FicWad

After the group traveled for a while in silence, Meredith said, “I have to ask. Why do you all look the same? I mean, why are you in pairs? I mean, she looks the same as you, Sire–”

“It’s okay, Meredith,” Zale sighed. “That’s what we want to figure out. But–I need the three of you to keep this a secret for right now. We don’t know what might happen if word gets out. Understand?”

“Yes, Sire,” Meredith, Arden, and Kolba answered.

“Good. Since you’ve helped us out so much already, I’ll keep you informed.”

Arden looked surprised. “You don’t have to do that for us, Sire.”

“Nonsense. I’m sure you’re all curious, just like us. As long as you keep your promise, things will work out.”

“Then,” Meredith wondered, pointing to Link and Zelda, “shouldn’t you two put on disguises?”

The two looked at each other and then at Zale, who sighed again. “That’s a good point. Do you two have any other clothing that will hide your face?”

Zelda answered, “Yes, but where can we get changed?”

Zale answered sheepishly, “Would you feel comfortable changing behind some trees?”

Zelda replied, “Sure. It’s not like I haven’t done it before.”

After Link and Zelda changed clothes, the party shared a pleasant conversation the rest of the way back to Castle Town. By unspoken agreement, they didn’t talk about Link and Zelda’s past. Zale wanted to question them in a more secure setting. He also wanted to keep an eye on them in case they had worse plans in mind. Arden, Meredith, and Kolba mostly stayed quiet, but Zale coaxed them into chatting more and more until they carried the conversation on their own.

Castle Town was still a mess, but residents worked cheerfully to repair buildings and, subsequently, their lives. As the group passed, people shouted praise for Lila and her courageous triumph over evil. Seeing so much energy gave Zale a little hope for the future, but the thought of his father’s death brought him right back down to earth.

Meredith and Kolba took the horses to the stable. Arden stopped in the town to continue fixing things. Zale gently took Lila’s hand and led the way inside. She tried to catch his eye, but he busied himself with finding a proper room for discussion. Sometimes they had to stop for a moment when someone needed something from the prince. The gratitude toward Lila continued through the halls. No one asked about the two hooded figures, and Zale imagined the sideways looks made Link and Zelda uncomfortable.

Finally, with Salvatore guarding the door, the four of them sat in a private room. The room was so cramped that it almost felt like a closet, but a small table with six straight-backed chairs was crammed in there. Simple torches on the walls provided enough light to make them comfortable. Once seated, Zelda removed her hood and Link followed suit.

Lila had a million questions but didn’t know where to start. Realizing this, she looked to Zale to get them going. Link and Zelda watched him expectantly. His head stooped, examining the table as though answers were hidden there. Before long, he spoke.

“We each hold a piece of the Triforce, correct?” The others were startled at the question but all nodded. “Two copies of the Triforce of Wisdom and two copies of the Triforce of Courage. It stands to reason that there should be two copies of the Triforce of Power, but you don’t know who that could be.”

Lila remembered her theory about the Triforce of Power and pulled her gloves off, but Zelda spoke first.

“We have one other companion, but I’ve seen no evidence that she has the Triforce of Power.”

“Zale, look!” Lila interjected. She thrust her left hand forward. Two triangles glowed on her hand. She had a huge smile on her face when she said, “Defeating evil comes with a few extra perks.”

There were gasps around the room. Even Link showed his surprise.

“How…?” said Zelda.

“By defeating Ganondra, of course,” Lila answered. “She was the one who had the Triforce of Power. I imagine there’s a Ganondorf somewhere running around with his own Triforce of Power.”

“Right,” Zale said, gathering his wits. “If you don’t know who that is, it’s possible he’s behind all of this. We need to find out who it is and learn if they have evil intentions.”

Zelda asked, “What makes you think they’re evil?”

“History,” Zale said simply. “In all of the research I have done, the one who bears the Triforce of Power is always looking for more power, usually to the detriment of others. That’s what Ganondra was after.”

No one said anything after this statement.

“Okay,” Zale continued. “Now, on to the question of you two. Where to begin…?”

“I’ll tell you where,” Link said. “We’re here to get the Master Sword. Rova said it belongs to me and that it’s time for me to claim it. Once I have what’s rightfully mine, we will leave and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

“Not so fast,” Lila countered. “The Master Sword belongs to me, fair and square. I rescued it from Ganondra, and I went through the Trial of Light to earn it. You can’t just take it from me.”

Zale was glad they were talking civilly about it, even though they were both glaring at each other across the table. He tried to think of a compromise.

“Why do you need the sword?” he asked Link. “Maybe you can borrow it for a time and then return it.”

“No!” both Lila and Link said.

Zale deflated, feeling outmatched. How was he supposed to settle their dispute?

Zelda came to his rescue by saying, “Let’s talk about this later. I can tell Lila is about to collapse from exhaustion, and Zale looks like he needs to rest, too. I, for one, could use a break. Prince Zale, is there a place Link and I could stay for the night?”

“Of course, I’ll find you some rooms,” Zale said, relieved.

He opened the door and told Salvatore to take Link and Zelda to some empty rooms. He also instructed him to get Impa and meet him at Lila’s room. Then it was just Zale and Lila left.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Zale suggested. “We’ll go to your room.”

He took her hand again and entered the hallway. No one was in this particular hallway, which was part of why Zale had chosen it. He began a leisurely stroll toward Lila’s room.

At first, he didn’t know what to say. So much had happened since he last talked to her that fateful night in her room. He felt like it had been ages. They walked in silence for a while before Lila spoke.

“That was some adventure,” she said to break the silence. “I almost didn’t get out of there. The smell was horrible!” She smiled at Zale, but he still couldn’t look her in the eye.

“Yeah, the smell,” he said absently.

Sensing his distress, Lila comforted Zale. “What’s wrong?”

Zale was surprised to find himself blinking back tears. A lump formed in his throat which he tried to swallow but couldn’t. “I-I…”

Lila stopped and wrapped him in a hug. “It’s okay, I’m here now. Everything will be alright. I promise. I won’t get hurt anymore.”

Zale’s breathing was ragged, and he couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. He knew she was lying. She couldn’t stay out of trouble. It wasn’t in her nature. She would be a protector for the rest of her life. But that wasn’t the only thing on his mind. Before he knew it, he was sobbing uncontrollably. He and Lila sank to the ground.

“Please, tell me what’s going on,” Lila said.

Zale tried to breathe normally. He pushed into Lila’s embrace, wishing she could take his hurt away. He licked his lips, trying to find the right words to say.

“I… I can’t tell you… in the open… like this,” he said unsteadily. “The public… doesn’t know… yet.” He took a deep breath, shuddering with the exhale. “Please,” he added, “let’s go to your room.”

Lila nodded and helped him up. She supported him as they walked. She wanted to ask more questions, but he didn’t seem capable of answering them. So she stayed quiet. Zale hoped no one would see him like this and was glad they didn’t pass anyone in the halls.

Salvatore and Impa were waiting outside of Lila’s room by the time they got there. Salvatore stayed outside, and Impa entered the room with Lila and Zale. Zale quickly shut the door behind them and then he turned to Impa.

“Tell Lila what you told me. Tell her about the Shiekah and what happened with–on the road. No buts. She needs to know.” He paused and added, “I need her to know.”

Impa tried to protest but nodded in obedience.

Lila once again asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zale couldn’t look at the girls anymore for fear of crying again. “Impa will explain.” He put his hand on the doorknob. “I gotta–there are things–” He paused and risked a glance at Lila over his shoulder. “Just… we’ll talk later.”

He hurried out the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily. Salvatore eyed him with concern and said, “You need your sleep. It’s time for bed.”

By this time, guards had appeared for their post at Lila’s door, so Zale felt secure leaving her. He nodded to Salvatore and let his friend lead the way to Zale’s rooms.