Part XI: "The Fury of Our Fathers"

Out of the castle walls they poured, the soldiers of Hyrule. Out they marched to their certain deaths. None of them cared. As long as they were making the sacrafice for their country, they would welcome the end. That was their strength. And their weakness. Had the Hyrulians forgotten their pride, they could have surrendered early and saved the lives of four thousand innocent men. Instead, they fought, and fought well. Just not well enough. The over eight thousand Artronnens proved to be an easy victor over the Hyrulian Army. At the end of a long day of battle, Hyrule Field lay littered with beaten and bloody bodies, most of them Hyrulians. At the crest of the hill overlooking the Hyrule Castle drawbridge stood Duke Arthur Blavidus. His wicked smile told the tale. He was home at last.

The cold breath of silence hung in the air over Hyrule Market. The townspeople knew there had been a battle outside their protective walls. They were oblivious to the result. All they could do was watch the flag.

No words were spoken as the Hyrulian flag was lowered, only to be replaced by the white flag of surrender. The citizens of Hyrule marched solemnly into their homes.

The drawbridge crashing down, the walls shook on their foundations. Across the bridge they came. The new army of Hyrule.

Duke Arthur Blavidus and his elite guard marched up the stairs within Hyrule Castle leaving a trail of blood and dead Hyrulian guards in their wake. They were stopped by a pair of guards in front of the queen's door.

"Are you going to let us in?" Blavidus asked with a wicked smile.

The guard on the right of the door answered him.

"No one is permitted access to..."

He was stopped mid-sentence by Arthur Blavidus's sword being thrust through his abdomen. The other guard met a similar fate with Peter's sword. The two swords were removed in unison, and the formerly living guards slumped to the ground.

"I swear," said Peter," they kept getting dumber the farther up we got."

"I'll say," Blavidus replied. "Not even paying attention to who won the battle. But I guess it makes sense, really. The dumb ones always get promoted to the top."

"Very true," Peter said thoughtfully.

"But none of this matters," said Blavidus, rapidly changing the subject. "Let us see if the queen is home!"

Peter stepped forward, turned the knob, and threw the door ajar. The sight that awaited made every Artronnen present to gasp, and a few to become nauseated.

Laying in her room, in a pool of her own blood, was Queen Zelda. Clutched in her hand was the knife she had used to take her own life.

Duke Arthur Blavidus turned to Peter.

"It seems the Queen won't be joining us after all..."