Zx

Ganondorf never has a reason to return to Hyrule until the untimely death of King Daphnes. Even then, he doesn't particularly want to make an appearance at the castle, but in the back of his mind, he's desperate to see how Zelda is doing. Through the scarce letters he's received (in ever improving Ehenív, might he add) he's learned a lot about her, about how she's used as a pretty little doll to sit around while her father prepares the kingdom for her reign. About how once she's crowned queen, the council will have more power than her. About how she had the Gerudo women hide all books about their culture because her father ordered them to be burned. About how she desperately wished she could escape to the desert and never return home.

And for a long time, Ganondorf wished that he could make her wishes come true. But the Gerudo and the Hylians have been on very good terms and he doesn't want to completely jeopardize that.

But when one of her letters comes in and asks if he can be present at her father's funeral, he cancels all his previous engagements and sets out for the castle. He leaves Lisasu in charge, because she was once leader and she knows her way around his people.

It takes a few days to make it to the castle but when he does, the people do not welcome him like they did years prior. Instead they regard him with fear, as if he is about to strike them down, although he is clearly weaponless. He'd decided that bringing his massive sword wouldn't be the wisest. "I'm here to see the princess. And attend King Daphnes' funeral." He holds up the letter she'd sent. "I've a written letter from Her Highness if you don't believe me."

A guard approaches carefully, taking the letter and skimming it. He hands it back and gestures to the gatekeepers to open the gates, and Ganondorf steps forward. "Her Highness is in the throne room. You're just in time for the service, Your Majesty."

"Thank you," Ganondorf replies, and he walks inside to the throne room, his long cape billowing behind him. There's no one in the large foyer, so he deduces that everyone in the castle must be gathered in the throne room.

When he opens the door and peeks in, he does so quietly. Everyone inside is facing the throne, where he can see a coffin resting in front of the large chair, the king's crown sitting on top. He stays in the back of the room, near the door, arms folded as he listens to that small balding minister, the same from years ago, lead the massive group in prayer. It's a practice that he finds isn't so different from the Gerudo, apart from the constant asking of blessings from the Goddesses.

A body steps next to him and a small hand rests on his bicep. When he looks down, he frowns slightly at the princess' melancholy look, but doesn't say anything, just offers her his silent condolences by placing his hand over hers. She smiles and leans her head against him. He hadn't even noticed she'd approached, nor where she had come from.

At some point she's had enough because she leads him out of the room, and down the empty hallways. They walk side-by-side, and for the first time out of all his incarnations, he looks at the walls to appreciate the art. "Shouldn't you be in there? He was your father."

Zelda smiles wistfully. "Your Hylian has improved quite a bit since the last time you were here." He growls at her, and she raises a hand to her lips to stifle a giggle. "I'm in no room to talk," she continues, in slightly accented Ehenív, "for I've been practicing ever since the last time we saw each other." She takes in a deep breath. "And I'm not needed in there. I was just standing to the side like a statue to remind everyone that the kingdom still has an heir."

"Except they don't, really," Ganondorf says, and she doesn't respond. "Daphnes may have been a kind king to your people but he was never really a good father, according to your letters. You have no idea how to rule a kingdom, do you?"

"The council will have full control until I become of age to take the crown."

"And then?"

"And then?" Zelda bites her lip and pushes some of her dark blonde hair out of her face. "And then they'll use me as a puppet while they control Hyrule."

"Disgusting," he huffs. "All your predecessors ruled this country with an iron fist all on their own when the time came. I've never heard of a daughter of Wisdom being used by a council."

"Well, the minister-"

"What does he know of ruling a kingdom?" Ganondorf asks, turning to face her. She's still so small, not yet grown into the body of a proper ruler, and he shouldn't be so harsh, but he has to break the walls the late king had put up around her. "The blood of the monarchy runs in you, Zelda, and no one else. You're not someone that they can just put in a cage and show off to the land. You're the only one capable of ruling this country and ruling it well."

"And then you'll just come around and take it from me, I suppose?" she retorts, and Ganondorf jumps back a bit in surprise at her harsh tone. "Like you've tried in the past?"

"I'll make this painfully clear, Your Highness; if I had any intention of taking this pathetic kingdom I would have done so already. But my pride refuses to let me take it without a fight and you're not quite ready for one." Ganondorf sighs. "Besides, you were so interested in Ehenív and my culture that I stopped wanting to take over some time ago."

She narrows her eyes at him, trying to see if he's lying, so he adds, "I do not wish to fight you, Zelda."

She relaxes her stance and continues walking, Ganondorf following her. "I missed you, you know," she says, looking up at the high ceilings. "I asked a few times if we could send an invitation for you to join us for a dinner, but Father always refused. He was old-fashioned. Wasn't particularly a fan of your people."

"Trust me, he had made it blatantly obvious years ago. He burned all my people's books, did he?"

Zelda nods, and they walk into a small bed chamber at the end of a long hallway. Ganondorf is reluctant to step inside, but Zelda pulls him in by the hand. "Relax," she says.

"I shouldn't be in here," Ganondorf replies, staying close to the door, even as Zelda closes it. "If anyone catches me in here-"

"What would they do?"

"They'd accuse me of not only bedding an unmarried woman but the unmarried princess of the kingdom." He crosses his arms and leans against the wall when Zelda approaches him. "Of course, I would never because I know better and I'm not some animal."

"People have called you a pig in the past."

"I will hit you."

Zelda laughs, stepping close enough that her forehead gently touches the breastplate of his armor. He reaches up and pats her head, like he did some time ago, and she hums. "How old are you now?" he asks quietly, as she presses her cheek to his chest with a soft sigh.

"Fourteen. I was six when you last saw me."

"I'm surprised you even recognized me."

She pulls back, raising a brow at him. "How could I not? You haven't changed, apart from growing out your hair a little and your new crown." She raises a hand and it barely makes it over his head, even when she strains on her toes. "And you're still as tall as a tree!"

He grins, one of his canines snagging on his lip and making him look more cocky than he already is. "Wish I could say the same about you. You've gotten taller, your hair's a little darker, your face has gotten slimmer." He puts his hands on her cheeks and looks at her more carefully, squeezing just enough to make her lips pucker obnoxiously. "Have you been eating enough?"

"My father may have kept me from a lot, but my cooks sure didn't." She shakes her head away with a laugh, taking a step back and twirling around. "And just my face has changed? Nothing else?"

Ganondorf averts his gaze, staring at her vanity in the corner that's covered more in paper than makeup, like his sisters' vanities. "You're playing a dangerous game, princess."

"I've talked with my council about marrying you."

Ganondorf's knees buckle suddenly and he has to catch himself on the wall. "Excuse me?" he asks, in Hylian, because for a second he's completely forgotten Ehenív. "What have they said?"

"They're all very much against it, no surprise." She sits down in one of her cushioned chairs, most of her wight settling against the arm. "They think you'll return to your barbarian ways and drive Hyrule into ruin."

"How can I return to barbarian ways if I haven't been a barbarian yet?" he chuckles with a shake of his head. "Your council is filled with morons."

"Remember they'll be ruling when I become queen."

"Even if you marry?"

Zelda shakes her head. "That's why I mentioned you. If I married you, it would satiate your deep-rooted desire for Hyrule and the council won't have have control because there will be a king." She shrugs. "You could keep me like a pretty little doll on a shelf while you did whatever you want."

"If I married you," he begins, using his foot to push off of the wall and walk to her dresser where a small tiara sits on a decorative pillow. He can tell this is from her early years, because there's no way it can fit her now. He's surprised that she's not wearing one now, since it's her father's funeral and she even said that she was used more as a item to show off. "I would never keep you from your duties. You have a duty to your people, and I won't keep you from that. You are more than capable of ruling a country if you're taught how."

Zelda looks at him, face flushed red as she tried to smoothen a tangle in her hair that isn't there. He finds that he likes to see her squirm in this way. It's different than when he's conquering her land, because then she's terrified of him, while this is more of an embarrassed squirm that he doesn't often see in the Gerudo. His women were strong and unafraid of what they dish out, while Hylians were often more reserved.

(This is most obvious, he notes, with how they dress, but that's also in part because the Gerudo live in the hot desert and can't really wear the multiple layers that Hylians wear on a daily basis.)

He smiles. "This is a hypothetical, of course, I hope you understand."

"Y-yes, yes, of course." She clears her throat. "I understand very well."

"However, if you were serious about a proposal, I would accept." He covers his face with his hand. "Never thought I would ever say that to a daughter of Wisdom."

"I never thought I would strike a friendship with the son of Power, either," Zelda snaps, but there's no real anger, because she's smiling.

"You're insinuating something more than friendship, young princess." Ganondorf falls into a chair near her, crossing his massive legs as the chair creaks and Zelda looks at it. He smirks, because he's always resigned from sitting on Hylian furniture because it isn't created for his stature. "A young unmarried woman like yourself really shouldn't be talking about marriage with a man in your bedroom. Scandalous."

"A young, unmarried man like yourself shouldn't have followed me into my bed chambers, Your Majesty." She giggles, and when Ganondorf moves to rest his elbows on his knees, the chair finally lets out its final croak and breaks into small pieces underneath him. He lets out a roar of a laugh that invites Zelda to join in, sliding from her chair to sit next to him on the floor. Once their giggle-fest came to a stop, Zelda looks up at Ganondorf, who, even while they're sitting next to each other on the floor, towers over her by at least two heads. "I'm only talking about marriage with you because so far, you're the only one I would think to marry."

"We're technically enemies, Zelda," Ganondorf whispers as she tucks herself against his chest. "Your council will-"

"You were the one hounding my council earlier for controlling my reign and now you're going to complain that the council won't like it if we married?" Zelda asks incredulously, snorting a little. "Make up your mind, Ganondorf."

"I hate them. And they hate me."

"They'll just choose someone that I can marry to resolve conflicts with another country. Conflicts that can be easily solved through a treaty or two. The feud between Hyrule and the Gerudo needs more than a piece of paper dictating rules." Ganondorf raises an eyebrow. "I haven't just been reading books on Ehenív, you know. I snuck in a few of Gerudo and Hyrule's history books as well."

"Keep reading then," he says as he presses his forehead to hers and she hums happily. "Maybe you'll find something that will tell you how to get past your council and marry a man of a 'barbarian' race."

She smiles and their noses touch when she scoots a little closer. "Is that a yes?"

Ganondorf chuckles lowly. "I won't answer to anything that isn't a proper proposal."

tis been a long time but i have returned

my dog zelda died and i need something to keep my mind off of it and i decided to finally get my booty into gear and post chapter two as well as continue writing this beast. im super proud of lady of the sand so i wanna work on it.

zel baby this is for you, mommy misses you so much.