Mira was worried about her sister. When Zelda had come to Torvus and she, they had granted the girl permission to travel with Link, but they both had concerns. It was not fitting for a princess to be riding around the land on adventures. It should be expected, though. After she and Julia had been married off to distant realms, only Zelda remained, and their father had spoiled her rotten after the Queen passed away. The young princess had done whatever she wanted for much of her life, and Gerrik hadn't the heart to stop her. Currently, Mira had other concerns now than to worry abut Zelda; she could look after herself and Link would protect her no matter what. With the sudden announcement that Julia was returning to Hyrule after so long, the court was busy making preparations. Banners had to be made, dinners to be thought out, rooms to be prepared, and so on. As well as arrangements, the monarchs also had to quench rumours. With the announcement, the people had begun to talk: Are Hyrule and Delabor uniting? Are they at war? Against who? Each other? Is Trine looking for a bride? Is Zelda marrying Trine? Such things have to be dealt with before they get out of hand. Mira was sitting in the throne room of Hyrule Castle beside Torvus, chin in hand, listening to boring reports of various occurrences in the land. Presently, a small, beetle-like fellow was telling her of the new improvements made to the castle to protect it from siege. "Is that not a brilliant idea, m'lady?" he asked. Suddenly aware that the man was speaking to her, Mira snapped out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry?" The man frowned in displeasure. "I said, m'lady, that the castle walls have been modified so that any invading army must pass under several rings of archers and multiple traps. They would be slaughtered! Is that not a good idea majesties?" Mira looked to her husband and caught his eye; he too was bored. "It is indeed a grand idea, sir. But is it necessary? No one will attack this castle." Torvus said. The beetle man seemed shocked. "Necessary! Necessary? It is indeed, good king, it is. Why at this very moment a host of demons could be marching here! These walls will stop them, sire, I guarantee." Amused, Mira said, "Will these walls indeed halt the advances of a demon hoard? With their magic and ethereal bodies? That would be a great feat." The man fumed, "M'lady! Please do not mock technology! This-" "What if the enemy attacks the gates?" Torvus asked. The man went stone still, his mouth opening and closing silently; his eyes narrowed and his face flushed in anger. Torvus laughed. "This news of the walls is indeed good! We thank you for informing us, sir. Perhaps when you have time, you could find a way to improve the gatehouse that protects us as well as the walls. Again, thanks and good bye, sir! Never let it be said that we have no need for brilliant men! Go now!" The man turned in a huff and left the room that still echoed with the laugher of the king. Mira watched him leave and then turned to Torvus. "Who was that man, dear?" Torvus only laughed harder. "My dear queen! That was your Captain of Defense for this marvelous castle! Sir Gain Rampt is his name." Wiping his teary eyes, Torvus beckoned a page. "Tell those who are left to spend the night in the castle and make rooms for them; the queen and I shall be in the Tower. Do not disturb us unless important. Go!" The page left and the monarchs rose and headed for their rooms in the castle tower. Arm in arm, the king and queen walked along the concourse that led to the tower. The walkway was built with a wall to one side and open on the other looking out to a small garden. Torvus looked hard at his wife. "You look worried." Mira shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm fine, really." "Don't bother lying, I know you too well. What's wrong?" Sighing, Mira answered, "It's Zelda. I can't seem to stop thinking about her. I don't like her running all over the land chasing evil with Link. It's not good for a young girl or a princess." Torvus smiled slightly. "She will be fine. I have never known a girl with more skill at staying alive than she. Besides she's with Link, he'll protect her. Don't worry." Not convinced, Mira said, "I just can't shake this feeling of dread and foreboding, like I'll never see her again. It scares me, Torvus." They stopped walking and Torvus hugged his wife. "You should not be worrying about such things, dear. You are the queen of Hyrule. Push such evil thoughts out of your mind and leave them until they are proven a reality. Then they may be addressed. Until then, enjoy yourself! We have the whole afternoon to ourselves. What shall we do?" Smiling as an idea came to mind, Mira said, "Let's have a treasure hunt!" Torvus looked dismayed. "Mira, I hate treasure hunts! I never find anything." Laughing as she took him by the hand she said, "Oh, come on! We haven't had one in ages! It'll be fun!" With that, she led him through the castle halls to begin the hunt.

Sir Gain was not happy. He glowered at all of the royal courtiers as he passed them on his way to his quarters in the east wing of the castle. The stupid queen had no idea how lucky she was that she had such a man as he under her rule. Gain had not lied when he had said that the new walls were impenetrable, he just had not expanded on that fact. The king would be surprised to discover that he had pinpointed the exact flaw in the design. Stones from the gatehouse had been scavenged to build parts of the walls. A well-placed bomb could destroy a good portion of the gate. Within minutes the castle could be taken over. His foul mood disappeared and he chuckled as he thought of the monarchs shivering in a cold shack in the Northern Countries. The warlord had said that Mira and Torvus would be exiled shortly after the coup. For this, Gain was grateful. Even though he was a traitor to the crown, he would not be responsible for their deaths. When he had made the deal with the warlord, he had ensured that the royal family would live out their lives in exile, far from Hyrule, while their 'faithful' captain of defense would be relaxing in the luxury of personal advisor to the warlord. He entered his chambers and smiled as he thought of how the princess would react to the news that she was no longer a princess but a mere commoner. He chuckled again as he thought of her face contorted in rage as she was barred from returning to the castle; or Hyrule for that matter. Gain was sure that the frivolous activities of that girl would stop when her crown was taken. But Link. That boy could be a problem. While he would try to retake the crown, he would also let nothing harm the royal family, so he might stay with them in their exile. Early on, he was ruled out as a supporter of the coup; he was too loyal to the monarchy. If he disrupted the plans somehow, he might have to be killed. Gain did not like that possibility at all. As with the royal family, he did not like murder. Killing on the battlefield was one thing, but killing for politics was quite another. His thoughts concentrated on the present as he walked to a mirror in the back of his room. He had to give the warlord an update. The gate was finished and the plan was drawing together. The kidnapping of the wizard was the signal that soon all would be ready to depose the queen. He muttered the magic spell to bring the mirror to life and a shadowy figure replaced the reflected image in the mirror. Smiling grimly, Gain prepared to give his report. Soon all would be complete.

Calatia. The Land of Plenty. A land rivaled in beauty only by its northern neighbour, Hyrule. Inhabited by the descendants of the fair Hylia of Hyrule; Humans. These people are of the simple type, who live close to the land and distrust anything new and foreign. It was into this country that the small party of the Princess Zelda rode in search of the wizard's apprentice, Ashir. Unfortunately, politics interfered with the search; the riders were headed toward the capital of Calatia, Calasta, in hope of finding King Eridanus in a good mood. They rode with fearful hearts for Eridanus will surely blame them for Ashir's escape. Currently they were a two-day journey from the gem of all cities, Calasta. Renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms for it's high towers, wide pools, beautiful gardens, and magnificent architecture, Calasta held the throne of the most powerful land in the world, with an army hundreds of thousands at it's command. A force to fear. The princess Zelda was riding beside Link upon Sufaina and admiring the countryside when Link took hold of her arm suddenly, halting them both. "What is it, Link?" she asked, surprised. Link was silent for some time before answering; he was staring at some point of in the distance. "On the horizon." he said, "A group of people is coming this way." Zelda relaxed a bit. "Oh! Is that all? I thought that we would be in trouble. If it's only people, then we should go meet them!" Link held her arm firm. "No. We don't know how they'll react to Hylians in their land. They could get violent." "Then what should we do?" "We wait for them to get closer and see if they're armed. If they are, we run away as fast as we can." Zelda was confused. "Link? Running away from a small band of raggedy travelers? Why not just stand and fight?" Link stared at her in shock. "Zelda! Are you supposed to be a princess?! How would you react if you discovered that several Calatians had crossed into Hyrule and killed some farmers? Attacking these people could be disastrous!" Zelda blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry. I forgot that we had left Hyrule." With that, the travelers hid behind a small thicket of bushes and waited for the Calatians to draw nearer. Soon, though, their fear left them and they left the thicket cover for they had sighted the green and gold flag of Calatian nobility. These were knights wandering home after some unknown battle. Presently, the two companies met. A knight rode forward upon a steed of brilliant silver; the breed of horse given only to the four leaders of the realm. Among them the king himself and his three governors. The knight, clad in armour shimmering in the noonday sun, raised the visor of his helm revealing a tanned, scarred face with a bushy mustache beneath his sharp nose. He spoke in a strong, commanding voice. "Who so greets a Lord of the Realm of Calatia? Riding boldly as if to give greetings?" Before Link could stop her, Zelda had ridden forward and addressed the knight. "Sir, I greet you so boldly; for I am also of royal blood." The knight looked surprised. "And whose blood is it that you claim is royal, miss?" Pulling herself up tall as she spoke, Zelda said, "The blood of Hyrule, sir. For I come of the house of the late King Gerrik and the current Queen Mira. I am Princess Zelda." The knight was silent for some time before speaking again as he slowly looked the girl over noting the stature, fairness, and dress of her. Then he dismounted and walked up to Sufaina and bowed low, kissing the princess' hand. "Lady, forgive me. I did not know of your arrival into our land." Zelda smiled as her authority was recognized. "Sir, all is forgiven. What is your name and business today, sir knight?" "I am Lord Gildebrandt of Darantol, your highness. I have just come from a tournament in Calasta and am riding home with my courtiers." "Well, I am on my way to meet with your king, whom I suppose you have just departed from?" "Indeed I have, m'lady. Does his highness know of your visit?" "No." Mounting again, Gildebrandt said, "Then I shall send a man ahead of us to tell the king of your visit." "Us?" Zelda asked. "Yes, m'lady. I shall accompany you and your party to Calasta. The plain lands have become dangerous of late and someone of your stature must be protected." Zelda smiled. "Of course you shall come with us, sir. But I am afraid we may not need your help," She gestured to Link. "for I have with me the Legendary Hero of Hyrule, Link." The Lord looked shocked. "The Link who defeated the evil Wizard?" "The same." Link said, bowing in his saddle. Turning to Zelda again, Gildebrandt said, "Then, Princess, you have nothing to fear with such men guarding you." With that, Gildebrandt sent one man ahead of them to Calasta and the others of his party onwards to Darantol and he himself rode alongside Zelda. Then Link, Zelda, Gildebrandt, and the two guards set out for the Calatian capital.

The rest of the day was spent riding at a light pace for the sky was clear, the sun was warm and the entire company enjoyed the relaxation. While most of them were quiet to enjoy the day, Gildebrandt would be constantly talking; about himself, about Calatia, about Hyrule, and such. By nightfall, Zelda and Link were so worn out by the Lord's never- ending voice that they almost immediately fell asleep after setting up camp.

Zelda had a dream. The princess saw herself standing in a high vaulted room before a large throne. Although someone was sitting upon the throne, she could not see who it was; shadow covered his face. She heard herself talk. "Who are you? Where am I?" There was no answer. She asked again and again, each time receiving only silence. She found that she could not move closer to the throne; she was stuck were she stood. Suddenly noises from outside reached her ears. Zelda strained to hear what the noises were when she noticed a small balcony several feet from where she stood. The noises were coming from there. The man raised his dark hand and Zelda found herself moving to the balcony. She reached the edge and peered out at a frightening sight. Below her marched thousands of soldiers, row after row, all in perfect step. Some were human, some were creatures she had never seen before. On and on they marched; from blackness into blackness at the edges of Zelda's vision. She was turned around to face the throne once again. Before her startled and fearful eyes, a figure emerged from the deep shadows surrounding the chair; one almost as black as the shadows themselves. This being silently and slowly walked forward until he was almost face to face with the girl. He raised his hand in which he held a long sinister blade and swiftly let it fall upon the princess. The vision went dark and Zelda awoke.

Link was kneeling above her when she opened her eyes. "Zelda!" he whispered, "Wake up! We're under attack!" Zelda looked quickly around. The sun was just beginning to redden the morning sky and the sounds of battle could be heard. Link helped her up as she said, "What's going on?" Drawing his blade, the Master Sword, Link replied, "Moblins. Lot's of them. Come on!" Zelda unsheathed her dagger and followed as Link led her into some thick bushes. "Stay here and be quiet." he said. "What? No! I'm going to help you, not hide!" she said angrily, starting to rise. "No! There are too many. Stay here in safety." Saying that, Link ran off to join the fight. Zelda watched as more than a dozen moblins attacked Link and Gildebrandt and the two guards. Encircling the four, the moblins moved quickly around them. Link swung at a moblin that had strayed too far in and slew the beast, but the others were just out of reach of the swords. Poking the defenders with their pikes, the moblins never broke the circle of attacked for several minutes. Thoughts were running through Zelda's mind. "What can I do?" she thought to herself. "If I attack them, I might be able to distract a few, but they would kill me after killing Link. If I run away, Link will die!" Even as she thought this, one moblin walked too close and was slain by Gildebrandt's sword. The princess made up her mind. Holding her dagger tightly, Zelda ran out of the bushes yelling as she charged the circle. Before any of the fighters could react, she had slashed two moblins deeply and they fell to the ground in pain. This was all that was needed for Link and the others; they attacked the moblins that were momentarily distracted by Zelda's charge and quickly killed six of them. Unfortunately, in their charge, they did not cover their rear, and the remaining three assaulted the two guards whose backs were turned. They died in cries of anguish, but Link and Gildebrandt faced the three and speedily killed them. Link slumped down on the ground breathing heavily and Gildebrandt bent over, his hands on his knees, catching his breath. Zelda just stood watching the bloody remains of the dead. "Lord Gildebrandt?" she asked after some time. "Yes?" he said. "Do packs of moblins usually attack travelers in the day?" "No, m'lady. Very rarely do they take up arms and attack their masters." "Masters?" Link asked from the ground. Standing tall, the lord poked one of the moblins with his sword. "Yes. Masters. Did you not know that moblins are kept as slaves in Calatia?" "Slaves! Moblins?" Zelda asked, shocked. "Yes." Gildebrandt said, "They are excellent servants. If a bit crude." "Why do you keep them as slaves?" Zelda asked. "We have much work that we would rather not do ourselves, so we keep moblins to do that work. The arrangement works out fine; the moblins do the work and the masters collect the fruits of that labor. All parties are happy." "You mean the masters are happy." Link said quietly. Gildebrandt stared hard at Link but did not reply. Instead he said, "If we wish to reach Calasta tomorrow, we should leave now." The others agreed, and after they had buried the dead guards, the trio mounted their horses and rode off.

The companions traveled through the quiet Calatian countryside the next day and by the time the sun was setting, the towers of Calasta were within sight. Zelda had never seen the capital of Calatia. King Gerrik had never liked the Calatians and had rarely visited them. He believed that they hated all magic and that included all who used magic. Zelda could have been attacked by mad Calatians and Gerrik would not take that chance. With Link to her right and Gildebrandt on her left, Zelda approached the doors of the great city. Soundlessly they opened and the two Hylians could not have imagined what lay before them. Under the fading light, the city was illuminated by thousands of torches and mirrors. The torches cast light into the mirrors and then reflecting the bright light throughout the city. The light fell upon the red brick buildings of the city. Everything from the smallest house to the tallest tower was red. Tales told of the city that always burned, and indeed at night the red light gave the impression of fire in the city. What surprised Link and Zelda more than the towering buildings and bright, yet hellish, light was the multitude of people. Lining the main street were thousands upon thousands of Calatians chanting and cheering. Zelda had never seen so many people gathered in one place in her life. She was overwhelmed. Gildebrandt took the lead and guided Link and the princess through the great city and throngs of people to the steps of the Grand Palace. Standing atop these large stairs was a small delegation. One of them stepped forward to greet the travellers from Hyrule. He was a tall man of great strength and had the look of a knight. His grey beard fell to his knees and his shoulders were covered with a fine green cloak that reached to the ground. Atop his head sat a grand golden crown covered in jewels.

This was King Eridanus; ruler of all Calatia. He stopped before Link and Zelda as they dismounted and said in a voice loud enough to be heard over the cheers of the crowds, "Welcome Princess Zelda of Hyrule! Welcome Captain Link of Hyrule! You honour Calatia with your presence!" he stopped shouting and bent close so the two could hear him, "Please, come inside. This occasion deserves a feast, and lucky for you there is one ready! Come!" With that, Eridanus turned grandly, and with a sweep of his cloak, started back up the steps to the palace with Zelda and Link in tow. The Hylians entered and immediately were in awe. The palace was the most ornate and tasteful building they had ever laid eyes on. Gold covered most of the ceilings and silver lined the walls (in between the grand tapestries); the floor was tiled in the most expensive blue marble. Through a series of twisting corridors they were led until the sounds of feasting reached their ears. Zelda close to Link. "This is my world, Link. Let me do the talking." Link just nodded. The small group entered a large dining hall. In the centre of the hall was a grand black and gold table. Lining the table stood dozens of chairs, many of which were already occupied. Above the table hung huge chandeliers all ablaze with gigantic candles. The scene was very jovial and festive. Those sitting around the table were nobles. Even Link could tell they were nobles; they had fine clothes and talked big. In his experience with nobles, they all seemed to talk about either extremely stupid matters or extremely fake matters. "Friends!" roared Eridanus. A hush fell over the room. "I have with me the Princess Zelda of Hyrule and Captain Link of Hyrule! They shall sit by my side this evening! Make room!" Some people cheered and shouted greetings as everyone shifted down the table one seat. The guests all stood as the king stood at the head of the table. As he sat, the others sat as well. Link was seated at the king's left hand and Zelda, directly across from him, sat at the right hand. Eridanus clapped his hands loudly. Moblins came in and set food on the table. "Eat and enjoy!" shouted the king. Dinner started. "So, my dear princess," Eridanus said happily as they began their meal, "what brings you into my beautiful country? No royalty of Hyrule has set foot in this land for many years. The last to do so was your late father, Gerrik, when he was younger. That must be now more than twenty years!" he seemed too sombre up. "I'm sorry about Gerrik. I knew him well and I was saddened to hear of his death." Zelda stopped eating and looked down at her lap before speaking. "Thank you for your concern, majesty. My father was a great man and shall be missed by all." All heads within hearing of the princess nodded gravely as she continued. "Link and I did not enter your land to admire its beauty, I'm afraid. We came following a.... dangerous prisoner who has escaped from the king and queen. He crossed into Calatia several days ago. We thought it wise to come to you first before walking through your land without authority." Eridanus looked hard at her for a few moments and then laughed heartily. "My dear girl, any family member of Gerrik will always be welcome in Calatia!" He took a drink of wine before adding, "As long as their intentions are noble! Otherwise I would have to take their head off!" Again he laughed and was joined by the other dinner guests. Only Link and Zelda paled in fear. "Th- Thank you, majesty." Zelda stuttered out. Laughing again, the monarch said, "No, no! Gerrik was like a brother to me and his family were like my own family! Call me what your sister called me when she and I went riding together; Greybeard she called me. That name was good enough for your sister then and it's good enough for you now!" The table broke out into more laughter. Link was chuckling along with the others and spoke up, "But if you call Zelda anything other than 'princess', you'll have a furious girl on your hands!" Eridanus found this extremely funny and collapsed in his chair, red faced and fighting for breath. "Good, lad!" he gasped. When he had gained his composure again, the king turned his full attention to Link. "Now then, Link. What have you been up to since defeating the evil wizard?" "Wizard? Oh, do you mean Agahnim?" The table fell to silence. Everyone was looking at the king. Eridanus looked the boy straight in the eyes and said levelly, "That name is never to be said in my land. The wizard took much from my ancestors when he was alive. I do not know about Hyrule, but in this land that wizard is still considered a demon. Do not name him again." "Sorry, majesty." Link muttered. The king relaxed a bit and took a long drink of his wine and uttered a curse under his breath. "Carry on, Link." he said softly. "Well, after killing... the wizard," Link took comfort at the king's approving nod, "I eventually came against his master, Ganon, who-" "Tell us of the Dark Lord!" shouted a voice from the other end of the table. "All right." Link said and went into great detail of his experiences with Ganon but after a while he realized that his audience was paying him only polite attention and was not interested in what he was saying. When he had finished his account of the Thieve King, a man near Zelda said, "And good on ye, lad! Nothing good ever comes from magic-users, that's what I always say!" The diners all laughed and agreed loudly. Once again, only Link and Zelda did not join in the laughter. Greybeard pointed to the man who had said this and laughed, "Too true, good man! Too true! Ah! Zelda, dear, allow me to introduce Evander, prince of Turka by day and scoundrel by night!" Zelda followed the old man's finger to a tall, black haired man with bright blue eyes and sharp features. He was dressed in the traditional garb of Turka: A white tunic with grey breeches and fur-lined boots. Around his neck he wore an ornamental arrow with a star around it; the symbol of Turka. Evander stood and bowed low, a grin on his face. "Princess. I honour you with my presence! May this 'scoundrel' get to know you better in days to come!" The other diners gasped at this rude comment but Eridanus, Link, and Zelda laughed at the prince's disregard of etiquette. "May you consider yourself lucky, prince, that you know me this well!" the princess laughed. Evander beamed with humour and took his seat. The dinner continued for many more hours, and through it all Zelda caught the Turkan prince watching her often. Sometimes when he caught her eye, he would raise his cup in toast, always smiling at some unsaid joke. As the night wore on, Zelda could feel her eyes droop lower and lower and was about to drift off to sleep when she felt Link's hand on her shoulder. Looking up to him, she asked, "What is it, Link?" He was standing next to her, holding a goblet in his other hand. Looking around, Zelda noticed that several of the dining chairs were now empty. "You fell asleep. I think you had better go off to bed." Zelda, fully awake now, started to argue but her friend held up a hand to stop her. "You were almost falling into your meal. Not a polite thing to do." he added with a wry smile. "Besides, you've had a long day. Get some sleep." "Yes, my dear." Zelda looked over at Eridanus who was still eating and drinking merrily. "Go off to bed. Your friend is right, you are excused. I shall send soldiers tonight to find this prisoner of yours, and within a week, you shall have this man. Come to me tomorrow morning and we will talk more then." The king clapped his hands and a small moblin appeared at his side. "Guide the princess to her room." The creature bowed and stood next to Zelda as she slowly stood up. "Highness, I think that I should escort Zelda to her room and, if I may, retire myself for the night." Link said, taking hold of Zelda's elbow. "Of course, of course. Good night to you both." Several diners also bid their farewells to the two. With that, the moblin lead Link and Zelda out of the dining hall. When the noise of the dinner had faded to a murmur behind the thick castle walls, Zelda shrugged off Link's helping hand. "I can walk fine by myself, thank you." Link just smiled as the princess stumbled several times; her weariness getting the better of her. Just when he was certain she would trip and fall, Link took hold of her arm again and this time she did not stop him, she just leaned heavily against him. The moblin eventually guided the Hylians into a short terrace with doors on one side and a railing on the other looking out into a small courtyard. At the other end of the terrace, Link could see stairs that lead down to the tiny garden. The slave stopped in front of a door in the terrace and opened it. Link lead Zelda into the room, which was a fair size, and set Zelda down on the bed. As he did so, the girl mumbled something about not being tired, but Link ignored it. He pulled the covers over her and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly. Following the moblin to his room, Link also felt the pulling of sleep reach his eyes. Link's room was not far from his princess', but it was too far for his liking. Turning to his guide, Link said, "Could you have someone keep watch at Zelda's door?" This obviously surprised the small dog-thing. "Ksah?" it said. "Could you get someone to watch over the princess' room?" Link repeated. "A bodyguard?" Comprehension lit up the moblin's eyes. "Ah," it said, "a bo'ieguard? Yea, ksah. Yea." Then it left the room, rambling about 'bo'ieguards'. Link shook his head slowly as the door closed behind the servant. Being waited on by moblins would take some getting used to. Looking around his spacious quarters, Link idly fingered his necklace. Nothing good can come of this visit to Calatia, he thought. Nothing good at all. If only Link knew how right he was.