#the triplets in seven sweeps judging me

[anotherlifefic]

Chapter 48: The Heir of His Hatred

Ganondorf was a strict teacher, and training with him was gruelling. In between my magic lessons, my fighting lessons at Ashanti‘s school and taking care of the household, I barely had any time to breathe. But these were dark times… yet again, so of course leisure would fall by the wayside.

Two months after I started my lessons, Zelda started showing first signs of morning sickness. And unfortunately… so did I.

„You‘d have done well in showing a bit restraint with your hero“, Ganondorf commented as I was running to the bucket the servants had graciously provided for the third time that morning. „Who in their right mind gets pregnant during times like these?“

„Me, appearantly“, I replied shakily once I had stopped vomiting.

I vaguely heard the Gerudo mumble something about „spoiled, reckless Hylians“.

I finally stood up straight again, rubbing my stomach and hoping that the nausea would pass soon. The herbal tea that Dr. Tori had given me didn‘t seem to help now like it did when I had been pregnant with Gareth. Every morning I felt like my stomach was all up in knots.

Fantastic, I thought to myself as I sat down next to Cassandra on the sidelines. Because this is the perfect time for a difficult pregnancy!

Compared to me, Zelda seemed to have it quite easy. Either that, or she hid her troubles well.

Cassandra shot me a compassionate look, causing me to sigh.

„Gareth didn‘t make me nearly as sick as his little sibling does“, I complained, reaching down to where Gareth was playing with Erika, Ganondorf‘s and Cassandra‘s youngest daughter.

„I‘ve gone through seven pregnancies thus far and let me tell you: Every pregnancy is unique, just like every person is.“

„Seven?“, I asked. I knew for sure that Cassandra had eleven daughters at this point. As insane as that sounded.

„Uh-huh. Two of them were twins and one were triplets“, she explained. „Good thing that Ganondorf and the other Gerudo were always there for me. The Gerudo take the saying ‚It takes a whole village to raise a child‘ very seriously. No Gerudo mother is ever alone in raising and educating her child.“

„That sounds amazing“, I replied, still rubbing my belly hoping that it would stop the nausea. At least I had gotten around to weaning Gareth. And not a moment too soon; he had started teething, a bit later than other children but still within the normal range, as Dr. Tori had assured me, and appearantly he believed my breasts to be a perfect teething ring. Luckily the bruises it left would be long forgotten by the time his little sibling was born.

„Mommyyy!“ Gareth came waddling up to me. He was walking quite well now. „Hungie!!“

„Is it that late already?“, I asked, feeling heavy weariness descend upon me. I looked up and indeed; it was already noon, judging by the position of the sun. „I have to get home and make sure dinner‘s on the table when Link comes back.“

After making sure that Ganondorf really had no ill intentions, Link had stopped watching my lessons and instead committed to his own training. Meaning that, upon returning home, we were usually utterly exhausted.

It really wasn‘t easy being both warriors and parents.

Zelda caught up to me as I was about to leave the training court towards home. „Rebecca! Hold on!“

I smiled and embraced her as a greeting. „Yes, dear?“

She gently stroked my cheek. „Why don‘t you and Link stay for dinner today? I‘ve already tasked the cooks with preparing some baby food for Gareth.“ She gently traced the outline of the dark shadows under my eyes with her slim, elegant fingers. „You look so tired. And Link does, too. You both deserve a bit of a break. I already asked him, and he agreed to join me at the table.“

Well that made my decision easy. „Of course, Zelda. I‘d love to.“

It was so refreshing to not hurry back home and hastily throw together a meal for once. The food was simply divine; an array of delicacies both from Hyrule and the sorrounding kingdoms.

I was just glad that Gareth wasn‘t a particularly picky eater. He ate everything the cooks had prepared for him without complaint. In fact, he seemed to love it. His eyes lit up with delight every time the spoon approached his face.

Zelda watched Link feed him with a thoughtful expression on her face. She looked a little paler than usual, but apart from that nothing about her indicated that she was pregnant. Though of course, as the Queen, she had the very best medical care anyone could ask for.

I put down my knife and fork. „Is something the matter, Zelda?“

She took a sip from her goblet and swiveled the honeywater in it around for a bit. „I‘m worried about the current situation. Now that Demise is about to manifest again, who is to say he won‘t just choose a new host to be reborn into?“

I furrowed my brows. Then my eyes widened. „You don‘t think-“

„It would make sense, wouldn‘t it?“ Her hands tightened. „Your… visions only started after the night the three of us spent together. Isn‘t that true? I‘ve been thinking… maybe it is because in that night, the new heir of Demise‘s malice and hatred was conceived.“

„But which one of us…?“

Zelda shrugged defeatedly. „It could be either of us. Maybe it‘s more likely that my child is that heir. The heir of Demise, born of the bearers of the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom. Then again, you were the one having the visions.“

„Do the children of the bearers of the Triforce inherit their parent‘s powers?“, I questioned.

„I don‘t know. There isn‘t exactly a precedent for the Triforce being split in three pieces. Did Gareth exhibit any kind of exceptional courage thus far?“

I looked over to Gareth, who was trying to „bravely“ wrestle the spoon from Link‘s hand. „Not really.“

Zelda obviously tried really hard to keep her composure. I looked around, only to find that the three of us were alone in the dining room. So I got up, walked over to her and began rubbing her shoulders. They felt like one big, tense knot. Zelda really needed a break. Too bad there was nobody who was trustworthy enough to take over the kingdom while she took a while to relax and take care of herself.

„I think we‘d know if either of our unborn children were evil“, I said.  „You would be able to feel it, right? And I doubt Demise would have the patience to wait another few decades for his new vessel to be grown up.“

Zelda leaned into my touch, her eyes half closed. Now that I was so close to her, I saw the slight hint of dark shadows underneath her eyes, though covered up by powder. „Zelda“, I said gently. „I realize that ruling the kingdom is hard work that never ends, but please don‘t forget to take care of yourself.“

„I don‘t. But I can‘t afford to relax while we are in the middle of yet another crisis.“

„Another crisis means that you need to be at your best. You won‘t be able to help or guide anyone if you collapse from exhaustion.“

„So what do you suggest I do?“, Zelda asked dryly.

I stopped for a moment. Well, what should she do? I was already pretty overwhelmed with juggling combat training and parenting my son. I didn‘t know what to do if one were to add ruling a nation to that mix. „I… I don‘t know.“

Zelda sat up straight again. „...exactly. I appreciate your concern, Rebecca, I really do, but I cannot show any weakness. Especially now. The people need a queen who bears the burden of responsibility without complaint.“

I grew silent, still working the knots out of her shoulders.

Once I was sure that she was at least a little more relaxed, I returned to my seat and continued eating.

Link remained in the castle to continue his training after dinner, while I returned home with Gareth to get some housework done. I put him in his playpen and started wiping down the table and kitchen counters, then I started sweeping the floor.

Hours passed while I wiped, swept, tidied and played with Gareth, until the sun began to set. I wanted to wait for Link to return, but as time ticked on, Gareth became tired and cranky, so I decided to tuck him into bed and read a book by the light of the oil-lamp on my bedside table.

More time passed and at some point I decided that there was no point in waiting any longer. I put the book away, snuffed out the lamp and went to sleep.

Link was in Zelda‘s study, walking up and down with a worried frown etched onto his handsome features. Zelda herself was sitting at her desk with a similarly serious expression.

„We have to do something“, she said finally. „We cannot risk Demise being reincarnated. And she‘s the one who has visions of him.“

„We already have administered the first dose of the poison today, didn‘t we? It won‘t take too long until it works. And she will think that it was a natural miscarriage. A tragedy, but these things happen.“

The words were spoken in their voices, but they sounded so wrong. Nothing this cruel could ever come out of the mouths of the people I loved so much.

„Maybe we should increase the dose of the poison. Just to be safe.“ Link sat down on a nearby chair.

Zelda raised her eyebrow. „That could endanger her life as well.“

Link met her gaze. „...as I said. These things happen. Especially during unfortunate miscarriages.“

I woke up, drenched in sweat, and grabbed the bucket next to my bed. Maybe this really wasn‘t just the typical sickness associated with pregnancy. Maybe… oh Goddesses.

I vomited until nothing but foamy bile came out. It was the middle of the night, and Link still hadn‘t come home.

Once I was sure that there was nothing more for me to throw up, I put the bucket back and rolled myself up in the fetal position, quietly sobbing to myself.

It was just a nightmare, I tried to tell myself. Link and Zelda would never do something so cruel. And there certainly was a good explanation for his absence right now.

I heard the sound of Gareth crying next door; my noisy vomiting and subsequent crying fit had woken him up, no doubt.

I got up and, on shaky legs, stumbled through the door and to Gareth‘s room. He was standing in his crib, his big blue eyes already puffed up from crying. I picked him up, wrapping my arms around him in a protective hug. „Hush, love. It‘s okay. Mommy is here.“

„Mommy“, he whimpered, holding onto me and holding onto the collar of my nightgown.

I took him into the bedroom, humming a soft lullaby to him and lightly bouncing him.

After a few minutes, he finally calmed down enough to fall asleep again.

I didn‘t want to leave him alone, and I certainly wouldn‘t be able to fall asleep again. So I just put him down next to me on the bed and took out a ball of yarn and my knitting needles. I managed to knit a few more rows until sounds coming from downstairs distracted me. I looked out the window. Judging by the position of the moon, it was just a bit after midnight. I hadn‘t even slept two hours.

The sounds came closer. The front door opening and closing. Then footsteps up the stairs and coming along the hallway until the door opened and a very tired looking Link came in. He looked up, eyes widening when he realized that I was still awake.

„I thought you‘d be sleeping.“

„I had a nightmare, and then Gareth woke up.“ I nodded in the general direction of our sleeping son. I was still shaking, but tried to stay calm. No need to get upset with my husband over what happened in a silly dream.

„Oh“, Link replied and then trudged over to his side of the bed, got out of his clothes and slipped under the cover.

„Where have you been?“, I asked casually.

Link looked up at me. „I was training, and once I was done with that, Zelda asked me to come to her study to discuss our plans going forward. The Sages and a few of the ministers were there too.“

Her study. Everything within me tensed up. Just like in the dream.

„And what are the plans?“

Link shifted slightly. „We aren‘t sure yet. It was mostly about what to do with Demise should really chose to be… reincarnated.“

Oh Goddesses.

He scooted over to me, taking Gareth into his arms and placing his own head on my stomach. „I don‘t think he will, though.“

I dropped the knitting needles, and before I knew it, hot tears were running down my face again, dripping down my chin and landing on my chest.

„...Becca?“ Link sat up, alarmed, and pulled me into his arms. „What‘s wrong?“

„Link, you wouldn‘t do anything to harm our children, would you? Not Gareth, and not our unborn child either?“

���What? What are you talking about?“ He let me snuggle up to his chest while stroking my hair.

„I-it‘s nothing. I had a nightmare, that‘s all.“ I took a few deep breaths and told him, interrupted by a lot of stutters and hiccups, about my dream.

He was quiet for a long time, just holding me and letting me cry. Once I had calmed down, he sighed and made me sit up straight again. „...One of the ministers overheard the conversation you had with Zelda during dinner and brought up the idea of trying to...“ He hesitated. „...end your pregnancy prematurely. It took pretty much all of the Sages to keep me from punching him in the face.“ His fingers got tangled in my messy hair. „Ruto surprised me. I figured she‘d be against that plan for morality‘s sake alone, but she gave that minister quite an impressive verbal beatdown. ‚My personal feelings about Rebecca aside, it‘s disgusting that you would consider inflicting this kind of physical and emotional pain on an in this case innocent woman, and just based on the very low possibility that her unborn child could end up evil. If that‘s enough to poison a pregnant woman, you might as well start poisoning EVERY pregnant woman, INCLUDING the Queen.‘. Those were her words. The minister didn‘t say any more after that.“

I let out a soft, surprised gasp. „She said all that… in defense of our baby? Remind me to thank her for that the next time I see her.“

„She‘ll probably blow you off out of embarrassment“, Link quipped. „Come on dear. Lay down and sleep now.“ He slipped under the covers again. I did the same, and with Gareth still sleeping peacefully between us, we drifted off into a deep, restful slumber.