Royal Rebel 5 ~ Worlds Apart

Chapter 2-2: Champion Nobility

"And that, my dear, is called 'The Ballad of the Goddess'." I whispered to my granddaughter as I cradled her gently, rocking slowly in the white cushioned chair beside her crib. "Your mother was quite fond of it when she was a child." She made small noises as she gazed up at me with her light blue eyes, and I released a sigh as she didn't show any signs of being tired. "Not tired, hm? I guess that makes two of us."

I got out of the chair and brought myself to my feet, and I walked over to her crib, putting a bounce into each of my steps in hopes it'd soothe her a bit. I carefully set her into her crib, and she was alright until I pulled my hands out from under her. She began fussing, and I was quick to pick her back up so I could continue to rock her as I paced around the room.

"It's alright, Janela, shhh. I won't leave until you can sleep." She continued to fuss, even now that I was holding her again, and I started to quietly sing to her again. It calmed her a bit, but when she still seemed upset, I figured it may have been time for her to have breakfast. But before I could make the decision to go make her a bottle, I noticed her mother standing at the entrance of the nursery, leaning against the doorway as she watched me tiredly.

"Good morning, mother." She yawned, rubbing her eyes as she stepped further into the room and held her hands out for her daughter. "How long have you been in here with her?"

"Not too long, maybe fifteen minutes? All I know is the clock said five when I first came in." I handed the baby over to her mother, and Zelda quietly hushed her as she cradled her in her arms.

"Fifteen minutes? It's almost six by now, mother." Zelda whispered as she glanced up at me, and I could see worry growing in her eyes. "I think you should try to get some rest. It may do you some good."

"I'll be fine, I slept a good few hours yesterday." I waved my hand about, but I could tell my reassurance didn't ease my daughter at all. "How about," I started, reaching out to place my hand over hers. "Since Lucien and Rhoam are on a trip, you can come spend some time with me in my room? Perhaps it will make us both tired enough to sleep."

"Perhaps." Zelda sighed, and we talked a bit even just on the short walk from Janela's room to mine. She followed me through the large double doors, and I closed them quietly behind us. I placed my hand on her back and walked her to my side of the bed, and I helped her get comfortable. I headed to my dresser to grab my brush before I sat down on my husband's side of the bed, and I began combing through my wavy golden hair.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," I starred, and she looked up from her daughter and focused her eyes on me. "This was originally going to be a surprise, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it would likely be better for me to discuss it with you beforehand."

"Yes?" She quired, leaning back against the headboard behind her so she could give her back a break, and I flipped my hair to my other shoulder before I continued.

"As you know, your twenty-seventh birthday is coming up soon, and while that occasion alone is special enough, it will also mark the tenth year since we defeated Ganon in the battle of the Calamity." I told her, and she nodded. "Seeing as it has now been a decade, I was thinking that we could have a Champion reunion that weekend as well."

"With all five of them?" Zelda asked, her eyes growing wider, and I nodded and smiled softly, hoping she would like the idea. But after a moment when the look in her eyes shifted to something other than happiness, my smile fell.

"I don't believe we've had all five of them here together since that day," I set my brush down on the nightstand beside the bed, and I pushed my hair off of my shoulder before setting both of my hands in my lap. "Even since the reunion we had on your eighteenth birthday, I recall Revali being absent."