The rise of a Hero

Chapter 16

Knight's Code of Honour

14.The word of the knight is sacred. It neither can nor should be doubted.

oOo

Three weeks had passed since the first meditation experience. During this period, the days that followed were mostly similar: Link accompanied the princess in her research within the castle or its surroundings, or escorted her during prayer sessions. He occasionally crossed paths with Gautier and Conrad and shared moments with them, or saw Cassius who never hesitated to share his new poem with the princess.

On the Yiga Clan matter, the assassins seemed to remain lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment, making the investigation slow to progress. Link remained vigilant. As for his relationship with Zelda, their friendly bond had the opportunity to strengthen over the days. Being together almost all the time contributed to that, even though Link hadn't turned into a great conversationalist. He had to send his Royal Guard uniform to the Guard's office as it had become too small. Fortunately, his Champion's tunic still fit him since it was a bit big when the princess had given it to him.

This calm period might have lasted longer if a new wave of monsters hadn't arrived from the north. For that reason, the king convened all his generals as well as Link and his fellow royal guards. The young man had the opportunity to wear his newly fitted uniform for the occasion. This meeting didn't concern the Champion he was, but the knight. Link was aware of that and had to bid farewell to the princess for the rest of the day. So, it was with a certain pressure that he made his way to the throne room to join his peers and superiors. As a Champion, he held authority over all. But as a knight, that was a different matter...

Link entered the immense room where an impressively large round table had been set up. The servants had likely assembled it during the night for this particular event. Immediately, the heavy atmosphere struck Link, the voices of the various officers were like unpleasant buzzing, weighing down on the young man. He, in self-defense, could only maintain his impassive expression. He took a seat on a chair at random and patiently awaited the start of the meeting. Gradually, the other men followed suit, though they didn't stop talking amongst themselves. The impending battle was at the center of their discussions. After long minutes of waiting, the king finally appeared and took his seat on an imposing chair reserved for him. Instantly, all fell silent, ready to listen:

"My dear friends, I declare this war council open," he began in a solemn tone.

Some officers had brought sheets where they had studied strategies, noted the number of troops, or equipment available. Link had none of that, and fortunately, he wasn't the only one.

"Yesterday, we learned of the arrival of new enemies on our lands. More numerous and better equipped," the king continued, his gaze sweeping over his officers. "As before, they have set up a well-fortified temporary camp according to our scouts. It appears they intend to split up and attack the surrounding villages in smaller groups."

A wave of indignation passed through the thirty or so present nobles. Once again, they wouldn't let them achieve their goals.

"To stop them, I need your advice. We can't wage a battle like the ones before, they've prepared for that eventuality."

One of the officers asked for the floor and proposed his idea.

"We could use our cannons to put pressure on them and scatter them. Then it would be a matter of finishing them off."

"That's impossible, it would take nearly a day to move our artillery," countered another officer. "Most of our equipment is in the Akkala Citadel, it would take too long to bring down the cannons and find horses to pull them."