A/N: Contains NSFW Scene.
The dawn following Ganondorf's return from the Zora brought Zelda a miserable morning; she felt quite sick, even with the tonic, and lay in bed for much longer than she normally did. She did not see Ganondorf at breakfast, and was consequently informed that he had left the castle. Where to, nobody knew. She decided to head to the library, in order to distract herself. She spent the day there, alternating between worrying about the imposter reading as much as she could about the animosity between the Zoran's and the Gerudo as she could. She didn't understand what was going on, and that annoyed her. Who was this Zoran, and why were they in partnership with a Hylian paid to steal documents from Ganondorf? And why on earth had the foolish creature been so stupid as to disguise himself as the Gerudo King? She could think of much less risky people to impersonate, though now she thought about it, wearing Ganondorf's skin was a great way to get about the castle unimpeded.
But what was the significance of stealing his documents? Apparently there was a 'cause' brewing. Rebels? It was likely, but… why would a Zora be spearheading the rebels? Zelda had a bad feeling about all of it, and with the knowledge that there was one intruder, the suspicion that there were more descended on her. She eyed every servant that passed her by, wondering if this was a person in disguise. The day passed, however, with no further drama, and when at last she was informed the evening meal was ready, she went there lost in thought. She was nearly finished when the door opened. Expecting it to be a servant, she looked up expectantly, only to be surprised by the Demon King himself.
He looked tired and irritable, his hair windblown, poufy and very messy, his armour stained with dust, and he was growling something under his breath. He sat down heavily with nary a glance of acknowledgement, and set to work demolishing a roasted cucco. Zelda stared at him cautiously, unsure as to whether or not she should speak to him. After a few minutes of silence, she decided she would. She floundered, trying to decide if she should ask him where he had been, or to inquire after his day. She settled on the latter, for in the awful mood he was in, he could be affronted if he didn't want her know where he had been.
"How was your day?" Zelda asked quietly, flicking her gaze to his. He paused mid bite, frowned, and swallowed, before taking a pull of his wine.
"Terrible." He said shortly. Zelda nodded, completely at a loss as to where she should go from here.
"Did… did anything happen?" She asked nervously.
He leaned back in his chair with a creak. "Nothing that concerns you, Princess." He said, and Zelda nodded. He had finished his cucco and had started in on a massive chunk of bread, shredding it and dunking it into a bowl of soup. She watched in a kind of fascinated trance as she nibbled on a small piece of cake. His manners were atrocious by her standards, and while she usually tried to lead by example, he clearly ignored all of her hints. By this time, she had finished her meal, and sipped her wine as she waited for Ganondorf to finish. Etiquette demanded that she stay until all parties had finished their meal, and she was fully regretting it by the time he was finished eating his way through an absolutely mountainous pile of food. He mustn't have eaten all day, she thought, and was relieved when he finally stood up. He came around to her side of the table, holding out a hand for her to take as she rose, and she took it, smiling as pleasantly as she could.
As they walked towards the door, he spoke. "What did you do today?" He asked, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck. Sneaking him a sidelong glance, Zelda furrowed her brow. He really did look extremely fatigued, growing more so with every step. She sensed that his mental energy was drained more than his physical energy, for she suspected someone of Ganondorf's physique could maintain himself or herself for far longer than a day.
"I spent most of the day in the library." She said.
"Oh?" He replied distantly; it was obvious he wasn't really paying attention to the conversation. He was in a strange mood, that much was evident. Funnily enough, he didn't seem to be angry, as she rather had expected him to be, now, he just seemed… tired. Zelda burned with curiosity; where had he gone? What had he been doing to make himself so worn out? Well, even if he wasn't going to tell her where he'd been, if his fatigue was going to make him vaguely civil, then she wasn't going to complain. They spent the rest of the walk to their chambers in silence, where he left her, and continued through the door into his own chambers with merely a grunt in her general direction. Zelda headed to her bathing chambers then, and relaxed into the water, having called her maids. After some time had passed, wherein she had bathed, her maids had brushed her hair and braided it, and she was cosily ensconced in her nightgown and robe, she dismissed them. After they had gone, she crossed into the circular chamber in search of her book.
Seeing as there was plenty of time before she felt as though she could go to bed, Zelda sat down on a divan and opened her book. Not long after, the door opened, and Ganondorf emerged, skin clean once more, dressed in only his trousers. His usually vivid hair was dripping wet, darkening the colour immensely. He crossed the room and sank down onto the floor by the fire, leaning against a chair as he attacked his hair with a comb, resting a bottle of oil beside him on the floor. For a while nothing could be heard but the crackle of the fire, the soft swish of turning pages, and the breathing of the Gerudo man struggling with his hair. After nearly a quarter of an hour had passed with Ganondorf's cursing getting more pronounced as his hair refused to untangle, Zelda sighed as she watched him.
He looked ridiculous; appearing to be right on the verge of sleep, and yet struggling to comb out his hair. She had no doubt that his fatigue was what ailed him; surely he was capable of brushing his hair under ordinary circumstances. She wondered if she dared go over to him… Zelda pursed her lips and considered her options. She felt rather safe in doing so, because in this state she'd be surprised if he could take offense to a fly. If she could steel her own nerves enough to go over to him… it would certainly send the right kind of impression; she knew exactly how he would interpret her actions, and that was the result she was looking for… It turned out, she was brave enough. Placing her book the side, she stood, making her way over to the chair he was leaning against and sitting down, tugging the comb from his hand and pulling his half dry hair into her lap in the same movement.
"You have no idea how funny this is." She said, with a laugh to cover her nerves. "Watching you fail miserably at something so simple as brushing your hair."
He snorted, but made no move to get up, and Zelda separated his hair into sections, and attacked them one at a time. "You look exhausted." She said quietly, noting that his eyes were very nearly closed.
He made a noise in the back of his throat. "No sleep last night. Full day of riding today. I'm done." He agreed. She smiled slightly, delighted he was letting her brush his hair. Ganondorf had a great deal of pride when it came to his vivid crimson locks, eschewing a manservant to aid him in favour of caring for it himself, which was quite unnatural for a King, but she knew she'd not change his mind.
"No sleep? You stayed up? That was foolish." She said, moving onto the second section of hair.
Ganondorf nearly forgot to respond, he was so close to sleep. He managed to make a vague noise of agreement. The rhythmic movement of the brush through his hair was extremely relaxing. What he couldn't fathom was why she had approached him in the first place. He grinned smugly. Perhaps Zelda was coming to care for him? He considered this thought carefully. He still hadn't ruled out his suspicion that the princess was feigning her affection, but this move had thrown him somewhat. Zelda softly drew her nails over his scalp, and a shiver rippled over his skin unbidden, drawing a soft giggle from her. She shifted slightly as he adjusted his position, so he leaned against the side of her soft thigh instead. Much more comfortable than the hard chair, he thought idly.
The princess sighed as she attacked a particularly stubborn knot, and the little of her face he could see from his angle looked exasperated as she tilted her head, examining the hair she held in her fist. "You could always cut it, you know." She suggested.
A second passed before he could fully comprehend just what she had said. He jerked upright, spinning around to face her, a snarl on his lips. "I will gut you like a fish." He growled as Zelda jumped in fright. She started laughing then, muffling the noise behind her hand. He frowned at her and raised a mistrustful brow, waiting for her to stop. When the giggles subsided, she smiled widely at him.
"Don't worry." She said. "I don't have any blades hidden up my sleeve."
He narrowed his eyes dubiously, and shook a finger at her in warning, which made the princess giggle again, before he turned around and leaned up against her again. Her fingers sank back into his hair, and this time she did not use the brush, but rather just used her fingers to comb through the strands. It was extremely soothing.
"Why didn't you bind it back?" She asked conversationally. "It wouldn't be so tangled if you had."
"Eh." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "It looks better down."
She snickered to herself. "You are vain."
Ganondorf rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath.
Zelda smiled slightly, feeling heat from the fire wash over them as he rested against her thigh, and silently worked on the rest of his hair. It took nearly three quarters of an hour, but she finally got all the knots out, and leaned down to pick up the oil. It was something Gerudo in origin, unfamiliar to her, and managed to be both spicy and sweet, as though someone had dipped a spiced peach in sugary syrup. She poured a moderate amount onto her hands, and began to work it through his hair. The lovely sweet smell permeated the air as Ganondorf's eyes closed, and she began to feel drowsy herself. After most of the oil was focused on his ends, she moved her fingers up the strands to his scalp. As she ran her fingers through his hair, lightly dragging her nails along his scalp, occasionally dipping down to rub his temples, the Demon King made a very contented rumble and released the rest of his tension, sinking bonelessly down against her. A few minutes later and Zelda was smiling, for he had very obviously fallen asleep. She continued with the scalp massage for some time, until he was in serious danger of falling right over onto the floor. She took a moment to take in his face, completely relaxed as it was. She had never seen him so unguarded before. Why, without the ugly scowl he usually wore, his strong features, if not exactly what she would call handsome by Hylian standards, were not bad looking.
Leaning down, Zelda lightly shook his shoulder to wake him. He jerked forwards, looking blearily around as though he wasn't quite sure if he should be ready to take someone's head off. She touched his shoulder again, and he spun around to look at her.
"You should go to bed." She said softly, and smiled. Ganondorf managed half a grin back before a yawn over took him, and he pulled himself upright. He blinked, his eyes somewhat unfocused, before he grabbed her wrist and tugged her to her feet. He grinned and hoisted her into the air, cradling her against his chest. Zelda looked up at him, confused. He wasn't really going to attempt anything, was he? He'd fall asleep five minutes in, and told him as much. His laughter was all the reply she got as his grip tightened on her body.
He made it over to his bed without passing out, which was good she supposed, and dropped her lightly onto the covers. She barely had time to sit up before he collapsed on his back, the bedframe groaning under the sudden weight. Ganondorf reached out an arm and scooped her up, crushing her against his side. Zelda flipped her hair out of her face and looked up to see his eyes were already shut. She sighed and let herself relax into him, resigning herself to spending the night squished up against him, wondering if he would ever do this when he wasn't half asleep out from exhaustion. She bit her lip as she considered; he seemed to be quite an affectionate sort of person when he wasn't angry. Zelda frowned; maybe affectionate was the wrong word, and she knew he'd die before he admitted it, but clearly he liked physical intimacy. She wondered if it meant anything more, or if it was just in his nature to touch and wish to be touched. An involuntary smile curled the corner of her lips; she found it rather sweet. She was fairly uncomfortable; her robe was twisted around her in an awkward fashion, but by this time Ganondorf was already snoring, and she couldn't move to save her own life. Giving up on trying to fix it, Zelda lay there until sleep claimed her as well.
When Zelda next awoke, it was morning. She blinked blearily at the massive snoring man beside her, who lay on his stomach, one arm up under his pillow, the other resting over her hips in a fashion that did not look overly comfortable. She had to lift his arm in order to slide out from underneath him, but apparently she wasn't careful enough, because he suddenly shot up to rest on his free elbow. They froze, staring at each other, her still holding his arm up in the air. The ridiculousness of the situation hit her, and she let out a giggle, as she stared at the comical look of surprise on his face, dropping his wrist as she tried to smother it, before giving up and laughing fit to burst a lung into her pillow. As her laughter gradually subsided into hiccups, she sat up to peer at him. The disorientated look on his face set her off again, and she went to flop onto her back. What happened instead was that the Queen of Hyrule misjudged how close she was to the edge of the bed and with a scream, promptly fell off.
She hadn't really fallen, more like uncontrollably slid headfirst on her back off the bed, but Zelda still lay on the cold stone for a few moments, blinking hard as Ganondorf came hurrying around the bed, a decidedly anxious expression on his face. He scooped her up and placed her back on the bed, then touched a hand lightly to her abdomen, and Zelda grinned as she slid his hand down a fraction to cradle the slight bump. She knew what he was worried about.
"I'm fine." She brushed her fingers over his. "We're fine."
Zelda stood up then, turning towards her mirror, where she pulled the fabric of her nightgown taut against her, her fingers exploring the small yet defined bump.
"Look." She said softly. "I'm starting to show, just a little bit."
The look that crossed his face was peculiar indeed, his eyes darkening as moved to stand in front of her, gripping her hips lightly.
"At last." He muttered under his breath.
Zelda frowned, slightly confused. "At last?" She inquired.
Ganondorf grinned, showing his fangs. "This child is very important to me, Princess. Nearly more so than having Hyrule for my own."
She stared. That was unexpected. "You want a child so much you'd invade an entire Kingdom to get it?"
The Gerudo King smirked. "Yes. You see-" He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "-you are the only woman who can carry my child."
Zelda blinked. This made no sense. "Surely you don't mean physically." She asked. "How would you know?"
He chuckled slightly. "No, I don't mean physically. Theoretically, I could sire children with any number of women, but this child… this child is the one that counts."
She frowned up at him, unimpressed. "Do you have to be so cryptic all the time?" She complained, and he smirked harder.
"Yes." A contemplative look entered his eye. "I do plan on telling you my reasoning…. But not yet."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not." She muttered sarcastically as he snickered.
Ganondorf tightened his grip, pulling her closer so her body touched his, and she gave him her most unimpressed look as his hands slid to places they had no business being at this time of day.
"Now?" She asked drily, and he laughed out loud, and hoisted her into the air, where she slid her arms around his neck.
"Sadly, no." He said, grinning. "I have places to be this morning."
Zelda grinned mischievously. "What a shame." She said, drowning her words in buckets of sarcasm, drawing an incredulous yet smug smirk from the Gerudo King. She liked him best when he was like this; when he wasn't being threatening. The longer they spent together, she mused, the more and more flashes she got of his underlying personality.
"Why, Princess." He dipped his head to graze the side of her neck with sharp teeth, making her shiver, and whispered conspiratorially in her ear. "I would dearly like to oblige you, but duty calls, I'm afraid."
"Heh. I'm sure you would." She muttered, causing a dark chuckle to wash over her skin. Ganondorf brought his head up then; his lips met hers firmly. Zelda nearly laughed as an idea occurred to her; a delicious, delicious idea. She pressed herself hard against him, twining her fingers roughly into his hair, letting a breathless whimper escape from her throat. His reaction was instantaneous, crushing her against him as he groaned deeply. Zelda could barely hold herself back from laughing, even as she moved her whole body against him, locking her legs around his waist. She could feel exactly how much he wanted her. As if on cue, his hand moved to slide up her thigh, under her nightgown, and she nibbled on his lower lip, relishing the groan that passed his lips.
Zelda pulled back then, and tapped his jaw cheekily. "I thought you said you had somewhere to be?" She asked teasingly.
There was a moment or two where Ganondorf looked utterly befuddled, and she took the opportunity to push herself backwards out of his grip, slipping down out of his reach as his expression changed from confused to suspiciously miffed. "You don't…" He began, but didn't finish the thought, his eyes narrowing, and reached for her. "You artful, scheming little thing, I ought-"
Zelda beamed up at him, jumping out of his reach and skipping over to the door. With one hand on the handle, she turned back to smile and wave as flirtatiously as she possibly could as he stood there, his expression resembling a stunned kipper. "Have a wonderful day!" She purred, before slipping through into the next room. Barely at the stifle the giggles she could just feel welling up from the look on his face, she fled and hid in her study. She stayed there for quite a while, just in case Ganondorf decided to come and finish what she'd started.
He didn't however, and she eventually emerged, and very cautiously checked and double-checked that he wasn't lurking somewhere in a corner, ready to pounce. She called her maids, and spent the rest of the morning breaking into giggles whenever she recalled Ganondorf's face. After the midday meal, she was in the music room, immersed in a particularly tricky piece on her harp, when she became aware of a presence behind her, and heard the shuffle of the iron knuckles footsteps as they filed out of the room. Zelda smiled to herself, but didn't turn around or give any indication that she was aware of said presence, though she did give the sway of her body a little more oomph, or at least she did until rough hands seized her waist, pulling her off her stool.
She gasped as she found herself being hoisted into the air for the second time that day. The scowl on Ganondorf's face was marred by a grin twisting the corner of his lips as his fingers roamed over her hips. Zelda grinned at him, digging her fingers into the groove of chest plate.
Ganondorf lowered his face down to hers. "About time you were punished for that little stunt of yours, Princess."
Zelda feigned ignorance. "Oh? I don't recall any stunts, my liege. I'm afraid you'll have to refresh my memory."
He grinned outright then, and leaned down. He no doubt would have kissed her, if the door hadn't opened at that exact moment to reveal a liveried footman. Zelda instantly pushed backwards, launching herself out of his arms as Ganondorf turned to the intruder; she hit the floor and walked very speedily towards her piano. The footman's face was bright crimson, but not so red as hers. Ganondorf looked aggrieved at the interruption; giving an irritable grumble, he snapped at the footman.
"What?"
The footman looked petrified. "Apologies, Your Majesty." He stammered fearfully. "The Gerudo Lieutenant is here."
Zelda turned around then; she had gotten her blush under control, and faced the footman with her serene mask in place. She wasn't entirely sure how much the man had seen, and thus had decided that she would ignore it completely. She was confused. Gerudo lieutenant? Did he mean Nabooru? What was she doing back here?
The footman seemed utterly terrified to be addressing Ganondorf, who was clearly fully aware of that fact. Smugness radiated off him in waves.
"Tell her I will meet her in a few minutes." He said, and flicked his fingers at the man casually, as though he were a bug.
The footman bowed, thus dismissed, and fled, ears still burning red.
Zelda turned to face Ganondorf, who advanced on her once more. The grin lurking around his mouth was definitely of the licentious variety, and Zelda held up her hands to stop him as he went to grab her waist again.
"Gerudo lieutenant?" She asked, attempting to fend him off. "You mean Nabooru?"
Ganondorf nodded. "Yes. I require Nabooru's council, and the Twinrova insisted on coming too, for reasons known only to themselves. They will be here for around a fortnight."
Zelda frowned. "You never said they were coming." She flicked a hand down the front of the gown. "Is this about the…" She hesitated for a moment. "That man?"
Ganondorf's eyes darkened and his grin faded. "Yes." He said shortly. "I've an idea – yesterday – well, I'm going to run it past Nabs first."
"Do you have any idea who is was?" She asked.
He scowled and shook his head. "No." His voice was dark with displeasure. "Not yet."
Zelda took another step forwards, voicing a thought that had been worrying her. "What if there are others in the castle? That letter said something about a cause; any of the servants could be an outsider."
He swore. "I know. Be on your guard, Princess. Act normally, as though you suspect nothing. If you notice anything…"
She nodded. "I'll tell you."
The Gerudo King grinned briefly. "Good. I rather hope there are some more intruders, to be honest. I'd like to question them."
His tone of voice told her exactly how he'd do that, and she shivered slightly. "So this is what Nabooru's here for?"
"Pretty much."
"Am I required to greet them?"
"No, I don't think so." He snickered at her. "Nabooru and I have work to do, and the Twinrova certainly won't want to see you."
She stared at him with her mouth open for a moment. "Thank you very much." She said tartly, making him chuckle. Zelda sniffed and put her nose in the air, crossing back to her harp. "I think you have somewhere to be...?" She said as haughtily as possible.
A dark chuckle echoed through the room. "Don't think you've earned a reprieve, Princess." He said, running a hand through her hair. With that, Ganondorf turned and abruptly left the room.
That nights evening meal was grand affair indeed. As per custom, the servants were treating it as a state function, and had arranged a magnificent feast. Zelda had dressed elegantly for the occasion, though she was feeling a little uneasy, due to the coldness of the Twinrova. She entered the dining hall to see Nabooru immediately leave Ganondorf mid sentence to greet her. Smiling, Zelda clasped the Gerudo woman's hands in hers. "Nabooru. How wonderful to see you." She said, and Nabooru beamed.
"Thank you, Princess." Nabooru linked arms with her and drew her too the side for a while, until it was announced that the meal was served. The meal was mostly silent, for it was merely the five of them, and the Twinrova obviously had a bee in their bonnet about something, and refused to speak, outside a few words to Ganondorf. Thankfully, Nabooru was seated across from her, and together they held most of the conversation, with occasional input from Ganondorf. She couldn't help feel slightly irritated with him, and especially with the Twinrova. In her world, this poor attitude displayed their ill breeding and lack of manners. Still, she tried to cover it as graciously as she could with her own conversation, working with Nabooru to keep the awkwardness down to as low a level as possible until the meal was over. It finally was, thank the Goddesses, and Nabooru went with the Twinrova to their rooms, and Ganondorf walked with her back to theirs, where he left her to enter his own bedchamber.
Ganondorf hummed to himself as he got dressed only in his trousers after his bath. He was in a good mood, for Nabooru was here now, and her advice was invaluable, or so he hoped, with regards to the mysterious Zora who was trying to steal his secrets. He chuckled slightly, picturing the princess in her nightgown, behaving as she had this morning. Scheming baggage. He'd spent most of the evening meal picturing all the different ways Zelda was going to get her comeuppance. He'd felt slightly twitchy all day, anticipating the evening, and now it was finally here.
Striding through into her rooms, Ganondorf stopped to see where she was. He grinned slowly as he saw her sitting at her dressing table, brushing her hair. He preened inside, for every time he looked at her, he was reminded of her pregnancy. He felt satisfaction curling through his chest at the mere thought of it; Zelda was no longer just his Queen, but would soon be the mother of his child and heir. The princess turned around, smiled, and then went back to her hair. He strode over and pulled the brush from her hands in one quick move.
"Well Princess." He murmured. "I hope you're prepared for your punishment."
Zelda grinned up at him in the mirror. "No indeed." She said. "I've done nothing to warrant punishment."
"Oh?" He said, snickering. "Then you and I have very different recollections of it."
The princess merely smiled, and picked up a bottle of oil. "I think you must be right." She said, beginning to rub the oil through the ends of her long hair.
He merely chuckled darkly, watching as Zelda smiled in a decidedly wicked fashion, and stood up. She moved in closer and closer until she stood as close to him as she dared. Ganondorf grinned down at her, then swung her into the air. She tangled her fingers into his hair, and smiled in a way that was so suggestive he nearly forgot what he was supposed to be doing. He did like her when she was like this. Smirking at her, he leaned down and took her mouth roughly as she instantly responded. Turning to deposit the princess on her bed, he followed her, and kissed her until she began to make tiny breathy whimpers beneath him.
Sliding a hand down to her neckline, he pulled at the ribbon tied in a bow, unravelling it to reveal her breasts. He sat up then, pulling Zelda upright to drag her nightgown over her head and grinned as her nude body came into view. Finally. It had been far too long since he had had her beneath him. he frowned slightly; he'd bedded her yesterday, that much was true, but he still had a week of lost time to make up for. Ganondorf pushed his irritation with the Zora to the side, for now was not the time. Now that he looked at her properly, the faint curve of her belly was visible, and he grinned at the real, tangible evidence of his child. Ripping his trousers off, he smoothed a hand over her nipples, and watched as the princess's head tilted back slightly as he pinched her. All of a sudden, a thought came to him. He had thought about engaging in this particular act with her before, but her inexperience in the realm of marital relations had made him hold back. Smirking, he lay her down on her back, kissing her hard, and pulled her hands above her head.
"Stay." he growled, and Zelda giggled slightly, but remained where she was.
Moving swiftly, Ganondorf moved down her body and slung her legs over his shoulders as she squealed in shock, trying to move further up the bed away from him. Her hands flew to his hair, disregarding his order as she tried to pull his head up, but her strength was pathetic.
"What are you doing?"
The princess tugged again, trying to move out of his grip, and Ganondorf gripped her hips firmly to stop her from moving before he leaned forwards to take his first taste; she was enticing from a distance, and earth shattering under his tongue. The gasp she let out made him smile against her, and then he brought his hand into play. Her fingers tightened in his hair as she let out a broken groan, shifting against him.
"Oh Nayru, what, what..." She whimpered, and he continued his assault, finding the crux of her passion and manipulating it until she trembled under his tongue. Sliding another finger into her, he supressed a groan as she contracted around him with a wail. He grinned wickedly as he crooked his fingers, searching for that sensitive little place deep inside. Rubbing it with a long finger, he felt her body tense as Zelda cried out, her hips beginning to move in tandem to the motions of his mouth. Her cries soon reached fever pitch, and he rubbed her harder, grinning against her as her thighs began to shake, her grip in his hair tightening until she shattered, a scream escaping her throat as she convulsed. Ganondorf smirked, letting her legs fall down as he moved up her body, positioning himself at her entrance. Her eyes were glazed as she clung to him, panting hard. When she came back to herself, she stared at him with a comical mix of shock and bliss, and she bit her lip, a slightly perturbed look on her face.
"What on earth was that?" She asked, and then closed her eyes in obvious embarrassment.
He chuckled, and leaned in to tug on her earlobe with his teeth, making her gasp. "So innocent." He snickered as Zelda frowned; he took the opportunity to enter her, and groaned at the sensation. She was hot and tight and wet, and as she wrapped her legs around his waist, the euphoric feeling increased with the added depth. He began to move within her, watching her face as he did. The ecstasy he saw there made him grin; there was no way she was faking it. His ego nicely boosted, Ganondorf pulled them both upright, crowding her up against the bedhead, one arm braced on the timber, the other holding her firmly against him. The princess locked her arms and legs tightly around him and held on for dear life as he moved against her, her moans becoming ragged as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. Feeling the tightening of her body that signalled impending release, he sped up his movements as a strangled cry came from her throat. He groaned into Zelda's hair, his own release close, and he gritted his teeth as he pushed her over the peak, tingles starting in the base of his spine and shooting throughout his body as with a violent groan and spasm he followed her.
The first thing Zelda became aware of was Ganondorf unlocking her death grip from his neck as he lay down on his back, pulling her down so she rested in the crook of his arm as she pulled the sheet up. Running a hand lightly across his chest, she smiled slightly, though as the details of what had just occurred filtered through her bliss-addled thoughts. When the memory of his head between her legs hit, she froze and turned bright red, acute embarrassment washing over her. What made it worse was that propriety aside, she had liked it. Or at least, she hadn't disliked it? Zelda frowned, mulling it over. She would never have ever dreamed that anyone could commit such an act, though she was utterly mortified to admit to herself that if he tried it again, she probably wouldn't object. Much. The chagrin she felt at this little revelation made her put a hand over her eyes, gritting her teeth until the feeling faded.
Placing her hand back down by her side, Zelda released her breath, only to look up to find Ganondorf staring down at her with a perplexed look on his face, which made red crawl back into her cheeks once more.
"I've never met anyone who blushes more than you do." He declared, shaking his head and pulling her closer into his side.
Zelda wrinkled her nose up at him. "I wouldn't blush half so much if you would only behave with propriety."
He gave a shout of laughter. "You'd blush a lot less if you were only half so prudish as you are now."
Her mouth dropped open, and she pushed herself up on her elbow to scowl at him. "Prudish?"
A grin at the corner of his mouth, the Gerudo King's gaze wandered down to her breasts and she scowled, pulling the sheets up to cover herself. "Yes, prudish. You Hylian's are so caught up in your decorum and veneers of respectability, you've no idea how to enjoy yourselves."
Frowning intensely at him, Zelda sniffed. "I think you'll find one can enjoy oneself without giving themselves over to such shameless behaviour."
Ganondorf propped himself up on his elbow. "Oh? Am I to take it that you would prefer an impersonal, uncomfortable five-minute bedding? I say uncomfortable for it would undoubtedly be so. For you. "
Zelda narrowed her eyes but didn't respond. How could she? "…That's not the point." She said finally, lamely, and he snorted out a laugh.
"Of course not." He snickered, and lay back down. "Hylian's always have another point to make." He mumbled under his breath, and Zelda poked him in the ribs.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked indignantly.
He smirked up at her. "See? You just proved my point. You can never let the matter drop."
Zelda stared at him for a moment. "That doesn't make any sense." She said finally, brows drawing together as he snorted.
"What are you talking about? It makes perfect sense."
Zelda rolled her eyes. "No it doesn't." A moment later her lips curled up involuntarily as she looked at him.
Ganondorf touched her shoulder. "…What are you smiling at?" He asked suspiciously, and Zelda looked up to meet his gaze.
"You've changed." She said softly. Ganondorf was silent for a moment, processing her words.
"…Changed?" He asked, one fiery brow raised.
Zelda nodded, feeling quite bold. "You're really not very scary in real life." She continued, and a moment later found herself flat on her back as he loomed over her.
"Not scary?" he growled. "I am offended."
Zelda sniggered. She couldn't help herself. He narrowed his eyes at her.
"…What do you mean, in 'real life?'" He asked.
Zelda snickered slightly. "Well, I think you have two sides." He raised a disbelieving brow, and she giggled. "Let me explain! There's the terrifying Demon King, the one who is part of legend and commands great armies, who makes nations tremble and Kings fall, and then there's you, as you are in private. The one who is imminently more approachable." If this didn't make him think she liked him she didn't know what would.
Ganondorf looked as though he didn't know whether to preen or frown; he settled for both, and Zelda giggled again as he spoke. "You both flatter and insult me, Princess." He grinned crookedly. "You think I am part of legend?"
Rolling her eyes, Zelda frowned up at him. "Don't get cocky." She said dryly, and Ganondorf laughed out loud and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him.
He suddenly leaned down and glared at her. "You had better not share these theories with anyone else."
"Don't worry. I won't." She laughed, then looked up. "Anyway, who would believe me? You certainly scared that footman right out of his socks this morning."
A chuckle reverberated through him. "At least there's that." He agreed, sounding satisfied. "I hope you do think this means I like you, Princess."
"Hah! Likewise." She returned, grinning as he snickered. The silence felt almost companionable as they lay there, and a thought occurred to her. It was something that she had mulled over for a little while now, but had never found an appropriate time to bring it up. Ganondorf was clearly in a good mood, so she decided now was a good a time as ever.
"You know… You can call me Zelda." She said quietly, looking up to gauge his reaction. He was silent for a moment, then snorted.
"I can just picture the look on the Twinrova's face if they were ever to witness me calling you Zelda." He snickered. "They'd be horrified."
Zelda sat up quickly. "You couldn't call me Zelda in front of them even if they did approve. It wouldn't be seemly."
The Gerudo King raised an unimpressed brow. "...Seemly?"
Zelda nodded. "It wouldn't be proper. I would never dream of calling you by your given name before others. It wouldn't be correct. You may call me Zelda, in private. If you wish."
He merely looked at her, brow still raised. "Very well, Zelda. Though I still think your penchant for propriety is ridiculous."
"That's understandable." She said primly. "Though you really ought to be thankful I was raised to hold my tongue." She said with a sour smile.
He was silent for a moment. "What do you mean?" He asked, frowning.
Zelda laughed bitterly. "When you are born a princess of considerable wealth and status, and dare I say beauty, there are always many eyes upon you. If you add eligibility into the mix, life is a never ending parade of courting, of balls, of princes and kings who see you as a prize to be won, a pretty face who just happens to possess lands that aid the expansion of their dominion. A princess is born with expectations, and to fail to live up to those is a terrible thing."
Ganondorf scowled. "But you were unmarried." He said, and they both ignored the tension of the word were.
"I was." She said simply. "What intention could I ever have of marriage when most men I ever spoke with disregarded me as a person, and even overlooked my portion of the Triforce? In their minds, a woman has no place at the table of Kings."
Ganondorf snorted. "Fools." He muttered, and Zelda looked confusedly up at him. What exactly did he mean by that? He saw her looking and rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten that I was raised by a tribe of women?" He asked, grinning. "Its hard to grow up viewing women as decorative objects when they control every aspect of life."
Zelda giggled. "There at least I cannot disapprove."
He scowled at her. "But you do disapprove of us?" The dangerous tone in his voice made her pause; she was headed into hazardous territory.
"Well." She said quietly. "Not really. Not anymore. I was always raised to view Gerudo as… unpredictable, to put it politely. Though now that I've actually met Nabooru and some of the others, I can say you are not quite as uncivilised as I was led to believe."
"Unpredictable? Uncivilised?" He snorted. "You have quite the talent for pricking the needle while applying the salve."
Giggling at the analogy, Zelda turned in the crook of his arm, moving to lie on her side with her hand on his chest. "It's taken many years of training." She said, smiling, and Ganondorf propped himself up on an elbow to look down at her properly.
"Training?" He asked suspiciously. "You do this on purpose?"
"Not anymore." Zelda smiled as evilly as she could. "It's second nature now. A lady can't directly insult someone, so she needs to be able to twist a knife disguised with sweet nothings."
"Hmph." Ganondorf didn't look very impressed. "What did you mean before?" He asked, changing the subject. "You made it sound as though you had no intention of marriage."
"I didn't. Not immediately, anyway." She said. "I planned to rule Hyrule on my own for a while and prove that I was more than a figurehead. Then, because heirs are necessary, I would have taken a husband. Not the other way around." She wrinkled her nose up at him. "Then you went and invaded, and now I can't." She complained, and Ganondorf chuckled down at her.
"You needn't worry; you will have the chance to prove your mind." He said, and Zelda cocked her head, confused.
"…What?" She asked, frowning, and Ganondorf drew her closer to him.
"I have plans for you, Princess, plans for your wisdom." He said, and Zelda knit her brows in confusion.
"…Are you going to take my piece of the Triforce?" She asked finally, fearfully.
"No." He said, and her whole body relaxed. "Do you recall the other day, when you got very angry with me for refusing to see the Zoran ambassadors?"
She looked at him with a bemused expression. Where on earth was he going with this? "…Yes?" She replied, and it came out like a question.
"You brought up some very good points, about the economy, and such like. You would obviously know more about such matters in Hyrule than I, and so you can assume control of things there."
"Really?" Zelda knew she sounded amazed, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him properly.
"Yes." He said, smirking at her reaction. "You can have your own advisors, and you can do with Hyrule what you will." He narrowed his eyes. "Within reason, of course." He added as an afterthought.
Zelda smiled widely, and, without thinking about it, leaned down and kissed him lightly. "Thank you!" She said, beaming, and snuggled back down in the crook of his elbow again, missing the intrigued and speculative look he gave her. She was in a very good mood now. He truly meant to include her in the running of Hyrule! She was ecstatic, and with good reason. Now she could help her subjects. It seemed that, for all his rough edges, Ganondorf was a fair man, and he would let her have a hand in her own kingdom. Cheered, she nestled in closer and closed her eyes, utterly content.
Hearing the princess's breathing slow, Ganondorf realised she had fallen asleep. He took the opportunity to study her form, thinking hard about her reaction to his plan. She had kissed him, voluntarily, and seemingly without thinking about it. Her body language was quite at ease, and she had warmed up to him enough that she willingly spoke her mind. Hmph. Recalling her statement that she no longer found him scary, he rolled his eyes. He'd have to up his game. Or would he? Zelda clearly felt comfortable in his presence now – why, she'd even invited him to call her by her birth name – and he'd proved that she obeyed him readily when she was in good humour. Maybe it was best this way, to let her see affection in his touch. A sense of unease rolled through him at that, for unwilling as he was to admit it, he did enjoy her touch. The idea of her affections towards his pleased him in more ways than one, and that was worrisome.
Perhaps it was possessiveness? After all, she carried his child. It was only natural that he would feel some sort of regard for her in that respect. Ganondorf shifted slightly, frowning as her body instantly mirrored his as she murmured a little in her sleep. They were married, and some degree of intimacy was to be expected; it was technically his right to demand they share their marital bed. It didn't necessarily mean that he was developing any kind of attachment to her. He lay there for quite a while, trying to reconcile his uneasiness with the princess's behaviour. Eventually, however, the soft rhythmic breathing of the princess lulled him to sleep.