Zelda hadn't seen Link for the rest of the day. Though the castle was large, it was unlikely that he was hiding anywhere inside. Besides that, Zelda had spent most of the day roaming through each room, making note of the damages and trying to form a plan in her mind to restore it. And each room only brought an onslaught of memories with it, making it difficult for her to organize her own thoughts.

By the time night fell, Zelda was utterly exhausted. She had found her way to her old room, which was seemingly untouched by Ganon's forces. It seemed to be just the way she had left it so long ago. The dress that Camilla had fixed for her lay across her bed, ready to be worn. It was much more elegant than what she normally wore. A gift from her father, it was intended to be worn after the war with Ganon, assuming they were able to stop him before he was able to rise to power. A celebratory dress. One in which she would have worn when she stood at her father's side as he announced their victory. One she would have worn at a party held within the castle walls.

But none of those things had happened. And as a result, the dress sat on the bed, collecting dust over the years. There were even little holes around it from some critters that had gotten at it. The sight of the dress sent a chill up her spine and she pinched her lips together, blinking back tears. She wanted then, more than ever, for Camilla to walk through that door with a smile on her face. She wanted her handmaid to question her as she always did; how were her studies? How was she getting along with Link?

Zelda scooped the dress up in her arms. The dust and dirt made it look like nothing more than a simple dress. Even the shine to the jewels were suppressed. She tossed the dress against the chair on the other side of the room, then moved back towards her bed. She stripped off the blankets, bringing with it a coat of dust. She waved the dust away from her face, coughing lightly until it cleared. She let the blankets drop to a pile on the floor, then moved to gather what she hoped would be cleaner blankets. The blankets in the chest seemed to be better preserved, free of dust and dirt, and she spread them carelessly over the bed.

With a sigh, she climbed in and pulled the blankets over her shoulder. She blew out the single candle that lit the room and the darkness immediately swallowed her in. She settled into the bed and stared into the dark room. The world around her was silent. Not even the moon shone through her window. She closed her eyes and tried to think happier thoughts. She tried to convince herself that it was one hundred years ago and Camilla had just left her alone for the night. Her father was somewhere in the castle, likely mulling over some documents before he, too, turned in for the night. Somewhere in the barracks, perhaps Link was winding down from a day of training, grooming Epona in the stables, or scrounging the kitchen and annoying the cooks. It was just another night, and all was well.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window, waking Zelda up with the warmth of its rays on her face. In the light of day, her room seemed a little less dark and drab, and she felt a renewed energy wash through her. She dressed quickly, then set to work tidying up her room. If she wanted to restore Hyrule, she had to first start with her own room. She tied her hair back behind her head and dressed in one of her simpler dresses, still hung where she had left it. She tied the loose ends back around her, allowing her to move freely and unrestricted as she set to work cleaning her room.

She gathered all of the blankets and dresses she could find, piling them in a corner to be washed. She took a rag to her furniture, polishing them and ridding them of the dust and dirt that had collected over the years. She wiped at the mirror until her reflection smiled back at her. She beat the rug outside until her arms ached, and she swept through the rest of the room, pushing the dust and dirt outside.

Without realizing it, she had worked through most of the morning, and it wasn't until midday when she finally left her room with an arm full of blankets and dresses. She could barely see above the pile, but she walked briskly through the castle to the wash room where she often found Camilla. She dropped the pile onto the floor and stared at the large, dusty buckets. It wasn't often that she had to wash her own things, but she certainly knew how. At least, it had to have been common sense.

She gathered up the buckets, dragging them across the room to the water supply at the other end. She filled the buckets with water, then proceeded to dunk in her blankets and dresses, one by one. She let them soak for a moment, then scrubbed at them until she was sure the filth was gone. She lifted them out of the buckets and hung them on the line to dry. When she was finished, she stood back with her hands on her hips and admired her work. It wasn't exactly what she expected to be doing as Hyrule's queen, but it kept her busy, and for that, she was grateful.

Her growling stomach then lead her into the kitchen. A few cupboard doors were opened, revealing to her that its contents were empty. A few dishes were shattered along the tables and floors, but otherwise – and except for the dust and dirt that seemed to fill every crevice – the kitchen seemed to have been untouched as well. That is, except for the severe lack of food. Zelda couldn't find a crumb anywhere except for a rock hard loaf of bread.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around and watched as Link dropped a bushel of fruits and vegetables onto the table. He smiled proudly at his find and met Zelda's gaze. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes playfully at her.

"You know," he started. "I thought for sure you had already hired a new handmaid. I guess it was really you all along with an armful of blankets."

Zelda blushed and pulled her hair out of its pony tail. "Work needs to be done around here, you know," she said quickly, avoiding his gaze. But her growling stomach urged her to move towards the table where she peered into the bushel. She quickly grabbed one of the apples and took an eager bite. Link followed suit, and they chewed quietly for a moment until a man entered the kitchen with an armful of books. He almost dropped them when he caught sight of Zelda and he immediately bowed low.

"M-master Link," he started. "I didn't know the queen herself would be here."

Link shrugged, unfazed by the man's presence, and ignoring Zelda's confused stare.

"And who might you be?" she asked, narrowing her gaze at the man.

"G-Gotter, Your Highness. Master Link brought me here. Said you needed a cook, Your Highness." He straightened and lifted the books he carried as if to present them to her. "Your cookbooks, My Lady."

Zelda raised a brow. "My cookbooks?" She turned her gaze to Link, but he continued to ignore her. "How did you get those?"

"I gave them to him," Link said casually. He took another bite into his apple.

"You... what?"

"My ancestor used to be a cook here in the castle," Gotter said quickly. "I met Link some time back and he gave these to me. I would be honored to continue my ancestor's legacy as a cook in your kitchen."

"Alright," Zelda said simply. "I hope you're good."

"The best!" Gotter straightened further in confidence, his shoulders pulled back.

"Link would be the judge of that," Zelda said. "He's the castle's voluntary taste tester."

Link rolled his eyes and finished off his apple. "What can I say," he said. "I like a good cooked meal." He moved across the room, offering a wink to Gotter before he left.

Gotter set the cookbooks down on the table and peered at the fruits and vegetables. "I can't make much more than a stew with these things," he said.

"Well," Zelda started. "Where fresh out of everything else right now."

"Not to worry," Gotter said. "I can get my hands on some fresh meat."

"I'll leave you to it, then," Zelda said. She finished off her own apple, grabbed a handful of grapes from the bushel, and left Gotter alone in the kitchen.

She searched the castle for a moment, but Link seemed to have been long gone. The afternoon was still early, so she made her way outside where she found Dorian in the barracks.

"Good afternoon," Dorian said in greeting. He looked up from a book and smiled at the queen. "I wondered when I would see you. Keeping busy?"

Zelda untied her dress from her back with a nod. "This place is a mess," she said. "And Link's already bringing in stray."

Dorian looked up thoughtfully. "Yes, that Gotter fellow, isn't it? Claims he's the best cook in all of Hyrule."

Zelda smiled. "That's the one. He's already rearranging the kitchen."

"I've got hungry men," Dorian said. "After a long day of work, he will have his hands full."

"What's the status on the Guardians?"

"They've all been cleared," Dorian said. "The smaller ones have been loaded into wagons and are on their way to Robbie's lab as we speak. We're in the process of deconstructing the larger ones as best as we can, per Robbie's instructions. Those will be shipped out by this evening." Dorian flipped through some pages. "I've word that some builders are coming in from Hateno as well, and some men from Tarrey Town."

"Tarrey Town?" It wasn't a village Zelda was familiar with.

Dorian nodded. "It seems to be a new establishment that was built in Akkala over the last one hundred years. From what I've been told, it's home to Hylians, Zoras, Gorons, and Ritos."

Zelda had never heard of a place where various races lived together. Typically, they preferred to live in their respective villages.

"It seems the war has brought many people together," Dorian continued. "It's incredible how much they have prospered on their own all these years." He offered a smile to Zelda. "It should come as a relief to see how willing your people are to keep Hyrule standing, putting aside their own differences."

Zelda nodded. It was comforting, to say the least. She felt a renewed sense of hope for the kingdom. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before Castle Town was restored along with the rest of the kingdom. Zelda was anxious to see it all come together.

"And what of an army?" she inquired.

"My men are still out collecting volunteers. I expect them to return within the week with whatever men they have mustered up. The builders should be here within the day, and hopefully any other volunteers they bring with them." Dorian closed his book and smiled at Zelda. "Things are coming together, just as I told you it would."

"Thank you, Dorian," Zelda said. "I am grateful for all your help."

"Anything for you, Queen Zelda."

As evening fell, Zelda watched as the last of the Guardians were loaded into wagons, each pulled by a pair of horses that would bring them across Hyrule at Robbie's request. She felt a sense of relief knowing that the castle and the town were free of the machines that had caused so much death and destruction. The air around her felt a little lighter, and she didn't feel as much as a stranger in her own home.