Courage is the Gift I Offer

Chapter Fourteen: Acceptance

"You only need to defeat the warrior, then you can be a man of the tribe." Midna informs me as she checks my armor once again.

"Midna." I say softly, watching her movements.

"Then dad promises you'll have a shot at..."

"Midna. You shouldn't be moving." I tell her quietly. She immediately stops, her hands moving to her stomach. I'm still the only one that knows. She's not big enough for anyone to notice, unless they are looking for the signs.

"I shouldn't?" She asks, panic written across her face. I chuckle. Amnesia has really changed her. She still has her sassy side, but it's paired with kindness, and she's worried easily. I hold out my arms, where she immediately collapses.

"No." I say into her hair. "I just wanted to get you to stop moving."

She shoves me away teasingly. But there's still worry hidden by her features.

"I'll be fine." I say, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Go to your father. I'll be out in a minute."

With one last glance at me, she leaves the makeshift tent. I take a deep breath, readying myself for this battle. I find myself subconsciously checking my armor.

Stop it. You've defeated Ganondorf. You can do this.

With yet another deep breath, I step out of the tent.

Silence. The entire Twilian race, which numbers much less than Hyrule, is there. Hundreds of pairs of eyes stare down at me. Many of them understand that I may be their next King. They are holding their judgement until I am proclaimed worthy.

My opponent stand across from me. My eyes widen, and I grimace at the same time. It's Midna's father.

"Let this be a battle between heroes and kings." He proclaims, striding towards me. In a lower voice, he adds, "if you win, I will proclaim you worthy of my daughter." He backs away and motions to the man deciding the winner. Then he turns to me and holds out his hand. A sword forms itself out of shadow. I wait to draw my sword.

Seeing that I will not make the first move, he stabs at me. It is well controlled. He is obviously trained. I flip backwards and pull out my sword while still in the air. When I land, I immediately charge. He blocks my attack easily, and our swords lock at the hilt. A shield forms on his opposite hand and moves to hit me in the stomach. I disengage and side step his maneuver. While his stance is open, I stab at his exposed stomach. The shield, moving quickly, blocks. I can vaguely hear the crowd cheering.

The King grins at me, enjoying the battle as much as I am.

"Very good." He remarks as we both pull away.

"Thank you sir." I reply. I'm watching him closely for a trick.

It comes sooner than I expected, but I'm still prepared. His shield-hand clenches. Behind the shield, I can almost sense the dark magic. He suddenly flings it at me. I stand my ground and then deflect the blast when it comes. I had learned this trick early on with Ganondorf.

The Twilians seem shocked and impressed at the same time. I glance over and see Midna at the edge of her seat.

The King uses my momentary glance against me. When I turn back, his sword arm is coming at me. I block it quickly, losing my perfect form in the process.

I am forced on the defensive as he attacks me over and over again. I'm about to lash out at him in return, but I stop myself. Something isn't right.

The King doesn't have time to stop his sword. I feel the blade cut through my arm, and I hear the crowd gasp, but I am too engrossed in my sense of smell to really connect the dots.