-Kanyou Palace, Zelda-

Zelda awoke to find herself on the throne. The sky was still dark and from the uproar outside, the celebration was ongoing. Her neck ached horribly and felt stiff. Her muscles felt like iron rods had been shoved into them. Stiffly, she straightened, stood, and stretched. She felt a pop in her spine ripple through her body, and she sighed in relief.

The throne room was empty and dormant and dark. The candles were reduced to thin smoke and the moon had shut its eye. While Zelda did not relish companionship, she felt a sudden need to leave. The room was too dark.

She left the palace and walked the walls lining it. Down below the factions that celebrated victory, or merely surviving, had died down greatly. Most had fallen asleep, but remnants still drank what little was left, ate, and talked. The stores of food and drink were from her coffers, but she did not mind. It was a small price to pay and they deserved it.

To her surprise she found Link sitting on the edge. At first, she considered walking by and ignoring him, but she changed her mind. Despite her name-calling, he wasn't as bad as she thought. He was loyal to a fault. And there was something about his simplicity that made her feel safe with him. Or perhaps it wasn't so much simplicity so much as it was honesty. She knew exactly where she stood with him and didn't have to fear him being double-tongued.

"Hey, Princess." Link greeted. "Care to join me?" He patted the stone next to him.

And of course, he didn't treat her any differently from anyone else. A part of her felt reviled and insulted by it, but she knew this side was merely one of pride. The rest of her appreciated it. He saw her as something no one else did: a person.

"I'm content. The stone looks uncomfortable." She replied.

"Suit yourself. I'm surprised you woke so soon. It was only a few hours."

"Don't be deceived, I'm still exhausted. I plan to sleep in my bed. I only awoke so early because..." she grimaced. "A throne isn't designed for sitting."

"I knew you were like an old lady! Want me to get you some cushions?" He jabbed.

"Shut up, monkey."

Link laughed, and Zelda allowed herself to smirk in amusement as well.

"How long do you plan on staying?" Zelda wondered.

"Only until I know the old village has returned home." He answered. "I'll talk with someone about my reward, you don't have to deal with it. I imagine you have enough on your plate right now."

"How courteous of you..." She looked at him sideways. "Almost too courteous. What's your angle?"

"No angle. I think you could just say you're not quite what I believed." He smiled and leaned his head back to look up at her. "You're not as much an Ice Witch as rumor said, nor are you as pampered as I thought royalty was. You are stronger inside than anyone thought. You consider so many angles and things I would never think of, and you balance decisions I hope I never have to. Decisions that apparently can oftentimes go wrong no matter which one you choose. And what's more, you care about the consequences of them. You care about the people."

Link shrugged. "I hated you, and a part of me still does. But it isn't you I who hate anymore, it's the choice you made. Midna died because of it... but what would have been the end of the other choice? Midna might still be alive, but Qin would be destroyed as we know it. I got my revenge. Kyou is defeated. That's enough for me."

Zelda could only stare at him as he talked. Try as she might, she was moved by the open honesty of his words. "It is... comforting to hear that." She said honestly. She quickly added, "perspective is always good to receive. Even if it comes from such a lowly slave."

"Hey..." He muttered.

She chuckled, "Sorry, but I can't let that slide. Not yet. It won't last much longer so I have to keep you remembering it until you are free. Then you will be a free man, and..." She turned her head to the side curiously. "Actually what do you plan to do with your freedom? With your accomplishment of helping to defeat Kyou, you could ask to be a palace guard or a guard for a noble."

"Nah, that's not for me." Link pulled out Midna's sword and looked at it. "My dream was always to enter the army and become a general. It's not as glamorous as I thought, but it's still my dream. Perhaps it's more horror and filthy and disgusting than shiny and noble, but it's a horror I would save others from. And now that Midna has shown me up by being a queen for a day, I can't just let her win. I'm going to be the greatest general in Qin, and I'm taking her sword with me."

"Technically it's my sword," Zelda replied.

Link felt an irritation vein pulse in his forehead.

"But she would be honored." Zelda finished. "Keep it. It's not even a reward, it just... belongs with you, I think. She was your family. I will gently lower Midna's body from the gate and have it cared for. I won't bury her here, but... she deserves a proper burial befitting of a queen. If only I could allow it."

"What do you mean?" Link wondered.

"No one can know... I hate it. I want to honor Midna publicly, but to admit there was a second could throw into dispute my rule from the beginning. Who is to say I am not Midna? Who is to say I am Zelda? To say she was a body double could destroy everything she sacrificed herself for. I won't make up lies and say I died only to return from the dead... but if things are kept quiet, people will forget she ever hung there, to begin with."

Link's first instinct was anger, but he quickly squashed it. Zelda spoke rationally, and he sensed she hated the decision as much as he did. She was right. Midna's sacrifice had to be complete.

"Yes, well... She wouldn't have gone for a big fuss or nothin' anyway." Link sighed. "She wanted to have a nice husband, a dozen kids, and to be buried beside him."

"Then let her have that. She may not have a family like that, but let her be buried at home. I'll send along with oils and burial cloth worthy of a noble... but it is little any can do about Kyou's desecration."

"Yeah... well... What about you?" Link changed the subject. "You got the throne back and all. Still going to aim for all of Hyrule?"

"Yes. I am, but I am afraid I can't begin for many years. You see... Ketsu and Kyou may have been defeated, and Qin will recover quickly. But most of the power in court still belongs to Chancellor Ryo, and if I am judging the air right, then his power has only grown in the chaos. Ryo no longer needs to support me against anyone, now that Ketsu and Kyou are no longer opposing him or me. Now it's just Ryo and me. By law when I reach the age of twenty-two I will become Queen and Ryo's assumed power will become, by extension, mine. But before that... I know Ryo will not sit idly by and let it happen without a fight. Only once Qin is united truly, and I have a proper answer on how to destroy the borders of Hyrule without committing genocide... then I will conquer all of it."

Zelda looked out at the distant moon. "Link, in that time, rise to my level as a general. I will need your strength."

Link stared at her agape. Zelda looked back curiously. "What?"

"Y-you called me by name. You've never done that before."

Zelda turned and walked away. "I think you were hearing things."

"No! You did! Admit it!"

"Sorry, monkey say what?"

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-Next Morning, Zelda-

Zelda slept little, as her custom, and set to work before her servants arrived to tidy. There was so much to do, so much was in chaos she could barely grasp it all, so her first order of business was to write down a list of everything she could. So she spent the morning writing, and writing, and on into the second meal of the day.

Finally when she had decided her list for the day was done, she breathed a sigh of dread and forced herself into it. It would be a long day.

The first order of business was to call and assemble all of her available heralds and ministers.

It was a short list. Most of her supporters were killed or fled in Kyou's coup. She very well couldn't trust Kyou's supporters at face value. That left... very few, but she felt those that assembled were more trustworthy. Not only had those present proven too stubborn or brave to flee far, but they had seen Zelda's return and were waiting and ready for the call to assemble.

Chancellor Ryo was absent, thankfully. It was a weight off her mind. While it was true that with Ryo's presence the work done would be smooth, if not done perfectly; it would also be a weight on her mind she did not want. Simply she didn't feel ready to have him around. If she made mistakes, then fair enough. She needed to learn and Ryo was an odd teacher. He taught at moments, but also removed her capacity to fail by simply being too good in his way and stepping in.

Impa was also absent. Zelda hoped that in her return that Impa would step out of the shadows, but she did not. Zelda wanted to have words with the Sheikah, words that would not be pleasant. But she also dearly missed her only true friend and wanted to reconcile after giving her a piece of her mind.

Zelda sat on her throne and presented a scroll. "Heralds, ministers, public servants of Qin. I thank you for assembling on short notice, and I apologize for the inconvenience... Let me begin by saying I admonish you for your bravery. Some of you stayed and did not flee Kyou, and were cunning enough to avoid his notice. Others did flee, but stayed nearby and were watchful and ready. I wish I could offer you gifts and rewards worthy of how I feel, but right now is a difficult time. What resources we have are better used to fixing the damage and strengthening the kingdom once more, than filling our coffers. Can we agree?"

Most of those assembled agreed vehemently. She saw they were disappointed in not being given rewards, and she shared in it. They had risked death and all she could do was thank them. "With that said, one matter I do have on my list to go over in the future is rewards for you all that are less... tangible than rupee and land. I am sure there are other ways of doing it, ways worth considering, so do not think you will not be justly rewarded. You will. But it is a matter to be looked at after stability is returned."

That restored their moral a good bit, it also focused them on working now with the reward later. A basic trick to be used. Not that she wasn't being truthful about it.

"The firstmatter is the repairs to the palace and the capital, as the former two havesuffered great damages. The former far more than the latter." Zelda said.The men were astonished. "Yes, I know. It is unusual for the monarch to bepresenting the topics for you, but I hope you can see I am not your usualmonarch. Most would sit silent as Kyou and let you do all the work. I am notthat way. I was at the forefront of the battle to retake the throne, and I wantto be on the front lines of this battle now. I have no doubt you all havetopics to present and discuss, and we will get to them. But for the moment letus go over briefly what I have meditated on."

There were a few ministers left. Once more, Zelda wished Impa would come out of the shadows as she always did. But no one had heard a peep from the Sheikah since their mansion went up in flames. Zelda dearly wanted Impa's counsel and her presence at the very least for the silent reassurance it offered.

"Bring them in," Zelda ordered.

The first was Matsubi, the man who had led a group of Qin soldiers in Zelda's name. The second was the Qin commander of the Royal Guard. His name was Kagura. Kagura was in chains, but he was treated well. He was allowed to go where he wanted, eat as he wished, see people as he desired, but always under guard and with the chains on his hands. For the sake of his honor, he was given long robes to hide the chains.

The two men were presented to her, and they bowed. Zelda smiled a bit at Matsubi's shyness under such formality, while Kagura went through the motions with practiced grace.

"First, I will speak to Kagura." Zelda declared.

"You honor your servant, high princess," Kagura said.

"Kagura, you have served the palace for years faithfully. You have put life and limb against the blade to protect your charges, and under your attention attempts to take my life, or the life of my brother, have always failed. Except regrettably twice, and in the most recent days, it would seem. When Kyou sent his assassins to murder my servants and take my head, you did not stop him. Again when I returned to capture Kyou and retake my throne, you failed to stop me. For these two events to occur so close to one another leaves some whispering. Some wonder if your age has caught up with you, or if perhaps your honor is not as incorruptible as we would believe."

The man opened his mouth to defend himself, as his honor was put in question, but Zelda cut him off.

"Your life and the lives of your men have been spared. I will not see more bloodshed over this matter, but that does not mean repeated failure does not have a cost. Also, we must face the reality that you have been placed in a very difficult position. When forced to be in the middle of a fight between two people who you are sworn to protect, then what is a man to do? In truth, I believe you did the best course of action possible. You protected the one before you, the one that sat on the throne. First, it was me, and then it was Kyou. A fight that should have been between siblings involved so much more. In consideration for your record of service, and the difficult position the conflict put you in: all dispute of dishonor will be waved without further consideration."

The man sighed in relief.

"However the matter is you are getting old. You served me, my brother, and even my father and his father before him in one capacity or another."

"If I may princess, are you telling me to retire?" Kagura asked.

"I am," Zelda answered.

"I recognize that my failure must be punished, and the mercy and honor you have given me are more than my failures deserve, but I am not yet ready to retire! Allow me a test of my youthfulness!"

Zelda considered his request. The fact was that in this unforgiving world she needed a sacrifice. She needed a message that failure couldn't just be ignored. She wasn't considering to execute them, despite their fears. She recognized the man's honor and loyalty and how well he was received by the people. She wanted him to retire to a gentle life as a message that even in punishment she could have mercy.

Zelda probed, "And if you pass this test... what would you request? Because I cannot have you continue as commander of my Royal Guard. Even if I were to fully forgive and forget two failures, it would imply there are cracks in my protection that anyone could exploit were they to recognize it. By trying so desperately to succeed in the Royal Guard you could be the very instrument of its failure."

"I would request that I serve with my sword and my ability to lead men of battle to secure a prize in whatever capacity you require," The man answered.

Zelda nodded. "Then I accept the request. This is highly unusual and not what I had in mind, but Matsubi."

"Yes, princess!" Matsubi exclaimed.

"Duel him."

The two men looked at each other in shock.

"Do not use the sword, but wrestle," Zelda explained. "Someone take off Kagura's chains. When the two of you feel ready, bow, wrestle, and the one to tap twice loses. Do not kill, that isn't the point. And Matsubi, do not go easy on him."

It was highly impromptu so far as requests go, but they were quick to set it up. The ministers in attendance, as well as the guard, lead them outside to a garden clearing and removed Kagura's shackles. Stones and rocks were removed just in case and after a short bow, the two men reached each other and struggled to force the other man down.

It did not take long for the ministers and guards to cheer one man or another on. Zelda was content to stand on the stairs and see how it went. She had an idea of what to do regardless and watched out of nothing more than mild curiosity and a moment of entertainment. Matsubi looked reluctant to hurt the man but excited all the same in a spar. Mostly he just seemed like the request had taken him off guard. Kagura was focused and desperate to prove something.

The duel lasted for a great deal of time. Matsubi was more youthful and quick, but Kagura was experienced and stronger. It was like a ferret trying to overcome a bear. In the end, Matsubi managed to win by getting on his back and pinning him down, but it was a close win. The two looked equally exhausted. Zelda smiled a bit. The two looked like they had fun, even though Kagura was disappointed he lost the request.

"No need to return to the throne room, I can talk here. You two look like you are going to collapse on me right here." Zelda said from the stairs. The ministers chuckled as the two men collapsed on the ground, too sweaty and exhausted to stand properly. "While you may have lost the duel, Kagura, I will say you won the war. You wanted to prove something, and in my eyes you did. You kept up with a man half your age so I will grant the request all the same. Kagura. You will take the Royal Guard and create a battle battalion a thousand men strong. Matsubi, I am promoting you to one thousand man commander and giving them to you as your initial troop."

The men were shocked beyond words. Basically, Matsubi was being promoted from ten-man squad leader to one-thousand man commander, with Kagura and the Royal Guard as his thousand men. It was also highly unusual for a man to be promoted in such a way as to skip multiple ranks.

Zelda continued, "This failure to protect Kyou and I is shared amongst all of the Royal Guard, so they will share in the punishment. They will serve as before, but not in the royal palace."

"And what of your Royal Guard, princess? Will you no longer have any?" Kagura asked.

"I will remake my Royal Guard, naturally. My ministers are already hard at work finding men of the loyalty, strength, mind, and experience necessary for the position. I intended to retire the current guard, but you have proven your wish to serve in another capacity. But do you accept it? You have not answered."

"I do." Matsubi bowed. Kagura did as well.

"Good. Consider it your reward for serving me so faithfully when the country itself turned against me. Take the five with you that survived to the end. Treat them well as your officers. They earned it. I will pass on the money and land I promised them."