Hero of the Zonai

by bladeofthebookworms

A brutal war between the Zonai and Sheikah peoples sends ripples throughout the kingdom. In the midst of the violence, a young Zonai warrior discovers a mysterious ancestor, who urges him to see beyond the plight of his people. For peace is elusive, and Hyrule's greatest threat has yet to emerge.

12. Boiling Over

Chapter 12: Boiling Over

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Zelda

The castle gardens underwent several changes throughout the year, an effort from the grounds keepers to keep it ever from looking drab or gloomy. And indeed, they were successful most of the year. Late autumn posed a challenge, however, and had done so for as long as Zelda could remember. The vibrant golden leaves of aspen and flaming crimson crests of maples had nearly all dropped to the ground, leaving faded piles obscuring browning grass and skeletal pale branches reaching like bleached white bones into the dark clouded sky. On the verge of winter, even the best gardeners in the kingdom could not work their way around the death and decay, the last fading embers of life, on the castle grounds. Not until the first snows fell and renewed the world beneath a blanket of pure glittering snow would the gardens be 'beautiful' once more.

Generally, the unsightliness of late autumn wasn't a problem for the gardeners – after all, nobles rarely went out to them once the outside temperature dropped far enough. Zelda was the exception. She enjoyed the warm, earthy musk of fallen leaves, the rustling sounds they made when disturbed by the draft conjured by her cloak, the dry crunch beneath her feet. Certainly there was a heaviness, a sense of loss, in these late autumn days. But there was also, she had always thought, an air of mystery and intrigue. At this tipping point between seasons, anything could happen.

Years ago, worried about the Princess catching a cold and falling ill from her ventures into the garden at this time of year, the grounds keepers had placed a standing brazier at the center of the gardens, in a clearing ringed by hedges and a circle of benches. The brazier was already lit by the time Zelda reached the gardens each day; she couldn't keep back a fond smile, reflecting on how well the castle staff knew her habits.

Especially this year, I've been craving the crisp autumn air and scent of woodsmoke to clear my mind. And she had been avoiding her father ever since her protest outside the castle, feeling no small amount of fear about how he would scold her. Surprisingly he had made no effort to corner her, not even a demand to attend family dinner. She doubted it was because of some great change of heart and worried about what was going through his head. In the meantime, the fading glory of the castle gardens made a fitting hiding place. Few dared disturb her here.

She held her hands out over the flames out of habit, gazing deep into their dancing orange depths, glimpsing the occasional flicker of purest blue.

I wonder if I haunt his thoughts as much as he haunts mine, she thought, remembering the fire in his gaze – the Zonai warrior she'd had such a fascinating conversation with. I… I hope he's still alive. It was a strange notion, and a solemn one – that someone could be alive and talking so enthusiastically about crafting a set of armor one moment, and then be dead in the next and she would likely never know.

Inpa cleared her throat quietly, and Zelda looked up from the flames to find Lady Tabanth sweeping nearer, a caribou cloak similar to Zelda's own draped across her shoulders. "Good morning," she said quickly, inwardly racking her mind. There wasn't a council meeting today, was there? Her father had yet to lift his ban on her attending, but surely she would have heard –

"I'm not surprised you think so," Lady Tabanth commented with half a smile, drawing her cloak closer. "I remember well that hunt we went on together – rather than be deterred by the cold, you seemed invigorated by it."

Zelda grinned. "It helps me think," she said. "The air feels so clear when it's cold…" She stopped herself from continuing, noting that the sovereign of Tabantha had likely sought her out for a reason. "What brings you out to the gardens? Most people stay inside this time of year; they find the atmosphere… unsettling."

"It reminds me of home," Lady Tabanth answered drily, coming closer to the brazier and letting her hands hover above the warmth. "Ahhh… that's better. I will have to return to Tabantha soon, no doubt, but in the meantime I see no harm in staying in Castle Town a while longer, at least to see all the action firsthand." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Know this, Princess – there are many of us in court eager for the day you take the throne. Not that I'm keen to, er, speed things along, of course," she added hastily, a note of strain in her voice.

Zelda frowned. All the action? Did father did something at the meeting last week? Was there a meeting today? "Did… something happen?" she asked carefully.

Lady Tabanth blinked. "Oh – of course, you weren't there," she murmured, as if to herself. "The last meeting of the King's Council was indeed rather… explosive," she answered with a slight cough. "Yagamura sent out shapeshifting spies across the kingdom, even in my own court! Ki – er, Lord Khanot called him out on it, and claims to have taken care of them all, fortunately, but the entire situation is still quite… disturbing."

Zelda gave her a sharp look, the memory of a hazy red figure wearing a horned crown of bone flashing behind her eyes. "Khanot took care of the spies?" she echoed, pride in her ally warring with the contradicting memory. Is he just saying it, then? Inpa and I figured any of the nobles could take credit and use that to their advantage… There's no way that phantom could actually be his doing. Maybe we're wrong about the phantom entirely?

Lady Tabanth was nodding nonchalantly. "He says he did, at least," she said. "I have no reason to doubt him, although I have no reports of Gerudo operatives moving through my lands, so naturally I'm curious about how he accomplished such a feat. But anyway, by the end of the meeting Yagamura was suitably cowed and your father was, er, convinced to work towards your peace conference."

Zelda nodded. That much she'd learned on her own, simply from the messages that had been coming in – messages directly for her, not her father. The kingdom was taking the Zonai representatives at their word when they said they would attend a peace conference if she was the mediator. "Obviously the Zonai representatives here in Castle Town are on board with it," she sighed. "But the Zonai generals refuse to call a ceasefire until they have proof that the Sheikah generals will abide by such a ceasefire, and likewise the Sheikah generals demand evidence from the Zonai, so it's currently all a mess."

"It's a step in the right direction, though," Lady Tabanth said, and Zelda was surprised to hear warm encouragement in her voice. "And it's a step closer than we've been since the start of this dratted thing, anyways." She pulled her hands back into the folds of her cloak and dipped her head. "It seems the cold is too much for me – I do so detest getting old. But it was a pleasure speaking with you, Princess."

"You as well," Zelda said. She watched the caribou cloak disappear behind a hedge, and felt rather than saw Inpa moving closer.

"Well, that explains why you haven't had to deal with your parents," Inpa commented quietly, and Zelda could hear the smirk in her voice. "Khanot's put the fear of the Goddess into them."

Zelda grit her teeth to keep from snorting. "We're all in a fragile position, one way or another," she said, regaining her composure. "My father and Lord Yagamura have so little favor in court that their hands are essentially tied when it comes to making unpopular decisions – as we've seen, since my ploy to force my father into pushing for peace has been so far successful. But on the other side, it's really only Khanot and I. And Khanot swore fealty to the King of Hyrule – I worry if he pushes my father too hard that he'll find himself in a pit he can't force his way out of. And of course… I've ben afraid all week of what my father will do to retaliate against me; that's why I've been avoiding them. I'm only surprised it's working."

"The two of you have more influence than you realize," Inpa mused skeptically, absently eyeing her fingernails. "But I was actually thinking about that freaky red ghost thing."

Zelda whirled on the Sheikah. "That couldn't have been Khanot," she protested at once. "It was evil, like that Zonai shaman said. If anything, I wonder if it was a sign of the Calamity. The Calamity is evil incarnate, is it not? That attack was – it was probably an attempt on my life, because of this." She lowered her voice, pulling the glove from her right hand. The golden symbol of the Triforce was gone now, of course, but she knew Inpa understood what she was getting at. "We've been hearing about signs of the Calamity for at least my entire life. And this mark represents the Goddesses, and according to legend the powers of the Goddess – and the Triforce – are meant to combat evil. So of course the Calamity would target me for this."

Inpa shrugged. "It's a valid theory," she shrugged. "You've gotten much better at magic – at the spell of disguise, at least. Maybe using magic more makes you more… noticeable, to something like that?"

Zelda shivered. "Should I stop using magic for now?" she asked anxiously. "At least until we learn more about the phantom, or you figure out how to fight it?"

Inpa shook her head. "If anything, you should keep trying the other spells," she answered gravely. "If I don't figure that out, you'll need a defense."

Zelda felt another chill – nothing to do with the weather, of course. "You'll figure it out," she protested determinedly.

"Either way, there's still the issue of the murdered spies," Inpa reminded her. "Something is killing them. Maybe the phantom, maybe not, maybe any of the nobles that have claimed to be responsible so far…"

"Which in itself is a sign of greater unrest in my father's court," Zelda nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose with a long sigh. "He's let the tensions get so high between them all that even if my peace talks succeed, we could be mere steps from insurrection or another war between factions. Goddesses forbid they prevent the peace conference altogether."

Inpa grimaced. "Any time our own people are killing each other, it's a major issue," she agreed darkly. "Yagamura had no justification to set his spies on other nations, so it makes sense that they would be killed, but neither does a single noble have the authority to order all of their deaths. It's bad no matter how we look at it."

"And I don't have a solution for that," Zelda answered, wringing her hands, brows pinched together. "It feels as if, even though there's been a war going on for half a year already, we're just on the verge of something far worse. Calamity, as it's been said before. I suppose Yagamura may be right about something."

"Not just Yagamura," Inpa said thoughtfully. "He's wielded that point like a political noose to get what he wants, but there's been talk about coming Calamity in Sheikah society since I was little."

"And what can I even do about it?" Zelda asked desperately. She glanced down at her hand, seeing the faint image of the Triforce there – the bottom-left triangle clearer than the others.

Inpa gave her shoulder a light, comforting squeeze. "You'll figure it out," she said quietly. "Just as you've been doing." She grinned lightly. "Let's go back in and thaw out a bit. The cold makes it hard to think."

"So you say," Zelda murmured, managing a small smile.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

There was a courier waiting for her at the door to her study, but rather than a Rito, he was a local messenger boy no more than twelve years old, watching her with awe and no little amount of nervousness behind a fringe of curly brown hair. He handed her a scroll, bowed, and scurried off as she called a thank-you down the hall after him. Chuckling at his antics, she rolled the scroll open.

"A summons from the Kishimoto estate," she murmured, looking it over. She glanced at Inpa, an eyebrow raised. "They're… a lesser Sheikah noble house, correct? Not invited to every council meeting, but certainly involved in important decisions regarding the Sheikah position…"

"They're very well respected," Inpa nodded, a distant fond look in her eyes. "Hayato and his wife Fuyuko let me stay with them while I was training. His grandfather is Maz Koshia – the monk I learned shadow magic from."

Zelda blinked, eyes widening. "Indeed," she said, impressed. "Well, certainly he was an excellent teacher, if your skills are any indication. But where do you think they stand on the matter at hand? I don't know whether to expect a knife in the back if they think I favor the Zonai too much."

Inpa shook her head and waved a hand dismissively. "They're honorable people," she said firmly. "And the Kishimoto family in general isn't as… radical… as Yagamura. Maz Koshia still practices shadow magic, after all – Yagamura's monks, the ones heading the guardian development project, are much more concerned with their technology than preserving the old ways. But the Kishimoto family is not exactly pure traditionalist either, like some of the monks I've met. Maz himself was tinkering with the idea of using Sheikah technology to heal, last I heard."

Zelda nodded slowly. "So in all, they're not likely to want me… out of the picture," she said, rolling the scroll back up. "If I keep my narrative to a simple desire for peace between peoples, they're likely to be on board."

"I wouldn't see why not," Inpa shrugged. Her voice softened. "Again, they're an honorable family. I'll be with you, of course, and nothing gets past me, but I promise that you have nothing to worry about."

Zelda let out a deep breath, giving a slight nod, steeling herself. "I trust you," she said quietly. "Let's go, then – you speak so little of your years in training; I'm excited to learn more about the people who worked with you in that time!"

"There's just not that much to tell," Inpa chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, it'll be good for you to speak with Sheikah that aren't Yagamura."

They left the castle once again, heading around the market square to the western reaches of Castle Town, where many of the nobles of Hyrule owned estates generally inhabited when the King's Council was in session. Though each estate was relatively similar and built in traditional Hylian fashion, nobles had added various landscaping details and decorations in and outside their manors to make them feel more like home. Lady Tabanth's grandfather had commissioned the grounds of her manor to be filled with fir trees, a miniature forest glade. Rumor had it that he had also tried to import a herd of caribou.

The Kishimoto estate was smaller than Yagamura's and felt much cozier. A dirt path wound through the grass to the front door, passing beneath torii gates strung with red-painted wooden chimes that clattered softly in the gentle breeze, framed by frog-shaped statues of, as Inpa whispered from behind, a wise guardian spirit often invoked to protect places of residence. There were pools of water in the yard, water lapping gently at the sides, and a row of young plum trees had been planted along the front of the manor.

A young girl opened the front door, dressed in a regal blue gown. Her deep maroon eyes widened when they landed on Zelda, and went even wider when she noticed Inpa.

"Hey, kiddo," Inpa grinned. "Long time no see. Is your father home? He wanted to have a chat."

The girl nodded quickly. "Right this way," she said, bowing deeply to Zelda before moving aside to beckon them into the manor. "He is waiting for you."

"That's Yukiko – she was just learning to speak last time I saw her here," Inpa explained fondly to Zelda. "Hayato's daughter."

"I'm sorry you don't get more chances to visit," Zelda whispered back, feeling a pang of guilt. She'd never put much thought into Inpa's training. By the time she was ten, the Sheikah was already a constant presence in her life; Zelda often thought of her as an older sister. But just because I wasn't aware of it doesn't mean it didn't happen – doesn't mean she hadn't made her own friends and connections while she was growing up. I should have been more curious.

Inside the Kishimoto manor, dark blue banners bearing the Sheikah eye hung from most of the walls, and diamond-patterned carpets lined the floor. There were deep red curtains over the windows; much of the light inside came from little lanterns flickering a gentle orange. The light smell of incense wafted through the halls; as Zelda and Inpa followed the young girl, the sound of someone chanting in a low voice grew gradually louder. They came to a large main room in which several old men sat cross-legged on stacks of pillows, their hands forming unusual symbols, their faces shadowed by wide-brimmed hats and – in the case of two – a veil bearing the Sheikah eye.

This was the only room Zelda had seen so far in which the curtains were drawn back from the window, and a younger man, closer to Khanot's age if not a little older, stood gazing out at the grounds by a pair of comfortable-looking chairs, his hands folded into his long, deep blue robe.

"Father, the Princess is here," the young girl announced, walking towards the man.

"Ah, thank you, daughter," the man said, his voice calm and regal. "Why don't you find your mother? She has a surprise for you at the stables."

An excited grin flashed across Yukiko's face, and she hurried off at once, eyes shining.

"Lord Hayato," Inpa greeted the man, dipping her head. "It's an honor to see you again."

"And you," the Sheikah man said with a deep bow. "The Servant of the Goddess is always welcome in my home, as I have said before." He turned to face Zelda. His eyes were not a deep crimson, like Inpa's; instead, they were dark, almost brown, in color. "Welcome to my Castle Town estate, Princess Zelda. I am grateful that you have come."

"I'm happy to meet anyone Inpa speaks so highly of," Zelda smiled politely. "In your missive, you asked to discuss my plans for a peace conference between the Sheikah and Zonai peoples…"

"Yes," Hayato said with a nod. He gestured to the chairs by the window. "Please, have a seat, and we may talk. Would you care for tea?"

"Yes, please," Zelda said gratefully – even though it was clearly just a courtesy, a warm drink was more than welcome on a chilly day like this. She glanced at the old men chanting in the center of the room as she walked towards the chairs and paused a moment. "…Will we be disturbing them?"

Hayato shook his head with a grim smile. "No, they are deep in meditation – very little can disrupt them. In fact, they would prefer that we have this conversation here." He sat down and leaned back in the chair with a weary sigh. "You see… they are in mourning. We have… just received word that my… my nephew, Taichi, was killed in the Battle for Ulenamu. My grandfather and his companions are in mourning."

Zelda nodded solemnly, feeling as though a shadow had fallen over her heart at the mention of the battle. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said quietly. "This war is truly devastating."

"And that is why I wished to speak with you," Hayato informed her, regarding her intently. "You've visited the Zonai lands, and upon your return you begin work in earnest on creating a peace conference. You see us, mourning the loss of one of our house. Know that there are countless others of the Sheikah in mourning, their sons killed by Zonai firearms. We tire of the war just as you do – just as, perhaps, the Zonai themselves might." His voice hardened. "I wish you to know this – if Yagamura will not support your moves for peace, the Sheikah people will not stand for it, and he knows it. You have the support of the Sheikah, Princess."

Zelda felt her heart swelling, touched by his words; tears stung her eyes. It's… it's actually working; it's coming together! "Thank you," she said quietly, hoping to convey the gratitude in her soul through the earnestness of her voice. "Truly, Lord Kishimoto, thank you."

A servant entered the room with a tray bearing a teapot and cups. He set them quietly down on the small table between the two chairs, bowed, and left. Hayato reached forward to pour. "Milk or sugar?" he asked.

"Milk, please," Zelda said, and when her tea was poured she took a drink, relishing in the warmth it spread through her body.

"There is one other matter that I, and other like-minded Sheikah, wished to discuss with you," Hayato went on, his voice grim. "We wish to remind you of the very reason we started this war, to construct our guardians –"

"Calamity," an older, stern voice growled, and Zelda turned at once in its direction.

One of the old men was getting to his feet, his limbs creaking slightly as he straightened, his rather long silver hair streaming behind him under his wide-brimmed hat. He did not remove his veil, but Zelda felt a sudden chill down her spine staring at the dark red Sheikah insignia and knew he was looking directly at her. "Calamity," he repeated, his voice dark. "It will soon be upon us. The cycle of hatred, coming back around."

"Cycle of… hatred?" Zelda asked blankly. She'd heard the fairy tales just as every other Hylian had when she was growing up – although there were many good and wonderful things in the world, so too were there evil things, for the world could not be in balance without all things having an opposite. And the Hylian religion, of course, spoke of the Goddess Hylia's great defeat of the nameless Demon God, allowing the Goddess and her Golden sisters to create a world for their children to live in peace. The priests at the temples also spoke of – increasingly – how even though the Demon God was defeated by Hylia, his evil essence remained, and would sometimes take hold of an evil heart and use it to bring turmoil and destruction to the land. There had been worrying signs – strange monsters coming out from the most remote areas of the kingdom, wild beasts like lynels growing more violent, and now of course an all-out war in the kingdom… It was clear that the Demon God's evil essence was growing stronger, and that indeed Calamity would soon befall the kingdom. But did that constitute a 'cycle of hatred?'

"We of the Sheikah tribe are ever watchful, ever vigilant," the old man said sternly. "We see what you Hylians may not – that there is a pattern to the rise of evil in our land. Tangible symbols, recorded by our historians and yours, though often it is the Sheikah who piece them together. And the symbol of the Boar is always associated with great evil power."

Zelda felt a stone drop into her stomach. She took another drink from her cup of tea, using the moment to ensure her voice was level when she spoke. "You believe that the Zonai are evil, then, because of the Tribe of the Boar."

One of the other old men – the only other wearing a veil – had joined the first. "Much as it pains me to say it, we do not," he grumbled, crossing his arms over the chest. "Maz, are you going to introduce yourself or not?" He bowed deeply, his massive hat somehow staying in place. "Princess Zelda, I am Zah Tori, head of the Order of the Sword."

The first man huffed impatiently. "I am Maz Koshia, of the Order of Helaing," he said testily, regarding his companion. "I do not like the Zonai, but I cannot deny that their magic is… intriguing. I have devoted my life to developing Sheikah technology that can surpass the healing abilities of Zonai shamen."

"And my order works to keep an ancient artifact out of the hands of the Zonai, or any other unworthy individuals," Zah Tori chuckled. He sighed heavily. "We despise the Zonai for what they have done to our people, and for inhibiting our efforts to head off the inevitable Calamity. But we do not believe that they as a people are wholly evil. However, it is clear to us that the Calamity will rise out of the corrupted Tribe of the Boar."

"You call them the corrupted tribe," she said cautiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"We have few records of the last great Calamity, but those we do have make it clear that boars are a symbol of Calamity," Hayato interjected. "A usurper led an army of boar-riding warriors against the kingdom of Hyrule. Even further back in history, there are records of boar-men, terrible monsters, seeking to overthrow the crown. These records are kept in the castle library, preserved to this day."

"It is in these records that we hear of ordinary people becoming corrupted by the Calamity, twisted into mindless demons that attacked those around them," Maz Koshia added. "This was instrumental in our decision as a people to attempt to construct combat-capable automatons to protect us from rising evil. A non-living thing cannot be corrupted, yes?"

"I would assume not," Zelda nodded thoughtfully, trying to hide how unsettled she felt about the connection between the Boar Tribe and the Calamity. She sipped at her tea. Groose was not an evil person – nor was anyone else I met in that village of the Boar Tribe.

"Good, you understand," Zah Tori said. "The guardians we have created will keep us safe from the Calamity when it rises. Ordinary people – noncombatants – won't be made victims. The strain on our own armies will be far less." A note of sadness entered his voice, and he bowed his head. "May the toll of this war be a constant reminder of that fact."

There was a brief moment of silence, and Zelda felt the weight of grief settling once more like a thick cloak on everyone in the room. Hayato broke the brief stillness. "Our request is this," he said heavily. "We would ask that you keep in mind our position on the war and our dedicated service to Hyrule when we meet for peace. We want the war to end, and we hope that there is a way for that to happen while still enabling us to continue with our development of guardians."

Zelda nodded slowly. A knot of stress was building between her shoulders, and she exhaled deeply. I… I must keep an open mind if I am to fairly mediate at this peace conference of mind, she reminded herself. I travelled all the way to Zonai lands to see their perspective – I can at least look into these claims about Hyrule's history, and the last time Calamity struck. "I will keep you and your people in mind," she promised, rising to her feet. "Thank you for the tea, and for bringing these issues to my attention." She turned her gaze to Hayato directly, and bowed her head. "My sincerest condolences to you and your family – I am sorry about your nephew.

Hayato attempted a smile, but his gaze was nonetheless dulled with distant pain. "He died bravely, so I'm told," he murmured. "Facing down a force of over a hundred Zonai all shooting their firearms at once…" He shook his head, massaging his temples. "Thank you for coming, Princess."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"I'm sorry about Taichi," Zelda said quietly as they walked back towards the castle. "Did you – did you know him?"

"Not well," Inpa admitted, though her voice was grim. "I saw him a few times at the estate while I was in training, and… I'd heard that he joined the Sheikah army. I'm… sad that he died."

Zelda nodded. "I… I know I've been favoring the Zonai side of the war," she acknowledged quietly. "And I'm still not entirely convinced of the Sheikah perspective, especially since the Zonai have invented a weapon that can match the power of the guardians, and is more easily controlled." The children that were attacked by guardians… She shuddered. "But I at least want to investigate what they had to say. Yagamura has brought up this claim about the Boar tribe many times before, and now Yagamura's enemies brought up the same point, so there may be something to it. I haven't read the histories before, but I at least know where they are."

Inpa snorted. "Yeah, dull reading isn't really your thing," she noted drily. "You have my support, of course, but… good luck."

Zelda smiled ruefully. "It's appreciated."

The castle library was a fairly large, windowless room in the middle of the castle – windowless to maintain certain conditions apparently useful in preserving ancient records, although Zelda wasn't completely sure what those may be. The histories had been transcribed some hundred years ago – copied down word for word on fresher materials, including reproductions of rubbings of stone carvings or sketches of tapestries that had been found in relevant locations.

Zelda took the massive book, held close against her chest for stability, to a candle-lit desk in the middle of the room. She sat down, opened to the first page, and began to read.

'And it came to pass, in the commencement of the fourteenth day of the seventh month in the thirtieth year of the reign of Queen Renalia Tereni Hyrule, as recorded by Nigilus, chief scribe to the Queen, that the Queen did conclude her negotiations with Chief Beornkell of the People of the Hero.'

Zelda stopped reading to close her eyes and rub her temples with a grimace. Goddesses above, the old writing is so horribly dense!

Heaving a sigh, she continued.

'...of the People of the Hero. Therein they did agree that the majority of the People of the Hero would depart the land of Skeldon and return to the land southward, even that land of Ordon, from whence they came in days past.

'As the People of the Hero had grown into an exceedingly numerous people in the generations since the Hero of Twilight did reign over them and did lead them northward to the land of Skeldon to keep vigil over the Lost Woods, it was not meet that they should call Ordon alone home once more.

'Indeed, in truth, the People of the Hero were so numerous that they had divided themselves into families, and from families into tribes, these tribes being the tribe of 'Beor' or of the Bear, of 'Drakon' or of the Dragon, and 'Uhlo' or of the Owl.'

Zelda paused again, her face twisted up into another involuntary grimace. "Inpa, would you have some water brought in for me?" she asked.

"In a barrel or a cup?" the Sheikah joked with a good-natured smirk.

Zelda allowed herself a weary smile. "Perhaps in a teacup, then. Heated up, with honey and sugar."

"Honey and sugar," Inpa noted, eyebrows raised. "All this reading puts you in a real sugary mood, eh?"

Zelda nodded glumly, turning back to the ancient words. Beor, Drakon, and Uhlo. Interesting – so 'Uhlo' means 'Owl' in the Zonai language. Uhlenom is quite literally the city of the Owl.

She soldiered on.

'Thus decided, it was the will of Queen Hyrule that the People of the Hero be given all of the land of Faron, from the east where the mountains of Sheikah end, even unto the west where the Queen of the Sands does dwell.'

Zelda blinked at that, and reread the sentence. Queen… interesting. So she was a true-blooded daughter of the crown.

'Yet, lest they withdraw their sacred oath to protect the Holy Blade until the next coming of the Dread Boar, that great Evil, Chief Beornkell did appoint that his son Leadrig should remain with his family, with his retinue and guards and their families, in the land of Skeldon, henceforth and forever. Indeed, Leadrig, it is said, as Beornkell his father, is of the direct lineage of the Hero of Twilight, that great warrior that did battle with the Children of Night and the Evil of the Dread Boar and banished both from our realm.'

Zelda frowned, scratching absently at her neck. A great evil, the Dread Boar… the Holy Blade… Could it be the Master Sword? And what of this Hero of Twilight? Certainly it is said that the heroes of Hyrule are destined to bear the Master Sword…

And the Boar here was certainly seen as an evil entity. A form of Calamity, perhaps.

'Yet, though it was said that the Children of Night would no more walk among us, the Sages firmly declare that the Boar will return, with fury in his heart, and coals in his eyes, with blood along his tusks and fire along his hooves, to set ablaze Hyrule once more in Calamitous Destruction. For this purpose do the sons of the Hero watch that Holy Blade, that it may be drawn once more to defeat the darkness when next it comes.'

"Anything interesting?" Inpa asked skeptically, setting a steaming teacup that a servant had brought in down next to her on the desk.

"Well… it seems correct for Maz Koshia to refer to the Boar Tribe as the corrupted tribe," Zelda answered slowly, taking a sip of her drink and glancing back over the archaic words. The steam soothed the ache in her temples from dredging through such archaic language. "They were originally referred to as the tribe of the Bear. Not Boar. And boars are, undoubtedly, seen as a symbol of evil power here – a symbol of the Calamity itself. So over time, the original symbol of the Bear Tribe was lost and, indeed, corrupted – into a symbol of evil. It is… undeniably suspicious."

"And the color of the Boar Tribe is red," Inpa added eagerly. "Just like the phantom we saw. Or close, at least."

"The Zonai shaman said it wasn't their magic," Zelda murmured, brow creased. "And certainly it didn't match the appearance of their spirit magic. But what if… corrupted spirit magic exists?"

Inpa nodded slowly. "Not everyone will have good ancestors," she pointed out. "There're criminals among the Zonai just like everywhere else. Unless they get some sort of massive correction in their afterlife, or spirit magic is amoral, how could they 'bless their descendants' with clean spirit magic?"

"There's no way to know," Zelda sighed. "Not while we have so little understanding of how spirit magic works." She thought of Link and his wolfdog, befriended with a magical touch.

"Could we find out more?" Inpa asked, leaning over her shoulder to squint at the old book.

"Perhaps," Zelda mused. "The histories explain that the Zonai people are descended from 'the people of the Hero' – a man they called the Hero of Twilight, who played a role in vanquishing the last instance of Calamity and wielded a Holy Sword. His descendants had apparently sworn an oath to watch over this sword, which had magical abilities, and left their home country of Ordon – modernly called Orthona, I believe – to settle far in the north where he left the sword in a forest glade. Skeldon, they call it – which is a Zonai ruin today, near the Lost Woods…" She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "Actually the fact that it's a ruin today, not inhabited by any Zonai people, further shows how they've fallen. At some point in history, they broke their oath and stopped keeping watch on the sword." She shook her head slowly. "Anyway, this account details how the Zonai first left Skeldon to return to Orthona, having separated into the three tribes that still exist today."

She looked up at Inpa. "This text details the beginning of Zonai culture," she said. "The Zonai essentially came into being in Skeldon. Perhaps spirit magic was discovered here, too."

"Or in Orthona," Inpa pointed out. "Considering how important ancestral ties are to the Zonai, and how essential a connection to ancestors is for spirit magic. They may have discovered that magic upon returning to their ancestral land."

"But there's also the Hero of Twilight with the Holy Blade," Zelda countered. "Which could very well be the Master Sword of Hylian legend – the blade of evil's bane."

Inpa's eyes widened. "Monk Zah Tori and his order!" she exclaimed. "The Order of the Sword – usually they meditate in the Lost Woods itself; it's unusual to see him so far south, but he's good friends with Maz. If the Master Sword exists, I'd bet good money that that's the 'artifact' they're protecting."

Zelda nodded eagerly. "And if it's the same sword the hero used – the hero whose descendants are the Zonai, who use spirit magic – then it may very well be the source of their magic!"

Inpa grinned. "Zah Tori's in Castle Town – we could ask him if we could meet the rest of his order, maybe learn more about the artifact and spirit magic –"

"We'd learn more about spirit magic, but it might not even help us figure out what this phantom is," Zelda realized, deflating somewhat. "Although… the monks were adamant that the Calamity would rise from the Boar tribe, and the coloration of the phantom certainly fits, and the horned helm – even though it wasn't a lynel helmet, it could still be –"

"There you are, Zelda," trilled a loud voice from the door to the library.

Zelda shot to her feet in shock, nearly upending the table and rushing to keep the candle and her teacup from tipping over with a strangled gasp before turning around. "Mother!" she exclaimed. "I – I was –"

"No need to explain," Helena said airily, absently waving a gloved hand. "But you're coming to dinner tonight, aren't you, dear?"

A block of ice dropped into her stomach and she resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest. Instead she flexed her fingers in frustration. "I'm busy," she said curtly. "Organizing a peace conference, as you well know."

The Queen chuckled lightly. "Surely you can spare a few minutes for family dinner," she pressed. "In fact, I – I don't want to force your hand, dear, but – your father, he really does insist that you come to dinner tonight. The guards have already been informed that they are to escort you to the dining hall if you, er, forget."

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "Of course," she ground out stiffly. Under his thumb again, am I? He's exerting his power over me. "I won't forget." It came out more threatening than she meant it, and she took some small amount of pleasure from catching a glimpse of uncertainty on her mother's heavily painted face before she scurried from the room with a strained "I'll see you at dinner, dear!"

"The confrontation I've been dreading," Zelda said quietly, once she was certain her mother was out of earshot. "Looks like it's caught up to me."

Inpa's hand was firm and reassuring on her shoulder. "You have the moral high ground," she assured her. "And –" she lowered her voice – "your parents are idiots. You are not. You've forced him into a corner, so he'll be angry. Remember that you have nearly the entire kingdom on your side – including two peoples that have had nothing to agree about since before war broke out. They agree about you."

Zelda inhaled shakily. "Thank you, Inpa," she said quietly. "It's… odd. As the King, I fear him very little now. But… as my father…" She shook her head. "I'll just leave it at, he couldn't get away with shouting his lungs out at Khanot, but he certainly could with me."

Inpa snorted, raising an eyebrow. "Is there anyone who could get away with shouting at Khanot?" she snickered.

Zelda managed a small grin. "None that I can think of," she answered. Although Link came close, I think.

"There you have it, then," Inpa smirked. "Just be like Khanot."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Zelda instantly found a reason other than confrontation to despise the dinner, as soon as it had begun.

The food was rich to the point of being decadent. Meat seasoned to perfection, pastries filled with flavorful fruit jellies, vegetables softened and buttered to creamy excellence. And there was far more than enough for three people.

My father is enjoying the wealth brought in from overtaxing his people, instead of using that wealth to ease their burdens during this war, she thought angrily. Has he no feeling at all?

She inhaled deeply. Stay calm. Be like Khanot, as Inpa said.

…Khanot wouldn't just sit silently when something he doesn't like is going on.

"Well, isn't this nice?" Helena smiled, taking a sip of wine. "All of us sitting down to dinner together again!"

Zelda fought the urge to roll her eyes. Sitting together – as if! Her parents sat together at one end of the table, and she sat opposite them, as far away as she could get.

Helena was looking around, as if expecting someone else to chime in, and when no one did, her smile shrank by a few millimeters. She coughed awkwardly. "The roasted pork is simply divine this evening!"

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "Indeed," she grit out. "And, out of curiosity, how much did it cost?"

Helena's smile shrank further. "Well, I – it hardly matters," she trilled with an airy laugh.

"Does it?" Zelda responded coolly. "Many of our people earn their wages, with which they tend to their families, by producing food for the kingdom. How much do we pay them for their labors?"

The Queen wasn't smiling now. "I – I'm afraid I don't know," she said with an uncomfortable giggle. "Erm, Pelaris…?"

Zelda's father glowered over the edge of his wine goblet. "I paid nothing," he growled stiffly.

Zelda felt a surge of anger – Surely he's lying! – and fought to keep her voice level. Under the table, her left hand clenched into a fist around her gown. "Nothing?" she repeated. "Do you mean to say that you just took this pig from someone?"

"No," Pelaris huffed irritably. "Some of our people fulfill the palace's requisitions instead of paying taxes."

Zelda stared at him in shock. "So they don't get a single rupee from you," she said, fighting to keep her voice from shaking in anger. "Not a single rupee, for everything in this castle produced by our people."

The King's eyes narrowed, shadowed beneath his thick brows. "No, they pay their part, just like everyone else," he said with a voice that dripped with condescension. "It just… looks a little different. Things aren't as simple as you'd like to believe. But most of us understand our place in the kingdom."

"Of course, of course," Helena said rapidly, looking intensely uncomfortable. "We all understand our place – let's just calm down, shall we?"

Zelda ignored the woman. "I understand that our place in the kingdom is to tend to its people, not to our own comforts," she said scornfully, her voice cold with the anger prickling her blood.

Pelaris scoffed, shaking his head. "Do you understand? Do you really understand your place? Because I've yet to see any proof of that!"

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "No proof of me squandering limited resources on frivolities? I certainly hope not!"

"You –!" Pelaris cut himself off, running a shaking hand through his hair with a frustrated growl. "I have no proof that you have any idea of what's important to this kingdom! You're just running your mouth so that you can get people to clap for you, with no thought for the consequences!"

"I've been achieving exactly the consequences I hoped for," Zelda shot back. "And I'd think that an end to this war would certainly be important to the kingdom."

"Please, Zelda, that's enough," Helena interjected, a note of desperation to her voice.

"But you won't get an end to the war!" Pelaris roared, shooting to his feet and taking half a step forward. "And while you go on pretending that the Zonai could submit to my authority, you're signaling to all of Hyrule that the Royal Family is weak and divided. While the people now think we seek peace, the gentry are well aware that I was forced into this! Now they're emboldened by your rebellion and are undermining my authority at every turn!"

"You shouldn't have to be forced into seeking peace!" Zelda shot back, getting to her feet as well as her father's furious pacing brought him closer. "It's been clear for months now that you were wrong about the might of the Sheikah and the courage of the Zonai! There will be no sweeping victory for the Sheikah, and it was entirely unfair for you to dismiss the Zonai perspective so readily! Goddesses only know that we could have made real progress towards peace months ago if you had not been so blind!"

"There can't be peace with the Zonai," Pelaris spat the word with disgust. "They don't even know the meaning of the word! Let me remind you that they started this war by attacking peaceful Sheikah!"

"You know nothing about the Zonai!" Zelda fired back, images flashing through her mind of the shaman with eyes dancing in good humor and the wolf warrior, Link, speaking with passion of striving for a balance of power, courage, and wisdom. "You refused to see their ambassadors when war was breaking out, and you were entirely against sending me to meet with them as well! I've spoken with them, civilian and warrior alike – they are just as eager for this war to end as anyone else in the kingdom! And they are the descendants of a great hero who saved Hyrule ages past, and every single one of them strives to live like he did."

"Zelda, Pelaris, darlings, let's just eat, please," Helena all but whispered, her eyes glittering.

"You saw what he wanted you to see!" Pelaris waved off with the hand holding his wine goblet, spilling red droplets down his fingers. "Nothing more!"

Zelda blinked, caught off-balance by the wording. "Who's 'he?'" Surely he can't be talking about the great hero…?

"That Gerudo upstart you've thrown your lot in with!" Pelaris bellowed, hands clenched into fists.

Oh – that would make sense. "…Khanot?" Zelda affirmed skeptically. "My actions were entirely my own, but even if they weren't, what's wrong with joining forces with a wise king beloved by his people?"

"He is a usurper!" Pelaris protested, spit flying from his mouth. "He has been working against me and against Hyrule this entire time! He has even admitted to murdering Sheikah citizens with no justification, no trial, nothing! Of course the common people like him; they're easily entranced by novelties! So what if he's beloved? A beloved viper is no less venomous!"

Zelda's heart was pounding hard. We've reached the core of his anger. "You're jealous and afraid," she remarked coolly. "As you should be. He's everything a ruler is supposed to be, and if you were even the slightest bit more like him, we wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place."

"And there's your proof!" Pelaris raged, pacing closer to her and shaking his finger in her face. "You're not even Queen yet and you've already sold us out! Khanot might very well be crowned tomorrow for all the good you've done!"

"That's absurd!" Zelda laughed humorlessly, fury on behalf of her friend sparking in her chest. "Khanot's not after your crown; he just cares about his people! As I do! And what about the good you've done?" She was breathing very quickly. Distantly her mind recognized that she was entering very dangerous waters indeed, but it was so freeing to be giving voice to these thoughts at long last. "Your rule has plunged Hyrule into chaos, on the brink of collapse! We would be far better off with someone else on the throne! And I'd like to hope that could be me!"

"I will not be threatened by my own daughter!" Pelaris bellowed in her face, eyes blown wide, a vein popping in his forehead.

"And I won't be cowed by a coward!" Zelda shouted back, her own hands clenched into tight, shaking fists as she held her ground.

With a desperate roar, more animal than human, Pelaris drew back the hand holding his wine goblet. Zelda flinched, waiting for the blow to land, but at the last second her father whirled around and flung the goblet with all his might crashing against the wall, spilling red across the smooth stones and sending the cup clattering empty to the ground.

Helena burst into tears at once, clumsily pushing out of her chair with her head in her hands, stumbling blindly towards the door to the room, howling her misery through the halls.

"Now look what you've done," Pelaris hissed.

Zelda swallowed thickly. "You're blaming the wrong person."

"Oh, no," Pelaris growled, his voice dangerously low and soft. "I know exactly who my enemies are. And as for you… you've allowed yourself to forget your place in this kingdom and this family. So let me remind you." He paused, and his voice grew steadily louder. "Until you learn where you stand, you will not see the light of day! You will not leave this palace! You will not leave your chambers! Anyone who comes to call on you will be thrown into the dungeon for conspiracy!"

Zelda's mind was already racing far ahead. "So be it," she said quietly, calmly, and turned to leave, holding her head high.

She sensed more than saw Inpa falling into step behind her. "That was insane," the Shiekah whispered. "Also terrifying to watch. For my sake, I'd ask that you not do that again."

Zelda managed a small smile. The adrenaline was beginning to fade, leaving her limbs weak and shaky and her heart still pounding much to fast. "I hope I won't have to," she murmured. "If I can just keep avoiding them as much as I can…"

"Your new banishment should help with that," Inpa scoffed quietly. "I'm… assuming you have a plan? Because you can't hold a peace summit from your bedroom."

Zelda inhaled deeply, shakily. "I know," she said. She grit her teeth, steeling herself. "I need the Zonai and Sheikah leadership to know that I will still be holding the peace conference and I'm working on suggesting a neutral location that will work. Perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, a place of worship…" She shook her head, refocusing. "I'll need deku powder, Inpa. As much as you can get me." A small, devious smile twisted her lips upwards. "With all this time I'll be spending in my rooms, I think it's an excellent time for me to brush up on my magic, wouldn't you agree?"

Understanding dawned on Inpa's face, and she smirked. "Of course, Your Grace."

Zelda began the climb up to her rooms, nodding at the guards as she passed by. My 'rebellion' is far from over, Father.