II - One Land Under One Banner


Ganondorf leaned back in his armchair, sighing. The heat was unbearable these days, flies and mosquitos whirred about, and seemed to be hunting humans in packs – they were fucking everywhere. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, combing through his thick red hair with his fingers. Being king was harder than it looked, and he understood why his father had resigned. He had wanted to rule - it had always been out of question – but the responsibilities and tasks that came with rulership were exhausting.

"My king."

He groaned inwardly. Wasn't it possible to have some peace for just a few minutes?

"Come in," he grumbled.

The flap to his tent opened, and Urbosa stepped inside. He smiled. The commander was always a welcoming sight, no matter what news she brought.

"I have word from the capital," she said, bowing respectfully.

Ganondorf recognised the sigil of the royal family on the red wax seal, and held out his hand. Urbosa dropped the rolled up paper into his palm, watching him as he broke the seal. His eyes flew over the neat writing, and he frowned before putting it down.

"I was summoned to attend a meeting in the castle," he said more to himself than to Urbosa. She nodded nevertheless.

"Do you want me to make the necessary preparations for your trip, your majesty?"

He rose from his seat, towering over her in the small tent.

"I will ride with only a small group. I want you to go back to the palace and take over the lead as long as I am gone. Look after my mother, too. If you need advice, go to her. I will take Aveil, Naseeba, Najima and Rasha with me. A carriage with provisions, tents and everything we need. Horses, escorts, you know the deal. Send Aveil to me."

Urbosa bowed once more and left the tent. She was the commander of the Gerudo tribe's fighting forces, with Aveil being second-in-command. While her title would suggest that she was the one to join her king on military missions or duty travels, it was usually Aveil who acquired that task. She gritted her teeth as she walked over to the small group of tents that belonged to the high ranks, looking for the young warrior. She found her sitting in a wooden bath tub, rubbing the soap over her bronze skin, her golden eyes narrowed to slits.

"What is it, Urbosa?" she asked in her husky voice, eyes still closed.

"Ganondorf sent for you."

Aveil turned her head, her long, red hair gliding softly down the smooth surface of the barrel. She opened her lazy eyelids and looked at Urbosa.

"Again?" She lifted one eyebrow. With a small sigh, she supported herself on the rim of the barrel and stood up so energetically, that the water splashed over the rim, landing in puddles on the dusty ground. Her wet feet left prints in the sand as she walked over to a chair, and she grabbed a towel.

"Again," Urbosa answered coolly. Stepping away, she left Aveil to get dressed and returned to her own tent.


Ganondorf hated to travel to the capital of Hyrule. Dealings with the royal family usually turned out rather frustrating, and he hated the rigid manners of the Hylians; the stiff atmosphere in official meetings. His black stallion snorted impatiently as its master guided him through Gerudo Canyon, the sun mercilessly burning down on them.

As soon as the small travel party left the canyon behind and rode out to Hyrule field, the temperatures immediately dropped from burning hot to pleasantly mild. Ganondorf sighed out of relief. Hyrule was a beautiful country, with lush, green fields, lakes and rivers, volcanos and snowy mountains, and deep forests. The gorge leading to Gerudo Canyon was like a portal to another world; a world full of culture, beautiful women, trading cities, and markets that smelled of alluring spices. A world that he loved despite the heat and dry climate, and the endless seas of sand. However, it was no secret that the desert king also lusted for the more fertile lands of Hyrule, where life grew out of the moist earth itself, where rainfalls and thunderstorms were the consequence of a raging sky. Farore's land.

They rested under the starry sky in their tents, or occasionally in towns, enjoying Hylian ale and mead, roasted lamb, soft turnips and fresh bread. Their trip ended after roughly two weeks, however, and that meant that the enjoyable part was over. Under the arched gates of the capital, they rode into the buzzing Castle Town.


Ganondorf attended the meeting in the morning after a hearty breakfast in the luxurious dining room of the castle. Apart from the king, his second wife and their counsellors, including a tall Sheikah woman named Impa, there were also other tribes present: the Goron lord Darunia II and his counsellor Darbus, the Zora king and his wife Rutana, and the chief of Rito Village, Kaneli.

He sat down on the chair that had been arranged for him at the round table, sitting between the Gorons and the Rito, with Aveil at his side. The atmosphere in the room was as rigid as he had expected. Relations between Gerudo and Hylians, so far, had only been played out on a superficial and purely economic basis, and whenever Ganondorf had stepped on Hylian ground, he felt like an unwelcome stranger. As if the people accused him of planning to invade Farore's land. He leaned back in the chair, waiting for the king to speak.


The door to the meeting room opened with such force, that the guards stationed outside almost got hit in the face. A second later, Ganondorf stomped out. His face was distorted in anger, and his red hair seemed to be on fire. Aveil followed close behind, her facial expression completely neutral. In the middle of the corridor, he stopped and turned around.

"Get the horses, carriage and girls ready. We will depart immediately," he fumed.

Aveil shook her head, sighing. She completely understood his reaction to the king's proposal, but she had wanted to spend at least another night in one of the castle chambers' soft beds.

"Uniting Hyrule and Gerudo lands under one banner!," he growled as he deliberately knocked a suit of armour, that had been placed in the hallway on display, over. The pieces of metal crashed to the ground, creating a crescendo of noises. He saw the guards flinch, but they didn't dare utter a single word. They only silently watched the Gerudo king leave the castle in a fury, and once he disappeared behind the main door, they hurried to pick up the pieces and rearranged them as they were.

Aveil made her way past the stables to the inn situated in the resident area of Castle Town, in which her girls had spent the night. She found them sitting outside the tavern in the sun, laughing and joking with a group of young Hylian men. Their cups were filled with sweet honey wine, while the men were drinking beer. At least someone was enjoying their time in the capital. One of the men lifted his head when he saw Aveil approach – and his face showed delight as he realised she was headed towards them. Najima and Rasha were pretty girls, there was no denying, and Naseeba was despite her shorter stature and crooked nose still an enjoyable sight, but Aveil was a real beauty. She was tall and slender, with long, silky red hair. Her golden bedroom eyes seduced men and women alike, and stood in great contrast to her bronze skin. She was fierce; a warrior born out of sand and fire; beautiful yet dangerous.

"We are leaving," she said in the Gerudo tongue. Without greeting, and without paying the Hylian men any attention.

Najima groaned. "Already?!"

"Your king is upset. Would you want to take the risk to anger him any further, sweet sister?"

Najima shook her head. Everyone feared Ganondorf. Everyone except Urbosa and Aveil, but even they knew the danger of enraging the Gerudo king.

"I am sorry, but we have to leave," Rasha told the men sitting at their table in broken Hylian. She had a thick Gerudo accent and hadn't learned to master the Hylian tongue yet. It didn't matter. Apparently, Hylian men enjoyed it. They looked disappointed when hearing the bad news, but their eyes were still glued to Aveil's thighs. Aveil ignored the hungry glances thrown at her, waiting for her sisters to get moving. When a hand, however, groped for her thigh as she was about to walk away, her scimitar quickly found its way to the stubbly throat of the Hylian who had dared touch her, scraping along the skin.

"Tell me, Hylian, do you treasure your life?" she breathed into his ear.

"Let him go, Aveil," sighed Najima, touching her arm that held the sharp weapon. Aveil hissed, but eventually lowered the blade. With one last glance that could kill, they left.


I am back with a new story. Haven't written anything in like forever, but this story has been on my mind for some time. I am still working out the details, though.

Some of the chapters might turn out rather short, but will gradually get longer, the more the story advances.

Most of the chapters are centered around one character's POV, but some might contain multiple POVs. I'll still try to make it coherent.