CHAPTER FOUR - THE SANCTUARY
Link put his sword in its sheath and sat down on the pew closest to him. He closed his eyes for second before opening them again and gazing around. He was in Hyrule's Sanctuary. He had been in this particular building many times, but he had never given the term 'sanctuary' a second thought until now.
He looked up toward the altar and saw the old man who lived and ran the Sanctuary. He smiled warmly at Link. Then he turned his gaze to the princess who had just sat down on the step.
She was remarkable. Link had always heard that the princess was very beautiful but he had never seen her with his own eyes. The stories truly were nothing compared to the reality. Princess Zelda was the embodiment of beautiful. She was perfect in every way. Even now, in her dirty and torn clothes, with her hair in shambles.
The princess was a rather short girl, given that she was still only in her teens, around Link's age. She had long, flowing brown hair that went down to the middle of her back. She had the most stunning green eyes that Link had ever seen a human being possess. They were enchanting. He also couldn't help but notice that the princess was quite curvaceous for her age.
Link was in love. He would have given all of the rupees in his pockets to be with her. And that was no small amount. But she was a princess. He was a mere commoner. It would never happen. They lived in two different worlds.
Link looked down at himself. Scraggly hair sticking out from his green hat; dirty, worn leather boots; his trusty green tunic covered in someone else's dried, sticky blood. He was a mess. A princess go for someone that looked like he did? It was hopeless.
The old man's voice brought Link out of his trance.
"Princess, you should be safe here, but I will go keep watch outside just in case."
"Thank you Gabriel. Link and I need to talk alone anyway."
The old man, smiled, bowed to Zelda and slowly walked up the aisle of pews.
"Princess," Link started, "what is going on here? Why is everything suddenly changed in Hyrule? And why did you really get captured?"
"Link, there is much going on in the kingdom that you and the rest of the citizens do not know about. I will do my best to try and explain to you everything that is happening."
"That is all I ask."
"Now Link, as you know, the wizard Agahnim came to this land many months ago. Hyrule was cursed with the worst drought it had ever seen. The wizard, using a previously unknown form of magic, rid the land of drought and restored it to its former bounty, saving countless individuals from famine and possibly death. As you could imagine, we were incredibly grateful to him. My father gave him a royal position as a token of his gratitude. But that was when the whole lightheartedness of the situation ended.
"About a month after the wizard's mysterious appearance, strange things began to happen. The castle guards started to act strangely, girls from all across the land began to disappear and most notably, my father has gone."
"You're father Princess? Where did he go?"
"I wish I knew Link. He told me himself that he was leaving; Agahnim told me he had gone to a distant land to negotiate business with another king. I believed him since my father had told me himself he was going. But now..."
The Princess's voice trailed off.
"You suspect Agahnim of foul play then," Link stated more than asked.
"I do Link. I do. If you put all of the pieces together and look at the finished puzzle, it all looks a lot like Agahnim is involved. Think about it. A strange wizard appears out of thin air. He uses a strange form of magic to save a land that he seemingly has nothing to do with and doesn't ask anything in return. Then a short time after he arrives, when all suspicions would be off the kingdom's hero, things start to change. There has to be a connection."
"I agree Princess. So what do you make of all of it? The disappearances, your father's and the girls', and the changes in the attitude of the guards?"
"Well obviously, if Agahnim wanted to take control of the kingdom, he would need the guards to follow his orders. He could have put them under a spell. And as for my father.... Well, he couldn't have the king getting in his way."
A small tear formed in the corner of Zelda's eye and it streamed down her face silently.
"I'm sorry Princess."
"Oh Link," Zelda said, wrapping her arms around Link's neck and resting her head on his shoulder.
At first, Link didn't know what to make of the sudden hug. He held back, hesitating to return the embrace. Soon he gave in to his temptations and wrapped his arms around her waist. He ran his hand through her hair and urged her to use his shoulder for as long as she wanted.
"Link," she said between sobs, "I fear the worst for my father. I just know Agahnim has done something horrible to him. I just know it."
"Don't think negatively Princess, I'm sure he's safe, wherever he is."
"Thank you Link," she said, taking her arms from around him and staring into his eyes.
"But that is all I know," she said, regaining her composure and princess-like posture.
"What about the missing girls? You know nothing of them?"
"I don't Link. I wish I did. But whatever it means, the bottom line is that something must be done about the wizard."
"But what Princess? He is a powerful wizard, surely he could overcome any foe he is put up against."
"There is a way Link. There is something that is powerful enough to destroy the wizard and return Hyrule to order again. The --"
"Link! Princess!" the Old Man shouted, running back into the Sanctuary.
"What is it Gabriel?"
"The guards Princess. They've started to become violent. They're attacking anyone who apposes them. And Link... you're uncle..."
"My uncle? What about my uncle? What happened?"
"I'm sorry Link. You're uncle was murdered."
Link put his sword in its sheath and sat down on the pew closest to him. He closed his eyes for second before opening them again and gazing around. He was in Hyrule's Sanctuary. He had been in this particular building many times, but he had never given the term 'sanctuary' a second thought until now.
He looked up toward the altar and saw the old man who lived and ran the Sanctuary. He smiled warmly at Link. Then he turned his gaze to the princess who had just sat down on the step.
She was remarkable. Link had always heard that the princess was very beautiful but he had never seen her with his own eyes. The stories truly were nothing compared to the reality. Princess Zelda was the embodiment of beautiful. She was perfect in every way. Even now, in her dirty and torn clothes, with her hair in shambles.
The princess was a rather short girl, given that she was still only in her teens, around Link's age. She had long, flowing brown hair that went down to the middle of her back. She had the most stunning green eyes that Link had ever seen a human being possess. They were enchanting. He also couldn't help but notice that the princess was quite curvaceous for her age.
Link was in love. He would have given all of the rupees in his pockets to be with her. And that was no small amount. But she was a princess. He was a mere commoner. It would never happen. They lived in two different worlds.
Link looked down at himself. Scraggly hair sticking out from his green hat; dirty, worn leather boots; his trusty green tunic covered in someone else's dried, sticky blood. He was a mess. A princess go for someone that looked like he did? It was hopeless.
The old man's voice brought Link out of his trance.
"Princess, you should be safe here, but I will go keep watch outside just in case."
"Thank you Gabriel. Link and I need to talk alone anyway."
The old man, smiled, bowed to Zelda and slowly walked up the aisle of pews.
"Princess," Link started, "what is going on here? Why is everything suddenly changed in Hyrule? And why did you really get captured?"
"Link, there is much going on in the kingdom that you and the rest of the citizens do not know about. I will do my best to try and explain to you everything that is happening."
"That is all I ask."
"Now Link, as you know, the wizard Agahnim came to this land many months ago. Hyrule was cursed with the worst drought it had ever seen. The wizard, using a previously unknown form of magic, rid the land of drought and restored it to its former bounty, saving countless individuals from famine and possibly death. As you could imagine, we were incredibly grateful to him. My father gave him a royal position as a token of his gratitude. But that was when the whole lightheartedness of the situation ended.
"About a month after the wizard's mysterious appearance, strange things began to happen. The castle guards started to act strangely, girls from all across the land began to disappear and most notably, my father has gone."
"You're father Princess? Where did he go?"
"I wish I knew Link. He told me himself that he was leaving; Agahnim told me he had gone to a distant land to negotiate business with another king. I believed him since my father had told me himself he was going. But now..."
The Princess's voice trailed off.
"You suspect Agahnim of foul play then," Link stated more than asked.
"I do Link. I do. If you put all of the pieces together and look at the finished puzzle, it all looks a lot like Agahnim is involved. Think about it. A strange wizard appears out of thin air. He uses a strange form of magic to save a land that he seemingly has nothing to do with and doesn't ask anything in return. Then a short time after he arrives, when all suspicions would be off the kingdom's hero, things start to change. There has to be a connection."
"I agree Princess. So what do you make of all of it? The disappearances, your father's and the girls', and the changes in the attitude of the guards?"
"Well obviously, if Agahnim wanted to take control of the kingdom, he would need the guards to follow his orders. He could have put them under a spell. And as for my father.... Well, he couldn't have the king getting in his way."
A small tear formed in the corner of Zelda's eye and it streamed down her face silently.
"I'm sorry Princess."
"Oh Link," Zelda said, wrapping her arms around Link's neck and resting her head on his shoulder.
At first, Link didn't know what to make of the sudden hug. He held back, hesitating to return the embrace. Soon he gave in to his temptations and wrapped his arms around her waist. He ran his hand through her hair and urged her to use his shoulder for as long as she wanted.
"Link," she said between sobs, "I fear the worst for my father. I just know Agahnim has done something horrible to him. I just know it."
"Don't think negatively Princess, I'm sure he's safe, wherever he is."
"Thank you Link," she said, taking her arms from around him and staring into his eyes.
"But that is all I know," she said, regaining her composure and princess-like posture.
"What about the missing girls? You know nothing of them?"
"I don't Link. I wish I did. But whatever it means, the bottom line is that something must be done about the wizard."
"But what Princess? He is a powerful wizard, surely he could overcome any foe he is put up against."
"There is a way Link. There is something that is powerful enough to destroy the wizard and return Hyrule to order again. The --"
"Link! Princess!" the Old Man shouted, running back into the Sanctuary.
"What is it Gabriel?"
"The guards Princess. They've started to become violent. They're attacking anyone who apposes them. And Link... you're uncle..."
"My uncle? What about my uncle? What happened?"
"I'm sorry Link. You're uncle was murdered."