Chapter 9
An Unexpected Guest

While her father, the king, greet his guests in the grand hall, Zelda watched the exits with a keen eye, fantasising about escaping to the garden or the stable, even her bed-chambers would be preferable.
Lords and ladies of many cultures had come in preparation to meet the new chieftain of the Gerudo desert tribe, west of Hyrule.

Already in attendance were ambassadors from the Goron village in the mountains, some of whom Zelda grew a lot fonder of than she originally thought possible.
Gorons were so fascinating to talk to and there was never a dull moment when learning about their unusual lifestyle inside an active volcano. But learning that the rocky armour that all Gorons carry on their back was neither armour nor a shell that grows organically, but actually a natural formation that develops from years of molten rock dripping on their bare skin. It was enough to make the young princess cringe with phantom pains.
Luckily for them, Gorons have some of the thickest skin of any organic creature, making them treat spills of lava as if it were a minor inconvenience.

"I can't imagine. I cry when my bath is too hot." Zelda giggled with slight embarrassment.

With a small laugh, her new Goron friend patted her on the back. "Don't fret little princess. We know you Hylians have baby skin." To further emphasise his point, the Goron man held his finger over a lit candle and left it there for an uncomfortable amount of time for all those watching, while he himself hardly felt it.

"Ask them about the rocks," Chuckled a knight from the Zora tribe as he passed by.

"We were just talking about it." Zelda answered, prompting the aquatic soldier to turn around and rephrase himself.

"I mean the ones they eat," He said, winking at the young princess as he left.

After a small moment to watch the Zora knight walk away, the Goron crossed his arms. "Fishfolk…" He grumbled. "Even from below the sea, they somehow look down on us.

Zelda pulled a face. She didn't think the Zora was being nasty, but it did raise her head.
Do Gorons eat rocks? To her complete surprise, her new Goron friend confirmed it.
"So how do you…" Zelda made a gesture with her hand below her stomach. " make use of a bathroom... after you eat a boulder?" Her face was bright red. She didn't like talking about private matters, but the Goron found it funny.

"It's actually very easy," He reached behind and snapped a piece of hardened stone from his back before crushing it in between his jaws and swallowing the gravel it became.

All while Zelda watched in horror and amazement.
"… shortbread?" Zelda sheepishly offered the Goron a finger from her plate. He practically inhaled the small treat for all the chewing he had to do.

"Hylian food is nice." The Goron laughed as he walked on to meet with others attending the hall.

Standing alone once more, Zelda spotted her choice exit again. But Impa was guarding it this time. Her second choice would take her past people she'd been actively avoiding all week, and the last exit brings her past her father, who would also keep her from leaving if he knew her intent.

"Sav'aaq, Princess Hyrule."

Zelda turned to see a Gerudo lady from the western desert, who despite being the first of her people to arrive, was very late in getting to the castle.

But before pleasantries could be exchanged, Lady Impa had appeared right out of nowhere, having eyed the golden hilt of a sword at the foreign woman's side.
"Weapons are stored elsewhere. If you don't mind, I'll need to insist on taking your sword."

The Gerudo woman blinked, then chuckled before removing her weapon belt and handing it to Impa.
"Here, you should probably have this one too~" She said with a wink to Impa.

Young Zelda blushed to herself as a small dagger was produced from between the foreign woman's ample breasts. At eleven years old, such things are still a shy matter for her.
And as Impa brought the weapons to another guard to take away, Zelda found herself having a sit down with Nabooru of the Gerudo tribe.
"You're seventeen?" Zelda gasped, looking her over. "You're really… mature…"

"Thank you." Nabooru was rather proud of her body. As a guard of her own village, she trained every day to get where she was. Pikes, swords, daggers. She was well versed in all of them. But her looks came at a cost, that only really manifested outside of her home and in the kingdom of Hyrule.
"Can I ask you something?" Nabooru looked around the room. Despite there being Hylians, Gorons, and Zora all talking and exchanging pleasantries under the same roof, something else was even more of a culture shock for the desert woman.
"Don't all these Voe make you uncomfortable?"

Zelda blinked,
"Huh?" She tilted her head with the Gerudo woman, needing Nabooru to translate 'Voe' into 'Men' first, which didn't settle the confusion, at least not until she remembered one special detail about Gerudo that makes them very unique. "Oh right… Have you never met a man-, a Voe before?"

Nabooru nodded. As a guard, she'd stopped men at the city gates of her home. Fought off bandits and had traded with vendors along her journey to the castle.
But in her home city, men are forbidden to step foot. All but one, that is. Gerudo women birth only one male child per hundred years. And this boy shall grow to be their ruler.
With the crowning of their new chieftain but a few weeks away, all various kings and rulers in the land were planning to gather at Hyrule castle to welcome their new ally.
But the ambassadors were still making arrangements to accommodate everyone, which had a share of complications.

"Can I ask, after the coronation, what happens to your old chief?" Zelda knew that the Gerudo son would become ruler but didn't understand what happened to the one who'd been ruling for the decades prior.

"Often she'd marry the new chief…" Nabooru pulled a face, seeing Zelda's almost repulsed expression. "Problem?"

"Well, if there's only one man… Doesn't that mean you're all first cousins? Sisters even?"

Nabooru rolled her eyes. A common mistake that often leads to those ignorant of the truth getting judgmental of her people. Not that Zelda is to blame. She simply doesn't know.
"We birth one Voe in a century, so most of us find our mates outside our village." Nabooru lamented the pilgrimage all wanting mothers must undertake.
Since men aren't allowed in the city, a Gerudo would wander to the next town or settlement to find a man. From there her options are simple, stay where she is and raise a family with her potential spouse or return home during pregnancy to raise her daughter as a fellow member of her people, where a team of handmaids and midwives await for every stage of motherhood, but you and your child will only ever see her father at the end of a long and harsh trek over hot desert sands.
So few ever choose the former, it's practically unheard of.

"Have you never met your father?" Zelda asked, feeling sad for Nabooru's upbringing.

"I might have done. I was told he's a vendor." Nabooru couldn't be sure herself and even if she met her father, he wouldn't recognise her either.
Gerudo traits are very dominant in their children. No matter how many generations removed they are from home, the chances of adopting an outsider's physical features are almost zero.
All Gerudo have similar builds, dark caramel skin and thick scarlet hair.

Traits that some men travel far and wide hoping to meet a willing suiter on her travels. Most of these men are looking for a no-strings-attached night of 'passion' with an exotic beauty.
Which although off-putting, does do the job.
And most of them have the courtesy of making an effort to be worth the traveller's time, while some are sent away at sword point.

Nabooru looked back over the men walking around and trying to strike up talks with her or Zelda, doing the whole 'diplomacy' part of the meeting. It was humbling for a child princess to ask everyone to give them both space on the warrior's behalf.

"So, was there any trouble on the road? We try to keep them safe but, we can't be everywhere." Zelda asked, to which Nabooru simply smirked, stating that she doesn't carry a knife between her tits because it's comfortable.
This prompted Zelda to cover her mouth to keep from laughing at the blunt way of putting it.
"I should love to visit your city. Is that allowed?"

Nabooru's eyes widened for a second as she shifted position.
"Vai are always welcome, so long as you follow our laws…"

"Naturally." Zelda nodded with a smile. She assumed 'Vai' is the woman to 'Voe' being a man in their language. "When I'm there, you can teach me your words."

Nabooru smiled weakly at the young princess. She seemed such a nice girl. Too nice for this world.
Leaning forward on her chair and looking off towards the king of Hyrule, Nabooru muttered under her breath to the princess.
"Zelda, would it be possible for me to speak with your father?"
Zelda nodded at Nabooru's request, telling her that all the ambassadors will get a one-on-one talk with the king at some point.
"I'm not on the guest list, I'm afraid." Just as the words passed her lips, a pale but strong hand began tightening around Nabooru's collar bone.

"The ambassadors from your village send their apologies for not being able to make it today…" Impa hissed, looking through Nabooru and analysing every possible move she could make. "Let's go have a chat…"
Nabooru fought against the hold but made little fuss as she spotted two royal knights ready to back Impa up if needed.
"It's in your best interest that you come now…" Impa warned.

So focused on the formally armed stranger that walked into the castle hall without invitation or detection, Impa failed to notice the note that had been slipped into Zelda's hand.
Zelda shivered as she watched her Nanny strong arm from the hall the same friendly young woman she'd just been having a nice chat with.
She wanted to follow and make sure everything was okay, but Zelda looked at the rolled up note she was discreetly handed. Curiosity took control, and she slipped out the now unguarded exit.

Making her way through the garden, Zelda found a quiet spot to look over the message.

'I hoped to speak with you myself, King Hyrule. I hope this finds you. The attacks on your farming villages are but distractions to spread your forces thin. Your city will be sacked by the Gerudo chieftain on the day you welcome him to your castle. I came to warn you in hopes that if you are able to repel this attack and save your own people, that you'll show mercy to mine. Only Zaeim seeks your land, but my people still want peace.'

What Zelda read scared her, but she knew it was out of her depth to handle on her own. However, giving the nature of how she got the message, she didn't know if it should be taken as fact.

Trusting the word of a stranger, who managed to gate-crash the castle with weapons, on something the young princess knows nothing about could shake up trust between tribes and shatter the years of peace Hyrule has enjoyed.

It's true that the defence forces are spread thin defending the smaller villages, but it's not against an opposing army.
It's Bokoblins and Lizalfos that are hurting the people of Hyrule.
Savage creatures who just happen to be able to lift and use weapons.
No one can reason with them, let alone lead or coordinate them. They can't possibly be part of a greater plot.

Maybe Nabooru was meant to be the new chief. Maybe this is simply a malicious attempt at gaining favour with the other races and be rid of the one who took the throne from her.
If the line of succession got changed for the first time in a century just as it would have been her turn, it could be a valid motive to come all this way and lie about the one who took her birth right.

Zelda walked to a shaded part of the garden to sit on a bench below a small tree.
Sitting there on her own, looking up at the pink blossoms below the nice sky with only a few clouds, Zelda thought about how often she'd try to skip her lessons and play in the gardens when she was little. How Sage Rauru would always find her, it felt like a game to her back then.
It was Impa that straightened her out whenever she got in trouble.
The lessons on being a good princess were so boring, but Impa's promises to teach her to be like her, a warrior, it made Zelda want to start paying attention.
And now she found herself wishing someone could advise her. She knew she needed to seek advice from someone who knows better.

Maybe if she approached her father as his daughter he could hear her out and not take the message as a call to arms.
But she knew herself it would be hard for him to separate the two roles as her father and his people's king if there is a chance the kingdom is in danger.

"Impa…" She sighed, twisting the note in her hands tighter before securing it in her clothes.

She sat there in the garden, going over what could happen if she does nothing and what could happen if she did the wrong thing. There's no easy option.
In the castle behind her, there are dozens of people with the wisdom and experience to advise the king on what to do, but none to advise the princess.

"There you are,"

Zelda's heart skipped, snapping her from her sorry trance as Impa approached from down the path.
"What happened with Nabooru?"

"I spoke to her. Did she give you something by any chance?" Impa reached out her hand before getting an answer from the princess. Zelda didn't need to be told. She was all too happy to be rid of the note and the burdens it came with.

"I see." After reading the note, Impa gently placed her hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Have you told anyone else?" She smiled when the girl shook her head. "What have you been doing all this time? Thinking it over?"

Zelda nodded, feeling shy to speak her true thoughts.
Impa won't scold her for being irresponsible or cowardly for keeping the note to herself, but Zelda still felt as though she was those things.
But to her surprise, she was actually praised for her decision.

"History is filled with people who act first and think later. You'll make a wise queen someday."

"I will?" Zelda smiled for a moment, but not long. "What will happen to Nabooru?"

"She snuck into the castle. That alone is a crime. She'll be held in a cell for the time being until I can interrogate her properly." Impa's biggest fear was that the outsider wasn't acting alone. If one got in, there could be others. "Why don't you walk the grounds with me?" Impa asked, and Zelda had already begun following her before asking the reason. "I want your expertise. How would you sneak in?"

Zelda smiled constantly with her arms crossed as she listed dozens of escape strategies. Since Maron was allowed to enter the castle, she was able to live vicariously through her friend's experiences. There was also the fact that Impa would terminate the relationship between the girls if Zelda ever escaped again. So giving up her ideas to help the castle wasn't much of a sacrifice.

Some of her ideas, like climbing the ivy vines growing on the walls, could only apply to someone of her weight. Others sounded good in theory, but Zelda would have learned very quickly that they wouldn't have worked as planned had she actually tried them.
Still, Impa listened to all of Zelda's ideas while she did her usual checks around the gardens until she came to a manhole cover that led to the sewers under the castle.
There had always been a lock on the iron-barred gate that exits the tunnel on the other side, but not until three years ago had renovations been implemented to keep small framed children from slipping between the bars whenever they wished to abscond.

"I want to have a look down there, but I don't want to leave you up here by yourself…" Impa looked Zelda over. On her own, she's very unassuming. "It's dangerous to be alone, take this."

Zelda stared at the dagger Impa offered her. Not Nabooru's, but Impa's own. Very sharp, but it came with a small wooden case.
Although the king is known to be less than thrilled about his precious daughter being trained in swordplay, Impa made a good case about her needing to know how to defend herself in case the worst should happen.

Impa was encouraging and observant as she taught Zelda the ancient arts of the Sheikah warriors since she was six.
But at her current skill, she still won't be a match against a trained assassin or kidnapper. Any assailant could knock her out with one smack to the head, so it's better to be discrete.
"Can you hide the blade?"

"I think so…" Zelda slipped the knife down her top, but unlike with Nabooru's generous chest, the blade fell down and got caught by the sash wrapped around her waist.

"I hoped you were too classy for that, but my advice is to maybe wait six or seven years before trying again." Impa chuckled as she attempted to assist her young ward. "Turn around, there's more space back there~"

"Impa!" Zelda blushed red, getting a very wrong idea of what her mentor was suggesting, but she soon felt the dagger be bundled horizontally in the sash, making the knife invisible from the outside.

Zelda attempted to draw and put the knife away a few times to get used to it. Getting it back in was the hard bit, but she was quick on the draw and that's what Impa cared most about.

After being told to stay right where she was, Zelda watched Impa descend into the dark tunnels, feeling just a sliver of the uncertainty that Impa had felt all those times she'd gone missing.
Ideas of people being down there, hiding in the shadows and waiting to make the kill filled the young princess' head.
So consumed by staring at the dark hole in the middle of the path, Zelda had failed to notice she was being watched by tiny, but keen eyes from up above.

Temporary note 08/08/21:
Maybe it's just a passing phase, but I've not written anything in a while. (I write in bulk and upload on a schedule) I do love writing these, and I have so many ideas I want to articulate. But it's becoming harder and harder to look at the screen these days. And days leading up to an upload date fills me with anxiety wondering if I've got a chapter ready or if it'll be any good or not.
I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this.