Author's note: Okay, I know this is really corny, over dramatic. I can't help but write a story like this that way. Just stick with it; it's about to get good!

Chapter Two: A Pig in the House of Kings

Bright, yellow eyes formed clouds, which in turn became a storm. Every lightning crack revealed those same eyes. Zelda opened her own eyes and found she was in a cave, hiding from the storm. Impa was there with her. Zelda peered out of the cave and saw Hyrule Castle burning down. The town was already demolished. Ghostly hands gripped Kakariko. Death Mountain was in flames, and the Gorons were dying. Zora's River was frozen, and Lake Hylia dried up. Gerudos rode around Hyrule Field on their horses, while their king, Ganondorf, held up the King of Hyrule's Hundred Years Peace Treaty. The name "Ganondorf Dragmire" was signed on it. Ganondorf laughed a sinister laugh and the treaty burned in his hand. Lightning flashed and all Zelda saw were his eyes. She diverted her eyes into the cave, but the cave had disappeared. Instead, she saw the entrance to the Lost Woods. The Triforce appeared in the clouds above, and emitted an eerie light straight down to the forest. Standing at the point where the light met the ground was a boy with green clothes and a fairy, holding a green and shining stone - the Spiritual Stone of the Forest.

The storm blew away and everything grew brighter, and brighter, until she and the boy were the only things visible, standing in the sky. The boy was now a man, no longer a mere Kokiri, yet she stood at eye level with him. They talked for quite a while, but Zelda would never remember the discussion when she awoke. Zelda was crying, and he was sad and confused. Every word spoken hurt inside, though they were not upset with each other, until finally Zelda lifted a beautiful, blue ocarina and played the Song of Time...

"Princess! Are you okay?" Impa was sitting over her, holding Zelda's head in her hands. "You fainted, right in front of the window!"

Several guards were standing around. "Oh," Zelda said. "I'm sorry. How embarrassing! I must've gotten too much sun. I'm fine now, thank you." The guards went back to their posts.

"Impa," Zelda said, getting up. "That man, the Gerudo King. He is the storm."

They went back to Zelda's private chamber.

"So what happened back there, Princess?" Impa asked.

Zelda took a seat on her bed. "He saw me," she said. "He looked at me and our eyes met. Then I fainted and I had a vision. It made it quite clear that he will start the storm of evil by signing Father's peace treaty. The hero appeared again. The Kokiri boy. But he became a man in my dream."

"Remember, Princess, visions are figurative, using all kinds of metaphors. It may just be that this child is as mature or strong as a man."

"True, but it seemed to me..." Zelda was cut off by a knock at the door. "Yes? Come in."

A messenger girl, just short of Zelda's age, entered and curtsied. "His majesty, the King, requests your presence at a banquet this evening to welcome his royal highness, King Dragmire."

Zelda looked to Impa for a reply, but Impa said nothing. "Tell my father I will... not be joining him. I have... other matters to attend to."

The messenger girl curtsied again and said, "Yes, madam. I will deliver your response." Then she left.

"Princess!" Impa said. "Now why did you do that?"

"I... it was Ganondorf. I can't eat a meal with him!"

"You can and you must! If you act like you hate him before you meet him, you may blow the very secrecy the gods have blessed you with."

"Secrecy?"

"Yes. Secrecy is the Sheikah's best friend. With it, you can stop your enemy before they even know you're a threat. The Sheikah arts can be a dark and powerful tool in the wrong hands, but those of the Sheikah clan swore long ago to defend the King."

"Yes, I'm aware of the Sheikah Pact. By the way, Impa..."

"Yes?"

"Where do the Sheikah come from? We've never actually studied that."

"That is because the history of the Sheikah is also shrouded in secrecy. Very well, you are practically a Sheikah yourself. I will tell you. The Sheikah are of very noble origin, whether they seem it or not.

"It was during the time of the original sages, of which only Rauru is still active. The sages had great magical power, and each was said to practically control an element or aspect of life, but they all lacked physical prowess. So it was decided that each would have a protector, and a test was held to decide for each. These bodyguards were known as the Knights.

"One lad succeeded in becoming the Knight for the Head Sage, Prince Aranon. The boy was known for his strong spirit, but not his fighting skills, and he supposedly won the contest by sheer luck. So he developed a fighting tactic of sticking to the shadows and attacking at the most opportune time, when they least expected it, and from behind. Eventually the boy learned to use his strong spirit and invented the shadow arts.

"People were so amazed by the boy's skill that, after decades of practice, he established a school to teach his fighting skill to others who would learn. But he only taught those who took the same oath he did to protect Prince Aranon. This oath included protecting the sage and future king, along with his family, even if it meant death. The school was established at the base of Death Mountain, less than an hour from Hyrule Castle. It later developed into a town of these pupils, Kakariko. They became known as Sheikah, derived from the Knight's own name, Sheik."

"Sheik?" Zelda repeated.

"Yes."

"That's the name of the Sheikah boy in my dreams."

"Hmm..."

Suddenly, another knock was heard from the door.

"Yes? Come in," Zelda said again.

The messenger girl entered again and curtsied. "His majesty, the King, would like to see you in the throne room immediately, my lady. And it isn't a request."

"Thank you," Zelda said tensely.

The girl curtsied again and left the room with Zelda and Impa behind.

They traveled down the corridors and up the main staircase. Through the large double doors was the throne room. As Zelda entered, she saw her father straight ahead of her, sitting in the large, red and gold throne. All his handsome features that made him look so regal now indicated that he was fuming inside.

"Hello, Father," Zelda said with a curtsy.

"I would like to speak with my daughter alone," he said to all the people in the throne room. The guards, messengers, entertainers, and scribes all began filing out. "That means you, too, Impa."

"Yes, your highness." She bowed and stepped out. Zelda knew she was in trouble.

"You turned down my invitation?" he asked, very loudly, when the room was empty. "Do you know I had to receive word of your declination in the presence of Lord Ganondorf? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry I embarrassed you, Father." She looked down at the floor.

"I believe you quite embarrassed the Gerudo King as well, by turning down a dinner to welcome his majesty."

"For that, I am not sorry," she said, raising her head to look at him defiantly.

"Zelda!"

"That king of thieves will bring great trouble on Hyrule!"

"King of thieves? Are you prejudiced against his people?"

"No. I have foreseen their evil."

"Zelda... For the last time, you do not have visions! And this silly game of yours could cost me the alliance of the Gerudos!"

"The alliance of the Gerudos could cost you the kingdom of Hyrule!"

"You will not speak to your father and king that way! You bring shame upon the Royal Family!"

"Father, I did have a vision today. If that man signs the treaty, he will destroy Hyrule!" Her father looked down at her from his throne angrily. He still didn't believe her. She was crying now, pleading within herself that the goddesses would help him to see the truth. But the king mistook her tears. He stood up from his throne and went to her, knelt down and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, I am sorry, Zelda. I know you hate this treaty. It has taken so much time from us. I promised you that as soon as Ganondorf signed the treaty we would have time for each other, and I intend to keep that promise. He will sign it tomorrow, and that will be that! Now go clean up and get ready for dinner." He wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead.

He didn't understand. She couldn't make him. There was nothing left to do but get ready for dinner. And thwarting Ganondorf's plans.

Zelda backed up, curtsied, responded with "Yes, Father," and left the room. She met up with Impa, who was waiting with some guards at the double doors, and explained everything to her. They returned to Zelda's chambers to freshen her up.

She changed into her nicest dress: a pale pink dress with a purple tunic over it, held together with a golden belt. The tunic bore the crest of the Royal Family: the Triforce and red eagle. On her head she wore a headdress of the same colors that covered most of her short, blonde hair. It was banded with a brooch bearing the Triforce. Her neck was decorated with a gold encrusted ruby. She wore white slippers with high heels, adding to her regal appearance.

"You look beautiful," Impa said. "Now, behave."

Impa escorted her to the dining hall, and Zelda took her seat near her father, Impa standing behind. The marble dining table now had a throne at each end of it, King Hyrule in one and King Dragmire in the other.

Dinner began with the pouring of wine in everyone's glasses. Ganondorf was immediately upset. "Wine?" he said in a deep voice that Zelda immediately defined as cruel and rude. "Daphnes, I thought we were going to have milk with dinner!"

"Milk? Why would you assume so, my friend?" Daphnes responded politely.

"We are having steaks, yes?" Ganondorf said.

"Well, yes."

"The steak and the milk come from the same place, the cow. Should we not make best use of the cow?"

"But Ganondorf, proper etiquette suggests wine with red meat," the king returned.

"There is no such rule where I come from," Ganondorf replied. "Besides, my friend, wine we can… acquire easily in Gerudo country, but there isn't enough green to keep cows. Does formal etiquette not suggest to feed your guest what he does not normally have available to him?"

"You are absolutely right, Ganondorf," Daphnes said. He clapped his hands and called, "Garrett!" The head cook entered the room and bowed.

"Can you prepare milk for us instead, Garrett?" the king asked.

"Your highness, do you not remember? We sent out for milk this morning."

"Ah, yes. I had forgotten. You are dismissed."

Garrett bowed again and returned to the kitchen.

"I am dreadfully sorry, Lord Ganondorf," Daphnes said. "I hope you will find wine suitable for tonight?"

"I suppose it will do, King," Ganondorf replied.

Salad was brought out, which Ganondorf refused to eat. He said he was saving his appetite for meat. The kings carried on conversations across the long table, while most other people listened to their discussions or held their own amongst themselves. Zelda just listened to everything said by her father and Ganondorf. So dinner continued in this fashion, until close to the end of the main course, in which Ganondorf proved his disfavor for table manners, preferring instead to pick the steak up in his hands and rip it with his teeth, much to the disgust of the Hylian percentage of the table.

At this point, between large bites, Ganondorf addressed Zelda. "Princess, you've been awfully quiet. I understand you didn't want to join us this evening?"

"I… felt fatigued," she replied.

"I'm sure you were!" he mocked. "I heard you decided to take a nap in the middle of the castle floor!"

"Ganondorf!" King Hyrule said.

"It was the sun," Zelda said. "I fainted from heat, Lord Ganondorf."

"It seemed cool enough to me today," he replied. "If I'm not mistaken, did you faint when you saw me?"

"Ganondorf!" the king said again.

"Mere coincidence, my lord," Zelda said. Did he know everything? Had he deduced what she was planning? Had she given herself away? She wiped a sweat drop from her brow.

"One of my servants overheard a rumor that you see prophetic visions, Princess. Have you seen a vision of me?" Ganondorf was raining down on her. He knew! He had to know.

"Ganondorf! That's quite enough!" King Daphnes said. "You are harassing my daughter!"

Her father was afraid of her answer, she thought. If Ganondorf knew, there was no point in her father getting involved. She'd have to find out for sure, though. "It's alright, Father," she said. "I'm sorry, Lord Dragmire, but that rumor is just that: a rumor. My mother was a seer, but I am not." She knew her father was breathing a sigh of relief. If Ganondorf knew the truth, he would have to call her bluff.

"You seem to overheat easily, Princess," Ganondorf said. "You won't faint again, will you?"

Zelda realized he was calling attention to her perspiration, which had grown profuse. "Ganondorf!" the king said once more, but Zelda stood and rushed out of the room. "Zelda?"

Impa bowed and left the room after her. Zelda's attendant caught up to her as the princess hurried toward her chamber.

"Did you hear him, Impa?" Zelda said through tears. "He knows! He knows and it's all my fault!"

"I don't believe he knows, Princess."

"Weren't you listening!"

"The question, Miss Zelda, is were you? He opened with your declination, Princess. Gerudos are a proud, vengeful people. He was more than likely getting revenge for refusing to eat with him. He was just trying to upset you, and it worked. Now calm down."

They reached Zelda's room and with some more words of comfort, Impa soothed her. Zelda dressed for bed shortly after. She silently thanked the goddesses for Impa, the only one who stood with her, and her father, who, though he didn't believe she had visions, loved her very much. Then, Zelda fell asleep.