Zelink Family - Heirloom

The four-year-old held the harp in front of him, his small hands just barely big enough to grasp it.  His mouth hung agape and his blue eyes went wide - it was so pretty and shiny and he bet it was made out of gold! He turned it over, eagerly looking at the patterns engraved in the metal, and questioned his father.  "You and Mommy are gonna give this to me?"

Link nodded.  "That's right, Daphnes.  We'll keep it at the house for now, but when you're all grown up, it'll be yours."

"Wow!" young Daphnes turned to Link, his eyes sparkling in a way that reminded the hero of the boy's mother.  "Thanks, Daddy!  ...But, what is it?"

"It's a harp," Link replied with a chuckle.  "You play music on it by plucking the strings."  He reached over and demonstrated, lightly strumming a few of the strings.  "See?"

The boy blinked, then tried it for himself.  He laughed in utter delight as he listened to the beautiful sounds he made.

"There you go!" Link grinned and patted his son's shoulder.  "You'll be playing all kinds of songs in no time."

"Like the kind Mommy sings?"

"Uh-huh.  Just like the kind Mommy sings."

Daphnes was content with this answer, and continued to pluck clumsily at the harp's strings.  However, his father wasn't done yet, for he had something more important to tell him.

"...Daphnes," he said, bringing the boy's attention back to him, "that harp is something very important.  It's - " Link looked up, thinking of a way to describe the instrument's nature in a way a child could understand, " - it's a present the Goddess gave to your mother."

The boy gasped.  "It is!?"

"It is.  And because it's so important, you need to remember to never, ever, ever let anyone outside of the family have it."  His face grew stern; it was imperative that Daphnes understood, even if he couldn't comprehend the power the instrument possessed.  "Can you do that for me?  Can you keep it safe?"

Daphnes nodded, his bright blonde hair bouncing as he did.  "I can keep it safe!  I promise."  He then lifted his pinky to his father.  "I pinky promise!"

"Good boy." Link smiled and wrapped his own pinky around his son's.  "Pinky promise.  ...Now, who's ready for a bath?"

"What? I don't wanna take a bath!"

He took the harp out of Daphnes' lap.  "You may not wanna, but you've gotta.  Let's go before your mother gets mad."

The boy sulked and stood up and headed back to the cabin while his father sighed and ran a hand through his bangs.  Despite his whining, he really was a good boy.  If he and Zelda kept raising him right, he would no doubt be ready to protect the Goddess' Harp one day.