Zelink BotW Sequel/ Legend of Zelda and the Last Knight

Chapter 16 A line in the sand

The constable reassured her with a tit of the head and a hand across his pristine breastplate. "I will your grace, don't you worry. We will handle it from here. You have my word."

"Okay, then. Shall we go see what our Lord Simon is up to?" Zelda said, glancing over to Sylmoor and Sidon.

The younger lord coughed into his fist. "Certainly, princess, but I must confess, I'll have to follow up after you shortly, please tell my brother. Not that anyone should have cared to have noticed, but I have yet to dress appropriately for such a meeting," Sylmoor said with an embarrassed look, motioning a glance down to what he was wearing. It was his night clothes.

Zelda giggled at the sight of how silly he must have looked while helping her all-night parading around camp. She was so preoccupied with all the dangerous excitement during that last hour that she hardly noticed he looked that way until he mentioned it.

She laughed. "Certainly, we wouldn't want to give your brother a fright for a second time tonight, would we?"

"Or a heart attack! Could you imagine the look on his face if I were to interrupt his noble meeting dressed as such? He would keel over!" Sylmoor joked with her.

"I know! And then where will be, without our great military mastermind?" She paused again for a hearty chuckle. "Okay then, my Lord Sylmoor, we will see you again when you are ready. I'll let him know you were delayed momentarily," she smiled.

Sylmoor beamed back. "Also, don't you worry; with that being said, I will bring your knight to you myself. That is if he happens to come along while I'm getting prepared."

"Thanks, Sylmoor! And please do! I must know if he is alright," she said, waving goodbye to him as she and Sidon both walked away.

With that, the princess left the care of those around back to the head nurse and the captain of the Starsguard. She also left them with a set of instructions for her knight.

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Back at the command tent, the lord of Illiastar was fuming. He leaned upon his wargaming table, fist buried deep into its hardwood counter as he listened to an accounting of the damage from his top advisor, biting his tongue all the while. The frightened advisor was nervously reading from a scroll he had. He stood at attention, hands shaking as he read out the list of all the losses, stuttering each line item, one by one.

At that same time, the princess had finally made her way just outside the tent, approaching the entrance. There she was faced with a pair of sentries who guarded the entryway.

One guard stepped toward her. "Right this way, your highness, the meeting is already underway. I am sure they will get you all caught up to what has been happening," he said, about to usher her inside.

"It doesn't sound like much of a meeting. It sounds like a war!" she sarcastically said back to him, leaning toward the raised voices coming from behind the drapes of the tent.

"Things here all night have been...tense my liege," the guard replied with a bow of the head.

"I can tell." She shook her head with a giggle, hand covering her mouth.

"Is there anything your highness may require from out here while she joins them?"

"No, thank you, my good sir," she beamed at the man. "You watch your post well. I think we'll manage. Ready Sidon?" she asked, turning to her tall guardian.

Sidon grinned. "Right behind you, Princess."

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Link trudged into camp with what was left of his band of survivors, morale beaten. Quickly dismounting from his horse, he wasted no time making his way to a soiled, large wash bucket. It was one the men had been using all night to wash their bloodied and war-ravaged hands. It hung upon the entrance to the infirmary quarter.