Hello readers, chapter 1777 is here! This week Hyrule ushers in a new ruler, while Link and his friends head off to prepare for what's to come...
"….and do you solemnly swear to uphold the values and traditions of your ancestors, while working to improve upon them for the future of this kingdom?"
"I do."
"Then, as as my final service to the Royal Family, I am pleased to crown you Zelda, Queen of Hyrule!"
With that, Impa set down a gold tiara down on Zelda's head. The former princess smiled as she looked out to the crowd before her, who mostly erupted into loud cheering.
"Thank you everyone. I'm honored to stand here as your new queen..." Zelda spoke out to the crowd. By her side was Prince Darius, who was now considered King Darius of Hyrule.
Sitting to the side watching was Link and Nabooru, with Aviel and Nemisa standing guard. Queen Ruto, her two guards Zopem and Kaidon, Chieftain Darunia and Vekai were all watching as well. Lieutenant Ashe was standing at attention along with a number of knights.
Ruto was sobbing in tears of happiness at her childhood friend's coronation. Zopem was handing her tissue after tissue so she could wipe her eyes and blow her nose, while Kaidon was busy sweeping up the piles of discarded tissues she was leaving.
As for Link, he looked to the outfit Zelda was wearing; she traded in her normal princess dress for a much more elegant queen's gown. It had colors of pink, blue and white, designed to make her trim figure, as well as her bright blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes stand out. To say the least, she looked positively beautiful in it. In some ways, she was more resembling her mother from those portraits he saw of her.
Darius himself was dressed in much more refined king's clothes (though they were less extravagant in order to empathize Zelda was of higher authority), complete with a cape that resembled that of the late King Reinald's. He also wore a crown on his head, again less decorated than Zelda's tiara.
"I hope to honor the values of my mother and father, and with my husband as king, we hope to increase relations with Fargent in times to come, and furthermore..."
As Zelda gave her speech, the town's public were quietly speaking to each other over the new queen
"Oh she looks so beautiful! She looks so much like her mother!" said an old woman.
"No kidding, she really grew up." spoke another villager in awe.
"Eh, looks are one thing, but I wonder if she can really hold this kingdom together herself?" asked one.
"Yeah, can't believe the Parliament is disbanded. They were running things real tight, how can she claim to be able to handle things when her father couldn't?" asked another.
"Hey, quiet down and maybe she'll explain it!" scolded another villager as they all tried to focus on her speech.
"...now with all that said, there is some particularly pressing matters we have to discuss with you all." Zelda spoke with a serious look in her eyes,
"First, I'm certain you're all curious as to the truth behind my father, the king's death." she spoke out, "It was today that I am ready to divulge in this information."
The crowd started speaking to each other even more wildly about this, many discussing theories and rumors they had heard, while some journalists had their notepads and pens at the ready.
"It was the Gerudo King, wasn't it? This was all their plan from the beginning!"
"No way, it had to be the Prince of Fargent!"
"It was the moon men is what it was!"
"Go back to yer ranch, Old Man Jalolf!"
'I had a feeling this wouldn't go over well…' Zelda thought to herself as she watched the public arguing. She knew she couldn't delay it any longer and brought up her hand to silence everyone.
"The truth of the matter is…" she spoke out to the crowd, "...my father was assassinated by Sokou, the dark priest and leader of the Order of Reyham."
"The order of what now?" asked a villager.
"Oh yeah, I remember reading about them on those old wanted posters around town."
"I've heard of them, bunch of psychotic cultists!"
"How could the king have been killed so easily by them? Are any of us even safe anymore?"
Zelda spoke out, "Please stay calm, as of right now our knights are looking into this matter. But we shall not allow them to freely do as they please."
"If I may, my queen?" Darius stepped up, Zelda nodded to him, and so he took a breath, and spoke out to the crowd, "I'm afraid... I have to admit I share some responsibility in this tragic incident."
"What? The prince?" the crowd spoke out, now chattering further.
"This is insane!"
"Allying with Fargent was a mistake…"
"What can be done about this?"
"Darius, maybe you shouldn't try to-" Link began, but Darius cut him off.
"No, this is something the public must know." Darius spoke with narrowed eyes.
"The Dark Priest Sokou infiltrated my father's kingdom as an advisor under the identity of a wise old man named Xebes, and came with me out here to Hyrule as my personal counselor. He was a man of whom I truly cared for and trusted, almost seeing him as a grandfather of sorts…"
Darius stared downwards in silence for a moment, making the crowd start to feel a little more sympathetic to him, but he continued.
"But while he was a skilled trickster, I can't deny my nativity gives me at least some fault in the king's death."
"Darius…" Zelda spoke sadly.
"But rest assured," Darius spoke out, quieting the crowd, "I will be taking every precaution necessary to see it that the Order is tracked down and brought to awesome justice! For that you have my word!"
Darius pumped his fist and narrowed his eyes.
"As one who's come from the Kingdom of Fargent, I've grown to love Hyrule as my home, and I will not rest until it is truly safe and prosperous for everyone!"
"Well he does seem to taking action..." nodded a villager.
"He did play a major hand in stopping the Widowmaker after all, maybe we can trust him?"
"Whoo! All hail King Darius!"
There was applause from the crowd at the new king's words, as Darius bowed to them all in respect. Link in particular was impressed at him being able to win over the crowd so well, mentally taking some notes for his own speeches as the Gerudo King.
Soon Darius stepped aside and allowed the new Queen Zelda to speak again. She glanced to Darius with a small smile for helping to settle things down with the public a little for her.
"As for the next order of business…" Zelda began with a serious tone, "I regret to say, that a new threat is currently approaching us in the future…"
The crowd started to question among each other what she was going on about now, but they were silenced by Darius' hand, allowing Zelda to continue. She nodded to Link and Nabooru, who both stood up and walked forward to join Zelda.
"What's the Gerudo King doing?" whispered one villager.
Zelda continued, "You see, there exists a group of rogue Gerudo who oppose the rule of King Link and Lady Nabooru here. They have come to be known as the 'Ebony Sisterhood'."
The crowd started chattering wildly about this news as Zelda continued.
"Led by Imono Dragmire, wife of Ganondorf, they have made it their goal to launch an attack on Hyrule Castle five months from now, on the night of the Blood Moon. Their ultimate aim, naturally, is to free the Demon King Ganondorf from his imprisonment."
"What? The blond moon?" exclaimed a villager.
"But that's when all the monsters get realty strong! No one's foolish enough to go out of town when that happens, not even the knights!" said an older man.
"And what was that about Imono Dragmire? We were told she was killed in the war!"
"Don't tell me the Royals were lying to us about that too!"
Zelda grew a bit nervous about the crowd's commotion. She was starting to lose her nerve. But thankfully someone else stepped up to speak.
"If I may speak," Nabooru shouted in a powerful voice, quieting down the crowd,
"The Gerudo leader? What does she want now…?" asked a villager.
"Greetings people of Hyrule. I understand many of you may be worried by this news, especially after what happened ten years ago with Ganondorf's attempted invasion, as well as the Hylian vs Gerudo war. But rest assured, we have battled with these fiends before, we have gained knowledge and experience with them, and have an understanding of their ways."
"We shall not allow them to bring harm to this kingdom. To that end we have formed alliances with the Royal Family, as well as the Kokiri, Goron and Zora, to prevent that from happening. And both the Gerudo King and myself have made a vow to lay down our lives on the line, to ensure the safety of all of you!"
The crowd murmured to each other further about this news.
"They're going to… help us?"
"But why, after all that's happened with them?"
"That's right." Link stepped up, standing tall before the crowd, "I'm sure most of you have reservations about the Gerudo, and it's understandable considering their past. However, it's thanks to Lady Nabooru here that so many of them have grown and changed to become a true society like all the other tribes."
Link paused for a moment as he though about his lovely fiances, the public of Gerudo Town, and even the rebels they had captured,
"I should know, as I've lived with them over the past years and have gotten an understanding of who they truly are, and who they want to be… and I myself was chosen as their king by her to help them reach that level!"
"We promise that we will do everything in our power to stop Imono and ensure the future of Hyrule for everyone." Link continued, clenching his fist, "We'll fight to the very end for each and every one of you!"
The crowd was in silent shock of this news, before they all started to talk among each other again.
"Oh wow… they kinda sound like they really mean it." whispered one villager.
"That Lady Nabooru is so authoritative… and the king seems to mean what he says..."
"I dunno, can we really depend on them for Hyrule's safety? This could still be a trick to deceive us..."
"But they're wiling to put down their lives to protect us against this rebellion, shouldn't we at least give them the benefit of the doubt?"
"They have been doing a lot for this town over the past month I suppose…"
As Link was speaking out to the crowd, Nabooru was standing by with her arms folded, smiling at how far her young protegee was growing as a king. He had went from stammering over himself to boldly speaking out to the people without fear. She couldn't be more proud of him, even feeling a slight blush forming on her cheeks, through she did her best to hide it.
Meanwhile, Aviel and Nemisa were standing a distance away. Watching Link speak with admiration. Aviel in particular was excited at seeing him take charge like this.
"Aaaah, look at Link… he's so cool and dreamy…!" Aviel whispered with dazzling eyes.
"Don't drool in front of the audience." Nemisa whispered to her.
As everyone eyes were watching Link give his speech though, a certain figure on the stage was eyeing Link carefully. They smirked lightly as they gripped at a blade by their waist.
"...and I vow to make sure Imono shall never free Ganondorf, or claim the Triforce!" Link shouted out, "I'll never allow that to happen as long as I live!"
'That shall problem I deal with right now…'
Just then the figure, a lone Hylian knight, suddenly charged right at Link. He unsheathed his sword and brought it out at Link to strike him from behind.
"DIE YOU GERUDO SCUUUM!" shouted the knight.
"Link, watch out!" Nabooru shouted.
The crowd gasped as Link turned to see the knight was coming right at him. The young king was about to reach for something under his poncho to retaliate against the knight, but then Ashe quickly jumped out in front of the Gerudo King with her defense sword to block it off in midair.
"What th-?!"
The knight was so surprised by Ashe's speed that it gave Aviel the chance to quickly whip out her crossbow and fire an arrow that hit the sword at the very tip, causing it to be knocked out of his grip. Nemisa then leapt through the air and delivered a flying kick to his head, sending him tumbling over to the floor. He was about to get back up, but Lieutenant Ashe quickly grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed him to the ground.
"Halt, you're under arrest for the attempted assassination of the Gerudo King!" Ashe shouted furiously.
The crowd was shocked by this sudden attack, and started talking wildly among each other. Some of the press were already snapping pictures with their Photoboxes and frantically writing down notes.
"What? A-An assassination attempt, HERE?" spoke one villager, looking around paranoid that there might be others.
"Tsk, so close…" grumbled one jaded villager to himself.
"I'm just glad no one was hurt!" said another villager.
"I'm really impressed they were able to stop him so quickly, both the Lieutenant and the Gerudo!"
"But what if there's others that come after us?"
"Please everyone, calm yourselves!" Zelda called out to the crowd, but they were too loud to notice.
"Grk, damnit…!" the knight scowled as he tried to reach for the sword, but Link picked it up.
"Okay you, what's this about?!" Link asked, narrowing his eyes down at the knight.
"…" the knight laid there silently, glaring coldly at Link..
"Hmph, won't talk? How about we have a good look at you then?" Darius asked, he grabbed the knight by his helmet and pulled it off to get a good look at his face.
"Wait, you're not one of my men!" Ashe realized, "Who are you?"
"Curse you all..." muttered the man angerly, glaring at Zelda and Darius, "Look at you, working with the Gerudo like this?! They're going to be the death of us all! You'll see!"
The man was forced up to his feet by a real knight, as he shouted out to the crowd, "Down with the Gerudo King! Down with the Royal Family! Down with the-!"
But Darius then shoved the helmet back on the man's head backwards to muffle his shouting.
"I think that looks far better on you that way!" Darius commented with a laugh.
"Link, are you-" Queen Zelda stopped and corrected herself, "I mean, Gerudo King, are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks to the girls here." Link grinned as Aviel hugged him tightly in relief.
Despite Link's words though, the newly crowded queen stared downcast. She could hear the crowd growing louder and more panicked, but she was at a loss for words to say to them. Thankfully, Darius and Nabooru both stepped up to try and quell the crowd a little. There was numerous newspaper reporters who were already writing down this incident frantically, and it was likely going to show up in tomorrow's news...
As the knights were trying to encourage the new queen to go back inside the castle, Zelda looked back over to Link, who despite being the prime target, was already looking around and watching out for any other potential attackers.
"I can't believe this…" Zelda spoke to herself sadly.
"So how's the questioning going?" Link asked.
After things had settled down, everyone had gathered into the meeting room to rest from the coronation and discuss the attempted attack. The rest of the Gerudo, as well as their other friends like Petra, Mystic Hemeron and Malon were there as well.
"From what we've gathered of his ramblings, that man had been a supporter of the Hylian Parliament." Darius spoke, "He had just heard about them all being arrested from the newspaper and wanted to take action against the Gerudo, thinking that they had directly influenced the disbandment."
"So how did he get on stage?" Nemisa shouted.
"It would appear he managed to knock out one of the guards with a sleeping agent and donned his equipment so he could sneak in with them." Ashe spoke solemnly, taking a worried glance at Link.
She bowed herself at the waist to Zelda, "My queen, as the current highest ranking officer at the moment, I assume full responsibility for this incident."
"No, not at all!" Zelda spoke waving her hand, "Despite the circumstances, you did fine work putting a stop to him and saving King Link!"
"Yeah, that was some quick swordplay. Can't imagine where you picked up on that." Link sported a pearly white grin and gave her a wink, "Thank you so much Lieutenant."
"I-It was nothing… Gerudo King." Ashe spoke with a light blush on her cheeks, "I also had fine support from your bodyguards."
"Of course." Link nodded with both Aviel and Nemisa sitting on either side of him, he playfully tussled with Aviel's hair and gave Nemisa a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you both."
"Heeeeeee…" Aviel grinned from him giving her a head pat.
"Hopefully that bastard will understand the consequences of attempting such a cowardly attack." Nemisa spoke sternly, but leaned towards Link and put a hand to his chest with a warm smile, "But I was mostly just happy to help you, my love..."
"Aw, you're such a sweetheart." Ruto smiled beside Nemisa, stealthily giving her a quick smooch on the cheek, "That's a reward from me as well!"
"H-Hey, not in front of everyone!" Nemisa exclaimed, rubbing at her cheek.
"So you wouldn't mind if she did that in private?" Nabooru pointed out, making the others laugh out while Nemisa grumbled embarrassingly to herself.
"Can't believe the guy went'n tried to off you right there 'n then Mr. King Link." Petra frowned, "What the hell's that bloke's problem?"
"Well, some people just have different views on how things should be run." Link explained, "Unfortunately, there's a lot of dangerous people who become so obsessed with it, that they think the only way to change things is to eliminate those against it."
"Like the rebel Gerudo you mentioned, or those Parliament blokes who tried to kill everyone with that poisoned chili…" Petra frowned, "Buncha messed up people they are…"
"Well put my puny thieving friend. The nerve of that self-proclaimed vigilante to pull a sneak attack like that!" Darius spoke with a scowl, he clenched his fist and pounded the table, causing some cups and plates to go flying, "That vile coward is lucky I didn't get to him first, or I would have-!"
"Darius, please control yourself." Zelda spoke sadly, putting a hand to his arm.
"Y-Yes. My apologizes, my queen." Darius sighed, he began trying to clean up the kitchen ware he made a mess of. A maid tried to help, but he insisted on doing it himself.
"I can understand His Majesty's frustration though, it's terrifying to think that guy would try that, and so soon after what happened with the Parliament." Malon shivered as she cuddled Meli, "Do y'all have to deal with assassins a lot?'
"Occasionally at Gerudo Town with the rebels, though since Lady Nabooru fixed up defenses it's been less of a problem." Nemisa said.
"I see…" Malon looked down to her baby.
"Well this means now more than ever that we should head back to Gerudo Town as soon as possible." Nabooru said, "It's been a wild month, but we need to start preparing for the war."
"That sounds good, I can't wait to see Foluma and the archery club!" Aviel said.
"And I gotta get on training our troops as soon as possible." Reirousa nodded, "You know that Imono bitch has got to be drilling those rebels into the ground as we're sittin' here flapping our gums."
"Yes, we should probably do the same for our own troops in the possible event things don't go well." King Darius spoke, "Though with Captain Andreas gone and Commander Ozork arrested we're lacking a good leader to guide them..."
"I think we could name a certain person in this room right now who could be a fine successor." Nabooru said, looking to Ashe with a wink, "How about it, Lieutenant?"
"W-What?" Ashe babbled, looking left and right at everyone.
"I have to agree." Zelda nodded, standing herself up, "Lieutenant Ashe, this is just a formality for now, but for your work in assisting with the incident at Lon Lon Ranch, as well as protecting the Gerudo King, I'd like to personally promote you to Commander of the Hylian Army."
"C-Commander?" Ashe spoke in shock, "M-My apologizes Your Highness, but I don't think I could take on such a grand position… You see, I..."
"I think it's a fine idea." Nabooru nodded, "If a chowderhead like that Ozork guy could make that position, I think you shouldn't have any problem." she gave Ashe a wink, "From what I've seen with your training, I know you have what it takes to prepare the troops for the war, Lady Ashe."
"I…" Ashe spoke.
"That's right!" Malon said cheerfully, "You don't know how grateful I am for you to save my Pa and everyone! I've even been told about how you've been encouraging more women to try and take on positions as knights! I think you'd be great!"
"I'm for it too Ashe." Link nodded, "I didn't think to bring my weapons with me for the coronation, but you handled things without a second thought. I believe in you to do what's best for the knights, and the people."
"Li- Gerudo King…" whispered Ashe with a light blush on her cheeks, she bowed on one knee to Zelda with her head down, "V-Very well Your Majesty. As commander, I shall not let you down."
"Very good." nodded Zelda with a smile, "We'll put our faith in you, Commander Ashe."
"Well I'm glad to have that settled," Darunia said, rubbing at his stomach, "But all this excitement's been building up a big Goron appetite in me and my son!"
"Yeah, what's for lunch?" Link-Goron asked anxiously.
"Oh don't worry." Nabooru smirked, "It should be coming any second-"
"Hello wveryone!" a voice suddenly called out.
Everyone turned to see the young zora nurse Meifa standing at the doorway with some knights, and they were all holding large cooking pots. Already the scent of a delicious cooked meat was filling the room. The zora girl sported a modest smile without letting herself show her pointy teeth,
"The chili is ready!"
"Alright, now we can finally try it for real!" cheered Aviel.
"Sounds good to me!" Link said, pulling out a spoon, "I've been waiting for the chance to use this!"
"Wait, was that what you were going to pull out against that assassin?" Nemisa asked.
"Who wants some more?" a knight called out as he held a pot and a wooden spoon.
"Oooh me! I want another bowl!" Aviel shouted out, holding her bowl to Nemisa.
"Get it yourself!" Nemisa said, pointing out that she was closer to the pot.
"Mmmmm…! It's soooo gooood!" Petra said with dazzling eyes, as she went back to scarfing it down.
"You said it little lady!" laughed Darunia as he took a big spoonful of the chili, "We Goron normally eat rocks, but this stuff ain't too bad either!"
"Still needs a little more spiciness to it though…" Korume spoke, about to pour an entire bottle of hot sauce and a bowl of red peppers into the pot near her.
"Don't ruin it with that junk!" Kesuta shouted to Korume, holding up the pot to keep it from her.
"How is that woman holding the hot pot without burning herself?" a knight exclaimed.
"I'm a fire elementalist, I can take the heat! Keeheehee!" Kesuta smugly laughed, only for Korume to discreetly plant a pepper in Kesuta's open mouth.
Kesuta stood there for a brief moment, as Korume pulled the pot away from her hands, before the fire elementalist went screaming out at the top of her lungs,
"HOT HOT HOT HOT!" Kesuta shouted, running around the room with her mouth ablaze.
"Meat, meat, meat, meat!" Reirousa said in a similar tone, gobbling down a large bowl of her own chili, before gulping down the remaining sauce, and she let out a satisfied steamy breath, "Hell yeah! You know just the way to cook it, fish lady!"
"Um, th-thank you General." Meifa bowed her head to Reirousa.
"That's my cute little sister for you!" Kaidon said flexing an arm and sporting a twinkling smile, "She's been a cooking wiz since she used to help Mother as a child!"
"Kaidon, please don't embarrass me!" Meifa complained lightly bopping at his arm. She looked downcast, "B-Besides, my cooking almost got you, King Link and his people killed…"
"Relax Ms. Meifa, none of us blame you for what happened." Nabooru shook her head, "It was Balterius and isambard who were behind all that. You were merely a pawn in their twisted game."
"B-But…" Meifa spoke.
"She said something similar to me back when I learned about what happened with the Hyrule vs Gerudo war." Link spoke, "You were only doing what you thought would make everyone happy."
"I… guess so…" Meifa whispered.
"So you understand now Meifa?" Ruto assured the zora lady, patting her hand, "You don't have to blame yourself."
"Thank you, my queen." Meifa bowed her head. She looked to Zelda, "And thank you Your Majesty, for allowing me to fulfill my promise to the Gerudo Link in the end, in spite of all that has happened."
"Think nothing of it." Zelda spoke sweetly, taking a bite of her own small bowl, "I've never had a soup or stew like this before, but I can't stop eating it! You're quite an accomplished chef, have you considered doing this for a living?"
"Not really, I prefer being a nurse." Meifa shook her head and smiled sheepishly, "Besides, this chili is really all I can make."
There was a pleasant laughter around the table at Meifa's little half-joke, making the red zora so embarrassed that she covered her face with a loaf of bread.
"Meifa-dear, don't feel like you have to be so modest around us." Ruto grinned, putting an arm around the nurse's shoulder and holding her close, her giant breasts pressing against Meifa's rather flat chest, "It's honestly quite a pleasure to meet another gourmet zora like my illustrious self!"
"I suppose so..." Meifa whispered, glancing at Link and Reirousa both taking a bite of their bowls, only for them to breathe out fire from Korume sneaking her red peppers into it.
"Besides that," Ruto whispered discreetly into her ear, "You'd be glad to know my dear husband loves his fellow gluttons."
"Wh-What are you saying, my queen?" Meifa exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Oooohohohoho! Nothing my dear!" laughed Ruto haughtily, "Just thought I'd mention it is all!"
But Meifa could only find herself dwelling on that thought, as she glanced back at Link who after having some bread to calm his mouth down, was right back to eating and loving the chili, and the zora found herself recalling what he had said before about her pointy-toothed smile being cute…
"So going back to Mr. Isambard, what's going to happen with the Hylian Parliament now?" Vekai asked Queen Zelda as she was eating a bread roll.
"And what about Ms. Rosemary?" Aviel asked.
"Who?" Kaidon asked in confusion.
"She means Countess Roesia." Nabooru clarified, "Or I suppose we should call her Ms. Veraan now."
"Yeah, what about Ms. Verity?" Aviel asked, hopping on her seat.
"Can you remember a name for three seconds?" Kesuta exclaimed.
"Well as Lady Nabooru pointed out, as of now they've all been stripped of their ranks and titles." Zelda spoke, "Geronim is currently being looked into for multiple cases of extortion and forgeries..."
Meanwhile in the Hyrule Castle prisons, Geronim was sitting on the cot in his cell with a darkened gaze; his fancy golden suit was replaced with common prisoner's clothes. Due to abusing the power of the Magic Armor, the once wealthy aristocrat and business man no longer had a single rupee to his name.
"Ismabard meanwhile is facing a number of bribery charges during his work as judge, not to mention at least ten counts of attempted murder by trying to poison King Link and his Gerudo friends."
The disbarred judge was standing tall and motionless in his own lone cell, as straight-faced and unreadable as ever. His dominant hand was clad in an arm cast due to his fight with Darius, currently unable to wield his gavel even if he still had it...
"Hmph, so much for his sense of 'justice'." Darius spoke bitterly, recalling how he was so reckless he was unleashing Bombchus in the court house.
"As for the Mystic Odleh, she's currently being looked into her dealings with the black market, as well as suspicion of trying to illegally take ownership of Lon Lon Ranch, but due to her old age we've placed her under house arrest." Zelda said, "We're also allowing her to train the younger mystics to better strengthen Rauru's sealing rings so they can keep Ganondorf imprisoned."
As they were talking, Odleh was indeed in a classroom of the palace, being watched over by knights and high ranked mystics as she was demonstrating her golden ring magic to some young pupils.
"That's good to hear." Impa nodded, pleased that Odleh finally remembered what was most important.
"Don't rightfully appreciate her trying to go after those poor little fairies." Malon said, despite what the fairies had put her through back in their hiding place, "But as long as she's makin' right, guess that's what counts."
"Now as for Ms. Veraan Le Roesia…" Zelda began, "Despite how recently she joined the Parliament compared to the others, she was still involved in a number of unscrupulous business dealings in order to support their goals, as well as her illegal ownership of the Vesperia wasp needs to be considered…"
Link gulped a little, he wanted to protest but felt like saying something would be out of line, plus he did have to admit even as kind as she was was to him, she still had those crimes on her record.
"But Princess Hilda, she wasn't a bad person," Aviel spoke out to the queen with big sad eyes, "She saved all our lives!"
"Aviel, please. You're speaking to the Queen now, you know!" Nemisa spoke holding her, "I apologize Your Highness, but she's still not used to proper etiquette with royals."
"What do you mean Nemisa? Of course I'm used to edible things, even with the queen!" Aviel protested, pointing out her chili, "See? This is already my third bowl!"
"Forgive me Zelda, I know I shouldn't try to tell you how to do your job…" Ruto spoke up, "But Ms. Veraan saved the Gerudo and my bodyguard, even potentially risking her own life to do it! Can't that count for anything?"
"I have to agree with the queen!" Kaidon said, then after a moment of thought gestured to Ruto, "I-I mean my queen!" another pause as he glanced to Link, "I-I mean the queen that I serve under!"
"Kaidon, please stop talking." Zopem groaned.
Link took in what Aviel, Ruto and Kaidon all stated, he gulped and spoke out himself,
"I'd like to vouch for Ms. Veraan as well." Link said, "Even with the rap sheet she has, I've gotten to know her personally, and along with what she did for my family, I feel she has more than proven herself that she can be rehabilitated and given a second chance."
"I think so too!" Saria spoke up, "Even if she did attack me back at the conservatory, she's gone through a lot of her own pain, and I think she's different than most of the parliament!"
Zelda stared out at everyone looking to her with pleading eyes. She glanced to Darius who sat there with a slight smirk to his lips. She then smiled lightly and spoke,
"It's okay everyone, I'm well aware of those facts." Zelda assured them, "We understand what she did for you all, and that will be taken into consideration in her hearing."
Darius nodded, "You'll also be happy to know that Ms. Veraan has also agreed to a plea deal. She's going to help us with our investigation into the Parliament's actions by revealing as many secret dealings they did as she knows."
"Mind you, this isn't just about her crimes, we also have to consider the matter of her condition wiyth the Toxiplume." Zelda pointed out, "With all that poison she took in, as well as the physical transformation she took on from it, we need to make sure she hasn't suffered any side effects that could be a threat to herself or others."
"Yeah, that makes sense." Link nodded, wondering what could become of that poison power she had.
Darius made an over-the-top poise and thrust out his spoon gallantly, "With all that in mind, I'm certain she'll be free soon enough. With some hard work on her part, she may even be released by the time you all return for the war."
"Yaaaaay! Thank you Queen Gilda!" Aviel cheered, hugging the new queen with her Roc's Wings.
"Stop hugging Her Majesty, you moron!" Nemisa shouted in a panic as she looked at the knights about to brandish their swords, "Or at least get her name right for once!"
"Well that's good to hear, Your Majesty." Link said relieved, "I really want to thank her again for what she did."
"Oh, 'thank' her you say...?" Nabooru spoke suggestively, "Is that how you're going to put it?"
Some of the Gerudo girls as well as Ruto snickered to themselves, as Link rolled his eyes and looked away. Malon blushed lightly at the thought, while both Meifa and Kaidon both sat there in confusion of what she meant.
'Besides that…' Link thought to himself, 'There's also what Saria mentioned to me when she confronted Veraan back at the conservatory…'
"And they only had that opportunity because of me… it's all my fault…"
"Once again… I've caused another man I cared about to die…"
As they were all talking, Veraan herself was confined to one room of the palace, under heavy guard by the knights. She was sitting back on a chair, sipping a martini. She let out a sigh, feeling as though the taste was a little too bitter for some reason. She poured it out into the fountain sink and glanced out the window of her room, seeing Gerudo Valley far off in the distance.
Back in the meeting room Link pondered to himself,
'I wonder… what really happened with her husband…?'
"Well, today's the big day." Nabooru stated.
It was two days later, and standing outside of the palace was Link, Nabooru, all the Gerudo, as well as Malon, Epona, Impa, and Petra. All their possessions were gathered together and loaded up onto horse carts. Reirousa herself was carrying an abnormally large stack of supplies on her back alone.
Before them was Queen Zelda, Prince Darius, and Halei standing with Commander Ashe, Sir Knave and a handful of the royal knights. Ruto, Darunia, Vekai and their subordinates had all already left to go settle back in to their homes and make preparations for the incoming war.
"Yep, time to return to Gerudo Town." Link nodded, "We got to make our own preparations, including training our butts off so we can take on Imono and the Elite Rebels."
"We won't let ourselves fail again." Nemisa nodded.
"We'll work on our end to find a safe way for you to claim the Master Sword in time." Darius stated, "You're certain you won't need it sooner?"
"I've wielded it before in the dark future." Link nodded, "It shouldn't be a problem for me now. I also need to get the Spiritual Stones and Ocarina of Time from the place I hid them anyway."
"It's better it remain in the Temple of Time for as long as possible, so as not to allow intruders to enter the Sacred Realm." Nabooru said.
"Ah yes, good point." nodded Darius.
Zelda spoke up, "I've already spoken to Mystic Odleh on the matter, and she has mentioned she's going to look into some ideas to see about properly protecting the path to the realm while you're wielding the Master Sword."
"Good. With that in mind, we can focus on protecting the villages themselves." Link nodded.
The young king then looked to Commander Ashe. She was in a much more grand-looking light armor than before. The cape on her back was decorated to empathize her new status. He took note of how well the breast plate was exposed to give her breasts the breathing room and support they needed, while still doing the job of protecting her. He also noted the armor was cut off at the lower abdomen in such a way that it exposed her strong thighs, made more notable by her silver boots.
"Commander, I know this is a lot of responsibility to take on, but can you keep an eye on things while we're gone?" Link asked.
"You can count on us Gerudo King Link!" Ashe said saluting, along with all her knights in unison, "We will watch over the Royal Family and the people's well being here until your return! Right, everyone?"
"Yes, Commander!" all the knights spoke at once with a salute.
Link was rather impressed by now the knights had come to respect and follow Ashe so well. He knew Hyrule Castle and Market Town would be in good hands now.
Impa meanwhile looked down at Shikki in her arms, she handed him off to Sarami for a moment as she stepped up to the new queen and king, bowing down on one knee.
"My Queen," Impa spoke, "I will admit, after your father's death, I had been rather uneasy about leaving you behind so that I could go to Gerudo Town…"
She looked to Darius, then to Ashe and the knights, and nodded confidently.
"But now I see you have plenty of those here who will look out for you." Impa spoke smiling, "I feel confident I can leave you in their capable hands."
"Thank you for all your service to us Lady Impa…" Zelda spoke with a curious bow, "Your hard work shall not be forgotten by the Royal Family."
There was a brief moment of silence, before Zelda suddenly rushed forward and embraced Impa tightly, surprising many of the knights.
"You're now free to go out, and have the loving family that you desire." Zelda spoke as tears began to fall down her cheeks, "You worked so hard to protect my lineage... but now you can take your time to live comfortably and happily, to focus on building your own."
"Thank you, Zelda." Impa spoke with tears in her eyes as she returned the hug.
Commander Ashe heard some sniffling and sobbing, as she glanced behind her to see some of the knights were weeping from the sweet scene, and she chuckled lightly.
"So what about you, little one?" Zelda asked Petra, "Are you sure about going along with the king and his people to Gerudo Town as well?"
"Yep. It sounds like a real fun place." Petra nodded, "King Link told me there's lots of kids there my age, and I can get big and tough with their help. I ain't gonna be like my crummy ol' scumbag parents, I'm gonna be my own person!"
"That's lovely to hear." giggled Zelda, "Then I shall trust King Link and Lady Nabooru to watch over you."
"Honestly, at times it seemed like you were anxious to adopt that little scamp yourself." Darius whispered to his wife.
"I admit it would have been nice, but I think she wants to separate herself from the ways of nobility for now." Zelda spoke, taking a glance at Petra, "I think life in Gerudo Town may do her a lot of good."
"I think you're right, my queen." Darius nodded.
'Still though…' Zelda thought, as she glanced at Darius with a light blush,
'I wonder when the day will come… when I can finally have a child of my own…?'
"Well, before we go, I just need to ask one last thing,"
Nabooru looked to her assistant Halei, the bunny hood-wearing girl was holding her two suitcases and a backpack full of books,
"Are you certain about this decision, Halei?"
"Yes, now that the banishment law has been absolved, I've made my choice to stay here in Hyrule Market Town." Halei said with her head bowed, "I'm happy I was able to play a part in helping you all, but now I have dreams of my own…"
The young woman looked up to Nabooru with a bright smile,
"I've decided I'm going to move back in with my father for the time being, and enroll in the town academy, in order to become a full-fledged librarian!"
"That's so great! You'll be perfect for it!" Aviel cheered.
"Heh. With your skill, I think you'll go far." Nabooru nodded, "Just be careful with managing the books so you don't get buried again."
"S-Stop bringing that up!" Halei exclaimed in a fit, pulling on her bunny ears.
"But seriously Halei, thank you so much for all your hard work these past years." Nabooru said, giving her a light hug,
"I, we, wouldn't have made it this far without you. Just remember that no matter where you go or what you do, you'll always be one of us."
"Now that the banishment law is dealt with, we'll also see about bringing your mother out to the market town so she can reunite with you and your father." Link said, sporting a goofy grin, "Now get out there and follow your dreams!"
"King Link…" Halei quivered a little with tears in her eyes, recalling back when he proposed the idea that she work for Nabooru as her assistant, and all the time she spent with them. Tears began to fall down her face as she bowed her head to Nabooru and Link.
"Thank you both… for everything!"
With that, Halei carried off her luggage and started to head down the road, with everyone watching.
"Think she'll be okay?" Nemisa asked, discreetly wiping away a tear from her eye.
"Yeah, I'm certain." nodded Nabooru, "She's way more capable than she was before. I'm certain she'll be fine."
They watched as Halei started to lose balance carrying her luggage, before she tripped over her own feet and fell over to the ground. She wiggled her legs but appeared to be stuck in between both her suitcases.
"Um… I-I'm okay! I just need to…!"
There was a brief moment of silence as they all watched her struggle to get up.
"...are we sure she's going to be okay?" Link asked sweatdropping.
"Sir Knave, can you please escort her to her father's place?" Commander Ashe sighed.
"As you wish Commander!" Knave saluted, running off to help Halei, "Until next time Gerudo King!"
They watched as Knave waved to them, only for him to trip over Halei's book bag and tumble over before falling into a bush nearby.
"Are we sure Sir Knave will be okay?" Impa asked sweatdropping.
Link chuckled, then turned to Zelda, "Well it looks like this is it. We'll see you all in four months from now." he bowed on one knee with his head down to her, "Thank you Queen Zelda, for everything you've done for us."
"But of course Gerudo King Link." Zelda giggled lightly, "I know you'll have what it takes to help protect our kingdom from Imono. We look forward to your return."
"You sure there isn't anything you need from us before we leave?" Link asked curiously, "I'm a bit worried after that assassin from the coronation."
"Not to worry friend Link, I assure you things will be fine here." Darius nodded with a smirk, "I shall ensure no harm comes to this kingdom or my lovely wife!"
"That's good, I can focus on matters in Gerudo Town knowing she's safe." Link nodded, "In that case, I'll leave Queen Zelda in your capable hands."
The new Hylian king nodded back to Link, "You know my friend, when I first met you, I was weary of your true goals here, especially given the Fierce Deity that resides within you. But through our time here, I can see you're a truly noble warrior of justice, who will help bring about the awesome future Hyrule truly deserves!"
Darius did one of his over-the-top poises and brought out his hand to shake,
"Make sure you train hard for the day we reunite. I'd like to engage in an awesome spar with you once again!"
Link nodded and shook Darius' hand firmly, "Thanks, and I hope you and I will work together as comrades when the time comes."
With that, Link, Nabooru and their friends all turned had began their trip into the Market Town to see off everyone there. Zelda and Darius both stood watching them silently as all as the soldiers saluted for them. Zelda's gaze focused on Impa in particular as she carried off Shikki.
"Do you think they're going to be okay?" Zelda asked.
"Of course, my dear." Darius nodded, "They have Link and Lady Nabooru leading them after all. We'll see them again in due time."
"Yes, you're right." Zelda nodded, "For now though, we should begin our own preparations for the war."
"As you wish, my queen. Come along men." Commander Ashe gestured to the knights, "We must begin our training!"
As they all began to enter the castle, Zelda paused for a moment. She turned slightly to see Link and Nabooru speaking to each other, and Link laughing out at a remark Nabooru made. Zelda stared downwards, putting a hand to her chest.
'But… what is this strange feeling I have…?"
"My Queen?" Darius called out, "Are you okay?"
"Ah yes, I'm coming!" Zelda snapped out of her thoughts, running off after Darius.
"So yer takin' off then Linky...?"
Link, Nabooru and everyone were standing before a crowd of Hylian people as they were leaving the market town. Many of them being a number of friends they made while out there, including Jovie the former Bombchu Bowling Alley parlor girl, and Link's newest girlfriend Darling. The zora nurse Meifa was also there, chatting with Sarami.
"Yep, we gotta get back to Gerudo Town to prepare for the war." Link nodded with Petra riding on his shoulders.
"No prob. I get it." Jovie nodded somewhat sadly, but she perked up and bounced a little in her step, sporting a big smile as she shifted her shoulders and hips left and right, "Thanks again for everything. You saved me in a lotta ways, and I'm lookin' forward ta seein' ya return!"
"Thank you again for everything Nurse Meifa." Sarami complimented the young red-scaled zora girl, "What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to remain as a doctor here in town." Meifa said, "But I'm going to hone my skills more, so that I can volunteer to help the soldiers in the war!"
"That sounds lovely, it means we'll be working together when that time comes!" giggled Sarami, "I look forward to your assistance!"
"I hope I can strive to reach your standards Dr. Sarami." Meifa spoke sheepishly as she fiddled with her fingers, "I just want as many people as possible to come home safe and sound…"
"That's all I can ask of you, dear." Sarami nodded,
"it's such a shame to see you leave, my dear desert king." Darling spoke to Link with a sigh. "Parting truly is such a bittersweet sorrow."
"Sure you don't wanna come with us, Darling?" Aviel asked anxiously.
Darling shook her head, "I apologize Aviel, but I've decided on a new path I wish to go on for the time being."
She did a graceful spin and brought out her hand with a lovely smile,
"I've decided to expand my horizons, and take on a career in the performing arts as an actress!"
"That sounds rather nice." Nemisa smiled, "You did mention you were originally going to appear in the talent show, before you broke up with Honey."
Darling did a polite curtsy, "I had hoped that event would had been my big break, but I think I'll be taking it much more seriously now. Just you wait until I take the stage with my graceful presence!"
"That sounds great Darling." Link grinned, "I'll be looking forward when you finally debut, and seeing your first performance in the front row!"
The Hylian lady smiled warmly, as she spun around in graceful steps, before falling backwards into Link's arms, making him quickly catch her with a free hand. The crowd gasped as she brought up one leg high upwards and bent it, as she laid back on Link's arm, holding her own arms around Link's strong neck for support. She gazed up lovingly into his gentle blue eyes.
"...and when I've finally had my fill of the spotlight on me, than I shall pursue the grand stage of eternal loving intimacy with you, my beloved desert king."
"My final curtain shall close joined with you… and our future children together..."
"D-Darling…" Link blushed at how serious she was. He couldn't deny he was looking forward to it...
"Oi! Can you stand back up straight already, ya bloomin' lovebirds? I'm about to fall off!"
Link was jolted out of it by Petra's booming voice as she wobbled around on his shoulders, so he lifted Darling back up to her feet, but continued to hold her hands as he did.
"I'll be back soon enough, I promise." Link assured her.
"But of course." she smiled, giving him a light kiss, "Just wait until you see me again upon the stage of stardom!"
"Wow, never would have thought Ms. Darling would fall into such a relationship!" spoke an older female villager, "She never even got that close with Honey!"
"Can you blame her? I thought the Gerudo King would be a monster, but he's a total dreamboat!" said another lady with hearts for eyes.
Jovie glanced to the two women talking, then back over to Link as he kissed Darling, and she brought a hand to her chest with a deep blush on her face...
With that, Link and everyone waved goodbye to the town they had been staying at for the past month, and left out to Hyrule Field to begin the journey home.
"This is so sad…" sniffled Kesuta as they went down the road.
"Hey, it's alright Kesuta! You'll get to see Ruto and everyone soon enough!" Togau assured her.
"It's not that..." she spoke, confusing Togau,
"The comfy beds, the rich food, the servants waiting on you hand and foot… I'm going to miss the fancy royal living!" complained the fire sorceress, causing the others to fault over.
"Hmph, if you ask me you had a little too much royal living." Korume scoffed, coming up from behind and grabbing at her stomach, "Is that some pudginess I feel...?"
"Hey, hands off!" Kesuta complained, slapping at her sister's hands.
"Korume's is right Kesuta, we do need to get back to Gerudo Town as soon as possible so we can focus on our training." Nemisa reminded her.
"Feh, fine." Kesuta muttered, "if it's for my family, I'll work hard to burn off everything I can."
As they walked along the road, Malon looked over at Kesuta, then down at herself, discreetly grabbing at her own stomach.
"So are we just heading straight home or what?" Reirosua asked, not even seeming to be tired at all from carrying the stack of luggage, "If we keep up a good pace, we should make it past the waterfall by evening so we don't have to deal with the Stalchildren."
"Don't get me started on how big a pain those guys are." Link groaned, silently cursing the ancient god Demise for their existence.
"We'll make it, but we have just one more stop to make before we go home first." Nabooru spoke, looking to Malon carrying Meli in her baby basket.
"...as well as one more decision to make."
"Malon! Ya make it home sweetheart!"
Malon was greeted at the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch by her father Talon, a number of the animals, as well as the rest of the ranchers. They were all holding up banners and flags that were crudely written to congratulate the Gerudo on their success as well as welcome Malon and Meli back home.
Ass sweet as it was for them to all be there for her, the young mother was left a bit tongue-tied as her father came up and hugged her with his big hairy arms.
"H-Hey Dad…" Malon spoke modestly, returning the hug.
"And how's little Meli here?" Talon said looking to his granddaughter, "Gettin' along well?"
"Ah-goo!" Meli squealed, holding up her pinwheel and waving it around.
"Don't worry! The little cutie was no trouble for us!" Aviel assured Talon.
"Speak fer yerself…" Reirousa muttered, recalling the day she babysat her and Shikki. She glanced at Meli though and her annoyance softened a little.
"We heard all about the Gerudo Banishment Law being repelled from that Lady Lieutenant knight when she saved the ranch." Talon said, "Congratulations to all ya'll for pullin' it off!"
"It took a lot of work, but we're glad it's finally over." Link nodded.
"Granted, there's still some clauses to the law," Impa pointed out as she held a very curious Shikki, who was looking around at all the barn animals, "While the Gerudo can now travel through the border, it seems they'll still be subjected to detailed inspections and background checks if needed."
"Which is fine, I can understand they need to ensure Hyrule safety, especially with the looming threat of the Ebony Sisterhood." Nabooru nodded.
"The good news is the Gerudo can finally start getting' out here to be a real part of Hyrule!" Togau grinned, "Maybe now we can talk about settin' up trade routes between us, eh Talon-bro?"
"Sounds mighty fine to me Togau." Talon nodded, "You've been makin' a lot of progress as a merchant, so we'll be right happy to work with you."
He then looked to Epona, still a little surprised to see the horse in the body of a human.
"So yer goin' along with them too, Epona?"
"Yep, I wanna stay with Master Link." Epona nodded with a serious look in her chocolate eyes, "I'm going to train myself in Gerudo Town, so I can help him in the war."
"Well yer welcome to that." Talon laughed, "Gotta say, never thought I'd see the day I'd be talkin' to you like this. You really are as bright n' smart as Malon has said. You take good care of King Link, y'hear?"
"Heh heh, thanks Master Talon! I won't let you down!" Epona nodded with a toothy horse-like grin.
Talon then looked to his daughter again, though she looked somewhat distraught about something.
"Well with all that said, we're glad to have you back here Malon. Bet you got a lot of neat stories to tell us while you were gone, huh?"
"Um… about that…" Malon spoke nervously, "The truth is…"
The rancher girl stood there silently for a moment, Talon and some of the others were confused, but Nabooru caught on quickly, and put a hand to her shoulder to reassure her.
"It's okay, tell him what you really want." she spoke.
Malon nervously nodded and turned to Talon, speaking up, "The thing is… I…"
"Me 'n Meli're goin' with King Link and Togau, to live at Gerudo Town from now on!"
"W-WHAT?!" Talon exclaimed in shock, "But Malon, are you sure about this? The banishment law's gone, so you can stay here again!"
"Yeah Malon, didn't you say you wanted to come back here?" Togau asked in confusion.
"I know that, and I did for a while… but…" Malon stared downwards at her somewhat plump body, before looking up to her father eye-to-eye, "I wanna go live with the other Gerudo, and work to get myself stronger!"
"Wait, don't tell me yer gonna be in the war too?!" Talon exclaimed,
He had this vision in his mind of Malon standing on a pile of monster corpses as a large fire was burning behind her. She was wearing furred barbarian pelts and a horned helmet, with an emotionless cold stare in her eyes, she was holding a blood battleaxe in one hand and the severed head of a Moblin in the other.
"No way is my daughter gonna be doin' that!" he exclaimed.
"What is he thinking she'd do exactly…?" Nemisa asked sweatdropping.
"It's not like that!" Malon said, "I… just wanna improve myself more, make myself strong and capable of looking after Meli proper!"
She looked to her baby who was happily waving her pinwheel, blowing on it and showing the rainbow colors it was flashing to Shikki, who eagerly clapped.
"I also want Meli to have a better upbringin'. She was kept isolated fer so long cause of how afraid I was for her… so now I want her to get out and see more of the world around us!"
Talon rubbed the back of his neck, "Well shucks Malon… after we heard the banishment law was done with I was hopin' to have you back here with us again…"
"Now hold on Talon-bro, don't go tryin' ta guilt-trip her or nothin'!" Togau protested.
"Wait a sec, I ain't finished." Talon rose up his hand, he let out a sigh and nodded, "…that said, if yer really certain about it Malon, I guess I can't stop you. You are an adult after all, and I'm just gonna have to treat you proper like one. You wanna live in Gerudo Town, then that just fine by me."
"Really Dad?" Malon asked.
"You betcha. You two just be careful now, y'hear?" Talon asked smiling.
Malon stood silently, putting her clenched fist to her chest, tears began to start running down her face as she nodded to him.
"Th-Thanks Dad! I'm going to make you proud…!" Malon nodded with tears in her eyes, running forward and hugging her father tightly, "And I'll be sure to come back soon enough and visit y'all!"
"That'll be just fine Malon." Talon spoke, hugging her tightly as tears were beginning to run down his own face.
So that's what it's like to have a real dad…" Petra spoke softly, glancing up at Link.
Malon and Talon soon broke the embrace and the father looked to Link with a sharp stare.
"Listen King Link, you take good care of my daughter and granddaughter now, y'hear?" Talon spoke, "I know Gerudo Valley is a harsh place, so I'm puttin' my trust in you to keep em both safe n' happy."
"You have my word Talon." Link said without a hint of hesitation, "I say that as both the King of The Gerudo, as well as Malon's friend."
"Link…" Malon whispered with a light blush on her cheeks.
Talon nodded to him, then after a second spoke up, "Oh and one more little ol' thing…"
"What's that?" Link asked.
"Just make sure you're good 'n committed to being with Malon before you go puttin' yer seed in her belly!" laughed out Talon, causing both Link and Malon to fault over.
"DAAAADDD!" Malon exclaimed with a bright red face, "Don't go blurtin' stuff like that in front of everyone! Don't make me hate you just before I leave!"
"Wha-what?!" Talon exclaimed in complete horror, "Did I go too far? I'm sorry sweetheart! Please forgive your old man!"
"Hmph!" Malon pouted angerly, folding her arms and turning her head away, forcing Talon to get on his hands and knees to try and beg for forgiveness.
Everyone else broke out into laughter at the two of them, aside from Link whose face was a bright red as well. He glanced over at Malon and how embarrassed as she looked.
He contemplated that one night at the ranch when she kissed him spontaneously, then thought of all the times he helped her with her milk issues… and then there was that day at the castle pool...
'You don't know how much I hope that day comes, Talon.' he thought to himself with a smile.
That night, far out in desert valley laid the isolated hideout known as Gerudo Fortress, Once the home of most of the people after the Hylian vs Gerudo war, it was now a stronghold for the Gerudo who swore loyalty to Ganondorf, and the current home of the rebel group the Ebony Sisterhood.
"So what do you have to report?" spoke a cold, aged voice.
"From what we gathered in our intel, it seems the false king has succeeded in abolishing the Gerudo Banishment Law, as well as dissolving the Hylian Parliament of their hold over the kingdom." spoke a Gerudo rebel solider looking over a scroll,
"Though from Queen Zelda's coronation speech, it appears they're also very much aware of our war plans to attack the castle on the night of the next Blood Moon five months from now."
"Tsk, so MAGIS-01 did tell them about the prophecy after all. She truly is a traitor." scowled the older woman who sat upon a throne.
It was the leader of the sisterhood, Mother Imono Dragmire. She still wore her black robe decorated with gold Gerudo symbols. She also still wore the Couple's Mask over her face, despite a large chunk of it having been broken off by one of Link's attacks back at the fortress arena.
"…and the only way they could have gotten the password would be if a certain other traitor told them…" Imono spoke coldly, thinking about the engineer Meokuro, and how she managed to escape from the Pyramid of Power.
"That damn false king… how can he hold such influence over my people… even over some of my most trusted disciples…?"
"Should we attempt to stage the attack earlier, Mother?" the solider suggested.
"No, we shall follow through with the plan." Imono spoke, standing up and waving out her hand, "if what that old prophet says is true, the false king's blood shall be what can break the barrier to free King Ganondorf. At this point, it's the best chance we have to save him."
"As you wish, Mother." bowed the solider, before taking her leave.
Imono slowly stepped down from her throne and walked up to a window, gazing up at the moon overhead. She stared at it for a while, before she reached under her cloak and unsheathed her weapon, the sword infused with Ganondorf's power, the Soulbinder. She stared down at it, thinking back to a time long ago...
There was a joyous festival, with many people happily gathered and celebrating an event. It was there Imono stood before Ganondorf, who held up a sun-shaped mask, and she held up a moon-shaped one.
The crowd watched as the two focused the masks together, and in a bright light they fused together to become a white porcelain mask known as the Couple's Mask. This was met with a loud cheer among the people, as Ganondorf looked down to her lovingly...
"King Ganondorf, my beloved…" Imono whispered, holding the red sword close to her, "I swear, as long as I breathe, I will fight for your freedom… for you to have all that you deserve…"
She reached down and rubbed at her stomach, with a distant look in her eye that was exposed from the damaged mask.
"And so all of our greatest desires can finally come true…"
And that ends this chapter, and the end of the Hyrule Castle arc. Next time we move on to the Rebel War arc, where Link and his friends must prepare for the final battle against Imono and the rebels. It's not going to be all training and meetings though, there's going to be plenty of fun, plenty of laughs, and lots of romance and fan service naturally! I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks again to everyone for your continued support throughout the years I've been writing this! if you're new, please leave a like and follow, and just drop me a comment or Private Message at your leisure, your feedback is always encouraged!
Just a warning that FFnet has been weird to me about notifications. It doesn't always warn me about PMs or comments, and weirdly this morning it blew up my email with a bunch of month-old notifications of comments and stuff. So if I don't respond right away, there you go.