How To Be a Prince

A Growing Family

Fours years ago everything changed.  In that singular moment, my whole life was altered. For the better, one could argue, but that didn't mean that  didn't I had to go through such hardships to get where I am today. But you could say it was all worth it in the end. Yes, it was worth it. Every moment was worth it, and I couldn't have asked for a better life right now.

Link looked in the mirror and adjusted his recently acquired crown before dusting off his royal tunic and joining his wife in the royal chamber. An informal place where the King and Queen would often greet their close guests.

"How is she?" Link asked Zelda, who dressed in her mother's old clothes, though they were in pristine condition.

She smiled and showed him a new born  baby in her arms. Link gently stroked the baby's face, smiling at this little bundle of joy.

"Seeing you with a child is the sweetest thing ever." Zelda noted.

"Your Majesties." A Maryl interrupted, "Queen Naphi has arrived."

Maryl looked on at the new family with affection as the doors opened, and Naphi graciously walked in, smiling at Link and Zelda.

"Oh, let me see her!" She said eagerly.

Zelda walked over to their guests and showed them the little baby.

"She's adorable!" Naphi exclaimed, "she looks just like you, but she has Link's eyes."

"I told him that." Zelda smirked.

"What's her name?" Naphi asked.

"We were thinking of naming her Amia." Link said.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful baby!" Naphi said, "congratulations to both of you!"

Link shifted his weight and gazed behind Naphi to the doors, hoping to see someone else.

"Hey, um, where is Jorulph?" He asked meekly.

"Oh, forgive him." Naphi stated, "he's gone to the room which your servants prepared for our stay."

"I'll go see him." Said Link, "can I take Amia?"

Zelda frowned a little at this request.

"Let him." Naphi urged, "these offers never come."

Link took his child in his arms and made his way through the castle to Jorulph's room.

"Torrik!" Link heard from the room, "don't do that!"

He peered in to see Jorulph sitting cross-legged on the floor with a girl of about one year old in his lap, and a boy of about three sitting opposite him.

"Now look what you did!" Jorulph scolded the boy, "you messed up the soldiers. Now we have to arrange them again."

"I see you're training him to be fighter, as well." Link remarked, "much like his namesake?"

"No, no more fighting." Jorulph smiled, "maybe he could be a poet or an artist?"

"What about Esie?" Link asked.

"She could be just like her namesake." The Learian King said, "but anyway, what's that you got there?"

Link grinned and sat down next to him, before showing his brother the baby in his arms.

"Well, well." Jorulph said with a smile, "who would've thought that you could be a father?"

"You said the same thing about me being king at my coronation!" Link whined.

"Uncle Stink!" Torrik cried.

Jorulph laughed as his younger brother glared at him.

"What have you been teaching your children?" Link demanded

"All of the right things."

Link sat and watched as Jorulph played with Torrik and Esie. Link found it funny how everyone in that room had the same eyes. He and Jorulph had the same eyes, thanks to their mother, and now, they passed that trait onto their children.

"Oh, Amia is sleeping." Link whispered after a while.

"Put her to bed." Jorulph whispered, "before she wakes up again. Trust me, it's hell when they wake up before they've had a chance to fully rest."

Both Esie and Torrik yawned at the same time. Esie snuggled into Jorulph's chest as Torrik rested his head on his father's lap.

"I'm tired, too." Jorulph yawned.

******
"Where are they?" Zelda asked

"Should we go check on them?" Naphi suggested.

Zelda nodded and led the Learian Queen through the castle to the room in which their husbands were in.

"Where have you guys bee-"

Zelda stopped as she saw the most wholesome sight ever. Jorulph was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed, asleep, with his children sleeping on him. Next to him was Link, who was holding his child in his arms whilst sleeping on the shoulder of his older brother.

"I haven't got the heart to wake them up." Naphi whispered.

"I bet you anything that the first person  to wake up between those two will be shocked." Zelda giggled, "I mean, would they really do that consciously?"

"Let's go." Naphi said, "we'll leave them."

"I fancy a spot of tea." The Hylian Queen stated, "with some biscuits."

"Sounds great." Naphi agreed.

"Naph!"

She peered in again to see Jorulph squinting at her.

"Get me... some tea, as well." He yawned.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself there, Jinks." She chuckled.

"Want to join?" He asked.

"I'll pass." Naphi grinned, "I'll leave you to it."

Jorulph smiled as his wife left the room. This moment was so surreal. Finally, he was leading a normal life, with a normal family, with a normal mind.

"I think I've done enough for a lifetime." He whispered

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The End