AYY IM ON TIME YALL
Quite proud of myself, honestly.
Here's chapter sixteen! Enjoy~
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Sheik flopped on her bed with a deep sigh. "Do you," she called, "have any idea of the heart attack you were giving me?"
She received no answer, not that she'd expected one. She doubted Midna could even hear her over the noise she and Link were making. Sheik couldn't blame them. They'd all parted under strenuous circumstances, unsure of when they would even see each other again.
She hated to break up their happy reunion, but the ball was in a half-hour. And there was a lot to discuss. "Excuse me, Mr and Mrs? Your honeymoon can wait, we have business."
They quieted--reluctantly, she could tell--and came over to the bed. "Oh, I'm sorry, were we disturbing Your Highness's rest?" Midna replied sarcastically.
Sheik rolled her eyes as Link came to stand before the bed, grinning. He grasped Sheik's raised hands and pulled her limp body up till she was sitting, and she immediately fell into a slouch. "In all honesty though, what did I miss?" Midna asked.
Sheik and Link glanced at each other. Best to start from the top, Sheik thought. So she relayed it all to Midna, whose face got more and more infuriated towards the end.
"How dare he!" she exploded when Sheik had finished. "He has no right, accusing you of such things--he is the only one causing bad blood between you--"
"My thoughts exactly," Sheik and Link muttered in unison. "How can I put him in his place without playing into his words?" Sheik continued. "It's clear he doesn't respect me at all."
"Not only that, but Hilda was lying," Link said, rubbing his chin. "There's trouble in Lorule for sure, and they don't want you to know."
"I don't understand why," Sheik grumbled, heading for the screen. She thrust it in front of her, reaching back for the ties on her gown, swearing when she couldn't reach them. "I'm just trying to help."
"That's the problem," Midna called. Sheik stuck her head out, her dress sliding down. She wiggled a bit to get it past her hips as she asked, "What do you mean?"
"Rulers have pride," the Twilight Princess answered. "We would know. Your pride is urging you to make your empire strong again. But Hilda's is making her hide her problems. She thinks that as a ruler, she should be able to fix her own troubles herself."
"But--but--that just exacerbates the situation!" Sheik exclaimed, nearly tearing her black gown off the hook. "The whole idea of the empire is to provide security, strength and protection to every nation under its wing. How am I supposed to do that if every ruler is too damn stubborn?"
Not only that, Hida was her friend. It hurt more than a little to know that Hilda was rejecting her for something as silly as this.
Midna seemed to be following her train of thought. "But imagine if it was you," she said calmly. "Imagine if your positions were reversed, and she was sticking her nose into your business, demanding that you spill all your secrets."
"That's not what I'm doing--!"
"But that's how they see it. It's very difficult for a ruler to admit faults within his or her nation--especially in front of other rulers. Just remember how Valoo reacted towards Yuga's comments, how stiff he was to talk about the lack of fish. That's a huge weakness, and to say it in front of an ambitious and arrogant man such as Yuga is practically saying you're open to attack."
Sheik listened, struggling not to answer. She was lucky Midna was willing to share this wisdom with her--but she couldn't let it go. She sighed loudly, barely catching Midna's and Link's chuckles on the other side of the screen. "Should I not have called the Summit, then?"
She stepped out from behind the screen to see the two exchanging a glance. "I don't think so," Link answered. He was sitting on the bed, his Royal Guard uniform perfectly groomed as usual. His cap sat on his head, making a few locks of hair stick out. "You needed to get all the rulers in one place, to see where you're at. I would have done the same." Midna nodded her support from where she sat cross-legged on the bed. "I think you did well to call a Summit," she added. "But the sooner we get to the individual meetings, the better. And even better not to keep them here longer than promised. Two weeks is pushing it."
Sheik nodded, her mouth pulled into a frown as she settled into a chair. Ferona descended upon her, brushing her hair into waves and tying it up into a loose knot at the back of her head. As she stood, long diamond earrings swaying, Mia tied a vertical banner around her waist, depicting the Wingcrest in brilliant gold thread.
"How do I look?" Sheik asked, only half-sarcastically. The dress itself was simple: long-sleeved, smooth black fabric in a deep V and leaving her back exposed. Black lace covered her open skin.
Midna spread her hands, winking. "Fabulous."
Sheik snorted, 'fabulously' missing the way Link's face had reddened. He quickly stood, Midna squawking as the bed bounced. She found her feet, shooting a glare his way, which swiftly turned to an evil grin upon seeing his face. He shot her a look, but it only made her smile wider. Link stifled a groan.
Oblivious to it all, Sheik headed for the door, the two following behind. Her guards fell in, as usual. The walk to the Great Hall was quiet, though the sounds of the band playing and chatter became steadily louder with every step. As they came upon the doors, the guards stationed opened a side door. "This is where I leave you," Midna said, slipping into the light throng outside the Great Hall doors. Among the many different colors and emblems, Sheik could see several Twili in their Royal Guard garb. As the Twilight Princess slipped away, Sheik rolled her neck.
The announcers at the closed doors had been waiting on her arrival, and now they opened the doors, calling out each royal party as it entered.
"King Valoo, of the Waker Islands! Prince Komali of the Waker Islands, and his fiancé, Lady Medli!"
They stepped into the hall to applause. Sheik tried not to shuffle impatiently. Formal events like these were always done this way: the nobles and rulers present were announced first, usually going by importance (though they'd forgone that particular guideline this time around), which meant Sheik was always last.
On and on it went, till her feet ached in her shoes. She tried not to bristle when the cheers lessened just the slightest bit when Midna was announced. Finally, as Rauru stepped through in his bright red temple robes and Ganondorf stepped up, she straightened from her slouch. As short on formality as she was, she allowed her posture to suffer when it was just her and her council. They, of everyone, knew her best.
Well, Sheik added mentally, maybe not everyone. She glanced at Link, in the corner of her eye. His breaths were even, his back straight. Was he nervous? He didn't seem to be. Sheik wondered if he'd always been privy to these events before his promotion to her personal guard.
He glanced at her at the same time, and for a moment they just stared at each other. Sheik hardly noticed when Ganondorf went through the doors. Link's mouth quirked up at the corner. He offered his arm. "Ready, Princess?" he murmured.
Sheik took a deep breath, smiling back. "Always."
"Announcing Her Royal Highness, future Empress of the Hylian Empire, the Imperial Princess Zelda Bosphoramus Hyrule! Accompanied by her personal guard and member of the Royal Guard and Knight's Hall of Honors, Sir Link!"
She stepped through the doors to thunderous applause, but she hardly heard it. Link's arm was warm under her hand, soothing her sudden nerves. Ever since her episode in Castle Town, she'd been nervous, to say the least, among crowds. As she scanned the assembly, picking through the glittering jewels and impeccable suits for anything out of place, she saw her friends waving wildly.
She nearly tripped over the hem of her dress. Then she caught Link's smile. Keeping her face calm, she asked from the corner of her mouth, "Did you sneak them in here?"
Not that she was complaining, but--"Didn't have to," Link answered smugly. "I just let the staff know that Her Royal Highness would like to see her friends at the ball, and they were tripping over themselves."
Sheik bit her lip, fighting back a smile. It broke free, though, and with it she felt her whole body relax. "Thank you," she sighed. "Just what I needed."
"I know," Link murmured, so quiet she almost missed it.
As she reached the center of the hall, she saw the other royals engaging with nobles. There was Hilda, gorgeous in violet, animatedly speaking with Tetra who was blinding in her white gown, slit all the way up to her hip, while Ravio and Ilayen simply stood there, the former looking incredibly awkward, the latter incredibly bored.
Sheik snorted, stepping up to the dias, lifting her hem so she didn't trip. Link stayed at the bottom. The throne sat behind her, empty. When she turned, the crowd quieted, looking up at her. Hundreds of faces--their attention fixed on her. Somehow, it was worse than the thousand from her speech on the day of her attack.
She took a deep breath. "Tonight is a night of celebration. We celebrate the first Summit in a hundred years. We celebrate my impending coronation. We celebrate the first night in a series of new beginnings." She couldn't help glancing at Yuga as she said this, and was smugly satisfied to see him roll his eyes.
"But it is more than that," she continued. "Tonight is also a night of mourning."
She'd captured their attention fully. Her voice echoed throughout the hall, the candlelight making her hair shine like gold, dancing in the threads of her gown. "Tonight we finally mourn my father, the late king," she called, and the somber note in her voice wasn't faked. She took a shuddering breath, feeling like she'd been holding onto these words for a year, for longer, without knowing it, and now she could finally let them go.
"I never mourned him, not truly. I never gave him that honor. Tonight I will change that. Tonight, just once, we will forget that we are a people divided. We will forget our borders and come together. We will miss him, and wish him peace under the goddesses' light, as one nation, one people, one heart."
Her voice broke on the last line. Her throat tightened as she raised her chin, waiting for their reaction--but at the same time, she didn't care. She didn't care what they thought of her--if they saw a strong young woman, or a broken girl. She didn't know which one she was at that moment, not as memories flooded her mind.
Her father bouncing her on his knee when she was a babe. His face whenever she did something--like he'd discovered something beautiful. His voice when she was upset, deep and soothing.
Everything. Every memory, even the ones where they'd fought. Screamed at each other. She actually missed those fights, because that was when they were at their most real. That was when she'd shed her royal facade and said what she really thought, and he'd done the same.
She missed him, more than she ever thought she would. She wished he wasn't gone, that she didn't have to do this alone. She wished she could have her father back.
A single tear made its escape, sliding down her face. As that tear fell, so too did the crowd--every last one of them, down to the servants in the corners, to the band obscured in the alcoves, to the rulers themselves. On their knees, hands on their hearts.
Some were crying; some watched her with pride, others with awe. But they never took their eyes from hers; no, they followed every movement she made as she raised the hem of her gown and followed suit, settling onto her knees.
She could do this--at the very least, she could do this for her father. She could show him, whether he was watching from above or not, that this was for him, and that she meant it, every single moment of it. She could show him--
I can show him, she thought, as she closed her eyes and more tears fell, that I loved him. Even after everything.
She didn't know how long it was--it could have been hours or minutes or seconds--but then she rose, feeling her knees buckle from the hard marble floor. As she did, the crowd slowly did as well, and from somewhere in the back, a slow clapping sounded.
Sheik stared, a thousand different things in her heart and unable to hold to any of them, as the clapping grew and grew and grew, until it was as a thunderstorm, reverberating off the cavernous hall, so loud it hurt her ears. And with it, a dull roar, rising and falling with the applause, taking shape.
"Princess Zelda! Princess Zelda! Princess Zelda!"
Again and again and again, until Sheik was crying once more, but it was with awe this time, with the sudden and sure realization that she had won them over--something she hadn't even realized she wanted.
Feeling like she might have flown away if she didn't move, she descended the stairs, nearly tripping, she was in such a daze. Link caught her on the last step as she stumbled, his chest rumbling as he laughed.
"To the Princess and all her spot-on speeches," he murmured in her ear, and even as loud as the hall was, at that moment, those words were all she could hear.
/
It took awhile for Sheik to descend from cloud nine, but when she did, she was starving.
Link laughed, pulling her away to a table. The Great Hall had been cleared of its tables in the center for the dance floor, and they had been arranged on the outskirts. Long side tables featured the food.
Sheik grabbed a plate and loaded it with some of everything. She didn't even care if she liked it or not, she needed food now.
As she carried her plate away and Link diverted approaching courtiers, she felt a pair of eyes on her and turned her head.
All at once, her high disappeared along with her appetite. Yuga was staring at her, his face a cold mask of poorly disguised hatred. His hand clenched around his drink, ignoring the courtier trying to speak to him.
Sheik narrowed her eyes, meeting him glare-for-glare.
He didn't like that.
His lip pulled back from his teeth and he turned away, disappearing into the crowd. Sheik watched him go, swallowing past the lump in her throat. I've made an enemy today.
She doubted he was ever going to be her friend, though. As she carried her plate to the table, closely followed by Link, who'd rested his hand on his sword during the exchange, she was almost immediately beset by a barrage of people.
"Princess," Faylen said, his smile wide as Alana's. "Lovely speech."
Alana herself threw her arms around Sheik. "Everyone was crying," she said, hanging back, and indeed, there were tears in her eyes. "How do you do it?"
Sheik shrugged, once again nearly missing Link's muttered, "Honesty."
As they sat down, they were joined by Ilayen and Tetra. Sheik wolfed down her plate, making small conversation here and there, but the conversation melted into a heated showdown when Faylen asked about policy.
It flew back and forth; Faylen himself looked like he regretted everything up till that point, with Ilayen and Link playing devil's advocate here and there. That stopped, however, when both Sheik and Tetra turned piercing blue eyes on them and proceeded to gang up on the boys.
"It's not about revenue, it's about where the need is greatest," Sheik argued now. "If I helped one nation more than another because I'd get more money, then I'm just costing myself that money when I have to spend it to fix the other nation that I neglected."
"Everything is about revenue," Tetra answered. "It doesn't mean forgoing another nation's well-being, it just puts them in a priority."
"And how do you establish that priority?" Sheik demanded. "How do you decide who needs more help?"
Tetra restrained a sigh and spread her hands on the table. "Who would you help first: Holodrum, or the Islands?"
"Both," Sheik answered heatedly.
"How?" Tetra asked, exasperated.
Sheik was spared from answering by Link's hand on her shoulder. "It's time for the first dance."
For the first time, Sheik was glad decorum had intervened, because she had no idea how she would have answered Tetra. She followed Link onto the floor, ignoring her newly-appointed-Advisor's smug look, and waited for Link to lead.
The crowd had circled around the floor, hands on their partners', waiting for the first dance to begin. Typically it was held between the heir and the current ruler, but without her father there, the next closest person to the heir was chosen. In this case, Sheik had written Link. Dancing with Ganondorf would have been a nightmare, one she was desperate to put off for as long as possible, and Rauru would be awkward at best. So Link it was.
But when she glanced at him, a brow raised, he was just standing there, discomfort in every muscle. Sheik cleared her throat quietly. "Link. What are you doing?"
He met her eyes, and she was surprised to find a bit of embarrassment in his blue gaze. "I . . . can't dance," he admitted, voice little more than a murmur.
Sheik stared at him. What she wanted to do was smack him, but people were beginning to whisper, so she stepped closer and said, "Put one hand on my waist and the other in mine."
He did so immediately, his cheeks tinged with color, and Sheik sighed inwardly as the music started and the whispers stopped. "Now step forward, and then back," she muttered. He did. "Again. Now to the left."
She kept relaying instructions, having to raise her voice a bit over the music, until Link got the jist of it. Once he had the rhythm, he really was a smooth dancer.
"Why didn't you tell me you couldn't dance?" Sheik asked in a low voice, her eyes scanning the crowd. Link's hand twitched in hers.
"Because I didn't know I would be dancing tonight, let alone with you," he answered, lowering his lips to her ear. Sheik attributed her shiver to the open windows. Autumn was upon them, she thought.
"I wrote it in the message," she said, trying to keep a frown back. "How did you not know?"
Link was about to answer, but Sheik hissed, "Spin me."
He stumbled a bit on the steps, but Sheik didn't wait before swirling out of his arm, still clutching his hand. He tugged a bit under the quiet applause, and she returned to the circle of his arm. Once they were back on the steps, he said, "No one let me know about it. I only just found out while you and Tetra were arguing."
Sheik made a face before she remembered herself, and struggled to school her features into neutrality. Well. There was nothing to be done about it now. They finished the dance without any more hiccups; when she stepped away and Link bowed, he raised his head and kissed her hand.
As he stepped away, a hint of a smile on his lips, the flutter in Sheik's gut turned over when she saw who stood behind him. Sir Stritch outstretched his hand, grinning a perfectly gentlemanly smile but appearing to Sheik like all he wanted to do was ravish her right then and there.
Reluctantly she took his hand, trying not to recoil; as soon as her dance with Link had ended, who now watched with cold eyes, it had been the sign for everyone else to flood the dance floor.
"Princess," Stritch murmured, grasping her hand too tight. His other hand rested just a tad too low on her hip. "You look ravishing tonight."
It was so in line with Sheik's thoughts that she nearly pulled away. No matter what decorum thought of declining a suitor her second dance of the night, she shouldn't have to put up--
Stritch's hand slipped a half inch lower. "I have missed you, Your Highness. A year away has only made you more beautiful."
Sheik's brow twitched. She wanted nothing more than to knock him out right there, but--but she was the princess, and she was at a ball, not a street fight.
But wait--if she was the princess, soon to be the Empress, she could do whatever the damn hell she wanted. She didn't have to deal with this fool.
She readjusted, trying to raise his hand on her hip, but he suddenly yanked her closer so they were touching everywhere. Sheik nearly gagged as Stritch leaned down to her ear. "I have seen the way you look at me," he whispered, his breath hot and rancid. Sheik felt bile rising. "I know what that look means," he continued. "I get it a lot."
Like I want to stab you and leave your body for the rats? I'm not surprised, Sheik thought furiously, trying to pull away. Why hadn't anyone noticed? Where was Link?
Stritch smiled, as if her efforts were amusing to him. He clenched her hand tighter until it became painful, but Sheik refused to cry out. She would not give him that satisfaction, this--this arrogant, nasty little weasel--
"Unhand me," she hissed, not even trying to hide her revulsion anymore. The time for decorum was long past. She leaned as far from him as she could, and finally she heard murmurs in the crowd.
But Stritch's face turned to a mask of anger, and he hauled her against him once more. Sheik was ready.
"How dare you speak to me that way, you--" Sheik smashed her knee between his legs, and he went down with a strangled roar. Cries spread through the hall, dancing couples breaking apart to watch.
Sheik stood over him, fury rising in her like a tidal wave. "How dare you," she snarled, her voice low. "How dare you lay your filthy hands on me that way? How dare you treat your Princess with such disrespect? I will not be manhandled in my own court, Sir."
She hid her shaking hands in the folds of her gown, forcing her shoulders to lower, and then Link was there, his gloved hands on her upper arms. One of them cupped her face. "Are you all right?" he asked frantically. Beyond him, Stritch was shouting obscenities as three royal guardsmen hauled him away. "I saw--I went to get guards--I'm sorry, I should have stayed--"
Sheik nodded, wanting nothing more than to bury her face in Link's chest. "I'm fine," she said, thanking the goddesses she kept the tremor out of her voice. Link was unconvinced, though.
"I can make sure you don't have to dance anymore if you don't want to," he offered. Sheik closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing. His hand was still on her face, his thumb stroking her cheekbone. He seemed to realize it as well and took it away.
Suddenly cold, Sheik shook her head. "That would be even worse. I can't insult the rulers like that." She took a deep breath as Link stepped away, discontentment in his blue eyes. Sheik faced the silent ballroom. "Please," she called, conjuring a smile--with difficulty. "Do not stop on my account."
Slowly the courtiers went back to dancing, albeit with a little less enthusiasm than before. Sheik was preparing herself to delve back into the crowd, hearing Link order three guards to monitor everyone that approached the princess and wishing she could just crawl into bed for the night, when a tall figure strode purposefully toward her.
Valoo took her hands gently as Link and the guards retreated a healthy distance--but still close enough to intervene. "Are you all right, Your Highness?" he asked, and Sheik saw genuine worry there. Despite what had just happened, and her own private wishes, she was glad that Valoo had been the first to approach. Of all the rulers, he was the most likely to put her at ease.
Present company excluded, she thought, watching the blur of white and red in the corner of her eye. Clearing her throat, pushing down the lingering traces of revulsion, she smiled warmly at Valoo and found it wasn't too hard. "Your Grace. I am . . . shaken," she said honestly. "But otherwise fine."
Valoo closed his gray eyes. "Thank the goddesses. And that was a fine display, might I add!" He winked, and Sheik felt a laugh bubbling up. "You must tell me who taught you that!"
Sheik joined his laugh, and apparently seeing the Imperial Princess with a smile on her face put the rest of the crowd at ease. The band played a tad louder, and the chatter rose as Valoo led her in a light circle.
She appreciated more than she could say that the King of the Waker Islands kept a more than respectful distance, his hands gently holding her at least four inches away. Valoo was obviously letting her set the pace and tone, so she took the rare opportunity to study him.
He was tall, for one thing. The tallest of all the rulers. His hair was salt and pepper gray, matching his goatee, and his thunderstorm gray eyes sparkled with wit and humor. His suit was impeccable, of course. As the oldest of everyone there, he had the most experience with ruling. It served him well, with such a widespread nation as the Islands. Sheik would need his support in order to fix the fish-ue.
Sheik snorted at her own joke, then froze as Valoo shot her an amused look. "Glad to see you're feeling better," he commented lightly. Sheik flushed. "Sorry."
Valoo shrugged off the informality, lightly spinning her. "Worry not. You were just assaulted, after all. It is no small thing to overcome, but I must say you are doing a fine job of it. Goddesses only know if I would have the same self-control, had you been my daughter."
Relaxed by his candor, Sheik sighed. "Had we been on the streets, he would have suffered much worse. I never had to restrain myself in Nol."
Too late she realized what she had said, and rushed to explain, but Valoo waved a hand to calm her stuttering. His eyes were warm and understanding as they met hers.
"No need for that, Princess. A strong ruler is all well and good, but a real ruler is what people need. Someone who represents them, not the forces that oppress them. You are only behaving the way we all wish we could."
Sheik stared at him, wondering if he was leading her into a trap, but Valoo didn't seem the sort. So she nodded, pursing her lips at the crowd. She was glad at least someone saw it her way. "If only more people had that same attitude," she admitted, and was rewarded with a smile.
"Entirely too much 'protocol' and 'decorum' in these stuffy palaces," Valoo grumbled, and Sheik laughed. "Makes it stifling."
"They cling to it like a lifeline," Sheik added, voice raising. "Without it, they consider themselves like the dogs outside--lawless, mindless--"
"And completely unaware that they lack those very things to begin with!" Valoo hollered, joining in with Sheik's laugh. It echoed in the Great Hall, bouncing off the elaborately decorated walls. Sheik didn't care; her initial judgment had been right. Valoo had banished the fear and will to hide through sheer good humor.
Sadly the song came to an end, though Sheik had the faint impression, as she'd seen Link leaving the band's corner earlier, looking pleased with himself, that they might have extended the song just a tad. It was just a hunch, though.
Shaking her head a bit, Sheik allowed Valoo to kiss her hand. As he left, bidding her safe dancing, she took a deep breath. Safe dancing, indeed.
The next two hours were spent constantly on her feet; every time the song ended, another suitor was there. This was after she'd danced with each ruler at least once. The dancing itself might not have been that bad if her partners actually knew how. Having her feet squashed every other step wasn't exactly helping to dispel the growing ache in them.
She kept those thoughts to herself, however, and suffered through each round. During a short break, Link approached and murmured in her ear that Stritch had been thrown in Lockup. She felt a smug sort of satisfaction, and her feet didn't hurt quite so much.
They kept getting stepped on, though.
When she bid the last suitor goodbye and had the nerve to think she was finally free, a shadow fell over her. She turned to find Ganondorf holding out his hand.
She immediately disliked the expression on his face. Like his offer was merely a formality, and she had no choice but to accept the dance, or risk disrespecting one of the highest-standing members of the court, aside from herself and Rauru.
Keeping her face neutral of her inner thoughts, she snatched a smile from the good feeling that fled in the man's presence and took his hand. Ganondorf grinned like he'd won, and it was an effort not to rip her hand away.
Too late now, she thought, catching sight of reporters on the very fringes of the dance floor. If she broke away now--or at all--The Hyrule Times would surely have something to say about it. So she let Ganondorf lead, silence like a thick blanket between the two of them.
Sheik was happy to let it stay that way, but apparently Ganondorf was dissatisfied. "What is the matter, Your Highness? You seemed to be in such good spirits."
"What makes you think I am not still?" Sheik asked testily. Somehow, she was never able to keep a good mood around this man. During the weeks she'd been back, he'd constantly been a thorn in her side by not being a thorn in her side. He'd let her run things, standing by and entertaining guests when she could not, which infuriated her. Why was he doing that? Was he trying to lure her into a false sense of security? Was he just doing his job?
Whatever the case was, it set Sheik's nerves on a knife's edge. She couldn't figure out why she got such a bad vibe from him when he was only helping her run the empire. Now, at his raised brow, Sheik forced herself to cooperate. "Apologies, my lord. It has been a bit of a rough night."
Ganondorf played the perfect gentleman, inclining his head. Sheik wanted to kick him. "Of course, I understand. Managing difficult people is always a challenge."
Condescending, much? she thought before she could stop herself. She struggled not to say the words aloud. Why couldn't she ever have something nice to think about him?
She grappled for a response. "I am not unused to it . . . however," she added, as Ganondorf opened his mouth, "the frustration gets to be a bit much sometimes."
Hopefully the little bit of honesty would help dispel the notion that she disliked him (even though she did), as she was sure he'd gotten. Her hopes were dashed almost immediately.
Ganondorf raised a brow, his lips quirking into a snide smile. "Oh? Don't tell me our beloved princess doesn't think she can handle it."
From anyone else, she might have believed his words a joke. But the glint in his eye was no mistake, and his sneer had a sharply condescending edge to it. Sheik stared at him for a split second before her sharp tongue found its voice.
"And I do suppose anyone could take my place?" she said sarcastically. "But who? Shall we see who would run it better: the princess heir, attacked on the day of her return, or the advisor who disappeared right along with her and returned with a traitor, hand in hand?"
She smiled sweetly, just for the reporters, as Ganondorf's own jaw clenched. "Your insinuations are most incorrect, Your Highness. I brought him in for trial."
"Oh, of course!" Sheik widened her eyes. "I would never imply anything else. I am simply suggesting that while some in the court have their own opinions on that matter, none of them were born to the task of leading an empire. Nor have they had any training whatsoever."
Ganondorf, for his part, looked the way Sheik felt: like he wanted to strangle her and be done with it. He forced a smile. "Such a way with words you have. I wonder, where were these elaborate speeches while you were, ahem . . . missing, leaving your oh-so-incompetent council to lead in your stead? The empire still stands, clearly."
Sheik gritted her teeth, forcing back her first five responses. "The empire stands on the backs of its people," she answered, unable to keep a hint of a snarl out of her voice. "I was one of those people, Ganondorf. It is up to the council to make sure our backs do not break, something the past year's council has utterly failed at."
Ganondorf looked like he might kill her right then and there: his golden eyes flared with fury, and his body tensed. As he stared down at her now, fiery hair flowing, he looked like a god of war. And for the first time, Sheik felt truly afraid of him.
She refused to let herself quail; she raised her chin at him. I will not fear this man, she thought ferociously. I will not let him bully me.
"You ought to watch your back in the palace, Princess," he murmured, his voice low. The hatred evident in his body, his golden eyes, put a deadly strain in his words. "There are many dark halls, and the guards cannot be everywhere."
Sheik wanted to throat punch him. She didn't--that would be exactly what he wanted, even if she would not be threatened in her own palace.
So Sheik met his gaze head-on, matching him glare-for-glare. "You'd best take your own advice, my lord."
Before he could answer, she took a half-step away and grasped his arm, facing the cameras. "Smile for the papers, Ganondorf," she murmured, and the cameras flashed.
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Isn't taunting our enemies fun? Sheik seems to think so.
I'd just like everyone to know I was cackling like a madwoman when I wrote the last few lines XD. Wayyy too much fun.
REVIEW REPLIES
To Oracle of Hylia: . . . I really hope you don't lmaoo. The kids have got it hard, that's true, but sheik tries to be there for them as much as possible. Not easy though, with everything on her plate. Shadey Ganondorf is even shadier now haha
To Ultimate blazer: just you wait ;) Midna is the queen of drama xD isn't that why we love her? You're welcome! I hope you enjoy this one too :)
To Generala: It was probs a little confusing, but they were actually visions of the Hero of Twilight during his adventure. The Shadow Beast that Sheik touched was the same as the one that Wolf Link from TP rides on and fought in the game. No spoilers, but I'd remember that later on if I were you ;)
To Generala (2nd review): I'm glad you enjoy it! I'll address your questions in the rest of the A/N, but just wait and see muahaha ;) I'm glad, because it's gonna ramp up! Hehe
So, those answers I promised. In this story, everyone who shares a namesake with a notable character, like Hilda, Zelda, Link, Ganondorf, Midna and so on, is a person entirely their own. Their story takes place about five hundred years after the Era of the Wild (BOTW), and the history of all the previous eras has been chronicled, enojght that it's common knowledge amongst most empire dwellers. That being said, evolution has run its course, so the people in this age have adapted as such. The Zoras don't have fins, the Gorons are just really big people and they don't eat rocks, the Kokiri are nothing but a legend whose people have died out or adapted (ex being Faylen, who has a Kokiri heritage).
Essentially, to cut my long winded rant short, Midna is this time's Midna, not the TP one. Rauru is this time's Rauru, not the OoT one. BUT. Names are rather important in this story as we find out later on, so keep an eye out, yeah?
Whoo. Now I have four minutes to eat my lunch, so I hope y'all enjoy this! And I hope that explanation cleared things up. If not, fee free to leave questions in reviews or pm me. As always, review (I love them) see y'all later!