Royal Valley

Royal Valley
Map of Royal Valley
First appearance	The Minish Cap (2005)
Country	Hyrule
Terrain	Wasteland
Point(s) of interest	Royal Crypt
Inhabitants	Dampé Gina Great Dragonfly Fairy King Gustaf

The Royal Valley is a location from The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. A region of Hyrule, its main feature is a cemetery which Link visits to find the grave of Hyrule's King Gustaf. Located in the north-east of the game's map, the valley is bordered by Hyrule Castle Garden and North Hyrule Field to the east, Trilby Highlands to the south, and Mount Crenel to the west. Royal Valley receives no natural light and as a result is in near perpetual darkness, broken only by torches. Another consequence of this is the gnarled, rotten state of all the region's trees.

Geography

The only way into Royal Valley is a path from North Hyrule Field, although Link cannot follow this path until he has retrieved the Water Element from the Temple of Droplets, and fused its power with the White Sword to allow him to split in three.

This path leads to the southern end of the valley, the only part in which it possible to see without the Flame Lantern. The Great Dragonfly Fairy, who grants Link a bigger quiver, can be found in a cave here. The path through this section is plagued by Ghinis and Takkuris. There is another route leading south to Trilby Highlands, but this stops at a cliff edge, so it can only be taken when leaving Royal Valley.

To the north of Royal Valley is a maze, with a Ghini guarding each junction; if anyone takes a wrong turn here they eventually end up back at the entrance. Fortunately, the maze is signposted, making it possible to find the way through to the northernmost section of the Valley, where the cemetery is found.

Cemetery

More Ghinis and Takkuris lurk around the entrance to the graveyard. In the east of this section, just outside the cemetery fence, is a small house occupied by Dampé, the gravekeeper. He possesses the only key to the graveyard's gate; when Link asks Dampé to open the gate for him, a Takkuri steals the key, and Link has to ram the nearby tree with his Pegasus Boots to get the key back and enter the cemetery.

Within the cemetery are eleven graves, a ghost named Spekter, and the Royal Crypt. Gustaf's ghost had previously appeared before Link and asked him to come to his tomb; this tomb is inside the Royal Crypt. After entering this mini-dungeon and speaking again with Gustaf's spirit, Link is given a golden Kinstone Piece, and cryptically instructed to go to "the source of the flow."