A Soldier's Love: Tale of a Hylian Guard

7

"The castle is under attack!! The castle is under attack!!"

A soldier ran down the Hall of Rooms, shouting at the top of his lungs in desperation. 

The king stepped outside his bedroom, flustering with his robe. 

"All must awake!! All must awake!! The castle is under-"

"At ease, soldier!!" barked the king. "From who do we receive these attacks?"

"I...don't know..." panted the soldier. "Saw....large man...orange gem..."

The king's features hardened. "Did this man lead an army of women?"

The soldier nodded. 

"Gerudos." He muttered. "I knew too well the price of allegiance with them."

He turned to the soldier. "Awaken any and all soldiers asleep in the barracks. We must defend the castle at all costs and protect the Princess."

"Yes, Your Highness!" The king watched as he sprinted in the opposite direction. 

May the goddesses help us, thought the king. 

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"Impa, what's happening?"

She was shouting orders from outside Zelda's room, sending soldiers to various positions in the castle's keeps. 

Zelda stood clutching the guardsman's hand frightened of Impa's sudden change in manner. 

"Impa! I demand you tell me what's happening at this moment!"

She whirled around, meeting her eyes dead on. "The castle is under attack." She continued to bark orders to other soldiers. 

Zelda was bewildered. "By who?!"

The guardsman gently let go of her and stepped towards the window. "Zelda's room had afull view of the front entrance of the castle, which was swarming with...women with scimitars?

In the midst of them stood a tall figure, arms crossed in an arrogant pose as he watched the women slaughter Hyrulean soldiers left and right. 

Then he gazed directly to Zelda's window, a slow smile spreading across his face. 

The guardsman relled from the window, falling backwards onto the floor. 

"Guardsman!" Zelda kneeled by his side. "What was it?"

The guardsman's eyes were wide with fear. "Ganondorf..."

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The bodies of both Gerudos and Hylians lay bleeding on the cobblestone, but there were no soldiers in sight. 

Just as Ganondorf liked it.

A Gerudo commander ran to him and kneeled. "My king. We lost some of our women to the Hyrulean guard and several more were wounded, but none of them remain."

He slowly turned his gaze towards the few soldiers at the foot of the gate, then directly her. "Have we gained any entrance into the castle?"

She gulped. "No, my king. None of our gatebreaking tactics seem to work against this door."

"Hmm." Ganondorf stalked towards the commander. "All of the tactics?" 

It took all of her willpower to stand still. "Yes, my king. All of our soldiers couldn't break into it."

He stared at her for what seemed an eternity. Then, he thrust his palm towards the grate, a purple haze collecting in a ball around it. 

Alarmed, the commander sprinted towards the gate. "Move out of the way!! Our king is going to destroy the door! Step aside or be-"

Something hit the door with so much force, it knocked her flat on her back a few paces away. 

Ganondorf lowered his palm. "There! Now seize the castle and bring me back the Princess!!"

The soldiers who stood at the foot of the gate were nowhere to be found.

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The guardsman ran to the window.

"The drawbridge is destroyed!" shouted the guardsman. "Gerudos are pouring in! We must leave!!"

"No!" screamed Impa. "We stay here. I have vowed to protect the Princess with my life, and I will stand here until that vow is fulfilled!"

"Have you gone mad?! Zelda will be captured if we don't leave!"

"Enough, both of you!" Zelda stood in between them. "We shall wait here for Link! I know he'll come!"

"Why?! Your life is in danger!"

"I have to give him something! He cannot save Hyrule without it!"

Just as the guardsman was about to question her sanity, a wounded soldier limped into the room, collapsing on the floor. 

Impa kneeled next to him. "Someone bring this man some water!"

"No...don't waste your time..." rasped the soldier. "I must...tell of... the king.."

Impa placed her ear to the soldier's mouth, the guardsman and Zelda watching them intently.

With his last breath, the soldier whispered something in Impa's ear. She slowly rose, tears streaming from her face.

"What is it?" 

She took a deep breath. "The king. He's....he's been slain."