Hyrule Palace Grounds
The trio moved from the city pass the Temple of Time to the path that would lead them to the palace gates. Paldnor’s anticipation of seeing the inside of the palace had kept him quiet and Link looked around the walls of the small ravine they walked through. The vines still grew high and around the gates out of view of the guards on duty. Clearing his mind, Link sensed the heartbeats of Paldnor and Impa next to him and then the three guards at the gate, and then he sensed more guards by the moat. Concentrating harder, several heartbeats filled his senses; the sound in his head was near unbearable and he was about to break his concentration when one beat stood out, a heartbeat he’d know long before he developed his power to feel heartbeats, a heart he knew well. Blocking out all the other heartbeats Link concentrated on that signal one.
“Impa?” Link called to her.
“Yes, Link?” She returned, not stopping as she approached the gates
“Did the guards ever figure out how I got in all those years ago?” He asked, looking at the vines that he climbed as a child.
“I’m not sure, I know you wouldn’t tell them.” Impa answered and she turned to look at Link with her hands on her hips. “What are you planning?” She asked, her tone dead serious.
“I’m thinking of getting into the palace my way.” A small grin formed across his lips as he still stared at the vines.
“Link?” Paldnor asked, staring at him, but Impa was now agitated.
“This is not a game, Link. The guards will not throw you out this time; they will put an arrow though your chest!” Her statement made Link return her stern look.
“It wasn’t a game all those years ago, Impa!” Link protested, meeting her gaze.
Impa backed down. “Do as you will.” She uttered as she proceeded towards the gate. Paldnor stood next to Link.
“What are you planning on doing?” Paldnor echoed Impa’s previous question.
Link grabbed one of the vines and hoisted himself up. “Getting in my way. I know where I’m going, my friend. Follow Impa; she will get you inside.” He answered, proceeding up the side of the small ravine.
“Just be careful; we came to celebrate a birthday, not a funeral.” Paldnor added as he went to follow Impa.
The vines were barely strong enough to hold Link, but as he reached the top of the small shallow ravine, he looked down on the gate and saw Impa and Paldnor waiting to be let in. Running across a small ledge that overlooked the path to the palace drawbridge, Link concentrated on the guards; there were three of them out here and their steady heartbeats told Link that they were well on their guard. Slowing his pace as the ledge lowered to the path, Link stopped and hid behind some trees; he would only have a few seconds to dash for the moat before the guard would turn around and see him. Remembering Impa’s warning, Link didn’t doubt for a moment that the guards wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, thinking he was a thief or an assassin. The two heartbeats of Paldnor and Impa entered his senses walking up the path from the gate. Link waited for the guards to snap a salute to Impa before making his move for the moat, running with all his might. He reached the moat, relived that he hadn’t been seen. Taking a moment to calm himself, he sensed the guards’ heartbeats were unchanged they hadn’t seen him. The water in the moat was cold, but Link slowly made his way to the palace’s east side outer wall where there would be no guards. Link swam the moat up to where he remembered crawling through a hole in the wall, though the hole was still there it was much too small for him and after thinking for a moment, Link swam to where the moat passed through the wall into the palace gardens. Bars blocked his way, but after a quick inspection of them he could see they were almost totally rusted through, and with a hard push, Link broke one of the bars free from its base and slipped through to the other side of the wall.
Emerging from the wall, Link was now in a shallow pond in the royal gardens and as before, guards patrolled the grounds. Quietly making his way out of the pond, he hid near a stone gazebo to gather his thoughts. He concentrated hard, sensing seven guards between him and the entrance to the main corridor, but now Link felt the familiar heartbeat; she was close in the gardens. Glancing around the side of the gazebo, Link got his bearings, he couldn’t get caught, not this close to her. He would have to time his moves perfectly to keep out of the sight of the guards.
“This was so much easier when they wouldn’t kill me.” He whispered to himself, and slowly moved, holding himself low behind a groomed hedge. Link tried to calm himself or his heavy breathing would alert the guard on the other side of the hedge, and Link walked slowly in the opposite direction as the guard turned the corner Link slipped passed on the other side and used the large fountain with a statue of Farore in it to sneak pass two other guards. The deeper that Link went into the gardens, the easier he found was to hide and elude the guards and when he felt safe, he concentrated again. Heartbeats filled his senses there were two guards between him and the main corridor, and the familiar heartbeat…she was very close, so close he could feel more than her heartbeat; he could feel her very presence. Link wondered if she felt him as well. Taking a minute to catch his breath and get his bearings again, he realized that he was being drawn to the central courtyard, that’s where she was. Link fought to suppress his urge to run to her, he had to be patient and wait until it was safe, and his senses told him the last two guards between him and the central courtyard were turning a corner and he would be able to run for the courtyard with several seconds before anyone noticed him. Taking a quick breath Link left the coverage of the garden’s foliage and ran to the central courtyard through an arched tunnel.
The central courtyard was a large enclosed garden area open to the sunlight and surrounded by large windows that provided light to the throne room. Several beds of spring flowers were already starting to bloom and the air was fragrant. She stood with her back to him, in front of the center window looking into the throne room; Link remembered the first time he saw her there many years ago she had to stand on the tips of the toes to look into the window and a white veil covered her golden hair. She’d grown quite a bit into the woman that he remembered from another memory of a time that existed only to a few. Her dress was white and her golden hair shined like the sun, she still had her back to him and Link felt a terrible longing to be near her. Her heartbeat was strong and steady and Link slowly walked closer it was then that he saw his own reflection in one of the windows. His clothes were tattered and soaked from the moat; Link now wished he’d taken at least a moment to clean up his dirt-smeared face. It was the feeling of her quickened heartbeat that turned his attention back to the girl at the window. She was staring at him now and in moment their eye locked, she was radiant and the look on her face was that of disbelief.
“Zelda.” Link said, and she answered by slowly moving closer to him.
“Link?” She said unable to make the words. “How…how did…?” She stuttered.
“I came in my way.” He answered. Zelda brought her hand up to his face and Link felt her soft palm on his dirty cheek.
“You came.” She said. “You’re really here.” She smiled wide and a joyful tear escaped out of the corner of her eye.
“How could I not come?” Link said, and Zelda put her arms around him and held him tight.
“It’s been too long.” She whispered.
“Too long.” Link agreed, his heart aching from the loneliness he’d felt. When they separated, Link could see that his wet clothes stained her dress, but Zelda paid it no mind as they stood there. A minute passed before Zelda kissed him on his cheek, and made an effort to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“Welcome home.” She said, almost laughing.
