Out-Voiced (BotW fanfic) (on permanent hiatus)

3 - Zelda

"Nothing I didn't already know..."

Zelda stayed with Katherine for as long as she could until she was ushered out of the room by a maid telling her that the younger princess needed rest.

Zelda returned to her room, where she found Link waiting for her.

"Did I make you wait long?"

He shook his head.

"I went visit my sister."

He gave her an apologetic look.

"Don't pity me. I won't be the one dying..."

"...sorry."

"No, it's not your fault. I apologize for snapping... Come in."

She entered her room and took a seat on her bed, running her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"I'm useless, aren't I? I can't even protect my younger sister... How am I supposed to take care of an entire kingdom? And don't even get me started on my powers..."

Link simply sat and listened to her tangent. What she needed was to vent, not to hear words of consolation.

"And now she'll die, full of regrets... and not even peacefully! Her life is going to be taken, Link!"

The sheets on her bed were balled up in her white-knuckled grip as tears slipped from her eyes.

Frustration left a burning sensation in her chest.

"...and I'm useless..."

She released her sheets as she cried into her hands.

"I'm useless."

Zelda pressed her hands together and tilted her chin upwards, eyes squeezed shut, whispering her prayers.

Her hands were soft, unlike her dear sister's...

Katherine's hands were rough and calloused, likely having gotten that way through excessive training in swordsmanship and constant usage of her bows...

How many had she worn down and broken?

Warm tears continued to roll down Zelda's cheeks, growing cold as they reach her chin.

Zelda knew her sister better than anyone... Why had she never been told about her powers?

"I'm an awful sister!"

And then Link knew he had to intervene.

He didn't need words to do so, just his company and his arms wrapped around her would be enough.

He didn't need to offer consolation... His very presence would be enough.

Zelda sobbed into his arms as time ticked away, eventually getting ahold of herself.

"I'm sorry for losing my composure."

He simply shook his head with a soft look on his eyes.

Sympathy.

Zelda reached beside her, grabbing Katherine's journal.

When she had been in Katherine's room earlier, she was leaning against her bed, feeling something underneath the mattress...

Katherine had noticed Zelda's expression and pulled out the notebook. "Don't let anyone else read it. No matter what."

The notebook was a white leather-bound journal with a blue nightshade insignia—her favorite flower in the blue associated with Hyrule's royalty.

The leather was full of dirt clods and bits of grass.

She stared at it for a moment, hesitating to open it to the place marked by a filthy blue ribbon.

Upon opening it, she noticed the blood splattered on the marked spread of pages.

Her eyes were wide as she took a shaky breath before focusing on the words.

Unfortunately, my usual greeting would be a waste of my time.

I'm losing blood, and fast.

This is very much my own fault, for training alone... For training at all, really.

I swung far too hard and caught my arm, and now I'm attempting to patch up my own wound... I've never been to bright, have I?

The reason I took up training was to avoid being cut by a blade—it appears that my visions cannot be intercepted.

I will find a way to change my fate...

I do not wish to die by the hands of another...

I should end this entry here before I bleed out. I should've taken care of this sooner...

Zelda skimmed through the rest of the page before eyeing the words on the next one.

Would you look at that?

I had hoped to keep this journal clean and tidy for those who will be reading this some day in the future—after all, the reason I'm documenting all of this is for future use after my death.

I pray that my own research is of use...

The words began to blur as Zelda's tears fell onto the page, the clean lines of Katherine's writing growing fuzzy.

How long ago was this?

Zelda could not recall Katherine sustaining any major wounds...

How long had Katherine been conducting research of her own?

"What's that?" Link asked curiously.

"...it's something I was asked to keep secret."

He gave her an understanding nod before rising to his feet and moving to guard her door.

Little by little, I'm getting him to talk to me...

Zelda stared at her door for a moment before delving back into her sister's journal.

What information has she learned that I need to know?

Zelda didn't want to let her sister die before she could ask her questions... No, she didn't want her sister to die at all, but fate was cruel...

So Zelda opened the journal up to the first page, preparing herself for a long night of reading.