The Hero, the Princess, and the Cursed King

Chapter 19: Misfortune

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Link stared at the bottom of his empty teacup. He'd long since finished it, but holding it in his hands gave him a sense of comfort.

"Wow." Madam Fanadi sat stunned in her seat. "Your life was. . . is. . ."

"Complicated." Link muttered, completing the sentence for her.

He'd spent the last thirty minutes filling the fortune teller in on his entire life story. Now, the empty teacup seemed to mock his dry throat, and he longed for water.

"To say the least." She huffed. "No wonder you're not interested in love right now."

Link shrugged. "Well, I am interested, it's just. . . well, you see, it's. . ."

"Complicated." Fanadi smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Link met her gaze and saw only sympathy in her expression. He'd always imagined the fortune teller that had awakened Ganondorf's Triforce to be cruel and harsh. But Fanadi didn't seem that way at all. Link sighed; there was no easy way around this. "What I don't understand is why you did it."

She tilted her head. "Did what?"

"Oh, come on, don't play dumb."

Fanadi bristled. "I am a lot of things, dear, but dumb isn't one of them."

"I never said you were dumb."

"You implied it."

"No, I was implying that you're pretending not to know what you did."

"What are you talking about!?"

Link set his teacup down on the side table, probably a little too harshly. "Stop denying what you did!"

"All I did was try to help a lost boy." Madam Fanadi stood up, hands on her hips. "But, Hero of Hyrule or not, I will not stand for you being rude to me after I've shown you nothing but kindness."

"And that's what I don't understand." Link stared at her. "You are a kind and a good person, so why did you do it? Why did you awaken Ganondorf's Triforce?"

Fanadi raised an eyebrow. "Have you lost your mind, dear? I haven't left these woods in decades. And I have never had any desire to try and start a war."

"But Ganondorf said that a fortune teller awakened his triforce."

"There's more than one fortune teller, deary." Fanadi picked up his teacup. "Would you like more?"

Link nodded. "But if it wasn't you, then who? Who did it?"

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say it was Cia." Fanadi fiddled with the kettle. "She has always been a little on the, em, wild side."

"Where can I find her?"

"I have no idea. Cia likes to keep to herself most of the time."

"Well, I'm sorry I accused you." Link put his head in his hands, despair clawing at his heart. "But what do I do now?"

"I can still try to help you," Fanadi suggested.

"I'd appreciate that."

"Okay, then, listen up," She said. "You need to stop thinking that you're going to find some magical cure or antidote that will save your brother."

"But why? I—"

"I hate to break it to you, but one doesn't exist." Fanadi sighed. "The curse on the Triforce is ancient and strong, and I might be biased, but I think the only thing stronger than it will be love."