A Confidential Proclamation

The king was satisfied. He turned his back to us and gestured for us to follow him. "A treaty will not come easily."

I watched Ganondorf smile wickedly as he responded, "I won't give up until a mutual agreement can be reached."

I knew what he meant, exactly what he meant, that he would continue negotiations as long as he needed, as long as it took to bewitch the King of Hyrule with his charms, and then strike when he least expected.

Witnessing Ganondorf converse and interact with the King of Hyrule was like watching a completely different man. Oh, he was still charming, but he was thoughtful in his choice of words, careful to avoid a dark tone. We were welcomed into what looked like a conference hall, with multiple small tables and three chairs placed around each table. We sat at the largest table in the center of the room.  The seats were filled with soft fabric to cushion them. The tables were made of smooth, gray stone, covered with a velvety soft cloth of royal blue. The floor was decorated with a sky blue rug that almost reached every corner of the room, and designed with white swirls that made you dizzy if you stared for too long. Singing birds darted through the windows. The golden bird symbol of the Hyrule royal family hung from a banner in the back of the room that covered the entire wall.

Guards stood near me, partially because I was armed with my bow and sword. Their chest plate armor was spotless, and their mail armor void of rust. Their weapons, whether it be sheathed swords or spears, were not nicked or cracked, as if they were never used. My sword was full of scratches, even a dent, but we owned no proper tools to repair our damaged weapons. My own armor was desperately in need of replacement, but we patched it up as best as we could. All of the newest clothes always went to the children and the elderly.

While we were within the walls of Hyrule, Ganondorf maintained the attitude of a humble servant. He did and said anything that pleased the current King of Hyrule. It made me sick at times to see my king reduced to the status of a worm, even if it benefited his own scheme. On the way home, he was completely quiet, and brooding. I listened to only the clip-clop of the horses and the calling of the animals in the distance. It would be nearly nightfall by the time we got home. Eventually, the silence got to me, so I started talking about the observations I made, which led to complaints. The gist of my rambling was about how the Hylians were incredibly wealthy, and that it was selfish for them to keep it to themselves for so long. If I had felt even the slightest guilt for stealing from them just to survive, it was gone! Also, I went on that I didn't like the king, or the way he looked at me, or the way he talked, or anything about him really.

Ganondorf started laughing in the middle of me explaining this, so I stopped and asked, "What's so funny?"

"You've just said aloud everything that was on my mind," he pointed out, grinning at me.

I was admittedly surprised. He seemed to be in a better mood, so I was glad for that at least. "I guess that just means we think alike."

He seemed to contemplate that, but his next words were completely off that topic and back to the original. "Do you know why the Gerudo are the way we are?"

I shook my head. "No." Thus, I was graced with the greatest history lesson, ever!

"The Gerudo and Hylian race did at one time live in harmony, as separate kingdoms, but we traded, goods and cultures. We even looked more like them. Until, almost two hundred years ago, the King of Hyrule's ancestor longed to marry the queen of the Gerudo. He threatened war if he could not have her hand. The Gerudo collectively refused, so the queen was kidnapped. The Gerudo king launched a full out assault. The queen threw herself into the fray, to stop the fighting, and was killed by the King of Hyrule. From then on, the Hylians stopped all communication with us, and the Gerudo have held a grudge against the Royal family of Hyrule. Our kingdom was destroyed, and we fled to the desert, where we have endured and become stronger people."

"I had no idea..." I couldn't believe how sad it was, how awful. I could only wonder what Ganondorf would have done had it been his queen.

"That's why I must take back what was stolen from us. I will change the world with the power of the Triforce. The Gerudo will be superior, and I will rule all of Hyrule."