Zant's War – Part 6

-Kanyou, Country of Qin-

Fae do not sleep. That is a fact. That is also a very annoying fact when you have to stay up for half a day because the mortal you guard spends it in an unconscious state; and leaving you with nothing to do but sit in one room and wait and watch.

And be bored out of your mind.

Left with nothing to do, Tetsu, sat on Zelda's desk and rocked her little feet back and forth. Her faint glow was the only source of light in the room, as the moon had disappeared behind thick clouds. There were faint steps outside the room as guards and servants made their nightly service, but no one touched the heavy doors of the heir's room in what was formerly the king's room. In the room the time was echoed by the steady breathing of Zelda and her nightly attendant.

Time flew by ever so slowly. Tetsu sighed and leaned back. Allowing herself to sink, she merged into the wooden desk. Her mind took shape with the desk so it became another limb to her as much as her arms or legs. She stopped feeling the wind and instead felt the carven life of the wooden construct. She became the desk. Diving ever further, Tetsu moved through its legs into the floor. Her mind expanded even further from there to encompass the king's quarter of the palace. She felt the boots of the guards step on her, the lighter shoes and sandals of the servants, and one cloth set of feet.

Suddenly curious, Tetsu swam to where the cloth feet were. She snuck her face up from the surface. The feet belonged to a man who was in the king's library. A scribe perhaps? She smiled mischievously. Tetsu just adored messing with the servants.

She swam through the floor a bit closer, and as she neared she felt scrolls fall onto her. Some scribe he was, the man had no care for the items kept here. She'd show him.

Lowering herself like a cat, she pounced. She leapt into the air behind his head. She no longer was one with the wood, but one with the wind. With a thought she blew a gust of wind in his face. Just a little gust, just enough to be spooky.

Only rather than panic or scream, the man spun in the blink of an eye and grabbed her in his fist.

She was no longer one with the wind, but one with his flesh. She merged with his flesh, with his soul, with his mind. Therein lied the problem with Fae. They were born to merge with the world, to become a part of whatever they touched so they could mold it however they wanted. They were the firstborn. Other beings of flesh and soul came later… so Farore did not take into account flesh and soul when she made the Fae. The two were not exactly compatible… because in truth they were too compatible in ways even though they were not designed to be.

Tetsu screamed as she felt her essence being torn and attacked by the soul of the man. Her soul touched his soul. His flesh became her flesh. His mind became her mind. The two became bonded as glue, and out of reflex the two resisted only to tear each other in doing so.

Zant fell to his knees and screamed in equal agony. He had no idea the Fae was there, but when she spooked him his training took over and he reacted out of reflex. He felt his body go numb as it was no longer just his own, his mouth screamed in a voice no longer his, he felt his soul be assaulted, and his mind…

-Before-

Getting into Chancellor Ryo's army at night was no small thing. Zant had to use every bit of skill he had to make his way in. At first he joined pretending to be any other soldier, but then he was barred from nearing the inner tents of the army at night due to his made up rank. Zant could assume the role of an officer, but he couldn't take the chance. Ryo was meticulous and had a perfect memory. He might know all of his officers either by name or face with nothing more than a glance.

However there was a saying: There was no place a shadow could not reach, for where there is light, there is shadow illuminated. Zant was a Sheikah. There was no place he could not reach.

Zant entered as smoothly as a shadow into Ryo's tent. Chancellor Ryo had his back turned sitting in a chair reading scrolls, checking maps, and writing. Zant didn't make a sound as he pulled out his twin scimitars and approached the chancellor.

"Who sent you?" Ryo suddenly asked.

Zant did not stumble or be startled, but he did hesitate. Ryo continued writing as if there wasn't an assassin behind him.

"It would appear I have lost. I concede." Ryo said. "You are here to take my life, and if there was anything I respect it is a working man. So I will not stop you. Only… I cannot help but wonder who sent you. You see, I am a man of many doubts. I'm a bit of a cynic like that. Was it Chancellor Ketsu? No… the man acts too desperate to have sent an assassin. And if Ketsu didn't do it… then that rules out Prince Kyou."

Zant approached Ryo and placed his two blades in a circle around Ryo's neck. The Chancellor flinched at the sudden appearance of two very large curved blades, but to his credit he did not beg. "I act on the throne's behalf." Zant whispered.

Ryo chuckled. Zant narrowed his eyes down at him. Ryo said, "Then clearly you are missing a detail. The throne is whoever sits on it and if you think killing me will establish Kyou's rule, then you are ignorant." Ryo turned in his seat to look Zant in the eye. Zant did not move his blades. "I could relate to you Ketsu's pure incompetence or how Kyou would pick me over Ketsu if I defeat him smoothly… and the fact that you have yet to kill me tells me you really are not acting under Kyou's direct orders. I know of the Sheikah mask… the inability to act without direct authority."

Ryo looked Zant in the eye. "Have you broken the mask? Are you capable of acting as a free man? Or are you acting on another's orders?... Namely to one who lost her mask? So… are you killing me on Impa's orders?" Seeing Zant's confusion, Ryo said, "Seems you don't know. More's the pity."

Ryo turned back around to face his small desk with the papers on it. "You really think it is a coincidence we are at war right now? I do not. This war has been one in the making for a long time. Is it not odd that Impa goes to Zhao and returns with some girl? Is it not odd that rather than go through proper channels to certify her lineage, it is the priests? The rule is to check the birth records, the conception records, the sexual records to prove the girl is conceived by the king. Is it not odd that this… girl of Zhao is the declared heir? Is it not odd that in the girl's unfortunate death that Impa continues to fight the throne? These are the things I question. Face it, Sheikah… or whatever you are now… I'm not the real enemy. So allow me to rephrase my question: Under what authority do you act?"

Zant's scimitar's swords shook in his hands. He tried to kill the man, he wanted to. He wanted to serve Kyou and prove himself, but he couldn't. His hands would not move. He had killed so many, but it was the mask. The mask took the guilt, the death, the darkness and kept it away. It was the mask that killed.

Zant had not been able to wield the mask since this started.

Suddenly unsure of himself, Zant felt he would lose his mind. Who was to blame? Who should he kill?

"If there is any doubt to what I say…" Ryo pulled a scroll out from his robes and extended it to Zant. The scroll bore the seal of the king. Startled, Zant took a step back. "Read. You will understand… after all, you know who the queen mother is."

Zant felt himself trapped. Trapped by the circumstance, trapped by Ryo's words. Perhaps he was a snake under the control of the charmer. Perhaps he was just a man seeking answers or an escape from his guilt. Regardless of his reason he took the scroll, broke the seal, and opened it.

He read it.

It was a short scroll. Merely a sentence long. Yet in reading it, Zant's inner mask shattered. He dropped the scroll and fled the tent.

Ryo took a step back to steady himself. He let out a long breath. It had taken great effort to be so calm and charismatic. Now that the assassin had seemingly gone to choose another target, he could settle himself. Who had sent the assassin? In truth, Ryo did not know who sent the Sheikah, but the assassin's hesitation was something he managed to use.

But Ryo had a guess of who it was. Only one person had control over the Sheikah with the motive to send him. Impa.

He picked the scroll up. "So uncouth. He could have at least reapplied the seal. Now I'm going to have to repair it myself."

-Present-

Zant's fragile mind strained under the weight of two. He screamed, he threw himself around, he cursed and swore and knocked everything down around him. He clutched at his head demanding the pain to leave. Finally he released his fist and threw the Fae across the room. Tetsu collapsed where she landed. Guards, hearing the racket, stormed into the room and searched the room, but they could find no one.

The open window banged against the palace in the heavy wind.

-Kanyou, Capital of Qin-

Link grumbled. He felt a vein in his forehead pulse angrily. He was started to regret poking at the barbarian king. He may have found the man had a weakness of curiosity… but there were things he hadn't taken into account. The man was prideful, strong, and most of all… as self-entitled as any noble.

"You make a wonderful footstool." Ganondorf smiled from where he sat above him. Link sat beneath him and as one can gather, the barbarian had his feet on Link's head. "Just the right amount of shortness. Do you ever plan on hitting your growth spurt?"

Link growled. He wanted to move, but the blasted dog was sleeping on his lap; and under Ganon's orders no less. It seemed just as Link had figured out the dark man's weakness, so Dragmire had figured out his.

The others in the group laughed. They kept a wary eye on Ganondorf but weren't struck numb with fear anymore. Link gave them the stink eye. "Yeah, you laugh you little shits! I'll get you! Ow!" Ganondorf kicked him on top the head.

"I apologize on behalf of my footstool. It has no manners." Ganondorf smirked. "It truly belongs in no place but under the boot."

The carriage approached the main city gates. As well traveled as the city was, there was a bit of a line to enter. The guard's eyed Ganondorf curiously from his throne of boxes with his feet on a boy's head, but did nothing. Ganondorf waved as they passed.

"Security seems to have laxed." Link observed. Momentarily he forgot about the feet on his head as he worried about the state of the capital. The people were clearly shaken up. He could see uncertainty in their eyes and it looked like everyone was stressed. The streets were not as dense as before.

Ganondorf observed the city as well. His impression was less viable in his mind, as his only other time in the capital had been as an invader. Following the invasion he kept to his tents outside the city. So all in all he had little idea of how the city was before for him to compare, while it seemed Link had been here before. From what Ganondorf gathered, Link worked with merchants and had strong familiarity with them. It only made sense for the former slave to have assisted them in their hauls here.

Yet even though Ganondorf had less of a basis to go on, the atmosphere was visibly different from that of Joket. Joket was tense because it had changed hands, but it was still lively. The capital though…

"They are scared and uncertain," Ganondorf figured. "Between so much of the capital being caught in flames, repeated invasions, armies right outside the gates, and the monarch changing hands from one to another in rapid recession… it is no wonder. Anyone would flee under the circumstances. The capital must feel like a very unsafe place right now…" Ganondorf narrowed his red eyes in thought. "If the capital, the very core of Qin feels its foundation to be this rocky… how must the rest of Qin feel? How great of a ripple did Prince Kyou cause?"

Link gulped. "But then wouldn't that mean more security so people feel safe?"

"Too much security also tends to make people feel there is a reason… a threat… to validate the security. Zelda must be keeping the security in the city lax so the people can feel there is nothing to be concerned with… so life can return to normal."

"Perhaps…"

Their thoughts lied in different areas. Link felt for Qin as a whole, since his eyes had been opened to a greater conflict beyond his village. Ganon was concerned as well, but more for what impact it would have on his people. Already the Majora had a shaky relationship with the Qin to start with, and if the people were frightened and feeling insecure… the Majora would need to tread lightly so as to not create a reason for the Qin to turn on them. Except 'lightly' did not fit well in his plans.

The caravan reached the outer palace walls without incident. The guards inspected their goods, and found them to be good, but did not allow them to pass.

Link exclaimed, "What's the big deal? We were allowed here before! We know the princess!"

"No… we weren't. We had to force our way in last time." Ganon reminded him. "However he is right, the princess would know us. Call for your high princess. She will recognize us if you doubt my words."

"No, can do. You really think the princess would know a peasant and barbarian? Don't insult us." The guard replied.

Ganon growled. He wanted to pummel the man, but he kept his peace. It was not a battle worth fighting. Looking around, Ganon decided to see if he could find any guards that recognized him from the battle.

He also realized the boy had disappeared. "Where did that brat go?" He wondered.

-A few minutes later, Zelda-

"Your highness, we have captured an intruder."

Zelda gave a silent prayer of thanks. That was exactly what she wanted. The meeting she was in was long, pointless, and full of bravado.

"Ah, well. I should see to it." Zelda rose. "I apologize, minister. But it seems matters demand my attention."

"Surely you have officers for local security who can handle this?" The minister wondered.

"True enough, I do, but also you may recall, I like to handle things personally. I bid you good day." Zelda bowed and without waiting for a reply walked out the door with the guard following her. "Your timing was excellent. If I had to sit for another hour and listen to him talk about how the size of our flags is traitorous I would have slapped someone."

"I am glad to have pulled you away from such trivial matters, but there truly is an intruder. He was found trying to climb the walls to the inner palace."

She was brought to a room where a dozen guards stood over a sack. The sack wiggled frantically and something, or namely someone, inside was not happy. Zelda felt a deep headache coming on. She knew that voice.

"Cut him out." The guards opened it to reveal… Link. Zelda could only stare at him, dumbstruck.

Link spit out whatever they had stuffed in his mouth and smiled at the sight of her. "Hey, Princess!"

The guards looked at her. "Do you know him?"

"No." Zelda said evenly.

"What?! Princess!" Link exclaimed frantically, he wiggled around like a worm to get out of their grip. The guards started to pick him up to take him away, but Zelda stopped them.

"Yes! Yes. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately. Let him go." At their concerned looks, she repeated herself. "Let him go. He doesn't pose a danger to anyone unless he is trying to help."

Link was released, but the guards did not go far. Zelda felt a migraine coming on. She pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. "Link… I have to ask, do you do this on purpose?"

"Yes, I do. Well, did. Do? Did? I don't know, but I figured this would be the only way to get this far."

"Sneaking in?"

"Getting caught. The guards wouldn't let me in, so I figured this would be the best way to get in."

Once more, Zelda stared at him deadpan. He intentionally got caught? What kind of logic is that?! On one hand she marveled at the ease by which he figured out how to bypass security by using her security against itself, and succeed in doing it. But for all the potential brilliance and cunning it would take to come up with such a plan that bordered on madness, she equally marveled at the sheer stupidity of it for one simple fact: he could have been killed!

"Do you do this on purpose?!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Why do people keep asking me that! First Ganon-Grumpy and now you! Yes I do this on purpose!"

"I don't know, perhaps the fact that it is dumb! Did you not think you would be killed?!"

"Of course, I could have. But didn't you do the same with the Majora?" Link questioned.

"That was with a nation at stake…"

Link and Zelda stared at each other. Link was the first to look away. "Okay… Fine. Not the brightest idea. You win. This time!"

Zelda sighed. She pinched the bridge of her nose again. "Link… what do you want? What is so important that you had to risk death?"

"Well, the village and I brought tribute."

"And you couldn't just leave it at the gates like everyone else?"

"Well… we could have. But Ganon and I wanted to come in and visit."

"Ganon? Chief Ganondorf Dragmire?!" Now that she thought about it, she could feel the mark on her hand pulsing gently, something that only happened when Link or Ganon were near.

What was the Majora chief doing here? Didn't he have business with ruling Joket and the mountain?

"Yep. Grump's himself. Red eyes, temper, and all. The big guy should still be near the gate."

Zelda groaned. "Someone let him in." A guard hurried off to obey. "I swear… And don't you have anything better to do?"

"You act almost like you aren't happy to see me." Link frowned. "Aren't we friends?"

"I-" Zelda stopped herself. Her initial response was that she had no friends. But then why was she so concerned with his wellbeing? So far as she remembered, she didn't do friends, yet she also remembered her time with him as always being open in ways she wasn't with anyone else. He treated her like an equal, and she had appreciated that.

"I don't do friends. I don't trust enough to have them." Zelda said. Link frowned sadly. "But you are an exception." His frown brightened into a smile. "I apologize for my temper as well, but next time just wait. "

"No biggy." Link waved it away.

"Let us go greet the chief, then." Together they walked to the throne room. There they met Ganondorf Dragmire, and Elder of the Fae decided to make a short appearance.

Elder stood tall as a two-legged Qin of palace wood adorned with rich robes and fine jewelry associated with the nobles of Qin. In all sense he seemed to be a proud and true noble of Qin were it not for the wooden skin and glowing empty eyes. None of the less, it was an improvement. Before he looked like old rotten wood from a forest, and though he considered such an improvement in aesthetics to be nonsensical, it gave the palace ministers, and nobles around the capital, a better impression of him. To put it simply: He was trying to fit in.

Seeing Zelda and Link approach, the Fae bid his goodbye and went on his way.

Zelda greeted, "Ganondorf Dragmire, Chief of the Majora. What an honor. May I inquire as to the nature of your visit to the capital?"

"My business is my own." Ganondorf said mysteriously. "But the relationship between our peoples at Joket is shaky ground at best, and so I thought this would be a good time as any to seek a way to steady it. To see how your people are, learn-"

"To eat your food." Link inserted.

Ganondorf turned a shade of grey. Zelda's initial response was disbelief, but Ganon's lack of rebuttal confirmed it. Much unlike herself, she felt the overpowering urge to laugh at the man's embarrassment. She hid her mouth behind her hand and snorted.

Ganon growled and leveled a menacing glare at Link, who smiled innocently. "I'm going to kill you."

"Not in my throne room, if you please. This room has seen enough bloodshed as it is." Zelda jaded. "Be that as it may, you two are welcome. Link, will you be leaving with the others from your village?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda working as a bodyguard. I should make sure they don't trip on the way back."

Zelda called for a servant and said, "Take one of my royal guard with you, and please inform the merchants from his village that I will have the guard protect them in Link's place. There is business I have with him." The servant bowed and departed.

"What? Don't I get a say in the matter?!" Link exclaimed.

Zelda leveled a dead-pan look at him. "Do you want to babysit a bunch of merchants tomorrow or stay a while and learn of something interesting?"

"How interesting?" Ganon wondered.

"Hey! Don't get pulled into her pace so easily!" Link yelled at the black man. "It's a trap! She's cold and heartless and manipulative and scheming and-"

"This coming from you? You thought the best way of getting to me was getting caught." Zelda replied.

Ganon guffawed, "So that's what you were doing!" Now it was Link's turn to be embarrassed.

"Fine… I'll stay and see what is so Din damn fascinating." Link pouted.

"Good that you would see things my way." Zelda smiled. She looked to the barbarian king, "Ganondorf Dragmire. The same invitation extends to you. As a representative of the Majora clan, you are welcome at the royal palace and what I have to say to Link will greatly interest you as well. Will you be staying long? Do I need to send a messenger to Joket on your behalf?"

"No need. I already sent back my partner to inform them of my stay. As for how long…" Ganondorf shrugged. "Until I am satisfied. There is a great deal I wish to learn of Qin, of your ways, and of our shared past."

"Shared past? Are you wishing to satisfy your people's need for revenge? Or at the very least learn how without a diplomatic incident."

Ganon smiled dangerously. "No, I am not here for that. It is true, I may find an answer for them, but I have other questions on my mind. I have recently come to learn things… things that have left me questioning myself."

"Very well."

-Mitagi House, Qin-

Impa sat at the table tapping her fingers impatiently. She had a feeling what this meeting was about, and she was prepared for it. Didn't mean she had to like it.

"Shadowmaster Impa of the Sheikah clan." She declared herself.

"Phantom Barc Lon of the Sheikah clan." Another stated.

"Phantom Jin Bao of the Sheikah clan."

"Phantom Abrucan of the Sheikah clan."

Another three were named of lesser rank, but these three were the only ones of any importance. They were the next rank down from Impa and were loyal to Zelda's Qin.

"Shadowmaster Impa, we have called for this meeting to discuss the matter of your meeting with the princess." Barc declared. Impa nodded.

"What do you have to say about it?" Impa inquired.

"Your choice exposed you unnecessarily, and our clan." Abrucan said.

"I was very careful." Impa said. "I only revealed myself to High Princess Zelda and to Ouki Mitagi. I assure you, gentlemen, no one else had the slightest idea I was there."

"Yet you still acted in contrast to our need to stay hidden."

"Our mission is to serve the princess, not ourselves. The princess is alone in the palace and I decided a moment of familiarity and assurance would do her well." This hushed them briefly. Impa continued, "And it sounds to me like you have already discussed the matter."

"Our clan merely feels that your focus has become… compromised." Jin tried to sooth her.

Abrucan though, was far more blunt. "We are at war with Zant over the fate of our clan, and his power if left unchecked could have dire consequences of the nation of Qin. We cannot made idle moves. We cannot expose ourselves unnecessarily."

"I know that. I did not make an idle move. It may not have been in the best interest of the Sheikah, but it was in the best interest of Qin."

"And that is where we believe your interests have become compromised." Jin said.

Impa narrowed her eyes at him. They were all difficult to make out in the darkness, but she could make out his shape. "Do you mean to imply that as Sheikah we serve ourselves before Qin?"

"Not at all." Jin replied.

"My lady…" Barc leaned forward. "We are not implying your loyalty is compromised, but your mindset. Allow me to say this plainly. Are you a Sheikah Shadowmaster or Qin minister?"

"I am a Sheikah!"

"Yet you have acted as a Chancellor would for some time now. You became tutor to a member of the royal family of your own volition, become a politician, guided us to rebel against the throne while withholding information that we were, in fact, protecting it so that we would act solely on your word, and now, when the princess appears 'lonely' because she has no Chancellors you go out of your way to comfort her and offer a token of guidance. This is not made any better by the fact that the heir has made no effort to officially instate you as the rank you are beholden to acting as. Your position is fake, yet it has extended far past its due."

Impa clenched her fists. "What are you implying?"

"That you have become overly attached. Shadows must be flexible and hidden and unknown. This is what you have taught, and what you have practiced all of your life, is it not? Yet you seemed to have turned over a new stone in the last year. Naturally we can say that tutoring the princess alongside Ryo's private teacher was acceptable, as you have much wisdom and cunning to offer, and we can turn a blind eye to extending that guidance to the next several steps… but this is becoming a pattern of attachment and involvement beyond what is acceptable for Sheikah."

Impa could say little against him. She wanted to refute him, but found she couldn't. He was right. Under the previous king all the way back to King Shorlin she had been a perfect shadow. She had no personal attachment to those she served. It was business. She was a shield against the enemy, a shadow that conducted assassinations, kidnapping, and other dark deeds at the behest of the royal family so that their hands could stay clean. She was nameless to them, invisible, merely a shadow without face or individuality.

But that was not what Zelda needed. Not since the moment Impa saw the girl in the alley way. At first it was merely acting a part for the girl's comfort. But at some point it was no longer an act. When had that line been crossed?

At the behest of Ouki Mitagi, his English friend was in attendance. The man stood to the side spectating, but Impa wanted his opinion. The man was very much like a Sheikah. He was powerful, cunning, wise, and most of all, invisible.

"As Ouki's shadow, you have a very Sheikah like perspective. What is your opinion of this matter?" Impa directed her attention to the Englishman.

The Englishman hesitated, but as the other Sheikah turned to look at him. He sighed. "There is a saying in my homeland's book of God. 'No man can serve two masters.' It means to serve one may mean compromising another. This is, I believe, what they are trying to say. I do not know enough of your ways to say how you help your country or tell you what you should do, but if I were in your position I would be doing everything within my power to help the country. If you can serve it better as a Sheikah, then be a Sheikah. If you can serve it better as a politician or minister, then be a minister. If you can manage to be both, then be both, however I do find myself agreeing with them in this one aspect. It sounds like being a Shadowmaster comes with very different responsibilities than that of a minister. I believe you have reached the limit of what you can achieve as both, and they are asking you to choose between them."

Impa looked between them all. The other Sheikah were silent, but she could hear their approval. While the Englishman was impartial, it seemed he had good points and read well the situation. Unfortunately his advice still agreed with them and put her in a difficult position.

"If I were to step down from being a minister, there would be no argument?"

"None." The men agreed.

"And if I were to step down from being Shadowmaster, there would be no consequence? Would it be agreeable with the council that I still be Sheikah?"

The men looked between each other, and it was Barc to answer, "You would lose immediate rights as Shadowmaster while another is chosen to take your office. You would become an inactive agent until you choose to reinstate yourself, but you would no longer be able to return to the rank of Shadowmaster without a unanimous vote from the council. Is that agreeable?"

"Yes." The other men agreed.

Impa considered it. All things considered, it was a good deal. Even as an inactive agent she would have access to intel and resources of the Sheikah. The only bad thing would be no longer being able to return to being Shadowmaster without substantial effort… but was that truly a bad thing if her ambition had turned towards another path to begin with?

"I accept the terms." Impa decided. "Then I call for the council to begin consideration for the next Shadowmaster now that Zant has betrayed us and can no longer obtain the title. Once an agreement is made and due process is done… I will step down formally as Shadowmaster and step into the light as a minister of Qin."

-Kanyou, Capital of Qin-

"The matter to which I wanted you to learn is a subject the Fae Elder wishes to teach."

"Oh?" Link wondered.

"Yes. I have asked, but he wished to wait until you two were also present. Your presence then is highly convenient, from what I understand, it is important."

Ganondorf nodded. "Then I will listen."

They were outside at a table in the Palace Grove. The two men had traveled far and, being a good host, Zelda called for some of the best food the palace had to offer to be prepared.

"Thank you, Sarah." Zelda said.

Sarah placed her plate before her, bowed, and stepped back.

"Who's she?" Link asked. He rubbed his hands together as a plate was presented to him as well. "Thanks."

"You can answer for yourself." Zelda looked to her.

Sarah gulped nervously and said, "I-I am S-S-Sarah. Zelda's personal co-concubine and servan-"

"You have a concubine!?" Link gasped.

"Well-" Zelda started to answer.

"What do I have to do to get one!?"

"Start with being royalty." Ganondorf grunted. "It is hardly something a commoner can afford unless you get a cheap slave… and though I do not know of Qin ways, am I right to assume it is standard for royal family members to have regular concubines?" A plate was placed before him.

"That's right." Zelda answered. "It is the responsibility of all members of the royal family to produce as many children as possible as to assure a strong and stable bloodline. My brother was betrothed since birth and when he reached of age would have been expected to keep multiple wives, and as many concubines as he could imagine."

"And you?" Ganondorf wondered.

Zelda felt her stomach turn at the thought of what his question implied. She smiled politely even as her fists clenched painfully. She evaded the implications, "I was a peculiar case. I have never been betrothed."

Ganon eyed her. It was a simple question in his mind, a mere part of the conversation, but her reaction to it was far from normal. All he could figure was it was a touchy subject, and let it drop.

No noticing the sudden tension, Link dug into his food. Zelda eyed him uncomfortably. Though he had gained some manners in waiting until everyone was served, the way he devoured his food down was atrocious. His elbows were on the table, food was all over his face and falling around the table, he didn't close his mouth but rather ate like a cow, and he wasn't taking the time to chew properly or-

Ganon belched.

Zelda's eyes grew wide. Ganon's plate was almost empty. The last bite was on his utensil just in front of his mouth. Even Link and Sarah stopped to marvel at it. The man had eaten the entire thing in seconds. Seeing them stare openly at him, Ganon put the utensil down, cleared his throat, and grunted, "Delicious."

Link laughed, spitting food everywhere.

"I can see that." Zelda said in disbelief. She looked at Link. "Means you sure as Realms didn't cook it."

"Phey! I'fe wiph fafe wuw phoa-!"

Ganon growled, "You uncouth pig! Chew, then swallow, then talk!"

Link swallowed. "I will have you know, I've gotten better! I live on my own now and can't shrug the cooking off on others. Speaking of which, you should come and see the place! I've got a nice spit of land and a whole hut with a sturdy roof and wooden floor and everything! If you want to visit, you won't have to sleep on the ground."

"If I wanted to visit, I assure you, my men wouldn't tolerate me sleeping on anything short of a lavish rug with pillows." Zelda started to eat as well with a more polite pace and with more manners. Her training assured she made no mess, ate slowly, and did not bother them. She refused to eat like a pig.

"Oh, that's what I need! A rug!" Link exclaimed. "What do you think I should go for?"

"I don't know… what beast can you handle?" Ganon smile turned predatory. "How about a good bear?"

Link gulped. "… Bit too much for me. How about something more tame…"

"Like what? A feral wolf?"

"Err… I was thinking a chicken."

Ganon stared at him. "You cannot be serious."

"He is." Zelda assured him. "Farm animals and him do not get along."

As the talk went on, Sarah could only marvel at what she saw. In the time she had known the princess, she had learned that her reputation as an Ice Queen was well deserved. She approached everyone with aggression and distrust. At most she was neutral and silent, showing nothing of herself and accepting nothing of others. She was completely closed off. Sarah did not know what she had done to earn the princess' recognition, but even in her presence the princess never did anything more than smirk no matter her efforts to please the monarch.

Yet here was the princess smiling, having weak laughter, and, dare she say it, normal conversation, with a couple of strange people! One was clearly a boy from the lowest caste of society and the other was a barbarian outsider!

One thing Sarah remembered Zelda saying to Link was how she had no friends, because she trusted no one, and that Link was the only exception. Zelda was wrong. She had two.

-Later-

Seeing the three Destined had finished their meal, Elder rose from the water and approached.

"It is good that you are all here." Elder said. "There is something of great importance I wish to tell you while you are here in one place."

"Is this pertaining to what we discussed before?" Zelda asked.

"It is." Elder looked between them. "It is no coincidence the three of you are here. There are powers at work here beyond any of us, and times past I have promised to explain. Before I thought I would have to hunt you three down separately and explain it, but thankfully I will not have to. Zelda and Ganondorf understand what I want to explain in part, but… I do not know how much you know." Elder looked at Link.

"About what?" Link asked. He looked at Zelda and Ganon.

"I think he means the mark on your hand," Ganon said.

"Oh, that. I burned myself in the battle for Zelda's throne."

"No, you did not." Ganon replied.

"Of course I did. What are you on about?" Link looked at him like he was mad. He looked to Zelda for backup, but she said nothing.

Ganon sighed. He pulled off his gloves and put his hand down on the table. Link's eyes widened slightly. At Elder's beckoning Zelda did the same, only making Link's eyes widen further.

"It seems you have been left ignorant of something." Elder observed. "No matter." He grew back legs and leaned back against them. "I was already planning to start from the beginning."

-Wilderness of Qin-

A campfire was the only light in the plains. The ground was barren for so much blood had been shed that the acid of the blood ate away at the soil over time, and rampaging armies would sow salt into the soil to destroy the soil, and the toil of fueling national war machines tore down the forests. Untold millions had died in the course of history. Entire villages prosper and are burned down in regular acts of genocide. It was a wonder, or perhaps a blessing, that the people had not reduced themselves to extinction.

Like the land of Qin, or rather, like the very land of Hyrule, the land was dying.

Around the campfire were several groups of men. They kept a distrustful distance from one another, as each were more nasty than the last, criminals and bandits and scum that they were. Two of the groups were unknown names, while the third was worthy of note. The third group was a mafia group lead by the renowned Kei Ki. He was a bandit leader with a reputation for decapitations, earning him the name Kei Ki the Beheader. He was young, ambitious, handsome, and most of all, talented. He was a man whom even Chancellor Ryo and Ouki Mitagi would have taken note of and was one of the lesser heads of the Ki family.

The first bandit group growled angrily. "How long must we wait!?"

"Be patient." the second group said.

"Don't tell us to be patient! We have been here all night doing nothing but squatting here!"

"I'm afraid I must agree." Kei Ki sighed. He leaned back against a woman and closed his eyes to rest. "I am patient, but I hardly see the point in a wild chicken chase. If our employer does not come…" He drew his curved sword and looked at its sharp edge. "I may very well find myself becoming bored."

The other groups gulped fearfully. More time passed, with each hour becoming increasingly tense as the three bandit camps eyed each other warily. Kei Ki merely smirked and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Kan Ki said to the other chieftains, "I don't know about you two, but I do not plan to leave here empty handed. If I must leave here, it will be with your men in my service… and your heads decorating my table."

"There is no need for that." A voice said from the darkness.

Out of the darkness appeared a bunch of people in camouflaged clothes. The bandits drew their weapons out of surprise and prepared for a fight, but Kei Ki merely raised an eyebrow. "Sheikah? Are you here to arrest us?"

"On the contrary, Kei Ki the Beheader," A man appeared out of the darkness into the fire light. Unlike the other Sheikah, whose heads were covered by a hood, this man wore a helmet. The helmet was… a mashed up collaboration of other masks. One corner was a happy mask, one corner was a sad mask, one corner was the mask of a monster roaring, and one corner was of a child laughing. In his hands were a pair of sickles. (A type of blade in the shape of a half-circle.)

"I am the one who called you all here for a job." The masked Sheikah said. As he moved the helmet rotated on his head back and forth, as if it wasn't fastened on properly. He didn't seem bothered by it, though.

"A Sheikah… with an actual mask." Kei Ki murmured.

The masked Sheikah snapped his head toward Kan Ki. The helmet spun around to show the monstrous side. "Problem?!"

"Not really. Just find it curious."

The Sheikah's sharp tone changed to almost sing-song and the helmet spun around toward the child laughing. "~Ah. Well then. Curious away!~" The Sheikah straightened. The helmet back around to the monster, and he growled angrily. "Though we are not the Sheikah, not anymore. I do not want to be associated with those traitors." The helmet spun around to the sad face. "Call us whatever you want, we haven't come up with a name yet."

"Um… as you wish." Kei Ki said slowly. He found the man's behavior highly erratic and off-putting. Did the man lose a few marbles in life? "What is your name, at the very least? I find it hard to take employment from someone whose name I do not know."

The helmet spun around to the happy mask. "Zant! Happy to meet you!"