Chapter Two: Many Happy Returns

A/N: For all the Lute fans, he's back! (does a happy dance) Yay, the gang' s all back! Thank yous for Miss Piratess, Malon Aniku, and zeldaisthebest, as well as our newcomer Farlmot! As always, no cursing in your reviews, please. And Anni, you said you DREW Lute and Cassandra? I'd love to see it! I saw some of your work at Zelda Legends, and it's really cute! Please send me the picture via my homepage!


Prince Lute and the newly-made Princess Cassandra sat in the courtyard of the Royal Family of Xenos' castle, snuggled close, poring over a book of ancient lore.

"Um, Your Majesties?"

Cassandra looked up at the butler, who held an important-looking envelope on a silver tray. "Yes?" she asked, slightly exhausted from the lengthy reading spell.

"This came with a messenger from Hyrule. The man says it's urgent, Your Highness, and that he must see His Majesty, Prince Lute."

"Bet it's Daphnes," Lute said, standing up and brushing off his tunic.

"It probably is," Cassandra sighed. She reached out and took the letter from the tray. "Thank you, Bentley."

The butler bowed. "Always glad to serve."

"No," Cassandra protested, slitting the envelope open with a finger. "Always glad to help. You don't serve. Not with me around, anyway."

"Yes, Your Grace," Bentley said. He quietly went away.

Lute laughed. "It's still going to take some time for you to get used to living like royalty, honey." He grinned at his wife.

"I will never get used to people trying to 'serve' me," the sorceress replied, pulling the letter out.

"What's it say?" Lute asked, leaning over her chair and resting his chin in her crimson hair. Cassandra unfolded the letter and began scanning it. "Kidnapped?" she cried.

"Who's been kidnapped?" the prince said, looking at the letter.

"Zelda! And they want us – I mean, you – to go help find her," Cassandra said, reading the rest of Impa's spidery script carefully. "I'm coming with you, of course," she added, replacing the letter in its cream-colored envelope.

Lute straightened and ran a hand through his raven-black hair, a childhood habit he'd never grown out of. "Well, I guess we have no choice. We'd better go talk to the messenger."


"So Zelda just disappeared, and you get a note from the kidnappers signed 'a friend'?" Lute asked, recounting what the messenger had told them. He and the Hylian guard sat at the table in the courtyard, and Cassandra stood behind Lute, listening.

"That's all I know," the Hylian guard replied, sniffing. Cassandra winced. He had a bad habit of sniffing, and doing so quite loudly. It was really starting to annoy her.

"What kind of kidnapper takes a guy's daughter and signs his note 'a friend'?" Lute asked Cassandra. She shrugged. "I mean, what kind of idiot is he?" the prince continued.

The guard sniffed.

"You know, maybe we should just get going," Cassandra suggested, her hand tight on Lute's shoulder. Lute looked up at her. She gestured at the guard and raised her eyebrows as he sniffed again. "He's seriously getting on my nerves," she added in an undertone.

Lute almost laughed, but held his composure well enough to turn back to the actual urgency of the situation at hand. "When shall we leave?" he asked the guard.

"Whenever you're ready," the guard sniffed.

"We will be as soon as I change," Cassandra said. "I can hardly go in this dress." She hurried out of the courtyard, leaving Lute with the guard. Everything was silent for a few uncomfortable moments, and then Lute tried to make conversation.

"So, where are you from?" Lute asked.

"Hyrule," the guard said, stating the obvious.

Lute laughed nervously. He was never good at dealing with strangers. The Hylians had simply put him under a lot of pressure. "Of course, of course. Um...so, how long have you been on the Hylian guard?"

"Twelve years."

"Oh. Do you have a family?"

"Yup. Wife and two kids."

"That's nice."

"Yup."

Lute fell silent. He didn't know what else to say.

Thankfully, Cassandra was back moments later, dressed in one of Lute's tunics and a pair of riding breeches. "I'm ready!" she announced. "And I brought some provisions. Bella was reluctant to part with them, but I charmed her into it." Bella was their cook, and always insisted that one only eat at mealtimes, because it was better for one's constitution.

"Wonderful," Lute said. "You're coming, right?" he added to the guard.

"Most definitely!" The guard sniffed indignantly.

"Sorry, nothing meant by it," Lute said, laughing uneasily again. "Uh...shall we go?"


"Well, if it isn't the prince!" boomed the large black dragon as they approached.

"Aranel!" Lute and Cassandra called, throwing their arms around the enormous reptile. Well, trying to, anyway.

Aranel chuckled merrily. "A year is much to long, Your Majesties," he said, giving a mocking bow.

"Oh, quit!" Cassandra giggled.

"Um, Your Highnesses?" the guard sniffed. "Sorry to interrupt your lovely little reunion, but we need to get going."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Lute said, still smiling broadly. He put his hand out to Cassandra playfully. "Shall we?"

Cassandra giggled again. "Of course, Your Majesty!" Together they scurried up Aranel's back and seated themselves at his horns, as they had so long ago before.

The guard rolled his eyes and joined them, wrapping his arms around Aranel's golden horn as if it were his last hold on life.

"Are you all right?" Lute asked, genuinely concerned.

"Oh, fine, fine, Your Majesty. Just a little..." he trailed off.

"A little scared of heights?" the prince prodded.

The guard nodded.

Lute exchanged an amused glance with his wife, who stifled another giggle. They both knew they really should be more attentive to the real problem, but they were having so much fun. And well, they both knew that Zelda could fend for herself. She was probably bothering the kidnappers more than they were bothering her!


A/N: BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! The gang's all here! No more OC's, but it gets interesting from here! And I guess that answers your question, Anni! And in the wise words of Miss Piratess: Lute's back!