Hey everybody! Here's Chapter 2, hope you like it. Just a note, the chapters will get longer eventually. The first few chapters are more of a prologue to the actual quest, so sorry if the first few chapters are a bit slow.

By the way, if you want a better summary of the story, check out my profile.

Thanks for the reviews!

Chapter 2

The darkened room was only dimly lit by a single flickering candle, the flames causing eerie shadows to dance on the walls. A lone man stood hunched over a glass sphere on the table, muttering arcane words and making gestures with his hands. At last, the swirling purple contents inside the sphere shimmered and were slowly replaced with the features of two old hags, both of them with green skin, filthy rags, and large, bulbous eyes. The only difference between them was the different colored jewels in their stringy hair; blue sapphires and red rubies. The women looked slightly annoyed at being summoned by the man.

The witch who was sporting several rubies in her filthy hair, Koume, looked irritably at Ganondorf while her sister continued her work in the background. "What is it now, Ganondorf? We are very busy, and won't interrupt our delicate work listening to you unless it is extremely important." The witch with sapphires in her hair, Kotake, flicked something carelessly and a loud explosion erupted from behind the two hags.

"Kotake, you fool!" Koume shrieked, diverting her attention from Ganondorf to her sister. "That took AGES to obtain, and you blew it up in a second!"

Kotake looked equally cross. "It's not my fault you're so incompetent that it took you so long to find something as common as a poe's spirit."

Koume pulled a long wand from her filthy robes and brandished it at Kotake. "It wasn't just any poe's spirit, it was the spirit of a BIG POE…"

Now Ganondorf was slightly annoyed. "Will you two be quiet and listen to me?" He said in a commanding tone. Both Koume and Kotake straightened up at once, looking fairly ashamed of their bickering.

"Now, both of you listen well!" Ganondorf ordered. "I have left you in charge of the Gerudo legions while I was away. I hope that they are mobilized and equipped for war?"

Koume nodded, while Kotake cleared her throat. "Lord Ganondorf, how can several hundred Gerudo storm Castle Town and Hyrule Castle? I mean, (Kotake quailed at the furious look on Ganondorf's face) what clever strategy have you devised for us to defeat the Hylian military?"

Ganondorf let out an odd noise, halfway between a snort and a laugh. "It is true that Hyrule is a large and populous country," Ganondorf stated, "But they have only a small standing army. In times of war, the Hylian army drafts the peasants into service. There are only a few hundred professional soldiers."

Koume now spoke up. "But Lord Ganondorf, surely the peasants…"

Ganondorf cut her off with an airy wave of her hand. "I intend to have the Hylian King and several of the Hylian generals killed before the attack will begin. It will throw the Hylian government into anarchy and confusion. By the time the attack is underway, Hylians, both soldiers and peasants, will be too scared and confused to put up any kind of resistance." Ganondorf looked at both of the hags sternly, as if daring them to argue.

"Yes… but…" Kotake squeaked in a small voice. "What if the Hylians mobilize their forces faster than we anticipated? This could turn into a disaster for us, and compromise our current relations with the Hylians…"

Ganondorf laughed. "Oh, there won't just be Gerudo forces attacking Castle Town… you can be sure of that." Ganondorf grinned sinisterly, and both Koume and Kotake exchanged a look with each other before deciding it was completely pointless to argue with the Desert King.

"As you wish," both of the witches said simultaneously. Ganondorf smiled.

"I will wait here in Hyrule Castleto further wear down their defenses. I trust that you have... suitably dealt with all of the Sages?" The witches once again exchanged a look at each other, before Kotake spoke up:

"Yes, Lord Dragmire. It has taken us many long weeks to locate all of the Temples, but we have imprisoned five of the Sages, and have prepared defenses for any... unwanted intruders."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "Five of the Sages? What of the sixth?"

Koume cleared her throat. "The sixth sage is Rauru, who currently resides in the Temple of Light in the heart of Castle Town. We will wait for Hyrule castle to fall before imprisoning him, but he cannot stand against us without the other five sages."

"Excellent. You know when to begin the attack," Ganondorf said, and without waiting for confirmation, he severed the connection between him and the witches with a wave of his hand, until the glowing sphere was once again covered in swirling purple mist.

"It won't be long now," Ganondorf muttered excitedly, with a diabolical grin plastered on his face.

…

…

Bright sunlight splashed through her giant balcony door windows. Groaning, Zelda sat up in her bed and blinked several times to allow her eyes to adjust to the light. Rubbing her eyes, she reluctantly left her bed and began to prepare for the day; meetings with diplomats, entertaining her father's guests, and fighting off hordes of suitors.

As she combed her golden hair and found a suitable dress, her mind wandered again to last night. She didn't know why, but the man named Link seemed so familiar… had she seen him before somewhere? She raked her mind for some previous mention of him, but found none. She didn't know why it was so important that she discover who he was; she only knew she had to do it. Pushing the thought of the young man out of her mind, she opened her door and walked down several flights of stairs to the dining room.

The mood in the room was jovial. Her father was sitting at the far end, in a golden throne, laughing and eating eggs, talking to Ganondorf who, interestingly enough, seemed to be in a good mood today instead of his usual sullen self.

"Ah, Zelda my darling!" King Harkanian boomed, waving a fork in the air and smiling at his daughter. "Take a seat dear, have some breakfast!"

Zelda gracefully sat herself down on a seat next to her father and across from Ganondorf. She smiled politely at him; the Desert King merely grunted and turned back to her father. Zelda rolled her eyes; nice to see you too.

As Zelda helped herself to some toast and jam, she became aware that the dining table was less full than it normally was. Raising her eyes, she questioned her father as to where all the nobles and officials had gone. King Harkanian laughed loudly.

"To watch the tournament!" He practically bellowed, almost jumping up and down in his seat. Ganondorf scowled when Harkanian suggested they go watch it after breakfast. Zelda took another bite of toast and poured herself some juice. After ten minutes, she was done with her food, neatly piling the plates and silverware together to make it easier for the maids. As she got up however, her father called to her.

"Darling, why don't you come and watch the tournament with Ganondorf and I? It would do you good to get some fresh air; you are always cooped up in this castle negotiating trade agreements with other nations!"

Zelda sighed; she had no idea what the tournament was about, but she decided it would be rude to decline her father's offer. Turning around and smiling at her father, she sweetly said, "That would be lovely, father." Harkanian smiled and proceeded to finish his breakfast. Ganondorf, long done, was impatiently drumming his fingers on the table. Eventually, Harkanian took his last bite of toast and the trio proceeded over the castle drawbridge and into Castle Town, escorted by several Royal Guards.

As they neared the town, Zelda became aware of a large roaring, as if an ocean wave was coming down and crashing into the marketplace. When they came nearer, she realized it was the sound of hundreds of peasants cheering on two knights who were jousting, trying to knock each other out of their saddles.

Finding a comfortable seat in the Royal box, Zelda kept quiet and observed the knights try to outdo each other. Harkanian was talking loudly and excitedly; Zelda knew that her father had been a knight before he became the king. Ganondorf seemed to be bored and uninterested, but made weak attempts to smile and laugh at the king's jokes.

After an hour, as the last of the defeated knights left the field,Zelda became aware of a small man with gray hair standing in the center of the stadium.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" He yelled, as the crowd roared and booed. He ignored them and continued:

"This is the final match of the tournament! Whoeveris the victorhere will be the champion!" The crowd roared and cheered as two knights were carried proudly onto the field by their warhorses.

"Thank the goddesses that this is almost over," Zelda thought privately, while observing the two knights participating in the final match. A knight with green heraldry and a knight with a dragon design on his were brought out onto the field by their warhorses. As the knights lined up opposite each other and checked their lances and armor, the roaring of the crowd increased, like an unending wave of noise. A loud whistle sounded, and the two knights kicked their horses into a trot, then to a canter, than a full speed charge. They lowered their lances- which Zelda observed were dulled to prevent injury- and recklessly charged forth. The crowd's yells and screams increased as the two knights charged headlong at each other-

And with a loud noise like a thunderbolt from the heavens, both of the knight's lances were torn asunder, both of the men having hit his opponent's shield. However, whilst the Dragon knight was thrown rather unceremoniously from his warhorse, the Green knight was able to stay in his saddle, although he was swaying slightly from the other knight's botched hit.

As the crowd screamed and shouted at the champion, Zelda was aware of her father clapping and bellowing "Bravo, bravo!" Even Ganondorf looked somewhat more interested; although perhaps this was because the tournament was almost at an end.

The crowd parted as the Green Knight proceeded up the steps toward the King, still clutching his splintered lance. King Harkanian smiled as the knight bowed to him.

"Good knight, you have on the tournament and have proven your martial skills!" Harkanian said, staring intently at the knight. "Now sir, before I award you the prize of your choice, please remove your helmet so all present can see your face.

With only the slightest hesitation, the knight slowly reached up and lifted his helmet from his head. Placing it carefully on the floor and looking up at the king, Zelda almost let out a gasp of surprise as she saw the knight's face. The dirty blonde hair, the piercing blue eyes… it was Link!

Harkanian smiled at Link. "Sir Link of Kakariko, you have won the tournament and as such deserve a just reward. What prize would you wish to be bestowed upon you for such great valor?"

Again the knight hesitated, but only briefly. His gaze turned from the king to Zelda, who was staring intently at him with a small frown on her face. Link gave her the same smile he had given to her at the ball and said in a clear voice:

"All I desire is one kiss from your daughter."

…

…

The tournament had been a fairly interesting affair, thought a lone woman who was covered in rags as she left the field and ran down a darkened alleyway. But she had better, more important things to do today than watch some games.

Carefully hiding herself in the shadows, she looked up at the sky. It was almost noon, and she had plenty of time to get herself into position. Making sure that no one was looking, she quickly clambered up a tall oak tree and leapt onto the roof of a Hylian home. Getting down on all fours and crawling, she positioned herself in such a way the no one could spot her unless they were on the roofs as well. Quickly getting up, she jumped onto the roof of another home.

Spotting a large stone wall which separated castle town from the grounds of Hyrule Castle, she eyed the distance from the roof and the wall and decided she could make it. With a large leap, she jumped from the roof and barely managed to hold onto the wall's ledges with her fingertips. Cursing her clumsiness, she was somewhat relieved that no one had spotted her… yet. Summoning all of her strength, she pulled herself up and over the wall and jumped down onto the ground.

Quickly looking around, she spotted two Hylian guards in the distance chatting to one another. Moving stealthily like a cat, the woman moved into the shadows and skulked there until the guards had moved on. Making sure once again that everything was clear, she sprinted across a stretch of grass and dived into some bushes.

Peering out of her concealed position, she saw the gate that led to Hyrule Castle's bridge. Four guards were standing there at attention. Frowning, she surveyed the scene for any other means to infiltrate the area…

There! A small rock wall that was hidden from the guard's view was placed four feet to the left of the castle gate. Looking at the guards again, she decided they would not see her if she kept in the shadows and moved slowly…

After ten nerve-wracking minutes, she had reached the wall. Quickly clambering up it, she was elated to discover that there were no other guards observing the area. Jumping from her position, she landed quietly on the ground, and making sure that no body was observing her, slipped into the moat.

She was immediately immersed in cold, frigid water, but she ignored her own discomfort and allowed the current to take her around the castle until she reached a small grate which filtered the water. Hoisting herself up, she found a tree which was conveniently placed near a castle window.

Clambering up the tree, she found a comfortable position and wrapped the rags more tightly around her. All she had to do now was wait…

…

…

Zelda lay face down in her bed, wondering how in the world she had gotten herself into this mess. It had been embarrassing enough having to kiss Link in front of her father and Ganondorf, but in front of every single person in castle town?

She cursed Link and was deciding what to do to him if she ever met him again when there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for Zelda to answer, the lock clicked open and Impa stepped into her room.

"Hello, Zelda," Impa said, closing the door and sitting down on the side of Zelda's bed. Zelda looked up and was annoyed to see a smile twitching at the corners of Impa's mouth. Pretending not to have noticed her, Zelda buried her face in her pillow. Impa laughed.

"Don't be embarrassed, Zelda," Impa said soothingly, patting her on the shoulder. Zelda was even more annoyed when she heard a small giggle escape from Impa's lips. Furious, she sat up and glared at Impa. Trying to think of a good retort to throw at the elderly woman, Zelda was surprised when Impa's expression turned serious.

"Zelda," Impa began in a calm voice, "You are twenty years old and the Princess of Hyrule. It is not only expected of you, but required of you, to find a suitable husband in case the king is not available."

Zelda looked down at her bed sheets. "I know Impa, but no one wants me for who I am. Only for my status as Princess of Hyrule. If I was a peasant, no one would even spare me a second thought."

Impa smiled gently. "That's not true, Zelda," she said quietly, hugging her. "You're a beautiful and intelligent woman. You will find someone eventually."

Zelda smiled at Impa. "Thanks," she muttered, although she wasn't sure if she was thanking Impa for her support or for her friendship. Impa seemed to understand. She hugged Zelda and left. Feeling a tad bit more cheerful, Zelda picked herself off of her bed, found her Ocarina, and began to play a musical piece composed by the famous Sharp and Flat brothers.

Perhaps it wasn't so bad after all.

…

…

A wolf cried out as the pale moon rose over a forest of trees. The cry awoke the woman who was hiding in the tree. Smiling to herself, she eased her aching joints into a more comfortable position before starting the arduous task ahead.

After stretching a bit, she eyed the window that her tree was next to. This was the place where she had been instructed to go. Jumping down from the tree, she nimbly clambered up some loose rocks in the castle wall and reached the window. Holding onto the window ledge with her left hand, she smartly rapped the window with her right. It took a few seconds for the window to open. When it did, she gracefully jumped into the room and bowed low to the man in front of her.

"It is good to see you, Aveil," Ganondorf said smoothly, walking back to his desk and sitting down on a chair, eyeing the Gerudo assassin intently.

"My lord," Aveil said, letting the rags drop from her body. A slim Gerudo warrior dressed in dark clothing with two curved scimitars at her sides stood at full attention, awaiting Ganondorf's orders.

"Aveil," Ganondorf said, now in a commanding tone. "I am expected to meet with the Hylian King and several of his generals tonight." Throwing a crudely drawn map at Aveil, Ganondorf got up from his chair and began to pace around the room. Aveil quickly studied the map. It showed a clear path from this room to the dining room, where Ganondorf was to meet with the Hylian officials.

"After I have been in there for an hour, enter the room and slay all of the Hylian generals," Ganondorf said with a maniacal glint in his eye. "But leave the king to me. He is mine!" Aveil nodded curtly without speaking a word. Ganondorf smiled in approval.

"Good. I am going now. Remember: this is for the glory of the Gerudo people!" Ganondorf promptly turned and exited out of his room. Hiding herself in a dark corner of the room, Aveil began to meditate. She knew that she would not survive this mission, but she was determined to carry it out.

For the glory of the Gerudo people.

…

…

I hope you liked my second chapter! Please read and review! I'll get chapter 3 up soon!

Thanks!

Diablo Squid