Chapter 4 - Astra meets Zelda
Summary: Astra travels with Purah to Kakariko Village and then on to Hyrule Castle.
It was morning at Hyrule Castle as Queen Zelda finished breakfast, and a few minutes later, her Royal Secretary Myra arrived.
"Good morning, Myra," said Zelda. "Please sit down. Have you had breakfast?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I already ate, thank you," said Myra as she sat down.
"At least have some hot tea then? There's a chill in the air."
"Yes, thank you. Some hot tea would be nice."
Myra had worked with Zelda as her Royal Secretary and acting chief of staff for fifteen years and was very devoted to her. She usually would only report for work and discuss the day's upcoming events, not join Zelda for morning tea. But things were far from normal these days after the terrible loss of Zelda's husband, and Myra knew Zelda could use the company.
"Do I have any important meetings today?" Zelda asked as she finished pouring Myra a cup of tea.
"Nothing the ministers and I can't handle, Your Majesty," said Myra. "Perhaps you should take another day off?"
"Perhaps," said Zelda after she took a sip of tea. "But at least I want to meet with the head of Castle security. I know he blames himself for what happened, but I want to reassure him it wasn't his fault. The Yiga Clan are masters of dark magic, and that is a difficult thing to defend against."
"I will schedule a meeting with Colonel Lorton for first thing this morning," said Myra. "Then I hope you will at least take the rest of the day off. There really are no pressing matters that require your attention."
Zelda smiled at her.
"Thanks Myra," said Zelda. "I'm grateful for all you do. But I don't want to find out you overworked yourself on my behalf."
"Of course, Your Majesty. This tea is quite delicious!" said Myra, after swallowing a sip and changing the subject.
"Do you hear me, Myra? You already work yourself too hard."
"Yes, Your Majesty," said Myra. "I will just put in a normal day."
"Which is already more than a normal workday for anyone else. All right, I will treat today as a day off. But tomorrow, I should like to resume a normal work schedule myself. Work can be a helpful distraction, and it's my duty."
"Very well," said Myra. "Thank you for the tea, and I will inform Colonel Lorton you wish to meet with him in your office. Is there anything else, Your Majesty?"
"No, that's all for now," said Zelda. "And thank you, Myra. You've been a great comfort to me these past days."
"I'm glad to have helped in any small way I could, Your Majesty," said Myra. "Your entire kingdom loves you and is praying for you. They know how hard you've worked to restore their lives and hopes and build a better future for their children. Anyway, I will go now and arrange your meeting with Colonel Lorton at once so the rest of your day can be free."
Myra rose from the table, bowed, and left.
Zelda sighed and finished her tea. Then it was time to head to her office for her meeting with Colonel Lorton. The two guards stationed outside the small family dining room accompanied her as she walked down the hall and then climbed the stairs to her office.
Zelda's office was high atop one turret that was rebuilt during castle restoration work. Unless visiting other locations in Hyrule, going to her office was an almost daily routine for her. She found her office conducive to getting things done, as it was a bit isolated from distracting foot traffic and afforded a fine view of the kingdom in all directions.
This October morning, however, the sky was overcast and the weather on the chilly side. She stopped to warm herself at the fireplace the castle staff had lit for her, and her cat Mia was doing the same thing, resting lazily in front of the fire. Zelda bent down and petted her cat, which barely acknowledged her with a stretch and a yawn. Zelda smiled. Mia was not a morning creature! Then she sat down at her desk.
Colonel Lorton arrived at her office a short time later, and after exchanging greetings, the Colonel spoke.
"I have my letter of resignation here, Your Majesty," said Lorton as he extended his hand with the document. "I fully deserve that you accept it."
"Thank you," said Zelda as she took it and stood up. "I think I can put this to good use."
Then Zelda walked over to the fireplace and tossed the letter into the fire.
"The fire looked to be getting low," said Zelda as she returned to her desk. "I do not want your resignation, Colonel. On the contrary, I want your advice and help. So now let's sit down and discuss your thoughts."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, you are very gracious," said a relieved Lorton. "Had I known you intended to feed the fire with my letter, I would have written a longer one."
They both chuckled, then Lorton sat down and began discussing his ideas for improving castle security and what resources might be needed.
Meanwhile, at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, Astra and Purah had awoken early and eaten breakfast together, then prepared for their journey to Hyrule Castle.
"I think it wise for you to change into this Sheikah outfit," said Purah as she handed Astra some clothing. "We can say you're my new assistant, and we can use the name your father called you if you wish. I read his story before falling asleep."
"Yes, calling me Astra is fine," said Astra. "I'm used to it."
Astra changed into the Sheikah outfit, and it fit well.
"It looks good on you, and it's very convincing with the hood over your hair," said Purah as she studied the fit. "With all the things you must know, I wish you truly were my assistant."
They left the lab, and it took a few moments for Purah to secure the front door using her Sheikah Slate.
"I installed some special locks on the doors and windows," Purah explained. "Nobody but me, Paya, Jerrin, or Her Majesty can open them, and anyone who tries to force them open will get nowhere. Now, if you're ready, let's head down to the village. I arranged for a pair of horses to be brought to the inn."
"It will be interesting to ride a horse all the way to Hyrule Castle," said Astra. "I've only ridden horses for recreation."
"We will ride slowly and stop at Kakariko Village for a late lunch with Paya," said Purah. "As head of the village, we owe it to Paya to explain the situation. But do not speak openly outside her dwelling. Kakariko Village has seen its share of Yiga spies over the years."
"I understand," said Astra as they began walking down the hill toward the village.
Seeing Purah use a Sheikah Slate reminded her of another conversation she had with her father, Link.
"Oh, another thing, sweetheart," said Link. "Don't show Purah your Tab, at least not right away. She will grow too excited and want to drop everything to research its workings. Wait until there is free time for her to do that."
"I wonder how many of its functions will still work?"
"I would guess anything that it can do internally, but obviously not communicate with other Tabs," said Link.
When they reached the Great Ton-Pu Inn, they found two horses waiting for them. Purah handed Astra a pair of apples and kept another pair for herself.
"Feeding your horse some apples will foster a bond with it," said Purah. "It will follow your lead, and you'll get a better ride."
They each fed their horse the apples, petted it on the neck, then mounted up. Their journey began with a ride through town. It was well that they started out slowly as Astra took several minutes to get the feel of the animal. But by the time they reached Midla Woods on the outskirts of Hateno Village, she was riding comfortably.
"We call those tall blue structures Sheikah Towers," said Purah as she nodded toward the Hateno Tower. "I don't suppose you are familiar with them?"
"I am," said Astra. "I am told they activated when Ganon attacked about forty-one years ago where I just came from."
"Ah, yes, of course," said Purah, shaking her head. "I wasn't thinking properly."
"But one difference I notice relates to the shrines. Here every shrine I've seen glows blue, but many do not where I came from," said Astra.
Riding onward took them past Camphor Pond and the Ovli Plain, then along the northern shore of the Fir River, and it was midmorning by the time they reached Fort Hateno. The fort, such as it was, looked different to Astra. It was a mixture of old and new, having been partly rebuilt. The Fort Hateno that Astra was familiar with had never been damaged, of course. As they rode on through the Blatchery Plain, Purah spoke up again.
"This place used to be littered with decayed Guardians, but now they've all been removed. But only after collecting as many ancient parts as we could from them first, of course."
"It looks much like how I remember it," said Astra.
"If you're comfortable, perhaps we could pick up the pace?" said Purah. "I was hoping to reach Kakariko Village by early afternoon."
"Yes, I'm more comfortable riding now," said Astra.
They urged their horses onward to more of a steady gallop and soon reached the point where the road forked to the north and south. North led to Kakariko Village, and south to the Dueling Peaks Stable.
"Let's feed and water our horses at the stable," said Purah. "It's not far out of our way, and the horses could use the rest. They will ride much the better for it afterward."
So, they turned south and, after a few minutes, reached the Dueling Peaks Stable, where one of the staff took charge of feeding and watering their horses.
As Astra glanced around, she recognized the land as the same Hyrule, of course, and yet it was different too. The roads were still unpaved for horse travel, and things seemed more leisurely here. You moved more slowly on a horse and had time to see the world around you, the land, the flowers, and the animals. She could understand how her father would say he sometimes missed the days when journeys were by horseback and getting to your destination was as exciting as arriving there. But she had grown up with high-speed transport and still preferred it. And her father certainly enjoyed riding motorized cycles.
When the horses were ready, they mounted up and headed north, crossing the Kakariko Bridge that spanned Lake Siela. They followed the road as it curved between the tall Pillars of Livia, and it was early afternoon when they slowed their horses and rode into Kakariko Village.
"How does it compare?" Purah asked as they rode through the village.
"It looks very much the same," said Astra.
"I'm not surprised," said Purah. "Kakariko Village is steeped in Sheikah tradition and not inclined toward outward change."
They rode for another couple of minutes, and then Purah spoke again as they reached the large house that Astra knew as Impa's house.
"We can leave our horses here," said Purah as they dismounted.
The guards at the foot of the stairs knew Purah, welcomed her, and let them both pass.
"It might be best if I did the talking and explained everything to Paya," whispered Purah as they made their way up the steps to the doorway.
"That's fine," said Astra. "You know everyone and how best to deal with them."
Purah knocked on the door, and they heard a voice bid them come in. They entered, and, after seeing who it was, Paya rushed forward.
"Aunt Purah!" said Paya as they hugged each other. "This is a pleasant surprise! But do I know your companion? I feel like I do, and yet I think not."
"We're both hungry, so let me introduce her to you over some lunch, dear," said Purah, closing the door behind her. "And trust me - you will want to be sitting down when I do. I'll help you prepare something to eat. Is Layna here, by the way?"
"No, Layna is out training with her instructor. Eighteen-year-olds don't hang about the house all day."
While Paya and Purah prepared lunch, Astra looked around the large room. She had not been to Impa's house very often, but she noticed one difference at once. There was a large picture on the wall to the left as you entered, and walking over to it for a better look, she realized it could only be Blatchery Plain as it was years ago. That would be the image her father remembered, she guessed. After a few more minutes, lunch was ready, and she joined Paya and Purah.
"And now may I learn who our mystery guest is?" Paya asked after everyone was seated.
"Yes, but it must not leave this room," said Purah as she glanced around as if someone might be listening.
"Of course," said Paya.
"You can call her Astra, but her real name is Zelda, and she is Link's and Zelda's daughter," said Purah in a low voice.
Paya stared at Astra for a moment with a startled yet skeptical expression and then burst out laughing.
"Is this another one of your jokes, Aunt Purah? I can see the strong resemblance to Link now. But seriously. Is she your new assistant?"
"She is traveling with me as my new assistant. But it's no joke, Paya, I assure you," said Purah.
Paya knew Purah could be mischievous and prone to pranks as well as wild experiments, so she turned to Astra.
"May I ask how old you are, Astra?"
"Seventeen," said Astra.
"Ha!" said Paya as she slapped one hand against her thigh. "Nice try, Aunt Purah! Link has been gone for over twenty years, so how can he have a seventeen-year-old daughter? And besides, I never heard of any intimate relationship between Queen Zelda and Link."
"It's complicated, Paya, and not of my doing either," said Purah seriously. "Just trust me on this for now."
Paya paused and took a sip of tea.
"Seriously? You're really serious?"
"Yes, very serious," said Purah.
"If this is true, it would be amazing and a blessing from the Goddess," said Paya as she looked at Astra again.
"I think that is exactly what it is," said Purah. "I will leave a copy of Link's manuscript with you to read later. In it, he explains the extraordinary events that led to Astra's existence."
Paya looked at Astra, then rose and knelt on one knee before her.
"Forgive me for being skeptical, Highness," said Paya. "As a Sheikah, I am sworn to do all I can to aid you, and I will also pray every day for your success."
"Thank you, I shall need all the prayers I can get," said Astra. "And I do not blame anyone for being skeptical."
Paya rose and returned to her seat.
"May I ask if Link is doing well?" Paya asked.
"Yes, very well," said Astra. "He is quite happy with his married life. He has four children there and a grandchild too."
"I'm glad to hear it," said Paya. "You know, I had a crush on your father when I was a teenager. But I think almost everyone did back in the day."
"We should finish lunch, Paya, as we need to leave," said Purah. "I would like to reach Hyrule Castle before it gets dark."
They stopped their conversation and resumed eating until they were done.
"You understand, of course, how crucial it is that the Yiga Clan do not learn of this," said Purah as they all rose after finishing the meal.
"Of course," said Paya. "Shall I assign some Sheikah to accompany you?"
"No, I think that would only draw more attention to us," said Purah. "I fear my presence already risks that, as I seldom leave my lab and usually travel alone when I do. But my hope is that Astra accompanying me in the guise of my new assistant will not look suspicious."
"Very well," said Paya. "Then go with my prayers."
Purah and Paya hugged goodbye, and then Purah and Astra returned to their horses and headed West out of Kakariko Village. Paya waved to Purah from the entranceway, and then watched them as they rode away. When they were out of sight, Paya looked around the village. It was a typical quiet day, with a few people going about their business or visiting one of the shops. The closest person to her was praying at the Goddess statue. She turned and went back inside.
But Paya was not the only one watching Purah and her companion leave. The Sheikah who appeared to be praying at the Goddess statue knew who Purah was and had been surprised to see her travel there with someone. He knew Purah seldom visited her great niece and then only alone. So someone traveling with her might be of significance, or then again, it might not. He knew Purah had lost her former assistant, and it was possible her Sheikah companion was simply her new one, and Purah was familiarizing her with things. Anyway, his job was not to think too much but to follow orders and report anything out of the ordinary to his superiors. They did not encourage independence of thought or action in the Yiga Clan. No, it was very much a top-down command-and-control organization.
Astra and Purah followed the western road out of the village and then rode down the aptly named Sahasra Slope until it rejoined the road. Then they turned north, and after a further short ride, stopped at the Wetland Stable.
"This will be our last stop before we reach the Castle," said Purah as they dismounted and handed off their horses to one of the stable hands for food and water.
Astra took a moment to survey her surroundings. You could see Hyrule Castle clearly from here, and to its left, a quiet Divine Beast Vah Medoh. Nearby stood another ancient shrine glowing blue, and to its left, far to the southwest, stood Divine Beast Vah Naboris. To the northwest were fiery Death Mountain and Divine Beast Vah Rudania. The Pillars of Levia blocked the view to the southeast, but apparently, the Divine Beasts still stood where the spirits of the Champions had left them twenty-five years ago.
"How do you feel?" Purah asked as they waited.
"Nervous," said Astra. "I hope I can be accepted for who I am. But if not, I will still persevere in doing what I must."
"That is a fine attitude," said Purah. "But you need to remain vigilant and wary. Our enemies are quite cunning and powerful. They have overcome anyone who dared challenge them in single combat."
"Wait until they meet me," said Astra, and her quiet confidence sent a thrill through Purah. That was exactly what Link would say.
When the horses were ready, they mounted them and followed the road across the Rebonae Bridge and then onward toward Castle Town and the Hyrule Castle entrance.
Astra had to admit that Castle Town looked more modern than other parts of Hyrule she had seen so far. It was quite busy with people shopping at stalls full of merchandise or stopping for food and drink at food stands. Purah seemed to read her thoughts.
"Does this look more like where you came from?" Purah asked as they dismounted and walked their horses through town.
"A bit," said Astra. "Mine is more built up with shops and restaurants in buildings and not so many stalls. But it is a step in the right direction."
"Speaking of which, let's grab a bite at a food stall," said Purah. "We may not be able to eat at the Castle under the circumstances."
They purchased some bread, cheese, and fruit at a stand and ate as they watched the crowd.
"You can't imagine how much work it took to restore all this," said Purah after swallowing a bite. "It was a complete disaster."
It was evening by the time they finished eating and reached the entrance to the Castle grounds. Purah spoke to one of the guards and showed her some identification, and apparently, she was well known enough that no further discussion was needed. The first guard signaled another guard to escort them to one of the meeting rooms on the first floor.
"Please follow me, Dr. Purah," said the guard.
They followed the path to the doorway into the Castle, where another guard checked Purah's identification. Then they entered the Castle. Astra looked around as they walked down the hallway, as she was obviously quite familiar with Hyrule Castle but wanted to note any differences. One obvious one was that the castle structure was a mix of new and old masonry, and the new stood out from the more ancient stonework that had survived the Calamity.
"I will inform Her Majesty of your arrival," the guard said when they reached the room, and she left them to wait.
After several minutes, the door opened, but the Royal Secretary Myra, not Zelda, entered the room.
"Hello, Dr. Purah," said Myra. "I know Her Majesty has left orders that you are welcome to see her at any time. But I have been helping to ease her workload while she recovers from her terrible loss. Is the subject you wish to see her about something I can help with?"
"Hello, Myra," said Purah. "No reflection on you, but we come on an urgent matter we can only discuss with Her Majesty personally."
"I see," said Myra. "Very well. Her Majesty is just finishing dinner. May I know who accompanies you, Dr. Purah?"
"My new assistant, Astra," said Purah.
"Hello, Astra, welcome to Hyrule Castle," said Myra. "Please follow me."
Myra led the way to a small dining room used for family meals, as the large dining hall was reserved for larger formal occasions. She knocked at the door, then opened it when Zelda responded.
"Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty, but Dr. Purah and her assistant Astra say they need to meet with you on an urgent and private matter."
"Thank you, Myra, that's fine, you may go," said Zelda.
Myra bowed and left, closing the door behind her.
"Welcome, Purah," said Zelda as she rose from the table, then she looked startled as she began to greet Astra.
"Hello, Astra. Forgive my reaction, but you gave me a start. You remind me a great deal of a dear friend I once knew. Anyway, I hope you can put up with the good Dr. Purah better than her last assistant."
Astra smiled, but Purah abruptly flung open the door behind her to see if anyone was listening before she could answer. The hallway was empty, however, so Purah closed the door.
"Sorry, just being extra cautious," said Purah.
"Please sit down. Have you eaten? Can I order you some dinner?"
"No, thank you, we grabbed a bite to eat in Castle Town," said Purah.
Zelda kept glancing at Astra, comparing her features with those of Link. Zelda, of all people alive, knew Link the best, for they had spent a good deal of time traveling and working together. In fact, the last time she saw Link was after dinner in this very room before he left for the Temple of Time.
"Shall we discuss why you needed to see me so urgently?" said Zelda finally.
"Yes, and this is going to be difficult," said Purah.
"Perhaps it would be best if I presented this letter of introduction to you," said Astra. "There is also a document along with it that explains things more fully."
Astra handed the envelope to Zelda, and she withdrew the letter.
Hello Your Majesty,
This is Link, and since I assume you are reading this in private, and I forgot to call you Zelda, I am enclosing the one Rupee fine you used to assess me for such transgressions.
Joking aside, the person who presented this letter is our daughter, Zelda. I am enclosing the portion of my journal that explains how this extraordinary circumstance happened, and I am hoping Dr. Purah can answer any questions for you.
I hope my Rupee can convince you this letter is truly from me, but perhaps recalling some other memorable moments will help. For example, remember the time we got caught in the rain riding back from the Spring of Courage when you kept stopping to examine Zonai ruins? Or perhaps you will recall the time I returned from my TimeShift stone visit with Mipha sporting a love bite on my shoulder?
Anyway, it truly is me, and I hope you are well. I think of you often, Zelda, and pray the Hyrule I left behind is doing fine in your capable hands. In any case, my daughter's arrival there is clearly the work of the Goddess, and I can only assume it is due to some great need. She has trained well and is very capable, more so than me in some ways.
I hope you will come to accept her for who she is but, in any case, will at least aid her in whatever the Goddess needs her for.
I wish I knew what else to say, Zelda, given this unique chance to contact you. But you know very well that speaking was never my strong point. Know this, however, that you will forever remain in my heart as the dear special person you are to me. Thank you for all you did, especially for letting me save another Hyrule and giving me the chance to live the wonderful life I am living now as I write this. Our daughter can tell you anything else you wish to know.
Yours forever,
Link
Zelda brushed away a tear, then turned to Astra and Purah.
"This letter is certainly genuine and could only have come from Link," said Zelda. "I will have to read Link's journal to understand how all this could come to be."
"Yes, by all means, you should read it in detail," said Purah. "But in a nutshell, it started as a clever manipulation of time by an evil witch, sending Link back here an instant after he left and making it appear his time travel failed. He then spent eight years here, and you two married and had a daughter. The Goddess eventually undid all the damage, but in her mercy, and wisdom too no doubt, saved the life of your child."
"I imagine that is what would have happened had Link stayed here?" said Zelda.
"Perhaps, but we can't be sure it would have happened exactly the same way," said Purah.
"But you are convinced all this is true?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I am convinced it is all true," said Purah.
Zelda sighed, smiled ruefully, and shook her head in disbelief.
"I am truly your daughter, Mother, though I don't know if you can ever accept me as such," said Astra.
"You don't know how much I have longed to hear someone call me mother," said Zelda as she looked at Astra. "I'm sorry, but this is too much to take in."
Then Zelda burst into tears, and Astra got up and put her arms around her.
"I've had more time to prepare for this moment, yet I still don't know how to make it less awkward," said Astra. "I fully understand if you can never accept me as your daughter, though, of course, I dearly hope that you will, if not now, then perhaps someday. But either way, I am prepared to do whatever the Goddess needs of me for the safety of Hyrule."
After a moment, Zelda returned her embrace, and they held each other.
"I'll try my best to accept this, though it may take me some time," said Zelda. "And I understand you must be lonely as well, having left all those you know and love behind. We can at least comfort each other for now. And I guess we have a lot of catching up to do."
"Yes, we do," said Astra as Purah looked on and smiled.
"Let's all have some strong tea," said Zelda.