Sorry it's not much. But I haven't had a lot of time on my plate to write much lately, especially when you're taking care of multiple stories at the same time.
Return to Hyrule Castle
"These are the times that try men's souls."-Thomas Paine
Maybe I should've knocked? Ganondorf thought.
In the seconds after Ganondorf made his appearance, all hell broke loose. Malen was gone, shepherding the Kokiri deep into the Lost Woods along with the twins. Karine bridal style lifted Zelda off of her log and was gone into the trees within seconds. Impa drew a massive blade and charged at Ganondorf, but the Deku Tree got there first. Great tree roots emerged from the ground and slammed the King of Thieves into a nearby rock. The roots hardened to the consistency of stone, trapping him there.
"Hey please, I mean no...hmmm..." Ganondorf was cut off as the tree roots gagged him. "Impa please...just hear me out."
"No," she said.
"Maybe you should see this," he said, clenching his right hand. The Triforce gleamed there, revealing...
"The Triforce of Courage, impossible," Impa said, stunned, the blade just inches from Ganondorf's throat.
"You see, I need to talk to all of you. Just hear me out, if you don't like what I have to say, you can slay me."
After everyone had mostly calmed one (Malen still kept Otulissa, the Kokiri, Rowan, and Zelda deep in the Lost Woods) Ganondorf finally told his story.
"Three days ago the Triforce started glowing on my hand. Gerudo travelers then brought word of the disappearance of the Princess. A council was held and several operatives, including myself were sent out to solve the mystery of why the Triforce had been shattered."
"I mean absolutely no harm. Look, a male is born into the Gerudo tribe every hundred years, over hundred have been born since and have done no harm. This mark started glowing ten days ago. I immediately set out to confer with Zelda or Link. But she was gone by the time I reached the castle."
"Why didn't you go visit Link?" the Deku Tree asked, genuinely curious.
"Because we don't trust him."
"Why did you say the Princess might have to end the Hero's life?"
"Because Link has gone off the wall. Gerudo travelers reported seeing him murder several priests at the Temple of Time. Rumors continue to float..."
"That's still no justification for asking Zelda to end the life of her brother," the Deku Tree interrupted.
"I'm sorry," Ganondorf said as genuinely as he could. "I was angry, I probably should have said that. My predecessors have honored a peace treaty signed with Hyrule, including Urbosa, who died in the service of the Royal Family. I have no intention of breaking that tradition."
No one knew what to say; this had never happened before. Even the Great Deku Tree wasn't sure whether to trust him or not.
"Besides, things have gone from bad to worse," he said. "Hyrule Castle is under martial law; guardians are patrolling the entrances. Guards are in the streets. I had to backtrack a long way along Hyrule Field to get here."
Impa's eyebrows went up; her contacts had told her the same things just hours earlier. Was Ganondorf telling the truth? Was he really a threat?
Caution for now, she thought.
"Thanks Ganondorf for the information," she said. "Release him."
The Great Deku Tree released the vines holding Ganondorf in place.
"I must go now," he said. "I have to make sure my people are safe in case the King or Link tries anything."
He left into the mists.
"Karine," Impa said to her second. "Don't bring anyone out until the Deku Tree reorients the Lost Woods."
"Yes Impa," Karine said.
"I already know what to do."
After the Deku Tree had shifted the path to the Deep Wood again, everyone came back.
"Okay, in light of what has happened, I can see only one course of action," Impa said. "We must talk to Link. He's the missing key to this puzzle. Which means?"
Zelda's heart dropped to her stomach.
"Zelda must go back. I'm sorry, but I have no choice. However, due to heightened security around the castle, we'll wait until the twins have recovered before we do anything. They know Hyrule Castle inside and out. If anyone can get the Princess in and out, they can."
Three heads poked up behind a rock face to gaze at Hyrule Castle. Just two days previous after Rowan and Otulissa had made semi-full recoveries, the Shiekah and Zelda set off. Impa and Karine set up agents around Hyrule Castle and the Gerudo Desert while Otulissa, Rowan, and Zelda prepped for the attempt to get into the castle.
"Do I really have to wear this?" Zelda had asked as two female Shiekah helped her get into a tight, black Shiekah garb.
"Yes," Otulissa retorted impatiently. "We know you're used to dresses, but trust us, do you want to be stuck in Hyrule Castle when this is over?"
"No."
"Then wear the clothes."
That settled that. Zelda couldn't see how'd they get in. Guardians, the spider-like ones that moved along the ground and the ones that flew were everywhere. Guards were on the ramparts around the castle, on alert, responding to anything that moved. She glanced at Otulissa and Rowan; both showed no sign of emotion on either of their faces.
"I have a plan," Otulissa announced. She folded out a small map on the ground. Zelda peeked and almost fainted. It was the most detailed map of Hyrule Castle she'd ever seen. Secret passageways she didn't know about were marked, every hallway, closet, and room was carefully annotated and labeled.
"How did you make this?"
"Lots of sneaking around," Rowan said in a voice that made it clear both weren't going to say anymore.
"If we take the docks here," Otulissa said, tracing her finger along a set of passageways near the back of the castle. "It'll take us directly to the Princes's quarters."
"What if he isn't there?" Zelda asked, her hands messing with her golden blonde hair again.
"We keep looking," Rowan informed her. "We don't give up."
"Good," Zelda said, anxious to get this over with as soon as possible. She stepped out behind the rock.
"No Zelda!" Otulissa shouted.
A red light shown on the Princess. Alarms went off on all of the Guardians while Rowan dragged Zelda away behind the rock again.
"Good job Princess," Otulissa crowed. "Now you did it."
"What do we do?" Zelda asked lamely.
"We run!"
The three broke into an all out run as a horde of Guardians converged where they had just been.
"This is more like it," Otulissa said three hours later, getting off of a raft. The docks were deserted as all of the loading crews had left to go home for the night.
Rowan helped Zelda disembark and then he hid the raft underneath one of the docks for later use. A door stood slightly ajar, a light shining through it.
"Alright," Otulissa said. "We open this and the secret passageway is just across the hall."
"If's someone is there?" Zelda asked, anxiety building in her stomach.
"We're dead," Rowan and Otulissa responded together.
Zelda gulped as Otulissa gingerly pushed the door open.