Until The Last Breath

7 - Vah Ruta

Link knew how anxious Zelda was about meeting King Dorephan. She seemed nothing like the composed princess she usually was.

"Good day, Your Majesty," she said, managing to keep her voice steady. "I hope Link and I did not come at an inconvenient time."

King Dorephan raised a brow. "You and your knight are on a first-name basis?"

"Uh...yes, I—"

"He's a very brave knight. He helped us Zora very much around town, even when the council members made it clear they held him responsible for the Great Calamity."

Link watched Zelda closely, trying to see how she'd react.

"They shouldn't blame Link at all. It was my responsibility to seal away the Calamity, and unfortunately, I did it a bit too late."

King Dorephan nodded. "It is very noble of you to take the blame, Princess Zelda, but there's no need. The Calamity was something nobody could've prevented. Everyone tried their best to fight it. I myself wish I could've done more."

Link wondered if Zelda was going to ask him about Vah Ruta, or even about his support of her reclaiming the throne of Hyrule. She was quieter than he had ever seen her, waiting for King Dorephan to say something first.

"I don't blame you, Princess Zelda. I blame myself for letting my daughter become a champion in the first place. But I know she doesn't regret it, so I'll live with that." He sighed. "So, what was your true reason for coming here?"

"We need the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. If you'd allow us to take it for—"

"It's yours," King Dorephan said. "Knowing that Waterblight Ganon once inhabited it makes me uneasy."

Link had defeated Waterblight Ganon, so King Dorephan had nothing to worry about. Link wanted to tell him this, but he seemed quite willing to give away Vah Ruta, so he stayed silent.

Zelda brightened, and Link saw that she looked more like herself. "Thank you, your Majesty! I promise we'll keep it in top shape."

"I'm sure you will, Princess. And don't think I haven't noticed that you haven't asked about my opinion on you taking the throne."

"Right. Well, I do intend to take my father's place, but first I need to prove to myself and my people that I'm worthy of that. If I can deal with this cave problem, maybe we'll get to that conversation."

King Dorephan smiled. "Princess, you kept the Calamity in the castle for a hundred years. I don't think anyone could've done that. To me, you're the only person worthy of ruling Hyrule. But if you want to prove your worth to yourself, then, by all means, go ahead. There is no discussion for me though. You should rule Hyrule. Your father would be incredibly proud of you."

Link could tell that Zelda was doing her best not to cry. She usually pinched her wrists when she did that, and even though she was trying to hide it, Link knew what she was doing.

"I don't know what I'm going to do."

This time, it was different. Zelda didn't seem upset. She hadn't started crying yet. She just sat on her bed, staring at the wall.

"Link." She didn't even look at him. "What do I do?"

He didn't know. He was out of ideas, just like she was.

"That's it. I'll talk to my father about my other options. I just...maybe he's..."

Link could see the tears welling up in Zelda's eyes, and she pinched her wrist ever so slightly. Taking a few deep breaths, she closed her eyes and tried to recollect herself. Link felt helpless. He sat beside her but still kept a respectable distance. Reaching for the wrist she was pinching, he held it up to her as if to ask why she was doing it.