Hyrule Castle, early evening of the day after Hero's Day
Colonel Remiss was waiting outside the King's chamber for his audience.
He'd arrived here nearly three hours ago. He'd had a lot of time to think about the situation, and it was becoming harder and harder not to scream in panic or to break through the King's door in frustration.
He stood still. His cloak, helmet and even his sword had been taken from him, and he felt almost naked. He didn't know what to do with his arms. He wanted to use them to knock on the door, he wanted to yell through the thick wood that this was urgent. He wanted to run through the Palace and yell the unfortunate truth at everyone he came across.
He stood still and silent. He had relayed the nature of his emergency to King's secretary, and he trusted that it had been communicated to the King. It was not for the Colonel to question why His Majesty had chosen not to see him immediately.
Therefore, he waited. By now it felt like he'd been waiting for an eternity. He caught himself fidgeting and forced his hands and feet to stay still, crossing his hands behind him and planting his feet shoulder-width apart.
He was starting to wonder how much longer Hyrule could afford to wait for the King to be informed of the situation. It had taken the Colonel over half a day (and his whole stock of horse stamina balm) to ride here, so chances were the Imposter Hero was long gone with the Master Sword. The Colonel was relatively certain Link would not have gone to the Lost Woods – why would he have? No, the prankster was hiding somewhere, on the run with the most powerful weapon in Hyrule, crafted by the Goddess herself.
Remiss thought that Link outright revealing the damage to the Master Sword had to have been a deliberate provocation, another thrill for the young man in addition to having fooled everyone and appropriated Hylia's Gift despite not even being Hylian.
The Colonel frowned at himself. The crime would be no less a problem had the imposter been Hylian. It did give one pause, however: the Sea Folk had always denied having any magical ability, yet one of their own had managed to fool Farore's pendant AND the Master Sword. It seemed impossible that it would have been done without magic.
There were some who had never accepted Link as the Hero Chosen by Hylia because he was not Hylian, not one of the Goddess' own people. Remiss hated the thought this would make it look like those people had been right. On top of everything else, Link turning out to be an imposter would more than likely sour the relationship between Sea Folks and Hylians. Of course that would hardly be a problem if the True Hero could not prevail without his sword and the Enemy slaughtered everyone in Hyrule.
The Colonel's fists tightened. It was possible that even now, Link and whoever among his people were in on the joke simply didn't understand how much harm they were doing. Perhaps they didn't recognize the Princess Zelda for a Princess and therefore thought this couldn't be a Cursed Age – there were plenty of people around who felt that way.
If not for the circumstances under which Link's treachery had been discovered, the Colonel would have been tempted to think that if the real Hero had not come forward yet, it was because there wasn't one. Unfortunately, the mass attack on all the refugee settlements, the sheer number of monsters who'd been compelled to attack specific locations, all at once, all together, clearly pointed to a power directing them.
There was an Enemy, so this was a Cursed Age. Remiss was sure of it. And the Hero was not awake, and a prankster had his sword and was slowly killing it, and the same imposter also had several legendary weapons and tools that the Hero might need. It was imperative that all of it be recovered from Link of Given.
The urge to beat down the King's door was rising. They had to find Link, they had to talk sense into him or failing that, somehow find a way to take back the Master Sword and to throw the young man in the dungeons to reflect on his crimes. They had to act quickly, they had to start the search for the true Hero before whatever evil was in control of all these monsters decided to attack more people.
His wait finally ended in the form of the Princess appearing around the corner, walking at a brisk pace. She nodded to him and beckoned him to follow as she opened the door and walked into the King's antechamber.
The Colonel felt a bit of the tension leave his shoulders. He hadn't been waiting because the King did not take him seriously, quite the opposite. The King had summoned the Princess of Destiny to help handle the crisis and they had both been waiting for her to arrive.
The King was above all determined to project calm. He was pleased to see that Zelda, who he'd summoned as soon as she'd arrived from the Gerudo Capital a mere few minutes earlier, was also outwardly composed. The speed at which she'd arrived, the set of her jaw, the rigidity of her pose, all spoke to how tense she was to eyes that knew her well, but he knew that few others would recognize these signs.
Colonel Remiss stood to attention, waiting to be addressed. One of his eyes was twitching, and a slight spasm contracted his hands every few seconds. The man was extremely distressed, yet just as extremely well trained.
The King schooled his voice to keep it from showing any of his own foreknowledge. He knew that the Colonel was here to tell him what the Hero already had: the Master Sword was cursed. What he didn't know was how Remiss had interpreted that fact, and what to expect from guards in general. He needed the Colonel to believe the information was new to the King, to see how Remiss relayed the news with minimal prompting and while thinking he was the only source of information. The Colonel was a very, very good man: an exemplary officer who had always served flawlessly and who viewed all the people of Hyrule as equals and as his to protect. Not only did the King need to know whether he could use Remiss in the current crisis, he also thought the Colonel a good stress test: if even Remiss now doubted who Link was, it would be wise to assume most guards and officers would.
"Thank you for coming all this way to inform us of the situation, Colonel," the King started. "I understand that you have urgent news concerning the Master Sword?"
"Yes, my King," the Colonel replied. "I regret to say that it is heavily damaged. Link himself showed it to me."
Zelda chimed in. "How are you certain that the person you encountered was indeed the Hero and that the damaged blade you saw was indeed the Master Sword? Am I right in assuming that you were dispatched to a refugee settlement without being told whether it was the Hero's home?"
Remiss swallowed. "With your permission, your Royal Highness, may I relay the night from the beginning? His Majesty and Her Highness can judge for themselves then whether the sword I saw was in fact the Blade of Evil's Bane and if they conclude that it wasn't, I will be very relieved."
Zelda nodded.
"Talk," the King confirmed.
The Colonel cleared his throat.
"We were woken up in the middle of the night, just like all the other units sent to help, I imagine. We're based in the Citadel, so of course we were heading for Given. As the Princess just surmised, the message did not mention that Given was in fact Link's home."
Zelda noted that the Colonel was consistently using Link's name, although his training should have made him refer to the Hero by his title. She decided against commenting on it, preferring to hear Remiss speak freely.
"I knew as soon as we got there," the Colonel continued. "The villagers were in the middle of packing to evacuate, and I overheard snippets of conversations that revealed they thought they'd been found out, and others mentioning Link having defeated the monsters. The most obvious signs, however, were the fact that the fighting was over, and what was left of the monsters. It was… unnerving. Of course I'm very glad that the villagers were all well, but… the attack was over, had been for a while, and hundreds of monsters were dust in the streets. We could see remnants of several lynels and hinoxes, I'd say ten to twelve of each."
"Hundreds?" the King asked. "And ten to twelve hinoxes, and ten to twelve lynels?"
"Yes, your Majesty," Remiss replied. He was surprised at being asked to confirm, but he was rather glad for the chance to insist on the numbers. "My estimate would be three hundred in total."
The King frowned. "Continue."
"Yes, your Majesty. The obvious conclusion was that it was the work of the Hero, but I for one had never realized how... deadly... Link really was. The entirety of my own troops would not have been able to dispatch so many monsters, so quickly. The sight and realization was... sobering."
The King nodded. "The Hero has been preparing for 11 years, and if we judge by his past selves, he could have been ready within weeks if needed."
The Colonel swallowed. "I opted to save time and spoke to the villagers as though I'd been aware of the Hero's presence in Given all along. A deception I felt was harmless since there was no doubt in my mind by that point. The villagers confirmed it easily, as well as their impression that this was the reason they had been attacked. I told them about the other attacks, and that we'd leave protection with them; that they need not evacuate. I ended up following Link's parents home."
Remiss paused here, seemingly looking for the right way to approach the next part of his story.
"I'm sorry to insist on this but I feel it important to point out once again that what Link did, mostly on his own although the villagers admitted that six other individuals helped a little, was disquieting to behold. Dispatching so many monsters, including such powerful ones as lynels and hinoxes, would have been impressive if it had been accomplished by a battalion of trained guards. The fact that it was the work of one boy... it's..." the Colonel hesitated. "It gives one pause," he finished in a whisper.
Zelda forced herself to keep her expression neutral. The Colonel seemed like he was weary of the Hero, like he viewed him as something else than Hyrule's Hero and therefore as a potential threat due to his prowess. She wanted to ask if that was indeed the case, but she chose again not to interrupt, hoping she'd get clearer answers from Remiss speaking freely than from questioning the Colonel.
The King chose differently.
"Pause?" he said. "I can't imagine feeling anything but grateful that our protector and several times savior is more than ready to face any evil he may run into." His tone was calm and his expression neutral, but the Colonel gulped anyway.
"If... if I may continue, my King?" he stammered.
The King frowned, but nodded.
"Thank you." Remiss cleared his throat. "I was talking to Link's parents when he came down the stairs, fully dressed in the Hero's Garb, equipped with the Master Sword, a very high quality bow, and a Hylian Shield. He's... taller and bigger than I thought. Long hair, too. Braided. My surprise at his size is on me, I suppose, I was expecting him to be small and slight like past heroes, but he's average. I'm sorry, none of this is relevant, is it?" He paused for a long breath. "I told Link I believed the Enemy was behind the attacks. He agreed, but..."
Another pause, another long breath. "He unsheathed the Master Sword to show it to me," Remiss continued. "It... it's dying. There is no other word for it, except less optimistic ones. I... I'm not sure it can still be saved, your Majesty. The tip is broken, there are other cracks on it, it's covered in rust, and somehow also covered in mold blooms and rot. Link said something about having to do something about it, but I was in such shock I didn't register his exact words."
Zelda swallowed a hard lump. This was catastrophic news. It was unprecedented.
The Colonel took a deep breath again and continued.
"I did hear Link saying the damage had not been there in the morning of Hero's Day and had only been discovered at the time of the attack. I can personally guarantee, based on the nature and the extent of the damage, that this was a painfully obvious lie."
Zelda's eyes widened. She disagreed with the assessment, there was no telling how fast a completely unknown curse against the sword would work, but the important information here was that the Colonel was very sure of his own opinion. A glance at her father found his eyes narrowed.
"Link then said he was bringing the Master Sword to the Great Deku Tree for advice. I offered to escort him, insisted, but he completely refused, citing a need to hurry. I then offered to take the Holy Blade to you so that you could have it brought to the Woods... I apologize for taking such a liberty, my King, I was desperate by then. Link refused that too, citing again that it'd be quicker for him to take the Sword to the Lost Woods."
"Do you disagree with his assessment?" the King asked the Colonel. "The Hero has the ability to travel instantly to the Lost Woods, so he should indeed be able to get there much quicker on his own."
The Colonel swallowed. "Yes, my King, he could. Should he choose to. But..."
Zelda interrupted. She thought she understood, and she felt that directly asking for confirmation would save time by now. "Colonel… do you believe the Sword has been dying from being in Link of Given's possession, possibly for quite a while, and that therefore he is not actually entitled to it? Have you concluded that he is not the Hero after all, and that his refusal to be escorted to the Woods is because he doesn't want to give up the sword and his delusion, or pretense?"
The Colonel briefly met her eyes before looking down. "Yes, Princess. Of that much I am certain. I further guess that he and those close to him arranged the whole of it as some kind of prank, possibly meant to humble us. Link was but a child when it started, he cannot be the one to blame for the idea. I don't think they expected a Cursed Age. But now that the Enemy is upon us... it's possible Link intends to win the glory he was not born to, or to die trying. Or perhaps he hopes the real Hero will solve this problem without the Master Sword, but there lies my main concern: the true Hero, wherever he is, has neither the Sword nor any of the other artefacts and gifts this Link has wrongfully appropriated."
"You are mistaken," the King said. He was scowling now, and the words were spoken in a strong voice that bore no argument.
The Colonel nodded, resigned. "Yes, your Majesty. The idea it was arranged was just a theory. But we still need to find Link as quickly as possible, for his own protection as well as to recover the Hero's tools."
"No," the King said. "Colonel Remiss, I appreciate your devotion to Hyrule and your determination to do your duty to the best of your abilities, but you are mistaken on EVERYTHING in this. Link of Given, descendant of the Great Sea Refugees without a drop of Hylian blood, is nevertheless the true Hero chosen by the Goddess, reborn. And if he says the damage on the sword is new, it most certainly is. And if he told you that he was going directly to the Lost Woods, that's what he did."
The Colonel's eyes went wide and he visibly recoiled before he caught himself and forced himself still. His eyes did not meet the King's, but remained wide opened in a horrified expression.
The King scoffed. "You have so far done nothing wrong," he said. "Thank you for informing me of the state of the Master Sword. You now face a choice. Will you trust your King, or your fears?"
The Colonel inhaled sharply but made no response. He felt like he was about to be ill. He shuddered, unable to repress it. He was terrified in a way he had never even imagined before: the King would not be convinced of Link's deception. The Imposter Hero would not so much as be chased, and the true Hero would not even be sought. Hyrule was doomed.
"I will assign you a Sheikah guard," the King said. "I cannot risk your impeding the Hero in a misguided attempt to unmask him. If you make any such attempt, your new companion will arrest you immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
Out of seemingly nowhere, a Sheikah warrior dropped next to Remiss and bowed to the King, who nodded in return.
The Colonel swallowed and bowed, his heart hammering and his thoughts foggy. "Thank you for your mercy, my King," he said. It was a formula usually spoken by criminals after they were read their punishment. He immediately regretted it, but he had no idea what else he could say.
"I am also putting you on leave, immediately, and order you to have no contact with any of your troops. Dismissed," the King said, and turned away from him towards the private part of his chambers.
Zelda followed, trusting the Sheikah to make sure the Colonel left. She closed the door behind her and leaned on it, allowing a shiver she'd been holding back to run through her.
"Remiss... Remiss!" she exclaimed. "Father, he's one our best! I would trust him with my life without hesitation! Even after this!"
The King nodded and sighed. "And still it took very little for him to conclude that the boy identified by Farore's Medal, the boy who claimed the Master Sword, a young man who just demonstrated downright inhuman fighting prowess, was an imposter."
"It may not be fair to refer to the sword being in such a state as 'very little'," Zelda remarked. She cleared her throat. "I must find the Hero and offer whatever assistance I can."
The King chuckled. "I knew you'd say that. I even told Link as much."
"Hm?" Zelda tilted her head, obviously confused.
"Link was here earlier today. I wanted the Colonel to believe himself to be my only source of information, and I felt it easier to keep the burden of acting like I didn't already know of the situation to myself."
Zelda sighed. She knew that the explanation for her father's deception was all she was going to get. The King did not apologize. Ever.
"You wanted to see whether he had concluded that Link was not the true Hero after all?"
"Yes. I needed to know whether he could be useful in dealing with this crisis and I used him as a gauge, because I'm just as aware of his valor as you are. Now that we've seen how completely he has been swayed, we are forewarned that most of the troops will also doubt Link, and we know that we cannot call upon Remiss to assist the Hero." The King sighed. "There is something else that I would also have you be aware of, my daughter."
Zelda tilted her head. "Yes, Father?"
"The number of monsters described by Remiss is significantly greater than those reported by the units sent to the other settlements. It appears that the other settlements were attacked by well less than one hundred monsters each, among which were reported one lynel or in some cases, one hinox instead."
Zelda's eyes widened and the blood drained from her face.
"My conclusion," the King said, "and I assume by your reaction yours as well, is that the Enemy knew the Hero was in Given."
Zelda gulped. "But then why attack the others? Just... cruelty? Or did they hope to hide that they knew where the Hero lived? But if they did know, doesn't it mean...?"
"The Enemy knows Crown secrets," the King interrupted her. "No question or debate on that. It's all the more reason for you to join the Hero. I would advise further that you keep the details of your progress and of your travels to yourselves. I will inform your mother and your brothers of everything we know so far, of course, but you are not to give any of us any specific information on yours and the Hero's travels."
Zelda took a long, shaky breath. "Did the Hero tell you where he was going?"
"He's already been to the Lost Woods, just like he told the Colonel he would, but the sword could not be laid to rest."
Zelda's eyes widened again. "I wouldn't have thought that possible."
"Reality has no use for how we think things should be," the King said, frowning. "Link has also been to the Spring of Courage, where he rescued a Goron baby from those blasted Children of Hylia. His next steps were to bring that baby to Big Brother, then to visit the Springs of Power and Wisdom. I imagine he's already done all three by now."
Zelda forced her thoughts towards the best path forward and away from being horrified at the situation. "In that case, I'll sleep and let my dreams guide me. I don't suppose you'll allow me to travel alone?"
"You know as well as I do that it would be incredibly foolish of you to do that. Link was targeted, you could be next. However, time IS of the essence and you're not the best rider."
Zelda weathered the criticism. The King was not wrong and besides, this line of thinking could lead to letting her travel with the Ocarina, which was what she wanted.
The King thought for a moment.
"If your dreams send you somewhere safe, you will let me know and use the Ocarina to travel to where they guide you. I will send fast riders and Sheikahs to join you there, you'll wait for them before going anywhere else."
Zelda shrugged. "If you wish. But Father, once I find the Hero, I do think the two of us should not be encumbered by an escort. Surely he's more than enough to keep me safe?"
The King took a moment to consider. There was no arguing that Link was worth more than any escort and that making them drag one along would merely slow them down and force Link to protect more people if they were attacked by particularly dangerous monsters.
He nodded his assent. Zelda bowed, excused herself and went back to her room.
Zelda soon realized that sleeping was going to be a challenge.
No amount of warm milk stayed her thoughts about the fact that the Master Sword was not only damaged but unable to rest and restore itself. Unless a way was found to break the curse on it, it could literally be lost forever.
She paced her room, wringing her hands. She caught herself grinding her teeth and stopped, forcing herself to take several deep breaths.
This was unfair. Here she was, with part of the kingdom refusing to even believe she WAS a princess, and not only did she have to deal with a Cursed Age, it could be the worst one yet. The Master Sword, dying! And the Enemy powerful enough to so harm a weapon forged by the Goddess herself eons ago!
She kicked the stone wall, careful to position her foot so that she didn't break any toes. It wasn't particularly satisfying. She sat down cross legged on the floor and started breathing slowly and deeply again.
It wasn't fair to the Hero either. The knights that had been sent to his home in the early years to train him, Pyr and any temporary replacement or helpers he needed, had all reported Link was extremely hard working. So much so that Pyr had admitted that Link had surpassed them all within a year. By the time Link was 11, the Knight had declared himself and the others more of a hindrance to the Hero than a training help. That was when Link had gone to claim the Master Sword, and ever since then, the Hero was the terror of all monsters in Hyrule, often getting to outbreaks and sightings well before the King's guards and knights. And all the while Link was still training and improving further, to this day.
The Hero had been preparing as much as he possibly could without pause for a full eleven years so far. Only to be struck with something no one could have seen coming or prepared for: a magical attack on the Master Sword itself.
And what if the Holy Blade couldn't be saved? What of Hyrule then? This Hero was so powerful by now that it was at least possible he'd prevail even without the Master Sword, but what of the next Hero? And the one after that?
The whole situation was a disaster, and one that might never end. And the Hero was facing it completely alone.
She needed to help him. And for that, she needed her foresight to show her where to find him, and how to fix the Master Sword. The problem right now was that visions only ever came to her in her sleep, and that wound up as she was, sleep wasn't going to happen. She sighed.
"Alright," she muttered to the empty room. "Time to learn to have visions while awake."
She settled in a comfortable lotus position, closed her eyes, and focused on her breathing. She needed to replicate the freedom her mind had when asleep, and her best bet was to try and enter into the deep meditative state the Sheikah were able to achieve. It wasn't her first try, but this time, failure was not an option.