Posting this one before I have the next one ready because I don't want people to wait any longer.

Chapter 5: The Grand Announcement

Jin and Riju had been hard at work. They had remained in the throne room, working on the announcement. A small table and chair had been brought in so the two of them could work in relative comfort. Most of it was logistics, while the rest was simply getting the right verbiage for their speeches. By the end of the day, they were just about finished. The couriers had been sent through the town to alert everyone of the mandatory gathering in the morning. Before they finished, they had to figure out one other decision.

"Do you want the left side, or the right?" Asked Riju.

"I mean, does it really matter?" Jin asked in response.

"I suppose not," Riju turned from Jin and towards a guard, "We'll leave it to your discretion."

"Yes, Lady Riju," the guard saluted before turning and leaving.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Jin asked.

Riju looked back to Jin, an eyebrow raised, "Okay with what?"

"The whole partitioning the bedroom thing. I could easily make due with something small, you don't need to sacrifice your room for me."

Riju folded her arms, "To be frank, I'm still a bit iffy about it myself. However, I'm sure you've noticed the lack of extra space available in Gerudo Town. There's not many places that would be able to accommodate you long term, and besides, as I said before, we need you on site during the night."

"Yes yes, I get that, but I can't help but feel like I'm intruding here."

"Given time, I'm sure the two of us will learn to cooperate and develop a functional routine for our working relationship. That in-turn should improve our communication on a more personal level."

Jin took a second before responding, "I know Buliara said you're a great leader, but it's impressive seeing it first hand."

Riju smiled at the compliment, "Sarqso, Jin. Now let's wrap this up and get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow."

"Hehe, no kidding."

They continued to work for only a few minutes before another guard shouted out.

"Requesting permission to enter, Lady Riju. This is Ripp reporting as ordered."

Both Jin and Riju smiled, "Perfect timing, please come in Ripp," Ripp quickly entered and saluted the two Gerudo leaders.

"Let me do this, Riju, gotta start somewhere," Jin requested.

Riju nodded, and waved with her hand "By all means, go ahead."

Jin rose from his chair, a simple wicker chair, and approached Ripp. "At ease Ripp," she lowered her salute, "So, did they tell you why we called you here?"

"No sir, I was not informed."

'She's certainly sticking to the formalities,' thought Jin, 'maybe it's because she hasn't talked with me since finding out I'm her king. She's unsure if she can address me in a lax state or not.'

"Then I'll get straight to the point. I'm in need of a personal bodyguard, just like Buliara is to Chief Riju. Are you interested in the job?" Jin asked.

Ripps eyes widened clearly not expecting the question, "I- sa'oten I- I'm-" she stopped and took a deep breath. "Yes sir, I would be honored to have the privilege of serving as your bodyguard."

Jin clapped his hands, "Wonderful! I only have two small requests, both of which I'm sure you'll have no trouble with."

Ripp remained attentive, "How can I help you, sir?"

Jin lifted a finger to signal a one, "First one is simple…stop calling me sir! Just call me Jin like you did before."

"Oh, umm, yes…Jin," She looked unsure.

He sighed, "Seriously, you can just treat me like you did the day we first met. No need to be so formal with me. Relax, before I order you to relax," he said with a smug grin on his face.

Ripp sighed, "If you insist, okay. I'll treat you like I did when I first saw you flying uncontrollably through the air in Kara Kara Bazaar."

Jin laughed, while Riju smiled behind him, "Now that's much better. I want the Ripp that wasn't afraid to speak her mind when she first saw my weird face landing in the oasis." The tension in the room had vanished. "Now then, I don't foresee the second request being much trouble, but do let me know if there's a reason you can't abide by it." Ripp continued to listen silently as Jin continued, "If at all possible, can you take off your face mask?"

There was a moment of silence as Jin and Riju waited for Ripp to respond.

"Yeah, I can do that, but may I ask why that's your request?" Ripp inquired.

"It's simple really, if you're going to be serving as my bodyguard it stands to reason that we'll be getting to know each other very well. I'd like you to take the position as bodyguard, but also the position of a friend."

All in the room were touched by the sincerity in the request. Ripp responded by detaching her face mask, showing a face with soft features, but angles that would be intimidating if angered. She smiled, "Will this do your majesty?" She asked in a joking tone.

Jin smiled brightly, "I knew I made the right call."

Jin and Riju were standing at the entrance to the royal chambers. The room had been divided in two by a folding divider. The divider itself was adorned with stylized figures of Gerudo in combat with a variety of monsters native to Hyrule.

'The fact that the only thing dividing us is a piece of furniture shows her trust in me. I won't betray that trust,' Jin thought to himself.

Looking to one side, Jin could see his backpack and weapons neatly placed on a comfortable looking couch. He didn't look in the other room.

"Well, looks like this one is my side," Jin walked into his side of the room. It had a full size bed, a couch, and an armoire. The shelves were built into the walls, and were covered with various books. The first thing he did was check everything in his backpack. While he was ruffling through his bag, Riju called out from her side.

"I gave some guards instructions to retrieve your belongings after I got the report of you being taken into custody. I made sure nothing would be stolen or taken on the off chance you were innocent. Glad I made that call."

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely grateful. It would have been quite annoying to lose the stuff in here."

Riju, on her side of the room, was getting changed into a warm nightgown, perfect for cold desert nights. Her side of the room mirrored Jins, the only difference being the sand seal plushies on her couch. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you have packed in there?"

Jin pulled out a white, long-sleeved undershirt that appeared very fuzzy, it would keep anyone warm on a cold night.

"Clothes, water, preserved foods, some basic tools for maintaining weapons, and most importantly, the rest of my money." He tossed the shirt onto the bed and began unpacking the contents of the bag onto the chair. "Nothing critical or personal, but all essential for traveling."

Riju had finished getting changed, and was lying down on her couch, closely holding a pushie, "Those are indeed, all essential. I'm glad you were prepared for traveling in the desert, most people underestimate its dangers."

Jin had finished taking out his tools and snacks, and was going through the clothes, "I've got multiple people to thank for that. Ma knew the dangers firsthand, dad traveled through the deserts near him on a regular basis, and my uncle Hikaru, not blood related mind you, lives in the desert too. They all made sure to instill a great respect for how dangerous the desert can be."

"Hmm, they were all wise to do so."

Jin finished unpacking his clothes, placing them on the couch too, "Well, gonna have to do something about that." He said to himself. "Hey Riju, any chance there's a way I can get some new clothes? I only packed about three different outfits since I wasn't expecting to stay in one place for long."

Riju sat up, "Here in town? I don't think so since only vai live here, but we can either have some tailored for you, or have some delivered. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Hmm, well I normally like trying things on first, but given the circumstances…let's go with the tailor. If I'm living here for a bit it would be beneficial to have my measurements for future clothing."

"I agree with your assessment," Riju yawned, the exhaustion of working all day catching up to her. "I think I'll retire for the night, Jin. I don't think you will, but try not to make too much noise, please."

Jin had just started the process of changing as well. The white shirt from before and some thick pants were his go to option for desert nights. "No worries, I'm going to bed as well. Sav'orr Riju."

Riju had climbed into bed and was getting comfortable, "Sav'orr Jin."

Jin also got into bed and was getting ready to sleep, "Hey Riju?"

"Hmm?" She hummed.

"I truly appreciate you guiding me through this, I'd be lost doing this on my own. So believe me when I say: sarqso, from the bottom of my heart."

The humbleness of his words made Riju smile, "You're welcome, Jin. You're a good voe, and come tomorrow, our people will see it too."

Despite sleeping soundly, Jin felt like morning came too quickly. The good news was the pain in his arm was starting to dissipate. The bad news was he had to give a speech today. His very first speech to "his people". It still felt weird to him every time he thought about it.

A guard had come to wake them both up early enough to get ready for the big announcement. No words were exchanged as they got dressed for the day, both were focused on what was to come.

"Lady Riju, Jin, Ripp and myself have arrived to escort you." He heard Buliara call out from just outside the room.

"I'll be right there, Buliara. Jin, are you ready?" Riju asked him.

He took a deep breath, "As ready as I can be." With that he left the room to see Buliara and Ripp, with Riju coming out at about the same time as him.

Buliara tapped the ground with her greatsword. "I hope you're both ready. First impressions can mean everything to some people."

"Of course, Buliara. Lead the way," Riju said. Buliara led the way, with Riju behind her, followed by Jin, then Ripp.

"Are you ready for this, Jin? Did you prepare some grandiose speech?" Ripp asked inquisitively.

"Nothing so crazy. If anything, some might be underwhelmed. I went back to what my dad taught me about business proposals and sort of worked off of that," he admitted. "Granted, the linchpin of the speech is one he taught me about business management, but I feel it'll be perfectly applicable here."

Ripp didn't have knowledge of running a business, but she had faith in him. "If anyone can pull it off, it's you. How's your arm, by the way?"

He moved it around to show it off, "Moving good, and the pain is subsiding. Still hurts quite a bit, but it's much more manageable now." They all arrived in the throne room, Jin could see a crowd gathered outside. "Alright everyone, this is it."

Riju turned to face Jin, "Right then, just like we discussed. I'll go out and start, you come out when I introduce you, then it's all on you. Are you ready, Jin?"

"As ready as I can be," he was extremely nervous, but knew he had to go through with this.

"Alright then, it's time." Riju turned and walked outside, Buliara following close behind. Once she stepped out into the sunlight, the murmurs and whispers of the crowd ceased.

Riju raised her arms in the air, "My fellow Gerudo," her voice was loud, clear, and strong. Everyone gathered could make her out. "I have called everyone together today for a grand announcement. One that will not only strengthen us as a kingdom, but lead us into prosperity." She lowered her arms. "Ever since I took up the mantle of Chief, I have strived to do right by all of you, and I shall continue to do so. However, I have come today to inform you all that I shall no longer be leading alone."

There were whispers in the crowd, some wondering what she was talking about, some saying this was a waste of time. Riji raised an open hand towards the crowd, "Today shall be a momentous day, for today I can announce that we have found a male Gerudo." The whispering in the crowd grew into chatter. Some in disbelief, others wondering if it was true. "At first we doubted such a claim. Naturally, we wanted to ensure this voe was no pretender or imposter. However, we were able to trace his lineage to one who lives in this very town." The crowd continued to listen, enraptured by the meaning behind this revelation. "He was not born here, but raised outside of our walls, taught our ways and language, and has accepted his role as our leader. My fellow Gerudo, allow me to have the pleasure to introduce the one who shall lead us into a new age, our future king, Jin!" Riju stepped to the side, making her queue for Jin to exit.

He wasted no time stepping outside into the light, with Ripp right behind there was some applause, many continued to murmur and gossip to those nearby.

Jin took a deep breath, and focused, "Greetings everyone, and thank you for coming." His opening line was in old Gerudo, which achieved its intended result of catching everyone's attention. All the whispers had stopped, and were fully focused on him. "Firstly, sarqso Lady Riju for the introduction. I can see that everyone here has great faith in her, and I hope you'll continue to support her as she continues to fulfill her role as Chief." This assured everyone that Riju was still chief. "However, I am fully aware that most everyone here doesn't know me. I was born outside of Gerudo Town, which resulted in no one here learning of my existence, and myself not knowing what my existence meant to the Gerudo as a whole." He wanted to be honest, to let them know that he was unaware of his birthright.

Jin scanned the crowed, gauging their reactions and emotions. "I want Gerudo Town to prosper. I want the Gerudo to prosper. But I have much to learn about ruling. As such, I make my first promise as king to all of you, right here and now." Everyone was watching with anticipation.

"For the first month after my inauguration, I will not make any changes." The crowd was stunned silent. Here was a voe saying that when he started his rule, he would do nothing. Was this some sort of joke to him? "Up until my inauguration, I will be learning everything I can from Chief Riju. After I start, I want to see how our town functions on a daily and weekly basis. Once I see how everything is run I can make decisions based on my and others observations. No good decision can be made without knowledge. That being said, I will, of course, step in if something egregious happens." He could see some of the Gerudo nod their heads, silently agreeing with his logic.

"I will be relying on Chief Riju, just like all of you have been doing. And I implore you all, if you have something that you wish to bring to my attention, please do. I want every Gerudo to thrive. If we all thrive as individuals, we can thrive as a kingdom…" He looked down, took a deep breath, and looked up again, eyes sharp.

"I will make this kingdom thrive! I will make our people proud! Long live the Gerudo!" Out of instinct he raised his bad arm into the air, doing his best not to flinch from the pain the action brought.

"Long live the Gerudo!" A good portion of the crowd mirrored his actions.

"Sarqso everyone, sav'aaq," Jin turned and made his way back inside, Ripp following. Some in the crowd cheered, while the rest either milled about talking or returned to their businesses. Riju and Buliara took a moment to watch the crowd before returning inside as well.

The throne room already had guards stationed. Everyone watched as Jin breathed deep, "WHEW! That was nerve wracking. Never made a public speech before, but I think that went well." He looked to his bodyguard, "What do you think, Ripp?"

Ripp looked impressed, "Are you sure that was your first speech? It seemed too good for a first."

Jin scratched his cheek, "Admittedly, I just pretended I was trying to make a business deal. THOSE I know how to make. I guess it translated rather well."

"I would agree," Riju said, walking up to the duo. "I have a good feeling your speech won over a few Gerudo already, but you still have a long way to go to fully earn the trust of our people."

He nodded, "Of course, I never expected one speech to win everyone's hearts. Can I rely on you to show me the ropes, Riju?"

Riju smiled with pride, "It would be my honor." She motioned for one of the guards attention, "Please fetch a comfortable chair for Jin, today he'll be assisting me in listening to reports from the guards and requests from the people."

The guard saluted, shouted "Yes chief!" and departed for a chair.

"I hope you're ready for the long haul, Jin. There's tons to learn, and your inauguration is only three months away."

If he was wearing sleeves today, Jin would have rolled them up, "Can someone get me some parchment? I'm going to want to take notes."

The rest of the day consisted of sitting next to Riju, listening to reports from guards, listening to the grievances of the people (which were thankfully nothing serious), and reports from couriers. Thanks to his business training, his notes were well organized. He was currently lying on his couch going over them, His clothes and weapons having been stored in and around the armoire.

"So how was your first day of training?" Riju asked Jin from her side of the room. She was currently reading one of the many books from the shelf. The one she was reading was full of excerpts from past Gerudo chiefs that served their kings.

Jin paused his reading to look towards her general direction, "As far as listening to reports all day goes, it was the single most entertaining thing I've ever witnessed in all my years of living," his voice was soaked in sarcasm, which Riju easily picked up on, making her laugh.

"I know, listening to reports is a boring part of the job, but a necessary one. You said so yourself, "no good decision can be made without knowledge,' correct?"

He shook his head, smiling, "Yes, yes I did, and I stand by it. Which is why I'm going over my notes now like a good little student," they both laughed in response.

"In all seriousness, you did well today during your speech. I haven't seen your notes from today, but if they're anything like the notes you made when writing your speech, I'm sure they're concise." Riju put her book down, and got off the couch to start changing for bed.

"I'd like to think they are. Good enough for me to understand anyway. While I'm not as good a spear twirler as my dad, I definitely take after him in terms of business acumen," Jin felt it was true, he leaned back and sighed, "too bad the tradeoff is being absolute shit with bows."

Riju, who was in the process of disrobing, paused to look towards Jin's direction, "Really? Most Gerudo warriors place high value on archery and other forms of combat."

"Sadly, it's true, but I make up for it by excelling with dual wielding swords. I'm pretty good with a spear, but definitely better with swords."

Riju resumed getting changed, "Don't forget we need to practice magic at some point."

Jin closed his book, "Ugh, thanks for THAT reminder. I think my arm will be back to normal in a few more days."

"Excellent," said Riju as she finished changing and made her way into her bed, "then we must make time for practice once you're healed."

Jin got up to get ready for bed as well, "Yeah, no use putting it off. I need to work on it at some point. Hopefully having a fellow magic user nearby will give me the push I need to finally master these abilities."

'I certainly hope the same for me,' Riju thought to herself, "We shall find out eventually. I'm tired now, so I'm going to try and go to sleep. Sav'orr Jin."

"I'm right behind ya, sav'orr Riju."

I'm almost done with my other story, so I want to put my focus on finishing that one before I go all in with this story. That's why I decided to upload this chapter even though I haven't finished the next one yet.