To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 37 – Memories of His Parents

Link and Zelda ended up walking along the stream that ran through the village. According to the Hero, the feast wouldn't be served for at least another hour, so they still had some time to kill. Zelda didn't mind though. She was more than happy to continue sharing his company.

"Link, I must say, today has been nothing short of wonderful," she said with a small smile. "I might even say that today's events have been the highlight of the entire tour."

Link laughed a bit. "Really? It's even better than my sumo match with the Gorons?"

Zelda smirked, but nodded. "Yes, and even better than my sad attempt at the Zoras' fishing contest."

"That's true," Link said, laughing some more. He then closed his mouth, letting it settle into a sincere smile as he gazed at the Princess.

Zelda couldn't help but feel a little shy when he did that. "What's that look for?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "I'm just surprised at how much fun it is to be around you."

"Oh?" Zelda said, her shyness escalating as her cheeks threatened to redden a bit.

"It's true," Link insisted. "Back before the two of us met, I never would have imagined that royalty was capable of being so friendly and down to earth. If anything, I probably would have expected you to be more strict and serious. More formal and less…playful."

Zelda couldn't help but smile at his analysis. "Yes, well perhaps I would be like that if Fost had his way. There's no doubt that there are times where he finds my behavior to border on being 'recklessly unsuitable for someone of my position, hmph!'" she said, mimicking the Minister's pretentious voice.

Link immediately snorted, covering his mouth as he released an unrestrained bout of laughter. Sure, her impression was exaggerated, but as far as Link was concerned, the resemblance was uncanny.

Zelda giggled as well, allowing the Hero's contagious laughter to spread over to her for a moment. She ended up shaking her head. "On a more serious note, I am glad that all of the villagers seem to have taken so kindly to me. I feel very welcome here."

Link ceased his laughter in order to give her a warm smile. "Of course, who wouldn't like you?"

Once again, Zelda couldn't help but blush a bit. She both loved and hated when the Hero complimented her like this. It was bliss but also torture. "That's very sweet of you to say, Link. Thank you."

"Well, it's true," he said with a shrug. "You're just really easy to get along with. Even Epona has taken a liking to you, and she has the most stubborn personality of anyone I know."

Zelda giggled some more, glad to let the heat fade from her cheeks. "I see. Well in that case, please let Epona know that I'm grateful to be counted in her good graces."

Link laughed as well. "Yeah, of course."

Zelda smiled before facing forward again, focusing on the small path next to the peaceful stream. She couldn't help but think back on all the fond memories that she had made on this day. "It really has been nice getting to meet all of your friends and neighbors. I've been completely convinced that Ordon is a wonderful little village."

Link nodded. "Thanks, Zelda. That means a lot."

"However," she continued, slowly starting to smirk, "I believe that there is still someone whom I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting."

Link just raised his eyebrows, feeling confused. "Someone you still need to meet?"

"That's right," she said with a nod. "While I have greeted most of the villagers here in Ordon, I still have yet to come across anyone that has claimed to be your family."

Link just stopped in his tracks. "My family?" he repeated.

Zelda soon stopped as well, turning back to smirk at him. "Of course. You claimed that you've been born and raised in Ordon, correct? Surely you have family that lives here? Your parents, at least?"

Link just stood there, looking like he was at a loss for words. "I…Well…Not really…"

Zelda blinked before flashing him a quizzical look. She honestly believed that she had been asking a harmless question. She didn't expect him to look so disoriented. "What's the matter? Do they not live around here?"

Link was silent for a few more seconds before slowly shaking his head. "Er…not quite…" He then paused, releasing a sad sigh as his shoulders slumped a bit. "I'm sorry. I guess I should've told you this sooner…"

"Told me what?"

"Zelda," Link said slowly, "my parents are dead."

Zelda immediately froze. The only thing she could feel other than sheer confusion was the subtle motion of her heart breaking in half. "Wh-What…?"

"My parents passed away many years ago," he said, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. "It was back when I was just a kid."

Zelda frowned, placing a hand over her heart as she felt intense feelings of sympathy start to well up within her. "Link, I'm so sorry. I…I had no idea. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Link just shrugged. "I don't know. You never asked, I guess?"

Zelda gawked, feeling absolutely appalled with herself. How had she known this man for months, considered him a close friend even, and yet never once asked about his family? How was she only discovering this now?

"What happened?" she whispered breathlessly.

Link sighed again. He honestly didn't like to dwell on these thoughts too much, but upon glancing at the Princess's genuinely concerned expression, he supposed that he owed her an explanation.

"It wasn't anything noteworthy," he said with another shrug. "It was an illness that spread through the village one winter. Most of the villagers survived it, but some got it so bad that they couldn't even leave their beds for weeks. It ended up claiming the lives of both my mom and dad, and it took the life of Ilia's mother as well."

Zelda gasped a bit as she placed her clasped hands before her mouth. She had never imagined that such a thing had happened to him. "How old were you?"

"Ten."

"And they both died at the same time?"

"On the same night, actually."

"Oh, Link, that's horrible," Zelda said, her eyes growing soft with sympathy.

"It was pretty shocking," he agreed. "But I eventually moved on. I had to."

"But you were so young," she said, sincerely mourning over his tragic past. "How did you get by without your parents around?"

"It wasn't that hard," he said, shrugging yet again. "Mayor Bo allowed me to stay in our home by myself. He said that as long as I was responsible enough, I could live on my own. Which was fine. It was kind of what I wanted actually. Bo ended up giving me lots of work to do so I could make a living. Working on the ranch, in the pumpkin patches, whatever. Rusl and Uli insisted on taking care of me too. They were a newlywed couple at the time, so they didn't mind keeping an eye on a lonely kid like me. They checked up on me a lot, and kindly invited me over to dinner at their house almost every night. And then, as I got older, I eventually just started taking care of myself."

"I can't even imagine what that was like," Zelda said, shaking her head. "To be so young, and to have all of that responsibility forced on you, all while dealing with the loss of your parents."

Link sadly smiled. "It wasn't that bad. If anything, I appreciated the work. It always kept me busy."

"Still, even when I lost my mother, I still had my father and numerous servants to look after me…" Zelda then paused, her eyes suddenly shooting open in alarm. "Oh my goodness! What a ridiculous fool I am!"

Link just blinked, letting his sadness fade away to be replaced by confusion for a moment. "Um…what?"

"I can't believe myself," Zelda said, regretfully shaking her head. "There I was in Zora's Domain, telling you about the loss of my mother, and yet I never realized that you were shouldering that exact same pain!"

Link watched her for a second before softly smiling. "Oh, it's okay, Zelda. I didn't think anything of it."

She shook her head some more. "No, I was terribly inconsiderate, going on about my own loss while never considering your situation. And to think, your loss was so much more devastating than my own…"

Link raised his eyebrows. "Er…it was?"

"Of course!" Zelda insisted. "Link, you lost both of your parents at once. That is incredibly tragic."

Link sighed before shaking his head. "Yeah, but you lost your mother when you were only six, right? At least I was older and better able to handle that loss."

"Better able to handle it?" Zelda scoffed. "Link, it sounds like you were completely alone…"

"I wasn't alone," he assured her. "The villagers all looked after me, remember?"

"But still…"

Link just sighed again before producing a sad smile. They wouldn't get anywhere with this kind of thinking. "I guess we've both had it pretty rough, huh?"

Zelda silently nodded. She supposed that she couldn't argue against that. Even though she felt like his suffering must have been worse than her own, she couldn't deny that they both had to endure that sadness. The sadness of losing a parent when they were young…

"Still, I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner," she apologized, staring at the ground shamefully.

"Don't worry about it," Link told her. "If anything, I probably should have told you ahead of time. I just don't tend to think about it very often. It's all in the past now."

"In that case, I'm sorry for bringing it up," Zelda said, still insistent on expressing her shame. "I was just so curious to meet them. I thought that this trip to Ordon would be the perfect opportunity. I never imagined that they might have already long departed from this world."

Link shook his head again. "Don't feel bad, Zelda. I honestly don't mind sharing this part of my past with you. Especially after everything you told me about your mother."

Zelda slowly looked up, only to find the sad but sincere smile still pasted on his lips. She couldn't help but reflect the expression back at him.

"Um…would you be willing to tell me about them?" she asked quietly. "Tell me who they were, and what they were like?"

Link slowly nodded. "Sure." He then paused before turning to the stream, staring down at the clear running water. "My dad's name was Ross. He was a hunter mostly. Nobody knew their way around the forest quite like he did. He did a lot of other stuff too. He practiced swordsmanship with Rusl, helped out at the ranch and in the fields when it was needed, and liked to go fishing on his days off. He was a kind man. It felt like he was always in a good mood and never really let anything bother him. He was friendly but also strong and reliable. And loud too. Nobody laughed quite like he did…" Link ended up smiling as the memories came back to him. "He taught me so much before he passed away."

Naturally, Zelda smiled as well. "And your mother?"

"Her name was Ophilia. She stayed at home mostly, doing the same work as the other wives. Cooking, cleaning, laundry. She helped out in the fields from time to time too. She was a bit different from my dad. She was more quiet and reserved, but she was still very kind. She was always willing to offer her help to others, no matter what they needed. I can't remember how many winters passed where she donated clothes, blankets, and food to families that needed it more than we did…"

Zelda smiled some more, wondering if these qualities were the origins of Link's own personality. The reason why he was always so friendly and willing to help others. "They sound like wonderful people, Link."

He nodded, still basking in his long-suppressed memories. "Yeah, they were."

"I truly wish that I could have met them," Zelda said sincerely. "I would've liked to see for myself the proud parents who raised such a reliable Hero."

Link smiled before finally turning to face her again. "Well, they're not alive anymore, but I suppose that I can still introduce you to them, if you want."

Zelda blinked, looking a little curious. "What do you mean?"

"They're buried here, in Ordon's graveyard."

"Oh, I see," Zelda said, suddenly understanding. "I'd honestly love to visit their graves. I mean…if that's all right."

"Of course it is," Link said with a bright grin. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

The two of them trekked to the top of a hill behind the Mayor's house. Here they ended up coming across a small graveyard, where humble tombstones dotted a grassy clearing amongst the trees. There weren't very many graves, but Ordon had always been a relatively small village, so this was to be expected.

Link soon led the Princess towards the back of the graveyard. However, he ended up coming to an abrupt halt in front of a small tombstone. Written on it was a name that Zelda didn't recognize, so she looked to Link for answers.

"This is where Ilia's mother is buried," he said quietly.

"Oh," Zelda replied in a solemn voice. In all the commotion of learning about Link's parents, she had almost forgotten his brief mentioning that Ilia had lost a parent as well. "She was just a kid at the time, correct? The same as you? I'm sure that it must have been hard for her as well."

"It was," Link agreed. "But we had each other. And it helped."

Zelda gulped as she nodded. Here was another part of Link and Ilia's history suddenly being revealed to her. Not only had the two of them been close friends that got along as children, but they had probably helped each other through the difficult times too. They had probably bonded over the deaths of their family members. Grieved with each other. Encouraged each other. Supported each other until they were both able to move on.

Zelda frowned with a troubled expression as she continued to eye the grave. For the first time, she was actually happy to know that Link and Ilia had always been close friends. If only so that lonely little boy didn't have to endure such a tragic event alone.

Link spent the next few seconds staring at the grave, but he soon had his fill and started to move on. He gestured for Zelda to follow him, and she did so without a word.

Before long, they reached the very end of the graveyard. Here, Zelda ended up spotting a single tombstone, one that looked a bit weathered having gone many years without any kind of attention. Still, she could clearly make out the simple words inscribed on the stone.

Here lies Ross and Ophilia, the kindest souls in Ordon.

Zelda just smiled, wondering who had chosen such words as their legacy. She doubted that it had been Link; he likely would've been too young to think of such a thing. Therefore, she could only assume that one of the other villagers had come up with it. It was just another testament to their kindness that Link had proclaimed.

The two of them stood there in silence for a while. Link just stared down at the graves, content to look upon this place with a friend by his side. He honestly didn't come out here to visit very often, but now, he was starting to wonder if maybe he should. There was just something calm and peaceful about being here. Something that set his heart at ease.

Eventually, Zelda broke the silence when she turned to him. "Would it be all right if I said a short prayer?" she asked quietly.

Link nodded. "Of course."

Zelda nodded back before returning her gaze to the grave. She then clasped her hands together before her.

"Greetings, Ross and Ophilia of Ordon," she said quietly and clearly. "My name is Zelda, and I am the Princess of Hyrule. It is an honor to meet you, even if it is in this roundabout way.

"I want to thank you for your time spent here with the living. Your actions and kindness have clearly left an impact on this tiny village in the forest, and I sincerely hope that they will not soon be forgotten. I beseech the three Goddesses to continue to watch over your souls which have departed from this world. I pray that you rest in peace, wherever you may be.

"Lastly, I want you to know that you should be very proud of your son, Link. He has truly been a blessing to us all. He has performed some incredible deeds and saved a great many people, myself included. I thank you both for raising him into the fine young man that he is today. Without him, our Kingdom likely would have succumbed to a terrible fate. So truly, thank you.

"May your beautiful souls continue to smile upon us. Amen."

With the final words uttered, Zelda released her hands, allowing them to fall back to her side. She then turned to Link, seeking his approval. "Was that sufficient?"

To her surprise, he seemed a bit embarrassed, perhaps because of her excessive praise of his accomplishments, but he still managed to produce a genuine smile. "That was perfect," he whispered. "Thank you."

"Thank you for sharing this with me," Zelda reflected back. "I wanted to meet the family of our Kingdom's beloved Hero, and now I can safely say that I have."

"It was my pleasure," Link said with a nod.

Zelda sadly smiled, as she gazed down upon the grave once more. "Still, I wish I had something to leave them…"

Link raised his eyebrows. "You want to leave something here?"

"Yes. It feels a little inconsiderate to visit their grave without offering anything…Oh!" Zelda then paused, suddenly reaching up to her temple. There, she found the white lily that Beth had gifted to her. It was still safely tucked behind her ear. With a small smile, she grabbed it and brought it before her. Even now, the flower's large white petals still looked vibrant and beautiful.

"What about this?" she asked Link. "Do you think your parents would find it acceptable?"

Link just stared at the flower for a second before laughing. "A flower from the Royal Princess herself? Trust me, my folks would say that was more than enough for a couple of rustics like them. Honestly, I think they'd be shocked to know that a Princess had even come to visit their grave at all."

"Nonsense," Zelda said with a smile. "This is the least that I could do for them. And for you, Link." Without waiting for a response, she soon crouched down, placing the single white flower on the grass before the tombstone. She then stood back to admire her work. Sure enough, adding a beautiful little flower had really improved the grave's image. For some reason, it no longer looked as worn as it once had. It now looked much nicer and well cared for, even though almost nothing had changed.

"That's better," she mused.

"Thanks, Zelda," Link said, also admiring the grave. "That really means a lot to me."

"Of course, Link. It's my pleasure."

"Still, that flower seems a little lonely by itself," he said as a small smile crept onto his lips. "Don't you agree?"

Zelda raised her eyebrows, wondering what he meant. He just smiled some more as he too produced a white lily in his hand. It was the one that Beth had given him earlier, having been stored in his pocket until this moment. Without a word, he knelt down next to the grave, and left his flower right beside Zelda's. He then rose back to his full height.

"There, now it's better."

Zelda just blinked, staring from the Hero to the grave and then back again. She was honestly surprised that he had just done that. "But Link…weren't you supposed to give that flower to Ilia?"

Link shook his head. "No, I'd rather leave it here. It just feels right to me."

"I see," she said, turning her eyes back to the grave. Somehow, it did seem more fitting to have two flowers placed on the grave as opposed to one. Secretly, Zelda was also rather pleased to know that Ilia would not be receiving said gift from Link, but she tried to push these thoughts out of her mind. Now wasn't the time to dwell on such pettiness.

The two of them stood in silence once again. By this point, the sun was starting to descend towards the horizon, turning the sky into a bright shade of orange. Before long, it would be nightfall.

"Come on," Link said, finally turning away from the grave. "We should probably head back to the village now. It's almost time for the feast to start."

Zelda simply nodded. "Right."

The Hero then proceeded to lead the Princess out of the graveyard, leaving nothing but the flowers and their words behind them.

I want to take a moment to talk about the names of Link's parents. The name Ophilia comes from the game Octopath Traveler, and is taken directly from the wonderful cleric (and best girl). I felt like it might be fitting for depicting someone who was quiet and kind in all things. And I think it's a cute name too. I really like it!

As for Ross, I just wanted a name that sounded simple. Kind of like how Link's name is simple. Ross is also kind of close to the name "Rusl", so it almost suggests that it could be Ordonian in nature. (It's totally not a name that I just came up with on a whim, ha ha, what no of course not… -.-')

At the end of the day, they're both simple names with little thought put into them. But hey, I think they work and I like them :)