Children of the Triforce: Retold
Chapter 16 – Deception
Kyla spent the next few days attempting to lay low. She tried to keep a close eye on her parents, especially for any signs of an active piece of the Triforce, but unfortunately, she saw nothing that was worthy of note. Either their pieces of the Triforce were dormant or they didn't have them to begin with. Kyla wished that she had some way of forcing the Triforce to reveal itself, but she wasn't even sure if such a thing was even possible. Even her own piece of the Triforce remained dormant for the most part, aside from when it spoke directly into her mind, of course.
Patience, child, the voice reminded her.
Kyla frowned in response. That was all the voice ever said these days. Still, she followed its instructions and continued to wait.
As time passed, Kyla managed to entertain herself by daydreaming about the day when she would eventually become Queen of Hyrule. She had dreamt of such things before, but of course, being nothing more than a weak, sick little girl, she had never once dared to hope that they might one day become a reality. In this instance, however, her situation was completely different. Kyla now felt like she had a fair chance of ascending to the throne, and should such a thing come to pass, oh boy, would she enjoy herself to the fullest.
She could see it now. She'd wear the fanciest gowns and the most beautiful jewels. She'd occupy the largest bedroom in the castle, so distant from everywhere else that no one could bother her. She'd naturally partake in the finest of meals and would spend her hours doing whatever she pleased. After all, she wouldn't live to serve her subjects. They would live to serve her.
Kyla might even consider marrying a handsome Prince at some point. Naturally, she wouldn't bestow him with any power or allow him to make any decisions, but she would be happy to let him serve her night and day and perhaps even entertain her from time to time. She deserved nothing less than an obedient man. One who would live solely to fulfill her every desire.
As for her family, she wouldn't really care what they did so long as they left her alone. She supposed that they could remain in the castle, but they'd have to live in a far-off branch of hallways where the chances of the Queen running into them would be low. Not that she didn't wish to see them ever again, but she truly felt that she would enjoy putting some distance between herself and the people who had always suffocated her. Perhaps she would consider inviting them to dinner every once in a while…if she was feeling generous, of course.
As for the physician, he would likely be dismissed. That old fool had never accomplished anything in his time at the castle anyway, other than concocting some foul medicine which he would never dare prescribe to another human being if he had actually tasted it himself. Besides, once Kyla had the completed Triforce, she was certain that she would never get sick or injured again. And even if someone she loved got sick or injured, all she would have to do is use the Triforce's power to heal them. As long as she had that beautiful golden pyramid, she was certain that nothing would ever threaten or scare her again. It would be a life of true freedom. The perfect life.
Kyla sighed dreamily as she stared off into space. Oh, she so looked forward to that day. The day when all would be made right.
Unfortunately, the girl was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice her brother approaching from the opposite end of the hallway she occupied. The eighteen-year-old just smiled before walking up behind his distracted sister and tousling her hair a bit. "Hey, what are you up to, kiddo?"
Kyla immediately scowled as she whipped around and swatted his hand away. "Stop that, Cecil, you're ruining my hair! And I'm not a kid anymore!"
Cecil laughed as he watched her desperately try to comb her hair back into place. Being the youngest child in the family, she was always seen as the baby. "Sorry, Sis. I'm just joking around."
"Hmph." The girl scoffed as she folded her arms. She had half a mind to tell him off, but she soon paused once she noticed that he carried a sword in his hand and had a shield strapped to his back. She raised her eyebrows. "What are you up to?"
"I was just going to practice some dueling with dad," he said as he lifted his sword a bit. "Do you want to come watch?"
Kyla thought it over for a moment. She recalled that she was supposed to be keeping an eye on her parents as much as possible, and if her father was going to be out in a public space practicing his swordsmanship, she supposed that was as good a place as any to quietly observe.
"All right," she answered with a shrug. "But daddy is just going to beat you again, you know."
Cecil smirked as he began leading the way down the hall. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I've really been improving lately."
"Hmph, we'll see," the girl said, smirking back.
It wasn't long before the two of them arrived at one of the courtyards, where Link stood waiting with his own sword and shield. He seemed pleasantly surprised when he noticed that Kyla would be joining them. He soon walked over and greeted her by tousling her hair. "Hey kiddo, did you come to watch?"
"Oh, not you too, dad!" Kyla snapped as she smacked his hand away. "Like father, like son!"
Link blinked in confusion, but Cecil just laughed.
Once things settled down, Kyla took a seat on the bench off to the side while Link and Cecil took up battle positions opposite of each other. They then began sparring, starting off with slow careful swings that harmlessly bounced off the other's shield. As time went on, they gradually became faster and more aggressive, moving so quickly that Kyla could barely follow their movements. Metal clashed endlessly as sword met shield, and sometimes even met sword. Numerous metallic shrieks echoed out through the courtyard whenever the weapons collided. Occasionally, sparks would flare to life only to be lost in the constant flurry of movement.
Kyla smiled as she watched. She had mostly come here to look for signs of the Triforce, but she couldn't deny that she was enjoying the duel. What her father and brother were capable of was truly impressive. Her father was the better fighter of course, being considered one of the greatest knights in all of Hyrule, but her brother was a fair match for him. It wouldn't be crazy to think that he might become as powerful as the Hero himself someday.
Unfortunately, that day was not today, for Link soon unleashed a fierce spin attack which knocked Cecil backwards. The young Prince's knees buckled as the weight of the attack forced the wind out of him. He crouched to the ground, sweating and panting.
Link panted a bit too before smiling. "Come on, son," he goaded him. "Is that the best you've got?"
Cecil continued to take several deep breaths, but he soon shook his head as he rose to his feet. "No…" he mumbled.
"Hmm? I couldn't hear you," Link continued to tease.
"I'm not done yet!" Cecil shouted bravely.
It was then that something very strange happened. As Cecil rushed forward, eager to prove his strength against his father, the back of his left hand began to glow. It shined with a strong, golden light as the image of a triangle appeared there…
Kyla nearly fell out of her seat as soon as she spotted it. Link noticed it too and immediately went still. Because of this, it was a simple task for Cecil to send his father's sword spinning out of his grip and into the green lawn behind him.
It was then, as Cecil stood panting, that he noticed it too. Not only was he stunned by his unnatural feat of strength, but also the weird image glowing on the back of his hand.
"What the…?" he mumbled. He brought his hand closer to his face in order to inspect it. It was the oddest thing, seeing a small golden triangle there. "What is this?"
"Cecil," Link said in a stern voice. The boy was surprised at his tone, but immediately faced his father. "Let me see it."
Cecil gulped, not sure why his father sounded so serious, but he gladly complied. He sheathed his sword before extending his hand to Link. The Hero took the hand and inspected it closely, only to end up clenching his teeth.
"I can't believe this," he said with wide eyes. "You've been bestowed with a piece of the Triforce."
Cecil blinked, feeling dumbfounded. "I…I have?"
"Yes, it's the Triforce of Courage by the looks of it," Link said with a solemn nod. "This is bad. It means that the Triforce has been separated."
"It has?" Cecil asked, feeling even more confused. Unfortunately, the boy seemed to have been blessed with his father's wit, and thus had trouble following along. Thankfully, Link was experienced enough to piece things together and explain it for him.
"Yes, it's the only thing that would explain why you suddenly have a piece of the Triforce residing within you. Tell me, what do you know of this?"
"N-Nothing, dad. I'm honestly as shocked as you are."
Link eyed his son closely. "You didn't go to the vault?"
"What vault?"
"Hmm…" Link hummed as he lowered his gaze. The Triforce of Courage was still shining brightly on his son's hand, no doubt having been activated during their intense duel. This truly was a concerning matter. The Triforce had been safely locked away for years, but now, all of a sudden, a single piece had randomly appeared on the hand of someone close to him. Naturally, this raised a lot of questions. When had this happened? Where were the other Triforce pieces? And above all else, who had been the one to separate the Triforce in the first place?
Meanwhile, Kyla remained silent as she observed this scene from afar. Never in her wildest imagination did she think that the Triforce might have gone to one her own siblings. And to think that it had just appeared out of the blue like this too!
It wasn't long before the voice inside of her head hummed in mild surprise. Hmm…so that's where it went. What an interesting turn of events.
Kyla ignored it. She was too busy trying to think through the situation. It seemed that her father was not a wielder of the Triforce after all. Or at least, he did not wield the shard of courage. That piece had gone to Cecil. This meant that Kyla would have to find a way to steal it from him without anyone noticing, but that was surely easier said than done. Especially since Link had been witness to it as well, and he now held a very concerned expression on his face.
However, Kyla had little time to ponder these issues, for a new issue took hold of her attention. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she glanced down and realized that her own hand was glowing as well.
Ah, what's happening!? she screamed internally.
It would seem that being in close proximity to the active Triforce of Courage has caused your own piece of the Triforce to become active, the voice explained patiently.
Well make it stop! Kyla cried. What if my father sees?
But it was far too late. In her panic, Kyla had unknowingly released a small whimper of surprise, and it was quickly picked up by both men. They turned to her, only to spot the glowing mark on her own hand. Link immediately ran to her side.
"Kyla, let me see," he demanded.
The Princess squeaked as she withdrew her hand. She felt lost, scared, and confused. Her plans had never accounted for any of this!
"Kyla," Link muttered in a tone that suggested his patience with wearing thin. The girl, feeling stunned and not knowing what else to do, timidly offered her hand for Link to inspect.
Which he did, thoroughly. It didn't take long before his frown deepened and his eyes fell shut. "I seriously can't believe this…"
"What is it, dad?" Cecil asked as he walked up behind him.
"You have a piece of the Triforce too, Kyla. The Triforce of Power."
"I…I do?" she asked, not having to fake how frightened she was in the slightest.
"I'm afraid so," Link said with a scowl. "This is getting worse by the second…"
"Um…what does this mean, dad?" Cecil asked hesitantly. Even he was starting to get a little worried by this point.
Link took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. He had no idea what was going on, but he intended to get to the bottom of this. "We're going to have an emergency family meeting," he announced. "Cecil, Kyla, you stay with me. We need to make sure that we keep the Triforce safe until we know what's happening here."
"Sure, dad," Cecil replied with a nod.
"Y-Yes, daddy," Kyla replied as well. She almost felt too nervous to form words, but she managed it anyway.
"Come on then. I'll have a servant go fetch your mother and grandfather and then we can all meet in the family room."
And so it was. Link, Cecil, and Kyla assembled in the den as they patiently waited for Zelda and Harkinian to arrive. Link had considered sending for Kristin as well, but he wanted to inform the older members of the family first, and he truly felt that the less people that knew about this unfolding disaster, the better.
Naturally, the three of them sat in uncomfortable silence. Link had a number of questions for his two kids, but he was content to wait until the other adults arrived. Cecil paced back and forth a bit, constantly staring at his hand from which the mark of the Triforce had long since faded away. Link claimed that it was dormant for the time being, but it could always flare to life at any moment, so the boy insisted on keeping a diligent watch.
Meanwhile, Kyla was terrified. She did her best to hide it, but she felt like a nervous wreck on the inside. She had never anticipated that things could fall apart so quickly. Her parents were never supposed to know that she was a wielder of the Triforce. At least not until she had collected the rest of the sacred relic and obtained all the power that she would ever need to defend herself. But now Link knew. And Cecil knew. And now Cecil had a piece of the Triforce too and she was going to have to figure out some way to steal it in the middle of all this chaos and then there was the Triforce of Wisdom to worry about too and-
Peace, child! the voice reprimanded her. Panicking now will do you no good. Be calm and patient. Try to think this through. Your father may have discovered that you possess a piece of the Triforce, but he has no idea how you came to acquire it. If you play your cards right, you might be able to prove yourself innocent of any potential accusations.
Kyla took a deep breath, trying to follow the voice's advice and relax. It wasn't easy, for her heart felt like it was hammering against her chest, but she slowly managed to calm down. The voice was right. It would do no good to lose her nerve here. She would have to steel herself and rationally think her way through this situation. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to manage that, but in this moment, she felt thankful to have the voice at her side. As long as she had its support, she would have a fighting chance of enduring this trial.
Eventually, Zelda and Harkinian arrived together. They both glanced at their family, wondering what this sudden meeting was all about, but Link shook his head before pulling them off to the side and speaking to them in private. After a few seconds, Zelda ended giving a sharp gasp before glancing at her two children. She then frowned as Link finished up his explanation.
"Let me see," she said sternly as she approached the kids. Cecil and Kyla seemed hesitant, but they extended their hands out and allowed their mother to take them. Zelda soon summoned some magic in order to call upon the power of the Triforce, and sure enough, the marks on the backs of their hands began to glow. Zelda's frown deepened further as she witnessed this.
"Goddesses help us, the Triforce truly has been separated," she whispered to herself. She was suddenly overcome with an awful, foreboding feeling. Just a few months ago, she had experienced visions in which the Triforce had been stolen away, but she never imagined that it would happen right under their noses.
Link crossed his arms as he stood next to his wife, taking a moment to eye each of his children in turn. "All right you two, it's time to get to the bottom of this. This is a very serious situation and I want you both to answer all of my questions honestly. Do you understand?"
"Of course," Cecil said with a nod.
"Yes, daddy," Kyla replied quietly.
Link frowned as he gave a firm nod. "Do either of you know about the vault?"
Cecil quickly shook his head. "No, I already told you that I don't know anything about it, dad."
Link nodded again before eying his daughter. "Kyla?"
The girl bit her tongue, not sure what to say. Her immediate instinct was to deny and play dumb, but it seemed that the voice in her head had other plans.
We need to be careful with what we say here, it said in a conniving tone. One wrong response and your parents will realize what has transpired. For now, let's be cautious. Answer honestly, but be vague.
Kyla gulped, realizing that the voice was correct and that the best response in this situation would be an honest one.
"Yes," she said quietly.
Much to her terror, this answer drew the frenzied gaze of both parents. She resisted the urge to shiver under their watch.
"How do you know about the vault?" Link asked quietly.
"I saw it in a dream," she replied, still being completely honest.
Link scowled. "Have you ever been there before?"
Lie, the voice immediately commanded her. But sprinkle some truth into it…
Again, Kyla quickly decided on what the best response would be. "No. I tried to go there once because I was curious, but I collapsed on the stairs…"
Zelda blinked at this, suddenly recalling that terrifying night from all those years ago. "That's right. We did find her climbing the stairs that one night, but she was too tired to make it to the top."
Link slowly nodded, also recalling that night with perfect clarity. "So you've never seen the vault in person?"
"No," Kyla lied.
Meanwhile, Cecil glanced back and forth between his sister and his parents, feeling confused. "Am I the only one who doesn't know what this 'vault' is?"
Zelda sighed before explaining it to her son. "It's where we were keeping the Triforce hidden. If the Triforce has been separated, that means that someone went in there and tried to steal it."
"Is that how we ended up with the pieces of the Triforce then?"
"Yes. If someone with an unbalanced heart tries to use the Triforce, it splits into three pieces. One remains with the person who touches the Triforce while the other two secretly take refuge in someone else."
"Which," Link suddenly interjected, "seems to suggest that one of you touched the Triforce, or a third person touched it, and you two inherited the remaining pieces."
Cecil blinked in surprise. "You think that one of us tried to steal the Triforce?"
Link sighed. "I hate to say it, but by circumstance, the two of you are currently the biggest suspects."
"But I didn't know about any of this before today!" Cecil complained.
"Neither did I," Kyla added quickly.
Link sighed again. He hated having to accuse his own children. "I know, and I don't want to do this, but we have to be cautious…"
"Oh, Link, let it go for now," Zelda suddenly interjected in a strict tone. Everyone's eyes went wide as they turned to face the mother. "It's clear that Cecil is clueless and while Kyla seems to know a bit more about all of this, we both know that she was always too weak to make it to the top of those stairs."
"That's true," Link admitted with a frown.
Zelda simply shook her head before releasing a sigh of her own. "I know that we can't completely rule them out, but there's still a third person involved in all of this, and until we find out who they are, we can't draw any definitive conclusions."
"Right you are," Harkinian added with a grave nod. "If it's true that Cecil holds the Triforce of Courage, and Kyla holds the Triforce of Power, then we can safely assume that our third suspect is holding the Triforce of Wisdom."
Link nodded at this logic. "Zelda, you used to be the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. Can you determine who holds it now?"
Zelda shook her head. "I'm afraid not. All I know for certain is that I am not its current keeper. If it had returned to me, I would have noticed it."
"Then how are we supposed to find out who has it now? It could belong to anyone in the Kingdom, couldn't it?"
"Not necessarily. It likely would've went to someone who holds a great amount of wisdom, or at least someone who truly believes in the value of wisdom."
Kyla sat there in silence, taking all of this in. She was finding it difficult to focus on the conversation, because she was still terrified of her parents discovering the truth. They were obviously very sharp, and it had not taken them long to collect all of the facts and logically discuss them. Even if she managed to avoid their suspicions for now, she felt like it might only be a matter of time before her secret was eventually discovered.
You're right, the voice agreed. Even if we continue to play innocent, I fear that it will only get us so far. You need to recover the remaining pieces of the Triforce before your parents discover the truth. If you can do that, then they will no longer be able to stand up to you, and your health and safety will be guaranteed.
But how am I supposed to manage that? Kyla snapped out of desperation. I have no idea how to find these things! I didn't even realize that Cecil had one inside of him after all this time! And now I need to go and find someone who has a lot of wisdom, all while being under interrogation?
Kyla suddenly froze in that middle of that thought. In her mind, the dots began to connect. Someone with a lot of wisdom. Someone of great renown. Someone who may have been closer to Kyla than she ever realized…
It's Kristin, she thought slowly. Kristin has the Triforce of Wisdom. She has to.
Hmm, the voice purred, as if amused. How fitting. To think that the Triforce would be divided among you three siblings. I admit, you might be onto something there.
Kyla couldn't help but smile a bit. It felt so good to finally piece everything together. And above all else, she finally knew where all the pieces of the Triforce were! Now she would just have to find a way to steal them from her siblings without anyone noticing.
Which is easier said than done, she realized with a frown. How am I supposed to accomplish this? If mom and dad find out that Kristin has a piece of the Triforce, they'll interrogate her only to find out that she doesn't know anything about the vault and how the Triforce got separated.
Yes, and then you will seem all the more suspicious, the voice agreed. Perhaps your deception is closer to being discovered than we realized.
The girl nervously bit her lip. Then what should I do?
To her surprise, the voice simply laughed; its haunting howl echoing in the corners of her mind. Isn't it obvious, my child? You must shift the blame onto someone else…
It took Kyla a few seconds to put together what it was trying to say. Wait, you mean I should blame all of this on Kristin?
Precisely, my dear…
But…I can't do that, Kyla argued back. My parents would discover that it's a lie.
Would they? the voice challenged her. Your sister is not here to defend herself, is she? Surely your words would hold more weight than the word of someone who isn't even present? If you can make a believable enough lie, you will buy yourself some precious time. Enough time to steal the remaining pieces of the Triforce before it is too late.
Kyla frowned. You…You really think so?
Of course, my child. Why do you hesitate? You have no affection for your sister, do you? The same sister that is jealous of you and wishes that you had died of an illness?
These words lit a fire inside of Kyla, and the girl quickly scowled. No, she said forcefully.
Then what is there to fear? Trust me, your sister deserves to take the fall for this, and your parents will believe you if you present a convincing argument. You may be young, Princess Kyla, but you are no fool. You already know just the thing to say, do you not?
Kyla blinked a bit before slowly nodding. She could feel a sinister confidence rising up within her. A brazenness that knew no fear. A courage that was willing to do whatever it took to obtain what she desired.
She would become the Queen of Hyrule, no matter what.
Kyla glanced up, watching as her parents continued to discuss the issue at hand. They seemed to be going over potential suspects who could currently be in possession of the Triforce of Wisdom. Being royalty, they were well connected, and they knew a great many people that could fit the qualifications. Unfortunately, none of the suspects sounded like the type to do something like this. Not to mention, they would have required some sort of access to the castle.
Upon hearing this, Kyla grinned. She knew exactly what to do.
"I think it was Kristin," she spoke up suddenly.
Both of her parents immediately fell silent as they turned to her with wary glances. "What did you say?" Zelda asked softly.
"Um…I think that Kristin might have been the one who stole the Triforce," Kyla replied nervously. She made sure to appear neither confident nor proud, but rather cautious and timid.
Naturally, the room fell into silence once more as this accusation settled over them. Eventually, Link spoke up, looking displeased.
"What makes you say that?"
"I just remembered something," Kyla said in a soft voice. She forced her gaze to the floor, appearing nervous. "Um…this one time, Kristin told me about how much she wanted to study the Triforce in secret. She went on and on about how it was so mysterious and historically significant. I…I never thought that she would actually go and steal it though…"
Again, there was silence. This time, Cecil was the one who broke it.
"I never would have thought that either," he said slowly. "But then again, she was always interested in history…"
"She's very smart too…" Link agreed. "I'd say that she's certainly qualified to hold the Triforce of Wisdom."
Zelda merely gawked at her family members, feeling appalled. "I can't believe all of you! Link, that's our daughter! How could you accuse her of something like this?"
Link frowned. "I'm just trying to consider all of the possibilities, Zelda. We really don't know what's going on."
"So now you've started mistrusting your own children?"
"It was Kyla who mentioned it in the first place!" Link said defensively.
This was enough to make Zelda turn to her present daughter with a scowl. "Kyla," she said sternly, "are you sure that Kristin said that to you? You didn't possibly misunderstand or misinterpret her words?"
"No, mommy," Kyla said quietly, still looking rather frightened. "She…She only ever mentioned it to me the one time, but that's exactly what she said. I thought it sounded kind of crazy myself, so I didn't even take her seriously."
"I can't believe this," Zelda said with a shake of her head. "Kristin has always been so responsible and trustworthy. I never would have expected her to do something like this."
"How did she know about the vault though?" Cecil asked with a frown. "I mean…wouldn't she have had to go there to steal the Triforce?"
"She's a Princess of Hyrule," Zelda said with a shrug. "It's possible that she saw it in a vision like Kyla did."
Link slowly nodded. "I hate to say it, but the evidence does kind of add up…"
Meanwhile, Kyla concealed a grin as she watched all this unfold. She had come up with the perfect lie. One that had been sprinkled with just enough truth to be believable. And naturally, her family had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. It wasn't as if they had anything else to believe, after all. Nobody suspected Cecil of having stolen the Triforce, and while Kyla was certainly a more suspicious individual, her mother had already gone out of her way to provide the girl with the perfect alibi. She truly believed that the weak little Princess couldn't have possibly climbed up all those stairs. Ha! Little did they realize, she had proved herself much more capable than they believed!
Eventually, the discussion came to a close as Zelda sighed in frustration. "Unfortunately, speculation will get us nowhere. We need to talk to Kristin ourselves if we want to solve this mystery."
Link nodded. "Where is Kristin, anyway?"
"She left to go meet with some friends in Castle Town earlier," said Cecil. "She's probably still there now."
"We'll have a guard send for her at once," Link decided as he moved for the door. "We'll tell her to come back to the castle immediately so we can ask her some questions. In the meantime, everyone else will stay here."
The rest of the family nodded in agreement before falling into an uncomfortable silence. They all had a lot to process. So many confusing thoughts which consisted of doubt, betrayal, and fear.
Meanwhile, Kyla happily smiled to herself, and the voice in the back of her mind purred in delight.
All according to plan, it said.
The dramaaaaaa! I had so much fun with this chapter. I just love all the tension, lies, confusion, and betrayal. I feel that the family aspect adds so much to it too. Link and Zelda have lost their most important treasure, and their own children are the leading suspects! It's fun to watch them go into "strict and serious parent mode" because of it haha.
Anyways, more drama and tension coming next chapter ;)