The Legend of Zelda

Chapter One: Change of Plans

Dearest Father;

I know that finding this letter will come as a shock to you, as will the contents, and I can only hope that you will understand the reasons behind my unannounced departure from the castle. I believe that your new friend, Ganondorf, is in possession of the legendary Triforce of Power, which would explain his advanced proficiency with magic, and I also believe that he is getting close to you in an effort to seize our most sacred treasure, the Triforce of Wisdom.

I have sent scouts into the rural outskirts of Hyrule, and they report that Ganondorf's followers number at least ten times what he led us to believe, which leads me to believe that he plans to take the Triforce through violence if he cannot acquire it through guile. As part of my answer to this, I am disguised as a peasant, traveling by coach to the distant Kingdom of Arcadia, along with my maid, Impa.

My reasons for this journey are selfless, as I do not believe that our Kingdom's Army is sufficient to defeat Ganondorf's hordes if they choose to attack. I intend to seek the aid of Prince Façade, as surely with our combined strength, Ganondorf will surely fall. However, knowing the Prince as I do, he will likely seek my hand in return for such assistance, and yes, I am willing to agree in order to ensure the safety of our people.

Please, father, try to understand my actions, and if nothing else, remember that I love you with all my heart.

Your loving daughter;

Zelda

"What a touching letter." Ganondorf said with a chuckle as he finished reading it out loud. "So full of daughterly love and duty to one's people, it almost brings a tear to my eye."

The tall, green-skinned Sorcerer then took a deep breath and blew his nose into the letter like it was a rag, before crumpling it up and tossing it over his shoulder. The short, bulldog-like Moblins who were with him laughed as he did this, but did not move their spears away from the Princess or the elderly woman who accompanied her. The scene was a grim one, the two of them on their knees in the road, while the dark forest around them was illuminated by the burning carriage. And in the flickering orange light, the bodies of the two Knights who had been posing as carriage drivers to protect them, could be seen lying in the road with spears in their backs.

"And here we have Princess Zelda." He continued as he walked up to them. "The most fetching little brunette in the land, along with her grandmother, racing off to marry that overly-effeminate Façade in order to save her Kingdom from me, the powerful, yet ruggedly handsome Sorcerer, Gannondorf. Why, it's almost… storybook."

"I knew you were rotten from the start." The Princess replied without looking at him. "Coming into the castle and entrancing my father with your magic tricks and supposedly wise council, while all the time your horde was gathering strength. But you will never get your disgusting hands on the Triforce of Wisdom, Gannondorf… I…

"Princess, please." Impa warned quietly. "I know you have always been taught to speak your mind, but these creatures are likely to kill you if you anger them."

"Quite right, in most cases." Ganondorf answered while standing over them. "But I have no desire to harm Zelda, in fact quite the opposite. You know, Princess, since you were so willing to run off and marry a spineless sheep like Façade in order to save your Kingdom, why don't you just save time and marry me?"

There was no way to stop the sudden look of both shock and horror from spreading across the Princess's face, and the old woman coughed harshly when he said these words, before having to cover her mouth to contain the sudden burst of laughter. Ganondorf managed to keep his composure over their reaction, but then a Moblin started to laugh as well, and without looking, the Sorcerer tossed a blue sphere of energy from his hand. The Moblin vanished in a small explosion upon impact, and now no one was laughing when he grabbed Zelda by the arms and pulled her to her feet.

"I assure you, Princess, I am quite serious." Ganondorf said. "Now here is what is going to happen: I am going to propose to you, and you had better say yes. Because if you don't, I am going to do terrible things to your Kingdom, beginning with making you watch as I slit your grandmother's throat."

He let go of her, and neither Zelda nor Impa could think of anything to say back to this as the Sorcerer got down on one knee. Snapping his fingers and pointing to the old woman, the Moblins seized Impa by the arms, and the Princess felt a knot form in her stomach when the wretch actually asked the question. For a moment she was frozen and didn't know what to do, but then her only choice became obvious when she realized that she would rather die than marry a creature like him.

For a moment it looked like she had given up, but then Zelda grabbed him by the sides of the head, making him cry out in pain as she rammed her knee into his face with all of her strength. The Sorcerer fell onto his back, close enough to the Moblins that his flailing arms made them lose their grip on Impa. Taking advantage of the distraction, she shoved the nearest Moblin out of the way, before taking hold of the old woman's arm to help her stand.

"Come on, Impa!" She exclaimed while pulling her along. "Run!"

Their escape started off well enough, with the old woman moving surprisingly fast for her age, and hopefully they could lose the pursuing Moblins if they ran deep enough into the forest. However, they had just gotten past the tree line, when another sphere of blue energy flew right past Zelda, only to explode when it struck the tree she was passing. She could feel the heat on her face, and then she was thrown backwards as an incredible pain forced her eyes shut. The Princess tried to open them, but that just caused more pain, and she knew that escape would be impossible for her.

"Impa, run!" Zelda yelled while pushing away the old woman who was trying to help her. "Find a way to warn my father… just go!"

With another shove, the old woman finally got the hint, turning away and quickly vanishing into the trees while the Moblins recaptured the temporarily blinded Zelda. They pulled her back the way she came and then forced her to her knees, holding her arms while the Sorcerer's laugh told her he was right in front of her. It was much harder to be brave now that she couldn't see, and Ganondorf seemed to be amused by the way she gasped and winced when he placed his finger under her chin.

"Aw, did you hurt yourself, my love?" He asked while tilting her head upward. "Well, fear not; you will have plenty of time to recuperate while you're chained to my throne at Spectacle Rock. The chains, if you please."

There was a clinking and rattling sound for a few seconds before the Princess gasped as she felt the cold metal shackles being attached to her wrists. A set was placed on her ankles as well, along with a belt of some kind around her waist that felt like it linked the two sets together. She struggled a bit when they tried to put an uncomfortable and very tight-fitting metal collar around her neck, and once it was on, Zelda couldn't help but gag a little when the leash attached to it was pulled upward.

"Much better." Ganondorf continued while yanking her back and forth with it. "Now I can easily guide you to your new home without worrying about you getting lost or injured along the way. And do not worry about your grandmother; she will never reach the King. Moblins, track the old hag down, but do not kill her right away. Let her run through the forest for help until the last of her strength is gone, and then take her life very slowly."

"Leave Impa alone!" The Princess yelled, more begging than demanding. "She is a helpless old woman, you…

Her words were stopped as what felt like his knee was slammed into her stomach, and she would have fallen down, if the leash hadn't been pulled upward to make her choke until she regained her balance. Meanwhile, she could hear the sound of Moblins rushing off after Impa, but there was nothing she could do as her captor pulled her along in the other direction.

"I have to admit, I enjoy seeing you like this." Ganondorf said as they walked. "There is just something special about a Princess in chains. Unfortunately, once you are secured, I will have to rush back to your castle. You see, my spies got a hold of your letter before King Harkinian could find it, and I just know that my dear friend is going to be worried sick when he discovers that his beautiful daughter has gone missing. So worried, in fact, that after several weeks he might even give in when I suggest we use the Triforce of Wisdom to aid us in the search."

"You monster." Zelda hissed. "Even if my father was ignorant enough to allow a wretch like you access to our Triforce, you would still never be able to get your hands on it. You've lost before you even begin, Ganondorf; on its own, the Triforce of Power will corrupt you until there is nothing left but the beast I already know you are, and I hope that…

Forced to gag again as the leash was pulled roughly toward him, the Princess was allowed to breathe for a second before she felt the back of his fist go across her cheek. Without being able to see, or even take proper steps because of her leg shackles, Zelda found herself falling face first into the road. The Sorcerer's foot then pressed down on the back of her head when she tried to get up, and the Princess screamed as he ground her into the hard-packed dirt.

"Not too much of that, now." He said before removing his foot and pulling her back up. "We wouldn't want to risk spoiling those good looks, now would we? Now, as much as I would love to march you all the way back to Spectacle Rock, I do have a schedule to keep. Your father should be returning from his voyage this morning, and a good friend would be there to welcome him home."

With that, she heard him take something out from under his coat, and it confused her a little when she began to hear music. Was he playing some kind of Recorder? And if so, what was the point? It was only a short melody, but then the wind picked up just before she felt her feet leave the ground as she was lifted into the air.