It was late in the afternoon when Link and Zelda approached Hyrule Castle. Epona could have gotten him there much sooner, but Zelda insisted that they take it slow because she thought her horse might be getting sick. They dismounted at the stables and allowed the stableboys to lead the horses away. They were greeted by a large regiment of Royal Guards, who saluted Zelda as she and Link walked past. There were whispers all around as all eyes in the castle were on the Queen of Hyrule and her mysterious traveling companion. Zelda looked at the butler who was hurriedly walking towards them.
"It's good to see you, Sebastian. Please summon Zoey and Serana to my antechamber. I will be there soon."
"Yes, my Queen" said the butler as he bowed and then hurried away. Zelda turned to smile at Link. "I think you will find Hyrule Castle to be a lot more hospitable than it was the last time you were here. Moblins don't make for good guests."
Zelda took a slightly longer route to her antechamber so Link could take in the sights of how the castle looked normally, when it wasn't being occupied by an army of monsters. When they finally reached Zelda's antechamber, Link saw two young women who looked about Zelda's age, perhaps slightly older. Zelda motioned for the two of them to approach. She looked at Link.
"These are my chambermaids, Serana and Zoey."
She looked over at the two chambermaids, dressed in fine sleeveless purple tunics. "Please take Link here and freshen him up to make him more presentable. Do a good job as if it were me you were grooming. The past few days have been rough so be thorough."
Both young ladies grabbed Link by each hand and led him away. Link thought he detected a hint of a mischievous smile on Zelda's face as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. The two young ladies rushed Link down a hallway into a spacious room with a bathtub.
"Please undress, Master Link" said Serana.
Link's jaw dropped. "You mean you want me to…"
"Yes, Master Link" she said without expression. "Please remove all of your clothing so that we can bathe you."
"Uh… OK" muttered Link as he undressed slowly, his reddened face staring down at the ceramic floor as he did so. He stripped down until he was wearing only a small undergarment around his waist.
Zoey had a confused look on her face. "Master Link, if you will please finish undressing, we can bathe you."
"Maybe I can keep this on?" asked Link.
Zoey's confused expression grew even more pronounced. "But the parts that it's covering are the parts that need the most attention."
Without waiting on a response, Serana yanked his undergarment down to his ankles. "There, that's better" she said. "Now, please get into the bathtub."
Zelda had told the two chambermaids to be "thorough" with Link. They had certainly done that, both with the bath, and then with the long massage they gave him afterwards. When they had finally allowed him to get dressed, the clothes they provided him with looked fit for a king. The outfit included off-white trousers and a dark green shit lined with gold-colored frills at the neckline. Link was relieved to finally have some clothes on, but he had to admit to himself that he really did enjoy that massage. Zoey certainly had a talent for loosening up his aching joints.
Feeling much better than he did when he first arrived at Hyrule Castle, Link allowed himself to be escorted by Serana and Zoey back to Queen Zelda's antechamber. Zelda was nowhere to be found. He only saw a butler whose face looked familiar. Link remembered that his name was Sebastian.
"Ah, there you are, Master Link!" exclaimed the elderly butler with a youthful exuberance not befitting his appearance. "The Queen is currently meeting with her Council. She instructed me to inform you that you have free reign of the castle. May I suggest that you visit the pavilion area in the North Courtyard? The Queen said she has plans for you in that place, so perhaps you would like to get better acquainted with the area."
Link nodded. "Thank you. I think I will do that." He picked up the Master Sword and attached the scabbard to his belt. Even if he was just going for a walk around the castle, it felt odd to just leave it behind. The sword almost seemed like it had a mind of its own, as if there were some sentient consciousness contained within the magic of the sword. Zelda had hinted that she knew more about the Master Sword than he did.
Link rested his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword as he walked. As he passed by soldiers of the Royal Guard, they greeted him with salutes and the appellation "Sir Link". Strangely enough, one soldier even addressed Link as "Your Majesty". Link found it odd that he was widely regarded as the most dangerous man in Hyrule, yet he was allowed unrestricted access to all parts of Hyrule Castle without question. He suddenly realized that this was the most tangible evidence yet that Zelda trusted him completely. He decided that he would have to make sure he lived up to her trust.
The courtyard was beautiful. Flowers were in full bloom, and the hideous wooden fortifications that had been constructed by the occupying force of Moblins had been completely removed. What captivated his attention the most though was the stone obelisk in the courtyard. It was made of non-reflective black stone that came up to about chest height. Embedded into the top surface of the obelisk was a golden Triforce symbol. The Royal Crest of Hyrule's dynasty included the Triforce design. The crest itself was a common sight in the castle, but not the Triforce symbol on its own. Link felt a sudden chill run through his body. He quickly realized that the strange sensation he felt was emanating from the Master Sword. Link didn't need to ponder the cause for very long; the Master Sword was warning him.