Life in Zora's Domain - Part Two

Chapter 38 - Coping with Change

Summary: Princess Zelda remembers Astra and receives a surprise communication. Link agrees to a future visit to Hyrule Castle, his first since his Zora transformation.

"Here, let me fix your blanket. You have it all twisted."

It was the early evening at Hyrule Castle, and Princess Zelda was saying goodnight to her nine-year-old son Horwell. It seldom took very long now - unlike when she or her husband Randall used to tuck Horwell in with a bedtime story. Now Horwell was proud to be reading by himself, and both she and his tutors were pleased he enjoyed reading so much. But it also meant he had outgrown his parents telling him bedtime stories.

"Are you ready to say goodnight to your father?" she asked after straightening the blanket.

"Ready, Mom."

Randall never liked to miss his son's bedtime. But tonight, he was away at the Akkala Citadel celebrating his friend Alan's promotion. So he and Horwell would have to exchange goodnights by video call. After Randall answered her call and said he could talk, she handed her Tab to Horwell so they could see each other.

"All ready for bed?"

"Yes. Wow! It looks like a big party, Dad," said Horwell, seeing all the people in the background.

"Yes, Alan's whole battalion and his family are here. It's a special moment for him."

"When will you be back home, Dad?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, before you finish your last lesson," said Randall.

"Great! See you then."

The two of them exchanged goodnights, and then Princess Zelda took back the Tab, and she and Randall briefly spoke.

"Enjoy the festivities, and congratulate Alan for me."

"I will. Miss you and love you, sweetheart," said Randall.

"Love you, too. Goodnight."

She ended the call and then turned back to Horwell, kissing him on the forehead.

"Goodnight to you, too, and happy dreams, sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Mom."

Then Horwell rolled over and closed his eyes while she quietly slipped out of his bedroom and closed the door.

Princess Zelda had the rest of the evening to herself and no particular plans. It was still too early for her to go to bed, so she wandered down the hall toward her mother's room. That would take her past her old room, the one she used to sleep in before she married. And past her sister Astra's room, too.

As she walked down the quiet hallway, she thought about the passage of time and how inconsistent and subjective it felt. Some events objectively further in the past seemed recent. For example, it was hard to believe Horwell would turn ten years old in a couple of months. What happened to the little boy who used to call her Mommy? Or, for that matter, the baby she once held in her arms? It didn't seem that long ago. And it wasn't just some older happy moments that felt recent. It was almost eleven years since that horrible day she saw her father Rudin killed by the Yiga Clan as he ensured she was safe. That, too, still felt all too recent for her.

But other objectively more recent events seemed further in the past. Her sister Astra had been gone for six months, but it seemed much longer. Why was that? It wasn't simply because of how much she missed her. She missed her father too, after all. She guessed figuring out how the mind dealt with these things was impossible.

But Astra would be perfect company right now, somebody to chat with and laugh with at quiet moments when she wasn't busy with her own family. She and Astra could talk about anything, whether serious or not. Well, they could once Astra finally learned how to keep a secret, she thought with a smile.