Zelda had thought she'd have a rough night with everything on her mind, but Ravio's bed was soft and plush, even if it was a bit small for her liking. Ravio chose the carpet for his bedding, and Ganon slept sitting in a corner. Neither place looked comfortable, and she was relieved she got the luxury of the bed.

The princess was also the first to rise and first to think of breakfast. She cooked and the smell roused the others. It was simple – oatmeal, more fruit, milk chilled by magic – but it satisfied them.

And then it was time to go. They were always on the move, the princess realized. Or maybe it was just her. Maybe she was too scared to hold still for longer than a day – a week at most – even out of Hyrule.

Ravio sat in the front of the carriage with Ganon. Using his words and pointing, the Lorulean guided them to the castle.

It didn't look like Hyrule Castle. Not really. It had the towers, peaks, and bricks. Zelda wasn't blind. She could see that it certainly was a castle, but it didn't have the same spark and light like home – like Hyrule Castle did.

No. Lorule Castle was drenched in heavy shadow. That shadow spilled onto the carriage. Red jewels decorated the tops of stone peaks and were inlaid in marble pillars. It was gaudy, Zelda decided, and garish.

"This is it." Ravio smiled. He was proud of this ugly thing.

Zelda forced an awkward smile. "So it is."

"It's… big."

"Have you never seen a castle, King Ganondorf?" Ravio asked.

"Don't call me that," Ganon said. "And I have."

"Sir then?"

"Just Ganon."

"Ganon?"

The Gerudo king rolled his eyes. "Yes, now just call me that and stop asking so many questions."

Ravio just nodded. He was at a loss for words. "Oh, um… Okay?"

Knights in onyx armor – a sharp contrast from the white knights of Somaria – stood at the gates of the castle. Their lips were pulled tight into frowns. Some even scowled or snarled. Zelda hoped they avoided the ones actively showing their teeth like dogs.

They approached two large doors – the front gate – and stopped. Two knights exchanged a glance before one spoke. "What business has a Gerudo got here?"

Ravio leaned forward and waved at the two men. "Hey, don't worry so much. They're with me."

"Ravio, what kind of friends have you made this time?" one guard asked.

The other said, "You're always getting in trouble. Her Grace worries about you."

But their faces softened. Whoever this magic merchant was, he was more than his looks suggested. After all, it seemed the queen of Lorule cared about Ravio and his wellbeing, even if she thought him a coward. Or, at the very least, if she were some sort of an evil queen, she at least worried enough about him getting into trouble that he crossed her mind from time to time.

Then again, an evil ruler would have aligned themselves with the tyrant king, and Zelda had heard no such talk in the past several years. The queen couldn't be that bad.

The gates opened and the trio were allowed in on one condition: leave their carriage at the gates.

"It's too big, you know?" one of the knights said. "It'll ruin the queen's garden."

"Is her garden the courtyard?" Ganon joked.

They were as straight-faced and serious as their answer. "It is."

So they left their carriage and headed past the gates. They closed behind them, leaving new guards to lead the trio in. At first, they cast suspicious glances at the Hyruleans, only to have their expressions soften when their gaze fell upon Ravio. Yes, he had to be someone special for everyone to regard him this well.

Soon, they reached the throne room. A violet rug lined with silver led to two thrones. One sat in the center of the room, tall and made of ebony wood. Amethysts were inlaid into the wood. Zelda had no doubt in her mind. This was a royal's throne. And the woman sitting on the throne proved her right.

Her long, straight hair – colored a deep purple – contrasted with her piercing red eyes. Zelda was reminded briefly of the Sheikah of her homeland, who also possessed crimson eyes. But the queen lacked the pale hair and defining clothes of the Sheikah race.

Instead her skin was pale like the full moon, her hair dark as night, and her featured elegant and perfect. She was like a doll. A sullen, embittered doll. If something were to break that frown of hers, Zelda feared the woman may just shatter into a thousand pieces. There was but one detail about the royal that surprised Zelda. Her face held black oval lenses – glasses – that she peered through with a look of disapproval.

To her right was a smaller throne – more of an ornate chair than a throne, really. Yet it matched the tones of the Qeen's throne, marking the person sitting there as only slightly less important than the queen.

There was just one thing that disconcerted Zelda about the person. She couldn't tell for the life of her if they were a man or a woman. They had gentle features and unnatural silver skin coated in a woman's makeup. Those pale colors contrasted with the fire red of their dreadlocks and ice blue earrings. Their tiara definitely didn't help define their gender for Zelda.

"Ravio, it's been a while," the queen said, the faintest of smiles curving her lips upwards. "I take it you're here on business?"

"Sort of," he said. He knelt before her and looked up. His eyes and queasy smile were all for her. "These travelers wanted to speak to you."

It was only then that the queen and her cohort – who looked decidedly more like a jester than anything – turned their attention to their fellow royals. Zelda and Ganondorf hardly looked the part, dressed so casually. But at least some sign of recognition showed in the queen's eyes.

"You must be Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo." Her crimson gaze flicked to Zelda. No recognition at all there. "And you are?"

Ganondorf gave only a slight bow. "I am, and this is Sh-"

"Princess Zelda, heir to the throne of Hyrule." She curtsied as best as she could in her pants. It came out looking halfway between a bow and a curtsy. Close enough. "It's is an honor to finally make your acquaintance."

The queen's mouth fell open in shock. "But the princess is dead."

"That's what I want them to think."

Ganon straightened himself, put an arm around Zelda's shoulders, and pulled the princess to his side. "As the holder of the Triforce of Power, I am certain that this is indeed Princess Zelda."

The queen looked lost in thought for several long moments, before looking to Ravio. "This must be about the dream you had," she said. "No. I guess I must recognize it as a vision now."

Ravio nodded. "Your Grace-"

"Please, call me Hilda."

"Hilda," he corrected himself. "I will have to take my business to other places in this kingdom until Hyrule has returned to its peaceful state. Will you and the king be well without me?"

Hilda's gaze softened, her brows drawing up in a look almost resembling pain. "Do not worry. Yuga will be here for me."

Yuga – that must have been the king's name – stood and took a step closer to his wife. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and stared at Ravio with a look Zelda could best describe as amusement.

"Yes, I will be. As I always have been." He gave a soft laugh and smiled. It as less amusement as perhaps it was pity. "You finally get to be the hero you always wanted to be."

"I do," Ravio agreed.

"You got that big push Hilda spoke of."

"Looks like it."

Silence fell between the Lorulean trio. Ganon and Zelda exchanged a glance but ultimately decided to give them their peace. Something deep was going on here. There were relations that Zelda and Ganon couldn't possibly know of. Maybe in another life that could have been Zelda, Ganon, and the tyrant uncorrupted.

But that was not this life. Hyrule was in chaos. It still needed Zelda's help.

"Your highness," Zelda interrupted.

Hilda pursed her lips. "Yes?"

"I will take good care of your friend. Though I must ask a favor of you."

"Go on."

"When we've returned, make it known that Ravio truly is a magic vendor and his customers should only be people who can use magic."

Hilda's mouth fell open for a moment. Then she shut it. Her gaze softened as tears sparkled in the corners of her eyes. "It would be my pleasure."