Chapter 7: Zora's Domain
Ashwin awoke in a prison cell, laying on a cold, damp, stone floor. The square shaped cell was one of several in a row. It was small, bordered by thick iron bars on all four sides. The other cells were empty. Beyond the bars, was a huge open cavern. The walls of the rock had been hewn into neat smooth walls. Several columns throughout the chamber were intricately carved. One side of the hall had an elegant tiled floor, the other side appeared to be some sort of large pool.
The place was filled with bizarre creatures Ashwin had never seen before. He had heard about "Zoras", but had never seen one. Their bodies were somewhat similar in shape to a human, but had several large fins protruding from their arms, waist, back, and head. Their skin was smooth and pale white like the underside of a shark. They were similar in size to a human adult, making them taller than Ashwin. Several of the Zoras were standing throughout the floored side of the chamber, others were treading water while conversing in the pool.
Ashwin's sword and shield had been taken. He reached into his tunic to feel for the triangular shape of the Triforce. It was still with him. He glanced at the mark on his hand. Perhaps he could not be separated from it now. He wondered if others could even see it. He had not shown it to any of the Kokiri.
Two of the Zoras in the pool approached Ashwin as he awoke. From up close, he could see their pointed faces terminating at their sharp noses. They had large black beady eyes. They both held spears with large heads that had two hooks pointing back from the tip.
"What did you find when you searched him? Did you find a silver scale?" One of them spoke to the other. They looked identical.
"No, just his sword and shield, and no sign of the seeds the Kokiri are searching for," the other responded.
"Prisoner, you are under the jurisdiction of King Zora. Your life is forfeit." The Zora's upper body lifted up out of the water when he spoke to Ashwin. "The only condition under which you may be shown mercy is if you choose to reveal Ganon's plan to us."
"I don't know any Ganon!" Ashwin protested. However, the Zora were unconvinced. This exchange went back and forth, mostly in circles. Apparently, they thought he was an apprentice of an evil wizard. No doubt, this was a charge that Shadow Ashwin must be guilty of. If Ashwin didn't think of something quick, he would be the one paying for these crimes. He scanned the room looking for a way out.
On the dry side of the chamber, on the far end, he could see a group of Hylians. Several of them were armed guards. A few of the more distinguished looking ones were in robes. One stood out among all the rest, a girl, older than Ashwin, in a white dress with a pink layer over top. She had a golden, jewelled headband on her long flowing golden blonde hair. Was it a crown? She could easily pass as royalty. She was remarkably beautiful. What drew Ashwin's attention the most however, was the Triforce mark on her hand.
"Princess!" Ashwin called out to her. He had to get her attention.
One of the Zora interrogators jabbed Ashwin in the ribs with the butt of his spear, knocking him down. Ashwin got back up with some difficulty, clutching at the sharp pain in his chest.
"The Triforce!" Louder this time, Ashwin's voice sounded much more desperate. He ducked, as this time the Zora was aiming for his head. Ashwin could see the frustration in the Zora's expression as Ashwin avoided more of his strikes.
Finally, the Zora stopped his attempts to trash Ashwin, and lowered his gaze. "Don't mind this one princess, we'll take care of him."
The princess had approached the cell, two of the guards on her flanks. Ashwin, who was huddled, with his hands protecting his head, now straightened up. She was even more stunning up close, an intimidating presence. Her ensemble was full of golden details such as shoulder pads, long cuff bracelets, and intricate embroidery on her dress that included three of the golden triangles arranged with the corners touching, forming one large triangle.
Initially, the expression on her face was poised and stoic, revealing nothing. However, when Ashwin raised his hand to show the Triforce symbol, she was betrayed by the surprise on her face.
"This is the one who entered the Water Temple with Ganon?" Her strong, confident, commanding voice did not match her soft appearance.
"Yes, Princess Zelda. This Kokiri has also stolen some sacred seeds from the forest," one of the spear wielding Zora replied.
"This boy is not a Kokiri." Zelda retorted. "Look at his round ears. He is from somewhere else, impersonating a boy of the forest."
This was the first person to see right through Ashwin's guise. He had merely adopted the customs of the Kokiri so that he could fit in while in this strange new place. Now he was beginning to feel guilty for having deceived his friends. Who was this princess who could see right through him? She seemed very intuitive, with a keen intellect. Somehow, Ashwin also sensed goodness in her, a sense of justice.
"You're right, I'm not from around here. I can't go home until I finish the quest I was given by the Great Deku Tree, to find the others with the mark." Ashwin could feel the courage of the Triforce helping him speak boldly, and honestly, despite the accusations weighing heavily upon him. "I'm not the one who did all of these things. There is some kind of shadow of me doing this. I want to help you stop him." Ashwin retrieved the Triforce of Courage from his tunic and held out the golden triangle to Princess Zelda. "Here."
The crowd erupted in gasps. Even Zelda was speechless with her mouth agape. She did not reach for the Triforce. The mere seconds of silence felt like an eternity. The room was completely quiet.
"No." Zelda regained her composure. "The Triforce of Courage chose you." She raised her hands in front of her. A dazzling flash of light emanated from them. The light materialized into the shape of another Triforce. They stood there for a moment, each holding their own golden Triforce. "You will help me defeat Ganon, as well as the Shadow you speak of. Release him!"
Ashwin would later learn that the place he found himself was called "Zora's Domain," a cavernous, underwater kingdom. Zelda, being a princess of Hyrule, did not actually have the authority to order the release of a prisoner in the jurisdiction of King Zora. The Zoras must have been very reluctant to release someone powerful enough to wield a Triforce, with so much evidence stacked against him, at the request of a girl, not quite yet a woman. However, they did not hesitate to carry out the order. This was due to Zelda's reputation for being wise and astute, someone who is never fooled, as well as her commanding demeanour.
But how was she so confident that Ashwin's heart was pure? Ashwin learned that Zelda's golden triangle was the Triforce of Wisdom. Just as the Triforce of Courage endowed Ashwin with boundless bravery, daring, and determination, the Triforce of Wisdom filled Zelda with a superior sense of discernment and judgement.
At first, it seemed that Ashwin was now piecing the puzzle together, that the three with the mark were himself, Zelda, and Shadow Ashwin. However, Zelda corrected him. The third Triforce was the Triforce of Power, which belonged to Ganon, an evil wizard from the Gerudo desert. Ganon was Zelda's nemesis, who threatened the very existence of Hyrule. It was unclear what Triforce Shadow Ashwin had in his possession. The existence of a fourth Triforce went against everything that is known of the Triforce. Ashwin guessed that perhaps it was some kind of illusion, similar to how Shadow Ashwin himself was a fake. Zelda did not share this opinion. Apparently, only those with a true Triforce could pass through the door of the Water Temple.
Ganon and Shadow Ashwin were spotted entering this temple, located at the bottom of Lake Hylia. They were likely still in there. Zelda directed Ashwin to enter this temple and attempt to ascertain Ganon's plan. She cautioned him against a direct confrontation with Ganon. The Triforce of Power was the strongest of the three. Only by working together could they defeat Ganon.
As a symbol of his new connection to the Royal Family of Hyrule, Zelda gifted a Hylian shield to Ashwin. It was a large metal shield with very ornate designs including the emblem of the Royal Family, the three connected triangles of the Triforce.