Destiny of the Kingdom

Chapter 12: Family Healing

The late afternoon sun shone overhead, peaking through the cluster of clouds that hovered above in the sky. Specks of blue, resembling polkadots, were scattered across the sky layered behind thick, gray clouds. Streaks of light angled down onto the front half of the property where the home of two Hylians resided. It was quiet atop the hill across the ravine where the box style homes sat. Most of the villagers were busy completing their day's labors in the village's center. Link and Zelda emerged atop of the hill walking in stride at a fast pace, but short of jogging.

Zelda's right hand, still holding Link's right forearm firm, pulled Link forward as she huffed from her hastened pace. Turning onto the narrow dirt path leading to the bridge that crosses the ravine to their home, Link pulled back, causing her to suddenly stop in front of the bridge, then Link unexpectedly broke free of her grip.

Turning to face him, Zelda asked, "Link? Why did you stop?"

With a dumbfounded look on his face, he met her question in kind, "Zelda, why are you in such a hurry?"

Slightly taken back by his inquiry, the former princess bent her right arm and placed her index finger on her chin. She had a curious, inquisitive look on her face, pondering Link's question.

Internally, she thought, Hmm... Why am I in such a hurry? I suppose I am eager to help Link with this newly acquired power of mine. I do owe him an explanation, she concluded to herself.

Giving him an answer, she replied, "I am sorry, Link. I got caught up in the moment, wanting to get home as quickly as possible. I promise I will explain everything once we are home. Do you trust me?"

"You know I do. I never doubt you," he said with a warm smile on his face. "But, you seem different after what happened earlier with Uma." Zelda gazed back at him, with a guilty look on her face before saying, "Something did happen to me, Link. I will explain it all. Can we please go home?"

With a simple head nod, the two Hylians crossed the bridge and entered their house, with Link closing the door behind him.

Before Link could take any more steps into the house, Zelda blocked his path, with the look of thought on her face. "Link, actually, I was thinking, since it is a nice spring day outside, how about we go outside and sit by the pond. What do you think?" Zelda asked.

With no objections, Link agreed. "Sure, Zelda. That is fine with me," he said.

Having agreed upon their new destination, Link opened the door of their house, allowing Zelda to exit first before closing the door behind him. The pond was situated just west of their house, outside the short fence that corralled their horses to the stall behind the house.

Zelda sat down in the vibrant, green grass, which was growing rapidly since the dawn of the spring season. Link, only a few strides behind her, stopped the moment she took her seat, waiting for her next action.

In a calm, gentle, and sweet voice, Zelda softly asked Link to join her, "Link, please take a seat next to me. I promise I will not bite," she teased him.

With a quick chuckle, he moved next to her, towering over her as she sat in the grass, then dropped down next to her in the grass, about an arm's length from her position.

She looked over to him, connecting her treasured emerald eyes to his pristine ones of azure. She cracked her lips, ready to tell him what happened to her, but hesitated. She had unlocked her sealing powers through an act of love all those years ago, and amplified them with the power of the tear to restore the Master Sword, sacrificing herself in the process, so Link could save Hyrule both times. Her powers always seemed strongest when love was at the forefront of her heart, and this very moment was no exception. Her desire to help him heal his mind is not a reward for his heroics nor a royal gesture for her former knight, but an act of love, so that he can heal his mental wounds, remember his past, and recall those fragmented memories. All in an effort to allow their relationship, whatever it is meant to be, to move forward, in a time of peace after hard fought victories.