Well, I finally did it. Chapter is 17 done. Hurray, a Christmas update! Merry Christmas/happy holidays everyone and a happy new year. And as promised, this is NOT a filler chapter! Secrets will be revealed.
14
A Truth is Revealed. The King of Hyrule. Escape.
Glurak led the soldiers away from the castle, pretending to look for a thief. He hoped they wouldn't figure out what he was actually doing. He mentally came up with a story.
''So what was stolen from you?''
''A ring that my mother bought me,'' Glurak answered. ''It is silver with a thin band and a ruby.''
The man who had asked the question nodded. ''Do you know who stole it, Sir?''
Glurak sighed. ''Unfortunately, I didn't get a good look at him. He was on me before I knew it. He took the ring right off my finger.'' He held up his right hand. ''But I did notice that he had light blue hair under his hood before he fled.''
''All right. That should give us something to look for.''
Glurak nodded. He seriously hoped they would not run into anyone with the hair color he had named. He didn't want someone to get arrested for his distraction. ''Perhaps we should go to the east. I have heard there are places where stolen jewelry is sold.''
''Are you sure you want to go somewhere like that? It is probably unsafe, My Lord.''
''Yes. I am skilled in magic,'' he replied. He didn't mention that he had been to some of the shadier parts of Castle Town by himself. After all, some of the Resistance safe houses were in fact in those places.
''Did you by any chance use magic on the thief?''
''No. I would have stopped him but I did not want to hit anyone else in the crowd.''
The man gave him an approving nod. ''I see.''
They went to the eastern side of the city and searched for a bit. Glurak needed to get back to the others before the soldiers decided to return. Now was the time to give up the so-called search.
''Well, I really should be getting back,'' he said.
His statement was met with surprise. ''We have not found the person who stole your ring. Are you sure?''
''Yes. They've probably sold it by now. And to tell you the truth, I didn't really care for the ring all that much. It was nice of my mother to buy it, but it was not to my taste.''
A few of the soldiers laughed. ''Perhaps the thief did you a favor,'' one said.
''Do you need an escort, My Lord?''
Glurak shook his head. ''No, I can get home from here. Thank you for your help.'' He walked off.
When he was out of their sight, he pulled out a thin silver ring with a ruby. It was connected to a silver chain around his neck, which the high collar of his robes normally hid. A gift from his mother. He hadn't actually lied about that. He had lied that he didn't care about it, though. It reminded him that although he disagreed with his mother's policy to look down upon the lower classes, he still loved her.
''Are you sure?'' Tancred asked.
Lux nodded. ''Absolutely.''
The earth mage smiled. ''Now we can tell the others! We'll still have to distract the wall guards when the time comes but now we know where the castle sewer is.''
At that point Glurak came up to them. ''Did you find it?'' he asked quietly.
''Yes,'' Lux replied. He pointed out the location.
Glurak nodded. ''We must hurry. The guards will be back soon.''
They started back, avoiding the main streets. When they were close to the Amalgam, Lux stopped for a moment. ''I suppose it does make sense that the entrance would be near the castle. For some reason, I had expected it to be elsewhere.''
''Hey, there wasn't anything wrong with your theory. Sure, it would be a bit more effort to have a secret entrance on the other side of the city but... It would have been harder for would-be intruders to find, right?'' Tancred said.
''Thank you. Its location does benefit us in a way. We do not have to traverse long lengths of the sewers this way. But this would have been easier if we had started near the castle...''
Glurak opened the door to the Amalgam and the three of them went inside. Risbon waved to them in greeting.
''We found it,'' Glurak announced.
Their leader came over to them with a smile. ''Excellent. Where?''
''Near the castle, on the right side,'' Lux answered.
''Very good. Thank you.''
Lux glanced around the room. ''Where is Ashlyn?''
''She's in the sparring room,'' Risbon replied.
''Not anymore.'' They turned to see her walking towards them, followed by Malon.
''You're in time for the good news,'' Risbon said with an amused grin.
She stopped in her tracks. ''You found it? You found it!'' She hugged Lux.
The blond mage looked surprised. Tancred burst into wild laughter, soon joined by Risbon and Yost, who had come from the sparring room. After a second, Ashlyn released Lux and hugged the other two.
''This is great news!'' she said, beaming.
''Now we can prepare for the plan,'' Yost said.
Link had been trying to keep himself occupied, but there wasn't much to do to pass time in his cell. He sat in bed with his back up against the metal bars of the headboard. He had eaten the lunch and dinner that had been brought to him. They had allowed him out to take a bath after dinner before bringing him back.
As he sat there, he thought of different ways he could try to escape the castle. He really needed to get back to the others. As much as he wanted to find out the Princess's plans concerning him, continuing the Resistance's noble work was important. While thinking of plans, he wondered what his friends were doing. How where they holding up without him?
Most of the preparations were completed. Risbon had gone over the plan with them several times to makes sure everyone knew what to do. They knew where the castle's sewers met with the city sewer. They had a good idea of where their imprisoned friend was.
''The weapons are ready,'' Ashlyn said, stepping out of the armory. Yost and Ashlyn had picked out weapons for those that used them, sharpening and polishing them to make sure they were in top shape.
Risbon nodded. ''All right. That concludes preparations. Let's get some dinner in us. Tomorrow, we move out.''
They all entered the dinning room and sat down. For the days that Link had been absent, Risbon had not sat at the head of the table. He did not do so again for the current meal, instead sitting close to his brother and Lux. Glurak was at Lux's other side, with Tancred next to him. Ashlyn sat next to Malon.
''...So why do you think Link hasn't been hanged? As much as I'd like to believe they wouldn't execute a kid...I'm not buying that as the only reason,'' Tancred asked cautiously, sending a nervous glance at Ashlyn.
Ashlyn didn't react negatively. Instead she nodded. ''I didn't buy it either.''
Malon took a breath. ''I think it has to do with who he is.''
Ashlyn gave another nod. ''Yeah. As much as he's tried to downplay it or keep it hidden, I think we all know he's of the Hero's bloodline. Right?''
''Yes,'' Malon confirmed.
Lux shifted in his seat. ''Yes, I had easily come to that conclusion as well. He looks much like how the heroes of old are described. And of course, with his name being Link...''
''Although other families sometimes name their sons Link to try to emulate the heroes... Well, they're clearly not from the bloodline,'' Glurak added.
Ashlyn took another helping of mashed potatoes. ''Anyway... I think the Princess knows that if she has him executed... The bloodline will end. And since the hero has always been the firstborn son, well. If she has him hanged, our country would be in trouble.''
''Precisely. There have been no accounts of second sons, daughters or cousins of their line being chosen as the next hero. Or anyone outside the bloodline, for that matter. The Goddesses have blessed that family and will most likely continue to choose their firstborn boy every one hundred years,'' Lux said.
Risbon glanced at them. ''That is a sound reason. But I also think the Princess may have something planned as well. Of course, I'm merely guessing but...''
''Which means that if she does have something else going on, we need to rescue him tomorrow for sure,'' Ashlyn responded.
The next morning, Link was released from his cell, free to wander the castle again. It was a relief to be out after being confined for most of yesterday. As usual, he had two soldiers with him. He was wearing his usual green tunic and clothes.
While he was walking down a hallway on the fifth floor, he noticed two maids in plain, dusky gray dresses. Both were talking, glancing around every so often to see if any of the nobles that stayed on the fifth floor were nearby. He could hear bits of the conversation.
''-odd, that's for sure.''
The other girl nodded. ''I wish the Princess would return to her usual self.''
''Definitely. I think most everyone does.''
Link thought that his guards would step in and say something to them, but neither man moved. Curious, he went up to the maids.
''What's odd?'' he asked.
Both girls turned to him, glancing at the soldiers warily. ''...How suddenly the Princess changed. She was always benevolent. Loved helping people, lent an ear to their troubles and gave them advice. But not now...''
The second maid glanced around again, afraid of being overheard by anyone else. ''She's changed physically, too.''
''What do you mean by that?'' Link questioned.
''She had golden hair like yours. Her eyes were a nicer blue, maybe a shade off from yours. But now... It's like the color was leached out of her hair, leaving it white. And those icy eyes...''
The first maid sighed. ''There are some people who think that it isn't her. That an imposter took her place. Some think she just became a tyrant. And then there are others who believe she's dabbling in dark magic. But no one knows. That's why it's so unsettling.''
''Thank you. I was wondering what some thought was going on.''
He walked away, down the hall. After they were out of earshot from the maids, one of the soldiers glanced at him.
''The Princess isn't an imposter. She knows things that only a member of the Royal Family would know. No one else could get that knowledge unless told. And the Royal Family doesn't just tell people those things.''
''Adding to that, it would be quite difficult to get in here to attempt to switch her out for a fake. Honestly, it appalls me that people would come up with that theory. Please be sensible and don't listen to people who say that,'' the second man said.
Link nodded. ''Oh, I'm not one to believe that. I'm sure she isn't a fake. It would be easy to expose one.'' That he did believe. If there was a fake on the throne, she would have been found out already. The Sheikah, the race of elite bodyguards that served the Royal Family, had magic that could tell if someone was not who they claimed to be.
Link went to the ninth floor, intending on going into the library. It was quiet and would give him a place to think about his plans for escape. He opened one of the doors and stepped inside. Both guards stayed outside like his previous escorts.
As he walked down one of the aisles, he noticed someone sitting with their head on one of the tables. It was Princess Zelda. An open book was underneath her. He went still, unsure whether to get closer or not. Was she asleep?
He noticed a glint of gold, which caught his attention. A few streaks of golden blonde were in her hair at the roots, contrasting with the white blonde. Those had not been there before. When had those appeared?
The Princess stirred. She sat up in her chair, glancing around. Her gaze landed on him. ''There you are,'' she said, sounding as if she had been looking for him.
''You were looking for me, Your Royal Highness?''
''I think so. It has been a tiring morning. I feel...'' She stood up and walked closer to him.
He had to stop himself from reacting with surprise. Some darker blue was in her eyes, mixing with the ice blue. She stared at him and there was something in her expression, something other than her normal calm professionalism.
''...Ngh.'' She winced briefly, as if pained. She went rigid and stood up straighter.
''Princess?'' he asked.
She ignored him and started to walk forward towards the library's exit. But there was something off about it. She moved without her usual grace and her face was eerily calm, almost blank. He watched her reach the door. She raised her right arm jerkily, grasped the handle and pulled it open.
He went to the door, looking out into the hall. She was going towards the staircase, still walking with that strange, graceless gait. He was almost tempted to follow her, but decided not to. After a moment, she reached the end of the hall and started going upstairs.
Neither of the guards had done anything other than salute her when she had passed them. But both were still looking at the staircase she had gone up. Clearly they though something was up too.
Link closed the door and went back to the table where the Princess had been. How strange. When he had addressed her, it was as if she hadn't heard him. And the way she had walked, almost as if her body wasn't responding correctly...
He turned his attention the open book on the table. He sat down and picked it up, reading what was on the pages. After a minute, his blood went cold. The book was on dark magic.
The pages she had been reading was on a spell that changed someone's thought processes, making them act differently. It was not a form of possession, nor was it actually mind control. The spell made the person think that they wanted to act differently...do bad things... And the side effects included change of hair color and other physical features like eye color. When the spell started wearing off, the person's original features would start coming back, as would their normal thought processes.
Link sucked in a breath. The spell...he had a feeling that someone had...put it on Princess Zelda. It all fit: her change in demeanor, her physical changes. Princess Zelda wasn't trying to be a cruel ruler at all. Someone was doing it to her.
The spell must have started wearing off in the morning. She had come to the library and gotten a book that had the spell's details so that someone might figure out what was happening. No, so that he might figure it out. She had left the book for him. She had said she had been looking for him. Leaving the book was a plea for help.
Link stood up quickly. He needed to tell someone! He grabbed the book and stuck a bookmark in place.
Both guards looked as Link came out of the library quickly. He raised his hands, sending out jolts of regular magic at them. They bent double, surprised and in pain. He kneed them, sending them to the marble floor. They wouldn't be down for very long, so he ran to the lifts.
He got inside one and slammed the doors before pulling the lever up. When he reached the twelfth floor, he released the lever and stepped out of the lift. The hallway was much grander than even the rest of the castle. The floor where the Royal chambers were. It was quiet and seemingly empty.
As he went up the hall, turned a left corner and went along that hall, he saw several pairs of ornate double doors down another hall in an upside down T intersection. At the end was the grandest pair of doors. And there were several guards patrolling. These men were not regular soldiers. They were wearing the uniform of the Royal Guard, and each was armed with what was probably a finely made and very sharp sword.
Damn. How was he going to get past them? They were highly trained, for heaven's sake, they were the men who guarded the Royal Family members. It was the highest honor to be promoted to the Royal Guard. He was unarmed. But even if he had his sword, they would make short work of him.
''Oi! You!''
He turned around. One had come from around the corner, sword drawn. The man strode purposefully towards him. Thankfully, the others had not noticed yet.
''What are you doing up here?'' the man demanded sharply.
Goddesses, how was he supposed to explain? ''...Princess Zelda sent me. To give something to her father.'' He hoped that they did not know that he was the rebel being held at the castle and assumed he was a servant.
''Oh? And what are you to give His Majesty?'' the guard asked skeptically.
Link held out the book. ''This. The Princess said it was very important. I don't know what it is.''
The guard's sharp gaze scanned the book intently. ''And I suppose you work here?''
Damn. If only he had worn the clothes that he had been given. Perhaps then the man might think him a serving boy. ''Yes.''
''I'm to going to have to ask you to raise your hands.''
Link bit his lip. ''If I don't give this to the King, she'll be angry with me. She's been in a strange mood all morning and I don't want her take it out on me,'' he said desperately.
The guard brought his sword closer to Link. ''I highly doubt that, seeing as you most certainly do not work in this castle. You're a terrible liar, boy.''
Link found himself up against the wall, the edge of the man's sword inches from his throat. ''Wait a minute!''
''I'd like to know why you're actually here. I hope for your sake it does not involve blades and His Majesty.''
''I certainly didn't come up here to kill the King. He needs to see this book.''
The sword inched closer. ''And why is that?''
''There might be a way to cure the King's illness written in this book. It's about magic,'' Link said. He wasn't lying completely, the book was on magic.
There was a long pause as the Royal Guardsman decided what to do. ''Go ahead, then. You are from the Hero's lineage, I can see the resemblance to the paintings. Understand that if you try anything... Your life is forfeit.''
He removed his sword from Link's neck. Link let out a breath. Goddesses, if you're with me, thank you. He proceeded down the hall. The other guards noticed and their hands went to their sword hilts.
''He is permitted.''
The others released their grips on their weapons but remained on guard. Those closest to the doors stepped aside. Link went to stand in front of the doors. He composed himself and grabbed one of the handles.
The King's sitting room was finely decorated. The furniture was intricately made, and each chair, table or couch must have cost a fortune. The wood was highly polished and gleamed in the light. Royal blue and red rugs were positioned under the antique couches and other furniture.
Other doors lead into other rooms. One open door led into what looked to be a study. Another set of doubles doors before him led into the bedchamber. He padded across the floor and knocked on one of the doors before pulling it open.
The bedchamber was large. It would probably fit three quarters of his house, perhaps all of it and then some. The bed was centered against the back wall. There were windows on either side. A fireplace was on the right side of the room. A half open door revealed the closet. On the left side of the room was a long dresser with a mirror. There were two other doors, one leading into the bathing chamber and the other was most likely the privy.
The canopied bed itself could probably fit five people. The Royal Crest was carved into the headboard and footboard. The mattress was likely stuffed with feathers instead of straw, horse hair or wool. Blue and gold curtains hung from the posts. Lying in bed was the King.
King Herbert was about his father's age, which was thirty eight. Unlike his daughter, his eyes were a warm brown. His hair was either a dark blond or a very light brown. He wasn't wearing a crown, it was on top of the dresser. The monarch looked tired, a slight pallor to his face.
Link remembered himself and knelt.
''Rise. What's happened?''
Link stood up. ''Your Majesty, something's wrong with the Princess.'' He bit his lip. He could have phrased that better.
The King took no offense and nodded. ''I know. She's been acting strangely for over a month. What has she done now?''
''Nothing that I know of. But I think I've figured out what's going on.''
King Herbert sat up straighter. ''If you have, that is a relief.''
Link stepped forward and showed him the book, opening it to the pages marked. ''I found the Princess with this.''
The King took a few minutes to read what was on the pages. ''...So someone's done this to her?'' He sounded very distressed.
''Yes. The spell's description matches and so do the symptoms. It started wearing off this morning. I think she left the book for me so I could tell someone,'' Link said.
The King nodded. ''It all fits.'' He ran a hand through his hair. ''And whoever's doing this has made sure I can't interfere.''
''You Majesty?''
''I don't think I'm sick. I've had several doctors and healers examine my symptoms. Nothing they give me works. I think someone's poisoning me or otherwise causing this. I find it suspicious that I supposedly fell ill a few weeks before my daughter changed.''
That did make a lot of sense. Link swallowed. ''Goddesses...''
King Herbert took a breath. ''Would you find a way to undo the spell on my daughter? She gave the book to you, I'm sure of it. She wanted you to know. It's happening again, evil is rising. I do believe you are the only one who can do something about it, Link.''
Link shouldn't have been surprised that the King would know who he was. But even still, he was. ''...Um.''
The King gave an amused laugh. ''Of course I know who you are. You look like all those that came before you. I knew your father when he was in my army. It's good that he's on leave for a bit, I wouldn't want him serving under my daughter while she is under this spell.''
''I should have realized that. But I've been trying to conceal my bloodline for a bit, considering the circumstances.'' Suddenly nervous, Link bit his lip. ''I'm actually a prisoner here. I was arrested by Captain Rusl for being part of the Resistance.''
''Ah. Well, I have no issue with that. It is for a just cause. But will you help my daughter and find out who is behind these events?''
Link nodded seriously. ''Yes.'' Although he had been reluctant to think about his destiny, it seemed it couldn't be denied. His conscience would not allow him to stand by while bad things were happening.
''This has been coming. It's been a hundred years since the last time a hero arose. I think you need to take up the Master Sword. As a holy sword, it will most likely release my daughter from the dark magic put upon her.''
Very true. The Master Sword was the strongest holy sword ever made. It had originally been the Goddess Sword, owned by the Goddess Hylia. She gave it her hero and he had imbued it with three sacred flames. Then Hylia had blessed it herself. It rested in the Temple of Time.
''Don't I need to unlock the door it is behind?'' Link asked.
''Yes. Originally, the three Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time were needed. Nowadays, the stones have been replaced with keys for safety, with the stones as decoys. The Ocarina is still needed and kept here in the castle.'' With some effort, the King got out of bed.
''Your Majesty, shouldn't you stay in bed?'' Link asked, worried.
King Herbert shrugged. ''I need to give you the Ocarina.''
''It's in here?''
The King nodded. ''Currently. We move it frequently to prevent anyone else from obtaining it.'' He stepped up to a golden candlestick attached to the wall and pressed it. While doing that with one hand, he reached behind a tapestry and pulled out something. He handed it to Link. The Ocarina of Time.
''I trust you can play one?''
Link nodded. ''Yes.''
King Herbert smiled. ''And you'll need to know the Song of Time.'' He whistled the song. Link whistled it back perfectly. ''Excellent. The keys are held by the Kokiri, the Gorons and the Zora.''
A thought occurred to Link. Surely the castle guards were looking for him. ''Oh no. The guards must be looking for me. I did get away from them.''
''Go to the tenth floor. There is a room down the right side hall. It is the fifth door on the right. There is a hidden lever. When you find it, go in the passage that opens. It goes to the ground floor. Go to the left hallway close to the grand staircase. It's not the hall that leads to the dungeons. Take a left when it comes. On the right side is a room, eight doors down. Inside is a passage that leads under the left side gardens and out.''
Link thanked the King for his instructions. Now he just had to get out of the castle.
The Royal Guardsmen hadn't said anything as he left the King's chambers. Thankfully word of him had not reached them yet. He thanked them for letting him in and got in the lift. He went to the tenth floor.
Seeing no guards, he ran down the right side hallway until he came to the fifth door on the right. He threw the door open, stepped inside and then closed it. The room was clean but didn't seem like it was used much. There was a table against the left wall along with a chair. A tan colored rug was in the center of the room. He needed to find that hidden lever.
He found the lever almost by accident. While pushing spots on the walls, he noticed that one of the torch brackets was faintly engraved with the Royal Crest. He pulled on it and a spot on the far wall opened up. Inside was a stairwell.
As Link descended, he found himself wishing that there was a secret lift. Having to go down ten flights of stairs was not pleasant. At least the stairwell was lit with magical torches. When he finally reached the bottom, he took a moment to catch his breath. Hoping that there were no guards around, he opened the door.
He found himself in an unfamiliar hallway. It was probably on the right side of the castle. He went up the hallway until he came to a left hand turn. He went down that and came out in the castle foyer several feet away from the grand staircase. All right, the hall he needed now was on the other side.
Link walked forwards, going to circle around the stairs. When he was near the bottom of the staircase, a soldier noticed him out in the open.
''Hey, you! Hold it right there, sonny boy.''
Link vaulted up over the railing and onto the staircase. He quickly went over the opposite railing and took off running to the hallway he needed. He heard the soldier run after him but he didn't look back. He took the left turn went it came, seeking out the eighth door on the right. He flung the door open and ducked inside.
The room had furniture that was being repaired. Most looked like they were made for the servants and soldiers but a few pieces looked like they belonged to nobility. He hurriedly searched for the entrance to the passage. He pulled on the torch brackets and found they didn't work. Just as he was starting to panic, he noticed a faint indent in the floor. He crouched down and pressed it.
There was a click and the floor shifted. But a table was on top. Link shoved it away and the panel slid back to reveal the passage. He went down into it and found himself in a tunnel. The entrance slid closed. Magical torches sprung to life nearby.
The passage went straight from what he could see. Link started walking, passing by more torches that lit when he neared them. Soon, he noticed that he could hear faint voices. He was under the left side gardens now, he realized.
He continued on, until he began hearing the sound of water. At first he thought he might be under a fountain or near a sewer tunnel. But as he walked further, other noises became present, the sounds of a busy town. He was near the castle's outside moat. The end of the passage was a set of short steps.
He went up, coming to a metal grate, which magically slid open for him. He was in the area where water from the stream was pumped into the moat. He slipped over the railing, narrowly avoiding falling in the clear water, and dropped onto the street.
Link glanced around to make sure no one had seen him. Thankfully not, the guards on the wall above him were not looking his way. He made his way to another street, where he noticed a familiar head of metallic gray hair.
''Link!? How did you...'' Ashlyn said.
Hahahaha! So I finally revealed part of what is going on! Out of curiosity, was it obvious? Did anyone guess it or come close? Who was surprised? But anyways... The Castle Lockup arc is over and Link can finally tell everyone in the Resistance what's going on.