Zelda had never seen a man fight so gracefully, she thought, watching Ganondorf spar with the Hylian knights. He moved with impressive speed, blocking incoming attacks with only the training spear he was holding. Occasionally he would leap back to dodge an attack, falling back into a fighting stance the moment his powerful legs reconnected with the ground. She had no doubt that in a true fight, he would be able to take out multiple of the knights at once. And this is before I have given him back his sword.

"This Lord Dragmire is very strong," said her advisor Otto, sitting in a chair next to her at the training grounds.

"Lord Ganondorf will be an asset in the mission. We are fortunate that he has come to us," Zelda said.

Lord Ganondorf Dragmire ("Is that your real surname?" "The Gerudo king has no use for a surname, but it was my birth mother's.") was nobility from a faraway kingdom who had been forced to flee after his country had been ambushed by its neighbour, his king slain and his home razed. ("That is not believable, Princess. I would have fought back." "They brought a very large army.") Needing somewhere to go, he decided to travel to the place where his ancestors had lived; even in his homeland he had heard of the kindness of the Princess Zelda of Hyrule and hoped she would take him in. ("Large ego you have, kind Princess." "My advisors will find it flattering. It will make them like you.") His ancestors had been Gerudo and he had knowledge of their original homeland in the deserts of Hyrule. When Zelda had mentioned her upcoming journey there, he had offered to accompany her and offer his protection, in return for temporary lodging. ("I am not sure that this story is convincing." "Just swear to them that you will keep me safe and they will not find you objectionable.")

Otto nodded in response to her comment, frowning as he watched the soldiers' training. "It is fortunate that you have found someone to escort you, but I do not think this mission is necessary," he said. "At least, it is not necessary for you to go."

She sighed. "We have already discussed this in depth. You are not changing my mind."

She was spared having to argue by Ganondorf, who had stopped his sparring and approached them. He had donned his black armor, and he had redone his hair in its tight braids against his head. He looked every part the picture of a king, she thought.

"Your Highness," he said, inclining his head.

"Lord Ganondorf," she replied. "What do you think?" she asked, nodding towards the soldiers.

"They could use some work," he said, grimacing slightly. Zelda was sure if they had not been in public his words would have been far less charitable. A faint smile came to his face. "Your turn, now."

She frowned. "My turn?"

He chuckled. "If you thought you were getting out of training, you are sadly mistaken."

"I don't need training," she said.

"Prove it, then."

She glanced at Otto, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes. "Oh go on, Your Highness," he said when he saw her.

Zelda gave Ganondorf what she hoped was a deeply unimpressed look and followed him into the training ring. There were several marks in the dirt floor where it had been disturbed by the soldiers' sparring. He gestured at the rack of spears and swords hung on the side of the training ring's wooden wall, next to a wall of targets for bow and arrow practice. "Go ahead, Princess. Pick whatever you like."

She threw a hand out to her side, light pouring from her. A golden bow materialized in her hands, which she immediately held to her side, facing the target wall. As she drew the bow string taut, a light arrow appeared in her fingers. She took a deep breath, then loosed the arrow towards the target, pushing on it with her magic to ensure it hit the target center. Quickly she repeated this four times, putting a light arrow into the center of all five targets on the wall. When she turned away, she saw that the knights had stopped fighting and were watching her.

Ganondorf also saw them and narrowed his eyes. "Who told you to stop? Keep practicing!" he ordered. There were a few annoyed and unhappy looks, but Zelda was pleased to see that he was obeyed. Then he began walking towards her, still holding a training spear. "Well done," he said softly. "But what will you do if your enemy gets close?"

Before she could reply, he lunged towards her, spear outstretched.

Startled, Zelda threw up a shield of light, her bow dissipating. The spear slammed against it and Ganondorf let out a laugh as he was thrown back.

"What was that for?" Zelda called to him.

He shook his head, still laughing. "This spear is blunt, and I know my strength, Princess. I will not hurt you." Then he came at her again.

Fine, then. This time when he was near to her, she warped herself away, reappearing behind him. She formed balls of light in her hand and shot them towards him – though she made certain these would only knock him back, not truly maim him like the balls of energy he had forced through her body at Link – but he spun around and sidestepped to avoid them. Zelda raised her hand, and a triangle of light appeared underneath his feet. He cursed and dove to the side, but not quickly enough, and he was thrown to the ground when the triangle flashed. Instantly he was back on his feet and running towards her again. Zelda teleported behind him once more; this time he was prepared for it and was running towards her new position before she had even reappeared. She jumped to the side, attempting to dodge his spear, but he anticipated her movements and lowered it, hooking it into the fabric of her dress. She tripped, landing hard on the ground, and he knelt over her, loosely holding the spear across her upper chest to pin her down.

"When we go to the desert, you probably don't want to wear a dress," he murmured.

Desperate to wipe the gloating smirk off his face, Zelda wrenched her arm free from under the spear and thrust her hand towards his face, light bursting from her. In his blindness-induced shock, she was able to free herself and hit him in the chest with a shield of light, knocking him onto his back. Quickly she straddled him, fashioning her light into a sword which she held to his throat.

He blinked repeatedly, clearing his vision, his eyes widening as he took in their positions; her bent over him, legs around his upper abdomen, sword against his neck.

"I win," Zelda said simply.

"If I had my magic this would not even be a contest," he grumbled, but his eyes were bright.

They stared at each other for a few moments, Zelda's heart still pounding with the adrenaline from their fight, before Ganondorf cleared his throat awkwardly. "Perhaps you could get off of me," he said.

"Oh – yes, of course." Zelda scrambled away from him. As she stood, wiping dirt off the skirt of her dress, she saw that the knights had once again stopped their sparring, many of them now watching them with open mouths. She felt her face flush; she had forgotten they had an audience. Ganondorf glared at them and without a word they began training again.

"Tomorrow, we will do sword practice," he said to her. "Wear more appropriate clothing."

Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked back towards the knights.

Clearly dismissed, she returned to her chair to oversee their training. Otto was gazing at her contemplatively; she found that she could not meet his eyes.

"Leevers are wormlike creatures who burrow under the sand and attack passersby from underneath. They are mainly a nuisance, but they have sharp spikes and can be dangerous when they attack in groups. They are slow – you may be able to ignore them, but they die easily to a sword."

Zelda and the knights were seated around a round table, days later, listening to Ganondorf lecture about different desert monsters and the best ways to fight each of them. He had a book cracked open in front of him – Flora and Fauna of the Gerudo Desert, which he had found in Hyrule Castle's library – showing a drawing of a cone shaped worm with protruding spikes on what might have been its head. ("These images look nothing like the real thing," he had complained to Zelda before the meeting.)

"The Moldorm," he said, flipping to another page, this one showing another worm creature with large mandibles. "Also very common. They have sharp teeth; do not let them bite you. If they think you are too difficult to fight they will retreat."

One of the soldiers muttered something to his neighbour. They both snickered. Ganondorf slammed his hand down on the table.

"You will be silent and listen!" he shouted. "If one hair on Her Highness' head is harmed because of your complete ineptitude then Moldorms will be the least of your concern."

The man who had spoken looked down, cowed, but his friend raised his head defiantly. "Is that a threat?"

"Yes," said Ganondorf.

The man sputtered. "Who do you think you are? I won't be threatened by some outsider! You think you – "

"Enough!" Zelda interrupted. She could see the tension building in Ganondorf's body and thought it wise to intervene. "Lord Ganondorf knows the desert well; I have placed my trust in him for this mission. You will listen to what he says." She glanced around the room as she said it, then turned her gaze back to the soldier who had spoken out of turn. "Now, you will apologize to Lord Ganondorf for your interruption, or you will leave."

He scowled, looking down. After a moment, his face red, he muttered an apology. Zelda looked at Ganondorf, seeing his jaw clench, but all he said was "Fine," then returned to his explanations.

After he was finished and all the soldiers had left, they were the only ones left in the room.

"Thank you," Zelda said, "for not losing your temper."

Ganondorf crossed his arms, frowning. "You are too soft on them. They do not fear authority."

"I do not want them to fear me," she replied.

"Fear is obedience."

"I want to be obeyed because I am respected, not feared."

"Fear is respect."

Zelda smiled sadly at him. "Is that how you ruled your Kingdom? With hatred and fear?"

"When necessary," he said after a moment.

"That sounds lonely."

He didn't respond, looking at the wall behind her. Eventually she touched his arm and he blinked, startled.

"Come, let us go to dinner," she said. "I will be retiring early tonight; we are leaving tomorrow."

When Midna and Link entered the Twilight Realm, Zelda thought that she was dying. She had thought that the atmosphere when Hyrule had been under the blanket of Twilight had been oppressive but compared to this it was nothing. Perhaps it was due to her Triforce piece being gone. She could not breath, could not think. Surely she was becoming a spirit. She thought she felt her body fall to the floor in the castle throne room but could not be certain; she could no longer see anything but the darkness of Twilight. Someone began speaking to her, but she could hardly hear anything other than Midna's voice.

She felt an arm curl around her back, a hand on her own arm as the voice grew louder. Ganondorf, she thought. He had been with her, in the throne room. She tried to force herself to focus on his words, on his touch.

" – is happening? What are they doing, Zelda?"

"They – going after Zant – Twilight Realm," she mumbled. She could still not see her own surroundings.

She heard him mutter something unintelligible and then she was pulled against him. She felt a hand on her face, wiping away her tears; she hadn't realized she was crying.

"Stay with me; focus on me," he murmured.

She blinked repeatedly, listening to his voice instead of the pained moans of the cursed Twili that Midna was looking at. Eventually she could see his face in front of her, a concerned frown on his lips. When she met his eyes, he smiled slightly.

"Good," he said, "Now tell me what the hero is doing. But do not stop focusing on me." He removed his hand from her face, brought it to rest on her back.

She inhaled deeply, pressing herself closer to him, putting her arms around his waist. "He is looking for Zant. He needs to find… Sols. To reach the throne room."

"He will come here soon, Princess," he said. "It will all be over then. We will fight. He will die."

Even after everything Link has done, still you underestimate him, Zelda thought. "And then?" she murmured. "What will happen to me?"

There was no answer. Zelda sighed, resting her head against his chest. If she wasn't so exhausted, she would have laughed. What was she doing, taking comfort from a man who, if he got his way, would be killing her before the day was done?

It does not matter. He will not get his way. Link will see to that. After watching Link, through Midna's eyes, best all manner of monsters, she had become certain of it. The thought made her tighten her arms around him.

"Ganondorf," she mumbled, most of her vision still filled with the darkness of the Twilight Realm. "How could you stand it, to be in the Twilight Realm for so long? I feel that I am going mad."

"I was mad for much of it, I think," he replied, stroking her back. "I had no form; I was nothing. I could remember my promise to take Hyrule though, even if I could barely remember what it meant. Eventually, I learned how to siphon power from the pain of the Twili and I… remembered myself."

You are still mad, Zelda thought.

They stood there for what felt like ages, holding each other. Occasionally he would ask what Link was doing, and she would answer, fingers digging into his back like a lifeline, stopping her from getting swept away in her feelings of despair. Otherwise they were silent.

Eventually, Link and Midna reached Zant. He died.

They came to Hyrule Castle, where Ganondorf was waiting for them. He poured himself into Zelda's body once again, forcing magic through her at the hero. She felt an all-encompassing rage, stronger than what she felt that day in the garden, but still, underneath, there was a sadness, perhaps even regret. Ganondorf lost.

Midna returned to her the Triforce, and her spirit; finally she felt whole again. Ganondorf threw himself at Link, transforming himself into a giant beast. He lost.

Next they were in Hyrule Field, Ganondorf on the back of a giant black horse, throwing magic back at the hero. This time Zelda herself fought, showering him in light arrows. When he gave up on this tactic, he created a magic arena, him and Link alone inside its walls. Zelda could only watch them fight. As it progressed, she could see Ganondorf's eyes becoming wide with an angry panic, though he did not show any other signs of doubt or weakness. And then he misstepped, and she watched Link impale the Master Sword into his stomach.

End of Part 1