The Gerudo Prince

The Gerudo Prince
Chapter Five

~*~

Link shrank back into his shoulders as dark eyes studied him, from a face that held darkness and a grim and dangerous disposition. He could also feel Nabooru’s eyes, burrowing into him, as if screaming at him in warning to get out and run, get away and don’t come back.

But he was completely frozen. His legs were rooted to the ground. Even his hand, still on the doorknob, would not shake for fear of what may happen if it did.

Ganondorf was an enormous man, who stood at least a head and a half above Link, and with tremendous shoulders and a massive upper body. He was clothed in armor as black as pitch polished in the ends with gold. His hair, fiery red like Nabooru’s, was done up with golden clasps and chains.

Link had never seen a man in the fortress, and he could not think of when he had seen one before. But this man in front of him...was a god. And he could not help, even as he was frozen cold by the glare of the Dark King, be entranced by the masculinity that ebbed him like an aura.

Ganondorf’s hands tightened into fists. Nabooru and Link could hear the scream of the leather in his gloves as they stretched and tightened.

“Nabooru...” Ganondorf said slowly, dangerously. “Why is there a Hyrulian in the fortress?”

Link swallowed deeply, for Ganondorf’s voice was deep like rumbling thunder, and fluent like music. The boy sucked in an urgent breath, and still caught by Ganondorf’s gaze, did not even seem to hear Nabooru’s answer.

“He’s a weary traveler, my king.” Nabooru said smoothly with as much as a nonchalant tone in her voice as she could maintain. She stuck a hand on her hip, as if contemptuous of Link. “He thought he could make it to the Colossus with a horse. And so he wound up here.”

Ganondorf was still for a moment, and then a smile stretched over his lips, and he let out a deep chuckle of sheer amusement. “Nabooru, the soft-hearted. I would have left him to die in the sand.”

Then, Ganondorf stole from Nabooru’s side, much to her alarm, and took a step towards Link, who was still frozen in the doorway.

Ganondorf was still smiling, and it made Link weak in the knees. “You are very foolish to think you could cross my desert with not even a hook-shot.”

Again Link gulped over the lump that had formed in his throat. Finally he took his hand off the knob, shivering, and for sheer fear that Ganondorf would crush his neck in one hand, bowed with full respect to the Dark King.

“Forgive me for interrupting.” he said courteously.

Ganondorf, who seemed no longer amused by Link, and certainly not by his respectful manner, turned on his heel and walked towards the fireplace. As he did this, Link lifted his head and Nabooru caught his eyes, making gestures for Link to get out as fast as he possibly could.

Link gripped the doorknob and pulled the door shut as quickly as he could, and once he heard the safety of the click in the knob, he let out a deep breath and collapsed against the door.

Good god...that had been Ganondorf. And he was incredible.

~*~

Omorose caught up to him as he was almost to his room. “What happened?” she demanded.

“I saw him.” Link said desperately.

“You did? What did he say to you?”

Link tried anxiously to catch his breath. “He told me I was foolish for trying to cross the desert without a hook-shot, whatever that is.”

They came to a corner in the corridor, and Omorose halted Link and seized him by his arm. “Link this is very important. Does he know who you are?”

Link shook his head. “Nabooru told him I was a traveler going to the Colossus.”

Omorose looked taken aback. Shocked even. “And he believed that?”

“Apparently.” Link said, shrugging his shoulders. “He told me that I was foolish to try and cross that desert.”

“He spoke to you.” Omorose murmured, mostly to herself but Link heard the surprise in her voice.

She then ushered him along the halls and into his quarters, where she closed the door to his room and locked it. When she turned around, Link was splashing himself with water in a nearby basin.

“All right, now listen to me carefully.” Omorose said, approaching him slowly. “Tonight we are having him and his army for a grand feast. If you are there, Ganondorf will take it as an insult to his throne. You have to stay here for the duration until the King of Hyrule comes to collect you.”

“What?” Link cried. “But that’s...that’s...”

“Link, so far Nabooru has managed to fool Ganondorf into thinking you are a harmless and rather stupid traveler. No one has ever been able to fool Ganondorf like that. Having you in his presence will create suspicion. Do you understand?”

Link sighed and collapsed down onto his bed, putting his face in his hands.

Omorose sighed. “We’ll have someone bring you your meals, and one of the girls will look after Epona until the king collects you. Link, try to understand we’re trying to protect you.”

“I know.” he admitted quietly, nodding his head.

When she realized he wouldn’t say any more, and he was certainly not about to argue now that her point had been quite explicitly made, Omorose left the room and the Gerudo prince collapsed onto his bed and let out a deep sigh, watching a sun patch on the wall with Ganondorf on his mind.

He had never seen such a man...why was he having this strange reaction to the sight of him? He was in awe of Ganondorf when he should have been morally afraid. But he wasn’t afraid. He was enthralled.

Link let out a sigh and stretched his arms out around his head and closed his eyes for a quick nap, trying not to think of the hulk of a man that now stalked within the walls of the fortress.

~*~

When Link woke, it was dark, and someone had come in to light a fire for him so the room was very warm. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and was nearly up on his feet ready to face the great hall for dinner, when he remembered what Omorose had said and sunk further into his mattress with a fist against his chin.

He was really going to have to stay here for the remainder of his stay, in this room? His last few days in the place he had always considered to be his home were to be spent lazing around until some dressed up King came in with his carriage to steal him away to marry to his spoiled daughter.

What an end to a saga, he thought in dismay, and stared into the fire longingly.

About an hour after he woke, there was a rap on the door and Omorose entered. Link expected her to carry him a tray with his dinner, but was surprised as she carried no such thing, and was dressed in her most beautiful deep green robes.

She stood with a shake in her stead, and spoke warily. “Ganondorf has requested that you join the feast.”

Link, taken aback with surprise, gaped at her. “What? But...why?”

She cleared her throat to steady herself. “He wants everyone to be included in the feast, as he told Nabooru. Now please Link don’t argue, just take off your hat and come along.”

He wished he had had time to fix his bed-ridden hair or his wrinkled tunic, but there was no time for that, as Omorose quickly hurried him out of his room and down the dark hallway.

As they walked towards the Great Hall, Link could hear the sounds of laughter and conversation and music come down the hall through the stones, and the smells of the kitchen were to die for. His stomach rumbled but he maintained his pose, determined not to break down in the presence of the Dark King. Omorose held to his elbow with one hand, assuringly, as if promising that everything would be okay.

They came into the Great Hall and it was packed. Link took a look about the room and frowned.

The army that Ganondorf had brought with him to the fortress were nothing less than soldier goblins, who took everything from the meat to the fruit to the cheese to the wine and shoved everything down their fat gullets and belched in thanks. Most the women had to adhere to the needs of these filthy soldiers as to not upset the general of the army.

Link looked and Ganondorf was seated at the head of the Great Hall, in a throne that Nabooru had always sat in when they had large feasts such as this one, and to the open floor there were a trio, the finest of the dancing girls, performing for him. But Ganondorf only stared at the massive fire on the other end of the room, not interested, and Nabooru at his side, was fidgeting.

Omorose led Link to a small table further from Ganondorf and Nabooru, but this didn’t stop Link from staring. The Dark King had taken off his armor and was now dressed in a handsome black silk tunic that cut away at his defined collarbones. His hair caught in the firelight and seemed to come alive.

Link stared until Omorose sat him down and then took her place next to him. Luckily they shared their table with some of the girls that were slightly lower than Nabooru in terms of leadership, so they did not have to withstand the gruesome company of Ganondorf’s soldiers.

Ganondorf stared off into the fire during the course of the meal. While Link was handed massive servings of meat on the bone and vegetables and cheeses, he found he could hardly eat because he wanted so much to know what Ganondorf was thinking.

At one point Nabooru stood up to quiet the Great Hall and welcome back the Dark King, but as she launched into such a speech, Ganondorf held up his hand and waved it. He did not want a speech. He wanted solace.

The evening droned on and Link drank his fair amount of wine, watching as the soldiers swallowed whole anything they could get their hands on. They stank, and Link wondered how such a godly man of strong perfection could stand to be in their disgusting company.

At one point, with a nod from Omorose, Link stood and went to have a seat by the fire, where he could drink his wine and bask in the warmth of the flames. He sat down and then leaned back against the table, closing his eyes and stretching out his legs, resisting the urge to kick his boots off. He was so tired, and the wine tasted so good, and the fire was delicious against him form.

And then he felt cool as a shadow cast over him.

“A long day its been, hasn’t it traveler?”

Link opened his eyes and jumped in surprise, as Ganondorf stood at the mantel to the fireplace and stared down at him. The boy realized what a vulnerable situation he had put himself in. If the Dark King wanted to kill him, now would have been ideal.

Instead Ganondorf sat down at a neighboring bench, and he too stretched against the flames and roasted happily in their warmth.

Link couldn’t help but stare at him. His frame was enormous; his legs were powerful and probably beautifully muscled. His arms stretched out like wings and his neck was strong as it held to his massive upper body. Link bit his lip but kept quiet, as his heart once again began to pound just a little quicker, and a strange gurgle began in his stomach.

Eventually Ganondorf raised his eyes to Link with another smile. “So you really thought you could cross the desert on a horse, did you?”

Link gulped, and quickly scanned his mind to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound completely stupid. “I heard that it was done once.” he said.

Ganondorf grinned and then let out a laugh. “Foolish Hyrulians, think you can test the elements. Think you are so connected to your...goddesses, that you can do anything you please in the ways of the universe.”

Link kept quiet, holding his goblet in his hands and staring down into the dark red fluid.

Ganondorf chortled as Link still stared down into his goblet. “You gaze away from me as though you’ve never seen a man before.”

Alertly, Link looked up, for he thought as though Ganondorf had discovered the whole ploy. But the Dark King was merely smiling at him, and leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees.

“If you wish to see a real man...follow me to my quarters.”

Link froze, and he had to ask himself. Had he really just heard that?

Link sucked in a breath, and Ganondorf was smiling at him, low and seductive, and without another word the King stood from his seat, and the room went quiet. The instruments and the dancers stopped and looked at him, as though they were waiting for him to tell them to continue on.

Instead he stretched his massive arms. “I am retiring for the night, but play on.”

Every Gerudo in the room, as well as every slurping, snarling soldier, bowed low, and as Ganondorf took his leave, the instruments started again, and the dancers began to dance. Nabooru watched Ganondorf leave and let out a deep sigh as he disappeared from their sight. She was somewhat miffed that he had left her and the women to the company of the rather disgusting soldiers that accompanied him, but the Dark King was at ease, and best of all...Link was safe.

She looked up to give her prince a smile but then it faded. Link was not at his seat by the fire, and as she examined the room, she couldn’t spot him anywhere. It was as if he had completely disappeared into thin air and no one had seen him come or go.

For a moment she was worried, but then she realized that Ganondorf had left the room alone, and Link had watched him leave. Nabooru had watched Link watch Ganondorf leave. Was it possible that Link had merely retired to his room for the night and was exhausted, just as the rest of them were?

She didn’t want to take any chances though. She snapped her fingers and Omorose rushed to her side, crouching so that Nabooru could whisper to her.

“Go to Link’s room and make sure it is guarded.” she said seriously. Although she and Ganondorf had an understanding, she did not trust him. And she certainly did not trust him alone at any time with Link, should it ever happen.

Omorose said nothing, only nodded as her orders were received and she rose from Nabooru’s side and went to a few guards that were watching the dancing. After whispering in their ears, the guards picked up their staffs that had been laying against the wall in the hallway, and disappeared from the party.

Nabooru let out a sigh of relief. When the party had calmed and the company had gone to bed, she would go and talk to Link privately. But for now, she had to keep up appearances, and smiled upon the dancers and the musicians as they performed.

~*~

Link crept from the familiarity of the party with laughter and music at his back. Silently he moved along the dark hallway, knowing that there was nothing ahead of him to jar his way. The guards were outside making their rounds, but everyone else was enjoying the festivities in the main hall. He had waited long enough from when Ganondorf announced his retirement to his chambers, and then he couldn’t wait any longer.

It was all darkness in the fortress, but as he climbed the stairs and approached the Dark King’s chambers, light shone from a crack in the door from firelight, and standing next to it was one of Ganondorf’s unsavory soldiers, devouring an apple with one hand and holding his staff lazily with the other.

Once the repulsive fiend had caught sight of Link, it snorted and smiled and threw the last of the apple in his mouth and held his staff with both hands. It stared at Link and chortled with laughter as if it knew something that Link didn’t.

Link tried not to look at it as he pushed open the door and found his way into Ganondorf’s chamber. The guard behind him was chuckling louder but Link pushed it to the back of his mind.

The Dark King’s chambers had been off-limits to everyone in the fortress when he was away. When Link was little he was always told to stay away from the staircase that led to this very room. Now that he saw within it, he was amazed. It was large and finely furnished. A beautiful bed sat in the middle of the room and two fireplaces sat on either wall, providing perfect lighting. The stone floor was covered in a deep red carpet, the colour of the sheets and the drapes of the bed.

Ganondorf stood by the fire, naked from the waist up, as he was removing his robes and putting it away. The firelight caught off his muscular back and his skin was incredible, a lovely contrast to the redness of his hair. Ganondorf went to undo the buckle of his belt with strong hands when Link heard the door slam behind him.

Link tried to remain calm. He had never seen a man before, and certainly not a man of this caliber. Not a man of this pure power and strength and disposition.

It was now more then evident that Ganondorf had no interest in killing Link. Just what did the Dark King want of him?

At that thought, Ganondorf looked over his shoulder at Link, smiling that low seductive smile. “You need not use such formalities, even as I am a king.”

Link moved a little further inside, taking in his surroundings with awe, looking at the bed because he had never seen such a fine piece of craftsmanship.

Ganondorf turned around, and Link looked at his muscular chest, heaving as the man breathed, and Link felt his fingers tingle and his heart began to beat a little more quickly. Ganondorf had an incredible body, unlike anything he had ever seen.

“Are you worried about Nabooru?” Ganondorf asked seriously as he smoothly took off his heavy belt. “Don’t be. She’s been well informed.”

~*~

After the party had subsided, and all the guests of the fortress had stumbled to their appropriate rooms, Nabooru hurried to Link’s room and was relieved to find that the guards were there standing on either side with their staffs at hand. When Nabooru appeared she relaxed knowing that Link was safe with them there.

“Has anyone come by this way?” she asked them.

They shook their heads. “No madam, and the prince is asleep inside.”

Nabooru nodded, and let out a deep sigh. Now she could sleep tonight, knowing that Link was safe and not in danger by Ganondorf’s hand. She looked to the two of them and nodded.

“You will watch his door until morning when I come for him, do you understand?”

They both bowed. “Yes my lady.” they said in unison.

With that Nabooru turned on her heel and marched away accordingly. When she was gone from their eyes, the two guards looked at each other with a little smile, as they had fooled the general to their King’s people.

Of course, all it took was a bribe from the king himself.

~*~