The Storm

Even a blind man would not be able to deny the beauty of the Dranavirs. They came by horse, carrige and foot alike. Their bannermen up front, proudly showcasing the black and crimson banners up high for all of Hyrule to see. Behind the bannermen came a throng of knights and squires ranging from green boys to weathered old men, each riding on all black stallions, the red cloaks of house Dranavir waved proudly on their backsides.

Lord Adravan Dranavir lingered near the middle of his fleet alongside with his son Adrian. Both were seated atop large black destriers that seemed to tower over the other stallions and mares by at least a good foot. They rode in with faces as hard as stone, rigid backs, and their heads held high, without a trace of amusement. They were nearly identical. Lord Adravan pranced only on his warhorse, chatting idly to his son. Both men were fierce looking. Lord Adravan's grey streaked hair only added to his handsomeness and made him appear wise and experienced. His son Adrian was cut out of the same statue. Tall, well built, and a full head of dark brown hair. Zelda tried to stand on her tiptoes to get a better look at her new suitor. The thought of them standing face to face made angry butterflies swirl in her stomach.

Behind lord and son, clambered a shining white carrige, carrying Lord Adravan's wife and daughters, it was gilded with gold and painted intricately with such detail it was difficult to even see there was a design unless you were standing up close. A cumbersome thing it was, large enough to hold at least ten people. It's large wheels knocked and bumped over the cobblestones making an awful loud racket. The white cursors pulling the carriage did not look so dangerous as the other horses. They weren't even garbed in the hideous black and red colors Lord Dranavir seemed to love so much.

"Mayhaps my lord husband will not dress me as a mourning widow everyday after all." Zelda preened anxiously as she watched from the castle steps alongside her father and several of his kingsguard. It would be a pity to dress like this everyday. She thought as she felt the black bodice squeezing against her ribs. "My skin seem pale and deceased trapped in this awful garb. And so itchy..." Zelda fumed and try to think of happier thoughts. She daydreamed, thinking of pastels, and flowers with vibrant colors, of her garden, and the book sitting beside her bed that she had not finished reading. Thinking of anything but the Dranavirs.

More than half of Castle Town had arisen from their beds that morning to catch a glimpse of their new prince. Those who were at work or home were peering from shop windows or behind their curtains with wary and curious eyes. It was a beautiful day out, Zelda thought as a light breeze pushed a stray hair from her face. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to imagine that it was only her, but not a second later her father squeezed her shoulder with his good arm and motioned for her to walk down the castle steps.

"You look just like your mother did when I first met her." Her father boomed beside her. He always yelled, even if you were standing a foot from earshot. Zelda blushed as she saw the crowd's eyes turning upon her to gaze at her beauty.

"Thank you my King. A very gracious compliment indeed." Zelda spoke politely as she tried not to mistep over her draping gown and raised heels. "Did mother look like a brothel whore?" She thought dryly as she watched her bossoms bounce freely down the stairs, thretening to escape with every jiggle. Every step she took down felt a little less like freedom. King Daphnes was beaming ear to ear when he ordered the gatekeepers to lower the bridge. "This is not me..." Zelda was growing anxious.

A mob of people ran to Castle Town's western gate as they scrambled over one another to get a good glimpse at the Gold King and his litter. The bannermen came first and blew their trumpets to announce the coming of Lord Dranavir and his humbled guests. Then after came the carriage, surrounded by knights and squires who were pushing and shouting at unruly commoners to back away. Harnikan and Dranavir knights alike fought off the waves of people that grabbed and pulled at the wagons, and banged on the carriages, begging for gold and food while freightening the poor servants inside who probably had no money to give at all.

The commoners shouted obscenities at them as they tried to tear down one of Lord Dranavirs wagons. Knights with shields and longswords unsheathed their weapons and ran towards the crowd, bellowing orders and threatening to flay anyone who tried to interfere. Most of the peasents were unarmed and ran willingly at the sound of steel. And then it happened all so fast.

A man, with a flushed red face and a bulbous nose came tearing through the crowd. He charged like a bull as he hammered through the throng of people and the lines of guards. His breath was reeking of alcohol and he bellowed and snorted like an ox. He staggered towards Lord Adravan's black mount, clumsily pulling out a dagger from his waistline."I'll murder you!" He growled as he lumbered towards the lord and his son. "You took her away!" He screamed, his face turning the color of a plum.

Before he could get anywhere near, one of the red cloaks reared his mount around and galloped towards the man. The red knight unsheathed his weapon and struck the portly man with the blunt of his blade. Toppling down, the large man growled and thrashed as he tried to regain his balance. The red cloak jumped down from his horse and pounced on the drunk, who was lying flat on his back like an awkward turtle. The knight scrambled to wrestle him back to the ground as the man swung wildly. His blade nearly hit the knight's cheek, but missed and instead cut nothing but thin air with a whoosh.

Before the drunkard could even make contact, another guard came barreling through the crowd. He never hesitated to bring down the shield. Zelda shut her eyes and cringed but she could still hear the thump and thwak where metal met skull. When she opened her eyes she could see the cobblestones bleeding. A pool of deep crimson ebbed its way through the cracks and grooves of the street. Making grotesque patterns and turning a deeper red as the wound leaked. If the shield had been of house Harnikan or Dranavir, she would never know. The crowd began to scatter in a frantic panic.

A small girl, no more than nineteen came hurdling through the barrier. "He was my brother!" She cried out from the chaos. "Why!" She screamed as she ran to the listless body laying in the streets. "He was my brother" she wailed again as she picked up the crushed skull from the pavement. Zelda was reminded horribly of a cracked egg, it's yolk spilling from its shell. She had eaten eggs that very morning. Her stomach felt sick and she surpressed a gag. The knight who had fallen from his horse was already back in his stirrups and stepping over the body while the common girl wept.

"Let that be a reminder to anyone else who tries to defile a knight of the red cloaks." He bellowed out with a bored look on his face. The crowd seemed unfazed as they continued their chants for gold and food, still following the parade like a hoard of starving dogs. Zelda caught sight of her soon to be prince. He was chuckling and making a jest with a nearby squire.

"Father, are we not protectors of the realm? Are we just going to stand by and do nothing for our people?" Zelda wanted to retch. She couldn't take her eyes off the soiled red ground. The sister was still in the streets, red faced and streaked with tears. Zelda felt the anger boiling inside of her, and wanted to scream.

"That man was a traitor."The king stated. "Any man who tries to harm Lord Dranavir is now a foe to us. Our people will learn how to respect both parties or they will indeed suffer for it." His tone was stern yet oddly calm. It was if he was commenting about the weather and not seeing the battered man in the street.

"Why would that man want to hurt him so badly? They could have easily disarmed him. We could have held a proper trial. We should have-" Zelda was abruptly cut off.

"Silence!" The king shouted so loud that a few people began to glance their way. Zelda huffed in anger and glowered at her peers. Her face flushed in embarassment and her fists clenced into tight balls. "Nobody is bothered by this..." She seethed.

The king seemed to notice, he sighed and went to comfort her with his good arm. "If you don't set an example, the rats will run free and infest the city with disease. We need order and control." He hesitated. "Some of the older houses still hold grudges against House Dranavir... Lord Adravan's grandfather..." He stopped himself and changed subject. "If our new prince shows weakness, why would our people have reason to believe he can protect them? This are our honored guests. Last I checked no one invited the peasants to come and have a look." The king grumbled.

"It wasn't even him, it was his-"

"His men, yes." Her father finished for her. "A house is only as noble as the people who stand behind it." He reminded her. It was something the king could be quoted on quite a lot.

"Then this is no noble house." Zelda watched the blood leaking through the maze of stones, growing heavy and turning a brownish, murky, red. "The people who stand behind them are vile and cruel." Zelda wanted to run back to her chambers and cry, but her father and the ten knights behind her would surely catch her before she could get anywhere. And even if she could run, where would she go?

"Yes m'lord father, as you say." She said instead, "But what of his sister?"

King Daphnes smiled under his coarse black beard, salted white, and wiggled a fat finger at her. "A sweet and thoughtful girl you are. The realm should will be grateful to have you for their queen." He chuckled, "But remember, realms are not run by flowers and kisses. Perhaps you have been spending too much time in the castle walls... But since it is your day I will help ease your mind."

"Adravan!" He boomed. "See that the weeper is taken care of."

The lordling didn't even glance back at the crying girl. Instead Zelda saw him whisper something to his squire. The boy could have been no more than 15, yet he held a sword and shield just as well as the others and stood just as proud. Zelda saw the lad smile as he went to grab something underneath his red cloak. He turned his horse to meet the poor girl.

For a horrible second, Zelda thought the young squire was going to cut her head off when he dismounted. But then she saw the fat coin purse in his hand, weapons away, and he placed the gold in the sister's hand. She stared up at the squire in disgust as she coddled her dead brother and clutched the purse in the other.

"Courtesies of House Dranavir" he said kindly, although his coy smile did not seem sincere. The other commoners seemed to take scent of the rupees. Those who had been scared off were cautiously beginning to creep their way back to the food and riches.

"Bugger your house!" The woman screamed with hateful eyes as she threw the coin purse back in the squires face. It hit him square in the nose but he only chuckled.

"This coin could have bought your brother some new clothes and a nice coffin." The squire kicked at the body. "Gone and shit himself he did! Now you both reek like chamberpots!" He roared with laughter, picking the coin purse back up. "I'm sure these fine folk will appreciate House Dranavir's generosity more than a wailing whore and her drunk of a brother."

The squire spit on the body while the young girl could only tremble and shake. Whether it was fear or anger, Zelda didn't know. Without turning around, the squire mounted his steed once more and then flung the purse out into the crowd. A rainbow of rupees went flying through the air. Emerald greens, amber yellow, ruby red, and even a few royal purples.

The peasants flocked to the gold like flies on shit. Pushing each other and ripping their fellow brothers apart to get a small piece of wealth. Zelda could hear them shouting. Shouts of joy, anger, and freight. But the sickest noise of all was the "thank yous".

"Thank you my lord!"

"LONG LIVE HOUSE DRANAVIR!"

"Bless Prince Adrian!"

"Praise Princess Zelda!"

"Goddesses bless you!"

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" They all shouted in chorus.

"Father!" Zelda shouted. "Enough of this folly!" She had to turn away before she got sick. What was this madness? This was not the Hylian way...

"Why are they thanking them!" She screamed to no one and trembled with rage.

"Close the gates " Her father ordered with a listless flick of his wrist. The knights of Hyrule struggled to keep back the begger peasants, but with a few more threats and swords the crowd drew back and the gateway to Castle Town and Hyrule Castle was severed. Zelda sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. The madness was done for now, but if she strained her ears enough she could still hear the crying outside.

"It's alright my sweet. Those savage monsters won't hurt you. The gate has closed." Her father wiped the tears from her cheeks and then descended the stairway to meet with the Dranavirs.

"The monsters are in our walls now." Zelda shivered as she blindly followed her father to their honored guests.

AN: So as you can see I've done some editing. The story is still the same I just tweaked a few of the chapters. I noticed that I switched from first person to third. I think from here on out it will be done in the 3rd person. Sorry for the confusion, like I've said I've been doing LOTS of editing.

Please review and let me know what you think :)