(You will find much of this story is based on Rome, its politics, lifestyle, and policies. I like Rome =). And so, I decided, that for the rest of this, Rome will be what it is based off of. I hope you enjoy.)

A knock on the door. Zelda awoke with a start. Her eyes blurred and the half of her face she was lying on felt numb. She had slept hard and the air felt cold, winter was coming.

It was the second sunday of that month, and so the council would convene for military matters. Over recent months, her military policy had been given little favor by the elected members of the senate. Corrupted beaurocrats, she thought to herself. They had become increasingly power hungry over the years without a hereditary ruler, and the fact that the majority of them were wealthy, higher-class members who were frequently bribed did not aid their thought of her policy.

The queen's policy was one of offensive-defense. While she didn't support her own method fully herself, she was sure that it was the only way to avoid excessive military confrontation from foreign forces, these forces being the ones they had encountered in the desert to the west... at least not excessive military confrontation on their own soil.

While no diplomats had been sent to speak with this new potential enemy, she was sure their policy toward Hyrule was one of little favor. Of course, the senators would have none of it.

They had a greater policy towards "peaceful relations" with this new culture. I wish it were that easy, and she was hoping that it still was. A single diplomat may sort all of this out, for now, however, there was no harm in maintaining an army to defend the nation if the time came.

She suspected plans of upheavel from the senators and the leading class they represented. She maintained political power due to her standing military might, and while the mob was a significant symbol of power, the opposing, and in this case the majority of the senators would hold the real power... at least for the next few years. 

A knock again. Zelda had nearly fallen asleep. She rubbed her eyes to clear the blur and got out of her bed. Not much had changed since Link's adventure. It was the same room with much of the same furnishings. Perhaps a new desk, new drapes, but no significant changes were made. She took long strides toward her desk-seat which had her robe set over it and put it on. She walked towards the door and opened it.

A councilman was standing before her. A long set of purple robes draped over the old man... the quite old man. Despite his signs of age, he had a queer aura of confidence about him which demanded respect. He was one of the few friends that Zelda had in the Senate, which wasn't a surprise seeing as how he represented the royal families.

"Good news and bad news," he stated with a forced grin.

"Good news first," said Zelda. She walked toward her desk and sat down, pulling several large piles of paper in front of her. 

"We have our recruited legions ready for departure, and our conscriptions will be ready by tomorrow morning. We should arrive at our destination in approximately three days."

"Interesting," said Zelda. Removing a local order from a particularly rebelious senator, one named Lucas, who had a habit for making fiscal loopholes in his orders, often for his own benefit. "But that's not entirely good news... you said conscriptions."

"Yes ma'am," said the senator. "In a move to gain political support from the lower class, the senate used their power of requisitum interventus (a term for a flawed movement of the senate to change the orders of a royal mandate for the "benefit of the kingdom"). I and our supporters tried to at least delay this movement, but apparently the senators had been planning this for some time."

"And is that the bad news?" asked Zelda.

"No. The bad news is that the senators are trying to to postpone royal rule indefinetly."

"Indefinetly!?" said Zelda, rather outraged. The senators had been bold before, but never so. The indefinite suspension of royal rule was an old motion set forward when the senate was first formed, as a method of tyrranical escape, or in times of severe crisis. This was hardly the moment.

"Fortunately," said the Senator. "Our courts are not yet so corrupt to allow this movement, but I'll have my spies keep a sharp eye out for this." 

"Thank you," said Zelda. She was still signing papers and did not look up. 

The senator smiled, "Pro regnum (for the kingdom),” and he left the room. 

---

Link awoke to the sound of feet pounding on the floors of the barracks. Tension... a lot of tension. He had thought much about his situation. He thought that it was not only cruel on the queen's part, but he found it odd seeing that she chose him to lead their armies into, well, whatever it was they would be doing.

Link took a step out of his temporary room, which had been set up in a hurry. A simple cot and already-packed bags were the only items in the room, besides himself. A general, Link thought to himself, should have some kind of armor. Link's thoughts were interrupted by soldiers who were filing out of the barracks rather quickly. Davius appeared out of the crowd and made a bee-line towards Link.

"Ready sir?" he asked.

"Not quite," said Link. "No breakfast. And besides, shouldn't I be a little more... equipped?"

"All in due time, sir," said Davius, who, despite his argument, was in full attire himself. It was not the same garb he had been wearing earlier. He was obviously in charge of some large group of soldiers, as could be told by the helmet he was holding beneath his arm. Plumes of feathers rose out of the top in a line leading from the middle of its forehead to the back of its neck. Traditional Hylian colors, gold and purple, ornamented the helmet. His armor was a regular Hylian breastplate, with the common overlapping shoulder plates, but his armor was trimmed gold.

"I like your armor," said Link.

Davius smiled. "It's nowhere near as ornate as yours is, general. But please, we're already twenty minutes behind schedule and it doesn't appear as though you've started to prepare."

"And how should I prepare?" asked Link.

"Armor, food supplies, and general quarters will be provided by the legion," said Davius. "Clothing, personal belongings, and other objects will be up to you."

"Alright," said Link. He hadn't brought that much clothing with him on the trip from Ordon. Ordon, Link thought to himself. They had no idea he would be coming back. Ilia. A sad thought drifted into his mind. He was going as a general, to fight in a war he did not want to fight in. He could die on the battlefield, for a cause that he truly did not willingly commit to. Someone at least had to tell the village he wouldn't be coming back soon.

"Sir?" asked Davius.

"Someone needs to tell Ordon I won't be coming back for a while," said Link.

"Already done," said Davius.

"What?"

"Well, we thought it would be extremely rude of us to simply take you for our own purposes. And besides, it won't be too long. Six months and then you have permission to take a two week period of personal absence."

"I've never learned your policies," said Link. "How am I supposed to be able to lead you in combat?"

"You won't," said Davius.

"Then why did I-"

"At least, you won't at first. We know you don't understand our fighting methods, so we will try to teach you. I've been told by the queen herself you have a very good hand at learning combat. You can learn from what we teach you, and we can learn from you what you teach us."

"So-"

"Sir, let's just start with packing and journeying, and move our way up from there," Davius smiled.

"Alright." Link sighed. "I don't have any clothing though."

"That's quite alright sir," said Davius. "I'll have someone purchase clothing in your size from the market."

"Thanks," said Link. "And please, stop calling me sir."

"Of course," said Davius. He made a facial expression that begged for a response.

"Oh. Link."

"Link...?" said Davius.

"Just Link."

"Oh, of course... Link," said Davius with an awkward expression.

Link had prepared his supplies for his journey, and his clothes had been purchased. There was still plenty of time before the caravan would leave, and so he decided to take a look around. Wagons were being loaded with weaponry; bows, arrows, lances, phalanx spears, shields, and swords. Link looked to the side and noticed a group of men signing sheets at a desk with a soldier keeping guard. After each man, who hardly looked like a soldier, signed the sheet, he would walk over to a box, pick up a sword, and head to a legion to which he had been designated.

"Horrible isn't it?"

Link quickly turned and drew a dagger, one which he had with him at all times. "I'm sorry?"

"A royal order decreed that we'd be sending our armies west for defensive purposes."

"Those aren't soldiers," said Link with a frown.

"No," said the man. He was wearing a purple robe and wore an undeserved sense of satisfaction. His hair was blonde and his face had sharp edges at the nose and cheekbones. "They're conscripts."

"Conscripts?" repeated Link.

"Drafted soldiers, citizens," said the senator.

"I thought our current policy was an extended defensive," said Link.

"It is, or in my opinion, was," said the senator.

"What happened?" asked Link.

"Our royal courts and senators managed to bribe certain senators to make a motion of conscriptions," said the Senator. "Truly outrageous. We've been trying to put an end to this war in the works, but we simply can't gain enough support to overthrow royal rule."

"I'm don't believe the queen is that cruel and corrupt," said Link.

"You don't know much about politics," said the senator. "You're foreign. The fact that they took you from your peaceful life and shoved you out onto the battlefield doesn't anger you at all?"

"I've thought about it," said Link. "It does seem a bit ridiculous, but if the kingdom finds it necessary, I will do my duty."

"Of course," said the senator. "But if the time comes when the monarchy attains to much power, will you aid me?"

"And you are?"

"Senator Lucas, representative of eastern district 23." (Link had no idea what that meant)

"How would I be aiding you?" asked Link.

"We would do whatever is necessary to remove the infestation that has been ruling over our glorious kingdom for so many years."

"You still haven't answered me."

"The details don't matter now," said the senator becoming a bit hasty. "Will you aid me?"

"Even though I was removed from Ordon, you still haven't aided me, or even supported me," said Link. "Why should I do anything for you?"

The senator scoffed. "We will speak more when the time comes." He had obviously been given a bad impression of Link. "Good journey, general."

"Thank you, Senator," said Link.

The senator turned his back and walked out of the barracks. Link turned himself and returned to his quarters to find Davius in his room.

"I've been looking for you," said Davius. "We're ready to leave."

"I need to talk to you first," said Link. "I met this strange senator who tried to convince me to betray the queen."

"Corrupted senators," said Davius. "A real threat against good rule. We've had quarrels with them before, but over recent years its elevated. Our diplomats and trusted politicians can tell you all about that though."

"I'm sorry?"

"We have to leave," said Davius. "We've been delayed quite long enough. Any more and we'll likely be a day behind by arrival."

"Why a day?" asked Link.

"Winter storm is coming in."

Link stared up at the sky and then towards the mountains. Clouds were forming. "Winter's coming," said Link.