10 Links AU Part 1: Rise of Ganondorf, Listen Path-5
It was hard for him to call the castle âhomeâ even if it was technically where they lived. Where they lived or not; he regularly found himself looking for excuses not to go there.
This time though, Arden thought as he approached the dark castle housing Hyruleâs king, this time is was unavoidable⊠and, as a consequence, even worse.
None of the guards tried to stop him as he passed; no reason to question the kingâs favorite lap dog.
The dread weighing him down didnât show on their face; they made sure of it.
The guards outside the throne room pulled the heavy doors open for him, and he passed through silently as the doors banged shut behind him. They strode down the red carpet tracing the path towards the large iron throne placed in front of the rounded, stained glass window that Arden had never quite been able to decipher.
Ganondorf sat proudly atop his throne, dimly lit by the glowing rivers of lava tracing the edges of the room.
Arden kept his head down as they approached the throne, and kept it that way as he dropped to one knee at the foot of the dais.
âWell?â the kingâs low gravelly voice spoke, âWhat happened? I donât see the princessâs head anywhere.â
Arden swallowed around a chunk of ice that had formed in his throat, âShe had unexpected help.â
The chunk of ice in their throat turned into a cold slush crawling through their veins, and Arden had to bite back a shiver that wasnât all from the cold, âI needed to come up with a better plan-â
âI brought you here ten years ago,â Ganondorf interrupted, âand you havenât failed me in eight.
So tell me, what was different this time?â
âShe had help⊠The hero and a ghost⊠They surprised meâŠâ
Ganondorf rose from his throne, and Arden was suddenly very grateful for the carpet as he pressed his fist harder into it to hide the shaking. A large hand cupped the side of their head.
âMake sure it doesnât happen again.â
A deep, aching burn that filled his chest before snaking out into his limbs while a spider web of bloody cuts traced their way away from Ganondorfâs hand down across Ardenâs face and neck.
It only got worse when the burn turned to biting cold. A spattering of light danced across his vision as they swallowed a cry of pain and some deep, unnamable terror.
They thought they might be passing out when the sparks of light turned into shapes; a friendly face with brown hair and brown eyes staring down at them from a tall tree, the same, familiar, face twisted in horror as screams echoed distantly through his mind, running, and then cold, cold and wet, and burning in his lungs.
The pain stopped and Arden folded in on himself, coughing and gasping for air.