Chapter Six Coming to Terms.
It was well into the afternoon when the King requested that the Moblin come to his audience chamber, to discuss the terms that Link had already set out for peace between them. He looked long and hard at this Moblin who represented what the King felt had been the worst time of his life, the time when he had misjudged Ganondorf as a friend and ignored his daughter's obviously prophetic warnings. None of this showed in his face however and he waited patiently as the Moblin and his guards walked up the carpet.
The King waited until the group was in front of him and then after inviting the Moblin to sit down and dismissing the guards to their normal posts at the doors; he cordially asked to be introduced.
"You have a given name Sir Moblin, that I can use when I speak with you?"
"Certainly Your Highness. My name is Gron."
"Very well, Sir Gron..." The King stopped as Gron held up his hand and waited for the King to aknowledge him.
"I am no Knight, your Majesty. I am just Gron, I was not even on our council. I am only a survivor of the war and the only one left who was able to take charge of our group for the last year or so." Gron then answered all the questions put to him by the King and his advisors about his motives and loyalties and those of the people he was now representing.
"You seem well suited for this duty Gron and I think you deserve the title and the authority that goes with it. It will help you to maintain the respect you deserve, if we make this treaty work. With that, the King drew his sword and before the advisors of his court, he knighted Gron with all privileges befitting his new rank. He gave over the mountain territory that Gron lived in, over to his care; provided that he owed his and all his people, the allegiance to Hyrule as discussed.
Then it was time to sort out the working part of the treaty. What could be gained and offered by both parties and this took some time. In exchange for the protection of Hyrule and it's armies, the moblins could 'watch' the mountain passes and guard. They also were experts in weapon manufacture, not the bombs that the Gorons were famous for; but the blades, spears and arrows. The problem being, that there were too few Moblin left to provide any thing of use to Hyrule. The trade exchange could not be fair.
"Fair exchange is not neccessary Sir Gron. What is required, apart from immediate cessation of hostilities is that both of our peoples uphold the treaty and trust in each other. It may be difficult at first, but it can be done; the very fact that you have come here in trust and willing to do this is proof of that. Your band could have wiped out the company that was sent after you, but you listened to Link instead. We will always be grateful to friends who have intelligence.
"Your ways of life are of course your own to deal with, we don't interfere with the different cultures that make up our allies; but we do like to keep contact and are always available if needed."
"This is a generous offer and I feel that it is only right to inform you of the intent of my counsel. We are wishing to send out searchers for other's of our species who may have survived and yet remain in hiding. It is only fair to warn you that we have no idea of how many or how well organised they might be. It was our aim to bring all back to our first homeland in the mountain passes."
"That is no problem; we can assist you if you require, by making a general amnesty for all our former enemies. Each leader however, will have to swear the same oath as you and be tied by the same treaty; if they are to live in the same community. Does that seem fair?"
"Perfectly fair your Highness. Could I ask that Prince Link accompanies the searching party, our people are 'aquainted' with him of course and he is known for his sense of fairness and honesty. It was well known even when we were enemies."
"That can certainly be arranged, you are sure that others of your kind will trust a Hylian at first?"
"More so perhaps, than his own King does; sometimes Sire." Gron said respectfully, but with purpose.
Your meaning, Sir Gron?" The King's own tone was slightly frosty.
"Forgive me for stepping on toes; but there are not many people who do not just see us as animals, or who put themselves at great risk by showing compassion for the starving young of an enemy. Link only wished to help, I would never have assumed that he was acting on his own; he made sure that I knew that the final say on anything would be contingent on my meeting with yourself."
"I do trust my son-in-law Sir Gron, why would you think otherwise?"
"Gossip spreads fast and into every corner, Your Majesty. Apart from the fact that his balcony is just below my own and I have an excellent sense of smell. I could smell his tears and I could hear his grief. He feels you think he is a traitor. I cannot see how you would come to such a conclusion; but having offspring myself, I do know that misunderstandings occur and can cause heartbreak."
"Foolish boy, I will be speaking with him after I have finalised things with you Sir Gron and thank you. I was probably too harsh and he can be rather sensitive." The King ignored the raised eyebrow of his new ally and welcomed him to stay in the guest rooms he had been assigned. The newly knighted Sir Gron was then allowed freely to go to his rooms; escorted this time only by attendants, who had been appointed for his stay in the castle. He'd also been invited to attend the dinner which would now be held in his honour within the next hour.
The King then made his way to Link's rooms and dismissed the guards from outside his door feeling slightly ashamed that in his anger he had done this, he should not have treated the boy as if he was just short of a criminal. He nodded at Jardan who had remained in the background with the normal interior guards and walked to the balcony where his son-in-law still sat with the blanket around his shoulders. Link was detached and just watching the horizon with unseeing eyes; lost in his own thoughts.
He hadn't spoken or even recognised that anyone was with him for a good hour and in anyone else this behaviour could be taken as self pity or melodrama. But with Link, he had never really been subjected to this form of treatment before and it had nearly broken his heart to feel that he could be taken as a traitor. He had devoted most of his life to Hyrule and the King's words had hurt him badly. Link was aware however when the King drew up another chair to sit down next to him and he leapt up to stand straight with his head bowed in the presence of his monarch.
"Sit down Link, sit down my boy." He waited until Link sat again and then he said with a heavy sigh; "Link, when I spoke earlier, I spoke in haste and anger. It led me to say things that were unconsidered and I know you have taken them to heart; in perhaps a more intense way, than I meant. I am still sensitive on the issue surrounding my deposition and it led me to speak in haste and for that I'm sorry."
"You don't think I'm a traitor anymore?" Link whispered; not trusting his voice to remain steady and not wanting the King to hear the sniffles that hadn't yet, fully ceased.
"No Link, I never for one moment thought of you as a traitor. In that, you took my words too far." He put his arm round Link's shoulder giving him a squeeze and offered him a hankie to wipe his face. " Are you feeling better now? Good." He said as Link nodded. "Now I must go. You will attend dinner tonight Link, it will be in honour of our new ally Sir Gron." Link recognised that this was not a request and indeed he wished to see the Moblin again; he just wished that he had been given longer to freshen himself up.
Jardan came to help him by setting out his garments for the evening while Link had a quick bath. He was pleased that the King had come in to apologise and he knew that by doing so in front of the interior attendants, that the news of the appeasement would travel just as quickly as the news of the King's anger had done. Link was still a bit too quiet for Jardan's liking but he knew he would come round and said;
"I told you so." just to cheer him up or make him annoyed. Either way it should break him out of his self imposed silence. "He was treating you like his own." It worked and Link threw his wet sponge over at Jardan, catching him in the head and making the Hero feel instantly better as he watched his friend's hair drip water down his face. Jardan looked mad but was in truth happy to see Link act more like himself and got his own back by flicking the damp towel at Link's bare behind making him yelp with the sting.
At last Link was grinning and Jardan flung his clothes at him telling him to dress quickly as dinner was not going to be long and it would never do to be late. Soon a sedate Link was entering the dinning hall with a dignified Jardan in attendance and they took their places in expectation of the King. Zelda had run to give him a hard hug and checked him over. She was still angry with her father as she had not been allowed to go to her husband; but although she could still see evidence that he had been distressed, Link's smile reassured her.
When the King entered accompanied by Sir Gron, everyone rose; then the King welcomed the Moblin in the name of Hyrule and named the feast in his honour. Sir Gron bowed and took his seat, inclining his head to the now smiling Link and noticing as well how young Link was for all the deeds he had done. Few if any, around the table could fully appreciate, what all the battles before had been like and Gron who had seen Link fight, marvelled that the Hero could retain such charm and seeming innocence; when he had been so fearless and determined in battle.
Dinner was a relaxed affair and although Sir Gron was not normally given to speaking a great deal, he was willing to answer questions; hoping that understanding of his people would come from all of this attention. The other conversations had picked up from breakfast; the Princesses were once again speaking of going to the market, only it would now be in the morning and Link had already agreed to go with them. Tarin leaned forward to speak to Link and tapped him on the arm saying in a very loud whisper;
"It's good to see things are patched up between yourself and the King, my cousin. I wish I were still young enough to turn on the waterworks to get out of a scolding." Then he laughed as Link blushed to his roots. Others joined in the laughter even though they had not all heard the remark, but most assumed it to be some pleasant banter that had made their Prince blush. Even Zelda smiled at him and he had to bite his cheek so as not to let the further dig of humiliation get to him or reveal his disquiet to the now smirking Tarin.
Soon however, it had passed and dinner came to an end and with it some important things to decide. The King and Sir Gron wished to speak privately with Link to decide when would be best to go and search for any remaining pockets of survivors who might want to make peace with Hyrule under amnesty.
"Do you know where any of your former allies might be hiding Sir Gron?" asked the King.
"Not with any certainty, Prince Link would have better knowledge of all the places that are around more than myself."
"You are willing to do this Link, lead a company of soldiers with some of Sir Gron's men to find these hideouts?"
"Of course Your Majesty."
"Then once our guests have gone, you will go and retrieve our 'hostage' and collect any that Sir Gron wishes to go with you. Shall we say in one month?"
"Yes Your Highness, in one month."
"Link, you do not agree?" The King recognised the thoughtful look on his son-in-law's face.
"I would rather leave tomorrow Sire, there may be others who are starving or lacking in some way. A further month may be too long for them to wait."
"Tomorrow then it is Link, you have a good heart my boy; I will provide a wagon with supplies and medicine for you to take with you."
"Thank you Sire." Came from two voices and the Hero and the Moblin left together. Sir Gron towered over Link but he looked towards him fondly and took the Prince's face in his huge clawed hand; the trace of the previous tears was still evident in the slightly swollen eyes.
"You are a remarkable foe and friend Link. I am honoured to know you." Then he left, bowing to Link and left for his rooms and Link then had to leave to find Zelda and explain, his next duty.