Hello all my dearest friends and readers! I am finally back with the next chapter I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight Princess…

Outside Pandora's Box

The council room had become so quiet that Zelda swore the only thing she heard was her own heartbeat.

Choleea becoming a concern to the point of having a meeting was the last thing on her mind.

"Exactly, what doubts are you having about my daughter?" the Princess asked rather harshly.

"Your Highness, while we indeed admire Choleea, we feel that she is not capable of taking your place as Hyrule's next princess."

With her blood already starting to boil, Zelda responded as calmly as she possible could.

"What do you mean she is not capable of taking my place as Hyrule's next princess?"

Seeing that they had already struck a nerve, the council was reluctant to answer her.

"Well?"

After gathering up the courage, another one of the older council members spoke up.

"It's just that with the way she has been growing up, her high intelligence, and her mutism-like habit, she doesn't seem like she would be able to continue in your footsteps."

Slowly rising from her chair, Zelda takes a deep breath before once again facing the group of people in front of her.

"Listen to me very carefully. Link and myself were worried about Choleea at first, but we learned to accept that she is unique and keep in mind that all of her abilities were something that neither Link or myself could control.

Before anyone could contradict what Zelda said, the Princess slammed her gloved hands on the table.

"Choleea is a very young child that still has a lot of growing up to accomplish.

Taking another deep breath, the Princess turns away from the table.

"I no longer wish to speak of this, and unless Choleea has done anything that would bring harm to the kingdom, she will not be mentioned again. This meeting is over."

. . .

That night, Link had noticed that his wife had been rather quiet. He learned that Zelda had a council meeting while him and Choleea were outside, and figured her silence was most likely due to something the council brought up that was unexpected.

How right he was…

After a while of watching the Princess run a brush through her hair, Link decided to try and find out what's going on.

"Did something happen at the council meeting?"

With a sigh, Zelda places the brush on the table, and turns toward her husband.

"The council believes that Choleea isn't capable of taking my place."

A look of confusion quickly appeared on Link's face.

"Why would they think that?"

Rising from the chair, Zelda walks to the foggy window and stared at the falling snowflakes.

"It turns out that they had high doubts about her and because of her growth development and her silent behavior, the council doesn't see her following in my footsteps."

Realizing that he was right, Link knew that talking to his wife in her current state wasn't going to be easy.

"They're making Choleea sound like she's a demon or some other evil being. We all knew that she was different, but eventually grew to accept it. Besides, why would they bring this up after four years?"

"Honestly, Link I have no idea. When I read the letter, I hoped that it was a cruel prank. But when I found out it was sincere and what the council had to say, the feeling of being bound with heavy chains overcame me." Zelda replied with her eyes still fixated on the icy fluff outside.

Seeing that she was about to cry, Link rises from the couch and joins her at the window, taking one of her hands quickly afterwards.

"I am aware that there are still some things about the council I still don't know, but from what you just told me, it seems like they are no doubt beside their statements, and at the same time using them as a way to mess with your feelings and cause you to question being a mother."

After taking in what her husband just said, Zelda takes her hand out of his grip and turns towards him again.

"Do you really think that?"

Meeting his wife's gaze, Link takes her hand again.

"In truth, I really do. While it is understandable that they have doubts about or decision to marry, but I feel that when they got the news that you were pregnant, they had their own vision of what the baby was going to be. The council had their own criteria and clearly Choleea didn't meet that."

At that, Zelda closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"But what can we do? It's not like we can just toss Choleea out like trash and have another child."

With a sad sigh, Link released Zelda's hand and pulled her into his arms.

"Honestly, I don't think there is anything we can do."

. . .

The issue with Choleea and the council had continued to invade Link and Zelda's minds. While they were convinced that there was pretty much nothing they could do, the Hero and the Princess still had the glimmer of hope that there would be something they could do, and that they just had to be patient.

. . .

While Link and Zelda were stressed and worried inside the castle, the people in the marketplace were a completely different story.

The snow had finally ended and the warmth of the sun was starting to arrive, which made the citizens even happier. Now that the weather had changed for the better, all the shops were opening, animals were coming out to play, street vendors were walking around, trying to sell various items, and music was happily playing. It looked like one giant carnival.

"It would be too difficult to plan out."

The gray wolf quietly sat under a dying tree in the castle's graveyard thinking about the current situation. Closing his piercing blue eyes, the gray wolf slows down his breathing, eventually entering a meditative state.

Once his mind started to roam, several memories began to swim through.

The very first time he saw the Princess and how quickly he fell in love with her, despite being a wolf at the time.

When he saw how selfless she was when she saved both his traveling companion and her closest friend.

How he continued to think about her throughout the journey.

When he was forced to fight her when she had been manipulated into trying to kill him in cold blood.

When he first saw her as a human and how he managed to fall in love with her even more.

When they held hands in the realm of purity.

How she fought alongside him using her spiritual magic.

When they traveled back to the castle after saying farewell to their companion and friend.

The gray wolf opened his eyes and looked at the grave in front of him.

"A Cursed Swordsman Rests Beneath A Sacred Tree."

This grave spoke to him in a way that he could hear.

He felt very connected to the old, fragile grave to the point where he had considered it a prized possession.

Closing his eyes again, the gray wolf re-enters the meditative state and was soon met with more memories.

The Princess offering him to live with her and her reaction when he agreed to do so.

The day of their wedding and how beautiful she looked in her white dress.

The night when they unknowingly created their daughter,

When he learned that he was going to be a father and how happy he felt.

The wolf once again opened his eyes and stared at the grave.

"You who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded."

His eyes closed again.

The night their daughter was born and watching her grow up to the child she is now.

The snowy day when she found out that he is the gray wolf in her stories and how quickly she accepted that fact.

Now there are doubts about his daughter being the next sole ruler of Hyrule and he didn't know what to do.

His eyes opened again.

"You who have marched through countless foes, each mightier than the last."

Suddenly the wolf was reminded of his purpose.

His purpose…

He was born to protect Hyrule.

He was born to marry the Princess.

He was born to father the future ruler of Hyrule.

He was born to put Hyrule at peace.

His wife and daughter…

It's his job to make things right, to solve this issue.

The wolf slowly walks out of the graveyard and back to the garden's hidden tunnel.

"Go and do not falter my child!"

I hope you enjoyed it!

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