The next months passed in a flurry of activity as Aeris spent most of her days, first earning the golden mare's trust, then the slow, arduous process of training her to tolerate a saddle. It took months to get to the point where the mare would allow Aeris to guide her in slow circles around one of the training paddocks in full tack.

Then, finally after months of blood sweat and tears, Seteli decided that it was time for Aeris to climb on the mare's back, and ride her.

Aeris had been beaming, beyond excited that all of her hard work was going to pay off. She was grinning from ear to ear as she went through the usual motions of preparing the mare, and lead her out into the paddock.

Several other girls were gathered around the paddock as she emerged from the barn. They let out whoops and hollers as Seteli took the reins from Aeris. They offered words of encouragement as the Hylian girl shook off her nerves, and faced the mare.

The horse turned to look back at her with icy blue eyes, as if she was just as anxious as Aeris. With trembling hands, Aeris raised her hands and grasped the smooth leather of the saddle, and hauled herself up.

She let out a shaky breath as the crowd of girls let out a chorus of her name, reveling in her triumph as she hefted herself over the saddle, so that her chest was draped over the horse's back.

She grinned, until the air flew from her lungs as the mare beneath her squealed, launching herself vertically into the air.

There was a sharp cry from Seteli and the crowd as Aeris's back collided with the packed earth, and the mare darted away from the sound toward the other side of the paddock, snorting as her hooves beat the ground. Tears pricked the corner of Aeris's eyes, as she rolled onto her stomach, desperately trying to force air into her spasming lungs.

She grunted, forcing down the urge to vomit. Acrid bile rose up her throat, burning her aching lungs as she took in great lung fulls of air, and pushed herself to her knees. She couldn't tell which burned more, her lungs, or the embarrassment that painted her ears and neck crimson.

The girls outside the paddock were murmuring softly amongst themselves, no doubt laughing at her failure. Maybe even taking bets on how long it would take Aeris to get back on her feet.

Aeris grunted, and pushed away a hand that attempted to pull her up by the elbow. Determined to do this herself. Her lungs burned as she shoved herself to her feet, a great rattling pain that made her hands tremble as black dots floated across her vision.

"Are you alright?" Aeris was unsure if she was swaying or if Seteli had always wavered as she was before her.

"Fine," Aeris's voice came out little more than a croak.

The crowd of girls beyond the paddock offered words of encouragement as Aeris steadied herself, blinking away the spots in her vision. The mare across from her snorted, her ears flat against her skull as she swayed.

"If you need a break," Aeris glared, cutting off Seteli before she could finish.

"I can do this," She gritted her teeth as she stalked across the paddock toward the now skittish mare.

"We can do this,"

Seteli and the crowd faded into the background as Aeris calmed the mare, and took the reins into her hands. She led the horse around the paddock, speaking softly as she did. Bribing her with promises of extra treats, and more time being groomed.

They made three trips around the paddock, before Aeris stopped, and turned to face the mare. "We are going to do this,"

Icy blue eyes blinked slowly as Aeris positioned herself, and hauled herself into the saddle again.

Most days in the following weeks ended with Aeris covered in dirt and bruises, collapsing into bed, too exhausted to do anything else. Every waking moment was spent in the saddle, or trying to wrangle herself into the saddle long enough to tame the golden mare.

The mare was proving to be stubborn, but luckily for Aeris, she could be just as stubborn.

The day that she finally managed to heft herself into the saddle and hang on long enough to rein the mare into submission, the girls that gathered every day to watch her let out a cacophonous cry that echoed across the Fortress as Aeris rode the horse around the paddock, both of them panting, and covered in sweat.

"So, what's her name?" The youngest of the girls called across the paddocks. Finally asking the question that kept all of them there.

The question that kept them all coming back day after day to watch Aeris end up on her ass in the dirt.

Aeris looked up toward the setting sun, as twilight settled across the desert. "Starlight,"

The horse under her nickered softly, as if she approved of her new name.

- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -

Aeris set aside an hour each morning and afternoon to take Starlight for a lap around the Fortress, not yet brave enough to venture any farther beyond the gates into the wastes. She made circles around the grounds, weaving in and out of the paths around the buildings, allowing Starlight to stretch her legs.

She was skirting around the edge of the training grounds, as Seteli had suggested, so that Starlight grew use to loud noises, when someone shouted Aeris's name.

"Hey, Aeris," She looked up to she Ralusa, a girl the same age as Nabooru, waving at her from across the way. "Over here!"

The girl was sitting under a tent, sharpening her scimitar, as Aeris approached. "Ralusa?"

The girl grinned as she set aside her blade, and rose to her feet. "I've been meaning to talk to you,"

Aeris quirked a brow as Ralusa ran her palm over Starlight's flank. "Oh?"

"Mom keeps telling me to ask which trial you plan on taking," Ralusa, was Kulori's daughter, and was just as ruthless as her mother. "Think's you'll be more willing to talk to me than her,"

"Oh," Aeris hadn't considered any of the trials. Hadn't considered herself worthy of them.

Each Gerudo was presented with one of three trials when they turned fifteen. To pass one, was to take your place in one of three factions. Warrior, archer, or, rouge, each trial was specifically designed to test those who wished to serve in the Gerudo cavalry.

Most of the Gerudo were born knowing which of the trials they would face, and spent their entire lives training for it. Aeris doubted that she would ever be prepared to face one of them.

"I hadn't thought of it," Aeris idly rand her fingers through Starlights mane, as Ralusa smiled up at her.

"You could always be like Nabooru and challenge all three,"

Aeris turned toward Ralusa and laughed nervously. "I don't think so," She shifted her hips, suddenly uncomfortable in the saddle. "I doubt that I'll challenge any of them,"

Ralusa frowned as she stepped back from Starlight. "Shame, you would have made one hell of a warrior,"

Crimson climbed up her cheeks, and she ducked her head away from the other girl. "So I've been told," She ran her thumbs over the leather between her fingers, wishing that people would stop telling her that.

"So, what are you going to do?" Ralusa beamed up at Aeris, with her arm propped on the hilt of her blade. She appeared, genuinely intrigued, by Aeris's plans for life.

Aeris paused. She had never put much thought into what the future held for her. Most of her days were spent, following the motions put before her, blindly heading toward…

Well, she didn't know where she was going.

She had to do something productive with her life. Had to find some sort of calling to keep her days busy. Resources among the Gerudo were too short for a single one of them to not pull their own weight.

"Seteli could use some help at the stables," Aeris ran her fingers across the edge of her saddle, imagining her days filled with hay, and horses for the rest of her life. "I'll probably end up there,"

Ralusa's smile widened. "You are really good with horses!" The girl raised one of her palms as Starlight nickered softly. "There's no shame in following a different path. The fortress needs all kinds of people to keep it running,"

Aeris nodded her head in agreement, staring blankly through Ralusa as she smiled. "Well, I won't be strong enough to make it through the rouge challenge if I don't practice," Ralusa stepped back from Starlight, still smiling. "It was nice talking to you, Aeris!"

Aeris watched as the girl darted across the training yard toward the row of hay stuffed dummies that sat along the far wall.

She turned back toward the stable, wishing to be alone in her thoughts.

For as long as she could remember, she had admired the Gerudo warriors. Had revered them so much that she would have died to be one of them. But, now that she had the chance, to really be one of them, it felt…

Wrong.

Her bottom lip wavered, as Starlight plodded toward the stables. Aeris shook her head, refusing to cry, but she felt so alone most days. She had Nabooru and Urora, but they could only do so much to stave off the feeling of not belonging. No matter what she did, or how much time passed, she still felt like an outcast.

She knew it was a stupid insecurity. The Gerudo had taken her in with open arms, and none among them had ever made her feel truly unwelcome. She was never turned away from any opportunity, and her Hylian heritage was merely a source of jest for most.

The briefest of thoughts crossed her mind as she rode.

Maybe she should return to Hyrule

She shook her head.

She had nothing in Hyrule. Her family was gone, and there was nowhere else for her to go.

Even so, she knew in her bones, felt it in her very soul. This was where she was meant to be, something in the sands called to her.

And it would not let her go so easily.

There was a buzzing as she rounded the corner toward the stables. A crowd was forming near the archery range, and Aeris decided to give them a wide berth. Uninterested by whatever drew their attention.

"Aeris!"

Aeris cursed, and Starlight jolted as a young Gerudo appeared at their side. The girl was no older than six, and was missing one of her front teeth.

"Leiliri, you could have gotten trampled!" Her heart was hammering in her chest as the girl's smile fell slightly.

"I'm sorry Aeris, I didn't mean to scare you," The girl drew her toes through the sand as she ducked her head sheepishly. "I need your help with something, though,"

"My help?" It wasn't uncommon for favors to be asked between all ages. If one couldn't do something, it didn't take long to find someone who could.

"I want to see what's happening!" Leiliri's smile was back, brighter than before. "But, I'm too small, can I get up there with you?"

Aeris's heart melted, as the girl batted her eyelashes and look up at her with those big golden eyes. "Come on then,"

She reached down, and took the girl's hand, hauling her up into the saddle in front of her. "Thank you!"

The child practically giggled as Aeris maneuvered Starlight into a position near the crowd where they would be out of the way while still having a decent view.

As they settled, Aeris froze. Her tongue turned to lead in her mouth as she looked toward whatever held the crowd's interest. Her heart hammered against her ribs so hard that she was sure Leiliri could feel it against her back.

Ganondorf was astride his black stallion, bow in hand, speaking to the archery instructor. The same harness he had worn the day they sparred was strapped across his chest, and her ears burned at the sight of his bare chest.

"He's so handsome," Leiliri smiled dreamily, as she leaned forward to lean against Starlight's neck.

"Is he?" Aeris was afraid to speak too loudly, as if he would hear her across the crowd, and notice her presence.

She barely heard as the archery instructor explained the rules of the trial. Her eyes were glued to Ganondorf, as Galloughs shifted underneath him. He was still just as beautiful as she had found him as a child.

He still consumed her thoughts, day and night.

The instructor turned toward Ganondorf, and he nodded as she said something to him. "Then begin!"

Aeris snapped out of her thoughts, as Galloughs burst into action, Ganondorf dug his heels into his flank. The black beast of a horse barreled down the track, impossibly fast, heading toward the targets of the challenge.

The king used his thighs to keep himself seated, as he readied his first arrow. The muscles of his shoulder flexed, taut with power, as he took aim, and…

Bullseye.

The crowd watched in awe, bursting with cheers as he hit target after target, bullseye after bullseye. Galloughs hooves thundered across the packed ground, as Ganondorf fired, each shot fast as lighting, and never missing their mark.

Her breath caught in her chest as he rounded the turn, and broke into a hard gallop toward the end. There were six arrows left in his quiver, but he ignored each of the targets he passed. The easy shots, the shots that guaranteed his score. His golden eyes were fixed on the last target, the one at the far end of the track.

His jaw tightened as he spurred Galloughs to move even faster, the stallion snorted, but obeyed its master. Faster than lightening, the duo thundered down the track as Ganondorf lifted his bow to his cheek and drew.

Aeris's breath caught in her chest as the first arrow flew, then the second. Arrow after arrow landed with a loud thwack that echoed across the canyon walls. Each hit dead center, splintering the one that came before it. A dead silence fell over the crowd as Ganondorf drew his bow with the final arrow.

Energy sparked from his fingertips; arching up his arm as he overdrew the bow. The wood frame gave an audible groan, and Galloughs squealed when the arrow flew.

Lightning arched after the arrow, sparking and cracking as it raced down the track. It made no noise, nothing but the dull beating of hoofs filled the air around the crowd, until the arrow hit its mark. With a deafening crack, the target splintered into ashes, smoldering bits of hay and wood fluttered to the ground as the crowd watched in hushed silence.

The hair on Aeris's arms stood on end as an ember floated past her nose. The crowd shifted uneasily as Galloughs slid to a halt, and Ganondorf looked out over them. His golden eyes held an unnatural glow that faded within moments.

It was a known fact that Koume and Kotake were witches, their status as high priestesses was given to them because of their magic. There had always been rumors that their magic had been passed to Ganondorf, but the young king had never shown even a hint of the power that surged beneath his skin, until today.

Aeris watched the boy, on the cusp of manhood with the weight of the world on his shoulders at just fifteen, and swore for just a second that his lip wavered. Then his brow set, and his lips curled into a grin as a single whoop filled the air followed by more cries of triumph and his name filled the air. He lifted his bow above his head, and echoed the cries as a beautifully carved quiver was handed to him.

Ganondorf rode through the crowd with the quiver raised above his head, and a small smile on his lips. Leiliri was nearly vibrating in Aeris's lap as she screamed at a pitch that made her ears ring. Starlight grew anxious under them, unused to having her rider moving so much.

The crowd grew silent as Ganondorf lowered the quiver, and began speaking to his subjects. A rare occurrence, that was always relished.

"Oh, there's my mama!" Leiliri pointed to one of the women standing on the edge of the crowd, "Can you help me down?" Aeris helped the young girl off Starlight's back, "Thanks Aeris, You're the best!"

Aeris watched as the young girl bolted toward the crowd. Her heart sang for the girl as her mother caught her in her arms and spun her in the air, both of them beaming with wide grins. She'd had many a similar moment with her own mother.

But, no more.

"Aeris," A male voice drew her gaze away from the pair, and her heart sank. "I see you succeeded,"

Ganondorf approached her, Galloughs dwarfed Starlight as he sidled up to her. "I did,"

"Took you long enough," Aeris's ears burned crimson as Ganondorf smirked down at her. "You did well, though," Aeris swayed as Galloughs bent to sniff Starlight and the mare jerked her head away, ears pinned to her skull. "We could use more with your determination,"

"I," Her voice caught in her throat as he gazed down at her with those burning golden eyes. "Yes,"

Ganondorf laughed, the sound curled, dipping between boy and man as it wavered in tone. Aeris cursed herself a fool, as his head dipped back, his laughter drawing attention from a few of the women closest to them.

She was tempted to turn and ride away, until her turned back to her with a genuine smile spread across his lips. Her stomach flipped, as something told her she would do anything to see that smile again. "Ride with me?" He tipped his head toward the fortress proper.

"You want me to ride with you?" Aeris turned to look over her shoulder. Koume and Kotake never let the young king far from their grasp, and Aeris was sure that she would be turned into a toad if they caught them alone together.

Could Koume and Kotake turn her into a toad? Was their magic the kind from fairy tales of princesses and cursed princes. Or was it something darker?

"You're cute when you think too hard," Aeris snapped toward Ganondorf as he turned Galloughs away from her and toward the fortress.

"Wait!" Aeris spurred Starlight after him, "Hold on!"

Ganondorf turned to look at her over his shoulder, his lips twisted into a knowing smirk.

They rode in silence, save for the few women who called out greeting to their king as he passed. Aeris felt unbelievably small next to him, not only because she was in fact smaller than him, but her very being would never compare to the sheer dominance that he exuded.

Even as a child, he commanded the attention of all those that stood before him. As was his birthright, his destiny.

Aeris looked over to the boy, he rode with skill straight backed, using his thighs to guide the beast beneath him. She found herself still wondering the same things she had as a small girl. Was he cared for? Was he happy?

Nights of stomach growling with hunger were not a stranger to Aeris. The Gerudo struggled, beyond their jovial exteriors and gilded jewelry food was a scarcity at best. Did the king ever go to bed hungry?

The Gerudo had no use for the gold and jewels that were mined from deep in the desert sands. They held no value other than shiny baubles and jewelry to be placed on clothing and weapons. Hyrule did, though, gold and jewels were the epicenter of the Hylian economy, or so her parents had always said.

Just one of the Gerudo head pieces would yield enough in rupees to feed a small army.

Aeris's nose wrinkled as she wondered why the Gerudo didn't trade with Hyrule, the way that they had with her mother. In fact, she had yet to see another Hylian since she came to the fortress.

"You're thinking of something very hard, aren't you, little Hylian?" Aeris turned her gaze up to Ganondorf's as he pulled to a stop.

"Why do you not trade with Hyrule?"

Something dark crossed his eyes as he looked down at her. "That would be a question for my mothers," He turned to look toward the fortress gates. "And generations of leaders before me,"

"Are you hungry?" He turned back to her suddenly, as if he had heard her previous thoughts. "It's nearly noon," He looked up at the sun, his eyes screwed nearly shut.

She caught her tongue before she could say, 'always'. "Food would be nice,"

He nodded, then turned Galloughs, beckoning for her to follow him again. "You look concerned," She blinked as he looked back at her. "It's cute,"

"I'm not cute," She scrunched her nose as he chuckled.

"If you say so," He clicked his tongue, pulling Galloughs to a halt, before he slid off of his back. "Wait here,"

Aeris ran her fingers across the simple leather of Starlights reins as her ears turned red. They all called her cute, everything she did was 'cute.' Sometimes she felt as if she would never truly grow up here. Never grow out of being seen as a child due to her size compared to those around her.

Ganondorf re-emerged from the fortress with a basket on his arm, covered by a rough cloth hiding its contents. He passed the basket to Aeris before he turned to mount Galloughs. Aeris smiled softly as it took the boy several momentum building hops to climb into the saddle of the great black beast.

He motioned for Aeris to pass him the basket, then for her to follow him as he began moving through the fortress again.

"So, where are we going?" Aeris clicked her tongue, prompting Starlight to hasten her step so that she was beside Galloughs instead of behind him.

"There's an oasis just before the sandstorm that makes up the wastelands," He turned to look at her and smiled, "I go there to think, sometimes,"

Aeris pulled Starlight to a halt, and Ganondorf whirled Galloughs to face her. "I can't go there,"

Urora had forbidden Aeris from venturing beyond the fortress walls, and it was the one order that she thought she would never ignore. Beyond the gates of the fortress were dangerous, the Gerudo never ventured far, and only in groups. Except for the few times a year, they made the trek beyond the walls to their temple.

"Are you defying your king?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he circled her.

"Assuming you are my king," Aeris bowed her head, suddenly afraid of his gaze. "Even so, Urora would be furious, if she found out,"

"You've never been beyond the gates?" He stopped beside her and bent his gaze to hers. "Not even for a festival?"

"Never,"

He hummed in the back of his throat. "I say we change that," He straightened himself in the saddle. "If you're brave enough,"

Aeris watched stunned as he kicked Galloughs into a gallop toward the gates. She stared after him as Galloughs' hooves kicked up dust, counting the moments until he would disappear beyond them.

Was she brave enough?

Had she ever done anything brave?

She bit her lip, nearly hard enough to break the skin. Urora would skin her alive if anything happened out there.

But, Hylia's grace, was she curious.

"Damn it," Aeris cursed as she kicked Starlight's sides, spurring the mare into a hard gallop after Ganondorf.

The guards at the gate stumbled back as the pair of them barreled past. She couldn't see it, she was too focused on staying seated as the packed dirt of the fortress gave way to softer loose sand that spread for an eternity in every direction, but Ganondorf was grinning as he rose to his haunches in the saddle holding on for dear life as Galloughs thundered forward.

Aeris's breath caught in her throat as she took in the expanse of golden sand that shifted and moved with every subtle breeze. An eternity of gold and blue that would never end until it reached the sea that was said to be far beyond the horizon.

She let out a cry of joy that echoed across the dunes, her arms flung wide, using only her thighs to keep her in the saddle. She leaned back as far as she could, feeling as if she was flying as her hair was ripped from its tie, fluttering behind her like ebony strands of silk.

She was breathless as Ganondorf finally pulled Galloughs to a halt just before an emerald island in a sea of gold. Palm trees jutted from the sand in a ring around a shallow pool of crystal clear water. She could make out wild hydromelon vines wound around their trunks, and a few volt fruit cacti around the edges of the island.

Galloughs and Starlight shuddered, panting and covered in froth as Aeris and Ganondorf laughed, airy breathless sounds that were nearly carried away by the slight breeze.

"I won," Aeris balked as Ganondorf turned away from her and slowly made his way toward the water, giving Galloughs a much deserved break.

"Not fair!" Aeris followed after him. "You had a head start,"

"That's no excuse," He swung from Galloughs' back with the basket in hand, then pushed the horse's flank toward the pool. The stallion happily made his way to its edge and began to drink deeply from its depths.

Aeris followed suit, giving Starlight a light pat on her neck before she turned to Ganondorf with her hands on her hips. "Says the one who cheated,"

"Cheated?" He turned to her, genuinely surprised. "And how exactly did I cheat,"

"You didn't tell me it was a race," Aeris shrugged her shoulders, then pushed past the young king towards the edge of the water.

She peered down at herself in its glass like surface. Her hair was a mess of wild curls, and her cheeks were red with exertion and sun.

"Beautiful," Aeris whirled toward Ganondorf/

The boy was settling down to sit on the blanket that had covered the basket. "What did you say?"

He peered up at her, seemingly uninterested in her sudden embarrassment. "I said it's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Oh," Aeris felt her ears burn as she moved toward him. He was pulling strips of dried meats, and a small bowl of wild berries, from the basket. "Yes, it is,"

She settled onto the blanket across from him, and smiled as he handed her a strip of meat. They sat for hours, speaking of various things, jumping from topic to topic as children tend to do. They discussed training, then the origin of Starlights name, which led them to Aeris's mother.

"Her name was Ahia," Aeris gave the boy a pained smile as he looked across the basket at her. "I remember that she looked a lot like me, and that I always thought that she was fearless,"

"She must have been to raise a daughter like you," He was looking out over the pool as he popped a wildberry into his mouth. "Tell me about her,"

Aeris's chest tightened as she thought of her mother. The pain of her loss still lingered, and she doubted that it would ever truly fade, but it was nice to talk about her memory. "She was soft, and kind,"

She blinked back mist from her eyes as she smiled softly. "She was always singing, and she insisted on braiding my hair every morning," Aeris took a strand of her hair and twirled it between her fingers. "She was always there when I needed her, if I scraped my knee or had a nightmare, she was always ready with a hug,"

She turned back to Ganondorf, the boy had an almost pained look on his face as he turned to watch the horses. "She sounds lovely," He crossed his arms and pulled his knees close to his chest. "Mine are nothing like that,"

Aeris opened her mouth, but closed it as he continued speaking. "They aren't soft, and they don't sing unless it's prayers," He paused, his lip wavered as he let out a harsh breath. "I can't remember a time that they've ever embraced me,"

"Ganondorf I," She froze as he turned and looked at her, realizing that it was the first time she had ever addressed him by his name.

There was something dark boiling behind his eyes as he turned back to the pool and frowned. "They say that they're shaping me into the perfect king," There was a blankness to him as he stared forward. "Into the man I'm destined to be,"

He lifted one of his hands, and energy crackled between his fingers as he curled them. "Did they teach you that?" He looked toward her without turning his head. "Did they teach you to do what you did at the ranges today?"

"Yes," He closed his fingers and the energy was extinguished. "They tell me that magic from a great power flows through our veins, from long ago when magic was still everywhere,"

They sat in silence, both of them unsure of what to say next.

Aeris took a moment to study him up close, while he was deep in thought. What was left of his baby fat was slowly melting from his face, revealing the makings of a square jaw covered by the start of a crimson beard. At fifteen, he was already taller than some of the adult Gerudo, and his years of training had made him lean, well muscled, and still growing. His hair was still short, it curled around his ears in thick waves.

"I hate it all sometimes," His voice cut the silence like a blade. "My mothers tell me that I'm being prepared for some great destiny, but they still treat me like a child,"

Aeris slid closer to him, thinking that maybe she would be able to offer him some comfort as he began to tremble. "They've secluded me from my people, so that they don't even know me," He barked out a harsh laugh. "They damn near throw a feast every time I come out of my rooms,"

That darkness was back as he turned his head to look at her. He rested his jaw against his folded arms, and looked at her with something between pain and sadness in his eyes. She lifted her hand, and reached hesitantly grab his fingers. "So don't listen to them,"

She wrapped her fingers around his and ran her thumb over his knuckles. He looked down at their hands, with an odd expression. "I wish it were that easy,"

"You said it yourself, you're the king," She shrugged, and gave his fingers a quick squeeze. "Who cares what they say,"

"What would you suggest?" He pulled his hand from hers and rose to his feet, to move toward the water's edge.

She followed him, thinking of what to say to him. "Do as you please, be a part of the people not just a figurehead,"

"You're a strange little Hylian," He turned to her with softness in his gaze, he eyes searching hers for something unknown. He lifted his hand and ran a knuckle across her jaw, a ghost of a touch that made her stomach roll. His skin whispered against hers, before it moved toward her ear.

The touch startled her, and her ear twitched against it. He pulled his hand away from her face in amazement. "What was that?"

She chuckled as she reached up to touch her ear. "A Hylian thing, I guess," She made a few faces, moving through emotions she knew made her ears either raise or fall with them. "I can't wiggle them, but they do sometimes move,"

"Hylian's are strange," He lifted his hand to trace the edge of her ear, and she ignored the way he smiled with goosebumps rose along her arms. "I still remember the very first time I saw you, you know,"

His voice was barely a whisper as he leaned toward her. "You were on Urora's shoulders, I had never seen anything like you before," She blinked up at him, her lips parted. "I thought you might have been a fairy,"

He took a strand of her hair, and twirled it between his fingers. "I used to beg my mothers to let me go to the market on the days that you and your mother would be there,"

Her heart was hammering in her chest.

He thought of her.

He had thought of her in the same ways that she had of him. A stupid little grin crossed her lips, as he leaned closer, looking into her eyes. They were millimeters apart, and she could feel her breath across her cheeks, could smell the fruit they had eaten. "I'll think about what you said, if you'll promise me something in return,"

He pulled away from her, and she let out a shuddering breath. "Challenge a trial, any of your choosing," He tipped her chin up to him with his knuckle. "Will you promise to me that you will?"

She swallowed thickly. "How did you?" He tapped her chin, forcing her head to tip back farther. "I will,"

She wasn't sure why she had agreed, to his request. Something had told her too, some little voice in the back of her head was whispering that she should.

"Good," He smiled down at her. "It's getting late, we should return before night falls,"

He whistled for Gallough, and the stallion whinnied before returning to his master's side. He swung himself into the saddle, and Aeris followed suit.

The ride back to the fortress was silent save for the grating sound of sand against sand. Aeris found herself staring at the back of Ganondorf's head, wondering if he felt the same way about what had just happened as she did.

Had this one moment changed everything?