killed thousands… the first time I walked this earth, I unintentionally created a cycle—a wheel—of destiny that has destroyed so many lives in its wake. Don't you see? It doesn't matter who I am… the stains on my soul will never wash out."
He wanted to tell her how he didn't blame her for the past, but he knew it wouldn't help. And yet, as he thought deeper on her words, he realised that she'd referred to the curse as a wheel again. Dread seeped into his gut. It sounded like a flippant remark, but he'd heard it before when they played chess and she had told him about her plans to save them all. Hearing it again, especially when she was at such a low point, made his chest constrict.
Link prayed that she wouldn't realise what she said.
Then she perked up and he knew that his prayers had gone unanswered.
"Link…" she murmured, taking another swig of wine. The way she said his name was almost like a plea, and he couldn't deny her. He met her gaze evenly and prepared himself for what she was about to say. "I know you asked for us to never speak of it again…"
"And I meant it," he cut her off. Goddess above, he wished that he was sober for this conversation. "I won't let you take such a risk to atone for something you didn't do."
"But I did!" she cried. "This constant cycle of pain and suffering is all my fault. It all happened because I was too selfish to let you go, so I forced us to return… only for us to be cursed by that monster. We'd be free of this if I hadn't dragged you out of your own grave and forced you to fight for me again and again!"
"Zelda…"
"No, listen to me!" she demanded, gripping the neck of the bottle so tightly that her knuckles were white. "No matter how kind he is now, it's Ganondorf's destiny to turn against us; it was his ancestor that cursed us to begin with, for Din's sake! He can't fight his past and neither can we. And when he does come for us, you'll be the one to fight him because that's your destiny. I'll watch as you battle and pray with every fibre of my being that I don't lose you when it was me who put you there to begin with!"
He tensed his jaw so he had time to breathe before replying, "If the Goddesses wanted things to be different, then they would've intervened. They would've stopped Hylia from making her promise or stopped Demise before he could curse us. The past is set in stone, Zelda—there's nothing more to it."
"But this is your life!" she insisted. "Don't you care about—?"
"What about your life?" he snapped, rising to his feet without realising it. "You keep saying how you don't want me to put my life on the line for you and how it's your fault I'm here, but maybe I'm happy to protect you. Maybe I'm happy to be at your side knowing that I have the power to keep you safe!"
"That's because I made you that way, Link! I've read about the heroes of Hyrule and they're all the same because I created them to all be like that: submissive and obedient!" His eyes darkened, but she didn't see it through her anger. "I've been using you for thousands of years and I've ensured that you accept your fate willingly." Her lip quivered. "I did this to you… why won't you let me fix it?"
"Because…" He could've easily finished that sentence with three simple words, but his heart wouldn't let him. He sighed and ran a hand down his face as he fought the urge to yell at her for taking on all this guilt that didn't belong to her. He understood it, of course he did, but that didn't change the fact that he couldn't ease her burdens.
Throwing the bottle onto the chaise, the princess crossed the short distance between them and took his face into her hands. Pools of green peered up at him with so many emotions spiralling in them that he forgot how to breathe. He loved it and hated it when she was this close, especially when there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He sensed her anguish through the bond, but they still weren't skilled enough to hear each other's thoughts.
No matter how useful that would've been right now.
"Please Link," she pleaded, voice thick with emotion. "We have the power to rid Hyrule of this darkness and to free ourselves of this torment. Why won't you join me?"
"I've already told you why I won't, Zelda. You know why I won't join you."
"So you'll live this life knowing that you refused to save my people? That you refused to save me? Is the great Hero of Hyrule nothing more than a coward when it matters most?" It was the alcohol talking, but it was a low blow and she instantly regretted it.
Still, the damage had been done. His face fell and tears burned at the edges of her eyes when she saw the hurt in his eyes. No, she wanted to protect him, not hurt him even more! He gently moved her hands away from his face and stared at her for a long moment before silently making his way towards the door. His name tumbled from her lips in a breathless whisper and she immediately hiked up her skirts to run after him, sliding between him and the door before he could leave.
"Don't make me say something I'll regret later," he warned, his voice low. She hesitated for a second but stood firm, not wanting to let him leave without apologising. He sighed and tried to move her aside. "Zelda…"
"I'm sorry." It was all coming out in a jumbled mess, but she didn't want to think about it too hard, lest it not sound genuine. "I'm sorry for calling you a coward, and I'm sorry for making you feel like you're wrong for not joining me. I know that it might not even work, or that the Triforce's power is too great for me to bear and I'll—" She didn't want to finish that one. "But I can't live knowing that I didn't try, Link. You have to understand that at least…"
"I do," he murmured. "Of course I do. But I can't let you—can't let any of us—take that risk. The three of us are different from everyone else. The Goddesses do as they please with us and we can't dare to hope that we could ever try to stop their wishes. I…" He pursed his lips as he tried to work out how he wanted to say it. "I know this guilt inside you is tearing you apart… but you can't let that push you into oblivion."
"But I need to make up for my—"
"You have nothing to make up for," he cut in fiercely, ensuring that he was firm but didn't sound angry. She tried to look away but he took her chin and forced her eyes back on him. "I don't blame you, or any of your past lives, for doing what was needed to protect Hyrule. There's nowhere else I'd rather be but at your side, no matter what lifetime we're in."
Her lip started to tremble again, "But… but if you get hurt—"
"It was always a possibility, but I wouldn't have done any of this if I didn't want to, no matter what you say about my free will," he was quick to add before she could use it as a rebuttal again. Her chest heaved with each breath she took. She wanted to believe what he was saying, but she just couldn't let herself. "Please Zelda, don't let this tear us apart…"
"I don't want to lose you to this," she whispered. "I'm sick and tired of watching you die over and over for me. I…" Before she could stop herself, the words fell out, "I love you…" He froze and dropped her chin, lips parting as he tried and failed to restart his brain. Zelda's eyes widened as she realised what she'd said and she couldn't help but ramble, "We're such good friends, and I don't want to ruin that… Gods, I've tried to stop myself for years, but I've never succeeded. I knew that if you ever felt the same, it was because I made you like that, but I swear I—"
But Link had stopped listening. He hadn't meant to, yet he couldn't stop his brain from completely malfunctioning at her confession. She loved him? No, he must've heard wrong. But how could he have? Sweet merciful Farore, she loved him. It was something he'd dreamt of her saying but never believed it would ever happen. He never believed that she would ever feel the same as him.
And then he remembered what she'd said before about marriage.
"I need more to drink if I'm going to divulge those sorts of secrets."
Goddesses above, she was talking about him and he was too stupid to realise it until now. He saw the way she looked at him now with a mournful hope in her eyes that he somehow felt the same, or that they'd somehow be able to make a courtship work. The way she always looked at him during her meetings or tried to pull faces at him during his patrols in a vain attempt to make him laugh, or the way she'd tighten her grip around his arm when she was scared and the way she leaned into his hold as they danced.
He saw the love in her eyes.
"—please, I just can't live knowing that this is all my fault," she was still talking and he'd just about managed to get his mind back into gear enough to start listening again. The longer he was speechless, the more Zelda misinterpreted his silence as disgust at her words. Her heart started to pound against her chest and she realised how much she'd screwed up this time. She was never drinking wine again. "Please say something, Link. I… I can't—"
She froze when he cupped her cheeks. A long, hard silence stretched out between them and she dreaded what he was going to say. She'd already crossed the line by calling him a coward, and now she'd confessed that she loved him. A tiny, traitorous part of her hoped that he would abandon words altogether and they'd find their way towards her chambers, but she swiftly nipped those childish thoughts in the bud.
"Zelda…" The way he said her name sounded different this time. It was more breathless, like a massive weight had been lifted from his chest, and she loved it. He tried to think of something else to say—preferably that he loved her back and had done for years—but quickly thought better of it and gave up on words entirely.
Her breath hitched as his lips met hers and she sank into his hold, reaching for his neck and tilting her head to deepen the kiss. She felt him hold her against the door and a shiver ran down her spine as his hands started to roam. As she started pulling at the hem of his shirt, she froze, making him do the same.
He immediately snapped his head up and felt the colour drain from his face as he caught his breath. "What is it?"
"I…" she gasped. "Do you really love me, or is it…?"
"I've wanted to do this for years, Zelda," he grunted. "Don't overthink it." But then he thought about how harsh he sounded and he softened his intense gaze. He stroked her arm and murmured, "As long as you're comfortable. I won't do anything if you don't want it."
She stared at him and she cast her last thread of guilt aside. Grabbing the back of his neck, she pulled him in close and purred against his lips, "I've wanted to do this for years. Don't overthink it." He laughed against her and supported her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, breathing hard between kisses as they shed their argument and gave into one another.
After many hours had passed and they succumbed to sleep in her chambers (once they'd eventually found them), Zelda awoke with the sun as it flitted in through the curtains. A sigh of contentment left her as she rolled over and found him fast asleep beside her. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched him for a while, delicately running her fingers across his back and arms.
In the world outside this room, there was so much to be done. Her mourning had barely begun (even the thought of it made her chest heavy), and she knew that life would be very different when she returned to the castle. The council wouldn't give her many official duties for a time, but there would still be things to do for her coronation and organising her mother's affairs. Then there would be diplomatic visits, finances to sort, state visits to make, and everything else.
But that can wait, she told herself as her gaze returned to the sleeping form beside her. Until then, she would give herself this time.
She frowned when she noticed his hand on the pillow and studied the Triforce of Courage that glowed in the soft morning light. Through the haze of the night prior, she thought about their argument over using the Triforce's might. She completely understood his stance, and for so long she'd stuck to her own.
But then last night happened and she realised something.
Why was she spending so much time trying to make up for past mistakes when she should be living her life in the present?
Of course, that thought alone wouldn't (and couldn't) heal the guilt gripping her heart, and she was certain that she'd never feel guilt-free over her ancestors' actions. And yet, as she finally gave herself the one chance to live in the moment as she had done last night, she'd never felt more alive and happy. Despite the storm of grief and guilt, she finally, for the first time in a long while, felt true joy.
Did she love him? Absolutely. Was it true love or because of Hylia's guilt lingering? She'd never truly know. But, in the end, did that really matter? She loved him with all her heart and then some. The princess would always fear the day when they would have to battle against whatever evil befell Hyrule, but Link was right: what would a wish on the Triforce really do?
There were just too many risks.
And no one could escape all those risks. That's what made every life so unique. She would never stop worrying over the future, but living in the past wouldn't do anything. Even though she'd used Link throughout these lifetimes, perhaps this could be the cycle where she made him happy. That seemed good enough in terms of atonement, right?
"It's time to start living, whatever tomorrow may bring," she whispered to him. "Let's put it all behind us and face the day."
"Zelda!"
She was violently ripped from her daze and spun away from the Triforce of Power with a gasp. Her eyes found him almost immediately and her heart skipped a beat. Through the haze of flames and smoke, he seemed relatively unharmed as he rushed towards her, stark red blood dripping from the Master Sword in his hand. His face was marred with dirt and cuts, as well as blood that was and wasn't his own, but his eyes were as sharp and fierce as ever—so shining with life.
She hoped he'd forgive her for going against her promise.
It only took a few moments for Link to take everything in as he slowed into a stop, breathing hard as his eyes found Ganon's corpse behind the queen. It didn't take a genius to guess who'd killed him, but it was a surprise (and almost frightening) to see his body so mangled.
His eyes found those of his queen again, and then the Triforce of Power hovering behind her. His heart sank as he recognised that look in her eyes, and the adrenaline from battle was suddenly crushed by fear for what she was about to do. Tightening his grip on his weapon, he slowly stepped towards her like he would a scared animal.
"Zelda… listen to me…"
"I'm sorry," she whispered before he could finish. "I know I promised to leave all this behind… but I…"
"You still can," he reassured her, stopping when she took a step away from him. Her hand was half-raised towards the golden triangle and it took everything in him not to rush forward and pull her away from it. "The princess's steward from centuries ago protected the Triforce of Power before Ganondorf's ancestors claimed it. Impa can reclaim what is rightfully hers and—"
"And then what?" Zelda retaliated, though her voice was still quiet. "We live in a world where three Triforce pieces exist and have the power to save us all, yet we refuse to use it? Link, I can't just stand here and let this opportunity go!"
Anger bubbled in his chest, but he did his best to keep it out of his voice as he reasoned, "And if it goes wrong, what then? Hyrule will be nothing without you." She shook her head.
"Hyrule will live on knowing that its princess—its queen—did everything she could to save them." Her expression softened and, for a moment, Link wondered if she was going to compromise in some way. But she was simply etching his face into her mind so, in case anything did go wrong, her last memory would be of him. "I'm sorry…"
"Zelda, wait—"
It was too late.
Before he could even take a single step forward, she'd reached out and claimed the Triforce of Power for herself. A surge of wind sent him staggering back a few paces as a column of light engulfed her and shot into the storm clouds above. Even if he wanted to rush forward and do something reckless to help her, it was impossible.
Then he heard her screaming. The sound ripped through the square and beyond, even reaching the ears of soldiers beyond Castle Town's walls, and Link felt his heart tear apart in the process. Her agony pierced their bond. If he called her name, then he didn't hear it. Zelda's screams grew louder as the light did, and Link wondered if he'd ever hear anything else again.
With one final cry, the light around the Hylian queen spiralled into the skies above and scattered into the wind. It took a while for Link to reorient himself, suddenly finding himself on the ground instead of standing up, but his own welfare was the least of his worries. Rapidly blinking his vision clear, his world slowly came back into focus. The rain continued to fall, though he barely noticed it. He forced himself onto his feet (albeit unsteadily) and snapped his attention to where his queen once stood, unsure if he was ready to face reality.
As the dust resettled, he watched on as Zelda stood amongst the rubble, seemingly unharmed despite her screams of pain before. Her head was downcast, matted blonde hair obscuring her face from view, but her chest was heaving as much as his, and that was all he needed to confirm that she was still alive. Almost going limp with relief, Link sighed and rubbed his face with his hand.
"Zelda… are you…?"
His voice died in his throat as she raised her head. He tried to meet her gaze, only to find that her eyes were focused solely on her left hand as she raised it for the both of them to see. The mark of the Triforce shone brightly on the back of her hand, yet two of three triangles glowed instead of just the lower left triangle.
She'd done it.
Goddesses above, she'd actually done it.
It was hard for her to digest it all. Claiming the Triforce of Power had felt like her body was being torn apart as she fought to withstand bearing two pieces of the golden power, but now all she felt was a strange sereneness that came with a clarity she'd never had before. Perhaps it was because of the pain she'd overcome, or perhaps it was because of the realisation that now burned through her.
She'd managed to become the keeper of two pieces of the Triforce. Despite being the most powerful sorceress the kingdom had seen for centuries, neither Link nor Zelda had fully believed that she (or anyone else, apart from Ganon) would have the strength to wield more than one piece of the Triforce.
And here she was: alive and defying the odds.
Moreover, if she could wield two pieces of the golden power and still live to tell the tale, then perhaps her dream of atonement wasn't so far-fetched after all. The Goddesses had given her the strength to survive her battle with Ganon and obtain his Triforce piece, so they clearly deemed her worthy of making a wish that so many mortals before her had desperately wanted to make themselves.
There was now only one thing that stood in her way.
Lowering her hand, Zelda turned her attention to the man standing mere feet away from her, realisation dawning on his face only seconds before she said, "Give your piece to me."
"No," was his instant response.
"This is our chance, Link," she told him, her voice wistful in a way that made her eyes wild with intent. He swore that he could see a hint of gold shining in her irises. "We can protect future generations from Ganon's curse and free ourselves from the burden of the past. Don't you see? We could change the world before the next sunrise!"
He took a step back and shook his head, raising his free hand when she began to stalk towards him, "I won't let you destroy yourself over this."
"Who says I'll destroy myself?" she demanded, showing him the back of her hand. "The Goddesses deem me worthy, and yet you still see me as a frail and weak little girl. I've had enough of you always looking at me like I can't do anything for myself just because I have a pretty little crown on my head. I might have the weight of the kingdom on my shoulders, but I am more than strong enough to bear its burden!"
He gritted his teeth and stopped himself from retaliating before thinking about what he was going to say. Her words were harsh and untrue, and he knew better than to take the bait when it was only emotion behind her words. Link refused to take another step back, as much as he wanted to, and took a moment to breathe before replying.
"You're the strongest person I've met," he said, ensuring that she heard how much he meant what he said. "I've watched you work yourself to the bone to ensure that you're the kindest and strongest leader you could possibly be for Hyrule. Despite all the hardships you've faced, you were the one to pick yourself up and move on for the future of your kingdom. I could never, ever see you as weak."
"Then you know what I must do." Her eyes bored into his unwaveringly. "Don't deny me this chance to make things right!"
"You can do that without controlling the power of the Gods!" he countered, his voice raising without him meaning to. "You have the power to change the future by being exactly as you are now, without taking the risk of sacrificing yourself. Don't let the past steal your future!"
"Why can't you allow me to make this decision for myself?!" she snapped. "Give me the Triforce of Courage, Link. Don't make me take it from you by force." Despite his best efforts, Link's eyes briefly flicked down to the inanimate form of the Gerudo he once called a friend before returning his gaze to Zelda. For a moment, he was scared of what she would do to fulfil her wish.
Then he steeled himself for what he was about to say.
"If it's truly your decision to use the Triforce, then it's my decision to protect my piece, as I was chosen to do." He knew his words would be taken one of two ways (and he was pretty sure he knew which way that would be), but he needed to say them. After all, Zelda had a right to make her own decision as much as Link had a right to make his. He just prayed that they would both get past this for the final time.
She stood there for a few moments and studied him intensely, taking in his words and deciding her next move. Trepidation grew and grew as the moments dragged out between them, and Link had no idea what Zelda was thinking or feeling despite their mental bond. How he wished he could tap into it and work out how to help her.
His heart stopped when she finally exhaled and she let her rapier tumble from her grip. It clattered against the stone at her feet and its dull echo bounced between the ruined buildings. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears as she looked him up and down, a tiny smile tugging at her lips as she moved towards him. Although he remained wary of her, he couldn't deny that she looked beautiful in the rain.
Stopping with only a pace between them, she reached out and cupped his cheek. They were both drenched, skin marred with blood, mud, sweat and tears, though none of that mattered in that moment. If she'd had her way, then she would've run away with this man years ago, probably the morning after they'd confessed their feelings for each other. Then they would've lived a perfect life free of duty and burden from anyone.
But she couldn't run from her destiny. Neither could Ganon. And neither could Link.
"I love you," she murmured. "I love you so much." He tried not to lean into her touch, but he failed.
"I love you too," he replied just as softly. "Zelda…"
She reacted as soon as he hesitated. Snatching his wrist, she channelled her powers to effectively disarm him and sent him down onto one knee. Her face was neutral, but her eyes were glossy and betrayed her supposed firm resolve. She balled her free hand into a fist to hide her quaking fingers. She had to look strong despite the burning grief in her heart and the feeling of Link's hurt that drifted through their bond.
"Don't make me hurt you," she rasped. "I just want what's best for you…"
He gazed up at her before reaffirming, "I won't give you what you want."
"Please, Link… don't make me do this!" Her grip on his wrist tightened as she gritted her teeth. But he said nothing, not even when she repeated herself. He simply knelt there and hung his head as they reached a stalemate. "Look at me…"
He didn't react.
"Link, please look at me… you know why I have to do this."
He didn't move.
"Look at me!" She grabbed him by the neck and forced him to look at her, unable to stem the flow of tears that ran down her cheeks as she cried hoarsely, "I don't want to hurt you! Please, just give me what I need to save you!"
Her breath hitched when she felt his pain in time with his heartbeat as he struggled to breathe. But the stronger her own emotions became, the less she could feel his pain through their bond. Zelda failed to choke back a sob as she continued to yell at him, squeezing her eyes shut as she silently screamed at herself to keep going despite what she was doing to the man she loved.
She was acting in self-defence when she fought Ganon. While she could've used less of her power, it was necessary to protect herself and survive.
But this… this was different.
"I can make it stop!" she pleaded, unaware of her tightening grip on his neck as she fought for control over her despair. "I can break the wheel and make this all stop if you just give it to me!"
Yet he continued to be stubborn and continued to defy her. Her mind was a raging torrent. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he stopping her from saving them all from this endless wheel of suffering? She was doing this for him! She was doing this to fix the mistake she made thousands of years ago. Why couldn't he see past the risks and see how bright their future could be without this thrice-damned curse?!
"Please, Link! Why won't you believe me? I'm doing this for you!"
He gasped beneath her, but the noise in her head was so loud that she didn't hear it. He tried to say something, anything to make her stop, but her grip was too strong and he couldn't speak. Anger coursed through him and gave him a rush of adrenaline. She was so desperate to give him a choice and a future free of endless torment, but here she was forcing his hand until he did what she wanted.
Link reached up and managed to grasp her wrist, but he didn't have the strength to free himself. His vision was darkening. He needed to get through to her somehow. Farore, she was going to kill him if he didn't stop her. That thought allowed the panic to seep in, and he struggled to think straight. She still wasn't looking at him. She needed to realise what she was doing. He needed to stop her.
There was only one way he could think of to do that. He had no idea if it would work after so many years of trying with no results, but he had to try.
"Let me save you!" she cried, her pounding head tilted up to the falling rain. "I can…"
Her voice died in her throat when she felt a ripple in their bond, something she'd never felt before. Yet it soon grew louder and louder until it finally manifested into an achingly familiar, yet panic-stricken voice.
"Zelda, stop…!"
He'd done it.
After all these years of trying, he'd finally managed to use their bond to mentally speak to her.
The shock of that realisation sent shockwaves through her core and stunned her so much that she immediately let Link go and stumbled back a few paces. Not only was he able to communicate with her through their bond, but his voice was so thick with fear and desperation that he cried her name as if it was the last thing he was ever going to say.
Collapsing to the ground, her chest heaved as she gasped for air. She blinked away the rain that were caught in her eyelashes and did her best to wipe them away as her tears mingled with the raindrops. Once she finally caught her breath, a familiar golden light caught her eye and made her heart stop at the thought of what it meant.
The queen slowly raised her head and watched as the Triforce of Courage floated before her. She was drawn to it, whether it was of her own volition or not, and her body moved without thought. Zelda didn't think twice before reaching out, her fingers brushing the cool, golden surface for a fraction of a second before pain grabbed her in a vice-like grip and her vision went white.
The first thing she was aware of was the water at her feet. Her eyes fluttered open, and a painfully familiar world opened out before her. Just like in her reoccurring dream of the man with the flaming hair, she stood in a land of ankle-deep water that seemingly stretched on forever, the skies above her blue and adorned with fluffy white clouds. It was the first time she'd felt at peace in a long time, and that alone unnerved her.
The sound of water being disturbed behind her made her turn, and her gasp echoed throughout the vastness around her. There, shining in all its glory, was the completed Triforce. Aside from her rapidly beating heart and uneven breathing, it was so quiet that it felt like she was in a void with only her and the golden power.
Surely this wasn't real.
"Welcome, Zelda…" a voice whispered out to her.
"I…" she breathed, then regained her composure. "Am I dreaming?"
"No. I am the Essence of the Triforce," it answered. Covering her mouth, the princess fell to her knees, overcome with reverence for the power before her. "The Triforce will grant the wishes in the heart and mind of the person who touches it. If thou hast a strong desire or dream, wish for it…"
For years, it was her sole desire to atone for the mistake she made as Hylia. After all, it was her fault that Link had been reincarnated to utterly defeat the monster that then cursed all three of them to be reborn eternally. All she wanted was to wash out that stain on her soul and free herself and Link from the burden of fate—and Ganon too, before he turned against them.
She was never sure if she'd ever fulfil her desire, yet here she was on the cusp of doing just that. In that moment, she couldn't allow herself to hesitate.
Drawing herself back onto her feet, Zelda took a steadying breath and said resolutely, "I wish to end the curse upon the hero, myself, and the incarnation of evil that has blighted Hyrule since ancient times. Our souls have not rested since the dawn of time itself, and it is finally time that we are delivered to salvation like the many lost souls before and after us."
There was a pause before the Essence spoke, "Thy wish is to end the curse of the Demon King. That is the desire of thine heart?" She nodded.
"It is. Free us from this curse!"
"Very well. Now, the cycle of princesses, heroes, and kings of evil shall end with thee!"
A wind suddenly swept through the endless world, blowing her dirty hair out from around her face and making her squint her eyes from the force of it. Golden light rushed forth and quickly overwhelmed her vision, and it felt as if her body was being lifted into the air. Her eyes rolled back and she leant back into the wind, allowing herself to be consumed.
For a single moment, she felt as if she was falling, and then the world disappeared.
It was the smell of rain and smouldering ashes that drew her back into consciousness. She tried to open her eyes, though it felt as if they were weighed down and unable to open. Everything felt different now. There was a lightness in her chest that she'd never felt before, as if a colossal weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt lighter than air, like she could run for miles without feeling an ounce of exhaustion. Although her eyes were still closed, she rejoiced in how the rain felt against her skin and how the warm breeze rustled her soaked hair.
Zelda kept willing her eyes to open until they finally did. The skies above her were still dark and clogged with smoke, though she could see the tiniest rays of sunlight beginning to emerge as the rain was starting to slow. No longer were flames rising high into the air, but were now mere billowing plumes of smoke against the dark of night.
The queen unconsciously raised her hand to cover her face from the rain, only to gasp at what she found—or rather, what she could no longer see.
The mark of the Triforce on the back of her hand was gone.
The reality of what had come to pass slammed into her hard, and she burst into tears.
She had finally broken the wheel.
She'd finally saved them all.
This is what freedom felt like—freedom from the cycle of suffering began by Demise and ended by her. They could finally live.
Before she could stop herself, laughter bubbled from her throat and spilled out into the square. She was quick to cover her mouth as reality started to settle in, but nothing could cut through the immense joy that flowed from her at the thought of true freedom.
"It's over…" she breathed. "It's finally over…"
Now she could do what any other ruler could do without the burden of fate on their shoulders. She would make her mother and father proud by ushering Hyrule into an era of prosperity and peace. She would do everything in her power to make her people happy. The fallout of the battle with the Gerudo would be difficult, but she wouldn't have to do it alone.
She would never be truly alone again, not with Link at her side. The painful memories of having to wrench the Triforce of Courage from him brought a new wave of tears to her eyes, but she knew he'd understand. She would do everything she could to make it up to him. She never wanted to hurt him, but now they were free to live their lives. A childish part of her mind thought maybe, just maybe, she would no longer need to keep their courting a secret.
"Link…" she whispered breathlessly. "Link, I did it… we're going to be alright…" When there was no response, she searched around for him. "Link?"
There he was.
She found him in a crumpled heap before her. His still form was strewn across the rubble, hands limp and facing up so the rain could pool in his pale palms before running onto the cobbles and making his spilt blood look like red watercolour. He stared up at the sky with blank, unseeing eyes. His lips were parted and a chilling shade of blue.
"Oh Nayru!" she screamed, horrified. "Oh sweet Nayru! Link!"
It was too late.
He was already gone.
And it was all her fault.
She crawled to him and did everything she could to try and wake him, but to no avail. As she drew him into her arms and pressed her forehead to his, a dark voice at the back of her mind sneered that she had done the exact same thing as Hylia. Both times, his death was her doing, except there was nothing to bring him back this time.
She'd broken the wheel and her heart in one fell swoop.
"Please wake up…" she sobbed over and over. "I'm so sorry… please wake up… don't leave me…"
All she'd wanted to do was save him.
And now he was dead.
Dead at her hands.
She cried harder at the thought of it. She'd spent so many years weighed down by guilt over his fate, and now it was her fault that he wasn't going to live a life free of the past. She'd known him for so many years, and yet it felt like they hadn't had nearly enough time together. Their story had come to an end and it was all her fault.
It was all her fault.
It was all her—
Suddenly, she felt the ground rumble beneath her. The queen was quick to realise that the barrier she'd placed around Castle Town for her battle with Ganon had fallen (most likely after she lost consciousness), and it was safe to assume that the pillars of blinding light in the square would've attracted a lot of attention. No doubt the soldiers of Hyrule were rushing to their queen's aid, but they would find far more than they'd ever bargained for.
In a split second, she had to make a choice.
A part of her screamed that she had to stay and face what she'd done. In a battle between her and the Gerudo King, she could easily explain that she fought for her life and won. But then she looked down at the broken body in her arms and wondered if she could tell the kingdom that she'd killed her beloved hero. She supposed she could say that he died in battle, but she couldn't have that weight on her for the rest of her life.
Could she?
Another part of her, the wild and free part of her that Link had always loved about her, told her to run. That voice in her head begged for her to be a coward and live a life of solitude where only she could live with the guilt that she'd caused herself and be free of the eyes of gossip mongers watching her all the time. If she ran, she could find a way to atone and Hyrule would live on without her.
Then Link's voice—oh sweet Nayru, she'd never hear his voice aloud again—snaked back into her mind.
"Hyrule will be nothing without you."
And he was right. How foolish of her to think that she, the Queen of Hyrule, could simply run from her duty and abandon the people she'd sworn to protect.
"With the sword of your forefathers, do you swear to execute justice and stop the growth of iniquity? Do you swear to protect and uphold the sacred doctrines of the Golden Goddesses, and to help and defend your people? Do you swear to restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order?"
And she had solemnly sworn to do so only a few months ago. So help her Farore of Courage, Nayru of Wisdom and Din of Power.
How dare she even consider going back on those words?
She may have broken the wheel of destiny, but she was still a queen and had vowed to protect her people.
She had to stay and face the future alone.
Without Link.
Realising that this would be her last moments with the one she truly loved, she was utterly overwhelmed. When the soldiers arrived and the bodies were carried away, she knew that she would never be able to touch him again, never feel his hand in hers or his breath against her neck. She was never going to see him rub the back of his neck when he was nervous. She was never going to hear his voice or his laughter again.
She was never going to hear him say that he loved her ever again.
These few moments would be the last few that they would spend together, and that alone created so much pressure that she buckled beneath the weight of it. The sobs that she had managed to briefly stave off arose once more, and she held his face close to her so she could look deep into his unseeing eyes.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "This is all my fault… I… I can't do this…"
But she had no choice.
"I didn't mean it… I promise…"
But what were promises to a dead man?
"I wanted to make you happy… that's all I ever wanted…"
What about what he wanted?
She squeezed her eyes free of tears so she could see him better. "You said that Hyrule will be nothing without me… but I'm nothing without you…" Taking a long, shaky breath, she promised, "I will make things right… I won't let them forget you…"
The rumbling grew louder. She didn't have much time.
"I love you," she breathed, kissing him once, then again. He was still warm. "It was always you. My heart has always been yours. I… I don't deserve your forgiveness, but please know that… that I've always loved you, Link."
Minutes later, when the soldiers of Hyrule entered the square and found the remains of a battle once waged on those cobbles, they bowed their heads respectfully at the sight of their queen in mourning.
~End of Part I~
