A/N: Since I missed a week and then was late, here's an early update. YAY RHYMES. Also, I realized what was wrong, being that I have the Darunia chapter far too early in the story. I removed it for later, and made this the second chapter of W&C. Enjoy!
One year earlier...
LORD GANONDORF, THE Chief is here to see you," said the lone guard by the door.
"Let her in."
The throne room, as it was so regally called, was once full of Gerudo guards and tables topped with books and platters of food. The former Princess Koume had seen to it that the guards confined within the palace walls would never lack in comfort, providing them with cushioned chairs and basins of clean water. Lord Ganondorf held the same upkeep of the chamber for a while, although he did take to replacing the guards with prettily-dressed women from his not-so-secret harem. However, within the past few weeks, the King had taken to stripping the room of its former color and liveliness. It was now mostly barren, save for the weaponry adorning the walls and the red curtains falling from the ceiling all the way to the floor. And of course, he did not do away with the throne itself, ornate structure of gold and red positioned directly in the middle of the far end of the chamber. Three shallow steps led up to it, and a newly-placed crimson carpet rolled directly up to his feet. He sat straightly in the glorified chair, waiting patiently as Nabooru walked down the length of the room to a couple of paces before where he sat.
"My Lord," said the Chief of Military, getting to one knee and bowing her head low. Her sleek red hair was pulled back by a jeweled hair clip, and gold pigment shadowed her eyelids. The chamber doors' closing echoed throughout the stone room.
"What is it?" Lord Ganondorf said patiently.
Nabooru looked up but did not stand. "I have something of great importance to discuss with you, concerning the Gorons."
"Then discuss," said Lord Ganondorf.
"A unit of Goron soldiers has requested encampment within our borders," said Nabooru. She finally got to her feet. "I figured it would be best to come to you before making such an impactful decision."
Nabooru was right; allowing troops of the Dinerats to station themselves within Gerudo territory meant declaring a side. It wasn't a light decision, especially considering how heavily the Adventaries seemed to long for Gerudo assistance. General Vincent of Erudone, promoted recently to direct the Adventary army, had sent many messages with meeting proposals on declaring alliance with his forces, but Lord Ganondorf had ignored all of them. No such requests had come from the Dinerats, but the Gerudo King still had no opinion on which side deserved victory.
"May I make a suggestion?" said Nabooru, breaking Lord Ganondorf from his thoughts. There was a strange air of hesitancy, and a hint of distress about her. The King nodded. "This war will make it to our gates sooner or later. If we have no stance on the matter, both sides will view our territory as vacant. We could be expecting massive invasions from either one to claim our land."
"We will defend our territory, if it comes to that," said Lord Ganondorf.
"One Gerudo army against the entire forces of Hyrule?" said Nabooru. "We'd be conquered in no time."
"Perhaps we need a way to ensure victory," said the King, glaring at Nabooru with piercing gold eyes.
Nabooru's breath was coming more heavily as her hands curled into fists at her sides. "I don't know what you mean," she said, "but perhaps if you set aside your ego for one moment—"
"Perhaps I should find a new Chief of Military who knows how to hold her tongue," said Lord Ganondorf.
Nabooru's whole body seemed to deflate as a crestfallen expression covered her face. She turned her head down for a moment before looking back up at the man she once called a friend. "You've changed."
"I am a king, Nabooru," said Lord Ganondorf, voice lowering slightly. "I won't tolerate the disrespect of my subordinates."
"I wasn't trying to be disrespectful," said Nabooru. "But I've spent enough time with you to make me hope you might…" Her unspoken words fell into the ground like heavy stones as she watched the king's expression soften, only for a brief moment.
Eventually, Lord Ganondorf spoke again with a stern yet comprehending tone. "Your duty is to your king. I cannot let you speak to me like we are primary school playmates anymore."
Nabooru felt a hollow tightening in her chest and sting of tears that have yet to brim her eyelids. She swallowed her grief and nodded curtly, waiting for her king to dismiss her.
"I will send a message of my decision in the morning," said Lord Ganondorf, sitting back in his throne. "You may go."
As the Chief of Military turned and walked down the chamber floor's narrow carpet, Lord Ganondorf watched her closely. Something emptied out his chest with every step she took, and he closed his eyes with a slight sigh. The double doors closed with a soft boom.
Your sentiment could be your downfall, Ganondorf. The voice seemed to fill the entire room as the Gerudo opened his eyes. He couldn't physically see the strange entity, but he felt its presence within his mind's eye.
"She will not be a problem," said the king to the distilled air around him.
I am aware, said Ganon. In fact, I am sure of it. Ganondorf didn't need to express his concern, mainly due to the fact that this entity had made its home inside his mind. She is a threat to your rise in power.
"I already am in power," said Ganondorf. "How could she be a threat?"
You do not see the bigger picture, my son. You have the Gerudo within your grasp, sure enough. But you are a king, a gift given once every century. You have so much greatness held within you—show the entirety of Hyrule that greatness.
Ganondorf narrowed his eyes, watching the double doors. "What's in it for you?"
The voice laughed deeply within his head. I chose you for a reason, didn't I? said Ganon. Imagine all I could teach you, all I could show you if I could stand right beside your throne.
"Nothing would change," Ganondorf remarked. Another laugh from the voice.
All right. Then with corporeal form, I will give you the one thing you've wanted from the moment you were crowned King. I will leave you. Ganondorf's eyes widened slightly. I will leave you to your own thoughts, never to speak with you again.
Ganondorf took a deep breath, the whole room losing focus for a moment. "How would 'showing the entirety of Hyrule my greatness' give you corporeal form?" he said quietly.
The power of belief is strong in our world, said Ganon. You get everyone in Hyrule to believe in me, and my power will manifest once again. Spread your grasp of leadership to all corners of the land and teach people the ways of Gerudo tradition and mythology. Let me into their homes and their thoughts…and you will be free of my presence.
As soon as the entity stopped speaking, the doors to the throne room opened slowly. A messenger had come to inform him of some meal with some important person, but Lord Ganondorf's thoughts were on any possible way to rid his mind of the ceaseless torment of another's presence. He answered the messenger absently and stood to leave the room.
There is more, concerning your sentiment. Ganondorf paused his gait, looking at the red carpet with concern. The first step in this enterprise lies within your precious little city. You must kill the girl.
Ganondorf said nothing, for fear of the messenger thinking him mad. He straightened the clasp of his cape on his shoulder and strode confidently out of the throne room.
The next morning Lord Ganondorf sent word to the Fortress concerning the Goron troops. He had spoken with his advisors, Mothers Koume and Kotake, and they came to an agreement that would be most beneficial to the Gerudo people. Working their way through Hylian royalty to gain more recognition would be in their favor; the Gorons were not to set up camp in their territory.
As soon as the messenger was sent through the door of the war room, Lord Ganondorf turned to his parents. They were still so beautiful even in their daily garbs intended for work around the palace. The king placed his palms on the edge of the table where a map of Hyrule had been placed, much like in the tactics room of Hyrule Castle. He looked at Koume and Kotake inquisitively.
"I've been thinking about a promotion for you two," he said, breaking the silence that followed the door's closing.
"Promotion?" said Koume. "We're your advisors. Can we get any higher in rank?"
"I suppose it's not a promotion of rank, but of more significance to our newfound position in the war." Lord Ganondorf picked up a gold pennant by the side of the map, the color of the Adventaries. "I need eyes and ears that I can trust. That I have plenty of faith in to do a good job." He struck the pennant through the Gerudo Fortress on the map. "My idea was to have you two, a pair of very talented sorcerers, act as my private, personal scouts."
"Scouts?" echoed Kotake, a bit of annoyance in her expression. "How is that a promotion?"
"I said it was different from a rank promotion," said Lord Ganondorf. "And I know that with your powers over magic, you can find out secrets that none of the other scouts can. And there are discreet ways of transportation through the world. We are masters of stealth, being Gerudo."
Koume was biting her lip, and Lord Ganondorf feared they wouldn't accept the offer. He asked them to wait in the war room while he went to fetch a book from the library only a few lengths down the corridor. When he returned, he had it opened to a spell in his hands.
"The Flight of the Green Goddess," he said, placing the book on the table beside the map. The twins peered over it, curiously reading the somewhat complicated recipe. "It can grant any inanimate object the ability of flight, so it can carry you to your destination."
"And what do you expect us to do with this?" Kotake said, looking up at him. "Fly all over Hyrule atop a pair of…of brooms? To collect information and bring it back to you?"
"It doesn't have to be brooms," Lord Ganondorf said with slight aggravation in his tone. "But this, on top of the stealth spells in your repertoire, will make perfect spies of you both."
"Spies…" Koume was fiddling with a golden piece of jewelry dangling from her pointed ear. "It doesn't sound so bad, you know."
Kotake's expression was unreadable, as if she were thinking rather hard about the whole situation. Eventually she sighed. "All right. I suppose it will work. Who do you plan on appointing as your new advisor to replace us?"
Lord Ganondorf smiled at her acceptance. "I was thinking of having Nabooru be the new advisor, since she already has great skill in strategic planning as the Chief of Military."
Suddenly Ganondorf's chest throbbed with an intense, sharp pain. He clutched it with his right hand, flinching backward as if something had hit him. Nothing else happened, no voice in his head, but the message was clear. I don't care what you think, he thought.
Koume asked if he was all right, and he shrugged it off. "We should find a way to get this spell working," he said. "I want you in the field as soon as possible."
Kotake was reading through the spell when she spoke up, "Ganondorf, this spell is supposed to be for master sorcerers. It takes a massive amount of energy to cast it even once." She looked up at the king doubtfully. "I don't know if we'll be able to make it work."
"You are both fantastic sorcerers," said Lord Ganondorf. "If anyone can cast this spell successfully, it's you." He picked up another gold pennant from the side. "Besides, I need to gather information in a timely fashion, and the only way to do that is via flight. Our first little task will be to seek out the Gorons in the north who do not follow the rebellious Dinerats. We know there are a few, so your job is to figure out who they are and where. Maybe they can help us."
Koume and Kotake nodded, watching their king as he pinned the small flag right next to the red one below Death Mountain.