Hero by Heart

Chapter 53

Zelda was abruptly awoken by Teba bursting into the hut, unceremoniously wishing her a good morning before he started talking, while she was still trying to blink the sleep from her eyes.
     'I have assembled twenty-two men whom I will lead south, to spy on those desertpeople,' he said with a distracted look at her. 'My other men will accompany you back to Hyrule Castle, led by Harth, a close friend of mine and a very capable warrior.'
     Zelda nodded meekly, pushing herself up on her elbows and blinking against the sunlight peering over the mountains.
     'Those men will be waiting for you at the stable. I'm heading out now, and I suggest you do the same.' He offered her a small smile, as he turned towards the exit.
     'Thank you, Teba!' Zelda called out before he left. 'Be careful.'
     The Rito scoffed as he walked away, leaving her now fully awake and anxious to get going.
     She quickly got up and put on her traveling gear, before heading out to find Kass.
It didn't take long for her to bump into him, as he was headed down the walkway.
'Ah, good morning, Princess,' he said. 'All ready to set out I see?'
Zelda smiled at him while nodding. 'I'd like to be there as fast as possible.'
Kass made a ceremonial bow. 'Your wish is my command.' He gestured towards the open sky beside them. 'Can I offer you a shortcut?'
Zelda chuckled. 'Why not?' She shrugged. 'I have survived it before.'
Kass smiled and allowed her to climb on his back, instantly stepping over the rail and setting off.
Within a few minutes they approached the stable, where indeed they saw a large group of Rito warriors waiting for them.
Zelda smiled at them as she jumped off of Kass' back, thankful that they were there.
     'Let's go then, shall we?' She said cheerfully, excited to go back. Back home.
     It was weird to think of the castle as her home, with everything that had happened and the amount of time she had spent elsewhere, but it was still the closest thing she had to it.
     As she prepared Thunder and asked the stable owner to move him, she pondered about what the future might hold for her there.
     Would she ever truly settle as queen and live in the castle? Would Link still be by her side?
     There was so much she didn't know, and quite frankly she didn't really know what she wanted herself.
     She heard the Rito comfortably chatting amongst themselves, their bows and arrows clinking almost nonstop as they walked with her.
     'Are you alright, Princess?' Kass asked, looking sideways at her.
     'I am,' she said, slightly panting as they climbed the steep hill. 'I was just thinking about the future.'
     'Ah, well, that can be worrisome,' Kass said, thoughtfully staring into the distance.
'Are you worried then?' She asked him.
'Not really. But I used to spend a lot of time worrying about the future.' He smiled. 'I was mostly worried for my children, afraid they would never get to grow up with Calamity Ganon roaring about.'
Zelda dropped her head, knowing what Kass didn't say: it was her fault.
'Now don't you worry, Princess,' he said, nudging her arm. 'I would never blame you. I have read a lot about you, through my teacher's notes.'
Zelda looked up at him, curiosity and embarrassment battling in her mind.
Kass chuckled. 'He was quite smitten with you, so I think he may have exaggerated some of your qualities.'
'Nonetheless,' he quickly added. 'I think most of it is true, and it showed me a strong, independent and very intelligent young woman.'
Zelda smiled, not really knowing how to react to this.
'After reading those words, I often felt better. I knew you would return and defeat Ganon once and for all. That made me feel confident enough to let my girls go out every day.'
Kass chuckled softly. 'Now that you and Link are back, and Ganon is gone, I don't see the point in worrying anymore. It's not like we can do anything about it.'
'About what?' Zelda asked.
'Our destiny. I think a lot of our future is meant to be, and we won't be able to change that.' Kass shrugged. 'Maybe we can slightly alter our courses, but I have decided not to worry myself about it anymore.'
Zelda nodded, thinking about it. She had never really believed in fate, but there was no denying that she was part of a prophecy, one which had come true. Maybe everything about her life was already written in stone.
'So you think we cannot change the outcome of this war?' She soflty asked.
Kass shrugged. 'I think we can. But I don't think overthinking it will help much.'
Zelda chuckled. 'You may be right. Worrying about the future will only tire us out.'
     Kass nodded, and after a moment of quiet he raised his eyebrows at her. 'What is your plan exactly for the near future?'
'To be honest,' Zelda said softly. 'I'm not really sure.' She shrugged. 'I don't know what's coming and I know even less what to do about it.'
     'You got help right? Link is a very capable warrior, from what I have seen.'
     She nodded. 'But he doesn't really want to do it. I basically forced him to, but I'm afraid of what he'll do when I get back.' She shrugged helplessly. 'What if he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore? I'll have to solve it all by myself.'
     Once she spoke the words she suddenly felt her fears return, clamping tight around her heart and making it hard to breathe.
     Kass gently placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly. 'I'm sure he won't just walk out on you. I have seen him go above and beyond to get you back and defeat Ganon. He is not someone to just give up on people who need him.'
     Zelda looked up at him, smiling gratefully. 'I hope you're right, Kass.'
     The Rito grinned. 'I know I am. After all, I have plenty of songs dedicated to the bravery and honour of this knight. It would be a shame to throw all that away.'
     Zelda chuckled, feeling a little lighter from it. The bard knew how to make her feel better, and she greatly appreciated it.