The Heroes of Hyrule °Wattys 2017°

The Sentiments Not Spoken Aloud

Reno pranced in place beside Epona, nudging her playfully. The white sun shone overhead in a blue sky, watching over the daisies and silent princesses. The two Hylians sat next to one another, leaning against the bark of a young apple tree. Beyond the plains, an untouched castle lay waiting to be restored, yet they admired its presence. Zelda's hands ran across the tall grass in silence.

"Hey Zelda?"
"Excuse me, Link?"

They giggled at the sound of their voices in unison.

"I have a surprise I have been wanting to give you for awhile now..."

"Is it another palm fruit?"

Link rolled his eyes playfully, "Ha! You wish!"

He walked over to Epona's saddlebag, and felt around for the larger of the two journals. Yet, just as he was about to close the saddlebag, Zelda spoke up:

"Please get the other journal in there as well!"

He nodded and obeyed, hugging the journals close to his chest, before sitting back down. He gave Zelda's journal to her, while holding the brown leatherbound one.

"Quite some time ago, there were two Hylians that decided to leave their home and embark on a journey. But before this, they decided to rediscover their old Hyrule castle, and the Princess found her study again, and found her journal along with it. Her knight, however, searched in lesser known places, such as her father's hidden study, where he found this..." He held it outward for her to take.

She gasped and looked down at it. This would be a piece of her father she had never known. She looked at Link with eyes of mourning, yet thankfulness.

"-And I wished to give you this, when the time was right, and I know that it is time for you to read an account of my thoughts one hundred years ago."

Wordlessly, he gingerly cracked the front cover open. Her handwriting was impeccable. Yet, he found it far more interesting to look at her facial expressions as she read. She smiled as her bottled up tears streamed down her cheeks. She was carrying the weight of so much guilt on her shoulders.

Link decided against comforting her. This was one of the moments where it was far better to be alone.

Oh Zelda...I just want you to be happy...

Unlike Zelda, Link smirked when he began reading. With her vague hints like "HIM" or "appointed knight." He especially favored the excerpt about him being a glutton. He remembered none of this~until he came across a very special passage: he remembered this one. Her mind was raging, like a storm of emotions and thoughts. And the tempest inside her head slowed briefly when she credited him with saving her life that day. The bottom of his eyes began to swell up with tears for a reason unbeknownst to him, so he focused his gaze on an apple above him, not allowing them to fall. After a few entries, the entries were complete, ending abruptly. A chill rippled up his spine.

Zelda seemed to be biting the knuckles of her fist, her face was soggy with tears. Yet, she wasn't sobbing.

He turned to her, "Zelda...you know he is proud of you. He's looking down on you now, probably with a broad smile for his daughter."

That statement seemed to invite her to embrace him, crying into his tunic. And, for the first time in one hundred years, he couldn't be brave. Link stroked each plait in the braid atop her head, before a single tear rolled down his own cheek for the sentiments not spoken aloud.

King Rhoam, if your daughter does, in fact, feel the same way I do, I ask of you for your blessing...