Sunset beckoned the bitter winds of the desert and commanded them to punish the valley. As guards changed shifts, one of them stopped by to offer an escort back to the village. I declined, preferring to wait and ensure my warrior returned. The reward for the head of Mitar was a silver rupee and a precious garnet, a rare gem found only deep within the caves of Death Mountain. I was most interested in obtaining this gem to complete a small project. On rare occasions did I question if I placed too much faith in a single subordinate but she endlessly proved herself as a valuable asset.
Stiff strides with light steps on dehydrated dirt drew closer and louder. The light of the flickering candle flame illuminated Dora's topaz eyes, causing them to sparkle as if her eyes truly were gems set in her skull. She saluted, her right fist pressed to her chest, and bowed at her waist. A few seconds passed, and then she straightened to her full, proud height. She waited, having learned after many years that I spoke first. "Were we given what was promised?"
"Yes! A silver rupee and a garnet," she replied, handing me a satchel. "They weren't pleased that he was dead, but I convinced them that we had no choice."
I accepted the bag and retrieved the orange stone. Holding the gem to the light of the candle revealed the quality, and I scoffed. "It's unrefined, those scum. No matter. I can take care of that." I replaced the gem in the satchel, wet my fingers, and clamped them around the wick to douse the flame. "Care to join me?" I asked with a smirk, and moved passed the Gerudo to exit the tent.
Dora followed, quickly catching up to keep pace at my side. "Where are we going?"
"Back to the village, to my quarters."
"Yours? Is that proper?" she questioned in surprise.
"If I say it is, then yes," I advised. Her endearing embarrassment of being invited amused me. "Anyway, you want to know why the garnet is so important, do you not?"
"Yes," she eagerly replied.
On a more typical occasion I would be in the escort of a couple guards to my home. In this instance, I guided Dora through the village to my house. At that late hour only the guards on duty were awake, the others nestled into their huts and caring for their children and elders. A guard stood at the entrance to my home and opened the door on my approach. Once Dora was inside I closed the door. I chuckled to myself at the nervous glances she cast around the room. I crossed over to a desk and placed the garnet on a silver trinket beside some parchment from my research.
"May I?" she asked, gesturing toward the documents. I nodded consent and Dora lifted them to inspect the stenciled diagrams. They were the same symbols I had shown her in our last meeting, but maybe she would recognize something since her last expedition.
I covered the jagged garnet with both hands and concentrated, charting the course of sorcery flowing through me to surround every crevice and sharp edge. My hands slowly lifted away and an orange, pulsing glow from the garnet filled the room. A crack reverberated in the small area, startling the Gerudo woman into dropping the parchment she intently studied. The stone's imperfections were altered and melted away beneath my power. The darkness penetrated the gem, shaping the inside for the perfect cut. With the last fault corrected, my magic fizzled out with a soft hiss. A precious garnet was revealed, oval and smooth, embedded in the silver crown.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Dora exclaimed. "A perfect crown for a perfect prince. I assume the silver is stolen?"
I declined to answer as I lifted the silver chain and settled it around my head beneath my amber hair.
"That's why you needed the garnet?"
"Yes," I answered.
"Why did it need to be that? Why not a ruby or an emerald?" she wondered, shrugging her shoulders.
"Your curiosity knows no bounds, does it?" I asked in rhetoric, and she looked away as if I scolded her. "The garnet is rare, and the magical power it contains is just as scarce. Most people are clueless as unlocking its power is complicated sorcery."
"It's an excellent choice," she complimented.
"Tell me what is on your mind."
Dora's idle banter was a nervous sign, an attempt to avoid an awkward moment by filling the silence. I removed my cloak and hung it over the back of the chair pushed into the desk as she spoke.
"Our supplies are dwindling."
"Yes, I'm aware. How do you plan to resolve this problem?" I challenged.
"Allow me to take a team and acquire necessities. We have been so busy with taking on extra duties with the war, we've barely had time to properly restock. All of our old locations are heavily guarded right now."
"What have you learned?" I asked, encouraging her to hasten to the point.
"The Goron captains were talking about an attack tomorrow, which will leave provisions in Kakariko Village unguarded. In the chaos, we can sneak in and take what we need without being detected."
"No," I said sharply. "Go before first light, in advance of the attack. Leave nothing behind to be destroyed in their battle."
She nodded curtly, understanding the wisdom behind my adjustment to her plan. "I'll assemble a team first thing."
"Then I suggest you go and rest, while you still can." I walked back to the door and opened it for her to leave.
"Yes, my lord," she agreed, and then hurried out of my quarters as if the building were on fire.
"Dora," I called, while she was still near. She stopped and turned back to face me. "Hyrule is being torn apart. You must act always with caution and react with cognition. Ensure that you and your team return safely."
Once more she nodded, this time adding a slight smile. I closed the door at last and returned to my desk. I shuffled through the research, but my mind jogged away with the Gerudo warrior.
One might have assumed as the leader of a group of thieves, all of them being women, trying to thrive in the desert I would have plenty on my mind to keep me occupied. I should have summoned a woman to my chamber every night, sometimes two. My greed was not for worthless trinkets, jewels, rupees or even flesh, only power. To be the most powerful sorcerer in all of Hyrule and make the world worship me was my only lust. The power I sought would be coveted by even the most noble thief, but I trusted her alone with the delicate task of finding the hidden entrance to the Sacred Realm. Only she and I knew of this endeavor. When I watched her walk away that should have been when she walked out of my thoughts, but that was never the case. Instead, I anticipated our next meeting. I wondered if she thought of me the same. In the weakest moments I wondered if she yearned to conquer Hyrule as deeply as I did or if she would accept an offer to rule it at my side.
I knew the answer to a more simple question though, she liked the orange garnet. On the day I made her queen, whether she agreed or not, I would craft her a similar crown.