Chusai awoke the next morning feeling physically refreshed from Mondi's healing potion, but still emotionally drained. She took up her position in the throne room and tried to think as little as possible. She daydreamed as freely as she dared, thinking back to happier times, snapping back to alertness if she felt anyone's demeanor change.

But if she thought she was going to get a respite, she was mistaken. Halfway through that morning, Ganondorf turned to her. "Chusai, as it's been very slow today, I think that perhaps we should work on your fighting skills. Your style lacks finesse, and you will need a lot of practice if you really expect to be my bodyguard."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and strove to keep the anger at the sheer irony out of her voice. "My Lord, I do not believe I have the ability to surpass your strength, as a true bodyguard should."

He smiled knowingly, able to read the frustration in her eyes. "I'm glad you finally realize that. But if you are to do you job properly, I believe you should work toward achieving your true potential." He stood and motioned for Chusai to follow him to the middle of the room, picking up a pair of wooden swords he had brought in earlier. There was no need for him to change clothes; he wore his armor at all times, seeing the habit of having ceremonial clothes as an invitation to one's enemies.

"Stand in the dueling position," he ordered as he did so himself. "No, Chusai, move your feet further apart. And don't keep your shield hand so close to you; it'll cramp up if you hold it like that." Chusai scowled, doing as he directed.

He nodded in approval. "We'll work on blocking first. I'm going to attack with a high overhand chop. Show me your technique."

He brought the wooden sword high over his head and brought it down hard. Chusai blocked the attack with her other hand supporting the wooden blade, but the impact jarred her so hard that she fell to her knees. "Balance, Chusai!" he ordered. "Look at how you're standing. Keep your back straight, arms slightly bent. The blow should be distributed over the whole body!"

Chusai fell again. As she scrambled back up she felt a sharp pain across her shoulders as he hit her with the sword. "Back straight, I said. Try again!"

Snarling, she readied herself again. This time her whole body rattled, but she stood firm. "Good!" he grunted. "Now, if you can hold it a few times in a row, we'll move on to something else."

Chusai tried, but after the second blow she fell again. She got a second thwack across the legs for standing with them too close together. Finally, after ten minutes of this, she managed to block four attacks in a row. "Now, the same thing, only I will block and you attack," Ganondorf directed.

"No," he said calmly before she even connected, stepping deftly out of the way as her blade connected with nothing. "You're not jumping high enough, and you need to bring your weapon further over your head, so it has more force behind it when you bring it down. Try again."

She stepped back and rushed him again. This time she connected her sword with his, but he gave her a slight push at the point of impact and she fell on her back. "You want to try to completely cleave my sword in two," he said as she painfully picked herself up off the floor. "Swing it as if you believe you can do so. It doesn't matter if your enemy or his weapon is much stronger than yours. The point is not to break his weapon, but to send a shock through his body."

She backed up and tried again, a rush of adrenaline flashing through her body as she imagined her weapon splitting his head instead of the sword in two. "Good!" he said. "Keep going!"

For three hours they went on like this, until Chusai's hair was plastered to her head and she was as wet from sweat as she would be if she had jumped in the lake. Ganondorf had not appeared to even broken a sweat. "Hold!" he said finally as she felt she was about to collapse. "Go clean up and get yourself something to eat."

Chusai was only too happy to comply. After taking a short bath and changing her clothes, she walked to the officers' mess room. She noticed quickly that the few Hylians left were avoiding her eye, and the Gerudo raiders were watching her with a strange, calculating expression. She ate and left as quickly as she could.

Her heart sank as she entered the throne room to see Ganondorf with two bows in one hand and a large quiver in the other. "How are your skills at archery, Chusai?"

She decided to give him a noncommittal answer. "All high-level guards are educated in archery."

With a wily grin, he said, "Let's make that question more specific. Are you skilled enough to put out one of my eyes at a hundred yards?"

Chusai didn't conceal her desire to do so. "No, My Lord."

"Then you aren't skilled enough. Come, follow me to the courtyard."

Resigned, she walked to the upper courtyard. The walls were still scorched from the battle for the throne and dead evergreens stood starkly against healthy manicured ones, the cut trees beginning to grow wild and looking like a bad haircut. A set of targets had been set up against one wall. Ganondorf handed her a bow and set the quiver between them. "All right, shoot five and we'll see where that brings you."

She complied, concentrating on her own target, afraid to look at his. When she finally did, she was surprised to see there was not much difference between the two.

He casually twirled the bow around in his hand. "Not bad. I was never very fond of archery; I prefer the direct approach. You, however, don't have the luxury of choosing…especially since you don't know any magic."

"Few people among the many races do," Chusai pointed out.

"Yes…but you'll need to perfect every skill you do have." He put down his bow and turned to her. "Now, shoot five more, and I'll watch."

Chusai didn't like having the dark warlord looking over her shoulder as she attempted to hit her target. On the fifth arrow, he coughed and startled her, causing it to go wide.

"You can't only shoot straight when you have perfect silence," he admonished her. "At some point we're going to do this on horseback, so don't get complacent. Go collect the arrows."

Chusai walked up to the targets, scowling, and began pulling out arrows. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him bend down. She heard a familiar whistling sound and jumped clear just as an arrow buried itself in the target where she had been standing

She whirled round, angrily. "Just checking to make sure you're paying attention!" Ganondorf called to her. She returned, face flushed, and took up her position again.

"Just a little joke, Chusai," he said calmly. "I didn't aim for anything vital. Now, let's see you shoot another five."

Her arrows went all over the place. "You're still rattled; calm down. If you're distracted this easily you'll never learn. Take a moment and then start shooting again."

Chusai sighed, waited a few moments, then gritted her teeth and started again.

He finally called a stop to it as the sun began to set. She accompanied him to dinner as always, and noticed with unease that the strange behavior of her companions continued. No matter; she would bring this up with Zelda.

After what seemed like forever, she was finally free to visit Zelda's tower. As she bowed in greeting, she said, "Your Highness, the usurper king has been acting strangely. He seems to think…this is just a premature conclusion, but he seems to be trying to…" she hesitated, not wanting to bring legitimacy to her suspicions by saying them out loud. "The rest of the castle has been acting strangely toward me…he attempted to train me in fighting and archery, but the Gerudo don't seem jealous and the Hylians seem afraid to look at me…" she looked up to see Zelda's gaze cast downward.

"I was afraid of this," Zelda said softly. "I didn't think it would happen so quickly."

"What would happen, Your Highness?"

Zelda looked Chusai straight in the eyes. "I insisted that you take this position to protect Hyrule, and to protect me as well."

Puzzled, Chusai said, "Your Highness, by definition in protecting Hyrule I am also…"

"I mean mentally as well as physically."

"Mentally? I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I don't understand what you mean."

Zelda sighed, and Chusai could see in her face a deep melancholy and regret. "Forgive me, Chusai. I positioned you as a shield between him and my mind. His power to manipulate the minds of others is great, and I feared what would happen if I were caught in his grasp without any barrier between us."

Frowning, Chusai asked, "Just what do you think he could do? He's acting like he wants to gain my loyalty, but he must be a fool if he thinks he could after…"

"Listen carefully, Chusai." Zelda put her hand on her shoulder. "This man is of a rare breed which can make people see black where there is white, feed them poison and have them believe they're drinking fine wine. I want you to remember this, and promise me that whatever happens, you will trust in me and remain loyal to the Royal Family of Hyrule."

A flash of anger passed across Chusai's face. "Your Highness, you cannot possibly suggest that I would betray you for…"

"Promise me, Chusai."

Chusai kneeled and placed her hand over her heart. "I take this oath that I will forever remain the protector of the Hylian Royal Family, the rightful owner of the throne to the Kingdom of Hyrule."

"Thank you, Chusai. Now, please get some rest."

Chusai rose, nodded, and left the room. Zelda watched her, fearing for her as she walked back into the jaws of the dragon.