I hate this weather. It's screwing with my internet nasty. I hate it so much. D: One minute I have the internetz, one second later I don't. It sucks big time. Worst of all, it's going to be a really rainy summer. D: NUUUUUUU.

This is an Anya-centric chapter. We get to see what's really going on her head.

Anya woke up in the unfamiliar room she knew she would have to get used to. It was a neat, tidy room that held only the necessities. Like the past few times she had woken up in that bed, no one was next to her. Dragmire always woke and left early. She didn't mind. It was something she did occasionally when it was necessary. With Dragmire it wasn't.

Stretching, she slid out of the bed and dressed. She then went to the door and opened it ever so slightly to make sure no one was coming. It wouldn't be a good thing if everyone knew she slept around. Well, they did know already but it wouldn't be a good thing if she messed up and actually showed evidence of it. satisfied that no one was coming, she quietly exited the room and went to the meal hall. It was rather late in the morning, so it wasn't that crowded. Anya did spot a more than usually irritated Odran, so she made sure to steer clear from him.

After a small breakfast, the province holder of Eldin went to Quinn's study. She knocked but no one answered.

Strange… She thought. He usually gives some sort of answer…

She opened the door and saw that the still dark study was empty. The woman frowned and then quietly closed the door. Was he in his room? She walked through the halls until she reached his quarters. She could immediately tell he was there and doing something. Anya could almost sense some sort energy from behind the door…

She knocked and there was no answer, but she entered anyways.

It didn't take the province holder that long to realize why there was no answer.

Quinn was standing in front his desk, sweating bullets and pouring as much magic as he possibly could into one little piece of metal on the desk. The young wizard did not notice her as she approached the desk at looked from him to the small piece of metal and the desk and back to him.

Anya wasn't the biggest magic-savvy person in the world but she had a tiny but of talent. But only enough to see magic when it was done, not actually cast it. She could see enough to know that Quinn was casting way more magic than was wise. He wasn't that strong a wizard… not like his father… not like Agahnim.

She was about to say something, but as she opened her mouth the magic flow suddenly stopped. Taking a deep breath, the young wizard stepped back and then fainted.

"Quinn!" She squeaked. The province holder scurried quickly to him and the knelt down to check on him. She grimaced. The feminine looking wizard always had a sort of light complexion but now his skin was deathly pasty and the shadows around his eyes were emphasized from it. Even his normally bright scarlet hair was dulled. She grabbed an arm so she could pull him to his bed and then noted that both the palms of his hands looked raw.

How long were you doing this?

When she had him in his bed, she put a hand on his forehead and she frowned again.

Fever.

The woman turned quickly to alert a servant but Quinn had to have woken. He had weakly taken hold of one of her arms with a reddened hand.

"Anya…" He mumbled.

The Eldin native gave him a stern but gentle look. "Please let go, Quinn. You cast too much magic, you're very ill; I need to get you a doctor."

The red rimmed eyes of the young wizard, while half-closed, were focused on her. After a moment, the gaze shifted to the desk. "The amulet… Need to get it to the king…" He mumbled. He let go of her and attempted to get up.

She pushed him down. "You are not getting up until a doctor says you're well." She said firmly.

He glared at her, but in his current state it did not have the effect he wanted. Instead, she seemed to get upset. "You are not well! You will not be getting up! You were absolutely idiotic to be using so much magic! You don't have the right capacity to handle so much!" She snapped.

The redhead tried to get up again. "Need to see the king… Need to get the amulet to him…"

"Then I'll do it!" Anya snapped, pushing him back down again. Such a moron!

He glanced at her, seeming somewhat puzzled.

"Don't give me that look!" She told him angrily. "I told you that if I was on anyone's side it was yours! That hasn't changed!"

Quinn studied her for a moment and then said, "Take it to the king as soon as possible… Hide it. Dragmire can't find it."

The province holder nodded. "Don't try to move. I'll get a servant to bring a doctor."

And then she got up. She went to the desk and picked up the piece of metal that the young wizard had spent so much of himself on. It was a simple thing. A small circle with the emblem of Hyrule on it: a hawk carrying the Triforce. Anya slipped it into her pocket and looked back at Quinn, who seemed to have fallen asleep quickly enough. She left his room and told the nearest servant of the royal wizard's condition.

Then she started on her way to the king's chambers. Since she didn't exactly arrange to see the king, it was going to be difficult for her to get in. The woman merely hoped that saying she was seeing the king on Quinn's behalf would be good enough to allow her entry. As she made her way to the king's chambers, however, she encountered Eugen.

"Oh hello, Anya! Where are you heading?" The short province holder asked cheerfully.

Smiling politely, but hiding a good deal of irritation, she said, "I'm on my way to see the king, if he's willing to have unexpected visit from me."

Eugen also smiled politely and said, "I don't think he has need of your special services in his condition."

Her eye involuntarily twitched. "If you must know, I'm running an errand for Quinn. He'd fallen ill today and he asked me to see the king on his behalf." She said cordially.

The small blond man nodded, still with big silly grin on his face. "Funny that. My nephew visited him just yesterday. He seemed fine then."

The woman knew that Eugen wasn't implying anything this time. She didn't get how the child-like fellow worked sometimes… Making cleverly hidden snide remarks and then making idle chatter the next. But it was strange what Eugen said… not about Quinn being fine the day before but about his nephew visiting Quinn.

"Now why would your nephew want to speak with a wizard? Isn't he a pageboy?" She asked.

The ever cheery province holder shrugged. "He doesn't really like me so I didn't expect him to tell me anything, even if I had asked, so I didn't ask." They approached a fork in the halls and the small blond said, "Well, I'm going the other way. See you around, Anya!"

He's so strange… She had to wonder what really went on in the mind of that boy-man. Was he really like that or just hiding something behind the façade of an idiot? Anya was pretty sure he was just like that.

The brunette had continued on her way until she reached the guarded doors of the king's chambers. When there, she told the guards that she had come on Quinn's behalf. They didn't seem sure whether to let her in or not, but after having a brief and private conversation with the more senior officer about a certain "arrangement" she could set up, they decided to let her in. They informed the king of his visitor and she was let in.

The king was sitting up in his bed, looking frail and far older than he actually was. Anya had to admit, the sight was saddening. Fumbling her fingers around the amulet in her pocket, she found herself hoping that it would help the king somehow.

"Anya," the king said with a smile, a genuine smile that she wasn't used to getting, "It's good to see you. The last time I saw you was at least ten years ago… You've definitely grown up."

She smiled back. "Yes, I have."

The king lost his smile, but the expression was still light, if not tired. "The guard said you were here to see me on Quinn's behalf? Is he alright?"

The woman sat at the chair near the king's bedside and said somewhat tiredly, "He's fine. He just worked himself a little too hard."

"He does that." The king said with a nod. "He hopes to live up to his father's name one day so he will work himself much harder than he needs to." After he had finished speaking, the king coughed… and coughed… and he kept coughing. A maid came in quickly and did something to subside to the king's coughing; Anya couldn't identify it exactly but it was probably something a doctor had told her to do in case of a coughing fit. The king thanked that maid and then sent her back off to whatever she was doing.

"Does that happen often?" She asked the king.

Smiling sadly, the king nodded. "Yes… and that was only a light fit." With a sigh, the king looked at her and said, "Don't do anything in this life you would regret, Anya. The goddesses have only given us one life and we must use it wisely…" The way he spoke… there was a heavy burden on his shoulders…

Perhaps it was inappropriate for someone of her status, but she hugged the king. "Highness, you speak like a man who has lost much. For that I'm sorry and I do hope you'll find peace in the end." As she said it, she slipped the amulet that she had in her hand under the king's pillow. She hoped that was a good hiding place for it. She then let go and said, "I'm sorry for the hug, but you looked like you need it."

The king smiled. "You're a nice girl, Anya. Quinn is lucky to have you."

She found herself blushing. "It is not like that, Highness…"

"Not now, at least. One day he'll see it." Said the king. The way he said it with that smile, it was as if he knew it was true.

I doubt he will, Highness… But it's a nice thought.

"Hm, it's strange." Said the king after a moment.

"What is?"

"I feel better. Not completely, but better than I have in weeks." He said, seeming slightly surprised. "Your embrace must be magical, Anya."

She could do nothing but smile at that.

She had spent a little more time just talking with the king, who treated her more like a human being than most people she associated with did. It helped that the king didn't know she had slept with half the Court, but it was nice nonetheless. Of course, Anya did eventually have to leave.

There were no plans for the rest of the day, but she knew she would check on Quinn later. The king was right in what he had said. Quinn was lucky to have her, if not he'd probably be half-dead on the floor of his room. She felt a smile of satisfaction come upon her face, but she didn't really feel it. She was actually kind of angry at herself for thinking such a bitter thought… Something she wasn't unused to doing. She humorlessly chuckled.

Ever since she was a small child she had always tried to prove that a woman could be just as powerful as a man. For a long time she thought of running off to join the Gerudo, but that never happened of course. But she had been seriously considering it one day when she met Quinn, three years younger than her and the son of the Royal Wizard Agahnim. He'd spoken so eloquently for a boy his age and showed immense loyalty to the king even then. She vowed she would be queen one day, just so she could have his loyalty. She'd been working her way up for that; to have one boy's loyalty.

Silly thought.

Obviously, now it was for more than that. Now it was mostly to prove that she could be something, that she was worth something. She'd worked her way up to being a province-holder; she was closer than ever now. All she had to do was make sure Dragmire's plans didn't succeed. That was all she had to do. And working with Quinn would ensure that the Gerudo's plans didn't succeed.

So how come the thought of being Queen doesn't look as good as it used to? How come the thought of having that one boy's loyalty seemed much more to her again? Well, there is no use trying to deny it.

She's being more sweet than crafty. XD But her craftiness will be much more evident in future chapters.