Chapter 5

Hyrule

"Fifteen minutes away from the castle! Alright everyone get everything together and what is that Zelda?!" Lilith screamed pointing at Leech who was sipping soup from a straw.

"Leech. He flew in through the window last night and I want to keep him." Zelda said not looking up from a book. Link snickered and gave Leech a bit of a cookie. The two of them became friends quickly when Leech showed Link his baby eyes and smile. "Oh come on Lilith, look at how cute he is!" Link said and Leech smiled at the Queen.

"His name is Leech?" Rusl asked looking at Leech.

"Yeah be careful he likes to bite." Zelda said tossing the book onto the couch and looked out the window. From a distant they could see the top of the castle in the clouds.

"Now when we arrive smile and wave and say hello to everyone. They are dying to see you." Lilith said.

"Wish some could actually drop dead from excitement." Link snickered. Leech grinned and rubbed his face into a napkin before taking a spot on Link's shoulder. Zelda went back to her room and straightened it up even though she highly doubt she would return to it after this. She picked up Zefa's gift and stuffed it into her pocket before sitting on her bed. Zefa…

The trees would always whistle when the wind blew in. Mama said the trees whistle your lullaby when you walked past them. Every day during the Wind Festival I would always hear my lullaby from the trees.

"Zefa what are you doing up there?" Zelda asked me whenever she found me sitting on a branch on the highest tree in the forest.

"I'm listening to my lullaby! Mama said if I listened hard enough I can hear the trees singing it!"

"The only thing you'll be hearing is your bones crunching when you fall off that tree now get down from there!"

"No!"

"Zefa!"

"NO!"

Zelda would always huff when I was too stubborn to make an agreement on something. She would stand there before giving up and actually join me on the branch and we would both hear our lullabies. One day when I brought Puff, Zelda created words for my lullaby and sang it with the wind.

"You think one day Hyrule is going to go back to the way it was?" I would always ask Zelda.

"Only the Goddesses can predict that now." Zelda would always reply.

"Welcome to Hyrule!" A man said bowing before Zelda and opening the doors to the dining room where a few older looking men and women sat staring at Zelda as she entered with Link and Rusl in tow. They arrived safely behind the castle using a secret entrance to avoid protesters or worse villagers out looking to kill the last arriving tributes. The castle was huge compared to the one Zelda lived at back at home. Paintings of all three Goddesses and past rulers hung on the walls and guards stood everywhere in front of doors and windows to protect tributes from the villagers below.

A man in a small green suit who had a huge head and small beady eyes got up from his chair and the others followed as Zelda walked over to the table.

"The only royal blood who sacrificed herself to save a friend… Such bravery you have." The little man said. Zelda took a seat next to him as Link and Rusl found empty seats to sit in. "I'm Chancellor Cole, ruler of Hyrule until the end of the games but I must say… you seem to have more courage and strength then I do, Zelda." Cole said as he grabbed the salad bowl.

"How did you find out about Ilia?" Zelda asked him grabbing a piece of bread.

"A little bird told me." Cole smiled and nodded his head to where a dark skinned man wearing a bandana on his head was sitting.

"Alfonzo!" Zelda said looking surprised.

"I arrived here quicker than you since the royal highness hates traveling in the woods. If you took the shortcut through the woods you would've arrived quicker." Alfonzo said raising his goblet to her.

"But… What are you doing here?"

"I'm one of the gamekeepers. Cole here is Master gamekeeper."

"Alright let's not get too carried away or we'll spill information. Since you arrived late we'll have to explain the rules again. You'll be staying in the suite closest to the King's suite. You must be up at six and be in bed by ten at night no exceptions. From now on you cannot speak with anyone besides any of the tributes, the gamekeepers, your trainer or Lilith. If we find you conversing with villagers or anyone who is not involved in the games you will be disqualified and sent to trial where a judge will determine your fate. Now… eat up before I introduce you to your trainers!" Cole explained and the group ate and asked Zelda questions about what she felt like after she choose to take Ilia's place.

"There is only one twelve year old in the games… He's from a hidden kingdom in the woods somewhere but that boy can run." Cole said getting up and adjusting his tiny green hat on his head.

They followed Cole outside where a dozen of other tributes were already training by throwing knives or learning how to fight.

"Impa! Ralph! Your tributes are here!" Cole shouted and two trainers turned and smiled as they walked towards Zelda and Rusl. The girl held out her hand to Zelda, her long silver hair tied back but blowing softly in the wind behind her. "I'm Impa your trainer." The other wore a blue hat, his hair messy and unorganized slapped Rusl on the back. "I'm Ralph, nice to meet ya."

"Now do listen to what they have to say." Cole said placing his hands behind his back. He stood on his toes next to Zelda. "I pray that you win the games, Princess Zelda. Din has told me much about you but you are closer to Nayru I see." Cole walked away like he said nothing and left the training area as few tributes stared at the little green man leave the arena.