A Minor Test of Strength

Fair

My eyes fluttered open to a soft yellow light. I wondered how much time I had spent sleeping in my room in the Hospital Wing of Hyrule Castle. After the incident in the shrine, I had tried to walk back but ended up being carried by Urbosa. What was before a nice, leisurely walk through the fields before turned into a heavy march on the way back. Our light chatter was replaced with more silence. Link and I had each been placed in our own hospital room, and I wondered if he was doing okay. I leaned back against the pillows to gaze at the constellation patterns on the ceiling. There was nothing I could do but wait.

Time passed, and I grew increasingly anxious. What if they just left me here to be forgotten? What if I was missing out on important assignments? What if they decided to send me home? I didn't know if it had been hours or minutes when someone knocked on my door.

"Come in," I said feebly. Daruk stepped in and sat in the chair by my bed.

"How are you doing?" He said. He never failed to show his signature brotherly love.

"Okay. Have you seen Link?"

"Yeah! Actually, he's doing great. Well, as great as Link can do. You know, he's still not much of a chatterbox. I don't think he's said a word to anyone except the nurse."

A woman in a white coat poked her head into the room.

"Daruk? The hearing is soon. You need to get ready. The lady does too."

Oh no. A hearing? Pretty soon all of the castle staff will stop calling me 'Lady' and start calling me just 'Mipha'. Or 'The Failure'.

Daruk gave me one more hopeful smile, and then left the nurse and me alone. She was carrying my Champion uniform, a purple tunic with a book emerging from the neckline hem, paired with a leather belt, black trousers and brown leather boots.

"Change into these, Ma'am. You hearing is in 30 minutes," the nurse said, then left me to discard my hospital gown and change into my signature look, braiding my long chocolate-colored hair to complete the ensemble. Then I traced my fingers over the white book on my chest. Each stitch reminded me of the day when I first put it on at my ceremony. The pride I had felt coursed through me again, and I remembered the sun of my face, my parents looking on from the crowd of thousands of people, cheering and accepting me as one of their protectors. The warmth soon turned cold as I realized it could all be over today. The nurse came back again, beckoning me into the hall.

"Good luck," she said, and heart pounding, I made my way to the court.

***

"We are here today to decide the future course of action for Miss Mipha Nyru, Champion of Hylia," King Roham boomed. "She has failed to complete the Guardian Trial, deeming her unfit for piloting Devine Beast Vah Ruta. However, I have been told that she was the only one to realize that the technology was corrupted. Mipha, please state your case." On his right was Princess Zelda, and on his left was Link. The other champions were in their regular positions around the raised semicircle altar, and in my place was King Dorephan.

"You are correct about my failure of the test," I began. "I did not successfully destroy the guardians. However, when Link had finished his trial, the orange orb shook and... possessed him instead of turning blue. I ran over to see what was wrong, and told the other Champions it was something wrong with the technology. A malfunction, to be exact. Link attacked me, but before any serious harm could be done to either of us, he was back to his normal senses."

"Do our Champions have anything to add?" the king continued.

"Yes. When Link attacked Mipha, I knew she was right. We scrambled to look for the control panel. None of us were prepared for something like this. Revali found it above the entrance and shut off the power, and that's when Link recovered," said Urbosa.

"Thank you, Revali. You will be rewarded. Link, do you remember any of this?" King Roham made Link look like a small boy.

"Yes." Link cleared his throat. "I felt a strong desire to kill. Kill whatever was nearest." If I wasn't mistaken, Link shrank lower into his chair.

"It wasn't his fault," I said. He blushed.

"So what now? Does a single mistake define a girl?" Zelda chimed in. "I think not. Especially after she detected the error in our technology. I think she deserved another chance."

"I agree. What if we gave her a different test?" Daruk suggested. "If she can complete it, she can pilot Vah Ruta."

"What do you say, King Dorephan?"

"I say that Mipha can pilot Vah Ruta in my domain if she can pass a test that I design."

"Does the court have anything else to add?" Roham said. No one replied. "Does the accused have anything to add?"

"No sir," I said. My heart was pounding.

"Then let us vote."

Every member of the jury voted fair, although Revali's dramatic sigh almost made me believe that he didn't actually agree.

"Then it is decided. Mipha will face a second test in 3 days' time in Zora's Domain under the supervision and ruling of King Dorephan. Court dismissed."

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I was safe. For now.