Getting through the gates of the castle had been easy because the guards recognized Malon, the same was true of the guards at the drawbridge. They rode into the castle and stopped when they were in a large inner courtyard. Two servants helped the girls dismount, and then the horses were led into the stables which were to the left. Malon and Leeva at first just stood still and looked around.

There were many servants hurrying about some were dressed better than others, which was a sign of where they worked in the castle: inside or out. Several guards were there as well; however, they were dressed in more decorative armor, due to their being stationed within the castle. To the left were large wooden doors, through which the horses had been led. This led to a fenced in area of the castle- the stables- that consisted of out buildings for the animals, carriages, and the homes of the servants who tended to them. There was a gate from the corral, which led directly onto the hills nearby. In front of the girls was an ornately carved entrance way, gilt in gold, it led directly into the Great Hall- the largest room in the castle which had doorways to nearly every other part of the building. The doorway the girls wanted was another one though, one to their right. The stone throughway they stood on had a smaller path attached to it, which led to a small and unguarded door. So after spending a moment to take in the sights, they walked swiftly through it.

On the other side of that doorway was a grassy courtyard with no one else in it. Here nobility could stroll in peace, with only the occasional guard to interrupt their alone time. Sculpted bushes and well-groomed flowers and tress lined the flagstone paths, while fountains and sculptures decorated the rest of the lawn. The song of birds filled the air, and delicate butterflies flitted about.

Although Leeva and Malon had both seen things just as grand before, they were both in awe of the beauty of the place, but because of the urgency of why they had come the girls didn’t look around very much, and hurried around the corner to an inner part of the garden. Here a small stream of water ran was directed in almost a complete circle around the ground, and a small platform was raised next to the wall. On a bench, which was shaded by a willow tree, a young woman sat playing a lyre and humming to herself.

Leeva felt suddenly anxious and concerned, she was almost afraid to meet the crowned princess. Malon walked over to the bench, and stood in front of the girl, then she stopped playing and stood up to hug Malon. Meanwhile, Leeva stayed at the entryway, so she could only see Malon talking to the girl, she couldn’t hear what they said, or see the girl’s face, because it was blocked by tree branches. Then Malon came back to her.

“Come on, the princess wants to talk to you.” So the two walked the short distance to the other girl. Malon smiled and she said, “My lady Zelda, this is my friend Leeva, who I’ve told you so much about. And Vea, this is Zelda, crowned Princess of all Hyrule.”

Leeva had inclined her head politely to show respect, and then she looked up. Her eyes intently studied Zelda’s face, and the Princess studied her face with equal curiosity. They had many similarities, beyond hair color and having the same height, their faces and eyes had the same shape. As far as differences go, theirs were very minor. Leeva’s hair was cut short, while Zelda wore hers long and curled. Zelda’s skin was fair and smooth, while Leeva’s skin was tanned and scarred from being outside and fighting regularly.

“Well,” Leeva began when she was ready. “I always heard that we looked similar, now I know it was true.”

Zelda smiled a little, “I agree. I can see that you weren’t lying Malon.” She paused for a moment and then with her gentle voice said, “Well come, sit. There is a reason why you have come and I would like to hear it. First however, I would like to know about you. You are a Shiekah, right?”

As they sat down Leeva answered. “Yes I am your grace.”

“I could tell, granted Malon told me, but your entire manner is like them. What was it like to be raised by the Sheikah?” For a moment Leeva hesitated, uncertain if she wanted to reveal her story to a stranger. Zelda realized Leeva’s hesitance, so she added, “It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me.”

The girl tilted her head to the side and chewed on her lip softly. “No, it’s fine. Part of it is why I’m here anyway. I’m an orphan; my mother died giving birth and my father died before that in a rock climbing accident on Death Mountain. They had lived in Kakariko Village, and since I had no family the Sheikah raised me. They trained me in all of their ways until I was eight, because when I was eight Malon’s family saw me being trained and they asked if they could be allowed to raise me. They thought I wasn’t having a proper childhood, and they believed that they could give me one. My guardians agreed, and Malon’s family raised me as if I was another daughter. When I was thirteen though I returned to Kakariko to finish my training and become a true Sheikah. From there I went on various quests to different parts of the world. Eventually I got a place in town and I live there when I’m not on another adventure.”

“That sounds like fun. I wish I’d be allowed to do things like that,” Zelda said with a grin.

Leeva nodded, and smiled back, but then she became gravely serious. That’s when she told the princess exactly why she had come. Zelda’s face fell and she stood up and began to pace slowly as she bit one of her fingers.

She faced the other two who were still sitting on the bench and with tears brimming in her eyes she cried out to them. “This can not happen! The conference is for peace, why would he want to bring back that horrible monster! We must go to the temple to consult with the sages and find answers. In times like this the ancient hero is supposed to come back and help us. My dreams must not be allowed to come to pass.”

Leeva stood up and walked over to the Princess. “Dreams, what kind of dreams?” Her voice was intense, and she stared at the Princess with a strange expression.

Zelda cast her eyes onto the ground and pushed at the grass with a slippered foot. Tears had started to fall, and she couldn’t hide it any more. For a moment she didn’t say anything, but then with a shaking voice she replied. “It has always been a gift in my family to have dreams that predict the future. For the past few weeks I’ve had nightmares which have been dreadful. In them I see Hyrule burning and people dying. I can see people crying and, and my father dies.”

She looked back up at Leeva, and at Malon who was now standing beside her. “I will not allow those dreams to come true.” Her voice had an edge of threat in it, which was far different from the tone she normally used.

“I have had dreams as well,” Leeva admitted softly. “I too have seen Hyrule burn and people die. I have also seen the death of someone I care about very much. At the end of those dreams though, I have seen peace.” She offered a hand to Zelda, who accepted it. “I pledge to you that as a Sheikah I will not allow this land to fall to Galon, or Ganon.”

Malon placed her hand on top of theirs. “I too will not allow our land to be conquered.”

Zelda bowed her head solemnly. “Then the three of us will go tomorrow before dawn to seek the wisdom of the sages. However I still have to do my duty as the heir to the throne of Hyrule and go to the banquet tonight. The two of you must come with me so that I can remain calm. Are you willing?”

“Yes your grace,” they both replied.

Then Zelda forced a smile and tried to appear happier. “Well then, lets go back to my apartments so that we can get properly dressed.”

She went back to the bench and picked up her lyre. As she was doing so Malon said, “I thought we could wear the dresses we have on.”

The Princess cocked her head and looked at her friend incredulously. “Malon, I think my dresses are better than yours. Besides which, it’s not like I don’t have enough for the two of you to wear. Come on.” So the three walked through a nearby door and up two flights of spiraling stairs. Then they entered Zelda’s rooms.

So, I've had this chapter for months and my beta never betaed it, so I'm posting it. I know 99 of how I want the story to go, and I have the entire map of it in my mind. How long it'll take me to write with all I'm doing I don't know, but I promise that I'll write it.

Thanks to rAnd0mN3sS and Blondie91 for your reviews!

Blondie 91-- Shekiah are not exactly a different race, they are called "the shadows of Hylians" or something like that. Remember that Zelda in OoT became a Sheikah. In this story, Sheikah are guardians to the royal family and their sworn duty is to protect Hyrule and its people with their lives. Leeva was raised to be a Sheikah (and they all have red eyes), and even though she didn't complete her training until she was 13, she went through enough training that her eyes were red instead of the color she was born with (which is why she doesn't remember it) There is a lot more that you'll learn about Leeva and the Sheikah throughout this story, so please be patient with me while it develops.