The Legend of Zelda: The Silent Princess

Not Over Yet

I was amazed as we reached the castle. Bolson must have gotten a lot of help. The halls were cleared and it almost looked like no damage had been done to it. However, I did not think we would be using the castle as intended.

"So where is this cavern?" I asked, turning to Bolson and Karson.

"Down in the catacombs. We were moving rocks and BAM-- the whole wall crumbled!" Karson cried.

I took a shaky breath in. Of course, it was down in the catacombs. No doubt the tunnel was either created by the Yiga Clan or the place they had been searching for. Building confidence, I turned to Link.

"We might as well check it out."

Link peered over at Bolson, "Just how long is this tunnel?"

Bolson shrugged, "Can't say, but you'll probably need as many torches as you can find along with supplies."

He walked across the bridge over the moat, entering the grounds of the castle. We followed him through the area, noticing that all of the guardians had been moved into a pile. None of them seemed to be functioning.

With the paths cleared in the castle, we easily made it into the catacombs. Inside waited the Goron Greyson. He looked terrified as he stood next to the tunnel opening. Greyson jumped when he heard us coming.

"Oh, I thought you were monsters! This place creeps me out! Can I go back to Tarrey Town yet, Bolson?"

"Of course you can!" Bolson sang sweetly.

Greyson didn't wait for Bolson to change his mind before he booked it. My eyes drifted over to the gap in the wall just behind where Mother lay in peace. The cavern went down at a steep slope. I squinted my eyes to see in the dim light, but then Link came behind me with a torch.

I smiled gratefully and went into the cavern just a bit. My hand traced along the edges. The design was different than those in the catacombs. In fact, they appeared to be the same style as the Zonai structures.

I turned back into the room, and my eyes met up with Bolson, "Speak of this to no one. Instead of rebuilding the castle, I suggest we form an outlook just outside of Castle Town. There are some other projects I have in mind as well."

Bolson scratched at the hairs on his chin, "I see, we'll draw up some plans then."

"Good. If you need us, we'll be in the library."

"You're not going down there later, are you?" he questioned, looking into the darkness.

"Not today. Who knows, it may lead to nothing at all," I turned to Link, "Are you ready?"

Bolson separated from us along our way to the library. Great apprehension tugged at my chest as I thought about all the possibilities of what was in the tunnel below. Before we ventured into the unknown, I knew it was wise to research first. There were still many things I did not know about Hryule's history.

When Link and I entered the library, I went straight to Father's secret study. Link watched as I flipped through pages of books and scanned dusty scrolls. I coughed from the dust that flew at me after I slammed a book against the desk. I came across Father's journal and read over the last words he wrote.

My panic faded as a sad pit took its place. Father was going to let me study the relics when I returned from Mt. Lanayru. He planned to comfort me and tell me we'd find another way. I sighed, carefully closing the journal.

Coming away from the desk, I went over to the large bookstand where a heavy, torn, and burnt book rested. I remembered seeing the book once before. It discussed the most crucial events and legends of Hyrule's history such as the first Calamity Ganon and the Imprisoning War. However, the words were either missing altogether or the ink had faded, making the majority of the book illegible.

I sighed, starting to close it as I did the others, but then a loose page fell onto the floor. I hurriedly picked it up so it wouldn't be damaged more than it already was. That's when I noticed my name written on the document, and thankfully I could read some parts of the paper.

Zelda,

As you know, the castle of Hyrule contains various secrets and magical artifacts. Only the king and queen are given the information of where these treasures lie from those who ruled before them, but there is one secret that can never be revealed and must always be protected. It is concealed deep under the castle. What we, the Royal Family, have kept there is a mystery even us. All we know is that it must remain that way for the sake of our land. No one must discover it.

I tried to read the rest of the letter, but it was of no use. For all I knew Mother had written this letter before she died, intending for it to be passed on to me when I took the crown. Or perhaps her mother had given it to her. Whatever the case, it was clear we needed to be cautious about exploring areas under the castle.

Carefully, I handed the paper to Link. I was aware that this message was meant for the Royal Family, but Link was my family, and it was better that he knew. After he finished reading, he handed it back to me. I stuck the paper back under the cover of the book.

"We can't be sure if that tunnel is connected to this letter, but I'd rather not take any risks. We've only just defeated Calamity Ganon, and Hyrule needs time to readjust."

"What should we do about the tunnel then?"

I sucked in a breath, "For now, we'll seal any of the tunnels that lead underneath the castle. We'll only explore the depths if we must. It seems, our journey is not over just yet."

Vote, comment, and here's a beautiful piece of fan art. I wish I knew who drew it, but it's hard to track down the artists of the pictures I've posted since so many people have used these images and posted them on various sites with no credit given to the artist.