#merovar

Lyrics

Friends are happy for me or they're honeysuckle phonies, Some are loyal soldiers while them other thorns are rosy, And if you never know who you can trust, then trust me you'll be lonely.

Are you ready for the sequel? You ready for the latest?

Merovar bit back a laugh at his sister's expression. But he glanced around again, wondering when the guy did eat. He’d dined with them in the desert, after all. But he supposed that was at their invitation, and during festivities, no less, when everyone partook together.

Whatever. Not his problem, he supposed. He returned his attention to his food.

Merovar loved the pageantry to midday meal, but the downside was that they were constantly reminded of their progress in their mission. The king ate at the table on the far side, on a raised floor from the rest of the room, and whoever was assigned seating closest were those in his most trusted circle. Initially the Gerudo had been placed almost entirely on the opposite side. As the months had progressed, they’d been placed steadily closer.

It had been almost a year of hard work, and they were almost halfway. But it was annoying that it took so much effort for such a clearly stupid king. Merovar sighed. At least the food was decent.

After the meal was finished, Merovar watched his sister start to peel away, heading in a different direction.

“Where are you going?” He asked her suspiciously.

“Just doing my job,” she replied easily with a wink. Merovar rolled his eyes. That meant she was going to harass her boyfriend.

Well, at least she wasn’t harassing him. Honestly, he should go find Orik to make sure he was alright - having to put up with Hemisi was quite the trial, after all. And then he should probably thank him for distracting Hemisi, it certainly made his own life easier.

Smiling to himself, he decided to do just that.

Merovar wasn’t quite as familiar with all the nooks and crannies of the castle like Hemisi was - that hadn’t been his assignment, after all. He spent most of his days in the grand halls while his sister slinked around corridors and alleys between courtyards.

So really, it wasn’t his fault that he got lost.

He stumbled upon a nice little scene in one of the smaller sections of the courtyard, a group of musicians playing for a few young women with some guards around. He didn’t get too close, but the instruments the musicians played did pique his curiosity. He’d heard them before, but he’d never been this up close to see them. They were very different from back home, and he enjoyed the sound they made.

“Your Highness?”

Wait. Merovar knew that voice. Turning a little, he saw Orik standing at the perimeter.

"Hey," he acknowledge mildly, a little caught off guard. "Misi's looking for you."

Orik blinked and then smiled a little. "She probably thinks I'm stationed in one of the corridors. But the princess wanted a concert for her and her ladies-in-waiting. I'm afraid you can't be here, Your Highness."

The princess? Oh, that girl who was never seen except at official functions, and who never spoke? Merovar knew better than to push his luck, and he nodded. But, for his sister's sake, he said, "Well, stop by the Gerudo quarters when you're done. I need her to not be annoying, and that's only gonna happen if she can hang out with you instead. You're doing all of us a service."

Orik nodded, biting back a smirk and returning to his post, and Merovar slinked into the shadows to listen to the music for a bit. He did rather like it, after all. He may have also stood on his toes to get a peek at the princess, but he couldn't quite make her out in the small group of women. He squinted, slightly annoyed, but moved his attention back to the musicians.

He needed to get his hands on one of those double flute things that they played. Those were cool.

As he headed back to familiar territory, he saw his sister and he smirked at her. "You're never gonna find him. He's hanging out with a cuter girl than you."

Hemisi shoved him with some irritated remark before he snickered and moved on to suit his own interests. Like figuring out where to get one of those instruments.

That evening, after dinner, Merovar heard the guards talking to someone, and he figured he knew what that meant. Hemisi was washing up, however, so the timing wasn't quite right. But Orik walked in anyway, glancing around quietly.

The Gerudo prince watched the guard for a long moment in silence. He'd only known the guy for about a month now, having met him when he'd visited the desert, but it was interesting trying to figure him out. Orik proved himself to be a good fighter while sparring with Misi (Merovar had already thanked Orik for beating his sister up for him, but he should probably thank him again), but it was difficult to figure out how this guy worked. He wasn't dangerous - Merovar and their dad had already screened him for that upon meeting him. But Hemisi wouldn't fall for someone who was docile and demure, she was far too much of a force of nature for that. She could command such a person without a second thought, but it seemed unlikely she'd enjoy their company on such a regular basis. Of course, although Merovar had only seen Orik at his most polite, and occasionally smiling and laughing and dancing, he knew the guy had a mischievous streak, considering the amount of times he and Hemisi had snuck out.

So if his lighter side and strong fighting skills had attracted Hemisi, what did Orik see in her? Despite all his teasing and fighting and arguing, Merovar loved his sister dearly, and he wanted to see what this guard was really like. Since Misi wasn't around, that left him the perfect opportunity.

Also, he did have questions about the instrument he'd acquired.

"Misi's taking a bath," he told Orik as he wrapped himself up in a blanket. The winters in this place were freezing. "Father's still out. Did you get permission to be in here?"

Orik's cheeks blushed a little, which clearly said he did not, in fact, get permission. Merovar smirked.

"C'mon, you can hide in my room," he advised. "Father won't pop in without knocking, at least, so you'll have a warning. You knew he was out, didn't you?"

Orik's silence was a polite but obvious admission of the truth. Merovar had to chuckle. Yeah, the guard definitely shared Misi's mischievous nature. Orik followed Merovar to his room, where the prince pulled out the instrument he'd taken.

"Okay, I need your help," he said waving the large double flute instrument in front of him. "What is this thing? It's got a really cool sound to it."

Orik relaxed a little as Merovar flopped in a chair, but he still stood at the entrance. He answered, "That's called an aulos. It does sound quite nice."

"An aulos," Merovar repeated, looking at the instrument. Then he blew into the mouthpiece to test it out.

The sound that erupted from it could really only be equated to a squealing duck. Orik burst out laughing and then quickly tried to reel himself in.

Merovar huffed, cheeks flushing a little. "I'd like to see you play it better!"

"My apologies," Orik said quickly. "I--it is a difficult instrument, I--"

Merovar's annoyance lessened a hair. Orik was genuinely anxious. Oh, brother - he'd have to teach this guy to relax. If he was dating Hemisi, Merovar was the last person to bite his head off - putting up with his sister was a trial enough, after all.

"Sit down," he ordered mildly, pointing to the chair beside him. "We're gonna figure this instrument out. Do you know any good poems for lyrics?"

Orik's stammering halted, and his eyes twinkled a little with excitement. He moved to the chair as he spoke. "Well, I do know a few, but many of them aren't Hylian, so translating them might mess with the cadence."

"What are they?"

"They're in Sheikah, my native tongue."

Oh. He didn't know the guy was bilingual. That was neat. "How about you teach me some Sheikah ones and I'll teach you some Gerudo ones. You can impress Misi."

Orik perked up. "Sure!"

"We can start with a Hylian one, though, so we can get the gist of things," Merovar noted as he glared at the instrument. "This thing will bow to my greatness soon enough."

Orik bit the inside of his cheek in a very clear indication of hiding more laughter.

With a gesture of his arm, Merovar bade Orik to start a Hylian ballad while he made the aulos wail. Orik's words quickly descended into laughter again, and Merovar playfully threw a pillow at him.

"The show must go on!" he insisted, and Orik apologized between giggles.

As Merovar played once again, the stone walls echoing the squeak of reeds with the occasional mellow accompaniment of actually getting a decent tune out, Orik chose a Hylian ballad that fit the situation.

"Awaken the world with a great fire, Grab your lover and take a lyre, For Aunt Mella's mighty dish brings music!

Thunder shakes the world with resounding drones, Accompany it with merry tones, For Aunt Mella's great dish brings music!

Of all its victims, great and small, There was one who rose above them all, Delighting the town with tones of varying beauty!

A traveler weary came through the land, Begging for food, Aunt Mella gave him a hand, And he suffered through the music of the night.

Yet nay, he learned of its beauty in essence, That through this madrigal of flatulence, He could entertain the world at large!"

Merovar choked on the notes, snorting out a laugh so violent through the pipes that the instrument squealed enough to echo in the hall outside the room, and both boys wheezed.

"Goddesses, what the hell are you two doing?"

Both yelped, glancing over to see Hemisi standing in the doorway, arms crossed with a half smile. "It sounds like something's dying in here."

"No girls allowed, we're making music," Merovar huffed, throwing a pillow at her. "Get out."

"That's my boyfriend you're hoarding," Hemisi argued, marching into the room after catching the weapon tossed at her.

"Well if he's courting you, then he's trying to impress the family too, which means my demands are more important right now," Merovar threw back.

"Singing a song about farting while you make that instrument sound like it's being tortured is not more important than hanging out with me," Hemisi laughed. "You boys are so stupid. Come on, Link."

Merovar's rebuttal halted as he looked between the pair confusedly, and then Orik blushed.

"He's got two names," Hemisi explained easily. "Link's his Hylian name, Orik is his Sheikah one. He's supposed to use Orik in public, but he likes Link better."

"Well, that's weird," Merovar commented immediately.

"Yeah, well, Dad doesn't need to know," Hemisi remarked.

Merovar stared at her a moment and then remembered where he'd heard the name before. He almost laughed, wondering why Hemisi would be worried about her boyfriend bearing a name their father had used for some forest gremlin in a story, but he didn't care enough to argue. Shrugging, he said, "Okay, well, Link is helping me make music."

"Link is gonna hang out with me now."

"Link is going to sneak out the window since he hears your dad coming," Orik noted sheepishly, heading for the nearest exit.

Merovar huffed, looking at his sister. "Well, now you ruined it."

"This isn't my fault!" she hissed, reaching out to snatch Orik around the wrist. "We can sneak out through my room--"

"Misi, if Father catches him in your room he'll kill him."

"I don't want to die," Orik added helpfully.

Hemisi groaned, rolling her eyes. Then she rushed to the window with her boyfriend, and the pair hopped out together as Ganondorf called out to his children.

Merovar sighed dramatically. He supposed he'd have to cover for them.

Hemisi huffed. "I thought you liked the fancy stuff here."

"It's not as nice as home," Merovar noted dully. "Hyrule's prize is its natural habitats and resources, not its people or amenities."

"Now you sound like Dad."

Merovar grew silent again as a breeze blew by, playing with their hair.

Hemisi said, "I wish we didn't have to plan to attack this place."

Her brother stiffened a little, whispering, "You shouldn't say it out loud."

"It's true," she emphasized, though more quietly. "I don't want to attack this place. Do you?"

Merovar sighed. "I... don't know. Dad says the Triforce will help us. And I mean... I think it would be pretty amazing. To rule all this. You know?"

"Why?" Hemisi asked, sitting up.

Merovar stared at her. "Why?"

"Why would it be cool to rule this place?" she elaborated, eyes boring into her brother. "Why do we have to bother them and cause that trouble at all? I'm all for a good fight, but it has to be for a good reason."

"You just don't want to fight your boyfriend," Merovar chuckled.

"Give me a reason, Mer."

Her brother's mouth twisted a little in annoyance. "Have you met their king? He's an idiot. We'd be doing Hyrule a favor."

"Who cares about doing Hyrule a favor?" Hemisi questioned. "Dad doesn't."

"No," Merovar agreed immediately, looking away. "He doesn't."

The crickets chirped, though the silence was far less peaceful and pleasant. A heaviness filled the air until Merovar finally broke it.

"Do you think Dad's okay?"

Hemisi didn't choose to argue or provoke her brother. Instead, she bit her lip. "I don't know."

The twins both held a mutual understanding, an observation that their father had grown steadily more obsessed with this mission. Of course, it was an important objective that required a lot of planning. Hemisi knew that. But... when she wasn't caught up having fun with Link, she couldn't help but notice how little he seemed to pay attention to anything pertaining to home anymore.

At least Merovar had noticed as well. It made Hemisi feel less alone.

"Maybe we should talk to him," she suggested. "Just to check on him."

Merovar huffed. "He won't appreciate it."

"You don't know that."

"I do know that. Just because you're his favorite doesn't mean he'll listen to you about this. You haven't been with him as much as I have on this mission. You're too busy fawning over Link."

"I am not," she grumbled. "Ugh, this is stupid. We should just talk to him."

"Whatever." Merovar rolled his eyes. "At least it'll be over soon. You've got the layout of the castle and its patrols memorized, I've got the king talking to me about the Triforce... based on what I got and Dad's planning and spies, we'll probably know the location of the stupid thing by the Festival of Colors."

Hemisi squirmed uncomfortably. She wasn't keen on her part in all this. She didn't want to take Link out of play like her father had asked her to do. She didn't want to betray him like that.

Seeming to read her mind from her body language, Merovar asked, "You think you can do it?"

"I know I can," she replied a little curtly. "It's not a matter of whether I can."

Merovar watched her for a few moments, and his expression grew sad. "He really loves you, you know."

Hemisi grew confused. "Why do you look upset about that? I know he loves me. I love him too."

"Would you marry him?"

"Yeah," she answered fairly quickly. "I would. I want to. But like... this'll... it's so stupid. Can't we just tell him about it? Maybe he thinks--"

"We can't tell him, are you out of your mind?" Merovar hissed. "He's a Sheikah! They're the most loyal to the crown!"

"We already established the king's an idiot," Hemisi argued. "Isn't that why we're doing this, supposedly?"

"Hyrule will fall," Merovar said sternly. "With a king like that, it's just a matter of time. We're stronger and have the right to take over, Dad said so himself. Those with power should utilize it. We'd do a better job. But that doesn't mean everyone will be happy about it. Misi, don't you get it? I... I don't want you to get hurt in this. You have to let him go, or you have to take him out of play, but you can't tell him."

Hemisi chewed on the inside of her cheek, looking away, tears stinging in her eyes. She hated this. This was stupid.

"Look, I--whether we like it or not, it's going to happen," Merovar said carefully. "But I... Dad says you can do anything with the Triforce. And he likes Link. So I'm sure he'll make it work somehow. It's just the mission itself that'll be the problem."

Hemisi glanced at him, hope filling her heart. "You think so?"

Her brother shrugged, but he gave a small smile with it. Hemisi had to laugh at that.

"You know, for you being the one who's better with words, you're not being very convincing," she noted.

"I don't know much about the Triforce," Merovar replied evenly before putting a hand on her shoulder. "I just don't want our family to fall apart because of this. Hemisi... no matter what happens, I'll be there with you, okay? And... I'm sure Link'll join us too, when it's all done. And then you two can go frolicking off into the sunset and leave me stranded out here."

Hemisi cackled at the imagery before lightly punching her brother on the chest. "I'm not leaving you, moron. No matter what happens... we'll have each other."

Merovar's face, scrunched up in response to the playful punch, softened, eyes twinkling in the dull light of the crescent moon. And then he pulled his sister into a hug, tight and scared and loving. Hemisi held him just as fiercely, the two anchoring each other in a sea of uneasiness.

.

“I think he likes her,” Merovar explained. “But dating someone is for a reason, you know? You figure out if there’s, like, an intimate thing going on and all that. How long did you two date before you got married?”

“We were adults,” Ganondorf immediately intoned. “That’s different. Hemisi is fourteen.”

“So?” Merovar shrugged. “Age of adulthood is sixteen, and we’re turning fifteen next week. It’s not that far off.”

Golden Three, don’t remind me, Ganondorf nearly pleaded. He’d spent the majority of his time lately figuring out how to find the Triforce, but that didn’t mean the idea of his babies turning fifteen didn’t smack him in the face. Where has all the time gone?

“If she’s fifteen, and he’s, what, sixteen? Seventeen? Something like that? Then they need to figure out if this is serious or not.”

Nabooru sighed. “You’re so eager to grow up, love. Let them be and have fun.”

“We are growing up, Mother,” Merovar pointed out.

“Leave him be,” his mother ordered gently. “They’ll figure it out in due time.”

…

Ganondorf pulled the little one to his chest, rocking a little in the bed, slipping into the soothing gesture with practiced ease as he hushed him. The young teenager was far too incoherent to be reasoned with normally, so he just cared for him like the child he was in the moment.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered, continuing to rock him. “It’s okay, Link.”

“Voesa,” Link whimpered, hiccupping and holding his tunic.

Ganondorf froze from the movements, blinking, completely caught off guard. Voesa was Gerudo for dad – had Hemisi taught him that? Why was he…?

Sighing, he felt almost guilty as he slipped into the role the little one was looking for. “I’m here, vehvo. I’m here.”

This was wrong. The boy wasn’t—he wouldn’t be—when the strike happened—

Ganondorf swallowed, holding the boy more tightly, and indulged the little daydreaming he’d been doing that morning, indulged the thought that he’d get the Triforce quickly, bring Hyrule to heel, and Link would join the family without issue.

Just for now, he’d pretend it would be all right.

…

“Hylia died for us,” the princess commented, staring off at nothing. “She died for the entire world, and chose to give up her immortality to die again.”

Link sat quietly beside her, contemplating the matter. The goddess truly did live a noble life, perpetuated through the best of her bloodline. “You’re going to make a great queen.”

Zelda hugged herself, looking away. “I… I don’t know what kind of queen I’ll be. I don’t need to be a great one. I just… want to be a good one.”

Her words touched his heart, and Link let himself forget his station for a moment, just offering her comfort as he put a hand on her shoulder. Being the Hero had to allow for this anyway, right? It didn’t matter. In that moment, they were just two teenagers. “You’re a good woman. I think that means you’ll be a good queen. And Hylia will look out for you. Like you said… she sacrificed everything for all of us. That has to mean she cares, you know? How much must one love us to give up her life for us?”

Zelda glanced at the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom on her hand, and then she slowly reached up to Link’s left hand on her shoulder, looking at it as the Triforce of Courage glowed dully. “I suppose all the goddesses care, in the end.”