Hello everybody! Well, I managed to get this story out within a week of the last one! Amazingly enough, I seem to be able to work a bit faster during the midterms. But yeah, I'm not going to say too much this time around. I usually use firefox to post my chapters, but the browser is having trouble reading and giving access to the site. I'm using Internet Explorer, but it keeps skipping a letter I type every now and then and makes typing correctly on here very hard. As such, this note will be short as it has already taken me fifteen minutes to type this when it usually only takes five! So let me quickly get on with the reviewer comments before leaving you alone to read which will be unusually short because of this problem.
SoulC: I wasn't thinking about that when I wrote about the Village Elder. He was meant to be and is an original character of mine. Of course, I'm happy that you were able to catch the unintended reference I made.
Skittycreamstar: Yes, wouldn't it be great if she could just go all-out on Xagrun right now. But alas, she needs to wait a bit longer and suffer more of his torturous ways. Until then, she'll have to wait for her chance.
OrangeStreakedStar: Yeah, I never overexert myself when writing. I just write what comes to mind and hope that it works. Thankfully, it tends to work most of the time. Thanks a lot for your support!
Chapter 8: The Dawn of Dark Times
An hour after the sun had risen, the wedding between Zelda and Xagrun began. Hyrule Castle had its own chapel meant for wondrous holy occasions, a building that was small in comparison yet just as grand in design. The walls were lined with colorful stain glass windows which served to give the place a happy atmosphere. Unlike the ones in the castle, these windows were merely colorful pieces of glass put together with no semblance of an image. The center of the room had a red carpet embroidered with a gold border which stretched from the entrance all the way to the altar on the other end of the building, rows of wooden benches set in an orderly fashion along either side of the carpet.
At this altar was the princess dressed in a simple yet beautiful wedding dress standing at one end with the king, dressed in his usual kingly attire, by her side. Impa was also present, although she was standing next to the entrance of the church with her arms crossed. The prince and his shadowy escort stood at the other end of the princess, both dressed as they usually were except cleaner than usual. In the case of the mysterious man, his hood was down in respect to the occasion, his black hair somewhat wild yet still presentable. He still donned his mask to keep his anonymity. The prince held in his hands a decorative sword with three jewels grafted into the hilt; an emerald, a ruby, and a sapphire, all of which shined brightly against the morning light flicking through the stained glass windows. The gems were positioned in a way so that they were surrounding Hyrule's royal crest at its center. In essence, the blade was a symbol of his accepted mergence with the Hylian Royal Family.
"You look absolutely beautiful today, Zelda," the king whispered to his daughter while adjusting her tiara. "It's such a joyful moment to be here at your own wedding! You look just like your mother when we got married."
"Thank you, father," she simply replied. She tried to sound as impassive as possible to the whole procession.
"To know that you'll be well-cared for when I'm gone does my heart good. As much as I take pride in your independence, I can't help but worry how the kingdom would take to having a princess rule young without a husband to help you along the way."
"I'm sure I would've been able to manage on my own for at least a good while," Zelda replied. She knew that her father's concerns were a mixture of both his own feelings and those implanted through the spell Xagrun cast on him. "I've yet to run into a problem I was unable to handle adequately. Surely rushing into this marriage is somewhat imprudent. I have yet to even have a hand at ruling Hyrule without your guidance yet."
"That is true. However, you are still practicing the basics of running a kingdom. As part of your practice, it would be nice to occasionally harbor the counsel of your husband. There's only so much you can do on your own. Prince Xagrun has the experience with ruling a country. Both his knowledge and resources that he will impart to us through this union will be of great benefit to you."
"…But is he truly the right man for me?" the princess asked. She was trying hard to not sound insulted at what she just heard. "Perhaps he's not the man he seems to be when he isn't before you and the royal council. As much as the keeping of a politically cordial relationship is necessary, is it worth sacrificing a comfortable private life in turn? Should my own happiness be compromised for the sake of the kingdom?"
"Of course not, my dear daughter," His Majesty assured as he placed a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Your happiness should be of utmost concern when considering a man suitable to be your husband. What good is a marriage if it's only done for political gain and fails to grant you the simple comforts of life?
"However, I do not see Prince Xagrun posing such a problem. He knows how to rule over the people to keep them from being unjust. It may be a bit brusque at times, but I'm sure that it's something that can be improved on with time. With you by his side offering your bouts of infinite wisdom, I'm sure you'll both be wonderful rulers of Hyrule. There's no need for you to be so hesitant with this union."
"…You're right, father. It was silly of me to worry." Knowing that she could not get through to the king, she gave up on trying to persuade him.
"Ah, the ceremony is about to begin!" the king noted excitedly as the priest came out from a nearby room. He was dressed in an immaculate white cloak that flowed down to his legs. Embroidered on both the sleeves and its front was the royal family crest. He approached the wooden pedestal and placed a book that was in his hands on top of it.
"May both the Princess of Hyrule and the Prince of Gerudo Valley please stand before me?" the priest instructed as he motioned for both royals to come forth. Both did as they were instructed.
"You look absolutely stunning today, my dear Princess Zelda," Xagrun whispered in her ear with a smile as the two stood beside each other. "That dress accentuates the color of your eyes. It suits you perfectly." Zelda merely stayed quiet as she silently prayed for this torture to be over with.
"Before we begin, allow me to confirm the validity of this ceremony. As Your Highness is not yet of proper age to made such a decision on your own, I must ask the king this question. Your Majesty, are you willingly relinquishing your daughter in respects to this holy union without any means of coercion against you?"
"I'm willingly allowing my daughter to participate in this marriage."
"And are you, Prince Xagrun, willingly relinquishing yourself in respects to this holy union without any means of coercion against you?"
"My will is mine alone to relinquish," the prince replied with a nod. "And it tells me that this marriage is the correct path of choice for me."
"Now that both parties have acknowledged their complacency, we shall now get on with the ceremony!" The priest then took a breath before starting with the traditional speech. "To all who have gathered here today; we're here to bear witness to a wondrous occasion. Our Princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, will join in holy matrimony with the Prince of Gerudo, Prince Xagrun. This union is not merely the joining of two kingdoms; it's also the joining of two people who are of great matter to each other. The three goddesses have no doubt given their blessings to us by simply allowing for this day to come. And it's from their blessings that…"
Please hurry, Link! Zelda thought as she paid no attention to what the priest was saying. The prince could sense her discomfort but paid it no mind. Instead, he took her hand into his and held it tightly much to her disgust. Impa, who was still next to the church's entrance, silently slipped away while everybody was busy listening to the ceremony.
-Sometime Later-
It was a couple hours after the sun had risen when Link arrived at Hyrule Castle. The trek this time around was more cumbersome since Zelda and Xagrun were getting married. The prince's men were patrolling all roads leading to the castle and questioning everybody heading in that direction. Knowing that he would be wasting time speaking with them, he took a lot of detours which ended up making his travels longer than he intended.
Now that he was at the castle, he saw that it was pretty much the same as when he arrived yesterday. The demonstrators were still at the castle gates, but the guards were more proactive in trying to stymy the people's voices. Even from his large distance from the gates, the teen could hear the shouting associated with what was taking place.
"You can't do this to us!" one of the protestors shouted. "We have a right to be voicing our anger over what Prince Zagrun did to Faron Village."
"Don't think you're all high and mighty just because you live in a kingdom that gives you a voice," one of the guards responded. As Link drew closer, he saw one of the guards restraining a struggling protestor. "It's our duty to protect our prince, and your rowdiness threatens his very safety."
"Do you really think we're idiots?" another protestor, this one a woman, countered. "We were just as loud yesterday and you merely chose to watch. Now you're all of a sudden deciding to arrest us because we're threatening your prince? Don't make me laugh!"
"You people were already threatening enough yesterday. However, Prince Xagrun has now been married to your precious Princess Zelda. During this time of holy matrimony, any acts which can be construed as threatening to this joyous occasion is grounds to arrest any suspicious groups such as this protest faction."
"Holy matrimony, my ass! We know the princess well enough, and she'd never go through with marrying that demon! Arrest me if you want, but I'm willing to bet that your prince found a way to coerce her into this. Tell me I'm wrong!"
"The only thing I'll say is that I'll throw you into the dungeon if you don't start minding your tongue!"
"Link," the blond heard someone whispered. Turning around towards a large tree he had just passed, he saw Impa standing casually under its shade. She was dressed in the same clothes she wore yesterday minus her travelling cloak.
"I'm here to help Princess Zelda!" Link bluntly replied as he approached the woman. "I know I'm a bit late, but the roads were crawling with Xagrun's men. It's like he's not going to let anything stop this marriage!"
"Yes, he's done everything within his power to keep all distractions out. I'm afraid he's succeeded in completing the ceremony. It ended about a half an hour ago, and the two are now legally prince and princess of Hyrule."
"I-I didn't take that long getting here, did I? Does this mean I'm too late to help?"
"I don't believe that all has been lost," the woman continued. "The princess told me to meet with you and direct you to the ruins that stand behind this castle. If you were to arrive once the union was completed, then she's to wait for you in those ruins. It's a revered land that's not officially a part of the castle structure, so you can freely enter as you please. Just walk around to the other side of the castle and you'll see the ruins. Now hurry; time is no longer on our side. Now that the marriage has been officiated, there's nothing standing in the prince's way from taking rule over this kingdom!"
Without waiting for another cue, Link quickly made his way to where Impa directed him to. He knew that he let Zelda down the moment he heard that the wedding was over. She was now wife to Prince Xagrun, and said man now had the power to control Hyrule's politics without running on power given to him as a visiting royal. He knew this was something she had been trying hard to avoid, and him arriving too late to at least delay the process was his fault. But if the princess was still willing to fight and had something that only he could do, then he was going to do everything he could to do it right.
After taking a path around the castle that was not guarded by either Xagrun's men or the castle guards, he came across some ruins. The stones that littered the area were the same color as those used in the castle's construction. Their placement made it look like some buildings used to stand on that very plot of land long ago. All that was left now were piles of fallen stones and the occasional pillar that was still left standing. There was a structure near the center of the ruins which looked a lot like an altar of sorts, and it was here that Princess Zelda was sitting on the steps still dressed in her wedding attire.
"Princess!" he called out while approaching her. In turn, the princess looked up and gave a small smile upon seeing him.
"…Thank you for coming, Link," she said, not bothering to get to her feet. "I'm afraid that you've arrived too late, although I admit that part of the reason is my fault. I never meant to rush your decision like I did when I sent the letter. It's just that Xagrun decided to push things faster than I thought he was capable of doing."
"What happened? I thought there would've been at least a couple of days for me to think about what to do. How was he able to move so fast?"
"I only found out a couple hours after our meeting was cut short. I got news from my father that the prince suggested we get married. He thought it would be good for me to find a husband so I could better rule the kingdom. I've no doubt that it was Xagrun who planted the idea into his head. But even under his spell, I never thought that my own father would just so easily give me away!"
"But what's the reason for this marriage?"
"The prince has always wanted to extend his power into Hyrule," Zelda explained. "That was why he kept doing everything he could to make me sign the treaty. Now that he's married to me, he has grafted himself into the royal lineage. There's no need now for me to sign my name; he can do it himself now that our marriage has been officially recognized.
"After everything I've done, I never even thought of this ever happening!" she chastised herself. "I stood my ground against everything he threw at me and did all I could to protect the people from his long-term tyranny. All he had to do was ask my father for my hand in marriage and be done with it. Some Princess of Wisdom I turned out to be!"
"It wasn't your fault, Your Highness," Link assured, not knowing what else he could do. "You did everything you could to keep the kingdom safe. The prince was already a ruthless man to begin with. Because of that, him considering to marry you came completely out of nowhere! If not now, then he would've come up with the idea later. You couldn't have done anything to stop that, especially with the castle under his spell. But now that it's happened, we need to think about what to do next. Is there any way to stop him now?"
"…I don't know. I didn't think this far into the problem. I thought the answer would come to me if I sat here, but I haven't come up with anything in the past hour."
"Just what is this place?" the teen asked as he quickly glanced over the ruins. "Why did you choose for us to meet here?"
"This spot is an important landmark with regards to The Legend of Zelda. The building that once stood here was known as the Temple of Time. According to the legend, the Hero of Time came here during his quest to defeat Ganondorf. There was something within these walls that he needed to defeat him, although the stories are not clear as to what it was. Not many are left who know the full history of this temple, and I've yet to meet one with such knowledge. Regardless, this place played a key role in the Hero's victory. I had hoped that its significance would be enough to grant me inspiration, but it hasn't worked."
"So you're saying that this place is the same mentioned in the legend? Isn't it possible that it's just a big coincidence?"
"The old scriptures held in the Royal Library show that the temple was built a couple of centuries after Hyrule was established. That was a millennia ago. Ganondorf was said to appear at a time when the kingdom was at its height in prosperity, and that happened a few hundred years ago. Although most say it's a mere coincidence, I find that this is sufficient enough to say that the legend is real. The fact that you and I have the power of the Triforce helps to further serve as proof that the legend is a part of history."
"If it's a part of history, then isn't there something recorded in the scriptures saying how the Hero was able to stand against Ganondorf?" Link suggested. "I'm sure he didn't have it easy trying to defeat him."
"All it states is the Hero appearing before us in our time of need and how everyone was caught off-guard when Hyrule was being attacked," Zelda explained. "It makes no mention of his struggles before the fall of the kingdom nor his journey to defeat the evil tyrant. There's nothing from the past that we can use to rely upon for help."
Before she could continue on with the discussion, the Triforce mark on both Link's and Zelda's hands glowed. Noticing this, the princess looked towards the path Link took to get here and saw a man some distance away approaching them.
"Xagrun's here!" she exclaimed as she quickly got to her feet. "You need to hide!"
"And let him continue having his way with you? Sorry, but I'm not going to let him keep on pushing your around."
"Link, you're not even armed!"
"I don't care!"
"But I do!" With that, Zelda waved her arms and engulfed Link in a brilliant blue light. But instead of teleporting away like he did last time, he was still beside Zelda. The only thing he noticed different was the lack of his shadow being cast by the morning sun.
"Stay quiet and he won't know you're here," she instructed as she straightened her dress. A few seconds later, the prince arrived at the ruins.
"So this is where you ran off to, my dear," Xagrun replied as he casually shouldered his sword. His other hand was behind his back as though he were hiding something. "You had me worried when I didn't find you in your room."
"What is it you want?" Zelda bluntly asked, making it clear that he was the last person she wanted to see. Link stayed where he was and silently watched the exchange.
"There's no need to be so rude. After all, we just got married. I had hoped you would be happier about my worry for you. Nevertheless, I wanted to give you a little something. I'm sure you'll understand its meaning once you see it."
Almost immediately, the prince threw his free hand out and let whatever object was in it to roll across the floor. It soon stopped next to Zelda after running over Link's feet, and both saw that it was a gold crown which held the Royal Family's insignia on the front.
"Th-this is father's…!" The princess immediately bent down to pick up the crown and examined it. Her eyes grew in horror when she spotted a small amount of blood on it. Even Link could not help letting out a gasp in surprise, but it was in perfect unison with Zelda's that his went unnoticed. "Don't tell me that you…!"
"But of course I did," Xagrun replied with a sadistic smile. "The old man never expected a thing until I had my sword upon him. It's actually quite pitiful considering how his daughter was more informed about what was happening."
"But why did you kill him?!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking as she held back the tears that threatened to spill. "He wasn't in your way because of the spell you put on him!"
"On the contrary, he was always in my way. Allow me to tell you what happened in the moments before I killed him. Perhaps then you'll understand why I did so."
-Half an Hour Ago-
"Ah, what brings you here, my son?" the King asked as he welcomed Xagrun along with two of his own soldiers into his chambers. Both were standing in the middle of the room where he was sitting prior to the sudden visit. "I had thought that you would want to spend some time with my daughter. Now that you are married, I assume that the two of you would have many things to discuss."
"Actually, I have far more important business with you," the prince replied. His two men were standing beside the doorway looking stoic as ever. "You see, there are many things which I desire. This kingdom happens to be the very focal point of everything."
"What do you mean?"
"It is true that I came here wanting to unify both Hyrule and Gerudo Valley. However, I merely wanted the strength that is associated with this kingdom. Now that I'm married to your precious daughter, I'm officially a part of the Hylian Royal Family. As such, I can dip my hands into the vast amount of power held within this country."
"Yes, you do have a right to do so," His Majesty replied as confusion shone in his eyes. "However, such power is merely reserved for wartime. I fail to see what use you would have for it now that we are in a time of peace."
"But you see, peace is when we need to exert the most power. It's in time of peace when other countries will attempt to attack. They may view such pacifist views as weakness and use it against us. As such, I want to rule this kingdom the same as I did with Gerudo Valley. The only way to ensure the safety of our people is to militarize the nation and rule over the towns with fear and martial law. By setting an example of our strength on our citizens, other nations would think twice of attacking.
"However, I'm afraid that I lack the authority to do such a thing at my current standing," Xagrun continued as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "As the prince of Hyrule, I can only do so much on both a militaristic and political level. As such, I want to expand my rule by obtaining more power."
"And how exactly do you intend to do this?"
"By surpassing you." With that, the prince drew his sword.
"How dare you?! Guards!!!!!" The King immediately looked towards the two men who were still by the doorway. They now had their weapons drawn and were approaching the desert prince. However, they merely stood behind him and made no move to do anything.
"Your precious guards can't help you. I've replaced most of them with my own, all of which are loyal to me." He then pushed the old man to the ground where he struck his head on a nearby table as he fell. His crown fell helplessly beside him as he groaned in both surprise and pain. A sword was then baring down against his chest. "It's amazing how you and the council never suspected a thing this entire time. The complacency spell I cast worked exceptionally well. It's too bad that it breaks the moment the one affected notices something that strongly goes against what they believe in. Still, it feels rather poetic that you've regained your clarity just before the moment of your death."
"P-please, you don't have to kill me!" His Majesty begged as he looked Xagrun straight in the eye. "You could simply say that I've fallen gravely ill and that you are to rule in my stead. Surely that would be a better way to usurp my power instead of murdering me!"
"I could do that, but then I run the risk of you covertly sending a message for help when I'm not looking. No, this method will ensure you won't do anything to disrupt my path to power in any way. I could easily cover up your death to public by saying you died of sudden illness and keep reasonable suspicion away from me. And since your daughter is now my wife, I can easily keep watch over her and make sure she can't call for help."
With a defeated look, His Majesty continued to stare at the prince as though he would be able to change his mind.
"You're beaten, old man. It's time for you to make your peace. But don't worry; I won't ever think of harming Zelda. After all, we are now husband and wife. I would never consider laying harm upon something that I own and use every day."
Without waiting for a response, Xagrun quickly thrust his sword down and into the King's chest. The blade pierced through his heart, and his face momentarily contorted in pain before changing into an empty expression. The prince then pulled out his sword and wiped it clean on His Majesty's clothes, causing a few drops of blood to spurt out with some landing on the crown.
-Present Time-
"And that's exactly what happened," the prince concluded. "Now that your father is gone, I automatically take the throne as king. And with it comes the authority to use all the power this kingdom has to offer. No longer do I have to play the role of the diplomatic prince. I can now rule Hyrule they it should be, through fear and martial law. Any who dare to stand in my way will face the consequences. To show that I'm serious, I'm going to go and make an example out of that backwater village I visited yesterday."
"But you can't do that!" Zelda exclaimed after having recovered somewhat from the shock of her father's death. "The kingdom will quickly mutiny against you the moment you do something to them."
"And that's why I'll use this opportunity to show everyone how I plan to incite martial law upon them. By instilling fear into their hearts and showing how I punish those who dare to rebel against me, they will think twice before doing anything. Since Faron Village is still fresh in my mind, I'll start there first."
It took everything Link had in him to keep from attacking Xagrun. He already had a hard time keeping his cool while the prince was bragging about how he killed the King. Now hearing that his hometown was in danger almost sent him over the edge. However, he knew that doing so was going to place Zelda in danger. That was the last thing he wanted to put her through after hearing of her father's murder.
"And don't think for a moment that I don't know about your secret meetings with the one who bears the Triforce of Courage," the prince added, much to the shock of both Link and Zelda. "I noticed my Triforce shining when I was nearing where you were skulking about yesterday. I know you found the third wielder of the sacred power. While I haven't seen him for myself who you were talking to, I have a feeling I know who it is. That's another reason why I want to go to Faron Village, so I can dispose of him. If you're nearby, then you best prepare yourself, farm boy." With that warning, he took his leave and began his journey to Link's village.
For a moment, Zelda stood frozen where she stood. The shock at losing her father and now having to contend with the fact that he people were going to suffer was a lot to take in. All that she had done to prevent this from happening was for nothing, and she could only sit back as Xagrun played every card in his hand without fear of being beaten. Without saying anything, she waved her arms once more and allowed Link to return to his physical form.
"… … …I'm sorry about your father," the blond replied out of both respect and concern. He was not sure how to approach the situation but felt it uncomfortable to stay silent. At the same time, he knew how it was like to lose a father.
"It's okay. He wouldn't have wanted us to mourn over his death like this. Rather, he'd have wanted me to continue on with his work and keep Hyrule peaceful. But now that Xagrun's appointed himself king, peace will become nothing more than a fairytale. If he goes through with making Faron Village into his example of martial law and punishment, then we'll never be the same again. …Oh no!" she suddenly exclaimed. "Link, who's looking after your brother right now?"
"Th-The village elder," Link replied somewhat confused. "But he's in safe hands. The Elder wouldn't let anything happen to the village!"
"Don't be so sure. You've already seen what Xagrun can do. Once he has his mind set on something, he'll do whatever he can to see it through. You must go home now and get your brother! Take him and hide in Kakariko Village. The town is half-owned by the Gorons, so it should be safe from his influence for the time being."
"But what about you? Are you just going to stay behind and let the prince control you?"
"No, he won't control me. And if he truly cares about maintaining his grip over Hyrule, then he wouldn't dare think of laying a hand on me. I'll be safer here where he can see what I'm doing. So don't worry about me; I'll be fine. I'll help you get a little bit ahead of Xagrun, but he will pass you soon after. Now hurry and go!"
With one last look of concern towards the princess, the teen found himself transported to the tree where he met Impa earlier. The front gates were still full of protestors, but there was no sign of the princess's loyal vassal. Instead of mulling over where she was or now the crowd was faring, he immediately began to run back to Faron Village. He knew that even though Zelda did help him get a head-start, the prince would no doubt pass him by at some point. After all, he had access to a carriage that would definitely move faster than his own two legs could. If he was going to make sure that his little brother was going to be alright, then he needed to get back home as quickly as possible!
Well, I hope that you liked this chapter. There was a lot going on here, so I hope things ended up sounding right. This was also the longest chapter to date minus the words in the author's notes, so that really shows how much is going on. And that's all I have to say. I'm still on Internet Explorer, and the author's notes have taken considerably longer than it should because of the problem I mentioned earlier. So with that, until the next update to this or any of my other stories on here everybody! Hopefully, Firefox will have fixed this problem by then.