Sir Gamelon's house contained an underground tunnel that led straight to the castle. He told Link and Zelda that Count Munro was fully aware of the existence of the tunnel and had sold Sir Gamelon the house for that very reason. The reason given by Count Munro was that Sir Gamelon would be able to retreat to the safety of the castle in times of uprising. Sir Gamelon mused that the real reason for the tunnel was so Count Munro could eliminate him if he ever became a threat to the Count's power. Zelda learned a lot about the power dynamics between the Count and the Knight Council from this little quip.
The tunnel was dark but Sir Gamelon had provided them with a candle, which made the journey through the tunnel somewhat easier. Eventually, the tunnel opened into a large room. Torches burned in the corners. The room was dimly lit but it was illuminated enough for Link to extinguish the candle.
"Not this again" he muttered. "I don't remember how many times I have delved into a big dark dungeon before. I'm guessing I'm going to have to find a bunch of keys to keep track of, grab a unique weapon that I will probably never use again, and then fight some ridiculously powerful monster at the end, only to be magically teleported back outside immediately afterwards."
"I'm hoping it won't be that bad" said Zelda. "I want to investigate Sir Gamelon's claims about Count Munro to see if this Count really does pose a threat to Hyrule, but I'm not eager to be Sir Gamelon's pawn either. Anyone who thinks they can manipulate me so easily severely underestimates me. Let's just let him think we are doing his bidding for now, but I prefer to avoid a direct confrontation with Count Munro until we have the politics of this wretched city figured out."
The entire lower floor of the castle appeared to be completely deserted. Link had seen people going in and out of the castle through the front gate but it was obvious that the lower floor hadn't been inhabited in a long time. The fact that an obviously abandoned part of the castle had actively burning torches was slightly troubling. Obviously, Sir Gamelon made frequent trips through this area but it didn't make sense for the torches to stay perpetually lit. Of course, he had seen stranger sights before, he reminded himself.
"Who are you?" asked a raspy voice from behind. Link spun around, his Master Sword was already in his hand. A poe was floating in front of his face. It's translucent form was holding a scythe that Link knew to be deadly. He was surprised that he could see a poe since he wasn't in wolf form anymore. He assumed that there was something unique about either the castle or the Sacred Realm itself that made it possible for him to see poes. Judging by Zelda's startled gasp, he concluded that she could see the poe as well.
"You don't have the master's permission to be here!" hissed the poe angrily. "Begone at once or my scythe shall peel the skin from your bones and your soul will be trapped here forever."
Link casually sliced through the poe's neck. The poe was somewhat solid as evidenced by the slight resistance Link felt when cutting through its neck but the poe appeared unharmed after what should have been a decapitating strike.
"Foolish human!" it hissed. "Your useless weapon cannot harm us. Now my brothers and sisters will make you pay!"
Swarms of poes began to materialize from the walls. They flew in circles around Link and Zelda. Link charged forward and began slashing at the poes. "Get out of here!" he shouted at Zelda.
"But you won't be able to defeat these poes!" cried Zelda. "They will kill you! You need to escape too. Hurry! There's no time!"
Link rolled under a poe's scythe as it narrowly missed his face. He brought the Master Sword up and caught the poe under an arm and flung it backwards. "I'm not going to make it!" he yelled to Zelda. "Just go! I will hold them off!"
Suddenly, a bright light filled the room. Link blocked a scythe with his blade and then looked back over his shoulder. The light was emanating from Zelda's hand, the same hand that bore the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom. The poes all began to moan loudly. They shielded their eyes as if blinded. Link took this opportunity to hack them to pieces. This time, any poe his sword cut down actually stayed down. They evaporated into a white mist when they fell. Link noticed that Zelda was doing her part to finish off the poes by stabbing those remaining with her rapier.
Link grabbed his knees and panted until he regained his breath. "That was amazing" he sputtered. "I really need to learn that trick." Zelda gave no response. She was looking very sullen. "Zelda? What's wrong?"
"Sir Gamelon was right about the Count" she said. "The poe who spoke said we aren't permitted here by their 'master'. When I used my magic to make the poes fully corporeal, I saw a glimmer of their reality in my mind. Their master is Count Munro, and I also saw something else. He has been spying on me, even before I ever set foot in the Sacred Realm. His magic has somehow infiltrated Hyrule Castle. He has observed my meetings with diplomats. He has seen me consult with generals about defensive strategy. He has even watched me bathe." Zelda shuddered at her last sentence.
"We have been so concerned by Ganondorf, Ghirahim, and the moblin horde, but Count Munro may be the most immediate danger." said Link. "An invasion by Mormaht's army would be bad enough, but if they are in league with the moblins, then Hyrule would really be in trouble." A chill ran down Link's spine as he imagined Ordon Village succumbing to the same fate as Eloharn.
Zelda pounded a fist against a wall, not seeming to notice that she slammed her hand against solid stone. "I'm not a naturally violent person" said Zelda. "And I know you well enough to know that you aren't either, but we have both been pushed into circumstances beyond our control that have required us to act against our nature in order to protect those we care about. We have to do the same now. As a Queen, it feels odd for me to say this, but let's go assassinate a ruler."