A Drift Through Time

Chapter 7: The Princess's Secret

The next day Link left early to organize Zan's and Lue's training for the day and curious about what Link's training entailed Rauru joined him. At first Zelda walked to the lab to take stock of how many Hearty Stam Flowers had been grown. Next She went to the infirmary to check on the soldiers who had been injured by the Lynel. After the Lynel attack some of the injured guards had heard about the breakthrough with the Hearty Stam Flowers and volunteered to be test subjects. Today Zelda was checking on their progress and was pleased to see the ones who took the flowers where recovering faster. Comparing wounds and notes from checkups, Zelda realized that the flowers started healing the internal organs before moving to the muscles and bone. Walking back to the palace Zelda bumped into Sonia who had been looking for her.

Sonia: I thought I might find you here, your diligent work with those flowers is admirable.
Zelda: Thank you, that means a lot.
Sonia: It still hurts doesn't it, the lose of your friends, your family.
Zelda: Yes, a lot.
Sonia: I may not have known them, but I know they would be proud of you.
Zelda: Huh?
Sonia: You have been knocked down many times but you get back up, you push forward.
Zelda: Yes, but I haven't been alone, and I've busied myself with research.
Sonia: You care to talk about it, all of it?
Zelda: Gladly!

Zelda spoke of the advancements made with the Hearty Stam Flowers and the next phase of experiments. Zelda wanted to see how the flowers healing properties would interact with a healthy body. Sonia asked what kind of experiments Zelda did in the future. Zelda regaled Sonia with the story of the uncovering of the guardians and the Devine Beast, and the attempts to control them.  Chuckling Zelda told Sonia about the time she made Link eat a live frog to test it's affects. Sonia too began to chuckle at the thought of Link trying to gulp down a living frog for Zelda. 

Sonia: Are you going to ask Link to eat the flowers?
Zelda: I had thought about asking him, He even joked about it. But he has been busy with training Zan so I didn't want to interfere.
Sonia: I see.
Zelda: Zan is quite the child isn't he
Sonia: Yes, he is, but as his mother I'm biased.
Zelda clinches her stomach
Zelda: Mother, hmm.
Sonia: What is it?
Zelda: It's nothing.
Sonia: Okay...Well what kind of experiments have you done after the calamity?
Zelda: Well, I hadn't done much research or experiments, there was a lot of damage to undo, but I did find some consolation.
Sonia: And what was that.
Zelda: In the wake of the Calamity only two Hylian settlements survived Hateno Village and Lurelin Village. For some time I resided in Hateno with Link in the house he had purchased, Link even let me redecorate. I wasn't there long before I noticed something important was missing, a school for the...for the children. I spoke with the mayor and the president of a local construction company and it wasn't long before a schoolhouse was built and someone to teach the kids was selected. It was this that I found comfort in, teaching the kids. If I wasn't able to experiment or research I would help teach the future generation.
Sonia: How sweet, I'm sure you were a good teacher.
Zelda: I don't know, but the kids did like me, they would visit me at the house many times. Link would always step out to give me time with them.
Sonia: Does Link not like kids?
Zelda: No he like kids, but he knew how much they meant...mean...to me.
Sonia: You miss them too, I'm sorry.
Zelda: Thank you
Sonia: This is difficult to ask, but I must know?
Zelda: What is it?
Sonia: What is the state of Hyrule after the Calamity?
Zelda: Shaky, as I said only two Hylian settlements survived, but a new village was established. Hyrule itself was almost completely destroyed, but our allies remained mostly unharmed though they lost people too. I doubt any of the leaders apart from the Zora King would have believed I was the princess from a hundred years prior if it wasn't for Link.
Sonia: Why is that?
Zelda: Link built a friendship with all of them, so they trusted his words, though the Zora King recognized be on the spot. At first I was nervous to meet them, I thought they would blame me for getting their champions killed, but no. After Link explained what had happened they were accepting some even offered to aid Hyrules reconstruction. 
Sonia: It's great to hear that even through times of turmoil we, as in Hyrule, can trust completely in our allies. Though I must ask what is your impression of the Gerudo, what do you know of them.
Zelda: Well, I'm a little biased as I'm close friends with the Gerudo Chief in my era, and the previous chief from a hundred years prior was like a...mother...to me after my own passed away.
Sonia: I see, well I hope the current situation doesn't come to blows.
Zelda: I don't either, but this is still Hyrule, and these are still my people even if I have been sent centuries into the past, and I will protect them.
Sonia: I never doubted, and you won't have to do it alone. 

Zelda and Sonia arrived back at the palace but they continued to talk about the state of Hyrule in the present and in the future. Zelda spoke of her plans to build a school in the recently established Tarry Town for the children and for the reconstruction of castle town. As Zelda continued to talk every time she would mention kids she would pause or repeat herself. Sonia caught on to this and posed Zelda with a question.

Sonia: Have you told Link?
Zelda: What do you mean.
Sonia: That you carry the next generation of the royal family within you.
Zelda: How...how did you know?!
Sonia: The way you spoke of the children and mothers, it wasn't hard to put together.
Zelda: And here I thought I had hid it well. No I haven't told Link, I only found out a few days before the incident below the castle. And we have been so preoccupied that it didn't feel like the right time.
Sonia: Does he love you?
Zelda: (smiles) Completely.
Sonia: Do you love him.
Zelda: Entirely.
Sonia: Then you have to tell him. Not that it matters, but you never mentioned if you were married.
Zelda: We never had a service or a ceremony, but we vowed ourselves to each other in the center of Lovers Pond. 
Sonia: Sounds romantic. I wont tell Link, but you should tell him, he deserves to know.
Zelda: Your right, when things calm down I'll tell him. 

Later that day Link, Rauru, and Zan returned from training clearly having had a good time. Zelda was a little awkward around Link but he was used to it by now. Sonia couldn't help but to smiling at the two of them, she would leave the decision to Zelda and she would keep the Zelda's secret, from Link at least. After everyone had gone to bed Sonia told Rauru of what she had learned from Zelda. Rauru had guessed some things based on what Link and Zelda had already said, but he was surprised to hear Zelda was pregnant. He too agreed to not say anything to Link and to leave it to Zelda to decide when to tell him. They would keep this between them out of respect for Link and Zelda.