#005 The Cost of Freedom [Plot]

[Gael †]

NO MOMENT IS THE SAME AS THE ONE AFTER IT.

The halls of the Zora Palace were quiet as a crypt; not a man was in sight, the only sounds coming from his own boots as Gael walked past the throne room to slip into the council chamber. He did not wear his armor as usual, instead wearing only a dark blue button-up tunic and his normal sword belt on his hip. Though he appeared no different, his demeanor had changed drastically since his run in with his brother in Hyrule.

It had been at least a few weeks, but Gael still got little sleep past the nightmares that tormented him -- the images of his allies' bodies scattered over the floor, and the fear he felt against that Twili Witch caused him a great amount of trauma after the events. But life continues, and Gael had to go over what happened with the council elders that ordered his actions in the first place.

Stepping into the room, his blue eyes scanned over the chairs filled with Zora elders. Respected men and women that made up the council, they all were nobility of the people, and dedicated to better the Zora realm. Ever since the death of his father, they supposedly worked close with his mother to serve the people, but more and more they found her absent, and they were forced to do what was right. They brought in Gaelio several months prior and together planned the confrontation of Eleazar.

A lump grew in his throat, eyes travelling from face to face as he examined each of the esteemed Zora elders. His title as prince was certainly not compromised, yet he couldn't help but feel some uneasiness in their obvious display of dissatisfaction.

After his announcement, a quick motion was made and all of the elders sat in their designated seats, as well as the crown prince who adjusted himself into it.

It was time to get it over with.

"I am sure that it would be known by now that my mission in Hyrule has failed. Eleazar still lives; though while my details were not to kill him, but rather subdue him, I have completed neither."

Immediately whispers were shared among them, weighted glances followed by an elder man clearing his throat. "Yes we are all aware of your failure My Prince, however, that is not what you had gathered us to tell now is it?"

Fingers found comfort atop the hilt of his blade he wore, eyes closing to witness in his mind the occurrences of that night. He was right, there was so much more he had to tell them, to make them known.

"Correct my lord. I came here to retell you what happened, and just who it is we are facing. My failure has led to something terrifying."

And so he told them. Of Eleazar's power, and of the manifestation of a Goddess.

@tag // Notes:

MADE BY NOVA

[googlefont=Roboto]

[Majora]

i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

❝

"Well, this most certainly sounds like a problem, doesn't in, Prince?"

The Zora that had spoken crossed her legs, blue hair shifting as she rested her chin on her hands. She was well recognized as a leader of a small village of Zora in the Zora Sea, having taken over after her husband had died. She was well-liked, and admittedly beautiful. What no one in the council knew, though, was her real purpose there.

Or who was doing the thinking for her.

Foolish prince, your council is already mine. Even your own people are my mask, dear. Now let's play.

"But I'm sure you sense our doubt of what you have to tell us, Prince. Your own brother is too far gone, and you didn't do the one thing that would ensure the safety of our people. If what you say is true, then your brother is too far gone, and you have endangered us all. We not only have to deal with a mad prince, but now a rogue Goddess? Our well-being was in your hands, and you dropped it."

She sat back, looking around at the council members, no thought of the actual leader present as Majora dictated her words, with delicate precision.

"I see no reason to trust him again with our people and their lives. Now, prince, tell me what reason I should trust you, or we'll be glad to have you, so long as you hold your fool tongue."

Kura Hyrule † Gael † ● bad bitch has arrived ● word count

[attr="class","mizocredits"]

MADE BY MIZO

[newclass=.mizocredits]width:90px;padding:1px;border:1px solid #969696;margin:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.mizocredits a]color: #d3f4ff;font: bold 6pt calibri; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase;[/newclass]

[Gael †]

NO MOMENT IS THE SAME AS THE ONE AFTER IT.

Teeth bared against one another, his jaw clenched tightly in agitation that he did not care to show so easily. This zora, was a woman he did not know personally, so he had little clues as to who she was and what she was like. At the moment, she was berating him without a second thought, reminding him that he was currently nothing than a manipulated puppet until he took up the throne, -- an act that his mother unintentionally caused.

"Let us not pretend that this is about trust, My Lady," he responded with coldly, "Fate of that day was decided not just by my hands, but by those of the Hylian Queen, Zelda."

Gael shifted uneasily, adjusting the tunic he wore at his belt before resting his hands on the table in front of him, "By now I am sure you all know of her survival of five years past. I have no reason to not suspect that word has either passed your ears or you were made aware by any advance made by the Heroes of Hyrule."

He stayed off a fleeting chuckle, actually finding it amusing to say the guild's name out loud. How exactly were they heroes of any sort?

"We should use our time wisely to plan a counter advancement against Eleazar. I'm sure with our forces we can strip him of what influence he has over Hyrule, so that the Hero can be free to fight Majora without interference."

@tag // Notes:

MADE BY NOVA

[googlefont=Roboto]

[Majora]

i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

❝

"We are well aware of the survival of Princess Zelda, and what her folly has wrought. Common folk may not be privy to such information, but the waters bring information to Zora ears faster than word of mouth. Weeks has it been, but my eyes and ears know what you have told me."

Majora smirked, and her Zora puppet did in kind, leaning forward on the table to rest her chin on folded hands. Her gaze seemed like it was piercing into Gael, though she remained her composure. She had to, getting this right was crucial to her agenda. A chain of events had to be put into motion for this to work.

"But, your Highness, as joyous as the news of the survival of the Princess and her Hero is, I can't help but be concerned about your... Direction. Zelda may have a hand in this, but we are not a council who decides the repercussions of Hylian diplomacy. We are, first and foremost, the protectors, judges, and leaders of the Zora people. Hyrule has never concerned us, as the seas are domain, yet you flounder about on land as if you were part of Princess Zelda's retinue. Your priority is your people, your Highness, but your foresight is clouded by the need for revenge against your brother."

Her posture changed, as she sat back in her chair, pondering her thoughts, before the smile was wiped off her face. Her pieces were in place. She just had to put him in check. Slowly, she stood, and pointed at him.

"As a member of this council, and in the best interest of the Zora, I deem you, Gaelio Undine, unfit for a role of such power. It is apparent you have a conflict of interest, one that would possess you to put the lives of Zora at risk when this is clearly Hyrule's problem. Let them deal with the Goddess as they will, and let us prosper in the depths as we have for centuries."

Kura Hyrule † Gael † ● bad bitch has arrived ● word count

[attr="class","mizocredits"]

MADE BY MIZO

[newclass=.mizocredits]width:90px;padding:1px;border:1px solid #969696;margin:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.mizocredits a]color: #d3f4ff;font: bold 6pt calibri; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase;[/newclass]

[Gael †]

NO MOMENT IS THE SAME AS THE ONE AFTER IT.

A crash of wood echoed in the cavernous structure they sat in; the image of Gael lifting from his seat, his chair flying from his back to collide with the ornate flooring. His fist found the table they gathered around, but his eyes remained on the treacherous figure before him. "How dare you! Everything I do is for MY people! You were only given a second thought upon my father's deathbed by the graciousness of the Queen. Do not attempt to undermine my power here!"


His voice, while demanding, was only responded by a fleeting gurgle as the man next to him cleared his throat. "Your highness, let us not forget that you are not the King YET," he smirked, enjoying the folly game that his fellow ambassador made, "It was a royal decree that gave us the authority to act until you were crowned. That is what was said for the betterment of the Zora people. Perhaps being amongst your own kind has clouded your judgement."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, eyes staring in disbelief as their presence hung over him like a dark wave of water. "You are proposing to turn your backs to Hyrule when it was one of your own Kin that brought them to their knees?" he responded, trying to find some amount of pragmatism in the discussion.

"You have it all wrong, My Lord, if this was about kin, then you would still be bottom feeding off of the floor like when the Queen first brought you here. Eleazar is Hyrule's problem now, we wash our hands of him."

"You are Foolish!" Gael exclaimed, his emotions driving him forward to grip at the tight black tunic of the council man. Though no sooner did his fingers tighten around the fabric he found himself pulled back by the cold snare of a Zora guard.

A treasonous act played out by the young Zora Prince.

@tag // Notes:

MADE BY NOVA

[googlefont=Roboto]