Chapter Text
To Capture the Heart of a Hero
Chapter 3 – Departure
The next morning, Link and Zelda continued their journey across the Gerudo Desert. Fortunately, the rest of their night had gone by uneventfully, with no other creatures threatening to approach their campsite. As promised, Link had stayed awake for a few hours to keep watch (successfully proving Midna’s comments to be false, Link pointed out) before waking Zelda and switching shifts. Because of this, the two riders were a bit short on sleep, but they insisted on continuing the journey back to Castle Town anyway. The sooner they got back, the sooner they could properly rest.
The two of them proceeded to spend the better part of the day riding towards their destination. Eventually, the sand beneath their horses’ hooves turned to the green plains of Hyrule Field. By this point, they could finally see Hyrule Castle off in the distance. It was now just a straight shot to Castle Town. They continued to ride forward as the hours slowly ticked away.
They finally made it to the castle gates just as sunset was approaching. To their surprise, they found a small cluster of guards standing there and waiting to greet them. Link and Zelda soon pulled their horses’ reins, slowing them to a halt. Link wasn’t sure, but he wondered if this group of guards was supposed to be some sort of welcoming party for them.
Before long, a lone man stepped out from behind the guards and walked to the front. He was very short in stature and appeared to be rather old as well. His head was mostly bald, but he did have a few tufts of gray hair clinging to his sides. His attire consisted of fancy (albeit, somewhat outdated) robes, with Hyrule’s royal crest stitched into the front. He also wore a tiny pair of spectacles, which were small enough for his gentle eyes to peer over should he choose to.
The man soon smiled as he brought his hands out from behind his back and extended them openly. “Ah, how wonderful it is to see your safe return, Princess Zelda.” He finished by giving a small bow in her direction.
Zelda quickly greeted him with a smile. Naturally, she recognized this man as an old friend. “Greetings, Minister Fost. It is good to be back.”
The man known as Fost nodded at her comment and soon turned towards Link. He also gave the hero a proper bow. “And of course, it is good to see you as well, Master Link, our young hero.”
“Er, thanks…” Link replied awkwardly. He had to admit, he didn’t feel very comfortable hearing the title of “Master” precede his name.
Once the introductions were complete, Fost took a moment to look them up and down. “So how was your journey? Safe and free of peril, I hope?”
Zelda soon lowered herself from her horse, and Link did the same. They were now able to communicate with Fost on an equal level. Or at least, that’s what they would be able to say, if Link and Zelda didn’t stand head and shoulders above the small elderly man.
“Safe enough,” Zelda replied, not bothering to mention their encounter in the desert.
“I see that Princess Midna is no longer with you. Is it safe to assume that she has successfully departed back to her world?”
Zelda nodded. “Yes, Midna has returned home, safe and sound. We made sure to escort her to the Mirror and say our farewells.”
Fost soon clasped his hands together. “Wonderful! I’m glad to hear that she is now back where she belongs. I’ll happily pass this news along to the rest of the Council as well.” Fost then paused for a moment. “I will admit that I had my reservations about sending the three of you off into the desert on your own, but it seems that they were unnecessary. I’m certain you did an excellent job of escorting her, Princess. And you as well, Master Link.”
Link couldn’t help but wince again when he heard his name addressed with a title. He really wasn’t sure he could ever get used to something like this. It just felt too out of place for him. At the same time, Link also couldn’t help but notice that Zelda had not reacted to the use of her title at all. Even though Fost had referred to her as “Princess”, she hadn’t shown any of the distaste that she had when Link had used that title. If anything, she seemed perfectly fine with it. What was up with that?
“Thank you, Fost,” was all Zelda said in response, not even bothering to use the elder man’s title. This just caused Link to give her an even more surprised look. Why did he feel like all he knew of proper etiquette was suddenly being turned on its head?
Fost himself didn’t bat an eye at the lack of title, and just smiled in return. He soon gestured towards the castle gate, and the guards that were assembled behind him began to divide, stepping away to clear a path. “Now, let’s get the two of you inside. We have been eagerly awaiting your return, and I have made sure that a hearty meal was prepared in advance. We’ll also get your horses to the stables and make sure that they get a proper rest.” He soon began walking inside, beckoning for Link and Zelda to follow.
“You’re as welcoming as ever, Minister,” Zelda told him with a small smile.
“Of course. I wouldn’t dare do anything less for you, Princess. Especially on the cusp of such good news.”
“That’s very sweet of you,” Zelda told him, stifling a hint of a giggle.
Link followed behind Zelda and led Epona while he walked. As he did so, he couldn’t help but stare at Fost with a curious look. He had met the Minister a few times before (after his final battle with Ganondorf), and his general impressions of him was that he was a kindhearted, gentle old man. Someone who was always polite and friendly to those around him. But even so, Link had never expected to see him quite like this. He didn’t know how to put it, but when Fost was around Zelda, he almost seemed like a doting parent. Or perhaps a butler was more accurate? Either way, it was clear that Fost had every intention of providing Zelda with the best service possible. And once again, Zelda just seemed to accept his attitude as if it was normal. Had Fost always been this way and he’d just failed to notice it in their previous encounters?
Much to Link’s surprise, he soon found that this generosity seemed to extend to himself as Fost spoke up once more. “I’ve also had a room prepared for you, Master Link, so you can safely rest here in the castle for the night. Let me know if you need anything during your stay, and I’ll make sure that one of the servants assists you immediately.”
Link just gave him a blank stare. In addition to having a title, it felt just as weird to be treated like royalty. “Um…thank you, Minister.”
“Ah, that reminds me,” Zelda said suddenly. She soon halted Reina’s advance so she could remove one of the bags from her saddle. She then handed the bag to Fost. “Would you be able to have someone clean these arrows for me? We encountered a small skirmish, and they became rather…” Zelda paused as she thought of an appropriate word. “…messy.”
Fost graciously accepted the bag with a bow. “Why of course, Princess. I’ll have it taken care of right–OH MY HEAVENS!” The short man’s eyes nearly popped out of his sockets as he opened the bag and peered inside. He then gingerly reached a hand inside to retrieve the clean part of an arrow, only to pull it out and reveal the rest of it was covered in dried blood. “Wh-What exactly happened here, Princess!? It looks as if a massacre took place!”
“That’s not entirely inaccurate,” Zelda replied, keeping a calm expression. “While we were in the desert, our campsite was attacked by a small group of Leevers. Link and I fought them off until they were destroyed.”
In spite of the Princess’s nonchalant description of events, Fost looked like he had just been hit by a horse and carriage. His eyes were wide, his jaw was hanging open, and his brows were far too high on his forehead. “Leevers!?” he repeated. “You mean to tell me that those grotesque things were trying to harm our innocent Princess? Leevers!?” Fost soon closed his eyes and began shaking his head in disapproval. “Oh, curse my incompetence! I should have known that it was too dangerous to send the Princess off into the desert without any guards! I should’ve never let her go in the first place. Leevers!”
Link just watched this frantic display with an uncomfortable frown. It seemed to Link that Fost also had a habit of blowing things out of proportion, and based on Zelda’s current expression, she seemed to agree with him.
“Fost, it really wasn’t as dangerous as you say,” Zelda said with a sigh. “Link and I escaped from them without a scratch, as well as our horses. I can assure you, our short trip to the desert was not the death of me.”
Fost just shook his head some more. “Ah, but what if it had been? What if you had been injured by one of those hideous creatures during your journey? You would have been stranded out there, with no one around to come to your aid! And then where would I be? Here, filled with regret and remorse and cursing myself for my lack of responsibility. Oh, and then what would your father say after learning that I had allowed his only daughter to go on such a perilous journey?”
“He’d say that you’re too much of a worrywart, I should hope,” Zelda said flatly. Link couldn’t help but smile at this comment.
Fost frowned, and soon raised the bloodied arrow before her, shaking it a bit. “Oh, you may jest, but this incident is not as mild as you think! Mark my words, Princess, for the sake of your own safety, I will personally see to it that you do not have any further escapades outside of this castle anytime soon!” he finished with a huff. He then stored the arrow back inside the bag and continued walking towards the castle.
“We’ll see,” Zelda whispered to Link with a smirk.
Link just scratched the back of his head, not quite sure what to say. He certainly had a lot of thoughts on his mind, but he didn’t even know where to start.
Once they were inside the castle’s courtyard, the gate was shut behind them. The guards that had been accompanying them soon dispersed, likely returning to whatever positions they had held before Fost had assembled them. Meanwhile, the short Minister turned around the face the duo once more.
“It would probably be best if I took my leave. I’ll go have these arrows taken care of,” he said, raising the bag a bit. “Your dinner should also be ready shortly.”
Zelda just gave him a nod. “We’ll take our horses to the stable and then I’ll show Link where the dining hall is.”
“Very good, Princess,” Fost said with a bow. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” The short man soon walked off, making his way towards the front doors of the castle. Link and Zelda were now left alone with their horses. Without a word, they slowly began leading their animals in the direction of the stables.
As they walked in silence, Link finally felt like he was free to voice some of his thoughts. “Minister Fost is…um, an interesting guy, huh?”
Zelda allowed herself a small smile. “That’s one way to put it.”
“I’ve met him a few times before, but I’ve never seen him act so…” Link paused, trying to find the right word.
“Extreme?” Zelda offered.
Link nervously frowned. “Well, I’m not sure that’s the word I would use, although I suppose it fits.”
Zelda continued to smile. “I’m sure when you met him before, he acted more reserved and polite, but trust me, the display you saw but a short while ago is a more accurate depiction of his true self.”
“You didn’t seem that surprised by it,” Link noted.
“Of course not. I’ve known Minister Fost for a long time, and I’ve seen him act like that on hundreds of occasions. Sometimes over the smallest of things.”
Link took a moment to ponder her words before arriving at another thought. “He seemed rather protective of you. Is there a reason for that?”
“You mean aside from me being the Royal Princess?” Zelda asked with a smirk. “I suppose there is. Ever since I was little, Fost has taken it upon himself to look after me and even help raise me. He likes to think of himself as my caretaker, and while that means he is always generously looking out for my wellbeing, it also means that he feels the need to constantly worry over my safety, no matter how small the ‘danger’ may be. I truly believe that he worries too much for his own good.”
Zelda then paused, before frowning a bit and taking on a more serious tone. “Not that his concern is entirely unfounded though. I wasn’t able to be in contact with him during the Twilight Invasion, but I could only imagine that he was worried sick over me the entire time.”
Link just gave a short nod, recalling how the Princess had been isolated in a tower throughout the whole thing. “Yeah, I can imagine that too…”
The two of them continued to walk in silence for a moment, the dark memories of their recent crisis still fresh in their minds. However, they soon pushed them away, as neither one of them cared to dwell on such thoughts for long.
“I suppose I can’t be too upset with him,” Zelda continued, allowing herself another small smile. “He only wants what’s best for me, after all. And in spite of his constant exclamations, he really is a kind soul.”
Link nodded in understanding, before moving on to the next topic that had caught his curiosity.
“Would you say that the two of you are rather close?”
Zelda nodded. “I would. I still find him to be something of a nuisance on occasion, but I think of him fondly all the same.”
“Can I ask you something then?”
“Of course.”
Link turned to face Zelda head-on. “Why don’t you mind if Fost refers to you as ‘Princess’?”
Zelda raised her eyebrows a bit. “Oh, you noticed that?”
Link just frowned. “It’s hard not to, when you made such a fuss about me doing it.”
Zelda looked away as she pondered the question. “It’s true, I don’t mind when Fost addresses me by my title. If I had to say why, it’s probably because that’s just how he’s always referred to me, ever since I was a girl. I suppose it would feel strange if he suddenly changed it after all these years. Not to mention, he’s had this etiquette ingrained into him since the day he was born. He would never dare refer to a member of the royal family by name alone, even if I insisted on it. In fact, I imagine if you asked him, he’d assure you that he’d rather die than refer to me in such an ‘improper’ way.”
Upon hearing this, Link just gave a scowl. With all this talk of etiquette, he couldn’t help but feel like he was in a terribly bad position. “And yet you insist on me referring to you by name?”
“Of course,” Zelda replied without hesitation.
Link frowned and scratched the back of his head a bit. “But…won’t that make me stand out? Especially when I’m here at the castle?”
Zelda glanced over. “What’s the matter? Are you still worried you’ll offend someone?”
Link wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Well…maybe…”
Zelda watched him for a second, but soon gave him a small smile. “You should consider yourself lucky to call me by name. It’s not a favor that I extend to just anyone, you know.”
“Lucky, huh?” Link said with a sigh. He then paused. “Hey wait, how many others are there?”
Zelda closed her eyes as she faced forward once more. “That’s a secret.”
Link just groaned as he faced forward too. Was it just him, or did the Princess take great pleasure in teasing him? Not unlike a certain imp that he had been traveling with up until recently…
The two of them soon reached the stables, where a lone guard saluted them. “Good evening, Your Highness,” he said with the utmost respect.
For Link, this just served as yet another painful reminder of his situation. He soon sighed and let it go though. Being a ranch hand from Ordon, it’s not like he had ever cared much about etiquette anyway. He just wished that he wasn’t the only one calling Zelda by name. In fact, he wished that Midna were here with him. Link knew that she would never refer to Zelda as “Princess”, unless it was in a condescending or playful way. Midna may have been a bit too mischievous for her own good, but Link had never minded her lack of manners.
“So when do you plan to depart?”
“Huh?” Link asked, suddenly being pulled from his thoughts. He turned to find Zelda staring at him again. They were currently inside the stable, leading their horses into the nearest empty stalls.
“You said that you intended to return to Ordon Village. When do you plan to depart?”
“Oh, uh…tomorrow morning, probably,” Link said with a shrug. “Epona and I will rest here for the night, and then we can leave at dawn.”
Zelda nodded. “Understood. I’ll be there to see you off.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Link said with a small wave of his hand.
“I insist.”
Link just stared at the Princess for a second before shrugging. He didn’t care to argue against her anymore. Besides, he figured it might actually be nice to get a proper farewell before departing the castle. He wasn’t sure when he would see her again, after all.
The next morning, Link went to the stable to retrieve Epona, before leading her towards the castle gate. As promised, Zelda was standing there, ready to see him off.
“Good morning,” the Princess greeted him with a smile. “It seems that the Goddesses have blessed your departure with good weather today. Nothing but clear skies overhead.”
Link looked up and smiled. It was true. It did look like it was going to be a good day for travel. He then patted Epona on the neck before turning to Zelda. “We’re off to Kakariko Village first. That’s where the children from Ordon are still staying. Rusl sent me a message saying he would meet me there with a carriage ready to go, and then we can all finally return back home.”
Zelda nodded at his words. “It sounds as if you have been looking forward to this for a while now.”
“Of course,” Link replied with a grin. “I may have went on an amazing adventure and saved Hyrule, but Ordon Village is still my home, after all. It’ll be nice to return and take it easy for a while.”
Zelda gave him a charmed look. “A hero who returns to his roots. I like it.”
Link rubbed the back of his neck a bit. He hadn’t been expecting such admiration for simply speaking his mind. He then reached over and grabbed the hilt of the sword resting on his back. He raised it up a bit. “Speaking of returning, I plan to return this to its home as well.”
Zelda gasped as she gazed upon the legendary blade. “The Master Sword? You’re going to return it?”
Link nodded. “Yes, now that my adventure has come to an end, I no longer have an urgent need for it. I think it would be a good idea to return it to its pedestal in the Sacred Grove.”
Zelda just stared at him, still looking quite surprised. “Are you sure about this, Link? You may not need it now, but you never know when you might have to face another dangerous threat. Wouldn’t it be best to keep it at your side?”
Link shook his head. He had already made up his mind about this. “No, I think it’s better to leave it in the Sacred Grove, for future generations to find should they ever need it. My time with it is done. The land is at peace now. Besides, should I ever need it again, I can always go back and take it up once more.”
Zelda continued to stare at him, but eventually gave him an impressed look. “That’s actually rather wise.”
Link rubbed his neck a bit. “Give me some credit here. I did think about it a lot, you know.”
“Being a hero of the Kingdom though, you’ll still need a weapon. Have you given any thought to that?”
Link nodded. “I can have a new one forged in Ordon. An ordinary sword, for solving ordinary troubles.”
“As humble as ever,” Zelda said with a smile.
The two of them stood in silence after that. Eventually, Link gave a satisfied sigh as he patted Epona’s neck once again. “I guess we should be off then.”
Zelda nodded in agreement. “Yes, I don’t want to keep you here when you have other duties to attend to. However, before you go, please allow me to say one thing.”
Link looked over and watched as Zelda clasped her hands together. She then stared him right in the eye.
“Link, hero chosen by the Goddesses, thank you for everything you have done for me and our Kingdom. I am eternally grateful for your actions which have led to our ultimate victory. You have risked your own life to save the countless lives of others. If it were not for you, I daresay we would not be standing here under such peaceful skies…” Zelda paused for a bit, and then bowed her head. “I doubt that words can ever express just how much you have done for us, and I doubt that they can truly express the extent of my gratitude, but allow me to say this all the same: Thank you, Link. May the Goddesses continue to smile upon you.”
Zelda soon raised her head to find Link standing there looking surprised. He awkwardly scratched the side of his head with a single finger. “You’re welcome, Zelda. It was my pleasure.”
Zelda just smiled at his modesty. It really was one of his most charming qualities. “Link, if you should ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. Hyrule would be happy to return any of the countless favors that you have done for us.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Link promised.
Zelda continued to stare at him for a moment before turning her attention to Epona. She approached the chestnut horse and softly stroked her muzzle a few times. “Epona, take good care of Link, all right? Every hero needs a faithful steed, and I’m counting on you to keep him safe.”
Epona gave a satisfied whinny, clearly pleased with the sudden attention she was receiving. Zelda giggled a bit before retreating.
“Sounds like someone is excited to hit the road,” Link said with a smile of his own. He soon hoisted himself up into the saddle.
“Link, one last thing before you go,” Zelda said, calling his attention back to the ground. “Please return to the castle once you have some time. I’m still counting on you to assist with Hyrule’s recovery effort, and we will have a great many things to discuss.”
Link gave a confident nod. “I promise, I’ll come back as soon as I am able.”
“Thank you. Farewell and safe journeys.”
“Farewell, Zelda. See you again soon.”
With an excited look in his eye, Link snapped Epona’s reins. The horse, eager to take off, quickly began galloping towards the castle gate. Zelda watched as they made their departure, smiling the entire time.
She looked forward to the day they would meet again.