The Rumors

I'm going to return to my least favorite topic only because it is significant to my life's story. While Ganondorf and I were busy enduring Hyrule's overbearing niceties, Nabooru spent time at the fortress, charming the Gerudo. It was only after the third visit to Hyrule that I noticed the whispers had begun. I caught clips of phrases, but I heard enough to know damage was being done to their morale.

Ganondorf and I spent evenings, and sometimes late nights, working out strategies for conquering Hyrule with as few weaknesses as possible. I had begun implementing training so the Gerudo were prepared for their tasks. They were grouped by skill set: archers, close combat, horseback, stealth, and fighting experience. Everyone had an important job. It was one night after our third conference in Hyrule that I brought up the rumors I heard.

We were running over the plan, step by step, dissecting the what-ifs and ways to be prepared for the worst, and sometimes even the impossible. It could be pretty stressful. I did my best not to argue with him, but sometimes we struggled to see eye to eye. I would just get so frustrated sometimes that he would find a vulnerability in every alternative I offered.

"So, you plan to corner Zelda in her chambers?" -  "Yes. While you deal with the king, we'll infiltrate her room, and block the doors so she can't escape." - "What about her attendant?" he countered. -  "Shit," I whispered. Impa was of the Sheikah, though it was not a well known fact. "No doubt, Impa will be at her side. If she can out maneuver us, the princess will escape." - "The only other escape would be through the windows, so you will need to have those guarded as well."

It was really irritating how he always had a good point to make.

Every night we came to the decision of how to overcome a new obstacle, and that night was no different. At the close of our debate, he stood and turned his back to me. "There was one more thing I wanted to bring to your attention," I said, before he could leave the room. He twisted to face me with a curious look of one raised eyebrow. "I've been hearing a lot of whispers, and I've pieced them together. Nabooru has started a cult of Gerudo who want to follow her, and will turn against you."

I intently watched his reaction, but he was a master at disguising his emotions, so all I had to go on was what he said. "That is preposterous. Nabooru doesn't move unless I know about it first. In the past few weeks, she has seen that to fight against me is futile."

"Then she is playing you for a fool!" I snapped at him. "How could you allow her to do that to you? That's not the Ganondorf I know. He wouldn't lower his guard to that rat!"

"Perhaps you don't know me as well as you believed."

His words didn't just cut me like a knife, he gripped my heart in his hand and ripped it from my chest, arteries and all. I glared at him, and choked when I talked, because tears burnt my eyes. "I'll prove it. I will bring you evidence!"

"And when you do, I will consider it."

So, you better believe the very next night I did more than bring him evidence. The poor girl that I cornered in the horse stall, and interrogated about Nabooru's group, wet herself because I intimidated her so greatly. I found out exactly what I needed, and put a plan into action, a most devious little scheme.