The beasts, the creatures of the Twilight, had descended upon Zora’s Domain with a fury and hatred the Zora people had never seen before. They captured most of the Zoras, forced them into the queen’s royal chamber, the most sacred area in their kingdom, and made them watch as they cast the land into Twilight and began to freeze the Zora Fountain.
The Zoras were panicked, their way of life being destroyed before their eyes. No help was coming, and the invaders showed no signs that they would be leaving any of them alive. As the Zoras huddled together in the pool of water near the throne, all they could do was watch and hope that their elder and leader, Rutela, could find a way to save them.
But Rutela knew the cold truth. She had no power over the Twilight, and the most she could do was manage to help her son escape so that he could warn the Hylians of their plight. The poor Zora elder understood what was going to happen. Conquering the Zoras was not the invader’s prize, but a message. With no strength to fight them off, Rutela knew that she had one last way to remain loyal to her people. As the invaders approached her, all she could do was keep her dignity, wait for the strike, and be brave.
Though all of these tragic events were revealed only in exposition and some inference, they were still proof to me of how Rutela exemplified what a true ruler was. She lived for her people, and she was willing to die for them as well. And, as importantly, she showed the overpowering devotion she had to her son. From the start, she knew her life was forfeit, so she gave the last of her effort to ensure his protection. Her only regret was that she would not be able to guide him any further.
The Zora’s fate was harsh, but it was not forever. Fate required that Link find his way to the Zora’s Domain, as he was in need of their help to save Hyrule. Being the clever problem solver that he is, Link made use of Death Mountain’s fiery expulsions to shatter the ice in Zora’s Domain and free its inhabitants. They were weakened, confused, and scared, but they were alive, and they had Link to thank for that. As did Queen Rutela, who, as a spirit, was watching as Link rescued her people.
Rutela descended upon Link and thanked him for saving the Zoras. She could see that Link carried a great destiny, one that she wanted to help him fulfill. Link needed to reach the secret depths of Lake Hylia. Rutela promised that she could help Link by bestowing him with a gift that would allow him to swim freely without the need for air, but he first needed to finish securing the Zoras’ hope and salvation by rescuing their future ruler and Rutela’s son, Ralis. As a spirit, Rutela could not defend him against the threat of the Twilight. She needed a hero.
Link proved that he was that hero. He found and helped save Ralis by escorting the weak and fading Zora boy to Kakariko Village so the shaman Renado could heal him. Link had saved the hope of the Zora people. This was when Rutela appeared before him again.
She led Link to the village’s graveyard. It was a place Link had been to before, but all he could find at the time were some meager treasure and an eerie sense of sorrow that lingered in the air. He could not have expected Rutela to open the entryway to a secret chamber, and to also find a pristine pool of water and a royal grave. The hidden grave revealed, Rutela explained that it was the tomb of her husband and that this area was the sacred burial ground of the Zoras. Hidden within the tomb was the tool Link needed in order to reach the bottom of the lake: a special set of magical, aquatic armor created by the Zora king for the legendary hero.
Rutela told Link to take it as thanks for saving her people and her son. She would watch over Ralis for as long as she could, but her true time with him was at an end. The last thing she could do was ask Link to deliver a message to her son:
“And… and tell him his mother… loves him without end. Tell him…”
Though she was able to make contact with Link, speaking with her son was impossible. She might have been unable, but she may also have been unwilling. I cannot say for certain, but I believe she chose to refrain from reaching out to her son. She might have been able to communicate as a distant and cold spirit, but that would have been all. What would that have accomplished, other than to make both of them miss and yearn for true connection? Seeing her as a ghost would only be a reminder of the pain for Ralis.
Rutela knew that her son needed to learn to be brave and also to process his grief. To take on his destined role as king, Ralis had to accept the loss and grow from it. It tore at Rutela’s heart, but she knew he would be OK. She was no longer there physically, but the values, lessons, and support she had provided would allow her to be with her son in a way that far surpassed any literal presence. Her devotion to her son would live on forever.
Even in death, a mother’s love never wavers.
