((A/N: Alright, took me a bit to type this up, but I pretty much worked exclusively on it at school instead of at home. I kinda spent all my time playing Guild Wars instead when I was at home. ^^; I think near the end I felt a bit rushed to try and finish it, so I didn't add in too many more details… but there's only so much you can go into about details without making it dull and slowing down the flow of the story.

Ten: Time spent editing? Um, not a whole lot to be honest… I write it down first on paper, then I go to a computer and work on typing up the final version of it, adding in details that I cut from it on paper due to time constraints and just a limit of space on paper. And as for Greil, I DID take the name from there, but it's not the same character at all. But I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter, and I hope you enjoy the following ones.))

Chapter 2: The Arrangement

Supper in the spacious dining hall was as normal as it was on any other evening. Rurik was boisterous and nosy as ever, laughing and drinking from his goblet while bragging to his fellow knights how he had finally managed to beat Blaine and would eventually best even Cale. Blaine and Cale ignored him as usual, instead turning their attention to Danielle. Cale was trying to do his best to explain different fighting strategies while Blaine amended them to take into account Danielle's young age and inexperience.

As Cale sat back in his chair while discussing the best way to swiftly avoid and best attack a slow but powerful opponent, Danielle glanced past him to see their father, Greil, staring at her thoughtfully. She felt somewhat surprised, figuring that he would be looking irritated about her skipping her nobility lessons for nearly a week. Instead he seemed pensive, almost apologetic as his gaze met hers. Danielle paused for a second before tearing her gaze away, focusing instead on finishing her meal while pushing her wonderings about what her father was thinking to the back of her mind. Suddenly, as soon as she set her fork down, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, startling her. She looked down to see a slender, white-gloved hand there. To her right, Blaine had also seen the hand and glanced back, his expression changing from one of thoughtfulness to one of great surprise. Danielle slowly turned her head to the right to look over her shoulder, but she could only make out part of an elegant dress. Whoever was standing there was directly behind her. Blaine, who was able to see just who it was, stammered somewhat just loud enough for the other children to hear. "P-Princess Zelda?"

Upon hearing her name, Cale bolted upright in his chair, nearly losing his balance while Rurik choked on his drink, spewing it back into his goblet. "I have not interrupted anything important, have I?" the Princess questioned from behind Danielle as Cale shifted in his seat and Rurik wiped at his face with a white cloth. Blaine managed to compose himself the quickest, shaking his head while answering with a quiet no. "Good. If I may, I need to speak with your sister in private. I will send her up to her chamber afterwards."

Cale looked at Danielle in confusion and curiosity, his gaze asking her if she knew what the princess wanted. She merely shook her head in reply. She hadn't the slightest clue why the princess would wish to pull her away from dinner to speak with her in private.

Although I know she watched over me when I was little… and she still does somewhat now, I don't even know what she wants, either. I'm that noble child everyone looks down upon, so why does Zelda, the ruler of Hyrule, continue to treat me like her closest friend?

Danielle rose from her chair slowly, still feeling Zelda's hand upon her shoulder as the princess gripped it gently. The young girl's eyes locked with those of her oldest brother, who nodded slightly to her even as he looked at her in confusion. Zelda now guided her out of the dining hall through a side door, walking down the hallway at a slow pace. The moonlight filtered in through the windows, softly illuminating the corridor and the paintings that hung on the walls, glinting off the suits of armor that stood there. The dull chatter of the castle residents in the hall slowly died away, the hallway falling silent with the exception of their soft footsteps on the carpet. Danielle didn't speak up, the silence making her feel somewhat awkward as they walked on. As her gaze flickered up to the princess, Zelda guided her over to one of the windows, not looking at her or speaking. She just gazed out of the window, which Danielle was too short to be able to see much out of, staring at the moonlit towers in the distance.

When Zelda finally spoke, it was in a soft voice as she looked down at Danielle. "Your father has told me of you skipping your lessons. It is causing quite a bit of worry to him."

Danielle couldn't help but frown somewhat. Did Zelda really pull her aside just to talk about a matter like this? "He tries to force it on me and forbids me to learn how to fight with a sword. I want to be a fighter, not a noblewoman."

"I'm aware of that. I agree that your father should not try to stop your training in something you have dedicated your heart to." Danielle snapped her head up in surprise towards Zelda, but the princess continued to gaze out the window. "However, I cannot allow you to continue to shirk your nobility lessons. Once I speak with your father, you will take them under my direction."

Danielle couldn't help but stare at Zelda in utter shock while turning to face her slightly. "M-Milady… you? But you are the princess of the entire kingdom, and I'm just the rebellious noble child everyone looks down upon, a noble in the castle…"

"Yes, but you are a noble of the castle." Zelda knelt down now so that she was face-to-face with Danielle, taking her gently by the shoulders and turning her to face the princess. Danielle hesitated, looking up into her eyes. She had such a kind and loving gaze, much like the portrait of her mother. It was no wonder that the people of Hyrule dearly loved their ruler, even if she had not yet taken the official position as queen yet. "Hyrule had prospered for so long because it is established on a society, and you and I are part of that society. We each have a role to play, no matter how much we may detest that role."

"I… I understand," Danielle murmured quietly, lowering her head somewhat as she continued. "But the other nobles despise me, want nothing to do with me because of how I act and what I am passionate about. That very society has turned me away."

"The other nobles see only what is on the outside. In time, they will come to know and understand who you truly are inside." She placed one of her gloved hands beneath Danielle's chin, gently lifting up her head so that Danielle's sapphire eyes met her own. "In times such as these, we must hold our heads highest. We must remain strong and persevere through the hardships that we face." She smiled softly, placing her hand against the right side of Danielle's face now. "You are a strong young girl, Danielle. Hold your head high and face your trials head-on. And as for why I would take interest in you and heading your nobility lessons… I do it because you and I are not all that different. When I was but a child, I was not fond of my princess lessons, but I endured them because being a princess was my duty. If I had abandoned them as you did your nobility lessons, the kingdom would have fallen into disorder and chaos when my father passed away. Your assignment as a noble is also important. After all, it takes many to keep the society together… but just one has the power to bring it all crashing down."

Danielle mulled over Zelda's words in her mind. Was her role as a noble really that important? Maybe the princess was right, though. Maybe it was time for her to try and at least take the lessons seriously, especially if Zelda herself had taken to being Danielle's teacher just for her. "Mm…" Her eyes flickered as she nodded just slightly, Zelda's smile widening. She stroked Danielle's cheek gently, the glove soft against her skin before the princess pulled her hand away. Now she pulled out a small necklace, a circular medallion on it with the emblem of the Royal Family, the sacred Triforce above a soaring eagle, in the middle of the medallion. The emblem and outer rim of the medallion was pure gold, the rest consisting of silver. Unlatching the clasp, Zelda reached behind her neck and placed the necklace on her, the medallion cool against her skin. "Uh, Princess…" she murmured as she looked down at it. The necklace was beautiful, the work of a master craftsman, and yet for some reason it seemed familiar.

"This belonged to my mother, the queen of Hyrule. She gave it to me before she passed away, and it has been my most precious possession." Zelda smiled once more, gazing at the necklace as she rested her gloved hand on it. "I wish for you to have it."

Danielle stared at her in shock, her sapphire eyes growing wide. "But milady, this is yours! I can't possibly take something that the queen had passed on to her only daughter, especially when it's something of such importance to you!"

The princess took Danielle's right hand with her own gloved hands as she slowly shook her head, still smiling. "I have watched you as you've grown and matured into a fine and strong-willed girl. I know how difficult in can be at this point in your life, when it sometimes feels as if the entire world is against you. Let this necklace be a constant reminder of what I have told you, and cherish it was much as I did. And please, do not refuse this gift that I have given you from the bottom of my heart."

Danielle brought up her left hand to touch the medallion, feeling the hot sting of tears in her eyes brought on from the kindness Zelda had shown, but she fought back the urge to cry before the princess. "Milady… thank you," she whispered. "How can I ever repay you for this though…?"

"You need not try to repay me, Danielle," Zelda replied in a soft voice, rising to her feet now. "Come, I shall escort you to your room. By now, most everyone will have returned to their quarters, and I wish to discuss with you the arrangement of your lessons." Lowering her hands, the princess motioned for her to follow as she traveled down the corridor, heading towards Danielle's quarters in another section of the castle.

Danielle would meet Princess Zelda in one of the rooms typically used for meetings with her advisors and bring her training sword with her. For several hours she would have to study with pauses for whenever Zelda had to attend to her duties as a princess. This would be compensated by harder lessons and studying along with more time devoted to the lessons in general. Afterwards, if there was any time left during the day and her brothers weren't busy, she would train with them in combat. It would be a rough schedule, but she had no other choice with the Princess of Hyrule heading the lessons.

Standing before the door of her room, Danielle reached her hand up and grasped the medallion around her neck. "Thank you, Princess," Danielle murmured quietly, staring up at Zelda.

With a gentle smile, Zelda bowed her head slightly and opened the door to Danielle's quarters. The teen entered in, a bit surprised when the Princess walked in after her. "Go ahead and prepare for bed. I wish to see this portrait of my mother."

Danielle noticed her gazing up at the painting, deciding not to bother her as she took up her nightgown and walked behind the wooden partition in her chamber. When she stepped back out a few minutes later, her white nightgown reaching down to her ankles, she saw Zelda still gazing at the painting with a look of longing in her eyes. "Er, milady?"

Princess Zelda turned her head somewhat, smiling sadly. "Forgive me. I was lost in my memories."

Danielle could see the shimmer of tears in her eyes before the princess turned away, starting for the door. "Princess, you miss her greatly, don't you?" she questioned, even though she knew the answer to that just from the look that had been on Zelda's face.

Zelda stopped, not looking back while lowering her head. "Yes, I do. Even though it's been fourteen years, I still wish she was here." She turned her head somewhat, looking at Danielle out of the corner of her eye. "And when I look at you… for some reason, I am reminded of her."

Danielle hesitated, an expression of confusion and surprise crossing her face. She reminded Zelda of the former queen? She glanced up at the portrait, touching the necklace she wore around her neck. "Mm… I'm sorry, Prin—" she stopped as she looked back towards Zelda, only to see that she had already slipped silently out of the room. Hand still on the necklace, Danielle stood there alone, the moonlight softly illuminating her room.