Chapter XVI – King and Queen

"Still haven't finished? What are you actually doing all day long? Daydreaming?!" The annoyance was visible all over Garthar's face when the slender man with his bald head stomped into the direction of Ganondorf.

"I just don't get you people." Ganondorf did not turn around to the chief of the stables. He continued to comb down a horse. "It's always the same with you. First you want something from me, then I finish it, but in the end, you're complaining because of ridiculous reasons!"

"That's because even though you're doing it, you're doing it wrong!" responded Garthar, who hit the wooden column besides him, trying to keep his anger under control. "You shall not loiter here, you shall work. Every other one would have finished caring for all these horses hours ago. But you aren't even done with half of them!"

"Yeah, that's because I'm not some low stable boy. And never will be one!" The horse whickered displeased when he pushed the brush too hard on it.

"Be more careful!" Garthar released a grumble. "You wouldn't like it either if somebody treated you this way, would you?"

Ganondorf's hands slapped his upper legs when he turned around and groaned, "If you don't like how I do it, then do it yourself! Or find another moron who fulfills this dirty work to your liking!"

Garthar's expression darkened and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You are aware that you have still a week in front you, aren't you?" Ganondorf did not back up when Garthar glared at him. "However, if you prefer to serve your punishment in a sticky cell in our oubliette instead of working here, then continue behaving like this. That's totally fine for me because I don't need you!"

Sometimes, Ganondorf questioned himself why he endured those disciplinary actions because of his supposed misbehaving instead of taking his leave. Of course only after he had punched that man into his face or directly into unconsciousness. Even up to today, he never understood why Link and the others were that eager of getting their targets alive when those were not reserved in the slightest to murder them if they got the chance.

There was no reason why he should spare anybody's life if they would not do so in return. Yet he got why Link did not approve it in any way if he ignored his orders and acted on his own, but sometimes these were just too ridiculous and he could not deign himself to follow them.

Ganondorf let his view go off of Garthar, but he was still reluctant in continuing his work. Although he found it disgusting to be forced to do such low tasks, it was still better than being imprisoned. At least, when he was done, he could do what he liked and go where he wished.

"Listen, Ganondorf. You won't finish today, but you'll get two other horses ready. Afterwards, you can go. According to your working speed, it'll be late enough by then." Garthar sounded still displeased, but his anger had vanished. "As for tomorrow, you'll be here promptly. And I will give you a time schedule you have to fulfill, because I have had enough of your lethargic working process I've witnessed in the last few days. And if you can't stick to it until the end of the day, there will be consequences. I don't need lazybones here, they can serve their time in the oubliette as well."

"If you say so." Ganondorf only listened with half an ear and combed the horse again.

"And work on your behavior. I neither need rioters," said Garthar with a threatening undertone, yet Ganondorf did not give him an answer. He would just see to get his work done as soon as possible to spend the evening with more pleasant things. Afterwards, he would go to sleep and plunge into his dreams. These were far more enjoyable than those humiliating tasks.

The little boy looked down in terror on the masses. Death lingered there, brought over the people by those dark knights. And when he was carried away by the woman to escape this fate, he saw him again. Their leader, not showing any pity, just pure hate when he slaughtered one after another.

He noticed it again. This smell. This rotten smell of death. And the noise, the blood-curdling screams of the women when they fought the invaders, before they fell down only to drown in their own blood, soon to be followed by the next.

He felt the pain of the fallen. Unbearable. He could not stop crying and wanted to scream, but his words were eaten by the wind, soon to be erased from the world and even forgotten by himself.

The loud noise and emerging headache startled Ganondorf up from his sleep when he crashed on the floor. He still wrestled with his duvet and his breath only calmed down once he recognized the contours of his shelter at the Hyrulian knights, realizing he was only tortured by a nightmare. That nightmare which last occurred in the night before the Great Tournament about half a year ago and he believed to have been gotten rid of.

The dust on the floor whirled due to his breath and Ganondorf observed it a bit longer before he stood up again. With a cloth, he wiped off the sweat sticking on his body, though by now, he was widely awake. No meaning in trying to get some more sleep, he would never find it. Yet, when he looked out of the window, the night still claimed Hyrule its own.

Ganondorf grabbed some of his ordinary clothing when he left his room to get outside, out of the castle, out of its courtyard and onto the streets of Hyrule Castle Town to feel the refreshing wind of the night. The dark hours had the advantage of almost empty streets. Albeit he had familiarized himself with the curious and suspicious view of the Hylians and other folks that crossed the capital of the kingdom, it still bugged him. He was glad about every moment he had not to endure them.

Lost in thought, he crossed the paved streets when he observed the stars shining from above. Even though they served since eons as a guide of the night, nobody knew their origin. Their roots. Just as he did not know them, neither theirs nor his own. In all the months he had spent within the army, he still lacked any clues who his ancestors were and how he had become a slave, even a property of another man.

A few of the older people who still carried a little knowledge about the desert tribe mentioned that he shared a lot of similarities with the Gerudo race, but due to his gender could not be one of them. And even if he wanted to see for himself, he would never get a chance to ask said tribe about any relatives since their whole culture was exterminated once they lost the Great War. The few who were able to escape avoided the cities or other populated places as any Gerudo was claimed an outlaw and only death awaited the one who got caught.

Ganondorf grinned bitterly. Assuming there were even survivors left by now, he was unsure if he truly wanted to meet one. The Gerudo solely consisted of women who all held a great aversion against any male living being. They considered them to be weak, even inferior and not a single one was allowed to live amongst them. However, since they did not bring birth to any boy, they, as they called it, 'borrowed' men from other folks to hold up their bloodline and they had high standards with their choices. One of the elders joked that if he would have stumbled across them, they would have never let him go again. He would have been their perfect match. In this regard, it was probably for the best that he would never encounter them. He was absolutely not keen of that vision.

In all his thinking, Ganondorf had lost track of his way and already reached the borders of the capital. Due to the night and the monsters that lurked in the fields outside, the bridge was lifted up and the gates closed. Although he could have used one of the passageways, he had no interest in arguing with one of the guards there why he wanted to leave the city at that hour, when his only explanation was that he wanted to feel the fresh air outside this sticky town.

He had neither an interest of going back to the castle where only unpleasant work awaited him. The night was still young and this would be a waste. Instead, he followed the path which lead away from the main area and soon reached an old cathedral. Despite its age, it was masterfully built and even in the dark offered an impressive view.

Ganondorf intended to leave again when something caught his attention. At these hours, the gate should be sealed, yet one valve stood slightly open. Someone must be in there and according to the time, that one was probably not authorized to be in there.

While gazing at the door, Ganondorf was uncertain if he should go inside and see for himself or just ignore it. He never cared much for thieves and burglars as long as they did not touch his few belongings. It also meant work for him if he had to drag that one to the castle or a punishment if he hurt him too severe.

His curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know who would enter such a place at this time. If he would be a thief himself, he would have certainly searched for another location which offered more riches. Even though the ancient building with its elaborated windows and murmur statues looked graceful, it did not offer valuable treasures.

Once Ganondorf walked on the cold floor between the benches, his steps echoed from the walls, causing the only sound in the otherwise silent cathedral. Together with the darkness as the light from the moon extinguished before it reached the ground, it gave the inner hall an eerie touch.

When he got near the altar, his eyes had familiarized themselves with the dark and to his surprise, he saw indeed a person kneeling down in front of it, mumbling words to himself. Ganondorf grinned. That one certainly did not make a secret out of his presence, but at least it meant he would not attack out of the blue. That man seemed to be absorbed in his thoughts as he did not react at all, probably the intruder had not even noticed him.

Once only a few steps divided Ganondorf from the person, he saw that one more detailed. And from that moment on, he could not turn his view away again. The 'he' was actual a woman and standing that near, he felt the same he felt months ago. Her presence of grace and elegance. And of royalty, combined with a deep affection he was never able to pin down.

"Naryu, dear Goddess, the fight is still struggling deep inside me." Ganondorf stood in earshot, yet he did not listen to Zelda's words when he looked around. "Do I follow the right path? Or will my sparing of one man cause the fall of thousand others?"

"To whom are you talking?" asked Ganondorf in confusion since he had not found anybody else.

An outcry of surprise left her mouth when she turned around and looked up to him. Even through the darkness he could see the shock in her eyes and the changing in her skin color to a paler tone. Not a single word left her mouth now and both stared at each other in an atmosphere dominated by silence, only broken by the wind howling outside the ancient building.

Ganondorf felt no need to apologize for scaring her and just continued, undeterred, "So you're alone here at this hour? Or is your watchdog hiding somewhere?"

Zelda still sat in front of him, caught in astonishment when she replied with a trembling voice, "I am afraid that I cannot follow your saying. Whom do you call my 'watchdog'?"

"This Aldar guy. Although, Link fits in this as well with this protector stuff." Ganondorf took a suspicious look around to be certain that none of the two were here. "Either of them is always lurking around you. Or at least most of the times." He had not paid much attention to sound overly polite or subservient.

The wind howled and the cold claimed the inner sanctuary its own, but when Ganondorf looked at her, he felt nothing of the frost. In all the past months, in all the times he had met her if only with at least Link on his side and never alone, it never disappeared. The warmth she caused. The feelings she woke. Though he never shared too many words with her as he did not know which ones, alone her presence was enough to make him feel good.

Now was the right time to change it. Ganondorf regretted he had not spend more thoughts beforehand on how he addressed things, but he hoped that most of them would slip Zelda's memory due to her surprise. Even though he did not care what people thought about him, with her, it was different. She should not think bad about him since she was indeed one, if not the most important reason why he stayed within the army and why he endured those disciplinary actions instead of taking his leave.

"Say, what does a young lady do outside at these hours? All alone?" Ganondorf could not suppress all of his defiant intonation, nor hid his grin. "And especially an important one as you are."

Zelda stood up and put her head back to be able to look him into the face. He saw the confusion in her eyes, mixed with suspicion and worry. "What happened to you? I am not used to hearing you speaking in a manner this formal."

Ganondorf had a hard time to refrain from crossing his arms in front of his chest and instead, his hands encompassed his trousers. "Do you prefer I speak to you as I speak to those…" He paused to think of a word more appropriate than riff-raff or lowlife. "Well, those not so important people?"

Her eyes still carried the suspicion in them but soon they lightened up, accompanied by a smile around her lips. "I knew that a man of your origin is not raised to speak in this manner for long." Before Ganondorf could get mad about himself, she already said calmly, "Yet I do appreciate your haughty demeanor as before my father took his last breath, my people behaved far more naturally in my presence. I do acknowledge they respect me as a dignified successor to the throne of Hyrule, yet their more formal treatment feels as if they distance themselves. Although it is not within their intentions." Her expression got a bitter touch. "Unfortunately, this is even true for a man very dear to me. I am more than thankful for his presence and do not wish to ever miss him as he always stays protectively by my side, even did in my youngest age. I speak about the one you had named a 'watchdog'."

Ganondorf noticed that the last word hit him like a sting and he truly regretted that he had not spend a second to think how he called Aldar. Zelda seemed to be amused by his facial reaction. "While the second one you degraded to my pet has indeed remained most of his old attitude and stays at my side as a trustworthy friend. Yet I do have to admit that your demeanor is a pleasant variety compared to those who surround me."

"Thanks, I guess," answered Ganondorf perplexed as he had no clue what to say, since the more he thought about it, the less confident he was about the right words. It was odd. Very odd. Because normally he just spoke the way it pleased him, saw himself above those people and never cared for their opinion as long as it did not mean harsh consequences for him. Even then his haughty nature slipped through more than once.

Zelda observed him curiously as he did not added anything else. "Ganondorf. I fear that a matter has to bother your mind as you did never appear to me as a man of shyness."

Ganondorf tried to answer, but his words stuck in his mouth. It seemed like he had lost his speech and the more he fought against it, the more unable he was to say anything.

Zelda did not seem to be bothered, rather the opposite when he watched how the corners of her mouth raised. "My, my. If I would tell any of my people that our defiant redhead becomes a silent man in my presence, I am afraid they, despite me being their queen, would have no faith in my words."

"You find this funny?" Though his voice still trembled, it regenerated his dominance. He words touched his pride. He glared down at her, yet she responded his gaze.

"Yes, indeed. I cannot deny I am amused by your demeanor. Let me reassure you, I do not mean it as an insult. You can be proud for it has been long since the last time I was this delighted." Zelda's once pleasant expression turned to a bitter one. "I can only pray to the Goddesses that this will stay true for the future."

Ganondorf looked questioning at her, but she did not offer any explanation. Now that he had found back to his old ways though, he asked her straightly about it, "What do you mean by this? Is this about your self-talk from before?"

"No, everything is fine." He felt how she tried to avoid his question. "Yet I would be pleased if you leave me alone. I wish to finish my prayer to our Goddesses."

Zelda's reaction made Ganondorf more curious. "Why do you make such a great secret out of it? I think you're the one who's bothered. Not me."

"I do appreciate your concerns, Ganondorf. However, I am afraid that I cannot tell you and truly prefer to be left alone," responded Zelda calmly, yet her intonation showed she was serious about her request when she turned her back towards him.

"Come now. What is it?" Ganondorf did not give up when he took a step closer to her. He might never get to see her alone again, which meant he must use the chance now. "Is it some royal stuff mere men like me are not allowed to know?" He grinned defiantly before he proposed, "Well, if it's that, I could find some hostile wasteland no one wants, call it my country and crown myself to be its king. I'm even fine with a desert without people as long as it makes me royal and you tell me."

Silence. Pure silence. Nothing else filled the cathedral when Zelda turned around. Her face was filled with horror as if he had confessed a capital crime. Bewildered, Ganondorf stared at her as he did not get why his statement caused such a reaction. Now she was the one unable to answer and they both ended up mutely staring at each other again.

Zelda grabbed his clothing, pressing her hands against his chest. "No, Ganondorf, it is not that. It is not that. Yet…" Her voice trembled and she swallowed up her last words.

Ganondorf thought not much about it when he laid his own arms around her hips. It seemed as if she tried to put them away, but she let go and he encompassed her without further reluctance. He felt how his heart beat faster and the blood within him heated. Even a sweat broke out on his neck. Besides all these inconveniences, it felt good. Very good. Pleased, he smile and wished, from the bottom of his heart, that this moment would never end.

"Ganondorf, this should not happen." Once the minutes had passed by in which Zelda had calmed down again, she loosened her grasp from his chest and grabbed his arms to put them away. "It just should not as it must not be."

"If this royal stuff is not the problem, you shouldn't make it one."

"Ganondorf, please. I am afraid to claim that your feelings as well as my own do not matter here as this should not happen. Between anybody it might, but not between the both of us." Her voice sounded as if she did not like her own words, but in the same instant, she pushed Ganondorf away from her. "It cannot end well. It just cannot. And it will not. Destiny tells that our paths are not meant to cross each other's."

Ganondorf stared in confusion and fury alike at her. "Why are you saying this? Who cares for destiny made up by some divines that never show their faces anyway?" Zelda had already walked past him. "Wait, you don't get away that easily!"

Ganondorf grabbed her arm but she freed herself. Despite her anger, he noticed the glimmer of grief. "Our destiny cannot be questioned and the events which occurred within these walls should have never happened, regardless of any emotions involved. As your queen, I demand you to never speak of this ever again if you do not wish to be accused of disrespecting the Sovereign of Hyrule and facing the lawful sentence for it!"

Her footsteps echoed all over the cathedral when she walked away. Ganondorf stared wordless after Zelda, unable to understand her or her reaction. And he had no clue what he should think, what he should feel anymore.

Author's Note

Happy New Year and thanks for reading the story up to this point, I'm really glad to see people are interested in it. :) Also, I'm always looking for getting opinions on good as well as bad things concerning the story. That said, I would be really happy if you leave me a review. :D

Furthermore, in regard to the story itself: It will not become a romance or start to focus on the relationship between Ganondorf and Zelda. I'm sorry if I chrushed your hope (or fear, who knows xD), but that's not the main theme of the story, nor will it be. ;)