It was two hours until closing time yet Ernest wasn't the slightest bit tired. He was short one of his serving girls, Sara had come down with a fever the day before, so the owner was working twice as much as usual, but his spirits were still high. With the two hundred rupee from the knight burning in his pocket Ernest wondered if he'd even be able to sleep tonight.

For what must have been the twentieth time the burly man glanced over to the table where the knight and his green bearded friend sat. Ser Brutus had gotten excited about something a few moments ago but now the two were sitting quietly without saying a word. Ernest thought this was very odd.

Deem, the two hundred-fifty pound bouncer, walked over to the counter and rested his elbow on its surface.

"Whatcha make o' them two?" Ernest's nephew and employee asked.

The bartender shrugged, swapped his clean glass for a dirty one, then said, "They're knights. Ol' friends from what Ser Brutus says."

Deem shook his head. "I don't think the green one's a knight." He reached up and rubbed his stubbly chin with his hand. "Knights aint allowed ta have such unkempt beards."

Ernest snorted. "Boy, what do you know 'bout knights and their kempt beards?"

Deem shrugged. "When I squired for Ser Nicholas he used ta whip me if'n I din't shave. Said no respectable knight walks 'round with a beard, let alone stubble."

"Hmmm." The boy had a point. Ernest knew his nephew had indeed been a squire for four years. If only he hadn't been such a late bloomer one of his masters may have kept him on to eventually become a knight. When his last master had released him, Ernest was sure the boy was going to break down in tears. That had been thirteen years ago, when Deem was a scrawny fifteen year old lad. Now the six foot four giant was a force to be reckoned with.

Disgruntled by his failure to become a knight the boy had joined the militia as a simple soldier. When that proved too boring for the boy with lofty dreams Ernest had heard from his sister that the boy was traveling north to Absistus to work as a mercenary. When Deen finally came back home he had a small fortune, a pregnant foreign wife, and an entirely new physique.

Whatever he had done up north, it had been more than enough excitement for the lad. He purchased some land on the eastern edge of Faron Woods, built himself a cottage, then asked his dear old uncle for a job at The Cross Guard. Every now and then, when the liquor was flowing and his wife and child were home in bed, Deem would tell one of his stories about the work he and his crew had done. For the boy's sake, Ernest hoped the stories were exaggerated.

"Do ya think you could take'em?" Ernest asked eyeing his nephew's broad shoulders. A two-handed sword was visible behind one of those mountains. Years ago the blade had had its use, but now it was mostly used to discourage rowdy patrons. Even then, the cudgel hanging from Deem's side had that work covered.

The bouncer twisted his mouth to the side. "If they were regular Hyrulian knights, sure, maybe." He furrowed his brow. "But I don't think these're regular knights."

"How's 'at? I mean besides tha' green one's beard?"

Deem turned his head and looked his uncle square in the eyes. In a low voice he said, "That one with the black hair, Ser Brutus? He's got the eyes o' a killer."

Ernest glanced, suddenly nervous, at the two men who were now speaking again. He was too far to see the generous knight's eyes. Had he seen a killer's eyes? Surely Ser Brutus had been nothing but kind to Tomy, Richard and Sakon.

Sensing his uncle's doubt Deem continued. "Tell me, Uncle Ernie, when you have a drink with yer pal Matt, do ye set yer dagger on the table between you two? Do ye hold eye contact during yer entire visit?"

The owner's bushy eyebrows huddled over his eyes as he frowned. "What do ya think they're doin' then?"

In an even lower voice, "I don't think that Link fella was expecting Ser Brutus," Deem said. "I think yer friend Tomy just helped a hunter snare his prey."

"And the murder of Queen Zelda."

Deem, Ernest, and several patrons turned their attention to the knight and his strange outburst. The bouncer shot one last wary look at his boss then stood up and headed over to his original spot by the entrance.

Ernest shuffled over a few feet and glanced under his counter. His crossbow was still there. All it needed was to be cranked back and loaded with one of the bolts resting next to it.

"Ahh," he said to himself, "yer being dramatic Ernest." Or so he hoped.

Link winced as the words escaped his "friend's" mouth a little too loudly. He needn't even look around to know more than a few heads had turned their way. He allowed five seconds to pass before deciding not to draw his sword from its sheath.

Marcus Brutus seemed unperturbed by the curious looks. His face was emotionless and his dark eyes bore into the sacrilegious murderous thief who shared his table. Behind the bearded outlaw's head, in the knight's peripherals he could see that the bouncer, who'd been having a hushed discussion with the owner, was moving away from the counter back towards his post where his gaze would likely be lingering for longer intervals on the duo. Easily the second most dangerous man in the bar. Third if Marcus included himself.

"I was leagues away when the Queen killed herself," Link said quietly. His voice was even but his eyes were sad.

Marcus pushed his now empty glass forward so that it slid halfway between he and Link. "It is no secret that she killed herself because of you." His voice was stern, but not angry. Not as passionate as one would expect from a devout servant and knight. His emotions, if he had any honest ones, were well kept.

"Impa wrote me months before the Queen's end. She wrote that Queen Zelda had become ill, and was becoming delirious—"

"She was smitten," Marcus interrupted. "Even during her marriage to King Yusef her handmaidens say she waited on the balcony for you." Marcus dropped his hands onto his hips, far too close to the hilts of his sword and dagger. "She named her daughter 'Navi' despite His Highness's protests. Had the child been born a boy, he would have no doubt been named Link."

Anger was beginning to rear its head within Link's chest. "I had not had any contact with Queen Zelda since I left Hyrule twenty years ago."

Marcus brought his hands back up, weaponless, and planted his palms flat on the table. "So this sheds light on your second crime, no? Only eight people could truthfully recall your adventures in the future. King Yusef has little doubt that you and the Queen partook in an unholy affair whilst you gallivanted through time."

Control yourself Link.

"Did any of the eight confirm your king's suspicions?" Link placed his own hands back on the table. His right hand was touching the condensation of his almost empty glass while his left hand rested five and a quarter inches away from the pommel of his sword.

The corner of the knight's mouth twitched. "Not a one. The king had Impa and Master Rauru executed for treason."

"I cannot imagine Impa accepting such a sentence well." His voice was starting to lose its neutral tone.

Marcus blinked. "I was ordered to carry out the Sheikah's sentence. There was little acceptance involved."

Control yourself Link!

"Your king is a tyrant," Link growled.

"Better a tyrant who commands than a saint who cowers." The knight's friendly demeanor and voice had vanished. His relaxed posture had been replaced with that of a serpent, coiled and ready to strike.

The end was coming.

For one of them.

"So how does it start, Ser Brutus the Demon Slayer?" Link wished in that moment that he could spew venom instead of just words.

Impa's murderer took in a long breath. "As soon as I confirm that you are carrying the royal family's relic I will draw my longsword and lash out at you," he stated. Link didn't move. "I can only assume your honed reflexes will save you," his eyelids dropped over his shark-eyes quickly then retreated to their home under the brow. "But the gentleman to your left will not be so fortunate."

A sharp inhale from Link. There were too many people in the tavern, and Marcus was too dangerous to try and save everyone. Innocents would die.

Link brought his glass to his mouth, downed the last of the alcohol, then set the glass on the table directly in front of him. Free of the glass his right hand reached inside his tunic, grasped his most prized possessions, then brought it out into the candlelit tavern for the Demon Slayer to see.

Zelda's Ocarina.

He put it back without a word, clamped his jaw tight, and looked at Marcus expectantly.

"Well," Marcus said without moving. "Shall we begin?"

Tomy stumbled outside the tavern, nearly falling towards the spinning earth.

"C'mon Sur Bwut's!" he slurred to nobody in particular. "Lemme show you home an you can sleep wif my wife!" He guffawed at his own joke and almost fell face down into the earth again.

He looked around trying to gather his bearings. He was sure he could figure out his way home if only everything would hold still for a moment. He could see several wide-eyed folks staring at him from their doorways.

"Hey don't jus stand thur, help ol' -hiccup- Tomy out."

One of the folks whinnied at him.

"Oh," he said beginning to grasp how truly intoxicated he was. "Yerall jus horsies!" He blinked several times trying to clear his vision. No, he had been right. There was a person there. They were feeding something shiny to a red horse.

"Ernie'll givya oats fer yer pony." Tomy wasn't sure why he was sharing that. Maybe that Ser Brutus had just put him in a helpful mood.

A shrill cry came from the red horse as the stranger forced the shiny object into its mouth. Tomy shook his clouded head then gasped. The shiny object had been a short sword that was thrust through the red mare's neck. As the figure withdrew his blade the horse collapsed against its stall door.

"Why. . . why'd ya do that for?" Tomy asked backpedaling in a panic. He slipped on the uneven, wobbling earth and fell to his butt. The stranger flashed a demonic smile then stepped forward so he was standing over the drunken fool.

"Ser Brutus!" he cried over his shoulder. "Ernie!"

Author's Note: Only one more chapter. Would love to hear what you guys think before I unveil the ending. Thanks for reading!