Once they were within the halls of the Forsaken Fortress, they slowed from a run to a fast walk. They hastily made their way through the complex corridors, down to the landing by the boat floating in the water within the defensive walls.
"What are we doing?" Dora asked when they finally stopped.
"Going home," he said, although with his anger it sounded more like a growl.
"You're kidding," she responded.
"Am I?" he countered, glaring.
Dora swallowed. This was not a time to joke with him. She watched and waited.
Across the water, a purple aura appeared from the surface. It created a circle, and floated up from the ocean like steam. He climbed in the boat, and Dora followed. She took the oar and guided the boat across the way until it floated into the center of the portal. The boat was sucked straight down through and floated in a new pool of water enclosed in a castle.
Dora could not believe her eyes. She leapt from the boat and onto the floor of the room. "How is this even possible?" she asked, laughing, and running through the door to the Great Hall. She stared straight up to the tall ceiling and rafters, down to the chandeliers, to the statues of monsters lining the walls, the tables, and the red velvet rug. It was exactly as she dreamed. "This is beautiful."
Ganondorf grinned at her excitement. "Once the Master Sword was free, I immediately set the reanimated minions to work at claiming Hyrule and rebuilding in my name. I created the portal to travel here, and used my full magic power to build this castle."
"How were you able to sneak out without my noticing?" she asked curiously, a hand on her hip.
He laughed menacingly. "While you were busy training, or sparring with the moblins, but you are also a heavy sleeper. There were many opportunities, and I only needed a short time," he explained. "Hundreds of my monsters are roaming the world now. While it is true that Hyrule was buried by water, it's protected by a barrier. Daphnes could not let go of Hyrule anymore than I could. It will be his undoing."
Dora hugged her wise husband, and they walked together through the castle, exploring its rooms and corridors. "Why didn't Link have the Triforce of Courage?"
"I have been contemplating that very question since Link arrived today. The only conclusion is that Zelda lied."
"What do you mean?"
"She said the Triforce of Wisdom was scatted across Hyrule. Her daughter has a portion of it, and if Daphnes is still around he has the other half. The only possibility is that the Triforce of Courage is not waiting for a hero to awaken, it was waiting for a hero to locate its shards and make it whole again," Ganondorf explained, full of cunning.
"Well, he is going to need it, if he has any hope of defeating us."
"That just allows extra time to gather more of my power."
"Inevitably, we will be sought after and discovered. How will we kill our enemies?"
"I am going to set up a surprise for our hero, that will either kill him or lead him to us."
"I want a chance at him," Dora demanded. "I owe him for killing my pet."
Ganondorf nodded. He did not doubt her skill, but her power was limited. Her arrogance could easily allow her to be cut down if the hero managed to restore the power to repel evil to the Master Sword. "You may have your chance. If Link manages his way to our home, you can kill him."
"Yes!" she cheered.
"Then we will complete the Triforce and return Hyrule to the surface," he promised. "Now that Daphnes has found his granddaughter, he'll bring her below water for safe keeping. They might even assume that you and I did not survive the fire. I'd like to welcome Zelda into our new home. We will go to Hyrule castle and bring her here," he ordered.
Dora nodded, excited to once again be plotting the hero's demise with her king. Finally, their victory seemed to be in sight.
While Zelda was feisty from all her years as a pirate, commanding a ship of men with rocks for brains, she was still a girl and still easily subdued. "Come on, just let me kill her," Dora begged.
"What?" Zelda shrieked.
"Not yet," Ganondorf hissed, working to conjure a false image of Zelda, which would alert him of Link's return.
"Why?" Dora whined.
"She is more useful alive. You'll have your chance to kill her, once we have dealt with Link," he reminded her impatiently.
"Stop struggling," Dora yelled, shaking Zelda by her arm. Even though she was chained at her wrists, she still fought, but Dora was much stronger. Finally, Ganondorf finished his work, and warped them back to his castle.
"What are you going to do? Link won't just let you win," Zelda argued. "He'll save me just like he saved his sister."
"Oh, and he did a fine job at that," Dora mocked, laughing.
"You'll see. He'll restore the Master Sword's power and you won't be laughing anymore!"
Dora struck Zelda with the back of her hand. "Shut it!" The girl fell to her knees with the force of the slap.
Ganondorf stepped forward and picked Zelda up by her arm. He said, "You are my prisoner. I am your king now, and she is your queen. You will do well to remember that," he threatened.
"I bow to no one," Zelda said, glaring.
"We shall see," Ganondorf responded, his tone threatening. Zelda disappeared.
"Do you really believe she will submit to us?" Dora asked, her temper flaring.
"Your short-sightedness is truly your worst quality," he countered.
She backed down, swallowing her anger.
At her silence, he continued to explain, "Zelda will witness the rebirth of her inherited kingdom, which her grandfather so eagerly tried to wash away, to know how her bloodline failed miserably to protect such an amazing world, and to know she will not be the one ruling it. I want her spirit to be utterly shattered. However, I have not forgotten your need for vengeance, or why, and therefore you may eliminate her once we have achieved our goal."
Dora grinned, but the weight of the suffering she endured was too heavy to keep it for long. She frowned, and said, "Thank you."
"As long as she is alive, Daphnes and his hero will be motivated to continue their quest."
"You mean, the promise of killing you isn't enough?" Dora asked, laughing.
"Sometimes, hate alone is not enough. Sometimes, love can make people do even crazier things," he explained with a devious grin, and then touched her cheek gently with his thumb.
Dora tried to hide an innocent blush, but she could not fight her beautiful smile.