Chapter 5

      Harkinian rushed to his bedchamber. Alina lay on the feather bed, sweat pouring down her face. She clutched his hand;

"Get Impa....." She gasped. Harkinian pivoted around to see the Sheikah standing in the doorway. The woman stepped in.

"It will be a hard birth, for the Queen is narrowly built. You must leave." She spoke in a no-nonsense tone, and Harkinian kissed his beloved wife, and left the room. He walked to the courtyard in the center of the castle, and sat on the steps before the window into the throne room. He could not bear the animal cries floating from the chamber window, and he jammed his fingers in his ears. After awhile, he remembered the bottle of ale he had unknowingly brought from his study, and picked it up. He lifted the bottle to his lips, and gulped it down. It flowed down his throat, wetting his mouth, dry from fear, until the bottle was empty. At this, the king felt quite weary, and lay on the steps to sleep.

***

      Medilia rushed from her cottage, Link on her hip, jostled by his mother's running. Medilia ran to the square, along with other women, including Reuben's wife, Lela, who gave her hand a quick squeeze. Medilia and Lela gave their attention then to the gallows, not for a hanging, but so a messenger of the King could give the names of the dead of the war. Medilia prayed to Fayore that Arn would not be among them. The messenger then cried out;

"These are the men who have died for our land....
General Gordon, son of the late James
Walter, son of the General Arto
Reuben, son of Trent.."

At this, Lela broke down crying. The messenger paused a moment, so the others could comfort her. A few moments later, he restarted;

"Arn, son of Trent..." He never finished. An arrow had sliced through the air and peirced his neck. He slumped over, dead. Medilia, who had started to sob hysterically, gasped. She and the other villagers looked the direction the arrow had come from. A group of Gerudo stood on the roof of the local potion shop. They jumped down, grinning evily. Medilia began to run, and prompted the other villagers to run too. They ran out the gate and into the vulnerable field. The Gerudo, screaming bloody murder, gave chase. Medilia and Lela ran side by side, towards some brush down the hill. In the distance, a 3 hour's run away, loomed a forest. They decided that was where they'd go next. Link began to whimper, and the Gerudo turned their heads. Some went charging towards the brush. Medilia and Lela rolled out of the brush , and began to run.

***

      Harkinian awoke, to find Edbert just entering the courtyard, calling "Your Highness..." Harkinian called back;

"Is Alina alright?" Edbert rushed over.

"Your highness, it's a beautiful baby girl! But..." His smile faded. " your wife isn't faring well. You must see her at once."

"I'm on my way."

***

      Harkinian rushed to his bedchamber, and looked to his wife, who was cradling a small bundle. He crept over.

"What's her name?"

"Zelda." Alina coughed feebly. She handed the bundle to him, and Harkinian gazed at his daughter. She looked at him with big blue eyes, just like Alina's. Alina then said to him;

"My time is short. You must be a good father. Impa..." She looked to her handmaiden, "you must help Harkinian by becoming a nanny type figure for her." She coughed again." My ocarina please." Impa rushed to the archive.

"Yes ma'am" She soon returned with a jeweled box, and placed it on Alina's bed. Alina opened it, and lifted out the legendary Ocarina of Time. It glowed faintly in the dim light of the room. She held it to her lips, and began to play an ancient song. The notes came out sweet and clear, and Zelda began to coo in the King's arms. After the song was done, Alina put the Ocarina away, saying;

"I want this to be her song. Her lullaby maybe." She began to cough uncontrollably, and with a shudder and a sigh, the Queen of Hyrule died.

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