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Chapter 23: Spies
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The sunlit glow peeked through the crevice of the curtains and basked into a portion of Zelda's room. It was still cold outside, fogging the windows and the glass doors of her balcony. This morning however, the princess had woken with a most delightful warmth. In their nestle, toned arms encircled her, as the two blissfully drew close.
No matter how much or little their positions shifted throughout the night, Volga would sometimes reach out to hug her in their sleep before he even knew why. Never persistently, rather, he was quite attuned to her body language and adaptive in a manner that wasn't conditional, and more so tentative and considerate if she needed distance. Yet Zelda found herself scooting to him before she was even really awake, toward familiar innate heat and sturdy physique that held and guarded her. She didn't feel vulnerable however… she felt safe, and her resolve strengthened. In this moment, all was serene. And given by the relaxed, rise and fall of his chest under her tracing fingers - it was apparent he too was experiencing a restful harmony together.
"Is this a dream?" Volga mumbled, unwilling to wake yet if it was.
"Better than a dream," Zelda gave a sleepy hum, her eyes still closed.
As last night began to come back to them, a tap on the door eventually disrupted the peace, bringing a formation of rigid muscles.
"Your Highness? Your breakfast is ready."
To their relief, it was only the maid. Yawning, Zelda tilted her head up a little to nuzzle into his neck. "Thank… you. I'll get out of the sheets in a bit. There's a dragon in my bed."
"What?!"
It took an instant for her to realize what she had said, and when she did, her eyes shot open. Volga too appeared to be torn between disbelief and entertainment. "I mean," said Zelda quickly, trying to stifle her laugh. "I'll drag on the sheets from my bed in a bit!"
"Oh. I'm not sure I follow… but very well," the maid's voice from behind the door sounded uncertain. "I'll just leave this on the tabletop here in the corridor."
When her footsteps had faded away, muffled guffaws escaped them, sharing the struggle in keeping their sounds quieter. Zelda saved them the trouble of having one less worry by placing a sound ward around the room's walls for the morning. Since she felt rejuvenated, a single spell wasn't as fatiguing compared to the multiple ones she had restlessly placed all over the castle yesterday.
"I can't believe I said that!" she still found herself half-whispering. "But. Is it strange to admit that a part of me doesn't mind? Sleeping and waking together feels so right with you."
"With you, everything feels natural. I wouldn't mind getting used to this," he said wistfully, raking his fingers through her hair. "I would… love to, actually."
Regardless of how open they had become with each other, it was like another piece of his own barrier caved down before her, and she acknowledged that this was something they had both been wanting for a long time now, and more. Zelda wanted to express to him how mutual this was.
"If," she said, a tinge of pink rushing to her cheeks. "If you're not on duty for the night, you could sleep over on your free days. Or whenever you'd like!" she added quickly. "I know it would mean having to be more cautious sneaking in and out. But I could help scout the balcony for you and - mhm -"
Warm lips met hers, and the somersaults plummeted again. "You're unfairly cute, you know that, Princess?" he muttered. "And teasingly sexy. You surprise me in the best ways. I would look forward to sleeping with you, whenever we have the chance. As well as our sensual journey, when you're feeling the mood." he hiked up her gown slightly, stroking her thigh, which had brushed pleasantly over his own.
"Now look who is teasing who," she said breathlessly.
There was another rap at her door, and Zelda had no choice but to cast away the sound ward for a minute. "Yes?" she said irritably to whoever was outside. Couldn't her privacy in the mornings be more lenient sometimes? Volga smirked at her reaction and she huffed.
"Zelda, hurry up and eat your breakfast," Impa's voice said impatiently. "Sword training at dawn, then rehearsal for the Capital Tournament's ceremony. We're not far off from the event. Your attire will be the goddess gown, and it takes forever for you to dress up so get moving."
"I'm coming. I have something important to tell you but give me a few minutes," Zelda responded, and briefly muted her room with the ward once more.
"I should get going so I don't get us in trouble, and so you can focus on your tasks," said Volga, sitting up and retrieving his shirt and cloak. For some reason he couldn't find the clasp of the cloak anywhere, but there wouldn't be much time to search for it now.
Zelda felt the cold air when he left her arms and bit her lower lip. She got up, and walked with him to the balcony. "Volga," she said mindfully. "When we laid together last night, and you were about to fall asleep, you had gotten up to check the balcony. I was worried that your hand pain came back. Maybe you were going to get medicine for it, but instead, you came back to bed. Which I'm glad! Still, did you need me to request more pain relieving concoctions for you? I can also alleviate some of the swelling," her hand rested on his arm.
"I would like that," he answered, greeted with the soothing light and touch from her hand, working down his arm to his fingertips. The interaction began to mend the soreness that had been vaguely trying to come back with every hour that the medicine was wearing off. The injury was so persistent that no magic nor potion could instantly heal it, but instead healed over time and reduced the aches considerably. He still couldn't curl his fingers properly on that hand without sharp discomfort however. Every now and then he would practice flexing them to start bringing back coordination. Also because he wanted to be better prepared for the tournament.
Volga had to remember for a second, to what could have compelled him to momentarily step away prior to his wonderful sleep session last night. "Ah, I did get up once," he confirmed. "I checked the balcony to make sure I could detect the guard for the late night shift, carefully of course. Since I offered to patrol before he arrived, I wanted to be certain you and your courtyard were being taken care of for the rest of the night. Especially after that potential nightmare vision you had. Didn't want to risk me falling asleep yet. But the soldier was there, so I came back to join you. Though… I'm technically still sort of guarding you being in here. That and I'm not going to let armored foes land down upon you out of any portal in your ceiling," he promised, both jokingly and seriously.
"Weren't you off last night?" Zelda gently buttoned up his shirt, taking a playful responsibility for removing it earlier in the first place. "I thought my father gave you and Impa some free time to recover."
Volga watched her diligent fingers. "He did. But there's been discrepancies with the schedules." With that, he proceeded to tell her about the overworked soldier from yesterday.
"That is certainly unusual," Zelda frowned. "I will have to address this to Impa, along with the details of what I had seen in that eerie place and the portal. Furthermore, I'm going to see to it that this poor soldier gets a solid time away to rest and have quality provisions. Thank you for taking over for him, Volga. I know you needed your off duty time, especially after what happened in the Valley of Seers."
The Dragon Knight nodded. "I will have plenty of time off in these upcoming weeks, and it was no trouble. Besides," he lifted her chin with his good hand. "I don't need to be on duty to want to protect you."
She knew, not just because he was a true knight through and through, but because - he was her lover. The one she wanted to share a lifetime with.
And as they bid each other an affectionate farewell, both looking forward to sleeping together again soon, Zelda could already tell. Surveying the courtyard for him to make sure it was clear - she could see that they were taking greater risks to be with each other now. Their convenient willow tree outside would only cover them for so long.
I want us to be officially established, she thought with certainty. More than want, I intend to do something about this. I'm going to see what Volga, Martel, and Eveline think about what I have in mind, then prepare. There has to be something I can do, no matter how impossible it seems. I must try.
They didn't congregate at the Hammer and Needle workshop this time, since the last incident with Torkil skulking around. In fact, they didn't even meet up at any part of the castle, and instead, at a school that had been under construction. With the growing population in Hyrule, Zelda wanted to make sure more schools were being built across their land and that the funds were provided for the professors and supplies so that more children would receive their education, respectively.
"This desk might need to be smoothed down around the edges," Volga critiqued, showing them the splinters on the rim of the furniture in progress. "The sharp edges might graze their little hands."
Zelda inspected the desk, and added notes on her clipboard, both for herself to follow up on, as well as for the woodworking crafters and construction workers.
"I could probably fix this up pretty good," Martel patted the table. "If they need any last minute touch ups here."
The blonde was content with the idea. "That would be fantastic, Martel. You seem just as handy with woodworking as you are with smithing."
"I'm not half bad with crafting out of wood, but ore is my specialty," he said modestly. "I figured I might as well shake off some rustiness though, especially cause I would like to craft a cradle for our baby someday."
Eveline linked arms with her husband cheerfully. "Someday very soon! As soon as I start seeing a belly."
"You'll have to show me how to craft that sometime, Martel," said Volga curiously. "I've learned how to shape a few home furnishings, but several of those I had Goron assistance."
"I got you, buddy," the smith grinned. "Till it's your turn to have kiddos, hm?"
The flush on Volga and Zelda's faces could have been spotted from halfway across the construction of the school. "Speaking of that," Eveline's voice turned more hushed, even though the four of them had adequate privacy in the empty area. The workers were at home with their families today. "You mentioned there was something about you two that you wanted to bring up with us?"
"Yes," said Zelda quietly. She caught Volga's eye, who was just as intrigued as they were. "I," she paused. This was harder to say than she thought, without the concept sounding completely crazy. She knew it would sound as such, no matter how she worded it. "I'm not sure I will be able to convey this to you guys in a way that's rational, so bear with me."
"It's alright," Volga reached for her hand. "I can tell it's important to you."
She allowed herself to take in his encouragement, and respired deeply. "I was thinking of telling my father and Impa. About us."
As she expected, they all stared at her in silent surprise. "To be honest," she carried on. "I want more people to know too. Because I want our relationship to be recognized and accepted. Which I know is a lot to hope for and comes with its own plethora of complications. But I think starting out with my father and Impa could help. I trust them, and while I'm very unsure of how they'll react, I want to believe they would want to contribute in finding a promising way for us."
"Oh Zelda dear," said the tailor, in a mixture between pride, concern, and a hint of pity. "That care taker keeps trying to convince your father to become more pushy about you marrying Zeran. I know she cares for you, but her lack of trust in both Volga and romance in general - clouds her judgment. In her mind, what's best for you is an honorable royal with one of the most useful resources to offer."
Martel cut in. "Honorable," he said sarcastically. "Yet Zeran comes with this talk about having his consort mermaid-"
"Sea elf," Eveline corrected under her breath.
"You know what I mean," Martel waved a hand. "He wants to be with her, which, we're still not fully sure he's bluffing. And he expects the princess to marry him while having his way with who he pleases. All because he would be able to take advantage of Zelda's and Volga's efforts to stay together. That doesn't sound honorable to me. It's manipulative."
Eveline twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. "It is. And to be fair, Impa doesn't know this about him yet. Were you planning on telling her and your father about that too? About his proposal?" she turned to Zelda.
"Possibly," Zelda said warily. "It depends on how the confrontation goes. I want them to focus on Volga, not Zeran's offer."
Volga listened to them, and echoed Zelda's earlier statement. "So you're saying," he said, still awestruck. "That you want to actually tell your father and Impa about us? What about… your royal line?"
Royal line would likely mean Zeran as a last resort, he thought, regretting he had asked that last question. Thankfully she didn't answer that.
"I do," she told Volga promptly. "I really want to take this next step. But I wanted to see what you all thought too."
The Dragon Knight studied their friends to see if they had anything else they wanted to add before he would speak his thoughts. Their feedback sometimes would coincide with what came to his mind.
"Well I think we've said enough about Impa and Zeran," Eveline remarked. "But what about your father? How do you think he would handle this confession?"
"I don't know," Zelda admitted. "It makes me anxious to think about telling him, but it needs to be done. I have hope that he could at least offer us some guidance."
Martel scrutinized the chalk board at the back of the vacant classroom. "If it's any consolation," he grunted. "I don't see him doing anything as drastic as banishing Volga. The old man would go through a deal of stress I'm sure, but I would assume it would be moreso from the pressure of the foreign royals."
"Indubitably," Eveline scowled. "I would tell him after the tournament is over, to not overwhelm him with everything that's going on. But that's just me."
As much as Zelda wanted to get all of this out of the way, this was a reasonable assessment. She didn't want to throw everything on him at once.
"I can tell him," Volga blurted out. "After the tournament. I mean, I know you'll speak to him about it too, but I can start off, if you're fine with that. It would also give you more time to prepare for him."
It was Zelda's turn to be surprised, but at the same time, she knew Volga to have his bold intervals. "You… would tell my father about us?"
Volga bowed his head slightly. "I would, Princess. I think it's only fitting that I'd present myself to him as a suitor interested in his daughter, especially with how close we've become at this point. I would have done this sooner if it weren't for the necessity to respectfully hide your status or wait until a suitable time for you."
"It's suitable!" Zelda's voice vibrated with a sort of exuberance that seemed to be dancing giddily in her chest. Volga would make her first time ever being so keen at a genuine courtship. Her suitor was very much suitable, and the pun wasn't even intentional.
Eveline beamed at them. "You two are so adorable. I think this is an absolutely unprecedented move, but deep in, I can see this is something you really want. Even if it completely flops, you'll know you've tried - just make sure you have a back up plan. Bless your hearts, I truly hope this works out. Despite the restricted routes you have, it's like you're creating your own unique path together."
They were, and in a sense, coming to these decisions now was progression. Yes, it was a both hopeful and terrifying prospect, but it was what they needed to keep moving forward in the way that was most instinctive for them.
"Who is down for a round of cards later this evening?" Martel rose a fist in the air. "I could use another streak count."
Volga joined in, his mood further brightened from the direction everything was going today. "I will end this streak, and surpass that win rate."
"Not if I don't beat you both to it!" Eveline challenged. "Princess, you'll have to show these buffoons too!"
"You already know," said Zelda slyly. "Hopefully I can finish my rehearsal ceremony before you all start."
"We'll wait, dear."
An abrupt noise rang from the school's partially completed hallway, resounding off the walls. It was a shrill, high pitched cry of endless terror.
"Is that someone screaming?" Zelda drew out her rapier, and Volga did likewise with his spear. The two hurried over to the origin of the sound, with a nervous Eveline and Martel behind them.
The Dragon Knight lit up the shadows of the hallway with a flaming hand and directed them to where the presence was growing closer. "It sounds like a child," he said in alarm.
They found that he was correct. Where this part of the corridor reached a dead end, was a little girl curled up in the corner, completely terror-stricken. There was a wolf plushie on the floor not far from her. It was very likely she had dropped the toy and was too scared to retrieve it.
"Please don't hurt me!" she bawled, her hands covering her face as if she could not stomach to glimpse around her.
Zelda shared concerned expressions with them, and slowly lowered herself to her knees. "We're not going to hurt you," she said softly. "Will you tell us what's wrong?"
The little girl stopped crying when she heard her, and peered an eye from her skinny arms. "Oh," she sniffled. "You're not those creepy men."
Martel held up his hands in the air. "I hope not!" he affirmed with his wife, but Eveline was attentive to the child.
"Here, you can have this back," Volga picked up her plushie with care and handed it to her, trying not to make any sudden movements to not startle her more than she was already.
She hung back at first, before taking a few steps toward them to take her wolf plushie by the paw, clinging to it tightly once she did. With both of her arms lowered, she took them in properly now, and a small gasp escaped her when she realized who Volga and Zelda were. "You're the dragon and the princess!"
They offered her a comforting nod, and the little girl notably calmed down. Her young face could actually be seen amidst the red locks that bounced in every direction. "My friends say you're both like super warrior heroes!"
"I haven't heard that one yet," Volga mused, as Zelda stood back up. "But if that's what you think, would you feel alright telling us about these creepy men you encountered? If they're bad guys, we need to keep an eye out for them."
"Did they hurt you?" Zelda asked worriedly.
The child squeezed her plushie tighter. "They didn't hurt me but… that's because I escaped. I think they didn't like or expect that I had seen them, even though I found them by accident! One of them said something about grabbing me, and that's when I started running and screaming while they chased me."
"Clearly up to no good, if they were that paranoid about a little girl spotting them," Martel shook his head.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Zelda's fingers clenched. "Was that the first time you had seen them or do they live near this area?"
"And how many of them were there?" Eveline supplied.
Volga was searching around as he heard her story, troubled by this occurrence. His hearing was exceedingly sharp; he would have heard the thunks of multiple footsteps chasing this little girl, or their voices, scent… he would have detected something.
"I don't think I've ever seen them before no," the girl tried to recall. "They were hooded though so I was only able to see one of their faces, the one who said to grab me." She shuddered. "He was very pale, and maybe black or dark brown hair. I got a peek of what might have been the symbol of a bull's head on the side of his neck, with horns that looked like icicles."
She inclined her head to Eveline. "And I don't know how many there were. At least two for sure. Once I started running, I didn't look back. Not until I heard other people, I think those were you. They had suddenly stopped chasing and when I very quickly looked, they. They… turned into flies and disappeared."
"Turned into flies?" Eveline repeated blankly. No one was ready for that outlandish reaccount.
"You gotta believe me!" the girl protested. "I know what I saw, and I'm very sure they did that because they heard you all coming. They didn't want to get caught."
Volga was not going to take his chances.. he would come back to investigate. If these humans supposedly morphed into some bug, their clothes would have been left behind somewhere, unless they somehow covered that up too, or had specialized enchantments like he did between transformations. Either way, he would make sure, and see if there was anything else he could find. But first things first. They had to get this girl home.
"Where are your parents?" Zelda spoke his mind. "Do you live far from here?"
The red head wiped at her eyes. "I don't think my parents will be too happy with me when they find out I wandered here on my own. We don't live far b-but. What if those scary guys show up again around the corner?"
Volga straightened his shoulders and felt the protective heat course through his veins like rivers of angry lava. What were these humans going to do to this little girl? "We won't let them harm you," he vowed in a growl.
Zelda could feel her own light radiating inside her like a sun ready to burn everything malicious roaming in this world. She didn't know if this was being enhanced by her Triforce or her own ability, but that didn't matter right now. This was a place she strove to make safe for children, and that's exactly what she would do. One step at a time into helping as many people as she could.
"We're going to escort you home and make sure you and your family will be safe," the princess promised, offering the child her hand. Volga did the same, moving his weapon to his other hand, with a very calculated grip that would have been worse if Zelda had not tended to him earlier.
Feeling much more at ease, the little girl took Volga's good hand and Zelda's. They walked the child between them, like parents would a daughter. "I feel safe now," she whispered to them, appreciating how it was as if they were shielding either side of her. "Sorry about having to hang on to Sol too."
"Sol?"
Eveline and Martel were following behind, sharing chuckles or serious chatter with one another.
"My wolf plushie," she pointed out to the fuzzy toy dangling between one of their held hands. "There was a rip on his ear when I ran, and now he's in ouchies."
The tailor heard her, and replied. "A rip? Darling I can patch that up for you in no time. My sewing kit is back in the carriage we came in, and if you'd like I can go ahead and get started on our way to your town."
"Lady Eveline can stitch anything!" Zelda boasted.
"Yes, please Lady Eva-Leen!"
When they had left the school grounds and made it to the stagecoach, the driver rushed to open the door for them. They thanked and stepped inside. Volga came to a stop at the door.
"I'm going to fly above your carriage so I can have a wider vantage point," he said decisively. "Going to make sure no one is following any of you and that you're all secure reaching town. In case something comes up, I will be ready to fight in either form."
"And I will be ready to fight with you," Zelda confirmed.
Thus, they were set in motion. The red dragon circled over them as the carriage wheeled forth, powered by the horses and the experienced driver. Inside, Martel had managed to take a brief nap, while Eveline held the plushie on her lap, working on stitching the rip along the wolf's fluffy ear. Her sewing kit occasionally shook when they hit bumps, so Zelda held it still for her so the materials wouldn't tumble away.
The child sat close to the princess, leaning slightly against her arm while they watched the tailor sew. Every now and then, they would glance out the window, watching the rolling hills and pine trees pass by.
"Do you wander out of your home often?" Zelda inquired.
"Sometimes," said the girl. "I really just wanted to see how the school was coming along cause I'm excited to have one so close to our little town. My parents were able to afford the books and everything, can't wait to start on them!"
"Not every child is eager to go school, but it's good that you want to learn," Eveline pulled the thread through and continued with the loop. "Still, it's dangerous to be out on your own like that."
The girl's shoulders slumped and she looked down at the ground like she was being scolded. "I know," she said in defeat. "I was just curious and wanted to explore."
"I used to be a bit like you," said Zelda, steadying a ball of yarn from rolling over when the carriage hit another bump. "Sneaking off on my own, wanting to learn more of the world, and going on adventures. Which I still do, actually, but I've grown. As a child, I was more prone to get in trouble. Father and Impa grounded me all the time."
Astonished, the girl blinked up at Zelda. "Whoa. Really, Princess? I always thought princesses would stay in the castle all the time when they were my age, and have tea parties with their dolls. So when you went out, where'd you go? Tell me more! Please?"
And so, Zelda did. She shared her stories, and occasionally, reminded her of the moral in them so as to not entice her into willingly plunging herself into danger. As fascinated as the child was by what she heard, it seemed she wasn't going to venture off again like that anytime soon. Meanwhile, Eveline had been finishing up the plushie when they entered and traversed through the small town. Volga changed back, and regrouped with them.
The trip was successful, with nothing out of the ordinary along the way. When they had asked the carriage driver if he had seen anything off while they had been at the school earlier, there was no report. They had also asked several townspeople if they had noticed any suspicious individuals lately, but no one had given any leads. The little girl's parents, after graciously offering them lunch for returning their daughter back to them - they too, had been unaware of these strange men that could supposedly turn into insects. Understandably, the parents were skeptical of this part.
By the time they parted ways, and Eveline rode in the carriage back to the castle with her husband - Zelda and Volga of course, flew the way they came from to delve into the school again. The princess was going to be late for her rehearsal, but this was more important right now. They found the classroom they had all been in prior to the girl's scream, and began to retrace their steps to where they had originally found her. Not only did they have their weapons out, but Zelda had slung her leather rucksack over her shoulder in case they needed anything, or to stow for evidence.
"It's like they removed their tracks and scent entirely," Volga trailed the ground. "The girl, I was able to use my senses to find with no problem. But them? Nothing. It's as if they disappeared without a trace."
"Maybe they knew of a way to disguise themselves from being detected by senses as easily," Zelda surmised. "The girl made it seem like they weren't expecting to be spotted when she caught them by accident."
"Perhaps. But what were they even doing in the first place?"
"Volga, look," Zelda breathed, indicating at the multiple pairs of dark robes bunched under a cabinet in the hall. This section of the corridor was very close to where they had ultimately found the child at the corner with a dead end.
Again, there was no smell or anything distinct on the wool robes - except one detail. Volga narrowed his eyes and Zelda had to make sure she was seeing this correctly. For there, on the robes and the hoods, were sticky remnants of gadfly wings.
The King of Hyrule, Impa, the royal warden, their alchemists, Prince Zeran, and his mages examined Zelda's room later that afternoon. When the princess had told Impa about the potential prophetic dream, along with other peculiar incidents going on, an inspection was called forth.
"Not her trunk," said her father, shoo'ing one of the mages away from the chest. "That's private to her."
Impa gestured at the ceiling. "She mentioned that the portal from her dream manifested itself around there when she had woken up. Does anything about that particular area seem different to any of you?"
Zeran held his trident staff and closed his eyes, focusing on the magical defense of her room. "Her barriers are very strong," he said, impressed. "But here." he opened his eyes, and pointed his staff at the spot Impa had specified. "Think of it like having a leak or a hole in the ceiling, except with magic. If something did attempt to penetrate through, that tear is where the source would have come from."
"Can it be patched or covered?" the king said desperately. "I don't want my daughter to dread portals spawning in her room when her guard is down during her sleep."
The royal mage nodded. "I can seal and fortify it, but I cannot prevent what she sees in her dreams, Your Majesty. This is why moving her to another bedroom would not solve that part of the issue. Still, you can count on me to make it almost impossible for portals to spawn here out of dream."
"Please do," Zelda's father asked humbly. "I've accepted your tournament request too, but it almost bends the rules, so we need her approval."
"I don't know if this is related," said the castle alchemist, an elderly lady with a long nose and tied, frizzy hair. "But when the princess sent the word to discover what ingredients were taken during the greenhouse break-in, we finally have an update. We found snakeroot, poppy seeds, chameleon skin, bat ears, and dried cocoon. We're still looking for more, but a handful of these ingredients alone already can create numerous elixirs, so we wrote the possibilities down. Two stood out the most, which I've outlined here."
She gave the parchment to the king. "The poppy seeds and snakeroot are applicable for creating something that's almost like an anesthesia paste meant to have a calming or sedative effect. If this was brewed, they must have added other herbs to increase its potency and duration."
Impa held a finger to her temple at the headache that was there. This still wasn't adding up. "What was the other one that stood out?"
"That's where I left off, and asked for a second opinion," she eyed the forest ruler. "Since he has an abundance of exotic herbs and ingredients from his kingdom, I wanted to see if my analysis matched up to his."
The royal warden's pointed features and coat of vines gave him the semblance of an ancient tree sculptured as a young man. "Quite close, in fact, Your Majesty," he postulated. "Chameleon skin can be used for transformative results, much like when a chameleon uses its cells to change color. This mix seems to be intended for something much smaller though, and mayhaps not even a reptile. Dried cocoon indicates that it could be related to an insect, and the exotic herbs I compared this to is where it gets especially unnatural."
He concluded. "If we are to assume these various ingredients and herbs were brewed together, it would seem there is a high probability that one of these potions was meant to weaken other's senses of the potion user and enhance their own, such as the bat ears for impeccable hearing. So really, we could be seeing at least three different potions here. The sedative, the inexplicable transformation, and the senses modification. We would have to dig further to see how they relate, but what I can say is that you very likely have a spy in the midst."
"Digging further isn't even a question at this point, I'll have to raise the priority of the detective work," the king announced. "It's not just the relation of the potions we need to understand, but to see if they have anything to do with the portal in the room, and the confusion with the soldier's schedules. Great Hylia, all of this before the tournament too."
Impa cleared her throat. "I'll handle the soldier schedules. I already chewed out the captain, but he swore to me that he had nothing to do with overworking anyone, and that he would keep a closer eye on our unit to make sure everyone is on the schedule as they should be. As for the portal, the place Zelda described in her dream isn't anything like we've seen, and I'm afraid there's nothing we can really do about it at the moment. But at least Zeran can seal the magic tear in her ceiling, so she shouldn't have to worry about that possibility for a long time."
"I will do this now," Zeran stated, as defensive ether surrounded his hand and staff, channeling the spell and aiming it toward her ceiling. The magic rippled like water spreading over an impenetrable transparent layer that granted additional protection to the room.
When he finished the lengthy process he rested the energy of his ether and turned away from the conversation Impa was having with the king. Those two ended up arguing about Zelda needing his kingdom's magical expertise, and the rush to betroth them soon. Zeran knew better than to leave it up to them to decide that. Zelda would accept his offer if she really did want to have a consort and keep her crown. With this potential jousting participant.
He took notice of a glinting object somewhat buried behind the cushion of her couch. With his back turned in its view, he reached over to pick it up. It was a cloak pin of some kind, displaying the relic emblem of Hyrule, and the wings on either side. Pocketing the pin, he tried to remember where he had seen it before. The soldiers of this kingdom wore them too, didn't they? This one seemed for someone of a higher rank, like an aspiring knight.
The royal mage faced the grate. There were embers still burning on those logs. He knew his elemental spells and he was well aware of the forces of fire. This wasn't a fire spell, nor was it started by a human.
Only dragon fire has embers that reside for this long, he inferred. But then, what could he have been doing in her bedroom? Perhaps it was a stretch for him to assume yet could it be-?
"Did you find something else, Zeran?" Impa pressed.
"No," he said casually. This was a different mystery for him to decipher on his own, and he was certain he'd get to the bottom of this soon. He wasn't the only royal after all, that was searching for hints.
The day of the Capital Tournament was here, a long time coming, yet it hit most with a sudden deviance of routine once it did. People were hustling out of cities, towns, and faraway lands to come spectate, joining in with the already crowded colosseum. The colosseum was on a massive field adjacent to the castle, the one where soldiers had first brought the painting of the Spirit of the Hero, and where Volga had sometimes trained with Impa. There were no straw targets or dummies today. The field was like a completely different place than before.
In the center of the arena, was a wooden tilt fence that stretched far, and separated each side where the two combatants would ride past. The height was at an optimal angle for breaking a lance, and the soft mound of sand helped cushion the fall should the rider be knocked off their mount. A fence line enclosed the spacious jousting area, to where countless people sat, atop risers that elevated behind each row, surrounding the colosseum.
Colorful banners, tapestries, and shields adorned with each kingdom's emblems decorated the perimeter, posts, festive tables with appetizers, drinks - and the tents. These tents were designated for each jousting participant, grouped together but divided by kingdom. The Hylian tents were striped with blue and white, displaying the number of combatants that were representing Hyrule. Among those was Volga, readying up in his own tent.
His jousting armor was heavy but not immovable, and the weight wasn't much different than what he was used to. The protection was lighter on his arms and legs, which suited him fine because he wanted to be able to move the lance and horse less strenuously. A royal blue surcoat hung over his chest plate, displaying Hyrule's coat of arms. A golden, winged Triforce marked the center, with a matching gold trim along his guards, breeches, and helmet. Instead of the Volvagia head piece, it was more bird-like, with the wings on either side of his ears. Instead of a red plume protruding from his helmet, this one was blue. This gear was a more elegant version of the Hylian uniform, befitting more of a knight or even a royal.
"Psst, Volga. Can I come in?"
The Dragon Knight felt the familiar, lively fondness at hearing her voice. "Yes," he said welcomingly.
Zelda slipped through the gap in his tent, and closed the folds behind her again. When she turned to face him, his breathing hitched in his throat. Sapphires glistened on her crown and jewelry - matching her eyes. She had applied a tiny bit of kohl along the corners of her eyes, outlining them, but in a way that maintained her natural beauty. Her luxurious hair reached down to her waist, curling ever so slightly at the ends. A satin blue gown framed her figure, in golden lining and design, with the winged Triforce abreast.
"Goddesses, you look beautiful," he said, utterly beguiled.
"You look stunning!" she said at the same time, to which they both laughed, and embraced. "I brought you something."
"Hm?" he was distracted by her rosy lips and the subtle floral perfume when she pulled back to retrieve the item.
"So you see," she said silkily. "In a joust, knights will sometimes be given a token by their lady. I have such a token for you. It's my brooch, like the one I gave you when we were younger, but it's enhanced with a nice polish and detail. I also added this little band on top, so you can use it as a locket, or in this case… a pin."
Volga looked down to see that Zelda had indeed given the cherished token an upgrade, and right now, it worked very well as a matching pin to his gear. "And," Zelda tip toed against him. "We've come a long way since then and we're more than just friends. I-I'm not good with words, but I want you to know that… whether or not you win this, everything you've done has meant the world to me. Like you do to me. My suitor, my lover."
Her words, and the affirmation of where they stood, even after all this time, had meant more than what either could imagine. "As do you, my lady," he murmured, the joy reflecting in his eyes. "My beloved princess."
Their romantic exchange made it seem like time froze, but they knew better than to prolong the moment in the current circumstances. Of course they would continue their conquest in trying to become established, but this would not happen in a day.
When they stepped out of the tent in a cheery daze, they were stopped short by Prince Zeran, who, while he didn't seem to be eavesdropping, gave them a very curious stare. He had been conversing with one of the other participants, and after dismissing himself, made his way over to the pair.
"I must say, you're looking rather lovely today, Princess. You always do, but when you put in effort, it shows," he complimented.
Zelda had never given a drier 'thank you' in her life, but there was always a first time for everything. Volga fidgeted, and he got the uncomfortable feeling that the mage was testing him.
"That's a very elaborate pin you have there," said Zeran smoothly, taking notice of Zelda's token on his chest. Of course he had. "Speaking of pins," he reached for something in his pocket, and turned to Zelda. "I found this when we were all investigating your room regarding barriers, portals, and other mysteries. And well, I figured you'd want to return this to your soldier. Or your consort." he whispered the last word, to which Zelda attempted to steady her breathing, and Volga tried to keep his lips from twitching.
Just when the gall couldn't have been greater, Zeran addressed Volga once more. "I wish you luck, Dragon Knight. You're going to need it. I intend to go all out and win this tournament."
Prince Zeran had not been bluffing when he declared that he would put everything into accomplishing victory. Match after match, he broke each participant's lances, shattered their shields, and unhorsed most of them to push as many points as he possibly could. He was yet to be unhorsed himself, and held an intimidating streak that dissuaded the combatants the further the progress was made.
Whatever this man had requested, he really wanted that reward, and it was clearly evident. What could it be? Something from Hyrule, that the king would have to go through trouble to get it approved in his pleas to maximize fortification of the barriers for Zelda's safety. Zeran wasn't trying to obtain Zelda's hand in some indirect way, was he? No, he couldn't be. Marriage without consent was an illegal reward request. Right?
Volga tried not to dwell on this, and told himself the rewards would stick to the rules. He wasn't deterred by Zeran's wins, however, he realized this was going to be a more challenging opponent than he had anticipated when it would be time to face him. Torkil was another one that would likely give him problems, for the bear-slayer was also reaping the victories, though with less points than Zeran. He hadn't broken as many lances as the mage, which was what scored the most. The ideal scenario generally was to break the lance, the shield, the helmet, and knock the rider off their mount last. Most were only able to do one or two of these, with the helmet being particularly rare and risky. The head was a vulnerable part of the body, and of course it was forbidden to kill anyone or their horse in the joust. Doing so was an immediate disqualification, and if found intentional, they could be in danger of facing criminal charges.
Torkil was more bothered by Zeran's performance than Volga was, to the point he was actually starting to get paranoid. He didn't want to admit the fact that he really could lose this. Volga had been his nemesis, the one he had a plan on how to defeat him, but Zeran - he had not been prepared for. The bear-slayer had to think of something, and fast. He took advantage whenever he wasn't in the lineup, to observe Zeran and find out what he could capitalize on to use against him.
He noticed Zeran had a very strong left arm, the one he used as his lance arm. Right arm wasn't bad either, but there were very few times he needed it to shield himself more than once. Offensively, he was a force to be reckoned with, as he swiftly disposed of another lance, and continued increasing his score.
"Damn it," Torkil swore, looking at the bracket to see who Zeran would face next. The combatants had about fifteen to twenty minutes break between each opponent, so Torkil took this time to find the unfortunate man who would go up against this.
The man was young, barely of age if he was. Torkil could tell that he didn't belong to any particular noble house and was definitely not a royal. Probably some page boy who was lucky enough to be acquainted with someone well off, and offered to represent their kingdom. He had Zeran's colors and emblem. Oh. Alright then.
"Hey lad," the bear-slayer ushered him to the side, away from the other combatants and servants around the tents. "I figured I'd give you some information about your next opponent, if you'd like my help."
"What do you mean?" the man sounded apprehensive. "Why would you want to help me? I'm your opponent too."
Torkil gave him a pat on the back, gearing him further from the people around them, to where he was sure no one would listen in. "Let me be frank with you," the bear-slayer began. "You're going to lose to him. I know it sounds harsh, but it's true. And it's not that you're lacking, he's just more skilled."
He took the puncture to his pride better than Torkil thought. "I know," the young man said bitterly. "I still need to try though."
"What did you ask for that you made it this far?"
"Coin," he said simply. "I come from a poor family, but I've been trying to work my way up so I can help. Apparently I didn't do bad in General Impa's training, and she allowed me to join."
Torkil showed strained sympathy. "I see," he said affably. "I'm sure you've toiled hard to get to where you are. But unless you win this, it's going to get tougher from here."
He poured himself a drink in his mug, and offered him the rest of the bottle, not caring how old he was. "I wouldn't down all of that before the match," he advised, as the young man hesitantly took the bottle. "A few gulps, not enough to impair you. You'll need to be sober for what I'm about to tell you."
"About finding exploits against Prince Zeran?"
"Indeed, boy," Torkil drank, and exhaled slowly when he lowered the mug again. "Zeran's left arm is the main issue here, as he's an expert at breaking parts and taking down riders. Probably something to do with that being his staff arm and being used to it, who knows. I've clearly underestimated a mage's physical prowess. So. What do we do when we know what the issue is, and have the means to fix it?"
There was a pause, and the young man's eyes widened. "Are you suggesting I kill him?"
Torkil coughed, alcohol spewing down his beard. "Me? No, no, I would never suggest such a terrible act. Even if you did, we both know what happens and the ramifications of such violence. Now what we could do though," his pewter eyes glinted. "If there was to say, an accident, you know, a bad swing at that left arm of his, enough to seriously injure - not kill -" he reiterated. "Then well. It could give you a chance at defeating him."
"I don't know about this," said the man, unsure. "It seems dirty and cheap."
"Let me put it this way for you," Torkil swirled the drink in his hand. "Sometimes in life, we gotta do things the unconventional way to get what we want. I'm going as far as to give you coin myself if you do this, enough for you to take care of your family and yourself for awhile. Look, you'll likely be out of this tournament. You'll either lose to Zeran, or possibly get disqualified for injuring him - however there is a chance you might still make it if they believe it was truly an accident. Either way you would get coin from me for the act, and go home winning something. You in?"
There was a long silence as the young man mulled this over, taking several gulps from the bottle, and grimacing. If the moral voice in his conscious was trying to discourage him from going through this, he was no longer listening to it. Torkil was right. He was screwed either way, so he might as well get something out of it. He would try not to harm the mage too badly, but just enough.
"I'm in."
Excellent, Torkil thought, taking a satisfactory sip. The winner of this match will face the Dragon Knight next. After that, my nephews should have everything in order soon. This tournament is mine.