As they neared Castle Town Aeris was grateful for the four Gerudo guards unease, it helped to mask her own unsteadiness. She pulled the hem of her skirt down as she rode next to Ganondorf who was nervously going over his trade deal under his breath.
Aeris' heart was hammering as they approached the main gate one of the Hylian guards stepped forward as they crossed the lowered drawbridge. "State your business," He brandished his spear, but the tip wavering gave away his nervousness.
Imeone pulled the invitation and presented it to the guard, "Ganondorf and Aeris Dragmire King and Queen of the Gerudo Desert are here at the request of the King of Hyrule,"
The guard took the invitation without taking his eyes off of Ganondorf and Aeris. Aeris was unsure if he was staring at her or the mountain of a man beside her. "Of course. Right this way," The guard turned and began guiding the group through the city as they entered the main plaza the guard suddenly began shouting, "Make way for the Gerudo Royal Family!"
The plaza fell silent, Aeris scanned the crowd trying her hardest to look refined as she rode through the crowd. Murmurs rang through the silence and people began straining to catch a glimpse of the strange royals. Aeris spotted a familiar face among the crowd and she smiled softly at the knight which earned her a confused look.
She sighed to herself as they rode past the crowds of Hyrule's citizens they would be safe this time around, she would be sure of it.
As they approached the castle Aeris let out a shuddering breath and Ganondorf reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Are you alright,"
She patted his hand and tried her best to smile. "I just never thought I would see the castle in person,"
"It is rather magnificent," He glanced up to the marble spires.
Aeris let herself fall into her own thoughts as they entered the courtyard and were lead into the stable yard. She let one of their guards help her from Starlight's back and she stood back as several servants came to retrieve their bags.
"Right this way Your Majesties," One of the servants bowed before the pair and beckoned for them to follow him.
Aeris made sure to stay close to Ganondorf as they followed the guard through the halls of the castle. The white stone walls were decorated with various coats of arms and paintings, Aeris spotted one she assumed was the princess but didn't have time to inspect the painting any further.
The servant paused before a large set of oak double doors, "Excuse me one moment," He cracked the door just enough to slip through and disappeared.
"I think I may pass out," Aeris was trying her best to suppress the cold sweat that was spreading across her skin.
Ganondorf gripped her face lightly, "You'll do fine," He kissed her but pulled away quickly as the servant reappeared.
The servant gestured for them to prepare themselves and the oak doors swung open revealing a vast throne room. A crimson carpet ran the length of the room, stopping just before the marble throne. "Introducing the King and Queen of the Gerudo Desert Ganondorf and Aeris Dragmire!"
Aeris and Ganondorf began to move toward the throne where the King of Hyrule sat, Aeris' hand was clasped lightly in Ganondorf's. The King's gaze was heavy on Aeris as they approached, she kept her head raised with a small smile.
Ganondorf gave a small bow and Aeris curtseyed as they arrived at the throne. King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule was a handsome man in his late thirties to early forties. His blonde hair was showing signs of greying but his blue eyes remained sharp. Aeris wanted to shrink away from the king's gaze as they approached the throne.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet our neighbors from the desert," Aeris let out a small sigh of relief as the King spoke, his voice was deep and smooth.
"The pleasure is ours, Your Majesty," Ganondorf's voice rivaled the Kings in depth but was more on the gravelly side.
"I was unaware that your wife would be a Hylian," Aeris heart froze, "This is intriguing. Tell me, Aeris was it? How did you come to be the Queen of the Gerudo?"
"It is a long story Your Majesty," Aeris smiled at the man sweetly. "The Gerudo took me in after my family home was destroyed. I've been among the Gerudo since I was ten years old and as for my marriage, you could say it was fate that guided me to my husband,"
The king nodded slowly as Aeris cast a glance over her shoulder to the heavy oak doors, Zelda would burst through those doors any minute. "I look forward to strengthening the bonds between our kingdoms," Aeris turned back to the king and smiled softly. "But I believe we will wait for the other leaders before beginning the talks," King Daphnes extended a hand to one of the servants. "Cailim will show you to your room,"
A young brunette man stepped forward and gestured for Aeris and Ganondorf to follow him. Hyrule Castle was a maze of corridors and rooms. Aeris wasn't paying attention she was focused trying to figure out what was different this time around, why hadn't Zelda interrupted their meeting?
The room that Cailim directed them to was massive, the four-poster bed was covered in a dozen royal blue pillows and a thick comforter the same shade of blue. Aeris almost went cross-eyed at all of the blue, it clashed against the white walls and furniture, but managed to remain regal.
Their belongings were already in the room and neatly stacked in the corner. "Can I assist you with anything my lady?" Cailim stood in the doorway with his hands clasped.
"No thank you," Aeris gave her best smile.
Cailim turned to Ganondorf who was looking out of the large window that overlooked the gardens. "Can I do anything for you, my lord?"
"I would like to see the library," Ganondorf turned to the young Hylian, "If that would be possible,"
Cailim nodded, "Of course my lord if you would follow me,"
Ganondorf sent Aeris a questioning look, "Go I'll be fine," Ganondorf nodded and followed Cailim out of the room leaving Aeris alone.
Aeris carefully unpacked the second dress from her things, checking the fabric for any wrinkles. She draped the red and white dress across the bed and quickly undressed and slipped the dress over her head. Once the dress was in place she turned to continued to rummage through their belongings, looking for the matching shoes.
Once she found them she slipped them on and turned to leave the room. She casually strolled through the halls of the castle making her way toward the gardens, she planned on intercepting Link on his way to meet the princess. As she rounded the corner into the last hall before the garden she spotted Impa leaning heavily against the wall, just outside of a small courtyard. "Are you lost, Your Majesty?"
Aeris paused. "All my life I've heard about the beauty of the gardens in Hyrule Castle, I thought I would see them for myself," It was close enough to the truth.
The Sheikah woman nodded slowly. "I'm sure it will be a welcome break from the Desert," Her voice was sharp as she turned to Aeris. "How are things in the Desert?"
Aeris stepped forward. "Better than before," Something flashed across Impa's crimson eyes, but Aeris pushed past her and disappeared into the gardens before the woman could say anything further.
She took a deep breath of fresh air as she emerged from the castle walls and into the sunshine. She closed her eyes and turned her face to the sun and let its rays warm her skin. She still wasn't sure what she would say to Link when he showed up, or if he would even remember exactly what had happened.
She sat on the edge of the fountain in front of her and waited, but the little boy in green never showed.
A/N: I don't know if I'm losing confidence or if I'm just losing steam but something about these last few chapters just feels off. I should have things evened out here shortly... I may take a short break and reread everything from the start and take a few days/weeks to edit things before moving on.