Chapter Three: Conspiracy Theory
With the arrival of this new problem Link decided it best if he should reside in the castle until the matter was resolved. Navi could last a few days more without his company. Even though Link rarely stayed in the castle, he had a room that was all his own and always prepared for him. He slept there that night among the thick red blankets and white pillows he was not used to. His own bed back in Kokiri was nothing more that some old blankets and his worn old pillow from when he was a child. Despite the tailor's offer for new blankets Link refused to get rid of them. The night air was cold and Link had closed and fastened the windows to keep the heat from the fire inside.
It was about two in the morning when Link thought he heard someone in the room with him. The fire embers had extinguished and with the window and drapes closed there was no light in the chamber at all. Link cautiously leaned over for the oil-lit candle on the nightstand next to him. He fumbled for the switch to turn it on, but the dark made it hard for him to find it. Link's fingers eventually found the little piece of metal jutting out from the side of the frame and he turned it. Light dimly fanned out over the room and standing in the middle of the stone floor stood a cloaked figure with dagger in hand.
Link jumped out of bed and grabbed hold of his sword and shield that were never far from him. "Who are you?!" He demanded. "What are you doing in here? Answer me!"
The figure, whose face was covered with his cloak, picked up a wooden chair that was close to him and hurled it at Link. Link ducked, but the chair knocked over the lamp and it came crashing to the floor. The room went black. Link could hear the man's feet scuffling across the stone toward the window and the opening of the thick drapes. He ran in the direction of the sound but stumbled over the broken remains of the chair. The windows flung open and moonlight and cold air flooded in. The figure hopped onto the window ledge and kicked Link as he came toward him. The blow knocked Link onto the ground as he saw the shrouded chassis leap from the window. Link clutched his bruised side and stumbled to where the stranger had jumped; it was a good four stories to the pond in the courtyard below. A funny think struck Link: there was no splash. He looked about, from the moonlight he could tell there wasn't a ripple on the water, but then where did he go? The pond was straight below there was no way he could have missed it. Yet there was not a single sign of him.
***
Guards were posted at every corner. The news of the cloaked man in Link's bedroom caused King Harkinian to start taking the matter more seriously than he had. He told his advisors that no one else was to know about this 'problem' of theirs; he didn't think it wise to have the whole kingdom of Hyrule knowing about it. The preparations of the ball went on as normal as well. The cooks were busy trying new recipes that they wished to present for the Queen of Adrean, the servants were cleaning and dusting everything they could get their hands on, and the whole castle was in a flutter. The guards didn't know about the threat on King Harkinian's life and wondered why more had been posted than usual. But with all the commotion about they just shrugged it off and stood their watch.
Link had been hunting for clues all morning. He had searched his bedroom for anything the stranger might have left, the corridors around the Council Chamber where the message had been found, and now he was inspecting the courtyard below his window where he might have missed something in the dark; all nothing. Looking above him Link searched the stone wall with his eyes and noticed something he had not before. About several feet to the left of his window there was a narrow ledge where one of the stones stuck out a bit farther than the rest. A few feet past that was a stone gargoyle spout and below that a stretch of battlements that led into the southernmost stone tower. The battlements were thickly covered in wild brier roses that had taken over that particular side of the courtyard. It was a difficult feat but it was entirely possible Link thought to himself. The man, (if it was a man, he didn't know) could have caught hold of that narrow ledge long enough for him to jump and grab the stone spout and swing to safety onto the battlements. Link was baffled, how could the man have done that and he not see him? It was nearly impossible, he was only out of Link's sight for not more than a moment, but as far as Link could see it was the only way he could have avoided the pond below and not gotten captured.
He stared up at the wall and thought about the current dilemma that had befallen on Hyrule Castle. Link was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the scuffling of boots on the cobblestone path coming toward him. Rook stopped and stood behind him, peering over Link's shoulder he also stared at the wall with a puzzled look.
"What are we starin' at?" Rook said directly into Link's large, pointed ear. The noise startled Link and he jumped and spun around with a gasp. Rook still stood there with an innocent look on his face.
"Jeez Rook you startled me!" Link exhaled with relief, "I didn't hear you coming."
Rook grinned and hoisted the bag of potatoes from one shoulder to the next. "Sorrae' bout' that, I didna' think I'd frighten you. What were ya looking at?"
Link glanced back up to the wall and then back to Rook. "Oh, nothing," he said in hopes of getting off the subject. Rook stared at him suspiciously and then rolled his eyes.
"Alright, alright, if ye want to be keepin' secrets 'Hero of Time' I'll let ye be, jus' let me know if ye need any help when you go sleigh a dragon or go to fight a band of Molblins that are holdin' helpless villagers hostage," he humored. "Jus' don't bring down the castle while yer at it." Rook heaved the potatoes onto his back again and continued down the path smiling. He was no fool, but he knew Link well enough to let him be when he was up to something and not ask questions. Link watched him go and then looked back to the wall. He shook his head and took a long deep breath to clear his mind.
"Well this is a sticky situation," Link said to himself as he headed toward the stone tower that hid the stairs leading up to the battlements. The steps were chipped and worn down from age, no doubt they were an original part of Hyrule Castle after the many months of new construction being added since Ganondorf's downfall. How lucky they had been that the Sages were able to reverse most of the damage the Evil King had left behind in Hyrule Castle. The stairs spiraled up and Link could see the daylight coming from the open door above. A breeze blew down the stairwell as Link reached the top, blowing his blond hair gently away from his clear blue eyes. The walkway stretched to the other tower fifty feet away; the brier roses had taken over most of the wall ledge adding to the aged charm that had befallen it. The vines were putting out their last blooms of the season before they went dormant and bare for the winter. The bright and vibrant shades of pink shone brilliantly against the drab gray stones of the castle as the morning light illuminated and warmed the ground. Link looked briefly around; nothing seemed out of place. He walked the whole length of the battlement and back again and didn't see anything suspicious until something caught his eye that was tangled in among the sharp thorns of the roses.
A red piece of cloth was flapping slightly in the breeze; it appeared as though it had been torn off from something. Link pried it loose from the entangled barbs to look at it more closely; it was very fine material, fabric that seemed to fit someone of high standings. The hero looked at the cloth and thought to himself, 'perhaps the stranger got snagged on these thorns as he escaped'. It was a most conceivable idea, and his first clue.
With the arrival of this new problem Link decided it best if he should reside in the castle until the matter was resolved. Navi could last a few days more without his company. Even though Link rarely stayed in the castle, he had a room that was all his own and always prepared for him. He slept there that night among the thick red blankets and white pillows he was not used to. His own bed back in Kokiri was nothing more that some old blankets and his worn old pillow from when he was a child. Despite the tailor's offer for new blankets Link refused to get rid of them. The night air was cold and Link had closed and fastened the windows to keep the heat from the fire inside.
It was about two in the morning when Link thought he heard someone in the room with him. The fire embers had extinguished and with the window and drapes closed there was no light in the chamber at all. Link cautiously leaned over for the oil-lit candle on the nightstand next to him. He fumbled for the switch to turn it on, but the dark made it hard for him to find it. Link's fingers eventually found the little piece of metal jutting out from the side of the frame and he turned it. Light dimly fanned out over the room and standing in the middle of the stone floor stood a cloaked figure with dagger in hand.
Link jumped out of bed and grabbed hold of his sword and shield that were never far from him. "Who are you?!" He demanded. "What are you doing in here? Answer me!"
The figure, whose face was covered with his cloak, picked up a wooden chair that was close to him and hurled it at Link. Link ducked, but the chair knocked over the lamp and it came crashing to the floor. The room went black. Link could hear the man's feet scuffling across the stone toward the window and the opening of the thick drapes. He ran in the direction of the sound but stumbled over the broken remains of the chair. The windows flung open and moonlight and cold air flooded in. The figure hopped onto the window ledge and kicked Link as he came toward him. The blow knocked Link onto the ground as he saw the shrouded chassis leap from the window. Link clutched his bruised side and stumbled to where the stranger had jumped; it was a good four stories to the pond in the courtyard below. A funny think struck Link: there was no splash. He looked about, from the moonlight he could tell there wasn't a ripple on the water, but then where did he go? The pond was straight below there was no way he could have missed it. Yet there was not a single sign of him.
***
Guards were posted at every corner. The news of the cloaked man in Link's bedroom caused King Harkinian to start taking the matter more seriously than he had. He told his advisors that no one else was to know about this 'problem' of theirs; he didn't think it wise to have the whole kingdom of Hyrule knowing about it. The preparations of the ball went on as normal as well. The cooks were busy trying new recipes that they wished to present for the Queen of Adrean, the servants were cleaning and dusting everything they could get their hands on, and the whole castle was in a flutter. The guards didn't know about the threat on King Harkinian's life and wondered why more had been posted than usual. But with all the commotion about they just shrugged it off and stood their watch.
Link had been hunting for clues all morning. He had searched his bedroom for anything the stranger might have left, the corridors around the Council Chamber where the message had been found, and now he was inspecting the courtyard below his window where he might have missed something in the dark; all nothing. Looking above him Link searched the stone wall with his eyes and noticed something he had not before. About several feet to the left of his window there was a narrow ledge where one of the stones stuck out a bit farther than the rest. A few feet past that was a stone gargoyle spout and below that a stretch of battlements that led into the southernmost stone tower. The battlements were thickly covered in wild brier roses that had taken over that particular side of the courtyard. It was a difficult feat but it was entirely possible Link thought to himself. The man, (if it was a man, he didn't know) could have caught hold of that narrow ledge long enough for him to jump and grab the stone spout and swing to safety onto the battlements. Link was baffled, how could the man have done that and he not see him? It was nearly impossible, he was only out of Link's sight for not more than a moment, but as far as Link could see it was the only way he could have avoided the pond below and not gotten captured.
He stared up at the wall and thought about the current dilemma that had befallen on Hyrule Castle. Link was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the scuffling of boots on the cobblestone path coming toward him. Rook stopped and stood behind him, peering over Link's shoulder he also stared at the wall with a puzzled look.
"What are we starin' at?" Rook said directly into Link's large, pointed ear. The noise startled Link and he jumped and spun around with a gasp. Rook still stood there with an innocent look on his face.
"Jeez Rook you startled me!" Link exhaled with relief, "I didn't hear you coming."
Rook grinned and hoisted the bag of potatoes from one shoulder to the next. "Sorrae' bout' that, I didna' think I'd frighten you. What were ya looking at?"
Link glanced back up to the wall and then back to Rook. "Oh, nothing," he said in hopes of getting off the subject. Rook stared at him suspiciously and then rolled his eyes.
"Alright, alright, if ye want to be keepin' secrets 'Hero of Time' I'll let ye be, jus' let me know if ye need any help when you go sleigh a dragon or go to fight a band of Molblins that are holdin' helpless villagers hostage," he humored. "Jus' don't bring down the castle while yer at it." Rook heaved the potatoes onto his back again and continued down the path smiling. He was no fool, but he knew Link well enough to let him be when he was up to something and not ask questions. Link watched him go and then looked back to the wall. He shook his head and took a long deep breath to clear his mind.
"Well this is a sticky situation," Link said to himself as he headed toward the stone tower that hid the stairs leading up to the battlements. The steps were chipped and worn down from age, no doubt they were an original part of Hyrule Castle after the many months of new construction being added since Ganondorf's downfall. How lucky they had been that the Sages were able to reverse most of the damage the Evil King had left behind in Hyrule Castle. The stairs spiraled up and Link could see the daylight coming from the open door above. A breeze blew down the stairwell as Link reached the top, blowing his blond hair gently away from his clear blue eyes. The walkway stretched to the other tower fifty feet away; the brier roses had taken over most of the wall ledge adding to the aged charm that had befallen it. The vines were putting out their last blooms of the season before they went dormant and bare for the winter. The bright and vibrant shades of pink shone brilliantly against the drab gray stones of the castle as the morning light illuminated and warmed the ground. Link looked briefly around; nothing seemed out of place. He walked the whole length of the battlement and back again and didn't see anything suspicious until something caught his eye that was tangled in among the sharp thorns of the roses.
A red piece of cloth was flapping slightly in the breeze; it appeared as though it had been torn off from something. Link pried it loose from the entangled barbs to look at it more closely; it was very fine material, fabric that seemed to fit someone of high standings. The hero looked at the cloth and thought to himself, 'perhaps the stranger got snagged on these thorns as he escaped'. It was a most conceivable idea, and his first clue.