The march to Link's office was a steady one, determined, singular in her mission.

Three questions. Notice my heat, respond appropriately, deny everything else. Three things, get all of them. Lay it on thick. Purah repeated in her mind as she walked by the numerous doors and guards. She kept her eyes forward and focused on her target.

Uncover an imposter if there is one.

She knocked on Link's office door and waited to enter until she heard him shout "come in!" from the other side of the door.

Her eyes scoured his office the moment she opened the door. Master Sword in its sheath against the wall, pot of what smelled of Labrynnian coffee—Purah had always hated the bitter smell—his prized Hylian Shield was hung and polished, his papers were a bit scattered across his desk, but not too messy.

Everything seemed normal.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Link asked her, his eyes flitting across a page while he fiddled with the feathered end of his plume. He fidgeted with the small hairs, occasionally spinning it and brushing the interior of his hand, but he spared her nothing but a single glance up.

"I've come to deliver something from the team," she smiled and waved a few pages in a folder his way. She noted the way he seemed only half interested, but still smiled and opened his hand.

She stepped forward, ready to give the folder before yanking it back before it could touch his palm. "Security question, Linky."

He sighed with a faint chuckle. "Of course, you never make things easy, do you?"

"You do understand the need for secrecy, don't you?" She asked, slipping an extra hint of that something in her voice.

"Of course, you can't spill details to just anyone." Link said casually, leaning forward with attention. "Ask away." He was very receptive to her request, which was a good sign.

"Do you remember that injury Impa suffered a few months back? It was when you and Zelda weren't together yet." Purah asked curiously.

"In the catacombs right?" Link asked for clarifications. He dragged the tip of his index along his neck horizontally, just below the chin. "Gave her a nasty scar by accident." he seemed apologetic enough, the shame of the memory resurfacing.

"And that conversation we had in Kakariko about a month ago?" Purah asked further.

Link thought for a second. Despite the closed door, he still looked around. "Regarding the bond book?" He asked quietly in a faint whisper. There were two answers to that question, but the answer and the way he'd answered was satisfaction enough.

"I think that settles it then," Purah smiled and walked happily over to the table.

It was Link's surprise that caught her attention. "Where's the third question?"

Three questions is customary. "Right, I forgot." Purah pretended to remember. "Honestly, you've convinced me enough, but I'd love to know the recent developments about your little niece. What was her name again?" She knew the little one's name was Arina—Ari for short.

The instant smile and excitement on his face didn't raise any suspicions to her either. "Oh it's Ari! Aryll was telling me the other day that she was thinking of giving Ari some more solid foods, she's trying to take her first steps too!" He immediately gushed.

Ah yes, the lesser known quality of Link. Hidden baby fever. She was satisfied with the questions, but now Link seemed to be prattling on endlessly about the little girl.

"Oh she really is just the dearest little thing." She came around the desk while he was still talking and gushing about the little girl. She leaned on the chair and listened to him go on until she chose to put a hand on his shoulder with the most featherlight touch she could manage.

"-And even though she still has… has a-" he trailed off and looked at her hand slowly before looking back up at Purah with evident confusion in his eyes.

"Go on," she smiled innocently. "Has a what?"

He looked at her hand for a second before brushing it off awkwardly. "Right, right, I was saying," he coughed to clear his throat. There was almost a buffer in his thoughts as Purah continued to lay it on thick, her hand staying on his shoulder. When it seemed as though he'd lost his train of thought, his eyes landed on the folder in her free hand. "What did you want to tell me again?" He redirected to the subject.

She smiled and opened the folder. "We have two more towers we want you to do, Linky." She placed the page in his hand. A map with little stars across the provinces, her checkpoints of towers she wanted but placed in the wrong areas to see if Link would notice.

"And when were you hoping for this to be done? In my sleep?" He asked sarcastically before dropping the page back onto her folder. "Just leave it there, I'll get to it eventually." He barely looked at the map before returning to his report on the desk.

She leaned against the chair a bit and looked over his shoulder. A letter to some noble regarding soldiers from Akkala.

"Can you back up please?" Link asked, glancing up at her briefly. He was tense and his entire body was rigid.

Let's push him a bit further.

Link dropped his quill in bewilderment when Purah plopped herself onto the arm of his chair. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" He questioned her sharply, leaning away from her. "Should I go fetch Zelda? Does she know what you're doing?"

Purah studied the way he shifted, the intonation of his voice, and his facial expression. She didn't enjoy laying it on thick, but she had to in order to get the most extreme response from him. It stung her to betray Zelda in such a way, even if Zelda didn't view it like that.

Rumours are rumours for a reason. Purah pouted playfully. "Does she know about the other stuff?" She purposefully insinuated further. There wasn't anything more, he would never, but she could leverage the inappropriate rumour from weeks ago to her advantage if an impersonator didn't know any better.

"There isn't anything more, what the hell are you talking about?" He left his chair and stepped away from her, completely on guard. He looked grossed out, horror in his eyes and disgust written plainly all over him. "Look, I don't know what delusions you've conjured up, but leave me out of it." He told her sternly.

The behaviour wasn't raising any suspicions with her, save for the fact he'd yet to notice her physical state.

She peeked at her watch and counted 3 minutes since she'd come into the room. He wasn't being affected by her state either, but Link was known for having quite the resistance to begin with. I'll give him another minute to notice. She thought to herself.

"They're not delusions, how could you say that?" she pouted.

"I think you need better safety measures in your house if you think I was there."

"You're hurting my feelings."

"Good, let them be hurt. I want no part of this."

And then he inhaled deeply and she watched his eyes dilate sharply.

"Fuck no! Not here." He said loudly. He took a few sharp steps forward and rummaged through the bottom desk and pulled out a small injector, and without warning, jammed it into Purah's exposed thigh.

"Ow!" She shouted. "You could've asked." The nerve of just using that crap on me! You're lucky you sleep with the door locked.

"Are you serious? Go home. Go rest. Get out of the castle, you idiot." There was no room to argue back. He simply grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the office and down the hallway to the parlour Zelda had been having her lunch and clicked open the door.

"L-Link?" Zelda nearly jumped in her seat as she whipped around. "Is everything alright?" she asked, concerned.

"Summon Lady Impa and take her home." He pushed Purah into the room gently and stepped back into the hallway. "She shouldn't be anywhere near the castle like this." He gave her one last sweeping look over, a feeling of disgust still written all over his face. "I'm off to take a shower." He left without another word.

Zelda waited until the door was closed and the steps inaudible until she finally took Purah's hand and brought her to sit. "How did it go?" Zelda asked eagerly, bringing her to sit down. "I imagine he passed based on that ."

Purah stared blankly through the princess. Her thigh still hurt from how aggressively the injector had been used. "I'd say yes." She rubbed the spot she'd been shot with. "He didn't need to be so aggressive with the injector though…" she mumbled.

"Injector?" Zelda looked curiously. "So he detected it fairly quickly?"

Purah groaned a bit. "He figured it out, but I still had to perch myself on him."

Zelda was quiet for a moment. She squinted her eyes a bit and her lips straightened into a tight line. " You… perched yourself on him?" she said, her tone was tight and closed for questions. She crossed her arms and frowned. "I thought you were just testing him? Why are you perching yourself on him?"

The air in the room quickly reeked of smoke and something that stung the back of her throat.

Purah wanted to smack her head with a brick. Why did she think this plan was a good idea? Zelda was brooding menacingly and glaring a hole through her head from her chair. "I wasn't perched per say, that was a terrible choice of word-"

"It was." Zelda said briskly. "I think he's right, you need your rest." She pushed herself out of her chair with a quiet grunt. She muttered something about the baby and walked past Purah coldly, and she spared Purah not a single glance back.

Zelda sought refuge in the stables once more.

The moment she'd appeared with her two guards, the stableboys had rushed forward, ready for orders, but she had simply dismissed them with a quiet and subtle hand wave and they cleared the area, but made their nearby presence known if she needed anything.

Adorable boys, Zelda thought with a little smile. The stable boys ranged between the ages of ten and fifteen but they were always so eager to please.

Zelda lifted her skirt a bit higher off the ground until she reached the cleaner area of the barn where Storm and Abraxas were resting in their beds of hay—Storm's bedding having mostly been eaten already.

She smiled at the sight of Storm and Abraxas nipping at each other. Their stalls were across from one another but even now, she could still see their heads craned out into the hall and going at each other.

Epona was pawing at her gate and snorting. She paused when Zelda approached, whickering to her before pawing once more at the gate. She gave Zelda a look that clearly said, " Hey lady, I want to get out. Can you let me out ?"

Zelda suppressed a giggle. She scratched Epona on the withers, sighing. "What is going on with you, little one?"

I wonder if she is in pain somehow? She glanced down at the horse's hooves. Well, she hasn't thrown a shoe—Link told me that that can happen sometimes. And she doesn't appear to be injured… Maybe she has some sort of internal issue. Oh, what did Link call it? Colic? She studied the horse, who was now trying to use her lips to itch Zelda in return.

No, if Epona was sick, Link would have noticed, she thought. But nonetheless, she turned to a stableboy. "Please keep an eye on her, will you? And if anything happens, send for the veterinarian and then Link and I."

The stableboy bowed. "Yes, Princess."

Zelda was about to depart when she felt the baby move.

Epona, who had been resting her mouth against Zelda's belly, exhaled sharply, then seemed to listen intently.

She moved her lips over Zelda's belly, and Zelda felt the baby kick again.

Epona whickered again, sniffing carefully. Her eyelids drifted lower, as if she were about to take a nap.

"The first horse I'd put them on would be you, don't tell Abraxas or Storm I told you that." Zelda whispered. "You'll take good care of them, won't you?" She stroked Epona's sleek neck. "But no more nonsense with them like what we had yesterday. What was that about?"

Epona snorted and shook her mane before reaching back and itching her side. She yawned and went back to her hay.

"I think I ought to retire as well," Zelda sighed.

Epona munched on her hay, side-eyeing Zelda as if to say "Get your own. I'm not sharing, baby or no baby."

Zelda chuckled quietly to herself and left the stable.

There wasn't long to wait until dinner when she was once again visited by Link. She'd been reading a book at a small tale in a parlour, sipping water on the unusually hot day when she'd heard his voice right behind her ear.

"Did I pass your little fidelity test?"

Zelda nearly jumped out of her skin when he took a step back. She whipped around and faced him, book still in hand, but a little bit spooked. She hadn't heard him walk up behind her, but Sir Balar and Dame Caya were still watching her from inside the room, and they looked unphased.

There was a humoured little sparkle in his eye and a knowing smile. "Sending Miss Purah mid-heat into my office was a terrible joke, but I do hope I passed your little test?" He asked innocently in a mere whisper to her. He glanced back at the two guards briefly before turning his attention back to her. "It was an…unusual method, but not unheard of, I suppose."

Zelda pouted. "I gave you no fidelity test." The nerve to ask such a question.

"Oh?" He raised a brow and crossed his arms. "I've never seen her act like that. That was almost extreme." He retorted back with a laugh. "Don't you trust me?"

Zelda felt a pang in her chest. He was hurt. She had set Purah on him to test him, but not on fidelity of all things. "I do trust you." she said earnestly.

"It doesn't feel like it." He moved to step towards her but froze when she leaned away from his touch. "How can I make it up to you?"

There was an odd sensation she'd never felt before at the junction of her neck, almost like a needle scratching her skin roughly, but right beneath her skin. "I'm just not feeling well today, it's nothing about you," she stubbornly said. She couldn't admit she had suspected him of being an imposter, what sort of person accused their loved one of impersonation?

There was a humming from him as he got a bit closer to her. "How about this? We dismiss the guards and I treat you to something special?" He offered with a smile.

"I'm quite alright." Zelda whispered quietly. Her stomach was starting to hurt and she had no desire for anything but rest at the moment.

"Let me show you I care for you." There was an underlying tone she recognised but heard so rarely. It felt so uncanny to hear him suggest anything improper, or even make allusions to it.

Is that really what he's offering though? It's so unlike him… Or maybe he's trying to initiate more? That last one, she scratched it away immediately. Now was such an odd time to offer that sort of thing. Then what could it be?

In her thoughts, she hadn't realised she'd been taking so long until she heard Link's voice loudly beside her, full of authority.

"You're both dismissed." Link looked back at Sir Balar and Dame Caya with a smile that reached his eyes. "You can return in ten minutes."

The two shared a glance, and as Sir Balar moved to turn, Dame Caya grabbed his hand and kept him there. "Sir, we have orders to be here." Dame Caya's voice echoed firmly. She made no move to leave, and Sir Balar finally stood his ground.

Zelda felt Link's hand on her shoulder tense momentarily.

"Well I'm your superior, and I've given orders to dismiss you." Link reaffirmed. His voice left no room for arguments, firm and cold in the orders he was given.

"Have both of them accompany you."

Zelda wasn't terribly familiar with the rules of the royal guard and what the procedure was, but she was certain a princess ' fear for safety came above anything else in the hierarchy.

"My apologies, Sir." Sir Balar replied back, a faint quiver in his voice that Zelda didn't miss. "We've been ordered to stay."

The longer Link's hand remained on her shoulder, the stronger the scratching in her skin. There was just something about how cold the touch was, how it almost felt like a bad dream.

"Who gave these orders?" He asked.

Zelda kept quiet, looking at the flowers in a nearby vase. Some of the petals still had droplets of water atop them, glistening in the light. Zelda tried to swallow, but found her throat itchy and dry, as though she'd been wandering the desert aimlessly. She couldn't ignore the pressure in her ears that began to form, the loud heartbeat that drowned out the words around her.

And his hand. Why wasn't he moving his hand?

My throat. I need water. She reached for the pitcher and found it empty. Then her mouth filled with a warm liquid she could only recognise as bile. She was sure they noticed her expression when she felt the hand tense and shouting behind her.

"Someone fetch the Princess some water!" She heard him shout.

Through the corner of her eye, she noticed Sir Balar step out of the room, his eyes still in the room while he ordered a nearby guard to fetch a pitcher of water before stepping back inside.

Reaching for the trashcan nearby, Zelda shoved the hand from her shoulder and threw up the contents of her lunch, ignoring everything else in the room.

"Drink, please." A maid was by her side with a glass of water. The water coated the dryness in her throat and it was only then she noticed it. The itching beneath her skin. It had seemingly vanished out of thin air.

"Goodness Sir Balar, You couldn't have fetched the water yourself if you noticed the princess about to be sick?" Link commented dryly behind her. His hand returned to her upper back and rubbed small circles.

"I was ordered not to leave the Princess out of my sight." Sir Balar commented, his voice wavering and unsure."

"You really won't leave her side," Link commented to both Sir Balar and Dame Caya, though it remained pointed to the omega male guard. The hand vanished once more, and she heard his footsteps get further away.

"The Princess has requested two guards, thus she will have two guards at all times." Dame Caya pushed back. Zelda could see the woman sweating beneath Link's glare, barely holding herself from shaking.

For a moment, Link didn't say anything. He simply stood there, his arms crossed over his chest and a glare that could burn fields in an instant, until finally, she heard a deep chuckle and a low whistle. "Wow, I wasn't expecting you to follow that order to the letter, you're more competent than I thought."

The two guards seemed to release the breaths they were holding, relief immediately flooded over them. "Sir, please." Dame Caya whined. "You'll give us heart attacks."

"Well, I had to make sure you actually followed procedure, regardless of the pressure applied." Zelda could see a faint smile on his face, one that didn't quite feel like it reached his eyes. "Please escort the Princess to her chambers, she's in need of some rest." He ordered them, motioning to her. He turned to her. "I'll come to check on you later, call if you need anything, I'm off to get some practice in the sparring ring."

She rested her head on her hands and heaved, trying to catch her breath. "Thank you." There was an ease that settled in her stomach once the door closed.

Later that evening, when Captain Reinhartd was finally making his final rounds around the halls at nearly eleven o'clock, checking on the night shift's change of guards, and the final perimetre check before heading back to inside the castle to grab his things to go home.

He took his walk leisurely, enjoying the quiet and calm, empty halls of the castle. None of the bustle and panic of staff to give him stress. Simply the company of torches and the night guards.

When he arrived at his room, he noticed the neighbouring door had a light on underneath. That room was meant for any of the captains to stay in whenever they weren't feeling up to heading home so late. An easy place to crash for the night.

Who's still here? It couldn't have been Randall, who'd expressed earlier interest in visiting one of the night districts; it couldn't have been Link either, he'd made sure to see Link off to his room before taking his final leave. Is Arn still here? It wasn't unusual for Arn to still be in the castle so late, the man was fiercely dedicated to his job, but he typically took his leave from the castle around nine.

He stepped to the door and knocked quietly. There were a few quiet steps before the door opened to reveal Arn, tired and clearly in need of sleep, but still in most of his uniform. "This better be important." He said, his voice a bit rough.

Aha, not really. Barnabus held back from the chuckle that wanted out. "I'm surprised you're still here." He said simply, shifting his weight between his heels. "Why aren't you home with the wife?"

"Tired." He answered flatly.

"I'm sure Lady Elise misses you, no?" Barnabus asked. This had to be the second night in a row that Arn had stayed at the castle. For the guy who always seemed eager to go home for a good home cooked meal, this surprised him a bit.

"Maybe I didn't want to walk an hour just to crash into a bed." Arn told him with a hint of sarcasm.

Fair enough. Barnabus was going to let it go when he thought of something. "Aren't you off tomorrow? You should go home now so you won't need to walk tomorrow morning. Wake up to a good breakfast," Barnabus elbowed him with a smile. Arn's wife always made fantastic meals, there was never a bad day with that kind woman's cooking. "We'll walk together, I'm heading that way."

There was a long silence before Arn sighed heavily. "Fine, give me a few minutes." And the door closed roughly behind him.

It was nearly midnight when they left the castle. Arn was still in a bad mood—understandable, he'd been woken up then dragged into town, but Barnabus just didn't seem to understand why Arn seemed to be avoiding his home like it was the plague.

Earlier in the day, there had been a guard that had come to tell him one of Arn's daughters had been at the main gate asking about Arn's whereabouts, but he'd been too busy attending Rhoam to come down.

Hell, if either Rana or Eli came to the gate to see him with Rosie, he'd probably find a way to ditch his post to say hi one way or another.

"You're off tomorrow right? Any plans?" He tried to make conversation with the man, but he didn't seem too chatty at the moment, only grunting quietly.

"Not really."

Dead stop in the conversation again. Barnabus understood no one wanted to be woken up so late and dragged home at midnight, but this was ridiculous.

"Any vacation plans coming up?" He tried again.

"Not all of us go on vacation twice a year."

"That's fair." He hated to admit that sometimes, he forgot not everyone had the funds to go to Lurelin or overseas to Labrynna for a few weeks twice every year. "Have you ever been to Labrynna with Lady Elise?"

"Yes." Yet another flat answer.

If you don't want a conversation, just say that.

There were groups of people still lazing around the street corners, some around the fountain lit by gas-lamps, others stumbling out of bars in the area, but none paid them any attention as they walked towards Arn's residential area.

The homes were nice enough, Barnabus noted, but they were quite small compared to the ones in his neighbourhood.

A few more yards later and he finally noticed the familiar rocking chair on Arn's porch where there was a woman with a cup of tea sitting. Even in the dark, Barnabus recognised Elise by the way she immediately perked up at the sight of them in the light and practically dashed off the porch.

"Arnold?" She called out, stepping into the street.

Barnabus snorted. "Your name is Arnold?"

Arn deadpanned next to him. "What did you think Arn was short for? Have you ever heard yours?" He shot back sarcastically.

Barnabus shrugged but watched Elise's expression lighten up as she picked up her pace and rushed to greet them in the street.

"I wasn't sure you were coming home tonight." She said gratefully. He could hear how happy she was; she'd probably been thinking he wouldn't be coming for another night.

Barnabus tipped his hat with a smile. "I'll gladly drag your oaf home for you, my lady." He said cheekily.

"Oh you charmer, thank you, Barry." She gave him a hug before looping her arm into Arn's.

It's not Barry, but close enough. "All in a day's work."

"Thank you. You get home safe, and no detours at this time, young man." She reminded him with a clap on the bicep before turning away and walking home with Arn in tow.

Barnabus watched the two enter their home before starting to make his way down the street at a leisure pace.

He was quite excited to get back to his city estate to see Rana and Eli, his spouses. He would have loved to see Rosie, but he was sure the little darling would be tuckered out after a full day of her new tutors.

"I hope they didn't wait for me to start eating," he worried a bit. It wasn't uncommon for both of them to wait for him to get home before chowing down on dinner despite how often he told them to eat on their own time

I wonder if Lady Elise does that too, he looked at the open front door where Arn was currently getting threatened into sitting into a chair in the doorway where he was taking his shoes off. A long wooden spoon was extended out in the doorway where Lady Elise was now standing with her arms crossed, spoon in her hand pointed down at her husband.

I'll leave them be. Food time for me. He merrily made his way down the long cobblestone path until he entered the cleaner districts where the presence of guards became heavier, the streets cleaners and the homes bigger and brightly lit.