Chapter Text
The dust stirred around her feet as the young teenager opened the door to the old disused house in Hateno Village. Technically the house still belonged to her father, but young swordsman hasn’t returned in over five years too busy overseeing the construction on the castle and the rebuilding of Castletown. They had moved into the castle when rooms had been made ready for them but now the reconstruction was nearly complete and the wedding and inaugurations were to be soon. She had to admit that it was strange that the two people she considered to be her parents and that had taken care of her for the majority of her life were only now getting married. But they were still quite young, and led quite busy lives.
“Still…” She muttered to herself as she forced the door open the rest of the way open, the house looked expectant, as if the last time they had left it was only supposed to be just for a moment. “After ten years of secretly kissing around every corner in Hyrule, you’d think they’d have married sooner.” She commented to herself. “Well this house isn’t going to pack itself up.” She sighed. She had arrived early, not wanting to wait for Paya and the royal caravan to come and collect what was left from the house. She just… had to see it for herself one last time. She walked into the house and her fingers trailed across the back of one of the chairs she and Karson had painted together, the image that had once been there bleached by the sun that shown in through the window. The table wasn’t set but it did have a small pot meant for flowers and she was sure it held them the last time they had been here.
Her father’s old apron was carelessly resting on the back of his old chair and she walked over to it, lifting the cloth into her hands and a smile touched her lips as she saw the stitching her mother had adorned into it recreating the famed swordsmen with a soup ladle in one hand and a pot lid for a shield as if her were off to do battle in the kitchen. She slid it into the enchanted bag her mother had made for her, and her father had traveled to have it hold the same enchantments his own pouch carried then she turned to walk up the stairs to the loft, her old room. She stored the photos and paintings from her childhood in her bag, leaving the clothes she no longer fit into for they would be gathered by the royal procession later that evening, besides she didn’t need any of it. Most if the things here would be donated to the orphanage in Castle town anyways.
A small tinkle grabbed her attention and out of a second pouch that hung from her belt a small fairy lifted. She smiled to see her old friend. “So now you decide to wake up? I’m nearly done you know.” She teased and Fae flittered closer to land in her hair before she pushed open the door to her parents room. It was exactly as she remembered it, a mixture of papers scattered all across any surface available, much like her mothers study now, and a variety of weapons, photos and some armor on the walls and floor. She smiled and moved about slowly collecting the images of their family and being careful not to accidentally knock them from their stands on the wall. She also avoided her mother's mounds of papers, sure that Paya would organize them when she arrived But she noticed a small box wrapped with a ribbon resting upon the table next to the bed. A card attached to the ribbon held her name. She sat on the bed and brought it onto her lap, carefully untying it and lifting the lid from its perch a letter rested on top of a flower bulb. She looked curiously at it before unfolding the parchment.
To my beautiful daughter on her seventeenth birthday,
Her heart ached painfully. Had this been why he had asked her to return here?
Aryll. I have watched you grow into a beautiful woman. From the day we first began our family together, to this day as I write, and I am sure further from now you will continue to grow to be a wonderful girl. I couldn’t be more proud of you.
Today is the eve of our return to Castle Town and I fear it will be a long time before return to this house. I know how much it means to you to be here, this is where our family began and you are still but a child as I write, I wonder if you remember the tantrum you had when we told you we would be returning to the castle. You refused to eat dinner and hid yourself in your tree house with Fae. Zelda is in bed with you now as I write telling you stories of the Champions of old.
I’m sure we have made many mistakes as your parents, we’re both so young still, and with so many other responsibilities to demand our attention. I’m sure by now you understand and I’m sorry for every time I have to reprimand or upset you. I hope you know how much I love you.
She reached up to brush the tears from her eyes. “I love you too.” She whispered.
I have many things to tell you, so much that I am unsure where to start. Perhaps by the time you receive this I will be ready with the words that refuse to come to me now. Or perhaps not, your mother tells me I have never been fluent with articulating my thoughts, and she claims that my writing is worse then my speech. But I shall try. I am sure you have wondered of your gifts, how water beckons to your call and allows you to heal. But I will explain not in writing, this I know must be a conversation we share when you are ready.
For now I leave you with this, the first of what I imagine to be many presents we gift to you upon your seventeenth birthday. This bulb was given to me when our family was still small and uncertain as we traveled across Hyrule. I have done all that was required by the Great Fairies, each has given it their blessing and they have assured me that it will remain as it is now for as long as it needs to be.
I never thought I should be the one to plant it, for it was always meant to be given to you.
I am unsure if you will remember, but while we traveled I had gotten badly injured and Fae had used her magic to heal my wounds. However instead of returning to her mother’s fountain she remained with you and grew ill for her power had been spent. I took both you and her to one of the fountains to ask for their aid in helping Fae back to health and, along with the jar filled with water from the fountain, I was given this, and told to gain the blessing of each of the four sisters. I believe, when it is planted and fully grown, it will become a Fairy Fountain, and Fae it’s patron fairy. What this means for you and your companion I know not, but I leave it with you for when you are ready to discover this.
And now I hear Zelda calling for me. You apparently want me to make rice balls and I shall sacrifice myself to fulfil your wishes.
With all my love,
Link
She laughed softly at the closure and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes before carefully folding the letter again and taking the bulb from the box. It didn’t look much different from any other flower bulb, outside the simple fact of it was much larger then most. Fae drifted down to it curiously but Aryll replaced it in the box with the letter and lid. “We’ll investigate it later.” She promised her as she stood, the sounds of hooves and wagon wheels crossing the bridge could be heard from the open door.