Zelda sat upon her throne, sighing loudly.
Today was the day she was receiving the Gerudo's delegation led by the king's son. She had heard about him. He was a fiery and violent man, intelligent and cruel, clever and fierce. His wrath was feared all over the world, for he was known for his short temper and exceptional power. His battle prowess were known in all Hyrule. It was said that entire armies surrendered before the end of a war if they knew they had him as an adversary. Those were probably only legends but… Zelda shuddered.
'I really need to conclude that alliance' she thought. 'If we get into a war with them now, we're done for. With the army spread to the north and south…'
The sound of metal clanking and heavy footsteps echoed through the room, interrupting her thoughts. A dozen of black-skinned men had entered the throne room and walked up to her, their chin proudly held high. The dust of the desert still lingered on their armors, and she could see their feet leaving muddy marks on the room's sumptuous red carpet. But it didn't matter. She was hypnotized by the prince, the tallest man she had ever seen. He was handsome in the Gerudo people's black armor, his red, shoulder-height hair standing out brightly against his dark skin. His ember eyes were locked into hers. The Gerudo people stopped before her and dropped to one knee. They all bowed their heads in respect, except the prince, who kept looking at her. Snapping out of her contemplative state, she stood up and also bowed, saluting them with respect. They stood back up, and Zelda said, with a clear voice:
-Welcome to Hyrule castle, friends. I am princess Zelda, and as the ruler of Hyrule I am honored to have you come here. You must be tired from the long trip; my men will lead you to your quarters if that is what you desire.
The prince nodded. He still hadn't spoken a word, but Zelda could feel a terrible power slumbering within him… like an untamed beast ready to pounce at any moment… she was once again hypnotized by his ember eyes, and by the wild fire she saw burning into them. As a few servants were leading the Gerudo soldiers into their quearters, the prince spoke. He had a deep and intimidating voice, exactly the kind of voice a warlord like him needed.
-Go and rest, soldiers, he said. I will talk with the woman.
Zelda's face reddened both in furor and embarrassment. "The woman"? She oddly felt more insulted about this than she should have. She looked at him as a devilish grin was stretching his lips, revealing a set of sharp fangs. She forced herself to smile.
-Please follow me then, my prince, she said.
She left the room, followed by the prince. She wanted to turn around and slap him in the face, but she breathed deeply and walked stiffly to a small wooden door. She opened it and, in an overly polite tone, she invited him to enter. 'Calm down Zelda' she told herself. 'The fate of the kingdom is in your hands'.
She sat at the table, inviting her guest to sit in front of her. He seated and stared at her, still grinning wickedly. She spoke first, trying to provoke him.
-I'm sorry, I didn't get your name, prince…? She asked.
She thought he would feel offended that his own guest didn't know his name, with all the rumors and stories being told about him, but he kept smiling and answered:
-Ganondorf Dragmire, here to serve you, my princess.
She carefully watched him, yet there was no sign of irritation on his face, not even the slightest hint of displeasure in his eyes.
-Well then, prince Ganondorf, she said, kind of annoyed by his apparent indifference. As you surely know, we are waging war to the south and north, and we will soon be outnumbered if we don't find reinforcements before long…
She kept explaining him things he already knew, hoping to get him to burst out into impatience, as he was also known for having little tolerance. Yet he just kept staring at her, so intensely that she sometimes felt like she was about to lose her temper. She felt just as if the prince could read her mind like an open book. She talked for a long time, and he never interrupted her, only asking questions once in a while, and his eyes never leaving hers.
-And that's why I need your people to assist us, she finished after an hour or two.
Ganondorf leaned against the back of his chair and stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes before talking.
-And what's in for my people? He asked.
-Well, you will earn the respect and protection of Hyrule, as well as…
The prince scoffed loudly, cutting her in the middle of her sentence.
-"The respect and protection of Hyrule"? He repeated, scoffing once again.
He stood up, his eyes shining with amusement.
-You know the Gerudo people are the greatest warriors that exist, he said slowly. We don't need "protection", or "respect", or anything else from you guys. What could you offer us that we don't already possess? I knew women were bad at politics, but that beats it all. And some of my men thought you were a promising little brat…
Zelda stood up as well, her face flushing in anger.
-If you would let me finish then maybe I could expose my entire plan! She shouted.
Ganondorf crossed his arm and sneered.
-Speak, he said.
-I offer you a part of fertile territory near the desert, she said. This way, you could feed your people more easily and keep in touch with the rest of the Hylians.
The prince looked at her, incredulous, and for a moment she thought she had him interested. But he burst out laughing, and she gritted her teeth, fuming.
-The desert has everything we want! He said. We don't need anything or anyone.
He leaned toward her and added, with an evil smile:
-It has been so for thousands of years. Do you think it's about to change now, girl? Because you decided so? You really are nothing but a spoiled little brat.
And he kept laughing.
She walked up to him, raised her hand. She felt tears well in her eyes.
-You… she started.
He wasn't laughing anymore. He was staring at her, trying to guess what she would do. She finally lowered her hand and turned away.
-You ruined everything.
She stormed out of the room, leaving an amused and intrigued Gerudo prince behind her.
Please let me know what you think!