MistyPaws

What’s there to do? We don’t have a cure. It’s just symptom treatment.

He entered the room, determined nonetheless. This patient was a milder case, only needing some oxygen, but the fear on her face was evident.

”It’ll be okay,” he assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder and wishing hs could see his small smile. “We’ll take good care of you.”

He knew what he said was true - he would do everything he could to take care of her. But when he sent her upstairs and watched the environmental services team struggle to keep up with the amount of disinfection needed for the room, he had to wonder if she’d worsen.

He couldn’t dwell on it. He wouldn’t. He had three other patients to look after, two of whom were intubated and sedated and desperately needed to be in the ICU.

But they couldn’t be in the ICU. Because the ICU was full. Legend glanced at Warriors, whose head was hanging low as he leaned heavily on the charge nurse’s desk.

”You good?” He asked quietly as he approached.

”We’re on diversion,” Warriors answered. “We’re so full we can’t take ambulances. They have to go to the next hospital over, assuming that hospital has room. The ICU doesn’t get a room available until someone upstairs dies. We have to be the ICU and I don’t have the staff for those kinds of ratios. I just watched one of the emergency residents break down in the hall because this is her third call to family tonight to say a loved one of theirs is dead. So yeah. I’m doing great.”

Legend swallowed, looking away. He truly didn’t know what to say.

”Fuck this virus,” Warriors growled.

That… was probably the best thing to say, honestly.

XXX

Wind was going to lose his blasted mind. School had never come particularly easy but it had always been manageable, but now that it was online it was absurdly difficult. Deadlines felt nebulous, lectures meant nothing, the material was impossible to focus on amidst the chaos, and he’d been alone in this apartment for nearly a month.

He missed his friends, he missed people. Heck, he’d take their awful landlady right now, at least it would be some kind of interaction!

Warriors FaceTimed him most nights, and if not him, someone else tried. But they all looked equally exhausted, and it was killing Wind that he wasn’t able to help.

He’d never thought he’d suffer from the crippling effects of something like depression, but he certainly seemed to be close. He had to get out.

There were citywide quarantines, though. It was ridiculous and terrifying. He felt like he was back in the war. Some people protested the matter while others went in the complete opposite direction, fear paralyzing them so horribly they couldn’t even function.

He just wanted this to be over. At least he had Tingle to keep him company, but it certainly wasn’t enough.

”How do you fight an enemy you can’t see?” He muttered miserably as he laid on the floor, legs propped against a door, arms splayed out to either side. Tingle flopped down beside him, oinking softly and sniffing.

He didn’t care if this plague kept tearing through the city, if it lasted much longer he was joining the others, quarantine or not. He had to do something to help.

XXX

Time was severely out of his depth.

As the ICUs had filled, healthcare workers had gotten sick and were unable to keep up with the increase in patients. Hospitals were full. And ICUs needed providers. Nurses, techs, and doctors alike were all floated to the MICU to assist with the surge, and Time found himself in charge of medical patients when he had no right to be.

He was a trauma surgeon, damn it. And occasionally would help in the trauma ICU. Medical was outside of his scope. Yet here he was, the man who had the final say on these people’s treatments and lives, someone who residents and NPs and PAs looked to desperately for guidance.

At least Four was constantly floated here too, giving him a familiar face. But that familiar face was covered in rashes and stress lines, eyes steadily losing their light as he hovered near his beloved friend, Dot.

But Four was heading home now, his day shift over, and Time was just beginning his long night.

Four removed his shoes at the entrance to his apartment, changing clothes immediately and showering, scrubbing his skin until it almost hurt. He supposed it didn’t matter too much, since he lived alone, but he still wanted to desperately clean himself of the death in that ICU.

But as the ICU nurse struggled to rest, waiting to work his seventh shift in a row, Time got a message.

”A shipment of what medicine is coming?” A nurse practitioner asked.

”Benzoja is the generic name, I think,” Time looked through the email. “But they say it could potentially help.”

“Are there clinical trials that support this?”

Time continued to read. “…No.”

“Wait, what?” Another attending doctor asked, leaning over his shoulder to read it. “Look, I’m a dermatologist, this isn’t my field, but everyone knows that you need some kind of evidence based practice to—“

”We are the clinical trials,” Time said.

”But the patients—“

”Will die either way,” the NP finished gravely.

The room grew silent. No one liked this. But what choice did they have? They didn’t have years to experiment and look at the findings.

…Was any of this safe?

Probably not. But if it could help, it… at least it was something. And with that, Time felt something he hadn’t felt for weeks.

Hope.

But as the mood lifted slightly in the ICU, as Four finally fell asleep in his apartment, as Wind rolled over to lay face down on the floor in his misery, as Legend donned a trash bag and reused his N95 to look after one of his intubated patients, as Warriors looked hopelessly at the ED board, someone else stumbled.

Hyrule had been feeling a little tight in his chest for a while. But he figured it was just exhaustion. He’d worked a 72 hour shift, after all. But when he biked to the trailer park where he usually pitched his tent, he found himself unable to bike at all.

He supposed he should have known better. Quarantine wasn’t a thing in that trailer park. And he knew half the people were sick.

His brothers in arms all shouted or hissed, impressed or excited, and his opponent huffed. He'd cut off his attempt at victory and nearly solidified one for himself in a single move.

"Fine, you're decent at this game," the soldier, Mizil, conceded. "But not good enough!"

With a quick adjustment of his red stone, Mizil nabbed three stones in a row in a manner that Link hadn't seen.

Link blinked. Then he groaned as everyone else laughed or cheered his opponent.

This is embarrassing. Three Stones shouldn't be that hard of a game, yet Link lost nearly every time.

"We should make a competition," another soldier suggested.

"Yeah, what's the prize for the big winner?"

"I don't know, best rations of the day?"

"It would have to be something more appealing than the same stale bread we get all the time."

"Extra portion of oil, or ale?"

Link perked up. "Oil?"

"Yeah, from olives in the south, Hylia Province," a soldier explained. "We should be getting some soon, at least according to what the knights were saying."

Hylia, he'd love that. He preferred sesame oil, but anything beyond stale bread was a miracle. Link had underestimated how hard it would be to be traveling with and living as a soldier, despite his own training as a warrior.

Then again, a warrior and a soldier were not entirely the same. He felt bad for these men sometimes, but it was fun being with them. They were fun.

Except when he kept losing Three Stones.

"Extra food and oil," another soldier hummed. "That could work."

Link bit his tongue. He'd fight tooth and nail for that.

"What say you, Hero?" his opponent who just annihilated him asked, smiling challengingly. "A competition?"

Link glanced around and noticed everyone was watching him. It was something he was still getting used to, carrying this sword around and attracting so much attention. But everyone was looking to him, so he smiled and nodded. "Sounds fun."

"Better improve your game, then!" another soldier, Irek, laughed, clapping him on the back.

Link chuckled a little, embarrassed, but he knew everyone was just teasing. The group dispersed, everyone going to tend to their weapons and supplies as they prepared to move out tomorrow morning.

It had been a relatively quiet few days as Link had joined this particular division. They were part of House Laruson's militia, having stopped by the capital to resupply before heading north. Ganondorf's forces were still littered throughout Serenne's territory, and despite the king having little to do with the separate militias, he'd actually sent Central forces to aid the noble house. Link had run into their reinforcements with Princess Zelda as they'd returned to the castle after obtaining the Master Sword, as the princess had insisted on presenting Link to the king.

In either case, Link had spent some time familiarizing himself with his new weapon before growing eager to head out and actually join the war. The king couldn't stop him and he knew it, as even if he wanted to hoard Link for the capital's defense, as he did with the rest of the Sheikah, the people and nobility wouldn't allow it. In fact, that was why Link was with this group now.

Central forces were getting slaughtered in the northeast. Serenne was still in trouble, their people suffering, and Ganondorf's troops had yet to be entirely pushed back.

With Central forces failing, House Serenne had petitioned House Laruson to help. Although as a general rule the nobility was scrambling to defend their own respective territories, House Laruson, known as the Wolves of Hyrule, was more than happy to partake in the war no matter where in the kingdom it was. They were a proud warrior house and they were eager to prove it.

Link liked traveling with Laruson fighters. They were easygoing but held a strong sense of duty, reminding him of some blend of the casualness of Hemisi and the honorbound sensibilities of the Sheikah.

The mere thought of Hemisi made his heart sting a moment, but he shoved it aside. That liar had no place in his mind and certainly not in his heart.

Admittedly, despite the carefree atmosphere, Link could sense that the mood was steadily getting heavier as they approached the Forests of Peace. They would find no peace here - this was the outskirts of Serenne's territory, and it likely had Gerudo soldiers scattered throughout.

Here the cohort that Link had joined at the castle would merge with several other cohorts to form a legion, which would be enough men to do a full siege against the Gerudo. House Laruson's entire territory was practically a militia, as they were willing to draft every person under their authority. Link was accustomed to female warriors in his own tribe, but the only place in Hyrule where women soldiers were commonly strewn among the men was in Laruson's militia.

It was a little overwhelming, honestly, seeing the other cohorts at the base camp where they were to rendezvous. But Irek stopped beside him, elbowing him and saying, "C'mon, with the pack getting bigger we can get those supplies."

"And there's more competition for Three Stones," Mizil huffed. "Time to pulverize everyone and get some extra rations."

"How long are we staying here?" Link asked.

Irek shrugged. "As long as the knights say so. Who cares, this is our last chance to have fun before the blood is spilled. We'll drink good ale tonight!"

Link watched as the soldiers walked ahead and moved with them, smiling a little. Yes, he supposed he should take after their example and not worry until the battle actually came. Just as he started to settle in the camp with the others, though, a knight approached him.

"Knight Commander Dalph wanted to speak with you," the knight said.

Link gulped, a little anxious. Although his time with the Gerudo royals and Princess Zelda had gotten him somewhat accustomed to being around people of higher station, he still didn't like interacting with higher ranking officials he wasn't familiar with.

But... bearing this sword, and carrying what he did within him... this was going to become a common occurrence.

Taking a steadying breath, Link nodded and followed the knight to a large tent that was stationed in the center of camp. As the leader of the entire legion, the Knight Commander was the highest ranking officer, which earned him spacious accommodations. The tent was flanked with two soldiers who bore the banner of House Laruson, a white wolf with a sword in its mouth on a forest green canvas. When Link entered, he saw a woman with a lined face, brown hair speckled with streaks of grey along the sides as it was pulled back into a half up style. She wore the same tunic as everyone in the military, though her color was blue instead of green, and chain mail glistened beneath the neckline and sleeves, overlaying a beige long sleeved chemise that looked well worn. Her striking blue eyes pierce into him, and Link hesitated at the entrance.

"Hero," she acknowledged. "Enter."

Link marched forward a little, stopping after a few paces, a little unsure of what was going on. This knight commander was very serious, and it left him feeling vulnerable. But Ganondorf had been similarly intense, and he'd learned to stand under such a stern gaze. He could do so now, too.

He wasn't just a random little guard anymore, after all.

Link straightened his back, looking the knight commander in the eye and refusing to break contact.

The commander eventually looked down at the table and motioned to something. "When I heard you were coming, I wanted to ensure you had the best tools available to you. No sword can match the sacred blade you bear, but your armor needs improvement."

Curious, Link followed her gaze and saw chain mail. He took another step forward, and then he abruptly noticed there was someone else in the tent.

"A simple tunic is not enough," the knight commander continued. "I am offering my armorer to assist you. He can make a byrnie, and we can supply you with metal gauntlets."

"I will wear the gauntlets I have," Link said immediately, heart hammering against his ribs as he stood his ground. "They are from my people. But I appreciate your help."

There was a beat, and then Link swallowed and said, "And I... will accept the assistance of your armorer."

The knight commander nodded to her armorer, who stepped forward and bowed. "Hero, my name is Noro. Please, come with me."

Link followed, glancing off at the edge of camp to see the cohort he'd journeyed with. He missed the normalcy of the soldiers all of a sudden, and really just wanted to disappear. But at the same time, he was excited - not necessarily to get chain mail of his own or anything of the sort, or to have an audience with the knight commander, but to just be here, to be able to join this legion and help.

He was finally doing what he'd set out to do a month ago, and he was excited.

Link thanked Farore for blessing him with her courage, for helping him be able to get involved and assist and be useful instead of just watching the wounded trickle back while the king sent more to be slaughtered. The atmosphere in the castle was bleak, to say the least.

He hoped Zelda was okay. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling. Maybe he should have just offered for her to join him here, but that hardly seemed logical. Zelda couldn't fight, after all.

Maybe he should teach her.

Link let himself be measured, and he listened as Noro told him that there was no way his byrnie would be ready in time for the fight, but a similarly sized one would be given to him while his own was being crafted. Then he thanked the man and was finally allowed to return to his own cohort.

He smiled as Irek caught sight of him and waved him over. "Hero! Hey, we got a competition together, whole legion's getting involved."

Link blinked. "The whole legion?"

"Yeah! We're gonna start tonight around dinner!"

Link's hand wandered to his pouch, where his three stones were stored, and he hurried over to the others. As he and the others progressively lost track of time, playing Three Stones into the night, Link found some peace in his heart, laughing and joking with the soldiers around him.

Hero of Shadow: The Bad Ending

Ganondorf manages to recapture Shadow, and he uses him to fight Link in the final fight. Link tries to take it easy on Shadow, but he can't take it easy on him and fight Ganondorf. So inevitably, he loses. He doesn't die, but he falls in battle and Ganondorf assumes he's dead, burying the depths and capturing the sages. Tulin escapes, carrying Link to sky islands so he can recover while Ganondorf takes over Hyrule with Shadow in tow.

Link rescues Paya and a few other Sheikah from the absolute genocide of their people, but he's too weak to fight Ganon at first. Shadow eventually fights so viciously to regain control of his mind and body that he has a complete mental breakdown and Ganondorf has to take care of him, and his priorities shift from conquering to his kid, which by some miracle eventually makes him less Evil and Insane. In some iterations of this, Ardi is there too, having been successfully resurrected.

Continuing the Royal Bloodline

In the ancient past of TotK, Zelda recognizes that if she eats the secret stone, she'll never be herself again. She has hope that Link will find her and get the Master Sword, but she isn't sure he can fix things.

Which means the royal family's bloodline will end with her.

So she chooses to have a child before she takes on draconification. After all, she has 10,000 something years. She has twins with a sweet man, entrusts their care to him after a few months, and then swallows the secret stone. Millennia later, her descendants are the ones who help reverse her draconification alongside Link.

Barbarian Link

In the distant past before the Hyrule Warriors games, there were barbarian tribes in the Faron region. Meanwhile, Princess Zelda is juggling several issues: 1, actively trying to get her older brother married so he can have an heir and be crowned king and she can avoid being the heir; 2, helping him find a new sustainable source of energy for the Sheikah tech after Hyrule recognizes that overmining the Depths of Zonite is gonna cause sinkholes throughout the kingdom; and 3, figuring out why monsters are becoming more prevalent near Lake Hylia. She investigates the Faron region and runs into a barbarian who saves her from some of the other tribes. His name is Link. They proceed to have an adventure with him and his friends to stop dark magic shenanigans (all while Zelda begs them to put some actual clothes on)

Blood of the Hero meets Tears of the Kingdom

Abel and Til are so fed up with Ganon at this point. Also Abel can see koroks now and immediately loses korok privileges due to Crimes. Also Abel is the Sage of Spirit, and can connect with Dragon Zelda to help her fight against Dragon Ganon in the final fight.

Caretaker AU

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf gets time traveling privileges with one (1) Free Time Travel Pass to the ancient era when Warriors' predecessor was alive, and he immediately takes it and runs and pretends to be an attendant to Power Link and mothers him into oblivion. Warriors tries to stop this Abuse of Time Traveling Privileges and instead gets yoinked into a million side quests and is mistaken as some random squire. (Zelda thinks all of this is hilarious while Lana has a meltdown)

Mystery's great TotK adventure

Myster Link is minding his business when his dog steals his clothes and hides them in the forest. Forced to have a Quest to find new clothes, Mystery notices the castle is floating in the sky with big Evil Aura Gloom all around it.

But eh. He's retired. Retired. Got it?? He's just finding clothes. This is what the freaking royal family is for.

Mystery seeks out the famous Misko's treasure and ends up finding all kinds of outfits. Meanwhile, the castle is still floating in the sky, and Myster's just like DUDE IS ANYBODY GONNA ADDRESS THIS?? FINE. GOSH. And he goes and saves Hyrule without ever getting a single sage's help or the Master Sword. (me replaying totk trying to actively avoid the Main Plot and do all the side quests and shrines. Which is very hard without a paraglider.) (bonus points if mystery is actually in totk, with its own Link running around, but Mystery ends up saving the kingdom after Link gets all the sages and the master sword and Mystery didn't even realize he'd somehow stumbled into another Hyrule half naked)

Oops wrong shrine sorry

The Shrine of Resurrection is occupied when it's discovered pre-BotW. Who's in it?? Who knows.

Mentor Sky

totk Link is given a companion by Hylia: Skyward Sword Link. Who is surprisingly able to sleep despite being a ghost and always manages to sleep in. But they have all kinds of adventures together!

Rebels

In Hyrule Warriors, when Ganondorf takes over, he takes over. Link, Zelda, Impa, and Lana are forced to act in a clandestine manner, slowly trying to piece together a resistance against this new Gerudo Empire. Lana is captured early, though, preventing her from summoning friends across the eras, leaving the group trying to retake the kingdom. Also, during the war, Rusl was the TP warrior, not Agitha. Because that should've been canon to the game, dang it.

Demon Wars

Sky killed Demise with the Triforce. Then he had to travel to the past to kill him again. But how could he kill him in the present if he killed him in the past? The first timeline split in LoZ is due to Skyward Sword, and in one timeline is the canon events with the curse, and in the other.. Demise is just dead. Killed in the ancient past, but his curse followed the Link from the future. Which means there's no Sealed Grounds anymore, no rising evil trying to destroy the world and drag Zelda and Link from the Sky thousands of years later. Eventually, the pair makes their way down to the Surface anyway due to Zelda's memories, but they find the place filled with monsters, and they purify the land with Shrines of Light while seeking the Triforce.

Find the Dadity

He knew this was a vast improvement, but it was also strange. There was a heavy tension between the pair sometimes, with snappish remarks or, opposingly, careful and quiet words as if dealing with someone about to break. Other times it was seemingly normal, as if they were friends again trying to figure out how to fix a problem. It reminded him a bit of when they’d taken down House Ishita recently. Perhaps the fact that they were improving their interactions once more implied things would finally get better.

He didn’t know how to feel about that either, and it frustrated him. He was holding on to bitterness and resentment, and he knew it. They’d worked well together against Ishita, but Zelda’s manipulation against him and Hemisi, and her subsequent choice to hide her pregnancy, still hurt. But he understood why, at least for the second issue. Nevertheless, it didn’t take much to start grating on his nerves, and it looked to be similar with her. So Link stepped away to be with his daughter, to be outside, to be somewhere quiet where he wasn’t being watched by everyone, and he tried to do better.

Honestly, he didn’t know how Zelda handled the constant scrutiny. He did feel sorry for her. But she had grown up with this environment, so surely she was used to it, right?

Sighing, he leaned his head against his daughter’s, listening to the birds fly overhead. Glancing at the nearest sundial, he knew it was time to head back inside. His chest didn’t hurt anymore, so he would take this as a victory. Nodding towards one of the nannies, he walked inside with her following, placing Sonia in the nursery and kissing her.

As he sought out the queen, Link found her in the shared study of the royal quarters, head on the table.

He wasn’t sure if he should be amused or worried. “What are you doing?”

Zelda’s head shot up, startled and slightly annoyed. “I’m working on a decree.”

“Working very hard,” Link observed, biting back a laugh as it became apparent that she wasn’t unwell.

“I’ve been staring at it all afternoon,” Zelda snapped. “I needed a break.”

“Relax,” Link appeased, knowing she could get defensive easily. “Can I help?”

Zelda’s dark, frustrated expression immediately eased. “Please. I can’t read this anymore.”

Just as Link walked over to her, someone entered the study. “Your Majesty, the council meeting is about to begin.”

Link glanced at Zelda. “Council meeting? I handled that this morning.”

“You did,” Zelda affirmed. “This is a different one.”

“What’s this one about?” he asked, baffled.

“This morning was the usual meeting, pertaining to the daily affairs,” Zelda explained. “I had a special committee put together to handle the issue of transportation we were having. The one you talked about this morning.”

Link squinted at nothing, trying to remember what he’d even told her this morning. Those council meetings had so much information in them, it was hard to keep track of everything. But he vaguely recalled telling her that one of the common trade routes in Hyrule was blocked due to hazardous weather destroying the road, which was slowing trade between different locations, including Castle Town and the castle itself.

He stared at her. “You put a committee together for that? What could they have possibly figured out in a day’s time?”

“Well, I have to brief them first,” Zelda said as if it were obvious.

“Of course,” Link agreed dully, as if it were obvious.

Good grief. Everything about running a kingdom was incredibly tedious. He knew Zelda couldn’t handle it all—that was why he was helping—but it seemed like throwing too many people into a problem only bogged the issue down. Lady Impa would handle many matters herself and only appoint one or two others to assist her.

Then again, the population and size difference between Kakariko and the entire kingdom of Hyrule was quite vast. Link supposed it was silly.

Recalling the war, though, he still thought this would bog the issue down too much. But he supposed that depended on how many people were on this committee and what their backgrounds were.

Still… “You couldn’t have just… written to them about it? So you could do other things and they could start handling the matter?”

Zelda watched him, and he immediately knew why she wouldn’t. She didn’t trust them enough.

Hylia, she made her life difficult. But honestly, given that her messages had been mishandled or not even sent sometimes during the war due to the nobles’ meddling, he understood why.

“What can I do?” he asked.

Zelda looked down at the scroll she’d been writing. Then she shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Link’s eyes bore into her. “Zelda.”

The queen sighed. Link rarely used her name, so she knew he wasn’t going to back down. She had a hard time relinquishing control, but he forgave her of it in the moment, given what he’d seen her have to deal handle on a regular basis.

“There are certain… things that I need to read and sign,” she finally acquiesced. “I’ve read through most of them, but you can give them a second glance. Before I give them the seal of approval.”

That’s technically the Lord Chancellor’s job, but he’s from House Serenne. Zelda likely read each decree multiple times to make sure they weren’t altered prior to the chancellor placing the royal seal on them. Link nodded. “Of course. How long will the meeting be? Will you eat dinner?”

“Will you?” Zelda threw back, catching Link off guard.

He blinked, stammering, “Uh, I—what?”

“You didn’t eat yesterday,” Zelda noted. “At all. We were together all day working through things.”

“I wasn’t with you all day,” Link argued, huffing a little.

“I ate twice in front of you,” Zelda noted pointedly.

Link felt strange. Zelda never cared if he ate. This was weird. Feeling exposed, he tried to argue and then paused.

Wait, had he eaten yesterday?

…Whoops. Lady Impa would’ve lectured him. But she wasn’t here anymore – he’d sent her back to Kakariko for her own sake.

Sighing, he conceded. “Fine. We both eat at sundown. Here.”

“My room,” she countered.

Link grew even more baffled. “Your room?”

“I still have to finish this decree, and the chair at my desk in my room is more comfortable than any of these,” she explained.

Link shrugged. “Very well.”

XXX

Dinner was a strange affair. Link wasn’t sure he’d ever actually had a private dinner with Zelda – it had always been at ceremonies, parties, events, anything that included others watching them or talking to them. Even when they’d had quieter moments shared with food, it was never an actual meal – Link would ensure Zelda ate while he did something else, or he’d go away to eat his food with his daughter. During the war Zelda’s private meals were the only time she had peace, so he always respected that and left her alone.

So it was really awkward as the two ate quietly. At least until Zelda plopped another scroll between them on the bed.

“I thought we went through all of them?” Link asked, wondering if she just didn’t believe him.

“This is from the council meeting,” she sighed.

Link stared at her, baffled. “There’s paperwork from the meeting?”

“Yes.”

He wasn’t sure if he truly was this astonished or if his lack of eating was getting to him, but he was far blunter than usual. Or perhaps it was simply because he knew they still had to continue working on the decree she’d been writing before ever attending that meeting. “How do you live like this?”

“It’s the worst part of it,” Zelda grumbled. “But if it isn’t in writing, they’ll change the facts. I have to have documentation of everything.”

“Wait, we need to document this too, then,” Link suddenly said, grabbing spare parchment, reading the words as he wrote them, “On the eve of the fifteenth day of the eleventh month of the Twentieth Year of Farore, Queen Zelda ate roasted duck while complaining of the bitterness of paperwork—”

Link’s proclamation was interrupted as Zelda waved a hand in his face, giggling while saying, “Oh, stop it, not everything has to be documented.”

Link glanced at her diary on her desk, raising an eyebrow and looking at her. “You document everything in there.”

Zelda’s smile faded a little, eyes narrowing a small amount in suspicion. “You’ve read my diary?”

“No,” Link answered honestly. “I just see how often you write in it. And how much each time. You must have hundreds at this point. Where do you store them?”

“I don’t keep them when I finish one,” she replied. “I burn them.”

Link rolled the parchment up, sighed, unrolled it, and wrote, “It must also be declared that the queen’s trust issues are actually concerning.”

“You’re being absurd,” Zelda huffed, snatching the parchment out of his hands as he smirked. Then she unrolled the parchment from the meeting, and he resigned himself to his fate, eating his dinner as he listened.

XXX

Link groaned as his head almost slipped out of his hand, body exhausted, eyes barely able to stay open. He was sprawled across the bed, scrolls everywhere as he helped Zelda review a decree she wanted to make, the very monstrosity she’d been working on and dying over when he’d run into her that evening. It was a bizarre, even absurd decree, but necessary according to her – a law against the hiring of healers within the public bathhouses, as owners of bathhouses tried to monopolize the local area of many different markets.

Bathhouses were places of cleansing and healing, so it made sense for bathhouse owners to hire healers, but many claimed they were scamming people. Zelda, eager to protect her citizens, wanted to prevent that from happening. There were arguments on either side – many spoke that the ire of rich bathhouse owners could cause some issue for the queen, while others petitioned she defend the poor. Obviously, both monarchs knew the right choice, but it was still irritating and tedious, and Zelda was trying to make the decree still allow the bathhouses some rights while allowing healers to practice within their own business as well.

From one perspective it was ensuring everything was done fairly. From another perspective it could be meddling and micromanaging when there were more important things to handle.

To Link, it was just far too many words, too much analyzing for potential loopholes, and too many hours listening to Zelda rant about what if House Mabe takes issue since one of their members owns a bathhouse in Castle Town or how could they just charge that amount of rupees for patrons to utilize healers in the bathhouse.

He agreed with her sentiments, of course, but… a part of him also wanted to point out that if people just stopped and actually examined the issue they’d recognize they’re getting charged too much and simply go to a house of healing. But everyone needed a bath, so of course they would just pay the extra rupees if it meant they could consolidate. To them it would seem like a bargain.

It was strange and frustrating, the lengths people would go for convenience over basic logic. And this night was a wonderful reminder of why he never wanted to run anything. They’d spent hours on this decree, after already spending so much time reviewing all the others that had already been written.

Link had lost track of the time, but he knew it was entirely too late when Zelda sighed and flopped onto the pillows.

“Lady Impa would be able to help,” she lamented.

Link bit his lip and his annoyance, trying and failing to read through the passage he’d stared at for what felt like the last hour.

“Why isn’t Lady Impa married?” Zelda suddenly asked.

Link blinked. Blinked again. Then he looked back at her. “What?”

The queen was on her side, one hand propping up her head while her other rested over her ever growing abdomen. She looked genuinely confused… and exhausted.

It was too late for both of them.

“She’d make a great mother,” Zelda continued earnestly. “I don’t understand why she isn’t married and having children of her own.”

“She does have children,” Link huffed ruefully, looking back at the scroll.

“But we’re terrible children,” Zelda noted with a sigh, shuffling closer. Link felt the bed shift, and then he felt her press into his side as she peered over his shoulder to look at the scroll. “Do you think it’ll go over well?”

“It seems reasonable,” he answered honestly. “I haven’t found much they could try to manipulate from it.”

From my own pitiful understanding of the law, at least.

The queen was silent, nodding as she examined the scroll, eyes discerning and brow furrowed. And then she relaxed.

“Lady Impa should get married,” Zelda insisted randomly, yawning and shifting back to give Link some space.

Link finally had to laugh. “You need to sleep.”

“Why isn’t she married?”

“Why does she need to get married?”

“Doesn’t she need to further her line?” Zelda questioned. “I truly do want to know, I’m worried. What if her rule is contested? We sent her back to Kakariko so she could maintain her status as chief and just do her duties for her tribe and not worry about us, but… do you think she’ll get married while she’s away?”

“Lady Impa took a vow of chastity, dedicating her life to serving the blood of Hylia,” Link explained. “She took that vow years ago, before she was ever chief. I… I don’t think she expected to become chief as early as she did.”

He hadn’t really thought about it until he’d just said it, but he supposed that was likely the case. Lady Impa had been a fairly young chief. Not the youngest by far, but still.

“How old was she when she became chief?” Zelda asked.

“I…” Link tried to think about it, and realized he actually didn’t know. He had a rough estimate, but that was about it. “I don’t know.”

Guilt kneaded his gut a little. He didn’t know much about Lady Impa at all, he realized. And considering how much she did for him, it seemed downright rude and selfish on his part.

Zelda sat up a little, expression growing more anxious. “How will she have heirs if she can’t have children? Won’t her succession be contested?”

Link snapped himself out of his little brooding, glancing at the scroll before sighing and looking back at her. “Chiefdoms aren’t always hereditary. Lady Impa’s family hasn’t ruled the Sheikah tribe forever. The Council of Elders can unseat a chief if they think he or she is unworthy.”

Zelda looked utterly bewildered at that. “What makes someone unworthy to the council?”

Link thought about it and then shrugged. “Whatever… they think is unworthy.”

Zelda chewed her cheek, seemingly amused and exasperated. He could tell she was debating whether having him help her over the decree was even a good idea. He felt a little insulted by it, but he also knew he really wasn’t the best person for this. He wasn’t trained for politics, he was just a soldier.

But he wasn’t a fool, either. He just felt like one trying to explain Sheikah politics.

He was tired.  He could barely keep his eyes open at this point, but Zelda, despite her own clear exhaustion, still seemed pensive.

“I suppose I know very little about your people,” Zelda finally admitted, looking away. “Growing up, all I ever learned about the Sheikah was that they serve my family faithfully and are servants to the goddess.”

The pair was silent for a strange moment. Link wasn’t sure what to say, really – if he commented that she was right in her ignorance, she’d probably get defensive. His old habit was to reassure – if this were the war he’d tell her she couldn’t help the upbringing she had, and that he’d teach her what she needed to know. But he was too tired for such sentiments, to be honest.

He was so sick of being tired.

Sighing, Link shifted so he was sitting on his knees, yawning and gathering the scrolls to try and organize the pile.

“Do you think Lady Impa is okay?” Zelda finally asked quietly.

Link paused in his work, and for the first time all night, he felt certain about this. “Yes. She’s away from me.”

The queen didn’t speak, and Link didn’t move. But the moment passed, and he finished gathering everything, moving to slide off the bed, when the queen reached out to him, holding his wrist. He glanced up at her and saw an expression he couldn’t quite read. Although the two had been working together a great deal more than they used to, maybe even more than they’d ever been able to in the war, all the things they’d done to each other, the emotions for and against each other, tended to halt anything too vulnerable. But in this moment, the queen had a strange look on her face, some mixture of concerned and analytical, hard and soft as her eyes bored into his.

“Your Majesty…?” he questioned, pulling from her a little.

Zelda sighed a little, about to speak, when she gave a little wince. Link moved towards her, a silent question of what was wrong, and she waved him off.

“Just the baby kicking,” she huffed mildly. “Maybe we should just go to sleep.”

Link glanced down at her abdomen, and he had to admit he felt… very curious. He hadn’t been around Zelda enough during her pregnancy with Sonia to really explore anything about his child before she’d been born. He had that opportunity now, but he hardly felt like Zelda would want him that close to her.

It wasn’t as if they didn’t know every inch of each other, hadn’t been in each other’s personal space in so many ways, but he still didn’t try to get too personal with her without asking. Except perhaps when she was faltering and in need of him stepping up. But this wasn’t the case here, it was just…

He wanted to get to know his baby.

Link reached a hand out hesitantly, pausing just short of touching her. He looked up at her questioningly, waiting for permission.

“Do you want to feel?” Zelda asked slowly, trying to parse out his expression.

Link swallowed, nodding slightly.

The queen’s expression softened, and she smiled a little, grabbing his hand gently and guiding it to her belly. Link rested his palm across it, and it didn’t take long for him to feel little movements before something pressed against him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he gasped a little, smile pulling at his lips as he looked excitedly up at his wife. Zelda smiled in return.

Link wanted to lean in and kiss right where he felt a little foot against his, but he didn’t want to bother the queen that much. Instead, he whispered softly in Sheikah before pulling away.

“What did you say?” Zelda asked as Link finally got off the bed.

“I said hello. And I told the little one to let you sleep,” he answered quietly, putting the scrolls on her desk. “When and where shall I meet you tomorrow? You’re foregoing the council meeting for this decree, am I right?”

“I am,” the queen replied, moving the covers so she could get under them. “Why… why don’t you just…”

Link watched her a moment, wondering why she was suddenly stuttering in her words.

“You could, you know,” Zelda tried again, swallowing, glancing at the pillow beside her. “You could just stay…”

Link waited for her to finish her sentence, but the queen sighed.

“How about noon?” she finally suggested.

Suggested. She didn’t suggest things to him, she ordered them. She was tired.

“I can find you at noon,” Link agreed, nodding. “Good night, Your Majesty.”

The queen gave a little nod, and Link turned away. She sighed, rubbing her belly again as the door closed, and stared at the empty space beside her in the bed.

Nevertheless, Zelda’s work was finally making Hyrule a powerful kingdom, and he had to ensure he didn’t mess up its relations with neighboring lands. The Country of Li was their largest neighbor and most threatening one with its formidable size and population. So here he was, sneaking around the rear palace trying to gather information.

He bit back a yawn, feeling exhaustion pull at him, both from his magical disguise and his lack of restful sleep. It wasn’t like he felt safe enough to actually rest here, after all. And his anxieties were disturbing his sleep anyway.

But for once, he was wearing a stranger’s face, someone unimportant who could easily grab drying laundry and dress as the other men (the less he needed to use his magic for, the better), someone who was completely ignored, much to his delight. The men seemed to be in fewer numbers than the women here, but seeing as the rear palace was known for housing the emperor’s consorts, he wasn’t surprised by that.

It did make reconnaissance difficult, though. But he refused to disguise himself as a woman. He wouldn’t live down the embarrassment if anyone found out.

But if he didn’t know what a eunuch was, he could hardly ask about them while disguised as one…

Perhaps there was another way to go about this…

Link’s thoughts were interrupted when he saw a girl struggling with the large basket of laundry she was carrying. He moved over quickly to help her, steadying her before she tipped right over.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl yelped with an embarrassed giggle. She looked Link over before blushing and taking a step back, nearly losing her balance again.

Link easily caught her again, a little amused. "It's all right. Just be careful."

"Right, of course!" the girl replied with a cheery smile. She blushed again, saying, "Um, I'm Xiaolin, by the way!"

Ah. Yes. He, uh. Hadn't thought about a name.

"Your accent is kind of funny," Xiaolin noted, not giving him a chance to reply. "Where are you from? Are you new? I haven't seen you around here."

"Xiaolin, hurry up!" someone else called, and the girl gasped.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I have to go nice to meet you!" she said hastily before taking off as if she were late for an important meeting.

Link chuckled a little as he watched her go. But she did remind him, he really needed to pick a name.

He wished he could fix the accent issue, but he'd been lucky he could even learn the basics of their language prior to his arrival.

It seemed like the men here weren’t involved in the actual chores - based on their stances and the way they fanned out, they were guarding the area. It seemed strange to guard the laundry. Did these people expect attacks? Or were they there to keep the servant girls in line?

He supposed it was like guards strewn throughout the castle and the city outside its walls. It just seemed so odd here. Nevertheless, he fell into an old, familiar, comforting habit, finding a post and taking guard like he had many years ago.

The girls here were prone to gossiping, and Xiaolin, the one he had met earlier, was one of the worst offenders. The girl was sweet, though, a carefree curiosity and innocence in her words, and it was certainly helpful to Link.

"Yes, and they said the foreign king is as handsome as Master Jinshi!" Xiaolin went on, making Link blush a little. Great. Not the info I needed.

Link's patience did him some favors, though, as he continued listening. The girls spoke of many different topics, ranging from the latest fashion trend sported by the high ranking concubines to theories about the foreign envoy (Link's personal favorite was that they were somehow all magical creatures, because clearly the pointed ears meant they were fantastical).

He crossed his arms, eyes growing distant as he thought about everything he was hearing in combination with what he'd studied prior to his arrival. He knew that the emperor had four high ranking concubines who were far above the rest, and he'd ensured his envoy had brought gifts for them. He hadn't realized—well, perhaps he had… He'd known this emperor and his culture were strange, that he took multiple women, but Link hadn't really appreciated that they were all prisoners.

Listening to these girls, it quickly became apparent that was the case. They were discussing how they would need permission to leave the rear palace just to be able to see the envoy at the big party that was coming up.

When he was their age and guarding the castle, he supposed he could have asked his superior for permission to go to Castle Town, but that had never been necessary. So long as he didn’t do so on duty, he could go wherever he pleased outside the castle. And even now, the only thing ever stopping him from leaving was himself, and the reaction from people seeing the king wandering the city.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t snuck out of the castle since his marriage.

Were the high ranking concubines prisoners as well? Probably.

Link really didn't like it here. He started watching the girls worriedly. But then he heard something about wages, and... was this some kind of indentured servitude, then?

Well, the least he could do was help the poor women while he was here.

He heard one lamenting that she wasn't entirely sure where her laundry was supposed to go, and it quickly became apparent that she was illiterate. Link quietly made his way over to her, looking over her shoulder. As soon as his scrutiny was noticed, she jumped a little, anxious, but then he smiled.

"This one is for the southern quarters, someone named Meilin?”

“Ah, Lady Meilin! Thank you!”

“What does this one say?” Another girl asked, and Link suddenly found himself surrounded by excited women holding out little wooden blocks with writing. He felt a little overwhelmed, worried his disguise would slip as his anxiety rose, and he answered as quickly as he could.

Another man came over, dispersing the women. “You shouldn’t interact with them that much. Might upset Master Jinshi.”

Link felt a strange, immediate annoyance at such a remark. Upset him? Why? What was wrong with interacting with them? Was it imprudent? Or did Jinshi get possessive over these girls?

Link’s cheeks flushed, a protective anger rising in his chest, but he bit his tongue. Nodding, he backed away from the other man, but as he walked to the edge of the pavilion, he heard something.

“It’s a pity he’s a eunuch, he’s so handsome,” one woman whispered to another. “And so kind too! He’d make a great husband.”

“I’m so glad the emperor banned castration,” her companion sighed. “But it’s too late for him.”

Link froze.

Uh. What?

Oh, Hylia. He—they did that here??

Used to. Used to do that. The emperor had banned it.

Of course he’d banned it! What the heck was—castrating men, imprisoning women for sex slavery—this place was barbaric!

Goddesses, they’d better be grateful they’re too massive to attack, that’s the only reason I’m not suggesting going to war to save these girls, he grumbled internally.

Link looked around him at the pristine courtyards, the beautiful gardens, the golds and reds and archways. It was ridiculous how beautiful this place was, the ornate architecture hiding the rot underneath.

Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he was parsing out. The emperor had outlawed making any more eunuchs. These women were getting paid. Perhaps he understood wrong.

Furrowing his brow, he headed to the southern quarters, thinking of a way to gather more information and head back before midday. His meeting with the emperor was originally slated for the morning, but for whatever reason it had been delayed. Link hadn’t thought much of it, to be honest, relieved to have time for reconnaissance before a private meeting. He wondered what else he could learn.

Then he heard a strange sound, and he felt eyes on him. Pausing, he subtly glanced to the sides before noticing movement within the shadows.

Turning sharply, he disappeared in an instant, pulling a knife and holding it to the person’s throat.

And then gasped a little, step in back as he recognized his attendant, Bossen.

”What are you doing here?” They both hissed at the same time.

Link blinked and then answered quickly, “Gathering information.”

Bossen groaned. “Your Majesty, Lord Simek is going to blow up, there’s some delegation at our quarters and you went missing.”

What? Delegation? “We weren’t expecting anyone!”

“Apparently, they didn’t get the herald’s message,” Bossen grumbled. “Lord Simek sent me to find you!”

Ugh. Great. Sighing, Link nodded. “Let’s go.”

XXX

Maomao understood proper protocol well, as well as her position in life. She accepted it, and acted accordingly.

For example, she knew that she had to keep her head down and behave around people of higher station, like this Lord Simek who was watching her sort through food items.

But it was extremely difficult when she was surrounded by—by—

Ah, these are all herbs I’ve never even seen before!! What potential do they hold? What can I make with them?? Would he notice if I took a little sample?

She didn’t know how she was going to be able to leave this place, it was like all her dreams came true, a room filled with plants she had never experienced, knew nothing about - this Lord Simek hardly seemed in the mood to answer questions, though, despite her probing a few times. His answers were always the same:

“It’s native to our land, not poisonous.”

He wouldn’t even tell her their names! This was torture! All these herbs at her fingertips and she couldn’t even learn about them or experiment with them or anything!

This would absolutely have to be a daily inspection, and she would just have to hope that the next inspection would have someone else presiding over it.

Maomao tried to hold in her dejection and disappointment, sighing a little as she examined everything to actually look for anything amiss. It was immediately apparent that the bits of contaminants that she’d seen in the king’s dinner last night had come from this room. If there truly were concern for poison, she would have no way of telling without actually getting information on this food. Unfortunately, she couldn’t also voice any kind of conjecture that there was concern for a plot to start a war between the two kingdoms. She had far too little to go off, and it was both frustrating and somewhat concerning.

Still, at the end of the day, it wasn’t her business. She was just doing her job. And she wanted to know all about these herbs!

There was a noise, distracting both Lord Simek and Master Jinshi, who had been engaging Lord Simek in conversation to try and give Maomao more time. The group glanced over to see a door sliding open a little, revealing a man with white hair that was a little tousled, likely by the wind outside, wiping his hands on his trousers. Maomao could smell moisture in the air immediately, and she had to wonder what he’d been doing. It wasn’t just a simple matter of washing his hands, it seemed he was freshly changed out of soaked clothes based on the way the hair at the back of his neck stuck to his skin, the way he was still drying his hands on his fresh clothes, the smell of the water coming off him.

She wrote it off, observing without coming to any other conclusions. The man spoke in their foreign language, and Lord Simek straightened a little.

“Excuse me,” he said before departing with the new man, sliding the door closed.

Master Jinshi stared for a moment, muttering, “What was that all about?”

Maomao sighed. “Hard to say. But I will not be able to ascertain anything if they do not tell me about these herbs. Or… I can take some samples with me.”

Her senior sighed, exasperated. “Just do so quietly.”

It was curious, though, that the king was not here, and Maomao knew that was bothering Master Jinshi. Lord Simek’s precise words were that the king was unavailable, and one could not question the whims of a sovereign, especially a foreign one they were hosting, so Master Jinshi had left the matter alone. Still, it seemed more apparent that the king was just not present - the amount of guards in the guest quarters was less than anticipated, according to Master Jinshi, which implied that the king was elsewhere. But… Maomao did notice a sudden increase in their amount around the building as she glanced outside.

I wonder if he’s returned, she supposed. The strange interaction earlier likely had to do with that.

The door opened once more, and the man who had poked his head in earlier was back. But now he was miraculously dry, hair perfectly intact, clothes unbothered by the moisture he’d wiped on his trousers.

That was… strange. It had been too little time for him to tidy up that much, but it was definitely the same man.

The man approached them and bowed. “Good morning. I’m Bossen, the king’s attendant. The king will be unable to enjoy your company today, Master Jinshi, but he sent me in his stead. How can I assist you?”

They had been here for almost an hour. It was bizarre that this attendant was coming now, but it seemed to fit with Maomao’s theory that the king had not been in the vicinity.

Master Jinshi bowed in return. “Greetings, Bossen. I appreciate your assistance. Is the king well?”

“The king is in perfect health this morning,” Bossen answered with a smile. “He has been attending to certain duties, and is preparing for his audience with your esteemed emperor. The accommodations provided to us are more than acceptable. How is the inspection of the food coming along?”

Maomao smiled. Maybe she would have more luck with this man. “I was curious about some of these herbs. I am not familiar with them, and knowing more might help me ensure nothing has been contaminated.”

Bossen tilted his head to the side. “I suppose poison is a great concern for your people.”

“It is a great concern for everyone,” Maomao threw back evenly. She wasn’t sure if she was overstepping in saying so, but it was true.

Bossen hummed and then approached her. “Very well. Ask away. What’s your name?”

Maomao blinked, a little caught off guard. Since when did her name matter? She faced him fully, hands clasped, and bowed. “Forgive me. I am Maomao, a servant of Lady Gyokuyou.”

“She is one of her ladies in waiting, tasked with tasting her food for poison,” Master Jinshi supplied. “I assure you, she is the best, trained as an apothecary outside the palace.”

“An apothecary?” Bossen repeated, eyes lighting up a little. “Strange that you are a lady in waiting with such talents.”

Maomao bowed her head a little, not entirely sure how to take that statement. “I serve wherever I am needed.”

“Of course,” Bossen acknowledged, dropping the subject. “How can I help you, Maomao?”

This attendant was strange. Maomao was hardly ever addressed by her name by anyone above her station. Lady Gyokuyou was an exception. Perhaps she was overthinking it, as an attendant to the king was likely no different than a lady in waiting by their standards, but even other ladies in waiting treated Maomao with general disdain or fear and didn’t address her by her name.

Well, that hardly mattered - what mattered is that he seemed far more accommodating and willing to give her the information she wanted.

“I know nothing of these herbs,” she noted, picking one up and trying not to squeal as she examined its texture and appearance. “What can you tell me of them?”

Bossen approached to stand beside her, smiling as he pointed at what she was holding. “This one is simple. We call it a Hyrule Herb, because you can find it just about anywhere in our kingdom. It’s said to have good health benefits.”

Ahhh, now she was getting somewhere!! Oh, this was excellent! She faced him fully now, eyes practically sparkling as she leaned in towards the attendant. “What kind of health benefits? I need specifics. Does it improve circulation? Does it offer better focus? Does it allow for better sleep? Does it—”

“Apothecary, perhaps you should allow him to answer,” Master Jinshi interrupted pointedly, smile strained.

Ah. Right. Maomao caught herself, taking a step back and clearing her throat. Bossen looked mildly overwhelmed, but not upset or anxious like most. Instead, he chuckled. “Well, I’m afraid I don’t have all the answers, but if you come back tomorrow I can explain more in depth. I assure you the food is safe, though.”

Maomao practically bounced on her feet. She would not only be able to come back tomorrow, but properly study these herbs?!

“I’m afraid that is all the time I have to entertain you, Master Jinshi,” Bossen said suddenly, looking at the man, smile fading a little. “Please, feel free to visit anytime tomorrow.”

Both Maomao and Master Jinshi recognized the dismissal for what it was, and bowed. Maomao wondered for a moment if she had caused the shift, but he had promised her more information tomorrow.

She couldn’t wait.

As soon as the pair left, with Jinshi deep in thought, the man who looked like Bossen sighed heavily, nearly falling over as he was caught by the actual attendant and Simek.

“I told you it was a foolish idea,” Simek grumbled as Link’s appearance shifted back to himself, magic fading along with his energy.

“I wanted to know what they were up to,” Link argued tiredly.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I could have done that,” Bossen noted worriedly. “You have to meet with the emperor in an hour and you can hardly stand.”

“I’ll get an elixir,” Simek said. “Take him to his room. Rest, Your Majesty. And no more foolish adventures.”

Link bit back a retort as he gave Simek a look. The man didn’t flinch, watching him just as steadily.

Bossen broke the tension, dragging LInk away. “Stop picking fights with him.”

Link huffed, keeping his thoughts to himself. He didn’t consider any of what he did a waste of time or energy, as Simek had put it. In fact, he was eager to learn more.

He needed to, if this was going to well. Otherwise he’d keep relations with Li to a bare minimum. He had to be sure this place wasn’t as awful as it was starting to look. But the apothecary was promising.