The Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Zelda: Real Courage 2: Dark Mirror ❯ Chapter Three: The Will to Go On ( Chapter 3 )

A wet cloth dabbed his forehead when Zale woke up. He opened his eyes to see Salvatore sitting by his side.

"How are you feeling, Sire?"

Zale looked at the ceiling, remembering the events of the night before. Tears pooled in his eyes, so he closed them so Salvatore couldn't see. He covered his face with one hand, stopping the soothing cloth.

"We need to go to my fa-father's chambers," he said, cursing his wavering voice. He sat up, ignoring Salvatore's helping hands. Then he told Salvatore to leave until he could get dressed.

Zale walked quickly through the halls, Salvatore hurrying to keep up. The servant had to excuse the prince's rudeness, which slowed him down. When they were in the king's bedroom, Zale asked Salvatore to seal the room.

"It's done, Sire."

"No one will be able to hear anything?"

"No one."

Zale felt his heart pounding. He didn't want to have to think about Impa's story, but he had to be the one to break the news. Impa had said the king's will was in his chambers and that it was addressed specifically to Zale.

But he couldn't do it properly. He held his head in his hands as he sat on his father's bed and croaked, "He's dead, Salvatore! He's dead!"

The servant rushed to the prince's side. He put an arm around the boy's shoulders and said, "I'm so sorry, Sire."

"He was killed by Kotake and Koume! The Shiekah were overpowered. Only Impa survived to tell me..."

Salvatore gave Zale a moment to collect himself, then asked, "What can I do to help?"

Zale sniffled, He felt too weak. He leaned against Salvatore's chest, trying to relax. "His will is somewhere in these chambers. We need to find it."

"Yes, Sire. You rest here, and I'll look." He coaxed Zale to lie on the bed and then went off to search.

The young, tired prince couldn't bring himself to move. All of his strength had left him, leaving his body feeling heavy. He stared into nowhere, breathing slowly. His father was dead; Lila was on death's door; the kingdom was in shambles; the people relied on him.

But he was only seventeen. He wasn't even publically acknowledged until recently. So many wondered if he could lead them. He wondered if he could lead them. If bad news shook him this much to his core, what would happen if another crisis arose? But this wasn't just any bad news. He had lost his father.

It seemed just as the king was warming up to his son, Ganondra struck and tore them apart again. Zale wished he could see his father one last time, give him one last hug, tell him for the last time he loved him. Ganondra and her minions stole that from him. They stole his confidence.

And Zelda! His poor, poor little sister. She adored their father, and he doted on her. He gave her anything she asked for and more. She was too young to lose her father, being merely ten years old. Also, because of the secrecy surrounding her, she would only be able to share her grief with her servant, Nellie. Little Zelda had few other friends, none of whom knew her true identity and relationship to the dead king.

Zale sat up slowly as Salvatore returned with an envelope. He gave the envelope to the prince without a word. As Impa had told him, it was addressed to him, with a few unexpected words.

"Prince Zale, My Wonderful Son."

That brought back the tears. His father had never said anything like that while he was alive. To know his father thought of him as wonderful...

He must have been crying for too long because Salvatore slipped the envelope out of his hands. He looked up at his friend, his guard, his protector, with questioning eyes.

"You don't have to read this now, Sire," Salvatore explained. "You continue to rest, and I'll have breakfast brought up to us."

Zale pushed his hand away. "No, I have things needing to get done."

Salvatore made Zale lay back against the pillows. "There's no shame in mourning for a loved one. You need some time."

Zale sighed in frustration, but his body remained weak. He would have to do as Salvatore said, for which he was relieved. He let his friend take over and tried to ignore the pain.

Breakfast took a long time to get through, but he felt much stronger after eating. He put his napkin on his plate and said, "I'm ready." Salvatore watched Zale open the will with shaking hands. When Zale flattened the will on the table, Salvatore protested.

"Sire, this is not meant for me. There is information in there belonging to the royal family alone."

Zale stilled him. "I can't do this alone." Salvatore cautiously sat back in his seat. Zale took a deep breath and began reading.

"I, King Gaepora Nohansen Hyrule, do hereby declare this to be my final will and testament. The Kingdom of Hyrule and all of its territories belongs to my daughter, Zelda, upon my death," it started, but "daughter, Zelda" had been crossed out and replaced with "son, Zale." The original was something he somewhat expected, but the change made his head spin. Zale wasn't temporarily taking over, the kingdom now fell to him. He read on, skipping over the corrections that followed.

"This is his birthright as a descendant of the Goddess Hylia, whose blood flows through his veins. This blood also gives life to my daughter, Zelda, who is to remain a secret until the kingdom, and she, are safe.

"Though you mourn for my death, you must reveal yourself before my funeral. The transfer of power will go more smoothly if you do. I regret I couldn't do this sooner, and wish all of my subjects to take you as their king.

"Chief Tephi of the Shiekah will help you in your new role, as well as stay by your side in the shadows. She will guide you and keep you safe. She aided me when I became king, and she will now aid you."

There was a separate note at the bottom that looked to be written with the same ink as the revisions. The words made his voice crack, so Salvatore had to read it.

"Zale, I know I wasn't a good father to you. I taught you and treated you as a lesser person. I'm sorry things have to end this way and sincerely hope you can forgive me. Maybe we will meet again in the next life and be better friends. I love you, my dearest son. I just wish I saw my errors sooner."

There were other pages with details on the kingdom, but they left them aside for the time. Zale looked at the floor, not knowing what to do next. He thought of all the chaos around him and the responsibility he now had to bear. He thought of Zelda, Lila, Salvatore, and every one of his acquaintances. His father's last words left him not knowing how to feel, so he felt everything and nothing at the same time. He was happy but scared, sad but loved. The tears spilled from his eyes.

Zale's voice was raw when he finally spoke. "Salvatore, I... I can't deal with this on my own. I have too many burdens to bear. How does my f-father expect me to handle all of this?"

Salvatore spoke quietly yet firmly, "Sire, I know you. I know you will be great at this. You need not fear. I, and many others, will take on tasks as needed. You don't have to do everything by yourself. There are many who would love to lend you their aid. You just have to ask."

Zale sighed and forced the tears to stop. Crying wouldn't help anything. Salvatore was right, and Zale would be better with time.

"Let's get through the rest of this," he said with a clear voice. Salvatore smiled.