The heavy set of doors slammed behind the woman and her knight and all of the raised voices within the grand chamber ceased. Not a sound was heard in the large space except for the woman's footsteps as she climbed a set of stairs that lead to her personal podium. All in attendance were standing and all had their eyes upon their queen, whose determined and narrowed expression caused many of the Councillors to multiply their unease. Gracefully the queen sat and all her advisors sat after her, as all anxiously awaited for her to begin. Zelda could see from where she sat above that the Elders and her noble Councillors surely all had questions. They had all been forced to abandon whatever activities, appointments, or soirees they were having that evening by the sudden and unexpected demand that they meet in the Council Chamber. This was unprecedented and only really happened in times of imminent disaster or war. Usually the Councillors wore their best for the scheduled Council meetings, but the unexpectedness of the current situation saw that they were donned in various attires: Elder Oplin even looked to be dressed in his sleepwear.

Zelda's gaze briefly scanned the room until her eyes fell upon the individuals she had been most hopeful would attend on such short notice. Prince Vahlymor and his fellow Noruidians were seated near the back of the circular room, each provided with a comfortable chair for their special attendance. No guards were allowed in the Council Chamber, except for Sir Arvid due to the present circumstances, and he stood near the Noruidians as part of Zelda's instruction to him. He was to provide protection: not against the Noruidians but rather for them. There was little to fear as all were searched for weapons before being allowed in, but the queen wanted to ensure the safety of her guests. Still... the Queen could see the suspicious eyes of her fellow Hyruleans as they glanced at the outsiders. She surmised their thoughts as to why the foreigners would be allowed to enter the usually very confidential chamber.

Taking one final steadying breath, Zelda interlocked her noble hands and addressed her waiting audience. "I address now the Five Councillors and the Heads of the Seven Noble Families of Hyrule. In addition, please allow me to extend a special word of thanks to my esteemed guests, Prince Vahlymor and his countrymen, for joining us here on such short and sudden pretences. Urgency and discretion was of the utmost importance when I ordered for this emergency meeting to convene and I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that it is an emergency. It causes me great sorrow and with a heavy heart that I must share that so soon after our kingdom has faced jeopardy... that once more we face a foe that threatens the peace and prosperity of our kingdom."

"Please, do tell us what threatens our kingdom, Your Majesty," Council Elder Yrota said, his fellow Councillors nodding.

"Yes! What is this threat that you speak of!" called Matriarch Lienne.

"Hyrule prevails!" Patriarch Oris added.

The noise of the Council began to increase in volume until it was stilled by a single hand gesture made by their queen. With relative silence having claimed the room once more, Zelda informed them all as to why they had been summoned.

"Nigh two hours ago, I was attacked by a being of dark magic right here within the breast of Hyrule Castle itself. As who to this foe might be... I have with great confidence that it was the same being that struck down Sir Link, Hero of Hyrule. With this attack it has made itself clear that it wishes to deal me a similar fate."

The moment Zelda finished her last syllable, the room exploded with noise. There came the thuds of a couple chairs falling back upon the wooden floor as their occupants stood too quickly, which was accompanied by the chorus of calls and jeers of retaliation and concern for their queen. Zelda watched silently as each and every one of the Heads of the Noble Houses tried to voice their own opinion on how to proceed further. The only ones who remained silent aside from Zelda were the Council Elders and the Noruidians.

As she looked around the room, Zelda kept her gaze upon the foreigners for a moment longer than her fellow Hyruleans. Her keen eyes noted the surprise in their faces at her admission of an attempted assassination, which wasn't entirely the truth, but revealing the truth of Dark Link and Link's soul would prove too problematic and complex for everyone to understand. The Noruidians' body language revealed that they were just as surprised as the rest of the room and Zelda saw them looking between one another with concern in their expressions. Their behaviour, however, quickly became defensive as the gazes of several nobles began to flicker back towards the foreigners. It was clear that suspicions were building with the intensifying passion of the room. As commanded, Sir Arvid moved to place himself in front of the Noruidians with a stern expression on his face and the Hyrulean nobility noticeably settled down in response.

"Who was this beast who attacked you, Your Majesty?"

"Who is to blame!?"

"Death unto the fiend!"

"Long live the Queen!"

"Call the soldiers up to arms!"

More and more members of the Council called out their words, opinions, and their appeals for actions to take. Zelda, however, calmly looked over to Councillor Yrota who gave her a small nod. The Council Elder knocked his gavel loudly upon his desk a few times in earnest.

"Order! The Queen requests order in this chamber!"

The echoed knocks of the gavel quickly returned obedience to the circular room and Zelda watched her Councillors return to their seats with some having to pick them up first. She waited until all were seated once again and all had their attention upon her before she continued. The Queen of Hyrule most likely looked serene, collected, and regal to all who gazed upon her in that moment. When, in reality, her heart was hammering within her chest as fear and anxiety were whispering doubt into her ears.

Even so... she had to at least try.

"I know that you are all concerned for my safety and the wellbeing of Hyrule. But please know that I hold your feelings and words close to my heart. However, now is not the time to act brash or move forward without consideration for this enemy. From what occurred during the attack, I believe that there is no clear way with how we may defend our kingdom without further investigation."

"Your Majesty," Councillor Yrota spoke up, drawing the queen's attention. "For the sake of the Council's record, could you please describe the details and series of events that took place during this attack? Perhaps once we all hear what transpired, a possible solution might be proposed."

Several of Heads of the Noble Houses nodded in agreement with the Council Elder and murmured amongst one another, though their eyes remained on their queen in anticipation for her words. Everyone was curious as to who or what attacked the queen and, most importantly, how? How did an enemy manage to enter the heart of Hyrule Castle without rousing the attention of the guards and managed to attack their Queen? It was simply unheard of, worrisome even, and raised a lot of questions. On that note, Zelda wouldn't doubt it if some of the men and women who looked at her now were wondering whether or not she was unscathed. Zelda appeared uninjured, but was she really? And if so, how did her wold-be assassin leave her unscathed? In truth, there were those in the rooms who were thinking similar thoughts, but none would dare accuse the Queen of lying about such a declaration. Besides, even though the guardsmen who had broken into the locked room with Sir Link's body had not seen the queen's assailant, they all could confirm that something had attacked Hyrule's ruler.

Zelda's word, as Queen of Hyrule, could be law if she truly wanted it to be so now she had to choose her words very carefully. Once misstep and she could unintentionally start a panic or mistrust amongst her advisors. Taking a small breath Zelda began to recount her attack, though she spoke slowly and made sure that her voice projected across the room so that everyone heard her story.

"As many of you might be aware, once I was notified that Sir Link had been slain I had his body placed in a private room that was under constant guard until his murderer was discovered. Upon further investigation by myself and by the shaman, Renado, we discovered that Sir Link's body is not decomposing. We suspect that this is because of the Master Sword's position in his body and that the power of sword is somehow preserving him. When I entered Sir Link's chamber earlier today I was alone… though guards and Sir Arvid, my current Personal Guard, were stationed outside. The reason why I was visiting Sir Link's body was that... I went with the intention of removing the sword."

A murmur arose from the Councillors and it was Matriarch Teria who spoke up, "But, Your Majesty-"

"I thought it necessary," Zelda said, interrupting the Head of the Triveni Family. "Sir Link has accomplished innumerable services for the kingdom and as one of my knights he has demonstrated nothing but loyalty to myself and to the people of Hyrule. If nothing else, he deserves to rest in peace and the Master Sword should be returned to its rightful pedestal."

The truth hidden in Zelda's words roused a shiver to disturb her spine; fortunately from her placement behind her podium, no one would be able to see her fingers trembling. "It was when I was about to remove the sword that I was attacked. I did not see the being, nor had any inclination that I was in any danger until it was too late. Before I could react, hands bound my limbs and mouth and rendered me helpless. Only when I was unable to call out for help or fight back did my assailant reveal itself. It was a creature of flesh but also of shadow, formed by dark magics I suspect. It had assumed the likeness of Sir Link himself and it was the entity itself who revealed that it was responsible for the slaying of my knight. It had done such a heinous and unforgivable crime simply to be able to expose a weakness in Hyrule's armour in order to get close to me. Sir Link, wielder of the Master Sword, was the only one with the ability to fight off such a creature of darkness. Before the fiend was able to carry out any more of its despicable plan, fortunately my guardsmen were able to break down the door and scare off the creature. I am uninjured, but the attack has made me aware of just how vulnerable our kingdom still is. We are still recovering from the destruction that the usurper Zant brought to our beloved Hyrule. True, we have rebuilt, but our numbers are still few and our spirits are still healing. I fear that this attack on my life will not be the first."

Silence remained within the room when Zelda paused in her speech, her words clearly weighing heavily upon the minds of everyone in attendance as they all waited for what their queen was leading up to. Zelda took a breath, her mask unbroken. She had gone over in her mind what she wanted to say a dozen times or more before this meeting even started, but whispers of fear and insecurity still echoed in her ears. Her gaze glanced over to the Noruidians and for a brief moment her eyes locked onto the gaze of Prince Vahlymor. His countrymen were still on edge, but what Zelda saw in that fleeting moment of visual contact with the man was a keen scrutiny of herself. The prince was an accomplished and veteran leader who had seen countless battles and knew how to handle a threat, while Zelda's only true experience was her surrender to Zant and the small part she played in the defeat of Ganondorf. It may be true that she had assisted with the downfall of the evil king, but the tyrant's death had been dealt mainly by Link... not her. She had mainly played the role of damsel of distress with her body being possessed by the man's great and evil magics and this fact still haunted her nearly six years later.

As it was with Zant, Zelda was currently alone. She was the sole ruler of Hyrule and this was her decision to make: her proposal to her advisors and fellow Hyruleans.

"For the past couple of weeks," Zelda continued after her few moments of pause, her eyes moving from the prince, "I have been experiencing dreams, or rather a single dream, on a nightly basis. While I have kept this silent, as to not affect my duties, Shaman Renado knows how it has been affecting me and has tried to help me sleep. However, since the slaying of Sir Link and now this attack by the shadow creature, I now believe that they are all connected.''

"What sort of dream, my Queen?" asked Council Elder Yrota.

"The dream is dark and always the same. I find myself standing alone on a dark island with a storm raging all around me. I wake each time after a great wave of darkness comes and crashes upon me and I am always left with the sense that the place, this island, is real. Now I must admit that I truly do believe that I have been dreaming of a real place."

Zelda's words were true... as shallow as the truth may have been. She was not going to reveal to the Council how in her dream she also stood over Link's dead body. Or, how it had been the Hero of Time who truly helped her connect all of the dots. Or, how it was Link in his wolf form who had saved her. She knew that the guards who had broken into the Links' room were still arguing whether or not they had in fact seen a wolf or not. However, since their queen had not said anything of the beast as of yet, the arguments would soon fade and be waved off as adrenaline induced hallucinations. For the sake of the Council, she'd reveal only what was necessary.

"What makes you believe that such a place as this island even exists, my Queen?" Councillor Wharha asked, the knight's expression as curious as everyone else's.

"It was not until the creature attacked me that I occurred to me that this one dream that I have been having may be some sort of divine premonition," Zelda continued, taking a moment to let her words settle in. "As some as you may or may not be aware, but my paternal grandmother was known for her prophetic dreams. It is common knowledge that the women of my bloodline have been blessed with by the Goddesses throughout history. We are able to trace our ancestry to the Prima Regina, the first Queen of Hyrule, and the mortal reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia herself. Truthfully, it had occurred to me that these dreams could be some sort of sign of foreboding, but I could not have been sure. However, the creature in his guise as Sir Link mentioned that it knew of my dreams and the way he, or rather it… said it, implied that it was a real place and possibly his origin."

"How can you be sure that this place, or rather... that these dreams... are not some dark trick crafted by the creature itself to weaken you, my lady?"

The Queen looked up at Patriarch Oris and she noted how other Councillors were slightly nodding in agreement: such a dark creature of magic would no doubt try such a dastardly trick, an honest insight and solid question. This would make sense if not for the fact that Zelda knew better, of course, but she couldn't reveal how.

"That thought had occurred to me as well, my lord, but it occurred to me following my conversation with Prince Vahlymor this morning that greatly suggests that the place may very well exist. You see, ladies and gentlemen, His Highness informed me that there is a site that matches what I have seen, an island to be exact, that lies amidst the ocean that borders the Kingdom of Noruidia. The island of which he described is shrouded with dark storms and where dark magics thrive."

Following the queen's mention of the foreign prince, it didn't take long for nearly every Hyrulean head to turn and look or glance at the Noruidians. The prince's entourage equally responded to the suspicions by tensing defensively, all prepared to defend their prince barehanded if need. However, Prince Vahl remained seemingly unfazed by the entire situation and even from Zelda's distance she could see the faint smile on the man's lips in… amusement? Admiration? She was not sure, but before she could dwell on the thought any longer an outburst caught everyone's attention.

Lord Euros abruptly stood and declared, "Then it was the Noruidians who ferried this evil to our land! Intentional or not, either they brought it here or it followed them!"

Other voices began to cry out and voice their opposition or agreement. It didn't take long for the chamber's volume climbed with the tension and heat of arguments. The Noruidians were quick to spring to their feet, except for the prince. True that while all of their weapons had been confiscated, it was apparent that each were able-bodied and ready to take on the entire mass of Hyrule's nobility if needed. The twins in particular looked rather excited at the prospect of a good old fashioned brawl and were both grinning devishly.

Sir Arvid visibly could be seen trying to calm the Noruidians down and the knight even shouted a warning at one of the lords to not get too close to the foreign envoy.

In response to the uproar, Zelda gave Council Elder Yrota a stern look and the man quickly pounded his gavel, calling for immediate order.

"Order! The Queen requests order! Everyone take their seats, now!"

Normally such an order would be instantly adhered to, but surprisingly the Council did not quiet down and people did not return to their seats. Zelda saw Prince Vahl's small smile turn to a frown when his own countrymen began to argue with the Hylians and Arvid found himself in the literal middle of things. Both royals were seemingly in agreement without even looking at one another in their displeasure at how their respective countrymen were acting.

It was time to intervene and put an end to this madness.

Zelda stood, her position behind her podium meaning that she towered over everyone else, and she calmly gestured for Yrota to pass her his gavel. He did so with a slightly surprised expression which quickly broke with a wince when the queen forcefully and loudly smashed the face of the gavel upon the wood of her podium. The sound by itself might not have been loud enough to rise over the loud swell of voices in the room, but it was the accompanying flash of magic that inevitably and quickly drew everyone's attention to their queen. A bright blueish white light momentarily brightened the room as if the ceiling had been erased to allow a day's sunlight to illuminate the tensions. The light quickly died and the people in attendance saw that the queen was standing, as many of them were as well, which meant that many of them were directly disrespecting their queen. Also, for those who had been quick enough to look at Zelda they might also have seen how the hand of the queen which held the gavel glowed from the magic she expelled; however, none of them could see the slight burn mark on the podium's wood from the gavel's force of impact.

It had been a long time since Zelda had used any of her magics and truly the last time she had was when she and Link had fought against Ganondorf. In truth, she had tried to do so after the Evil King's execution to test the extent of her powers. It was during those early weeks of Hyrule's motions towards recovery that she realized that a lot of her power's strength had been depleted. However, Zelda's masked exhaustion, mixed with her tiring emotions, and very short span of tolerance had riled her enough to demonstrate that she still had some degree of magic left.

If she hadn't been so tired and focused at the tense mater at hand she would've taken a moment to thank the Goddesses to still have some of her powers left. Assuredly, she would do so later.

Frantically those standing returned to their seats until it was only the Noruidians who remained on their feet. The look of amazement was clear within many of the foreigners expressions, though they were very much still on edge. The queen noted, with some degree of regret, that the prince looked particularly intrigued to have seen that Zelda herself was a magic user. Zelda, on the other hand, calmly returned the gavel back to an equally as calm Yrota, as the Elder had seen his fair share over his lifetime and a royal's outburst was low on the list even a magical one. The queen then looked upon the Noruidians and calmly said, "Gentlemen, please forgive the Lords and Ladies of Hyrule. No one is accusing Noruidia of anything, for I am not. Everyone is simply on edge from this most recent attack against our kingdom. Please, understand and please, retake your seats. You have nothing to fear."

While the Hyruleans bowed their heads in shame and apology, Prince Vahl smiled at the queen and motioned for Simin and the others to sit. Only when their prince sat so too did the Noruidians. Silence once again claimed the room and Zelda remained the only person standing with all eyes upon her. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest and doubt was still trying to cloud her confidence, but it was now or never to speak.

"The main reason why I have called all of you here today is to ask you this question: would you, my trusted advisors and Nobility of Hyrule, permit our great kingdom the opportunity to pursue this villain that has threatened all of us? Not only has this evil taken our Chosen Hero from us, but it was even brazen and strong enough to attack myself in the heart of this castle. For even considering our most recent strides to build up our military strengths and defences, we as a kingdom are still weak. Hyrule lost much following the Invasion of Zant and the desecration of our castle by Ganondorf, but while we can rebuild buildings... it takes longer to rebuild our sense of hope. Sir Link did that for us, all of us, and all of Hyrule. He returned hope to our kingdom by accepting his destiny as the Hero Chosen by the Gods and lifted the Twilight shroud from our land. He risked his life without being asked and he further committed himself when he pledged his loyalty to me and to Hyrule when he became a Hyrulean Knight. And even with all of that behind him... Sir Link was struck down by an enemy of shadow and this enemy, our enemy, has made itself clear that it has greater and darker intentions for Hyrule. But... that is all we know and that is the problem we face. We do not know anything!"

Zelda's voice filled the room and her last word hung in the air. Her words held strength and courage and all in attention were captivated by her. All Hyruleans adored the queen: Hylians, humans, the Goron, and the Zora. Even the Gerudo respected the Hylian monarch, for they respected her strength and resolve. The queen's hands had balled into fists from her passion, while her fury and her frustrations bled into her words that spilled from her mouth as smoothly as water from a pitcher. Taking a slowly breath, Zelda relaxed her fists and interlocked her hands to steady herself, but her expression remained determined and authoritative.

"My Lords, my Ladies… I ask you to now consider the notion that we as a united kingdom move to investigate our new enemy. The Proposal of Emergency that I put forth for the Council to consider is to allow myself and a small escort to venture beyond our borders in the pursuit of more information about this mysterious foe. If there is any information out there for us to seek, I believe that we must try and recover it and I am willing to go myself in order to find it."

The passion within Zelda's message could be felt by all in attendance. The Noruidians at the back were enamoured while their prince held an expression of appreciation. However, when she reached the end of her speech the spell began to break across the audience and surprise, curiosity, and alarm could be seen in the eyes and expressions of the nobility.

Wait... was the Queen of Hyrule suggesting that she… leave Hyrule?

"Your Majesty, if I may," Patriarch Hompson spoke up, raising his arm but looking unsure with his words. "Forgive me for repeating what you just spoke, but to confirm are you... suggesting that you wish to journey all the way to Noruidia to find this-this island?"

"No, my lord," Zelda replied, turning her impressive eyes to the Amberl Family patriarch. "While I have confidence that the assailant who slayed Sir Link could be from this island, we cannot be sure ourselves. However, there is also the matter that we must not negate the high possibility that this assailant was only working by the command of a hidden master. The main problem that we face is that we ourselves are in the dark. We know next to nothing except for uncertainties about this evil that even now threatens us. That being said, I do know with great confidence that somewhere within the mountains of the west lies a hidden village. If I were able to find this village, we may at least be able to find some answers to our questions."

"But I don't understand, my lady, why must it be you? And what village? And for that matter, how do you know this information if I might ask?" Others nodded in agreement with Lord Oris' question and looked to Zelda for her answer.

Zelda nodded in acknowledgement of the questions: her chin and posture still regal and her expression calm. It was time to truly lie to her trusted advisors. "As many of you may know, and for those who do not, in the time before Hyrule was divided by the Civil War there was a tribe who were to the utmost loyal to the Royal Family. I am speaking, of course, of the Sheikah. After the war, however, the tribe was nearly wiped out trying to protect the Royal Family and those who survived left Hyrule out of shame. It is said that this shame was born out of the Sheikah's sense of failure in their duties, or... that the tribespeople left because it was the King of Hyrule himself, my grandfather and ancestor, who banished them. The truth, I'm afraid has been lost to us. However, a truth that has been passed down by the Royal Family is that the tribe settled somewhere in the western mountains. I believe that if we were able to find the Sheikah that the tribe may be able to shed some light on the dark hour we find ourselves in once more. But for not only this reason that I think that we must seek out hre Sheikah, but also so I might ask them to return. The Sheikah should return to Hyrule. Once more have the Gerudo settled within our land's borders, yet there still remains one other race who have yet to return to their homeland. Without them, without the Sheikah, then Hyrule will never be whole… it will continue to be fractured even while we build, we grow, and we repopulate. Our kingdom is wounded and while I can claim that it is invisible and hidden from our sight, we only need to look at the monuments commemorating the dead or the missing pages from our history books. In our time of weakness we must find strength in numbers, regardless of our differences in cultures, and claim our past. We must unite Hyrule and find the Sheikah. That is my proposal to fight against this new enemy."

"But... why... why the Sheikah tribe, my Queen? I understand the reason why the tribe should return to Hyrule, it being their homeland and all, but what good are former royal guardsmen with helping us find out who killed Sir Link and attacked yourself?" asked Lord Kaymib.

"It is common knowledge, or at least was, that many members of the Sheikah were quite skilled with using shadow magic. The being that attacked me seemed to be made of or at the very least was a highly skilled user of shadow magic, albeit dark shadow magic. That is why I think the Sheikah may be able to help us because we are facing forces that even myself do not know, as the Ancient Sages did not instruct me of such matters."

"What if it were the Sheikah who were behind the attack, Your Majesty?" Heads and eyes turned to Lord Euros at his question, before peering back at their queen. The Gefion Family patriarch made a good point because only Zelda knew the truth though she could reveal this to the Council members.

Zelda had anticipated these types of questions, but that still didn't help the twinge of anxiety from shivering down her spine. "We… I do not know. I am aware that such a venture could be dangerous... and even more so considering that we know so little. However, as the Queen of Hyrule I should be the one to speak to these tribes members and ask them to return personally. They were loyal and protected my ancestors with their lives and they only left because they felt that they had dishonoured my family and failed in their duties. It saddens me to know that my ancestors either were not able to stop the tribe from leaving or did not try. I believe that the most appropriate thing to do is for a member of the Royal Family to ask for them to return to their homeland. I owe them that. As I am the sole member of my family then it must be me. The Sheikah will respond to none other than Hyrule's monarch."

"But why you, my Queen?" asked Matriarch Teria. "Why must you risk your life out there beyond the safety of the castle? Why risk the lives of soldiers for a tribe that might even exist anymore, or might even be the cause of this attack, or are so hidden that they cannot be found? Why can you not just send a messenger to the Sheikah with your royal seal, asking them to return?"

"Because, Lady Teria, I am not even safe in this castle and this attack on my safety has proven that." Zelda felt herself beginning to lose support and she returned to her seat, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. "I will not ask for men to risk their lives to go in my stead," she continued, her voice slightly quieter but still audible, "and I do not expect for everyone to believe my reasonings. If I were to send a messenger, who is to say that my message will reach the Sheikah? I alone know that the Sheikah are somewhere in the mountains because of a single letter left by the tribe before they left, written by one of the most famous Sheikah, Impa, who had acted as my ancestor's nurse. In the letter she left instructions of how to find the tribe and this can be done with the use of an ancient artifact that I have in my possession… an artifact that only I can wield because of my connection to the Goddess Hylia. My ancestor, the late Queen Zelda, trusted in Impa and I must as well if we are to find the tribe. The Sheikah are somewhere in the western mountains... waiting to be called back and return to where they belong: to Hyrule." Zelda took a breath, not only for dramatic pause, but also in order to manage the well-spoken half-truths and lies that were spilling so convincingly from her lips.

"That all being said… if I tell you that I do not know how we are to face this new threat, then there is no use denying the fact that we are in the dark and that we are vulnerable. I… am weak, Hyrule is weak. If we do nothing and try nothing, go on about our lives and pretend this never occurred, will I ever be able to be alone again? Does being alone even matter? How are we to know that this threat is not in this room at this very moment, hiding in the shadows beneath our feet?"

Their queen's question caused a few people to look around nervously or glance downwards to the floor, apparently not having thought about that. Their queen made a good argument: how do you fight an invisible enemy exactly?

"We must take action and this is the only lead that I can think of or know. By all means, please! I implore each of you to offer up any suggestions if anyone thinks otherwise, but as your ruler and leader I am tired of sitting idle as our kingdom is attacked time and again as we sit like helpless babes. Word is spreading fast across our kingdom of Sir Link's death and I fear that the fragile hope within my people will soon begin to fade as a result. This recent attack on my life will also spread quickly and with it... fear, I am sure. As their Queen, I am a symbol of strength for this kingdom, and for me to put myself at risk for the sake of all of Hyrule to try and find answers... then that hope just may survive. And if I were to perish on this journey…"

Zelda paused and alarm spread throughout every face that watched her, hanging off the edge of their seats for her next word. The woman gazed down at her podium before looking up and once more to meet the eyes of Prince Vahlymor before she finished her sentence. "What is the difference if I were to die beyond the borders of Hyrule when I very well may be slain as I sleep in my bed? Or as I lie within my bath? Or as I stroll through the palace gardens? Are you all expecting that I disrobe and wash with a battalion of guardsmen within my room for the remainder of my life? No… of course not. That is not living, that is trembling in constant fear. That is admitting our weakness rather than fighting against it. We are blind and we must do something. This… is my suggestion, my proposal for action, and now I leave it to you, my wise advisors, to decide."

Finished speaking, the queen sat back against her chair and took a steady breath. Slowly, her Councillors began to talk amongst themselves, keeping their voices low, but their body language read loud and clear that many of them were more than taken aback by their monarch's speech. The Noruidians also could be seen exchanging looks and whispered words, periodically looking up at Zelda with unreadable expressions. The Five Councillors at Zelda's side were also speaking amongst themselves, though Elder Yrota did lean towards his queen to whisper, "You spoke quite wisely, my lady, and with an admirable degree of passion. It is not always easy to suggest a difficult or controversial path. Your father, the Goddesses bless him, would be proud. I am sure of this."

That small comment caused Zelda to smile honestly and she nodded to Yrota in thanks. She knew that beneath his words he was letting her know that even if the Council declined her suggestion, it was brave of her to suggest it in the first place. Elder Yrota was once the royal blacksmith and a close friend of her father's, so she cherished his words and opinions greatly.

Minutes ticked by and Zelda made no gesture to disturb the discussions. Once in a while she did hear tidbits, a word or a phrase here and there: dangerous... possible... absurd... likelihood... throne… The majority of which she heard was not promising. In fact, she knew that there was only a tiny possibility that the Council would agree to such a dangerous and unimaginable adventure. If anything, she expected that they'd propose to accelerate her marriage in hopes of producing an heir as soon as it was possible. That was the true problem that Zelda's words had brought back to the surface: she was the sole member of the Royal Family. If she were to die, then the line of succession would be broken, the bloodline of the Goddess Hylia lost forever. This only reinforced that Hyrule was indeed weak. Not only was the kingdom's population still recovering, but its Royal Family consisted of a single member. This was a political problem going as far back to when Zelda's mother died in childbirth, taking the life of the unborn prince with her, which caused the Late King to refuse to hear any talk concerning him remarrying.

Zelda was alone, she had no family and the closest person to her was laying soulless up in a guarded room.

Going into the mountains and facing countless perils mattered little if what Zelda said was true, that she could be eating her breakfast and this shadow evil attacks and slays her. Now, the queen did not reveal that Dark Link had stated that he'd never hurt her and how Link had basically reiterated this with his explanation of the being's "obsession" with her. Still the point that Zelda truly wanted to present was that Hyrule was in fact vulnerable.

Zelda was doing this, after all, for Hyrule. Yes… for Hyrule… not for herself, and definitely not for Link.

"Your Majesty, might I have a moment of your time, please?"

Zelda looked up with a start, having become completely absorbed with her thoughts, to see Prince Vahlymor standing at the base of her podium. The man was grinning up at her with as much casualness and charm as the man was becoming known for and the angle of her perspective of him really highlighted his handsomeness. The queen cast a quick glance around to see that nearly everyone in the room had quieted down or become completely silent with their eyes having followed the prince from the back of the room to where he stood now. The expressions ranged from intrigue, annoyance, or surprise at the fact that a foreigner was, not only in attendance to the meeting, but had actually approached the Queen at her podium by himself.

Returning her gaze back to the prince, Zelda gave him a nod and stood, to which her Councillors inclined their heads out of respect. Descending the set of stairs from her podium Zelda headed towards her personal door, but not before giving Elder Yrota a simple signal to let him know that this was all right. Vahlymor followed the queen and everyone's eyes followed the pair as they exited the room and the doors shut behind them.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that Zelda had found herself in the private corridor after the last meeting, during which her marriage was discussed and then Sir Arvid had found her there. During that time also Link was in peril, except then his soul had been fighting against the darkness of the Dark Realm. The woman sighed and sat back down on a stone bench, just as she had been when Arvid had found her when she had fallen asleep and she looked up at the prince.

"How may I help you, Your Highness?"

Vahl grinned wider at the queen and set his back against the stone wall, his arms crossed and he nodded his head slowly. "Aren't I the one who should be asking you that, my lady?" Vahl asked with a smirk. "After all, it was your knight who whispered to me that you wanted to speak to me once your proposal was complete. On that note, I must say that you continue to amaze me, Your Majesty. That was quite the speech you gave and once agin you have my admiration. So full of passion, inspiration, and truths."

The way the man held onto his last word coaxed one of Zelda's brows to raise and she asked, "I take it that you have questions, sir?"

"I do," he said, still nodding, but was now casting his gaze down the corridor. "Myself and my countrymen are honoured to have been privileged to spectate your grand declarations, but I got the sense that we weren't entirely welcome…" Vahl paused and looked back to the queen, his expression amused but his eyes serious. "It sparks my curiosity as to why we received such an invitation in the first place."

Zelda, her expression unchanging, sat back against a stone pillar and spoke evenly to the prince. "No need for pleasantries out here, Vahl. It's just you and me speaking casually."

"All right," Vahl replied, dropping his expression so that his seriousness took over completely and he revealed just how much of a leader he was. "I wish to know your true plan, Your Majesty, and what part you see us Noruidians playing."

The prince's words roused a bout of sudden laughter from the queen, the sound of it being bright and light, and the prince, perhaps not expecting the reaction, frowned slightly before offering an unsure smirk. As her laughter faded, Zelda revealed her exhaustion by ending with a yawn but she still smiled up the prince with tired eyes.

"You must understand that I have no plans for your, dear prince, only a proposition."

"Is that so?" Vahlymor responded, intrigue inking into his voice but it was truly difficult to read the man. Recalling what he had said about Noruidians training themselves to hide all emotion, Zelda kept in mind that the prince had complete control over what he showed and thus wanted her to see.

"Of course," Zelda replied, still looking at him, and gently reached into the folds of her dress into her hidden pocket to retrieve a small piece of paper. Without glancing at it she wordlessly handed it to the prince and said, "Read it, memorize it, then inform me when you're finished. Don't speak it aloud, as we cannot be sure who might be listening."

Zelda was speaking of Dark Link because she knew that the entity wouldn't stray too far from her and was well aware that the creature probably had been listening in on the entire Council Meeting. Vahl, without hesitation, reached forward to take the paper and after his eyes remained on her for a moment longer, he looked at the paper and read the queen's proposition.

The Hylian woman watched the Noruidian's features, trying to see any spark of reaction from the prince, but she saw none. The man simply read her secret words for a few moments before returning his gaze back to her and handed back the paper. Zelda took the message and closed her fingers around the paper only for flames to erupt from her palm to incinerate the scroll and destroy the message. It is only the small show of magic did the prince finally show some emotion, to which he grinned widely and chuckled heartily.

"Like I said, you amaze me, my lady," he commented, head nodding, and his seemingly casual nature and charm returned as he offered her his hand to help her to his feet.

The Hyrulean monarch took his offered hand and stood, her eyes not leaving his but she returned his smile. "You flatter me, sir, and I hope that you consider my offer. As you must understand, it is your decision alone."

"I understand completely, my lady, and shall give it proper thought."

Giving him a nod, Zelda dropped his hand and walked back towards the doors to the Council Chamber and Vahl opened the door for her. Smiling at him, the queen entered the room and was met with a mass of voices. It was clear that her Councillors and advisors were still debating their queen's words and suggestion of leaving Hyrule herself. When it became apparent that their ruler had returned, voices quieted down and all in attendance inclined their heads as their queen climbed the stairs to her podium. Meanwhile, Vahlymor made his way back to the back of the room to his awaiting comrades.

Zelda, however, did not retake her seat but instead remained standing and the Heads of the Seven Noble Families, her Councillors, and the Noruidians remained silent and looked to her. "I have given you all much to think about," she said, casting her eyes across the crowd and only remained within Vahl's gaze a half moment longer. "So I feel that it is necessary to give you all time to consider my words in order to properly contemplate the best course of action for the benefit of our kingdom. I suggest that we reconvene in two days' time at dusk so that we might take our discourse to a vote. Until then, this emergency meeting is adjourned and I dismiss you all."

\\\\\

"So, Vahl… what did you say to the queen?"

The men had barely entered their large and spacious apartments before they turned towards their leader and prince to bombard him with questions. The prince sighed and waved off Simin's question and sank into a luxurious chair by the window, clearly in thought.

"Oh, come on, Vahl! Don't leave us guessing." Crevan coaxed as he collapsed onto a couch while his twin, Todd, leaned on the back of the couch.

"Yeah, that was intense! This kingdom's queen sure does know how to stir up a room." Todd's smile matched his brother's and their eyes were both on their liege. "You might just have to marry her, after all. She certainly could keep up with your wit."

"Royal suitor or not, it still makes no sense why we were invited to the meeting," Balin added in his deep voice, his darkened skin and shaved head reflecting some of the room's light while his expression was as serious as ever.

"Very true…" Simin replied, nodding, and frowned. "Her Majesty is no fool, that much is clear, but I fear for what she may have planned for us. We certainly aren't entirely popular with the Hyrulean nobility."

Crevan scoffed and Todd laughed. "No doubt! Did you see the looks on their faces when we entered the meeting room? You would've thought that we were some dangerous monsters or something," Crevan said and his brother laughed harder. The red-headed twins erupted into giggles and mockingly presented an exaggerated dramatization of the Hyruleans' reactions.

Balin didn't look amused, Vahl didn't look up from his pensive gaze out of the dark window, and Simin scowled at the pair.

"Quiet you two!" Simin chided, but he knew that it was useless. He'd been dealing with the twins for years now and it was more reaction to chastise them than actual scolding. "This is serious, I hope you all realize. Rather than the diplomatic and possible nuptial adventure we thought that this trip would be, we've found ourselves in the middle of a war, for lack of a better word, between Hyrule and a shadow creature that's capable of slaying legendary heroes!"

"Oh, Simmy… isn't that a little bit of an exaggeration?" Todd chimed in with a dubious smirk.

"By His Majesty the King, how many times must I insist that you refrain from calling me by that horrid nickname?" Simin's words flared a chagrin into his cheeks, making his grey hair in its bun contrast his skin tone even more.

"Oh? Had you said that?" Crevan replied, a cheshire smile appearing on his face that matched his brother's.

The twins fell into their normal routine of singing up some song to get on Simin's nerves, to which the older man began berating the pair, calling them all sorts of immature names and titles. Meanwhile, Balin came up to his prince's side and joined the man with staring out the window into the night.

"Do you know what is to happen?" Balin asked his gruff voice barely louder than a whisper, which should've been near impossible to hear what with the racket the other three Noruidians were making, but Noruidia's greatest tracker knew that his prince heard him.

"Not exactly," Vahl finally spoke, his voice equally low. The prince, with his short and thick black hair and matching goatee, absentmindedly rubbed the scar that cut through his right eyebrow. A sign, to all that knew him intimately, that he was thinking heavily. "But we must tread carefully and act the same."

"Should we leave?"

Vahl didn't respond, not immediately, but he did lower his brows and could see his reflection in the window pane before him. Simin and the twins paused midway through their antics, when they realized that their prince was responding and the three came closer to where the prince sat to listen in. "We may have to leave," Vahl said after another moment, though his tone sounded more like he was talking to himself than anyone in particular. "We could leave…"

"Leave?" Simin piped up, crossing his arms and sighing. "If we were to leave now, I am not confident in having to report to His Majesty that we have successfully established better relations with Hyrule. Let alone I know your father was more interested to receive the news of your engagement to Queen Zelda. But, I fear with all of this turmoil the Hylians are currently facing, I cannot imagine that a wedding is high on their priorities."

"Or maybe… that's exactly what the Queen and Vahly talked about in private, hm?" Todd smirked and bumped his brother, who smirked as well.

"Oh, I doubt it," Simin scoffed, shaking his head. "Really, you two! Try and be serious for once."

"I can't say what we discussed," Vahl said abruptly, cutting Simin off and all four men looked to their prince, or well... Balin's expression didn't change but he did glance at the prince. "The Queen made it quite clear, and this is something you all should keep in mind too, that this… shadow creature made out of dark magic or whatever could be anywhere. It can listen to anyone it chooses without detection. We must be careful about what we discuss."

"That's all she told you?" Balin inquired.

"Not exactly…" Vahl replied, a small smirk appearing on his face. "She gave me a lot to think about, that's all I can say, but leaving Hyrule doesn't sound like too bad of an idea."

"Ugh! But we just got to Hyrule!" Crevan said with a heavy sigh, dramatically dropping to the floor with his brother following suit so that they lay in a pile of sad limbs.

"I wanted to see their fish people!" Todd groaned.

"I wanted to see their rock people!" Crevan moaned.

"And it took so long to get here! Now are you saying that we have to go all the way back? No marriage or nothing? We didn't even get to leave the castle!" Todd sighed and his twin patted his arm in sad solidarity.

Simin, who was looking to be about to erupt into another tirade, paused when Vahl spoke up.

"I said nothing about returning home. Just… for the next two days be on your guard, but still take this time to relax and enjoy yourselves. I have a lot to… consider. Take my word on the matter and leave it for now."

Simin glanced at Balin, who didn't drift his gaze from the window, while the twins glanced at one another.

"Understood," they said in unison, their integral loyalty to the prince silencing any further questions.

Simin went off to continue reading one of the many Hyrulean tomes that had been generously given at his request. The twins went over to a chess table to set up a game between them, but Balin remained by his prince's side. Vahl stared at his reflection in the glass, the view of the palace gardens and outer wall barely visible beneath them in the dark and beyond the castle's high walls lay Hyrule proper: a kingdom of magic currently covered in the darkness of night. The prince's expression had become empty, expressionless, as his thoughts consumed him and his training naturally took over. Within his mind he saw as clear as day the queen's words on the tiny piece of paper she had given him.

Zelda had rightly so instructed him not to speak them, for they were dangerous. Vahl felt great admiration for the young queen and he felt that he had seen just a tiny portion of the queen's potential and skill. She knew exactly what she was doing and the prince was impressed by her, even if he could tell that during her speech in the Council Chamber that she hadn't revealed all of the truths. Vahl understood that, for being a leader and ruler meant that you had to know when to tell the truth, when to withhold the truth, and when to lie. Still, Vahl understood that he shouldn't confuse the queen's flawless looks as her only quality: she was cunning, calculative, and very intelligent. Now it was the prince's responsibility to consider his next move very carefully.

He hadn't revealed his reaction when he read that secret message but if he had, it would've been one of shock. Queen Zelda was no fool, that much was clear, but… she hadn't lied when she had said that she had a proposition for him.

What should he do? What would he tell her? He had two days or less to decide and that didn't feel like a lot of time… after all, this decision very well would change his life forever. Staring out at the window, the land of Hyrule beyond, Prince Vahlymor of Noruidia began to truly consider the appeal of the kingdom.

\\\\\\

"Arvid. Come sit beside me, please."

Without hesitation, the knight walked across the floor of his queen's private study and came to sit next to her on the settee before the fireplace. Arvid regarded his queen and concern breached his features at how tired she appeared to be. He had been instructed by the Councillors that he was not to leave her side and that all doors leading to the queen were to remain unlocked, while her guard had been doubled. Everyone was on edge against another attack on the queen, fearing for her life against the evil Dark Link. No one knew that Zelda was relatively safe from the shadow creature, as he wasn't going to hurt her. Still… Zelda wasn't one-hundred percent certain about this and who knows where or when Dark Link might be hiding or listening. The fiend had himself implied that he was constantly listening.

"How are you feeling, my lady?"

"I'm…" Zelda paused and sighed, leaning back against her settee and reached up to begin to remove her jewelry and idly undo her hair. Normally Imala would aid the queen with doing so but, Zelda needed to occupy her hands as she spoke. "I'm tired, Arvid, but I fear sleep."

"Because of the shadow creature?"

"Yes… and no," confided Zelda, her tired eyes reflecting the dancing flames within the fireplace. "It seems so long ago that Hyrule's future appeared to be so bright, so full of hope, but now once more my kingdom faces darkness and turmoil. I fear that once I sleep and awake... that dark days will once again be upon us. Only this time we have no Hero Chosen by the Gods to save us."

Arvid didn't respond immediately, not knowing exactly how to, but he wanted to offer his support as much as he could. "You know that you can trust me to do whatever is necessary, my Queen, and I know that there are scores more of men who are devoted to you and the protection of Hyrule."

"I know," Zelda replied with a small smile, her head falling a little bit. "And that is exactly why I feel that I must do something myself. Kings and queens are expected to lead and it frustrates me to no end that there are those that accept that in order for their monarchs to do so, it means sitting on a throne and giving orders. I can list a number of my ancestors who themselves entered battles and fought alongside their countrymen. I myself sat on my throne and watched my guardsmen, my fellow Hyruleans, be slaughtered before me at the hands of Zant and his Shadow Beasts. Never again, Arvid… I swore to Link that never again would I be idle as my people gave up their lives for my sake."

"But, Your Majesty-"

Zelda held up her hands to stop Arvid from speaking further before she proceeded to undo her hair. Collecting a pile of pins and jewels on her lap, the queen's hair finally all came loose when she undid her braid. Finally, she began to undo the ribbons braided into the two-hanging pieces of hair by her face. "I know," she said finally. "I know what I say and what I want could lead to Hyrule being without a ruler, the end of the bloodline of the Goddess Hylia. I just… feel that there is more that I could do than simply being a broodmare and bearing heirs. Believe me, Arvid... that is the harsh reality of a ruling queen. I might have the same power as a ruling king but I also have the responsibility of carrying the heir of the Royal Family."

Laying the ribbons on her lap, Zelda's long, brunette hair was completely free of any adornments and she ran her fingers through the long strands. Arvid wasn't used to seeing the queen so… open, so vulnerable, and he realized that this was probably a glimpse into the relationship that the queen had had with Sir Link: candid and honest and he felt a surge of pride to be accepted into the queen's confidence.

"My Queen. I promise that I would and will do anything in my power that may help you… even if I must journey to this Sheikah village myself, I would for you."

Arvid's words roused another smile to Zelda's face and she turned her blue eyes to him, searching his face. "Oh, Arvid… how you have changed from that annoying boy who pulled on my braids when we were children. I truly appreciate your words and commitment, really I do, but I actually had another mission for you in mind."

Straightening his posture, Arvid struck his chest with his fist in a salute and gave her a nod. "Just say the word."

Smiling at him, Zelda set aside her hair pins and ribbons and stood suddenly, though Arvid was quick to follow, and he watched her go over to her desk and retrieve something from a locked drawer. Slipping whatever she got into her pocket, the queen donned her mourning Sheikah robe, pulling up the hood, and said to Arvid. "My knight, won't you accompany me to pay a visit and our respects to Sir Link?"

"Of course, my lady," Arvid replied without hesitation and went to the study door to open it for her. The pair exited into the hallway and were greeted by a dozen soldiers, all armed and ready to protect their queen at a moment's notice. At the sight of their cloaked queen, the men inclined their head and in unison formed a protective circle around their monarch and her Personal Guard. This was the new reality for the queen, as decided by her Councillors after she had called for the emergency Council meeting to end. Zelda didn't like it but she had no choice in the matter and honestly it didn't give her a great sense of hope that the Council would vote in favour of her Sheikah expedition.

Taking Arvid's offered arm, the pair, with their guard, made their way to the room where Sir Link's body lay. Zelda had wanted to request that the guards stationed outside of Link's body's door be doubled as well, but couldn't find a suitable reason to be able to. As far as anyone knew, Link was dead. Only Zelda knew that he was only mostly dead… and speaking of which, Zelda once again thought about where Link's spirit might be. He had told her that he couldn't return to his body and that he was no longer an ordinary soul so… where was he? He said he would protect her so… did that mean she would see him again, but as a spirit? She didn't know and it annoyed her to all end to be burdened with so many unanswered questions.

Coming to the room, the guards moved aside so that both Zelda and Arvid could enter. The door to the room had been removed, having been destroyed previously when Arvid and his fellow guardsmen had finally busted it down to reach Zelda after her attack from Dark Link. Now, even from the hallway, Zelda could see the form of Link's body laying on its clothed table with the pale, blue light of the Master Sword's power visible only to her. Stopping at the doorway, Zelda regarded the opening and turned to one of her guards.

"I'd like for at least a curtain to be draped to cover the doorway. Out of respect for Sir Link until, that is the new door is installed."

"It will be done, my Queen," the guard saluted and went off to inform the right people so that his queen's request would be fulfilled quickly. Entering the room, Arvid right behind her, Zelda came to stand by Link and she stared at his face and once more if she hadn't known better, and if the Master Sword wasn't embedded into his torso, then she could've believed that he was simply sleeping.

Neither Arvid or Zelda said anything for a few minutes, with Arvid hanging back a couple feet to allow his queen some space to mourn. The knight's eyes were focused on the Master Sword, the great sword of Hyrulean legend, sticking out of the famed swordsman's gut and even now the man thought about how Sir Link's death made no sense. According to what Zelda had said earlier in the emergency meeting, the sword was preserving the hero's body from decomposition. Arvid was aware of the great power within that infamous sword, as were many Hyruleans, but he also did know that only Sir Link was able to wield the sword... or at least that's what he thought. Apparently the Queen could also hold it at least, because she had said that before she was attacked she had intended to remove the sword, so... ugh! It didn't make sense to the knight and he wished that he could ask Zelda about it.

As if she could read his thoughts, Zelda suddenly spoke up. "Arvid, come and stand next to me, please."

Arvid saw his queen gesture for him to stand on her left, their backs towards the doorway, and the knight did so promptly. Being so close to Sir Link's body and most notably the Master Sword made Arvid feel uneasy, as if he was intruding on something sacred or something. It was an odd feeling, period. "Your Majesty?" he prompted, regarding her from his peripheral until his gaze caught sight of the queen's hands. They were on the table near Sir Link's right shoulder, but to Arvid's surprise he saw that the queen was actually writing something on a small piece paper with a tiny pencil. Was this what she had retrieved from her desk's drawer? Catching a quick sight of what she was writing, the knight saw that rather than words it appeared to be an… illustration? Was she drawing Sir Link's face? No… she was…

"Sir Arvid," Zelda said suddenly but quietly, almost making the knight jump. "Do you know the royal wainwright?"

Arvid blinked at the unexpected question and thought for a moment. There was only one wagon-builder that came to mind. "Are you speaking of Wayne the wainwright, my lady?" Arvid replied, his voice as quiet as hers.

"I am," she said, her eyes glancing at her drawing and Arvid saw that she was scratching some words or numbers with her drawing as well. "Your mission is to find Wayne and to deliver something to him."

"As you wish, my lady," Arvid said with the tiniest bow of his head and he watched her scribble on her paper for a few moments more before she stopped. Wordlessly Zelda slid over the paper to Arvid but the knight saw that the illustration was obscured by a piece of wax that was imbued with none other than the seal of the Royal Family. "Wayne is trusted by myself, but do not lose that wax seal. Wayne will understand what it means. Make sure that only he sees that paper and once he has, burn it and the wax. Understood?"

The knight nodded and grabbed the paper and wax seal, careful not to crush either.

"Go now. He should be at his home in town at this hour. See Faris for instructions," Zelda said and glanced at him from behind her long brunette hair.

There passed a moment between them when the queen's eyes met Arvid's and he held her gaze for a second or two, the intensity he saw within her gaze shook him to the core. Later, when the knight had time to reflect and think, he would admit to himself that it was that simple moment as they stood beside the dead body of Hyrule's renowned knight... that Arvid knew that he was in love with Zelda and would do anything for her. Anything.

With another curt nod, Arvid ended the moment and turned his back on his queen and Sir Link before exiting the room. The guards wordlessly stepped out of his way and a couple entered the room to stand by the door now that the Personal Guard of the Queen was not by her side.

Curiosity whispered for Arvid to look at the paper that was meant for Wayne the wainwright but he didn't. Instead he notified a messenger to prepare his horse and to meet him at the castle's main entrance. He could just walk to town and back but he wanted to be quick about his assignment. Besides, he had to make a pitstop first and see Faris just as his queen mentioned. Travelling through the castle Arvid eventually made his way to the knight's quarters and he knocked on a door and waited for the occupant to answer, hoping that he was home.

Sure enough it didn't take long for the door to be unlocked and opened, revealing the muscular and intimidating presence of Sir Faris, with his one-arm, bald head, beautiful blond moustache and intense gaze.

"Arvid? The hell are you doing here, boy, and at this hour?"

Unfazed by the elder knight's usually gruffness, Arvid responded under his breath. "I come by the request of the Queen."

Faris immediately opened the door wider and ushered Arvid inside, casting suspicious glances up and down the hall before shutting and locking the door. "What's this about?" Faris asked, all seriousness, and the one-armed knight looked ready for a fight as per usual.

"I need to find Wayne the wainwright. I have a message for him from the Queen."

Anyone else would've asked for more details. Not Faris. Nope, the knight simply nodded and grabbed his sheathed sword and cloak.

"What? You're coming?" Arvid asked, surprise in his voice.

"Of course," Faris replied, attaching the great broadsword to his back before donning his cloak. "Less suspicious if two knights are walking about at this hour. Hell, we're off to Telma's Bar for a couple pints and to let off some steam with the whole death of Link and attack on the Queen stuff weighing on us. I don't know. Less yapping and let's get going."

Arvid could do nothing to stop the senior knight and only followed him down to the castle's main set of doors. Outside waiting was Arvid's horse with a stablehand holding it by its bridle, but it was Faris who waved off the boy and said with a gruff smile, "Naw, boy, put that horse to bed. We're walking."

The stablehand nodded, maybe with a bit of annoyance, and led the horse away. The pair of knights walked from the castle and across the drawbridge, not saying anything, and both were on edge. Arvid had to keep up a quick pace to keep up with Faris' long strides and within minutes they were descending into Castle Town. Lights lit up many windows of homes but the quietness of the town whispered mourning. News had spread of Sir Link's death and most likely so too was the attack on the queen. Fear was spreading across Hyrule and the light of hope and prosperity was beginning to wane, just as Zelda had warned the Council.

Arvid followed Faris' lead down streets and then side streets until they came to an alleyway. The older knight knew exactly where he was going, which roused curiosity within Arvid. Why did Hyrule's oldest acting knight know exactly where the royal wainwright lived? And, for that matter, why? Passing doors to unsuspecting homes, Faris finally came to a stop at a doorway with its window darkened and looked at Arvid. "Keep it quick," he said and stepped aside. "And you owe me a pint," he added just as Arvid was about to knock.

The younger knight rolled his eyes and knocked on the door. Seconds went by and nothing and Arvid feared that the wainwright may not be home. He knocked again, louder this time, and after another moment heard movement inside.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" came a man's irritated voice from within the home and Arvid stepped back when the lock of the door was undone and the door opened. Wayne the wainwright was a sturdy, older man. By no means the size of Faris, though they were similar in height, but he was still strong looking even considering his age. It was hard to tell but he looked like he could be in his sixties and still looked healthy and ready to work. The man fixed his glasses, his head was bald, like Faris', and he had a thick, white moustache… just like Faris' blond moustache... wait.

Arvid was about to say something when Wayne cut him off.

"The hell are you doing here, boy, at this Goddess-forsaken hour?"

It took Arvid a half-second to realize that Wayne was not talking to him.

"Not now, Pa, we're here on official business," Faris responded with the same gruff tone as the wainwright, both men scowling in annoyance at one another.

"You're Sir Faris' father?" Arvid blurted out, having obviously not known that, and Wayne just shook his head and regarded Arvid.

"Knights these days are pretty slow, huh? All right, be quick about it. Come on in."

Wayne moved from the door and a frowning Arvid followed him and taking up the rear was Faris who closed the door behind him. The older man went over to the dying fire to put on a couple of logs to get the flames going again.

"What about your mother?" Arvid turned to Faris and asked, but it was Wayne who answered.

"She's dead, but Zelda knows that, so that's not what y'here for. Now, what business have you brought me from that sweet girl? Come on, spit it out or get the fuck out."

It was in that moment that Arvid realized that in comparison to his father, Faris was actually rather polite. Still frowning, Arvid resumed his serious, knightly stature and came to stand by the man by the fire and handed him the small piece of paper with Zelda's seal. Wayne regarded the wax seal for a moment, before casually tossed it into the fire where it instantly began to melt. The wainwright ignored Arvid noise of protest while he fixed his glasses and regarded the paper.

"Huh… I see… did she tell you anything more?"

"No, just that you were to see that and then once you had it memorized to burn it."

"Mmhm," Wayne replied, idly studying the paper with a master's eye.

From where Arvid stood, he could somewhat make out through the paper from the fire what Zelda had written on it. It looked almost like...a blueprint? With markings of measurements or something. Is that what Zelda had been doing at Link's table-side? Measuring him? What did Link's measurement have anything to do with the royal wagon-builder? Before Arvid could think of it further, Wayne suddenly ripped the paper in two and tossed the pieces into the fire to burn.

"Tell my sweet Zelda that I'll do it before the two day period," was all Wayne said before he began to shoo them out of his house. "Now go on, I have work to do."

Faris didn't even bid his father farewell but simply exited the house, followed closely by Arvid. The younger knight barely made it out the door before it was slammed in his face and re-locked.

"I didn't know that your father was still alive," Arvid said after a moment, looking up at Faris who shrugged.

"There's a lot that you don't know, Arvid. Now, let's go get a pint before we return to the castle and before you make a fuss…" Faris added quickly, seeing that Arvid was about to protest, "consider that if we return too quickly that it'll look suspicious. We paid my old man a visit now... let's go pay Telma a visit."

Arvid sighed and nodded and began to follow the older knight once again.

So many secrets… and all would be revealed in two days time.