She woke up a couple of times in the day it took for them to reach Castle Town, a soldier pushing a plate of food into the room four times, always leaving the room before she would have got the chance to even move towards the door, before the feeling of the hull of the ship suddenly meeting solid ground told her that they had arrived.
Walking up into the sunlight again felt almost like she had been robbed of it for far longer than only a little over a day. As Midna had to lower her gaze, her eyes struggling to get used to the sudden brightness, she could not deny that the feeling in her stomach was without a doubt the guilt over how she had made Zelda live in the same kind of darkness back when she had first come to live at the base. Only, where Midna had had to stay in the room for a day, Zelda had been there for several days. Granted, she had not had any other choice, but still, it did not make the feeling of bile rising in her throat any less horrible as Onox led her across the deck.
"Wait here." Onox nodded towards the spot in front of them, leaving without another word.
Midna could see how the guards around her sent her poorly hidden glances, one of them making it even more obvious that they had been tasked with making sure that she would not be able to escape as he clutched his spear a little closer to him. They were fools if they thought that she was going to attempt to flee now when she was not only in a place that had been built specifically to not allow anyone who was not familiar with the architecture to enter or leave, but also had to play her part to the end if she wanted to be able to succeed.
They were escorted from the ship. She was not really sure about what she had expected—no matter how much Zelda might have been able to influence her over the months, Midna hoped that she had not grown to be naïve enough to think that they would ever have been allowed to walk around freely—but she could say for certain that this, a guard walking on each side of her, Zelda moving along right behind her, the rustling sound of the fabric of her dress letting Midna know that she was right there, was not what she had expected at all.
Hyrule Castle was a magnificent sight. No matter how much she might hate everything it housed, every reason for why it had been built, Midna could not deny that it was a sight unlike anything she had ever seen before, the tall walls that surrounded it looking almost non-existent against the tall towers at each side of the central structure, a few of them being so tall that it looked almost like they had been built to reach the sky. But, given how they were instantly moving towards what looked like it was the main entrance, a staircase leading up to a tall set of doors, Midna was not given a chance to examine the structure more closely. She would have to have faith in the map Renado and Shad had made, hope that she and Zelda would be able to remember enough of it to figure out a way to leave the castle once it all began. That, or Midna would simply have to accept the fact that they might be the first to die in the chaos that would no doubt follow the death of both the king and the crown prince. Had it been only a matter of trying to come to terms with her own death, it would have been easy enough, but given how she was not optimistic enough to believe that there would not be a general somewhere who would be more than ready to seize the chance to rise to power himself, letting Zelda die before she could have created peace, that was simply not an option.
At least that was what Midna tried to convince herself was the reason for why she slowed down a little while entering the castle, walking into the throne room, flanked by guards at both sides, trying every little thing she could possible do to bring herself even a single step closer to Zelda.
Inside the castle, it was almost colder than outside, the solid stone walls not doing much to keep out the chill. Still, as they walked up to the throne, Midna was soon able to recognise the figure sitting on the throne, regarding them with a bored look in his eyes, as Zant. She could not help but wonder if the shiver that ran down her back might not really have been caused by more than just the smile that greeted her.
He looked nothing like Zelda. Although he was her brother, Zant did not possess any of the warmth that Zelda almost seemed to emit, looking down at them with an expression that told them that he would be the perfect heir to the throne, the perfect heir to Ganondorf's legacy. Only a superficial similarity, the way his features could have been beautiful the way Zelda's were, had it not been for how he looked like he had been sculpted from a block of solid stone, served to dispel the doubts about their shared parentage.
"I see that you have finally returned." after so long, it was almost strange to listen to Zant. Midna would never have dared to hope for any kind of warmth between the two siblings, she had been able to tell that it would have been hopeless to expect that from the moment Zelda had first begun to open up about life at the castle, but that did not mean that it was still not shocking to see just how little Zant seemed to care about the fact that his sister was still alive, simply twirling a strand of hair between his fingers as he sat up straighter on the throne. "And I see that you have brought a guest as well."
Something was wrong, Midna could feel it. Zelda had to notice as well, she was bound to. It would not have been possible for her to have become friends with almost everyone back at the base if she was not able to read people well enough to realise that the situation in front of them was slipping out of their hands already.
As Zelda spoke up, Midna could hear how her refusal to give up hope was not caused by a childish sense of naïveté. No, as she stepped forwards, moving slowly as she walked around Midna, soon placing herself between her and the prince on the throne, there was no doubt that her refusal to accept the fact that they might have lost already had been born from nothing but pure hope.
"Forgive me, but I had expected to meet father," she said, keeping her gaze fixed on a point on the floor right in front of her.
"Father is not here right now. But I can assure you that he would not have left me here if he was not confident in my abilities to handle any situation that might arise in his absence."
Midna could only agree with him on that. The little sparkle in his eyes, the way he did not even attempt to hide the fact that he was enjoying everything about the situation, everything about the fact that they did not hold any power as they stood there, was enough to prove that he was just like his father. In that moment, Midna was only able to remain quiet, trusting that Zelda would be able to regain control.
Making an attempt at doing just that, Zelda cleared her throat, her voice becoming more confident as she spoke. "I understand. Then I will just have to tell you about the reason for why I made the request to see him immediately. As I am sure father has already informed you about, I have spent the last couple of months in captivity after my ship was attacked by pirates. Midna, the woman accompanying me right now," Zelda waved in Midna's direction, and already, Midna could tell how the guards moved a bit closer to her, acting almost like it might have been some kind of hidden signal between the two of them, "she is the one to thank for the fact that I was able to escape. She risked her own life and safety to stay behind, ensuring that I would be able to flee as well."
"Oh, did she really?" Zant's gaze landed on Midna, and despite how she had thought that she had prepared herself for that moment, she had to fight down the instinct to try to shield herself from the scrutinising look he sent her. "Well, in that case, I suppose we should welcome her as the hero she is."
"Actually, that was why I wanted to talk with father." the relief was apparent in Zelda's voice. Midna could see how she finally dared to look up, interpreting that little sense of warmth in Zant's voice as a sign that the danger had passed. "See, Midna was made to stay in the cell next to mine. I—had it not been for her, I doubt I would have been able to make it through all those months, much less being able to escape in the end. But during that time, I also came to learn that she lived in a tiny village. She has no home to return home to, no parents, nothing. So, I thought that to show our gratitude to her, to show what awaits those who are loyal to the crown, she should be given a room here in the castle. She did save my life. after all, so I am sure that father would agree that we owe her that much."
"I see." Zant leant back, placing his hands on the armrests of the throne. "The life of a member of the royal family… that would indeed be worth more than anything we would ever be able to offer the princess' saviour, would you not say so, Byrne?"
Already before she heard Zelda let out a gasp, seeing the way she froze as a man stepped out of the shadow from next to the throne, Midna knew that they had lost. She could see the fact written across Zant's face as he glared at them, looking exactly like a hawk who knew that its prey had nowhere to run, now simply enjoying the process of toying with it. Really, the fact that she could recognise the man at Zant's side, knew that the last time she had seen him had been in the chaos Zelda had orchestrated to be able to make her way onto the Shadow, was only there to completely get rid of the last bit of hope that she could otherwise have clung to.
"Now," Zant said, everything about him, from the way he sat to how he let his voice rise a bit, letting them know that he was aware of the fact that there was not a single person in the room who did not know what was going to happen, "it is undoubtedly a heroic deed you are describing there, my dear sister. Sadly, it would appear that it is also a lie."
"I—I don't know what you mean," Zelda stuttered. As she took a tiny step backwards, towards Midna, Zant smiled down at her, acting almost like he was the reason for why the temperature dropped a few degrees around them.
"I think you know exactly what I am talking about. After all, Byrne was quick to assure both father and I that we did not have anything to worry about, that you would be just fine on your own. Now, Zelda, can you imagine why he might have told us that?"
"No." Zelda's voice was thin, almost disappearing in the large room. "No, I cannot."
"Well, then let me try to help you remember what happened back then, how it just so happened that your captain returned home to the castle with the message that the princess had been taken from her room during a battle with pirates. Byrne came back here, hurrying to find my father, insisting that it was urgent, of utmost importance that he would get to speak with him immediately. I won't lie—at first father was ready to have him arrested on the spot for disrupting the discussion of what we should do to get you back. You see, during the first few hours after we got the message from your loyal captain about what had happened, you did actually somehow manage to fool us both. We were foolish enough to believe that, with all the soldiers we had sent with you, some pirate would still have been able to sneak into your cabin and drag you back onto their ship against your will and without the soldiers being able to stop it in time. But we soon learnt that that was not at all the case, that, really, you and the captain had conspired, planning to create a situation where the chaos of the fight would allow for you to slip away from the soldiers tasked with protecting you, leaving the battle with those who should have been your enemies. For that is how it went, is it not? They should have been your enemies, you should have known that you have to fight against their influence, and, yet, you allowed them to fill your mind with lies, letting them convince you to take part in their plan to seize control of Hyrule and overthrow the monarchy."
A deadly silence filled the room when Zant stopped speaking. Midna would not have been surprised if everyone around her was able to hear how her heart beat madly against her ribs, everything in her screaming at her, urging her to step forwards and accept all guilt, lie and say that she had indeed been the one to manipulate the princess. But she remained where she was, unable to do more than to look at the back of Zelda's head, hoping that if she just stared at her with enough intensity, Zelda would be able to read her mind and know that Midna was begging her to blame her.
But of course, Zelda would never do that, and although her fear was obvious as she found the ability to speak again, Midna could hear that Zelda was not about to admit defeat and try to save herself. "Byrne must have lied." Zelda was able to muster up a minimum of conviction, almost enough to make the hope come alive again. "He must have, for I assure you that it was not what happened. While it is true that I might have been able to do more to avoid being captured, you have to understand that I feared for my life as well as the lives of everyone aboard the ship when the pirates attacked. There was nothing I could have done to avoid being caught."
There was a dangerous gleam in Zant's eyes as he looked down at them, revelling in the power that came with his position from the throne. "Really? That is quite the interesting claim, Zelda, considering the fact that your own captain was quick to confirm that everything Byrne told us was true."
"Ashei?" and with that single word, the shock and fear making her voice sound nothing like it was supposed to be, Zelda had just confirmed all of Zant's suspicions. "No, she would never—she—"
"Don't despair. The captain tried her best to keep your secret safe, but in the end, she was forced to admit that, sometimes, it is more important to save yourself than it is to continue to lie to your king, especially when said king is still upset after receiving the news of how his own daughter was willing to give herself up, to join the pirates who have been responsible for so many of the disasters that have struck us lately. Do I need to remind you of how they burnt Kakariko Village to the ground only a few days ago? I understand that they may have tried to keep you from finding out about it, but, clearly, they were not careful enough when they returned to remove any witnesses, for we were able to find a survivor who was able to tell us all about how they had set the village on fire, forcing everyone to stay in there to perish in the flames."
Midna bit down on her tongue so hard that she could taste blood. As Zant's gaze flickered away from Zelda, instead coming to rest on her, she knew that it was a trap, a way for him to try to ensure that he would have some twisted version of a piece of evidence to use against her.
When he did not get the intended reaction from her, the smile on Zant's face faltered for a second, but only for that short moment. The next instant, the hate in his eyes had once more been covered up with the feigned horror as he continued. "Or, even if they were somehow able to lie to you about that, I know that you must remember what happened to Ordon Village all those years ago. You and I, we both saw the ruins the pirates left behind; we both saw how everyone had disappeared. Maybe you even met the few they were able to kidnap back on the ship, maybe they had been forced to tell you that they were there because they wanted to, but I can assure you that that was not the case." Zant pushed himself off the throne, every small movement looking like it had been carefully choreographed and rehearsed as he made his way over to Zelda. "No matter what happens, you are still my sister. Your captain was blind; she followed your orders even when everyone should have seen that you were not fit to give such orders, and she will have to pay for that. But you—it is not too late for you yet. Just admit that you made a mistake, then everything will go back to the way it was before. Father has already spent months trying to smoothen out the situation with the royal family of Labrynna. They understand that what happened to you was a tragedy. All you have to do is to admit that you were blinded by the lies they told you, unable to think for yourself due to the stressful situation you found yourself in. That is all you have to say, then I promise you that everything will be just as it was before." as he talked, Zant reached out, placing a hand on Zelda's shoulder.
For a moment, it looked almost like Zelda was trying to shake his hand away, but then Midna could see how she was crying, the sobs forcing their way up her throat, making her entire body shake. And yet, she remained quiet, the way Zant drew his eyebrows together revealing how he was losing patience.
Tearing his hand away from Zelda, he sent her a glare that looked so cold that Midna could almost not understand how Zelda was still fully human, why she had not become ice as Zant spoke once more. "Zelda, think. I beg you to think about what choice you will make. You know that I am right, you know that I would not lie. Think about Ordon, think about those from that village you no doubt met aboard the ship. If nothing else, the fact that they are still there, suffering, should be enough to make you abandon this silly idea of the pirates perhaps being just as human as you and me. You know that is not the case, you saw it in the ruins of Ordon and the destruction they leave behind wherever they go."
"Liar!" in the almost total silence of the room, Zelda's scream felt much louder than it had really been. As she turned around, just enough to look directly up at her brother, the anger that drew long lines across Zelda's face seemed warm enough to perhaps be able to melt the ice around her. "It is a lie, I know it is! Everything you have ever told me, all you have told me about the pirates, about how they are only trying to disrupt the peace, trying to kill as many as they can, it is all lies, I know it is! There was no peace for them to disrupt in the first place, father made sure of that and so did you, and as for murdering people, you and I both know that the only murderers in this room are you and the soldiers who are following you without regard for the suffering they cause even now!" she took a deep breath. Midna did not even have to look at Zant to know that Zelda was already bracing herself for the consequences that would no doubt come soon enough.
At first, Zant did not speak, instead simply looking down at Zelda. There was a hint of something in his eyes, an emotion somewhere between disappointment and pride, that shone so brightly that even from where she was standing, the guards at both sides of her keeping her from advancing, Midna could still see it as Zant finally opened his mouth. "I see. If that is really what you think, I am afraid that you leave me with no choice but to tell father about how you tried to sneak a pirate into the castle with the explicit goal of murdering both him and me so that the throne would be left to you." as the horror finally made it past the carefully crafted mask Zelda had been able to wear without even the tiniest fail for several days now, Zant simply let out a sarcastic laugh. "Don't tell me you really thought that it would ever work. I thought that you would be wiser than to assume that I would just let you drag some pirate into this house, to believe that I would fall for such an obvious lie."
"I—no! Midna isn't a pirate!" but Zelda revealed the truth the second she turned to look back over at Midna, the panic evident in her eyes. "I swear she isn't! Please, just let me—"
"I think you have done enough already," Zant responded, making some kind of signal to the guards as they instantly moved, forming a circle around Midna, "in fact, I believe that I have already heard enough to determine that she is the one to blame for the fact that you disappeared, returning with all these lies blinding you to the truth. Guards!"
As Onox moved over, grabbing her arm, Midna knew better than to try to fight. It was not that she was giving up—she could not do that, not as Zelda was screaming, struggling against the guard who had come over to hold her back—not at all. Rather, it was the sinking feeling that she would not be able to escape the grip Onox had on her, his hand sure to leave marks on her arm as he began to drag her forwards, soon helped by another guard coming to grab her other arm, making it so that she would not have been able to step even a single centimetre away from Onox without the two of them allowing her to.
"Stop!" Zelda screamed, alternatively glaring at the guard keeping her from running over to Midna and looking back over at her brother. "Zant, she didn't—I swear, Midna is not here to harm anyone! I am begging you, don't let anything happen to her!"
Sending Midna a long gaze, Zant finally turned towards his sister. "I think that you will find that, as long as she cooperates, your friend really has no reason to fear for her future. After all, unlike the pirates, our father knows that loyalty can be found through mercy. But if you really want to see what happens if you simply tell the king about the mistakes you have made, I suppose I can allow you to accompany us to the dungeons, as long as you can please remain quiet. This screaming is giving me a headache. Do you think you can promise me to do that?" there was a moment where Midna was almost certain that Zelda was going to refuse, the fire burning brighter inside of her than Midna had ever seen it do before, but then, almost like her strength left her from one moment to the next, Zelda stopped fighting, stopped struggling against the guard, instead bowing her head. Zant's smile widened. "Good. I knew that, despite what father said, you had not completely lost your sense of self-preservation. Maybe if your friend reveals herself to be able to do the same, the two of you will be able to meet each other again under different circumstances very soon. But for now, I fear that we cannot allow this would-be assassin to roam freely, so, guards, I trust you to make sure that she will not get a chance to escape as we make our way to the dungeons."
They began to walk, or, rather, Midna tried her best to walk, although the fact that Onox was easily able to almost, but not quite, lift her from the floor, left her with no other choice than to let them halfway carry her, halfway drag her along as Zant led them towards a set of solid doors to the side of the throne room, ten guards separating Midna from him and Zelda.
Zelda. As Midna tried her best to keep up, not wanting to be outright carried along, she could see how the guard tightened his grip around Zelda's wrist the one time she tried to look back towards her. If there were any goddesses somewhere, anyone at all who would bother to listen to her plea, Midna wished for them to let Zelda know that it was not her fault, that the last thing Midna wanted to happen right then was for her to risk her own safety only to get the chance to catch another glimpse of her. It was not worth it. They had lost—the best they could hope for now was that Midna might be able to take the secret of just where the base was located with her to the grave. But almost like the goddesses wanted to mock her plea, Zelda did not stop trying to look back over her shoulder, the guard tightening his grip just a little bit every time until it reached a point where Midna had to force herself not to look at how his knuckles became white. It was bad enough that she was left to try to think of a way where a miraculous escape would reveal itself to her, she did not also want to think about the fact that Zelda was now back in the exact position she had fought so hard to flee from, back at the castle with nothing to do except for waiting for when the inevitable would happen and she would be sent to Labrynna again.
Midna stumbled down the stairs, only held up by the two guards not loosening their grip even a little. Already before she looked up, her heart having skipped a beat when she thought she felt the stairs disappear below her, she knew that they had reached the dungeons. It was something about the air, the smell of misery that made the rows of cells that looked almost like the doors would never be opened again as Zant turned around in front of them, a single wave in the direction of the guards being enough to make everyone stop.
"Zelda, I suppose I should have warned you about whom you would find down here, but, well, what can I say?" Zant shrugged. "Sometimes, the best way to teach people things is by showing them exactly what they do not want to see." the moment he stepped to the side, allowing then to look into the cell he had just stood in front of, the two guards flanking him making sure that they had not been able to catch even the most fleeting glimpse of the prisoner inside, Midna already know just who the person inside was.
For although she might not exactly have recognised the woman now that she was sitting on the ground, her tousled hair being completely unlike the way she had made sure to tie it up the last time Midna had seen her, the pain on her face nothing like the determined expression she had worn while wielding the sword like she had been born to carry it, the way Zelda let out a gasp, horror evident in her voice as she almost collapsed, the guard barely having time to catch her in time before she would have landed on the floor, was sure to let her know just who the prisoner was.
"Ashei…?" Zelda whispered the name, looking at the woman almost like she was expecting for it to not be the case. Given how the prisoner, gaunt and with a sort of fragility to her that Midna could not recognise, did not look anything like the courageous captain Zelda had described, Midna could not blame her for that. And then, with her eyes becoming dark with barely concealed rage, Zelda turned to face her brother. "You…" her voice shook, but even then, they were all able to understand what she said, how she took a step forwards, moving so quickly that the guard was not able to stop her before she had pointed towards her brother, looking like there was nothing she would have loved more right then than to be able to hit him, to attack him until he would let them all go, "you said that she was all right, you promised me that you had not harmed her!"
Zant only laughed at her anger. "What do you mean? I don't recall having ever promised you that she was all right. The word I used was 'mercy', and would you not call the fact that she is still alive merciful?"
"You—"
"No, no," Zant held up his hand, "I think you are not able to realise what is really going on around you right now, not in the state you are in. Perhaps, after getting the chance to get a proper night of sleep, after seeing how blind you have been, you will thank me. Onox, will you please show our guest to her room?"
Onox simply nodded at him, already forcing Midna along with him, moving past the rows of guards as he made his way over to the cell on the opposite side of the hallway from where Ashei was lying on the ground.
She could hear Zelda call her name, begging for forgiveness, but as she watched Onox fiddle with the lock, struggling for a moment to force the door open while not letting go of her, Midna could not find the power to respond. She would just have to hope that Zelda would be able to know that she did not have anything to apologise for.
Midna had thought that she was prepared to feel the floor disappear beneath her, but as Onox shoved her into the cell, the sudden lack of support coupled with the amount of force he put into the push was still enough to send her flying forwards. She was barely able to keep herself from fully hitting the ground, scraping her hands as she landed on the stone floor. Behind her, Zelda continued to cry, but although she wanted to stand up, to turn around and assure her that she would be all right, right then, simply continuing to breathe required her full attention.
"I fear that my sister has been through more than she can handle for today." she might not have been able to look at Zant, but Midna could still hear the way he looked down at Zelda, the satisfaction evident in his eyes as he spoke, raising his voice a little to make sure that he would be heard above the sound of Zelda crying. "If someone would please escort her to her quarters immediately. Lieutenant Raven, I am counting on you to make sure that she will not be able to do anything rash that she might come to regret later."
Pressing her head to the ground, hoping that the coldness that seeped up from below her might be able to soothe her aching body, Midna felt how the pain that shot up through her arms was already telling her that her entire system was trying to protest against the harsh treatment they had already put her through, making it so that, although the name of the person who would take Zelda away should by all means have been important information right then, something she would need to know once she would try to escape, Midna could not focus enough to listen to his answer. What did it even matter? As another guard stepped up to close the door to her cell, the sound of metallic screeching telling her that it was locked in a way that would not give in to a few, well-placed kicks, Midna knew that this was not a situation she would be able to escape from anytime soon. Really, if the state of the captain in the cell across the hallway was not any indication of just that, Ashei's total lack of an reaction to the conversation taking place right next to her seeming like it almost took up all the space in the room, Midna did not know what was.
The guard—Raven, something, a title she could not remember—must have begun to drag Zelda away, for as Zant's voice once more echoed through the room, harsh and cold, it came from another direction than before. "I assume that I do not need to remind you not to give her the chance to try to tell you any lies. If she does, please, try to humour her—she does not know what she is saying. Really, in hindsight, I should have known better than to allow myself to be lost in the joy of having my little sister back here with me. I am sure that father would have told me that if he had been there, but, what can I say? Sometimes, the relief of getting back those you thought you had lost forever—it makes you irrational. Lieutenant Raven, I expect that you have learnt from my mistakes. Do not let her try to convince you of anything."
She was only able to make out the sound of general agreement before the crown prince left the room, the echo of retreating footsteps letting her know that the guards had left as well. Maybe it should have nourished what little hope there might have been hidden away somewhere in her chest, but right then, Midna did not have the strength to even try to roll around, making an attempt at figuring out a way for her to be able to escape her cell. It was hopeless. Even if she should miraculously be able to get the key to the lock from one of the guards, even if she was able to leave the dungeon, get deeper into the castle, getting herself into a position where she would be able to find Zelda would still require for her to somehow be able to recall the exact details of the map Renado and Shad had spent ages trying to make her memorise, making her way past an unknown number of guards, get Zelda, and then make it outside again. Back when the mission had consisted of her and Zelda having to figure out a way to get Midna close to the king and crown prince, having to think of a way to be able to survive the immediate fallout of the death of the king and the heir, it had seemed like they had accepted a task with difficult odds. Now, Midna did not have to think twice to know that she was facing impossible odds. No matter how many times she tried to tell herself that there was something she was missing, no matter how many times she tried to imagine a different scenario, telling herself that perhaps she might have got the one cell where there would be a loose stone in the wall, a way for her to sneak out, fact was that she was stuck there, that she would remain stuck there for as long as Ganondorf wanted her to remain there.
No matter what happened, Midna would never give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Although she knew that by now, it was no longer a matter of 'if' she would die, but rather 'when', she refused to let them see the fear that seized her heart, making her mind feel cloudy. If nothing else, maybe she would still be able to meet her fate with enough dignity to let the rebels think of a way to turn her into a martyr, figure out a way to come and save Zelda, and finish their mission for the two of them. It was a fragile fantasy, falling apart the moment where Midna stopped to wonder just how her friends were supposed to know that things had not gone according to plan when she and Zelda had not been able to anticipate that they might end up in a situation where it would have been good to give them a time limit, a day where, had they not returned before then, it was the sign that they had lost. The truth was that, no matter how she tried to twist the situation, they would not be saved. Ganondorf would not be stupid enough to reveal her parentage by letting her death become the subject of rumours, he would make certain that the people of Hyrule, those who might have risen up to join them had they just known about how the story of their noble king saving the neighbouring kingdom from ruin had all been a lie from the very beginning, would never be able to know about the fact that she had even been there at all. Zelda would most likely leave as soon as the king returned home from Labrynna, placed on the first ship that would take her to marry the prince, sold off to ensure that Ganondorf would not have to fear an attack from the south. Perhaps it would happen even sooner than that, at least if the way Zant had acted upon seeing them was any indication of how much power he really held.
The last thing she was able to do to show them that they had not won yet was to not let them see her cry, but in that moment, Midna could feel how the courage was failing her. She was not the princess, she had not been raised to be willing to sacrifice herself for her kingdom. Maybe she would have been if the past had been different, if her mother had still been there, but as it was now, she was only there because she owed all the people who had risked their lives to help her to at least try. She was there to ensure that those who came after her would not have to fight the same fight. But more than anything, she was there because she did not want to let anyone else pay for the fact that she had spent most of her life fleeing from danger like a coward. Going back here, agreeing to trust Zelda's plan, it had all been a way for her to lie to herself, telling herself that she was more than that. However, as Midna remained there, unmoving, she knew that she had just been pretending. Deep down, she really was a coward, a coward who had let Zelda be pulled away from her rather than responding by trying to assure her that she would be all right no matter what. But, more than anything, she was a coward who was not able to keep back the tears any longer, instead crying into the fabric of her gown, not even having the strength to try to muffle her sobs.
She stayed in her tiny cell for years, her hair turning whiter as her bones became brittle. That was what it felt like to Midna as the seconds passed by, her heart stubbornly refusing to stop beating just because she begged it to finally give up, giving her the option of at least letting them all see that she refused to remain there for even a second longer. If she just passed away before they would be able to return to her, she would be able to smile as her body gave up on her, knowing that she had at least not had time to give up the location of the base. But, even as the years passed without Midna seeing even the fleeting shadow of a guard coming to bring them food, she continued to breathe, continued to be.
Risking a glance in Ashei's direction, the thought that perhaps this was exactly what Zant had ordered them to do to her, leaving her to starve, stuck her, entered her mind, but Midna was able to send it away the moment later. As much as Zant might have made it obvious that he took great pleasure in the fact that he held the most power in the king's absence, she doubted that he would dare to kill her before his father would return home. After all, he knew about just who she was, he had to know, considering the way he had instructed the guard not to trust anything Zelda might tell him.
Raven. Even as the hunger pains began to make it difficult for her to focus, Midna forced herself to repeat the name to herself over and over again, whispering so quietly that she knew that no one would be able to hear it. It was strange, how little time it took before she was almost convinced that the walls itself would be able to hear her every word, how little time it took for the paranoia to completely control her, especially considering the fact that the only other person in the room did not exactly look like she was able to respond or remember anything she might have heard.
And through it all, there was the sight of all the empty cells around them. The more she found herself thinking about how she could not have been the first person in the cell, the more Midna found herself clinging to the name of the guard who had taken Zelda away. It was easier to focus all of her hate on a single person, or at least it felt like that as she lay there, not even able to find the energy to push herself up from the cold floor. Even if the chance to kill both the king and prince would be given to her on a silver platter, Midna doubted she would have been able to do anything with how tired she was, but a single person—she might just be able to muster up the strength that would be necessary to make him pay for everything that had happened in these dungeons with his life.
The warm feeling of hate and anger did not exactly make her feel any less hungry, but still, it did help a little, making time feel less horrible. Before Midna had even got the chance to wonder why her body had yet to give up under the strain, the sound of someone walking down the stairs forced her to try to gather what little strength she had left, the soft thud of their boots against the stone floor sounding impossible loud after she had spent eternity down there in a state of almost total silence. No matter what, they would not be given the joy of seeing her lie like this on the floor.
Just as Midna had finally pushed herself up into a sitting position, the guard turned around the corner. Midna did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed as she looked up at him, only to realise that this guard was not someone she could recognise. Had he only been Raven, Onox, or even Byrne, then she knew that the rage would have been enough to allow her to ignore the pain, instead flinging herself at the bars that separated him from her, making sure that he knew exactly what she thought of him. It would not have achieved anything, nothing good at least. All that might really happen would be that he would try his best to repay her attempts at showing them that she had not given up yet by making what little was left of her life a little more miserable, as difficult as it was for her to imagine right then. But that was assuming that Zant was above blaming Zelda for the things Midna might do, and, although she hoped that he had meant it when he had said that Zelda was not in a state where they should try to hold her responsible for what she might say, Midna would not risk it.
So, really, maybe it was for the better that she did not recognise the guard. At least it meant that he did not try to tell her how there was no hope left for her, instead waiting for only a second after he had thrown a metallic plate into the room, the little chunk of bread that had been placed on it landing in the corner of the cell while the plate itself hit the wall behind Midna, missing her head by only a couple of millimetres, staring at her, almost like he was waiting for her reaction.
Midna was not sure how exactly she was able to do so, but, somehow, she remained still, not blinking or flinching even as she felt the plate brush over the top of her head.
Seemingly, her lack of a reaction was enough to convince the guard to leave again, for after having paused to repeat the process of chucking another measly meal into Ashei's cell, he turned around and left just as quickly as he arrived.
It was not until she was fairly certain that he would not suddenly return, that Midna finally began to make her way over to the bread, crawling to try to save what little energy she had left. She had her dignity, she would not give it up that easily, or at least that was what she thought until she was able to reach the bread.
It was a tiny meal, it would have been that even if she had got it back at the base, but right then, as she brought it up to her lips and smelt the lovely aroma of bread, albeit bread that had clearly not been fresh for more days than she wanted to try to imagine, Midna was reminded of how she had not eaten a full meal since the dinner Madame Aroma had prepared for them.
Biting into the chunk of bread, Midna could almost not recall why she had found her voice so grating, why almost every little thing she had done had felt like it was only a mask, a way for her to impress the princess. Did her intentions even matter? Midna knew that, right then, she would have gone back to that day without hesitation if she had just got the chance. It felt like it was a lifetime ago that she had found herself sitting at that table, trying her best not to eat too quickly, forcing herself not to attract attention, but as she swallowed a mouthful, the feeling of food in her stomach allowing her to try to count back, she knew that it was really only two days ago. Two days, that was all that separated her from the feeling of almost giddy excitement, the knowledge that she would soon be at the castle with Zelda, prepared to do her part of the mission, making her struggle to truly appreciate the last day where she was able to enjoy her freedom. The more she thought about it, the clearer it was to her that, from the moment she had first set foot on the deck of the royal airship, she had already given up her freedom. No amounts of trying to look back at Zelda, trying to convince her that there was nothing to fear, that Midna would be all right, would ever have been enough to change the fact that the room she had been given had just been a slightly more comfortable cell.
She was so lost in her own thoughts that the first time she heard someone whisper her name, she was almost certain that she was imagining it, that the exhaustion, hunger, and—although she would never imagine it—fear had finally made her reach a point where she was so desperate for a sign that she might not have to spend her last days alone that she was making things up. But then she heard it again, someone whispering her name, clearly trying their best not to risk anyone hearing, and, at last, Midna found herself with no other possible explanations than that the voice must belong to the woman in the cell on the other side of the hallway.
Slowly turning around, doing her best to convince herself that it was only caused by the fact that she did not want to appear desperate and had nothing at all to do with the fact that even just the few hours she had spent in the cell had already made her body protest against any sudden movement, Midna looked over at where Ashei was lying on the floor.
Or rather, she sent a fleeting glance towards where Ashei should have been lying on the floor, before finding herself with no other choice than to stare at her.
Ashei was sitting up, having moved to lean up against the bars, leaning forwards as far as they allowed her to do, almost like she was trying to bring herself closer to Midna. But that was not what made Midna have to discreetly reach down to pinch herself, just to be sure that she was not making it all up.
Where she had at first found herself staring at her because she could feel Zelda's pain, the reason for how Midna could almost not believe what she was seeing now had nothing to do with that. No, the reason she found herself unable to look away from Ashei was due to the fact that, unlike how Midna had expected to find herself looking at a woman who was only moments away from falling apart completely, looking more dead than alive, she was looking directly into the eyes of a captain, seeing the same woman who had been able to stage a situation where the princess would be able to make it onto the Shadow without being seen and without risking injuring her in the fight she would have to create to cover her escape.
"Midna?" Ashei looked directly at her, removing any doubts about just whom she had meant to talk to. Of course, given how they were the only two people in the dungeon, it was not exactly a puzzle to figure out that it was not a coincidence that she had just so happened to say Midna's name, but in that moment, as Midna found herself too surprised by the fact that this woman she should not have known, the woman who should have been near death, had just looked over at her and tried to initiate a conversation to respond, it was nice to be sure that she really did mean to talk to her, even if Midna was still too shocked to reply. Thankfully, it would appear that Ashei had not interpreted the total lack of a response as a sign that Midna did not want to talk with her, for she simply sent her a little smile. "Yes, you, I am talking to you."
"But—" the words felt like they were unable to move past the back of her mouth, Midna having to spit them out, "How…? How do you know—"
"Your name?" Ashei sent her a humourless grin. "It was not exactly a great secret that you are named Midna, not with how many times Zelda continued to call your name, begging her brother to spare your life."
Hearing Zelda's name said out loud, the sound of it becoming real, more than just her trying to cling to the way Zelda had looked so serene just two days before, the sunlight hitting her hair, felt almost like being kicked in the stomach. Despite how she had been so sure only moments before that she was stronger than this, that she would be able to remain cold, Midna still found herself falling backwards, fighting to save just a little bit of the illusion that she was in control by at least not letting go of the bread as she reached backwards to try to soften her fall. "I—" she mumbled, "yes, that is me. Midna, I mean."
At least Ashei did not smile at her embarrassment, though she did regard her with a cold, almost calculating look in her eyes as she nodded. "Look, Midna," Ashei leant forward, continuing to glance to the side, towards the direction where the guard had left, every other second, "I know who you are."
Her heart should have stopped beating. This, having to listen to Ashei claim that she knew about her, it should have been able to achieve what sheer determination, pride, and stubbornness had not been able to, making the emotions overpower her heart to grant her a quick way out of the dungeon. But no. Although it felt like it was what should have happened, the truth was that Midna was still sitting there, unable to hide her initial expression of pure, unmasked horror. Zelda would have been able to deflect the accusation, Midna knew that, she would no doubts have let out a loud laugh, assuring Ashei that she must have forgot about just who she was, claimed that the days in the dungeon must have made her see what she wanted to see. But Midna was not Zelda, she did not have the same kind of optimistic way of thinking, was not able to try to make the hope that she might be able to convince Ashei that she was wrong appear for even a moment.
Instead, she stuttered, feeling how what little chance there might once have been of her being able to deny it all disappeared with every shaky word. "I—I—"
She was not sure whether to be grateful or to wait for the killing blow as Ashei interrupted her, bringing her pathetic attempt at convincing her that she was wrong to a premature end. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Ashei blinked at her, and for a second, Midna could have sworn that she could see something else in her gaze, something not unlike the way Zelda had looked at her when she had first found her in the storeroom, the look of someone who was so full of pure conviction that she was doing what was right that she had entered a state where she was blind to the consequences. Or, at least, that was the impression Midna had got when looking at Zelda. But now, as Ashei sent another stolen glance in the direction of the stairs, she could not help but think that this was different somehow, that Ashei was perfectly aware of the consequences, of the fact that she would most likely never be able to leave the dungeons again, not while she was alive, but that she had accepted it. That suspicion was only strengthened as Ashei looked back over at her. "I am with you."
"Do you mean…?"
Ashei nodded. "Yes. The rebels are closer to the royal family than what I think they are aware of, or at least I hope so. But, given how these cells would all be in use if the king ever became aware of just how many of us have been placed within the castle, I have to believe that they are still safe."
"Who? Who are they?"
Ashei only sent her an apologetic look, drawing her brows together, looking almost like she was truly sorry for having to keep that piece of information from her. "I am sorry, but you have to understand that they are only safe as long as we make sure that capturing one of us does not mean getting to know the identity of everyone who has been brave enough to risk their life for the cause. Besides, with how they are already aware of your connection to the rebels but only think that I went against direct orders from the king by allowing his daughter to flee from the ship, it is vital that I do not tell you, not when they will no doubt try to get you to tell the identity of your fellow conspirators."
"No, I understand," Midna mumbled.
And she really did. It was the sad truth, but the truth nonetheless. Neither of them would be able to leave their cell again, their lives most likely able to be counted in days, weeks if they were unlucky. Now, it was all about trying to keep themselves from giving in to the temptation of trying to lessen the pain by destroying the very foundation that the rebellion might later come to rest on. But, as Midna was about to nod, there was something about Ashei's words that made her pause, mentally repeating them to herself. Although she wanted to say that she trusted Ashei, that she was able to believe that her fellow prisoner was someone she could trust without hesitation given how she was the only one she had in that moment, Midna would not have been able to say that she did not feel the suspicion make her pull back, away from the bars, almost like Ashei might have responded to her next question by attempting to attack her.
Still, it was there, hanging in the air between them the moment after Midna opened her mouth. "But… how did you know that?" not wanting to leave even the slightest chance for Ashei to be able to feign ignorance, Midna immediately continued. "How did you know that I have connections to rebels? For all you know, I could very well just have been an assassin or a pirate who was able to convince the princess to sneak me into the castle."
The way Ashei looked at her sent a shiver down Midna's back, the expression on her face telling her exactly how she had advanced to claim the title of captain, why she had seemingly been the person in charge of planning the defence for the ship that would be trusted with getting the princess to Labrynna. "Midna, I know who you are."
It was so incredibly dumb, nothing more than a way for her to be able to let off steam for a moment, only for her words to come back to haunt her the next moment. Midna knew all of that the moment she opened her mouth and felt the words spill from her lips, and still, she could not stop herself. "And who is that if I may ask?"
The answer came immediately, without any signs of Ashei having to gather up the courage, immediately making any hope that it was just a lucky guess disappear, instead letting it be replaced with the knowledge that, not only did Ashei know, she had clearly uttered those words before. "The true princess of the Twilight Realm." as Midna remained quiet, for once not having to fight to keep herself from saying anything that might have made the situation worse, having been rendered speechless the moment she had received evidence that Ashei knew, the captain continued. "I know that you are the one who should be sitting on the Twili throne. I know that the story of how the queen was murdered during a coup d'état is just that—a story, something you tell children to make them believe you. And, until I made the wrong decision about whom to trust, I was part of the Resistance, a group of rebels who were all trying to figure out a way to bring about the end of Ganondorf's reign. But now, I am here, having resigned myself to having to either risk the rest of the Resistance by agreeing to let them smuggle me out of here or die. That is, that was how it was until today."
"What do you mean?"
There was a brightness in Ashei's eyes that made her look so alive that, for a moment, Midna was almost able to ignore the fact that she was pale and much too thin. Right then, as she looked over at her, so much determination present in her gaze that Midna finally received an answer to the question of just where Zelda had learnt to look at people like she could gaze directly into their soul, Ashei was able to say the words with so much conviction that it sounded almost like it should have been obvious how they would be the answer. "You are here. The princess is here, and although I know that Ganondorf no doubt meant the princess of Hyrule when he made me swear to be willing to give my life for the princess, I know in my heart that I made a promise not just to the kingdom of Hyrule that day, but to justice as well."
Midna had to bite back a groan. This was just like talking with Zelda, except for the fact that Ashei somehow managed to seem even more idealistic, even more like she might actually be able to change the world through the sheer force of her belief in the fact that she was doing what was right. "And what does that mean exactly?" she had not meant to sound so angry, but as she talked, Midna could not hide the edge of something sharp in her voice, could not pretend that she was not angry, bitter even, the emotions aimed at everyone who had made it so that she was now sitting here, unable to do anything other than to wait, knowing that Zelda needed her, that, if Midna did not think of anything to do very soon, she would not be able to act before it would be too late, Zelda already having moved out of her reach, on an airship on its way to Labrynna. "I am sorry, but what are you thinking that we can do? What is your secret plan? Do you know of a way for me to leave this cell?"
And just like that, the hope was extinguished, Ashei letting out a long sigh that sounded almost like it was about more than the fact that Midna had just reminded her that, as it was now, it was nothing but an attempt at lying to themselves if they tried to pretend that they were in control.
"No, I do not have a way to get you out of here," Ashei finally said, sounding like the last few seconds had aged her several years. "If you were anyone but the person you are, if you were not the princess, then I know that we would be able to sneak you out—it is not like they really care all that much about the prisoners down here, not enough to really question it when their ships crashes—but you… I know that we would not be able to help you escape. I am sorry."
She wanted to be angry. Wanted it so badly that it felt like it was going to make her find the strength to bend the metal bars on her own, creating the escapeway that Ashei could not grant her.
But as she looked over at Ashei, saw the way she meant each and every word, how there was no part of what she had said that had been anything less than the full truth, Midna was not able to stay angry, even as the horrible feeling of despair crept in, taking up the space the anger had possessed moments before. "No, I understand. I understand completely. I was just—forget it." as much as she tried not to think about it, tried her best to shake her head, forcing it to disappear, the image of Rusl, the way he had looked at her the moment before he had been taken away from her for good, kept pressing against her defences, forcing her to recognise the fact that the feeling of how she would not be able to move on without hearing that there was even the slightest chance of escape was not as much about her after all. "I was just thinking about someone I knew." she had wanted to let it stay at that, not giving Ashei the chance to see the weakness that missing someone would be in here, but Midna could not stop herself, the words already bubbling to the surface a moment later as she continued. "Ashei? If I—say, if I knew someone who had been caught by the guards, possibly taken back here… is there even the slightest chance that you might have freed him? Could he still be alive?"
If Zelda had been there, she would have assured her the next moment that of course that was what had happened, barely pausing to even consider the option of that not having been the case. After all, she was the one who had been so insistent that Ashei would free Rusl. But where Zelda's sense of idealism seemed to have been fuelled by pure, blind optimism, driving her forwards, Ashei simply sent Midna a long glare, almost like she did not want to confirm or deny the idea. Now was the moment where she would finally get to know if Zelda had been right back then, if Midna had been the one to decide too quickly what would have happened to Rusl the moment he left their ship, all chances of them being able to save him disappearing.
"That depends." Ashei spoke slowly, looking almost like she was scared of what Midna's reaction would be. But where Midna would have been able to understand it if it had been the same kind of fear that had briefly made its way into Zelda's eyes when Midna had lashed out, here, it seemed more like Ashei was worrying about whether or not Midna would continue to talk with her if she gave her the wrong answer. "Maybe. If he was not someone whom the king deemed important enough to send a guard with, if he tried to have him transferred to another prison, then, yes, we might have freed him. But, unless you give me a name, I am afraid that I will not be able to give you an actual answer."
"Rusl." it was not a good idea to give his name up that easily, not when she had yet to figure out how Ashei had been able to stay alive for this long, what kind of agreement she had made to get them to let her live, but Midna wasn't able not to achieve certainness. "His name is Rusl." is, she had to believe that.
"Rusl." Ashei repeated the name, her gaze becoming distant for a moment. "Yes, if we are talking about the tall man who was captured while he was trying to attack a ship, then, yes, we did manage to get him out of here. Just a little week ago, he was supposed to be taken to another prison in Lurelin Village, but, what can I say?" there was a smirk that seemed to have been designed specifically to make sure that no one would have any doubts about what Ashei was capable of if she just had the reasons to do so. "Since the king had already given up on trying to get any information out of him, he did not care too much about the fact that the ship disappeared on the way to Lurelin, not when he had already decided that the prisoner would have to die."
The relief was split down the middle, halfway caused by the fact that, despite everything else, despite all that was still absolutely horrible in the world, at least Rusl was still there, halfway due to how he had not said anything. Rusl had done exactly what Midna would have to do now; he had been strong, refusing to tell them even a little about where the base was located. She was not sure how much it had taken for him to be able to do that, but Midna could not imagine that it had been easy. And now he had given her another reason to not let all of his work be wasted by giving in herself.
"Where…?" Midna crawled closer to the bars, trying her best to stick her face out as much as she could, making it so that Ashei would not have to tell her the answer so loudly that they might risk the guard hearing. "Where is he now?"
But Ashei shook her head. "I am sorry, but given… well, who you are, the king is not going to give up as easily when it comes to getting information from you."
The meaning was obvious. Already by letting Midna know that Rusl was alive, letting her know that Ashei was not as trapped as the king thought she was, Ashei was risking everything. If she also told her where they took the prisoners they had been able to sneak away from Ganondorf's watchful gaze, it could potentially bring the entirety of the Resistance to fall.
It was logical, it made sense, and yet, Midna knew that she must have looked like she had been hit across the face with the pain that was present in Ashei's eyes as she continued. "I am sorry, but you have to understand that the only way to keep them safe is to ensure that we will not give up the secrets of the Resistance."
"No, I understand." at least that much was true. Midna did understand the logic behind the decision not to tell her. She was able to rationally look at Ashei and tell herself that, had it only been safe, she would already know exactly where Rusl was, that the only reason she now had to simply trust Ashei's word was that she would not be allowed to simply rot away in this cell the way Ashei seemed to have done. It was logical, rational, and had it been about any other thing, Midna was sure that she would even have been able to defend the choice to herself. But now, no matter how many times she tried to convince herself that, as long as Rusl might one day be able to return back to the base, letting Link, Ilia, Renado, Shad—everyone really—know that all was not lost yet, she would be satisfied, Midna could still feel the ache in her chest, how she wanted to know just where he was.
But she didn't ask. It would not have been right to put the burden of remaining rational onto Ashei's shoulders, not when Ashei had been there for far longer than her and should by all means have been even more exhausted than she was. So instead Midna turned away from the bars, lying back down on the floor with her piece of bread. If nothing else, at least the conversation had made her lose her appetite, her stomach no longer screaming for food. She tried her best to focus on that and nothing else, waiting until the wonderful moment where she finally slipped back into a dreamless sleep.