Hey! I'm SOOOOO SORRY that it took so long to update! I feel really bad, and I feel even worse because this chapter's not even that good. But I really hope it was worth the wait... though I don't think it was haha. Not my best. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! :) Again, sorry! And I really appreciate your guys' concern for my welfare hahaha.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Caine

After hurriedly using the horse call to summon Epona (while Link ignored the fact that it was from Ilia), he and Zelda were galloping toward the castle. Her stern look of determination and anger never ceased, and Link found his stomach doing uncomfortable somersaults. He hated seeing Zelda this way, yet she had quite a point. The letter even made him uneasy, and he tried to shake off the strange feeling as Epona rushed through the grass. He just immersed himself in the wind, listening to her hooves padding heavily against the ground, and feeling Zelda's arms around his waist.

There was complete silence between them, but it wasn't awkward. It was simply a sign that they were both concentrated and focused. And all Link needed was the feel of her touch, anyway. Talking wasn't a necessity, especially with a face and figure as flawless as hers.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the castle came into view, and Link caught sight of the bridge leading into Castle Town. He felt Zelda lighten up just a bit as they neared it, and he was ready to be right by her side when she took on the task of facing the Royal Council. He would be there for her no matter what happened...

"Hurry," Before Link could even get off himself, Zelda hopped from Epona's back and dusted herself off. Link stifled his impressed yet tense laughter as he dismounted, and he noticed that Zelda's hair was completely askew around her face, most likely from the ride. Either way, she still looked gorgeous.

Instinctively, she grabbed his hand and began strutting across the bridge. Squeezing her fingers gently, he easily followed her stride and retained his intense comportment. The bridge was empty, and right as they stepped into castle town, Zelda precariously lifted the hood to conceal her face. Sighing, they slowed down their pace to decrease suspicion among the citizens as they weaved their way between the crowds. Zelda's eyes were determinedly set on the castle, Link could tell.

He found himself feeling nervous as they emerged into the main plaza, and the flow of water in the fountain reached their ears. It was slightly relaxing, knowing that it was a familiar sound, but they were both still on edge. Link hated this feeling, the feeling that Zelda was unbelievably unhappy. All he ever wanted was to make her happy, and in this situation, he wasn't sure if there was anything he could do to make that happen...

Link, eager to get this over with, began leading the way toward the entrance of the castle. However, Zelda stood still, tugging on his hand slightly to hold him back. Confused, he furrowed his brow and just stared at her. She lowered her darkened eyes, and Link sensed her insecurities getting the best of her; he just didn't know what those insecurities were. Comfortingly, his face softened and he moved to face her. He put his hands on her arms and tilted his head. She lifted her face, and her expression wasn't one of fear; it was one of sympathy but resignation.

"Link," she swallowed as she gazed at him through the shadows that darkened her face. "I don't... You can't come with me."

Those words caught Link off-guard, and took him completely by surprise. Those were the last words he was expecting to come out of her mouth. He had expected something like: "I'm glad you're here to support me," or "I could never do this without you."

"...Huh?"

"As much as I regret saying this to you, you can't come," she repeated, the words flowing more easily this time. Link was still at a loss. Zelda glanced back at the entrance, her eyes falling on the armed guards blocking the entrance.

"I want to be there for you, no matter what happens," he protested, stepping closer and grabbing her hands. Zelda turned away when he said those words.

"Link, do you remember what the letter said?" Zelda took on a suddenly serious comportment, and she summoned the courage to face him straight on. Link opened his mouth to respond, but hesitated. Zelda took advantage of that. "It stated that any kidnappers of the princess will be put to death immediately and without trial."

Link, in turn, decided to take advantage of her little slip.

"Unless they return her voluntarily," he added, suppressing a triumphant smirk. Zelda, however, wasn't impressed. She rarely was when proven wrong.

"Listen to me," she continued in a hushed, more urgent tone. "If you come with me to see those guards and the Royal Council, they won't hesitate in killing you."

"But the letter said—"

"What the letter said has little to no importance!" she argued, and Link clenched his teeth as she squeezed the life from his hands. "Trust me, I know the Royal Council! They can be unbelievably ruthless," she explained. Then, her expression softened and she sighed heavily. "I just don't want to risk anything happening to you on my behalf."

"Zelda, I will do anything to support you," Link put extra emphasis on the word 'anything.' However, the stubborn princess still would not accept that answer.

"Please, Link," she shook her head. "If you really want to be there for me, then stay here. If anything happened to you..."

Link finally understood. He let out a deep, submissive breath and nodded quite reluctantly. Zelda's tension decreased, much to his happiness. At the same time, he was upset with the way she was looking at things; he was even more upset about the fact that every word was true.

"Thank you, Link," Zelda smiled gratefully, and he could practically see the relief washing over her like water on the shore. "I'm sure that we'll be reunited soon,"

"How soon?" Link couldn't help but inquire, stepping even closer. His face was now inches away from hers, and he could see every single detail on her face. Her blue eyes were brimming with small, sparkling tears.

"As soon as I get things straightened out with the Royal Council," she replied. "And, honestly, I don't know how long that will take. Days... weeks..."

Weeks? Link thought, frantically and in a panic. I might not see you for weeks?

"But don't worry!" Zelda tried to give him solace. She ran her fingers through the thick tresses of his sandy blond hair. The shivers he got were the good kind of shivers. "I know that the wait will be worth it."

Link could only nod; he had nothing to say.

"But please, Link, promise me that you will continue searching for the cure. Please, we need to solve this puzzle," Zelda added precariously. Link, still at quite a loss for words, blinked twice and then nodded more vigorously. Zelda smiled, and he could tell that she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her slender shoulders.

Both of their heads turned to where the guards were standing, completely oblivious to the fact that their princess was about to appear out of nowhere.

"Go," Link said softly, moving the hood slightly so he could kiss her forehead. "I'll be ready for you whenever you're done."

"Thank you," she flashed her white teeth. At the same time, they wrapped their arms around each other, and she squeezed his neck a bit harder than he would've liked. Either way, he knew that he wasn't ready to leave her... Now or ever.

Without another word, Zelda smiled sheepishly, and then made her way to the guards. Link took a seat at the fountain, taking off his hat and running his hands through his hair tensely as he watched her. Of course, the guards were shocked. One of them seemed as if he were about to faint when she lowered her hood. But after a few minutes, they shakily led her through the entrance. After Zelda looked back one more time to flash him an affectionate grin, she was gone. Stressed and apprehensive about the separation, Link leaned his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands. The next few days, he knew, were going to be torture without her.

Shaking his head slightly, Link swallowed and pressed his lips together uncomfortably. He had the most horrid feeling in his stomach, and no matter how much he clutched his gut, it wouldn't subside. And all around him, he could sense the tension of the citizens.

I thought that when Ganondorf was defeated, life in Hyrule was supposed to get easier! He thought in frustration. Just the opposite was happening: life in Hyrule had only gotten more complicated.

"And when the soldiers came to my house, there was nothing I could do!" a group of people were talking a few feet away, and their conversation caught Link's attention. He discreetly lifted his head, narrowing his eyes and struggling to hear them.

"Oh, no!" the two women gasped as they listened to the third's story.

"Yes!" the plump, blonde-haired women nodded frantically. "Back at my home, they just knocked on my door. Then they asked where the princess was, and of course I didn't know! But then they decided to stay at my house! They slept there, and ate all of my food. I came here to shop at the market, because we've run out of everything!"

"It's a part of that stupid new declaration," the other one huffed, crossing her arms across her chest angrily. "Such nonsense, this Royal Council."

"Shh, keep your voice low," the third shushed, glancing around worriedly. Link clenched his teeth, listening to this woman's story. It made his blood boil and his heart pound heavily. Zelda was the last hope for the happiness of the people of Hyrule. "You don't want one of the guards to hear you."

Link glanced back at the entrance, and then his eyes moved upwards to scan the castle itself. He could see shadows moving in the windows, and lights flashing from the candles. His fingers moved anxiously to the hilt of his sword as his jaw tensed, and his mind had only one thought.

If Zelda doesn't do something about this... I will.

ZELDA POV

Zelda made sure to keep her head held high as she strode into her castle, the guards on either side of her. They were a bit shaky, and they snuck side-glances at their proud princess every two moments, as if making sure she was still there. Zelda had to suppress a smile of amusement at their states of surprise of fear when she'd revealed herself. However, there was nothing amusing about her situation. She could sense that the Royal Council was not going to be happy, and they were definitely not going to be willing to listen to her.

Her only comfort was the fact that she had returned before they'd had the chance to kill or jail anybody... especially Link.

Zelda paused in front of the stairwell leading up to her chambers, and with an atmosphere of uncertainty, the guards stopped as well. They looked at each other anxiously as Zelda gracefully lowered her hood and took a deep yet subtle breath. She closed her eyes for moment, giving herself the chance to see Link's face behind her eyelids.

"Send for the members of the Council," she ordered suddenly. At the sound of her voice, the guards stood straight and clamped the ends of their spears on the ground.

"Yes, your Highness," they both said in unison, nodding obediently.

"Gather them in the main hall. I shall be down there shortly," Zelda prompted, giving them both stern glances. "Now go."

"Yes, your Highness," they repeated. Then, with loyal bows of their heads, they stomped off down the hall. When Zelda heard the clank of their armor, she cringed; the sound did not bring good memories to her mind.

Finally free of the guards, Zelda began her trek up the long flight of stairs. She made sure to keep her back straight, and restrained from putting her hand on the railing. She had always been taught to have pride in herself, and if she didn't need the help, she shouldn't use it.

That was part of the reason Link wasn't here. Princess Zelda didn't need the help.

Finally clean and refreshed from bathing, Zelda ran the diamond-studded hairbrush through her wet, brown hair. She stared blankly at herself in the mirror, looking into the blue eyes of her reflection. Her head was tilted slightly as she brushed the divided tresses of her locks, and she found the tugging on her scalp slightly comforting. But most of all, she wanted to be able to feel Link's fingers instead of the hairbrush, running through her hair and giving her tingles. She urged for his touch...

But that was for another time, she decided.

Determinedly, Zelda stood from her toilette and twisted her wet hair expertly, securing it into a high, sophisticated bun atop her head with her golden pins. A classy and professional look was always necessary for meetings with the Royal Council, and she placed the tiara onto her bed of hair. Then, as a small final touch, she added a golden ribbon. She smiled to herself when it reflected in the light, making it seem as if she had a strand of solid gold hair. But then, without another distracting thought, Zelda made her way out of her chambers and down toward the main hall. The members of the Royal Council were no doubt waiting for her there.

In the many wide and narrow corridors of her castle, Zelda passed numerous servants, butlers, and maids. Each one obediently bowed their heads, uttering her name and not daring to glance up. Though she felt uncomfortable with these tense welcomes, Zelda only nodded to acknowledge them and kept walking. Each time she walked through a corridor, silence enshrouded her and the people around her. The only sound was the click of her heels against the tile floor (going to a Royal Council meeting meant abandoning her comfortable boots for high-heels).

Finally, Zelda saw the doors leading into the main hall towering above her, and her stomach did an anxious somersault. She was considerably afraid about what the Royal Council would say, and how they would react to her return. She prepared herself for a bombardment of questions, and sucked in a deep breath as she pushed the doors open with her shaky hands.

At the large roundtable in the center of the vast room, twenty different men and women were seated and speaking in hushed voices. But when they heard the creaking of the door, they all whirled around to face the entrance. Zelda felt the blood drain from her face as they all stood, eyes wide and mouths agape.

"Princess!" they all shouted at the same time. Zelda struggled not to flinch.

"Hello," she bowed her head slightly.

"Welcome back, my darling!" the head of the Royal Council and Zelda's second-in-command, Rolph, took the initiative in greeting her properly. He was a plump, rotund man with a curly white mustache and balding head. His cheeks were constantly a bright shade of red, and he had many colorful rings on his pudgy fingers. Zelda loved and trusted him, but also knew that he could get a little carried away at times.

"Thank you," Zelda walked forward, her heels echoing in the large room. They all watched her intently as she made her way to the other side of the table, where her seat was. They all remained standing until she reached her seat, and then she outstretched her arms with a nod. They all took their seats, and then Zelda, too, sat down.

That was when the clamor began.

"Princess, where have you been?"

"What happened to you?"

"We've been worried for you, Princess!"

"Did anybody hurt you, Princess?"

"Please!" Zelda held out her hands, shouting over the constant questioning. The council immediately quieted down at her command. "One question at a time, I beg of you."

Rolph cleared his throat, and Zelda turned to him with a keen ear.

"Princess, may I ask where in Hyrule you've been?" he asked with a vexed tone. "We've been simply worried sick! We feared your whereabouts."

"Nothing happened to me, I assure you," Zelda reassured them. "I simply left to escape this entire political and economic ordeal for a few days."

"Princess, why didn't you tell anybody?" Rolph continued, his burly voice filling the room. The other members nodded, murmuring in agreement.

"I didn't think I was going to be gone so long," Zelda lied with ease. But then, she remembered the letter they had sent through Hyrule, and the anger returned. "And nobody tried to hurt me."

They were all quiet, glancing at each other nervously.

"The letter you sent to the citizens of Hyrule reached my attention, as I'm sure you all know," she continued. They remained quiet. Zelda enjoyed having the power to intimidate them. "I must say... I am not pleased."

"Princess, you must understand that drastic times demand for drastic measures!" one of her advisors, Georgiana, defended. Zelda looked at her with an expression of pure contempt. Georgiana was never one of her favorites.

"This, Georgiana, was much too drastic!" she replied. Georgiana blinked, taken aback at Zelda's angry response. She shrunk back in her seat, tucking a lock of bright red hair behind her ear. "'Any kidnappers of the princess that are found will be immediately put to death without trial'? Who authorized this letter?" She pulled out the letter, slamming it down on the table furiously.

There was silence for a few moments. Zelda narrowed her eyes, stopping to glare at every single member.

"I-I did, your Highness," Rolph admitted as her eyes fell on him.

"Since when does anything happen without a trial? This is completely against the set of laws and rights we have for Hyrule!" Zelda reprimanded. "And death, as well! This is very shocking."

"Princess, sometimes we need to do things that you don't always agree with."

Zelda turned on the source of that phrase: Caine. He was always the troublemaker of the Royal Council in Zelda's eyes, and he happened to be the youngest after herself. He was only twenty-one, while Zelda was eighteen, with dazzling blonde, slicked-back hair and bright green eyes. And he was absolutely brilliant. But he also had an air of arrogance about him, and he was always the one to stand up to the princess. She almost detested him.

"I beg your pardon, Caine?"

"When the Princess of Hyrule goes missing, and nobody hears anything about it, it is natural for us to assume that a kidnapping has occurred," Caine said. "And since you were not here to authorize any actions, we took it into our own hands."

"Excuse me, but I do believe I am the Princess and the head of this council," she replied evenly. "And I also believe that long ago we decided that any person accused of any crime would be put on trial. Am I correct?"

"Uh—" Caine opened his mouth to respond, but paused. Zelda couldn't hide her smirk of triumph.

"On other circumstances, this might've been acceptable," she waved the letter in the air momentarily. "And this declaration? That any troops may enter any civilian's home?"

"Now Princess, we only needed to ensure that you could be found without any interference—" Rolph began, but was interrupted by a death stare from the princess.

"I want this repealed. Now!" she declared, her rare temper beginning to get the best of her. She doubted that the Council had ever seen her so worked up. But death without trial and this declaration were simply unacceptable.

"Princess, we can't do that," Caine spoke up, once again defying the word of the princess. She raised her eyebrows at him. "The government needs to assert more power in Hyrule. We need control of our people."

"Not this kind of control, Caine," Zelda forced herself to calm down. Yelling at them wasn't going to change their minds; it might scare them, but it wouldn't change their minds. "This is too much. The people have a right to freedom."

"Sometimes constriction of freedom is necessary, Princess," Caine argued. "For the welfare of the nation."

"How does this help the welfare of the nation?" Zelda tilted her head as she asked the question.

"Why," Caine's sarcastic toned greatly irritated the young princess. "Because it shows the people that they must follow orders. It creates organization."

Zelda was too angry to respond. She was afraid that something she wasn't expecting would come from her mouth.

"And, another thing we decided on in your absence," Caine cleared his throat.

"Oh, really? And what is that?" Zelda asked through clenched teeth. He smirked, baring his white teeth.

"We've decided to raise the taxes to pay off the national debt and increase Hyrule's security... we've already decided."

Sigh. Hahah you know what to do now! Review and tell me what you think! Boring...bland...good...stupid...? Hahahaha you decide, and tell me in your reviews! Thanks a lot guys, I'll try to update earlier next time! Love you all! ;DDD