Hornet danced with Quan, sparks shooting into the air as their needles shrieked across one another.

The fight wasn't the hardest that Hornet had ever fought, but it was close. The youngest of the Mantis Lords was skilled enough, but her true strength lay in her blistering speed and her greater reach. Hornet was used to being the more mobile, aggressive one in a fight, but now she was forced to fight defensively, moving as little as possible and parrying often. It was frustrating.

Hornet dodged a strike that would have taken one of her legs out of commission and blocked the follow up strike with the flat of her needle. It was a pity she couldn't use SOUL, this would've been much easier with it.

Thankfully, though, the fight wouldn't last much longer. Hornet threw her needle past the Mantis Lord, who dodged and rushed at her to capitalize on her lack of a weapon. Hornet then wrenched back on the silk thread attached to her needle, hurtling the blunt tip of the handle into the back of Quan's head, dropping the mantis to the ground. Before she could recover, Hornet leapt forwards and placed her needle on her neck.

"Yield."

Quan hissed in displeasure, but yielded as requested. Hornet removed the tip of her needle from her opponent and turned to the other Mantis Lords.

The eldest, Tang, chirped in approval, while the middle sibling, Lang just stared coldly at Hornet. Tang stood and addressed her.

"You are strong, and honorable. Much more so than your father ever was." Hornet chose not to comment on the dismissive, mocking inflection on the word father, instead listening as the mantis continued. "An audience you shall have, Hornet of Hallownest. What is it that you wish to discuss?"

Hornet took a moment to catch her breath as the bronze cage receded into the ceiling and Quan retook her seat, the youngest glaring hard at Hornet through the slits in her mask. That was unfortunate, a grudge would get in the way of what she had planned.

"I have come here with news, a request, and an idea. I will begin with the news. The Infection is gone, and the entirety of Hallownest, as far as I can tell, has been transported to a different world."

For the first time since she'd seen them, the indifference of the Mantis Lords broke, showing naked shock. Hornet saw Tang grip the sides of her chair so hard that she gouged claw marks into her throne.

"How?" asked Lang.

"The Little Knight, my sibling, defeated the Radiance, the source of the infection, within the mind of the Hollow Knight, my other sibling. The battle was difficult, and long, but in the end my Sibling gave their life and the Radiance was destroyed utterly, and all who were infected either died or were freed. As for our transportation...that, I do not know anything about. Perhaps the death of an ancient goddess had some reason for it. Perhaps someone or something from this new land transported us here. Further investigation into this event is required."

Quan leaned forwards and asked heatedly "I suppose you expect us to believe you on your word alone?"

Hornet shook her head.

"I do not. Xeen and Kolan can attest to it as well, as can the rest of my companions who are staying in the village."

Quan pinned the two mantises under her stare, and they took it as an order to step forwards, Xeen once again being the one to speak.

"She is right, Honorable Ones. The sky is different up on the surface, and the surrounding mountains have changed. There is a burning orb in the sky that lights up the lands, and there are foreign plants just beyond the borders of the surface town Dirtmouth. She also speaks the truth about the absence of the infection." Xeen paused, then continued, saying "Kolan and I were formerly infected, against our will. We beg for your mercy, for our weakness in allowing such a thing to occur."

The Mantis Lords turned to each other, and began to speak to one another in low tones. Their deliberation lasted for quite awhile, long enough that Hornet found her attention drifting, but thankfully, they eventually reached a conclusion.

"Xeen, Kolan. We have decided that your lives, and the lives of any other mantis who survived the infection, will be spared, so long as they did not take on the infection willingly. The traitors, on the other claw, will be hunted down without remorse." Tang said, looking down imperiously at the two mantises. Xeen and Kolan bowed low, and Tang finished "Dismissed."

While Hornet's travel companions walked away, the Lords focused their attention on Hornet.

"Trust will have to wait until more of our own scouts verify the situation, but for the moment, we will accept that what you have told us is true." said Lang. "That was your news. What of your request?"

"The request was for the three bees and the Fool that I travelled here with to be given guest rights while I go to Deepnest to meet with the Undercourt. I will take the three spider sisters in my party with me and do not intend to bring them back onto your land. Once my business in Deepnest is concluded, I will return, and we will travel back into Deepnest to take the tramway to the Hive."

The sisters did not discuss for long this time, thankfully.

"We have no objections. The guest rights will expire within a period, though, make sure your companions know this."

Hornet nodded and responded "That should be more than enough time, thank you."

Quan, who seemed to have calmed down from her earlier defeat, asked "And the idea?"

Hornet paused. This was the most dangerous moment in this little meeting. She hoped her diplomacy training would be sufficient to not insult the honor of the sisters.

"In times past, before the Infection, my father attempted to suborjn all the lands of Hallownest. He was able to awe, cajole, or threaten many of the bugs in Hallownest into accepting him as King. There were some groups, the Mantis among them, who did not bow to my father's desire to center power under himself. I respect that strength."

Hornet paused, and saw that the sisters were listening raptly, though their thoughts were hidden to her. She continued "However, if all of Hallownest does not unite now, we will be weaker for it. We are in a strange, foreign kingdom, and our collective strength is greatly weakened. If we remain divided, we could be torn apart by an invading army. Even the greatest of warriors can fall to numbers, and I doubt there are more than a few thousand bugs left in Hallownest."

Quan hissed.

"You would seek to do the same as your father before you! The Mantis will not bow to an outsider, we are not-"

"Quan." Tang held up a single claw, and the youngest Mantis Lord glared at her sister before settling back into her seat. The eldest then gestured back to Hornet.

"Do you intend to claim rulership over the Mantis?" Tang's voice was as full of hidden danger as the darkest pits of Deepnest.

"I do not. I propose the formation of a formal alliance. The Mantis will be partners, not subjects. I also propose the formation of a council of representatives, who will each speak for their own groups, and advise me on my actions as Queen so that I may act in the best interest of all bugs. There would be certain laws and rules that would apply to the mantis, and other partners, but those would be decided by the council, not solely by myself."

There was silence throughout the room as the sisters regarded her without reaction. Lang was the first one to break the silence, saying "How...interesting. Your idea may have some merit...but the Mantis do not ally with those who are unworthy. The bugs of Hallownest were weaklings who grew indolent in their wealth. Do you truly think that under your rule, that they would not return to their former state?"

Hornet chittered in amusement.

"I have no more love for simpering nobles than you do. I also intend to take a far more active role in governing Hallownest. It should not take long for any former nobles to realize that I have no time for fools with more money than sense."

The sisters gave each other considering glances, before Tang stood up.

"We shall see. If this is the path that you seek, know that you must challenge us once again, to prove yourself worthy of our allyship. This time, however...you will fight myself and Lang. At the same time." Tang chittered, and her voice deepened slightly. "Do you think you're up to the task, little spider?"

Hornet brandished her needle.

"I do. I challenge you!"

"Very well. Lang, with me."

The battle cry of the Mantis Lords echoed throughout Hallownest once again.

. . .

Link hummed to himself as he cooked.

In the other room, Zelda, Impa, and several other Sheikah, along with the two Rito who were visiting the village, were discussing plans and drafting messages to send to all of the remaining population centers in Hyrule. As her appointed Knight, Link would normally never leave Zelda's side, but Kakariko Village was the bastion of Sheikah strength, and Impa was an old friend. If Zelda wasn't safe here, she wouldn't be safe anywhere.

Besides, he'd had a hankering for cream puffs, and it was difficult to make those on the road.

As he worked, Link thought about the past, the present, and the future. He did that a lot. People sometimes assumed that, just because he was mute and rarely showed emotion, that he was slow or unobservant. Nothing could be further from the truth. Link was not a scholar like Zelda was, but he knew how to watch, and how to listen, and how to interpret situations at a glance.

He knew people (Impa had a limp in her left leg that hadn't been present a hundred years ago. Paya was attracted to him, and didn't think herself worthy of his attention. Zelda flinched every so often when the wind blew too hard against her skin).

He knew nature (it was going to rain in Kakariko tomorrow. The plums would be coming in soon. One of the trees in the village was in danger of falling and should be cut down).

He knew monsters (Hit the Hinox in the eyeball. Lynels have a blind spot behind them. The neck of a Bokoblin is weak and can be easily snapped, but the noise it makes is loud and can attract attention).

Link paused in his stirring and frowned. This was a peaceful time. That was not the right kind of thought to be thinking.

Link resumed his work, adding butter and eggs to the dough, recentering his thoughts with an ease born of long practice at compartmentalization.

Anyways. Link thought of the past, present, and future. The Hyrule of old (Mipha's voice. Urbosa's admonishments. Revali's snide comments. Daruk's joy) was different from the Hyrule of now (Teba. Riju. Yunobo. Sidon. All of his friends) and perhaps, the Hyrule of the future would be even more different.

Under Zelda's rule, it would have to be. Link had respected the old King, he was a member of the Hylian Knights after all, but as Zelda's protector...he had seen a different side of the King. He'd seen the flawed man underneath the crown. Zelda was not perfect, no, but she was different. Younger, more idealistic, more cheerful, more sympathetic to those under her. In fact, he doubted Zelda considered anyone in the kingdom to be under her, not in the sense that they were lesser. Her mother had done an exceptional job in raising her.

Link grunted to himself as he popped the cream puff shells into the open oven, and he checked the heat of the coals before putting in a few more pieces of wood. There. Half an hour or so, and those would be golden and crispy. Perfect vessels for the creamy filling that was currently chilling on top of a Frostblade he'd had stored inside of the Sheikah Slate.

Weaponry had a surprisingly large number of applications in the kitchen.

With his current task done, Link exited the kitchen to see how the work was progressing.

"...the Zora have the largest formal standing military, and according to Link, he's managed to foster goodwill with King Dorephan and the elders. It should balance out any remaining animosity they hold towards you and Hylians in general, your Highness."

Zelda nodded along as she studied a parchment map of Hyrule.

"What's the current political situation with Holodrum, Ordonia, Labrynna, Koridai, and Gamelon?"

The Sheikah elder who was speaking harrumphed.

"Not much to tell. Once it was clear that Ganon was trapped, but still a constant threat, most of them broke off contact with us. Ordonia at least is still friendly, and has a standing policy to accept refugees who wish to flee Hyrule. There are perhaps 10,000 former Hyruleans who emigrated to Ordonia...whether or not they can be convinced to return is up in the air."

The Sheikah elder grunted and smoothed his beard.

"Holodrum and Labrynna are more distant, and largely remain an enigma. They've mostly ignored us for the past century. While I cannot predict the future, I'd say it's likely that they will continue to ignore us unless we reach out to them."

Zelda nodded along, deep in thought. The elder sucked in a breath through his teeth and continued.

"Koridai and Gamelon are another matter entirely. Gamelon has a somewhat troubled history with Hyrule, and that bad blood is a concern. Our most recent information says that the current Duke is embroiled in a succession crisis, though, and Gamelon has seldom been the aggressor in armed conflict. I doubt they would invade, but if you wish to make diplomatic inroads, it will take a great deal of time, effort, and money."

"That is something to consider at a later date, when we can spend those more freely." Zelda said.

The elder chuckled briefly before sobering.

"The fear of Ganon runs deep in the Koridians, which kept them away, but now that he's gone, it is likely that we'll begin to see raiding parties. The nobles of Koridai aren't foolish enough to face us head on, not with the Divine Beasts on our side, but they can hit coastal villages with their boats and retreat before one of the Beasts can respond. Perhaps if we used the cleansed Guardians-"

"No!" snapped Princess Zelda "We may be in a tough spot, but I will never trust those machines again. Not after Ganon was so easily able to suborn them. Using the technology inside of them is fine, however. We can repurpose the heads to serve as manned turrets, and deliver them to all of the coastal villages. With luck, a few warning shots will be enough to repel any raiders. If not, we can always fly Vah Medoh over Koridai and politely ask the nobles to stop."

The Sheikah elder inclined his head.

"Of course, your Highness."

Link smiled at Zelda as she went about doing what she did best, and slipped back into the kitchen to check on his cream puffs.

Seeing that they weren't quite done, Link looked out the window over Kakariko village. While rain was coming tomorrow, today it was bright and sunny. The wind smelled like fresh soil, livestock, and trees. Lovely.

As he was looking out the window, Link noticed a Rito coming in to land in front of the Main Hall. A Rito he recognized.

Strange. What was Fyson doing here all the way from Tarrey Town?

. . .

Tang leaned back in her throne as the little spitfire of a spiderling strode into Deepnest, a silk bandage wrapped around her thorax. Tang had scored a thin line along her side, while Lang had hit her mask hard enough to leave a thin crack. Hornet had given as good as she had gotten though; Tang's left hindleg had a deep cut, and Lang was nursing a nasty headache and had hemolymph dripping from her abdomen.

Tang had yielded after her hindleg was cut open, if she lost that limb she would no longer be fit to rule, and Lang had gone down not long after. It was quite impressive, really. She hadn't expected the spawn of the Pale King to be this proficient. But, then again, she hadn't expected the little Knight to be that proficient either, and they had defeated her and her sisters without being hit once.

It was sad that the little Knight was no more, if what Hornet said was true. They would have made an excellent mate.

On that note, Tang turned to her sisters.

"So...who gets to marry her?"

Quan chirped in shock and turned to her sister.

"Tang! She's a foreigner!"

Tang chittered and said "True, but she did just beat all three of us in combat. That kind of strength is quite enticing. And don't think I didn't notice you squirming under her when her needle was on your neck. Bluster all you want, but you liked it, didn't you dear sister?"

Quan made a series of outraged noises before deflating. Tang could smell her reluctant agreement.

Lang, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.

"I'll challenge you for the right to court her. In Mahjong."

"What! That's not fair, you're the best Mahjong player out of all of us! It should be needle throwing." Quan said, crossing her forelegs petulantly.

"Oh, who's not playing fair now? How about a hunt? Whoever bags the biggest prey wins."

"Tang!"

Author's Note:

:3 Hornet's got some admirers there. If you came to this story expecting heteronormativity and Western gender norms, you should probably leave. Both Breath of the Wild and Hollow Knight are already fairly queer, and I intend to expand on that. If you couldn't already tell.

Anyways. On Link's muteness. There are different kinds of non-verbal people. Those who have damaged physical bits may be unable to form most noises, but psychological or developmental issues can result in a person being unable or unwilling to speak words, but who can make sounds. Link falls into that category in this fic. Link can hum, grunt, laugh, even sing, as long as no words are involved. Link will communicate with body language or with Sheikah Sign Language, which is a series of Sheikah hand signals originally used in stealth situations but which evolved into a full non-verbal language over the centuries. All Hyruleans know at least a few words in SSL, and there's usually someone in every village who is fully fluent.

Interestingly, bugs have no concept of sign language, as hands and fingers are somewhat optional for bugs. Non-verbal bugs can communicate with scent, or in Hollow's case, terrifying Voidspeak.

Oh, and a minor change to last chapter. I chose to change the names of the Mantis Lords. They are now named after the martial art, Northern Praying Mantis, or tánglángquán. I thought it was apt.