Chapter Text
To Capture the Heart of a Hero
Chapter 14 – Trickery
A few days later, the date of the next Roundtable meeting had arrived. By noon, everyone was expected to arrive at the castle and congregate in the meeting room. This meant that Zelda’s morning was completely free, so with a bright smile, she decided to go and visit her father in the infirmary.
Upon entering the room lined with beds, Zelda was a bit surprised to hear a conversation taking place in the back. Feeling curious, she quietly walked towards the curtain that partitioned her father’s room from the rest of the infirmary and began listening in. Once she was close enough, she realized that the two voices seemed to be arguing with each other.
“Come now, you can allow me to leave for just an hour, can’t you?” the King asked in his majestic tone.
The other voice, belonging to Doctor Roswald, came back sounding strict and stern. “No, I absolutely cannot allow that.”
“But I feel perfectly fine,” Caius insisted.
“I don’t care how you feel,” the doctor replied bluntly. “You’re my patient and you’re still in bad condition, so I refuse to permit you any temporary leave from my care.”
“You said that my condition was improving.”
“Yes, but you are still far from recovery. Remember the other day? When you passed out while we were in the middle of a conversation?”
The King scoffed. “That? That was nothing. I was just tired.”
“Tired!?” the doctor exclaimed. “Nobody just passes out because they’re ‘tired’. Only those suffering from extreme exhaustion experience such a thing! Why, I nearly had a heart attack thinking that something serious had happened to you.”
“A heart attack?” Caius responded, sounding amused. “It sounds like you’re the one who needs to be checked into the infirmary, Doctor.”
Zelda soon heard the doctor mutter some sort of curse under his breath. With a slight shake of her head, she decided to push the curtain aside and announce her presence. “Goodness, this place certainly sounds lively today.”
The two men halted their argument, turning to face the Princess. Caius’s face quickly brightened in surprise. “Ah, good morning, Zelda.”
Roswald gave a slight bow. “Good morning, Princess.”
“Good morning,” she greeted them back. She then smirked a bit before placing her hands on her hips. “So, what’s been going on in here? It sounded like you two were having quite the argument.”
“It was nothing,” said Caius, dismissively waving his hand. “Roswald here was just being a bit stubborn.”
“Me!?” Roswald exclaimed, turning to the King with an exasperated look. “How could you possibly–!?”
The doctor paused, and then heavily sighed, releasing his pent-up breath. He soon turned back towards Zelda, looking exhausted. “Forgive me, Lady Zelda. I fear that I may be at my wit’s end here. Would you be so kind as to speak some sense into your father? The Goddesses know I’ve tried.”
Zelda giggled a bit, but then gave him a reassuring smile as well as a curtsy. “It would be my pleasure.”
The doctor gave her an appreciative nod before exiting the room, releasing another tired sigh as he went.
Once he was gone, Zelda turned to her father with eyes that were less than friendly. “Are you still being stubborn, father? I hope you realize that you’re not doing any favors for me, the doctor, and most certainly not yourself.”
Caius just smiled, looking rather coy. “What? Can’t a King have his way?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Zelda snapped back. She then sighed before taking a seat in the chair next to his bed. “Tell me, father, what is on your mind today? Why were you asking Roswald for permission to leave the infirmary?”
Caius just sighed in return. “The Roundtable meeting is today, is it not?”
Zelda nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, I was hoping that I might be able to attend, if only for a little bit.”
Zelda blinked, a little surprised. “But father, your condition-”
“Is fine!” the King insisted with a smile. “I feel rather good today.”
Zelda just eyed the man skeptically. She knew that he was more than capable of exaggerating the truth in order to get his way.
“But your cough…” she said slowly.
“Is hardly a hindrance.”
“And your fatigue…”
“I feel wide awake at the moment.”
Zelda just sighed. He certainly was being stubborn today. “Yes, well, be that as it may, the doctor thinks that you’re still not in great shape, and if he says that you should stay here and rest, then I agree with him.”
Caius frowned at this. “Oh please. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Roswald just wants to keep me in here so he can torture me.”
Zelda smirked, recalling the doctor’s exasperated expression from just a moment ago. “I severely doubt that. Trust me, he wants you out of here just as much as you do.”
The King surprisingly laughed at this, and gave a small nod. “Aye, that’s probably true.”
Zelda giggled a bit as well, happy that she actually got him to agree with something for once. She then gazed back at him, still feeling curious. “Tell me, why are you so interested in joining today’s Roundtable meeting?”
Caius’s smile soon faded away as it was replaced with a look of guilt. “Because…”
“Because what?” Zelda asked, edging him on.
“Because I am Hyrule’s King!” Caius stated adamantly, his majestic features suddenly flaring to life as he flashed a look of determination. “It is my duty as the leader of this Kingdom to stand by my people and assist them when needed. I should be attending these meetings and leading the discussions.”
Zelda nodded, showing that she understood his feelings. However, she still wanted to dissuade him. “I know, father, but you don’t have to worry about that right now. The Ministers and I have it under control.”
Caius shook his head. “But it should not be your duty, it should be mine. It is expected of me.”
“The only thing that anyone expects from you is to get some proper rest,” Zelda corrected him. “If you don’t, you’ll never make a full recovery.”
“But I can’t just sit around all the time!” Caius complained. “How can I-”
The King paused, before suddenly covering his mouth as he suffered a strong hacking fit. He coughed and wheezed, struggling to expel the air from his lungs. Zelda just winced a bit, waiting for the horrid noise to cease. Fortunately, it only lasted for about half a minute before the King managed to recover.
“Father, you are not well,” Zelda stated sadly. “We both know this. Everyone in the castle knows this. No one expects you to perform your duties as King until you are fit to do so.”
Caius coughed a few more times, before lowering his hand from his mouth. He released a tired sigh. “You certainly have a way of putting things in perspective, don’t you?”
“I like to think that I am wise and sound of mind,” Zelda replied with a smirk.
The King gave a nostalgic smile. “You are certainly your mother’s daughter, as well as my own.”
Zelda sadly smiled back. She always felt proud to be compared to her deceased mother, a woman who was well-known for being wise as well as caring.
“Very well,” Caius finally agreed. “I’ll honor the doctor’s wishes and remain here for today.”
Zelda bowed her head in gratitude. “Thank you. And will you also promise to take your recovery more seriously from now on?”
Caius seemed a bit taken aback by this. “What do you mean?”
Zelda gave him a stern look. “I want you to promise me that you will truly focus on recovering. I want you to listen to Roswald’s instructions without any complaints, and stop trying to convince others that you’re fine when you’re clearly not.”
Upon hearing this last accusation, Caius tried his best to appear innocent. “I would never do any such thing.”
Zelda raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh? So you weren’t planning to spend the next month convincing Roswald that you’re well enough to attend the next meeting?”
Caius flashed a look of surprise, then one of guilt. He soon gave a light chuckle. “Goodness, you know me too well.”
“Indeed,” Zelda agreed. “Which is why I require a promise to ensure that you’ll take this seriously. No tricks.”
The King eyed her for a moment, but soon sighed. “I promise to try my best.”
Zelda just stared back at him, feeling unsatisfied. She would need more assurance than that. This time, she decided to switch tactics. Up until this point, she had tried to be rational with him, but now she felt it was time to be beseeching.
Zelda soon leaned forward a bit, and stared straight into her father’s eyes. She then clasped her hands together as if in prayer, and spoke up in a soft voice. “Father, would you please promise, for me?”
Caius just gave her a blank stare before laughing a bit. “Seriously? Come now, Zelda, you’re much too old for this trick to work on me.”
Zelda just ignored him, choosing instead to tilt her head a bit as she continued to dig into him with her pleading gaze. She insisted on holding this expression.
Before long, the King’s amused expression began to crack. He soon turned away with a frown. “Come on, Zelda…”
Zelda persisted, only breaking her stare so she could blink innocently.
“Just stop this. You already have your answer…”
Zelda spoke up again, her voice even softer this time. “Please, father…”
Caius dared a glance back at her, looking incredibly uncomfortable. He soon forced his eyes shut before he inevitably caved. “Fine! I promise I’ll take my recovery seriously, okay?”
“You will?” Zelda asked gently, her tone still rich with innocence.
“Yes, I’ll listen to Roswald and do everything he tells me to,” the King said with a defeated sigh.
“You promise…?”
“I promise.”
Upon hearing this, Zelda released her hands only to clap them back together, all while she was smiling with glee. “Very good. I plan to hold you to that.”
The King smiled a bit in return, but he also shook his head. “You may think yourself clever, but don’t expect that trick to work the next time, my sweet little Princess.”
Zelda smirked. “We’ll see.”
Caius just shook his head some more, before releasing a big yawn. He soon tried to stifle it. “Ah, forgive me. It seems that this morning is a bit livelier than what I’m used to.”
“It proves that you need your rest,” Zelda pointed out. “Should I go?”
Caius shook his head again. “No, please stay. I’m okay for now, and I enjoy the company.”
Zelda eyed him for a second, making sure that he wasn’t lying to her, but she found that he did seem rather alert. With a small nod, the Princess remained in her seat. “Very well.”
“Now, was there anything else you wished to discuss while you were here?” Caius asked with a smile. “Or did you simply come here to berate me?”
Zelda smirked again. “Yes, well as much as I enjoy giving you a good scolding, there actually is something else on my mind.”
“Oh? Then let’s hear it.”
Zelda soon looked away, suddenly feeling a little nervous. She hesitated to state her thoughts, choosing instead to focus on drumming her fingers together a few times. She had been prepared to bring up this topic when she had first entered the room, but now she wasn’t feeling so confident. Nevertheless, her words eventually managed to trickle out.
“I just wanted to ask you…Um, what do you think of Link?”
“Link?” Caius repeated in surprise. “You want to know my opinion of the young man?”
Zelda hesitated, but timidly nodded while she stared at the floor. “Yes.”
Caius just gave her a weird look. “Whatever for? Are you taking a census to determine how favorable our brave Hero is among the populace?”
Zelda shook her head. “No, of course not. I just…want to know what you think of him.”
The King still seemed surprised, as well as a tad confused, but he chose to answer his daughter anyway. “Well, I think that Link is a fine young man. He seems very strong and courageous, as well as friendly and kind. I feel very fortunate to have met someone like him, and we are all fortunate that he chose to stand up and save our Kingdom from the threats that we faced.”
Zelda nodded, looking a little absentminded as she stared out the nearby window. “Yes, we are,” she agreed quietly.
Caius continued to eye his daughter with both curiosity and skepticism. He could tell that something was off with her. “Does that satisfy your question?” he asked patiently.
Zelda soon turned back to him, seeming to quickly snap out of her daze. “Er…Yes, it does.”
“Good. Now perhaps you can answer a question of my own,” Caius said, folding his arms. “Whatever brought this on?”
Zelda suddenly blushed a bit, not having expected her father to pry into her reasoning. “Oh…It’s nothing.”
Caius just shook his head. His daughter could be wise as well as clever, but she could also be incredibly naive. “As if I would believe that. Something is going on here. Now please, tell me why you are inquiring about Link.”
Zelda looked away again. She should have known that her father wouldn’t just let this go. “I…I don’t want to say,” she said timidly. “It’s a tad embarrassing…”
“Embarrassing?” Caius replied, raising his eyebrows a bit. “Did Link do something to humiliate you?”
Zelda blinked. “What? No.”
“Did he do something to humiliate himself?” Caius asked, this time with an amused smile.
“No, father.”
“Then what is it? Surely something has happened to cause you to look so troubled.”
“I’m not troubled,” Zelda replied, slowly shaking her head. “It’s just…complicated.”
The King gave his daughter a look of sympathy, and soon leaned over to place a reassuring hand on top of her own. “Surely it’s something that you could tell your own father about?”
Zelda hesitated again, but upon seeing her father’s expression, she felt compelled to answer him. If she didn’t, she feared that she might give him the wrong idea and only cause him to needlessly worry. Taking a deep breath, she slowly released her words.
“It…really is nothing. It’s just that…I may…have an interest in him…”
The King blinked before flashing a quizzical expression. “An interest? In Link?”
“Y-Yes,” Zelda stammered, her gaze immediately dropping to the floor as her face turned red.
Caius blinked again, but this time realization crossed his face. “Oh…” He then paused before he smiled and laughed a bit. “Ha ha, well, that’s wonderful, isn’t it? You and Link, huh?”
Zelda blushed some more. Admitting this was embarrassing enough without him laughing about it. “Father, please…” she said quietly.
Caius just laughed some more, all while growing louder. “Ah, it seems what they say is true. No Princess can resist a knight in shining armor! Or in this case, a Hero clad in green, hmm?”
Zelda shook her head, turning to the man with a look of horror. “Father, would you please quiet down? I don’t want the whole castle to know of this!”
The King nodded, suddenly coughing a bit as his laugh seemed to have dragged on for too long. After a few wheezes, he managed to compose himself. “Right…Forgive me, Zelda.”
“It’s fine,” Zelda replied, although her red face and closed eyes said the opposite.
“So what brought this about?” Caius asked with a warm smile. “How long have you held an interest in our young Hero?”
“I…really don’t know,” Zelda replied honestly. “We’ve just been spending more time together since the end of the Twilight Invasion, and he’s been nice and helpful and we get along really well…” She blushed a bit more as her voice trailed off. “I don’t know. I just…really enjoy his company.”
The King nodded a few times. “Well, that’s good to hear. I’m happy to know that he makes you feel that way, Zelda.”
“And you approve…?” Zelda asked bashfully.
“Approve?” Caius replied. He then smiled once he understood. “Ah, so that’s why you wanted to hear my opinion of him.”
Zelda smiled sheepishly. “I just wanted to know if you found him…acceptable.”
The King laughed. “Acceptable? Why, of course! How could I not? Link is the Hero who saved our Kingdom, after all!”
Zelda slowly nodded. “That is true, but he is more than that, you know.”
“Of course,” Caius replied, giving his daughter another warm smile. “I think that Link is a wonderful young man, and I’d be more than happy to let you pursue a relationship with him.”
Zelda allowed herself another small smile. “You mean it?”
“Yes, Zelda. Go with my blessing.”
Zelda bowed her head, grateful for his kind words. “Thank you, father. Your blessing is appreciated.” She then paused for a second. “Although…I don’t intend to do anything with it just yet. For now, I’m simply content to spend time in Link’s company.”
Caius nodded and shrugged a bit. “Very well. You are an adult, Zelda, and I trust that you’ll be able to handle these matters on your own. If you ever need any help or advice though, you are always welcome to come to me.”
Zelda nodded back, appreciative of her father’s support. “I will if the need arises,” she promised.
The King then flashed a grin that was surprisingly full of confidence. “Also, just know that if Link ever mistreats you in any way, I’ll make sure that he is severely punished.”
Zelda gawked a bit at this, but soon smiled and shook her head. Surely he was jesting. “Oh father…”
“I mean it, Zelda,” Caius insisted. “You are my only daughter, and you mean the world to me. Should any man ever bring harm to you, I can guarantee that he’d suffer my wrath, even if it is our young friend Link.”
“Wrath?” Zelda scoffed. “Please, I think that you and I both know that you are too kindhearted to ever torture someone.”
“Not when it comes to matters concerning you. Why, I wouldn’t even give the order to have him punished. I would insist on doing it myself! I’d lock him up in the castle’s dungeon and then I’d…I’d…” The King paused, trying to think of something intimidating.
Meanwhile, Zelda just smirked as she challenged him. “You’d what? Cough on him?”
Caius seemed surprised, but he soon laughed. “That actually wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Zelda giggled in return. “Oh father, that’s enough. I think we can safely say that Link would never do such a thing. He seems like an honest gentleman.”
“Aye,” Caius agreed, “but my warning still stands. Don’t think that I won’t do whatever it takes to protect you.”
Zelda just shook her head again. “The only thing I’m thinking right now is that you’ve had too much excitement for one morning.” She then rose to her feet, smoothing out her dress a bit as she did so. “I should probably be on my way. The members of the Roundtable will be congregating soon, and I don’t want to keep you from your rest.”
“Nonsense,” Caius said with a smile. “You can stay as long as you like.”
“But father, remember your promise?” Zelda reminded him in a disapproving tone.
Caius sighed. “I know, I know. I’ll take this seriously and get some rest.”
“Good,” Zelda replied, now sounding satisfied. She then gazed at her father with a serious expression. “And speaking of promises, you’d best promise to not speak a word of this conversation to anyone. If you do, I can assure you that this poisoning will most certainly not be your cause of death.”
The King chuckled before giving a nod of understanding. “Ah, ‘stabbed to death by embarrassed daughter’, an end that every father fears at one point or another.”
Zelda just continued to stare at him, unamused. “I’m serious, father.”
Caius gave her a dismissive wave. “Worry not, Zelda. Your secret is safe with me.”
Zelda stared at him a bit more, but soon released a sigh of acceptance. “I should hope so.”
“It is,” he assured her. He then reached out and clasped one of her hands in his own. “Now don’t dwell on this any longer. It will just cause unnecessary stress. Focus on your Roundtable meeting instead, and make sure to do a good job for the both of us.”
Zelda smiled, appreciating the trust he had placed in her. Her father may have been an endless source of trouble for her, but at least his intentions were always well-meaning.
“I will,” she promised him. She then gave a gentle pat to the back of his hand. “I’ll see you again soon, okay?”
Caius nodded. “Yes. See you soon, Zelda.”