Ganondorf stood in front of the judges, his eyes fastened on their faces. It was strange how quickly a day of glory could turn to a day of despair. The podium was placed high up; it was so obvious that it was suppose to make people feel inferior that Ganondorf had once laughed at it. Now he was struggling not to feel the effect it was meant to have.
The three judges were conversing over their final decision, and Ganondorf had no doubt that it would declare him a murderer. The only living people to have seen the fight were him and Chariton. Chariton had claimed that Ganondorf had attacked them. It was Ganondorf's word against Chariton's, and Ganondorf hardly believed that the word of a Gerudo would be the one seen as truth. The judges nodded as one and one of them came forward.
"Ganondorf Dragmire! You have been found guilty of murder by the council of hyrule. Your sentence is death."
Ganondorf's face might have been made of stone for the expression that he showed.
A voice spoke up from the back of the room "And do I not get a say in my own apprentice's trial?!"
Ganondorf turned around to find Sir Giffard standing at the entrance to the court room. The judges were clearly surprised.
"Sir Giffard! Well it was an open and close case sir, we didn't think we needed to bring you to the shame of the matter and-"
"You are giving my apprentice a death sentence. A death sentience which I have no doubt is falsely accused. You suggest that I am so blind as to take a killer as my apprentice?"
"S-sir we m-meant no offence."
"No offence? NO OFFENSE?! You tarnish my students honor beyond recovery, and in extension my own! Well perhaps the hyrulian elite will be one knight short from now on, for I am not going to stand for this!"
The judges began to mutter wildly among themselves and finally one of them came forward once again.
"…G-ganondorf Dragmire shall be stripped of rank and sent back to the desert, but otherwise cleared of all charges."
Ganondorf should have felt relief, but all he felt was despair. Chariton, his best friend, who he had helped overcome fear. Chariton, his brother gerudo, who had fought through the test right beside him, despite the fact no one but the gerudo knew it. Chariton, had betrayed him utterly.
Sir Giffard had saved his life and Ganondorf returned to the desert. But his master paid for it dearly. Three weeks later a messenger was sent to the gerudo fortress. Sir Giffard had been found dead and it was a gerudo dagger in his chest. The messenger brought the dagger, still soaked in blood, and threw it at Ganondorf's feet. It was an unspoken accusation that a gerudo had repaid Giffard's mercy with crime. And Ganondorf didn't think they were too far off, even though no hylian knew the gerudo walked among them as a knight: for the dagger had the carving of an emerald eyed wolf set in its handle.
Midna entered the hotel they had chosen, the only hotel in the town. It wasn't too bad, it had good beds, food, and service, but the entire first floor was also a bar. Midna gritted her teeth as the usual set of whistles and jeers arose from the drunken populace, she had considered blasting them with a little twili magic more than once, but the good thing about drunks was that they were good sources of information after the ale had loosened their tongues. So after the first few times of getting use to this greeting, the only trouble Midna had with it was stopping Link from flying at them.
Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf were already sitting at a table; apparently she was the last one to get back. She joined them quickly, noticing as she did that Link's teeth were gritted in and he was glaring at the men that had whistled at her.
She gave a weary smile at her three companions "Well I didn't have any luck, did any of you find out a clue to where Muerte might roost?"
They all shook their heads and Midna sighed, she looked around the room, bored. There was a bar covering the opposite wall, the stairs to the rooms were on the right corner of same wall as the door, the left wall had a stage with a piano on the far right corner and the space in between was filled with tables. There was some yelling coming from the bar and in her boredom Midna started to listen.
"Wada ya mean (hic!) that there ain't no entartanment?! I wants to see shome entartanment and youze gonna (hic!) show me shome!"
The girl serving at the bar sighed "I'm sorry sir but the group that was entertaining tonight hasn't arrived, they probably had road troubles."
While the man yelling was to drunk to cause much trouble some of the more sober customers that had apparently come just to see the show were grumbling as well.
The girl started to look fed up "Well perhaps one of you should get up on the stage and entertain yourselves for once you useless slobs!"
They were all silent, some of them were indignant, while a few were musing. The man that had been yelling was silent because he had passed out. Suddenly one of the more sober men spoke.
"What about the travelers from over the mountain? You three must know some outlandish entertainment!"
There was a chorus of delighted agreement from the rest of the men. Zelda blushed, Ganondorf looked amused, Midna looked a little miffed, and Link looked like a deer caught in headlights.
Midna was the first to speak "I know how to dance, I'm sure you do too Zelda, Link I'm sure you could sing if you gave it a try."
Link blushed and looked at Midna with disbelief.
Midna shrugged "Well you can howl- I mean hum, a perfectly good tune."
Zelda nodded slowly "I suppose that could work."
Link sank down in his chair "T-there's no music."
Ganondorf smirked "I could provide music if that's the only thing stopping you."
"Y-you don't need to trouble yourself with-"
"What and miss out on seeing the almost-mute boy sing?! Not on your life!"
He walked up to the stage before Link could complain and sat down at the piano.
"What songs do you know?"
Link looked like he wanted to turn invisible but he muttered something under his breath.
Ganondorf grinned "Sorry, didn't catch that."
"Epona's song."
Midna smiled at him "That's the love song both you and the ancient hero horse's names are from right?"
Link nodded as he and the two girls joined Ganondorf on the stage. The men cheered encouragement as they got ready. Then, as while Ganondorf played and the princesses danced, Link began to sing, his voice occasionally cracked with from being nervous, but he sung it quite well.
Epona, Epona, growing up with me
When I'm with you, I can't be lonely
Therefore, Epona, you are here
Growing up safely
I started to think it was cold
At the dawn of that day
The moon had sunk, and with the sun
You were born
Epona, Epona, growing up with me
When I'm with you, I can't be sad
Therefore, Epona, you are here
Listening to my song
I started to think it was cold
Right at that time
For your sake
I'm making this song
Hmm... Hmm...
When I'm with you, I can't be sad
Hmm... Hmm...
Never ever forget this song
This song...
Note: these are the actual translated lyrics of Epona's song (Epona No Uta), I think there's a few videos of it on youtube if you want to hear it.