The Reward of Patience

The entire crowd screamed as one.

The Hylian guards brandished their swords and they shouted for us to halt, even though we weren't going anywhere. "You're under arrest!"

I unsheathed my weapon completely and turned to face the knights lining the balcony, and blocking the door. "I don't think so, fools," I remarked, with a daring grin. Gerudo poured onto the balcony from above, through the doors and windows, and they chose their victims. I had calculated well enough that there was one per knight, and in under a minute the enemy was dead.

I returned my gaze to Ganondorf. He stood over the corpse of the late king, which rested in a wide pool of blood that was still growing. Except, he wasn't dead yet. The King of Hyrule reached out and tried to talk, but his voice was nothing other than sputters and moans through the open hole in his neck.

Ganondorf spoke darkly, unlike he had ever spoken to his fellow king before. "As much as I would love to prolong this, to remind you of how blind you were to my secret intentions, and enjoy every second leading up to the end of your life, I still have much work to do. Dora, capture Zelda and bring the Ocarina of Time to me."

The King of Hyrule's eyes went wide, as if he finally came to understand what Ganondorf was truly after.

"Your majesty, may I please watch you finish him off first?" I pleaded like a little kid expecting a gift.

"You've endured these meetings for a false treaty with incredible patience, and surprisingly few words. I suppose you deserve this one reward."

I grinned. "Thank you!" See, I might be ruthless, but I still use manners.

I expected some grand show, something to make a statement. Ganondorf did not disappoint. He lifted the king by the collar of his robes for all watching from the yard to witness. An impenetrable darkness of pure magic flowed from Ganondorf's hand and consumed the king. His evil energy was so overwhelming, even I felt the muscle cramping effects. The white of the king's eyes shined with a majestic purple, and his veins turned a sickening black. Ganondorf watched with a nasty glare while his victim twisted and jerked violently against his power. I'm pretty sure he died of asphyxiation from the corruption attacking his body before losing too much blood.

The late king's body hit the floor, and I was out of the room to fulfill my mission.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but my half didn't go so smoothly.

"Where is the ocarina?" I snarled, gripping Zelda's pudgy cheeks with my fingers. Gerudo guarded the windows, the doors, the closets, anywhere that could have been an entrance or exit. The door to her chambers was locked and barricaded. "Either you tell me where the ocarina of the royal family is, or I will kill you and find it myself."

"For you to believe that I fear death proves your ignorance. I will protect my kingdom with my life," she said valiantly.

Bold, proud, and disgusting, however, I respected her desire to protect her people. "Your father didn't share the same conviction when he begged for his life from my king," I whispered. Her blue, sparkling eyes popped open, and I heard the involuntary high pitched cry when her breath caught in her chest. "Yes, child. Your father is dead, and it is only a matter of time before my king becomes yours."

I watched the tears escape Zelda's eyes, even as she glared at me defiantly. "My father would never beg for mercy from that wicked man. You are lying," she yelled, but it was only hilarious because her voice squeaked with young innocence. 

"Believe what you will. It doesn't change your fate." I snapped my fingers, and two Gerudo rushed forward: one to trap Zelda's arms behind her back, force her to her knees, and another to hold a sword to her throat. "Soon enough, you'll be singing praises of the great King Ganondorf. That is, if you tell me where the Ocarina is so I can let you live."

"Never. Why do you follow such an evil man?"

I ignored her, of course. "That's fine. I'm really looking forward to executing you."

"You'll have me dead either way, so why would I bother?"

"That's true, really," I admitted. "One way I get to do it now, the other I have to wait for permission."

"Princess!" came a shout and a bang on the door. "Are you in there? The castle is under attack!"

"Impa," I hissed.

"Impa, help!" Not surprisingly, the banging stopped, because she was undoubtedly using an alternate route to gain entrance to the chamber.

I was running out of time. "Tear this room apart! I want that ocarina found immediately." In the next second though, we were blinded by dense, white smoke. It was a trick of the Sheikah to help defend the royal family if it became necessary. I heard the groans of the Gerudo being attacked, the shuffling of feet. I waved the smoke away as quickly as I could. I knew which direction they would escape, and immediately rushed toward the window. Before I reached it, I could hear Impa's frantic footsteps against the siding of the roof. I was enraged that the exact hypothetical situation that Ganondorf predicted actually happened. I could not let her escape. I was not allowed to fail!

I ordered the Gerudo to begin executing guards, and ran after Zelda myself.