Chapter 2 – Love

Two years later…

The rocky slope was hard, and jagged and full of gritty sand. Step by step, I struggled up it, taking great care in where I tread. Beside me a little way down, Nabooru was also scrambling up the slope, her long red hair hanging in front of her eyes, making it more difficult for her to see. I offered my hand to her, and she took it; and I helped her to pull herself up to where I was. She smiled and we kept climbing.

Soon enough, we were able to climb over the peak of the slope, and as I scrambled up that last stretch and saw what was before me, my heart filled with awe. "Nab, come on! This is incredible!"

"I'm coming Gan, stay there." Nabooru made a leap up wards to a higher ledge, and then pulled up her feet. Then standing up, looking over the top, she fell just as stunned in silent wonder as I. The vast blue, the ocean. The utterly endless water stretched far, far away, beyond the horizon, as far as the eye could see…and a great pathway of light spread across the water, from where the sun shone, casting glittering, shimmering, stars across it. "Its beautiful, Ganondorf. I've never seen something so incredible in all my life."

I looked across at her, and my heart swam with joy hen I saw the beaming happiness on her face. "It is amazing, it makes the heart sing to see such majesty as this. But still, its beauty is still nothing compared that of Nabooru. For you are fairer than the stars and sea and all the jewels in the earth." I leaned over towards her and kissed her softly, and here on the western brink of the world, it felt so much more wonderful than being together back in the harsh desert.

…I don't need to be the regent…I don't need to be King…

"Come on, let's get down to the water!" Nabooru's eyes lit up, and she pulled herself over the top of the ridge, and began running down the much less steep slope on the other side.

"Right behind you!" I hurled myself over the top of the ridge and ran down after her, throwing down my purple cape as I ran. Nabooru was laughing like a young girl, and her white long dress and cloak, and her long flowing red hair were waving wildly in the wind. I caught up to her towards the base of the slope and flung my arms around her from behind. She jumped with a start and laughed, and then we fell and rolled down into the sand. I had never felt as happy in all my life as I did now.

"Gan!" Nabooru laughed and rolled over on top of me, her hair hanging down over the front of her head and brushing against my face.

…She is the light of the world…

"Well, that was fun." I laughed, and she hit me on the arm playfully.

She looked around and sighed. "I can't believe we made it all the way here."

"I know. Its taken a long time, but its all been worth it. We've needed to get away from that sand hole and see the sea, before they make me the regent." I sighed and spoke the sad truth. "I'm barely going to get any time to be with you soon."

"Don't talk about that now Gan, we've still got plenty of time."

"Maybe…" I grinned and leaned forwards on my back, quickly kissed her and then bounded away to the water, casting off my boots as I ran.

"Hey!" Nabooru leaped up and ran into the water after me, throwing down her sandals. She kicked water at me and laughed gleefully. I tried to splash water back, but I lost my footing and tripped up into the shallow tide. Nabooru ran toward me, and I splashed up water with my hands. We played in the sea like this for some time; my cares fell away from me when I was with her, all my worries about becoming the regent melted away, and left me with pure joy.

Later, as the sun had passed noon, we lay down on the shore, sprawled out across the warm beach sand, which was so unlike the desert sand. I looked across my shoulder at Nabooru. "I never want to leave you Nabooru."

"I never want to leave you either Ganondorf, but…" She drifted off, and I finished her sentence for her.

"…They will never allow a King to be with somebody that is…well…"

"Don't worry, you can say 'a commoner' if you need to Gan." Nabooru was so understanding.

"You know I don't really think that, don't you?"

"Of course." We lay still for some time, neither one of us wanting to say something we might regret on this wonderful day, here in the incredible place. I didn't want to be the regent; I didn't want to be King. The world was so cruel, and I was being forced to be at the centre of it. I had to break free, but every path led to the throne; it was my destiny. "Lets run away together Gan. Lets stay here, lets never go back east to the desert."

I sighed, and this was when I fully came to the realisation of my own doom. "No…I can't…I have to do this. I have to accept my destiny."

"I don't want to be apart from you."

"You won't be. I will do everything in my power to fight against the old laws, after all, I will be king in two years time, and then they will not be in my way."

"Ganondorf who are 'they'?"

"Well, my mother, Queen Gandra for one. But…the witches also."

"You mean…Twinrova?"

"Yes, they control a lot more in these parts than the royal family let the gerudo people know. They will often have their say, and dictate what is done through my mother. They will not control me though. I will be the King and shall not let them or anyone else overrule me."

"There's the Ganondorf I first met! You're right; you shouldn't let those two witches boss anybody around any more."

I smiled weakly.

Nabooru rolled over towards me, and I took her in my arms and we lay quietly, whilst white birds flew overhead. "I love you Nabooru."

"I love you too, Ganondorf." And so we remained there by the ocean for a week or so. But it could not last. Though we stayed and soaked up the warmth and the sea air, and felt as though we were drowning in love, the time came when we had to leave everything behind, and begin to journey back to the gerudo desert. The regency was rightfully mine, and I would take it; and two years from now, I would take the crown and become King.

…It is my destiny…