Chapter Two: The Power of Prophecy
"You seem a bit distracted this morning, Your Highness," Impa said when Zelda had tried (and failed) to hide her yawn behind her history book.
"I'm sorry, Impa," Zelda said sheepishly. "I had…one of those dreams again. They're becoming more vivid…"
In her mind's eye, Zelda again saw the swirling dark clouds, the flames, and the ray of light from the forest and she sighed deeply. She'd had prophetic dreams before, but never as many as in recent days, and never about anything that seemed so major. In the past, they had usually merely given her images of people she would meet, or perhaps symbolizing lessons she would learn from Impa.
Sadly, Impa was the only one who believed her dreams were predictions, while Father seemed to think they were nothing but the imagination of a child. He probably found the stories amusing, however, because she'd heard the castle guards whispering about her dreams before, even though she'd only ever told Impa and Father about them, and she knew Impa wouldn't tell anyone. As much as she loved Father, the fact that he'd told everyone about her dreams despite not believing them still hurt her, and it was partially because of that she'd taken to seeking solitude within the castle grounds more and more, though of course Impa always kept an eye on her and made sure she kept up with her studies.
"If your dreams truly foretell the future, then surely the person from the forest will come to meet you, Princess," Impa said. "Until that time, however, it is imperative that you learn as much as you can. Though Hyrule is at peace now, it was not when you were born, and it is evident that many trying times still lie ahead. The better you understand the realm's history, the better equipped you will be to lead it one day."
Zelda nodded. "I understand," she said, trying with renewed determination to focus on the subject of the lesson. As much as she loved history, though, that was really only when Impa was telling the stories herself, or when the book she was reading had an actual narrative. Here, everything was just presented as dry facts that might as well have been a shopping list of names and dates. The links between the described events and their relation to the bigger picture were hard to spot, even with Impa explaining the context.
At that moment, the door of the study opened and Father came in. "Ah, there you are," he said. "Gerudo King Ganondorf will arrive soon, and I want you to meet him as well. His efforts have been a major part in restoring the peace, and he will be our guest for a while ahead of him formally swearing fealty to Hyrule."
Zelda felt an uneasy feeling in her chest, but inclined her head regardless and said, "Of course, Father. I'll be in the courtyard shortly."
Father smiled warmly at her and said, "Excellent. I'll see you in a moment, then."
He left the room and Zelda helplessly looked at Impa. "I can't shake the feeling that this man is bad news," she said. "The storm clouds in my dreams always come from the desert…"
"You will be perfectly safe, Your Highness," Impa said. "I will be there to protect you. But it is important for you to show goodwill, at least outwardly. Your father can't afford to offend the Gerudo King at this time, despite their surrender to us."
Zelda nodded miserably. "I know…" she said.
She sighed and then gave Impa a small smile. "I'm glad you're here, at least."
Impa returned her smile and said, "I will always protect you, Princess Zelda, for as long as I am able."
Zelda tried not to fidget as she stood next to Father in the main courtyard. She knew Impa was nearby and keeping an eye out, but as one of the Sheikah, she was meant to remain out of sight of anyone except the Hyrulian Royal Family, even foreign monarchs.
A herald entered the courtyard and said, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I present His Majesty, King Ganondorf of the Gerudo!"
Unlike other foreign dignitaries Zelda had met in her life, Ganondorf traveled without an entourage, but that did not make him any less imposing. He rode a magnificent black stallion and rather than wearing royal robes, he was clad in dark leather armor, with a short, unassuming sword on his left hip. He dismounted a short distance away from Father and Zelda, appearing entirely unbothered by the many guards surrounding him in the courtyard and the archers on the battlements.
Spreading his arms wide in greeting, Father approached Ganondorf. Though Father was by no means a small man, Ganondorf was taller still, as well as being younger and more muscular.
"Welcome, Your Majesty," Father said. "I trust your journey went well?"
Ganondorf inclined his head. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he said. His voice was deep and while it sounded refined, Zelda felt that there was something bestial underneath it, somehow. "The journey was long, but uneventful. Furthermore, there is no need to be so formal. After all, I will soon be just another of your subjects."
"Ah, but until then, the courtesies must be observed," Father said genially. "Come, let me introduce you to my daughter, Princess Zelda."
He extended his arm to let Ganondorf go first, and Zelda stood up straight as he approached, for all the difference it made in height between her as a ten-year-old girl and this towering Gerudo king.
"Your Majesty," Zelda said with a curtsy when Ganondorf approached. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, Your Highness," Ganondorf said with a small bow.
Up close, Zelda could see his eyes, and though they were gold, they were as hard as steel, and his smile was closer to a smirk than anything else. At that moment Zelda knew that Ganondorf was indeed the incarnation of the dark clouds from her dreams. It took all her self-control to keep her eyes on Ganondorf's, though she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when Ganondorf looked away again and began a conversation with Father as they entered the castle.
Zelda herself followed at a short distance, only now realizing that her heart was pounding like crazy. Ganondorf didn't merely radiate confidence, but a strange kind of power as well, and suddenly even the large number of guards in and around the castle felt like it would be enough to stop Ganondorf, if he sought to start trouble. She wasn't sure if even Impa would be able to fight him.
Of course, at the moment, Zelda wasn't exactly sure why Ganondorf would start a fight, other than her feeling telling her he was dangerous. She'd have to find out more about him in the time he would spend at the castle, and there was no better time to start than at the banquet Father had prepared for dinner in Ganondorf's honor that night, which she would be required to attend, so she resolved to keep her eyes and ears open. A small smile played on her lips. What would Impa say if she knew Zelda would be playing Sheikah that evening…?
Despite being seated close to Ganondorf, sitting at Father's right hand while Ganondorf as the guest of honor sat at the head of the table next to him, dinner was excruciatingly boring and mundane. Father, Ganondorf, and the many invited Hylian dignitaries from the Castle Town and other cities and villages around Hyrule, were mostly discussing logistics and the costs of rebuilding after the long civil war, but as far as anything useful went, Zelda was drawing a blank.
As dinner neared its end and the various guests began to mingle around the dining hall while a troupe of performers juggled and cartwheeled around the dance floor in the center, Zelda retreated back to a bench in the side of the hall, wearily regarding the mass of people. She wished Impa wouldn't have to keep herself hidden so she would at least have someone to talk to, though part of her was also glad that none of the dignitaries had asked for her opinion on the logistical situation in the kingdom. She'd only barely begun learning about that sort of thing in the first place, and she didn't want to make Father look bad by getting something wrong.
"You look quite pensive, Your Highness. Are you not enjoying the festivities?" a deep voice asked, and Zelda was shaken from her thoughts, somewhat shocked to see that Ganondorf had approached her, wearing the same cold-eyed smirk as earlier that day.
"I am, Your Majesty. I am merely a bit tired," Zelda said quickly, even as she felt her mouth going dry. She quickly let her eyes dart around the dining hall, praying that someone would take notice and come and help her.
"Does my presence make you nervous?" Ganondorf asked, and Zelda could hear that he sounded amused.
Before she could answer, he went on, "I presume you haven't seen many Gerudo before, nor have heard many good things about us."
"I have…heard you are a fierce and proud people," Zelda said carefully.
"Indeed…" Ganondorf said slowly. "And what do your dreams tell you?"
Zelda's eyes widened and her heart beat a million times per minute. "My…my dreams?" she repeated.
"I heard some of your guards mention that you have prophetic dreams," Ganondorf said. "My people greatly value prophecy and so I could not help but wonder…is it true?"
His eyes seemed to pierce Zelda's very soul, but before she could answer, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty, but Her Highness the princess needs her rest. I am afraid you will have to continue your conversation some other time," Impa said, having seemingly materialized out of the shadows themselves.
Ganondorf coldly regarded her for a moment and a flash of anger crossed his face, but then he inclined his head. "Of course," he said. "I wish you pleasant dreams, then, Your Highness," he went on, now smirking again, and then he turned around and walked away, while Impa led Zelda out of the dining hall.
"Thank you, Impa," Zelda said quietly as they walked through the empty hallway, away from the party.
"I'm afraid your desire to obtain information was somewhat less than subtle, Your Highness. For future reference, when attempting to eavesdrop while in the same room as your target, try not to stare at them quite so intently," Impa said.
Zelda winced. And she thought she'd been subtle, too…
"I, um…" she said.
"I do not mean this as a rebuke," Impa said. "It was wise to seek more information, but you must learn subtlety, both in your own behavior and in the behavior of others."
"What do you mean?" Zelda asked. "I mean, I understand what you mean in my case," she amended, feeling her face flush a bit, "but what about the rest?"
Zelda and Impa entered Zelda's bedroom and Impa closed the door behind them, gesturing for Zelda to sit on her bed.
"The conversation at dinner," Impa began. "What was it about?"
Zelda cocked her head. "The process of rebuilding the damage from the war?" she asked.
"On the surface, yes," Impa said. "But what Ganondorf was truly interested in was the food supply and the military presence in those areas. He steered the conversation in that direction when he could, and though he hid it under a guise of altruism and providing aid, what he truly did was looking for weaknesses."
Zelda felt a chill going down her spine.
"Your father has surely noticed it," Impa said, "But his heart is set on peace, and so he will ignore that warning. Ganondorf approaching you was similarly meant to gauge potential weaknesses. He was not lying about the value the Gerudo put in prophecy. After all, it was prophecy that declared him king, being the first male Gerudo to be born in a century. Of course, he would be worried about any prophecies here that might expose his true nature. The less he knows about the content of your dreams, the better."
Zelda nodded slowly. "You found all of that out just by observing tonight?" she asked.
Impa smiled faintly. "We Sheikah learn secrecy from childhood. It is…not a life I would wish for you, if truth be told, but it would be well if you were to learn some of the Sheikah's skills."
Her smile became marginally bigger. "And I think you would have less trouble staying awake in such lessons, too…"
I liked writing this chapter. I wanted to make it clear that, despite Zelda's prophetic dreams, she really is still just a kid, too, and I think I did a decent job. Feel free to share your own opinion on it, though! See you in the next one!