Hey, I know it's been a while. I'm not dead, I promise. My life has been pretty busy for the last six months. I hope you haven't forgotten the story! Anyways, I had to split this chapter into two parts so it's not so big. I hope you like it, please read and review!

Okay, where were we? King Nohansen has invaded Gerudo Desert to learn Ganondorf's plans, while Princess Marina and Harkinian escaped the Gerudo control in Goron City. Here is the latest chapter: Betrayel. Enjoy! Please review!

Betrayal (Pt. 1)

The powerful Gerudo sun set in the west, giving the bare dunes of sand an eerie orange glow. The light wind caused the sparse green trees to sway and shake. Small, harmless tornadoes blew the sand across the landscape. Brown leather tents made up the homes of the Gerudo women. Small villages of these tents began to come to life as the women lit their oil lamps as the sun descended and the bright desert stars emerged from the sky. Small Gerudo girls were still playing barefoot in the sand, causing their mothers to call them into the tent for the night.

"Saisha, time for bed."

"Mama, I'm hungry," the young tan Gerudo girl whined.

"I know, child, I know," the mother replied wearily. "Soon the war will be over and we'll have all the food we need."

"Can I have some bread?" the child pleaded. The mother sighed and ran her fingers through her red hair. Their supply was running low.

"Yes, a little," the mother said, defeated. The little girl smiled and ran in the tent. Her mother followed.

Saisha grabbed a small loaf from a box in the corner. Her mother broke it in half and gave one half to her daughter while eating the other herself. The crunchy, spicy Gerudo bread tasted wonderful in their mouths. As the small family ate, the mother peered into the bread box. Their supply was running dangerously low. They couldn't hold on like this.

Saisha sucked up every crumb of the bread. After she ate, the girl obediently climbed into her hammock that hung in the back of the tent. The Gerudo mother watched her beloved daughter lie for a few minutes, until the sound of her snores were heard.

The mother stepped outside of the tent. The dessert crickets were chirping in the warm night. The famous Gerudo night sky shone brightly. The stars were out and the full moon gave the dunes a blue-white glow. The mother slowly walked the short distance to the deep canyon that served as the natural border between Gerudo Valley and Hyrule Field. The young mother sighed when she reached the edge. She sat down at the trunk of a tall, skinny tree that grew nearby and thought to herself as she ran sand through her fingers.

How much longer is this going to last? The famine had been going on for months. Saisha went to sleep every night hungry. The mother was struggling just to keep her small family fed.

The desert heat had been fierce this season, crippling all crops the Gerudo grew. Ganondorf was planning on asking the Hylians and Sheikah for food, but then Ageroth the Poe Lord told him of another strategy. Ganondorf allied with the Poes and the Hylian War began.

The young mother could hear the sounds of Zora's River at the bottom of the deep canyon. The river was on its way to Lake Hylia, where it would empty, giving the lake fresh water. The cycle continued, and it would likely continue like this forever.

The mother enjoyed breathing the night air, but she had to return to her tent and daughter. She stood up, brushed the sand from her loose pants, and started back to the tent.

That's when something caught her eye. The bridge that crossed the canyon and separated Gerudo Valley and Hyrule Field was full of crossers, lanterns lit and armor clinking. They desperately tried to be silent, but it was futile. The young mother gasped and hid behind the tree, thankful that she didn't have a torch that would have attracted attention. From behind the tree she squinted to make out the group. She made out all men. Normally, this would have been an interesting situation; the woman didn't normally see many men, however, this situation called for much more immediate attention. Several hundred Hylian soldiers were entering Gerudo Valley.

The mother quickly turned and ran home. She wasn't being followed, but she didn't know if it was because the soldiers didn't care or they didn't see her. When she reached the small tent, she thrust the flap out of the way and ran inside without stopping. Thankfully, young Saisha was fast asleep. If she wasn't she would have asked questions. The young mother stopped to catch her breath. Did they see her? What did they want by entering the valley?

The mother approached her slumbering daughter. She gently ran her fingers through her child's red hair and smiled. Tears came to the mother's eyes. This child was her life, her entire existence. She didn't care one ounce for herself. She lived for her daughter. The drought and famine brought the ax of death hanging over her child's neck. There was nothing the mother could do. There simply wasn't enough food for the entire Gerudo population.

"Xaxh zhahx zaxphz cxaze Din Farore Nayru," The mother muttered silently in the ancient Gerudo dialect. The language was reserved specifically for blood-pacts and prayers. "Din, Farore, Nayru…please…spare my child…" she had said. The mother stepped away from her sleeping child and approached the lit torch. She gently blew the small flame out, and walked, using only the moon as illumination, through the darkness to her own bed. She lay down to sleep. The sound of the Gerudo winds blowing her tent flap filled the still night.

"Ganondorf Zyxzy Karzxu," she muttered as her eyes closed and sleep overcame her. "Godspeed, Ganondorf," she had said.

Captain Isaac was tempted to scratch his right arm as the Hylian troops entered Gerudo Valley, but the broken bone was still recovering, and, no matter how much his arm itched, it wasn't worth the risk that a sharp jolt of pain would shoot up to his shoulder. The limb was resting in a makeshift sling that had been fastened by King Nohansen's old friend, Kaepora Gaebora. The pain wasn't the worst part in the broken arm; Isaac was no longer able to fully wield a sword. He was right-handed, and it felt awkward to use the blade with his left hand. He was completely vulnerable, a strange feeling for the captain.

His pride had also suffered an extreme blow. Prior to the broken limb, the Captain thought he was invincible. He had graduated top of his class at the Kakariko Academy, and he was the strongest person he knew with the sword. It hurt to admit he had been defeated in combat. That Gerudo whore had gotten the better of his feelings! She had seduced him! Not a moment had passed from that moment that Isaac didn't feel feelings of vengeance. He wanted nothing more then to find that Gerudo woman and break her arm. That would feel very nice.

The Hylian and Zora troops were marching to Gerudo Fortress to try to learn the secrets of the Gerudo's battle strategy. Although he wouldn't admit it to his troops or people, King Daphnes Nohansen had absolutely no idea of what the Gerudo and Poes were hoping to achieve through civil war. What King Nohansen really wanted was to meet with Ganondorf again in person, so he could get a straight answer, but he knew it was useless. The stubborn Gerudo man refused to give in and admit. Although he hated the idea, King Nohansen admitted that espionage would be the best resolution. They had to spy on the Gerudo.

The mission was not all that was on the King's mind, of course. His wife was set to give birth any day. He was still stuck in the struggle: if he abandoned his troops to be with his wife, he would have betrayed his country. If he remained with his troops, he would have failed as a husband and father. He tried to think of what his father, King Harkinius would do. Harkinius was often heralded as the greatest king in Hylian history. It was a tough act to follow.

The more he thought about it, the more Daphnes knew what his father would tell him. King Harkinius had objected Daphnes and Kaileia's marriage. He would have told Daphnes to stay with the troops. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew his father would be right. His place was here, leading the troops into the scorching desert.

The sun had set completely, and night had befallen the desert. The cold winds blew sand everywhere, decreasing the already-low morale among the troops. After marching all day, King Nohansen wanted nothing more than to lie down to go to sleep. The troops found a sandy clearing far away from any Gerudo settlements. Exhausted, Daphnes told Isaac to tell the troops to set up camp. This would be their home for the night. Isaac saluted as best as he could with his broken arm and went to spread the word to the troops.

As the troops, relieved to finally be stopping to rest, set up their tents, Kaepora Gaebora approached Daphnes.

"The Fortress is about a mile northwest," the King explained before the mage could say anything. "Tomorrow night we'll send a spy unit to the fortress to gather information," when the mage didn't respond immediately, Daphnes said, "I feel the men deserve a day to rest."

"A donkey is one of the most useful creatures on the planet," Kaepora Gaebora said, quoting one of his several proverbs, "but if it is overworked, it will do nothing but kick you in the butt. It is a good idea to give them a day of rest."

Daphnes and Kaepora laughed at the humorous proverb. Daphnes appreciated that. It felt good to laugh. He didn't get to do much laughing lately. His thought quickly changed, however, when he thought of another startling thought.

"Marina," he said out loud. "These past few days have been so eventful that I have completely forgotten about Marina."

"What's 'Marina'?" Kaepora asked, confused.

"It's my daughter's name, my oldest daughter," Daphnes explained. He laughed a fake laugh and tears came to his eyes. "I don't even know if she's alive."

"She's gone to Kakariko, right?" Kaepora said, trying to remember what Daphnes had told him.

"Yeah," Daphnes said amidst tears.

Kaepora paused for a second and then started to laugh. "What are you worried about? If she's in Kakariko, she's fine. What could happen to her?" The mage continued laughing. "If you've forgotten that Kakariko Stronghold is the strongest fortress in a thousand miles, then, boy, you are exhausted! You need rest! Maybe I should take over as king until you get your tired head on straight!"

Daphnes started laughing again. It did sound absurd. Marina was probably living it up in the stronghold. Kaepora was probably right, although King Daphnes couldn't shake the disturbing image of his recent nightmares.

Kaepora watched the tired troops hurriedly assemble their shelters. He noticed the light from the various lanterns made mysterious shadows on the sand dunes and thick bushes. That's when a sudden thought hit his old brain. Something wasn't right here…

"Hmm…" he thought. He walked over to a bush and bent down to feel its green leaves.

Daphnes noticed him and asked, "What is it?"

"This type of bush," he said without looking up at Daphnes, "requires copious amounts of water to grow. I don't see any rivers, lakes, or streams;" he looked up at Daphnes, "do you?"

The King shrugged. "Maybe a Gerudo carries water out here everyday."

Kaepora stood up, brushed the sand from his fingers, and shook his head. "No," he said thoughtfully, "it just wouldn't be practical to grow these bushes out here. We're practically in the middle of the desert. And look how they're grown. They're in no order at all. They're completely unorganized. They're natural bushes," he concluded.

"But that would mean…" Daphnes started.

"There is natural water out here," Kaepora concluded.

"But this place is bone dry, there's nothing," he said.

The old mage grinned and put his finger in the air. He had figured it out. "There's nothing now. There was once a vast river here. The solution is simple: the Gerudo are having a drought."

Daphnes thought about that. "Do you think that this has anything to do with the Gerudo attacking us?" he asked.

Kaepora shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell." He put his hand on Daphnes's shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, boy, I need to set up my tent. It's getting late."

Captain Isaac cursed again as he dropped a pole into the warm sand. Setting up a tent was a lot harder with only one usable arm. He bent over to pick up the pole, but accidentally bumped his broken arm against his armor, which he had taken off and placed on the sand.

"Argh!" he said, and bit his lip to fight the pain. He recovered the dropped pole and proceeded to build his tent. He carefully eased the pole up to the tent to put it in place, but when he inched closer, he accidentally knocked over another key pole with his broken arm. The familiar shot of pain rushed through his sore arm. On top of that, the pole fell over and the whole tent collapsed.

"Arrrgggh!" He shouted as kicked his armor out frustration. He would never get it built.

"Captain, can I help you?" came a timid female voice from behind. The Captain quickly turned to see Laruto, the Zora queen, standing behind him. She was dressed in a type of Zora nightshirt, and wore what seemed like slippers made out of woven kelp.

Laruto had been nothing but kind to Isaac, but the Hylian captain still didn't completely trust her. She seemed too young to lead the Zoras, and Isaac was certain that the first mistake made in the desert would be hers.

The captain regained his composure and shook off the pain. "Yes, yes of course. Thank you," Isaac said to the young Zora. Laruto proceeded to place the various poles together as Isaac handed her the pieces of rope to tie them together.

"I'll bet you're excited to get home and see your family," Laruto said excitedly.

Of course he was. Silly girl. Isaac faked a laugh. "Yes, I've been gone far too long,"

"I bet they won't recognize you with the broken arm and the scars on your face," Laruto said while tying to poles together.

What was she getting at? Isaac realized Laruto had a problem of speaking out before she spoke. He decided to change the subject. "It's King Nohansen who should be excited to get home, with the baby and all," Isaac said.

Laruto looked back at Isaac from pitching the tent. "Baby? What baby?" She asked.

Isaac was surprised she didn't know. "Queen Kaileia is expected to have a baby any day now," he explained.

"Ooooh, exciting!" Laruto exclaimed with a huge smile. "I bet King Daphnes is wishing he was with his wife right now, instead of being in the desert fighting a war."

Once again Isaac rolled his eyes at the obvious statement. "I wouldn't mention that to him, he's pretty upset about the whole thing." Isaac paused to pull the tent flap over the poles. There was silence for a moment. Isaac was thankful the young Zora wasn't speaking for a change. They worked on the tent, and when it was finally finished, Isaac ran his good hand through his growing hair and smiled. "It looks great, thanks Laruto," He said with a smile.

The famous Gerudo stars compelled Isaac not to retire for bed immediately, but to take a small stroll through the cool desert. He grabbed his sheathed sword out of habit, and said goodnight to King Nohansen, Laruto, and the mage Kaepora Gaebora, as well as the remaining troops, and turned away from the dark campsite. He wasn't intending to go very far; the troops wanted to remain as hidden as possible so the Gerudo didn't know they were so close to the fortress. With only the moon as his source of light, Isaac approached a large palm tree. He sat at its base and breathed the cool, desert air. As Isaac watched the bright stars above, he forgot all about his troubles. The mysterious, almost hypnotic light seemed to place a spell on the troubled captain. He leaned his back against the tree's trunk, careful not to bump his broken arm against the hard bark. The captain felt his eyes close as he rested. The cool desert breeze tickled his face and blew his hair. And then…

Isaac stood up. He had heard a noise. He made a mental note that he had his sword on his belt, and began to cautiously look around. He had to make sure no Gerudo knew he was there. He began to circle the tree, listening carefully for any sound. After a few seconds, he heard the same sound again. It sounded like leaves rustling. The captain began to breathe heavily. He was in no condition to fight. He was unarmored and his dominant arm was broken. He began to look left and right. His heart was pounding in his chest. He heard a thump…someone was definitely nearby. Isaac awkwardly placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword. Then he heard a female voice behind him.

"It's you."

Isaac spun around to see a Gerudo knight standing right behind him. She had her trademark curved sword held out in a prepared stance. A grin marked her tan face. She was dressed in a nightgown type outfit, with slippers. Isaac felt it was the end of him. He had a broken arm and she was ready to shove her sword in Isaac's chest. Isaac looked into the eyes of his attacker as drops of sweat fell off his face.

Suddenly, Isaac grinned.

"You," he said in return. He knew this Gerudo knight. It was the same woman who had clawed him in the face. It was the same woman who had seduced and kissed him before punching him in the face. It was the same woman who pushed him down a cliff costing him his arm. Isaac pulled the sword out of the sheath and held it with his left hand. He was ill-prepared to fight this woman, but he was sure going to try.

"You're right handed. You will never be able to defeat me like that," the Gerudo said.

Isaac stepped closer. "I'm going to try."

The Gerudo smiled. "I'm surprised you survived your fall down the mountain into the river. It will make killing you even sweeter tonight."

Isaac ignored her and swung his sword with his left hand. The Gerudo easily blocked the blow with her own sword. The vibration of the hit traveled through Isaac's body, into his broken arm. He ignored the familiar shot of pain and focused on his opponent. The two faced each other with only the light of the moon to guide them. The stars watched down from the heavens.

The Gerudo took advantage of her mobility. She parried and jumped, two things Isaac couldn't do with his arm. He had difficulty blocking her swift attacks. After a few minutes, Isaac attacked with a horizontal swing that the Gerudo blocked. Their swords remained in contact. Isaac looked into the Gerudo's eyes. She grinned and stepped back, releasing the swords from one another. Then, with one fluid motion, the Gerudo knight leapt in the air and, like she was dancing, kicked Isaac in the face. The blow caught the captain off guard. He dropped his sword and fell in the sand. He felt a stream of blood run down from his chin. The Gerudo wasted no time kicking Isaac's sword further away and pressing her own sword against his chest. Her grin penetrated the fallen captain. He lay in the sand with a broken arm, defeated by the very enemy he vowed to kill. He was breathing very heavily. He gave up. There was nothing to do. There was no one to save him. There was no secret "plan B" to rely on. It was over. The Gerudo laughed, and the stars watched down from the heavens.

Isaac closed his eyes to prepare for the stab to the chest. It was over. He would never see the end of the war. He would never see his family again. It was the end. An eternity passed. Isaac continually had to tell himself he was still alive. The fatal blow hadn't come yet.

Finally, Isaac heard the Gerudo woman sigh. "I can't kill you," she said, and he heard her toss her sword away. Isaac cautiously opened his eyes. The Gerudo's cocky smile was gone, as was her sword. "Get your sword and get out of here," she said without looking at him. Isaac stood up and retrieved his weapon. The Gerudo was looking in the opposite direction. Isaac got an idea; he cautiously picked up her sword as well. This was his chance. He had her unarmed. He could very easily kill her now. Vengeance was his! He crept closer and closer to the knight. Then…all of a sudden, she turned around and looked him in the eye. The moonlight did something with her face…she looked almost beautiful. He dropped the swords.

"What…why?" he stammered out at the knight.

She looked away again. He wished she didn't. He wanted to look in her eyes again.

"Your broken arm took all of the fun out of killing you," she replied. She looked back again. "I'm sorry."

It was a blow to the face even more powerful than her kick. The enemy was apologizing! What was happening?

Isaac didn't know what to say. He truly wanted to take the sword and cut her head off, but he couldn't. He instead heard himself say the two words that he truly couldn't say to this person. "It's okay."

Isaac began to walk away towards the Hylian camp. "Wait!" the Gerudo shouted after him. The captain stopped and turned to face her again. "You could have killed me up on that cliff above the river, but you didn't." she said.

Isaac grinned and began to walk back towards the Gerudo. "You could have killed me right now, but you didn't."

The Gerudo smiled. "You probably won't believe me, but pushing you off that cliff was one of the most difficult things I've ever done."

"Believing you pushed me off a cliff was one of the most difficult things I've ever done," Isaac replied. No matter how much he tried, he could not resist the beautiful Gerudo. He leaned in closer to her, and she leaned closer to him. Their lips made contact, and Isaac put his good arm around the woman's back. They began to kiss again. Nothing else seemed important to Isaac. He didn't care that he was kissing the enemy. He didn't care that he was married. All that mattered to him was this woman. He knew he loved her. He wanted to find a way for them to be together. They continued to kiss. It started as a dry kiss, but quickly became an open-mouth. Isaac promised to find away for this relationship to work. He would do it, even if it was the last thing he did. They continued to kiss beneath the tall palm tree. And the stars watched down from the heavens.

Kaepora Gaebora, the old mage, watched Captain Isaac kiss the Gerudo knight. He had heard the swordfight from the camp and went to see if any one needed help. Despair filled his soul as he watched the captain kiss the Gerudo. "Oh boy, no, don't do this," Kaepora said to himself. He turned away after he couldn't watch anymore. He began to walk to the camp. "What will I tell Daphnes?" he asked himself. He walked back to the camp in the dark.