Legend of Linkle: Royalty Forthcoming
Princess of Ikana
Disclaimer: I do not own anything canon in the world of Legend of Zelda, it's a trademark of Nintendo. Various OC characters are mine though.
7: Fancy
The castle's steward and Link had a nice conversation about the recent gossip around town while they waited to be announced as court was not quite in session yet.
Felt like forever but in truth it was only an hour after he had arrived. A soldier opened the great hall doorway and invited him back into court.
Link walked back up to the dais and while he approached he noticed that a fair amount of the other nobles had managed to assemble. They must want to hear what he had to say.
When he glanced back at who was present from the royal family and only saw Sulien again, he frowned slightly but decided to not make a fuss this time.
"Sir Link, your majesty" the stewart announced before stepping off to the side.
"Lords and Ladies of the court, the Hero of Twilight has something important to tell us" Sulien beckoned him.
"The call from my triforce piece tried to warn me that dark times are approaching and that her majesty Queen Zelda may be in danger, so I rushed over here." he summarized for the nobles to gauge their reactions.
Whispers were heard amongst them as they murmured to each other. Prince/Lord Kaius of Lanayru stood and addressed everyone.
"Your majesty, as your brother and head of the nobles I would like to know what exactly is going on? The townspeople seem to think we're under attack from foreign nations and are panicking, you've only told us about hasty negotiations with Dusana, our Queen has been jailed for acting as traitor to the crown and now the hero of twilight comes to us with news from the goddesses that dark times are returning? We must collaborate our efforts if we are under true siege!" He protested in favor of arming the royal guard and protecting the borders.
Sulien wasn't budging on giving them answers or allowing the nation to declare war on anyone. He wasn't convinced of a true threat even if divine intervention was trying to reach him.
Whilst they argue amongst themselves, Link could tell he wasn't going to get anywhere in an official sense and was thinking of routes into the castle that were still unknown. He would need to find Zelda himself as she was being kept in the dark by her son, it seemed.
An additional letter arrived from Faron, from Juniper to tell them that Eira had written back worried about recent talks of a rebellion from the province of Lanayru against the noble class in the area. There had been higher taxes implemented as of late and people were fed up, hungry and in agreement that the reign of Sulien was worse than Zelda's.
Linkle frowned at the news but volunteered to travel over and see what she could do to help and asked her uncle to keep a lookout here. If the news of attacks on the borders were true. Kakariko would need all the help it could get if foreign invasion reached this far inland, since it seemed that Hyrule wasn't mobilizing against any threat.
She set out the next morning waving to her family with a smile. She had confidence that invaders would have a difficult time navigating death mountain tricky and steep terrain.
With the risk of Moblin ambushes, Linkle took the longer way around, going north towards Zora's domain and Eldin bridge.
Link had told her many times of the shortcuts around the land he discovered on his many adventures throughout Hyrule and she took advantage of some of these.
There was a tunneling system beneath the bridge itself but on the way, Linkle popped out and looked around for monsters and when she was sure that nothing was around, she climbed on top of the towers on the north side and took in the sunrise towards the east.
She had seen plenty of sunrises in the forests of Faron and Ordon but she never saw one as magnificent with such a view. She gleefully wondered if her grandfather had taken her grandmother on some impressive dates in their youth?
The top of death mountain was a nice view too from what she heard, Snowpeak was an icy appeal, the hot deserts of Gerudo mesa… and the looming towers of the old prison in the far grounds.
The Lanayru bridge over a glistening Lake Hylia?, and the chilled rivers flowing from the northern mountain peaks of where the Zora lived… Yes, there were many places in this great land of theirs that were beautiful.
Thinking back to what Link had told her during bedtimes and just random visits to his house when she was little was stories of the beautiful Princess Zelda and times he spent with her, which were plentiful now that she thought about it.
Frowning she thought, didn't the hero that saved a princess usually end up with said princess? But he had technically rescued two and never ended up with either…
But of course, a peasant wouldn't be able to take the hand in marriage with the only Princess of Hyrule… right?
Rosa was snoozing as they transitioned from desert into grassy plains. They would be there in just over a day.
They stopped overnight at Lake Hylia as it would maybe take the morning to reach the castle town.
Rosa, surrounded by the Subrosians, decided to quiz them on Hyrulean customs as they were ambassadors from a neighboring country.
"Back home everyone is already bowing before I even enter, here it depends on the circumstances. A formal or full court session would be the same but in any informal session no one is expected to bow before royalty is present." She told them while reading through her Hyrule Historia volume.
"Your highness… may I ask how old that volume is?" Citrine asked nervously.
"It's my grandfathers," Rosa said, confused.
"Numerous smaller customs have changed since that time, with Queen Zelda for instance, got rid of the way commoners are supposed to be extra polite and stiff in royalty's presence… and King Sulien got rid of their personal attendants who were expected to announce his every entrance to any given room…" Citrine gave her examples.
Quietly furious, she closed the book and demanded they walk her through any other known change.
Gladly willing to help each servant walk her through what they knew.
Off on the sidelines, their guards were all sitting around a smaller fire pit and watching as their Princess made a bit of a fool.
"Did the major general give us any additional orders that the princess is unaware?" one of them whispered to the group.
"No but he did inform me of his plans of getting exclusive alliances with the countries Mikayal, Obitian and Dusana. He believes by the time we return that Hyrule will be under siege… but don't tell her highness." murmured Merrick
The other nodded before looking over at the group who was now going over fancy bows styles and greeting etiquette.
The royal family of Holodrum were an interesting bunch with robust flame orange hair and violet purple eyes, some even thought that maybe they were distant descendants of the Gerudo of old, for their race disappeared after the execution of their King Ganondorf to the twilight realm over 200 years ago now.
They were a township land like their cousins Labrynna but soon after the imprisonment war in Hyrule they were overtaken by Hylian nobility and thus began the short line of Holodrumian royalty before the downfall of the oracle…
Princess Rosa had only been a girl when they separated her from her mother Queen Karelia, who was sold to a Yedida prince and probably suffered a much worse fate.
Captain Merrick thought back to that horrible day. The king was murdered by an assassin and the Queen was forced to try and piece back the pieces of a country where everything was lost to the chaotic changing of seasons.
Many had fled the cities when the oracle was declared dead and once they voted on Draven's leadership and emerged from the outlands before taking the Capitol, Horon by force. They were going to send both females away but the remaining townspeople begged mercy for the child, plus they pointed out that other nations would not take kindly to a non-monarchy nation. They would once again be overthrown by foreigners.
Though very reluctant, Draven spared Rosa. The people were united and they managed to keep a veil to outside lands of the truth that they had no ruling monarch.
Understanding their cruel predicament, Rosa bravely cast aside her girlhood and took a much further stance on ruling and looking over her people. It seemed to many that Draven had molded her into an impressionist, she was an excellent actress and everyone who didn't know bought her sad tale of her mothers quick end and the nation mourned another Queen. If she had been older, Rosa would have been "Queen" but she instead took the title Princess-Regent until she married at 17.
Draven ruled over her truly but Rosa kept Quartz, her childhood Subrosian friend by her side and even was the one who suggested forming an official alliance with the volcanic people below them, they wouldn't survive otherwise.
Not many people knew the princess but sometimes you got a glimpse of her innocent and caring nature.
The guards saw her often and she was icy most of the time but whilst among her peers she seemed like a pure hearted maiden who currently was spinning around with Quarts to some Subrosian folk, she cracked a few smiles before reverting back to her mean persona.
"Quartz, I demand you end this foolishness at once!" She yelled while he ignored her order.
Would she be ok? Could she gain the fast trust of the youngest Hylian prince? She had 4 days before they needed to return as quickly as possible with their new secret "prisoner".
Huffing and out of breath, the princess bid them all goodnight before gliding into her private tent.
The next morning the soldiers packed up most of the camp before demanding someone get her highness ready and back into the caravan.
Making record time, they were back on the main road just past sunrise.
They were nearing the bridge when a pothole tripped up one of the men and the jostled the transportation and knocked Quartz off the back as he took a light nap, tired from the previous night's lessons.
No one noticed as the party continued on without him as he tumbled into the nearby thick foliage not awakening for a time.
Back in Holodrum, Draven had set up a war room in the usual meeting chambers where they would hold private audiences with the princess. He stationed different volunteers on their major borders, preparing for some backstabbing that would happen if things in Hyrule unraveled.
In the meantime, he received a sealed message from the king of Dusana that negotiations were breaking down with Hyrule and he was beginning attacks on their borders with his countries, he asked for some assurance on their end.
Biding his time, he reminded him that they were currently visiting Hyrule on an official account. They couldn't attack them whilst in their country and he would be sure to pass on correspondents with their Princess-Regent as soon as she returned but would continue to take a neutral stance.
Speaking of Princess Rosa's impending engagement, the plan he had put into place was that they would get Prince Aubreon as bargaining fodder, when they suddenly broke off their fake alliance and took sides with Hyrule enemies. Not wanting to be ousted but another royal, Draven planned on marrying her himself and forcing her to make him King and no one would be able to get in his way and he would have a beautiful Queen he could have all to himself.
No one knew but Draven had fallen in love with Seralia in their youth and she ran off with the Prince and heir of Hyrule of the time thus flinging the country into disarray before the true tragedy. He enrolled into the military and swore revenge on her sister but ended up with Rosa instead. Still sweet revenge though…
A/N: Despite my bus writing schedule, with participating in NaNoWriMo again this year(which is going good so far..) I have dedicated my time in trying to resume biweekly updates with most of the unfinished stories as eventually I want to write other things I have ben pondering as of late. I have an idea for a breath of the wild since I've been playing lots of Age of calamity since the last DLC dropped, plus I finally got my hands on Skyward sword, a game I never fully played through the first time it came out so I have been immersed into the land of Hyrule as of late. As always feel free to leave a follow, favorite, like, kudo's, and comment/review on whichever platform you are reading on.