Princess Zelda
Zelda's Office
11:24 a.m.
19 days before Declaration
The City Hall lurked in the corner of Castle Town Square, like a silent spy on its people. Before the Castle's destruction, it had been an abandoned warehouse where a few Gorons sold their goods. Now that the aristocrats needed a place to work, they kicked the merchants out and set up shop.
The main room in the building was a large circular area, which had been christened the "Council's Court" because it was the only place large enough to house all the nobles at once. From the Council's Court one could access a number of small rooms that branched off, or climb the spiral staircase to a second floor which eventually lead to a lookout on to the city.
As for the princess' office itself, she hated every inch of it. There were very few decorations in the room, and even fewer pieces of furniture; just a wooden chair or two and, of course, a desk for her to work on. The dark and windowless stone walls made her feel like she was in a dungeon, and the two guards standing outside the door certainly did not make the place feel more welcoming.
It had been a full week since Telma had alerted her of Donphes' meeting, and up to that day things seemed relatively quiet. The general seemed more occupied with his troops than with planning against her...at least, that was what she hoped.
But she had more important priorities at the moment: paperwork. She groaned at the thought, but between the pile of bills and Donphes, her paperwork was definitely the lesser of two evils.
"I do not care if she is preoccupied! Stand aside you fool!"
The gruff shouts of Donphes through the closed door pierced her ear. As she looked up, the general stormed into the little office, veins bulging in his face and a piece of paper in his hand. He slammed the parchment on the desk in front of her.
"What is this?" he snarled.
Zelda did not need to look at the document to know what it was, "It is the bill you advocated for regarding forced boarding for the soldiers that recently returned to Hyrule." She tried to keep as levelheaded as possible, ignoring the fire burning in her stomach.
"Very good. Now what is it missing?" Donphes spoke slowly, as if to make sure the princess understood what he was getting at.
Of course she understood. She had never passed it into law.
"General Donphes, there is good reason why I did not sign this bill."
"Is there?" the man scoffed. "I saw one of my Colonels in an alleyway on my way here yesterday. A Colonel! Begging in the streets like a common pauper! We risked our lives fighting for this kingdom and when we come home we are treated like a nuisance! What reason could there possibly be to let this happen?"
"The citizens of Hyrule have enough troubles as it is. There are families with barely enough food to feed their children, let alone a group of soldiers. Not even I am forcing myself into a residence. It is only through the kindness of those generous enough to offer their homes that either you or I have a warm place to sleep, and that is the way it must be. I will not allow my people to suffer any more than is necessary."
"BUT WE'RE YOUR PEOPLE TOO!"
Donphes slammed his fists on Zelda's desk. His face had changed from its regular hue to a red as deep as his armor. The princess stood up at the general's outburst, meeting his hateful glare with one of her own.
"I understand how you must be feeling, but that does not excuse you to address me in such a horrendous manner. I will warn you only once, my dear general: know your place. I rule this kingdom, not you; and that is not about to change."
Zelda feared she might push the furious general over the edge, but just when his head seemed ready to burst, something changed in him. Some sort of restraint embedded in his mind must have broken free, allowing him to see an opportunity he knew he had to take.
His face slowly steamed back to its original color, and the lion's snarl on his face reverted to a stoic, almost content, nature. As he took a deep breath, he slowly bowed to his princess, making sure that he never broke eye contact with her.
"My apologies, Your Highness. It will never happen again. Please excuse me."
Without another word, the general walked out of the room. Leaving Zelda to wallow in her prison.
Telma's House and Bar
11:39 p.m.
18 days before Declaration
Zelda opened her eyes to the sound of loud bangs on her door. Her heart skipped a beat as the sense of danger haunted her mind. Behind the wooden doorway she heard the voice of a guard.
"Your Highness! I must speak with you immediately."
"What sort of matter could not wait for morning?" she mumbled as she opened the door.
The guard bowed as she appeared. Behind him were two other guards who did the same. "General Donphes has requested your presence at the Council's Court immediately."
"Has the General any reason for disturbing me at this hour?" the princess demanded.
"He only said it was a matter of utmost importance."
Of course he did, Zelda thought. Gods forbid he give any hint as to what he wants.
"Very well." Zelda sighed. "Just give me a moment to get dressed. If I am to have an audience I should at least look presentable."
-
Council's Court
12:00 a.m.
17 days before Declaration
The guards closed the doors behind Zelda as she entered the Council's Court. Despite their gentleness and caution, Zelda heard guards lock the door behind her. There was nowhere to go but forward; to a waiting Donphes in the middle of the room.
She glanced around. There were few people other than herself and the general on the first floor, but above them were murmurs and whispers abound. The Council's Court was only lit by a few torches around the circle; the people above on the second floor were lost to the darkness. They could see her, but she could not see them.
"Zelda, so kind of you to join us." The general smiled.
She almost cringed at the sound of her name. No one was ever allowed to address her so casually. Something was definitely wrong.
Zelda faked a smile, "The pleasure is all mine, Donphes."
"Do you know why you are here?"
"I suppose some sort of festival is out of the question?"
To her surprise, Donphes laughed. "No. But I assure you, there is something to celebrate."
He began to walk around her, in an interrogating way that reminded her of an attorney questioning a criminal. "Now Zelda, we are all very interested to know: exactly where were you when the castle fell?"
The princess grinned inwardly. For all his secrecy and ambiguity, Donphes was incredibly predictable. Thanks to Telma's eavesdropping, she was completely certain that the general was planning to exploit her, and this was his way of getting dirt on her while his supporters watched from the shadows. She briefly pondered who was listening to this little inquisition: upset nobles most likely, powerful figureheads who wanted leverage on her in order to get more money or land. Those despicable lot always flew around like buzzards looking for easy prey.
But they would just have to go hungry today. She was not going to get caught off guard this time. Donphes had nothing but what people claimed to see, and that was about as useful as having nothing at all.
"To explain where I was I must tell you the story from the beginning:
"Almost two years ago, hordes of beasts began to surround Castle Town. At first I believed that the city walls would be enough to keep the creatures at bay, but soon I discovered that these demons were far more powerful and cunning than any we had faced before. They struck the castle itself, and set fire to the palace where they could. Many of the guards fled for safety, and it took the combined strength of myself and two scores of brave soldiers to rid the castle of the beasts. By that time the attack had claimed many lives.
"In fear of another attack, I sent a message to my old teachers: the ancient Sages that guard the Arbiter's Grounds in the Gerudo Desert. With their powerful magic, they were able to create a massive shield around the castle to keep the beasts at bay. Unfortunately, they did not have the power to protect the entire city, so I decided that the majority of the guards would leave to protect the citizens, while I and a few of my hand maidens remained in the castle.
"Despite my best effort, the creatures were too powerful to be kept at bay for long. In a matter of weeks a titanic eight-legged behemoth grabbed the barrier and shattered it with its trident. As soon as the shield fell my servants knew that the castle was lost. Regardless of my protests, they forced me into hiding in the house of an old friend, who lived on the outskirts of Castle Town. After hearing a massive explosion I looked outside to find a column of smoke where the palace once stood. When the smoke cleared a few hours later, I ran to find my home in ruins."
The silence of the void convinced Zelda that her little performance had worked. She had always been gifted with a silver tongue, which had spared her from many punishments in her youth. Nowadays she seldom used it, believing that honesty was the best policy. But whenever she had to get out of a situation she relied on her persuasive deceit. Even the general seemed to believe her.
But the moment passed, and once again Donphes was her interrogator. "A fantastic story Zelda, but a story all the same. Exactly how did you escape the castle without being spotted by anyone in Castle Town?"
"Come now Donphes," Zelda couldn't help but smile. "How many commoners do you believe have seen my face before this incident? I simply borrowed a dress of one of my hand maidens. It was simple enough to escape one's notice and I could leave the palace without anyone being the wiser. Even today I would wager that without my escort and regal clothing, I could blend into the crowd as easily as any citizen."
"I have a number of eye witnesses that state that the 'Hero of Hyrule' was seen approaching the shielded castle only moments before the barrier was destroyed. Yet they mention no one leaving the castle afterward, not even the Hero himself."
"If you rely solely on eye witness accounts you will leave this room very disappointed, my dear general. Think about the situation you are describing: someone sees the Hero enter the castle's first gate, then all of a sudden a horrifying monster destroys the barrier. Do you honestly expect anyone to stand by and wait to see if anyone leaves the palace? Of course not. Any man, woman, or child with any common sense would run for shelter; hiding in their homes or as far away from the castle as possible."
"Perhaps. But how do you explain-"
"Is this really the best you have Donphes?" Zelda smirked, "Question after question of my 'story' as you call it, with only the words of commoners to back your suspicions? If there is no physical evidence against me then you are wasting not only my time, but the time of every man above us as well."
At last, the darkness above her began to murmur against the general. Perhaps their time truly was being wasted. They were fortunate to be shrouded by the dark, for as soon as she discovered their identity Zelda would punish every single one of them; reserving the greatest punishment for the general.
Her smirk faded when she noticed Donphes' face. Now she knew he had been pushed over the edge. He glared at her with a hatred for all she stood for. The lion's snarl on his face was half shrouded in darkness, as thoughts of murder must have danced in his mind.
"Saurus!" he shouted. "Bring me my evidence!"
Immediately an armored soldier approached the general. The upper portion of his face was covered by his helmet, but in his hands was a small chest, which he presented to Donphes as he went down on one knee.
Donphes removed a small item form the chest, but it was too dark for Zelda to see it where she stood. "What is it?" she asked, still confident in her performance.
The general spun around to face her with a broken rapier. The majority of the blade had snapped off, but the hilt was easy to identify. Donphes pointed the rapier at her as if it still had a blade. "I suppose you know whose sword this is."
Zelda felt the non-existent blade pierce her heart. It was the sword of the Royal Family. Her sword. The blade that she had dropped when given Zant's ultimatum, and the blade Ganon forced her to use against the Hero. She must have left it in the throne room when the castle was destroyed!
Donphes lifted the broken blade to the void, which once again began to murmur. "This is the sword of the Royal Family. A relic passed down from one king to the next, since the conquering of Ordon Province. It is a priceless symbol of the Hylian ruler's power...and a builder found it in the castle's rubble!"
He turned to the pale princess again, "Tell us Zelda: if you were so courageous in battling demons the first time, why did you leave your blade behind the second time?"
The murmurs grew louder, as the faceless judges turned their gazes back on the princess. But Donphes did not wait for an answer. "Why would such a 'brave and valiant' ruler as yourself leave behind something so valuable to herself and her nation? If you had truly fought against the monsters before, there should have been no reason for you to abandon your weapon when they attacked again...That is of course, unless you were too afraid to face them at all."
"The creature that attacked the shield was massive!" Zelda protested. "At least the size of this room alone!"
"I am well aware of that. I am also aware that it disappeared immediately after the barrier was destroyed, as if that was its only goal. There were a few hours between that time and the castle's destruction; more than enough time to gather one's belongings and retreat. But this was found in the rubble. Which leads us to suggest that you never used it to defend yourself, or not the second time at the very least. Admit it. You fled the castle the moment it seemed you were in mortal danger!"
"There was no way for me to know the castle would be destroyed. If I had, I would have never left the royal sword behind. I needed to travel lightly in order to escape. If anything should have attacked us, I was sure that my companions could deal with them."
"You mean your hand maidens?" Donphes asked with a chuckle. The voices above him mimicked his laugh. "If your hand maidens were Sheikah, I would be inclined to believe you Zelda. But as everyone here is aware, all but one of the Sheikah left with us to aid the King in his war. I personally witnessed many of their deaths defending His Majesty on the field of battle.
"You have slipped Zelda." he smiled darkly.
She knew he was right. Despite her confidence in her story she had not expected him to have proof of her presence in the castle. Now it was too late to tell the truth. An explanation of Ganon, Zant, and the Twili would only make her appear mad, or would prove she was an incompetent ruler. She had to stick with her lie, even if it meant looking like a coward to make the story believable
She tried to go on the offensive, "What would you have done, General? A horrendous beast destroys your greatest defense with ease and there are no soldiers to aid you. I doubt no one other than the Hero himself could charge into battle against those odds."
"Your father did." he replied with a hint of sadness. "It was soon after the enemy had surrendered. As we were making our way back to the ships we were ambushed by a squad of assassins disguised as our own soldiers. They killed His Majesty's Sheikah bodyguards in moments, and then turned their sights on him. Many of us were off celebrating our victory; drinking our grief away with fine wine. None of us noticed the murderers leaving the King's tent. When dawn arrived I went to check on His Majesty, only to find his body, and the corpses of his two bodyguards and four of his assailants.
"You see, he fought his killers to his last breath, even though he knew there was no chance of success. He was a powerful warrior as well as a caring ruler. He was worthy of our allegiance and respect! What makes you worthy of the same treatment?"
"Because I am your ruler now." Zelda quivered.
Donphes held up the broken sword again, "You mean the ruler that caused THIS?"
He displayed the blade once again to the abyss, "Take a good look, my friends. THIS is what the Royal Family has been reduced to. A broken, useless, shadow of its former glory! The castle is gone. The people are terrified. The country is in ruins! All because of this foolish girl's incompetence! Do you truly wish to serve one who places her own life above the lives of thousands? One who expects guards as cowardly as herself to protect her people, while she relaxes in her palace behind a magic shield? One who welcomes her soldiers home with a swift boot into the streets? She has made us suffer long enough my friends! There is no need to continue this torture any longer!
"I suggest we start over. Create a new Royal Family to replace the old, with a King who is as strong and cunning as our last one. A man of noble birth who can appeal to a Council of Nobles. A man who can protect the people from beasts and men alike, and who will fight alone if he has to!
"If you agree with me my friends, then please join me in my quest for change. Together, we can rescue Hyrule from this selfish girl. Together, we can extend our nation to lands far beyond the sea. And together, we shall bring Hyrule into a new era of prosperity!"
Roars of applause sang through the emptiness above. There were so many people up there, much more than she had thought. She could almost see their faces; glaring eyes of hatred underneath powdered wigs. A hundred judges voting for a new King: Donphes.
"This is treason!" she panicked.
"Treason?" the general scoffed. "This is reformation."
Donphes glanced behind Zelda and moved his head. Before she could think the guards that had escorted her grabbed her by the arms. She could feel the painful pressure increasing as she struggled to get free.
"What should we do with her, sir?" one of the guards asked.
"I believe the castle dungeon is still intact, is it not?" The guard nodded. "Perfect. Put her in there. I will be there shortly."
As the guards pulled her out of the Council's Court, Zelda looked over her shoulder to see Donphes; showering himself in the applause from the dark.
Castle Dungeon
1:48 a.m.
The guards pushed Zelda into the moldy cell closest to the door. As she tried to keep from falling on the stone floor one of her heels broke, and she stumbled to the ground's embrace.
Zelda could feel the dampness soaking through her gloves and dress. The sound of water dripping from the ceiling had the consistent beat of a metronome. She could smell mold spores mixed with sewage. The only light in the dungeon was a single torch at the doorway; even the wooden door was drowning in filth.
The ex-princess guessed it was about half an hour before Donphes walked in. He turned to face her directly outside the cell, his face half draped in shadow like before.
Zelda's rage warmed her, as she stood up and grabbed the bars between her and her usurper, "How dare you! You traitorous excuse for a man! I will see you hanged for this!"
The general responded to her anger with mocking sympathy, "I understand how you must be feeling, but that does not excuse you to address me in such a horrendous manner."
Zelda froze as the general used her own words against her.
Donphes grinned synically, "I will warn you only once, my dear princess. I rule this kingdom, not you; and that is not about to change."
Without another word, the general walked out of the room. Leaving Zelda to wallow in her prison.