Successors

The Forgotten Duchess

 *Eight Years Later*

~~~

Sydnei stared into the mirror in her old family home. Today would be her last day of living here.

The townspeople had elevated her to leader of the village due to her being the last living soul with royal blood, and had built a new house in a more central location, as they felt the home she and Link had grown up in was cursed.

At the very least, Sydnei assumed, Hateno wanted to forget that it was founded by exiled Wolfbreds, Hylians with the blood of an ancient soldier who was turned wolf: the Twilight Soldier. The village had seen a surge of Hylians in recent years, which turned her homeland against her. She assumed these new villagers wanted to remove the Wolfbred's uncomfortable past from their history, since many townsfolk silently disapproved of the ancient breeding programs that were used to create Sydnei's family. The ancient home of the surviving Wolfbred family, the Imperials, served anything but that goal. And now, Link wasn't here to defend it from them.

Looking around, it had changed very little since the time her father and brother were alive. Link's bed was still present, as if they had expected him to come home one day, his wife behind him carrying their child in her arms. Now, she was his age, and there was no doubt that he was gone. Zelda also never showed, not on that burning night nor any night after that. Losing her almost hurt more than losing Link. Had she come, Dad would have taken her in with open arms, caring for her in Link's place until the time came for her baby to arrive. The midwife would have come, just as she was supposed to, to deliver the young widow's firstborn. The child would have been beautiful, even though they had just been born, and she would have run to Fort Hateno in Zelda's place to tell Link how perfect his child was. A part of Link would always have been with them, and maybe Dad wouldn't have passed away of a broken heart.

Her child was so innocent... it just wasn't fair that their life was taken so soon...

A memory rushed to her mind as she looked towards Link's old bed once again. It was a few months before the Calamity, not long after the wedding.

"Linky! Zelly!" Her young body rushed towards the newlyweds. "I missed you so much!" She declared as she hugged Link around the hips.

"We missed you too." Link bent down and ruffled her hair.

"Daddy! Look who's here!"

"Ah! My two favorite royals!" Her late father rushed down the stairs to greet them. He wrapped Link, then Zelda, in hugs. "We received your letter." He added once he'd pulled back.

The newlyweds looked at each other and blushed. Link's hand brushed down the side of Zelda's hips and waist, effectively concealed by her fieldwork outfit. He hyah-ed softly as his eyes met his wife's.

Her father smiled softly. "How are you feelin', Zelda?"

"I've been better." She chuckled nervously, instantly gaining Link's full attention.

"Ah, yes. On top of everything you must be goin' through right now, it must've been quite the trip. Come inside and rest."

Link took her instantly to his bed, laid down with her on top, then rolled up the corseted shirt and placed his hands on her stomach where she had a now-noticeable little bump. He kissed her cheek gently before brushing her eyes closed with one of his hands and holding her head gently to his chest. She sighed tunefully, before tucking herself a little deeper into her husband, the world outside forgotten. Seeing her asleep made Link's eyelids heavy, it seemed. He began to blink slower the longer she rested.

Their father placed a blanket over the pair, silently pulling up a chair to quietly talk with Link. He was definitely a man of few words, after all. "How's life?"

"It's going alright. We still have different rooms, since she's afraid to break the news to the King. It makes me really anxious at night, not being able to be with her."

"I see... is it just because she knows he didn't approve of you two marryin'?"

Link took a deep, painful breath; glancing down at Zelda, and then at her, before returning to their father. "Dad... she's been abused."

"Oh..."

His voice cracked, and she felt her heart break. "She doesn't want to risk anyone hitting her and killing the little one..."

Link was so fearless... but he was almost instantly in tears at the mere thought of the former king, or any other soul living in the castle, doing something to his pregnant daughter. He wasn't kidding with his vows.

Their father hugged him again, and she caught a glimpse of the tears in Link's eyes. He turned away from her once he realized she saw his tears, burying himself into Zelda's hair and tightening his hands around her waist.

She knew in that moment that her brother would die for that woman, that saving Zelda's life over and over again was no longer a duty but a heartfelt conviction.

She just didn't realize how serious his conviction was until he was dead.

And the saddest thing was, his death didn't save her life. He sacrificed himself, but his wife and child were still victims of the Calamity.

If only she had gotten away...

"Duchess? May I come in?"

Sydnei sighed and opened the door, a familiar Gerudo standing there with gentle eyes. "Esosu. What is it?"

"I've come to help. I know it's a rough day for you, Duchess."

"I know you were very precise with my sister-in-law's titles, but please call me Sydnei."

"Of course. How are you?"

They both looked around. "It hurts... I held onto hope that one of them would come back for so long..."

Esosu made a sound of painful agreement, but it only reminded Sydnei of her brother. They walked out of the house together to greet the village at her new house. Someone was thoughtful enough to place a Goddess Statue in the yard, but that was the only thing Sydnei appreciated more in this new place. "The remaining Cuccos from the farm are settling in..."

"Thank you... I wish even my Cucco friend was still here..." Strong arms enveloped her gently, and then another set of arms gripped them both.

"I know." Esosu kissed her forehead gently, as her Wolfbred husband held them both to his chest with the most tender of grips.

Waiting for that final, painful moment made the day drag on forever. When it finally came, Esosu helped with whatever made the transition easier, then stayed the night.

Travelers came by the next day, hearing Hateno had appointed the late Champion's sister as leader of the village, but seemed to have forgotten about her status as duchess. As time went on, more and more people seemed to have forgotten about her connections with the Royal Family. The final blow came a few years afterward as she began to make headway in her healing: people forgot that she was even related to Link. The reason she was even in the position that she was, instead of in her old family home, was completely lost to time.