Queen of the Banished

1278 words

Zelda walked swiftly to the throne room. Sheik was in Kakariko Village with Kaikoura, and Link was out patrolling with the guards. She felt off-kilter without them. She was to meet with Ganondorf for yet another day of negotiations shortly but something about it didn’t feel right. Zelda settled into her throne and nodded to the guards posted at the doors.

Suddenly, a low rumble started and spread throughout the throne room. The guards looked around when Zelda gasped and pointed to the wall, where a small crack had begun to form. It spread upwards, small popping sounds following in its wake, until it reached the very top. The rumbling stopped and the room fell into a dead silence. After a long moment, the wall suddenly exploded inward, sending bits of rock and debris flying everywhere. The guards yelled as they were flung back, knocked unconscious from the impact of the shrapnel. Zelda stumbled backwards as, from the rubble, came a tall, shadowed figure.

A faint ringing noise sounded as the figure approached, a long billowing cape in its wake. Zelda’s hand grew warm, burning under her skin in warning and getting more intense as the figure grew closer. She let out a gasp as the figure made his way out of the rubble and stepped into the light.
Ganondorf.

“Princess,” Ganondorf said coolly. Zelda cleared her throat and straightened to meet his gaze.

“King Ganondorf. What is the meaning of this?” Zelda demanded. All bravado left her as he stepped forward, and she stumbled back against her throne. She turned to run, but before she could escape she was encased in a large pink crystal. Zelda pounded against it, trying to escape, but after a moment she sank to her knees, realizing it was futile. Ganondorf approached the crystal and smiled at her menacingly.

“You won’t get away with this, Ganondorf,” Zelda said. Her voice shook as he raised an eyebrow at her. Behind him, a legion of moblins poured into the castle, climbing over the rubble.

“I already have. Your hero is imprisoned and with my guards at every entrance to Castle Town, there’s no way for your brothers to return,” Ganondorf answered. “With them out of the way, I have plenty of time to take the triforce of wisdom for myself.” He laughed as Zelda shrunk away from him. He turned with a flick of his cape and made his way out of the throne room. The moblins moved in closer.

“What are you going to do with me?” Zelda demanded. He turned his head back towards her and smirked.

“Oh, yes, thanks for reminding me.” With a snap of his fingers, a figure appeared out of the shadows beside the crystal. It’s skin and hair were black, and it had burning red eyes. Despite those, and most horrifyingly to Zelda, the figure resembled Link. “Take care of her. The moblins can deal with this mess.” The throne room doors slammed with a heavy finality behind him. Zelda screamed as Dark Link approached, and she was sucked into a cold, unforgiving darkness.



Ganondorf strode down the empty stone hallway, his footsteps muffled by the thick red carpet lining the floors. He had left the mess in the throne room for the servants to deal with, and had decided to turn in for the night. Suddenly, he was hit with an overwhelming dizziness, and a strange, loud ringing rose in his ears, deafening him to his surroundings. He wrenched open the door of the nearest restroom and slammed it closed behind him, bolting it. A heavy heat rose in his face that forced him to his knees, a pressure pushing in on his temples. He pressed his head on the cool stone tiles and took a few deep breaths. The feeling was gone as soon as it came.

Ganondorf pushed himself back to his feet and dusted himself off. He straightened his cape and washed his hands, then gathered cool water in his palms and splashed it on his face.

Good work, a voice seemed to whisper as he patted his skin dry. He paused and dropped the towel on the counter, then turned to look in the mirror to ensure he was presentable. His own glowing red eyes stared back at him from the mirror, his reflection somehow larger than he was. Ganondorf blinked a few times and shook his head.

“That’s my cue to go to sleep,” he muttered. A low, dark laugh seemed to follow him from the room.



“Rabia? Rabia?!” Kamilah’s voice rang from the hallway. “Rabia, there you are. No one’s seen you all day!” She paused to take in the disarray in the room before her. “What are you doing?” Rabia placed more folded clothes into her suitcase.

“I’m going to Hyrule,” she said. “I miss Ganondorf and I want to know why making a trade agreement is taking so long.” Kamilah frowned and sat down on the bed beside the suitcase.

“I’m not sure that travelling that far is the best idea, right now,” she said.

“I’m pregnant, not an invalid,” Rabia answered. “I’ll be fine.” Kamilah shifted uncomfortably.

“Why… don’t we discuss this over lunch,” she said. “Come on.” She offered Rabia a hand up. “You must be starving.” Rabia’s stomach grumbled in response to the thought of food. She grinned sheepishly and took her mother’s hand, and the two made their way to the fortress.

The great hall was rather empty by the time they arrived, but Nabooru was still there. Her usually sleek hair was disheveled and she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She was so focused on her cucco leg she barely noticed when Rabia and Kamilah sat down across from her.

“Hey Nabooru,” Rabia greeted as she served herself some lunch. Kamilah grabbed her own plate and nodded to Nabooru in greeting.

“Long day of training?” she asked in amusement as Nabooru shoved another huge piece of cucco in her mouth. Nabooru nodded and swallowed hard.

“Yeah. A handful of new students today - I had to put them through the ringer,” she grinned. Kamilah laughed.

“Of course you did. Anyone promising?” Rabia ate quickly while they talked, anxious to get back to her packing.

“Hey, where are you going in a hurry?” Nabooru asked as Rabia pushed herself up.

“I have a lot to pack and I have to finish soon if I want to leave tomorrow,” Rabia explained. Kamilah sighed.

“I thought we decided you weren’t going to Hyrule,” she said gently.

“Um… no? You said I shouldn’t. I never said I wasn’t going to go.” Kamilah and Nabooru shared a look that Rabia couldn’t decipher. “What’s going on…?” she asked.

“It’s just… right now isn’t a good time to go to Hyrule,” Nabooru said hesitantly.

“For you or the baby,” Kamilah added. “You should stay here - it’ll be less stressful.”

“No, I’m stressed here because I’m bored, I can’t do anything because it’s too hot, and I miss my husband,” Rabia snapped. “Regardless of what you might think, I can actually take care of myself.”

“Rabia, tensions are high in Hyrule right now,” Nabooru stepped in. “Ganondorf is doing something… I don’t agree with,” she said carefully. “It’s really not safe to get in the middle of things right now.”

“Not safe?” Rabia raised an eyebrow. “If I want your opinion I will ask for it, Nabooru. I’m leaving tomorrow morning, whether you like it or not. It’s clear you’re hiding something and I’m going to find out what it is.” She swept from the room, and neither of them followed.