Dragmire's War – Part 9

-Kanyou, Capital of Qin-

"Your highness." A servant bowed. Zelda paused to turn and see the servant bowing. Behind her was a welcome sight. "May I present, Ganondorf Dragmire, king of the Majora clan, and his ward, Malon Dragmire."

"Ganon." Zelda smiled. "Normally I don't want company, but you are an exception."

Zelda had been walking in the Fae Grove, attending to the garden. Although she was not a caretaker by any means, the Fae Grove had naturally grown to envelop the entirety of the palace garden and add to its beauty many times over. The beauty and air of the Fae Grove gave her some measure of peace and warmth in a cold, tumultuous world. The servant bowed again and departed.

A number of Fae flew around Ganon, excited to see him, and he swatted them away in annoyance. Malon, though, was openly fascinated with them, and Ganon said nothing as her curiosity drew her away from him to follow after them. The Fae love children. If anything, he hoped they would get along well, play, and help ease the young girl's wounds.

"Thank you, Princess. Is this to be an occasion of formality for us, then?"

"I would rather not. My days are filled with formality as it is."

"Good. My days never seem to have any. I find such things tiresome." Ganon smirked.

"Consider yourself blessed."

"Perhaps, or a coward as Nabooru calls me. I have been known to flee court matters when I can."

"You are hardly one I would call a coward. I would call it either foolishness or wisdom, as contradictory as it may be."

"Not so. I have found that many things are judged as foolish or wise based solely on its success."

"Hmm. An interesting saying." Zelda mused.

Zelda pulled her long dress to the side and turned to walk without it obstructing her. "Care to join me?" Ganon shrugged, and walked by her.

They were both in their most formal attire. Zelda wore a large white dress fit for a princess, and her annoyance was noticeable with each step. She found the whole thing to be utterly ridicules. She was comfortable with rags and her normal attire, even as a Princess, was unbelievably humble by royal standards while being showy by her own standards. This dress was showy by royal standards, befitting the occasion today, so one need not imagine how annoyed it made her.

Her beauty had also grown in the last year. Puberty had made her taller and more womanly, though there was still years of development in store as she was but a young teenager. She was at the stage where her childlike appearance was starting to give way to the mature beauty passed down from her mother.

Whether that is a good or bad thing depends on who you ask.

Ganon's atire was one he was comfortable with. He wore a combination of black hardened leather and black armor plating from his boots to his torso to his gauntlets. He wore a black-bear fur over his shoulders. The only part of him that was not armored was his head as he disliked helmets. He simply had too much hair for helmets to work. And with his clothing being black on top of his black skin, his red eyes and long red mane of hair stood out brightly. He wore rubies around his wrists, rubies around his neck, and rubies roped on his forehead just at the hairline.

"You seem bored with the garden." Zelda noted. She stopped by a bush with flowers. She looked at them curiously.

"I don't find plants particularly… interesting." Ganon looked at the same bush, but his expression was one of disdain. "My interaction with plants doesn't extend far beyond eating or burning them."

"But… didn't you tell me once you wanted to explore the world? See all that it had to offer? I am sure there are many here you have never seen or smelled before."

"I did. I do. And you are right, I have not seen these before."

"Then what is the difference?"

"Perhaps it is my reputation or upbringing at stake. Men aren't supposed to see them the same way as woman."

"That's a pity. As far as the Fae tell me, plants are quite practical."

"Oh?" Ganon asked, not quite believing it.

"I am not lying!" Zelda chastised. She swatted at his shoulder. Ganon chuckled.

"I am not implying otherwise, but I don't see it." Ganon took hold of a flower and plucked it to inspect. He looked at its petals, its stims, and crushed into in the palm of his hand. "I know the people, both of Qin and Majora, use flowers as an expression of affection, but I do not share that view."

"Neither do I. What's the point in being given a dead flower? Once you pluck it, it is dead. And people who smell it? They are smelling a corpse." Ganon chuckled at the dark analagy. He was in full agreement. "But that is not the use I speak of, Ganon. Look at this one." Zelda stooped down and touched some small white plants. "The petals are useful in wounds to siphon poisoning, but the roots are poisonous. It also has a meaning of the balance between life and death."

"Useful for a doctor or herbalist or assassin I suppose." Ganon said deeply. He blinked in surprise as her words hit him. "There is a meaning behind them?"

"Yes. I don't claim to know the language of flowers, by any means. I heard of it when I wanted the flowers placed around the castle to be a certain one, and I was argued against because the flower has a particular meaning."

"What meaning would that be?"

"Cow manure."

"Bullshit." Ganon blurted out.

Zelda smirked, "Precisely."

"You're playing me for a fool."

"The meaning of the flower was 'cow manure'. Apparently because it was mixed in with the 'bullshit' to fertilize crops. I was told it is improper to have it, and that if there are to be vases with flowers in my palace, it should have a dignified meaning."

"… You are serious."

"Quite."

"…" Ganon stared at her a long moment, utterly dumbfounded. Then he said, "Where can I find some?"

Zelda laughed. Even Ganon laughed.

Zelda asked, "Just what do you have in mind for such flowers?"

"Oh, I have a list of people in mind."

"You just want to insult or screw with their minds. They would never expect such an insult from an 'uncivilized, uncultured, uneducated mountain barbarian' such as yourself. You seek to take advantage of that to pretend to be dumb."

"And I fail to see the problem." Ganon smirked mischievously. He looked to the garden. He did not see the beauty of the garden in the way girls or nobility might, but he realized there was at least something there he could use. At the very least he could have fun with it. "What else is there?"

Unfortunately for the world, Zelda was equally evil. She showed him a few more plants with unusual uses he could use. One smelled nice until it was placed in water, at which point it stank heavily. Another was known to create slimy pollen that stuck to everything. At one point the conversation took a natural shift again. They saw Malon inspecting flowers of her own while Fae talked to her.

Zelda said, "I must say it is a surprise to see you with a ward, least of all a Dragmire. I was not aware there were any left until recently. I feel there is a story here worth telling."

Dragmire was silent at first. He didn't want to tell the story, not because he disliked the princess of Qin, but because he didn't like the story. The story left a bad taste in his mouth for many reasons.

"She is a sign of my failure." Ganon said. Zelda's eyes widened in surprise. "You see… when you gave me the city of Joket, I found there to be a Dragmire family living there. A woman and child, taken in and married to a Qin man."

"That is… a beautiful setting. To think such a family exists… Did the relationship seem to work?"

"I believe so."

"Then that bodes well for our people."

"I agree, but as I was saying, I met the family. The mother had been born a pureblood Dragmire, and was enslaved following the Dragmire rebellion. She was taken in as a pleasure slave by men of Ketsu… from there she would not say much except that she was sold for cheap in the end to a simple man who, later, gave her to his son as wife. The two made it work and raised Malon."

"Is the husband the girl's father by birth? I hope not to pry, but I cannot help it."

"It… is a good question. I assumed so. But Malon may be a product of the woman's occupation rather than the marriage… Hm. Either way, she was accepted as the man's daughter, and to wonder otherwise is needless."

"Agreed. I apologize for overstepping myself. Please, continue."

"A series of incidents occurred. The people were being stirred up against me. Qin were disappearing. It took time to sort out, but an underground war was occuring. The governor of Joket, left behind by Chancellor Ketsu, was a Ki family head. Meanwhile Kei Ki entered the city to conquer the Ki family established there. The two fought in the slums with their men, and in the public eye there was trouble they could not see. The people assumed it to be the invaders."

"The invaders being you."

Ganon nodded. "I went to demand answers from the governor, when I learned he was a Ki family head, and that the mother once worked for him, and may have continued to some extent. How deeply, I don't know. When I found him, he had used a Majora mask of Exile on her, used another Exile mask to merge with a great monster bird, and fled." Seeing Zelda's confusion, he explained, "The Majora Exile mask is a practice going back to before the fall of Hyrule. The mask is placed on a creature or man, and the victim is… disappeared into the mask. The mask becomes their prison."

Zelda paled slightly, but otherwise did not respond physically. "How horrifying."

"Some monsters and legends are too powerful to be defeated by normal men, and so the Exile masks are used to temporarily defeat them. We don't know for sure anymore, but the Majora believe we were once the great prison wardens of Hyrule. We kept a secret prison of masks too dangerous to be known. This practice continued on into my rule."

"So then the mother is… dead?"

"No." Ganon replied. "The victim of a mask is not truly dead… but nor can I say they are alive. Breaking a mask or wearing one already containing an Exile releases the prisoner. She will be released one day, but it may be many years from now. Tens or hundreds or thousands of years. One cannot say. So I adopted Malon… Seeing as how the mother was taken and the father was killed."

Ganon fell into silence. Zelda was silent as well for a time before saying gently, "I am sorry for what the mother went through. I know her pain."

Ganon paused, "You do?"

Zelda took a deep breath and struggled to say her thought without breaking her voice. "My… m-mother… had to turn to whoring to survive our time in Zhao as a political hostage. I never experienced it, but I did see its affects first hand."

"I see…"

"Do you believe there to be more Dragmire out there?" Zelda wondered, quickly changing the subject. Thinking about her mother sent cold shivers down her spine. Cold shivers that seeped into her blood and made her numb. All the warmth and peace of the garden, or the camaraderie of Ganon's company, disappeared with a single thought of Bi Ki.

"I hope so. I do know at least there are two more. My ward, and this general your letter spoke of. I hope to learn more here."

Zelda said. "The strategists are going over with General Ouki Mitagi what to do about the invasion. With the speed of the invasion, they have a short deadline before we must demand an answer of response. But I will tell you what I know. Harken Dragmire is a survivor of the Dragmire Rebellion. He killed four of our six great generals of his generation, and was killed by Ouki."

"Supposedly."

Zelda nodded. "Supposedly. Harken seems to have been in Zhao licking his wounds and has returned to finish the job with Zhao's blessing."

Ganon considered it silently. He knew nothing of Harken, so he didn't know what to make of it. He could tell from the story that Harken was a driven man. But whether that drive was from seeking justice for the death of the Dragmire clan, or personal revenge for the same, he could not judge. If Harken was involving innocent people, then it would lean towards the latter.

But he also felt something important was at play here. The name Harken was incredibly familiar, but he could not place it. He felt uncharacteristically motivated.

"Princess, if I may ask you a favor." Ganon asked. "Allow me to join in the defensive campaign, personally."

Zelda eyed him cautiously, "This is an unusual request. Your presence is mostly a formality and politeness and sharing of information. Qin can handle him well. I merely wanted you here because, as an ally, and as he is a Dragmire, I felt you were owed to at least be aware."

"And the gesture is appreciated, do not doubt it. But I… I have to talk with him."

"With the enemy general." Zelda said flatly.

"He would be the only one to have the answers I need."

"You know I cannot allow that."

"Do not mistake my intentions as a betrayal. I am committed to our alliance and will act accordingly."

"I realize I am a youth compared to you, but even I can see the ridiculousness of this request." Zelda insisted. Hoping he would see how irrational his request was. "You think you can join an army to fight a man who is your family, and in the process not only expect us to ignore how clouded your judgement may be but think the man you go to fight against will conveniently tell you everything you want to hear? Ganon, I know you seek answers to questions I don't know, but it seems like the ways you are choosing to find answers will only cause you more problems than fixing them."

Angered by her words, Ganon exclaimed, "It is foolishness! I know that! But I must know!"

"You refuse to be content and have faith in what you don't see!"

"I refuse to be willfully ignorant! Wouldn't you want answers to your birth, if you felt your blood was cursed?!"

Ganon felt a chill go down his spine as Zelda narrowed her eyes thin. The speed at which she went from caring, at least a tiny bit, to cold and ruthless startled him.

"No, I wouldn't." Zelda hissed angrily, now remembering full well of her own past. "Because my blood is cursed, and I want more than anything to live in ignorance of it. To forget would be a blessing."

Ganon was shocked silent by her words and tone.

Zelda glared at him, "But then… you are just an ally. So do whatever the realms you want. We can watch over Malon in your absence if you choose to go."

Her words hit him like a punch in the gut.

Zelda walked past him to depart the gardens. The air in the garden felt icy around her. Ganon, meanwhile, felt his blood heat up. He knew he was a fool to desire so much, but it was the very blood in his veins that demanded it so. He had a past he wanted answers for, and this was the first one that could offer them. He would demand answers from Harken if it meant dragging him into a Qin prison to do it.

Malon walked up to him, looking up curiously. She had noticed the sudden tension between them, and Zelda's cold nature startled her greatly. Ganon sighed and stopped down. He said, "Little one, I will be away for a while. The one leading the enemy is a Dragmire… and I have to see him with my own eyes. The Qin royal family will watch over you while I am gone, you will be their guest."

Her eyes showed she didn't want him to go. "I am sorry, little one… I have to see him with my own eyes… and there are questions I have to ask him. Questions that have plagued me a long time. I must do it. It is a matter of the soul."

Malon started to tear up, but nodded. Ganon sighed while patting her head. The punch to the gut turned into a twisting corkscrew of guilt. "Thank you for understanding. I will return, this I promise you."

-Zelda's throne room-

The throne room was in the throes of activity. On one side was Zelda's meager faction, and those that followed her that were available on short notice. On the other side was Chancellor Ryo's much larger faction. The two were on opposite sides of the room, and never was it more evident than now just how much more powerful Ryo was than her.

In the midst of them all was a map of Qin. On the map was depicted the region in which was involved. Zhao had invaded the region, and reports were beginning to come in an ever increasing rate of them sending out invading parties to the surrounding villages and cities to slaughter the inhabitants. Qin had sent out parties to get the villagers to flee, but often times they were either too late or the villagers were too stubborn. Zelda breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a village had fled, but thus far it had been because of the locals telling their neighbors to flee, and not because of anything she could or couldn't do from so far away.

The fortress of Bayou had fallen. The fortress city of Baou was holding them, but it was only a matter of time.

All of the available commanders and generals of Qin were gathering today. Kei Ki the Beheader, Moubu, and Matsubi. Ganondorf was also present, as an ally of Qin. In addition to the one-hundred thousand being assembled at Genyuu Pass, Kei Ki provided five thousand. With Moubu was twenty-thousand from Ryo's personal reserves. With Matsubi was the one-thousand of Zelda's formerly Royal Guard. The Elder Fae donated five Fae, as a token force. With Ganondorf was nobody…

Ganondorf's lack of reinforcements was one of the major points of much talk. Ganondorf insisted he could provide men to the army, even a token amount, yet Zelda insisted he remain and his campaign of the western mountains be continued with his full focus. There was also a matter of speed. It would take time for him to bring anything from the mountains.

The reason Zelda gave was that she wanted the Majora to be a secret army, and a hidden blade. The Majora would be crucial in the future, but she wanted them to have as much impact as possible when they are finally released, as the shock and awe of a new nation allied with Qin would shake their enemy. She wanted the Majora to stay a secret and be hidden until Ganondorf could provide, at minimum, a full scale army of one-hundred thousand.

To Ganondorf it was a reasonable ploy, one he would normally be in favor of, but he knew the real reason she wanted him held back. She lacked faith in him. He understood she was a person who did not trust easily, and his desire to meet with Harken Dragmire could be easily seen as a betrayal if looked at from a certain point of view; so he understood her. He also understood she was wrong. He would not betray the alliance. Without the alliance, how could he ever leave the mountains?

This reasoning confused both Ryo and Impa, as even a token force could be of assistance without revealing the scale of what the Majora are capable of. Not to mention the fact that Zelda accepted the token squad given by the Fae, despite their extremely low population.

This point was disputed greatly among the ministers so that some on all sides spoke well of Zelda's thoughts, while others tried to reason with her and argued with each other.

"Ho-ho, it has been a long time since I've seen a council meeting so heated!" A man said from the door.

The massive bulk of Ouki Mitagi stood in the door frame. Behind him was the Englishman. Zelda smiled to see he had come. Ouki's eye drifted around the entire room. The man never looked happier.

"Never have I seen so many ministers gathered together. How is everyone?" Ouki greeted them all in his normal informal way.

Moubu stood and blocked Ouki's path. Zelda blinked in surprise. Moubu was even taller than Ouki, so much so that the Great Pillar of Qin had to look up at him. Ouki merely smiled as he always did.

"You're late." Moubu grunted. "Piss off."

"No thanks, I have already used the toilet." Ouki replied.

"You know what I mean."

"I know what you mean, and you know what I mean about what you mean. So you know what I will say about what you mean, and you know how this will go once I say what I mean. Seeing as how I was summoned, why don't we return to our place on the floor and not waste everyone's time?"

"Who would dare summon you, retired old vulture?"

"It was a joint decision, between the princess, Impa, and myself." Ryo said from the steps of the throne. "So that he may accept the role of commander-in-chief for the defense of Qin."

The ministers gaped collectively. No one had been told this. Ouki was the senior of them, but he was almost retired. It was assumed Moubu would be the commander-in-chief of them

"You!" Moubu glared at his master. "What did you say?! I am your minister of war!"

"And you sorely lack in what we need most." Ryo returned. "No one can argue your offensive ability. In that regard, you may very well compare to Ouki Mitagi. Yet we are being invaded and we need a powerful defense. In this, Ouki is your superior. He is equally capable of the way of the sword as well as the way of the shield, of offense and defense."

"There is no such thing as offense and defense in battle. Only of crushing your enemy!"

"That's enough, Moubu. You embarrass yourself, and you embarrass me. The matter has already been discussed and has been agreed upon by all parties."

Zelda nodded her agreement, as well as Impa. Moubu looked between them and to the unwavering eyes of Ryo. Moubu felt his pride kicked. His pride took a blow, but he also knew that Ryo's pride also took a blow because of this decision. Ouki Mitagi did not belong to Ryo. This singular fact was a blemish to the Chancellor. Ouki had given his support to the princess.

For Ryo to openly desire Ouki, a general of a rival faction within Qin, to lead this defensive campaign, and in so doing bring Zelda prestige… It showed how great the situation was. Ryo truly was working with Zelda at the expense of himself for the betterment of Qin. There was no taking advantage of this situation. There was only survival.

Moubu huffed and forced his way past Ouki to leave the room. He whispered, "Your era is over, old man. I will surpass you."

Ouki chuckled. "Do as you wish. If you can…" Moubu left the room. Ouki Mitagi cleared his throat as if nothing happened and said loudly, "Now then, where were we? Have you all tried tea? No? Englishman, do the thing!"

"I am afraid I cannot make enough for everyone on short notice, sir." The Englishman replied.

"Well then, some people are going to have to be left out!"

-Later-

The council meeting lasted for the better part of the day. Every second was of the essence, so what was necessary to discuss and plan was planned. Only if it was absolutely necessary. Ouki Mitagi proved to have a legendary understanding of war, so there was not much time needed in planning. A supply route and temporary logistics was planned, to which Ryo sent out his fastest and best. Impa sent Sheikah behind enemy lines. And in the end all Zelda had to do was sit and marvel at the understanding and coordination between them.

Ouki, Ryo, and Impa had many long years of experience in war, and it showed. So that Ganondorf, standing by watching, felt to be a child in comparison. They planned and considered matters he had never thought of before, and he felt he had received an education in both war and humbleness just being there.

The council meeting was concluded. And there was one final matter to be done. Impa stealthily handed Zelda a speech she read and memorized quickly, before standing to speak.

"The invading army from Zhao has already conquered the city of Bayou. All the earth has been salted and the citizens butchered or enslaved. Right now, the key to the region, the fortress city of Bayou, is under siege. Were Zhao's army to break through Bayou, this tragedy shall spread throughout all of Qin. Understand that the survival of our kingdom hinges on this battle. General Ouki Mitagi, the Pillar of Qin, the Great Bird of Qin, I hereby appoint you as our commander-in-chief! Take command of Qin's army of one-hundred thousand. Take Kei Ki! Take Moubu! Take Matsubi! You must save Bayou and exterminate the Zhao army which dares to encroach upon our lands!"

To this Ouki Mitagi had one response. He knelt onto one knee, bowed his head, put his fist into his open palm, and said, "Understood."

The ministers departed the room, Ouki stood and marched out of the room. Zelda let out a shaky breath. She whispered, "What does 'encroach' mean?"

Ryo made his way out of the palace and met Ouki as the man boarded his horse. "Ouki, a word."

"A quick one, I hope. The army awaits."

"Just… be your guard." Ryo said, unusually hesitant. "This Zhao army. This timing. This general. There is more to this than meets the eye."

"You feel it too?" Ouki sighed. "Do you have an inkling of an idea, Chancellor?"

"None. My greatest spies report nothing is out of place. The money flow is where it should be. The logistics, the movements, the gossip, the information. The facts are there as they should be, but I cannot shake this feeling that there is something more. Something passing beyond even my perception."

Ouki stared at the man briefly. In their own ways, they were both rivals and friends. One was master of war and refused to enter politics. The other was a master of politics and refused to enter war. As they could never truly fight each other in a proper way to overcome the other, they found themselves inevitably equal. In this way they danced around each other, regularly jabbing but never connecting for all the years they knew each other. They went back many years. Ouki knew just how perceptive Ryo was, and if Ryo sensed something… there must be something there. But for this mysterious object in which Ryo feared to pass beyond his sight, it must be something worthy of great caution.

"… I will be on my guard. Thank you, Chancellor."

Ryo nodded. As Ouki and his first-in-command rode off, Ryo said, "Return to Qin safely, General."