Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations are mine unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.

Soul Remnants
Chapter 12

When Victor woke up at noon the day following his father's death, he felt empty. It was like a piece of him had been torn away and scattered in the winds, drifting away forever. And he knew exactly why he felt this way. He felt tears welling up in his eyes again, but he blinked them away angrily, reminding himself: You did this, you fool! It's your fault! Stop crying and take the damn responsibility! He shook his head. He couldn't take the responsibility no matter how much he wanted to, for that would mean that the very reason he had killed his father had been for naught. The nobles would rebel and the people would rally behind them and civil war would be a fact. That's the last thing Lumina needed right now—another war that proved devastating to its infrastructure.

He felt awful as he slid out of bed and headed straight for the washbasin in the corner of the room, behind the changing screen. A fresh dress uniform had been laid out for him in addition to heated water, and a note lay on top of the folded clothes. He picked it up and read it, Rehm's elegant handwriting scrawled across the paper.

Your Majesty,

As per my duties, preparations for the coronation ceremony have already begun with an estimated completion time of this evening at the latest. I suggest holding the ceremony no later than tomorrow afternoon as this is a time in which you need to consolidate your power and reassure the people that there is indeed one of royal blood on the throne.

Humbly yours,
Councillor Rehm

Victor frowned. Rehm certainly didn't seem to have any trouble with one of his oldest friends' death. Not that the prin—king was surprised. Rehm had been the brain behind the entire plot, after all...but he'd had only good intentions. But then again, there was that old saying about the road to hell being cobbled with good intentions or something like that.

Someone knocked on the door. "Wait a minute," Victor said and quickly finished washing and dressing. He didn't have time to wash his hair, which he decided looked awful after taking a quick glance at his reflection in the large mirror hanging over the basin. That would have to wait, however, as the knocking sounded again, much more intense this time. "Enter," he said, annoyed. Wasn't he allowed to grieve in peace?

Rial entered quickly and, after inspecting the hallway he'd just left, closed the door quickly. When he turned around, it was difficult for Victor to bite back the gasp that quickly rose to his lips. Rial looked awful, like he hadn't slept in days. His eyes had heavy bags under them, and he looked ready to collapse at any second.

"Your Majesty," he said, saluting.

"Rial, for goodness' sake, sit down," Victor ordered him, pointing him to the chair by the desk. The captain looked ready to protest, but Victor glared at him until he did as he was told, probably feeling sheepish all the time. "You look horrible," he said.

"I apologise, Your Majesty," Rial said, looking at the floor. "It comes with not being able to sleep for over twenty-four hours."

"Why on earth haven't you, then?"

"I was standing guard outside your door, Your Majesty."

Shame hit Victor like a spear from a skirmisher. "Then why didn't you have someone else do it? Surely there are more than one guard in this castle?"

"I did not feel comfortable with the idea of leaving the task in someone else's hands, Your Maj—"

"'Victor', Rial, my name is 'Victor'!"

"Your Majesty," Rial said, standing up with his eyes hardened. "Now that you are king, it is not proper for one of my stature to address you with such familiarity. It might have been accepted when you were a prince, but now...you are the king." There was an unheard sigh in there, but Victor didn't comment on it, as Rial looked ready to argue with him on it.

"When we're alone, you can," Victor insisted. "In fact, as your king, I order you to call me Victor when we are in private. Is that understood?"

Rial's face twitched in an annoyed fashion, but he nodded. "Yes, Your Maj—"

"Ah?"

"Victor."

"Thank you." He smiled and patted Rial's shoulder. "Now, since it's quite obvious that if I leave you in that chair for any longer you're going to fall asleep, I think it's high time that you went to bed, Rial."

"I don't think—"

"But I do, Rial," Victor said gently. "Your protection wouldn't be very effective if you fell asleep in the middle of a scuffle, would it? Go to bed. That is another order."

Rial nodded in defeat. "Yes, Victor," he said. "I will arrange for a pair of guards to stay with you at all times, however." Upon saying this, his eyes hardened. "It is too dangerous for you to be alone right now. We cannot know if someone will try to attack you as well."

"I understand, Rial," Victor said amicably and smiled. "Now, I don't want to see you again until this evening, understand? And you had better spend that downtime resting properly."

"I understand." He hesitated at the door. "Thank you, Victor."

"You're welcome, Rial," Victor said as the captain left, his armour making a horrible noise as he disappeared. "I look after my own, after all," he whispered to himself as he went over to the windows and pulled aside the curtains, letting in the miserable afternoon light. The sky was covered in grey clouds that looked heavy with rain. The wet stone on the balcony outside told him that it had rained in the morning. Even from here he could see the tail end of The Chimera, having docked at some point during the night. The thing was a bloody eyesore. "I suppose the first thing I have to do as king is to get rid of it," he said to himself. "But how?"

The walk to the grand hall was spent in uncomfortable silence. Two guards had saluted Victor as he had left his chambers, both swearing fealty to the new king on the spot, which made him feel awkward, as if he was supposed to be acting completely different now that he was the sovereign. But the problem was that he just didn't feel like a true king, a real monarch. True, he hadn't felt all that normal as a prince either, but he figured that had just been because he served no real purpose other than just being there until his father stepped down.

The two guards kept a respectable distance behind him as they walked—not too close as to create an air of familiarity, but not too far away to be able to step in front of the king at a moment's notice and possibly take a blow meant for him. Victor had absolute faith in their ability to protect him—after all, they were Rial's men.

They arrived at the top of the stairs of the grand hall, and Victor sagged slightly as he saw that Rehm truly had not wasted any time in preparing the coronation. An army of servants, contractors, chefs, bakers, decorators and who knew what else was milling about, measuring and discussing excitedly among themselves what to do with the place. Victor sighed quietly to himself and tried to spot Rehm in the crowd. He didn't find him, but he did spot Ise down there, ordering people about and consulting her clipboard every once in a while and quickly made eye contact with her, motioning for her to stay there. He had planned to go down there quietly and have a word with her, but his guards had other plans.

"Make way for the king!" both of them shouted at the same time, their voices booming over the din of the people gathered below.

The silence was instant and complete as every eye in the hall landed upon Victor, who felt like melting and disappearing into cracks in the floor. He had never felt so uncomfortable before, but then he realised that he had to keep up appearances and squared his jaw and tried to confidently march down the stairs—which turned out rather embarrassing as he missed a step and stumbled, nearly falling down the stairs in a display that would surely have been very comedic, but he luckily managed to regain his balance in the nick of time and resumed walking as if it had not happened. And as far as the people in the hall were concerned, it hadn't. They were such good sports about it too, biting their lips to cover their grins or coughing away the laughter that threatened to spill forth from their mouths. Upon reaching the floor of the hall, everyone bowed or curtsied respectfully—no kneeling, that would not be done until he had the crown on his head and taken his place on the throne.

He quickly made his way to Ise, who bowed her head as he approached. "Your Majesty," she greeted. "Please accept my condolences."

"Thank you, councillor," Victor said. "They are very much appreciated."

"It came as a shock to us all." Ise looked around, noticing that everyone was staring at them. "What are you lot staring at? Get back to work!" she yelled, causing an immediate ripple of sudden love of working to go through the crowd as everyone started milling about again, but kept their voices down out of respect. "I apologise, Your Majesty," she said afterwards, "but everyone has been worried and it is simply a relief to see you well."

"And I appreciate that as well," Victor said a bit louder than usual. Might as well let them know, he thought. "Councillor, I was wondering if you have seen Rehm?"

"Rehm left the castle sometime this morning," Ise replied, handing her clipboard to an underling. "He didn't tell me why, but it apparently had something to do with the coronation, and he left me in charge. Is there something I can do for you?" She gave him a weak smile. She hadn't slept much that night either, apparently.

"I was just wondering what was going to happen in the next few days," Victor lied. He had actually intended to have a serious talk with Rehm about what they had done, but if he was gone...

"I'll be happy to brief you, Your Majesty," Ise said.

"Walk with me to the throne room, then." Victor liked Ise. She had always seemed competent, and her demeanour was always business-like and to the point, unlike so many of the other councillors. She only shared this trait with Rehm, but the two were apparently not very close and frequently clashed on multiple subjects.

"I'll be walking with the king for a bit," she told the same underling she had given her clipboard. "Take care of this, yes? And can someone please find Jeryd? I haven't seen him since last night." She then joined Victor as he walked towards the large double-doors on the other side of the grand hall. The chamber beyond was just as large, but long tables had been set up inside in order to give the court a place to sit and eat. Another huge fireplace roared in a corner, providing more than enough heat for the room, which was built in cold stone. A slightly raised platform stood at the very end of the room, and three elaborate chairs were placed on it. The upholstery was a dark red colour and the wood was dark, almost black. The middle chair was slightly higher than the other two, which was only expected. Victor almost sighed upon seeing it, but steeled himself. No weakness!

"Missing people, councillor?" Victor asked, distracting himself as they approached the throne.

"My assistant," Ise explained. "Jeryd. Nice young man, though perhaps a bit too obsessed with everything being prim and proper, not to mention his rather...disturbing interest in fashion."

"Is there something wrong with enjoying fashion?"

"Not really, Your Majesty, it's just that Jeryd always takes one step too far when it comes to it. I'm surprised he didn't do something strange with the diplomats' uniforms—"she paused, almost biting her lip.

"Whose uniforms?"

"The...Hyrulian diplomats' uniforms, Your Majesty," Ise said reluctantly.

"Ah," Victor said as they reached the platform. He climbed up and lowered himself into the chair on the left. He would not be able to sit in his father's throne until after the coronation. It was tradition, and who was he to argue with that? "I thought they looked rather interesting. He did a good job."

Ise nodded in relief, probably happy that Victor wasn't going to push the subject.

"So, he's missing, is he?" Victor asked. "I'm sure he'll turn up somewhere. He's probably just collecting himself. Yesterday was...traumatic for everyone involved, I think." He probably shouldn't have started talking about it, but he felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy for the Sheikah he currently had locked up in his dungeons and the Hylian that had been sent away. He would have to release the earl as soon as possible.

"I'm sure you're right, Your Majesty," Ise said, nodding. "Jeryd is sensitive, and I suppose he just needed some time by himself to realise what has happened."

Unlike what I got to have, Victor thought a little bitterly. "So, what is the schedule for the next few days?" he asked.

"Ah, well, today we are preparing for the coronation, Your Majesty," Ise said, running through a mental list. "Nothing other than that, I think. Tomorrow is the coronation itself, and your father's funeral will be taking place the day after that, and then—"

She was interrupted by another guard who came running up to the throne, her armour clanking loudly. She saluted. "Your...Highness...I...have...an...urgent...message...!" she panted, breathing deeply between each word.

"Please take a moment to catch your breath," Victor said kindly.

"Thank...you...Your...Majesty!" the guard said, sweat pouring down her face. Running around in all that armour was no joke, Victor knew, but Rial always made it seem like he was doing it so effortlessly. After a minute or two, she was finally able to speak normally, only pausing occasionally. "The Sheikah prisoner has escaped, Your Majesty."

Victor felt his heart beating wildly as his blood turned cold. "What?" he asked slowly. He gripped the armrests of his chair tightly, so tightly that his fingertips turned white. As the guard explained what had happened, multiple thoughts went through his head, most of them pertaining to the intense fear that was running through him at that very moment. Is he angry? Is he coming back to kill me? Is he going to run to Hyrule and have Princess Zelda declare war? I am so screwed...

K was sitting on the torture throne when Victor and Rehm entered the chamber. He was looking intently at a jingling leather pouch he had in his right hand, as if he was trying to guess how much money was in there by judging its weight alone. He looked up when Rehm angrily slammed the door shut.

"Concillor Rehm, Your Majesty," he said nodding curtly. "I suppose congratulations are in order for your ascent to the throne—"

"Spare us your fake compliments, assassin!" Rehm bellowed. The councillor had arrived an hour after Victor had been told of the Sheikah's escape, and Rehm had immediately suggested a meeting with K, anger having filled his whole being upon being told.

"Very well," K said. "May I ask, then, why you are here? I was just about to pack up and leave..."

"You are going nowhere," Rehm said, not even allowing Victor get a word in. "And you know fully well why we are here."

K paused, and Victor saw a small grin spread on the assassin's face. "Ah, this would have something to do with the Sheikah's escape, would it?" he asked. "I heard about it. Very...vexatious for you, I am sure."

"We also know that you had something to do with it," Victor said before Rehm exploded again. "There was no way he could have escaped without some sort of outside help. The guards were dead and we have no idea how he got out without being seen."

K chuckled. "And you assume I helped him because...?" he said, waiting for good arguments. When none were forthcoming, he shook his head. "I believe that neither of you have done much research on the Sheikah, then, because if you had you would realise that trying to trap one is nearly impossible. If you ask me, it is very likely that he tricked your guards into opening the door, at which point he eliminated them and escaped. They are very sneaky, Your Majesty." He rose from his seat and put the money pouch in his pocket. "Now, if that was all, it is high time I left this place. The payment is in the location we agreed upon, correct?"

"No," Rehm said.

"Pardon?"

"What?"

K said the first, Victor the latter as both stared at Rehm.

"The job is not complete, assassin," Rehm said. "The Sheikah is not in our custody."

"The job was not to leave him in your custody, as I recall," K said slowly. "You simply hired me to kill your king and blame it on the earl. And so I did, rather admirably in my opinion considering how difficult it is to put something like that in his pocket without him noticing."

Victor expected Rehm to yell again, but to his surprise the old man calmed down and fixed the assassin with a serious gaze. "You will not be paid, assassin, until the Sheikah is back in the dungeon."

"Then I'm afraid that we will simply have to kill your king...again," said a female voice as Victor suddenly felt cold steel at his throat, an arm wrapping around his head to hold him in place. He stiffened in fear, having not even heard her come up to him. She chuckled. "Aw, he's shaking..."

"What is the meaning of this?" Rehm demanded.

K gestured towards the woman. "Gentlemen, this is my...partner, E. Say hello, E."

"Hello," the woman said with mirth in her voice. "Nice to meetcha."

"I...you...what..." Rehm sputtered.

Victor tried to remain calm, which was easier said than done when someone was holding a knife to your throat.

"Did you honestly believe that I could pull off some of the hits I have by myself?" K asked, laughing. "No one could. Besides, it helps to have someone of the fairer gender around to provide perspective on things. Let him go, E."

"Aw," E said, sounding disappointed, but she let Victor go, smacking his rump lightly as he stepped away. "You're such a cutie, too..."

"So, what is this about not being paid?" K asked. "I am warning you, councillor, that we do not take lightly to being tricked like this. You will either pay us the money or never leave this chamber alive." His tone of voice was like ice, clearly showing that he had no problem with going through with his threat.

"It's...it's not what you think," Rehm said, looking quickly between the two assassins. They both had their hoods up, obscuring their faces, but Victor could feel their predatory eyes upon them. No mistake, these two were not to be trifled with. "I am...am simply saying that we would be willing to hire you...you both to bring him back as soon as possible. He can't possibly have left the kingdom yet."

"...that is an interesting offer," K said, making E look at him sharply. "How much would the payment be?"

"Double what we have promised you so far," Rehm said, causing Victor to mirror E.

"That is quadruple the amount we agreed upon at first," K said, clearly entertaining the idea. "Is it truly that important to have him, though? Surely letting him leave will spare you a lot of headaches...not to mention your coffers?"

"We...we have already sent a ransom letter to the princess of Hyrule," Rehm said. "If we do not have anything to bargain with, she will take offense and, most likely, action. She might persuade the other kingdoms to cut off trade routes, perhaps declare war upon us. It is vital that the Sheikah remains with us until the negotiations are through."

K made a humming sound, which reverberated around the chamber. "So...quadruple the money for bringing him back alive? And you guarantee that he will not be hurt?"

"What does him being hurt have to do with anything?" Rehm asked.

"Everything," K said sharply. "And nothing. I simply see no reason to hurt someone when it is not needed. If you are going to use him as a bargaining chip, then surely it is in your interest for him to appear unharmed before his princess, yes?"

"I...suppose so," Victor said, not really understanding what was going on?

"Then it is settled," K said, nodding. "We will find him and bring him back here...but you had better have the money this time, or we will leave both your heads on pikes in the largest square in the city. Do you agree?"

"We agree," Rehm said, not even giving Victor a chance to say anything before he dragged the king out of the chamber, yet again slamming the door shut, leaving the two assassins to stare at each other.

"What the hell was that?" E asked. "I thought you said you wanted the earl to be free and not to bother him anymore. You said it yourself that you didn't want to see him ever again, and now you're going after him?"

"It is hard to say no to such a large amount of money," K said calmly. "And, frankly, this gives me an opportunity to settle a score...even if it is not the best of times."

"What score?" E asked.

"I will reveal it to you in due time, but it is needless to say that he wishes to settle it as much as I do," K answered, fishing out the money pouch and tossing it to her. "Take this," he said, "and go to the assassin's guild in this city. Hire their best trackers and have them search for him and detain him."

"You don't think we can do this by ourselves?" E said, surprised that K was even acknowledging a guild's existence.

"Had we not been working against the clock, I would not have any doubt about our ability," K said honestly, "but if we are to find him before he leaves the kingdom..."

"I...understand," E said.

"Good." A smile grew on K's lips. "It's time for a hunt, then."

To be continued...

So, I think I just realised why so much time goes by for each update with this story—the length of the chapters. The average chapter of Soul Remnants are much, much longer than the average chapter of Soul Mates, which means that I take much longer to finish one. So, I have a question for you guys. What do you want, longer chapters and fewer updates, or shorter chapters and more updates? Tell me in your reviews!

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