The boy took deep shuddering breaths, trembling on the thin worn mattress. Ganondorf had taken the boy to a rundown inn where the auburn haired woman behind the counter had taken his rupees without a word.
Castle Town was a miserable place it seemed. On his brief night walk he had quickly spotted underfed children eyeing him from the shadows, lame and elderly beggars, and common thugs lurking Castle Town's alleys. Why a country with fertile fields and plentiful crops was also replete with hunger and desperation was a mystery to be unraveled.
This country is in need of a firm hand, a keen mind. The thought crept spider-like through his mind. It was a common refrain since he had entered Hyrule. He dismissed it with a shake of his head and refocused on the boy.
He had reacted violently to Ganondorf, presumably sensing his magic. Some rare individuals had a sensitivity to such things. If that was the case then he was worth talking to, not just for any knowledge of Castle Town but to ensure the depths of his arcane knowledge didn't make it's way to Hyrule's royal family.
Pale dawn slipped through a crack in the wooden shutters. He should have been returning to the castle. He had left Nabooru and Aveil to guard their quarters while he went to get his own impression of Castle Town.
Nabooru would certainly give him an earful when he returned. She was willful, cautious and wary of Ganondorf from his very infancy. The belief that she would be a better chief lay unspoken and impassable between them.
Yet the boy had intrigued him and Ganondorf had never been one to turn from a mystery. On the bed he murmured incoherently and blearily blinked his eyes.
"Wha…where..." He mumbled, trying to prop himself up. Ganondorf watched him impassively.
His eyes flicked from the window to the door before settling on Ganondorf. "Who're you?" He asked faintly, a note of caution in his voice.
"I am the man you passed out on last night." Ganondorf answered coolly.
The boy pressed a hand to his head. "Oh Farore, that's right." His cheeks flushed. "That's...uh, my bad, I don't know what came over me." He bit his lip and unease passed his face. "I suppose you'll want payment for…" he gestured to the room.
Then he has not made the connection between my magic and his condition. Excellent.
"Of a sort." Ganondorf answered. "We'll start with your name."
The boy gave him a searching look. "I have rupees, enough to pay for the room." He said firmly.
Ganondorf frowned. "I did not ask for rupees, I asked for your name."
"I'm Ravio." The boy answered, crossing his arms. Ganondorf scoffed, he was a diplomat, a ruler, and he knew when he was lied to. The slight shift of eyes and twitch of lips was enough to damn him.
"You're lying." He said, scowling. "Do not treat me like an idiot, boy. To risk my displeasure would make you a greater fool than the one you take me for." He said sternly.
Surprise but no fear flicked across the boy's face and his eyes gleamed with unhidden curiosity.
"I don't think you're a fool." He tied a cloth band tight around a ponytail of golden hair. "I think you're dangerous and that giving away information would make me the fool." He said, still fussing with his disheveled hair.
Ganondorf smiled, darkly amused. "Dangerous," he gave a small wry laugh. "How so?"
The boy returned his smile and Ganondorf noticed his legs shifting slightly, his gaze trailing to the door.
He'll try to flee. Ganondorf knew. He shifted his stance, ready to intercept the boy if such an attempt was made.
"You don't survive in Castle Town if you don't know who not to fuck with." He gave him a bold crooked smile before continuing. "You're not exactly hiding it, y'know. You carry yourself like a warrior; no slouching, balancing so that you're ready to move." He gestured vaguely at his feet.
"You're big too, bigger than near any Hylean and I know it's you who carried me off the street. That means you're strong." He chuckled. "But besides all that you've got a sword tucked under your robes."
He looked to Ganondorf's waist where indeed, a gilt scimitar rested. Amusement mingled with something resembling admiration.
"You have keen eyes." Ganondorf admitted. "I am indeed quite capable of inflicting harm, if I so choose." He moved paced to the doorway, a silent rebuke against fleeing.
"Therefore it would be wise for you to disclose your name so I do not have to demonstrate my capability."
The boy stared at him a second, before slipping gracefully off the bed and offering a hand. "I'm Link."
Link. The name felt familiar, perhaps something he had come across during his studies. He took the hand and grasped it firmly, as was the Hylean custom.
Link. Yet somehow he didn't think it originated in tomes or histories. No, the familiarity felt ancient, something he had always known but never said. Perhaps it came from the Twinrova, some legend or lullaby from his infancy.
Link. The name was important. But why-
"So who're you?" Link asked, letting go of his hand and snapping him back to the present.
Ganondorf stared at him silently, weighing his options. It would do him little harm to tell Link his identity. A diplomatic meeting between the royal family of Hyrule and the king of the Gerudo was hardly a secret and the boy was bright enough to make a connection between him and his mission.
Yet it irked him to be crossed by a mere thief, a boy so insignificant that Ganondorf could dispose of him and be assured that he would never think of him again. However lying would be pointless, he was obviously Gerudo and there was only one male Gerudo. The truth was unfortunately plain to anyone who would search for it.
"I am Ganondorf." He said at last. Link's eyes widened for a fraction and a crinkle appeared on his brow. The change lasted only a second and he quickly returned to a bemused curious look.
"My name isn't all you wanted, was it? I mean Link is a fine enough name but I doubt it'll satisfy you." Though his tone was light, his gaze was sharp.
"I'm often told I am a greedy man." Ganondorf said mockingly. "So I will ask one more thing of you."
Link raised an eyebrow in askance and Ganondorf ran an idle finger over the hilt of his blade. "I require information on Hyrule. Information on it's people, it's customs, and it'...shadows, it's secrets. I believe you are capable of providing that."
Link blinked. "I...see. What for?" He asked.
Ganondorf smiled wryly. "Do you suspect me of some nefarious intent? I assure you I have none, I am a traveler to Hyrule and I find myself…" he considered his words, "curious, about your country."
Link's face was writ with skepticism. "I don't believe you." He said simply.
Ganondorf laughed. "I can assure you I have told no lies." To vocally and loudly attempt to rebuke him was a privilege reserved for his highest ranking generals but he found Link's attempts amusing.
Link crossed his arms. "That dosen't mean you told me the truth. You're no ordinary traveller."
"What exactly do you think I am?" He challenged, curious to see what Link could reason out.
He shrugged minutely. "I…" He paused, his brow crinkling. "I'd guess a merchant from your robes and jewelry but you seem too capable to be just a peddler." His brow crinkled thoughtfully. "Could be a mercenary but if you are, you're richer and more...well refined than those lot usually are."
A merchant or a mercenary? He felt a low thrum of anger. To be thought of as a lowly sellsword or costermonger was insulting. He frowned. Yet he could hardly blame Link, his guesses were well reasoned if sorely wrong.
"Merchant or mercenary?" He laughed. "No, think higher boy; you are speaking to the King of the Gerudo."
Link's eyes widened. "You're a king?" He asked aghast.
"I am. Why does that shock you so? Do I not carry myself like a king?" He asked mockingly.
Red crept into Link's cheeks. "You're the first king I've seen, I'd have to see a few more to compare." Shock was still in his voice.
Ganondorf smiled tautly. "So you've never laid eyes upon the great king of Hyrule?"
Link shook his head. "The king stays locked up in his palace and I'm not stupid enough to rob the place, so no."
That matched Ganondorf's impression of the man. He had greeted Ganondorf with routine courtesy and an air of disinterest. The plight of the Gerudo was a trifle to him, an afternoon's discussion, nothing more.
Link was watching him with the wary eyes of a desert hawk. "I heard your people, the Gerudo that is; live in Lanayru, far out in the desert. That's a long way from Castle Town."
"How observative." He said ignoring the unspoken question.
Link frowned at him. "Why would you even assume I could give you information?"
Ganondorf's smile sharpened and he pulled a thin leather sheath from Link's pack.
"I checked your possession while you slept, lockpicks, dagger, deku nuts. those are thieves' tools."
Link's face twisted in momentary displeasure. "So you want me to steal information. Why?"
"I am here on a mission of diplomacy; to ensure that there is no enmity between Hyrule and Gerudo." He lifted a dismissive hand. "I need information to ensure I do not offend Hyrule's esteemed nobility, trespass on some custom or tradition."
As he spoke the triforce appeared in his mind's eye. The golden power of the gods. With that power I could give my people Hyrule, I could rule a country with hope, with fertile land and plentiful water. With that power I could…
"I know Castle Town's streets; who answers to who, where to get a decent bargain and which alleys the guards don't bother with. But I'm no scholar or noble, I can't tell you much of anything about courtesy or history. You don't hire a thief to tell you which fork to use or how to bow properly." He said keenly.
Courtesy was nothing but a silken mask and Ganondorf could not don it, not to the satisfaction of the Hylean court. To them he was a desert savage neither king nor ally. History too was not what he sought. Long had he poured over dusty tomes and volumes learning all he could about the land blessed by the gods, he knew it's wars, it's dynasties, and it's treaties.
"You are correct on that front. History and courtesy can be gleaned easily enough from tomes and mimicry. I wish to know what the historians do not write, the knowledge hidden by history and the court."
"Why?" Link asked simply.
His lips curled upwards. "Because knowledge is a powerful thing." He ran a hand over his scimitar. "If honed and mastered it is deadlier than any blade."
Kotake had often said that ignorance of an enemy was akin to fighting blindfolded. He intended to know the Hyleans who so scorned him, to uncover their every buried shame and crime. The haughty fools would not trife with him then, not when he knew enough to bring their esteemed dynasties to disgrace.
"You want Hyrule's dirty laundry?" Link laughed. "We've got enough to clothe an army."
Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "You speak of clothing?" He asked, irritation rising at the change of topic.
He shook his head, a playful look on his face. "It's an expression. Dirty laundry means secrets, scandals and such."
"Secrets are what I am searching for, not mere gossip." He pulled a bag of rupees from his cloak, noting the hungry look in Link's eyes.
"I will give you a target and you will use your...talents to find information that would be of use to me. If you are successful then I will compensate you."
"How much?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Fifty rupees." That should have been enough to satisfy a petty criminal like him.
"A hundred. Fucking with nobility gets you killed and fifty rupees won't even buy the rope they'll hang me with."
Ganondorf scoffed. "I am a king not a common fishmonger, do not presume to barter with me."
Link laughed under his breath. "King or no, any thief who's willing to take fifty rupees for what you're asking is gonna get themselves caught and killed, but not before they squeal your name to the city watch."
Ganondorf considered. The boy was likely exaggerating however, the risk of exposure was something to be stamped out viciously. Besides that, it pained him to admit that the boy was correct, a cheap thief would be a liability instead of an asset.
"Seventy-five, with a fifteen rupee bonus if you can bring proof of what you find." Ganondorf said ruefully.
Link bit his lip and cocked his head thoughtfully. For a long second he said nothing before finally, he nodded.
"Alright. I'll assume the usual 'if you snitch I'll disembowel you with my teeth' standards apply."
To his own surprise a small laugh burst from his throat. "If you betray me disembowelment will seem like a mercy, boy."
To his chagrin the boy seemed unintimidated. "You won't believe me, but I've got a code. I keep my word and I keep my end of the bargain if you keep your's."
A thief with a code. The thought was passing amusement. Thievery was akin to a tick on a boar, a better kingdom would've crushed the boy and people like him long ago. To hire such a person was an unfortunate necessity.
As they continued their negotiation he rubbed idly at his hand. It had begun to throb, white hot pain stabbing through it. It recalled the time he had been bitten by a skulltula on one of the Twinrova's trials. The poison had swelled his leg and the pain had been nigh unbearable.
Link looked at him warily and said something indistinct. His voice sounded as if it came from underwater and an aura of light seemed engulfed him.
He grit his teeth and gripped his free hand around his scimitar, and then the pain ceased as a vision appeared before him, brighter than the sun. The triforce.
I will have it. He thought madly. No matter what I must do.
"I'll hear no more of this." King Daltus said firmly.
Zelda scowled. Frustration seethed within her and she almost longed to strike him. "But father-"
"Daughter, you must see that the military is what protects us. Without it, we would live in fear of forign invasion or commoner unrest. You'll understand these things when you're older, Zelda."
"Please if you would just-" She began once again.
"Return her to her quarters." Her father waved a dismissive hand.
Russell, the burly captain of the guards gave her an apologetic look and took her by the arm. "Sorry Princess." He murmured.
Zelda said nothing, anger hotter than Death Mountain choked her and if she opened her mouth a torrent of vitriol would spill out.
He walked her to her rooms and left her, the door locking from the outside.
Oh, like that would stop me. Zelda thought scornfully. Impa had taught her to pick a lock at six years old yet still they insisted on maintaining the charade.
She tossed her papers on her desk, letting them scatter. She had worked for weeks on a proposal to divert funding from the army to open a hospice that would serve the cities' poor. Her father had scarcely glanced at it before declaring it a foolish diversion.
Our people are suffering and he could care less. She thought ruefully.
She went to her window looking longingly at the vines below. When she was younger she had taken great joy in scaling down the vines and sneaking from the palace. She was too large for such a tactic to work now, otherwise she might have attempted it.
She sighed, putting a hand on the sill and peering out at the gardens. Guards paced around immaculately trimmed hedges and solemn stone statues. It was so carefully maintained; pruned and trimmed so as to be pretty and orderly. It was nothing like her refuge, her courtyard where ivy clung to stone and wildflowers grew freely. It was a secret place only she and Impa knew of, a place where some shred of freedom remained.
Taking a silver hairpin from her upswept hair she forced herself out of her brooding. Lingering over her misfortune was hardly productive. Instead she knelt by her door and gingerly began her work.
She shut one eye for a better focus and gently maneuvered the pin withdrawing only when she heard the click. Victorious, she opened the door and strode toward the library.
She would revise her report on the hospice, find some other wasteful surplus to draw from. Her father was a stubborn man but he could never compare to her own determination. She would be listened to. If the military was a necessity she would find something that wasn't.
After navigating the castle's familiar labyrinthine halls she came to the heavy wooden door to the Chancellor's room. She knocked softly on the door and waited for several minutes in silence before knocking again.
I know you're in there Cole. She waited another minute before the door opened with a loud creak. Cole looked up at her, though she was slight she stood a foot higher than him.
"Ah, Princess Zelda. My dear, you look simply radiant today, please come in." Cole smiled at her unctuously.
She stepped into his office warily. The office was lavishly decorated to the point of gaudiness. Cole took a seat behind the great rosewood desk and peered up at her.
"What has brought you to my humble office, my dear?"
Zelda scoffed inwardly at the endearment but kept her face polite. "I need to see the kingdom's expenses."
Cole clicked his tongue. "Such things are dull and tedious I assure you, nothing a lovely young girl should be concerned with."
Zelda smiled tightly. "Chancellor, the king himself has asked me to look into our monetary circumstances as a form of study. Of course I have little interest in such things but I must humor my father." She lied smoothly.
A flash of anger crossed Cole's face before it returned to it's oily grin. "Of course, princess. If the king commands it, it will be done."
She waited as he rummaged in a large bookcase behind him. He pulled out volumes one by one before shaking his head and grumbling. At last he pulled out a large leatherbound tome, handing it to her.
"It contains hundreds of years of accounting." He frowned. "I think you will find it quite dull however."
Zelda took the tome, carefully tucking it under her arm. "I'm sure you're right, Chancellor."
She took her leave and returned to her desk. She opened the great book, scanning the old weathered pages. Every page was cramped with sums and small spindly notes.
She flipped through to the back pages where she assumed the modern records were, when a paper fell to the floor. Curious, she bent and grasped it, holding it to the light.
It was a letter, written in red ink. She squinted at the messy hand and began to read.
One bound by hate, reaches for the sky
One bound by sacrifice, watches from on high
One bound by blood, kills what cannot die
A poem... It was a curious thing, she supposed. She had never heard it before and it did not fit the style of any of Hyrule's great poets.
I could take it to Hylia University. Someone there would certainly know, and she treasured any excuse to visit the university regardless. Something about the poem nagged at her, she could almost-
A knock at the door startled her, the poem slipping from her fingers. "Princess." Russell said from the doorway. "Your father requires your presence."
Zelda stood, irritation spiking at being interrupted. "Very well." She said sharply. He led her to the throne room and walked her to her father's side.
Her father gave her a fond glance before turning his attention to the man standing before the throne. He was tall, perhaps seven feet with long crimson hair and sharp golden eyes. He had a beakish face and sturdy muscular frame. Something about the man gave her a twist of disquiet though she kept a taut smile on her face.
"King Ganondorf, I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Princess Zelda."