Chapter Text
Zelda was six years old when her mother died. It wasn't spread much outside the castle, but they knew the cause of death. The Yiga clan. Two footsoldiers on a mission that would end in their death, a mission that entailed killing the queen. Not Zelda, when she came into her mother's room and saw her bleeding out on the floor.
Just her mother.
So in the days that followed, Zelda put on a brave face, a six year old girl already having to keep the kingdom's spirits high.
A six year old girl putting on a brave face with the weight of Hyrule weighing on her shoulders.
At least one good thing came from her mother's death-a visit from Urbosa. Of course, her mother's death wasn't a good thing, it was just that a visit from Zelda's second favourite-well, now favourite, person alive was a good break from the crushing misery she felt.
Because her mother died. The mother that sat Zelda up on her lap and told her stories. The mother that took her horse riding for the first time. The mother that would talk to her friends, voice brimming with pride about how Zelda was walking to the library and reading thick books on ancient Sheikah technology at six years old.
And that mother was dead.
At first, Zelda didn't belive it, even as she watched the light fade out of her mother's eyes. She saw a figure in the distance and run over to find that it was a statue or a guard. She'd hear the familiar rustle of book pages in the library and discover that it was just her father reading.
Then it sunk in. Her mother was dead. Never coming back. And she knew who did it. Yes, they were dead but not the person who gave the command. Not every single person in the Yiga clan who thought it was a good idea to kill her mother. This was about the time when the funeral happened and Urbosa came to Hyrule Castle. Zelda asked a few innocent questions about the Yiga hideout, trying to keep up the brave facade, but she quickly caught on, confronting Zelda in her room, asking if she wanted to go to the Yiga hideout.
Zelda said she didn't.
Still putting on the brave facade.
Because if they knew how much she was hurting... she needed to protect Hyrule. Keep their spirits high.
They were upset after losing their queen. They deserved to be happy.
But if someone is happy, someone else isn't.