Legend of Zelda: Malum Chapter 2
Title: Fragments of the Sky
Pairing: Oc x Cia / Oc x Ganondorf / Zelda x Ganondorf / Zelda x Link / Oc x Oc Era: AU / Prequel / BotW Rating: Mature
Summary: 10,000 years ago the Calamity had been defeated. Today Hyrule stands on the precipice of peace and ruin. Land and crop are slowly withering away due to unknown circumstances, some believe it is the Calamity returning to the world. But when the Hyrule King proposes a betrothal between the hailing Gerudo King and the Princess of Hyrule tensions are raised. In a scramble for prestige the castle dwellers will stop at nothing to achieve their own agendas but the Princess dreads marrying the Gerudo King while others seeks to remove the Hyrule King from his throne and some would see to Hyrule’s destruction.
There was a terrible silence upon Hyrule in those very moments. A speechlessness that spoke far louder than any words could and the white haired servant girl felt a tightness in her chest as she looked upon the King who sat on his throne, the only comfortable man in the entire room. And in a way that was the sort of ruler that Johan was, terrible in so many ways yet lawfully so. In Hyrule it was a father who chose his daughter's husband...and poor Princess Zelda had been given an unfavorable collection of cards. So it would seem the man with the eyes of fire would, to some degree, get what he wanted. Much to the disgrace of a fair many sorts around the castle. The servants knew what it was like to run from the blades of the Gerudo – many women had lost husbands to the amazonian demons...and even a few men had managed to perform lamely enough to be released from their clutches. The soldiers on the other hand...most of them barely knew what to do with the pointy end of their swords much less how to thwart a sand rat's attack, most of them still trembled in their knees when Keese pecked at their helmets at night. But she knew that Johan wouldn’t have just handed over his most precious possession without an ulterior motive behind it. It didn’t mean that she didn’t feel terrible for the Princess however, she did. Though she and the girl were not close, Zelda was still the only figure she could have considered to be family - a sister not by blood but a sister no less. In a sense Johan was too just as a father figure. He menaced over her life just as he had over Zelda’s of course. They had many things in common Zelda and her playmate yet they didn’t outwardly realize it until now when their eyes finally met for the first time since the start of this debacle. And the white haired girl showed a rare emotion towards the Princess, sympathy. Just as Urbosa did. And all Zelda had to do was take a look around to discover that she was not alone in her peril over this situation...but Ark didn’t imagine it helped her much...considering what the future foretold for her. But perhaps there was another way that she could ease the brunt of her situation for her.
She had lived beneath Johan’s roof for eleven years and for eleven years not so much as the tapestries changed in the hallways. Hyrule was a frozen kingdom fallen into a false sense of safety and complacency. For eleven years she changed their chamber pots and had her hair pulled out by bored noble men while their wives laughed and encourage them. Eleven years of wayward stares and insensitive comments. Eleven years of being gazed at like some rare and exotic animal wanted only for the thrill of dominating something different...a trophy to remind them all who was stronger. Eleven years of birthdays that only the kitchen cook, Marta, remembered. Eleven years of servitude to a King who was not her King. And finally...in eleven long years something god forbid had changed. Eleven years and finally he was here and her wait was over. She found the sight of the Gerudo King once more as he accepted his newfound status into the Royal Court. He seemed so far out of her reach...and he was unrefined to be certain - but there was no stone that could not be polished. And while the man she looked upon would one day, upon Johan’s demise, be husband to Princess Zelda she saw a far greater potential in him...she just needed to tame that beast before he won himself a beheading before a crown. That would be her gift to Princess Zelda so that when the insidious day did come...perhaps the Gerudo King might be lulled into showing mercy to the poor Hylian Princess who did not ask for this life.
Yet there were still snakes abound in this great chess game. Johan and the Gerudo King were like cobras, hissing and spitting at each other while the rest slithered around looking for what benefited them the most out of this treaty. You could tell by the looks on their faces, they feared this change...but they would adapt. They would grow venomous if they had to and the sanctity of the Hyrulean Court would rot away. But the greatest unanswered question of the day was why? Why would Johan do such a thing? Well perhaps Johan was as tired as she was of this groundhog kingdom that never seemed to learn or change. But she knew exactly why in her heart and it reminded her of the decades worth of pain and suffering she had endured by his hand. Her surrogate father enjoyed to keep his enemies close while feigning ignorance to their true intentions. Johan enjoyed to play with his food before he ate it so to speak but most important Johan enjoyed the power he held over others. And while he might dangle a delectable bone to a starving dog...it never meant he intended to actually feed it. But it was the idea of being fed that so often compelled a beast to heel. Ganondorf might have thought he had been given the key to his desires...but he did not notice the chains wrapped around his neck all the same. And like a rabid beast he would pull at those chains, not knowing why he was not able to move forward. He would yank and rage against them, so blinded by his own greed and hatred, until he strangled himself. The reality was that Johan had no intention of giving his daughter away, this was nothing more than a lesson to her of how to defeat an enemy before he was an enemy. Johan knew that Ganondorf would slip up sooner rather than later, providing the Hyrule King with all that he needed to order the gallows rise. The Gerudo King would never see it coming...the poor beast.
But, it was during trying times when the beasts would rear their ugly heads. One such beast drew away her stare from the Gerudo King as the armored knight made her way out from position and removed her helm. Proposing grandly the request that she be the one to escort the supplies into the desert. Ark squinted at the woman in distrust from afar. She knew of Colette only in passing but it was no secret to her that the girl held a certain displeasure of Princess Zelda, while adoring King Johan. Ark always had a sense about others, a gift her father had taught her. But when it came to Colette...Ark hadn’t quite figured out where the knight fit in in her world - was she her enemy or was she her ally? Only time would tell.
And for a moment Johan perked his brow at Ganondorf’s odd request for a female fleet, some wild Gerudo custom against the presence of men that were not their King he’d forgotten about. Such a custom Johan felt little need to abide by but he would do so nonetheless. “I do not have many female soldiers in my battalion, protection will be limited.” Johan replied carefully, watching as Colette presented herself before him. She always had a way of injecting herself into places where she didn’t need to be...but he supposed that the request for a woman might have sounded like an invitation for the knight to come forward - only one of a few who met such a requirement. “This is one of my best knights, she will guard the caravan and the servants. I trust her services will be sound…” Johan trailed off into thought as he adjusted in his chair. “Come here girl. Bring the Sheikah down with you.” The King called out suddenly, drawing the handmaid's gaze quickly as he locked eyes with her but she did not dawdle as she looked back to Kala whom looked about as surprised as she did. And gathering her dress in her hands the pair made quick pace down the curving marble staircase and to the front of the court, stopping between the Princess and King’s thrones in silence.
“Kala will accompany you, Colette. Hyrule is dangerous - a Sheikah will be indispensable.” Of course Kala had nothing to say, she was not so bold, and so she bowed her head to the King in acceptance of her duty. And that worked just fine for the Hyrule King who reached out to take the Handmaid’s wrist and guided her closer to his person. “Arkaeni will show you to the guest wing, she speaks the Gerudo language and she is quite cultured.” The King added, “And when you have taken care of our guests my darling...please help Marta load the supplies you are quite strong and she is not.”
“As you wish.” Ark replied quietly, staring at the floor.
-
Colette stood by her king, her wicked red eyes darting to and fro with the Gerudo standing so close by. She didn't trust any of them, and she assumed her king had well thought out plans for the likes of this Ganondorf. The man was intimidating, especially by normal Hylian standards. She imagined if Johan was standing side by side he would look like a dwarf to this dark skinned monster. The lot of them were nothing but dusty mongrels from the desert, but she was interested to see where they came from. Their taste in fashion was much different than anything she had seen in her home, nothing like the Sheikah or the townsfolk anyway. “If that is your wish, sire.” She placed a hand upon her silver colored breastplate and bowed her head, her long dark hair spilling down over her armor. The small group waited as the girl Ganondorf recognized as the one that Johan had been eyeing before his arrival came down to meet them. She was much more striking than anyone here, sticking out more so than any of the Hylians and a lot more pale and unusual compared to Gerudo. He supposed she had more in common with these people but he got a strange vibe from the woman. It wasn't familiarity, but he was curious in her, and he thought it a shame she was but a simple servant to the king. He found that while she was standing there he couldn't keep his eyes on Zelda any longer. The power hungry look in his eyes seemed to always be devouring anything he set his gaze upon, and Zelda might have felt her skin crawl as he gazed at her like some trophy waiting to be passed along to him but for the slave his gaze softened slightly. Her haunting appearance was attractive and alluring, and listening to the king he simply nodded his head. “Very well, take care of these ladies Vera.” He gestured towards the knight and the other woman. He imagined there were more of these Sheikah he had learned about from his mentor. Dangerous fellows that lurked in the shadows and functioned as something of a royal guard to the crown. That knight looked similar to the Sheikah though, almost as if she had a similar racial background but she appeared to be a regular Hylian in all regards outside of her unique eye color. The Gerudo woman stepped aside, waiting to be escorted along with the other two women out of there back to her home. Urbosa didn't like them sending Hylians to the Gerudo town, but she supposed that women were welcome in their kingdom as something of a safe haven yet she couldn't shake her trepidation towards the two of them. When she looked towards Colette, she saw the woman staring back at her with those eerie red eyes of hers seeming to almost glow in the low lighting. The champion stared back, gritting her teeth behind closed lips she steeled her resolve. Perhaps sending Vera back wasn't in their best interest, perhaps she should return to their home? It crossed her mind that it would be more dangerous for her king to remain here without her, but she worried for her people. The last thing she needed was for that harlequin to go to their home and poison the water which they drank from. Stepping away from their little entourage, she stepped close to the Gerudo woman who waited for an escort. “Do not let your eyes off of those women. If you suspect anything suspicious from the two of them, do what you must, keep our sisters safe.” She whispered quietly to the woman who gave her a solemn nod of her head. Clearly this was no laughing matter if Urbosa was spooked like this, and she would stake her life on protecting her people. “Let's be on with it then.” Ganondorf announced, awaiting the girl to take them away. He was a man of little patience, and soon enough they were being escorted out of the room into the large corridors of the castle. The enormous winding ramp laden with dark red carpets, paintings of prior kings and the royal family, large windows looking out onto the rooftops and out over the city beneath the castle. It was an impressive vista to behold, but Ganon's attention was swept away with this Arkaeni woman. “You do not bow to your king, and they say you are strong when you look similar to the simple Hylians around you.” He laughed to himself. Ganon had an eye for the mysterious and she fit the bill. He stepped in line with her, looking down at the white haired handmaiden. “Arkaeni is it? Quite an interesting one you are. Why do you serve the king?” They were barely out of earshot of the king walking the corridor, Ganondorf followed by Urbosa and their other Gerudo in their little vanguard. His question posed was because of her body language and how the king treated her. That wasn't the behavior of a man and his retainer, it was that of a master and slave. Now she didn't seem like the kind of woman who would be just anyone's slave. Colette had left the audience chamber, just before Ganondorf himself had gone. Her pale features were lit up with excitement, an unusual appearance for the woman. The dark haired knight was indeed one of the best warriors among all of the Hylians, and though she might have seemed a little unassuming at first, she became like a tyrant on the field of battle. It was where she felt truly alive, outside of battle she felt like a shade simply moving a body to make her way to the next conflict. Some referred to her as something of a valkyrie, fighting alongside Johan she waded through men and monster slaying everything in her path, she was as a goddess of war. The young knight got to her room, almost expecting the Sheikah to have followed her here. There was no way she was carrying her armor with her all the way to the Gerudo desert. In that heat, she imagined the metal plates would sear her skin if she wore it there. There was no fun in being cooked by the weather after all. In her room, the young woman got changed. She pulled on a black tank top and a white dress to wear on top of that, pulling on a pair of matching black slightly sheer hose and her long thigh high black leather boots, thick enough to weather the elements with a slight heel on it. Pulling on a pair of black gloves, and finishing her look with her signature jacket; only covering her upper body slightly, it was a thick leather black jacket that bore the emblem of the Sheikah upon the left shoulder but in white and red. There was white fur trim upon the collar of the jacket and raven feathers around the sleeves. Tying a red sash around her waist so that she might have something to carry her weapons with, she snatched the black sheathed blade off the wall and slipped it into her sash on her back. As she left her room she headed back down towards where she suspected they would deploy a carriage out to the desert. “Sheikah, are you here?” She called out to the woman she had yet to meet. Colette didn't usually socialize with others outside of the king. The young woman was rather self-centered in that regard, but she was a bit curious about this woman she was paired with. The idea of getting to know her crossed her mind, and she might actually make herself a friend if the shade walker actually revealed herself.
-
While Gerudo King had been busy admiring the small Hylian Princess, no doubt imaging the many ways he would torment her when she was lawfully his, The Red Wizard had eyes for someone else in his astute silence. Stoic as ever the Labrynnan was a scholar of sorts but also a loyal tactician and as a result he had been analysing every important body in this room for unspoken information and truths. His eyes had been upon the King who had yet to look upon him, a gesture that Agahnim considered to be a smart one. Johan was clearly a man secrets and he knew how to keep them, as the eyes could tell so much about a person just in the way they glistened in the light. In fact Johan as a whole seemed strangely lifeless as he sat upon his throne, barely moving during this awkward congregation of nations. Never standing. Breathing slowly. The Red Wizard wondered if the great Hyrule King was injured or ill in some manner and yet sickness nor pain quite matched up to the way he would describe the Hyrule King. He almost seemed hollow. Like the vacated skin of a spider, while it looked just as real and alarming as it hung in the web, upon closer inspection it became clear that there was no presence of life. But what was left could still disturb the mind. Agahnim could see that something had happened to this Hyrule King in his past. And whatever it was had sucked the soul out of his body, where only his shambling resemblance remained. Perhaps it was the death of his wife who as far as he was informed died under bizarre circumstances. The sort of circumstances that no one wanted to talk about. But it was clear that he would learn nothing from the Hyrule King today...but that was not to say the same of Urbosa.
She was a striking beauty. Powerful even and proud to be a Gerudo. She was a decorated and intimidating warrior...she even possessed the kiss of magic. Something that ran rarely through a Gerudo’s blood naturally. But she wasn’t well at hiding her feelings. The Red Wizard didn’t know Urbosa well, as she remained either here in Hyrule or inside the walls of Gerudo Town, a place that he was not able to set foot. No, Agahnim was one of Ganondorf’s outside sources among a rabble of other equally unpleasant individuals that Ganondorf found usefulness in. In reality the band of men were prisoners, lured from all corners of the regions, their primary purpose was to provide children to the Gerudo who did not wish to find husbands and wed out of love. Instead they required surrogate fathers to sire their children, but only the healthiest warriors were given the opportunity. The Gerudo required their children to be strong if they wished them to survive the desert so naturally the strength and skill of their fathers was a most high priority. And for these men such a life was perfect for them, so long as they serve Lord Ganondorf adequately then they were provided for in every way. But while Agahnim lacked more so than the rest in the ways of combat he possessed a rare intelligence and affinity towards magic that made up for his shortcomings. While by no means an unattractive man or a whelp of one he was quite a bit older in his life, closer in age to Johan himself. Ganondorf had been just a babe when he was a young man after all but he didn’t know the Gerudo King until he was a teenager. Still the Red Wizard could carry the weight of ten men...he was just a little sluggish lately. And it wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go back to, he had willingly left with the Gerudo when they came to Labrynna for a reason after all, so naturally he had to stay on his toes despite his aging bones.
But there was always something about Urbosa, like him, that was different from the rest. She retained a loyalty to her people so strongly that sometimes he wondered if she truly was an ally to her king or a colorful insurgent of Johan’s. Often he was suspect of the redhead’s true loyalty when she chose to serve two kings that to this day did not see eye to eye. But nevermind his trifling, Ganondorf would not hear of Agahnim’s concerns of Urbosa - just as he would not hear of the ones surrounding his sister Riju. The Gerudo King might have been a tyrannical, a higher than thou beast on any given day...but in the end he was still a man of his people. And his people could do no wrong. Yet perhaps there was hope for Urbosa as Agahnim watched her closely, sensing her discomfort in the idea of a Hylian soldier and assassin entering into the Gerudo region unchecked. In this situation Agahnim was inclined to side with her fears, as he didn’t enjoy the idea of leaving their Gerudo outmatched by two to one. If there was anything to take away from this assembly it would have been more distrust. After all… great King’s didn’t just give away their daughters to barbarian men without an intention. And it was that intent that eluded the Red Wizard just yet. And quietly the Red Wizard turned his attention towards the twinge of an accent that he was unfamiliar with, finding the white haired display of something one might have read about in an old mythos. And just as Ganondorf was taken so too was Agahnim, but much less obviously so. But while the Gerudo King reeked of intrigue for this pale haired creature Agahnim felt something much different. When he looked upon her...her beauty was compelling and exotic...and it reminded him a monster from Labrynna that bore similar beauty yet inhibited pure unadulterated ferocity. Hunters were drawn to pursue this monster for its coat yet what they failed to realize was it was such a coat that lured the beasts prey right to it. Just as deep sea fish tantalized with its luminous tendril in the dark. But perhaps the greatest similarity was the blackness of their eyes, so very deep and dark without a hint of humanity inside of them. But he also noticed that this girl, though she was clearly of Zelda’s age of eighteen or around there, looked drained beyond her years and it showed in the darkness under her eyes and slightly weakened lean in her posture.
But the slave girl had said nothing more after being hurried along by Ganondorf and out of the entire rabble she and the Sheikah who had accompanied her seemed the least fearful of the hulking desert king, despite the fact that he could have crushed them easily with only one hand. And while the Sheikah retained a friendliness that extended to the small suggestive smile she gave to the Gerudo congregation as she followed the Knight out. The handmaiden was as stone faced as the King she served and she remained so as she walked the three of them out of the audience chamber with her skirt bundled up into her hands, like a properly lady. In fact there seem to be little difference between her and and the Hyrule King, suggesting that the two were either extremely close or extremely hateful of one another...perhaps both. But the Gerudo King went unanswered for longer then he probably would have liked while the slave mulled over the avalanche of inquiries from the red haired man. And slowly Ark looked past her shoulder to find Urbosa at her back with a look that spoke enough for itself. Clearly the maid wasn’t accustomed to an attempt to conversate and the look she had for Urbosa was silently asking the woman if her King was always this nosy or if he was just that excited to be here. And looking back she tilted her head to sideways up to the Gerudo King, perhaps the only man in this castle that she honestly had to crane her head upwards to spy upon. He truly was quite the magnificent beast even up close. But also deadly and wild.
“Begging your pardon, Sire … my King has been dead for eleven years.” The Lorulean replied gracefully, “My duties are to the Princess, since I was a child. However...the King enjoys to present his toys whenever possible, it is not appropriate to bow in such instances.” She added, finding her feet as she ascended the stairs that wound upwards into the guest tower at the east end of the castle. “Where do you hail from, girl? Your accent is unknown to me.” The Red Wizard piped up with the rasp of his voice, bringing the white haired Interloper to turn towards him as she came to a stop at the threshold of the stairs. “Nowhere known to you, Sire.” She replied quickly, a rehearsed answer at best.
“Try me.” Agahnim rebuffed, glancing upon Urbosa as he tucked his hands to the small of his back. And for another long moment the girl was silent, picking apart his red robes and hidden face with those black eyes. “It no longer exists. A primal destruction tore the earth in two and killed many of it’s people, the rest fled. There’s nothing left.” Again she paused, looking again over the Red Wizard and the slight blue tint in his skin, “As a Labrynnan you understand? Your country is in quite the similar state is it not?” Agahnim was silent, stunned almost, embarrassed even and painfully reminded of the land in which he was birthed and the very similar reasons as to why he chose to leave it, expertly extracted by a mere slave. And that was all that the Handmaiden needed to hear as she turned on her heels and carried on down the hallway.
“I trust your regular quarters will suffice Mistress Urbosa?” Ark asked, casually indicating to the upcoming door and came to a stop before it, “Or will you remain beside your King?” She added as she scooped her white tendrils to cascade over one of her shoulders to cool her neck and glanced up at the giant man before her once again.
-
Although the tensions were still high amongst the rabble, the brunette Sheikah was as complacent as ever about the entire ordeal. She was of the Royal Guard, a step above the Kingsguard, and as such she could not afford to let her feelings run away with her head. Of course she felt it quite unnecessary to welcome the Gerudo King in the manner in which he had, all Johan needed to do was provide him with trade routes and amnesty and send him back to his barren kingdom without a second thought. That would have made everyone involved more than satisfied with the outcome...but Johan always had to be quite extra when faced with a potential threat. Just like the Olde King...Johan was just a competitive and just like his father he thought that the more assertion he had over others, and the more literal trophies he possessed that it somehow made him stronger in the end. And he enjoyed to show off his strength. But aside from his skills as a warrior ...he wasn’t a particularly memorable leader. Compared to many other Hyrule Kings, Johan had still accomplished very little in his life other then keeping the country from tearing each other apart. Perhaps in the end that was what ate away at the Hylian King so terribly...the idea that when he was gone that he would be forgotten. That was the burden he must have shouldered...being born into an era of peace. But despite what she might have thought or didn’t about the King, she was his servant just as her twin and just as Impa. The Sheikah were bound to the Hyrulean Royal Family by generations of service and it was still no different today as it was 1000 years ago when the Throne of Hyrule and the Sheikah averted the Great Calamity before it could swallow the land whole. It was their only purpose to protect the Royal Family with unfaltering integrity. And just as her fair haired friend once said ‘act with a clear mind no matter the graveness of the situation’. Truth be told Kala hadn’t quite understood the full meaning behind such an analogy but she had taken from it what she needed to.
So naturally the Sheikah was of a level head at all times and it aided her in taking the appropriate actions where others would have reacted haphazardly. And she imagined many would react once word spread of the Gerudo King’s presence in the kingdom and his betrothal to the Princess. The people would never accept him as their King with the kind of reputation he drug around with him. But that was not her place to be, her place was where the King told her to be. And if he was to send her away into the sweltering heat of the desert to ensure the survival of the Gerudo then so be it. But this knight on the other hand was a different question entirely. She was not familiar with Colette, no one was really, and that left the Sheikah sceptical of the woman as a person, as none could deny her status as a knight. She was a pretty girl to be certain...but Kala always sensed she harbored some deep longing for the Hyrule King and perhaps a small resentment that he never seemed to notice it. And quickly the Sheikah was coming to realize that, while she would have to watch and report of the actions and movements of the Gerudo, that she too would also have to keep a close eye on her partner’s as well. After all...it wouldn’t be ideal for Johan’s own man to act in a way that could compromise his arrangement with the Gerudo King. And Johan never did anything without a plan for why… and if he truly was to send a Sheikah so far away it was to act as a glorified babysitter. Perhaps Johan didn’t trust his knight as much as she believed that he did, and if Johan distrusted her then so too did the Sheikah. But it didn’t mean that she couldn’t have fun with the knight during their voyage, for better or worse.
“Whatever will you do in the desert aside from catch an itching disease?” A deep dulcet voice asked as Kala rounded the corner, separating from the knight whom she did not need to escort any further from the audience chamber, where she found her twin with his shoulder pressed into the wall as he leaned casually, waiting just as she was for any sort of commotion to react to. He was a tall and lean cut of a beast, but far too pretty then what was acceptable for a man - though he tried in vain to appear more rugged by growing a disappointing beard and tying his hair back in manly fashions. But it did little when his face bore soft features. And like herself he bore the same ethereal blue eyes and lightly brown skin. It was clear that the two of them had shared a womb as they were complete carbon copies of one another only differing in gender. And more unfortunately for the both of them...were there any commotion it would probably be caused by the one woman left alone with the Gerudo tribe, and it would be over by the time the two of them would have even heard about it much less travelled towards it. There was just no fun to be had today it would seem. “Oh...funny.” Kala hissed as she pushed her hand into her brother's face and he turned from it with a growl. “I suppose you would know all about itching diseases, how many have you contracted?” The Sheikah added viciously as she wrapped her arm around her brother’s and he coiled his to lock hers into the niche of his elbow. “A lot…” He replied with surprising honesty and shrugged, it was the truth after all and he really couldn't deny it. And Kala smiled in victory as her brother paused, leering upon the the white haired handmaiden as she lead the the Gerudo’s from the chamber in the opposite direction of the hallway in which he stood with his sister. He found the Gerudo King at her heels and leered at the man with obvious disapproval. “Better mind his hands…” Nikoal grumbled beneath his breath as Kala tugged his arm and he turned away to continue to walk with her down the hallway.
“She can handle him.” Kala replied quietly, “Johan wouldn’t put her in danger.” But her brother’s silence told her that he hardly agreed with her. “You put too much faith in him.” Niko replied simply, but he knew that his twin was indeed right. Ark might have appeared demur and weak but he had personally been on the receiving end of the strength that she could summon, he had also watched her pick up a heavily armored man before, Johan was acutely aware of this. “And what about the Knight?” He carried on as they strode towards the kitchens to inform Marta to begin collecting supplies for the caravan. “I don’t know.” Kala replied apprehensively, “I will watch her closely.”
Eventually the Knight in question found her way into kitchens where the male Sheikah was busy hauling crates for the older cook who stood fussing over his every move. “Yes darling?” Kala replied, almost seeming to appear behind the knight as she adjusted the cloak over her leather suit and noticed that the knight had shed her armor for a more travel worthy attire.
“I am called Kala.” She added as she tucked her long lustrous hair down beneath the cloaks long train.
-
Urbosa was in a bit of a daze, and though she was on edge, it was hard holding her jubilation. The truth was that she was happy that Johan had decided to accept them, her liege and her people. Perhaps the others saw this as a foolish decision of the Hylian king to let them so close, but she was proud of him for it. She knew that he had many different ulterior motives but for the time being and so long as they step out of line they were set to be unified with Hyrule once and for all. It made her happier than she cared to actually admit. However, she knew the leader of her people and she knew that he had a penchant for stirring up trouble. The most she could hope for was to attempt to keep him in line, and hope that her people remained safe with those people who would set out back to their home in the desert. Hope was something that was so sparse these days, and now it was flooding in to her. It left her feeling out of focus and happy for once. The Gerudo Champion also could see that she wasn't the only one in lifted spirits. The king of her people was just a few feet away from her, towering over that young servant girl. She had met Arkaeni on several occasions on visits to the castle and to meet with the princess, but they standoffish nature of the servant didn't allow them to become very close. Not that she minded, she knew that the girl wasn't any ordinary Hylian. She didn't pry into her private affairs or question why she had that curious collar around her neck. Certainly she had some kind of strange relationship with the king of Hyrule, and she didn't want to press her luck any further than necessary these days with tensions high between the Hylians and Gerudo. Her king was clearly infatuated with the young lady, perhaps because she was such an exotic looking thing. Ark didn't look like any of the others here, whether they were Sheikah or Hylian in nature, she was different. Ganon had a tendency to be drawn to the abnormal, and when her golden eyes met Ark's, she could see the look of exasperation on her face. She met the servant's gaze with a polite smile and shrugged her shoulders towards the young woman. Ganondorf usually didn't pry so actively into the lives of anyone he deemed lesser than himself. She knew very well that he despised Hylians especially, their odd deformed bodies, and strange tendencies were enough for him to hold an ever present scowl when he was around them. This was a different side to the king that was more commonly seen at their home town. She loved to see him happy, and usually that meant whilst he was sparring with the warriors of their dessert town. He was always a cut above, but in those situations he showed that he wasn't just a meat head who didn't care about his people. He took the time to teach, and more importantly, to learn from his people. The Gerudo King looked down at Ark when she tilted her head up to gaze up at him. It was something he was accustomed to with all of his subjects, and she certainly seemed more like a Gerudo woman than any Hylian he had ever met. With the words leaving her lips, a smile slowly graced his. The look in her eyes was defiant despite that strange collar on her neck. He supposed he could rip that thing off of her easily enough, but he had no idea what it was only that he felt some strange magic nestled within. “Then your duty is to me as well.” He reasoned, if she was the princess's handmaiden then she would attend to Zelda's husband as well he imagined. However, before he could inquire about her fallen king, he glanced back to the red wizard who was part of their little entourage. He realized just how quick the curious girl was when she looked upon the man. She was astute, and aware it would seem, even knowledgeable to a degree ordinary women in her position wouldn't have been of the world. To most, they cared little about the happenings outside of Hyrule after all. Urbosa stepped to the door, shaking her head side to side. “This is where I take my leave, my king. I trust you to enjoy your stay here, and not get into trouble.” She warned Ganondorf as she smirked his way. The man grinned back at her and shook his head. “I will be on my best behavior, Lady Urbosa.” He assured, a little glint in his golden eyes showing otherwise. It wasn't that Ganondorf wished to go against any of Urbosa's wishes but he did feel the need to disrupt whatever plans Johan had for the lot of them. Leaving Urbosa to her room, allowing the three of them to travel further down the corridor to the next set of rooms for important guests, Ganondorf stopped. He placed his hand on the wall blocking Ark from continuing down the hall, and forcing her to look up at him again. The large man brought his hand up to her chin, and gently set his thumb upon it to tip her head up to look at him as he gazed deep into her eyes. His golden eyes seemed to be ablaze with fiery passion and interest. It wasn't common that the Gerudo King took such an interest in someone but he was having trouble reeling himself back with this girl. “Tell me, would you devote yourself to a new king if one worthy of such a beauty appeared before you?” He asked, clearly proposing some kind of alliance with her. – The young woman stretched her thin arms high above herself, clasping her hands together as she thrust her chest upwards and stretched her body. “Ahh~” She breathed, relief coming as she felt a slightly sore joint pop in her arm. Having spent so long standing around in her Hylian armor, it left her feeling little aches and pains all over her body that she didn't much care for. Colette preferred her own style, and she hated the terrible traditions of the Hylians. That armor was probably the reason so many of the knights had back problems! She reasoned in her head, strolling into the kitchen where she noticed the male Sheikah lugging around crates for the workers there. She was ready to approach him when she heard the voice of the female just behind her. Temporarily ignoring the fact that her skin was crawling and she was momentarily shocked by the woman's ability to sneak up on her, she turned to look at her and then back to the man she was looking at before. For a moment she thought that perhaps she was confused, that back at the throne room she had mistaken the quiet guard for a woman when she was in fact a man now that she had a better look at him, but was wrong again when she actually showed up. Yet the two of them looked so similar, she was a bit surprised to see that. “My name's Colette, I thought we-” She paused, making a cute face showing her confusion. Then pointing to the other man in the kitchen. “I didn't know there were two of you!” She announced, pointing at the man in question. Her dark brow furrowed, not in confusion but in exasperation. Perhaps her little outburst wasn't warranted, but some of the staff laughed among themselves. The thought occurred to her even, that if they needed another to join them on their visit to the desert they could take this man who looked like Kala's twin. With a little work, she could have him looking like a girl to sneak in there without a problem. Then again, that might be difficult with the Gerudo woman accompanying them already. “Excuse me, well, I'm ready to go. I imagine that Gerudo is meeting us at the stables and then we are setting off. I'm looking forward to learning more about you, Miss Kala.” She said, a bit excited as she faced the brunette with a smile on her face. Colette seemed eager to work with the Sheikah, “But I don't think we should leave the poor thing waiting.” She suggested, grabbing Kala by the hand and walking at a brisk pace back out of the room. Colette was excited to work with Kala, the Sheikah was a beautiful thing. Though she might have thought her brother was perhaps more-so, she couldn't question the immaculate womanly outline that a creature like Kala possessed. It was a shame that all of those rags covered her body up, but she supposed that was just more old fashioned Hylian tradition.
-
Silence pervaded as the Interloper gazed up at the would be Hyrulean King with the smallest of frowns as he reasoned that if she would serve Zelda then so to should she serve him. With all intents and purposes he wasn’t entirely wrong but he wasn’t entirely right either. He truly was a very young beast and she doubted that he had ever experienced the amount of turmoil required to be a suitable ruler. He had been born into his throne, worshipped for his gender, as rare as a black diamond was amongst his people. And while he had a large set of armor to fill to prove his worth of the Hylian Throne...he also had a name that disgraced when it was spoken. The Gerudo were only known for a few things, their penchant as a female society and their violent means of survival, and the king. One king in particular, whom Ganondorf also shared a name. The Ganondorf of old was often described as a lustful man, bend on power and prideful to a fault. A young man with evil eyes. Who tricked his way into the King’s good graces and betrayed the Royal Family resulting in the Princess Zelda of the time abandoning her country. That Ganondorf had taken something from Hyrule, something sacred and with it he appointed himself king...and slowly the land withered under his reign. But a hero in green, just a boy when Hyrule fell, returned as a prophecy stated he would to fight the evil king. And with the displaced Princess Zelda’s help they raged war upon the false king and it was said that in his struggle for victory, Ganondorf was consumed by the power he had stolen from the Gods. He became a beast of fury and fire. An undying beast that would return to plague Hyrule again and again and again… it was such a beast that they now called Calamity Ganon.
Ark felt a strange familiarity in the Gerudo King and the undying beast...both Gerudo Kings. Both in the graces of the Hyrule King. Her father had always said strange things about time...and how it could find itself in a paradoxical loop. Different times and different souls...yet the same outcome and the same gauntlet played out. He also said in time that she would learn to discern the loops, and if she felt the need to, set actions in place to derail them...just as he himself claimed to do. But she never truly understood what he meant...by anything really…but perhaps the crazy old man had been right. Perhaps this was such a scene...but she was not so sure how it would end, nor so bold as to claim the divinity to know these things. “Of course, Sire.” She replied as she opened the chamber door for Urbosa to take her leave of the three of them and she watched the Gerudo woman quietly as she reminded her King to behave himself...something that he clearly had little intention to do and watched her image disappear behind a closing door. Strangely she felt a little lost without the Champion’s presence, left alone with two large barbarian men...it sat a little sourly in her stomach. But ignoring the feeling she carried on...until the Gerudo King took it upon himself to stop her.
The appearance of his hand as it crossed her path to find the wall startled her...but instead of withering like any flower would have, and not even been blamed for it, she felt her chest puff just slightly as she held her breath and her ground. She might have glared at him in her clear discomfort at his closeness but it quickly morphed into a widen eyed stare that settled first on Agahnim, who looked about as stunned himself, before settling onto the Gerudo King has his unexpected gentleness cupped her chin into his hand. But it wasn’t so much the unexpected touch that startled her the most, it was the sudden tingle that radiated from her chin and across her skin down the length of her neck...where the pain and the pressure began to set it as her vision faded into blackness.
**
Her vision returned darkened as the tightness around her neck took the breath from her lungs and her bloodied fingers dug into sharp, black scales as she hung in the grasp of a large and sharply clawed hand. A beast stood below her, the shape of a massive man - larger than Ganondorf even with grey skin and black scales upon his body. He had a large, rounded nose and a mane of hair that flicked like fire that seemed to erupt from a fissure that ran the length of his back. His eyes were like heated steel, rising and darkening in brightness with the flicker of his hair. Black veins seemed to torrent across his body with the beat of his heart and he was mostly nude, bearing every shape of muscle that his body possessed out in the open save for an ornate cloth around his waist for some semblance of decency. The Demon King leered up at her as she struggled in his vice like grip, desperate for any second of air.
Where is it, Sky Child!?
The Demon King roared, baring shark like teeth at her as his claws dug deeper into her throat and she gurgled and glared back upon him in certain defiance, it wasn’t as if she could have answered him even if she wanted to. But she, despite her predicament, had no intention of telling him what he wanted to know. She knew where the item was that he sought. But he didn’t and that was the most important part of it all, that he never found out where it was. He could never possess it...or else the world would be certainly doomed. And when her silence answered for her the Demon King’s scowl seemed to fade into a more confused rage than anything else.
You would die for a Goddess that abandoned you…? He asked, much more quietly and she felt her lips curl into a semblance of a smirk, which only answered the Demon King more. So be it then. He hissed, the pressure upon her neck worsening as her bones began to shift and pop to accommodate, death certainly was near as her chest screamed for air and her body twitched in the familiar fashion of any lack efforts at survival.
My Lord, I beg you, stay your hand. Another voice rang out, much lower and softer in tone - almost comfortingly soft as a gangly man appeared from some far reach of the chamber where she couldn’t see. He was terribly thin and long limbed with a blue hue to his skin and long hair as black as coals. His eyes were a shining yellow paired with thin black lips and six horns protruding from his forehead where a single red jewel had been depressed into his skull. He too was mostly nude save for the girdle he wore over his waist that led into a similar train of cloth to cover his legs and a cape wore only over one of his shoulders. The Demon King merely growled at him in response but the blue man persisted as he drew close to the Demon King’s back. “My King. Does this Sky Child not look familiar to you? Does she not look like another who served you a hundred years ago...does she not look exactly like him?” The Blue Man continued and the Demon King’s eyes almost glittered with a sudden familiarity as his grip loosened enough so that she could breath, yet he still bore a look of confusion as if he didn’t quite understand nor remember what this blue demon spoke about. “Could it be…?” The Demon King mused, dropping the girl suddenly and she felt her feet and knees collide into the stone floor and her entire body collapse on itself as she gasped and struggled to fill her lungs with much needed oxygen. She felt an immense pain in her entire body, only worsened by the sudden fall from such a height, and she could see the cuts and bruises all over her legs and arms - like she’d tumbled down a cliff at some point before or suffered a great amount of abuse.
And when she looked up upon the powerful demon her body shook as she held her bleeding neck, a woodland creature cornered by a predator and the Demon King almost seemed to smile. “Seem’s my old lost friend continues to serve me even from his prison...he’s given me quite a gift.” She hadn’t the vaguest idea what he was talking about and without another thought she leapt from the ground in an attempt to run from him but he was far too fast and his paw collided with her skull, ripping her hair into his grasp as he yanked her back to him and she shrieked in both fear and pain.
“Enough of this blubbering, Sky Child...you are now mine.”
**
Ganondorf’s voice drew her back from these things that she saw and refocused upon him, having recoiled back into the wall of the hallway and a moment of confusion spread over her as the familiar pain of a headache swiftly began to take over anything else that she could possibly think about. The collar around her neck still drew tight as her veins had swollen and darkened a bit in response, her body trembled as fear still ran through her system from what she had seen that had seemed so real...and yet here she was still where she had always been. Safe in the castle and in the light of the sun. But it didn’t explain as to where she had gone or what she had seen and felt. But the two men seemed to not have noticed, as it must have happened quickly. And with a twitch of her head she blinked a few times up at the Gerudo King, drawing her fingers up to rest upon his gauntlet - nails clicking against the metal and guiding his hand downward so that he was no longer touching her. “You’ve scared the help near to death, my friend.” Agahnim glowered, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly as upset with Ganondorf as she also was.
“There is no such King here.” Ark responded poisonously, side stepping him with a quickness that only a servant whom had been put into these sorts of awkward situations one too many times could muster. She guided the two the rest of the way to their chambers in silence but the aura of pain was evident upon her face as she sneered at the rays of the sun that caught into her eyes and squinted at the world around her. “Wizard.” She announced, opening a door for Agahnim at the end of the hallway just before the pair of double doors that obviously ended the hallway into the most important chamber where Ganondorf would stay and when Agahnim had entered into his room, with one last look at Ganondorf to behave himself, the servant slide open one side of the double doors and leaned her body against it while she waiting for the King to cross the threshold. “Sav'orq, Sire.” She reasoned, slowly but surely losing whatever polite nerves she had left.
-
Collette’s appearance into the kitchen did not go unnoticed by either of the Sheikah nor the staff that frantically puttered around trying to do multiple things at once while still keeping dinner on time. One such individual, whom was called Marta, could barely contain her laughter at the Hylian Knight’s upset. Marta in reality wasn’t all too familiar with most of the knights and soldiers but she did know that she had rightly never seen this particular one before and was a little confused when she wandered into her kitchen as if she owned it. But it was a quick look from Nikoal that silenced her at first as the brown haired man paused in order to find the source of the noise and whom his sister was talking to. And for a good uncomfortable moment he fixed Collette with an intense manly stare. “Certainly a Knight of such high esteem is aware as to whom protects the King?” He replied smoothly, hauling a crate unto his shoulder and carrying it away at a somewhat slow but steady pace.
“Ignore him. My twin is quite obscenely rude.” Kala interjected, seeking to comfort the Knight before the situation escalated any further than it already had. But the confusion in the knight did little to raise Kala’s spirits, after all someone who stood in such an esteemed position should have been privy to all those close to the Royal Family, including the Sheikah that resided the castle as well as those who passed through. The fact that she didn’t know told Kala a lot about the girl and that she might not have been the brightest nor the best suited for the mission at hand. Then again...perhaps that was Johan’s intention all along. Maybe he was testing this girl. Or maybe he was sending her away in hopes she would fail. Maybe...he was teaching her a hard lesson, something he was notorious for with Princess Zelda and Arkaeni. Or perhaps the girl was just tired, perhaps it was a simple and honest mistake. It wouldn’t have been the first time someone had mixed up the twins.
“Perhaps not…” Kala stated, thinking as the knight took hold of her hand, breaking the Sheikah’s train of thought as her fingers coiled around Collette’s - surprise on her face. It wasn’t everyday someone just took her by the hand...not a woman anyway. And for a moment Kala was confused about this girl who seemed so astute in her armor yet so child-like outside of it. “The Gerudo aren’t accustomed to waiting...clearly…” She continued with a confused tone, walking with the knight through the kitchen and out into the cricket filled summer night of Hyrule. Niko was already a ways down the terrain that curved down into the stables with several others also hauling crates and baskets of all manner of things. It mostly looked as if the Hylian’s were simply packing up whatever extra they had to spare, but none of it was organized beyond a certain point. The sad reality of a people who didn’t understand whom the Gerudo were and what their diets consisted off. She supposed that too was why Johan had ordered the handmaiden to come aid their efforts...but it would seem that the Gerudo were holding her up. “It will be some time before the caravan is situated…” Kala added as the women drew closer to the stables and her eyes found the magnificent steed that must have belonged to the Gerudo King. It was a giant stallion with a shining black coat and a fiery man who snorted in his stable in some clear agitation towards all the racket around him. “Have you ever seen a Gerudo Stallion?” The Sheikah asked, drawing the knight towards the horse cautiously, “They’re not the fasted beasts but they are powerful. One strike of his hooves can shatter Hylian bones in a second...but don’t touch him. They bite...only his master must handle him.”
-
With his hand gently set upon the handmaiden's chin, he couldn't help but look down just past her eyes to notice that choker around her neck. His golden gaze scrutinized the thing, and even without touching such an object he knew it was magicked. Such things were rare among Hylians, even somewhat rare among the Gerudo. Someone gifted with magic naturally was uncommon in the first place as most wizards or warlocks utilized magical items like rods or staves to channel elemental energy and cast spells. He knew a lot about magic himself, but he was far from a scholar by any means. His learning had come from the red wizard himself for the most part, but Ganondorf was capable of some dark powers he didn't fully understand the extent of either. Naturally he wanted to learn more, about himself, and about magic generally speaking but nestled in the desert that was simply impossible. When he held her, he heard a voice in his head. Even as his eyes traveled the length of her figure. His wandering eyes returned to hers noticing the dazed look set upon her face. “You are now mine.” The words echoed into his head, like the chime of an old-fashioned clock. It sounded like his own voice but yet somehow different. It trailed off like it was missing something too, and he wondered what that was or where it had come from. It was almost like it was speaking not to him, but to the woman in front of him and he struggled to fully comprehend it. He was momentarily distracted as Ark came out of her slight stupor by Agahnim who could see how visibly frightened the girl was by her body language and how she shrank back against the wall. Somehow though, Ganondorf knew that wasn't because of him...at least not directly. She saw something else, but what that was he couldn't say. His eyes cut towards his companion, slowly taking his hand off of her as she raised her hand to touch his gauntlet. “We shall see.” He uttered with something of finality in his voice. Ganondorf felt like that was a challenge, and he would rise to the occasion. His eyes moved from her and he stepped back away from her so he wasn't invading her personal space any longer. He could be quite impulsive at times, but with what the king agreed to already he felt like he could get away with murder in the kingdom if he really wanted to. As he reached his room, he didn't make any motion to his companion who seemed worried that he might get himself in more trouble without him. Sometimes he felt like his companions were only around to reel him back in if he did something questionable or obscene. When they got to his room, he started to pass the handmaiden when she spoke in the Gerudo tongue. His eyes shot down towards hers and he stared at her for a moment. For a moment he pondered just how well traveled and knowledgeable she was. Was she just a servant as a ruse? Was she one of the king's Sheikah servants this whole time but masqueraded as some kind of slave? No, it was plain to reason that Urbosa likely taught her a thing or two about greetings and partings in the Gerudo dialect. It was pleasant despite whatever annoyance she had with him. He liked the way her accent sounded speaking such words. “Sarqso.” He responded, briskly stepping past her into the open room. Ganondorf wasn't going to linger with her any longer. The Gerudo king imagined she had other things to do as a servant after all, and he was ready to get better acquainted with his stay in the castle. As he stepped in the room, he started to remove his armor. Starting with his gauntlets, he pried them off and set them upon a nearby table. The large golden bracers were impressive if not enormous. No Hylian man could wear such a thing, never mind trying to fit in his armor of all things. Following suit was his chestplate, setting the various small parts of his armor down next to his gauntlets and striding through the room to one of the large windows opposite the room. He gaze out over the kingdom, looking out over the rolling hills and mountains in the horizon. – It was no mystery that Colette was someone who was a bit strange to the residents and workers within the castle. She only moved to the castle recently, after being promoted rather quickly within the military she became one of the king's knights. Some knew who she was well from the rumors spread around about the female knight among Johan's men. Naturally she wasn't as up to speed as most of the soldiers in the kingdom when it came to castle etiquette but perhaps she was a well deserved breath of fresh air compared to some of the stuffy people around the castle. Still, despite how clueless and carefree she might have seemed there was no mistaking the sense of malice and danger that radiated off of Colette. Much like some people within the kingdom, she had an oppressive aura around her. That despite how cheery and pleasant she seemed, at the drop of a hat things could turn bad very quickly for everyone around her. When Kala commented about her twin she nodded her head quickly. “I'm no stranger to Sheikah, but not twins.” She commented with a quick wink towards Niko, a smile gracing her pale features. It was curious to think that both of them were Sheikah and that they were twins at that, but she thought that the two of them were pleasant nonetheless. She was happy to hear that some of the staff in the kitchen laughed at her, it made her feel good to know that her outburst had been endearing to some. The fact remained that she cared little about the kitchen truthfully, right now all of her interest was poured into Kala and their proposed journey. Out to the stables, she clasped Kala's hand in her own. Colette's skin was soft but slightly colder than ordinary Hylians, but she was far from ordinary that much was certain. At the stables, she noticed the Gerudo's mighty steed. It must have been the horse that man had rode here on, the large one claiming to be king. She looked up at the horse that was taller than both of them. It was impressive to say the least. “You know a lot about horses, don't you?” She asked, as she approached the steed. Her eerie red eyes peered up at the beast and it stared back. Her eyes lit up and she raised her hand towards its head and as she was told not to touch it because they bite she saw how it was practically growling at her. Her fingers danced near its snout, and she sneered up at it. Without touching it did it snap at her, its large teeth snapping together as she withdrew her hand quickly and let out a little laugh. “What a cutie, so aggressive, I'd love to take a ride on him.” She admitted, turning to look at Kala and walking down to where their small caravan awaited. Marta was still in the kitchen, and they weren't quite ready to leave. However, Vera, the Gerudo woman that had left the audience chamber was there. She looked a little distraught, waiting impatiently for the lot of them to get going. “Should we help get things loaded up onto the carriage?” She asked, a slight pensive look on her face. Colette was still waiting for the other handmaiden to get here to help get them ready to go. She wasn't going to leave before then since she half-expected something to tag along with her from the king. Johan wasn't the type to just let her leave without any sort of expectation or hidden agenda after all, Colette knew that well enough. – There was a loud knock on the door, followed quickly by the large wooden door swinging open. Inside the room was a mixture of objects, the most notable of which was the orb floating in the center of this chamber. Far underground the castle of Hyrule was the hidden chamber of the sorceress. The orb was suspended in the air above the ground, a dark purple mist pouring off of it down into a recepticle on the floor below it that looked to be partially full of dark purple almost black liquid that seemed to have been collected from the orb above it. Energy radiated off of the orb, its translucent glow casting a dark hue upon the entire chamber. Within the orb was what could only have been a condensed piece of Calamity Ganon. It looked like a small crystalline object, a collection of the goopy substance combined with various pieces of the perverse ancient creature combined and condensed into what it is now. It radiated with power, and it filled the room with dread. There were various objects all around the room, instruments utilized by scholars and wizards to study or develop their magic. It didn't look like any sort of living space, at least at first. Yet upon further inspection there were a few oddities tucked away in the enormous chamber here and there. Namely, a large armoire where various magical instruments were leaning against, a small bed nestled in the corner with a clutter of different clothes strewn out upon it, and a small table near the bed that had a cup of tea still steaming with heat on top of it. It was clear that someone did live here, but they were obsessed with their research by the look of all the massive tomes strewn throughout the room and the clear ominous orb of dark power that was the only real source of light in the chamber. “You know it's not good for you to remain down here all day.” Came the voice of the man who entered the room, raising his hand to pick up one of the candles off the wall. Bringing his other hand up, he pulled a match from the small base of the candle. Striking it upon the wall, he lit it and brought it up to the candle to spread some more natural light into the room. It also did well to illuminate his handsome features. For a Hylian, the man was quite tall and well built. Rare, certainly, but he might have had some mixture of Sheikah blood in him as well. With wide shoulders, a strong build, long shaggy black hair, and shimmering golden eyes, he was a striking man who bore some similarities to the king himself. His name was Volke, the executioner. He was the personal guard to the king, and what some might not know is that he is also the younger brother of the man. The light caught his topaz eyes well and illuminated his choice of garments, a plain loose fitting shirt that was unbuttoned most of the way displaying his masculine chest and the definition of his muscles. His legs were simply clad in a pair of dark brown combats, leading to his thick black leather boots. “You make me worry about you, hiding away down here by yourself, Cia. I'd love to see you in the sunlight for a change.” He said, stepping through the room looking for the sorceress.
-
The Darkwalker said nothing more to the Gerudo King after he bid his goodbye in the same tongue. It was charming to hear him speak in his own language, but she imagined she would hear very little of it where he not engaged in conversation with his brood. Then again, the Gerudo had a penchant to speak Hylian even amongst each other - perhaps they thought it easier to keep the language fresh by speaking it more than their birth language. Maybe they chose to speak it in the presence of Hylian’s out of some strange respect that the Hylian’s never showed to any other race. Either way the good byes of today were not the goodbyes of forever but as he left her sight she breathed in the sandy scent of sweat and masculinity that he left behind, she imagined the Gerudo would need a bath later on, but smell was oddly comforting if only for a moment but would have been considered repulsive to any one else. After she had safely tucked him into his space she slid the door closed quietly but she lingered for a moment, listening to the shuffling beyond. It was a shame that he was Zelda’s, the one of many a women who wouldn’t appreciate the Gerudo King for his raw power and skill. The handmaiden knew the Princess would demonize him, see him as nothing more than a rabid beast amongst the walls, she would never love any child then they might produce. A terrible fate…but for whom?
And slowly the Interloper wandered from the door, walking in a not so straight line as her hands cloaked over her face to hide her eyes from the light. The ache in her head lessened just slightly in the darkness, as it always did. She always did better in the darkness then out in the sun. And bringing her hands down the length of her face she watched to carefully avoid the blurry bodies of other servants and statuettes or whatever else had been laid around for one to trip over but she did not notice one figure in particular as she rounded down to the ending threshold of the stairs. Not until he was already upon her and as she fully rounded the corner he stood, leaning against the wall, in an imposing manner that only a King possessed. The noise that left her was sharp as she recoiled away from him once she recognized who he was and his figure came into focus. The Hyrule King, who occupied a space against the wall, as he peeled an apple with his grandfather's royal dagger. He looked at her with raised eyebrows as if he didn’t understand her fright. “Really….?” He questioned quietly as the handmaiden cupped her lower abdomen. “What do you want…?” She breathed against her racing heart, cringing against the pain which brought a notion of concern to the Hyrule King. “These headaches, I understand they grow more painful and frequent?” He questioned, sliding a thin slice of apple into his mouth, and left the wall to offer the rest of his apple to the girl as well as his arm to take. She coiling her arm around his but she did not answer and rejected the apple with a sneer of disgust.
“You can’t survive off meat alone.” The Hyrule King pressed, pushing the apple to her lips, and the Interloper begrudgingly took a bit of it, chewing with about as much animosity as a child forced to eat their peas. The sweetness of it was sickening. “I shall have Cia prepare you potions for them.” He added, reminding the Interloper of the she-devil that she also shared this castle with and growling in response to the idea of having anything to do with Johan’s witch. And for a moment the two of them simply walked, arm in arm, as Johan often did with Zelda as well. “What did the Gerudo King say?” Johan eventually asked, scanning the hallway for threats out of habit, despite seeing them everywhere. “He need’s a concubine, he was…” She trailed off, unable to find the polite words to say, “Did he hurt you?” Johan asked just as quickly but the girl just shook her head, “There would be no Gerudo King if he had.” She replied. Johan nodded knowingly but obviously withheld doubts that a little girl like her could do so much as a bruising to the Gerudo King. “Perhaps...Rhala would suit his needs…” He mused, as if he was honestly entertaining the idea but Ark could sense that it wasn’t Rhala he was really thinking about throwing to the wild beast, Rhala was the king’s favorite...he wouldn’t have subjected her to such torments. “He truly said nothing of import...not even to his Wizard? Urbosa?” Johan continued to press curiously, and the Interloper sighed.
“He is not so foolish, anything said will not be said for servants to hear it.” Johan merely rolled his eyes answering his own question. “You will see much of him my darling…” He continued, bringing Ark to his front as he touched his palms to her shoulders, “Anything strange about him...I would know it promptly. Understood?” For a moment Ark only stared at the Hylian King, “You would make a spy out of me? Would you make me his whore as well?” She asked, insulted. But the Hylian King only smirked, raking his fingers through her tangled hair, “You are whatever I ask you to be. And you will do as I command… be it his whore or my spy.” He stated with finality and without another word he left her into the crowd of his council as they huddled outside of their chamber, waiting to discuss more about this Gerudo King and whatever else they thought was important today. But the Hylian King did not leave without a look of daggers at his back as the Handmaiden dug her nails into the cloth of her dress.
“Get on with yourself.” The biggest guard warned, noticing the look she had for the King, and she quickly moved along - soon finding herself traipsing through the low hanging entrance into the kitchen.
“Marta.” Ark called as she moved the swinging kitchen door from her path with her hip while she fought the tangles of her hair up from her shoulders into an attempt of a ponytail. She like Princess Zelda and the other maidens were not permitted to cut it and while the Hylian's hair only grew to certain lengths and seemed to stop, Ark's had grown well past the point of acceptable in her opinion and she wished every day that she could just take the kitchen shears to it to so she could stop having to manhandle it every single night for some relief from the summer heat. Marta in question was a plump Hylian woman of eight children who liked to run rampant around the servant's quarters and get into all kinds of mischief. She had served in the castle kitchen for decades as far as she knew and she was both a stern yet homely woman who was kind. “Oh child… you look ghastly.” Marta replied, cleaning her hands with a well used washrag, “Ghastly?” Ark scoffed, shaking her head, “Tell that to the King, he seem’s well to upset me every opportunity he gets..” Marta unfortunately was not a woman of opinion and like so many night's she knew why this particular Handmaid always wandered into the kitchen. She was looking for scraps most nights but tonight she had other duties here. “Did you see him?” Marta asked as she turned to fill a plate with raw meats, “That Gerudo...did you see him?” Marta did enjoy a bit a drama. “I saw all of him.” Ark replied, taking the plate from the chubby woman who stared at her, waiting for more information. “He's handsome.” The Handmaid commented, picking intently at the meat, “And huge...as big as a Hinox.” “A Hinox!? No!” Marta exclaimed, looking almost insulted by the heaping trays of food that were still not yet completely prepared as Ark's eyes found the feast. “They would enjoy wine and dried fruits over meat...”She commented slowly, “Oh poppycock. All men love meat.” Of course she didn't expect Marta to know a thing about the desert dwellers, the woman had lived here her entire life...and she wasn't educated like she was – after all Zelda was always leaving books around and Ark had taken a habit to reading them while the Princess slept for a few hours every night. It had become a ritual even...because the foreigner would have rather died than allow herself to grow dumb and fat like these people had. “Oh look at you girl. You act like you're starved.” The Hylian commented, pausing to watch the Handmaid quickly devour the plate in just a couple of minutes, “I'll be damned if this place is going to turn me into a bony little weakling....have you seen Kala?” Her next question had earn her a small chuckle from the old Hylian cook, “One day that rebel will get you flogged...she's in the stables with that Knight.” Ahh yes the Knight...she’d forgotten about her. “I’ll take care of the supplies.” Ark stated, waving the old woman away as she knelt and lifted a crate that would have required two men to carry up to teeter upon her shoulder.
-
The sheikah had felt her heart skip a beat. What was meant to be a small informative lesson on Gerudo Stallion’s had quickly turned into a game of cucco to the knight who taunted the stead. Kala knew very well that if the mount wished it, his stable would not hold him, and the knight would not escape him either - she would be crushed if she were not to show an ounce of self preservation. Niko shared the same look as his sister, the two of them had been raised in Kakariko but their father often bred and cared for the horses that the tribe would use for travel and labor. They were instructed their entire lives on how to cooperate with the creatures of nature, and if their blue eyes hadn’t been obvious enough, there was more running through their veins then just Sheikah blood.
They came from an old, forgotten people, that once occupied the Ikana Valley in the region of Termina. And while they might not have been descendants of the dead royal family they still kept some of their roots intact - the ability to tame animals being one such tradition. But the knight’s recklessness resounded in Kala as she watched the girl play with fire, not one to stop a fool from behaving like a fool, but rather allowing their actions to bite them back with a vengeance for acting poorly. And of course Ganondorf’s steed, just as his master would have, lashed out at the knight who taunted him but she was lucky enough to be just a few seconds quicker than he was at that moment. “Will be the last ride of your life…” The sheikah commented as the knight bumbled away and she met the gaze of the horse, who leered at her in contempt, but she couldn’t quite discern what the animal was thinking in that moment.
“Perhaps the Gerudo King will grant you a ride after we bring these supplies to his people.” The Ikana added, following after the knight casually to find the antsy Gerudo charge. She could see Vera was...uncomfortable to say the least and the Sheikah certainly wondered why. If her King had come here and was comfortable in this place so too shouldn’t his servants feel the same way? “You look like a woman with something weighing very heavily upon her mind.” Kala commented, watching the Gerudo, who was taller by a head, closely. “Pray tell, hm?” She asked, tilting her head softly, “We will leave soon enough...and you and your King are safe here.”
“There you are…” She heard her brother pipe up from the other side of the caravan as the the white haired woman finally made her reappearance with a crate balanced on her shoulder. But she passed too close to the Gerudo Stallion who greedily shoved his head into the crate to take from it’s contents whatever he clearly thought looked good enough to eat. The handmaiden was startled for a second, unsure as to why the crate shifted so forcefully, but quickly realized what happened as the horse emerged with his apple that he chewed loudly. “As imposing as your master I see…” She grumbled, clearly displeased with the mounts audaciousness ( who clearly didn’t care what she thought of him) and easily stepped up into the caravan with the crate and set in down with a hard thump.
-
“Don’t be presumptuous.” The Execution received his reply from the denizen of this small space, though this place was not considered to be “her room” so to speak. But she did spend a fair amount of time in here. The woman in question was an ageless thing whom they called Cia, a woman of envious curves and beauty that even surpassed Princess Zelda’s...but she too was not a woman to be trifled with all the same. She was hotly emotional and pushed to have her way in anyway way that she could and when she didn’t...it angered the Sorceress greatly. She had been in servitude to King Johan since her budding years, having known Johan and Volke as mere little lads, as something of a consultant and adviser to the King though what ties her family had to the Royal’s was yet to be determined. It always seemed as if Cia was simply always there, waiting on the sidelines, dictating what Johan should have done next and what crazy ideals he should leave behind.
And for many years this relationship had worked for the both of them...that was until the Princess Below emerged on Hyrule’s doorstep, injured, and begging for Hyrule’s aid to save her kingdom from a fierce and all consuming darkness. A fool of a Princess who had bitten off far more than she could chew, and Hyrule had made the mistake to help her. Cia still remembered those dark years as if they were yesterday...she remembered King of Dragon’s as well and the evil that oozed from his body. The same evil that had almost consumed Johan and Volke beyond repair...and while the two men had survived the years of battle and corruption...they were still not quite the same as they used to be. And afterwards it seemed as if Johan was pulling further and further away from his council and his advisors, doing more of what he believed to be best and what he wanted - without so much as a second thought for his people nor country...or the consequences of his own actions.
Cia always saw this as a spurn. Each one worse than the last...and the latest one it would seem came in the form of an alliance with a barbaric people who would barely be useful in Hyrule’s Royal agenda. If anything they would be a liability at best. But would Johan see reason? No...of course not. Johan knew better than anyone else in his old age it seemed and for Cia this was perhaps the greatest sleight. For years she had lorded over this kingdom through him and now...it seemed there was a new king upon the horizon - one that Cia knew that she could not control. And while Johan’s daughter was one thing, Cia knew she could charm her way into her good graces...but the Geurdo King - she could see the bloodlust in his eyes and she knew that he wanted this kingdom for himself. And he would have it...just as soon as Johan hurried up and died.
Cia watched the Gerudo King through the folds of the crystal she held in her hand, leaned over the arm of her chair set in the open corner of her chamber. She watched him as he cornered the Handmaiden and she rejected him and she watched as he shed his armor and currently stared out over his kingdom, pensive and she judged him for his character. He was a brutally handsome thing truly...but he was also a threat. A serious threat. And sighing she allowed the crystal to roll out of her hand and clatter to the floor as she found her husband where he skulked at the doorway. They had been married for five years now, ever since the fool had gone and fathered a bastard child out of wedlock, a son who had been born dead and deformed, to the fourteen year old handmaiden and child of the King of Dragon’s. A very poor judgment on Volke’s part clearly and in his anger Johan had given his half brother to she to control, hoping that the man would suffer greatly being tied down to an esteemed wife. It was not an arrangement that either of them had wanted but as the years carried on...it had panned out in their favor to say the least.
And rising from her chair she strode towards her husband and laying her hand upon his chest as she teased at his shirt, “And i’d like to see you disrobed. But we don’t always get what we all want now do we?” Cia spoke softly yet venomously as she moved away from the man and towards the glowing red orb that hung in the center of the chamber. It was a collection of power drawn forth from the catacombs of the castle, which had been sealed shut, and it was a power that she did not quite understand - only that it was primal in nature. “Johan has lost his mind bringing that sand rat here…” She added, “He will bring nothing but ruin.”
-
The desert king felt a need to leave his room almost as soon as he had arrived. While a nice bath might have calmed his nerves, he was feeling a little too restless for that. These walls of stone and iron, Johan might have wanted them to function as a cage for him, but he wasn't going to wait around like some docile creature for long. Not only was he an impatient creature, he was a curious one. His interests led him to wish to see the rest of the kingdom first hand. The lush fields, the unusual technology, the villages on the outskirts of the large city surrounding the castle. Everything was so well kept, it was like signs of war had never reached this far...part of him felt disappointed that the scars of battle like that upon the walls of his small desert kingdom weren't visible here, at least not on the surface. Pacing around in his room, he finally decided to finish changing clothes. He slipped out of his grieves and into a more loose fitting pair of robes. It was black and clinging to his heavy muscles upon his chest. Sliding a maroon color silken shirt over it, decorated in gold trimmings, with a desert sand colored sash around his waist. The last of which followed was a black jacket that looked almost like it was ceremonial. It hid his arms almost completely and draped down towards the ground. Upon the arms of which was the depiction of a claw clutching at an orb both colored in a fine gold trim. The jacket was perfect for concealing a weapon or some such, not that he had any illicit intentions...for now. Once the man had gotten himself fully dressed, he quietly left his room. He didn't need his entourage to keep him safe, and he knew better than to get into trouble now. Ganondorf walked at a casual pace, back the way he had come. He took a small detour out onto the large walls of the castle. There he saw a tower hanging up above the castle and a bridge leading to it. Many of those large machines that he had seen before were out in the fields here, ancient technology meant to combat the power of Calamity Ganon so it would seem. That along with the Divine Beasts, the Champions, and the Hero, with the final ingredient in the mix being the power of the descendant of Hylia herself. He knew the stories, everyone did. Even if he didn't quite feel like a resident of Hyrule from being raised in the desert, they were all part of the same land and these legends were told the world over. He raised a hand to chin, stroking his finely trimmed red beard briefly. It looked like some kind of research laboratory up there, a place where someone might be able to oversee and watch after the development of these large weapons. He could tell that the weapons installed here were nothing to scoff at. There were all inactive, at least for today, but they practically draped the castle to fortify it and he could see that from the outside. Was Calamity Ganon so dangerous that it needed such a massive force of overwhelming power to deal with added to the already impressive talents of the champions? He couldn't say, but he did find it ironic that he was here poised to take over the throne bearing the same name as the Calamity. Yes it was tradition, but what of his own fate? He wanted power, he craved it. Was it just greed that drove him, or did he truly care enough for his people to free them from the desert to live in a place where they could be accepted and integrated into the world. He scratched his beard in slight annoyance with his own thoughts as he strolled out onto the walls. Here he could see everything that the Hylians had to offer. Not just the town around them but the fields beyond that, the mountains further beyond that, the rivers, the lakes...they could all be his. Yet as he gazed beyond the horizon he noticed something else had caught his eye. That woman again, down far below the walls was the handmaiden Arkaeni who had shown him to his room. Such a strong willed woman, he found her to be intriguing. Such a lovely thing didn't deserve to be held captive here in this place. – Colette was clearly the type who loved to play with fire, as was seen from her provocation of the mighty beast. Yet there was something in its eyes when it snapped at her, that when she met its gaze there was a sign of respect or understanding. The Sheikah might have noticed it when Colette stepped away from that king of horses. It was like a recognition from the beast that it wasn't in charge. If it bit that woman, she would bite it back and it was willing to strike at her anyway knowing that it would be hurt if she decided to fight back. It was like two beasts, alphas of their kind had met and there needed to be some established respect before they could get on with themselves. The dark haired girl smiled back at Kala at the comment. “And what a ride it would be.” She hummed as she began loading her own bags into the caravan. She didn't say anything at the next comment, talking to Ganondorf was a little more intimidating to her than dealing with his horse after all. Colette couldn't shake the feeling of dread around that man, was it because he was evil? Why then had their king allowed him so close? She shook her head to herself as she began to assist the others getting things prepared for travel. As far as Gerudo went, Vera was nothing like Urbosa. The champion was dominant, maternal, perhaps something of a romantic, and without a doubt strong, Vera was a handmaiden to the king. She had been trained in Gerudo customary combat, spear and blade training, the proper usage of a shield, and various other bladed weaponry but she was worried for her people without their king. Not only was their champion here but so too was their king. Without both of them they could be lost, and what worried her more was the knight and Sheikah accompanying them. Kala seemed...fine, but the other woman was impossible to get a read on. What was her plans? Vera picked up a crate when the dark haired woman approached her. “I worry for my people, is that wrong?” She answered, though she might have snapped at Kala in a slightly harsher tone than she intended. It showed just how much her nerves stood on end. This whole situation rubbed her wrong, and she felt like the weight of the world was suddenly on her back. She just needed to deliver the supplies, and if something went wrong they would have these two women executed before something bad happened to her people. War would break out again between the Gerudo on a large scale if this were the case, but she worried that her king and the Champion might be held as a hostage if that were to happen. She exhaled a quiet sigh and shook her head. “Apologies, let's finish getting these things loaded and be on our way?” Colette pushed a crate down into the corner of the wagon and turned to see the white haired servant setting the crate down, Colette took it from her to push it in next to the other one and clamber out of the back of the wagon. Her bright red eyes were fixated on the handmaiden the entire time, an eerie but puzzled expression adorning her pretty features. “I don't think we've ever been introduced before.” She finally said, holding her black gloved hands out in front of at her sides as if in a welcoming gesture. “I've seen you around the king a lot, but I haven't had the chance to talk to you before.” She seemed to want to talk to Ark, it was evident by her mannerisms she was wearing her emotions on her sleeve. Vera stepped past the two of them however, “It's time we go, this is the last of the supplies.” Impatient and ready to leave, she moved to the front of the wagon and shot Colette a glare as if telling her to move her butt. “Oh, well, I, bye then.” She waved to Ark casually as she walked around the wagon to slide into the seat up at the front. Gently stirring the horses up who had been hitched to the caravan, they began to move signaling their departure finally. – Volke stepped into the dark room further when he saw her finally. Hidden within the mostly red lit room from the orb radiating its power throughout. He knew she had brought this thing here for some time, not just because she was interested in it but because she had been amassing it for years. It wasn't just recently that it appeared, and he didn't understand the half of it. Why she had it here, why it seemed to continue growing stronger, what it had to do with their kingdom. It worried him to think that such a thing could lead to their demise. However, as she strode towards him, his demeanor relaxed quite a bit. He had been a bit on edge since the Gerudo King had arrived at their doorstep and he refused to understand Johan and his rationale for such a preposterous thing. When his wife laid her hand upon his chest, he felt her gentle hand through his thin shirt and he looked down at her expectantly only to be rewarded with a quick motion of rejection. “Ah, but that's where your wrong, love, you always get what you want.” He uttered as he followed her through the chamber, standing before the primal coalescence of corruption amassed in that orb. Just standing before it he could feel his heart beat faster and his mind race with a mixture of emotions. This thing was liquefied evil, he knew it was terrible, but he didn't know what to tell Cia. She thought she could handle it and he wasn't one to doubt her power but it worried him that this power would ultimately consumer her. “I don't like it anymore than you do. Johan won't listen to me, his own brother, but you know what they say, keep your friends close...” He trailed off, stepping over to Cia. His hand moved to place upon her hips from behind and he pulled her back against him. Volke had always been a bit of a lady's man, and for Cia he was no different. She was his wife now, and he had a lot of emotional investment in her as opposed to when they were first introduced. He remembered admiring the woman's beauty from afar when he was just a little brat, but that beauty of hers had never faded and he felt like he had become a man worthy of such a lovely thing. “Why don't you take a break, if you wish me to disrobe, perhaps you can join me in the baths?” He offered, wishing to have her leave her study. This place was steeped in corruption, it couldn't have been good for her to stay here and he thought it might be worthwhile to get her to blow off some steam.
-
She was beside herself, the Princess of Hyrule. How that name seemed to ring hollow these days. She was adored by her people, revered as a symbol of integrity and piety. Kind and beautiful just like her mother before her. She was given just as much respect as her father even and yet she was expected to sit quietly while her future was decided for her and given to a warlord she had never met and already she despised. As a young woman she was wild and full of life, hungry for knowledge, yet desperate for affection. But Ganondorf’s nature of affection was not the kind that she wished to experience. But as a Princess she was to be silent and stoic, she was to agree with her father’s choices and his wants...she was to please him and make him proud of her. And truly she wished to be everything that he wished her to be...but it would not seem to be within the Goddess’ design. Year after year she failed to accomplish the only task asked of her...to reveal this sacred sealing power that was inherited by all the woman born of Hyrule blood. Yet no matter how hard she tried nor how long she prayed it never came to her. Often a night the Princess would wonder what what wrong with her. And perhaps it was due to this failure of duty that her father was so quick to hand her off to the first….somewhat...legitimate man. But while the Princess was so very like her mother...she was stubborn and angry just like her father could be. And without announcement she had stormed through the halls unattended toward her father's study and she would not be halted by his guards outside.
“Get out of my way. I will speak to my father.” She ordered as the golden haired Princess flung open the door, much to the guards dismay, and hurried into the study where her hapless father was bent over his desk with his head in his hand, writing feverishly in his journal like a man possessed...or was he drawing? “No.” Johan grumbled, knowing exactly who it was who had stormed his fortress of solitude and without even looking up. Instead he remained fixed on the blank page before him that he filled up with whatever ramblings he had. “I will not be silenced, Father!” Zelda rebutted, shutting the door aggressively behind her and earning an equally as frustrated sigh from the black haired king and Johan whispered very lowly, almost inaudibly, causing Zelda to blink in concern. “W-what?” She asked, her voice trembling, and just as if nothing had been said Johan look up from the pages a bit wide eyed… almost as if he’d forgotten she was there. “Hm?” He asked, “Why are you here, little bird...?” He asked, glancing down for a moment upon the pages with a wrinkle in his brow before closing the journal slowly on it’s illegible gibberish scratched upon its pages. “Are you not feeling well...Father?” Zelda asked, entering more into the study as Johan leaned back in his chair.
“I am fine Zelda. Now what do you want?” He commanded, already annoyed with the girl. And for a moment Zelda was quiet, unsure of what to say or how to say it. She had come here in a huff, ready to argue and fight, but she always forgot how Johan had a way of shutting her down with just a simple look such as the one he was giving to her. “I…” She began, her heart pounding in her chest as she mustered up the courage to speak, “I do not wish to marry him!” She blurted, and her father did not respond because he knew she hadn’t gotten everything out yet that she wished to say, “I have seen him in my dreams father… he will surely bring ruin to our family and to Hyrule...you cannot let him ascend the throne!” Johan merely rolled his eyes, “Again with these visions...do you not remember what happened to your mother? Who bought into these delusions as well?” The King asked cruelly and a look of pain crossed the Princess’ face who did not wish to remember the way that her mother had left this world. But perhaps Johan had realized he might have picked a little too deeply into his child for once and sighing again he searched the ground at his feet for answers. “Zelda, I do not intend to hurt you by marrying you to this man. But you must understand...we marry politically… this is a business arrangement and I’m sorry that you must be the incentive. But as the Princess you must understand that I must do what is best for the realm.” The King explained as kindly as he could.
“Best for the realm!? He is going to destroy everything!” Zelda rebelled, “Zelda… I cannot in my right mind leave this world and this kingdom to you without first ensuring it and your safety.” Johan cut her off, growing angry with each word, “Do you know what a man like him and his kind would do to you should you rise to Queen upon my death, unmarried? A man like him would show no mercy to a new Queen...he would invade your lands and lay siege upon this castle...and you will not know how to stop it. You will not have the strength to stop it.” He continued, “If he did not kill you quickly you would certainly suffer unimaginable travesties. It is better this way.”
“How is it better? What makes you think that he still will not do these things just because you give him a room and my hand in marriage?” The Princess questioned, having grown just as heated as her father. “Because he is a starving dog...he will have no reason to strike at you if you give him what he wants. It is better to bring a threat close before that threat becomes an enemy...and when you are Queen you will control just how much power he is allotted. He is not of my bloodline...you are. The people will bow and adore you. The Council will serve you. Not him...now go on. I shall hear no more of this nonsense.”
“But Father...please...”
“Out!”
And just as it always was, the Princess left her father’s company feeling as if she’d gone to war...and lost. Her heart was heavy and her mind full of rampant thoughts, each worse than the next, as she hung her head and traveled down the hallways alone wiping the tears that threatened in her eyes. She always knew that she was a disappointment to that man...yet she still tried to relate to him and speak to him no matter how many times he shunned and shut her out. And perhaps he would love her like he used to if she were just able to receive the Goddess’ gift...but who knew if or when that day would come.
Pretty Princess…
Zelda started as the voice hissed into her ear, thick with an accent yet disembodied and demonic, as if someone had been standing over her shoulder. And with a startled gasped she turned only to find that no one was there. “W-who’s there...?” She called nervously, feeling a heavy and thick presence wash over her that seemed so very familiar in some way. But she received no answer to her question, yet the feeling still remained, as if she were being watched and as she searched the hallway for anything she spied the familiar red locks of the Gerudo King out upon the balcony. But he had his back to her and did not seem to show that he was aware of her presence in the slightest, rather he was intently watching something down below in the courtyards… and that voice certainly was not his in the slightest.
-
It was funny really...how they all puttered around with their duties to complete and yet every single one of these were so totally different. But they all did the same exact things each and every day. Sometimes she wondered how she had become so complacent and so monotonous in these walls, serving the people who had dismantled her life and forced her live in their world and their ways and denying her her own. They took from her her home and her parent but they didn’t stop just there. They took from her the gifts that made her who she was and oppressed them internally so much so that without such an outlet her own magics had turned against her. Like a disease of the immunity her own gifts eat away at her from the inside out. She could barely use them, and sometimes that was enough to take the edge off, but having been robbed of her teacher as well the Handmaiden truly had no idea what to do with her powers or what to even call them. So inside they festered like a disease. With each passing year it seemed to grow worse and worse and perhaps that was the witches design all along. Where Johan failed to kill her as a child Cia would do so as an adult in such a way where none would ever be the wiser. To all of these Hylian’s...she was just of weak constitution. It was a genius plot really... and with each year Cia came closer and closer to her goal and the handmaiden to the end of her life. The raging headache she felt was just a painful reminder of her disposition in this land, another shove of self preservation urging her to act or die. But it was just a puzzle that she didn’t have all of the pieces to, one she could not possibly solve without them all either. Perhaps that was why she had grown cold and quiet in her older years, knowing well that anger and spite wouldn’t offer her any real solutions to her problem. Perhaps she was simply biding her time. Or maybe she had come to accept that this life was the price she had to pay for being the spawnling of a warlord who lost his grand fight in the scheme to control all of those around him. Perhaps all she really had to blame was her father, for it was his actions that had dictated her entire life up to this very day. His selfishness and his own pride had gotten him killed and left her behind, stunted without his guidance and care.
Yet there was still such a glaring difference between the Hylian Handmaiden and the Gerudo Handmaiden. One served a King and his Princess while the other only served a King. Two women in the same position, doing the same things, yet they couldn’t have been more different. She was to be obedient and nurturing while Vera was to be vigilant and battle ready. Ark was not meant to protect, only to serve. But Vera was meant to do both. The Interloper wondered if it were a matter of culture that made them so different...or if it was the guidance of their King’s. Either way...the handmaiden would have much rather have picked up a sword and fought with them men then braid the princess’ hair and discuss the politics that didn’t involve Zelda to begin with. The girl honestly thought the smarter she was the more respect she would earn from her father and the council...but she was so very wrong. Neither cared how scholarly she was...they cared only about this gift that she was supposed to have inherited by now. That was all. Zelda was not a Princess in their eyes...she was a weapon. And so far a disappointingly dysfunctional one at that. It made the handmaiden sick to think about, for even she had been taught something by her own parent, and he had stressed that magic did not come before it was ready to. Even she did not display any magical prowess until puberty herself. The point was...it would happen when it happened. It was never early nor was it ever late. Magic simply was. But good luck ever explaining that to the likes of power hungry men.
In between her thoughts she heard the annoyance of the Gerudo handmaiden who Kala attempted to make nice with and out of respect for how the woman was feeling the Interloper hurried the rest of her task if only to calm the Gerudo down before she became aggressive. But even as she worked she couldn’t help but feel a chill down her back and a tingle in her neck. For a the moment she tried to ignore it as well as the pounding in her head when Johan’s Knight shambled out of the wagon once they had finished and for perhaps the first time Ark made complete eye contact with the girl who spoke to her for also the first time. It true the two had seen one another for years and yet never shared a single word. And while Ark really had no intentions of breaking that trend she found herself looking at the knight with a slight hint of concern through the pain. The shape of her jaw was strangely familiar to her and her eyes looked to be the same shape as her own but they were much wider. It was almost like looking in a mirror in a way...there were many visible differences between the two yet also glaring similarities that reminded her of home...and of Aaeon. But her concern soon turned to sadness as in her own awestruck she’d not yet respond to the knight before she’d been ushered along by the Gerudo and she moved on just as quickly. “...Hylia’s blessings…” She whispered in response, watching as the knight and the caravan began to lurch away. But as she watched them depart something else stood out in the corner of her eye and with a predatory precision she found it with just a small tilt of her head...rather she found him.
As if it was hard to not see him really...even from far away he was still rather large and imposing and she felt her neck tingle again as looked at him so high up the walls of the castle. The ever indignified King watching as his people made their way back home without him but she was a little surprised to see him standing alone without one of his babysitters. There was no telling what sort of trouble he would get himself into before bed. Yet as she always did when someone stared at her, she stared right back, at least until a warm and wet pair of lips planted themselves upon her cheek and in an instant a blurry image ran across her mind. She saw a woman, the spitting image of Kala, draped in sheer purple fabric and dripping in golden bangles and chains that were worn seemingly as clothing, but left the majority of her body naked either way. Hair as black as jet had been pulled back into a large golden headdress while golden brown skin shimmered in the torchlights. Yet hanging from this doppelgangers throne was a maniacal mask of bugged out orange painted eyes with a face in the shape of a heart lined with spikes that seemed to resonate with a life all of its own. And just like that the image had flitted away and the handmaiden shuddered as Kala waved climbed up onto the moving carriage with ease...but the handmaiden hadn’t heard a thing she’d said to her through the loud ringing in her ears as she grimaced moments later, letting out a shuddering noise.
Niko had emerged from somewhere soon after, arms crossed, and clearly cross as he watched the wagon bumble away down towards Castle Town with his sister cheerfully inside. Kala was always one for a good adventure...but he had a terrible feeling about all of this. “This is a bad idea…” He mumbled as the Handmaiden coughed suddenly, a wet cough, that drew his attention to her and sight of blood as it dripped out of her nose and mouth as she spit it into the grass. Without a word the Sheikah seized her and walked her into the darkness of the kitchen where Marta let out a shrill cry.
“Goddesses mercy what happened!?” She cried, pushing her dish rage into the girls face as the Sheikah put her down at the servants table where she slumped over the wood to lie her had down and hold the rag to sop up the blood. “She has a headache.” Niko replied as he hurried out of the kitchen, running quickly towards the only woman who could provide the handmaiden any sort of relief, Cia.
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Cia smiled, chuckling in response to her husband’s musings. In fact he was right...Cia always did get what she wanted and when she didn’t well...she always did. One way or another she would find a way to get what she wanted. Call it selfishness, it mattered very little to the royal witch, but it certainly did leave her husband with the shortest end of the stick most of the time. In fact the man probably could count on his fingers the rare times he had gotten his way instead. But overall it seemed like an arrangement that was perfectly fine with him to say the least. But when he talked of Johan Cia didn’t know whether to scoff or smile. After all her relationship with Johan was still a positive one, except for lately. For years she had served him loyally, advising him on political matters and tactics during war. And if it were not for her, Johan would have never discovered how to tame the King of Dragon’s ...yet she had never been able to truly slither into his mind in the ways that she wished to. Despite all of her tricks and ploys, Johan seemed to be all but immune to it after the war had ended. Sometimes it seemed as if she wasn’t even talking to the Hyrule King on any given day. And more and more it seemed as if he was pulling further and further away from him. It had become a problem as of late, not just for her, but for the Council as well and the king’s half brother.
“Perhaps it’s time for you to become the King then?” Cia asked, trailing her fingertips along the curve the the red orb that seethed in the middle of the room. And as her fingers created grooves inside the energy an image appeared inside of it of the swift moving Sheikah as he ran through the castle with only one goal in mind. The sight of him made the sorceress frown. There was something about this Sheikah in particular that made her uneasy, only because she couldn’t tempt him either. Rather he was loyal to the white haired demon in the castle...and the fact that the girl had friends didn’t sit with the sorceress who wanted nothing more then to bury the girl already. But she was resisting and battling something fierce. To fiercely even and Cia so disliked when things didn’t go her way.
“We have a guest.” Cia announced, moving out of Volke’s grasp and striding towards the door, opening it just as the Sheikah had come to impose in the doorway, grasping the upper door frame as he breathed heavy. Cia tilted her head with a pucker of her lips, glancing him over for a second. “What do you want?” The sorceress questioned, but kept the door shut enough so that the Sheikah couldn’t peer as to what was inside. “You know what I want.” Niko replied coldly, clearly he did not care at all for the sorceress and she was very well aware of it. This Sheikah, like his twin, was a particularly strange kind - able to tame any animal and control their movements...yet neither of them seemed to possess an ounce of any magic that she understood. And perhaps that was why she was so wary of him. “She’s in pain.” The Sheikah added for emphasis. “How unfortunate for her…” Cia replied, giggling quietly, “That girl has poisoned your mind Sheikah...you can’t very well serve the King if you keep running around with a diseased whore, can you?” The sorceress prodded, looking for any crack in the stony Ikana’s personality...but he was truly made of marble it would seem. “Medicine. It’s the King’s order and you know it, or shall I take this matter up with him? I should imagine he will not be pleased to hear about it again.” Of course the Sheikah knew how to shut the sorceress up and with a scoff Cia closed the door and retrieved a vial from the many shelves of vials that lined the room full of all manner of potions and other concoctions. Muttering to herself she gripped the vial tight and returned to the door, practically throwing the vial at the masked man, and slamming it shut again. And drawing in a long and loud breath she turned back to her husband, “About that bath?”
