Ganondorf (
occupyhyrule) wrote in
thearenas2024-10-18 12:28 am
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01.
The attack came at dawn, in the small hours when light began to bleed into the black sky. In formation, the soldiers marched. They were twisted beings, their shape warped into something corrupt and monstrous. They looked bleak against Hyrule Field's vibrancy and color. And at the helm was the King of Evil himself.
The sun was sitting higher when they reached the gates of Castle Town. The shadow beasts tore the gates from their hinges and plowed through the first line of defense. And it took them no time to bring this battle to the feet of Princess Zelda. When the dust settled, she lay dead among her men. He picked his way among the remains, frowning at the sight of Zelda's crumpled form on the floor. The battle had not been what he envisioned. Zelda was hardly any use to him dead. At least before he could claim his prize. Instead, the light of her Triforce dimmed with her life.
It would take ages to find it again.
When twilight began to blot out the sun, Ganondorf was already planning. The Royal Family thought itself so clever. There were relatives scattered across the breadth of Hyrule, and the Triforce could have found its way to any of them. He would send his shadow beasts out to find any maiden with even a passing resemblance to the lost princess. It would take time. Thankfully, with his situation more secure, Ganondorf had the patience. In the meantime, he busied himself scouring the archives for a clue about the Triforce of Courage. He would have all 3 in time and finally have his wish granted.
He found her here, among the dusty tomes and unsealed scrolls.
"I did not see you during the battle, Midna," he said, "Weren't you there?"
The sun was sitting higher when they reached the gates of Castle Town. The shadow beasts tore the gates from their hinges and plowed through the first line of defense. And it took them no time to bring this battle to the feet of Princess Zelda. When the dust settled, she lay dead among her men. He picked his way among the remains, frowning at the sight of Zelda's crumpled form on the floor. The battle had not been what he envisioned. Zelda was hardly any use to him dead. At least before he could claim his prize. Instead, the light of her Triforce dimmed with her life.
It would take ages to find it again.
When twilight began to blot out the sun, Ganondorf was already planning. The Royal Family thought itself so clever. There were relatives scattered across the breadth of Hyrule, and the Triforce could have found its way to any of them. He would send his shadow beasts out to find any maiden with even a passing resemblance to the lost princess. It would take time. Thankfully, with his situation more secure, Ganondorf had the patience. In the meantime, he busied himself scouring the archives for a clue about the Triforce of Courage. He would have all 3 in time and finally have his wish granted.
He found her here, among the dusty tomes and unsealed scrolls.
"I did not see you during the battle, Midna," he said, "Weren't you there?"
no subject
And not on Ganondorf's behalf, no matter how he or others might have interpreted her search for knowledge.
When he found her, she nearly started. Her insides jumped, though the twilight princess was careful to keep herself composed and even. Looking back to him, a hand on a book that was more on history of the Sheikah people and their various influences over Hyrule's history, she tilted her head.
"Would you have me place myself in harm's way?" she asked him then, the pull on her mouth a touch coy. Or as close to coy as she was going to get in the face of her circumstances. He had the advantage and she knew it well enough. She would have to play along until opportunity told her otherwise. Especially if she wanted to have some insight as to what he was doing.
"It would be difficult for me to assist you if something were to happen to me. I do, however, keep my eyes and my ears open. It is important for me to know where we stand."
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She was safe for as long as she continued to be useful to him. He offered her a smile as he rounded the table where she sat. There was nothing friendly about it, but he was, at the very least, amused. "I would never have let anything happen to you, my dear," he replied and meant every word. She was his trophy, and he would not see her tarnished in any way. And if she wanted to dispel his trust issues, being where he could see her would always help.
For a moment, his fingers brushed against the back of her hand, and although the touch was tender, almost affectionate, it was more of a request to see what she was reading. Eying the book, he continued, "Our position is strong. The Hylians are scattered. Their princess is dead, and we have the upper hand."
Finally, he looked up at her to meet her gaze. "But tell me what you've heard." His scouts had already briefed him, but it wouldn't hurt to supplement their information.
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She did not feel spared either when the words my dear escaped his mouth, though she suspected there was more truth in his words than she wanted them to be. If he struck her down, perhaps her people might have seen vengeance on her behalf, but the likelihood was more that they would simply be afraid. Although she could not have called herself the perfect princess, the perfect leader, she did love them. It was not an easy task to send them to die on her behalf.
"Of course you would not," she agreed, nearly in a murmur. As his touch found the back of her hand, she seemed to know well enough what it was he wanted. It was not something as lovers did, she thought. No simple act of lacing fingers and holding hands. She surrendered her book to him. That historical collection on the Sheikah and their place in Hylian society, especially in relation to the royal family. And once he had the book, she leaned back in the chair she graced, crossing one leg over the other and acting anything but the regal late Princess Zelda might have carried herself in.
"I heard of your victory over the princess. Something, perhaps, to be celebrated. Whispers tell me you could not obtain what you desired of her. And now you search for something, hardly knowing where to begin. Perhaps this book will help." With a hand, she tapped at a page idly. Not that page specifically, but the book in general. "The royal family had servants. More than ones serving in this castle. Perhaps tailing one of them will bring you closer to that which you seek."
For all that she didn't wish to aid him, it was only to buy her time. In truth, she hardly knew if the trail of the Sheikah would bring him anything or if it would simply keep him occupied. Either way, it would grant her just a berth of days, of nights, that would possibly provide her distraction. Something to keep his eyes off of her. Beggars could not be choosers, even when they were beautiful princesses.
no subject
But they were stepping stones, tools to be used until broken and cast aside. It was his way of things, even with his own people. The Twili could not rightly expect better treatment than the Gerudo. Midna herself was only treated a little better because Ganondorf was not a barbarian. Not yet.
He scooped the book up in a fluid motion and skimmed the pages. He was aware of the Sheikah in the vaguest sense. Not the intricacies of their history this book brought to light, but he knew enough. He knew they were a long-dead people, and if there was anything worthwhile left to be found in their history, they would find it easier in Kakariko Village. The only Sheikah he had ever known of personally was Impa, Zelda's nurse, a lifetime ago. She'd been among the ones to expose his plot to the King of Hyrule. As far as he was concerned, Ganondorf could place the blame for his eventual execution squarely at her feet. For all the good it did them. She was dead after all, and he was most decidedly not. Still, he sneered at the thought of her and closed the book, setting it back on the table between them.
"Your whispers are correct," he said after a beat of silence. He took her in where she sat and thought she looked nothing at all like Princess Zelda. Zelda had been distant. While Midna was no closer, there was a coyness about her, a warmth that reminded Ganondorf of better days in the desert. He frowned; he didn't need such sentimentality now.
"But the Sheikah are dead," he said, "and they're of no more use than the farmers in Ordon." That didn't mean he discounted her suggestion altogether, but it wasn't a priority.
After searching for the other books, he chose one about the Gerudo and put it in front of her. "If you are so interested in history, why not read something beneficial? My people are far more interesting than the Sheikah, " he said with more than a touch of pride. The Gerudo had been dealt a difficult hand from the start and deserved every ounce of recognition, even from an outsider like Midna.