Ever since Hyrule Kingdom was first founded, four races inhabited it: the Goron clan in the Eldin Province and the surrounding mountainous areas, the Rito tribe in the eastern Eldin and Necluda provinces, and the Hylians who both founded and governed the kingdom. There were also the Sheikah, an offshoot of Hylians who inhabited the Necluda forests southern of the Quince Cliffs. Then there were the Kokiri, forest-dwelling beings who hid in the depths of the Great Hyrule Forest.
But Hyrule wasn't the only kingdom to populate the continent. To the east and far north, outside of what are now the Lanaryu and Eldin Provinces, was the territory of Zora's Domain. In the south was the Deku Kingdom, and to the far west lay the sprawling Gerudo Desert which was home to the Gerudo.
Hyrule Kingdom became intertwined with Zora's Domain and the Deku Kingdom, constantly trading and loaning defenses. The desert-dwelling Gerudo Kingdom was also involved, but due to many clashes with Hyrule Kingdom they were mostly dismissed and left to their own devices. That was until Queen Naboora Teake of the Gerudo was courted by and eventually betrothed to King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule VII. This action united the two kingdoms, finally bringing together the Hylians and the Gerudo people.
"Except it didn't..." Daemos muttered to himself, closing the book he was reading from.
A little voice mewed from beside him questioningly. Daemos looked down at the once-dozing black and red-striped cat on his lap. She stared up at him with wide yellow eyes.
"It's nothing," Daemos said. The cat got up, taking her sweet time stretching before leaping off his lap. Daemos stood and returned the book to its shelf, casting a hesitant glance at the door. He was expecting someone, and they hadn't shown up yet.
Daemos gazed about the room, at the dozens of shelves crammed with books. There must have been over a thousand tomes in here. Daemos loved the Royal Archives, but it was always so empty. The Hylian scribes and researchers rarely dared to enter when he was in, which was quite often, and it saddened him. He could never tell whether it was out of respect or intimidation, but he always had a sinking feeling it was the latter.
Turning his back to the door, Daemos made his way to the doors that led to the balcony, the cat sticking close to him. On his way he passed a wall covered in elegant paintings. He could count ten, but he knew there were at least thrice that amount hung up about the castle.
The paintings depicted a sampling of Hyrule's past rulers, kings and queens alike, and all but five were Hylian. This quintet consisted of Queen Naboora, Queen Iurre, King Raif, Queen Aveil, and himself, King Daemos. They stood out like a sore thumb with their dark skin, brilliant red hair, angular faces, and amber eyes contrasting with the blonde, blue-eyed, pale complexions of their Hylian predecessors. Well, not all of them looked that way.
Daemos stepped out onto the balcony where he was instantly awash in the light of the half-moon. The cat jumped up on the curved railing, gazing at Daemos expectedly. He gently scratched the side of the feline's face. She leaned into his hand, purrs of appreciation leaving her. He gave her a small pat on the head and went back to admiring the natural scenery. This had to be his second favorite place in the castle, if merely for the view it gave him. He could see Hyrule Castle City from the balcony.
The usually bustling streets were now silent, save for the occasional patrolling guard or wandering nocturnal Pokémon. The former were there for the citizens' sake, to keep watch for any potential danger. Daemos couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to them that he could prevent. But unfortunately, many of the citizens didn't see it his way.
A westbound breeze swept across the balcony, fluttering Daemos' cloak and lifting his strawberry-blonde hair. Like his ancestors, minus Queen Naboora, Daemos was part-Hylian, evidenced by his lighter hair, skin color, and faded blue, almost silvery eyes. He was neither full Hylian, nor full Gerudo, and his subjects both knew and were vocal about it.
For almost two-hundred years—Daemos' eighth year ruling would bring the number to an even amount—the Gerudo had been leading Hyrule Kingdom, and for almost two-hundred years they'd been pining for something they deemed more important than power.
Respect.
Since millennia past, the Gerudo were seen as two things: intimidating, and more importantly, untrustworthy. A history of thievery and swindling was one that could be mended with fair actions, granted it would take many years, but it could be done. It went further than that, however.
Daemos frowned, his hands clenching. It was all because of the Gerudo's involvement with an ancient feud that dealt with divine magic. To Daemos, it was a horrific curse placed upon his people. It always seemed like a Gerudo was dealt the rotten hand, and that Gerudo was more than happy to sample and twist the divinity they held for their own selfish desires.
A despairing anger began to well in Daemos. It always came back to the Holders, to that damned Triforce! Courage and Wisdom were forever pitted against Power, and of course the other two parties involved were always Hylians, the race that took the biggest issue with the Gerudo. Why were they destined to play the villain? What did they do to deserve this?
Another breeze stirred the air, still from the west. "Don't believe what the gossip-mongers say, sweet Daemos. Winds from the west bring good luck, not misfortune. They don't carry the whisper of a storm or snow. They bring warmth, and they remind us of our origins."
Daemos recalled his mother's words, the memory of her silky voice briefly quelling the turmoil that had a hold on his emotions. He had promised her that his reign would be the one that really turned things around. He would do something that would finally convince his subjects that the Gerudo needed to be respected, not mocked. But nothing had so far worked.
He tried, he tried so desperately. Allowing all races to work in the castle merely drove them away except for a select brave few. The reduction of patrolling guards and soldiers let crime spike. And his most regretted attempt, the time he foolishly required that the guards and soldiers carry lighter weapons to appear less intimidating. That had resulted in over a half dozen innocent souls being slaughtered in less than a week. It made Daemos feel ill remembering that.
Daemos knew not all Hylians were like this, nor that all Gerudo supported him, but the negatives seemed to far outweigh the positives in both cases. He was at his wits' end. He gave them an inch, and the extremists took a mile while the rest regarded him and the other Gerudo with icy stares and gossip whispered in alleys and behind closed doors.
The cat mewed at Daemos and nudged his hand with her nose. She didn't stop until he began petting her, and he almost smiled. Not once had a Pokémon that wasn't wild snubbed him. Beyond that, even though what had taken place in the past must have affected them, no Pokémon had ever shown a Gerudo true judgement or animosity.
"At least you trust us," Daemos said to the kitten.
"Your Majesty?"
Greatly startled, Daemos whirled around. Shock briefly hazed his vision, clearing when he saw that it was his general.
"Did I startle you?" the new Gerudo asked, his amber eyes widening.
Daemos scrambled to gather his dignity, replying, "Yes, but I'm fine. Sarqso, General Dragmire."
"You requested that I meet you in the Archives. You weren't there, and I figured you'd come out here with Litten. You want to discuss the recent attack on the Arbiter's Grounds, I presume?" Dragmire asked.
Daemos nodded grimly. Now that he was back in reality, the initial reason for this meeting had come crashing down on him. Two days ago, the largest prison in Hyrule had been attacked, freeing a dozen Hylian felons and killing nearly that amount of guards.
"I've done what you said, Your Majesty," Dragmire continued. "I have sent two dozen of the Royal Guard to guard the builders and overseers."
Daemos nodded again, the action serving as a silent thank you. He knew why the attack had occurred. Justice had wrongly been served, and the attackers seeked to rectify this by releasing those who had been "falsely imprisoned." After all, the word of a Gerudo couldn't be trusted.
The two men were silent for a spell, during which Daemos' gaze had wandered to the side where he stared distantly out at the land beyond.
"Your Majesty, this... wasn't why you called me here, was it?" Dragmire questioned cautiously.
The ghost of a smile graced the king's lips. "You know me too well, General," he muttered.
"Then why is it that you've summoned me?"
"I... I don't—" Daemos faltered. He pursed his lips, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Have you ever wondered why it had to be us?" he asked quietly.
The general looked confused. "Excuse me? Wondered what?"
"Why it had to be us. Why Hylia had chosen this role for our race," Daemos stated, louder.
"Forgive me, but I really don't understand what you mean."
"Why we are always the villains," Daemos almost exclaimed, restraining himself at the last second. "Why does every Holder of Power have to be a Gerudo? Why do they always want the Triforce for themselves, and not for the people? We're better than this, I know we are!"
Dragmire took a startled step back, speechless as Daemos carried on.
"If one, if at least one Holder thought of what their actions would result in, then perhaps those guards wouldn't have perished, perhaps we'd be respected the slightest bit more, perhaps my mother would not have passed away praying that something would change!" Daemos stopped when he realized that he was shouting. He grimaced and turned his back to Dragmire. "My apologies, General. I-I didn't mean to lose my temper."
The general quickly shook his head. "It's quite fine, Your Majesty! I've just never seen you like that before."
"I suppose I needed someone to vent to, and you were the first person I thought of. I'm sorry I wasted some of your evening. You may return to your quarters if you wish." Daemos felt a hand on his shoulder, and a moment later Dragmire was standing next to him, smiling sadly.
"Again, it's quite fine," Dragmire reassured. "And you haven't wasted my time, you never do. Our positions don't change that we're friends, does it?"
"No, they don't," Daemos said, shaking his head. "And I would have to give you a wholehearted sarqso for that. But you know where I'm coming from, don't you?"
"Of course. We deserve acceptance and respect, especially after the lengths you and your mother have gone to." The general paused. "But haven't you ever thought of another way to go about earning these?"
Daemos sighed despairingly. "What other way is there? I've done everything I can think of without having to resort to force." That was the absolute last thing he wanted to have to do. Violence was the third thing the Gerudo were known for, and that was the first stereotype Daemos wanted to break. But the worst part was that on more than one occasion Daemos wanted to dismiss that, and those occasions were increasing.
"Didn't you say that the Holder of Power always seems to be a Gerudo?" That question came out of left field, and it puzzled Daemos. "Well, you may be correct," Dragmire chuckled as he removed his right glove. He then held up his hand. The king's eyes widened when he saw a peculiar triangle-shaped scar on the back of Dragmire's hand.
"Is that..?" Daemos couldn't finish his sentence.
Dragmire grinned. "Look familiar, Your Majesty? I've only become aware of what I possess in the past few weeks, and I wish it had been sooner." He clenched his fist, and the top portion of the scar faintly began to glow with an otherworldly golden light. "I agree that the previous Holders of Power were driven by self-interest. However, they were also leaders in their lifetimes. I'm but an underling to the one who needs the title of Holder of Power more than I do."
"D-don't say that about yourself, General. In my eyes, you're my equal," Daemos objected.
Dragmire's grin faded, but it turned to more of an appreciative smile. "Sarqso, Your Majesty. Truly," he said. "Now what if I said I could give you this power? You would become the new Holder of Power, and that would bring you one step closer to bringing about the respect and acceptance we more than deserve." He purposefully paused, allowing his words to sink in. "And now... what if I said I had an idea of where the Holder of Courage may be? That would be another step taken."
The king was wary, but he decided to bite. "You would be willing to do this for me?" he asked, making his skepticism clear.
"Of course. You said we were equals, but words and sentiments don't change facts, unfortunately." Dragmire placed his fingers on the back of Daemos' right hand. "And I'll be more than happy to prove that."
Daemos considered Dragmire's proposal, and he considered it greatly. If he were the Holder of Power, he could possibly summon the Triforce. He could really make a difference. "But do you think I'm truly worthy of being a Holder?" Daemos asked.
Dragmire nodded. "Without a doubt, Your Majesty."
"Then I accept," Daemos said.
The golden light from Gerudo's scar intensified before beginning to flicker like a dying torch. Daemos sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth as an intense burning sensation started up on the back of his hand, searing him down to the bone. The pain lasted but a moment as the light from Dragmire's scar faded, the scar vanishing with the light.
The process now complete, Dragmire removed his hand from Daemos'. The scar was now visible where the general's fingers once rested. Daemos examined his new marking with almost childlike curiosity, utterly awe-struck. He now bore the mark that had been spoken of in the greatest of legends.
He clenched his hand into a fist. Heat gathered in his hand, an unknown feeling of strength welling up in him, and the top portion of the scar began to glow. Unlike the previous Holders of Power, he was aware of the mistakes they had made. He was going to use this power for his race and his subjects. He was going to finally do the right thing.
"What do you think, Holder of Power?"
Daemos looked at Dragmire, smiling for the first time in weeks. "I think... this is the start of something great, General."