Chapter Seventeen
"So, instead of moving here, as we had planned, we will send our troops on ships around the south shore of Selinta and come up the eastern side against the city of Oun Tar. At the same time, we will send a sizable regiment to recapture Tyulia, and hopefully to lure the bulk of the Tophetian Army there. Of course, they may suspect a trap, but hopefully they will be confident enough to accept it," General Aston announced, moving pieces on a scroll map accordingly. King Edward nodded, taking in the plan and speculating it. Link resisted the urge to yawn and only barely succeeded. As much as he was willing to help King Edward, actual conferences and meetings were boring beyond Hylian comprehension. He would have rather been fighting Tektites than sitting in a stuffy room with royalty and military officers, discussing troop movements and placements.
'Just another reason why I didn't marry Zelda.' But if love conquered all, then he would have gladly betrothed her. Yet he didn't, so did that mean he had not loved her when he thought he did? Had it been simple affection or natural lust? He was drawn from contemplating his love life, or lack thereof, when General Aston inquired,
"Link, you wouldn't mind going to Tyulia with Selintan troops? We want King Viru to fear that we'll regain lost land and send the majority of troops there. Our Hylian forces will be on the ship again, and you seem to have had a bit of bad luck last time." The Hero of Time smiled slightly, but the elder man continued. "I am sure he will not rely on assassins to do the job; brute force will be the only way he'll feel comfortable with, especially after the discovery of the traitor." The general had hesitated before the word 'traitor,' but it was slight enough that King Edward might not have caught it.
"No, if it's what's best, then I'll go to Tyulia."
"Then it's settled, if King Edward will give his approval." The King of Selinta nodded silently. General Aston rose from his seat, and Link and the other generals followed suit.
Link promptly left the castle and headed towards the garden. The day seemed strange and slow; only that morning he had rescued Miyako and Cheyanna had been discovered traitor, and now it was barely past lunch and already the king was preparing new strategies.
'He understands the war won't wait for him to mourn her treachery,' Link speculated as he entered Castle Dythia's gardens. He felt the beginnings of admiration towards the king, who was practical in the sense that—
"Oi, Link, there y'are." Lance suddenly appeared in front of him, somewhat breathless and amused. Link blinked, a little nonplussed.
"I told you I'd come out to the garden after the meeting." The sailor shrugged and grinned.
"Aye, you did, but I musta fergotten. Musta been all those times me pater dropped me on me head as a child, eh?"
"Without a doubt," the Hero of Time agreed.
"So what was the meetin' about?"
"The Selintan Army is marching to Tyulia to recapture it, and our Hylian forces are being sent on another ship to Oun Tar. You and I, we're going to march with the Selintan troops."
"They don't expect King Viru to hire more assassins, do they," Lance mused as they walked through the garden. His accent had faded again, and this time Link accepted it as a sign. Whenever the accent dropped, Lance was serious. Perhaps all the banter and foolish smiles were simply a guise to hide his intelligence. Or something. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow." The sailor jerked in surprise.
"They expect us to leave tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Does that bother you?" The younger scrutinized Link's face closely.
"No. Should it?"
"I never figured you'd enjoy being a pawn in a game of Knights and Knaves." Link twitched, thrown off his guard. "You're a limited resource; of course people are going to want you to fight their battles."
"I don't do anything I don't want to." Yet that statement sounded uncertain even to him. Lance smiled, but not like he was happy.
"Pretty to think so."
"You suspect they're using me?"
"No, but I would be careful about who I swore fealty to, if I were you. Too many masters makes the slave balk under the weight of the tasks."
"I'm not a slave," Link replied angrily.
"No, forgive me for even mentioning it." Then Lance switched to his accent. "Are y'up for a bout of play, then?"
"I didn't bring my sword." The sailor stopped and grinned. "What?"
"Then I win by default, and 'tis always a trig thing to brag about, besting the Hero of Time." The corner of Link's mouth twitched in an involuntary smile.
"No, Lance, you didn't beat me."
"Ah well, I'll get the chance sooner or later." Link watched the grin fade to a smile, then disappear entirely as the sailor cocked his head, as though listening to voices he could not hear.
"What's wrong?"
"...I... 'tis nothing, I'm sure, but I would swear that I..." Lance shook his head. "Never you mind. I told ye I was half Aquarian and I didn't lie about that, but I don't know if..." Lance's voice faded away and he blinked, puzzled. "Matey, what did the prince tell ye of the political affairs there?"
"He said that he suspected plotting behind his back." Link shook his head. "He was right, I'm not good in politics at all. Give me a sword and some enemies any day. Those are the kind of problems I can solve."
"Aye... I thought it were so. I've myself a connection through my mater to the Aquarians, but... I don't know what just happened then. It felt like a great release of something."
"Power?"
"No, well... no, not power." Lance shrugged, then smiled. "Never mind it, then. 'Tis nothing, I'm sure, and I'm just shooting arrows in the dark."
"As you ever were, Lance," Link said gravely, and this seemed to amuse Lance, because the sailor threw his head back and laughed heartily.
Right.... I posted two chapters again because both are relatively short (three pages each) and boring. I'm going to be busy with TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use) this week and Finals next week, so when I do get a chance to update, I'll load two chapters at a time. (You might like to know, Faithful Reader, that all these chapters have been done for a while now, and I'm actually almost near the end of Part One, which is already +130 pages, so I must thank you for bearing this!)
By the by, 'pater' is Father, and 'mater' is Mother. Just thought it might be good to throw that in here.
"So, instead of moving here, as we had planned, we will send our troops on ships around the south shore of Selinta and come up the eastern side against the city of Oun Tar. At the same time, we will send a sizable regiment to recapture Tyulia, and hopefully to lure the bulk of the Tophetian Army there. Of course, they may suspect a trap, but hopefully they will be confident enough to accept it," General Aston announced, moving pieces on a scroll map accordingly. King Edward nodded, taking in the plan and speculating it. Link resisted the urge to yawn and only barely succeeded. As much as he was willing to help King Edward, actual conferences and meetings were boring beyond Hylian comprehension. He would have rather been fighting Tektites than sitting in a stuffy room with royalty and military officers, discussing troop movements and placements.
'Just another reason why I didn't marry Zelda.' But if love conquered all, then he would have gladly betrothed her. Yet he didn't, so did that mean he had not loved her when he thought he did? Had it been simple affection or natural lust? He was drawn from contemplating his love life, or lack thereof, when General Aston inquired,
"Link, you wouldn't mind going to Tyulia with Selintan troops? We want King Viru to fear that we'll regain lost land and send the majority of troops there. Our Hylian forces will be on the ship again, and you seem to have had a bit of bad luck last time." The Hero of Time smiled slightly, but the elder man continued. "I am sure he will not rely on assassins to do the job; brute force will be the only way he'll feel comfortable with, especially after the discovery of the traitor." The general had hesitated before the word 'traitor,' but it was slight enough that King Edward might not have caught it.
"No, if it's what's best, then I'll go to Tyulia."
"Then it's settled, if King Edward will give his approval." The King of Selinta nodded silently. General Aston rose from his seat, and Link and the other generals followed suit.
Link promptly left the castle and headed towards the garden. The day seemed strange and slow; only that morning he had rescued Miyako and Cheyanna had been discovered traitor, and now it was barely past lunch and already the king was preparing new strategies.
'He understands the war won't wait for him to mourn her treachery,' Link speculated as he entered Castle Dythia's gardens. He felt the beginnings of admiration towards the king, who was practical in the sense that—
"Oi, Link, there y'are." Lance suddenly appeared in front of him, somewhat breathless and amused. Link blinked, a little nonplussed.
"I told you I'd come out to the garden after the meeting." The sailor shrugged and grinned.
"Aye, you did, but I musta fergotten. Musta been all those times me pater dropped me on me head as a child, eh?"
"Without a doubt," the Hero of Time agreed.
"So what was the meetin' about?"
"The Selintan Army is marching to Tyulia to recapture it, and our Hylian forces are being sent on another ship to Oun Tar. You and I, we're going to march with the Selintan troops."
"They don't expect King Viru to hire more assassins, do they," Lance mused as they walked through the garden. His accent had faded again, and this time Link accepted it as a sign. Whenever the accent dropped, Lance was serious. Perhaps all the banter and foolish smiles were simply a guise to hide his intelligence. Or something. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow." The sailor jerked in surprise.
"They expect us to leave tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Does that bother you?" The younger scrutinized Link's face closely.
"No. Should it?"
"I never figured you'd enjoy being a pawn in a game of Knights and Knaves." Link twitched, thrown off his guard. "You're a limited resource; of course people are going to want you to fight their battles."
"I don't do anything I don't want to." Yet that statement sounded uncertain even to him. Lance smiled, but not like he was happy.
"Pretty to think so."
"You suspect they're using me?"
"No, but I would be careful about who I swore fealty to, if I were you. Too many masters makes the slave balk under the weight of the tasks."
"I'm not a slave," Link replied angrily.
"No, forgive me for even mentioning it." Then Lance switched to his accent. "Are y'up for a bout of play, then?"
"I didn't bring my sword." The sailor stopped and grinned. "What?"
"Then I win by default, and 'tis always a trig thing to brag about, besting the Hero of Time." The corner of Link's mouth twitched in an involuntary smile.
"No, Lance, you didn't beat me."
"Ah well, I'll get the chance sooner or later." Link watched the grin fade to a smile, then disappear entirely as the sailor cocked his head, as though listening to voices he could not hear.
"What's wrong?"
"...I... 'tis nothing, I'm sure, but I would swear that I..." Lance shook his head. "Never you mind. I told ye I was half Aquarian and I didn't lie about that, but I don't know if..." Lance's voice faded away and he blinked, puzzled. "Matey, what did the prince tell ye of the political affairs there?"
"He said that he suspected plotting behind his back." Link shook his head. "He was right, I'm not good in politics at all. Give me a sword and some enemies any day. Those are the kind of problems I can solve."
"Aye... I thought it were so. I've myself a connection through my mater to the Aquarians, but... I don't know what just happened then. It felt like a great release of something."
"Power?"
"No, well... no, not power." Lance shrugged, then smiled. "Never mind it, then. 'Tis nothing, I'm sure, and I'm just shooting arrows in the dark."
"As you ever were, Lance," Link said gravely, and this seemed to amuse Lance, because the sailor threw his head back and laughed heartily.
Right.... I posted two chapters again because both are relatively short (three pages each) and boring. I'm going to be busy with TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use) this week and Finals next week, so when I do get a chance to update, I'll load two chapters at a time. (You might like to know, Faithful Reader, that all these chapters have been done for a while now, and I'm actually almost near the end of Part One, which is already +130 pages, so I must thank you for bearing this!)
By the by, 'pater' is Father, and 'mater' is Mother. Just thought it might be good to throw that in here.