"So we are completely unable to reach Zelda, Link, and any of their Zora hosts, is that exactly what you are telling me? You have no other information?"

"Correct, Madam. Impa instructed the castle guard relaymen to continue to attempt contact as we speak."

"Where is Impa now? Why did she send you?"

"She said you would understand that she would have a job to do."

Her Highness Queen Estia startled at the message. Impa's words were always measured and informative. And that's what struck her instantly- it was not something Impa would ever say in her exacting manner of speech. The simple sentence that Queen Estia herself had set in place as a secret security measure, years ago when her son had abandoned their home to join Agahnim and Ganon's forces, had just been repeated back to her.

"She would have a job to do."

It meant that Impa, her Master of Arms and Protector General of the Royal Family, expected an immediate siege of Hyrule Castle.

Queen Estia dismissed her trusted guard gracefully and with a courteous smile, so as not to arouse concern. Now alone in the imposing hall, she thought instantly back to the battle plan they had formulated, drilled, and readied for, were such an attack ever to happen. Impa would have the bulk of the responsibilities, but Estia herself had things she must accomplish for the safety of Castle Town. Not having Genison, her head of the guard, was a sore spot to be in, but it did not mean they could not defend themselves. Impa was their general and Master of Arms for a reason.

Queen Estia grabbed the simple titanium band from off her head, the circlet that symbolized her authority as the Queen of the Hylians, and tossed it into one of the trash cans that stood outside the entrance of the Great Hall. The first step was done, she thought to herself: "No longer be an obvious target".

Estia pulled her long dark hair out of the tight bun she always kept it in and let it flow freely behind her. She took off small pieces of her clothing; first her scarf, then her suit jacket, then her watch, and set them randomly on shelves and in closets as she passed as if someone had merely forgotten these accessories. It made her appear more plain, of course, but it also distributed her scent out from her current location. There was always a possibility that dogs could be used to find her.

Estia chided herself for not carrying her cell phone as she walked a brisk pace through the outer hallways of the castle's lower level. She grimaced more than once at the thought that she had become complacent and dependent on others to be the backbone of the castle's security protocol. It occurred to her that people under her care could die, even if just one, because she had not taken enough precautions. She did not tell her husband, King Daphnes, nor the Princess Zelda, nor even her best friend Impa, that she already counted one dead because of something she felt she might have been able to prevent: her son Vaulhanes. She blamed herself, sometimes, for not doing more to calm him from wanting to join Ganon in desperation. She knew her oldest child had been born without the Triforce on his hand, for reasons that were unknown to her, and that alone was her only solace that maybe the Goddesses did not blame her, that this had always been their intention.

It was time for her to set aside the luxury of melancholy, however, and to exclusively act. She would not be able to meet up with her husband Daphnes, who would also be altering his kingly presence and swiftly exiting his known castle haunts. Impa had instructed that the two monarchs must remain separate in case something should happen to the other. It made sense, of course, but without a cell phone she had no way to contact her beloved husband to know if he was safe.

Estia made mental notes of how many guards she could see pass through the main hall as she traveled the side hallway. She also glanced at their armor, weaponry, and the battalion colors they displayed. She had seen these drills countless times, and knew what to expect. Still, she felt uneasy, as a guard wearing the correct colors, carrying the correct weaponry headed her way. She paused her brisk stride, trying to consider if this was another messenger, but within an instant she had her answer.

"Your Highness, I am unable to find Impa," the guard nearly yelled, but was still calm and polite, as he came within 3 meters of Estia. Estia threw up her arm quickly, pulled her hand into a tight fist and waved it roundly toward the guard, who collapsed instantly with a long moan. Within another second she was at his side, grabbing his weapons from their scabbards and sheaths with one hand as she set her other hand on his chest. His strength drained quickly, and he was nearly faint as she began to drag him quickly across the waxed marble floor toward a nearby supply closet. The lock clicked and the doorknob turned swiftly under the power of Estia's heavily-trained magic, and she haphazardly rolled the guard into the dimmed room. As she began to close the door, the man pulled up enough of his remaining strength to speak.

"Ugh, Hylians… How did you know?" he grumbled weakly.

Estia giggled like a schoolgirl sharing a secret. "You have beautiful amber eyes, my dear, glowing like the last rays of sunset fighting against the darkness at twilight. Is your wife Gerudo?"

"Godda-... Yes, Ma'am, and I wish I could have honored her more today," he replied meekly.

"Gerudo women's fondness for the same rare amber eyes they carry is widely known," Estia tucked his leg further into the closet as the man groaned. "You're still Hyrulian. You did your best, but let this be where you understand to stop." She closed the door before he could respond again, and she turned away, swiftly renewing her steps down the long hall.

Estia did not mention to the guard that there were two pieces of information that led her to know that he was not actually a true Hyrule Castle Guard. Impa had made a rule that once the messenger guard had relayed Impa's final report to the Queen, no other guard could directly speak to the Queen to avoid letting outsiders know who she was. Estia was supposed to be unrecognizable to most people and the guards would have known to ignore her. Estia considered what this meant; just minutes into learning about a possible siege, Estia had already faced an interloper. She suddenly felt real fear… how many intruders had already infiltrated Hyrule Castle?

Estia stopped her stride. After thinking for a second, she turned around and sprinted back to the closet where she had stashed the heavily weakened false guard. She undid the lock and whipped open the door. She knew the risk she was taking, with her personal safety especially, and she did not know how much magic training, if any, the man would have had. Still, she felt a terribly overwhelming urge to try harder.

The guard lay unconscious in a heap on the floor, and she carefully searched his pockets. He did not move and his breathing remained even, and she felt more-or-less confident that her magic had subdued him. She found nothing at all in his pockets, but her intuition told her to keep looking. Frustrated in her search, Estia paused and calmly considered what she herself would have ordered. I would have ordered soldiers to carry at least one communication device, but not in a pocket, she thought.

Gingerly patting down the man's body, and with some amount of embarrassment, Estia finally found it: a small burner cell phone hidden in a slip of fabric on the inside of his left arm sleeve. In a patdown it likely would have been missed. Estia dropped the phone into her own shirt pocket and leaned forward to stand up. But as her hand remained on the man's leg she felt a simple, short electronic click that she recognized immediately. The cell phone was probably a red herring; he was also carrying a small walkie-talkie. That meant that he was likely communicating with someone nearby.

Estia resumed her body search and found a tiny field communicator in a hidden pocket on the man's abdomen. She felt the tug of a wire, and traced it back through his uniform jacket, up to his ear. She rolled the man heavily to his side and carefully pulled out the wire. After stashing the items within her pants pocket, she considered one final act. Steeling her resolve, she set her hand upon the man's chest, and restored a small amount of his strength. The man groaned slightly, and suddenly his eyes shot open. He tried to sit up but he found his limbs felt unmoveable. Estia was using multiple types of magic to restrain him, just in case.

"Your Highness, I…why are you back here? I don't…" the guard seemed genuinely confused, and his face tightened. "Ma'am, I have nothing to say," he said stoically. Estia smiled.

"You do not have to say anything that you don't want to," Estia spoke as though she was questioning a child who'd taken too many cookies, not a soldier sent to infiltrate her home. "I have questions, but I will not torture you. You are still one of my people, and I know why the Gerudo are doing this. It is the Gerudo behind this, yes?" she asked politely. The man nodded, his eyes looking down in regret. Her magic could show her whether she was being deceived and she certainly felt that there was no ruse.

Estia paused, and considered the historical education and training that Impa, a former Gerudo General herself, drilled into her for years as she continued her inquiry. "There are about a thousand Gerudo warriors fairly well-trained near Las Vegas?"

The man seemed stunned that she would know that, but he signaled positively just the same. "And, a few dozen younger Gerudo warriors stationed at outposts outside of each of the other tribes' locations?" The man's eyes grew wide, and he nodded again. Estia took a second to calculate some things before she spoke again. "And, there are only about a dozen Gerudo warriors here, but they are very well-trained and experienced, leading about a hundred non-Gerudo civilian soldiers to basically round up the normal people of Castle Town, being that only one of our three greatest warriors is here to mount any defense…"

The would-be guard shook his head and smirked. Looking Estia in the eye, he acknowledged her extremely spot-on guess with an astonished and enthusiastic point of his finger in her direction.

"And I am to expect that my life, my husband's life, and General Impa's life, are in danger, yes?" Estia asked calmly. The man's face fell somewhat, and his nod of admission seemed almost apologetic.

"Is there any chance that the people of Castle Town could be hurt or injured?"

The man seemed as though he wanted to speak, but he shut his mouth tightly, almost instantly. He suddenly carried a confused look on his face, and Estia raised an eyebrow in understanding.

"You have been instilled with a spell that does not allow you to speak information. That's why I am asking you yes or no questions you can answer without speaking. I expected this," Estia remarked. "So are the lives of the regular people of Castle Town in danger, if they cooperate?"

The man sighed, and shook his head "no".

Estia inhaled a deep breath, and began her questions again. "Are the lives of the regular people of Castle Town in danger, if they do not cooperate?"

The man grimaced, and shrugged his shoulders. Estia understood. "You aren't supposed to kill them, but you may hurt them if they cause trouble. Are you being ordered to kill if you deem necessary?"

The man nodded gravely. Estia sat up straighter. "This just took a terrible turn. You understand that I should kill you, yes? You are enabling my people to be hurt or killed. But I refuse. You are one of my people. Should you break my spell and regain your strength, leave this place and remember that the people here are just living their lives, like you." Estia returned her palm to the man's chest, and drained his remaining strength.

The fake guard's head began to roll back, but he pulled himself up clumsily and met Estia's eyes one final time. The man nodded solemnly, then he slumped unconsciously against the floor.

Estia stood and left the closet, locking the door behind her. She startled as she heard a most familiar and comforting voice:

"Is that my lovely wife in a closet with a younger man? Or is that our warrior Queen subduing a rogue soldier? Oh my, it's both!"

Estia turned and threw her arms around her husband, King Daphnes, as a wave of relief washed over her.

"Daphnes, you shouldn't be here," Estia sighed, "I'm so glad you are okay but if we are found together they will kill us together. This guard," she waved at the closet, "has told me that they do mean to kill us."

Daphnes chuckled at Estia's words, as he passed a glance at the closet. "Good luck with that. I think you could take on an army yourself!" Daphnes set his hand around his wife's hand, and they began to walk briskly down the same hall together that Estia had been traveling alone. "My dear, the moon may seem to avoid the sun but the day asks them both to shine. I know Impa means to protect us but we cannot hide. Even if all we will be is bait handed over to the Gerudo to save our people's lives, so be it. Our people's future is in Zelda's, Link's and Impa's hands, but we must do what we can to help."

Estia smiled. "Daphnes… you are correct. I'm so glad you found me. I didn't want to be apart from you during this."

"Estia, my dear, of course I would have found the sun in my sky."