A Lesson Concerning Projectiles (OPEN)

Adjoined to the Throne Room of Hyrule Castle was a small hall, connected by a set of heavy oak door beautifully carved with floral motifs. It was originally used as a storage room of sorts, or a place where a small battalion of soldiers could be stationed in the case of a planned ambush to the throne room. Princess Marianne, however, had no need of such things. A few days after the Twilight Table ended she ordered this small hall to be cleared and also for the wide table to be moved there, repurposing it as a kind of a study room. Now that the throne room was empty more often than not, with King Leon busy campaigning here and there, and Princess Beatrix never one to disturb herself with day-to-day affairs, there was a tacit understanding among the castle populace that this room had become the unofficial center of the whole kingdom. It was to this room that dignitaries and scribes and envoys were brought to be received by Princess Marianne. In effect, the Throne had become just another room to be passed through: Princess Marianne's Audience Chamber was their goal.

It was a rather pleasant room, too. Although the stony walls of the hall were bare, the hall itself was dry and warm, with the many windows up high positioned in such a way that it allowed sunlight to enter from dawn till dusk while keeping the wind away. A small fireplace was placed on the left to be lit as needed, although at present it had no fire. Dominating the hall was a massive wooden table, the Twilight Table. It was last used by Marianne’s call after almost a century of absence. During the Twilight Table proceedings, in which basically the entire government of the kingdom was summoned in one place, the table creaked with the weight of countless tomes and scrolls and parchments detailing anything from maps to kingdom’s budget. Right now it wasn’t burdened as heavily, although there were still voluminous amount of writings and books upon it to overwhelm any scholar.

And today, it seemed that most of scrolls and books on the table concerned a certain fish.

The nobleman cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses.

"So, as I have elaborated before, this shows that, barring a certain restriction be placed, the number of Hyrulean Pike -might I add one of the earliest fish to be recorded in our heralrdy- will continue to plummet. Added by, no doubt, its commercial value and the, I believe, over-exploitation of this fish species for centuries. In my map I have shown you, we can see that the sightings of Hylian Pike, recorded by trusted sources, I assure you, has become rarer in certain areas where they are traditionally seen as abundant."

He paused for a while and inhaled deeply. He was about to continue when Princess Marianne cut him.

"Yes. Thank you Lord Attenboro. While I am no doubt very interested in what you are about to present, I think I can understand most of it from your...short...summary. Here."

She pointed at the unbelievably thick stack of parchments in front her. The princess, alone of everyone present in the room, had not listened to the nobleman's passionate presentation, but instead had rapidly and very quickly read through the "summary" given to her at the start, containing all the nobleman's researches. Around her the representatives of Fishermen Guild and the regional judge who had referred the case to her highness turned towards her. Behind her, her personal attendant Miss Eva was holding another set of books, while her Sheikah Guard Chaska leaned on the wall behind, watching everyone in the room with sharp eyes.

The princess picked up a particular parchment from the stacks and held it under her nose.

"There are some things I wish to clarify," she began, "First, how old the Hyrulean Pikes must be before they start to spawn?"

"I believe it is about three years, Your Highness. Though as I have stated before more-"

"And what is the length of a mature Hyrulean Pike, on average?"

"Thirty or forty, Your Highness. But the data-" but Marianne cut him once more.

"Lastly, according to your observation, how many spawning places are left?"

"The data is not very encouraging...," the nobleman stroked his chin, "I'd say thirty areas, at the highest estimate."

"Then, I propose this," Marianne replied, and all eyes were on her. Well, except for Chaska. Hers were vigilant for another reason. "That a Hyrulean Pike over the size of forty be declared unlawful to be caught, and should immediately be released to the wilds. Under the size of forty is still allowed. A quota will be placed by three quarters of the numbers we have. Any areas exceeding the allotted quota will be penalized. Toll officers will be told to record the amount of Hyrulean Pike being carried, and periodic survey will be held in markets to ensure no Hyrulean Pike above the allowed size is being sold."

She paused, for a while, staring at everyone in table each in turn.

"Is there any questions, comments, or concerns that need to be addressed?"

"Three...quarters...?" Lord Attenboro's face almost turned purple with anger, and Marianne's heart sank. "Preposterous! What we need right now, Your Highness, what we urgently in need of, is a total ban on all Hyrulean Pike fishing!"

"Your Highness, please." Now it was the head of Fishermen Guild who spoke. "Hyrulean Pike is one of our most important commodities! If you cut the numbers we can catch as you said, we will starve! Please consider-"

But the princess raised her hand and everyone in the table fell silent.

"Lord Attenboro," she addressed him calmly, "While your excellent researches had elucidated the dire need of Hyrulean perfectly -and it was a solid amount of data- I cannot simply declare Hyrulean Pike illegal to catch. It is too important a staple food. I myself had a Hylian Pike for my breakfast this morning."

Behind her Miss Eva raised her eyebrows. The princess lied. The pressed-for-time princess simply grabbed a loaf of jam bread and munched on it as she began reviewing the new trade tariffs early in the morning.

Marianne then turned towards the head representative of Fishermen Guild, "And while I support your view that Hyrulean Pike had been caught in such numbers since time immemorial and you have not noticed any decrease, the researches Lord Attenboro had done cannot simply be ignored. He could have uncovered a problem we have yet to see. And when the problem did surface, it will be too late to do anything. Your income will be reduced, yes, but there are more kinds of fishes you can catch."

But just as she had finished talking, both Lord Attenboro and Fishermen Guild representative had opened their mouth.

"Your Highness, I implore you to reconsider this-"

"Please Your Highness, think of our children!”

“Very well,” The Princess exhaled, trying her hardest to be patient, “What do you propose?”

“That we ban all fishing of Hyrulean Pike!”

“That we let fishing of Hyrulean Pike as we have always done!”

The Princess closed her eyes tightly, exhaling and inhaling several times. Behind them Miss Eva had moved slightly towards her.

“Until a better proposal can be found,” she said as her eyes opened slowly, “Then my previous proposal will henceforth be enacted unto law.” She glanced the scribes, who furiously wrote each and every word. “That is my decision.”

“This law will be reviewed annually, and until then I rely on your honest observations and measurements.” She stared at all those in the table one by one, lingering a little while on Lord Attenboro. “All of you. We have to cooperate in this together. I hereby declare this meeting adjourned.”

Lord Attenboro bowed gracefully. “Her Highness has spoken. Though I find it in doubtful wisdom, and indeed I shall prove it, I can do naught but, in my good conscience, obey.”

Then he started to walk towards the door. Her servants and colleagues meanwhile, were busy collecting their papers and bowed. The heavy oak door was opened, but as Lord Attenboro walked past, he seemed to have a change of mind. He turned his heels and addressed the princess inside the room once more.

And since the door was opened and he was right in front of Ursula’s waiting party, they would be able to hear all his words.

“Before I go, Your Highness, let it be a weight on your conscience that today, in this fateful day, you may have authorized the extinction of our beautiful, important, history-laden Hyrulean Pike, the heraldic animal of Queen Tamar the Fourth herself. And that it could be, had you not been blinded by nearby gains, that this could be prevented, had you listened to my counsel. Let this rest with you until the end of your days. Farewell.”

Then he went away in the huff, not as much as sparing a glance at Madame von Brandt. Behind him his servants followed, each laden with copious amounts of tomes and scrolls.

Now the regional judge arose from his seat. From the opened door, his words could also be heard by Ursula’s party.

“I thank you, Your Highness, for deigning to hear this case.” He bowed deeply. “I would have discussed it myself, but as you can see, Lord Attenboro invoked his noble rights. And as you know, I don’t understand the matter being discussed as much as you do….”

“We will take our leave, too, Your Highness.” was what the representatives of Fishermen Guild said before bowing low. “And hear us, Your Highness. For appeasing the ego of one eccentric noble you have cut our lifeline in half. When our children died in starvation, they will call for your name and demand for justice. Remember our words, Your Highness. You have sentenced us to poverty and misery. We take our leave.”

And with a nod from the Princess, both the judge and representatives walked out of the chamber. The Royal Guards closed the door, indicating to Ursula and her guests that The Princess would need some time before receiving another visitor again.

Behind closed doors, Marianne and the two sheikah were silent for a while.

Slowly, Miss Eva moved to tidy the princess’ table area.

“Well, that’s taken care of,” she huffed, stacking several tomes at the side, “All that’s left is to write the wording of the law and-“

But as she glanced towards the princess, she noticed that Marianne’s face was ashen pale. Tears had started welling on the edges of her eyes.

“I didn’t really make their children starve, did I?” she whispered.

Miss Eva put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t let it get to you. It was an exaggeration. I am sure they’ll manage.”

Closing her eyes, the princess held the hand on her shoulder as she leaned back on the back of her chair.

“I know, but…” she bit her lips, “I can never please everyone, can I? Why must it be so hard….”

“Because you worked harder than any of our previous rulers combined. Do you want me to read the numbers again? Compare what the kingdom has achieved after you returned and before it?”

Marianne smiled, her eyes still closed. “No, thank you, Miss Eva. We still have much to do. And I disagree. I haven't done half of what Father did, but…thank you.”

“Anytime.” She moved back to stand beside Marianne. “Now to address the Helmasaur in the room...”

The princess opened her eyes. “I’ve told Baron Perseus that Leon will not be returning from Outer Ordon in foreseeable future. And even if he is returning, it will take a few days.” She chewed her lips. “I hope Mrs. von Brandt arrives soon. I need to hear her version of the story. I did read our informants’ reports but-“

Slowly, the great oak door opened. An servant walked into the room.

“Your Highness. Lady von Brandt and her guests have arrived.”

Immediately Marianne stood.

“Let them in, please. I have been expecting them.”

And it tell something that Marianne de Hyrule stood in respect when Ursula von Brandt entered the room. She did not stand when the chief minister of Labrynna entered. She did not stand when other Lords and Ladies of higher standing requested an audience with her. She did not even stand when Prince of Holodrum paid her a visit.

After all, they all did not have the same amount of respect and love Marianne had for Mrs. von Brandt.

For a princess of Hyrule, though, Marianne did not give a strong impression. A rather thin woman of average height, skin somewhat pale from lack of sunlight, she looked absolutely tired and spent. Her hair fell lazily around her face, and though she would have looked really pretty if she dolled up a little, at this time she seemed like someone who had been under a lot of stress for long, although her expression visibly brightened the moment Mrs von Brandt entered the room. Even her dress, a beautifully embroidered red satin dress, seemed to glow a little dull. Her silver eyes, on the other hand, were incredible. Bright and smart, there was no doubt of the brilliant mind humming and turning behind those orbs, already scanning her guests and clearly were making calculated estimates on all aspects of their personality.

And dishing out cold, unfeeling judgments if necessary.

---

A soft 'tch' was heard and Chaska opened her mouth. "They were just being dramatic pansies," she said, which prompted a light chuckle from Marianne. Even Miss Eva's lips curved in a smile. It was something Marianne liked about Chaska. She was a blunt person who didn't afraid to say her thoughts. For the intricacies of the court, it was a breath of fresh air for Marianne.

Well, in certain situations. In other situations it could lead to unnecessary troubles. Thankfully, so far Chaska had proved to be a tactful individual.

"Just don't let Lord Attenboro heard you called him a pansy," chuckled Marianne, "He is very sensitive about his presentation, spending a lot of effort portraying himself as an outdoorsman and a forefront conservationist. I have to admit, though. Most of the time his conclusion is right." She shrugged her shoulders.

***

Marianne's tired face visibly brightened up the moment she saw Mrs. von Brandt entered. Were they not in such an official capacity, she would have run straight towards her and held her hands, all while telling her the daily insults and threats she had received trying to be as impartial as possible. But they were in her Audience Chamber right now, so Marianne settled with a gracious nod.

"Lady von Brandt," she replied, her head lower than she usually used, "Thank you. But were our kingdom to prosper, it will be by the hands of us all."

She clapped her hands and in an instant a servant entered the room, carrying a chair not unlike the Princess' own for Mrs. von Brandt to sit on should she wish it. As for the two criminals...they received no such benefits. They would soon find themselves standing in front of a table full of papers, circled by two stern looking Sheikah, a princess, and Mrs. von Brandt. All eyes were on them. Judging them. Making mental notes about their subtle movements....

"Vladimir Zaharie and Selene Merrows," the princess exhaled as she eased herself to her chair. "I won't lie. You have put us all in quite a situation. I am not sure if I can do anything...."

Her head turned slowly, her gaze passing over Vladimir and eventually stopped at Selene. Marianne’s eyes narrowed as her hands gripped onto each other.

“Throwing someone off a ledge with intention to harm is, by any definition, an assault,” she sighed, her mannerisms not unlike the stern magic teacher beside her. It seemed that over the years they were together Marianne had incorporated some of her mentor’s traits into her own. "And any assault carries a consequence. If we were storybook characters living our own legends, then sure. We might get off with anything." At this her gaze bore especially deep into Selene’s. “But we are not, are we? Thus, consequences. And of all people you two just had to pick Baron Pontius Perseus, Order of Red Lion 1st class, Honorary Defender of The Arcane, and many other things…."

Her expression clearly told how distressing this situation was for the princess. “If Lady von Brandt had not send an advance messenger explaining the situation as quick as she did, I.... I would have believed Baron Perseus, and would have sentenced one of you to hang and the other to hard labor myself.”

As she said so Miss Eva unfurled a scroll and showed the contents to everyone. Sure enough, the grave judgment was there, already inked in black over white. It only needed Marianne’s approval and her personal seal, both of which she had withheld out of concern to her beloved teacher’s image.

Marianne rubbed her tired eyes, stealing a glance to Mrs. von Brandt in-between. “You two owe a debt of gratitude to her. Perhaps more…. You.“ She ordered, pointing at Selene. “Please tell me exactly what had happened. In your own words. Spare no details; it may end up sparing your neck, yet. After that, you-“ her gaze shifted to Vladimir, “-may add your own details.”

“And don’t stare at your feet when you defend yourself,” she chided Selene. “Raise your chin and look at me straight in the eyes like a Roy- Like an honest citizen should.”

---

Marianne watched Selene explaining herself with a flat expression. She did not show encouragement nor did she felt irritated. She only wanted facts, and those silver eyes which peered deep into Selene’s should show it all. Even her blinking was timed to indicate that she was watching all of Selene’s gestures, her nervousness, her disbelief of being involved. It almost seemed like the princess was able to taste her guilt of opening her mouth so that she was brought here.

In many ways, the tired-looking princess somehow still managed to conjured an image of a hawk sizing its prey.

“Baron Perseus was mad. You felt a wind. Then the baron was over the ledge,” she repeated flatly. “I take it you have something to explain about the wind.” She shifted her gaze towards Vlad, clearly noticing his anxiety, his clenching fist, how he rubbed his neck….

"She covered it," he started, by his soon to be grave, he may as well have been a bleeding fish in shark infected waters. "I showed up to see what the mages of this land were about…”

And the moment he finished there was silence for a while.

Then Marianne, very unexpectedly, palmed her face with both of her hands. Both of her elbows were propped on the table.

In an instant the intense aura dissipated.

“So it really was an assault….” She groaned between her fingers. And her tone was so full of despair, so blatantly resigned that it would even elicit sympathy. Or in this case, fear. Since even the princess seemed unable to save them after all. “ ‘A soft push’ you said. It was a wind spell! You cannot just throw everyone who irritates you over a ledge…. Words are one thing. But trying to physically injure someone when you are not even attacked…even I cannot get away easily from that….”

What followed was a brief silence, as the princess breathed heavily on her palms. The sense of despair was so thick it was almost palpable.

“Witnesses implicated both of you in the act….” The princess said, finally raising her tired face. Her eyes then moved towards Ursula. “Lady von Brandt, what do you propose?”

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