How A Princess Fights.

Changes.

Siren gave Pike a quick kiss on the cheek before ushering everyone else out of the room. Link raised an eyebrow at how much more confident Pike seemed now and how the Gerudo woman had kissed him.

"That means you, Princess..." Pike sighed as he saw that Zelda was still attached to Link via his hand.

Pike gestured to the door and Zelda stood up reluctantly. She gave Link's hand a squeeze, to which Link returned before she left the room.

"You've changed..." Link croaked with a warm smile.

"Maybe a bit..." Pike shrugged as he lifted his basket onto the bed next to him.

He begun to take out new bandages and half a dozen bottles of medicine, all different colours. Pike carefully unwrapped the dirty bandages from Link's body. Link hissed every few seconds but he bit his lip hard so as to swallow the pain.

"I'm sorry..." Pike sighed as he begun to clean the wounds that were crusty with blood.

Most of Link's cuts, burns and bruises were healing over now and Link no longer required so many bandages over him. Pike dressed the stubborn wounds and made sure they were dosed up with the right ointments and mixtures before he put the new, clean bandages on.

"So who's she?" Link gave Pike a sly smirk as he begun to blush.

Pike had almost forgot that Link didn't know Siren. Pike's cheeks heated up as he suddenly became shy. Link chuckled through the pain. As he saw Pike, one of his oldest friends, being afraid to tell him.

"That's Siren, former commander of the Gerudo forces..." Pike shrugged, trying to play it cool.

"You know what I mean..." Link sighed hoarsely, "Who is she to you?"

"Siren is... My partner..." Pike spoke softly, the last part of his sentence was barely audible but Link managed to pick it up.

Pike was about to pick up his medicine basket and hurry off when Link insisted he stay. Giving up, Pike set the basket down and the two talked about how much they were all afraid for Link's life and what Link had missed in the past year.

***

Zelda groaned in anger as she beat her fist down on the table, making all the council members sitting round her jump. They all stood round a huge war table, a map of Hyrule spread over the surface and figures representing both her and  Ganondorf's army were placed on top.

So far, thousands of Gerudo were stationed in the desert and near Hateno Village. Thousands of Bokoblin hoards were scattered over Hyrule with many gathered round Hateno. The most concerning thing was how much of Ganondorf's forces were moving towards Death Mountain, towards Goron City.

Zelda did have armies of her own but they were to far scattered and outnumbered to get to Goron city in time for the inevitable attack. Zora warriors were posted in Lake Hylia and some were swimming up small rivera for reconnaissance. The Royal Guard were mostly gathered round the Castle but many squadrons had been placed with vulnerable villages and towns for protections.

Rito Village still hadn't contacted Hyrule Castle and no representatives had been sent. Zelda feared that the Rito had sided with Ganondorf and if so, that would mean more enemies to add to her list.

Zelda looked back over to the part of the map holding Goron city. Within a few days, they would be surrounded, and she knew that they did not have enough warriors to follow fight them off.

She looked to rocky mountains opposite Death Mountain wherein the city of Pallon sat. It's people were wealthy as they prospered from the jewels in their mines. They were neighbors of the Gorons and had hundreds, maybe thousands of Hylian soldiers at their disposal. Because they lived in the mountains, with only one side exposed rather than Death Mountain that was exposed on all sides, it would be a great defensive position.

However, their leader, Lord Edward, refused to give his armies over to Zelda. Though he had sworn his alliance to Zelda, he still wouldn't risk the lives of his men for her.

Zelda couldn't just let the Gorons die, she had to do something to save them.  She would do anything for her people, anything to save them even if it cost her life...

"Dismissed..." Zelda sighed as she looked up at the council members.

One by one, they all filed out. All were discussing battle plans and ideas on how to organise themselves..

"Lord Edward..." Zelda sighed, gesturing for the proud, aloof man to stay, "May I talk to you?"

"Certainly, Zelda..." He spoke with his signature smug smile on his face.

Zelda winced. He was the only member of her council, beside Impa and Link, to call her by her name and not her title. Lord Edward certainly had courage to disrespect her like that but he knew that she wouldn't retaliate because he knew she needed his loyalty.

She felt her voice hitch in her throat as her mouth felt dry. She bit down on her quivering lip so as to not whimper. She knew what she must do to get him to give her his army. She would have to give him what all proud, stuck-up men like Lord Edward wanted.

"What is it, Zelda?" Lord Edward questioned as he came to her side.

Zelda felt faint as she felt tears well up in her eyes. She looked away from him so he could not see her weak before she spoke.

"If we were to forge a union in marriage, would you give me control of your army?"