A Shed of Hope

Chapter Three: Estrella

I hold the edge of the cushioned seat as the carriage jostles to and fro. Lord Ganondorf insisted that he drive the carriage to Hyrule Castle as I am to ride inside and keep an eye on the boy, whatever his name is. I look over to him now, still out cold and lying on the seat opposite me. His straw-colored hair falls over his eyes and his arm is draped across his chest. I saw that his eyes are a sky blue when I held the cloth over his mouth. I smirk as I relive the memory of how he struggled against my lord’s grip, but he was not strong enough. Now that I think about it, I don’t know anyone stronger then Lord Ganondorf.

            Lord Ganondorf gave me one order besides keeping an eye on the boy, and that was to bind his wrists when he wakes up. It will be a while before that happens, but I get the rope ready anyway, spreading it across the seat next to me. I get now why Lord Ganondorf picked a poor boy from an outskirts village. He wouldn’t be missed, as I've spied on this boy for quite some time. He doesn’t have any family, or really any close friends besides his coworker. But, Lord Ganondorf also wanted him because he is fit to do work. I look over to the boy now and see the strong, firm build of muscles on his body. The only thing Lord Ganondorf has working against his favor is that the boy is cute. From the shape of his face to the shape of his body, Lord Ganondorf better be lucky because the princess might fall in love with him.

            But that’s part of the plan, is it not? If they fall in love, the quest my master has me doing will work in our favor. Forget about what Ganondorf wants, he's nothing compared to what my master can do.

            Just to prove once again that I've got the right boy, I take out a black crystal from my pocket. Its oval shaped and its ends are pointed. I can feel the dark power running through it as I rub my fingers over the smooth stone. I get up from my seat and kneel down next to the boy. He stirs, but doesn’t wake. I take his left hand, his dominate hand from the way I saw him use it, and hold it near the Shadow Crystal. A mark starts to glow on the back of his hand, faint at first, but getting brighter. At its full brightness, the mark becomes clear. Three triangles glow on the back of the boy’s hand with the bottom right triangle filled in with a golden light. So, this is the holder of the Triforce of Courage. What is this, a joke? Clearly, the boy doesn’t know or he would’ve been more careful around us tonight. But one thing is clear, I have the right boy. This is the reason why I convinced Ganondorf to pick this boy over any other. He was suspicious as first, as if he wondered why I wanted him to choose this boy. But, I bet he just figured that I thought he was cute. Boy, does he need to open his eyes.

            My master is after the sacred power, the ultimate power that will give her the power to make one wish and control all of Hyrule. That ultimate power is none other than the power the goddesses left behind after their making of Hyrule in all the legends: the Triforce. Split into three different pieces: power, wisdom, and courage; one must unite the three pieces in order to gain the Triforce as a whole and be granted a wish. That is the goal my master is after, and I am determined not to let her down with a simple task such as finding out who owns which piece. Ganondorf holds power, no surprise there. The princess of Hyrule holds wisdom, that’s no surprise either. She's smarter than half of the advisors on the council appointed by the king. Both of them have known that they carry the pieces since the day they were born. But it seems as this boy doesn’t even know the kind of power he possesses. That’s the advantage on my part. He has no idea what kind of danger he's in just by wielding that power. He’s harmless now, but when he finds out how to control that power, he’ll pose a threat to my master and try to bring her down. No way am I going to let that happen.

            I put the Shadow Crystal back in my pocket and watch as the mark on the boy’s hand dims until it’s no longer there. Only great power can force the Triforce to reveal itself. I'm lucky Ganondorf didn’t see the mark glowing on the boy’s hand when he grabbed him. Contact of the pieces of the Triforce also forces them to reveal themselves. That just shows how stupid Ganondorf is. My master would never miss an important detail such as that. I'm lucky the boy didn’t see the mark either, and then I’ll really be in trouble.

            I get to my feet and sit back down in my seat across from the boy, bracing myself against the jostling of the carriage. I look out of a brake in the red curtains, not wanting to pull them back. The rising hills of Hyrule Field have vanished and in their place is the bustling activity of Castle Town. Kids run to and fro along the streets while their parents shop in the open-air stores. People stop and gaze upon the carriage as it passes, knowing who the person who's driving it is. They’ve all heard the rumors, though they don’t know for sure.

Some people have heard that Ganondorf is forcing the king and queen to marry their daughter to him. Some think that Ganondorf either brainwashed or tricked the king and queen into marrying off their daughter to him. Both are wrong. Ganondorf didn’t force or brainwash or trick the king and queen into doing anything. Okay, maybe he is tricking the king and queen. But they know a different Ganondorf than Zelda does. Zelda has seen the true Gerudo Prince while her parents have only seen a fake. The rulers of Hyrule believe marrying their daughter to Ganondorf is the best thing to do. In reality, he's planning something much more. In truth, he doesn’t even love the princess like he claims he does.

The carriage stops and I look out the window once more. The golden gates of Hyrule Castle stand before the carriage with guards standing on both sides. They move to open the gates as Ganondorf drops down from the driver’s seat. I hear a moan and look over to the boy, who is still draped across the seat. The boy shifts on the seat and his eyes flutter open. In an instant I am at his side, taking his wrists and tying them behind his back with the rope that I got ready. He sits up, looks around, looks at me, then leans back in the seat and closes his eyes.

I hear the carriage door opening and Ganondorf say my name. I step out of the carriage, raising my hand to shield my eyes from the afternoon sun.

“Yes, my lord,” I respond.

“Sit here and guard the carriage as I speak to the king and queen,” Ganondorf replies.

“Yes, my lord,” I say, hoisting myself up onto the driver’s seat and holding onto the reins of the horses.

Now all I have to do is wait until this day is over. Then the real mission begins.