Chapter Text
To Capture the Heart of a Hero
Chapter 77 – Progress
Link walked along the aisles of the castle library, casually perusing the bookshelves. He reached for a book, flipping it open and scanning the contents. Or at least, that’s what he appeared to be doing. In actuality, the Hero was staring past the pages of the book, through an empty space in the bookshelf before him, towards a small table where a short witch was seated. Drabby, also known as the “Drablands Witch”, was reading through some old tome. Link’s eyes narrowed as he watched her.
The Hero was not one to typically be suspicious of others, nor did he typically go out of his way to spy on them from behind bookshelves, but this was a special case. Zelda had voiced her doubts about the witch’s intentions, and humbly asked if Link would be willing to keep an eye on her for a few days while she studied in the library. The Queen didn’t want to believe that the older woman was up to no good, considering the peaceful relationship between their respective Kingdoms, but she knew best just how dangerous the Twilight could be, and anyone wishing to study it could be equally as dangerous. On top of this, it certainly didn’t help that Drabby was a witch who hailed from a dangerous wildland. The woman was about as dubious as one could possibly be.
And so, here Link was, spying on the witch and trying to make sure that she wasn’t doing anything unlawful or suspicious. It was mundane work, but he gladly agreed to it. He would do anything for the sake of upholding justice and keeping his Kingdom safe. And of course, he would always be willing to assist Zelda with whatever she needed.
The only issue was…Link didn’t feel like he was particularly good at this sort of thing. He could barely see the witch from his current position, and he couldn’t even make out the title of the book she was reading either. He supposed he could move somewhere else to try and get a better view, but it was here that the library proved troublesome. Drabby was in an open area and there were barely any places to hide! She’d surely spot him in an instant if he moved closer. And it certainly didn’t help that the Hero rarely frequented the library as it was. He looked terribly out of place here.
Just then, an idea struck him. His hawkeye mask! If he had that, he could easily zoom in and spot her tome—
As he pursued this line of thought, the witch suddenly sighed, lowering her book. “How long are you going to eye me from afar, Hero of Twilight?”
Link froze, only raising his book so he could hide behind it. What was going on? Had she spotted him?
“I can sense you hiding back there,” she called with a sneer. “Why don’t you come over here and talk? I’m sure it will be easier to get your answers that way.”
Link sighed, realizing that he had truly been caught. He returned his book to the shelf before stepping around and presenting himself. “I was that noticeable, huh?”
Drabby smirked. “It’s very difficult to spy on an experienced witch. You would do well to remember that. Now come. Sit.”
She gestured to an empty seat opposite of her and Link obliged. Now finally within eyeshot, the Hero took a moment to inspect her tome. It seemed to be focused on the outer realms, of which the Twilight Realm was doubtlessly included. Link had a feeling that Zelda had consulted that book the last time they had visited the library together.
“Your Queen sent you to spy on me, did she?” Drabby asked bluntly.
Link frowned, looking a little guilty. “You knew?”
“Of course. It’s only natural that she finds a foreign witch to be at least a little untrustworthy.” She cackled a bit.
“Sorry,” Link apologized. “We’re not trying to be rude or anything.”
“Pfft, it’s hardly any trouble,” the witch scoffed. “Feel free to run yourselves ragged keeping an eye on me. It’s no skin off my bones.”
Link could only eye the woman warily. It was strange how casual and relaxed she was about all of this. Almost as if she had nothing to hide. At the very least, Link didn’t really find her suspicious.
Drabby soon snapped her tome shut and set it aside. She then turned to the Hero, gazing at him from behind her tinted glasses. “If anything, having you here is a stroke of good fortune. I’m sure that you know much more about the Twilight Realm than most of these old books. How about you and I have a little chat? I’d love to ask you some questions.”
Link leaned back, feeling uncomfortable. “Um…I’m not so sure about that…”
“Why not?” Drabby challenged him. “That Queen of yours wanted to know what I was studying, didn’t she? And what better chance will you have then for me to ask my questions directly?”
Link took a second to think it over. She did have a point. If she was going to be completely open about her interest in the Twilight, Link would end up with all the answers they needed. Besides, if she was asking him the questions, he could withhold any information he pleased. This was basically the best outcome possible.
“Fine,” he agreed. “But I wouldn’t exactly consider myself an expert. All I know is what I dealt with during the Twilight Invasion.”
“That will do well enough,” she replied with a smug grin.
“What do you want to know?”
The short witch proceeded to spend the next half hour asking question after question, inquiring about the Hero’s adventure to save his Kingdom from the threat of Twilight. Link did his best to explain his journey as best he understood it, only withholding details whenever he felt it would be best not to say too much. Drabby listened to each answer with great interest before pressing him for more. They discussed the Twilight Realm. What it was. The inhabitants who lived there. What the Twilight was capable of. What Midna and Zant were capable of. Link’s transformation into a wolf. The Shadow Beasts.
“They sound like feral creatures,” Drabby noted, taking particular interest in the final topic. “Tell me, did they originate in the Twilight Realm?”
“Presumably,” Link answered with a shrug. “Zant always summoned them through portals in the sky.”
“How interesting. And you managed to fight them off single-handedly?”
“More or less. Sometimes Midna helped.”
Drabby grinned, baring her surprisingly bright teeth. “It sounds like you went on quite the adventure, Hero. You now carry tales of battle and bloodshed with you.”
“I guess so,” he said with another shrug. To be honest, he never really dwelt on such things.
“And it is my understanding that you hail from a small farming village in the forest?”
Link nodded. “Ordon Village, to the south. It’s a quiet place, but it’s home.”
“Such humble origins, and yet you worked your way into a position at the castle,” she mused. “I suppose you and I have that in common, boy.”
Link blinked a bit. “I suppose we do.”
“Perhaps you and I should meet here more often,” Drabby suggested. “It seems we both have something to gain from having friendly discussions, after all.”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Link agreed halfheartedly. Truth be told, he wasn’t exactly keen to get close to this witch and her Prince. Especially when Link was looking forward to the day when Zelda would reject his advances and send them on their way. The sooner the Queen could relax, the sooner he could too.
“Tell me,” the witch suddenly continued, “this dear friend of yours, Midna… You haven’t had any contact with her since the day she shattered that mirror, have you?”
Link frowned. “No, I haven’t.”
Drabby smirked before reaching for her tome and opening it once more. “Would you like to?” she offered.
Link blinked before leaning forward. “What? Don’t tell me…do you have a way to contact her? Or contact the Twilight Realm?”
She cackled like the witch that she was. “Excited, are you, boy? Well, I’m afraid to say that I don’t have anything substantial yet. But as I continue to study the Twilight and its properties, there’s always the chance that I could find something useful. And if I should, I would gladly pass it along.”
“You’d do that for me?” Link asked in disbelief.
“Of course. My Prince and I are here on friendly terms, no? The least I could do is share the fruits of my research with those who appreciate it.”
“Wow, that would be great,” Link said with a wide grin. “Thank you.”
“Save your thanks for after I find it,” she insisted. “I won’t promise anything, by the way.”
“Right,” Link said with a nod. He would do his best not to get his hopes up, but he appreciated this witch’s effort all the same. He then paused, wondering if he should truly be indulging her in this research of hers. He frowned, growing wary once more. “Wait, why are you so interested in studying the Twilight in the first place?”
The woman smiled, trying to appear innocent. “Chalk it up to curiosity’s sake. The Twili were well-known as adept spellcasters. I have much to learn from studying their culture.”
Link nodded. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for being curious. Zelda was the same way when it came to the topic of history.
“Does that answer satisfy you?” she asked, as if waiting for confirmation to proceed with her reading.
“Yes,” he answered back. “But…I’ll be checking up on you again sometime. Just to make sure you’re not up to anything sinister.”
“I look forward to it,” she replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “It means you and I will have more useful discussions.”
Link simply smiled, happy to entertain the thought. Perhaps this old witch wasn’t as bad as she seemed. At the very least, she was much better company than her companion.
As if on cue, a loud, pretentious voice called out to them. “Ah, Drabby, there you are. Buried in books again, are you?”
Speak of the devil, Link thought as he glumly looked over and spotted Vaen. Naturally, the Prince was decorated in ridiculously bright pinstripes, and looked like he belonged working the counter at the STAR Game rather than standing in a castle library. He soon approached, much to Link’s displeasure.
“Good morning, My Lord,” Drabby greeted him with a smile. “I was just doing a little research. Hyrule is a fascinating place, you know.”
“Indeed!” Vaen agreed. “Why just this morning, I encountered My Love, the fair Princess Zelda, in her garden. She looked heavenly beneath the golden rays of the sun.”
“It’s Queen Zelda, My Lord,” Drabby reminded him.
“Ah, yes,” Vaen replied, as if just now remembering something that should have been obvious.
Link had to fight hard not to roll his eyes.
To his horror, the Prince soon noticed him. “Ah, Hero, well met. Rink, was it?”
“Well met,” Link lied through his teeth. “And it’s Link.”
“Ah, my apologies. Hylian names can be hard to recall at times.”
It’s four letters, one syllable, Link wished to argue back. Instead, he held his tongue. He had no intention of causing a scene, no matter how irritating this man was. Nevertheless, that wouldn’t stop him from putting distance between them.
“That’s all right,” Link forgave him. “Now if you’ll excuse me, there is something I need to take care of.” He went to rise from his seat.
“Off to help the Queen with something?” Drabby asked with an amused grin.
Link scowled at her. It was like she could see right through his poor attempt to dismiss himself. “Yes, something like that.”
“Good day then, Hero,” Drabby said with a lazy wave of her hand.
“Yes, good day, Link,” Vaen added.
Link walked away, trying not to be bothered by his obvious lack of title and the Prince’s even more obvious lack of manners. The day when that man finally left the castle couldn’t come soon enough…
In Link’s absence, Vaen merely frowned, watching him leave the library. Drabby eventually glanced up at him.
“Is something amiss, My Lord?”
“That Hero,” the Prince mumbled with a shake of his head, “I’m not fond of him.”
“And why ever not?”
“He always seems so dismissive and off-putting. And not to mention, he seems to be far too friendly with My Love! Even now, he is off to do her bidding!”
Drabby cracked a smirk. “Are you jealous of that meek man, My Lord?”
Vaen scoffed at the thought. “Of course not! My affection for My Love is so powerful that I could never doubt its legitimacy! But all the same, that Hero truly does irritate me…”
The witch smirked some more, casually turning the page of her tome. “Well, you can rest easy, My Lord. Should that lowly Hero ever prove troublesome, I am certain that I can find a means to do away with him.”
Vaen raised his comically large eyebrows. “And what do you mean by that?”
“Don’t you worry about it,” she answered with a wink. “Just leave all your problems to me, my dear, and focus on pursuing your love.”
The Prince beamed at this suggestion, immediately dropping all of his concerns. “Of course I shall! And thank you, Drabby. You are the best.”
The witch snickered. “I really am, aren’t I?”
A few days passed before another new arrival showed up at the castle. This time, however, the company was expected and even directly escorted by the Hero. Link led the way through the front gate, only to be followed by a large boar and its rider. Some of the guards lifted their spears as they passed by, prepared for any sort of attack or ambush. Given the circumstances, they were understandably nervous, for today was the day that King Bulblin arrived.
Link dismounted Epona and directed Bulblin off to the side of the courtyard where his boar could be properly tethered to a post. The beast was so large that the stables simply weren’t an option for housing it. The King didn’t seem to mind though, happily dismounting and tying his ride to the beam. He then turned to the Hero, as if awaiting instructions.
Link smiled a bit as he eyed him. The King seemed as expressionless as ever, and he looked so out of place standing here in the castle’s sunny courtyard.
“Welcome to the castle,” Link told him. “As I recall, this isn’t your first time visiting.”
Bulblin shook his head. “No. My previous master occupied this place and called it home.”
Link crossed his arms, smirking some more. “Well, now your current master calls this place home too. Don’t forget that.”
Bulblin raised his brow, appearing confused. “You live here as well?”
Link sighed. “I was talking about Zelda, but yes, I do stay here from time to time.”
“Hmm,” was all the King said in response. Link just rolled his eyes. This brute was as hard to talk to as ever.
Link led the way to the castle’s front doors, where Zelda and a handful of anxious guards stood ready to greet them. The Queen produced a warm smile.
“Welcome, King Bulblin. It is an honor to finally have you joining us today.”
Bulblin didn’t say anything in response, content to stare at her with his blank red eyes. Link had half a mind to tell him to answer when spoken to, but Zelda didn’t seem to mind his lack of manners.
“Please, follow me. The rest of our Roundtable party awaits your presence.”
As the Queen turned to walk away, Bulblin simply looked to Link. The Hero sighed before gesturing for him to follow her. “Just to be clear, whatever she says, goes,” he whispered to him.
“Fine,” Bulblin muttered back.
The two of them followed Zelda through the halls. She talked a bit about some of the places they were passing, as well as some of the history of the paintings and architecture. Bulblin remained expressionless throughout, and Link had to fight hard not to smirk. He couldn’t imagine that the brute could care less about these sorts of things, but Zelda carried on as if they were the most fascinating topics in the world. He nearly laughed out loud when Zelda promised to give Bulblin a full tour later. Perhaps he had discovered a way for the Bulblins to be punished for their crimes after all…
Unfortunately, the Hero’s amusement was soon cut short as trouble decided to rear its ugly head. Just as the three of them rounded a corner into a new hallway, they encountered an unsightly Prince.
“Ah, good day, My Love!” Vaen bellowed with arms opened wide, as if ready for an embrace. “What fortune that our paths should cross once again.”
Link watched as a visible vein of annoyance appeared on Zelda’s brow. She balled her hands into fists while she addressed him as formally as she could. “Prince Vaen, I believe I asked you to stop referring to me in such a casual and friendly manner. I don’t recall professing my love for you.”
“Ah, but it is my love for you which constantly pushes me forward and breathes life into my heart. I simply can’t help but refer to you with such affection!”
Zelda promptly scowled. “You can help it and you will. At least if you wish to remain here in my castle for another moment longer.”
Her sharp words quickly cut through all pretenses. Even someone as oblivious as the Hytopian Prince seemed to catch her warning. “Er…I see. Yes. My apologies, fair Princess Zelda.”
“It’s Queen Zelda.”
“Ah, yes. I always seem to forget…”
Zelda scowled some more, looking like she had half a mind to bite the fool’s head off and be done with him for good, but she soon sighed and restrained herself. She wasn’t exactly eager to cause a scene now. Not when she had more important matters to attend to. “Anyways, good day to you, Prince Vaen. If you’ll excuse us, the three of us have a meeting to attend.”
Vaen looked the party over, as if he was only now noticing her companions. He soon raised his comically large eyebrows in surprise. “Oh? A meeting with Sir Link and…” He paused, giving the Bulblin a long stare. “Oh my. What is an ogre doing in the castle halls?”
“This is the King of the Bulblins,” Zelda clarified in a stern voice. “He is my very esteemed guest for the day, and you would do well to treat him as such.”
“A King? This beast?” Vaen immediately earned a sharp glare from Zelda and held his tongue. He appeared as if he had more rude comments to make but had somehow managed to think better of them. “And why’s he so important? That he gets to share your wonderful presence, My L—er, My Pr—My Queen?”
“He is here to speak on behalf of his people. Hyrule will be experiencing some big changes moving forward, and his assistance in the matter will be instrumental.”
“And the Hero?”
“His assistance has been a great aid to me as well. I couldn’t pursue my ambitions without him.” She paused, eyeing the Prince with a frown. “Will that be all, Prince Vaen? We really must be off to our meeting.”
“Ah, wait,” the Prince stammered, looking displeased. “Perhaps I should attend the meeting, since there is a good chance that I shall be beneficial to Hyrule’s future as well.”
Link rolled his eyes, and he assumed that Zelda did much the same. “I’m afraid that I can’t imagine such a thing at this current moment in time,” she dismissed him. “Seeing as how you’re a foreign guest with little to no current stake in our Kingdom, it would be wildly inappropriate to allow you to partake in our private discussions.”
Vaen appeared crestfallen. “You won’t allow me to join you?”
“No,” she said sharply.
“But, My Lo—er, Lady, what am I to do while you are occupied for so long? I’ll be terribly lonely without your company.”
“That is not my concern,” she said with a huff of frustration. “Why don’t you find something else to occupy you for the rest of the day? If you can be patient, I might have time to see you tonight. Is this acceptable?”
Vaen’s face immediately lit up, thrilled at her offer. “Oh, yes, My Lady! I will gladly see you tonight if that is what you desire! Ooh, now how shall I prepare? Surely, I need to offer you an extravagant experience!”
Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose, already having reached the limits of her patience long, long ago. “Very well. Now please, excuse us so we may be on our way.”
“Of course, my fair Queen Zelda.” He then extended his hand, awaiting her own. Zelda hesitated before she obliged purely out of formality, allowing the Prince to kiss her knuckles. He then skipped away, clearly giddy with the small amount of attention she had blessed him with.
It was all Zelda could do not to groan aloud as she turned to face her guest. “Pardon the interruption, King Bulblin. Let’s be off once more.” She soon began leading the way down the hall, as if nothing was amiss.
Meanwhile, Bulblin had remained completely stone-faced throughout the entire encounter. Even now, he turned to the Hero with a blank expression, as if utterly uninterested by today’s events.
“Your people have strange tastes in jesters,” was all he said.
Despite Link’s previous irritation, he managed to crack a smile. He couldn’t tell if the King had a sense of humor, or if he was honestly just clueless. Either way, it amused Link to no end. “If only that were so,” he agreed.
They continued following the Queen until they finally reached the Roundtable meeting room. Upon stepping inside, they found that all of the other members were present and seated. Many of them greeted the new arrivals with fond smiles, although some cast concerned looks at the newcomer among them.
“Greetings, everyone,” Zelda addressed them as warmly as ever. “I would like you all to welcome our newest member to these discussions: King Bulblin.”
The reactions were…mixed, to say the least. Some seemed welcoming, such as Darbus and Auru. Ralis seemed surprised. Kanora simply laughed. Ashei smirked, as if amused by all of this. And last but not least, there were many who expressed hints of concern, including Bo (who had recently returned to these meetings following his recovery), Renado, Fost, and Enzo.
Zelda took all of their expressions in with a tinge of doubt, but she smiled all the same. She soon turned to her guest. “Bulblin, go ahead and take a seat. Then we can properly begin our discussion.”
Bulblin eyed her for a moment before glancing at the table. It wasn’t long before Ashei flashed a wide grin and called out to him. “Why don’t you come over here and sit between me and Link, big guy? That way we can keep an eye on you, yeah?”
Zelda immediately glared at the Knight. “Ashei, don’t be rude.”
“What? I’m only joking…mostly.”
Joke or not, Bulblin didn’t seem the least bit bothered. Instead, he lumbered over to Ashei and took a seat on a large stone stool, not unlike the one which Darbus sat on. Link soon went to join him, sitting at his right.
Once everyone was settled, Zelda took her place at the head of the table, where she properly addressed everyone. “All right. Without further ado, let’s commence this meeting of the Hyrule United Roundtable.”
However, before she had a chance to continue, a hand was raised, calling for her attention. She gave it freely. “Yes, Mayor Bo?”
The Mayor in question slowly lowered his hand, appearing a bit timid, yet resolute. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but before we begin, I would like to address some…concerns that we have with the King of Bulblins joining these discussions.”
Zelda furrowed her brow, but did not falter in the slightest. “Then let’s hear them. This will actually be our main topic of discussion today. Addressing any doubts over the instatement of the Bulblins as official Hyrulean citizens.”
Bo bowed a bit, appearing shameful. “Well, you see, my village has a rather tragic history of dealing with these creatures.”
“As does mine,” Renado agreed.
Bo nodded. “And many of my citizens have shared their reservations about moving forward with this plan to accept them. Even my own daughter has voiced some strong concerns.”
“There are many in Castle Town who hold similar opinions,” Enzo added. “It is very difficult to trust the Bulblins when they have repeatedly wronged us in the past.”
“Attacking travelers,” Renado mumbled.
“Kidnapping children,” Bo added.
“Kidnapping our Queen,” Fost finished with a scoff.
Zelda closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. She knew that she would face this opposition sooner or later. “I understand and acknowledge all of these transgressions, but I would kindly ask you all to remember that these are incidents of the past and not indicative of the future we are building towards.”
The table was silent for a moment before Bo sadly shook his head. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I do not find it as easy to forgive them as you do.”
Zelda pursed her lips, attempting to ready a response, but was soon interrupted by the sound of Darbus’s bellowing laughter. “Oh, come now, Bo! Don’t be so rigid! If the Bulblin wants to make peace, we should welcome him, no? And just look at his build! Surely he would make for good sumo.”
Bo couldn’t help but crack a smile at his old friend’s comments, but he retained his serious disposition. “Yes, well, as good a wrestler as he may be, that is not enough to excuse his past sins. The Bulblins kidnapped our children, including my own daughter. We were separated for months. This is not a light matter!”
“And let’s not forget how many times they ran rampant in Kakariko Village during the Twilight Invasion,” Renado reminded them. “It is difficult to make peace with someone who is known to be so aggressive.”
“A moment, please,” Auru suddenly interjected with a raised hand. He then smiled before turning to the Bulblin in question. “I would be interested in hearing what King Bulblin has to say for himself.”
“As would I,” Kanora said, bridging her fingers together.
Bulblin merely sat there, appearing as blank faced as ever. Just when Link was starting to wonder if he needed to order the King to answer, he spoke up in his gruff voice.
“We followed the orders of our master. We stole the children in order to use them as hostages while the man of Twilight negotiated your Kingdom’s surrender. He wished for Ordon and many other villages to yield without a fight. Unfortunately, the kids ended up escaping so the whole plot was pointless. But the man of Twilight conquered this land all the same.”
The entire table fell silent. No one knew what to say. No one seemed to have expected such an open and unapologetic confession from the brute.
Zelda cleared her throat, quickly attempting to salvage the situation. “You were only following Zant’s orders, yes? And you have since ceased such activities and agreed to follow Hyrulean law.”
“If that is what the Hero desires,” Bulblin said as he turned to Link.
“Yes, please continue to follow our laws,” Link answered, trying his best not to sigh. It seemed that trying to convince others to trust the Bulblins was truly an uphill battle…
Ashei snickered before leaning over and playfully elbowing Bulblin in the side. “I guess you never expected to be such an exciting topic of discussion, huh, big guy?”
“Ashei,” Zelda breathed. “Would you please?”
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
The Queen merely sighed before attempting to restore order to the discussion. “Hear me. I understand all of your concerns. Truly, I do. But we simply must consider the benefits of establishing peace with the Bulblins before all else. We have a once in a life opportunity to take our enemies and transform them into allies. King Bulblin has already agreed to work with us, and it has been months since his people have caused an incident. They have proven that they can be trusted to keep their word, live by our laws, and follow all of our instructions. Frankly, it would be foolish to disregard such an opportunity.”
“But how do we know?” Bo argued back. “How do we know that the Bulblins can keep their word? That they'll continue to follow our laws? If these brutes have displayed a history of violence and bloodshed, who’s to say that they won’t resort to such a lifestyle in the future?”
“That won’t happen,” Zelda declared adamantly. “Not as long as we have Link working with us. You see, the Bulblins recognize him as the strongest individual in all the land, and have thus agreed to follow all of his commands without question. Isn’t that correct, King Bulblin?”
The King barely nodded. “Aye.”
“You follow the command of whoever you believe to be the strongest?” Auru asked with raised eyebrows.
“Following the strongest side is all we have ever known.”
“Fascinating,” the scholar breathed. He soon began jotting some notes down in his journal, excited as ever to learn more about foreign culture.
“This still raises some serious concerns,” Renado said with a frown. “What’s to stop the Bulblins from betraying us should someone stronger come along and begin issuing orders?”
At this, Zelda smirked. She had anticipated this question in advance. “The answer to that is quite simple. We shall provide the Bulblins with something so enticing that betrayal will be completely off the table. We’ll offer a lifestyle so practical and useful that the Bulblins would loathe the thought of giving it up, regardless of who requests it. That is the relationship I wish to establish with their people, and the future I wish to build for Hyrule.”
“And what sort of ‘enticing lifestyle’ did you have in mind?” Enzo asked curiously.
“The life we already lead,” the Queen answered simply. “One that is comfortable and cozy, and relies on community and trade to get by. We’ll show them the joy of peace.”
“You’ll teach the Bulblins how to live alongside us, and that should deter them from wanting to resort to thievery and violence?” Auru surmised.
“Exactly. We’ll take it in small steps. Introduce the Bulblins to the civilizations across Hyrule. Establish trade between them. Show them that working in tandem with others is more beneficial than surviving on their own. And once we accept them, they are sure to accept us back. I’m certain that we’ll forge a bond that shall not be easily broken.”
The table was silent, marveling at her words, dreams, and passion. It was obvious that Zelda had the utmost faith in this future of hers, and they could start to believe in it too. As always, her arguments were incredibly practical.
Bo, however, remained skeptical. “But who’s to say that the Bulblins will even want such a thing? They’ve never sought companionship from us before.”
“Well, why don’t we ask the big guy?” Ashei suggested. “He’s still here with us, you know.”
The table turned to Bulblin, who shrugged his shoulders. “We are open to following whatever plans the Queen has for us.”
Zelda beamed at him. She appreciated his support and willingness to work alongside her, even if she knew that it all stemmed from a primitive desire to follow Link’s instructions. She sincerely hoped to show them the benefits of working together, and perhaps one day, the Bulblins could learn to live a life free of following others. It probably wouldn’t be easy, since such values were so deeply ingrained in their culture, but she believed it to be an attainable goal all the same.
“Is there anything that your people produce?” Ralis questioned the King. “Anything valuable that we would have an interest in?”
Bulblin thought about it for a moment. “Weapons.”
Bo and Renado turned to each other with looks of concern. Zelda was quick to speak up.
“Your people can also make saddles, yes? And you raise boars?”
Bulblin nodded. “Correct.”
“I’m sure some of the workmen around here would prefer the boars’ natural strength to that of a horse. Especially when they’re working on bigger projects. Wouldn’t you agree, Enzo?”
The Minister frowned but still nodded. “Yes…there could be some use for them, assuming we knew how to control and discipline such animals.”
“I’m sure the Bulblins could show us,” Zelda said positively. “As long as we are all willing to work together.”
Again, the table fell silent, each member seeming to stew on the Queen’s encouraging words. Many of them had to admit that she had a point. If the people of Hyrule were willing to set aside their reservations and work together with the Bulblins, there was surely something to be gained for all parties involved. Nevertheless, making that commitment was still a huge first step. Zelda could tell by the expressions of her more skeptical peers.
“I’m not asking anyone to blindly follow in this plan,” she clarified. “As I said, we’ll take things slow and ease the Bulblins into our society. We’ll get more people involved as they’re comfortable with the idea of it, and we’ll only ever proceed if we witness successful results. Is this acceptable?”
There was still some hesitation among the members, but eventually, every single head nodded in agreement. Nobody intended to contend with the Queen on this matter. Not until they had a more practical argument against her and her potentially harmless ambitions.
Zelda merely smiled. It wasn’t the most ideal conclusion, but she could at least work with this for now. When she glanced over to Link, she found that he was smiling back. It was enough to truly set her heart at ease.
Come what may, she knew that she would always have his support.