There was nothing but a great pit. Darkness as far as the eye could see. An endless abyss, plunging deep into the Earth, yet by appearance, no different than looking upward into a starless night sky. Devoid of light, devoid of life. But something stirred in the darkness. Something prodigious. Something powerful. Something that would not remain sealed. It rose. Only a nebulous mass at first, but soon, its form became clear. A great beast, immense in size, wreathed in shadow. Its jaws opened, baring a thousand teeth and a ceaseless hunger. Still it rose, as though to swallow the world, heralded by a monstrous roar that would shake the heavens.

Harun awoke in a panic, panting, his face and chest covered in a cold sweat. His eyes darted around the room, expecting to see the great beast's jaws closing around him, but he saw no such thing. He was in his bedroom, and the sun outside the window was rising. As the fear dissipated, his breathing steadied, and he allowed himself to lie back onto his bed.

Only a dream.

As he did every time he saw the beast, he reminded himself that it was nothing but a nightmare, but this did little to comfort him these days.

Third time this week...

The beast had been haunting him for years, as if chasing him through that cold, dark abyss. In the past, the nightmares had been infrequent. Sometimes he'd gone months without them, nearly forgetting their existence. However, the nightmares had been occurring more often lately, as if the beast was getting closer.

No. There is no beast. Only a dream.

He was beginning to believe that less and less nowadays. When he was younger, he'd shared these dreams with some of his teachers in the queen's court and with the spirit priestesses in the city, but nothing had come of it. They had all told him it was only a dream, and he'd believed them. Would they still say the same?

I suppose no harm can come of asking again...

Sighing deeply, Harun climbed out of bed. Stepping over to his window, he saw the early morning sun was rising over the desert. The queen had court that morning, and he was to attend. Any inquiry about his dreams would have to wait until later. He had time for only a short breakfast in the dining hall before joining the queen elsewhere in the palace.

The throne room was the most impressive sight in all of Naboris. The throne itself stood on a raised platform at the end of the room with a few small steps leading up to it. Just behind it was a large opening in the stone wall leading out to a balcony, which served to let the desert sun's rays stream in and light the room. Throughout the interior, large stone pillars stretched from the floor to the great high ceiling. Water features and gigantic statues of the Seven Heroines filled the room for decoration. Harun had heard tales of the Hyrule Castle throne, claiming it put theirs to shame, but he had trouble imagining that.

When Harun came in from the side entrance, he found the chamber already crowded. Urballa, Queen of the Gerudo, sat upon her throne, a great stone seat with a tall backrest stretching almost up to the ceiling. She appeared somewhat casual, with one leg crossed over the other, waiting patiently for the rest of her court to arrive before beginning. Her thin clothing was made from the finest silks, and exquisite jewelry of gold and colorful gemstones adorned her person wherever possible. Her crown was an exotic headdress sitting upon a head of bushy red hair, capped with a red ruby held against her forehead above her green eyes and blue-painted lips. Her face appeared stern at times as she looked out over the crowd that had gathered before her, but the occasional playful smile betrayed her warmer nature.

On either side of the queen stood one of the Iron Knuckles, the elite Gerudo warriors who donned the heaviest of platemail. They each held a large golden claymore, pressing the tip of it down into the floor with their hands on top of the pommel, posing the way the statues of the Heroines stood. At the front edge of the throne dais was their commander, Bularis. Her armor was as heavy as her subordinates, but it appeared as though it was made of solid gold. She held in her hand a massive battleaxe, while she kept her great horned helmet tucked away under her other arm. On the ground surrounding the raised platform was a line of guards dressed in violet clothing, each holding a spear and standing at attention.

Also on the throne platform and forming a U-shape around it were various noble ladies of the queen's court. They were her trusted advisors, confidants, and subordinates. Filling the throne room before them was a crowd of several dozen other women from the surrounding city, both noble ladies and the commoners who attended them. They had all come with business that required the queen's attention in one way or another, whether it be legal disputes or matters of civil projects.

Lastly, in the back corners of the dais were two smaller thrones, one for the princess and one for the prince-in-waiting. Harun's was currently empty. The other was occupied by Princess Sabah, the queen's only blood child. She looked very much like her mother, albeit a much younger version of her. The queen nodded to Harun as he stepped up to take his seat behind her, and he bowed in greeting. He glanced over to Princess Sabah. She gave him a light smile, which he returned briefly before looking out across the throne room.

After a few minutes, the last of the queen's court finished filing in, so Urballa began the proceedings. With a wave of her hand, she signaled for silence throughout the throne room. The murmuring of several dozen private conversations died down in seconds. From the side, a woman approached the throne. Elder Kobami was the queen's top advisor and a witch who had been alive since before the Twilight War. Her old age gave her a wrinkled and decrepit appearance, and her skin had a sickly, dark-greenish hue - an unfortunate side effect of the life-prolonging magic she employed. Hobbling along supported by a cane, she eventually reached the queen and handed her a rolled up scroll of parchment. Queen Urballa took it in hand and unfurled it.

The simplest items were first on the agenda, and they proceeded without incident. A citizen would approach the throne, inform the queen of an issue or make a request of her, receive her response, and leave. Harun watched closely, examining every judgment the queen made, trying to deduce the reasoning behind it. As the sole living male Gerudo, it was his duty to one day marry the princess and become king, whether he wished it or not. Due to the importance of his future role, Queen Urballa had always told him it was imperative that he learn how to rule properly.

When it came time to hear the last item of the day, the throne room was still crowded with citizens of Naboris. The fact that so many Gerudo stuck around to witness the ruling told Harun that this was a matter of great concern. He leaned forward in his seat as two women approached the throne. He recognized them. The younger woman wearing white and gray was Lady Calisa, one of the most vocal supporters of Hyrulean unity. The older woman wearing black and violet was Lady Shabonne, one of the most open advocates for Gerudo independence.

Oh no…

It was never a good sign when those two groups came to court.

"My queen," Lady Calisa said as she and Lady Shabonne both knelt before Urballa. "I come before you today with a grievance regarding this woman." She gestured to the older Gerudo kneeling beside her.

"And I come to you with a simple request," Lady Shabonne stated.

"Rise," Queen Urballa commanded. She regarded the two of them for a moment, deciding who to question first. "What is your request, Lady Shabonne?"

"I merely wish to erect a statue of the Great Ganondorf in the city square to celebrate the centennial of his second coming," Lady Shabonne answered.

Worried murmurs quickly picked up throughout the room. Many people glanced at Harun, some more subtly than others. Angrily, he narrowed his eyes and kept his gaze forward, trying to ignore them. Ever since he was a child, people had been telling him he was destined to follow in the footsteps of the 'Great Ganondorf.' Some meant it as a compliment - others, a condemnation.

Queen Urballa silenced the noise again with another wave of her hand. "And I take it that is your grievance, Lady Calisa?" the queen asked.

"It is, my queen," Calisa confirmed. "Such an act would be a blatant violation of our agreement with the Royal Family of Hyrule. And what's more, it would be an unforgivable act of blasphemy against Hylia. We cannot allow statues of demons to be erected in our city." Cheers of agreement from her supporters quickly followed.

"And what have you to say in defense of your request, Lady Shabonne?" Queen Urballa asked the other woman.

"Her words are pure nonsense, my queen," claimed the older Gerudo. "The Great Ganondorf was no demon. He was a visionary - a king who fought against the tyrannical rule of the Hylians, all for the benefit of his people. A statue of him standing in the square would be a constant reminder of what we should be fighting for." Her side of the room cheered as she finished, bringing about angry shouting and accusations of treason from the opposition.

Commander Bularis tapped her battleaxe twice against the ground. Responding to her signal, the other guards in the room simultaneously tapped their own weapons against the ground, loudly and in near-perfectly sync. The menacing sound was enough to quiet the room again.

Harun leaned forward in his seat.

What will the queen say?

He found this to be a useful exercise during court sessions such as this. If he could anticipate how the queen would resolve a conflict, it would mean he was learning how to rule as she did. He knew Urballa leaned more towards the Ganonite side of the Ganonite-Hylianite conflict, having expressed a desire for independence several times in the past. However, Lady Calisa was correct. What Lady Shabonne wanted was against their binding agreement with the Hyrulean Royal Family, which contained a clause expressly forbidding the worship of demonic figures, including Ganon. The queen could not do what she asked. However, meekly submitting to Hylian rule would make her appear weak in the eyes of her supporters.

No matter what she does, someone is going to want her dead.

Harun leaned back and sighed, not in the least bit envious of her position at the moment.

I suppose she must refuse the request for the statue, but perhaps allow for something more subtle as a compromise?

"Lady Shabonne," the queen began. "I understand your sentiment. Ganondorf's ideals are an inspiration to many, and his attempt to create a better world for our people must not be forgotten."

"He was a fool and a murderer," Lady Calisa objected. "He led a pointless rebellion that was doomed from the start, and then he came back with an army of exiled heretics to slaughter all who stood in his way. What about that is inspirational?"

"Lady Calisa," Urballa said, loudly and sternly, causing the other woman to flinch. However, she spoke more gently once she had everyone's attention. "I understand your reservations. It cannot be denied that the former king committed acts of great evil in his pursuit of a better world, and our alliance with the Hylians must not be broken if we are to maintain the delicate peace between our peoples."

"Alliance," Lady Shabonne repeated, mockingly. "Alliances are between equals, my queen. The Hylians do not see us that way. We are subjects for them to rule over, nothing more. They impose their unjust laws upon us, rob us of our livelihood, force us to fight their battles for them, stomp all over our way of life-"

"And in return, they give us a new way of life," Lady Calisa interrupted. "A better way of life. One of peace and prosperity. One of piety. A land free of war, free of greed, free of-"

"We are not free of anything!"

"We are citizens of the greatest civilization the world has ever-"

Urballa snapped her fingers and the guards repeated the threatening sound of their weapons clanging against the ground. The shouting in the throne room slowly died down once again.

"You have both said your piece," the queen said. She spoke quietly, a technique she often employed to force everyone to listen more closely. "And there is merit to what both of you have said. Now, I have much to discuss with my advisors regarding this matter. Please return tomorrow to hear my final decision. Thank you and good day."

Lady Calisa and Lady Shabonne bowed together with their attendants and supporters, then filed out of the throne room, muttering in frustration.

Once her guests were gone, Queen Urballa sighed and relaxed on her throne, placing her palm to her face. "These squabbling children are quite the headache, are they not?" she said aloud to no one in particular.

"Be that as it may, my queen, their words must be heeded." Lady Averla, the palace's mistress-at-arms, approached the throne. "I believe Lady Calisa has the truth of it. We have no reason to anger the Hylians any further. Even now, Governor Vapith rides for the capital to request assistance. If we give her cause to bring the King of Hyrule's armies back with her…"

"We have no reason to fear a fight," Elder Kobami interrupted, speaking slowly in her raspy voice. "The Hylians have continuously rejected our proposal for independence, and they refuse to name Queen Urballa as governor, too. Soon enough, fighting will be the only option we have left."

"I thank you for your counsel, Elder Kobami, Lady Averla," the queen said, raising her hands to them both. "But I will hear no more of this presently. Let us reconvene on the matter later this afternoon. You are all dismissed." Queen Urballa clapped her hands twice in quick succession and those remaining in the room began to clear out. Then she stood. "Come here, child," she said with a warm smile, holding out her hand to Princess Sabah. The princess climbed out of her seat and took her mother's hand. "Shall we visit the sand seal pen?"

The princess grinned happily. "Yes! That would be lovely, Mother."

Harun watched the two of them with fascination. The queen was taking this rather well. There was a potentially serious decision to be made, but she did not appear pressured by it.

Were I in her place, I could think of nothing else until the matter was dealt with.

"Prince Harun," Lady Averla spoke, taking him out of his thoughts. "Come with me, young voe. It is time for training."

Harun stood up and nodded to her. "Yes, my lady," he said before following her out of the room, heading towards the training grounds. He had always appreciated Lady Averla's guidance. Although she was a Hylianite, she did not despise him, nor did she ever accuse him of being the next Ganondorf. "You are your own person," she'd once told him. "One cannot be held responsible for the actions of another."

In the training grounds, Harun and two dozen girls his age began their daily arms training. Lady Averla was skilled with all traditional Gerudo weapons and fighting styles, and each day she would drill them on or two of them. Spear, glaive, trident, claymore, battleaxe, scimitar, bow and arrow, even barehand - future elite Gerudo warriors such as them were expected to know how to fight with them all. Most of the young ladies Harun trained with were the daughters of nobles living in either the palace or the surrounding city. Within the next year or two, they were to become honor guards in the palace or low level officers in the Gerudo army. Harun was the only exception. He would be king one day, but kings needed to know how to fight as well as anyone.

They had spear training on this day. The trainees had paired up and spread out across the sandy training pits, sparring with wooden spears as Lady Averla walked up and down the rows, observing and instructing. Harun's sparring partner was a girl called Katta. Like all Gerudo, she had red hair, although she kept it cut relatively short, and her amber skin was a shade lighter than many of the others. She was shorter than Harun, although most were. It was said that Ganondorf had been 230 centimeters tall, and while Harun was only 225, he was still above the average Gerudo height of 215 centimeters.

"You seem distracted," Katta told Harun as her blunt speartip pierced the air beside his head.

"Of course. You're distracting me at this very moment," Harun replied, dodging to the side. He thrust his spear at her, but she blocked it with her own. Before he could pull back, she kicked up some sand into his face, blinding him long enough for her to land a kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground.

"You're distracted," she repeated, stepping over him and stabbing her spear into the ground next to his head. "Come on. You're usually better than this. What's the matter?"

"It is nothing, Katta," Harun said, clasping her hand when she offered it to him. She helped pull him to his feet. "Well fought. Let me try that again."

"If you say so, Your Grace," she said teasingly, retrieving her spear.

"Perhaps the problem is with his sparring partner." One of the other trainees in the sparring circle to their left leaned against her spear, watching them with a smirk. "What do you say, your highness? How about we switch dance partners? I take you, the Hylianite takes Emri," she said, gesturing to her own partner.

"Um, Kyra? Maybe we shouldn't bother the prince while he's training…" her partner said, meekly clutching her spear and waiting for the other girl to continue.

"Or," Katta said, stepping over to the edge of the circle towards Kyra. "How about you and I fight instead, and we let your cute friend keep Harun company for a bit while I kick your ass?" Emri gasped, but Kyra seemed ready to accept the challenge, stomping through the sand to meet Katta between their sparring circles.

"Hey!" the tall, muscular trainee in the circle on the other side called out to them. "Cease this squabbling, you two. Do not interrupt Prince Harun's training." Kyra and Katta glared at each other with defiant smiles on their faces for a moment before backing away, returning to their respective training partners.

Harun sighed. "Thank you, Laine," he said to the tall girl. While he appreciated that she'd broken up the fight, her apparent motivation for doing so made him uncomfortable.

"You're welcome, your highness," Laine replied.

"You're welcome, your highness," Kyra repeated mockingly under her breath.

"Let's just resume." Harun lifted his spear and returned to his fighting stance.

Of all the nobles' daughters Harun had been raised alongside, Katta was the one he gravitated to the most. Too many of the others were either Ganonites who went easy on him and gave him too much praise, Hylianites who seemed to despise him no matter what he did, or members of neither side who were afraid to socialize with him for fear of what others might think. Katta was different. Like Lady Averla, Katta's mother was a Hylianite. However, Katta seemed rather indifferent to the whole conflict, and she didn't seem to think it had anything to do with Harun either way.

In their next round, Harun performed much better. He tried his best to stay focused, and was successful at first, putting Katta on the defensive with a flurry of well placed strikes. Victory for the round was in his reach, but then he saw it. His mind wandered for only an instant, but in his mind's eye, the maw of the dark beast appeared. "Gah!" He shut his eyes and dropped his spear to the ground, his hands moving up to guard his face. When he opened his eyes again, Katta had lowered her spear.

"You gonna tell me that was nothing?" she asked. Her tone was somewhat playful, but she was clearly concerned as well.

"It… It was only…" Harun didn't know what to say. It was bad enough to experience such visions as nightmares, but was he truly seeing the beast while he was awake now?

If so, things may be worse than I feared…

"What is the matter, young voe?"

Harun turned and saw Lady Averla approaching. Apparently she had witnessed his episode.

"Nothing of any urgency, mistress," Harun decided to say.

Lady Averla did not seem satisfied with that response. "Come to me once today's training is complete," she said before moving on to the next pair of trainees.

Harun carried on through the rest of his sets against Katta to the best of his ability. He did not experience any more flashes of the beast, but his worries still managed to keep him distracted, and he did not fare well.

After Lady Averla had dismissed everyone, Harun stayed where he was and watched the other trainees leave. Lady Averla also remained, waiting on the other side of the training pit. Katta stuck around, too. Harun considered telling her he was fine and that she was free to leave, but he knew better. If she'd wanted to leave, she would have. So, the two of them approached Lady Averla together once everyone else had left.

"Tell me what happened earlier, if you please," Lady Averla said, speaking bluntly, but not unkindly.

Harun hesitated, not certain how to explain it. "It's… the dreams."

"The dreams?" Averla repeated. She thought for a moment before coming to a realization "You speak of the ones you had before? With the monster?"

Katta tilted her head in curiosity, leaning casually on her spear. Harun had never had reason to tell her about his nightmares before.

"Yes," Harun confirmed. "The same."

"I see. So you are having them again." Lady Averla put her hand to her chin thoughtfully.

"Indeed. And with greater frequency," he admitted. "Earlier, while I was sparring with Katta, the memory came to me. I could see it as clearly as I did in my dreams. It threw me off balance."

"Do you recognize the monster in your dreams?" Averla asked.

"No, mistress," Harun said. "But it makes me think of Ganon. People sometimes call him the Dark Beast. That is most certainly how I would describe the monster in my dreams." He hated to admit that. While Harun had not yet made up his mind on what to think about King Ganondorf, the way everyone else always compared him to the old king made him wish to avoid acknowledging any possible connection between the two of them.

"It could be Ganon, or some representation of him," Averla said. "I confess I know little of how the subconscious mind works. If I had to guess, I would say it was nothing more than a manifestation of your fears. The ignorant conflate you with the king of evil. I imagine that must weigh quite heavily on you, young voe."

Harun nodded solemnly.

"Relax. You're no king of evil," Katta said. "You can't let stupid gossip like that get the better of you."

"The priestesses say dreams connect us to the spirits," Harun said, recalling another conversation he'd had about his nightmares when he was younger. "What if it's not merely a dream? What if someone's trying to tell me something?"

"Someone like Ganondorf?"

Harun did not answer, but that was indeed what he feared.

"I am no more well versed in spirits, young voe," Lady Averla told him.

"Why don't we ask the Sage of Spirit, then?" Katta suggested. "She'll be able to tell if spirits are really trying to talk to you. And if it's an evil spirit like Ganon, perhaps she can exorcise it."

"Do you think this would help?" Lady Averla asked Harun.

"I do not know," Harun replied, skeptical that it would be so easy. "But it could not hurt to try." Despite his doubts, he would be willing to try almost anything. He did not wish to admit how much the nightmares frightened him, but they'd been weighing on him quite heavily lately.

"Very well. That can be arranged," Averla said. "I will speak with the queen about this. Perhaps she'll be willing to send a summons to the sage."

"Thank you, mistress," Harun said gratefully. He bowed, so Katta did as well.

"Think nothing of it," Averla said. "You'd best be going now, young voe. I believe you have your lessons with the witch next." The witch who Lady Averla referred to was Elder Kobami. It wasn't quite an insult since Kobami was a witch, but Hylianites like Averla did not care for witches, and she always said the word with a thin layer of disgust in her voice.

Harun and Katta placed their training spears on the weapon rack and headed back into the palace. Many Gerudo witches like Kobami still clung to the old ways and would only teach a single apprentice rather than a class of students, so Harun's lessons with Kobami were one-on-one. Katta would not be joining him, but she chose to walk with him anyway.

"So… you think you're really being haunted or something?" Katta asked. Harun could tell she would rather just be making a joke out of it, but she was being strangely cautious.

"Maybe," Harun answered. "Everyone always says I'm connected to Ganon. Perhaps they were right after all."

"Pfft, who cares?" Katta said, lightly smacking him in the shoulder. "Even if the king of evil himself starts whispering in your ear every night, it's not like you have to listen to him. Just tell him to fuck off."

Harun furrowed his brow, looking at her with amusement. "Do you believe that is what the Hylian Hero of Twilight said when he faced down the demon king? Fuck off?" Katta laughed heartily at this notion.

When they reached the doors to Elder Kobami's chambers, Katta stopped before she got too close. "Well, good luck with the witch, Your Grace," she said. "I'll see ya tonight then, yeah?"

"Of course. I would not refuse your presence." Harun gave her a mock bow to match her own, then walked through the door.

The witch's study was a grim place. There were no windows or lightwells. Only a few candles of dim violet flame allowed for any sort of visibility. All throughout the room, cauldrons of potions bubbled while large wooden spoons, kept aloft by precise enchantments of wind magic, gave the appearance of stirring the pots on their own. Jars and vials of herbs, body parts of animals and monsters, and various other reagents stocked the many shelves, along with a great number of dusty old books. The skull of some sort of animal was mounted on the wall, its empty eye sockets still somehow appearing to stare at any who entered. After taking a few steps into the room, a sudden rush of wind blew the door shut behind Harun.

"Welcome, young one." Elder Kobami sat cross-legged on a pillow atop a raised stone platform at one end of the room. "Are you ready to continue your studies?"

"Yes, elder one," Harun replied. "I am prepared." He tried to ignore the chill up his spine. Kobami always unnerved him a little, even when she was being friendly. She seemed like a frail old woman on the surface, but he knew what dark magic she was capable of.

"Good," Kobami said, climbing to her feet and holding out her hand. On the far wall, a walking cane and a dark black trident rattled for a moment before flying across the room. The cane landed in Kobami's hand, while Harun caught the trident, wincing in slight pain at the sudden impact. It was not the most practical weapon for actual combat, but this particular trident had been created to function more like a sorcerer's staff. "Come," Kobami beckoned. Harun, walking very slowly, followed her to another door on the other side of the room. Through it was a small, empty, square room with a stone floor and braziers of violet flame on the walls. It was in this room that they were free to practice spellcraft without fear of damaging the elder's belongings.

For today's lesson, the witch had Harun practice what she called 'shadowbinding,' a magical technique that involved conjuring and shaping clouds of a black, smoke-like substance to resemble shadows come to life. In addition to simple applications like creating a cover of obscuring darkness, these shadows could be solidified to create walls or attack an opponent from a safe distance. Harun had witnessed the witch make use of such spells several times.

"Make a phantom of yourself," Elder Kobami commanded, kneeling on a pillow by the wall while Harun stood in the center of the room. "Have it match your size and shape as closely as possible."

"Yes, elder one." Harun gripped his trident firmly with both hands and breathed deeply, focusing and running through the spellwork in his head. To his left, a coil of black smoke formed on the ground, growing larger and larger. Once it was about the right size, Harun worked to shape it, giving it arms and legs and a head.

"Smoother," Kobami commanded. Harun's phantom was now a proper humanoid shape, but its edges were hazy. It still looked more like a cloud of smoke than a living shadow.

Harun took another deep breath and tried focusing his spellwork, but the magic wasn't coming to him. His phantom was packed somewhat tighter, but it was still hazy.

"Focus, young one," the witch instructed. "Visualize what you mean to conjure."

He closed his eyes in concentration and tried to picture his living shadow, but almost as soon as he did, he saw the beast again. It opened its great jaws, moving towards him, ready to swallow him. He gasped, opened his eyes, and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground and dropping his trident. His smoky shadow dispersed. "Apologies, elder one," Harun said after a moment, panting.

Elder Kobami smiled. "You must learn to command the shadows," she said. As she spoke, without any shift in the flickering flames on the walls, her shadow began to lengthen. "They do not frighten you. They obey you." Harun watched as the witch's shadow reached the wall, climbing up it. Suddenly, the shadow moved, stepping out from the wall, no longer a two-dimensional projection. It was as if Kobami herself were standing there beside them, only completely devoid of color. "Combine your phantom with a simple illusion spell, and you have the perfect means to deceive your enemies," she went on. With a wave of her hand, color came to the shadow. A perfect double of Elder Kobami now stood in the room. It grinned a toothless grin and stepped over to Harun, offering him its hand. He took it. The phantom hand did not feel like real flesh, but it was solid enough to touch. It pulled him to his feet, seeming stronger than the real Elder could realistically be. Once he was standing, the phantom lost its color again, melting into a cloud of black smoke before retreating back into Kobami's shadow.

Harun was unnerved by the event. He'd already known the witch possessed this power, but it was frightening to be reminded of it. The Kobami he was looking at right now could be a phantom as well, for all he knew. She could be a phantom at any time, and so could anybody else in the palace.

"It is not the shadows that frighten me," Harun said when Kobami finished her demonstration. "It's what I see in them."

"What do you see?" the witch inquired.

Harun hesitated, regretting that he'd said anything at all. Elder Kobami was extremely Ganonite-leaning, much more so than Queen Urballa. She would likely be overjoyed if she came to suspect the former demon king were haunting his dreams. The nightmares were hard enough to handle without someone telling him to embrace them.

"A beast," Harun said. "The dark beast I see in my dreams. It's as if it haunts me even while I'm awake now."

Just as he'd feared, a toothless grin spread across Elder Kobami's wrinkled face. "Good. Good. It seems the Great Ganondorf truly has chosen you as his successor."

Harun knit his brow.

I pray that is not the case.

"Does the Great One speak to you?" Kobami asked.

"No, elder one," Harun responded. "It does not appear as a man. Only a beast. It opens its jaws to devour, not to speak."

"Hmm…" Kobami put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps his spirit is yet to fully awaken within you. We must consult the Sage of Spirit at once."

"What?" The prince found it somewhat disturbing that she had come to the same conclusion as Katta and Averla, despite viewing the issue in the opposite light.

"She may be able to draw out the Great One's full power," the old woman explained. "Only then can you take your rightful place as his heir and finish what he started."

Harun suppressed an exasperated sigh. "I have told Lady Averla of my dreams as well. She has already agreed to ask the queen to summon the Sage of Spirit so she might counsel me."

Elder Kobami cackled. "I am elated to hear that Lady Averla and I see eye to eye for once. The Great Ganondorf is performing miracles already."

Harun was never sure how much to trust Elder Kobami when it came to her views on King Ganondorf. She was probably one of only a handful of humans left in the world who had been alive during Ganondorf's second coming, but she claimed to have never seen him in person during that time. She only knew of him through text and word of mouth, same as anyone else.

"I hope the sage will be able to aid me," Harun said vaguely.

"As do I," Kobami agreed. "Now then, let us continue your training. We can meet with Queen Urballa when we are finished for today."


Harun did not actually get another chance to see the queen until much later in the day. Both of them kept very busy schedules most days, and Harun did not presume himself and his troubles to be important enough to take up anyone else's attention.

When the time for his audience with the queen finally came, Harun was let in through the great double doors at the front of the throne room by a pair of Iron Knuckles standing guard outside. He walked past the great statues of the Heroines, the water features, and the stone pillars to approach the throne. The spacious room was empty apart from himself, Queen Urballa, and a pair of harem girls draped over the sides of the queen's throne. They stared up at Urballa lovingly while her hand cupped one's chin and her other hand brushed the other's hair, a flirty smile upon her face. The queen did not seem to notice Harun's presence until he had nearly reached them, at which point she quietly dismissed the girls. The two of them stood and flittered out through the side exit, giggling to themselves. Harun's gaze could not help but follow them until they were out of sight before he turned his attention to Urballa.

Harun cleared his throat uncomfortably. "My queen," he spoke, getting down on one knee and bowing his head.

"Rise," Urballa said casually, waving her hand, so he stood. "Elder Kobami and Lady Averla shall be joining us shortly," the queen stated. "They have both informed me of your situation already. I understand your dreams have gotten worse as of late?"

Harun nodded. "Yes, my queen. Both my teachers agree it has become an issue." Behind him, he heard the sound of the great doors opening once again. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Lady Averla had entered. Not a minute later, one of the side doors opened, and in came Elder Kobami, hobbling along on her cane.

"My queen," Lady Averla spoke as she knelt and bowed beside Harun.

"Rise," Queen Urballa said quickly, looking mildly peeved to have to keep saying it every time someone entered. However, when Kobami joined them in front of the throne, she did not kneel, being much too feeble to bother with another opportunity to hurt her hips. "Now, then," Urballa went on. "We all seem to be in agreement already, so let's keep this brief, shall we? Prince Harun, do you wish to consult the Sage of Spirit about your dreams?"

"Yes, my queen. I think that would be most wise." Harun had never met the sage. She spent all her time at the Spirit Temple to the south, and he had never left the city of Naboris before.

"Very well. And the two of you have no objections?" Urballa asked Averla and Kobami.

"Correct. The sage is likely our best chance to awaken the Great Ganondorf's power that dwells within the prince," Elder Kobami answered. "War with the Hylians could be upon us any day now, so this must be treated as a matter of the utmost urgency." The witch often spoke as if war were right around the corner, but Harun usually got the impression that she was simply hoping for that to be the case.

"I agree that the sage should be consulted as well," Averla said. "But not for the reasons the witch speaks of. While I am not convinced the young voe's dreams have anything to do with the former king, if they do, we must request the sage cure him of this ailment at once."

"Why would we squander such a potentially powerful weapon just when it is needed most?" Elder Kobami argued.

"The prince is no weapon," Lady Averla countered. "Any power the demon king could provide is best avoided, for all of Hyrule's sake."

By the gods, even now...

The prince and the queen shared a look. "Regardless, we are in agreement that the prince will consult with the Sage of Spirit. Anything else can be decided upon hearing her counsel."

"Very well, my queen," Kobami said with a slow nod. "Shall I send a messenger to summon her here?"

"No. We shall go to her," Urballa declared.

"We shall? But why?" Averla asked.

"Sending someone across the desert to deliver a message only for her to cross the desert herself afterwards would take twice as long," the queen explained. "Besides, the sage's power is at its strongest within her Patron's temple."

"But my queen, we are forbidden from taking Prince Harun out of the city," Averla objected. "That would violate our agreement with the Hyrulean Royal Family!"

"Not true," Urballa corrected. "He may go anywhere I go, provided it is a matter of emergency. And what could be considered an emergency, if not being haunted by a demon king's spirit?"

Elder Kobami cackled. "Very astute, my queen," she praised.

"I suppose this is true," Averla relented.

"Splendid," Queen Urballa said. "Make all necessary arrangements. We leave tomorrow at dawn." With a wave of her hand, she dismissed them. Harun and his teachers turned to leave, but she spoke again. "Stay a moment longer, Harun. I still wish to speak with you."

Harun stopped in his tracks and waited until his teachers had exited the throne room. "Yes, my queen?" he asked.

"You seem upset," she noted.

Harun furrowed his brow, then realized his jaw had been clenched for some time now. "It is only the circumstances," he claimed. "Nothing more."

"Oh?" the queen said, sounding unconvinced. "Then I supposed it has nothing to do with your teachers' conflicting advice?"

Harun scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. There were complaints to be made about Lady Averla and Elder Kobami, but he was uncertain if it would be proper for him to express criticism of his elders.

"Does it bother you when they do that?" the queen pushed.

Harun sighed. "Well, it is quite difficult to please them both when their desires are incompatible," he replied. "I can't very well fight with both honor and trickery, nor can I both distance myself from Ganon as well as become his successor."

"It is quite the dilemma," Urballa agreed with a nod. "Ruling a kingdom is no different, you know. You witnessed how Lady Averla and Elder Kobami advised me quite differently this morning on the matter of the Ganon statue."

"How is it helpful to have your advisers pulling you in opposite directions like that?" Harun asked. From his point of view, he could not see it as anything but frustrating, and not in the least bit helpful.

"Why, I wouldn't have it any other way!" Queen Urballa stood up from her throne and walked down the carpeted steps to where Harun stood. "How many people were in this room this morning?" she asked, walking past him and gesturing to the big empty space before them.

Harun was not quite following what she was saying. "Several dozen," he said. "Maybe a hundred."

"More," she said, turning back to face him. "Beyond that, there are a quarter million people in this city. And even more spread throughout this kingdom. Every single one of them has wants and needs, thoughts and ideas. Why should my advisers all want the same thing? How could I possibly hope to lead so many people with only one frame of mind?"

"...I see." Harun was not sure what to say. What the queen was telling him made sense, but trying to please everyone seemed impossible.

"You and my daughter are to rule together one day." Urballa climbed the steps back to her throne, standing beside it and running a hand along the carved stone. "You must learn how to draw wisdom from many places."

"What do you plan to do about the Ganon statue?" Harun asked after a moment, thinking perhaps it would help him better understand her thought process if he were to know how the queen planned to settle a dispute like that.

"There will be a statue," Urballa said. "But not of King Ganon. Instead, it will be of Queen Nabooru."

"Nabooru?" Harun asked. "For whom Naboris is named?"

"Correct. In her time, the Gerudo ruler's seat of power was in Taafei, where the Hylian governor now sits. Nabooru's successor built this city around a great oasis in the heart of the desert, and named it in her honor," Urballa explained. "Queen Nabooru is beloved by Ganonites and Hylianites alike, as she was both a loyal servant of King Ganondorf during his initial reign and a cooperative ally to the Hylians after it. Not all will be appeased by this compromise, no doubt, but members of neither side will wish to insult Nabooru's memory by rejecting her statue, and it can be appreciated no matter how one views Ganon."

"And how do you view Ganon?" Harun knew it was bold to ask that question, but he could not help it. He knew she leaned toward the Ganonite side, but she most often played at being neutral. He wanted her full, honest opinion.

The queen smiled. "Walk with me, young voe." Turning away from her throne, she walked behind it towards the opening in the wall that led out to the balcony, her green and gold heeled sandals clinking against the stone floor as she moved. Harun hurried up the steps, walking fast in order to catch up with her. Together, they stepped out onto the balcony and into the harsh midday sun. "Look around you," Queen Urballa said, standing at the railing and gesturing to the landscape with a wave of her arm. "Tell me what you see."

Harun looked. The palace was located at the southwestern edge of the city, and from this side of it, one could see nothing but endless desert. Miles and miles of sand, with some cacti, boulders, and exposed animal bones scattered throughout. "I see nothing," Harun said, hoping that was the correct answer.

"Yes," Urballa confirmed. "That is exactly what King Ganondorf saw when he stood atop his fortress and looked over his kingdom. A country within a vast desert. Burning winds when the sun rose, frigid gales when the sun set. A sea of monsters hidden beneath the sand, and not enough food or water to go around." Her arms had risen in gesture as she spoke, but she lowered them again as she faced Harun. "But in Hyrule, he saw something different. Fields of lush green, bountiful harvests, and everything the Hylians wanted. Everything our people needed."

"...My queen?" Harun was unsure how to respond. Queen Urballa was being far more serious than usual, but the way she spoke of their people's plight made it clear this was something she had thought about quite a bit.

Urballa blinked and shook her head, as if coming back from her thoughts. "My point being, he cared about his people. He wanted a better life for them," she went on. "That is what any good ruler wants."

"But his rebellion failed before it had even begun," Harun pointed out. He feared he had spoken too boldly once again, but he felt the need to say his piece and express his doubts regarding King Ganondorf. "And when he returned from exile, he started a war. Thousands died, and for all the pain and suffering he caused, our people still live in this desert."

The queen smiled weakly at him. "True, true," she said. "You asked me my opinion of the man. The best I can say is I admire him for what he wished to achieve, but I abhor how he attempted to achieve it." She reached out her arm and placed a hand on Harun's shoulder. "Elder Kobami will tell you to be like Ganondorf. Lady Averla might tell you to be his opposite. My advice to you? Learn from him. There is much to be learned from his successes and from his failures. But when all is said and done, you will need to decide for yourself how to be a good ruler."

"But how will I know how to do that?" Harun suddenly felt a great weight on his shoulders, one he was certain Urballa must feel quite often in her position.

"I wish I could give you an easy answer," the queen said. "But I do not know either. All we can do is try."