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Hello and welcome to the story being written. If you have any questions or confusion just let me know either in DMs or by reviewing. If you want something explained in greater detail let me know! Interested in being part of the story? Just let me know! I'll be including other Hylians, Zora, Sheikah, Rito, Goron and Gerudo! I hope you enjoy the story.
THE INDEX::
The index is a culmination of information with some edits to it for the sake of the story. So do not take everything said here as canon to the Zelda Lore. The index can be found by clicking on my profile, going down to the section about this specific fanfic and clicking on the attached link. I'll be working on that as I create different content.
THE DISCLAIMER::
The world of Legend of Zelda belongs to the creator(s) respectively. I will never claim anything that's pre-existing. If there are mentions of characters outside my own creation and the creation of the world then those characters belong to their respective creators (such as OCs who want to be part of the story). Characters who ARE brought in are only done so with the expressed permission/consent of the person who designed that character. So keep that in mind. Thank you kindly.
WARNINGS: This story will mention some graphic things such as violence, slaughter/murder, some vulgarity, other things are possible. No, it will not contain lemons (unless you squint hard enough). Rating will change accordingly when the time comes.
SPOILERS: Yes, this story does have Tears of the Kingdom spoilers. It mentions the Ganondorf as seen in the TOTK trailer. So please if you're trying to avoid spoilers probably best to not read this until after you've played the game when it comes out. The image on the story's icon is from Hyrule Warriors and isn't his depiction in this, I just don't want to put that one until after the game has been released.
Times were much different. Things ran much in the same way it did in the future but of course with a different cast of people. But unlike the future.. Ganondorf himself was the menace. This was right before the whole bit with the Calamity.. or at least it could be. This is a different story and thus events will happen far differently or not at all while new ones can transpire.
This story takes us back 10,000 years ago.. to the first 'war', just before it.
"Princess- WAIT. UP!" A sharp voice called out, irritation evident in it as a man gasped, running up beside the marching young princess.
She whirled on him, lifting a hand to jab a finger just an inch from his chin, her sharp blue eyes boiling with various emotions she kept often trapped inside. Her lips were curled back as she resisted the urge to snarl at his face. "You want me to marry that disguised imp?!" Right then she snarled, a very unladylike noise from the blonde princess that was the peak of royalty. "I refuse! You KNOW how I feel about him! He repulses me! He waves his money around like a playboy as well as that appendage in his trousers!" At the mention of the noble's, ahem, private parts, the king's cheeks flushed a deep pink. "Father, you seriously want me to even CONSIDER him? He's unsuitable! Not to mention more interested in trysts than genuine marriage."
"I didn't know that was how you felt, my sweet! We'll find a more appropriate suitor th-"
"No. You'll cease because we have more important things to worry over, father, not whom I am to wed. Or did you forget the aggravations starting with the Gerudo tribe in the desert, hm?
"Yes, my sweet. Anything you want, Princess Zelda." The man bowed; in truth her father was a coward in many ways and he often bent to her will. Some might call her spoiled but she preferred the term commanding. She was just as her mother had been.
She turned and kept walking, her father hot on her heels as the two entered the throne room where the nobles had gathered. The king unceremoniously scampered to his chair, adjusting his crown while she stood a few feet in front of him, hands on her hips as she surveyed the room.
"Princess Zelda, you grace us with your presence!" One noble called; a young man.
"As radiant as your beauty!" A woman swooned from the left side.
Princess Zelda was unlike the other versions of her both in the past and in the future. She was vocal, authoritative and very intelligent. She had lengthy brilliant golden hair with the sides pinned up and back, the ends dangling as bangs to frame the side of her face. Her oceanic blue eyes were curious and observant. She wore a beautiful pale blue summer dress with white and gold lace at the end which came to her knees adorned with a black sash at the waist. Her face was dusted with makeup, highlighting her cheekbones and her stunning eyes. She wore white stockings to conceal the flesh of her legs with buckled heels that clicked as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her dress only came to just below her shoulders and so her arms were adorned with golden bracelets with varying designs on them.
Her father was a portly gentleman with a graying mustache (from stress, hardly age) while his actual hair was pinned back into an elegant bun and was the same shade of her own but with grey intermingled. He had his crown affixed to his head and his royal robes concealing that gut of his. The man wined and dined far too often!
She cleared her throat as her sharp blue eyes scanned the room. She called out in a crystal clear voice; "Let this be known to all! I will not be taking an interest in suitors until such time as I am 20. I will not be used as a barter before I am ready. And when I am I will PERSONALLY select to whom I will marry. That will not be dictated for me!" She pointedly turned, glaring at her father who shivered beneath her gaze as he lowered his. She turned back and smiled. "But enough of that, you've come to discuss issues in your areas; please beseech my father to tend to them. I will retire to the gardens to get some fresh air, I'm feeling a bit out of it. Thank you for your time, my people." She bowed gracefully before pivoting and heading briskly towards the door that led outside.
Once the door was shut and she was outside she exhaled sharply before taking off in a sprint down the little path towards the gardens. The gardens were a section of the castle that she cherished most of all. Her mother had everything planted and had tended to them until she passed away four years ago. Her mother had been like the sun itself and had cast such a warmth around the castle. However without her, just as without the sun, night had fallen and the difference was vast. Her father became a bumbling fool and she was left to fend for herself at times. Granted she was now 18 and could handle everything herself.
That didn't make the loss of her mother any easier. It weighed heavily on the hearts of those who loved the benevolent queen.
"Oh mother.." She whispered as her hand affectionately brushed against the petals of the silent princess. Her mother and her had shared the love of this particular flower. She smiled softly before heaving a sigh as she moved to sit in a bit of lush grass and gently tugged at some of the grass mindlessly, her eyes drifting off.
A rustle came from the direction of the castle and she turned her head to see the knight Tanei frowning down at her as he approached. The curt knight was much older, a well seasoned guard with salt and pepper hair and the Royal Hylian Knight attire adorning his fit frame. "I'm so sorry to disturb you, your highness, but your father wanted me to inform you that a messenger has arrived and informed the court that the Gerudo King and his guard will be here within the next few hours. He wishes you to make yourself presentable because you'll be required to attend."
Her eyes narrowed. Great. The barbaric Gerudo. "Understood. Thank you Knight Tanei. Inform him I'll be there shortly."
The knight nodded and left her to herself for the moment. She inhaled before moving to stand, brushing off her dress of grass and exhaling softly. She quickly adjusted her hair, nodded to herself before heading back inside. She was still feeling faint but the air had helped.
The nobles had left the court, leaving her father alone with several of the highest ranking members to the court as well as the royal knights who were all but present aside from the knight Cobul whose wife was gravely sick and so they were in the countryside as she was being treated. They greeted her and she returned the kind greeting before taking her seat beside her father's, crossing her legs as she placed her joined hands atop her raised knee. Time passed relatively quick as the group went back and forth.
Suddenly the door was thrown open and a hush went about the room as in came the entourage of Gerudo that had come from the desert. She was expecting grizzly muscles and a scarred king but what she saw actually baffled the young princess.
The Gerudo King, Ganondorf Dragmire, was not what she had expected. Sure, he was muscular and handsome but he was young, dangerously so. He was all toned and built, hinting to the fact of his intense training the man kept to. If she had to guess she'd put him at early 20s, maybe even nearing mid-20s. His vibrant long red hair was pinned up in a topknot while some of it still spilled onto his back. He wore golden ornaments along his chest, arms, ankles as well as on his topknot. He had on golden sandals, loose tan pants gathered at his knees bound by golden ornaments there.
His robe was embroidered with extravagant symbols and colors, crimson lined with golden sleeve weights. His outer robe was matte black contrasting to the colorful inner design. His lower torso was wrapped in a haramaki to reinforce his core strength while his right arm was bare, a massive sword on that hip as he walked in. A cloth covered his shins and soles so that his skin wouldn't chafe. His broad chest was visible as well as the Gerudo markings along his visible right shoulder and upper torso.
She blinked and felt herself getting embarrassed for looking at him for far too long.
"Entering, the Gerudo King, Ganondorf Dragmire." A knight called out, catching everyone in their staring.
"Welcome, welcome!" Her annoying father was quick to nervously rub his hands together at the sight of both Ganondorf and his guard, who looked equally impressive. "It is an honor that you would visit us, King Dragmire-" The king started but this drew a deep rumble of a chuckle from the Gerudo, who shook his head.
"Please, your majesty. Call me Ganondorf if it suits you. We are both kings and therefore can be familiar with each other." Ganondorf's golden eyes were sweeping the room and had landed on the young princess who nervously shifted in her seat.
"Likewise, Ganondorf, you may call me Aba Vin. Don't ask why my parents named me two names, haha!" Her father laughed way too loudly before gesturing towards her. "And this beauty is my dearest daughter, princess Zelda."
"It is my pleasure to be in your presence, princess. I hope to learn more about you both." The way Ganondorf said that made her skin crawl with nerves.
She used this moment to study the guard he had brought with him as his eyes returned to the king's and the two went back and forth with their 'pleasantries'.
The guards were around fifteen in total, all adult Gerudo females in modest clothes that showed skin around their stomach, arms and legs as well as their neckline. Armor plating concealed their hands, feet, waist/hips, chest and shoulders with a feathered helmet on top. Normally they'd be equipped with spears but weapons in the throne room were prohibited by his majesty and so they stood awkwardly several feet behind their king.
How odd. They vaguely reminded her of gargoyles from how stiff and still they were.
The room was getting oddly warmer than it usually was, maybe it was due to the fact that she already didn't feel well. She fanned her face as discreetly as she could and she could tell her movement drew the eyes of the Gerudo King, who occasionally glanced over towards her as he and her father talked.
She didn't need to be here for this. She was starting to feel light-headed. Before she could stop herself she got to her feet and staggered towards the door, almost collapsing right there if not for arms catching her; the knight closest to her was Tanei and he skillfully closed the distance to catch the princess. "T-thank you." She said, distracted. He steadied her and she felt even further embarrassed at being the center of attention as everyone stared at her; some with surprise, some concern, some curiosity. It was unnerving. Her cheeks heated up even further before she pushed away from the knight. She could walk.
She left through the door to head back out to the garden while her father tended to the Gerudo King and his guards.
She found her spot and sat down, leaning against the wooden beam that held the overhead awning that shielded her from the rain on days when it decided to part them from the sky. She sighed as she brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, linking her fingers together before burrowing her face against her knees.
How embarrassing! She was the princess! If only her blasted body kept itself in check, how dare it get overheated during a crucial encounter and cause her to space out.. but no, she couldn't equate her spacing out to merely her questionable health in that moment. She had been caught off guard by the young Gerudo King with his piercing golden eyes.
No, stop that! Stop thinking. Get fresh air.
She inhaled and closed her eyes, clearing her mind. She breathed in and out for a while until the world faded away and time passed without her knowing. Soon she was awoken to the sound of movement. She lifted her head groggily, realizing that she had fallen asleep and some time had passed. She rubbed her eyes as she saw a shadow cast over her as someone entered beneath the awning and was chuckling.
She lifted her gaze to see the young Gerudo King staring down at her with a curious smile. "Sleepy, princess?" His questioning tone held his amusement.
She flicked her gaze away and lowered her chin back to her knees, resting it there as she tried to pointedly ignoring him. She closed her eyes and breathed out.
She heard movement and turned her head, opening her eyes to see that the Gerudo had taken the spot beside her, his right leg pulled close while the left was outstretched. His arms were draped across the raised knee and he was peering into the garden around them. She could tell he was admiring the beauty the garden held.
"You seem comfortable here. I assume this garden must be a place of such for you." His soft voice mumbled as if to himself but it was to her as he glanced over at her before resuming his wandering gaze to the garden.
She gave a soft mhm to his words before closing her eyes.
"Are you ill, princess?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine." She mumbled against her knees.
He chuckled softly as she could feel his gaze on her. "You didn't seem fine earlier. Almost as if you might have passed out in the throne room. I would hate to hear that you took ill on the day that I came to forge a union with your kingdom."
At the mention of union her head snapped up and her eyes opened to narrow.
"Wasn't some of your people attacking carriages of Hylian citizens?" Her biting words caused the Gerudo to blink at her as confusion filtered onto his face.
"No, you have that wrong. There's a faction of fanatics at the edge of the desert that have been attacking carriages; not just ones that contain Hylian but also ones with Zora Mead and Goron metals." He clarified, his tone sharp as if she had insulted him by the accusation.
She furrowed her brows, her blue eyes studying his intense golden orbs. "That's not what the knights have reported." She lifted her nose.
"Your knights have found fabricated information; they really should vet the sources properly." He scowled at her, his eyes narrowing.
She blinked at him. Was he telling the truth? Was there false information being passed around? She didn't trust him. Something felt.. wrong about him.
She watched him push himself to his feet as he carefully stretched, cracking his back with a grunt before he turned and held out a hand down to her. "Your father asked me to see you brought back inside. It's getting late. There's a big day tomorrow."
Big day? She hesitantly reached out and slid her much smaller hand into his and he pulled her up. His hand was really warm, she noted. He released her hand but offered her his arm to help her as he could still tell she was out of it by the flush of her cheeks.
She wrapped her arm gingerly around his before he led her inside.
Tomorrow would be not what she would expect of it. But then again surprises were about to be consistent.
After seeing the young princess returned to her room with a soft goodnight the Gerudo King went to check on his guards. They were given accommodations in the guard section of the palace. He made sure their rooms were suitable for them before heading up to the chamber that the King had granted him. That fat oaf. As soon as the door clicked shut he inspected the room for any kind of spy device before grinning softly. Too easy.
It was all too easy. The journey, the arrival, getting the princess alone for their introduction, to study her. The princess was just as he expected; snobby in some regards, naΓ―ve but curious. He wouldn't underestimate her but he very much planned to do what he desired.
His mother had given him a very powerful weapon. As he held out his hand the shadows gathered and from them came the sword he wielded. The sword was long with jutting points while being completely black with a red aura surrounding it. The hilt bears resemblance to the Master Sword with a red jewel as well as an upside-down Triforce emblem. His mothers always held the sword in reverence, saying it was once wielded by a very powerful being and that the sword was sentient with the spirit of one called Lord Ghirahim.
He gave it a good swing before placing it down onto the bed.
You DO know you don't need to be gentle with me. The spirit from within the sword purred.
Ganondorf was already turning away, looking towards the mirror as he lifted his hands towards his hair, undoing the topknot and freeing it from the golden ornament, allowing it to spill fully down his back. He shook his head before turning to walk into the connected bathroom to splash his face. He could still hear the sword speaking to him.
Quit ignoring me, young king! It growled. Well not 'it' but Lord Ghirahim as the sword wanted to be called. I offer you the means to achieve more than the scraps you're given! Don't you want to elevate your people, the Gerudo, to a higher level of living? Well, yes, Ganondorf did. He looked upon the lands of Hyrule with envy. While the sword couldn't read his mind in this moment it almost felt like it had. You need to get access to the Temple of Time close by. What you desire rests there.
"What I desire?" He strolled back into the room, a hard look in his golden eyes. "How would YOU, a mere talkative blade, know what I want, mm?"
A deep chuckle from the spirit within the blade. Because your soul resonates like the one who wielded me before. You hunger for power, for control, for a better life. I'm offering you a direction to achieve that.
"And you're pointing me in the direction of this.. Temple of Time?" He adjusted his robe before peeling it off and draping it across the back of a chair. "You do realize how foolish that would be. That's one of the most sacred areas to the Hyrule Kingdom; it's guarded. Heavily. You want me to just waltz right in there, snatch some dusty old trinket?"
The sword chuckled again, this time a more menacing sound. What is inside isn't some old trinket with dust covering it, young king. It's an object that's been heavily guarded for a very long time. But if you want to remain a weak king unable to save your people I'll cease. Oh, if only someone would seek to be strong! The voice had a very mocking and sarcastic tone and this made Ganondorf's eye twitch.
How impudent! He had half a mind to chuck the sword back into the shadows and never use it again. But what it said caused him to think twice about that. The sword had a valid point. He wanted power. No, he craved it.
He rolled his eyes before turning back towards the sword, reaching up to free the various golden ornaments to take them off. They were uncomfortable to sleep with. He pulled the sash free, placing the massive sword against the wall while the sash was tossed upon the chair with his robe.
He peeled off his pants before reaching for the covers to throw them back, sliding into the bed. He stretched out, draping the sheets lazily across his waist to keep his chest bare, arms propped beneath his head. He peered at the ceiling, taking steady breaths as he contemplated everything.
"Fine, Lord Ghirahim. I will seek more intelligence regarding the Temple and whatever treasures lie within. For now be silent and let me rest."
Do rest well, young king. The blade grumbled before it fell silent.
And so the young Gerudo King drifted off to sleep.