Fortitude (fanfic)

"Whatever obstacles lay ahead, I knew we would find the strength and fortitude to overcome them—as long as we had each other."

Fortitude is one of-if not the most- famous Zelda fanfics out there! It is written by Ingie.

The story is set nearly fifteen years after Ocarina of Time, when Link and Zelda sealed Ganondorf away and restored peace to Hyrule. Now married, the two of them lead a happy but stressful life together. Zelda, now Queen and sole ruler of Hyrule, fights to maintain alliances that have weakened since her marriage, while Link, Prince Consort of Hyrule, struggles to gain proper recognition from the High Council so he may one day take the throne at his wife's side.

These issues soon prove to be the least of their troubles, however, when Zelda's former fiancé, King Ashton of the kingdom Vandelius, returns with a vengeance. Aided by mysterious dark forces, Ashton aims to take back not only his former bride but her kingdom as well... ^[1] It is told from Zelda's persepective, sometimes 3rd person as we look in on our villains.

In 2014 the author began what they called an "Epic rewrite", but as of 2020 no changes have been made to the story since then.

Tropes used in Fortitude (fanfic) include:

Action Girl: Zelda, and how. It's no wonder she managed to evade Ganondorf for 7 years.
Break the Cutie: And how. Just when you think things can't get worse for Link and Zelda, they do.
- There's numerous examples, but the most fitting is when the couple are told there is no cure for Link's illness, and Zelda has to face the prospect of losing her husband and raising Link's son by herself, despite doing everything she can to prevent this from happening throughout all of Fortitude.
- Also, Heather. The poor girl gets whipped. Not only is this horrible for her, it's horrible for Zelda because Heather was taking punishment because Zelda defied Ashton.
Cool Old Lady: Impa.
Jerkass: Holy crap, Ashton! Not to mention Vasilis...
- Vasilis DOES become nicer at the end though. Ashton doesn't, however.
Mama Bear: Impa to Zelda, being her nanny. Her best moment is when when Zelda returns to the castle in Link's place, and she tells Zelda that there is no way she is letting Zelda going back to Ashton alone.
Not Quite Dead: Ashton taunts Zelda that Link perished in the battle between Hyrule and Vandelius and actually succeeds in making her believe him. Thankfully, Link is alive after all.
Plucky Girl: Zelda. Goodness gracious. It's amazing how well she bounces back from some situations. Others not so much, though.
- To give one example, when Ashton invades Hyrule Castle, he comes into Zelda's room uninvited to meet his 'bride-to-be'. How does Zelda respond? She takes a knife to his throat.
Pregnant Badass: Zelda becomes this.

↑ Actual summary from Chapter 1.

[1] Actual summary from Chapter 1.

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