Bato cursed under his breath. The conversation with Link didn't go as he wanted, but at least it didn't end in a shouting match. Saria, seeing her friend running away, chased after him. He knew Link needed time to process this, but a part of him didn't want to end the conversation right there. Trying to decide whether to chase after the boy, that decision was made for him in the form of a greeting.

"Sav'aaq." A thick desert accent filled Bato's ears. Turning towards the source of the greeting, he saw three Greudo women standing in front of him. Two Gerudo guards, armed with scimitars, flanked the middle on both sides. The guards wore plain white short-sleeved shirts, bearing their midriffs. Wearing a red slash around their waist, they had red sirwal and brown sandals to complete the ensemble. The middle Gerudo wore some more elaborate but in the same style of Gerudo wear, reminiscent of the Greudo Outfit from 'Breath of the Wild'. Rocking blue and white accents, she wore a necklace with an orange jewel diadem.

Bato wondered what the Gerudo wanted with him. Giving a slight nod, he acknowledged them. "May I help you?"

"Perhaps." The middle woman stepped forward; her scimitar swinging slightly from side to side with each step. "I am Utia. My sisters have chosen me to be the head of this delegation."

"And whose delegation do I have the honor of meeting with?"

"Lady Nabooru's," Utia replied, with grace. "Leader of the Gerudo in the desert valley."

"Hmm." He walked towards them now, his eyes levelled with hers. "Last I heard, the Gerudos were fighting a civil war. Is this still the case?"

The two other women looked warily at him. After a minute of contemplation, she briskly nodded. "Yes. Lady Nabooru fights against the traitor Ganondorf, who has long since been overthrown after his ill-fated coup. The majority of the Gerudos never wanted war. It was through Ganondorf's strong-arming and his loyal followers that we found ourselves in the situation that we were in."

"I thought Ganondorf sought to change the lives of his people."

Utia's eyes went wide, and so did the other two. "He…perhaps at one point long ago. Now, he seeks power for his own sake, and his ambitions have almost ruined the people he sought to protect."

"Enlightening as this all is, I bet this is very sensitive information. You wouldn't be telling me this unless you needed something from me." Bato asked Utia, already weary about her true intentions. It appears that this warrior was skilled with the tongue as well as the sword, if her lineage had anything to say about her.

"Yes, Bato. We came here to seek the king's support in quelling the revolt. For too long have, our people have been fighting a losing battle with one another. But, after your handling with your own attempted coup, we come to appreciate your talents and wish for you to assist us in establishing Lady Nabooru's legitimacy."

"My assistance?" Bato thought he would faint at this prospect. It had been one year that Impa made the same request for him to travel to Gerudo Valley to help Nabooru establish control in that region. "Flattered as I am, I'm no warrior or mediator."

"Your actions make me believe otherwise. Regardless, whether you consent is of little consequence. The king seems driven to keep the peace between this kingdom and the Gerudo. I have no doubt that with your participation, we can put our bloody feud with our kinsman to an end. We will formally request you to mediate between our peoples. Consider this 'friendly chat' a courtesy."

"So, they're so desperate that they're willing to strong-arm me in participating?" If the situation was exactly like Utia described, then the king would have no problem sending a sacrificial pawn to help end the civil war. As he did a year ago. He couldn't see himself getting out of the situation. "It's funny. One year ago, Lady Impa wanted me to head to the valley to help Lady Nabooru deal with any immediate threats. Now it appears that fate wishes for me to still play some part in helping your people."

"I am happy that you see sense in this, Bato. Not like you would have any choice in the matter. I will notify the king's representative of our request." Utia nodded and walked away from Bato, with her two guards following behind her. Sighing, he thought he had a brief respite; however, a soldier showed up behind him. "Lady Impa wishes to speak with you. She asks for you to wait in the castle garden."

Bato rolled his eyes. "Joy."

Jofary assigned two royal guards to be with Bato at all times. They were to ensure that the king's command was followed: Bato will not leave the castle. They led him to one of the many castle gardens. Boasting the same fauna and landscape as all the others and the surrounding area, it was picturesque in its own unique way. That way came in the form of the garden being covered by trees. The leaves on the trees made for a good parasol, not letting any light in. Bato took a seat on one of the white benches, with the guards positioning themselves near the entrance. He allowed himself to be engulfed by the natural smell of the plants; to be touched by a warm breeze coming from somewhere.

Closing his eyes, his sense of hearing was heightened. He was able to hear everything. The bugs crawling on the floor, the leaves moving in the wind, birds chirping in the air. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Quiet footsteps, as if an animal were stalking its prey. The footsteps were subtle, at first. Then, they started to get closer. Bato felt a sense of urgency and anxiety; a need to open his eyes to confront whatever was there. But he knew what it was. The footsteps came from behind, closing in slowly. He felt something. A desire to protect at all costs. Anger that exists, but subdued. The feeling was right on top of him.

"Come to kill me at last, Lady Impa," Bato asked matter-of-factly. He opened his eyes. There was no one in front of him but heard a sigh.

"Why would you think I want to kill you?" Impa walked around the bench and stood in front of Bato.

"Well, considering the mess I created with my little stunt, it most likely caused a great inconvenience to you. Besides, I heard you punched a hole in the wall when you heard of my slumber. Thanks for letting the kids know about me being from another world, by the way."

"I don't know whether that's genuine or sarcastic."

"Genuine. I would have had to tell them eventually, and this saves me from confrontation. On the other hand, you did blab on a personal matter which I don't appreciate, so I guess my feelings are mixed. Yeah. Mixed."

"I'll take it as something satisfactory to you." She pursed her lips together. "I will not deny that the hole in the wall did not happen. There was nothing 'little' about your 'stunt'. You sought to revive a power believed dead, and you were able to bring it back to this world. A year's reflection has given me an opportunity to see how awe-inspiring that is. But I will admit, thinking back to it raises some hard feelings."

"What hard feelings would be there with you?" Impa looked at him as if he said something offensive.

"That you would do something so reckless, borderline asinine without any consideration to the people you would leave behind!"

"The spirits told me that there was a fifty-fifty chance it would work. They knew as much as I did going into this because it was something that never happened before. How was I supposed to know that I would get knocked out for an entire year?"

"Or longer? Did you even think of the words 'reviving the Great Deku Tree' and what that would entail?! What kind of power or feat involved to make it so?!"

Bato's frustration reached its breaking point. "We can continue to argue with each other on the what-ifs and could-have-been until we're blue in the face! If you have something to say, speak it already and be done with it!" Both looked at each other fiercely. He didn't get it. Was him being out of action for an entire year that much of an inconvenience to her?

A minute of contemplated silence later, Impa took a breath and tried to regain some of her composure. "While your actions may have benefited the realm, losing you would have been a greater tragedy. The turmoil your disappearance caused is the result of only one year. Imagine if you were gone five or seven."

"No one would miss me," Bato muttered. One second later, he felt a strong stinging sensation on his right cheek. The impact was so powerful that it knocked him off the bench. Laying on the floor now, he held his swelling cheek in pain, his eye slightly closed. He looked at his attacker. Impa had a curled fist, breathing heavily with a face that screamed regret.

Bato felt something rattling in his mouth and he spat out a tooth. The adrenaline fading, he felt vindictive and spiteful. He could have said plenty of things to her at this point but decided to keep it short. "Harder, mommy."

"I didn't-," Impa whispered quietly, looking very surprised. She looked at Bato, "what does that even mean?"

"My own personal joke." Bato got himself off the ground and sighed. "Feel better?"

"I'm sorry. It's just when you said that an overwhelming anger took hold, and I felt compelled to do it."

He understood. His comment of 'no one would miss me' was insensitive. There would be people who would miss his company. Especially a certain young boy and a Kokiri sage. "I apologize for saying that. Also, for all the other problems I caused for you in the last year."

She ran a hand through her face. "Bato, know that I have never lashed out on anyone like that. Not even during training, caution, or corrective behavior. Do you realize how much of an impact you have in this kingdom? To the people around you? People noticed your disappearance and when we covered it up, it hurts because you did a selfless act and suffered for it. Promise me that you will never say something so careless again."

"I promise." Bato went back to his seat on the bench. He touched his still swelling cheek and imbued his hand with ice magic. "I got the run-down from Saria of what's been happening this past year. Also, a new development regarding the Gerudo. Would you like to hear it?"

"If it'll keep my mind off what just happened, then yes."

"One of the Gerudo delegation, Utia, has asked me to help them establish 'Nabooru's legitimacy.'"

"The Gerudo delegation, again?" Impa sat right beside Bato. "They've been pestering the king for aid since the start of the war. We've been sending aid in terms of supplies and resources. Two months ago, we started to take military action against the insurgents. It hasn't gone well with Nabooru's people, though. The majority of them still see the rebels as one of their own, misguided as they are. Perhaps Utia wishes for you to pacify the civilian population somehow."

"How am I supposed to do that? Go to the people, tell them to 'chill out' and pray to the goddesses that this war ends in a couple of months?"

Impa looked at him, sharply. She breathed deeply again. "What does 'chill out' mean?"

"Sorry." Bato had to remember not to use those types of phrases around people. "It means to calm down. It'll be interesting to see how the people will react to the Hyrulian Army moving into Gerudo territory. But that's not my role to play."

"You wouldn't be doing any fighting or negotiating. Rather, you're there as an observer. You can provide suggestions to the delegation team about what could help rally support. That would be the extent of your duties."

"If we somehow meet with our Great King of Evil?"

She was silent for a moment. "Not your concern. So long as you don't make it yours. Even though…"

"There's more about him?"

"Rumors, really. No verifiable information, so I take it with a grain of salt. After the attack on the castle was repelled and the forces in the field defeated, Ganondorf returned to the embattled Gerudo desert. With the deaths of his subordinates, Koume and Kotake, there was fierce fighting between his and Nabooru's forces. It was observed that his demeanor on the field began to change."

"In what way?"

"At the start of the war, he was front and center. He used his magic to bolster the monsters and soldiers under his command. Even though he was fighting, he had a maniacal laugh and smile. Over time, this changed. The number of forces empowered by his magic began to dwindle until there were hardly any monsters at all. The offensive stance that his army took began to falter and were forced into a defensive action. Now, it seems his army is relying on hit-and-run tactics; most of which cause moderate damage at best."

"The man himself?"

Impa shook her head, "it's been four months, and he hasn't been seen since. They made their base in the Desert Colossus, specifically in the Spirit Temple. He must be up to something."

"Or it could be something else, altogether." Bato pondered whether Ganondorf's power was linked to the sorcerer sisters and with their deaths, the magic was severed. He hoped that didn't matter either way, since it wouldn't be his problem. "So, no fighting?" Bato asked.

Impa shook her head. "No fighting. But it doesn't change the fact that you'll be going into an active war zone. We're not expecting you to fight, but expect one, nonetheless. These are not the bandits you had been facing before. They will aim to kill you." She suddenly saw something concerning. The shadow of a creeping smile on his face. This made her uneasy. Bato had to fight due to circumstances, but now that the prospect of fighting out of self-defense, she didn't know what he would do. "Bato. There is something that concerns me. About you."

"About me?" He looked at Impa's eyes and they were grave. Her hands folded on her lap, and she tried to keep still and calm. "Saria has noticed when you tap into your powers, bloodlust comes over you. Very subtle, but it can easily influence you during a battle. I can sense it too. The Goddesses said that you have the power to save or damn the kingdom. I ask you: remember who you are. You are Bato, the farmer. The one that brings dreams to life. A person who has won respect from the people. A loyal friend. A loving father. Don't abandon them to the rage and blood."

"I never said I was a father."

She shook her head. "Call it what you will, then. You're responsible for the boy. How you've been interacting and caring for him cannot be anything but. If that's not fatherhood, I don't know what is." Bato was surprised to be called a father. He didn't openly deny it, though. Link never actually called him one, either. Their relationship was questionable, at best. Who were they to one another? Or was he deluding himself and just accepting his calling?

Thinking back to all the fights that he had over the course of his time in Hyrule, he could see the validity of Impa's concerns. After fighting in Hyrule against monsters, brigands and bandits, a part of him went back to his old world. Where he would play explorable RPGs, kill enemies and loot their bodies for valuables. But couldn't do that here. This was real. This was all, very real. He started to go into a trancelike state. "An enemy Greudo. I slice her down. She was an enemy but was she really? Was she a mother? A sister? A child of an infirm parent? A mother who had hidden insurgents in the floor. Was she forced? Was she an accomplice? Child soldiers. Mule packs, living bombs, distractions for a real attack…" He didn't know that he was mumbling all of these things aloud. Snapping out of a stupor, he turned to see Impa's face pale.

Her eyes looked at him with disgust. "I've never heard the Gerudo employ such tactics. Their pride as warriors wouldn't allow it. Nor have I ever hear you say such things."

"When your back is against the wall, what do you have left? You know that more than anyone. People will always go to any extreme to get what they want."

"The innocent people caught in the crossfire?"

"Which one of us is ever truly innocent," Bato asked. "So long as the end justifies the means."

She just sat there, looking at him and his impassivity. He was completely serious about all the things he said. "Why do you say such disturbing things?"

"Disturbing? Coming from one who has seen far worse, than I?" He thought for a moment, "I have a very morbid imagination."

"I just never heard you, of all people, speak in such a dark way. Our discussions have been…cordial so far. You are right, I have seen a lot in my time. Link has seen his share; probably far worse than anything I could think of. I hope that you will be spared that fate."

"You say so," Bato said, dismissively. Not falling for the bait, her face returned to her normal calm. "You would be travelling with the Hyrulian delegation. Ambassadors, guards, servants, what you would normally expect from a foreign assignment."

"I would assume Link would like to join me on this trip."

"You assume correctly. Despite his age, he's skilled with a blade and in combat. Saria will stay here in Hyrule, continuing being the Kokiri's representative."

"Sounds reasonable, enough. When would I leave?"

"A few days from now." Impa shifted herself on the bench. "After convening the court, the king wishes to hold a feast for the nobles and the foreign dignitaries."

"Of course." The king had to keep up appearances as a stable nation. However, with Rowan's coup revealed, he wonders how far that façade would go. "That's all on my end. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"The sages or rather, the ones that are destined to become sages, will be convening in one month's time. Darunia has accepted. We're having difficulty trying to get Ruto to come. The king has reservations while Ruto, herself, strongly refuses to go. Saria is a given, and I will be there myself. Depending on how bad things are there, the delegation will escort Lady Nabooru back to Hyrule. Whether you come back in time will be to fate."

"And Rauru?" Bato asked, questioningly.

She looked away for a moment. "Honestly, I don't even know how to contact him. He resides in the Sacred Realm, in the Temple of Light."

"If I see him, I'll let him know." Impa frowned, trying to forgive Bato's perceived sarcasm. He was being literal, though. "The giant owl known as Kaepora Gaebora flies in the land, at times. That would be him."

"A giant owl?" she asked. Thinking about it for a moment, she gave a small smile. "You know what, I'm not even surprised. It would be great if he participated, but it won't be the end of the world if he doesn't."

"Anything else?"

Impa scanned the area for a moment, then turned her attention to the entrance. "There is one more thing." At that moment, the guards bowed and moved to the side. Saria, Zelda and Link walked in. When they saw Bato's face, each of them had various reactions of shock. "I'm glad that the princess was able to calm him down."

Bato looked at her, distastefully, and shook his head. "They say that patience is a virtue. I wanted him to work through what happened. A confrontation-"

"Is needed right now," Impa got up. "Remember. No distractions."

"Unflappable, as always, eh?" She gave a slight nod and made her way towards the trio. Some excitable words were exchanged, none that Bato could clearly hear. After a minute, Impa stepped aside, and allowed Link to walk towards him. As he walked, Link looked scared and unsure of himself. He was walking slowly, as if he was dreading the meeting. Finally, Link sat down right beside Bato quietly. The rest of the ladies departed afterward, with Zelda making wild hand gestures towards her protector. Impa looked mildly embarrassed.

The two were silent for a moment. Finally, Link asked, "what happened to you?"

"Said something that I shouldn't have. Got punched in the face. Lost a tooth and now nursing a swollen cheek." He turned to Link. "You?"

"I've been talking to Zelda and Saria after the throne room." He shuffled uncomfortably. "About…things, and there was some more stuff I wanted to say to you."

"Look, if you're going to continue to 'ride' on me about my actions in the forest, then-"

Link shook his head, vigorously. "No! No, I…" He got quiet again, took a deep breath, then blew out. "The things I said to you weren't clear. I was just hiding what I really felt through words."

"What do you really feel, Link?" Bato looked at him, his annoyance completely dissipating when he looked at Link's fearful face.

"I'm…scared."

"Scared?"

The boy nodded. "Yes. Apart from you, the Great Deku Tree was the only father that I knew. He comforted me, gave me advice, encouraging me to have courage despite everything. But he didn't have legs, so he was always stuck in the meadow. I followed his advice as best I could, but he couldn't see everything. When I began my journey, I didn't think what kinds of things I would see. I was excited to go on an adventure, to finally see something other than green. But then the stones, the Master Sword, the war, Ganon, Navi, everything. It started to get tougher to hold it together. To continue to have courage."

Bato nodded and understood. "If this was our first meeting, I wouldn't have ever guessed you had issues just by looking at you. What changed?"

"You." At that moment, Bato felt his heart in his chest. "Me?"

The boy starts to shake. "I had it under control, or I thought I did. I thought the monsters would go away in time. I just had to hold on and not think about it. Then, you appeared in that clearing. Saving me, taking care of me more than anyone has ever done since leaving the forest. When the monsters came, you were someone to talk to. Someone that finally understood."

"Then you left. The monsters came back, and I couldn't handle them like I did before. It was easy before just to put them at the back of my mind. To not think about it!" He looked at Bato sadly. "Saria and Zelda did all they could, but it wasn't the same. They didn't know like you did! I…I…" He was trying hard not to cry. His body was trembling now.

Bato didn't say anything. Just waited for him to continue.

"I…hated you." Bato raised his eyebrows. "I hated you for making me weak. I hated you that you left! I hated you that you chose the forest over me!" He started to ramble. "I didn't want to hate you! But you were gone for one year! One year! Do you know how it feels to face those monsters, never knowing whether you can do it or not?!" He desperately clung onto Bato's arm that was holding his cheek; tears swelling and falling now. "But I don't hate you anymore! I swear, I don't! Please don't be angry! Please don't leave me!"

Bato said nothing. Wide-eyed, he shrugged off Link's grasp and the young boy looked devastated. Now he couldn't even look at him and stared at the ground; tears falling on the bench. But then, Link felt a force surrounding him on all sides.

It was a hug.

"Goddess' grace, kid. How the hell can I ever hate you?" His cheek still swelling, he paid no mind as he held Link in his arms. "Why do you continuously deny yourself to be loved? Why do you believe that you are weak and unworthy? Despite all the good you've done in the world and all the people that you helped; you still think that you're all alone. The monsters that plague your mind won't go away until they are confronted with courage. The only way to do that is to talk about them. It doesn't have to be right away, only when you're ready."

"I am truly sorry for leaving you as I did. I'm sorry that you had to face that darkness again. If I wanted to leave you or not care for you at all, then I wouldn't be here, right now. I'm not perfect. I'm going to do a lot of stupid and impulsive things that will probably upset you. What will not change is my care for you. To me, you are not the Hero of Time, the Kokiri outcast or even the Savior of Termina. You are Link. Just Link; the young boy who deserves so much love in this world, and you will have it."

Bato held him close while Link wept uncontrollably.

Link and Bato came off that bench, holding hands. As they made their way to the entrance, the guards stood unmoving. Exiting into the hallway, they turned a corner. Impa was sitting there with Zelda and Saria right beside her. They were sleeping. Bato took one look at Impa and immediately knelt.

"Bato?" Link asked, "what are you doing?"

"Showing deference."

"Def?" Link tried to sound the word a couple of times. On the third time, he succeeded. "De-fer-ence?"

"Remember that the Ladies Impa, Saria and Princess Zelda are peers and royalty of the kingdom respectively. Therefore, it's only right for the subjects of His Majesty to show proper respect to the lords and ladies of the realm." He smiled while Link looked at him, confused.

Impa rolled her eyes. "Neither the princess nor I ever beheld him to such a standard. You overplay the role…you idiot."

Bato gestured and squawked wildly, but quietly? "But, what? Why? Okay, so every subject is taught to do this, but the moment I do it flawlessly I'm called an 'idiot?' Oh yes, that sounds fair to me." Link noticed that Bato was holding in his laughter and was acting silly.

"Princess Zelda?" Impa whispered. "Wake up. I believe they are done." The princesses' eyes slowly opened. Groggy, she stretched and gave a big yawn. Looking around, she saw Link and immediately straightened herself out. Coughing a few times, Saria woke up as well. Unlike the princess, she took her time.

"Mr. Bato." Zelda said, with a smile. "Rise, if you would. I would not address a hero of the realm in such a way."

"I am gratified by your praise, your Majesty." Bato got up, while Link looked at him funny again. Another word for his vocabulary. "Gr-"

Instead of Bato, Zelda was the one that answered him. "Gratified. The root word: grateful. To be pleased or satisfied with something."

"I'm glad that you're keeping up with your lessons, princess." Impa gave a beat. "Which where you should be right about now?" Zelda blushed a little, while Saria gave a soft smile. "Guards." Immediately, the guards turned and stood at attention in front of Impa. "Take the princess to the library, will you? Then, report back to Lord Cobn."

"I'll come too," Saria said, immediately. "It's been a while since I've been in the library. Maybe they have some new books!" Impa nodded her agreement. As the two girls passed Link, they touched his hand softly and smiled. He smiled back.

"I'll escort you two to the main hall. I'll have the servants set the both of you up in a room somewhere." Bato and Link looked exhausted, and neither of them had the energy to decline her offer. Besides, the king forbade Bato to leave the castle, anyway. When the trio arrived at the main hall, she called one of the maids. "Have these two set up in the dignitary wing." As the maid bowed, Impa turned to the two. "No doubt that His Majesty would like to speak with you, in private."

"Lord Rarro said as much, yes."

"Someone will get you at the appropriate time. Until then, rest and recover." She turned to leave, "and Bato?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know whether you forgot, or if you knew this already…but Hylians have exceptional hearing." She gave a smile and walked off.

"Fuck."

"Fuck?" Link asked.

Bato quickly stopped him. "No! No Link! Never use that word! It's a bad word!"

"But you used it just now…"

"That's my special word! Promise me you will never say that again!"

"Okay, okay, I promise." Link crossed his arms, not knowing what the big deal was with that word. The maid returned to fetch them.

Evening had fallen. Link was asleep in a separate room, drained from all the excitement of the day. Bato understood, but he, himself, did not have that luxury. Freshened up after dinner, he waited in proper social attire to present himself to the king, albeit with a swollen cheek. He sat down on a chair, nodding off occasionally. Just when he was about to fall asleep, there was a knock on the door.

"Bato." Jofary's voice came from the other side. "His Majesty will see you now." Sighing, he forced himself up, walked across the room and opened the door. Jofary was still wearing the same attire he had in court. When Bato went to bow, as it was custom, he held his hand to stop him. "What happened to your face?"

"I fell," Bato said.

"You fell?" Jofary remained unconvinced.

"It was the oddest thing. I was making my way up the stairs when suddenly I tripped on some stone and tumbled down a few flights below. Hit my face on the wall, my Lord. Lost a tooth, I did!"

The lord looked at him, uncomfortably. "Come, the king awaits."

Both of them traversed through the castle; the servants and maids making their evening rounds. Guards were changing posts and saluting the lord, while Bato walked silently. After a while, and climbing a set of stairs in a tower, they came across a double door with Royal Guards posted outside. Jofary nodded, and the guards moved to the side and opened the door. The king's great chamber. In Medieval times, halls were a public affair. The chamber located at the end of the Great Hall served as both a private reception room and an office for the king and his ministers.

Like everything in the castle, the Great Chamber was grandiose, sporting the finest silk, stone, and furnishings befitting a king. In the center, there was the fireplace, two chairs and a sofa surrounding it. A desk and bookshelf were on the right side of the room. Portraits and reliefs of the Royal Family littered the place to ensure that the first impression of the Royal Family was a positive one.

The King and Rarro were sitting around the fireplace when Jofary and Bato entered the room. The doors closed. "Your Majesty." He and Bato bowed. "I present Bato of Termina, as per your request."

"You may approach," Rarro said, evenly. Both men got up and made their way to the fireplace. It crackled with white and orange embers. The king sat on a big chair while Rarro positioned himself beside him. Jofary motioned Bato towards the sofa.

The king, in evening attire, motioned them wearily. "Sit down, all of you." At once, everyone did as they were bidden. The king looked at Bato for a moment. "What happened to your face?"

"He fell, Your Majesty." Jofary offered.

The king and Rarro looked at each other wearily. Finally, the king waved it off. Bato was nervous. He was in front of the most powerful man in the kingdom and judging by his face, he was tired of his actions. Especially when it was presented in front of the entire court. The king took off his crown, gave it to Rarro and ran his palms through his face with an exasperated sigh. He looked at Bato, intensely. "Let's review where we are, shall we?"

He gestured to his open left hand. "On one hand, you put to rest a potential coup, saved the Lost Woods, and garnered respect from all the nations and their delegates." He gestured to his open right hand. "On the other, you disrupt my court with your antics, caused what can be described as the biggest land dispute this kingdom has ever seen and saw to half of my aristocracy culled for corruption and collusion." He clapped his hands together. "Tell me, Bato." He leaned closer to him. "Tell me what I should do with you?"

Bato shook his head. "I would not presume, Your Majesty."

The king grunted in frustration and threw up his arms. "I'm giving you a direct order. From now until you leave this room, you will disregard royal protocol. We will have this conversation, not as a king to his subject. But as common men. Do I make myself clear, Bato?"

Bato looked at the king and blinked a few times. "Crystal, sir."

The king rolled his eyes towards Rarro, who took it as a cue to speak. "I've received word from Utia of the Gerudo delegation that they wish for you to be an observer and travel with them back to the valley. Is that so?"

"Yes sir. Lady Utia told me as such."

The king sighed again. "You serve yet again, without any complaint."

"There was a complaint. But I was told in no uncertain terms that you wish to keep the peace between this kingdom and the Gerudo and that it would be in your best interest to allow this arrangement."

"Well, she's not wrong," Rarro admitted. "It is only recently that Nabooru allowed talks with us. Spurring their delegation would have a negative effect."

"I am very aware." The king got up and started to pace. "Are you also aware of your role as an observer?"

"Strict observation and consultation. I am walking into an active war zone, so I doubt that will be the case all the time."

"Yes." He looked at Bato, "what are the chances of you doing any fighting?"

"So long as I don't start anything or participate in any active military campaigns, I don't see myself doing anything of the sort. Besides defending myself, of course."

Rarro crossed his arms. "The last thing we want is to start another war with the Gerudo. Any hostile action on our part will be considered a declaration. The relationship between our two countries is fragile."

"Now that they have a rough understanding of Bato's abilities," Jofary started, "him staying out of combat is most ideal. Yet, Utia is looking for something in Bato."

"The question is what?" The king stopped pacing and sat down.

"Lady Utia did say that she wanted me to open dialogue between the insurgents and Lady Nabooru's supporters. They also want me to legitimize 'Lady Nabooru's rule'. Whatever that means."

"Ah, there's your answer! You have shown that you have connection to the world spirits. The Gerudo are a deeply spiritual people. If they have you on their side, then that would mean that the world has chosen them to be the rightful rulers of the Gerudo instead of Ganondorf."

"No doubt that his forces will not take this lying down," Rarro said, concerning. He rubbed his temples. "Like us, it seems the Gerudo are playing their game."

"The games are never truly over, sirs." All three of them looked at Bato who just blurted it out.

"Are you sure you're a farmer, Bato?" Jofary asked him. "Because it sounds like you know how these types of games work."

"I…read…as the goddesses permit me."

"Remind me to ask you for recommendations for your reading," the king said, dryly. He sighed again. "Your service to the realm and your sacrifices are not the reason for my anger. It is how much you are owed."

"Sir?"

"I pride myself as a man who never forget his debts. So far, you have performed admirably without any recompense. That's the issue." He wagged his finger at Bato. "So, I wish to settle this debt, immediately. I'm going to present you with two options. You are not to leave this room until you've chosen one of them."

Feeling both nervous and excited, Bato wondered what the king had in store for him. He tried to hide his facial expressions, but some of them leaked out.

"First option: I grant you the title of Baron. You are given all of Rowan's holdings to create your own fiefdom. Second option: I grant you a manor and the land that comes with it, as well as all of House Rowan's possessions."

Bato laughed a little. "Begging your pardon, sir, but it seems to me that Lord Rowan is getting the short end of the stick."

"He is no lord anymore," Jofary said, with a bit of a vindictiveness in his voice. "With evidence of his coup, all of his lands and assets have been forfeited. They are now property of the state. As with all other houses that colluded with him."

"Oh…my…" Bato stared into the fire. He was given two exciting prospects. One, he could have his fiefdom with people working for him. The people on those lands would be beholden to whatever he wished. Or, he could have a manor, land, swag and call it a day. Either way, there would be people living on his land. He thought of it briefly, as the king's gaze was making him uncomfortable. "I'll go with the second option."

The king and Rarro looked at each other. "Really? Here I thought you'd like to be a Lord. Why choose this?"

"Having the power of a lord is great, but not for me. I would make a lot of enemies, if I hadn't already, and that would mean I would have to play the game a lot more. Something I don't relish in. I'd rather be a landowner with some nice things than a lord."

There was stunned silence between everyone before Jofary barked out a laugh. "Bato! You have a foresight that serves you well."

"Well, technically, I'll be the lord of the manor." Bato was hoping for some chuckles, but instead he was met with groans. "I'll shut up now."

"Good idea." The king stood up. "The delegation will be leaving the day after tomorrow. Until then, you will be a guest of the Royal Family."

"I appreciate it, sir. Truly." Bato and Jofary got up, gave a short bow, then exited the chamber.

Before retiring to bed, Jofary spoke with Bato in front of his room. "There was one more thing that the king didn't mention. I, myself, owe you a debt. Name it, and it's yours." Bato didn't feel like dealing with this right now. "One favor, my Lord."

"A favor."

"A favor. At the time of my choosing."

Jofary looked at Bato for a moment. "So be it. But try to name your favor during my lifetime." Jofary then left him. The moon was shining in Bato's room. He forbade any servants or maids to come in and took off his clothing by himself. Changing into some sleepwear, he climbed upon the soft linens of the bed and willed himself to sleep.

The dead of night. A gentle breeze went through his room. He turned over on his back and woke up. There, standing beside him, was a Gerudo female. Simple black vest and trousers with a black facemask. She bore a simple dagger and was aiming it towards him. Bato was paralyzed with fear as he looked into the assassin's eyes. But what he found wasn't the eyes of a cold, hearted killer. There was uncertainty, and fear. Both of them looked at each other for a while.

A moment of this passed. Bato's initial fear was replaced by annoyance. "Well, are you going to do something, or are we just going to continue to stare lovingly into each other's eyes?"

Wide-eyed, the Greudo staggered back a few times before dropping the dagger and collapsing on the floor, in fear. Sighing, Bato got up and forced himself off the bed. He went over towards the sofa and sat down. The Gerudo was just looking at him, with fear. "Come here."

The Gerudo did nothing.

He asked again, annoyed. "Come here! If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so already, so move that ass over here and sit down!" This time, the Gerudo slowly got up. Ignoring the dagger, she sat beside Bato and removed her face covering.

"What are you?" she asked, in awe.

"I do not take your meaning." Bato said, evenly. Looking at her, he knew she wasn't kidding or hiding something.

"Such raw power. It leaks out, unrestrained, suffocating those sensitive to it. Besides, His Majesty, I've never beheld such a thing."

"I'll take it as a good thing for me. So," Bato narrowed his eyes to his would-be intruder. "Who are you?"

"A-Avesa," she said, with a heavily desert dialect.

"What are you doing here?"

"H-He wishes to s-speak with you."

"Why are you stuttering?"

She looked unsure of herself and shook her head, "I don't know." She genuinely looked like she didn't understand why she was so afraid. He decided to dismiss it, for now. "Whatever. Who wants to speak with me?"

"His Majesty, the king."

Bato thought that she referred to the King of Hyrule but thinking about it, she must have been referring to Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo. "This couldn't wait until morning?"

"Utia would detect my departure. This was the only way."

"So, you're one of Utia's people?"

"Never! Utia serves usurpers! Ganondorf is our rightful king! The King is absolute. We will fight against the traitor Nabooru and reclaim our rightful place in this land. This, he promised us. He only asked us to put our trust in him!"

"Dear God." He felt indoctrination in her voice. She wholly believed in her cause. "Then, you're a traitor?"

She gave a small grin. "How can I betray one that I never held allegiance to?"

Bato thought carefully. Why did Ganondorf wish to speak with him? Did he happen to hear about him and wanted to know who, exactly, was this prodigal farmer? Or was there something more that would affect the entire war? "Let me see him."

She nodded and took out a yellow crystal. It shone, lighting up the entire room instantly. A male voice was heard on the other end. "Avesa," the voice greeted in a somewhat gruff tone. "Were you able to speak to him?"

Bato took the crystal from her hand. "Yes, she did."