A/N: This chapter was revised as of 11/21/2017 - Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.

This chapter was revised as of 2/28/2018 - Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.

This chapter was revised as of 5/17/2019 - Polished, bits re-worded.


When Heroes Fall

By: Selphie Kinneas 175

Chapter 5: Sheep to the Slaughter

.:.

The sun that early afternoon was almost as high in the atmosphere as the boys' excitement was in their hearts.

The mere idea, the simple thought that they were possibly even the tiniest bit closer to finding their hero, had them on the tips of their toes in anticipation.

Granted, none of their plan was exactly guaranteed to work – they didn't even know if they'd be able to gain an audience with the queen – but just that reestablished hope was enough to bring smiles to their eager, youthful faces.

Through that newly vibrant sense of hope, there was also fear burrowed deep within Ren's spirit. His fear wasn't necessarily of failure, or of being unable to find his father, or of even being unable to go any further in his search should the ominous king shut his pursuit down right before it could truly begin. His strongest fear was of the actual moment he might get to finally meet his father. As far as he was aware, the hero had no idea he even existed. Would he be angry upon seeing him? Would he be sad, or upset? Would he not even believe him, or worse, disown him? He had no idea what to expect, and, perhaps, the not knowing was the most frightening part.

While the castle's stones sparkled brilliantly beneath a bright, golden sun, Ren couldn't help but shake a feeling of dread involving his soon and inevitable meeting with this… king. Renado had warned them that he was not as he seemed, and Ren wasn't sure how to take that. If all the people believed he was a good king, what else mattered? Maybe he was too young to understand the finer details of politics and all that nonsense, but wasn't the adoration of your people one of the most important aspects of ruling a country? If he had that, what could possibly be so bad about him?

Besides, if Queen Zelda liked him enough to marry him, surely he couldn't be all bad… right? And even beyond that, how would Renado know? Sure, as far as Ren knew he was exponentially wise and immeasurably intelligent, but he was pretty positive the shaman hadn't actually met the king himself, so how would he know? Could the wisdom of an old man from Kakariko outweigh the simple minds of the people at the king's very feet?

Ren visibly shook his head at his conflicting thoughts – who knew really, he sure didn't, and thinking about it only gave him a headache.

He'd let the adults deal with that.

He reached his hand into his pocket and fiddled with the mysterious shards he had found in his father's hearth. For some reason, they gave him a sense of comfort whenever he was feeling uneasy.

"You'll really like the people we're getting ready to meet with, Ren," Colin spoke up, putting an end to the somewhat awkward silence and the young boy's rampant mind.

He could tell the silence was there because Ren felt anxious about what was to come, and he wanted to try and alleviate that in any way he could.

Ren turned to him, his interest just slightly piqued, "Oh?"

"Yeah," the blond young man smiled, "Telma will welcome you in with open arms, and very likely a really, really tight hug, so get ready for that. Ashei, Shad, and Auru are the resistance members that live there. Ashei was super blunt and honest the few times I've met her, and Shad is the intellectual one. Auru is the wise, old guy, and kind of keeps the younger members in check, with the help of my dad back in the day."

Ren simply nodded once slowly, picturing what they all might look like in his mind's eye.

"I haven't seen any of them in such a long time," Colin went on, "So, I'm not sure what's changed, if anything. Last time I saw them all was…" he paused, remembering it as if it were yesterday, "when your dad put an end to the twilight."

Ren was quick to change the subject, "What about Uncle Malo? We should get to see him while we're here, right?"

Colin chuckled, "Goddesses, yes, that little jerk. We'll make sure to visit his shop and say hello before we leave. Farore, I haven't seen him in far too long."

The older of the two Ordonians looked a tad forlorn then, and so Ren kept the conversation going.

"And the queen? My mom mentioned that you guys got to meet her when she was still the princess. Do you think she'll help us?"

Colin pondered it a moment, "I think she'll help us, yes, but it's what Mister Renado said about the king that's got me a bit worried."

Ren said nothing then, simply because he had nothing to say. He was excited, nervous, frightened, and elated all at once, and his heart felt tight in his chest. The anticipation was just killing him – he couldn't wait to meet his father, to tell him how much he'd missed him, to tell him all about the last fifteen years of his life, to just… know him.

As they were crossing the long drawbridge into the outskirts of Castle Town, Colin caught sight of a young girl near a patch of wild flowers. She had long, wavy blonde hair tied into two low ponytails, and she had the brightest grin on her youthful face as she watched a butterfly land gracefully atop a pink poppy. The young man felt his heart flutter much akin to the insect she was so drawn to, and he nearly toppled off his horse trying to crane his neck around to keep watching her. She glanced up at him at the last possible second and smiled, but he had already been beaming like a love-struck fool.

Ren chuckled when he saw his uncle regain his composure clumsily, grasping firmly for the horn of the saddle to keep himself steady.

"What's that look for?"

Flustered, Colin blinked at him, "What look? Nothing! No look."

"Uh huh," Ren laughed, "Looks like someone has a crush."

"Hah," Colin sputtered, focusing straight ahead again, "Yeah right."

Castle Town felt busier than usual, but perhaps it had been so long that Colin had simply gotten used to the quiet buzz of Ordon in comparison. Actually, Colin had only been to Castle Town a total of two times in his life, and both had been many, many years ago. It was long before the twilight blanketed all of Hyrule in its wicked shadow, when he was still just a small child. Rusl had taken his son with him to a meeting with the resistance when Uli had fallen ill one summer, taking the boy off of her hands in order to let her rest. Colin remembered meeting with each of the people his father worked with fondly, and he had adored their company so much that he had asked his dad to take him back the next summer. He did, and his son loved it the second time just as much as he had the first. They had planned on making it an annual outing for just the two of them, but when the next year rolled around, darkness had consumed the land and the children were whisked away by demons.

Still, Colin was happy that he had at least gotten to see the members of the resistance when everyone was tending to Link after his battle with the king of evil, but that had been the last time to this day that he had seen them. Would they even still be there?

They left their steeds in the town stables, Ren a bit apprehensively as it was his first time being away from his new friend since he met her. With a bit of reassurance from his uncle, they were on their way.

Colin could still remember how to get to Telma's bar as if he had just been there yesterday. They slithered and shimmied through thick crowds of people on narrow side-streets lined with vendors and their various carts and stalls. The merchants were shouting their wares into the already boisterous slew of bodies mashed together, causing some of the more-easily swayed of the bunch to alter course in hopes of getting a half-priced hydromelon to cool them off on this hot day.

As they entered, a warm, musty breeze ruffled their hair. The aroma of the bar was one Colin could've never forgotten either, although now, as an adult, he could pinpoint what each of the scents were. A sharp tang of alcohol, a pungent stench of sweat, a slight hint of vomit, and a subtle nod to a woman's perfume mixed with that of cat fur. Seeing (or, in this case, smelling) the world through the mindset of a child was always much more magical, Colin realized bitterly.

Ren was slightly confused. This was where the resistance met and plotted how to bring about the end of the reign of evil years ago? This was where his father met with his friends and discussed war and strategy? It was... gross.

Large men with even larger voices and massive mugs to match clanked their drinks together and cackled obnoxiously. Foam spilled over the tops of their numerous beverages with each drunken gesture and over-the-top flail. It was midday - what were all these men doing getting drunk? Ren couldn't understand living a life where you could barely remember it.

Colin cast a glance down at his nephew, his mild look of disgust catching his attention.

"I know it's not glamorous," he spoke up, the two still standing at the entrance, "But it's a place to unwind and relax."

Ren looked around still, unsure who in Farore's green earth could possibly find a setting like this peaceful.

"If you say so," was all he said.

Colin was a bit put off by the boy's distaste, but he could understand it. Ren had never seen anything outside of Ordon, so it made sense that a life like this was completely foreign to him. He had only ever really seen people living wholesome lives, surviving off of the land together and living as one big family. Farming, gardening, ranching - waking up with the crow of a cucco at the first sight of sunlight and drifting off to sleep atop warm cotton with the only cares in the world being those much too far away to ever reach him. He'd heard the horror stories of what everyone had gone through during the twilight, but Colin figured it must just seem like a fairytale to him - a legend.

"The resistance always met back there," he pointed, at last breaking the awkward silence between the two of them, yet nearly shouting to be heard over the noisy bar patrons.

Telma hadn't been behind the counter, and instead there was a young girl with red hair tied back into a ponytail. She gave them a smile as they walked by, and Colin just figured that Telma would be at the back table with the others. The curtain was not drawn as it usually was, so it served as a partition that cut it off from the rest of the bar. The blond young man found that a bit odd as well, but assumed they simply were conducting some important business that they need not have others listening in on. With Ren following close at his heels, Colin approached the curtain and drew it back, stepping inside with a smile on his face that quickly diminished.

"Oi! Kid! What're ya doin' in here?" a portly old man yelled at him from the table, a pipe in one hand and a mug in the other. Several wealthy looking - yet still utterly wasted - men sat around the familiar table. Two scantily clad women stood around them, and it was obvious that this was somewhere they didn't want to be.

Colin outstretched his palms in defense, "I-I sincerely apologize. I-I thought my friends were back here. I'm so sorry."

He backed out before Ren could so much as take a peek, the booming uproar from the fattest of the swine caught his ears but he cared not to listen to it.

He let the curtains fall at his back as he spun around to his nephew, eyes narrow with confusion.

"I'm guessing they're not in there," Ren said flatly.

"Uh no, not quite," Colin sighed.

"Goodness gracious!" a loud voice suddenly grabbed their attention, the both of them turning towards the source in a flash.

It was Telma from across the bar. She approached Colin with open arms, taking him in for a warm hug as she said, "I would recognize my sweet Colin from a mile away, honey!"

She stepped back, "My, how you've grown!"

Colin smiled, "It's so nice to see you, Telma."

"Oh, how nice it is to see you, sweetie," she grinned, glancing then at Ren, "And who is this?"

"This is Ren," Colin stated, a bit unsure of how she would react.

"Ren...?" she asked quizzically, immediately thinking of her beloved shaman in Kakariko.

"I'm Link's and Ilia's son," Ren blurted at last.

Telma stood still for a moment before reiterating, "Link... and Ilia?"

She looked to Colin for affirmation, and he gave her a simple nod.

She was confused, to say the least, but ecstatic nonetheless, "Well, I'll be. Link and Ilia made quite a good lookin' boy didn't they?"

Ren blushed, but before he could feel too embarrassed, she grabbed him in a tight embrace. As she pulled back she gave him a peck on the cheek, keeping her arms on his shoulders as she looked him over.

"My, my. Sweetie, you sure are identical to that handsome father of yours. But I can tell you've got my darling Ilia's spunk in ya," she winked happily.

Neither of the boys would mention anything off of that - there was simply no need right now.

"Well," she stood upright again, "What brings you two sweet peas all the way to my bar, hm?"

"We were hoping to talk to Shad, Ashei, and Auru, but I see they're not here," Colin replied.

"Yes," Telma began a bit forlornly, "They disbanded the resistance some time ago."

Colin looked almost heartbroken as he asked, "Why?"

"Well, honey, I s'pose I should let you ask them yourselves."

"Where are they?"

"Auru moved in upstairs several years ago. Poor dear has no family left and wanted nothing more than to live out the rest of his life in the company of the few loved ones still around. He stays up there most every day - age has finally caught up to him it seems."

Colin swallowed hard, hating how much everything had changed, "And Ashei and Shad?"

"They live together in a little house just up the street. Those sweethearts will have plenty to catch you up on, I'm sure."

Ren glanced up at his uncle, the expression on his face being one he couldn't quite pinpoint. He seemed perplexed, his brow a bit tight and his eyes narrowed as he listened to the older woman. He also seemed sad, his eyes betraying the tough exterior that he was trying so hard to train himself to use. He remembered Link, and how he was always so strong on the outside, and he never let anyone have the slightest idea that he was ever hurting on the inside. Colin wanted to be like that with everything he had in him; he would always keep trying.

"Thank you, Telma," the older of the two said after having received rough directions to the former resistance members' new residence, "We'll be on our way then."

She nodded with a grin so wide it lit up the entire room, "Don't be a stranger now, you hear me?"

Colin smiled, placing a hand on Ren's back to nudge him along as they made their way for the door. Ren glanced over his shoulder at the bar matron one last time before leaving, and she blew him a kiss as he waved goodbye with a crooked smirk.

"Ashei and Shad... living together?" Colin whispered to himself as they stepped outside, the fresh air calming their senses.

"Is that weird?" Ren asked.

Colin chuckled, "Uh, yeah. From what I remember they were always bickering and yelling at each other. Dad always seemed to think there was more there though. Guess he knew what he was talking about."

Remembering that Telma had told him to head outside, make a left, go down the street, take a right, and that their home would be nestled amongst several other small housing units in one of the nearby neighborhoods, they made their way there straight away.

Ren was astounded by the sheer size of Castle Town. He followed Colin blindly, much more intrigued by what was all around him than where they were going. A little jolt of pain shot up his leg with each step, but he was learning to ignore it. As they saw before, many merchants continued to line every street of the bustling town, and there were so many civilians it was claustrophobic. There were cats and dogs scurrying around the cobblestones at his feet, and birds chirping high above his head. The tall towers that before seemed so far in the distance were now so close and so unbelievably tall. Ren thought the trees back home were tall, but they were nothing compared to this; he could've sworn that the central-most tower was touching the sun.

Children dashed back and forth in front of him, almost causing him to trip. Adults argued over the prices of wares and over the state of things that were out of their control. Banners depicting the face of a man he did not recognize fluttered in the wind, and everything felt so... exciting, so alive. Life was so slow in Ordon. Days trickled by, clouds crawled past, the sun dawdled leisurely through the sky, and each day was taken one at a time. Here, everything was fast. The people ran here and there, the animals scampered to and fro, the clouds dashed by, and each instant was gone like a leaf in the wind. Everything here was hectic, lively, and interesting. He liked it.

"I think this is it," Colin said at last as the two found themselves standing before a narrow, mostly-vertical apartment that sat in the middle of several others that looked just like it.

He gulped down the nerves, gave the door a firm knock, then stepped back beside his nephew.

The door swung open in a second flat, and Colin couldn't help but smile at the familiar face that greeted him.

"Well, my stars! If it isn't Rusl's boy! Colin, isn't it?" the red-haired man that was Shad exclaimed.

Colin smiled, "Yes, it is."

"Oh, my dear boy! How long it has been! Come in, come in!" he motioned enthusiastically, opening his door wider and standing aside to let his guests enter.

The quarters were small, as were many of the houses within the castle town walls themselves. There was a wooden staircase to a second floor just to the left of the entrance, and straight ahead were the living areas with a place to sit and relax, and a place to eat just at the end of the room. The walls and floor were made of stone, but various paintings, rugs, and tapestries livened up the otherwise cold textiles. There wasn't much space in this main area, but Ren supposed it was enough for the two of them. There were two small sofas facing each other in the middle of the room with a coffee table between them, and there was a soft, cushy arm chair beside the fireplace. At the back was a kitchen with counters for prep, a heavy, metal pot over a fire for cooking, and a small, round table in the middle for enjoying meals together. It was quaint, and it somehow reminded Colin of life back in Ordon where material things didn't matter nearly as much as the people you shared them with.

"Come, have a seat dear boy. Perhaps you would like some tea?" he offered excitedly, already reaching for the kettle.

Colin shook his head as he sat down at the table, "No, thank you."

"And for the lad?" he offered again, extending a cup to Ren.

Ren also shook his head, "No thanks, sir."

"Such manners!" Shad proclaimed, setting the teapot back down before finding a seat at the table across from Colin, "Why, dear boy, if you don't mind me saying so, you bear a striking resemblance to our hero of twilight, but I am sure you have gotten that before."

Ren smiled just slightly, "Um... You could say that."

"Shad," Colin interjected, "This is Link's son, Ren."

The scholar's mouth instantly fell open, "My stars..." he stared across the table at Ren, his dark blue eyes boring a hole in him even from behind his shiny glasses, "I had no idea he had a son."

"Not many do," Colin replied quietly, "It came as a surprise to all of us all those years ago."

Ren felt a bit uncomfortable then, but luckily a noise behind them at the stairs drew their attention.

"What's all the commotion?" a female voice rang loud in the small home, "What, you don't even bother to let me know we have guests, yeah?"

Shad got to his feet in a flurry, "Ashei, dear! Why, we have Rusl's boy, Colin, and Link's son, Ren, joining us this afternoon!"

"Say what?" she instantly spat, "Link's son?"

"It's nice to meet you," Ren said as he turned to greet the shocked young woman with his hand held out towards her.

"Uh," she stammered, and a sudden, much smaller hand abruptly grabbed his.

"Hi there! It's nice to meet you! I sure have heard a lot of awesome stories about your dad!" a small girl chirped eagerly, quickly making herself known from behind Ashei.

The girl was cute, Ren couldn't deny it, but she was a bit… overbearing. She had long, dark brown hair, and bright, beaming blue eyes. She was grinning from ear to ear as she shook Ren's hand vigorously.

"Aveil, don't scare the poor boy," Shad spoke up, resuming his seat at the table.

"It's just exciting, ya know? I've heard so many enthralling stories about the hero – I have so many questions to ask you about him!" she exclaimed, pulling a notepad and pencil seemingly out of thin air as she went on, "How old was he when he became the hero? Was it easy for him? Did he always know how to wield a sword or did he have to learn as he went? What was his favorite color? Did he read books? Did he like carrots? Did he-"

"Aveil!" Ashei shouted, "For Din's sake, take a breath and give the damn kid a break, yeah?"

"Ugh," she sighed, closing her little book and flopping down onto the nearby sofa in defeat, "Fine."

Ren was wide-eyed in confusion, but Colin mustered a slightly awkward chuckle and filled in the silence for him, "Well, sorry, Aveil," he presumed, "But he'd hardly be able to really answer your questions anyway. We haven't seen Link in years and that's actually why we came by today."

"Goodness gracious, don't tell me you have not heard from him, either?" Shad whispered.

"No," Colin said glumly, "We haven't."

"Tch," Ashei scoffed, "Kid always was keeping everyone on their toes, yeah? Always had us all worried over him, dammit."

"Before we get into that though, can I ask what… this is?" Colin smirked curiously, motioning his hands about.

"What?" Ashei questioned, completely lost.

"You have to excuse her, dear boy," Shad began, leaning in, "while she is the light of my life she has always had one candle put out if you know what I mean."

"Excuse me?" she yelled irritably, eliciting a giggle from the little girl on the couch.

"Ashei and I were married not long after the twilight, you see," he went on despite her interruption, "I suppose our endless quarreling was simply masked romance."

"Gross," Ashei muttered.

"We moved into this quite humble abode together and Aveil joined our family not long after."

"I'm thirteen," she stated nonchalantly with a wave of her arm over the couch at those sitting at the table behind her.

"Why did you guys leave the resistance?" Ren finally dared, truthfully not caring for the small talk in the slightest.

The two glanced at him, then at each other.

Ashei sighed a bit sadly, "Just wasn't really a point anymore, yeah? Your dad took care of the real threat, and we didn't really have a purpose anymore."

"The kingdom has been mostly at peace, you see," Shad entered, "Without anything in particular to resist, what does a resistance do?"

"But what about that king?" Ren asked, "I've heard he isn't all he's made out to be."

Ashei gave a sarcastic chuckle, "Not much to be done there either, kid. The king's the king, yeah? Can't exactly resist that, either – not for lack of trying."

"Okay," Colin interjected, his palms held out before him and eyes momentarily closed, "Take a step back and fill me in, please – I'm totally lost. This king… what's wrong with him? He seems fine, but Mister Renado said for us to be careful. I don't understand what's going on at all."

"Yeah, that, and can you tell us about the last time you saw my dad?" Ren added.

"Well," Shad began, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "There happens to be quite a lot to tell there, dear boy, on both counts. I am presuming you have time for a tale or two?"

"Yes, of course," Ren replied promptly.

Shad cleared his throat, lifting the teapot and pouring out a few drinks for everyone, even despite their previous refusal, knowing now that they would be here a while.

"Well then, you see, when our dear Zelda was merely the princess of our beautiful Hyrule, she was arranged to marry the prince from the kingdom Labrynna, who we know now as Viscen. Terms were put in place that several uninvolved political officials deemed fair. Senates from both parties, council members, the king and queen of Labrynna, those sorts of people. They were wed, and Viscen became the king of Hyrule as Zelda became the queen."

Ashei moved to sit on the small, cushy seat beside the fire as the story went on, everyone else making themselves comfortable as well as Shad continued talking.

"There are many finer, intricate policies that were put into place that simply do not matter in this particular tale, but Hyrule has not been the same since then. It has not necessarily been change for the worse, but the common citizens of our fair country are simply too lackadaisical to seek out the truth."

"What truth?" Colin asked, "I still don't understand."

"There are few wise enough to embrace it, but Ashei and myself see that the king is not all as he appears."

"He has the people believing he's some goddess-send, yeah?" Ashei added, "He's got the whole of the kingdom in the palm of his hand, and he knows the common folk will believe anything he says."

"Yes, he is quite the intelligent man, you see. He is well aware of how to work the system, the words to weave, which bonds to strengthen and which to diminish."

"He's damn-near got the kingdom going against the queen at this point," Ashei muttered.

"But why?" Colin questioned with a furrowed brow, "What's the point of coming here just to slander our queen's reputation? What does he gain?"

"He gains Hyrule, dear boy," Shad stated plainly, "As he poisons the people against their queen, he further extends his reach and only grows his power. Hyrule is the kingdom of the gods - as it is told across the whole of the land from the sea to the most distant peaks - and as such, is always desired by many with malicious intent."

"I knew there was something off about him all those years ago, yeah? But he paints pretty pictures and says what everyone wants to hear. He promises jobs and food, endless rupees for all and not a single citizen out on the streets. He promises peace and yet the people condone the wars he starts to keep that artificial peace," she scoffed, "No one cares to look beyond the tips of their own noses, yeah? No one cares for what doesn't affect them directly, and the way they see it, as long as their pockets and stomachs are full everything is fine and dandy."

"Yes, well," Shad began, taking a sip of his chamomile tea, "I do also believe that he has more planned. Perhaps he seeks the blade of evil's bane? Or even the triforce? I feel a greater evil from him than simply political warfare."

"You always think the worst, Shad," Ashei mumbled.

"I have to," he said matter-of-factly, placing his cup down firmly, "Have I been incorrect?"

The room was silent, and at that Shad took another sip.

"I hate to sound like an annoying child," Ren spoke up, "But what does this have to do with my dad? I mean," he turned to Colin, "isn't that why we came? We can't do anything about the king so can we at least try and find my dad like you said we were going to do?"

Colin was a bit taken aback, but Shad spoke before he could.

"I do apologize, dear boy, I was getting to the subject of your father next," he set his mug down and leaned back in his chair with a sigh, "Where to begin."

"Well, you helped him find a book," Aveil offered enthusiastically, turning around and resting her chin on the back of the couch so as to better interact with her father and his guests.

"Yes, yes, thank you, dear," Shad smiled, "He came to me one night many, many years ago now – it had been only months after the twilight – and he appeared to have a renewed sense of hope. Before that, as you may not know, Ren, Link was not himself, so to see him with a glimmer of optimism in his otherwise distraught eyes was a sight in itself."

Ren leaned in, eagerly hanging on the scholar's every word.

"He was very vague, and spoke to me almost in riddles. It was clear that he was trying his very hardest to keep something from me, but whatever that was, was also what he was seeking my guidance on, so he struggled with that a bit. I…" Shad moved to rest his chin in his hand, tightening his brow as he recalled the encounter.

"Yes?" Ren urged.

"I am not sure what would be too much to reveal," Shad almost whispered.

"Aw, come on, dad," Aveil whined, "They came all this way."

Colin glanced over at her with a smile.

"No point keeping anything from them now, yeah?" Ashei added.

Shad exhaled, pushing his glasses back up the slope of his nose, "Very well. He was inquiring about a portal between worlds. Specifically, how to open one that had been previously destroyed."

Ren's eyes went wide as saucers.

"I told him the only thing I had ever read pertaining to such a topic during my studies was that one would need an object of significance from the two worlds that were looking to be joined."

"Sent him on a wild goose chase," Ashei murmured bitterly from the corner, having believed all these years that that was the reason they never saw Link again.

"It was never my intention," Shad spat, turning to her instantaneously, "I was only trying to help the poor boy."

"What happened then?" Colin pushed.

The red-haired man sighed again, glancing down at the little ripples in his ivory teacup, "He made off for the castle library like a bandit, but I followed - much to his dismay. I caught him looking at a rather large tome involving something I had never heard of. Goodness, the look on his face was one of pure dread when he saw me. He truly, truly did not want me to know the details of what he was doing."

The room was silent as they waited for him to go on.

"He was nose-deep in a book about something called the Mirror of Twilight. What was particularly disturbing, however, was that the exact pages pertaining to what he was inquiring about were missing entirely. Nothing remained save for the ripped edges along the spine."

The house was as still as a graveyard for several moments. Ren was entirely in his own mind, honestly feeling more perplexed now than when he left home.

"I have no idea what any of that means," Colin spoke up at last, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, "But... does that mean someone else is up to something bad? With those particular pages being gone? I mean, that couldn't be good, right?"

"Unfortunately, for that I am at as much of a loss as you are," Shad replied dejectedly, "After we discovered that the book was incomplete, Link said he was going to seek counsel from – who was at that time – the princess. I am afraid I have not seen him since."

Ren glanced down at his hands in his lap for only a split second before he stood up from his seat in a flash.

"If that's the case, then we just need to go see the princess," he exclaimed.

Ashei laughed, "For one, she's the queen, and you don't just go see the queen."

"I have to agree," Shad admitted, "Royalty is not exactly approachable."

"Why not?" Ren blurted agitatedly, "My dad was the hero that saved them all. Shouldn't that mean something to our queen?"

Shad blinked, "W-Well..."

"Exactly. I'm sure she'll see me if I tell her who I am," Ren said with fierce determination, "If everything I've been told about my dad all my life has been true, then there's no reason Zelda wouldn't see me, right?"

Shad looked over at Ashei, hoping she would either help him or that an answer would be written plainly across her forehead. She simply shrugged in his direction.

"Well, uh – um..."

Without another word, Ren turned for the door with haste.

"Ren! Wait!" Colin shouted, hurrying to his feet and dashing after him.

Shad stood as his guests bolted out the door, glancing anxiously between the open exit, his startled daughter, and his blank-faced wife.

"I think that went well, dad," Aveil deadpanned.

The scholar sighed, hanging his head momentarily, "They didn't drink their tea."

"Don't worry about it, yeah?" Ashei said reassuringly, knowing her husband well enough to understand that he was worried for his friends, "They'll be fine. They'll either get in to see Zelda who will help them more than we ever could, or they'll be right back here."

Shad simply nodded, "For once I hope you are right."

The dark-haired woman gave him a look, and at that their daughter giggled.

Outside, the streets were quieter and emptier than they had been not long before. Only one loud voice could faintly be heard above all else in the distance. Ren didn't stop running towards the center of town, ignoring his uncle's calls of his name behind him.

It wasn't hard to find his way, the tall, central-most tower of the castle guiding him like a beacon of light in the darkness. The closer he got, the clearer the words from the prominent voice on the air became.

"-and we shall see our majestic Hyrule prosper even beyond-"

He heard bits and pieces, but cared not to actually listen to what was being said. His leg ached something awful, but he did not stop running until he reached the wall of people that formed the enormous crowd. They all stood around the large, ornate fountain in the center, the trickling of the clear water providing percussion to the rambling of the king. Ren merely glanced up at him as he continued forward, pushing his way through the throngs of bodies.

"-shall see our resources, while plentiful, double – nay, triple!"

At that the audience roared, and Ren was almost knocked to the ground at the sudden excitement of the people.

"We love you!"

"How gracious!"

"Such leadership!"

Several gleeful cries rang loud in the air accompanying the thunderous applause.

When Ren was almost to the front of the pack, Colin caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

He didn't look back at his uncle as he shouted over the screams of the crowd into his ear, "I know what you're going to do – please don't."

The younger Ordonian ignored his words, but not with the intention of disobeying him; he simply hadn't even heard him.

Ren stared up at the king, standing tall and soaking in the praise from his citizens. He had shoulder-length chestnut brown hair and a short beard that accentuated his strong jawline. He wore a white, ruffled shirt with buttons down the front, and light tan pants held up by a belt adorned with a gold Hylian crest. A long, fleece robe with a fuzzy, honey-colored collar draped his broad shoulders and swept the cobblestones behind his fancy slippers. The royal mulberry hue that made up his extravagant cloak billowed exaggeratedly in a wind that felt like it was manifested only for him. His tight, masculine features gazed out about the crowd like a god looking down from the heavens at his children. It was clear to Ren that this king was far too interested in his own agenda to truly be a man of the people.

A debilitating shiver ran down Ren's spine when he and Viscen locked eyes. He felt in that brief instant as if fear itself had become a physical entity that wrest control over his entire body. The king's dark, mysterious brown eyes seemed to burn holes right through him.

"Ren," Colin called, grabbing his nephew's arm tighter, "You okay?"

Viscen looked away, and Ren felt as if he was set free from a curse.

He glanced at Colin for only a second, "Yeah."

"Thank you for joining me and my beautiful family on this glorious day, wonderful citizens of Hyrule! We shall-"

And Ren didn't care to listen anymore. Standing a bit behind the devilish king, he saw what he knew just had to be the queen. She had a beautiful, elegant gown on, nearly identical to the one he had painted in his mind's eye from all the stories he'd heard up until now. Her long, dark blonde hair rippled in the slight breeze, and he only briefly spotted a young girl standing behind her before the royal party as a whole turned to leave, signifying that the king's speech was done. He knew that this was his only shot.

Ren pushed his way through the last few bodies in front of him, dipping and ducking between people clapping and jumping for joy at the king's closing words, and those attempting to move against him to leave in the opposite direction. Men and women here and there yelled at the annoying child plowing through them, but he paid them all no mind – he didn't take his eyes off of his destination.

As soon as he was within an arm's reach to the queen, a royal guard shoved him to the ground and thrust the tip of his spear to the boy's throat.

Ren grunted as he hit the cobblestones hard, knocking the wind clean out of his lungs. He blinked fearfully as he felt the sharp metal brushing against his neck with each pulse of his heart. He just barely saw Colin being held back by a guard as well out of the corner of his eye, but Viscen suddenly yelling took his attention.

"How dare you approach your queen like such a barbarian!" he screamed angrily, "Where did you learn your manners!"

Ren said nothing, but he and Zelda met gazes. In that moment she just knew. It wasn't his uncanny resemblance to the hero, it wasn't his brash approach or his similar mannerisms, it was nothing more than an overwhelming feeling in her very core. There was an aura around him, and there was an intense warmth in her chest that told her without a shadow of a doubt. It took no deliberation; she knew.

"You..." she whispered, taking a step closer, "I did not know he had a child..."

Viscen was too wrapped up in himself to hear her. Ren's lack of a reply only angered him to the point of commanding, "Take this rat to the gutter and let us be done with it."

Ren gulped in utter horror as the guards swarmed him and restrained him so tightly that he almost lost all feeling in his arms.

Zelda stepped up as Viscen was just starting to walk away from what he found to be simply a mild annoyance.

She said, "This is the son of the hero, and you will get your hands off of him this instant."

The king turned around as the guards looked back and forth between their two leaders, unsure of who to obey.

"What?" Viscen hissed, his eyes narrowed to slits.

She didn't even turn to look at him.

"I said unhand him."

There was a fire in her eyes that rivaled that of Death Mountain itself. The sheer power in her voice was terrifying as it rattled the very stones at their feet.

The royal guards instantly released him, and Viscen glared at his wife briefly. Ren could've sworn he saw the king grin mischievously before heading back towards the castle with most of the guards following close behind.

Ren huffed nervously, shaking his arms and rubbing a particularly sore spot. Colin came up to him then and placed a hand on his shoulder to which he gave a half-hearted smile.

"I sincerely apologize," Zelda spoke up at last after having watched her husband leave, her voice the most soothing sound Ren had heard in so long, "Your arrival comes as a surprise to me, but I know why you are here."

Ren tensed his brow, but he couldn't find the courage to speak in her presence.

She merely smiled, "Come with me."


Dumb and silent we may be led.


A big thank you to the following for helping me get this chapter out there!

SonadowKokoro100, Debora, Eve79, Lotus Eater, Gabby-J, Chloe Rose, Lee Glerum

You guys are amazing!