Chusai met Ganondorf in the hallway as she walked to the throne room. "Ah, you're awake and ready to go." He nodded his approval. "Meet me at the stables. We're going into the town today."
Chusai frowned. "Do you need something in the town? I'm sure you can find someone to fetch it for you…"
"No, no, this is much more serious." He regarded her with a narrow gaze and grave expression. "The resistance, the followers of the nonexistent Hero, is becoming bolder and more influential. If this continues they will begin to sow unrest in the kingdom. We need to remind them who is in charge. I haven't been in the town for a while, so I think a brief visual is all they'll need for now."
"Of course." Chusai bowed and turned toward the stable yard, her stomach churning, as she made grotesque faces. 'We' indeed.
Stable hands scattered as she stepped into the large, grand wood-and-stone structure where the horses slept. Ever since Dalin's disappearance, the other Hylians in the castle had been avoiding her like the plague, afraid that associating with her would bring Ganondorf's attention. It irritated her, but she could not blame them, secretly wishing she could cut and run herself.
The thought had occurred to her several times, and she mulled it over once again as she saddled the horse herself. Even if she had not been wholly dedicated to the Princess, she could not comprehend the idea of leaving Hyrule. She had never been anywhere else. She spoke a little of the dialects of the surrounding races (and an increasing amount of Gerudo), but was unfamiliar with the tongues of the countries outside Hyrule's influence.
She waited at the stableyard gate until she saw Ganondorf on his black charger, surrounded by dark knights of the kind that seemed to be only armor held together by shadow magic. She had once made jokes with Dalin about lifting off the helmets to see if there was anything there, and fervently hoped he was better off than she was.
For his part, Ganondorf sat in the saddle looking relaxed and confident, as if he were about to take a leisurely walk through the gardens. "Ready, Chusai?" She nodded, his benign mood not improving her own. As they rode to the large wooden double-doors that separated the castle from the town, Chusai took a good look round at their entourage and wondered why it was made up exclusively of magic creatures. Perhaps he merely wanted to look more imposing than usual.
The sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky, a soft breeze carrying the scent of wildflowers from Hyrule Field. The beauty of the landscape contrasted drastically with the troop of evil knights, and the people of the town scattered long before the usurper king reached them. Riding slowly down the narrow streets, Chusai saw curtains drawn and shutters closed, yet she could feel hostile stares raking her as well as the dark warlord, the lone Hylian in an entourage of monsters.
Every few hundred yards or so, one of the dark knights would stop and read a proclamation. It didn't say much other than "Ganondorf is King" wrapped up in a lot of flourishes, but every time they stopped Chusai could feel the antagonistic air around here tingle with energy. Instinctually she tightened her grasp on her sword and shield, to protect herself and not the source of the town's anger.
They were perhaps halfway through their macabre parade when Chusai noticed a small knot of townspeople – mostly men – following behind, their murky mood and fierce resentment as obvious as the lightning beneath a thundercloud. She glanced over at Ganondorf; he was either oblivious or unconcerned. The monster company ignored them as well, and Chusai began to wonder if it was intentional. For its part, the mob did not like being overlooked. What had been short flashes of hostility before shifted to low rumbles of thunder, and the space between Chusai's shoulder blades tingled.
Suddenly a low whistle pierced Chusai's ears, and a terrifying memory flashed through her mind. Instinctively she raised her shield hand, immediately feeling the arrow strike and hearing the ring of metal.
The dark knights made a sudden rush off to her other side, and the mob scattered like grouse before a dog. She heard a brief yell, abruptly cut off. "Good work, Chusai!" Ganondorf shouted appraisingly, and she sat frozen with horror as she realized what she had done. She could see the angle the arrow had traveled from the mass of knights to her still-upraised shield, and knew the arrow would have struck Ganondorf in the throat.
Ganondorf rode over to the group of knights and lifted up the dead man so that Chusai could see his face. "Do you know him?" he asked.
She felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. It was Krusha, her archery master when she had been training for the Guard. "No, My Lord," she replied, her voice steady and her face impassive.
He turned back to the body and Chusai's head rocked forward as something struck her, hard, in the back of her head. She uttered a short cry and heard an angry hiss behind her.
Ganondorf rode up next to her. "All right, Chusai? Something happen?"
Chusai blinked away the stars in her eyes and forced herself not to touch the throbbing pain in the back of her head. She could feel a trickle of blood running down the back of her neck. "Yes, My Lord. Nothing has happened."
"What should we do with this?" one of the knights asked regarding the body, his voice giving off the strange echo that all the beasts of dark magic had.
"Leave it," Chusai commanded before Ganondorf could answer. "The man is dead. He is no longer a threat."
The knight looked as if he wanted to object, but when he turned to Ganondorf the warlord shook his head. "As you wish, Lieutenant," he said.
The troop moved on. Now that they had drawn blood, the townspeople became emboldened, buzzing with anger, reminding Chusai of wasps that charged unfortunate passerby when they smelled an injured comrade. She concentrated on staying calm, inwardly shaking with fear, not for herself but for the people around them. She noticed with a rush of horror that their eyes were fixed on her, not Ganondorf.
"Traitor!" somebody yelled from the crowd. The knights scuttled forward.
"Hoi! Back in line!" Chusai bellowed, her voice carrying over the clank of armor and yells of the crowd. The knights stopped just short of the townsfolk.
Ganondorf leaned down next to her. "I don't think it is wise for you to let them get away with such behavior."
Chusai struggled to keep her voice steady. "My Lord, I don't want a riot on our hands. You said yourself that it would be a difficult transition. I would rather they vent their frustration with words instead of arrows."
Again, the little smile. "As you wish, Chusai."
The rest of the campaign passed without incident, but the entire time Chusai felt pierced by the stares of pure hatred. As they returned, she gazed up at the merrily shining sun, wondering if it was mocking her.
"My Lady, may I come in?"
"No, you may not."
Chusai rolled her eyes, carefully facing away from Ganondorf so he couldn't see. Never in her life had she needed to speak to the Princess more, to affirm her allegiance to Hyrule, to receive assurance from Zelda that one day this would all end. Perhaps the rest of Hyrule had turned its back on her, but Zelda knew Chusai's true feelings, the details of the tight spot they were in. The Princess was the symbol of Hyrule's golden age, and her benevolence was all Chusai needed to carry on.
She walked Ganondorf to his chamber, bowed, and walked quickly back the way she came. The wound in the back of her head had scabbed over on its own, but her head still ached. She touched it, gingerly, and winced.
She kneeled at the door and asked quietly if she could come in. Nobody answered. Chusai knocked on the door and spoke a little louder. Still no answer. "Your Highness, it's me, Chusai Ordana. May I enter?"
Silence. Worried, Chusai took a skeleton key from her pocket and unlocked the door. As she stepped inside she noticed it was very dark, the fire dead in the grate. A faint light radiated from the bed, and Chusai followed it to see Princess Zelda lying on the bed as if asleep. Her hands lay clasped over her chest, a short handwritten note tucked between them. The symbol of the Triforce on the back of her hand glowed as if carved by fire.
Chusai saw her name on the note and picked it up. It read:
To my faithful bodyguard, Chusai Ordana;
Please forgive me for what I have done. I can no longer endure the presence of the usurper king, and I have invoked the magic of the Triforce to leave my body and go in search of the Bearer of Courage. In this way I can speak to him somewhat directly, and hopefully I can speed along Hyrule's liberation.
Please continue your duty while I am gone. I have faith in you. I know it will be difficult, but you must undertake this trying task to keep our country from unraveling at the seams. I would have stayed longer, but I fear Ganondorf has begun to realize my role for you, and feared he would attempt to use you to find the Bearer before he gains his strength. Please help me so that I may remain,
Zelda, Princess of Hyrule
Chusai's arm dropped to its side and the letter fell from nerveless fingers. All of the Princess' statements made perfect sense. And yet, Chusai fell to her knees, weighted down by pain and despair, her one remaining pillar gone.
"How could you do it, Zelda? How could you leave me alone with that man? Why have you forsaken me?"
Chusai did not remember much of what came next, only a great deal of screaming from her own lungs. It was the familiar, heavy footfalls that made her dry her eyes and forced her to her feet, stuffing the letter in her pocket.
"Everything all right, Chusai?" The hated voice floated up the stairway, very near. Quickly she placed one hand on the Princess' forehead, as if checking for fever. She grasped the hand with the glowing Triforce, and held it to her chest so that the light could not be seen.
Ganondorf entered the open door, and Chusai tensed at his presence in the Princess' private chamber. She made a silent prayer to the Goddesses that she would be able to cut his throat if he so much as touched one hair on her head. "What is it, Chusai?" he demanded.
"Her Highness is ill," Chusai replied slowly. "I can't wake her up."
He leaned in closer, and she could sense him take note of her flinch. "Does she have a fever?" he asked, nodding at her hand on her forehead.
"No, My Lord. She seems normal in that respect."
His eyes traveled to the hand pressed to Chusai's chest. "Did you check her pulse?"
"Yes, My Lord. It's normal, if a little slow."
"Check it again."
Chusai hesitated, but there was nothing she could do. She carefully turned over the Princess' hand and pressed her thumb gently against her wrist. The radiance of the Triforce reflected in Ganondorf's eyes. "I see," he said slowly, and Chusai thought she saw a flash of anger pass across his face.
He straightened, and his voice smoothed into cordiality. "She's not ill, Chusai. She is merely using the magic of the Triforce. Whatever it is she's doing, it's taking up most of her energy…but she knows more than anyone how to use its power, so I'm sure she won't injure herself doing so." He clapped a hand on Chusai's shoulder. "You should go rest. Perhaps she will be finished doing whatever it is she's doing tomorrow."
Chusai didn't move. She stood silently, watching him.
They locked their gaze, and then Ganondorf took a step back and made a small bow. "I'm sure the Princess' odd behavior has upset you. Perhaps this would not have happened if she were a little stronger. You can spend a little time with her before you go to sleep." He turned and left the room.
Chusai clenched her fists so hard her fingernails cut into her palms. The remark about Zelda being weak enraged her, and yet the statement stuck in her brain like a cold sliver, daring her not to believe it.