Inspiration: You guys... I have the best readers anywhere. Thank you all so much.

Shout Outs: Shadowmaiden and Ono avon.

Reedited 5/1/2015

Word Count: 5,376

Chapter 21

Two Hours After Link's Arrest: Ilia's POV

Papa, the other villagers, and I all made haste to travel to Hyrule Castle Town. We arrived hours ago, probably a little after Link's arrival, but we had no way of knowing where he had been taken off to. Information regarding his whereabouts and the state of his well being was our number one priority when we set off on our trek to the castle. There was no denying the disbelief and dismay many of us felt as we traveled, but we tried to temper the apparent tension with optimism, hoping against all hope that what that looked like, the arrest, wasn't actually what it really was, an arrest. The older ones of us did that for the sake of the children, particularly Colin and the other boys. I knew how much they looked up to Link. He was more like a big brother to them than a mentor and a hero. However... on a more personal note, I wasn't going to sugarcoat my feelings on this situation, I was terrified for Link. I had no idea what was going on, or why the guards had come and taken him away without so much as an explanation for those of us left behind. They treated him like a common criminal. A lowly nobody who didn't deserve to be treated with respect. Why would they do that? Why would the queen mandate such an order? It simply didn't make sense, and when something didn't make sense there was always a bit of truth missing. At least, that was how Link always cautioned me to think.

Really, what is going on here? I wondered pragmatically.

I reasoned further.

Why did the queen need to question him? What had he done? What hadn't Link told me regarding this mess? It was all so surreal, like I was watching this entire event from outside my tangible body. I couldn't believe this was happening. More frankly, I didn't want to believe this was happening. If the scenario turned out to be the worst case, what was going to happen then? What if he was here under arrest? What about the well being of our baby? What about our wedding we still needed to plan for? There were so many things he and I still needed to do. I wasn't going to lie, I knew this wasn't the best time to mention this, especially considering the stress and uncertainty everyone was feeling, but I knew I was right about Link working here in Castle Town all this time. In fact, I felt so vindicated in my thought process, that I felt an 'I told you so' was in order. Of course, I wasn't going to tell him that now, but a part of me certainly wanted to. If he had been properly appreciated the way he should have been, then that scene in Ordon never would have taken place. If he was so important to the queen the way he gloated in the past, then he wouldn't have been in the situation he was in right now. I was generally scolded by Link for my womanly intuition and 'smothering ways' as he liked to put it, but now who looked like the fool? Now who was the one that should have been a little more cautious? Something told me that eventually something terrible like this was going to happen to him. How could it not? At the end of the day Link needed to realize one thing, he was still a peasant. He wasn't a noble who had the power to change the politics and inner workings of Hyrule. The reality was, he was a simple man who needed to live a simple life.

I furrowed my brow as I contemplated this.

Why can't you understand that Link? I wondered. Why do you think your life is destined for more than what it is... or needs to be?

Perhaps I wasn't being altogether fair. Perhaps my selfishness was more on display than my reasoning insights on the situation. I wasn't going to pretend that the primary motivating factor for me thinking the way I was, was me wanting more than anything in the world to be Link's wife. I had dreamed of it since we were children. For as long as I could remember I knew I was in love with him. I just wanted us to grow old together in a little cottage in Ordon, surrounded by our children and grandchildren. Was that too much to ask for? Anyway, there was no sense in going over that right now, or contemplating the previous things that couldn't be changed. At the end of the day, I just wanted Link to be alright. That was all I really cared about. Everything else can wait.

I switched focus and turned my attention to my father and the other villagers, hoping that some news would surface soon on Link's whereabouts. It was well after one in the morning and we were all gathered in the square where a small bonfire had been made. I wasn't sure if a bonfire was against city ordinance this time of night, but so far we hadn't been approached by any of the guards to warrant such a concern. The usual town's folk were sparse that evening, with maybe a couple or two out and about to enjoy the night sky. However, considering the time, it was of no real surprise that the usual pomp and circumstance of the town was regulated in the moment with quietness and serenity. Everyone was already retired to bed for the night, and wouldn't be up for several more hours. It made sense that it was that way, the people probably had no idea that Link was brought in under the cover of night. If the people did know, I was sure the square would have been flooded with folks right now. Link was a pretty popular fellow. I still remember how fondly those serving girls in the tavern spoke about him when I went to buy that bottle of wine.

Maybe right now only a few people knowing what's going on is for the best, I thought.

In the mean time, Beth, Collin, Talo and Malo all looked tired from the long trek, but they were still eager to see what was going on with our resident hero. That was always the attitude of our young Ordonians. They cared very much for the well being of Link. Collin in particular looked the most worried because he looked up to Link more than any of them. Link was teaching the young adolescent how to use the sword under his father Rusl's tutelage, it was no wonder why Collin was so concerned. Speaking of Rusl, the retired soldier looked noticeably more upset than everyone else, possibly because he worked in the same capacity as Link and knew more of what was going on than the rest of us. Rusl traveled to Castle Town from time to time when Link was still working with the queen, so whatever bearings his knowledge may have had on this matter, I was hoping he'd be willing to share something with us soon. All this being left in the dark was making things ten times worse. However, even with everything said and done, the person that was the most upset was my father.

Papa looked the most visibly angry out of everyone here, and that was for obvious reasons only known to me and him. My pregnancy was well into its second month and was about to hit its third. My belly wasn't large yet, but I did have a noticeable bump when I didn't wear anything loose or heavy. I wasn't going to pretend that I wasn't concerned about this. Letting Link have his time to find his friend was worth it to me if in the end it meant us being together. However, now I wasn't so sure that that was the right decision. No one in the village knew about the baby except Link, papa, and me. If we didn't get married soon, there was no way I was going to be able to simply explain this away. The news could possibly lead to scandal and a whole host of other things I didn't want to think about. Our village had maintained a chaste and clean way of living for years. The last thing I wanted was to disrupt that dichotomy by being a terrible role model for the younger Ordonians. Beth and Colin were fourteen and thirteen years old respectively, they were at the cusp of transitioning from being children to young man and womanhood. If Link's and my example faltered, it could potentially lead to brazen conduct conducted by them. I didn't want that, I didn't want the two of them going through what Link and I were going through. It was better to do things the right way.

I paused when I contemplated that.

The right thing... I thought.

My conscience was my worst enemy these days when I thought about 'the right thing'. I really had no claim to that saying because I knew how I had gotten into this mess in the first place. I wanted Link so badly that I deceived him into getting me pregnant so he would marry me. I tried to reason my guilt away, but there was simply no way of running away from one's true self... one's true self. I knew what that really meant. In the past, I never would have thought to do what I had done to him, but desperation often made a terrible bedfellow. I was so afraid of losing Link to another woman that I came up with whatever means necessary to entrap him, and though I thought I was justified in my dealings, there was a part of me that knew deep down inside he resented me for it. I could see it in his eyes every time he looked at me. He was so perceptive to what I had done, that he even guessed how I tricked him correctly. I was so scared to give myself away then, that I resorted to lying to him and making him feel as though he were the villain to justify my stance. It worked naturally, but I knew I was wrong. I knew I was dead wrong, and I couldn't help but feel I was going to have answer dearly for such a lie eventually. I didn't know how or when, but I knew karma was often woven in the wings of fate, and like Hylia, one should never mess with fate. The feeling was so apparent that even I began to resent me for it.

I swallowed hard and looked to the ground.

Was it really worth it? I wondered.

More than anything in the world I wanted Link to love me the way I loved him. However, as I stated before, I was aware of how my going about it was wrong. If the shoe were on the other foot, would I want to be treated the way I was treating him? Would I have liked to have been deceived into doing something I knew I didn't want to do? I knew the answers to those questions, and they only made me feel worse. Link wasn't even thinking about me the night he was making love to me, and that was insult enough. Frankly, I knew I was a fool, but I had gone so far, and had fallen so low, that I didn't think I could stop now. I had to marry him. I had to go through with this. I had to make a right from this wrong. I had to. I had no other choice. I felt my eyes tear up, but I quickly wiped them away. I shook my head of my thoughts and tried to get a grip on my emotions. I didn't want to unravel here with the others watching me.

Try to think positively Ilia, I told myself, maybe whatever's going on isn't a big deal. Maybe Link will be released soon.

I knew that was wishful thinking on my part, and it wasn't really working. Afterwards, my thoughts switched course to a more nature orientation, as a sharp chill crept up my back from the frigid night air. It was hard to get comfortable when the temperatures hit certain parameters, even with a bonfire present, and with all the stone in Hyrule, the cold weather seemed amplified. I pulled the cloak I was wearing closer to me while I stared at the yellow and orange flames inside the cylinder stone basin. I glanced over at the others to see if they were fairing well, but their expressions hadn't changed. They were all still watching, hoping, and waiting for news on Link in the same eager fashion as I. It was possible that we weren't going to get any news on him until after dawn. That was several more hours from now... a very long wait. I wasn't sure how long these tribunals normally went, but if it was something of the utmost importance, which I was assuming this was to be, I was certain this could last all night. Most of us here had probably already made that inference by now. That wasn't a comforting thought, especially where the children were concerned, but comfort didn't always temper reality.

Such was life.

Anyway, in the mean time, appearing from the alleyway of west Castle Town, I noticed a man dressed in a white medical robe, and wearing a strange set of bifocals propped on his head. He watched us all for a moment before deciding to come towards us and engage in conversation. I gave him a keen stare, but then it only took me only a second to see that it was Dr. Borville, the resident family physician. I wasn't going to lie, I was a little startled at seeing him this way, and tensed up. I was thinking he was going to assume everyone knew about my pregnancy, and give my secret away without knowing it. However, I jumped the sword too soon, and my fears lessened when he came up, greeted everyone the way he normally did, and didn't add any undue attention towards me. I sighed a little in relief, even though I was sure he was puzzled as to why we were all there, and what was going on. He came close, standing about a foot away from my vantage point to the right of me, and warmed his hands by the fire.

He looked up at the clear night sky.

"It's a perfect chilly night for a bonfire," he said, "but we are approaching the wee hours of the morning. I'm surprised an ordinance hasn't been put into place regarding this."

It was interesting that he brought that up, because I just thought about that only a short time ago. However, it seemed his words landed upon deaf ears. Even though he was addressing everyone, none of the adults paid much attention to his statement. The doctor garnered more of a reaction out of the children than the adults.

"An ordinance would be a good idea," said the ever enigmatic Malo, "but I'm sure that the people who frequent Castle Town wouldn't be too happy about that."

The doctor was both surprised and puzzled at the young Ordonians reply. He looked at him perplexed for a moment. "Really..." he replied,"you don't say?"

Talo grinned and shook his head, used to reactions like that regarding his brother. "You have to overlook my brother sir," he said, "Malo's kind of crazy."

I raised a brow, not wanting anyone to be rude. "Talo..." I trailed in warning.

Talo shrugged and didn't seem threatened by my verbiage at all. "What?" he asked. "It's the truth."

I sighed and shook my head, not having the energy to argue with young man.

"Whatever," I mumbled to myself.

Malo rolled his eyes and brushed his brother's comment off. "Craziness is a loose term in this sense, and reserved for people with no business sense," he replied, "that isn't me at all. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm too pragmatic for that."

Dr. Borville's perplexity deepened at the young boy. "Uh... please don't think me rude," he started, "but how old are you again?"

Malo looked the doctor straight in the eyes and didn't flinch. "Seven," he replied.

Dr. Borville simply nodded. "That's what I thought," he said.

At seeing this Beth nudged and scolded the little Ordonian. "Will you stop being so weird to a complete stranger," she demanded, "you're going to make him think you're nuts."

That didn't seem to be an issue for Malo. "I've heard worse in my store in Kakiriko Village," he replied to Beth, then added, "and my mother always told me never to talk to strangers."

Beth and I groaned in frustration.

However, Dr. Borville just grinned. "Your mother would be right, but I didn't realize I was still a stranger," he said, changing the subject, "I helped your good friend Ilia here when she lost her memories some time ago. Don't you remember?"

He caught me off guard with that. I had almost forgotten about that myself.

The younger Ordonians looked between he and me surprised.

"Really?" Collin asked.

The doctor nodded. "Really."

I tried to smile, not having very much to say, and the doctor could tell from the expression on my face that something else was up. In fact, the doctor knew something was up with all of us, we all stood out like a sore thumb. Why would people who lived in such a remote village travel to Hyrule Castle Town at night with a bunch of young ones in tow, and no reasonable explanation as to why? It was silly if any of us thought we weren't going arouse suspicion sooner or later. I was surprised no one said anything to us until now.

The doctor cleared his throat.

"I know some of you may find my inquiry nosy," he started, "but I have to ask, what are all of you doing here at this time of night? It's near two in the morning and very few people stay in the square to light a bonfire, let alone villagers from far away."

It was a reasonable question, but no one answered immediately, which only made the doctor's intrigue deepen. It was then he turned solely to me, thinking he could get more information from just one person.

"Can you tell me what's going on my dear?" he asked. "I hope you don't think I'm intruding. I'm just curious."

I pursed my lips together, not altogether sure myself, but I did see why he was a little bit skeptical with our behavior. He did make some valid points: we were the only ones in the square, it was dark out, we had a fire going, we were strangers to Castle Town for the most part, and we stood out like a fish out of water. I sighed and finally decided to stop being so guarded.

"We're... waiting on news of our friend," I replied finally, "something... something happened in our village and that's why we're all here."

The doctor's puzzlement never went away. "News of your friend?" he repeated, then quickly made a deduction of my statement when he looked around at everyone. "Do you mean Master Link?"

That's exactly who I meant, however, I continued to stare at the fire and only nodded my reply. I was afraid to say his name aloud.

Dr. Borville looked at me stunned at the realization. "What has happened to him?" he asked.

I swallowed hard and no one wanted to answer that question. The reality was, no one knew what happened to him. We were almost as in the dark as he, however even with our little bit insight, there was no telling what was really going on behind those stone walls. Even still, I was sure the others didn't want to say anything prematurely, as it would only make the situation more stressful. But, we couldn't all just stand idly by either. I essentially made the doctor as privy as the rest of us.

I decided to be a little more forthcoming with the physician.

"He was brought here by her majesty's guard," I divulged after a few seconds went by. "Since his and our arrival we don't know what's become of him."

The doctor's eyes widened at my saying. "You mean... he was escorted here by soldiers?" he asked.

I hated the thought of that, and nodded reluctantly.

"Yes," I replied.

The doctor then took in a deep sigh and shook his head. "This is grave indeed," he said more to himself than to me.

I couldn't agree more.

"I know," I said.

While the doctor was talking to me, Papa, who was still pacing the square, didn't hide the scowl that was rapidly spreading across his face. His patience was increasingly waning, and he seemed to get more and more agitated with the situation. I could only imagine what was going through his mind at that moment.

"What's taking so long?" he demanded all of a sudden. "Why hasn't anyone said anything about Link's whereabouts yet?"

Papa's words definitely alerted us villagers and the doctor, but his booming voice also alerted the presence of several guards in the background as well. He was so upset that he wasn't thinking rationally. I needed to calm him down before he became more and more a spectacle. I walked over to him to talk to him quietly.

"Papa," I said softly, "you have to try and relax, getting upset isn't going to make this any easier."

My father groaned at my words and closed his eyes. "I'm aware of that Ilia," he said, "but we've been out here for hours."

In mid-sentence the doctor came over to us to speak with the village leader. "Master Bo," he started, "what seems to be the problem?"

Papa shook his head and opened his eyes. "I would like to know that myself," he said, "Link was taken here to the castle and we were given no explanation why. I and everyone, just want to know if he is alright."

The doctor nodded, understanding my father's frustrations. "Did they say why he was being brought here?" he asked.

This time Rusl chimed in. "They said they wanted to question him on something," he replied, "but the details are vague at best. We're hoping that whatever the issue is will be resolved soon, so he can come back home with us."

The doctor nodded again. "I hope so too," he tried to comfort, "seeing you all here worried like this suddenly has me worried as well."

Papa didn't add any reassurances. "I just hope to Hylia they haven't done something to him," he replied.

I was hoping for that too. I wasn't going to lie, this situation was not looking well, and the longer Link stayed absent the more bothersome it became. However, as if in tandem with our conversation, suddenly from north Castle Town square the doors up the long stairwell leading to the castle gates opened. From it, several guards came dressed in riding armor, and were carrying scrolls under their arms. One of them was even holding a small horn to alert people. The sight of them didn't provide any solace, and it only deepened my fears. Something terrible had happened to Link, and I had a feeling these men were going to let us know what it was.

Dear Hylia... I begged, please...

The guards stopped at the edge of the square, and the one with the horn suddenly blared it loudly through the air. I looked on shocked at the blunt intrusion of the quiet. Several minutes later, people who were indoors and asleep, were abruptly awakened and came outside into the square. Or, if they weren't suitable, they stayed inside and watched from the abridging of their doorways, or the terraces of their balconies. The men waited several minutes until all of Castle Town was accounted for. It was then one of the guards stepped forward. Everyone in the audience was silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Hyrule," the guard started, "her majesty, Queen Zelda of Hyrule, has written a decree regarding a very serious matter. It is imperative that you all listen and take warning from these words."

I felt my stomach drop at the sound of that.

Oh no, I thought.

The guard then unrolled the scroll and began reading.

He read:

"'This night a terrible discovery has been made

by the hero known as Link. He has been caught

acting erroneously against the throne of Hyrule.

After being questioned, and trialed by her majesty,

the verdict has been decided. The hero has arrested

for treason to the throne, and has henceforth been

sentenced to jail for thirty days after which his

fate will then be decided. It is with a heavy heart

her majesty makes this decision, but treason is not

something that will tolerated in Hyrule. Let the hero's

example be an example to us all, and remember that

the law rules in Hyrule...'"

The entire assemblage there was stunned by the news. I felt my stomach drop again and my body freeze from disbelief.

Link's been arrested? I thought.

I wasn't the only one taken aback, several others in the audience vocalized their concerns as well.

"Did you read that right?" a man asked. "Are my ears playing tricks on me?"

The soldier who read the decree raised a brow. "Your ears heard everything clear as day," he replied.

The man who asked the question didn't side step.

"Why in the world was the hero arrested for treason?" he demanded. "Surely we deserve more of an explanation than this."

Several others chimed when they saw the apparent disdain in the soldier's eyes. The town's folks were not going to be dismissed because a guard had a sudden superiority complex.

"He's right," a woman added, "you can't just say the hero's been arrested and then expect us to take that on face value. Why has he been arrested?"

The same soldier was a little surprised at the vocal reaction of the few.

"I just explained to you that it was for treason," he replied, "her majesty was very clear."

It was then my father added to the mix. "With all due respect sir," he started, "but that decree wasn't clear at all. It stated that he was caught up in 'erroneous acts' and because of such he was arrested. That is not clarity. What are these erroneous acts? What treason has he committed?"

The soldier didn't appreciate my father's tone. "Listen here sir," he said in warning, "let me make it clear to you that her majesty isn't under any obligation to give us any clarification. She didn't even have to let the people know that the hero was arrested."

All his comment did was piss more people off.

"Are you serious?" a woman demanded. "You think that's a plausible explanation?"

The guard groaned. "Madam-" he tried.

"How dare you say such a thing to us!" a man said from the back. "Link isn't just the queen's hero, Link is the people's hero. The queen can't just jail him without telling us why! He saved all of Hyrule, not just the bloody castle!"

"He's right!" said another. "'The law rules in Hyrule,'" he mocked, "what kind of condescending nonsense is that? Link saved this country and everyone in it!"

The first soldier's eyes widened in surprise, and that was when the other men decided to step up and help him.

"Look," another soldier said next to him, "I am aware that this is upsetting news, but the decision has already been made. If you think Hyrule has suffered a grievance of some kind you can take an audience with her majesty when she takes to court tomorrow."

Another soldier nearly scolded the suggested. "You fool," he said to his comrade, "why would you make such a suggestion, knowing that her majesty's court will be flooded with this nonsense?"

All the soldier's comment did was polarize the group more.

"So you think us having an issue with Master Link's arrest is nonsense?" a woman demanded.

Before one of the guards could answer, a man from the background replied.

"Yes," he said.

Almost everyone turned at the sound of the voice, and were surprised to see a group of men standing together. They were all dressed in expensive garb and seemed to share the same viewpoint as the soldiers. However, it was important to note the man who spoke was a noble.

"I for think it is ridiculous that people here have the nerve to question her majesty's motives," he went on, "it was obvious the hero was not all that he claimed to be. If the queen felt it necessary for the bastard to be arrested, then he deserved to be arrested."

That comment certainly didn't help things.

"You selfish pawn!" a woman called out. "You're just upset that because of Master's Link's actions in the past, you now have to pay your rightful share in taxes as it is taken off the poor!"

The noble didn't appreciate the remark. "This has nothing to do with that you worthless swine!" he snapped. "That fool has been nothing but a nuisance since he came to Hyrule! I for one am glad he's gone! He should have been arrested sooner for his bar fights and lack of prudence!"

"You're blinded and jaded by your own prejudice and stupidity!" another man said to the noble heated. "Without the hero you wouldn't be able to conduct business the way you used to! You'd be dead!"

The fervor was beginning to grow, and it was steadily becoming more cumbersome. The guards were going to send the people away soon.

"That's enough people!" the first guard called out. "The decree has been read and you all are ordered to go back to your respective homes. Arguing with us and each other about it is not going to change it."

Some in the audience were not satisfied with that.

"This is ridiculous!" a man said. "And don't think her majesty won't know it!"

I was surprised at how passionate the people were for Link, and it made me feel a little guilty for assuming that he had no place in Hyrule. It was obvious the people thought a great deal about him, and his presence was greatly needed to fight of the vultures like the nobles in the court. However, how in the world could the queen justify treason? What could Link possibly had done? Why had the guards taken all of his things when they captured him? What was Link really after? Was it his friend Midna? Or... was it something more?

Dear Nayru... I thought, I hope I get to find out.