On the far side of the castle grounds lay the training wing. Small sections were scattered around the complex for specialized training, but much of it was taken up by a massive coliseum positioned at the center. The arena could accommodate ten thousand standing soldiers, with ascending rows of seats scattered about the perimeter. It served a double role, providing a rallying ground for the entirety of the Hylian army before a campaign as well as a convenient space for use during the nation's festivals. Today, it occupied a place somewhere in the middle. Citizens from the city, along with visitors from the surrounding hamlets, excitedly crowded the stands as they awaited the spectacle. Numerous purple banners, emblazoned with the Triforce fluttered in the breeze. Despite the anticipation around them Zelda could feel the tenseness in the advisers surrounding her.
Hyrule's finest, that is what the Gerudo expected to see today, and any show of weakness on Hyrule's part would be noted. She swallowed an uncomfortable lump in her throat, no doubt the soldiers representing the crown had been lectured this morning about what was at stake. She wanted to speak with Ganondorf, to reassure him, but he had been avoiding her all morning. One hand moved self-consciously to the cut on her face but the rough, almost sticky sensation of her make-up reassured her of its concealment. She believed from the bottom of her heart that he would never intentionally hurt her, which made his distress weigh ever more heavily on her mind. At least she had her token of favor.
Looking down, she admired the small, jade bracelet in her hand. Hylian tradition held that a member of the royal family would bestow a token of their favor on one of the tournament's contestants. If he were to be defeated in combat, he would pass it onto the winner, so that whoever outlasted the other competitors would be able to present it back to the royal family at the fight's conclusion. Winning the prize and returning it was considered a great honor, but a man who protected the gift through each and every round was held in even higher regard, his passion for the royal family being unmatched in the field.
And truly, she thought, I don't know anyone more loyal to Ganondorf. I hope he's okay... She Walked over to the side of the royal box, where monarchy and advisers clustered, and leaned over to her friend just outside. "So Malon, having fun yet?"
The redhead let out a squeal of excitement, "It's great! So many people... and all waiting to see the soldiers fight for honor and glory! It's like a fairytale."
Zelda shook her head and chuckled at the farmgirl. She was glad to have someone around who would legitimately enjoy the competition. It seemed like the other occupants of the booth wanted to suck all the excitement out of the day.
"Your majesty, it is almost time." She turned to see her father nod dutifully, taking a drink from a silver goblet before handing it to an aid and stepping forward. His thick, scarlet robes threatened to swallow him whole. Zelda cringed, though the golden and violent streamers scattered around the arena bobbed and jerked in the flowing breeze it was still an uncharacteristically hot day. At least she didn't have to dress up like that.
"Tell the heralds I am about to start." He turned to her, "Are you ready?" She nodded and stepped out of the royal box, making her way to the stairs which worked down towards the arena. She heard her father speak behind her. "Citizens of Hyrule, and honored guests, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 477th grand tournament!"
She continued walking, her father's voice was strong but had no hope of carrying across the arena. After a moment though, twenty men who stood on the roof of the box raised their chins and boomed out in unison, "Citizens of Hyrule, and honored guests, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this grand tournament!"
The crowd erupted into applause, causing Zelda to smile, clearly their subjects were also able to enjoy this day- blissfully unaware of any deeper significance going on. Behind her, her father continued, "Today we gather, to show honor and respect to those to have dedicated themselves to the sword. Those who would give their lives to protect and safeguard their families and their friends."
"Today we gather, to show honor and respect to those to have dedicated themselves to the sword. Those who would give their lives to protect and safeguard their families and their friends."
Zelda continued to descend, passing far enough away that she really couldn't make out her father's words anymore. Fortunately, that's what the heralds were for. "We also wish to extend our welcome to the Gerudo delegation, in who's honor we have hosted this tournament!" The crowd cheered again, though Zelda thought that something felt... halfhearted about their reaction this time. There was another pause, as her father's voice was barely audible. "Lastly, we want to honor our contestants, who have come today to showcase their skills and, for most of them, brave the fear of defeat. Truly, without the courage to face down defeat, we would never have victory!"
This time, the crowd cheered enthusiastically. "Please, let in the competitors!"
A door opened on the dirt arena floor, permitting the hundred or so contestants to enter. Zelda had reached the bottommost ring of seats, where she encountered a half-dozen guards and twice that many heralds, though these ones were women. Pausing, she surveyed the faces of the contestants, eager to see if any bore the scarlet hair of the desert people. She caught sight of Ganondorf's red crop, noticing just how similar it was to the desert folk's. Funny that I never noticed that before. The rest of the contestants were a sea of brown and blond, though.
"We even have Ambassador Felix, representative of the thriving Labrynnian state here to show us his meddle." A light laugh swept through the crowd as Zelda caught sight of the man's golden hair, spilling down his face. He have a good-natured salute to the king. "And, also doing us the great honor of coming forth and representing his people, we have the Gerudo Prince himself, without whom there would be no point to the day's festivities."
Zelda's eyes widened, He said that there may be one person in his party who may be interested, one person who was willing to try things our way rather than stick to his culture's tradition. She almost smacked herself in the forehead, it was pretty obvious in hindsight. Fortunately, her formal demeanor held out, as she was soon the object of attention herself.
"And now, the princess shall bestow her favor on one of the competitors, after which, we will begin the matches!"
Nodding to her guards, Zelda descended one more layer to the earthen floor. The wind couldn't reach this low, and the heat threatened to smother her. Alas, the dry sensation in her mouth had nothing to do with the weather. They knew, didn't they? They knew the prince was going to attend the tournament, but pressured me to make my choice of a champion without my having that knowledge. She strode towards the competitors, who had all made a line in front of her. Ganondorf was slightly to her left, while the desert prince was towards the end of the line in the same direction.
Zelda felt a surge of panic in her, she wanted to make a public stand- to show the Gerudo that her people could also act in good faith, not to mention that she wanted to repay the kindness that the prince had been showing her lately. Ganondorf needed her as a friend though, even now he didn't seem to want to look her in the eye. She looked up to the stands. "As princess of Hyrule, is it my privilege to bestow my favor upon one of the young men standing before me this day." The heralds repeated her words to the crowd in unison, electing a series of cheers and buying herself a few more seconds to think.
"Each and every one of you shows bravery, willing to put yourself on a stage in front of the whole country and risk humiliation. Know, however, that the only feeling we have for each of you is admiration, even if you are bested. There is no shame in losing to a stronger fighter." She looked over at Felix during the next relay, almost noticing a twinkle of amusement in his face. She turned to her left, and began walking down the line- now came the hard part.
As she neared Ganondorf, he raised his head and met her eyes. She smiled the warmest smile she could possible configure up, reassuring him that all was forgiven. Coming close to him, she slowed, and spoke in a quiet voice, "May your sword be strong today, I believe in you my friend." He stared at her, eyes widening slightly, before she passed him by.
The crowd was utterly silent in anticipation as she neared the line. Pausing, she turned and almost heard an audible gasp as she looked at the young man before her. "Prince Link, heir to the crown of the Gerudo, please extend your hand." He hesitated a moment, before grinning widely and presenting his left wrist to her as her escort echoed her words.
"You actions have been an inspiration to us all, as you have reached out and tried to bridge a gap which has intimidated the bravest of us. I do not know what the future brings, but I ask of you that, this day, you do me the honor of carrying the favor of the royal family before us."
He held his grin, responding before the heralds finished relaying her words to the crowd, "Of course, my lady." Another round of applause, and she turned to return to her father's side- glad that her part was over. As she spun, she made sure to avoid looking at Ganondorf.
"Then let the first round of the games begin!"
...
Ganondorf stood, his mind blank and body numb. Though Sahasar assured him differently, he hadn't been fully convinced Zelda would give him her favor. Training accidents aside, there were a number of noble knights in the arena that she may have decided to target for one reason or another. He had not, however, anticipated that she may approach Him. A series of attendants passed through the field, guiding the combatants into pairs and mentioning a few of the rules to them. Ganondorf took out his training sword, nodding absentmindedly at the directions being given to him.
Does she... really trust him? Does she really believe what he says? He glowered at his opponent, a younger knight from a noble house who was still almost twice his age. For the hundredth time, he wondered about Sahasar's insistence that they take care of this matter without informing Zelda. No... whatever happens I don't want her to bear this burden as well. There will be enough pressure on her as it is. The knight in front of him raised his sword in a salute, a gesture which Ganondorf mimicked. Turning, they both waited in anticipation for the command to come. Nothing to do about it now, I just have to follow the path that the Godesses have put me on.
Suddenly, a loud trumpet blast rocked the air and Ganondorf's opponent charged in with a diagonal slice. Wiping his mind clear, Ganondorf caught the man's blade on his own sword and deflected, forcing it downwards and away from his torso. Either he is utterly sloppy or he is testing me. Ganondorf waited, allowing the man to move towards him again before he deflected again and countered, forcing his assailant to fall back clumsily. Just sloppy then...
Belting out a battle cry, the man gripped his sword firmly in both hands and leapt towards Ganondorf a third time, bringing his sword to bear in a powerful overhead arc. Ganondorf moved to block it again, but when he pushed back the man used that momentum to lift the blade again, bringing it down again with twice the force. Ganondorf blocked it again, only for the knight to bring down the sword a third time, which Ganondorf merely ducked underneath and then swung his own blade at the man's exposed torso. The blunt metal struck his foe in the upper stomach, knocking the air out of him and causing him to crumple to the ground. Very sloppy...
Looking around him, Ganondorf noticed with a surge of pride that most of the competitors were still locked in their respective duels. Only a few scattered soldiers had yielded; he noticed with a chuckle that the Labrynnian ambassador already had a face full of dirt. His merriment soured though when he saw Lieutenant Gustaff on the ground, kneeling before desert prince. Though not the finest the castle had to offer, Gustaff was certainly an accomplished duelist. The prince looked thoughtful as he studied his fallen foe, before fixing his borrowed weapon to his belt. Though the castle didn't have any form of blunt scimitar, they possessed a few wide-bladed training cutlasses which he availed himself of. A blade that Gustaff has probably rarely trained against, he thought glumly. Whatever happened, it would be an interesting day.
...
Ambassador Felix reclined in his seat, taking in the spectacle before him. Others might be embarrassed at being eliminated in the first round, but he knew when he signed up that he didn't stand a chance. It still had been an interesting experience, and he took pride in the fact that he hadn't been the first person to yield to his foe. He did have a sneaking suspicion that the soldier against him possessed an unnecessary grin as he struck with more force than was necessary, but such experiences were just a part of his job. Having been eliminated, he now sat in the bottommost row of seats- a section reserved for eliminated fighters. As he watched them dodge and dance, he wished he knew somebody nearby who was taking bets- what fun that would be!
"I'm pleased to see that you are enjoying yourself ambassador," a feminine, yet strong, voice purred in his ear.
Felix jumped, but then reminded himself of the other reason he had chosen this seat. Desiring an opportunity to witness the action for themselves, as well as a chance to interact with their prince when he was not on the battlefield, the Gerudo had requested a seat on the lower level. At first he thought it peculiar that they would be placed with freshly eliminated fighters, some who might be nursing a fresh grudge against their leader, but in hindsight he realized the wisdom of it. At least the fighters had been checked before the tournament and verified to be unarmed- who knew who they might provoke if they were in the normal crowd.
"Indeed, though combat is not my field of experience, there is just something... liberating about being able to witness battle in a safe environment like this."
"Perhaps," she spat, "though the safety certainly detracts from some of the excitement of it. We Gerudo feel that it is much more honorable to fight when a single wrong step could leave you bleeding from your throat."
"Well, er." How was he supposed to respond to that!? "Though dangerous, I do agree that that would certainly raise the stakes, not to mention put more pressure on people were they to consider a wager."
She raised her eyebrows, revealing a set of white teeth which contrasted with her darkened skin. "I take it then you are a gambling man?"
"Oh, nothing major." He responded, "I like feel much more immersed when I have to put money on the line to back up my predictions."
"And what is your prediction?"
Felix looked back at the field, noticing the sudden interest those around him had taken in their conversation. Great, he was surrounded by sixty-three members of the Hylian military. His diplomatic act couldn't fade now. "There are several standouts, including your skilled prince of course, but I think I would have to go with the captain of the Hylian Royal Guard. The other competitors have comparable amounts of skill, but nobody can match his experience."
This time she grinned widely, "A pair of red rupees says that our prince will advance further than your pick." The soldiers near them started making jeering noises, goading them on and a few even started to make their own predictions and pull out rupees. Another trumpet blasted, and Felix looked forward to see that the pool of remaining competitors had halved again.
"Very well, you have a bet Miss..." he hesitated a moment, "Ghaliya, Miss Ghaliya."
She chuckled again, "I wondered if you had forgotten already, some men seem to have trouble telling us apart."
"Nonsense!" He replied, thankful for the last-second save. "After all, how could I forget you after your evening visits?" This earned a second round of jeering from the men around them, but she took his comment in stride. He supposed that, dressed as she was with her middrift exposed, she must have a reasonable level of self-confidence. It probably helps with the heat too!
"Only one visit good sir, and if you speak any more about it I may have to cut the tongue from your mouth." This elicited another round of laughter from the men around them, as Felix's hand immediately reached towards his lips. He focused back to the arena where the remaining contestants paired off, properly humbled. In truth, it probably wasn't wise to allude to the Gerudo's visit, though the brutes around them would never catch onto its deeper meaning. The previous night, Ghaliya had visited his quarters with one of her sisters as well as their prince. Though it was already late, they had engaged quite the promising chat. He didn't know just how things would turn out with the Gerudo, but he did know that if Hyrule didn't placate the desert people, then Labrynia could have a very useful ally indeed should things come to hostilities.
But now is not the time for such thoughts. With a blast of the trumpet, the next round had begun. After the current fight, there would be one more mass-elimination to reduce the field of competetors to eight. After that, there would be an intermission and an opportunity for them to rest, before a series of duels would ultimately result in a victor. Reaching into his pocket, he fingered a couple of rupees and smiled, ready to see what happened next.
...
Link nibbled at the inside of his cheek. The man before him was careful, the gold trimming along his armor's plates suggesting a station of some rank- and a man did not achieve his rank by being a fool. Though the upper-half of his foe's face was concealed by his visor, Link could clearly see the sweat running down the man's jaw. The desert prince smiled, the Hylians were not accustomed to fighting in such elements with their heavy armor. Having been raised in the scorching sands of the west, he had yet to break a sweat.
Belting out a yell, the man dashed forward. Thrusting out his shield he tried to knock Link off guard while bringing his sword around in a wide swing. Link merely stepped to his right, causing the man's shield to get in the way of his strike, and brought his own weapon to bear. Steel met wood as the knight managed to catch the blow on his shield at the last moment, retreating back to a safe length. The knight was good, but he was hampered by his choice of equipment. Though Link bore a simple cutlass, his foe used both a shield and a hand-and-a-half sword. Though light enough to be wielded with one hand, these blades bore an elongated hilt which allowed the user enough space to grip it with a second. Though longer, this also meant that the sword was heavier, and it was that fact which Link was taking advantage of.
Yes, he is using it well, knowing that he has to keep his distance. It doesn't change the fact though... "That you're too slow!" Dashing to his right again, Link forced the man to turn and back up again- only to come to rest against the wall of the arena. In a brief moment of panic, the man overcompensated in order to face his foe, which is when Link doubled back and outran the blade- managing to slap the side of his sword against the man's arm. The castle official beside them called the match, and the crowds erupted in applause. Link hadn't even realized they were the last pair to finish their fight that round.
The man removed his helmet to reveal a well-defined face as well as a thick, though sweat-soaked, mane of brown hair. He extended his gauntlet, "Well fought Prince Gerudo, I am grateful that we have crossed swords in the arena, rather than the battlefield."
Link smiled at the man, taking the offered hand and responding in kind. "Indeed, the very reason that I am here is that I hope we may never have to cross blades. May I have the honor of knowing my opponent?"
The man smiled back, "Captain Russle of the Royal Guard, I have been present for each of your arrivals, though always wearing my helmet."
At that moment, the voice of the heralds boomed out: "And so, we have narrowed down the field to our final eight contenders. There shall be an interlude, as the participants rest, before the duels commence. We encourage you all to make your way to the castle grounds and to partake in the afternoon refreshments, generously provided by the Hylian crown." A cheer went up, one far more deafening than any the crowd had given the participants, as the people in attendance quickly got to their feet to stretch.
"Well, I'll take my leave now." The captain interjected, before throwing a wink at Link. "Make sure you go and win this thing, or else I will be embarrassed to have been bested by you." Link nodded and waved back, the jade bracelet chiming softly. Looking at it, he allowed a grin to come over his features. Three more fights, he had only to win three more fights, then the Hylians would know that his people deserved respect. He heard the laughter of one of his sisters, looking over his shoulder to see Ghaliya collecting rupees from a few of the surrounding spectators.
...
Ganondorf made his way through the corridors underneath the arena. Before the tournament started contestants had crowded every crevice, there was now enough free space for each of the remaining individuals to have their own corner of one of the large prep-rooms. The castle attendants had even hung up curtains for some semblance of privacy. Ganondorf made it to his assigned corner and lowered himself onto a bench, enjoying a moment away from the chaos of the arena when he could just relax.
He gratefully accepted a cup of water from one of the squires, feeling a bit strange to be waited on. Still, he had made it this far in the competition, so he was entitled to a few perks. Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the wall and tried to process the events of the past few fights. Though he tried to keep his mind focused on the combat, he found it drifting back to Zelda. He still didn't understand why she had bestowed her favor on the prince. Sure, she was incredibly curious about him, but didn't she sense the wrongness coming off of him? Even if she didn't know his true nature, surely the Triforce of Wisdom would give her some premonition of his evil...
"Sir, are you not going to take any food then?"
Ganondorf waved the squires off. "No, I don't think my nerves could take it at the moment. I'll just get through my remaining fights, then have something afterwards." He looked over at his two attendants, once again feeling uncomfortable. They both were probably the same age as he was. A slight feeling of dread passed over him as he recognized the silhouette behind them. "Thank you for your attention, now why don't you two find some refreshments? I just want to rest a little while."
The squires looked at eachother then grinned, "Of course sir, best of luck in the finals!" With that they were gone, the curtain falling back in place behind them.
"They seem like good enough lads."
A tingling sensation came over Ganondorfs body, an uncomfortable warmth seeming to rise in his gut and crawl up his spine. "It's almost time then?"
"Indeed," Sahasar entered the cubicle from the curtain to his left- the opposite direction which the squires had departed in. "Would you like some more water?"
Ganondorf nodded, his lips suddenly dry when he saw the bundle which the sage carried. The old man produced another cup, which he drank slowly. Sahasar watched impatiently, but Ganondorf had no desire to hurry what would happen next. Eventually he set his drink down, and focused his attention on the package.
"You know Ganondorf, Hyrule has seen some dark times. Times when it seems as though our very society may end, and that the legacy of the goddesses would die." He handed Ganondorf the item. "But, in the end, we are saved by brave men, men who are far better than any one of us. You are such a man, and the task before you is to be done for every person who dwells in this blessed land."
"Yea, I know." Ganondorf took the package and slowly unwrapped it, not wanting to see what lay beneath the layers of cloth. He exposed a leather hilt, with a metal blade protruding from it. Truly, it looked like any other training sword- unremarkable in style or form. This one though... Ganondorf put his index finger on the edge of the blade, feeling it try to cut into his skin. Unlike every other training blade at the castle, this one was sharp.
"Assuming that neither you nor the Gerudo Prince are defeated in the next round, you two are scheduled to fight in the semi-finals. If everything goes... as planned, then we may not see the final round in the resulting chaos." He watched his charge stare blankly at the blade, continuing after a few seconds of silence.
"I am sorry for this. You truly have a noble heart, and I can see that this treachery weighs heavily on your conscience. The king will defend you, arguing that nobody could have known that one of the sparring weapons had been sharpened, but you will still have to answer to your own conscience." He laid a heavily wrinkled hand on that of the youth's, causing Ganondorf to look up into his eyes. "Just remember why you are doing this. This is to ensure that the darkness will not fall on Hyrule... this is for Zelda."
"Yes..." Ganondorf looked into the blade, seeing within it the face of his childhood friend. "For Zelda."
A/N- A little bit of a short update, but I actually have the next chapter ready to go and will upload it once I proofread it again (two updates in one weekend will hopefully make up for missing the last one, at least my talk went pretty well). I still don't like proofreading my own stuff, and am sure I am missing some things, but I hope that my readers are enjoying it. Also, thank you to those you have left thoughts and input- I've been taking your suggestions to heart and am enjoying the encouragement.