Chapter 9

The day after the party, Link and Zelda were talking with Guillermo and Sara Garancia, while Sing and Error strolled through the estate's gardens. Word had not yet come from the royal palace on a royal audience anytime soon, and the adventurers were getting nervous.

"What could be taking those palace bearucrats so long?" Link asked impatiently. "We should have had a day and time for an audience set up by now."

"Patience, Rinku." Zelda told him soothingly. "Polo-tics take tyme... slow is how the he-ro of T-time would take th-ings so he n-ot looose ."

" Zelda, I guess you're right." Link smirked at her broken words... the Princess was getting better at speaking modern Hylian. "I guess I shouldn't be so impatient."

"Senor Link, the fact still remains, it has been several days since your arrival at my border station." Don Garancia commented, setting his drink down. "It is my guess something is going on up at the palace."

"It is probably Chancellor Gonzales playing his political games again." Dona Grancia agreed, doing a sketch of Princess Zelda's dress. Probably trying to find some way to turn your visit to his advantage in the Imperial court."

"In that case, perhaps we sould pay a direct visit on the palace." Princess Zelda added thoughtfully in the old tongue. "And cordially announce our presence."

"Oh no, Princess!" Don Guillermo protested. "That would be an unacceptable breach of court etiquette!"

"Perhaps visiting the King and queen would be, husband." Dona Sara added, tapping her pen on her notebook. "But if our friends were there for another reason, perhaps they could be in the right place at the right time to meet the monarchs..."


In the deep caverns of death mountain, Ganon cackled maniacal at the sight of the two triforce pieces sitting on the pedestal before him, side by side. Oh, how clever he had been, to send his troops to the north palace to steal the Triforce of Wisdom while the hero was away! Now, all he had to do was recover the triforce of courage from that idiot hero, and Hyrule- no, the entire world- would be his to rule! But he would need to exercises patience if he were to carry out his goal!

At least, that was the Triforce of power's reasoning.

"What news of your agent in Calatia, my lord?" The Triforce shard asked Ganon. "Has he been able to delay the hero speaking to the nobility?"

"Of course he's doing his job, you foolish gemstone!" The king of evil howled. "That imbecile knows well enough to fear my wrath should he fail me!"

"Just what did you expect from an insane pig-wizard?" The Triforce of Wisdom taunted her evil counterpart. "He is lucky his hasn't killed himself with one of his own spells over the past several centuries!"

Ganon snarled at Wisdom's sarcasm. The three Triforce pieces had developed personalities of their own over the ages (a by-product of being bonded to the Royal Family, the House of Link, and Ganon himself for so long), they had also each developed quite an attitude, much to Ganon's chagrin.

"You have no room to talk, woman." The Triforce of Power snapped back. "Your most recent master is a spoiled brat, and Courage serves an idiot, as I recall."

"But we change masters every generation, power, passing on to the children of our previous master." Wisdom snapped back. "While you remain in the hands of that lunatic until the end of time."

"THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF BOTH OF YOU!" Ganon roared in anger. "Soon, my plans for Calatia will unfold, and that kingom, Hyrule, and the whole world will be mine!"

The evil king let out another hideous burst of laughter, and teleported out of the chamber.


Out in the Gardens, Sing and Error were admiring the well-planted roses with Sprite as their companion. Sing inhaled the sweet smell of the flowers, and smiled.

"These roses are wonderful." The Chai girl commented. "Almost as beautiful as the emperor's gardens in the forbidden palace back home."

Error nodded. "My old friend Bagu tried keeping a rose garden in Hyrule once. But his two giant pet frogs kept eating the flowers."

Sing chuckled at the image. "I'm going to have to visit Hyrule again one of these days."

Instead of enjoying the flowers, Sprite was lost in her own thoughts. "Have you two noticed what's going on between Zelda and Link?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" Error asked, confused.

But Sing understood. "Yes, I've seen it, Sprite. She's been slowly trying to get close to him... playing up to the lonliness and rejection he feels from our time's Zelda."

Suddenly, it dawned on Error what he hadn't noticed before. "Oh yeah, I know what you mean! Like when Link was feeling depressed the other day, and Zelda went over and talked to him about how bad now-Zelda is."

Sprite fluttered her wings, and nodded. "And the things she's saying about The Hero of time... how he'd do this or that in any given situation..."

"It almost like she expects link to become his own ancestor." Sing finished for the fairy. "Like she can mold him as an artisan molds clay on a potter's wheel."

"But what are we supposed to do about it, huh?" Error told her in a worried tone. "It's as plain as day that my lil' buddy is going along with it willingly."


In the Calatian royal capital, Libertad Ciudad, the marketplace bustled with merchants plying their wares, and the crowds of the city going about their daily business. They barely noticed a hunched over merchant wearing a pair of strength-enhancing Titan's Mitts (known as Golden Gauntlets in old Hylian) and walking slowly toward the royal palace.

One of the Guards stopped him at the gate. "Halt! You cannot enter here without royal permission!"

"But I am supposed to deliver the carpet for the queen's banquet tomorrow!" The Merchant, whose face was covered by a cloak, frowned. "If you could just please check, you will find that I am indeed supposed to be here."

As the guards were checking on his story, the carpet merchant put his ridiculously-sized bundle down on the ground. The castle guards were so busy dealing with the merchant, that they failed to notice two figures slip out of the rolled-up carpet, and sneak into the castle itself.

"I'm sorry, but there's no carpet delivery on the royal scedule." The guard told the merchant. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave, senor."

Grumbling, the merchant picked up his rug, and walked back out the castle gate. After he had gotten far enough away, the merchant pulled his hood off- reavealing the face of Don Gullerimo. Disappearing into the crowd, the nobleman hoped Link and Zelda could find the royal family before they got caught...