The Hero, the Princess, and the Cursed King

Prologue

[Ganondorf]

Ganondorf crouched behind a boulder. His scrunched legs begged to straighten, and a few sharp rocks pierced through his shoe. He was positioned midway through Outlaw Canyon—the canyon that bordered the Kingdom of Hyrule and the Gerudo Desert.

"What are you doing?"

Ganondorf swiveled around to see Link, his younger brother, squatting down next to him. "You're not supposed to be here."

"Why not?"

"You're too young."

Link crossed his arms. "You're only fourteen, and you're here."

"Four years is a big difference in the battlefield," Ganondorf peeked around the rock, looking for the signal. "You need to leave. This is a delicate operation."

"I can handle it."

"If you get hurt, mom will kill me." It was true. Out of Twinrova's two adopted sons, she fretted over Link more. Not because she loved him more, but because Link was Hylian, and she believed that made him more likely to break.

"You can tell her it was all my idea," Link grinned, hoisting his sword.

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. Link looked almost comical with his gleaming sword and stolen too-big armor.

Ganondorf heard faint whistling. He peered over the rock to see a fellow Gerudo warrior holding aloft a red flag—the signal. Ganondorf raised another red flag and then crouched down even lower, adrenaline pumping through his system. It was too late for Link to leave; Ganondorf would just have one more thing to worry about in the coming battle.

"Listen, closely," Ganondorf whispered to Link. "The Hyrule royal family carriage will pass through here any second. Our job is to stop it and save the queen and princess."

"Why would we save them from their kingdom?" Link asked.

"Well, King Rhoam is a tyrant, and Queen Zelda is close friends with Chief Urbosa. I can see why the chief would want to help out her friend."

He could now hear the sound of horses' hoofs. Ganondorf drew his weapon, positioning himself to be able to leap from his cover quickly.

"What should I do?" Link asked as he mimicked Ganondorf's movements.

The sound of the carriage approaching set Ganondorf's nerves on edge. He really couldn't focus on protecting Link right now. This rescue attempt was his first mission, and he needed to prove to the chief that he was ready for more than just the training ground.

"Stay here and don't die." Ganondorf pushed Link down into a sitting position. "I mean it. I need to focus on this mission, not on you."

"But, Ganondorf—"

Ganondorf covered Link's mouth as an unusual birdcall resounded across the canyon. The crash of rocks falling shook the ground. That was the signal, signal. He had to act now, and he could only hope Link would stay put.

Ganondorf leaped over the boulder and landed hard on the ground. Up ahead, an elaborate carriage rimmed with gold had come to a halt in front of a rock slide. The fancy blue carriage seemed out of place in the canyon's dull, plain brown hues. Ganondorf and a few other warriors, including the Gerudo chief, Urbosa, were stalking towards it. A couple of his fellow soldiers had already subdued the stagecoach driver and cut the horses from their reins.

Urbosa signaled for them to surround the carriage. Ganondorf swallowed his nerves and moved into position. Urbosa stepped forward, her sword at the ready, and opened the carriage door. Inside were the queen and princess, but they were bound and gagged.