Link disembarked the next morning, early. The sun was barely up, and to the west, the sky was still grey. A thin frost coated every blade of grass. I watched from my tower room as he and his horse trudged off through the cold, equipped with a wool cloak for the bitter night and a few other items for safety and defense. He packed them himself, I have no idea what he took.
Without him, the castle seemed colder, larger. I read books I'd already read, replied with polite rejections to suitors, crossing their names off a long list I'd started to compile. At night I could almost hear my father clucking his tongue at me in disapproval; I was supposed to choose a husband for the good of Hyrule! And there were many such men!
In Link's absence, Ganondorf abruptly returned, staying around the castle. He spent most of his time in the library, reading through the ruling history and charters. Ganondorf had not lied on that account- he was a very learned man, and could go through dozens of pages in a quarter of an hour. He became more open and friendly with me, and I felt shamed for how suspicious I'd been of him, returning the favor. One day, he asked to go on a walk with me out in the gardens, and I agreed.
We walked together through the faded brown rose trellises. The gardens weren't in a very favorable state, seeing as winter was fast approaching, but I wanted to get out and stretch my legs. "So, Ganondorf, I'm aware that you have some… construction projects in the distant cities." It was a bit tactless, I admit, but I knew of no other way to approach the subject. He cleared his throat and nodded, managing to look sheepish. "Yes, your majesty. I'm having the coastlines rebuilt to add stability to the houses, helping to reform Kakariko's houses and buildings, and other repairs that were caused by the torrential storms." I nodded. "That is good. I am only disappointed you acted on this without informing me or anyone else." I turned to look at him sternly, feeling my heart quiver instead. Ganondorf smiled, and that was a truly scary thing. "Your majesty, I was acting on behalf of the land of Hyrule. I felt at the time it would have been an absolute nightmare to go through a screening process. Besides, I know the men at task on the construction, and I trust them. Is that not good enough for you?" To myself, I thought No, because I hardly trust you at all. But to his face, I offered a stern look. "I still would have appreciated advance warning, Ganondorf. Please do not make a mistake like that again." "Of course not, your majesty. You have my word."
Unfortunately, after this confrontation, something set off a chain reaction of tragedies throughout the kingdom. A plague, blossoming from a bad water source, swept through the Zora people. It killed their weak and old, and disabled the strong. Their skin was covered in a filmy white fungus, they lost their color, and some of them were going blind. Dodongos started cropping up as a nuisance against the Gorons, but they'd gotten bigger and meaner, and much faster. Link was still pulling a disappearing act, and I was frustrated. He hadn't even sent a letter or anything to let me know how he was doing. For all I knew, he'd been robbed and murdered, but that seemed the least likely of his fates. Heavy snowstorms rolled in, blanketing Hyrule with a thick layer of white. The windows were shut and sealed for the winter.
At night, the main gate was raised to prevent ice from the half-solid moat forming on it and ruining the wood. It was an awful night in particular this time. The clouds bringing in the blizzard were thunderheads. I couldn't help but worry if Link was warm enough, or had enough to eat. I sat at one of the narrow windows facing south, the direction he'd headed, wearing heavy velvet clothes to keep warm, a fire going in the hearth. I watched as lightning licked its way across the sky, purple like the storms we'd had in the summer. Groaning, I folded my arms on the windowsill and rested my chin on them, looking down into a snow. Before my eyes, another crack of lightning flashed, this time with the deafening roar of thunder a minute after. The lightning had struck a tree in the Lost Woods, and I stared as a thin plume of smoke rose up over the branches. My heartbeat started to quicken, and my eyes widened. The scattered clouds of smoke were soon joined by a flickering red glow, and I left my room, running. "Fire!" I shouted. "Fire in the Lost Woods!" My guards turned and looked at me in surprise. "The Lost Woods? How can you tell?" I realized I probably sounded insane; the woods was thick as the blanket of snow on the ground. I smoothed my dress, giving my hands something to do. "I saw lightning strike, and there is smoke rising from the trees." The guards shifted nervously.
"Well, no offense, your majesty, but what are we supposed to do?"
"The woods are probably wet enough from snow that it wouldn't be too much of a problem."
A maid brought me hot tea, and I thanked her. "I'm just worried; Link has been gone for ages. What if he's injured or trapped in the woods?"
"Why would he be in the Lost Woods, your majesty?" It was Ganondorf, walking up casually, a bit of a knowing smirk on his face. I wheeled to face him, my face stern. "I…"
"As far as I know, the Lost Woods is uninhabited by anything but giant spiders and wolves. Even the Kokiri have been found to be a myth." He was rubbing his chin, still walking towards me, and I found myself backing up. "What would a protector of a princess' virtue be doing so far away from her?" He chuckled. "Who will protect you from the hounds, princess?" I lifted my chin, trying to find the courage Link told me to have. "I do not appreciate your rude tone, Ganondorf. It would be best if you held your tongue, before your insults go too far." He nodded his head. "Fair enough." And then he turned toward the windows, gazing out of them towards the woods. "I wonder… is that wood wet enough to not burn?" He turned and walked away, heading back to his rooms, I presumed. I realized then that I was trapped in the castle with him, and Link was shut out.
I retired to my rooms for the night, but I did not sleep. Instead I paced, keeping an eye on the distant cloudy image of the Lost Woods. The fire wasn't going out, but it wasn't getting bigger. A small mercy from the goddesses. I did not sleep until it was far later, when the blizzard had begun to subside, and the sky to reluctantly brighten. And even then my dreams were troubled and full of metaphor. In them, dark clouds constantly broiled in the sky. I was in the middle of a large field, trapped in a gold cage studded with diamonds and blood-red rubies. Outside of my cage, a massive black boar was pacing in circles against a wolf with the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. They weren't fighting, just pacing and staring each other down. The boar let out a squeal that plummeted in pitch until it was a roar, and the wolf howled in response. I woke up screaming.
I got dressed as fast as I could with my hands shaking, pulling on a thick cloak against the cold and making my way downstairs, intending for the stables and my horse. I could put up with this no longer; I was going to find Link. A servant corralled me halfway to the stables, out in the snow, dressed hurriedly in mittens and boots. "Your majesty! What are you doing?!"
"I'm going to find my regent!" I shouted in reply, trembling all over.
"Please, your majesty! Don't do this! You'll be leaving us alone in that castle with…" She bit her lip. "At least appoint someone to act in your place before going!"
"The only person I'd be able to appoint would be my ambassador," I hissed in reply, facing the older girl. Her face was terrified. "He is the only one with enough rights by our charters to make decisions in my name." We stared at each other in horror. I was stalemated to stay. With a shudder of helplessness, I walked back inside with the servant, letting myself cry. I could always say that the sniffling was from the cold.
Bitter, I sat on my throne. Very few scouts were in attendance, as few were being sent out to face the cold. I offered them hot soup and tea to raise their spirits and warm their noses before hearing their reports. "The smoldering fire in the Lost Woods has only continued, your majesty. It has been spreading slowly to other trees, from what we can tell, and the smoke is starting to chase out some of the wild animals that live there. There is no sign of Master Link having been in the woods." I nodded numbly. The next scout came up, clearing his throat. "The Zora princess, Ruto, humbly requests aid from the kingdom for her people. Not only has the fungus not been beaten back, but a few people who were once healthy have died from it, it is getting stronger. And she also offers you a personal message." I nodded and the scout came forward, handing me a thin blue scroll that shimmered in the light, tied with ropy seaweed and sealed with wax. I tucked it into a fold in my skirts, intending to read it alone in my rooms. "What other news do you have for me?" The last scout stepped forward, clearing his throat nervously. "The Goron leader Darunia offers thanks for your aid in Kakariko village, but they have some concerns as to the changes being made in their rock mines to eliminate Dodongos. They report that the problem has actually been getting worse-" he stopped when I straightened, my eyes bright. "Continue, please." "The… problem has been getting worse." I frowned. "V… very well." The scout stepped forward with a thin, brittle stone, its entire front covered in wax. "They also offer a private message for you, as does the leader of the Kakariko village." He also handed me a paper scroll, sealed similar to the one from the Zora princess. My skirts were quite full with all these private messages, and I distrusted how they were still handed to me in a rather open area. I would have to find a way of communicating in private with the respective leaders. The scouts looked as if they wanted to go linger by the fire with more soup, so I bid them leave and took my private messages up to my rooms.
The first message I opened was the one from Ruto; the rock from Darunia was propped up in the fire to melt the wax off his message. What I read caused me alarm.
"Your Majesty Zelda,
I hope this letter finds you in excellent health, for the grim news that it contains would only cause harm to healing. It may not be my place to say it, but I disapprove of the ambassador you appointed. He has no regard for me or my people, choosing to ignore us as he continues to build temples on our land. I am insulted; I was unaware there were plans to take our land to build any temples!
From what I have seen of it, the inside is a labyrinth, with trapdoors, puzzles, and mechanisms that lock a room closed once someone enters, and a secret passage for the builders to leave the room by. I cannot help but wonder what sort of madness this must be, and due to the respect our fathers shared, I refuse to believe that this is at all your plan.
Miraculously, I have been able to ward off the ich that is slaughtering my people, and the good Zora doctor is working on a cure, but it is not to be found. I tell you this in private, to share with no one else- I believe that temple is to be responsible for our woes, and any other troubles you might have can surely be linked back to buildings Ganondorf has put up.
You do not have to respond to this message, it has been risky enough to get it to you in secrecy. Just heed my advice and find a new ambassador!
Yours,
Princess Ruto"
The message from Darunia, once the wax had melted and the rock had cooled, was much of the same.
"Dear your majesty,
I respectfully request to know what in blazes your ambassador thinks he's doin putting foreign buildings on our land, telling us they're temples to ward off bad luck and the Dodongo. Puh! He's using up our best rocks for the entrance, which is larger than our great hall! Characters I never saw before are constantly streaming in an out of the building, attacking anyone that gets close to investigate. I believe the damn thing actually extends into the very heart of the mountain, deep in the lava. What the hell sorta temple needs to lay in the belly of an active volcano! Your father was a great man, so I have reason to doubt you're entirely behind this! There's something about that man, something that's pure evil. Watch your back.
Sincerely,
Darunia"
Finally, I opened the last message with trembling hands.
"Your Majesty,
I would first like to thank you for aiding our town in its time of need during the floods. What you did for us was greatly appreciated, and helped to save most of the town. But I have some concerns about the temple being built in the back of the graveyard. When the ground was first broken, there was released a horrible stench, and as they continued digging, they uncovered a pit under the dirt, filled with torches and evil-looking symbols carved into rocks. But the crew hired by your man Ganondorf did not seem to care; they cleared out the rocks and torches, and continued digging. Forgive me if I sound like a superstitious person, but it does not seem right to build a holy place overtop of an evil foundation. Would you advise your men to this concern? They did not listen to me.
Yours,
Mutoh."
I set the letters down and managed to rise shakily to my feet, stumbling to my chamber pot and heaving into it everything I'd eaten that day. When I finished, I got a glass of water to rinse out my mouth, spitting the remaining bile into the chamber pot, before collapsing in a chair with fresh tears in my eyes. What was this horrible man doing to my country? How had I lost control of Hyrule so quickly and easily? And what in the hell was he planning to do with it? I forced myself to my feet and stumbled to the velvet pullcord to summon a maid to clear the chamber pot, sitting down on my bed and laying against the pillows, trying to clear my mind and focus, to meditate. It was not working this time. It felt as if someone had laid a heavy blanket over my mind, trapping me in it. Was this his doing as well? What power did this man have to do such things? I covered my face with my hands and took deep, slow breaths into them, trying to get myself back under control. I nearly had it until the door opened. Good, my chambermaid- it was Ganondorf, smiling. "I noticed you pulled your cord; I thought I'd come up here myself and see what was troubling you." He glanced briefly to the secret letters on my desk, and I got up to sweep them into a drawer. "Oh, just a touch of upset stomach, Ganondorf. Nothing to bother yourself over." I watched him intently, willing him to leave. He stayed, walking around the room slowly. "Your majesty, permit me to be bold; some of the court is concerned that you have not found yourself a king yet."
"I respect the court's concerns, but I will find a proper king to rule Hyrule when it is time," I replied curtly, willing him to the damned door. Ganondorf chuckled. "Surely it can't be that hard; you just have to think of where your best interests are, your majesty." He cleared his throat. "You need a king who is personable, who understands different points of view on all matters and the people they concern." I could feel suspicion building in my chest, and I studied him with a frown. "What are you suggesting?"
"I suggest, of course, myself, your majesty."
"No. No, no, that is right out- I will not marry you." For a horrifying second, his face contorted with fury. He was starting to realize I was not the easily-manipulated little girl he'd hoped me to be. Ganondorf cleared his throat and laughed. "Why not? It would not be a marriage out of love, your majesty. It's a marriage out of necessity, for the good of the future of Hyrule. Surely that's all your father ever wanted, isn't it?" He stepped close to me, putting his heavy hands on my shoulders. I turned my head away from his face. "Master Ganondorf, I hardly think that my father was intending a king of thieves to lead his people as well, if you'll pardon the expression." I dared to look at him; he was pale with rage. "I will NOT pardon an insult, Zelda!" He bared his teeth. "What will it take to make you see, you foolish girl, that I am an excellent candidate for the throne! That I deserve that position! Have you not heard what I have done for your people already?!"
"Yes, Ganondorf, I have heard, and I know what you are doing! What are these temples you're constructing?" He backed off and laughed. "They're temples, your majesty, nothing more." It was eerie, how quickly he snapped back to complacency. I shook my head. "I will not marry you." He smiled coldly, going to the door. "We'll see."