Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. All the characters and stuff are properly of Nintendo etc.
so don't sue.

A/N: This story takes place about a century and a half (150 years) after Twilight Princess. So the world is pretty much the same, maybe a little more populated and slightly more developed and there may or may not be some newly discovered land. This first chapter is just to get you into the setting of the time period. I promise this whole story isn't going to be full of OC history. This chapter is also heavily influenced by Stephen King's novel "The Eyes of the Dragon", but the rest of the story is different. I could tell you why I chose to do it this way, but it's a long story.

Outlawed Loved

"The king is dead. Long live the queen." Those eight words echoed through the streets of Hyrule Castle Town. The heralds on every street corner cried out tales of bloody murder and deception. Of course, no one really believed them, especially after they circulated a rumour about the moon crashing to the Earth. But when it came to the royal family, even if it was a lie, the townsfolk couldn't help but listen.

But on this day, the heralds were indeed correct, the king was dead and a murder had taken place. The only question that was left to ask was, 'who did it?' Perhaps a better storyteller would structure this tale differently, but I am terribly afraid that storyteller is not me.

Now, dearest reader, to understand this tale to its fullest, I will have to take you back to the past. To be able to understand its characters, whims and whys, I will have to tell you of King Gengo II, his trials and his family.

Act 1: Unfit for a King

In his youth, Gengo was seen as one of the handsomest men in Hyrule. He was known for having shaggy, ash blond hair and light stubble along with his trademark icy blue eyes. During his time as a prince, the great grandson of the Twilight era Princess Zelda was a seen as a man of action. He was always out adventuring in one corner of the map or the other. Of course, this was a time when Hyrule was a much safer place and the rules of the royal family were quite lenient. He was a master swordsman and horseman, who enjoyed playing polo out in Hyrule field. Yes, Gengo had it all, when he was a prince at least.

Gengo was never meant to be king, hence why he could get away with romping around Hyrule field and diving from outrageous heights in Zora's Domain. He wasn't expected to live a life of duty. It wasn't until the abdication of his uncle, King Miclas (after an interesting scandal involving a goron) that the line of succession fell to Gengo's family.

Yes, Miclas had children. Two to be exact; Zolo and Zola, but both children had mysteriously disappeared several years prior. Miclas was so overtaken by grief he refused to have another child with his consort, despite the royal courts urging them to do so.

With his father on the throne, and an older brother in front of him, Gengo still carried on his playboy lifestyle, but the leash got tighter as more was expected from him. His Royal Highness, Prince Gengo, Duke of Ordona.

"Prince Gengo, go to Ordon and give a speech on their importance in supplying food to the nation and how excited you are about working closely with Ordon's citizens for years to come."

"Prince Gengo, go to Kakariko and explain to them the action plan to expand, repair and bring more residence to the village."

"Prince Gengo go act like you get along with these people for the sake of peace.'

"Prince Gengo, explain to the people of Castle Town the importance of health care and education."

"Prince Gengo, go shake hands with crowds of people you don't know and act like you're okay with it."

"Prince Gengo, come and sit for yet another portrait."

Truth be told, Gengo was never okay with any of it. He just wanted to have fun. For the most part, he could still have some fun, because he was not the king or first in line for the throne. That also changed on a dime.

Gengo's brother, Darclus, the Crown Prince of Hyrule, died from the Plumobid plague after suffering with it for over six months. The Plumobid plague was mainly known for filling the blood stream with a mysterious green fluid that consumes the blood, it gave the patient a bizarre green glow. No cure had been developed at the time. One night, Darclus fainted in the Hall of Heroes and died. This made Gengo first in line to the throne, and the new Crown Prince.

Being first in line was no better than being second. The leash was so tight that it could suffocate a snake. Public appearances were more and more current, especially when Gengo's father, the king, got older and began to struggle with his health. To put it as briefly as I can, there was a lot of baby kissing and ribbon cutting involved during Gengo's time as the Crown Prince.

By the age of 28, Gengo had been made king, after his father, King Lolus III, died of heart failure. No more hunting, no more polo, no more parties, no more late nights, no more women, no more fun. Gengo was locked away in the castle and given stacks upon stacks of work. It was no ideal life for the once most sought after man in the kingdom. No woman dared to go near a king because they knew how much baggage came with them. This would later result in another problem with King Gengo II, finding a wife and securing the line for another generation.

One could argue that Gengo didn't have time to find a woman, but it was bluntly obvious that the king was too depressed to look for one. Even the commoners could tell that their king was depressed, it was no secret, even if Gengo thought it was. Some days he was so upset with life that he wouldn't get out of bed all day and then at night he would contemplate taking his own life. He couldn't live with the strain or responsibility that came with the top job. He yearned to be free again and wished he had not taken so much for granted.

He had been flanked with work. Apparently his father was a procrastinator because as soon as Gengo stepped into his office, he saw stacks upon stacks of papers. There were tax complaints, requests for financial aid from the royal treasury and requests for troops and supplies to be sent to outside kingdoms, among other things. Then there was the scary idea of a religious war breaking out.

There had been complaints about the young colonies in the southeastern passage worshipping one goddess only, the deity known as Hylia. Some of the most religious people in Hyrule were outraged and had been harassing the settlers. Rumours flew about Hyrule being on the verge of war with one of its own colonies. To Gengo, this was all just one big headache. But somehow, Gengo managed to hold off on a war.

Therefore, Gengo spent a lot of time locked up in his private office trying to sort out matters. By the age of 30, Gengo had hints of grey in his sideburns, proof that the load was too much for one person. His once thick and shaggy hair had been cut into a short and straight hairdo, to make his thinning hair less noticeable. By 32, like many kings before him, Gengo had grown a beard.

The only thing that slightly lifted Gengo's broken down spirit was watching polo. He no longer played the sport, but every year he commissioned several teams made up of men of noble blood to take part in a tournament in Hyrule field. After an assassination attempt and Gengo's inability to take a day off, the tournament was abolished, but Gengo did not like that one bit. He realized he needed to be safe, but he also found himself chained to the castle, so he couldn't leave. That was when he came up with the idea to build not one, but two polo pitches in the castle courtyard; one with well maintained grass for his noble teams to play on, and another with dirt turf for the servants. Gengo was a mediocre king, but he didn't want 'the sport of kings' to just be for those with blue blood. The king eventually created a little tournament behind the castle walls called 'The King's Plate'. The servant teams played against each other and the noble teams played against each other and the champion of both tournaments would play each other for the plate. The noble team almost always won of course because they had more money to put into their clubs. But the servant team was usually grateful to be able to even play against noblemen. Now do not forget about polo my friend, because it will prove to be important later on in the story.

So allow me to return to Gengo's main problem of finding a decent woman to be queen. The ever aging king's choice to remain a bachelor through his 30's did not sit well with the citizens of Hyrule nor did it feel right to his government. After all, what was Hyrule without its royal family? At the time, Gengo was the only royal left from the main household, so it came was no surprise that the people of Hyrule were nervous. If something happened to their beloved king, who was going to lead the way? A distant royal cousin from a faraway land? Faraway lands that Hyrule did not necessarily trust? And knowing the current streak of royal deaths, disappearances and abdications, the people of Hyrule were readying for the worst.

Gengo, who was well into his early 40's, had now gained a substantial amount of weight and had very little hair left on his head, had been presented with many different women over the years. They came from far and wide to try for Gengo's interest, but he was never truly interested in any one of them, nor were they really interested in him, they just wanted the power. Rumours began to fly that the king was asexual. Of course, this depended on what orator you believed. The castle only appointed one true herald. All the other criers were labeled as loud gossips.

So the women came and went, like the sun rises and sets. It seemed like a daily routine. The middle aged Gengo would sit in his throne room, slumped over in his throne and watch as his advisors brought different women of all different ages in. Some days there was only one lady, other days there were dozens. Gengo just grew tired of it all and decided that he was to remain a depressed and lonely bachelor for the rest of his days.

"My lord, you must at least get to know one of the women we bring you." Gengo's advisor, Lamly urged. "It is imperative that you produce an heir and at least one spare. You don't have to marry for love my lord. You're the king for goddess sake! After you have children you can have her beheaded for all I care!"

"Oh, and what if I had you beheaded Lamly? Would you care then?" Gengo sighed and looked at his nails. "I'm unmarriable, it's like a royal curse."

Lamly jumped up a bit at the aloof king's comment.

"And here we thought you'd get married too many times." Another advisor spoke up. "Considering your youthful antics, we thought you'd have a slew of illegitimate children and annulled marriages."

"Quiet down you two, do not pester the king." A seductive male voice shouted from beside Gengo's throne. "He will marry when he damn well wants to!"

"Thank you Mihari." Gengo grinned as his advisors scurried around on the freshly wax throne room floor in fear.

"No problem my lord." Mihari chuckled. "But I do, have a girl that perhaps you would like. She's from a cottage near Lake Hylia."

"You didn't kidnap her, did you Mihari?"

"Oh heavens no. But she has come a long way. You could at least agree to meet with her." Mihari licked his lips and flipped his snow white hair.

"Spare me, Mihari. You're my magician, not my matchmaker." Gengo sighed as he stood up to face the magician.

"Oh please, my lord, at least see her. She has quite an interesting effect on men. I struggled trying to keep my hands off of her." Mihari put his slim, cold hands on the king's podgy shoulders.

Gengo stared seriously at his magician. He saw Mihari's hands hidden within white gloves clamped on his shoulders as he glanced at Mihari's pasty grey skin. "You're a man?"

"AHAHAHAHA!" Mihari flipped his head back laughing and tightened his grip on Gengo's shoulders. "Oh your majesty, I must say, you are quite a jester. I'm sure she'll adore you!" Mihari snapped his head back into place and then stared at Gengo's two advisors. "Don't just stand there! Bring the girl here!"

"Yes sir!" Lamly and the other advisor nodded and ran out of the throne room to a side entrance door.

"You'll love her, I'm positive." Mihari smiled as his eyes dulled.

Now I imagine, you as the reader might have all ready figured out who Mihari is. But you may wonder why he's present? How did he arrive in Hyrule in this era? What did he want? Why was he hanging around the king as a magician? Well, that will be revealed soon enough. Where you and I see a sad man in King Gengo, Mihari saw an opportunity. And I apologize for not mentioning him sooner, but one day he just sort of showed up at the castle and said he was a magician, so it would be difficult to integrate such a story without going off the beaten path.

Eventually the advisors entered with the girl Mihari had mentioned. By this time Gengo had sat back down and Mihari assumed his position on the left side of Gengo's throne.

"Bow down and state your name to your undoubted king!" Lamly shouted at the girl.

The girl, who had very long, dirty blonde hair, was obviously crying, the teardrops on her dress made it clear. She did bow, but didn't dare to look up the steps towards the throne where the king sat. "M-my name is D-Deidre."

Gengo sighed and he looked down at the pitiful girl and decided to humour Mihari, since he had been so insistent that he meet with this girl. "How old are you?"

"T-thirty two." The girl whimpered, still not looking up. The girl was in fact, not a girl at all. She just looked incredibly youthful for her age.

"Why are you crying?" Gengo rolled his eyes towards Mihari, who just stood with his arms crossed and grinned.

"I-I was taken from my home." The Deidre swallowed hard.

"That's so sad." Gengo raised a merciful eyebrow and looked at Mihari again, who was trying not to laugh.

Deidre was still looking at the floor, Lamly scoffed and nudged at her. "You should look at your king when you talk to him."

When she did look up, Gengo saw nervous but beautiful deep blue eyes looking up at him. I will tell you right now that at that very moment, Gengo knew that this was the woman who would be queen. Mihari knew it too. He smirked as the once unlovable king came down from his throne and took pity on the woman.

"Come, you can stay in the castle tonight and we shall sort this out in the morning." Gengo patted Deidre on the back. "What did you say your name was again?"

"D-Deidre, your majesty." Deidre, along with everyone except Mihari gave Gengo a shocked look. The king came down from his throne to comfort a commoner, and he was so easily persuaded to do so. And that wasn't all, that commoner was going to be staying in the castle, it was truly unheard of.

Gengo made a mental note to give Mihari a piece of his mind, but soon forgot it. That night would not be the last one Deidre spent in the castle. After learning of her modest cottage being burnt by moblins, Gengo made it clear that he wanted Deidre to stay, and even gave her permanent residence in the castle. This information was undisclosed from the public though. It was clear that they wouldn't take nice to paying tax dollars out the nose so the king's friends could live in the castle with him.

Over the course of a few months, Gengo just about worshipped Deidre, and she adored him as well. Despite the age difference, it was a relationship that worked.

This pleased the king's government and advisors greatly. The king had never taken such an interest in a woman before, and the fact that he had climbed out his depression as soon as Deidre arrived was an added bonus. The government, advisors and castle staff knew it was only a matter of time before wedding bells rang.

And they were proven right, a year after her arrival, Deidre had married into the royal family and become the queen. The people of Hyrule rejoiced. They were all mad about Queen Deidre. She was loved and admired for her kindness, diplomacy, intelligence and integrity. She was also credited with helping Gengo make tough decisions, and lowering taxes. Yes, Queen Deidre was a beloved member of the royal family.

It seemed the only individual that disliked Deidre was... Mihari, the one who originally brought Gengo and Deidre together, and made them fall in love. Yes, Mihari had a hand in making the king and his queen fall in love; he wasn't a magician for nothing. He made them fall in love, but the feelings they had for each other were very real. Magic cannot turn something out of nothing, the possibility had to be there, and it was.

You're probably now wondering why Mihari suddenly disliked Deidre even after he handpicked her for the king. Well, before Deidre, Mihari held a lot of power over Gengo, and have a strong influence on him and his decisions. Deidre -who hated Mihari for kidnapping her- took this influential power away from Mihari. It was almost like, he wasn't needed anymore. He did not think Deidre could hold so much power over Gengo, but she did. That was when Mihari decided at one point or another, Deidre would have to go. She was more troublesome than he thought she would be, and he knew that she would ultimately come in the way of his plans.

But for some time, Gengo and Deidre were happy. Gengo had shaved his beard and even lost weight, but not too much. The only thing that could make the couple happier would be an heir. And that was something that would come sooner than expected.

Please review and tell me what you think. I really want to make sure the reader understands the nature of the events leading up to the actual story and the type of world Zelda is born into. Zelda and Link will make their first appearances in the next chapter, I promise.