What is there to say? Life happened, but writing is ... writing is good for me. If you've reviewed, or faved this story, perhaps even followed in the time since I last posted (over a year ago), thanks. The idea for this chapter changed slightly from the original idea I had - Ravio doesn't end up in the doghouse, but Hilda is - no less Hilda, I guess. Insult those under her care as future Queen and she won't even need Ravio to kick-start a bonfire. XD Just sayin'; she don't take kindly to challenges or anybody trying to psych her out - Yuga included. But Yuga's a spoiled brat.

...Enjoy!

Hilda was late. Ravio scowled, blocking out the music and the chatter, eyes locked on the top of the stairs. Link stood a few metres away, back against a pillar as his eyes swept their surroundings – they were both on guard duty, having no interest in the celebratory party that was taking place. They made quite the statement; dressed as they were, but their status alone cleared space for them both to breathe. And after the last seventeen and a half days, they needed to.

The treaty and all agreements within it had been made. That was enough. Except... "She's late."

Link didn't turn his head, but one eyebrow rose. "And that's a problem why?"

Ravio huffed, fingers twitching. "There are standards, Link, and this is not 'fashionably' late. It is late."

A yawn. "S'cuse me. ...What's it matter to you, anyway? You're just her advisor."

He rolled his eyes. "Hilda sets her own definitions; always has. But it matters ... oh, never mind."

"Brother, you're confusing."

Ravio was silent, his eyes fixed on the young woman slowly descending the stairs into the ballroom. She looked like a princess, because she was, but she held herself like a queen. The queen she was in all but age and name. And her dress, sweet Goddesses – was it even legal to look that good?

He swallowed, and saw Link's expression mirrored his own from the corner of his eye. "That's- that's-"

"Insane," his counterpart breathed. "Is she trying to get kicked out of her own castle? Look at her!"

"-I was going to say Maudiean silk. I-I didn't even know the Maudiean King was here; I can't begin to fathom how expensive that gown of hers must be. One thousand Rupees? Two? People kill for a quarter-yard of the stuff, and here she is, wearing an entire gown made from it like it's cotton or wool."

"That's right, you were a merchant once, weren't you? You ever get your hands on any?"

A bark of laughter. "No! Do you even hear a word I just said? Only ever in my dreams. Only ever then."

Ah, he didn't care what all these officials and foreign dignitaries thought. The crowd parted as he moved through, their whispers flooding his ears. Crimson Maudiean silk ... he swallowed, dropping into a deep bow as his princess reached the bottom of the stairs, amusement gracing her features. Daring to lift his eyes, he took her hand in his; leading her out onto the floor. Three help him, she took his breath away. Her crown sat nestled on top of her head, the jewels glowing in the firelight, and – he hadn't realised just how long her hair was until now. She'd steadily been growing it longer and longer, but now ... it brushed the curve of her waist.

This was why she'd had it so tightly braided yesterday, he realised. It framed her face, those brilliant eyes that sparkled as she delighted in his stunned silence. Held back by twin braids that twined into a braid all their own; her hair flowed down her back in waves, accentuating the already natural curl that defined those violet locks. The music had fallen silent, and she was smiling faintly as he met her gaze again. Rank disregarded, he was asking her to dance. He doubted she'd refuse him the honour.

"Princess?" he asked softly. "Would you gift your servant with the honour of your first dance tonight?"

"Only tonight, Advisor? I'd give you my first dance until the end of time."

Those words caused a ripple effect, and he could hear the shocked murmurs of ambassadors and rulers alike. But across the ballroom, he met two pairs of blue eyes, and couldn't help but laugh as the Princess of Hyrule hauled her general out onto the dancefloor. Ah; like he said – he didn't care what they thought. He was going to enjoy himself; stereotypical rules of kingdoms irrespective of a rebuilt Lorule. So, keeping his eyes on hers, he reached into his jacket and floated out a single glass rose, which 'bloomed' into a rope of fire-flowers as it nestled behind Hilda's ear. So, what did it matter if his work wasn't perfect? It didn't have to be. It existed just for this moment, amongst others. But this one, especially, right now.

And then it shattered into a million pieces.

"You would give your first dance to a commoner?" A loud voice demanded.

Red eyes flashed, and he instinctively took a step away from his princess, swallowing nervously. Ducking his head, he silently moved to hide in the shadow of the staircase, eyes downcast; dull. A commoner. A -he wasn't. He wasn't. Wrapping his cloak around himself, he yanked up the hood and tried to ignore the shake in his hands ... the taste of salt that lingered as he hid his face. But they were angry tears, even if his princess was far angrier on his behalf than he was himself. Not that he could blame her.

"A 'commoner'?" Hilda repeated, voice like ice. "Ravio Narbitt is no commoner. He is a hero, and of noble descent. Distant kin of Lorule's ruling family. He is no commoner. Far from it. I haven't the had the pleasure of knowing anyone as selfless as my Advisor, save for Princess Zelda Hyrela and General Lindak of Hyrule, to whom my people owe their lives – and to whom I owe the future of my kingdom. But this would not have been possible if not for Ravio, and it is him the people put their trust in."

Again, the same person spoke up, "Not you? They put their trust in someone beneath royalty?"

Ravio's gaze darted first to his princess, who stood stiff-backed, holding her chin high; then across the room to his Hyrulean company, where blue eyes were like ice and thunderclouds, respectively. He caught Zelda's eye and subtly shook his head. No, this wasn't their fight. He appreciated the sentiment, but this was something they – being himself and his princess – had to handle alone. He swallowed again.

Before he could move, however, Hilda laughed. And he shivered at the sound.

"They trust me. But they trust Ravio more. They know he won't betray them, no matter how many mistakes he makes, and how many times he loses his temper. He has a good heart, and his courage isn't the only thing defines him. Intuitive, bold, clever, honest ... he is compassionate, and one of the people."

We-ell... honest was a little bit of a stretch. There were times he lied through his teeth about how much coffee he drank in comparison to how he slept with a work to sleep ratio, but that wasn't the point his princess was trying to make. She was defending him, and damn if she didn't look good while doing it.

His eyes snapped back to her as she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Sweet Din, it's at times like these that I could use a drink, preferably something heavy, because it's evidently clear that some people, despite being nobles, ambassadors or royals themselves, know absolutely nothing about ruling a kingdom. Let alone one that was dying, and on the brink of being eradicated from history in a blink."

"I beg your pardon?" Oh, not again. "You're not even a Queen! What would you know about ruling?"

The entire ballroom froze, and Ravio didn't blame them. Because his princess was furious – things between her and this idiot had just gotten personal. He'd just crossed a line. But Hilda calmly walked over to a buffet table, poured herself a glass of pomegranate and raspberry punch, and took a sip. Uh oh. Not good. She was about to royally (pun not intended) roast someone, and she didn't even need his help to do the roasting. Oh, brother. And when she got angry, things got nasty real quick. Very quickly.

Aaannd ... Link had snacks for the show. Not fair. But Link wasn't the one having to step in soon, was he?

"What would I know about ruling?" she repeated coolly. "What do I know? Let me tell you, sir. It's hard. I was barely in my teens when I inherited the throne, and I had only a handful of Council members to guide me, one of them being my best friend, who was no older than I was, but had been through the Goddess' damned Dark Realm and back in the metaphorical sense and still lived. And things got worse."

Seeing as he was the friend she was talking about, he knew exactly what came next. And dreaded it.

"Then a magician came to me with a discovery four years later. He'd found a possible solution to saving our dying kingdom, he said. Lorule was broken. Fading. Split into miniature lands all their own, each with a dungeon and its own dangers. Giant ravines split the land, corpses and skeletons lying shattered at the bottom – over half the population; women, children and men alike just gone. Swallowed up. Poof!"

Oh dear. She was getting sarcastic. ... And Link was still snacking, eyes alight with wicked amusement.

She'd gone deadly quiet, staring into the bottom of her glass, eyes unfocused. "... But what he didn't tell me was that it was at the cost of another kingdom. Even then, if he had, I may not have cared. Thankfully, Ravio did. Because if not for Ravio; if not for my Advisor, who went looking for a hero, things may have turned out very differently. I was desperate, not seeing any other way than the one presented to me. There were kidnappings, and there was betrayal – really quite the griipping tale ... but we survived. We survived because of someone's compassion in our time of need, two wishes upon a Triforce given up so that others might live. Selflessly and without question, all for the sake of hope."

Silence.

"So, what do I know about ruling, you ask? It's hard, sir. It's hard because you're juggling the lives of everyone under your care, and that doesn't just mean getting them to pay taxes. It means making sure they have shelter, food, and water. It means providing them with an education, and events during the year to look forward. You and those in your Council, even if only the senior or the respected members of the kingdom, must settle disputes and configure laws that work with the people, not against them. So, I'd say I know a world's worth more about ruling a kingdom - especially one like Lorule – than you do."

He wasn't sure who started clapping, but once they did, the whole room burst into thunderous applause. His princess blinked, startled by the noise, but blushed and after setting her glass on the table, dropped into a curtsey. Ravio found himself by her side as the applause faded, and he gently rested a hand on the small of her back, smiling softly as he tugged at a loose curl of violet hair, mesmerised.

Red eyes met his green ones, and her entire countenance just lit up at the sight of him. She gestured to the bowl of punch silently, and he grinned. Yes, a drink sounded like a marvellous idea. Taking a glass of his own, he stood there with her watching as the party continued. Their counterparts joined them – and even if there was an incident where his princess 'accidentally' knocked the bowl of punch all over Link – things went smoothly after that. No further issues, or complaints. As for them dancing ... well...

Ravio pulled her away from the food tables, out onto the centre of the dancefloor, and he could have sworn the music screeched to a halt. He soon discovered why - for an ocarina and a harp joined the guitar melody, and when he glanced over in the direction of the musicians' platform, he wasn't too surprised to find the two Hyruleans standing there too, grinning back at him. Cheeky, the pair of them.

The melody was upbeat, playful and fast, but they didn't mind, dancing long into the night, as the ball went on. Yes, they stopped from time to time – even snuck out to one of the balconies for some peace and quiet – but they never strayed far from one another, even when two blonde Hyrulean troublemakers (not really) cut in on their dances once or two. Princess Zelda, it turned out, wasn't a bad dancer, and neither was Link, according to his princess. He was a warrior – some of his grace on a battlefield had somehow translated over into court life. Somehow. Even Link himself wasn't quite sure.

But the ball had to end, and over the next few days, as the ambassadors and other members of other neighbouring countries, life in Lorule returned to normal. Far less hectic, for sure, but no less interesting. But like always, he stood by his princess' side, even after her twenty-first birthday and her coronation. Correspondence between Hyrule and Lorule still occurred, and invitations were sent out for both royals' coronations – events they and their respective companions attended with much delight - no hesitation.

What happened a year later, however, is perhaps of greater interest, both personal and historical.

So there you have it. Part 2 - done. But when I say buckle up, this time I mean it. Because Part 3 is one hell of a ride.