"Plan, plan, plan. We need a plan."

Link was pacing the floor, his arms crossed over his chest. Zelda lay in her bed, sound asleep. Urbosa stood by Zelda's bedroom door, guarding it in case anyone were to pay the three a visit.

"We aren't going anywhere until Zelda wakes," Urbosa said calmly, "so we have time. We need to stay level-headed. Alright, knight?"

Link nodded. "Yes, you're right." His right hand moved to his mouth, as he continued to ponder a plan. Link considered himself to be a pretty practical and sensible person, especially in stressful situations. However, he seemed to be on edge, and more nervous than ever before. Even more nervous than the induction day at knight trainee courses.

"You're not listening to me," Urbosa said with a smile. "Everything will be alright. You needn't worry this much."

Link stared at Urbosa for a moment, as he stopped pacing the floor. His arms fell at his sides. "I understand." His attention turned to the floor, as he studied the cracks in the stone.

Urbosa cleared her throat as quietly as she could. "As soon as Zelda wakes, I'm hoping she'll be strong enough to utilize her magic once more. I know of a room in which we could spy on Philip."

Link looked up at Urbosa. "You know where Philip will be?"

Urbosa shook her head. "We honestly have no idea what room in this enormous castle he could be in. But I know of a secret room the King used—it was his private study. It is located within the castle library."

"I've never been in his study before, Lady Urbosa."

Link and Urbosa both turned toward Zelda, who was beginning to sit up in her bed. Link smiled, quickly moving to the end of her bed, where he sat down. "How are you feeling?"

"Quite refreshed, actually," Zelda smiled back. "How long was I asleep for?"

Urbosa shrugged. "Maybe an hour, tops."

Zelda nodded. "And no one has suspected anything?"

Link and Urbosa shook their heads in unison.

Urbosa walked closer to the two. "You've never been to your father's hidden study? Will that impact us getting there?"

Zelda's head lowered. Her hands balled into fists, scrunching her blanket in her palms. "I... I don't know. I've never tried to travel to somewhere I haven't gone."

Urbosa kneeled in front of Zelda. "I believe in you, little bird. My words will direct you to where we need to go, and I know you'll be able to succeed." She gave the young queen a reassuring smile. "You always do."

Zelda hugged Urbosa then, like a child hugging their mother. Her arms wrapped around her neck, and she buried her head in her shoulder. "You're the absolute best, Lady Urbosa."

Urbosa's eyes widened, and shortly closed, followed by a grin. She hugged Zelda back tightly. "You're stronger than you know, Zelda."

The two separated, and Link stood. He held out his hand to Zelda, and she took it. The two walked, hand-in-hand, to the middle of Zelda's room. Urbosa followed behind them. Zelda closed her eyes, taking Urbosa's hand in her other.

"In the castle library," Urbosa began, closing her eyes, "rests your father's hidden study. It is a small room, right below the middle of the largest staircase in the room. It is behind a rather large bookshelf—you know, Zelda, the books all about Hyrule's history?—that is where his study is tucked away."

Zelda clenched her teeth. "I've... almost..."

She suddenly squeezed Urbosa and Link's hands, feeling a shock of pain in her legs. She ignored it, focusing harder on her hidden destination. Zelda figured her father had a private study, yet, she never suspected it to be within the walls of the library. And, for Urbosa to know, and not her...? Sadness appeared in her mind, yet she shook it.

He trusts me, Zelda thought to herself. He is allowed some privacy to himself, for goodness sake.

Zelda exhaled a heavy breath, opening her eyes.

Urbosa stopped herself from gasping. "This is it!"

Zelda looked around the secluded room. A desk sat to the end of the room, along with a wooden chair. Atop the desk was a journal her father must have been keeping, for it was open, with a pen sitting on the exposed pages. Her feet began to move across the cold floor without hesitation, almost instantly. To inspect her father's journal would be an invasion of privacy, yet...

Zelda glanced at the pages.

"Zelda..." Urbosa began in her motherly tone, as she knew what she was doing.

Zelda gulped, ignoring her warning. She began to read the page that was neatly dated with last week's date—his most recent entry.

"Today, I invited one last suitor to Hyrule, in hopes that he will persuade my daughter to marry him," Zelda read aloud. "He descends from the rich kingdom of Aeryll. From my first impression of him, he seems very kind. Very strong-looking, too. I don't think Zelda will like his fiery hair, though. She dislikes the color red a bit." Zelda laughed softly. "I only wish the best for my daughter. I regret... so much. I have been so incredibly hard on her, and am constantly fighting an inner battle between King and Father. She is such a feisty young woman, and I'm so proud of who she has grown up to be, yet... I do regret how harshly I've been acting toward her. I love her with all of my being."

Tears began to line Zelda's eyes as she continued to read.

"She's starting to resemble her mother more. Her long, golden hair. Her piercing blue eyes and radiant smile. She has the same attitude as my late wife, she does. Very kind, but cross her... Boy, you will certainly be facing some trouble."

"I've never heard this side of the king," Urbosa said gently, smiling.

"I want Zelda to be happy. I do not wish for her to be alone... I need someone by her side. That is why I am hoping this man will be able to provide for my daughter. She deserves nothing short of the world."

Zelda paused. She stared at the pages. "He..."

She looked at the last few lines of his entry, reading them in her head.

I want her to be happy. If this does not work out... I want her to make her own decision. If not for the kingdom, for herself.

Her father's handwriting stopped.

"But he forced the marriage," Link said suspiciously, looking over Zelda's shoulder. "If he wanted you to make your own decision, he would not have forced you to marry Philip."

Urbosa nodded. "Link is right. What your father is saying in his journal is contradicting his actions. I wonder what could have made him say those things..."

Zelda shook her head. She closed her father's journal, making sure to leave the pen in between the last pages he had been writing on. She stared at the brown cover, marked with the Hylian emblem. "It does not matter now. What matters, is finding Mipha, stopping Philip, and getting my kingdom back together."

The giant doors to the castle library opened. There were voices outside of the study. The three froze.

"I cannot believe that worked!"

Zelda shivered. Philip.

"Sir, don't you think that we should release her? She's done what we've asked—"

"No. We must keep her here. We can use her as bait."

Link squeezed Zelda's hand. She nodded, understanding his sign.

Philip was conversing with Delian.

Their footsteps began to echo through the library. Zelda followed the sound, sensing that they were moving up the stairs, to the balcony above them.

"What will she do? She does not seem like the kind of creature to harm anyone."

The library doors creaked open more. Another pair of footsteps appeared. Zelda creeped closer to the bookshelf hiding her father's study. She peeked through the tiniest crack, observing.

She fell backwards. Her hand clutched her chest. Her breathing stopped momentarily.

"Zelda!" Link whispered, catching the queen. "What? What did you see?"

Her expression was blank as she turned to look at Link. "It's Apollo. He's back." She clutched Link's tunic. "They used Mipha to resurrect Apollo."

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