"Is this safe?" Niko asked.
"I told you, better in the hands of the royal family who can guard it, than in the hands of some pirates," Zelda reaffirmed.
"But we are pirates," he commented. She glared at him.
"I don't know. I don't trust that thing," Gonzo added.
"Ugh, will you just help them push?" she ordered, pointing at the guards.
It took the effort of every man available to push the cart with the statue through the gates surrounding the grove behind the castle. With their combined strength they carefully lifted the statue and set it on the grass. The guards pulled the cart away, and then one-by-one the pirates left Zelda to be alone.
A ray of light beamed on the artifact, making it appear sacred, a beautiful, priceless piece of art, sculpted by a master craftsman. Only, she knew the dark truth.
Zelda stared in amazement at the quality of the statue, and then placed her hand on what would have been Ganondorf's arm. Her heart jolted, her mind filled with darkness and corruption, and she was paralyzed. She used all of her will to yank her arm back from the statue.
Ganondorf's power was still very much alive beneath that rock. As long as the Master Sword remained, his evil would never be released.
Zelda stared with disgust as she slowly backed away from the sword's new pedestal. She despised them for what they did to Link, and felt they deserved the punishment given to them, but she could not help but empathize with their heartache. The King and Queen of the Gerudo had been sealed in a strong embrace. If ever anyone thought he had been incapable of compassion, one only had to lay eyes on the statue to understand the unique love they shared. What a terrible fate.
Still, she could not forgive them for Link's death.
While she hoped they never returned to spread their evil in the new Hyrule, she did hope they would rest in peace. From the brief glimpse she forcefully received by just a touch, she doubted that would be the case.
Zelda gave one last cautious look back at the statue, and then locked the gate.