"When peace returns to Hyrule... it will be time for us to say goodbye…"

—Princess Zelda, Ocarina of Time


Break the Wheel

~O~

Part II: The Unending Rain

The rain barely let up in the coming week, only adding to the sombre mood in the castle and beyond.

As the delegation of Gerudo rode out of Castle Town with the body of their king in tow, icy sheets of rain lashed the procession and rendered the decorative drapes on the carriages heavy and limp. Some townsfolk peeked through the windows to catch one last glimpse of the man who had attacked their home so violently, though none dared to stand outside in such awful weather.

The queen was amongst those who watched on from indoors, cradling her cup of tea as she gazed through the grand window of her bedroom and out onto the town below. Her eyes were blank as she stared through the blurred glass and followed the procession. Despite the roaring fire behind her to keep the room warm, there was a cold numbness in her heart that she was certain would never fade away.

The delegation had been here for the past week to negotiate a peace treaty. Not that they could bargain for much, since it was their side that started the battle completely unprovoked, but Zelda was determined to ensure that things ended as peacefully as possible. Despite the wishes of some of those in her council, she didn't ask for the Gerudo to bend the knee or send their highest ranked members to be executed, which seemed to be what they were expecting.

The talks lasted for days and were mostly productive, apart from an uneasy start to negotiations. Then again, the newly-appointed chieftain of the Gerudo was Nabooru—Ganondorf's widow and once second-in-command—and Zelda had to spend the week in close proximity with the wife of the man Zelda had killed. It was hard to stomach, especially with the story she'd told everyone.

As the only survivor of the battle against the Gerudo King, it was up to Zelda to dictate how the battle was to be remembered. She had considered what she would say for some time, but ultimately she chose to lie. The people heard how Zelda had fought Ganon in the square and how, with the help of her courageous knight, defeated him. They also heard how Hyrule's hero was fatally wounded in his battle against the Gerudo and succumbed to his injuries in the arms of the woman he'd sworn to protect.

It was the narrative that historians referred back to and the story that parents told their children before they went to sleep—the story of Hyrule's last hero. And it was all a thrice-damned lie, one that she would have to uphold for the rest of her pitiful life.

Was it right? She truly didn't know. On one hand, the people of Hyrule would remember their hero in the best possible way, and his memory wouldn't be tarnished by the way in which he died. On the other hand, did Link truly mean so little to her as she lied about his demise just to save her own skin?

Well, she supposed that she had the rest of her life to ponder it—however long it would be.

What made everything worse was how understanding Nabooru was about the situation. Was she happy about their defeat? Absolutely not. But, after generations of Gerudo kings being corrupted and sending their tribe into battle, she was tired of hearing the same narrative over and over again and then living through it herself.

"I wish things had been different," she'd confessed to Zelda one evening. "With Ganondorf's willingness to create change, I truly thought that this would be a new era for the tribe. But when I saw history repeating itself before my very eyes… I knew that I was naive to believe that the cycle of fate could possibly change paths."

Although Zelda had said nothing in response, the chieftain's words hit hard. She was also naive to think that the cycle of fate could possibly change paths without some sort of repercussions. She may have saved them all by breaking the wheel, but she had crushed her companions under its weight in the process. And now she had to live with that choice and bear its burden alone.

When Nabooru had asked about the state of Ganondorf's body, she had been firmly reassured that his body was treated properly and appropriately preserved so that it could be formally cremated back in the desert. Although some of her council members had called for the body to be left in the streets for the dogs, she remained steadfast in her decision. Zelda did hesitate, however, when the chieftain mentioned that the mark of the Triforce had disappeared from the back of his hand.

"Once the battle was over, all of our marks had disappeared," Zelda had explained, which wasn't entirely a lie. "None of them have returned either." Since it was more of a statement of facts rather than an answer, Nabooru wasn't entirely satisfied with the Hylian's response, but there was nothing else that could be said on the matter.

So as Nabooru and her delegation left Castle Town with a peace treaty signed, sanctions imposed on their tribe (as much as Zelda didn't want to do so, the council had pushed for it), and the body of their king ready to be laid to rest, Zelda continued to watch on as the blurry figures shrunk into the distance.

"Sav'orq, Ganondorf," she murmured as the party was swallowed up by the horizon. "May you rest peacefully after all that came to pass here."

After weeks of reliving that tragic day in her mind, the queen decided that she no longer saw him as Ganon: the man who betrayed her and thirsted for her blood. No, she saw him as Ganondorf once more: the man whose warm energy and kind smile brightened up any room he entered. His amber eyes may have glistened with malice as they fought, but the true Ganondorf that Zelda knew was still in there somewhere.

And besides, the queen cared not for the monster that Ganondorf had become, for she had become a monster entirely of her own making.

It wasn't long before her eyes drifted down to the market square that had changed her life forever. The fountain she hid behind during her battle with Ganon was still in crumbling ruins, not very high up on the list of priorities in terms of Castle Town's rebuilding process. One day, when the fountain was restored to its true glory, she wished to sit and lay flowers down there for those she'd lost.

How disgraceful, a dark voice at the back of her mind sneered. To lay flowers where you killed the man you loved? The gall…

She sighed and let her head rest against the window frame, knowing that it was true. She didn't have to think very hard for her mind's eye to picture those last moments in the square before she made her wish upon the Triforce. They were like ghosts dancing in her mind, haunting her until her dying breath. Sometimes, she could see the cobbles stained red.

Sometimes, she could still feel her hand around his neck—

She jumped and almost dropped her cup of tea when a knock sounded at the door. Shakily calling for them to enter, Zelda turned to find a petite young woman stepping inside. Ensuring that her head was low as she entered, the maid's dark eyes acknowledged the queen for a brief moment before she hesitated and looked away, pushing a lock of mousy brown hair behind her ear.

"Rosalie," Zelda greeted with a smile.

"Your Grace," she softly acknowledged. "With the Gerudo delegation gone, the council wished to know when you will allow Sir Link's chambers to be cleared."

The sound of his name made her heart skip a beat, but she quickly moved past that; she could think about that later. What was more frustrating was the fact that the Gerudo had barely left the town gates before the council had leapt on the opportunity to clear out Link's quarters.

The queen had assured them that it'd be done after the Gerudo were taken care of as that was a more important matter, but that was only half the story. As her appointed guard, Link had slept next door to her for security's sake, and walking past it every day was both comforting and heartbreaking in equal measures. When that room was empty, she knew that it'd be nothing more than a heartbreaking sight.

His empty room meant admitting he was never coming back.

Either way, she'd stalled for long enough. With the Gerudo gone, she had no choice but to face her fate. With no other living family members to take care of his personal things, Zelda was adamant that she would look through his room first and set anything aside before his fellow knights came in and distributed the rest—namely armour and weapons.

But clearing his chambers also led to a much more daunting problem: the funeral. The people of Hyrule wanted to celebrate and mourn their lost hero and, with the Gerudo delegation gone, there would be nothing else for her to use to stall for more time. Technically his body had already been laid to rest (she was a monster, but she wouldn't keep him from moving on from this world), but it was a private affair and her subjects deserved the chance to come together and grieve.

It also meant that she would have to dig her own grave and lie to everyone about his fate. She'd spend the entire time hearing condolences and stories of the people's hero. She'd spend the day accepting their condolences and hearing those stories when it was all her fault he was gone. She'd spend the day grieving far more than the kingdom could ever understand.

And yet, her grief wouldn't end after the funeral. No matter how hard she could try to move on, the queen knew that there would be yearly gatherings on the anniversary of the battle and constant reminders of what happened. She would never be free of the past—that was her life-long punishment not only for killing those she cared about, but for lying to her people about their fates.

A life of misery seemed like a minor punishment for what she'd done.

Observing her hesitation, Rosalie was quick to stammer, "O-Of course, if you still need some time then I'm sure the council will understand…" But Zelda waved her off.

"It's quite alright. I shall start now and everything shall be ready for tomorrow morning," she said simply, offering Rosalie a small, yet forced, smile before dismissing her. Once the maid had scurried away and closed the door behind her, Zelda turned back to the rain-blurred window and finished her tea in one fell swoop.

Time to face the music…


Ten Years Before the Battle of Castle Town

It was well past midnight when the princess had given up on tossing and turning in her bed. She was fortunate that no nightmares haunted her, but she was restless and fidgety (which she concluded was far worse). She'd long since given up counting the bumps in her ceiling, counting sheep, or even counting the stars she could see from her window—enough was enough.

Casting her bedsheets aside, she hopped out of bed and wiggled her toes in the plush rug before scurrying over the flagstone floor to one corner of her room. Running her hand down the floral wallpaper, her finger snagged on a little indentation in the wall and pushed it, a childish glee bubbling inside her as she pushed open the secret door before her.

The hidden door revealed a narrow corridor with moulded wall panels to help her feel her way through the darkness. Goddesses above, Impa was going to have her guts for garters for using this passageway when she wasn't meant to (it was solely for emergencies and definitely not midnight visits), but she just couldn't sit there and not use it when it was right there and practically begged her to be used.

Shuffling past the staircase off to her left (she definitely couldn't use that unless she wanted to face Impa's wrath), she reached the door at the end of the corridor and knocked a few times. Leaning in, she was forced to stifle a laugh as she heard a thud on the other side, followed by swift footsteps. Zelda almost fell forward when the door was pulled open with more force than she'd anticipated.

"What's wrong?" a dishevelled Link demanded, breathing hard. Zelda blinked, then noticed the knife in his hand and realised why he looked so alert.

"N-Nothing," she quickly assured him. "Everything's fine."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I…" she hesitated before admitting, "I just wanted some company; I can't sleep." He stared at her for a few moments before determining that she was telling the truth, rubbing his face and sighing into his hand.

"Farore, you know you're only supposed to use the door if something serious has happened," he breathed, though he sounded more relieved than annoyed. Still, the princess lowered her head.

"I know that, but I—"

"You can't just use it whenever you want to," he continued, frustration starting to seep into his tone. He turned away and held the door frame. "Goddess above, you scared the living daylights out of me…"

Her face fell. She should've known better than to use a secret passageway for anything other than a life-threatening event. But, then again, it was the first week that Link had been officially appointed as her guard and while she often snuck off to see him, this was the first time she could use this passageway—one only to be used when her life was at risk.

She'd been foolish.

"I-I'm sorry… I…" Suddenly feeling out of place, she swallowed thickly and raised her head, "I won't disturb you any longer."

"No, wait." The princess paused before fully closing the door, hesitating when she heard his voice. Finding his eyes, his expression had softened. "Sorry, I'm not angry at you. Impa's been testing me these past few months to check how alert I am, and she said the next time would be the real thing. I just… I thought someone was trying to hurt you." A tiny smile tugged at her lips and she reached out for his hand, both hurt and comforted by how tense it was.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," she murmured. "I wasn't thinking straight. How can I make it up to you?" Placing the knife down on the nearby dresser, he shook his head and finally managed to get his heart back in check.

"You can tell me what's keeping you up and tell me how I can help," he offered.

She blinked, surprised, "W-Why?" But that only made him laugh.

"Well, I'm not going to make you go back and be on your own just because of a false alarm," he explained. "Heroes are supposed to protect their princesses, even from sleepless nights. Didn't you get the memo?"

She laughed lightly, "I suppose I didn't." Gesturing to the corridor behind her, Link followed her as she returned to her room, almost bumping into her when she stopped all of a sudden and turned to look at him. "So, you don't mind if I randomly wake you up in the night?" He raised a brow.

"As long as it's for something important."

"So, if there's a spider in my room, then can I come to you?"

"Zelda, I said something important."

She faked a scoff, "My safety is of the utmost importance! Therefore, the answer should immediately be yes." When he didn't say anything in response, she smirked at another battle won. As they sat by the dwindling fire, she drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. "But seriously… this time, I just wanted to see you. If I ever get scared or need someone to talk to… can I come to you?"

"You can always come to me," he said softly, squeezing her knee. "But just make sure I know if it's for a comfort chat or an axe murderer in your room, alright?" She snorted and nodded. "Shall we say three knocks is good, and five is bad?"

"Sounds good to me. Though," she was quick to add, sitting up straight and pressing a finger to her chin in thought. "What does it mean when I come in without knocking at all?"

"Then you'll be trespassing and I'll report you to Impa," was his flat response. She gasped.

"How rude, Sir Link! What if there's simply no time to knock?"

He gave her a push, "Then I'm sure I'll be too distracted by your screaming and the armed intruder, plus I'll be praying that I'm properly dressed for the situation." Of course, he always would be, but seeing a blush creep onto her cheeks was all he wanted to see. He smiled at her. "I'll always be there for you, come night or day. All you have to do is knock."

Her heart fluttered. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd certainly have less fun, I'll give you that. I don't know anyone else here who would sneak the princess out of her own castle so she could go horse riding," he admitted, leaning his head back and putting his feet on her lap, grinning when she shoved them off. Moving to give her some space, he opened his arms to her and asked, "Is there something you need to get off your chest, or do you just need the company?"

It was so rare for her to be asked that question that it pulled at her heartstrings. Cuddling up next to him, she mumbled, "Just the company. Can you tell me a story? You always tell stories so well."

He pondered it for a moment before leaning round and asking, "Did I ever tell you about Flowerblight, the scourge of Hyrule?" She shot him a quizzical look.

"Most certainly not."

"Ah, well get yourself comfy because I'm going to tell you about the scariest woman to ever roam these fair lands," he began. "It started when I accidentally trod on some lady's flowers…"


A sad smile pulled at her lips as she thought about the rest of that terrible story and how she'd later tracked that lady down to buy some flowers just for Link. They'd shared many nights like that, just chatting idly or venting about anything on their minds, but it brought them even closer together. They also made excellent use of that secret passageway after they'd confessed how they felt for one another.

Shaking her head, her eyes fell on the hidden door in the corner of the room and stayed there for a while, only the sound of the roaring fire and falling rain keeping her present. Before she could stop herself, she made her way over to the hidden door and gently opened it. Her footfalls bounced between the walls as she walked down the corridor and to the door at the end. She raised her hand and closed it into a fist, only to freeze before doing anything else.

"I'll always be there for you, come night or day. All you have to do is knock."

With a sigh, she forced herself to knock three times.

There was no thud on the other side of the door. No footsteps. Just silence.

Her eyes welled up as she rested her forehead against the door and knocked again—still nothing. Letting her hand drop to her side, she whispered, "Link? It's me… I… I just wanted to talk to you."

But the door didn't open.

"Would you open the door if I knocked five times instead?"

Silence.

"Please… you said you'd always be there for me… and I really need you…"

But who was she kidding? Here was the Queen of Hyrule knocking at a door to an empty room—a room that was empty purely because she killed its occupant. How dare she beg for someone's company after squeezing the life from their throat? Is that truly how little she valued him? Licking her lips, she sniffed and pushed the door open.

She'd been in his room so many times over the years. Often, it was just to surprise him with some tea and her company in the morning, other times it was to make sure he hadn't overslept or missed any important meetings. She'd looked after him while he was ill in this room. They'd laughed and cried in this room. They'd shared so much of themselves in this room.

And now it was just a room.

Here she was with a whole castle of things that she'd been given throughout her life, while he could've probably put his entire life into a box or two. Zelda always told him how he needed more things to decorate the room with, but he'd always been humble in what he had. Apart from the range of weapons, loaned books from the library, a plant or two, and some personal keepsakes, one would mistake it for any other guest room in the castle.

But she was here to make sure that those personal keepsakes were taken care of. Although she hated invading his privacy like this, she knew it was what he would've wanted. He wouldn't want anyone else snooping through his things and inspecting them with a fine tooth comb. As painful as it was for her to do, she had to do it.

She started with the framed photos of his family on the dresser with mixed emotions. On one hand, she wished that they'd seen the person he'd become. On the other hand, Zelda was sure that she couldn't lie to his family about his untimely death. It was hard enough as it was to have his death on her shoulders, let alone the lie she'd created in the moment on top of that.

As she continued sifting through the drawers, she soon came across a box of letters. They were folded up, but had no envelopes. Curious, she leafed through them and immediately recognised her own handwriting. He'd kept all the notes and letters she'd written to him, from reminders of meetings to heartfelt letters of thanks for what he'd done for her. He'd also kept smaller trinkets from her too, like the scarf she'd made him when his order of knights were sent to Tabantha to help the Rito.

He held her in such high regard, and how had she thanked him for that?

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she set the letters and keepsakes aside. "I'm so sorry…"


A month slipped away before Zelda could realise it. The public memorial for Hyrule's hero came and went, though she could recall very little from the day itself. While she wished to remember the grieving faces and supportive messages of her subjects, the queen was simply glad that it was finally over. However, she quickly found that the memorial would only be the beginning of her future alone.

Two weeks on from the memorial, the council had confronted their queen and insisted that she no longer dressed in mourning black. Some tried to offer that they understood her grief and desire to wear black, but ultimately they all agreed that it was improper for a queen to prolong her official mourning for the sake of a low-ranked knight. Hero or not, there was protocol to be followed. And as much as she wanted to fight them, she lowered her head and stepped out of her chambers the following day in her usual dress.

It felt wrong. And as those weeks passed her by, Zelda began to notice how the maids and knights no longer exchanged mournful gazes. They began going about their business with their previous fervour and left their queen in their wake to grieve alone. Conversations at court soon shifted away from talk of battle and back to the typical gossip between nobles.

It became clear that the rest of Hyrule were ready to move on. But not her.

She dreamt of him often. Some dreams were happy, hazy dreams of better times they'd spent together or dreams that she couldn't remember but woke up comforted by his presence somehow. Other times, she dreamt of her hands around her hero's throat with absolutely no intention of letting up, consumed by a dark desire to simultaneously end him and Demise's curse.

Then there were other times where he simply stood before her, so bright and full of life that it took her breath away. His lips were no longer blue, his eyes no longer dull and unseeing. He smiled at her with a familiarity she'd never feel again in her waking life. Yet, whenever she reached out to him, his form vanished and she was left calling out his name in hope that he'd reappear.

"I'm sorry!" she would sob into the darkness. "I… this isn't how I wanted things to be! I just wanted to make you happy… I… I love you so much…"

"I love you too," she would hear him say from behind her. But when she spun around to find his eyes, he wasn't there. She was just hearing his last words to her before she'd killed him. "Zelda…"

Bolting upright, she clutched at her chest and breathed hard as she fought to catch her breath. She wasn't sure which dreams were worse—the ones from that awful day, or ones where he was so happy and full of life—but they were doing their job of wearing her down. Scanning around her bedroom in her private estate (the prying eyes at the castle were just too much), she reached over to her bedside table and lit a candle, knowing that she wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon.

Crawling out of bed, she relished in the sensation of the cold wood beneath her feet as she crossed the chamber to take out a simple cloak. The autumnal winds howled outside her window and rattled the glass, and any other time she would wrap herself up in a blanket and sit beside the fire to distract her mind from the forces of nature that kept her awake. But this wasn't like any other time, and now those forces of nature kept her grounded in the present moment far more than anything else.

Slipping on a simple pair of shoes, the queen took up her candlestick and shielded the flame as she crept downstairs. Wandering these empty halls would've scared her when she was younger, but now the silence had become such a close companion that she was comforted by the long, dark hallways with no one in sight.

As she made her way down the grand staircase and into the foyer, Zelda stood there for a moment and followed the shadows as they danced across the walls in the light of her candle. Yet when another gust of wind snapped her from her reverie, she took out a simple lantern from one of the storage boxes and used her candle to light it before stepping into the dark outdoors.

If it weren't for her lantern, it would've been impossible to see. After all, the moon and stars were blotted out by thick, dark clouds, and any twinkling lights from the castle were too far away to be of any use. As the gravel crunched beneath her feet, she fumbled her way through the gardens and towards a hill in the near distance, her dress and cloak whipping at her legs with each violent gust of wind.

She hadn't even hesitated when considering where she could go to clear her head. Although his life had been short (in the grand scheme of things), the loss of Hyrule's hero touched everyone as if they'd all known him personally. Adorned with all the honours she could give him, Zelda easily gave into public demand for a memorial to be built specifically for their hero. A cenotaph had been built just within the limits of Castle Town and had been blessed by the high priest. There, the people could pay tribute to the hero they'd lost.

And yet, the place she ventured to was private. A mausoleum was also constructed near the queen's private estate on the castle grounds. With no other living family members, Zelda dedicated herself to the mausoleum's upkeep and ensured that special permission would be required to enter it. She had reasoned that having the mausoleum in Castle Town would be insecure, but her true reason for having the building nearby was purely selfish.

She just wanted to take care of him as she'd promised she would.

She had also ensured that the mausoleum was tucked away from prying eyes. It was partly due to her selfishness, but also because she knew how much Link loved nature and how he wanted to be surrounded by it whenever he could afford it. So, in a small clearing surrounded by thick trees, was her newfound sanctuary.

The thick stone doors of the mausoleum groaned open, and with it came a surge of wind that swept inside. Zelda tensed as she forced the doors shut behind her and rested her head against the wood as the wind was blocked out and a calm quiet was restored. After a few moments of simply standing there, she regained her composure and placed her lantern on the floor.

Since it hadn't taken long to be constructed (and the man it was dedicated to would've hated extravagance in his name), the interior was simple and humble. A small window on the back wall usually let in beautiful shafts of light, but all it did now was look out into the dark thicket beyond. Outlined with pillars, a tomb effigy lay in the very centre of the chamber, small bunches of flowers from her previous visits laid at its base.

She shuffled towards the effigy and gazed down at the statue's sleeping face, overwhelmed every time she looked at it and was thankful for how lifelike it looked. Although tomb effigies were usually saved for those of higher rank (namely royals and nobles), the queen was too terrified of one day forgetting Link's face that she had specifically asked for this effigy to be built as soon as possible.

"Is this what my life will be from now on?" she murmured. "Will I see you in everything that passes me by no matter what? And will I always come here for sanctuary from the outside world? Even now, when I have your blood on my hands, I'm still relying on your protection whenever I need it… I'm surprised you haven't come from the spirit realm yet to tell me to leave you alone."

There was no response, and that made her snort breathlessly, "I don't know what's worse: the fact that I'm talking to myself, or the lack of response makes it feel like you're still here somehow." Settling down on the floor with her back to the grave, she straightened out her cloak and turned her head skyward.

"Perhaps, this is the start of my madness," she mused. "I see you everywhere, I come here and talk to you as if you're still alive… it's only a matter of time before I'm speaking nonsense and truly believe that you're still alive. I mean, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule III lost himself to mania and thought that his kingdom had been flooded…"

The wind howled outside, as if in agreement. She sighed, "Though I suppose madness would be a mercy. Still, after everything I've done, would I really be allowed to succumb to madness and take the easy way out?"

"Suppose this is a way of rubbing salt into the wound," she continued idly. "Maybe this is my punishment: I have to live out all the parts of my life that you will never have. If I live a long life, then I'll marry, have children, watch them grow up and grow old with someone at my side—you won't have any of that. You deserved that life… and I destroyed that."

Zelda felt her eyes well up, but didn't have the energy to wipe them away as she lost herself to her dark thoughts. Burying her head in her hands, she breathed, "Goddesses above… why didn't I die that day?" She shook her head. "No… I have to live with what I did… I can't pass on until I've completely suffered for… for k-killing you both. Sweet merciful Goddesses, why didn't you let the Triforce kill me like it should've? Then none of us would be in this thrice-forsaken mess!"

Her sharp words bounced between the walls until silence smothered them. Between sniffs, she whispered, "I just wanted… to make things right. Was that… was that so much to ask? I just wanted to give you the life you deserved! I… I wanted to marry you. I wanted to have and raise your children. I… I wanted to grow old with you—I wanted everything I couldn't have with you. "

Even before her wish was granted by the Triforce, she knew that a life with him was impossible. Her mother would've approved their union—of that she was sure—but the council would never. But still, it hurt her to dream of the future they could've had together before she utterly destroyed it.

"Even if your future was free of me… you had the right to live your life," she mumbled, raising her head to make her voice clearer (as if he could hear her somehow). "You deserved to live and love and make your life whatever you wanted it to be. I had no right to take that away from you…"

"But now… there's so much that you'll miss out on because of me." She swallowed thickly, her hand unconsciously moving down to her stomach. "I'll watch the children you could've had grow up and hear only stories of you…"

That's when her hand tensed up and her mind ran away with itself. Although she always knew that they would never be together in the way that she'd wanted them to be, Zelda couldn't help but consider the situation she'd suddenly found herself in. She was late, of that she was sure, but her bleeding had always been frustratingly irregular and, as someone who'd recently gone through trauma, she supposed her worries could be easily explained away and dismissed.

And yet…

What if this was the Goddesses' doing? What if, by some twist of fate, she was to give Link the life he deserved… through his descendant. It was a wild thought, but one that thrilled her and brought a genuine smile to her face for the first time in weeks. Goddesses above, was this her chance to atone for her sin by pouring all of her love and devotion into their child and give them a good life before passing on and leaving Hyrule in good hands?

She shot to her feet, breathing hard, "I must speak to Impa…"


Ten Months Before the Battle of Castle Town

"Absolutely not."

"And whyever not?" she demanded. "Can a knight of the realm really not stoop to sitting in the grass beside his princess in a perfectly safe environment?"

They stood on the outskirts of her private estate (still guarded, but far from prying eyes), the soon-to-be queen taking a walk through the meadows that she'd played in ever since she was a child. The death of her mother was still raw, but so was her confession of love she'd made only a few months ago. The castle (namely the court) was suffocating and meant she could only watch Link from afar, so taking the time to walk through the gardens of her childhood gave her space and the time she needed with the man she loved.

That was until she sat down in the long grass and invited him to join her.

"Nowhere is perfectly safe," he countered easily, ignoring her childish pout. "Not even Her Highness's private gardens. Feel free to lie in the grass and flowers as much as you want, princess, but it'd be improper to join you."

She snorted, "Improper? What's improper is Lord Ghirahim asking when I will invite him here so we can spend time together in privacy." She almost gagged as she said it. Patting the ground beside her, she added, "But this is our place—the only place where we can truly be ourselves. We don't have to hide how we feel here. Just sit with me, even if it's only for a few minutes. Please…"

And despite his best intentions, Link found that he couldn't deny her any longer, especially when she looked at him like that. He wasn't sure if she realised what she did to him when she met his gaze like she did, but she did it far too often and it worked every single time. Her smirk morphed into a grin as he huffed and finally gave in, sitting down next to her but still holding his weapon.

They sat in silence for a while, feeling the warm breeze on their skin, the buzzing of insects and rustling of trees around them. Autumn wasn't too far away now, so Zelda was determined to bask in every moment of these longer days before the long nights drew in and, with it, her freedoms would fritter away.

She'd be queen by the spring. That thought alone was terrifying enough. But when she looked at her company (even if he did look tense), she couldn't help but smile. They'd get through it together, as they always would. If only she could get him to enjoy the moment too…

Link's chest constricted when the princess suddenly gasped, but he knew her well enough to quickly realise that it was a gasp of amazement rather than one of fear. Looking over at her, he watched as she peered at something behind him. As a keen botanist, her attention was often snatched up by the beauty of nature, and he couldn't help but find the sparkling wonder in her eyes utterly adorable as he turned around to follow her gaze to catch whatever she'd seen.

But that was precisely what she wanted. As soon as he looked away, she knocked him to the ground and lay on top of him, effectively pinning him there. Although he could easily fight back, he just shot her a look and muttered, "You're a devil."

"Well, this is much better now, isn't it?" she replied, feigning innocence as she leaned in close. "You were blocking my view of a gorgeous blupee I spotted nearby, so we'll have to stay like this until I can properly study it." She paused to rest her cheek in the palm of her hand. "You don't mind… do you?"

He hated her when she did that.

"Of course not," he said, using his free hand to pull her in closer. "But the longer you're here like this, the more tempted I'll be to make good use of our privacy here…" She laughed and swatted him on the head.

"Now who's being improper?" she teased. "Though I suppose this'll be better than when you distracted me from signing off those tax reports—"

"Which you hate to do, so I was doing you a favour."

"—or when Chancellor Cole almost caught us in my study."

"And thank the Goddesses he didn't," he laughed. "That man's wanted my head on a stake for years…"

She giggled, and he was thankful to hear it after all she'd gone through that summer. As she quietened, she seemed to drift into deep thought for a while, though he couldn't quite tell if those thoughts were happy or not. When she finally caught his eyes again, he was surprised at what she finally asked.

"Do you think you'll ever have children?"

He raised a brow, "Are you asking out of curiosity, or because there's something else you'd rather do than watch fake blupees?"

She rolled her eyes, though quickly sobered up and replied, "It's a real question." He blinked, surprised at her sincerity, and considered it.

"I never really thought about it," he answered honestly. "I don't think I ever saw it as an option with the job I have. It wouldn't be fair to the kids or their mother if I wasn't there to support them."

She frowned, "Do you think you would have chosen a different path, had you not dedicated yourself to knighthood?" He shrugged.

"No point thinking about what hasn't happened." But she wasn't satisfied and he knew it. Sighing, he admitted, "Maybe. But I'm not ready for a quiet life in the wild—not yet, anyway. I'm happy where I am, and I can settle down when I'm old and grey and tell all the village kids about all the things I've done." A smile crept onto her face; she liked the sound of that. "What about you?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"I mean, you don't really get a choice in the matter," he explained. "You have to marry and carry on the blood of Hylia. But, if you had the choice, do you think you would've married and had kids?"

Unlike him, it was a question that Zelda had thought a lot about. If she wasn't the princess of Hyrule with the Triforce of Wisdom and the blood of the Goddess coursing through her veins, then what would she have done with her life? She always longed for a simpler life, but that was because of the life she led in the castle. Would she have longed for it as much had she not been surrounded by riches and responsibilities?

"I've always dreamt about a life like that," she said softly, resting her head on his chest. "I've thought about what life would be like if I woke up with the sun with only a few possessions to my name and a small cottage in the forest. I'd walk to the nearest village for the morning market…" She exhaled deeply. "And then I'd come home and care for my children, and I'd dance with my husband in my kitchen as the sun set."

"That sounds like a good life," he murmured, unable to not imagine the bliss that sort of life would bring. "But are you sure you wouldn't be bored?"

"Bored?" she parroted. He let his head fall back so he could watch the clouds above.

"Doing the same thing every day for the rest of your life… you're too gifted for that," he said, not realising he was starting to ramble. "You're a free spirit. Staying in the same place would bring you down. That's why you have this estate: you can't roam Hyrule whenever you'd like, but you have this as an escape. If you had the whole kingdom at your fingertips, you wouldn't hesitate to explore it in its entirety." When he noticed that she had lifted her head to listen to him, he stammered, "I-I, um…"

But his words were caught up in his throat. There was a look in her eyes that he could only describe as ambivalent, like she had everything she could ever want but also mourned the life they could've had instead. She stared at him for a long time before saying anything, though when she did, her voice sounded so wistful and far away that Link wondered if she'd ever be truly happy again.

"One day."

"W-What?"

"One day," she repeated, then, "Perhaps in another life, perhaps in this one, we will find a way to find joy in the lives that we will. We may be able to rise with the sun and travel the word, or find joy in the life in the castle that we must live in. I think that, one day, we will find that happiness that we both long for."

He smiled at her, "I think so too."

The princess seemed lost in thought for some time before nodding, making peace with what she had said, and turned to him with a look in her eyes that made his heart flutter. She leaned over and placed her hands on either side of his head, leaning in so close that he could feel her breath on his neck. Then she smiled wickedly, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Now," she said, tracing his jaw with her finger. "About your earlier proposition…"


On a dark, autumnal night, the doors to the mausoleum were shoved open and a figure stumbled inside, a bottle in their hand instead of a lantern. Without shoes or even a cloak to fend off the cold, it was obvious that whatever they'd drunk was the only thing keeping them warm. They didn't bother to shut the doors behind them as they stormed towards the effigy in the centre of the chamber, soft rays of moonlight drifting in through the door and back window and highlighting the figure's bloodshot eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

A chill filled the room as the figure fought for air, their expression twisting as they failed to hide the storm of emotions churning inside them. They glared down at the effigy's face, calm and peaceful as if nothing was wrong, and that only made the visitor angrier. Clenching their fist around the neck of the bottle, their chest heaved and heaved.

"This is your fault, isn't it?" the queen of Hyrule snapped. "Is this your way of—hic—of exacting revenge upon me? To ensure that I live a life of suffering to atone for choking the life out of you?!"

The effigy gave no response.

Taking a glug from the bottle, she continued, "I suppose it's the least I deserve, but I never saw you as spiteful." With so little alcohol left, she finished the bottle and scowled at the effigy as she demanded, "I bet this was your plan, wasn't it? Curse me to live a long, unfulfilling life in return for cutting yours so short. Or maybe… maybe you're sick of me coming here and talking to you so much, so you thought you'd do something to push me away once and for all…" She angrily wiped away the tears that threatened to fall.

As she sniffed and fought to catch her breath, she mumbled, "I should've known better than to think you'd possibly forgive me. I… I just thought you'd understand. But how could I dare to ask for your forgiveness after what I did? I just… I never thought someone like you would do something like this…" Breathing hard, she started to pace.

The realisation of it all hit her hard. She would come here so often to hide from the world and be near the only one who truly understood. And yet, she never considered how impudent it was for a murder to sit by their victim's grave almost every day and talk to them as if nothing had happened and forgiveness was somehow still on the cards.

How disgusting of her…

"It could've been the repercussions of my wish on the Triforce—to ensure that the cycles of fate truly end with me—but how could you not have something to do with this?" she asked no one in particular. "This way, you can make sure that a monster like me can never bring a child into this world!"

There was no response.

She stopped pacing and whirled around to the effigy, "Well, is that not what you wanted? To make me barren and purposeless as well as a liar and a fraud!"

There was nothing but cold silence in response.

Throwing her bottle at the nearest pillar, she yelled, "Answer me!"

But nothing happened.

Swallowing thickly, she began to pace with clenched fists, "Well, if you wanted me to stop thinking about you, then it won't work. How could I possibly forget you? How could I forget the one person who brought me true happiness and was going to grow old with me? How could I forget the man I love with all my heart? How… how could I forget the man I killed b-because—"

She couldn't finish her sentence. Collapsing to her knees, she fell onto her back and stared up at the dark ceiling above her as she sobbed without restraint. She could still feel how her hand tightened around his neck and how their bond was nothing but pain. She just wanted to help him! Goddesses above, that's all she wanted to do!

And here she was, with sin crushing her chest and nothing but a life of misery ahead of her.

"What can I do to make things right, Link?" she whispered into the darkness. "If you want me to devote myself to Hyrule for you, then I'll do it. If you want me to run away from all of this and live out the rest of my life alone, then I'll do it. If you want me to suffer… then I'll do it. I'll do whatever you want to try and make things right."

But who was she kidding? How could she possibly make something right after the damage had already been done?

She just wanted it to be over. Zelda had considered it a number of times since that fateful day, her heart begging for an end to come, but her head always stamped those thoughts away. She couldn't take the easy way out of her punishment. No, she had a duty as Hyrule's queen and a life-long sentence of misery to live out before she could pass on.

And now she had no choice but to face her punishment knowing that she would never be forgiven.

"Whether it was my wish on the Triforce or your revenge that's cursed me to be barren and live out a long life of guilt, it doesn't change the fact that… that this is my life now," she whispered. She hated how her tears tickled her skin as they ran down her temples, but she didn't have the strength to wipe them away. "There's nothing I can do now… is there?"

The silence was enough of an answer for her.

A short, dark laugh escaped her, "How ironic… I fought so hard to change our fates, and now all I can do is accept mine…"

She wasn't sure how long she lay there for. Even with the doors wide open and her shouting, she was so far away that no one came looking for her. She simply stared up blankly at the ceiling of the mausoleum, silent tears dripping onto the cool stone and her body doing the bare minimum to exist under the crushing weight of everything she'd caused.

When she'd gone to Kakariko Village to meet privately with Impa—leader of the Sheikah and her trusted friend—Zelda couldn't believe her ears when the Sheikah searched her spirit for any sign of a child, only to conclude that the queen was barren. The Sheikah were known for their incredible arcane abilities, so she had no reason to doubt Impa, but the queen's world had been torn out from underneath her after hearing such terrible news.

And it was all her fault.

She had only herself to blame for this. Whether it was her wish on the Triforce that caused this or Link's revenge from the spirit realm, it was still her that set the wheel—that damned wheel of fate—into motion. And now, because of her, she would be unable to fulfil her duty to Hyrule as their queen—unable to find any semblance of happiness in this life.

And she had no one to blame for it apart from herself.

"What I did may have been well-intentioned at one point, but that doesn't mean it was right… and it doesn't excuse my actions." Her breath hitched. "Whether or not I am prepared to… I must pay the price for what I've done."

Her body strained with effort as she unsteadily got to her feet, stumbling a little from the alcohol and fatigue. Her head ached and her world spun, but she forced herself over to the grave and gripped the edge of it for support, gazing down longingly at the sleeping face beneath her. Some of her tears splashed onto the smooth stone as she etched his beautiful face into her mind, as if it was to be the last time she'd ever see it.

"When I leave this place, I will never return," she promised him. "I will go back to the castle… and I will let you have the rest you rightfully deserve. You will never have to tolerate my presence again." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before murmuring, "You loved me once, and I love you still. I can never ask for your forgiveness… but all I ask is that you remember the woman you once loved and not the monster she became…" She reached out to touch his face, but thought better of it and instead whispered a solemn, "Goodbye… Link…" She turned around and refused to look back, making herself walk tall as she exited the mausoleum before she shed any more tears.

As the doors groaned shut behind her, only the soft moonlight could illuminate the effigy's sleeping face and the shards of broken glass that lay near its feet. The queen's lingering tears on the stone made it look like he was crying too.


~End of Part II~