sigh*
Don't hate me.
——————————————————————————
Throughout the next week, Sheik was so busy she didn't have time to be almost assassinated. Link had hit it right on the mark with her claustrophobia, but thankfully he'd arranged for her meetings to be as little crowded as possible, which also lessened the opportunity for assassins to slip through.
Even so, he'd coordinated with Impa to up security, especially in quiet hallways and when Sheik was alone. As a result, she never was alone--there was always a guard or Sheikah warrior lurking around the corner, stalking the halls, stationed at her door.
Ilayen had been secretly promoted to head the princess's Sheikah security detail, specifically designed to slip into shadows and be where the stretched-thin guard could not. Often, he accompanied her to her meetings and events along with Link.
Meaning, they both had to invent new ways to amuse themselves--usually with Ravio's help--while Sheik entertained guest after guest. They were arriving in force now, for the Summit and the coronation balls afterward. Just yesterday, both King Valoo of the Waker Islands and his heir, Prince Komali, had arrived at the same time as Mayor Ruul of Holodrum. And in two days, the committee from Termina was scheduled for an afternoon appearance--all in the midst of courtiers and nobles from all over the empire.
All that was left was Midna. The longer it took for the Twilight Queen to arrive, the more nervous Sheik became. Had trouble erupted again? Was Midna unable to make it to the Summit? Why hadn't she arrived? Worries plagued Sheik throughout the week, getting more and more aggressive, until she made herself so anxious that she literally jumped a foot in the air when Link tapped her shoulder.
She whirled, backing into the wall of the council room. The cold stone seeped through her dress, making her shiver. Link stared at her, his hand still raised. "Are you all right?"
Sheik took a deep breath. "What is it?" she asked, avoiding his question. She'd just left a tea with Valoo, Komali, and the heir's fiancé, Medli. Sheik honestly hadn't expected much, knowing the people of Waker Islands--and Dragon Roost especially--were proud people, but Medli had been perfectly humble.
Despite her fun, Sheik's shoulder had started bothering her, and she'd excused herself, which had led her to this hallway. Link cleared his throat. "They've received word from the search parties. Impa wants to see us."
Sheik stiffened, but that only made her shoulder twinge painfully. "Then let's go."
The Commander, they found, was in her quarters, poring over reports scattered over her desk. Ilayen was there as well. When Sheik and Link entered, Impa rose, bowing. "I assume you're here for the report, yes?" she asked briskly. "Well, I burned it."
Link didn't seem fazed. Sheik looked from his surprisingly stoic expression to Impa's resembling stone. She wasn't all that shocked either; it wasn't uncommon to burn correspondence. "Well, what did it say? Did they find anything?"
"They didn't find . . . nothing, per se," Ilayen said. "The warrior wasn't there, but there was enough evidence to say that someone was."
He handed Sheik several sheets, and she pulled Link forward by his sleeve so he could see them, too. They were all artist's renderings of what looked like a dark, crumbling room, if the dark shadows and jumble of shapes were any indication. But accentuated were the geometric designs on the walls, the table with splotches darker than the rest of the picture, the piles of clothes and blankets.
In another drawing, there was a bowl with several long, small shapes inside it, with what looked like a spool of wire. The added shine to the long shapes told Sheik they were instruments. The third photo showed a long bed with straps. Like the table and piles of clothes, the bedsheets had large splotches--stains.
Blood.
"A medical facility," Sheik said flatly, handing the papers to Link.
Ilayen nodded. "And a poorly made one at that. The instruments were too basic, not fine enough. Hastily scraped together. My guess is they rushed there to fix up the warrior enough that he could travel, but it's no place for a procedure as they would have needed to perform."
Sheik studied the sheets Link handed back, tracing the tumbled shapes with her finger. Collapsed pillars? "It's almost guaranteed the old Palace," she mused. "Zant already had a strong connection to the place after the Riots, and no one would expect him to take a severely wounded man to such a desolate location."
"How can we say they're not still there?" Link asked.
Ilayen and Sheik exchanged a glance. "It's unlikely," she told him gently. "Zant knows I was aware of his role in the Riots. He would have expected me to look there. But this is good," she added, desperate not to let this defeat him. "Now we know we're on the right track."
Link had gone back to studying the drawings. "What about these stains?"
Everyone leaned forward to see what he pointed at, and Sheik noticed with an unpleasant jolt the splatters on the walls, the floors. Her stomach dropped as she realized that the tumbled shapes on the floor weren't collapsed pillars.
They were bodies.
Ilayen's tanned face had gone pale. "Someone killed them. They never left--never had a chance."
Impa laid a hand on her nephew's shoulder. While she'd seen death and much worse as the Army Commander, Ilayen was currently facing his first encounter with the world Impa, and people like Zant, lived in.
But--
"Who else would have known about this?" Sheik demanded. "Who else--"
She cut herself off, the gears in her mind grinding to a halt. Of course. It only makes too much sense.
She hid her clenched fists in the folds of her black gown, the sequins of the large, bright red fire lilies scratching her skin. "Ganondorf did this."
Impa slowly straightened, while Ilayen and Link stared at Sheik. "How do you know?" Link asked at the same time that Ilayen questioned, "Why would the Royal Advisor do this?"
Sheik met both of their gazes. "Remember what he said when he returned? He told us flat out that he hunted Zant down. And up until my father's death, he and Zant were in a deal together. He's the only one who could have known." She returned her gaze to the drawings, tracing the edge. "He gave us all the information without telling us anything."
Ilayen narrowed his eyes. "That would mean he knows where the warrior is. Shall we ask him?"
"No!" Sheik cleared her throat as the three of them stared at her. "No, I don't think that's best. He will want to know how we found out, or worse, why we're looking for the warrior when, in his mind, he's already got it taken care of. That would tell him that we don't trust him."
Which was the very last thing they needed. But Ilayen still watched Sheik. "Do we not trust him, Princess?" he asked quietly.
Link stiffened, but Sheik just met her friend's eyes. Ilayen had always been able to read her best. There was no hiding it now. She raised her chin. "No."
To his credit, Ilayen only looked a bit shaken. He gathered himself to say, "Shall we include him in our list of enemies, then?"
Impa cut off Sheik with a warning look. "Not yet. We still do not have solid proof that Ganondorf is against us. If anything, this proves he is more on the empire's side than we are."
A chorus of resistance met those words, but Impa's voice rose over it all. "Listen to yourselves! If you saw yourselves as I do, would you believe that you were looking at the most important person in the empire?" She gestured at Sheik. "The princess, searching for an enemy on the word of a Royal Guard--a boy! Considering putting the one with the least against him at the top of a list of traitors. Do not disgrace yourself, princess. We all know you have more sense than that."
Sheik lowered her head, thoroughly ashamed. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Link and Ilayen doing the same. When she raised her head, she found Impa still watching them, hands on hips. She shook her head.
Sheik couldn't help a smile, then. How much Impa looked like a harassed mother, reprimanding her three wayward children. Whether or not Impa registered that smile, the Commander didn't let Sheik know. She just waved a hand.
"You have a free afternoon, Princess. Try not to spend it making traitors out of advisors or getting assassinated. And you," she added, pointing a severe finger at Link. "Twice now, the princess has nearly died on your watch. I trained you better than that."
Link bowed his head. "Yes, Master."
She banished the three of them then. They walked down the hall, the setting sun shining its light on them: Sheik and Link sullen, Ilayen looking thoroughly relieved he hadn't received a verbal lashing. He laced his fingers behind his head. "Well, you have a free afternoon, Princess. What shall we do?"
"What indeed," Sheik muttered, thinking she seemed unable to do anything right.
Ilayen laughed, poking her side. His hand darted away as she hissed. "Come now, don't be like that. Shall I fetch Alana?"
"She's busy," Sheik said unhappily.
Ilayen didn't answer, though Sheik knew he was thinking the same thing she was. The Imperial Princess had time, but the head laundress did not.
Link spoke up. "Didn't you say there was an archery course you wanted to try, in the town?"
Immediately Sheik perked up. "Yes, I did. I'd completely forgotten."
She picked up her pace, easily matched by the two at her sides. "Of course, now she's excited, now that she can shoot something," Ilayen muttered. Sheik grinned. He wasn't wrong.
They received a similar welcome as usual when they entered the city, though perhaps it was a bit dimmer this time. Whether it was the guard detail that latched on to their party when they left the gates, or the slowly fading daylight, there was a general somber mood that made Sheik uneasy.
She didn't want to let it ruin her good mood, so she headed for the archery contest in the Middle Ring.
Hyrule Castle Town was enormous, and so was separated into three Rings. Wealth in Castle Town had always been evenly distributed, so, unlike in other cities, the poorest weren't designated to the outskirts. The Outer Ring was where most of the metalworkers and weapons shops were. Many taverns also took up residency here as well. Sheik would have liked to amuse herself with the notion that Castle Town didn't have a red-light district, but unfortunately that was in the Outer Ring also.
In the Middle Ring, also called the Artist's Quarter, Hyrule's artists, musicians, singers, and dancers lived and performed their art. In addition, the various contests that had sprouted up around Hyrule over its existence squatted here. Archery, Bombchu Bowling, Frog Singing, and many, many others.
The Inner Ring was mostly residential, but in the center, around the Central Fountain, a massive market spread out, even leaking into some side streets. Each Ring had its own market, but it usually boasted the wares typical to that Ring. For most, they had to travel to the Inner Ring to go grocery shopping, but it was never much of a hassle. The roads were wide enough for two, maybe three, carts to pull side by side, and some even carried their expenditures.
Some nobles chose to live in the Middle Ring, farther from the castle, craving the quiet that came with a Ring full of those concentrating on their craft. Closer to the center of town were the contests, which led to another nickname for this Ring: Game City.
Sheik could already hear the shrieks of children and hoots of the contests. Turning the corner, they found a long street filled to the brim with counters displaying every game imaginable, including reincarnations of ones the Heroes of Hyrule had once played.
Though, as Sheik watched a young blonde boy in a green shirt sing off-key with several frogs, it was hard to imagine the Hero of Time partaking in such things.
The archery course was up ahead, but before Sheik could get to it, she was swamped by a cloud of children. Link and Ilayen rushed to help her up, but it was soon apparent that Sheik neither needed help nor wanted it.
She was laughing, sprawled on the cobblestoned street as the kids, from eight to fifteen, crawled all over her, each vying for her attention. Ilayen and Link swapped looks, sitting back on their heels. On the street, adults looked on and smiled.
"Princess, Princess! Look what I can do!" A little girl with dark hair attempted a cartwheel, her face scrunched up in concentration, but she was pushed over by a slightly older red-headed boy. He laughed when she fell.
Sheik tsked. "Mido! What if Saria--"
"Saria has already told him a thousand times to stop being mean to the younger kids," a serene voice interrupted. The crowd of kids parted--slightly--to let through another girl. She looked to be the oldest of the bunch, about sixteen, with short hair so dark it was almost a deep green. Sheik smiled warmly at the girl. "Saria."
The girl bobbed a curtsy, her lips curving up. "Princess. It's been a while."
Sheik sighed. "Too long."
Saria extended a hand to pull Sheik to her feet. "How goes it, then?" Sheik asked.
Saria shrugged. "Same as always. We got three more last week."
Sheik's face fell. "Oh, darling," she murmured. "I can make room at the palace, there's no reason you should have to--"
"We moved away from Nol because it would be better here," Saria interrupted softly. "And it is. Nol was nice, but . . . we couldn't rely on you forever."
"Who says?" Sheik demanded, but it lacked heat, in Link's opinion. She wrapped Saria in a hug. "I mean it. If you ever need help, just come to the palace. They wouldn't dare turn you away."
Saria smiled into the princess's hair, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Princess."
Link felt the moment was too intimate for him to see, so he half turned away. Ilayen seemed to think the same.
Sheik detached from the hug, holding Saria at arm's length, eyeing the girl critically. "You've lost weight. And you're not keeping up on your training."
Saria squirmed out of her grip. "It's hard to train when you're busy stealing."
Sheik sighed, falling for it. Saria always managed to drag her into the same argument. "I've told you so many times, you don't have to steal. I can easily put all of you up at the palace--"
"And what about all the others?" Saria demanded, green eyes flaring. "What if you had done that last week, and now Tatl, Tael, and Fi have nowhere to go? What then?"
"I'll take them too!" Sheik snapped. "I'll take the entire damn city's orphans, if it will keep you safe at night!"
Saria flinched, and Sheik knew she'd hit a sore spot. All at once, the fight drained out of her, leaving her shoulders slumped. These arguments had been going on a year, starting when Sheik had stumbled upon them in Nol. Saria had been leading a troupe of starving orphans for years already. Skin and bones, the lot of them.
Tingle especially. Hardly into his sixth year, just after Sheik had arrived in Nol, he'd joined Saria's troupe. He'd been obsessed with fairies, to the point where he'd refuse to eat if it hadn't been made by fairies themselves. Sheik and Saria had tried to convince him that fairies didn't exist, and he'd gone to sleep in tears--until he saw a firefly, and, thinking it was a fairy, followed it, unaware of the hungry dog pack behind him.
Sheik felt tears burn and squeezed her eyes shut. If she hadn't yelled at him back then, even a year later, maybe he wouldn't have run. Maybe they could have convinced him . . .
A warm hand grasped hers, and she knew it was Saria. She looked up, finding the girl's eyes glistening. Behind them, Mido was speaking to a younger child, shooing her away from the pair.
"Have you told them yet?" Sheik murmured, discreetly wiping her eyes. Saria shook her head. "Only me, you and Mido know. Not even the Know-It-All Twins know." She managed a bitter smile. "Ironic."
Sheik couldn't muster the strength to do the same. "How long, Saria?" she asked wearily. "How many more must you lose?"
"Do you think I want this?" Saria hissed, recoiling. "Do you think I want to wake up and know exactly where their empty bedrolls are, and why they're empty?" Her voice shook. "Do you--do you think I want to close my eyes and see Tingle's face, and wonder if I could have saved him? Do you know what that's like?!"
It took her a few moments to realize what she'd said, but when she did, her eyes filled with tears. Sheik just watched, guilt eating her up inside. Do you know what that's like?!
"All too well," she whispered, pulling Saria to her. The girl buried her face into Sheik's shoulder and cried, her bruised hands clenching in her gown. Sheik clutched Saria to her, wishing she could shield her--shield all of them--like this. She wished Saria would just let her help.
Saria was always so strong. She had to be. She was the leader of the orphans; she had led them from Nol, hiding in abandoned houses and hitching rides from wagons. She had shown them how to defend themselves when Sheik hadn't been able to do it herself--another reason Sheik was always exhausted lately.
Saria detached herself too soon, wiping her eyes. But unlike usual, she let her shoulders slump forward, defeat evident in her posture. She stared at her group, playing and tripping over themselves, hopping up and down at game counters, the older kids pulling the younger out of the way of people walking.
"Why doesn't anyone adopt?" she whispered. "How--how can they watch us and smile, but do nothing to help us?"
Sheik wished she had an answer--one that Saria wouldn't reject, anyway. She tried one last time. "You know where you are welcome," she said quietly, keeping her gaze on Saria even as Link approached and gently took her arm. His grip slackened almost immediately, though.
Saria closed her eyes for a short moment. "I know," she whispered hoarsely.
"Princess," Ilayen murmured, on her other side.
Sheik took a difficult breath, feeling like her heart was being torn in two. "I'll see you later, okay?"
Saria nodded without meeting her eyes. Sheik turned away, fighting back tears. She began walking, but Link stayed where he was. His hand fell from her arm, bouncing limply on his leg.
Worry flared through the heartache. "Link?"
He didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the group of children, on two in particular. Confused now, Sheik followed his line of sight.
They were two boys, one slightly shorter than the other. Sheik couldn't recall seeing them in Saria's troupe. The taller had bright golden hair and blue eyes, while the shorter was the opposite, with white hair and brown eyes so light they could have been red.
The white-haired child was tugging on his brother's arm, a brilliant smile on his face. He squealed with delight when the other boy handed down a small funnel cake to him. They carried their cakes to a small table, where they were quickly joined by a gaggle of Saria's group.
Looking back at Link, she saw his usually stoic face wide open for once. His lips parted, and he swallowed. His blue eyes were filled with an emotion Sheik couldn't name.
"Princess, it's getting late," Ilayen pressed. Sheik nodded faintly, taking Link's hand. "Link."
He jerked, like Sheik had pulled him out of some memory, and then the boy she knew was back. "Right. Let's go."
They were quiet as they walked. As the last of the sunlight disappeared, the lamps lining the streets lit. When the three of them reached the palace, the boys escorted Sheik to her rooms. By the time she turned to close her door amid the guards, Link and Ilayen were gone.
Sheik stripped her gown off and fell into bed in her underclothes. Sleep was a long time coming.
/
The day Midna arrived, Sheik nearly had a heart attack.
She was late. Midna was later.
It was the day the Summit was officially to begin. Sheik had been so preoccupied with making sure everything was set up correctly, memorizing her schedule, watching out for Midna all the while and trying not to panic when the trumpets never announced an arrival, that she hadn't noticed the time.
By the time Sheik had made it to the council room, now filled to the brim with sovereigns, she was sure they'd comment on it. Rulers were like that. Punctuality, above all, was key, and the reason they were all there in the first place, she who had called them away from their kingdoms, was late.
Sheik silently cursed herself as she was announced. The Council Hall was lined with guards, courtiers mixing in the middle. They paved a path for Sheik, bowing, but she hardly noticed them when the doors opened.
The rulers were all there, of course. When meeting with one of a higher station, you were always early. They turned to the doors, finding Sheik trying not to look as frantic as she was.
She took a deep breath, smiling. "Apologies. It was a bit of a rush this morning."
King Valoo, the tallest of them all with a gray goatee, smiled and shook his head. "Nonsense, Your Highness! A ruler can be as early or late as she wants to be--especially when she rules the world." He winked.
Sheik's laugh was only a little bit forced. "Still."
"You're not the only one who was ever late, don't let those others fool you," Valoo added, in a completely obvious sidemouth. "And they were certainly never early. Myself included! Goddesses know I was either late or I didn't show up at all!"
Now Sheik laughed in earnest. She liked Valoo--he was kind and honest, and a just ruler of the Waker Islands. She snatched a flute of champagne as a waiter passed, feeling as though she might need it.
"It's no wonder she's tardy, just look at that dress!" Madame Dotour, the wife of Mayor Dotour from Termina's delegation, squeezed through the throng. Sheik recited the names and places in her head even as she smiled. "Madame, you are too kind."
The large woman tsked, her eyes scanning Sheik from head to toe. "Princess, you are exquisite. Who are your handmaidens? I simply must meet them--or even have them for myself!"
Dotour laughed at her own joke. Her tiny husband, the Mayor, came forward. "Now, dearest, let's not make the princess uncomfortable," he said, but it was drowned out by a shout from Yuga.
"Goddesses damn you Ravio, again!"
Sheik cast an eye out for Hilda and found the Queen of Lorule trying not to laugh. She caught Sheik's eye and pointed to the angry, hunched shape of Yuga. Wine! She mouthed.
Sheik nearly spat out her champagne, covering it up with a cough. "Excuse me," she managed, eyes watering, as she made her way over to Hilda. She barely kept herself under control. A few feet away, Ravio was backing away from Yuga, whose face was so red it was turning purple. But before she could say anything, a low, sweet voice captured her attention.
"Your Highness."
Sheik turned to see a woman come forward with skin so pale it made her black hair look blue. She nearly dropped her champagne.
Her features were literally perfect--there wasn't a single thing out of place. Her gown rivaled Sheik's own--but while Sheik's was palest gold, sewn in with threads of blue and red and diamonds and fit her like a glove, with the Hylian Wingcrest in white thread covering her otherwise open back, the woman's was of deep blue silk. What skin was exposed was covered by a fine blue mesh beneath. It dipped with the gown in the back, all the way to her waist, tying at her neck with thin gold chains. The gown itself was simple, but if Sheik looked closely she could see miniscule crystals sewn in, swirling aimlessly down the dress to form the ancient Zora symbol: Zora's Sapphire.
The woman's hair was down, woven with strands of tiny, brightly colored jewels. Sheik tried hard not to gape, for before her was none other than Queen Laruto.
Because Zora's Domain was such a widespread community, there were several representatives from across the Empire. The Hylian Representative was "Princess" Mipha, blinding in a red gown. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail, a ruby circlet around her head. The Terminan Representative was another "Princess", by the name of Lulu.
Because of their multiple locations, and the sizes of those locations, the representatives tended to argue too often, and so a ruler was appointed. In Sheik's lifetime, she had grown up hearing about the legendary Queen Laruto, possibly the most beautiful woman in the entire Empire.
Seeing her now, Sheik was starstruck. Rarely had she seen such a gorgeous face, such an epitome of power and grace. She tried three times to clear her throat, and her voice came out hoarse as she curtsied. "Queen Laruto. What a fabulous surprise."
However ridiculous she sounded, as she rose from her curtsy and Laruto lifted an amused brow, Sheik meant it. It was a fabulous surprise. No one had told her Laruto would be coming to the Summit--even though she was technically Queen, she usually left governing the branches of the Domain to Mipha, Ruto and Lulu.
Hilda took the opportunity to try to calm Yuga. From the shouted obscenities, it didn't seem she was getting anywhere. It was then that Sheik finally registered where she was, and that she was openly staring at Laruto the way children did to her.
She closed her mouth, but still lacked anything to say. She couldn't help it--she'd grown up on stories of Laruto's beauty and life. She'd been Sheik's heroine for as long as she could remember.
Thankfully, Laruto seemed used to this. She chuckled, lifting Sheik's chin. "Enough of that," she murmured, her voice low. "I believe it is I who should be bowing."
She did so, elegance in every movement, and Sheik used the opportunity to get herself together. You're the Imperial Princess, she told herself. You are the Princess, and you are currently making a fool out of yourself.
When Laruto rose, Sheik summoned a smile, hoping she hadn't fumbled their initial meeting too badly. "I believe you are the only exception to that, Your Grace."
Laruto laughed, looping her arm through Sheik's, leading her around the table. "Exception or not, courtesy has its demands. Now, I believe you have one of my representatives on your council, but have you met the other two?"
Sheik shook her head. "I don't believe so."
Now that she was partially over her girlish episode (accomplished solely by reminding herself exactly what she was here for, and if she scared Laruto off, she'd never forgive herself), she processed what the Queen had said. By then, Laruto had stopped before two girls, about Sheik's own age.
Both had the pale skin and dark hair of the Queen, but while one wore a sweeping black gown, the other was resplendent in white silk, in traditional Zora style. It tied at the right shoulder with gold bands, painted with watercolor brush strokes in the ancient Zora language. Her hair was tied up with gold strands.
"Allow me to introduce Princess Lulu, of the Termina Branch, and Princess Ruto, of the Waker Islands Branch," Laruto said, pride evident in her voice.
Sheik inclined her head as the other two curtsied. Lulu, the one in white, was joined then by a young man in a dark suit. His dark hair was slicked back, away from his elegant face. "My fiancé, Mikau," Lulu murmured. Mikau took her arm with a charming smile, nodding at Laruto.
Sheik chatted with the four of them for a while, scarcely holding herself together, until it occurred to her that she'd been neglecting her other guests. Politely excusing herself, privately wishing everyone else would go away so she could speak to Laruto again, she slipped back into the crowd, her long, golden earrings swinging.
She was almost immediately set upon by Rauru, in his best priest robes. "Princess, it is time to begin the Summit," he said, bowing his head.
Sheik was almost glad; by the change in light filtering through the tall windows, at least two hours had gone by. She called for everyone to take their seats. As she settled into the head chair, she noticed unhappily that Ganondorf had arrived at some point. He took the seat to her left, as he always did, with Rauru on her other side.
Sheik took a deep breath, waiting for the sovereigns to settle. "Thank you all for coming," she began. "It means the world to me that even after a year's absence, you are all still willing to work with me to restore our empire."
A hand raised. "Forgive the interruption, Your Highness," Prince Komali said, "but what exactly is there to repair?"
Before Sheik could answer, a sharp voice cut in. "Not all lands in the empire are so well off as your precious Islands, Princeling," Yuga snapped.
Where before Valoo's face had been calm, now it was a thundercloud. "You will refrain from speaking to my son and heir that way, Yuga," he boomed. "Perhaps if you were not so arrogant, you would see that the Empire's problems span every nation."
"How dare you!" Yuga erupted. "I have--"
"Silence, Yuga!" Hilda commanded, and reluctantly, Yuga retook his seat at the end of the table. Hilda ignored the two Islanders glaring at Yuga and nodded at Sheik. "Apologies, Princess."
Totally lost as to what had just occurred, Sheik decided to table the matter. "Of course. Now . . . I realize we have a week to discuss everything, but I do not believe we should waste any time. I am aware that there are many issues . . . which is why I'd like every ruler to come forward and outline what may be plaguing their land. We will go from there."
If they were surprised by her suggestion, they didn't show it. Sheik resisted the urge to scratch where the pins keeping her hair up poked her neck. She'd had it braided and coiled around her head, but the pins hurt like mad.
She began with Mayor Ruul, on the other side of Ganondorf. She wrote the issues herself, on a notepad provided by Link, behind her, and made her own notes on the problem.
Down the table they went, as the hours passed. Some nations, like Yuga had rudely pointed out, had more problems than others, but each would take a lot to fix. Sheik had surmised from Mayor Ruul's ramblings that Holodrum was suffering a drought, so Sheik made a note to railroad freshwater from Zora's Domain to help salvage the crops. Holodrum was the breadbasket of the Empire. In Sheik's mind, that was one of the more pressing issues. Hopefully, to save wear and tear on the railroads, Sheik planned to have an aqueduct built to carry water from the snowmelts of the mountains in Holodrum.
There was nothing she could do about the growing heat, though. The Samasa Desert was getting hotter every year. Sheik attributed it to climate, but it still worried her. This year was a drought--bad enough that Ruul had brought the issue to the Summit. What would next year bring?
She sighed inwardly as the focus shifted to Komali. With a nod from his father and a condescending look from Yuga, the young Prince admitted stiffly, "There has been a shortage of fish. Our boats come back empty, if they come back at all."
Sheik raised her head, pencil hovering over her pad. "At all?"
Valoo spoke up, though it was obviously hard for him to admit. "We have been seeing an increase of storms in the Seas, Your Highness. Nothing we cannot handle, but it has been affecting trade."
Sheik cocked her head, thinking. There was no way to provide other goods to the Waker Islands aside from shipping. The reason those islands had survived so many centuries was because they were self-sufficient. But if storms kept ships at bay, and there was no fish . . .
Valoo had clearly noticed the way Sheik's brows pinched together. "Please do not worry about us, Your Highness. Our islands are well stocked for situations like this. I am sure the storms will abate soon."
"It is my job to worry about you, Your Grace," Sheik answered, unhappily tabling the issue. "I will figure something out. In the meantime," she gestured to Lulu. "How are things going in Great Bay?"
The princess exchanged a glance with Ruto and Mipha. Clearing her throat delicately, she answered, "I believe Mipha has already spoken of this to you, but there is pollution. A lot of it. Our lakes and streams are growing murky."
"Your Highness," Mipha added, "We have conferred with Queen Laruto--" she nodded at the royal, "--and we believe it is a result of increased mining."
Sheik rose from her slouch. "The Goron Mining Company?"
Mipha nodded. "They throw the ash from their bombs into the river. It kills crops and poisons the water." She glanced at Valoo now. "The Zora River runs past Goron Mountains and feeds into the Waker Sea."
Her meaning was impossible to miss. But Sheik couldn't get past one thing. "Which Domain is this? Great Bay or Lake Hylia?"
"Both," Laruto said quietly.
Sheik swallowed against a tight throat. "But the Goron Mountains in both regions are too far from each Domain for this level of pollution. They're almost on opposite ends of each other."
"What else could it be?" Ruto exclaimed. Her fellow representatives looked like they wanted to shush her, but it wasn't anything Sheik hadn't expected. She knew Ruto, the youngest of the three, had the most volatile temper. She'd almost been waiting for an upset like this.
Even so, she raised a hand to calm Ruto. "I understand your concern," she said firmly. "You can be sure I will investigate this when I arrive in the Domains. And I will call a meeting with the Goron Mining Company as well. I will fix this."
That seemed to appease the four of them; as Sheik called upon Hilda to speak, she could feel Laruto's dark blue eyes on her. But when she looked over, the Queen's expression was of fixed interest, focused on Hilda.
Sheik turned her attention to her friend as well. I probably imagined it, anyway.
". . . Not much to report," Hilda was saying. "Our crops are fine. We are doing well."
Short and sweet, Sheik mused, pencil hovering over her pad. But Hilda's voice was . . . different. She looked up and found the Queen of Lorule not meeting her eyes. Yuga was conspicuously silent, as well, considering his outburst earlier.
Sheik sat back. "You're awfully quiet, Yuga."
The councilor jerked his head up, surprise lighting his eyes for a split second before smiling what he thought was charmingly. Sheik's mouth pulled down at the corner. "Oh? Was I? Apologies, I was just thinking--"
Apparently, what he was thinking was not for Sheik's ears. He cut himself off, sitting back. Beside him, Hilda was trying her best to hide it, but Sheik knew when her friend was angry, and right now, Hilda was absolutely furious.
Sheik pursed her lips, deciding to pick on Yuga. Pride was one thing, but if there was a problem, Sheik needed to know. "Is that so? Perhaps there is more to this than I am being told. After your outburst earlier, I would have expected there to be something wrong."
Now Yuga met her eyes, and Sheik raised her chin a tad higher. There was something in the councilor's eyes she didn't like.
He tried for a smile again, but it lacked its fake charm. This was cold, and humorless. "Surely we would have told you if there was a problem? Do you think us untrustworthy?"
"Yuga," Hilda murmured warningly. He ignored her.
"You toasted to brighter times between us," he said, not taking his gaze from Sheik's for a moment. "Do you mean to go back on that?"
"If it means trying to find out what, exactly, you are hiding from me, then I suppose so," Sheik answered, trying like the devil to keep her voice steady. "Of anyone, however, it looks as if you mean to sit there and insult my efforts, instead of holding to the toast."
"It is a matter of no concern but Lorule's," Yuga nearly spat, his smile gone.
Sheik rose from the dead silent table. "I am your princess," she said quietly. "You will tell me."
Yuga rose with her. "You are a child playing at being a tyrant," he snarled. "You have no power--!"
"Yuga," Hilda hissed. She erupted from her chair. "Be silent!"
The three faced each other on their feet, all of them pulsing with rage. Part of Sheik wanted to order Link to escort Yuga out of her company, out of her empire, but she had to play the part. If she fell for his taunts, she would really be seen as a child. So she took a deep breath.
"Then I shall allow you to fix it yourselves," she said softly, and sat, trying to calm the rage. She nodded at Ambi to begin, but just then pounding footsteps sounded in the corridor beyond. Sheik turned as the doors flew open and couldn't keep back a sigh of relief.
Orange hair perfectly in place, sublime, skin-tight black dress swirling around her high-heeled feet, the new arrival grinned and placed her hands on her hips.
"What did I miss?" Midna asked.
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Another double chapter—couldn't help myself lmao.
REVIEW REPLIES:
To Oracle of Hylia: this is one of my favorite parts of this story, both to write and read over while editing :) I hope you enjoy it! (And it's TOTALLY frustrating XD)
To Ultimate blazer: Hyrule's fantasy, or Link's??? *waggles eyebrows* lol KIDDING but that would be funny. Maybe I'll do a crack fic about that XD and You're welcome!
To GreenEggandHam: aww thank you! It was fun to write as well so I'm glad you like it.
Y'all know the drill by now so I'll leave it at that, and as always please review. See ya~