Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay - for whatever reason I was driving myself up a wall trying to make this my "ideal" setup chapter. I often construct these stories centered around big plot points and having to write "intermission" plot is actually much harder lol. It's fun writing but fleshing out the world is taxing as hell. Woe is me.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter & please let me know what you think! I'm happy to see people enjoying this.
Zelda paused in front of the handsome oak double doors, hands motionless on the gilded handles. The man she was betrothed to was no doubt sitting on one of the tea room sofas, patiently waiting for a nighttime audience.
He wasn't a bad man; in fact, he could be considered perfect in some people's eyes. Relatively mild-mannered, sociable, and popular - an advantageous companion for a dominant, sharp, and private monarch like Zelda.
The Harkinian family had prided itself on great protections of the royal family - it was all constructed by Zelda's stalwart father, molding his daughter to continue a steady reign while cutting loose his son. Strategy, it was all the late emperor thought of.
This soon-to-be marriage was one of his "brilliant ideas", adding the peaceful Labrynna to Hyrule. A union that had been suggested for years now - Zelda had to admit it made sense, at least politically, but she personally wouldn't be gaining much - it was all for her constituents. An attractive royal couple, having a few reliable heirs...
"Are you going to go, or do I have to dropkick you in?"
Sheik's voice jolted Zelda from her stupor, and she looked to her brother, who was leaning against the wall next to the door. He was smiling, before letting out the breath of a laugh and crossing his arms. "He's not gonna wait all night."
"I-I know that," Zelda pulled her royal blue robe more closed, smoothing out the hem, "I was just thinking."
She didn't give her brother a moment to respond, standing straighter as she opened the door, it creaking on its hinges. It shut behind her with a small thud, and she moved her hands behind her back.
"Your highness."
The dark-haired man sitting on the black sofa stood, turning to face her. His grey-toned eyes were narrowed slightly with the tiny smile on his attractive face.
"Your majesty," He bowed, then standing straight and pulling off his white gloves, tucking them into a pant pocket. "I apologize for coming unannounced, I hope you understand."
His hand moved to his brown-toned, decorative cloak, pulling it off and dropping it to the sofa.
"You don't need to apologize, your sudden visit was just surprising."
The man laughed slightly, stepping around the sofa and dragging his hand on the back of it. "Zelda, you talk like we've just met."
His tone was pleasant, without a hint of mirth as he stepped in front of the empress, holding out a hand.
"Your highness, it is -"
"It's Teru, Zelda. We can drop the vernacular," The Crown Prince rolled his eyes a bit, laughing under his breath. "I always sound like I just learned how to speak when I have to attach all those titles."
Zelda paused for a few moments before placing her hand in his, and he guided her to the handsome table next to the sofa, where there were two chairs slightly across from each other. A tea tray had already been arranged, Zelda saw, the teapot looking as if it was sweating.
"Your staff is so meticulous. They look like they're always on their tip-toes."
"They're very well-trained. And we make sure their pay is generous." Zelda took the teapot, setting up two cups before pouring the fragrant, hot liquid.
"I see. My staff is very relaxed - I don't mind it too much though. They feel more like friends then."
"You are the only prince of Labrynna, is that right?" Zelda set a teacup onto its respective plate, pushing it in the direction of Teru. He nodded once, turning the cup on the plate.
"Yes. I guess that's why I consider my staff my friends, after all."
He was almost infuriatingly kind, a perfect package with an even more perfect bow on it. The very foil to the man she'd met in Castletown, who'd been blunt and almost unflappable. She could remember the secure grip he'd had on her hand, which were now cleaned with small bandages on them.
Wait, why was she thinking about him now? The soon-to-be emperor was sitting right in front of her, a genial smile on his face.
The sudden sensation of a hand on hers made Zelda jump, and the hand quickly retreated.
"S-sorry! That was a little forward," Teru coughed into his hand, looking embarrassed. Oops, Zelda had unintentionally scared him off - he was terribly mild, relatively uniform in his little bubble.
"No, it's alright. I was just thinking." Zelda internally waved away the thoughts of the "Castletown man", his teasing voice and small smirks fading from the forefront of her mind.
Teru picked up the teacup, cupping it in his hands and resting his elbows on the table. His grey eyes fixed on the small bandages on Zelda's hands before they flitted to her face, a small expression of concern on his face.
"Did something happen? With your bandaged hands."
"...It was just a little accident. I stumbled."
That was relatively true, but Zelda left out the part where she almost got crushed by a raging animal and was rescued by a random man on the streets of Castletown. She felt like Teru would have a minor heart attack from hearing that.
"I hope it heals quickly."
"Thank you."
Silence followed for a few moments, the only sound the small clinking of cups and rustling of heavy clothing. It was after a small while that Teru set his cup down, exhaling.
"I came to tell you something."
His tone had turned serious, a small edge in his words that Zelda picked up on, making her look up from her tea. His gaze was steely, mouth pulled slightly downward as he looked at the cup in his hand, swirling it gently.
Out of all of the brief meetings she'd had with the crown prince, the empress had never seen such an expression on him. For a moment, it looked so authoritative Zelda thought he'd suddenly been replaced with a double.
"What is it?"
Link gritted his teeth as Midna's boots dug deeper into his shoulders, weight shifting from one side to the other. He could feel the strain in his neck from her movements and he couldn't help but snap bitterly up at her, the hot air of his breath warming his face inside the black fabric pulled over his lower face.
"Hurry up, or I'll drop you!" He hissed, and Midna grunted in response.
"I've almost got it, shut up down there!"
Link heard the heavy click of a window's lock being undone and Midna's response of satisfaction as she scrambled up onto the wide windowsill, slowly pushing open the large window.
"Help me up, dunce."
"Quit whining!" Midna thrust out a hand that Link grabbed, the woman grunting in exertion as she helped Link up onto the sill, who scrambled up in a relatively undignified manner that Midna snickered at.
Link looked into the hall that the window opened up into. The handsome, shined wood floor gleamed, the light sepia-colored wall covered with a handsome, long tapestry. Lanterns jutting out from the walls were already lit, giving the hall a warm glow.
"If we weren't here on other business, I'd have no problem trying to get that tapestry down and selling it for a nice price," Midna commented, sticking her head out further to look up and down the hallway, "I see no one."
"You'd think they'd have guards crawling everywhere in this place. But, they centralize all the guards at major entryways, no one has even the thought of these quiet hallways."
Midna pouted. "Almost makes our job too easy."
She jumped down into the hallway, her heavy landing making a resolute thud. The window was less than a couple of body lengths up off the ground, but nevertheless, Link jumped down as well, rolling to lessen the impact.
"Show off."
"It's so I don't sound like a bull in a china shop," Link said, standing straight and pulling his hood back over his head. "So, this is Hyrule Castle."
"Living quarters, it looks like. It's more...homely, or at least as homely as a castle can be."
The somewhat irrational decision of making their way up to the Hyrule Castle was the direct result of Ghirahim's goading and Midna's firecracker instinct to immediately counter with what she called "so much 'progress' that Ghirahim'll wet himself". From descriptions, it always had seemed to Link that the castle was impenetrable, guarded by a ruthless coalition and incredible privacy. However, sneaking in was much easier than he anticipated - sure, guards outside of the castle were aplenty, but at least in this hallway security was lax.
"I've heard from father that bedrooms are situated on the northern side, furthest away from the front-facing entrances. We're in a western wing now."
"He knows the layout of Hyrule Castle?" Midna pouted, brushing her hair behind her shoulder. "Then why didn't he just come and do this job?"
"Well, it's not like we can say no," Link grumbled, stepping forward and nodding his head in the direction of tall, dark wood double doors. "Let's go this way."
"Yes sir." Midna mockingly saluted Link as she followed, taking her time to look at the tapestry and turning in a slow circle as she did.
It was quiet, the only sounds being the duo's footsteps and gentle creaking of the wooden floors as they crept along with bated breath. They found their way to a large foyer, where a wide staircase led up to the upper level. Two opposite hallways branched off from the upper landing of the wide staircase; on the lower level, dark double doors were opposite to the staircase, shut tight.
Link shut the door to the hallway they'd existed from quietly, hardly daring to breathe. He could hear the murmurs of men, likely guards, on the other side of the double doors. The foyer was lit by more lanterns, a low-lit chandelier hanging from above.
He tensed at the sound of voices from the upper level, moving from the hall above Link and Midna to the opposite side. He and Midna were still in the shadows of the doorway below, but both stopped when they heard such voices. Fragments of conversations could be heard, both feminine voices that moved from slightly above the two to across from them.
"...Tidying up this late at night?"
"At least it's not frequent, I'm just surprised that a guest is here."
"It's...him, isn't it? Is that why -"
"No! Don't suggest such scandalous things out in the open..."
The feminine voices faded in the opposite hallway above, and Link stepped further into the foyer.
"Let's follow them, they sounded like maids. They're probably maintaining quarters that include the empress'. We can look at entrances over there," Link walked out further, stopping at the bottom of the steps. His footsteps were now muffled by the thick, red carpet beginning at the stairs, but he kept his voice hush, aware of the voices on the other side of the foyer's entrance. "It'll make it easier next time."
"Hopefully the last time as well," Midna took the lead on the steps, her footfalls inaudible. As mouthy as she was, she could easily be the stealthiest between the two. "It's almost too nice of a place, it gives me the creeps."
"This isn't some duke's estate, this is the palace of an empire. The best of the best is in here, both in riches and nobility."
Link couldn't help but smirk at his statement; this was easier than he thought. A tiny part of him couldn't wait to rub it all in Ghirahim's face, seeing that snake-like visage mold into one of surprise. Gloating to the man, just a little, would satiate his thirst for giving himself the upper hand. It was petty, but nothing regarding Link's way of life was necessarily chivalrous - pulling the rug out from under Ghirahim would make his week - goddesses, make his month.
It was almost laughable how obvious which set of regal double doors were to the empress's chambers. Link and Midna watched the two maids enter, then quickly exit, shutting the doors behind them with a click and a thud. As they rounded the end of the hall opposite the duo, the two stepped out from their shadowed corner and into the middle of the hallway.
"Their guard system must be to follow rather than be stationed."
"Something to keep in mind," Link replied, looking up and down the hallway. "C'mon, we can't dawdle - they didn't lock the door so let's make it quick. I bet people will be coming down here soon anyways."
Midna nodded, and the two walked to the double doors. Link grabbed one of the gilded handles, gently turning it as he heard the door click before pushing it in. The door hardly creaked; there was a small, low groan from the hinge as he and Midna set their sights on the empress' chambers.
It was a grand, sweeping room, the plush-looking bed against the left wall with a handsome desk on the right. A built-in bookcase took up half of the right wall, practically overflowing with books and manuscripts. There was another door on the right as well; Link could only guess it to be a way to the bathroom, much like the earl in Holodrum's chambers.
Glass-paned double doors opposite were shielded by thin, gauze-like curtains. Link had a fuzzy view of a balcony beyond those doors. A classic entry point, that one was. He was already thinking of a way to get inside another night - royalty always liked foilage on their balconies, and balcony doors were almost never locked. An empress wouldn't have guards and maids hovering over her in every moment - from the looks of her surprisingly cluttered desk, it seemed she would absorb herself in whatever she was doing till she ran the candle dead. Having people in her room would only disturb her.
There were no paintings, portraits included. There was only a small tapestry depicting the three goddesses of Hyrule on the wall over the bed, gold threads outlining the figures glimmering weakly in the evening light.
Link walked to the desk while Midna went to the balcony, throwing open the doors to it in a careless manner. He could only roll his eyes at her slight recklessness before turning his attention to the desk, sifting through a small haphazard pile of papers. There was also a small bundle of letters, some opened and some left pristinely in their envelopes. He picked up one of the letters, scanning it lazily.
"Teru..."
He tossed the piece of paper back on the desk, dragging his hand across the small pile to reveal more diplomatic documents.
Link felt a small jolt in his stomach, his heart suddenly throwing itself into a small frenzy as Midna walked back into the chamber, now fixing her attention on the bedside table and picking up a jeweled necklace.
"Easy way to get in by the balcony. There are ivy and more vines growing below the balcony itself..."
As Midna spoke, Link could hardly focus on whatever crucial information she was giving him as picked up a small bundle of papers pinned together. It was a report detailing bandit and gang activity, and 'Citrine Legion' was written out in neat calligraphy in the middle of the paper, starting a new wall of words on the paper.
Ganondorf Dragmire was neatly written underneath, an underline beneath the name.
Exile, the decree of the Gerudo and the Hyrulian Empire, Harkinian Era.
"...Exile...?" The word was barely a breath from Link's mouth, one that Midna didn't catch (who was now admiring the few perfume bottles on the bedside table).
It must've been a lie by the slimy entity called the Hyrulian Empire. Ganondorf had never spoken of exile; rather, his life as a king among bandits and thieves was something to be admired. He was respected among the Gerudo and every other group of people in Hyrule and the surrounding countries. Exile?
The neatly written words weren't making Link's world collapse under his feet, but he felt the growing cracks that'd previously not been there. Hyrule was lying...or his father was lying.
His father kept secrets, but he wasn't a liar. Yes, that was it - this was a smear campaign, an attempt to goad the empress towards cracking down on bandit groups.
Link's distaste for the empress and her empire settled in his chest, intrusive and bitter.
"What are you looking at?"
Midna's voice broke Link away from his riled-up thoughts, and he quickly pushed the packet of papers back into the pile before turning to face her.
"Nothing. Just diplomatic writings and half-assed love letters."
At least from the letter, the feelings of affection seemed genuine but the flowery language ruined the sentiment. From the look of the half-opened, half-closed pile, the empress seemed to either not care, or could predict the contents.
"We've seen enough. If you're alright..."
"I agree. The most important thing is that we have a way to get in. I can almost feel the award in my hands now." Midna clenched both hands into fists, her actions emphasizing her words.
The thought of wealth and freedom was enough to temporarily pull Link out of his irritated stupor. In hindsight, did it matter whatever was written on that diplomatic paper? It had nothing to do with him or Midna, it was his father's problem. Just his father's problem.
"...Okay, let's..."
Link let his voice fade as both he and Midna froze in place at the sound of voices in the hall. One voice sounded agitated, a little raised while another sounded like a low rumble muffled by the thick door.
As soon as the two had made it to the balcony, shut the delicate doors, and began to drop down to grab onto the thick vines that'd crawled up the castle side, Link could hear muffled voices, still clear enough to understand their words.
"...Suggested you leave? That's absurd..."
"It's as if I am not the leader of this nation! Danger or not..."
"...Assassins? Bandits...dare to set foot on these grounds..."
It was a feminine voice and a masculine one, but through the balcony door and the distance, Link couldn't clearly identify the pitches or tone. His hand was still gripping the cool stone of the balcony, and underneath the edge of the pale curtains over the balcony doors, he could see two pairs of feet, one in dainty slip-ons, another in heavy-looking boots. Their faces weren't visible through the gauzy curtains - they were blurred silhouettes that gave Link no clues to their appearance.
"...I'll consider it."
"Your majesty...!"
"Teru has good intentions, as misguided as they are..."
The conversation began to wander into the direction of the Labrynnan prince, to which Link rolled his eyes, waving his hand to Midna below to keep moving downwards. However, the fragments of conversation in that room his mind lingered on. Leaving? By the prince's volition?
Link hated to admit it, but it seemed as if a massive wrench had been thrown into his and Midna's plan.
It seems like my vice is to complicate plots even more than they were before - we have some uncommunicated identity, situational issues, mystery issues...all in good fun though. Everything will be juicier and that's how we like it.
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