Chapter Text
When the Gerudian king set off to conquer Hyrule he never imagined he would come back with a son, yet here he sat still in his bloodied armor holding an infant who slept peacefully in his arms. It was such a contrast, his own dark outfit covered in the dried blood of his victims, his red cape full of holes and ripped apart, his own flesh held some gashes from the fight, but the baby was pure and untouched in his little brown blanket. The child slept calmly, his innocence was a stark contrast to the dark man that held him reminding Ganondorf of a time long forgotten, his own childhood, before the wars, before his duties as a king set in. His golden eyes peered to the baby in deep contemplation. This baby should be screaming in terror upon seeing a Gerudian, especially the king himself, but the baby did not. The baby was relaxed in the others arms, how strange for such a small creature to figure the safest place to sleep was in his sworn enemies arms?
Ganondorf’s attack had failed, the Hylian army was far too strong and it was infuriating. Only a few days ago had they openly confirmed the princesses heritage, that she was descendant of the goddess Hylia and was blessed by the damn goddesses, maybe it was rash but he knew he had to kill her before she grew powerful enough to stop him. Little Hyrule always relied on ancient magic for their protection, they assumed their sins were nothing as no matter how horrible they were their goddesses always bailed them out. He needed to work on his own army before trying again for he had a fraction of the forces of Hyrule, his only consolidation was as they fled was the castle town reducing to ash from the fires, families fleeing, Hylians dying, all things he liked to see. But they had made it nowhere near the castle. Ganondorf was a smart leader and knew when to fall back only taking a handful of casualties as he and his army fled to the desert, their horses fast as the Hylian army tried to run after them. The losses would be felt across the desert, casualties with no bodies to bury and honor, their spirits were a curse on the land now as he could not retrieve them, he had tried. So they fled… and that was when he saw it.
A ways away from the town running towards the forest, a blonde woman who was severely injured had collapsed to the ground in front of them, the freezing rain just beginning to sprinkle as they got closer, the rumble of thunder in the distance as the party slowed down… would they take a prisoner? A consolation prize for their failure?
“Leave it to die!” Ganondorf commanded as he waved the army to move back to the desert. But then there was something so small, a quiet cry that caught his attention, a baby. He wasn’t sure how he heard it from so far away, and with the galloping of his horses, the crashing of thunder as the storm built suddenly around him, but somehow he heard the whimper. While the others moved to the desert the king was drawn to the woman. He guided his dark horse to approach the woman, he looked over her body with little interest, it looked like she had taken an arrow to the back and foolishly tried to run. She was clearly dying, or maybe even dead already he didn’t really care. She laid face down on the ground, pale, her eyes wide, her black cloak covering her body hiding it from the eyes of the king of thieves. But under her body was the whimpering baby, and that was what caught the kings attention. He had a deep seated hate for Hylians, and there was no reason for him to save the infant, but something whispered in his ear.
He leapt from his horse flicking his cape behind him effortlessly as he approached, his armor clicking ominously as he neared her. He rested hand on the sword on his right hip ready to attack if she moved, but she was limp. He kicked the woman to the side, her blue eyes distant and dim, the unmistakable look of death as the last of the light in her eye drifted away, he had seen that look many times and knew the last face she saw before she died was his and it reflected as her mouth fell open in a silent scream, a plea to the goddesses to save her precious baby. Ganondorf looked to the baby who wasn’t more than maybe a couple of days old, it was so young, so small, still pink, he had only seen babies this young a couple of times. It was now crying and squirming in its blanket on the cold ground, its mother’s arm under the tiny body leaving it in an awkward and undoubtedly uncomfortable position, not to mention the freezing rain that pelted and soaked the infant. Ganondorf contemplated killing it then, surely that was more merciful than leaving the infant to die a slow painful death to the cold. He halfway unsheathed his sword but stopped suddenly as if possessed, the whisper growing into a voice in his ear. The tiny baby looked… familiar.
Curiosity struck him as he instead knelt down and lifted the crying baby, the king gently moving the blanket back a bit to inspect him, feeling the energy emitted, feeling the unmistakable sign of a goddesses blessing. He sat there staring at the tiny whimpering baby as the rain soaked past his armor chilling him now too, but it was overshadowed by the immense pleasure as he let out a laugh, quiet and cautious at first but it grew into a loud maniacal laughter as he realized what this meant. This was possibly the legend, the hero of legend, lying helplessly in his arms. It would be so easy to kill him now and not have to worry about it later. Perhaps he had been favored by the goddesses finally, this was his time to succeed. His laughs died down as he looked to the baby, his hands trembling in anticipation… but killing the baby didn’t feel right, perhaps the goddesses would be cruel and reincarnate him somewhere else where he could grow to fight. Perhaps everything that happened tonight was all by the goddesses hands, that killing the children was not the answer… yet.
He tucked the blanket around the baby and held him under the warm cape before he jumped onto his horse and took off again ensuring to protect his precious gift from the cold air. Surely no one knew of the baby, otherwise all of Hyrule’s army would have protected the infant who would one day hold the Triforce of Courage. He could feel the power radiating from the child, the longer he held the infant the more the doubts melted away.
A dark grin had placed itself across his face the more he thought about it, he held the only thing able to stop him. How convenient. He approached the entrance to the desert well after his party which caused a bit of a panic, but he ignored his people and went right for the colossus hiding the baby under his cloak from their prying eyes. When he reached the spirit temple on the other side of the wasteland, he took the baby inside and sat there staring at him, sitting on the large throne built for him by the witches of the temple. What was he to do with the child? Koume and Kotake circled them and hissed at the man to just kill the baby, they too could feel the light from the child confirming his identity. He told them no, and gave no more explanation than that but sat in contemplation. This child would grow… but who would raise him?
It surely couldn’t be just anyone. This was a child of fate and needed to be cared for with the upmost respect. His fear was having any of the women in his village raise a Hylian could turn fatal as they too did not like the Hylians, not after all those monsters did, and he would grow with animosity deep in his blood. Koume and Kotake would never raise him, he wasn’t pure Gerudian and they were very stuck on their values towards purity. He would have to raise the boy himself and almost laughed at the thought. Ganondorf never saw himself as a father figure of any kind but at least this way he could be right there to ensure there was no sign of rebellion. But the baby had to be hidden for his own protection, he would be sealed in this spirit temple. If the Hylians learned of this… Ganondorf sighed at that and closed his eyes. It was almost paranoia, he knew the Hylians didn’t know or they would have already been knocking on the Gerudian gates, but the thoughts were persistent in his mind. The Hylians destroying his people further for a simple child… but he soothed his worry and fury as he reminded himself again they didn’t know he existed. And as of now no one would look for him, he was an orphan and even if he wasn’t, whoever his father was would assume the wife died and the baby was taken and eaten by wild animals.
He had to learn how to care for a baby as he had never done it before. He learned how to feed him and nurture him, and it was probably one of the hardest things he had ever done, he much preferred the long nagging lectures from the witches compared to the cries of the child. The infant was so dependent on him, waking every few hours leaving the king sleep deprived and angry all the time, Koume and Kotake complaining about the constant crying as if he didn’t already know. They lectured a temple was an area for prayer and sacrifice, not a whiny Hylian brat who had no respect for the area it was in. He had finally succumbed and gotten some help from one of the women in his village, a young woman named Nabooru who was actually happy to see a baby despite his obvious heritage. She was young and naive, only fifteen years of age, eager to prove herself to her king and her people, but what made her valuable was she had helped with the other babies in the village before and could be trusted with the secret. By the fifth day it got a bit easier as they found a routine, Nabooru teaching him how to take care of the baby promising to keep the secret from their people. She even brought a basket with blankets as a makeshift bed for the baby.
“What will you call him?” Nabooru asked as the king paced the room feeding another bottle.
“I believe we need to pay respects to the legend. He will be called Link as the legend had named.” Any other name felt like a slap to the goddesses face and he was not about to defy them in fear of retaliation. He told Nabooru of the child’s heritage and the girl grew quiet, silently conflicted by what she was told but reminded loyal and silent as she went back to the village, if she could get in good with Ganondorf she could rise the ranks and maybe help their people.
It wasn’t uncommon anymore for Ganondorf to spend his time in the spirit temple, so Nabooru had no answers to give them. His people stayed in their village and he only went to the village to lay with the women, other than that he had other things to do, so no one questioned his absence leaving him only to focus on the baby.
The weeks went on and the king felt growing resentment towards the baby. He was a king and shouldn’t be changing diapers and getting up for midnight feedings, it was beneath him and he was ready to give up on the idea feeling exhausted. His frustrations only became worse the more the child seemed to be awake, crying for him at all hours and only finding comfort with him. It was disgusting. Nabooru would come to the temple to watch the baby as he ventured to the village to fulfill his duties, but lately he had been too exhausted and instead took the help and slept for the first time in a few days. But one day, something changed. When he was feeding the baby the little boy had grown so much already and seemed to eat all the time anymore, but as the king burped him and laid him back in his basket, the baby with the brightest blue eyes smiled up at him. The king found himself dumbstruck as the baby boy beamed up at him for the first time and reached for him cooing at him. Something in that moment cracked his black heart and he stared in awe at the baby who would one day fight him, now smiling at him as if he could move the mountains.
It became less of a chore, the temple now filled with a baby’s laughter, but the king would never admit how much the child dug himself into his cold heart. He found himself smiling back to the child and playing with him now, bonding with the child who always needed to be around him. Every time the baby giggled it sent a warmth through the Gerudian he never knew existed. He learned to be patient and understanding as the baby grew and learned how to navigate the world around him. How incredible was it for a being so small to determine it felt safest in your arms? It was a gift.
As the months went on he started to look to the child as his own son, he couldn’t imagine letting anyone else raise him now, they wouldn’t know what he liked after all. But the spirit temple was no place for a growing boy, he ought to know. So he moved him and his son back to the village and announced to the people he had a son and demanded the respect of his people. There was a bit of a murmur, some of the women irritated and upset by the clear Hylian heritage, but the child was innocent in all of this and if their king had managed to produce an heir so early maybe it was a sign things were changing for the better this time. Perhaps finally the Gerudians would prosper, the pale child now a symbol of new times and hope. Perhaps if their king laid with a Hylian… so might they.
Koume and Kotake seethed at Ganondorf returning to the village, they yelled and lectured the king, how he was becoming distracted and they did not waste all their time raising him just for him to abandon everything. They lectured for hours about the influence this would clearly have on the Gerudians, how they would forget the true enemy because of that boy. He yelled back at them reminding them he was king and he held the dark magic they so desperately wanted, that he would lead Gerudo forward and personally destroy the Hylians with his fist leaving nothing but rubble in his wake even if that included his new son… but deep down he didn’t believe that last part.
The baby had accidentally softened the hard edges of the kings life, Link gave him some purpose and almost something to fight for. Sure, Ganondorf had daughters in the village, it was his duty as the Gerudian king to keep his race alive, but this was different. Maybe it was because he was involved in this child’s life, but he didn’t know they could be so… freeing. How ironic the kings adopted son would be the one to steal his heart. The boy looked at him with such joy, such wonder, such love, and it was almost intoxicating he couldn’t get enough, often times the king spent hours watching the baby sleep allowing himself to feel comfort and contentment. The baby went from sleeping in a small basket in the dining area, now sleeping in the same bed with his father, all for “his protection” of course. It started one night when Link had gotten some sort of minor illness and it was easier for the king to care for him in his own room, then it turned into the king holding the baby in his bed trying not to fall asleep as the child sucked a bottle, to finally succumbing and wrapping the baby in the large blankets with him as the pair slumbered. It was nice to be needed. The baby would cross the desert with him when he needed to go to the temple and pray, where he would conspire and plan, and the hags were less than thrilled Link was back in the sacred temple but Ganondorf figured it was important to immerse him in this culture.
Once again, Koume and Kotake warned him of the consequences of letting the child get close to him, but he commanded them to never speak ill of the boy again. As far as he was concerned this child was just as much his as any of the others in his village. They came up to the boys first birthday and to the king it felt like almost no time had passed at all, his days were all about this baby and the occasional fights with Hylian forces who came knocking at their gates. They were taking more and more, the village eventually was pushed back beyond the bridge and the Hylians threatened to bomb the bridge knowing the Gerudians would suffer greatly if that happened.
He distracted himself and taught the child how to sit up, he taught the child how to crawl, read to him every night and before he knew it he had a small toddler running around the temple, and as soon as it became an issue, little Link could no longer go to the temple with his father anymore. The boy was far too adventurous and stubborn to listen, and the hags didn’t like it when he touched their things tainting their temple with his Hylian blood. The king was there for all of the child’s first experiences, his first giggle, his first squeal, his first steps, it further cemented the bond he had with the boy and made him only want to protect the child more. But he still couldn’t admit he loved the boy.
Tensions with Hyrule began to rise again and for the first time instead of heading right into aggression, the king looked to his son and contemplated peace, the boys bright blue eyes looking up at him with wonder. He would be protected… at least until the boy could take care of himself. By this point everyone believed the blonde child was his, and surely the Hylians would kill him just the same as any of the other Gerudians. For the sake of his plan he would never tell the child of his true heritage until the time came where he would fight but this time against the Hylians. He made an agreement with the King of Hyrule much to the discouragement of the Gerudians as their land had been slowly taken, but he promised them it was just to gather their strength for battle. The women knew other than that, just from the way Ganondorf held the toddler and allowed him to play with the kings robes as he addressed his people. But amazingly none of the Gerudians had animosity towards the child, in fact some were far more welcoming than the king thought they would be. Perhaps it was just… him who had these ill thoughts?
“No no!” Koume hissed.
“The Hylians are true evil!” Kotake spat.
“You are the one true king descended from the mighty king Demise!” Koume said.
“Only you deserve to sit on a throne! Burn it all down!” Kotake added.
Little Link would run through the village playing with the other girls his age and weaseling his way into the hearts of all of the women even the ones who believed in only pure Gerudian blood. He was loved in his village, each woman treating him as if he was their own. At first Ganondorf was apprehensive, he had a deep need to protect the boy, hovering over him as he played and almost threatened any of the women who looked at him funny. But the more time he spent in the village, the more the boy began to learn about Gerudian customs and it was good to immerse him in the culture. It was very important for the child to hold these values and learn from them. Clothes were tailored specifically for the boy, ones that were hardly made as there usually wasn’t a boy in the village. He was dressed in blues and golds as a contrast to his sisters who wore reds, greens and purples. Simple golden silk pants and a light airy blue sleeveless shirt adorned with designs in golden thread. He always stuck out in the village and the king liked that, it made it easier to spot him and keep an eye on him, especially when he started to get curious and would head for the stairs to the entrance of the village. Usually his golden hair was a give away but he was getting smarter using cloaks to cover himself. Time and time again he was told not to go down the stairs but he was persistent and determined and would try to sneak off to get to them often prompting sisters his own age to do the same. Inevitably he was caught and the king took him to the living quarters to be punished, his temper tantrum reaching its peak as he didn’t like being told no. It was so embarrassing carrying a screaming toddler across the village in front of everyone, the king hated it, it made him feel weak especially when they would giggle and point at him.
It was good having the boy around others his age, it taught him social skills but it also made one thing very clear very quickly. Link never spoke a single word, not even trying, and it worried the king. Other toddlers his age were beginning to say some sentences, ask for things, and he had yet to utter a single word.
“Sometimes these things happen.” One of the older women assured him.
“He’s happy and thriving, maybe one day he’ll talk, some are just late bloomers.” Another said.
But even as the days went on with him playing with other toddlers, the boy never said anything. It was frustrating as times he would be having a fit and no one knew what he wanted and he didn’t know how to tell them. That was one thing the king couldn’t wait for him to grow out of, the temper tantrums. While he got frustrated, the women would shake their heads and giggle watching the king try to negotiate with an angry sleepy toddler. He was getting frustrated again… but once again Nabooru came to ease his frustration.
“Hylians have sign.” Nabooru had offered one day. “I can learn it and teach you and him until he is able to talk.”
“But why doesn’t he speak?” The king growled in a deep whisper, almost a hiss as he paced around the dining table.
“You said… you found him and he was in his mother’s arms when she died, maybe as her spirit passed his became permanently scarred. Perhaps it is his spirit that was so traumatized even though he doesn’t remember, maybe a part of him does.”
Ganondorf’s whole body softened at that and his face dropped in sorrow. He moved to the window and looked out spotting his son yelling and playing with the others as he ran and laughed. The Gerudians held values towards the spirits, living and deceased, and perhaps the girl was right. Perhaps his spirit was fractured and would never be whole…
So they learned to sign. It was in Hylian as there was no Gerudian equivalent but that was fine as Ganondorf intended to teach his son both languages anyway. The boy picked up sign quickly and was able to ask for simple things and communicate with the king who learned with him. It became a bit easier to see what he needed and wanted, but the temper tantrums were still hell, the signing did nothing as he just waved his arms around meaninglessly and wailed. One of the first things the boy learned was ‘father’, and ‘no’, and the boy said ‘no’ a lot especially if he was upset. But Ganondorf would never forget the very first time his little Hylian ran up to him and called him ‘father’. That was the same day he called the boy his ‘son’.
By the time the boy turned five, almost everyone in the village had learned how to communicate with the boy in their own ways and Nabooru had been praised for her ideas, she was now honored as a royal adviser for Ganondorf and was now one of the highest Gerudians under the king. She took it with honor but there was something about the woman that made Ganondorf take attention to her. The now 20 year old woman had grown too, much different from the 15 year old girl he had come to the temple for help. There was a look in her gold eyes that the king couldn’t quite put his finger on. But she was good with the boy and that’s what spoke to him.
Link had gone through a ceremony in the village officially naming him as the prince of the Gerudians. He was dressed in traditional simple yet elegant red and tan robes and had been given his own crown, a small golden circlet that was adorned with one large ruby in its center and two small sapphires on either side. He and his father had gone to the spirit temple to pray to the spirits for guidance, Koume and Kotake hovering with disapproval as the boy bowed as he had been taught and silently prayed. He was very involved with the Gerudian culture, praying and worshiping the spirits, venturing with the king to the village hand in hand and helping the women with some of their work. He enjoyed being helpful and almost went out of his way to help his people. ‘He would make a great king’ Ganondorf had thought many times as he watched. The king had taken his circlet one night and put his own power into it, now not only could the king feel and “see” the boy when he wore it, but it was protection too. No harm would ever come to him.
Every so often, Ganondorf would have to leave to visit Hyrule for a few days to maintain the peace. He would spend the day before preparing for his journey, and his little blonde son would follow him around like a lost puppy. No negotiating to play with the others ever got the boy away from him. Ganondorf tried his best to get up early the next morning without waking Link, but somehow the child always knew. He had slowly and quietly gotten out of bed, his son still lying there wrapped in the sheets drooling a little as he slumbered. He was sure the boy was asleep and began putting on his worn, dark, heavy armor when the boy tugged on his father’s sleeve getting his attention surprising him.
Can I come? The boy signed with a yawn. He hated when his father woke up so early, the sun hadn’t even begun rising yet.
“No. You’re safer here.” Ganondorf assured ruffling the boys hair.
Link shoved the large hand from his head. But I’m strong.
“You are very strong. But you need to stay here and help your people, and I need you to pray for us while we are gone.”
Nabooru gets to go. The boy huffed and stomped his foot.
“Don’t whine, you are staying here and that is my decision. One day I will take you, but you need to get bigger.”
Koume and Kotake aren’t fun. They don’t let me go to the village. The boy had a pout on his face as he signed. He peered up to the king now almost begging. I will be good. I won’t even wander. I’ll just hold your hand the whole time. And I won’t make faces and I won’t be naughty. I’ll eat all my food even the gross kind.
“You cannot negotiate your way through this. The Hylians are dangerous.” Ganondorf replied kneeling down to the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder. “That is why I wear the armor. When you are old enough to wear armor, you may come. And you cannot go to the village when I’m not here because I can’t protect you. You need to listen to Koume and Kotake.”
The boy huffed now giving a soft glare. They smell like bad horse breath and make funny sounds when they eat.
“Mind your elders.” The king lectured softly, but he couldn’t stop the small smile from the boys bluntness. They did smell bad and made weird sounds when they ate didn’t they? “I have to go, but I will be back.”
Tears welled in his son’s eyes as the blonde leapt forward and hugged the king tightly who held him back. He knew the boy would miss him, and he found it hard to admit he would be thinking about the boy everyday he was gone.
“You have to be strong. The Hylians can’t see your weaknesses or they will use it against you. I will be fine, because they don’t know I have a weakness. I will be back in a few days. Be good and I’ll bring you something back.”
What’s your weakness?
“I will tell you when you’re old enough to wear the armor.” The king smiled slightly and ruffled the boys hair again making him giggle a little.
Link watched as his father put on the rest of the large heavy armor, he was allowed to go to the village and wave goodbye to the king as he and a few of the stronger women in red rode off towards Hyrule before the sun even rose.
He had to go back to the spirit temple across the colossus where it was safe and boring, no children to play with, no father to read to him, no Nabooru to teach him. He missed his father so much and would watch out of a window just waiting to see his father crossing the desert to get him again…