Harrison Hyrule

by Raven of the Whiplash

A great evil of a world forgotten is awaking. The Last Hylian Soul is sent to the hidden past of the world to discover his heritage. The Gods of the new world will be blind when the champions of old return to save the world from the oldest of all evils, and show to them what true power is. / Has crossover with Percy Jackson also, Post-Heroes of Olympus. / CONTAINS SLASH /

16. Do You See Me Now?

A/N: WELCOME BACK TO THE FIC, MY NAME'S OVERRIDE AND TODAY WE HAVE A MASSIVE ONE FOR YOU WITH LOADS OF LORE! This chapter has been sitting here for a long time because of Tears of the Kingdom, and because I wrote and published an actual book, so I was a little bit distracted. Loads of world building and a massive event that change's Harry forever! HOPE YOU ENJOY!
And now, CHAPTER 16!

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Harry would sit on the Council of Harrys. As he isn't, it is clear I don't own it. You're welcome JKR!

Disclaimer 2: I don't own the indescribably greatest game series of all time that is The Legend of Zelda.

Disclaimer 3: I don't own any story or literature that features Percy Jackson. But I am Greek so that must mean I'm Percy's cousin. ΟΠΑ!

Key:

"Speaking in Mundane (when in front of a human) or speaking Hylian (when Humans are out of earshot)."

"Speaking Hylian in the presence of Human Characters (e.g., Percy, Malfoy etc.)"

/Parseltongue or snake talking/

'Thoughts/Mind Speak'

/Snake Thoughts/

"Singing in Mundane and Hylian"

"Spell"

---

The Servant Arc

Chapter 16:

Do You See Me Now?

Late Morning, Private Chambers, Royal Carriage, Eastern Road, East Holodrum,

Empire of Hyrule, Mortal Realm

It had been almost two months since Harry had left the Kingdom of Hyrule on his way to Holodrum. With him was a contingent of Guardians, Shades, Shadows, and simple guards which would be assigned to his new household of Tarm Castle when the renovations and extra constructions were complete. Krosis had also come with him to draw up some plans to renovate Tarm. He had brought some Goblin architects to assist him in this monumental task.

Harry was excited. The last few months had been a flurry of activity. His plan with Cadmus has gone smoothly and the previous report suggested that he was about to break, and while the information was a month old at this point, he was expecting a message when he had arrived to Horon City. He had also organised for an advanced group of surveyors to check Tarm, and the reports he had received were promising, although the surveyors weren't able to get to the castle itself as of yet. Tarm was still laid out as a dungeon maze of traps designed to protect the Essence of Nature and the dungeon's relic; the first ever magical boomerang, created during the Force Era and used by an incarnation of the Hero's Soul.

Harry's plans for his visit to Holodrum were simple. He had to speak with the Lord President about his future position in the establishing monarchy of Holodrum, and he knew that the conversation would be an uncomfortable one. Rhoam had assigned him as his regent to act in his stead while he was in Hyrule after the previous lord's retirement, and Harry had not reassigned him due to Rhoam's wishes but depending on the conversation, that may change. Harry had drawn up a basic plan for the government's restructuring. There would be a small council which advised the prince on various matters similar to the common council of Hyrule Kingdom, a senate made up of the Highborn of Holodrum which would draft new laws and statutes for him to overlook and approve or deny, a court managed by the senate which would oversee the justice of the kingdom in relation to small matters with him acting as judge for larger matters, and a trained garrison of guards which would patrol the kingdom to protect the people.

There was a problem, however. Due to Holodrum having an Agrarian based economy, and with it being so far north, there was no standing army or kingdom-wide defence force. This would have to be rectified in the future as he couldn't be reliant on Labrynna for defence and didn't want to pull too many resources from Hyrule. Not only would it weaken the empire's capital, but it would show the people that he was weak and reliant on Zelda for defence, which would be political suicide. He had to come up with a way to grow a standing army within Holodrum for his use. Thankfully, a sect of the Sheikah clan had already established themselves back when Holodrum was first settled and from Impa's reports, they kept up the same level of discipline and martial prowess as the main sect in Hyrule.

Holodrum was also missing a clan of Zora, or more accurately, Ocean Zora. There were two branches of Zora, the civilised and refined Ocean Zora, and the feral and mindless River Zora. Researchers suggested that some Ocean Zora had migrated up-stream and had devolved to their more baser instincts due to a lack of survivable habitats. Whatever the case may be, the River Zora were considered mindless monsters and pests that attacked any passers-by indiscriminately. As such, Harry had a plan to have some Zora from Hyrule and Labrynna emigrate to the sea south of Horon City and into the various lakes within Holodrum itself. Not only would that clear up the River Zora infestation, but it would go on to promote seafaring trade and an expansion of the fishing industry.

It would also allow Harry to have people who could continue his training in the Zora martial arts.

Harry was also hoping to entice members of the Gerudo Nation to move to Holodrum. Not only were they phenomenal warriors, but they were incredibly pious to the Threefold. With Holodrum being Din's chosen land, and the Gerudo paying homage to the Snake Goddess of Desert Colossus who was believed to be Din's daughter, it would make sense for Gerudo to be present within Holodrum to either make pilgrimage or to worship in the Temple of Seasons.

The Temple of Seasons. Harry sighed at the mess that the temple was going to cause him. The temple was currently in a dilapidated state, not because it was abandoned, but because the Lord President had removed funding for the maintenance of the temple, and the allowance that the Arcanum got from the main one in Hyrule was not enough to maintain both the Arcanum and the temple itself. Harry knew that he would have to redistribute the taxes, but there was a small possibility that if redistribution didn't work, then raising taxes temporarily would be the solution. He would also have to organise proper priests and priestesses to work in the temple and care for the relics that were there.

Speaking of priests, James Pleuston was the head priest of the Temple, and he just so happened to be the Light Lord. Harry would have to introduce himself to the Lord of the Light, as was proper. He would also have to question him as to why he had allowed the Temple of Seasons to become as dilapidated as it was which was certainly going to be a tense conversation. He knew the reputation of the Light aligned and dreaded the philosophical metaphor and innuendo that James was guaranteed to spew in leu of actual reasonable discussion.

James had sent some interesting news ahead of time. He believes he had discovered the Oracle of Seasons.

Within the world, there were three avatars of the Threefold Goddesses: Nayru, Oracle of Ages who controlled the flow and ebb of time, Din, the Oracle of Seasons who commanded the seasons of the world, and Farore, the Oracle of Secrets who knew the deepest truths of everyone and everything.

The position of Oracle was not inherited via bloodline as each of the Oracles were born after the previous ones had long passed. Each new Oracle was born to a random family, always in the Sovereign that each Goddess had favoured with Din favouring Holodrum, Nayru favouring Labrynna, and Farore favouring Hyrule. Each girl would slowly inherit the memories and powers of each previous Oracle, and when they had fully awakened, they would make their way to the highest magical power in the land and announce themselves. For the Oracle of Ages, that would be the Queen's Court Sorcerer. For the Oracle of Seasons, the Light Lord of Holodrum was the highest power in the land. The Oracle of Secrets would report to the princess of Hyrule herself.

The standard process of when an Oracle had been discovered was simple. After a general assessment of whether they were the actual Oracle or a fake, they were given their divine position as head of the Temple of their aspect, and then given the sacred item of their trade. The Oracle of Ages would be given the Harp of Ages which allows the Oracle to channel her power over time to the fullest extent, allowing her to transport herself and others forwards and backwards through time. The Oracle of Seasons would be given the Rod of Seasons, which allows the Oracle to change the seasons across the world at a whim. While power over seasons might seem incomparable to power over time, should the Oracle decide to, she could potentially destroy ecosystems with almost zero effort. The Oracle of Secrets would be given the Tome of Secrets, a book which would reveal a complete biography of anyone the Oracle focused on. The deepest, darkest secrets of the target would be revealed, no matter how hard they attempted to hide it.

The three tools of the Oracles were kept within Hylia's Vault below Hyrule Castle for protection. While only the Oracles could use the items to their fullest extent, anyone, even someone with no abilities in magic, could use the basic abilities of the tools easily. The Rod of Seasons would change the seasons in the local area, the Harp of Ages would transport someone back in time four-hundred years, and the Tome of Secrets would reveal the thoughts of the targets. Such powerful tools needed to be protected, and previous Oracles had decided that the royal family, who owned the most secure vault of magical artifacts in the known world, would be the perfect guardians of their items until they resurfaced.

With the Oracle of Seasons resurfacing, Harry had removed the Rod of Seasons from the Vault and was transporting it with him to Holodrum. He would be meeting the Oracle in a little over a month's time after he had left Horon City and made his way to the Temple of Seasons, after he had inspected Tarm. During transport, Harry kept the Rod in a locked safe in his room in the carriage. It was enchanted with alarms and anti-theft charms, but it wasn't perfect. As such, only Ignotus, who was the highest ranked Guardian among his retinue, and Krosis, who Harry trusted with his life, knew that the safe contained the Rod.

Harry sighed and stood up, walking towards the door that led outside. He saw Ignotus riding alongside the carriage, as dutiful as ever, with Nicholas riding behind him.

"Ignotus," Harry said, getting the Guardian's attention.

"Yes milord?"

"How long until we reach Horon City?" Harry asked with a sigh.

"Not too far now, we should be there by late afternoon."

"Thanks," Harry said, walking back into the expanded interior. He entered the study where Krosis was sitting, drafting the final touches on the new blueprints for Tarm's renovations. "How's it going, Master?"

"Not too bad," Krosis said, not looking up from his drawing. "Damn castle is a death trap. The original builders were brilliant, but they really wanted to make sure that the Essence was kept safe. The traps and puzzles are integrated deep into the castle itself, but I'm managing to work things out."

"Who built the place?" Harry asked curiously.

Krosis looked up in surprise. "You mean you don't know?"

"I know that my knowledge on Holodrum's history is lacking, but- "

"No, no! You mean to tell me you don't know about the Old Race?" Krosis said in surprise.

"The Old Race?"

"It seems more than just your education in Holodrum is lacking. The Old Race is the first of Hylia's creations and the first allies to the Goblin Nation. They departed the Surface and lived in the Sky on the Sky Islands during the waning years of the Era of the Sky. Your crystalline friend was surprisingly effective at locating them while they lived on the Surface, so the Goblin Nation of the time invited them to live in the Depths, away from the war that the Demon Lord was waging against the Sheikah. He wiped out half their number before the Goblins were able to seal away the doorways to the Depths."

Harry looked on in awe. "What happened to the rest?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, only the ruling council of elders know more. King Ragnuk decreed that information of the Old Race was to be kept as a state secret, being held by only the council of elders, and the Hylian Royal Family. That's why I'm surprised you don't know about them," Krosis said.

Harry thought for a moment. "Maybe only mother knew. Father didn't know about some of the secrets that Impa told Zelda and I when Zelda became High Princess."

"You should ask Lady Impa, then. She may have more details for you," Krosis said, gesturing to the old maps of Tarm. "Regardless though, Tarm is better described as a fortress instead of a castle estate. Once we remove the dungeon layout and replace it with an actual liveable castle, throw up some bounded fields and build the Vault, not one of your enemies will be able to breach the estate. The remarkable construction of Tarm stands as a testament to the Old Race's abilities."

The two sat and discussed more details about the renovations of Tarm, with Harry adding in his own requests or alterations, which also included landscaping the grounds and estate surrounding the castle. Harry wanted to add a town at the bottom of the mountain that Tarm was situated on, similar to Castle Town in Hyrule. While Horon City would remain the capital of Holodrum, it wasn't a bad thing to have a second large city in the Sovereign.

As the conversation progressed, Harry and Krosis delved deeper into the intricacies of Tarm's renovations. They discussed the logistics of removing the treacherous dungeon layout and transforming it into a habitable and fortified castle. Krosis shared his expertise on implementing bounded fields, further fortifying the castle's defences against any potential threats.

"The Vault," Krosis emphasized, pointing at a section on the blueprint, "will serve as the pinnacle of security. It will house the most valuable artifacts and treasures, safeguarded by intricate enchantments that only the chosen few will be able to access. With the combined strength of the Old Race's construction and our modifications, your Vault will be matched only by Hylia's Vault beneath Hyrule Castle."

Their discussion shifted to the landscaping of Tarm's surrounding grounds and estate, specifically to Harry's desire to create a town at the mountain's base.

"By establishing a town, we can foster commerce and create a stronger sense of community among our people," Harry explained, his voice brimming with excitement. "It will serve as a hub of trade, culture, and cooperation, further strengthening the bonds between our subjects. And with it being so close to the western boarder, it might invite proper cooperation with Labrynna."

Krosis nodded appreciatively, recognizing the wisdom in Harry's words. "The town at the base of Tarm will indeed elevate your Kingdom to new heights. It will be a testament to your commitment to the well-being of our people and a symbol of progress and unity. It could also sway the smallfolk's opinion to a more favourable position, should they see that you are creating Tarm Castle Town for the people and not just for yourself."

As the carriage continued its journey, Harry and Krosis continued to refine the plans, considering every detail to ensure Tarm's transformation aligned with their vision. The castle's evolution from a perilous structure to an impenetrable fortress and the establishment of a thriving town symbolized Harry's determination to protect his people and foster a prosperous and secure future.

In the next few hours, as they arrived at Horon City, Harry's excitement grew. The challenges ahead seemed less daunting, knowing that Tarm's transformation was underway and that his vision for a fortified kingdom was taking shape. Things were coming along nicely.

---

An Hour Later, Hall of Honor, Presidential Lodge, Horon City, Holodrum,

Empire of Hyrule, Mortal Realm

Harry was annoyed with his current situation. The Lord President and acting Duke of Holodrum Ryo Vadik was clearly doing everything in his power to keep his position. He had set out a feast in Harry's honour, loudly proclaiming to have been close friends with his father to the assembled Ministers of the Holodrum Parliament. He rambled on about the 'continued unity between the Democratically elected parliament and the Empire' and about how the 'favorited heir of Zelda would bring prosperity to the land.' He was clearly poor at reading the room, as Harry noticed how the Ministers were looking at Ryo in distain, annoyance, and strangely boredom. Harry understood the words underneath what Vadik was saying. He didn't want to lose power.

Holodrum became a democracy after their royal family had died. The establishment of a democratically elected parliament made up of Ministers naturally followed, and when Hyrule incorporated Holodrum into the Empire fully, the creation of the Dukedom was a happy medium of retaining the democracy, while ensuring Hyrule had a hand in the running of the Sovereign.

Harry knew that this would have to end. With Hyrule ordering the reestablishment of the Holodrum Royal Family, Harry had the duty of declaring democracy over and announcing his full and unopposed rule over the once free peoples of Holodrum. To make matters worse, the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Daltus, his father's house, hailed from Labrynna, the Sovereign that Holodrum had been exploited by in the past and only had a tenuous peace with. During the grand tour, Holodrum was incredibly outspoken in their hate of Harry, and the parliament as a whole was quite cold towards Zelda, who was the leader of House Daltus. He knew that this announcement wouldn't be taken with a jovial attitude, but it needed to be done for the greater good of Hyrule.

Harry decided it was time to end the ramblings of a failure.

"Thank you, Lord President, for those kind words of welcome," Harry said, standing up abruptly and interrupting Ryo's speech. The assembled guests looked relieved that Ryo was silenced, but when their gazes turned to Harry, the usual looks of disgust and hate returned in full force. "While growing up, my father taught me the ins and out of politics. One of the lessons he taught me was simple; 'when you are loved, be kind. When you are disliked, be blunt.' I know of the opinion that the people have of me, I know that the lot of you have the same opinion. As such, I will be blunt.

"Upon my fourteenth birthday, I will be returning to Holodrum to take my place as Prince of the Realm. Between now and then, there will be a complete change in how this Sovereign is run, but the main and most prudent change will be the dissolution of the current democratic process." As soon as Harry finished speaking, the assembled guessed stood, loudly voicing their disagreements.

"SILENCE!" Harry said, casting a loud bang with a Percussion Charm from a raised hand. The crowd quietened. "I understand that this will be a difficult process, as Holodrum has been a democratic society for a long time. However, I do not plan on fully removing everything," Harry said calmly. "My plan involves restructuring the Sovereign to have two levels of power: The Executive level, and the Democratic level. The Executive level will be comprised of myself as head of state, with the position being inherited by the Lord or Lady of House Hyrule who will have full power over the running of the Sovereign.

"The Democratic level will be comprised of democratically elected Ministers such as yourself and other smallfolk, and democratically elected Highborn who will run the day-to-day in parliament. Parliament will be split with the House being run by the Ministers, and the Senate being run by the Highborn, all of which will be headed by a Prime Minister, who will not only be democratically elected by the people, but will also hold a position in my court as an advisor and as the liaison between the Executive level and Parliament. I have no plans on ruling a Sovereign that hates me, and as such, I am willing to make concessions to ensure the people of this nation retain their independent freedoms.

"The changes to the system will take place over the next couple of years, and will be fully implemented when I return to take my throne in Tarm Castle. Between then and now, Prime Minister Ryo will be given instructions and orders to carry out on my behalf to ensure both the transfer of legislative power, and also to increase the wealth and independence of Holodrum. I refuse to allow this nation to continue to rely on other nations for its survival. Under me, Holodrum will become a shining beacon of power, truly worthy of being Din's chosen lands. No longer will Labrynna abuse its position of power to get cheap high-quality exports. And while I may be young, I refuse to fall back on my sister for our armed forces. We will develop a proper defence force worthy of the Empire, independent of any nation so that way we can protect what we build!" Harry paused for a moment, seeing the change in stances that a lot of the Ministers now sported. Gone was the anger at the loss of democracy, changed to something more akin to intense interest and, dare he say it, sparks of respect. Harry knew that when these Ministers went home for the night, they would have a different perspective on their perception of him.

"I wish to point this out, however. I do not need to allow this form of government to remain. The Empire of Hyrule holds control over this Sovereign, just like it holds control over every Sovereign. As Lord of House Hyrule, I am well within my right, by royal and divine decree, to abolish the Democracy and reform a pure Monarchy in its place. But my mother, High Queen Lillian, taught my father something, who in turn, passed that lesson to Zelda and me. We royals are nothing without our people. We rule to serve the people, and we never allow ourselves to forget that our highest duty is to serve you. It is why our crowns weigh heavy and are never comfortable to wear. I care not whether you think me a line thief, a demon-spawn, or whatever else the rumours proclaim me to be! It is my duty to ensure the peace and happiness of my people, regardless of whether I am loved or hated, and I swear to all of you that I will perform my duty with the excellence that the people deserve until my dying breath. I will follow the Words of House Hyrule: For the people, Always."

With his speech over, Harry sat down. For a moment, everything was silent. Then, a female Human raised her goblet towards Harry in toast.

"To Harrison, Prince of Holodrum!"

The rest of the hall followed suit, toasting his name, and for the first time since he had left Lorule, Harry felt the love of his people. But while he was distracted by the toast and the newly risen jovial attitude, he never noticed that Ryo's goblet remained full and on the table.

---

Hours later, Night, Presidents Study, Presidential Lodge, Horon City, Holodrum,

Empire of Hyrule, Mortal Realm

Harry was sitting comfortably on the sofa in Ryo's office, waiting for him. He was going to have a very uncomfortable discussion with the man, which included giving him his instructions on the various projects that he and Krosis had fleshed out on the journey to Holodrum. It meant a lot of what Ryo had done, like redistributing funds from defence and Arcanum education, would have to be reversed and returned back to those initiatives. Exports would have to be increased, either by increasing the price of exports, or by selling food from the storehouses.

Harry knew that it would improve the lifestyles of the people of Holodrum, but he also knew that Ryo had gotten comfortable in his position. With the war having been a sufficient distraction, Rhoam was not able to truly maintain and manage Holodrum as its Duke, nor was he able to reliably instruct Ryo, who at the time was the Lord Regent. After he had been elected to also hold the office of Lord President, things got more out of Rhoam's control.

The door to the office opened up with a crash. A clearly fuming Ryo Vadik stormed in, throwing his sheathed sword onto his desk.

"Rupee for your thoughts?" Harry said from his leisurely seated position.

Ryo looked at Harry in surprise, not knowing he was there as the alarm wards around his office hadn't gone off. "Why are you doing this?!" he said angrily. "You are throwing away everything I've done! What gives you the right- "

"What gives me the right?" Harry interrupted, speaking quiet and dangerously. "My name and bloodline give me the right. What gives you the right to question me? What gave you the right to remove funding for the education of the people? What gave you the right to WEAKEN the Sovereign that my father allowed you to run in his stead? I have every right to this nation, by the Blood of Hylia flowing through my veins! The only right you have to Holodrum is that my father appointed you to manage the country in his stead! Instead, you have squandered this nation's riches and left my country to rot. Consider yourself lucky that I have let you retain power as my Prime Minister, rather than letting you rot in a cell for all the damage you have caused!" As he spoke, his voice grew louder, until he was almost shouting his words.

Ryo stood frozen, his face contorted with a mix of anger and arrogance. He refused to let Harry's words penetrate his self-assured demeanour. The audacity of the young prince to challenge his authority was inconceivable to him. With a disdainful smirk, Ryo mustered his composure and met Harry's piercing gaze.

"So, the Hyrulean Prince finally shows the true colours of his arrogance," Ryo retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, you believe your name and bloodline grant you some divine right to dictate the fate of this nation? Holodrum is a DEMOCRACY! We the people determine our fate, not the Ancient and Noble House Hyrule! But let me remind you, Prince Harrison, that I have been diligently running this country on High King Rhoam's orders, long before you graced us with your presence!"

Harry's eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. "You are terribly blinded by your self-importance, Ryo," he responded sharply. "You may have fooled yourself into thinking you were acting in the best interest of Holodrum or worse, you could have been doing it on purpose! But whatever the reason, you have squandered its resources and neglected its people! You allowed the place of worship for the largest faith in the Sovereign to turn into a dilapidated ruin! You took money away from the education of the people you claim to be protecting! How can you even try to justify that?"

Ryo chuckled condescendingly, leaning back as if to taunt Harry further. "You greatly underestimate the complexities of governing a nation. Your idealistic visions and naive notions of leadership will do little to bring about any real change. It takes experience and cunning to navigate the intricacies of politics and economics, something you and your sister have only been playing at in the capital."

Harry's voice grew stern as he leaned forward, his words laced with determination. "Experience without compassion and integrity is meaningless, Ryo. Your actions have only served your own interests, whatever in Farore's name they are, not the well-being of the people you were entrusted to protect. I will not stand idly by while you continue to manipulate and exploit Holodrum for personal gain! The moment I am in power, I will be calling for a general election. Then we shall see if the people appreciate your methods of helping them."

Ryo's arrogance wavered for a moment, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. But he quickly regained his composure, dismissing Harry's words with a wave of his hand. "You are nothing more than a naive young prince, inspired by the history of your bloodline. You're blinded by it! You lack the cunning and the gall to make the tough decisions that safeguard this nation's future!"

Harry's voice resonated with unwavering determination. "I might be young, but I am not blind to the suffering of my people. The people who will be raised to peerage will possess both wisdom and compassion. They will advise me when I am unsure or when I need the advice. They will be the individuals who help me guide Holodrum towards a better, brighter, future. You will either align yourself with the change this nation needs, or you will be removed."

Ryo's face contorted with a mixture of rage and stubbornness. "Do you truly believe you can oust me, boy? You underestimate the power I hold within these walls and the support I have garnered throughout the years. You will find removing me from power will not be as easy as you think."

A tense silence hung in the air as the clash of wills intensified. Ryo suddenly felt a chill in the air. An intense sense of foreboding settled as his vision became washed and almost monotone. Harry stood up as the chill intensified, and the sense of foreboding changed, turning into a sense of hopelessness, a feeling as if everything good had gone from the world. The same feeling that… Ryo turned around.

Hovering behind him with his imposing stature was a Dementor. Ryo's anger stripped away as the Dementor slowly approached him menacingly. He quickly raised his hand and tried casting the Hylian form of a Patronus only to trip and fall backwards.

Harry walked forward and stood in front of the Dementor, facing the fallen Lord President. "Perhaps I need to make myself clear," Harry said, his eyes glowing as pure power rolled off of him, smothering the Dementors terror. "Democracy is not something that House Hyrule needs to tolerate. The number of resources at our disposal allows us to move certain things into place when necessary. Should you be more trouble than you are worth, House Hyrule would not be above removing you from power with… alternate means," he said lowly. Harry then turned around and nodded to the Dementor who disappeared in a flash of smoke. "New research out of the Arcanum in Labrynna tells me that the Dementor's Kiss removes a Hylian's soul from the Cycle of Resurrection permanently. The empty husks of those who have been Kissed are used in all kinds of experiments. Definitely not how one would want to die."

Harry crouched so he was level with Ryo, who had turned white at Harry's insinuations.

"Not to mention, House Hyrule's intensely loyal Sheikah," Harry snapped his fingers. In an instant, three Sheikah Shades who were hidden around the room appeared and stood behind Harry. "Of course, this option tends to be a bit more obtuse, what with the need for disposal, but everything tends to work out in the end."

"Y-you wouldn't! You can't! The people would know!" Ryo stuttered out in fear, realising the situation he had inadvertently gotten himself into.

"The people will believe whatever Zelda wants them to believe. I may be hated, but Zelda is loved universally and should she say that a Sovereign's regent died due to rogue elements or due to the Lolian Emperor's loyalists, then that explanation would be believed," Harry said emotionlessly. Harry stood up and stepped back. "Stand up, get yourself cleaned up, and work out your affairs and your loyalties. When I return from Tarm, we will discuss things further."

Harry walked out of the room and as the door closed, he staggered, feeling weak.

/Harry, that was foolish/ Melanie said, head poking up from his collar. /You need to rest. Now/ she warned, sensing Harry's core acting up.

/It-UGH! It needed to be done. I refuse to-ARGH to have a divided Holodrum/ Harry said, speaking through pained gasps. He turned a corner and saw Ignotus waiting for him.

"Sire, what happened?! Did it not work?" Ignotus said worriedly, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist to support him.

Harry smiled through the pain. "Oh, it worked alright. He fell for it."

"Illusions are powerful magic, Sire. I had no idea you could replicate a Dementor's terror radius so perfectly," Ignotus complimented, opening the door to the guest chambers Harry was given.

"Neither did I, but it worked and that's the most important thing," Harry said, dropping onto the chaise lounge that was set near the fireplace. "Ryo will bend much easier now. By the time we've returned from Tarm, I'm sure he will be much more amicable to my requests."

"What if he isn't?" Ignotus asked.

Through the pain, Harry was able to look at Ignotus seriously.

"I don't make baseless threats."

---

Three Weeks Later, Morning, Gates of Tarm, Tarm Estate, Holodrum,

Empire of Hyrule, Mortal Realm

The expansive Tarm Estate sat upon thousands of hectares of land to the utmost north of the Continent, sitting close to Holodrum's western border. The royal entourage had arrived at the estate earlier in the morning and Ignotus had sent some guards ahead to scout the area for any monsters, wild animals, elves, or bandits. When they returned and gave the all clear, Harry had ordered for camp to be set up just inside the gates of the estate, with Krosis throwing up some protective wards to ensure no monsters were attracted to the intense magical footprint of the group.

The estate entrance was overrun by nature, having been abandoned for millennia, but from what Krosis was able to see, the structures that made up the wall around the estate, along with the castle in the distance, appeared to be in pretty good shape. The magic in the walls was holding, even if the gate mechanism had failed due to the crystal keys cracking.

Harry sat at a desk under the tent that had been erected for him, reading various reports from the scouts. Apparently, the forest to their west had some kind of enchantment laid over it, preventing any form of progress towards Tarm. The records that Krosis had brought with him detailing the defences of Tarm didn't reveal any answers, so Harry was in the dark about what kind of enchantment may be waiting for them when they inevitably ventured towards the castle.

He had also received the report he was waiting for from Hyrule, detailing the clandestine operation against Cadmus. Harry was quite happy with the results thus far, and smiled slightly at the image of a dishevelled and paranoid Cadmus camping outside the walls of Castle Town in an effort to avoid spies. A note at the bottom of the report, written in Zelda's recognizable hand, stated that the Sheikah operative would remain in place until Harry's return in an effort to gain ironclad evidence against the Peverell heir. Zelda wanted to wait for Harry's word before making a last, definitive, move against the traitorous Lord-heir.

Harry noticed Krosis and Ignotus approaching. He slowly stood up and walked towards a lit brazier.

"Gentlemen," Harry said, throwing the Cadmus report into the brazier while his back was turned. "What can I do for you?"

"We have news about the strange enchantment that is overlaying the western forest," Krosis said. "Some of the Sheikah and Ignotus' scouts have gone missing after entering the forest. We have been unable to make contact with them."

Harry watched as the letter finally turned to ash, and turned around. "Where did this enchantment come from?" Harry wondered.

"There aren't any records in the archives of Tol Gringott," Krosis answered. "I brought everything regarding Tarm with me. If there was any record of this protection, we would know."

"The scouts went missing after entering the forest past a cliff side," Ignotus reported. "Whatever is causing this enchantment, we think it begins right there."

Harry nodded and walked back to his desk. He stared at a map of the estate that Krosis was able to supply and noted the cliff side that Ignotus was referring to. It wasn't too far into the overgrown woods of the estate that the out-of-date map was showing, but it was clearly a defined point, a lynchpin to entering the inner recesses of the forest.

"Gather up some Sheikah and a Goblin Wardmaster," Harry ordered. "I will lead them to this crossroads and investigate the site. If it's possible to tear down this enchantment, then we will. Otherwise, we will have to find some other way into the castle."

"Sire, I cannot recommend that course of action," Ignotus advised. "We have no way of knowing if the scouts are dead or simply trapped. It's far too risky."

"I can't ask people to risk their lives if I'm not willing to put myself in that same risk," Harry countered. "Besides, if I get trapped, I can easily use Farore's Wind to escape. The risk is negligible."

Ignotus sighed. "Very well, but at least take a couple of Guardians with you."

Harry smiled at Ignotus' worry. "If it'll stop you from worrying."

"I'm coming as well. Someone needs to keep you out of trouble," Ignotus said cheekily. Harry rolled his eyes.

Harry walked back into the carriage to collect some extra gear while Ignotus and Krosis gathered the requested forces. He was excited, it wasn't every day that an unknown magical enchantment was used to protect an old ruin built by an unknown race. The historian in him was giddy at the prospect of discovering something new to add to the history books.

After gathering his equipment, Harry met up with the guards that Ignotus had organised at the path that led deeper into the estate. Surprisingly, Krosis was there in place of the Goblin Wardmaster that Harry had requested. Before Harry could say anything Krosis spoke.

"If you think that I won't be with you investigating this ward, you are sorely mistaken. I shall act as the Wardmaster here." Krosis said eagerly.

Harry smiled. "Very well, Master," Harry then turned to the accompanying Sheikah. "Where we are going is dangerous, several people have already gone missing, including some of your fellow Sheikah. As such, you all need to follow these instructions. Keep an eye out for anything that may be producing or powering a bounded field. The moment you see something, sound out and specify. Keep count on the size of our party. If anyone goes missing, sound out and identify their last location and direction of travel. Finally, and this is a direct order," the Sheikah's eyes grew glazed for a moment. "If I go missing, you are to retrace your steps and report to the quartermaster for further instruction. Understood?" Harry said strongly.

"Yes, Sire!" the Sheikah said in response as their eyes cleared, their obedience to the divine bloodline of Hylia ensuring that direct orders be followed without deviation, even against their will.

Harry turned about and lead the troupe into the estate. The affected area wasn't too deep in, an easy ten-minute walk down the old cobblestone paths, fallen trees, and overgrown greenery that remained unkept since the Holodrum Royal line ended.

After a considerable amount of time walking, the terrain changed and became much more rugged and jagged. In the distance, Harry could see Tarm Castle in all its glory; a colossal citadel sat upon a mountain, peering down upon the estate below it. The majestic sight entranced Harry for a moment before he continued on walking, deeper into the forest. As they were passing a cliffside, Harry noticed a cave heavily covered by vines. He looked at the other members of the party and noted that they had not even gazed towards the cave.

"Hold," Harry commanded. He then looked towards Krosis. "Master, do you see that?" He asked, pointing at the cave.

Krosis looked towards the wall of the cliff face. "A rock face, milord?" He asked questioningly.

Harry slowly approached the cave, raising his right hand as he did, and grabbing hold of his focus with his left.

"Revelio," he incanted, twisting his hand in mid-air, as if moving a doorknob. The spell, designed to reveal magically concealed things, moved outwards in a wave, passing through the vine-covered cave entrance.

"Sire?" Ignotus said curiously.

"Do you both not see this cave entrance?" Harry asked softly in an inquisitive tone.

Ignotus and Krosis looked at each other before answering in the negative.

'Well?' Harry asked in his mind.

"It's clear that there is something in there that only you are meant to see." Ghirahim responded seriously.

"Hold here and wait for my return," Harry commanded. After hearing the 'Yes Sire', he walked forward into the cave. To the others, Harry had walked through a wall.

Looking back, Harry saw Krosis approach the entrance and place his hand against an invisible wall. 'Seems as if you were right,' Harry thought, as he raised his hand. With a flex of magic, he ignited a fireball above his open palm, using it to light the cave. He ventured only for a little while before the cave tunnel opened up to a cavernous hall, decorated with what Harry identified as Sky Era reliefs, columns, and bannisters all converging toward what appeared to be a shallow pool of lightly self-luminescent water.

"It seems," a voice suddenly said, "that we tend to meet in very odd circumstances."

Harry looked around for the source of the melodic and dreamy voice. Leaning casually against the back wall opposite the pool was the Great Fairy.

"My lady! I didn't expect to see you!" Harry replied in surprise, quickly kneeling in reverence before the timeless one.

The Fairy smiled widely, walking to the kneeling prince and unceremoniously dropping to the floor, elbows pressed to her knees and her chin resting in her palms, as she took in Harry's kneeling form. Quickly, she bopped Harry on the nose, unbalancing him, causing him to fall to the ground.

The Fairy giggled. "You have no need to bow to me, Prince Harrison."

Harry got up, smiling mildly and sitting in front of the Fairy cross-legged. "My father told me that it was important to pay respect to the divines, especially the living ones."

"Your father possessed great wisdom," the Fairy complimented. "How are you faring?"

Harry was silent for a moment, his mind falling back to the last time he had spoken to the Fairy and the events that had taken place.

"Healing," Harry said simply. The Fairy smiled at the irony of the statement.

Harry stood up and began to pace, looking around the cavernous room in curiosity.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"Oh, this is just a normal Fountain," the Fairy replied.

"How could I get in here when the others couldn't even see the entrance?" Harry asked. "I thought your Fountains were open to all."

"They are," the Fairy responded, "but I needed to talk to you before you made a mistake."

Harry stopped his pacing, looking to the Fairy with a serious and concerned gaze. "What mistake?"

The Fairy finally stood, walking to stand before Harry. "The forest surrounding Tarm proper is enchanted."

"I know that. Several of my scouts have gone missing."

"Because they didn't have the key to the enchantment," the Fairy revealed.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "What key?"

The Fairy's lips twitched into a faint, barely noticeable smile. "The Old Race originally lived at Tarm before the Sky Era. It was their stronghold, their home when no other would suit them. They needed a place to protect themselves from all that would harm them."

"From what little I've found out and been told, the Old Race were unendingly powerful. What manner of creature could threaten them?"

"Hylia."

Harry's facial expression shifted to one of disbelief. 'Ghirahim?'

"The Old Race were Hylia's creations, her FIRST creations. I would not know why Hylia would hunt them. I only did because they were Hylia's creations and I had hoped to use their magic to pass the cloud barrier."

Harry nodded mildly, acknowledging Ghirahim's statement. "Why would they have feared Lady Hylia?" Harry asked the Fairy.

The Fairy sighed. "You may not believe this, but the Lady Hylia was not without human vices. She believed that the Old Race was a mistake and sought to rectify her perceived mistake by hunting them. She decided to stop after a while, but the Old Race remained fearful. They fled here and built Tarm to protect them specifically from Hylia and her forces."

Harry's brow narrowed in thought for but a moment. "The Sheikah would have been Lady Hylia's armed forces. That explains why the Sheikah haven't returned, but not why Ignotus' scouts disappeared along with the Sheikah."

"Close," the Fairy commented, "but things are deeper than that. What ARE you, Harrison?"

Harry's head tilted in confusion. "A Hylian?" he asked.

The Fairy smiled. "More than that."

Harry's eyes opened in realisation. "Hylia's blood!"

"Exactly!" The Fairy said enthusiastically, clapping her hands giddily. "The Old Race wanted to ensure Hylia specifically couldn't reach Tarm Castle, so the enchantment is designed to confuse and disorient her forces, while trapping her in an endless forest maze. Being the Blood of Hylia, you would be trapped in the exact same way that she would have been: stuck in an endless maze with no access to your magic."

"How could they trap a goddess?!" Harry asked in surprise.

"It was the Old Race that created the Weave. Their control over Nayru's Laws allowed them to cast a bounded field so powerful, it could bind Hylia."

"So Tarm is lost to us," Harry said solemnly.

"No. There is a key that allows passage into Tarm, even to Hylia's Blood. It was added later on as an addition to the bounded field, but it works quite well. And luckily, its waiting for you at your camp," the Fairy said smartly.

Harry thought for a moment, and then smiled in irony. "The Rod of Seasons."

"You know how to use it, I assume?"

"Representative Ardaron told me how to use it, just in case I needed to teach the Oracle," Harry responded. "What do I need to do?"

"When you enter the forest," the Fairy began, "you will lose access to your magic. Make sure you surround yourself with non-Sheikah guards for protection. You'll eventually encounter a junction where you must change the seasons in a specific order, and proceed in a specific direction during each change. Begin with Winter and travel west, and then Autumn and travel south. Travel eastward in the Spring and finally Summer and exit to the north. Once you pass the Armos statues, the bounded field holding the trap will dissipate for a day, allowing anyone trapped to escape back to your camp or to the entrance to the estate."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Thank you, my lady. I'd best get prepared then."

"Just a moment, Harrison," the Fairy said, stopping Harry from leaving. "Once you get in the castle itself, travel to the southeastern most room and destroy the southmost wall. There is something there that I believe will help you."

"What is it?" Harry questioned.

"A book on old Hylian customs. It will stand out when you see it," the Fairy said cryptically.

"I'll keep a look out for it," Harry said, nodding in thanks. "Any other things I should look for?"

"Your spell, the dark healing spell. It's quite interesting to me," the Fairy complimented offhandedly.

Harry scowled. "Interesting for you, tedious and impossible for me."

"Some advice from the foremost healer in the world," the Fairy said cheekily. Harry nodded, willing and eager to heed the counsel of said healer. "Sometimes, if the spell itself doesn't work, it may be worth making it a two-part spell. Have the spell do one thing, and have something else complete the spell to create the effect you need."

"That's… something I never considered before," Harry admitted, not considering the option. "What would you suggest?"

The Fairy's eyes became glossy for a moment, as if she was looking beyond Harry, before she giggled. "There are some practitioners of magic who wouldn't appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making, who willingly ignore the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses. As such, it often goes ignored as a simple magicless art, as there is very little focus motions or silly incantations. But for those like yourself who possess the predisposition…" the Fairy was suddenly standing before Harry, staring deeply in his eyes. "They can be taught how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death."

Harry's mouth slowly opened in realisation as he considered the Fairy's words. The idea of combining a potion with a spell to create the dark healing spell had never crossed his mind. He was so focused on forcing the incorporeal and spiritual Dark magic with the physical aspect of Healing magic that he never thought about having each part separate and work together at the point of application with a subject that needed healing.

"That's it!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. "I could create a soul manipulation spell that just brushes the boundary between physical and metaphysical, and have it seek out the ingested potion! The spell would imbue the divine healing properties of one's soul into the potion, transmuting it within the body into an instantly digested red potion with healing properties of a thousand heart containers!" Harry began to pace, mentally taking notes. "The potion itself would have to be Dark aligned so as to interact with the metaphysical, which means the potion would have to be close to an alchemical elixir, and the spell would have to physically touch the target's soul so as to grab it's healing power. The potion would have to be drunk before the spell is cast and would need to protect the target from the dangers of soul, but that's the easy part."

Harry mumbled to himself a little while longer, only pausing if Ghirahim had an idea or a note to make. He then broke from his research-induced stupor, remembered where he was, and turned to face the Fairy again.

She held her hand up. "You don't have to apologise. It's refreshing to see the process of something new being made," she finished with a content smile. "Now go, you have things to do." The Fairy said, shooing him towards the entrance to the cave.

---

Late Morning, Entrance to the Forest, Tarm Estate, Holodrum,

Empire of Hyrule, Mortal Realm

After telling his guard to remain, Harry had returned to camp and retrieved the Rod of Seasons. When he returned, he instructed the Sheikah guard to take up defensive positions around the entrance and the perimeter of the forest while he led his contingent of Human-raced Guards into the forest proper. It took only a few steps before the effects of the bounded field began. Harry had to use the Rod as an impromptu walking stick as the lack of magic had caused his body to go into a minor state of shock, leading to side effects which included a major bout of lethargy.

The forest path wound on in its mazelike fashion, causing confusion and disorientation as the ward imparted its dark effects. Krosis seemed unaffected, possibly due to the alliance between the Old Race and the Goblins. Ignotus, too, was not feeling the effects, clearly due to his mental fortitude and mastery over Occlumency. As such both acted as guides and supporters to the guards who were sufficiently affected by the ward.

It took a couple of hours, but eventually, Harry saw it. The forest path opened up to a wide clearing-like junction splitting four ways, branching off into the four cardinal directions. Unfortunately, they were not alone. In the centre of the junction, surrounding the tree stump, were three blue-skinned Bokoblins.

"Shit," Harry said, finally used to the lack of magic, but still disoriented mildly. "This may be a problem."

"Can you fight," Krosis asked Harry, drawing his short sword, "or do you need to sit this one out?"

Harry simply gave Krosis an incredulous look as he drew his sword, while strapping the Rod to his back. He nodded to Ignotus, allowing him to take the lead.

The Bokoblins finally raised their heads and noticed the approaching group. Without hesitation, they charged forward, their movements wild and erratic and hard to predict. Ignotus rushed to meet them as Harry backed him up. Krosis let out a guttural cry as he himself rushed to meet their foes.

The clash of steel hitting wood sounded throughout the clearing as Harry parried the Bokoblins spiked Boko Bat, knocking the dark world creature off balance. Harry took advantage and thrust forward, but the disorientation was still getting to him. He over extended, allowing the Bokoblin to counterattack, hitting the sword with such ferocity that Harry dropped it. Harry looked on in surprise before jumping backwards to doge a second side swipe from the Bokoblin.

He quickly looked around and noticed that his sword was too far out of reach for him to realistically reach in time to protect himself. He did remember that he had an alternative option however.

Harry reached around and grabbed hold of the Rod of Seasons.

"Skyling, what are you doing?" Ghirahim asked worriedly as Harry readied the Rod as if it was an overly large baton. "No Harrison! That is an artifact of ineffable power, not a-"

Ignoring Ghirahim's comments, Harry ran up to the Bokoblin and swung the Rod at the side of its head. Upon impact, the Bokoblin unexpectedly turned completely to ice, freezing in its tracks. Harry looked at the Rod in surprise, and then smiled ferally.

He turned towards the next closest Bokoblin, the one that Ignotus had engaged, and ran up to it, smacking the Rod on the side of its ribs. This time, it exploded in a gory mess as vines, roots, and other greenery spontaneously grew out of it. Turning to Krosis, he watched as the Goblin dispatched the last Bokoblin with brutal efficiency.

"All clear by the looks of it," Krosis commented, walking over to the other two. "What happened to that one?" he asked, gesturing to the bloody chunks of what once belonged to the Bokoblin.

"This," Harry said, raising the Rod. "It froze that one as well," he said, gesturing to the still frozen Bokoblin.

"Interesting…" Krosis commented. "Hit it again."

Harry nodded, walking over to the Bokoblin and hit it with the Rod once more. Immediately upon contact, it was engulfed in searing flames, causing Krosis to jump back in surprise. When the flames died down, the Bokoblin was shown to be laying on the ground alive, but stunned.

"Do it once more. I have a hunch," Krosis ordered.

Harry did so, and this time, the Bokoblin changed colour, becoming a leafy brown, and crumbled into a fine dust.

"What is your hunch, Master?" Harry asked curiously.

"Every time it hits something, its imparting the power of the seasons into it. The first hit froze, the second grew, the third burnt, and the fourth killed. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn," Krosis suggested. "It is definitely surprising that a seemingly ceremonial artifact would have such offensive capabilities."

"It does make sense though," Ignotus stated. "The Rod can change the seasons; it stands to reason that it can also channel magic affiliated to the seasons." The other two nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's get on with it," Harry said, walking passed the remains of the Bokoblins, already dissolving into a dark purple smoke which left behind harvestable parts, and stood upon the stump.

Harry raised the Rod high and brought it down fast, swinging it in a wide arc. At the zenith of the arc, a blinding flash of light emanated from the Rod, and when it died down, the party saw their surroundings had changed.

With Holodrum being in mid-summer, the surroundings took on the typical appearance of the autumn; the trees, usually adorned in a beautiful green, now sported a stunning array of gold, crimson, and amber leaves. The softly blowing wind coaxed the leaves from their branches, allowing them to dance in the air before falling to the forest floor below. The air carried the smell of sweet apples, ripe for the picking and the sky itself seemed to hold an almost scarlet glow to it, even in the noon. As Ignotus walked around the stump inspecting the surroundings, his steps were sounded with the symphony of crunching leaves and twigs.

This wonderous moment was broken by the sound of an unearthly bellow, one only heard within Harry's head.

"WELL, THANK DIN THAT IT STILL WORKS AFTER YOU USED IT LIKE A FUCKING BEATING STICK!" screamed said unearthly being. "WHY IN ALL THE HEAVANS AND THE VOID WOULD YOU THINK USING THE ROD OF FUCKING SEASONS AS A MACE WOULD BE GOOD IDEA?!"

Ghirahim's rant went on for a while, as Harry changed the seasons again, this time to winter. The landscape was now layered in a cloak of glistening white snow. The trees, now relieved of their scarlet leaves, were adorned with icicles, hanging from their branches in a mimicry of the aforementioned leaves. The sweet wind was now replaced by an otherworldly chill, an icy knife that chilled Harry to the bone with each inhale, causing a fog of frost with each exhale. The clearing itself was veiled in an ever-present fog that permeated through the trees. Now, whenever someone stepped, the sound of crunching snow was heard.

Harry jumped off the stump and, following the Fairy's instructions, travelled west with the rest of the party following. It only took a few moments before the group walked into an almost identical clearing that they had left.

It was then that Harry noticed multiple sets of footprints in the snow leading west, and a bunch of monster parts left behind from recently killed Bokoblins.

"Did we just…" Harry questioned.

"Enter the clearing after leaving it? Yes. It seems that the clearing loops around to prevent any progress, but this place feels… different now," Ignotus noted.

Harry stepped forward towards the stump and raised his left hand slightly, palm skyward. He attempted to channel magic and saw that, after the first seasonal pass was complete, his magic had somewhat returned. The red crescents on his sleeve were elongating, showing that there was some magical flow happening, but still not enough to cast anything.

"Indeed," Harry said, responding to Ignotus. "Let's continue."

Harry once again stood on the stump, cycling through the seasons until autumn returned. He stepped off the stump and, once again following the Fairy's instructions, travelled southward, instructing the party to remain where they were. Once again, he appeared in the same clearing, the group looking southward as Harry himself re-entered from the north.

This cycle repeated two more times and once they were settled in the Summer, the group travelled north. The moment they stepped past the normal loop point of the junction, instead of being faced with a stump, the group were presented with colossal walls and even more monumentally tall armos statues. The statues flanked a cobblestone path which led to a moat not unlike the one that once protected the Castle Town of old, where a downed drawbridge awaited them.

Harry paused for a moment and rolled his shoulders while flexing his magic. Flames ignited all around his body, swirling and enveloping him almost embracingly before extinguishing.

"Oh yes, this is much better," Harry said, preening.

"Enough with the ego, Harrison, we have work to do," Krosis said, walking passed Harry and crossing the drawbridge.

Harry grumbled and followed, with Ignotus and the rest of the guards following from behind.

Crossing the drawbridge, Harry marvelled at the state of Tarm up-close. The castle loomed atop the mountain before them, its imposing stature taking up a dominating their sight. From what he could see, the castle was completely intact, unaffected by the passage of time. Closer to him, the lands inside the walls were flat, perfect for building upon. There also seemed to be a forest within the walls to the east, which would be a perfect place to harvest lumber for developing the future town.

/Look there, on the side of the mountain/ Melanie hissed after also taking in the location.

Harry saw what Melanie was talking about. The side of the mountain leading up to Tarm was carved, creating a long and winding staircase from the base of the mountain to its peak.

"Ignotus, have the guards search the forest for any lost souls and then tell them to return to camp. Have them tell the Goblins and the builders that it's safe to come to the castle," Harry ordered.

After Ignotus did as instructed, Harry led the remaining party up the winding steps and towards the entrance to Tarm Castle itself. At the entrance, it was clear how much inspiration the builders of Hyrule Castle took from Tarm when building it. Tarm was almost identical to Hyrule Castle, with a few differences. The stone was darker and radiated magic, the towers that surrounded Hyrule Castle were not present here. The central Sanctum tower that featured prominently in Hyrule was also missing at Tarm. The biggest difference was the construction method. While the builders of Hyrule deigned to use mountain itself as the building platform, turning caves and caverns into rooms and halls, Tarm sat fully upon the mountain, with only a couple of floors reaching into the depths to serve as basements, ritual chambers, a small treasury, and a dungeon prison.

Unfortunately for the group, the castle had been converted into a dungeon designed to protect one of the eight Essences of Nature. Dungeons were an old protection of the early builders and settlers who wanted to protect valuable items or secrets. They were numerous, being scattered in every Sovereign, and varied in theme and size. Sheikah resources speculated that there could be thousands of dungeons spread across the empire, but due to their creation, there was no real way to know how many there truly were.

According to Krosis' records, Tarm's conversion happened around the same time as the Holodrum Royal Family's settling of Holodrum, and had been successful in the protection of the Blowing Wind for millennia, until the Essence had been moved to the Temple of Seasons, alongside the other seven. Since then, the dungeon stood without its treasure, protecting ancient halls and hidden secrets long forgotten.

"No point in waiting. Master Krosis, complete whatever tasks you need to complete. Ignotus, make sure to disable any traps you come across permanently. I have a personal task to attend to and will meet you back at camp when we are done," Harry said, walking confidentially into the entrance hall.

Upon entering, Harry was greeted by a standard dungeon entrance layout; several cursed statues stood around the room, they're ever peering, unblinking eyes following Harry as he walked forward. He wasn't expecting there to be any monsters in this dungeon, as there was no item or lure that would have attracted them. Walking into the second room, he saw a staircase that led to an upper ledge straight ahead. Both his left and right were flanked by tall columns, reaching half-way up to the vaulted ceiling. One column on the left was missing however, which lead to a blocked door.

Knowing he had to keep traveling to the easternmost side of the first floor, as per the Fairy's instructions, Harry walked up the staircase and saw that the columns didn't continue on this upper landing. He also noticed another staircase which led around the columns in the direction he needed to travel. As he walked down that second set, he mentally questioned the stupidity of this trap and its ineffectiveness in actually trapping him.

He walked east through the next two rooms, both traps having been apparently disabled by either time or by some wayward adventurer seeking loot. He guessed it was the latter based on the rotting skeleton that lay on the ground towards the northernmost wall of the room. Turning and facing southwards, he started investigating the wall for any imperfections or clues, attempting to find the hidden entrance to this secret repository.

"Revelio!" Harry cast, attempting to ween the secrets of the wall using magic. The spell revealed a chest that was disillusioned within the room he stood in, but the wall remained unchanged.

"Maybe the magic of this place is repelling your Revelio?" Ghirahim offered weakly, not really having any other idea as to why the Revelio didn't work.

'Potentially,' Harry conceded. "Revelio Maxima!" he cast, using the more powerful form of the spell. This time, the spell revealed items and chests that were behind the wall, but still no way of getting there.

/Try using Hylian magic/ Melanie offered.

"Revelio!" Harry incanted, this time pulling from his Hylian magic. He winced slightly as a spike of pain radiated from his core, still mildly stressed from the illusion he had cast on Ryo weeks prior, but the results were worth it. Just off centre, a section of the wall pulsed as a previously invisible spiders web of cracks formed on the wall.

"Now for the fun part," Harry said, smirking. "Bombarda!" Harry cast. A bolt of sharp blue magic exploded from Harry's hand and violently impacted the cracked wall, blasting the wall inward while kicking up a cloud of dust.

Before the dust had even settled, Harry had walked through the makeshift doorway. He raised his hand, igniting a fireball above his palm to brighten the pitch back room. The light given off by the flame had caused the previously hidden gold, jewels, and rupees to glitter and glisten, further illuminating the room with their reflected radiance. Harry's eyes widened in disbelief, not expecting there to be a hoard of wealth hidden in an upper floor. Wanting to get a better view of the room, he swapped the spell in his hand, causing the ball of fire to spontaneously change into one of radiant plasma, turning Din's Fireball into Lumos Maxima with nary a word of incantation.

Harry threw his hand upwards, causing the ball of light to surge upwards and settle on the vaulted ceiling, lighting the room in faux daylight. The now brightened room revealed the absolute mass of wealth that was stored in this chamber. Not only were there precious metals and gems, but the walls were lined from floor to ceiling with shelves upon shelves of books, tomes, scrolls, and stacks of loose manuscripts. Some were clearly degraded and damaged beyond repair, but a significant portion of them were still in fairly good condition with some, the ones Harry could feel were radiating magic, in pristine condition.

"This…" Harry couldn't form any words as shock overtook him.

"Yeah…" Ghirahim responded, almost salivating at the lost knowledge this room held. "Look at those ones," Ghirahim pointed out.

Harry looked ahead and saw a set of five lectures sitting upon pedestals. Each book radiated magic and as they were on display, they were clearly much more important or valuable compare to the other books.

Harry approached them, taking in their appearance. The two books on his left sported green covers with gold lettering, the two on his right were blue with gold lettering, and the one he stood before was red with gold lettering. Reading the covers, they appeared to all be written by the same person, a Lord Rauru of House Tarm. The green and blue books were all titled the same with ascending volumes, 'Liber vexillum Incantationum' Volumes 1 through 4.

/The Fairy did say the book you needed would stand out/ Melanie offered.

Harry looked at the cover of the red book. Unlike the others which were written in old mundane, the same language that spells used, this one was written in Force Era Hylian, titled 'The True and Accurate Customs and Rituals of The Court of Hyrule Kingdom'.

"Why have I never heard about this?" Harry murmured.

Harry picked up the book and opened it, looking at the contents page. It listed what he assumed to be old customs he had never heard of labelled under chapters such as 'The Greetings of Houses' and 'The Regal Fashion of Court'. There were a few chapters that stood out to him. 'The Love of Lords' and 'Respect for Power' were both at the bottom of the chapter list.

Flipping to these chapters and giving them a quick peruse, he understood that 'The Love of Lords' was about garnering the respect of nobles within a kingdom, while also allowing the reader to navigate the treacherous waters that was monachal bureaucracy. Things like marriage contracts, goods and service trading, land expansion and the like were all described here in great detail. While some practices were outdated now, there was still usable knowledge to be found.

In contrast, 'Respect of Power' detailed customs that were once used to gain positions of power within the various institutions. The chapter detailed how these positions were highly respected by the people and afforded one a lot of political power.

It was reading this that Harry had a sudden realisation. A lot of the hate that the people had for him came from the fact that he was given the positions that would have belonged to Zelda, leading to the assumption that he had used some manor of evil magic to fool his way into such high positions. That naturally escalated to him being the 'spawn of the Dark World' and the rumours and hate that followed. Maybe, just maybe, if he was to partake in one of these rituals, one that still had meaning to the people even if it wasn't practiced, then he could possibly sway public opinion.

Harry quickly began scanning for anything that would work for him, reading about the 'Ascension of Purity' which gave the performer a high-level position in the Church of the Threefold, the 'Assignment of the Pyramid' which allowed one to be a priest of the Snake Goddess, and the 'Invocation of the Astral' which claimed to give one the ability to See.

"The 'Mark of Mastery'," Harry said. "'Upon the completion of the Mark of Mastery, the successful applicant, having proven their loyalty to the People and the Princess, may stand at Her side as the Court Sorcerer, Court Enchanter, and Court Wizard till death.' This could be it! I should talk to Master Eleazar about the details, but this may be the key!"

Harry was pulled from his excitement by Ignotus calling for him, his voice echoing through the rooms from wherever he was. Harry waved his hand over all five of the books, casting Reducio to shrink them, and then storing them away in his coat pocket. He walked out of the hidden treasury-cum-library and back to the entrance room.

Krosis was standing next to Ignotus holding an almost perfectly spherical crystal adorned in a multitude of inexplicably intricate runes and arrays. The runes were radiating soft pulses of light. The crystal itself also gave off gentle luminescence.

"Master Krosis found this up on the third floor," Ignotus informed Harry.

Harry walked over to Krosis and inspected the orb. He had absolutely no idea what the runes meant or what they did. The absolute intricacy of the array was so out of his level of knowledge that even looking at the orb made him question whether he even knew what runes and arrays were.

"Master?" Harry asked.

"It's older than the Sky Era. These are proto-runes. I recognise Goblin, Zora, and Goron in the arrays, with a fourth I don't recognise. I have a hunch though. Try holding it," Krosis offered, holding the orb towards Harry.

Harry slowly moved his hand towards it, and as his fingers brushed the surface, the runes and crystal flared brightly, and Harry cried out in pain, falling to his knees.

"Harrison!" Ignotus yelled, falling beside Harry to help him.

"I'm fine," Harry said, standing back up with Ignotus' help. "That has to be the ward stone for the forest's Bounded Field. As soon as I touched it, my magic drained."

Krosis looked at the now identified ward stone with a new appraising eye. "If that's so, then there should…" Krosis muttered to himself, closely inspecting the surface of the stone, almost completely ignoring the runes themselves. "Ah! Here we are!" Krosis exclaimed. He ran a clawed nail down a groove that was almost hidden by the arrays. Immediately, the glow of the runes and the crystal died down.

Harry looked at Krosis in question. "Goblin disengagement rune. It's a physical rune that allows those with Goblin blood to disengage or reengage the attached runic array, though it only works for doors or bounded fields."

"Perfect. We can have the workers come in and begin what works they can," Harry said. "We should have Masters Antioch and Eleazar break down the array on this ward stone. It would be a fantastic defensive mechanism if we can rewrite it."

"A grand idea, sire. If possible, I know that the Goblin Nation would want to use such protections," Krosis said.

"I'm going to head back to camp to finish some things off. I'm sure the builders and surveyors would appreciate me not breathing down their necks," Harry joked.

---

One Week Later, Late Morning, Din's Road, Planes of Holodrum, Holodrum,

Empire of Hyrule, Mortal Realm

The royal carriage was moving at its standard speed down the main road between Tarm and the Temple of Seasons. This trip was not something Harry was enjoying. He was heading to the Temple of Seasons to meet with the Light Lord as well as the Oracle Claimant, and it was definitely the discussion with the Light Lord that Harry wasn't looking forward to. He only knew the man by reputation, but he knew how all Light aligned people could be. Especially the die-hard, monastery living, philosophy spouting, star-gazing pontificators who spent more time philosophising about the meaning of life instead of the hardships of the people.

Light Lord James Pleuston, High Priest of the Temple of Seasons was one such pontificating philosopher. During the war with Lorule, never once did James offer any kind of support, magical, advisory, or tactical, to the royal family. While it was not a duty of a Magic Lord to provide such services, it was expected and appreciated, especially in large-scale wars. To make matters even more sour, the Light Lords of history typically stood side by side with their Divine Lord counterpart. The fact that James never stepped foot in Hyrule to even offer condolences to Rhoam when Lillian died, allegedly far too busy in the Temple to make the trip.

Krosis had stayed behind to coordinate the building efforts, both due to him being the lead architect and to avoid meeting with James, while Ignotus went along with Harry and a few other Sheikah Sentinels. Ignotus' Guardians had remained to protect the unarmed builders and architects. Krosis was also attempting to connect

Part of what Harry was looking forward to was meeting the Oracle of Seasons, Din. The Light Lord had completed his duties and had confirmed that this lady was indeed the Oracle Din, and it was the royal family's duty to pass the Rod of Seasons to the Oracle.

Contrary to the norm, it was publicly known that the Oracles were not the goddesses made mortal, but simply an avatar of one facet for their power reborn in an endless yet inconsistent cycle. Each Oracle had the memories of every previous Oracle, including the scant few years they spent as a normal girl. They also looked identical to their past selves. As each Oracle grew up, their features changed into that of the first Oracle. In the case of the Oracle of Seasons, they began to resemble a shorter Gerudo, featuring dark skin and red eyes and hair. The Oracle also had the power to control seasons on a global scale.

Harry felt the carriage come to a stop and after a few moments, there was a knock on the outer door.

"We are here, Sire. Light Lord Pleuston is waiting at the entrance with the Oracle and his retinue," Ignotus whispered though the door.

Harry sighed before steeling his face and opening the door and stepping out.

The Temple of Seasons greeted him in all its hallowed yet degraded glory. The four Seasonal Towers proudly stood within the high walls on the temple grounds, each carved thematically to represent each of the four seasons they represented and each of the Season Spirits that inhabited them. The main temple building was situated in the centre of the grounds, equidistant from each of the four towers. While not as grand or as tall as the towers, the temple proper was just as grand and as opulent as the towers. Unfortunately, the opulence was mostly hidden by the state of disrepair the temple was in. Years of no maintenance or works or gardening had left the temple to look like closer to a ruin then the grand temple of worship it should have been.

Standing in front of the gates of the temple was High Priest and Light Lord James Pleuston. A tall man, he was dressed in in the very traditional, very out of date, pure white robes that were used by prior Light Lords and had stopped being used since before the Tyrant Queen's reign. He had no facial or head hair and was pleasantly tanned.

"Prince Harrison, the stars revealed when you would be arriving and for one such as you, I thought it prudent to take myself away from the divination of the stars and greet you in person," James said airily.

"I'm grateful," Harry said forcefully, "that you could take a moment to look down on us mere mortals."

"It is unfortunate that I must, but the river of wisdom flows only in the direction of introspection," James responded, sighing as if he had lost something of value being here. "Allow me to introduce you to the Lady Din, Oracle of Seasons," he continued, gesturing lazily behind him where said girl was standing.

Said girl was standing regally behind the Light Lord. She was dressed in a dress, coloured deep reds and crimsons that matched her fiery hair and burning eyes. She wore a fair amount of gold jewellery such as bangles, necklaces and earrings, and had her hair in a loose ponytail that nearly reached the ground.

"My Lord, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," she said, bowing from the neck. "It has been a long time since I've been in the presence of a royal from Hyrule."

"Indeed?" Harry responded in curiosity.

"My most prior incarnation was present for the birth of your mother. I was given the honour to be her teacher in the magical arts during her childhood," She responded with a fond smile. "Perhaps when time permits, I could tell you some stories."

Harry smiled. "I would very much like that, my lady."

"I do apologise," James interrupted, sounding completely unapologetic, "but I do have work to do and would like for the bequeathment to begin post haste. Time, akin to a whimsical accordion, compresses and expands, yet squandering its notes risks discord in life's symphony."

Harry's eye twitched in annoyance at the blatant disrespect. "Very well. Lead us to the alter." James led Din and Harry into the temple grounds, passed the dilapidated walls and gardens, and into the main temple building.

The main hall of the temple, known as the Chamber of Seasons, was well maintained, in stark contrast to the exterior. Large braziers were hanging at equidistant positions around the room, framed by eternally cascading waterfalls. Runes set on the vaulted ceiling formed water which fell into some stylistic basons on the floor which then dissipated said water. At the centre of the room was a raised dais, upon which sat an altar.

The trio walked towards the altar and took positions around it. Harry, holding the Rod of Seasons, stood at one side of the alter with Din standing opposite him and James standing in his place at the head of the alter.

"We three stand before the Spirits of the Seasons in this, the focus point and nexus of their power, to judge this claimant for the position of Oracle. Lord of House Hyrule, preform your duty, and confront the claimant," James spoke.

"I speak to the Oracle of Seasons. You shall preform a series of tests, proving who you are. First, lock the temple," Harry said.

Din, out of sight from the other two, ran a hand along the side of the alter, secretly powering up a runic array. The array erected a bounded field which locked the temple down, preventing anyone from entering or exiting the building.

"Very good. Next, summon your tool of office to you," Harry instructed.

With nary a motion, the Rod of Seasons launched out of Harry's grip and came to a stop on her right side, hovering in place.

Harry smiled. "Very good. Finally, reveal to me a truth known only to House Hyrule."

Din closed her eyes for a moment, deep in thought, before opening them again.

"Time once bent to Tyrant," Din revealed.

Harry's smile vanished instantly, and he noticed that James' eyes crinkled in confusion, not knowing what Din meant.

"I find your knowledge consistent with my House's secrets. I find your power consistent with the past Oracle. I find your secrets consistent with the past Oracle. Take up your tool of office, and announce yourself as Oracle," Harry proclaimed.

"I will, once you bow before your god!" Din loudly demanded, flaring her magic, very much out of character.

"How DARE you!" James suddenly yelled. "He is the Lord Hyrule, your prince! You are no god!"

"Don't worry, High priest. The three tests I gave can be compromised, giving a false positive on a claimant. However, my family and the Oracles came up with a solution. A passphrase spoken after all the tests were completed 'successfully'," Harry revealed. "Due to the shared memory of the Oracles, it would be easy to organise something in secret. The Lady Din is indeed the Oracle of Seasons."

"Ah, I see. And why was I not informed?" James asked incensed.

"Only royals are privy to this information. Oh, and before I forget, I thank you for your service as High priest, and would request that you set aside time in your busy schedule to pass your title on to the Oracle," Harry said with a snide smile.

"Like a broken hourglass, the cosmic sloshing spills forth, scattering opportunity's confetti, whereupon the dancing grains, like cosmic breadcrumbs, lead to new realms of wonder," James said before walking away without so much as a by your leave.

"In all my years I have never met someone as air-headed and as egotistical as him," Din laughed.

"He makes the perfect Light Lord," Harry joked.

"Come. We have a couple of days for your tour of the Arcanum and the Temple, and would love tell you those stories," Din said happily, leading Harry deeper into the temple.

---

Two Months Later, Late Noon, Entrance Hall, Main Wing, Hyrule Castle,

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

Harry had just returned to Hyrule after two months on the road, making it five months since he had left for Holodrum. Not wanting to deal with a riot in the streets from his return, Harry had used his Zora form to swim up the river from just outside the castle walls to the docks under the castle's mountain, while the empty carriage made its way through the streets as a distraction. He then made his way to the entrance hall though the corridors, and met up with Impa who was waiting for him.

"It's good to see you safe and sound," Impa greeted, leading Harry towards the throne room. "Princess Zelda is holding court so she couldn't be here to greet you, but she did mention that she wanted you to sit in on the last moments should you arrive in time."

Harry nodded, following from behind. He was mildly nervous but kept a stony face. As they reached the doors leading into the throne room, Harry activated his shimmer silk, causing his silver crown to form on his head. The doors opened.

"Presenting, His Royal Highness, Lord Harrison of House Hyrule!" Impa announced.

Harry walked confidently passed the gathered highborn and common folk, looking like the proud royal he was.

"We are pleased to see you well, brother," Zelda said regally from her throne.

"I'm happy to finally be home," Harry responded, walking to his throne and sitting down on it.

"Please continue," Zelda said, looking at the lord listing his grievances.

Court was held for another hour before it came to a close. Zelda stood and dismissed the court and then walked over and hugged Harry.

"Did you get taller?" Zelda asked jokingly, ruffling Harry's hair.

"I haven't seen you in five months and that is the first thing you say to me?" Harry stated annoyed, trying and failing to fix his hair. Zelda laughed.

"How has everything been?" Harry asked, walking with Zelda and her retinue of guards towards his room.

"The situation with the Gorons has gotten worse," Zelda began. "They haven't been responding to any of our missives and Renado reports that they've closed off the mountain to everyone again."

They entered the room with the retinue remaining outside. The room was exactly as Harry had left it, except for the variety of fruits on the table, which were more seasonal, and a chilled jug of mead, clearly placed to help Harry wind down after the long trip. Nicholas was also in the room, doing basic cleaning and maintaining.

"Oh, you're back," Nicholas said, noticing Harry and bowing to Zelda. He then tilted his head a bit. "Who's been feeding you?"

Harry looked at his stomach incredulously, and then back at Nicholas with squinted eyes. Nicholas broke and started laughing, with Zelda joining in.

"You both suck!" Harry proclaimed, sitting at the table and crossing his arms childishly. "Go tell Master Eleazar that I need to talk to him later on," he ordered in deadpan.

As Nicholas left the room to do as instructed, Harry asked Zelda about the Cadmus situation, curious to see what was discovered.

"Impa's operative discovered a dossier in a hidden safe. This Cult of the Black Phoenix is planning to usurp me and have us both killed. There are plans, laws they want to put forward, and a list of names with descriptors next to them. They are either members of the cult or assets to them that they use to push their agenda forward," Zelda explained.

Harry nodded slowly. "Anyone noteworthy?"

"Lord Integra, Lady Belmont, Admiral Linebeck of Hytopia's Navy, Lord-Regent Daltus, President Ryo Vadik, and Snake Sage Naboris," Zelda revealed sombrely.

"Regent…- Marcus!? Our cousin Marcus, head of House Daltus in Labrynna?!" Harry asked, shocked that their cousin would be conspiring against them.

"The very same. Those are the notable ones, but Harry, there are names from every branch of the military, politics, and various Sovereign Courts in here. Cadmus also wrote that there are some names he wouldn't commit to parchment for fear of them being exposed, and there are some people that he doesn't know the identity of," at this, Zelda lent forward, steepling her fingers in front of her. "There is a rot in Hyrule that we may never be able to expunge. The hidden members that we don't know about must be found, but not even Impa has an idea on how to accomplish that without exposing your operation."

"We need to consolidate our power," Harry stated resolutely. "We need the Sheikah to investigate every member of our household, starting with our personal guard and our servants, and then we work our way out. We need to also start closing up any of the well-known secret passageways in and out of the citadel and either leave the ones only we know about, or have the Goblins create new ones. Once we know we are safe in the castle, we can begin to look into way to remove these people and discredit them, or just have them assassinated and blame the whole thing on Cadmus."

Zelda sighed. "I would have preferred each and every one of them face trial, but if the smallfolk and the neutral highborn discover that there was a massive opposition to my rule and your position, they might decide to support our disposition. We wait until we find the names of the ringleaders of the Cult, and we wipe them out, and put the blame of everything on Cadmus."

Hearing Zelda say what they were both silently thinking for some time made it all finally feel real. The existence of the Cult, Cadmus' actions, and the potential vacuum of power that would develop when these high-ranking people die forced Harry to reconsider the plan for just a moment. The remaining loyal highborn would scramble to take up new lands and positions and the more economic and enterprising smallfolk would scurry to take up the trades of the missing merchants. The other Sovereigns would come to Hyrule to express their disbelief that so many of their number were traitors, and would do anything within their power to make amends for any perceived slight they may have had a hand in supporting the Cult. When the dust settled, a stronger and much more secure Empire would remain.

Harry only reconsidered the plan for just a moment.

"I may have a solution to the smallfolk issue, I just need to talk it over with Master Eleazar but it should work," Harry said, eager to tell Zelda of his find in the secret treasury.

"Something you found in Tarm?" Zelda questioned, taking a sip from her goblet.

"A ritual called the Mark of Mastery-" Harry was cut off by Zelda violently spitting out her mead.

"No! Absolutely not!" Zelda shouted.

"Why? If it has a chance of working-" Harry was interrupted again.

"The Mark of Mastery stopped being used because of the consistent number of deaths that would occur! A successful applicant gained a lot of political power, sure, but most died from their own magic rebounding back at them! It is far too risky!"

"You can't just veto it out of fear that I could die! If it works, the people would respect me and it would help consolidate out power by proving definitively that I hold my offices on my own merit!" Harry argued back. "Besides, it wasn't even my idea."

"Oh, so someone put this foolishness in your head. Who is it that I need to have a stern talking to?" Zelda asked pointedly.

Harry smirked. "The Great Fairy."

Whatever response Zelda had planned was lost. "You're kidding," she responded.

"Nope," Harry said, popping the P. "She told me where to find the tomes that detailed the ritual and said that it would help."

Zelda remained in silent contemplation for a moment. "And you're sure it was the Fairy and not some kind of illusion? Didn't feel anything off?"

"We were in one of her fountains."

Zelda sighed in resignation. "We will both confer with Eleazar and I'll make my decision whether to allow you to do the ritual after I have all the information."

"I'm happy with that. I planned to talk to him just before dinner," Harry stated.

"Then we should get a move on," Zelda said, standing up with Harry following.

They both walked down the halls to the east wing where Eleazar's rooms were. They spoke about less sensitive issues that had cropped up such as tax adjustments and tariffs that some of the highborn weren't paying to the throne, a reemergence of a necromantic cult and its sudden and unexplained self-destruction, and the arrest of Tomlic the Streaker who had decided to streak though Gringotts on market day.

They were soon knocking on Eleazar's door. The Court Sourcerer opened the door, and allowed the two royals to enter.

"Your Majesty, my lord, how can I help you? Please remember that Nicholas' actions are his own and I had no part in whatever chaos he has caused this time," Eleazar said.

"Nicholas didn't do anything, we are here because my dear brother wishes to perform the Mark of Mastery and we need some more information on what it entails," Zelda said seriously.

Eleazar's eyes widened in surprise. "Out of all the things you could have said, that was not one of them," he admitted, turning to face Harry. "Tell me, my lord, why would you want to attempt the highly deadly, highly unnecessary Mark?"

"The Great Fairy suggested it to me, saying that I could win the respect of the people should I preform it," Harry responded.

"The Great Fairy? You're kidding," Eleazar said.

"That's what I said," Zelda interjected.

"Yes, well, something that caused the death of eighty percent of its attempters is not something I would expect the ageless advocate of life to suggest to the heir to the empire," Eleazar responded.

"Zelda and I need to know what exactly is required and expected to complete the Mark before I'm allowed to attempt it. So, what must be done?" Harry asked.

"Hn," Eleazar grunted. "The Mark of Mastery is, at its most basic state, a form of evidence. It proves that the successful attempter of the Mark is worthy of any position within the empire. This is done by showing two impossibilities. The first, pure control and command over every drop of magic you have while its outside of your body, and the second is to use that control to twist Nayru's Laws to make a small yet potent change in the world."

"I thought it wasn't possible for Nayru's Laws to be changed anymore," Zelda stated.

"They can be, but only by paying a great cost, or under highly specific circumstances. The Mark is one such circumstance. During any other time, the full wrath of the Weave would descend upon the lawbreaker, but during the Mark, the attempter is protected from any repercussion due to the intense amount of magical interference being generated. Essentially, during the Mark, the attempter is creating their own temporary Weave, which in itself causes the person to become temporarily connected to the Weave, allowing for some sort of… subdued magical omniscience."

"What do you mean about pure control outside of the body?" Harry asked.

"During the Mark, the attempter must channel their magic to a concentrated point outside their body while standing on a specially crafted array. When every bit of magic has been channelled out of the body, the attempter must release the magic from their control all at once, make the change in the Laws, and then absorb all the magic back into themselves in a near singular instant. It takes either absolute control or an intense amount of luck to accomplish it," Eleazar sighed, looking at Harry. "If you want my opinion, you have the control necessary to attempt it."

Harry perked up at that and looked at Zelda smugly.

"Am I able to see the array needed for the Mark?" Zelda asked is resignation.

"I don't have it on hand, but you can inspect it directly. The stone seal of Hyrule just outside of the southern walls is the array used for the Mark," Eleazar responded.

"Truly! I thought it was just used for ceremonial purposes. I know the array well, it's a magic amplifier and capacitor," Zelda said in thought. She then sighed. "How long would harry need to prepare for the Mark?"

"YES!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

"Technically he is ready after drinking a Blue Potion. So long as he has full magic, and is confident that he can last three days of channelling, he is ready," Eleazar said confidently.

"So?" Harry asked Zelda hopefully.

"Based on our discussion prior, and the fact that all it takes for prep is a Blue Potion, I'm happy for you to do it at sunrise tomorrow," Zelda responded.

Harry smiled wildly, hugging Zelda and then rushing out without a word.

"You're worried about him. Don't be. If the Great Fairy told him to try it, then he will be fine. She is timeless, she knows things we mere mortals will never know," Eleazar said sagely.

"I'll… take that under advisement," the High Princess responded neutrally, leaving the chambers to return to Harry's.

Zelda's mind was a scramble. Yes, Eleazar had settled it somewhat with his reassurances on Harry's skill, and yes, she knew that Harry's magical reserves were quite large due to the core rupture, but it was that injury that made her worry. She had seen what happened when Harry attempted sustained or heavy casting, it always led to him needing calm his core via his mediation. Three days of sustained casting was incredibly difficult, even for her, and Harry wanted to attempt it with a dangerous handicap.

Politically speaking, she would need to call a general assembly of the smallfolk and the highborn to witness the event. Thankfully this wouldn't be difficult, as the court she just held was for both highborn and smallfolk, with the castle even housing the Sovereign of Gerudo Valley and the Sovereign of Labrynna, Nabiri and Ambi respectively. While it wouldn't be the full High Council, having five of the nine Sovereigns present would help with the legitimacy of the Mark's results, and that's if she ignored the hundreds of highborn and hundreds of thousands of smallfolk that would be witnessing the event.

Arriving at Harry's room, she entered without knocking and saw the room was empty except for Nicholas who was eating on the table.

"Where's Harrison?" She asked.

"He came in, grabbed a couple things and then said he needed to go into town for something," Nicholas replied.

"What did he take?"

"Uh, his sword and a black cloak," Nicholas replied.

Zelda smiled. "I see. Well, have a Guardian inform me when he returns."

---

Later, Early Evening, Fairy Fountain, Beneath Hyrule Castle,

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

Harry was sitting alone, enjoying the tranquil sounds of the small underground waterfall that was filling the long-forgotten Fairy Fountain beneath the castle. Only the royal family had a record of this place due to its proximity to Hylia's Vault. The cavern was illuminated by the soft lights of the hundreds of fairies that fluttered above him.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," a voice said from the cave entrance.

Harry turned around and saw Link approaching, smiling. "You're ok. I'm guessing the market was busier than usual?"

Link nodded. "With Her Majesty holding court, Bo had Fado bring as much stock as we could. Once we made our delivery, I had to run the shop myself while Fado was stocking the place."

"Oh, so you managed to get a proper store instead of a stall?" Harry asked, interested.

"Yeah, Fado came to an agreement with one of the landlords to be able to use the store a few days a month at a cheaper rate."

"That's good. How are things in Ordon?" Harry said.

"Growing! We've been able to develop Ordon Village up a little. We have a proper cobblestone road now and Lord Marik said he would be organizing to have a log wall built around the village," Link said with a smile.

"That's all he is doing? I would have thought that with the taxes he claims, he would have renovated the village a further," Harry said casually, but inside he was quite alarmed. He knew the amount of taxes each provincial noble claimed of their subjects, and with the amount of wealth Ordon Province was gaining though their sales to the capital, Lord Marik should be sitting on a Sovereign's ransom.

"We trust Lord Marik; he hasn't let us down before. He might just have other expenses that eat in to the taxes we pay him," Link responded.

Harry nodded in response, not willing to shatter Link's trust in his lord. "I should make time to talk to him. Faron Province was once the capital of Hyrule, and with Ordon Village being a stone's throw away, it wouldn't be too hard to fold Ordon Province into Faron and make Ordon Village into a proper province capital," he said, fully intending on speaking with Lord Marik and asking him where his taxes were going. It wouldn't hurt to investigate the taxes he was meant to be paying to the crown.

The two sat and spoke about trivial things for a while. Link gossiping about things happening in the village, and Harry talking about the more mundane things that happened during his trip to Holodrum and back, such about his hunting exploits and the like.

It was these times that Harry valued the most. While he had friends in the castle and in the nobility, they all treated him as his station demanded; with respect and deference. They treated him as Prince Harrison Hyrule, brother of the High Princess. Link however treated him as he always wished he could be, as the twelve-year-old bespectacled child he was inside. No pomp and circumstance, no unnecessary bowing or revering or titles, as just Harry. These scant hours where he could just escape the heavy weight of his duties to just relax and sit with a true friend, someone who didn't want to use him for the power he wielded both magically and politically.

After a couple of hours of talking and gossiping and Link teasing Harry about his height which led to a small roughhouse, the two boys laid in comfortable silence, just watching the softly luminescing fairies' flitter and flutter above them to the symphony of the fountain's waterfall. It was Harry who broke the silence.

"Link, I need to tell you something," Harry said hesitantly.

"Of course. What's up?" Link responded.

"There's something I've got to do starting tomorrow morning that is going to last three days. It's called the Mark of Mastery."

"Is that some kind of magic exam?" Link asked curiously.

"Um, no. It's an old ritual," Harry paused for a moment. He then spent the next few moments explaining what the Mark was, including the dangers that came with it. "Put it simply, there's a chance I could die."

"I… I don't understand, why do you need to do this ritual? Her Majesty never had to do such a thing," Link asked, confused why his friend would put himself at such an enormous risk.

"You know the rumours about me. If I complete the Mark, then it proves that the power and positions I wield are mine through earning them, not because I was gifted them or stole them or whatever else they say about me," Harry said strongly.

"Harry, you can't force people to love you. People will love or hate or respect or disrespect you as they will. Sacrificing yourself to prove your powerful is just… showmanship," Link said honestly.

"I know that, which is why during the end, during that one moment where Nayru's Laws become malleable, I need to do something to prove that I will dedicate my life to the people," Harry said thoughtfully.

Link sighed. "You're my friend and I'll support your decisions, but I really wish you'd reconsider."

Harry smiled at the care Link had. "I'll be fine, I promise. Several of the greatest magical practitioners in the world have said I'll be fine, and I trust their judgment," he said, slightly twisting the facts to settle Link's worries.

Link nodded slowly, seemingly resigned. "You said it would take three days? I'm guessing there will be an audience?"

Harry nodded. "Like everything we do, it's being turned into a spectacle. I'll either live a hero or die a villain, to silence or to thunderous applause."

"I'll be there. All three days. I might not be able to stand by you, but I'll be there for you," Link said, dedicative.

Harry just smiled.

---

Dawn of the First Day: Sixty Hours Remain, Moments Before Sunrise, Citadel Courtyard, Hyrule Castle,

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

To say Harry was nervous was an understatement. He was dressed in a simple tunic and plain linen trousers and nothing else, much to the consternation of the being who lived in his focus. He had to leave the focus and any other magical item he normally carried, like his Shimmer Silk clothes, his Hylian Steel sword, and his newly reforged Zora dagger, in his rooms as the magic in them would interfere with the Mark.

Prior to leaving Tarm, Krosis had Harry attempt the Senior rank exam. For the exam, Harry had reforged the gifted dagger to hold some minor elemental enchantments. It was a bit of a task, as he didn't have much experience in forging with Zora metals or in the Zora style, but that was partially the point of the exam. To reach the rank of Senior, the smith must reforge another smith's work and improve on it while keeping its appearance identical, proving they could further complete a completed work. Needless to say, he had passed the exam and was now a Senior Smith, just two ranks away from Master.

Harry turned around, hearing footsteps. Zelda exited the castle and walked down the steps and in an unusual public show of emotion, tightly embraced her brother.

"I really wish you would reconsider this," she said, pulling away.

"Zelda…" Harry said softly.

"I know, I know," Zelda replied. "All ready? You remember what you have to do?"

"Stand in the centre of the seal, channel spell-less magic between my hands for three days, release it the moment I run out of magic, and bend the Laws just a twitch. Master Eleazar reminded me," Harry said with a nervous smile.

"Ok. Let's get a move on then," Zelda said, standing up straighter and invoking her regal cadence. She began to walk down the pathway leading to Castle Town with Harry following suit, and a contingent of Guardians and Sentinels to protect them.

The two royals walked in silence, each contemplating what was to come. For Harry, it was a mix of contemplation and apprehension. He was still nervous, but at this moment he was more focused on the maths of the Mark. He was intimately familiar with the amount of magic he possessed, and so as he walked, he was trying to calculate how much magic he needed to channel so it could actually last the three days.

Meanwhile, Zelda was contemplating using her royal prerogative to halt the entire event and screw the consequences. Harry would be furious, the people's opinion of the royals would fall through the floor, and the rumours that she was bewitched by the 'Dark World spawn' would be reaffirmed. She was vividly aware people would be watching, hoping for Harry's failure, and that hurt. How was she meant to protect and uplift a people that wanted to see her brother dead and gone?

And yet, after once again talking to Eleazar and after a lengthy discussion with Antioch and Impa, Zelda was convinced that Harry could do this. Even if all she wanted was to put a stop to the Mark, squirrel Harry away in the castle, and cover him with pillows and blankets so nothing could ever hurt him again, she knew that this needed to be done. The logical part of her brain, the part of her that was High Princess Zelda Lillian Hyrule, recognised the ingenious political move on Harry's part, and that pass or fail, the current issues House Hyrule was facing would be solved once the Mark was complete. But it was the traitorous part of Princess Zelda that was simply Zelda, sister of Harry, that just didn't care about the people's opinion.

In the end, as they approached the town gates and saw the thousands gathered to watch the beginning of the Mark, her only thought was what her father once said to her: 'Heavy is the head that wears the crown.' The weight of those words bore down on her almost in perfect mimicry of the crown she currently wore; a reminder of the duty she had to her people. And as the two approached the seal of Hyrule, Zelda squared her shoulders, stoned her face, and addressed people.

"Sonorus. People of Hyrule, we welcome you all to this auspicious and memorable event," Zelda began. "Over the course of the next three days, Prince Harrison will be attempting the sacred exam known as the Mark of Mastery, an ancient ritual not seen since the time of High Princess Melodia Hyrule, mother of my mother.

"There are undoubtedly some of our elders here today who would remember the last Mark of Mastery that was performed and the reason for its discontinuation. I would ask these elders to recall and regale those who would listen with the reasons why the Mark was stopped." Zelda paused for a moment, trying to nail in the severity of the Mark.

"For the next three days, Prince Harrison will channel the totality of his magic to a single point outside his body, and then reabsorb his magic at sunrise of the third day, creating a small but noticeable change in Nayru's Laws, a change that he himself has chosen to make. He cannot eat or drink, and if he loses concentration at any time, the magic could be prematurely released and violently explode. This risk, combined with his already well documented injury, is the reason why there is a fifty-meter space between you all and the prince, lined by Chieftain Impa's best Sheikah Sentinels. I would advise anyone thinking of coming closer to the prince to rethink that course of action.

"Should Prince Harrison succeed in the Mark of Mastery, he will have proven to me beyond any doubt that he is worthy of the positions he holds," Zelda said forcefully. She then walked towards Harry, who had gotten ready in the centre of the seal. He kneeled as Zelda approached. "May the Threefold Goddesses watch and judge you these coming days. May their Power reinforce your will, may their Courage fill your heart, and may their Wisdom guide you in your task, whether skyward-bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight," she finished, ending with the Hero's Prayer.

After casting Quietus, she motioned for Harry to stand. "I'm going to be in the crowd dressed as Shiek so I can keep an eye on proceedings more closely."

"No," Harry responded. "Do as we discussed yesterday. While the people are distracted watching me, clean the castle of its rot. The Cult will be much more interested in disrupting my efforts here than they will be following you around in the castle. With the amount of Sheikah currently gathered here, three days should be enough time to vet whoever's remaining in the castle," Harry suggested.

Zelda's eyes widened slightly in realisation. "The servants, the castle Guardians, and the courtiers who live in the castle! That's a substantial amount of those whom we surround ourselves with!"

"Exactly," Harry said. "Start with the courtiers. Those stuffy old lords would have the resources, ambitions, and the inclination to side with the cult, and then focus on the servants, with particular focus on the kitchen staff," Harry hesitated for just a moment before continuing. "As much as we trust them, Nicholas and Eleazar are Labrynnian and had close dealings with cousin Marcus. I trust Nick unwaveringly, but its best to be sure."

Zelda nodded sombrely. "I'll check Nick and Eleazar first. When they assumed their positions, Alaric and Antioch both took oaths to protect the empire and the royal family. They would be dead if they tried to turn against us. Nick and Eleazar took no such oaths."

"I agree," Harry said nodding. He then looked to the east. "The sun is rising. It's time. Good luck, sister."

Zelda watched from outside the seal as Harry shook himself in preparation. He then positioned himself in the exact centre of the seal and faced north towards Castle Town and the castle itself, and Zelda saw him become focused and steely. He raised his hands to chest height, palms facing each other but inches apart. He closed his eyes and after just a moment, just as the sun peaked over the horizon, Zelda and all the other witnesses saw the signature glow-pulse of Hylian magic being channelled. The glow was mild and clearly regulated, but stable.

The array laid within the stone seal activated, helping to amplify Harry's magic as well as contain it in the focused point hovering between Harry's hands, where a small glowing red ball of pure unrefined magic was coalescing.

Zelda turned around and began to walk quite briskly back to the castle, her retinue following. Impa joined her once she passed through the city gates, updating her on her plans for the day. Once they got to the courtyard that led to the castle bridge and gates, Zelda spoke up.

"I need every castle worker and courtier in the castle, and then I need Ragnuk to lock down the castle wards. No one in or out," Zelda said firmly.

"Milady?" Impa said in a questioning tone.

"I cannot offer any explanation until the castle is locked down. Just make sure every single servant, courtier, and guardian is in the castle. Harry gave me an idea and I'll be taking advantage of it," Zelda ordered.

"The newspapers will surely wonder why the castle is on lockdown," Impa stated.

"The official statement will be that I am worried about Harry and don't want to be disturbed until the Mark is just about over, and that is the only statement the palace will be releasing," Zelda said sternly. "And have Lord and Lord-heir Flamel contained to their rooms. I'll be there as soon as Ragnuk locks down the wards."

Impa nodded, not questioning why Zelda would confine two of the most trusted people in the castle to their rooms, trusting that she would have her reasons.

Zelda walked the rest of the way silently, but stony faced and with purpose. To the people who saw her, the sight was intimidating. Never before had the young and kind princess looked so regal and powerful. More than one person was reminded of Rhoam's imperial cadence as Zelda walked up the path, up the stairs, through the halls, and into her chambers.

"Everyone out!" she exclaimed, ordering her maidservants to leave.

Once she heard the door close behind her, she threw her hand up, locking the door and warding the room. She walked over to one of the southward facing windows. She could see the crowd in the distance, gathering to witness the Mark, and in the centre of the circle, she could a small dot. Knowing that she could do nothing to help Harry was eating at her, but once again, she was reminded of her duty and why this needed to be done.

Zelda walked away from the window and made her way to her desk, her fist clenching at what she saw. The desk was stacked with papers of all kinds, from tax lowering requests from the provincial lords, to some of the more important grievances that she needed to address. It was the physical manifestation of the bureaucracy she had to deal with on a daily basis; the stupid whinging of self-important nobles who only cared about their own wealth or political standing, and the complaints of smallfolk that decided that they needed to talk to the highest authority in the land and have her deal with it instead of with their own liege lords.

But in centre place, on top of the bureaucratic ineptitude, was a petition. Headlined 'A Petition to rectify impure elements within the palace', it was a formal request made by a vast majority of the Kingdom of Hyrule's population, almost forty-five-million people, and sponsored by those people's liege lords, to 'remand Prince Harrison Hyrule into royal custody, strip him of all nobility and positions, and exile him to Holodrum for the rest of his days, never to return.'

The absolute gall these people had to demand such an action of her. She had received the traitorous document a month ago and had yet to respond to it, despite the repeated requests of the signatories for a response. It infuriated her that liege lords, the lowest ranked nobility, would have the balls to demand exile of the prince. It was an abuse of power, and the more she thought about it, the more it angered her.

"AAUGH!" Zelda screamed suddenly, punching the desk. The desk cracked and snapped, collapsing as it split in half. Her right fist and arm up to her elbow, she noticed, were glowing gold from the Triforce of Wisdom instead of the customary red vein-glow-pulse of her Hylian magic, radiating with an intense, divine light. The light dimmed as the piece of Wisdom became dormant once more.

She felt a niggling in the back of her mind. She turned around to look out the window once more and saw the wards flair, becoming completely visible and remaining so. Ragnuk had locked down the castle, and it was time to begin.

---

Concurrently, Morning, Flamel Family Chambers, East Wing, Hyrule Castle,

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

Nicholas was pacing up and down the chambers, clearly nervous. Two guards stood outside the room, and the door itself was pulsating an angry red; warded to prevent anyone from leaving.

"Will you sit down, boy?!" Eleazar exclaimed from his spot at the dining table. He was shocked that the princess would order their arrest, but that shock had morphed to anger and concern.

Nicholas quickly sat down, but was tapping his heel anxiously. "What have we done?" he asked, voice shaking.

"Looks like we are about to find out," Eleazar said, standing up as the ward on the door dropped.

The door opened and Impa walked in followed by Zelda and two other Sheikah. Judging by their movements, Eleazar would suggest that they were the elite Shades instead of the protective Sentinels.

"Apologies for the inconvenience," Zelda said curtly.

"Inconvenience, your majesty? Is that what you think this is?" Eleazar responded coldly. "I am the Court Sorcerer, and Nicholas is Court Apprentice, positions we held before you became High Princess! What is the meaning of this unjust arrest?!"

Zelda waited a moment before responding. "Certain inconsistencies have arisen within the castle that both Harrison and I wish to have sorted. Due to the trust we both have in you, Harrison convinced me that the two of you would be the best place to begin," Zelda nodded towards the two Shades who stepped forward and placed two vials down on the table, one in front of each Flamel. "I trust you know what this is?"

Eleazar picked up his vial and shook it, inspecting it closely. Nicholas did not need to do so, recognising the potion instantly. "Veritaserum. Sheikah-grade by the cloudy colour. Used during the interrogations of…" Nicholas stopped, eyes widening in realisations.

"The interrogation of dissidents, undesirables, and traitors," Eleazar finished. "Sheikah-grade Veritaserum comes with the extra benefit of negating the powers of an occlumens, making it impossible to resist against. You accuse us of being traitors?"

"I will answer none of your questions until you drink it and submit to a couple of mine," Zelda said neutrally.

"And should we refuse?" Eleazar responded forcefully.

"You shall both be stripped of your positions and escorted to Labrynna under armed guard."

"You said that you and Harry need whatever issue this is to be solve, yeah?" Nicholas spoke up. Zelda nodded. Nicholas picked up the vial, uncorked it, and downed it in one shot.

"Nicholas!" Eleazar responded loudly.

"I trust Harry," Nicholas responded confidently.

Eleazar sighed and downed the potion. "Ask your questions."

Zelda smiled, waved the Shades away, and took a seat at the table. "A control question first. What are your names?"

"Eleazar Flamel," Eleazar responded.

"I don't know my real name, but I was adopted and named Nicholas Flamel," Nicholas revealed.

"Very good. I'll start with Nicholas first, as I only have three questions for him," Zelda stated. "Have you ever, at any point betrayed Harrison's trust by revealing, by your own volition, anything he has told you in confidence?"

"I have never betrayed Harry's trust," Nicholas said, but then continued softly. "But I was approached by someone before the High King's passing who said they would make my wildest dreams come true if I were to spy on him."

"I see," Zelda responded. She then passed a slip of paper across the table to Nicholas. "Secondly, do you recognize this symbol?"

Nicholas looked at the image drawn on the paper, a black phoenix. "I do, only in some paperwork that Harry had in his chambers when he was in Holodrum. I saw them when I was cleaning the room but I never read the documents."

Zelda nodded in acceptance of his answer. "Lastly, when was the last time you received correspondence from Marcus Daltus, Lord-Regent of House Daltus of Labrynna?"

Nicholas thought for a moment, before shaking his head. "I have not met the man of whom you speak, and have never exchanged correspondence with him."

"Very good," Zelda said. She then turned to Eleazar. "When was the last time you received correspondence from Marcus Daltus, Lord-Regent of House Daltus of Labrynna?"

Eleazar scoffed. "Not since his tenth birthday, of which I was required to attend. The day I willingly correspond with that arrogant bastard will be the day Hyrule falls to the Void."

"Have you ever betrayed House Hyrule or House Hyrule's trust in any way?"

"Yes," Eleazar responded shamefully.

"In what way?" Zelda asked forcefully.

"The circumstances involving my banishment from the Sheikah Clan technically constituted a betrayal to House Hyrule. Outside of this incident, I have remained loyal to the House, even if I never took any loyalty oaths."

"Are you familiar with the Cult of the Black Phoenix, or seen the symbol on that paper?"

"No," Eleazar responded concisely.

Zelda nodded and sighed in relief. She took out two vials and passed them to Nicholas and Eleazar. "The antidote."

Both of the Flamel's drunk the antidote. Eleazar slammed the vial on the table. "Can you explain why we were arrested and interrogated like traitors?" Eleazar demanded.

"The Cult of the Black Phoenix is an organization that has reach everywhere, whose goal is House Hyrule's destruction. Harry and I have a list of names of known associates and members of the Cult but it isn't complete. When he arrived home yesterday, we discussed information a Sheikah operative discovered and quickly came up with a rudimentary plan. While the populus is distracted by the Mark, I plan on cleaning out the cult from the castle," Zelda explained.

Both Flamel's were shocked at the revelation. "Harry just started the Mark," Nicholas said. "Why were we first to be investigated?"

"Harry requested that I clear the both of you first. We hold the both of you in the highest esteem and Harry himself has Nick in his personal confidence. We needed to be sure," Zelda admitted.

"Marcus Daltus is a part of this cult, isn't he?" Eleazar asked sombrely.

Zelda nodded. "Harry has given us three days to clear the castle of anyone affiliated with the Cult. I've made sure every servant and courtier were in the castle before I had Ragnuk lock down the wards. The Sheikah, yourselves, Antioch, and Alaric are clear."

"Who else is suspected? Outside the castle, I mean," Nicholas asked.

Zelda measured her words carefully. "We have reason to believe that Cadmus Peverell is involved, potentially the leader himself," she said, omitting details. She could trust Nicholas and Eleazar, but some details should remain between her, Harry, and Impa.

"Where do we start?" Eleazar said, standing.

Zelda smiled.

---

Dawn of the Second Day: Forty Hours Remain, Late Morning, Library, West Wing, Hyrule Castle,

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

Zelda was sitting in Harry's library office, the one where he was developing his dark healing spell. The work was impressive and on the surface of things, she had to agree with Harry; the spell should have worked and the thread should have stitched. She did see a few stroke errors within the array, but nothing that should have caused a cascade collapse.

It was a pleasant distraction from the uncomfortable and unpleasant business being conducted in the castle. After clearing Nicholas and Eleazar, Zelda had all of the staff and courtiers attend their stations or return to their chambers before she further locked the castle down by sealing the corridors between the wings with powerful bounded fields. Further, the Goblins had begun violently collapsing the secret passageways with liberal use of Bombarda Maxima, something that was felt by the rumbling that continued through the night.

After the first day, the publicly accessible West Wing had been cleared, and the people within vetted and proven loyal, minus a few assistant librarians, several of Radook's nurses working in the small clinic, and a handful of servants working as cleaners. While the original plan was to start with the North Wing which contained the kitchens, Eleazar made a point of mentioning that the public nature of the West Wing could be used as a method of getting information from within the castle to any handlers outside of it. He was correct, with the nurses admitting under Sheikah interrogation that the clinic was used to pass information to select medical merchants that would supply both the clinic and the Hospital Wing. The traitors were now sitting in the deepest cells in the castle dungeon. It was a messy business, but their executions would be carried out in secret, their bodies cremated, and their ashes magically vanished. The 'strange unstable earthquakes in the castle during the Mark of Mastery' provided the perfect cover for the loss of life.

Today's plan was to finish the remainder of the North Wing which began at nightfall the previous day, complete the relatively small Hospital Wing and start the East Wing at nightfall. With the significant amount of people hopefully cleared by the third and final day, it shouldn't take long to finish clearing the castle.

There was a knock on the door, and Zelda looked up to see Impa enter.

"What are the numbers?" Zelda asked.

"Of the twelve-thousand inhabitants of the castle, we have four-thousand-five-hundred-and-ten people cleared and three-hundred-and-twelve traitors. The rot ran deep but its clearing," Impa replied, inspecting one of Harry's chalkboards. "We should be done by the time the Mark is over."

"Good. And the Goblins?"

"The only hidden passageways left are the ones known to you, Harry, less than a handful of Ragnuk's builders, and me. Ragnuk had the builders swear an Unbreakable Oath before he revealed the location of those passageways," Impa said confidently. "New passageways will be built by those same builders, but Ragnuk reports that they will be done after Harry completes the Mark."

"Makes sense. It's harder to build corridors than to blow them up," Zelda said, laughing slightly. She stood and walked to the door. "Come, there are some very annoyed lords in the throne room that are demanding an explanation."

They both left the office and the library and began down the hallways towards the Main Wing. As they walked through the corridors, wards opened and closed to allow them through. Even with the wing cleared, Zelda still wanted them to be segregated on the off chance that a traitor could escape to a safe wing.

Entering the throne room, Zelda noted that the assembled lords were bickering amongst themselves. Not caring what they were discussing, Zelda nodded to Impa who heralded her arrival. The lords quickly shut up and bowed. She walked through the lords and stood on the dais that her throne sat on.

"I am currently in the middle of important business. Why is my presence demanded so uncouthly?" Zelda demanded.

"Your majesty," began one of the lords. "We wish to know why we were not allowed to return to our chambers and why the castle is on lockdown."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Wish to know, or demand to know?"

"Uh, I- I mean, that is to say we, simply wish to know why we cannot simply be allowed to return to our rooms," the lord stuttered out.

"As you may have felt, my lord, the castle is experiencing what appears to be earthquakes," Zelda said. "Until I can ensure our safety, all members of the household will remain where they were when the wards activated."

"Your majesty, the East Wing is down a very small hallway!" exclaimed the lord, clearly being the speaker of the group. "Surely we can just- "

"You will remain here until I deem otherwise!" Zelda exclaimed firmly. "I will, however, have some Sheikah remain in here to keep you comfortable and to attend your needs."

"The Sheikah!?" the lord said, stepping back.

"A problem?" Zelda asked.

"I don't believe we would be comfortable having her majesty's private militia keeping us contained within her own throne room!" another lord spoke up.

"You all seem to have forgotten that you live in my castle at my whim. If you are all incapable of following such a simple instruction, then once the lockdown ends you may find alternate accommodations in the provinces. Do I make myself clear?" Zelda said, not taking her eyes off the lord that spoke up. She walked down the dais and back towards the main hall.

"Your noble father gave us our positions in this household, princess, and we refuse- "

"My father is dead, Lord Thorn!" Zelda said, turning around to look at the impudent lord directly in the eyes "And the dead want for nothing."

Zelda stormed out with Impa following, the wards locking into place as she left the throne room.

"You were strong, Zelda. And you were right in your words. I'll organise some Sheikah to investigate the lords and then once the East Wing is clear, I'll have them escorted to their rooms, at least to stop their whining," Impa said.

Zelda said nothing as Impa branched off through another corridor. Her mind was racing, split and moving in different directions, formulating a multitude of thoughts. She felt pure anger at the lords and their blatant lack of respect, sure, but that was undermined at the rage she felt at their mention of Rhoam.

While it was true that a multitude of the lords living in the castle gained their nobility or rank due to being raised by Rhoam during the war with Lorule, it was more out of necessity than anything else. In the opening years of the war with Lorule, invaders targeted and killed a significant amount of Highborn and other ranked nobility, which necessitated the raising of smallfolk to liege lords, liege lords to House Lords, and House Lords to Highborn. With the power vacuum filled, the empire was technically stable, minus the war.

The arrogance of these lords, who gained their positions out of desperation instead of merit, angered her vehemently.

The cascade effect of the lords' attitude and the current events was pushing her mental state to breaking point. The dangers of allowing the cult within the castle were severe, and along with it a sliver of paranoia was growing in her mind. How long would she have to watch her back for spies in the shadows? How long would it take to clean this dark rot from the core of Hyrule? After the castle was cleared, how could she maintain the castle's security without alerting the cult to their knowledge of its existence? Would she have to keep every single member of the household on a leash? Or would she have to take more drastic measures.

It was times like this that Zelda cursed her great-great-grandmother, the Princess Celestria. The daughter of the Tyrant Queen believed that the words of her mother could lead to a resurgence in the Tyrant's mentality and values. As such, she burned all known diaries, manuscripts, writings, or any personal records of the Tyrant Queen, going as far as to make the Tyrant's own Book of Shadows entries inaccessible. All known records of the Tyrant Queen came from second hand sources or from historical archives made after Princess Celestria came to power.

Zelda wished she could get into the mind of the Tyrant Queen, see where she drew her conclusions, how she came to the decisions she did. While she despised what the Queen did to the Gerudo and to the reputation of House Hyrule, being able to see into the mind and learn the lessons that came from the Tyrant's life would have been invaluable.

How could she deal with the situation that left House Hyrule on top?

Behind her, she heard the characteristic ruffling cloth of billowing wind of Sheikah teleportation. "My lady, Chieftain Impa requests your presence in the North Wing."

"For what reason?" Zelda asked.

"There's been a murder in the kitchens."

Zelda's eyes widened. "Farore's Wind!" she said, and in a whirl of wind and a flash of green light, Zelda was whisked away to the north wing's main thoroughfare. She reconstituted and made her way towards the kitchens at a brisk pace. Arriving, she saw Impa at the doors waiting for her. At Impa's feet was the Hylian corpse of one of the cooks.

"What happened?" Zelda asked.

"He was found like this by another servant. He was stabbed and based that the body is cold, he's been dead at least a day. No blood stains anywhere suggest he was killed elsewhere and moved here. With the lockdown, the assailant is stuck in the north wing," Impa reported.

Zelda sighed. "Another issue we have to deal with. Have every room searched and when found, put the assailant with the other traitors," Zelda ordered.

Impa nodded and sent some Sentinels to follow the princess' orders. "What do you want to do about this wing?"

"We cannot do anything without alerting the assailant. Tell the Sentinels to be gentle, to make up some kind of excuse like a Heart Crystal missing from the treasury," Zelda suggested.

"You think the cult is behind this?" Impa asked.

"We lock the castle down, confine everyone to quarters, begin a castle wide interrogation, and all of a sudden one of the kitchen servants is murdered? The coincidence is astounding."

"How could they communicate between the wings? The castle's lockdown wards prevent anyone except you, Harry, and select Sheikah from using Farore's Wind and there aren't any other transportation magics known that moves one between two places within the same realm," Impa stated.

"The only thing I can think of would be a small-scale Looking Glass enchantment connected to one outside the castle," Zelda suggested.

"That limits the list to Hylians, Sheikah, and a small amount of Gerudo and Gorons, all of which are present in the castle in one function or another. The last officially recorded human who could use Hylian magic, besides Harry of course, was during the Force Era."

"We need to wait to see if the inspections reveal anything. If not, then we follow the investigative process and hand the case over to the city guard," Zelda responded.

---

Dawn of the Third Day: Twenty Hours Remain, Late Morning, Zelda's Chambers, Royal Wing, Hyrule Castle,

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

Zelda stood on her balcony overlooking the Mark of Mastery in the distance. The crowd had grown significantly, now more than ten times the size. The once small black dot in the centre of the circle was now glowing red, clearly visible even at this distance.

"One day left," she whispered. There was a knock on her door. "Enter."

The door opened and Ignotus walked in. "My lady, my apologies for disturbing you," he said.

Zelda smiled. "You are never a disturbance. How can I help you?"

"I just felt that you needed a friend," Ignotus replied.

"You've been watching from Harry's rooms, haven't you?" Zelda asked.

"Ever since I was cleared," he replied. "What was that all about? There have been rumours of treason," Ignotus commented.

"With the actions of the smallfolk and a large amount of the lords, I need to be ensured of the loyalty of my household. Even those of who's loyalty we are already assured of," Zelda replied politically.

Ignotus nodded thoughtfully. "It's a good idea, especially with people being distracted by…" he stopped himself, closing his eyes sombrely.

"If it helps, it was his idea," Zelda revealed.

Ignotus walked towards Zelda and stood next to her, looking towards the assembled crowd and Harry. "I've been listening to the servants. General opinion on Harrison has risen significantly. More than a few have expressed respect at his actions."

"It shouldn't have come to this," Zelda responded. Ignotus nodded silently. "Come. Impa sent a message that I'm needed in the throne room. I could use some help dealing with impudent lords, Lord Ignotus."

Ignotus simply sighed in response.

The two walked from the Royal Wing to the Main Wing and entered the throne room. Impa met them outside the doors and leaned in towards Zelda.

"The murder was leaked," she said softly. She opened the doors.

Pandemonium ensued as the lords shouted over themselves, demanding answers about the murder within the castle. Just like yesterday, Zelda walked past through the lords, but this time, she sat down on her throne, more to make a statement than out of respite.

"Lord Thorn," she said strongly. "You were quite vocal last time we spoke, why don't you act as speaker again," she ordered.

"There has been a murder in the North Wing, and we have all be interrogated like common thugs! We demand an explanation!" Lord Thorn shouted.

"Sheikah Sentinels under Chieftain Impa's direct command are investigating the matter," Zelda responded.

"And our unjustified interrogations?" Lord Thorn prompted.

"As you just pointed out, there was a murder in the palace. With the lockdown, everyone is a suspect."

Lord Thorn walked up the stairs of the dais that Zelda's throne sat upon. Coming to the top step, he looked down at the High Princess. "You expect us to believe that a crime committed in the warded off North Wing justifies the interrogation of East Wing residents?" he said pompously. Without waiting for a response, Thorn turned around and faced the other lords. "Does the vaunted Princess Zelda think us fools?! We are being imprisoned within the castle, not because she wishes to seclude herself from facing the public while her dark spawn brother appropriates one of our most blessed rituals, but because she believes herself surrounded by knives in the shadows!" he proclaimed.

"Clearly the words and demands of the people of our great empire are falling on deaf ears, and paranoia is setting in place of reason!" Thorn turned to face Zelda. "A paranoia very reminiscent to the state of her damned ancestor, the Tyrant Queen! History teaches us what happened with her and how two brave Guardians sacrificed themselves to rid themselves of the rot within Hyrule Castle!"

At these words, both Zelda and Ignotus, who was standing behind the group of lords, became alert. Ignotus recognised the words of treason being spoken, but Zelda recognised the exact words she had used to describe the corruption within the castle. Words that she had written down in missives and reminders that were to be given to Harry once the Mark was completed. It was at this moment that Zelda realised just where Lord Thorn's allegiance lay.

Zelda stood and took a step towards the traitorous lord. "Are you threatening my regime, Lord Thorn?"

Thorn smirked. "A hero died and was burned to ash to save this world from the Tyrant Queen. And like a Phoenix raising from its ashes, I will be created that hero!"

Faster than Zelda anticipated, Thorn summoned a dagger to his hand and lunged, aiming straight for her chest. Time slowed as the blade, glinting menacing in the light of the throne room, moved through the air. Zelda tried to raise her hand to attempt a Protego, but she knew she wouldn't be fast enough. She didn't think Thorn would attempt something so brazen, and so she never prepared herself. A chilling dread washed over her, and she braced.

---

Concurrently, Unknown

He was floating. That's all he could describe it as. Floating on waves of possibility in a sea made of uncertainty, flitting between what was and what could be and what must be and what would never be. It was metaphysical and yet physical. It was potential and impossible. Past and Future. It was nexus manifest.

Harry could still feel the passage of time wherever he was, but he couldn't comprehend the exact location of his current being. The last thing he remembered was closing his eyes and focusing on channelling magic through the seal at his feet to the gap between his hands. When he reopened his eyes, he was here in this nothing and everything. He quickly had to close his eyes, as he suddenly began seeing things.

Whenever he opened his ears, he heard things, things he shouldn't be able to hear, things from times long gone, words from times currently passing, and speech from times yet to come. He heard the mutterings and whisperings of demons scheming in the Dark World, the comments made by people watching his mark and the shifting opinions of the smallfolk. He could also hear the words of a father screaming to a mother to take their child and run from some kind of dark being.

Similarly, whenever he opened his eyes, it was as if he was seeing though the eyes of thousands across the eras, across the timelines. He saw Haronlink kneel before Zelda-Hylia holding a sleeping Master Sword, he saw Demise cast the curse on the then nameless Hyrule, he witnessed the Tyrant Queen order the genocide of the Gerudo, and her daughter's banishing of Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm. He saw a boy with snow white hair dressed in black robes accented in green and silver sitting in a grand hall, listening to a speech given by an old bearded man standing at a lectern, and another boy sitting on a throne decorated with coral and sea stone, pleading to his father for help.

When he got overwhelmed with these sights and sounds, he would try to focus and block it all out and when he did, the view was mesmerising.

He still felt like he was floating, but at the same time, he was standing on a thin layer of water that covered the ground that sheened like a mirror. The landscape was flat, impossibly so, but it was the sky that stood out the most. Lit in seven colours, the sky shone with unnatural and ethereal beauty. Harry had worked out on the first day that each of the seven colours represented each of the seven magical alignments, but even with that knowledge, he still had no idea where he was, and every time he attempted to connect to this place with his magic, he was thrown back into the sensory overload of the past-present-future sights and sounds.

He decided he needed to try again to reach the 'stable' version of this place and understand it. Harry wanted to understand what this place was, and if that meant a bit of discomfort, then so be it. He concentrated and focused and sure enough, he was back in the stable place. Things were different this time. Something had changed.

The sky had shifted, becoming a starey night sky instead of the seven shades; the sign that the place had aligned to the Dark. The place felt comfortable and homey to Harry, steeped in the darkness of night, but not the black of the Dark World.

"I know the feeling, young inheritor."

Harry turned around in surprise to face the person who spoke. Two silhouettes stood in the darkness. One, a hulk of a man, and the other, a lieth figure upholding elegance.

"Who…" Harry stammered out.

"A good question for another time," the muscular man said. "Your sister is in danger."

"What?! How?!" Harry yelled out.

"Focus on her. Leave this place and focus on her and you just may save her," the man responded in his deep accented baritone. Both he and the other man started to fade away, with light coming back to the place.

"What is this place? How can I save her!?" Harry yelled desperately.

The man laughs boisterously. "You are within the Weave, young inheritor. All magic is yours to command while here, so command it!"

The now-revealed Weave returned to the form it held before. Harry paced, trying to think of what to do. He knew he could cast here, the Weave being magic incarnate would allow it, and he knew that if he focused, he could hone in and view wherever Zelda was. Would it be in time though?

Harry focused inward, deciding to try something. Never in history has there been such a pure bloodline as the one stemming from Hylia. The pure divinity that it channelled was unparalleled in its strength. Harry knew that while within the Weave he was as timeless as the Great Fairy, and that posed an issue. What if he over or undershot his target? But he knew that if he were to focus on the link connecting him to Zelda, the bloodline of Hylia itself, Harry should be able to help her in the present.

Harry closed his eyes and began to think of his sister. He thought of every good feeling, every happy memory, every link he had to her. He thought of the times he ran to her in the night, scared of lightning storms. He thought of the songs she sung that calmed him. He remembered the lessons in magic, all the failures and the successes. He thought of times passed, recalling closer to times not yet gone, to times present. He thought about what she should be doing now, the task that they had planned for her, to clean Hyrule Castle, to make it safe. Where would she be now?

"…my regime, Lord Thorn?" Harry opened his eyes and found himself floating astrally in the throne room next to Zelda's throne, watching as Lord Thorn made his traitorous proclamation. Harry saw him pull his hand up his sleeve; the mark of someone reaching for a hidden knife. He quickly moved to stand in front of Zelda, and as the knife appeared, he acted.

---

Concurrently, Morning, Throne Room, Main Wing, Hyrule Castle,

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

Zelda watched as the knife got closer, but as the tip was mere inches from her, a golden ripple appeared, like the surface of a disturbed pond. The circular wave of light radiated outward, pulsing with pure unrefined magic. It hovered between Zelda and Lord Thorn seemingly benignly, and just as that thought entered her mind, she heard a voice.

"Depulso Maxima!" A white bolt of light shot from the rift and impacted Thorn directly in the chest, banishing him across the room where he landed heavily on the carpeted stone floor.

'That was Harry's voice!' Zelda thought. "Arrest Lord Thorn and throw in in the dungeons!" Zelda proclaimed. Two Sentinels grabbed the unconscious Thorn and disappeared with him.

Before Zelda could say anything, there was a sound of cracking thunder. She frowned and walked towards the entrance hall. Impa was waiting for her, the doors open.

"It's Harrison," she said, pointing towards the Mark location.

Zelda could easily see what was happening. An angry read glow was pulsing from the centre of the circle, lightning forming and striking the ground and piecing the sky. The smell of burning ozone was on the air. Harry had lost control, and the magic was beginning to cascade.

A quick Farore's Wind had Zelda and Impa standing just inside the enclosed circle next to one of the Guardians.

"What happened!?" she asked the Guardian.

"Lord Hyrule was channelling as normal, but something happened not a moment ago and he lost control! What are your orders, your majesty?" the Guardian asked dutifully.

Zelda didn't respond, more focused on watching her brother. His skin was crackling with controlled power, showing the raw command he had over his magic, but that controlled crackling was subverted with an uncharacteristic gold, which snaked around Harry's body. This was the clear cause of the disruption, and it seemed to come from the seal Harry stood on.

Suddenly, Harry started screaming. Not in pain, but in command, as if he was roaring at a larger beast to scare it. The magic in his veins glowed brightly in stark contrast to the violent lightning, and after a few moments, Harry quietened with the magic once again becoming stable. His glow remained, but the magic between his hands once again stabilised.

Harry had regained focus, and reigned in the magic.

The silence of the crowd was telling. There was a significant amount of magic in the air and Harry had just shown how much control over it he had. It was shocking to say the least, but the biggest part of that was the feeling of the magic. Not one single speck of it felt malevolent. Yes, it felt dark, but it was known that dark does not equal evil. This accidental loss of concentration was definitive physical proof that Harry was a Hylian and not a dark world creature, and thousands of people just witnessed it.

Zelda smiled in success as the crowd cheered Harry's name.

---

Dusk of the Final Day: Few Minutes Remain, Before Sunrise, Seal of Hyrule, Outside Castle Town

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

He was conscious now, the pain of his core separating him from the realm of the Weave and throwing his mind back to reality. Harry's arms ached and trembled, his core burned with an unearthly fire, begging for relief, and his legs wobbled from standing still for so long. He wished he was back with the Weave, but he knew that time was short.

Harry had regulated his channelling almost perfectly, but with sunrise coming, he needed to increase the flow. Even with his eyes closed he could see the glow of his body. It must have been a sight, he thought; a glowing idol, witnessed by all.

"For three long days," Harry almost jumped as he heard Zelda's voice being broadcast, "Lord Harrison has been focusing the total sum of his magic outside of his body to a focal point between his hands. This ball of pure magic will be released as the sun rises, and then reabsorbed into his body in an instant. At that moment, Lord Harrison will have the opportunity to bend one of Nayru's Laws. Such a feat is considered a pass of the Mark of Mastery," there was a pause in Zelda's speech for just a moment. Harry felt a cool hand touch his cheek. "It's time," Zelda whispered.

Harry could feel the telltale warmth of the sun on the right side of his body, and as it rose, the pain in his core stopped and the glow of his body died down. He was completely drained of Hylian magic. He opened his eyes and saw the brilliant red ball of his magic, pulsing and crackling an angry yet serene red.

Knowing what he had to do next, Harry started to compress the orb of magic between his hands. As if like glass, the ball cracked and segmented, and in a blinding flash, the magic exploded, almost filling the fifty-meter gap between him and the edges; a swirling explosion of dense power. Harry used his immense control to start absorbing the magic back within him while also commanding that same magic to complete the Mark's task.

It was less than a second, but he felt it. The gentle nudge of the Weave in the back of his mind and the Laws that it was bound by. He focused on what he wanted, and as soon as the thought formed in his mind, he felt it leave as if scooped away. At the same moment, he felt every drop of magic return to him, saturating his body and bringing his core to a near-full rupture.

As the sun rose fully, Harry took his first step forward in three days, weary and pained. He stumbled, and it was only Zelda and Impa catching him that kept him from falling.

The crowd was as silent as the grave, having no words or being in too much shock over what they witnessed to even murmur a cheer or speak a comment. Harry stood straight, leaning on Impa to stay vertical. He looked around at the crowd, easily seeing the faces of the people who once despised him. In place of hate and fear, he saw reverence, respect, love, and worry.

It was crown policy to not make comments or acknowledge the people's opinion of Harry in public. It was considered improper. As such, never once did anyone outside House Hyrule's close family, smallfolk or highborn, hear words that could be considered an answer to the actions of the people.

Harry could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness, the pain of his core too much, but with his last iota of strength, he pushed off of Impa, stood tall, stared directly at the crowd, and spoke.

"DO YOU SEE ME NOW?" he shouted.

The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was Link's face in the crowd, smiling proudly.

---

Later, Night, Harry's Chambers, Royal Wing, Hyrule Castle,

Hyrule Proper, Mortal Realm

Harry gasped and sat upright as he awoke, breathing heavily. Looking around, he saw Zelda sleeping in a chair beside his bed. She looked a little dishevelled and was dressed in casual garb instead of her dress.

"Zelda," Harry said, nudging her a little.

Zelda instantly woke up, bleary eyed but alert. She looked around and saw Harry smiling. "Good morning," she said, sounding relieved.

"How long was I sleeping?" Harry asked.

"Almost two weeks," Zelda responded. "It was touch and go. When we got you back to the castle, your core was moments away from rupturing. Even when we get Ghirahim's Crystals back on you, you wouldn't dive into the Silent Realm so Radook had to give you two heart containers to stabilise you. You ended up in there for almost four days."

Harry nodded, not really shocked. He felt his core at the end of the Mark and knew he would need the Silent Realm to fix himself. He looked at his left forearm and saw thirteen hearts instead of the ten he had before. With Zelda's word that he was given two hearts, Harry smiled in excitement.

"It worked!" Harry exclaimed. "I passed the Mark!"

"Indeed, you did," Zelda smiled, showing her own forearm which showed six hearts instead of the five she originally had. "What was it that you wished to do for the Mark?"

"'To give all more life' is the statement I focused on. I guess the Laws interpreted that as giving people a heart container."

"Well, that's exactly what happened. Every Sovereign has reported that every single person within the empire now has at least one heart container, but there's more," Zelda said, smiling. "Some of the Sheikah with the Sight checked the Weave for proof of your Mark completion, and found that the number of hearts one can safely have without side effects has gone up."

Harry tilted his head in question. "How high is the cap now?"

"It's gone up from sixteen to forty-eight," Zelda revealed.

"Holy Din!" Harry exclaimed.

"Indeed. I don't plan on making an announcement about the new cap, but I don't plan on censoring it. Doctors will be told, as will the highborn and Sovereigns, but the rest can find out in their own time," Zelda stood up and walked to Harry's window, opening the curtains. "And that's not all that's changed."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He made to get out of bed, still pained and strained but managing to stand of his own volition. He hobbled over to the window and what he saw made him tear up.

Below him, Castle Town was lit up by the lights of thousands upon thousands of candles.

"It's been going on since the Mark ended and only grown larger as more people arrived from the provinces. The general opinion from the people is uniform; they love you," Zelda said.

Harry sniffled, holding back tears. "What about the plan?" Harry asked.

Zelda's face grew stony. She walked back from the window and helped Harry get back into bed. "Two-thousand-and-ninety-seven people died in the earthquakes that ravaged during the Mark of Mastery. Their bodies were lost in the rubble," was how Zelda responded.

"That meany?" Harry responded angrily. "What about Lord Thorn?"

Zelda's eyes widened in realisation. "It was you. How?"

"I don't think I'll ever know how exactly, only that there was more to the Mark and its creator than we could ever truly understand," Harry said wistfully.

Zelda just laughed. "In regards to Lord Thorn, we found the weapon he used to kill a kitchen servant. He will be sentenced and executed for murder. An investigation into his personal effects discovered evidence of bribes and general corruption, along with a mask and robe connecting him to the inner circle of the Cult. Unfortunately, he was smarter than Cadmus. No documents except prior meeting times. We also found a secret passageway that led to the North Wing from his rooms, which explains how he was able to get around the lockdown. The rest were assets and agents, not members."

"At least that's something," Harry responded. "So, what now?"

Zelda looked Harry dead in the eye. "Now we set things up to ensure we never fall."

---

Unknown

"Lord Thorn has been arrested," an aged female voice said. The round table in their meeting room was scarce, this meeting of the Cult being impromptu. "Where is Lord Cadmus?"

"It appears that he has other things he needed to do," an elegant male voice responded. He had been keeping an eye on Cadmus for a little while and was concerned about his actions as of late.

"What happened in the castle?" a second male spoke.

"I cannot be sure, but the rumour mill says that the residents all underwent interviews of some kind," the first voice said. "Were I to guess, the light bird believed there to be a spy in the castle. Our assets would have hidden in the secret passageways, which were all destroyed in the earthquakes."

"I can't be so sure that they were earthquakes," a Goblin said. "It was the gold king of Tol Gringott that locked the castle wards down during the dark bird's ritual. I cannot be sure without exposing myself, but I feel as if something happened without the Goblin Council's knowledge."

"I appreciate the thought, but there is no magic that could generate an earthquake," the first woman said. "For now, we lay low. Send an agent to contact Cadmus and remind him of his duty as our propagandist. With the major positive opinion that the dark bird now enjoys, we need our efforts redoubled," the woman faced the Goblin. "Send a missive to Lord President Ryo asking him to increase asset acquisition with particular focus on the new staff being trained for Tarm Castle."

"And what about Hyrule Castle?" the first man asked.

"We wait. We have worked since the Tyrant sat on the throne; we can wait a while longer. For now, look into a way of breaching the Twilight Realm. We should send our potential ally a gift."

---

A/N: 26,600 WORDS DEAR GOD THIS CHAPTER IS A BEAST! Lots of world building and Harry IS FINALLY LOVED BY THE PEOPLE! Zelda also acted like a proper QUEEN here too! I love this chapter but it was hard to write.

Glossary:

Essence of Nature – In the Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, you need to collect seven Essences of Nature to break an enchantment on the big bads castle. One of these essences was stored at Tarm in the game.

Boomerang – The first instance of a boomerang in the Zelda Game canon is in Minish Cap. In my interpretation of the story, that boomerang eventually made its way to Tarm to become the item of that dungeon.

Holodrum Being Agrarian – In the Oracle games, Labrynna is shown to be quite modern with modern amenities and buildings and all that, while Holodrum is shown to be very unrefined and kind of poor with a very limited amount of development and a small village for a city with large fields and groves. This is my interpretation of the socio-economic situation of Holodrum and its exploitation by Labrynna.

Ocean and River Zora – In the early games, there are the peaceful Zora who look like the ones from ToTK or TP or BotW and there is River Zora who look like giant fish that attack passersby. In the Oracle of Seasons game, there are no Ocean Zora.

Snake Goddess of Desert Colossus – That big statue in Ocarina of Time, she is the goddess worshiped by the Gerudo.

The Oracles – Three avatars capable of channelling the most basic abilities of the Golden Goddess, the Oracle of Seasons controls seasons, the Oracle of Time can travel through and alter time at will, and the Oracle of Secrets knows every secret of every being. The Oracle games were meant to be three games with crossovers, but only two were ever released with the Oracle of Secrets being a girl living inside the Maku Tree.

Rod of Seasons – The Tool of Office for the Oracle of Seasons, in the hands of the Oracle it can change the worlds seasons instantly. In the hands of anyone else, it can only command the seasons in the local area.

Horon City – The capital of Holodrum. Quite dilapidated and poor due to years of exploitation and mismanagement.

The Old Race – This was the race created by Hylia before the Sheikah and the Hylians. I'm sure you can guess who the Old Race is.

Hylia's Vault (Reminder) – Hylia created a Vault in a mountain to store important artifacts and relics. Future monarchs have used it to store away other items or relics, such as the Ocarina of Time or the Harp of Ages or even Heart Containers. Harry is having one made below Tarm and connecting it to the main Vault. Not only will this allow Harry to store potentially dangerous items away, but this secondary vault can be used to move dangerous items from the main vault to the Tarm vault if Hyrule Castle is ever taken by hostiles.

Looking Glass Enchantment (Reminder) – In Hogwarts Legacy, there are walls of reflective stone that look like mirrors. You walk through them and get transported somewhere else. This is my take. It works the exact same way, and with Ancient Magic just being Hylian Magic, Harry can use AND CREATE them as needed.

Ryo Vadik – Lord President of Holodrum, which is assigned by the once-Duke of Holodrum to rule over the province in their place. Ryo is a round table member of the Cult of the Black Phoenix. As such, his goal is to assist in the destruction of the royal family and to replace the monarchy with a new form of government under their control.

Harry's Speech in Parliament – That first line in Harry's speech? Umbridge. The rest is pure royal training. Loved writing it!

New Government of Holodrum – Holodrum under Harry will be similar to the UK in the real world with less restrictions. Harry will have full command over the government like Zelda controls the Empire, but the two-house Parliament of democratically elected Ministers and highborn Senators will run the day-to-day with Harry only interference whenever it's requested that he interfere, or if he feels the need to. He retains complete command over which highborn can be elected to the Senate and which highborn can't be.

On top of that, the position of Lord President will be converted to that of Prime Minister who will sit on the Common Council at Tarm Castle, and will advise the Prince or Princess of Tarm of various issues or laws or decisions that needed royal oversight.

Democratic Monarchy – As above, this is what Holodrum will become once Harry takes control.

Harry's Discussion with Ryo – Ryo doesn't want to lose power; Harry needs to put him in his place. Simple.

Harry's Use of Illusion – At this point, Harry has a shit ton of control over his magic, knows probably up to sixth year as far as Hogwarts Magic goes, and therefor is quite powerful. His command over Illusions is also considerably massive due to his near constant training in the field. Unfortunately, Illusions are taxing due to their metaphysical nature and with Harry's core damage, this leads to fast injury requiring the Silent Realm to heal.

Tarm Estate – The Tarm Estate is a massive estate with the Castle sitting on a mountain at its northern border.

Great Fairy (expanded) – For the original glossary entry, see chapter 14. The Fairy is an important character in the story and will become a part of the 'main cast' later on in the story. I've expanded on her this chapter; she's timeless, meaning she's capable of seeing her entire life in front of her. She knows how she was born; she knows when she will die. She only knows events that play out in her lifetime, and only if she was able to learn about those events in that lifetime. Meaning, if she saw an execution 1000 years in the future, then she knows about it now. But if she never witnessed that event, then even with her timelessness she wouldn't know. She isn't all-knowing, she only knows things she would learn in her lifetime.

Harry's Spell and Potion – A bit of an expansion on the Dark Healing Spell. As revealed, Harry will create a spell that does one thing and a potion that does another thing. That's all you're getting now!

Magic Over the Forest – In the game, the Forest is a maze. This is an expansion on the Old Race lore and the games puzzle themes.

Secret Room in Tarm – I was looking for a way to put a secret room in the castle, so I had a look at the dungeon layout from the game and BOOM, hidden treasure room of the first floor! So that's what I did.

The Five Books – The books titled Liber vexillum Incantationum, when translated, becomes 'The Standard Book of Spells' volume 1 through 4. Just a little haha funny on my part.

The True and Accurate Customs Book – The title is a play on The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter from Good Omens.

The Mark of Mastery – Named after the exam from the Kingdom Hearts series, the Mark of Mastery is best explained in the chapter. It's a test designed to ensure an applicant to has the power and control to hold a magical position in the Empire's court. For Harry, he finds out that it's well respected by those who remembered it and decides to try it, knowing the risks. Needless to say, it works.

Goblin Disengagement Rune – I love adapting canon things into the fic as you all know. When Griphook unlocked the vault in the Philosopher's Stone, he said that if anyone except a Goblin did it, they would be sucked into the vault. With the way magic works in the fic, I adapted it. It's a rune that turns off or turns on the runes connected to it.

The Oracle of Seasons – As mentioned above, the Oracle of Seasons has full power over the seasons themselves. They are an avatar of Din, granted the basic abilities of Din, and able to recall the memories of prior Oracles.

Light Lord James Pleuston – This Light Lord is very… well, high is a word I'd use. He would rather contemplate the stars than the affairs of people. He runs religious affairs in Holodrum and as Light Lord is the most powerful light magic user in the world, but he would rather be a figurehead than an active member of society.

Temple of Seasons – A beautiful location in the Oracle of Seasons game where it's found in Subrosia, sunken beneath the earth due to the big bad guy from the game. Because that never happens in the Child Timeline, the temple remains in Holodrum albeit dilapidated.

The Test of the Oracle – Obviously someone could come and claim they were the Oracle reborn, and obviously someone could answer the questions correctly, but the test is designed to ensure that the real Din takes up the mantle of Oracle.

Goron Escalation – There needs to be a reason for why the Gorons close the Volcano, and I'm working with the canon info. This is just political manoeuvring because of the Fused Shadow Shard.

Noteworthy Cult Members – These are all actual members of the Cult's round table, and as such they are all known to the royal family due to them being ruling class highborn.

Marcus Daltus – Just because the royal family only has one child at a time doesn't mean there aren't any relatives. Rhoam had a younger brother who had a son. The brother is dead, and the son, Marcus Daltus, is the current regent of House Daltus in Labrynna, which makes him Harry and Zelda's cousin.

Stone Seal of Hyrule – The seal from the first memory in Breath of the Wild, it sits outside the city's southern walls. It was once used for rituals and knighting ceremonies but went out of practice due to more modern practices. Its an amplification seal that enhances the channelling of magic of the person standing on it, while also amplifying the potency of the magic.

Link's Gullible Nature – As much as we love the goofball, he remains an educated smallfolk with a sense of loyalty to his Lord. As such, he is blind to the exploitation that Lord Marik is committing against the people of Ordon. Don't worry, he will grow up.

The Investigation of Hyrule Castle – What better way to use a distraction than to make everyone swear loyalty oaths! Hyrule Castle, and only the castle, is safe from the Cult and will remain so.

The Cover-up at Hyrule Castle – Zelda needs to make sure that the Cult doesn't become aware that 1, the royals know about them and 2, that all of their agents were executed. This meant that anyone who was revealed an agent of the Cult was arrested, killed, and forever removed.

The Murder at Hyrule Castle – Lord Thorn was able to get around the lockdown and enter the kitchens where he was planning on poisoning Zelda's food, a chef found him, and the chef was killed. He acted on his own without the OK from the Cult.

The Astral Weave – This is the location where a Weave exists. It can only be access under VERY specific circumstances, ones that involve extreme amounts of magic. It also makes you timeless, until you get thrown back to your realm.

The Two Silhouettes – These are two very important people, both related to Harry on a spiritual level. Their identities will be revealed in three chapters :3

Do You See Me Now – Translated, Harry just screamed 'am I worthy now? Do you see me for me instead of what the rumours are saying?' Combined with what the people saw, the rumours just got wiped away from the minds of the majority. Oh yes, there are still people out there that despise Harry, but that's natural.

Results of the Mark of Mastery – The laws were twisted to make Heart Containers match the current ToTK's shit ton of heart containers viable. This means going past the previous max of 16 doesn't make you insane anymore!

The Cult Meeting – Just a little more insight into the cult and what they believe. So far, they think the earthquakes were natural. Who knows if they'll catch on!

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to leave a review, follow me on my socials for regular updates, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Be sure to follow me at FoolOverride on twitter for regular updates and subscribe to my YooToob at FoolOverride and FoolMeHardys for regular Q sessions about the fic and the future of the fic, and I'll see you in the next chapter:

Chapter 17:

Drink Deep of My Power