"A Rito postman arrived with a message from Queen Urballa," Grand Protector Brigo informed the others at the table. "She is due to arrive before nightfall."
"I informed every military outpost between here and Gatepost that she has my permission to travel through Hyrule Field unimpeded, and that she means no harm," Celessa reiterated what she'd told everyone earlier.
"And you're certain she means no harm?" Sophitia asked.
"As certain as I believe I can be," Celessa replied. "Queen Urballa may have her share of disagreements with the Crown, but she has never been one to deceive us. She wants her nation's independence, and she believes you can give it to her peacefully."
Do I want to give it to her?
Sophitia had already allowed the secession of any Rito tribes who wished to leave the kingdom. Would it be hypocritical of her to deny the Gerudo the same choice?
Am I fated to be known as the queen who lost the entire western quarter of the kingdom?
"Is that a foregone conclusion?" Brigo asked.
"It is if we wish to avoid a siege once Queen Urballa arrives with her army," Dame Jeanne pointed out. She, as well as Liliana, were seated at the meeting table as well. With so few allies remaining, Sophitia wanted everyone available to provide her with sound counsel.
"She's not going to fight us," Seraphina insisted. "She just wants to talk."
"I do not intend to fight her either, little sister," Sophitia assured her. "And, given the circumstances, I would say an alliance with the Gerudo is necessary. They are not our true enemies. Remoth's forces and the Impas are."
"Wisely said, Sophitia," her aunt agreed.
"I merely wished to confirm," Brigo stated. "The city has seen its share of battle in recent days. I will be glad to see peace return."
"Do we know where the rest of our enemies are?" the Hero, Linkle, asked. "The two eldest Impas are still alive, right? Sage Lucrezia is still out there somewhere, too. And the monsters probably have other leaders aside from the Acheman Master."
Sophitia grimly realized that, with Lord Remoth dead, it might have been his daughter Mina who took over for him.
Has she been my enemy this whole time?
The girl was odd, and perhaps had a bit of a sadistic streak, but she had seemed perfectly amicable in the short time the princess had spent with her. "Have any of our intelligence reports indicated that the Sheikah Shogun or the Sage of Shadow have traveled anywhere?"
"No, but if Socicila has been in league with the enemy from the beginning, it would be easy for them to move about the kingdom without our notice," the Grand Protector pointed out.
"They've gathered most of the keys to the Triforce already," the Hero's brother, Link, stated. "If they think they're on the verge of obtaining it, that's probably where they'll be."
"Excellent point," Sophitia agreed. "Socicila flew the City in the Sky to the west after he took control of it."
"And the Gerudo queen said her ward traveled northwest from the Coliseum when he left with the monsters," Dame Jeanne added.
"Could the Triforce be kept somewhere in Midoro?" Celessa speculated. "It would explain why Lord Remoth was so heavily involved in all of this."
Sophitia wished she had asked her elder sister to impart the secret of the Triforce's location to her before she died. She may have already shared the secret with Lancel and Percival at some point, but all of them had died before she had the chance to ask them to share it with her. Now no one knew where it was. As a contingency for situations such as this, there was a method of rediscovering the Triforce's secret location, but Sophitia knew it would take months to complete.
We've got to figure it out before…
The princess stared across the table at Linkle. "You possess the final keys, correct?"
Linkle nodded proudly. She drew the gilded sword from her back and took the hookshot from her waist, placing them both on the table in front of her. "The enemy has the Hero of Twilight's bow, the Ocarina of Time, and two other keys I don't know of, I think," she explained. "But these here are the last two."
"Good," Sophitia replied. "So long as the enemy does not possess all six keys, the Triforce should remain out of their reach." After all of the tragedies and setbacks they had faced recently, the fact that the monsters and the Sheikah had not managed to steal either of Linkle's keys felt like something of a miracle.
Perhaps the gods are still on our side.
"What should be done with the keys, your highness?" Grand Protector Brigo inquired. "Surely we are better off sending them to some far corners of the kingdom."
Sophitia put a hand to her chin, mulling it over. "Linkle, are these items necessary for you to perform your Hero's duties?" she asked, gesturing to the sword and the hookshot on the table.
Linkle glanced between the items, then lifted the hookshot with her hand. "This one is extremely handy. I use it to fight and move around all the time. Plus, it seems like it's indestructible, so it's way better than just any ol' hookshot." She put the item down and lifted the gilded sword next. "I guess I don't really need this one, though. It's fancy and all, but the Master Sword is just better in every way."
"Then you would be willing to part with it?" Sophitia asked for confirmation.
"For you, Princess? Anything!" Linkle agreed.
The princess nodded. "Very well. Hero, you may keep your hookshot. The Triforce shall remain safe even if just one of the keys is kept out of enemy hands, after all." She turned to Brigo next. "Grand Protector, make arrangements to have that sword transferred to a secure location, preferably somewhere to the east."
"At once, your highness."
"Next order of business." Aunt Celessa noted something down and turned a page in her ledger. "While it would be best to hold off on your official coronation ceremony until after this conflict has been resolved, I believe we should begin to address and herald you as the queen immediately. This will help you project a proper image of authority when Queen Urballa arrives, and it will also reassure the kingdom's citizenry that we finally have matters under control."
The princess heard all of her aunt's words, and they all made perfect sense to her. However, they immediately made her picture her fallen siblings - the ones who would never get to wear the crown. Clearing her throat, she tried to shake off the negative feeling the idea gave her. "Yes. I suppose that is wise." She glanced around the table, seeing uncertain faces on everyone in her court. They all must have sensed how she felt. "You all have my permission to address me as the queen," she told them, hoping to ease their worries.
Celessa nodded. "Very good, my queen."
Sophitia felt a lump in her throat. "Yes. Well. We have already discussed our next steps regarding Queen Urballa. We should prepare for her arrival. If there is nothing else to discuss, we may adjourn here for now." She tried to keep her voice steady, but she wished to get away from the table as soon as possible.
No one else raised any issues, so Sophitia stood up. "Excellent. Thank you all for your wise counsel." She gave her court a grateful bow, then turned to leave with Liliana in tow.
"You've never been a good liar," Liliana observed, following closely behind her charge as they climbed the staircase.
"Liar?" Sophitia replied in confusion, glancing over her shoulder. "To what are you referring?"
"You don't want anyone calling you 'Queen Zelda,'" her retainer stated plainly.
That much was true, and the new queen apparently had done a poor job of hiding it. But then again, Liliana had always been better at reading her than others were, so perhaps her feigned acceptance of the title had not been so transparent. "I know, my dear," Sophitia replied. "But please bear with me, and do not share these thoughts with anyone."
"Of course, Princess. Keeping your secrets has long been a part of my job description."
The queen gave her bodyguard a look as they reached the top of the stairs. "Yes. Well. I appreciate your discretion, as always. And please, whether I like it or not, you must address me as the queen now."
"As you wish, Your Grace."
From there, Sophitia continued to her destination. The grand throne room was still somewhat in disrepair following the confrontation with Lord Remoth. Much of the carpeting, the chairs, and the tapestries had been removed for cleaning and repairs, and parts of the banisters still needed to be repaired as well. However, the thrones on the upper level still remained.
"Liliana," Sophitia spoke, standing in the middle of the gallery and staring up at the throne that was now hers. "If you would be so kind, please go and fetch my ledger from my tower," she requested.
There was a pause. "You wish for me to leave you here, alone?"
As always, Liliana had seen right through her. It was not often that Sophitia made such a request, but she felt she needed a moment to herself. She nodded. "Yes. Please."
Liliana bowed. "At once, my queen." The round-eared girl turned and left.
Once she was alone, Sophitia continued to stare up at her late father's throne.
How many times have I fantasized about being in his position?
In her mind's eye, she pictured what she'd often pictured when she was little - herself on the throne, with her four siblings sitting on either side of her. They might have made for the greatest advisors she ever could have hoped for, assuming they all could've gotten along. Now, as she pictured them up there by her throne, the images of Victorique, Lancel, and Percival faded away, leaving only herself and Seraphina.
Turning to the right, the new queen slowly walked across the hard stone floor, her footsteps echoing throughout the deserted great hall. She made her way to the nearest staircase, ascending the curved stairway to the upper level. Each step seemed harder than the last, as if weights were being placed upon her shoulders the higher she climbed, but she kept moving, imitating Victorique's graceful march that she would need to master as the new queen.
At the top of the stairs, Sophitia suffered a brief hallucination. The thrones seemed miles away, as if the throne room had been extended far beyond the length it had been previously. But then, the world seemed to snap back into place, with the thrones being pulled straight towards her until they were right in her face.
It's… too sudden.
Back when her father had still been alive, she'd fantasized about becoming the queen perhaps a couple decades down the line. There had been no warning that everything would change on the night of the Blood Moon. And ever since then, the changes had become more and more rapid, until she found herself here - in front of what was now her own royal throne.
Forcing herself to keep going, Sophitia approached the red velvet chair that was decorated with gold and jewelry. However, rather than sitting down on it, she slowly fell to her knees, as if she intended to pray. She knelt there for a few minutes. She wasn't sure what to think anymore.
Perhaps Nayru or Hylia is watching me right now. Or any of the other gods. What do they think of me? Did they do this on purpose?
While she knelt before the throne, she heard Liliana's footsteps as her charge came back into the room.
"I think… this is my punishment," she realized, voicing her thoughts aloud. "I wanted so badly to be queen. I knew what that could mean, but I still wanted it. Then I was given the chance to walk away and let someone else take the throne, but I chose to pursue it instead. I think… I think I killed them…"
There was a pause. "It always feels that way." It wasn't Liliana's voice.
Sophitia sprang to her feet and spun around. Rather than her retainer, it was the Hero's brother, Link, standing down in the gallery. Too stunned and embarrassed to speak, the queen merely stared down at him in shock.
Link scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "When you lose your family… it always feels like it's your fault," he went on when Sophitia said nothing. "You keep thinking, if I'd just done something different, maybe they'd still be alive, but I didn't, so it's my fault. But… it wasn't, really. You can't always do something. Sometimes, things happen, and they're just too far beyond our control."
The queen blinked. She could tell right away that something had happened in Link's past - something that made him relate to her position. Wishing to be more polite, she descended the stairs back down to the gallery and approached the Hero's brother.
"Er. Apologies, my queen," Link said hurriedly. "I didn't mean to interrupt, or to pry, or to, er…"
"No, no, I-" Sophitia stood before the adventurer, quickly fixing her hair and her dress, worried about the vulnerable display she'd just accidentally shown him. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "You… You speak as someone who has endured great hardship, and I deeply appreciate your sympathy. Your words carry great wisdom. Thank you." The queen gave him a polite bow.
The young man gave her a bow in return. "I'm… glad I could help." He still seemed uncomfortable, and Sophitia could understand why. He would not have been used to being in the presence of royalty, and he probably felt rude for interrupting a private moment of hers.
"We have not had much time to get acquainted, given the events that have transpired since your arrival," Sophitia said, hoping to ease the tension she'd accidentally created. "Your sister speaks most highly of you."
Link laughed lightly. "Yours speaks well of you, too." He cleared his throat. "My queen."
Sophitia smiled warmly. "I'd nearly forgotten. You traveled with my younger sister and my aunt for a time."
The Hero's brother nodded. "That's right. I actually met your sister before I found her in Hateno as well. Linkle and I came across her and Dame Jeanne while we were riding through Hyrule Field, just before the Blood Moon."
"I see. I would've been in Hebra at the time." Sophitia felt a little guilty at that thought. A lot had happened during the Blood Moon. However, she reminded herself of what Link had said.
There was nothing I could have done.
"I hope Seraphina was not a burden to you," the queen went on.
"No, not at all." Link held up his hands, almost apologetically. "She's a very sweet little girl. Nothing like my sister at her age. I hope Linkle hasn't been any trouble here at the castle. She has a habit of breaking pots."
The queen laughed. "She has been the model Hero. She saved us all from Lord Remoth, and you and her together saved us from the Headless Demon. I couldn't be more grateful to her, and to you."
"That's… high praise. Especially coming from you, my queen."
Link didn't strike Sophitia as someone who was used to formality - or used to receiving compliments, for that matter. His sister was similarly inexperienced with highborn etiquette. It was all very charming, in a way.
They remind me of Liliana when she first came to the capital.
At that thought, Liliana suddenly appeared in the doorway. Upon spotting the queen speaking with Link, the round-eared girl hurried to her charge's side.
"Ah, Liliana. Welcome back," Sophitia said.
"My apologies, my queen." Liliana carried Sophitia's ledger in her hand, and she held it out to offer it to the queen. "I hope I did not leave you alone for too long."
"Not to worry." Sophitia smiled at Link. "This young hero and I were just discussing our sisters."
"Yes. I was actually looking for her," Link said. "She disappeared after the meeting. So, I guess I should probably get back to my search."
"Very well. I need to prepare for Queen Urballa's arrival, so I suppose we shall continue this some other time." Sophitia gave Link a short bow. "Thank you again, hero. Liliana, let us be off."
The three of them exited the throne room, with Link going his separate way.
"Are you alright?" Liliana asked quietly.
When Liliana had left her, Sophitia had been on the verge of a breakdown, so she considered it understandable that Liliana would be worried. "I am feeling much better, my dear," she replied, reaching out to grip Liliana's hand. "Thank you for giving me my space. I promise not to send you away like that again."
"You may do so whenever you need, Sophitia," Liliana told her. "But, whenever I can be of help, I would much rather remain by your side."
Standing in the castle's grand entrance hall and awaiting the arrival of important visitors was nothing new to Sophitia. However, it was certainly her first time doing so as the Queen of Hyrule. At the insistence of Aunt Celessa and several of her other aides, she wore her finest dress, as well as her crown. It was the same crown she'd always worn - the modest, braided gold circlet with three thin rubies fanning out in the center. She did not wish to wear her father's crown. She had commissioned the Goron artisans who worked in the forges beneath the castle to create a brand new one for her eventual coronation ceremony, but it would not be ready for some time.
Despite being inexperienced as a queen, Sophitia did have experience acting as the lead negotiator in peace talks with a province that desired independence. The situation felt eerily familiar to her. She was as nervous as she'd been while awaiting the arrival of High Chief Revalco at Snowpeak Palace.
It is not the same. Queen Urballa and I have the same goal.
It helped that Sophitia would not need to convince Queen Urballa of anything, or at least she didn't think she'd have to. If the Gerudo queen had not changed her mind about anything since she'd last met with Aunt Celessa, then she would be willing to accept an alliance against their common enemy in exchange for their independence. Sophitia was willing to accept that deal, so with any luck, these negotiations would be rather short.
It had taken the Grand Protector quite a lot of time and resources to prepare the city for Queen Urballa's arrival. In order to avoid hostilities, a large path leading from the city's southern gate all the way to the castle had been partitioned off from the civilian population. The Gerudo queen had been given permission to bring a large guard detail with her, and her armies were camped outside the city walls. Sophitia wanted to avoid any potential misunderstanding that could possibly lead to another violent conflict. That idea frightened her more than the prospect of meeting face-to-face with Queen Urballa.
Sophitia's sister stood at her side, garbed in a pure white dress. Seraphina had been a friend to Queen Urballa's daughter. According to Aunt Celessa and Dame Jeanne, it had been Seraphina who had managed to get through to Urballa when they met at the Coliseum. Sophitia hoped that their bond would prove to be beneficial for their peace talks once again. Celessa was present as well. Her familiarity with Queen Urballa would likewise serve to make the proceedings go more smoothly. Also joining her were the Hero siblings. Since they wished to convince Urballa to join them in battle against demonic forces, Sophitia wished to show they were prepared to succeed.
When the doors to the great hall opened, trumpets sounded to announce the Gerudo queen's arrival. These sounds were followed by some of the Gerudo's own horns, which sounded much more intense. Several columns of the uncannily tall women from the southwest marched into the hall, headed by the clacking metal of the intimidating Iron Knuckles. The armored warriors carried absurdly large battleaxes and warhammers, while the rest of the soldiers carried long golden spears.
Sophitia's heart beat wildly at the sight. She reminded herself they had come for peace talks, but the battalion of warriors certainly looked ready for battle. However, the columns of Gerudo women came to a stop several yards from the Hyrulean queen. As if part of some elaborate arrival ceremony, the Gerudo soldiers began banging the bottoms of their weapons against the floor in sync with one another, producing a chorus of rhythmic, warlike clatter. Once this display ceased, the columns of troops parted, revealing the Gerudo queen.
Queen Urballa was just as tall as the rest of her people, and her elaborate heels made her even taller. Her fine silken clothing and her array of expensive jewelry added to her regal presence, capped off with her exotic headdress of a crown. She certainly looked the part of a queen much more than Sophitia felt she did herself.
Setting her sights upon Sophitia with a neutral expression on her face, Queen Urballa strolled forward. While standing up close to the Hylian, Urballa completely dwarfed her. Sophitia attempted to meet the other queen's gaze calmly, wishing strongly to avoid showing just how intimidated she felt at the moment.
"Queen Urballa." Sophitia greeted her with a bow. "It is an honor to treat with you."
"Queen Zelda." The Gerudo queen responded with a bow of her own. "You have my thanks for the invitation. And you have my sympathies regarding recent events."
"Thank you, Your Grace. I would likewise wish to express my condolences regarding the tragedies you and your kingdom have faced recently." Placing her hand on her little sister's back, Sophitia urged Seraphina to take a step forward. "You are already well acquainted with my sister. Seraphina has just recently been awakened as our new Sage of Light."
Urballa seemed to accept Sophitia's words, and she appeared pleased to see the young sage. "Princess Seraphina - or, shall I say, Sage Seraphina - I am glad to find you have made it home safely. It is good to see you again as well, Governor Kochi."
Seraphina smiled after having been addressed, and she curtsied for the Gerudo queen. "Welcome to my home, Your Grace."
Aunt Celessa gave Urballa a nod. "I am pleased to see you arrived safely, Your Grace."
"I would also like to introduce you to Linkle, the latest reincarnation of Hylia's Chosen Hero. She is joined by her brother and adventuring partner, Link." Sophitia gestured towards the heroic siblings. Link bowed, but Linkle was too busy staring upwards in awe of the Gerudo queen. Her brother gave her a light smack to her side, which snapped her out of her reverie enough to bow as well.
"Now, given the circumstances, I believe we can all agree not to spend too much time on pleasantries," Celessa joined in to say. "Shall we proceed to our council chambers to discuss our alliance?"
"I had the same thought," Urballa agreed, turning her attention back to Sophitia. "Queen Zelda, kindly lead the way."
"Certainly."
Sophitia was pleased by the way things were proceeding. Queen Urballa was more cordial than she'd expected. Seraphina and Celessa must have successfully convinced the Gerudo queen that they'd had no hand in Princess Sabah's death, as Urballa showed no hint of lingering resentment over the matter. With any luck, the Impa Family's guilt would serve as a strong motivation for them to work together.
"We have taken the liberty to draw up a proposal based on our prior conversations." Governor Kochi placed a stack of papers on the table and slid it across to Queen Urballa. "Please examine it. I believe you will find it acceptable."
Wordlessly, the Gerudo queen dragged the papers over to herself and flipped through them with her long fingernails, her jewelry rattling as she moved. Sophitia watched nervously. The rational side of her knew she should have nothing to fear. If they were giving her what she'd been wanting for this long, surely she would take no offense to it.
"It does appear to all be here," Urballa commented, still flipping through the papers. "All current hostilities between Gerudo and Hyrule are to cease. You recognize our sovereignty, we relinquish Digdogg and the Coliseum to you. Trade between kingdoms shall resume, and we each maintain control of our own borders. You allow the Gerudo people to embark on Mother's Pilgrimages to your land, and we allow Hyruleans to embark on Father's Pilgrimages to Gerudo. Our sages shall remain members of the Sages' Pact." The Gerudo queen offered a nod to Seraphina upon mention of the sages, for which the young princess smiled brightly at her. "And our militaries remain separate, but we are to join forces against larger external threats."
Sophitia nodded when Urballa finished her summary. "I believe each of these points shall lead to a more fruitful relationship between our great kingdoms."
Urballa rhythmically tapped her fingers against the table as she finished reading the final pages. "I notice there is little in here guaranteeing the continued enforcement of this agreement in the future," she commented, sounding a bit skeptical. "What is to prevent another Nohansen from taking our lands again at some point down the line?"
"The same thing that is preventing another Ganondorf from invading our lands again, Your Grace," Sophitia answered - in what she hoped was a manner that sounded both intelligent and nonthreatening. "The vigilance of our Noble Houses and the cooperation of our peoples." The other queen eyed her for a moment, so Sophitia was forced to maintain her confident façade.
"I suppose you are right," Urballa admitted. "You and I shall both rule for only a finite period of time. The best we can do is instill our values in our people so that our legacies may continue after we are gone."
Sophitia was stunned by how much more eloquently the other queen was able to put it, and Urballa presumably was speaking her second language. Nevertheless, she hid her envy and gave the Gerudo queen a smile. "I am glad we see eye to eye."
"Splendid," Aunt Celessa agreed. "We may finalize any fine details regarding this treaty in the coming days. With our tentative agreement on that matter, let us discuss the Impa-Remoth conspiracy."
Sophitia remained impressed by her aunt's ability to tactfully move things along without appearing impatient.
When all this is over, I must ask her to remain in the capital as my chief advisor.
"Yes," Linkle agreed. She and her brother had remained silent during the discussion so far. The heroes likely cared little for politics, which Sophitia found refreshingly altruistic. "The demon has been defeated, as has Remoth," the Hero went on, "but the demon was merely her mother's lieutenant, and Remoth surely has surviving allies."
Sophitia immediately thought of Mina Remoth, but chose not to bring her up.
Maybe she has nothing to do with this.
Urballa looked slightly guilty, letting more of her feelings show than she had since she arrived. "Prince Harun is working with the enemy," she admitted.
"We are aware of this," Sophitia replied, speaking softly so as not to appear judgemental. "I encountered the Voe on my return from Hebra. He was traveling with a host of his own forces, along with Achemen, Blins, and a talking Hinox."
Link and Linkle both perked up. "Talking Hinox?" they said in unison. Sophitia found it amusing and kind of adorable when they did that.
"Do you know of this creature?" Sophitia asked the heroes.
"We ran into one like that in the Lost Woods," Linkle explained.
"He lifted us above the trees to help us find the way to Kokiri Forest," Link added.
"It helped you?" the Hyrulean queen asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Linkle confirmed with a nod of her head. "Although, thinking back on it, he probably only helped us because they need the Hero alive for some reason."
"That's true," Link agreed. "We hadn't pulled the sword from the stone yet at the time, but we told him we were going to try."
"His name is Raeger," Queen Urballa cut in, turning all eyes back to her.
"You have met this creature as well, Your Grace?" Sophitia asked.
"Yes. He came to us while we were laying siege to the Coliseum," the Gerudo queen told them. "He had learned that Harun was in possession of a certain mirror shield. The giant believed it was a key to the Triforce. He offered to join forces with us so we could open the gate to the Triforce together. Harun and him split off from us shortly after that."
"It seems that, despite the deaths of Shiho and Remoth, our list of enemies remains quite long indeed," Governor Kochi said. "The Sheikah Shogun, the Sage of Shadow, the Grand Watcher, the Gerudo Prince, an intelligent Hinox…"
"And the Sage of Time," Linkle reminded them.
"And a dragon," Link added. The others turned to him in shock.
"A dragon?" Sophitia said incredulously.
How on earth has the enemy garnered such powerful allies?
"The first key we encountered was the Hero of Twilight's bow," the Hero's brother elaborated. "But it was stolen by the dragon who attacked the Gorons."
Seraphina gasped delightedly for some reason. "Ooh! A dragon? I think we met his sister!"
"What?" The elder Zelda did not know how many more times she could be surprised in one meeting.
"She's my friend, though," her sister added.
Dame Jeanne put a hand on her charge's shoulder. "She encountered the dragon at the Spring of Wisdom atop Mount Lanayru. By her account, it is an ice dragon, and it is not hostile."
Sophitia put her hands together and took a deep breath. "Alright. I am glad we have had this opportunity to compare notes. We now have a good understanding of who our enemies are. We also know their objective, and how they plan to achieve it," she stated. "However, we know little about their numbers, and more importantly, we do not know their exact location."
Queen Urballa raised an eyebrow. "Are you not privy to the location of the Triforce, Your Grace?"
Shamefully, Sophitia could only shake her head. "That secret died with my father and my sister, I am afraid," she admitted. "However." The queen turned to Liliana. "Dear, the map, please."
The round-eared girl nodded. Retrieving a rolled-up map, she unfurled it across the table in front of her queen.
"I observed Prince Harun and the intelligent Hinox heading north through the Breach of Demise," she reminded everyone, tracing her finger through the location on the map. "Likewise, after Grand Watcher Socicila commandeered the City in the Sky, it was observed flying northwest…" She moved a finger from her other hand along Skyloft's apparent path. "It would appear as though they are heading to somewhere in Rowan Plain, Tabantha Tundra, or the northeastern end of Tanagar Canyon."
"Lord Remoth has long maintained mining operations throughout Tanagar Canyon, using monsters as slave labor," Aunt Celessa interjected. "Could he have been excavating the Triforce's hiding place?"
"How would he even know where it is?" Seraphina asked. "Didn't only Father and Vicky know?"
"The Mask Salesman gave Impa Shiho the mask that allowed her to read minds," Linkle pointed out. "He said he told them, but maybe he meant indirectly. Shiho could have learned where it is by reading King Tychon or Princess Victorique's mind without them ever knowing."
Sophitia raised an eyebrow, confused by the young girl's remark. "Mask salesman? What mask salesman?"
Linkle looked as though she were drawing a blank. "I don't know. I met him on the way here. He said he made a deal with the head of the Impa Clan and gave her daughter a gift."
Sophitia had no idea what to make of that, but their confrontation with Impa Shiho had evidently confirmed Link's assertion that her mask had given her mind reading abilities. "Well, regardless, I suppose that mask could have allowed them to obtain the Triforce's location," Sophitia agreed, moving a finger in a circle around the northeastern end of the canyon.
"Then we know where to go and who to kill," Linkle said, sounding oddly exciting. "When do we go in?"
"Do not be hasty, good Hero," Sophitia told her. "Our enemies are quite strong, and they have access to the weaponized flying fortress my brother acquired. And as I have said, we do not know their numbers."
"What numbers do we have?" Link asked.
"As of now, we have amassed the remaining forces of Central Hyrule, Akkala, Necluda, and Gerudo," Celessa answered.
"Before setting off, we should call for aid from Eldin, Lanayru, Faron, and Ordona, and we may still have allies in Hebra as well," Sophitia suggested.
"Do we have the time to wait for reinforcements to arrive from across the kingdom, Your Grace?" Queen Urballa asked. "Every moment we delay, our enemies may yet grow stronger."
"There may be a risk in not striking immediately," Sophitia admitted. "However, so long as we maintain possession of two of the keys, the door to the Triforce shall remain sealed. The enemy cannot claim victory no matter how long we delay." Despite her fears regarding the situation Sophitia had to admit that the circumstances favored them in this manner.
"Very well. We shall keep our armies here until we have finished gathering the rest of our forces," Celessa said, turning to the Gerudo queen. "We shall speak with the Grand Treasurer to see about obtaining rations to distribute amongst the troops."
"I shall write letters explaining the situation to Chief Darote, King Ralis, Governor Stylas, Governor Bede, and the Rito Chieftains," the Hyrulean queen declared, standing from her chair. "Everyone else, please make whatever preparations you deem necessary. With any luck, this will all be over soon."