Legend of Zelda: The Lost Queen

F(r)iend

Link heaved a sigh as he made his way into Hyrule. The princess had summoned him from the battlegrounds insisting the Hylian's help was needed elsewhere. Epona raced through Castle Town, arriving at the gates. None of the guards bothered him as he entered the castle until one hastily instructed him to follow. He was taken through to Zelda's study and entered. The Princess was speaking in hushed whispers with a cloaked woman. They both turned to look at him.

Zelda gave a soft but worried smile and waited until the door had closed to speak, " welcome Hero of Time. I am glad you have arrived so soon."

Link nodded, bowing slightly, noticing the princesses exhausted expression but saying nothing. 

Zelda gestured to the other female, her smile never failing..

"Tarlien, this is Hyrule's hero, Link of Ordon."

The cloaked female held out her hand, although Link noticed it was shaking rapidly. He shook it with a slight smile. She returned it although it didn't reach her eyes.

"Link, this is Tarlien, the youngest daughter of the late Queen Taemara" Zelda introduced.

Pushing the hood of her cloak back, Link was shocked to find that she looked relatively Hylian, quite unlike the Zyconian soldiers he had been fighting. He looked to Zelda to explain why one of Hyrule's enemies was in the castle but Zelda was glancing out of the window of her study, frowning at the courtyard below. Link returned his gaze to the Zyconian, watching her with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. He noticed that she was young, maybe slightly younger than him, and that she her complexion looked quite pale. Despite this, she was holding her head high as she regarded him cooly, although the Hylian could tell her whole body was shaking with either nerves or exhaustion- maybe both?

"Pleasure to meet you hero," Tarlien clasped her hands together, her body tensing as she felt Zelda return from observing a slight commotion below.

"'Tarlien, would you like to explain your visit or should I?" Zelda and 'Lien shared a look, the latter about to break down into tears.

Link watched with confusion as his princess laid a comforting hand on the Zycopian's shoulder.

"I-I think I can manage," Tarlien took a deep breath before locking her gaze with Link, the latter being shocked by the sincerity in her eyes, "I know you are fighting a war with my people and I apologise from the bottom of my heart. This is not how I, my sister or my mother would have wanted it. In fact, you may be aware that Queen Taemara was in the midst of allying our two kingdoms together. The Usurper, her brother Adolmond, killed her before that alliance could be sealed. He stole the throne from my sister and has cursed our kingdom. My sister was saved by my mother entombing her in a crystal forged from the last of her magic. Hero of Time, Princess Zelda, I desperately need your help if I am to save the kingdom of Zyconia, my kingdom, from his treacherous clutches and safely return my sister to the throne that belongs to her. "

Zelda smiled, laying a hand on the female's shoulder, "you have my assistance my dear. Tell me what you need and I will see to it that everything I can do to help will be done. I hope to seal that alliance with Zyconia one day."

Tarlien smiled, "do you know anything about a key. I think it has something to do with my mother and my sister. I was listening to the conversation of the Eldrin Castle and heard it be mentioned."

Zelda tapped her fingers absentmindedly before her eyes widened, "come with me, both of you."

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The trio had delved deep into the castle of Hyrule until they reached a long room filled with bookshelves and scrolls. Link watched as Tarlien gazed around in awe of Hyrule Castle's library like she'd never seen so many books in one place. The Hero of Time wasn't sure what to think about the Zyconian. He could tell Zelda trusted her and something told him that she wasn't lying when she explained her reasoning for being in Hyrule. Yet, something still told him to be careful. 

"I think I know what you're referring to," Zelda led them to the back of the room where she pulled out a scroll.

On the withered yellow papyrus, surrounded by writing in an ancient tongue, a drawing of a circular object that had been split into three halves existed.

"This is Taemara's key. It existed long before Taemara, your mother, found it but it was her who found a use for the artifact. After you were born, she had a vision: something dark going to use Zyconia to achieve a great evil. She saw that you would be the one to save both your kingdom and Hyrule. But you could not do this alone, you would need all the help you could get. To aid you, she created something to help harness your true potential but the Usurper found out and she had to hide it, sealing it away. Breaking the key into three pieces, she hid them away where only chosen could retrieve them," Zelda turned to fix her wise gaze on Tarlien, "if you want to save your kingdom, find these shards and gain your true power. For the sake of both of our kingdoms, do not let Adolmond succeed for the consequences would re-write history forever. Link, Hero of Time, Saviour of Hyrule, go with Tarlien and help her as much as you can."