Everyone's gaze was attracted to Traela as she recounted falsely the tale of her journey from Centrenil to Hyrule. Not a sound was made as her voice echoed through the grand hall. On every lie, Caelin and Saeli became more and more infatuated with wonderment as they absorbed what Traela was actually saying.
"Let me start from the very beginning your highness. I received a letter from my master, Overlord Zoraco, ordering me to ask for Hyrule's aid. The Goron and Gerudo have been migrating upon our borders and we wish to have them pushed back." With that comment Traela's eyes shifted towards the beast and the dark woman and received glares of both anger and ominousness.
"Heh...yes, I was sent here as the ambassador. After the announcement that I was to be gone, I was assigned two escorts and we were off to your land. We traveled up through the Centrillian Pass where we met our trouble. It had been quite a while walking and after my escorts had finished deciding whether we should set up camp or not, we stopped and began to search for supplies.
'A Gerudo ambush party was watching our behavior and came down to raid us from the mountainsides. My escorts had just got up and abandoned me so I decided to make my escape as the Gerudo chased after the other two. I figured my getting here would be more important. Those beastly men eventually came after me but I fled into the mountains and waited until nightfall to continue. This is where I might your emissary, my queen."
While speaking, Traela's head turned to the solemn, yet slightly angry, woman in the white bikini-like top, then turned back to Zelda's confused eyes. "I noticed that she was also Gerudo but when she spoke to me, she told of you and your kingdom. I assumed that she was with you by her comments so I decided to take her advice. She told me that the Queen does not wish to be bothered with the problems of the Zora. She only has dealings with her own people and the Zora should deal with Zora problems.
'With this I went back to my Overlord and recited what your emissary had conveyed to me. After much grievance over your behavior, he decided to engage war with Hyrule in order to expand his land and power. Then we, as a people, would be able to hopefully remove the invaders from our lands and again establish peace within the Zora kingdom. Of course, after that, Zoraco sent me here to see your reaction on this...fiasco."
The room fell quiet as Traela ended her explanation. Uncomfortable feelings spread from one person to the next leaving all with a loss of words. A few people shifted in their seat and a couple of throats were cleared of phlegm. Silence was blaring through the room only to be broken by the words of Queen Zelda.
"Well Traela, your...er...story is strange. Much has been brought to my attention. However, I am confused on two matters...I never sent an emissary to the north in the Centrillian Mountains. I would have no reason to..."
"Really? This beautiful young woman isn't under your command?" Traela made a hand gesture to the dark-tan woman who now looked astonished to see that she had been acknowledged as an emissary of Hyrule.
"No...she is not. Athea...do you know of this?" questioned Zelda.
"I assure you my Queen, I have had nothing to do with the matter! This...Zora...has lied!" said Athea in disgust at Traela's deceit. "My people have been dormant since the time of the Sealing, and I speak on behalf of all my brethren that we have not step foot on this land and meant any harm!" Athea flared with annoyance at Traela, glaring at the Zoran ambassador with threatening eyes.
"Well now, settle down, my friend. You must've gotten your information wrong. It's really no biggie! All we have to do is announce surrender and talk it out with the Zora that the information has been recorded falsely and all should be forgiven!" said the small, yet bubbly young woman.
"Hah! Yes, I agree. War should be avoided. There is no need for violence!" said the Goron in a deep voice that seemed to echo out of the hall and through the whole of the castle. Everyone's heads turned sharply in surprise at the loud noise that was the Goron's voice.
"Hmph, I will never take advice from a Kokiri, let alone a Goron. The Zora will pay for her lie, Brucie." hissed Athea, facing the little woman with her head but never removing her glare from that of Traela's
"Instability seems to have grown since last time I have checked. I see that now. The matter of the Goron and the Gerudo trespassing Zoran lands will be dealt with soon enough, but I must attend to the matter of the present argument. Althea, your people have been known for their guile. Not only in attacking innocents but also in speech. I am afraid that you are the only one who is lying here. Your people's previous actions have proven so, anyway. I am afraid that you must leave and order every last one of your people out of the jurisdiction of the Hyrulian Guard. I do not see any use of you or your people. I will allow you to remain in the desert just as long as no Gerudo is seen in Hyrule or any of the other lands under my command." Zelda's face grew grim as she said her last sentence.
Silence once again enveloped the room in an uncomfortable veil. No one seemed to know what to say to Zelda's response. Athea's face seemed to be one of surprise and fury whereas Traela's seemed to be drowned in mock pity.
Both Caelin and Saeli shifted noisily in their positions on either side of Zelda.
"Guards...please escort Miss Talim out of the Council Room." commanded Zelda to Caelin and Saeli. Both disguised Zoras looked at each other in despair as their names were called. Both of them walked slowly up to Athea, not really knowing what to do with her.
"Ahem...my Queen. If I may, I would gladly escort the ambassador out of the castle. I must be leaving anyway so I might as well do it. Your "guards" have worked too hard. Let them rest and allow me take this traitor off of your hands." Traela got out of her seat and made her way around the table to Athea, her feet producing an echo on the marble floor that was magnified by the ongoing silence.
"Traela, that won't be necessary. My guards will do just fine..." said Zelda with an awkward tone.
"No...no I think I can handle it. Like I said, I am on my way out anyway. I might as well just..."
"No. Simply...no. I cannot allow you to undertake that seeing first off, the obvious tension between you too, and secondly, it seems that not everyone can be trusted...including a Zoran ambassador from the enemy that is camped just outside the castle!" said Zelda, her temper rising quickly.
"Queen Zelda, I am taking her with me." said Traela with a sense of finality. She grabbed the shocked Athea by the arm and her eyes once again grew a shining red. "I will not allow you to tell me what I can and cannot do...my Queen. Farewell."
"Guards! Do something!" yelled Zelda. Caelin flew at Traela to knock her down so as to retrieve Athea but instead, toppled through her and landed on the table, sliding right in front of the Goron whose name was Grunble. Traela had already started to fade away before Caelin made his lunge.
Saeli made a jump and landed right where Traela stood, literally inside the Zora. She stepped back hesitantly with much confusion plastered on her face. Both Traela and Athea were stonefaced as they faded away in front of the astounded council members.
Caelin lay on the table dumbfounded on how he passed through the woman Zora's body. He was sure he didn't miss her. All eyes were staring at him in confusion and anger as he looked up to stare a furious Goron in the face.
"Eheh...what?" asked Caelin weakly. He slowly got up from the table and walked over to Saeli who stared at him in horror.
"Um...what's everyone staring at me for?" he asked her. Saeli stared at him worriedly and pointed at him.
"What! Why are you staring at me?" Caelin asked, very annoyed and uncomfortable that no one would avert their gaze to something else.
"C-Caelin...your disguise is gone..." whispered Saeli with a barely audible voice. Caelin looked up and down his body and didn't notice anything there but realized that it wouldn't matter if he saw it or not.
"A-are you sure...I can't tell." he whispered, now scared to look behind him at the table of people who were looking at him as the enemy.
Saeli merely nodded her head and shifted her stare up to Zelda who had a solemn expression upon her face. Caelin refused to look behind him so instead, he looked at Saeli while everyone else locked there gaze upon him.
"A Zora...in my castle...disguised as a guard. Tell me young enemy...what are you doing within my walls and tell me why you have not gotten out of here now that you have been discovered."
Still facing Saeli, Caelin responded in a small voice, "Well..er...your highness, I, uh...was one of Traela's escorts that she mentioned. We lost her in the mountains and..." Zelda interrupted saying, "Ah...so you are the one she spoke of. Please don't tell me that the other guard was also an escort." Zelda's tone softened a bit as she looked upon Saeli who was still dressed in her fake suit of armor.
Neither Caelin nor Saeli responded to Zelda. Instead, they just shifted quietly in their places.
"Soldier, take off your helmet." commanded Zelda to Saeli. Saeli hesitantly lifted up her hand and reached to her head, not exactly knowing if she could just take off the helmet seeing as it wasn't real. Her hand palmed the top of her head evaporating the disguise that lay round her. Gasps of astonishment filled the room as Zelda started to speak once again.
"Ugh...I'm not even going to continue. Peter, please take these two children and put them in the lobby outside. I will take them personally in my quarters and we will see what they have to say and to question about Traela's story." One of the men cloaked in white stood up and strode over to them.
"Come." he said calmly as he led them out the door, everyone's eyes still locked on the two young Zoras.
"Wait here until you are told otherwise. I will probably be back to take you two to the Queen's quarters. Please do not disturb anyone out here." Peter walked back into the room with the council swiftly, slamming the doors behind him.
"Well..." said Saeli. They both didn't feel like talking, but Saeli decided to break the uncomfortable moment.
"So..." said Caelin. Both friends just sat there with blank expressions on their face, deep in thought about what had occured. He peered around the room, watching random scholars and footmen shuffle silently yet frantically by. Obviously, the Zora hadn't stricken yet. Whispers echoed throughout the main lobby as if it was a library. Soft footsteps sounded through the room, mingling with the light clanging of the plate armor which the soldiers wore. 'It all seems very loud put together', thought Caelin.
"Gah...this dmn wound seems to be acting up...it's still wet." complained Caelin.
"Really? I would've though it had healed by now. Let me look at it." Saeli reached over and lifted up the bandage that concealed Caelin's wound. "Hmm...well, the hole has filled up thanks to Prakle's...er...actually, I have no idea what she fixed it with let alone how she did it. We should ask her if we see her again...it might explain why it's still bleeding."
"Yeah...and we should ask her why my stupid disguise came off..." said Caelin sourly. He pressed the sash gingerly back onto his wound and sat down on the steps that led up to the door.
Athea's vision was blocked by a blindfold that tightly wound around her eyes. She was being dragged along by her ankle on rough terrain.
"Dmnit! Let me go! Traela, how dare you betray Hyrule like this! Let me go this instant!" pleaded Athea.
Athea's body was torn by blade-like rocks that were scattered across the unknown ground. Her head was beating against the floor as each bump flailed her body in the air. A sharp crack left Athea screaming as her fingers began to touch her mid-forearm.
"Dmnit! How can you betray me and Hyrule like this! Let me go this instant Traela!" commanded Athea.
No voices were heard, just the soft chirping of birds mixing with the musical ringing of the night crickets. The trickling of water could be heard in the distance and the occasional splash of a fish swimming merrily in the water Suddenly, Athea halted and was lifted in mid-air hanging upside down.
"Gah...let me go. Please...just let me go." pleaded Athea. She felt herself get lifted higher and higher up into the air and finally, she stopped. A tingle shot down her back as two needle-like structures scratched up her spine. Both of the pins separated and started to travel towards opposite ends of the shoulder blades. A soothing hand cupped her face relieving some of the stress as the pins slowly massaged her back. Athea let out a moan of relaxation at the sudden change in treatment. Though her wounds from the dragging stung, the hand on her face seemed to quell all her pain.
As soon as it had come the tingling and soothing was cut short by an immense river of pain engulfing every one of the Gerudo's nerves. Shot through both of her shoulder's were two enormous stakes that left the rest of her body dangling in anguish. Her previous wounds started to sting once more and her whole body was soon writhing in unbearable pain.
"GAHH! Traela...stop this...I beg of you...spare me this torture..." begged Athea in a pitiful voice.