Chapter 4.

"Vigilant."

The two men ignored the statement and continued to chatter and drink their barley tea. She didn't blame them for ignoring her. Today was the arrival of the leaders of the different surrounding peoples. It would be a busy day for both of them. Her father especially. She sighed and return to her book, tucking a curl behind her ear. Her fingers searched the pages for letters as she continued to read the text.

"I've got it!" She laughed as she wrote it down quickly. "It says 'vigilant in the desert sun', look!"

"Grace! Are the eggs ready?" The older man practically yelled, ignoring her excitement. She slammed the book shut, jumping down from her stool and dashing towards the fireplace. They lived in a very simple apartment, hardly decorated but filled with sunlight. They had their bare essentials, a few ornamental pots and plants, and many books. It's kitchen and and dining room were connected in one room. A wash basin sat in the corner beside their fireplace. There were two doors on either side of the room, both were the bedrooms of their home. Grace and Gadrel shared the room to the right and their father the one on the left.

"The Gerudo are scheduled to return the third day of next week, midday." The older man spoke gently. His son nodded, giving a glance at his sister.

"And you won't be there to bother them, will you?" He said sharply as Grace sat down the morning meal.

"Hardly, papa won't even let me leave the apartment when they are here, let alone letting me see one with my own eyes!" She laughed as she kissed her father's cheek and took her place at the table.

"Grace, in all seriousness, these people are dangerous. They pillage our lands, rip families apart by the seams, and never forget when you were young… No good can come from them." Her father's voice was stern but gentle. She frowned, taking a bite into her egg.

"But they mean peace father." She stated finally, making her father choke on his food.

"What father means to say, Grace, is that they don't believe in peace." Gadrel spoke, giving an assuring look to his father. Their father smiled fearfully, looking to his daughter who had began to shrink under their icy stares.

"They are still people." She whispered as she rushed from the table, collecting her book. The two men shook their heads as they watched her run into her room. Gadrel kept a careful eye on the door, waiting to hear the click of the handle. Once he was sure she was safely inside, he couldn't wait any longer.

"Father, I fear that she needs to stop romanticizing her fairytales and become the woman she was intended to be." Gadrel spoke quietly, he didn't want his sister to hear him or his solutions to her delusions. The older man leaned back, setting his fork on his plate. He was obviously tired from the previous night, but it didn't stop his intellect.

"Your sister is already a very fine young woman. She's just lonely, and you would be too if you stayed shut up all day, with nothing but books for company." He replied carefully, running his fingers through his greying hair. He didn't want to continue the conversation, knowing what his son was about to bring up.

Gadrel leaned forward, his voice almost unhearable.

"That's why I've arranged for her to take company with a friend of mine." He announced excitedly. "He's a strong young man, capable of her immaturity. Father, I think in time she will realize that she's too innocent for her own good!" He laughed, falling back into his chair gleefully.

"And perhaps one day you'll realize it's my duty to find a suitor for my daughter." The words were so cold, it felt like a knife couldn't cut the tension between them. Gadrel began to shrink under his father's glare, trying to formulate a way for him to see his intent.

"However, I'm interested in this friend of your's…" The old man's face turned into a gentle grin, playfulness in his voice.

"You won't be disappointed father! I'll tell him tonight!"

Gadrel beamed as he left the table, a skip in his step as he left for his morning rounds.

His father, however, looked solemn. It hadn't crossed his mind that one day his daughter would leave him. He still looked at her as a pure little girl. She believed her fairytales and of princes and knights. She still danced barefooted in the courtyard. He knew she was childish, but she was his daughter, and he had gone through great measures to protect her innocence. However, he supposed the time had come to finally let her spread her wings. When there were no visitors she was free to roam but perhaps, with the coming of the signers he could see how she would react. More importantly though, he wished to distract her from her fascination with the Gerudo people.

"If only your mother were here to see you this way…"

oOo

"A letter from the king? So soon?"

Ganondorf looked up, unaware that Nabooru had been monitoring him this whole time. He hadn't realized her steady gaze as he buried himself in the formal letter. The letter's words were carefully written and it's contents smelled of silent princess, Hyrulian mockery Ganondorf would often object, but secretly enjoyed the perfume.

"Yes, he would like another session, this time with the senate in presence. It would appear that he is interested in our alliance but is taking the usual, Hyrulian caution." He asserted as he handed the letter to her. She frowned, her eyes furrowing as she examined the letter.

"You seem too open, unaware of the fears they might have."

Ganondorf turned on his heel, placing his arms behind his back.

"Nabooru, I must do what I think best. You know I must." He returned, his eyes narrowing on the page. "My reply is half-way written, you may read it if you like."

Nabooru looked towards the table, deciding that it would be best to let him have privacy in this affair. Although she wanted peace between the nations, deep down she felt something sinister happening on both ends of the deal. She wanted to trust him, to lead by his side, but she couldn't bring herself to it. He was to willing to conform, something she knew him to never do, even as children. The Hylian king was too eager to feed into his desperation, abusing it at will. If there was to be peace between the nations she knew it started within the country, the people, not a paper signed by their governments. Her priority was her people, and Ganondorf seemed to be losing that focus. She knew him too well to know though, and assumed he was biding his time.

"You haven't even arrived back to the town and you're going to go back already?" Nabooru's voice was almost dismal as she handed the paper back to him.

"You'll go back and take care of them, won't you?" His voice was somber, realizing it would be a few weeks before he could return home. He hadn't been past the temple in almost three months, traveling back and forth to Hyrule. He truly missed the women and his home but the fortress and the training grounds enjoyed his company, for it was very little beforehand.

Nabooru smiled coyly, playing on his homesickness.

"If that's what you wish." She bowed teasingly before leaving. He shook his head in merriment. Nabooru could bring out the worst in him, he hated that about her. She was too clever, knowing everything, finding out things about him, the world. She never would stop, she loved a good riddle or an argument. Especially a good argument. She knew how to get anything she wanted just by talking and that deeply concerned him. As children he would exchange secrets with her, late at night when they were supposed to be sleeping but that never stopped them. Even now he could remember the night he wished he wouldn't have said anything.

oOo

"Nabooru! Wake. Up." He whispered as he tiptoed through the room. Nabooru turned to her side.

"What do you want Ganondorf?" Her voice was barely audible, knowing full well voe and vai were not to be in each others sleeping quarters.

"There's something important I need to tell you. But not here, someone might hear us."

He sounded so afraid Nabooru was enthralled. She loved a good story and a problem to solve with it.

"Give me a second, I'll meet you in our secret place."

There secret place was just outside the deep windows of the fortress, on the roof of the mountainside structure. All girls were sent to train between ages five and fifteen. It was the first year of training Nabooru had met him, the Gerudo prince everyone had talked about. There were so many rumors and fables told about him and he liked to pretend he lived up to their every expectation, but Nabooru saw right through him. They didn't get along because of this. It wasn't until their third year together did their friendship bloom. Now their tenth year, graduation and assignment approaching, did they rely on each other more than ever.

"What is it Ganondorf? You never wake me up this late. Was it another nightmare?" Nabooru asked as she pulled her blanket over her shoulders.

"No."

She frowned, she didn't like that his back was turned, that she couldn't read what was on his face.

"Then what is it? It's freezing out here! And tomorrow is the day you choose your Second in Command! You need to go to sleep!"

"Nabooru… I saw our people die." His voice was so low and serious it sent a shiver down her spine.

"What?"

"It was my fault… there was a war, I think it was because I refused peace with Hyrule… We were older and there was this girl…" He began to look back at her, his face pale with fright.

"You made a bad decision Ganondorf, the war is over. Our people are fine, coping with the loss. It's my fault, you shouldn't have given me the opportunity to sit in the council." She replied calmly.

"No Nabooru… You were there too, you were laughing at me… you watched them kill me… you were with them." He replied, ignoring her blame and heal technique she had used to comfort him before. She sighed as she stood beside him.

"I'm your best friend Ganondorf, I'd never let anyone kill you." She said gently, reaching for his hand. He took it, not wanting her to leave his side.

"Nabooru?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to be my Second in Command?"

She felt herself fill with pride, her mother would be so proud!

"I'd be honored."

He nodded, letting go of her hand, silently telling her she should go. She smiled as she began to walk away, thinking of how jealous the girls would be tomorrow.

"Nabooru… One more thing…"

She froze, curious of what else he had to say, crossing her fingers in girlish optimism.

"Yes?"

"I've seen the face of Demise."

Nabooru nodded, not exactly sure what he had meant. She knew him to well to know that he didn't believe in fairytales, but there was something about the way he said it, the fear in his throat, that made her begin to question him.

Something was changing in him.

oOo
There was something about the desert that fascinated travelers. The women were the most sought after attraction, but there was something that lured people to it. Perhaps it was the mystery of its origins or maybe the idea of a people being able to survive with nothing. Whatever interest it was these people took, they were soon driven away by the barbaric ideology of these people. There was no gods to save these people. Only the vague and changing belief of their Sand Goddess who, if she had ever existed, left them on their own a long time ago.

Hyrule was nothing like that. It had no mysteries, only fables and legends that told of its purity. The inhabitants of its fruitful earth were gentle and practical, doing what they could to fairly justify their unions. It's country was bountiful and few ever needed anything. Their lifestyle was easy, men in their place and women in theirs. Nobody questioned the way things were because there was no need. Their king took it upon himself to make their decisions for them. There was nothing they feared for the gods were on their side.

Hyrule's history had been written in blood however. It's goddess, Hylia, sacrificing everything for her people and blessing one man to be their savior, falling in mortal love with him. They both avenged their land. She at her cost of divinity and he at his was forged in flames and the goddesses found pity on it. Sending a power to grant the wishes of the world which had been carefully hidden for centuries.

However, the demon's account and his curse had been long forgotten by those who didn't seek to know and through time was left deep in memory. Few knew the story fully and the name of the monster disappeared from the legend.

The exception was the few who read, and read the stories well.

Ganondorf knew the name by heart and repeated the demons curse in his sleep. The hatred of the wicked had found it's body to houses brill it was strong enough to form its own and the voiceover held was seldom quiet. It waged wars inside its puppets head, and it tormented the good intentions of it's shell.

Demise had begun to finally reawaken.