My poll results are dead even. I will be giving this a couple of more chapters before I announce my verdict on whether or not this story will have trigger warnings. Again, my personal view, the story is rated M and features the relationship of a heroine and a villain. Do I really need to warn you about the darkness of this story?
One more thing before we begin... Reversal. My most popular story. Reversal book, anyone? A book for a fanfic, you may ask? Is that even possible? Oh yes. And it is going to happen. If you are interested, more info will be down below.
As always, grievous mistakes will be weeded out within the next few days, no need to point them out. I'll find them. ... I really need to label these chapters too. :/
"Epona was saddled?" Link asked.
"Yessir," the stableboy nodded, "She was pretty spooked too. Dunno what happened…"
The prince-regent's brow was furrowed. "Did you see Ione at all?"
"No, sir. Only thing that says she was here was the horse; only you or her can manage her, and her hooves are all scuffed – she was out last night." The stableboy reiterated.
Link glanced over at the stall, where the mare he'd gifted to his daughter seemed to be sleeping off her ordeal from her unexpected ride the night before. Ione had snuck out of the castle during the night… He might have asked why, but he recalled the physician's words.
"It could be something regarding the Seal… Her mother would often suffer headaches when the Seal weakened, and the history of the royal family is littered with prophecies from the Royal Ladies. It's been said the Royal Ladies are much attuned to supernatural phenomena."
So had Zelda gone to the Shrine by herself during the middle of night? Why hadn't she told him? Why hadn't she told anyone else?
"Thank you for telling me, Fado. Enjoy a few extra jelly tarts on me if you pass by the kitchens." He told the boy, who smiled broadly at him and gave him a thank you. He'd run off to the kitchens before the Prince-Regent could ask if the boy might know where Ione was at that moment, but Link shrugged it off, knowing he could ask anyone where the princess might have been.
Reentering the castle to see if she might have still been in her rooms, he found them deserted. He then asked a nearby maid, and she responded with, "Your daughter, ser… I think I saw her earlier carrying your bow; she's most likely to be at the archery range with that, right, ser?"
He couldn't remember the last time she'd taken his bow. He remembered her seeing it one day and picking it up, excitedly asking him to teach her. And he did, and she had a knack for it – a much better instinct with her aim than he ever had, he was sure. But she always was a bit flighty in her hobbies, and soon after she'd taken up something else and left the bow. With the drama from the night before and the doctor's explanation, hearing that she'd taken his bow again didn't make him feel any better.
Link made his way out of the castle grounds and towards the archery range for the guards. It was easy to catch sight of Ione, since she was the only one in a dress as well with a long, flowing ponytail of strawberry blond hair. No one paid much mind to him as he approached, and he was even able to witness a younger guardsman trying to impress Ione, only for her to show him up and send him off embarrassed. He almost puffed his chest out in pride, but as he walked up next to her, he could tell from her concentrated expression as she nocked an arrow that she was not in the best of moods. Link was fairly certain she was aware of him too, but she hadn't greeted him or acknowledged him in the slightest.
After she loosed an arrow, which would hit the center of the target perfectly, he asked, "How are you feeling today, Ione?"
She had been aiming her arrow, and for a moment, she looked like a statue. But after a moment, she lowered the bow and drew the arrow out. She did not face her father, but still kept her eyes on the target yards away. "I've been better." Ione finally said stoically. And then she raised the bow again, drew back the arrow, and set it loose. It hit the center of the next, further away target.
"Perhaps it's because you went riding in the middle of the night after you had a fainting spell." He said it as gently and accusatory as he possibly could. Ione froze as she was drawing out her next arrow. She had not expected this conversation, apparently. "Where did you go last night?"
She looked at him, her cerulean eyes wide and anxious. "I… I didn't go anywhere. I just rode… to clear my mind." Her voice was shaky, but she did not fidget as she spoke. It was hard to tell whether or not it was a lie, as he definitely knew she had been unprepared to approach this subject. And she was. She'd completely forgotten to unsaddle the mare, and if she didn't do it, then no one but the stable hands could do it since Epona wouldn't let Poe get near her.
"It didn't work very well if you forgot to unsaddle Epona." He pointed out.
She blushed. "No… it didn't…" She mumbled, quickly refocusing on aiming her next shot.
"Did you go to the Four Sword Shrine last night?"
Her arrow ended up veering to the upper left on the next target. "I didn't go anywhere." Her voice didn't shake, but she was clearly upset.
"The physician said that you might have been suffering effects from the seal possibly weakening…" He began. "If that's true, I have no problem with you visiting the Shrine, but during the day and you must have an-"
"An escort, I know!" She snapped, turning on her heel to face him angrily. "It's unsafe to go alone, I've heard it all before! I did not go to the Shrine last night!"
Link stepped back, not having expected the outburst. Unsure of what to make of it, he regained his composure. "All right, Ione, calm down. I believe you… But something is the matter. What is it?"
Her nostrils flared out angrily, but her face did soften leaving only a disgruntled pout upon her lips. She looked away, and said quietly, "It's just the bad dreams, Daddy."
He frowned. "You still have those?"
She kept in a humorless laugh, remembering how Poe had asked her the same thing two weeks before. "Just last night. I'm fine." She answered plainly, taking the bow up again and nocking an arrow.
Her father did not know what to make of this. "Perhaps tomorrow we should visit the Shrine and make sure the seal is in check?" He suggested.
The arrow loosed, hitting another target dead center. "Fine." The princess answered coldly.
Truthfully, Link wasn't at all used to her chilly voice. He'd only been on the end of it very few times. He wondered what had happened last night that had made her this distressed. Surely it couldn't have been just her nightmare? They were terrible, yes, but when she was younger she would always perk right up during the day. She's not an easily distracted child anymore, though, he reminded himself. "Ione… You know you can trust me if anything is the matter, right?"
She glanced at him from the side, and for the first time in their conversation, a small smile graced her lips. "Of course, Daddy."
He hadn't noticed how tense he had been until she responded positively. Somehow, he'd been thinking that his daughter didn't trust him. "Good," he said with some measure of relief.
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
She faced him completely now, putting the bow aside and brushing off of her skirts. "You have a meeting with the Wind Tribe later today, correct?"
"Yes. What of it, Ione?"
"I'd like to attend." She said matter of factly.
He blinked, "Really?" His wild, fiery child, actually wanted to sit in on the annual report from the Wind Tribe? She nodded, and he could only give her a warning, "It's terribly boring."
"I would like to attend," she repeated, the chill coming back into her voice.
"If you insist," he surrendered.
Zelda found, as she lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling, that lying was becoming far too easy. She hadn't gone to the Shrine the night before; she had only had the nightmare last night… That was two lies. And she had counted keeping the secret of her headaches and their connection to the Four Sword as one big lie. That was three lies. It didn't seem like that many, but these weren't exactly "white" lies. She wasn't telling her father that the color of his new vest was lovely when it was really atrocious. This was serious. And she was keeping these big secrets that she should have been telling her father.
Blood on the Four Sword… that was rather important, wasn't it?
Yet she didn't have any proof it was from anything malicious or that it meant anything at all. She was keeping secrets because she didn't know anything for sure, she justified to herself. Until she was sure, she just couldn't say anything. And going to that meeting with the Wind Tribe would only be her proof to show her that her father had enough to worry about. … Right?
Tomorrow I'm visiting the Shrine with Daddy. That will clear things up. She told herself. She'd been stupid in going to the Shrine alone… Even though she did remind herself that the night before, she wasn't alone. She had Poe. But Poe wasn't her father, no. There was something her father that would make the experience different. There had to be.
With a sigh, Zelda rose and walked to her bookshelf and took out Eros and Psyche again. The volume was slim, so she had finished it the night before. It had also successfully lulled her into a dreamless sleep, which she was grateful for. She found she actually liked the story itself too, despite its shortness. Still, the names in the book were odd. Eros, Psyche, Aphrodite… The book didn't even have any mention of authorship or any indications as to a nationality; not even the name of the person who printed it. She wondered if perhaps the Wind Tribe knew anything of such names or the origins of the story itself.
Since she had come to her room with an hour until the meeting, she thought that it may near be time to start heading down. After she put the book back on the space she'd made it for it on the shelf, she left her room. Having been moody that morning, a lot of the servants that she passed were surprised at her hellos, but she simply pretended nothing was the matter. Finding her way easily to the room where she knew her father usually had the meetings. It was a smaller room with a table big enough to seat six and a window that let in the sunlight, with the walls featuring happy paintings of content Hylians in the landscapes. She invited herself in the room to see the two Wind Tribe members, Gale and Flurris, already waiting.
She smiled at the two elderly women, who smiled back at her with their crooked smiles.
"Look at you," Fluriss, the heavier set white haired woman said, "Looking much better than you did the last night, I must say!"
Gale, the thinner of the two that still had some apple red streaks in her graying hair, gave her a look of concern, "Are you feeling all right, dear. Your father said you wanted to sit in on this, but you really don't have to if you're not up to it. It's rather uneventful."
Zelda playfully rolled her eyes and sat down across from them, "I need to get used to uneventful then! It won't be long before I have to sit though these without my father, you know." She told them.
"That's certainly true enough; I remember back when you were just a dirty little rugrat causing mayhem wherever you went!" Flurris said with a bark of laughter.
"Some might say I still cause mayhem where I go," Zelda joked.
Both Wind Tribe women laughed at that as Zelda smiled brightly. It was only a moment later that the Prince-Regent would come in to the chuckle-fest and say, "Well, I certainly feel left out."
"Your young lady here certainly is magnetic, Link," Gale praised, earning a beam from the princess.
The man looked as if his feathers had been preened, "She is my daughter," he said with mock smugness. But he let out a sigh and said with some regret, "Unfortunately, we have to get to the reports first."
"Yes, yes, pleasantries later," Flurris huffed as Link sat down by his daughter. The heavyset woman looked to her thinner companion, "Where do we start, Gale?"
"I think we may as well start with the biggest bit of news the wind has carried for us," the younger Wind Tribe woman said; Flurris nodded in agreement, and Gale continued, "It seems whatever drama Labrynna has been going through has wrapped up. All construction on that ostentatious tower has ceased, though I don't know what they'll possibly do with all of that now." Zelda frowned at this news. She honestly didn't know much about Labrynna; she certainly didn't know that a tower of any sort was being constructed. But the Wind Tribe women didn't seem to pay any mind to her puzzled face.
Flurris continued on, "Whatever they plan to do with it, though, that Queen of theirs is apparently intent on making things right. Rumor has it that she's considering opening up relations with neighboring countries – which means Hyrule's an option since you all share a mountain range and an inland sea."
Link dwelled on that for a moment, and deciding it was a good thing, he nodded and with a smile said, "That's definitely good news. Trading with Holodrum is all well and good, but they're an ocean away." He looked to his daughter for a moment and added for her benefit, "We can only receive luxury items from Holodrum, due to their distance. Perhaps some grain, but on the sea, there's always the chance of molding and rats. Labrynna and Hyrule share a rather docile mountain pass, surprisingly easy to traverse, making it easier to trade perishable goods."
She nodded, even though she was honestly more interested in this talk about the Queen and a tower.
"You'll probably be receiving a letter soon, no doubt." Gale said before moving on, "Next… well, nothing really of interest. There does seem to more monster activity from Mt. Crenel, but it is that time of year where they get more ornery than usual… And the Palace of Winds has drifted completely from us; our winds can't access it anymore."
Zelda could not contain her alarm at that, "Will the Palace be able to maintain itself?"
Gale and Flurris looked at the girl in surprise, and the older answered, "Of course it should; it's been maintaining itself for years. The magic on it is ancient and self-sustaining. Why, the only person to have stepped on that Palace in the past century is your father. Only monsters dwell there now." The woman muttered beneath her breath as an aside to herself, "Though I'd like to know how they possibly could have gotten up there…"
"Whatever the case," Gale continued, "That's really all the news we have to report. Everything else has been rather calm."
And the rest of the meeting was really an exchange of pleasantries. Gale and Flurris had funny takes on her father's adventures as a child, all the while Link would weakly try to make these stories not seem quite as funny. It had the habit of backfiring and making for more amusing stories. But as the afternoon grew later, the two Wind Tribe women had to leave and Link was eventually called away by Captain Viscen to discuss some issue or another. It was at this time that Zelda had held the Wind Tribe women back asked them if they perhaps knew anything of the book she had picked up.
"Eros and Psyche..." Gale murmured, "Yes, I have heard of that story. It's an old myth, though for the life of me I can't remember from where."
"Eh, yes…" Flurris agreed, "Old Gregal, rest his soul, picked up so many books when he traveled the world. A lot of them were left behind in the Palace; he'd made a list of all the ones he'd like to go back for. That was on the list, wasn't it, Gale?"
"Huh… I do believe you're right…"
"But you have no idea where it was from?" Zelda asked disappointedly.
The women gave her a sympathetic look and Flurris said, "Sorry, Princess. The only one who'd know where they came from would be Old Gregal but… well, you know he's not with us anymore."
Zelda thanked them and then let them be on their way, barely registering their conversation as they left about how sad a situation it was that they couldn't go back for Gregal's books. But all the princess could think of was the oddness that such a rare story would end up in her hands. A part of her was even silly enough to think she might just have the late Gregal's copy of the book! But the Wind Tribe women said it themselves, the Palace was beyond their control. And even if it was, how the book ended up in her room would be made more confusing yet. No, it definitely wasn't Gregal's copy.
She didn't dwell on it too much. Strange as it was, it was still a harmless book. Instead she let her mind wander to the possibility of an envoy from Labrynna. She would have to ask her father for more information on the country. The only reason she knew they shared borders on the mountains was because that young man she liked, Kasuto, and his father had been sent off there. Thinking on it now, she realized that whatever was going on had her father concerned there. That tower certainly was mysterious! It was just another she would have to ask her father, and she certainly hoped she could be a part of the meeting with a possible visiting envoy from there.
But her mind quickly wandered to the more immediate matter of the planned events for tomorrow. It seemed no matter what she tried to think of, her mind returned to the Shrine and its oddities. Again, she had reminded herself that she wouldn't be alone, so she shouldn't be so apprehensive. But the more she reminded herself of that fact, the more anxious she got. Zelda couldn't help but recall when she'd first told Poe of it and how it seemed that he didn't believe her at first. What was it he had said? That sometimes bad nightmares effected people in their waking hours? It felt real… but how was she to know that it really was? It wasn't as if she could find anyone who had these same nightmares and ask them to compare notes with her.
So flustered were these trains of thoughts, she had taken to the archery range again. There was something calming about it, holding the bow and drawing back an arrow, feeling the arm's strain to keep it all balanced before letting all the built up power release. It was almost like she was launching her troubles away to be buried within the targets so far away. The only thing that ruined it for her was that one soldier who was trying to get friendly with her.
"Um, hello, Princess," he would say nervously as he approached her. "So, you uh, use the bow? How long have you been using it?"
"Since I was nine," she would respond flatly, hoping an attitude might drive him away.
But it didn't. "Oh, since you were nine? That explains why you're so good at it. I can barely shoot myself."
"Practice makes perfect." She responded haughtily.
He was again undeterred. "Yeah, that's… that's true I suppose. Still, maybe perhaps… Perhaps you could give me lessons?"
Honestly, Zelda had no problems with men trying to get her attention, but she had problems with men who had such weak attitudes about being direct about it. This soldier, one Shiro Carwyn, she knew was a flighty sort of fellow who didn't grab much attention from anyone. Poe complained about him a lot, since he always had to take over so many of Shiro's shifts. Shiro was rather sickly, partly why he didn't grab much attention – he was never around. It was also why his training wasn't up to snuff with any of the other soldiers. Still, if Shiro really did want to learn the bow, then go to the Master Archer. It wasn't exactly something anyone would ask the princess. Despite that, she supposed there was a sort of charm to it; that he was asking a woman for help.
She was still annoyed, though. The other man earlier in the day had been hoping to teach her how to shoot, and now this one was asking her to teach him. Why couldn't they just let her shoot in peace? Perhaps if Shiro had asked at any other time, she would have humored the idea of it. But right now, "I'm sorry; I'm afraid I don't have much time to teach anyone. Princess duties, you know," she said halfway between apologetic and "please leave me alone." And then he seemed to get the hint. It was a rather lousy excuse to pull, after all.
It was only when she had shot out all of her worries and the sun began to set that she noticed Poe had been nearby, apparently overseeing the training of some of the younger recruits.
"Princess, second time today here," he commented, "You haven't been around here in forever?" He leaned in a little closer and added in a quiet whisper, "Is something from last night bothering you?"
She smiled at him, "No, Poe. It's actually tomorrow that has me on edge for some reason. I'm going to the Shrine with my father tomorrow. I imagine you'll probably be present as well; or I'd certainly like you to be."
The guardsman nodded, "Of course, Princess. By the way, was Shiro bothering you earlier?"
Zelda let out a small grimace at that. "A little," she confessed. "I think he may have been trying a rather weak attempt at getting my attention. I wouldn't have minded so much if he hadn't been bothering me in the midst of my shooting."
Poe looked thoughtful for a moment, "I suppose he has been asking me a lot about you… before he asks if I can cover for him, that is." That last part ended up coming out in an annoyed tone. "If you'd like I can talk to him, tell him to leave you alone or at the very least not disturb you while you're in the middle of nocking an arrow." He offered.
She smiled up at her friend. "Thank you, Poe. You really don't need to, but if you feel that's the best course of action I won't stop you." Zelda was so glad to have such a good friend. But she didn't keep him any longer, and gave him a warm farewell before heading to dinner.
Dinner in Hyrule Castle was actually a rather personal and enclosed thing. It was usually just her and her father in his office rather than making use of the large dining room. It had seemed so pointless to have such a large table set up for only two people, and as such it was usually only used in the presence of foreign diplomats.
Zelda took the chance while she was eating with her father to ask if she could join in on greeting a Labrynnian envoy if they came. Again, Link warned her it would be dreadfully boring business, and she justified that she would have to learn to do these things sooner or later. Her father agreed, but said they wouldn't plan anything definite until there was a confirmation that Labrynna would be sending anyone to begin with.
After dinner, she visited the stable to see Epona and was pleasantly surprised to see Miss Malon from Lon Lon Ranch there. Apparently, she was there to check on the status of the stables and make sure they were up to par for the horses she provided for the castle. They got into some light chit chat as Zelda decided to brush Epona, and the princess couldn't help but ask, "Miss Malon… do you and my father like each other?"
The ranch mistress chuckled for a moment, "Of course I like your father. We've been friends for nearly 30 years."
But Zelda gave the woman a sly smile and clarified, "No, I meant do you really like my father?"
She was confused for a moment, before her face reddened, she fidgeted on her stool, and sputtered, "N-now why would you ask that?"
"I'm just curious," she said impishly, "I don't mind, you know. I don't like seeing my father alone so much, missing my mother." The playfulness dropped then into a somber silence; even her brushing of Epona had stopped mid-stroke. Zelda didn't miss her mother. There was nothing to miss; she had died before she was born. It sounded so weird, to say that her mother had died before she was born, yet it was true. She had never gotten to know her mother at all, so she was spared from that grief. But her father wasn't.
She felt Malon's hand on her shoulder. She looked to the older woman, seeing her smile gently at her, "You and your father care for each other something fierce. He's not as alone as you might think." The ranch mistress said to her. And then to brighten the tone she stepped back again, sitting herself back on her stool and said, "But never mind me or your father – why'd you want to know about romance between us older folks? What about you? Now that your dad's lifted that ban on boys, there has to be someone you've had your eye on?"
The younger girl blushed, awkwardly returning to brushing the mare, "There was one around a year ago… But it's not likely to happen. He's in Labrynna now. Ever since him, though, I haven't really considered anyone else. I haven't really thought about it at all, really."
"Really? Not even that guardsman you're so friendly with?" Malon asked.
Zelda flinched, "Poe? No, never! He's my friend and that's it!" Yuck! She loved Poe like a brother and nothing more, and he'd even said she was like a sister.
But her reaction made Malon laugh, and the older woman went on to say, "All right, all right! Well, no worries. No need to think too hard about it. Look at me, I've never been married and run a business all by myself! Don't think about it and if it happens, it happens."
The princess smiled at her. That was true. She wouldn't even think of it. Her father halfheartedly wanted her to find someone, and she had been excited at first. Now, though, she was realizing the glamor of relationships that her Castle Town friends spoke of didn't seem glamorous at all. She honestly had no idea what she looked for in a man, and all these fellows who were coming up to her lately were more annoying than attractive. Yes, Malon was right. She wouldn't worry about it. There were much more important things to worry about.
And then her mind again revisited the Shrine.
She just wanted to get tomorrow over with.
This was a bit of a set up chapter, as such, not much really happened. And for that, I apologize. On the bright side, next chapter things will happen! What things? You'll find out! In the meantime, I'm adding some Oracle of Ages into this, because a decent chunk of Ages takes place in the past and I'm just guessing that Hyrule and Labrynna have had some sort of working relationship for a while. Also, I ship Malink. It's not a huge OTP of mine. My OTPs are VaaZel, BlindZelda, and Midlink. But I like Malink; I think it's cute. But I've never had a decent story idea for it... just like I've never had a decent story idea for Midlink. Baaaaaw. Nonetheless, there will only be these subtle overtones to it in the story and I've yet to decide if it will actually happen or not within Tempest, mostly because our focus is the VaatiZelda.
Anyways, let's discuss Reversal book, yes? As a fanfiction, it cannot be sold as a publication. It has copyrighted characters and the intellectual property of Nintendo and Capcom. However, a handmade book is quite a loophole. Because with a handmade book, you wouldn't be paying for the content, but the supplies that goes into making the book. Each book of Reversal will have some illustration and will be bound by hand. Hardcover and paperback options are available, as are other customizations. If you're interested, please visit my DA or send me a PM on this site. Actual transactions will take place through Etsy.
Swamp Dragon Princess, a trigger warning is pretty much that. Basically, before the chapter starts, the author puts a warning about any sensitive subject matter, such as character death or torture. I really dislike them because it tells you what to expect, and as an author, I like to keep my readers guessing. They're not spoilers, but they might as well be. I don't want to warn people about anything because I want them to be taken by surprise. Trigger warnings take away that surprise, and personally, I think the only reason it's done because everyone has to be so hyper PC about everything. I'm sure there are some good reasons people do it, but it really just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Eh, I tried. XD Alas, it won't be hidden in the details. Or, if it is... I won't be conscious of it. XD Sort of yes. You'll see as it goes along. It does sound familiar!