The Breaking Point

But, that wasn't me. To keep it all bottled in was going to kill me first.

One evening, just after dinner, while we listened to the Gerudo reporting the status of the kingdom, I completely lost my mind. I don't remember what he did now, he could have just looked at me wrong I was so frustrated, but I lost my composure.

"What is the matter with you?"

I completely snapped. The first expression that flashed over Ganondorf's face was shock, but anger, like always, dominated. He sat up straight and glared at me harshly. This one expression could make a giant feel like a tiny, worthless bug. I wanted to take back every word and every ill thought I had about his habits. It was too late though. First of all, I couldn't believe I just had an outburst in front of everyone, not for my own pride, but for his. However, his arrogance had no limits. "Explain yourself, immediately" he ordered. "My queen," he added darkly.

It was such a harsh reminder of how grateful I was supposed to be. Oh, that's right. This is what he was guilty of: "Why do you always have to tap your fingers, like you're so impatient all the time?" I responded, but not nearly as loud as before. Ganondorf peered down at his hand that rested at the end of the arm of his throne. It was like he never even realized that he did it. "It's so irritating," I whined.

"Irritating?"

"Yes. You have done nothing but get under my skin for the last month!" I listed off all of the things I mentioned earlier, and his expression only darkened until he scowled at me. "And, this thing you have with getting dirt on your hands! One speck of dust on your finger and you freak out like a girl!"

"Have you stopped to consider the aggravation I've endured because of you?" Ganondorf asked with his voice raised to a powerful level. He wasn't yelling though, which really surprised me, because I had been.

His words made me stop though. Never once had he ever seemed bothered by the things I did, the little things I felt so insecure about. "What do you mean?"

He gave this sick smirk, and I think it's because no one had left the room yet. They were all just staring in anticipation. "You throw your arms and kick in your sleep, and yell out from your dreams. I hate that you feel the need to choose what I wear. The cosmetics and fragrances you allow your servants to disguise you with are disgusting. You never fidget with your sword anymore, as if you've lost the itch to take the life of my enemies. You are practically mute. The words you do say have no brain behind them. My wife is as beautiful as a goddess, opinionated and fierce. My wife would never act as timid as you have the past few months. I've started to wonder where the ruthless warrior went that I made queen!"

I was in utter shock.

"Do you even defecate?" he asked me, completely sincere. "I see that you're speechless. While you're searching wisely for the right words to say, I have one more thought for you to linger on. Spend less time trying to be perfect, and more time embracing the imperfections."

I felt like an idiot. A big, ugly idiot. I succumbed to my emotions, and when the tears spilled over, I raced out of the room, passed the gawking Gerudo, and straight to Volvagia.

I cried half way there, and then cursed Ganondorf's existence until I entered the chamber of the volcano where the dragon thrived. It was hot, but not the same as the desert. The desert was dry, it might have rained once a month. The heat boiling up from the volcano was pure steam, and I would almost immediately start to sweat against it. I began to cry again as Volvagia greeted me with his usual twists and spins that normally delighted me. "I am the most selfish, despicable person, ever!" I slowly sank to my knees, and he nuzzled my face to comfort me. I told him all about the argument. He listened intently, and curled around me with his long, spiny body to console me. I wrapped my arms around him, as if he were a big pillow. "The worst part," I sniffled, "is he's right. I was trying so hard to be perfect for him, that I wasn't being me. I used to make him laugh all the time, and now I can't even remember when the last time was we joked around. I felt like I was the only one trying for a picture perfect relationship. The point is, we aren't perfect, we never will be, but it's those faults that I love and adore." Volvagia gave off this unique "grrr" sound when he nodded to agree with me. It was like a cat's purr of happiness.

"You haven't changed that much. You're still predictable," came Ganondorf's voice from behind me. Volvagia roared, startled. He unfurled from around me and went flying across the lava, which made me spin a bit.

"Ganondorf!" I shouted with a smile, and rushed into his arms that accepted me. I couldn't believe how happy I was to see him. It was nice to know no matter how big of a mistake I made, he would still hold me. I stared up at him, remembering all of those annoying little quirks, and realized I couldn't imagine him any other way. "I'm sorry I tried to change. I didn't want to annoy you, or push you away."

"Have I ever been unclear about the things I dislike? It would have been unwise to accelerate you through the Gerudo ranks if I was annoyed by you and wanted to kill you."

"You are quite wise. I was being such a fool."

"A fool to believe I'd have chosen anyone less than perfect to be mine forever," he remarked.

"If I'm so perfect, why did you make fun of my long winded vow during our union?" I asked.

"Sometimes you need to be reminded that breathing and thinking are important to do before you speak," he said smugly. I punched his arm, and laughed. He said, "I'd be making a mistake if I forced you to refrain from speaking your mind." He guided me toward the exit with an arm around my shoulders. I waved to Volvagia, who gave out a gentle roar to say bye.

"So, I can be irrational and violent in my sleep, as long as I can put up with your snoring, chewing, and indecisiveness about what clothes to wear?"

"Exactly," was his simple answer. I wrapped my arm around his lower back, and we exited the temple in the mountain.

Well, I was about to test this new concept, whether I liked it or not. The heat usually upset my stomach, but I always visited Volvagia alone before. Whatever spice was used with dinner that night was rolling through my unhappy belly. My stomach cramped angrily. I tried to fight it off, but there was nothing I could do. We left the crater, and was just emerging into the gentle, cool breeze of Death Mountain, when the gas forced its way out during one of my strides. I tried not to hesitate, or feel worried, or hate myself. It smelled pretty bad, and kind of echoed in the emptiness. His face held no reaction at all. We just kept walking, as if nothing had happened. I was about to ask him his thoughts when I was silenced by this monstrous sound that came from behind me. I turned around to see if Volvagia had followed us, when I realized the truth of the sound.

My reaction was obvious. My eyes went wide with shock. I never thought Ganondorf capable of such a terrible sound. I gagged, because it smelled worse than his ritual bowel release. I started to laugh, because even when it came to gas, he had to be better at it than anyone else, to do it bigger and badder. I wrapped both my arms around his waist and walked home with him.