Author's Notes:

Hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Of course, if you don't already know, I do have the prologue for another story of mine up, if you'd want to check it out.

Last chapter did change up the game a little. Before a full year, Zelda, Juste, and Felipe (who you'll meet this chapter) will all die if Alesandor saves Colin from the boy's impending doom. Will Zelda die? That's part of the suspense.

And no, Manni isn't Link's father (that would be horribly, horribly, cheesy in my opinion). Manni's third child will be revealed later on, and when I say later on, I mean MUCH later. Link's parentage will be discussed in the story as well. I think. But what I do know is that Link's story will become quite interesting when he's at Sarkotten, otherwise known as the City of Gold.


CHAPTER 9

Kindred


Desmon Ferdinant

Trumpets. Drums. The whole of Rubinia shook with music, day in and day out. This was undoubtedly the case in the capital of the lands, Jeriachi. Of course, war still on the horizon, with the House Vypren attempting to usurp Rubinia right from Desmon's brother, Felipe. Now is a time of peace, Desmon always told himself. Our enemy is destroyed.

Now was a feast among the nobles in Rubinia. Whether it was to celebrate the most recent victory against House Vypren, or the fact that Lord Edwer changed hands, proclaiming allegiance to Felipe, Desmond simply did not care. There was enough money to cover as many feasts as he wanted to. The Bank of Rubinia, run by Felipe's most trusted advisers, made quite a profit from the war overseas, far away in a land called Hyrule. Hyrule Castle borrowed money many times to fuel their war effort, and have begun to pay it off, with interest. Life is good. Exceptionally fair.

Desmon was a knight, and quite a prideful one at that. While he was in no way exceptionally talented, he was Rubinian, where the weapon practiced was the spear, instead of a sword. That itself set him apart from other knights in prowess, and he had won a great number of tournaments in distant lands because of that. He was called the Black Dragon by those who faced him. His name grew feared in other kingdoms. And one day, he fought against Lord De'Groot's heir, Seba. During the fight, Seba became critically wounded, and crippled with a devastating blow to the son's knee.

Sir Desmon Ferdinant could not help but think about the story. It crossed his head every day. the way Lord De'Groot looked at him after battle. "I don't want to see your face here," the lord said, "or I'll have it hung on my walls." Seba was not as upset, and quickly forgave Desmon. Even so, relations between House Ferdinant and De'Groot may never form. Not within my generation, nor within my son's generation.

But it is entirely fair to say that Lord De'Groot had his revenge. Before his eyes, Desmon saw his wife, Elenna, killed and so too was his one year old son the day before they left Lord De'Groot's tournament. He had his revenge. Before his own eyes, Lord De'Groot's knight, Sir Lucion, killed his wife and son. He had his revenge. It's been seven years; time I had mine.

None doubted the fact that the Black Dragon would kill Sir Lucion the moment he could, but Felipe urged caution. "Killing him will lead to full war," Felipe once told his younger brother. "Perhaps Hyrule Castle would become involved."

Felipe Ferdinant, the King of Rubinia, was conversing with his own wife, Siarra. Every few moments, Felipe eyed at Desmon, who appeared in a deep state of thought. At one point, Desmon started to shake uncontrollably, dropping his plate on the cold marble flooring of Felipe's castle. It shattered, into a thousand pieces.

Desmon's brother caught him as he was about to fall. The Black Dragon looked his brother in the eyes. Desmon's eyes pleaded for mercy. Revenge, perhaps. After a moment, the Black Dragon stood up again. His breathing was heavy. "I want revenge. I've wanted it for the past seven years, damn it!"

Felipe turned his head around. The nobles all remained quiet, and stared. "And you know it's not that easy," Felipe quietly whispered. There was no need for anybody else to know what had haunted the Black Dragon. Although Rubinia's king had a suspicion that everybody already knew. "What you want will be yours in due time, brother. I assure you of that. We just have to choose the right path."

The Black Dragon looked his brother in the eyes. Bloodshot eyes. "I see two paths before me. One easy and well traveled. The other path is not there yet; I have to make it. The second path is narrow and full of self-doubt, but I swear, that is the path I take. For that... that is the path of revenge. It will be hard, and I will fail many times, I will doubt myself, but I will not stop. I will have vengeance. There is a difference between living and existing," Desmon whispered, "and I will live. Felipe, as a brother, a king, and a hero, in the sight of men, women, and the Goddesses, promise me that when my time comes, you shall not hold me back."

"The second path it is, then," Felipe whispered back. "I shall not hold you back. But you must exercise patience." He turned to face the nobles, who watched the whole thing. Hopefully they did not hear this, Desmon thought to himself. "The feast is now ended, and I shall escort my family to our chambers. Take as much of the spare food as you can carry, please. The harvest has been bountiful, the farmers, merchants, and kings smile the same at this time."

Felipe escorted his wife, Siarra, and his three children: Thom, Marianna, and Ferro through the long hallways. Desmon followed closely behind.

Seeing Felipe's family only upset Desmon more. It reminded him of the fact that he had none. Not anymore. Thom was the oldest male, making him the heir to his father's legacies in most cultures. However, in Rubinia, the oldest child became the heir, regardless of gender. Thus, Marianna was the future queen to the land. Ferro was of a different breed than Thom or Marianna. She was a child with no name, nor parentage. Graciously, King Felipe took her as one of his own kin. Admittedly, Desmon considered adopting a child as well, but that never came into fruition. Not today; not any day.

Desmon turned around, and left for his own quarters. He could hear the whispers of the lords and ladies near the main halls, wondering what that conversation is about. "The poor old boy's been out for revenge for seven years," he imagined Lord Edwer telling others. "Sir Lucion, captain of Lord De'Groots knights, killed his wife and son."

I will have revenge. Gathering his courage, he appeared, once again, in front of the crowds at the feast. Few touched food, but many were talking. Many of them turned their heads upon seeing him; almost all of them did so upon hearing him. "What was that about?" Lord Sendro called out. He was a young man, tall, handsome, galliant... and owned a small keep, west of Jeriachi.

However, seemingly everybody else knew the answer. Lord Edwer spoke above everybody else's voice. "We're sorry for your loss. The Goddesses are cruel."

The Black Dragon shook his head. Lies. All, lies. You're not sorry, nor do you speak for the Goddesses. "If the Goddesses were cruel, then I would have been my mother's firstborn, and Felipe her second. That way, blood of my enemies would have spilled seven years ago, if not sooner. Felipe is a different beast, tamer, yet just as ruthless, mind all of you," Desmon said. "He thinks about every word he says to a system. Every consequence, saying, prayer, thought - he thinks about the results."

"And it's working," one of the lords marveled. "Our enemies are near vanquished, we are nearing an age of peace."

"We shall not have peace until my enemies are gone." Desmon took a moment to relax himself. "I shall set sail to Hyrule soon. There, I shall take what is mine, by blood and fire."

"Does King Felipe know of this?" One of the voices dared to ask.

"I know," Felipe's voice emerged from the door, and so too did his body. He stood triumphant, tall, and a king. "We're setting sail soon. Elenna's soul will forever be at peace." Desmon smiled, and hugged his brother. The two embraced, and sealed it with a handshake.

"As I stare into death's eyes I will not turn my head. I will steady myself for the coming end but before my battle has ended, Sir Lucion shall know sacrifice and pain, as my Elenna finally departs in peace. Victory is reserved for those who have suffered, and on this day, at this moment, no man has suffered greater than I," the Black Dragon whispered to his brother.


Zelda Harkinan

Zeal was still at work. The entire night, Zelda had observed. His small, dainty feet lifted him through the flooring of Hyrule Castle, as he sent letters and recorded numbers and did the normal stuff the chancellor did. Of course, Zeal's work ethic was the main reason why her father appointed him as chancellor. Zeal's father was a lowly man in Rubinia, coming to Hyrule for new opportunities. Too bad the old man died before seeing his son succeed.

With a sigh, Zelda rubbed her eyes, preparing for the long day ahead of her. However, her eyes still felt heavy from such little sleep. It was common knowledge that the royalty of Hyrule Castle did not manage the country's affairs themselves, but left that to a second man that they could trust. For Zelda's father, that man was Zeal. Zeal had single-handedly doubled the profits that Hyrule Castle garnered - actually, it was Shad who was the treasurer, and did so. But it was Zeal who decided to appoint him there. Zeal also appointed Auru as the headmaster of Hyrule Castle, and was responsible for the daily upkeep of Hyrule's gem. Ashei was supposed to be the assistant commander of Hyrule City's civil enforcement, but turned it down because of her quarrels with the commander himself. Zelda often found it amusing how the political battle in Hyrule Castle seemed just as serious as the battles fought against their own enemies.

Somebody knocked on her door. "Come in," Zelda said. "It's open... I think." Slowly, the maid entered Zelda's chambers, carrying a large basket between her arms.

"Zeal sends for you," the maid said, looking at Zelda's feet all the while. Not once did the girl, not any older than thirteen, look upon Zelda's face, which remained groggy. "I mean the Chancellor. Pardons, my queen." Zelda quietly nodded, and watched the maid awkwardly do the housework, tidying up the room. There was little to be done, besides scrubbing, since most of Zelda's possessions were packed only a few moments ago.

On her dressing table lied one of her dresses, which Zelda was not particularly fond of. The maid took it in her hand, and folded it clumsily, attempting to hang it in her closet. However, despite each fold, it would not stay hanging, and fall to the wood. Time and time again, the maid kept on failing. "Here," Zelda finally said, standing up. She took the dress from the maid's hands, and folded it herself, and it hung perfectly. "How old are you, may I ask?"

"Fourteen."

"I'd recommend learning this, and learning it quickly." Zelda looked again at the folded dress. She took it away from the closet, and unraveled it, before the maid. "Let me teach you this. You'll need it later, trust me." She took the arm sleeves of that dress, folded them inward, "like this," she said. The maid clearly seemed uncomfortable.

"Thank you, my queen, that's generous of you. Pardon, but Zeal wants to talk to you. But I thank you for the effort, and encouraging me to learn more." With a respectful bow, the maid took over. Zelda gave a quick glance. The maid continued to struggle. That can't be helped, I suppose.

Instead she prepared herself, and went upstairs to Zeal's own quarters, high above, in one of the highest towers in Hyrule Castle. He was there, conversing with one of the commanders of Hyrule Castle's militia. The commander turned to face Zelda, who stood at the door, and he stood up as well. Silently, he left the room. "I trust that you're ready for the day, my queen," Zeal immediately said.

"It's Zelda. You've no need to call me anything else," she scoffed, taking a seat, "nobody else does, anyways."

Zeal continued to write in his book, but briefly looked up to see her. "But I've need for formalities. That's what keeps Hyrule running. Law, order, obedience, that sort. If I named Lord De'Groot to be Tybalt every time I saw him, I doubt he would just shrug it off." Zeal took a sigh, and glanced back at her again. "Speaking of Lord De'Groot... apparently he's captured the son of Juste Valle."

"Why don't you call him King Juste, if we're using formalities?"

"Because our enemies do not warrant our respect. Also," Zeal flipped the page, and wrote a new title on the next section, "he did not tell us. This happened days ago, and if he planned to tell us, then he would have by now. Fortunately, we have birds there who like to sing songs."

What a world where we spy on our allies, Zelda thought to herself. "We should approach them about this. It'll tell them that they shouldn't be holding secrets away from us. Keeping Lord De'Groot diplomatically weak means that he stays on our side." Zelda placed her right hand on the oak table. "He's supplied too many men for our cause for us to lose him to Manni, or Juste, in this case." Zeal nodded. "And may I ask of the situation in Sarkotten?"

"Ah, yes, yes. There are four names you must remember, my queen." He looked at her, and maintained eye contact. "These four are the generals of Sarkotten. The first one is a tall male, about your age, and his name is Jora. He's the generalissimo of the city, which is the highest military rank there. Essentially, he is the ruler of the city, but upon death, it goes to the second highest ranking general of the city. She's a short, old woman-"

"Sounds like your kind of woman," Zelda giggled.

Zeal gave her a glare. "I'm married."

"Since when? To who? Why did I never hear about this?" Zelda began attacking Zeal with a list of questions, until the most relevant one came last. "Why did... why don't you ever take a vacation to see her?"

"I have a job," Zeal scoffed. "My family comes second. Came, rather. We had two daughters. Despite her pleas to come home and see the children, to take care of them, and feed them, I refused," he said, "because I have a kingdom to feed. She grew fed up with me, so she found a new man who would love her and care for her, the way that I never did." He stood up, placing the book in an empty shelf on one of the walls. Even though the shelf was not fairly high up, Zeal had some difficulties because of his short stature. "My job does not permit me to take vacations. Anyways," he turned to face her, forcing a weak smile, "the second general's name is Nersian. Know her name well."

"What is your wife's name?"

Zeal gave her an angry glare. "That is highly irrelevant." Yet, upon looking at Zelda's face, Zeal could tell that she would ask again. "Her name was Dianne. My daughter's name is Zelda. I named her after you. Please, don't take that as offensive in any way. After so many years of taking care of you, yours was the only name that I could think of when she was born." He gave a nostalgic smile at her. "I truly enjoyed teaching little Zelda how to ride horseback. However, those were the days where I had such time on my hands, and my only job was keeping Hyrule Castle clean and looking after you. After being appointed Chancellor, I was too busy for my family. I was too busy to keep Hyrule Castle clean and orderly. Undoubtedly, the one I regret the most: I was too busy to watch you grow up."

No wonder father wanted me to keep him as Chancellor. He's lost everything already. "I'm sorry for that, truly."

"Don't be," Zeal said, giving a smile. "My old family has found a new father, who cares for them with all of his heart. Auru keeps this castle clean, even when he's across the continent. And you've become a fine young woman, worthy to be King Harkinan's daughter." He sighed, and opened up a new book, hundreds of pages thick. "The two other generals of Sarkotten are also female. Their names are Jacquelyn and Ayleth."

"So Jora, Nersian, Jacquelyn, and Ayleth are the generals there?"

Zeal nodded. "Know their names. It doesn't look good otherwise. And the third matter of business: Rubinia. Doubtless that Alesandor's family will not ally with us any time soon, after what's happened two days ago. Perhaps that's for the best. But that does mean that we have a common enemy with the Ferdinants, the ruling family of Rubinia."

She gave a smile. "An enemy of my enemy is a friend."

"Exactly. I aim to make peace with House Ferdinant while you're away, since we share the same enemies. However, King Felipe's brother seeks revenge on the commander of Lord De'Groot's knights, Sir Lucion. King Felipe's brother, Desmon, claims that Sir Lucion raped Desmon's wife, then killed her and her child afterwards."

The Black Dragon, Zelda thought herself. Everybody knows who he is. Desmon was feared all over the world. A single wrong step with him can lead to a person's death. "Is there any truth to those rumors?"

"I doubt it, but there's no arguing with Lord Desmon. He claims he's always right, even when he's wrong. We could always pin the death of his wife on one of Lord De'Groot's dead knights, but Lord Desmon would still not believe that. Some of our birds say that Desmon is going to sail to Hyrule soon, to kill Sir Lucion. Even if Sir Lucion does die, we likely have an alliance with the Ferdinants." Zeal gave a warm smile. "Look alive, my queen. We are winning this war. With King Ferdinant, Prince Ralis, and perhaps Generalissimo Jora on our side, we even out the battlefield. Soon enough, one of these pretenders shall surrender. The other two will follow shortly afterwards."

"But only if we ally with Sarkotten." Zelda said. Zeal nodded.

"Have you packed up? I'd say that it's time for you to say goodbye to your friends, comrades... whatever you'd call them. Take what you can with you, including rupees and guards. Be wary, my queen," he said, just as she stood up. "Do not take too many. We want to make ourselves seem trusting of them."

"And if we can't trust them?"

"I've known Jora for many years. He's been a general since he was eleven. He's been Generalissimo since he was sixteen. Jora is not one to betray anybody. If he did not wish to ally with us, then he would not be welcoming us to his city. Take Link with you. He should be enough." Zelda nodded, but Zeal continued to speak. "Jora is unmarried. Technically, so are you, my queen. Take Link with you, as that should keep him from asking for your hand in marriage. But he still may do so. Just decline him if he does." Zelda nodded, and left Zeal's quarters. However, just before she left through the doors, she turned again.

"And what of the royal laws that state that a Harkinan must always remain in Hyrule Castle? As far as I'm concerned, nobody wants Seto on the throne."

Zeal chuckled, "your father had a great deal of illegitimate sons. Most have died in young ages, but one is here, in Hyrule City. His name is Theos. Quite a nice boy, I should add. He may not have the family name, but he has your father's blood, which is good enough."

The firelight made Zeal appear slightly younger, and with it, easier to spot. Typically, he looked down when lying. Zelda did not know whether he was lying about the boy's legitimacy, name, or whether he was nice or not. And frankly, she had more pressing matters to concern her."Traditions are a waste of time," her father had always told her.

The trip down the long flight of stairs was not nearly as demanding when Zelda was going down. Up was the real problem. Down the winding passages, and the main halls of Hyrule Castle opened up in front of them. Still, some people were fixing the castle walls, which stood weak, even though Shad assured her that they would still stand. In the main hall was Impa, who smiled at Zelda upon noticing the queen.

"Good morning, my queen," she said.

"Zelda. Call me Zelda."

Impa shrugged. "Old habits die hard, I suppose. But you will know that Sarkotten's people are eagerly awaiting your arrival, and we've prepared for travel to the docks. There, a ship that many name unsinkable will take you to the Golden City."

"Excellent. I trust security is the best?"

"I've selected Hyrule Castle's best warriors to escort you there. Among them are Link, Petar, and a few others. Zeal has given me specific instructions to bring everybody except you and Link back with us."

Of course he has, Zelda thought to herself. She did not dare say that out loud, however. "I'm saddened that you do not consider yourself one of Hyrule Castle's best warriors. However, I must go. Thank you, Impa."

Zelda left to go to the carriage, where Link, Petar, and a few older men were packing up the last of her bags. "Of course, my queen," Impa said while Zelda walked away. The queen gave her a joking glare, and the two of them shared a laugh.


Manni Rodra

Manni's own ship, the Wildfire, was preparing to dock on the harbor of Sand Port. It was Koholint's largest ship, and rivaled even the best ships that Termina had to offer. It was fully painted white, with wooden flooring all along it. It could easily hold a few thousand men aboard, with additional cargo. Manni was quite paranoid about bringing it anywhere - he considered it a decoration piece - because it was made out of wood. Despite the fact that it could sink any ship with ease, it too could be taken down. With a single well-placed shot, an arrow could burn through the Wildfire's boards to down it. She was slow, and a huge target for any opposing fleet on the sea.

"Drop the anchors!" One of the crewmen shouted at the top of his voice. Instantly, anchors dropped on either side of the Wildfire. Manni stepped up from the depths of the ship, to look at Sand Port. The harbor looked quite excellent. Despite the harsh desert conditions, flowers were littered along the streets, and not a single beggar to be seen, unlike Koholint. I was right to put Aman in charge of this city, Manni thought to himself. A bridge was placed from the side of the ship down to the docks, where soldiers lined up either side, prepared to let Koholint's King pass.

He shield himself away from the blazing sun as he walked the streets of Sand Port. Despite how close the city was to Koholint, the difference in climate was astounding, to say the least. On the other side of the pier was Aman, who stood there, smiling. He approached her, obviously displeased with how hot the city was. Despite having built Sand Port from the ground up, Manni had not once stepped on the land. Aman, however, appeared perfectly satisfied in the sun.

"Hello Uncle," she said. "Allow me to show you the mayor's hall." Together, they walked, bodyguards behind them. People on the street went to either side, immediately sensing that the two were quite important. Aman's was a face most of the residents knew, being their mayor. Few knew what Manni looked like, so they did not realize that they were mere steps from the king.

"You've grown darker," Manni said, staring at her complexion. Perhaps two months ago, she was as fair as any princess was. Now, she resembled the natives of this land with copper skin. But, admittedly, her blonde hair complemented her slightly darker skin color.

She brushed some of her hair away from her face as a gentle breeze kicked in. "Uncle, here is a land where the sun never truly sets. Winter does not arrive here. You can only imagine how hot this place becomes during the summer time." Manni shuddered to think of that. Just ahead lied the mayor's home - Aman's home and work space.

The inside of the hall looked quite modern. With a dark red carpet covering each and every floor of the office, along with men and women who were signing documents and the such. "The literacy rate of Sand Port is nearing fifty percent. In comparison, Hyrule Castle has a literacy rate of eight percent. The average citizen here earns a few hundred more rupees than any other place in the known world. Aside from Rubinia and Sarkotten, of course." Finally, the two of them reached Aman's office, where the guards simply waited outside of the large room.

Aman took her regular seat, where she signed the many incoming papers and outgoing documents. Several cups of water, coffee, and other drinks littered her desk, some empty, some full, some still hot, and others that have cooled down. Behind Manni was another desert man, with copper skin. "Should I see for our guest to have a drink?"

Aman nodded. "Uncle, this is Auru. He's been my personal assistant, and served me loyally. Auru, fetch the both of us some coffee," Aman said, tossing some of the glasses into a bin. Auru bowed, and went to collect the coffee. "And he's a spy," Aman smiled. It was obvious, almost to the point that it seemed to mock her intelligence. And, even if Auru was not a spy, well... he was still a liar, and needed to be disposed of immediately. "He works for Zelda. Call it a hunch."

"Are you sure?" Manni asked, tilting his head. "Why did you not kill him, or imprison him?"

"It's not nearly as much fun if somebody isn't watching. That's why I've been waiting for you." Aman took out a veil of silkis syrup from her desk, and held it up for Manni to see. "One drop stops a headache. Four drops puts one into a deep sleep. Nine drops puts a person into... a permanent sleep, I suppose." She looked around; Auru still was not there. "Distract him when he puts the coffees on the table."

After a moment, Auru came into the room, a mug of coffee in either hand. "Place them on the table," Manni instructed him. Auru did so. "Tell me, your name is Auru, correct?" The elderly desert man nodded. Manni glanced at Aman, who poured an entire veil of silkus syrup into one of the mugs, and stirred it to the point that the syrup could not be seen. "Auru, I think that you deserve some coffee yourself." He took the coffee mug from Aman's hands, and offered the contents to Auru.

"Thank you, but I really shouldn't," Auru said, attempting to give the cup back to Manni.

Manni would have none of it. "No, no, no. You deserve it." Aman was quite surprised that Auru did not appear suspicious of Manni, even after her uncle clearly emphasized the word 'deserve'. Auru lifted the mug to his face, and began to drink from it. Perhaps he deserves to die, if he's so trusting of others.

Auru lifted the glass down. He attempted to place it on the table, but the farther he outstretched his arm, the farther the table appeared to be. The elderly man dropped to the ground, down on his knees. He stared blankly at Manni, and attempted to speak, but uttered no words. Next, his face began to droop. The only think keeping him up were his hands. Those wobbled on the ground. Auru's eyes turned white, closed, and never opened again. He dropped on the ground, motionless.

"Truly a scary way to die," Aman observed. Manni nodded, staring at the dead body. "Guards!" she yelled, and three came from the door outside. They all stared at the dead body as well. Aman did not have to tell them to clean the body up. They did so before she commanded that. "I'd have to find a new assistant, preferably one that won't stab me in the back," Aman grumbled. Too many times did she catch a spy in Sand Port. The city seemed to be a hub for information from the known world, and it all ended up in a small city that had torturous weather conditions. She herself took the other coffee, and drank from it. "That reminds me, uncle. Ramsi's assistant proved himself to be a skilled warrior, besting even King Bulbin. I wanted to appoint him as one of your royal guards, but your demon of a nephew promptly refused."

Son, Manni wanted to correct her. I'm your father, and his equally. But he dared not say it. Instead, Manni sighed, "such is his case, I suppose. His assistant does not concern me. What does concern me was of your performance at Hyrule Castle two days ago.

"Of course, Uncle," she smiled, and took another sip of the coffee. "Like you said, I did not kill them. Although I don't understand why, considering Zelda was right there, in the flesh. I could have reached out and felt her hair, if I wanted to."

"We have honor. Enough honor that we fight our enemies on the battlefield. After the battle, our enemies surrender, and we imprison them, or execute, depending on the crimes. We do not go and murder people at their feast," Manni said, standing up. "These are the ways my father taught me. And his father was taught as well." Manni sighed, "they got the message?"

"We are not down, nor are we out." Manni nodded.

The king sat down once again. "Where is Ramsi?"

"Building the ships, like you asked," Aman immediately responded, "and I must complement him on his work in building the three warships. However, he is far above budget, as of completing the second one. He is in the midst of building the third one using a loan," she explained. She brought out a document. "If he needed a loan, I thought he would come to me for one. Even though he knew that I would tell you about the whole situation, there would be no interest on the loan, nor would money be escaping our hands. But," she began, and showed him a piece of paper. "He applied to the Bank of Rubinia under your name, hoping that I would not notice." She gave a slight chuckle. "Of course I'd notice. I'm notified of any money transaction this large."

"That's a wise thing to do on your part. His part... not so much." Manni gave an unsatisfactory sigh. "What I'd give to be King of Rubinia right now. That kingdom is making quite a profit on our war." His niece did not seem interested. Instead, she patiently waited to hear Ramsi's punishment. "Bring me to the boy."

Just as Aman had hoped, Ramsi had still been there, working. He himself was helping to lift the pieces of wood, slowly building the ship. Manni stood there, arms crossed, watching his son work, side by side those he had contracted. By himself, Ramsi lifted up one of the pieces of wood, perhaps twice his own length, and carried it up the ramp, towards the ship. One man graciously took it from his arms, and nailed it into the side of the ship. Ramsi smiled triumphantly. Tornado was coming all just as he'd hoped. Stepping down the stairs, he stopped dead in his tracks. Aman, he could deal with. His uncle was not the case.

Manni waved up the document. Ramsi gulped, as he knew exactly what was written on the piece of paper. That, however, did not stop Manni from reading it. "To the First Bank of Rubinia: I, Manni Rodra, wish to take a loan of four million rupees to complete work on a warship." He lowered the paper to look his nephew in the eyes. In an instant, the loan document was crumpled, and littered on the ground. "I did not write that."

"Four million rupees is quite negligible, in my view." After all, it wasn't too much, considering the fact that other warships costed several times more than that.

"Your lack of budgeting is something I can overlook. Your poor management skills is something I do not care about. However," Manni began, a vein sticking out of his neck. "You lying is not something I can overlook. We are family, for the Goddesses' sake! Tell me, what makes family? What. Makes. Family?" Ramsi had no response. "Family are the people you die for. They are not people you leave in the dirt, you do not lie to them, nor do you perceive them as enemies!" He paused. "You were supposed to lead my armies after this. Lead us into victory."

"That's all I'll ever be, isn't it? A puppet, a slave; no! I am not a king, nor am I a general. I'm not destined to be a Rodra, to serve the family name, and you know it! I'll spend my days building ships, and so be it, because I am as happy as a man can be!" Sunlight gleamed golden in the stiff wrinkles that framed Manni's face. A vein pulsed in his neck, but he did not speak. And did not speak. And did not speak. The strained silence went on until it was more than Ramsi could endure. "Uncle..." he began.

"You are not my family." Manni turned his face away. "You say you are a shipbuilder, and only that. Very well. Go do your duty."

Harra Valle

Ilia was given a fine dress, embroidered of intricate materials. She did appear moderately happy, being treated how a guest should have been treated. Harra had been given his own suit, a fine change from the more modest attire he usually donned. Of course, when Sir Lucion handed the suit to him, Harra only cautiously reached out, scared that when he was in the right distance of the knight, Sir Lucion would stab a dagger into Harra's stomach. And smile, that wretched smile. I'd never forget the way his face droops when he smiles.

But Ilia seemed happy, and that was all that mattered right now. The complaining was particularly bothersome - but to be fair, he was complaining just as much as her. She complained of wanting to go back to Ordon; he complained about the coldness of the early winter air. Yet her doubt was fair. Even he wanted to go home. Harra was given fine food, water, clothing, hot water, and other privileges, but something was off. Why treat an enemy so nicely? More than once, Harra wondered if it was a tradition here to honor everybody who enters their house. And every time he realized that was not the case.

The night had been particularly gruesome for Harra. He could hear Ilia in the room next to his, somewhat snoring, which was part of the reason he did not sleep. However, every time he closed his eyes, he could see Sir Lucion's face again. The Beast, some of the guards had nicknamed the burly man. He'd often overhear stories of his brutal killings from guards casually walking around, and the name popped up more than once or twice. The Beast.

The seconds turned into hours, and the hours turned days. Three days, to be exact. It's been three days since he'd left his room. Despite the fancy blankets and food brought to them, they were, in essence, still prisoners, stupidly caught. They deserved worse. And a sick, twisted part of Harra's mind craved to the worst, just so they could not fear what happens to them, and instead, accept it.

Now Harra was awake, and placed his feet on the cold stone ground. Despite the fire that lit the room, the cold air dominated. He put on more appropriate clothes for the day, hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he would be given leave to exit Lord De'Groot's castle. Then, Sir Lucion came himself. "Come," was the only word he muttered, in his low and gruff voice. For once, Sir Lucion kept the door open long enough for Harra to follow him. Outside of his room, he saw that Ilia was also standing there. "Lord De'Groot wishes to see you."

Down the flight of stairs, Lord De'Groot stood, the tall, balded man he was. He remained beside his garden, just as they had found him three days ago. But Harra could not blame the man for spending so much time in the garden. If Termina could grow such beautiful plants once again, he would undoubtedly spend more time in Termina's court, planting and caring for them himself. Alas, years of constant warring have degraded Terminian soil to the point that few trees can still survive. Tybalt De'Groot turned, glaring at the two of them.

"My lord, as you asked," Sir Lucion said, pushing the two of them forward.

"It appears that we have a spy in this very castle," Tybalt immediately said, frowning. "That saddens me, as it hinders me quite a bit. Sir Lucion, investigate the legitamacy of our knights at once, if you may." Sir Lucion bowed, and left.

Hinders what? "I'm sorry, what does it hinder?" He asked.

"I was hoping that I could ransom you for quite a bit. Perhaps a few galleys, or a few dozen. Gold, political alliances, and the sort. Anything I wanted, in short. However, a bird sang, and sang it did, for Hyrule Castle is getting involved. They want you. No doubt so that they can have the galleys, gold, and alliances," Tybalt scoffed. "This is why I hate all of this spying that goes on. It's dishonest and cowardly. The real way to test a man is to go to war."

"Or a woman," Ilia answered. Tybalt nodded.

"It truly is a rare thing to see a woman ruling, however. Unless, of course, it's Rubinian culture. That's what makes Zelda's succession line so interesting," Tybalt gave a smile. "Normally, when a king has only a daughter, and no sons, the king's brother becomes the heir. That technically means that Seto is the rightful king. Really makes you wonder who actually deserves the throne, does it not? The late king's will stated that his heir was Zelda, but we still follow Hylian laws, where Seto should be empowered instead."

"The ruler is not the one with a fancy title, or the gender. The ruler is chosen by the people."

Lord De'Groot began to pace himself, thinking. "You are quite right," Tybalt said, "yet that brings another debate. If the power to bestow the king is in the hands of the people, then why can the people not take the crown back?" He paused, and stretched. "I like these short conversations. Gets the mind thinking. Ilia, is it?" She nodded. "You know quite a bit about politics for a peasant."

Ilia flushed. "I'm - I'm not a peasant," Ilia retorted. "I'm not a peasant!"

"You certainly dressed like one when you invaded my hunting grounds," he turned to face Harra. "You also dressed like one, but you're royalty. Quite strange. Borderline idiotic, I'd say."

"I'm not a peasant!" Ilia shouted once more. "My father is Ordon's mayor!"

Judging by Lord De'Groot's reaction, this was news to him. "Oh?" Tybalt asked. "Are you aware of what happened to him?" Ilia shook her head. Tybalt frowned. "Then I shall not bother you with such facts." The sunlight piercing into the castle shun on Ilia's face, which showed Harra that she was truly worried. She already knows. Perhaps not, actually. Late in the night, yesterday, two guards were talking about Bo's death. Ilia was most likely asleep by then.

Ilia clearly wanted answers, but Tybalt wanted none of it. He simply waved his hand. "Guards," he called out. Before Harra could react, two knights gripped his arms, and another held onto Ilia.

"Let me go!" Ilia cried out, but it was to no avail. She continued to squirm, but the knight was resilient, and gripped her arms. She kicked him at the knee, which made him stagger backwards slightly, but it only angered him, since he tightened his grip on her. "Let me go!" She repeated.

Harra, however, did not fight. If he somehow managed to escape, then somebody else would catch him. The Goddesses are kind, he assured himself. He did nothing wrong; and no harm shall come to him. At least, that was the hope. Lord De'Groot smiled. "We're going to Hyrule Castle. You'll be treated as... honorary guests, I suppose. This is under the Chancellor's specific orders. Come," he said, walking outside, into the hilly landscape. There was no questions about why the northern parts of Hyrule were known as the Highlands.

"You're making a grave mistake," Harra warned him. "My father will hear about this."

"And he shall not do anything. That, I promise you. Now walk." Harra was loaded on a horse, his hands tied. Ilia was placed on another stallion, and a whole squad of knights, on horseback, came to guide them. Lord De'Groot smiled. "Give Zelda my warm regards. I'll be at Hyrule Castle before the night is dark, so I'm counting on you." It was quite a sinister smile. He turned his head and started to walk back inside of the castle. Just until they rode off, Harra kept his sneer directed at Tybalt. Lord De'Groot afforded a smile before going back inside.

Impa

The walls were strong, and remained strong, even after the countless bombs that shook the very foundation that stood for thousands of years. Impa herself had helped to lay the bricks to support Hyrule Castle, since there was little else to prepare for. Zeal had advised her to to let Link protect Zelda in a distant land, and despite Impa's begging, pleading, and other attempts to keep her watch on Zelda, Zeal had prevailed. She turned around, tired of doing such menial tasks, such as carrying stone to build the walls. I'm a guard. Let them do the work.

Impa walked along the gardens of Hyrule Castle. Some of the flowers had been picked by citizens, who volunteered to rebuild the once great stone walls. However, some of those people stole objects like vases from inside of the castle, or picked flowers from the gardens. Either way, a few rotten apples do not ruin the entire tree, as the common saying went.

"Master Impa," a soldier called out, emerging from the corner. "I come bearing urgent news from Lord De'Groot. He has brought two prisoners for your leisure."

Interesting choice of words, Impa thought to herself. One does not describe the act of handling prisoners as leisurely. Suddenly, a small wave of guilt swept over Impa. Bruno had a family - or, he said he did - but that didn't stop her from placing him in the hands of the most sadistic man in Hyrule. No, he deserved it. "I'll see to it immediately." The soldier gave a nod, and continued on what seemed to be a stroll. However, just before he turned a corner, Impa spoke again. "And please, do not refer to treating prisoners as leisure." The soldier once again nodded, and disappeared out of sight. She, however, scoffed.

Down the garden, and to the entrance of the castle, Shad stood, directing the workers as they built. Something seems wrong. The walls were never built in such a fashion. "Why are you changing the structure of the walls?" Impa asked him. "It's been the same for thousands of years, and it'll stay the same for thousands to come." She raised her arm. "Unless, of course, I have something to say about it."

"The walls were structurally unstable, even before the siege. Placing the walls on a slight inwards slant will fix the problem, I'm sure. It'll prepare us for another siege infinitely better."

Impa frowned. "And what do you know about war?"

He shrugged. Shad was no soldier, and his father was only middle class, meaning that Shad had no actual engineering question. Impa did not expect a response, so the sharpness of his words was mildly surprising. "I know enough about war to decimate Termina's navy. And I know enough to design Kakariko's castle-"

"Hardly a castle, I'd say. More of a tower."

"It still holds up rather well, even after seven years of it being slowly chipped away by Seto's idiocy." Shad smiled. "Your armour lies on your body. Mine lies inside of my mind."

Impa had no choice but to nod. She left the premises, and subsequently, Shad to his work. Only after a few moments, she located the two prisoners, and a whole barrage of knights. Must be pretty important prisoners. Doubtless that Zeal knows who they are. The boy looked much more calm than the girl. Although neither of them dared do anything, the girl shook out fear. Perhaps nervousness. "What is your name?"

"Harra," the boy answered. He looked at the girl. "She's Ilia." Impa nodded to the knights, who left on horseback. Only the boy and the girl stayed. And both were in ropes. "Can you untie these ropes? They're starting to burn my wrists."

"Will you try running away?"

"He'll try, no doubt," Ilia said. "But he won't make it very far. Halfway through Hyrule City, he'll start complaining about how it's too cold, and he'll find a place to rest." Harra shot her a glare. "It's true. We've been in ropes since we were in Lord De'Groot's keep. I'm sure we can manage a little bit more."

Impa felt a hand on her wrist. Since Zeal was too short to comfortably touch her shoulder (Impa was quite tall for a woman, and Zeal was short irregardless), he always touched her wrist for her attention. "Well met, Impa. Thank you for watching over my guests."

"Guests or prisoners?" Harra raised an eyebrow.

Zeal shrugged, and guided the two inside. "A little bit of both, I suppose." Impa followed closely behind. "As you might have known, Lord De'Groot wasn't particularly happy about dropping the two of you here."

Harra spoke, ushering confidence in his voice, "he'll be here soon enough. No doubt Tybalt will want to see us properly accommodated in the meanwhile."

The old man turned to face Harra. "So you're on a first-name basis with him?" Harra reddened. "Don't play games with me. That's not going to help you whatsoever. Now come," Zeal said, and escorted them up five flights of stairs through one of Hyrule Castle's towers. The stairs were stone, unstable, and the entire tower was dark. But eventually, a room was at the top that appeared close to new. "Harra, is it? This is where you will be staying. Sir Ilys will be your chaperone. You will be an honourary guest of Hyrule Castle until I decide what I want to do with you."

But not at your leisure, Impa thought to herself. She felt quite uncomfortable with Zeal's decision to put the son of King Juste in a nicer place than his kind deserved, and just a single knight following the boy. "Chancellor, perhaps you should reassess their worth. If an 'accident' happens and they escape-"

"Then we'll catch them again. And that time, they will be in chains, I assure you," Zeal cut her off. "But I feel that these two should be dignified. Girl," he said, turning to face Ilia, "are you his sister?"

"Betrothed," Ilia immediately answered. "I am Ilia, son of Bo, the Mayor of Ordon." This had caught Impa off guard. Why would he marry such a girl? Ordon wasn't particularly powerful, and Juste could have found him a much better match. But that was only the first thing that crossed her mind. She contemplated revealing the fact that Bo was dead, his funeral done days ago. Better I tell her, rather than she hears it from the wrong person. Hyrule Castle was filled to the brim with gossipers.

"Quite a way to spend a honeymoon, then. Anyways, on the opposite side of Hyrule Castle are your chambers. I myself shall escort you to there." Zeal outstretched his hand, and she took it in her own. "Come. Oh, and Impa... check if Lord De'Groot is here."

Impa gave a quick glance at Harra. The boy held out his hands, still roped at the wrists. She took out her own blade, and within a moment, his hands were free. "Thank you," he croaked, clearly tired. "Thank you." She said nothing, but glared. Harra gulped, closing the door behind him, and leaving the tower dark.

"Know one thing, boy," Impa called out. No response. But she was sure he can hear him. "If you ever act smart... I'll rip your guts out, in the most agonizing way I know how."


Rusl Valle

According to some of the people Rusl had conversed with, Juste was beside his unconscious wife for three days. Three days. He'd forgotten to eat and sleep at times. According to those people, he just sat next to her, clutching her hand. Occasionally, Brandon also stayed, but Rusl had seen him around the castle at times. Time to pay my respects. Rusl sighed, and entered their room. The doors were closed, but not locked. As he entered into the room, Juste did not turn around. He just held Yul's palm with both of his hands. His eyes were focused only on her face.

And despite the constant thut that was made every time Rusl walked on the stone floors, it only hit deaf ears. "Brother," Rusl finally said, looming over Juste. His brother simply sat on a stool. "Brother," Rusl said again, this time louder. Juste turned around, his face droopy, and his eyes bloodshot of a red. You don't look like a king. You barely look human, Rusl silently thought. He would not dare utter that out loud, however.

"Do you know... how it feels to lose what you loved?" Juste asked. He looked terribly confused, and the firelight made him appear older than ever. Yet, so much more confused. Rusl shook his head.

Rusl took a seat at the foot of the bed. "But what I do know is this: Termina needs their king back," he said, looking at Yul. "Now is the moment where you decide what's best for you. Who do you truly serve? Your wife, or your kingdom?"

Juste couldn't help but smile. "I've asked myself the same question every day, for the past three days. Sometimes, I'm scared that I'll forget my duty. That I shall wither away in the darkness of this room. And other times, I'm scared that I'll forget her. Rusl, I can't forget her. What if she wakes up?"

"We've had hundreds of doctors arrive from the Citadel already. Every one of them says that Yul is in a permanent state of coma. Come, your people need a king."

Rusl once again sighed. Juste still looked at him. "First I need some sleep, and a proper goodbye." Rusl nodded, standing up. With a respectful bow, the swordsman left his brother and Yul. Down the stairs, and to the main halls of Termina Castle, people were finally taking it upon themselves to fix the kingdom. After three days without instructions, multiple problems surfaced, such as high food prices, and a rebellion by a group named the Agents of the Night. But now, everybody seemed to be doing their own share. Colin was taking care of Brandon and Melina. Blackthorne was managing Termina's fleet, just as Rusl had appointed him to.

A tap on his right shoulder. Rusl turned around, only to see a boy, wearing a crown made out of birches. "Greetings, my old friend."

"Do I know you, boy?"

The boy gave a smile. "I am Alesandor Vypren, the rightful heir to Rubinia. And you are Rusl Valle, correct? We are related, by a marriage two generations ago, I'll have you know."

How does he know me? "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I don't know you. And I am busy at the moment, if you'd understand." Rusl turned around. How do such fools enter the castle? But Alesandor followed him. After a few more steps, Rusl faced the boy again. "Look, you're a boy, wearing a crown made of sticks, and you claim to be related to me. Keep on following me, and I'll have you thrown out of the castle myself," Rusl said. "It's a wonder you got into the castle in the first place."

"I'm here to help you," the boy responded. "You and your son Colin need me. Please, you need to come with me or else-"

"I beg your pardon? How do you know my son? Never mind me throwing you out of the castle; another stupid thing that comes out of your mouth, and I'll slit your throat and throw you in the ocean."

"You'll die soon. You and your son as well," Alesandor responded. "I'm trying to help you, I pray that you understand that. Nevertheless, I shall leave. Thank you for your time. I bid you farewell. For now. But remember my words, and remember them well. You'll need me, if you value your life, or that of your son."

"Leave!" Rusl drew out his dagger. Alesandor backed away, disappearing behind a corner. "And the next time I see you, I shall not be so kind."


END CHAPTER

Words: 9,434


Author's Notes:

More of a transition chapter, than anything else. But there were some fairly interesting parts, I suppose. Anyways, please review!