Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Kanyou's War - Empty Shell

The group hastened out into the courtyard. Impa's carriage was still unprepared with a horse being tied to it and a driver being woken and a lantern lit to light the way. It was barely two minutes, but it felt like forever.

Impa breathed. She needed to keep her mind clear. She said to the doctor, "Take my carriage to Ketsu's home and attend to the matter. Take one of my guards with you." To the guard she said, "When the matter is settled, bring him back and tell the captain it is with my permission you have been absent." And then to another guard she said, "Go and inform the princess' guards to inform her when she wakes that her doctor is absent with my permisssion based on Ketsu's need."

They all set themselves to it. The horse was tied, the driver set himself on his seat, the doctor and Ketsu and a guard entered the carriage, and another guard set off. This left Impa alone, short of two remaining guards, in the clearing.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. She turned to the remaining guards with her, "I won't be able to sleep now. How about I get us some wine to warm ourselves with and we play some cards?" The men shared a glance and chuckled lightly.

"I'd like that ma'am, the night is a cold one." One said.

While the first spoke, the second turned his attention towards the palace. Curious, Impa followed his gaze and saw two figures leave the palace door escorted by a small assortment of guards. It was dark, but under the illumination of torches she saw the figures were of a beautiful woman and a dark-robed man. "Zelda?" Impa whispered. They entered a carriage and departed, while the guards returned to the palace.

"Who was that?" Both of the men wondered. "We weren't informed of any guests."

Impa, meanwhile, felt a chill cling to her spine. There were many beautiful women in the palace. The nobles and ministers had beautiful wives and mistresses. Yet this woman was breathtaking, and there was only one beautiful woman who could look like Zelda.

"Oh, no." Impa breathed out. Numbly, she took a step forward, then another, and before she knew it she was in a full sprint towards the other guards who has escorted the guests out. "What was she doing here?!"

The second set of guards answered, "The Queen Mother was just visiting the heir appara-"

Impa was already gone. She burst in through the outer door, sped through the dark throne room, skidded around the corner, and upon seeing the wide-eyed, knowing fear in the silent guards to stand by, threw herself in. Something had happened and the guards knew it and were powerless to stop it. Impa dreaded knowing, but her every instinct screamed and panicked to face the answer she feared most.

Impa's face paled as she felt blood leave her body, her eyes widened in stark terror, and the icy fingers to claw at her spine grasped her throat in a vice. What she witnessed was worse than everything she had imagined.

There was blood on the bed and clothes were thrown to the side.

"Zelda!" Impa yelled. No one answered. The bed was absent, so she checked in the small personal library and work office, then she checked outside on the balcony. With one place left to look, Impa approached the door to her bath and wardrobe. Impa heard water trickling. She stopped, fearfully, tenderly, put a hand on the cracked door, and nudged it open. It swung open slowly to reveal a filled bath that had the tiniest hint of diluted redness and a naked princess curled up protectively in the far corner. The bath steamed from a furnace servants tended to on a lower floor. The air was lit by a few Fae to look on them with expressions filled with worry and fret.

'What happened' is what Impa wanted to ask, but the icy fingers clasped her throat shut. The fingers punctured her veins and send icy water down all the way into her heart.

She knew what happened. She could see the evidence and the aura as if it was slapping her in the face.

Impa stepped into the room. She took careful, quiet steps to not disturb the princess she loved. She walked through the water to cascade across the floor. The bath continued to be filled until it overflowed across the floor and down a secondary drain in the corner. Finally she reached Zelda, and slowly lowering herself down, put a hand on Zelda's shoulder.

Zelda flinched like she was zapped and smacked Impa's hand away. A pain and animalistic terror so intense she failed to recognize the woman filled her eyes. Impa felt her heart break. She wanted to die just from knowing that such an expression could exist on the princess. This was even worse than when she had first met the princess. When they first met, Zelda had a feral look, but it was still a look of a survivor's determination. Now it was gone. Like a gentle pet that saw the face of death and could do naught but sit and shiver in the corner.

Zelda had given up.

"Zelda, it's me." Impa whispered.

There was no response. Zelda stared down into the water, wide-eyed and unblinking.

Impa gulped, struggling to breath even as tears filled her eyes. "I'm here."

There was no response.