"We received a proposal last week I'm going to share with you. There's a village that wants a place on the council so they can feel represented. The letter is quite well written so I'll just read it aloud," Zelda said as she sat at the chair at the end of the table, each of the other council members listening carefully. She got close to the end, consciously slowing herself down so she wouldn't rush through it. Everyone was listening attentively, waiting until she placed the letter down and looked around to gauge reactions.
Overall, the reactions seemed positive. "I would be willing to give them a place on the greater council. Not in this room," King Dorephan said as he loomed over everyone. They had to be in a special meeting room specifically so he could fit, though even that felt small as he curled over slightly so he wouldn't touch the ceiling.
There seemed to be some sense of agreement. "I can whole heartedly agree with you that they don't need to be in the room with us on the main council. We have no knowledge of them and I am even hesitant to let them into the greater council," Kaneli said as he looked at the queen, as if to try and sway her in particular.
Bludo nodded. "If they haven't even got a leader, how can we trust they'll have someone suitable?" he added.
It was a very strong point as Dorephan seemed to reconsider his statement. He took a moment before returning with his rebuttal. "What message does it send to the people if we won't let them be heard at all? The lower council don't have any power for serious change at a kingdom wide level, but they have the ability to raise concerns and have it put to us above the average citizen for sooner consideration. They can only action anything of serious implications after our approval. I don't think it is worth not giving them a chance."
"Then do we need to give a place in the lower council to the other villages? At the moment, the only villages in the lower council are Hateno and Lurelin. Should we grant a place to Tarrey town as well? If we're discussing equality, then we need to make it equal," Riju asked and others looked at her. "And where do we stop? Is there a minimum citizen count? How does a village qualify?"
It was a very good point. They'd denied Tarrey town in the past because they weren't big enough yet but if this one qualified, why couldn't they? They negotiated for a while, coming up with a solution for the larger problem; the world wasn't so structured anymore and people weren't staying in their towns. It was time to help the government match it.
Zelda wrote down the last of her notes. "I will write this up later and bring it in for review but we are reorganising the lower council so it can become a better potential stepping stone to the upper council. Applications will be open to eligible townships once they prove they are a unique enough entity they are not yet represented. Assessments will be made on a case by case basis. This new ruling will allow Tarrey town and the unnamed village to be strongly considered."
She continued to jot down her thoughts during the rest of the meeting, watching Riju's uneasy expression. She took her time to collect her notes as others filed out, Riju staying behind as she picked up on the deliberate actions. "Do you disagree with the new arrangement?" Zelda asked as the room became quiet. Riju walked over and closed the door.
"The village is composed is former Yiga and known racists. They despise the Sheikah and only tolerate the Yiga because they hate the royal family and those loyal just as much as they do. Your Majesty, the Yiga have terrorised our territories for decades. The Gerudo Highlands became incredibly dangerous territory as they protected their hideout. They stole and savaged Kara Kara Bazaar dozens of times until my mother chased them back. They broke into Gerudo Town and stole the Thunder Helm. They sent you a bomb. Why are you not more concerned?" Riju asked, perplexed by the Queen of Hyrule.
Zelda sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly. She hadn't even mentioned it was the same people that had been sending threats but Riju had picked up on it immediately. "I am more concerned of what they will do if they don't even get a voice. I hope that we will be able to control their new found power well enough that they can't cause too much damage. I'd rather compromise than start a war. Particularly not work a foe we can barely locate."
Zelda perfectly understood her concerns. She could see that Riju was still torn but the Gerudo woman nodded. "As long as you're still cautious, if you think this is the best way to go, I'll trust you. But if this begins to affect my people, we'll be taking immediate action."
Zelda nodded. "I understand."
Riju moved toward the door, Zelda following. It was difficult to make sure no one picked up on the tension because of their conversation; what Riju had said was to be held in confidence, even if they were sure almost everyone would agree.
It didn't matter, the other leaders were preoccupied by watching the soldiers and guards of their villages training with each other. It was interesting to see each of the different techniques as the collaborated in teaching one another. Though some of the skills weren't as transferrable, even just learning about them was enough to help prepare one another for the potential dangers they could face.
"One day, perhaps we'll have a unified military," King Dorephan mused.
Zelda smiled at the idea. She could imagine a system where they all took the same training and shared their time between protecting each of the villages, learning from one another and strengthening their bonds. She hoped for peace more but she wasn't naive; the evil of Ganon was a recurring force and though the villages currently were relatively at peace, it never took much to cause tension when they all had different needs.
"Link would like that," Riju added quietly and she got a mixture of looks. Clearly her hushed tone of voice had made her sound more sinister than intended. "I mean knowing they were all capable with the same goal, not just trying to control every militant in the world. He's not power hungry or corrupt. Under his leadership, it could actually work."
The confused looks dissipated. "I would have thought the meeting with the military leaders would have finished by now," Kaneli said as he squinted and looked through each of the Rito to see if he recognised any as his own.
"They'll be making sure everyone is clear so there's no chance of trouble for the wedding, I suppose. I still hear stories of how strict Link was for the coronation and he was on guard. I can only imagine how he is feeling at the first event where he can't be," King Dorephan chuckled.
"The more strict he is, the more anxious he is underneath. He doesn't mean to be cruel but if he doesn't push them, he wouldn't sleep at night with worry they won't be ready," Zelda said with a small smile to herself. She knew they already knew this but she liked to remind them that Link wasn't as bad as some of the exaggerated stories from those who didn't make the cut made him sound. "It's scary but when you realise why he does it, I think it motivates you more to prove yourself and ease his concerns. When you do, he eases off on you too."
King Dorephan nodded. "He is also of a time where his concerns were real. For how bad it was during the calamity, I can remember what it was like in the years before and everyone was terrified of what was to come. The stories I was told of back then are much worse than those of now, Your Majesty."
It almost made Zelda feel cold; the statement that was meant to give her comfort had just reminded her of what she'd heard and seen many years ago. Her father had tried to keep her out of it and focused on her own training but she'd heard the painful screaming of those who didn't pass the rigorous testing, some of which she knew was so dangerous that failing spelled out almost certain death. The risk of the calamity was too big and when Zelda had been unable to provide even a glimmer of hope that she'd live up to her destiny, there was no such thing as a test too obscene. She often forgot that Link had gone through all of that as well, though she wasn't sure he remembered it entirely and it was probably for the best. He was of sound mind before the calamity but there were certainly moments when she'd seen the toll it had taken on him. It was moments when she was faced with danger when she saw that side of him emerge that would do anything to keep her safe. She knew that there was not a single thing too horrible that he'd even hesitate for a second if it meant he could protect her, even just for moments more. That motivation had been what gave him the strength and courage to free each of the divine beasts and face the calamity head on, even without all of his memories to remind him why he did so.
"Yes, though I was kept away from all of that so I don't know much about it to be quite honest," she admitted after a second of thought. "I'm sorry to leave you but I have some more work to do. Please just ask any member of staff if you need anything."
They could all see how uneasy she was as the memories floated around in her head. She heard a knock on the door much later as she sat in her study, trying to write her response. "Zelda?"
She looked up and could see Link giving her a concerned expression. "Sorry, I was just thinking," she said as she stood up. He saw her hesitate as she went to step towards him and he frowned. It spoke more words than he would ever need to say. "It was just a casual discussion we were having while we watched all of the soldiers train together. King Dorephan reminded me that the training used to be even worse before the calamity when I had been talking about how hard you'd been preparing to make sure everyone is ready."
Link understood a little more. "I don't know if it's better or worse that I don't remember most of it," he admitted and Zelda felt relieved. At least she did until she noticed he looked confused and then concerned. "Should I?"
Zelda held his face and looked into his eyes. They were eyes that shined bright on the surface yet showed age underneath. They made her feel safe and yet she knew he'd seen awful things, though after a hundred years holding back the calamity, so had she. "Even without remembering, they have still made you who you are. That is what's important. Our pasts are so very long ago; if we try and live in them, we will never catch up."
Link nodded. "I do try to remember more. I do sometimes but it's like someone has scattered and buried it all, and I'm slowly finding it."
Zelda smiled and kissed him slowly. "That's already more than I could ever ask."
Link watched as she sat down again. "We've briefed in everyone except the Zora, but Sidon assured me he'll will make sure they're ready on time as soon as he returns."
Zelda frowned. "He's not here?"
Link looked confused, as if he expected she'd know why. "He left not long after the meeting started. One of the others went to brief King Dorephan."
"Oh. Is everything alright?" Zelda asked and Link still looked confused. "You weren't told?" Link shook his head. "Did you ask?"
"They wouldn't tell me why. It had to go to King Dorephan or Sidon," Link said and Zelda looked more concerned. They hadn't expected the Zora to be keeping secrets. What could be so sensitive that they couldn't tell them why Sidon had to leave in such a hurry?
Zelda got up and made her way out to the docks where she knew the king would be – it wasn't as if he'd fit most other places – and made sure not to sound negative. She was mostly concerned. "King Dorephan, I'm sorry, I just wanted to personally check everything was alright. I heard Prince Sidon left in a hurry today and no one knows why. If there's anything we can do-"
King Dorephan laughed. "Oh, no, it's fine. I assure you, Your Majesty, this is almost certainly good news. I will tell you the story in tomorrow's meeting. Please do not worry."
That only made Zelda more confused. However, she nodded and gave a reassuring smile. "I see, then I'm sorry to have disturbed you. If there is anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
She stepped out, still concerned about what could possibly be good news and yet also a secret. Link waited in her study as she could see him reading through the letter she'd been writing. "You're not meant to know any of that yet," she teased and Link stood up straight. She closed the door and watched him try to hide his embarrassed expression now he'd been caught. "It is not a certain yes but the discussion about the proposal has spurred a deeper discussion about restructuring the entire council. We are going to share with them and all of the other villages that changes will soon be occurring and it may make some villages that were previously ineligible eligible for lower council positions. No promises further than that at this stage but hopefully it will be enough to satisfy them for now."
Link nodded. He trusted Zelda's judgement despite his unease. "Sidon?"
"Supposedly good news; King Dorephan said he'd share the story tomorrow," Zelda replied and Link felt the same concern that she did; even if it was good news, what was so big that Sidon had rushed back and yet no one knew what had happened.
They settled in for the night, Link in his own room as he stared at his ceiling. Zelda's words had stuck with him as he felt the odd tugging feeling where he knew there was memories missing. It didn't even feel like a void; it was a space that was occupied but he couldn't reach it in his head and he wasn't sure he'd ever work out how to do it on demand. The most he'd get would be small snippets from time to time but it didn't feel like he was doing anything in particular to find them, they were just suddenly there while he thought of something similar.
What could he even do? He laid there for a long time trying to remember anything at all but he couldn't do so. He finally fell asleep when he heard a cry from the other side of the castle, his whole body moving into action before he'd even woken up.
He stood in the queen's room with several guards who were looking around to check if there was anyone there. The coast was clear as Zelda held her head, looking disoriented herself as she took deep breaths.
"Nothing here," one of the guards said and Link nodded.
"Clear out," he said as the soldiers all moved out of the room, Link waiting until they'd closed the door before he put down the Master Sword that he'd grabbed from his room in his haste. "Are you okay?"
Zelda nodded slowly. "Just a nightmare, I hope," she said as she sat up and slowed her breathing right down to several seconds per breath.
Link sat down on the side of her bed as she still looked spooked by whatever she'd been dreaming about. He sat in silence until she was ready to talk, letting her come to terms with whatever she had experienced.
"I'm alright, I don't want to worry you," she said and Link didn't move. He wanted her to know he was there for her no matter what she needed. After another few minutes, she began to slowly speak. "It was Ganon."
The name was enough that Link could feel his whole body tense. "We sealed him away. He's gone."
Zelda nodded. "I know. As I said, it was just a nightmare. Probably just wedding stress," she insisted and Link still felt uneasy. Any mention of Ganon would put everyone in the entire kingdom on edge, particularly from the one who was responsible for sealing him away. "Please go back to bed, I'll be fine. I'll ask if I'm not."
Link nodded, getting up and returning to his room. Grax was sitting on the edge of his bed with his arms folded, his face showing a clearly displeased expression. "The queen is alright? The guards told me you said the coast was clear."
Link nodded again. "She's fine."
Grax got up and Link collapsed onto his bed, already feeling his body getting heavy now the adrenaline had gone away. "I'm about to go let two trespassers out of lock up. I found them wandering around areas they shouldn't have been. I will be ripping into the guards first thing in the morning for not catching them," he said with his arms still folded.
"They went past guards?"
"They weren't even trying to hide," Grax said and Link understood his gruff behaviour. It wasn't good enough, particularly with a very demanding event less than a week away. "Do you have a problem with me doing that?"
Link shook his head. "I will if you don't."
Grax closed the door behind himself, Link going back to sleep until the sun began to wake him up in the early hours. He stepped out and the guards outside his door couldn't even look at him, standing at attention. He decided to leave his training until later; he needed to check in with Grax that the situation with the guards had been handled. Exactly what had happened had sunk in a little more and he was just as angry as Grax had been the night before. If Grax hadn't gotten the message through to them, Link sure would.
"Good morning," Riju said as she passed him in the hallways. "Are you heading down for breakfast?"
Link was surprised to see that she was awake so early. "I will be soon," he said and Riju smiled.
"Why don't you join me?" Riju asked and Link hesitated. "Did you have something to do first?"
"I was just going to check the guards."
"That was something I wanted to talk to you about. My girls heard a big commotion early this morning. It sounded like they're in quite a bit of trouble," she said and Link sighed.
"They are. It's nothing serious but we're still treating it that way," Link insisted and Riju nodded.
"Come. Tell me about it over breakfast. Grax seems to already have it under control from what I've heard," she insisted and Link nodded, following her to the dining room. Other than the staff on duty who immediately began preparing meals for them. Riju sat down and Link sat across from her as she began to speak. "Do you need any assistance from my guard?"
Link shook his head. Riju didn't seem very convinced but didn't say anything until the staff member who served them drinks had gone. "Grax certainly gave them all an earful. We could hear it when he started," she said and Link's expression changed. Riju smiled as she drank from her cup. "It's fine, we were concerned at first but as soon as we realised that everything was fine, your guard were just getting a decent reaming, we all went back to bed."
"I'm sorry, he shouldn't have woken you-'' Link apologised and Riju laughed a little, covering her mouth with her hand.
"It's fine. I just wanted to make sure everything is okay. I'd rather see a strict head of guard than a carefree one. Grax took whatever it was very personally."
Link sighed. He tried to explain the situation without making it sound worse, Riju looking sympathetic. "Nothing serious, I promise," he concluded.
Riju nodded. "I've noticed the same; now Ganon is gone everyone seems to assume everything is peaceful. It may be for the most part but there are still bad eggs. It's why I'm cautious, particularly with the whole new council arrangements," she said and Link gave her a slightly confused look. "You know our history with the Yiga. Why would we want them involved with our politics?"
"Isn't it just the lower council?" Link asked and Riju folded her arms.
"That's what is being said now. Given the anti-confrontational manner Zelda is taking with things right now, it concerns me if they push she will let them into the High Council." She let the words sit for a few seconds while she took a drink from her cup. "That is completely hypothetical though. I don't know for certain and perhaps they will prove themselves worthy. Our history just makes me concerned, is all."
Link could understand where she was coming from; he agreed with her for the most part that it was a dangerous move but he trusted Zelda was making the best decision she could. The guaranteed danger if she said no was much worse than if she let them in but a continued passive nature would give them more power than they deserved.
"I didn't mean to get all political with you over breakfast. I'm sorry. How's the wedding coming along? Do you need any help?" Riju apologised as she sat up, trying to change the subject.
"It seems to be under control," Link said and Riju smiled.
"I wouldn't expect any less," she replied. "It must be making you nervous with all of the new responsibility. And all of the other pressures too."
"I would be much worse if I didn't have Zelda to help me," Link replied and Riju laughed. "The pressure isn't too bad right now."
Riju nodded. "I suppose they change. Right now everyone is focused on the wedding. Soon it will be children, I guess. I know people still gossip about when I'll get married and have an heir."
Link was surprised to hear it, but he supposed she wasn't quite so young anymore and had proven she was capable of being the Gerudo chief, now it was time to look to the future. He still thought she was too young to be concerned about that, but he also thought he and Zelda were too young and that clearly didn't matter to the people of the kingdom.
There was a knock on the doorframe, one of the staff poking their head in. "If it's not interrupting anything, Grax has requested your presence at training this morning."
Link stood up, Riju nodding as he stepped out, finishing off the apple he'd grabbed from the table. He walked down the halls and out into the courtyard, throwing the apple into the nearest bin. The academy training grounds were filled with soldiers, all on the ground and looking like they'd been training for days.
They all noticed the second Grax stood to attention, quickly getting on one knee with their heads bowed to face the soon-to-be king. Grax stepped through them each of their heads dropping slightly as he passed them.
"Is there anything you would like to say to the group, Your Majesty?" he asked and Link felt uncomfortable with the term, even if he wasn't entirely wrong.
"What occurred last night wasn't tolerable, and if there is a next time, this will look like child's play," Link warned, coming up with something quickly while still sounding like he was in charge. "Understood?"
There was a unified response, echoing through the grounds as Link turned to look at Grax. He was almost concerned by how serious and strong the response was; they were always enthusiastic but it was usually not with quite as much dread. It as almost as if they were fearing what would happen if they weren't. He didn't want to lead them with fear of himself; they needed fear of consequence but that was different to a fear of their leader. The leader should have been someone they aspired to be like, someone who they would follow to the death if it was required because they knew that at least their leader was supporting them and not using them as sacrifice the whole time.
Link stayed to watch as he saw Grax finally give them a real break. They piled toward the water to drink it and splash their faces, lying on the ground as their chests heaved and some looked like they were moments from falling asleep. Link watched as they got up and started something more normal.
He walked over to Grax as they began an all-too-familiar exercise, each holding wooden poles to practice their control. "We don't control this army with fear," he warned and Grax turned to look at him.
"Then what is that speech about bleeding yourself dry all about then at each of the intakes?" Grax asked and Link saw his point.
He took a deep breath as he thought about his words. "The job is scary. They need to be scared of what will happen if they don't take it seriously and what the consequences may be even if they do. But I would never fight for someone who didn't treat me with respect. Punish me for my wrong doings but when you start acting like a dictator instead of a leader, they will question why they are here. I know the queen would not stand for it either."
Grax folded his arms. "You want me to punish them, but I can't make them feel inadequate."
"They are in fear of what we will do to them. Not what we will put them through to prepare; they fear *us*. That is not what this kingdom stands for," Link warned. "We are not the Yiga. We will work them hard and expect them to go beyond what anyone else would. But we hold ourselves even higher and they need to know that. They should never fear we will do worse than ask them to prove themselves or leave."
Grax took a moment but nodded. "Understood."
Link grabbed one of the poles that was sitting aside as he threw another in Grax's direction. He could see everyone perk up as they suddenly became interested. "We all need to continue to better ourselves. It is when any of us get complacent and think we are already good enough, when we think that we already know everything that could happen and feel like we're over-prepared, that is when we make mistakes. That is all of us," he said loudly so the soldiers would all hear.
Grax didn't look threatened. He simply held his pole as he got ready just like it was any other drill. Link could see the complacency; he thought this was just another demonstration — and he wasn't wrong — but this lesson wasn't about teamwork. Link was confident the soldiers knew how to work as a team and its importance. He was concerned that they already thought they were strong enough to handle anything.
Link took one breath out and moved so quickly that Grax hadn't expected it, but Link had the pole to his throat before his brain caught up. Link stared into his eyes. He stepped back as he lowered his weapon, turning to put the pole away when he heard the movement. Grax was taking the lesson one step further, which was exactly what Link had hoped he would do.
Link turned and dodged, his pole meeting Grax's with a mighty clash that split them both in half. Link nodded as Grax gave a slight bow. "Assuming he would surrender and be finished would have gotten me killed. Assume nothing. Prepare for anything. People don't always play by the rules."
He threw the broken pieces of the pole to the side before walking into the castle. That was more than enough to get his point across. He found Zelda in her study as she was finalising the last of the details for the ceremony. She smiled as she looked up at him."King Dorephan filled me in; some Zora have returned from a long-term exploration mission. They had travelled so far while they searched for a potential new home in case the situation with Ganon would become unbearable that they only heard news recently that he has been sealed away. Sidon has gone to welcome them home and update them before returning in time for the wedding," she said as she flicked through her notes to verify she had gotten the story correct. She looked at him and her smile faded a little. "You look worried."
Link slid the door shut before speaking. "We handled an intruder situation overnight. No one of concern, they were just wandering where they shouldn't have been. The army have been put through their paces all morning to learn from their mistakes that let it happen," he said and Zelda nodded. "Grax was making them fear him and us."
Zelda frowned. "No, I will not have any of our staff, including the military, serving us out of fear. He needs to come here right now so I can make that clear-"
"I already told him," Link said and Zelda went quiet but still wasn't pleased. "I've made it clear and did my best to rectify the situation. Grax and I did a demonstration on how complacency ends up in mistakes, which eased some of the tension."
Zelda stood up and gave him a slight kiss as she put her hands on his waist. "We are not power hungry. We do not lead with fear. We serve the people, not the other way around. I will talk to him if you need me to make it clearer," she said and Link shook his head. "I trust you and your judgement, but if it turns out Grax isn't the right person for the job, I want him removed."
Link nodded. "It was just a mistake. I told him to punish them. I should have made it clearer."
Zelda kissed him again. "Okay. I hope that is true. After all he has done and shown us, I want to believe this was a one-time misunderstanding, but I must be subjective. I have to send him a formalised warning, unless you will."
Link felt even more uneasy. This was the part of the job he definitely didn't want; he was fairly sure that Grax wouldn't be upset and understand that it was procedure and not personal, but there was now a seed of doubt floating around in his head. "I'll do it. He is under my lead."
Zelda gave him one more kiss for reassurance. She could see the concern all over his face. "Just tell me if you want help. You have to handwrite it. Neatly. On the proper paper with an envelope sealed with the royal crest."
Link sighed. "I'll find you once I've written a draft."
Zelda smiled as she let out a small laugh. She picked up her papers as she got prepared for her next meeting, stepping out as Link looked around the room, trying to familiarise himself with the sight. He would have his own study soon; paperwork was a never-ending part of the job as ruler of the kingdom. He certainly wasn't looking forward to it; not even a tiny little bit.
Sorry this took me so long! The next chapter is almost ready and the one we've all been waiting for, so stay tuned. As always, thank you so much for your support and let me know what you think!