So if we use the “the timelines remerged to form BotW” (aka the “Nintendo timeline isn’t canon” timeline) I think it would be interesting to see the power dynamics between what has now become three Royal families, all of which have equally valid claims to the throne. I feel like they would each get a dynasty name and it took time for them to properly integrate.
First off is the dynasty from the Downfall Timeline, the Harkinians. They would have initially held power over the Central Hyrulean region from the Dueling Peaks to the Breach of Demise, and been the ones involved in the Sheikah and Yiga splitting—the Yiga combined with the Eyes of Ganon, while Impa and the loyal Sheikah stayed in Kakariko (the latest Impa in the timelines being the one from AoL).
The Great Sea dynasty, the Tetrans are basically the New Hyruleans and moved into the eastern areas, coming from the coasts. The Hateno and Akkala Tech labs were founded partially based on the knowledge from the Lokomo, and eventually integrated with the Sheikah. They also founded Lurelin and helped the Rito migrate to the newly merged Hyrule. The Koroks followed them as well.
The Zeldan dynasty is from the Child Timeline, and can boast the most uninterrupted family line, going back to before the era of the Hero of Time without Ganondorf taking over for seven years (or longer). They initially ruled over the Great Plateau, including the original Temple of Time. They were the ones who first established friendly relations with the Gerudo (who existed in FSA and thus came to the merged timeline through the Child Timeline) and the Zora.
(The Gorons maintained peaceful relations with all parties—they came from different timelines with different livelihoods but to Gorons, a brother is a brother. They accepted the Gorons moving back from Labrynna after the Downfall, the traders sailing in from the Great Sea, and the natives who remained in Death Mountain in the Twilit era, and even ones who claim to be from a strange land called Termina, with very little fuss)
Imagine the wars. The drama. The politics! The final uniting event was the Calamity’s first appearance, when all the branches finally had a common enemy. The Princess who appeared was effectively born a commoner, and while each dynasty raced to establish she belonged to them and they were therefore the “true” Royal family, it turned out she had ancestors from all three dynasties—distant cousins of the family heads, secret liaisons between the children of rivals, marriages for politics and marriages for love and some that weren’t even marriages. The people united behind her, and the dynasties influences’ faded. They still exist up until the second Calamity, mostly as factions and in-fighting.
BotW Zelda’s mother was from the Zeldan faction, while King Rhoam was directly descended from the Princess in the first Calamity. While her mother had knowledge and ability to use the power of the Royal Family, Rhoam was the one with the claim to the throne. When Zelda didn’t manifest her sealing power, many began to whisper that the alleged “main” Royal Family was no longer the true rulers of Hyrule, their blood too diluted. The three dynasties began to rumble and vie for power, wanting to place one of their own on the throne when the “Heir to the Throne of Nothing” failed.
This turned into way more headcanoning than I thought but yeah. Timeline based factions.
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