Chapter 9

Link and Façade waved as Mido and Oto left on the wagon. Link turned to Façade, the man holding the arrows Mido could spare, and said, "Alright, lead the way."

Façade pointed his bundle of arrows northward and the two started walking in that direction. "We should be close to the west wall from here."

"That's good," Link offered, killing a Deku Doku with a single shot. "I hate to ask but when we get there could I buy a horse off of you or do you know where I could?"

"I'll give you one, as thanks for saving my life," Façade offered. "Anyway, I don't think you have our type of currency."

"You don't take rupees?" Link asked, surprised.

"If it isn't made out of gold or silver, nope," Façade shrugged.

"Well than, thank you," Link smiled up at the man.

"Like I said, you and your friends saved me and you're helping me get home," Façade said. "I don't want to take up too much of your time but I would like you to meet my brother, he's king. Then I'll take you to Saint Helan's Cavern."

"Oh good, I have a message from the Gorons if I managed to find any Arcadians," Link said, remembering what Sangornon had told him.

The two made their way through old Arcadia mostly in silence as Link shot down what Deku Dokus they passed. They found three fourths of a building remaining and paused to eat the apples Oto gave them. As they continued north, Façade asked, "How are you doing this?"

"What?" Link asked, taking aim as another plant came into view.

"For decades the Arcadian Army has tried different things to get through these, bow and arrows included," Façade explained. "The poison seemed to eat through yew."

"You?" Link asked, confused as he shot the Deku Doku.

"A type of wood we use to make our bows and arrows," Façade offered. "Actually every type of wood we tried seemed to have the same problem."

"These are made from deku sticks, maybe that's why they don't have a problem," Link offered the two walking forward so he could pick up his arrow.

"Deku, that's what you call these plants, right?"

"That's the race of plant, yeah," Link looked ahead of them for a moment only to stop at the sight of a stone wall towering upwards and even taller stone structures beyond it. "Is that Arcadia?"

Façade looked up and smiled, "Yap, home sweet home." He looked along the wall for a moment before motioning towards their left. "There, just through the fog, you can see the west gate."

Link looked and smiled, "You know, I think the Deku Doku's are clearing out. Yesterday the poison was much thicker."

"If it's not too much to ask, could I keep some of your arrows so my brother's army could finish killing these darn plants?" Façade asked, the two heading to the gate.

"Of course," Link nodded.

As they got closer to the gate Link noticed less Deku Dokus and looked up to see an untainted sky.

"Gate keeper!" Façade bellowed as they stopped a short distance away from the gate.

"'Ayt!" a male voice called out as a panel slid to the side to show a man's head through the stone doorway. "Oh! Prince Façade!" Give me one second, your highness." The panel closed shut before the doors started to move inwards.

As Link put his bow on his back, the doors opened enough for him to see inside. Before him opened a city all made out of seemingly stone materials. People rushed from side to side of the dirt road, some carrying their wares as they carried on with their daily lives. The closest turned to the gate only to stop and stare as the two walked into Arcadia's market town. Link noticed a woman whispering to her friend and was sure they were noticing his ears.

Façade looked down at himself before letting out a sigh. "Not exactly how I like for my people to see me," Façade mumbled quietly enough Link figured he wasn't supposed to hear.

Link glanced over at the prince before remembering the man was pretty much walking the town in his underwear and armor. "I could take off my tunic, then they'd notice me more then you," Link offered, blushing at just the idea as he looked ahead of himself.

Façade let out a polite laugh before saying, "No, though the thought's interesting."

Link noticed he could make out a word or two of what the towns people were saying, noticing it was a mix between them talking about their youngest prince and the "stranger" or "elf boy". He never thought he would ever be self-conscious of his ears but he found himself wanting to pull down his cap over his long ears. To get his mind off of what he was hearing he asked, "So you're the youngest of your siblings?"

"Yes, my eldest brother, Phylup, took the throne five years ago when our father retired. Counting him I've got two older brothers and four older sisters," Façade offered, keeping his head held high as they made their way through the city. "Do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah, a brother and sister, both younger than me," Link said, glad for the small talk. The two turned with the road, showing a grand castle ahead of them reaching high up in the sky. Link looked up as his feet kept with Façade, the teen trying to see the top of the tallest spires.

"What? Don't you have castles in Hyrule?" Façade asked, smiling at Link's awed face.

"Hyrule castle's nowhere near this big," Link admitted. "I'm glad. I still get lost in it as it is."

"You work in the castle?" Façade asked.

"Well, I am a squire," Link said. "The knights and squires of Hyrule live on the castle grounds. Also my best friend is the queen so when I'm not training I'm still at the castle."

"Are you betrothed to her?" Façade asked.

"What?" Link asked, looking up at him only for his eyes to widen as he quickly turned back to look at the growing castle in front of them. "No! Nothing like that!" We're just friends." Link felt his face heat up as Façade looked at him.

"She's lucky to have a friend like you," Façade said.

The two walked through the castle gates, Link noticing every solder they past put their hand up to their head like they were blocking light from their eyes. On their surcoats held the same crest Façade had had on his.

"You mind waiting out here for a bit?" Façade asked. "I'll go get dressed and tell my brother."

Link nodded his head and watched as the man headed for a doorway, leaving Link in a courtyard. He looked around, seeing the grounds people had a variety of flowers surrounding a stone bench. He took the chance he had and sat down, sitting his half of the arrows next to him, as he took in the courtyard and all the people bustling about. Every once in a while a stray gaze would look at Link but it seemed everyone was too busy to stop and satisfy their curiosity.

A boy close to Talon and Trina's age walked over from a part of the courtyard that led deeper into the castle and stopped a few steps away from where Link sat.

"What are you?" the boy asked, putting a thumb through the belt around his waist.

"Human, like you," Link said, looking the boy over. He noticed the boy's brown cloths showed ware at the end of his shirt and patches on his knees but the kid held an air of importance.

"No you're not, you look cursed," the boy stated.

"I could say the same about you," Link retorted.

The boy looked at him in surprise before coldly asking, "Why?"

"My ears are a gift from a goddess," Link offered, knowing in the back of his mind he shouldn't be pushing the kid on.

"Prince Erik!" a panicked female voice called out, getting the boy to turn around to see an overweight woman with her hands on her hips. "It's time for your lessons and you're still not dressed."

"Fine," Erik rolled his eyes towards Link before turning to go with the woman.

Link watched the two go back the way they'd come before smirking.

"Link?" a new voice asked, getting Link to jump to his feet. He looked in the direction of the voice to see a solder, his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Yes?"

"The king is ready to see you now," the solder said. "This way please."

Link grabbed his arrows and followed the solder deeper into the courtyard, where Prince Erik had left through, and up steps into a grand foyer. Link took in all he could of the artwork along the walls, noticing royalty of the past. A few of the paintings seemed to have gone through more than any piece of art should, watermarks, or poison marks, Link realized, stained the paint.

The solder led Link through a pair of double doors and stood just past the door, letting Link take in the throne room. The plush red carpet beneath his boots almost felt too thick, forcing Link to be wary of his footing. He walked up the room where Façade stood to the left of a man dressed in a mix of purple and red, both standing in front of the throne, talking to one another.

Façade noticed Link walking up the room and turned to face him with a smile. "Link, let me introduce my brother, King Phylup," Façade said as Link stopped a few steps away from the two. "Brother, this is who I was talking about."

Link bowed, hoping to be polite, and said, "It's an honor to meet you."

"Likewise. Tell me, my brother says you're from the Kingdom of Hyrule?" King Phylup asked.

"Yes sir, south of the mountains," Link offered, looking up at the king as he stood straight. "Speaking of, the Gorons I passed on my way here offer their hand in friendship like they did years ago."

"The Gorons?" King Phylup asked.

"The rock eaters of old," Façade reminded.

"Oh, them," Phylup nodded his head. "I do apologize, the only writing that still survives from the poisoning is tainted and hard to make out and those old enough to remember them are old enough their memory has started failing them."

"I understand, if it wasn't for my Great-Grandfather, none of us would even have known where Arcadia used to stand," Link offered. "We're still working on fixing our history books from the previous king."

"He's given us arrows that will actually kill the poisonous yuled," Façade said, holding up the bundle still in his hand.

"Take them as a gift of friendship from Hyrule," Link smiled.

King Phylup took an arrow from the handful his brother held out and looked it over. "And they work?" he asked, looking at his brother.

"Better than anything I've ever seen," Façade smiled. "Get a few solders equipped with these and that field will be safe again."

King Phylup took the rest of the arrows and called out, "Chief Simon."

The solder that had led Link into the room walked up to the three, his face unchanging as he accepted the arrows.

"Take Sir Raymon and start a rotation of two clearing out the poisonous yuled."

Chief Simon did the motion of blocking the sun from his eyes before taking the arrows and turned to leave.

"Pardon my asking, but you seem like you're used to dealing with royals of other people," King Phylup said, eyeing Link.

"When you're friends with the Queen you end up finding yourself drug along," Link offered.

"Hopefully soon you can bring your queen so I can meet her," King Phylup smiled. "In the mean time I owe you a gift in return."

"All I ask is your blessing to enter Saint Helan's Cavern,"

"Façade did mention you needing to go there, and I grant it though it is unneeded," King Phylup admitted. "Saint Helan didn't like boundaries in people so we keep it open to all in her memory. He also mentioned you have need of a horse."