-Fae Grove, Western Qin-

Zelda sat on the edge of the earth at the top of the Fae city. She let her feet drift into the water. The water was warm to the touch, and seeped into her body, unwinding her muscles and relaxing her bones. She found herself becoming so relaxed, so comforted here, that she had to make a conscious effort to stay cautious. She had to fight to stay awake at some points and not curl up and sleep on the grass under the sun.

She was always thinking, always considering, always observing, but here she found entire hours went by without so much as a thought. Despite the drug-like state the place put her in, she knew deep in her gut something was wrong. Impa should have been there by now. Impa was punctual. Impa was late. Impa had failed. Why?

A daunting thought. One that horrified Zelda deep down, like a snake curling in her gut that wrapped itself around her heart.

Whether Impa was dead, captured, or just late, she had failed in her mission to be here before Zelda in the case that Prince Kyou makes a move on the capital and kills her body double. It hurt Zelda to think she couldn't rely on Impa as much in the future as she had hoped, but she did trust in Impa's loyalty, so she held no grudge.

Zelda was at an impasse.

Zelda, not wanting to be isolated at this moment with the idea of her potentially dead ally lingering in the back of her mind, rose and walked to the other side of the miniature island where the others were. The Fae were no longer fearful of Link wanting to kidnap them. Instead, the atmosphere seemed to have put him back a few years in maturity. His bottomless energy drew the forest children out, and they played in the water.

It was a sight that offered her a glimpse into another life. Was this what it was like to be innocent? To be free of burden, of responsibility, of power, of the countless lives weighing on her every word and action? Was this what it was like to be simple? No. Zelda had been unburdened from a country once. She had been simple. It was nothing like this, and so she had thrown it aside for the life she had now- that she was losing now.

Shaking herself of her negative thoughts, Zelda watched as Link got tackled by several children, and his response was to laugh. It was fascinating how alien it was to her.

The way it happened was Link and the children were talking about their respective homes. Link's story of village life fascinated them, and he stood and said proudly, "I'm the son of a great general! And one day with the blade I will become one as well!"

"Oooohhhh!" The children breathed in wide-eyed enraptured awe. They asked, "What's a general?"

"Uh..." Link stopped. "You don't know?" The children shook their head 'no'. Link smiled proudly and declared, "It's the biggest man on the hill who can lead entire armies to glory, and can fight everyone and win!"

"Like you?" One of them asked.

"Yeah! Like m-"

"GET THE GENERAL!" The kids yelled. They tackled him together.

"Care to join them, daughter of Nayru?" A rickety voice said by her. Zelda looked to see the Fae had claimed the wooden flesh again.

She shook her head, "I would never participate in such unsightly behavior. I am content here."

"It is the nature of young ones to need and want. A king most of all, as their desires is the desire of a nation. A content king is a waxing kingdom. Besides, even King Shorlin played."

Zelda doubted it and allowed her disbelief to show.

"He did." The Fae stressed. "He loved it here, because it represented the world he desired against the one he had to live in, and gave a clear separation between innocence and guilt, peace and war, love and hate."

"I would know nothing of those things."

"Then is it not imperative you, above all, embrace it?" Seeing he was beginning to agitate her. He put his hands up. "I say this out of consideration for you. Consider this place a retreat from the world when you feel the need."

Zelda nodded. She could keep it in mind for the future at the very least. "You say it as though you are outside the world, one you very much live in."

"We are. We have no need for vast land like you, we live for hundreds of years, and our engagements with Hyleans tend to end in kidnapping and torture; but do not mistake us for pacifistic. We have fought in the past with great results. There are many Fae out there among the nations. Like yours, the other races saw us as good."

"So there are other Fae?"

"Yes."

"Your spring is the only one with the faintest rumor. Only the Sheikah know of you."

His composure darkened, and Elder growled to himself. "We are the only one in Qin. The others were kidnapped and murdered for our healing power. My cousin was torn in pieces because of this superstition."

Zelda nodded. The elder had a heart of anger buried in him at the prejudice against them. It was an anger she knew well. The myths she had used to find them said that to rip off a Fae's wings and shake their dust would cure any wound. Well, Fae had no wings, and even if they did it was mutilation at least and murder at most, but that reality meant little to poachers, as their 'reality' was in rupees. So long as there was a market for Fae wings, Zora scales, and Goron hide then they would supply it by any means necessary.

"You have my sympathy."

Elder nodded in acknowledgment to her sympathy, though it ultimately might mean little. It was still a respectful moment. Zelda wanted to pry and ask about their 'healing power', but felt it was a touchy subject.

"There is a matter I wanted to talk to you about," Zelda said. Elder gave her his attention. She removed her gloves and presented her hands. "My hands have this mark on them. I brought it up with our priests, but they said it didn't matter. Yet I have found it means something. A year ago, some form of 'power' came from my hands, and since then I have learned to use it to defend myself."

"And you think I would know something of it?"

"It is of a magical or divine nature, so yes."

Elder took her hands gently and examined them. At first, there was nothing special about them beyond a few scars hidden in the beautiful fingers, but he briefly stilled as he turned the hands over and saw the backsides of them. He ran a vine over the scar and both Zelda and he shivered. The former did not like being touched, and the latter felt what lied beneath. He released her hands.

"I haven't seen this in a long time, a very long time." He murmured. "It is right for you to show this to me. I can help you understand it, but it would not be overnight. It will take years for you to come to master the blessing given to you by the Triple Goddess."

"That is well with me, provided I can survive. What is this?"

"In a way, it is nothing more than a mark." Elder explained cryptically, "But what it represents is so much more. It is a mark given to one who has been blessed with great power. Similar to a crown represents a king, this mark represents one on whom the Goddesses have given a great destiny."

"Sounds like the same thing," Zelda said.

"Yes, expect this mark is greater than any crown, princess. Curious, though, that there are only two-thirds of it," Elder mused. "Did it appear as two triangles, to begin with?"

"No, only one. The second triangle seared itself into my skin recently. After 'his' identical symbols appeared on his hand." She pointed to Link.

Elder looked at Link in thought for a time. His wooden face lacked expression, so Zelda could not tell what the Fae within was thinking as it watched Link. Link, at this time, was lounging in the sun.

"I sense a great deal of pain and anger coming from him." He said.

"He recently lost a close friend."

"I see. That is why he tries so hard."

With them watching him, Link noticed the extra attention. "What?!"

Ignoring him, Elder looked back to Zelda. "What do you plan to do? Your friends have not arrived, and you seem to think they will not."

"Are my thoughts that transparent?"

"Your sudden mood of defeat, yes."

"Then I must learn to guard my thoughts more. What do I plan to do? I don't know, Elder. My goal is to stop Kyou and retake the throne... but how to accomplish that? I do not know. I had no plan past escaping and waiting here for my ally to rendezvous with me. My ally would know the political environment better, and bring information on how we could adapt to Kyou's moves."

"And your ally did not come as you expected." Elder stated. He hummed gently inside the bark. "Your choice is up to you. If you choose to stay, the forest welcomes you but I also caution you towards that choice. Time loses its meaning here, and if you do not leave soon, you may find more time is lost than you are prepared to lose. Also, the mark on your hand shows you have a great destiny, and staying here would waste the power granted to you. If you want to stop your brother, then you must adapt."

Zelda knew he was right. But what could she do? She was powerless. All she had were a dozen men to her name. She had no information to work with on the layout of the political or strategic land. There could be soldiers coming for her and she wouldn't know it. What of her ambition? Her vision of Qin's future? Was she to fail it?

Seeing the princess was deep in thought, the Fae left her alone and returned to beneath the surface.

The princess thought about it, but inevitably all she could draw were blanks. She was right back where she started in Kanyou. She had no assets, no power, no information... and ultimately no courage. She was not afraid, but nor was she not afraid.

She returned into the hut to think. She meditated and pondered into the night. The soldiers set up a fine meal on the table. Zelda had always stressed that Link would never do the cooking, as she had a brief exposure to his skills while pretending to be Midna, but this night she said not a word. The soldiers laughed and joked as men do, and Matsubi was on them about their behavior in the presence of royalty, and Link showed off his lack of table manners befitting a slave, and Zelda noticed not a bit of it. She ate in silence. All of her thoughts were on what she could do.

Yet for all her thoughts, she always hit the same inevitable conclusion: nothing.

(edited 2/29/2020)