Hello everybody! Here's a new chapter for you all to read. I don't really have much to say in terms of author's note here because I'm uploading this while in class. I only have time for my author shout-outs, so sorry if I'm short with my answers and whatnot.

And just to say, I'm not going to respond to guest reviews. As much as I appreciate the reviews and the want for anonymity, it's hard to respond when I don't even have a user name to call you as. So please don't take offense if you're a guest and I fail to respond to your review.

OlegEqualzname: Yes, my stories consist of a lot of dialogue. Personally, I find it hard to structure a story that has a lot of narration and not a lot of characters talking. There's only so much you can tell through narration before things begin to feel dull. The conversations is where each character's personality comes alive, and that's what I try to do with all the stories I write. It's great to know you like my dialogue, and I hope you continue to enjoy and support this story!

SoulfulGinger17: Yes, Xagrun is a royal pain in the ass here. And in terms of Link punching him while being harassed of his money, it wouldn't have made sense. Considering what Link saw with the poor farmer earlier, he knows what buttons not to press when speaking with Xagrun. It's clear that he cares a lot for his brother, and he's not stupid enough to risk his well-being just because he punched a man of royal standing. But yes, the want to punch him is strong. And I don't think there's going to be sexual tension in here. Not only am I bad at writing that, I feel that it's rather unnecessary for this story. Unless it can be tied in extremely well, sexual tension just tends to be the "side quest" of stories.

Skittycreamstar: Yes, the want to kill Xagrun is very strong. Now you see how much of an ass this prince can be. I really wanted that feeling to be strong that you as the reader would actually want to hate a character. For a writer, it's kind of hard to portray such strong emotions against or for a character, so I'm glad that it at least worked with you.

ESopre: I wanted that chapter to be viewed as dark. I see most Zelda games being somewhat lighthearted and in contrast to the fact that there is a war going on, even if it's a war between a world-dominating tyrant and the hero of time. Still, there's going to be casualties and whatnot happening. I just figured I showcase a bit of that in the previous chapter. I'm glad you liked my attempt at doing so.

Chapter 4: A Farm Boy's Resolve

It was the morning after Prince Xagrun's unexpected visit to Faron Village. The news of what happened there had spread quickly overnight to the neighboring settlements. His infamous acts against Faron's citizens were soon known to all. His actions have nearly rendered the poor village incapable to handle even its own most basic of affairs. With most of the farmer's lands decimated and their monies taken due to the penalty tax, their economic well-being went from manageable to almost nonexistent. The farming market that they depended on to survive was now in complete disarray and unable to sustain itself. What was once an independent town with farmlands that supported Hyrule Castle was now a land rendered to desperation, its citizens now forced to practically beg for aid to those who would listen.

Thankfully, the neighboring villages were more than willing to send over any help they could. It started coming even before dawn broke, but there were lots of complications. The prince's men continued to pull over all wagons going in and out for routine checks. Unlike how it was before, the soldiers were now confiscating foods that were not common to Faron Village under the pretense of possibly being "suspicious and deadly items". And to make matters worse, any seeds and seedlings that were brought in to replace lost crops were also taken away as they were considered to be "crops not indigenous to Faron farmlands". It was clearly a lie Xagrun had his men enforcing, but his intents on making the already suffering villagers' lives beyond unbearable were evident.

Word of such atrocities quickly arrived at Hyrule Castle. However, all of the higher-ups merely looked at this as a fitting punishment. The council were in unanimous agreement that the price the farmers paid for insulting a member of the Gerudo Royal Family was more than fitting; the King of Hyrule added nothing to the debate yet also said nothing against it. Their inactivity on this did not fail to catch the people's attention and only helped further spur on the rumors of spells and magic over the royal court. The only member of this court who was not convinced about any of this was Princess Zelda.

After receiving word of Faron Village's ordeal, she had retired herself to one of the outer walkways which overlooked the castle courtyard. The need to reevaluate everything was great, the ruthlessness greatly worrying her. Her blue dress fluttered lightly in the morning breeze as she leaned her body against the marble railing, her tiara keeping her hair from blowing about in the wind. Her current position made it easy for her to see the castle's maids and soldiers milling about and performing their duties. Of course, there were the occasional few who stopped to gossip with each other about the latest news. The main event of the day just so happened to be about Xagrun's recent show of power.

"I can't believe the council is actually condoning this!" the princess heard one of the maids say. She saw said woman below her not too far away with a basket of fruit in her hands speaking with a soldier. "I'll admit that they tend to make decisions that most tend to view as unfair, but I'm sure even they would never allow things to go this far. What happened last night in Faron Village was madness! I don't care if it was the villagers who started those rumors; they didn't deserve such merciless acts!"

"You didn't hear this from me, but I doubt Prince Xagrun is here for peace talks," the soldier replied after cautiously looking about. He saw Zelda but seemed not too worried about her potentially overhearing him. "I've served within these walls for a while now, and all the royals I've seen never held an oppressive air like him. His attitude alone is hardly fitting of a royal on a peaceful visit. But what I'm more amazed at, though, is that the king is condoning both his actions and presence. He's changed ever since that desert prince came, and I can't help but wonder if he did something to His Majesty."

"Well, there have been whispers that he put a spell over His Majesty and the royal council. They've been acting strangely as of late, but their actions haven't warrant such suspect. But now that we see their lack of proper action with the Faron Village incident, I'm starting to think that it's true. I fear to imagine what will happen to the kingdom now that the entire royal court in that man's hands."

"I wouldn't say that he has everyone in his palm yet." The soldier nodded his head up to where Zelda was listening. The maid followed his motion and was slightly taken aback at seeing the princess overhearing their conversation. "I wouldn't have spoken about this with her nearby were I not confident she was against the council. She has singlehandedly tied up this 'peace treaty' in political backlog, so I'm sure the prince doesn't have complete control. She's a wise young woman; I know that she feels the same as us on this. Given time, I'm sure she'll find a way to rid us of this tyrant and reverse the troubles he brought upon our kingdom."

Zelda merely smiled at the two for their notable support in her abilities as their princess. However, she was not as confident on the inside. While it was true she held the highest position in the royal council, not even her word was enough to completely disregard something such as a treaty. Despite the bleakness she felt, she had to smile now so as to bestow upon those who trust in her the confidence they so needed now. All she could do was stall the treaty process, and she was not sure how much longer she could continue with it now that Xagrun has seen fit to project his agitation against her people.

"So this is where you have been, Princess Zelda," the prince's voice suddenly cut through the momentary silence. The girl looked towards the voice's direction and saw the man standing before her with his arms crossed. Both the maid and soldier saw him and quickly became scarce, not wanting to be dragged into whatever he was going to bring before the princess.

"…Why are you here?" she coldly asked, watching her two loyal servants rounding a corner. She already knew why Xagrun was here and would rather not discuss it, but she knew it best to speak of it lest she wants another incident.

"There's no need to sound so cold, milady. I merely wish to speak with you about my trip to Faron Village last night. I'm sure you're interested to know what transpired." He then took his place beside the princess and leaned against the railing.

"I'm not so much interested in what happened than I am as to why. You went to one of my kingdom's villages and purposefully disrupted their way of life. You've burned down their farms, slaughtered their poor animals, and took their money under the guise of a penalty tax. You did this over something trivial as a rumor that holds no immediate harm to you. And you chose Faron Village to exercise your power, of all places!"

"I understand your anger on this; I held no joy in what I did. However, don't forget that this was also in part your fault," he snidely replied in an attempt to make Zelda feel guilty. "All you had to do was sign the treaty, and all this could've been avoided. But why do you express strong concern over that dilapidated village? There was nothing there but mediocre farms with spineless farmers tending them."

"Those 'spineless farmers' are the people who uphold one of this castle's main line of supplies!" Zelda explained. "Their produce is what helps to keep the people in this castle well-fed. Granted that we do have other chains of supplies to rely upon, but Faron Village has always been a dependable source for us. You've nearly destroyed their way of life; your men are not making their recovery any easier by blocking most of the charitable aid that arrives. They have nothing to do with your want for this kingdom! You must allow them the chance to come back from the poverty you brought upon them!"

"How can I do that if you refuse to let the peace treaty pass? I promise you that the conditions of our countries' coexistence lies upon the passage of it. Until then, I'm afraid that I cannot just rescind my recent actions against your people so easily."

"So you see it fit now to blackmail me with the well-being of my people? How far will you go to ensure that whatever your plans are will come to fruition? I don't care how often you try to terrorize them; I will reverse the damage you have done. Until then, I will continue to refuse to allow the combining of our kingdoms!"

"Why must you continue to be so stubborn?" Xagrun irritably sighed. "Do you not realize that the suffering of your people can end if you only do one thing for me? I'm sure that it isn't too much to ask, yet you intend to make it difficult upon every turn. However, it seems you won't quite yet be swayed without further persuasion. I only suggest that you don't take too long lest you want me to go through more…extreme measures," he said with a devious smile before beginning to make his way back into the castle. "I'm sure that your kingdom's other villages are just as filled with spineless people."

Instead of countering back, Zelda kept silent at this. She knew that responding would only serve to add more to his flawed ego, and that would mean further suffering of her people. Now that his ruthless tactics were known, she would have to find a different approach in keeping him away from ruling Hyrule. Unfortunately, time was not on her side. The longer she stalled in attempts to drive Xagrun out, the further her people's safety were being sacrificed. If he is to be stopped, then she needed nothing short of a miracle fast!

"However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the moment of interest I witnessed last night," he added as he stopped short of the door. "There were many who dared to speak against me, but they all had fear in their eyes. Despite that, there was one who was the same as the rest and yet different. He spoke with the same harshness, but his eyes begot bravery instead of fear. Rather, I should probably say recklessness as it was more that than bravery. Granted that he was forced to pay my price in the end, but it was amusing to see how far he was willing to push me. Then again, I was somewhat disadvantageous in that he had already gotten word of my forms of punishment. Still, it was fun to see such a young and simple farm boy dare to stand against me in a way no one else did."

Upon hearing this, the princess immediately lost herself in thought. She barely registered that the prince had gone back into the castle. As distressing the previous evenings events were, she noticed something that the man willingly overlooked. Perhaps she really could enforce the old legend to help her take down the prince's tyrannical hold against Hyrule, and the key to make it possible seemed closer than she imagined. The problem now would be how she can grant this farm boy an audience with her without having Xagrun or his men taking notice.

-Meanwhile-

Link had been up most of the night after his unwelcome visit from Xagrun. He was worried about how he was going to keep the farm going. He cared little about what this meant for himself; he only cared about Connor and how he was going to support him. With the loss of most of their food money, it was going to be next to impossible to survive the month. Not even the sale of all their current produce would be enough to offset the difference. The food they had now was only enough to last a week at most; allocating the rest of their money to only keeping his brother fed still would not be enough. He had to do something about this now while their supply of food was barely at a comfortable level.

After preparing Connor's breakfast for when he woke up, he went back to his bed and rummaged underneath it. A moment later, he pulled out a small simple wooden box. Placing it on his mattress, he undid the metal latch and opened it to reveal the contents. In it was a simple green tunic and cap along with a leather brown belt and a pair of boots. Underneath all that was also a pair of light brown tights folded with care and waiting to be lifted out along with the other pieces of clothing. Taking the tunic into his hands, Link could feel that the material was still resilient as though it had only been put aside yesterday.

Never thought in my life I'd be wearing this, he thought with a wry smile before laying all of the pieces on his bed. He then got out of his farm shirt and put on an undamaged one before starting on the laid-out clothes. Still, this is my best bet if I want to try getting our money back. If I show up looking like this, then maybe they'll at least listen to me. I guess dad's still looking after us even when he's not here.

Within a couple minutes, the teen had fully donned the clothes his father once wore. No longer did he look like someone who was ready to work on a farm. Rather, he looked like one who was prepared to go on a long journey, weathering through whatever hardships that might come his way.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard Connor stirring from his sleep. Looking over to his little brother's bed, he saw him slowly sitting himself up while trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"Morning, Connor. I got breakfast ready for you. I gotta go out for a bit, so mind the farm for me."

"Huh? Wh-What are you talking about?" the boy yawned out. He was not expecting to be hearing this the moment he woke up. "Are you going somewhere? And why are you wearing dad's military uniform?"

"I'm thinking of heading to Hyrule Castle. Prince Xagrun's terrorized the entire village last night, and the castle needs to know about it. I don't care if they agree with what he's doing; I'm not just going to sit around and let him push us around!"

"Are you serious?" Connor was now wide awake upon hearing what his older brother was planning to do. "Let me come! I wanna see how this'll turn out."

"I want you to stay here," Link replied in a definite tone. "I don't want them thinking I'm there to beg because I have a little kid with me. And besides, someone needs to stay behind and make sure nothing bad happens. After what the prince did last night, I wouldn't be surprised if someone came around trying to take our crops just to feed their family. I doubt it'll happen, but its better you be here in case it does."

"But I've never been to the castle before! I always wanted to see what it looks like up close."

"I'm not going there for fun, Connor. Just do what I say and stay here. I'm not taking no for an answer this time. Eat your breakfast and make sure nothing happens. I'll try to be back before evening, so keep things up until then."

With that, Connor stopped his weak protests at having to stay behind. Link gave him a curt nod before leaving the cottage and heading down the road towards Hyrule Castle. Being that they were without a horse, he was going to have to make the trek by foot. He dared to think about asking Malon to loan Epona to him for the day. She was no doubt also hit by Xagrun last night and was probably going to need the horse to help her recover some of her family's losses. He could only hope now that he remembered the way to the castle from the last time he went there with his dad over five years ago.

As he made his way through the village square, he noticed a lot of farmers gathering near the path to the lake. They were talking loudly amongst themselves about the events that took place last night. In the middle of this congregation was the Village Elder who was making an announcement in an attempt to calm everybody down.

"I understand that you're all concerned over the prince's visit last night," he replied calmly to the people. "I know that you were taxed of your money; some of you have even lost your crops and animals in the process. I was not spared from this, so I understand what all of you are going through. However, we have no power to go against him on this. I only ask that you be patient as I try to petition aid from our neighboring villages."

"But the prince's soldiers are holding up the charitable caravans and even taking supplies off from them!" one of the villagers shouted in anger. "How are we supposed to pick up our feet if he's not even allowing us to do so? This is nothing but an unjust flexing of power from a man whose tyrannical ancestor nearly laid waste to Hyrule centuries ago!"

"He's becoming a spitting image of the man who laid siege over this kingdom centuries ago!" another villager repeated with the same amount of anger. "The only difference is that this 'prince' doesn't dare to take what he wants on his own. I suppose it's a godsend that he's not as personal, but his underhanded tactics are too cruel against us! I say we all go to the castle and make our voices heard to the king. He can't ignore us if we all gather at his gates and raise a commotion!"

"Please settle down everyone!" The Elder raised his voice over the crowd in an attempt to try and keep the meeting as civil as possible. "Causing what amounts to a riot won't solve anything. All we can do now is move one step at a time. I've already sent an emissary to the castle with regards to the searches of caravans containing our relief aid. We should receive word by the end of today of the soldiers loosening their authority on such checks and allowing the supplies to travel freely throughout the village."

"But we need the relief now!" another villager exclaimed. "That tyrant destroyed all my crops because I didn't have the money to pay him! He then took all of my money and destroyed nearly every scrap of food in my house. My family will have to do with almost nothing to eat tonight because of it!"

As the group continued to vocalize their anger over the situation, Link continued on his way to Hyrule Castle. As much as he wanted to put his two cents into the discussion, he knew it was not going to do much good. The Elder was right; they had no power to go against Xagrun. All they could do was grin and bear it while waiting for the village emissary to come back with word of free flow of charitable goods. At the same time, all he could do was to go to the castle himself to represent his family and the difficulty he was put in because of this.

Thankfully for him, the journey to the castle proved easier than he thought. The prince's guards were still busy patrolling the village borders and harassing passing caravans. However, they seemed more lax and willing to overlook foot travelers in lieu of those with wagons. This made his journey easier, and he made it to Hyrule Castle before noontime came around.

No doubt because of what happened at Faron VIllage, the front gates were packed with people vocalizing their concerns over Xagrun's presence. Most were unfamiliar faces, but he took note of Malon and her family joining in on the protest. The castle guards merely stood their ground on the other side and watched the crowd vent their frustrations. There were also a couple of them patrolling the crowd, these men a part of the prince's army, making sure that there was nothing suspicious going on. None took heed of Link as he walked along the outer rim of the thick crowd for a way to the gates.

"I didn't think there'd already be a crowd," he murmured after seeing no way through. "I know our villages are like close friends, but I didn't think they'd have heard about the incident so quickly. If they can't get in to talk to somebody, then I sure as hell can't."

He stood with his arms crossed some feet away from the crowd thinking about what his next move would be. The guards did not seem like they were going to be calling anyone into the castle grounds anytime soon. If this was as far as the people could get, then he was likely not to do any better himself.

"Excuse me, boy," a woman suddenly called out. "What are you doing here?"

Turning around, he saw the lady who had addressed him. She was simply dressed with a white traveler's cloak covering her, yet she held a certain air about her. Despite her current appearance, she did not seem like a person of commoner standing like he was. Perhaps she was a high class citizen from one of Hyrule's wealthier towns dressing covertly so as to see what all the commotion was about.

"Uh, I'm here because I wanted to talk to somebody in the castle about what happened in Faron Village last night," Link explained somewhat hesitantly. She had taken him by surprise from her sudden announcement and was suspicious about why someone like her was here. "Prince Xagrun came by and had everybody pay his insane penalty tax. I happen to be one of those people, and I thought I could talk to someone in the castle about it. I don't think that'd be possible now, though."

"Hmm, I thought you were simply a member of the royal guard neglecting your duties," the woman replied with a curious look. "That uniform you wear is exactly what they wear. Tell me; where did you get it?"

"M-My father was with the military long ago. He died off the battlefield, so this was just lying in my house. I figured I'd have a better chance getting inside if I put this on since some of the guards have it on, but this crowd kind of makes it impossible to even get to the gates. All I want to do is to get my money back from that tyrant of a prince so I can feed my brother! I guess I can't do that now."

"I'm sure everyone here feels the same way. You can't just single yourself out from a crowd of likeminded individuals. However, the castle is currently having its own share of inner turmoil. Even if your problem was an isolated incident, I don't think you would have a chance to voice your concerns. As much as the council would like to mend whatever problems the citizens are facing, such action is impossible."

"Is it really just inner turmoil, or is it that the prince cast a spell over them?" the blond asked, his skepticism clear to anyone in range of his voice. "He admitted as much to me last night after taking my money. I wouldn't be surprised if that's also the reason why nobody's being admitted in to voice their anger!"

For a moment, the woman seemed lost in thought after hearing what the other had to say. In fact, this was when Link noticed the oddities in her character. Even though they only talked for a couple minutes, he realized that she spoke about the castle and what was happening inside as though she entered it before. Then there was the fact that she had this indistinguishable air about her that separated her from his social class. There was more to her than she was letting on, but he was in no position to be so questioning.

"…Perhaps I could persuade the castle guards to allow you entrance," she finally said. "I have some influence with Hyrule Castle myself. Because of that, I'm allowed to come and go as I please so long as it's within reason. I'm sure they won't turn you away if I were to introduce you as my guest."

"Uh, are you sure about this? I mean, I don't even know who you are. How do I know you're not just trying to fool me?"

"Because of this." She opened the front of her cloak slightly and revealed the crest of the Hylian Royal Family embroidered onto the front of her tunic. "This symbol is what grants me passage. As I'm sure you're aware, these symbols are only given out by the royal family to those they trust. Do you believe my claim to be true now, boy? If so, then follow me around the back where an entrance for those such as I are reserved for."

The lady quickly made her way along the castle walls towards the back as she stated. After hesitating for a moment, Link followed suit. He was still skeptical as to who this woman really was, but she clearly had ties to the royal family. If she was willing to sneak him inside under the guise as her guest, then who was he to refuse such an offer? After all, this could be his chance to speak with someone willing to do something about Xagrun's tyranny!

Well, that's it. Link has finally made it into the castle! I'm sorry if some parts at the end felt like filler. To be honest, there were so many points in the end where the chapter could've ended, but I wanted him to be at the castle first. The travelling from the village to castle is rather short with nothing interesting happening, so I couldn't just stop there and only have a one page chapter for when he arrives at the castle gates. And I couldn't merge it with the next chapter as the plot for each individual chapter wouldn't make sense then.

But yeah, that's it. I'm still in class, so I'm just going to post this now. Sorry again for sounding so short in this chapter's author's notes. Until the next update to this and any of my other stories on here!