Chapter 25: Queen Noèlle

"If I thrust my sword at you, what can you do to avoid me and then strike me?" Link asked as they traveled through the forest. For hours he had been testing Zeke on battle tactics in order to assess the prince's skill. After just a few questions it had become quite obvious that, when she had taught Zeke, Maiya had allowed him to embrace his instincts instead of teaching him a set discipline.

Realizing that he was failing to impress the knight, Zeke started to use all of his brainpower in coming up with answers. It had not been a difficult task, but Link always had a counter to his answer. "Well, I could spin to the side and attempt to strike you with a horizontal slash." Zeke felt a rock hit him in the back of the head and softened the already bruised skin even more. In order to stay entertained during the quizzing, Grogh had picked up a handful of small rocks that he would throw at Zeke whenever the prince gave an answer that would result in him being cut to pieces by his opponent. Rubbing the back of his head, Zeke spun in his saddle and glared at Grogh. "What's wrong with that one?"

Grogh cleared his throat and said, "If you spin around, you may dodge the initial strike, but a master swordsman will be able to foresee this maneuver and he will be able to counter by ducking below your sword and cutting you down from your knees. Also, a warrior should never turn his back to his enemy."

"A master swordsman would foresee it!" Zeke shouted, throwing his arms up. "I'm a novice swordsman! If I go up against a master then I'm going to die, end of story!" He felt another rock hit him and he hissed as the already present bruise throbbed once more. "Goddesses curse these men!"

"Come on, guys," Kenji said as he continued to stare at the swords that he could not remove from his hands. "Zeke needs time to cultivate his skills or he will never learn anything. Just take it slowly or he'll be so confused the next time he fights that he'll make a mistake and get hurt."

Grogh aimed a rock at his son, but Link held up a hand to stall his movement. "Kenji's right," Link said, earning a reproachful glance from the smith-doctor. "Zeke would learn better from first hand experience opposed to textbook explanations." Jumping down from his horse, he drew the Master Sword and advanced on the prince. "Hold up your blade and fight me."

With his mouth hanging open, Zeke stared at the knight as he came closer with his blade drawn. Panicking, he jumped off of his horse's saddle and climbed into the tree above him. It was a difficult task with one of his hands tied to a sword, but he managed to get high enough for Link to stop approaching him.

"Coward," Link called up into the tree.

"A coward I may be, but I like being alive." Continuing to climb, Zeke reached the top of the tree and looked ahead to see where they were. Below, the branches were so thick that little light managed to make it to the forest floor, and it was difficult to determine whether it was day or night. From his perch at the top of the tree, Zeke could see an old city beyond a large chasm. The city looked like it had been in the middle of a catastrophic battle. Most of its buildings had been struck by something that either left large holes in the walls or completely reduced them to rubble. It was a depressing sight, but there was one thing about it that still appeared magnificent. Standing in the northern sector of the city was a magnificent cathedral that towered over the destruction like a beacon of hope.

"What are we looking at?"

Zeke flinched, grabbing onto a branch to keep himself in the tree. "Sakura, don't do that. I could have fallen." Repositioning himself on the branch he was sitting on, Zeke gave his fairy-girl a pat on the head and plucked a leaf out of her hair. "If I'm not mistaken," he said, pointing at the city. "I believe that is Ondine over there."

"Really?" Sakura leaned forward and tilted her head to the side. "It looks so sad. Like it is empty and it wants people to come live in it."

As they were looking towards the city, a bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky and struck the ground near the edge of the city. From their high vantage point, Zeke and Sakura could hear a voice cry out in shock.

"What was that?" Link yelled up into the tree, holding his hands around his mouth so that his voice would carry.

Both Zeke and Sakura started to climb down the tree while the prince explained that lightning had struck. "We heard someone scream. It sounded like a woman." Link swore and jumped onto his horse, disappearing down the path with his cloak whipping out behind him. Zeke dropped down from the tree, missing his horse and falling to the dirt. "What's up with him?"

Donning an understanding expression, Grogh said, "There are very few people in Ondine right now, and only one of them is a woman." He scratched his horse behind the ears and told it to get moving, carrying him down the same path that Link had taken.

"Zeke, hold out your arms," Kenji muttered as he lightly kicked his horse into a trot and left the prince behind.

"Why?" Just moments after asking, Sakura fell into his arms with a high-pitched squeal. "Oh, you okay Sakura?" he asked as he set her on her feet.

The fall had scared Sakura and it took some coaxing to get her to let go of him. "I-I am f-fine. L-let us g-go see what happened." With Zeke's help, she climbed onto the horse and waited for Zeke to climb up behind her. "Who do you think screamed?"

"I guess we'll find out."

*

As Zeke and Sakura neared the end of the bridge that crossed over the chasm, they could see Link sitting and supporting a woman with curly black hair. Getting closer, they could hear the words that were being spoken, and they were not pleasant.

"Link, is that you?" the woman asked. "I'm afraid my eyes have failed me."

"Yes, Noèlle. It's Link."

The woman slowly reached up with her hand and stroked Link's cheek softly, a smile appearing on her lips. "I'm so sorry, Link. I saw something in the trees, and I wanted to take a look, but I stepped outside the gate…"

Taking the hand, Link helped Noèlle sit up and told her to stop talking. Three feet to his left was a black circle that was smoking like as if it had been struck by something incredibly hot. "Noèlle, you know what Din said about that. She's not the most forgiving Goddess."

"I don't think I'm going to make it, Link." Tears started streaming down her pale cheeks as she started to cough off to the side. "It hurts so much…"

Link's eyes became wide and fear could be seen in his weathered blue eyes. "She took your immortality? Noèlle, please, you have to hold on!" Desperate, he looked around him for some sort of medicine that would heal the woman of all her pain. "Grogh, do you have anything?!"

"I'm sorry, Link," Grogh murmured. "I have nothing that can stop death."

"Link, do not make my passing sad," Noèlle whispered, gazing into his eyes. "If I may, may I ask of you one favor?"

"Anything, Noèlle."

"Before I die…kiss me."

Link shoved the woman away from him and stood up, brushing dirt off of his pants. "She's fine."

The other four humans gawked at Link and turned their attention to the woman on the ground, becoming increasingly worried about her.

Rising to her feet so quickly that her hair bounced above her head, Noèlle took in a deep breath and screamed, "What the hell was that for?!" She jumped onto Link's back and started to hit him on the head, wrapping an arm around his neck so he could not push her off. "Is that how you treat a dying woman?! Not to mention a beautiful dying woman?! It's no wonder why girls don't like you!"

Link managed to slip out of her grasp, but she picked up a small tree branch and started chasing him around with it.

"That's Noèlle, the queen of Ondine?" Kenji asked, pointing at the immature woman who was beating Link with her branch. For a being that was hundreds of years old, she acted like a child.

Suddenly, Noèlle fell to her knees and started coughing so hard that she had to hold herself. Link knelt down next to her and gave her back a pat. "Are you okay, Noèlle?" he asked, helping her back to her feet.

She nodded and cleared her throat, saying that she was fine. "So who are these people?" Walking over to Zeke, she crossed her arms and gave him a flirty gaze. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"

Zeke shook his head and gulped, feeling himself getting lost in her golden eyes. "No, I don't think we have." He began to feel strange, as if a fog was clouding his thoughts. Inside, he knew that the longer he held the woman's gaze the worse it would become, but there was something about her golden eyes that made it impossible for him to look away.

One of her eyebrows rose and she giggled. "Of course, you are the poor young man who had a sword put through him. You wouldn't remember me because you were sleeping whenever I was around." Taking his chin, she turned his head slightly and followed his jaw line with a finger. "So you're Zelda's son, eh? You have your mother's nose, and your eyes are similar in shape, they remind me of almonds. Although, that vacant expression you have right now is definitely your father's."

The haze that had been gathering in his mind was lifted and Zeke took a hold of the front of her dress, pulling her face right in front of his. "You knew my father? Who was he?" The woman's eyes started to roll back in her head and she had a funny expression on her face that Zeke thought might be her way of mocking him, but then she sneezed in his face and, as a result of the shocking action, he let go of her.

Straightening her dress, Noèlle ignored him and went over to Kenji. She looked at him for two seconds before saying, "You're boring." Then she turned her attention to Sakura and became even more intrigued than when she had looked at Zeke. "What have we here?" she said quietly, bending down to examine the shorter girl's face. "Your ears, your eyes, you're not human, are you, little bug?"

Zeke regarded the woman critically. Little bug?

Sakura scratched her head, wondering what the woman meant. "I am too a human. The great fairy Kendra said so." Worried that Kendra had done something to make her appear inhuman, she started examining herself for anything that looked out of place.

Noèlle found this amusing, letting out a chuckle that turned into a cough. Taking Sakura's hands in hers, she got the girl's attention and winked, saying, "You can change your outer appearance all you want, but your heart will remain the same no matter what, fairy girl." With Sakura's hand still in hers, Noèlle turned to Grogh and gave him a deep bow. "I'm glad you could come, Sir Grogh. I always considered you to be great company."

The apothecary returned the bow, saying, "It's always a pleasure to be in the presence of royalty, your highness. However, I must implore that you take us to your home so I can treat you."

"Of course," she said, everyone noticing that her voice sounded congested. "My home is just over yonder." As they started walking towards the lone house on a street that had no other buildings on it, Noèlle looked over at Zeke and gave him a sympathetic expression. "I'm sorry about what happened to Maiya."

First my father, and now my friend, Zeke thought, irritated. How does she know so much?

"I know it must be tough to have someone around who knows all the answers to your questions," Noèlle said, ignoring the surprised look on his face. "But some things are just better left unknown."

"Noèlle, stop it." Link gave the woman a swat on the back of her head and opened the door to her home, striding in with incredible familiarity. "Let Zeke's thoughts be his own." He pushed the woman into a comfortable looking chair and threw a blanket around her shoulders to keep her warm. "Need anything?"

This was the most shocking thing Zeke had encountered since leaving home. Link, the leader of the Crimson Tears, the most dangerous man in all of Hyrule, was catering to this woman's needs. "Unbelievable," he mumbled as he leaned against a wall next to Sakura, who was still trying to find what it was about her that gave away her true nature.

Kenji leaned towards Zeke and reminded him why they were there, telling him that there was no better time than the present to ask her about the crystal force. Just mentioning the object made Sakura look at her feet and anywhere else but at Zeke. He knew she had seen his thoughts, but he did not care what she thought. Power was what he wanted, and he had good reasons as to why.

Clearing his throat before speaking, Zeke stepped forward and said, "Noèlle, I would like to ask you something about your past."

Both Grogh and Link scowled at the prince, one of them tossing a book at him. Noèlle reached out for the book with a cry of anguish, groaning when it hit Zeke. "Noèlle is very sick, Zeke," Link said sternly, pushing Noèlle back into her seat when she stood up to retrieve her book. "Your questions can wait until she's feeling better."

Noèlle started to object, but Grogh forced her to drink something he had pulled out of his bag, making her go into a fit of coughing. "Once your coughing stops, I can give you an infusion of ginseng and mushrooms from the forest. This will strengthen your immune system so you'll be able to fight the illness on your own. There's not much I can do to help with your congestion. I would suggest drinking herbal teas with mint leaves."

Link helped Noèlle up the stairs so she could lie in a bed, leaving the others down in her living room. Zeke, angry that he was being forced to wait for answers, went outside and left the others. When Link came back, he said that they should all get some rest, and so he showed the others to rooms where they could stay. Noticing that Zeke was outside, Link opened a window and said, "You and Kenji will be sharing a room."

The prince ignored the knight and tried to cross his arms, an awkward task with a sword attached to his left hand. "I'll lay my head where I please, Link." In order to show Link that he was done speaking with him, he turned his back to the knight and started to walk away. In all honesty, he was more interested in seeing the city.

When he was little, he would occasionally hear his mother talking about Ondine, but he knew very little about the city. What he did know was that Noèlle was the queen, and that she and her group of ten subjects were considered to be Ondinians, the term that had been adopted to declare their independence from Hyrule. Apart from that, he knew that there was a trade going between Hyrule and Ondine that involved exchanging goods for supplies to help restore the city. It was more than most people knew, but it was still inadequate.

Feeling whimsical, Zeke turned and started to walk down what appeared to be a main street that led deeper into the city. He wanted to get a closer look at the cathedral he had seen when he was in the trees. It was a magnificent piece of architecture and it seemed to be the only building that had not suffered any damage over the many years.

"May I join you, young prince?" Zeke turned and saw Noèlle standing a few feet away from him, an open window above her.

"Sure," he said. "I guess having company wouldn't hurt."

The woman smiled and walked over to him, linking her arm with his like an escort. "It never hurts to have company." They started walking, and she said, "I apologize that my city doesn't quite share the same splendor of Castle Town. I don't have very many people helping me restore it."

"Castle Town's not that great," Zeke murmured, closing his eyes halfway as irritation of just the thought came to him. "The buildings are too close together and it's easy to get lost if you don't know your way around." Turning a mockingly interested eye on the woman next to him, he asked, "How did you know about Maiya?" His questioning stare was mirrored on the woman's face.

Making a thoughtful noise in her throat, Noèlle shrugged and said, "After Enigma saved her, she was brought here. She was quite worried about you. Such a loving girl."

"Where is she now?" He wanted to believe that she was still around, but he knew just from the way Noèlle was talking that she had left. When she told him that Maiya had left a few days before, he frowned and left the topic behind.

"So what brings you to my city?" Noèlle asked, hopping over some rubble. "I've been trying to get your mother to bring you and your sister here for years, but your mom is always so busy." After appearing to have thought about it quite hard, she then added, "I think she's afraid I'll corrupt you or something."

Before Zeke could question her on the subject, a strange man approached them and ended the conversation briefly. "My queen, we have just finished cleaning the library," he said with a deep voice that demanded authority. "Where would you like us to get to work next?" While this man and Noèlle discussed fixing up one of the inns, Zeke stared at the man with a scrutinizing gaze. Though his face was undeniably human, his arms and legs were covered in tawny hair that appeared to cover his whole body. The red hair on his head fell to his shoulders like a mane, and a tail sprouted from out of the back of his pants, waving around curiously.

When he left, Zeke asked Noèlle what species he was. "He is an Ondinian," she said plainly. "Ten men came to me and offered to help with restoring the city, and seeing that we have a lot of work ahead of us, I used some of my magic to enhance their bodies." She pointed at the man walking away and said, "His name is Loren. It was his idea to make them look animalistic. I changed him to be like a lion because he was the first to pledge his allegiance to me. I believe he was in the military for a time, or at least he acts like he does with his infallible loyalty. The others range from birds to beasts, and one even requested a lizard like body so he could climb easier. Although, that guy has a tendency to eat bugs which I think is disgusting." With a whimsical giggle, she gripped Zeke's arm a little tighter and offered to show him the library.

In her excitement, Noèlle nearly dragged Zeke through the streets, making him trip over pieces of rubble and debris. "Slow down, Noèlle," he begged as he slipped on some loose rubble and just barely caught himself in time to stay on his feet. "The ground is dangerous!"

"Quit whining," she said with a scowl. "You're acting just like your father did." When she said this, Zeke yanked on Noèlle's arm and pulled her backwards into him. "What are you doing, young prince?" she asked as she noticed he had an arm around her waist to keep her from going anywhere. "I know I'm beautiful and many men lust after me, but you should think about the girl that loves you."

With a cold stare, Zeke said, "There you go again, mentioning my father." He could only imagine how she knew about his father, but considering that she knew his mother, it was not all that unbelievable. "Who is my father?"

Above them, a bird shrieked and then Zeke felt himself being lifted from the ground. "My queen," someone said from behind the prince. "Are you okay?"

"Neisir, put him down," Noèlle commanded, pointing at the ground before her. "That's the prince of Hyrule you've got there."

The birdman groaned and said, "I thought he was attacking you." Slowly, he lowered Zeke down until his feet touched the ground. Touching down next to Zeke, he dropped to a knee and bowed to him. "I beg your pardon, your highness."

Unused to people bowing before him, Zeke quickly told Neisir to stand up. "I forgive you, Neisir. You were just trying to protect your queen." While Noèlle chastised the man, Zeke took the time to observe this man as well. Unlike the members of the Rito Tribe, Neisir's wings grew from his back and gave him his arms to use while in flight. His wings were dark like a raven's, a strange contrast to his pale skin, but one that seemed to work for him.

"He is our esteemed guest and you are to show him respect!" Noèlle shouted. Zeke could not believe how angry she was over the situation. Every word that fell from her mouth was like a whip lashing across Neisir's back, making him flinch and cringe in discomfort. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Neisir looked up with tears in his eyes, fighting back sobs in order to speak. "I'm sorry, my queen! I will exercise better judgment in the future!" For Noèlle, he got on his knees and touched his forehead to the ground in an attempt to bow as low as he could. "I will accept any punishment the prince wishes!"

Crouching down next to the man, Noèlle lifted his chin and smiled at him in a way that reflected that of a mother to a child. "Now stand up and wipe away those tears. You're a man now, Neisir. Not a child." She helped him to his feet and even took out a handkerchief to wipe away some of his tears. "Where should you be right now, Neisir?"

A look of fear swept over Neisir's face and he said that he was supposed to be helping Loren at the next project. Quickly, he ran off down the street to get some wind under his wings before jumping into the air and flying off.

"Can you believe he's only fourteen?" Noèlle asked, smiling after him. "He was abandoned by his parents who left him with a group of fishermen when he was ten. Their boat got swept up by a storm and all but Neisir died. Somehow he was brought to Ondine, and ever since then I have taken care of him as his surrogate mother." They continued walking towards the library, and Noèlle noticed the sword attached to Zeke's hand. "So what's up with the sword?"

Holding up the heavy blade, Zeke frowned and said, "Link doesn't think I'm good enough with a sword yet, so he's making me carry this thing around until he says I can untie the wrappings around my hand." He swung the blade and sighed. "It's too heavy for me."

"Your father was quite the swordsman," Noèlle said encouragingly. "You'll be able to kick Link's ass in no time." Zeke gave her an annoyed look, and there was no need for him to voice what he was thinking. Linking her arm with his again, she became grim and said, "Your father's dead, Zeke. He died shortly after you were conceived."

"How?"

Noèlle shrugged. "Who knows? Your mother might, but as you probably know, she doesn't like to talk about him. I wouldn't want to either. If a man said he loved me then died after getting me pregnant I would be pretty upset too." She regarded Zeke with a curious expression before saying, "You don't get along with your mom."

"You're not going to give me a lecture too, are you?" Zeke asked through clenched teeth. All right, I get it. I'm not the best son in the world. "I already promised myself I would somehow mend our relationship."

"Why would you want to? Your mother's insane." This response surprised Zeke so much that he had to look at the woman's face to make sure she was joking. Revealing a single fang on the right side of her mouth with her amused smile, Noèlle said, "I like your mom. She was the first person to laugh at one of my jokes after many centuries. I'm glad to see you are very much like her." When Zeke furrowed his brow as he tried to think of what made him like his mother, she saved him the trouble by saying, "You're strong willed, wise, and loving. Three traits your mother carried in excess. Plus she always seemed to have a question to ask, much like you. What is it you're dying to know about?"

"What, you don't already know?" he asked.

Noèlle laughed and shook her head, making her curls bounce. "You catch on fast. Yes, but I know you have many questions to ask so it would be better if I let you ask so that I'm not answering the wrong one. For example, no, Maiya's not pregnant." She saw Zeke blush and giggled. "Well prince? Ask away."

Shaking off his discomfort, Zeke asked, "Did you know Sri Tessla when you were in the Sacred Realm?"

"I should have known." Noèlle sighed and worry showed on her face as she regarded Zeke with a sorrowful expression. There was a silent plea in her eyes that were begging the prince to recall the question, but he made no effort to take back the question and this only made the woman even more concerned. "Why do you want to know about her? Is it the crystal force?"

Turning his back to her, Zeke ran his fingers through his hair and leaned on the sword like a cane. "When we were attacked at the castle," he said, the memory playing in his mind with unerring accuracy. "I fought a horde of bulbins and made it through unscathed, but when I came across their master I was powerless. I couldn't do anything that would give me the upper hand. I lost Maiya because of my weakness!" With a snarl, Zeke raised the sword above his head and struck it against a building, the force of the blow causing the wall to collapse.

Anger and hatred showed clearly in the green eyes, but it was controlled and overwhelmed by the sadness running cold through his veins like ice. Hastily, Zeke wiped at his eyes to dry them, noticing that tears had formed. "I was too weak to save someone I care about. I don't ever want to be put in this position again." He straightened his posture and gave Noèlle a fiercely determined stare. Their eyes locked and silence fell, even the breeze had stilled. "I want the crystal force so that no one will ever be able to humiliate me again. I will protect the ones I love, and I will crush anyone who dares attempt to take them away."

Though shocked by his display of rage, Noèlle donned an understanding expression and placed a hand on Zeke's shoulder. The gesture was ill accepted despite the intention behind it, the hand being pushed away. This frustrated the woman, but she was above becoming angry and forced the prince to focus on her eyes. "There are plenty of other ways of becoming stronger. You don't have to seek out that bitch for her power." When Zeke's eyes flickered with surprise by the usage of the term, Noèlle smirked and continued to speak. "As a Seras, I was constantly ridiculed by the Sri for my inferior magical abilities, but none were as awful as Tessla. She had a personal grudge against me, always being outdone by my natural beauty. While I always found favor with the Goddesses, she was reprimanded many times for her failures.

"How do you know that the crystal she possesses will grant you power? She is vengeful and full of malice. She could have spread the rumor of the crystal herself when in reality it is just a trick to bring young men and women to her so she can brutally torture them. If you take her the seven pieces of that crystal, she could take the power for herself and kill you out of gratitude. We have too many dark powers in this world already, we don't need any more."

"Enough!" Zeke shouted, his face red with anger. "I've made my decision! Will you help me or not?!"

"I won't."

Letting the fire in his heart burn like an inferno, Zeke launched himself at Noèlle and pushed her into a wall while holding the sword at her throat. The speed with which he attacked the woman was frightening, and as the queen of Ondine stared into his eyes she could see how ready he was to hurt her.

"Are you going to threaten me, prince?" she asked quietly, so as to calm him. "If I refuse again, will you kill me? My warriors will slay you before you can reach the gate, or if you're lucky enough to evade them you can be sure that your mother and Link will not let you get away with it. You will have to run away on your own."

Zeke wrapped the fingers of his free hand around her neck and lifted her up on the wall, watching as her hands came up to clutch at his wrist. While he was not squeezing hard enough to completely restrict her breathing, it was clear that her lungs were not getting the amount of oxygen they needed. As she gasped for air, he said, "I'm prepared to live a life on my own." To show how serious he was, he held up the sword and touched the tip to her abdomen. "If you won't help me, then I'll kill you!"

Before he could go through with his threat, Noèlle reached out with her hand and touched his forehead, saying, "Don't you dare try to intimidate me, you little bastard!" Her gaze became fierce, and then Zeke felt a wave of pain burst inside of his skull that felt like it was being split in half.

Then Zeke felt an arm around his waist and he was thrown backwards into a building somewhere behind him. As soon as Noèlle's fingers had left his head the pain had ceased, but it was short lived for he hit his head on something and became instantly dizzy. Unable to see past the stars in his vision, he could hear someone asking Noèlle if she was all right, and then he could feel a hand gripping the front of his tunic.

"What in Din's name do you think you're doing?" Enigma hissed, throwing Zeke out into the street at Link's feet where the prince suffered a quick kick in the gut from the knight.

Link was no happier by his actions than Enigma, and he had no qualms about teaching him the error of his ways. "Perhaps what I should do is cut off your hands so that you can't wield a sword ever." Picking Zeke up by the front of his shirt, he roughly shoved him against a wall and turned his dull, but frightening, eyes on the prince. "I don't care if Noèlle insulted you, cursed you, or attempted to hurt you. You never turn your blade on a queen!"

Crouching down next to Noèlle as she coughed for air, Enigma helped her stand and even offered an arm to aid her. "Here you go, Noèlle."

However, she did not want his help. Balling her hand into a fist, she punched the cloaked man in the gut and rushed over to push Link aside. With a powerful kick that betrayed her appearance, Noèlle knocked Link down and turned her attention to Zeke. Her golden eyes shimmered with what could only be rage, and a trickle of blood ran down to her chin from her lip where her fang had bit through. With a voice that hardly reflected what she had sounded like before, she said, "I'm the one who's going to punish you, child!"

First she slapped him across the face, but then she touched her middle fingers to his temples and glared deep into his eyes before he could recover from the initial strike. Slowly, his mind became dark, and then he was lost.