Two meaty hands grabbed my shoulders and shoved me to the hard ground. I hit the stone hard and groaned in pain on impact. Before I could retaliate and make one last attempt to escape, the metal bars screeched as they swung closed. With the click of a lock, I knew that I was stuck in here.

The two guards that had escorted me down into the dungeon didn't even say a word before leaving. I heard the door slam, the sound echoing throughout the halls. The moment I was left in silence, a strong aroma hit me. The musty air wafted into my nose and smelled of rotting sewage. My hand immediately shot to my face, blocking the pungent smell from irritating my senses. The smell was almost too strong to bear. How was I going to get used to this?

Sighing, I removed my hand from my nose and examined my cell. It wasn't very spacious, but there wasn't much inside either. A small mattress sat in the far corner. I assumed that's where I'd sleep. It was stained with dark colors and ripped in various places. I wasn't keen on learning how or why that mattress became the way it was now. Despite the sunlight that filtered in through the barred window on the back wall, the dungeon was pretty dimly-lit. These cells didn't seem very well kept, and I didn't like the idea that I had no clue how long I'd stay holed up in here.

Dashing over to the door, I gripped two bars and shook them furiously. The bars didn't even rattle, but I didn't care. I kept shaking, harder and harder. I thought that maybe if I shook hard enough, I could activate my Triforce. If I did that, I could break through and make a run for it. My determination didn't waver as I desperately tried to break free, but after a minute of shaking and pulling, the fight in me started to weaken. Letting out a frustrated groan, I released the bars and threw myself onto the mattress. It was useless. I couldn't tap into my power. I suppose it could only be activated when I was in an urgent situation, and apparently, this was urgent enough.

I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. Cracks branched out in every direction like tons of little streams, joining together and splitting apart. I traced each line and followed their path all across the ceiling from end to end. For what seemed like hours, I glued my eyes to the gray, crumbling ceiling, not moving a muscle. It almost felt like I was frozen in place. But what else did I have to do? I was consumed by boredom, and there was no way to cure it.

The sudden squeak of metal hinges broke through the silence. Tearing my gaze away from the ceiling, I propped myself up onto my side and looked through the bars of my cell. At the far end of the closest hallway was a guard. His hand rested on his hip as he approached me. No, not his hip. A dagger. It was still sheathed, but a tiny glint of metal peeked out from his belt. I knew he meant business. But he wasn't alone either. As he completely rounded the corner, another figure followed right behind him. And unlike him, she was no stranger.

"Good afternoon, Maven," Zelda greeted me warmly. She sent me a gentle smile as she stepped up to the bars.

I kept my mouth shut and gave her a hostile glare as I pushed myself up into a sitting position on my mattress. Despite my unfriendly welcome, her smile remained on her face.

"How have you been holding up?" she asked as she waved the guard away. He complied and proceeded into the hallways from which he came. Once he was completely out of sight, she turned back to me, waiting for an answer. When she saw that I wouldn't speak, she sighed. "Come on. You can talk to me."

I rolled my eyes at her and leaned my cheek against my fist. "Why should I?"

"I'm just curious to how you're doing."

Widening my eyes, I gave her a bright grin and exclaimed, "Oh, you know what? I'm doing great! This whole jail cell thing is the perfect living quarters! The cracked ceiling, the dirty mattress, everything is just fine! Especially the smell! There's nothing like the smell of rotting sewage in the morning!" After my burst of "enthusiasm," I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes. At the sight of this, Zelda let out an exasperated sigh.

"Look, Maven, I understand that you're upset, and I—"

"Oh, you do? Wonderful! I'm sure you understand just fine! I'm sure you've been locked in a cell before!" I interrupted her.

She ignored my outburst and continued to speak. "I would be upset if I was locked up too. But just trust me when I saw that this is for the good of my kingdom."

I rolled my eyes and spat bitterly, "Right. It's for the greater good. Thanks."

"Try to understand! The last thing I want is for Hyrule to fall apart. With you in here, I can now have the true chosen hero fight alongside Link. Garvin is a much better fit for the role. He's experienced and ready for anything. You? You're an immature girl who knows nothing about the dangers Hyrule is facing," she explained.

"Don't you dare blame me for this!" I snapped, "You locked me in here and put Garvin in my place! You're going against the Goddesses' orders!"

"I'm doing what's right!"

"You're a filthy liar!" I shouted angrily.

She was about to yell back but held her tongue. Placing a hand to her forehead, she closed her eyes for a moment. Reopening them, she lifted her gaze to meet mine and said, "Let's just get this over with."

"Get what over with?" I asked nervously.

"Your interrogation," she said coldly. Her fiery passion had simmered down a bit, and she returned to her calm and collected state. Before I could even open my mouth, Zelda leaned in as close as she dared to the bars and asked, "Now tell me, Maven, why did you lie to me about the vision?"

"Do I have to do this?" I moaned.

"Tell me."

Sighing in exasperation, I answered, "I don't know."

"Was it because you didn't trust me?" she asked.

"No."

"Really?"

I nodded, keeping my chin up and staring straight into her eyes. "Yes."

Zelda stepped back a few steps and let out a low chuckle. Lowering her voice, she said, "You're lying, Maven. Now tell me the truth. I don't bite. I promise."

"You promise?" I asked in false hope. "Right, because the last time you promised me something, you didn't exactly stay true to your word."

"The more you stall, the longer I'm going to pester you about this," she reminded me.

I really didn't like giving into Zelda's commands, but what choice did I have? If I wanted her to leave, I had to tell her everything she wanted to know. But of course, I'll keep my secrets. "I don't know why I did it. I guess it was because…"

She raised her eyebrows as I trailed off. "Go on."

I bit my lip nervously. I wasn't very keen on the idea of admitting that I had eavesdropped on her conversation with Link in the garden. How would she react when she finds out that I knew about her distrust in me from an early stage?

"It was because I overheard you and Link talking about me in the courtyard," I gave in. Maybe I was weak like Garvin had said. "The time you told Link that Gannondorf was my predecessor and that I couldn't be trusted. Remember that, princess?"

"Yes, I do. And my opinion hasn't changed a bit since," she replied, her tone growing more menacing with each word. "You may not mean any harm, but you can't control yourself. And I can't have the fate of my kingdom resting on the shoulders of some reckless child."

Slamming a fist into the mattress beside me, I shouted, "I am not a reckless child! If anything, you're the reckless one. No, not reckless." I stood up and paced up to the bars. Placing both hands on the metal, I leaned in close to her and practically spat on her porcelain face. Narrowing my eyes, I hissed, "Blind. You're locking up an innocent girl, not to mention, the Goddesses' chosen heroine."

She widened her eyes in fake shock and clasped her hands together pleadingly. "Oh! My apologies, Your Greatness! Please forgive me!"

Her mocking joke didn't even phase me. I wasn't in the mood for humor. "I'm serious. This is unjust, and you know perfectly well what you're doing. You know that I'm the real chosen heroine. Besides, I don't see your Garvin having visions sent from the Goddesses.

Zelda shot me a scornful look, and I shot one right back. Everything about her—her attitude, her expressions—made me want to stick my hands right through the bars and strangle her to death.

"Do you think that matters to me?" she spat, "The Goddesses were wrong to choose you."

"The Goddesses are never wrong!" I yelled in defense.

"Well they were this time! When the survival of my kingdom hangs in the balance, I will do whatever it takes to keep it from falling. Even if I have to disobey the Goddesses' orders," she bellowed. Her face was red with fury, and she was practically fuming now.

"The Goddesses' only desire is to keep us safe! You can't just ignore them!"

"Don't tell me how to run my kingdom! When you have your own kingdom, then you can lecture me all you want! But until then, I suggest that you keep your mouth shut!" she cried. Her face was so incredibly close to mine that I felt that we could rip through the bars and pummel each other to bits. We seethed in rage, glaring at each other with a boiling hatred. I had the intense urge to scream and hit something—anything. But I held myself together and screamed silently instead.

Suddenly, Zelda's shoulders relaxed, and she stepped away from the bars. Regaining her composure, she murmured, "We're done here." She turned around and called for a guard. After a moment, the same one from earlier rounded the corner of the far hallway and jogged towards her. I watched as he led her away from me and out of sight, leaving me alone once more.

The first rays of sunshine trickled in through the window, and my eyes blinked open. The blurry haze of sleep slowly faded from my vision, and the cell around me became clearer. I pushed myself up to sit, yawned, and rubbed the last traces of sleep out of my eyes. The moment I sat up, the cut across my stomach stung like it was fresh again. Looking down at my tunic, I saw that it was stained with stripes of blood. My wound must've reopened in my sleep. Just like it did every night. My stomach grumbled and groaned in pain as it screamed for food. Unfortunately, none was coming. I had eaten barely anything for the entire week that I had been locked up in the dungeon, and the effects of starvation were starting to kick in. My body was weaker than ever, but somehow, I was still able to function.

My hair was disheveled and greasy, and my stench was more repulsive than my surroundings. I had gotten used to the awful conditions in my cell but who knows how long I'd be able to last. Surely not more than another week. I was practically in my death bed now. There was no telling when I'd be released, but judging by Zelda's words a week ago, I doubt I'll ever see the outside world again. Honestly, I don't even think she cares whether I die in here or not. Proving that I was a reckless, immature girl gave me plenty of theories. And escape wasn't one of them.

Just like I usually did, I intertwined my fingers behind my head and rested on my back. Looking up, I stared at the ceiling, mapping out every single nook and cranny I came across. By now, I had become fairly familiar with the unset pattern of cracks. Sometimes, I even tried to look for shapes and pictures within them, but I didn't find much. Not that I really cared. Analyzing every corner of my cell helped me pass the time. It helped me stay sane. The last thing I wanted was to die a lunatic.

I was halfway through the maze of cracks when I heard footsteps echo throughout the hallways. A guard carrying a metal meal tray was walking towards me. After acknowledging him, I carried on with my business like it was nothing. I knew that food wasn't for me. He was likely to walk past my cell and into another one. In the past week, I had only been fed three times, and they were extremely small portions. It was barely enough for a small child. But despite my doubts, I couldn't help but hope it was for me. I desperately wished to enjoy a nice, normal-sized meal like the one that guard was carrying. My stomach growled at the thought of it.

Once the guard had reached the end of the hallway, instead of turning to the left or right, he kept walking straight. Straight towards me. My eyes widened in shock, and I sprung up like an excited puppy as the guard bent down and slid the tray underneath the bars. On the tray was a loaf of bread the size of both of my fists put together, a medium-sized block of cheese, and a rusty metal cup filled with water.

"Don't just sit there," the guard said, waking me out of my stupor, "Eat up. It'll be one of the last meals you'll have in a while."

I tried to thank him, but my throat was so dry that I could barely even speak. The only thing that escaped my mouth was a dry wheeze. I nodded to him as he turned to walk back to wherever he had come from. Once he was gone, I crawled over to the tray and grabbed the block of cheese without a second thought. I didn't even try to savor the taste. I just inhaled the creamy delicacy in a few bites. The moment the last bit disappeared down my throat, I found myself wanting more. I swiftly lifted the metal cup up to my cracked lips and tilted my head back to drink. The cool liquid cascaded onto my tongue and down my throat, giving my body back some of its moisture.

Finally, the bread was the last thing lying on the tray. My spirits fell when I realized there was nothing more after that. Here I was, finally getting to eat real food instead of the prison crap they usually fed me. Now, I was moping about how brief this surreal moment was. But I didn't have the patience to think about it. I just wanted to eat. So, without another though, I took a big bite into the loaf.

The outer crust was thick and crunchy, but the inside was spongy and soft, just the way I liked it. Bite after bite, it felt like I was eating something sent from the Goddesses themselves. That was, until I reached the center of the bread. My teeth sank into the delectable food, only to bite down on something hard. I raised my eyebrows in confusion and tried to bite down again. Of course, my teeth touched the same weird material. Pulling the food out of my mouth, I examined what was inside. A small sparkle emanated from inside the bread, sparking my curiosity.

I reached inside the center, and when my fingers reemerged, I was holding a small piece of glass in my hand. Thankfully, the edges were dull enough that it wasn't harmful. However, the fact that glass was inside my food was strange. Who put that in there? It had to have been placed inside the dough before the bread had even been baked because there were no holes the mystery person could have inserted it through.

Flipping the piece over in my hand, my eyes landed on something even weirder. Despite the crumbs and smudged ink all over it, there was no denying what it was. There was a note attached to the back of the glass. It read:

When the moonlight shines through your window tonight,

hold this piece of glass up to your cell window.

- L