Children of the Triforce: Retold

Chapter 3 – The Firstborns

Several months passed, and Zelda's pregnancy progressed without incident. For the most part, the Princess enjoyed her time spent carrying the child in her womb. It filled her with excitement, as well as a new kind of love. The love only a mother could feel for her baby. Link also maintained his excitement throughout the pregnancy, constantly doting on his wife and expressing his eagerness to finally meet their child.

Eventually, that day arrived. Zelda endured a long and exhausting labor, but by the end of it she was rewarded with a newborn in her arms. Admittedly, Zelda had still been a little worried about the nightmare she had experienced all those months ago, wondering if something would be wrong with her child. However, her fears were completely unnecessary. She had safely delivered a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

Link just drew close to his wife and admired the baby in Zelda's arms. He had stayed by her side throughout the entire labor, supporting her and making sure she stayed comfortable. Zelda had been a bit surprised at how reliable he was in her hour of need, and was honestly even more shocked that he hadn't fainted at any point. He had stayed strong, for her sake.

And now, they had a son. Link was a father. Zelda was a mother. And they were both incredibly happy.

The next day, King Harkinian held a large party, celebrating the birth of his grandson, also known as Hyrule's newest Prince, Cecil. As the firstborn son of Princess Zelda, he would be the next in line to the throne after his mother.

As expected, numerous crowds swarmed into the banquet hall, everyone eager to meet the newest member of the Royal Family, as well as congratulate the new parents. A line soon formed as each guest took their turn greeting the couple, in addition to admiring the newborn.

Prince Cecil was currently sleeping in a bassinet that had been set up at the end of the room. Link and Zelda stood on either side of him. They greeted each visitor in turn with appreciative nods and handshakes, all too happy to share their newfound joy with their guests. It was just so nice to see that everyone was as excited to welcome their son into the world as they were.

Eventually, the last guest made their way through the line, and the party then dissolved into a more casual atmosphere. As things quieted down, Link and Zelda finally found a moment to themselves.

Zelda sighed, letting her shoulders slump a bit. It was obvious that she was still tired. She had only given birth the day before, after all.

"How are you feeling?" Link asked, looking concerned.

"I'm okay," she insisted. "I'm a little tired, but I can manage."

Link smiled at her. He could tell that she was putting on a brave face, but he didn't mind. He was proud of her. He soon reached over and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, rubbing it a bit.

Zelda smiled back as she placed a hand on top of his own. She then gazed down at their son, who was still softly sleeping away in his bassinet. "He looks like you, you know."

Link grinned, also staring at the boy. "You think?"

"Yeah, he's going to grow up to be a handsome boy."

"He has your eyes," Link noted. "That beautiful shade of green."

"You flatter me," Zelda replied with a smirk. She then leaned over and kissed him.

"Thanks for this wonderful gift," Link said with a smile.

"Thanks for being there for me," she said back.

Suddenly, the couple noticed Harkinian approaching them. He had a wide grin on his face. "Enjoying the celebration, you two?"

"It's wonderful, daddy, thank you," Zelda told him.

"I'm happy to hear that," he said with a bright smile. "Now, why don't the two of you go dance and have a good time? I'll be happy to stay here and watch over my grandson."

"Are you sure?" Zelda asked.

"Of course! Being a parent is a lot of work, you know. You should try and have a little fun while you still can."

"He's right, Zelda," Link told her. "Cecil's asleep for now. You can feed him when he wakes up."

Zelda softly smiled at the enticing idea. She had to admit, it would be nice to dance without a big swollen belly for the first time in months. "Very well. Lead me there?"

"Of course, my Princess," Link said, smiling and taking her hand. He soon led her to the center of the room, where other couples were slowly dancing to the relaxing music. Link grabbed Zelda's waist while she lovingly wrapped her arms behind his neck. The two of them swayed together, enjoying themselves.

"I still can't believe I'm a father," Link whispered incredulously. "It feels so unreal."

"Well, we are rather young," Zelda reminded him. "Not that I mind. I'm so happy to have Cecil in our lives."

"Yes," Link agreed. "He is a cute little fellow, isn't he?"

"Of course. After all, he's half you and half me."

Link chuckled. "That must be why I love him so much. Because he reminds me of you."

Zelda blushed before smiling sweetly. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Link said, taking a second to gaze over at his son. He was currently resting in Harkinian's arms. "Although, if I'm being honest, I think that he's going to end up being like me."

Zelda gave him a curious look. "Why do you say that?"

"Because that kid can sleep through anything."

Time passed, and while Prince Cecil slowly grew in size, Link and Zelda slowly became accustomed to a new life as parents. They were naturally loving and doting, perfectly content to watch over their baby boy at every opportunity.

He brought so much joy to their lives. They loved seeing his boyish smile. Hearing his cheerful laugh. They loved comforting him when he cried. They were beyond excited when they saw him take his first steps. It was just so wonderful to see a small part of themselves growing up and starting to explore the world on his tiny, stubby legs.

Over a year later, Zelda ended up receiving some more surprising news. She was pregnant once again. Similar to the first time, this information filled the couple with joy. They were incredibly happy to welcome another child into the world, as well as provide Cecil with a younger sibling that he could spend his time with.

However, it was around this point that Zelda ended up experiencing another terrible nightmare. It was the exact same dream that she had experienced when she was pregnant was Cecil, and it was just as frightening. Once again, she appeared in a dark place, holding her baby in her arms. She wasn't sure if this child was Cecil or her unborn baby, but it terrified her all the same to see its eyes glow red and hear it speak in a harsh, accusatory tone.

"You'll pay for what you did to me! You and all of your descendants will be cursed for eternity!"

Once again, Zelda was forced awake, sweating as well as crying a little bit. Feeling terrified, she immediately jumped out of bed, and ran to check on Cecil in the next room over.

"Hmm? What's going on?" Link mumbled as he too awoke and watched her leave.

Zelda didn't respond. Instead, she just rushed to her son's crib, only to find him sound asleep. Zelda breathed a small sigh of relief. Her son was safe. She then placed a hand on her currently flat stomach. According to the doctor, her baby was perfectly healthy as well. But if that was the case, then what were these dreams all about?

"Is everything all right?" Link whispered, walking up behind her as he stifled a yawn.

Zelda gave him a guilty look. "Sorry, sweetie. I just had a nightmare and wanted to check on Cecil. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. "It sounds like you're just being a good mom."

Zelda wanted to smile back, but she refrained. Her thoughts were still drifting back to her terrible nightmare…

Link could easily read her expression, as well as what was on her mind. He soon placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her along. "Come on, let's go back to bed."

"Okay," she agreed quietly.

Once they were back beneath the blankets, Link stared at his wife with soft eyes. "Do you want to talk about your dream?"

Zelda hesitated. Once again, she didn't want to worry him, especially over something as insignificant as a silly little nightmare. However, she couldn't deny that the vividness of the dream still weighed on her, and she did kind of want to talk about it…

With a small sigh, Zelda explained what she had seen. Link just frowned as he listened, trying to make sense of it all.

"You heard Ganon's voice?"

Zelda nodded. "I…I know that he's gone, but I still can't help but wonder if he could do something from beyond the grave." She paused as she felt her stomach churn a bit. "Oh, Link, if he ever did something to our children…"

"He won't," Link assured her. "He's dead."

"But what if he came back? He has before…"

Link gave her a confident grin. "If he ever comes back, then you and I will defeat him again, and we'll make sure that he never lays a single finger on our kids."

Zelda gave a small smile, wanting to believe his words, but still feeling a little doubtful. "But these nightmares are so vivid. So lifelike…I almost wonder if they really are premonitions. Visions that are trying to warn me about the future."

"Maybe," Link said with a shrug. "They could just be nightmares though. I get them sometimes too."

"You have nightmares about Ganon?" Zelda asked softly.

"Every once in a while," Link explained. "He was so evil and powerful, sometimes it's hard to keep him out of your mind."

Zelda slowly nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. That beast of a man may have been dead for years now, but he still had left an impact on their lives forever. Zelda silently prayed that her children would never have to endure such things.

Many months passed, and the young Prince Cecil ended up celebrating his second birthday. By this point, the boy was able to speak, but only in brief sentences. Nevertheless, his parents were very proud of him as they continued to watch him grow and develop.

A few months after this, Zelda gave birth to her second child. This time, it was a girl; a new Princess of Hyrule. On the day of her arrival, a special guest ended up journeying to the castle to visit the couple, as well as the lovely newborn. It was none other than Zelda I, a Princess of Hyrule from generations past that had succumbed to a sleeping spell, until Link had finally managed to awaken her.

After her awakening, Zelda I had traveled to another Kingdom where she married a dashing Prince, but she still returned to Hyrule to check in on things from time to time. Her only living relatives may have been her distant descendants, but she loved them all the same. They in-turn treated her like she was part of the family, and even affectionately referred to her as "Auntie Zelda", which was actually a rather fitting title considering her place in the family tree. She didn't mind, of course, even though she was technically the same age as the current Zelda. She found the name to be cute, and she was more than happy to be referred to as such.

Today, she had decided to visit the castle to congratulate Link and Zelda on the birth of their baby girl. She currently had the infant in her arms, swaddled in a soft blanket as she slept.

"She's very cute, Zelda," Zelda I complimented her counterpart. "It's nice to finally have another Princess around here, don't you think?"

Zelda just smiled from her bed. "Of course, the more the merrier."

Link also smiled as he watched them. It was always rather amusing to see the two Zeldas in the same room together. They looked so similar, it honestly wouldn't be a surprise if someone mistook them for sisters. It certainly didn't help that they seemed to treat each other as such.

The newborn squirmed around a bit, slowly starting to wake up. Zelda I just smiled, leaning in and speaking in a soothing voice. "Hi, little one. I'm your Auntie Zelda. It's so wonderful to meet you."

The baby didn't respond, of course. She just kept twisting around beneath her blankets, trying to get comfortable. Zelda I giggled at her sweetness.

"Have you decided on a name?" she asked the proud parents.

Zelda looked at Link with a smile. "Well, we did have one in mind, but it will have to break tradition."

"Tradition?" Zelda I repeated, looking confused. Then, a second later, she realized what she was referring to. "Oh, you mean that?"

"It's been a long-standing custom in our family, for many generations," Zelda said with a nod. She was of course referring to what was known as the "Tragedy of Princess Zelda the First". After Zelda I had fallen into a coma, the Prince at the time made a declaration that all future Princesses of Hyrule would be named "Zelda", as a way of showing respect to his unfortunate sister. And so that tradition had been upheld, for many generations.

However, Zelda I just laughed in the face of this. "I hardly think that tradition is worth repeating at this point," she said with a smile. "The 'Tragedy of Princess Zelda the First' has been resolved. There's no need to name any future Princesses after me." She then paused before smirking. "Unless you wish to, of course."

Zelda giggled a bit. "No, as long as we have your blessing, then there is another name that we have in mind."

"And what is it?"

"Kristin," Zelda said proudly. "Princess Kristin of Hyrule."

Zelda I smiled wide, enjoying the sound of it. "Kristin. That's a cute name. A cute name for a cute baby, hmm?" she said, smiling down at the infant some more.

Once the "Auntie" was done fondling her distant niece, she returned the bundle of joy back to her mother. Zelda just graciously accepted her daughter into her arms, so glad to have been blessed with another healthy child.

Still, she couldn't help but think back on that nightmare she had experienced all those months ago. Even now, it still weighed heavily on her mind. Of course, she was happy to have her baby, safe and sleeping in her arms, but she still couldn't deny that she was concerned.

If everything was truly as perfect as it seemed, then why had she experienced those dreams in the first place?

I decided to give Zelda I a cameo in this story. She never appeared in the original Children of the Triforce, but since I'm trying to stick to game canon, I figured it would be odd to never address her. Thus, I had to come up with a reason for why she's not in the story, so I chose the simplest one. She just married someone and moved away! lol

I always thought that it was kind of weird that Adventure of Link technically ends with two Zeldas existing in Hyrule now, but I feel like it can create a fun and interesting dynamic as far as fanfiction is concerned :)