-Zelda-

The night passed into day and it was well into the following evening that Zelda rose. She searched urgently for the doctors and secretly looked to the wounded. Upon finding Sarah and Link well and talking as if they were old friends she was relieved. The palace sent a message to Chancellor Impa, and Impa went to her.

The two embraced and Impa questioned her, "Who is she to you?" Zelda told her and Impa was amazed the princess had allowed any girl from her Royal Harem to attend her, though it was still non-sexual.

Impa questioned her, "Who is the boy to you?" Zelda told her and Impa was amazed the princess had a friend and ally in a former slave, and she marvelled at the things the boy did. Now that she remembered when she had first met Link, she found herself further amazed, considering her first impression of him was less than polite. She wanted to kill the boy for laying violent hands on Zelda, Zelda calmed her.

Once more Impa questioned her, this time regarding Ganondorf Dragmire.

Sensing hostility, Zelda asked, "You do not trust him?"

"He is a Dragmire. You would do well to be cautious of them. The strife and discord brought by their rebellion weakened Qin greatly. It was this weakness that led to your father's capture in his visit, all of Qin held at ransom, and subsequently invaded in the battle of Chouhei..."

Zelda's composure darkened hearing of Chouhei. "And the Dragmires set it in motion?" Impa nodded. "Then it is good they are dead, but I see no reason to hold Ganondorf accountable to the sins of his family."

"Despite the blood of demon-worshipping rebels flowing in his veins?"

"Despite that, yes. Or should I be held accountable for the sins of the Ki family? Kei Ki tells me he is my uncle."

Impa sighed. "I had hoped he would not say that."

"So is it also true the Ki family has secret dealings with the Sheikah or Royal Family?"

"... Yes. But Zelda the dealings of the Ki is prevailed by the blood of your father. You have nothing and no one to be accountable for."

Zelda trembled in rage. She was not angry at Impa, but the subject was a volatile one. "Then why is it I feel my mother in my veins? Why do I see her in my face, in my appearance? Why must I hear compliments that I resemble her?"

"Because you inherited the one thing you despise about her the most: her beauty. Now, I see I am troubling you, so I shall leave it be. If you see Ganondorf Dragmire of the Majora to be a worthy ally, I shall not overstep myself."

Zelda nodded, unable to form words. Talking of her family left her feeling empty and furious. When Zelda was composed once more, she said "Now that you know of them, you should know they should be awarded."

"Agreed. They did well in standing by you, and for that I am grateful."

So they called for them in private. Zelda called for Sarah and said, "You were with me in the face of death and shielded me with yourself. On behalf of Qin, you should be awarded. What would you ask of me?"

Sarah answered, "High Princess, I would ask only to be allowed to be by your side."

This stunned Zelda. She found herself smilingly a tiny bit, which for her was equivalent to jumping in joy. "Then you may. I shall consider you my favourite among the Royal Harem, and I will see to it you are protected there."

They called for Link, and Zelda inquired of his injuries. He seemed well, but something weighed on his mind heavily. Zelda said, "You came to my side without obligation and acted as my sword and shield. Without you, I would be dead. I wish to reward you on behalf of Qin. What would you ask of me?"

Link said, "I want training. If I am to be a great general, as the son of one, then I will need training. I trained my own way daily for years, and it has kept me alive... but these battles have made clear to me if I am to follow my mother's footsteps I must have a teacher."

Zelda and Impa were troubled by this. Zelda said, "Link, if your wish is to be trained, then I shall grant it. And I know you are following in the footsteps of your bloodline, but are you sure the great general you spoken of was your mother?"

"I am sure." Link said without hesitation.

The firmness of his belief caused Zelda to hesitate and stumble over her speech, so she could not speak. She did not wish to shatter his resolve. Seeing this, Impa interceded. "Link... there has never been a woman in the history of Qin with such a high rank."

"What?" Link asked in disbelief. He stared at Impa. "That-that can't be."

"Link." Impa said gently. "You look younger than fifteen years, am I right in assuming this?"

"Yes."

"Then is it wrong to assume that your mother would have been around in the last twenty years?"

"No. I-it is right to assume it."

"Not only was I a Sheikah in the service of the Royal Family twenty years ago, but I was also a commander of lower rank in the Qin military. I know the name of every general from general of one-thousand men to general of one-hundred-thousand men... and none of them were female."

"You're wrong!" Link exclaimed.

"Link." Zelda said gently. "Do you know the name of the woman you say is your mother?"

Link hesitated. He searched his memories, but ultimately he came to a horrifying conclusion. "No..."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Then let us say you really did have a mother who was a high-ranking official in the military." Impa said. "We are left with two options. The first is that your mother was a general of another nation."

"That could-"

"At which case you would be a social exile, cast out of society, and unable to change your fate. Sorry to say, but that is how it is these days..." Impa glanced at Zelda. "Citizens of rival nations are targeted by the hate and pain of their neighbors when they live among them. Immigration is legal, possible, but few do it for they are all deemed traitors by society both by the place they left and the place they want to call home."

"Which is part of why I want to end this war and unite Hyrule." Zelda added. She sent a chastising look at Impa. Impa's words were scaring Link.

"The second possibility," Impa continued. "Is that you are the child of a lesser general. There are many ranks of officials in the army."

"But-" Link wanted to argue, but failed to find proper words. He didn't trust Impa as far as he knew her, but he had come to trust Zelda. Her honesty could only be described as the lethal kind even at the worst of times, so for her to say it was impossible... Link didn't know what to think. For the first time in his life he doubted. He doubted his birth, he doubted his lineage, he doubted his destiny.

"Link." Zelda stepped from her chair and took his shoulder. The contact startled him from his stupor and he stared at her, as she never touched him and he knew it to be a big no-no. "I know you believe in the strength of your bloodline as the son of a general. I agree in that. It is something to take comfort in. I also know you believe in your own strength to reach that far, and Ganondorf would agree in that. It may be that I am wrong, if you are not the son of a general, and Ganon is right. And it may be that he is wrong in regards to you, as your bloodline, whatever it may be, granted you your blessing passed down from the Goddess or you may still be the son of a general we do not know of."

"Neither seem to validate me, though." Link argued.

"Then it may be that neither do." Zelda agreed. "But that is for you to decide. Are you a tool of fate or a controller of fate? You have the capability for both and you may be all the stronger for it."

Link gulped, took a moment, and nodded. He was shaken, but sturdy. Seeing his composure return a step in the right direction, Zelda returned to her chair. "So, I will send you to a good teacher. But it will be up to you to be a good student. I will compensate your village for your absence. I insist."

"Thank you, princess." Link mock bowed.

Zelda smirked playfully. "You better appreciate me well, peasant. We aren't in public. If we were you could be beheaded for such a sloppy bow."

"I'm sure! Why I have to do so here! Got to take what I can get!"

"Then why don't you start with getting out!?" Impa growled angrily.

Link quickly lost his playfulness and scurried out. Zelda snorted seeing Impa so angry on her behalf. Her playfulness lasted a moment longer before she felt herself become cold and blank again. "There was no reason to scare him."

Impa frowned, "He is as rude and uncouth as the day I met him. How you came close enough to him to allow it so easily is beyond me." She quickly changed her tune to one more warm. Link had rubbed her the wrong way, and his belief in his mother being a general troubled her deeply. "Not that I don't appreciate you making friends. You look happier for it. But couldn't they be more... civilized?"

"I find him more civilized than many nobles, I will have you know. He treats everyone the same regardless of status. He is openly honest and leaves one without question of what he thinks of you. I have no need to question if he has a dagger in my back or not. Most of all he is useful and seeing him achieve his ambition is a worthwhile investment. That is not something I can say about most former slaves. Useful people are worth keeping around. Speaking of which..."

The next one Zelda had in mind was Ganondorf. The man took his time arriving.

Zelda said, "Ganondorf Dragmire of the Majora clan. You were under no obligation to defend Qin, no deals, no contract, no will save your own and you risked the royal bloodline of the Majora in my defence. This is not a matter I can take lightly. On behalf of Qin, I would like to personally reward you. What would you ask of me?"

Ganondorf said nothing at first. He merely raised an eyebrow, glanced at Impa, and returned his fiery gaze to the girl. Finally he sighed and said, "I ask nothing of you, High Princess of Qin. I do what I will when I will it. I take what I want when I want it. I do not consider myself one to be given things when I can just as well take it, nor do I like owing or receiving debts."

"All the same..." Impa prodded.

"If you insist... then supplies." Ganondorf decided. "My plan is to use tribute from Joket to help launch an invasion into the mountains. There are dozens of tribes hidden among the hill country to your west... the mountains are vast with a great many villages hidden in it. It is a land worthy of a country of its own. With supplies from your hand, my conquest of the mountains will go smoothly, and I can more easily turn it into an army worthy of your vision." The dark-skinned man smiled darkly. "A vision to bath Hyrule in blood will need an army that is vast... and an army hidden from the rest of Hyrule is a powerful hand to play when the time is right."

"Or a weakness. What is to keep you from betraying us?" Impa demanded.

But Impa was ignored. Ganon knew he had Zelda's attention as her composure was dark and ruthless as the day he met her. She had the same determination in her still, the same cold willingness to follow a bloody path no king had yet dared walk. It made his heart jump in excitement and his veins boil in hot desire.

He didn't know when, but Zelda's vision had inspired him and replaced his own. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say he had no vision before and had found one worthy of his focus and energy.

"Then you will have it." Zelda declared.

"Princess!" Impa exclaimed.

Zelda brushed her concern aside, "Impa, if he was to betray us, he would have by now. My life has been in the palm of his hand several times now. He is powerful, rough, and ruthless... but you could say he has proven to be careful and discerning. More than that we are tied by destiny. It is true, I don't trust people and Lord Dragmire is as fallible to mortal sin as any other, but I choose to have faith. I can count on one hand the number of people I choose to trust." However Zelda relented, "But... I will go over the matter with my advisors."

Zelda directed her attention to Ganon. "Will you leave for your campaign immediately?"

"No. I still plan to stay for a time and see what life is like outside of the mountains. That has not changed."

"Then you are welcome as long as you will."

The next, and final one for now, was Kei Ki.

Kei Ki was kicked to his knees. The man eyed the guards lazily but said nothing. He seemed entirely calm and unconcerned with what was happening. Whereas before it was private affairs with only Zelda and Impa present, this matter Zelda wanted public in her court. Ganon, Sarah, and Link were allowed to be present. Sarah and Link stood in the back as they were not nobles, and Ganon stood to the back by choice. He simply didn't like people and crowds made him twitchy.

Reports had come that the priests had all been killed, beheaded, and Zelda was willing to make the assumption Kei Ki was involved.

Impa watched him a moment, thoughtfully, and said, "Kei Ki, you are charged with murder of the people, running of a criminal organization employed in all manner of activities, murder of holy priests, and treason. Your 'treason' was a ploy given to you by the Sheikah, and to your credit you performed well. You helped insure the Princess lived. Zelda, her servant Sarah, and her servant Link are witness to this."

Link frowned. "Oi! I'm not a-" Ganon hit him on the head.

"As such you and your men are pardoned of treason. Is there any who disagree?"

None stood among Zelda's court. Impa scanned them all and found their expressions were satisfied with the statement. Most of them nodded silently.

"Then you are pardoned of treason." Impa concluded.

"However," Zelda inserted herself. Impa blinked in surprise. "You are still guilty of the first several charges, and my mercy for your help does not extend to them all."

Kei Ki smiled. "Then allow me to barter."