The marble hall to the Queen's War Room was normally filled with her elite Royal Guards, men who'd proven themselves in both combat and valor. Today however, on the day the Queen would declare war, the hall was void of living sentries. In their place, every few paces, stood tall ominous statues of cast iron knights.
Doing his best to hide his nervousness, Eurick glanced at one as he and company made their way through the passage. The statues were taller than any man and made with such astonishing detail Eurick would have believed it wasn't a statue at all, but real plate mail crafted for a giant. As his gaze rose to the suit's helmet, the sensation of being watched struck him. Eurick averted his gaze.
"They're Dark Nuts," Eurick's company said from the side.
Eurick turned to his friend and mentor, hoping the man looked as uneasy as Eurick felt. Link, true to his character, didn't appear the slightest bit unnerved.
"Phantoms in armor Queen Zelda summons," he explained. Link walked with sure and easy strides, shoulders back, chest out, chin up, and arms swinging regularly at his sides. His dark blue eyes were the only part of the man that looked concerned, and Eurick doubted it was because of the statues.
"Don't the Elites normally stand guard in the Keep?" Eurick asked.
Link nodded, not taking his eyes off the double doors at the end of the hall. "Normally, yes. Times like these, however, her Highness trusts few and fewer. I suspect she knows some of her Elites have families in Absistus. It would be unwise to ask such men to choose between their families and their queen."
Eurick frowned. "The Elites have all sworn sacred vows to choose the Queen over even their own mothers. Surely she doesn't doubt their honor."
"There's a difference between doubting a man's honor, and restraining from putting that honor to the test." Link broke his gaze from the approaching doors to glance at Eurick. "You and I swore our lives to the Queen. Would you feel inclined to honor that vow if she asked you to fall on your sword for her amusement?"
Eurick's eyes widened in bewilderment. "The Queen would never!"
"But if she did, your oath would require you to obey. Isn't that right?" When Eurick didn't answer Link continued, facing forward again. "An oath is only as strong as the individual's devotion to whom the oath was made. At their core, every man is most devoted to himself and his own life, then the life of his family and loved ones. The reason men serve a monarch is in hopes that monarch will protect their life and their loved ones. Otherwise, what's the point?"
Coming from anyone else, Eurick would have taken those words as treason, or contempt at the very least. But Link was the general of the Queen's expeditionary forces. He'd proven himself in war, combat, and service to the Queen more times than anyone in Hyrule. It was said that he was asked by the Queen herself to command the Elites. Link of Kokiri denied the incredible honor, choosing instead to transform his light cavalry unit into the Expeditionary Forces.
"And you would choose the Queen over your family?"
They reached the great oaken doors of the War Room. Link knocked three times, then waited. Without a sound the doors swung inward.
"The choice is easy for me," Link said before entering. "I've no family, no lover, and little regard for my own life. Prepare yourself, friend. It would appear we are the last to arrive."
Eurick had entered the Queen's War Room only once before, as an attendant to then Captain Link, before his promotion to general. The room was small, with only enough room for a dozen or so to gather around a twelve-sided table. The walls were covered in maps of Hyrule, the Gerudo Desert, Death Mountain, the Lost Woods, Oceanus, Termina, and every other region neighboring Hyrule. Some maps were in great detail, accurate and to scale within a few feet. Others, like the map of the Lost Woods, were a nightmare to navigate with.
Besides the maps and a small hearth, the walls were bare. There were no decorations or gaudy carvings. The War Room was a place of business. There weren't even any chairs. The Queen and those she'd summoned stood through the duration of the councils. Water was sometimes provided but never food nor alcohol.
Just as Link had said, he and Eurick were the last to arrive. Everyone else was already standing around the Deku Oak table, several maps of Absistus spread out on its surface with the Queen leaning over them. She was in the middle of explaining something when she looked up to see the new arrivals. Her eyes hardly passed over Eurick, but there was no missing the sparkle when she saw Link.
"My Queen, forgive our tardiness," Link said with a bow of his head. Eurick followed suit.
"Nothing to forgive, Link," the Queen said with a familiar smile.
"It would be cause for concern if you ever arrived on time."
Link turned to greet Impa, the Queen's Sheikah bodyguard. The two grasped forearms and embraced. Eurick felt awkward standing there. He had no relations with anyone in the room besides Link. He was nothing more than a newly promoted commoner in the presence of giants.
"Glad to see you well, Impa." Link turned from her and greeted the others in the room.
There was; Lord Heydron, general of regular infantry and standard cavalry, the bulk of the Queen's forces. Baron Gustaf, general of the heavy infantry. Lord Dedrick, colonel of logistics and supply. Lord Greenert, admiral of the Royal Navy. The necromancer, Mashadou, leader of the Queen's mage-craft unit. Lady Nabooru, the Queen's spy master. And Ganondorf, general of the Queen's heavy cavalry unit.
Link greeted each of them formally, until he met Ganondorf's eyes. The two glared at each other vehemently.
"Colonel Eurick."
"Y-your Highness?" he asked, surprised to be called directly by the Queen.
"Is this your first war council?" she asked. No longer addressing Link, her demeanor shifted back to that of a very serious Queen.
"My first time as an officer, Your Highness."
The Queen nodded, taking the time now to examine Eurick from head to toe. Eurick felt like livestock being sized up by a potential buyer.
"Link vouched for you personally. I expect great things from you," she said matter-of-factly. "Your unit will play a crucial role in the war to come."
Eurick struggled for an appropriate response, but was saved by a comment from Baron Gustaf.
"I still say his promotion was premature." The Baron crossed his arms over his barrel of a chest. Gustaf was of average height, but nearly as wide as he was tall. He had a full head of dark brown hair and long muttonchops that grew down then up into a thick moustache. His chin and neck were kept shaved, a task it was said he trusted only to his wife.
"Why give autonomy to the Messenger Corp?" The Baron asked. "Would he not serve his post better as a unit Captain?"
Pride demanded Eurick defend his post, but truthfully he had no counterargument. Officers ranked colonel and above were granted autonomy with their army. So long as they adhered to certain guidelines of the Queen, and moved in ways that would benefit her Majesty and the realm, they were allowed to operate freely. The leader of the Messenger Corp was traditionally a captain, falling under the command of one or several other generals.
"And to a commoner, no less," Lord Dedrick said with disdain.
Ganondorf turned on the man instantly. "Piss on that 'commoner' bullshit," he growled. "Mashadou and I were both commoners. Link too," he added reluctantly. "Does that make us less apt to command, Dedrick?"
Lord Dedrick shrank back indignantly. "Of course not. But each of you rose to your station through great deeds. Colonel Eurick has yet to prove his worth."
"I disagree," Link said calmly. "He's served under Lord Heydron and myself with notable esteem. His courage had been tested in and out of combat."
"Courage on the battlefield does not qualify one for leadership," Baron Gustaf countered. "Most of my men have proven their valor in combat. But I wouldn't trust a single one of them to lead sheep to their pen."
Mashadou and Admiral Greenert chuckled quietly while Impa moved to the Queen's side to speak. "I've never known Link to be a poor judge of a man's ability. If Link says he can lead, I trust him."
Even in the War Room, where everyone was permitted, encouraged even, to speak as equals, it was difficult for the other men and women to speak against the Sheikah. She was older, wiser, stronger, faster, and more experienced than anyone else in the room. Mashadou would even argue she was his equal in magecraft. Eurick did not doubt she was the most dangerous person on the continent, let alone Hyrule.
"See here," the Queen said pointing at one of the maps on the table. Everyone leaned in to get a better look. "Not only is Absistus's terrain treacherous, but the Velkala mountain range practically divides the kingdom in half. We don't have the men to fully commit to both halves, but we also cannot afford to ignore one half for the other. Our advance must be three-pronged.
"My plan is this, Link and the Expeditionary force will invade Eastern Absistus. Nabooru assures me that the lords of this region quarrel relentlessly. They will not join forces to form a single large army, so long as they think victory and glory are attainable by individual houses. Link's army is perfect for the task."
She looked up from the table to see if Link agreed with her. After a silent nod from him, she continued.
"The rest of our forces will be focused here, in Western Absistus, on the other side of the Velkala mountains. Attigard, the capital and center of the kingdom, is on this side and here is where we can expect to meet proper armies and resistance. We'll also have the Royal Navy at our disposal here, as well as better terrain for our cavalry."
Queen Zelda brought her finger to the mountains which practically divided the country in half, from north to south. "There are several strongholds in the mountains that we cannot allow to stand. Baron Gustaf's heavy infantry will be tasked with progressing through the mountains, taking and holding each stronghold as he presses forward. The terrain is near impossible for cavalry, but is manageable with infantry so long as a slow pace can be maintained."
She lifted her hand from the map to meet the serious expressions of her council. "If any one of the three prongs advances too quickly or too slow, they expose themselves to being surrounded and cut-off by an Absistus force. Therefore, we'll need a Messenger Corp that can move quickly and autonomously to coordinate the three advances. While mounted messengers can move quick enough on either side, the mountains will have to be crossed on foot, and often through enemy occupied territory."
She looked to Baron Gustaf, then Lord Dedrick, then focused on Eurick. "The Messenger Corp will be essential to the success of this entire campaign. Are you and your men up to the task, Colonel Eurick?"
The weight of his position finally descended upon his shoulders. "Yes, your Highness." He dare not say anything else.
"Good," Zelda said, cerulean orbs bearing into Eurick. "Now let's go into further detail. Men, ladies, I'm relying on your experience and input as we continue."
The war council lasted six more hours, with only a short break in the middle. The Queen offered up her strategy, weighed the council of her generals and leaders, made slight adjustments to her plans, then set forth the guidelines she expected each commander to adhere to. While most roles were straightforward, General Link, Colonel Eurick, and General Ganondorf were given the least direction.
As the meeting came to a close, Queen Zelda gave each leader one more task.
"Any men with loyalty or connections to Absistus will be sent on an exploration mission to the South. Filter out those men and have them report to General Bachman. I'll not have their morale or reluctance infecting the rest of our army. We're pressed for men as it is."
After that, she moved to the door, looking as tired and drained as everyone else.
"I expect everyone to be ready by the end of the month." She turned to leave, then stopped. "Link, would you join me, there's something I wish to talk to you about."
Some of the men shared looks but none were bold enough to smirk.
"Of course, My Queen."
Link bid everyone farewell, patted Eurick on the shoulder, then followed Queen Zelda through the doors.
"Will you be at the 'thing' tonight?" Ganondorf asked before Link made it through the doorway.
"Of course," Link answered in an annoyed voice.
Eurick turned to the giant Gerudo man trying to figure out what the 'thing' was. As far as he knew, Link and Ganondorf did not get along.
Once the Queen, Link, and Impa left the room, Lord Dedrick let out a groan. "Ugh, not that awful ceremony again."
"It's tradition," Baron Gustaf said, although he didn't seem particularly enthusiastic either.
"A necessary one," Ganondorf added with a delighted smile. "Besides," he said walking around the table toward Eurick. "We've a new Colonel to initiate."
Eurick squared his shoulders as Ganondorf approached. He was all too aware that men in the military enjoyed hazing new members as a form of initiation. Some of it was unavoidable, but some of it was a test to see how much of a sucker the new guy was.
When he'd first joined the infantry, his platoon sergeant set ten cups of liquid in front of him. The first was water, the second was dirty water, the third was water with a dead fish in it, the fourth was goat's blood, and so on until the tenth cup contained literal piss and shit. The new soldiers were commanded to drink all ten, starting with the cup of water. Failure to drink at least three cups meant being kicked out of the infantry and having to join the women in sewing uniforms and cooking meals. Failure to drink at least six cups meant having to be the 'attendant', a gentler word for bitch, to one of the other infantrymen. Failure to drink at least nine cups meant you had to wear a dress for the entirety of the first month of service. If a soldier could drink the tenth cup, they were given a custom suit of armor that would have been worth a fortune, were it not for the turd engraved at the wearer's stomach. Eurick shuddered remembering how many cups he drank.
"And what is this ceremony?" Eurick said, trying to sound tough in front of Ganondorf.
Ganondorf's white teeth flashed in contrast to his dark skin. "You'll have to attend and see."
He placed his enormous calloused hand on the Eurick's shoulder before striding past him. "Nabooru," Ganondorf called over his shoulder. "I'm off to raid our Queen's wine cellar before the 'thing'. Care to join me?"
Nabooru hissed and bared her teeth. "I'd rather drink piss in the company of lepers, slug."
Ganondorf threw his head back and laughed a deep, ear grating laugh. "Maybe next time then."
"I'll not wear a brassiere for you, but I'll join you," Admiral Greenert said, joining Ganondorf in the hallway.
Eurick watched them leave before turning back to those remaining in the War Room. Lord Dedrick was glaring at him while Baron Gustaf was making an attempt at Lady Nabooru.
Eurick put his hands in his pocket, still awkward around such high caliber men who held him in contempt. It was only weeks ago he'd have to attend to any of these men.
"I'll err, go see about the Absistus men in my company."
"I'll walk you out," Lord Heydron said.
"Me too," Mashadou said after glancing at Gustaf with a grin. "Give my regards to Lady Gustaf."
Nabooru snickered while the Baron's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
As they stepped out of the War Room, Eurick immediately noticed the Dark Nuts were gone. Vanished, as if into thin air.
"Remarkable mage-craft, are they not?" Mashadou asked. He was tall and athletic, with a shaved head, pale skin, and a crooked nose. He wore a fitted purple robe and walked with a slight forward head-protrusion.
"Our Queen has exceptional abilities for someone who can only afford to spend so little time practicing her spells."
"Perhaps you're just an outstanding teacher," Heydron offered from the other side of Eurick. Heydron was only a little taller than Eurick, but carried himself like the truest of nobility. He had a mane of black hair with streaks of gray, dark eyebrows, tan skin, and a jaw so square engineers could use it to measure right angles. He wore a fine tunic over well oiled chainmail, and walked as gracefully as a gymnast.
Mashadou scratched the bridge of his nose with an index finger. "I doubt it. I'm quite a useless teacher, to be honest."
"Is it a difficult spell?" Eurick asked. He appreciated how casually these two men spoke, without any of the pomp men of their stature normally carried.
Mashadou nodded. "One of the most difficult. Neither Impa nor myself can summon or sustain so many armored phantoms at once." Masadou cast a sideways glance at Eurick. "I hear you've a bit of mage-craft yourself, Eurick."
Eurick shook his head. "Fairy magic, like Link's. I can't learn any new spells or do anything other than what the Great Fairy gave me."
"You were given a gift of speed, if I'm not mistaken," Heydron said thoughtfully. "You used it at the Battle of Hara."
Eurick blushed, embarrassed he was remembered for an ability he did not deserve. "Aye. I was part of your infantry back then."
"Ah, fairy magic," Mashadou said with a hint of envy in his voice. "The Goddesses mock the studious acolyte with such gifts. What did you do to earn such a gift from the Great Fairy?"
"Nothing remotely heroic. When I was a lad, I was playing with what I thought was a glowing insect. Suddenly a mangy street cat caught the bug in his mouth and ran off with it. I chased the creature through the streets, under carts and through gutters, until he finally spat out my bug. Well, turns out that bug was a fairy."
Mashadou threw his head back and laughed. "Outstanding! To think I could have chased cats instead of devoting my life to studying." He shook his head then came to a stop as the hallway forked. "It was a pleasure meeting you Eurick. I'm sure we'll speak again at the 'thing'. Good day."
He left down one of the other hallways while Eurick and Heydron continued on, headed for the main entrance.
"Don't mind him," Heydron said. "He doesn't really begrudge you or Link. He's just very proud of his work and the fruits of his labor."
"What is the 'thing'? Link never mentioned it."
Heydron reached up and scratched his clean-shaven chin thoughtfully. "I suppose he wouldn't. It's supposed to be a secret, after all."
"Only officers know about it?"
Heydron shook his head. "Only Colonel's and above. Only those who command armies for her Majesty are allowed to attend. Required to, rather."
"I see."
"You'll not enjoy it," Heydron said factually.
Eurick frowned. "And why's that?" He thought about the other 'initiations' he'd endured and feared this would be another humiliating ordeal.
"You're a good man," Heydron stated. "Good men don't enjoy this sort of thing. Even if it's necessary."
"Does Link not enjoy it?" Eurick asked after a moment.
"He enjoys it the least of all. But even he recognizes its importance."
"And who enjoys it the most?"
"Ganondorf, without a doubt."
"Why's that?"
Heydron gave Eurick a look that spoke of the man's own reluctance to attend. "You'll see tonight."