Just for reference, we're at chapter Seventy one in the original google doc.
"You?" Link blurted.
Nabooru nodded, her eyes full of sadness and resignation and something else. "I am one of the Six. He knows it--after years of research, he realized the one person he hated most was one of those he needed to kill for his plan to work. Naturally, he set out to find me."
Zelda held her head; she felt like she might burst. It was too much--too much of it was coming together so fast. She couldn't take it all at once. Link laid a worried hand on her shoulder.
Nabooru seemed to sense it. "Let me explain. We have read the history. We know what place we hold among Hylians, Zora, and the Gorons alike. We have always been the stepping stones among the Empire, since before there was an empire. And it is because of Ganondorf that it is so."
"Magic has always been strong with the Gerudo," Nabooru continued, though slower now. "The very first prophecies came from us. They told of a great danger that would threaten Hyrule, time and time again, and how this danger would come from the Gerudo in the form of a man."
"A male Gerudo is born once every hundred years. Once, long ago, they were considered precious," she said softly. "A gift from the gods, to a race of women. We raised these males to protect our tribe, and to lead us to greatness. But then . . . it did not go as planned."
"Ever since the King of Evil, these male children have been cursed," Nabooru said, face shadowed. "Born to hatred, destined to covet power above all else. And every one of them has fallen to darkness. Throughout the millennia, they have taken many forms. The last incarnation was a mass of pure malice--what we know now as Calamity Ganon."
"So Ganon has always been a Gerudo?" Link interrupted. Nabooru nodded, eyes on Zelda, who'd raised her head.
"After the Calamity, we secluded ourselves. We knew we would be blamed, as we always were, and considered a threat to Hyrule. So we hid ourselves away in the desert, and have protected Hyrule--our country--in our own way."
"Knowing that history, we have smothered every male Gerudo born to us," Nabooru said, suddenly sounding very tired. "It was the only way we knew to save Hyrule and her people. And until recently, it has worked."
Zelda stared at her, hardly able to believe it. They smothered the children. Innocent, blameless children . . . she felt sick.
At the same time, a small, hateful part of her understood. Almost welcomed it. Because of their sacrifices, Hyrule has remained safe. But then--
"What about the prophecies?" she demanded.
Barta answered instead. "You know the answer to that, as well."
Zelda began to shake her head, but Barta's words rang in her head. Think, Zelda. Prophecies proclaiming danger . . . in the form of a Gerudo male . . . think, damn it!
It was gentle, almost lazy, how the memory floated up. The words so soft, as if on a fleeting wind.
There hasn't been a prophecy since Calamity Ganon.
A laugh bubbled out of her, hoarse and cracking. "You . . . you're the reason. Why there are no more prophecies."
Nabooru cocked her head, eyes sharp, but Link looked ready to explode. Guiltily, Zelda turned to him. "In every prophecy, there has been a Princess, a Hero, and a Ganondorf. But without the third party, the prophecies can't come to be. They . . ." She faced Nabooru again. "They've been keeping Hyrule safe all this time."
Link furrowed his brow. "But wait. There's a Ganondorf right now. How do you explain that?"
Zelda felt like she'd missed a step on the stair and stumbled. Nabooru, on the other hand, appeared as if she'd turned to stone. Such was it that Zelda jumped when she blew out a breath.
"It was a mistake long past, and one I regret every day. I always thought I had been cursed, to share the name of the Gerudo hero, who fell prey to Ganondorf's dark promises all those centuries ago. But when I gave birth . . . I knew the goddesses had truly cursed me."
Gave birth . . .
Her words processed as if in slow motion, and Zelda's eyes widened. "You're not saying . . ."
Nabooru raised her head, and now her burnished gold eyes were filled with anguish. "I could not bring myself to kill my own son."
Dark halls. A woman's screams, echoing off the stone. Blood on her hands, on her robes, on the nursemaids.
Two hunched figures, rushing down the hall, a bundle of cloth in their arms.
"I could not bring myself to kill my own son."
Zelda let out a noise like a whimper, slumping against the wall. Link was frozen, eyes stuck on Nabooru. "He . . ."
"He was supposed to be dead," she said, closing her eyes. Her shoulders shook. Around her, the other Gerudo bowed their heads, lips forming silent words. "I lacked the strength of my sisters. I will always remember the shame of the moment I sent my babe away, to live in the plush world of the Hylian Empire. I thought if he grew up away from this desert, he would not suffer the fates of his forefathers. And . . . I was angry."
Zelda straightened, slowly.
"I was angry at the Hylians, at the terrible reputation of my people. I hated the way people looked at us, spoke about us, hated the prejudice. So I decided to punish them. Instead of killing my baby, my only son, I sent him to live with two nursemaids in the Gerudo Fortress, far from here."
"You knew."
Nabooru met Zelda's eyes: gold into cold blue. Zelda stood. "You knew the history. The prophecies. And you still . . ." Zelda's eyes fluttered closed for a moment. "And you still let him live."
"I--"
"He killed my mother!" she screamed, a horrible part of her relishing the way Nabooru flinched. "He threw her out the window! He created monsters! How many more--how many would still be alive if he was dead?"
Nabooru closed her eyes, and now the tears fell. "I do not know. And you will never know how sorry I am. But . . . there is still more."
Zelda sat back down in disgust and anguish. Mother . . .
"The two nursemaids, Twinrova . . . instead of raising him with love, twisted his mind. Made him believe he was meant to rule the world, and that I . . . I had tried to kill him, and they had saved him."
"Imagine that," Zelda muttered, but let Nabooru continue.
"By the time I realized what they'd done, it was too late. He'd grown up believing I hated him, and had set off to find the mother who'd abandoned him."
She fell silent, and a few moments passed before Link spoke up. "If you didn't kill Ganondorf, then doesn't that mean there's a prophecy?"
Zelda stiffened.
As he did everything, Link noticed. He turned his blue gaze on her. "Zelda?"
She shifted uncomfortably. "I thought it was just a vision at the time. And I've only just begun to suspect about the Triforces, and it wasn't until recently that—"
"You still could've told me!" he shouted, and all the fear was audible in his voice, in his shaking form as he stood. "We could have been a step ahead of him all this time—"
"It wouldn't have mattered!" Zelda yelled back, hating the way he turned away for a second. She opened her mouth, but a warm hand on her shoulder pushed her gently back down. She hadn't even realized she'd stood as well.
"She is right," Nabooru said quietly. "It would not have made a difference. Ganondorf has been planning this for years. A day or week of warning would not have mattered."
Link made a disparaging noise, but returned to his seat as well. "Now, you must hurry," Nabooru urged. "Go to the Dragmire Estate if you wish, but be careful. He will not take any chances. The estate will be heavily guarded."
Zelda itched to go--her bones ached with the desire to end this, once and for all, but . . .
She sighed. "We can't. Not in this state. Link and I are dead on our feet, and Ilayen is already heavily injured."
Barta grunted. "Moldugas are not to be trifled with."
And who was it that put it there? Zelda thought crossly. "Anyway, we—"
Nabooru nodded to one of the others, and they came forward with tall vials. "Your friend is almost completely healed," she said, handing Zelda one of the vials. It was glass, with silver metal swirls around the base. Red liquid filled it almost to the brim. "Drink this. It will replenish your energy and heal your wounds."
Link shook his vial skeptically. "What is it?"
"Red potion," Barta answered. "It's long since gone out of fashion, but we managed to keep the recipe intact. It's said the Hero used to drink these all the time."
Link swallowed. "Of course."
Zelda bit her lip guiltily and drank her vial. It was sweet, almost fizzy. It tasted like . . . "Strawberries?"
Nabooru shrugged. "We've no idea what strawberries taste like. We do live in the desert.
Zelda held back a snort. "Right. Sorry."
Beside her, Link finished off his vial, though he still didn't look in Zelda's direction. "Now, where is the Estate exactly?"
They'd already wasted enough time. Nabooru dispatched Barta and a few warriors to fetch Ilayen and led Link and Zelda to the stone halls. As they walked a particularly long one, Zelda kept her eyes on Nabooru's straight-backed stride.
Now that she knew what her nightmare had been about, her surroundings held a certain chilly air to them. How long ago was it that Nabooru's child--Ganondorf--had been whisked away down this very hall? She closed her eyes, the Gerudo's scream seeming to echo up and down.
A warm hand enveloped hers, and she looked up to see Link staring straight ahead. His fingers laced with hers, and as they tightened, she knew he was thinking the same thing. She squeezed his hand.
They exited the halls and emerged into the Mirror Chamber. As they passed, the Gerudo inclined their heads to Nabooru and stared curiously at Link and Zelda. To her right, as they crossed the sand pit, she saw Ilayen emerge from the shadows across the pit.
Shadows . . .
She swore under her breath. "What?" Link whispered.
"The Fused Shadow! What if Ganondorf comes here with his army and tries to steal it?"
"Do not worry about the Shadow," Nabooru said, stopping at the railing, looking out over the desert. "He has failed to find this place for thirty years. He will not find it now. Not when his true goal is almost within his grasp."
Zelda swallowed hard, but she let it go. Nabooru was right; Ganondorf's focus was shifted. Theirs should be, too.
"See there? To the south?"
Link squinted hard. "That sandstorm?"
Nabooru nodded, and Zelda felt her heart sink. "That is the Estate."
"But how?" Zelda muttered. "How can he possibly find his way there in the middle of that, let alone breed monsters?"
"That is no natural sandstorm," Ilayen commented, making them all jump.
Nabooru nodded, facing the desert again. "He made that storm himself, to conceal his creations and to keep them enclosed. When the army leaves, however, this storm will dissipate, leaving his estate defenseless."
It took Zelda a moment for that to sink in, but Ilayen beat her to it. "Well, that's pointless! The whole idea was to kill him and the army before they left. If we wait, then he's already on the move." And everyone in the castle will die, he didn't need to add.
"How do we even know where he's going with that?" Link asked, exasperated.
"The castle."
They all looked at Zelda. "How do you know?" Link asked quietly.
She took a deep breath. "Because as far as he's aware, I'm there. He killed my mother--does anyone know what her first name was?"
A long moment of silence, then— "Zelda."
She nodded. "It's tradition to name the daughter of Hylian kings 'Zelda'. He wanted her out of the way so he wouldn't have any interference from the Triforce of Wisdom. But then, there was me. I'm sure he may have killed me the first chance he got, but he didn't know if I even had the Triforce, or if I knew anything about it. And my father suspected foul play concerning my mother, which is why . . ."
She felt tears burning and shoved them down deep. Father . . . I never understood you at all, did I?
Link and Ilayen understood it, as well. "That's why he hid you away," Link murmured. "To protect you from him."
Zelda closed her eyes shortly. "Let's go. We'll figure something out on the way. Besides," she added, facing Nabooru, who'd watched with sad golden eyes, "if what you say is true, then he's most likely about to leave anyway. If we head him off, we may be able to warn the castle. He'll be slower with an army, too."
She took Nabooru's hands. "We will end this," she swore, willing the Gerudo to believe her. "I swear on my title as the Empress, and on my blood as the Princess of Destiny."
Nabooru squeezed her hands. "I believe you."
"We're too late."
Zelda struggled not to let the weight of disappointment crush her. "We're not. We can still warn them, at least."
"How?" Ilayen demanded, his eyes on the estate just a half-mile away. Around it, the skies were clear--no sign of the storm--and tracks upon tracks littered the sand around it. Zelda ignored those tracks, ignored the sick feeling that there truly was a veritable army of monsters at Ganondorf's back.
"He lives in the middle of the desert," Link reminded him. "He must have ravens to send and receive messages. We can send one to the castle."
With that, they tread carefully, picking their steps across the distance. They'd hidden behind a dune with their horses, just to be sure there were no stragglers, and as if marked by the thousands of clawed feet, the ground here was hard and sun-baked.
"You remember, right?" Link muttered to her, hands filled with twin broadswords. He'd taken a second from the Royal Guards' Chambers before they'd left. He glanced at her. "All those months ago, on the way to Twilight?"
She did. She'd insisted that taking the path closer to the "summer storms" was faster. Link had disagreed.
Zelda chuckled. "Looks like I was right after all."
He laughed, his eyes flicking down to her hand. "Bearer of Wisdom, indeed."
She snorted, if only to keep the light in his eyes a little longer. It tended to fade far too quickly lately--especially when they spoke of the Triforce. He still hadn't adjusted to the rattling realization that he bore a Triforce himself.
But as usual, the mood turned serious, and then they were upon the estate's grounds. There was no grass, or plants whatsoever. There was a rancid odor in the air, making Zelda's eyes water. As they came closer, they saw countless claw marks in the stone, broken bits littering the ground, and a few discarded weapons. Zelda gave a particular spiked boomerang a wide berth.
A stone clattered to their left. They dove behind the wall, hearts pounding. Zelda clenched her sword, holding her breath, but no further noise sounded. Then—
A wet cough, and the sound of cloth shifting. In a flash she whipped around the corner and found a young boy sliding down the wall, right beside the remains of the front doors. She knelt at his side, her blade clattering to the stones; her heart broke to see it was the Sheikah shadow they'd assigned to track Ganondorf.
Blood gushed from a wound in his side, coating his hands, slipping through his fingers. Dull red eyes met hers. "P . . . princess . . . forgive me. I f-failed you."
"Shh, no, no," She whispered, tears scalding her eyes. "You did everything just right."
"Kilan," Ilayen breathed. "Tell me--what did you see?"
Kilan struggled to meet Ilayen's eyes. "M-Master Ilayen . . ." He coughed, and blood spattered onto the sand. "There were hundreds . . . all kinds. Even ones . . . you didn't sh-show us."
Link and Zelda shared a glance. Hundreds . . . and this was just one stronghold. According to Nabooru, he had dozens of places like these.
Swallowing hard, Zelda clutched Kilan tighter. "Where did they go? Can you tell me, Kilan?"
Every breath was an effort; he coughed again, longer. When it was over, his face was bone white, and he shook more than ever. It took three tries for him to speak.
"Everywhere."
The whisper seemed to echo in the suddenly still air. Kilan took one last heaving gasp, then fell still. He slid from Zelda's slack grasp, landing on the hard ground in a cloud of dust. Everywhere.
Everywhere.
Crashing sounds echoed from the broken estate, and Zelda lowered her sword to find Link stumbling over the rubble. He threw three black shapes on the ground in disgust. "He took no chances."
Zelda stared blankly at the ravens, blood leaking from their beaks. Everywhere.
She stood on shaky legs, sheathing her sword. "Then we've no time to lose. We need to get to Hyrule Castle."
Ilayen made the sign of the goddesses over Kilan's body, and then they were sprinting over the grounds to the horses. She hardly waited till she was in the saddle before spurring the stallion forward. He tossed his head and burst into a gallop—or as fast as it was capable of going.
Sand blasted into her face, but she hardly felt it. All she could feel was her heart, each beat seeming to sound like the names of everyone she'd left in the castle. Unwarned. Abandoned, to a slaughter.
Rauru. Tetra. Sirela. Impa. Faylen. Alana.
She shut her eyes, her tears flying away with the wind. I'm coming. Please, let me make it in time.
I'm coming.
Rauru stared out the window, at the massive dust cloud approaching. At the head, a black shape rode a massive stallion, dark as the starless night.
They were too late, then.
He closed his eyes, hands behind his back, as chaos reigned around him. Impa had sent out the order just an hour ago, when they'd first noticed the cloud. The army.
Evacuate.
Servants rushed back and forth, nobles stuffed clothes into suitcases, courtiers demanded the fastest carriages. In the town, most were not so lucky. He could almost hear the screams of fear, of panic, could see in his mind the streams of people fleeing through the gates, clogging their only escape.
Few would make it out alive.
He had seen carnage in his life. He'd seen the Riots of Twilight. He'd been at Zant's hanging. This would not compare.
This would be a massacre.
Rauru took a deep breath as a hand fell on his shoulder. "We have to leave," Tetra said softly. Pleading.
He shook his head, taking her hands. "You must leave, dear. I have lived long enough. You must survive, and help the Empress."
Tears budded in her blue eyes. "Please, come with me," she whispered. "She needs you too."
But Rauru smiled and shook his head again. "Go," he murmured, making the sign of the goddesses over Tetra's forehead. He glanced over her head, and two servants approached. "Make sure she gets out safely."
They nodded, determination mixing with fear in their eyes, and gently pulled Tetra away. She didn't break eye contact, even as her tears fell, even as fresh screams arose from the open windows.
They could hear the monsters now.
"What about you, my lord?" a servant asked him.
Rauru stared up at the ceiling, at the mosaic of the Three. "Me? I should like to die among those whom I have served for a lifetime. If you would, will you bring me to the chapel?"
Tetra was sobbing now. "Please, don't!"
Rauru gave her a small smile. "Goodbye, child," he whispered.
The servants dragged her away, and Rauru turned his back on her screams, and didn't stop until he had reached the small chapel. Silence reigned in the white room, filled with written prayers and tiny, holy figures. Rauru sat in one of the pews, his back to the door.
And now, I shall wait.
In the distance, Hyrule Castle burned.
Smoke rose above the sparse treetops where Zelda, Link and Ilayen stood, frozen. Daylight was fading. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the flames stood out brighter and brighter.
Zelda imagined that if she listened hard enough, she could hear the screams.
Her mind was dull. She even doubted that she was still alive, if not for the steadily beating drum in her chest, pumping life through her even as it was taken from those in the city, far away.
Ilayen stood ahead of her, red eyes wide, fixated on the castle. His lips formed soundless words, but Zelda knew what he was saying.
He turned, his face slack. "We have to save her."
Link raised his head.
Ilayen took a few steps towards them. "Tetra . . . Tetra is still in there. They're all still in there! We have to go—!"
Zelda took his hands and he broke off. She swallowed. "Ilayen, we can't. It's a slaughterhouse in there."
He ripped his hands away and backed up. "How—how can you say that? She's your advisor—she's your friend! That's my future wife in there!"
"I know!" she screamed back, tears burning. "Goddesses, Ilayen, I know. But we can't risk it! If we go in there now, we'll be killed."
"Listen to me," Link interrupted, grabbing Ilayen's shoulders and holding them tight. "Tetra is smart. She was chosen to advise Zelda for a reason. Don't you think she would have kept an eye out for something like this, with what she knows? She would have been part of the evacuation. Remember, Impa knew about Ganondorf too."
For a long moment Zelda feared Ilayen wouldn't listen. He stared at Link with wide eyes, his white hair tossed by the wind.
Then his shoulders slowly lowered, and he let out a shaky breath. "Are you sure?" he whispered.
Zelda stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace. "I'm sure," she promised. Ilayen shook in her grasp, and she shut her eyes tight. They're all right. They have Impa and Tetra--they're fine.
Ilayen backed out and took a deep breath. Link turned to Zelda. "So where to now? We can't go to the castle," he said, with a look at Ilayen. Zelda ran through all the places she might have suggested, but too many people knew they were safe spots. Ganondorf would have made sure she couldn't get to them--that is, if he'd realized she wasn't one of the castle casualties. But there was one place she could go, a place that was right under Ganondorf's nose.
"Nol," she decided. "Refugees will be flooding in. No one will notice three more."
They mounted up and set off, and though the pace was slower than she would have liked, she eventually pushed her stallion until they were flying over the grasslands. We'll skirt the fields, she thought, drawing up the mental map of Hyrule. Monsters will be searching for survivors, and if Ganondorf is smart, he'll have lookouts on the walls of the city.
"We'll stay on the borders of the Fields until Lon Lon Ranch, then cut behind to Nol," she shouted over the wind, and only their raised hands told her they'd heard.
And so it went.
The ride was silent for the most part. Once in a while, they came upon a couple straggling monsters on the outermost fields. They cut them down viciously, each imagining the heads that fell as Ganondorf's.
When the last corpses were far behind them, they cut into the fields, heading for the enormous ranch in the middle. Red painted barns littered the huge complex, and even from their distance, she could hear the frantic neighing. In the middle of the ranch, a field and racetrack allowed for training and raising foals.
Zelda had never been there herself, but she'd heard the owner's daughter had a beautiful voice--said to be a horse master even more skilled than her father.
It was supposed to be protected by the guard; she hoped it would survive long enough for its inhabitants to escape.
They left the ranch behind and headed for the mass of buildings in the south. Even now, Zelda could see streams of people heading for the city, little more than black streaks in the fading sunlight.
By the time they reached Nol, it was full dark, and yet still refugees poured through the gates. The three reigned their horses in and led them around the lines of people to the registrar. He glanced up once, then again, his green eyes widening. "Y-Your Majesty! Captain, my lord! what--I was told you were in—"
Zelda shushed him and leaned in. "Is my house still intact, Corporal?"
He nodded, clearing his throat and straightening. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Make sure no one knows where it is. No one. Do you understand, Corporal?"
"Y-Yes, Empress, but—"
"I need to register these three horses. Tell no one to whom they belong," she ordered, voice low and urgent. "I was not here. You don't know where I am, or Master Ilayen, or your captain. This is a matter too sensitive to divulge to anyone but the two with me, and some in the castle."
At this, the corporal's face lost some of its seriousness. A dim light entered his gaze. "Yes, well . . . there are many in the castle who have not arrived yet . . ."
"Who?" Ilayen demanded. "Who hasn't made it out?"
The corporal looked a bit stricken. "M-Master Impa, for one, and my Lord Rauru . . ."
"Who else?" Ilayen pressed, desperation creeping into his voice.
"My . . . my Lady Tetra," the corporal whispered.
A terrible silence fell upon them, despite the noise of their surroundings. Ilayen stumbled away from the desk, an emptiness entering his gaze. Zelda felt it as well. Rauru . . .
She cleared her throat as Link took Ilayen's arm. "That will be all, Corporal," she said quietly. Too quietly. "Remember what I said."
He saluted subtly, and they slowly merged into the streams entering the city, shock numbing their minds. There were so many people flooding in, the guards at the gate couldn't possibly check them all, and Zelda and the boys slipped through quickly.
She closed her eyes for several long moments. Now wasn't the time to lose her head. Impa was a warrior—she was the Sheikah Chieftain, damn it. She wouldn't fall so easily. And she would never have left Tetra alone during the siege. As for Rauru . . . She swallowed. She refused to consider the possibility.
Now that she'd placated herself—somewhat—she realized what a madhouse the city had become. Babies and children screamed with fear, families called for missing loved ones, guards struggled to maintain control. The displaced meandered everywhere, making it impossible to establish order.
It was a disaster.
Zelda took hold of Link and Ilayen's hands and pulled them along, heading for the heart of the city. She knew just where to go.
As soon as they left behind the initial chaos, the streets became calmer and quieter, though only by a small margin. There were still people wandering aimlessly, and here, criers shouted news of the siege and the missing Empress, adding to the chaos.
Zelda shouldered past them, recognizing landmarks even after two months away.
Zelda blinked dully.
Had it only been two months It had to--the Summit had ended in late June, and now it was already phasing into the winter months. October was around the corner. A cold wind blew through, sending papers flying. As soon as she crested the top of the hill, she looked down and nearly groaned.
The Southern Square was even worse than the main road. Storefronts were overflowing--people buying up weapons, foodstuffs, winter clothes. Everything. One of those fronts was nearly buried in crowds, such that the lettering on the glass windows was completely blotted out.
The three ran down the hill and dove into the crowd, shoving into backs and nearly running down a group of scared teens. Zelda kept her eyes ahead, blocking out the sounds of panic and fear. Damn you, Ganondorf. Somewhere, glass shattered, and someone screamed.
Finding the door was easy enough, but getting in was another matter entirely. Zelda tried to shove aside a larger man, but he whirled, a manic light in his eyes, and pushed her down.
Her head cracked on the stone, and she saw stars before feet trampled her. A heel kicker her in the face, and she spat blood. Then hands grasped her arms and hauled her up.
"Are you okay?" Link shouted over the noise. Zelda tried to nod, but it hurt her head, so she just grabbed his hand and pulled him and Ilayen along. Somehow they squeezed through the door, but only after Link snarled at another man who tried to shove them aside. He backed away, eyes wide.
Inside was just as hectic as the square, and twice as loud. Link dragged them through the throng to a stair in the back. Once they were at the top, the noise had faded to a dull roar, and a long hall extended to their left. He stopped at the third door and shooed them in.
"Link?"
Zelda whirled, her sword pricking the chin of the girl sitting on the bed. She reared back then froze, her green eyes widening. "Y--Empress?"
"Who is this?" Ilayen demanded.
Link pushed Zelda's sword down and rushed to pull the girl to her feet. Her eyes were wide and scared, and her wheat-colored hair shone like white gold in the candlelight. "This is Ilia," he said. "She's an old childhood friend, from Ordon."
From Ordon. Zelda grabbed Ilia's hands. "How are the kids? They've arrived, haven't they? Are they safe? Are they happy?"
If the girl was taken aback by Zelda's outburst, she didn't let it show. She nodded, a smile growing. "They're happy, all right. They spend all day chasing the chickens and helping with the farming. Tael likes to watch the goats with his sister. Everyone adores them."
"And Saria?" Zelda asked anxiously. "How is Saria?"
Ilia held Zelda's hands tightly. "She's all right, I promise," she said soothingly. "Uli and Rusl have really taken a liking to her. I think they're adopting her!" she added excitedly to Link. A weary smile broke through the stress on his face. "That's good. They were good to Colin. They'll be good to Saria, too."
"Everyone's in good hands, Your Majesty, you don't need to worry," Ilia assured her, green eyes earnest.
Her soft country accent really added a certain soothing edge to her voice. Zelda found herself relaxing, but unfortunately she couldn't just yet. "I'd love to believe that, but my worries are far from over," she said, rubbing her forehead. The room provided a window; looking through it, she could see the castle, far in the distance, beyond Nol's city limits. Flame lit it up in the night, still, and she felt sick thinking about the lives being lost.
She closed her eyes, fighting back the burning. Behind her, hands wrapped around her middle, lacing his fingers with hers. He didn't need to say anything.
Zelda took a deep breath and gently extricated herself from Link's embrace, but kept holding his hand. "So if I may ask, what are you doing here, Ilia?"
She felt Link shift uncomfortably, but Ilia wasn't bothered. "I wanted to visit my friend Colin. I heard he was working in the city, and he always told me he would show me around someday, but . . ."
As her face fell, turning to look through the window, Zelda felt a stone plunk into her stomach.
Colin. Aryll. Grandma. How were they holding up? She'd made sure the house was still intact, but with all the refugees pouring in, overtaking the three of them would be a simple task.
"They're fine," Link whispered in her ear. "I had a guard set up around the house. They'll keep them safe."
Zelda nodded numbly. She cleared her throat. "I apologize for the state of the capital," she managed, voice hoarse. "Your visit is unfortunately timed."
Ilia shook her head sadly. "It's not your fault, Empress. Link has told me you did all you could."
Somehow that made her feel worse. She forced a smile. "Then, we'll leave you to it."
"Actually, I brought us in here for a reason," Link cut in gently. "I set this room up for situations like this, for a place for us to meet." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "And she should be here any moment."
As he spoke, footsteps pounded on the floor, and the door opened to reveal a tall Hylian, her apron still tied around her wide hips--hips she planted her hands on, her smirk in place.
"Well, if it isn't the princess and her hero! Welcome back, sweetie."
"T-Telma?"
:)))))))
REVIEW REPLIES.
To guest (bananabreadman): LMAO "the young a—"
Ahhh I love that you love it XD. Hope you enjoy this one! :)
To Ultimate blazer: I dunno, he DOES have an army XD. On the other hand, That she does, that she does! We'll find out though! You're welcome :)
To Generala: hmmmmmmmmm perhaps???? Hahaha I adore Urbosa (almost as much as Revali X) )
Nooo don't stop breathing! Haha you have to keep reading!
