To Capture the Heart of a Hero
Chapter 44 – Gerudo Desert
Not even a week had passed since the meeting at Telma's bar, and yet plans had been made, wagons had been prepared, guards had been assembled, and the Princess was once again ready to embark on a journey across the Kingdom. It was honestly surprising how quickly things had come together. Similar to Zelda, both the King and Hyrule Council had expressed great joy upon hearing of the Gerudo's return, and insisted upon sending the young Princess and Hero out to the desert to greet them at once.
Fortunately, it was rather easy to organize such a trip, for the Kingdom had already accomplished it just weeks prior. It was basically as if the tour across the Kingdom had just been slightly extended, with one more location added to the list. It also helped to have Telma acting as a reliable "go-between" for both the government and the Gerudo. With her carrying out the conversations, things proceeded smoothly and successfully right up until the day of departure.
Which is how Zelda now found herself mounted on Reina, traveling across the green fields of Hyrule amongst a procession of wagons, horses, and guards. Naturally, Link accompanied them as well, riding safely by her side. There were also plenty of other familiar faces to be found, since most of the guards and the chef from the previous journey had been selected to travel with the Princess once again. Even Minister Fost had elected to tag along for another round of adventuring, although he made sure to voice his concerns about meeting these strange people in an undeveloped land, where there may very well be no food or water or warm beds.
However, there was one new face joining the procession this time around. It was the old tutor known as Auru, a man of the Resistance as well as a respected member of the Roundtable. Upon hearing of the Gerudo's sudden return, he had simply insisted on coming along. He had spent a good portion of his life studying the various provinces and civilizations of Hyrule, and the Gerudo Desert was no exception to that. With all the giddiness of an excited schoolboy, he dreamed of meeting the ancient desert-dwellers and learning more about their culture. So, due to his passion and his vast knowledge on the subject at hand, Zelda allowed him to join the tour. She figured that having the old scholar around might prove useful for greeting the Gerudo, and no one else seemed to have an issue with his participation.
Well, no one except for Ashei, who felt like she was missing out again. But, as always, everyone just sighed and ignored her.
"What are you smiling about?"
Zelda blinked, suddenly realizing that the Hero was staring over at her with a bright grin. She too held a positive smirk on her lips, no doubt due to her thoughts on the incessant female Knight back at the castle.
"Nothing," she said with a slight shake of her head. A warm wind rushed past them, blowing some of her hair into her face, but she just calmly brushed it back behind her ears. "I'm just enjoying the journey."
"Of course," Link replied, suddenly recalling how little time she spent away from her castle and the duties there. "I guess it's pretty lucky that you get to set off again so soon."
"Yes, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that I was spoiled," Zelda joked.
Link just laughed. "Well, this trip is technically work-related too, so I guess it's not the most freeing."
"I suppose not, but it is a nice change of pace."
Link smiled at the Princess and her ever-present optimism. "Tell me, how are you feeling about meeting these 'Gerudo'? This is going to be a historical moment, right?"
Zelda nodded before glancing down. "Yes, I'm very excited, but I'm admittedly a little nervous as well. I've never had the chance to meet these people before, so I'm not fully sure what to expect. Telma even handled all of the communications for us, so no one in the castle has made direct contact with them. It almost feels like we've planned a blind trip into the desert, and now we have to hope that the Gerudo are actually there and that Telma isn't just pranking us."
Link laughed as he shook his head. "She wouldn't do that." He then paused, taking a second to think it over. "Well, probably not…"
"Yes, I'm not sure that I would put it past her either," Zelda said with a smirk. "But assuming that she hasn't been leading us on a wild cucco chase, I very much look forward to meeting the Gerudo and establishing friendly relations with them."
"Well said," Link agreed.
"And how about you? How do you feel about coming across this new group of people? This will be your first time visiting someone that you didn't encounter on your adventure during the Twilight Invasion, after all."
Link slowly nodded before smiling. "I feel the same as you: excited, but a little nervous. Still, I'm always happy to make new friends of course." He then paused for a second. "That is, if they actually are friendly. Based on what Telma said, it sounds as if the Gerudo can be rather hostile at times."
"Oh, only the most hostile, if you go by bedtime stories," a third voice suddenly interjected. It was soon accompanied by a chuckle as well.
Link and Zelda glanced over to spot Auru riding up beside them with a grin on his face. Much to Fost's disapproval, the old scholar had also chosen to ride on horseback as opposed to joining the Minister in the carriage he had arranged. He claimed that it reminded him of his youth, to journey across the green sunlit fields with nothing but a horse and saddle beneath him.
"I'm sure you've been warned that the Gerudo are very fierce warriors," Auru continued as he now rode in step with his companions. "But they're not as aggressive as the stories make them out to be. Long ago, they were said to be a friendly but reserved people that mostly kept to themselves. Seeing as how they've kindly invited us to visit them after all this time, I imagine that they'll treat us with great hospitality."
Link smiled a bit. "So I won't have to worry about finding myself on the wrong end of a spear?"
"Unlikely, my boy," Auru said with another shake of his head. "Just think of the Gerudo as people who behave like Telma. After all, she is among their number."
At this, Link gave the scholar a deadpan look. "But Telma is one of the most dangerous women I know."
Auru simply chuckled. "Aye, that's true..."
It took almost an entire day's worth of travel to reach their destination. They had to stop and make camp once the sun set, but they resumed their journey at the next dawn. Eventually, the green grass of Hyrule Field turned to plains of sand beneath their horses' hooves. From here, they planned to travel straight into the heart of the desert, where the giant sanctum known as the Arbiter's Grounds stood tall and proud. According to Telma, the Gerudo had situated themselves right in front of the ancient stone structure where the Bulblins had once had a campsite, and it was there where the royal procession would finally meet one of Hyrule's long lost peoples.
Upon reaching the endless plains of sand that was the Gerudo Desert, the party had to slow down their speed considerably. It turned out that the wagons of supplies, as well as Fost's carriage, didn't travel too well over the constant hills and valleys forged by wind and sand. With each mound they crested, they had to make sure to keep a slow but steady pace, lest the wagons would tumble to one side due to the uneven ground. Needless to say, it created quite the uncomfortable riding experience for those inside.
"I say," Fost cursed as he stuck his head out of the carriage window. "We really ought to have a road paved out here. This borders on barbaric."
The heat was also incredibly uncomfortable. With a clear sky and few sources of shade, it was no surprise that the sun simply scorched the desert from dawn until dusk. Still, the travelers managed the heat by donning white cloaks and hoods to keep the sun off of them. It was still uncomfortably hot, of course, but at least it was bearable.
Around midday, when the sun was approaching its peak, the travelers spotted their destination in the distance. Zelda took a moment to admire the large circular structure, accentuated by six grand pillars that breached the sky. The last time she had been here, Midna had departed from this world. She soon glanced over to Link, and from his expression, she assumed that he was thinking the same thing.
Nevertheless, the journey continued onwards. It wasn't long before they spotted the first signs of the Gerudo Tribe. A great number of tents had been set up on the ruins of the Bulblins' old camp, but there was much more than that too. There were wagons and crates and canopies and horses that were contained in a fenced-in area off to the side, and cats and camels and bonfires with meals roasting over them, and carpets and old pieces of wooden furniture and many other things that were beyond recognition. It almost felt chaotic, looking over this assortment of homes, possessions and livestock. But it was exciting too, and the travelers couldn't take their eyes away from the unique culture that was unfolding before them.
They soon spotted the locals as well. Those that were outside stopped what they were doing and admired the visitors, while those that were inside their tents soon crawled out and did the same. Similarly, the visitors admired their hosts with eyes widened in amazement.
Zelda had seen portraits of the Gerudo before in ancient library texts, so for her, they appeared exactly as she expected them to. For Link, on the other hand, this was an entirely new experience. As Epona walked through the countless rows of tents, he gladly gazed out at the masses that congregated around them and began to study them.
Sure enough, they were all women. Their ages ranged from old ladies that walked with a hunch in their back to infants and toddlers resting in their mothers' arms. But they were all clearly female, and they all had similar traits as well. From their naturally dark skin to their long, beautiful hair that was cast into many shades of red. Some of the reds were bright like fire while others were pure like rubies while some still were so dark that they almost bordered on being shades of purple.
Their manner of dress was fairly consistent as well. They each wore tops that covered their bosoms while leaving their arms, shoulders, and midriffs completely exposed. Some wore skirts with slits to expose their long legs while others wore bright, puffy pants with intricate designs sewn into them. Most of them wore pointed shoes, some with heels and some without, and yet some even went completely barefoot. Link couldn't help but wonder if they ever burned their feet when they walked around on the scorching sand like that. Additionally, many of them were decorated in lavish jewelry. From golden bracelets to armbands to ring-like earrings to hair decorations to tassels hanging from their skirts. There were even gems and medallions adorning their outfits. Suddenly, Link felt reminded of all those rumors about the Gerudo being infamous bandits, and upon seeing all of this, he wasn't quite sure if they had been rumors after all. How else would they have acquired all of this wealth if not for thievery?
But Link pushed such thoughts from his mind as their procession quickly came to a halt at the center of camp. Everyone soon dismounted from their steeds and exited from their wagons before facing their hosts. They also made sure to remove their white cloaks, so they would be perfectly visible to the crowds that gathered around them. The Gerudo approached with expressions ranging from surprised to curious, and they seemed to hold a great interest in these fresh visitors.
Naturally, Zelda just greeted them all with a warm smile before properly addressing them. "Greetings, Gerudo Tribe. It is a great honor to be with you all today. I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and I have come to greet you and welcome you back to our humble Kingdom. Tell me, is there a Chief Kanora here whom I may have the pleasure of meeting?"
There was silence for a moment, the Gerudo too awed by their guests to do or say anything helpful, but they soon parted as a sole woman stepped before the Princess. She was tall (all of the Gerudo were, actually), with long red hair tied into a ponytail, and with fierce yet curious eyes. Her age was uncertain, but she appeared rather young, perhaps in her late twenties or early thirties. Her outfit consisted of a blue top embroidered with patterns of gold, and a long blue slitted skirt to match it. Much like her sisters, she wore a great number of golden treasures and shiny gems. She eventually looked Zelda up and down before her lips twitched into a friendly smile.
"Ah, spoken like a true Princess," the woman said, using a surprisingly light tone. "So, you must be Telma's young friend. It is a pleasure to meet you! Come, come, we must shake hands."
Ordinarily, Zelda would have initiated the friendly handshake, but this woman just strutted right up and clenched Zelda's hand before she even had the chance. She shook it enthusiastically, while Zelda just stood there, feeling a little stunned by her forwardness. However, what stunned her even more was when the woman ran a hand through a lock of her dark brown hair, and used her other hand to cup Zelda's cheek.
"My, what a young beauty you are," she mused as her expression softened. "You surely hold the image that is worthy of a Princess. How charming."
Zelda just took an uncomfortable step back, feeling positively dumbstruck at how friendly this woman was, and how she seemed to hold no boundaries whatsoever. "I, um…"
The woman blinked before placing a hand to her temple. "Oh, where are my manners? I ought to introduce myself! I am Kanora, the current Chief of the Gerudo Tribe, and a good friend of Telma's." She soon went into a bow of sorts, just ever so slightly lifting her skirt in order to curtsy.
Zelda still felt a bit taken aback by this woman, but she mirrored the curtsy for the sake of showing respect. "The pleasure is all mine," she insisted, somehow finding her voice among the awkwardness.
However, things only grew more awkward when Kanora raised her head and glanced around at the Gerudo with an expectant gaze. "Come now, ladies. Don't just stand there gawking at our lovely guests who have traveled so far to meet us. Give them a proper welcome!"
Zelda had expected a great applause in their honor, but to her surprise (and perhaps horror), the Gerudo actually started to break free of the crowds and approach them directly. A moment later, not only Zelda, but all of her companions had been surrounded by Gerudo who had come to welcome them personally.
"Oh, what an honor it is to meet you, Princess," one of them said as they freely clasped her hands. "Thank you for visiting our humble frontier."
Zelda tried to smile in spite of being caught off guard like this. "Oh, the pleasure is all mine, really."
To her surprise, she soon felt a pair of hands running along her dress. "Such a pretty fabric. It really suits her."
"Yes," another woman agreed as she ran a hand over Zelda's long braid. "Isn't she just a doll?"
Zelda shivered before immediately taking a step back and grasping at both her dress and hair. She didn't intend to be so rude, but she really was not comfortable with them touching her like this!
Fortunately, the Gerudo thought nothing of it. In fact, Kanora just chuckled. "Oh, do be careful with her, would you? We wouldn't want to scare her off when we just had the pleasure of meeting."
The rest of the ladies laughed as well. "No, of course not, Chief."
One Gerudo who was surprisingly buff just crossed her arms. "She just needs some time to warm up to us."
Zelda couldn't help but blush a bit as she suddenly realized what exactly she was confronting. Auru had been right on the mark earlier when he said that dealing with the Gerudo would be the same as dealing with Telma. In fact, they all acted just like her! Far too forward and friendly and playful with no respect for boundaries or secrets!
Zelda inwardly cursed the barmaid. She had a feeling that if Telma were here with them, she'd be laughing too.
Kanora soon noticed her expression and placed a far-too-friendly hand on her shoulder. "Oh, do be at ease, Princess. We are all friends here, and I assure you that we are only trying to say hello. I told Telma that we had a great interest in meeting you, and I meant it."
Zelda scowled a bit before taking a deep breath and composing herself. Despite her discomfort, she knew that she was expected to maintain the elegant disposition of a Royal Princess, so that was exactly what she did. Besides, now that she knew what exactly she was facing, she knew how best to deal with it. She just had to treat the Gerudo the same way that she treated Telma: friendly but strict and to the point.
"Ahem," Zelda said, clearing her throat. "Yes, well, as grateful as I am for such a warm welcome, I really would prefer that you keep your hands to yourselves. It is rather impolite to treat someone you just met so casually."
Kanora raised her eyebrows in surprise. "My, what a silver tongue you have. Truly befitting of your status, no doubt. Apologies, Princess. We will keep our touch to ourselves for now."
Zelda smiled a bit. At least Kanora seemed to be understanding and sincere, if nothing else. "Thank you," she said with a small nod of the head.
"Although…I must ask. Does this request extend to your companions as well?"
Zelda blinked, looking confused, while Kanora simply pointed past her, to where Link and the rest stood. Zelda quickly turned around only to witness a scene straight out of a horror story. All of the men, from Link to Auru to Fost to the chef to the servants to even the guards, had Gerudo women standing close and touching them in rather inappropriate ways. Well, truth be told it was mostly innocent touches to the men's arms or shoulders, but for strangers, Zelda felt that it was inappropriate enough! And of course, the worst case of them all was the woman standing next to Link, gently using a finger to stroke under his chin. The Hero just stood frozen in place, his face red and his mouth hanging open.
Zelda suddenly felt a fire burst to life within her. She clenched her fists and stared daggers at the woman next to him. It was one thing to see Ilia being affectionate with Link, but it was far worse from some random woman out here in the desert. Zelda simply wouldn't stand for it!
"Oh, absolutely not!" the Princess exclaimed, honestly surprised at how upset she sounded. But she didn't care. All she could think about was saving Link from the arms of his captor. "Tell them to withdraw at once!" she demanded.
Kanora produced a somewhat sad smile, but nodded. "Of course, Princess. Ladies, please do give those men some space! They are not prey waiting to be dined upon!"
Many of the women cast their Chief disgruntled looks, but they soon obeyed, withdrawing their hands and either crossing them or keeping them at their sides.
Kanora then bridged her fingers together, as if she was attempting to appear innocent. "Do forgive them, Princess. We have no men here, so I'm sure you understand how…hmm, enticing, it is to provide them with our undivided attention."
That's a fancy way of saying 'seduce', Zelda thought with a frown. She was quickly realizing that the Chief likely had her own tongue of silver.
"Speaking of men," Kanora continued suddenly, "Telma claimed that you would be bringing the great Hero along with you. The one who recently saved your land from the threat of Twilight. Tell me, is he among your number?"
Zelda sighed, but soon nodded. "Yes, he is. Link, would you kindly step forward?"
At this, the crowds fell strangely silent, and all eyes turned to Link who slowly and nervously stepped forward to meet them. Underneath their collective gaze, he suddenly felt rather shy, but he supposed that this was also due in part to the Gerudo women who had so flippantly started flirting with him just a moment ago. Still, he kept his composure enough to approach the Gerudo Chief and give her a polite bow.
"It is an honor to meet you, Chief Kanora," he mumbled.
"Oh, you must be Link, the Hero of Twilight," the Chief replied, looking positively charmed. She soon took his hand, and instead of shaking it, gave it a long, affectionate squeeze. As she did, Link felt the steam of the moment rise straight to his cheeks. "How lovely it is to meet you, dear."
A second later, Kanora released his hand, and the Hero suddenly found himself surrounded by women once again. They leaned in close, studying him with their eyes, as if he was some magnificent specimen. The women soon began to make comments as well, and naturally, since Link was standing right next to them, he caught every word.
"This is the mighty Hero? He is nothing but a young boy."
Another Gerudo soon pushed the first aside. "Speak for yourself. He looks like a charming young man to me…"
"But he's hardly got any muscles. Why, he's as thin as a twig." This woman then reached over and lifted Link's arm in order to show the others, but soon paused and began feeling it up with admiration. "Ooh, on second thought, there is some muscle here. Why do you bury it beneath all of these clothes, Hero?"
Link just opened and closed his mouth a few times, too startled to properly form any sort of words. Originally, he had been warned that the Gerudo were fearsome warriors that you would never want to anger or offend. And yet, in reality, they truly did seem to be rather friendly. In fact, they were almost a little too friendly! He thought that dealing with the ladies of the castle was bad, but this was honestly a nightmare!
Meanwhile, Kanora just laughed as she watched the ladies admire the Hero from top to bottom. She soon turned to Zelda. "Ah, Princess, it really was kind of you to bring us such a lovely man. He's a wonderful gift, and we'll gladly treasure him forever."
Zelda just glared at the woman. She assumed that she was joking, but this was certainly no time for jokes! "Kanora, he's not here for you to have your way with him," she muttered through clenched teeth.
Kanora just tried to appear innocent again under the rays of her fiery gaze. "Oh, but what if the Hero takes an interest in us? Surely it would be wrong to deny him a taste of our affection?"
"I can't imagine that he would ever desire such a thing," Zelda replied, practically spitting fire. "I'll have you know that he's already in a relationship, and he's not seeking the comfort of another."
This gave the Chief some pause, and she looked Zelda over with a surprised expression. "Ah, my sincerest apologies. I did not realize that you had already snatched this one up, Princess."
This time, Zelda was the one who froze. What was she suggesting? That Zelda and Link were in a relationship together? That's certainly how it sounded!
Zelda ended up gawking for a bit before the heat appropriately rose in her cheeks and she felt the need to look away in embarrassment. "N-No, you're mistaken," she stuttered. "Link is actually in a relationship with someone else."
"Oh?" Kanora pried, looking ever more curious. "Not with you?"
"No," Zelda reiterated bluntly.
Kanora put a finger to her cheek before staring up into the sky, as if lost in thought. "Huh, and here I thought that you might hold some sort of affection for him. You certainly seemed eager to shoo all of the women away from him. I simply assumed that he must be your beloved."
Zelda remained silent as she glared daggers at the Chief. All the while, she wondered if there was a polite way to tell someone to "shut up already".
Nevertheless, Kanora seemed to pick up the hint that enough was enough. With a smirk of glee, she addressed the Gerudo. "Ladies, let's try to remember to keep an appropriate distance from the Hero, hmm? It seems that his heart is already sworn to another fair maiden, and that is something that we would never wish to tread upon."
Again, there were more disgruntled murmurs but the women soon backed away, finally giving the Hero some much-needed space to breathe. Link just slowly inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down. He wasn't sure he had ever been so flustered in all his life. But then again, he had never had this many women fawning over him either! It was incredibly uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the Gerudo's attention seemed to be moving on for the moment, as Kanora soon approached Fost and Auru with a friendly smirk. "Oh, and who are these wily codgers? They look like proper gentlemen, I should think."
"I'm Minister Fost of the esteemed Hyrule Council," the short man said as he bravely extended a hand. "It is an honor to meet you, Chief Kanora."
"Oh, a councilman," Kanora said with wide eyes. She soon accepted his hand. "What an honor, indeed. And your lovely companion here?"
"I'm Auru, mam. I'm nobody too important. Just an old scholar that's interested in studying history and culture."
"Oh, you speak so humbly," Kanora said, looking charmed once again. "Surely you are more distinguished than you claim? I imagine that you must be quite literate."
Aura provided a harmless chuckle as well as a wave of his hand. "You are too kind," he insisted.
Kanora smiled before taking a step back, and allowing the onlooking Gerudo to step in once more, almost on cue. Surprisingly, they seemed to have taken just as much of an interest in the older gentleman as they did the young. And naturally, they made all of their thoughts perfectly clear.
"Mercy, he's short," said one Gerudo who stared squarely down at Fost. "Are we sure he is to be called a grandfather? Is he not actually a grandchild?"
"Oh, don't be silly," another said. "Look at his bald head, graying hair, and wrinkles. He is clearly an elder who has begun to shrink."
"I say!" Fost scoffed, looking incredibly embarrassed. "To say such things so blatantly! And to my own face!"
The women all laughed, as if they found his outburst amusing. "Oh, do be calm, Minister. We are only appreciating your appearance."
"Yes," another agreed. "Believe it or not, you look perfectly charming for your age. Just say the word, and we'd be happy to keep you company."
Fost gawked as his face turned redder than ever, but he soon shut his trap and proudly looked away. "Absolutely not! I'll have you know that my heart beats solely for another."
"Oh, another taken man?" the women whispered, some of them looking quite sad.
"What of his companion?" one asked as she turned to Auru. "Surely you have an interest in the opposite sex, hmm?"
Auru simply laughed, trying to downplay their advances. "Forgive me, but I believe that my days of entertaining the lovely young ladies of Hyrule are far behind me."
"Who said that we're all young?" one of the older Gerudo suddenly spoke up. She gladly approached Auru and gave him a friendly wink. "Many of us are quite 'experienced', if you will, sir."
If Auru had any reaction to this, he didn't let it show, although Link did feel like the scholar's face had turned slightly redder than usual.
Kanora just sighed as she crossed her arms. "Oh, grandmother, do ease up, would you? I swear, trying to run this Tribe is like trying to run a pack of wild animals."
Zelda just stared at the Chief with a frown. "Kanora, I sincerely hope that you keep your promise. I don't want any of my companions being seduced into something that they do not wish to partake in. You must promise to keep your distance unless your presence is openly welcomed."
Kanora turned to the Princess with a sad, almost pouting look. "But where is the fun in that, Princess? Are we not meant to make any friendships at all? Not even with these young, brave soldiers in their bright, shiny armor?"
Zelda scowled a bit. She couldn't even believe that she was having this conversation. But then again, she had always read that the Gerudo needed to mate with outsiders in order to propagate, so she supposed that she couldn't hold their natural curiosity and desires against them. Nevertheless, there had to be rules.
"As I said, you may spend time with any of my companions who are willing to accept you. But please do not force yourselves onto them. And also, I would appreciate it if you made sure that your charming 'friendships' don't distract any of the men from their duties. I count on them to stay alert at all times."
Kanora brightly smiled before nodding. "Oh, yes, yes of course. We understand that there is a time for pleasure and a time for business. We would never wish to intrude upon that, Princess, and I assure you we won't."
Zelda scowled some more, not fully trusting such an innocent act. It seemed plenty apparent to the Princess that if you gave the Gerudo an inch, they would take a mile. She would have to be on her guard during this trip, not just for her sake, but for her men's as well.
"Now then," said Kanora, clapping her hands together before glancing around. "It is time for some proper recognition. Where did the young Hero get off to?"
"Um, here," Link called out nervously. He nearly froze as all the eyes turned to him once again. Fortunately, Zelda was standing near him at this point, and it set his heart at ease to have such a friendly presence close by.
"Ah, yes, there you are," Kanora said before walking over and facing Link directly. "Please, allow our Tribe to honor you, oh wonderful Hero."
Link raised his eyebrows, and was about to ask what she meant, when all of a sudden, the Gerudo moved in unison. Every woman, from the oldest grannies to even the youngest toddlers, lowered their knees down to the sand and bowed low. Their heads touched the ground as well, and they brought their hands together to lay flat in front of them. Naturally, they all faced in Link's direction. It wasn't long before they all spoke up in one collective voice.
"How deep is our gratitude, great Hero. May your days be blessed by the Goddesses and Spirits."
Link just stood there, feeling stunned. He soon glanced at Zelda, who held a similar expression. Neither one of them quite understood what was happening. If Link didn't know any better, it almost looked like they were worshiping him, with their heads bowed in prayer. But that couldn't possibly be right, could it? Why would anyone ever want to worship someone like him?
A second after their voices rang out into the air, the Gerudo all rose to their feet once again. They still faced the Hero, but this time with sincere smiles and looks of gratitude. Again, Link was baffled. Why did it seem like it had ended almost as quickly as it had started?
Kanora also provided him with a bright smile, but it didn't take long for her to notice his confusion. "Ah, what is the matter, Hero? Was that not to your satisfaction?"
Link just struggled to find his words. "I, um…suppose that it wasn't dissatisfying, but, er…what exactly was that?"
"I am rather curious as well," Zelda chimed in, looking equally perplexed.
"You don't understand?" Kanora inquired, looking shocked. "I thought it should be quite obvious. It was our way of showing thanks to you, wonderful Hero."
"Er…but why?"
Kanora blinked. "Well, you are the Hero who saved Hyrule and defeated the evil tyrant, Ganondorf, are you not?"
Link frowned. "Well, yes I am, but I don't understand why that constitutes such a grand display of gratitude."
"Agreed," Zelda said, backing him up. "While I too believe that Link should be praised for his achievements, I can't determine what has brought this on. Unless I'm mistaken, the Gerudo were never subjected to the horrors of the Twilight Invasion, correct?"
Kanora stared at the both of them for another moment, before realization crossed her face. "Oh, I see. You don't know what you have done for our people. You have no understanding of our eternal gratitude."
"Your eternal gratitude?" Link repeated, feeling rather uneasy as he uttered the central word.
"Yes, Hero, I assure you that you deserve nothing less. Not after everything you have done to bless our people. To free us from a curse that has lasted for centuries."
"Er…what do you mean?" Link asked slowly.
Kanora just gave him a gentle smile. "Be calm, Hero, and I will make it all clear. Tell me, how familiar are you with your great foe? How much did you know about the terrible and mighty Ganondorf?"
Link glanced at Zelda while he answered. "Um, not much. He was an evil man who lived centuries ago, right? But then he was sentenced to imprisonment in the Twilight Realm, and there he existed as an immortal spirit of hatred until he finally escaped and tried to conquer Hyrule."
"Yes, and then you kindly put a stop to him by ending his life," Kanora concluded, still smiling. "However, that is not all there is to that foul ogre's story. You see, we Gerudo share very close ties to that tyrant, for he is our kin."
Link didn't quite understand, but Zelda was quick to grasp what she was saying. "Ganondorf was a Gerudo?"
Kanora nodded. "I see that you understand what this means, dear Princess."
"Well, I'm afraid that I'm still lost," Link said sadly.
To his surprise, Kanora just giggled. "Patience, great Hero. I shall explain. Now, I'm sure you've heard before that we Gerudo consist only of women, and that our mothers only ever bear daughters, but that is not entirely true. You see, once roughly every hundred years, a special Gerudo child is born: a son. This is a rare phenomenon that is greatly celebrated among our people. So celebrated is this child that he is often recognized as King, and we place him even higher than our Tribe's Chief."
Link nodded, slowly beginning to understand. "So Ganondorf was a Gerudo King, born hundreds of years ago?"
"Precisely, my handsome young Hero. Our Tribe's history tells us that he too once ruled over our people, but it did not last before disaster struck. According to the tales of old, Ganondorf betrayed the King of Hyrule, and was subsequently banished into the Twilight Realm where he rested, biding his time until the current day where he chose to strike again. It is said that our people were glad to be rid of such a tyrant, but it was a short-lived happiness. For you see, our people eventually discovered that we had been cursed by Ganondorf's very existence."
"What do you mean?" Zelda asked, supplying the question that was on Link's mind as well.
"Oh, it is a great tragedy. One that plagued us for centuries," Kanora said as she held a hand over her heart. At first, Link thought she might just be exaggerating, but he soon discovered that she genuinely did seem to be lamenting their past. "You see, there can only ever be one Gerudo King. One male heir to ascend our throne. As long as one King breathes, another will never be born. Do you understand what this meant for our people? As long as Ganondorf survived, immortal in that distant realm, we would be forever left without a King. Cursed to never know the joy of bearing a son. Of having a strong, reliable man to lead our people. We managed to get by, of course, but this was a terrible existence that we had to accept. One which we could not change, and simply endured…
"That is…until a certain Hero came along and freed us of our shackles," Kanora said, her bright smile returning. "Do you understand our gratitude now, Hero? Once Ganondorf was finally slain at your hand, our people were liberated. Our opportunity to be blessed with a son has been bestowed upon us once again. Every woman in our Tribe now has the chance to bear a King. Oh, it is such an exciting time for our people, and after centuries of sorrow, no less."
Link just stood there, feeling awed at what he was being told. "I…I had no idea," he said quietly. "I was just trying to save the Kingdom. I didn't realize that I was also undoing such a long-held curse."
"Oh, but our people are in your debt all the same, good Hero," Kanora said with a bow of her head. "We will forever be grateful for what you have done. We will write your name on our tapestries and we will tell stories of your adventures and we will teach our children to sing your praises for years to come."
Link nervously smiled. "W-Well…I don't think you need to go that far…"
Kanora firmly shook her head. "Nonsense. The savior of our people deserves nothing less! Isn't that right, ladies?"
Without warning, all of the Gerudo suddenly began chanting in one strong, unified voice. "Long live Link, the Hero of Twilight, Savior of the Gerudo, and our great Tyrant-Slayer!" This was then complemented with a round of applause, as well as many cheers that ranged from "Hero!" to "Link!" to one person even screaming "I love you!"
Naturally, Link just accepted all of this as if the weight of the world had been thrust on his shoulders. To receive their gratitude was one thing, but this excessive praise and adulation was enough to make him squirm uncomfortably. It was as he had said many times before: he hadn't done any of this to be recognized, he had just been trying to save people.
But he soon sighed and tried to relax. After all of this time, he now understood that accepting people's admiration was simply part of being a Hero, whether he liked it or not. He still felt rather uncomfortable about the whole thing, but it had become easier with time and consistent encouragement. He supposed that he had Zelda to thank for that.
Link glanced over to find said Princess staring at him with concern written all over her features, but he just gave her an encouraging smile. He soon turned back to Kanora, and gave her a bow. "I'm happy to know that my actions have helped you. The pleasure was all mine."
"Oh my," Kanora said, looking charmed as she brought her fingers to her lips. "Not only are you a courageous Hero, but such a well-mannered one as well. Oh, how fortunate of us to have made your acquaintance."
There was another round of applause for the Hero, but it was soon cut short as Kanora gracefully waved her hands in the air.
"We could be here talking all day in the scorching sun, but we've had enough of these pleasantries, yes? Come, Hero, come! We plan to hold a great feast in your honor!"
Link seemed surprised at this, and almost had half a mind to deny the necessity of it, but he soon shrugged and chose to accept their gratitude once again. "I would be honored," he said humbly.
"Excellent!" Kanora cheered. She soon hurried off, as did many of the Gerudo. "Quickly now, let's set up the tables and cushions and canopies! Surely our guests are famished, and we must make good hosts!" And they soon disappeared and reappeared in and out of tents in a great bustle of activity.
Link just stood there, still feeling a bit stunned by this turn of events, but he glanced over once he realized that Zelda was still watching him closely. As always, she had a bit of an amused smirk on her lips.
"You're okay with this?" she asked quietly.
He smiled, trying to seem confident. "Yeah. It seems like they just want to thank me, and well, it would be rude to refuse them, don't you think?"
Zelda just blinked in surprise at this. "My, you really have grown," she noted, almost sounding proud. "What happened to that nervous and shy Hero that I used to know?"
Link laughed and shook his head. "Trust me, he's still here. He's just gotten a little stronger is all."
"Hmm, how pleasant," Zelda mused. She then smirked some more as she began to follow the Gerudo. "Just don't let it go to your head, 'our dear Hero'."
Link simply rolled his eyes. As if that could ever happen.
I simply love Kanora. She's a bit of a dork but also sly and tries to be charming in everything she does. I've had such a fun time writing her in all of the upcoming Gerudo chapters. Please look forward to seeing more of her as the story progresses :)
